Image used from Unsplash with permission
In one of my management classes at Penn State, we have been working on a project where we interview a leader so we can explore things to help us grow as future managers. The person my team chose was:
Mike Lindskog, a public relations Senior Director of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes baseball team
The Quakes are a minor league single A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mr. Lindskog is also the “Voice of the Quakes” announcer on FOX Sports 1350 broadcasting throughout the nation. Mr. Lingskog also has 15-20 people he oversees, such as public relations interns, sales managers, marketing manager, club promotion manager, customer service representatives and sponsorship account executives.
While we covered many things during our interview, I learned a few extra-valuable pieces of information I think are useful for hiring managers.
- The most productive and satisfied employees work at a place that promotes having fun. The first thing he makes sure to include on a job description is “HAVE FUN!” The more enjoyable a work experience is, the better the energy an employee will bring. Happy employees usually mean happy customers.
- “Sassy attitudes spoil a good soup.” Someone could have every qualification you’re looking for, but if they have a bad attitude, they will create a bad working environment and a dysfunctional team.
- It is best to hire for personality and train on skill. He believes you should hire the person that socially fits versus someone who looks great on paper. A recent graduate may have a 3.9 GPA, but may not be cut out for customer service. It’s better to hire someone with a personality to fit the job they will be doing. Everyone is great at different things, and finding what we’re good at helps bring us closer to satisfaction with our job.
- Recruiting techniques have changed drastically over the years. There are more email resumes today and fewer people stop by to drop off their resume. Many of his hires come from job fairs because it shows that they are genuinely interested in the job. He also notes that he will check out their social media, but it is usually not the determining factor in an hiring decision.
- Millennials often are not prepared to pay their dues. While he has had fantastic millennials work for him in the past, hiring someone who believes they should be the chief from the beginning can often be detrimental.
Mr. Lindskog taught us many nuggets of wisdom and he truly knows how to be an effective manager. He was an absolute blast to interview and I appreciate the time he took to share his knowledge.
To read more of Mike Lindskog’s bio, click here http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=t526&ymd=20091123&content_id=7708152&vkey=team4