Sound Advice from Valerie Geller
If you hire right, your job is a breeze. Find and develop champions — they win and you win.
But if you get it wrong and end up managing unmoti-vated people, whose skills don’t fit or who may not be up to it, your job can be a nightmare.
Smart, talented, determined people can do just about anything, and we are lucky that many choose to work in radio during challenging times.
Hiring
Attracting the right talent, then managing to their strengths, can be tricky. It’s easy to be fooled if someone appears qualified and gives a great interview. Like a great first date, it can be deceptive. There’s always an element of gambling. it takes time to get to know someone. You’re betting on potential, on how a person will develop, get along, and tackle challenges.
No matter the qualifications, references, education, experience, or who they might know, unless you know them, or have worked with them, or they are within your organization, it’s a crapshoot.
To hire for roles that play to the strengths of each and take full advantage of their scope of talent, here’s a tip: the parts of a job that come naturally and easily, where it doesn’t feel like work and the time flies? That’s their gift. Discover their gifts.
For personalities, it’s better to build a show around a performer’s strengths rather than stuffing them into a role that does not fit. Talent know when they are cast in a role that is not right for them and can sense what they are best at when looking for work.
It is also possible to kill joy and enthusiasm (and job performance) by consistently saying no to small but practical solutions to real problems.
Listen to the needs of and ideas from your staff. When possible, say yes to build up your team.
Other Options
Broadcasters can take their abilities and talents and move between and excel in a variety of professions. Sales and on-air skills easily transfer to other fields including real estate, psychology, teaching, clergy, writing, law, improv theatre, standup, and more.
Are You Rightly Cast?
Remember, radio requires passion. You can love radio, but it doesn’t love you back. Choose radio not because you canlive with it, but because you can’t live without it.
VALERIE GELLER is a talent coach and author.
Reach her at [email protected].