Tag: Employee Performance

Calendar: Personal Branding Summit – Free Nov. 8 2007

November 6th, 2007

Got a phone?

Get registered for an incredible Personal Branding teleconference happening Thursday (two days from when I am writing this) and includes an incredible lineup of speakers from all over the world.

This conference is FREE, but you must register, and then get on the phone during the section you want to learn.

From the website:

To mark the 10th Anniversary of personal branding, on November 8th we are providing 24 free teleseminars with experts in the field of personal branding. Anyone in the world with a telephone will be able to participate in this live event.

This event has content streams for career success, entrepreneurial success and talent management. So, whether you are a corporate professional, an entrepreneur, or a HR manager challenged with the need to attract and retain great people, you will take away actionable knowledge from attending.

Check out the Speakers and Panelists which includes Utah entrepreneur and job-seeker advocate Jason Alba.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Hire POWER!, Management tools, My Side of the Desk, New Job Transition, Personal Development, Talent Management, Tools & Resources

Tags:

Bozofication Alive and Well: Utah Companies Will Pay for Stupidity

June 27th, 2007

UPDATE: Please leave comments about BOZO things you have experienced at your or other companies! Anonymous submissions OK

Dilbert DeamonsI hate to say it, but I am seeing some of the most foolish and downright stupid things coming from Utah companies these days. These things may not be approaching the Yee-Haw ‘Bozofication’ problems that Guy Kawasaki ranted about from his blog-base in Silicon Valley, but there are some wildly dumb things going on out there.

According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, May 2007’s unemployment rate is 2.5%, where the national rate is currently 4.5%. BYU’s Newsnet validates the data with their recent article, More Jobs … Less Money: Utah Unemployment Rate at 2.4%.

Corporate DroneWith such unprecedented job-growth and such a freakishly tight labor market (I have interviewed three people this week who “just up and moved here” knowing they would get a job), you would think companies in the area would be tripping over themselves to train and retain the talent they have, knowing that it costs up to 80% of an employees annual salary in recruiting fees and lost productivity to replace an employee once they go.

But, no.

In fact, as I see the market tighten, companies seem to be getting stupider and stupider with their retention systems. In fact, they may as well be paying their employees to leave, rolling out the red carpet for them, and tossing in a trip for them and the fam to Disney Land while they’re at it.

Here are five things that have consistently surfaced in my interviews over the past few weeks when I ask, “Why are you looking to leave your current job.”

  1. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: “I am continually being micro-managed. I have been doing this for 15 years. I think I know what I am doing. But, my boss is new, and I think they’re trying to look good. Now, I have them to manage as well as the rest of my job. “
  2. INTEGRITY: “I was told in my annual review that I would get a raise. That was January. This is almost July. I haven’t received a cent.”
  3. PAY: “I have been getting fed the line that ‘Utah County is Different’ for seven years. I don’t believe it any more. My living expenses are just as much here as anybody I know in Salt Lake County, and I am earning $15K less than people doing my same job, for smaller companies, with less responsibility.”
  4. INSULT TO INJURY: “I am already underpaid by $10K for the same job in Salt Lake. I was told to hang on through the rest of the year and I’d get ‘taken care of’. They gave me a raise of 14 cents per hour over last year. You’ve gotta be kidding me. That’s not even worth my time.”
  5. HONESTY: “They promised to pay my tuition if I went to school and got my degree. Their only stipulation was that I had to pay for it, then they would pay me back when I graduated. I thought that was dumb, but I did it. Now, I’ve graduated, and when I turned in my bills, they told me that ‘the policy just changed’ and they don’t do tuition reimbursement anymore.”

At the end of the day, the trend I am seeing simply stems from BAD MANAGEMENT. I wonder if the tight labor market is actually exposing fissures in the infrastructure of these companies to the point that they are letting any Tom, Jane or Harry run the place?

If you are caught working for any of these companies, I would RUN, not walk to your favorite recruiter or job-board and doggedly search for the next opportunity for yourself… or you may be the last comic standing when the walls come tumblin’ down… and it will surely not be funny.

