Employees Unmasked! How to spot the great ones from the not so great.

Employees Unmasked! How to spot the great ones from the not so
great.
If you've been reading our blogs, our focus has been on best ways to recognize and
engage your most valuable asset, your workforce. Of course. We're an incentive
company. That's what we do.

"Self proclaimed incentive pundits" like us are hard wired to want to educate and
provide you with perfect solutions to improve your organization's communication and
motivation level. You come to us because we can guide you to results. As your
company's leader, your focus is to achieve those performance results. Of course. That's
your mandate. If you are a CFO, you know well how employee performance can dramatically impact your
bottom line.

Yes, incentives are a powerful addition to your overall workforce strategy. However not all employees are
alike and what you don't know can hurt you and your organization.
Here are some employee profiles, their character traits, what makes them great and how to protect
yourself from those who are not so great.

Let's face it, you strive to be a great captain. You seek to follow best leadership practices. You show trust in
your people. You balance your work environment with discipline and being a human being to others. You
show a sense of humor. You know when to push and when to back off. You know how to make your
employees feel supported. You lead your workplace with respect and manners.

You know when a please and a thanks are deserved. You work hard on treating everyone fairly and
honestly. You listen, you teach and you learn. You recognize and reward those who demonstrate a job well
done. You strive to manifest a culture of performance. You've developed some great employees. You may
even have won Boss of the Year! That said, you still find yourself haunted by certain individuals you may
like or even consider one of your rock stars, but they continue to hurt your company in many ways.

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Their behavior undermines your industry name and pollutes co-worker attitudes.
In spite of their talents and potential, some individuals are, well, bad apples. Unfortunately no incentive
program will change that fact. Keeping them around will hurt others on your team and may be
undermining what you've worked so hard to achieve.

Determining the quality of your employee actually begins during the interview process. Many employers,
because of time constraints, will delegate this task to someone else not experienced in what to look for in
a candidate. Resumes are a good indicator but qualities such as dependability and loyalty should be on the
top of the list. Require and check all references.

Prepare your questions for the job applicant ahead of time. You and your candidate should be at ease. You
will get more honest answers. Ask your candidate if they would indicate who on their reference list would
they consider their worst reference.

Determining their dependability IQ can be helped by questions like: If there was an urgency to complete a
project or deal with some emergency would they be available? At Taico® our top administration team has
on very many occasions gone the extra mile, evenings and weekends, to make darn sure the customer was
happy and taken care of. We feel extremely blessed to have incredibly dependable and loyal people.

Some interview questions can include:
What did you like best and least about a previous employer.
The interview is also a two way street because your applicant has to decide if your place is the right place
for him or her. Be polite and considerate but find out now if this applicant and your company are a good
match. One unnamed employer mentioned using a Labrador during an interview.

Apparently the dog was able to provide a more intuitive response to the "vibe" of the applicant. I
personally don't know how effective or practical this approach is but dogs are being used during forensic
interviews with children. According to studies, the dog's presence increases oxytocin in humans which
increases trust.
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In any event, failure to be thorough with your interview process can result in big regrets down the road.
Horror Stories

When it comes to employee horror stories unfortunately the TSA heads that list. Pandora's box was
opened largely as a result of a Brian Ross ABC investigative report. A convicted TSA security employee
Pythias Brown came forward after serving 3 years in prison for stealing more than 800,000 dollars worth of
items over a 4 year period from passenger luggage. Brown went on to confess he was part of a "culture" of
indifference that allowed corrupt employees to prey on passengers with impunity.

When Elementary school gym teacher Jennifer Gomes just didn't want to go to work and decided to just
leave, she posted a phony note warning of a bomb at the main entrance of Escuela de Guadalupe school in
northwest Denver. As KUSA-TV reported, Gomes was suspended from her job and charged with one count
of false reporting of explosives, a felony.

Charlotte County Florida High School teacher Jeff Spires was suspended for soliciting money from his
students. According to a school investigation, Spires told his class to staple or paperclip cash to the back of
their quizzes if they wanted to sweeten their grades,

More than three dozen employees at a Boeing plant near Philadelphia were arrested for illegally selling
prescription drugs, including oxycodone and Xanax.

One fast food manager Doralinda Vargas in Goleta California ran a Ponzi scheme requiring her employees
to surrender 100 every payday or get fired. Employee whistleblower Jeorgina De Gomez was able to put a
stop to it.

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Specific bad apple stories aren't the real point here. More important is the message that good bosses must
be on their toes in the interviewing process and throughout. Although not always easy, you need to know
when to release an individual irrespective of their resume or likability. Employees must know that you will
let go of anyone that lacks adequate dependability and integrity. Stealing from or defacing your
organization is unacceptable.

What should I do with a problem employee situation?
With all the facts in hand, bring that person into your office without making a big scene. In a calm, honest,
and upfront way discuss what you are seeing and how important it is to have the team working in a spirit
of harmony. Ask if anything is wrong with them personally or in the workplace. Be sincere, listen and show
empathy. There may be some personal issues. Focus on the problem, not the person. A behavioral issue
does not give you license to personally attack. Make sure there is room for them to do the talking and that
you are listening. Recap the conversation in their presence.

One client used the Andrew Carnegie approach by asking the employee how he would handle it if he
found someone robbing from his family. At this point the employee's reaction will tell you much. Based on
this and other exchanges, you might tell the employee you will meet with them with your decision.

Sometimes certain individuals surmise that a bad attitude will get them what they want. If you determine
the employee is a good employee with ability to change, consider ways you can use your incentive
programs to support the good behavior. You want a situation that improves cooperation and performance.
There is no reason to discuss any personal issues or even what was said to the employee, with anyone else
on the team. Its confidential, keep it that way.

Document every meeting you may have with your employee. Build a case if you might need one. Consider
communicating as well in writing. There are many sources where you can learn more about handling
difficult or even impossible employees.

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If suspension or termination is necessary, do so in accordance with your company's policies.

On the other hand its vital you spot, recognize and reward your reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent
employees. Great employees demonstrate reliability, honesty in addition to being proactive.
Sometimes things that show on performance appraisals may not show qualities that can make a major
impact on performance.

I agree with Jeff Haden's article in INC breaking down some of the positive qualities of remarkable
employees. I would only add that you can also contribute much to encourage and support positive,
productive behavior by building on your overall workforce culture.

Great Employees:
They do what it takes to get the job done. They will step outside their job role if necessary to support the
organizations goals. They spend time to improve their product knowledge.

They publicly praise and appreciate praise from peers and you.
They speak up when others won’t. It is not always a sign of disrespect when they do.
They are self motivated, have drive and desire to prove others wrong.

Remember its your job as employer to effectively communicate your mission and goals to your people.
Great employees may appear a bit quirky but demonstate a contribution and a positive attitude. They add
flare and flavor. They are not afraid to add their ideas. With a reward program that offers a wide array of
choices and the technology that will provide you excellent reporting and tracking you will keep your
programs fresh and exciting and secure your ROI. These ingredients will add an additional level toward
encouraging new ideas and positive behavior.

Know your players and work hard to create and maintain an environment that allows you to be a great
boss that supports a culture of performance.

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Employees Unmasked! How to spot the great ones from the not so great.

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Employees Unmasked! How to spot the great ones from the not so great.