Allegiance Stresses Strategic Training and Hiring Techniques
The leaders at Allegiance are utilizing innovative training and hiring practices to ensure continuing success. The firm's director of operation discussed these approaches and how they help the organization thrive.
San Diego, CA, May 8, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Allegiance has built a reputation as an industry leader, and this is primarily due to management investing heavily in professional development. “We work hard to identify and perfect the right training methods,” added the director of operations. “There are so many avenues you can choose to take when preparing associates to succeed, and we consider the process very important.”
Choosing which training methods to use and when to use them can be a daunting proposition, and the firm’s leaders understand that there are many things to consider when making those decisions. As the director added, “You have to consider the specific goals you have for every session in order to determine the proper method, and even then, a hybrid method might be the best way to go. It can be tough to strike the perfect balance, but that’s what we’re committed to doing.”
"There are so many avenues you can choose to take when preparing associates to succeed, and we consider the process very important."
Director of Operations
Whether through classroom training, interactive methods such as team sessions, or even cross-training that allows associates to appreciate each other’s responsibilities, the firm’s leaders are dedicated to sharpening the skills of each individual. They use hands-on methods as well as computer-based training materials to maintain a versatile mix of learning options.
Allegiance’s Director of Operations Shares Tips for Identifying Soft Skills in New Hires
According to the firm’s director, training well is only useful if you have the right people. As such, evaluating soft skills is a key element in the hiring strategy applied by the leadership team at Allegiance. The director noted, “It’s fairly easy to screen for communication skills and assessing a candidate’s ability to think on his or her feet, but testing for things like empathy and teamwork is a lot tougher. There’s no perfect formula for doing so, but I think we’ve hit on an effective strategy for bringing well-rounded individuals into our organization.”
One way the firm’s leaders find out if a potential addition will work well with a team is asking them to tell a story. “This is a great way to get right to the heart of how well a person collaborates,” indicated the director. “If they tell a story that involves them riding in on a white horse to guide a team to victory, that’s a bad sign. An effective team member will relate a tale that includes the merits of the other members and revolves around initiative and creative thinking. Basically, you don’t want to hear a story about how the candidate was the smartest person in the room, even if that may have been the case.”
Another strategy commonly used by the firm’s leaders to screen candidates is asking about a time when he or she had to ask for help. The director explained, “What we’re really looking for in an interview is self-awareness. If people claim that they can’t remember a time when they had to ask for help, I immediately worry that they won’t be comfortable owning up to any mistakes they may make in the future. We want to find individuals who understand that missteps represent learning opportunities and who are open to constant development and improvement.”
