The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager #154 Onboarding Employees with Caela Farren
Posted on 03. Aug, 2008 by Wayne in General, Podcast
Today Wayne Turmel talks to Caela Farren, CEO of Masteryworks, about onboarding employees effectively so they stick around longer. Also we look at Lady Jane Grey and a chance to win a copy of the latest Cranky Middle Manager book.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Ever find someone to fill a position, breathe a sigh of relief and they’re gone and you’re back to square one? Today we’re talking to Caela Farren from Masteryworks.
Today’s episode is dedicated to Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for all of nine days. Getting a candidate not everyone can agree on and then leaving her without mentoring is a recipe for disaster, although no HR department I know still advocates beheading as a way to address the problem.
There is one episode left for you to win a free copy of my new book: “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From the Cranky Middle Manager Show” Here’s how it works… just drop me an email or post to the blog with a short line or two about why you like the quote of the week, and why you listen to the Cranky Middle Manager Show. I’ll pick the best quote to put on the back cover of the book along with quotes from some big shots and send you a copy. You have about 2 weeks left, get on it!
3:10 The quote of the week is from Plato- who understood that the beginning is the best time to teach anyone anything.
3:50 Welcome Caela Farren. It seems like a silly question, but why is the way we bring employees on board so important? When there are more jobs than there are good people, you don’t want to give anyone a chance to bail out on you. 46% of rookies wash out in 18 months.
6:30 What is going on in that first few days that chases people out the door before they even settle in? Sometimes it’s a bad hire, a greedy recruiter or a manager that doesn’t know how to properly interview. The open-ended interview question is important as are “value questions”.
Ask about:
people- what are they all about, what do they like?
ideas- what and how do they think?
data-how do they handle information?
things- do they work with things and with their hands?
10:49 we are now talking about personality assessments such as John Holland’s Codes, Myers Briggs Type Assessments and all that good stuff. Hire for skills and fire for personality, values and fit. You can’t really train for that stuff. She tells us a cool story about how one company uses the interview to identify fit…
16:02 Once we’ve hired someone, what goes on that first day that will help ensure success? Make them feel included. It worked in grade school. Hook them up with a mentor…but choose that mentor well.
21:14 when in doubt ask the magic wand question. The most important thing you can do is hook them to a good manager or a “buddy”
Resources
It’s an election year here in the US. Check out
The Post American World- Fareed Zakariah
The New Age of Innovation- Driving Cocreated Value Through Global Networks- CK Prahalad
Don’t let the weasels get you down!
Wayne,
I like the quote of the week and look forward to hearing them every week in your show because it helps me to relate to the past as to how things said in the context of history, situation, events then, are valid and applicable even now years, centuries after.You can apply them straight forward. The quotable quotes stand the test of time and win. They are so true every time.
Keep them rolling.
Regards
Karthik
Thanks Karthik, your loyal listenership means a lot to me. This quote goes with some of the others to determine the big (?) winner!