| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
Stomp Out Leeches In Your Company
Recently, I felt appalled to see a political candidate running on the motto of "Demand More!" That motto oozes extreme nerve, and implies some people think it is o.k., as the saying goes, to "rob Peter to pay Paul." Well, this "Demand More!" philosophy led me to thinking about "leeches." I define "leeches" as people who devote their time and energy trying to get something for nothing - including you and your company. YOU LET "LEECHES" INTO YOUR COMPANY Most companies have hired "leeches." These are employees who look forward to using every vacation day more than they look forward to putting in a day's work for a day's pay. "Leeches" call-in "sick" after they use all their vacation days - to use their "sick-days" as vacation days. They also use all "personal days" you offer, even if they do not really need a "personal day." "Leeches" do just enough work to avoid getting fired - and not one bit extra. "Leeches" steal property from your company and your customers. They aim to keep anything that is not nailed down. When you put a "leech" on your payroll, your employees know you hired a lazy bum. It conveys you do not value their productivity because, if you did, you would not make a "leech" their co-worker. HOW TO AVOID HAVING "LEECHES" IN YOUR WORKFORCE You can eliminate these parasites in two ways: 1. Get rid of "leeches" you have 2. Stop hiring "leeches" DE-EMPLOY "LEECHES" WHO WORK FOR YOU Get rid of "leeches" in your company. A great way to terminate them is to insist every employee writes goals that a. are measurable b. have deadlines Then, evaluate each employee on whether the person achieved his or her goals. Important: Do not evaluate annually. That gives "leeches" too much time to rip you off. Instead, evaluate your employees quarterly. Productive employees like to shine often. But, "leeches" will shriek because they are vampires you are forcing into the light. After all, they are vampires who suck profits and productivity out of your company - if you let them stay. Since "leeches" often fail to achieve measurable goals with deadlines, you can de-employ them. Actually, you are doing them a favor: They do not really want to show up at work, anyway. 4 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING "LEECHES" As author of the book "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest?," I will give you four ways to avoid hiring "leeches" and lazy bums. 1 Way to Avoid Hiring "Leeches" = Make Applicants Fill-Out a "Character Test" Many of our clients use the "P.A.S.S.-IIIŽ Character Test" to help avoid hiring "bad apples." It takes only 10-15 minutes for an applicant to fill-out, and you only need 1-2 minutes to score it. The applicant's scores tell you how "risky" the applicant is on three key attitudes: a. work ethic b. trustworthiness, e.g., possible stealing c. drug/drinking attitudes You, of course, would prefer to hire applicants who score "low risk." Applicants who score "moderate risk" are not as desirable, but the "P.A.S.S.-IIIŽ Character Test" gives you specific questions to judge how "risky" the "moderate risk" applicant is. (Note: If an applicant scores "high risk," then you quickly show them out the door!) 3 More Ways To Avoid Hiring "Leeches" = Clues in Job Interviews Glorious news: "Leeches" give you clues in the job interview to help you weed them out of the running. First interview clue: During the interview, a "leech" applicant asks about days employees do not need to work: Vacation days, sick-days, personal-days, and holidays. An applicant who really desires to work focuses on the possible job - not on days off-work. Second interview clue: Applicants who turn into productive employees can tell you many quantified results they achieved in previous jobs. In contrast, "leeches" mainly spout vague blathering about "doing work." Do not let them fool you: People who cannot tell you specific results they achieved are not worth hiring. Third interview clue: Applicant exudes laziness. Most managers find "problem employees" are 1 - 3 of the following: ■ Lazy, ■ hazy ■ crazy Remember the saying, "If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, then it probably is a duck." Well, if an applicant walks and sounds lazy, then the applicant probably is lazy. Do not bet your career "hoping" a person will work better then s/he acts and sounds. YOUR ACTION PLAN to STOMP OUT "LEECHES" You now can use this two-prong method to keep "leeches" out of your company: 1. De-employ "leech" employees by proving they are unproductive 2. Avoid hiring "leeches" by using a. P.A.S.S.-IIIŽ Character Test b. 3 interview clues Your result: Everyone in your company will consider you an outstanding manager. Copyright 2005 Dr. Michael Mercer Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a pre-employment test expert, public speaker, and founder of The Mercer Group, Inc. in Barrington, Illinois. Dr. Mercer developed the widely used Abilities & Behavior Forecaster? Tests. You can view information on these tests at http://www.mercersystems.com He wrote 5 books, including (1) Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest?, (2) Turning Your HR Department into a Profit Center?, and (3) Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change?. You can subscribe to his free e-Newsletter at http://www.DrMercer.com or contact him at (847) 382-0690
