Hiring Interview Reflection

             This past week, I interviewed the owner of Modern Shoe, Inc., a small business in downtown Provo, Utah, that sells high quality shoes. Tony, the owner, does all the hiring of employees, and occasionally includes his wife, Jane, in the interviewing process.

            When hiring a new employee, the specific traits he looks for in the applicants are good personality, honesty, overall appearance, and if they seem trainable and not fixed in their ways already. If the candidate worked for a large corporation, they were likely told exactly what to do and how to do it. Tony prefers someone that can be taught and that is able to “think on their feet.” Often he finds that former large corporation sales persons are unable to do this.

            As stated above, Tony most often interviews candidates alone, but will include his wife to sit in on the interview if the candidate is a member of the opposite sex. Jane is also owner and secretary of the Modern Shoe, Inc. corporation. Modern Shoe does not have a Human Resources staff member because it is a small business of about twelve employees.

            Tony states he prefers to interview candidates on an individual bases, not in a group. Tony says about thirty years ago, group interviews were almost unheard of. For example, when he had a managerial position at AutoZone, his boss would do the interviews, and then later would have Tony do the interview. They would converse about it after. Tony has maintained the tradition of interviewing applicants individually and not in a group setting. Plus, Tony says he would feel uncomfortable, if he, himself, were to be interviewed in a group setting.

            In most every case, Tony checks references. If he hires a family member, he does not check references. Tony referred to a little saying, “It’s as hard to find a good candidate as it is to find a bad reference” (quote from the book On Hiring, authored by Robert Half). The references that are most important to Tony are former employers since they know the candidate in the working environment.

            During an interview, dishonesty is the number one reason for not getting hired. Tony says it bothers him when people try and tell you what you want to hear. If they contradict themselves, they one can easily assume they are not being honest.

            In determining who to choose, Tony mainly looks at their prior work history, how well he thinks they will fit in with the other team members, and certain other traits that is imperative for the job description. For example, if the candidate would be potentially working in accounting and handling their money, he would prefer someone who is detail-oriented and honest. That way he can feel assured that all the money will be accounted for. For the graphic design and advertising position, Tony likes to choose somebody who is not only artistic, but disciplined and task-oriented. Not very often can he find these two traits in one person.  Basically, if the person will be able to perform the job description, they are likely to be chosen (as well as possessing the aforementioned traits). Tony also stated that if he feels good about a potential employee during the interview, the reference is usually what seals the deal for him.

            Tony also mentioned, as a potential employer, he will “sell” the Modern Shoe business to the candidates. He knows how he portrays himself is important in whether people will want to work for him. If they don’t think they will enjoy the company, he likes to know that. One of the last candidates Tony hired said during the interview that he felt like Modern Shoe would be a good place to work that wouldn’t be too stressful. This was helpful for Tony to know.

            Tony performs a screening process by calling applicants on the phone. This way he can eliminate some applicants beforehand and narrow it down to just a few candidates. Most often he asks what their availability might look like, especially if they are a college student. If their schedule doesn’t match up with his need at work, they will be screened from his list. He will then schedule an interview with the remainder and sets aside at least 15-30 minutes for each interview. During the interview, if Tony knows the applicant won’t be a good fit with his company, he will end the interview as soon as possible. If he believes there is a possibility for them to be hired, the interview will last a lot longer, sometimes up to an hour.

            First impressions, especially good hygiene, and being punctual to the interview are very important to Tony. He does not want a tardy employee showing up to work. Often employees are responsible for opening the store at 10am. If they are late, they could be losing business.

            Tony does not include a point system in the hiring process. He interviews with questions and really tries to get a feel for who the person is and what they are like. Some traits Tony looks for is if the candidate appears self-motivated, will follow-up with things and is a hard worker.

            There are times Tony warrants a second interview with potential employees if he wants a second look, or to have a different view on a different day. Often he will include his wife, Jane, during the second interview. For example, he had one candidate who was very shy and reserved, but with the second interview, she was more talkative. She ended up being hired and was outstanding on the salesfloor. These second interviews were helpful for determining more of the person’s personality.

            Tony states he is very rarely in a hurry to make a decision about who he hires, unless the need for an employee is more urgent. Early on, when he first owned the company, he would write letters right away and thanking candidates for the interview while informing them they didn’t receive the position. Now, Tony only calls the people that he chose with an offer over the phone.

