Why Most Companies Never Hire the Perfect Person for the Job

Want to hire superstars?
Trying to find the “total package” is the last thing you should do.
Literally (and not in the teenage use of literally) the last thing.
Why? Think about the typical hiring process. You work hard to
find and select the right candidate. You evaluate skills and
experience and then ask interview questions to determine if the
candidate possesses qualities like attention to detail,
interpersonal skills, leadership ability, problem-solving skills....
Your process is exhaustive and, well, exhausting.
Still, while many of the people that get hired turn out to be good
employees, few of them turn out to be what every company really
needs: great employees.
Why? Those companies -- and the people making the decisions
-- took the job description approach to hiring.
Think about job descriptions . They list a wide variety of
qualifications the employee should possess. Typically attributes
like “self motivated,” “able to work with minimal supervision,”
“able to prioritize and handle multiple tasks,” and “able to work
well alone or as a member of a team,” are included.
So what happens? People evaluate candidates with those
requirements in mind. The candidate that ticks the most boxes
is usually selected—and the company winds up hiring good
when they really need great.
Now think about the truly great employees you know. Some are
well rounded, some are not, but all possess at least one
incredible skill. They all do at least one thing, one critical thing,
so well that people are willing—even happy—to overlook some of
their deficiencies.
Related: What Kinds of People Do You Hate to Work With?
(LinkedIn)
They may not “take a collaborative approach to problem
solving,” but wow do they make your fulfillment facility sing.
In short, a great employee has what you really need. All other
attributes on the job description, while important, pale in
comparison.
Next time you hire an employee , set the job description approach
aside and take this approach instead.
1. Determine what you really need.
Forget about finding a “well-rounded employee” (whatever that
is). If you could only pick one or two attributes, what are the
most important skills or qualities you need?
Keep in mind those attributes will often change depending on
your current needs and the skills your other employees possess.
So ignore the job description. Forget the position; think about
the job. Decide what you really need the new employee to do.
As Dharmesh Shah says, "You don't need a VP of anything... you
need a Doer of Things That Need to Get Done."
2. Decide what you really don’t need.
When you’re ticking off boxes on a list of qualifications it’s easy
to forget that you simply can’t live with some attributes,
regardless of how solid the candidate otherwise appears.
Complete this sentence about a theoretical employee: "I don't
care how great she is, I would still let her go because she
________."
Those are your no-go attributes. Never lose sight of them.
3. Do a first pass.
Set aside every candidate that doesn’t have what you really
need. Don’t be tempted by the, “Wow, she really has a wide
range of skills,” candidate. If she doesn’t bring the one or two
attributes you really need she may turn out to be a good
employee, but she’s not likely to be great.
Then set aside every candidate with an attribute on your "no way
in hell" list. She won't be great either.
Related: Does the Car You Drive Impact Your Career? (LinkedIn)
4. Conduct highly focused interviews.
Spend 10% of your time assessing general qualities and 90% of
your time ensuring the candidate truly has what you need. Dig
in. Ask for examples. Ask lots of follow-up questions. Write
everything down.
Then check references and use your notes to help you ask
specific questions. Sure, some companies won’t provide any
information, but many -- especially small businesses -- will.
Many will say they are not allowed to share information about
previous employees. When that happens, try saying, “I
understand. I’m just really worried I might a mistake. Can you
just say, if you were me, whether you would hire him?”
You'll be surprised by how many people will want to help you
out with a whispered "yes" or "no."
Then you can...
5. Assess the “total employee.”
If a few candidates seem relatively equal in terms of what you
really need, then decide which one best meets your more
subjective criteria. Conduct a second interview if necessary. Or
let other employees interview the remaining candidates.
At this point you can afford to evaluate “nice to have” qualities
because you’ve done everything possible to identify candidates
that have the attributes you truly need.
What do you think? Do you hire people who have that one skill
you most need, or do you try to hire candidates who appear to
be the total package?

LinkedIn Influencer, Jeff Haden , published this post
originally on LinkedIn .

