A book by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman entitled “First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently” has a new take on human resource management. The book presents the findings of a Gallup survey with over 80,000 managers of successful organizations. The conclusion is that successful managers focus on developing the natural talents that employees already possess and hire other employees to compensate for weaknesses. This strategy is in contrast to the traditional HR perception which advocates developing the weaknesses in existing employees. Instead of identifying areas that require development because of a lack of expertise, performance appraisals identify talents and skills and provide development opportunities for areas of strength. The survey does not claim that effective managers do not help employees to improve weak areas. However, the development focus is on areas where the employee already excels – the employee’s comparative advantage.

Four Factors that are Characteristic of Effective Management

• Selecting people based on character traits rather than qualifications or experience. Such traits include drive and motivation, emotional intelligence, and the ability to self-reflect and learn from mistakes. Traditional hiring practice involves technical/software testing and old-school approaches to interviewing. Wake up! It’s 2014! A differentiated hiring process, revamping procedures that allow you to truly get to know the employees that are joining your team, will ensure you are hiring top-notch team members.
• Effective managers provide employees with goals. They provide support and guidance but hold the employees accountable for the results. The employee will innately choose a path that uses his or her talents, and there is mutual trust created between managers and employees. Micromanaging has the opposite effect.
• Appreciating diversity in employees facilitates the maximization of individual talents. Effective managers build a culture where different methods and approaches are valued and considered.
• Individual development is maximized by discovering what each employee requires to perform at his or her best. For an employee that requires constant challenge, new projects are delivered. An employee that likes to work independently is provided that opportunity.

The key to the success of this type of management is to ensure that the right staff are hired and placed in the right positions. Since 1989, Hire Standard Staffing has set the standard for staffing and recruiting excellence. We take pride in assisting our clients with their hiring initiatives. Contact us today for more information on how our team of skilled recruiters can help you find top-tier employees!