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Hiring / Interviewing / Recruiting Articles Index The newest articles are are towards the bottom of the page. (higher number)
The use of these articles are for our clients only. You must have permission from Sorrell Associates to use these articles in any format. We add articles to this page constantly. With over 4000 articles currently in our archive it will take some time to get them on this page. Keep checking back. Want to submit an article? Click Here
H102 MISSED WORK COSTS $600 Unscheduled absences cost small businesses $600 per employee per year, according to the 10th annual survey of human-resource executives by CCH and Harris Interactive. An article outlines the reasons… Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H104 Recruit Vs. HireDefinitionsRecruit - to seek out a person and persuade them to join you Hire - to engage the services of a person in exchange for payment Comparisons fills long-term need vs. fills immediate need
Example: When Jenny wanted an assistant, she placed an ad in the paper, and hired the one who seemed most qualified. Robert got to know ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H105 INTERVIEW MISTAKES In sales, there is a saying that you have two ears and one mouth and you should use them in that proportion. In interviewing, perhaps the ratio should be four to one. The interviewer should lead the candidate to do most of the talking. The second problem of the interviewers ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H106 Do you focus on retaining staff? Yesterday's employee perks are today's standard fare. Therefore, it's essential that you offer your best workers more of what they want to keep them happy and on board. Take this quiz to rate your retention savvy: 1. Another firm wants your top employee. You should: a. Remind employees that your firm offers many perks not available elsewhere. b. Match or beat the other company's offer. c. Create your own retention... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H107 Even when it's subtle, discrimination is still illegal You may not intend it, but your job postings and ads may be filled with discriminatory language. Be aware of the subtle ways you reveal biases which can lead to legal trouble: Age limits. Employment discrimination due to age is prohibited under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Watch for phrasing like, “Under 40,” “Recent retiree,” “Great for... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H108 Trouble Finding Employees? Tap a rich source of able job candidates The next time you have trouble filling a job, think disabled. With often- minor accommodations, you can tap into a chronically underemployed workforce of some 54 million people with disabilities. Only 30% of working-age people with disabilities are employed, compared to 80% of nondisabled adults, says the National Organization on Disability. And if you’re worried about having to make expensive accommodations for employees with disabilities, don’t: On average, ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H109 Recruiting and Retaining the Best Talent Recruiting and Retaining the Best Talent in a Competitive Economy Requires Planning and Flexibility. It is no surprise that rising costs of salaries and benefits are the topic of discussion among growing companies who seek to recruit and retain the best talent. Many managers are frustrated by the tightening supply of potential key employees. Larger, well-funded companies are offering employees and contract workers the highest salaries, while smaller growth-oriented companies are having to compete with the rising costs of salaries, benefits and recruiting efforts. How can the smaller employer keep abreast of these market conditions? They must carefully evaluate their salaries and benefits, offer other forms of compensation, and consider employing... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H110 Start Out On The Right Foot With New Hires Companies spend a lot of money recruiting and hiring new employees, only to forget about them when they start. Here is how to start off correctly with your new hires:
H111 What To Ask Before You Hire Few things can waste more valuable time and resources or cause more morale problems than mismatching the person and the job. As a busy executive, you want to get the most out of your people while protecting your investment in their training. Good employees turn up, not by magic, but through good hiring practices, and smart hiring starts with smart interviewing. After you've asked the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H112 TOP 10 WAYS TO DEVELOP AND RETAIN THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN A FORWARD THINKING ORGANIZATION 1. Identify talents required for the job. Find candidates who display those talents identified for the job. Get the right people with the right talent in the right place at the right time. Talents + Skills and Knowledge = behavior = outcomes 2. Be clear on outcomes required. By studying the best employees achieving outcomes it is then possible to identify the behaviors displayed which are their strengths (a combination of talent, skills and knowledge). 3. Hold employees accountable for their outcomes. Each employee should be aware that... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H117
In his books, "Built to Last" and "Good to Great," author Jim Collins states that the best organizations have the best people in their organizations. This is no small task and is not just something that happened by chance. It was a very specific strategy the organizations set out to achieve. By having the best possible people on the bus then the rest of the efforts put into process, procedures, customer service, etc... all roll out that much more effectively. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H118 Skill Shortage A job-skills shortage is already reality in the manufacturing industry, and is likely to spread to other industries over the next 10 to 15 years as baby boomers retire. Despite a recession that cost 2 million manufacturing jobs, a recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers warns that "manufacturing could experience a shift from merely having a talent shortage to facing a serious labor crisis." That’s just manufacturing. Warnings also are forecast about the need for... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H119 Recruiting Older Workers With the graying of the workforce, American business is going to have to pay attention to what older workers want and how to recruit them, says Deborah Russell, manager of Economic Security and Work at the American Association of Retired Persons. "Terms such as ‘fast-paced,’ ‘high-energy,’ ‘young,’ and ‘vital’ are often signals to older workers that they need not apply," she says. AARP encourages companies to use terminology that better reflects age diversity such as "experienced workers" and "age-diverse." A recent AARP-sponsored study, using a... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H120 Recruit, Recruit, Recruit Part 2 Where do I find talented resources?
n part one we introduced the concept of a strategy to constantly recruit talent to your business. The concept is not that hard to understand. However, allocating the time and energy to set it up and follow through, can be another challenge. I recently had the opportunity to meet with the Business Development Director for a new organization called Staffing Master - http://www.staffingmaster.com/. This organization has set up a system that helps organizations recruit talent to their organization for a fixed fee. Some of you may have been exposed to head hunters and other recruiting firms that charge a percentage of the hired candidate’s compensation package or some other fee system. Other providers in the marketplace have hourly rates for conducting services in this hiring/recruiting area. Their particular... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H121 Mentoring: An Important Strategy for Employee Retention
oday’s employers are looking for innovative and creative ways to attract and keep talented employees. Traditional recruitment and retention approaches focus on offering attractive pay and benefits packages. Yet, those well-intentioned efforts are falling short. In their ground breaking work, “First, Break All the Rules,” Buckingham and Coffman have found that once an employee’s basic financial needs are met, talented employees want more. They want to know how their job impacts the overall good of the organization. They want to feel a part of the organization and they want opportunities to grow and develop their skills. A successful mentoring relationship will help employees meet these vital developmental needs. Employed properly, mentors create a safe environment for employees to discover (or rediscover) why their work matters as well as gives them a sense of belonging. Successful mentors:... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H122 What it takes to keep workers How important are wages and bonuses in retaining talented employees? Answer: Not as important as other benefits, according to a survey of 352 employers by the American Management Association. Here are the four most cited incentives: 1 . Sending employees to conferences and seminars. 2. Tuition reimbursement. 3. Skills training. 4. Pay for performance. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H123 Recruiting and Retaining the Best Talent by Marla Winitz
ecruiting and Retaining the Best Talent in a Competitive Economy Requires Planning and Flexibility
It is no surprise that rising costs of salaries and benefits are the topic of discussion among growing companies who seek to recruit and retain the best talent. Many managers are frustrated by the tightening supply of potential key employees. Larger, well-funded companies are offering employees and contract workers the highest salaries, while smaller growth-oriented companies are having to compete with the rising costs of salaries, benefits and recruiting efforts. How can the smaller employer keep abreast of these market conditions? They must carefully evaluate their salaries and benefits, offer other forms of compensation, and consider employing higher level contract workers to add value in specific areas.
The smart job seekers are also aware of these conditions, so employers must be prepared before they begin recruiting.
1. Carefully evaluate the salaries and benefits your firm offers. How do they compare in the marketplace with your competitors and companies with similar demographic. Professional and trade associations conduct surveys for their specific industries. Employers can conduct their own salary and benefits survey. Even if your company can't match the salaries being offered in the largest companies, you should know where your weak spots are. Though a competitive compensation package is a powerful recruiting tool, companies can offer other perks that may be more important to a key employee. Offer other incentives in place of... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H124 Recognize good performance and deal with poor performance.If an account executive fails to meet a mutually established skill or financial goal, he or she is given a warning and an opportunity to improve. If that improvement is not achieved, the executive is given 60 days to follow a new strategic plan under the guidance of the sales manager. The new plan is designed to give the salesperson every chance to work, providing the salesperson is willing and able to follow the plan. If the corrective action plan works, the employee continues; if the plan fails, the employee is outplaced.
As an alternative to following a new strategic plan, the salesperson can elect to seek another position during a specified period. Chances are that they will find a new position that matches their job skills. Once the decision between these two options is made, the employee has no choice but to improve or move. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H125 Do Executives Hate HR? That's probably too strong a characterization. But, 47 percent of Fortune 1000 senior executives polled recently by Accenture HR Services said they are either dissatisfied with or ambivalent about their human resource department. Their biggest complaint? Slow response times to requests. The 53 percent of execs expressing satisfaction with HR praised their departments for giving personal attention to workers and offering easy access to a wide array of useful information. The business leaders do want HR to... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H126 Retention and Employee Benefit Options: HRAs & HSAs One of the best ways to retain top performing employees is to offer competitive employee benefit options. Two relatively new concepts in healthcare benefits are Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). I suggest these two concepts, coupled with an ongoing aggressive wellness program, can also be a much better long-term solutions to the annual double- digit increases in the medical portion of your group benefit packages, than raising deductibles, coinsurance percentages, and co-payments. What is an HRA? A Health Reimbursement Arrangement is an employer-funded health plan that reimburses employees for qualified medical expenses on a tax-free basis. Employers have a tremendous amount of flexibility in designing these plans. This includes determining the level of deductibles, how much will be... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H127 Word Count: 136 Find An Applicant’s Biggest Weakness Most job seekers are savvy enough to anticipate common interview questions such as: "What are your strengths?" and "What are your weaknesses?" You're bound to receive a canned response if you stick with those old chestnuts. You'll be a lot more successful at uncovering a candidate's shortcomings if you ask: • "Can you share with me three areas of your performance you're trying to improve?" •"Tell me about a time when you lost your temper at work." •"Tell me about a time when you were working on a team and you thought the group was heading in the wrong direction. What did... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H128 Word Count: 101 Job Satisfaction in the United States Job satisfaction has declined across all income brackets in the last nine years. While 55 percent of workers earning more than $50,000 are satisfied with their jobs, only 14 percent claim they are very satisfied. The largest decline in overall job satisfaction, from 60.9% to 49.2%, occurred among workers 35-44. This is also the worker group next in line for management and leadership positions. The second largest decline took place among workers aged 45-54, with the ...
Members can read this entire article by clicking here H130 Word Count: 218 Reduce Turnover Using Your Daily Planner Studies show that employees that are appreciated stay with a company longer. Most employers think employees leave because they want more money. Simply not the case according to employee surveys. Consistently showing appreciation to your employees takes a lot of work and planning. Here is a simple method to keep you on track and to show your employees that you care. s Take out your daily planner. If using an electronic calendar set the alarm as a reminder. s Schedule a weekly meeting with a different employee for the next 12 months. s Review the employee’s progress on a project, attendance, teamwork, running their department, etc… Do this prior to your meeting. s Meet with the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H131 Word Count: 155 Collect ‘Turnover Causes’ With An E-Mail Box Dedicate a company e-mail address to employee retention. Set up the address to allow employees to post anonymous messages. Then let everyone know that you are looking for turnover causes – those policies, procedures, or problems that cause people to leave the company. You should be able to sniff out potential problems-before they start driving employees out the door. Please keep in mind one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to set this up and then not follow up. Employees will take time to help a company if they feel the company is listening and willing to take action. Periodically post... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H132 Word Count: 712 Halo Effect: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." When President Bush looked toward his embattled director of FEMA and announced to the world "Brownie, You're doing a heck of job", he epitomized one of the most frequent and damaging problems in corporate America today - the halo effect. Not unlike thousands of managers everyday, President Bush patted his guy - Michael Brown, former director of Federal Emergency Management Agency - on the back for failing to do his job. This unfortunately all-too-common method of giving positive but undeserved accolades is the bane of managers everywhere. Known as the halo effect, managers tend to rate all employees as excellent, good, or acceptable regardless of actual job performance. Why would a manager take this tenuous path to performance management? As his leader, the President wanted to stand behind his man, encourage his employee, and direct attention to the positives he was doing. He did the right thing too by not admonishing Mr. Brown publicly for the incredibly... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H134 Word Count: 237 Alert Supervisors To Little Known ‘Association-bias’ Law By now, your supervisors know it’s illegal to discriminate against someone because of his or her disability. But do they also know about a less-obvious part of the ADA that makes it illegal to discriminate against people because they have an association with a person who has a disability. For example, you can’t refuse to hire someone because of an unfounded fear that the person will be excessively absent or unproductive because he needs to care for his disabled child. The ADA’s association provision covers hiring, firing and other terms and conditions of employment. Other examples of discriminatory actions: s Firing or refusing to hire someone based on concerns that the person will acquire a condition from a family member or friend; s Refusing... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H135 Word Count: 901 The Biggest Mistake A Company Makes Is The Hiring Mistake! By: Robert Alderman, CEO/President PERFORMANCE 2000 INC.
I hear it over and over. "They were great in the interview, their resume was impressive and I checked their references. I thought I did it right but I ended up with a sub-par performer." Today, a company will not survive with average people. The competition for good people is heating up and according to human resource studies it is never going to end. The race is on to find the brightest and best. Great people build great companies. Average people put average companies out of business. Look at the hiring process as a chain.
Break one link and the chain will fail.
