Staff Selection

Mediate or Arbitrate?

2007-12-18T17:22:00.000+09:00

I came across this great artcile on the SkillPath website on Mediatition or Arbitration:

Although the employee claiming job discrimination has a strong background in her field with years of experience, her people skills are lacking. As a supervisor, you felt that she was missing the leadership qualities needed for the promotion and chose another candidate based on her experience and her leadership qualities.

You've tried talking with the disgruntled employee, but she can't get past her anger. She is ruining the morale of your department and you need to do something--and something effective. You've heard about mediation and arbitration but have never used either.

Employers are encouraged to resolve job discrimination disputes through settlement negotiations, mediation and arbitration. During negotiations, participation is voluntary between the employer and the employee, and there is not a third party facilitating the process or offering a resolution. When negotiations fail, employers should consider mediation.

During mediation, a neutral expert, the mediator, helps the employer and employee reach a voluntary resolution.

With mediation:

A mediator facilitates the process but does not impose judgement or resolutions

Parties have an opportunity to explain and discuss their views and opinions

Respectful listening and communication are encouraged

All discussions are confidential

The goal is to reach a mutually agreed-upon solution without going to court

Parties still have the option of legal action if an agreement cannot be reached

Arbitration takes the resolution process to the next step. In arbitration, a neutral expert, the arbitrator, makes either an advisory recommendation or a binding decision that can be enforced in court. While mediation can serve to resolve many issues, arbitration can have the added impact of legal backing through a court-enforced decision.

It's the size of the balls!

2007-12-13T20:40:00.000+09:00

Usually, the staff of the company plays football.

The middle level managers are more interested in Tennis.

The top management usually has a preference for Golf.

Moral of the story :

As you go up the corporate ladder, the balls reduce in size.

For more light hearted corparte advice:

http://www.bobpritchard.com/

The Chatter in Our Heads

2007-07-10T00:35:00.000+08:00

"We talk to ourselves incessantly about our world.

In fact we maintain our world with our internal talk. And whenever we finish talking to ourselves about ourselves and our world, the world is always as it should be. We renew it, we rekindle it with life, we uphold it with our internal talk. Not only that, but we also choose our paths as we talk to ourselves.

Thus we repeat the same choices over and over until the day we die, because we keep on repeating the same internal talk over and over until the day we die. A warrior is aware of this and strives to stop his internal talk."

Carlos Castaneda, 20th century mystic and Toltec warrior

Mahatma Gandhi

2007-07-07T13:05:00.000+08:00

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi

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2007-07-04T16:40:00.000+08:00

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Concentration

2007-07-02T09:30:00.000+08:00

The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once. - Richard Cecil

You have to concentrate on one idea at a time. - Robert Collier

Belief

2007-06-12T16:14:00.000+08:00

The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it - as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Belief

2007-06-11T16:26:00.000+08:00

In order to succeed we must first believe that we can. - Michael Korda

They can conquer who believe they can. - John Dryden

Achievement

2007-06-06T16:15:00.000+08:00

All things are difficult before they are easy.
THOMAS FULLER

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one as reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Job Interview? Be Prepared!

2007-05-28T08:40:00.000+08:00

By Nikola Marshall

In order to gain employment, we must face at least one interview. There are several different kinds of interviews and common questions that may be asked. Knowing what to expect, and preparing, are the best tools toward success.

Types of Interviews

There are several interview styles. Knowing what you may face, remaining calm and answering questions truthfully help to relieve the stress of the situation.

The first interview you may encounter is the screening interview. These are exactly what they imply; they screen applicants to weed out those who may not fit the company’s needs. These often take place over the telephone. Speaking to recruiters at job fairs is another example. Screening interviews are often short but don’t treat them lightly. The first impression is important! In just a few minutes, you must be able to sell yourself. You will be asked about your education and job experience so be thorough but brief.

From the screening, we move on to hiring/placement interviews. There are several of these, any one of which you should be ready for.

First is the most common, the one-on-one interview. You will sit down with a representative of the company and answer questions. If the representative is the person who does the hiring, the queries will be specific. If the person is a human resources employee, the questions will often be more general.

Panel interviews consist of a team of two or more representatives of the company. You will need to think in terms of a team and adjust your answers in such a way as to emphasize that. Look each panel member in the eye while answering.

Read more here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nikola_Marshall

Assessments As Selection Tools

2007-05-25T08:14:00.000+08:00

By Andrew Cox

Assessments are powerful selection tools that have helped organizations in making countless hiring, transfer, promotion, team membership and development decisions. Assessments represent an opportunity to do all these things while returning the highest ROI of any single people directed investment you can make.

The following recommendations will help you better utilize these very valuable tools in a variety of ways.

Recommendation 1: Use assessments to provide information in the areas that are most likely to result in success or failure. Experience has shown that most people succeed or fail in positions because of their Behavior Fit, Value/Culture Fit and Personal Skills Fit. Assessments add to the elements of experience, technical skills, accomplishments and education - they can identify Behaviors, Values and Personal Skills that are the real drivers of success in your organization

Recommendation 2: Choose assessments that are designed for business use, so that your managers and leaders can use and trust the reports. If your managers don’t feel the information is specific, directed to their interests, and delivers value to them in their relationship with the person assessed, you will lose most of the leverage the assessment could have. Choose carefully based on two questions: "How can our managers use this information?" and "How much value will this process add to our current selection process?"

Read Full Entry

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Cox

Employee Performance Appraisals

2007-05-24T09:32:00.000+08:00

By Jimmy Sturo

Employee performance appraisals are considered necessary in order to provide information about performance rankings. This information assists in making decisions regarding salary fixation, promotion, confirmation, transfer, and demotion. Apart from this information, employee performance appraisals provide feedback information about the level of achievement and behavior of employees. This information helps to assess the performance of the employees, rectify performance deficiencies, and set new standards of work if required. Employee performance appraisals play a crucial role in providing information that helps to counsel employees. The information helps to identify deficiency in employees regarding skill and knowledge, determine training and developmental needs, recommend means for employee growth, and give suggestions for correcting placement. Furthermore, employee performance appraisals avoid grievances and punitive activities.

Performance appraisals aim at building and maintaining a satisfactory level of performance. They also aim at contributing to employee growth and improvement through training and management development programs.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo

Conducting an Effective Interview

2007-05-18T08:33:00.000+08:00

By Dori Kelsey

An employment interview is a goal oriented conversation in which the interviewer and the applicant exchange information. Even though interviews are a poor selection tool for most jobs, they are often the primary method used in evaluating applicants. The main players in the job interview are the interviewer and the applicant.

The interviewer should have a pleasant personality, empathy, and the ability to listen and to communicate effectively. He or she should be aware of stereotyped views of the capabilities of women and minorities, and should be knowledgeable of the laws governing employment practices. In addition, a solid knowledge of the job and its requirements are indispensable to properly assess the applicants' qualifications. Through open-ended and probing questions, four major areas of information should be obtained from job candidates: job related knowledge, personal qualities as they relate to the job, willingness to do the work, and career orientation. The interviewer must keep in mind that all questions should be job related.

An article entitled "Employee selection: a role of the dice?" (Training Minneapolis, Minn. v27, p59.) offers the following suggestions on how to evaluate candidates:

• Don't depend on the candidates' self-evaluation; ask for examples of how they handled specific situations.

• Go beyond titles. A candidate may have been a supervisor, but that does not mean that he or she was a good supervisor.

• Don't always trust your first impressions; you may dismiss a great candidate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dori_Kelsey

HR Management

2007-05-16T09:31:00.000+08:00

By Kristy Annely

Human Resource (HR) management is the process of managing people and includes hiring, developing, assigning, motivating, and retaining employees to achieve organizational objectives. The contributions of HR management will vary depending upon the organization's size, objectives, functions, construction pattern, complexity, nature of production, and employers. In large organizations, the human resource management also acts as a strategic business partner to meet challenging business needs.

Globalization, corporate strategies, labor market changes, etc. led to the emergence of HR management. The main functions of human resource management are manpower planning; recruitment and selection of employees; employee motivation; employee evaluation and selection; industrial relations; employee services; and employee training, development, and education. Their functions will also include managing culture, facilitating change, strategic decision making, and creating responsive market driven organizations. The key characteristics of HR management are commitment, flexibility, quality, and integration. The "high-commitment-high-performance" HR management will improve quality of working life, quality of production, customer service quality, and organizational effectiveness.

Read More Here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristy_Annely

An outline employee evaluation interview guide

2007-05-15T11:28:00.000+08:00

Recently I came across an interesting article about emplyee evaluation and selection. The article introduce seven top tips when conducting employee evaluations and job interviews:

"1. Put the employee at ease.
2. Explain how the interviewee and organization can benefit from an open interview.
3. Explain areas that will be covered during evaluation review.
4. Ask evaluation questions that elicit answers to the dimensions in each area.
5. Describe the job function and its contribution to departmental and organizational success.
6. Ask the interviewee if he or she has any questions.
7. Close the interview.

Put the interviewee at ease
Ensure privacy and congenial atmosphere
Opening comments should be friendly
Avoid irrelevant small talk on weather and news, it tends to be artificial.

Explain how the interviewee and the organization can benefit from an open interview
Mention that the interview is a two-way decision. The applicant must decide if the job is to his liking as much as the interviewer must assess the suitability of the applicant. This can only be achieved through openness and trust which is mutually beneficial.

Explain areas that will be covered in during the job interview
Tell the applicant the areas that you will cover during the interview, job history, education current life etc.

Explain that he will be allowed to ask questions during or at the end of the interview, as the case may be.

Put applicant at ease by indicating what to expect."

Read More Here

Hire The Best - Assessments As Selection Tools

2007-05-14T10:36:00.000+08:00

Andrew Cox worte a good article about unsing assessments as a kind of selection tools, and the reason he explain as "Assessments are powerful selection tools that have helped organizations in making countless hiring, transfer, promotion, team membership and development decisions. Assessments represent an opportunity to do all these things while returning the highest ROI of any single people directed investment you can make".

In the article, he also gave several recommendations which may help you better utilize these very valuable tools in a variety of ways.

"Recommendation 1: Use assessments to provide information in the areas that are most likely to result in success or failure. Experience has shown that most people succeed or fail in positions because of their Behavior Fit, Value/Culture Fit and Personal Skills Fit. Assessments add to the elements of experience, technical skills, accomplishments and education - they can identify Behaviors, Values and Personal Skills that are the real drivers of success in your organization

Recommendation 2: Choose assessments that are designed for business use, so that your managers and leaders can use and trust the reports. If your managers don’t feel the information is specific, directed to their interests, and delivers value to them in their relationship with the person assessed, you will lose most of the leverage the assessment could have. Choose carefully based on two questions: "How can our managers use this information?" and "How much value will this process add to our current selection process?"

Recommendation 3: Use assessments after candidates have passed the technical skills, education, experience, accomplishment and intuition phases of the interview process. Do not use assessments as early knockout tests, unless there are specific criteria that are absolutely essential to the success in the job, and that can be measured by very specific assessment tools".

Read Full Entry

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Cox

Effective Staff Motivation

2007-05-13T10:37:00.000+08:00

By Morgan Hamilton

My grandmother, when she was owner and CEO of a successful company (having to do with medical supplies for the fields of cryogenics), was, as I understand it, and absolute genius at staff motivation. She kept it simple. If she'd for instance received a call from a client who complimented her administrative assistant on her professionalism, then the my grandmother would present that assistant with a $100 bill at the next staff meeting in front of the other employees to motivate them. Now I think that is effective staff motivation.

Staff motivation is more an art than science, but make no mistake it is incredibly important. Think about what you want from your staff and what that staff consists of, humans with human feelings and needs. Humans are, of course, strange creatures by our very design. In one study I read when I was taking an elective course on management psychology (which included such phenoms as staff motivation), a staff of factory workers were actually affected by changes in lighting. The heads of the company brought in light bulbs with dimmer wattageand it was learned that production actually increased but they didn't like. The heads then brought in bulbs of a brighter intensity (than the original bulbs)and the staff cheered and worked harder: production went up just as much. I guess this was an example of bait and switch.

So a good example of staff motivation is manipulation and subtle deceit. But be sure not to overtly trick anyone or cause harm in any way. After many years (decades) of working for and with and over teams of employees, I have personally found that rewards work best for motivation. I was the spirit leader in one company, coming up with freaky Friday and Muddled Mondays ideas for staff motivation by way of staff morale-boosting (for the company and the work was typically quite Kafkaesque).

Read the whole article

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Plan Your Recruiting to Ensure Successful Candidate Selection

2007-05-12T11:49:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield,

Do you select new employees based largely on an attractive resume and the candidate’s performance at the resultant interview? If so, you are missing the opportunity to use additional recruiting and screening methods that will ensure a superior hire.

A good looking resume is often professionally prepared, or, at least professionally reviewed. A positive interview leaves all participants excited about the potential new employee. But, do these steps ensure a successful hire? An employee whose performance will exceed your expectations? Not likely.

A Chally.com article: The Most Common Hiring Mistakes - and How to Prevent Them states, ”In a massive study conducted by John and Rhonda Hunter at The University of Michigan on the ‘Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance', the usefulness of the interview in accurately predicting later success on the job was analyzed.

”The surprising finding: The typical interview increases the likelihood of choosing the best candidate by less than 2%.

In other words, if you just "flipped" a coin you would be correct 50% of the time. If you added an interview you would only be right 52% of the time.” This number is not encouraging when you are attempting to recruit and hire a superior work force.

So, what will bring you superior hires? You need to start your recruiting process with a planning meeting. At this recruiting planning meeting, you need to follow a specific agenda and make a plan to recruit your new employee of choice. The steps agreed upon in this meeting will ensure that more than a resume and an interview are considered when you evaluate the likelihood of each candidate's success in your open job.

Read More Here

Job Candidate Evaluation Form

2007-05-10T11:56:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield,

This form enables your staff members, who are participating in the interview process with a candidate, to assess the individual's qualifications। The format provides a method for comparing the interviewers' impressions of various candidates।

The questions also provide guidance about the type of skills and potential contributions the interviewers should be assessing in each candidate they interview। This format allows you to customize the questionnaire with any additional assessments you believe are necessary for the pertinent position।

Over time, you will want to develop customized questions for every position you commonly fill. Even in the short term, provide some guidance to the managers and other interviewers about which questions each interviewer is responsible for asking.

As an example, when hiring a salesperson, the hiring manager might have the responsibility to assess the individual's sales ability, his or her aggressiveness, and other specific work requirements.

Read More Here

Employees Selection: Interviews

2007-05-09T10:41:00.000+08:00

Personnel selection is a process by which companies decide who will or will not be allowed into their organizations. Several generic standards should be met in any selection process.

Types of selection methods.

The HR manager can choose the most comprehensive type of employees selection from the following:

Interviews, references and biographical data, physical ability tests, cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, work samples, honesty tests and drug tests.

It is worth to pay special attention to such type of personnel selection as interviews.

Interviews. A selection interview has been defined as “a dialogue initiated by one or persons to gather information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for employment”. The selection interview is the most widespread selection method employed in organizations.

First, HR staff should keep the interview structured, standardized, and focused on accomplishing a small number of goals. That is, they should plan to come out of each interview with quantitative ratings on a small number of dimensions that are observable (e.g., interpersonal style or ability to express oneself) and avoid ratings of abilities that may be better measured by tests (e.g., intelligence).

Second, ask questions dealing with specific situations that are likely to arise on the job, and use these to determine what the person is likely to do in that situation. These types of situational interview items come into varieties. Some items are “experience based” and require the applicant to reveal an actual experience he or she had in the past when confronting the situation. Other items are “future oriented” and ask what the person is likely to do when confronting a certain hypothetical situation in the future. Before going to the employment interview be ready to hear the following questions:

Examples of Experience-Based and Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items
Experience Based. Motivating employees:

“Think about an instance when you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have

done. How did you handle that situation?”

Resolving conflict: “What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change: “What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?”

Future Oriented. Motivating employees: “Suppose you were working with an employee whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task

completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?”

Resolving conflict: “Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change: “Suppose you had an idea for change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change. What would you do in that situation?”

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Performance appraisal

2007-05-08T10:49:00.000+08:00

Performance appraisals are of great need for the effective work and ‘health’ of a staff. Performance appraisals assist in developing individuals, in improving company’s performance, and in effective business planning. Performance appraisals are usually done every year for all the staff in the company.

Performance appraisals are of great need for the effective work and ‘health’ of a staff. Performance appraisals assist in developing individuals, in improving company’s performance, and in effective business planning. Performance appraisals are usually done every year for all the staff in the company.

Performance appraisals are also necessary for person’s career and successful business planning. Appraisals are significant for the motivation of a staff, correct behavior, effective communication process, and developing positive attitude of management to the staff. To sum up, performance appraisals that are carried out without training and without adhering to the rules, without necessary explanation are conducted in a wrong way and in most cases can be counter-productive. In other words, they are simply a waste of time.

Successful companies have an appraisal system that evaluates employee performance in accordance with the company’s strategic goals. Such companies know very well what they should do to win in today’s competitive world - they must attract and retain productive employees. Successful companies get their competitive advantage with the help of effective performance appraisals that assist them in hiring productive employees and in putting them in the right place (position) and in developing their abilities that greatly contributes to the company’s success.

Generally speaking, a good performance appraisal no matter what type is it, is effective if it is conducted in a right way when everything is clearly explained to the staff and agreed with the authorities. Benefits of effective performance appraisal are the following:

improved productivity;

maintenance of top reformers;

improved employee morale;

increased profitability.

Performance appraisals can be counter-productive for those employees who need much training and development. A successful performance appraisal affects positively the employee work performance in case of the employee high job motivation. In case with an employee who has low job motivation, performance appraisals are counter-productive. Performance appraisals should be adapted to the employee’s individual needs and features. In other case, there is a risk of a poorly-conducted appraisal with all the negative consequences.

To sum up, performance appraisals that are carried out without training and without adhering to the rules, without necessary explanation are conducted in a wrong way and in most cases can be counter-productive. In other words, they are simply a waste of time. Well-prepared and well-conducted performance appraisals give additional chance for managers and companies in general, to continue improving and developing their work. Badly-prepared and badly-conducted performance appraisals are not working and are counter-productive.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

How to Hold Effective Staff Meetings

2007-05-07T10:53:00.000+08:00

Bad staff meetings keep people from making money for your company. Here how to hold an effective staff meeting.

Many people believe that they conduct effective meetings, when all they really do is host a party. Or worse, they deliver a monologue. In either case, their meetings produce little.Here’s how to hold an effective staff meeting.

1) In general. Keep them short. Most staff meetings should last less than an hour. You want your staff to spend their time working on things that earn money for your business, not sitting in meetings. Keep them positive. Negative meetings contain insults, ridicule, and attacks. These activities create caution and resentment, which always costs your company money. Keep them interactive. Your staff consists of intelligent people. Put them to work in your meetings to advance the effectiveness of your organization.

2) Share news. Give the members of your group one minute to report on progress made in their area of responsibility. You’ll find that this results in bullet point reports of essential information. It also prevents people from philosophizing, explaining, justifying, criticizing, and engaging in other unproductive activities. Plan a time budget: 8 to 10 minutes.

3) Teach something. Invite a guest expert to give a 10 minute presentation on some skill or technology that benefits your group. Tell the expert that you want a logical explanation of practical ideas. You can also ask members of your group to take turns delivering brief tutorials on topics that benefit the others. Plan a time budget: 10 to 15 minutes.

4) Practice skills. Create team learning activities that sharpen or teach skills needed in your business. For example, you could role play job skills (especially useful for sales teams), solve puzzles (useful for high tech groups), or take quizzes (useful for everyone). Ask group members to take turns bringing an activity that reviews or teaches a valuable skill. Follow this activity with a brief recap of key ideas. Then ask the group members to give a fifteen second report on how these ideas can be applied to improve their work. Plan a time budget: 10 to 20 minutes.

5) Solve problems. Give each group member a minute to describe a challenge that hinders work on a current project and then let everyone propose solutions. Suggestions should be brief and free of self aggrandizing explanations or motivational sermons. This process also requires a positive, supportive environment to succeed. If this is used to ridicule, insult, or criticize the individual, then people will be reluctant to reveal issues that need attention. Plan a time budget: 3 to 6 minutes per person.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Some Do's and Don'ts

2007-05-06T11:32:00.000+08:00

Have as much privacy as possible
Call applicant by name when calling him
into the office
Ensure the applicant knows your name
Greet applicant
courteously and sincerely
Make the applicant feel that you are pleased with
his interest in the position
Establish an informal but business like
atmosphere
Make the applicant feel important
Talk to the applicant as
though you were the only contact he would ever have with the company
Compliment a good employment record
Interrupt the conversation to keep
interview on track
Use active listening
Relax and the applicant will
relax
Keep information given, confidential
Remember the applicant's time
is valuable
Investigate applicant's work record / performance thoroughly
Watch for gaps in work record
Check job records and references
Use
application blanks and other data in planning the interview
Make an outline
in advance, of the main items of information you want to obtain during the
interview
Plan the time required for the interview

Don't

Interview when worried, upset, ill or under stress
Hold an interview in a noisy place
Keep applicants waiting unnecessarily
Give the impression of being abrupt or harsh
Allow outside interruptions
Seek information you already have
Antagonize the applicant
Show emotion at any physical handicap
Hurt the applicant's feelings or destroy his faith in himself
Forget applicant is sensitive to every word the interviewer speaks
Appear to lose interest in the interview
Dominate the interview
Pry into personal lives
Break or delay an appointment
Fall into a set pattern of interviewing
Waste time on a long interview if the applicant is clearly not suitable
Conduct the interview in a haphazard manner

Opening the evaluation process

Do

Open the interview with handshake and clear introduction
Smile and be pleasant
Open the interview with some topic of common interest
Create atmosphere in which the applicant feels confident and at ease

Don't

Flounder for a cue when opening the conversation
Appear ill at ease
Give an impression of being harried or brusque

Obtaining information and assisting the employee / applicant

Do

Give the interviewee time to think
Give the interviewee time to answer one question before asking another
Stimulate interviewee to do most of the talking
Encourage interviewee to talk about his work experiences
Try to bring out attitudes, experience capacities and opinions
Elicit facts about abilities, interests, health and motivation
Use simple why, what, where, and how questions

Don't

Make the interviewee speak up to you
Use trick questions
Cross examine
Crowd interviewee for answers
Ask 'yes' or 'no' questions unless necessary
Phrase questions to indicate desired answers
Let interview wander

Resume 101: Enhancing the reference checking process

2007-05-06T10:50:00.000+08:00

The employment meeting went extremely well. The interviewer was impressed with your abilities; you answered the questions superbly; and you were able to develop an excellent rapport with the interviewer and other staff at the company.