Related Items:


EmployeescreenIQ provides background checks to employers globally.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Better Recruiting, Company Culture, Firing, Hire POWER!, Hiring, Know The Ropes, Personal Development, Talent Management, Utah, Utah Living, Working With Recruiters

Tags:

FYI: Your Compensation Model Sucks

May 15th, 2007

Nobody questions that most businesses exist to serve the business owners, and to generate profits. Hopefully, they’ll do some great stuff for their customers and communities along the way. But, it’s my loud-mouthed opinion that most companies do a really lousy job of really compensating their key employees, and simultaneously “helping” poor-performers move along little doggies.

So, when Dawn Turner reports that an Executive Assistant Gets $152,000 Bonus for Creative Problem Solving, my ears perk up.

  • How could you reward and promote key attitudes and values that would benefit your company culture?
  • How can top-achievers receive truly incredible compensation, naturally, through them performing their jobs?

Now, Good to Great teaches that it’s not how you pay, it’s who, and I must agree with that. No compensation plan will get deadbeats to perform like athletes. But, when you combine the right people, and the right business focus with truly innovative compensation models that reward top achievement, you will have a perfect storm of reasons why your company will attract and retain the sharpest and best people for your industry and niche.

The other shoe? The following will kill your attempts and good compensation and make it suck even more:

  • Your plan takes so long to realize real payout that people either forget about it, or don’t care.
  • Payout is only achieved after so much work that many people feel it’s not worth it.
  • The people already getting “all the pay” are the only ones benefiting from the new pay structure.
  • Your plan is based too much on subjective, changeable rules based on whim and decision rather than verifiable objective results, data, etc. The instant your employee sniffs that they need to be “in the club” to get the payout, your true superstars (aka diamonds in the rough) will flee like rats on the Titanic.
  • Your plan actually creates unintended consequences, like paying stock options out to (hopefully) improve dedication to your company, but instead creates an intense outward-focus on the stock market, and a frenetic push toward short-term gains (the next closing bell) rather than long-term success.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Better Recruiting, Company Culture, Hire POWER!, Talent Management

Tags:

Prediction: University.net — Subscription Model for Colleges and Universities

April 4th, 2007

Revised: 4/4/07 @ 1:34pm MST

I saw a bumper-sticker the other day that said:

“Education is what’s left over when you forgot everything you learned in school.”

I have a problem with that.

There’s no question that, in the flat world, education is becoming as much a commodity as cheap groceries, ipods, tax return services, and even jobs.

Yet, while colleges and universities are getting savvy to online courses and so-called continuing education*, they’re missing the boat, in my opinion, in keeping their graduates more captive, and not just letting them out into the world with nothing more than an annual “give us money” postcard or the occasional “newsletter”, which is actually a slightly-less thinly veiled request for more donations than the postcard (just got one yesterday, btw).

Some schools do a good job of networking among the alumni, get access to alumni databases, job boards, and allowing alumni to keep their email addresses (which is a great branding strategy when your grads go out into the work world), etc… but they don’t do a good job of keeping the alumni learning, and keeping them engaged with resources at the school that will help them further their careers and/or better their communities, etc.

In short, why aren’t schools trying to keep their students “around” for their whole lives, rather than just four quick years, once in their life.

Sure, the college I attended has online courses in things I would be very interested in. My company even would pay my tuition to take those classes. I have even gone online to sign up a few times.

But, something about the process is obviously too hard… or I *would* have done it by now.
What about a monthly subscription model for alumni from schools? Instead of asking me for a once a year donation, why not ask me for a monthly subscription?

