This was yesterday’s newsletter topic. Occasionally, I will post my newsletter to the general blog to give you an idea as to what we talk about, and to give you a chance to sign up. So, if you like this topic, sign up for the weekly newsletter by clicking here.
I hope this week’s newsletter finds you well! I hope it was a profitable week and you are booked solid in the coming weeks.
Two things sparked the topic for this week’s newsletter, and I’ll talk about each one quickly.
1. The June employment report was released and the Unites States added 287,000 jobs, the highest number since last October.
2. I had a consulting call this week and part of the discussion was hiring someone who got a bad recommendation from a previous employer and was fired.
Now, we are in the middle of the season for a lot of you, which means you may have turned over a new hire or two because, for whatever reason, they weren’t working out. That leaves you looking to hire again, and there isn’t a lot to pick from this time of year.
With employment so tight, especially in construction, hiring marginal candidates seems like the norm. So I want to talk about what you should look for if you want/have to hire someone with a spotty past.
1. If they came clean during the interview process and told you about an incident or that they got fired, at the very least you know you have someone who is honest and upfront, two very good traits. Now it is up to you to uncover the real answers as to why they were fired, and that’s number two.
2. You need to ask a lot more questions about the reason, about the job, about the candidate’s background. You need to check and recheck all the references they provide to make sure everything is legit. And once all the data is in…it’s up to your gut, and that’s number three.
3. Your gut. You know, that voice that talks to you and tells you it isn’t such a good idea to split aces or that the expired milk isn’t still good to drink? That voice. That voice will probably be right a lot more that you think, if you just pay attention. For some reason, my gut instincts have always been 100% right just when I’ve needed it, but I haven’t always paid attention, so I’m suggesting you pay attention!
Have a great week!
-Darren
