If you work in HR you believe, with all your being, that good human capital management leads to better productivity and better product quality. But, sometimes it’s so hard to prove, especially to a CFO who wants to see short-term financial improvements. As one top HR professional put it, "A financial person is concerned with taking money out of the organization. HR should be concerned with putting investments in." Well, now there is some research to support the connection between successful applicants and product quality.
One of the leaders in this effort is Betty Lou Smith, the vice president of corporate HR at Hunter Douglas. She began investigating the connection between employee turnover and product quality. Divisions with the highest turnover rates, she found, were also those with damaged-goods rates of 5% or higher. And extraordinarily, 70% of employees were leaving the company within six months of being hired.
Visit: http://www.fastcompany.com/node/53319/print . This is a fascinating article that also focuses a great deal on why others in many organizations don't care for human resource planning and talent management in general. While most of us might disagree with some of the points made in the article, it is thought-provoking.
Effective Applicant Tracking Software and assessments can be the first steps in finding those with the right Job Fit. Creating thought-provoking key questions right on the application can save a recruiter time and help focus the search on only those that meet the very highest standards. Using employee assessments can validate those first impressions.
At ExactHire, we love creative HR managers who are ready to use every resource at their disposal--Applicant Tracking, Assessments, Human Resource Management Systems-- to get to that perfect Job Fit. We believe, like you, that putting investment IN an organization will produce the value that makes taking money OUT possible. Check out our new website for more information: www.exacthire.com.
I was driving down the street today watching Holiday decorations going up in the trees, lights being strung, ribbons placed around light poles---so the daydream started.
As you wind down 2009 and look forward to 2010 what are your plans for the coming year?Will you modify your processes to make your businesses more successful next year?
Will any of the people you hired this year or for the holidays have outstanding job performance? Will they transition into great long term employees?
Now is the time for all of us to start planning how we are going to attack 2010. What will we do differently next year to be more successful.
I suggest you look at our applicant tracking software and employee assessments as a way to increase the probability that you will hire employees that are engaged. In a very short period of time you will be able to determine if what we offer is right for your organization. The ROI can be very significant.
Visit www.exacthire.com to learn more about how we can help you meet your objectives in 2010. Proper talent management and employee engagement can make a big difference.
There is a higher chance that your competition can replicate your product easier than they can replicate your human capital. So why not invest in the best human resource tools? This does not mean large dollar amounts. What it does mean is investing in highly effective applicant tracking software and career personality tests that can make you the best in human resource planning and management.
The key to staying ahead of the competition is managing your human resource tools to create better employees. If you use effective applicant tracking software that asks applicants for key, job related, information you will increase your ability to create a world class team that can build, market and sell your product far better than your competition.
You spend money and time to protect your product or service secrets, why not find out what little it takes to create the best human resource tools? Even if you have the same product, you’ll win every time with an applicant tracking system that increases the quality of your talent acquisition.
Don’t risk losing your best human capital to your competition. ExactHire can help you. Go to www.exacthire.com.
Your competitive edge is going to be derived from your employees! So, how are you going to do this? Read on.
Physical properties of a business can be cloned. Your intellectual properties can not. Business will realize sustainable value from technological sophistication, creative & superior customer service responsiveness and insightful managers.
Outsource projects that are not core competency to a firm who specializes in that field to allow you to concentrate on your own business!
Our specialty is human capital management, human resource planning, applicant tracking, talent acquisition and assessments! We can give you that competitive edge so visit our site now to see how we can partner together! www.exacthire.com
There is a higher chance that your competition can replicate your product easier than they can replicate your human capital.So why not invest in the best human resource tools?This does not mean large dollar amounts.What it does mean is investing in highly effective applicant tracking software and career personality tests that can make you the best in human resource planning and management.
The key to staying ahead of the competition is managing your human resource tools to create better employees. If you use effective applicant tracking software that asks applicants for key, job related, information you will increase your ability to create a world class team that can build, market and sell your product far better than your competition.
You spend money and time to protect your product or service secrets, why not find out what little it takes to create the best human resource tools? Even if you have the same product, you’ll win every time with an applicant tracking system that increases the quality of your talent acquisition.
Don’t risk losing your best human capital to your competition.ExactHire can help you.Go to www.exacthire.com.
