<ul><li>In a tight labour market, it's essential to keep your employees engaged.</li><li>It takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a job where they feel engaged, and unsurprisingly next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers.</li><li>Of course, not everyone finds motivation from the same things.</li></ul>

Keeping Employees Engaged

<ul><li>Managers create a set of shared goals and return to them frequently.</li><li>The more a manager creates shared goals, the more they create a sense of being part of an 'in group' between the team.</li><li>This leads to accurate sharing of information, more accurate perception, better collaboration, and good motivation.</li></ul>

Shared Goals To Provide Meaning At Work

The <a href="https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Solutions+-+NA&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6445333425&hsa_cam=15017298938&hsa_grp=135603230083&hsa_ad=594742821016&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=aud-1507475523550:dsa-19959388920&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwtIaVBhBkEiwAsr7-cx3rApHq-Fov7fu3kL5Xt3IUQIllmoSM_l5k4SQ_-GzwfqvdlMKDcRoCRF4QAvD_BwE">SCARF assessment</a> is used by many companies to figure out how to keep employees motivated and engaged.
SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness, which are the five intrinsic motivations.
This model was created over the course of several years by scientists studying the brain’s rewards systems.

The SCARF Assessment

Meaningful work isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. On this episode of The New Way We Work, we explore how to find meaning and fulfillment in any job. 


career

Career

humanresources

Human Resources

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

The science of what makes work meaningful

Nearly a decade ago, most candidates applied to 70-80 jobs before finding themselves in a company,  It wasn’t for lack of skills or education, but rather the labour market was so tight people had to take what they could get. Today, it’s a vastly different climate: falling birth rates, slowed immigration, record retirement, an exploding gig economy, and the workforce as we know it is hungry for talent.

The Job Climate: A Raincheck

In America alone, there are 11 million vacant positions and only 6.5 million people to fill them. We’re in the middle of a talent crisis. Employees have unprecedented leverage, and the Great Resignation as we know it is just beginning. <ul><li>When the pandemic first hit,  millions of employees learned how to operate in a remote world. </li><li>It introduced a cocktail of complexities; for one, many bosses weren’t especially supportive or skilled in leading remote teams. </li><li>This new work style propelled people to adjust their personal lives.</li></ul>

Wave 1: Change By Force(2020 Onwards)

As the office seems safe for return, employers across the country call their people back. To be clear, there are no outside forces mandating us back—leadership is. Not surprisingly, there’s a mixture of reactions. Over the next couple of months, we’ll see even more people quit because they simply don’t want to come back to the workplace. Their new home in the country is far more comfortable, they will avoid their lengthy commute, public toilets and also want to save money on gas.

Wave 2: Change By Choice(Mid 2022)

Employees have the upper hand as companies are desperate for talent; so employees can pressure their bosses to allow flexibility.Many companies are developing flexible systems and negotiable schedules for employees, including Wells Fargo, Ford, The Social Security Administration, and Microsoft.

The Present Reality

The third wave gradually happens. According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/topics/population/migration/data.html">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, approximately 26.4 million people in the U.S. moved in 2021. We’ll see A-players putting their foot down to stay remote. Employers won’t have a choice but to let them work remotely if they want to keep them. But what happens to the rest of the office when the top dogs are allowed to work remotely? In short: animosity, disdain, and envy. Finally, frustration will boil over, and people will find flexible jobs.

Wave 3: Picking Favourites(Mid 2022 Onwards)

In reality, many companies are still tying the carrot-and-stick methodology instead of investing in solid cultures employees want to join. Instead, they try luring top talent by waving bonuses and extra cash. Those who forget to improve culture and workplace experience will see high turnover rates in the next 8-12 months because they hire people who aren’t a good fit. Essentially, there are two options to curb this: either companies invest in long-term leadership solutions or wait to see what happens if they don’t.

Wave 4: Kicking the Can Down the Field (2023)

Workforce reconfiguration is not only overdue—but necessary for the workplace of the future. Imagine this: 100+ million people switching jobs working in an atmosphere lighting them up, coworkers they want to be around, and an environment encouraging their best work. This Great Resignation (Reconfiguration) will create better, happier teams, parents, and spouses with more energy and fulfillment and better work from coast to coast.

