Workplace of Choice

The resume looks great, the prescreening phone conversation went well and now it’s time to meet the candidate face to face.  Often times, the interviewer has less than an hour to make their determination on a candidate, so the questions must be effective in getting the information necessary to make an educated decision about a candidate’s qualifications and potential success in a position.  Sounds easy, but figuring out what those questions are, is not as easy as it may sound.

Behavioral Interviewing is an interview technique that relies on questions around how the candidate behaved in previous situations.  The idea is that past behavior is a predictor of future success.  Experience has shown that people are more likely to repeat behavior, rather than change, so by understanding what has happened in the past one can somewhat predict the future.  By implementing behavioral interviewing techniques, companies often find a decrease in employee turnover, as they are able to hire qualified employees for the positions with a better fit. 

Behavioral interview questions are open ended and force the candidate to talk about what they did in certain past situations verses how they might respond in the future.  When asking traditional questions, the candidate is able to form an answer they think the interviewer wants to hear or how they’d like to perform, if given the chance.  Behavioral questions, however, direct them to talk about what actually happened and to give a specific example of a past situation.  Any interview will be a combination of behavioral based and traditional interview questions.  Traditional interview questions allow the interviewer to assess experience as written on the resume, clarify skills and ask basic questions.  The combination of both types of interview questions will result in a good assessment of the skills, experience and fit for the position.

In order to conduct an effective behavioral interview, the interviewee must prepare in advanced.  The resume, job description and any other collateral information should be carefully reviewed.   Determining specific skills and behavioral traits necessary to be successful in the job is imperative.  Once you’ve identified those skills and behaviors, you can begin designing your questions that will help you assess if the candidate possesses those skills and behaviors.

What are you favorite behavioral interview questions?

A recent study, Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder, by Jody Heymann has found something that many Human Resources professionals have known for years, the more you invest in your employees, the harder they work. It seems simple, right?  But yet, it’s always been a challenge to quantify this relationship. This study gives actual financial statistics as to why it is important to invest in employees, the very proof we’ve been looking for.

The study explains how many companies invest mostly in their higher level employees but that employers should invest in all of their employees.  Often times employers think that investing in lower level employees is a waste of time and effort because they’re not as committed as higher level employees and may soon leave the company.  On the contrary, this study proves that employee productivity can be significantly increased, employee turnover reduced and other costs cut by investing in all employees. For example, Xerox Europe started to “offer training and career tracks to line workers [which] led to lower turnover and easier recruitment, and served to make employees more efficient while they were with the company.” Normally, in the call center industry, turnover rates are extremely high but Xerox was able to promote 20% of their entry-level employees over a one-year period. Another great example is Autoliv Australia, a company that makes auto parts. They changed their leave and vacation/PTO policy to be more flexible for all employees which made their turnover rate fall from 20% to 3%.

Investing in your employees can give your company a huge return. How do you invest in your employees?

Is your workforce engaged?  Employee engagement is the new HR buzzword connecting the workforce to the company’s productivity and employee productivity.  According to a recent HR Magazine article $350B is the estimated annual cost of disengaged workers for U.S. businesses.  Clearly, employers cannot afford to have unengaged employees who have “checked out” only putting in time but not passion or energy into their work.  Employee engagement is a key link to customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value. 

So how do you tap into your employee’s engagement level?  Consider how you currently empower, develop, recognize and reward your employees.  Are there opportunities for your employees to be a partner in executing your mission and business strategy?  Do you reward those who take personal responsibility in getting results to increase the profitability and growth of your business?  Now, more than ever, is the time to focus on your employees as they are the key to your future success.   Without employee engagement, your company mission and values and business strategy are just an idea.  The employees make it real and are the driver of business success in today’s competitive marketplace. 

In order to measure your employee’s commitment, motivation, sense of purpose and passion for their work and the company, consider confidentially administering an employment engagement survey.  Employees will appreciate the fact that you value their opinions and you may uncover some real gems to fully engage your team!

