10 Infuriating Things NOT to Say to

Someone Who Has Bipolar Disorder

If you have bipolar disorder, someone has said at least one of these things to you. If you know
someone who has this illness, you may be guilty of saying one or more of them. Hearing them
can be painful, infuriating, depressing - even destructive - to your bipolar family member, friend,
co-worker or acquaintance. Saying them, I assure you, is NOT going to be helpful.
1. "You're just overreacting again." Well yes, I am. Overreacting is a symptom of bipolar
disorder. Hearing harsh words that would be painful to anyone, I may well respond with
extreme anger or dark depression. Even a sad movie can make a person with bipolar
disorder overreact, and so can a lot of other things. But I'm not "just" overreacting, and
it's not as if I can always take a deep breath and stop it. My illness can make that very
difficult.
Here's an example. When my boyfriend, who had already seen the movie, took me to see
E.T., I started crying almost at the beginning. He leaned over and whispered to me, "I
knew you were going to cry, but I didn't think it would be at the opening credits!" Trying
to keep my voice down but feeling destroyed already, I replied, "He's so little! And he's
lost!" (In case you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. See E.T - The
Extraterrestrial for information, including the trailer, and if you're interested in
purchasing the video or DVD, you can compare prices here.)
2. "Anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger." That's always garbage, no matter
what you're talking about. Yes, it's true that some people who learn from bitter
experiences can come out of it stronger. BUT - would you want to hear that while your
child was seriously ill, or just after being fired? Would you say it to a mother with ten
starving children in a country torn by war? Then why are you saying it to someone with
an illness where 20% of patients attempt suicide? Bipolar disorder can kill. Don't forget
that.
3. "Everybody has mood swings sometimes." That's true. For one thing, 8% of American
adults and 4% of adolescents have Major Depressive Disorder, having periods of
euthymia and depression. And of course, even among those who do not have a
diagnosable disorder that has mood swings, people have changes in mood. These are
usually the result of changes in health or circumstances.
But only people with bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, schizoaffective disorder and related
severe mental illnesses have repeated and severe mood swings between mania or
hypomania and depression.
4. "You are psycho." Or it might be "you are nuts," or crazy, cuckoo, deranged, bonkers, or
any one of a dozen negative words that range from meaning as little as "silly (cuckoo)" to
as bad as "completely unable to think clearly or behave properly (deranged)." Other
phrases are things like "you're out of your head," or "you're off your rocker."
How much saying something like this is going to be a problem mostly depends on how
it's said. I could tell a friend that I'm going to dig up a new 8x16 foot garden bed in one
day. If my friend says, "Are you crazy?" it only means she thinks I've decided to do
something I can't possibly complete in a single day (and she'd be right). But if I'm in an
agitated depression and she says, "You're crazy!", the negativity is almost palpable.
5. "Isn't that what serial killers have?" Actually, no, it isn't. A serial killer is far more likely
to have Antisocial Personality Disorder and/or be psychopathic. (There are differences of
opinion in the psychiatric community about these terms.) Bipolar disorder has been found
not to be a common trait among people who fit the criteria for serial killers.
6. "Everyone is a little bipolar sometimes." See "Everyone has mood swings sometimes"
above.
7. "I wish I was manic so I could get things done!" If you think that's all there is to mania,
you are seriously uneducated, and you need to read Symptoms of Mania right away. The
immediate retort that comes to my mind for this one is, "I wish you were manic, too, so
you could finally understand what I'm going through!"
8. "You're acting like a maniac!" Related to "You are psycho" above, this one is extremely
offensive. Try reading Mania, Manic, Maniac to set yourself straight.
9. "But you seem so normal!" Yes, maybe I do. Maybe I'm between, or maybe I'm good at
hiding what I'm feeling. Or it might be that I'm in a hypomanic episode and only the good
things about it are visible at the moment (see What Is Hypomania?). But suppose you
have cancer or diabetes or Crohn's disease. How would you feel if I said, "You can't be
sick, you look so normal!" I'm willing to wager than you'd be angry, too.
10. "It must be your time of the month." Want to make a bipolar woman incensed? Say this
to her. Better yet, don't. While it's true that monthly hormonal changes may affect mood,
passing it off as being nothing more than PMS is just - wrong. Get your facts straight.
These are just a fraction of the things people say that can have an extremely negative effect on a
person with bipolar disorder. Are you guilty? Quit it. Do people say these things to you? Feel
free to have them read this article.



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The 7 C's: How to Find and Hire Great
Employees
A founder cant grow a winning enterprise singlehandedly. Some may try, but it is nearly
impossible to do so. Every famous entrepreneur has built a flourishing company with great
employees by his or her side.

