Hiring Solutions

How to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today

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“Today, there are millions of job seekers looking for new positions! If you want the best, use the best hiring interview practices!” Jeannette Seibly

I’ve been interviewing people for jobs for well over 30 years. It was my first job out of college. While the economy and types of jobs have changed dramatically during this time, many hiring practices have not! The challenge is that many companies must level up their hiring and interview practices to attract top talent.

Americans are quitting their jobs in record numbers, and economists say the Great Resignation will likely keep up well into 2022. (CNBC)

And now, with so many job seekers on the prowl for better wages, benefits, and working conditions, your hiring practices need to improve. Or, you’ll miss out on attracting and keeping top talent.

16 Tips to Effective and Productive Interviews

Leveling up means updating your strategic hiring process. Start by reviewing the procedures and tools used and upgrades NOW  (e.g., applicant tracking system, job fit assessments, training interviewers, background and reference checks, etc.). The quality of your hiring process impacts candidates’ willingness to show up, ready for the interview.   

First steps. These are a must and often overlooked:

  1. Review and update your company’s vision and mission. I’m sure it’s been a while!
  2. What are this year’s short-term goals (Q2 and Q3) and long-term (Q4 and Q1-2023) goals? Then, review with the management team and get into action. Top talent wants to work with companies that have goal-focused and results-oriented intentions.
  3. Review and update job descriptions and related policies to reflect employment changes (e.g., diversity, onboarding, working from home options, etc.).
  4. Create a 180-day Success Plan for each position. Keep it simple and focused.
  5. Update structured interview questions and selection tools used (e.g., benchmarks for job fit assessments, etc.).
  6. Train all interviewers. Hold them accountable for following the process and ensuring positive candidate experiences.

Second steps. Do the prep work before the interviews:

  1. The process starts when an applicant applies and before the interview. Be sure your ATS is interactive and provides links to answer “knock-out” questions and complete initial assessments. It’s essential that you readily respond via email, chat, or video.
  2. Don’t wing it. Reread job description and structured interview questions before each interview. Hiring biases and gut reactions are stronger when you are not prepared. Remember, there will be new biases. Examples: Job candidates are being interviewed in their homes and not in a professional setting. Or candidates are leaving their old jobs without new ones.
  3. Send out ATS reminders with time and date, length of the interview, name of interviewer(s), and job title(s), plus the URL for the virtual interview.
  4. Test virtual connections. Request job candidates to “test” the URL connection before the interview and resolve issues. Remember, home internet connections may not be up to speed with Today’s conferencing requirements.

Third steps. Conducting the interview:

  1. For virtual interviews, be sure everyone is visible on your monitor during group interviews. They must stay on video and not multi-task!
  2. Turn off electronic devices and other distractions. When everyone does this, the interview is more productive and saves time.
  3. Start the interview by introducing yourself (20 seconds). If in a group, have each interviewer provide a 20-second intro. State name, title, and how this job impacts their area. For example, “Today I am (or, we are) conducting the first set of interviews for XXX position. This interview will take approximately 1 hour. Have you scheduled this amount of time for our conversation?” (If no, reschedule to ensure consistency in the interview process.)
  4. Ask your prepared, structured interview questions. This structure helps compare candidates and is a legal requirement.
  5. Deep-dive into the job candidate’s answers by using Rule of 3. It’s essential to know the quality of their skills and their ability to use them in different situations. Also, their response lets you know the training requirements for this person to succeed.

Example of Rule of 3:

  • What is one specific challenge you have faced?
  • How did you resolve the issue?
  • What specifically did you do?
  1. At the end of the interview, not the beginning, share the information below. Remember KISS (keep it simple and smart). Here’s why: You want job candidates to tell you who they really are … not what they think you want to hear.
  • Vision and mission of the company
  • Job title and top 3 to 5 job responsibilities (do not negotiate now)
  • Quick overview of 180-Day Plan with a specific focus on Q2 and Q3
  • DO NOT conduct salary and benefit negotiations until it’s time to make a job offer
  • Share what will happen next with selected candidates (e.g., future interviews with team members, reference and education verifications, job fit assessments, etc.)

