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HUMAN RESOURCES

that appear to go unnoticed by the appli- “BIG FISH” RESUMES UNCLEAR GOALS
cant should be considered as to how they AND OBJECTIVES
might impact a customer. When resumes sound too good to be true it
is probably because they are. When the only It is not uncommon to conduct an inter-
GOOD EYE CONTACT thing you have to go on is the word of the view where the applicant is never asked the
applicant it can be thin ice to stand on. Some question: “Why do you want to work for
Linguistics and body language experts have people tend to oversell their past results in our company?” If someone cannot answer
volumes to say about the power of eye con- a job interview. It is far better if they have that, it is probably because they do not real-
tact to influence people during conversa- certifications, awards or completed training ly know if they do. If they have put no real
tion. If your applicant has a hard time mak- documents where others are speaking about effort into researching your company or the
ing good eye contact with you during the them rather than themselves. Completed career potential of the position they are in-
interview it can be a definite red flag that training certificates reveal initiative and a terviewing for, they are probably just looking
should not be overlooked. commitment to invest in their own career. for the first job that comes along. That does
not mean they will not be a great employee if
you invest in hiring and training them prop-
erly. But, it is a red flag to consider and you
should not let it go by as just another ques-
tion you ask every applicant.

None of the things that I presented here
should be considered as evidence that
someone might not turn out to be a great
employee, but they are all potential red
flags to be considered and a great interview
does not mean you are looking for perfect
people. If that were the case, a lot of us
would never be able to find employment.
Thankfully, we are all subject to flaws and
weaknesses but, in most cases, our poten-
tial for improvement is always there.
POOR LISTENING SKILLS REFERENCES THAT
CANNOT BE VERIFIED Finding the right people takes time and
While it is true that a job interview can be preparation. It is worth giving it our best
a nerve wracking experience for some peo- Unverified references are as reliable as the effort if, in the end, we find a good fit for
ple, if the applicant does all the talking and ghost stories you see on television. They the company and the rest of the team and
their listening skills are apparently lacking, sound reasonable and there were noises you we end up hiring someone who brings
it is likely they would do the same with cus- could hear, but the proofs are usually very greater benefit to the company and to the
tomers. limited. Give yourself a red flag if you fail to customers we serve.
hire someone before checking their resumes.
BOASTFUL OR And never forget, the most important
ARROGANT AN ENTITLEMENT thing is to train after you hire them for
MINDSET success! n
Most successful salespeople tend to be _________________________________
good conversationalists, but the best ones A job interview is usually a time when both David Lewis is the president of David
know to put the emphasis on the customer people are sizing each other up; you are Lewis & Associates Inc., a national train-
rather than on themselves. Self confidence hoping to find a good employee and they ing and consulting company that special-
is an exceptional trait to have if you make are hoping to find a good employer. Part of izes in the retail automotive industry. He
a living in sales but excessive arrogance is that process obviously includes a discussion is also the author of five industry-related
another thing altogether. Salespeople by about benefits, work schedules and things books.
nature are ego driven and competitive, but that make a job something worth having.
be cautious not to ignore aggressive arro- But, if that seems to be the top priority
gance or boasting from an applicant. It is a topic to the applicant, that is a red flag and
big red flag and could cost you customers in they will probably never give more than a
the long run and revenues as well. status-quo work effort if you hire them.

GIADA Independent Auto Dealer FEBRUARY 2017 | 51