How to find the BEST new hire in a sea of resumes

With the current state of the economy, it should be easy to find a good employee right?

But employers are finding themselves flooded with resumes, from very over qualified to no experience in their line of business. How do you find a good employee with staying power?  How do you find that employee to help enhance your business,  an employee that won't take off for the next best thing, or that's waiting it out for the economy to bounce back.

We can help! We offer  HireRight Systems SM : Strategic Recruiting, Interviewing and Hiring

Our human resources consulting services are a great resource to consider when hiring. TPO supports our clients’ recruitment efforts in the same way an HR Department would…strategic start to successful finish!

From C.E.O. to entry-level positions, TPO offers a variety of comprehensive human resources consulting services at varying levels of support aligned to the specific hiring needs of your company through our strategic HireRight SystemsSM. Our human resource strategy provides optimal results for large and small employers, alike. We consider all aspects of the hiring process from beginning to end -from narrowing down what you require as an employer to the employee screening.

Get your required labor law poster today!

Labor laws are difficult to decipher and the constant changes even tougher to track. So why not make things easier on yourself by purchasing a labor law poster from TPO? We have posters for all 50 states in stock, and for the affordable price of $37.50, you can purchase the valuable poster listing all the State and Federal labor laws as well as the OSHA Regulations that every business is required to display. We also have Spanish language posters for Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Each state’s laws vary from year to year, so don’t take the chance that you’re displaying outdated information. From coast to coast, TPO has the labor law posters you need to stay compliant, informed and up-to-date! Fill out the poster order form here and get your poster today!

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our website here.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

Offering career transition services to terminated employees

The act of terminating an employee is never an easy one—especially these days, as unemployment hovers near double digits and there remain nearly five out-of-work people per job opening. But employers can do their best to make things better for the recently dismissed by offering outplacement support and services intended to help these people find their next job.

TPO takes pride in training employers on how to handle these delicate situations and steer former employees in the right direction. From providing tips and analysis such as resume review and interview skills that will bolster a person’s candidacy as he or she seeks a new job to providing outplacement support and self-assessment tools that will help the dismissed employee sort through his or her emotions, identifying a new and fulfilling job and beginning that career transition, TPO will make a difficult process a less awkward and more productive one for all involved.

Our outplacement consultants are ready to help employer and employee at all levels of a company. Contact us today at tpo@tpohr.com or at 1-800-277-8448!

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our website here.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

Investigations in the workplace

The one thing no employer ever wants to have to do is investigate an employee. But sometimes it is inevitable, and whether you suspect someone in your office of harassment, discrimination or malfeasance, we can conduct the investigation for you and assist you in handling any existing issues.

Just as importantly, we can put to use our experience in risk management and loss prevention and determine why this happened. We’ll establish root causes as well as patterns and trends, all in the hope of reducing your exposure to such problems and liability from those that arise. We will also recommend the corrective actions—including comprehensive investigations of prospective employees—you should take to make your workplace a happier and healthier one for all involved.

The first consultation for TPO members is free, so join us today and then contact our Director of Investigative Services Brian Pratt at 1-800-277-8448 to set up that initial meeting about your investigative needs!

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our website here.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

Executive coaching is the key to success for everyone

Executive coaching is more important than ever, especially in a lean economy in which so many people are being asked to do much more with less. The success of a company rests on the ability of employers to not only get the best out of their employees but to turn them into leaders as well. At TPO, our goal is to turn you into that type of boss!

We offer several leadership development programs that can be customized for the scope and size of your organization. We specialize in training executives and managers in a number of areas, including strategic thinking, communication, conflict management, integrating business-based decisions with people decisions, stress management, team leadership, the empowerment of others and the ability to navigate career and life changes. We also focus on one-on-one training and assessment, because these situations are the ones that are the most challenging and also the most rewarding.

Our staff features highly qualified veteran human resource professionals who implement our tips on a daily basis and are emboldened by seeing these skills put to work in the corporate setting. Contact TPO today to learn more about our executive coaching program!

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our website here.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

The Do's And Don'ts Of Downsizing

Introduction

The decision to restructure, downsize or lay off employees is a decision that requires careful planning and consideration, yet employers frequently apply traditional layoff practices in a cookie-cutter manner in order to meet financial forecasts and stay within budgets.  It is critical to consider the long-term effects that short-term cost cutting measures can bring. The following article will explore some of the Do’s and Don’ts of cost-cutting strategies and will suggest some alternatives to downsizing.  It will also provide strategies and planning objectives if downsizing must occur.