7 Ways You're Shortening Your Life - Women's Health

If you're like many people you read about how to lengthen your life and
how to look younger. Maybe it's time to look at it in a different way.
Instead of what you should be doing to lengthen your life, try looking at
what you're doing that shortens your life, and stop doing it. Here are
seven things you may be doing right now that will shorten your life.
1. You Sit Too Much
Many if not most people have jobs that require all-day sitting. Add to
that couple of hours of sitting in the car while you commute, and then
getting home and sitting all evening and practically your entire day is
spent on your tush. Sitting even three hours per day has a life-
shortening effect, and sitting for 11 hours per day increases your risk of
death in the next three years by 40 percent. If you must sit for many
hours each day, get up at least once per hour for a short walk, a little
exercise and stretching. Try being more active in the rest of your life.
2. You Watch Too Much TV
A little TV is okay, but every hour per day of TV watching reduces your
life by 23 minutes. Two hours of TV watching per day can lead to
diabetes and heart disease, and statistically brings about earlier death.
Part of that is explained by the sitting that normally accompanies TV
watching, but only part. Sitting and watching TV reduces your lifespan
more than sitting on its own.
3. You Eat Red Meat
Your mortality risk increases directly with how much red meat you eat.
Red meat contains excessive saturated fat and cholesterol, and that
accounts for some of the increased mortality risk, but you have
increased mortality risk even eating very lean cuts of red meat. Stick to
a maximum of two servings per week of red meat. Replace it with fish
for your best health results.
4. You Don't Sleep Enough
Lack of sleep is associated with a large number of health problems.
Sleeping six hours per night or less increases your risk of diabetes, heart
disease and decreased mental capacity. Too little sleep also increase
your risk of mortality. This is definitely true over the long term, but is
even true with one day of reduced sleep. This is because your risk of
accident, vehicle, workplace and otherwise, increases with even one night
in which you do not get enough sleep.
5. You Don't Have Enough Enjoyable Sex
Men's risk of mortality increases if they go too long without having an
orgasm. Women's risk of mortality increases if they do not enjoy sex or
if they do not have sex frequently enough. Read a racy romance novel
and get yourself in the mood to improve your longevity.
6. You Smoke
You had to know this was coming. Smoking is so bad for you in so many
ways it has to shorten your prospective lifespan, and it does. Estimates
of shortened lifespan range from 11 minutes per cigarette smoked to
about half an hour per package smoked, but whatever the correct number
is, smoking definitely shortens your life.
7. You Drink Too Much Alcohol
One drink per day is fine, but for every drink over and above that one,
you shorten your life by 15 minutes. If you want to drink, stick to one per
day for the best health results and the longest life.
Picking up some good habits such as exercising regularly, eating more
fish and vegetables and reducing the stress in your life will all extend
your life expectancy. Now lose these seven bad habits and your life
expectancy will increase further still.

MEET The Real-Life Goddesses Whose Feet Don't Touch The Ground! [Photos]

Handpicked from birth, these pre-pubescent girls are known as
Kumaris and are believed to be incarnations of the Hindu Goddess
of Power, Kali - reported the DailyMail.
From the moment they are chosen for their role, and pass a
rigorous 32-stage test, these living goddesses are propelled to
immortal-like status, deemed to be protectors from evil by
thousands of adoring Hindus and Buddhists.
But for these girls, it is not just a name and status that they are
given - their whole life changes.
Kumaris - which means virgin in Nepalese - are forced to leave
their homes and are hidden away in temples as a living deity, only
able to leave when they are required at festivals and processions as
the subject of worship.
These Kumaris are even considered too special to walk, instead
being carried in chariots, thrones and other people's arms -
sometimes meaning they do not learn to walk until they retire.
And the girls are banned from going to school or taking part in day-
to-day society, only appearing outside their homes or temples up to
13 times a year.
But once they reach puberty, everything changes for these
Kumaris. After menstruation starts, the girls are put through a 12-
day 'Gufa' ritual, after which their life as a Kumari ends - and they
return to an ordinary life that they have never known.

Judge: Pistorius Did Not Intentionally Kill Steenkamp -CNN

Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Oscar Pistorius cannot be found
guilty of intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp, the judge in his trial
said Thursday. The judge has not issued a verdict, and the proceedings
continue. Pistorius faces other possible verdicts, including culpable
homicide. Under South African law, Pistorius will not be found guilty of
murder.
Os Pistorius today
Evidence suggests that Pistorius genuinely believed his girlfriend Reeva
Steenkamp was still in the bedroom, and that the person in the bathroom
was an intruder, although that is irrelevant to the case, she said.
Pistorius sat crying as the judge began reading the lengthy verdict.
The Olympian's trial in the death of his model girlfriend started six
months ago, transfixing the world with graphic details of how he fatally
shot Steenkamp.

OMG: Kanye West Hospitalised For Seizure!

Reports coming in says Kanye West was rushed to an hospital in
Melbourne, Australia just before his finale concert holds.
According to InTouch, he was admitted into Melbourne’s Epworth
Hospital in Richmond Wednesday, Sept. 10, where he received an
emergency MRI.
An eyewitness told Woman’s Day, an Australian publication, the
rapper had half of his face covered as he was escorted into the
hospital through a back entrance by his security team, while
patients and their family members were not allowed in the waiting
area so the rapper could be treated privately.
“My daughter was having an MRI. Shortly after it began, security
burst in and cleared the area,” Loraine Terry told the mag.
“Everyone was moved out of the waiting and consulting rooms. We
were the only ones left apart from doctors and nurses — we
couldn’t leave as the MRI wasn’t finished. Next thing we knew,
Kanye was stretchered [sic] in surrounded by security. He had one
side of his face covered with something white. We both knew it
was him because we had seen in his photo in the paper everyday
and we were shocked because it looked so serious.”
According to Ms. Terry, doctors observed Kanye had either suffered
a seizure or was on the verge of one—forcing the hospital to
perform an emergency MRI.
“Everyone was massively panicked,” she said. “And they were very
nervous about making sure the area was completely clear.”
Kim was said to be by his side all through the encounter
Kanye was later discharged around 4:30 PM local time, and was
seen performing on stage in front of a packed crowd later that
night.
Story developing.