Nobody likes conflict but let's face it, problems are bound to arise when it comes to working with other people. How you handle the situation will not only impact your relationships, but your brand as well.

 In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, Pete and Ricky discuss managing conflict with upset clients through different perspectives, and share some advice for how to handle it. Where you sit may determine where you stand, but willingness to view situations from another angle is crucial to developing and maintaining future relationships. Leaders and employees should remain honest and genuine through conflict with their clients to determine the desired outcome.

 According to Pete and Ricky, you should always anticipate that conflicts will occur. While you can't change the past, you can control the future of how these situations will play out. Remember to maintain control when dealing with unhappy clients and get help when needed. Successfully win the war by not falling victim to your emotions.

 If you are a recruiter or hiring manager, you are going to want to tune in!

Tips for dealing with upset clients:

1. Where you sit determines where you stand. Things are often a matter of perspective. Someone who’s in the wrong, doesn’t think they’re wrong. Put yourself in the client’s perspective and work towards a desired outcome you will both be happy with.
2. Be vulnerable, honest, and genuine with your conversations. Every situation in unique and should be treated that way. The outcome will depend on how each side approaches the situation.
3. Manage expectation. You can’t avoid problems. So don’t judge someone by how well they can avoid problems, but rather how they are dealt with when they arise.
4. Act rationally and maintain control. Don’t take these situations personal and let your emotions get in the way. Separate the person from the actual act, by accepting, acknowledging, and processing it. Take a step back and shift the conversation from a personal attack to a focus on fixing the problem. And if you feel incapable of having a conversation without becoming emotional, get help.
5. Have your team’s back. When an internal client gets upset, it is crucial to step in when they disrespect your employees. You must separate the performance issue with the respect issue, and act accordingly. It’s one thing to be upset, but a line is crossed once there is a lack of respect communicated.

Time for another Q&A episode!  

Candidate ghosting is on the rise, so what can you do to prevent it from happening? What steps can you take when it happens to you? Pete and Ricky share insightful information about providing each candidate a road map of the hiring process, as well as giving them an opportunity to back out.

As a candidate or hiring authority, what is the best method to build up your LinkedIn profile traffic without buying ads? From regularly posting original content to commenting on trending posts, we have some great advice for you!

We also have some bonus content for our listeners! While it is a little off topic, Ricky discusses how to cook the perfect Ribeye steak. Warning, you will get hungry! 

Which stage of the economy are we currently in? From a business perspective, the economy is at a low point. Several companies are scaling back their spending, increasing their prices, and pausing their hiring efforts. 

 In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, Pete and Ricky share tips and strategies for rescinding job offers.  As a consultant with an HR background, Ricky suggests the best approaches to take as a leader that will protect the company's brand. But then comes the question, if executives are making the decision to separate, why are they making offers in the first place? 

 According to Ricky, there are many legalities and approvals that make it too late to form explanations. But externally and internally, communication is the key. Start painting an early picture if possible, so that people can see what is happening and independent department leaders can make decisions sooner. 

If you are a leader needing to make a big choice, whether it is rescinding, laying off, or putting in place a hiring freeze, you are going to want to listen in and take notes on Pete and Ricky’s advice.   

Have you ever taken a risk when it came to hiring a leader? Has it paid off? In a tight labor market, hiring the right leader can be challenging.

In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, Pete and Ricky share their best advice on how to hire a leader that is right for your organization. From Ricky's HR perspective, he believes in taking a cautious approach. But what is the best mix of being cautious while also being realistic?

According to Ricky, there are 3 things a good leader should possess, the right skill set, a charismatic personality, and strong chemistry. Is there anything you can sacrifice? Going through different scenarios, both evaluate the risks that come from bringing someone on with a lack of skill set or zero charisma.

If you are a hiring authority you are going to want to tune in!

Tips for hiring leaders

1. When interviewing someone, you should look at three things. Their skill set, personality, and making sure the chemistry is there. All of those things should be present when looking to hire a successful candidate. Determining their personality and soft skills during an interview is crucial and will tell you how that person  communicates. 
2. People can put anything on their resumes. Chemistry matters and personality definitely matters. Make sure your interpretation of their resume is 100% correct before pulling the trigger to hire them. 
3. When hiring an individual for a position they are not qualified for on paper, you have to consider the risk of people not respecting their authority. But for the right person, that risk might be worth taking. 
4. You don't have to be an extrovert to be a really good leader. They may have a harder time, but introverts can be too. You need to find a people person. That situational guidance, leadership, and mentorship is just as important as dealing with the specific tasks at hand.
5. Depending on how close you are to the work that's being done, you have to put more or less value on the particular knowledge and skills that's necessary and then act accordingly. When you're looking to hire someone, depending on the position, you can determine what kind of skill sets have more value than others. 

What risks & benefits are associated with bringing employees back to the office? 

In this episode of The Hiring Calling Podcast, Pete & Ricky offer insightful strategies to ensure a smooth transition from working remote to going back to in person. Using Tesla as an example, businesses are making tough decisions now, and people are not happy about it.  

Is the transition going to be easy? The best way to bring employees back is through phases. Prepare the workers for what is coming, instead of sending an email out of the blue. By going with this approach, employees will have a chance to adjust their lives and it will give them the opportunity to meet expectations. 