If there was ever a time to underscore the importance of Human Resources, it has arrived. In these days of economic woes--phrases that ring loud and clear are; Lean HR, Human Resource Planning, Job Fit, Talent Management & Talent Acquisition. The importance of using hiring assessments and human resource planning when adding colleagues to the team is more critial than ever. Maybe you don't know where to start nor do you have the tools? Visit our site for more info www.exacthire.com
It's all in the packaging. We are very sensitive to the words behind a concept. Would you go to a marketing firm named "Red F"? Ick. Yet, they exist. Click here to see how proud they are of their name.
Years ago, RCA came up with a very expensive set of component electronics they named (at great expense) Dimensia. It failed to get market share - somehow sounding like a psychological diagnosis was not helpful.
Which brings me back to Lean HR. In the work that I do simplifying the hiring process, I am often frustrated by the concern that flickers across employee faces when the term Lean is mentioned. This has gotten worse as the employment marketplace has gotten worse.
If I'm working on job fit or pre-hire assessments, fine. But if I start talking Lean Theory, their imaginations jump into the "worry about my job" column and the project gets slowed down. Making matters worse, there are times that when Lean works and the process becomes more efficient, there are extra workers that can be reassigned.
Anyway, the purpose of my rant is to ask the community for a better term for Lean HR...what do YOU use? What should we use?
Before interviewing, you researched the company, donned your best clothes and practical shoes the day of the appointment, planned your route to be early, tucked your updated resume in your portfolio and left for your interview with Human Resources.
In the next hour, you do everything in your power to acquaint them with your skills, explain why you fit the job and why they should hire YOU!
But then, the regret letter arrives saying although they were impressed with your credentials, they have decided to go with another candidate.
You think, what could have I done better in the interview and why wasn't I hired?!!
Well if the company did its job right, it used applicant tracking software system to better refine candidiates and subjected you to taking some employee assessments so they knew more about you before the interview. So if they didn't pick you, maybe they did you a favor? If there was no job fit, how long would you have lasted. Companies need to spend more time focusing on talent acquisition.
On your next job interview if a company using applicant management and pre-employment testing make sure you ask them how they define job fit. It will give you better insight into whether this is a good decision for both of you.
First, let me stress that the more than 90 out of 100 people who want to work in this country are working. Second, most organizations are surviving, and will make it into 2010 with their businesses intact.
That said, the flood is coming. I just read the Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the subject, and it isn't pretty. You can read it here.
"Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed tem-
porary jobs increased by 547,000 to 8.2 million in March. This group has nearly
doubled in size over the past 12 months." Yikes.
So...what? It means that the businesses that are hiring are going to get flooded with applicants, and at a time when HR departments are slammed with too much compliance, employee relations and harassment stuff. It means the hiring processes will be quickly overwhelmed, and two things will probably happen.
1 - The best candidates will be drowned in the clutter of all of the volume. Lots of lost opportunities from hiring the first one that fits, rather than the best.
2 - The ability for people who are not a fit to sneak through and get hired is up - because the time to do a good screening job just isn't there. If HR is overwhelmed and understaffed, then bad decisions can sneak through.
What to do? Leverage your technology and raise the standards. Implement a well-thought out talent acquisition strategy, use pre-employment assessments, and focus on metrics that indicate job fit. Then you will have a process that supports good HR and can drive employee engagement.
Then you have a swimming chance against the coming flood...
I met with some Lean consultants this morning over coffee and eggs. I opened my half of the conversation with the thought that, if a Lean initiative fails, the blame generally falls on the Human Resources. They both blinked, thought, and agreed. Conversely, HR can make a significant contribution to lean success. Lean works if the people are aligned with the processes.
So, which HR practices are helpers of lean success?
First is how performance is calculated, communicated and tied to incentives. Too often, staff go home not knowing (or caring) whether or not they accomplished their goals.
Next is team development. An organization that is based on individual performance will struggle to get the team behaviors needed for lean success.
Then, clarify roles and responsibilities. The job description for a supervisor are different than those of an engineer.
Then, communicate. A lean communication plan must go beyond posters and newsletters into walking the talk and reminding everyone of their success. When you feel you are over communicating, you have it about right.
Finally, celebrate success. A lot of repetitive hard work follows. Before enlightenment, there is chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, there is still chopping wood and carrying water. It's an old saying, but it applies.
Over communicate, celebrate, and clarify roles. Get Human Resources on board, using assessment tools, good HR Management, Human Resources software and a focus on job fit.