So, now just the reference checking process, BUT, unfortunately you did not make it to the following stage. Why not? Everything went so well. What possibly could have gone wrong?

How often do I hear similar comments from candidates who are at an absolute loss as to why after such great interviews, their applications have been denied.

Have you ever thought that perhaps your reference may be letting you down?

The general procedure a candidate follows in locating and providing references to support their application is either to:

provide a list of contactable references on their resumes at the time they send their initial application, or:
provide contact names after being requested to do so at the interview without any prior consideration.
Are these two methods basically what you are currently doing in your career campaign? If so, you need to be aware that both of these methods can be detrimental to your job search.

Unless the application has specifically requested reference details to be included in your initial application do not forward or include details on your resume. As you may be forwarding your resume in response to hundreds of job advertisements this could result in your references receiving numerous calls, which could become quite annoying and ultimately, damaging to your campaign. You want to retain control over who you provide these details to, and presenting a reference list after you have had an opportunity to interview with the potential employer will be far more beneficial. During the interview you may realize that this is not the position you originally thought it was, or realize that your personal values and beliefs would be challenged if you were to become employed with the organization, and therefore there is no real need to provide reference contact details. Your references will not be unnecessarily contacted, affording their valuable time and energy for a position that you are not interested in.

Let’s see how we can enhance the entire process of qualifying and contacting appropriate references in order to maximize the reference checking process.

Once you locate a position you would like to apply for, you need to decide who would be the best person to offer as a reference. A human resource staff member who has not worked with you may only be able to confirm dates you worked with them, but not provide details about your performance. A department head may not be able to offer much more information either, however a direct supervisor or colleague who you worked with can present details on your performance, contributions and overall standing in the workplace.

Sadly, we can lose contact with previous employers, supervisors or colleagues, however if you are still in contact with them, or would be able to contact them, then this would be to your advantage. It is far more beneficial to use someone who is able to confirm your abilities within a work context rather than, say, a close friend, relative or neighbor, however for some job seekers this is almost impossible. If either of the above situations ring true for you, there are a number of strategies you can consider:

Consider providing the name of your lecturer or tutor if you have recently completed professional development or courses. The course studied would presumably be relevant to the position you are targeting, so your tutor could confirm your academic achievements and knowledge in this area.
Voluntary work for a local community organization may allow you to provide the name of the President or other member of the board or committee.
A professional or other high-standing member of the community who has known you for many years and can verify your honesty and integrity. These people may include a minister, a doctor or lawyer.
Consider putting forward the name of a colleague with whom you have worked if you are unable to locate a previous manager. A colleague would certainly be able to confirm your overall professionalism and experience within the workplace. Perhaps you may be able to provide the name of your direct supervisor, or even a supervisor from another department who has had some dealings with you on a professional level.
A major supplier with whom you have previously dealt could vouch for your professionalism and integrity.
A subordinate or a member of a team that you were responsible for could also be considered and could vouch for your leadership and management style.
Contact a number of your customers/clients to see if they would be willing to act as a reference. Who better than a previous or existing customer to vouch for your commitment and high standard of work ethic?
Once you have decided on the best person to offer as a reference, you need to:

(A) Contact that person to ask permission to provide their contact details and to advise them of your current campaign;

(B) Verify and confirm:

(i) current contact number;

(ii) email address; and

(iii) appropriate/contact time preferred.

Another strategy would be to refresh your reference’s memory about previous projects and contributions by supplying them with a copy of:

Your current resume;
Relevant experience and results achieved with the reference’s organization;
Overview of your career goals and aspirations so that the reference can provide information pertinent to that goal.
This will allow your reference to gain an understanding of your skill set and what it is you are targeting.

When preparing your references contact list, don’t just state the basic details such as the name and contact details, but provide some background details as to how you know this reference and the information they can confirm. Perhaps a succinct list of outstanding contributions that this reference can qualify would be beneficial too. Ensure that the document is formatted professionally and in the similar style (i.e. fonts etc) that your resume has been developed, as consistency in formatting and professional presentation is also important.

If the position and company still sound exciting after the initial interview and you would like to be considered in the next round, try to confirm who will be contacting your references and the approximate timing. This will allow you to touch base (either by phone or email) with your references and advise them of the forthcoming reference check.

At the completion of your career campaign, after receiving and accepting a firm job offer, do not forget to send a thank you card to each of your references to show your appreciation and to advise them of your success.

All the best!

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Positive Selection

2007-05-05T10:47:00.000+08:00

Positive Selection is considered to be one of the core principles of evolution.

Selection in itself is neutral while positive selection implies that the selection results into a divergence among species. Studies all mention the involvement of positive selection on the gene implication. Positive selection is the core of Darwinian theories of evolution and is the simplest way of explaining the retention of mutations in organisms that allow them to become competitive in the environments they exist in. However, more recent researches have also have shown that though positive selection remains a core principle in understanding evolution of organisms, the action of positive selection in the body systems, particularly those of the nervous system is not directly conclusive to the changes in nucleic changes that have been observed in genomes. One of the consequences of the theory of positive selection to human brain evolution is that it implies that the surviving humanoid specie today is the most intelligent in coping with his environment. It implies that whatever skills that humans developed in the course of this evolution allowed them of have competency that non-survives lineages did not have. Unique characteristics of human like speech, intelligence, technology and the very characteristics of our physiology have all contributed to the human dominance that exists today. However, some researches have also shown that what we think are distinct to humans may not be as distinct at all. All species have their own systems of communication, culture and society that can not be grasped by our understanding. However, just as undeniable is the fact that there are characteristics like speech and brain capacity that have propelled human evolution: they may have not set us apart format he rest of all organisms but they have certainly allowed the survival of our specie.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Why This Resume Rocks

2007-05-04T12:00:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield

When an employer receives 100 - 200 resumes in response to a job posting, the resume that catches your eye has to stand out from the crowd. In an earlier article, Gone in Thirty Seconds: How to Review a Resume, I discussed the steps in resume review.

This sample resume was accompanied by an exemplary cover letter. Here, I'll show you the resume that accompanied the cover letter that captured my attention and tell you why. This sample resume sets a standard employers need to seek and candidates need to emulate.

Why This Resume Rocks

The resume started out with a list of characteristics, traits, competencies, and skills that exactly matched the requirements I had stated in my job posting.

This smart candidate drew a line that connected his skills and my needs. The less work the employer has to do the better. This candidate understands that.

The candidate is applying for an Operations Management job, so note that the initial skills and experience highlights section emphasizes Operations Management. This allows you to quickly understand the qualifications of the candidate for your position

The job history is clearly laid out and I had no questions about the candidate's career progression. There are no gaps in employment. The only question that the resume surfaced is why the candidate is seeking a full time position after consulting for a few years.

The business of each company that employed the candidate is described so that the potential employer can see the relationship to their business.

The candidate understands the power of show, not tell. In each of his positions, he demonstrates the bottom line impact of his work. He didn't just manage a plant. He "streamlined inventories by 50% and increased inventory turnover by 145%." He "improved customer delivery performance from 78% to 96% while reducing lead times by 80%."

The "Professional Achievements" section of the resume stood out, not just because the candidate has achieved success in his career, but because the achievements so closely mirror his stated career goals and my needs as an employer.

My reaction to the "Education / Professional Development" section of the resume was the same. The candidate's educational investments echo his career choices.

D-List Part 4

2007-05-03T15:04:00.000+08:00

Patrick Says v2.0
Paula Mooney
PBriscoe.com
Pegs AZ Life
Pencil Thin
PimpMyPageRank
Pink Poison Store
Pond, The
Ramblings Of An Undisturbed Mind
Randa Clay Design
Raw Vegan Momma
Reasoner, The
Rotten Bananas
Sassy Southerner, The
Scribble On The Wall
Scuttlebutt Pipeline
Selena’s Travel and Culture
SelfHynosisProgram
Shopping Flavor
ShowMeHealthBiz
ShowMeMoneyBiz.com
Simple Kind Of Life
Simplify Every Obstacle
Skeets Stuff
Solo Technology
Sophistishe.Org Personal Blog
SQKIKs Simple Tech
Super Blogging
Sun-Flower Family, The
Table for Five
TDZ Travel
TeaScoop
TechieZone
Teenage Angst Regression
Texas RV
Travel blog
Thermal
TimeForBlogging
Tricia\’s Musings
Two Dog Zoo
Utterly Geek
Wanders World
Web Files, The
WebStyle
Whatever I Feel Like
Wild & Crazy Ride
Winding Threads
Wired Kayaker, The
Women Mumbles
Work At Home Mom Revolution
Yoga Blog

To be continued

Creating a Winning Staff Team

2007-05-02T10:45:00.000+08:00

As a business owner, I’ve had staff come and go over the years: some have done extremely well, and others not so well. During the time I was involved in running my business, I found some weaknesses in myself that tremendously affected things that were going on, especially from a negative point of view. It was not uncommon for me, whenever something was not going well, to ignore it. Sometimes I would hope it would go away, or maybe ask somebody else to solve it for me, whatever was going on. As time went on, I started to actually think negative thoughts about a certain staff member or staff members that I had difficulties communicating to. I would have thoughts that perhaps they should move on — why don’t they just quit? If I wasn’t happy somewhere, I would just quit: why won’t they? As time went on, these people would usually just end up leaving or I would be forced to fire them.

As I learned more about how to better run my business, I realized that nearly every one of these situations of the unfortunate firing or the employee quitting directly pointed back to my inability to communicate. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t as though I was completely and utterly responsible fully for what other staff members were doing that led to their termination but prior to things getting so bad that somebody needed to be fired, I needed to act and did not.

As an example, let’s say that a staff member walks in 20 minutes late for work. As they walk in the door, you glance in their direction. They now know you know that they were late. But yet you don’t say anything about it. Let’s say it happens again the very next day, and you notice it too – you see him coming in, and they don’t say anything and you don’t say anything about it. Do you think after a while, that employee might think it is acceptable to come in 20 minutes late — that you already know it, and since you don’t say anything it must be alright? That’s possibly just the first time where things were not okay with a particular staff member but it created a license on the part of a staff member to kind of push the edge of the envelope since it doesn’t seem like you’ll do anything to exert proper discipline. If you just would have said to the staff member who came in late: “Hey, what happened? You’re late.” in a very friendly manner and heard what they had to say and just acknowledged it, that might have handled it all by itself and things would have been fine. But you didn’t, because it was a little uncomfortable for you. But it is a whole lot easier to confront it at that time than it is to deal with more serious disciplinary actions later, because you wouldn’t hold your position as an executive.

When you have a staff member situation that you are not quite handling the way you should be, you usually go home and talk to somebody, like your spouse, about that staff member. You usually are not saying great things about that staff member and you consider that they are not as valuable to you. Well, those critical thoughts and comments regarding that staff member will likely not get them to advance in their profession. If you look over your years as a business owner you may find that any staff member that ever quit, you knew that they were going to quit before they quit. You start noticing that the more negative thoughts that you have about the staff member, the less likely they have a chance of making it. It is pretty interesting. If you start thinking that you have the best staff -- that these people will do anything for you -- and you start considering that to be true and you start treating them as though it is true; well guess what, it will become true. But if you consider that you have staff, that quite honestly, are less than ideal, who won’t go to bat for you, who are just trying to put in their time and get a paycheck versus be loyal and dedicated to the expansion and purpose of your organization, you’ll get exactly that too. It is all up to you, as it always has been.

Usually you find how a business is doing based upon how the owner is doing. Is he or she happy? Can he or she get things done all by his or herself? It is a barometer of you. If you are not doing well, your business doesn’t do well. But a very simple place to start is by considering that you have very willing staff members who are completely on the team, playing by the same rules as everyone else, and when something just doesn’t seem right, that you go to that individual and talk to them about that concern that you have. You’ll find that your organization will run smoother and things will be easier.

I can not overstate the importance of communication with your staff. Not with orders but with kindness and truly caring about what goes on. Listening and offering assistance to them will get your staff to do almost anything for you.

Each day go around to each staff member and ask, with sincere interest: What are you working on? Do you have any problems in getting it done? Do you need my help? Try it for a week and find out precisely how much this little action will improve staff morale and increase their overall productivity. Not to mention the smile instead of a frown put on you face.

These three simple questions can restore a lot of communication in your office. If you have any staff members that you feel that you can’t pleasantly ask these questions, especially the last one, then you need to communicate more, not less to them. Find out what really is going on, because that is part of the responsibilities of being an executive.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

8 Ways To Motivate & Improve Staff Performance

2007-05-01T10:43:00.000+08:00

A stronger economy means more opportunities for you, and your staff. How do you keep them from looking for greener grass? Provide staff assistance, opportunities for enrichment, and an environment that increases enthusiasm.

A stronger economy means more opportunities for you, and your staff. How do you keep them from looking for greener grass? Provide staff assistance, opportunities for enrichment, and an environment that increases enthusiasm. The processes of involvement, observation, interaction, and feedback build the foundation necessary for staff engagement, involvement, and motivation. The key is to create a staff-keeping environment now. Here are 8 key steps to take:

1. What you do vs. what you say.

You are the company compass and barometer. What you say, indicate, espouse, or demand of others must match what you do. Being an involved, observant, available, and caring manager or owner sets the standard of behavior for others.

2. Share goals

If you hate to be on the outside looking in, don’t you think others might feel the same? Bring staff in by sharing departmental or company goals. The journey you have in mind may be one that creates excitement and enthusiasm in them too.

3. Solicit feedback

They say two heads can be better than one. Sometimes we can be too close to a situation to see it from multiple angles. Soliciting feedback can offer different perspectives. It also provides staff with an opportunity to actively participate in company planning and changes, and allows you to experience different aspects of them, and vice versa.

4. Observe

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” What you see when staff are working, relaxed, celebrating, or operating to meet a deadline are the scenes that truly describe how your organization works. The ways in which people act (and interact), speaks volumes about an organization. Observing, allows you to see what’s working, and where change may be needed.

5. Cross-training

Walking a mile in someone’s shoes not only allows you to experience what they experience, but it can be the root of empathy. A cross-training program allows workers to experience other responsibilities and departments within the organization. It also prepares the organization for staff shortages, and allows workers to take a break from the routine of their regular tasks.

6. Relate to individual goals

Organizational goals can often be in alignment with the goals of individuals within the organization. Support individuals toward attaining their goals. The direction they are headed, may be exactly where you have a current or future need.

7. Open communication

It is important for staff to feel they can communicate their suggestions, concerns, successes, and misses, without fear of retribution. Assure staff they will be heard, acknowledged, and supported. Then, make sure you do exactly that.

8. The Final Piece

In a recent study conducted by Nelson Motivation Inc, “78 percent of employees indicated that it was "very" or "extremely" important to them to be recognized by their managers when they do good work, and 73 percent said they expected that recognition to occur either "immediately" or "soon thereafter." Of the top 10 recognition factors staff ranked as important when they did good work, 4 were types of praise – personal, written, electronic, public – generated by those they hold in high esteem.”

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Eight Hiring Mistakes Employers Make: From Application to Interview

2007-04-30T12:17:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield

Four Mistakes
Hiring decisions that result in "bad" hires sap your organization's time, training resources, and psychic energy. These are the top hiring mistakes to avoid during your recruiting and hiring process. Do these eight activities with care; your recruiting, interviewing and hiring practices will result in better hires. Better hires will help you develop a strong, healthy, productive, competitive organization.

Here are eight recruiting and hiring mistakes to avoid.

Do Not Pre-screen Candidates
A half hour phone call can save hours of your organization's time. Pre-screening applicants is a must for recruiting and hiring the best employees. You can discover whether the candidate has the knowledge and experience you need. You can screen for applicants who expect a salary that is out of your league.

You can gain a sense about the person's congruity with your culture. Always pre-screen applicants.

Fail to Prepare the Candidate
If your applicant fails to ask about your company and the specifics of the job for which he or she has applied, help the applicant out. Prepare your applicants better for the interview, so interviewers spend their time on the important issues: determining the candidate's skills and fit within your culture. Prepare the candidate by describing the company, the details of the position, the background and titles of the interviewers, and whatever will eliminate time wasting while the candidate interviews within your company.

Fail to Prepare the Interviewers
You wouldn't choose a college for your child or launch a project without a plan. Why, then, do organizations put so little planning into interviewing candidates for positions? Interviewers need to meet in advance and create a plan. Who is respponsible for which types of questions? What aspect of the candidate's credentials is each person assessing? Who is assessing culture fit. Plan to succeed in employee selection in advance.

Rely on the Interview to Evaluate a Candidate
The interview is a lot of talk. And most frequently, because applicants are not prepped in advance, a lot of interview time is spent giving the candidate information about your organization. Even more time is invested in different interviewers asking the candidate the same questions over and over.

During an interview, candidates tell you what they think you want to hear because they want to successfully obtain a job offer. Organizations are smart when they develop several methods for evaluating candidates in addition to the interview.

How to Recruit and Hire the Best: A Checklist for Success in Hiring Employees

2007-04-28T11:53:00.000+08:00

Selection and Hiring Checklist

Want to recruit and hire a superior workforce? This checklist for hiring employees will help you systematize your hiring process, whether it's your first employee or one of many employees you are hiring. The hiring checklist helps you keep track of your recruiting efforts. The hiring checklist communicates both the recruiting and the hiring process and progress in recruiting to the hiring manager. Your feedback and comments are welcome to improve this checklist for hiring employees.

Checklist for Hiring Employees

Determine the need for a new or replacement position.

Think creatively about how to accomplish the work without adding staff (improve processes, eliminate work you don’t need to do, divide work differently, etc.).

Hold a recruiting planning meeting with the recruiter, the HR leader, the hiring manager, and, potentially, a coworker or internal customer.

Develop and prioritize the key requirements needed from the position and the special qualifications, traits, characteristics, and experience you seek in a candidate

With HR department assistance, develop the job description for the position.
Determine the salary range for the position.

Decide whether the department can afford the position.

Post the position internally on the "Job Opportunities” bulletin board for one week. If you anticipate difficulty finding a qualified internal candidate for the position, state in the posting that you are advertising the position externally at the same time.

Send an all-company email to notify staff that a position has been posted.

All staff members encourage talented, qualified, diverse internal candidates to apply for the position. (If you are the hiring supervisor, as a courtesy, let the current supervisor know if you are talking to his or her reporting staff member.)
Interested internal candidates fill out the Internal Position Application.

Schedule an interview, for internal candidates, with the hiring supervisor, the manager of the hiring supervisor or a customer of the position and HR. (In all cases, tell the candidates the timelines you anticipate the interview process will take.)

Hold the interviews with each interviewer clear about their role in the interview process. (Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the screening responsibilities you may want your interviewers to assume.)

Interviewers fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form.

If no internal candidates are selected for the position, make certain you clearly communicate with the applicants that they were not selected. Whenever possible, provide feedback that will help the employee continue to develop their skill and qualifications. Use this feedback as an opportunity to help the employee continue to grow their career.

If an internal candidate is selected for the position, make a written job offer that includes the new job description and salary.

Agree on a transition timeline with the internal candidate’s current supervisor.
If you've created another internal opening, begin again.

End the search.
If no qualified internal candidates apply, extend the search to external candidates, if you didn't advertise the position simultaneously. Develop your candidate pool of diverse applicants.

Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability in your industry and to each employee’s network of friends and associates.

Place a classified ad in newspapers with a delivery reach that will create a diverse candidate pool.

Recruit online. Post the classified ad on jobs and newspaper-related websites including the company website.

Post the position on professional association websites.

Talk to university career centers.

Contact temporary help agencies.

Brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position.

Through your recruiting efforts, you've developed a pool of candidates. People are applying for your open job. Whether you have developed a candidate pool in advance of the job opening or you are searching from scratch, the development of a qualified pool of candidates is crucial.

Send postcards or emails to each applicant to acknowledge receipt of the resume. (State that if the candidate appears to be a good match for the position, relative to your other applicants, you will contact them to schedule an interview. If not, you will keep their application/resume on file for a year in case other opportunities arise.)

HR Selection

2007-04-26T15:07:00.000+08:00

Human resource is one of the most important and influential in the company. How should one choose the staff? Which characteristics are vital when it comes to employee selection? All of these questions will be answered in this article.

An organisation has two key resources, people and money. 'Human beings are the lifeblood of any enterprise. They are the company's most vital asset'. Recruitment and Selection comprise the important HR functions of the organization and should be thought of as a matching process. Selection commences as soon as the applicant responds to an advertisement or makes an unsolicited enquiry. One way to look at the selection process is to view it as a series of obstacles that applicants must clear in order to obtain the job. Each successive obstacle eliminates some applicants from contention. For example, applicant skills can be evaluated through application forms, interviews, tests, and reference checks, letters of recommendation or reference, and physical examinations.To judge the effectiveness of any selection technique two statistical concepts have been of particular importance, Reliability and Validity. We are going to examine briefly these two key factors and how they influence the process of selection of staff in this essay.

Reliability is the consistency of measurement, or the degree to which an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects. In short, it is the repeatability of the measurement. We can illustrate it with the example, if an applicant was being interviewed by two managers for a job in two separate interviews, the interview technique should provide some data so that the interviewers agreed with each other about the applicant as an individual. Alternatively, if a number of candidates are given the same selection test, the test should provide consistent results concerning individual differences between candidates. The statistical analysis of selection techniques normally provides a reliability coefficient which if closer to 1.0, more dependable the technique.

Reliability improves as we increase the number of relevant items that are combined to generate a value. If we wanted to measure maths ability, we could give all candidates one math problem. We would then be able to separate our pool into two groups; those that answered correctly and those that did not. If we were to ask two problems, we would be able to sort the group into four groups and we would have more confidence that the group that answered both questions correctly possessed higher maths ability. Thus our confidence in overall measure would increase as we added each new item. In practice, single item measurements have demonstrated very poor reliability and yield limited information while multiple item measurements yield superior reliability and more information. Three or four well-constructed items can yield a reasonably reliable measurement. The following table illustrates the implications for evaluating screening approaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Lindblom

Employee Performance Appraisals

2007-04-22T15:06:00.000+08:00

Employee performance appraisals are considered necessary in order to provide information about performance rankings. This information assists in making decisions regarding salary fixation, promotion, confirmation, transfer, and demotion. Apart from this information, employee performance appraisals provide feedback information about the level of achievement and behavior of employees. This information helps to assess the performance of the employees, rectify performance deficiencies, and set new standards of work if required. Employee performance appraisals play a crucial role in providing information that helps to counsel employees. The information helps to identify deficiency in employees regarding skill and knowledge, determine training and developmental needs, recommend means for employee growth, and give suggestions for correcting placement. Furthermore, employee performance appraisals avoid grievances and punitive activities.

