Blair-ism #1: Accept Human Desires and Never Try to Change Them. V. Blair Clark
Red Car – Blue Car
Years ago, we had an employee, Mandy, who likened hiring to a car dealership. If a prospective buyer came in for a red car, it would do the salesperson no good to start showing them blue cars. If they were coerced into buying a blue car – even with all the added options or a great deal – they would undoubtedly resent the purchase (or the salesperson) later. Job Fit is a red car.
Here are 4 Reasons Accepting Human Desires Avoids ‘Trade-ins’:
Happier Employees
This red car – blue car concept is the same when interviewing a career-seeker. Determining unique motivations, desires, needs, and wants are crucial. Equally, in fact, to review the skills and experience of a candidate’s resume. When the desires of both parties are met, success is assured.
Perhaps they applied because they want to relocate closer to ageing parents, or they seek a promotion but they cannot relocate due to custody agreements. This reasoning, their experience/skillset, and other motivators have a significant impact on the ‘type’ of jobs (car) they will accept. And, even if it is the right make and colour, though an application is submitted and an interview arranged, it isn’t a gimme that an offer would be accepted. The red car still needs to have specific ‘options’ and price to finalize a purchase.
No Buyers Remorse
This concept, indeed, proved itself when my husband was in car sales – he had a customer (a personal friend) come to purchase a Honda Pilot. There was an amazing deal on a silver one, but she wanted black. She did not want silver. Despite my husband trying to convince her to wait and allow him to bring in the colour she wanted, she purchased the silver one because it was such a great deal. It was not even 6-months before she wanted to trade it in for the colour she wanted. She still drives that black Pilot today (10+ years later).
Asking the Right Questions in the Interview
We can all assume a candidate will not list all the ‘options’ they want in the initial interview – we get that – but they might tell you the colour is red or even the ‘price’ they want to pay. They have their expectations of what your job is all about. But, to accept human desires, there needs to be open communication as to what their perception of the job is, what it truly is, and what they need to be considered for it. There is no need to know the intimate details of a candidate’s life but once an applicant is motivated for a new position, surprises should be minimized. Unless all parties know the desires/options/price, then communication works. When there’s no clarity, negotiations fall through, and talent walks away.
Prevent Trade-ins
I can’t say I’ve ever driven the same vehicle for 10 years – there’s always something better, newer, cooler, (or cheaper) that I want. It’s the same way with jobs. If the individual doesn’t have all their ‘options’ met, after all, dissatisfaction sets in. They may trade immediately or wait a couple of years but they’ll eventually start looking for that ‘right’ model. A small dissatisfaction, even on the way they were welcomed on day one, will fester and grow until they start applying elsewhere. Evaluating and considering an employee’s ever-changing needs and wants will help the employee resist impulsive trade-ins. There’s always a financial burden associated with each trade-in.
Ensure the Right Fit.
Help us help you ensure your applicants get the ‘car’ of their dreams…..!
A note from the author: Our President, Blair Clark, has a lot of phrases we have affectionately coined ‘Blair-isms’. These ‘-isms’ have been repeatedly used to clarify different points during our internal training process. They have, often, proven themselves over the years to be quite representative of the industry. Over the next little while, I am going to be documenting many of these ‘Blair-isms’ as part of our blog.