Re-Interviewing

photo by phineas h

photo by phineas h

Interviewing is hard enough.

But, last week I had a great meeting with a forward-thinking, culturally aware Corporate Development officer.  He was touting the benefits of re-interviewing.

Put simply, it’s the company taking an active interest in the employee’s career development.

It’s something he does every 4-6 months.  And its purpose is to probe into whether people are getting what they need out of their job.  Whether they are heading in the right direction.  Whether there is anything that is preventing them from fully engaging in their job.

The cynic will say that it’s the company trying to extract more blood from the turnip.  And there is some of that.  But ultimately, the employment relationship is just that…a relationship.  You have to give in order to get.

By inserting himself into the individual’s career management process, he learns what they want out of the job and can help deliver upon that. How else does the company know what buttons to push in order to properly motivate?  (Hint: money isn’t usually it.)

To illustrate he told me the story of someone in the Corporate Development realm (aka HR) who really wanted to be an accountant.  She had been taking classes at night and had recently completed her certification.  While there wasn’t a position open, he was able to get her involved in projects with the AP/AR groups.

She was still expected to fulfill her duties in the HR space, but she eagerly took on the additional work because it was what she really wanted to do and because the company (and one individual in particular) was willing to take the time to understand what she needed to get.

A role may not open up and she may have to leave in six-months in order to find full-time accounting work.  But the alternative was losing her outright now and getting less out of her while she ’secretly’ sought a new job.

It was an important arrow in his quiver to be able to better understand his team.  And a practice that motivates and engages his team.  If people are a good fit with your company’s values then moving them to a different seat on the bus is a no-brainer.  It builds goodwill and the sense of reciprocity fiercely kicks in.  These people become far more likely to go the extra mile that will make a difference to your business.

He made a few additional points that are worth sharing:

  1. Don’t expect miracles the first time out.  You need to build trust with the employees that enables them to be candid.  Because without candor it’s a wasted exercise
  2. Set the expectation that both sides come fully prepared.  Give the questions/topics you want to cover and expect them to have thought deeply about them
  3. Honor these as you would executive meetings.  Don’t move them, don’t miss them and don’t show up expecting not to be an active participant
  4. Be honest about what the company’s needs too.  If you foresee needing to do things differently bring them up now.  Better to understand if doing things differently is going to motivate the person who has to do the things differently

Do you do something similar?  What works/doesn’t?

Posted by brentdaily on October 6, 2009 | 2 comments so far | Engagement, Interviewing, Motivation, career development, communication