Inherent in its definition, restructuring and downsizing means disruptions in the organization’s relationships with customers, suppliers and employees; disruption in the organization’s structure, culture and climate; disruption in the way the organization works and disruption in the factors that contribute to the organizations success or survival after the restructure or downsizing event.  Additionally, responses to disruption in technology, markets, customer preferences, availability to resources (including human resources) may also cause organizations to consider restructure or downsizing solutions.

Before defaulting to a downsizing or restructuring solution, consider other solutions that may provide for less organizational disruption.  When an event triggers an apparent need to downsize/restructure – be it a down-turn in the market, either forecasted or perceived; loss of customers, market preferences, etc. - it is important to consider important Do’s and Don’ts prior to making a final decision. 

Do - Evaluate if the Job Cuts Will Actually Save Money

While downsizing has been viewed primarily as a cost reduction strategy, there is considerable evidence that downsizing does not reduce expenses as much as desired.  Sometimes, expenses may actually increase.  Short-term gains in decreased payroll and benefit costs can be far outweighed by decreased employee performance, loss of productivity, loss of key personnel due to uncertainty, loss of customers – both in business and loyalty, costs of hiring back previously laid-off employees once the market turns, and low moral of those who are left to pick up the slack.

Before considering a downsizing or restructure of operation – which should always be the last resort – consider other cost saving strategies that may eliminate the need to lay off your human capital.  When considering cost-cutting strategies, including layoffs or restructuring, it is important to provide an explanation to employees regarding the purpose of the cost-reduction strategies.

One key to a successful downsizing, cost reduction or other restructuring plan lies in management’s ability to clearly convey to employees the purpose behind the cost-cutting efforts. Employee flexibility in favor of temporary cost cutting measures – for example taking short-term pay reduction vs. permanent job loss - is also crucial.  Finally, enlisting employee buy-in through participation in any type of change will ensure a smoother, less disruptive change process.

Do – Have some viable solutions to reduce costs:

·       Solicit cost–reduction strategies from employees – employees can often have very creative solutions that make an impact of reducing costs and “saving” jobs.  Additionally, involving employees in the “problem” solving process, will illicit buy-in for any change that may result.

·       Hiring Freeze – temporarily idle all hiring and reduce labor cost in the short-term.  Surprisingly, some employers continue to hire new employees while trimming jobs at the same time.  This sends a disturbing message to employees and reduces the likelihood of employees returning to the company in the future.  Decisions to build new office space or other capital improvements might also be reconsidered as it can send the same disturbing message. 

·       Mandatory Vacation – involves asking employees to use a certain number of vacation days in a designated time period.  This solution is geared to cutting labor cost in the short term.  To quiet any employee grumblings, communicate to employee that this strategy will reduce the likelihood of possible job loss.

·       Compressed Workweek – an often overlooked concept of temporarily reducing the number of hours in a workweek.  For example, a company could implement a 25-hour workweek as opposed to a 40-hour workweek and reduce short-range payroll expenses.  A compressed workweek can have both positive and negative effects on employees because they have more time to spend with their families, but are receiving less pay.  Despite the reduced paycheck, a large majority of employees prefer this to losing their jobs.

·       Temporary Facility Shutdowns – occur when a work site closes for a designated period of time.  Typically, a skeleton crew still reports to work to handle customer service, accounting etc.  Sun Microsystems avoided layoffs for a period of time by implementing the shutdown of all US plants for one week – the week of July 4^th (SHRM Information Center, March 2003).  This allowed employees to take vacation without using their vacations days – good for employee moral – and a temporary plant shutdown can create tremendous cost saving for a company while avoiding layoffs.

·       Salary Reduction – is a much more severe cost-reduction measure and if implemented for an extended period of time can negatively affect employee morale.  However, employees would sometimes rather have a smaller paycheck temporarily than have their job eliminated permanently. 

If none of the above alternatives to downsizing work for your organization, you might want to consider the following in making your decision to reduce or eliminate positions.

