Stop Letting Resumes Fool You

True superstars, who are a well-rounded in their professional experience, behavioral soft skills, technical hard skills, integrity, and are searching for meaningful opportunities stand out from others. 

This is true even in the way they write their resumes.

Why?

Because top performers are committed to excellence in all that they do. 

Their resume may not totally match your standards for perfection, but you can recognize the ways they invest extra effort to present themselves accurately, honestly, and professionally.  Or not…

Every applicant has unlimited time to prepare their resume. 

Therefore, their grammar, format, and content should be correct, appealing, and 100% accurate. 

Here’s a quick list on what we look for in a resume:

1.   The format should be professional, and ideally, the design is nice. 

2.   No grammar or spelling errors. 

3.   A photo is nice, but is it current?  A photo that is 10 years old is a yellow warning flag. 

Either the person doesn’t maintain their information correctly, or they’re trying to communicate an inaccurate image of themselves.

4.   The information should be accurate. 

There shouldn’t be any significant differences between their resume and LinkedIn profile, or as you confirm details during interviews. 

5.   Consider their "home address."  How long will it take to commute to the job (with and without traffic)? 

Be prepared. 

A surprisingly large number of candidates list an address that is temporary.

6.   Does their statement of what they’re looking for match the position? 

You might be surprised how often this occurs. 

It is a clear yellow warning flag when you want to hire a salesperson and the primary objective on their resume is marketing or another non-sales role.

7.   Do their skills and experiences match the position?

8.   What is the length of time they stayed at each company on the resume? 

Ideally a candidate should be with a company 2-3 years, and preferably 5 years. 

We don’t agree with the generality assigned to Generations Y and Z that they don’t stay anywhere longer than a year. 

Find ones that do, and have a plan to self-motivate them to stay with you.

9.   Each career opening on the resume should explain results achieved and leadership behaviors, not general info. 

Look for certain words.  We are going to consider some examples in a moment, when we focus more on culture match.

Also, as they describe what they did in each role, per company, look for specifics about what they accomplished individually and as an active member of a team. 

Do they give appropriate credit to the team, or just claim all the credit for the results themselves?

10.   Look for employment gaps to discuss, all the way back to starting after they graduated from school. 

For instance, they graduated from college in 1995.  Why does their job history start in 2005?  Or, if they have more than a three-month gap between any jobs.  There may be a good reason.  Also, there may not be a good reason!

11.   Are they growing in their career, or stagnant? 

There can be a good explanation for career stagnation, or a leveling-off in their advancement. 

They may have had a child.  They may have found a position they love and didn’t want to change.  Or, they may have found a position that is comfortable and didn’t want to advance more at this time. 

The key is to notice the lack of advancement, and later discuss the situation so you know the facts rather than make assumptions. 

Knowing the truth helps you discern where they may fit best in your organization.

12.   Do you know anyone at their current or former jobs to call for a reference before the initial interview?

If so, then our preference is to contact them now if the person looks like a top performer. 

Don’t lose any time because the candidate is probably contacting other companies about their openings. 

If the person is a superstar, then we want to hire them before they get away.

13.  If listed, consider how their personal interests match your culture.

14.   If individual or team activities / athletics are listed, do they indicate the person is a good team player and/or a leader?

Focus the most on considering their current role and other positions they have held during the past five years. 

Take note of the jobs and experience over their entire career, but focus on where the player is today.

Try to assess how well the person is succeeding today because this is the momentum they are bringing to your organization.  

Contact us if you would like a copy of our free Hire the Best guide. 

Winning Words

There is another objective as you consider whether they are a fit with your organization. 

It is to scan their resume for words that indicate accomplishment and a culture match, or their synonyms. 

There are lots of articles on the Internet teaching candidates to use power words, winning words, strong words for resumes, or whatever you want to call them. 

We are looking for these terms to confirm a candidate is achieving results and is going to work well as a member of our team living out our values.

There are hundreds of possibilities, but here are 15 example Winning Words to watch for:

1.       Achieved, Accomplished, Won…

We want to hire people who achieve real results on their own and as a team. 

Look for specifics on what they did, what was accomplished as a team, and if a leader, how they led the effort. 