            Tony states that once in twenty five years has a candidate ever blown him away where he hired them on the spot. (Although, he can’t remember who it was). Other than that, he has always slept on things over night without making rash decisions as to who to hire. It is a carefully thought out process involving discussion with his wife, and co-owner, Jane, in the hiring decision process.

            From this hiring experience, I learned a lot of different factors play into hiring a person. The interview is the key time to get a feel for who the person is. Being punctual, well-groomed, honest, hard-working, and a great personality are qualities that are often looked for in a future employee. Modern Shoe does not have a Human Resources member, but Tony has his wife sit in on the interview when he interviews members of the opposite sex. This is a smart way to protect himself by having another witness present. One thing that would be more courteous to applicants is to give a time-frame for when they should receive a call-back. If Tony feels too busy to do this, maybe he can have his wife, or another employee perform these calls. This way, they will not be left wondering or calling endlessly to see if they got the job or not. I like how Tony “sleeps on” his decisions over night and takes his time before hiring someone. It is important to not be rash or feel obligated to hire someone. This ultimately helps him somewhat avoid the issue of having an employee he would want to get rid of later on. Tony uses his time with second interviews or having his wife accompany him later, to get a better feel of who the person is, what they might be like working for them, and how well they will fit in with his other employee team members. 

Team Building Reflective Journal Entry

            I was extremely nervous about our team building activity. First, I am an online student who graduated in 2009 with my Associates in Nursing. I am entirely unfamiliar with the present 5^th semester cohort of nursing students. Because of this I was nervous to be working in a group setting with them. I was worried they might not accept me and or that I wouldn’t fit in because I was so old. Next, the last thing I ever want to do is get muddy and soaking wet. This is what our professor had prepped us for in his instructions. So, I honestly didn’t even want to go to the activity. What I had expected to learn during the activity was team building activities that were military-based, since our professor has this background.

            After attending the activity, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun and uniting it was. (Luckily I didn’t get too dirty either—a bonus in my mind). Initially, our team got acquainted and was a little less trusting of each other. The first exercise, three of us struggled with thinking our ways of leading was best. I found I was too detail-oriented in giving instructions, and that Paul (my team member) was more concise and clear. His way got the job done a lot faster than mine. I learned to give the details that I felt would be helpful to Emily as she was passing through the course, only as needed. Paul basically took over and he did a great job at it. It was interesting to see other member’s fears and how I noticed myself stepping up to encourage and cheer them on. I knew deep down they could complete the task, they just needed the confidence. I learned that team work requires leaders and followers. Without devoted followers, not much gets done. Our team had a great dynamic because we generated creative ideas together, tried things out, and if it didn’t work, we would compromise and try the next member’s idea. It was a very effective way to work. Communication and reflection was also a key aspect. After reflecting on our “Over the River and Through the Woods” activity, where we guided Emily through an obstacle course while she was blindfolded, I thought I was being too detail-oriented in my instructions, especially because it seemed Paul was doing such a better job at it. I spoke with Emily about it and she said she actually appreciated the details very much—she felt safer. It helped me feel my type of communication is helpful at certain times than others. Cicely was very great at leading us blind-folded through the University. I immediately trusted her, especially with her calm and kind voice. She gave perfect and easy to follow instructions. Ultimately, I felt our team excelled together because of the unity, friendship, and acceptance we had for each other. There was mutual respect for one another’s ideas and that’s why I think our team was so successful.

            From the team building exercise, I learned that everyone can have great ideas—it is not solely the leader’s responsibility to generate these ideas. I learned that some types of communication is better in certain situations than others. I learned that being calm and confident helps others trust you as a leader. I also learned that my friendly nature helps others feel included and united. This automatically helps each member feel needed and an increased desire to help—ultimately resulting in a more productive team outcome. Lastly, I learned that large group situations are not as scary as I thought. I shouldn’t decide against doing something just because my initial reaction is anxiety. I need to push through those feelings and lead.

            In my nursing career, I plan to use this team building experience as a learning example and future predictor of what other team situations can be like if I were leading. I realize my attention to detail is very helpful in situations where a patient is crashing and family members are freaking out emotionally. Even with everything going on, I am able to simplify it in my mind and prioritize/organize the tasks at hand. There have been times where I have faced the family members calmly, placed my hands on their shoulders, looked them in the eyes, and given calm, yet to-the-point instructions to help them calm down, trust me, and feel safe. The family member obediently followed and watched quietly. It helped prevent a scary situation from being more traumatic to the witnessing family member and they later told me how much they appreciated my skill and confidence.