The hiring chain should be composed of the following:
1. A complete job description so the interviewer knows exactly what they are looking for. What behaviors, values and skills are required for success in this specific job? 2. A written set of interview questions which relate specifically to the job requirements for this candidate. 3. At least two... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H136 Word Count: 498 Hire Slow After speaking to a group of employers about hiring practices, one of the attendees approached me and said, “You say hire slow to get the best results, but it doesn’t do us any good. We just end up rushing around trying to hire someone because the job has been open for too long.” She described her company’s selection process. The average time lapse between receiving the last resume and the first interview was about two months, during which time multiple managers reviewed each resume in an attempt to reach consensus on which applicants to accept, the method to be used to determine who would be selected for on-site interviews and who would manage the process. There is a difference between a “hire slow” selection process and a broken process that drags. Her company’s process is a good example of the latter. The phrase “hire slow” is not about taking a long time to invite an applicant in for an interview. It is about attention to detail at a calculated speed through a well planned and organized process. The hire slow process involves six steps: 1. Plan the process. Determine the requirements of the position, how will you solicit resumes, who will screen the resumes, who will be responsible for each step of the screening process, and who will be the principles that make up the selection team. 2. Establish a timeline for each... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H137 Word Count: 393 You’re Hired…I Quit! Keeping New Hires Question: We take fresh engineers, top graduates from the best colleges, and train them. The challenge is keeping them: many leave our firm for jobs with IT companies and/or higher studies after 8-10 months. How can we reverse this trend? Should we start looking at hiring people who aren't considered "high flyers"? Reversing the trend of high turnover can be difficult, but hiring lesser-qualified people is not the answer. High employee turnover is typically an environmental issue resulting from a mismatch between the employee and the work environment. When employees leave an employer, they often cite... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H138 & S127 Word Count: 843 Hiring A Top Salesperson In these highly competitive times, it is necessary to stock our sales force with the very best performers – the all-stars. The creation of a world-class sales force is not only desired, but necessary for long-term prosperity. Replacing one salesperson could cost your organization between 1.5 to 5 times the fully-loaded salary of that individual! Wanting to create a world-class sales team that stays the course, what should you be looking for? Should you hire salespeople that have been to every sales training program ever offered to man? Might it be people who have set records at all 10 stops along their career path? Could it be people with impressive resumes? Would you only hire the smooth talkers? Good looking people? Those hot-shots with fancy cars? Should you only hire people with knowledge of your industry? I have seen many sales managers hire new salespeople based on their industry knowledge only to have these new recruits fail miserably. These “recycled” salespeople are known for... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H139 Word Count: 459 Don’t Be The Victim Of A Hiring Mistake
very employer makes both good and bad hiring decisions. Both are unavoidable. Even the worst hiring system will produce some very good employees on occasion, and the best selection systems will occasionally produce mis-hires, or employees that don’t fit the job they are hired for. No selection process can guarantee that every newly hired employee is the best or even a good match for the job. A good selection process is designed to reduce the probability of hiring the wrong person, regardless of what the person that designed the process says it will do. The problem is not that employers occasionally hire a bad employee. The problem is that once the bad employee is on the job and gives indicators of being a poor performer, the employer avoids terminating the worker promptly. A supervisor once said to me that his reason for not immediately firing a mis-hire was that “there is a 90-day probationary period and he has only been here for 30 days.” The experience then becomes one that lasts far too long. While the employer is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H140 Word Count: 638 Using Assessments In The Hiring Process
iring the right people for your organization has always been a key ingredient of success, but is more critical today than ever before. Individuals come into the workplace with diverse cultural, education, experience, and backgrounds and many have clear expectations of how they want their job to fit into their overall lifestyle. With increasingly strict guidelines for hiring practices, how can an employer differentiate among qualified candidates without discriminating against them? Background and reference checks may allow a decision maker to eliminate some candidates, and a well-planned interview or series of interviews can provide valuable insights into the candidates. Unfortunately, the usefulness of the information gathered by these means greatly depends on the skill of the individual gathering that information. Organizations seeking additional insights into candidates are turning with increasing frequency to assessment instruments or processes. These processes may include assessment centers, where candidates go through a battery of assessment instruments, role playing exercises, and interviews over a period of one or more days. Psychological assessments by an organizational psychologist, assessment instruments administered by company personnel either on site or on line, or some combination of these approaches may also be done. (Assuming that the individuals administering and interpreting the assessments have been properly trained). The advantages of using assessments as part of the hiring process are as follows: 1. Benchmarking – this is the process of determining what skills, talents, attitudes, and behaviors are important for successful performance in a given position. By analyzing the results of individuals who have demonstrated success in a given position and the requirements of the position, candidates can be compared with a set of objective standards. 2. Comparative analysis – standardized ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H141 Word Count: 499 Recognize and Address Hiring Mistakes
he objective of a selection process is to increase your odds of selecting the best candidate. No matter how good a selection system may be, occasionally it will result in the selection of an applicant that is not the right fit for the job. The final decision is always made by humans that may divert from the selection process in favor of intuition, appearance, familiarity, school, past employer association, or the pressure of time. So, poor fits are bound to happen despite a well developed selection process. If you hire someone that ends up being a poor fit for the job, do not make the second big mistake; holding on to the future poor performer for far too long. Suppose an applicant is hired because he or she makes a good impression, reminds you of someone else, or happens to interview at just the right time. Shortly after the orientation process, the new employee begins to show signs of not being the right fit. It could be something as basic as frequent absenteeism or as critical as not having the talent or level of experience expressed during the interview. Your big mistake occurs when you attempt to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H142 Word Count: 370 Is Offshoring Waning? For years, the United States and some other developed countries have been sending jobs to less-developed countries. In most cases, the motivation has been cost-savings…almost always in labor costs. It was assumed that workers in the receiving countries would be able to perform the work at least as effectively as the workers who had held the jobs for years---sometimes for decades. Manufacturing jobs shifted overseas, along with administrative, back-office, coding and design, and information technology positions. Recently, because of the difficulty of finding qualified workers in the home country, jobs have moved to other countries. Employers in the United States, the United Kingdom, ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H143 Word Count: 373 US Facing Surplus of Hispanic Workers? The second largest contributor to Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product is the money sent back to families in the country from citizens who are working in other countries, particularly in the United States. That amount may soon surpass the revenue generated from Mexico’s leading industry, oil. Labor, much of it unskilled or semi-skilled, is the country’s most significant export. A wide range of American employers use Hispanic workers as full-time, long-term employees, and as transient and temporary workers. Employers have found that these employees are most often dedicated and hard working. Their strong work ethic is accompanied by a welcome appreciation for having a job and respect for management. Interestingly, these values which built American industry, are lacking in many US citizens---both white and black. While longer-time workers complain about employer use of Hispanic immigrants, there are important differences in productivity and attitude. Undocumented Mexican workers in the United States are a primary source of ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H146 Word Count: 117 Some common sense rules for interviewing It seems like everyone should know the common sense rules for interviewing, but according to the sad tales told by a lot of hiring professionals, common sense must be in pretty short supply these days.
H147 Word Count: 702 Hiring Plans Make all the Difference By Chris Egizi The good news: as companies continue to grow, personnel budgets are being beefed up in order to allow departments to expand their staffs. The bad news: managers, who are already struggling to keep up with additional demands on over-burdened teams, must figure out how to navigate the hiring maze quickly, effectively and efficiently. One of two scenarios typically plays out when it's time to hire new personnel: hiring managers post positions or place ads and launch blindly into the interview process, or they turn to a recruiting firm with the idea that recruiters will do the heavy lifting and the right candidate will magically appear. The problem with either scenario is that hiring manager’s risk missing out on the best candidates because they don't have a clear understanding of precisely what or who they need. Conversely, ideal candidates get frustrated because they either can't get a clear handle on what the hiring manager is looking for or because they are left cooling their heels while the hiring manager deals with more urgent day-to-day needs. The solution is to develop a well-defined hiring plan before placing that first ad or approaching a recruiting firm. In fact, a hiring plan may help maximize internal resources by identifying under-utilized talent that already exists within a company. The first, most critical, step is to define exactly what your team needs, look at strengths and weaknesses and define skill gaps that, if filled, would round out the team: Is your team overwhelmed and are permanent personnel needed to ease the burden? If so, what specific skills should you add to maximize your team's abilities? And what kind of personality will mesh best with your existing team? In other words, go beyond general definitions to identify what you need very specifically by skills, personality, etc. Once the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H148 Word Count: 451 Always be Prepared Good jobs come and go quickly. Great jobs come and go at warp speed. Therefore, one of the most important strategies you can use for dealing with today’s job market is to be “interview ready” at all times. What does that mean? It means making sure you are always prepared for that first contact with an employer. It means your resume is up to date. It means knowing what is going on in your industry. It means being ready to take that leap if the right opportunity comes along. Look at it this way: Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes on a daily basis. From their perspective, they have the pick of the crop, and they believe they can be more selective than ever. For your part, this situation guarantees the competition for any job will be intense, and the competition for the best jobs will be off the charts. How will recruiters sort winners from losers? They’ll look for candidates who have state-of-the-art skills and are up-to-date in their industry and the business world. In addition, recruiters will expect candidates to demonstrate professional knowledge and business awareness from the very first nanosecond of the contact. That’s the definition of being prepared in today’s job market. I know that’s a big challenge; sure, you have other things to do. But, continuous preparation is the single most important step you can take to set yourself apart from others in your given industry. Here are some simple tips ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H149 Word Count: 775 Are You Having Another Ground Hog Day?
Often when I talk to professionals, I ask the question, “Where would you like to take your career?” I ask this question since I don’t just consider myself a “headhunter” but more of a career counselor. I see my job as placing people in a position that progresses them toward their ultimate career goals. In other words, if I understand where someone wants to go in their career I can often help them get there a lot quicker than if they did it on their own.
What I have found is there are two types of responses to my question. The first type of response is, “Yes, I want to become XYZ,” or “I plan on getting into ZZZ”. They have an idea but may be uncertain as to what their next step should be, or they may be planning on making a change once they have XXX under their belt. My experience has taught me that if a person knows where they want to go with their career then they are more likely to excel and progress. Therefore, when I hear this type of response I can usually place the professional into a job that will help them progress their career plans.
Unfortunately the type of response that I hear most often to my question is usually something like “I don’t know” or “I haven’t really thought about it”. In other words they are quite content with just getting by until something upsets their routine. They have given little thought to where they are going in their career.
Have you ever seen the movie “Ground Hog Day”? In this movie Bill Murray plays the character of a TV Anchor man, Phil Connors, who stumbles into a time warp and ends up repeating ground hog day over and over again. This repeated experience and his desire to get out of it forces him to examine what he is doing wrong in his life. While watching this movie, I came to the realization that people who give the “I don’t know” type of response might have ‘Ground Hog Day’ careers. They ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
Legal1211 Word Count: 159 Employment Laws You Should Know
here are many complex laws that govern the employer-employee relationships as well as the provisions requiring reporting or record-keeping. The more employees you have, the more such laws apply, and the more likely the employer is to inadvertently violate a law due to not knowing the requirements. Here are two of the laws of interest: At-will employment defines the employment relationship in many states. Under this approach, the employer and employee both may terminate the employment relationship for any reason or no reason at all, just so long as the reason is not illegal or otherwise prohibited by law, such as discrimination. Without an express or implied agreement of employment, employees are usually considered "at-will." Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act ("COBRA") is a federal law that requires employers to allow employees to continue their health insurance coverage after termination, in the same insurance group, at the group rate and providing the same benefits. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
legal1214 Word Count: 379 More Employment Laws You Should Know In our last newsletter we wrote about a couple of the complex laws that govern the employer-employee relationships as well as the provisions requiring reporting or record-keeping. Here are a few more that you should take notice of: Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA") is a federal law that protects older employees (those over the age of 40) from employment discrimination on the basis of age. Only employers with more than 20 employees are required to comply with ADEA. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against any disabled employee or applicant who could, with or without a reasonable accommodation of that disability, perform a job. The act also requires an employer to provide accommodation, such as modified work hours or duties, or special equipment, if such an accommodation is not "unduly burdensome" and is necessary to help the disabled employee perform his or her job. Pensions, benefits and compensation are governed by an array of laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and laws such as COBRA, which requires an employer to continue some forms of employee insurance coverage for a period of time after the employee has been terminated. Some employment benefits are also mandated by state or federal law, such as Social Security, unemployment compensation, and workers' compensation. Wrongful termination or discharge refers ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H150 Word Count: 388 When hiring, play for all the marbles
hat does the expression "playing for all the marbles" mean to you? Derived from a competitive children's game, the expression typically conjures up images of ongoing preparation and a fierce determination to win. If you are a business owner or manager with one of the few job openings available in today's job market, then the term "playing for all the marbles" is significant to defining the success of your business. If you are an employer trying to fill a job vacancy, it means ongoing preparation and a fierce determination to hire the best possible talent available. Today's economic climate of downsizing and bankruptcies has produced a job market with a lot of talented applicants available. The best employers already know that and are taking action. They prepare to recruit, interview and select new employees as if the life of the company or their career depends on it. They realize that every time there is a reduction in force somewhere, there is the potential to get a Secretariat for the price of a very good show horse. A client recently asked ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H151 Word Count: 328 Resume Blunders These are taken from real resumes and cover letters and were printed in Fortune Magazine: 1. I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience. 2. I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheet progroms. 3. Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year. 4. Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave. 5. Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions. 6. Its best for employers that I not work with people. 7. Lets meet, so you can ooh and ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H152 Word Count: 408 Curb “Talent Slippage” at Your Company Develop Your Best Employees What do your best employees want from their jobs? Most often, they want to keep on growing. When your focus fades on developing your best employees, their enthusiasm and commitment fade, too. Your best employees are top performers who value and seek growth, challenge, and advancement. They seek these rewards anywhere – either inside your company or someone else’s. Talent slippage happens when your best and brightest walk out the door! Reducing talent slippage in your employee ranks is rising in importance because replacing talented employees is becoming even more difficult. You already know that serious employee shortages are on the horizon as a result of massive workplace retirements (Baby Boomers) and insufficient numbers of qualified replacements (Generations X and Y). However, this does not begin to address the larger challenge of replacing your best employees with new top talent who can carry on where they left off! Is your company at high risk for talent slippage? Take a moment to evaluate what your company is doing to develop and engage the interests of your most valuable employees. Here are four questions you can ask that will readily reveal where you need to focus: Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H153 Word Count: 673 Taking the next step... You have finally made the decision to look for a new job. Maybe you were tired of the lack of support, heavy overtime with no end in sight, lack of appreciation for your hard work, no further growth within your current company or any number of other reasons. Ideally you teamed up with a good recruiter who listened to your goals and found you a great opportunity that offered you a position that fulfilled your desired career objectives. Now for the next step: resigning. You may not be aware that there is a right way to resign and unfortunately, there are also many wrong ways to leave your company. This article focuses on the right way ensuring you a smooth career transition.