According to a recent article from the Bureau of National Affairs, family responsibilities discrimination suits are on the rise, a 400% increase over the last decade.  More importantly, the cases that have been filed have had a 50% success rate and several cases have been awarded over $10 million dollars. Family Responsibilities Discrimination (FRD) encompasses pregnancy discrimination, discriminatory conduct aimed at mothers or fathers, and discrimination directed at workers with family caregiving responsibilities.  The Center for Work Life Law recently completed a study, the Family Responsibilities Discrimination Litigation Update 2010.  In this study, the most frequent FRD cases include pregnancy and maternity leave issues.  In addition, a wide range of discriminatory conduct by employers was cited in the study including: termination, pregnancy discrimination, failure to promote, unlawful disparate treatment of a female caregiver versus a male caregiver, hostile work environment, unlawful caregiver stereotyping, unlawful gender role stereotyping of women, discrimination against women of color, and retaliation.

So what does this mean for your organization?   Given this data and increasing litigious climate around family responsibilities, employers must really take a good look at their Work/Life policies, Leave of Absence policies, and reflect on management’s views of family responsibilities.  Organizations not only need to have the right policies in place for employees, but managers need training on how these policies apply, training on how to handle various situations that arise with employees and their work schedules, training on how to utilize employees with flexible work arrangements in order to accomplish all of their goals, performance management training, coaching employees guidance, and management 101 training for new managers.  Managers should understand their organization’s policies so they can make decisions based on what is a business necessity, rather than make a decision based on a bias they may have around an employee.

Work/Life policies must include procedures that outline everything from flexible work arrangements, hours of work, Family Leave policies (even if the organization does not qualify for the FMLA), and Maternity/Paternity leave policies that not only work for female employees but also work for male employees.  Many states are pushing for a balanced policy for both sexes.  In addition, employers should consider that their “best practices” include a ban against family responsibilities bias, as well as workplace anti-discrimination policies. 

Before I started writing this article, I looked up the definition of “Orientation.”  In Wikipedia there are over 15 different definitions of orientation, which just goes to show you that when it comes to New Hire Employee Orientation it’s likely there are just as many, if not more, ways companies go about orienting their new employees.  There is no “one size fits all” way to orient new employees; however, doing it wrong can leave a lasting bad first impression.   Before setting out to develop your new hire orientation (we HR professionals refer to it as “Onboarding”), think about the goals of your program: 

• Are you hoping to simply relay the necessary policy and procedural information and employee benefits or are your goals loftier aimed at integrating the new hire into the organization and educating them about the company mission and values? 
• How do you want the new hire to perceive the Company? 
• How much time do you have to deliver the information?  An hour, a day?  Can you pull new hires together at a later date to continue their orientation?
• Logistically, when will orientation be delivered and by who? 
• What information does the new hire need to know up front to do their job?
• What information can wait and be given at a later date, in an effort to avoid information overload?
• How much do you want new employees to learn about other areas of the Company, not necessarily just their job function?
• Are there legal requirements to information new hires need to receive based on their job (for example, Right to Know Training)?
• Do you have a mentor program in place and how does that integrate into the Onboarding program?

 Putting thought and time into developing a quality Onboarding program that fits the needs, values and culture of your organization will go a long way towards employee retention and success on the job.

You may first want to outline a few key areas when considering what direction you want to grow in HR.

• Do you have any existing long or short term goals?
• Are there any specific skills you will need to achieve those goals? What training, credentials or certifications may you need?
• Where can you find a mentor, advice, resources during your career journey?

There are many areas of HR, but many attributes to being successful, are consistent. Consider developing your strategic thinking, planning, leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.  Other important "foundation skills" may be organizational planning, change management, national and global know-how.