            While writing this, I am realizing that I have the ability to lead, but my nerves usually get the best of me when I’m actually in the position of leader. It’s like if I don’t know that I’m a charge nurse, I would naturally fill the role and do very well. But, just thinking about actually being one makes me nervous. It’s so much responsibility placed upon somebody. And, maybe I just feel most comfortable leading in small group situations. So, with this realization, my new goal is to work on being comfortable in larger group situations and purposely work on taking on a leadership role. This way, as I gain confidence in myself and my abilities, I can hopefully be able to fill those roles well in the Emergency Room as a charge nurse and Trauma nurse. 

           Maybe, being a leader really isn't as scary as I imagine it to be....

Hiring Reflective Journal Entry

What I Expected to Learn

            Before beginning this topic, I expected to learn about the hiring process and ways to perform better in an interview. What I actually learned from this topic, was that in a leadership position, your job will be to hire future employees. I didn’t realize we would be learning about how to hire somebody, and that I may be in a position to do that one day.

What I Actually Learned

            In this unit, I learned a great deal about hiring. First, hiring is different than being hired. It is a process which involves leadership skills, preparation, and time management. Before posting a job, you must get approval and then notify Human Resources. The post must be reviewed prior and applicable to what you need on your staff. After opening the job post, a good amount of time for the public to view it is three days. Once the post is closed, HR will contact you with their reviewed applicants. It is now time to review them yourself as the manager. Have in mind what you are looking for and then weed out some of the job applications. Narrowing it down to about 15 applications is a good number. Notify HR of your pool of candidates and they will schedule the interview by phone.

            As the nurse manager, you need to be prepared for the interview. Prepare a script prior of questions. Estimate how long you want the interviews to run. A wise manager will choose to have at least four members on the panel, including a member from Human Resources, for witnesses and protection.  

            When conducting the interview, it is important to ask only legal questions. Sometimes the candidate will “open the door” for you by stating something, and then you can ask about that topic. For example, if a candidate says they are a single mother with four children, then you can ask if they feel they can reasonably accomplish the job. Age, marital status, and children are protected classifications though, and a good manager should avoid these question entirely. Asking about sexual preference is allowed in some counties of some states, and not in others. It is a slippery slope though, so it is best to avoid it. Conduct the same interview and ask the same questions to all the candidates. Take notes during the interview about the person (i.e. reeked of smoke, poor grammar with English as primary language, etc.)

            During the interview, remember to be cognizant of the time and that you are in charge. Ask behavioral based questions to get a better feel about the candidate. It is important to trust your instincts. It is also important to remove bias when discussing the candidate with your panel. Remember not to set your standards too high, just ask the question, “What does it take to do the job?”

            When selecting the candidate, remember to think about the conflicts that may appear with generational diversity. Baby boomers may not understand Generation Y and vice versa. Baby boomers may struggle with computers and need to learn at a slower pace. Generation Y may be taking the job just for pleasure seeking outside of work. It is important to know if they have a long-term plan, so you can hopefully retain them a few years.

            After the candidate has been selected, notify Human Resources. They will offer the job usually by telephone. If it an in-house employee, offer it in writing. And finally, it is important to remember that you don’t have to hire an individual just because you did the interviewing process. If you didn’t like any of the candidates, wait for the next pool of job applicants. You may have better luck. (If you hire an employee just to have a “warm body”, it may take forever to get rid of them.)

My Experience from Team Activity

            I really enjoyed the team discussion about hiring one of the two candidates. It was interesting that everyone picked Candidate Number One. Most everyone agreed she was hard-working, an analytical thinker, and someone dependable. Her personality seemed enthusiastic and friendly, which would make her a better team member. The fact she worked well with the physicians showed she likely made wise decisions and was someone to be trusted. Her leadership skills were also of note, including the fact she had a Bachelor’s degree.

How I Will Utilize this Information in Practice

            After learning about the hiring process, it made me hopeful to one day be a nurse manager. I feel I am very organized, hard-working, aware of my surroundings, and good at reading people. I think it would be fun to conduct interviews, remain in charge, and select future candidates for my company. I also will remember how essential it is to only ask legal questions. If you ask illegal questions, you could cost your company a lot of money on your behalf. 

