Kinsa Group Blog

Are your candidates just “talking the talk,” or can they truly “walk the walk”?

Determining who a candidate really is, and what he can really do, are critical parts of a job interview.  But when it comes to evaluating executive food & beverage talent, résumés and interviews only reveal so much.  As a talent manager, it can be extremely difficult to determine if a candidate is accurately representing himself, and if he can actually perform to the extent his new role will require.

To eliminate some of this uncertainty, many organizations have expanded their selection process to include business simulations.  A recent TalentManagement.com article sheds some light on this assessment tool and the role it plays in successful executive hiring.  Here is a brief summary of the article’s key points:

Lead with Questions.

The first step in a proper assessment is crafting a strong interview.  While you may be tempted to jump into what the candidate can or would do in the new position, start by taking a look back.  Choose questions that elicit behavioral examples from candidates, allowing them to explain how they handled similar situations in the past.  Follow-up with questions that reveal the outcomes of these situations.

Make Sure the Candidate is the Real Deal.

Many companies are increasingly looking to business simulations to identify and hire the right executive.  These tailored, intensive, one- or two-day-long programs place executive candidates in fictitious, yet highly realistic situations designed to mimic the challenges of a potential position.

Business simulations go beyond a typical “How would you react?” behavioral question.  Candidates are required to react to actual, unpredicted events that well-trained consultants help play out.  Here is how a typical business simulation is executed:

• A few days before the simulation, the candidate receives a rich case study on a fictitious company.  He is given a job description and role to play within the organization.
• After reviewing the company profile and proposed challenge (e.g., merger, cutbacks, major distribution channel change, product line extension, etc.), the candidate reports to work as if it were his actual daily routine.  While the situation is completely new, he and the consultants (who play fellow executives and/or subordinates) act as though it is a regular day at work.
• Throughout the day, the candidate is inundated with typical workplace challenges (e.g., harried bosses, disgruntled employees, phone interruptions, etc.).  The consultants who play his co-workers observe his reactions to those challenges and the decisions he makes.
• Once the simulation is complete, the candidate reviews his own performance with the consultants.  Together, they identify the candidate’s strengths and development needs.

Value of Business Simulations

Some individuals fare better during a traditional interview process than others.  The candidate who performs best in an interview, however, may not actually be the best person for the job.  For this reason, many organizations now rely on business simulations to assess high-potential executives.  Used in conjunction with interviews and assessments, simulations provide a more complete picture of a candidate’s leadership skills, management style and shortcomings.

Workplace simulations turn the candidate evaluation process into a high-touch development experience.  Once completed, the assessment can be used as the basis for long-term development if the candidate is hired.  This developmental aspect is especially beneficial for internal candidates being considered for promotion.

At the end of the day, interviewers want to know if a potential candidate can exhibit the skills, right now, in situations that reflect the challenges of the available position.  Assessments that use real-world simulations can provide the depth of information talent leaders need to make high-stakes hiring decisions.  While the time and cost of such an intensive process is high, the ability to essentially “test drive” a potential leader make some simulations well worth the price.

Ensure Successful Placements with Kinsa – Food & Beverage Recruiters

When hiring an executive for your food & beverage company, you can’t afford to take chances.  Kinsa’s comprehensive 8-Step Recruiting Process includes a full range of assessment options to ensure the success of your next hire.  Partner with Kinsa today and connect with the industry’s top food & beverage executives and professionals

What would you do to get the job you want?

These days, I’m seeing more and more news stories about the lengths people are going to in order to get hired.  Here are just a few:

• Walking the city streets while wearing a sandwich board that lists your professional credentials;
• Renting billboard space to promote yourself;
• “Selling” yourself on eBay.

While these extreme job search tactics have certainly helped individuals stand out in a crowded job market, they’re more like “stunts” than strategies.  As a result, they’ll quickly lose their novelty and ultimately their effectiveness.

Here are a few fresh ideas for getting noticed by employers, which may prove more practical for your professional job search needs:

• Create a business card that serves as a résumé.  They’re much easier to carry around and pass out than a full-sized résumé, especially at a networking or professional association event.  On the card, you can provide the URLs for your LinkedIn page, professional website and/or online portfolio, so recipients can find out more about you.
• Start a professional blog.  If you’re a strong writer, and if you’re disciplined enough to make frequent updates, a blog can greatly enhance your job search efforts.  You can use your blog to showcase your in-depth professional knowledge, and demonstrate that you stay on-top of trends and news impacting the food & beverage industry.  A blog is also a great way to share what you do with potential employers and develop a strong personal brand.
• Create a video résumé.  While not a substitute for a traditional résumé, a video résumé can be beneficial to food & beverage professionals seeking jobs that require sales, training or other presentations.  If you perform well in front of a camera, and if you have access to good production facilities (believe me, you don’t want to use your webcam for this one), your video résumé can showcase your communication, articulation and presentation skills.

