Horse Jobs and Hiring Blog

15 Indicators of Poor Attitude in Potential Equine Employees

Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions in Horse Jobs

Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions in Horse Jobs

You know how horses read your body language. Well, interviewers read your body language too, even if they are not totally aware of it. The chances are you are not totally aware of it either.  Check out this article by Dennis McCafferty :

"The body language of interviewees can have a major influence on hiring decisions. Hiring managers are interested in something other than your resume and what you have to say -- the way you project “body talk,” including your posture, hand-waving and other non-verbal language, can make a far greater difference than many job-seekers may realize. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, a significant percentage of hiring managers say job candidates often significantly hurt their chances with their gestures and physical presence. “In a highly competitive job market, job seekers need to set themselves apart in the interview stage,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “All that pressure, though, may have some job seekers making body language mistakes that don’t convey a confident message.” Fortunately, CareerBuilder has some easy tips to help you avoid sending out bad-body vibes. More than 2,500 hiring managers took part in the survey. Here’s what they had to share:"

Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions

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A Bond of Trust Between Equine Employers and Employees

A Bond of Trust Between Equine Employers and Employees

 

Too often the trust between Equine employers and employees is out of balance. Every successful equine employer/employee relationship is built on a bond of trust.  When a balanced bond of trust exists in the relationship the employer and employee can rely on each other to protect each other's interests to a degree.  A bond of trust means mutual respect exists in the relationship. 

The trust that exists between employer and employee needs to be balanced.  In the horse industry and in many employment situations the trust is out of balance.  Sometimes the employee trusts the employer completely from the outset and gets burned when expectations don't materialize.  Sometimes employers trust their employees in an unquestioning manner and are shocked when they find that the trust was never really warranted.  Sometimes either the employee or employer have been so burned in the past that they don't trust anybody. 

In real relationships based on the situation on the ground, trust is built over time from one stage of the relationship to the next. Expecting trust too soon or withholding it too long will damage the relationship.  When you make first contact with an employer or an applicant, only the first level of social trust is appropriate. The first level of trust expects each person to be courteous, respectful, and attentive.  Even this level of trust should not be granted if the respect, courteousness and attentiveness are not there.  Keep your eyes and ears open to see if this level of trust is really there.

The next level of trust comes from commitments, interaction and experience.  An employer or an applicant may request information, ask for a task to be completed, or set an appointment.  As requests and commitments are satisfied completely and in a timely manner, employer and applicant begin to trust that each will do what they promise to do.

It may take more than one successful experience, but once the trust of fulfilling commitments is established, the trust of mutual understanding can evolve.  The trust of mutual understanding arises when two people understand each other well enough to know their preferences and understand their approach to problems.  An equine employee may gain the confidence to make decisions in their job without consulting the boss, and the boss may rely on the employee to make those decisions. 

These three levels of trust are the basis for a sound employer/employee relationship.  Further trust is usually neither necessary nor appropriate.  Problems arise when employer or employee act upon trust that is not really there, or has not developed yet. If a employees make independent decisions before the employer is ready to trust them to do so, trouble will result. If an employee ignores being treated discourteously by their employer, difficulties will start in the relationship. If tasks are not completed on time or are done poorly, trust will deteriorate. 

From start to finish, strive to keep trust balanced in employer/employee relationships.  To do so, stay aware of what is really happening on the ground.  Don't wish things were different and put your head in the sand. Address any inequities or failures of trust as soon as they arise.

For more information on building a successful career in the horse industry, spend some time with The Career Game.  It's free.

Assign Tasks to Your Equine Job Applicants - Ultimate Screening

Every equine employer wants people who are organized, self-motivated, punctual, attentive, loyal, and trustworthy.  However, these are subjective qualities that you as an employer will need to assess in each applicant for your horse jobs.  Putting words like these in your help wanted ads reveals your ignorance of sound hiring practices and may send the message that you have trouble hiring good help. 

So, just how do you find the organized, self-motivated, punctual, attentive, loyal, and trustworthy horse people?  Conventional wisdom says, "Check out their background. Get references."  Background checks and references are important, but they are not the best indicators of how an applicant will perform on the job.  To find out if your applicant is likely to be organized, self-motivated, punctual, attentive, loyal, and trustworthy on the job, give your applicants tasks to perform.   For instance, when you schedule an interview, be clear about the time an place and ask the applicant to bring a written resume.  If your applicant shows up on time, in the correct place, and brings a carefully prepared resume, you have learned that they are probably attentive, punctual, and organized.  If they are late and don't bother to call with a reason, if they get lost because they didn't write down the directions, or if they give you a hastily prepared or sloppy resume, you will know that they are NOT very attentive, polite, and organized. 

Be creative in the tasks you assign to your equine applicants.  Ask applicants to look at your advertising or at your web site and come to the interview with a written list of at least four suggestions to make your web site or your advertising better.  If your applicants would be handling horses on the job, ask them to catch and move a horse from one pasture to another.  If the job involves hauling horses, ask applicants to hook up your horse trailer.  Give your applicants some cash and ask them to go out and pick up lunch for the crew at the barn.  Tell the applicant to find out what everybody wants, give them directions to the nearest McDonalds and turn them loose.  When they return, notice if they bring you a receipt.  Did they get everybody's order straight?  Did they return the exact change? 

Devote some time to thinking up tasks that will help you uncover the truly outstanding applicants.  Be sure to ask all applicants to do the same tasks.  This will not only help you compare applicants more effectively, it will help avoid the appearance of discrimination.  For more information on this and other ways to scope out the best people, read this article.  For help with background checks see this page.

