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Communication

Five Secrets To Successful Hiring – No.5

Your company has a new position and you need to fill it fast. What do you do?
Should you just go out and grab the first interested person? Maybe you should do what you see happening a lot: companies taking new talent straight out of college?
No. None of those.
In these situations, you must remain calm and if you want to be successful in the long run:

Trust. The. Process.

We have all seen situations in Human Resources where we are willing to skip a step if we find someone who we think is going to be a good fit for the role.
After looking at a resume and having a small chat, we want to pull the trigger before someone else scoops them. This is the situation when we fail each time.

You need to trust the process to have good long-term results.

Guessing can go either way. But, it probably won’t.

When I first started my company, I used to guess just like a lot of people do. But whenever you guess that someone will be a good fit, chances are you will make a mistake. That used to happen to me as I didn’t have processes in place.
Before starting my medical billing company I was mostly in the teaching business. So, I didn’t have any process for comparing. Also, as a High I personality, I am not a process-driven person.

What I used to do is I would hire people who were like me. Fun, making everyone laugh, had a talent for telling stories, charismatic, etc. While this is a great tactic for meeting new friends or having a conversation, it’s a terrible idea when hiring people for different roles.

I wanted to build a business that required people who are detail-oriented, who are going to build claims daily and remotely. High Is are impulsive, have the shiny-object syndrome, and just want to have fun. So having someone like me in a position that requires you to be concentrated and detail-oriented is a recipe for a disaster.

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Don’t cheat

It took me a couple of years to set processes in place. It was not an easy job and it took a lot of time and energy both from me and my team. But, I am putting out what I have learned. 

 There are 5 steps for hiring and retaining people: 

  1. Alignment of core values
  2. Job benchmarking
  3. Put people in the role before they get the role
  4. Ask the right questions
  5. Trust the process

This process is similar to building a house: you need a firm foundation on which you will build the rest of the structure.
One of the most important things is to not cheat, not skip steps. Or: trust the process.

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Do it all the way through and you will get better candidates. I guarantee that.
You will spend less time re-hiring people, you won’t need to waste that much energy and money on training people or getting certificates for them, your HR will not waste time…


If you don’t put the process in place you can expect to be going through resumes and interviews, guessing which candidate is the best, training them, making arrangements on the team due to the newcomer, getting licenses, and different requirements for them, putting in a lot of energy… And then seeing them walk out the door after a few weeks, leaving you to go through the whole process once again.


Do you want to hire and keep good people?
Trust the process.

Five Secrets To Successful Hiring – No.2

Full-time, part-time, remote, freelance… any kind of job arrangement is now available. And everyone wants to hire good people, but there are burning questions: how to find good people and how to keep them? 

We have gone through step one: alignment of core values and you can find it HERE

 Now that you have that out of the way, it’s time for step two in the hiring process. These are my secrets of employing people in my company Solor where we have 92 percent retention. What do we do when we figure out a new person is aligned with our core values?

Job benchmarking foundation

To put it in simpler terms: this is a process of matching a person to a role based upon their Emotional Intelligence. The goal here is to have a person get the energy from a role instead of losing energy.
Remember: when an employee is losing energy from a job role, the only possible outcome is the creation of a toxic, gossipy, passive-aggressive atmosphere. And who wants that?!

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Use the available tools

To determine whether someone is good for the role you need, there are plenty of tools out there. I use DISC assessment and recommend it as it has proven to me times and times again that the results I’m getting are right on the spot.
DISC divides people into 4 different categories, ensuring that if I follow it and match it with the role that’s “empty”, a new employee will feel comfortable in a new role.

Let’s put things into perspective

If a person applying for a job is a D/I, they are very driven and outgoing. Let’s say you want to put that person into the sales department where they have to make a phone call every week, maybe not even to make a sale but to create a relationship with a customer. You want them to be interested in the person on the other side of the line.
Your new D/I employee will not be comfortable with that. What drives them is commission, quick turnaround, fast transaction. And they will not get a single thing from forming a relationship with a customer. They lose, and you lose. No sales, and no relationship.
Remember that we are not all wired the same. We are not all driven by the same things. Some people what to climb the corporate ladder, while others want to stay where they are and create long-term relationships with their clients. Some want money, others want connections.

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How to connect the right person with the right role and why do we use DISC

When looking for a new team member, you need to find a tool that is going to work for you. You need to know how will the people be triggered by a role, and how will they communicate in a role. What are the things that will cause a conflict in your organization?
We use the DISC method in my company because we are working remotely. Many companies have switched to this kind of arrangement due to the pandemic so I’m sure DISC can help you organize your company as well.

What is important when you work remotely is to have people who are task-oriented. High D and C will be great because they will be more independently capable than I and S styles. I don’t need to micromanage D’s and C’s because I know they will make the job done, even though they will do it a little bit differently than how I would have done it.

Put the tool to use for proper job benchmarking

I usually have a manager or someone who is high-performing in a certain role already to do a DISC assessment with people because he/she will know what they need for a specific role. They also go through an assessment together. They compare what is written in an assessment to what a manager needs a person to do in order to determine where exactly is a new employee on a DISC circle.

