God is the biggest boss
Interview with Chen Xin on hiring and dismissal
Interview/Zheng Qiongyu
Dr. Chen Xinyan, director of the "Family and Workplace Ministry" of the International True Love Family Association, worked as a senior executive of a large American company for many years before starting his own business in 1999. Over the decades, as he has gained more and more experience in the workplace, he has deeply realized that "people" are the most important asset of a company, and that everyone has gifts and special plans given by God. A competent supervisor is like a "workplace coach". He must have the vision to know people and assign them well, and know how to put the "right" people in the "right" position and help them grow. When dismissing employees, they must also use wisdom to avoid causing hatred. Disputes help employees understand their own strengths and weaknesses, adjust their direction, and make "being fired" a turning point in their lives.
Whether you are looking for a job or have already held a senior position in a company, "remember to pray often," Chen Xinyan reminds. He believes that God is willing to bless His children at all levels, including personal, family, and work. However, many professionals are accustomed to relying on their own strength, struggling with worldly values, and gradually forget to look up to God for strength.
From serving as an intern when he was a student, to officially entering the workplace, to even taking a senior position and starting his own business, Chen Xinyan has always never forgotten to "pray all the time" no matter the good or bad times, because he knows very well that God is everyone's biggest boss. Put everything into His hands, and He will lead us to the path of blessing.
Q: When interviewing employees, what factors do you use to decide whether to hire them? When applying for a job, how should job seekers prepare and respond to increase their chances of being hired?
answer:The growth of an enterprise is like human life. It usually goes through different stages such as infancy, adolescence, youth, adulthood, maturity, etc., and the requirements for employee capabilities are also different.
For example, when a company is just starting out, it is still in its infancy and requires employees to obey the leader’s decisions. At this stage, hiring more junior employees who are willing to learn from the boss may be more beneficial to the company’s development. At this time, hiring experienced and accustomed employees may be more beneficial to the company’s development. Employees who take charge of their work may affect the company's unity and growth.
However, if a company has invested 20 to 30 years in certain fields and has entered its prime or mature stage, it will need high-level talents who have accumulated many years of work experience and can help the company make correct decisions. At this time, if you use young people who have just left school, no matter how good and serious they are, they may not be qualified.
When selecting employees, employers should first clarify what stage the company is at and what kind of talents it needs, in order to avoid inappropriate employment. Similarly, when applying for a job, you should do research first to understand the company's development status to assess your abilities and whether you are a "match" for the position. If you cannot find a suitable job for a long time, you should slow down and check whether the job search direction is correct.
During the interview, job seekers should recommend three expertise that they can contribute to the company, prepare three questions related to the position and the company, and ask the supervisor in charge of the interview. These preparations can not only highlight the importance you attach to your work, but also avoid any awkward moments during the interview process. However, during the interview, job seekers must not make lofty remarks or interrupt the other party's conversation. They must listen with an open mind and strive to get to the point when speaking.
The resume must be concise and clear, no longer than two pages. Middle-aged and older job seekers can only list their experience in the past ten years to prevent the employer from inferring their age and losing the opportunity for interviews. When initially screening resumes, job seekers who frequently change jobs within two years often cause employers to have concerns about their stability, ability to get along harmoniously with colleagues, and family status. Therefore, unless there are unavoidable reasons for changing jobs frequently, it is best to attach a separate letter explaining this when submitting your resume.
When inviting job seekers for an interview, the employer should inform the company website first to understand whether the job seeker really cares about the job and whether they are willing to spend time getting to know the company before the interview.
In addition, if you are overly modest and have an ability of 8 or 9 points, but dare not show it to your fullest when filling out a resume or in an interview, and only show a strength of 5 or 6 points, you will often lose many opportunities. Similarly, if you only have three points of strength, but you praise yourself to ten points, your employer will be very disgusted after discovering the truth.
Q: Under what circumstances can an employer consider dismissing an employee?
answer:Before discussing this topic, some basic concepts need to be clarified. First of all, God cares about people’s work. Everyone’s experience in the workplace is not an accident. It has His arrangements and intentions. God is the real boss behind the company. In addition, talent is a company's most important asset. The company's personnel should be streamlined, but the remuneration should be generous, so as to retain talents and reduce personnel changes.
By mastering these concepts, you will be better able to avoid inappropriate decisions when deciding whether to retain employees.
Whether to dismiss employees must adhere to the following four basic principles-
1. Don’t let employees be fired suddenly without psychological preparation: This is the most important principle when firing employees.
2. Never fire employees because of personal emotions, likes and dislikes, or temporary conflicts: I once hired an employee whose personality was completely different from mine. The two had completely different views on things. They often had conflicts at work, which was very painful, but I still decided to retain the employee and think from another perspective. I am grateful that the employee "complemented" me and helped me make more comprehensive considerations when making decisions.