Performance appraisals aim at building and maintaining a satisfactory level of performance. They also aim at contributing to employee growth and improvement through training and management development programs. One of its purposes is to help the superiors have a good understanding about their subordinates. They also play a major role in guiding employees to job changes with the help of constant ranking. Another objective of employee performance appraisals is to facilitate fair and equitable compensation based on performance and to facilitate testing and validating selection tests. It also provides information for taking decisions concerning layoff and retrenchment and suggesting change in employee behavior, if required.

Organizations have to decide the content to be appraised before the program is accepted. Normally, the content to be appraised is determined on the basis of job analysis. The content to be appraised may vary with the purpose of appraisal, type of appraisal, and position of employees. Properly conducted performance appraisals let employees know how well they are performing and also considerably influence the employee's future level of effort and task direction. Performance appraisal is an organized description of an employee's job-relevant strengths and weaknesses. Appraisals are mostly arranged periodically according to a specific plan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Lindblom

Employee Selection - Are You Gambling at Work?

2007-04-20T15:05:00.000+08:00

Employee Retention begins with Employee Selection. Gambling is alive and well in the modern work environment! It's amazing how many organizations gamble at work by not using advanced hiring techniques that could save resources and future headaches.

Employee Selection is a key strategy that can save organizations tremendous resources, time, and energy. Proper Employee Selection is the foundation to an effective Employee Retention strategy. Few organizations are tapping the potential of effective Employee Selection. Why? Because today's typical Employee Selection process is a gamble at best. The good new is it doesn't need to be. There are powerful tools to help you optimize your employee selection and hiring processes.

Several years ago, I was in Dallas attending a trade show and noticed all the beautiful sports and luxury cars and shared that observation with a friend. My friend said, "There are a lot of $30,000 millionaires." A lot of people have everything they have tied up into that fancy automobile. Thinking that a car is demonstrative of that particular person's overall success is an incorrect assumption at best. What situations that you face are similar to this example? It is sometimes said that a particular person is "all hat and no cattle" when they look the part - being more image than reality. How many of your hiring candidates look the part, but deep down inside, aren't a fit for the position but you won't know it for 90-120 days - long after they have become an emotional part of your team?

How often are people and situations what we think they are? Perception isn't always reality. That perception can be enormously expensive.

Analogously, in your employee selection, inspiring, and maximization of your team and organization, how often do you run into situations where things aren't what they seem? Making a poor to bad employee selection decision is costly to say the least. Depending upon the industry, the cost of turnover can be anywhere from 30 percent of the annual salary and benefits to over 150 percent. Numbers don't speak to what can't be measured. The wrong hires destroy employee morale and hurt your Customer Experience.

Consider... Through traditional hiring practices, what are the “odds” you will hire the right person? How many candidates look great initially and then when they are on your "bus" they don't work out? Your “odds” of hiring the right person are a LOT LOWER than you think unless you are using advanced hiring techniques. Consider the following statistics (various sources)...

14 percent – Traditional hiring techniques
38 percent – Behavioral Profile
54 percent – Abilities Testing
75 percent – Job Match Testing

By the way… Your odds at winning a hand at Blackjack are in the upper 40 percent range. Yes... You have better odds at winning a hand of Blackjack than you do in hiring the right person. Our thought process is "trust but verify." The candidate wouldn't be applying if they didn't want the job. Therefore, they are going to do everything possible to get it through the resume' that is customized to your job description. No, we don't believe people are trying to be devious. Quite the contrary. It's best to assume the goodness in others.

However... If you don't use a comprehensive Job Match personality profile during your employee selection and hiring process to ensure your candidate is a good job match, you are taking unnecessary risk.

Remember that college course you absolutely despised? For me, it was accounting. I took a lot of it and couldn't stand it. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people who went to college for a particular degree field and then came out into the real world and hated it. Ever notice how many people are in careers that are completely different from their major field of study in college? You've been there...

You know what is scary? With recent college graduates, unless you are Job Match Testing, you get to pay for figuring out someone doesn't like the degree field they are going into. Keep in mind... If you aren’t going to the highest level of understanding your new hire candidate through Job Match Testing, you won't...

Hire the best candidates.
Reduce employee turnover.
Prevent conflict.
Maximize your training dollar effectiveness.
Know with certainty who to hire based on future leadership abilities unrecognized now.

There are several significant reasons to Job Match Test your candidates... Employee Selection - Job fit - How well do their behaviors, values, personal attributes fit the job? Inspiration - How do you know what "buttons" to push and which to stay away from if you don't know their behavior profile? Remember - people leave people, not jobs. Is the way you are talking to your new hire de-motivating them?

Coaching - How do you know what skills the new team member needs to maximize their performance? Why not coach immediately rather than the normal 2-3 months process - after you are beginning to "know" the new team member? With the Trimetrix Behavior Profile system, you will know immediately - rather than having to wait for the "honeymoon" to be over.

Interpersonal Effectiveness - How do you help the team member acclimate to the rest of the team effectively if they don't know how to effectively communicate with them? How do you help the rest of the team acclimate to the new hire candidate?

Employee Retention - If the team member doesn't fit the job, they won't stay. When you match the job to the candidate, morale is enhanced as well as productivity.

Succession Planning - How do you know who will scientifically be the best candidate for potential future promotions. How do you choose the best future leader between two good, equally qualified candidates? Training and Leadership Development - Where do you allocate scarce training resources? When you use an effective Job Match Testing program, you can identify key areas that a candidate will excel in and match the talent to the job.

Without at least behavior profiling, you can't possibly know what the full potential of the new hire candidate is. And you can't tap what you don't know.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Lindblom

Constructs for employee evaluation and selection questions

2007-04-16T11:23:00.000+08:00

Instructions
The first step in making a effective employee evaluation is to establish the constructs (variables) on which the applicant will be evaluated. These constructs or dimensions are the key performance indicators that are perceived to lead to success or failure in the job. Constructs therefore imply aspects which the individual needs to posses to be effective in the job.

The list of links above itemize key job constructs that are common to many jobs. Each has sub categories (as in communication skills, below) Each is given a definition, together with an explanation of under what circumstances each may be applicable. The person(s) responsible for conducting the job interview for a specific position, then compiles a job profile analysis, from job analysis data. The goal being to determine the key job constructs for the position under review.

The most relevant dimensional information will come from previous job analysis, (the job description and job specification,) plus the supervisor of the vacant position. By asking him / her to relate how successful and unsuccessful people function in the job, this will indicate the constructs which the incumbent must posses or be able to develop.

The next stage would be to determine the employee evaluation questions that will elicit pertinent information from each job applicant, for each of the key job constructs.

Construct 1: Communications skills
Listening
Use of information extracted from oral communications.
(Some positions require people who accurately understand the oral communications of others and who can remember and use data so obtained.)

Oral communication
Effective expression in individual or group situations, (includes gestures and nonverbal communication.)

Oral presentation
Effective expression when presenting ideas or tasks to an individual or to a group when given time for preparation, (includes gestures and nonverbal communication.)

Written communication
Clear expression of ideas in writing and good grammatical form.
(Varying levels of writing skills are required for different jobs. The ability to convey ideas is important. The degree to which proper grammar and form are important depends on both job and type of communication.)

Employee Evaluation and Selection

2007-04-15T11:03:00.000+08:00

Purpose and validity of the employee evaluation and selection process

The specific purposes of an employee evaluation interview are:

To assist in the assessment of candidates capacity and motivation to perform a particular job within an organization, to the satisfaction of the organization.
To help the candidates formulate her / his own assessment of the job and the organization.
The interview may be the only tool which is used for selection, or it may form one stage in a sequence of eliminating hurdles. These can include medical checks, school reports, references, intelligence tests, personality tests, aptitude tests and group assessment techniques.

Validity of the employee evaluation and selection process
Much has been written about the validity of the interview as a selection tool. It is regarded by some as being so subjective as to be totally worthless. Interviewer bias, prejudice and the halo / horn effect undermine, so the argument goes, any pretence of an objective assessment of the candidates suitability. The proponents of this view advocate scrapping the interview in favor of tests.

Some interviewers, on the other hand, will confess to no such human frailty. They maintain that they can tell as soon as the candidate has walked through the door of the interview room, whether the person is suitable or not. "When you've been in the game as long as I have you can spot them straight away," they say.

Such interviewers, with implicit faith in their own judgement, tend to assume that their own highly personalized methods are the right answer to their (and every one else) problems. For them, the sophistication of testing is wasted on an exercise as simple as summing up another person's character and abilities.

Undoubtedly, a properly conducted job interview should have a place, and a fairly significant one, in any selection process. But properly conducted, means something rather less hit and miss than the "I can spot them..." approach.

A properly conducted selection interview is one where the interviewer does not pretend to be free from bias and prejudice and susceptibility to the halo effect. It is one where the interviewer has examined his own attitudes sufficiently thoroughly to be aware when these forces may be coming into play, and to make allowance for them.

Even where the candidate will ultimately be required to work with the interviewer, this principle holds good. It is in the nature of such misconceptions that they are eventually found to be either ill founded or illegal.

Employee evaluation and selection process requirements
What is required during the employee evaluation and selection interview in particular is interviewer discipline. Discipline to work out what it is that interviewer (or more appropriately what the organization) is looking for and why is he looking for it;

to consider how he will recognize it when he sees it;
how he will judge whether it is there in sufficient quantity;
and to assess each employee or potential employee strictly in terms of the qualities and attributes he has described, rather than in terms of his own likes and dislikes.
This discipline can only be achieved with effort. It is after all, much easy to say "I just did not take to him", but you may have lost the organization an effective worker or even potential savior. So we start with discipline and the embodiment of this will be found in the stages of preparation for employee evaluation and selection interviewing that will be described shortly.

Self discipline is but one factor. It would be foolish to discount the power of gut instinct. If at the end of a detailed and objective assessment the interviewer finds that there is something that just does not fit, he / she should beware. He / she should reevaluate his / her data, search his / her inner self afresh to be sure that it is not the accent with which the interviewee speaks, or the way he parts his hair that is reminiscent of someone who holds unfortunate associations for him / her.

If he / she is still not satisfied, if there is still something he / she cannot quite put his / her finger on, he / she should either seek a second opinion, through references or a second interview with an unprepared colleague or, if neither of these is feasible, write a polite letter rejecting the candidate.

Importance of employee evaluation
Putting square pegs into round has never been good employment practice, and can have a very adverse effect on the organizations performance if multiplied by a sufficiently high number.

Today, it is positively detrimental for all concerned, not least the square peg. It is a truism which the law seems to be making constantly truer; that it is a lot easier to get square pegs in, than get them out. They may only be eased out finally after a considerable amount of humiliation and bitterness, which helps neither the employer or the employee.

Correct selection is therefore of crucial importance. And correct selection must mean that both parties to the selection decision, interviewer and interviewee, are satisfied, in all circumstances, the right decisions has been made. The candidate who has been subjected to a battery of tests, however thoroughly validated, will not necessarily feel this if he / she has never had a chance to talk to a member of the organization.

Similarly, the interviewer who has never met the candidate cannot be sure that the approved ingredients detected by the tests do really go to make up an acceptable whole whose appearance and impact on others match his / her test scores and whose tenacity and motivation augur well for success in the job.

How to Recruit and Hire the Best: A Checklist for Success in Hiring Employees

2007-04-14T11:53:00.000+08:00

Determine the need for a new or replacement position.

Think creatively about how to accomplish the work without adding staff (improve processes, eliminate work you don’t need to do, divide work differently, etc.).

Hold a recruiting planning meeting with the recruiter, the HR leader, the hiring manager, and, potentially, a coworker or internal customer.

Develop and prioritize the key requirements needed from the position and the special qualifications, traits, characteristics, and experience you seek in a candidate

With HR department assistance, develop the job description for the position.
Determine the salary range for the position.

Decide whether the department can afford the position.

Post the position internally on the "Job Opportunities” bulletin board for one week. If you anticipate difficulty finding a qualified internal candidate for the position, state in the posting that you are advertising the position externally at the same time.

Send an all-company email to notify staff that a position has been posted.

All staff members encourage talented, qualified, diverse internal candidates to apply for the position. (If you are the hiring supervisor, as a courtesy, let the current supervisor know if you are talking to his or her reporting staff member.)
Interested internal candidates fill out the Internal Position Application.

Schedule an interview, for internal candidates, with the hiring supervisor, the manager of the hiring supervisor or a customer of the position and HR. (In all cases, tell the candidates the timelines you anticipate the interview process will take.)

Hold the interviews with each interviewer clear about their role in the interview process. (Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the screening responsibilities you may want your interviewers to assume.)

Interviewers fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form.

If no internal candidates are selected for the position, make certain you clearly communicate with the applicants that they were not selected. Whenever possible, provide feedback that will help the employee continue to develop their skill and qualifications. Use this feedback as an opportunity to help the employee continue to grow their career.

If an internal candidate is selected for the position, make a written job offer that includes the new job description and salary.

Agree on a transition timeline with the internal candidate’s current supervisor.
If you've created another internal opening, begin again.

End the search.
If no qualified internal candidates apply, extend the search to external candidates, if you didn't advertise the position simultaneously. Develop your candidate pool of diverse applicants.

Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability in your industry and to each employee’s network of friends and associates.

Place a classified ad in newspapers with a delivery reach that will create a diverse candidate pool.

Recruit online. Post the classified ad on jobs and newspaper-related websites including the company website.

Post the position on professional association websites.

Talk to university career centers.

Contact temporary help agencies.

Brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position.

Through your recruiting efforts, you've developed a pool of candidates. People are applying for your open job. Whether you have developed a candidate pool in advance of the job opening or you are searching from scratch, the development of a qualified pool of candidates is crucial.

Send postcards or emails to each applicant to acknowledge receipt of the resume. (State that if the candidate appears to be a good match for the position, relative to your other applicants, you will contact them to schedule an interview. If not, you will keep their application/resume on file for a year in case other opportunities arise.)

Employee Benefits

2007-04-13T15:02:00.000+08:00

Implementing an employee benefits program has become more important than ever for most small businesses as a way to attract and retain quality employees.

Does employee benefit administration have you more confused than ever? If so, it’s no wonder. Even a simple employee benefit plan can create mounds of paperwork and management problems for businesses. To make matters worse, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to compete in today’s labor market without offering an employee benefit program of some kind. Most employees today expect full employee benefits and many believe they should receive benefits equivalent to a federal employee benefit program. Even employees that work for minimum wage commonly expect to receive employee benefits similar to the Wal Mart employee benefit program.
Whether you like it or not, employee benefits have become a must have for most employers. Not only does offering employee benefits help you to keep up with the competition, but it can also be a good way to attract and retain quality employees as well as promote teamwork and morale in your organization.

If you are considering offering an employee benefit plan to your employees in order to remain competitive and retain quality employees, it’s important to understand the key components of a plan and employee benefit management.

So, what is the minimum employee benefits you should offer? Take a look at the basics below.

Health benefits are considered to be the core of any employee benefit plan by most employees. Today most employers offer a choice between either an HMO or a PPO and cover approximately 80% of the premium for their employees as well as the dependents of their employees. You may also consider offering dental and vision coverage.

The other key component of an employee benefits program is a savings program. By and far, the most popular plan of this type is the 401(k) savings plan. Keep in mind that you can offer a 401(k) to your employees without actually contributing any funds yourself. If you do choose to generously make contributions to your employee’s savings plan, you might consider setting a cap out amount. For example, you might agree to contribute no more than $1000 a year per employee. That is quite standard among most small businesses that offer this type of plan.

While health and savings benefits comprise the core of most employee benefit plans, it’s important to recognize that you can be flexible when designing an employee benefit program. Many employers today are offering employee benefits in a most creative way to satisfy the emerging unique interests of their employees. For example, many businesses are now offering onsite child care, pet insurance, domestic partner benefits and meal reimbursements for employees that typically put in overtime.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

I Can't Get No Employee Satisfaction

2007-04-12T15:00:00.000+08:00

A cancerous growth of employee dissatisfaction can be lurking under the surface of your organisation. Find it, treat and cured it with the help of online surveys.

I'm not happy. The printer has still not been fixed and now my chair is broken. The problem with this place is that it is falling apart. My boss is okay but has no clue what is going on. That new guy that started last week, who no one bothered to introduce, has been given a job that he has no idea how to do; why didn't they just ask me? I could have told them that a new set of drawings have been issued so even if he did know what he was doing the drawings he is using are obsolete anyway. Sometimes I don't know why I bother turning up.

I went for a drink with some of the guys last night after work. No one is happy and Sally from Accounts says that she has just about had enough and is thinking of asking for a rise and if they don't give it to her she is going to quit.

The management here just don't have a clue, we are haemorrhaging money through our inefficiencies and they think that sending out memo's telling us that they are introducing new procedures for claiming expenses is going to make a difference – whoopee do.

I think I'll ask for a pay rise, if Sally from Accounts can get one I can.

And so it goes on.

These are the sort of thoughts that start to play on the minds of individuals when a company looses touch with their employees; the broken chair, the lack of appreciation, the blaming of 'management', even questioning the futility of what they are doing. Minor problems fester and a cynical and destructive mindset develops. Can you be sure that it isn't going on right now in your organisation?

Social events outside the office become nothing more than a forum for complaints and negativity grows among people who feel powerless to effect change. Dissatisfaction will often synthesise into a demand for an increase in remuneration, as though like a cheap fix more money will momentarily lessen the pain.

Left by management, undiscovered and unaware, the concern's of this employee will inevitable find solace with their colleagues own individual concerns, where the only common demand will be for an increase in remuneration, more paid holidays and a reduction in working hours, all of which will not fix the broken chair, ensure that new personnel are in future properly introduced, trained and managed nor help management identify areas of inefficiency.

Organisations have a habit of compartmentalising people, either physically through offices, cubicles and workstations but also in terms of responsibility. With effective and strong management to support this structure it can be productive, but as an organisation grows, and weak or inappropriate management infiltrates the management chain, it is inevitable that cracks will begin to appear.

From the top down all can appear rosy in the corporate garden as the weak and inappropriate manager reports that all is well in the engine room, oblivious to the fact that their coal stocks might be dwindling.

Experience shows us that relying on a limited number of indicators gives a skewed perspective just like a person with only one eye has difficulty judging distance. Good management will therefore establish procedures that sample the mood throughout the organisation from different perspectives providing a rounded picture.

The benefits of establishing good, frequent and extensive communication channels are both direct and indirect.

A senior management team that is known to have their ear to the ground will command great respect and will keep middle managers from becoming complacent knowing that they can no longer dismiss the senior managers searching "How is everything going?" question with a glib "Fine"; In my book if someone says "fine" you have to ask if they really know what is going on.

Most principals of organisation will not have the luxury of spending time walking the floor and discussing the issues of individuals but through online surveys they can achieve the same benefits.

Online surveys are the perfect mechanism for establishing effective employer/employee communications. Using a survey hosting service like www.surveygalaxy.com they can now be created and published with ease and speed.

Using the internet and intranet surveys can be deployed in seconds, easily completed by employees and results can be displayed in real time allowing 'problems' and common themes of dissatisfaction to be identified early.

Online employee satisfaction surveys have the ability to get to the heart of an organisation, confirm not only that the engine room is working but that there is sufficient coal in the bunker.

The benefits that online surveys bring are considerable, not only are the real issues identified, but employees feel that their voices are being heard and that their views, right or wrong, have a forum.

Online surveys won't in themselves resolve a problem but they will give senior management the opportunity to address the problems and concerns of their employees, at least if people then leave the organisation they will be doing it for the right and not wrong reasons.

The grass will always appear greener on the other side but the underlying reasons for good people leaving an organisation are rarely purely monetary (although it is often cited as the reason) and more often to do with one or more of the following:-

the workplace environment;
a lack of fulfilment;
limited training and feedback;
lack of career growth;
over work;
lack of trust and respect with their senior managers.
A well planned employer/employee communications programme that can identify the individual and common concerns of employees will give senior management the opportunity to address root problems and not just the symptoms of employee dissatisfaction, allowing them to demonstrate to their employees that they are not viewed simply as interchangeable parts that can be used for any job at hand.

Employee surveys need to be customised so they are relevant for each individual organisation. I invite you to put yourself in the place of an employee and complete the short Sample Employee Satisfaction Survey so you will get a flavour for what is possible;

http://www.surveygalaxy.com/surPublishes.asp?survey_id=1163

Now view the summary results of the survey and think of the benefits to management being able to measure the level of employee satisfaction.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Reference Checking

2007-04-11T11:51:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield

Reference Checking Introduction
Checking job or employment references is time-consuming and frequently unsatisfactory, as many employers, despite recent legislation, refuse to offer more than dates of employment, salary history and job title. Secondly, if you're not careful, each reference check can turn into a friendly chat during which you don't obtain the information you need to make an objective decision about hiring your candidate.

As with most Human Resources processes, a standard reference checking format is useful. You can easily compare candidates and ensure you are asking the "right" questions to make an educated decision before offering the applicant a job with your company.

I don't check references until we are ready to make an offer to a candidate. This saves staff time and demonstrates our respect for the candidate.

After all, you don't know whether his current employer or her favorite professor even know he or she is looking for a new position. (I prefer candidates who tell their employer, but realize this isn't always possible, or even desirable.)

Employees Selection: Interviews

2007-04-10T10:34:00.000+08:00

Types of selection methods.

The HR manager can choose the most comprehensive type of employees selection from the following:

Interviews, references and biographical data, physical ability tests, cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, work samples, honesty tests and drug tests. It is worth to pay special attention to such type of personnel selection as interviews. Interviews. A selection interview has been defined as “a dialogue initiated by one or persons to gather information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for employment”. The selection interview is the most widespread selection method employed in organizations. First, HR staff should keep the interview structured, standardized, and focused on accomplishing a small number of goals. That is, they should plan to come out of each interview with quantitative ratings on a small number of dimensions that are observable (e.g., interpersonal style or ability to express oneself) and avoid ratings of abilities that may be better measured by tests (e.g., intelligence).

