Articles

From Hire to Growth

Categories: Business Management

If you’ve ever been on the inside of a top-performing organization, you know that it can look like magic to an outsider. The revenue from new clients piles up in what seems like an effortless process. Everyone—employees, vendors, suppliers, marketing, management, technicians, sales teams—is entwined in an elegant dance, the result of which is increasing revenue!

The truth is it only looks magical. It is the result of a carefully orchestrated strategy. At the center of that strategy? Humans. This is why harnessing the power of human potential is so important to every company.

Blending human-centric decisions with data

In an age of high turnover rates, building a resilient company is challenging. The key lies in blending human-centric decisions with data. Extensive data should guide hiring choices, while training, development, and leadership should be rooted in understanding human behavior. Thus, combining these strengths magnifies the potential within your workforce.

Good data is crucial for improving processes. Whether it’s finance, inventory, or fleet management, data informs decisions. But when hiring, do you learn from the data produced from previous mistakes?

My company, PerceptionPredict.ai, recently concluded an extensive study identifying predictors of job performance and tenure for cleaning technicians. We evaluated hundreds of technicians using over 450 psychographic measures and paired this with performance data from Quality Driven Software, courtesy of Martha Woodward.

From thousands of data points, our algorithms discerned which psychographics align with quality technicians and which predict unfavorable habits or early departures. We’ve labeled these as “performance fingerprints.” Employing these fingerprints—translated into a concise 15-minute pre-hire questionnaire—helps predict a candidate’s likelihood of success. As more data feeds the system, its accuracy sharpens. Cleaning businesses can access these insights at WhoHire.com and put their data into their human resource strategy.

However, relying solely on data isn’t the panacea it’s made out to be. Leaders must grasp human behavior intricacies. In my experience, five truths about human behavior can propel growth when understood and implemented by leaders.

Things are only good or bad by comparison

One truth about human behavior is: Things are only good or bad by comparison. “Greatness,” as perceived by your employees, is rooted in their life experiences. Everyone has their unique benchmarks derived from personal reference points. It’s essential to understand the origins of their definitions. How do they define great? Where did they get their standards? What or who is their point of comparison? When hiring, do their perceptions of excellence match your expectations?

By discerning their point of comparison when defining “great,” you can influence and elevate their aspirations. In the cleaning sector, for instance, interpretations of “exceptional cleaning” may vary. The same applies to their perceptions of a commendable salary, noteworthy initiative, or a sterling work ethic.

In my book, The Sales Boss, I dive deeply into all five truths of human behavior and will do so at ISSA Show North America 2023 in Las Vegas. Here are the other four truths, in brief:

• People are already giving 100% of what they believe they are capable of, or they have what they believe is a valid reason for not doing so.
• People love autopilot.
• People need to belong. Easier to be against something than for it.
• The only reason that matters is their reasons.

With so much of our company’s valuation tied up in the quality of our people, it is vital to get that decision right from the moment of hire and through their growth. There are sure to be plenty of opportunities as we gather in Las Vegas to learn from each other.

About the Author.

Jonathan Porter-Whistman is CEO of PerceptionPredict, an AI company that predicts applicant performance before hiring. Join Porter-Whistman’s session on Monday, November 13, at ISSA Show North America 2023.