For those climbing the corporate ladder, you need to be prepared for what is ahead.  Being part of the “Executive Suite” is essentially a whole new game – not at all like you’ve experienced before.  Leaders in the organization would be ahead to spend some time with new executives, describing the lay of the land. 

For the new senior executive, the perks are great, the responsibilities critical to the success of your company, and you are making great money.  That’s the good part.  The challenge is to stay there and succeed in the new role!

An article on this topic by Jim Swanson, senior director for the American Bar Association and former CEO for USAF Legal Operations was published in the online news, December 2011, for the Society for Human Resource Management.  In it he outlines some of the differences as one assumes a leadership role.

One of the most significant differences might be obvious, but requires some thought.  The new Big Bosses are a very different group than those in middle management.  These people have a whole world of “bosses” to report to, including their board, shareholders, customers, and even Government.  Their work schedules are generally 24-7, and their time is always stretched.  Therefore a big part of your job is to communicate efficiently.  A quote from a former boss of mine – “Be brief, be bright, be gone.”  -might apply here.

Your attention and time will also be spent primarily on solutions to the overall company goals.  Your focus should be always on the results, without getting tangled in the details and processes of your internal organization.  Failing to deliver is a sure definition of failure in your boss’s eyes.  You also need to steer clear of turf wars or spending time on personal status issues.  These are NOT productive.

Don’t bring problems – bring solutions.  If you simply bump tough problems up to your boss, you are not providing value in the role.  If it is necessary to bring an issue to the Boss, be prepared with solutions and courses of action that are in line with the “big picture” as the Boss sees it.  This means that you have to be constantly aware of the current situation in the company so pay attention.

Executive suite language often requires interpretation.  The Boss doesn’t criticize in public, and speaks much like a diplomat – oblique and highly civil.  It is for you to understand underlying messages. In public settings, compliments are “diplomatic” and you shouldn’t read too much into them.  In one on one communications, compliments with a “but” in the conversation may be an expression of concern so listen carefully to the comments.  Also, any time the Big Boss makes a suggestion or mentions something more than once, take it as “Do it ASAP”. 

Finally, get used to NOT getting a lot of strokes from the CEO.  Also get used to criticism, as it is part of the territory.  There is usually not much time for coddling – the fact that you are still in the executive suite is reward enough.

For the “Big Boss” – help your new execs prepare for the role, and you will have a much more productive and stable group to support your success.  Good luck.

Tags: change management, Executive jobs, performance management

Right now Congress is battling about how to resolve the budget deficit.  Some might argue that the most important issue to improve our economy is to get Americans back to work.  According to an article in the Society For Human Resource Management’s HR News, economists suggest that jobs should have been the focus of the Super Committee all along.

However, in areas of the country where there is job recovery, there seems to be another problem.  There is a significant gap between skills needed for these jobs and skilled workers ready to go to work. 

The SHRM article asked for responses concerning the skills deficits in job applicants for specific organizations.  A response from the Arlington, VA Workforce Investment Board said that in some cases job seekers just don’t know how to promote themselves.  When responding to the question “Why do you want this job” the applicant’s answer may be – “Because I want a job.”  Not a good way to highlight the skills a worker could bring to the company. 

Job seekers need to be aware that the current economic productivity is similar to levels reached prior to the 2007 -2009 recession, but there are millions more people out of work.  The good news is that 58% of companies that laid off workers during the recession are making direct replacement of those jobs. The bad news is that many of those jobs now require completely new skill sets.

The applicant needs to be able to separate him- or herself from the pack by highlighting the talents and skills they bring.  Recently there has been a change in the focus of the HR Recruiters from years of experience to actual skill sets available in the job seeker pool- reflecting the trend of changing skill requirements.

The really interesting issue highlighted by companies responding to the SHRM-posted question said that the most common skill deficiencies in applicants are 1) writing in English 2) math skills 3) reading comprehension and 4) speaking in English.  The cited language deficiencies could be easily addressed by applicants through local training organizations.  Students in secondary or post-secondary educational institutions need to be aware of these needs and be focused on heightening their skills going forward.

Hiring, or hunting for a job are stressful and difficult processes, and even with the right skills, or the right group of applicants the one thing we all need is persistence and a sense of humor.  Good hunting!

Tags: applications, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job seeker attitudes, retraining

I believe that the hardest part of the recruiting process is doing the “checking up” on a candidate.  There have been a few times when I’ve been ready to make a job offer, and have had some issues come up on a reference check that gave me pause.

First let me say that a candidate that isn’t aware of issues that may come up in background checks, and not alerted the recruiters to the fact, are either not very astute or trying to hide something.  As an interviewee it is always good to check at least your credit history, and even background reports, as we deal with identity theft or just plain mistakes on reports.

The employer also needs to give this process some thought.  First, how much information do you need based on the job functions of the person you are hiring.  The more access the new employee has to vital company records (or to sensitive client information, as in the healthcare field) the more cautious one needs to be.  A company doesn’t want to make headlines because one of their delivery people was arrested for drunk driving!

