Good employees are the backbone of every organization.  It’s not just service companies that can say, “Our most valuable assets walk out the door every day at 5:00.”  Whether a company builds widgets or houses, sells cars or cosmetics, or operates hospitals or schools, it is the efforts of the employees – the individuals – who make the difference between success and failure.  Regardless of the type of business, every company is in the “people business.”  But how do you go about hiring and developing valuable employees?

As it is with most worthwhile efforts, there are a few basic rules.

Rule 1:  Evaluate Each Job applicant’s Qualifications

Review resumes to find the applicants who are best suited in terms of job-relevant skills, knowledge, experience and education, the standards for which should be explicit in the position’s written job description.  If no written job description exists, the nearest bookstore or library will happily provide a number of books on how to create them.  Wishful thinking is the error to avoid in this area:  applicants who have made a great impression in an interview, or who come with good recommendations, may nevertheless not be particularly well-qualified for the specific position.  The best way to avoid the resulting “halo” effect is to have more than one person review resumes.

Rule 2:  Evaluate The Person

Personal style (also known as “personality”) is an important factor in any job that requires regular interaction with other people or the supervision of others.  Evaluating personality is a bit more complex, however, than evaluating qualifications.  It helps to look at the position in question and create two lists of personality traits, an “Absolutely Necessary” list and a “Nice But Not Necessary” list.

In making these lists, take into consideration the personality traits that the job will require no matter who fills it.  For example, if the person who fills the job will spend a majority of his or her time supervising others, then you might include “likes to work with people” on the “Absolutely Necessary” list.  In addition, take into consideration personal chemistry issues with the position’s immediate supervisor.  If the immediate supervisor is hard-driving, demanding, and not especially tactful, then you might add, “thick skinned, not sensitive” to the “Absolutely Necessary” list.

One word of caution here:  it’s easy to convince yourself that everything you think of is “absolutely necessary.”  After you make both lists, arrange the “Absolutely Necessary” list in order by priority.  If it is longer than five or six items, and there are only two items on the “Nice But Not Necessary” list, you may need to think again about what you expect this person to do.

Don’t give in to desperation.  Remind yourself that the perfect applicant seldom walks in the door the first day you advertise.  The more requirements you have, the more applicants you will have to screen in order to find one who meets those requirements.  The old saying, “Marry in haste, repent in leisure” applies equally well to hiring.  Be patient.  Compromise on items on your “Absolutely Necessary” list at your own risk.

Rule 3:  Coach On Personal Style

When a person becomes a supervisor or manager, his or her personal style forms the basis of his or her management style.  Whatever little (or not so little) tics, annoying mannerisms, or outright bad habits existed in the individual’s personal style will now morph into the individual’s management style. And, because the person will now be more visible due to the enhanced visibility of the supervisory or management position, his or her personality quirks will be magnified as well.

Of course, in most cases no one tells the new manager.  As a result, he or she often wonders why, all of a sudden, poor grooming or impatience or abrupt communications have become such a big deal.  After all, that’s what he’s (or she’s) been doing all along; if it had been a real problem (the thinking goes), it would have come up before now.

Please notice that this rule isn’t expressed as, “Mention Personal Style Problems One Time and Then Forget About It.”  Coaching is a long-term proposition, involving many discussions, both long and involved and brief and to the point.  Mentioning a personal style problem that has been a long-standing personality characteristic is not coaching; it is merely an observation.  Bear in mind also that most people are unaware of the negative effect that the sharper edges of their personality have on others.  They see their good intentions (“I was only trying to help Charlie see that his idea wasn’t workable.”) and are usually not aware that their behavior (saying, “Charlie, that is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”)  might seem offensive or hurtful.  Help them see that their behavior, however well intended, doesn’t always reflect their good intentions.

Chester L. Barnard’s quote expresses an important truth that helps us understand how to get along with the people we work with.  Namely, while a person’s job-relevant skills, knowledge and experience form a large part of the reason they were hired, they don’t fully describe what it is going to be like to work with this person.  Personal style defines the rest, and some aspects of personal style can cause disruptions in the workplace that range from merely annoying to damaging to productivity.  Let’s look at three personal style issues that can have enormous impact on others:  how to spot them early on, and how to soften their negative effect on teamwork, morale, and productivity.