3. When an employee shows a behavioral pattern that cannot be corrected or improved: for example, he is always late, often speaks inappropriately, or his professional ability cannot be improved to the required level, he can be asked to find another job.
A few years ago, I ran a company that lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because an employee made an error while processing a quote, but I didn't fire the employee because of it. When an employee makes an unintentional mistake, no matter how much damage is caused, if the boss is willing to forgive him and give him a chance, he can often win the respect and gratitude of the employee and redouble his efforts to make up for the mistake.
4. Make a prompt decision: If an employee's continued employment does not benefit him personally or the company, you can consider asking him to find another job.
Q: How should I dismiss an employee? How to balance emotion, reason and law?
answer:When considering the possibility of terminating an employee, follow these two steps.
1. There must be a preparation period of three to six months: start to establish a file to record the reasons why the employee is not suitable for his current position. In the event that an employee sues the company for wrongful dismissal, the employer must be able to provide supporting documents, otherwise it will often be at a disadvantage in legal proceedings.
During the preparation phase, the supervisor must become a coach and conduct regular interviews with the employee. Many supervisors often skip this stage and then dismiss employees suddenly, causing great impact and harm to employees, and even triggering fatal retaliation. Before conducting an interview, you must write down in detail the other party's strengths and areas that need correction, clearly define the improvement period, the standards that should be met, and the consequences if they cannot be met, and ask the employee to sign before ending the interview. Even if the other party refuses to sign, this document written in black and white can still protect the future rights and interests of both parties.
2. If an employee cannot meet expectations within the improvement period, preparations need to be made in advance before formal dismissal: Taking my usual pattern as an example, I will have the resignation letter and check ready about three days before formal dismissal. . State in the resignation letter all amounts payable to the employee such as salary, vacations, bonuses, etc., as well as the reasons for dismissal. At the end of the resignation letter, I will definitely indicate that the company has paid all dues and does not owe the employee any amount. Please ask the resigning employee to sign.
In the United States, it is common for employees to sue their former companies for unpaid payments after they leave their jobs. Therefore, when employers dismiss employees, they must follow the law and clarify all the details when the employees leave to avoid future disputes.
In addition, employees should log out their company computer passwords, email addresses, etc. the night before dismissal to prevent company files from being destroyed or taken away. I usually choose to spend at least ten to fifteen minutes after lunch on dismissal matters so that I have enough time to have a final conversation with the departing employee.
3. Spend some time and sincerely talk to employees: I firmly believe that everyone has gifts given by God, so I will sincerely and specifically propose more than three advantages of the dismissed employee, thank him for his contribution to the company, and then based on Improve the record of deadlines, explain the reasons for the decision to dismiss, help employees understand that if they continue to stay in unqualified positions, it will be unhealthy for the company and individuals, encourage them to find suitable jobs based on their talents, and finally confirm with employees Resignation letter content, employee signature, and payment of the final check.
Because I adhere to the principle of "sincerity and sincerity", and the praises and shortcomings I raise have specific examples and are clearly recorded, nine out of ten employees who were fired expressed their gratitude. An employee once cried and said that no one had ever understood him so well in his life.
4. Leave leeway for those who are fired: So, what attitude should the supervisor adopt when the new company where the employee is applying for a job inquires about his performance in the old unit (check reference)?
If a laid-off employee asks me to be a reference when he or she is looking for a new job, I usually agree. When I receive a call asking about an old employee's work performance, I will explain the merits and avoid mentioning the reasons why the employee is not suitable for the old job. If the new employer pursues the employee, I will usually point out that the lawyer has told me not to discuss this part. Due to content, end the call.
The reason for being cautious with words is not only the sincere belief that every employee who leaves has unused talents, but also to avoid being sued by former employees who failed to find a job and get into legal trouble.
5. Get together and break up easily, and end things carefully: After completing the dismissal procedures, unless the employee is involved in confidential work and I have to ask him to leave after completing the resignation procedure, I usually give the employee one to two hours to adjust his mood and organize himself. items, or say goodbye to a colleague. If the employee holds company keys, they should also retrieve them at this time. Based on trust, I did not ask an employee to hand over the keys immediately. Unexpectedly, the employee took the opportunity to return to the company to photocopy confidential documents, causing trouble and loss to the company.
Interviewee profile
Dr. Chen Xinyan came to the United States from Taiwan to study in 1983. After completing his studies, he entered the workplace as an engineer. He was once the vice president of a large American auto parts company. In 1999, he moved to Southern California and started his own business. He and his wife Yang Wenju have two children. Since January 2013, he has served as the director of the "Family and Workplace Ministry" of the International True Love Family Association.
Reporter profile Zheng Qiongyu, from Taiwan, settled in Northern California with her husband and son, enjoying a simple and ordinary home life. I like reading, traveling and camping on weekdays.