Second, ask questions dealing with specific situations that are likely to arise on the job, and use these to determine what the person is likely to do in that situation. These types of situational interview items come into varieties. Some items are “experience based” and require the applicant to reveal an actual experience he or she had in the past when confronting the situation. Other items are “future oriented” and ask what the person is likely to do when confronting a certain hypothetical situation in the future. Before going to the employment interview be ready to hear the following questions:

Examples of Experience-Based and Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items

Experience Based

Motivating employees:
“Think about an instance when you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have done. How did you handle that situation?”

Resolving conflict:
“What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?”

Future Oriented

Motivating employees:
“Suppose you were working with an employee whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?”

Resolving conflict:
“Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“Suppose you had an idea for change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change. What would you do in that situation?”

Ask Right to Hire Right: Effective Interview Questions

2007-04-09T11:38:00.000+08:00

From Susan M. Heathfield,

Many organizations are spending a great deal of time defining competencies for each position. You can, if you have the time and resources to do so. You don’t have to embark on a lengthy process, however.

Use a simple job description with a set of behaviorally-based interview questions to pinpoint the people you want in your organization.

When your interview questions ask the applicant to tell you about behaviors and actions she has actually demonstrated in the past, your selection process will improve.

Identify Characteristics of Your Best Employees
At ReCellular, Inc., a cellular phone remanufacturing and reuse company in Dexter, Michigan, a team of people put together a list of interview questions that immediately improved their hiring process.
The team first defined the qualities, characteristics and basic aptitude they wanted to find in a potential remanufacturing employee. They wanted to find people who shared these characteristics:

Excellent Attendance and Dependability

Flexibility

Integrity and Honesty

Motivated and Dedicated

Detail-Orientated

Team-Orientated

Strong Work Ethic

Positive, Polite, and Approachable

Continuous Improvement Orientated

Good Communication Skills

Actual Hands-On Demonstration of Capability to Sort Phones and Identify Cosmetic Problems With Phones

Develop Interview Questions to Identify These Characteristics
The team then worked with several online resources to structure questions that would indicate whether candidates had these characteristics. No list of questions is totally comprehensive, however, these questions are helping the interviewers find better candidates.

What made you decide to apply at ReCellular?

Tell me about yourself and your last/current job/class.

When we call your previous employer or references what are they likely to tell us in regards to your dependability/attendance?

Tell me about a time when you demonstrated your trustworthiness or integrity in school or at work.

Tell me about a time when you were working hard to complete a task and you were asked to leave that task before completing it and start a different job.

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done.

Give me an example of a time when you had set a goal for yourself and tell me how you went about accomplishing it.

Give me a specific occasion on which you followed a policy with which you did not agree.

Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

Tell me about a time when you improved a task or job you were working on.

In what kind of a work environment do you do your best work?

The potential employee then demonstrates the ability to sort phones and identify cosmetic problems on an actual box of phones.
This process is helping the organization select better employees. You can simply, and with a few hours of work, develop a similar list of questions for job applicants.

Determine Job Interview Questions in Advance of the Interview
Determining a list of job interview questions in advance allows comparisons of applicants across interviews. It also assists your organization to take a more team-oriented approach to interviewing and selecting candidates.
When you have a pre-determined list of job interview questions, you need to provide less training to teams of employees selecting new team members. You control the flow of the conversation and avoid asking illegal interview questions.

Your hiring decisions will improve and you’ll have a better handle on the characteristics and abilities your applicants will bring to the workplace.

Profile Analysis

2007-04-08T11:27:00.000+08:00

Evaluating employees against job requirements
Few aspects of management command more attention and are fraught with more difficulties than that of managing human resources. First line supervisors feel the pressure daily to find the right persons for each position and, when found, to keep the individual challenged against the requirements of the position.

Unfortunately, there are no scientific formulas for defining position requirements and evaluating job applicants. The position / person matching process seems more art than science. While it is performed daily by many, few feel comfortable at handling the required complexities. One reason is that they have no analytical framework for addressing this process of balancing with people.

Whether

establishing a new position,
seeking qualified applicants to hire,
evaluating performance of existing personnel,
or attempting to develop personnel career advancement,
one is involved in matching a person to a position. When a supervisor decides to hire someone, it is because that person is thought to offer qualities that match certain job requirements.

To evaluate the performance of an existing employee, a supervisor compares the expectations for the position with the employees actual performance. The requirements of the position must be determined, the performance or capabilities of individuals must be evaluated against these requirements.

This process is carried out continually, often without the aid of any concrete discipline. Each case seems unique. The need is for an ordered methodology for doing this, that accommodates the different environments and the non quantifiable elements that must be taken into account.

Profile analysis is the tool of choice in these circumstances

Job position profile
The first step is establishing a definition of the job position. That starts by stating its expectations, asking, "What is the position to accomplish?" This definition can take a variety of forms, and is frequently developed using such documents as job descriptions, key performance objectives, and a listing of functional responsibilities and activities.

From the expectations, the position can be dissected into the knowledge / skills that are essential to accomplish those expectations. This identification of knowledge / skill factors is simple acknowledgment of their importance to the position.

Each position should be supported by from six to ten knowledge / skills constructs, each with a brief description. The following are examples of a computer programmer position within a financial organization. The person who fills the position will need

oral and written communication skills,
knowledge of the industry,
knowledge of accounting systems,
knowledge of and experience using Cobol programming language,
knowledge of the computers operating system, and
skills in data base management.
Once the list of knowledge / skill constructs has been prepared, the next step is to determine the level of knowledge / skill required for each factor. To do this, envision each factor on a continuum ranging from zero to some theoretical maximum, with 0 representing no knowledge / skill required and 10 the theoretical maximum. This continuum is illustrated in Knowledge / skill continuum graphic below.

Determine the level of the knowledge / skill for each of the constructs identified. This level determination acknowledges that while the knowledge / skill factor is required, the level required is not the same for each. Nor is the highest (10) always the best.

It is important to acknowledge that not all factors can be quantified to the same extent. Actually, some are quite subjective by their nature. However, if important to the position, such factors should be listed and an attempt made at determining a level.

To illustrate, if once again a computer programmer position is being considered, skill in programming Cobol will be a factor. But the level of skill required for the position will rarely be such that it will require rewriting the Cobol compiler. If the position is for a maintenance programming position, a four or five (on the 0 to 10 scale) many be appropriate. For a position that will be developing new computer applications, a higher rating of a six or seven would be appropriate. For this factor, the skills required can be readily quantified.

In a management analyst position, problem solving skills are a likely required factor. If the person holding the position will be involved in negotiating relatively simple solutions between small groups of people, a four or a five may be adequate as a rating. If the position requires developing complex solutions involving large numbers of people with widely divergent interests, the level needed may be a six or seven. If the issues are exceptionally delicate and risks of failure are extremely high, an eight may be more appropriate.

Naturally, it will be more difficult to quantify these skills than the programming skill in the earlier example.

Regardless of the ability to quantify each construct, this factor analysis will result in the placing of an x somewhere along each applicable knowledge / skills continuum. When these continua are combined (one for each knowledge / skill factors), the result is a profile for the position, This profile can be graphically shown be placing each knowledge / skill continuum into a single diagram using a common axis.

The position profile analysis diagram below shows the profile for a non supervisory computer programmer using the six knowledge / skill constructs listed earlier. Note that each knowledge / skill factor has a determined requirement level indicated by an x on the zero to ten continuum. The shaded area of the diagram is the profile of the position.

For convenience of evaluation, the specialized factors are grouped together on the right and the more general, non technical ones on the left. This shows at a glance whether the position requires strong technical skills, strong supervisory skills, or a balance. As would be expected, in the case of a non supervisory computer programming position, technical skills are more important. This is reflected by the profile itself being skewed to the right and the fact that two of the technical factors have been labelled critical .

Personnel profile
Once the position requirements are established, attention can turn to evaluating the job applicant side of the equation.

Input for this part of the evaluation will come from a variety of sources, including

a job application
resume / CV,
a job interview,
discussion with former employers,
actual on the job observations and
discussion with peers.
Using the information obtained, a personnel evaluation of each job candidate can be performed in which the individual qualifications are matched with the previously developed knowledge / skill factors required, factor by factor. Using a spider chart, the individuals level can then be annotated for each factor. When connecting lines are drawn, a corresponding personnel profile results. Position profile for an applicant shows the completed result.

At a glance, it is evident that the person being evaluated in the chart is somewhat suited for the position. There are some weaknesses in the area of database management, accounting systems and the required communication skills. But these dimensions are considered to be not among the two critical factors to the position. Hence, the candidate may still be acceptable, especially when future developmental needs are considered.

The gap between position and person is not substantial (indicating the applicant has some experience with the operating system), the non quantifiable approach to determining these levels makes precision difficult, and finally knowledge in this factor can be acquired via added training in a relatively short period of time. The persons strengths in the key dimensions more than compensate for the deficiencies encountered.

Step beyond
The above discussion focuses on the immediate application of the profile analysis technique, but it is its potential use that holds the greatest excitement. Since much of it is quantifiable, its use with it is a real possibility. It is quite conceivable that a system could be designed and built to allow a manager to sit at a computer and go through a series of questions to identify a position's required knowledge / skill factors and the level of each.

Potential job candidates could also be given a series of questions (via a computer) that would tie directly to these factors. The result would be a computer-generated profile for both the position and each candidate employee. While this would not be a substitute for applications, interviews, and the like, it could be an added screening instrument. It would add a level of quantification frequently missing in matching personnel with positions.

Employment agencies could use this technique to insure that only those applications with a relatively good fit are sent to be interviewed. Within a company, decisions about internal career moves, training needs and the like could be aided.

Conclusion
In many ways, the position / employee profile analysis described in this article is not new. Managers and supervisors intuitively perform it frequently. What this methodology adds, however, is an element of discipline in the marching of positions with potential or existing employees. Because it can be portrayed graphically, it is easy to grasp and communicate. Additionally, the methodology has four advantages.

Profile analysis provides for quantifying where applicable, but does nor force non-quantifiable elements into a rigid structure.

The methodology is oriented toward knowledge / skill and therefore does not carry the negative personal connotations often associated with personnel evaluations. It focuses on not only where there may be weakness, but also where there are strengths. And, most importantly, weakness' or strengths are seen only in relation to the position not as an assessment of personal worth. This technique sets the stage for bringing about improvements where the need is identified.

This methodology provides continuity because the same structure can be used for establishing a job position, hiring for a position, evaluating existing employees, and planning training. This continuity should go a along way toward reducing the ambiguity frequently associated with managing human resources.

The profile analysis technique has the benefit of being well adapted to information technology. Databases could be established for a wide range of knowledge skill factors, each with associated questions to help identify required levels, for any given position. Corresponding questions to evaluate the existing knowledge / skill levels of candidates / employees could be included. Databases could also be established for each employee for making reassignments, promotions, special projects etc.

A cure all? No, but most definitely a tool to help managers and supervisors accomplish a very critical element of their responsibilities.

Employee Time Off Policies

2007-04-07T14:59:00.000+08:00

Employee Time Off has an array of definitions and differs from company to company. In General, Time Off is the period of time during which you are absent from work or duty.

... "a ten day's leave to visit his mother."
An Employees salary is deducted when he/she take Time off. However, most companies also have a Paid Time Off Policy. This policy entitles every employee to a specified number of days of work with pay. Paid Time Off (PTO) days may be used for vacation, personal time, illness or time off to care for dependents. PTO must be scheduled in advance and approved by the companies supervisor, except in cases of illness or emergency. PTO is earned on an employment year basis and is earned on the first day of each month following your date of employment. During an employees first year of employment, PTO is earned at a rate of one-twelfth of 17 days, or 1.42 days per month. Time off may only be used as it is earned, except in the case of illness. After your first employment anniversary, the employee would be able to schedule Paid Time Off at any time during your employment year. An employee may schedule PTO in whole or half days but not less than a half day.

The process of tracking Paid Time Off is of prime importance to organizations the world over. Allowing or tolerating PTO abuse is a common mistake among businesses, and one that costs organizations a lot of their money. Every extra day that is taken costs an organization hundreds of dollars in direct labor costs. Tracking and managing PTO, when left to managers’ discretion, is error prone, time consuming, cumbersome, and often ignored.

Nowadays, most companies are resorting to Time Off softwares as a comprehensive and affordable system for managing and tracking Paid Time Off for employees. These softwares are 100% web based, and can be deployed as an in-house solution, or hosted by Internal Systems. All one needs is a browser to run the software. These softwares ensure a fast, easy and accurate way of managing and tracking Paid Time Off for employees.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Improving employee retention

2007-04-06T14:57:00.000+08:00

Look at how to improve employee retention by creating an environment that reduces stress while improving energy and morale.

Last month, we followed along as Jane and Bob examined motivation and how each team member is motivated differently. Now, Jane and Bob are looking at how to improve employee retention by creating an environment that reduces stress while improving energy and morale.
Statistics consistently show that employees leave companies more often because of unhappiness with their role or environmental conditions rather than compensation.

What kind of environmental conditions?Environmental stressors include change (especially big changes), which can include:

• new department head

• downsizing

• merger or acquisition

• team member challenges

• new job responsibilities or project

Jane and Bob need to be aware that these issues cause stress. While there isn't anything they can do about these conditions (when you need a new department head, you need one!), they can be aware that they are stressful.

Then, there are home stressors.

Sometimes stressors are from employees' home life. For example, someone gets a promotion and all the sudden, he is working very long hours. Maybe it's not a problem with his home life, or maybe it is. It's important to be aware of the possible problems that might arise that could cause stress.

Having a star employee whose home life is a wreck is eventually going to become Jane and Bob's problem at work. Be aware.

What stress does to a companyStress causes energy drains in staff, reduced productivity, increased mistakes, and a reduced amount of patience and tolerance. Obviously, none of this is good for Jane and Bob, the team, the company, the clients, or you.

With many people who are stressed, they don't communicate their issues, and so their course of action is flight or fight. We already know that stress causes less tolerance, and minor scrapes or big blowups are likely to occur somewhere (fight). Let's just hope it's not with your most important client.

When flight occurs, the employee simply leaves. Perhaps the first time you are aware there was a problem was when she resigns. By then, it's too late.

The improving-energy-and-morale partAs we reduce stress, an individual's energy and morale both improve. It's a direct inverse ratio: decrease one; the other increases.

To continue on their path of decreasing stress and improving energy and morale, Jane and Bob watch for areas that might increase stress for an individual and then address it. Ignoring it and hoping it will go away is more likely to make the person go away, not the problem.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Track Employee Output & Not Time

2007-04-05T14:55:00.000+08:00

In many companies the HR department and Accounts love to have the salary of an employee deducted on the pay day based on their on-seat attendance time.

This one is too harsh and especially for someone who has to sit facing the monitor continuously is a pain in the neck and eyes.

At one place employers want to have every single possible check on their employees and keep looking for ways and means to deduct salary. On the other hand they also want employees to be retained for a longer period by the HR department. Something here to understand is in organizations where someone is paid on an hourly basis, this can go well, however an monthly salaried will never appreciate this pattern of workplace. They will definitely like to switch to a better workplace.

There is a basic difference between employee and slave. In modern industry employees are hired not on the basis of how much time they can spent working but on the basis of their performance, output & results they can deliver.

With technology advancing at a rocket speed even employers need to grow and give more space to employees.

Three companies implementing the latest web based tracking system to calculate employee time sheet. One wants this system to check whether any employee is misusing the facilities provided to employees, other wants to know how much more they can deduct from an employees salary and the third wants their employees to have access to their time sheets anytime and from anywhere. Can we see the difference in basic approach of all three employers. The system they all use is the same technology and all for automating their employee time sheets. However the first will find most of the employees in suspicion level since the basic approach derived from this very thought. The second employer will find it very hard to retain employees and the third employer will have better output from the employee just because they will be more committed and responsible in their approach.

Its always what you think is what you see and what you see is what you say and what you say is what you are and what you are is what you get...

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

D-List Part 3

2007-04-03T15:04:00.000+08:00

These blogs have the ‘no follow’ link disabled from the comments, which means that if you comment on these sites, you will get an actual link. If you would like to be included here, please let me know.

If you find this list useful, please consider linking to it.

This DoFollow Blog list is courtesy of Courtney Tuttle and was created originally by Coleen as the D-List.

Jonlee
Jones PC
JOIN - Do Follow Bloggers **
Julies
Journal
Just Not Martha
Kansha Shite
Knitting Fiend, The
Last Blogger
LeaveAmerica
Life in the Fast Lane
Life Is Risky
Life Learning Today
Life Of A School Bus Driver, The
Life Passion Travel & More
Life through eyes of Krissy
Lifecruiser
LittleAmerica.us
Live Life Organics & Your Health
Magical Rose Garden
Marketing Blagger
Master Cleanse
Midlife Musings
Mom is Nutz
MomReviews.net
Mothering Many
My Credit Group
My Dandelion Patch
My Home Recipe
My Muddled Mind
My Opinion Counts
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Nanashi-Inc.net
New Century Politics
No Average Mom
Odd Planet
On the Horizon
Open Road Biker

To be continued

Employee Benefits

2007-04-03T14:54:00.000+08:00

Finding Employees

2007-04-02T14:51:00.000+08:00

Finding the right employee can be a piece of cake when you know where to look and how to look. By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular ways to conduct an employee search you can better increase your chances of finding a good employee. Finally, by knowing how to recruit new employees, not just hire them, you can save yourself a lot of trouble in the end.

The process of finding the right employee is a daunting task for many employers who are unsure how to go about the task, or even where to begin. Fortunately, there are a number of services and methods available that can make an employee search much simpler.
Of course, one of the most popular methods for recruiting employees is to use the traditional help wanted poster and classified listing. It should be noted; however that this method really only works well if you have a traditional storefront with a brick and mortar building. In addition, you should be aware that with this type of employee search you are generally only going to receive the most general and traditional recruits. While this is a reliable, and free, method for finding employees; you are much more likely to attract applicants who are unqualified and who may have questionable work ethics.

Public services can make the process of finding good employees a little easier without spending any money doing it. This is because each state has an employment service office that can help you with your employee search. These offices are often referred to as the ‘unemployment office’; a nickname most states would like to do away with. In reality, these offices are affiliated with the United States Employment Service and Department of Labor. They can help you with everything from screening applicants with aptitude tests to actually receiving resumes and applications for you so that you don’t have to interrupt your daily business operations with the inundations. Best of all-these services are completely free.

If you want to step up your efforts in finding the right employee, you might consider a fee based search. Employment and recruitment agencies handle screening, background checks and aptitude tests in order to help you in finding good employees. They can also provide advise to you on how to recruit employees. Be aware, though; this service will cost you.

Temporary personnel services are also a solution that may be able to help you in finding employees. This type of services normally works better if you are experiencing a temporary labor shortage rather than a permanent staff person; however. The big benefit to using a temporary personnel service is that they will generally handle multiple tasks such as payroll, tax deductions, fringe and other costs associated with an employee.

So, once you have decided how you are going to go about finding employee; do you know how to recruit a new employee? Do you know what to look for in a candidate to know whether they will make a dedicated employee?Unfortunately, many companies and organizations rush into the hiring decision in an effort to alleviate labor shortage problems without giving any real thought to beyond whether the person has the skills and is available to whether they will make a truly good employee or not.

Many of these problems can be alleviated with a good solid interview and background check. A good interview involves more than asking when a candidate can start to work and whether they have the requisite experience. You need to delve into their motivations and determine whether they will be a good fit for your team. Furthermore, a rushed timeline is no reason not to perform a background check. It may take a little longer but the wealth of information you can uncover regarding a candidate in a background check can save you multiple headaches down the road.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Employees Selection: Interviews

2007-04-01T14:49:00.000+08:00

Personnel selection is a process by which companies decide who will or will not be allowed into their organizations. Several generic standards should be met in any selection process.

Types of selection methods.

The HR manager can choose the most comprehensive type of employees selection from the following:

Interviews, references and biographical data, physical ability tests, cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, work samples, honesty tests and drug tests.

It is worth to pay special attention to such type of personnel selection as interviews.

Interviews. A selection interview has been defined as “a dialogue initiated by one or persons to gather information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for employment”. The selection interview is the most widespread selection method employed in organizations.

First, HR staff should keep the interview structured, standardized, and focused on accomplishing a small number of goals. That is, they should plan to come out of each interview with quantitative ratings on a small number of dimensions that are observable (e.g., interpersonal style or ability to express oneself) and avoid ratings of abilities that may be better measured by tests (e.g., intelligence).

Second, ask questions dealing with specific situations that are likely to arise on the job, and use these to determine what the person is likely to do in that situation. These types of situational interview items come into varieties. Some items are “experience based” and require the applicant to reveal an actual experience he or she had in the past when confronting the situation. Other items are “future oriented” and ask what the person is likely to do when confronting a certain hypothetical situation in the future. Before going to the employment interview be ready to hear the following questions:

Examples of Experience-Based and Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items
Experience Based. Motivating employees:

“Think about an instance when you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have

done. How did you handle that situation?”

Resolving conflict: “What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change: “What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?”

Future Oriented. Motivating employees: “Suppose you were working with an employee whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task

completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?”

Resolving conflict: “Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change: “Suppose you had an idea for change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change। What would you do in that situation?”

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Positive Selection

2007-03-20T00:35:00.000+09:00

Selection in itself is neutral while positive selection implies that the selection results into a divergence among species. Studies all mention the involvement of positive selection on the gene implication. Positive selection is the core of Darwinian theories of evolution and is the simplest way of explaining the retention of mutations in organisms that allow them to become competitive in the environments they exist in. However, more recent researches have also have shown that though positive selection remains a core principle in understanding evolution of organisms, the action of positive selection in the body systems, particularly those of the nervous system is not directly conclusive to the changes in nucleic changes that have been observed in genomes. One of the consequences of the theory of positive selection to human brain evolution is that it implies that the surviving humanoid specie today is the most intelligent in coping with his environment. It implies that whatever skills that humans developed in the course of this evolution allowed them of have competency that non-survives lineages did not have. Unique characteristics of human like speech, intelligence, technology and the very characteristics of our physiology have all contributed to the human dominance that exists today. However, some researches have also shown that what we think are distinct to humans may not be as distinct at all. All species have their own systems of communication, culture and society that can not be grasped by our understanding. HoweverFind Article, just as undeniable is the fact that there are characteristics like speech and brain capacity that have propelled human evolution: they may have not set us apart format he rest of all organisms but they have certainly allowed the survival of our specie.

Case Study - Selection Process

2007-03-16T15:22:00.000+09:00

article by Kenneth Rice

A new principal is torn between hiring two potential applicants. He believes that applicant A is more suitable for the position than applicant B. However, the committee (staff, students, community members) unanimously wanted applicant B. After more comprehensive research into both applicants’ references and previous employment, the principal is convinced that applicant A is the most suitable for the position but he obtain this information through confidential means.

