Page 268 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

244 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK

The selection process used at the Toyota plant in Georgetown is based on
the idea that a person’s past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior. The
selection process is long and provides many opportunities to see potential can-
didates in various situations so their behavior can be evaluated. These situations
include simulated work activities (see Chapter 10) and an interview that concen-
trates on actual experience. As discussed in The Toyota Way, it is a multistep process,
beginning with weeding out hundreds or thousands of applications and then
conducting an aptitude test. We will focus here on the later stages of interview-
ing once a smaller subset has been identified.
The selection process targets the following skills for team associates:
◆ Job-fit motivation. Does the individual’s personal motivation fit well
with the company? Will the work and the environment provide them
with personal satisfaction? You may find that this person would be better
suited for other jobs or tasks.
◆ Meeting membership. Does the person have the ability to work with
others, to participate but not dominate, and to gain the cooperation and
support of others?
◆ Meeting leadership. This trait may not be as important for team associ-
ates, but it includes the ability to convey ideas to others and to get support
when needed. Toyota does like to grow leaders (Chapter 10), so potential
leaders are sought out.
◆ Initiative. Is this person someone who will initiate action and do more
than the minimum necessary to achieve goals, or do they wait to be told
what needs to be done? Do they initiate action beyond their boundaries
without approval (not desirable)?
◆ Ability for the work. Has the person ever performed this type of work?
If not, do they have similar experience, such as home repairs or publish-
ing a newsletter for a church or civic group?
◆ Adaptability. The Toyota Way is founded on continuous improvement,
which means continuous change. People need to be able to handle various
situations, tasks, and people.
◆ Problem identification and problem-solving ability. Many people can
spot problems. Are they able to provide solutions? Do they expect others
to solve the problem for them?
◆ Work tempo. Toyota assesses work tempo using a simulated work expe-
rience. This allows the candidate to understand the future work require-
ment to make sure they know what they’re in for and so Toyota can assess
whether they have aptitude for the work.
◆ Communication skills. Do they speak clearly? Do they communicate
ideas effectively? Are they able to understand questions and answer
specifically?