[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]As a CEO, I find myself relying on a great many people to keep my business running—and, in fact, that’s the way I like it. I’m collaborative by nature, and I enjoy engaging others in decisions. I find I can take in varied opinions, weigh their merits, and ultimately choose my own course of action.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]That’s why I value having an excellent administrative assistant whom I can engage in numerous ways and at a multitude of points. There’s no greater collaborative partnership in the business world than that of an executive and his or her assistant. Though there are many crucial pieces to the company ‘machine,’ from accounting to sales to marketing, the administrative professionals are the gears that keep everything connected and turning.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]Jennifer McGrath, St. Louis Staffing’s new Program Manager, is a perfect example of how an administrative professional can become indispensible in a short amount of time. She not only supports me, but the management team as a whole, so the entire team was engaged in the process of choosing her.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]It wasn’t easy to find the right fit, but we’re a staffing company, after all, and we relied on our well-tested processes. We began with a list of candidates drawn from our extensive network, assessed resumes and online profiles, and did a phone screening of those who were qualified.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]The top candidates had opportunities to meet with me, as well as the other senior managers. Then we identified the few we were most interested in. Those were given the Standards Individual Contributor Assessment by TAD,Talent Assessment and Development. It measures three things: hard-wired traits (like personality and problem solving abilities), drivers and motivators (what engages and energizes a person), and what they know, including management skills. As TAD CEO Shawna Lyonfields explains, “To use a fun analogy… If you are trying to hire an NBA star, you want to know these same three things:[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]1. Hard wiring – things you can’t really change would be like height.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]2. Drivers/motivators – even if the guy is 7 feet tall, if he is not driven or competitive, he isn’t going to do you any good.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]3. Does he know what he is doing? IF he is tall and driven, but doesn’t know how to play the game, he might or might not be worth training. It depends on how quickly you need him to get on the court.”[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]It’s not just about whether someone is qualified, but whether he or she is uniquely suited to your needs. Because we had already discussed the shortfalls in our admin needs, we were able to look for certain things in the assessment.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]Two candidates tested high, and both of them sat down with me one more time. Then I made my final decision based on who I thought would fit best in our culture—also a crucial component to the successful operation of any organization. It’s no surprise to find that Jennifer has a can-do attitude and has already taken the administrative lead on several initiatives, because that’s exactly how she tested.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]Because of the assessment, I had already identified some things to watch out for while onboarding. I knew that Jennifer would be willing to take on a lot, but that also meant that I needed to develop an honest rapport with her as quickly as possible, so she would feel able to tell me exactly how much she could take on without overextending herself.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]In keeping with my team approach, I have used Lynn Seguros, an HR consultant, to come up with a job duty list and to outline expectations for the first 180 days. Lynn circles back once a month to make sure the onboarding plan is continuing to be effective. It may seem to some like a luxury to hire help with the process, but onboarding is every bit as crucial as hiring, and it’s even harder to get right.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]Every aspect of what we do is treated with the same effort, care and attention to detail as our hiring of Jennifer, and I see first hand the benefit of it. It requires discipline to execute an effective hiring process, but it’s worth every bit.[/font]
[font=verdana, 'Bitstream Charter', serif]As we approach Administrative Professionals Day next week, I for one am feeling grateful for all those who have helped me build this company and the people responsible for the many integral parts—the administrative professionals like Jennifer who make up the system that keeps everything moving beautifully—and the collaborative effort that helps me find great people like her.[/font]