Hiring the best employees is more important than ever
An entrepreneur can invent and even commercialize an idea as an enterprise of one. In time,
however, the tasks of running a business become too great for the entrepreneur to manage alone.
At this point, a savvy leader must find and hire the best workers to help achieve the
entrepreneurial dream.
In todays economy, hiring the best people is more critical than ever. Entrepreneurs cant afford
to lose time, money and results from a bad hiring choice (a recent Forbes article by David K.
Williams pegs the cost of a single bad hire at anywhere from $25-50,000). The cost of finding,
interviewing, engaging and training new employees is high. Employees also require desks,
computers, phones and related equipment, let alone the largest costs of being an employer
salaries, benefits and taxes.
Leaders view new employees as an investment and anticipate an excellent financial return over
time.
Over the course of my career, Ive hired hundreds of people. Some were exceptional employees
who were major contributors to our success. Others didnt work out. In most cases, when an
employee left or was terminated, I was the problem. Those dismissed were good people. I just
did not know how to properly hire new employees.
Historically, and sadly, the only criteria I had used were to find the candidate with the best skills,
experiences and ability to match a job description.
I have since identified seven categoriesI call them the 7 Csthat you should consider to find
the best new employees, as follows:
1. Competent: This is still the first factor to consider. Does the potential employee have the
necessary skills, experiences and education to successfully complete the tasks you need
performed?
2. Capable: Will this person complete not only the easy tasks but will he or she also find ways to
deliver on the functions that require more effort and creativity? For me, being capable means the
employee has potential for growth and the ability and willingness to take on more responsibility.
3. Compatible: Can this person get along with colleagues, and more importantly, can he or she
get along with existing and potential clients and partners? A critical component to also remember
is the persons willingness and ability to be harmonious with you, his or her boss. If the new
employee cant, there will be problems.
4. Commitment: Is the candidate serious about working for the long term? Or is he or she just
passing through, always looking for something better? A history of past jobs and time spent at
each provides clear insight on the matter.
5. Character: Does the person have values that align with yours? Are they honest; do they tell
the truth and keep promises? Are they above reproach? Are they selfless and a team player?
6. Culture: Every business has a culture or a way that people behave and interact with each
other. Culture is based on certain values, expectations, policies and procedures that influence the
behavior of a leader and employees. Workers who dont reflect a companys culture tend to be
disruptive and difficult.
7. Compensation: As the employer, be sure the person hired agrees to a market-based
compensation package and is satisfied with what is offered. If not, an employee may feel
unappreciated and thereby under perform. Be careful about granting stock in the company; if not
handled well, it will create future challenges.
The Right Compensation Plan To Ignite A
Business David K. Williams Contributor
The Case for Hiring 'Under-Qualified' Employees
David K. Williams Contributor
Dealing with a Bad Hire? The Case to Teach and Adapt, Rather
Than Fire David K. Williams Contributor
The Bad News Is You're Fired Mark Evans
Contributor
Job applicants will give you their answers to the seven categories. They may be modestly
presented or exaggerated. You are searching for the truth. To obtain a clearer picture of potential
workers, I recommend you talk to former employment associates. The references a job candidate
provides will nearly always provide a biased report. Instead, ask the candidate for the names of
former bosses, peers and subordinates.
Im here to tell you that good references will share the truth and not mince words. With these
names in hand, call former co-workers and ask them if the job applicant fits my seven
characterstics. This will give you a full and accurate view, good and bad, that will leave you
much better equipped to select the best candidate.


ust as when you evaluate potential co-founders, there are three essential questions you need to
answer when considering any potential hire for your startup: Can they do the job? Will they do
the job? And, will they fit the culture of the organization?
First off, how do you know if they can do the job? If you're a subject-matter expert, you can
ask for samples of work and evaluate them. Give them hypothetical challenges to solve and pay
as much attention to how they address the problem as the solution they come up with. Give them
homework between interviews. You can even ask them to complete a project before the first
interview, if you like.
But what do you do if you don't have the foggiest idea about their field? How does an engineer
hire a marketer? How does a salesperson hire a technical expert? In a word, by scrounging.
One entrepreneur friend of ours mashed up engineers' resumes to create a job description and
realized he didn't quite have the background to interview candidates intelligently at first. When
the first candidate came in, he started by describing the web application he wanted to build and
asked the candidate how he'd do it. The interviewer took furious notes.
When the second and third candidates came in, he asked the same questions, and used what he'd
learned from the first interview to challenge their ideas. By the time he got to the 25th or 30th
candidate, he might not have known everything about the field but he knew a lot more than when
he began. By that point he knew enough to hire an excellent employee.
Next to consider is: Will they do the job? Here, you're looking for motivation.
How committed are the potential candidates? Why are they excited to work for or with you? You
want to know about their work ethic, their honesty and their attitude. Ask them tough questions.
Force them to express their likes and dislikes, the things they're passionate about and the things
they want nothing to do with.
Related: How Many Jobs Can Your Startup Create This Year?
For example, you could describe three hypothetical projects and ask them to rank which they'd
most and least like to work on, and why. If the project they say they'd least enjoy happens to be
something you want this candidate to do, maybe it will lead you to decide they'd be happier
elsewhere.
You'll want to check references, of course, but not just the ones the candidate provides. You can
contact their old employers and colleagues, even their old teachers or professors. The federal
government investigates 10 or more years into an applicant's past for even the most routine jobs.
Shouldn't you do a similar check on the people you're trusting with your new venture's future?
Conducting this kind of due diligence on potential employees might surprise a few candidates,
but the ones you really want on your team will be impressed.
Finally, will they fit in? This is the most difficult part of the search to evaluate. It's hard to
describe in a checklist because you need to see your candidate in different situations. Often, it's
not until someone has truly gone through the interview process, accepted the job, come aboard
and worked with you for a little while that you truly start to learn who they are. Still, you want to
get as much information as you can ahead of time.
Matt Szulik, former CEO of Raligh, N.C.-based open source software company Red Hat, follows
an interesting strategy to obtain this kind of information ahead of time. He's convinced that
people decide early in their lives what level of success they want to achieve.
Related: How to Hire Positive Employees for Your Business
"For some people, it's academic," he explained. "They want to get a Ph.D. from Cal-Berkeley.
For others, it's athletic. They want to be team captain or they want to be a pro athlete. Others, it
could be they want to be the CEO of Google. And along the way, they make decisions at every
step that would re-affirm the commitment to themselves and the pursuit of those goals."
During an interview, Szulik asks the person what he or she thinks "successful" means, and how
that person has tried to achieve it.
"It's amazing how fast 60 minutes can get filled, as an interviewer, by keeping your mouth shut
and asking people to tell you their life's journey as they've created their success model," Szulik
said." I find that to be completely binary. The ones that have it can take you on a fantastic
journey. The ones that don't -- who say, 'You know what, I never really thought about that,' --
cannot."
It seems so simple, but merely asking questions such as these can help job candidates help you,
by making your hiring decisions much easier.


