What we typically see in the United States is a fresh college graduate thrust
into a line leadership position with little training and almost no mentoring or
guidance. This problem is compounded by the fairly quick turnover time—two
years seems to be a long tenure—and the fact that there is no system in place to
step into. Every new leader must “learn the ropes” and develop methods for
handling the day-to-day issues. We have all seen the turmoil created when a
new leader steps in and places his or her own stamp on things by establishing
new expectations and procedures.
The alternative is to promote from within when possible, but frankly, it’s dif-
ficult to find capable willing candidates because of the challenges of the position.
People who work in the company can see that the supervisors are not given the
necessary tools or resources, and the hassles of the job are not worth the pay dif-
ferential (in some cases the “promotion” leads to lower overall pay since overtime
pay is lost).
So what can you do? The first step is to realize the importance of the group
and the team leaders. These positions must be seen as more than stepping-stones
or positions that no one wants. To better understand the skills that Toyota
believes are important for leadership, the following case example describes the
initial screening and hiring process used for the Georgetown Kentucky plant
start-up.
Case Example: Screening Process for Group and Team
Leaders at Georgetown
There is some advantage to starting a new plant. You get to start fresh.
You get to select the most capable people possible for the jobs. You
don’t have any history to erase or change. There are disadvantages as
well. There is a limited base of experience. The training needs are huge,
and you might not end up with the right people for the jobs. Thus,
everyone started fresh, but without the necessary skills.
The selection of team and group leaders was so critical for the plant
start-up that an extensive and specific selection process was developed.
Toyota had committed to hiring manufacturing employees from with-
in the state. Applications quickly poured in from across Kentucky, totaling
over 100,000 (this number continued to increase, but the initial pool
was around 100,000). To narrow this large pool of applicants to those
who possessed the basic skill set, a series of filtering processes were used.
Applicants participated in a general aptitude test, lasting about two hours,
which was used as the first screening tool. A select group (we are not
privy to the actual numbers) was advanced to the next level. Toyota
was looking for both manufacturing and maintenance, “skilled trades”
people, so those with a maintenance background were scheduled forChapter 10. Develop Leaders Who Live Your System 235