Business.com

Business.com

Tips and Tricks to Hire Smart

Posted: 07 Jul 2019 08:00 AM PDT

I've waived that flag for most of my life, but this is one area that's so critical to a business's success and one that requires such specialized focus, consider outsourcing to an unbiased expert.

Hundreds of studies have been conducted over the years that emphasize the cost of a wrong or bad hire. Few studies consider the opportunity loss and the cost of damaged relationships, both internal as well as external. A bad hire can severely damage your culture or a potential relationship with a future customer.

In today's search for talent, we can't afford to make the wrong hire, or simply to hope the hire we make is a good fit.

Jim Collins spoke about the difference between good companies and great companies years ago, and one of the most significant findings that separated these companies was the ability to get the right people in the right seats on their "bus."

The question that drives most business owners mad is, how do I find the right people? Your HR staff isn't going to get the job done, nor are your hiring manager or recruiter. You need a specialist who focuses on Talent Optimization.

What is talent optimization, and why does it matter?

Talent Optimization is a multi-part discipline that helps companies align their business strategy with their people strategy. The first aptitude of talent optimization concentrates on diagnosing people problems. This is done by collecting and analyzing people data and reporting on it to help business leaders make objective decisions about their people strategy.

Measure what matters

Most businesses regularly monitor key business results, such as revenue, customer retention rates, or profits and losses.

Why wouldn't we do the same with key people metrics? By rigorously measuring people data, you can uncover the people problems that are negatively impacting your client's business results and proactively take action to improve outcomes.

What people data to measure?

Behavioral profiles: Behavioral assessments identify natural drives and preferences; this tool shouldn't be confused with personality profiles. The two are completely different. It helps us identify people who are naturally suited for the job and manage them accordingly.

Cognitive ability assessment: Cognitive assessments gauge a candidate's learning agility — how quickly can they learn new things and adapt to change? This allows employers to identify candidates whose cognitive ability is suited to the job and the company. 

Employee engagement: Data collected directly from your employees; this data describes how they feel about working for the company. Engagement data can help identify any misalignment between employees and their job, their managers, their colleagues, and your client's organization.

Job performance: This data identifies how well employees are moving business initiatives forward and pinpoints those who are struggling to succeed. 

Organizational and team culture: Culture can be created intentionally or by accident. This data identifies the values and culture of your client's organization and can help in determining if the culture in place is appropriate to reach business goals.

Employee sentiment: This data includes the experiences of employees at work. It's often collected through a performance feedback method or during exit interviews.

It's easy to get overwhelmed with that short list and freeze. Don't stress out over what you have and don't have; an expert will begin with whatever data you happen to have available. If you lack data, don't worry, you can start collecting meaningful data now. 

What tools to use?

There is a wide assortment of tools that collect and measure people data—spanning from lightweight and inexpensive tools, such as performance evaluations or exit interviews, to more comprehensive and expensive tools, such as a talent optimization software or assessment providers.

Based on what we decide to measure, we determine the easiest, fastest, and most cost-effective way to collect that data.

Analyze the evidence

It's been said that, In business, nearly every problem is a people problem.

Analyzing people data allows us to objectively uncover issues that aren't obvious, once armed with this data, we can support you as you take quick and effective action.

Once we've determined the people problems at play and brainstormed ways to address them with you, it's time to prioritize. Change happens slowly, and it happens best when you focus on changing one thing at a time. We will collectively consider the following four factors when deciding where to allocate our time, attention and resources.

Examine the magnitude. What's the level of impact on the organization and business results?

Determine relevance. Is this problem really important? Was this problem flagged by low performers or your high performers?

Consider the extent. Is the problem isolated or widespread? Problems that seen throughout your organization take precedence over more isolated issues.

Look for repetition. Is the problem recurring? Is there a pattern to the problem?

Improvement actions

When we consult with clients, our focus is to help companies strategize and implement change that will bring about better business outcomes. We support companies in measuring and analyzing their people data. We understand the importance of this step. 

We then prescribe improvement actions where we collectively plan the actions you need to take to correct the issues that we discovered upon measuring and analyzing the talent metrics.

Three action steps

We determine the best course of action. There may be several paths you could take to achieve your goal. We review all the options and choose the most feasible tactic.

We then determine what steps we can take immediately to set that path in motion.

Decide how to take action. We make a rollout plan based on the decided upon action items and decide who should work on what. We determine what items can fit into your existing processes. Moreover, if we need to create new processes, don't worry – we can do that too.

We understand that change is scary, and we are accustomed to resistance. We communicate the "why" as early as possible and never stop. Change is hard, and people have emotions, that's why our approach to transparency is critical.

