When I meet people, I generally categorize them into three groups: Those that I avoid, those that I would invite to join me on my deck, and those that I would hire. One of the mistakes a lot of companies make is to hire people from the second group. A person can be friendly and enjoyable and fun on my deck, but that doesn’t make him/her a good employee for my company.
The first step in finding the perfect employee is to honestly understand how your organization functions. As a consultant, I visit 4-5 different companies in various industries each week. They have vastly different cultures, markets, sense of urgencies, and hiring needs. What might be a great candidate for one employer could be a complete failure for another.
For example, I’m a high energy, creative, type A personality that is most productive prior to 10:00 a.m. If you are looking for a lot of change in a short period of time with some out of the box ideas, someone with my personality might be a great hire. However, if your organization is heavily bureaucratic, that decision would be a disaster.
When you design your selection process, take a good look at the skills required, the personality and the culture. Can your organization tolerate an HR guy that’s hyperactive at 6:00 a.m. or a great salesperson who doesn’t have the detail orientation to fill out an expense report but can sell like crazy? Some can, some can’t.
Don’t settle for what you think is the ideal employee. Take the time to complete a job analysis to truly and honestly understand what works and what doesn’t before you bring someone on board. You’ll hear the “hire for talent” or “hire for skill” mantra, but when we design selection systems, we don’t settle for one or the other and you shouldn’t either. Instead, profile the entire job and candidate. If you know what the ideal candidate looks like from all aspects, you’re much more likely to find what you want and need. If you don’t you just might find yourself with an energetic HR guy on your doorstep at 6:00 a.m.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
How to Sucessfully Drive Change
I’m always fascinated by the dynamics of leaders and their organizations. Some leaders are able to successfully drive major changes without a backlash and others simply can’t. This past week, there was a local organization that handled some changes exceptionally poorly. Here’s the background:
A local church implemented sweeping changes which included the firing of half of its employees and the elimination of music during services. In communicating this, the Bishop sent a five page letter to the congregation. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, the letter “rebukes the church community for retribution, name-calling and dissent.” The letter also stated, “Some of you might feel compelled to leave the congregation and, if that’s what you choose, may God bless you on your journey.”
The result? The letter ignited a long simmering conflict and subsequently resulted in an assault charge filed with the police after a 78 year old member of the congregation claimed she was shoved by the priest. The priest has since resigned.
Certainly there are times when leaders can and must make tough calls. However, when you do, there are some steps you can follow to minimize the disruption and bad feelings, including:
• Communicating the problem in advance: Chances are your employees already know what’s happening. Keeping them in the communications loop will ensure that they perceive the problem the same way you do.
• Asking for suggestions: There are several advantages to this:
1. You might just find a great idea you hadn’t previously considered.
2. People will be more willing to accept change if they have a voice in making those changes – even if you don’t pick their suggestion.
If you have to do something really unpopular, try this:
• Explain why the change is necessary
• Apologize for the necessity of the action
• Whatever you do, don’t blame the members
• Do provide an opportunity for them to vent and provide feedback (small groups or individual discussions are best for this)
• Communicate a plan for moving forward to better times
The moral of the story? When you lead or have responsibility for controlling an organization, you can’t make arbitrary decisions without negative fall-out. If you attack and blame your members, they will fight back. It’s always better to engage them in implementing the solution than to arbitrarily force a change. That’s a waste of everyone’s time and energy and just might be enough to force your calmest employees to lose control.
A local church implemented sweeping changes which included the firing of half of its employees and the elimination of music during services. In communicating this, the Bishop sent a five page letter to the congregation. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, the letter “rebukes the church community for retribution, name-calling and dissent.” The letter also stated, “Some of you might feel compelled to leave the congregation and, if that’s what you choose, may God bless you on your journey.”
The result? The letter ignited a long simmering conflict and subsequently resulted in an assault charge filed with the police after a 78 year old member of the congregation claimed she was shoved by the priest. The priest has since resigned.
Certainly there are times when leaders can and must make tough calls. However, when you do, there are some steps you can follow to minimize the disruption and bad feelings, including:
• Communicating the problem in advance: Chances are your employees already know what’s happening. Keeping them in the communications loop will ensure that they perceive the problem the same way you do.
• Asking for suggestions: There are several advantages to this:
1. You might just find a great idea you hadn’t previously considered.
2. People will be more willing to accept change if they have a voice in making those changes – even if you don’t pick their suggestion.