  • Take a percentage of my fee and invest it into the school of my choice so I feel like I am “giving back”.
    • Take some of the burden off full-time student tuition with some of that being carried by subscribing alumni.
    • Don’t send me postcards that make me feel guilty. Send me ones that thank me for my continued support!
  • Make it so DROP DEAD EASY for me to actually ENHANCE my education with you that I find myself constantly taking new or refresher courses through your school to improve my life, my community, etc.
    • Maybe with my subscription fee, I get so many “free” credits I can use toward classes every year.
    • Allow me to audit classes drop-dead easy
    • Have someone manage my tuition reimbursement process FOR ME, engaging my company, so I don’t have to.
  • Then, allow me to access premium services that other alumni wouldn’t have:
    • Better selection of sports game tickets or campus amenities.
    • Send me the occasional “U” sweatshirt (in my size, of course) or hat, emblazoned golf-balls or other schwag that I can show off.
    • When life changes happen for me (marriage, baby, etc) send me stuff for my spouse or undergrad-to-be. (Maybe even information on a special college savings fund where you’ll match my donations if my child attends your school?)

The bottom-line? Choosing a university is about wanting to get the education you need to succeed in the future… who wouldn’t want to attend the university that will actually embrace their students for life, and help them succeed no matter what the future holds?
* Which is really a euphemism for “I didn’t finish my education”

Popularity: 11% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Personal Development

Tags:

Interview Tip from Wikipedia: Avoid Weasel Words

March 7th, 2007

Wikipedia, the massive, free online encyclopedia, which is famously editable by anybody, has tightened its belt in the last few years, working hard to allow the Wisdom of Crowds without losing credibility.

To get there, Wikipedia added a section to their Manual of Style that cautions article editors to avoid so called Weasel Words, and this is excellent advice for job-interviewing as well:

Weasel words are words or phrases that seemingly support statements without attributing opinions to verifiable sources, lending them the force of authority without letting the reader decide whether the source of the opinion is reliable. If a statement can’t stand on its own without weasel words, it lacks neutral point of view, and the lack of given sources also implies a verifiability issue. Either a source for the statement should be found, or the statement should be removed.

Remember: The purpose of a job-interview is to allow you to confirm or refute the opinions the recruiter or hiring manager has already made about you. If you can’t verifiable confirm strong-statements you make (over the top promised about how you “blew away sales quotas” or “the whole company is using the tool I created”) then you’d better think twice about saying it.

While I respect and admire confidence in interviewees, I do not tolerate lying. Overstatement is as much a red-flag to me as overly self-effacing humility. They are both different than what actually happened, which is all I really want to know.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Better Recruiting, Jobsearch

Tags:

Happiness Can Make You Rich?

February 22nd, 2007

Listening to the Power of Full Engagement this morning, I jotted down the following concerning developing a deep sense of purpose, and deriving happiness from it.

“Income… doesn’t noticeably influence satisfaction with marriage, family, friendship or ourselves, all of which do predict a sense of well-being.

In turn, happiness has been clearly associates with higher productivity.

In short, Money may not buy happiness, but happiness may help you get rich.” (emphasis added)
- David Myers “The Pursuit of Happiness“

I think this is true. As I have connected to my deepest-held values, my productivity has surely increased, and my happiness and satisfaction… and the income has followed.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Company Culture, Personal, Talent Management

Tags:

Utah’s Top Employers Tout Their Talent

November 20th, 2006

Love Communications made the list as one of the best companies to work for in Utah in 2006

Utah Business Magazine just released their list of the best companies to work for in Utah:

This year, Utah Business scoured the state looking for companies that were… succeeding at making sure their employees love their jobs. From monthly parties to competitive salaries, the 2006 Best Companies to Work For are implementing the policies that keep their staffs grinning. Personal fitness trainers, onsite daycare, subsidized gourmet meals, a company condothe list of outstanding benefits the best companies offer could go on…

Here’s the companies that made the list. If you agree, or disagree, I am interested in YOUR comments, below.

If you’re a business-owner and you didn’t make the list, no problem.

If you’re working hard to retain and take care of your people, and they feel a deep, mentoring relationship with their direct supervisor, and the company (not a “punch-in, punch-out, thanks for the check, oh, and I’m calling in sick” relationship), they will stick with you.

