This week I am going off the organizing rails and talking about how to hire the right person — at your company or someone working in your home. So it’s kind of about organizing, because people can use this to decide if they want to hire people like me.
Forget personality tests. Before you hire someone, you need to bring her to a group exercise class. I take a lot of barre and spin classes, and I’ve observed you can tell a lot about people based on the way they behave in class.
Hiring managers should use this “take-your-candidate-to-exercise-class method” (that I will trademark, thank you very much) because it’s very telling when someone, for example, constantly checks her phone in class. It tells me she lives in her own bubble and is not aware of anyone around her. It also tells me she isn’t listening to the instructor. Do you want to put this person, who constantly checks Facebook, in front of a client?
Other examples:
Do they make eye contact and say hello at the beginning of class? I can’t tell you the number of people who pull up to the barre next to me and don’t acknowledge my existence. We are about to get out of breath and sweaty together, people. Let’s at least say hello. This tells me whether they are friendly at work.
Do they rush through the exercises and get ahead of the teacher? This tells me they will speed through their work, not doing a thorough job and produce a sloppy product. And worst of all, they won’t even be aware that they are doing a terrible job.
Do they listen to the next instruction or stay on the previous exercise for a few minutes before realizing everyone else as has moved on? This tells me about their listening skills.
Do they work to improve their form or do they stay on the beginning level for a year? This shows their willingness to get better at their job.
Do they excessively look at themselves in the mirror? This tells me they only care how they look and not the team or the company. This person may even steal an idea and present it as her own.
As the teacher counts down 3-2-1 in a hold, do they quit at 3 or 2 or 1? This tells me how hard they will work to finish the job.
Are they aware of other’s personal space around them, or do they unknowingly crowd others? This shows whether they are aware of their co-workers needs or if they are oblivious to what is going on around them.
Here is the biggest one for me: When it’s time to get down on the mat, do they take a mat off the pile for themselves, or do they hand the mats their neighbors first? This tells me if they are a team player or not. I am amazed by the number of people who just take a mat and walk away.
Do they talk to their buddy the whole class? This tells me they live in their own bubble or don’t care about being respectful to those around them. Hey, quiet down. We can all hear you. Go to a coffee shop if you want to talk to your friend.
Have your HR folks call me, and we can set up an interview at the barre or spin class!