National Clothesline

Listen, learn and make better decisions

If you have ever owned or managed a business, then you are already well aware that the hiring process can be a tricky minefield. Perhaps if there was a tried and proven formula for finding excellent employees every time, then those of us who sift through the tall stacks of resumes would have a less hectic schedule, less gray hair and less stress and heartache in general. However, even when you place a lot of thought in the hiring process, the truth is people can still surprise you, oftentimes in a bad way that will truly test your patience. Fortunately, however, people can also surprise you in the other direction.

On the front page this month is a story about a person who has long proven to be a model employee despite the fact that the odds were stacked against him at birth. Tim Zielinski may have Down’s Syndrome, but he certainly has never let that disadvantage stand in his way of being a constructive person, a competitive athlete, a constant hard worker and a congenial human being who smiles virtually every second of the day. Every plant would run a little better and much more smoothly with just one such person on its staff. He serves as a positive example to inspire and lead his co-workers.

While it is still quite difficult to predict who is the best candidate to choose during the hiring process, there are at least a few hints and clues that employers can look for during the hiring process — all characteristics, incidentally, that Mr. Zielinski exemplifies in spades.

The best employees are the ones who take the initiative. In other words, they don’t just try to do their job and their job only. They are willing to help others when their work is caught up or finished. Listening closely to instructions is also crucial. Other important traits include being dependable and self-disciplined, taking responsibility, giving credit to others and performing duties in an upbeat and cheerful manner.

Of course, prospective employees have a way of framing their interview answers in anticipation of what they believe you want to hear, but you will inevitably get a sense of their overall personality the more you talk. People like Tim Zielinski tend to stand out from the rest of the fold. So take as long as you need and pay attention to the details… to see if the candidate indeed pays attention to the details, as well. After all, there is no greater asset in business than finding an irreplaceable employee.

Caution: Lawmakers in session

The Republican victory in the Massachusetts election to fill the remaining two years of Ted Kennedy’s term was occasion for much rejoicing among conservatives and others opposed to the Obama Adminstration’s legislative agenda. Indeed, it put a major crimp in plans for national health care legislation. Some view it, combined with recent elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as signaling a “sea change” in the political landscape.

Well, maybe. But these “sea changes,” which seem to take place with striking frequency in American politics, usually don’t live up to their billing. Once the dust settles and oaths of office are administered, business as usual generally commences. And that is where we are now as Congress with one more Republican settles in and state legislatures with two more Republicans as chief executives begin their work.

Be wary. It is not a political environment friendly to small business. On the national level, it remains to be seen how the Democrats will deal with their vanished 60-vote majority, but they still control both House and Senate as well as the administrative offices. Health care may be placed on the back burner, but then what? As Frank Kollman warned in a National Clothesline column a few months ago, after health care, the floodgates of labor legislation will open.

On the state and local level, watch out as elected officials scramble to find new sources of revenue for their beleaguered budgets. New fees and taxes, or taxes extended to things that haven’t been taxed in the past, like drycleaning services, could be coming. Then there are those seemingly no-cost, feel-good laws that appeal to a green-minded electorate, like bans on plastic bags or drycleaning solvents. Politicians have to do something; an industry like drycleaning, which has little lobbying clout, can become a ready victim. The publics’ business is your business. Stay informed and get involved.



								National Clothesline






						Listen, learn and make better decisions If you have ever owned or managed a business, then you are already well aware that the hiring process can be a tricky minefield. Perhaps if there was a tried and proven formula for finding excellent employees every time, then those of us who sift through the tall stacks of resumes would have a less hectic schedule, less gray hair and less stress and heartache in general. However, even when you place a lot of thought in the hiring process, the truth is people can still surprise you, oftentimes in a bad way that will truly test your patience. Fortunately, however, people can also surprise you in the other direction. On the front page this month is a story about a person who has long proven to be a model employee despite the fact that the odds were stacked against him at birth. Tim Zielinski may have Down’s Syndrome, but he certainly has never let that disadvantage stand in his way of being a constructive person, a competitive athlete, a constant hard worker and a congenial human being who smiles virtually every second of the day. Every plant would run a little better and much more smoothly with just one such person on its staff. He serves as a positive example to inspire and lead his co-workers. While it is still quite difficult to predict who is the best candidate to choose during the hiring process, there are at least a few hints and clues that employers can look for during the hiring process — all characteristics, incidentally, that Mr. Zielinski exemplifies in spades. The best employees are the ones who take the initiative. In other words, they don’t just try to do their job and their job only. They are willing to help others when their work is caught up or finished. Listening closely to instructions is also crucial. Other important traits include being dependable and self-disciplined, taking responsibility, giving credit to others and performing duties in an upbeat and cheerful manner. Of course, prospective employees have a way of framing their interview answers in anticipation of what they believe you want to hear, but you will inevitably get a sense of their overall personality the more you talk. People like Tim Zielinski tend to stand out from the rest of the fold. So take as long as you need and pay attention to the details… to see if the candidate indeed pays attention to the details, as well. After all, there is no greater asset in business than finding an irreplaceable employee. Caution: Lawmakers in session The Republican victory in the Massachusetts election to fill the remaining two years of Ted Kennedy’s term was occasion for much rejoicing among conservatives and others opposed to the Obama Adminstration’s legislative agenda. Indeed, it put a major crimp in plans for national health care legislation. Some view it, combined with recent elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as signaling a “sea change” in the political landscape. Well, maybe. But these “sea changes,” which seem to take place with striking frequency in American politics, usually don’t live up to their billing. Once the dust settles and oaths of office are administered, business as usual generally commences. And that is where we are now as Congress with one more Republican settles in and state legislatures with two more Republicans as chief executives begin their work. Be wary. It is not a political environment friendly to small business. On the national level, it remains to be seen how the Democrats will deal with their vanished 60-vote majority, but they still control both House and Senate as well as the administrative offices. Health care may be placed on the back burner, but then what? As Frank Kollman warned in a National Clothesline column a few months ago, after health care, the floodgates of labor legislation will open. On the state and local level, watch out as elected officials scramble to find new sources of revenue for their beleaguered budgets. New fees and taxes, or taxes extended to things that haven’t been taxed in the past, like drycleaning services, could be coming. Then there are those seemingly no-cost, feel-good laws that appeal to a green-minded electorate, like bans on plastic bags or drycleaning solvents. Politicians have to do something; an industry like drycleaning, which has little lobbying clout, can become a ready victim. The publics’ business is your business. Stay informed and get involved.