Inside this Issue

• Commitment
• Features on Your Face
• 8 Interview Questions to Prepare for

Commit fully to your Job

Expect your employer to expect more from you. The reason... The marketplace is demanding far more these days from the organization itself.

Clients and customers want much better quality than before. They expect top notch service or they’ll take their business to the competitors. Speed is also essential because people have gotten used to instant everything. The only way your organization is going to be able to compete is to employ high performance people.

There is no room now for employees who mainly put in their time, going through the motions but giving only half-hearted effort. The people who seemed to keep their jobs merely because they could “fog the mirror” are goners.

In today’s world, career success belongs to the committed. To those who work from the heart… who invest themselves passionately in their jobs… and who recommit quickly when change reshapes their work.

If you find you cannot recommit rapidly when the company changes, you probably should quit. Get out of there. Don’t waste your energy resisting change, and don’t kill precious time sitting on the fence. Either buy in, or be on your way, because that’s best for both you and your employer.

This is not the same things as being “loyal”. Urging you to have high job commitment actually serves your best interests, even as it benefits the company.

Strong job commitment makes work far more satisfying. It’s therapeutic too, an excellent antidote for stress and a fine cure for the pain of change. It also empowers you, bringing out your very best potential, and making you a more valuable employee.

Bottom Line: Commitment is a gift you should give to yourself.

Price Pritchett - New Work Habits for a Radically Changing World.

"Your parents are responsible for the features on your face. You are responsible for the expression on it."

The fact is, your genes determine the looks you were born with. But what your face shows is totally up to you.

The expression you wear is there because you put it there, front and centre. And everyone who sees you also sees that expression and tries to understand what it means.

So when you frown when someone says something in an interview or meeting, that person is going to worry and wonder what is going wrong. And when you smile when you are speaking with someone, that smile certifies the words you are speaking.

If actions speak louder than words, then facial expressions scream for attention and interpretation.

Your thoughts and feelings actually determine how you look and appear to others. That’s how actors look and portray the characters they’re playing.

So think about how you want to look, and then simply make your face and expression give life to your thoughts and emotions.

Leadership @ Work - Harvey Silver, Ph.D.

8 Interview Questions to Prepare for

1. Do you have written goals you want to accomplish and if so, tell me about them?
   * They are looking for indications of maturity, focus, planning ability, and desire for achievement.
2. How did you earn your first paycheck, how old were you, and what did you do with the money?
   * With this question they are probing to check your work ethic.
3. What are the top three leadership traits that you look for in a manager?
   *With this question they are attempting to gauge your expectation and ascertain your preferred management style.
4. Have you ever failed at something and if so, why did you fail and what did you learn from the experience?
   * This question lends itself to a discussion on resiliency, personal responsibility, and your tendencies under pressure.
5. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses as employees. What are your strong points for this position?
   * This question gives them the opportunity to tell you what assets they bring to the table and how they see themselves fitting into your organization.
6. What is the one thing you would improve about yourself?
   *This question gives you an indication of their self-assessment capability.
7. Other than family members, who has been the greatest influence in your life and why?
   * Who do you look to for inspiration – do you have an outside network from which to draw upon
8. If you were to fail in this business, what do you think the reason would be?
   * They are looking for confidence in your ability and your maturity level with this question.

Inside this Issue

• Why Companies Should Utilize Recruiters
• What to Expect when Working with a Search Firm
• Welcoming New Employees

"Your title gives you authority. But it’s your demonstrated behaviour that actually earns you cooperation and respect."

Why Should Companies Utilize Recruiters?

