At some point in an offsite factory’s life, the owner will have to look for a new General Manager and finding the right one can be a very time consuming process. Extra time is something a lot of factory owners or CEO’s don’t have when interviewing for such a critical position in their company.
But time’s exactly the most important part of the hiring process. Here is a list of 11 things every owner or CEO must avoid in order to make sure they hire the best person for the job of General Manager.
1. They conduct low quality interviews. Most owners have never learned how to conduct a high-quality interview. This isn’t their fault; it’s just that most owners have never been taught how to conduct great interviews.
2. They fail to ask tough, probing questions. Most owners ask questions about work history, experience, and general performance. However, they neglect to ask questions about gaps in a candidate’s resume and they are uncomfortable asking probing questions about previous performance especially if the candidate worked for another factory. You would be surprised how many under qualified GMs get hired simply because the owner met them at a trade conference a few years ago.
3. They get mislead by candidates who interview well. Many upper management people have a tremendous ability to “smooze” and make a great first impression. This often leads the owner feeling good about a particular candidate. However, just because you like someone does not mean they will perform well once they are hired. Owners rely on gut feeling and most times their gut is wrong.
4. They do not check references. Checking references is not an enjoyable task especially when you have a multitude of other tasks demanding your attention. Connecting with previous employers, especially if the candidate is still working for a competitor, is a challenge and most owners don’t want to appear skeptical so they neglect this step in the recruiting process.
5. They do not consider the type of general manager they need for their specific sales environment. For example, if an owner is looking for a general manager to turn around a poorly performing factory but they hire a someone who is not proficient at this, that general manager’s results will be less than satisfactory.
6. They don’t ask candidates exactly how they will achieve results. Once again, this requires that you ask probing questions to determine exactly how the potential general manager will begin planning for what you require. This is especially important if the candidate has worked in the modular housing industry before.
7. They talk too much during the interview. Conducting an interview means giving the applicant sufficient air time. Too many owners talk about the company and their goals instead of asking questions and allowing the candidate to talk. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that the candidate talks at least 70 percent of the time.
8. They hire to “fill a gap.” It is not uncommon for owners to race through the recruiting process in an effort to quickly hire someone because they need a GM in place. After all, hiring new managers is seldom a task that owners enjoy. In these situations, owners focus on the positive aspects of the applicant and neglect to see their possible shortcomings. This often leads to “hiring remorse” once they discover that their choice for GM is not entirely suitable. A bad decision in hiring a new GM can cost you builders, developers, lost upper managers and millions in sales.
9. They allow interruptions during the interview. Owners have dozens of tasks and projects on their plate at any given time and often allow other staff including their assistant to interrupt them during an interview. Effective interviews must be conducted without distractions and interruptions.
10. They only interview people who have industry experience. Many people are fully capable of performing well in modular housing industry providing they are suitable fit to your particular environment. Industry experience brings baggage and preconceived ideas. Candidates who do not have modular experience often bring a new perspective to the sales role.
11. They do not get second opinions. Interviewing a GM requires more than one perspective. Effective owners get other people in the company involved in the interviewing process and they compile all of the feedback before making a hiring decision.
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
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