Selection and Hiring Checklist
Want to recruit and hire a superior workforce? This checklist for hiring employees will help you
systematize your process for hiring, whether it's your first employee or one of many employees
that you are hiring. This checklist helps you keep track of your recruiting efforts. This hiring
checklist communicates both the recruiting and the hiring process and progress in recruiting to
the hiring manager. Your feedback and comments are welcome to improve this checklist for
hiring employees.
Checklist for Hiring Employees
Determine the need for a new or replacement position.

Think creatively about how to accomplish the work without adding staff (improve processes,
eliminate work you dont need to do, divide work differently, etc.).

Hold a recruiting planning meeting with the recruiter, the HR leader, the hiring manager, and,
potentially, a coworker or internal customer.

Develop and prioritize the key requirements needed from the position and the special
qualifications, traits, characteristics, and experience you seek in a candidate. (These will assist
your Human Resources department to write the classified ad; post the job online and on your
Web site; and screen resultant resumes for potential candidate interviews.)

With HR department assistance, develop the job description for the position.

Determine the salary range for the position.

Decide whether the department can afford hiring employees to fill the position.

Post the position internally on the "Job Opportunities bulletin board for one week. If you
anticipate difficulty finding a qualified internal candidate for the position, state in the posting
that you are advertising the position externally at the same time.

Send an all-company email to notify staff that a position has been posted and that you are hiring
employees.

All staff members encourage talented, qualified, diverse internal candidates to apply for the
position. (If you are the hiring supervisor, as a courtesy, let the current supervisor know if you
are talking to his or her reporting staff member.)

Interested internal candidates fill out the Internal Position Application.

Schedule an interview, for internal candidates, with the hiring supervisor, the manager of the
hiring supervisor or a customer of the position and HR. (In all cases, tell the candidates the
timelines you anticipate the interview process will take.)

Hold the interviews with each interviewer clear about their role in the interview process.
(Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the
screening responsibilities you may want your interviewers to assume.)

Interviewers fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form.

If no internal candidates are selected for the position, make certain you clearly communicate
with the applicants that they were not selected. Whenever possible, provide feedback that will
help the employee continue to develop their skill and qualifications. Use this feedback as an
opportunity to help the employee continue to grow their career.

If an internal candidate is selected for the position, make a written job offer that includes the
new job description and salary.

Agree on a transition timeline with the internal candidates current supervisor.

If you've created another internal opening, begin again.

End the search.

If no qualified internal candidates apply, extend the search to external candidates, if you didn't
advertise the position simultaneously. Develop your candidate pool of diverse applicants.

Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability in your industry and to each
employees network of friends and associates.

Network and post jobs on online social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Ask your
employees to publicize the position through their online social media networks.

Place a classified ad in newspapers with a delivery reach that will create a diverse candidate
pool.

Recruit online. Post the classified ad on jobs and newspaper-related websites including the
company website.

Post the position on professional association websites.

Talk to university career centers.

Contact temporary help agencies.

Brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position.

Through your recruiting efforts, you've developed a pool of candidates. People are applying for
your open job. Whether you have developed a candidate pool in advance of the job opening or
you are searching from scratch, the development of a qualified pool of candidates is crucial.

Send postcards or emails to each applicant to acknowledge receipt of the resume. (State that if
the candidate appears to be a good match for the position, relative to your other applicants, you
will contact them to schedule an interview. If not, you will keep their application/resume on file
for a year in case other opportunities arise.)

Once you have developed a number of applicants for the position, screen resumes and/or
applications against the prioritized qualifications and criteria established. Note that resume
cover letters matter as you screen.

Phone screen the candidates whose credentials look like a good fit with the position. Determine
candidate salary requirements, if not stated with the application, as requested.

Schedule qualified candidates, whose salary needs you can afford, for a first interview with the
hiring supervisor and an HR representative, either in-person or on the phone. In all cases, tell
the candidates the timeline you anticipate the interview process will take.

Ask the candidate to fill out your official job application, upon their arrival for the interview.

Give the candidate a copy of the job description to review.

Hold screening interviews during which the candidate is assessed and and has the opportunity
to learn about your organization and your needs.

Fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form for each candidate interviewed.

Meet to determine which (if any) candidates to invite back for a second interview.

Determine the appropriate people to participate in the second round of interviews. This may
include potential coworkers, customers, the hiring supervisor, the hiring supervisors manager
and HR. Only include people who will impact the hiring decision.

Schedule the additional interviews.

Hold the second round of interviews with each interviewer clear about their role in the
interview process. (Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge
are several of the screening responsibilities you may want your interviewers to assume.)

Candidates participate in any testing you may require for the position.

Interviewers fill out the candidate rating form.

Human Resources checks the finalists (people to whom you are considering offering the
position) credentials, references and other qualifying documents and statements.

Anyone who has stated qualifications dishonestly or who fails to pass the checks is eliminated as
a candidate.

Through the entire interviewing process, HR, and managers, where desired, stay in touch with
the most qualified candidates via phone and email.