First, you should schedule a meeting with your supervisor. Before the meeting you should have a prepared written resignation letter that you will hand over to your manager. You may also need to forward a copy to Human Resources as well. Detailed below is an example of an appropriate resignation letter: Today’s Date Dear Employers Name: Please accept this as ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H154 Word Count: 140+484 You Got to Know How to Hold ‘Em- Our corporate society has changed drastically over the past forty years. No longer are professionals feeling compelled to stay with an organization over the long haul. With economic uncertainty, quickly shifting trends and leaps and bounds in technological advances, employers are no longer in a position to offer long term job security. This is not necessarily a negative trend – but a different one. Employers today will have to create an environment that gives employees a compelling reason to stay. Interestingly enough, there are a number of simple strategies that employers can institute into their culture that can give them the edge in retaining high performers. Most of these approaches do not require resources to establish, but do take a concerted effort to ingrain within the organizational philosophy. Retention tips for today’s workforce: Praise Productivity, Ingenuity and Initiative. Incredibly, this is the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H155 Word Count: 476 People Changes:
usinesses grow based on the energy, ideas, creativity and dedication of their people. Finding and retaining the best possible fit of people to jobs is among the top priorities of every business leader. However, changes happen. People changes, that is. Now they happen more frequently than ever, driven by a multitude of reasons in our volatile workplace, including: · People are moving from one job to another within the company for career advancement · People are leaving companies for better opportunities elsewhere · People are being fired or downsized · People are relocating to another state or nation · People are becoming disgruntled and quitting · People are retiring from the workplace People changes are further accelerated by the workforce’s growing acceptance of multiple job changes as “normal and desirable.” But for whatever reason people leave their jobs, they leave holes in the organization that must be dealt with effectively. People changes can be ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H156 Word Count: 453 State of Recruiting Currently we are experiencing the deterioration in financial market conditions, a turbulent election period, a credit/housing crisis, and increased energy costs. The national index indicates a slowdown in economic growth. In a recent survey, CEO’s of small to mid-sized businesses indicated a significant drop in confidence; a five-year low. Most CEO’s surveyed expect the overall economy to weaken but they anticipate much smaller declines in their own firm’s revenues, profits and employment in the coming year as they stated they will remain dedicated to finding and retaining good employees. More than half of the business leaders surveyed think the economy will worsen but they have no plans to scale back recruitment and in fact, they plan to increase their payroll in 2008. Most of these companies state they will raise prices in response to the increased costs of production but staffing remains their most significant issue. Finding, training, and retaining good employees are issues that have remained on the top of their agendas to position their firms for future growth. The following are some practical things that you can do in this slowing economy: 1. Make finding, training and retaining top performers your number one priority. Double your current recruiting efforts. You need top performers on your team. You simply cannot afford to tolerate marginal performers who statistically account for about 10% of every business. You can direct these marginal workers to other career options. 2. Communicate with each employee. Let every employee know, on a one to one basis, that the economy is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H157 Word Count: 517 Why Do People Leave Their Job? Experience-Based Retention · Is it because of money? · Benefits? · The fact they believe there are no real opportunities for them at the company? While many might argue about which of the above has more impact on whether or not a person decides to jump ship, attempting to identify the main overall culprit is probably the least productive approach to increasing retention. Why? Because while studies may show that one factor carries more weight than another, those same studies also show that all of the factors have the ability to influence people to some degree. So that means by focusing solely on the main culprit—whatever it might be—your retention plan is only as good as the number of people in your company who are primarily affected by that factor. Which means that it’s nowhere close to being 100% effective. People and situations Are you going to retain every ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H158 Word Count: 689 Helping Your Best Employees Grow In our previous issue, we discussed how providing a positive experience for your employees is the best way in which to increase retention within your team, your department, or your company. In this article, we’re going to address a specific way you can provide that experience, and it involves giving your best employees the proper amount of attention. This is important for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s human nature to not pay enough attention to your best employees and top performers. Why is that? Because they’re usually self-motivated go-getters who need no prompting or anybody looking over their shoulder. As a result, managers don’t feel the need to interact with them as much, or to “check up on them,” if you will. This gives the manager more flexibility and more freedom to tackle other issues. After all, there never seems to be enough time to get things done. If you have a select number of employees who are high achievers, people who need a minimum of supervision, it only makes sense to leave them be and let them do their jobs, right? To a certain degree, that’s correct, but if that philosophy is taken too far, it can prove disastrous in terms of retention. The 10-80-10 rule For superstar employees, a positive experience with the company includes the opportunity for professional growth. If they don’t Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H159 Word Count: 516 Job Benchmarking and Candidate Assessments – What’s the Deal? The use of job benchmarking and job candidate assessments has grown in recent years. What are they, and why should you care? Job benchmarking is the process of characterizing what behavioral style, motivators, and talents a job calls for. Job benchmarking allows us to “let the job talk”, and identify what the ideal candidate looks like. Candidate assessment is the flip side of the job benchmark. The candidate assessment looks at the behavioral style, motivators, and talents of an individual. There is a third component that links the other two—the gap analysis—that makes clear those areas where the candidate is not a good fit for a job. Viewed another way, the gap analysis shows where the job is not a good fit for a candidate. Why use assessments? Studies show that a good fit between a candidate and a job is a key factor in job satisfaction, productivity, and retention. Nobody likes getting turned down for a job, but ultimately making sure a person is a good fit for a job is a win-win proposition. From an employer’s perspective the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H160 Word Count: 824 Building the Best ‘Before-and-After’ ExperienceIn our previous article about retention, we discussed the importance of helping your best employees to grow, mainly by giving them the proper amount of attention. This provides them with the experience they crave, thereby increasing your rate of retention. In this, our next article in the retention series, we’re going to take a small step backward for the purpose of going forward. That small step involves what the candidate hears during the interview process vs. what they experience after accepting the offer and starting their employment. This “before-and-after” dynamic is crucial to the overall retention experience, and it’s all the more crucial because many employers don’t take the time to examine what type of experience they’re providing for their new employees. And then they wonder why they take another job after only three months. It’s human nature The “before-and-after” experience is a smaller component of the larger, more complex subject of onboarding, which we’ll be discussing in future articles. However, it differs from onboarding in the respect that it continues for a greater length of time after the candidate becomes an employee—for at least the three-month period mentioned above, and perhaps even longer. What it comes down to is this: you have to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H161 Word Count: 812 ‘Common Sense Retention’ There are many facets in regards to the all-important issue of employee retention, but perhaps none makes as much sense as the one that we’ll explore in this article. The reason? Because it benefits you in ways that go beyond simply retaining your best employees. (And that, all by itself, would be enough.) There is a crucial mistake that many companies make when they’re delegating tasks to their employees, and even when they’re considering which ones to promote and how to promote them. That mistake is tied to a golden rule of corporate productivity, which is this: Make sure that everybody in the organization does what they do best. Simple, right? Well, you’d be surprised at how easily “simple” becomes “complicated.” An example from The Office Let’s use an example from the hit television show The Office to illustrate Members can read this entire article by clicking here H162 Word Count: 181 Not All Jobs Are Alike Why Behavioral Interviewing Must Be Job Related One of the most important aspects of behavioral interviewing is keeping the questions job related. However, "job related" doesn't mean that the question relates to just ANY job. For the behavioral interviewing technique to be effective, the questions must relate to specific areas required by the job for superior performance. Not all jobs are alike. In a customer service position, communicating with others and customer orientation may be the most crucial areas to success. Meanwhile, an executive level position may require competitiveness and a sense of urgency. A thorough job benchmark and an unbiased assessment of the job will quickly reveal the key performance objectives that are required for superior performance. By connecting the questions you ask to those specific performance objectives, you can get to the root of an applicant's behavior in ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here B190 & H164 Word Count: 456
If the Job Could Talk What would a job say to us about superior performance if it could talk? Would it tell us both what hard and soft skills we would need for top performance? Would it describe the necessary behaviors? How about what attitudes or values are required to excel in the position? Even IQ and EQ (Emotional Intelligence) should be discussed. We all know “jobs” can’t talk… but we can talk to superior performers in the job. The key is to know what questions to ask. The latest issue gaining attention is the difficulty of finding technical talent with “people skills”. The leading experts are strongly suggesting that organizations review all existing job descriptions and conduct a thorough job analysis on which defensible hiring decisions can be made. They are also suggesting that organizations take a good look at their needs for management skills versus leadership skills for all management positions. Today, “behavioral interviewing” is being used in the hiring process by more and more organizations. Top management is now talking about the value of “soft skills”. Peter Drucker’s latest book is pushing “managing one’s self”. Coaching continues to grow worldwide and corporations are talking about managing human assets. Can you ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H164 Word Count: 425 Performance review: Use it to your advantage Every company conducts an annual performance review differently, but most use this formal process to evaluate employees. If you have one, your performance review can be priceless when seeking a new job, because you can use it as a tool to show future employers your capabilities. Essentially past performance reviews offer an independent view of your: * performance in your job or in handling projects Overall it offers a critique of your performance with insight into what you did well and where you needed improvement. This is the very essence of what a future employer is interested in learning about you. A positive past performance review shared with a future employer increases the probability of receiving a good offer. The performance review is an independent and unbiased view of your work since it is usually written to demonstrate to senior management the reasons for a salary increase or promotion. In addition, ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H165 Word Count: 450 Be Careful What You Ask For? Lately I've seen a rise in the number of companies requesting candidates to complete on-line applications before their interview. The problem with requiring completion of these applications is the mandatory space or drop down box regarding desired compensation. Although the company may just be trying to get a head start on what the candidate desires, the question is really very premature and unwarranted for all parties. You and the company should take everything into account before rushing into what the compensation should be. The initial questions that need to be answered are: * what is the type of work that will need to be performed? * what opportunities potentially lay ahead? * what are the leadership qualities for the job? * what is the environment of the tax departments? Granted no one wants to take a cut in pay and the company has some kind of budget that they must adhere to but the above questions are essential in discerning the appropriate compensation level and the answers cannot be discovered by simply completing an application form. These questions can only be answered with an in-person interview. From the candidate's perspective, it is not wise to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here PD157 & H167 Word Count: 159 Resume Reflection With the beginning of the year upon us, it is a good time to update your resume. This doesn't mean that you should run off and look for a new job, however, you should reflect on your achievements for the year. Now is the time to reflect on the new areas you tackled and how you stood out in your job. Write these accomplishments down now while they are still fresh in your mind. If possible, quantify technical accomplishments by some objective measure for example approximate dollars saved or approximate liability exposure avoided in dollars. What did you ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here PD158 & H168 Word Count: 593 THE RESUME The resume is the one document that can change your life forever. The resume will either allow you to go forward with a new career opportunity or prevent you from doing so. Therefore making this document standout and presenting a clear picture of your background is in your best interest. There are many different formats you can follow to put together a resume, but the one I promote is aimed at offering the reader a quick overview of what it is you do and how you stand out from your competition. Below is a sample template for putting together a resume regardless of where you are in your career. Keep in mind that the resume is your main entry into the door when opportunity knocks. Resume Template 1. Your resume should include the following elements in this order: a. A heading highlighting your overall skills in bullet point format. The heading replaces the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H169 - Cover letters Word Count: 293
Cover Letters For those of you who may be in a job search or know someone who is remind them of the importance of their first impression, often their cover letter or the email to which they attach a resume. A cover letter is your first impression to a company – make sure that it is professional and well written. The following is one we actually received from a very experienced HR Professional recently. I am in the early stages of a job search after leaving Company about two years ago and pursuing my life long dream of thru-hiking the entire Appalachian Trail It was the "perfect storm" - I learned my daughters were moving with my former wife, was ready for a professional change, had stock equity and deferred compensation to fund some time away and most of all I had dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail for 33 years - since I hiked parts of it as a teenager. So I did!! I spent 6 months backpacking from Georgia to Maine during the spring/summer of 2007 . 2,174 miles - on foot, carrying a tent, food, etc & camping 90% of the nights - while having the experience of a lifetime. When I returned I ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H170 - What Happened to the War for Talent? Word Count: 308 What Happened to the War for Talent? The economic problems that we are all currently facing will not last forever. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply in January (598,000) and the unemployment rate rose from 7.2 to 7.6 percent. Payroll employment has declined by 3.6 million since December 2007; about one-half of this decline occurred in the past 3 months. In January, job losses were large and widespread.” There are currently some excellent people in the job market; the challenge is to have the time and manpower to
