Business Education

Personality Hires Spark a Big Social Media Debate. Here’s What Small Businesses Need to Know

Personality Hires Spark a Big Social Media Debate: Here’s What Small Businesses Need to Know

Personality hires have recently become a popular topic on social media. While there are numerous reasons, perhaps the biggest is the concept resonates with many people, particularly younger generations like Gen Z, who often feel that they bring value to the workplace through their interpersonal skills and positive energy, even if they may not have extensive technical skills or experience. This launched a trend where individuals celebrate being “personality hires,” often in a humorous or self-deprecating manner, sharing their experiences and insights on platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

Also, the rise of remote work and changing workplace dynamics have made the concept of personality hires more relevant. As companies focus on building strong team cultures and maintaining employee engagement, the value of employees who can foster positive relationships and boost morale has become more apparent. This has sparked discussions about the importance of hiring for cultural fit and soft skills, in addition to technical abilities.

What to Know about Personality Hires

As stated above, personality hires refer to the practice of hiring employees based on their personal traits, interpersonal skills, and cultural fit, rather than solely on their technical skills or experience. This approach emphasizes the importance of an individual’s personality in the workplace, as it can significantly impact team dynamics, collaboration, and overall company culture.

Pros of Personality Hires

This isn’t a completely new concept. But since it’s a decidedly different approach than traditional thinking, it can be difficult to see the benefits. So, let’s take a look at some of the advantages these job candidates can bring to the table and why they could be a good fit for an organization:

Enhanced team cohesion. Employees with compatible personalities often work better together, reducing conflicts and improving team dynamics. A personality hire can help foster a positive and collaborative work environment.
Improved relationships and communication. Personality hires are typically good communicators and can help improve relationships among team members and between employees and management. This can lead to better collaboration and problem-solving.
Adaptability and learning potential. Candidates hired for their personality traits, such as openness, adaptability, and eagerness to learn, may be more effective in growing into their roles and taking on new challenges compared to those selected solely for their current skill set.
Reinforcement of cultural norms and values. Hiring for personality allows organizations to reinforce the cultural norms and values that make them unique, fostering a workplace where employees are aligned with the company’s core beliefs and behaviors.

Additionally, personality hires offer the potential for a new way of approaching an industry. These individuals may perceive things differently and be able to take a novel viewpoint no one else has thought of before.

Cons of Personality Hires

Now, as you well know, there are downsides to any proposition. Sure, this could bring a small business plenty of great experiences but it’s important to be aware of potential problems that could come from personality hires, like the following:

Risk of skill gaps. Focusing too much on personality might lead to overlooking essential skills or technical deficiencies, potentially resulting in performance issues if the hire cannot meet the technical demands of the role.
Overemphasis on likeability. There’s a risk that highly likable candidates may be favored over more qualified ones, which can impact the overall productivity and effectiveness of the team.
Potential for bias. Personality-based hiring can introduce bias into the hiring process, as it relies heavily on subjective judgments about an individual’s character and fit within the organization.
Conflict among team members. Personality hires can sometimes create tension or conflict within the team, especially if their personality traits clash with those of other team members.

Small businesses should carefully consider the pros and cons of personality hires when making hiring decisions. While personality hires can bring considerable benefits to a workplace, including improved team harmony and cultural alignment, it is crucial to maintain a balanced approach.

By carefully blending personality assessments with skill evaluations during the recruitment process, organizations can ensure they not only hire employees who fit into the workplace culture but who are also well-equipped to contribute to the company’s success. Ultimately, small businesses should prioritize hiring individuals who possess a combination of strong technical skills and a compatible personality that aligns with the company’s values and culture.

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How Entrepreneurs Can Establish Good Business Credit

June 1, 2018 No Comments

When you open a small business, you have the opportunity to build credit separate from your personal credit. The better your small business’ credit, the better terms you can get with supply vendors and lending institutions, like banks. This means being able to borrow at a better rate to finance expansion in the future. Why Building Good Business Credit is Important Like personal credit, business credit is monitored and reported by credit bureaus. “The major business credit bureaus that compile and provide copies of the reports are: Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business, and Business Credit USA,” according to one credit expert. By having a business credit history separate from your personal one, you can minimize the effect negative events on one might have on the other. For example, if you have some financial missteps that impact your personal credit history and score, they shouldn’t impact your small business credit if you have established a clear separation and vice versa. —Biz Filings.com Building business credit is essential to a company’s reputation and success. Establishing good business credit is done through a combination of practices. Your small business will have to observe these to build a solid commercial credit record. How Entrepreneurs can Establish Good Business Credit When you start a company, you’ll probably need corporate credit for a number of things. Keep in mind, though, these are ultimately your personal responsibility. So, make sure you understand the terms. Here’s how entrepreneurs can establish good business credit: Secure a debt instrument in the business’ name. A “debt instrument” is simply another term for “loan” or “line of credit”. It means you are borrowing money in advance or taking on debt to purchase necessities for your business, like fixtures, equipment and supplies. Apply for a business loan, line of credit, or vendor credit that does not check your personal credit score or history. You are attempting to obtain credit in the business’s name only. Commercial lenders may waive personal credit checks in lieu of providing collateral or a down payment. Another method for securing a debt instrument is to apply for a credit card in the name of your business. Terms and reporting procedures will vary by credit card companies, but in general, the monthly payments will reflect on your business’ credit profile. Build your credit history. Make credit line and business loan payments on time. Schedule automatic payments debited from your business checking account for business loans and lines of credit. Or make payments on recurring credit lines or loans at least three to five business days in advance of the due date. Get in the habit of making payments larger than the minimum due. Check your business’ credit files for errors. Request copies of your business credit report from each of the corporate credit monitoring bureaus, six to 12 months after securing a commercial loan or line of credit. Review each report for accuracy and dispute any errors directly with the agency reporting the erroneous items. If errors are disputed to no avail and are not legitimate, consider having your attorney contact the reporting agency to resolve the situation. Like personal credit reports, business credit reports may be adversely affected by incorrect trade lines being reported. How have you established business credit? What mistakes would you avoid? Please share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Former Employee becomes a Rival Without a Non-Compete Agreement — What Should I Do