The Bottom Line

This work futurist predicts new waves of worker unrest are on the horizon—especially as some companies press a return to the office.

remotework

Remote Work

business

Business

Why the Great Resignation is far from over

<ul><li>They find meaning and self-worth primarily outside of their jobs.</li><li>They see work as a means to an end.</li><li>They're not particularly motivated by status or autonomy, and generally don't seek to stand out in their workplace.</li><li>They tend to prefer stability and predictability. Thus, they have less interest in investing to change their future compared with other archetypes.</li><li>Operators are one of the more team-minded archetypes, and often see many of their colleagues as friends.</li></ul>Strengths: team players.Weaknesses: not proactive, easily disengaged.

Operators

<ul><li>They find meaning in work that directly improves the lives of others. </li><li>They are the archetype least motivated by money. </li><li>They gravitate toward caring professions (medicine or teaching), but can also thrive in other lines of work where they can directly interact with and help others. </li><li>They have an empathetic nature and have a strong team spirit.</li><li> They tend to be forward planners, who are relatively hesitant to jump on new opportunities.</li></ul>Strengths: selfless, help build trust within an organization. Weaknesses: sometimes impractical or naive.

Givers

<ul><li>They seek out work that fascinates or inspires them.</li><li> They are motivated by the pursuit of mastery. </li><li>They enjoy being valued for their expertise, although they are less concerned with status in the broader sense.</li><li> Artisans typically desire a high degree of autonomy to practice their craft and place the least importance on camaraderie of all the archetypes. </li></ul>Strengths: well positioned to solve the most complex challenges. Weaknesses: can be aloof and lose sight of bigger objectives.

Artisans

<ul><li>They value freedom and experiences. They seek out careers that provide a high degree of variety and excitement. </li><li>Explorers place higher-than-average importance on autonomy. They are also more willing to trade security for flexibility. </li><li>They don't rely on their job for a sense of identity, often exploring multiple occupations during their lifetime. </li><li>They have a pragmatic approach to professional development, obtaining only the level of expertise needed.</li></ul>Strengths: will enthusiastically throw themselves at whatever task is required of them. Weaknesses: can be directionless or lack conviction.

Explorers

<ul><li>They are motivated by professional success, and value status and compensation. </li><li>They are forward planners who can be relatively risk averse, as they opt for well-trodden paths to success.</li><li> Strivers are willing to tolerate less variety so long as it is in service of their longer-term goals. </li><li>They tend to define success in relative terms, and thus can be more competitive and transactional in their relationships than most other archetypes.</li></ul>Strengths: disciplined and transparent. Weaknesses: their competitiveness can degrade trust and camaraderie within teams.

Strivers

<ul><li>They are on a mission to change the world. They form strong views on the way things should be and seek out the control necessary to achieve that vision. </li><li>They are the most risk-tolerant and future-oriented of all the archetypes. </li><li>Pioneers identify profoundly with their work. Their vision matters more than anything, and they are willing to make great personal sacrifices accordingly. </li><li>Their work relationships tend to be more transactional in nature. </li></ul>Strengths: infectious energy that can bring about lasting change. Weaknesses: can be uncompromising and imperious.

Pioneers

A huge new research project classifies workers into six 'archetypes' to help leaders hire the right people and keep them motivated.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

New Report: There Are 6 Types of Workers. Understanding Them Can Help You Beat the Great Resignation

Today’s organizations have to compete on a global level. Add in how rapidly technology and consumer preferences both change, and teams don’t have a choice — they have to be able to adapt and pivot what they’re doing. It’s not negotiable. 
In this type of environment, leaders need people who quickly and gracefully can take feedback and adjust how they think and behave. Otherwise, the people they lead will have a harder time keeping pace with the work in front of them. Those individuals subsequently might be less satisfied on the job and end up in more intentional or unintentional conflicts.

Why Coachability is An Asset

Every company occasionally has to discipline workers or even let them go. But doing so takes up managerial and leadership time you could spend on other things. It’s also expensive and disruptive to the rest of the team to bring someone else on if your initial hire doesn’t work out.
If you discover after hiring that a person isn’t going to take your advice and isn’t willing to learn, then you run the risk of unnecessarily draining resources out of the organization and have to deal with the stress that falls on _everyone _from trying to solve the personnel issue.

Look For Coachability During Hiring Itself

The Roleplaying technique works best once you’ve already had some interaction with candidates because both you and the candidates have to feel comfortable doing the role-playing. That usually requires at least a small amount of rapport and familiarity. 
Additionally, role-playing typically does take more time than, say, reading a resume paragraph. Practically, you only have so many minutes in the day. So aim to check for coachability with this strategy in the second or third interview, after you’ve narrowed your pool of potential hires down a little.

The Importance Of Roleplays During Interviews

<ul>
<li>Management is about moving the objectives and key results (OKRs) of the organization forward. It’s task-oriented and measured by stats.</li>
<li>Mentoring is about providing expert guidance that somebody can use even outside of the office. It usually means you invest a lot of time and energy into the individual on a one-on-one basis, who you and others might see as your protege. </li>
<li>Coaching, by contrast, is meant to make a person more aware of where they can improve and sharpen those skills in a safe environment.</li>
</ul>

Managing, Mentoring, and Coaching Are Not the Same

This one key trait defines our hiring process. 

The #1 Thing We Look for in Applicants: Coachability

Lack of empathy and humane treatment. Workers are still resentful that some companies never stayed in touch while they were on furlough. 
Are you guilty of this, as well? Consider if you would be eager to return to an organization that treated you as if you no longer existed.

Why Can't Organizations Find Talent: Behaviour

You’re trying the wrong tactics to bait talent. A fleeting sign-on bonus for new hires is a short-term solution to more long-term problems

Companies Using Wrong Tactics

Is your compensation competitive? For many workers, it’s considerably less expensive to stay home with your kids instead of paying for childcare (if you can even secure a coveted child care spot). 
Have you checked the market lately to ensure your wages are still viable? Can those workers, whom you’re trying to attract, afford to work for you? And are you willing to subsidize the high cost of childcare?

Company Compensation

Many people have experienced what it’s like to work from home and have been successfully doing so. They want the flexibility to do so in the future, yet many employers are saying, “It’s my way or the highway.”
More and more workers are choosing the highway. Can you afford to stand your ground while positions go unstaffed? How much are you willing to lose in terms of revenue? How will these unfilled positions impact your reputation?

No Flexibility To Employees

Your online application process is tortuous. Most were built for applicants applying from their computers, which is a problem when you consider that 61% of all job applications were submitted last year using mobile devices. 
Now imagine what happens when a candidate is required to type in their entire résumé to be considered. If it takes more than 10 minutes to apply, many candidates won’t even bother.

Outdated Application Technology

Qualified candidates can’t get through your applicant tracking systems. Their résumés seem to go into a dark hole, never to be found. 
Try applying for a position with your organization and see if you can get hired!

Bad Application Tracking Systems

Job seekers are looking for better benefits. Stories about awesome perks are in the headlines daily, making many people question why they should forego an opportunity to get in on the goods. 
They’re flocking to those organizations that are offering a pot of gold while your talent pipeline remains dry.

Lack Of Benefits

Speaking of benefits, job seekers are looking for healthcare benefits—and reliable versions. The pandemic has shown people that we’re all vulnerable. Anyone can get sick at any time. 
While it may not have been traditional for organizations in your industry to offer such benefits, you soon may not have a choice; that is, if you need staff to produce your products or serve your customers.

Better Healthcare Not Provided

Money matters. The people who say it doesn’t have money. Job seekers want to be fairly compensated for the work they do. 
You may be able to snag some talent with lowball offers, but for how long? These people will be ripe for the plucking and will depart the moment they receive a better offer.

Fair Compensation

Job descriptions(JDs) with overinflated job requirements will remain unfilled or will continually turn over. Candidates who are well-suited for these jobs, yet don’t perfectly match your long list of qualifications, won’t give your job postings more than a glance. 
Think about it. Is it essential to have a college degree to fulfill the duties of a receptionist or a customer support rep? I think we both know the answer to this question.

Impossible Job Requirements in JD

Many job applicants will remove themselves from consideration if the entire hiring process is long and drawn out. 
Some will be quickly snapped up by organizations that hire more swiftly, and others will refuse to work somewhere solely based on the applicant experience.

Long Hiring Process

Less “desirable” candidates can’t get a second look. I’m not talking about people who have served prison sentences for robbing a bank. I’m referring to mature workers, people with disabilities and military veterans. 
Consider looking for talent where others aren’t digging. Be willing to dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some real gems out there.

Less Than Perfect Candidates Getting Rejected

Contrary to popular belief, unemployment assistance is not the main cause.


Discover the world of business and economics.

economics

Economics

12 reasons no one’s applying to your open job

After an interview, a follow-up email to your candidates can do wonders for your recruiting efforts.
Maintaining communication with your candidates keeps them engaged while respecting and appreciating them after setting aside time for you. Taking a proactive approach to follow-up emails can also help you land better talent. While not all recruiters may have the time to write individual follow-up emails, understanding the art of writing a template can help.

Follow-Up Email

After an interview, send the ideal candidate a follow-up email. <ul><li>Subject line: Write the purpose of the email. Keep it formal and concise. For example, "Follow-up on your interview." or "Thank you for your time this morning."</li><li>Intro: Mention the person by name. Thank them for their time/follow up with something that came up during the interview.</li><li>Body: In about 100 words, deliver on your subject line.</li><li>Closing. End the email on a positive note. For example, "Thanks again", "Let's stay in touch!".</li></ul>

The structure of an ideal candidate follow-up email

Hi [CANDIDATE NAME], I wanted to thank you for giving us a chance earlier today to get to know you better and talk about the [JOB] opening. I was impressed with your experience and, although we haven’t made any decisions yet, I was glad to see that [COMPANY] and you share some common values. We’re still conducting interviews until [DATE]. After that, you can expect to hear back from us before the [DATE]. Thanks again, it was great meeting you. [SIGNATURE]

Template to thank a candidate after the interview

Hi [CANDIDATE NAME], Thank you for giving us a chance to get to know you better and talk about the [JOB] opening. Unfortunately, the hiring team will be moving forward with other candidates. At the moment, we’re looking to hire someone with a different business profile. However, I would like to keep your resume on our records to let you know as soon as we have a job opening that fits your profile. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any doubts or feedback. Thank you again for your time. I enjoyed getting to know you and wish you the best of luck. [SIGNATURE]

Job Rejection Template

Hi [CANDIDATE NAME], I want to thank you for giving us a chance to get to know you better and talk about the [JOB] opening. The team enjoyed meeting you and, after finishing our interviews, we’d like to offer you the role of [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY]. I’m sure you’ll fit right in with the rest of the team, and we’re excited to have you with us if you decide to accept the offer. We’re excited to introduce you to the team and start working together. Best,[NAME] It's good to write a longer email to flesh out more ideas.

Job Offer Template

Simple tips to determine if your candidates have the behavioural traits and skills needed for the role

books

Books

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

communication

Communication

Hiring the Best in Class

A follow-up email to ideal candidates helps to keep them engaged and leave the door open for future engagement.

When it comes to recruiting, it's vital to hone your candidate communication strategy. Here's how to write a great candidate follow-up email.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

A Recruiting Must-Know: How to Write a Candidate Follow-Up Email

When you've nailed a product-market fit, it's time to hire a growth marketer that can focus full-time on understanding your target audience, know how to find them and the best way to persuade them to use your product. In time, your growth marketer can improve different parts, but the acquisition is a priority at the primary stage.

When to hire your first growth marketer

At this stage, find an all-star junior athlete that can grow with your business as they're more willing to do the hard work of finding the 1-2 marketing channels that will drive most of your customer acquisition. Ideally, look for someone senior enough to lead a small team. A successful growth marketing hire will test and scale a new marketing channel every 3 - 6 months.

Consider the level of seniority

The best growth marketers possess a combination of the following characteristics: <ul><li>Curiosity: Growth marketers continually have to come up with novel ideas, then test and learn from them.</li><li>Impact-driven: They are motivated by the economic results of their campaign.</li><li>Will get in the weeds: They work through all the details to ensure experiments are useful and the customer experience is good.</li><li>Quantitative & understands your customer. They measure results and focus on understanding the customer.</li><li>Works well with others: They can partner with creative, finance, product and data-oriented people.</li></ul>