If you have to do something really unpopular, try this:
• Explain why the change is necessary
• Apologize for the necessity of the action
• Whatever you do, don’t blame the members
• Do provide an opportunity for them to vent and provide feedback (small groups or individual discussions are best for this)
• Communicate a plan for moving forward to better times
The moral of the story? When you lead or have responsibility for controlling an organization, you can’t make arbitrary decisions without negative fall-out. If you attack and blame your members, they will fight back. It’s always better to engage them in implementing the solution than to arbitrarily force a change. That’s a waste of everyone’s time and energy and just might be enough to force your calmest employees to lose control.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What’s the NLRB up to Now?
Apparently the National Labor Relations Board has recently realized that not all employees know their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and that employers don’t have big enough bulletin boards. To help with that, they have created a proposed posting that will explain workers’ rights under the act. The new posting has not been finalized and an open period for comments runs until February 22nd.
On one hand, if this is implemented, I think that most employees are barely going to notice one more legal posting on their employer’s already full to the brim bulletin boards. On the other hand, if you have a workforce that is dissatisfied and have the potential for a union campaign in your organization, this could be significant.
I’ve read the posting and, for the most part, it simply states the rights of employees under the law. (View posting here) This same information is readily available on the internet or in most union organizing brochures.
One criticism of the posting is that it heavily favors unions, not employers. To confirm that concern, I counted the bullet points in the posting to determine which side was best represented. The results? There are 15 bullet points that are pro-union and 4 bullet points that are pro-company. To be fair, the NLRA wasn’t written to protect companies, but to protect employees. I’m reminded of one of my college labor relations professors who, when asked how they dealt with union organizers back in the day, simply stated: “We hired thugs to beat them.”
Obviously we’ve come a long ways since then, but if you’ve ever been involved in a union campaign, you know that there’s a lot of peer pressure and intimidation that takes place. What I would like to see is more balance. For example, if required, the posting should include bullet points on how to decertify unions as well as a disclaimer that unionizing just starts the negotiations process; it certainly doesn’t guarantee higher wages or benefits.
If you are concerned about the contents of the posting or of the size of the bulletin boards being required, contact the NLRB with your comments. If not, this may be a great time to buy stock in your favorite bulletin board supply company.
On one hand, if this is implemented, I think that most employees are barely going to notice one more legal posting on their employer’s already full to the brim bulletin boards. On the other hand, if you have a workforce that is dissatisfied and have the potential for a union campaign in your organization, this could be significant.
I’ve read the posting and, for the most part, it simply states the rights of employees under the law. (View posting here) This same information is readily available on the internet or in most union organizing brochures.
One criticism of the posting is that it heavily favors unions, not employers. To confirm that concern, I counted the bullet points in the posting to determine which side was best represented. The results? There are 15 bullet points that are pro-union and 4 bullet points that are pro-company. To be fair, the NLRA wasn’t written to protect companies, but to protect employees. I’m reminded of one of my college labor relations professors who, when asked how they dealt with union organizers back in the day, simply stated: “We hired thugs to beat them.”
Obviously we’ve come a long ways since then, but if you’ve ever been involved in a union campaign, you know that there’s a lot of peer pressure and intimidation that takes place. What I would like to see is more balance. For example, if required, the posting should include bullet points on how to decertify unions as well as a disclaimer that unionizing just starts the negotiations process; it certainly doesn’t guarantee higher wages or benefits.
If you are concerned about the contents of the posting or of the size of the bulletin boards being required, contact the NLRB with your comments. If not, this may be a great time to buy stock in your favorite bulletin board supply company.
Monday, January 3, 2011
What will Happen with Hiring in 2011?
2010 was a year of stabilization for many companies. After an exciting, and incredibly dismal 2009, this year was one of a slow return to normalcy. But what does 2011 look like?
I’m learning that HRM Innovations seems to be a good indicator of what’s happening in the business world overall. At the end of 2009 and early in 2010 HRM helped with layoffs. By mid 2010 we’d been asked to do some hiring and executive placements. In the last month, four clients asked us about designing selection systems for them.
With that, we’re predicting a year of hiring, but with a twist. Employers know that, due to the economy, there is a lot of great talent out there and they want to find a way to identify it and to bring it on board. The trick is in identifying the best talent.
