Recently, I attended an incredible insurance agent roundtable to talk about the market and ideas to make it better. As I stepped outside my hotel to retrieve my car, I struck up a conversation with one of the hotel’s valet parking team members. I asked casually after my hello’s, “What is your next move from working at this hotel…will you stay in the hospitality industry?” His answer was shocking. This 20 – something replied, “I don’t know. I will see what employers will offer me.” My stunned look must have gotten his attention. After what seemed like an eternity, I replied, “Let me rewire you. It’s not about what THEY offer you…it’s about what you offer them!” He was equally stunned. He paused and said, “What do you mean?” And the conversation went from there. Here are the points I made to him in that brief encounter:
- It is a privilege to have a job, not a right. We cannot lose the art of being grateful to our employers who provide us a living.
- Any job interview where a candidate asks, “What can you do for me?” will be a short interview because the employer’s jaw would drop if that was the tenor of the conversation.
- During an interview, be sure to stress that your work ethic is second to none – that you show up, you will go the extra mile, and you will help the company be successful. Attitude is everything.
- Lastly I said, “If the employer asks you to pick 150 paper clips from the floor in under a minute, you do it in 45 seconds.”
There was long pause as he contemplated my direct and forthright advice. He then asked me for my cell phone number and said he would call me before any interviews. Perhaps I made a difference.
All of the above assumes that an employee-employer relationship is collaborative and rewarding for both. I’m curious to hear from you. Do I have this right? Am I missing something? I look forward to hearing from you about this topic and the others that you will read as you scroll through this edition of the LMA Newsletter! Have a great week!
LMA Newsletter of 10-23-23