Then, and only then, will your Lean initiative survive over time.
I presented this morning on Employee Engagement to a great group of HR professionals. The coffee was fresh, the coffee cake was tasty, and the issues were predictable.
"What metrics really work in today's business environment?"
We worked through what metrics they were using, and got into what metrics they SHOULD be using, and ended on how to measure and project the impact of good employee engagement. We talked about Lean HR, about applicant tracking, and HR services that are aligned with the organization's vision. All good.
As I drove away, I reflected on the wish of everyone in the room for a "silver bullet" that would fix tough employee relations issues and solve the talent management problems of the future.
There is a great first step. Train all of your managers in the skill of active listening. If the managers start to listen better to their staff (or at least appear to) and if they can know more about their staff through the use of valid assessment tools, then the staff will feel well-managed and deliver the goods. Whatever the goods are.
So, there you have it. As an extrovert who does not like to listen, this is tough advice. Just listen to it...the answer is out there.
A call center announced that the planned closing of it's operation in Lafayette, Indiana was NOT going to happen, months after the first announcement. They were able to make some budget changes and survive with the smaller crew, as 80 of the employees had resigned due to the coming closure.
The chatter at the end of the article was cynical - that this had always been planned, and that the move saved the organization from paying for severance for those 80 that quit.
I take a different view. My experience has it that the high performers are the first to leave (because they CAN) and that the remaining employees are the mediocre and below, the ones that do not feel that they can get employment elsewhere.
All of these turnover statistics are misleading at a time of great stress (where we are now...) and most employees are hunkered down and biding their time. When the turnaround comes (which it will) there will be a whole bunch of high quality people moving around. Will the come to you, or move away? Will they join you, or leave just when you need them?
That is what you should be working on - an inclusive culture that promotes high performance...
"The future is already here. It's just applied unevenly"
Want a competitive advantage in HR? Categorize your current recruiting efforts into one of these three groups to see your strategic progress versus your competition:
1. Doing what everyone else is doing. Safe, incremental changes. These types of changes are not significant enough to allow an organization to keep up with the rapid changes taking place in the global employment marketplace. If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re falling behind.
2. Big steps. Significant changes that take months to implement, such as a major ATS upgrade, rebuilding your career website, adding assessments or systemic training for managers. These are essential if you want to maintain your current position in the marketplace.
3. Bigger steps. These are changes and opportunities designed to increase an organization’s market share of top talent. This requires a rethinking of everything currently being done, including an employer re-branding effort and a reorganization of recruiting.
My advice? While you need to be implementing lots of level 1 changes, you’re not going to see significant improvements unless you move to level 2 and 3, the major steps. This is where you get real traction. Staying busy in level 1 might seem satisfying, but it won’t get you the competitive edge needed for 2010 and beyond.
Kick it up a notch and get ready for the future. What are you doing to get ready?
People are under pressure, and wanting simple answers to complex questions. A silver bullet, if you will. In the past week, I have received several phone calls from prospects that have bothered me.
I have set up employee assessment systems in a lot of different situations. I know the amount of work needed to build a talent acquisition system that produces good job fit. I have set up the feedback loops that are needed for a good Lean HR system. All of this makes sense.
The problem often comes from the corner office. It happens when the CEO or somebody on the senior team goes to a board retreat and falls in love with some particular assessment tool. As this is often the first assessment tool that they have personal skills with, it becomes the window that they start looking through for all HR matters.
As my grandfather said, "When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." When the CEO hears of other assessments that are different than the one they know, they push back. The project stops.
There are more than 3000 assessment tools out there, all measuring different things. Many are only suited for one or two specific tasks. Many are not suited for organizational use at all, but are for clinical settings. My task is to work backwards from the need, and recommend the tool for the job. Not just the hammer.
So, if you are considering an assessment tool and someone in the "C-Suite" recommends an assessment that they know and love, go ahead and examine it, but be very careful about the validity and reliability of how it measures what you are looking for.
If you need help in selecting or with strategies on how to push back without getting fired, give me a call or ping me with an e-mail. Part of my passion is finding the right tool for the right job fit. Not just the hammer or the silver bullet....
There we are planning to move our company with three days notice which I discussed in my last blog.
I'm asking myself, where can I find a mover with 6 hours notice?!! Well one of our employees came to the rescue with a referral to a mover who he knew delivered great customer service. One phone call and the move was on the schedule!