There are also cost/benefit considerations for the company.  Some of the work can be done in-house by making phone calls to former employers and educational institutions.  The company can ask for a credit report if they obtain a release from the applicant.  There is a small fee involved.  Criminal records searches and motor vehicle records require more time and skill.  Obviously any outside screening service should be carefully selected, for accuracy and integrity.

The standard background check usually includes the following (Courtesy of Society for Human Resources):

 - Verification of Social Security Number

 - Credit report

 - Motor vehicle record check

 - County and state criminal records search (past 7 years)

 - National criminal records search, including sex offender records

 - Verification of the past 2 employers

 - Verification of educational background

Each of these factors requires time and skill to sort out and interpret properly.  The company needs to understand how to read the reports, and in the case of court records, have some understanding of the legal terminology.  In addition, the company needs to make certain that these records are kept confidential, with only the HR people directly involved in the process having access.  They should be stored securely once the process is complete.

It is becoming more and more important to do the due diligence before hiring.  A wrong decision can have a major impact on the company’s reputation, as well as the morale of current staff.  Better to be safe than sorry!

Tags: applications, employment issues, hiring process, job application

Companies look for ways to thank employees and incentivize them – keep the team happy and productive!  One traditional reward has been the holiday bonus.  The bonus can come in many forms, from checks in various amounts (or sometimes the same amount for all) to in one case, a holiday turkey…
The problem is, this particular reward doesn’t have much lasting effect on employee morale, job satisfaction, or productivity.  In many cases it becomes perceived as part of the annual salary.  It can also cause resentment when everyone gets the same reward no matter how much they contributed to the company’s success that year.  In a case I’m familiar with, the executive team got significantly higher holiday bonuses, creating resentment among staff that felt those folks already had enough money for the holidays and it should go to the “worker bees”. 
A better idea, as suggested in an article on the Society for Human Resource Management website, is incentive pay based on meeting company goals.  A reward should align the growth and wealth-building of the company and its employees.  When companies develop the correct incentives, their growth and success can increase significantly.
This requires some groundwork.  The first, as always, is to clearly identify company goals for the short term.  These goals have to be quantifiable in order to use them as a guide for rewarding employees.  Then comes the hard part – identify specific behaviors or work that will help achieve these goals.  In addition, employees should articulate their particular goals as they relate to the business of the company. 
Company leaders should recognize that employees are motivated by similar elements—an atmosphere that encourages development, participation in the decision-making processes, opportunities for professional growth and a comfortable living now and the ability to increase their well being in the future.
So how to reward:  bonuses, deferred compensation, stock plans or other options?  This has to be defined by the leadership and be based on the company structure and financial situation. 
Finally, the reward program won’t be effective unless it is kept front and center in the business process.  It will only motivate if employees remember the commitments made and rewards available.  This type of program serves as recognition and appreciation of the individual effort to make the company more successful.
There is always opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the employees of the company en mass via luncheons or simple gift exchanges.  Bear in mind, however, that not everyone celebrates the holidays in the same way, and some not at all.  That’s another reason for not doing holiday bonuses!

Tags: employee benefits, employee morale, performance management

I have read numerous articles on the changing requirements of the job seeker – especially the newest generation of earners.  Some of the comments are not flattering – such as that the new wave of workers doesn’t really expect to have to show up to work every day, or that they expect to be paid exceptional salaries without any experience.  In reality there are good and not so good applicants in any generation.  One of the most commented – on wishes of today’s employee is more TIME.  When an applicant looks at a job opportunity, don’t be surprised if they look at salary and benefits, but also pay close attention to how much personal time/vacation time is included in the offer. 
In a  survey done by the Society for Human Resource Management(SHRM) earlier in 2011, 86% of the 550 respondents to the survey said flexibility – the ability to balance their work and personal life – is an important or very important aspect of job satisfaction.  Acknowledging the pressure of balancing personal needs and their work requirements, many employers are offering work flexibility to keep their best and brightest.  Others are using the flexible work arrangements to attract workers from their competitors!
There were actually awards given for workplace flexibility through a rigorous process developed by the Families and Work Institute.  One example – Turner Construction finds that listening to staff needs and communicating how important they are to the company resulted in a voluntary staff turnover rate of just 3.8%.  Employees surveyed feel they were being heard (an increase of from 59% in 2005 to 72% in 2011), and management  evaluations include a section on how well they promote flexible work options.  There are such perks as Friday afternoons off in the summer, even though it is a peak time for their industry. 
Another company, Ben Secours Health System, has used a variety of flexible work schedules for years – partly because of a shortage of health care workers, and partly because many departments require 24-hour coverage.  Employees can work compressed workweeks or either four 10-hour shifts or three 12-hour shifts a week.  There is enhanced pay for weekend hours, and many more.  Because women make up 85% of the workforce and women are still the primary caregiver in a majority of family units, these options are especially important in meeting staffing needs.
Even in the factory (Futura Industries in Utah) there are opportunities.  At Futura 85% of the employees take advantage of flexible work times without sacrificing pay.  Employees are cross trained, and managers can decide if they need to backfill when an employee needs some time off or if they can work with one less for that time. 
It seems that investigating flextime options can be an important factor in the success of a company to hire and retain their workforce.  Check it out!

Tags: employee benefits, employee morale, Hiring Trends