Hiring Team Players

Stop Looking for Team Players

by

[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nTliOcoTMg[/svp]
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter tells employers, HR professionals and business owners to stop looking for “team players.”

[spp-transcript]

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves life coaching, as well as executive job search coaching and business life coaching. He is the host of “Job Search Radio,” “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” and his newest show, “No BS Coaching Advice.”

Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching?  Email me at JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us and put the word, “Coaching” in the subject line and tell me about your circumstances in the body of the email.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com offers great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.  

Connect with me on LinkedIn. Like me on Facebook.

You can order a copy of “Diagnosing Your Job Search Problems” for Kindle and receive free Kindle versions of “No BS Resume Advice” and “Interview Preparation.”

Don’t forget to give the show 5 stars and a good review in iTunes

If you want to know how to win more interviews, order “Winning Interviews.” You’ll learn how to win phone interviews, in-person interviews, the best question to ask on any interview and more.

Would you like to talk through a salary negotiation or potential negotiation you’re involved with? Order and schedule time with me.

Do you have questions or would like advice about networking or any aspect of your search. Order and schedule time with me.

Would you like me to critique your resume. Order a critique from me

For more about LinkedIn, order “Stacked: Double Your Job Interviews, Leverage Recruiters and Unlock LinkedIn.”

Jeff’s Kindle book, “You Can Fix Stupid: No BS Hiring Advice,” is available on Amazon.

What’s So Good About Hiring Team Players Any Way? | No BS Hiring Advice Podcast

by

[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XDilf68oxw[/svp]
Listen to the full episode here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nobshiringadvice/2016/01/19/whats-so-good-about-hiring-team-players-any-way

I’ll be talking about team players and why companies so foolishly focus so much effort into finding them.

 

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves life coaching, as well as executive job search coaching and business life coaching. He is the host of “Job Search Radio,” “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” and his newest show, “No BS Coaching Advice.”

Are you interested in 1:1 coaching from me?  Email me at JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us and put the word, “Coaching” in the subject line.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com offers great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.  

Connect with me on LinkedIn. Like me on Facebook.

You can order a copy of “Diagnosing Your Job Search Problems” for Kindle for $.99 and receive free Kindle versions of “No BS Resume Advice” and “Interview Preparation.”

 

Jeff’s Kindle book, “You Can Fix Stupid: No BS Hiring Advice,” is available on Amazon.

What’s So Desirable About Hiring Team Players?

by

I was on vacation recently and, as often happens, my mind starts to wander to different things related to my work.

For years, I have joked with people about how meaningless the term, “team player” is. No one asks for people who are mavericks or renegades. Everyone wants to hire, “team players.”

And then the thought hit me.

Why?

Why is being a team player so good that employers write it into every job description?

I did a Google search in my browser.

“What is a team player,” and got a few answers that I thought were interesting.

One defined a team player as being someone who:

  • Enjoys other people’s company
  • Is non judgmental and accepting
  • Is a listener
  • Is likeable
  • Is empathic
  • Accepts other opinions

They sited as examples someone who says

  • “I enjoy motivating people by praising them for their achievements and I accept others’ opinions if even if they differ from mine.”
  • “I enjoy other peoples company and I enjoy discussions with others.”
  • “I think that team work increases efficiency at work.”

Now I understand why in some jobs these are qualities that should be sought after but I must in all candor tell you that there are times where it is important for someone to stand facing the storm and shout, “This is wrong,” or “What you are doing is crap,” and demand that they be heard.

You see, I hold the opinion that too many organizations have doomed themselves to mediocrity through demanding that people be “team players” rather than geniuses . . . or team players who can be “a pain the patootie” when something is seems wrong or mediocre instead of superb.

So while you are interviewing for team players, ask them a few extra questions that lets them know that being “different” or not just “going with the flow” is a quality you want in your new hires.

After they speak with you about what they have done, follow up with this statement and question:

“A lot of people answer that question in much the same way. What makes you any different than the last three people I’ve interviewed for this job?”

or

“Tell me about a time you took a stand for something that turned out well at your last job.”

and, just as importantly

“Tell me about a time you took a stand for something that didn’t turn out as you hoped. What did you learn from it?”

 

You will learn a lot more about the people you interview from their answers and begin to shift your firm’s culture from being one that accepts others opinions in an unquestioning way, where it is important to be likeable and empathetic to one that values excellence, hiring highly motivated and demanding people who want to create excellent products or offer great service to customers, no matter what others may think or them.

 

© 2012 all rights reserved.