The importance of “Character” in Hiring/Managing Employees
I’ve got some bad news, and some good news for you, as well:
The bad news is… When hiring and managing employees, you are probably focusing on only half of the person’s attributes that actually determine their performance.
The good news is… The more you identify, manage and hold new hires/employees accountable based on their “character” traits, the more they will perform to your expectations!
CHARACTER, NOT JUST COMPETENCE
In hiring and managing employees we too often focus solely on the area of “Competence”… How well does he know his job, what is his technical experience, what is her degree in, do they specialize in the area I need, etc. While the “competence” components are essential to consider, both for employment and managing employees, the “character” aspect of an employee or new hire is equally as important.
“Character” also known as “soft skills“ in modern HR-speak, includes key components such as work ethic, initiative, follow up, collaboration, integrity, etc. Why does character matter so much when hiring and managing employees? Consider this: When you’ve had to let people go, or have seen others let go:
Were they let go because…
- They couldn’t write code well, or… because they wouldn’t collaborate with others?
- They weren’t knowledgeable in their area, or… they never completed their tasks on time?
- They didn’t have the ability to solve problems or… They wouldn’t handle additional problems that came up?
- They didn’t know how to do the work, or… they never worked hard enough to complete the work?
- They didn’t know the theory & components of sales, or… wouldn’t prepare or followup on sales calls?
While it’s true that some people are simply incompetent in their position, and are fired as a result of their lack of competence, often people are let go because of their lack of prep, follow-up, completion, laziness… all “character” traits.
THREE AREAS TO CONSIDER WHERE ASSESSING CHARACTER IS ESSENTIAL INCLUDE
When Hiring potential employees…
Ensure you have discussions about their “character” traits, to touch on key areas such as:
- Work ethic
- Working well with others (collaboration)
- Preparation/Follow-up
- Keeping their word/promises (Integrity)
- Speaking up to address issues (assertiveness)
- Completing projects (bottom-line orientation)
- Going the extra mile (initiative)
When Managing employees…
Work hard to learn their character strengths, including:
- Is she great at starting projects, but not good at finishing them?
- Is he a great individual contributor, but does not do well in a group?
- Does he overcommit, but fail to deliver?
- Is he an “idea guy”, but doesn’t follow through?
When holding employees accountable…
Make sure you identify and hold them accountable for the root cause, not just the outward appearance:
- Are his poor sales due to lack of prep, work ethic, etc?
- Are her consistently missed deadlines due to starting late, or something else?
- Are their constant stream of excuses valid, or indicative of not taking responsibility for the situation they’re in?
The Bottom Line is…