1. Whose responsibility is it to hire the teachers in a school? The Superintendent and/or the Human Resources Department should hire the teachers with a recommendation from the Principal. Which ever the case, a principal who decides not to follow the committee’s unanimous decision should strongly consider notifying his superior what is driving his decision. If applicant A doesn’t take the job and the Superintendent and/or HR department decide to hire applicant be, it could backfire if the principal knew of discouraging information that he kept to himself. In other words, cover yourself and don’t be the senior person with a secret.

2. What is the appropriate role of the committee and how should this be communicated? The committee should assist the Principal in the selection process by: contributing to the selection of candidates for interviews; assisting with the interview; assist the Principal in reference checks and site visits; and make a recommendation on which candidate is most suitable for the position. Once the committee members have been selected, they should receive extensive training on the selection process, professionalism, confidentiality, how to conduct and interview, how to conduct reference checks and site visits, the requirements of the position and the preferred characteristics of the potential candidate.

3. What should Mr. Menzies do now? Violate the confidences of others or risk the potential lack of support of committee members? He should recommend the applicant that he feels is most suitable for the position based on interviews, committee recommendations, reference checks and site visits he must explain to the committee that he has additional information from the site visits and comprehensive checks that forces his decision. He should also consider using the selection committee to assist in reference checks and site visits in the future and develop a generic questionnaire for site visits and reference checks and each person gives a brief synopsis of the results of during a selection board.

D-List Part 2

2007-03-03T15:03:00.000+09:00

These blogs have the ‘no follow’ link disabled from the comments, which means that if you comment on these sites, you will get an actual link. If you would like to be included here, please let me know.

If you find this list useful, please consider linking to it.

This DoFollow Blog list is courtesy of Courtney Tuttle and was created originally by Coleen as the D-List.

Andy Beard
Ang’s Chicken Coop
Are we there yet
Army Mom:New Jersey
Art Kauffman
Article Writer, The
Ask Jason
Ask Jason Business
Axplay
BenSpark,
The BenSpark 2: Electric Boogaloo
BiggerPockets
BizMark Tech
BlogAboutMoneyOnline
BloggingForBills
BloggingTips
Blogging WV
Blogocola
Blogozine
BMonaco
BodyFitnessInfo
Body, Mind & Solar
Boston Brat
BrownSista
Buy better - Have a Better Life
BuyMeBlog
Buzz Queen, The
By the Sea
Cade’s WriteToRight
CampingCoop.org
Candid Quips
Charmed and Dangerous
Cheffin\’ It!!
Clapping Trees
Colloquium
Comedy Plus
Community Building Blog
Curious Cat Science
Confessions of a Housewife
Confessions of an Everyday housewife
CoolAdzine for Marketers
Craftblog
Crafts 4 Dummies
David Dairey
Dont Fear the Truth
DorisGoShopping.com
Down Memory Lanes
Ecomm Tips
EMomsAtHome
EMoneyMarketing
Endangered Spaces
Fibromyalgia Experiment, The
Finding Life\’s Enchantments
FitForFreedom
Flatwater Tech
Fools Wisdom
FootPrints On the Moon
Fuzzy Future

To be continued

Selecting Staff for Stakeholder Interviews

2007-02-27T09:51:00.000+09:00

This briefing focuses on just one aspect of the process: who to select for stakeholder interviews. It provides some general guidelines, and then lists some possible areas of the organisation to involve. Note that the focus of this briefing is on inwards-facing projects, such as an intranet redevelopment or implementing knowledge management systems. Stakeholder interviews for websites, for example, must necessarily include a broader range of participants, such as the public.

Select 'real' staff
The most important criteria for stakeholder interviews is to involve actual staff who conducted the day-to-day activities of the organisation, not their managers. Within most organisations, previous 'needs analysis' activities have often involved a range of managers from different areas. While this gathers many opinions about what is required, it rarely reflects the actual needs within the organisation.

For this reason, stakeholder interviews should minimise the number of managers involved, and instead include the broadest possible participation from throughout the organisation.

Involving managers
There are two situations where managers should be involved in stakeholder interviews.
The first is where they are a targeted group of users for the project. In this case, they should be interviewed as individuals (not as mangers of others), exploring their daily work patterns, and their specific needs.

It may also be important to involve managers in order to gain sponsorship and support of the project. In this situation, a different set of questions should be used, to focus on the strategic direction of their section, and how the project may meet those needs.

A list of stakeholders
This section outlines a wide range of possible staff to involve in the stakeholder interviews. It has been presented here, not as a comprehensive list that is applicable in all situations, but as a starting point for your own planning.

The list of stakeholders to include should be determined and refined with the involvement of the team members, project sponsors and other senior staff.

Possible participants:

Staff involved in key business processes

The key staff are those who are involved in the most important business processes, whatever those are for your organisation (eg. customer service, sales, manufacturing, research, etc).

Frontline staff (service desks, call centres)

Senior staff (CEO, executive)

Line managers

Administrative staff

Personal assistants, secretaries

Clinical, medical staff (where applicable)

HR staff

Librarians

Records management staff

IT staff

Support staff

Key content owners

Current intranet managers

Staff at remote sites

Off-site staff, or staff in the field

New starters

A knowledge resource is most valuable for those in the organisation who don't yet know how the business operates.

Long-serving staff

Customers, or members of the public

While used internally by staff, the information often meets customer needs, or answers questions from the public.

Sydney gives Queen Mary II 'world's warmest welcome'

2007-02-20T21:27:00.000+09:00

Queen Mary II is spending a day in Sydney as part of its world tour. The company that owns the Queen Mary II says Sydney's welcome to the ocean liner was one of the warmest it has ever received entering a port.

The world's largest passenger ship is too big to fit under the Harbour Bridge or to dock at Circular Quay has docked at the Garden Island naval base in the harbour.

"This is her maiden world voyage and this is her 10th port of call and she's had wonderful warm welcomes right the way round, but I have to say, this morning was quite extraordinary."

Queen Mary II captain Christopher Rynd says coming through the heads this morning was a wonderful experience.

"And then when we got closer and the light started to come in with the rising sun so we could see the thousands of people lining the shoreline.

The Queen Mary II's smaller sister ship, the Queen Elizabeth II, will be in the harbour tonight.

Story: www.abc.net.au

Photo: David Wallace
David Wallace Photography

Effective Staff Motivation

2007-02-19T09:01:00.000+09:00

My grandmother, when she was owner and CEO of a successful company (having to do with medical supplies for the fields of cryogenics), was, as I understand it, and absolute genius at staff motivation. She kept it simple. If she'd for instance received a call from a client who complimented her administrative assistant on her professionalism, then the my grandmother would present that assistant with a $100 bill at the next staff meeting in front of the other employees to motivate them. Now I think that is effective staff motivation.

Staff motivation is more an art than science, but make no mistake it is incredibly important. Think about what you want from your staff and what that staff consists of, humans with human feelings and needs. Humans are, of course, strange creatures by our very design. In one study I read when I was taking an elective course on management psychology (which included such phenoms as staff motivation), a staff of factory workers were actually affected by changes in lighting. The heads of the company brought in light bulbs with dimmer wattageand it was learned that production actually increased but they didn't like. The heads then brought in bulbs of a brighter intensity (than the original bulbs)and the staff cheered and worked harder: production went up just as much. I guess this was an example of bait and switch.

So a good example of staff motivation is manipulation and subtle deceit. But be sure not to overtly trick anyone or cause harm in any way. After many years (decades) of working for and with and over teams of employees, I have personally found that rewards work best for motivation. I was the spirit leader in one company, coming up with freaky Friday and Muddled Mondays ideas for staff motivation by way of staff morale-boosting (for the company and the work was typically quite Kafkaesque).

It was almost childish sometimes, but it really did break up the monotony and add a little life into the mix. It actually put a lot of smiles on people's faces and that can never be under estimated. We had make-your-own-sundae days, international food days, and show-and-tell daysyes, just like when we were kids back in school but with adult objects and stories that distracted temporarily, enlightened, humored, and entertainedgetting us through another week. We also openly encouraged employees to express their own ideas and suggestions and try to foster that type of thinking (learning the jobs each had for a change of pace and for support of whomever was bogged down or behind).

Some ways to destroy staff motivation, which of course is not something you want to teach, but rather be on the lookout to avoid, are those which do the opposite of the above, those whaich are the antithesis of good leadership. I recall having jobs were clueless bosses and administrators could make the workplace they truly miserable place to be (for unsavory political reasons they got into the position in the first place). One leader would hold brainstorming meetings and then say no to every single idea. Could you imagine that? What's the point?

Another would insist on a project, get everyone working at completing the project/presentation, then on the day of debut would bring unrelated changes and items and schedules so that only one person looked together and knew what she was doing. The signs, tents, flyers, and fundraising items were all tossed aside as irrelevant and thereby tossed away potential buyers and supporters, too.

This absolutely destroyed morale and to fight the opposite of the wanted affect. Another clueless boss came up with the idea of working retreats, which we employees made fun but where the leaders would bastardize the concept of retreat in the first place. Still, games, fun, open exchanges of ideas and togetherness projects, and the honoring of (by listening to, acknowledging, crediting, and rewarding) individuals wherever possible seems to work in favor of staff motivation.

It sounds like common sense doesn't it? But some bosses and companies just don't get it. Don't be one of them and your staff motivation will never be a problem.

HR Software - PerfectSoftware’s Cutting Edge Human Resource Management System

2007-02-16T08:11:00.000+09:00

The PerfectSoftware Human Resource software module is designed to help companies in any industry, or any size, bring the challenging task of HR record keeping and government reporting under control. Extensive information is available at your fingertips through our HR software aiding in protecting your company’s most valuable asset, your Human Capital.

Our human resource software makes viewing employee data simple and easy. There are custom search capabilities to aid in finding employee information and working on employee records. You can tailor the HR software by changing field names and search options. This can make the system easier to navigate and to use, maximizing the effectiveness of your time and other resources.

Integrated e-mail capabilities make communication with individual employees and employee groups quick and easy. With our human resource management system, you can send e-mails directly to employees from their demographic records. You can send reports by e-mail to selected groups, departments or the entire company.

With PerfectSoftware’s human resource software, you’ll be able to send Benefit Statements out to the entire company quickly and easily, vastly streamlining this traditionally cumbersome administrative process, and helping to make your benefits communications process more effective.

Responding to government requirements will be made easier with both online access and numerous reporting options for EEO, COBRA, OSHA, Workers Comp, ISO 9000, and much more. PerfectSoftware’s HR software will enable custom reports that can be saved for future use or modification.

Part of our human resource management system, PerfectHR provides interoperability with PerfectPayroll or any other payroll outsource provider. Interoperability provides real-time updating between HR and Payroll to ensure that your HR and Payroll departments are working with the most current and up-to-date employee data.

PerfectHR human resource software can truly aid the HR professional by combining bits of information to produce studies and analyses that help businesses define their future. With the system’s Reports and Tools you will be able to think, analyze and provide top management with significant facts and figures that will aid in running your business in an optimal and effective manner.

ezyHR Software

2007-02-15T16:26:00.000+09:00

ezyHR is simple to install and easy to use, just right for busy people. But you’ll find a range of professional features like you’d find in the systems used by full-time HR personnel.

See when and why employees are absent, store their career and salary history, job details, qualifications and holiday details. Or create a company structure on line, and allocate employees to jobs by ‘drag & drop’. You’ll be amazed at how easy it all is with ezyHR!

ezyHR is everything you could want in a professional HR Software system, repackaged for small businesses, and without the professional price-tag!

What ezyHR users say

"ezyHR's affordability and flexibility have made our HR processes seamless. Great product!"
Tracey Hollands, Roadmaster

"Cyberaid's service and support for ezyHR has been outstanding. Thank you."
Bronwyn Dawson, Construction Control

HR Software - HROffice Employee Benefits Management

2007-02-14T08:44:00.000+09:00

HROffice is built upon a flexible, robust rules-based benefits engine that supports multiple types of benefits ranging from medical, dental, disability, 401(k), and life insurance to non-traditional benefits such as paid employee parking, health club memberships, AFLAC, and other perks. Rate tables are automatically built into the database and virtually any benefit plan can be built within HROffice.

HROffice - Employee Benefits Management
HROffice controls policies, eligibility, procedures and rules. Benefit costs are controlled through automated technology that ensures compliance and provides a simple way of reconciling carrier bills. Error-prone paper processes are eliminated through seamless integrated connectivity. HROffice’s reporting wizard can create a “benefits reconciliation report” that calculates an organization’s benefits costs and easily identifies discrepancies between the company’s records and the carrier invoices. Just this one report alone - and there are many more reports - saves organizations thousands dollars. HROffice pays for itself in months and provides quick payback.

Online open enrollment, a function of HROffice Self-Service, eradicates the tedious paper enrollment process. Accuracy of enrollment data is guaranteed as employees are inputting their own data electronically.

HROffice Carrier Connect provides accurate and secure electronic communication of enrollment data from HROffice to insurance providers via a clearinghouse service. Carrier Connect links up to both HIPAA and non-HIPAA carriers such as 401K vendors.

HR Software - Favour

2007-02-13T09:45:00.000+09:00

A major issue we face as a medium size business is how to effectivley manage the large amount of information required to both fulfill statutory obligations and to provide us with the internal information we require to make decisions.

The system we had prior to purchasing WINOHS was very manual and was made up of numerous spreadsheets, databases and other documents that did not offer functionality or integration.

When we brought the payroll processing back inhouse from an outsourced provider, I did some research to see whether there were any affordable HRIS available that would link to MYOB. This was in line with our organisational goal to streamline our processes, increase efficiency and to centralise information.

As such the main reasons for researching the purchase of a HR/OHS System can be summarised as follows: Eliminate duplication, centralise files & access, integrate with MYOB, ability to prepare reports, cost effective solution.

We have successfully eliminated a number of spreadsheets accross the areas of HR, OHS, IT, Admin & Quality. The ability to set email alerts is one feature that is particularly appealing in that it automates the reminder process from one central location.

n addition, we have been able to computerise all of our training records and scan in the certificates and licences etc. This is especially important in our industry where audits are frequent and regulations are stringent

The performance tab will be highly beneficial as it allows the managers and supervisors to keep their performance notes in a secure and centralised location. This in turn provides a full history to the user assigned with the correct level of access and takes away the reliance on individual peoples memories of occurances.

The equipment tab has allowed us to eliminate our Key, IT Equipment and Calibration registers

I have been pleasantly suprised with the consistency of such a high level of customer service and impressed with the quality, flexibility and functionality of the product

Nicole Black, HR Manager - Heath Tecna Pty Ltd

HR Software - MYstaff

2007-02-09T08:17:00.000+09:00

MYstaff Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is a full-function system designed to perform virtually all of the tasks required by a Human Resources department in a company from 100 to 2,000 employees.

Some of the key features of the MYstaff's HRIS are:
Simple navigation, point and click, no complex menu structure;

Immediate implementation;

Available as an on-demand system managed by MYstaff’s professional data centre;

No capital outlay - just provide employee records and start immediately;

Phase into in-house if required - can be installed in-house for larger organisations;

Customisation – the system is designed for customisation for each user. Custom changes are database resident and not affected by future revisions;

Employee security - customer decides who sees what information. There is no limit to the number of views or “kiosks”;

Fully integrated - enter information once and it is available system-wide;

Available 24/7, 365 days per year from any Internet connection, anywhere in the world.

The system uses the most modern techniques in human interfacing, has been developed in Java so that it can be used in a browser running on almost any workstation environment and utilizes a high performance SQL database for the employee data, workflows and client customisation.

The human interface to the system is extremely intuitive and can generally be introduced to all employees (white and blue collar) with minimal training. This means that the whole system becomes “employee self service” and does not require the development of special purpose kiosks for employee access.

Effective Staff Motivation

2007-02-08T10:13:00.000+09:00

Australian HR Software

2007-02-07T08:59:00.000+09:00

Based on your organisation structure, winHR allows you to record and track information relating to the employees within.

winHR is a mature product and as such has everything you would expect in a serious human resource management system.

Integration is a strength of winHR, which means no matter what payroll system you use, you can be comfortable that an integrated solution is available. In fact, the unique ability to integrate into numerous payrolls means we have clients using many different payrolls including Attache, Arrow, MYOB, Micropay, Chris, Winpay, HR3, LewisPack and even bureau payrolls such as ADP.

Features of winHR allow you to streamline processes, organise documents, automatically trigger emails, display and print reports and graphs and automatically fill forms. Importantly, all the information is contained in one database meaning no more makeshift Excel spreadsheets or Access databases.

Advanced security aspects allow you to limit what users can see, including subsets of information and particular employees based on management structures. Self-service allows an employee to only see their own information.

winHR grows with you. If you have quite a few users or large amounts of data, client-server can be enabled with the flick of a switch, meaning no complex upgrade and conversion requirements.

Most importantly, when you purchase winHR, you receive everything, not just particular modules, so there are no surprises later on.

HR Software - Snowdrop

2007-02-06T08:40:00.000+09:00

Snowdrop - the HR software and Payroll software specialist.

Snowdrop Australia delivers leading Human Resource, Personnel and Payroll management software (HRM) and consultancy services to manage the entire spectrum of HR challenges, from recruitment, personnel and pay, to e-HR, training & development and succession planning.

Snowdrop’s solutions are fresh looking & intuitive, with the intention to illuminate employee information. And, because Snowdrop is about driving real solutions to problems, we deliver a superior portfolio of HR consultancy services to guide customers successfully.

When you choose Snowdrop you’ll see we care as much about the end result as you do.

Handling Strange Interview Questions

2007-02-05T09:24:00.000+09:00

In this week's job searching tip, we address an inquiry from a subscriber about an interviewer asking strange questions. As we discuss in this tip, persuading an interviewer to hire you often requires taking the initiative to find out what their root concerns really are, even if their questions seem strange or even illegal on the surface.

QUESTION FROM A SUBSCRIBER:

In an interview I was asked about what year I graduated. Is this considered illegal since it probes someone's age indirectly?

Also, this may not specifically be a legal/illegal question: I was asked what my GPA was in school, which was 17 years ago. I asked why it would be
important to the position, but then answered it. The interviewer may or may have not been interested in determining my age, but the question seemed
pretty uesless. Recommendations on how to handle obtuse questions like this one?

- J.O.

Dear J.O.,

Yes I agree the question is unusual and quite possibly illegal. Of course reporting illegal questions to government authorities or threatening to sue potential employers probably isn't the best job searching strategy. But I'm not a lawyer so you shouldn't use what I have to say as a substitute for legal advice. You can also review the EEOC's guidelines regarding discriminatory practices on their web site at this address:
http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeo/overview_practices.html

Some recruiters are unaware of employment laws and may not know that it is illegal to discriminate against older candidates.

Did you get the feeling your age would be a benefit or a liability in terms of persuading the person to hire you? I guess the ideal strategy for dealing with a situation like that would be to try to do what salespeople would call "value elicitation" to determine what the interviewer wants.

You could say something like "I did really well in school. In addition to having a solid GPA, I was involved in several extracurricular activities. My college experience has been very helpful in shaping my philosophies about work. It's interesting to contrast my experience in the real world with how I thought it would be before I graduated college. How do you feel about experience in relation to this position - are you looking for someone who has been out in the workforce and has gained perspective, or is the position more suited to a recent graduate?"

What I did with that response was I addressed the interviewer's purported concern about grades, and then went further to ask him if he's looking for someone right out of school or if he values experience. If the interviewer said they were looking for a recent graduate, the reason is probably that they want someone they can train and/or someone who doesn't want a lot of money. Of course you can ask more value elicitation questions to try to determine why the person is looking for the type of person they're looking for. The key here is to make sure your attitude is one of curiosity, not one of accusation or distrust. If you ask the question with a tone indicating you think the person's being unfair, you'll put them on the defensive and they'll be less likely to cooperate. Your tone should be similar to how a waiter would ask "Would you like fries or a baked potato?"

Once you determine the type of person the interviewer is looking for, you then need to decide for yourself whether you could fit in that position. If they're looking for someone they can pay a low salary to (like what they'd pay someone right out of school), you may decide to decline the offer. However, if you're not a recent grad but you're comfortable with taking a job that was designed for one, your next step becomes explaining to the interviewer how you would be a good fit for the job even though you're not a recent grad. You could talk about how you are open to new ideas/experiences, would love the challenge of learning something new, and that salary is not of utmost concern to you because you are very interested in working for their company (or something along those lines).

Another possibility if you determine that they're looking for someone who's different from you is to explain how your skillset and attributes would be a better fit than what they originally had in mind. For example, if they're looking for a recent grad to do an accounts receivable job, you could tell a story about how you worked at a company once where they hired a recent grad to do A/R and it didn't work. This puts you in the position of being a coach/advisor to the interviewer, and your perspective may be something they hadn't thought of.

One of the best ways to deal with strange interview questions is the same way you deal with all kinds of interview questions: preparation. The Job Search Handbook (www.jobsearchhandbook.com) has a chapter on interviewing which can help you come up with a strategy to prepare for your interviews.

D-List Part 1

2007-02-03T15:03:00.000+09:00

These blogs have the ‘no follow’ link disabled from the comments, which means that if you comment on these sites, you will get an actual link. If you would like to be included here, please let me know.

If you find this list useful, please consider linking to it.

This DoFollow Blog list is courtesy of Courtney Tuttle and was created originally by Coleen as the D-List.

RealityWired.com
BrilliantCheers
Achille
OnTheWebEd
JonLee
ChrisHoyt
JulieAnnBonner
LinkItForMe
RamblingThoughtsBlog
BlogThatOutside
Tobsy
NOWG
CatchAFallingStar
SweetAgring
LayerCake
ErikSvend
PajamaProfessional
Hem
MyOpinionsAreImportant
HeckOfIt
RoadLessTravelled
The Fit Shack
Foximus
BetShopBoy
5xMom
Derek
Semmler
Linguistics Zone
Zr5
SmartWealthyRich
How To Split An Atom
The Alternative
Self-Employment Blog
A Politically Incorrect Entrepreneur
CrayonWriter
BlogRaters
TagsKitchen
TradeMacro
Bracing Your Brand
Mother’s Home
Brian Pratt
Best Real Income
1000MileJourney
3DayMom
A Writers Words, An Editors Eye
Aaron Roselo
Advertising for Success
And to Think

To be continued

HR Software -

2007-02-02T08:33:00.000+09:00

HR Census Features

Expect more with HRCensus, the most affordable and comprehensive online HR software suite available. With HRCensus, you can perform all human resources tasks without having to worry about your data ever being corrupted or your machine crashing. Simply log into our secure site and have access to all of your employ records with a click of a button. HRCensus offers everything that you would expect from high end human resources packages. Keep track of every aspect of your workforce with the following separated sections: -Emergency information -Wages -Benefits -Accruals -Evaluations -Notes -Documents -Separation Info -Time Clock

Emergency Information
Wages
Benefits
Accruals
Evaluations
Notes
Documets
Separation Info
Time Clock

Benefits
Most businesses offer a wide range of benefits, and with HRCensus you can make the time consuming process of keeping track of 401ks, dental, health, other insurances a thing of the past. Adding, deleting, or updating an employee benefit is as easy as clicking on the benefits link, filling in the intuitive fields, and clicking save! All of your information is automatically uploaded to our secure servers where you can access it from any internet connection on earth. Don't believe that it's that easy? Sign up for a free trial today and see why people are choosing the no software approach of HRCensus now more then ever!