evaluate a large number of candidates effectively. Along with this influx of candidates, one of the largest issues to many organizations is how to attract passive candidates in such an unstable market. The BLS also predicts a very low labor growth rate. Once unemployment begins to drop we will once again be faced with ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H171 Word Count: 525 Retaining the Right Talent to Reach the Next Level In today’s economy, every business executive, owner, CEO and president should be asking themselves one important question: “Do I have the talent to take this business to the next level?” If the answer is no, you probably want to begin looking, but if the answer is yes, then employee retention should be at the top of your list. With employee retention statistics that prove your best employees may be sitting on your payroll while patiently waiting for the “right” job, you need to be sure that you are managing employee retention with specific individuals in mind and long-term goals in place. Employees Are Not All Alike A good manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of their employees. But do they know what motivates them? In employee retention studies, TTI has found that money is NOT the reason most employees leave a job, which seems contrary to popular belief. In our latest study of over 19,000 job seekers, only 19% said money was the reason they were looking for a new job. Instead, more popular reasons included stress, mismanagement, lack of room for advancement and lack of employee development. In order to effectively manage employee retention, it is important to determine the core values of each individual. What drives them to take action? What keeps them ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here B195 Word Count: 376 Improve Morale - Give Employees Time Off! Given the current state of the economy, giving your employees time off is probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, not giving enough attention to this subject could come back to bite you later . . . and it might do so sooner than you think! The reason is simple. There’s a good chance that the employees you currently have are anxious and apprehensive at the moment. With layoff figures and unemployment numbers in the headlines just about every week, it’s only natural that they carry some trepidation with them to their job. The problem is that you need them at the top of their game in order to put their talent and skills to the best possible use. This is why you should ensure that your employees take the time off they need, especially their vacation time. If they’re well rested and refreshed, then you’ll reap the benefits upon their return: · Company culture—A more relaxed atmosphere contributes to a better culture within the company. Employees, like everybody else, are intrinsically drawn to people and/or things that help them to reduce the stress in their lives. Your company could be one of those things. · Productivity—Employees are more productive when they’re rested and relaxed, not when they’re frazzled and feel worn out. · Loyalty—A ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H172 Word Count: 455 Structure + Analysis = Hiring Success Just like anything else, the key to an effective hiring process is to identify the steps that contribute most directly to achieving success, and then implement and practice those steps, continuing to make improvements along the way. First and foremost is the creation of a standardized hiring process. Through the creation of such a process, you can better identify the things that work best for you and your company . . . and the things that don’t work at all. That’s not to say that some steps in the process should be eliminated altogether, just that some should be weighted more than others, in accordance with what’s most effective. Below are the basic steps that any hiring process should include:
Remember, these are just the basics. Depending upon the position being filled, you can add steps or elaborate and build upon existing ones. The other half of the equation . . .Members can read this entire article by clicking here H173 Word Count:
Should YOU Be Hiring For the Future? Everyone has a limit to what they can afford and what they are allowed to spend when it is a business. There are many issues that surround the idea of hiring for the future, that it makes the topic logical. When managers and business owners talk, they are talking about the performances of the employees and where the bottom line is. It is a smart investment to invest in employees because of the high turnover rate people are having in major companies today. Everyone is always looking for the bigger and better. This is bigger in salary and better in duties. As the world grows older, the human race is looking for faster and more efficient work. There are many reasons why you should think ahead and start hiring for the future. Reasons include:
1. No down time- You don’t have to worry about having a break in production or work time because you will have the right amount of employees necessary to run your business. The turnover rate regardless of the crisis is high enough. People are always trying to improve themselves and this is by jumping jobs. Having no down time is good for your business in many ways. Increasing your bottom line is the main focus to concentrate on. When you have enough employees, you won’t have to worry about burn out. Burn out from employees is the death of any company. Members can read this entire article by clicking here H174 Word Count: 522 Addressing ‘Un-engaged’ Employees In spite of current economic conditions, there are still employees in the workforce these days that are not “actively engaged” at their company. In other words, they don’t display passion or enthusiasm about their job, and as a result, their production (as well as their overall contribution to the company) suffers. At times like these, the last thing that companies need is lost productivity. While some companies may have already laid-off many of their under-performing or “un-engaged” employees, some might remain. This could be for a number of different reasons, and perhaps a combination thereof. Some of these reasons are listed below:
Regardless of the reason or reasons that the person is still with the company, their engagement (i.e., production) is important. As a result, the fact that they’re un-engaged is a reason for concern and should be addressed as soon as possible. After all, if the company is depending upon this individual for future success, they should be re-engaged in an expedient fashion. The following are suggestions for ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
MRKTG130 Word Count: 448 Marketing Your Company . . . in This Economy Unfortunately, there are some officials who believe that there’s no need to market their companies in economic times such as these. After all, with the unemployment rate as high as it is and open positions as scarce as they are, there should be no problem getting candidates to want to work for your company. Right? That philosophy might apply to the majority of candidates. However, when it comes to wooing the best of the best and the cream of the crop, basing a recruiting strategy on that philosophy won’t produce the kind of hiring results that will separate you from the competition. In fact, it could actually hurt your efforts in that area. A sensible investment in the futureEven if you don’t have any open positions at the moment, every company would benefit from having the best talent in the industry on their team. And if not all of that talent is currently on your team, then it’s somewhere else, on somebody else’s team. According to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H175 Word Count: 480 The Interview Process is a Two-Way StreetWhile marketing your company during a recession is just as important as doing so during good economic times, so is taking the correct approach to the interview process. At no time is the interview process a one-way street. In other words, at no time should a candidate’s time be considered less valuable than yours, especially if the candidates you seek are the best in the industry. Remember, the candidate is interviewing the company at the same time that company officials are interviewing the candidate. Making a connectionA common mistake in a down economy is to assume that there’s urgency on the part of the candidate, that they’ll be grateful for whatever time you can give them. That might be true of those candidates who are unemployed. However, the true superstars—the candidates you’re really seeking—are more than likely gainfully employed at the moment, no doubt because of the very skills that you covet. Remember that ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H176 Word Count: 380 The Importance of a Good Cultural Fit One of the aspects of the hiring process that’s often overlooked by companies is that of cultural fit. In other words, how well a candidate fits into the overall culture of the organization. While at first glance, that consideration might not seem too important, it’s actually crucial for ensuring a good hire with a high probability of retention. There are two measures by which you can assess a candidate’s potential for fitting into the company’s culture. Those two are as follows: · The candidate’s values, or the things that they hold in most esteem. One way in which to ensure that the candidates you hire share the same values as your company is to pro-actively promote the company’s. This can be done by posting them on its website, as well as someplace within the building, such as in the lobby. (The statement of values can also include the company’s mission statement.) · The manner in which the candidate likes to work. This ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H177 & TM119 Word Count: 568 Hiring a Team of High Achievers is No Easy Feat Companies are constantly vying for “top talent,” those candidates who possess the ability and skills needed to make them more productive and more profitable. What companies often fail to consider, though, is that talent is just half of the equation. Yes, that’s right—talent is not enough. In fact, according to author and leadership guru John Maxwell, talent is never enough. (That, incidentally, is the title of his book on the subject.) The other half of the equation is the person’s desire, or whether or not they have the drive to be a high achiever. If they don’t have that desire or that drive, talent is only going to take them—and the company—so far. They’re not going to reach their full potential as an employee. As a result, striving to hire “top talent” is a bit of a misnomer. At the very least, there should be a disclaimer attached to that statement. Rather, companies should search for “high-achieving top talent,” since those are the types of employees who are more likely to reach their potential and push the company to new heights of achievement. So . . . how do you find these employees? It’s often ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H178 & M151 Word Count: 510 The Two Main Keys to Hiring (and Managing) SuccessAll manner of strategies and theories are bantered about regarding the best ways in which to hire top talent, as well as the best ways to manage that talent once it’s on your team. However, if you were to boil all of those strategies down, you’d discover that there are two elements at the core of each one. (If they’re successful strategies, that is. There are plenty that are not.) Those two elements are engaging in effective communication and the setting of clear expectations. Actually, when you think about it, these elements are integral to success in just about any and every endeavor that includes human interaction . . . from the workplace to marriage. The fact that they cross such situational barriers is an indication of the importance that must be placed upon them when hiring and managing the best employees available. Hiring candidatesLet’s address the hiring process first, since it’s ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H179 Word Count: 384 The Role Of Passion In The Hiring Process There are a lot of aspects to consider when interviewing candidates for an open position—skill set, years of experience, ability to fit into the company culture, etc. The list goes on and on. However, there’s one factor that many companies completely overlook, and it can often come back to haunt them. That factor is passion. A candidate’s passion for what they do could be considered the “X Factor” of any search. That’s because when a person has passion for their job, they’re compelled and they’re driven to not only carry out the duties of the position, but also to do so extraordinarily well. For people with passion, going through the motions is not an option. In fact, it’s not even a consideration. Here are three reasons why employers should hire people with passion over people who lack it: ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B207 / H180 Word Count: 559 Do You Create Opportunities For Your Employees Of course you do. Employees already have their responsibilities and deliverables. They know what to do and how to do it. A system of audits and quality control already ensures that human errors are caught and corrected. A system of rewards and recognition is in place; a monthly or year-end incentive plan motivates the high performers. But now you wonder why sales only shows minor incremental growth. You realize that there is little innovation. Decisions come slowly, and only after being passed up the ladder. Senior management has to push for new programs; none are being suggested from the rank-and-file. You struggle to identify “high” performers who deserve the year-end rewards. Let’s concentrate on the phrase “significant contribution”. Generally a “significant contribution” is the result of innovative thinking – thinking outside the box – considering a situation from alternative points of view. But explicit responsibilities and deliverables are, generally, simply lists of tasks. A list cannot generate innovation. Employees can ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H181 Word Count: 676 Job Benchmarking To Improve the Bottom Line When a company goes to hire someone for a particular position, the trusted method for a long time has been to accumulate a large number of resumes. From there, somebody sorts through the resumes and then attempts to find potential candidates that will suit the position and be a good employee. Those that are selected from the pile of resumes are then invited for a face to face interview. Consider how many things can go wrong with this process; the person who is screening the resumes is likely not familiar with the job duties. The resumes might have incorrect or completely falsified information on them. Most screeners are looking more for spelling mistakes than they are for the proper skill set. Now consider what can go wrong when some of those people who submit resumes are invited to go for an interview. There is a personal bias on the part of many interviewers. People might get selected more on their looks or the clothes that they wear instead of how effective they are going to be. They may be from the interviewer’s home town or they may have practiced the correct canned answers and ace the interview as a result. Wouldn’t it be good if there were a better approach? There is, and that is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H182 Word Count: 584 Using Job Benchmarking To Avoid Unnecessary Costs If you missed our previous article "Job Benchmarking To Improve the Bottom Line" please contact us. Most companies could do a lot better when it comes to hiring employees that can make the company better. Too often, somebody leaves a role for another position and the human resources department is told that they need to hire somebody else. At that point, they start sorting through a number of resumes to try and find somebody to fill the position. There are a number of problems with this process. First of all, the people that are going through the resumes probably don’t know that much about the position. For all they know, they might be weeding out some of the best possible candidates and sending the wrong people on to the interview process. Even for the hiring manager, assessing candidates is not their primary job function. It’s probably something that they do every once in a while and they are likely doing it at a time when they find themselves short-staffed. They have other things on their mind, and they can be biased by the fact that they want to fill the role quickly and get on with other things. If they talk to somebody for an hour and the person suitably answers the
interview questions they may end up getting the job. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L171 / H183 Word Count: 616 Want To Move High Potentials Into Star-Performers? You'll need something more than just a token effort when it comes to cultivating workers with the most potential to grow into corporate-level leadership roles. Leadership talent—otherwise known as high potentials—can actually be generated through the speed-to-market product methodology the same way competitive advantage is fostered. More to the point, this is one of the best methods out there to accelerate a high potential's growth into superstardom, so to speak. By effectively nurturing the competencies and leadership skills of these prospects, you'll be able to firmly tell which of them will eventually become the future leaders of your company. You should be able to distinguish yourself from your competitors and extend your competitive advantage in the field by becoming the ideal organization when it comes to farming and cultivating potential talents. To be true, the demand for these possible star performers is rapidly outgrowing the supply, so you must be prudent when handling this issue. Active focus on recognizing and developing these diamonds in the rough is certainly commendable, but very few businesses are able to accomplish this task in an effective manner. Studies and Profiles of High Potential Development The Corporate Leadership Council conducted a recent survey that revealed ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H184 / L172 Word Count: 584 How To Successfully Fix The Hiring Process With Job Benchmarking If you missed our previous articles "Job Benchmarking To Improve the Bottom Line,” and / or Using Job Benchmarking To Avoid Unnecessary Costs please contact us. Sometimes the hiring process can be very tricky. The things that we look for when we’re hiring somebody are not necessarily the things that are going to make them successful in a particular role. When you consider what a hiring individual will look at and how they will react to a candidate you can see how mistakes might happen in the hiring process. You've probably heard the expression that first impressions are important. This is very true and there are differing opinions about how long it takes for one individual to assess another person. The general consensus is that it does not take very long for one person to decide whether or not they like another person. It's easy to see how this can influence people to make hasty decisions about hiring somebody for a job. The reasons that one person hiring another might have bias can come from a number of different sources. It can come down to the color of the clothes that the person being interviewed is wearing. The interviewer might not do this consciously, as if they don't like the color of a blouse or a tie the candidate is wearing they might be judging them adversely without even knowing it. There can be positive bias as well. Sometimes a more ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B210 / H185 Word Count: 289 Do You Need To Learn About The DISC Behavioral Assessment? DISC is the behavioral model based on the work of William Moulton Marston (1893-1947) to examine the behaviors of individuals. This model is based on his book, “the Emotions of Normal People” and focuses on the styles and preferences of human behavior. Understanding the term DISC is very easy and incredibly powerful. DISC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. These all have different areas of definition in themselves. Each area gives us information on: How you approach problems & challenges How you deal with people and information How you relate to the pace of the environment and change How you respond to procedures, rules, and constraints. Learning the DISC behavioral assessment will help ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H186 & B211 Word Count: 444 "Who Needs To Use Personal And Professional Assessment Tools?" With society
changing everyday, it is important to look at other ways which can help us keep up with the rest of the world. Having personal and professional assessment tools in your everyday life is a great benefit.