The Morale Buster:   Mr. Glass-Is-Always-Half-Empty

Al is the guy you can always count on to point out the flaws in your presentation, the typos in your memo, and the reasons your great idea to increase sales won’t work.  He comes across as nit-picky and negative, particularly if you happen to be a big picture thinker who thinks in terms of the conceptual approach to problems. 

Al’s perception of himself is that he is the guy that can always see “what’s wrong with this picture” before others do.  He has clearer vision, can see the problems that others are overlooking, and has an obligation to “tell the whole truth,” to balance the positive spin with a more realistic appraisal.  He does not see what he is doing as being in any way negative, and he is genuinely puzzled when he gets feedback that he feels indicates that people misunderstand him.

One way to deal with Al is to point out the flaws in your presentation, memo, or great idea before he does.  Pre-empting his criticism allows him to help you see shortcomings you may have missed, and then turn his attention to finding ways to enhance the presentation, tighten up the memo, or get your great idea off the ground.  Another way to deal with Al is to acknowledge his comments (that sound so negative!) and remind him that, at this initial planning stage of the project, it’s more helpful to concentrate on what can be done.  Try to use Al to keep track of both the good aspects of the idea, as well as the problems with it, and he will become more engaged and occupied with making it work.

The In-Your-Face Monster:  “You Talkin’ To Me?”

Dirk has an abrasive manner.  His comments always seem to be a bit too pointed and he tends to focus a bit too much on personal attacks.  He can seem overbearing even in interactions that by their nature should be conflict neutral.

From his point of view, Dirk feels that a lot of time is wasted pandering to the overly sensitive feelings of others.  He feels that others ought to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions and be held accountable for them.  That’s what he believes he is doing.

Dirk needs to see that his communication style has unintended negative consequences that can outweigh his good intentions, causing hard feelings that are destructive of effective teamwork.  This will not be a one-time conversation.  Dirk is pretty set in his ways and will need repeated demonstration of the negative effect he has on others.  The trick is to appeal to Dirk’s desire to be straightforward and “honest,” and probably the best way to do this is to pull no punches yourself.  Tell Dirk exactly how others feel, and what they are likely to do (that is, sabotage his efforts) when they feel attacked by him.

The Blue-Sky Thinker vs. Those Lost In Details

A co-worker comes to you with a question about a procedure or routine that seems pointless.  As you listen to the question, you begin to think about what the really important aspects of the problem are.  What you focus on depends on your basic orientation. 

If you tend to be a big picture thinker, then the most important aspects of a problem are its likely causes, its probable consequences, and any trends it may indicate.  Because these are the most important issues to you, these are the things you will want to talk about when the problem first crops up.  On the other hand, if you are a detail-oriented person, then the most important aspects of a problem have to do with how to deal with and contain it and how to prevent it from happening again, and that is what you will want to talk about.

Let’s go back now to that co-worker’s question.  If you both have the same orientation to problem-solving, then your discussion will very likely proceed smoothly.  If your orientations differ, however, then the discussion may quickly veer away from the question at hand and get tangled up in misunderstanding, with each of you feeling that the other “isn’t dealing with what is really important here.”

The solution to this dilemma is simple in theory, but somewhat harder to put into practice.  Know thyself!  If you’re a “big picture” thinker, make a mental note that “God is in the details.”  Don’t dismiss them, and learn to appreciate the people who remind you about them.  If you’re a “detail” person, your mental note should read, “The devil is in the details” because they’re what can lead you astray.  Learn to appreciate the people who help you lift your eyes up off the page and see the bigger picture!  When the two of you work with one another, practice taking turns appealing to your basic orientations (that is, strengths) and then listening to one another.

What Does All This Mean?

Personality is important.  Some of the basic personality preferences that we’ve looked at in this article might subvert a person’s effectiveness in a job for which he or she is otherwise well qualified.  While we may hire a person for their demonstrable skills, knowledge, or experience, we have to remind ourselves that we get the whole person.  Be sure to balance your knowledge of an applicant’s job-relevant knowledge, skills, and experience with knowledge about his or her personality and any potential problems it may suggest.  Being aware of those possible problem areas can help you make the best possible hiring decisions and can form the basis for your training and development of the person.