Don’t Rush Ahead - Do your Homework

1. Review all state, federal, and local regulations to ensure compliance.  The Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires companies employing at least 100 full-time employees to provide 60 day notification in advance of the plant closing or mass layoff.  The California form of the act defines the employer as any person who directly or indirectly owns and operations a facility that has employed 75 persons within the preceding 12 months.  The California act does not have a requirement that employees be employed full-time or require notice for layoff of seasonal or temporary employees, or those hired for a specific project. 
2. Review your own company policies regarding employment at-will policies, termination policies requiring “just cause,” progressive discipline and performance standards.  Is there a written contract or union agreement that limits restructuring or downsizing?
3. Consider any oral or implied contracts of employment.  An oral contract may have been created if the employee was told that his/her job was secure, or that he/she would always have a job if they did a “good job.”  One way to counter oral or implied contracts is to be sure the “at-will” policy is well documented (Employment Application, Employee Handbook) and communicated often to employees. 
4. Clearly define criteria or selection factors on which downsizing decisions will be made.  Will decisions be made on seniority, performance or another factor?  For example, if performance is used as a selection factor, do your employee records support the decision?  The selection factor used must be applied objectively.  If your organization will ask managers to document their selections to encourage an objective evaluation process, be aware that these documents can become subject to subpoena in the discovery process if the decision is questioned.  One way to lessen the chances (there’s no guarantee) of having documentation subpoenaed is to designate the documentation as attorney-client privileged.  Your legal counsel may advise that at the top of each evaluation page be placed “Privileged and Confidential: Prepared at the Request of (the attorney’s name).”
5. Review employee files and identity potential problem areas such as foreign workers.  Insure that your files and records are in order and have been properly maintained and complete prior to beginning restructuring or downsizing solutions.
6. Plan for the contingencies.  When disruption is inevitable, planning for the disruption may help to alleviate the need for, or at least the severity of, restructuring and downsizing.  Answer key questions such as how the economy will affect the organization if it continues on its current path, if sales decrease by 25% or 50%, or if current technologies become obsolete.  This will help you to outline what changes will need to be implemented.
7. Know your stakeholders.  Organizations answer to a large contingency of people and groups.  Employees, share holders, lenders, investors, customers, vendors, strategic partners, and federal, state or local agencies are just a few of the people/groups that should be considered.  All have different and conflicting interests and responding to each can be difficult.  As part of your restructuring or downsizing planning activities it is prudent to identity which groups will play a roll in your decision-making processes and which groups will most likely be affected by your decisions.
8. What lessons were learned from the past?  Consider how restructuring or downsizing decisions were made in the past.  Did the results of the previous efforts meet the stated objectives?  What were the effects on productivity, morale, recruitment and retention and profitability?  Would other cost-reduction methods have been more effective?
9. Act with Speed, but not in haste, once the decision has been made to restructure or downsize.  Act decisively but respectfully and fairly.  Communicate the decision (once made) and implement the plan. As a general rule, there should be no surprises. Select a plan implementation team which should include at least HR, the CFO and CEO, legal counsel and the organization’s risk manager as well as public relations representation. Identify any pay, severance and benefits continuation requirements under federal and state wage laws. Review your employment policies and other employment agreements or health and benefits plans.  Consider providing additional assistance to displaced employees in the form of career transition services, training, or employee assistance programs.  As you implement the plan, always treat employees with respect and dignity. 
10. Provide managers with a script.  Conducting any employment separation meeting is difficult at best.  To make the process a bit easier on your managers or the person who will conduct the meeting, provide a script that states the business decision and provides information regarding any severance package, final pay, COBRA and Unemployment Insurance Benefits available.  Provide managers training on how to deal with the emotions that employees will inevitably go through such as grief, bargaining, and anger to name just a few.  It is also appropriate to provide an FAQ to answer the most common questions employee may have, such as, “Why was my position chosen?” or, “Who else is being laid off?” 
11. Bring about Closure.  It is best to bring about “group closure” when there are layoffs by providing those left on the job an opportunity to express their concerns or emotions about what has occurred.  Managers should hold the meeting the same day, if possible, and talk candidly about the recent events and the business decision.  Providing information regarding the type of severance packages or outplacement benefits given to those displaced will alleviate some fears and let those who remain know that their colleagues are being taken care of, as well as providing knowledge of what they might expect if another round of layoffs is required.  Remind employees that if they are asked to provide references for their colleagues, the requests should be directed to the manager or human resources (according to company policy).  Finally, re-emphasize the organization’s Mission, Vision, Values and Goals to those who remain.  Morale, climate and culture have been negatively impacted during layoffs and it is important to recreate positive work environments so that people can build their self-esteem, find their work satisfying and achieve at higher levels.  Often there is a sense of guilt on the part of survivors because they did survive.  It is best to get them engaged as soon as possible in rebuilding their departments.

