it's ALL about the experience

HR Infrastructure

Whether you read this next post from the perspective of a job seeker gaining insight into the HR function or as an HR professional charged with executing strategy, we welcome your comments to guest author Becky Hammer.  Here's what Becky has to say:

Defining and utilizing competencies are an integral part of HR infrastructure, but it requires a strategic partnership between HR and other business departments.  Competency definition provides details on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform a job.  The HR department must have effective engagement from its business partners to facilitate this definition. It all starts with the strategy of the company, followed by the definition of what jobs and positions need to be in place to support the strategy.  From there, HR can facilitate the job competency details.

Once the competencies are correctly defined, they are an integral part of the employment lifecycle. For example, the competencies will be used to promote positions to prospective candidates.  Candidates can be measured against the competency definitions to make hiring decisions. Once hired, training plans can be implemented to improve the employee competency delivery.  Performance mangement will use competencies to measure employees for development, career path planning, promotion, or separation needs.

In today's competitive talent market, an effective way to package and manage competencies is key. Aside from the initial attraction (better candidate experience because they have good definition and expectation about the position), employees can continue to be engaged (they understand what they are being measured against), and retention of top employees can be prolonged. When competencies are properly defined and utilized, positive employee change is enabled which further enables company strategy implementation and positive influences on the bottom line.

Properly implementing competencies can be a challenge. System support and embedding into processes such as performance reviews are just a few examples. A solid plan to define the competencies and embed them into processes must exist. The change management effort must be very focused on ensuring that organizational support exists to embrace and refine the competency definition and processes.  Continuous efforts need to be in place to validate the defined competencies -- they may need to be changed due to strategy changes or original inaccuracies when first defined.  Care should be taken to ensure that feedback is solicited and understood for updates to the processes.

What are your perspectives on the challenges that exist when introducing and embedding competencies in organizations that do not have this defined -- or for those who do not use them effectively throughout the employee lifecycle?

About Becky Hammer:  Becky has extensive experience in business process infrastrructure definition and change.  Part of her career was focused exclusively on HR process support.  She holds a BBA in Computer Science and a MS in Psychology.  She is a Project Management Professional who currently provides program management, business process consulting, and writing services int he Dallas and Fort Worth area. 

Technorati tags:  HR strategy, job competencies, hiring, employee engagement, employee retention. 

Mamma Mia

Do you spend a lot of time recruiting college age candidates?  Then you may be able to commiserate with Not Your Mom, a corporate recruiter with lots of frustration about preparing young candidates to meet hiring managers.  In today's Wednesday Wisdom column I gave her my advice, but there's always room for more -- drop in, read what others are saying, and add some brilliance of your own. 

And while you're there, put your feet up and check out the vibrant community of more than 12,000 that can be found on RecruitingBlogs.com.  Enjoy!

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About Claudia Faust: In my day job, I’m the Head of Products for Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to measure and manage competitive advantage in hiring and retention.

Technorati tags: Recruiting, College Recruiting, Generation Recruiting, Claudia Faust

Leadership first, data second

Great post over at SystematicHR today about the real problem with HR analytics , where they note in part:

I’m continuously annoyed by business executives who want data from HR in the form of real time dashboards and analytics, but are not willing to spend the cash or time that is necessary to build them.  Lets face it, tying together a HRMS solution, bringing in multiple countries on disparate HRMS data sources, then getting all of your talent applications and even financial metrics pumped into a single data warehouse is very difficult.  You have all sorts of timing issues, data scrub issues, and that’s before you even get to standardizing data definitions and creating facts and dimensions.

I'm a huge fan of analytics, but the longer I'm in the business I'm a bigger fan of Simple and Elegant.  This requires that behind the activity of data capture there exists clarity, strategy, and a riveted attention span on providing solutions relevant to a specific environment.

Data without leadership is a waste of time.

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About Claudia Faust: In my day job, I’m the Head of Products for Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to maintain competitive advantage in hiring and retention.