September 30, 2020 No Comments

Here’s an unusual but not unheard of situation. A team member leaves your company only to go off and form a rival business. Making matters worse, there’s no non-compete agreement in place. Perhaps you never considered one, or thought it unnecessary. Whatever the case, your former employee is now a direct competitor — so, what should you do? Legal Action might Not be the Best Action The reflexive answer might be to sue. However, this will be very costly and challenging. Without an explicit non-compete agreement, you’ll have to prove with documented evidence that he or she used proprietary methods, and/or work product, and/or more, in order to start his or her business and poach customers. In other words, it will be a very expensive and uphill proposition that doesn’t have more than a 50/50 chance of succeeding. When the employer faces a worker that engages in certain activities, he or she may need to sue the person for the actions that lead to the individual becoming a competitor. Many of these circumstances involve the employee acting in direct violation of company policy or the state or federal laws by stealing information from the company or poaching clients. —HG.org That means you’ll have to find another way to deal with the situation. Since you’re probably not going to persuade him or her to give up their newfound success, or come back to work for you, what alternatives are there? Well, it really depends on your relationship as it stands now. How to Deal with an Ex-Employee Who is Now a Competitor When a former employee becomes a competitor, it can stir up a number of emotions. You might feel proud, if this was the plan all along. But, if it came out of the blue, chances are excellent that you will feel angry and even cheated. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with an ex-employee who becomes a business rival: Talk about establishing some mutual boundaries. Although there was no arrangement in-place prior to his or her departure, that doesn’t mean that you can’t come to some agreement now. Speak with him or her about establishing some ground rules. Perhaps, you both can offer different variations of what is essentially the same within the industry. For instance, you take on one type of client, why he or she takes on another. Or, you agree not to cross certain geographic boundaries. Form a strategic alliance. Here’s another idea — work together, yet separately. If the above suggestion isn’t feasible, then there’s no reason you can’t work together, behind-the-scenes. For example, you might be able to serve clients in one capacity, while he or she serves them in another. Yet another alternative is to work in tandem, where you pick up where he or she isn’t available, and vice-versa. Shift your focus. This just might give you the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, for some time. You can look at it as a blessing in disguise to transition from one business model to another. Perhaps you’ve wanted to take the company in a different direction, but have been unable to fill the void. Now, there’s someone to do just that, freeing you to pursue new things. What other suggestions do you have to deal with such a situation? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your prospective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

These Two Words Reveal Bad Leadership Skills

September 14, 2020 No Comments

Harry Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Ronald Reagan echoed that sentiment. JFK famously said, “…ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Taking credit, even when legitimately earned, doesn’t sit well with others. People often take it as pompous, even narcissistic. That’s because it simply comes across that way, even if you don’t mean it at all. That’s why two simple words can give you a glimpse into someone else’s leadership style. Language Reveals a Lot about Personality The two words that serve as warning signs of bad leadership are merely pronouns — “me” and “I.” Someone who repeatedly uses “me” and “I” are subtly (perhaps overtly) expressing their worldview. That’s right, he or she is the center around which everything revolves. Leadership is one of the most important factors determining the success of a company. Poor leadership can seriously affect employee morale and even cause the company’s bottom line to plunge. Bad leadership leads to poor employee retention and demotivates the remaining employees, causing them to be much less productive than they would otherwise be. —Houston Chronicle Small Business Okay, that’s cliche, but it exposes a hard truth. We don’t like to think of ourselves as selfish, so we also don’t like to apply that label to others. Though, when the behavior is egregious, it not only seems appropriate to think of as an undesirable quality, but almost a necessity to call out. 3 Devastatingly Poor Leadership Traits While there are certainly numerous bad leadership attributes, three are among the absolute worst. They undermine the very role of a leader. So, doing any one of them (or more) will only be counterproductive. Here three hurtful leadership characteristics to avoid all the time: Micromanaging. Unsurprisingly, this makes the top of the list. Micromanagers are among the most despised people because their behavior is completely counterproductive. Insisting on control of everything means there’s really no need for anyone else. It’s so hated, this trait ranks among the highest in dissatisfaction among people in survey after survey. It shows you have no confidence in anyone else. Plus, it proclaims you’re the only competent person in the workplace. Not recognizing others. This isn’t much different from micromanaging because it stirs up just about as much resentment. It shows a lack of care and regard for others. It also says that you have little respect for the work others work so hard to produce. If you aren’t encouraging others through recognition, you’re insulting them in more than one way. Failing to share information. When you aren’t transparent and open about what’s going on or what’s expected, you’re effectively sabotaging anyone without that information. “To be unclear is to be unkind” the saying goes. It speaks volumes because keeping too much too close to the vest shows a real lack of trust. Without trust, there’s no way to have a working relationship. What other signs tip you off to a bad leader? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Others can greatly benefit from what you have to contribute. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.