Do Consider the Logistics - Finally, do layoff or terminate on a weekday other than Friday.  Do put everything in writing that the displaced worker will find helpful and don’t belittle or demean the departing employee in any way.  While current markets are bound to cause anxiety and initiate reactions to reduce costs, organizations who take a critical view of their operations and practice due diligence in researching the possible outcomes are bound to make better decisions.  All in all, the bottom line of any cost reduction measure is to communicate the business purpose to the organization, enlist participation from employees, and treat all with respect and dignity.

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our web site www.tpohr.com

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

Implementing a Workplace Wellness Program: Setting the Stage for Success

As we all know the cost of doing business in the State of California can be overwhelming at times.  Everything from marketing, to payroll, and cost of goods sold all play a part in determining the bottom line and ultimate profit.  Healthcare costs are often one of the larger costs that employers must bear; not only health Insurance benefits, but the cost of absenteeism due to illness, or low productivity due to stress or other medical factors.

More and more employers are looking for alternatives to lower their healthcare costs and are implementing Workplace Wellness Programs.  Not only do wellness programs reduce overall healthcare costs, they also reduce the demand for medical services, absenteeism, on-the-job injuries, workers’ compensation cost and disability-management costs. 

More and more evidence is surfacing that point to real savings generated from a well-thought out and well-executed Wellness Program.  The wellness program – be it simple or complex -  must target health concerns of the employees and their families.  It must be communicated well and often regarding the program’s aspects and benefits, and culturally a well implemented program must become part of day-to-day business.  This article will outline important factors when considering a wellness plan as well as traps to avoid.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Wellness programs come in all sizes and types, just as organizations.  When considering the implementation of a wellness program, what might have worked for another organization could be a dismal failure in your own.  For example let’s say senior management wants to offer a smoking cessation program.  This might be a good idea as long as smoking-related illnesses are a key driver of your company’s health costs.

It is important to assess the current level of wellness in your own organization.  The assessment will help you get a feel for what your employee’s baseline physical problems are as well as general wellness interests.  Key places to look for information are:

• Employee needs and interests
• Your organization’s medial claims
• Prescription drug claims
• Employee absence information
• Employer Assistant Program use
• Disability claims
• Employee demographic such as workers’ ethnicity, gender, age, and dependent coverage as well as health risks associated with each category.

It is also good to consider the wellness concerns that are unique to your industry or workplace; as well as what potential barriers to success that your wellness program may face (e.g., lack of participation, short-term commitments, or high employee turnover).

Legal Issues to Consider

Employers have a great deal of flexibility in designing wellness programs.  However, as with any workplace initiative, there are legal considerations that cannot be ignored.  Key to any program is accessibility and discrimination issues.  It is recommended that when considering a Workplace Wellness Program that you work closely with your human resource department, insurance providers and your employment attorney or consultant.

Laws that employers should be aware of and review are:

Americans with Disability Act (ADA) which requires employers to offer a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a known disability, and prohibits employers from making medical inquires or requiring medical exams (unless job-related and consistent with business necessity).  It is also unlawful under ADA to take any adverse employment action based on individual’s actual or perceived disability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and California State laws regarding Harassment and Sexual Discrimination.  EEOC guidelines give employers freedom to conduct medical examination and activities that are part of a voluntarily wellness and health screening program.  For example health screening for high blood pressure and cholesterol is not likely to violate ADA guidelines, as long as there is no penalty (economic or otherwise) for not participating.  Additionally, any program that is provided by an organization must be sure to not discriminate, either directly or indirectly against persons belonging to a protected class (race, color, national origin, religion, age (40+), gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability or genetic characteristics, marital status, ancestry, or denial of Pregnancy or FMLA/CFRA leaves and veteran status).

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) nondiscrimination provisions generally prohibit group health plans from charging similarly situation individuals different premiums or contributions or imposing different deductible, co-payment or other cost-sharing requirements based on a health factor.  Under the regulations, examples of wellness programs that comply with HIPAA’s nondiscrimination requirement without having to satisfy any additional standards, assuming participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals includes:

• Programs that reimburse all or part of the cost for membership in a fitness center
• Diagnostic testing programs that provide a reward for participation and does not base any part of the reward on the outcomes
• Programs that reimburse employees for the costs of smoking cessation programs without regard to whether the employee quits smoking
• Programs that provide rewards to employees for attending a monthly health education seminar.