Unconventional tactics not your style?

Then try a proven job search strategy that’s worked for savvy food & beverage professionals for over 25 years – contact the Kinsa Group today or search professional and executive food & beverage industry positions nationwide.

If yours is like most forward-thinking food & beverage companies, you are integrating contract employees with direct staff to maximize resources and meet project objectives.  But are you getting the best results from your contract staff? 

To get the most from your contract personnel, you must understand their motivations and develop a culture in which they can succeed.  Here are a few best practices to help you successfully manage these valuable contingent resources:

Use Them Only When Appropriate.

Before you begin searching for a contract employee, ask yourself:

• Is the assignment well-defined, with a tight deadline and a measurable end point?
• Does it require special expertise?
• Is it a “one time only” assignment?  (as opposed to repeatable work)
• Do time or money considerations preclude you from hiring a direct employee?

If you answered “yes” to the questions applicable to your circumstances, you probably have a project well-suited for a contract employee.

Prepare Direct Employees.

Your direct staff may not know what to expect from contractors, or they may have misperceptions about them.  To ensure that the two groups work well together:

• Define the roles of both contractors and direct staff.  Show the value that each brings to the table.
• Assure direct employees that contractors do not pose a threat.  Instead, let them know that contractors’ skills complement their own and improve the chances of project success.
• Cultivate working relationships between contract and direct staff, to encourage idea-sharing and develop rapport.

Communicate Regularly.

Lack of communication is often the greatest obstacle to successful working relationships with contract employees.  At each stage of their assignments, use the following suggestions to stay informed and ensure contractors won’t feel isolated:

• Beginning of assignment.  Orient new contract employees by explaining the parameters of the job, outlining “big picture” impact of the project, and introducing them to the rest of the project team.
• During the assignment. Throughout the project, involve contract employees in relevant meetings, include them in team memos and e-mails, ask for their opinions and ideas, and remember them when you celebrate project milestones.
• End of assignment. Hold a debriefing session to ensure objectives were met, gather necessary documentation, and discuss issues that may arise in the future.

Everybody makes mitsakes (oops, that should read “mistakes”).

But while a blog typo may be easily forgiven, other mistakes on the job can have serious consequences – for you, your boss, or even the company as a whole.  And frankly, the way you handle your slip-up can be just as critical as the mistake itself.

So what should you do when you make an error at work?

• Assess the situation.  As soon as you realize your misstep, take a minute to consider the ramifications, as well as whether or not you can correct the mistake yourself.  If you can solve it, do so immediately; but if not, take a moment to brainstorm possible solutions.  This way, when you approach your boss you’ll appear proactive and responsible.
• Own up to it.  Never try to cover up your mistake.  If a boss finds out later that you hid a problem, it can permanently damage your credibility.  So take the initiative and bring the situation to your supervisor’s attention.  When you’re honest from the outset, your boss won’t feel the need to underscore the situation’s importance to you.
• Take responsibility.  Don’t make excuses, act defensively or place blame elsewhere.  Negative reactions like these will cause equally negative reactions from your boss.  Instead, use your mistake as an opportunity to step up to the plate and demonstrate your responsibility and problem-solving abilities.  If someone else is involved in the mistake, encourage him or her to follow your lead and do the right thing.
• Explain what happened and what you plan to do about it.  Once you’ve acknowledged your misstep and apologized, you must present a plan for correcting it.  You can say something like, “I’ve made a mistake and I apologize for the error.  I’ve come up with some possible solutions and would like your feedback on how to best resolve the situation.”  It’s fine to ask for help developing and implementing your solution – the key here is to not simply ask for your boss to bail you out.
• Demonstrate that you’ve learned from your mistake.  When a mistake occurs on the job, it’s not enough to just solve it and move on.  Once you’ve resolved the problem, you need to determine what caused it in the first place – and discuss your plan to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.  Explaining to your boss what you’ve learned from your mistake demonstrates that you’re conscientious and have the organization’s best interest in mind.

You’re human.  You’ll make mistakes from time-to-time (we all do).  And if you handle a mistake at work correctly, you can turn a difficult situation into a learning experience – an experience that actually provides an opportunity to demonstrate your honesty, integrity and problem-solving ability.

Handle Your Food & Beverage Career Search the Right Way

Don’t make the mistake of going it alone in your career search.  Contact the Kinsa Group today.  As experts in recruiting for the food & beverage industry, we can match you to the ideal food & beverage industry career opportunities – from Food Safety Manager to VP of Marketing.