And… later during your interviews you must confirm if she/he achieved the results claimed, rather than it was someone else or they over-emphasized their contribution to the accomplishment.

2.      Improved, Increased, Expanded…          

Great team members and growing companies improve year after year systematically.  (Systematic Power is the first strand of 3strands LEADERSHIP.) 

Achieving regular results is important. 

Look for people who overcome problems, improve processes, and/or help people work together more effectively.

3.      Created, Initiated, Drove…

Has the person created anything from scratch or improved something? 

Was it so revolutionary that their contribution created new opportunities for the long-term success of their organization? 

Ideas are great, but not always profitable. 

Look for creative people who can apply their ideas for the greater good. 

4.     Team, Shared, Contributed…

Are you hiring the Lone Ranger or a team player? 

If the team player, then look for indications the person has worked effectively on teams, mentored others, and built lasting positive relationships. 

Do they credit others in their resume and interviews, or just themselves? 

Another consideration:  Ask about turnover on their teams. 

Discern if they contribute to high retention or turnover.

5.     Developed, Skills, Ability…

Everyone looks at "hard skills." 

These are the technical skills needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the role.  Be wiser than that. 

Do not stop there. 

Look for how the person is developing their soft skills. 

Soft skills or emotional intelligence ("EQ") are how you act rather than what you know. 

Examples of "soft skills" are attitude, manners, collaboration, problem solving, conflict resolution, documentation, time management, and communication.

Know the soft skills you want in each position. 

Look for the person to demonstrate these soft skills in your interviews.

You get the idea, right? 

Winning Words indicate a candidate is focused on results, or is simply good with grammar. 

We’ll find out later, but right now we want to confirm they appear to be a top performer. 

Winning Words or a piece of the puzzle.

What About Failures?

We think it’s good news when a candidate lists some failures on their resume. 

This is particularly true when they explain what they learned from it, and then list something that demonstrates they applied what they learned to do better the next time. 

It takes courage, candor, and integrity to list a failure on your resume.  Or foolishness, if the failure is not explained professionally and connected to success.

Some failures are more valuable than success. 

The reason is sometimes success just happened because someone was in the right place at the right time and they didn’t make any major mistakes.  Success just happened without them having to work through much difficulty. 

Other times, success happened because someone or something else in the organization was driving the success and the person was simply participating in it. 

After both these situations, the person may know how to ride success, but not how to achieve results amidst chaos, confusion, or adversity. 

Our experience is someone who has failed can be more valuable than an individual who is in the right place, at the right time, with the right team. 

However, this is only true when the candidate can explain what they learned from it, how they avoid similar mistakes as a result, and can provide evidence of succeeding amidst similar challenges.

We believe top performers have experienced some failures along with their successes.

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Jeopardy Team-Building

How can you combine team bonding, education, and training?

And laughs?  Lots of laughs!

Ryan McFarland, Service Desk Manager at Vertikal6 had a solution.

Every Friday he created questions to lead a Jeopardy game for his team of help desk techs.

The winner got a $25 gift card, but that was not the primary motivation.

The main draw was the friendly competition and laughter.

Here’s how he formulated the questions:  Ryan chose a different Client every week.

He researched the Client’s recent tickets to develop 30 questions, plus one bonus question based on the actual services provided.

Ryan also developed three wrong answers for each of the 30 questions.  This way instead of only a question being displayed for the contestants, the question plus four possible answers were revealed.

His people loved it even more than traditional Jeopardy because they all could compete to choose the right answer first.

Yes, it takes some work.  However, Vertikal6 has an incredibly strong culture and building each other up while having fun is an essential ingredient.

Ryan loaded the questions and answers into www.playfactile.com, which provides a similar interface to the Jeopardy game show. 

This creates 6 columns with five questions each, ascending in value as you work your way down the column. 

The game typically takes 20-30 minutes and his team of millennials loved it.

Wouldn’t you?

Consider the benefits:

1. Everyone on the team learned more about a Client so they can serve them better.

2. Laughter and friendly rivalry bonded the group.

3. The leader (Ryan) set an example that having fun is encouraged when it’s positive, productive, and respectful.

4. The cost is $25 plus about two hours of someone’s time weekly to set it up.  (Researching some Clients takes longer.)

5. When Clients that have been the focus of the game call in for help, the service they receive is more consistently excellent and personal.