  • Open up.
  • No, “lunch for the office” is not the same as 90 minutes at a restaurant where they have your undivided, blackberry-less attention.
  • Help them, even if it might mean losing them.
  • Ask the tough questions. Are they actually happy there?
  • Send them home early when you know they’ve put everything on-hold (including their families) for your deadline.
  • Tell them when things go wrong (especially when it’s your fault), as well as when things go right (especially when it’s their fault).
  • Let them see the numbers.
  • Ask for their advice and listen (which means, “do”)

Popularity: 12% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Company Culture, Hire POWER!, Utah, Utah Living

Tags:

Do Not Neglect…

September 9th, 2006

We are so wired tofocus onexceptions in our lives, that we often miss the solutions to problems that are right in front of us.

I think this is, in part, thanks to our twentyfourseveninformationoverload lives. We become focused on the exceptions, not the rules; the bottom-line, not the conversation.

One thing I have been focusing on lately in my personal development is to not neglect the things I can do as I seek to improve.

It makes sense–if you can exercise, and you should exercise, but you don’t exercise, what is that? A recipe for disaster, according to Jim Rohn, a personal development and business philosopher I’ve learned a great deal from.

  • If you are a job-seeker, or looking to rewire your career over the next few years, there will be simple things you can do, and you should do to prepare for that and execute it well.
  • If you are looking to hire and retain an incredible team of people, there are simple things that you can do, and you should do that will bring about that result.

But, things that are simple to do are also simple not to do. And, that’s the clue.

So here’s my thought for you:

Neglect is the enemy of your success.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Getting Hired, Know The Ropes, Personal Development

Tags:

Constant Nourishment

September 1st, 2006

The best part of my work is that I get to interact with amazing people. But, my life hasn’t always been this blessed. At the beginning of this decade, I was literally broke, in my wallet and in my soul.

From that time until this time, I am absolutely amazed that most of the changes that have revolutionized my life and lifestyle come from one, simple formula, which was repeated to me over-and-over in many ways and means in the last several years.

That idea or philosophy is the idea of Consistent and Significant Personal Development.

Here is a simple phrase that’s easy to remember:

“If you will change, everything will change for you.”
- Jim Rohn
A similar challenge was extended to me once in a religious context, that I should remember constant nourishment to body and spirit.

Einstein (reportedly) said it this way:

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

I am a living witness to the power of how this works. How can you make it work for you?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Getting Hired, Hire POWER!, My Side of the Desk, Personal, Personal Development

Tags:

Key to Retention

February 16th, 2006

A few notes from training I received from my company’s VP of Human Resources:

  • Our focus is not on hiring. It starts way before that. The cycle is to attract, retain, and grow talent within our organization. It must regenerate itself.
  • The KEY to retention–of getting people to want to work for you–is to catch people in the act of doing good.
  • Regular formal & informal feedback is critical to reinforce the positive and fix problems quickly. Once in a while, you’ll have to correct something, but most of your energy shold be spent positively.
  • Consider the paradigm-shift that will occur in your employee’s mind when they honestly feel you’re invested in their success–their career, etc…
  • Formal reviews can not be carried out effectively without up-front understanding of exactly what will be measured, by what standards it will be measured, and with the employee being fully-engaged in the process to know–at any given point–how she or he is measuring up.

    Performance Standards should encompass the following areas:

    • Quality: How well you want the job done.
    • Quantity: How much of the job must be done.
    • Frequncy: How often should you expect this part of the job to be done.
    • Outcome: As a result of the (above) activity, what outcome do you expect?

It is interesting, as I write this, that 80% of this is all about helping people and giving them tracks to run on so they can perform–on their own–at their best.

The rest is the tedious part–building the tracks.

This is the part of managing others that’s boring and ugly and we want to brush it under the rug. But, as Mark & Mike at Manager-Tools.com say, Good Management (the rails part)is not sexy. It issupposed to be boring. That is how you know it’s working.

The fun part of management is seeing others succeed.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Comments »

Posted in Better Recruiting, Talent Management, Uncategorized

Tags: