Characteristics Employers Look For When They Hire Managers In Today's Employment Market
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR WHEN THEY HIRE MANAGERS IN TODAY'S EMPLOYMENT MARKET
Hiring and developing managers in any economy is challenging. Finding a manager with the management competencies, leadership skills, decisive judgment, and intellectual horsepower necessary to help lead a company requires a pre-employment assessment that can thoroughly and accurately assess management abilities and competencies. (Wendell, 1984, pp. 208-214). Identifying management potential doesn't necessarily have to be complicated. In my experience in the military and being a manager, a good manager is someone who can plan, organize and sprinkle their activities with a dose of leadership. A good manager doesn't require a strategic plan for the next millennium. They just need to know what's happening next week and be able to communicate that information in a meaningful way to other people. Being organized doesn't mean putting life on a spreadsheet as much as it means setting and implementing priorities. Leadership means setting standards and living up to them.
Employees who hire managers must go through an in-depth assessment of a candidate's ability to direct and lead a major business unit. It measures conceptual thinking, innovative thinking, intellectual ability, work approach, emotional make-up, interpersonal style, leadership and management style, competencies and focuses on business leadership qualities. These qualities include strategic vision, drive for results and team leadership values. This pre-employment assessment guides human resource professionals and hiring managers through the critical elements of hiring the best manager for the position. (Boone, Kurtz and Moore Ch 8 pp 307-309; Dinteman, 2003).
How often have you seen this situation at a company? The clock ticks toward 5 p.m. and employees -- and even some management folks -- have one foot out the door. Or maybe employee turnover is high, and there seems to be a...
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