The Hiring Rollercoaster
Picture this: Your company aims for the stars with a bold plan to double growth year on year. You've mapped out a cutting-edge strategy that's sure to propel you to the top. There's just one snag—you need new talent, and you need it fast.
With approvals, you craft the perfect job description and start the hunt for the superstar who will change the game. But the candidates trickle in slowly and none fit the bill. Panic sets in. Time's ticking, and the dream candidate remains elusive.
So, what do you do? You take matters into your own hands. You rewrite job posts, blast the openings on your social networks, and even cold-message potential candidates from LinkedIn and alumni groups. Finally, after what feels like ages, you find "the one."
When they finally join, the excitement is at its peak. You clear your schedule to onboard them, confident that they're ready to smash those targets.
Except, they aren't.
They balk at the ambitious goals and need constant hand-holding. Weeks in, they're frustrated with processes, and you're frustrated with their excuses. Pressure mounts. Deadlines loom. And then, just like that, they resign.
Sounds familiar?
You reflect and realize and change up a bunch of things: clear expectations from the get-go and adjust internal processes.
Yet, the cycle repeats.
So, what's the problem? You've got a solid strategy, a perfect JD, and a candidate with a stellar resume.
But you're missing one crucial element: mindset—specifically, resilience.
Why Resilience Matters
Think about the myriad challenges our team faces that directly or indirectly affect them:
Global issues like wars and climate change
Personal pressures such as family and health
Professional hurdles like budget cuts and shifting goals
These external pressures are only going to grow—our climate is changing faster than we can imagine, we're not going to get younger, and as the company grows or faces competition, it's going to get tougher.
You need a team that doesn't just survive but thrives through all of this. A team that faces each challenge head-on. When life throws lemons at them, they serve out lemonades.
You need a team with a resilient mindset.
What is Resilience?
Stress = Pressure / Resilience.
A very popular Physics formula that has applications beyond the world of Physics and up close.
When we face pressure of any kind, whether it’s work pressure, pressure from external situations, or people, it often translates directly into stress. However, there is a big missing piece in the equation here, which makes all the difference: resilience. If resilience were to grow in tandem with the pressure, the rising pressure would create no additional stress.
Resilience is that denominator of life that gives us the strength to face "unrealistic" targets or a "budget freeze" with ease.
How Does a Resilient Mind Think?
There are two ways to think about a target that's thrown at you and the resulting consequence of that thought process:
Fixed Mindset:
First thought: "This goal is impossible"; "This target is unrealistic."
Subsequent thought: "Why even bother?"
Action: BAU, Complacency
Outcome: Target missed
Resilient Mindset:
First thought: "This is a stretch goal"; "This is a big vision."
Subsequent thought: "May I understand the logic of derivation of the targets?" "Let's discuss what you have in mind on how to get there"
Action: Open mindedness, Creativity
Outcome: Higher chance of success
Now, I know what you're thinking. This does not mean that we get the license to throw around big targets. Or that we become subservient to any "unrealistic" targets thrown at us. But what it does is it opens up the window of possibilities, ideas, and creativity. This type of mindset is a constructive mindset.
A resilient mindset makes the journey not just bearable, but enjoyable. And remember, the journey is often more important (and longer) than the destination itself.
How to Interview for Resilience
1.Look for Resilience Hints:
Every answer the candidate gives offers hints or indications of their resilience quotient.
2.Ask About Obstacles:
Ask for the biggest obstacles they've faced in their previous work experience and their responses. Focus on "obstacles" rather than "challenges" to gauge real resilience.
3.Create Real-Life Scenarios:
-Present a challenging goal
-Simulate a budget freeze
-Discuss a negative organizational change
Observe their responses. Do they get uncomfortable, or do they brainstorm solutions? The resilient candidates will face these questions head-on, unperturbed.
Conclusion: Hire for Resilience, Not Just Skills
McKinsey & Co's People & Organizational Performance and Forbes talks about the importance and impact of resilient teams in organizations.
The good news is, resilience is not an inherent trait; it is a skill that can be learned. Leaders and teams must start to invest in building this skill or face redundancy
Remember: your business is only as strong as your weakest employee.
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