Vertikal6 continues to be a rapidly growing, highly successful, advanced IT solution provider.  They have doubled in size since we worked together a few years ago. 

The company has been recognized as a Best Place to Work in Rhode Island.  

They provide superior services in their region because they get “the people” right (culture).

When we offered it, Vertikal6 sent every new manager through our Manage 2 Win Certified Leader program.  However, we are just a piece of their organizational success. 

Their leaders get the credit for their growth and culture.  It starts with Rick Norberg, the founder, who is a visionary.  Harry Curran, his right-hand man who runs operations, is a down-to-earth, humble leader. 

They hire carefully, give their leaders a lot of authority and opportunity, work diligently with their teams, and have built a culture where everyone embraces excellence.

You may not be able to match vertikal6’s growth rate or culture, but why not start with this game? 

It’s a winner.

Laughter echoes in the halls of every great organization.

Why not yours?

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Greed Kills Performance

Ideally, everyone has a combination of compensation they receive for showing up to work (base salary and benefits), plus incentive pay in addition to that. 

We want 100% effort and zero excuses.

We suggest your company pay people fairly – and without limit - based on their performance. 

Pay your people with a purpose. 

We call this incentive pay, but it is also referred to it as “total pay,” “variable pay,” “synchronized pay,” and/or “pay for performance.” 

It has been estimated that 80 percent of companies offer some type of pay-for-performance program, which is a performance-related award that must be re-earned each year and does not increase base salary.

WARNING:  Do not be greedy.  Define a plan where your Company makes more money when your people perform better and then be grateful when they earn more… even a lot more, because that means your company is also earning significantly more. 

Always introduce a new incentive program as a pilot.  This sets the expectation that it is a test, not a guaranteed program for the foreseeable future. 

During the pilot, you guarantee their current full income if you are adjusting their base pay down and shifting those dollars into part of their incentive pay.

Here is an example of how greed corrupts incentive pay. 

The Harvard Business Review had a story about a division within a Fortune 100 company that tried an incentive pay plan. 

The managers launched a program of team goals coupled with team-based pay with three possible levels of reward. 

The managers projected that 90 percent of the teams could reach Level 1, 50 percent could reach Level 2, and only 10-15 percent reach Level 3 (the highest).

For the first six months, everyone loved the system and worked harder than ever. 

The result was the majority of teams reached Levels 2 and 3. 

The company benefited from greater productivity and probably profits. 

However, the compensation that had to be paid was greater than expected by the managers.

The managers had no intention of rewarding people for improved performance but just wanted to pay less for weak performance. 

Rather than compliment the employees that reached Levels 2 and 3, the managers adjusted the goals upward to unreachable heights. 

Too many of the objectives were affected by situations out of the control of workers, so the goals could not be achieved. 

Workers became upset and disillusioned. 

Shortly thereafter the managers killed the system. 

Apparently, their core objective was not to pay people more;  it was only to work people harder.

The foundation of any incentive pay plan is trust. 

Employees must trust management to pay as promised and give them authority that matches their responsibilities so they can achieve results.

One example of a dynasty built on incentive pay is Nucor Steel, the largest steel company in the world. 

Employee relations at Nucor are based on four simple principles:

1. Management is obligated to manage Nucor in such a way that employees will have the opportunity to earn according to their productivity.

2. Employees should feel confident that if they do their jobs properly, they will have a job tomorrow.

3. Employees have the right to be treated fairly and must believe that they will be.

4. Employees have an avenue of appeal when they believe they are not treated fairly.

The amount of incentive pay is determined by the minimum employees are paid to show up at work and how well they achieve clear, measurable financial results individually and/or as a company. 

If your base compensation is lower than average, then your incentive pay can be much higher. 

For instance, some Nucor incentive pay is 80-150% or more of an employee’s base pay.

Our Company believes everyone needs to commit to 100-zero performance:  Each of us takes 100% responsibility to make our Clients and coworkers happy, and there are no excuses.

The payout of our incentives is by the end of the month following the close of the incentive period (month, quarter, or year).  