As you can imagine, I’ve made some “interesting” hiring decisions. In one case many years ago, I hired a manager who interviewed well, but had failed the personality assessment that we were using at the time. In hindsight, that should have been a sign to at least do more investigation, but we were in a hurry, and the interview was good. How bad could it be?
Frankly, it was so bad that I spent the next several years resolving employee conflicts in the department and holding weekly coaching sessions with the manager. As an indicator, our only discrimination claim, ever, came from that department. I found myself regretting that hiring decision on a daily basis until finally convincing our reluctant leadership team it was time to cut the cord.
How much did that hiring decision cost us? Way more than it should have.
Hopefully your organization will join the ranks of those that are hiring in 2011. If it does, take the time to develop a system to select the best talent available. I know it’s hard to find the time when you have too much on your plate already, but it really is worth it in the long run.
If you need help, give us a call. I’ve learned from my mistakes and that could help you.
Best wishes for a prosperous and Happy New Year!
I’m learning that HRM Innovations seems to be a good indicator of what’s happening in the business world overall. At the end of 2009 and early in 2010 HRM helped with layoffs. By mid 2010 we’d been asked to do some hiring and executive placements. In the last month, four clients asked us about designing selection systems for them.
With that, we’re predicting a year of hiring, but with a twist. Employers know that, due to the economy, there is a lot of great talent out there and they want to find a way to identify it and to bring it on board. The trick is in identifying the best talent.
As you can imagine, I’ve made some “interesting” hiring decisions. In one case many years ago, I hired a manager who interviewed well, but had failed the personality assessment that we were using at the time. In hindsight, that should have been a sign to at least do more investigation, but we were in a hurry, and the interview was good. How bad could it be?
Frankly, it was so bad that I spent the next several years resolving employee conflicts in the department and holding weekly coaching sessions with the manager. As an indicator, our only discrimination claim, ever, came from that department. I found myself regretting that hiring decision on a daily basis until finally convincing our reluctant leadership team it was time to cut the cord.
How much did that hiring decision cost us? Way more than it should have.
Hopefully your organization will join the ranks of those that are hiring in 2011. If it does, take the time to develop a system to select the best talent available. I know it’s hard to find the time when you have too much on your plate already, but it really is worth it in the long run.
If you need help, give us a call. I’ve learned from my mistakes and that could help you.
Best wishes for a prosperous and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Talent Management and the Bottom Line
For years enlightened business leaders have recognized the obvious: Hire great people, treat them well, and your business will flourish. For those leaders who haven’t recognized this yet, there may be a new motivation to get on the bandwagon.
Moody’s Corporation, the bond rating service, has started recognizing “a direct connection between financial performance and success in recruiting and retention.” Knowing this, they are now starting to use talent management as a factor in the process of rating companies. In addition, Watson Wyatt has developed a “human capital index” and has found that good people practices can increase a company’s value by as much as 30%.
What does this mean to you? Picture the CEO of a publicly traded company explaining what he plans to do to improve the retention of employees at a shareholder meeting, right after he explains his plans to grow revenue. Suddenly those employee relations activities that are often delegated to the lowest levels of the organization are now in the limelight.
This doesn’t mean that my humorous attempt to improve employee morale by including a wet bar, hot tub, and masseuse in my department budget proposal years ago is any more likely to get approved now than it was then. However, there should be more scrutiny of those items that truly do impact the selection and retention of a company’s most valuable asset.
HRM Innovations, LLC is available to help with any questions you may have on HR or Management related topics and can be contacted at: Kevin@HRMInnovationsllc.com or 269-615-4821.
Moody’s Corporation, the bond rating service, has started recognizing “a direct connection between financial performance and success in recruiting and retention.” Knowing this, they are now starting to use talent management as a factor in the process of rating companies. In addition, Watson Wyatt has developed a “human capital index” and has found that good people practices can increase a company’s value by as much as 30%.
What does this mean to you? Picture the CEO of a publicly traded company explaining what he plans to do to improve the retention of employees at a shareholder meeting, right after he explains his plans to grow revenue. Suddenly those employee relations activities that are often delegated to the lowest levels of the organization are now in the limelight.
This doesn’t mean that my humorous attempt to improve employee morale by including a wet bar, hot tub, and masseuse in my department budget proposal years ago is any more likely to get approved now than it was then. However, there should be more scrutiny of those items that truly do impact the selection and retention of a company’s most valuable asset.