Equine Employment - Negotiating so Everybody Wins

Conventional wisdom says "stick up for number one."  "Nobody will take care of you if you don't."  Our society sends us the message that this is the attitude we should have when we negotiate for a job.  Negotiating is seen by many people as a "battle of adversaries."   Each side is out to get whatever they can. 

Approaching negotiations as adversaries is generally not the best way to get the results you want.  The best negotiations take place between people who have mutual respect for each other and are working together to find a result where everybody wins. 

Good employers and candidates for equine employment understand that they are not the only ones that need to be happy with the employment relationship.  They understand that if everyone is not happy, the relationship will break down, the employee will leave and the business will suffer. 

When you negotiate, avoid ultimatums.  (I need X, Y, or Z or I am not interested.)  Always state your need and then ask the the other person to respond with their reactions and ideas.  Tell the other person that you are as interested in a good deal for them as you are in a good deal for you.  Acknowledge their needs, and tell them how you can fill them.  Be confident that if your real needs are not met, the job relationship won't last very long.  Don't accept something that you know will not work.  For instance, if you are an applicant and an employer is not offering enough time off from work, tell them that you know yourself well enough to know that if you don't get enough time off, your productivity drops.  So, if you can get a little more time off, you can do a better job when you are at work. 

Negotiate as collaborators not adversaries.  Focus on arranging things so that everybody's needs are met and everybody wins.  For more information on career building in the horse industry spend some time with The Career Game.  If you want help with salaries for equine jobs see our Salary Study .

7 warning signs that an Equestrian Job Candidate Won't Work Out

When you interview people for equestrian jobs, listen carefully to what a candidate says to you.  Watch for these warning signs.

1. If the candidate stresses how dependable, hard-working, and competent they are, but cannot present any facts to back up these claims, there may be a problem.

2. If you ask a question that seems straight forward and the candidate is taken by surprise and doesn't really know what to say, they may be overselling their abilities.

3. If you ask what a candidate considers his or her "strengths and weaknesses" and the response is only about strengths, a red flag should go up.  Some candidates may even say they don't have any weaknesses.  At the very least this tells you they are not in touch with themselves.

4. If a candidate can't tell you what the most critical part of their current or previous job is, they may have little idea of how their job fits in to the over all scheme of the business.

5. If a candidate indicates they want to change jobs because their present situation does not provide an "opportunity to advance", they may not have a clue how to take on more responsibility and merit a promotion.

6. If a candidate expresses a strong desire to work for you, but can't be specific about why, they may be just trying to snow you.

7. If references just can't seem to tell you about a candidate's past job performance, maybe there is not much that is good to report.

8. If you give your candidates tasks to perform such as sending a resume or calling at a particular time and they don't follow through, this may be an indicator of how well they will follow instructions on the job.

Follow this link for information on equestrian job descriptions. 

In Equestrian Jobs, Negotiate so Everybody Wins

Conventional wisdom says "stick up for number one."  "Nobody will take care of you if you don't."  Our society sends us the message that this is the attitude we should have when we negotiate for a equestrian jobs.  Negotiating is seen by many people as a "battle of adversaries."   Each side is out to get whatever they can. 

Approaching negotiations as adversaries is not the best way to get the results you want.  The best negotiations take place between people who have mutual respect for each other and are working together to find a result where everybody wins. 

Some employers only seem to be happy if they are cheating or dominating their employees.  Good employers understand that they are not the only ones that need to be happy with the employment relationship. They understand that if employees are not happy, they will leave and the business will suffer. 

When you negotiate, avoid ultimatums.  (I need X, Y, or Z or I am not interested.)  Always state your need and then ask the other person to respond with their reactions and ideas.  Tell the other person that you are as interested in a good deal for them as you are in a good deal for you.  Acknowledge their needs, and tell them how you can fill them.  Be confident that if everyone's real needs are not met, the relationship won't last very long anyway.  Don't accept something that you know will not work.  For instance, everyone needs time off for rest and relaxation. If employees don't get enough time off, productivity drops.  With a little more time off, employees can do a better job when they are at work. 

Negotiate as collaborators not adversaries.  Focus on arranging things so that everybody's needs are met and everybody wins.  For more information on building a career in the horse industry play The Career Game.  For more information on hiring and keeping good help, read this short article.

How to Dress for a Horse Job Interview

The wrong clothing can ruin the impression you create in a horse job interview.  If you are applying for a job as a Barn Manager, and you show up dressed like a Wall Street Secretary, or a Mortgage Banker in a coat and tie or a pants suit, you will probably blow the interview before it even starts.

The prevailing rule for dressing for an interview is to dress as you would dress on a normal day if doing the job you are applying for.  For a Barn Manager position, this probably means a nice casual shirt suitable for working and blue jeans.  If it is cold, wear a vest or a work jacket. 

The same rule of thumb applies to other horse jobs.  If the job is Trainer or Riding Instructor, dress as you would normally dress for that job. Do NOT go out a buy new clothes unless you have nothing but rags.  If you show up in brand new clothes, it will be obvious that you purchased them for the occasion. 

Be sure your clothes are clean and do not have holes or patches.  Your foot wear should be clean and well kept.  It need not be polished for the occasion, unless you are in the habit of polishing your work shoes every day. 

When the employer meets with you for an interview, the employer needs to visualize you as you will be on the job.  This not only extends to your skills and background, it includes the way you dress. 

For more helpful information on job hunting in the equine industry, check out our free on-line tool called The Career Game.