I make your hiring process simple. Tell me what you want - I'll get it for you.

-  Mya Borgman, Founder and CEO

It's an old cliché: “Life is a Game.” Of course, everyone knows that. But I dare say if you asked people what it really means, they'd be hard-pressed to tell you in relevant terms—and likely not what it has to do with the business of hiring and firing people.

I know, “firing” is not a politically correct word. After all, when you've just told someone they will no longer have a job or the income derived thereto, they'll feel much better about the whole sordid affair when you tell them they're being “let go,” a kinder, gentler expression that conjures up images of an all-expense-paid cruise for the wife and kiddies, rather than a black hole of unknowns.

But back to what this notion of what “games” have to do with the acquiring and releasing of personnel. I like games, both to watch and to play. But the games I like best are the ones where I know the rules, where I can readily improve at my chosen sport, and where I know that if I work at it, I have a chance of winning. Oh yes, and some assurances that if I play by the rules and work hard, I will actually be awarded the prize.

“You want players who want to play your game....”

The Law

Of course, various state and federal agencies mandate that if you're going to have people working for you, you must adhere to certain laws governing such things as how personnel are paid, how frequently, how much tax is taken out and to whom, how many hours a person can work before seeking overtime, how many sick days a person may take, do they get health insurance (let's not go there, shall we?), pensions, unions, etc., etc., and the list goes on.

As a business owner, these are some of the “rules” of the game called “doing business.” For the owner, the “prize” is seeing that all the work that went into playing the game paid off in terms of profits sufficient to allow him or her to do all the business and non-business games he or she desires to play—such as expanding the business, being able to buy a new car each year, add on to the family home.

Winning as an Employee

But how about the employees? What makes it possible for them to win? This may seem like a no brainer, “Well dah, they get a paycheck!” And to be sure, having the security of getting paid regularly is a big plus. They don't get the big bucks, but they also don't have the risks of the business owner. But to get and keep loyal, skilled, and long-term staff requires more than a steady paycheck.

When new employees are hired, they are usually given some rudimentary rules of employment, along with what the “playing field” looks like: where the bathrooms and lunchroom are, where they will do their jobs and with whom, what they'll have to learn—in addition to their current skill-set—to fulfill the requirements of their job, etc. These things are pretty standard fare, whether by choice or by virtue of the law.

But how often are new employees told what's expected of them in order to be eligible for advancement? Or what metrics will be used to judge their performance besides or instead of opinion? What the process of firing is—so that they can avoid getting fired due to ignorance? What problems they are likely to encounter early in the job, and how they are to handle those things so that they will avoid getting into trouble?

It might be argued that these things are negatives right out of the shoot. I maintain that if a new hire was made fully aware of how the game works—with emphasis on how to win—he or she would have a much better chance of playing to win at the game created by the company owner and would have a much better chance of becoming a highly skilled, responsible, loyal, and long-term team player.

All of which better ensures that the company owner will be more likely to succeed at the game he or she is playing by virtue of higher quality service and goods, greater competitive edge in the chosen marketplace, all of which derive from happy, productive, and motivated staff.

Let My People Go..

When you hire someone, you're hiring them to help take work off your plate—or the plates of other people whose plates are full to overflowing. You don't want someone who's there just for the paycheck no matter how good he or she sounds in the interview. If you're looking for someone who will be with you in good times and lean, you better level with him or her with emphasis on how huge the wins have been. And if the game you're playing is not the game they want to play, better to know now before you invest your time, energy, money, and effort into grooming them. You want players who want to play your game knowing that if they help you win, they do too.

Warning

Business owners beware! If you say you're going to give bonuses or rewards of any kind for exemplary service or performance on the job, you'd better give it when it's been honestly deserved! There is nothing more harmful to management/employee relationships than to create a game with specific rules and prizes and then change the rules of the game when someone has fulfilled the requirements and about to win!

That employee may not quit right then, but you will have undermined his or her willingness to work 100% for you from that point forward. In the end, it is the business owner who loses as that employee will be seeking another team to play with.

Win-Win

The world is full of terrific and willing people, despite what you may have heard. If you, as a business owner, provide a game where not only you but your staff have lots of opportunities to win as individuals and on behalf of the company—and make the rules of the game known and understood by your staff—the future is bright and full of promise.

We at The People Link want you to win! Our job is to help you recruit those gems that will help you play the game better. Let us know how we can be of service. For the legal requirements of hiring and firing employees, please consult with a qualified attorney and/or the California Employment Development.

Mya Borgman
The People Link

We make hiring effortless and simple. No more wasting time and money on bad hiring practices. Just tell us what you want and we'll get exactly that for you, effortlessly.

Call us today!