Reach consensus on whether the organization wants to select any candidate (via informal
discussion, a formal discussion meeting, HR staff touching base with interviewers, candidate
rating forms, and so on). If dissension exists, the supervising manager should make the final
decision.

If no candidate is superior, start again to review your candidate pool and redevelop a pool if
necessary.

HR and the hiring supervisor agree on the offer to make to the candidate, with the concurrence
of the supervisors manager and the departmental budget.

Talk informally with the candidate about whether he or she is interested in the job at the
offered salary and stated conditions. Make certain the candidate agrees that they will
participate in a background check, a drug screen and sign a Non-compete Agreement or a
Confidentiality Agreement, depending on the position. (This should have been signed off on the
application.) If so, proceed with an offer letter. You can also make the job offer contingent on
certain checks.

If not, determine if negotiable factors exist that will bring the organization and the candidate
into agreement. A reasonable negotiation is expected; a candidate that returns repeatedly to
the company requesting more each time is not a candidate the company wants to hire.

If the informal negotiation leads the organization to believe the candidate is viable, HR will
prepare a written position offer letter from the supervisor that offers the position, states and
formalizes the salary, reporting relationship, supervising relationships, and any other benefits or
commitments the candidate has negotiated or the company has promised.

The offer letter, the job description and the Company Non-Compete or Confidentiality
Agreement are provided to the candidate.

The candidate signs the offer documentation to accept the job or refuses the position.

If yes, schedule the new employee's start date.

If no, start again to review your candidate pool and redevelop a pool if necessary.
Looking for talent? The smartest employers, who hire the best people, recruit a pre-
qualified candidate pool of potential employees before they need to fill a job. Or, as
Harvey Mackay, well-known, irreverent, author and speaker, says about networking, Dig
Your Well, Before You're Thirsty (Compare Prices).
You can develop relationships with potential candidates long before you need them.
These ideas will also help you in recruiting a large pool of candidates when you have a
current position available. Read on to discover the best ways to develop your talent pool
and recruit employees.
The earlier you adopt these practices, the better your organization will do in the
upcoming war for talent. (And, trust me, you will experience wars for talent as the baby
boomer generation retires.) Read on to discover the best ways to develop your talent pool.
Recruiting Your Ideal Candidate
A job description that tells potential employees the exact requirements of the position is
useful. Even more useful is the process you use to develop the job description internally
and the behavioral characteristics of your ideal candidate. Assemble a team of people
who represent the best qualities of the people who currently hold the same or a similar
position. Include the hiring manager.
Develop a job description that delineates the key responsibilities and outputs of the
position. Then, define the behavioral characteristics of the person you feel is your ideal
candidate. Finally, list your five - ten key responsibilities and characteristics you will use
to screen resumes, perform phone screens and eventually, establish the questions for the
candidates you interview.
Sound like a lot of effort? It is. But, you'll have a much better idea about the
characteristics of the ideal candidate you want to attract to your company when you do
this planning via email or a recruiting planning meeting.
Tap Your Employee Networks in Recruiting Candidates
Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability, or eventual
availability, to each employee so they can constantly look for superior candidates in their
networks of friends and associates. In this age of online social and professional
networking, the chances are, you and your employees are instantly connected to
hundreds, and even thousands, of potential candidates. Tap into this potential audience on
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to name just a few.
Use trade show booth time to meet and get to know potential candidates as well as
customers. Encourage employees to gather business cards from, and develop
relationships with, high potential possible employees. And, don't stop with employees
alone; tap the networks of your social, board, funder and academic connections, too.
In a client company, the sales manager referred a childhood friend, who was moving back
to our state, for a position. Out of touch for several years, the now new employee had
contacted all of his friends when he needed to relocate from Chicago to the Detroit area.
My client benefitted from the sales manager's network and hired an outstanding
employee.
Make sure you publicize your interest in employee referrals. In some companies,
employee referrals, especially for hard-to-fill positions, are even rewarded with cash
bonuses. Posting all open positions, announcing openings at the company meetings and
sharing growth plans with company members will help spread your message.
Take Advantage of Your Industry Contacts, Association Memberships and Trade
Groups for Recruiting Candidates
Pay for employees to participate in and network in industry groups, conferences and trade
shows. Periodically, create master lists of industry leaders and other potential employees
from customers, colleagues, coworkers and friends. Develop a plan for contacting these
people systematically and regularly. Be prepared to share your job description with them
through mail, email, on the Internet and by fax. Follow up on every good lead.
Use extensive telephone networking. Bring people in for interviews before you have an
available position. You may even want to consider starting a periodic company
newsletter to keep your master lists of potential employees, customers and interested
others up-to-date about company progress and happenings. You can use online and/or
mail distribution to send these out.
Looking for the "right" associations to join? Check out this resource: Find Associations,
People, and Businesses from the American Society of Association Executives.
Use Your Web Site for Recruiting Candidates
Does your "Join Our Team" section of your company Web site tell and even, "sell,"
potential employees about the vision, mission, values and culture of your company? Do
you present a message about how people are valued? Do you express your commitment
to quality and to your customers? If not, you are missing out on one of the most important
recruiting tools you have to appeal to prospective high-potential employees.
Instead of the typical, dryly-written job listings about available positions, your Web site
needs to include this vision, this information that sets your company apart from others in
your industry. Your job listings must sparkle with personality so a potential candidate
thinks, "this organization is for me." And, now that you have their attention, you also
need to provide a way for candidates to easily submit resumes for consideration for future
positions.
One client Web site has a "Talk to the President" link and, believe me, people do. We
receive a constant stream of resumes and contacts through this invitation and even hired a
Director of Production who made his first contact here. Another posts generic position
descriptions for positions that frequently need applicants. People respond. Web site
recruiting works.
Maintain Frequent Contact With Interested Candidates
Don't let these potential employees submit their resumes and never hear from you again either.
You'd lose all the momentum you just spent time developing with the favored few. Just as I
recommended earlier with employee networks and professional contacts, continue and nurture
the relationship.
Enable interested candidates to subscribe to the company newsletter; consider writing a mini-
newsletter just for them. Follow-up all website submissions with a greeting that thanks the
individual for their interest in your company. Send a periodic update about your job openings.
Invite the potential employee to visit your organization when they are in the area. Your
professional, ongoing contact with interested people ensures recruiting success.
Become an Employer of Choice for Recruiting Candidates
Think about what a potential employee considers before agreeing to join your organization or
business. Are you stable, making money and growing? Are you employee-friendly? Does your
mission catch the mindshare and/or the heartstrings of the people you most want to recruit? Will
a new employee feel part of something bigger than themselves if they join you? Will your
organization nurture their talent and provide exciting opportunities for challenge and
professional growth?
If you can answer these questions affirmatively, analyze every component of your recruiting
process to make sure that you are sending these messages. If you want to be an employer of
choice, you must act like an employer of choice. Further more, you must communicate this
commitment to your prospective employees.
People look for little things - that are really big things - such as noticing whether you return
phone calls promptly. They observe when all interviewers repeat the same questions. They are
aware that you responded to acknowledge receipt of their resume. They appreciate a phone call
when someone else is picked for the job they wanted. (Yes, you still need to send a letter to the
people you interviewed, but the more informal follow-up is appreciated.) They feel welcomed
when they can communicate with you via email.
In addition, being an employer of choice is a reputation you build in your industry that is a
powerful tool in attracting top talent.
Recruit Using the Internet
The Internet, in addition to your own organization Web site, is in its infancy in terms of its
usefulness to employers, potential employees and society, in general. Learn how to use the
Internet to find and attract great candidates. These are options you can currently consider.
Post your positions on professional association Web sites. This includes local chapter Web sites
or professional associations related to the job. (This is an excellent method for finding local
talent.)

Post open positions on Web sites that private vendors or your state and/or local government
provide. In Michigan, positions can be posted at no cost on various websites including
JobOpenings.net - Michigan, MLive.com - Everything Michigan and Michigan Workforce
Development. (Search for your local job sites at America's Job Bank, About's Job Searching site
and at Alison Doyle's Job Searching site for your state Workforce Development organization
through your state department of labor. You'll find multiple options for both posting positions
and searching for jobs.)

Post your classified ad on newspaper-related Web sites. Most newspapers have an affiliated
Web site where you can post ads. These ads are either included in the price of a classsifed print
ad or you can pay separately for online posting only. Make sure your recruitment ads "sell" the
vision and the advantages of your organization. Effective ads portray your company as an
exciting and rewarding place to work. Effective job postings make people want to apply to your
firm.

Pay to post on some commercial Web sites.
Use Headhunters and Recruiters
Sometimes, it is worth your time to use headhunters, recruiters, and employment placement
firms. The best firms have done much of this homework and candidate pool development for
you. Expect to pay 20-35 percent of the cost of the new recruit's annual salary. But, for some
positions, and in some industries, the cost in your department's time and the time invested in a
possible failed search, are worth it.
Additionally, recruiters have an already-developed pool of candidates. They provide a second
pair of experienced eyes to help you with your search. Some of them are very good. I met with a
recruiter recently and offered him a sales job in a client organization on the spot. Believe me, he
was that good - I can definitely see him finding great candidates for employers.
When you work in an HR role, calls from potential recruiters come several times a week. I ask
for references and check them. I also talk with non-competing firms to get referrals of recruiters
with whom they've been pleased. You can also research recruiters at the Recruiter's Online
Network.
se Temporary Agencies and Firms for Recruitment
Consider using temporary staff as a solution to "try a person out in a position" or to staff a
position you are not sure you need for the long haul. Temporary employees can also provide a
useful buffer for the ups and downs of the business cycle so that you do not have to affect your
core staff during down times.
Temp firms will recruit and screen to your specifications and guarantee your satisfaction. They
save your staff immense amounts of time as they provide testing, drug screening, reference
checking, background checks, and anything else you'd like, for a nominal fee. By the time I meet
the selected group of candidates, most of the work, other than a personal job interview, has been
completed for me.
Additionally, as the firms become familiar with your needs, just as headhunters and recruiters do,
they will seek out and suggest talent they believe meets your criteria for star candidates.
I work with two or three agencies and my client company hires only the top five percent of
temporary staff members, so we hire great people.
Find Out Where Your Ideal Candidates Live
Identify what your needed candidates read; notice the Web sites they visit; study the listservs on
which they participate; determine the industry magazines and newspapers they read. Identify
their favorite news sources, forums, discussion groups, and places to practice social networking.
In other words, find out everything you can about the types of people who make up the top ten
percent of your current employees and the best of your talent pool.
Use this information to screen resumes, of course, and to develop effective interview questions.
Most importantly, use this information to develop creative, fun recruiting strategies for your
potential openings. Sit with an interested group that includes members of the group you are
trying to recruit and brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates
for each position.
Some examples I've seen include a very funny ad in a staid newspaper. It literally jumped off the
page because it stood out so strongly from the pack. (The ad was looking for a creative for an ad
agency; I'll bet they found their perfect candidate.) I've been recruited as a potential staff member
while browsing in a book store. People recruit at trade shows from the people visiting their
booths.
Just One More Thought About Recruiting Employees - Publicity
Here's a bonus thought about recruiting great employees: The publicity your organization
receives in the news media, in print, on television, on the radio and online is tremendously
important for recruiting. A few good words, an interesting article or a piece about your mission
that reflects your organization in a favorable light, will result in potential employees coming to
you. And that, in my way of thinking, is the best way of all to find great potential employees for
your candidate pool.
Ideas for recruiting are endless and endlessly challenging, but the time and effort you invest are
worth it when they result in top talent for your organization.
Many people are thrilled when they find a qualified candidate for an open position. I'm not. I like to find
two or more candidates so managers have a choice. The process of deciding among several candidates
helps people clarify what they really want from the new employee. It enables them to review candidate
qualifications and experience so there are no surprises after the hire. The decision process helps
employees own the candidate so he or she is welcomed into the organization. The process keeps
managers from experiencing selection regret in which they think the best candidate was just another
advertisement or resume away. Ideally, when you select your new employee, you select from two or
three qualified candidates to get the best fit for your culture and needed skills and experience.



When starting a business, its almost a sure thing that there will be twists, turns and bumps along
the way. The most important move you can make as an entrepreneur is to realize your strengths
and weaknesses and then go about hiring great employees to fill in the gaps and complete the
picture. While most big corporations have numerous people with overlapping responsibilities,
the majority of small businesses have very few employees. In fact, the last U.S. Census reports
that small businesses with fewer than ten employees make up 78% of all employers. That means
every move of every employee counts, so here are our suggestions to help you in hiring great
employees for your business success:
Recruit "superstars" only
By hiring great people in each position, your odds of success go way up. You dont have a
cushion of extra time or leftover resources so its essential that every employee be an extremely
capable superstar at what he or she does and be well coordinated with the rest of the team
activities.
Make a recruitment list
Always keep your feelers out, and make a target list of the twelve most valuable superstars you
would like to recruit and continuously work those relationships. We actually found some of our
best employees through other small business contacts. Thats why its a good idea to regularly
attend networking events, and ask for referrals from customers, business associates, competitors,
and current staff members.
Review your plan with candidates
Superstar people seek more than monetary compensation, such as being part of the team and
taking pride in their achievements. Thats why its a good idea to walk through your business
plan with potential great employees, but be sure to appeal to their goals, rather than just asking
them to meet yours.
Get help from your team
Why not tap into the minds of your current employees? Every person in your business should
develop (and share) their own list of 12 superstars that they would like to see added to the team.
Hire potential
If youre cash-strapped, hire "potential". You can always find skilled freelancers or hire and train
less experienced workers who have enthusiasm, passion and intelligence. Superstars learn like
lightning and can quickly make up for limited experience.
We get a huge rush when we use our instincts and ability to recognize a new business
opportunity or great people. As an entrepreneur, youre always somewhere between total failure
and outrageous success. Weve been close to failure our fair share of times, and in those
moments when we were living on fumes of cash reserves, responding to aggressive competitors,
facing tough economic times, and dealing with other stressful situations, it has been proven to us
over and over that our extraordinary team of people is the most valuable asset we have. Take the
time to find superstar performers, go about hiring great employees, and your business will reap
the benefits!
Read more at http://www.startupnation.com/business-
articles/912/1/AT_RecruitingGreatPeople.asp#2WbYxUT1wSOwT4fP.99



How To Hire Dream Employees
Let me share a story with you. I used to be in the same boat as you. Hiring good employees was
as much a mystery to me as it probably is to you. If the person looked good, was enthusiastic,
and showed some interest, they got hired. And you would have a hard time counting my
mistakes. One in particular I want to share with you.
Someone was silly enough to promote me to my first management job. The department needed to
hire an administrative assistant. I did all the typical things. Ran the typical ad (titled
"Administrative Assistant") in the Sunday classified ads. Interviewed about 20 candidates
throughout the week. Finally, it was Friday afternoon and I had one more interview to go and the
desperation was mounting.

This final person walked into my office and announced that she wanted the job and that I would
be smart to give her the job. Having been beat into submission all week and liking aggressive
people, I threw up my hands and said, "You're hired!" And boy was that a decision that will go
down in infamy. If ever there was a walking nightmare, it was now working for me.
I know I am not the first person to have made that mistake. We have all hired someone out of
desperation at some point. And, if you are like me, you probably regret some of those desperate
decisions. Hiring people has to stop being a necessary evil and start being a key strategic part of
managing your business.
Hiring mistakes can kill your company. All the motivation, all the coaching, all the training, all
the total quality management and all the reengineering in the world can't make up for a hiring
mistake. You simply can't overcome it or train your way out of it. Yet, while business experts
agree on the importance of quality employees, not too many managers are very good at making
the right hiring decision.

