Being a Good Boss

Q: When I left my cubicle at an insurance company to pursue my dream of opening a home furnishings store, I had no idea how many new skills I'd need to learn. I recently hired my first employee, and found the interviewing process very awkward. Any tips?

A: If your previous job did not include much personal interaction, you might want to hone your listening skills before conducting interviews. Good interviewing relies on getting to know each applicant as well as possible, so that you can make an informed decision about the best candidate for the job.

Before you begin interviewing candidates, think about what the position entails. What skills are you looking for in a new hire? Also think about what you'll need to tell the candidate about the job — including hours, prerequisites, and pay — in order to help them make an informed decision. It helps to prepare these details in writing, so you can be consistent with what you tell each person you meet.

Have each candidate to fill out a job application in advance, listing past work experience, education, volunteer activities, etc. Read over the application before the interview so that you know something about the person you'll be meeting.

Set the stage by finding a nice quiet spot with chairs positioned so that you can make good eye contact with the interviewee. If you plan to meet at your desk, be sure to clear aside your paperwork so that you can give the candidate your full attention. Arrange to have someone else handle customers and phone calls during the interview.

After introducing yourself, ask the applicant to tell you why he or she is interested in the job. Present some open-ended questions such as "tell me about yourself" or "can you think of a challenging customer-service situation you've handled," and encourage the applicant to elaborate when appropriate. Concentrate on asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer. You want to find out as much as you can about the candidate, and also to assess his or her communication skills. Almost all positions in retail require the ability to communicate well with strangers.

A job interview is really a "getting to know you" session, much like you'd experience in any social setting. You may also want to inquire about an applicant's hobbies and interests. And you should speak up too. Tell the candidate a little about your store, and what your needs are. In a tight labor market, you might have to "sell" the idea of working in your shop, pointing out the benefits, the pleasant work environment, and opportunities for growth that you can offer prospective employees.

Be sure to point out any special physical requirements or skills necessary for the job. If it becomes clear that the candidate is not qualified for the job on these grounds, say so up front, perhaps promising to keep the candidate in mind should some other position become available. You wouldn't want to have to tell someone later that they were not hired because they didn't meet criteria that were never mentioned in the interview.

There are, however, certain caveats and requirements that every employer needs to be aware of when interviewing applicants. An interviewer must, by law, strictly avoid asking about:

• Religion
• Credit history
• Sex or gender preference
• Family status
• Disability, or height and weight, unless they are specifically related to the job

When interviewing prospective employees, you must ask certain questions about other topics, but some restrictions apply:

• Age (There are restrictions in hiring minors that make it necessary to determine a younger teen's age. However, discrimination between adults on the basis of age is prohibited.)
• Arrest records (Although convictions may be discussed if it is clear that a conviction will not necessarily disqualify an applicant, discussion of individual arrests is off limits.)
• Citizenship, nationality, and birthplace (Applicants should be asked whether they are either U.S. citizens or aliens authorized to work in the U.S., but beyond that questions about nationality are inappropriate.)

At the end of the interview, mention your timetable for decision-making, and promise to give the applicant a follow-up call. Thank the candidate for coming, and remember that even if you don't hire that person, you would like him or her to be your customer in the future.

Q: We are a mom-and-pop shop, and I'm in the store most days with my wife and our four female employees. Recently, I saw an ad for a law firm in our area bragging that their biggest sexual harassment settlement last year was $2.8 million, and it's got me worried. I'm not a male chauvinist, but I've been known to tell an off-color joke or two. I sometimes refer to our employees as "the girls" and use words like "dear" and "honey" when asking them to do something. At a recent going away party for one of the "the girls," my wife and I each gave her a big hug goodbye. Could one of our employees take us to court for something like that?

A: The main purpose of sexual harassment laws is to prevent managers and bosses from abusing their position of power to obtain sexual favors. Sometimes going along with unwanted sexual advances and remarks becomes a condition for employment, which is both immoral and illegal.

The matter becomes a little less clear when it comes to avoiding what is termed an "intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment." The jokes you tell might not be your way of "coming on" to female employees, but if their sexual content makes the women uncomfortable, you could be unnecessarily compromising their productivity in your shop. Ask your wife whether she senses that you are going over the line. The same is true of physical contact, such as hugs, and calling employees names such as "dear." Certainly if someone complains, that is a clear indication that you should stop, and offer an apology.

An unhappy employee can bring legal action against you even without much cause, if a lawyer is willing to take on the case. But it wouldn't hurt to review your actions to avoid violating the Equal Opportunity Commission's rulings on sexual harassment. As Lynn Martin, former Secretary of Labor, said, "[The purpose of] this is not just to make women comfortable in the workplace. It is so that women and men can have a workplace where each may grow and prosper."

Clearly stating your store's sexual harassment policy in your employee handbook will also help to show that you are making every effort to create an environment where everyone on your staff can grow and prosper on an equal basis.