It is advisable to consult the Department of Labor and frequently asked questions on HIPAA’s nondiscrimination requirements to assist in developing your wellness programs.

Other laws and agencies to refer to are Union Agreements, Internal Revenue codes, and state laws that protect off-duty conduct.

Developing and Implementing your Workplace Wellness Program

The National Wellness Institute defines “wellness” as an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence.”  The concept of wellness encompasses all aspects of our lives such as physical, emotional, intellectual, occupations, social and spiritual.  When considering your wellness program it is important to consider these aspects to provide a holistic approach to wellness. 

Get Support from the TOP - Any change initiative must be actively led by senior management.  It is important to get support from the top to ensure success.  Support not only comes from financial resources, but also from senior management modeling desired behavior.  Providing senior management with a business case to support the financial and human resources that will be involved is often easy.  Do your home work with regard to numbers and costs of workers’ compensation and disability claims.  Add to that the cost of lost productivity due to sick or light days as well as the rising costs of health care insurance. 

Develop a Plan - Once the business case has been presented and the assessment of needs complete, it is important to create a customized operating plan that includes goals and objectives that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable relevant and time bound), as well as specific initiatives for implementation, timeline, evaluation and budget.  It is also important to consider and develop an organizational structure to support the wellness program.  Teams of employees, management, supervisors and human resources often provide the best result by ensuring that all stakeholder needs are being addressed.

A wellness champion or point person should be assigned/volunteer to provide direction and answer questions that may arise on benefits, Workers’ Compensation, and other employment regulations as mentioned above.  It is always a good idea to have Human Resources play a key role in wellness programs. 

Examples of wellness initiatives are health fairs and health screening sessions, on-site yoga or exercise classes, reduced health club memberships, partnering with a local YMCA or other health facility to provide personal trainers and chair massages; or partner with Weight Watcher or Jenny Craig franchises and hold lunch time meetings at the job site.  Simple changes could include healthy snacks in vending machines as well scheduled walking programs that employee can drop in on.  It’s important that wellness become a cultural value that is embraced and supported for any wellness program to see a positive return on investment.

Communication, Communication, Communication

Key to any change initiative is development of a strong, consistent and well-executed plan that details how the wellness message will be communicated.  It should outline the time-line for implementation and how employees will benefit.  As human beings we want to know “what’s in it for me.”  It’s important to show employee results of the workplace wellness assessment and show that you heard them by providing programs that address specific needs. 

Examples of how the wellness message might be communicated are:

• A brief “wellness tip” in morning meetings or email
• A wellness section in the workplace newsletter
• Wellness posters in the cafeteria and break room
• Wellness newsletter monthly or quarterly.
• Monthly or quarterly lunch time wellness talks
• Regularly communicated wellness success stories

Finally to make a wellness program as effective as possible, make sure the program launch includes these three elements:

• Get senior management involved at the kick-off.
• Play to the audience by addressing the needs of your employee, dependents and families.
• Make it fun and get creative!  Generate excitement for wellness through activities and give aways.  Many times you can partner with other vendors in the area to provide free day-passes to spa or health clubs, or other promotional items that everyone loves to get.  Often times, employers will kick off their wellness initiative by holding a health fair. 

In closing, with any new initiative it is important to assess and measure results to be sure that your initiatives are on target.  Execute this step in the same way you would employee performance reviews or annual budgeting.  Assessing results provides yet another way to ensure the wellness program is integrated in to the organizational culture and progress and problems can be addressed in a timely manner.

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our web site www.tpohr.com

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

How To Hit The Hiring Target

To hit the hiring TARGET, we need to A.I.M. properly. We need to incorporate questions and processes to detect Abilities, Interest and Manageability of the candidates. When it comes to perfecting your A.I.M., Abilities are the easiest part. We can consider related education and experience, ask open-ended questions, and have candidates illustrate their skills. Often, that is where we stop.

We often neglect to explore whether the candidate is truly Interested (willing & motivated) to excel at this job in your practice. The issue of Manageability is even more illusive. After all, how can we predict if this person will comply with our standards and policies, get along with coworkers, and accept leadership and constructive feedback? Will this be the  Employee of the Year, or the worst renegade on record? So what questions can you ask to help predict a candidate’s Interest and Manageability?