HR Software - NuView Systems

2007-02-01T08:46:00.000+09:00

NuView Systems is a leading provider of HRIS / HRMS software tools that help HR professionals effectively manage people, process & strategy. NuView’s products provide exceptional value for mid to large companies seeking advanced tools to optimize their human resources, while implementing HR best practices. By aligning HR process with your corporate objectives, you ensure that your company is well positioned for long term success.
NuViewHR® - Managing People, Process & Strategy
NuViewHR®, our complete product suite, offers comprehensive tools for all levels of HR practitioners, from VP’s of HR to Directors to Managers to Recruiters, HR Generalists, Benefit Specialists and Payroll. NuView’s HRIS product suite has won numerous awards from leading Human Resource publications, technology groups and industry writers for its depth of functionality, flexibility and low total cost of ownership.

NuView offers a complete range of professional services, including HR consulting, system configuration, data conversions, implementation, project management, connectivity to benefit carriers and payroll systems, on-site software training, on-going support and custom projects.

We offer both License and Subscription (ASP) options for maximum flexibility.

Tips on Hiring Communications Staff

2007-01-31T09:39:00.000+09:00

Introduction

Hiring a new employee can be a tricky process. Employers are faced with the challenge of not only identifying whether a candidate fits in with office culture, presents a professional demeanor and executed the activities described in their resume, but also determining whether they hold the requisite skills to grow in the job. Below are five core competencies to look for when interviewing potential employees.

1-Experience: Both in leading and supporting an initiative or program from beginning to end is invaluable. Working on both sides provides perspective and understanding on how to balance the amount of energy, time and resources required to develop and implement programs.

2-Culture: A team player who views communications as an integral part of the machine, whose goal includes getting everyone to have ownership of the project, i.e. comfortable putting their ego aside. The individual should have high quality communications and relationship building skills - written and verbal - which is evidenced by their prior work experience.

3-Strategic Planning: The ability to develop a plan that can be executed within the budget is critical. Is the candidate comfortable making choices about the strategy, able to multi-task and work with different audiences at the same time? This is essential for foundations and non-profit communications managers. Whether an individual is in the field for 2 or 20 years, knowing how to put a plan together to guide choices and decision-making is essential.

4-Knowledge Sharing: Knowledge is an essential and often under-utilized asset within foundations. The communications officer that taps and builds a culture of knowledge sharing will find stories and identify ways to build markets for ideas and amplify the lessons learned. In some agencies, the focus is building platforms for grantees to share their knowledge. The key emphasis shouldn't be on the technical side of storing and managing information. Instead, the focus is on creating a plan for how to capture, share and apply that knowledge to enhance the learning and effectiveness of the organization.

5-Willingness to Learn: A good communications manager is willing to learn about the issues and stay informed of trends in practice that relate to the organization's mission and programs. The candidate doesn't necessarily have to come from the issue arena -- in fact, someone with fresh eyes and a new perspective may be just as beneficial to your group. However, once that person comes on board, they need to continually learn and stay on top of the field of practice, even if they approach it as an outsider. This will allow them to not only be better at communicating to the outside, but it can also help this person provide internal counsel on strategy and assist in identifying potential opportunities.

Conclusion
There are plenty of superstars out there just waiting to be hired. By knowing the important factors to look for in a new hire, you will be better able to build a winning team for your organization and create a positive working environment. Keep up the good work!

HR Software - Appraisal Smart Pty Ltd

2007-01-31T08:11:00.000+09:00

Our Appraisal Smart (TM) web-based employee performance review system offers an innovative, cutting-edge approach to administering employee performance appraisals/reviews online, and will place you at the technological forefront regarding this crucial Human Resources and managerial function. It not only automates performance review administration, but also elevates it to a superb relationship, productivity and behaviour modification tool, effectively driving change, productivity, development of core competence, and ultimately: bottom line results. Appraisal Smart accommodates any kind and combination of Performance Measures such as Goals, Objectives, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Competencies. It can be operated on your own Corporate Intranet or over the Internet as a secure, hosted ASP application with worldwide 24x7x365 access (guaranteed 99.99% uptime). Appraisal Smart does not limit you to "regular" Performance Appraisals only, but allows you to create any number of additional AD-HOC Appraisals as well, such as for Probation, Promotion, Succession, and Disciplinary. The system also enables the creating and updating of Job Descriptions online, giving managers the ability to view the Job Descriptions of their direct reports - and employees to view their own - with the mere click of a mouse. NEW: Smart360 ?Unique Context-Targeted 360-Degree Feedback Technology. The Smart360 system offers an unparalleled opportunity for employees to obtain targeted and high-quality feedback from peers, direct reports, managers, and customers - with a view to modifying their behaviour for improved working relationships, team synergy, job performance, and customer service. We offer free system demonstrations and a 7-day Free trial, without any obligation whatsoever.

Keep Hiring Legal

2007-01-30T11:39:00.000+09:00

If you think common sense is a good enough rule of thumb for keeping hiring legal, think again!

All hiring managers need to have a basic understanding of the legalities of hiring. And some of the legal issues are probably not as straightforward as you may think.

This applies not just to those making a final hiring decision, but to every single person interviewing a job candidate. Although this section addresses the legalities of hiring in general in Australia, remember that every hiring situation has its own unique legal concerns. Futhermore, employment law changes quickly with new court decisions. When in doubt, don't be penny wise and pound foolish-consult with an expert employment attorney before you get into trouble.

In Australia federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against job candidates on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical handicap, or age. In some states or localities additional characteristics, such as sexual orientation, may also be prohibited from entering into the hiring equation.

Although the actual law seems straightforward, court interpretations have more narrowly defined what constitutes discriminatory hiring practices. Even questions that negatively affect a protected class of applicants may be, and often have been, deemed illegal.

As a rule of thumb, job interview questions should focus specifically on the applicant's ability to successfully perform the duties inherent to the position being applied for.

These questions are examples of the most commonly asked illegal questions. Other questions of the same type may also have been deemed illegal, but because of the broad interpretations of the courts, it would be impossible to list all questions that might be considered illegal.

Are you married?
Many questions that relate to the sex of the applicant are illegal, including any question about marital status.

Do you have children?
It is illegal to ask an applicant any questions about children, primarily because such questions can lead to discrimination against women.

How old are you?
It is illegal to ask an applicant his or her age. This law is designed to protect applicants over the age of forty. You may ask the applicant if he or she is over the age of eighteen-if the applicant is not, you may need to know the applicant's age to ascertain the applicability of federal, state, and local child labor laws.

Did you graduate from high school or college?
An educational degree should not be a job requirement and should not be asked about in an interview unless the employer can demonstrate that successful performance on this job requires a specific level of education. Otherwise, this requirement and line of questioning can be construed as discriminatory because some minorities have less educational background than nonminorities.

Have you ever been arrested?
You should not ask an applicant if he or she has been arrested. You are generally well advised not even to ask about felony convictions, unless such a conviction would be unusually relevant to the position being sought. These questions can be discriminatory, because some minority groups have, on average, higher records of arrest and convictions than nonminorities.

How much do you weigh?
All questions about physical appearance are illegal because they tend to discriminate against women and some minorities.

What country are you from?
This question is clearly illegal because it discriminates on the basis of national origin.

What is your native language?
This question discriminates on the basis of national origin.

Are you handicapped?
You cannot ask about an individual's possible handicaps. Furthermore, employers are generally required to make special accommodations for physically challenged applicants.

Effective Staff Motivation

2007-01-30T10:12:00.000+09:00

HR Software - AIM Human Capital Management Suite

2007-01-29T10:56:00.000+09:00

A complete solution for reducing HR and compensation cost and complexity
In an effort to reduce costs and streamline overburdened HR and Compensation departments, CFOs and CIOs today are focusing on solutions that offer integrated application suites instead of single applications. The “silo” thinking of the past— where applications were purchased one at a time with no connection between them—has been replaced by a mindset that emphasizes addressing multiple enterprise processes with tightly integrated applications.
AIM’s Human Capital Management Suite is the only application toolset available for supporting the entire spectrum of both incentive and talent management. In these areas, AIM’s breadth of application offerings and depth of functionality are unmatched. It is the only solution suite available that supports and integrates all of these processes:

broad-based variable compensation
sales compensation
salary planning
enterprise talent management
performance management
executive compensation
succession planning
career planning
executive development
skill and competency management
organizational charting and analysis

These enterprise processes are addressed by three distinct toolsets: AIM Incentive Compensation, AIM Salary Planning, and AIM Talent Management. All three applications are designed to work as an integrated system, or be deployed as stand-alone applications, depending on client need. Customers can pick and choose just those applications they need to get started, and then later add other applications to manage a broader set of processes. No matter how many applications are added, AIM clients have one system to administer, one set of data interfaces to configure, one set of system administrators to train, one database, one connection to their ERP/HRMS, and one pricing structure. The result is less complexity, a built-in growth path, and greater return on investment

HR Software Solutions

2007-01-25T08:57:00.000+09:00

An efficient human resources department is essential to the success of your company. If your human resources department is disorganized, you can loose money and valuable employees. If they are organized, this will help save you money and increase employee satisfaction. If they are disorganized, there are HR software solutions that can help.

Human resources are responsible for the hiring, firing and paying your employees. They also help employee moral by organizing events such as parties. There are HR software solutions that help organize all aspects of the department. There is an HR software solution available for all company sizes and serves a variety of purposes.

To find HR software solutions that best meet your needs, there are a variety of factors to consider. First, you need to take into account how large your company is. Different-sized companies have different HR software solutions. For example, a large company will most likely need a software package with large database capabilities. A smaller company will require a program that may be simpler and easier to use.

You will also need to consider both your budget restrains and your operating system when considering HR software solutions. If your computer does not support your desired software, then you will need to consider something else. Also, read product reviews to find quality software within your budget. It is also valuable to ask other business owners which HR software solutions they prefer. Some may opt to only use payroll software; others may use a more complete package. Find a company that is similar to yours so the advice can be most accurate.

Finding HR software solutions that are right for your company can be a tedious process. Some companies allow you to test their HR software solutions for free during a trial period. This will allow you to see if a product is right for you without making the commitment.

HR Software - HRVantage

2007-01-24T10:47:00.000+09:00

Spectrum's extensive HR industry experience has culminated in the HRVantage Standard human resource information system (HRIS). The user-friendly HRVantage system combines Microsoft industry-standard technology with outstanding functionality. Most importantly, the system was developed to fully support HR's unique needs.
HRVantage provides comprehensive functionality, is customizable to your unique needs, allows for system updates, and is regularly enhanced with new HR functionality and upgrades.

HRVantage offers all of the advantages of Microsoft industry-standard technology, including a familiar user interface, open-systems compatibility and nonproprietary tools. HR professionals will appreciate the fact that system data is easily accessed, manipulated and secured.

Australian HR Software

2007-01-23T08:49:00.000+09:00

Favour delivers quality software solutions. Our goal is to provide you with a SAFE investment, and spelled out that means Scaleable, Affordable, Flexible and Easy-to-use.

We don't merely make software. Our extensive experience allows us and our partners to provide you with complementary implementation, consulting, advice and project management services particular to your people management needs.

Support is as important, if not more important than the product itself. We pride ourselves on quality, timely and friendly support.

Finally our products and services are continually evolving in line with workplace practises and customer demands.

For more infomation...

HR Software - Manager Assistant

2007-01-22T08:40:00.000+09:00

ManagerAssistant lets you track, evaluate and control the behavior, performance and activities of your employees — easily and quickly — using just one application. Say farewell to the nightmare of trying to manage your employees with an awkward mix of spreadsheets, word documents, database files and cumbersome email folders.
Say hello to ManagerAssistant, a highly intuitive software application that helps you store, track and organize your most important employee and business information in one place. Everything you need to track and monitor employee behavior, activities and management processes is now available within a single, easy-to-use, affordable application.

Reviews on this Software...

KP Payroll

2007-01-19T09:18:00.000+09:00

KP Payroll is a complete payroll solution to your human resource needs. It Provides automatic calculation of CPF Contribution and other liabilities, while also compiling and printing the IR8A and the CPF Payment Advice. Bank GIRO transfer features are also included with the program.

Easy navigation to all features of the program
Multilevel password protection, plus built-in backup & restore
Track personnel information including start and termination dates as well as salary reviews, annual leave and sick time
Tracks and automatically calculates statutory requirements such as CPF contributions, Donations and SDF
Supports multiple pay frequencies including daily, weekly, semimonthly and monthly
Calculates earnings, deductions and liabilities for all payroll frequencies
Performs salary pro-ration
Auto compute for no pay leave
Handles unlimited earnings and deductions pay codes.
Generate vacation, sick, bonus or commission pay with or without generating regular pay
Performs after-the-fact, irregular, and nonstandard payrolls
Calculates and tracks employer's liability
Support multiple bank accounts
Auto detection and compute CPF cap/ceiling
Ability to process advance payments
Calculates next period figures while allowing current period to remain open
Group deletion for terminated employees at year end and also purging of old data.
Instant on-screen display of YTD and MTD employee earnings and deductions
Automatically tracks no. of days or weeks worked
Head-count of employees in the company and also in the various departments
Ability to input IR8A initial balance or overwrite
Maintaining leave for all employees
Built-in Global updates feature
Support pay slip printing
Report generator allows customization of reports, employee directories, etc.
Interact with time-card machines
Optional attendance maintenance and job costing
Pro-Rated Leave Calculation

HRM-Retail Industry

2007-01-17T09:20:00.000+09:00

Human Resource Management’s role in the company’s success increases each day. In this article I will discuss the reasons for the increasing impact of the HRM and will also talk about HRM in the retail industry.

Human Resource Management is a vital function in organisations. It is becoming more important than ever. Line managers are getting involved in HRM, and human resource managers are becoming members of the management team. Also, everyone in the organization can make a contribution to the management of people and the success of the organization at the same time. Human resource management includes a variety of activities, such as the following:

What staffing needs to have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs

Recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers

Dealing with performance issues and ensuring its personnel and management practices conform to various regulations.

This report will contain the following topics:
* The special Human Resource Environment of retailing
* The process of Human Resource Management in Retailing
* Human Resource planning
* Recruitment & Selection
* Training & Development
* Performance management

The Special Human Resource Environment of Retailing

Staffs are a major resource in any business. This is particularly true in retail industry, which has a very large amount of employees and which provides a range of services to its customers. The retail human resource environment has its special features: a large number of inexperienced workers, long hours, highly visible employees, many part-time workers, and variations in customer demand. Those features also create difficulties to retailers.

First of all, a large number of inexperienced workers and part-time staffs in a retail business may lead high employee turnover, poor performance, lateness and absenteeism. This is due to several seasons. One is that inexperienced workers can apply retail positions, such as check out clerks, wrappers, stock clerks and some types of sales personnel, which doesn't require high education, training and skill. The other one is that employees who work in retailing companies likely live near the retailing stores. In addition, part-time staffs are very easy to quit their jobs.

Secondly, long working hours may result that retailers need to two shifts of employees. As the trend of longer store hours (evening and weekend), retailers need to consider employ staff for evening and weekend use.

Thirdly, high visible employees mean that retailers have to monitor employees very closely. As consumers nowadays play a very important role in retail industry and employees are highly visible to the consumers, retailers must select and train employees carefully, especially care about their manners and appearance.

Finally, variations in customer demand may create difficulty to retailers to predict exactly how many employees are required. Retailers need to have the knowledge about what season, what number of employees is needed; and what day, what number of employees is needed; and which period of a day, what number of employees is needed.

The process of Human Resource Management in Retailing

The four main activities of the process of Human Resource Management are Planning, Recruitment and Selection, Training and Performance. When retailers are applying the Human Resource Management process, the labour laws, diversity and employee privacy has to be considered.

Planning

By analysing the current workforce will allow the company to evaluate the department performance and helps to realise what kind of staff are required in order to form the skills which they needed. Retailers need to employ the right number of staff in order to make the workforce more efficiency. Too many employees will increase costs, and too few will not able to carry out of its work. Therefore, retailers have to analyse both current human resources within the retailing organisations, and future plans or strategies of the organisation and the effect on human resource.

Meanwhile, because of the special human resource environment in the retail industry, the effects of the labour market factors have to be considered for their human resources planning. Due to the development of Information Technology, companies may not be able to find the employees who have the skills they required. In addition, internal staffing factors such as labour turnover, sickness or accident rates also have to be considered. However, planning has to be thought out carefully, and updated when other factors have changed. Take boots as an example, they evaluate the local market trend and qualification of local population, etc and seek to the staff that need to form the skills they lack.

This process takes time to operate. However, it is less expensive than the recruitment and selection process. Meanwhile, it will be helpful to find the employees who already have the skills that the retailers require.

Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment is the process of identifying the need for a new employee, defining the job and the appropriate person for it, attracting a number of suitable candidates, then selecting the one best suited to the job.

When a company is looking for new employees, they tend to use different channels in order to find the most suitable personnel. The channels could be educational institution, TV/magazine advertising, agency or any other channels which is the best way to find the right personnel. For example, in a retail company, when they are looking for a entry level sales personnel, they tend to reply on educational institutions, advertisements and employee recommendations. Moreover, when a retail company is looking for middle-management positions, they are likely to use employment agencies, competitors, advertisements and current employees. The recruitment process can be very costly. It takes a great deal of time to set up an effective recruitment process. Therefore, the company has to carry this job out in a systematic way.

The next job is to select new employees from among those the company has recruited. The main objective in the selection process is to match the character of potential employees with the requirements of the jobs to be filled. The process of selection includes job analysis and description, the application blank, interviewing, testing, references and a physical examination. These processes should be followed in an integrated manner. However, the selection process can be very costly because the company has to pay for the postage of sending out application forms to candidates and they may also have to pay for the travel expenses for candidates' journey to interview.

Recruitment Information

2007-01-16T10:01:00.000+09:00

If you need to employ someone, consider what you want the employee to do and what skills you require. Also consider the employment conditions, level of pay and other costs of employment, including the physical accommodation of the worker.

Prepare a job description that defines the responsibilities and functions of a job. This will help you identify the knowledge, experience and skills required for the job.

When you advertise a job remember that, by law, you must not use discriminatory language that may exclude potential employees on the basis of race, age, sex, marital status, family status or responsibility, pregnancy, religious and political beliefs, disability, gender history or sexual orientation.

Your recruitment process will run more smoothly if you know how to:

Advertise
Interview
Select the right applicant
Draw up and document a formal offer of employment.

The people working in your business can fall under a range of categories of employment. Each has a different set of obligations for you, the employer, and the people who work for you. The categories are:

Full-time employees
Part-time employees
Casual employees
Probationary employees
Fixed term employees.

It’s important to clearly distinguish if your workers are employees or independent contractors, so that you can properly determine the wages and other employment conditions of your workers.

Taking on apprentices and trainees can provide real benefits for your business. Your new apprentice or trainee can contribute significantly to your bottom line, with practical skills and knowledge acquired through their training.

Apprenticeships are available in over 500 occupations in a broad range of industries, from traditional trades like cabinet maker, motor mechanic, electrician and plumber, to areas of innovation like electro-technology and aviation.

Australian Apprenticeships Centres provide a free service to employers to help them with the sign-up and administration of an Australian Apprenticeship. They now operate from over 500 sites Australia-wide.

HR Selection

2007-01-16T08:31:00.000+09:00

Human resource is one of the most important and influential in the company. How should one choose the staff? Which characteristics are vital when it comes to employee selection? All of these questions will be answered in this article.

An organisation has two key resources, people and money. 'Human beings are the lifeblood of any enterprise. They are the company's most vital asset'. Recruitment and Selection comprise the important HR functions of the organization and should be thought of as a matching process. Selection commences as soon as the applicant responds to an advertisement or makes an unsolicited enquiry. One way to look at the selection process is to view it as a series of obstacles that applicants must clear in order to obtain the job. Each successive obstacle eliminates some applicants from contention. For example, applicant skills can be evaluated through application forms, interviews, tests, and reference checks, letters of recommendation or reference, and physical examinations.To judge the effectiveness of any selection technique two statistical concepts have been of particular importance, Reliability and Validity. We are going to examine briefly these two key factors and how they influence the process of selection of staff in this essay.

Reliability is the consistency of measurement, or the degree to which an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects. In short, it is the repeatability of the measurement. We can illustrate it with the example, if an applicant was being interviewed by two managers for a job in two separate interviews, the interview technique should provide some data so that the interviewers agreed with each other about the applicant as an individual. Alternatively, if a number of candidates are given the same selection test, the test should provide consistent results concerning individual differences between candidates. The statistical analysis of selection techniques normally provides a reliability coefficient which if closer to 1.0, more dependable the technique.

Reliability improves as we increase the number of relevant items that are combined to generate a value. If we wanted to measure maths ability, we could give all candidates one math problem. We would then be able to separate our pool into two groups; those that answered correctly and those that did not. If we were to ask two problems, we would be able to sort the group into four groups and we would have more confidence that the group that answered both questions correctly possessed higher maths ability. Thus our confidence in overall measure would increase as we added each new item. In practice, single item measurements have demonstrated very poor reliability and yield limited information while multiple item measurements yield superior reliability and more information. Three or four well-constructed items can yield a reasonably reliable measurement. The following table illustrates the implications for evaluating screening approaches.

HR Software Solution

2007-01-15T08:20:00.000+09:00

iEmployee is a leading provider of on-demand workforce management solutions, offering full suite of web-hostedTime and Attendance, HR/Benefit, Pay Stubs/W2 and Self-Service applications that are cost-effective, requiring no IT investment or overhead.

iEmployee's on-demand HR software self-service solution helps automate your time consuming, personnel related processes; from employee's submitting HR changes to exporting data into your payroll system. This helps organizations eliminate the paperwork and manual processes associated with HR information changes.