Members can read this entire article by clicking here
M156 / H187 Word Count: 607 Moving High Potentials to Star-Performers Employees with the potential to become star performers tend to recognize their gifts from the get go through their better work output when compared to their peers. Of course, it's only natural for these possible model employees to feel a bit gypped or cheated if their bosses fail to realize their latent talent or skill. Many of them will immediately move to another company if they're not challenged, motivated, or recognized in their line of work. Then again, there are others who are willing to become long-term employees, but are then sidelined because their employers lack the insight to recognize how special they really are. As an employer, both of the above scenarios must be avoided at all costs because these high potentials are company assets that could prove useful to your company in the long run. As such, it's important for businesses to know how to search for and develop these prospective high-output employees in order to maximize their innate potential. If you fail to do so, then you'll be wasting assets right then and there either by providing your workers tasks way below their skill level, or by driving them out of your company altogether because of your inability to cultivate their talents. Identifying and Profiling High-Potential Employees Identification of high potentials can be quite tricky because of the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H188 / B214 Word Count: 549
How to
Accurately Measure Talent In order to inform and support the success of both your selection and retention processes, you must accurately measure the talent of every candidate and employee in your organization. By accurately measuring talent, you are able to ensure that you successfully match the best talent to the job you hire them for. This way, company managers will be able to know the key factors which will enable them to successfully motivate, manage and develop the talents of each individual. Moreover, accurate talent measurement also ensures that jobs are performed at superior levels. This is because teams are able to work much more effectively and profitably. Talent measurement will also enable each individual to understand their strengths and challenges, and therefore learn how to best adapt to the work environment. Accurately measuring talent also ensures that talent is properly identified, developed, and allowed an opportunity to succeed on an ongoing basis. In order to accurately measure talent, you need to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L174 / H189 Word Count: 430 How to Develop Top Talent Within Your Company Most would agree that any organization is only as good as its employees. Creating a high performance company filled with talented workers has been the Nirvana that most CEO’s and other company leaders dream of. This is not easy to achieve by any means, and tends to be an ongoing aspiration. Voltaire said, “Grow your own gardens,” and he was right. It is up to company executives to learn to recognize and foster those talented individuals with potential for development within an organization. Three things that can boost talent and lead to the highest performance are: o Hiring strong and agile leaders who can easily adapt to change o Building strong employ engagement so that workers become committed to delivering on strategic goals o Make collaboration work for your company In order to give talent a real chance within your organization, it is important to be on the constant lookout for ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H190-Retaining Top Talent Word Count: 476 A company's top talent is the key element in distinguishing itself from others in today's competitive business environment. Since its top performers are the mainstay of an organization's success, a real problem presents itself in terms of how to retain their loyalty. Work ethics and attitudes have changed to give talented employees more power and more choices than ever. Moreover, a talented employee's defection to a competing company can result in big financial losses for the organization in terms of lost production and contacts. By examining the reasons why employees choose to leave a particular place of employment, it is wise to first examine the reasons that employee chose to stay there as long as he or she did. Surprisingly, the main reason top talent leaves one company to work for another is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H192-0411-Three Essential Steps To Take When Attempting To Blend Generations Word Count: 632
Three Essential Steps To Take When Attempting To Blend Generations. Every generation has a place in the workplace. All are able to get the job done, only in different ways. Each generation comes equipped with their own styles of work and though different, all styles are proven to be effective. So what does this mean when generations come together in the workplace? Where do they fit in? Can they fit together? Established Generations
3 Steps to a Successful Combination of Generations A common problem in the workplace is the inability generations have to understand and adapt to one another. Blending generations in the workplace Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H191-0411-Identifying the Best Talent for Your Company Word Count: 421 Identifying the Best Talent for Your Company CEO’s are aware of the importance that an organization’s top talent holds in the overall success of their organizations. Given the current state of the economy, companies are becoming more and more reliant on procuring the types of leaders that will give them the edge over their competitors. It is prudent, therefore, to have a full understanding of what characteristics these employees or potential employees possess. In order to identify the best talent for your company, seek individuals who have not yet developed their full potential. It is best to choose intelligent employees who still have room to grow. They should be confident, self-starters whom you foresee being able to progress through the ranks of the company hierarchy at least two positions higher than their entry position with the company. Look for characteristics that are indicative of their abilities to take on broad, complex roles and to solve broad and complex problems, should they arise. It is important to be thorough in the screening process. View their track records with previous employers. Pay particular attention to the speed with which they achieved promotions and merit awards and ascertain what results they ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B224 Word Count: 639 Understanding the Cost of a C Team To comprehend the cost of a C team, it is important to understand what a C team is. C team members are unhappy in their position within an organization, are unfulfilled and, more often than not, disengaged. A team member exhibiting these characteristics has a negative effect on team morale and motivation, resulting in poor work performance. Integrating Existing Team Members into A Teams To make improvements to employee morale, increase job performance, and ultimately to net an increased profit, begin by restructuring the members of the organization. An employee assessment is a crucial part of this strategy. The purpose of the assessment is to select areas and roles best suited to individual employees. Characteristics Included in the Assessment Process - Experience - Intelligence - Skills - Behaviors - Attitudes / Values An employee’s experience for a managerial position may look good on paper, but having the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B225 Word Count: 490 Are You Onboard the Economic Optimism Train? Everyone has been affected by the state of the U.S. economy and has seen how slow job growth, lack of consumer spending and a decrease in profits has derailed some businesses. The state of our economy is not projected to last forever which has recently led to some seeing a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the defunct economy. Should you be optimistic? According to the CFO Outlook Survey, a substantial number of chief financial officers say yes. The survey, distributed by Zicklin School of Business (Baruch College) in conjunction with Financial Executives International (FEI), noticed a significant increase in CFO confidence when it came to talk of hiring new employees this year. According to those who participated in the survey, when it comes to business, their optimism levels are high. Who’s Hiring?
What’s to be Expected A percentage ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
Word Count: 400 How to Attract Top Talent to Your Company In today’s competitive job market where top talent determines the course of a company’s success, it is wise to use inventive recruitment techniques to attract the brightest and the best. Social media is in the contemporary forefront for attracting talented individuals to your company. A well-placed twitter or LinkedIn post listing your company’s benefits and requirements can bring surprisingly positive results. Not only that, but it costs your organization nothing to advertise for positions using this method. The key is to post notices that stand out and draw attention to the unique qualities of your business. Rename the job title to sound more attractive. A poorly written social media ad can actually scare candidates away. Industry’s associations are also excellent places to look as they can hold entire pools of labor that have the same leadership characteristics. An untold number of talented job recruits are passive job seekers who find their positions by being referred by another person in the same industry. Networking events give ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
Word Count: 396 What are the best, most talented individuals looking for when they start looking for another job? Talented job candidates understand that they are the glue that holds contemporary companies together. Today, they hold much more leverage than they did twenty years ago. Therefore, it helps for employers to know what the best, most talented individuals seek in a potential place of employment. Providing talented employees with perks are essential. Monetary benefits are important, of course. Things such as retirement accounts and good insurance benefits matter a great deal. However, these days, the most talented candidates are seeking more. The potential for professional growth ranks highest after money. The good candidates are more likely to accept the jobs that offer them the greatest potential for professional growth. No one wants to be stuck in a dead-end job, regardless of how well it pays. Second on the list of importance is the aspect of choice and control. The best recruits want options and choices within the confines of the organizational boundaries. They want to be able to freely make decisions about what is best for their own careers, as well as for the organization, without constant scrutiny. It is no longer acceptable to offer rigid, pre-determined job descriptions. Instead, talented professionals are attracted to jobs that will allow them to be creative and think outside the box. They want an ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H195-1111 - How to Hire Top Talent Word Count: 518 How to Hire Top Talent One of the biggest problems in businesses today entails making mistakes about who to deploy to perform specific roles within an organization. There are a number of tactics available to assist employers in hiring the top talent to meet the needs of their companies. First, the company should devise a blueprint for the role that needs to be filled within the company. Rather than hire the well-rounded employee who can fill any role, managers should seek individuals who have specific talents for specific roles. Strive to hire the specialist rather than the generalist. Conventional hiring practice sets goals to attract those individuals who have graduated from the best schools with the highest grades. However, .. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H196-32912-Talent Assessments and Strategies in Retention Word Count: 395 Talent Assessments and Strategies in Retention
In order to conduct
successful talent assessments in retention, you need to provide managers with
essential information for talent management. Below are some of the facets of
this essential information. · Job-related traits necessary for superior performance – When the manager knows what the job entails, they are better placed to nurture such traits in the individual. Moreover, they are also able to match the best talent to the tasks they are required to perform. · Job-based coaching and development – Managers are thereby able to identify the key factors which will enable them to successfully motivate, manage, and develop the talents of every individual. · Individual’s strengths and challenges – By understanding the strengths and challenges faced by the individual, managers are able to assist them in finding the best ways to adapt within the organization or situation. · Keys to management effectiveness – Effective managers will have fully understood what rewards and motivators drive the individual to do their job. · Keys to team building – It ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
Word Count: 453 How to Find Talent As the job market grows
more competitive, so does the employer’s quest to find the best talent. Company
leaders have begun to realize that elevated employee talent leads to increased
levels of productivity and overall profit. To improve and strengthen a
company’s structure, employees must be slotted into positions that require
specific talents.
Studies have shown that the
most talented job candidates tend to display six characteristics
that cause them to stand out in job performance:
In recent years, an abundance of ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H198-51612-Eliminate the Cost of a C Team by Hiring A Team Members Word Count: 648 Eliminate the Cost of a C Team, by Hiring A Team Members
Strategic Hiring
Why hire a C team when you can hire an A team? C team members “get by” in their positions, possess little motivation and generate weak job performance. A team members refuse to settle into inadequate positions, are motivated, and strive to work to their highest potential. When interviewing candidates for an open position, the only candidates you should be contacting for a second interview are those that have demonstrated superior performance skills. Refer to the twenty-three job skills that are universally recognized, and only hire employees with skills matching the position.
Each job position is unique, and the same is true for every employee. An employee ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H199-72412-Challenges to Successful Selection
Word Count: 548 Challenges to Successful Selection Hiring managers today face certain challenges when it comes to measuring talent for successful selection. Below is a look at some of these challenges. First of all, over 90% of recruiting begins online through job boards and social media. What this means is that most of the information that the hiring manager or recruiter is using for their research on a particular candidate through the use of sources such as Google, job boards, Facebook and LinkedIn will in most cases have been posted by the candidate themselves. This is especially if the sourced information is employment related. Secondly, candidates tend to throw resumes at related positions in the hope that they will stick. This means that when most people apply for jobs, they assume that these positions require similar skills and/ or experience which they used in another job. For instance, a candidate with a sales background will apply for a position ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H200-90112-How to Overcome Common Challenges to Successful Retention Word Count: 559 How to Overcome Common Challenges to Successful Retention
Upon completing a successful selection process,
the next challenge a hiring manager will face is finding ways to ensure that all
the time, effort, and money spent does not go to waste by firing or having their
top talent leave for greener pastures. Below is a look at some of the common
challenges faced by hiring managers in trying to retain their staff. Employee disengagement is one of the challenges facing hiring managers when it comes to the retention of staff. In fact, a Gallup study has shown that as many as 70% of the workforce is disengaged. Mismanagement is another retention challenge, with research carried out by Target Training International showing that over 95% of all people stated that they have been mismanaged. As a result, they will attribute their below par performance at certain periods during their employment as having stemmed from this mismanagement. Eventually, those interviewed gave their reasons for leaving the company as being because of one reason: mismanagement. Being unclear about job accountabilities is another retention challenge facing hiring managers. This is best illustrated by the fact that the common reason why most people get fired is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H201-10112-Talent Management - Is the Investment Worth It Word Count: 438 Talent Management - Is the Investment Worth It? What exactly is "Talent Management" anyway? That is a good question. Millions are spent every year finding good people, yet, sometimes when we find it, we do not always keep it. Talent Management is a process designed to improve the performance of talent and keep it, once you have it. That all seem simple enough, right? Wrong, it is much more complex than you might suspect. First, everyone knows how expensive it is, just to find the talent, much less grow it and keep it. According to a recent study by Deloitte, every percentage point increase in the turnover rate within the Big Four Accounting Firms costs from $400 - $500 million dollars annually. Second, talent management is complicated today by the retiring of the Baby Boomers and the emergence of the "Gen Ys." It seems that the Gen Ys are competent enough but they are not as willing to "pay their dues" as the Boomers were. As a result, organizations are scrambling to adjust everything from compensation to career development. Third, the cumulative ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H202-121212-Do You Understand the Cost of a C Team Word Count: 610 Do You Understand the Cost of a C Team? You Should for Better Business
This lack of motivation will not only cost you in the areas mentioned above. They can also cost you extra hours of training and re-training, and many hours of picking up the slack yourself. Re-training employees who have already been trained is a complete waste of company time and money. A team employees will most likely not need to be re-trained; so, if your company consisted of only A team employees, it would be much more profitable and successful.