Why? You need to know if a High C will struggle to get into an I role, or a High S in a D role. That will allow you to coach your people better, to understand them before they are even hired to determine if this person is going to need a lot of coaching or will they feel like a role is made for them.

Our retention is so high (92 percent) because we do job benchmarking and we connect the right people to the right roles.

Hiring is subjective. It’s super difficult to find objective means to hire someone. Some people are better in a resume, some are better in an interview than others. That’s what makes us all unique!

But if you use the tools available, you get more objective data points.

Watch out for this

Tools available out there to determine the right role for a good employee are vast. However, always consult with your labor attorney. You want to make sure that whatever tool you use, it’s not causing an impact it shouldn’t have. You cannot discriminate against one body of people (race, ethnicity, sexuality….). This is a tool you don’t want to use.
This is why I recommend DISC, as it is non-discriminatory.

Whatever tool you use, keep in mind that you want people to gain energy from their role because if they are losing it, that will create a toxic workplace, gossipy, passive-aggressive atmosphere.
Even in this case, people can stay for a long time but probably won’t.

Keep your workplace energy-driven and keep it up for many years to come.

How to survive the Holidays with the family?

The Holidays are a time of joy. Family, friends, and fun! However, they’re also a stressful time of year: cooking, cleaning, hosting, and communicating with people that we infrequently see.  Not to mention the little ones running around. All the noise, noise, NOISE!! If you are wondering how to maintain sanity, this is a guide for you.

What is now before us is a madhouse. We’ll be traveling (which is stressful enough in this day and age), we’ll be answering questions from people we haven’t seen in six months or a year, and deal with the pressure of making sure everyone is on time, food is delicious and decorations are amazing. It. Is. A. Lot. The good news is there is a way to have a happy and healthy holiday season.

DISC and its personality styles can play a key role while we find our way through all the stressful activities that are waiting just around the corner. Anticipating our behavior and the behavior of others will do wonders.

Every family gathering has a person that is….

Try to find your family members or friends in these descriptions so you can prepare yourself. The fact is: if you are invited to join a festive dinner or are hosting family and friends, you will experience a little bit of each personality style. Here is the breakdown of what you can expect from who.

Involved, wants to win at every game, screams at the TV while watching a game, cuts the turkey, wants to say a blessing before the meal

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These kinds of people are a high D. Outgoing and task-oriented people who just want to be involved at everything. Most importantly, they want to be the best at everything. Ready to take the charge, even if they are not the host. You can also easily recognize them by the subjects they want to talk about. Their career will be often the topic they choose, or just success in general (“Look at this picture here, this is the fish that I caught!”)
High D will be the happiest if they can take the charge and win at every game that is taking place. However, if they have to listen to someone for a long time go on and on about their problems, expect a frown. You should approach them with a long story if you want help with fixing the issue, but don’t expect them to listen to a long story that is just a narrative. They just can’t take it. Also, they will be the happiest when it’s all done and they can go back to their tasks and their grind.
While you’re still at the gathering, try to find something that will make their creative juices flowing and you’ll see a very happy D!

Talking to EVERYONE, making jokes, playing music, creating fun where there seems to be none

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High I in your family circle will always do this. Their goal is for everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves. Not a surprise as they are outgoing and people-oriented. If the dinner doesn’t seem that fun, not to worry: they are not just the life of the party, they ARE the party.
Perfect holiday celebration for a high I is a situation in which they can talk to everyone and where they can be surrounded by people. That also means that if the ongoing pandemic stops them from meeting family, they will really be affected. Isolation is something they dread so if you have a high I in your family, let them enjoy the moment. Letting them roam around the house and create conversations with all the guests will make their day and their holidays special.

Hugh everyone, is the sweetest person in the room, helps with the dinner and everything else a host might need

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There is no one that puts the family in the focus as a High S. Talking about family, listening to stories from previous gatherings, and generally enjoying the company of loved ones is something they hold dear to their heart. As people-oriented but reserved folks, don’t expect them to talk too much. But do expect them to help you with the dinner, setting up the table, taking care of the children, or anything else that you might need. Don’t be afraid, it’s not a problem for them as they want to be helpful.
One thing to make sure that a high S is not unhappy with a holiday gathering is to try and avoid conflict. If one arises, expect them to leave the room as they would do anything to remove themselves from a situation that is getting heated.

Comes to the gathering early, constantly reminds everyone about the time and schedule, loves traditional recipes

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A high C person loves tasks, agendas, schedules. That’s why they expect everyone to follow an agreed plan even during holidays. If someone decides to pull a surprise for everyone or venture into spontaneous activity, you can expect a high C to be perplexed. They just need time to process things and they will need to know why are we moving away from a schedule.
What will make these family members happy besides sticking to an agenda is the lack of anarchy. Kids running around and screaming while the adults are making their own noise will be hard for them to deal with. On top of that, they are reserved so don’t expect them to talk too much by themselves. However, feel free to ask questions.