Employees can easily…
…view/change all personal information like address and dependents
…view/change their contact information
…review their periodic salary and job reviews
…review their job and compensation information
…review Federal, State, and Local tax information
…view/change Bank EFT information

…manage their information, giving them a greater sense of ownership
…submit their changes to the manager with a single click hence dramatically increases employee productivity by streamlining the process

Empowering Managers to …
…view/change all personal information like address and dependents
…view/change their contact information
…review their periodic salary and job reviews
…review their job and compensation information
…review Federal, State, and Local tax information
…view/change Bank EFT information

…manage their information, giving them a greater sense of ownership
…submit their changes to the manager with a single click hence dramatically increases employee productivity by streamlining the process

Empowering Managers to …
…make changes to their HR information through manager self-service screen

…approve all HR related changes with the help of Centralized Approval Inbox

…eliminate mundane staff work and redirect resources to more critical business functions

…customize approval workflow option for Managers and Supervisors

Screen tests

2007-01-12T10:49:00.000+09:00

There may be no surefire method for hiring the right people, but--as these Inc. 500 CEOs will attest--it helps to know what you're looking for

By Ilan Mochari

Sure, Richard Tuck's hiring methods may be unorthodox, but there's no question about one thing: the CEO of Lander International knows what he's looking for in a potential hire. Herewith, some other Inc. 500 CEOs who screen candidates for very specific traits:

1. Team Spirit
"On a Monday, if the Packers lose, it is extremely somber around here," explains Scott Spencer, vice-president of Laser Pros International (#163), which supplies and repairs printer parts. Rhinelander, the Wisconsin town where Laser Pros is based, may be two hours away from Green Bay's Lambeau Field, but the office atmosphere can resemble a parking-lot tailgate party--as Spencer explains to anyone seeking a job at the company. "Talking about the Pack is just a big part of the culture," he says. Currently, only one confessed nonfan (out of 109 employees) works for the $11-million company. Spencer has an explanation, though. "We must not have known him around the fall," he says. Not that there weren't clues: on his first day of work, the Chicago native actually arrived in a sports-utility vehicle with a Chicago Bears wheel cover on it. "He told me he was a transplant," says Spencer. "That's acceptable."

2. Mayberry Factor
Heck, all Travis TeSelle is after are folks who know what it means to put in a hard day's work. The CEO of Tensor Information Systems (#176), a systems integrator based in Fort Worth, has made a conscious effort in recent years to hire employees who hail from the rural Midwest. "People from small towns are generally people who want to do the right thing," he claims. "They're extremely honest." TeSelle himself was bred in Tekamah, Nebr., where the townfolk total 1,853.

3. Life Support
When he was leaving graduate school to become a professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Paul Shirley set down in writing both his short-term and his long-term goals. He found the exercise so challenging and helpful that he had his two founding partners at SVS (#122) do the same thing at the company's inception. "It's a way to force the personal issues to the front," says Shirley, who serves as chairman and CEO of the aerospace- and defense-engineering firm. Many of SVS's hires come from large aerospace companies and government agencies; having them write life plans--of whatever length they want--has been Shirley's way of determining how his growing company fits into their big picture. "You are opening yourself up to much more than a business relationship," he says. "Can you really address their needs in your environment? If not, maybe it's not the best fit."

4. Peer Pressure
Apply to work at Active Control Experts (#79), and you may begin to feel that you are under suspicion for a criminal offense. The questioning--from a wide array of interrogators--feels endless. The first time around, says Ken Lazarus, president and CEO of the manufacturer of vibration-control devices, from six to eight people will lob queries at the applicant. Aside from Lazarus, those interviewers include the recruitment manager, the candidate's would-be department head, and potential coworkers. If the recruit doesn't emerge with a unanimous thumbs-up, he or she is asked back for another round. Then, as many as six additional interviewers may sit down with a candidate, focusing their questions on potential weaknesses that turned up earlier. Each interviewer covers a specific aspect of the candidate's skill set. One, for example, may subject mechanical-engineer recruits to a brainteaser that requires diagramming. Why the rigor? Lazarus wants to see how a recruit reacts to the kind of pressure that's akin to working at a fast-growing company. "Candidates say it's grueling at times, but they understand why we do it," he says.

5. Sinking Feeling
From the start, Sean McEwen, chairman and CEO of TriTech Software Systems (#344), never put much stock in writing samples when he was hiring technical writers. Each candidate, he knew, would simply bring one or two best efforts. That's why he came up with an assignment for those who want a job writing manuals at the software developer: go home tonight, he tells recruits, and write me a manual about hand washing. "It's something so basic; it's something we all know how to do," explains McEwen. "And we're all experts on judging the quality of the manual. I could give it to the person who answers the phones, and she'd have a valid opinion of it."

NuView HR Software

2007-01-12T08:49:00.000+09:00

NuViewHR®, our complete product suite, offers comprehensive tools for all levels of HR practitioners, from VP’s of HR to Directors to Managers to Recruiters, HR Generalists, Benefit Specialists and Payroll. NuView’s HRIS product suite has won numerous awards from leading Human Resource publications, technology groups and industry writers for its depth of functionality, flexibility and low total cost of ownership.

NuView offers a complete range of professional services, including HR consulting, system configuration, data conversions, implementation, project management, connectivity to benefit carriers and payroll systems, on-site software training, on-going support and custom projects.

We offer both License and Subscription (ASP) options for maximum flexibility.

HR Software System

2007-01-11T08:55:00.000+09:00

These days, every company needs to keep employee records, just to meet government requirements. But once you employ more than a few people, a manual system can lead to errors and confusion, besides making much more work than you need. HR Software systems are no longer only for the large corporates with professional HR staff and large budgets. No matter how small your company, you can make dramatic savings in the time and effort needed to manage your employee information — and you get all the benefits of improved reporting and analysis, at the touch of a button.

ezyHR gives you the freedom to get on with your core business, without worrying about all the tedious paperwork associated with being an employer. And the investment is so small, how can you afford not to take advantage of it?

Successful Management

2007-01-10T09:41:00.000+09:00

The success of any company depends on productivity of its’ employees, their experience and willingness to work and complete work properly and in according manner. There have to be certain aspects to motivate any worker to produce better results and approach work with responsibility and positive attitude. A lot depends on the experience and knowledge the workers have. Thus companies must create certain environment for their employers as well as motivate them to self-development and further education. Appreciation of the work done is a very important factor in this case, so it is sufficient to create all the conditions to train and educate workers if you want them to bring certain input into business. You may hire a very professional manager but he will need to gain relevant experience in the specific area of business this company leads. Thus we come to conclusion that educating your staff is the first step to success and growth of the company itself.

When the low rate of management training provision by small firms was highlighted at an industry group meeting of small business owner-managers, one owner-manager of a successful firm responded that “Learning through real work is sufficient to produce a manager fully capable of managing effectively in the modern business environment”.

Learning is often taken for granted in organizations. New ways of working, new equipment and technology are frequently introduced without planning either for the learning or the training needs of workers; typically there is an assumption that people will ‘pick it up’ as they go along. And of course this does happen. The informal learning that Reid and Barrington talk about in Training Interventions is a daily, ongoing occurrence.

The person does something, which may or may not work and eventually the person works out a way that seems to get the job done. The person gets feedback from their boss when they do something that either shows this was appropriate or not. They will learn to do the same again or avoid the things that cause reprimand.

The person carries out a task and afterwards thinks about what they have done; perhaps realizing they could do it differently or better. They work out a plan to try out the next time. Whatever the method, we see the potential outcomes to this informal learning as: People take a long time to learn what to do in order to perform their jobs to an acceptable level.

People may not learn the right things. People may get inappropriate feedback that encourages them to do their jobs in ways the organization does not intend. People often cannot find ways of doing things differently. People are often unaware of this informal process and are unable to explain how or what they have changed in their job.

I do not agree with above assertion. Encouraging training in small firms has been in the policy since early 90’s. Organizations become successful by developing new markets or Improving on what they already do. Either way, significant, sustainable gains can only be made through people. Even technology has its limits. It does not matter how fast the microprocessor becomes if your operations are constrained by systems or people. People are the only means of sustained business development; people are the only means of making your systems work better. You have probably been frustrated at one time or another by the apparent inability of your systems-take for example, your information technology system-to produce what you think it might be capable of. Investing in a more powerful, more sophisticated package will be a waste of money without investing in the skills and abilities of your people to use it more effectively.

A manager’s job is varied and complex, managers need certain skills in order to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager. Research by Robert L. Katz found that managers need three essential skills or competencies: technical, interpersonal and conceptual. He also found that the relative importance of these skills varied according to the manager’s level within the organisation. It could be described as follow: for top management, conceptual skills and human skills are the most important, technical skills less required; for middle management, human skills is the most important, conceptual and technical skills are less important; for lower-level management, both human skills and technical skills are important, less conceptual skills required.

Conceptual skills are the ability to think and to conceptualise about abstract and complex situations. Human or Interpersonal skills represent the ability to work well with other people individually and in a group. Managers with good interpersonal skills are able to get the best out of their people. They must know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. Technical skills include knowledge of and proficiency in a certain specialised field, such as engineering, computers, finance or manufacturing. Perhaps the most predictable benefit of the standard, given the emphasis on evaluation of training and development as a part of the IIP process, was in training. All the organisations noted changes in this area: in documentation if not in delivery. Three organisations explicitly identified more directed spending on training, leading to cost savings, one company said that the most important direct financial benefit was the reduction in the cost of training, another set out with this in mind. This last company identified unexpected benefits in fuel cost reductions, for example, through training for new technology, while their HGV drives became more efficient in their operation, allowing more journeys per week. One company, itself involved in the training environment, commented that:

There had never been a problem in recognising the benefits of training as being a good thing, but we saw the need to be more “systemised” and formalised across the company and monitor what is happening.

More directed training means cost savings, more individually focused; reflects better communications and evaluation, people with flair are identified and trained in specific areas. There were benefits to be derived from IIP through improvements in communication flows within their organisations. This was manifested by an increased openness to provide suggestions, highlight problems, even simply in asking managers and supervisors what to do to affect a solution if a problem arose. Increased staff awareness of role, staff self-sufficiency, savings of 8-9 per sent “achieved by passing the decision-making process to a point closer to the customer”, “every member of staff has a voice”. Staff now takes more responsibility for their work, each member of staff understands financial responsibility, systematic communications systems introduced. More employee awareness of financial aspects of role, higher levels of cost consciousness, communication improved; staff meeting and newsletter, more openness.

Factors that Affects the Selection Process - 2

2007-01-09T08:08:00.000+09:00

Relevant Experience

You think that you are master’s in Human Resource Management and Development and can handle all the domains of HR with ease, right? No, it is not that way. Let me explain. Company XYZ is having an opening for HR – Manager (Generalist) and they are looking for someone with at least 5 years of experience in same. You have 6 years of experience. Three years in Training and Development, before your MBA and another three years in Recruitments, after the completion of your MBA. You are not even eligible for the open position of HR Manager (Generalist). That is the importance of relevant experience.

There is little doubt that you might not be able to handle the HR Operations but no one likes to take the risk or play gamble for such a senior position. It will be the wastage of time and money, both for you as well as the company. They like to play safe and will hire a person with relevant and desired experience.

You may argue that in such scenario you will get type-cast and will not be able to grow. Once a recruiter, you will always a recruiter. That is not the case. Expand your horizon. Diversify you experience, with in a company and then look out for desired profile. It will help.

Mode of Education

These days, the competition is so high that you will not be able to grow, if you are not Post Graduate or Master’s. Recently we had one debate on the Importance of Your Mode or Education.

Many people are of the view that Candidates with Distance Mode of Education are not getting similar weightage as their counterparts with regular MBA.

People also argued that those who have done their MBA through regular mode of education are less experienced and knowledgeable then their counterparts with Distance Mode of Education. People with distance mode of education are feeling ignored and neglected and their argument is that they are not getting fair treatment from the employers.

So, first thing first, in this fast paced world and cut throat competition, no company like to take any chance or experiment with the talent. The order of preference that is followed in many companies at the type of screening is as follows:

1) Full Time MBA's from Good Institutes...with good CGPA and relevant experience.

2) Full Time MBA's from not so good institute but with good percentage and slightly more experience.

3) Correspondence MBA...from Good Institutes (Like Executive MBA's from top institutes)...with good experience.

4) Then comes...Correspondence MBA...from other institutes.

Secondly, here I am making an attempt to clarify as why regular MBA’s get more weightage then those with distance mode of education? So, doing MBA is not about knowledge. It is about Grooming. It is about

1. Building Leadership Skills;

2. Strategizing the goals and vision

3. Building Entrepreneurship

4. Planning Business Models

5. Planning Strategies

6. Planning Profits

7. Risk Taking

8. Time Management

9. Handling Finances and other related things

10. How to handle Success?

11. How to hanlde criticism and Failures

12. How to fight back from Adversity

These are the things that one cannot learn on his own and need proper grooming from the experts.

Other factors that are in favor of regular MBA’s are:

1. Entrance Exam

2. Cost and

3. Other little sacrifices

Most of the people, if they want to get an admission into a good Management Institute, need to face an entrance such as CAT; XAT; GRE; TOFEL etc. Such entrance exams are followed by Group Discussions, Presentations and personal interviews. That shows the competitiveness in those people. Not many institutes, offering MBA through Correspondence or Distance Mode of Education have such an exhaustive mode of selection.

Two Years, regular full-Time MBA Courses are much costlier than correspondence or Distance MBA.

Lastly, those people who do their MBA in a regular mode make more personal sacrifices than those with correspondence or Distance MBA.

I have made an attempt to explain why people with regular MBA get preference over those with correspondence or Distance MBA. Let me take an example from day-to-day life. When you like to eat out, where you like to go? Don't you get advices from your elders in the family to eat at a decent place and Hygienic place?? Will you take your food or lunch at a road-side shops or unclean restaurants?

It is not that all 5-star hotels cook good food, they also make errors but chances are less. It is not that all small hotels are unhygienic or cook unhealthy food but chances are more.

It is not that those small hotels or restaurants are not doing any business. They are earning well. There are chances that one day some good and rich person will come to one of those hotels and will eat there. He might like the food and might get so impressed to do business with that hotel guy. He and might sponsor him to change his shop to a nice place by financing him. Until then, he needs to wait.

Selection process of a “Human Capital” in this competitive era of Business Environment is very much similar to selecting a Greeting Card from the Gift Shop. You don’t need to go and see all the cards. Do you? Go to the section where you can find your type of cards; Look at the cost or range; Then you consider as for whom you want to buy the card therefore look and appearance of the card is important; then comes the content of the card. The other cards…that you didn't even saw…don’t feel neglected, because they know that if they are in the Gift Shop then one day someone will surely come and pick them

Same way, those with distance education or correspondence MBA... need to wait for the right time and right opportunity. They don't need to get frustrated or be impatience. Have patience. Wait for the right opportunity. Don't try to jump...immediately after the completion of your Correspondence MBA but continues with the same company...grow within. It will help.

Relevant Industry Experience (Moving from One Industry to another)

Recently we also had another debate on the necessity of having experience in relevant industry. People argued that as the work of HR Professional is more or less same, it doesn’t matter from which industry he or she is coming from. I am of the opinion that the pace of the work, culture, type of people, expectations of the people and time of work (your office hours) differ from industry to industry. There is a huge difference in the Industries of Old Economy and Industries of New Economy and that difference very vast. It is like managing illiterate workforce and knowledgeable or intelligent workforce.

Yes, you are an expert in HR functions but that doesn’t mean that you can work and adjust with any industry and adopt any culture with ease. It is like asking a normal car driver to drive a Formula-One Car. Just because you know driving doesn’t mean that you can drive any vehicle. Does it?

It is not that people cannot move more one industry to another but the preference is given to the one with similar industry experience. Just like a cook who is cooking in a small restaurant, though he know cooking and can cook in a 5-Star hotel as well but if there is an opening in a 5-Star Hotel the preference will be given to the one with experience in a 5-Star Hotel.

Similarly, though a HR-person with a non-IT experience can handle HR activities in an IT company...but preference is given to the one with an experience in IT Company. The major issue or challenge that one face while moving from one industry to another is “Cultural Shock”. So, you can move from one industry to another but first you have to compete with those people who are from the same industry and need to prove to the interview panel why they should take you, when they are getting people who are more likely to adept with the company or industry culture.

Salary Budget (Cost to the company)

Have you ever thought…have you ever wondered that at times when you appear for an interview, they reject you because of your present salary? Because if they will hire you that might disturb the Internal Equity of the company.

Example: Suppose I want to hire a HR Manager, and my budget is 12-15 Lakhs. Don’t you think that to get that package and to get into that range…your present salary package should be a minimum of 7-9 lakhs. If you are below that range and even if all other things are as per the requirement of the company they might not hire you. Your relocation and other factors will be taken care of.

As per the practices...all over the globe...in a normal case...companies offer 20-25% hike on your last salary. If you are extremely good and best of the best...you can expect 50-75% hike. Not many companies offer 100 or 200% hike (Until and unless you know some senior person in the company), because that disturbs the balance in the system...better known as internal equity.

Argument: You may argue that the companies should feel happy that they are saving the money by hiring someone with low salary, but that is not the case. It will disturb the balance. It will affect the internal and external equity of the company. Tomorrow, you only will come and say that the other person…having similar experience (even lesser experience), from similar institute is getting more salary. If you fall in the category of rare domains or skill sets…then there are chances that the companies might offer you 100 or 150% hike but not otherwise.

Miscellaneous factors

If all the above mentioned things are positive and in your favor but still there are some miscellaneous factors that affect the selection process. These factors are your presentation skills, your leadership skills and your knowledge. In short, it all depends on your skills to “Sell Yourself”. The following factors will be of great help to you to impress the interview panel:

1. If you come prepared;

2. If you have studied the business model of the company;

3. If you are aware of the growth pattern of the company;

4. If you know the competitors of the company;

5. And knowing all this…if you are able to tell them that how you can help the company in achieving its goals.

If you have done your home-work, I am sure…they will give you the salary that you will ask for…without even asking your present salary. As I have mentioned earlier...you should be able the impress the interview panel in such a manner that if you have applied for the post of HR-Manager...the panel should be convinced that you are worth for the post of VP-HR. In such scenario...the company and employers won't mind to offer you a salary...more than 100% of your present CTC.

You need to prove your potential...your worth. If you are just an average candidate and the company is in need...they will just give you 20-25% hike.

There is an old saying...which says, "Deserve, before you ask for".

Conclusion

This article is an attempt to figure out the factors that affect the selection process. This is to give a bigger picture to the readers. Exceptions are everywhere but most of the time, the above mentioned are the factors that plays an important role in rejecting or selecting a person.

Where to Start??

2007-01-08T14:23:00.000+09:00

Preparing to hire staff

Be clear about what you require of the job.
Define the job and the tasks that need to be done.
Identify the skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience needed to do the job.
Decide what type of job it will be (e.g. casual, full-time, part-time).
Be aware of any awards and conditions that apply.
Write down the decisions you have made, to refer to throughout the hiring process.
Make sure that you choose people on the basis of what you actually need them to do in the job and not irrelevant personal characteristics such as age, race, sex, sexuality, disability, pregnancy and marital status.
Decide whether you are going to undertake the hiring yourself or use an employment agent.

Choosing the best person for the job

Draft the job advertisement.
If you are going to use a job application form, be careful what questions you put in it.
If you are going to use pre-employment medicals, choose the person according to their ability to do the job.
Be prepared for the interviews.
When talking to referees, ask them questions that relate to the job.

Making a job offer

The successful person is usually asked if they would like the job. It can then be confirmed in writing.
The letter of offer can include the type and conditions of employment, including any probationary period, hours of work, leave entitlements etc.

Before a new employee starts work

Check with SafeWork for information on your responsibilities in relation to Occupational Health and Safety and Awards and Conditions of employment.

When a new employee starts work
Make clear your expectations of the new employee's roles and responsibilities, especially if you don't have a written job description.
Explain the Occupational Health & Safety and Equal Opportunity requirements for your workplace.
Make sure the new employee knows who they will be reporting to and how often.
Take the time to train the new employee.

Factors that Affects the Selection Process - 1

2007-01-08T08:04:00.000+09:00

Introduction

Recently on some of the forums we discussed some of the factors that affect the Selection Process. People don’t want to accept that factors like mode of your master’s or specialized areas; the type of industry that you are working in; and the salary that you are drawing in your present job can affect your candidature and can tilt the balance against you. Instead they think that the companies are biased; industries are not giving equal opportunities to all and somewhere, knowingly or unknowingly they are making a desperate appeal that…”Give me a chance” or “Kindly experiment with me”. Irony is that they are not willing to accept that they need to change their perception; that they need to do their “Homework” before looking out for a change.

The steps that we are going to discuss here are applicable in all functions and industries, across the globe. It is not possible to discuss all the available positions, in all the industries, across the world. So, for the purpose of this write-up, we will be concentrating on all the positions above the level of Assistant Managers (People with at least three years of work Experience) and will concentrate on HR related openings in India.

Crucial Factors in SELECTION PROCESS

1. Relevant Experience is important and not the total experience

2. Industry type (The extent to which your present industry is related to the industry of your prospective employer)

3. Relocation (Are you willing to relocate?)

4. Your education and mode of your education

5. Salary Budget

Rare and General Domains

Just to help the HR people and let them know the various domains where they can explore opportunities, I have classified all available jobs in two domains – General and Rare. Rare domain is the area, where companies need specialized people and the competition is less…as there are not many people who have expertise in these domains.