Mistakes in the workplace, plus work left unfinished by C team employees, will cause more work for you and your A team employees. This in turn, will decrease your productivity and prevent the A team members from moving on to other, possibly more important projects. You can find out ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B243-11413-Senior Executives Top Challenge Word Count: 580
Senior Executives Top Challenge
Employee Engagement!
What is employee engagement? Engaged employees
really care about the company. They are willing to “give whatever it takes” to
make the company the best it can be. Engaged employees have an emotional bond to
the company, which results in higher levels of productivity, increased customer
satisfaction, and decreased absenteeism & turnover.
However, a recent study by MSW Research, Gallup,
& Dale Carnegie Training shows that only 29% of employees around the world are
fully engaged. Now you can see why this is a top challenge for senior
executives! This is not just an HR situation. This is a critical business issue. The entire company, including the “top brass”, needs to be involved, responsible, and encouraged to make engagement the top priority in the company.
The ability to engage and retain talent has an
incredible affect to the company’s bottom line. According to the Bureau of
National Affairs, turnover costs approximately 1.5 times the annual salary and
costs US businesses around $11 billion annually. In addition to increased
turnover costs, disengaged employees are unproductive and drag morale down. What
is this costing you?
What to do… what to do? If you want to increase employee engagement within your company, concentrate on these areas: ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H203-11413-Should YOU Be Hiring For the Future? Word Count: 566 Should YOU Be Hiring For the Future? Everyone has a limit to what they can afford and what they are allowed to spend when it is a business. There are many issues that surround the idea of hiring for the future, that it makes the topic logical. When managers and business owners talk, they are talking about the performances of the employees and where the bottom line is. It is a smart investment to invest in employees because of the high turnover rate people are having in major companies today. Everyone is always looking for the bigger and better. This is bigger in salary and better in duties. As the world grows older, the human race is looking for faster and more efficient work. There are many reasons why you should think ahead and start hiring for the future. Reasons include:
1. No down time- You don’t have to worry about having a break in production or work time because you will have the right amount of employees necessary to run your business. The turnover rate regardless of the crisis is high enough. People are always trying to improve themselves and this is by jumping jobs. Having ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H204-061413-Creating A Corporate Culture To Attract Top
Talent
Word Count: 413
Creating A Corporate Culture To Attract Top Talent
Creating a corporate culture that attracts top talent is an investment in your company’s future. It is very important to recognize that becoming an employer of choice is not luck; it is a strategy. A strategy that starts at the top and is lived and articulated by everyone. A companywide endeavor that is communicated consistently in words and actions. Everyone within your organization needs to know that it is the goal of the company to become the employer of choice.
Your message must be congruent in all aspects of marketing too. Your website, social media accounts, marketing brochures, etc… must all show the company values in its communications.
What are employees looking for? Employees want to know a company respects and values them and their position. They want challenging, exciting work with the ability to learn and grow. They want to know what is expected of them and how they can help the company achieve its vision & goals. An honest wage for an honest day’s work is highly valued. Money is not the #1 motivator. In fact, it is often a short-term motivator. Employees want good leadership and a great relationship with the supervisors. They need the open communication, encouragement, training, and the necessary tools to do their job.
What are the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L201-061413-Developing The Next Generation Of Leaders Word Count: 657 Developing The Next Generation Of Leaders
One of the most important roles of senior executives is to develop the company’s future leadership. The groups of leaders that can help take the company to the next level.
Even with the uncertain economy, there is a surge of “baby boomers” retiring (8,000 per day) and it is resulting in a shortage of leaders. This shortage of leadership comes at a time of rapid change. With globalization, the volatile economy, technology changes, and the increased demands of stakeholders, leadership is vital to not only succeed but also, in some cases, just to survive.
Most often it is less expensive to reach within the company’s workforce for this future leadership than it is to hire from the outside. Developing the leadership skills necessary for leading your company into the future needs to be a part of the company culture. In house ongoing training programs to develop these skills for your high potential employees should include; assessments, communication training, leadership skills development programs, mentoring, management training, coaching, and goal setting.
Assessments: Use assessments and profiles to identify behaviors, motivators, competencies, emotional intelligences, and acumen. Once identified via assessments, we can better understand the how, why, will, and potential of your employees. Assessments are great tools for selection, retention, development, and putting people in the correct positions within your company.
Communication training: Open communication helps create trust and allows ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H205-080113-Do you start your new hires off correctly on day one? Word Count: 603
Start Your New Hires Off Successfully
Do you start your new hires off correctly on day one?
According to research done by Human Capital Institute, 70% of new hires decide to stay or leave a company within the first six months. Only 15% of companies continue the onboarding process beyond the 3 month recommendation, even though 93% of companies see new hire guides as important to their success.
You can gain long term commitment & retention with an effective onboarding process. New hires take time to become a productive part of the team. They may not understand some aspects of their job or how it relates to the overall strategy. Getting them up to speed takes time, planning, and patience. However, they will become productive faster with an effective onboarding program than without one.
An effective new hire onboarding process isn’t something that can be done in a week or two. This process of welcoming, orienting, training, coaching, engaging, etc… may take several months. But according to a report by HCI, 69% of the new hires are more likely to remain with their organization after three years and are more engaged.
Create a new hire onboarding system that is congruent with the overall company mission, values, & culture. Measure and update the program over time.
Here are some elements to include in your new hire process: ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H206-091913-Manufacturing & Services Hiring Rate Will Hit a
Three-Year High
Word Count: 101
Manufacturing & Services Hiring Rate Will Hit a Three-Year High
In a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the hiring rate in manufacturing and services will rise compared to a year ago.
The survey examined four key areas: Recruiting high-level talent, New-Hire compensation, Employers expectations, and Job vacancies.
Recruiting challenges: Manufacturing -1.2% Services +10.0%
New-hire compensation: ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H207-041014-How to Avoid The Costs Of A Bad Hire Word Count: 536
How to Avoid The Costs Of A Bad Hire
Businesses have very little room these days to make the mistake of hiring on an individual that is not qualified to do the job at hand. Those that are responsible for the hiring process along with the CEO and Vice President of the company, should make hiring good personnel a high priority. With so much at stake, your business cannot afford the luxury of a bad hire.
Costs:
When a person has been hired on to work for your company that does not possess the adequate skills or have the ability to perform at the expected levels, you are hindering the success of the company. Bad hires mean wasted training hours, undesired client satisfaction, low productivity, and overall upheaval of the way the business can function. If an employee is not working out for the good of the team or business, it is better to find a replacement than to continue investing in the person who is not fitting in.
Avoid:
Before hiring on an employee, it is best to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here H208-090414-How To Attract Top
Talent For Your Team
Word Count: 480
How To Attract Top Talent For Your Team
As an employer, finding the best employees to compliment your business can be a difficult task. It is hard to know a person’s character or performance abilities based off a resume and a few interviews. In order to find people that will round out your team and are full of the talent you need to run a successful business, keep these ideas in mind.
The Right Employee For You:
Before taking out employment listings and beginning the hiring process, you need to clearly define what you are looking for in an employee. This is not as cut and dry as task oriented lists that you need an individual to fulfill. Personality plays a key role in this decision as well. Consider your own personality and those of other people on staff. Aim to hire an individual that will bring the diversity and balance to the team that is necessary for success. Do their behaviors & motivators match the needed behaviors & motivators of the job?
Take a Look at the Future:
Employees that are highly motivated ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H209-090414-Enticing and
Retaining Millennials
Word Count: 269 Enticing and Retaining Millennials
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2015 millennials will be the majority representation of the workforce and by 2030 this always-connected, tech savvy generation will make up 75% of the workforce. We have seen this coming as the baby-boomers continue to exit the workforce.
The Millennials are not only tech savvy, but they are accustomed to being connected all the time. They did not know life before the Internet or cell phones and are always communicating via social networks. They have not had to wait for the IT department when it comes to using technology. They seek to solve problems on their own if they are unsatisfied with the technology being provided.
What are Millennials looking for ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H210-011519-Pay Raises Focus on Rewarding Top Performers Word Count: 455
Pay Raises Focus on Rewarding Top Performers It is so difficult to find employees that are dedicated to a company and able to perform at a high level. When you have found individuals that fit that bill, then you know how important it is to retain them. Employees that know their value in the company cannot be blamed for expecting to be thanked for their efforts. Even if an employee is happy working for you, they can be easily swayed if they feel that they are being taken for granted. Rewarding your top employees is an important thing that needs to take place in any business.
Who Are the Top Performers?
Before you can begin rewarding top performers in your company, you must identify who they are. Looking at an employee overall is the best way to know who is most valuable in your company. The amount of work that is being put out can be a good indicator, but should not be solely relied upon. There are other factors such as attitude, being a team player, and passion that should be taken into account. Once you have identified the top employees in your business, then you can begin rewarding them.
How to Reward Employees With a Pay Raise
Conducting ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H211-011915-Selecting Superior Performers Word Count: 495 Selecting Superior Performers
Clearly Understand the Position
Before you can hire someone that will meet the needs of your business, you must first identify what those needs are. Hiring a superior performer for a position requires a well-defined job description.
You have to identify exactly what you need the employee to do for your business. If you do not, then you will not be able to find an individual that will perform at a top level. A fuzzy expectation leads to hiring people that are not equipped to handle the job.
People that do not feel confident in their abilities will not apply for positions that have job descriptions that intimidate them. You will weed out a lot of unnecessary resumes by developing a description with specific qualifications.
When you receive ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H212-042115-Have Critical Information Before You Hire
Word Count: 418 Have Critical Information Before You Hire
Replacing employees or hiring for new positions can be a difficult task. Having the right people in your business make the difference between your company being successful and falling behind. When it is time to hire for a position within your company, you can feel confident in who you choose to interview with these few steps.
Only Interview the Right Candidates
Bringing the wrong people in for interviews is more than just a waste of time. When you meet with a candidate that is not right for the job, you run the risk of making an emotional decision. The person might be a wonderful individual, but not right for the job.
Once you build a personal connection with an individual, it will be harder to have an objective attitude.
Interviewing people that are not qualified for your job can bring more damage than you realize.
Weed Out The Wrong Resumes
Some people will send in a resume because they ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B287-062615-Engagement and Culture are Top Issues This Year Word Count: 471 Engagement and Culture are Top Issues This Year
As the job turnover rate increases, HR departments have to turn their focus to what the core issues are. Employees that are unhappy with their jobs either find a new job or underperform. Either way, it makes for a difficult situation with business owners. For that reason, focusing on engagement needs to be a high priority.
Where is the Breakdown in Engagement?
So often, the breakdown happens because we executives are spending too much time in the office and not enough time with the employees. We are seeing the company and function of the business from the numbers standpoint. When thinking of changes, we ask ourselves if the change will increase profit.
Unless you put yourself in contact with your employees and their environment, it is hard to see what they are up against from day to day. Employees that are being asked to do more than what they can manage feel frustrated and have a poor outlook on the company.
What Happens When Employees Have a Poor Attitude About Your Company?
When you have disgruntled staff, you can bet that other people will hear about it.
With the social media outlets they have access to, an individual may choose ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B288-062615-Open Communications Start With Understanding Behaviors Word Count: 432 Open Communications Start With Understanding Behaviors Communication is a difficult task in any situation, but especially in the workplace. We work to strike this balance of not becoming too personal with employees that might lead to favoritism or you being taken advantage of, but getting to know them well enough to work with them. To know how to best communicate with someone, you need to understand their behavioral style. It takes time to understand a person to tailor your communication style to them. With a DISC profile assessment, that time can be dramatically shortened. These assessments are beneficial for you as a manager to take so that you understand your own behavioral style. Then giving this same assessment to your employees will help you understand their style and know how to best communicate with them.
Why are DISC Assessments Important?
DISC assessments reveal an individual’s natural and adapted behavioral styles and how these traits play into decision making, work abilities, communication, and overall relationship building in the workplace. The main goal of DISC is to allow people to take a look at themselves more in depth to better understand their style and how they relate to others. When you become more self-aware, you are able to see how your actions affect those around you.
How Does Communication Increase With Understanding Behaviors?
We all have a different style of learning and communicating with those around us. No two people will handle situations exactly the same. Understanding ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H213-082615-How Social Media Is Impacting The Hiring Process Word Count: How Social Media Is Impacting The Hiring Process
There is no doubt that the social media movement has greatly changed the way businesses run. This hits every aspect of a company, including the hiring process. Here is a look at how this type of engagement is shaping the way we hire new recruits.
What Does it Mean For Your Want Ads?
With social engagement being the way it is, you can find many ways to advertise job positions. This can be done through your social media pages or on your website directly. You have the ability to put your posting out on venues where you are sure to find some potential candidates.
What Does it Mean For Potential Employees?