NOW! And, I cannot say this enough! Follow-through as promised! If you don’t, job candidates will share their less-than-positive interview experiences on social media! And, you will lose out on hiring top talent.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020-2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select/PXT Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time. Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Note from Jeannette about conducting effective and productive hiring interviews today: Preparation is vital. The quality of time spent on the 16 tips listed will impact your company’s bottom line, customer and employee satisfaction, and your ability to sleep well at night! Are you uncertain how to begin? Experiencing roadblocks? Need help with interview training or assessment selection? Contact me today.

Being a top influencer can attract top talent and have you seen as a great boss. So become aware and develop the skills now! Grab your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

Focus on These Top 5 Attributes and Watch Your Sales Increase

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“If your salespeople are continually leaving money on the table due to poor negotiation or numerical skills, it’s time to get real about how you hire and manage salespeople.” Jeannette Seibly

Great salespeople have the attributes required to succeed in their jobs. They genuinely love what they are selling and have a genuine interest in their customers’ growth! They enjoy increasing sales results!

Given that we all want great salespeople, what is the #1 challenge to hire and manage them today?

First and foremost, too often, the person they hire is not the person they interviewed. So, how did they get hired? They looked the part and talked the talk! AND … You failed to use objective data to ascertain the actual ability, interest, and thinking style required to call, prospect, and close sales!

After talking with several business owners and consultants that manage great salespeople, they mentioned 5 top attributes (yes, this is not a scientific study, but it can provide important insights for a great year).

Top 5 Attributes of Successful Sales People

Hire for job fit. Job fit is crucial when hiring the right salespeople the first time. Nothing drains the energy of a top sales team and their customers more than hiring the wrong people. The challenge is hiring people with the thinking style, sales behaviors, and occupational interests that fit the job requirements. If they do not fit the job, you cannot train, motivate, or coach anyone to be a great sales success. Design a strategic hiring process and use objective data. Now, pay attention! Remember, you lose customers, not because you have a lesser product or service, but because they are tired of training your bad hires, over and over!

Be present. Being present in all conversations is a top attribute great salespeople have developed. It starts with excellent listening skills! It’s essential to emphasize that multi-tasking is a myth …  physically doing or mentally thinking of other things during conversations! Instead, train your sales team to engage their full attention in the conversation by actively listening and asking great business questions. These probing skills will uncover additional information and allow people to feel heard. And remember, this is all done before offering solutions.

Know your products and systems. Having a genuine interest in what you are selling and talking with people is critical. Otherwise, the buyer will experience “buyer’s remorse.” When your sales team is well versed in the legalities, systems, and other nuances of using your products and services, your customers will develop trust and rave about their results. Develop this attribute by keeping your team up-to-date with 15-minute morning sessions and monthly training programs.

Be persistent and persevere. Not everyone is ready to buy when your sales team meets with them. Develop easy-to-use systems to stay in touch regularly. Send prospects (and current clients) periodic articles or other noteworthy gems. Show up at networking meetings, and trade shows ready to brag in a business-savvy manner. Stay in touch on social media by “Liking” their posts and accomplishments. This is how persistence and perseverance pay off.

Develop great relationships. This attribute is more important today than ever before. Over time your sales team needs to be a resource for current and future clients to answer their questions. Always follow up and follow through within 24 to 48 hours. Building credibility and integrity is critical. These can be easily sabotaged when you and your sales team fail to treat people as VIPs (very important people).

©Jeannette Seibly, 2016-2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select/PXT Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time … including hiring and managing salespeople! Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about the top 5 attributes of successful salespeople: some people love selling while others look for the fastest way to a better paycheck! During the hiring and selection process, you must uncover if the candidate will call, prospect, and close a sale. Use objective data instead of relying on your gut or intuition (which is often wrong). The reason you lose customers is that they are tired of training your bad hires over and over! Do you want to learn the fastest and best way to select the right salespeople the first time? If yes, contact me for a confidential conversation.

Being a top influencer in 2022 is a great goal. But now, you need to put the right action plan into place and follow it! So get started today with your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

2022 is the Year of Hiring!

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“Hiring the right people to fit the right positions creates stellar performance, productivity, and profitability.” Jeannette Seibly

This is the year of hiring! The Great Resignation saw a record 4.5 million Americans quit or change their jobs in November (Washington Post). Many of you are now attempting to fill these positions. Or review changes to current employees’ work assignments, which will lead to more employees leaving due to poor job fit with their new job duties.