Get going! Spend some time with your manager to assess your current skill set, discuss your goals and make an action plan.  Maybe you have the opportunity to shadow someone at your workplace or to raise your hand for special projects to experience new things? Find a mentor or someone you can ask advice. They will be helpful when navigating challenges in your career development. Or, will a degree or certification be helpful in achieving your goals? Consider the type of degree and classes that will help you in your job, your business, and further your career.

So, be good to yourself and nurture your career, accomplishments, and goals. You are worth it!

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, many people are feeling the urge to move onto greener pastures. As some surveys suggest, this is because of a backlog of unsatisfied employees. During the recession, people were too scared to quit their current jobs and find something else. Now that the economy seems to be picking up, employees are more willing to shop around for other opportunities.

During the past two years, there have been many changes and layoffs which have led some employees to develop disengagement with their employers. Companies can encourage their employees to become more engaged by hearing their grievances and actually doing something about it. Check out our previous blog about ways to achieve employee satisfaction.

With people on the move, it is important for employers to listen to what their employees want from their jobs. A good way to do this is to conduct an employee satisfaction survey and act on those results! If your employees are feeling satisfied at work, they are less likely to seek other positions or take calls from recruiters.  On the other hand, if you are one of those employees who is feeling less than thrilled about your current situation, check out these tipsabout how YOU can make YOURSELF happier at work!  As Michael Scott would say, “It’s a win, win, win!”

Today is the kick off for "Take Back Your Lunch",  http://theenergyproject.com/takebackyourlunch.  The movement was started by The Energy Group, which offers organizations a detailed blueprint for fueling a fully engaged workforce.    Why not promote a real lunch break?

Some organizations provide unwritten "permission" to take a lunch, and I mean more than 20 minutes.  The average worker takes a 20 minute lunch.   Many corporate cultures unknowingly promote a culture where eating while you work at your desk is the "norm".   If you work more than 40 hours per week, you are working more than an 8 hour day.  It is a long day without a break.   The United States has one of the highest rates of obesity,  ergonomic  issues (i.e. back issues) stemming from sitting at desks and computers all day, not to mention the many stressed employees due to multiple factors from home to work.    

Taking a lunch should be a requirement...it just should, unless you need to meet a deadline or need to leave early, etc.    The advantages to taking a lunch for employees are many:  a mental break away from the many items and details that consume an employee all day long;  a physical break from a computer screen;  an opportunity to take a walk or exercise;  time to socialize with co-workers or friends; and maybe even time to catch up on a book or newspaper.    The list could go on.  

On the other side of the coin, employers can reap many benefits as well;   refocused and re-energized employees when they return to their desk or workspace;  reduced ergonomic issues from hunching over a computer or using a mouse for too long; healthier employees who take the time to get physical exercise, which can only lead to lower obesity rates and lower health insurance costs; and a workforce that is happier and a little less stressed out.   Why wouldn't a company promote taking a lunch?

The last year and a half has been trying for everyone.   We all could use some extra mental health time.   Let's give ourselves a break and take time for lunch!

Everyone probably has an embarrassing picture that they do not want to share with their family, let alone the rest of the world. Why, then, you may ask, did your friend decide to put that up on Facebook? Your privacy settings may help protect you from your mom finding those embarrassing and possibly illegal photos, but they may not protect you from a stealthy recruiter or potential employer.

As we all know, the job market is extremely competitive right now and any misstep could cost you an interview and maybe even a job! It is great to be a social person but being social does not translate into underage drinking and posting pictures of it on Facebook. Yes, employers want intelligent, charismatic and fun-loving employees, but if a potential employer sees that your social life may get in the way of your professional life, there can be serious consequences.

Let’s take, for example, my first day of college. The deans and the IT service center had a meeting with all 400 new freshmen. They presented about how to clean up your online social identity. To prove their point, they did a bit of research to find inappropriate pictures of our classmates doing inappropriate things such as keg stands. That probably isn’t what you want your first impression to be on your new deans of a college or recruiters. A more professional image would likely suit your purposes better.