For companies who need an expert in this field, we're a phone call away, and we can help get the right people in the right seats on your bus so you can soar. AJ can be reached at aj@cheponis1.com

Recruiting in the Age of Well-Informed Job Candidates

Posted: 07 Jul 2019 07:00 AM PDT

Gone are the days when job candidates knew very little about potential employers before applying for an open position. Between websites, social media and review sites, job seekers have more information than ever about companies they are considering working for.

This breadth of information gives job seekers an advantage, causing job recruiters to take extra measures to recruit top talent in the age of well-informed candidates.

Although job seekers have previously been at the mercy of employers to pick the top candidates who fit their needs, the balance of power has shifted, leaving employers struggling to acquire and retain top talent. According to recent studies, there are currently 7.1 million job openings and only 6.2 million unemployed Americans to fill them. This is great for job seekers, but not so great for employers. [Need recruitment software? Our buyer's guide can help you choose a program.]

Yvonne Cowsey Yancy, CEO of YSquare Advisors, said that recruitment should be a year-round continuous process, not only occurring when you have positions to fill. To become successful, organizations must develop talent pipelines for their most critical roles.

"To accomplish this goal, you must proactively engage in the recruitment space, leverage your social media platforms and interview great candidates whenever you meet them – regardless of current vacancies within your organization," Yancy told Business News Daily.  

She added that well-informed job candidates are consistently looking for an employer that is clear about its values and mission, and whose work environments reflect those values.

1. Offer a competitive, transparent job package.

The job package you offer and the transparency with which you offer it are crucial in today's era of information-hungry candidates. Yancy said that well-informed candidates know their worth in the marketplace and expect the appropriate compensation.

"Organizations who want to win talent competitions must offer full compensation packages that accurately reflect a salary, benefits, and work experience that matches the level of candidate they want to attract and retain," she said.

When you advertise your job openings, Lisa Barrow, CEO of Kada Recruiting, recommends including more than just a list of requirements in your job descriptions, since top candidates want to know what's in it for them. In a recent ManpowerGroup Solutions survey, 63% of candidates listed a lack of transparency on salary or job description as the biggest factor in their decision not to take a job.

Be transparent in what you are offering to your candidates, and prepare to back up your offer if you intend to hire and retain top talent.

"Candidates are savvy, and talented professionals are always in demand, regardless of market circumstances," said Yancy. "If your work environment does not match the pitch made in recruitment, talented professionals will leave your organization."

2. Stay up to date with recruiting technology.

According to Jordan Wan, founder and CEO of CloserIQ, candidates are much less likely to do business with a company that they have a poor job recruitment experience with. Since one of the first interactions a candidate has with your company will likely be your website, Wan said it is essential to remove friction from your site, including operations as seemingly trivial as non-mobile-friendly career pages and slow communication times.

Attempt to make the candidate's job application and recruiting process as seamless as possible. ManpowerGroup Solutions' survey said that 50% of all global candidates expect applying for a job to be as easy as making an online purchase. Long gone are the days of lengthy job applications and convoluted hiring processes. Whether it's with the implementation of a new app or the simple ease of access to your job opening, make sure it is tailored to your ideal candidate's desires.

"Using innovative new tech like AI to automate identifying and recruiting candidates, chatbots to provide quick communication, and other tools that smooth the process from resume to interview scheduling can give you a competitive edge when recruiting new candidates," said Wan.

3. Utilize social recruiting strategies.

As the use of social media increases and Gen Z candidates enter the workforce, it has become paramount for a business to have a social brand. Leveraging social media as a recruiting strategy – for example, branding and recruiting on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Glassdoor – is effective if done correctly. 

"Simply having a social media presence or posting an open role on multiple social media platforms will not generate positive outcomes in and of itself," said Yancy. "Social recruiting is most effective when it is a part of a larger proactive strategy where your organization is actively engaged on various platforms and leveraging tools to identify passive seekers while also promoting your brand organically."

Barrow said to engage with potential future candidates, even if your business doesn't have a current opening for them. This allows you to connect with them and establish your authenticity.  

"Social recruiting works because it opens up channels to people who might not necessarily consider themselves in the market for a job right now but can feel connected to the work your company is doing and want to be a part of it," said Barrow.

4. Monitor and interact with your online community.

With unlimited information at everyone's fingertips, Barrow said that companies need to be aware of how they're portrayed not just to potential customers, but to potential candidates as well. To do this, you need to create and monitor your employer brand online. 

Monitor the conversations happening about your company, whether they are through Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Facebook, blog posts or job boards. Barrow also recommends performing a Google search on your company every so often to see what's being presented to candidates. If you have negative press or reviews, don't ignore it. Respond as quickly and professionally as possible.  

"Many sites like Glassdoor give you the opportunity to address criticism, and candidates appreciate transparency and want to see that you're always trying to improve," said Barrow. "Use blog posts to tell your story, [and] encourage your current employees to do the same."