It’s important to remember that this is a great time to level up, or your company will be left behind!

Here are 4 often overlooked tips as you move forward in your selection and hiring process. And, remember, when you use a qualified job fit assessment, you will improve your hiring decisions with objective data. If you have any questions or need someone to bounce off ideas, let me know. I’ve been hiring, coaching, training, and managing people for over 30 years.

Keep your word. Recruiters and hiring managers can give your company a bad name. While it may be obvious, there are way too many stories about recruiters and hiring managers not keeping promises. Or, they ghost candidates and/or lie about the job responsibilities. Consider how you treat candidates will impact your sales results and ability to attract top talent.

Can they work remotely? Not all employees are capable of working independently in a virtual environment due to a variety of reasons. Therefore, it’s essential to establish your expectations upfront and design your interview to ask the hard questions.

3 interview questions to get started:

  1. Why do you believe you would enjoy working in a remote job?
  2. Have you done this before? If yes, what did you like and dislike?
  3. Do you prefer working in a hybrid or fully remote position? Why?

Ask about mistakes. While everyone makes them, many job candidates don’t feel comfortable sharing them. But when they share the error and what they did to correct and learn from it, you’ll know they have the confidence and self-awareness needed for your company. If not, they will most likely become your future blamers and complainers.

One example (remember to keep the question open-ended): “Everyone makes mistakes. Please tell me about a recent one and what you did to correct it.”

Most expensive mistake companies make when promoting an employee! Failure to conduct due diligence before promoting employees IS a costly mistake. Avoid this by going through the same interview hiring process as an outside candidate. If you don’t, and they fail, they will leave taking other top talent and top customers. Use a selection process designed to include objective data.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select/PXT Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time. Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Being a top influencer in 2022 is a great goal. But now you need to put the right action-plan into place and follow it!  Get started today with your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

 

Do You Need to Hire Salespeople … What Are 5 Key Tips?

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“Hiring the right salespeople impacts your customer’s experience and fulfillment … and your bottom line.” Jeannette Seibly

Hiring salespeople can be a challenge. Many will look and/or talk the part. But when hired, fail to produce the required results.

Remember, it’s always faster and easier (and so much less expensive) to determine their ability to sell before you hire them. If you don’t, you’ll spend too much money and energy, and face sleepless nights attempting to fix them (and this never works out well for anyone).

5 Tips to Improve Your Selection Process

1. Are They Listening? Can they hear you? Do they respond appropriately? Ask the candidate to summarize the interview or various parts of the conversation by asking, “Tell me what you heard?”

2. Do They Ask Questions? Do they have questions about your company, product, management style, etc.? If not, move on. Candidates that don’t ask questions lack the curiosity and skills to inquire further.

3. Are They Calm and Patient? Does the person squirm in his/her seat? Does the candidate rush the conversation or attempt to finish your sentences? Does the candidate look at you when speaking or listening? While closing is a required skill and requires the ability to not be too patient, failure to have the prospect feel comfortable is critical.

4. Do They Fit the Job? To determine key traits, most salespeople need prospecting, presenting, and closing. Use a qualified job-fit assessment. Can they do these things? Will they do these things? And, can they do these things for your company and product?

5. Do They Tell the Truth? To objectively answer this question, first, use an honesty/integrity assessment to uncover omissions that are not part of a public record. It saves time and money by not talking with candidates that stretch the truth (think, customer expectations and fulfillment). Second, with final candidates, check background, education, and other accomplishments.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. During the past 29 years, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. Her brags include being an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker. If you continue to struggle to hire salespeople who can actually sell, now is a great time to contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about hiring salespeople that can actually sell. Many candidates for sales positions look and/or talk the part. The problem is, they fail to produce the required results. It’s up to you to improve your selection process to uncover salespeople that can actually sell your product and service. Need help? Contact me to improve your hiring and selection processes.

How to Improve Hiring Results Using Job Fit Assessments

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“Using the right job fit assessment can improve your hiring, coaching, training, and managing results…and your own career opportunities!” Jeannette Seibly

It’s been a difficult year for most hiring managers. Ghosting has become the norm and qualified job candidates overlook employers due to a myriad of reasons. One of the critical reasons is how employers select and use ‘job fit’ assessments during the hiring process. Right now, with so much competition, it’s more important than ever to improve your hiring results.