Just think of the positive impact on your business... and more importantly, your peace of mind
(how many walking nightmares are you dealing with?) when you lower your number of hiring
mistakes.
Every time you hire someone who is not good, the entire organization suffers. Bad hires not only
create customer ill will, but they effect the people who must work with them and manage them.
Bad employees create stress and disruption in the entire company. Morale is lowered,
productivity decreases, and absenteeism increases. And, your life gets miserable.
What causes most bad hires? Ignorance. No one has ever shown you how to do it. You are
probably using a haphazard approach based on rumors, myths and some form of trial and error.
And you are probably basing your decisions on vague, indefinable factors such as chemistry, gut-
feel and guesswork.
Understanding Success
You need to have a mission if you are going to hire winners. Think of it as your guiding
principle. The mission is to have the right person in the right job at the right time doing the right
things. Take a minute, close your eyes and just imagine how nice life would be. Feels like
success doesn't it?
The person you hire is going to have to achieve on-the-job success (satisfying your business
needs). Just what is on-the-job success? Success on a job is a critical concept that changes from
company to company . . . from industry to industry . . . from department to department . . . and
even from one year to the next. How you define it, and predict it will determine if you end up
hiring winners?
The purpose of any selection process is to predict whether the person you hire will be successful
on the job.
Successful employees do the right things - they deliver results in a particular position. But doing
the right things is not enough - they also have to do those things the right way. So if you clearly
understand "what" the person has to do and "how" they have to do it, you have a template for the
successful employee.
The Best Predictor of Success
Your entire focus in the interview should be to answer one question: "How is this person going
to handle the tasks and situations of my job?" A great way to get your answer is to focus on past
behavior. According to social scientists, past behavior predicts future behavior 88 percent of the
time. People are creatures of habit. People act and react to specific situations exactly the way
they have done in the past.

Find out how the person handled similar situations on previous jobs if you want to predict how a
candidate is going to handle the tasks and situations of your job (to have on-the-job success),
Here is a 7-step process we have taught our Selecting Winners clients:
7 Steps To Hiring Success
1. Have a Process
2. Know What You Are Looking For
3. Develop a Recruitment Mentality
4. Prepare Effective Questions
5. Maintain Control of the Interview
6. Evaluate Against the Profile
7. Sell Your Job the Right Way at the Right Time
8. Sell Your Job The Right Way
"Why should I work for you?" This is a question that every good candidate has in the back of
their mind. And, you better have an answer! Good candidates always have choices. How is your
job and company going to stand out from the crowd as the employer of choice?
Develop a list of compelling reasons if you are going to convince a candidate they should work
for your organization.. A good first step is to talk to your existing employees and find out why
they are working for you.
Also, it is important to sell your job at the right time - which is at the end of the interview. There
are two reasons to wait until the end to sell. First, you want to make certain this is a good
candidate. There is no sense in selling someone who isn't going to get the job.
Second, you have the highest probability of packaging your job in a way to close them after you
know something about the person,. It is really difficult to sell to someone you don't know
anything about.
I hope this has given you a number of ideas about how to recruit and hire the best employees. I
know I have only scratched the surface so please check out the link below to learn how you can
get more information.


The Problem with Behavioral Interviewing
Just as typewriters and record players have given way to desktop computers and handheld media
players, outmoded employee selection systems need to be reinvented to take advantage of our
new understanding of how to select employees in the 21st century.
Although behavioral interviewing was initially developed by industrial psychologists back in the
1970s, it is still in widespread use today. Predictably, during these past 30 years, everyone
looking for a job has learned to expect interviewers to ask them about their past behaviors.
Just as we all learned what our teachers wanted to hear from us in school, prospective employees
learned to deliver the answers interviewers want to hear. Ask, "Tell me about a time you had to
deal with a difficult customer," and all but the dullest applicant immediately understands that
customer service is paramount and will respond to the question accordingly.
Every job applicant with a basic understanding of the interview process now knows that the most
critical interview questions will concern past behaviors. The reason so many unsatisfactory new
hire decisions are made is due to the fatal flaw in this system specific past behaviors during
specific past events are all but impossible to document or verify.
The continued reliance on the validity of behavioral questions has led to too many hiring
decisions based more on the applicants presentation skills rather than on the persons ability to
perform on the job.
Great Employees vs. Great Applicants
Start hiring great employees (instead of great applicants) by shifting the focus from past
behaviors to verifiable experiences and achievements. Begin by using an interview built upon the
following five, essential questions. (To gain a sense of their effectiveness, as you read each one,
ask yourself how you would respond if you were the applicant.)
Essential Question #1: "Tell me what you learned from your very first paying job."

This is the first question interviewers should ask because our earliest learning experiences set the
patterns and expectations for later experiences. (Hiring Hint: The story makes a lot more sense
when you hear it from the beginning. Follow this up by asking them to talk briefly about each
successive job and what was learned at each.)
Essential Question #2: "Which work achievements or accomplishments to-date are you
most proud of?"
The achievements we value most reveal both our strongest character traits and our strongest
desires. Identifying these speaks volumes about the kind of employee the applicant can become.
(Hiring Hint: The number of achievements or accomplishments is not as important as the
motivations that drove it.)
Essential Question #3: "On a scale from zero to ten, how would you rate yourself as a (job
title) and why?"
Because we seldom see ourselves as others see do, the specific number is not as important as the
fact that you will be able to verify if the applicants number is higher, lower, or the same as
perceived by the applicants former managers or supervisors when you check references. (Hiring
Hint: Would you rather have an employee who undervalues or overvalues their contributions
reporting to you?)
Essential Question #4: "When we contact your former manager to verify your
employment, what will he or she tell me about your last performance review?"
The answer will tell you a great deal about the applicant's actual on-the-job performance, ability
to take direction, and efforts to improve. (Hiring Hint: Phrased this way, this question will elicit
the truth from 99% of applicants. For further verification, if you decide to extend a job offer,
then ask for a copy of that review.)
Essential Question #5: "What would you like to ask me about the job or our company?"
The answers to this one reveal the applicants concerns and motivators or simply point out basic
job information (benefits, hours, policies) that have not yet been communicated. (Hiring Hint:
Follow this up by allowing the applicant one or two more questions for even more insight.)
Between Questions #3 and #4, ask all the other questions you've developed that help determine if
the candidate is a good fit for the job, the department, and the company. After the interview,
verify what you learned with this achievement-based interviewing technique through evidence-
based selection criteria: thorough reference and background checks.
The further you can move your interviews away from outdated behavioral techniques and toward
achievement- and evidence-based selection, the quicker your hiring effectiveness will improve.
Like that great philosopher of our time Dilbert said: "Eighty-percent of a managers job is hiring
the right people. The other 20 percent is leaving them alone so they can do what you hired them
for."