5. Treat your current employees like gold.

Your current employees are a key factor in your company's continued success. If you treat them well, they are likely to spread the good word and help you seek top talent. In addition to treating them well, share the great work they are doing with your community.

"In your social channels, you should weave in interest stories about what your employees are doing and how they're contributing to the success of your company," said Barrow. "Creating videos on what a day in the life looks like is a great way to give a flavor of what it means to work with you."

Using your current employees as a recruiting strategy can be very successful. However, the key is to be authentic.

6. View your candidates as consumers.

Barrow said candidates engage with your brand well before you engage with them. To implement a successful recruiting strategy, think about your candidates as consumers, and vice versa. Barrow said to keep both audiences in mind, since your employment brand stretches beyond your qualified candidates.

According to ManpowerGroup Solutions' survey, 54% of candidates said a negative recruitment experience made them less likely to buy a company's product or service. This means that haphazard and outdated recruiting techniques can cost you consumers as well.

Since employees are the most important (and typically most expensive) asset an organization has, Yancy said to make the appropriate investments in a support structure designed to hire and retain top talent within your organization.

"You will either pay on the front end of the recruitment process by sourcing in-demand talent, or you will pay on the back end of the process by navigating talent that was a poor fit for your organization," she said. "Smart organizations choose to invest on the front end."

How to Effectively Network as an Introvert

Posted: 07 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT

It is important to build the most powerful relationships possible within your business. Those key relationships and connections can have a powerful impact. But what do you do if you're shy? If you're introverted, or if you dread networking events and those awkward first conversations where you never know what to say?

Here are tips to help you build effective business communications and to network with people that can build powerful relationships for your business.

Focus on giving versus getting

Sometimes what you can give other people may not even be related to your business, and that's okay. To build a strong relationship and foundation, you will want to be known as someone who is resourceful, who can connect, and who is a person who can contribute in a way that serves the other person.

Regardless of whether it is to your direct benefit or has to do with your business or not, building a relationship can be good for the long term. It can take a long time. But it's worth your time and effort because those deep relationships can help you tremendously.

Be present

This does not require you to present yourself in a specific way. It requires you to pay attention to the one person in front of you. That means you need to keep eye contact. Don't look around the room. Focus on the person communicating with you.

People notice when you're not paying attention. It's very rude, and it leaves a bad impression of you. Pay attention to the person communicating and colleagues you meet at the event. When the conversation is over, turn your attention somewhere else. 

Allow your introverted qualities and honor them

Imagine you have gone to a networking event that is two, three, four, five days long, or more. You need to recharge. That's okay. You can stay in your hotel room all night, and you can take breaks and stay away from the crowds.

Read a book and be by yourself. That's how you get your energy and can recharge. Take the time so that you can come back stronger and refreshed the next day.

 Listen more than you talk

The most interesting people are the ones who really want to know about others. So be that person, ask those questions and listen. Let the other person talk. Not only will you find out so much more about them, but you will be seen as someone who really cares for that person, who really is there to make genuine connections and relationships, and you will be remembered for that.

Later when you follow up with them over email or you send them a message somewhere, you can come forth with your information and say "Hey, we had a great conversation, I learned so much about you, about your business and where you're from (Maybe your kids or whatever you talked about) and I wanted to send you more information about what I do and how I can support you even more".

So start by listening instead of talking and you will win the networking game.

Relax and don't do too much

Many people who come to networking events run around and try to sell to as many people as possible. And that makes them come across fake. It even makes people want to stay away from them. If you see someone at a networking event and know all they want to do is tell you about their programs and sell their products and services, what would you do?

You are going to stay away from them. You may not even look at them. As a matter of fact, the fewer number of genuine conversation you have, the better. 

Mirroring your partner's energy

This is something every shy introverted person can do, and really anybody can do it. It's a secret of effective communication. What mirroring energy means is replicating the high vibe or low vibe of another person. Are they really happy and energetic? Are they speaking loudly? Are they smiling and laughing? Or are they someone who is a little bit more introverted?

Mirror your new friends. Copy their body language, their gesturing and their voice. It makes them feel comfortable, and it also makes you feel comfortable because you're connecting on the same level.

It's okay to approach someone in a group

One of the things that always scares shy people is the idea of standing at a networking event alone and having nobody to talk with. This actually feels really stupid. But it's okay to approach someone or even approach a group of people, if there are already talking.

You may want to go up to a group and stand there and listen to the conversation. See how you can contribute. Later you may actually become part of the conversation and part of this circle of people who are talking. Don't be shy.

Of course, don't go in there and try to take over the conversation. See how you can add important information, how you can add value and slowly introduce yourself and become part of the circle of people who are already talking.

It is expected that you're coming to a networking event to network. People will understand. They believe and expect you to come up to them and try to have a conversation.
Posted by: at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)