Reflective Leadership Blog Entry

             Before beginning this unit, I expected to learn about leadership in general including its definition and what traits constitute a leader. What I actually learned from the unit is what I had expected to and more. The definition of leadership is “a process of influence in which the leader influences others toward goal achievement” (NURS 4500 Lecture).  Basically, leaders help motivate others from point A to point B, and there are different ways they do this. Being positive, uniting team members, and being an example of hard work yourself, can be ways to motivate others to accomplish a task. Most influential leaders have common traits such as confidence, courage, innovative thinking, and are fearless. They affect others by inspiring, enlivening, and engaging others to participate. A leader has followers. These team members are essential in accomplishing the task at hand. George S. Patton discussed leaders and followers in this way, “There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent.” I enjoyed this quote. I think it is essential for a leader to be entirely devoted to their team members. They will feel that devotion and be more willing to follow and achieve the goal.

            There are three main leadership styles including autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Autocratic is seen a lot in the military. This style has been described as controlling, power-oriented and closed-minded (Bass, 2008). They stress obedience, loyalty and strict adherence to the rules. Usually they are disliked by their team, but it can turn into appreciation and fondness once positive results of their leadership become evident (Bass, 2008). Democratic leaders are considerate and share responsibility with their followers, which allows the followers to become independent and develop their own leadership skills (Bass, 2008). It also helps decrease stress and burn-out in the leader. Democratic leaders also like to present a plan, have members vote on it and decide as a group (NURS 4500 Lecture). The last leadership style is laissez-faire. This style is more passive. Most often the leader doesn’t care about how the task is accomplished, as long as it gets done.

            Lastly, I learned there is a difference between leadership and management. Management is a process of coordinating actions and allocating resources to achieve organizational goals. They help oversee the day to day tasks to help the organization run efficiently. Leadership is more of motivating and cheerleading team members to complete the task. Management focuses on the nuts and bolts, such as putting out fires with staff members, hiring/firing, and getting the day to day jobs done. Both leadership and management need each other to be successful.  

            I enjoyed the team activities of learning about different historical leaders, their traits, and process of influence to get followers to achieve a goal. Leaders can very influential, whether for good or bad motives. For example, Hitler and James Warren Jones were excellent leaders in getting others to follow them and accomplish horrible things. Others, such as Abraham Lincoln or Muhammad were influential for doing good. I enjoyed reading the discussion posts from my team members and their insights on what it takes to be a leader.

            I am excited to utilize the information I have learned about leadership in my nursing career. When I return to work in the Emergency Department, I plan to level as a charge nurse, precept other nurses, and train as a trauma nurse. I have learned that being confident in my abilities will help others want to follow me. They will trust me more as a leader. This is a skill I hope to be able to develop. I usually doubt myself or second guess myself. I will continue uniting others through friendship and helping others feel included. I realize delegating tasks to my fellow staff members helps them feel important and useful. This in turn helps me be a stronger, more trusted, leader.

            Overall, what I liked learning best this past week, is although some people are natural leaders, everyone can be a leader, given the necessary knowledge and skills (Whitehead, et al., 2009). This gives me hope for myself. With the insight I gain from this Nursing Leadership course, I can learn ways to be a very influential leader.  

References

Bass, B. M. (2008). The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial            

             applications. (4th ed.). Free Press: New York, NY.

Giltinane, C. L. (2013). Leadership styles and theories. Nursing Standard, 27(41), 35-39.  

Whitehead, D. K., Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2009). Essentials of nursing leadership and                        management. (5th ed.). FA Davis Company: Philadelphia, PA.

Characteristics of Nurse Leaders

1.       Leadership requires personal mastery –

Nurses demonstrate leadership when they show competence and mastery in the tasks they perform. Nurses are deemed competent by means of a license to practice nursing (NLN 2010).

2.       Leadership is about values –

Four dynamic and integrated core values permeate the NLN and are reflected in our work: Caring, Integrity, Diversity & Excellence (NLN Brochure, 2013; Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/aboutnln/pdf/nln_brochure_general.pdf).

3.       Leadership is about service –

“Nursing students involved in service-learning are expected to provide community service and to reflect on that service” (Seifer & Vaughn, 2002).

Seifer, S. D. & Vaughn, R. L. (2002). Partners in caring and community: Service-learning in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(10), 437.

4.       Leadership is about people and relationships –

“The registered nurse collaborates with patient, family, and others in the conduct of nursing practice to effect change and generate positive outcomes” (ANA, 2004, p. 38).

