“Getting the most out of a job role or employee has a lot to do with where they focus their energy,” says Vittee.
“Let’s use school subjects as an example. Say you’re good at maths and score 70% in that subject, but only 50% in history. Our natural tendency would be to work harder in history. The reality is that with extremely hard work you’ll probably only move the needle to 55%, which is still average at best. If you focus on maths on the other hand, you’ll be able to take your 70% to 90%.
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“The same is true in companies. Imagine you can take a sales exec from 70% to 90%. How does this affect your bottom line? If you had a team of sales execs who hated admin, would a sales support person free them up to sell double? The increased revenue would more than make up the cost of an additional staff member, with the added bonus of happier staff and higher retention rates.”
However, Vittee also points out that while you should love your job, there will always be aspects of it that you don’t like, but nevertheless need to do. “It’s important to find a balance,” she says.
“Ask your candidates what their perfect job looks like. Are they reflecting the job you’re offering? If you love them but their heart is elsewhere, they’ll eventually leave anyway.”
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Bear this in mind when hiring a suitable candidate:
- What kind of experience does the candidate have? Do they have ten years of one years’ worth of experience, or ten years of growth under their belt? This is a good indication of how self-motivated and ambitious they are.
- What are their ‘portable’ skills? Sometimes the best candidates for the job aren’t vocationally who you thought you were looking for. For example, the financial sector has started hiring engineers because they’re critical thinkers and process driven.
- Do your values align? This individual is representing your brand out in the market place. Make sure their values are your values.