Book Extract

Avoid hiring problem employees

You have prepared yourself to be the best manager you can be. You have created a healthy work environment and set the tone. Now you need to know how to hire, who to hire, and where to find applicants.

Don’t hire people you intend to fix

Never buy a home that needs significant repair unless you are in the home remodeling business. Home repairs always take twice as long and cost three times more than expected. Home buyers with house fever invariably find that perfect little Victorian house or Cape Cod cottage in need of just a little tender loving care. Their financing has been pre-approved, they are tired of shopping, their emotions overcome their good judgement, and they buy it. It can quickly become a not-so-funny adaptation of the Tom Hanks and Shelley Long movie ‘The Money Pit’. Six months later, when the end is nowhere in sight, they are asking themselves, “What were we thinking?” Then the perfect little Georgian house comes on the market at the same price with no repairs needed. It stays on the market forever as a painful reminder of the price they paid for their impatience.

Managers encounter a similar situation when we have a job opening we need to fill. We know we should keep shopping until we find a good fit. However, we get tired of interviewing and grow impatient, become scared we will never find a good hire, lose hope, and eventually become desperate. We end up at the point where we will hire anyone who will just show up for the interview. Six months after hiring the employee we are asking ourselves, “What was I thinking?” You will always regret decisions you make when you are:

• Angry
• Desperate
• Hopeless
• Hungry
• Impatient
• Scared
• Sick
• Tired and weak

This is not a time to become reckless. You are not in the people-fixing business. You are not a healer, life skills coach, or miracle worker: You are a manager. A good rule in life is not to marry someone you intend to change or hire people you intend to fix. Keep interviewing until you find a person who fits the job.

What are the choices?

Four generations make up today’s labour pool. The exact years of when each generation begins and ends are topics of debate. These are only trends and there will be exceptions to each. Yet, the trends have such a strong impact on motivation and work ethic that managers should be aware of them.

The silent generation

The silent generation was born between 1925 and 1946. They are mostly retired now. They valued duty, discipline, delay of gratification, sacrifice, conformity, and were loyal to their employers. They expected to stay in one job and one marriage for a lifetime. Most of them came of age before the government got into the business of supporting people. Social programmes such as unemployment benefits and Social Security were new. Labor laws such as the ADA and FMLA were half a century away. The silent generation had only two options: work or don’t eat. Hence, they developed an extremely strong work ethic.

The baby boomers

The baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 and number approximately 75 million. They had great optimism. Earlier members of this generation were largely responsible for the civil rights movement, the drug culture, and the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Divorce became socially acceptable for baby boomers. They are generally viewed as self-absorbed and egocentric. They rebelled against conventional family life and valued self-gratification and doing their own thing. Baby boomers became yuppies in the 1980s when material wealth and status were the goals, and it was considered a virtue to work long hours. Their reliance on self-help products for everything from codependency to career success launched an entire industry. Baby boomer managers can be positive to the point of being annoying. They have a tendency not to accept blame and like being the star of the show.

They are often perceived as controlling by Generation Xers, who value independence. The first wave of baby boomers are just beginning to exit the workforce.

Generation X

Generation X was born between 1964 and 1982. At an estimated 19 million, it’s much smaller than the generations that immediately preceded or followed. It’s referred to as the lost generation because of its association with having an identity crisis. Generation Xers are politically non-ideological and were shaped by the nonconformist grunge movement. They rejected the status, money, and social climbing that baby boomers value. They are cynical, distrust institutions, and hate labels. They embrace risk and see themselves as free agents in the job market. They are independent thinkers who are sometimes viewed as arrogant or disloyal. Though often considered slackers, they were largely responsible for the dotcom revolution. They believe work should be fun, and place a higher value on time outside the office than baby boomers do. They now place a high priority on parenting. Generation Xers can seem aloof, lack interpersonal skills in the workplace, and dislike meetings and team focus. They don’t value work for the work itself, are rarely workaholics, and often resent working after normal hours.

Generation Next

Generation Next was born between 1982 and 1995. This generation is also known as Generation Y, the Millenials, or the echo boomers. Their parents are mostly baby boomers. Generation Nexters are nearly 80 million strong and are just beginning to enter the workforce. Their values are quite different from Generation X; Generation Nexters wish to conform and are far less independent. They are accustomed to being rewarded more for participation than achievement. They grew up being graded on how well they got along with others as well as how they performed academically. They are the most inclusive and tolerant generation ever; group thinking is the norm. Violent crime, smoking, drinking, and teen pregnancy have dropped substantially for this generation.

Generation Nexters believe they are all special because their parents’ lives revolved around them.

Most Generation Nexters have never ridden in a car without wearing a seatbelt or ridden a bicycle without wearing a helmet. They grew up with computers, cell phones and video games, and expect immediate gratification. Instead of shopping at the mall, they shop online and have whatever they order shipped overnight by FedEx. They are more accustomed to downloading their favorite songs off the Internet than buying a CD. They are the ultimate I-want-it-now generation.

One benefit to employers is that Generation Nexters should be less insubordinate and have more of a team-player mentality. Another could be their materialism. Money and the rewards a job can bring were less meaningful to Generation X, which was highly idealistic and less materialistic. Generation Nexters’ materialism might make it easier for employers to find rewards and incentives to offer. Employers of young Generation Nexters have already discovered that rewards such as Apple iPODs or Sony Play Stations can be easy carrots to dangle for good performance.

Excerpt from ‘How to Manage Problem Employees’ by Glenn Shepard. Published by Wiley Dreamtech India Pvt Ltd