Hi Peter,
Thank you for your very thoughtful question about recruitment. It gave me pause for thought, and my reflection is that recruitment is a two way process. The employer is looking for someone to fit, in the same way as the interviewee is assessing the organisation for its culture to see if it aligns with their ideal. For both sides, asking good questions that give information without raising too many red flags can be a delicate process. But I feel that asking the questions is critical, because they go to the workplace culture and decision making structures.
For both parties, being out of alignment on key cultural questions is costly, and often painful.
My thought is that the only real option for either party is to ask open, authentic and curious questions about the matter. "I'm curious to understand how differences of opinion are handled within the leadership team in this organisation". Or "I'm curious to understand if you've been in leadership positions where good alignment wasn't happening between leaders - and how you decided to interact in that environment". In both cases, the parties need to be a vulnerable. If the other party isn't able to respond with vulnerability and honesty, it's provides further information.
For the employer - having a discussion about the matter with referees is a possibility, and for the interviewee, seeking out people (if possible) in the organisation they are talking to can help.
The hardest part though, is that despite those questions, one or other party may still be out of alignment after recruitment has occurred. At that point it's having the courage within the leadership group and the culture of the organisation to be open and find ways to seek alignment. The challenge of creating environments where it's safe for all to provide thoughts and feedback, no matter if different or conflicting with other views.
Thanks again Peter,
Gillian
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Gillian Manson
Business Owner
Your Way Consulting and Coaching
Croydon VIC
407304683
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Original Message:
Sent: 29-07-2022 10:59 AM
From: Peter Singer
Subject: Workplace Conflict
Workplace disputes are so often ignored or mishandled and the consequences can be costly in time, effort, emotion, staff turnover, legal fees, lost productivity and lowered trust.
What influences make us so inadequate at dealing with conflict ?
Is it our broader Australian Culture of avoidance or all-in, and no middle ground ?
Is it the specific ways of the particular workplace you're in ?
Are people lacking in mindfulness to handle issues appropriately ?
Are we able to influence a workplace culture so that its approach to conflict evolves ?
If so, could this be done in the interview stage of a candidate, questioning them on their interpersonal style in conflict , thereby setting expectations around "this is how we handle conflict here" ?
Is it possible that it's a matter of aligning strategy - position accountability and recruiting to ensure everyone has a clear purpose ?
I think there may be some merit in such an approach to align strategy - position accountability and recruiting and setting expectations in the recruitment stage.
What questions would you ask people vis-a-vis conflict handling in an interview, to attempt to assess what they have done in the past to handle conflict and to set expectations in how to handle it in the new place of employment ?
Peter SInger
Bond National
0402 422 922
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Peter Singer
Negotiation Strategist & Advisor, Mediator, Facilitator, Photographer, Dog Walker
Bond National Pty Ltd
Caulfield North VIC
0402 422 922
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