Recruit to Improve Relationships in the Workplace

It is becoming more and more evident that one of the most important skills is the ability to get on with other people in the workplace. The skill and desire to build sound relationships, demonstrate respect for the individual and being able to apply one's emotional intelligence are highly sought-after attributes.

This means that we must carefully consider the level of interpersonal skills required in critical positions. Before we interview we must consider the importance of these skills in the vacancy and work out a way of measuring them. In addition to interpersonal skills we need to identify the candidate's ability to know themselves and their effect on other people.

There is a movement towards recruiting people who clearly demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence rather than technical skills or knowledge.

It is a sure bet that if you put a person in a job which requires technical skills and interpersonal skills and he or she only possesses the technical skills, problems will be inevitable.

Experience shows that people employed in positions which require high "people" skills cause untold heartache and problems if they are deficient in this area. For too long we have insisted on lots of qualifications and knowledge, when we should have been seeking out those people with high levels of emotional intelligence.

Changes which have taken place in business over the last 5 to 10 years have put a considerable amount of pressure on people in leadership positions. The demands on these people have increased to the point where teamwork, communication, the ability to listen, leadership, and the ability to admit mistakes are not an option they are a necessity. These can be regarded as essential skills for the supervisor, manager and executive. No longer can we afford to appoint people based on their knowledge alone.

Given this situation and our ability to interview and select the right candidates is also under pressure.The blunt fact is, we have to be better at this difficult task. We need to lift our performance as interviewers and use every single tactic and strategy so that we can identify the candidates with a high emotional intelligence and social skills to contribute to the workplace.

If there is the choice of two candidates for a job and one is a person lacking some knowledge but with good people skills. The other is a person with all the knowledge and some people skills. Wise interviewers will always prefer the former.

It seems that we must put the development of people skills first, well before technical knowledge.

Any person who needs to gain the co-operation of others at work should be able to create an environment where people are motivated to work together.

Alas, we seem to think that these skills are natural and people are born with them. We all may have them to a greater or lesser degree. However, we need is to be reminded about them, to develop and practice them on a regular basis. Regrettably, this is not something which is included in the training budget.

Based on the development of demands in the workplace it is highly unlikely that this emphasis on the need for emotional intelligence will stop. It is reasonable to suppose that that the requirement for these skills is going to increase.

The "people skills" or emotional intelligence shows up constantly as a much more valuable attribute than just knowledge. We have become seduced by knowledge in this so called "knowledge economy" to the detriment of hiring people because of their pure people skills.

As a result, everybody in the work place is worse off.

High performing workplaces seem to contain people with two strong attributes. Firstly, they have effective leadership skills. Secondly, they possess high levels of emotional intelligence. These workplaces operate with high-quality, high accuracy, high attendance, innovative methods, high productivity, low waste, low rework and low turnover. Generally speaking, they create high levels of profit as well.

Anyone can develop their interviewing skills. You can do this by learning how to discover more about the art of interviewing no matter whether you are a business owner or an HR manager. It also contains many innovative ideas about how to discover the truth about candidates. There are systems, strategies, tactics, hints and tips to ensure that each successive hire is an improvement. Your business is only as good as the quality of staff. This is a comprehensive step by step guide for business owners and managers. It is in an easy to read format and can be obtained from http://www.thekeytointerviewing.com.

By Peter L Mitchell

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Job Search Tips - Are Your References Ready? Make Sure..... Before You Need Them For Your Job Search

Are your professional references ready for your big job search? You may be thinking, "Yeah, I got them all typed up and ready to go to the interview." While having a reference sheet is an important aspect of looking for a job, that's not the only way to prepare your references. You also need to let the people know what you're up to.

Of course the people should know they are on your reference sheet. The last thing you want is to have someone caught by surprise when they get a call. The hesitation your potential employer hears on the phone while someone scrambles to think of something to say would not sound good. So you should get everyone on the same page when it comes to your job search.

One way to do that is keep them informed. This is especially important if a person you list as a reference is not someone you talk to on a regular basis. At the beginning of your search it's a good idea to touch base with each of your references. Send them an email, give them a call, or, even better, you can take them to lunch. You want them to be up to date on your career, so let them know what you're working on and what you have accomplished.

Whichever method you choose, keep it short and to the point. You don't want to bore them and maybe make them regret their decision to help you. On the phone or at a face to face meeting you should be professional and get to the point. Have what you are going to say planned. If they want to know more, they'll ask.

Help your references by keeping them informed. That will give them something to talk about when that phone call comes. Make sure they are prepared when they are called into action.

Do you send out bad cover letters and resumes over and over again? That action will get you nowhere. A bad resume will keep you in the unemployment line or in a bad job. You need a great resume and cover letter to get a job interview. Do you have a great resume? Do you need one? You can write a resume and cover letter that will make the phone ring. Watch my video Let's Talk About Resumes at http://www.yourresumehelper.com and find out what I think when I read resumes from people looking for a job. Or visit http://www.fastresumetips.info to find out how to quickly create a winning resume.

By Elton Lowe

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