It was the year 2011 and like any other young person trying to make ends meet in Harare, I applied for a job as an assistant accountant. They called me for the interview; l was so excited since l desperately sought a job.
When l arrived at the company premises in Msasa l first met a security guard, when l greeted him, he smiled and shook my hand. I sensed this was not an ordinary security guard because of his big belly and skin tenderness.
He asked me to fill in the security checkbook at the gate and also asked me to wear a visitor’s tag. I interacted with him for a few minutes, asking him about soccer, l noticed that we support the same team. He directed me to the reception, where there was a lady receptionist. I greeted her with a smile and she told me to wait for 30 minutes since I was early for the interview.
While sitting in the reception area, more than four people passed through the reception, and l greeted them all while my other colleagues concentrated on the tactics they would use to nail the interview. I was scared since l was the least qualified among all the other interviewees.
The three other guys came for the same job; they were interviewed first then my turn came, l was shocked to see the same security guard from the gate on the interview panel.
I had mistakenly thought that the smartly dressed Human Resources Officer was the CEO. I was shocked to learn that the Security Officer at the gate was the company’s CEO.
The interview started and l did not do very well in answering accounting-related questions but l did well with general questions. After the discussion, they asked me to step outside as they compiled the interview results. We anxiously waited for our verdict for an hour before the Human Resources Officer came to fetch us to the boardroom.
She said l was the one who was successful during the job interview and the other three colleagues were dismissed. I was very excited and she explained that GREETING and ATTITUDE were 60 % of the interview, and l got 55 out of 60.
She said all three guys were rude to the Security Guard cum CEO and completely ignored most staff members who passed through the reception area. The CEO said that he HIRES for ATTITUDE and TRAINS for skill.
Starting in 2011, l make it a point that l greet everyone l meet, even those who seem to be on a lower level. You do not lose anything from greeting people; l also took this lesson into my company. We do not recruit people who do not welcome others because they will not greet our customers and stakeholders.
You do not lose anything from greeting people, even if you are always the first one to greet them.
Business, entrepreneurship, and sales is 95% relationship. You won’t be successful if you cannot build a good relationship with people. We have lessons to learn from our South African brothers and sisters; they make it a point to greet everyone when they get into a taxi.
It’s not only in business or interviews but even in politics, l have noticed politicians trying to greet people during the election period the same people they were ignoring for five years. If you do not build a relationship with people you lead, they will vote you out during elections.
I have made it a policy that wherever l am, l greet everyone with respect; imagine not greeting each other in the elevator and then the elevator fails to open. How will you spend one hour together with someone you haven’t greeted? In the gym, greet everyone, not greet someone because you want to use a machine.
My young brothers and sisters, be humble, greet everyone, and treat everyone with respect; Most companies now value ATTITUDE better than SKILLS.
SKILLS can be trained in schools but ATTITUDE can’t!