It used to be if you wanted to know about a person’s character, you had to talk with other people that know them. Now, ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H214-101415-Who’s Fighting For Your Employees Attention Word Count: 424 Who’s Fighting For Your Employees Attention?
It should be no surprise to you that your employees can get easily distracted. A whole host of things can come in and wreck productivity if you are not watching out for it. In today’s information age, there are many distractions that are begging for your attention.
Company Time Matters
Spending your time poorly leads to the feeling of being overwhelmed. When you do not use your time wisely, it takes longer to accomplish a task than what it should. For that reason, people are spending more and more time at work, but not being as productive as they could be.
There was a time in a business environment that personal issues were not to be dealt with. It is a chain effect that is passed down from the higher ups to low level employees. We cannot possibly expect our team and staff to refrain from social media outlets, if we ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B296-011216-The Importance Of Company Reputation Word Count: 410 The Importance Of Company Reputation
A lot of business leaders have the idea that if they just post a job opening in their company, that talented candidates will start beating down their door. Yes, a good number of people will apply for the positions, but are these individuals top performers?
Why it is Important to Invest in Your Current Employees
There are many ways that you can work to build a good reputation for your company. It starts with ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H215-011216-Are any of these staffing issues a challenge in your company Word Count: 470 Are any of these staffing issues a challenge in your company?
Every company faces the same basic staffing challenges. Of course, there are particulars for every industry, but these are a few things you can guarantee that you will need to deal with as a business owner, CEO, or HR professional.
Employee Turnover Rate
The turnover rate in your business will certainly depend on different factors. It is important to ask yourself if you have these things in place:
* Management development program * Aggressive training program * Communications program * Employee feedback
Many people chose to leave their place of employment for ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H216-011216-4 Ways To Keep Your Interviews Bias-Free Word Count: 449 4 Ways To Keep Your Interviews Bias-Free
1. Ask The Same Questions of All Interviewees It is easy to get side tracked in conversation with someone that you connect with. Create a standard question list that you ask all interviewees and compare their answers. If you get off topic with them too much, it can cause you to lean one way or another based off of personal connection rather than other criteria.
2. Create a Rubric Ahead of Time Prior to the interview stage, create a rubric of skills that you are looking for in a candidate. List specific skills, both soft and education based. You will want to add cultural fit to your criteria. Just because an individual has the right skill set does not mean they will fit in with the company.
After you are through with the interview, rate the candidate on each section of the rubric. This will ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
TR125-011216-Winning the War for Talent-The Best Companies Use Training Word Count: 453 Winning the War for Talent: The Best Companies Use Training
If you haven’t invested in training your team in a while, then it is time to re-think your strategies. Companies are focusing more time and energy on advancing their employees education. Why is that?
People Want To Be Invested InJust like you work hard to add value to your customer’s lives, you need to put focus on your staff as well. They are people, just like the ones you serve. Finding ways to add value to their lives will keep them loyal to you.
It is the same principles you would use for keeping your customers happy and coming back. There is so much that goes into brand loyalty. Getting your staff on board is just as important as getting customers on board.
It Benefits You to Have Highly Trained StaffNot only is it valuable for the individuals but it benefits you as well. If you want to keep up with your competition ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B299-032116-Companies Are Scrambling to Figure Out How to Retain Their Millennial Employees Word Count: 336 Companies Are Scrambling to Figure Out How to Retain Their Millennial Employees
Have you heard the rumor that companies are scrambling to figure out how to retain their millennial employees? Is there really truth to this claim, or is it just a misconception?
According to the research data in an article that was posted on Five Thirty Eight, young people are not leaving their jobs any more than any other generation. Truth be told, they are actually staying put more than expected.
So, why does it seem as though they are job hopping more than other generations?
For one thing, Millennials are the largest generation that is currently represented in the work force.
There are surprisingly few people in the middle generation between them and the oldest generation. The gap is becoming greater and greater, which is another problem on its own.
The turnover rate is actually increasing, and here’s why...
Beside the sheer number of people that make up this group, there has been an increase of ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B300-032116-Career Development Needs To Be A Top Priority! Word Count: 443 Career Development Needs To Be A Top Priority!
Employers should make it a top priority in getting their employees the job training they need. All employees benefit from conferences, refresher courses, and other educational venues. This allows both the employer to have more competent employees and employees to have the confidence to do the job. Job training and career advancement programs will give employees a goal to reach for. There may be a lot of untapped talent that is going unnoticed. When people become complacent, more complaints tend to happen.
Employer Benefits:
When employees have a chance to attend a conference or extra training event, renewed excitement will overtake them about what they do. Performance levels will soar as employees will work harder and more proficiently. They will also have the ability to breed a hard working attitude amongst other staff. A boost in overall moral will be noted for employees that have been given the chance to increase their knowledge.
Employee Benefits:
Employees stand so much to gain from career advancements. Greater amounts of ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H217-102016-Involve Everyone During Group Job Interviews Word Count: 409 Involve Everyone During Group Job Interviews
Many companies are turning to group interviews for a number of reasons. These have plenty of great benefits for the company, but must be lead properly to be effective. Just like in any group, there are going to be those that dominate and others that sit back.
While this type of interview will give you a good idea of how people interact with others in groups, you still need to handle it properly to be effective. Be sure that you get everyone involved in the interview and discussions. Choose a Good Location For the Group InterviewDecide what type of interview you plan to conduct, whether informal or formal and select your place based off of that. A circle of chairs would be appropriate for a casual setting. For a more formal meeting, a larger room with rows of desks would be best.
Help the Group Warm Up to One AnotherAs a good leader, you ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H218-102016-5 Ways to Keep Your Interview Bias-Free
Word Count: 364 5 Ways to Keep Your Interview Bias-Free
Interviewing takes a lot of time and effort. One thing that may be helpful in keeping interviews bias-free is using this 5 step process.
1. List of questionsCreate a list of questions that you ask each interviewee. Why? You’ll be able to compare your candidates “apples to apples” if you ask the same questions. Remember, the goal is have bias-free interviews and this will ensure that happens. 2. Note takingBe sure you have their resume handy and feel free to scribble down info that stands out to you as your interviewee speaks. You’ll not remember as much as you think. Plus, if you conduct numerous interviews of the same questions, they will begin to run together. 3. Comparison chartDon’t skip this step! Make ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H219-102016-Research Reveals The Real Reason People Switch
Jobs
Word Count: 410 Research Reveals The Real Reason People Switch Jobs
Most of us think that employees leave the job because they do not like their boss, or maybe they aren’t being paid enough. The data is in and you aren’t going to believe what it tells us.
The Data Reveals Why People Leave Their Job
No one wants
to be stuck in a dead end job for the rest of their lives. Employees that do not
feel like there is any room for advancement in their current job will go in
search of new employment.
· 45% said they left because of concern of lack of advancement opportunities · 41% said they were ...
H220-102016-The Latest and Maybe Greatest New Company Benefit
Word Count: 404 The Latest and (Maybe) Greatest New Company Benefit
Student debt is painful for college graduates today. They are unable to begin saving toward their 401K, start a family, or even buy a house due to their mountain of student loan debt. In fact, the debt amounts are so high for these grads that approximately 40% of them are in default on their loans. In one word, this is a PROBLEM. However, the issue could potentially be remedied by making student debt payoff a benefit of your company. 5 reasons to add this benefit to your package: 1. Top Talent If you help college graduates pay off what they owe, then you’ll most likely attract the best of the best job seekers. These promising candidates quite possibly could be facing a large debt amount. If you help them pay their loans off, then they will be more likely to accept your position over another company. 2. Innovative Concept The idea to add student debt pay off to a benefits package is, currently, considered to be more cutting edge, different and new. (Perhaps not for long!) Try and be innovative with your benefits package! You’ll ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B304-102016-How To Deal With The Cost Of Lost Expertise When Employees Leave Word Count: 520
How To Deal With The Cost Of Lost Expertise When Employees Leave
All companies go through turn over in the staff. Some employees are very knowledgeable about their job and bring a lot to the table. You will have to account for what the business will suffer in the event of losing them.
Dealing With the Cost of Lost Expertise Or Knowledge When Employees Leave
Do you have a process in place to capture intellectual capital? Your staff has knowledge that is important to the company.
One thing to consider is setting up processes with the staff ahead of time. Encourage them to collaborate and offer rewards on account of this. Also, you should have a reward system in place for staff that gains new information.
Chaotic Periods Destabilize The Company
When a business goes through ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
PD179-102016-3 Strategies For Winning That Big Promotion
Word Count: 472 3 Strategies For Winning That Big Promotion
Most of us have been in a situation where we’ve seen someone in our workplace get a promotion that we were hoping to earn. Maybe they have worked for the company for a less amount of time than you have, or possibly you feel that they aren’t as deserving of the promotion because you are better qualified for the job. Either way, you don’t think that they should have been awarded the promotion. How did they get noticed enough to receive the promotion? Here are some things that you can do to stand out and finally win that big promotion.
Don’t be the Lemming and Follow Your Peers
You won’t stand out in your job if you just follow the crowd. Performing at the same level of everyone around you will not cause you to be chosen for a promotion. Unfortunately, even if you are the best in your group, you may not have shown yourself as an outstanding individual. In order to get the promotion you desire, you will have to come up with ways to separate yourself from those around you and break away from following what your peers are doing. When those around you ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H221-12916-Challenges of Hiring and Training the Right
Personnel
Word Count: 401 Challenges of Hiring and Training the Right Personnel There is not a business out there that doesn’t have some amount of trouble with hiring the right staff. This is a common problem for any and all industries. Even if there are a fair number of skilled individuals in your industry, this does not mean all are a good fit for your business.
What is Most Important When It Comes to Hiring Someone?
Many companies are getting away from hiring simply on the basis of skills and knowledge. In fact, a lot of businesses have chosen to hire based solely on these types of criteria:
· Chemistry with the existing team · Moldable and trainable · The right attitude · Passionate about the company
Many CEO’s and managers have ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H222-12916-Are Video Interviews The New Norm
Word Count: 446 Are Video Interviews The New Norm? The interview process is extremely important as you look for top candidates for your company. Technology continues to change the techniques we use to hire. These days, companies should consider video interviews which are becoming more and more prevalent in the business world.
YouTube, Facebook and Skype are just a few examples of ways to hold a video interview with a potential candidate. Why conduct an interview by phone when you could see the person by video? This would allow you to put a face with the voice and even see their habits and mannerisms.
There are many reasons to jump on board with the video interview revolution that has become so dominant recently. The benefits abound for all parties involved such as the candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.
The benefits of video interviewing includes:
1. More quality interviews Video enables the candidate and hiring manager to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H223-12916-Why New Staff Orientation Is So Important Word Count: 386 Why New Staff Orientation Is So Important
Hiring on and training new staff is one of the biggest challenges that employers face. These individuals will make the difference between success and failure in your business. Here are the top reasons that staff orientation is so important.
Employees Need to Understand Your Values
In a new employee
orientation, information about your business should be the place you start.
Where else are your new staff members going to learn about your passions and
visions for the company? This is an important part of any orientation, as it
helps the employee understand the culture of your business and why they need to
get on board. Company Culture Shines Through in Orientation
A new staff person’s first impression of your company’s culture will be evident through the orientation they receive. If the orientation ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B310-12916-3 Reasons Your Employees Leave Bitter
Word Count: 440 3 Reasons Your Employees Leave Bitter When employment ties are cut, an employee may leave bitter or frustrated. Unhappy former employees can cause a lot of damage on the way out the door and after they are no longer employed.
The latest Employee Branding Study by Career Arc explained the staggering results that 38% of employees that were fired or laid off, posted bad reviews online about their former employers.
The unpleasant and negative feedback that potential job seekers may see online will give them a negative taste for your company. Plus, these potential candidates tend to change their minds on their application submittals.
As an employer, your goal should be to figure out why the employees leave bitter in the first place. Knowing the why will help to address the issue and move forward to correct it in the future.
3 Reasons Your Employees Leave Bitter Include:
1) Did you hear me?Unhappy employees ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H224-121516-Customized Hiring Simulations - 4 Benefits You
Need to Know
Word Count: 449 Customized Hiring Simulations: 4 Benefits You Need to Know During the holiday months, many businesses are hiring for seasonal help. This is the time when you will bring in those that will get you through the season and possibly stay on in a long term role.
Even if you know exactly what you are looking for in a candidate, how do you know that they will perform well with your current staff? This is one of the biggest worries of hiring managers. Picking the person that you think is perfect, only to find out they do not fit well with the existing team.
Simulation Tests Are On The Rise
Many companies are choosing to give their potential candidates a simulation test that is customized to their specific jobs within the company. These tests are not the same as figuring out a person’s skillset as much as they will determine how the individual will respond in real situations.
Why should your company consider using these types of tests? Here are the top 4 benefits to customized simulation tests.
Prove to Be Accurate
These tests have been proven to be more accurate at determining if a candidate is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H225-022017-Questions to Ask During a Job Interview Word Count: 625 Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
Have you recently been contacted for a job interview? If so, you may be pretty excited. When it comes to getting a new job or starting a new career, an interview is the first step towards success. The only problem is that many interviewees end up making costly mistakes during their interviews. One of those mistakes is by not asking any questions. You are advised against doing this. Not asking any questions during a job interview gives the impression that you are not a leader, just a follower. That is not the type of impression that you want to make.
When it comes to asking questions during a job interview, you may be wondering what type of questions you should ask. Before examining the type of questions that you should ask, it may be best to focus on the type of questions that you shouldn’t ask. For one, you are advised against asking about the pay or raises, like when they kick in. Salary is something that should be brought up by the interviewer. If and when salary is discussed, you may want to ask about raises, but it is advised that you refrain from doing so, at least right away.