Now, I am not saying that you should completely change your  life habits, even if it may benefit your health. It is just important to remember that Facebook is open and it may not always be possible to stop recruiters or employers from seeing your deepest, darkest secrets if they are out there on the internet. If this blog has encouraged you to re-examine your online identity, please see below for instructions and suggestions for your Facebook privacy setting.

Bottom line: If you don’t want a recruiter or employer to see a picture on the internet, don’t put it up there in the first place!

Instructions for increasing your privacy settings:

1.       Log into your Facebook account

2.       Click on Account and you will get a drop down menu. Then, click on Privacy Settings. You will see a chart that explains who can see what on your Facebook.

3.       You will see different options on the left-hand sidebar. Choose the “Friends Only” bar and then click on “Apply These Settings” in the bottom blue box.

4.       Now, you have updated your profile so that only your friends can see your information.

Important: Do not forget that every time that you make a photo album on Facebook, you have to choose who can view the album. Choose “Friends Only” next to the “Privacy” option. Otherwise, anyone will be able to see your posted photos.

P.S. A TIME Magazine writer seems to find certain, unnecessary postings on Facebook entertaining.  Click here to read the article.

Resume:

• Make sure that your e-mail address is appropriate for job seeking i.e. don't use cooldude@aol.com .
• Include a link to your LinkedIn page with your contact information - LinkedIn is the best professional website used by many recruiters.
• When you save your resume - make sure that it is properly labeled i.e. "Max Brown CV" as opposed to "Max Brown final version". It is ok to have multiple versions of your resume but you don't want to advertise that to hiring managers.
• Proof, proof and reproof your resume - don't just spell check - go over it with a fine tooth comb for grammatical errors. Recruiters will discount you as a candidate if there is just one error on your resume
• Make sure that the objective on your resume appropriately reflects the job you are applying for.  In other words if you are applying for an Executive Admin position - don't state in your objective that you are looking for a "Sales Admin" role - those are two different jobs!
• Make sure that your dates of employment are accurate.  Your resume should begin with your most recent job and work backwards.
• Recruiters love bullet points.

Your resume is the first impression a recruiter see of you, but first impressions don't end there...

Preparation:  Before starting your job search, make sure that your voice mail message on your cell phone and land line are professional.  There should be no loud music in the background, children's voices or slang.

Dress for Success:  This one is not so unique - but now, more than ever, is the time to update your interview ‘look" - from your hair color to your glasses to your shoes - make sure that everything is up to date and appropriate.  Wear a suit even if you know it is a casual environment. 

Demonstrate initiative:  When going to an interview do not make/expect the hiring manager (or recruiter) to give you driving directions - in this day and age you should be able to figure it out yourself via MapQuest, GPS or from the directions on the company website. Maybe take a test drive the day before your interview.

Follow directions: Be respectful of the instructions within a posting - if it says "No calls" don't call!  I had a hiring manager reject two candidates on that basis alone.  It shows that you can't follow directions, have poor attention to detail and it shows disrespect.

Remember you are always being evaluated: Be extra nice to the front desk person.  He/she is often asked to "weigh in" on a candidate.

Demonstrate interest: Learn about the company prior to the interview.  Visit their web site and   be prepared to show the hiring manager that you have done your research on the company.  Be sure to "weave" it in to the conversation or when asking questions.

Positive attitude:  When asked "why are you looking to leave your current company do not complain or say anything negative.  Tie in what you are looking for with the potential employer i.e. "I am really looking for a smaller more collaborative company - like a XYZ Inc" or "after five years at a 15 person company, I feel like I've learned and contributed all that I can and it's time for a change." 

Good Etiquette: Follow up promptly with a thank you e-mail - even after a phone screen.  This should be sent within 1 business day of the meeting or call.

Be Organized:  Keep a list of all of the companies/titles of jobs that you have responded to so that you are prepared when you get "the" call. (I often get - what company is this?  What is the position again?  I've sent out so many resumes recently etc, etc). Having a few facts about the company wouldn't hurt as well.