Recruiting for Excellence - Mind your Maslow

The Maslow hierarchy of needs transcends nearly all aspects of life, however none more so than the business world. Staff members are at such staggered stages of living that the odds for tension are of significant concern in business. Even as a boss may well have reached the self-actualization point with a spouse and kids, an entry-level employee might barely be hoping to obtain her first residence.

The considerable difference among workers of different stages of Maslow's theory is most quickly shown with the prior case in point. The stress intensity of somebody who is barely getting by, having anxiety with their physiological as well as safety requirements is of immense concern. Somebody experiencing that much strain can have their job start to suffer.

If a person has their basic needs met such as a place to live, a rewarding family experience, and financial stability, they are more likely to excel in the workplace. It is hard to focus on the job at hand, especially if you don't have the ability to focus. When you are able to focus you are more efficient and effective at work.

This is why a wise business owner puts prospective employees through a thorough interviewing process. Through interviews it's easy to identify those with stable environments. In Maslow's terms, smart supervisors want to recruit employees in the self-actualization and esteem stages. Both of these stages usually take other people into account when working.

Workplace competition generates a higher quality of product and promotes employee cohesion. Esteem stage employees make a great fit for your business due to their more competitive need to excel, combined with their need for attention and the respect of their coworkers. Esteem stage employees are better at maintaining excellent interpersonal workplace relationships and can provide your business with quality work.

Employees in the self-actualization stage are also useful employees. These employees are focused on the task at hand. They have a calmer demeanor, knowing their self-worth and not having the lesser of life's struggles bearing down on them. Also, since people do not stay in a single stage, and my slide back down the pyramid, it is better to have someone who is still high enough on the pyramid, even with a backslide, who will still be a confident, efficient worker.

The business world can benefit from a Maslow-like overhaul of its practices. If carefully studied, we'll see that employees with greater focus and competency mean a more successful business. It naturally follows that the quickest and most efficient route to success is to recruit members from the top tier of Maslow's hierarchy.