Individual Motivation and Values Analysis
The Basis for Better Personnel Decisions
A wrong personnel decision can get expensive - and troublesome. For both the company and the
applicant. MiWay has been developed to provide personnel managers and applicants with a
basis to determine whether they really suit each other.
Indeed, MiWay accesses many dimensions which would otherwise remain concealed - or
would reveal themselves later in everyday work: the individual motivations and values, in short:
the true work preferences. What motivates the applicant really? Where does he find fulfillment
and purpose? Which basic values or principles does he have? Does he, with his attitude, fit into
the team or the company? Is the job really commensurate with his wishes? Has he chosen the
right way?
The aim of MiWay is to determine and exploit the actual potentials of an employee by
providing him with the optimum professional position. In addition, the employee's motivation is
enhanced as his career is being supported in a sustained way.


Top 10 Qualities to Listen For When Interviewing Job Applicants

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as
well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or
background you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who
a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.
1. Confidence & Self Acceptance
Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during
the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes during the pauses in a
conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to
gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level
of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of
confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.
2. Follow Through & Persistence
Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through -- at all
costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness.
Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a
top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning
that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?
To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an
artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would
bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question
about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by
asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.
3. Integrity
Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to
oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making
adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen
for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility,
integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting
responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)
4. Creativity
The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of
comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity.
Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A
bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person
might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.
5. Standards
We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains
us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to
value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is
s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about
connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job
fit."

6. Clarity of Communication
Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the
speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening.
Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about
establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs
of the conversation.
How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically or were
they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a
highly valuable skill with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs
What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A
person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and
beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you
something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the
person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.
8. Commitment
The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for
a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your
product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport
and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an
ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the
connections they make - this is where commitment is found.
Connection + Consistency = Commitment
9. Passion
Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a
salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's
most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a
person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person
is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.
10. Authenticity
Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management
and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He
says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."
How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he
appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a
person's authenticity.



Hiring the best people means being the best, and people will form lasting impressions of you from this
first important meeting. Right from the start, you want to create an environment that motivates the job
applicant to speak candidly.

Never forget that you're being evaluated too! A thoughtful interview establishes professional rapport
and convinces the applicant you're someone they should work for. Secretaries and staff should be told
to greet the applicant like a guest, and tell them upon their arrival that they were expected.

No Interruptions

Make clear to your staff before the interview that there should be no interruptions. Interruptions make
it much harder to evaluate what you're hearing, and diminishes the effectiveness of your questions.

Recap the applicant's resume and cover letter ten minutes before they arrive and have it in front of you
when they come in.

Casual Conversation Relieves The Applicant's Tension

If you want to get candid information, you must relieve the applicant's tension to motivate them to
speak candidly. Remember, the stress they feel is as much of a problem for you as it is for them. If you
don't relieve their tension, you won't get a good interview. There's a number of easy ways of doing this.

Spend the first few minutes of the interview in casual conversation showing a sincere interest in them as
a person. The interview should feel like a smooth flowing conversation, and this is where you establish
that tone. Get them verbalizing - talking tends to reduce tension in most people.

Humor

If you can do it, laughing's even better. Nothing cuts tension like humor. American business,
unfortunately, often suffers from a serious sense of humor failure.

You definitely want to hire people with a sense of humor because it's the best anecdote to stress in the
workplace. "What do you mean I want to hire someone with a sense of humor? Who needs a funny
accountant? Ask them if the books balance..." "Oh, pretty close".

Studies show even accountants would rather work with people with a sense of humor, and at some
point of the interview you really do want to see how they laugh.

When you think about it, interviews are funny! Kinda like a first date. Has anything funny ever happened
to you when you were being interviewed?

A woman who's now personnel director of a major corporation tells about the time she crossed her legs
so tightly through an interview that when it came time to leave, she stood up to shake hands - and fell
flat on her face because one of her legs had fallen asleep!

It makes it easier for the applicant to admit shortcomings if they feel the person conducting the
interview's human too. You want to make the applicant feel accepted and comfortable enough to reveal
information, even if it's of an unfavorable nature. An interview that doesn't reveal negative information
doesn't give you the information you need to make a sound hiring decision.

Humor Needs To Be Spontaneous

To be effective, humor in the interview needs to rise naturally from the subject matter, not rehearsed
jokes. Remember, at some point in the interview you definitely want to see how an applicant laughs.
You know what they say about those companies where everyone's uptight and you dread doing business
with them... "Well they sure don't hire people at that outfit for their sense of humor!" Don't let your
interview suffer from a sense of humor failure!

Opening the interview with a few minutes of casual conversation that creates an accepting atmosphere
also gives you the chance to check their enthusiasm and energy level, as well as see how articulate and
thoughtful they are.

Remember to be careful during this small talk to avoid any discussion of topics of a personal nature -
such as marriage status or national origin - that could result in a lawsuit if they're not hired.