HR

Increasingly I speak to people at work who are unsure that the job, or even career, they have chosen is the right one. Graduates and young employees have more choices today than ever before - and most will retire from careers that do not exist today. So how do you know if you've made the right choice when you most probably were not given all the information at school? Here are two important questions.

Understanding people and their “natural” (or thrust) behaviour style can go a long way to helping HR professionals streamline the recruitment of new employees. Research shows that poor behavioural fit with existing team members can lead to conflict and a significant drop in team and individual performance. So it’s a good idea to be able to interview not only for ability and attitude, but also for behavioural fit.

Many years ago I was told the story about an IT technician who was called to an executive’s office to fix a computer. The techie arrived, opened the machine, turned one screw, closed it and fired it up. It worked perfectly!

When the executive received the account for USD 255 he was incensed. He phoned the techie, demanding to know how turning one screw could possibly cost so much.