Characteristics to look for

Look for someone with experience in business, marketing and products. They should also possess the following:<ul><li>Growth marketing, management consulting, or finance experience (investing or banking)</li><li>Managed 1-2 priority marketing channels, ideally someone with hands-on experience.</li><li>Experience with marketing tools, such as Google Analytics & Excel. Knowledge of tools such as email, paid search, social media, AB testing, BI.</li><li>Worked with a product team.</li></ul>

Experience to look for

The ideal growth marketing candidate:<ul><li>Understands how to create value - the impact of accelerating customer acquisition, boosting retention, and improving conversion rates.</li><li>Expert at building business cases that estimate the impact of new campaigns.</li><li>Knows growth marketing tactics.</li><li>Adept in marketing analytics.</li><li>Understands human behaviour. The best growth marketers know about professors like Kahneman, Tversky, and Ariely,</li></ul>

Knowledge to look for

During the interview, test for characteristics, experience and knowledge. Initial conversations<ul><li>Are they curious? Ask: "What was the last thing you taught yourself?" Curious people like to learn.</li><li>Will they get in the weeds? Ask about a time they had limited resources to get a project off the ground. Did they take ownership? Do they remember small details about the project?</li><li>Will they understand your customer? Ask about personal experiences with terrible companies. Good growth marketers will remember details and think about how to improve customer experiences.</li></ul>

Interview tips

Case studies are effective for screening candidates. Present your candidates with a prompt, including a business goal, and ask for a 90-day plan and a prioritised list of new campaigns to test. While the candidate discusses the case study, pay attention to:<ul><li>How detailed is the plan?</li><li>How good are the proposed marketing tactics?</li><li>How strong are the business cases?</li><li>Can they operationalise the ideas?</li><li>Did they consider what motivates your customer?</li></ul>

Case studies

startup

Startups

How to Hire Your First Growth Marketer

Emotional intelligence has become an important predictor of job success, surpassing technical ability. In 2011, a CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,600 U.S. hiring managers and human resources professionals revealed that 71 percent valued emotional intelligence in an employee over a high IQ.To build your own superpower culture of emotional intelligence, you need to know what to shoot for when assessing the social skills of your current and future employees.

Emotional intelligence on the job

<ul><li>Look for transparency. Sometimes the tendency is for employees to hide, withdraw, stonewall, or put on the mask to avoid tough situations or conflict. And that mask hides who they truly are in challenging, customer-facing situations requiring quick thinking. </li><li>Look for resilience and flexibility. You want to surround yourself with people who are flexible during change and will jump on every opportunity to help during a transition. </li><li>Look for people who manage their emotions well. The question behind self-management is simple but rare: Can I manage my emotions and behavior to a positive outcome?</li><li>Look for empathy. People are drawn to empathy. It's an attractive quality to have in building successful relationships at work. </li></ul>

4 skills to identify an employee worth hiring on the spot

education

Learning & Education

4 New Skills to Identify an Employee Worth Hiring on the Spot

Leaderships is one of the most misunderstood responsibilities in business. 
Many people confuse leadership with rank or authority.

Misunderstanding leadership

"True leaders understand that their responsibility is to take care of their people, just like a parent: to see them gain skills, to put them in situations where they get to discover more than they though they were capable of."

True leadership doesn't happen when we're in charge; it happens when we take care of those in our charge.

True leadership

When we hire, we tend to hire by someone's resume and skill and their past results. And we hire also by how good their are at interviewing.

The hiring process

You can go through the traditional way of hiring: "Show us your resume", "Tell us your biggest weakness" etc. 
But it is better to treat the hiring process like a marriage: get to know your candidates, go out for lunch with them, figure our if you want to hang out with them and see if they fit into your already created company culture.

Getting to know your candidates

Most companies hire too quickly.
And if you do that, make sure that everybody has at least a six-month trial, for you to test them out and for them to test you out. This way, you can know them in real time, when you're doing actual work.

Rushing into hiring

Hiring hack: How to better evaluate your candidates New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In business, the role of a leader is often misunderstood. A true leader takes care of their people, especially when considering new hires. Leaders should take hiring decisions as seriously as adoption. Protecting the culture you've cultivated is more important than acquiring skills. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIMON SINEK Simon O. Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of "the golden circle" and to "Start With Why," described by TED as "a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"'. He joined the RAND Corporation in 2010 as an adjunct staff member, where he advises on matters of military innovation and planning. His first TEDx Talk on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" is the 3rd most viewed video on TED.com. His 2009 book on the same subject, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009) delves into what he says is a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision-making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others. He has commented for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, FastCompany, CMO Magazine, NPR, and BusinessWeek, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, BrandWeek, and IncBizNet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT: I think leadership is one of the most misunderstood responsibilities in business. Too many people confuse leadership with rank or authority. I know many people who sit at the highest levels of organizations who are not leaders. They have authority and we do as they tell us because they have authority over us but we would not follow them. True leaders understand that their responsibility is to take care of their people just like a parent. To see them grow, to see them gain skills, to put them in situations where they get to discover that they’re capable of more than they thought they were capable of. This is what leaders truly are. It’s not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in our charge. When we’re very junior we only have to be good at our jobs. That’s pretty much it. And if you’re really good at your job they’ll promote you. And eventually you’ll get promoted to a position where you’re now responsible for the people who do the job you used to do but nobody shows us how to do that. They gave us so much training how to do our job when we were young and then they don’t give us any training how to do our job when we are put in a position of leadership. There’s no CEO on the planet who’s responsible for the customer, you know. It’s the joke. That CEO is responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer. And that simple change of perspective dramatically changes the way in which someone makes decisions or even speaks and it has a profound impact on an organization as well. When we hire we tend to hire by someone’s resume and skill set and the past results they’ve had maybe our competitors and how good they are at interviewing. And let me tell you, some people are really good at interviewing. You know, we only hire passionate people I’ve heard people say. Well how do you know that they’re passionate for the interview and not so passionate for the work, right. At the end of the day a hiring decision is like an adoption. You’re going to bring a child into your family. You’re going to let them into your house. You’re going to give them keys to the house and maybe even give them responsibility over your other children. You probably want to do that a little carefully. So sure, you can go through the traditional read their resume so tell us about yourself. What’s your biggest weakness? That kind of nonsense. But I like it when we treat it like a dating scenario. I like it when we treat it like a marriage or a relationship. In other words go out for dinner with them. Take them out for lunch. Get to know them as a human being. What kind of people are they? Do you want to hang out with them? Are they one of us? You have a culture and you want to protect that culture more than you just want the skills. It’s a true story of a bunch of military recruiters who went to a high school. And the Army recruiter stands up and says to the kids let me tell you why you want to be in the Army with his PowerPoint on behind him. The Navy recruiter stands up with his presentation and says no, no, let me tell you why the Navy’s better. The Air Force recruiter stands up and says they’re both wrong.

Hiring hack: How to better evaluate your candidates
New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube
Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
In business, the role of a leader is often misunderstood.

A true leader takes care of their people, especially when considering new hires.

Leaders should take hiring decisions as seriously as adoption. Protecting the culture you've cultivated is more important than acquiring skills.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
SIMON SINEK

Simon O. Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of "the golden circle" and to "Start With Why," described by TED as "a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"'. He joined the RAND Corporation in 2010 as an adjunct staff member, where he advises on matters of military innovation and planning. His first TEDx Talk on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" is the 3rd most viewed video on TED.com. His 2009 book on the same subject, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009) delves into what he says is a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision-making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others.

He has commented for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, FastCompany, CMO Magazine, NPR, and BusinessWeek, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, BrandWeek, and IncBizNet.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIPT:  I think leadership is one of the most misunderstood responsibilities in business. Too many people confuse leadership with rank or authority. I know many people who sit at the highest levels of organizations who are not leaders. They have authority and we do as they tell us because they have authority over us but we would not follow them. True leaders understand that their responsibility is to take care of their people just like a parent. To see them grow, to see them gain skills, to put them in situations where they get to discover that they’re capable of more than they thought they were capable of. This is what leaders truly are. It’s not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in our charge. When we’re very junior we only have to be good at our jobs. That’s pretty much it. And if you’re really good at your job they’ll promote you. And eventually you’ll get promoted to a position where you’re now responsible for the people who do the job you used to do but nobody shows us how to do that.

They gave us so much training how to do our job when we were young and then they don’t give us any training how to do our job when we are put in a position of leadership. There’s no CEO on the planet who’s responsible for the customer, you know. It’s the joke. That CEO is responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer. And that simple change of perspective dramatically changes the way in which someone makes decisions or even speaks and it has a profound impact on an organization as well.