Lets face it, we all have moved at some point. Don't you wonder what kind of moving crew is going to show up, especially with such short notice? Well, the reputation of this mover came through. The team that came was great. What made them great you may ask? They delivered shining service beyond our expectations.
They were professional, accomodating, and kept their cool when the job grew to be twice what was antipicated. They evaluated the situation, called in back-up and finished the job with a smile.
There is no question that when the owner hires employees he ensures they have good Job Fit. However he does employee assessments at hiring, it is working. These employees had been with him for a while. It is clear the owner understands talent acquisition and talent management; remember this is a moving company.
Whatever they do, it was great service. And you know, if anyone asks us about a mover to use, their name will be passed on. If you want their name, feel free to ask!
We occupy space, or used to, in a building that we own. Last week, we found ourselves with the realization that to provide exceptional customer service to our building tenant, we have three days to move our operations so they could take over the floor of the building we occupy!! No easy task!
Thoughts run rampant in our minds: moving phones, furniture, artwork, paperwork, file contents and where do we find a mover on such short notice. Where do we locate space to store our "stuff", where do we move our staff??
Now, talk about personnel management, job performance, HR management and Human Resource Planning!! This was the maximum test of our patience, resourcefulness and skills. Definitely a team effort in every sense of the word. And this team reached the finish line with flying colors!
When you are building a team; before you hire, consider the use of Career Personality Tests or other Employee Assessments so that you know the candidate has Job Fit. It will be worth all the time and energy. We do and it continues to pay dividends.
Talent acquisition is changing. A recent survey reveals that 43% of the companies polled are pulling their spending from Internet job boards and re-directing those resources to better showcase their brand to potential employment candidates. The shift away from job boards is a response to current market conditions, which have made more high-value candidates available to companies looking to capitalize on the market's turnaround with strategic hires.
There is hope. While the current business environment remains grim, optimism still dictates many of the respondents' near term hiring plans, with more than 30% planning to increase hiring during the second and third quarter of 2009: adding the fourth quarter raises that number to 41%.
Referrals are still the most popular avenue for sourcing jobs, but the companies polled indicate their Web site or career page as being the next most valuable vehicle for finding candidates. Job boards, while useful for generating a higher volume of resumes, are being criticized for not delivering qualified candidates, which are seen as the key for surviving the tough current economic climate and building future organizational strength.
There is another factor. In the effort to build a Lean HR hiring process, I have been simplifying the hiring process and getting better results. This is partially driven by creating new channels for sourcing by using RSS feeds and opt-in email channels, and ties to social networking. These new channels - especially the RSS one - has big implications for the future.
If you can post for free on a RSS-enabled job board and get good results, why spend big dollars on a formal site that is focused on value?
Question - who has abandoned the big job boards, and why?
For extra credit, how have you tied your applicant tracking system to the new sources?
I am the crash test dummy of applicant tracking systems. Before I talk with an organization about the quality of their new hires or their screening and assessment systems I check out their web site. I read their mission statement. I try to get a feel for what an applicant sees and feels from the most important chair - the applicant's seat.
Most of the systems may be efficient for the organization, but few systems do two very important things. They seldom project the values and attitudes of the organization, and the almost never ask me anything beyond what a basic resume has on it. In fact, most allow me to simple paste my resume into a box and move on.
Sadly, all of the technology and effort is used to speed up a flawed process, rather than using the opportunity to change the rules and get a better answer.
If you could change the outcome to your current application system, what would you want as a better result? Better job fit? Faster time to good job performance? A lean HR process? EEO reporting with a single click?
New data and projections are in from all points - we're looking at a year at least of bumpy roads and grumpy people and the new reality is firmly here. Widespread layoffs will include a continuation of reductions in our staffs - by that I mean HR - at the same time that needs and issues are climbing. With stressed employees come higher employee relations demands, heavier use of EAP services, and (probably) higher medical utilization. In all of this, we've got to stay productive.
There is no graceful way to automate the face to face part of HR. We've got to be able to make more time to BE THERE for our people. We can either stop doing background things (not likely) or better use technology to do the background work.
If you have technology that you have not implemented fully (and you probably do) now is the time. If you have "grandfathered" processes, retire them. Simpler is better.
Simply put, now is the time for LEAN Human Resources. Now is the time for assessments as a tool for productivity and management development. Now is the time for human resource planning to guide the future.
Now is the time. What will you do to get ahead of the curve?
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