How to survive all the personalities in one room?

What you can do is an activity I do in my workshops. You can divide the family into outgoing reserved people, or task-oriented and people-oriented. Group similar personalities together so they can share activities. Have a conversation that is aligned with personalities. Find out why people do what they do or say what they say. Or don’t say what they don’t so you can get more clarity in your relationship and have an enjoyable holiday for everyone. Not just this year, but in all the years that lie ahead of us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Repetition is the mother of success. True or false?

There are many actions that each of us takes in a day, every day. I’ll assume most of us wash teeth every day, puts on clothes, brushes our hair… These are all actions that we take in a day and that we have been practicing for our whole lives. But can you say that you are doing any or all of these and similar actions perfectly? Do you have the best hairstyle, or the best style, the strongest teeth out there?

If the saying „Practice makes perfect“ is completely correct, you would be able to answer these questions with a strong and confident „Yes!“. However, there is a high chance that you are not so sure about it.

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These are small actions, and there are far bigger in our lives that prove that not every practice makes perfect, and not every repetition is the mother of success.

Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.

In our daily lives, if we’re doing something over and over again, we will create a habit. Repetition of action becomes engraved in our brains until we break the habit. The consistency that we create by repetition can be something that is consistently good, but it can easily be something that is consistently bad.

That means that the saying that repetition is a mother of success is true, but only if you’re doing the right things. The logical question is: how do I know that I’m doing the right things? How do I know that I’m on the way to perfect?

First and foremost, you need to be intentional about your actions. Just like when you are trying to eat healthier or exercise more; you are very intentional about it. That’s how you get the results that you want: feel better or have more energy.
In the business world, I find that a great source to find the right way is by using mentors. Finding people who have done what you would like to do and getting ideas and processes from them reduces the effort of having to „re-invent the wheel“.
Another way to make sure you are doing the right thing is to implement the processes that are easily implemented by a larger number of people. The reason is that some of us are task-oriented and can easily get tasks done in a very logical manner. Some of us are more people-oriented and can be all over the place. But if we all have a process that is easy to follow, we will get the result we want and make perfect!

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Ask yourself these questions: Do I have the best practices in my daily life? Do I have processes that I follow each day, that bring me the results that I want? Am I just trying new things all the time and having new ideas each day?

Find those things that you are consistent about and use mentioned techniques of finding good, proven processes and implement them consistently. This will cut down a lot of insanity in your company or in your relationship. And it will finally make perfect!

It is worth mentioning that a guide to making your relationship perfect is coming your way next month as I will be holding a FREE webinar for all the couples out there. If you want to learn how to communicate more effectively, watch this space and sign up on time!

Why Is It Crucial To Know Who Inspires Others?

Has it happened to you that you meet someone and become interested in them but you can’t figure out what kind of person they are? Or you’d like to know who your new office colleague is, but can’t find a way to find more about them?

In all those life situations where you want or need to know what kind of personality someone has, there is a solution. You can, of course, get some information by observing their body language, but you can also ask a question. This question sounds very simple, but it will give you a lot of information about someone you talk to, and it’s: Who inspires you?

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The answer to this question goes into the inner part of someone’s personality and it will give you quite a lot of information. Here is how to read the answer:

High D will mention someone who has accomplished great things, who has set goals, and who achieved a lot. They will most likely mention someone who is extremely well known in their field, like i.e. Elon Musk: determined, driven, creative, cutting edge person.

High I will look up to someone who inspires others. It can be someone like Martin Luther King Jr. who inspired a whole nation, or someone like Robin Williams who inspired a population of comedians. But it will always be someone who had an impact on those around them.

High S as a supportive type will look up to someone who is doing a lot for others. You can expect an answer such as Mother Theresa who was very selfless and serving those who have not been blessed with an easy life. Also, they might mention someone like Matt Damon who is very dedicated to providing consumable water to all parts of the world.

High C will admire thinkers, people who have broken the boundaries of what we thought is possible. They will mention people who have gone above and beyond in the scientific or logical field and changed the world, so expect names like Albert Einstein, Madame Curie, or even Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

It is worth remembering that there is always a possibility a person will mention someone from their personal life (parent, sibling, grandparent), but you can always ask a follow-up question. Just ask them why is that person so inspiring and you can find out more.

The best “trick” about the question “Who inspires you?” is that is something you can ask in a general conversation without being intrusive, and you will easily get a more detailed insight about who a person is and what are their priorities.

While a person is answering, keep in mind that D’s are about achievement, I’s are about fun and inspiration, S’s are supportive and think about others and C’s are high-level critical thinkers.

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Try out this question today and peel back some layers from a person you want to know more about so you can communicate more effectively. Then once you already establish some kind of relationship with them, you can point them towards a DISC Assessment that will give them and you (if they choose to share the information with you) very detailed data about the type of personality style they belong to.

If you are interested in more tips and tricks on how to improve communication with others, check my Courses where I provide you with questions you can ask others and yourself to create better understanding and outstanding communication.

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