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bringing Ideas to Life: Seven Principles for Pulling Together You're so excited you're practically bouncing off the walls. This idea-your best ever-is not only going to save the company tens of thousands of dollars this year, it's eventually going to be a moneymaker. Leaning Toward Change Seduced by the publicity surrounding the impact of Lean on organizations, it's no surprise that people new to Lean, upon hearing or reading such information, are anxious to implement a continuous improvement initiative in their organizations.What has received little publicity, however, and often frustrates Lean implementation, are the employees on whom Lean is often inflicted, albeit unwittingly. A Management Strategy I witnessed some interesting behaviour from one of our premier management schools this summer. A behaviour that I have since discovered is not uncommon. Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use What IS assertive communication? Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of others. Organizational Techniques - Tickler and Chron File One of the biggest problems we encounter in our consulting with businesses, and our students is time management and organizational techniques. This article will concentrate on some good organizational strategies. Measuring Creativity, DIY style Creativity measurement is often required in order to benchmark existing competencies, monitor improvement, increase output and generally provide tangible and useable processes and structures for clients.Individuals can measure their own creativity, the creativity levels of their group, department or organisation. Leadership in Troubled Times Leadership in Troubled Times The first task of a leader is to keep hope alive. - Joe BattenLeading an organization can be challenging, even when times are good. More Problem-Solving Success Tips The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy.From the time we're little kids, we're taught to solve problems by trial and error. A Fast and Simple Way to Update Your Business You open your computer, the flashing button says, "We have a new update for your software program. Do you wish to update now or later?" You choose the Update Now button and immediately your computer begins to download a new version of the software program. The Truth? The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde The truth. Protect Your Computer System with a Comprehensive Security Policy The most difficult part of creating a Security Policy for your business is determining what, exactly, to include in it. Never heard of a Security Policy before? You're not alone. Are You At The Mercy Of Computer Geeks? Many business owners are sabotaging their business without even realizing it. They are completely out of the loop when it comes to all technology aspects of their operation such as websites, computers and software. Hiring Your First Business Personal Assistant: Some Guidelines for Successful Hiring Hiring the first personal business assistant is an exciting time for new business owners. It means that the business is doing well enough that the business owner can no longer keep up effectively with the demands of the new business. You Didnt Use Brainstorming to Select Your Measures, Did You? IntroductionWhen Alex Osborn invented the creativity technique called brainstorming, I wonder if he had any idea just how extensively business would apply it. Almost every meeting employs some kind of brainstorming event, but there's one meeting that really should leave it off the agenda: the performance measure selection meeting. Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure the Right Things. Measure the right things. It's not enough just to measure-you have to measure the right things. Are You in AWE of Your Employees? Employers have become so concerned about seeming "unfair" or worse becoming the victims of lawsuits by unhappy ex-employees that they've stopped requiring minimum standards of employees. This can only lead to poor individual and eventually poor company performance. Communicating Effectively In The Workplace: Four Vital Steps Ineffective communication is a major, yet avoidable, obstacle to business productivity. And yes, it can be avoided. Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now a major workplace issue that has invaded our not for profit organisations. Take the following example. Delegate, Dont Abdicate One of the key skills for the leaders of growing businesses is to 'get' the distinction between delegation and abdication.Many managers and business leaders fall into one of two extreme categories:They delegate too little and try to do it all themselves or they give too much away, abdicating both their responsibilities and the prerogatives of power. Problem-Solving Success Tip: Define the Problem First Define the Problem First.It seems obvious, but how many times have we gone to a problem-solving meeting and the discussion started with either whose fault was it or an assertion about the proper solution?Explain what the problem is-what went wrong, what are the symptoms, what is the impact on your business and your customer's business.
|
| home | site map | contact us |