By Susan E. Campbell
A new book by local business advisor Michael Cruz is aimed at helping managers at all levels acquire the skills to employ the best people and retain them longer.
“Hire The People You Want (And The Questions You Must Ask To Get Them)” aggregates the insights and tips Cruz has acquired helping clients of his consulting firm, Lighthouse Advisors LLC out of Queensbury, to manage their rapid growth, for which building infrastructure, support and an executive team are key components.
“Most people don’t have the skills to hire the best candidates and no one wants to take the time to learn,” said Cruz.
Before founding his firm in 1999, Cruz ran marketing departments in the corporate sector and honed his skills as a communicator.
Self-published and sold exclusively at Amazon, the 100-page book will be available in an electronic version for only 0.99 cents during a special promotion Oct. 11-17. Thereafter the book will return to regular pricing of $9.99 for the digital edition and under $15 for the soft cover edition.
“This book helps companies develop a methodology and encourages making time to do this job right,” he said. “If the business owner or manager can’t find the time now, when will they find the time when they have to hire again?”
Hiring the wrong people can be a costly drain on a company’s time, money and lost opportunity. Hiring the right people is about knowing exactly what traits you want out of the candidate, Cruz said.
“Rarely is experience what makes people successful,” he said. “Human Resources can round up the usual suspects based on experience in a similar position. That may work, but it may not work right.”
His more practical approach is based on behavioral interviewing. Are you looking for attention to detail? Do you need your candidate to be persuasive? Or organized?
The first part of the book helps hiring managers identify what qualities they want for the job posting. It explains to readers why it is important to spend time learning to be better at the entire hiring process and why company culture matters.
Then there is practical advice on such functions as building better job descriptions, performing the interviews, making reference checks, following up and extending an offer to the candidate.
The final 35 pages contain hundreds of detailed interview questions that challenge the candidate while helping the employer interpret responses. Cruz feels, from his experience, that smart questions are the best vehicles for uncovering skills and attitudes and for assessing the individual’s viability as a candidate.
Here is what some verified users have said in online reviews about “Hire The People You Want,” which in early October had received a rating of 4.8 out of a possible five stars:
“Michael provides an insightful look into the basic anatomy of the interview process, the true cost of mis-hires and the necessary building blocks for success.”
“It’s very insightful, easy-to-read and offers ready-to-go, practical information on the interviewing process.”
“The suggested questions at the end of the book are perfect for crafting an interview that will yield the best results. A quick read with big impact!”
“It may be a quick read, but should not be quickly digested. Read the content, complete the lists he suggests, do the activities recommended.”
Cruz said he had a book the idea for a book for about eight years. It wasn’t until he met up with Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, that his ideas started to pull together. BNI is the world’s largest business networking and business referral organization.
“He coached a few of my peers on how to organize thoughts,“ Cruz said. “For non-fiction, he taught me to think non-sequentially and write down what’s in my head.”
The biggest surprise for Cruz was the time it takes to edit, which was much more than the writing. He found the experience different from preparing the articles he submits to local business journals, but said he used some of the techniques he developed writing copy as a marketing manager.
Book orders can be placed at Amazon.com or click on the link at the Lighthouse Advisors, LLC website, www.mybusinessfriend.com/resources.