For example, your Q1 incentive is paid by the end of April.

The key to a successful incentive pay program lies in finding a balance between fair compensation and performance-based rewards.  It's important for companies to create these programs with transparency and integrity so that employees trust the system and are motivated to perform well.

Nucor Steel's example demonstrates how transformative the results can be when management genuinely supports their employees' efforts.  On the other hand, when greed overshadows fair compensation, it leads to disillusionment and undermines the purpose of incentive pay.

By embracing a culture of 100% accountability and zero excuses, companies can cultivate a productive and positive work environment that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole.

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Employee Separation Process

Every company should have a process to make certain every team member's conclusion of employment occurs in a manner that is positive, complete, and legally compliant. 

A primary objective of any separation process is to reaffirm to the departing team member that your company is a great place to work.  Why?  Because after they leave, the relationship is still important. 

Another reason is they talk about your team to others.  Sincerely maintaining the relationship motivates them to focus their comments on the positive aspects of their time with your organization. 

Start strong when you hire.  End strong when people leave.

I know of an executive who joined an organization and left after almost a year and a half.  No exit interview.  No message to his team members or any employees of his departure.  No goodbye.  No thank you for his accomplishments, which were many, including every objective he was assigned. 

This guy is a professional.  He strives to only comment positively or in a neutral way to any questions posed to him about his prior employer.  But their unprofessionalism and unkindness makes it difficult to feel good about the time he invested achieving the objectives they set and more. 

There are three parts to a clear, written separation process predefined by your organization:

1.  Team Member Separation Process guide explaining your process.

2. Exit Checklist to prepare for the Exit Interview and complete the separation process.

3. Exit Interview scorecard to confirm what occurs during that meeting. 

HR or a person senior to the departing employee’s direct manager confirms the proper separation procedures are followed each time a team member leaves your organization. 

Here are specific steps we recommend our Clients follow in their employee separation process:

Types of Separation

TERMINATION

Here are key steps when a team member is terminated due to poor performance:

1. DOCUMENTATION:  Review the documentation you have confirming the employee's performance is not acceptable, including how they have been warned in-writing and verbally of the consequences for not performing up to your standards.  Dates, times, descriptions of each interaction are important even if the team member did not acknowledge receipt in-writing.

2. NOTICE:  Prepare written notification (email or letter) to the team member explaining the decision.  The Human Resources Department or the employee’s direct manager drafts this brief letter in a professional manner using a standard company template that clearly defines the reasons for letting him/her go.  The letter is proofread by HR, the employee’s direct manager, and/or someone else before being delivered to the employee.

3. INFORM:  Verbally tell the team member first, then give them the letter during the conversation, or email the written notification immediately afterwards.

LAYOFF

The steps to layoff someone is similar to termination.  Step 1 is less important.  Your main focus is steps 1-2.

QUIT

Here are appropriate steps when an employee is quitting:

1. IN-WRITING:  The team member leaving must notify you in-writing of their decision and desired final workday.  If they tell you verbally, then require them to submit their decision in-writing before leaving work that day.

2. RETAIN:  Before accepting their resignation, have a casual conversation to discuss why they plan to leave.  Are they a solid role player or superstar whom you want to keep?  Do you think they may be making a mistake?  If so, then without pressure, reconnect them to the positives of staying on your team.  Try to convince them to stay. 

3. ACCEPT:  If you are unsuccessful in your attempt to retain them, then prepare written notification (email or letter) to the team member accepting their decision and confirming their last day. 

4. The Human Resources Department or the employee’s direct manager drafts this brief letter in a professional manner using a standard company template.  The letter is proofread by HR, the employee’s direct manager, and/or someone else before being delivered to the employee.

5. NOTIFY:  The team member should be told of your acceptance verbally first, then handed the letter during the conversation or emailed the written notification immediately afterwards.

Preparing Your Exit Checklist

HR or the team member’s direct manager reviews the draft Exit Checklist to confirm everything needed can be confirmed prior to the Exit Interview:

Here are common tasks to be on an Exit Checklist:

1. DOCUMENTATION:  Important information related to their employment is documented and ready for discussion.

2. PAYCHECK:  Accounting has confirmed the exact amount of the player’s final paycheck, including any amount that needs to be paid for unused paid time off and other accrued benefits.  If appropriate, this amount is confirmed by HR and/or the team member’s direct manager.

