| Hiring happy, optimistic job applicants can increase | | | | For example, the interviewer could ask, "Tell me |
| your company's productivity and lower turnover. | | | | about the two worst situations you got into in |
| Plus, optimistic, confident employees are vastly | | | | your last job." Then, the interviewer needs to |
| more delightful to have on-board. | | | | observe if the job applicant answers like an |
| Methods to help companies have optimistic, | | | | optimist or a pessimist. |
| positive employees include pre-employment tests, | | | | LEADERS MUST BE ROLE MODELS OF |
| job interviews of applicants, managing being | | | | OPTIMISTIC ACTIONS |
| role-models, and reinforcing smiles. | | | | Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely observed, "What |
| What are happy, optimistic employees? In a book | | | | you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what |
| I co-authored - "Spontaneous Optimism®" -- | | | | you say." This quote illustrates why leaders, |
| we explained optimistic people focus on solutions | | | | executives and managers must be employees' |
| and not on problems, have a "can-do" mindset, | | | | role models for optimistic and upbeat behavior. |
| and do what is needed to achieve goals despite all | | | | Every leader can be a fabulous role model simply |
| odds. | | | | by focusing non-stop on |
| In contrast, the opposite of optimism is | | | | 1. Goals - measurable goals with deadlines that |
| pessimism. Pessimists focus on problems and not | | | | help the company grow and prosper |
| on solutions. Pessimistic people love to do three | | | | 2. Solutions - every time a problem arises, |
| actions: Complain, blame, and whine.. | | | | instantly focus on implementing solutions |
| PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS HELP YOU HIRE | | | | Also, the leader or manager must not allow |
| HAPPY EMPLOYEES | | | | employees to act pessimistic by whining, moaning, |
| The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to have | | | | and complaining. When an employee complains or |
| happy employees is to hire human beings who are | | | | whines, the optimistic leader simply needs to say, |
| optimistic and upbeat. The most objective and | | | | "I can tell that bothers you. Now, please tell me |
| customizable method to assess job applicants is | | | | your possible solution to overcome the problem." |
| pre-employment testing. When a company tells | | | | Insist the employee conjure up solutions, and not |
| me it wants to hire better employees, we start | | | | wallow in moaning about problems. |
| by customizing pre-employment tests. How? We | | | | LEADERS NEED TO REINFORCE SMILING |
| conduct a "benchmarking study" by testing | | | | Eye-opening research revealed the more an |
| current employees in each job. From this, we | | | | employee smiles, the happier the customer. |
| discover test scores of the company's | | | | Harvard Business Review (5/07, page 24, |
| high-achieving "superstars" - that is, employees | | | | reported Patricia Barger of Bowling Green State U. |
| who are both highly productive and low turnover. | | | | and Alicia Grandey of Penn State U. studied |
| Valuable finding: Almost invariably, high-achievers | | | | employees and customers in a coffee shop. They |
| score above-average or high on two scales of | | | | found the more an employee smiled, the more |
| the pre-employment test: | | | | the employee's customers felt happy with their |
| 1. Optimism test scale | | | | coffee shop experience. |
| 2. Reactions to Pressure test scale | | | | Leaders and managers can apply the same |
| In contrast, underachievers in the same jobs in | | | | actions in any company. The leader needs to |
| the same companies usually score (a) low on | | | | smile, reinforce smiling by employees, and hire |
| Optimism (i.e., they score pessimistic) and (b) low | | | | employees who readily smile. This gels to create a |
| on Reaction to Pressure (i.e., they score like | | | | positive, happy corporate culture. |
| whiners). | | | | 3 KEYS TO HIRE HAPPY EMPLOYEES |
| For example, one company recently did a | | | | Managers and leaders are smart to create an |
| "benchmarking study" for hiring employees into | | | | optimistic, upbeat workplace. My pre-employment |
| seven jobs. On the pre-employment test, | | | | testing research reveals high-achieving "superstar" |
| "superstar" employees in all seven jobs scored | | | | employees overwhelmingly are optimistic and |
| high on both (1) Optimism scale and (2) Reactions | | | | poised under pressure. To create a workforce of |
| to Pressure scale. Note: Although these seven | | | | happy, positive employees, leaders and managers |
| jobs covered a wide range of skill-levels and | | | | can do the following: |
| abilities, pre-employment test scores showed | | | | 1. Hire optimistic, upbeat job applicants - predicted |
| high-achievers in all jobs exuded an optimistic, | | | | by pre-employment tests and interviews |
| 'can-do' personality. | | | | 2. Be a role model - always displaying optimists' |
| KEY JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASSESS | | | | actions |
| OPTIMISM | | | | 3. Reinforce employees' optimistic actions - e.g., |
| A second method to assess a job applicant is job | | | | focusing on solutions and smiling |
| interviews. Unfortunately, interviews prove quite | | | | By leaders using these three keys, the result is a |
| subjective, and managers generally do lousy at | | | | company composed of optimistic, 'can-do' |
| predicting job success based on interviews. | | | | employees who are |
| Question: What should managers do to assess a | | | | A. Highly productive |
| job applicant's optimism? | | | | B. Low turnover |
| Answer: Ask open-ended questions about | | | | C. A pleasure to work with |
| confronting problems. Then, notice if the applicant | | | | D. Highly profitable |
| (a) focuses on solutions - like an optimist or (b) | | | | © Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, Ph.D. |
| wallows about problems - like a pessimist. | | | | |