Could it be that trust and accessibility is the main cause of bringing employees back? Stay tuned to find out! 

Great leaders will empower their employees and make a difference in their workplace. 

Looking to become a better leader? In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, special guests Rick Simmons and Tony Alvarez from Holiday Inn Vacations join host Pete Newsome to share their unique experiences that completely changed their views on leadership. What could this experience be? The RLF program (Regional Leadership Forum) is a nationally renowned set of workshops designed to evoke creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills. 

Who were Rich Simmons and Tony Alvarez before they started this program? After 1 month, they transcended into more than just vice presidents. Maybe it was their experience, getting to know other leaders, reading books they never thought to read, gaining insightful knowledge, and channeling their inner selves.  

Sometimes leaders lose touch, and the workplace becomes grey. But there is an opportunity to bring back that color as evidenced by the emotional train that Rich and Tony rode on. Perhaps it might even touch upon your life outside of the workplace as well.  

Did the RLF program work and what impact did it have on their workplace? Listen to this episode of The Hiring Calling Podcast to find out. 

Additional Resources 

• Leadership in the Workplace: Advice for Employees and Managers
• How To Be A Leader In The Workplace
• Strategies for Culture Change Management that Works
• What Is Culture Add And How To Hire For It

Tips for how to become a great leader

1. There's no better investment than time in people. Create great teams of people. Relationships transcend transactions. You are greater than the percentage of turnover you have or don't have. 
2. Lead people in life, beyond the realm of staying in the company. True leadership is supporting individuals moving on to their future endeavors rather than holding them back. Allow them a platform to express their problems and leave them confident knowing they have your support. 
3. Get to know the people you are leading. Who are they? What are their dreams? It is so important to make sure you take the time to really know who you're spending all day with. 
4. Hire the candidate who cares. Spend time getting to know who they are and what their thought process is behind things. Get into a conversation during the interview with a candidate, rather than sticking with questions. More times than not, the candidate will relax and give you more insight and more information about themselves.

Should you rehire previous employees? There are reasons as to why employees are leaving their jobs and there are ways to prevent it. But what happens when they decide to come back? 

Check out this episode of The Hire Calling Podcast, where Pete and Ricky discuss the advantages and disadvantages of boomerang hires. 
 
Wondering what a boomerang employee is? It is exactly how it sounds, an employee that leaves and then comes back to the job they had previously left. Pete and Ricky use "players" to identify the different types of employee scenarios when it comes to considering who to bring back. Players A, B, C, D, E, & F are different from each other but not all of them have a lucky outcome when it comes to the decision to rehire. 

 It is one of the toughest positions you can find yourself in as a business owner. Do you have to interview that employee again? Ricky mentions that sometimes the employee might come back with different negative behavior that they picked up on from the job they left for. 
 
If you are an employer trying to make a rehiring decision or an employee that is trying to make their way back in, tune into this episode of The Hire Calling Podcast. 

 
 Additional resources

• Reasons Employees Are Leaving Their Jobs & How To Prevent It
• Costly Hiring Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
• How To Write An Employee Offer Letter With Sample and Template
• Hiring & Salary Guide

Tips for dealing with boomerang employees

1. Don't let the presence of stress be the reason you take the path of least resistance. It will always be the easiest decision to bring the person back on, but is it the smartest? Even if they have a great skill set, it has to be the right person with the right skill set at the right time for the right job.
2. Just because people apply for your job, doesn't mean you have to hire them. Even if they have worked for you in the past, you shouldn't be compelled to hire an individual you don't want. You have freewill and its your decision to make, just don't forget to do it fairly and follow EEOC laws. 
3. You can leave the door open for employees looking for new opportunities, but don't let your organization be viewed as a revolving door. How committed would would current employees be if they viewed their role as something they can leave and then come back whenever they want?
4. It is crucial to interview those boomerang employees. While that same employee could be back and better than ever, they could also be a completely different person now. Don't assume, you will never now unless you conduct an actual interview. 
5. The first few weeks after an employee leaves is a true indication of how much they benefitted your organization. What will you see after they leave? A mess or the great work they were doing? Keep this in mind when they return.

In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, Pete and Ricky discuss how an increasing amount of employers are implementing pre-employment social media screening practices. What does this mean for candidates? Is this tactic invasive or insightful? Listen to find out!

As always, we welcome your suggestions for future topics!  Please email us: [email protected]

What should employees take into consideration before making the decision to leave their job? In this episode of the Hire Calling Podcast, Pete and Ricky discuss the great resignation and why it is still gaining speed. 

As always, we welcome your suggestions for future topics!  Please email us: [email protected]

In this episode, Ricky challenges Pete to answer questions from the recent Disrupt HR meeting that took place in Orlando, FL.  Listen to find out how Pete responds to topics including:
-Maintaining candidate engagement during the recruiting process
-Reducing employee retention in the current candidate's market
-Keeping in touch with strong candidates who weren't selected for a current job opening
-Leadership traits required for employee communication
-How to handle hostile callers

As always, we welcome your suggestions for future topics!  Please email us: [email protected]