In the last episode of the Audio Tidbits Podcast, focus was on the perfect employee, on those who aspire to be perfect employees and on employers who hope to hire the perfect employee. In this episode, the discussion is expanded to consider the ideal home for the perfect employee. Please consider an organization that aspires to be the ideal home for the perfect employee. You can then judge the quality of the fit for yourself.

As a potential home for the perfect employee, what are our prerequisites for employment?

To join our organization, a potential employee has to have substantial qualifications for the position of interest. Organizations typically set minimum qualifications for positions. This means the positions are open to people who are just barely qualified. Throughout the organization, then, someone who is just barely qualified - and most likely, sometimes by someone who is not qualified - may provide virtually any service. These services cover all aspects of the operation. We have to be able to assure the people who use our services, either internally or externally, that employees who are substantially qualified to provide them are delivering those services. The best way to make this assurance is to only have employees who are clearly qualified to do what they do - people who are substantially qualified for the position they hold.

Our employees are clearly qualified to provide the services they provide. They are, in turn, allowed to provide those services with a minimum of supervision and direction. They function relatively autonomously and independently, so long as they function within the expected, functional parameters. Within limits, they can do what they think is reasonable and appropriate. Given this level of discretion and flexibility, there are additional criteria the organization uses to select employees. They are included below. Each criterion is required. If the prospective employee does not meet the criterion, he (or she) quite simply is not likely to succeed within the organization’s eco system. This is not a judgment about the individual's competence. Rather, it is merely a conclusion he or she would not make a good employee here.

Our employees have a clear vision, a clear sense of mission. The most successful employees have a clear vision of their mission, why they do what they do. They know they are not experts at everything and do not profess to have all of the answers. Even with this limitation, they are clear about why they do what they do.

Our employees value those who make the journey with them. For those who choose to be part of our internal eco system, they are valued and what they do is recognized and appreciated. They, as individuals, matter and what they do matters.

Our employees commit themselves to excellence. Our organization is not merely succeeding, it excels. Being an employee guarantees being a valued member of a team committed to doing the right things right, the first time, on time, every time, one service experience at a time.

Our employees appreciate where and how they fit in. Each of our employees knows that his or her primary role is to help others succeed. His or her task is to provide for other people the best possible opportunity to get where they are committed to going, to succeed with whatever they choose to do that requires services from us.

Our employees play by the rules. They respect the rules and expect others associated with us to do likewise. We have undoubtedly all run across the person who believes he is above everyone else. People like this think rules are for other people and what they want and do are exceptions to any rules or established procedures. Excellence is not something they have thought about a lot. Fortunately, they are very far away from ever being invited to join the staff.