We hear  a lot about “employee engagement” these days.  It seems to be the new buzz word at all the H.R. meetings and Chamber of Commerce coffees.  Just what is an engaged employee anyway? When I got engaged to be married 43 years ago, it was like practice.  My girlfriend and I thought we might like to be married someday, so we got engaged.    For over a year, we got to know each other’s likes and dislikes , and then we got married.   Over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce.  Mine didn’t but most do.   Is that the kind of employee you want?  Someone who is just trying it out?  Practicing?  Get themselves a throwaway job, or employers get themselves throw away employees.  We are a disposable society.  We throw away people and jobs   faster than we change cell phones. Unfortunately, employers hire a lot of those kind of “engaged” employees.

• They looked good on the resume.
• They went to the right schools.
• They had a good GPA.
• They had a relevant degree
• They looked good.
• They “thought” like the hiring manager.

So why did they leave, or even more importantly, why didn’t they deliver? All that recruiting expense, on-boarding time, the training, the development, and BAM, they’re gone!  Either on their own or fired. It’s an expensive way to hire and retain good people!  And who can afford that kind of expense these days?  Employers have to get more done with fewer people.  So what’s an employer or prospective employee to do?   When it comes to interviewing and hiring, we’re in a rut.  Someone  said the only difference between a rut and a grave is a cover.  We continue to hire based on competency, or what is commonly known as skill and knowledge.  We can see that and we can verify it. What we cannot “see” in our interview processes  are attitudes and habits.  We don’t “see” attitudes and habits because we don’t look for them. For lack of a better metaphor, imagine that a person is like an iceberg.  All you can see is what is above the waterline.  We can see overt behaviors.  We can see physicality.  We can see body language.  We can hear tone.  We can verify skills and knowledge.  What we can’t see is their motivation and habits of thought.  Wouldn’t that be nice?  Well it is nice, and it is possible,  but it takes change and courage to measure it. Are you a manager with courage to do things differently?  Would you like to make a difference for your organization and for the people you hire?