Whom to Hire, Whom to Fire and When?

Dharmavirsinh Jhala — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:58:30 +0000

Show the way out

If you are one of those like me somewhat, who finds it bit or lot more troublesome to fire employees than the fact about firing an employee is that "We are not doing bad with them or their families or not even to community or anyone else, the simplest point is that - they are not just good at what we want and they can be lot more better at many other places or skills which we might not want at this point in time."

We are just giving them a chance by closing our door and asking them to look at other opportunities around, waiting for them to do much better where they are good or best. I remember a quote from my boss that "Programming might not be in his blood, and they can be really good at many other things". This way we are just helping them to find a right job or work which they would love to do...

I remember a quote from Steve Jobs speech at Stanford: "You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers … If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it." (Here is a helpful post about How to find the Work You Love? at Life@DiGiTSS)

I have received a nice email from Infusionsoft marketing team as part of follow-up and tip.. which I would like to share here in this post.

Whether you employ one person, or fifty, choosing the right employees can be a challenge. How do you know which of the job applicants will be worth their weight in gold, and which will give you a run for your money? Well, the "secret" to hiring the right employee is to give equal weight to five different factors:

Education
Experience
Passion
Drive
Fit

Sometimes, the best applicant is not the one with 20 years of experience. Sometimes, the best applicant is not the one with the Master's degree. Focus your interview questions around all five traits, and the "right" employee will emerge.

What if it's a toss up? Look closely at the experience, because past experience is the best indicator of future success.

If you're struggling with current employees, here are four guidelines to determine it's time to let someone go:

You are doing (or re-doing) their work
They fail to reach their goals on a regular basis
The employee has not taken your admonishments to heart
They negatively impact other employees around them

Small business owners do not have the luxury of keeping poor or mediocre employees. You must keep only the best employees for your business. And, don't feel guilty for letting go of inefficient or unproductive persons. You're growing a business, not running a charity.

Plus, I've learned by experience that I'm not doing anyone any favors by keeping a bad employee around... not the employee, not my customers, not the rest of my staff, and not me!

Sincerely,

Clate Mask
CEO, Infusionsoft

I like followup-emails or newsletter emails I have been receiving from Infusionsoft and I think you might find something interesting on Infusionsoft-Blog as well. I might publish some more of them in future on Blogs@DiGiTSS.

Thanks for reading and you can share you thoughts on as comments.Similar Posts:

Eleven Qualities of successful IT Managers

Dharmavirsinh Jhala — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:30:45 +0000

I am thankful to my TechRepublic subscription that I have received mail for this post and I took time to open up and read this post on TechRepublic artical archives. I pin down whatever I feel that I should keep in my memory for longer period of time and this post is just that and believe me keeping that on own blog is better than anything else. Even better than storing it on harddrive.

Without wasting much time here is the real article.

Takeaway: To succeed as an IT manager, and to advance your career into the executive sphere, you need some very specific traits - 11 to be exact. From needs assessment to team building, these are the skills you need to be at the top of your game.

I’ve been an IT manager and CIO for more than 20 years and have been involved in the technology profession for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen many good IT managers and a few excellent ones. I’ve also seen a fair share of poor managers.

I believe there are 11 traits that must become the core competencies of any IT manager who wants to have a successful IT management career. While some may argue that there are more, or other, skills that are just as important, I believe from my years of experience that these are the most crucial traits managers need today.

1: Ability to assess needs

All IT managers need to know how to assess the needs of their company as it relates to their technology responsibilities. It doesn’t matter what level you are; you have to be able to discover what the real needs and issues are so you work on the “right things.” Too many managers develop an "IT agenda" because they don't make the effort to discover the objectives and tangible issues of the company. Developing the ability to quickly assess the technology for your area of expertise positions you for more responsibility. Managers who develop initiatives that "miss the target" because they lack strong assessment skills cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. Assessing technology needs plays a major part in helping your career advance.

2: Ability to create a vision

To lead, you have to identify your target and create a vision for your staff of where you want to be. To lead, you have to take charge and point the team to the desired destination. Managers who can develop and articulate a vision to their staff can accomplish great things because people will follow them. Communicating a vision tells those around you that there is focus and that you are committed to take the organization to a specific destination.

3: Ability to create the plan

Once they know where they want to be, successful managers know how to develop a plan that will get them there. That means choosing the right priorities for the situation and developing plans that are aggressive but achievable. Planning is an essential ingredient for a “high achiever” manager, but too many managers fail to plan. Instead, they react, accomplishing much less than what the organization is capable of. Having the ability to develop a plan that addresses company goals and objectives positions you for more responsibility. Planning denotes a sense of being proactive vs. reactive.

4: Ability to build the team

Successful managers know the importance of building a team that has depth as well as skill in critical areas. A successful manager must know how to improve an existing team, as well as how to build a new one from scratch. Every good manager I’ve seen has the ability to build the right team for the issues at hand and can anticipate what will be needed in the future so that the team is prepared for new challenges. Strong career managers are effective career builders of people. They understand the importance of career and use career building as a tool to develop a stronger team capable of operating more independently.

5: Ability to focus the resources

Focusing IT staff, money, and technology resources on key priorities of the company is essential to achieving success. The technology resources must be focused on initiatives that are in sync with company needs and objectives, and they must deliver in a productive, cost-effective manner. Career-minded people at any level understand the need for strong focus.

6: Ability to implement a "client service" mindset

A high level of client service is essential for any IT organization. Successful managers create a culture that places customer issues first—whether the customers are internal users or external clients. Great IT managers know the reason they have careers is because people need the technology and support services that they provide, which is why successful IT managers build excellent client relationships.

7: Ability to manage projects

The cornerstone of any IT manager’s job is that the organization can deliver project initiatives in a predictable and cost-effective manner. Effective project management discipline must be a key part of any manager who expects to succeed. Regardless of your career direction, strong project management skills will enhance your opportunities.

8: Ability to implement change management processes

Technology, by its nature, demands rapid change. Every IT manager needs to be able to understand how to effectively implement change, whether it’s swapping out a PC, upgrading an entire network, or developing and installing new software. Failure to manage change effectively will cripple any manager.

9: Ability to lead and motivate

IT organizations don’t get a lot done unless they are motivated. IT managers who can create significant momentum by virtue of strong leadership and motivation techniques always achieve more than those who can’t. Getting things done through others is a key skill required for management success.

10: Ability to communicate effectively

Successful managers can communicate on many different levels with all types of people. More than ever, career success is highly dependent upon effective communication skills. Getting your message across to technical staff as well as nontechnical clients, being able to manage expectations effectively, and “netting out” issues and project status with senior managers are necessary skills that prevent many managers from achieving high levels of success. IT managers who achieve the greatest career success are those who can communicate effectively with all levels of people: employees, peers, internal and external clients, vendors, and senior management.

11: Ability to track and measure performance

It’s important to set objectives and be able to measure your progress. Successful managers establish specific measurements that tell them and others how well the organization is doing and provide feedback that helps managers “zero in” on issues that will improve the organization’s performance.

In conclusion

The best managers, and the ones with successful careers, have each of the above-mentioned skills, and their competence transcends the technical organizations and companies that they work for.

Granted, there are other skill and career traits that promote advancement and success, such as working proactively, having strong follow-up skills, and being able to negotiate with vendors successfully. But when you dig down into the core competencies of a successful IT management career, these 11 tend to stand out.

Forging a successful IT management career is one of the most challenging feats in any company, because the role is constantly changing and being heavily scrutinized by all. Developing each of these 11 traits as a core competency within your personal makeup will help you achieve much higher success levels and will position you for greater career responsibility.Similar Posts:

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