Q4 is fast approaching. Let’s get real and learn how to use “job fit” assessments to improve your hiring results.

First … What is Job Fit?

The most effective job fit assessment measures learning style, core behavioral traits, and occupational interests. The right assessment goes beyond the resume, application, interview, reference checks, education, work experience, and background checks.

It can also create a diverse workforce that has the key skills required to improve your hiring and business results.

It answers three important questions:

  • Can the person do the job?
  • Will the person do the job?
  • Can the person do the job successfully here?

7 Tips to Use Job Fit Assessments to Improve Results

Think Outside the Box. It’s critical to know what you’re looking for. The problem is too many are dusting off job postings and reposting! Not updating your job posting it’s crazy with all the changes that have occurred due to the pandemic. Get real: Take the time to brainstorm the results you’d like to achieve with the position. Then, add a job title and positive opportunities to entice them! Now, you’re ready to use a job fit assessment!

Select the Right Qualified Job Fit Assessment. Every assessment sales rep will tell you their assessment is the right one!* Of the 3,000+ publishers in the market today, most do not meet pre-employment requirements. Get real: Review their technical manual and compare it with the Department of Labor guidelines for pre-employment tests. Pay close attention to the number of people in the study, and the predictive validity and reliability of the results. The higher the numbers the better the hiring results.

*NOTE: While many test vendors market their tests as validated, just because the vendor says the test was validated, [this] does not mean that the test’s validation will in fact comply with the Uniform Guidelines.” (Source) Alissa Horvitz, Attorney, Roffman mentioned in June, 2016 SHRM article)

Create a Job Fit Pattern. Every qualified job fit assessment has a job fit pattern to help you determine the best fit for the job. Get real. To set up a job fit pattern, conduct a study of current talent that you’d like to hire more of OR create a new job fit pattern using a job analysis survey. This process saves time, money, and a lot of energy pre- and post-hire. If you’ve ever hired a sales rep that said all the right things, but couldn’t sell your products and services, you know the value of a good job fit pattern.

Couple Job Fit Assessment with an Honesty/Integrity Assessment. Using an honesty/integrity assessment along with a job fit assessment makes good business sense. Get real: Job fit tools have a “distortion indicator,” but do not assess for good work ethic and integrity. Qualified honesty/integrity assessments go beyond public records when conducting background checks and can reduce WC, UEC, and turnover costs.

Assess for Skills. The purpose of a skill assessment is to avoid surprises when the applicant states they have the skills required. Use these tools after assessing for job fit. Get real: Use skill assessments to determine the skill level the applicant currently has. When the person is hired, plan to provide online workshops, mentors, and coaches to improve these skill levels where needed.

Don’t Shortcut the Procedure! This happens way too often when someone says all the right things and your ‘spidey-sense’ says, “This is the one.” Then, the candidate is rushed through bypassing your company’s procedures. The problem? The candidate is rarely the right one! Get real. Train all hiring managers to follow the system and read the job fit assessment reports. Ask ALL the interview questions in the selection report for the job fit assessment. It will improve the interview and hiring results.

Don’t Overlook Challenge Areas! Many hiring managers have been embarrassed after hiring the candidate only to find the job fit assessment report indicated challenge areas. Examples include prospecting, closing, working well with a team, etc. Get real. Read the full report. Yes, read the full report! If you don’t, you will miss critical information. Remember, you cannot fix and change a person, no matter what they tell you in the interview!

Qualified job fit assessments provide in-depth insight into the whole person and their fit with the job. Choosing the most effective job fit assessment will make your job as the hiring manager much easier to attract qualified diverse talent and improve hiring results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation. 

A note from Jeannette about improving hiring success using job fit assessments. Why should you care about job fit? Qualified job fit assessments provide in-depth insight into the whole person and their fit with the job. Choosing the most effective job fit assessment will make your job as the hiring manager much easier to attract qualified diverse talent and improve hiring results.  Contact me for a confidential conversation on how to streamline the process for success.

 

How to Turn Negative Feedback into a Positive Learning Experience

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“Successful leaders listen to negative feedback and turn it into a learning opportunity. When they don’t, they lose the respect of and the ability to lead their teams.” Jeannette Seibly

No one likes to hear negative feedback about themselves. It feels demotivating. But negative feedback can turn into a positive experience when you listen to learn and improve your productivity.

When you welcome all types of feedback, you will get promoted faster, make more money, and be on the fast track for new opportunities. It also builds stronger relationships with team members, management, and customers.

9 Tips to Turn ALL Feedback into Success

1. Listen with Intention. If you listen with the intention of learning, you will keep your mind open to hearing what is said. The key is to avoid debating who’s right and who’s wrong; instead, ask clarifying questions.

2. Let Go of the Past! When you hang on to negative feedback, you will get stuck. Immediately after receiving negative feedback, talk with your executive coach and/or mentor to turn negative feedback into a positive learning experience. Then, create a plan of action and take the first step within 24 hours.

A VP told a young manager that “…he was stupid for making such a suggestion…that he didn’t know what he was talking about.” When a director overheard the conversation, he coached the young manager on how to learn from the negative feedback. The young manager took the coaching and got into action. He was able to turn the relationship with the VP into a positive one and was promoted six months later.

3. Remember, It’s Not Personal. This can be hard to believe when you receive negative feedback. If you’ve lost out on an opportunity or promotion, schedule a 1:1 meeting. Ask, “What is the most important thing I can learn from not getting this job (or promotion)?” Remember, you may have the skills and experience, but the opportunity didn’t work out for you at this time. Learn from it and be ready for the next opportunity.

4. Release Emotional Attachments. Like many people, you love doing things your own way. You rely on your own ideas and sometimes fail to welcome or take into consideration your team’s opinions. When you blow off negative feedback and fail to learn from it, your team and results will suffer. Eventually, your career will be sidelined.

5. Stay Away from Always and Never Statements. When receiving (or giving) negative feedback, do not use these triggering words! “I’m always on time.” “I would never say that!”

6. Stop Making It Mean Too Much! When receiving negative feedback about a goal, work effort, or interaction, don’t hear it as criticism. (Yes, it can be difficult to do.) Instead, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Remember, negative feedback is about a specific issue, not about you as a whole person!

7. Use a Job Fit Assessment to Clarify “Why.” When someone says you are not a good fit for a job, use a job-fit assessment and work with an executive coach to find out why. You may find that financial planning, sales, and/or customer service jobs do not fit your strengths! It’ll be the best money you ever spent and can save you countless disappointments in the future!

8. Get Your Brag On! When you learn how to brag or promote yourself, it is a huge confidence booster. Don’t fall into the trap of sharing the negative feedback with everyone that’ll listen! Instead, share your “brags” to showcase your coachability to take feedback and use it.

9. Develop Mindful Resilience. Don’t allow negative feedback to sabotage your self-care. Take positive actions for your professional development by turning your internal monologues into dialogues with your coach and/or mentor.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation. 

A note from Jeannette about turning negative feedback into positive learning experiences. Paying attention and listening to ALL feedback is critical for professional growth. If you only listen to the positive, you’ll lose the opportunity to learn the truth! If you hate receiving any type of feedback, it’s time to get over it before you are bypassed for a promotion or pay increase! Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Do You Want to Succeed and Make a Lot of Money? Then, Be Coachable!

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“Do you want to excel professionally and financially? Being coachable is the #1 way to make it happen.” Jeannette Seibly

“The paradox is that the very things that hold us back are the reasons we need a coach in the first place.” Seth Godin

Successful leaders and future leaders have coaches! They have developed the skills to succeed by being coachable.

There are many things in business and in life that you don’t know that you don’t know. Being coachable uncovers the blind spots that get in your way of receiving promotions and special assignments. Making lots of money and achieving huge goals. And, being a leader others want to follow.

What Does Being Coachable Mean?

“Coachability is not a technical skill or an inherent ability. It is a mental attitude.” It reflects your ability to ask for feedback, listen, and make appropriate changes. It is also a reflection of your emotional ability or emotional intelligence (EQ) to learn from constructive criticism. (mvorganizing.org)

What Does Being Uncoachable Look Like?

When someone is uncoachable, they often will roll their eyes, take things personally, and have a myriad of excuses. They also misinterpret comments and resist taking the right action. It reflects their fears of having others think of them as “weak.” Or, their unwillingness to stretch their mindset outside their comfort zones.

One entrepreneur loved creating new products and was very talented. He dreamed of resigning from the day job he hated. The problem was, he didn’t want to focus on the business requirements to create a foundation for growth. As a result, he ignored the coach and did things his way. He’s still dreaming about one day being a successful business owner and giving up his hated day job.

Why Do Employers Fail to Offer Coaching?

Many companies agree coaching is a must. But they fail to work through the resistance teams and team members put up as barriers. Companies must then fire poor performers (90% of the time it’s due to poor interpersonal skills) because they are not coachable.

How Can You Improve Your Coachability?

  1. Seek Out Feedback. Ask team members, customers, and your boss for feedback. “What’s one thing that would help me improve …” (e.g., interactions with others, project results, ability to work well with others, etc.). Listen and be respectful, especially if the feedback isn’t what you want to hear. Don’t forget to say thank you!
  2. Be Open to Learning. You can learn something from anyone! While you may selectively seek out people more experienced than you, be open to hearing from co-workers and direct reports too. Their insights can be invaluable.
  3. Be Willing to Stretch Beyond Your Comfort Zone. We all love our comfort zones. But successful leaders and future leaders know they must move beyond these confining spaces! When you’ve already tried something that didn’t work or don’t feel comfortable with the recommendation, ask clarifying questions. “I tried this approach and it didn’t work for me. What do you believe is missing?” Listen and don’t debate. This helps you discover your blind spots and how to overcome them.
  4. Become Self-aware by Being Present. Self-awareness is critical to your success. It requires being present during ALL interactions. This means setting aside thoughts and distractions while listening and learning. During the process, you will discover insights between what you say you want and what you are doing.
  5. Make Positive Behavior and Attitude Changes. Talking the talk won’t make a difference. You must do the work! If you don’t know what to do, ask an experienced coach and use a qualified job fit assessment to guide you through the steps required. Then, immediately take the first step!
  6. Check Your Ego at the Door! Even if you believe your results are the best they can be, be willing to accept criticism, especially around tough issues. It’s a golden opportunity to learn from your successes and If you are unclear what the problem is, deep dive by asking clarifying questions. Be aware of your tone of voice and other non-verbal communication (e.g., rolling your eyes). Otherwise, you can shut down the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback and have amazing breakthroughs.
  7. Hire the Right Coach. Successful leaders and future leaders have coaches. They seek out and find the coach that can guide them to achieve what they really really really Also, select a coach that has a coach too! (Yes, coaches need to be coachable too!)

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation. 

A note from Jeannette about the lesson we all need to learn: “Many of us have the assumption that someday life will be easy. We will coast along effortlessly and will be successful. … But this assumption that it gets easier is not true. It is never true because you change, the organization changes and the business environment is constantly evolving. A successful life means constant change and continuous learning. So set a goal now to remain coachable throughout your career.” (Forbes)

Not sure where to begin, contact me for a confidential conversation.

Today’s Hiring Failures Are Due to Being Uncoachable!

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Many new hires today are failing in their jobs. The #1 reason? They are not coachable!” Jeannette Seibly

Poor interpersonal skills are the reason why there are so many hiring failures today! The #1 issue? They are uncoachable!

Why is being coachable important? It reflects the ability to accept and put in place feedback from bosses, team members, customers, and others! (Leadership IQ) Being coachable is why leaders and teams succeed in business!

Here’s are shocking stats:

  • Almost half of new employees today will fail within 18 months of hire.
  • Almost 90% of the time it’s due to the new hires’ attitudes and poor interpersonal skills.
  • Only 11% of failures are due to technical skills. (Leadership IQ)

Many hiring managers admit overlooking or explaining away flaws they saw during interviews. But they were unsure what to do with these insights or biases because they failed to use real consistent data that job fit assessments offer. They hired the job candidates based on technical and other hard skills, but fired them due to poor interpersonal skills!

To improve your hiring and selection process, it starts during the interview by making this important time count!

7 Keys to Improve Your Hiring Success

1. Job Fit Is #1. According to a Harvard Business Review study, job fit is why people succeed! Use a qualified job fit assessment to ensure you’re seeing the whole person objectively. When using real and consistent data, you can delve deeper and learn more about the person before hiring them! This avoids surprises!

2. Determine Coachability by Asking These Two Interview Questions. A coachable person is looking to improve and is willing to ask for help to do so.

Ask: “When was the last time you made a mistake?” and “How did you handle it?”

Then, listen for:

  • “What did s/he learn?”
  • “Who did s/he talk with?”
  • “Why did the mistake happen?”
  • “What were the results?”

This is perhaps the most important revealing part of the interview.

3. Gain Insight During Reference Checks with Previous Co-Workers. Ask this question: “Would you work for this person? Why?” Listen. I’ve found this question to be a very good indicator of a person’s on-the-job interpersonal skills.

4. Talk Straight. Share with the job candidate about your company’s ongoing training and development programs. During each interview, emphasize your expectation that the person participates. If there is any pushback (e.g., “What if I already…?” “I already know that.”), you may need to reconsider hiring this candidate since you are looking for team players that are open to learning and expanding all their job skills.

5. Focus on Results Required for the Position. Put together a 180-Day Success Plan. Share it during each interview with the job candidate and listen. The person’s reactions may change over time, so it’s important to address any change. Remember, you are seeking team players with the attitude of, “I’m open to learning from my mistakes and contributing to the success of everyone.”

6. Provide a Coach and a Mentor. Provide teams and future leaders in your company with an internal company mentor and an external executive coach. One fast-growing company shared this expectation with job candidates. Those that didn’t believe they would need a coach were not considered further. Several years later, the coachable team members achieved executive and leadership levels in their careers. It was due to their focus on coaching, developing, and learning.

7. Be Coachable! Yes, many successful leaders have coaches. Be sure you have one and be sure you are learning how to be a good coach, while developing and learning along with the team. Believe it or not, it can be a lot of fun!

©Jeannette Seibly 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.  

A note from Jeannette about how to hire coachable people. We’re in a talent tsunami, where 20% to 50% of employees are seeking new jobs. One of the top reasons is they are uncoachable in their current job and believe the grass will be greener in other companies. It’s up to you to use real and consistent data to make good hiring decisions and uncover a job candidate’s coachability before you hire them. This impacts your ability to attract and keep top talent and great customers, while improving your bottom line. Unsure of how to get started? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

It’s Q3! Are You On-Track to Achieve End-of-Year Results?

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“If you want to improve your results, focus on real data and hire a coach to get you unstuck and keep you moving forward.” Jeannette Seibly

Many companies are looking at their current and projected sales numbers to determine if they are on track to achieve their 2021 results. Some will fiddle with the numbers and adjust their expectations so they don’t feel like failures. Others will give up. But the ones that will succeed are talking with their coach and making real adjustments now. Remember, it’s not business as usual.

7 Tips to Achieve Real Sales Results

  1. Hire the Right People. This #1 rule makes a big difference in your EOY sales results! Remember, not everyone can sell your products and services, no matter what they’ve sold in the past. There is an old saying, “Just because they can sell Honda’s in Boston, doesn’t mean they can sell Lincolns in Denver.” Get real about who you are hiring and their natural ability to prospect and close. Use a qualified sales assessment that provides you with real, consistent data. For example, hiring a person that is unwilling to work in a straight commission position will not work out well for anyone.
  2. Coach with Laser-Focused Accuracy. The right assessment tool also provides you laser-like coaching When you address the true issue with “why” a salesperson is struggling, it’s easier to improve their skills. For example, telling your sales rep to meet more people when they are already making a lot of contacts won’t make a difference. Instead, coach them on how to engage these contacts to determine buying interest.
  3. Stop Focusing on Technology to Fix Sales Performance. How many times have you told yourself that a new CRM will improve sales results? This is a big illusion…it’s a tool, not a result-producer. If you don’t have the right salespeople, technology will only make things worse. Your low producers will hide out behind learning the system. Your high performers will be annoyed at learning another new system.
  4. Engage Customers Every Quarter. Are you engaging your customers quarterly? If you are, they are less likely to stray! Also, when you are top of mind, your customers are more likely to refer you to others. When meeting with the customer, use a scorecard. This focuses them on the quality, service, and prices of your deliverables and how to help them in the future. Remember, training is crucial for these conversations to be effective!
  5. Conduct Sales Team Huddles Every Morning…These Are a Must. If you’re not already doing this…start now! Have a standup huddle each morning for all salespeople. Keep it short and on-point…10 to 20 minutes. Have everyone stand since it’s harder for lower-performing salespeople to hide out. Focus on progress and any changes required for better results. For example, allowing current economic situations to excuse poor sales results prevents your sales team from getting creative.
  6. Train for the Details! I remember years ago a sales expert told me a successful salesperson knows the details of their products and services. This wisdom made a positive difference for me when closing sales! Provide weekly training, updates, and stories to your salespeople. And, there is nothing wrong with repetition!
  7. Acknowledge Results…It Works Wonders. Acknowledge your team, individually and as a group. Share brags with each other. Have a dashboard showing daily results. This encourages team support when someone is stuck. And, encourages team members to do more of what is working.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019-2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation. 

A note from Jeannette about achieving sales goals for 2021. It’s Q3 and 2021 is halfway done! There are companies exceeding sales projections while others are struggling to keep their doors open. Before making any changes, focus on real data for real results. Winging it and hoping for a miracle won’t make a powerful difference on your bottom line. If you are uncertain about where to start, contact me for a confidential conversation.

Are You Using Your Interview Time Effectively?

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Use a qualified job fit assessment and the provided interview questions to deep dive. https://www.pxtselect.com/SeibCo

Most hiring managers believe they conduct good interviews with job candidates. Unfortunately, they are not getting enough of the right information to make good hiring decisions. The added challenge they experience is that many candidates come well-prepared, but rely on canned answers to the same common questions.

How do you…

  • Prepare the right interview questions to get a real picture of the job candidates?
  • Use good objective data to provide consistent job fit insights?
  • Know if candidates have the right technical and people skills?

Using your interview time effectively requires asking the right questions. Then, you can have a conversation to determine job fit. It’s important to remember the interview should be only one part of a well-designed strategic hiring process. The other key parts include assessments and due diligence.

Note: It’s easy to fall for candidates who say the right things. (We’ve all been guilty of doing this.) Instead, invite them back for a follow-up interview. Do this after you’ve selected at least two other job candidates for follow-up interviews. This practice prevents surprises!

How to Create Good Interview Questions to Attract Top Talent

1. What are you looking for? While this may seem obvious, too often, hiring bosses don’t spend enough time answering this question. This is where you get real about what and who you need. Then, brainstorm the required skills for the position. Remember, it’s a new normal, and business requirements have changed.

Ask and brainstorm:

  • What actual qualities are required?
  • What does the right candidate need to accomplish in 30-60-90-180 days?
  • What job fit assessment is best to see the “whole person?”

For example, if you’re seeking someone who can sell, can they generate leads, close, and provide good customer care? Use a qualified job fit assessment and the provided interview questions to deep dive.

2. Do your questions meet legal requirements? Too often we want to ask about recent books and movies a person has read or seen. Unless you are a bookseller, this can get you into trouble. Why? You will infer characteristics about the person without factual data. As you already know, stay away from questions about a candidate’s lifestyle, childcare, age, race, religion, or gender type, to name a few.

 For example, a hiring manager asked a candidate about the most recent book he’d read. He said, “Jaws.” She refused to talk with him further inferring he was an angry person.

3. Keep your questions focused on required job skills. When you ask good questions about job skills, use the Rule of 3. It will help you determine the depth and breadth of their skills.

 Here’s an example of using the Rule of 3 to hire a project manager:

  • How do you handle team conflict? Can you give me an example?
  • What were the results?
  • If I talked with the team, how would they describe your leadership skills?

4.Are they willing to take on new assignments and learn new processes? Many will say, “sure.” Again, use the Rule of 3 to determine their true willingness. When you deep dive, you’ll hear their willingness (or unwillingness) to learn new things. Don’t dismiss their reactions!

5. Listen for how they interact with others. Ask about working relationships with previous work teams, bosses, and customers. Ask for examples and don’t be afraid to deep dive to determine their ability to use good people skills.

Many years ago, I conducted a final interview with an experienced general manager for a business owner. Each time she talked about her past three jobs and working relationships with each business owner, she was negative. When I asked if she was aware of her negativity, she gave me an honest, “no.” I then shared with her that this company likely would be no different.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. These types of results start with hiring the right person the first time! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.