1. Recruiters help companies find Superstar Talent through industry Specialization, focus and insight
   • Specialization – because recruiters spend their time researching their markets/ industries, they know where to find people – often referring candidates from a competitor that don’t have their resumes on the job boards
   • Focus – since recruiters spend their time focusing on networking among people who are “keeping their eyes open” for a new opportunity, they are more likely to have access to a qualified candidate at the precise moment that an organization has an urgent opening that needs to be filled
   • Insight – a perceptive recruiter has the ability to look beneath the surface of a resume and identify a candidate’s true assets and liabilities. By exercising good judgment with respect to candidate screening, a recruiter will save a hiring manager time and help shape the decision to hire
2. Recruiters help companies save money
   • The hiring process is expensive: market research, placing ads, sorting resumes, identification and evaluation of prospective candidates, reference checking, scheduling/ arranging interviews and candidate pre-closing all impact a company’s bottom line
   • For a one time fee – recruiters handle all of the above and save companies money
3. Recruiters handle the “grunt work” involved in a search
   • Cold call recruiting is nerve-wracking and scary and telephone bravery earns recruiters their stay
   • Companies do not have the ability to sit and cold call all of the companies in their area to find a prospective employee
4. Recruiters help companies protect their corporate images
• Personnel dismissal can have negative impacts on staff morale and performance. By having a recruiter “quietly” refer replacement staff, potential disruption to employee morale and performance caused by premature informational leaks can be avoided.
• Continuous advertising looks bad and gives an image of employee dissatisfaction and high turnover, making the company look desperate. By utilizing a recruiter, a company can remain anonymous.

What You Should Expect Working with a Search Firm

• The Search Firm should provide you with an accurate and candid assessment of its capabilities to perform your search
• You should know who it is at the Firm who is working on your search
• The Firm should provide a high level consultative relationship
• The Firm should keep all of your information confidential
• The Search Firm should demonstrate a clear understanding of the position, your company and your objectives with this search
• The Search Firm should provide you with regular, detailed status reports of the progress of the search
• The Firm should present only qualified candidates who fit the position and the culture of your organization
• The Search Firm should help you negotiate with the final candidate, representing BOTH your organization and the candidate
• The Firm should provide you with a clear understanding of its guarantee policy with regards to the search
• The Search Firm should provide you with a reasonable level of follow through after you have hired the candidate

Welcoming New Employees...

Properly welcoming a new Employee is likely one of the most important steps in the employee's transition to your organization. Think about your past… has your first day at a new place of employment been overwhelming or possibly underwhelming? That first impression will last forever. There are a few BASICS that should be taken care of to ensure that the first day start is as positive as possible.

1. Prior to the individual beginning employment with you, determine who their “buddy” or mentor will be for their first few weeks with the company. This should be an individual who can assist them with getting settled into the group, can help them to understand the work/ projects that are underway and to which they will be assigned, someone who can simply show them around (even if it is just to show them where the closest food court is for lunch). Having a go-to person in the organization that is NOT their direct supervisor can help the new employee feel more comfortable about asking questions and getting settled in.
2. Make sure that the internal infrastructure has been taken care of. This includes, telephone, computer, passcards, office supplies, etc… Especially for those employees that are required to meet with other individuals, there is nothing worse than going to a client meeting in your first few weeks and not being able to provide a business card as “they are still being ordered”. As well, the new employee should not have to be “cleaning” their workspace of articles from their predecessor.
3. Provide the new employee with an outline or plan as to what they will be working on in their first few weeks. You should have a clear direction as to what teams/ work they will be assigned in the beginning. This workload might change as you get to see the way/ speed with which they work but for their first few weeks, there should be clear direction.
4. Provide new employees with an opportunity to sit one on one with other employees in the group so that they can actually meet them and understand what functions everyone performs. Introducing a new employee to everyone on the first day in a whirl wind walk around introduction is very overwhelming.

A new employee orientation program should NOT be a one day affair. It should be a well planned process to ensure that the new employee is being provided with the best possible resources to succeed in their new environment.

Sutherland Search is a personalized search firm headquartered in Toronto. Our capabilities encompass all services associated with initiating, conducting and completing a successful placement plan for both parties. We engage in searches for all professional levels within an organization, from general accountants to managers to CFOs. Our clients range from small, entrepreneurial organizations to public accounting firms, to Fortune 500’s.