General Domain

1. HR Generalist (HR Operations)

2. Recruitments

3. Employee Relations

4. Training and Development

5. HRIS Specialist

6. Labor Law Experts or Industrial Relations Experts

Rare Domain

1. PCMM Consultants

2. Six Sigma Experts

3. Compensation and Benefits Specialist (In some companies they might need two different person…one each for Compensation and Benefits)

4. Organization Development

5. Salary Tax Specialist or Employee-Investment Planner/Expert

6. Human Behavior or Workplace Behavior Expert

Let’s discuss

Relocation

Whenever there is an open position in any company, they prefer to source the candidate from the local market. This is done for the simple reason that the person who is already settled at the place will not face any difficulty in joining the company. On the contrary, if the company is planning to source a person from different city, they might have to arrange for his accommodation; the person might face difficulties in adjusting with the environment and making adjustments etc. So, hiring a person from local market will surely save the time and money of the company. But, we are in Global Market and in the competitive market, where quality is a perquisite; it might not be possible to look for a prospective employee in the local market. Hence these days’ companies are open to search for a relevant talent in an open Talent Market. However the order of preference is as follows:

1) Local Market (within the city or state of operation)

2) Regional Market (within 500 Kilometers of the area of operations)

3) National Market (within the nation)

4) International Market

Based on the above mentioned factors, a company in Bangalore will look for talent in following cities (In Order of Preference):

1. Bangalore

2. Chennai

3. Hyderabad

4. Mumbai

5. Pune

6. Delhi-NCR

Not only the companies, even the candidates are not willing to relocate and they have different reasons. Some of the reasons are: Family, Infrastructure, and Future Growth Prospects. Most of the females show their unwillingness to relocate to another place or city because of their families. However, males consider the following options before relocating to the city of prospective employer:

1. Salary

2. Infrastructure of the City

3. Future Growth Prospects

4. Safety

Based on the above mentioned, in India, a person might show his willingness to move from Delhi to Bangalore or Mumbai but not from Delhi to Jaipur or Ludhiana or Dehradoon. I don’t know why but most of the people have this mentality that they should get a job in their city of Birth; in a good company; at a good salary and with good salary. It is a well known fact that those who have moved out of their home town (Comfort Zone) have done really well in their career, profession and life. This world is full of such examples.

Disclosure Policy

2007-01-01T09:28:00.000+09:00

This policy is valid from 1st January 2007

This blog is a collaborative blog written by a group of individuals.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Disclosure Policys are a great idea, as they let the blogs readership know exactly what is behind the content and resaoning for the blog entries. I feel that this is a way of letting my readers know exactly what they will find on my blog site, the moral code I operate this blogsite by, and why I endorse and select the PayPerPost articles that I choose. I can now say what influences me on choosing these posts, and that the comments applied to these posts are those that are 100% my own. I am not being payed to endorse a product, I will only comment on it based on my personal opinion.

This Policy was created using Disclosure Policy Generator

Employees Selection: Interviews

2006-12-24T11:19:00.000+09:00

Types of selection methods.

The HR manager can choose the most comprehensive type of employees selection from the following:

Interviews, references and biographical data, physical ability tests, cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, work samples, honesty tests and drug tests. It is worth to pay special attention to such type of personnel selection as interviews. Interviews. A selection interview has been defined as “a dialogue initiated by one or persons to gather information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for employment”. The selection interview is the most widespread selection method employed in organizations. First, HR staff should keep the interview structured, standardized, and focused on accomplishing a small number of goals. That is, they should plan to come out of each interview with quantitative ratings on a small number of dimensions that are observable (e.g., interpersonal style or ability to express oneself) and avoid ratings of abilities that may be better measured by tests (e.g., intelligence).

Second, ask questions dealing with specific situations that are likely to arise on the job, and use these to determine what the person is likely to do in that situation. These types of situational interview items come into varieties. Some items are “experience based” and require the applicant to reveal an actual experience he or she had in the past when confronting the situation. Other items are “future oriented” and ask what the person is likely to do when confronting a certain hypothetical situation in the future. Before going to the employment interview be ready to hear the following questions:

Examples of Experience-Based and Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items

Experience Based

Motivating employees:
“Think about an instance when you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have done. How did you handle that situation?”

Resolving conflict:
“What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?”

Future Oriented

Motivating employees:
“Suppose you were working with an employee whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?”

Resolving conflict:
“Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“Suppose you had an idea for change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change. What would you do in that situation?”

Employees Selection: Interviews

2006-12-21T09:14:00.000+09:00

Types of selection methods.

The HR manager can choose the most comprehensive type of employees selection from the following:

Interviews, references and biographical data, physical ability tests, cognitive ability tests, personality inventories, work samples, honesty tests and drug tests. It is worth to pay special attention to such type of personnel selection as interviews. Interviews. A selection interview has been defined as “a dialogue initiated by one or persons to gather information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for employment”. The selection interview is the most widespread selection method employed in organizations. First, HR staff should keep the interview structured, standardized, and focused on accomplishing a small number of goals. That is, they should plan to come out of each interview with quantitative ratings on a small number of dimensions that are observable (e.g., interpersonal style or ability to express oneself) and avoid ratings of abilities that may be better measured by tests (e.g., intelligence).

Second, ask questions dealing with specific situations that are likely to arise on the job, and use these to determine what the person is likely to do in that situation. These types of situational interview items come into varieties. Some items are “experience based” and require the applicant to reveal an actual experience he or she had in the past when confronting the situation. Other items are “future oriented” and ask what the person is likely to do when confronting a certain hypothetical situation in the future. Before going to the employment interview be ready to hear the following questions:

Examples of Experience-Based and Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items

Experience Based

Motivating employees:
“Think about an instance when you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have done. How did you handle that situation?”

Resolving conflict:
“What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?”

Future Oriented

Motivating employees:
“Suppose you were working with an employee whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?”

Resolving conflict:
“Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?”

Overcoming resistance to change:
“Suppose you had an idea for change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change. What would you do in that situation?”

Six Sigma Project Selection

2006-12-19T10:28:00.000+09:00

Selecting the project becomes the necessary step after identifying the need for process improvement in your business or, for that matter, your department. But selecting a project is a series of complex decision-making processes aided by a variety of tools. A wrong project selection for Six Sigma implementation means the project is not in line with your business. You will end up encountering the same roadblocks and going in circles over and again.

Steps Involved In Six Sigma Project Selection

The steps that need to be taken in selecting a project for Six Sigma vary as per your line of business and the scale of the operation. However, the whole scope of Six Sigma hinges on two key focal points, namely, ‘total customer satisfaction’ and ‘increased return on investment.’ The steps may be formulated, keeping this in view.

1. Put The Customer First: Customer satisfaction being the first focal point, know the critical points to assure quality to drive the project (VOC). Each individual customer has a different point of view about quality and the summation of them can be the first point. Make use of the Pareto Chart for prioritizing the issues.

2. Projects Must Be In Line With Your Business: List the top three roadblocks faced by all the functional heads in your organization. Ensure that the roadblocks are directly concerned with the business. This exercise prioritizes the elimination of such obstacles by everyone.

3. A Good Project Must Be Manageable: A good, realistic project can be actually completed within a reasonable time, say, 6 months. Prolonged projects risk loss of interest and start building frustrations within the team and all the way around. The team also runs the risk of disintegrating.

4. Every Result Must Be Measurable And Tangible: Any project which can’t be measured before and after its completion has no value. Improvement in the bottom line, maximization of customer satisfaction or reduced burden on employees will all be measurable and so will keep the team motivated throughout.

5. Defining The Desired Outcome: This starts by defining the defects first. This also helps keep checks on the project in terms of process capability. This is one way of making the project measurable by progress.

Brainstorming And Using A Questionnaire

Brainstorming by the key personnel and functional heads in your organization is a good idea. Although there is no hard and fast rule as to whether this should precede or follow the internal and external (VOC) survey, it critically examines the steps involved in the process of project selection. However, the questionnaire itself can contain questions, critical of the prevalent scenario. You may include questions on external and internal defects in addition to questions on capacity and efficiency issues. Not the least important questions are the ones on less obvious cost drivers such as wastage.

Process Variation

Take a bite at the variation in process too. Whether it is possible to streamline the process variation and whether understanding the variation help you produce better quality and defect free parts with less input upon completion of the project? Where is the variation originating from, suppliers end or internal?

Wastage can give a deathblow if they are not dealt with properly. Materials, under-utilization of capacity and unreasonable inventory fall into the wastage category.

The sole consideration must be the vision and the dream to realize it. Care must be exercised to avoid wrong selection of the project which can only aggravate the situation and waste the resources of the organization.

Recruitment Specifics

2006-12-18T08:30:00.000+09:00

Sometimes, people that are not really capable for the job manage to impress on their interview and get employed. After you have spent money and time on that person, you realize you had made a big mistake employing that person. This is a very common issue these days as people appearing for their interviews, use materials and tips from the internet or through some professional, just to make an impression on the employers, even if they are not at all fit for the job. Therefore it is important for employers to learn the art of employing the right people the first time.

Add to your advertisements a few specifics on the kind of person you are looking for. Make it seem like a challenging job and those people who do their work without any dedication will automatically not apply for it. The internet has made this job a lot easier. You can post your advertisement on forums where only worthy people might see it. Internet enables you to check entire past records of people, showing you if the person is worthy of the job or not.

The next step is to prepare the right questions for the interview. The questions should not be too general and should contain questions that will show what kind of personality the person giving the interview has. Add some psychologist to your interview team to assess the personality of the person and perhaps, also to prepare the questions to be asked.

The validity of all certificates is important. Check if all the certificates, documents provided to you are correct. Check criminal records for the applicant to protect yourself and other employees from possible danger. Make sure the person has no history of money fraud. Compare the documents provided to some of the questions answered on the interview to make sure they reflect his/her personality or not. As almost everything is now available on the internet, the job of checking validity of the documents has been made a lot easier.

After having done the above steps you can short list the applicants. Make the short listed people take some test or have a second interview to see who has an edge over the others. Finally, call the person most capable for the job and sign a work agreement with him/her. The chances of hiring the wrong employee, if you have followed all the rules stated above, are minimal.

Job Interview Questions

2006-12-15T15:48:00.000+09:00

Q: "So, tell me about yourself"

This question may be used to assess your personality, preparation, communication skills and ability to think on your feet. Prepare a list of what you do (your current or last job), your strengths (stick to job-focussed skills), and a summary of your career trajectory, linking your experience to the job at hand.

Q: "Why did you leave your last job?"

Respond positively — "...for better career advancement or promotion opportunities, increased responsibility, more greater variety at work..."

Q: "Why do you want to do this job / work for this company?"

Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and re-emphasise your suitability for the position.

Q: "What do you think you have to offer this company?"

This is a chance to sing your own praises — concentrating on the skills you have that are required for the position.

E.g. "I have strong sales skills, am a good team player and am very keen to be involved in the new markets you are developing in the Asian region."

Q: "What do you think this position involves?"

This question is designed to reveal if you have thought about the position, done some research, listened to the interviewer, and can summarise all of this information clearly.

Q: "What do you know about the company?"

Demonstrate your interest in the job, and your understanding of the organisation and industry. Talk about the research you did into the company's key areas of interest, its size, its main customers or current status, making reference to your source of information.

Q: "Do you have any questions you would like to ask?"

Always prepare a question to ask the interviewer. Ask about the position, request clarification of general information about the company, or summarise your understanding and request confirmation. If they have already answered your questions tell them (be specific) so they know that you have thought about the position in preparing for the interview.

For example: "What do see as being the main focus of this role?"

"Am I correct in saying that the position involves mediating between A and B departments and monitoring and developing new approaches to...?"

"I'd like to ask about the organisational structure... are the publications produced on a national basis or individually by each regional office? How are budgets controlled and allocated?"

Q: "What do you believe are your key strengths?"

Prepare responses that give specific examples of your strengths at previous positions that will support your job application.

Q: "What do you believe are your weaknesses?"

No-one readily admits real weaknesses in an interview situation. It is general knowledge that this is an opportunity to turn the question into a positive. Think of something that relates to your experience of work that is plausible as a weakness but is not really a negative point. Eg; "I am very particular about detail", "I become very focussed on the projects I am involved in"

Q: "Why have you had so many jobs?"

If you have had jobs in different industries or several positions in a short period, describe the positives — that you were learning new skills, following different career paths, and travelling overseas etc. Refer to the experience you gained in past jobs that relates to the position under discussion.

Q: "What do you enjoy most about your current / last job?"

The trick with this question is to list what you have enjoyed about work that strongly relate to the key competencies of the position in question, and mention that you are looking forward to expanding your experience / scope in these areas.

Q: A question requesting confidential information about a previous employer

This may be a testing of your discretion and professionalism. It is best to reply that you would prefer not to divulge any confidential information (sales figures, for instance), citing the fact that you are sure your interviewer would expect the same discretion from their employees.

Q: "Where do you see yourself in five years time?"

This is an assessment of the extent of your ambition and career planning. You should demonstrate that your long term goals are appropriate for the position being discussed and your commitment to them.

Q: "Can you give me an example of your creativity / managerial / organisational skills?"

Think of some examples that prove that you possess the key attributes and competencies requested in the job ad and description. These are probably the areas on which your interviewer will probably focus.

Q: "Do you work well under pressure?"

Answer with a 'yes', and give a specific example of a time when you were under pressure and how you rose to the challenge.

Effective Staff Meetings

2006-12-15T08:44:00.000+09:00

The following typical staff meeting statistics were compiled from a Survey conducted by GroupSystems :

The typical staff meeting is 50 minutes
- 16 minutes wasted on inefficiencies
- 59% do not take meeting minutes

-68% said input from meeting is used rarely or not at all What can you do about it?

Schedule in advance. If it is not an emergency, schedule one to two weeks in advance. Include start time, stop time and Topics. Prepare an Agenda, and stick to it.

Have a Theme . Focus on One to Three Topics, no more than that. On the Agenda, include ten minutes for Open Discussion and feedback at the end of the meeting.

Start on Time, even if everyone is not present. Demonstrate respect for the people who show up on time and begin promptly. Individuals that come late can 'catch-up' when the meeting is concluded. Do not inconvenience the conscientious individuals who show up on time.

Establish the meeting moderator. One person is assigned to keep the meeting on track and on time.

If possible, schedule the staff meeting for a total of twenty minutes or less. This is based on ten minutes of Agenda discussion and ten minutes of staff feedback. Consider it a success if you conclude in less than 20 minutes, but allow flex time for meaningful conversation and feedback at the end of the meeting.

Take Meeting Notes, include Action Items and the Owners / Responsible Person for each Action Item with a Due Date. Follow-up on Action Items and send out an update before the next staff meeting.

Is it working?

Staff Meetings should not be a burden to the moderator or the participants. It is intended to be an opportunity for important communication. The following are three creative exercises for measuring the effectiveness of your staff meetings.

Have a Standing Staff Meeting: Nobody is allowed to sit down until it is over. Can you do it? Does the meeting move along faster than normal or at the same speed?

Everyone is a Scribe: At the beginning of the meeting, provide instructions that each person will be responsible for documenting every comment, word for word, and distribute to the other participants. How does this impact the comments? Is everything shared verbally worth the time to type it? Are the comments worth sharing in documented form? Are there any comments shared in a staff meeting that would be embarrassing or inappropriate in print?

The One Week Survey: Send a quick survey one week after the staff meeting with three questions.

Q1) What was the main topic of the Staff meeting?

Q2) How does this relate to your responsibilities?

Q3) What is the most important topic that we did not discuss?
______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

"You want to build a strong culture? Hold every manager accountable for the culture that he or she builds."
- Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, First Break All the Rules

"The real problem is that people do what they are told."
- David Maister, First Among Equals

"Being highly effective as individuals and organizations is no longer optional . . . it is the price of entry."
- Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

Gift Appreciation

2006-12-14T10:11:00.000+09:00

Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates

2006-12-14T08:35:00.000+09:00

Here are six useful tips for recruiters and human resources staff to find the most qualified job candidates.

Six Easy Search Tips to Get the Cream of the Crop

An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with tracking down excellent potential candidates for available job positions. Despite the fact that there are innumerable people seeking positions of employment in the 21st century, it often seems to a typical recruiting agency that qualified men and women are few and far between.

Here are six easy tips that recruiting services, staffing firms, or executive search firms should keep in mind when on the hunt for outstanding potential job candidates in the 21st century.

These tips are equally applicable to companies undertaking their own search without the help of recruiting agency services. Indeed, the headaches associated with finding qualified personnel is magnified for a company undertaking its own recruitment efforts.

1. Post an Ad on an Industry-specific Job Board. Oftentimes, a recruiter will take a scattershot approach to finding candidates that are worthy of consideration for an available position. They broadcast far and wide the fact that a certain position is open and available, in big city newspapers and on major Internet job boards.

If a recruiting agency were more thoughtful about its recruitment efforts, it would realize the benefits of positing an announcement of an available position on an industry-specific Internet job board. By posting in a selective and admittedly limited manner, recruiters and staffing firms would be reaching out precisely to the pool of people most likely to be qualified for an open position.

One excellent tool for finding industry-specific job boards is at the Online Recruiters Directory Job Board Directory.

2. Use Recruiters that Specialize in a Given Field As with advertising, choosing an effective recruiter might be just a matter of targeting, particularly for a managerial or executive position. These positions can be very hard for in-house personnel directors and human resource managers. While these people do have responsibility for hiring, the search for a new employee with skills beyond the norm for their company can best be targeted by a professional executive head hunter.

The same can be said for specialized fields, such as accounting or information systems. In-house human resources staff might know all about pharmaceutical skill-sets required for a multitude of research and administration positions, but they might rarely have to deal with hiring staff to track money or to keep the computers functioning. That's when recruiting agency services specializing in IT or in accounting can come in handy.

3. Develop an In-House Referral Program. In many instances, exiting staff members can help speed up the search for quality job candidates. Employees often have contacts elsewhere within the industry, some of which may be looking for a change of employment.

By cultivating this internal resource, a personnel director can develop a wealth of ready information about prospective employees who might well serve the organization as valued employees.

4. Search Resumes Posted on Job Boards In addition to advertising on an industry specific job board, a diligent personnel director or recruiting agency will want to take the time to search and consider resumes that have been posted on job boards.

Often, a person pounding the pavement looking for employment may not have the time to take in and review all of the various available positions that have been posted on a every job board. This is even more true if a given prospect is a highly sought-after candidate, who might be still busy in a current position of responsibility.

5 .Use a Directory of Recruiters. Because there are so many different type of recruiters in business in the 21st century it can often be difficult for in-house human resources staff to pinpoint the recruiter that will be best able to meet the needs of a given employee recruitment campaign. But there are resources available, such as directories of recruiters.

One such directory is the Online Recruiters Directory.

By using a professional directory, in-house human resources staff will be able to identify the most appropriate resources for their company and for the recruiting task at hand. Even staffing firms can benefit from such a recruiters directory to seek help in a specialized field they don't often work with.

6. Don’t Rush the Process. Finally, while it is an overused saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” In the same vein, 99 times out of 100 there is no need to rush the process of seeking, identifying and hiring a new employee, particularly an executive level employee.

A personnel director should take his or her time to identify, screen, interview and hire the best candidate. Throughout this process, a human resources manager or specialist will rely on the services and support tools identified in this article.

By using these tips, in the long run the best possible candidate for a given position will end up being hired, and the company will benefit from the best possible employees.

Writing a Job Advertisement

2006-12-13T15:11:00.000+09:00

General Staff Position Description

The position description is a multipurpose document which is central to human resources processes. The information it contains is used in classification reviews, job advertisements, selection interviews, training needs analyses and in organisation reviews.

Position descriptions need to be documented for new positions or newly filled positions as they occur.

Once they have been documented, position descriptions will need to be reviewed and amended, if appropriate:

at the beginning of annual performance planning cycles
when being used to advertise and fill positions, or
when the job changes.
This draft position description has been written to help you quickly put together a position description for a general staff position. By following the format you will find that, except for local requirements, most elements needed in a general staff position description are covered.

The position description is explained item by item in terms of:

examples of the information that should be included
who should be involved in preparing the item
suggestions and questions for preparing the required information
any other noteworthy points about the item.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Position

The "first pass" of this item can be prepared by the position incumbent.

A different position summary is prepared for each job.

This is a statement comprising a few sentences which describe the overall purpose of the position.

It describes what the position occupant is responsible for, and briefly, what they need to do to achieve this and how they do it, eg:

WHO........ The Manager, Records Section
WHAT...... Is responsible for ensuring the institution's records are collected, stored and retrievable by customers
HOW........ By supervising staff and unit activities, recommending policies and implementing them as required.
When reviewing or documenting this section, ask the following questions:

what is the main purpose or purposes of the position?
what is the position mainly required to produce or do?
how can the position be described briefly and clearly to others?
This information can be used in job advertisements, selection interviews, training needs analyses, in any phase of the Staff Development and Performance Planning Program, and in classification reviews.

Example:

The Manager, Staff Development and Training is responsible for providing a high quality, client focused and accountable staff development and training function by:

managing the Staff Development and Training Unit
providing an effective work skills training program for general staff
coordinating programs for management development and career development
providing an internal consultancy service and customised training strategies for client departments.

How to Hold Effective Staff Meetings

2006-12-13T08:43:00.000+09:00

Bad staff meetings keep people from making money for your company. Here how to hold an effective staff meeting.

Many people believe that they conduct effective meetings, when all they really do is host a party. Or worse, they deliver a monologue. In either case, their meetings produce little.Here’s how to hold an effective staff meeting.

1) In general. Keep them short. Most staff meetings should last less than an hour. You want your staff to spend their time working on things that earn money for your business, not sitting in meetings. Keep them positive. Negative meetings contain insults, ridicule, and attacks. These activities create caution and resentment, which always costs your company money. Keep them interactive. Your staff consists of intelligent people. Put them to work in your meetings to advance the effectiveness of your organization.

2) Share news. Give the members of your group one minute to report on progress made in their area of responsibility. You’ll find that this results in bullet point reports of essential information. It also prevents people from philosophizing, explaining, justifying, criticizing, and engaging in other unproductive activities. Plan a time budget: 8 to 10 minutes.

3) Teach something. Invite a guest expert to give a 10 minute presentation on some skill or technology that benefits your group. Tell the expert that you want a logical explanation of practical ideas. You can also ask members of your group to take turns delivering brief tutorials on topics that benefit the others. Plan a time budget: 10 to 15 minutes.

4) Practice skills. Create team learning activities that sharpen or teach skills needed in your business. For example, you could role play job skills (especially useful for sales teams), solve puzzles (useful for high tech groups), or take quizzes (useful for everyone). Ask group members to take turns bringing an activity that reviews or teaches a valuable skill. Follow this activity with a brief recap of key ideas. Then ask the group members to give a fifteen second report on how these ideas can be applied to improve their work. Plan a time budget: 10 to 20 minutes.

5) Solve problems. Give each group member a minute to describe a challenge that hinders work on a current project and then let everyone propose solutions. Suggestions should be brief and free of self aggrandizing explanations or motivational sermons. This process also requires a positive, supportive environment to succeed. If this is used to ridicule, insult, or criticize the individual, then people will be reluctant to reveal issues that need attention. Plan a time budget: 3 to 6 minutes per person.