Interest

-        Why did you apply for this job?

-        What other employers have you applied with?

-        What do you know about our company?

-        How does this job fit in with where you see yourself in a few years?

-        What was the best thing about your last job? What did you like least about it?

-        Describe your idea of the ideal (job, boss, and coworker).

-        What have you done on your own time and with your own money to make yourself better qualified for this type of position?

-        Give an example of when you went above and beyond what your job required.

We are all in the business of treating and pleasing our patients. Your employee Interest in meeting or exceeding your patient’s expectations is critical. Have the candidate’s role-play through some difficult scenarios. First ask what they would do, but then ask them to role play how they would do it. Would their approach and communication style align with your standards?

Manageability

-        What kinds of people do you work best with?

-        Describe a conflict you had with a co-worker.

-        How important is communication in your job?

-        Describe the best boss you have had. What about the worst boss? (Note: if they describe you, think again about the match!)

-        Give an example of a company policy you disagreed with, and how you responded.

-        How would your coworkers describe you?

-        What will your boss say when you quit?

-        When I ask your previous employer, what will he/she say were your greatest strengths? Which areas will he or she say you could improve?

-        Describe your dependability?

-        Tell me about a time when a supervisor told you about a shortcoming in your performance. How did you respond, and what did you do to correct the problem?

-        What do you like least about your past positions?

Don’t forget to use scenarios and role plays here. You can learn a lot about a person’s manageability with those techniques.

Watch for clues in all the answers. Does this job and your company fit with their expectations and experiences? Will it keep their interest and will they be motivated to stay and succeed? All of your hiring decisions may not result in  bulls eyes, but with some structured questions, you can sure reduce the likelihood of missing the target all together.

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our web site www.tpohr.com.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

How Job Descriptions Benefit Companies

Organizations large and small have recognized the advantage of maintaining current written job descriptions for all job positions. The essential areas of a job description should include: Essential Duties and Responsibilities, Qualification Requirements (Education & Experience, Language Skills, Mathematical Skills, Reasoning Ability, and other skills), Physical Demands, and the Work Environment.

USES FOR A JOB DESCRIPTION: Current job descriptions are useful in many areas of your business activities, such as:

<      Placing Classified Ads: The job duties and responsibilities outlined on the Job Description can serve as the basis for writing targeted job advertisements to help ensure that only the most qualified candidates who are interested in your position apply. Make sure to accurately describe the position and to include personality traits desired as well.

 

<      Hiring the Right Employee: Interviewers who review the Job Description before talking to applicants will be better able to ask job-related questions and obtain more useful information from applicants. Additionally, applicants can see in “black-and-white” what is expected of him/her and decide if there is a match between the job and the individual’s qualifications before continuing with the recruitment process.

<      Clarifying Responsibilities: Job Descriptions help employees develop a sense of how their job fits in with the company as a whole. The Job Description should provide a clear picture of the scope of responsibilities of the position, and reduce the amount of time required of management to clarify what is expected of the employee.

<      Performance Appraisal Tool: Communicates to employees what is expected in advance of evaluating how well they performed the job is key. A Job Description can be a primary tool in seeing that the employee understands what is expected. Yearly and introductory period performance appraisals are a perfect time to (1) review the employee’s Job Description to make sure that he/she is performing according to expectations, and to (2) discuss any changes in job responsibilities that have occurred and update the Job Description.

<      Returning Employee to Work: Prior to an employee returning to work from a disability or long-term absence (work-related or not), a properly written job description can be used by the physician to determine if the employee is able to return and under what (if any) limitations.

<      Complying with ADA Requirements: Although a written Job Description is not required by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), it can be extremely helpful should a claim under the ADA be filled. A properly written Job Description can be pertinent evidence.

HOW TO DEVELOP JOB DESCRIPTIONS?

ü  When identifying essential functions of the position, focus on the purpose of the function, not the manner in which the function has been performed in the past. 

ü  Involve employees in the process of developing their job description.

TPO is an award-winning firm established in 1991 made up of a group of highly experienced, nationally certified HR experts and trainers. TPO is licensed by the State of California (PI-25638) to provide investigative services. For more information, please contact us at 800-277-8448 or visit our web site www.tpohr.com.

Contents © 2011 TPO Human Resource Management. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from TPO Human Resource Management.

Challenges Of Finding Talent – Where Are They And How Do We Get Our Hands On Them?