HRM Innovations, LLC is available to help with any questions you may have on HR or Management related topics and can be contacted at: Kevin@HRMInnovationsllc.com or 269-615-4821.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Going Gaga for Human Resources
Many of my clients like to tell me about their “rock stars” - those employees who have fresh ideas and the high energy levels required to implement them. Yet, when I visit HR departments and look at their antiquated processes, I’m always amazed by the number of times I’m told “but this is the way it’s always been done.” It’s sort of like classical music; it has been performed in much the same way for centuries. That’s not a bad thing for music, but it doesn’t work in business.
The most successful musicians aren’t performing the same music the same way as in years past, they’re really rocking the boat, pushing the limits and trying new things. Have you seen Lady Gaga? Successful professionals are constantly looking for ways to reinvent themselves and the work that they do.
Years ago, I worked with a management consultant who told me that no matter how well organized our company was, we would never sound like a symphony. But, he did say that if we hired great talent, provided them with a common vision, and allowed them to improvise that we could have some really cool jazz. Give your “rock stars” the latitude to experiment with their work. Whether you like jazz or rock ’n roll, it’s time to innovate and experiment.
When was the last time you tried something new, inventive, or off the wall? I’m not suggesting that HR folks start wearing clothes made out of meat to work, but I do think that it may be time to rock the boat a bit.
The most successful musicians aren’t performing the same music the same way as in years past, they’re really rocking the boat, pushing the limits and trying new things. Have you seen Lady Gaga? Successful professionals are constantly looking for ways to reinvent themselves and the work that they do.
Years ago, I worked with a management consultant who told me that no matter how well organized our company was, we would never sound like a symphony. But, he did say that if we hired great talent, provided them with a common vision, and allowed them to improvise that we could have some really cool jazz. Give your “rock stars” the latitude to experiment with their work. Whether you like jazz or rock ’n roll, it’s time to innovate and experiment.
When was the last time you tried something new, inventive, or off the wall? I’m not suggesting that HR folks start wearing clothes made out of meat to work, but I do think that it may be time to rock the boat a bit.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
How Do You Get Good Employees to Stay?
In a completely scientific non-random sampling, 2 of my 3 sisters have gotten new jobs in the past two weeks. In both cases, they were frustrated with their roles at their employers and were able to move on to jobs/environments that were a better fit.
Many organizations had to cut back during the recession leaving employees with more work and fewer resources. That makes the timing ripe for turnover in those organizations now that the economy is improving.
Some turnover is inevitable and there are times when good people leave an organization for reasons beyond your control. Those are the times to break out the cake and balloons and wish them well with a nice send off. But what about that star employee that you should have been able to keep? Wouldn’t you rather know what he or she has to say about the organization and what you could do to keep him around?
There’s a not so new concept called a “stay interview” that is a great tool to use. The idea is simple; you interview your good employees and ask what it would take to get them to stay, before they give their notice. This is also a great time to let them know they are appreciated and that you value the work that they do.
As our economy continues to pick back up, we’ll have more opportunities for our organizations to grow, but that also means more opportunities for our employees to leave. That’s why this is an ideal time to ask them how they view their future with us.
Curious about my third sister? She was recently promoted. I didn’t ask if her boss did a “stay interview”, but it’s entirely possible. In any case, she’s going to stay.
Many organizations had to cut back during the recession leaving employees with more work and fewer resources. That makes the timing ripe for turnover in those organizations now that the economy is improving.
Some turnover is inevitable and there are times when good people leave an organization for reasons beyond your control. Those are the times to break out the cake and balloons and wish them well with a nice send off. But what about that star employee that you should have been able to keep? Wouldn’t you rather know what he or she has to say about the organization and what you could do to keep him around?
There’s a not so new concept called a “stay interview” that is a great tool to use. The idea is simple; you interview your good employees and ask what it would take to get them to stay, before they give their notice. This is also a great time to let them know they are appreciated and that you value the work that they do.
As our economy continues to pick back up, we’ll have more opportunities for our organizations to grow, but that also means more opportunities for our employees to leave. That’s why this is an ideal time to ask them how they view their future with us.
Curious about my third sister? She was recently promoted. I didn’t ask if her boss did a “stay interview”, but it’s entirely possible. In any case, she’s going to stay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
