Open-minded Decision Making Under Pressure
“People Leaders’ decisions are delimited (surrounded/demarcated, “Peoplescape’s translation”) by internal and external organizational issues; and these decisions involve intensive information sharing.” Caroline Walger, International Journal of Business and Administration Research, Vol I. Issue 17, March 2017 The bar has always been high for HR leaders when it comes to a tolerance for dynamic work environments. Unexpected employee conflicts, sudden staff departures, urgent training needs, mergers and closures, are just some of the fluctuating challenges HR professionals deal with. In our competitive and rapidly-evolving learning economy, success not only depends on leveraging technology and data to innovate, businesses are increasingly focused [...]
How You Doin’? Effective Performance Management Strategies
“Checking-in” on employees is a critical piece of the retention puzzle. Landing quality employees is a big win, bigger still is retaining them for the long haul. Good people stay when they feel themselves developing and enhancing their skillset. Updating your performance management strategies, taking time to provide feedback to employees, and making sure the process is beneficial for everyone at the table is a worthwhile venture. In the words of Joey Tribbiani, a simple “how you doin’?” can go a long way! Here’s a quick rundown of ways that you can start implementing effective performance management strategies in your [...]
Spy the Lie: Deception in the Recruitment Process
As recruitment and HR professionals, we are trained to spot the embellishments in a story, to zero in on the candidates whose credentials don’t quite line up, and to ask those uncomfortable questions that often lead to answers none of us are looking forward to hearing. Spotting the white lie, figuring out where the titles, responsibilities or dates have been boosted, and reading between the lines to fully understand how the career path really must have flowed, are all key components to uncovering the true merit of candidates we encounter on the recruitment journey. Of course, candidates want to present the [...]
People Puzzles – Finding the Right Fit – Suitability vs. Personality Assessments
“Suitability assessments reveal important attributes and values that can otherwise be overlooked in hiring and career development,” explains Belinda Morris, Principal Consultant at Peoplescape Consulting. “In spite of the advantages of suitability assessments (like Harrison and Profiles XT) over general personality assessments, there are only a couple of these on the market, due to a greater level of scientific sophistication required to develop and test these instruments. However, we find suitability assessments so much more accurate in understanding individuals and predicting fit. Mismatches can be very costly and damaging, not only to team members but even to brand credibility and [...]
Strategic Hiring – Going Beyond the Behavioral Interview
Behavioral interviewing, which came into fashion in the 1970s, has long been a trusted tool for hiring managers to use when selecting talent for the organization. By using questions that are structured in such a way so that the candidate can “Tell you about a time when…” and so forth, behavioral interviewing has given leaders insight into understanding how candidates think and how they have behaved in the past. Behavioral experts believe that the best way to predict future behavior is past behavior. Behavioral interviewing builds on this premise. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. In order to [...]
Converting Interviews to Successful Hires
Ten years after the disastrous financial crisis of 2007, we find ourselves back in a job seeker’s market where unemployment is at an all-time low and companies struggle to attract and retain the best candidates. As a business leader, you have so many things on your plate. Sifting through hundreds of resumes and interviewing dozens of candidates is time consuming and in the interest of time, there is a temptation by many leaders to hurry up and “fill the seats” as quickly as possible. But what happens when you make a job offer and the candidate turns you down? Do [...]
Talent Mapping – The Recipe for Today’s Succession Planning
“Succession Planning” is a term that seems outdated – a process-laden, long-range staffing plan for a large organization. A more apt name would be “Talent Mapping” – a streamlined version of identifying qualified and inspired employees to fill future positions as and when they are needed. Businesses of all sizes and types are susceptible to sudden vacancies of key positions. What restaurant can afford to lose its top chef? Who will take on key client accounts when a high-performing salesperson retires? How will the family business continue if family members no longer want to run it? Will the non-profit mission be carried forward under new leadership? […]
Bridging the Generation Gap
With the Greatest Generation (or “Traditionalists”), Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y, Millennials, and Linksters (or “Generation Z”) all snuggled up together in the workplace, it’s bound to be anything but boring! For the first time in history, 6 different generations must come together in the workforce. Diversity is strength but with so many different work styles jumbled together, it comes as no surprise that this is one of the biggest challenges facing companies today. Here are a few things to consider when managing the Generation Gap in your organization. The biggest mistake companies make? Pretending the gap doesn’t exist [...]
Mentorship and the Future of Work
I am the product of baby boomer parents who survived an arguably sheltered millennial upbringing in Southern California. My parents’ generation boasts of having worked at the same company for 20+ years, and some will easily double that number before their retirement. Company loyalty is something that baby boomers value immensely, and as these things often go, they’ve raised a bunch of restless, challenge-crazed and adventure-seeking millennials. The generational differences not only change how employees work alongside each other in today’s age-diverse workforce, but it also impacts how leaders should structure the succession plans and mentoring programs at work to [...]
Trends: Employee Tenure, a Two-Way Street with Employer or Fast Lane to a Better Job?
Long-held notions that longer tenure benefits both employee and employer continue to erode as the reported median length of employment spirals downward. In January of 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.2 years. Down from 4.6 in 2014. Way down for select demographics and industries. Not unexpected, among 16 to 19 years-old’s who were still exploring skills and careers, 74 percent reported having had a tenure of 12 months or less with their current employer. On the opposite end of [...]