This is a strange economic time. It feels like a recession is happening and is deepening. But when I see people on the street or at work, I don’t see anyone acting differently. It’s almost like it must be a bad recession because the news says it is. And because of it being so inescapable, the news that is, consumers are starting to really act differently. At least superficially. I don’t know if any of the changes will be long lasting but if layoffs become widespread then I guess they will have to be.
Speaking of layoffs and getting a job, I get a newsletter every week from Peter Weddle. He has a recruiting consulting business. It is www.weddles.com. His site has greater resources, but in the October 2, 2008 newsletter he talks about the 10 Attributes of Work Happy People. Here they are:
How can you identify candidates who come to work prepared for and committed to doing great work? I think you look for the following telltale signs. I call them the 10 Attributes of Work Happy People.
Attribute #1. Work happy people are impatient with recruiting processes that operate as supply chains and treat them as an undifferentiated cog. They see themselves as unique individuals who are superior performers and want to be treated as such.
Attribute #2. Work happy people find it easy to answer questions about the work they’ve done and the results they achieved on-the-job. They don’t brag about themselves, but they are definitely aware of their personal track record and proud of it.
Attribute #3. Work happy people interview the hiring manager even as the hiring manager interviews them. They want to know if that person will support and facilitate their work or interfere with or be threatened by their quest to excel.
Attribute #4. Work happy people will probe deeply about the nature of the work an opening involves and make sure it fits their vision of what’s important for the next stage in their career. Only after those questions have been satisfactorily answered will they inquire about the salary of the position or the benefits the organization provides.
Attribute #5. Work happy people want to know about the conditions under which they will work. They will evaluate the workplace to determine what kind of environment it provides to workers and whether that environment will help them to perform at their peak.
Attribute #6. Work happy people want information about the organization’s commitment to individual development. The will press for details about your in-house training programs, support for attendance at professional conferences and tuition reimbursement programs for both degree and non-degree academic programs.
Attribute #7. Work happy people will ask to speak with their peers in the work unit where they will be assigned. They want to know the caliber of their coworkers and whether they will be challenged and supported in their work or forced to carry more than their fair share of the load.
Attribute #8. Work happy people will check up on an organization by reading the comments posted online by analysts as well as by current and past employees. As recruiters themselves often do with the comments they find about candidates on social networking sites, work happy people will include what they uncover on the Web in their assessment of the organization.
Attribute #9. Work happy people will ask questions about the CEO and other senior leaders in the organization to determine what priorities and vision they are instilling in its culture. They know that good work can be undermined by bad leaders and are determined to avoid them.
Attribute #10. Work happy people care less about the quality of an organization’s recruiting collateral than about the quality of its products and services. They don’t want to do high caliber work in an organization that doesn’t value it or have a reputation for delivering it.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. It’s unusual to see a candidate act this way. That’s why today’s environment is called a War for Talent. It’s not a War for Any Talent, however; it’s a War for the Best Talent. The Best Talent are very, very rare candidates who fall into just three categories:
· They are people who possess hard-to-find skills.
· They are people who love their work and are extremely talented at it.
· They are people with hard-to-find skills who love their work and are extremely talented at it.
Those in the first category will do the job. Those in the second and third categories will do the job superbly. Moreover, you can tell when they come through your recruiting process. They think differently. They see things differently. And, most importantly, they act differently. They act as work happy people.
Working Thoughts 