In keeping with questions that you should not ask, many employers ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H226-022017-How to Prepare Today for Tomorrow’s Interview Word Count: 639 How to Prepare Today for Tomorrow’s Interview Do you consider yourself a polished professional? Do you have the right skills, qualifications, and personality and then some to secure the position you are interviewing for? Do you really think that’s enough? The majority of time, the candidate that best prepares for the interview gets the job over the polished and well-qualified candidate. Making a mistake during the interview process can cost you the position. Avoid making mistakes by preparing yourself prior to the interview. To Fully Prepare Yourself for Your Next Interview You’ll Need to do the Following: · Prepare for and answer interview questions · Bring the right energy and enthusiasm · Consider your pace · Address your weaknesses · Prepare to ask questions · Create your interview checklist Interview Questions There are ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H227-031517-7 Employee Handbook Must Haves Word Count: 415 7 Employee Handbook Must Haves
Every business needs an employee handbook. If you don’t have one, then you need to contact your HR department ASAP. There are so many important sections in an employee handbook but I’ll focus on the 7 essentials today.
7 Must Haves for an Employee Handbook:
1. Code of Conduct You must have clear expectations laid out in writing for specific behaviors, dress code, attendance and a variety of other policies. The only way to have clear expectations is to put them in writing.
2. At Will Disclaimer Be sure to have an “at will employment disclaimer” in your handbook. Everyone needs to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H228-031517-Effective Benefit Engagement Strategies
Word Count: 358 Effective Benefit Engagement Strategies
Do your employees “get” and appreciate the benefits package that your company offers? Statistics show that most employees don’t fully understand the value of what they have.
Companies should educate their staff about their benefits. How quickly they forget orientation day! They were most likely too nervous to comprehend what you told them anyway.
One thing is for sure, you want to continuously market your benefits package to your team. The goal is for them to feel the value that they have received. You want their continual buy in.
Steps to increase benefit engagement include:
1. Orientation…What comes next? After day 1, your new employee will be in all out training mode. Be sure to follow up on the benefits package. How? Create an attractively laid out marketing piece that will allow for a clean, concise summation. Plan to email it and hand deliver it to their desk / department.
2. Involve the family Your employee may not ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H229-031517-The Cost of a Bad Hire
Word Count: 427 The Cost of a Bad Hire When you need to fill a position, you are often in a time crunch and feel urgent. No matter the need, try and slow down to hire well. The cost of a bad hire is both pricey and hurts a variety of other areas of your business. Costs Associated with a Failed HireIn the event that you make a hire that doesn’t work out, you’ll find that the costs associated with this unpleasant situation are not just financial.
Other Costs include:
When you think about all those costs, then you’ll want to avoid a bad hire more than anything. Some of the most trying aspects of the above list are ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H231-051517-7 Attributes of a Great Management Hire Word Count: 436 7 Attributes of a Great Management Hire
Hiring is not an easy feat. When you try to hire for a manager, the task is even more difficult. The candidate that you select for a management role needs to be passionate, innovative, solution oriented, dynamic and have an exceptional work ethic. When hiring for a management job you’ll want to look for the following 7 attributes in order to make a great hire. 1. Positive AttitudeStrong leaders have positive attitudes that show through in their daily actions. They are able to boost employee morale with their pleasant and upbeat energy. Employees see their can-do attitude as refreshing because nothing looks too difficult or too overwhelming with their leadership intact. 2. Cultural AppreciationThese days a strong cultural appreciation will go a long way in the workplace. Employees appreciate management investing in the culture of the business. Most companies have diverse settings and a manager that embraces and encourages the environment is preferred. 3. AccountabilityManagement must embrace being accountable for their decisions and those of their team. Employees ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H232-071017-2 Traits Hiring Managers Look for During
Interviews.htm
Word Count: 422 2 Traits Hiring Managers Look for During Interviews Hiring managers look for similar things when interviewing candidates. However, there are some traits that they look for and they don’t even realize it themselves. Job seekers need to understand this in order to interview well and be seen in the best light.
Hiring Managers are Only Human
A company’s hiring manager is often quite skilled in the recruitment process. However, at the end of the day, they are only human like the rest of us. This means that they are prone to making snap judgements and assumptions.
Interviewers usually start the conversation by getting to know you and then assume they have you all figured out. Most people call this their gut feeling. One psychological study has shown that this feeling comes down to these two things:
Four Categories Hiring managers are no exception to this ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H233-071017-10 Ways To Welcome Your New Recruit
Word Count: 493 10 Ways To Welcome Your New Recruit A brand new hire joining your team is quite the accomplishment. After countless hours of recruiting, you’ve made it to their start date. It’s time to roll out the red carpet a bit and make them feel welcome. Don’t miss this important aspect of training your new hire because you want them to stick around, work hard and believe in your company as a whole.
Try to do these 10 things to make their first week exceptional:
1. Think coffeeCoffee is an easy and cheap way to give someone a treat. Go to a local coffee shop and spend some time getting to know them and break the ice a bit. 2. Welcome EmailMake your team and new hire feel comfortable and informed by sending out a welcome email to introduce the new staff member. Be sure to include the newbie’s email and phone extension, encouraging others to reach out and say hello. 3. In Person IntrosIntroduce your new hire ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H234-092517-Reasons to Hire an Employee with Grit
Word Count: 421 Reasons to Hire an Employee with Grit High turnover is expensive, time consuming, and frustrating. Companies world-wide seek to avoid this issue because it hurts employee morale, job performance, and employee engagement. Most managers notice a decrease in staff productivity which negatively impacts business. Since we know that turnover is detrimental to our business, hiring managers should make thoughtful decisions about recruitment. Grit is the one distinguishing factor to be considered when selecting your next new hire. Grit is an HR term that’s best described as a candidate with the ability to channel their passion, energy and drive for the long haul in a sustainable way. During the recruitment phase, hiring managers must choose whether they want the brightest candidate or the one with the most enthusiasm. Your best bet is to find a candidate that possesses both qualities. Employees with grit have real staying power with the ability to pull off outstanding results. The following will explain why recruiters find gritty employees the best options for recruitment. Failure Is Not an OptionWho doesn’t want their business to succeed? Managers must ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H235-092517-How Managers Should Engage New Hires
Word Count: 477 How Managers Should Engage New Hires
The first 90 days for employees are crucial to their future success within the company. While they are nervous and a little green, management needs to swoop in to ensure their first impression is a positive one.
Managers should attempt to alleviate fears and make the new employee feel comfortable in their new position. If they pull this off, then the employee will stick around for the long haul which will help improve your bottom line and employee morale.
Engagement Is Essential Brand new employees tend to be more engaged because they are trying to put their best foot forward and learn the ropes. They are (at this point) still excited about their new position and the company.
Statistics show that 82% of new hires are more engaged in the first year while other employee’s engagement is closer to 75%.
Managers have the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H236-092517-Improve Your Recruiting Processes
Word Count: 422 Improve Your Recruiting Processes Acquiring top talent is difficult and yet so crucial to your business’ success. Technology has advanced the recruitment process and coupled with an element of human interaction, better candidates can be secured. Today, there is an abundance of technological recruiting and assessment options. However, companies are not able to measure the long-term impact of these hiring advances as well as you’d think. They struggle to pinpoint the real impact of quality hires and how long they stay. Hiring managers expect more out of their candidates, especially after they’ve been given assessments and the tools necessary to reveal whether they are the right person for the position. They want to enhance the process in order to attract and then secure better employees. Acquisitions are important, time-consuming, and potentially costly during the recruitment process. Ever wondered how this process could improve? It’s a common question amongst hiring managers and HR departments. The more the system is fine-tuned the better for all involved. Recently there was a survey of 200 hiring managers that ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H237-092517-Warren Buffett – 3 Traits To Look For When Hiring
Word Count: 436 Warren Buffett – 3 Traits To Look For When Hiring There is no specific recipe for the right hire. However, there are traits that you can look for in order to secure the most talented candidates for your company. Warren Buffett is a renowned investor and considered extremely wise in business with an advanced skillset that enabled him to build some of the most profitable companies worldwide. Behind every great leader is a team of dynamic individuals. This is true of Buffett. What were the traits that he looked for as he hired his managers and advisors? Frequently, he speaks at universities and explains that he looks for integrity, intelligence, and energy when hiring. IntelligenceObviously, candidates need to be intelligent. However, you can get the grades in class but not know how to apply the information you’ve learned and retained. Intelligence is the very basic requirement to consider as you hire. No one will work with or hire someone dumb and unequipped for the role. After you have the intelligence factor, then go to the next trait as you seek to hire. EnergyEnergy is ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H238-092517-How to Hold On to Millennial Employees
Word Count: 426 How to Hold On to Millennial Employees Millennials get a bad rap these days as job hoppers. However, most want to find a great company to grow with. In order to secure dynamic millennials as new hires, you’ll need to adjust how you interview and portray your company in the most attractive light for them.
Employee retention is essential, and you’ll find that life is downright painful without it. Companies with high staff turnover rates spend a lot of time and money on hiring. Spinning your wheels in the hiring process is exhausting and hurts employee morale.
There are ways to hold on to these millennials, reduce your turnover, and build a great team. Be sure your company takes the following steps and initiatives. Take Your Time and Hire RightThe goal is to find a solid employee with a passion for your company and a drive to succeed. You will want to pass on the candidates that seem flighty with exaggerated dreams of fame and fortune. They won’t stick around long.
Also, hiring managers should ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H239-021318-The Importance of the Human Element in Your Hiring Process
Word Count: 416 The Importance of the Human Element in Your Hiring Process
Hiring has changed extensively over the years. These days’ companies are working even harder to find the most talented candidates for their teams. In fact, in the United States, the average time it takes to hire is almost 23 days. We live in an extremely social day and age. Technology networks us in constantly and yet we somehow missed the human element because of screen time with our devices. The hiring process must stay human and less technology focused. People are relational and like to stay engaged with hiring managers during the interview process. Adhere to these tips for how employers can move forward while maintaining a personal approach while hiring. You’ll find that the process will take less time and you’ll secure more talented individuals for your company. Employee ReferralsEncourage your top talent to refer people that they know for your open positions. Often they travel in circles with similar top performing personalities. They can network with you and if they produce a great candidate, you can reward them for their referral. Promote from WithinWhen you get a notice, try to ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H240-021318-The Future Workplace Experience-Is Your HR Department Ready
Word Count: 387 The Future Workplace Experience: Is Your HR Department Ready?
The business world is focused on the need to innovate today. Try to be more innovative with your company’s culture, leadership style, technology goals, strategy, etc... One thing that often doesn’t get as much traction is Human Resources. The future workplace experience is changing. How does your HR department measure up? Are you ready? The Future Workplace ExperienceIf you want to have an Innovative HR department, then you check out The Future Workplace Experience: 10 Rules for Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees by Meister and Mulcahy. This great read is helpful for both workers and human resources to see the innovative workplace changes. The book focuses on the trends in the future from a fresh perspective. In recent years, people began to consider the opportunity of employees to work from anywhere and on a flexible schedule. They seem to have forgotten the employer though. There is still a need for hiring managers, recruiters, and the HR department. The Employer Side of Things ...Members can read this entire article by clicking here
H241-021318-New Laws Banning the Salary History Question
Word Count: 428 New Laws Banning the Salary History Question Potential new laws are on the horizon that would ban employers asking questions about salary history during the interview process. Restrictions in Massachusetts, Delaware, Oregon, New York City, San Francisco, and Philadelphia have already passed legislation that prohibits employers from requesting salary information from job candidates. Hefty fines will be imposed on those that do not comply.
These laws are becoming more prevalent in order to counteract the disadvantages that salary history requests put on women and other minority groups. Often employers do not intend to use the info given about history against the candidate but bias opinions can creep in if the history is discussed.
Here are some recommendations to ensure that you adhere to such laws and prepare in advance for those that may come into play in your municipality.
Employers should avoid asking about salary history.Once the information is out on the candidate’s pay history, it can never be taken back and could affect the ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
PD182-021318-Surefire Ways to Get Promoted
Word Count: 452
Surefire Ways to Get PromotedWouldn’t you like to know how to secure an upcoming promotion? Imagine being able to tap into your supervisors thought processes and learn what it takes to get promoted. These tips will enable you to understand more of what bosses look for as they make their promotion decision. Stand out and you’ll find yourself in a new role by doing the following: Do the right thing.Supervisors likely promote those that do the basics well. In other words, do the right thing when it comes to showing up on time, not gossiping, and treating everyone with respect. Set your mind on the big picture.One way to get promoted is to think like the owner with a long-term vision. The big picture is important and your supervisor will ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
B331-072618-Got Executive Presence
Word Count: 407 Got Executive Presence? (Hint: It's Important)
Do you feel like no matter what you have accomplished, you’re not getting ahead in your career? Have you stopped to consider whether or not you have executive presence? It is more important than you realize and could be the very reason you are not advancing. Here’s what you need to do to develop the executive presence that is keeping you from your high-level position. 1. Be SeenThere’s no hiding in the back of the room if you want to be a leader. Speak up during meetings when you have something of value to share. Show up to meetings early. Shake hands with people and introduce yourself. 2. Think Before You Speak and Answer StrategicallyBefore you share your ideas, really think them through. Then, give others a strategic answer. Talk about the big picture and don’t get bogged down in the smaller details. If you are ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
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