What to always look for when hiring top talent

Every company that has extra ordinary reputation always has extra- carefully selected employees that are willing to put in extra efforts to make the vision work''

As[Entrepreneurs/Managers/business owners] we are not looking for those that are always counting the hours and staring at the clock to know when it’s ''lunch time'' and time to go for the day. We want those love what they do and don’t mind spending an extra hour to complete an unfinished task. We want those that can give us real leverage and good return on investment. Where has dedication gone to? To Vegas for holidays I guess.

You need special skills to always hire top talent for your business, It’s hard to be a Psychic to foretell the perfect hire during interview but if you know what you are looking for you can tell when you have found it so i have put together this article to enlighten us more on what to always look out for when hiring.

1-Effectiveness-Someone can sweet talk you during the interview but when they are being offered the job, they become absolutely dummies. Paying salaries to people like that are really painful. We really need people that do not just have the skills but are always willing to put it to work. I once hired an admin assistant that had first class honors but was a write off when she was offered a trial opportunity. Do not always rely on strong qualifications. When hiring, look out for candidates with capabilities, those that look the part, act the part and talk the part

2-Quick thinking-someone that needs you always to tell them what to do is a ''no-no’ ‘A potential good hire should be able to think alongside with the company's vision. They should be able to speak your language as a business owner. I always tell my staff not to tell me the problem but to bring the ideas they think could be a potential solution, so   we can deliberate on it.

Everyone has brains but not everyone uses it. you need someone that can use their initiative and think on their feet.

     ‘’I once had a chat with a candidate that forgot almost everything she prepared during the job interview, she claimed afterwards that she knew the response but she forgot them for some reasons when she was asked. Tell that to the winds girl, not good enough is it?

3-Team work'-A good hire should be able to play an active part in a team to support the company growth. A good hire is a potential leader that could inspire enthusiasm and motivation in a team. They want to grow with the company but they believe in helping other team members’ succeed. You need a very good team player and someone that does not believe in pulling others down with gossip to achieve their aim

You need someone who can be good at taking instructions and carrying it out effectively.

4-Any Missing Gap?-Anytime you are hiring, look around in the team, what is missing and what needs upgrading. If you are beginning to get more international clients, why not look for someone with the ability to converse in more than one language so the clients are given a personalised attention

If you are to take on a new person, what extras are they bringing to the team .What is the X-Factor? Do not just take on Averagers. What are the weaknesses of the team and who can bring in this as a strength?

What do you think?-I always love hearing from you. Please share your thoughts below

How to Motivate your staff on Monday Mornings

It has been revealed that: On an average 80% of full time employed workers turn up to work on Monday mornings, really feeling depressed and sad, and wishing that the weekend never ended. As a manager, the first day of the week is really crucial, sometimes it goes on to determine how the rest of the week goes, you really need to motivate your work force effectively as if your life depends on it especially on Monday mornings if you want great employee performance.  No matter how much instructions you give, if someone isn’t motivated to do the job, they would simply give you an ”eye -service”

Do not just assume everything is OK .Simple questions like ”Did you all have a good weekend”? Can ease the tense of being back to the working environment again after probably partying all weekend.

I have put together these three best proven tips to help you motivate your work force for excellent performance-

1,It all starts from you-Good employees love their jobs and are always looking forward to going back to work on Monday, most people might love their jobs but might hate their managers. Good managers produce good employees.

Your ability to inspire your team through the demonstration of high enthusiasm and energy on Monday mornings shows how much you love and believe what you do. To help you with this, put yourself in your employees’ shoes and ask if your employees can feel a new energy that can activate strong productivity simply by meeting you .you must be motivated to be able to motivate others

As a Manager, What are ways you can show how much you are dedicated to you your job? Let this come across through your body language, the way you communicate etc.

2,New week -New Goals-What is in the new week for them? What should they work towards for the week? Good managers think ahead .No matter the type of business you run, even if it is a coffee shop, having a new target of having at least two new customers to give a special feedback about your service can get your staff motivated.

Remember that as the manager, your staff do not always see what you see They might be looking forward to their salaries while you are thinking of more new businesses and more customers turning into clients [Repeat business].”, introducing a new goal for the team acts like a fuel and energizes them, you would be surprised at how effective this can be.

A goal is like a GPS, when a destination is set in, their minds automatically work towards it.

3, New task-Team reward-Most companies normally have meetings on Monday mornings, this helps to focus the minds of the employees and prepares them for the week. I hate when employees say this about their job; same old-same old. It is so easy for employees to get bored if no new tasks are being assigned .As a manager, if you notice a team member looking demotivated, it might be a sign of depression of having to do the same thing again, and you might need to assign a different task to that employee for the new week.

Finally reward your employees, tell them how well they performed the previous well and see the energy spring up. You need your employees to be naturally motivated to do their job and justify their wages without you talking or shouting so much.

I would really love to read your comments; please share them below

The Killer skill every manager needs

As a Manager, How good are you in delegating tasks effectively and having it carried out beyond your expectations. London business school professor John Hunt notes that only 30 percent of managers think they can delegate well, and of those, only one in three is considered a good delegator by his or her subordinates. This means only about one manager in ten really knows how to empower others.

Delegation is one of the most important management skills. Good delegation saves you time, develops you people, grooms a successor, and motivates. Poor delegation will cause you frustration, demotivates and confuses the other person, and fails to achieve the task or purpose itself. So it's a management skill that's worth improving. 

Delegation is really crucial for effective leadership, management and succession. These delegation tips and techniques are really vital for effective management.

As a giver of delegated tasks you must ensure delegation happens properly. Just as significantly, as the recipient of delegated tasks you have the opportunity to 'manage upwards' and suggest improvements to the delegation process and understanding -

Managing the way you receive and agree to do delegated tasks is one of the central skills of 'managing upwards'

Delegated tasks must be:

·         Specific

·         Measurable

·         Agreed

·         Realistic

·         Timebound

·         Ethical

·         Recorded.

Steps to successful delegation

1.     Define the task-

Confirm in your own mind that the task is the right task to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating? You should be using your time on the most critical tasks for the business, and the tasks that only you can do. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you

2.      Select the right individual or team-

What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? Do they have the right skills and capability to carry out the task?

 Do they understand what needs to be done?  Listen and observe. Learn the traits, values, and characteristics of those who will perform well when you delegate to them. That means give the work to people who deliver, not the people who are the least busy

3. Explain the reasons-

You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated. And why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things?

4.  State required results-

What must be achieved? Clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. How will the task be measured? Make sure they know how you intend to decide that the job is being successfully done.

5. Consider resources required-

Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services.

6. Agree deadlines-

When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities?

 As well as showing you that the job can be done, this helps to reinforce commitment.

Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust.

7. Support and communicate-

Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile.

8. Feedback on results-

It is really necessary to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success.

Moreover some team members try to give a task back to the manager, if they don’t feel comfortable, or are attempting to dodge responsibility. Don’t accept it except in extreme cases. In the long run, every team member needs to learn or leave

Finally, every entrepreneur needs to set aside their fear of delegating. If you do it right, as outlined above, every task will likely be done better than you could do it.