May 2015 Management Minute
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
The sentiment is nearly universally felt: Good employees are hard to find. Hence, there is a need for progressive employers to be constantly recruiting rather than only recruiting during a crisis. Also, they need to be recruiting otherwise satisfied employees rather than only those who are either out of work or simply miserable in their current situation.
There is a potential downside to this shift in recruitment strategy, however. What happens when you recruit someone who is (a) hard-working, (b) intelligent, (c) creative, (d) team-oriented, and (e) not suited to the job opening you currently have?
Obviously, this is a good problem to have. But the question is, can you afford to take on a person who fits your organization in every way except one—the actual job description of the open position? How do you manage this challenge? That’s why you, the manager, earn the Big Bucks!
If the opening posited truism—Good employees are hard to find—is actually true, then you can hardly to turn away an unexpected gift. If the person is of high quality, the person will not be available very long. The key to making this situation work, in the short-term and the long-term, is having an organizational philosophy that allows and encourages flexibility within the team to make space for talented people.
If the job opening is for Job A but the person brings assets better suited for Job B (which isn’t currently open), is there any way to harness at least some of the person’s Job B talents and interests while stretching the person to complete some or most of the duties of Job A? Can one or more current members of the team be asked to shift some of their existing duties to partner with the new team member in order to completely cover the entirety of Job A? Can the person, although not ideally suited to nor thoroughly interested in Job A, be asked to fulfill the duties of Job A on a short-term basis, until a more permanent compromise solution can be fitted?
Without abundant flexibility on the parts of the organization, the manager, the team, and the prospective new team mate, there is no solution; you shouldn’t hire this person.
But if all parties feel there can be a fit, and are willing to work differently and adapt to create a novel solution to the challenge, this could be a successful marriage. Organizations who work this way are attractive to talented people, and tend to lead, rather than follow, in the industry.
For more information, contact Chris at 785-532-1672 or cdr3@ksu.edu.