American Nurses Association (2004). Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Washington, D.C.: Nursesbooks.org

5.       Leadership is contextual –

Nurses demonstrate leadership when they adapt their leadership styles to their different situations they encounter with patients, while collaborating with other healthcare members, and in various work settings. They realize one style of leadership does not apply to all situations in nursing.

6.       Leadership is about the management of meaning –

Nurses demonstrate leadership by understanding the meanings of both verbal and non-verbal communications by patients, families, and others. Nurses possessing this emotional intelligence can enhance difficult situations.  

7.       Leadership is about balance –

Nurses must multitask and balance their time when delivering care to achieve patient goals.

8.       Leadership is about continuous learning and improvement –

The NLN is committed to delivering improved, enhanced, and expanded services to its members and championing the pursuit of quality nursing education for all types of nursing education programs. (NLN, 2013; retrieved from http://www.nln.org/aboutnln/index.htm)

9.     Leadership is about effective decision making –

Nurse managers and leaders are looked up to when difficult decisions are to be made. Nurses who demonstrate leadership research current evidenced-based practice and make decisions accordingly.  

10.   Leadership is a political process –

The National League for Nursing's core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence compel civic engagement in shaping public policies that affect everyone's quality of health and care (NLN, 2013; retrieved from http://www.nln.org/aboutnln/hcreform_info.htm)

Nurses are encouraged to take an active role in molding the policy issues facing the nursing profession today. To make a difference, a nurse has to make her voice heard. (NLN, 2013; retrieved from http://www.nln.org/publicpolicy/index.htm)

11.   Leadership is about modeling –

Through their actions, words, and interactions, an effective nurse leader can set a standard for other nurses they mentor or other team members.

12.   Leadership is about integrity -

 The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety (Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2001).

DISC Personality Test Results

I just finished taking the DISC Personality Test, something I have never done before. Here are my results:

(D) Dominant: 5
(I)  Influential: 4
(S) Steady: 1
(C) Conscientious: 5

I found it interesting that I scored high on the (D), (I), and (C) portions of the test. I knew the adjectives all described me well, so that didn't seem like new knowledge to me. But, the grouping of the adjectives in different columns taught me new things about myself. I have always worked well in groups and was unsure why. I figure it is because I am task-oriented and determined to get the job done efficiently, very organized and detail oriented, and am sociable/friendly to others. These three strengths of mine help aid in group cohesiveness and accomplishing tasks, which I think enhances group performance overall.

It also makes sense to me how I struggle when other Dominant members are in the group. I usually don't like their ideas and I feel like I am butting heads with them the entire time we are working together. I don't realize they probably think the same thing about me. This will be helpful to me in future team settings to remember to listen more to (D) personality member's ideas and realize their ideas can be great too.

I am an extremely detail-oriented person who will listen quietly to all instructions for an assignment or task, and then will help point out where details have been missed or I will ask questions needing more explanation so the task can be completed effectively. I always thought I was just being annoying by doing so. I now realize these are personality traits of a "Conscientious" person, and it is essential in any group to help ensure problems don't arise in the future because of details being missed. This makes me feel like my traits of precision and organization are very needed and gives me positive reinforcement to continue paying attention to detail and pointing it out to others/the leader.

I have gained awesome insight about myself and how others work in groups, from this DISC Personality Test. I plan to continue sharing my strengths of efficiency and insight with others, while remaining friendly to stay united as a group. My main challenge from here on out will be to work well with other Dominant personality persons while remembering their ideas are great as well, while offering my detailed insights too. Maybe they (Dominant persons) will listen to me as well.

Initial Post

     Hi! My name is Melissa. I am currently a nursing student at Utah Valley University obtaining my baccalaureate degree. I have been a nurse for 5 years now with experience in Emergency Nursing and Long-term Acute Care. I enjoy interacting with, advocating for, and caring for my patients. Critical care is my passion because of the increased learning opportunities, adrenaline rushes, and the fact a nurse has to think and act quickly in life-threatening situations.

I am enrolled in a Nursing Leadership course and have the assignment to create a reflective journal. This journal is designed to be a collection of my thoughts and feelings about what I learn while in the course. I hope to be able to apply what I learn to who I am as a professional. Leading others can be challenging at times for me since I do not like to offend others or tell others what to do. I am positive this course will teach me how to be an effective leader.