When an employer is caught with a vacant management position, there is often a knee-jerk reaction to fill that position with a warm body that resembles what the organization feels management should look like. However, identification of critical positions and future vacancies as well as individuals who might potentially fit into these vacancies will give the organization a larger and more qualified pool from which to draw.

Parallel to identification of key positions in the organization is the determination of future critical success factors for the position. What are the skills and competencies needed in the future for critical positions? How will you determine a potential candidate has demonstrated the skills and competencies for success? It is also important to identify why key talent is leaving the organization and make a conscious choice that culturally ingrains “passing the torch.” It can be challenging to recruit for a key management position based on “future” needs and goals. However with an eye to future customer needs, future market conditions, and what it will require to be competitive, organizations can outline a management profile for the future. Once identified, it becomes easier to target those skills and experiences in current and potential employees.

Strategic and Future Focus

Key management talent is crucial in the hyper-competitive global economy. Organizational talent becomes a competitive advantage and is just as important to organizational growth as adequate capital and a sound business model. Organizations today need executive and staff talent who have the vision to take the organization to the next level, as well as manage up, down, and laterally. Developing talent takes time and often becomes a “nice to do” item on organizational check lists. Many organizations are engaged in finding warm and safe places to avoid pain and find it difficult to focus on the very things that could help them rise above that stage. Organizations tend to focus on in-the-moment issues -- putting out fires, such as cash flow, increased production, increased costs, and filling the ever revolving door of vacancies with qualified and talented people.

Goal of Recruitment

It becomes more important in current market conditions to be very clear about the specifics of the open position as well as how the organization will “sell” itself to prospective candidates. While perks, bonuses and traditional rewards are not at the level we saw in the technology boom of the mid to late 1990’s, companies are aware that by strategically reviewing the Total Remuneration issues such as health benefits, compensation, child care, relocation costs, etc., they can provide an attractive “package” for potential candidates – especially if those candidates are already employed by competitors.

Key factors to identify in the recruitment of qualified employees are:

• Critical cultural success factors
• Recruitment policies and systems that must change to reflect current practices as well as future goals
• Non-viable job descriptions that must be rewritten in order to have a clear understating of the tasks and responsibilities
• Personality traits of a high performing employee (with regard to a specific position as well as organizationally)
• Competitors and potential candidates to cast a broad net for potential new leaders
• Recruitment processes that must be systematized to ensure consistency of screening techniques, predictive assessment, reference checking, orientation and training

Talent Identification - It is easy to identify a handful of people whose departure would be devastating to the organization. It is somewhat harder to identify current employees who are already thinking beyond their job, thinking bigger, and have the potential to make a bigger impact on the organization. The task is simpler in small organizations, but becomes a serious search in larger organizations. Once identified, current employees are prime for development to move up into the management positions. Advantages of developing current employees are retaining of institutional knowledge that often leaves with departing executives; current employees have first hand knowledge of the organization and industry, and it provides a way to retain good talent. Also important is planning the development of internal talent.

Targeting and Recruiting Talent - When looking outside the company for talent whether executive or otherwise, most skilled recruiters will target the company’s competition - individuals who are already engaged in areas that the organization has identified as a potential gap in knowledge/skills or expertise. Passive candidates are typically the best qualified for positions you need to fill and also may be less susceptible to multiple offers. The recruitment process starts with clearly outlined objectives, skills, experience and knowledge needed to perform the position successfully - the nuts and bolts of this starts with an up-to-date job description. Additionally, defining what specific expertise will be needed now and in the future will help to identify individuals with a broad knowledge base. Expertise in only one area can be a handicap in today’s global market.

Critical Success Factors – in addition to key position specific job skills critical success factors for key talent are:

• Knowledge of the industry or industries
• Vision to take the organization to the next level – often overlooked and under valued in looking at current employees
• Broad understanding of business and it’s global operations
• Flexibility – the right approach at the right time
• Reasoning and problem solving skills
• Strategic skills required to control costs, increase revenue and be competitive

However, not all organizations are created equal. The strategic skills required to grow an organization are not always transferable to another.

To conclude, when employers recognize the inherent benefits of developing an integrated recruitment plan to their succession planning system they have recognized one of the greatest costs in their business environment – the total cost of turnover as well as the potential loss of top talent. The next step after you have successfully recruited and hired your employees is to focus on training and development processes that help ensure growth and development of key talent, but will also become a competitive advantage in the recruitment process.

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