When we hire we tend to hire by someone’s resume and skill set and the past results they’ve had maybe our competitors and how good they are at interviewing. And let me tell you, some people are really good at interviewing. You know, we only hire passionate people I’ve heard people say. Well how do you know that they’re passionate for the interview and not so passionate for the work, right. At the end of the day a hiring decision is like an adoption. You’re going to bring a child into your family. You’re going to let them into your house. You’re going to give them keys to the house and maybe even give them responsibility over your other children. You probably want to do that a little carefully. So sure, you can go through the traditional read their resume so tell us about yourself. What’s your biggest weakness? That kind of nonsense. But I like it when we treat it like a dating scenario. I like it when we treat it like a marriage or a relationship. In other words go out for dinner with them. Take them out for lunch. Get to know them as a human being. What kind of people are they? Do you want to hang out with them? Are they one of us? You have a culture and you want to protect that culture more than you just want the skills.

It’s a true story of a bunch of military recruiters who went to a high school. And the Army recruiter stands up and says to the kids let me tell you why you want to be in the Army with his PowerPoint on behind him. The Navy recruiter stands up with his presentation and says no, no, let me tell you why the Navy’s better. The Air Force recruiter stands up and says they’re both wrong.

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Hiring hack: How to better evaluate your candidates | Simon Sinek | Big Think

We've never hired anyone who specializes in information architecture or Wireframing. We've also never hired someone exclusively for Ui design, illustration, or motion Graphics.&nbsp;We believe these are tools that can be learned, developed, and nurtured. We focus on the current strengths of a person, their potential and the things that got them in the room with us. If someone is interviewing at Playground, chances are they've done a little bit of everything.

All designers are multidisciplinary. Even if they don’t know it yet.

Do they think like you? do they act like you? do they look like you? do you immediately get along after a few interviews?. When we hire, we specifically think about what someone adds to our already dynamic team. Empower people to bring something new to the organization, let go and allow the culture to evolve in unexpected positive directions.

2.  Stop hiring for fit — what will they add?

This may be controversial, but I only give resumes a quick glance. I want to see their work. If they have demonstrated they have the raw skills, they’ve got an interview.

3.  Skip the resume. It’s not about their experience, but how they’ve gained it.

<ul><li>How did you find design? Did it find you?&nbsp;</li><li>How did you get here?&nbsp;</li><li>How do you learn?&nbsp;</li><li>What type of designer do you want to be?&nbsp;</li><li>What are you most excited to work on?&nbsp;</li><li>To you, what’s important about the internet, technology and people?&nbsp;</li></ul>

1. Here are some questions I’ve asked in the past:

During our first interview, I’ll do 3 things. Learn about the person, sell them on Playground, and tell them what to expect next. When learning about the person, we find out what their goals are, the context of their previous work, and how Playground can help them in their career journey. We’re first collaborating to understand if this is the right role for them.

4.  Be transparent

We ’ ve tried a ‘ solve Out-Loud’type of approach in the past. But nothing has been as consistent in identifying great designers as learning about how someone learns. We allow our candidates the appropriate space and time to walk us through their work. From there, we will be able to ask how they’ve made decisions, how they asked questions, and what level of experience they have within our specific context. Our work changes with every new client or challenge we take on.

5.  Enough spec work

Designers should be reviewing candidates and conducting interviews. Try to identify unique questions that prove you give a shit about them. Build lasting relationships with the person you are interviewing. This goes a long way in helping build respect and trust. Never show up cold or unprepared.

Lesson Learned

When we hire, we specifically think about what someone adds to our already dynamic team. We embrace differences in experience and personality. We want to be challenged and shown different perspectives on the world. We also welcome differences in expectation of work.

Different Is Good

I’ve been on the frontlines of interviewing all sorts of designers to help us make digital things. Personally, I’ve hired 40 design team members (so far) and I’m still not sure if I’m doing it right…

The science of what makes work meaningful

Why the Great Resignation is far from over

New Report: There Are 6 Types of Workers. Understanding Them Can Help You Beat the Great Resignation

The #1 Thing We Look for in Applicants: Coachability

12 reasons no one’s applying to your open job

Raymond Valenzuela