3. PROPERTY:  A list has been compiled of all company property the team member must return prior to the issuance of the employee's final paycheck.  List everything below other items to confirm in an Exit Checklist.  

4. NOTE:  Companies often legally has the right to deduct the value of unreturned Company property from funds that may be due (i.e., final pay, paid time off…).

5. SECURITY:  As part of your Exit Checklist, specify who must be informed of this employment change.  For instance, insurance vendors, I.T., whoever manages security access to company facilities, and a limited number of other parties.

6. REFERENCES:  For solid performers, prove you value them by offering to be a reference, provide a letter of recommendation, or endorse their skills and write a recommendation of them on their LinkedIn profile.

For someone who is being fired or laid-off, you may offer them free career counseling or job placement services to assist them in their next career move.

Exit Interview

All employees who end their employment with your Company are encouraged to participate in an Exit Interview with the Human Resources Department, a leader other than the employee’s direct manager, or their direct manager. 

Use an Exit Interview scorecard to confirm all details and discussions occur that are stated in your separation process.

1. LEARN:  Although not ideal, welcome these conversations as an opportunity to learn how to better serve your team members and provide the best possible place to work. 

2. TRUST:  These workouts are led by a “good cop,” who encourages open discussion of what the individual feels was good AND BAD, and what could improve with your organization.  It is a safe place to discuss their feelings and perspective, even when they are wrong. 

3. One approach is to simply respond to some of the answers with, “That’s interesting.  Please tell me more.”

4. BOND:  This is NOT an opportunity to argue or chastise a departing team member.  In contrast, every effort should be made to strengthen mutual respect, camaraderie, and sincerely wishing them the best in the next chapter of their career.

5. LEGAL:  Our Clients often ask or require employees to sign a separation agreement with their Company prior to issuing the player’s final paycheck.

6. WHEN:  Our Clients typically schedule their exit interviews 1-3 days prior to the team member’s final day of employment. 

7. FOLLOW-UP:  The reason for the additional conversation three months later is the former employee has had more time to think about their reasons for leaving.  They often provide additional insights into how your team can improve. 

Schedule the check-in for three months after their last day you’re your organization.

After the Exit Interview, the separation process should flow smoothly through the team member’s last day.

Culture Options

Most teams seem to have a strong culture when a player is being hired.  However, the way you behave when someone leaves your team confirms your team’s true character, culture, and commitment to maintain strong relationships with others.

Earlier I recommended you start strong when you hire. 

Here are some ways you can end strong when people leave:

1. Announcement:  At a minimum, send a company-wide email informing people that a valued employee is departing.  Recognize their accomplishments and thank them for their service.  Send this the morning of their last day. 

2. For a team member who is fired or laid off, send a brief email saying something positive about them as a person, and mentioning that they have moved on.  You sincerely wish them the best.  Send this after they leave the office their final day or the next morning. 

3. Meal:  The person’s direct manager or a small group may share a nice meal together to celebrate the departing team member, and their contributions.

4. Farewell Event:  Host a fun gathering for teammates to be with their departing colleague, with or without time for telling stories, expressing gratitude, and/or giving gifts or awards.  This can be a small or large group.

5. Legacy:  Superstars in the NBA, such as Michael Jordan and Pete Maravich have their number retired as a tribute to their championship contributions.  You can consider something similar. 

In their honor, you can:

• Name an internal award, program, room, building, or event after them.

• Create a memory book or video montage.

• Plant a tree.

• Invite them to join your alumni network.

• Keep them updated on major company news and events.

We encourage you to regularly take one or more of these actions to close your season with a player sincerely, positively, and respectfully.  It is important for your relationship with them, and reinforces you have a championship organization.

Separation Process Guide

Here is one way to close your Team Member Separation Process guide:

We strive to have a team member separation process that is efficient, respectful, and transparent.  One primary target objective is to equally support our departing employee and our organization during this transition.

We appreciate the contributions of every team member, and wish them success in their future endeavors.

Reach out to HR if you have additional questions. 

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