Hire Slowly - Fire Quickly!

 

Learning Styles and Training Part II

Michael Krug is one of my favorite TrendErtainment Subscribers. He often leaves comments that take the blog one step further.  In the last post about learning styles and training, Michael commented on the importance of evaluating the current level of skill prior to training a company member. I fully agree with his point of view.

I evaluate the candidate on three criteria outside of their resume itself when hiring for general positions: attitude, aptitude, and skill. I need to know that they have a specific level of “expertise” in order to join a company. Here is what I look for in advance when inviting someone to join my team:

The Criteria

1) Attitude
Is this someone who has a good attitude? If they don’t have a good attitude in the interview process when people are (hopefully) trying to be on their best behavior, they won’t have a good attitude in the work place. During the interview process, how does the candidate represent himself or herself? Will they be a pleasant person to work with or someone you and your team will want to avoid? Is this someone who is taking the job only because they need the money, or is this position going to help them grow? I often ask the individual to tell me about previous employers. I can guarantee you that if they trash the last person they work for, they will bash me too. I like to work with people who have an infectiously positive attitude towards the position they are applying for. It is amazing what a group of properly hired people with high enthusiasm can do for a company.

2) Aptitude
Do they have the ability to learn the specifics of the job assigned to them? Are they willing to learn something new or are they closed off and think they know everything already? Are they open to criticism or are they defensive? Will they learn quickly or will this be a long painstaking and expensive process?

3) Skill
Where is their current level of skill? I need the candidate to have a strong working knowledge of the technical or managerial elements of the role they are applying for. If I am hiring a sound engineer, I need to know they have the skills needed to operate and set up sound equipment.

Variations

Everything is contingent on attitude, regardless of your current skill. - I don’t always care what your level of skill is or your aptitude. In entertainment, we all work like a family. If you have a bad attitude, I don’t care what your current level of skill is or your ability to learn, you are not right for my team.

Just because you have the skill doesn’t mean you can do the job. – Live entertainment has many challenges. Every gig is different. Due to the demands of the theatre, you may have to be flexible with the way you are used to doing things. If you are not willing to learn the job the way it needs to be done for this company, then you are not right for us.

If you are a great person ready to learn but have no practical experience, I can’t use you, yet. – I can’t hire you to be a tour manager if you have absolutely no background in management. The road is tough. I don’t want you making beginner mistakes while in the line of fire. I will remember you though. Come back to me when you have some assistant training (or perhaps when I have an assistant position available).

Hire slowly – Fire Quickly!

It’s that simple, and that hard.

Several times I have made the mistake of not adhering to this golden rule. Every time it bit my team and me in the butt. If you are a road company, I fully acknowledge how difficult it can be to replace someone while in the trenches. Not releasing a bad company member is like staying in a bad relationship- don’t stay with the person if they are not right for you! (Another mistake I made too many times before meeting my wife.)

 

Comments

[Krug]

Three things that I also look for: A pleasant smile, a winning attitude, and that can-do spirit.

I pose this question to the group:
How do you measure the "Attitude, Aptitude, Skill" benchmarks when hiring actors? Can you really judge how a performer will work out in the long run, by listening to 16 bars? Is there a better way to select talent than using the current audition/callback system? We have all been on shows where there is that 'bad seed' cast member. Hopefully this person's negative attitude does not infect the rest of the company. (The negative virus usually spreads fastest in the ensemble dressing rooms)

[JanSimpson]

Nice post. The question about judging people before hiring is an age ole question and one that has baffled many.

I believe the first step in hiring is to take the attitude that this is a relationship you are beginining. And with all relationships, you judge these people, first by their resume, then by face-to-face. However, there is a huge step that most miss for various reasons: character references are key - and not from the hiree - but ask out in the industry to find out about that person before bringing them in. You will begin to understand the attitude, learning ability, character, team member etc. No longer can we relax because this is the dot.com era (and the entertainment industry enjoyed that era too)because we are in a hiring bubble.

I would rather have someone who is looking to hire me, ask around instead of same ole boring conversation about my resume. Poeple should know who you are and what you do if you are worth your weight in gold to a company. If not, not sure this is the right person.

Now, on the mistakes and pain caused by your hiring tactics - chalk it up to experiences of building what you are looking for in a person rather than a negative.

Again, nice post.

[Michael Ian Cedar]

Thanks for your comment Jan. Getting referrals and gut instinct is certainly the 4th (sometimes 1st) step to finding the right person. It amazes me that people don't think other people talk to one another. In entertainment it is a small world. Many times have I not called someone into an interview because as soon as I look at their resume and I see they have worked with someone who I worked with in the past I ask for a reference even before any exchange even occurs with the candidate.