Technorati tags: HR, leadership, analytics, Improved Experience

How to Quit Your Job

Guest author Vanessa Ryan offers some advice on the proper way to quit your job.... for some, walking into the job Monday morning, this may be just the ticket for a better week..... thanks for stopping by, Vanessa.

Your efforts have paid off and you've landed a better job.  But the euphoria fades when you realize you're stuck with the awkward task of telling your current employer that you're quitting.  Most people have a hard time doing this gracefully.  So if you find yourself wishing you could disappear without giving notice here are some tips to minimize your pain.

Unless you've just won the lottery, the "take this job and shove it" approach is not a good idea.  You may want a personal reference from your boss at some point in your career, if not now, or you may end up working with some of the people at your current job in the future.  Regardless of what you may think of the company, your boss, or your co-workers, you want them to think well of you when you're gone.  So conduct yourself in a professional manner.

Keep in mind that you aren't required to give a reason for quitting.  A simple letter, stating the effective date of your resignation is all you need to do.  But depending on your company's culture, it may be less stressful if you have a few words prepared in addition to your letter of resignation.  An easy way to do this is to write a list of all the things you liked about your job and all the things you didn't like. Then write a summary of everything on the list, as if you are giving a talk about what it's like to work at your company.  Next, shorten the summary by saying it out loud until it sounds like you are telling a friend about leaving your job.  Your last sentence is to say you've found a better opportunity, or one that is closer to home or one that somehow suits you better, whether or not that's your real reason.  If it makes you feel more comfortable start with your reason first and proceed from there. Of course, when you write your list you may find there isn't anything you liked about this job.  If that's the case, rather than making something up that sounds phony just say you're leaving because you found another job.  Your main objective is to announce your resignation without stumbling over your words and without antagonizing anyone.

Before giving notice read your company's policies.  Some take a hard line and will esort resigning employees off the premises immediately.  Make sure you've removed personal property from your desk and you can return all company property assigned to you on the spot once you give notice. If you consent to an exit interview, which is not legally necessary, be aware that everything you say can be used against you in court. So if you have legitimate gripes against the company or its employees, it's best to say, "No comment," to any questions asked.

Regardless of your circumstances, a prepred exit will garner more well-wishers, as well as the secret admiration of those who may be considering the same thing.

About Vanessa:  Vanessa Ryan's ability to solve human relations problems in the workplace led her to become a recruiter.  She enjoys placing people in careers theywill find rewarding and fulfilling.

Technorati tags:  quitting your job, recruiting and hiring, job search. 

Herding Cats

Ever feel like you're herding cats as a recruiter?  We're talking about the integrity of keeping commitments today in my weekly post over at RecruitingBlogs.com -- stop by and add your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you.

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About Claudia Faust: In my day job, I’m the head of Products for Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to measure and manage engagement for competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here.

Technorati tags: Recruiting, Candidate Management, Claudia Faust, Wednesday Wisdom

Employee Training a Path to Retention?

Guest author Steve Krajewski has dropped in for his perspective on retention and the role employee training has in boosting it.  Thanks for dropping by, Steve!

There's a fair amount of digital ink spilled these days on the role ongoing education plays in retaining--and engaging-employees.  London candymaker Swizzels Mathlow recently said turnover in one department dropped from 42% to 2% after it began offering courses in food and drink in partnership with a local university.  The Container Store, a Coppell, Texas-based storage products retailer, famously provides first-year salespeople with 241 hours of training in an industry that averages just seven.

Striking a balance between the quantity and quality of training may not be the biggest hurdle to clear for companies interested in following suit.  One key to developing a meaningful training program may hinge on accepting an apparent contradiction:  the most effective way to make employees better at what they do for you is to make them better at what they don't do for you.

Walt Disney acquired Pixar Animation in 2006 for roughly $7.4 billion.  As much as anything else, Disney was buying into Pixar's employee education philosophy.  The Emeryville, California-based company doesn't give a nod to employee learning--it weaves it into the fabric of studio operations.

With more than 110 course offerings, Pixar University (P.U.) offers employees a buffet of film school courses, taught by some of the best in the industry. Randy Nelson, tapped as Dean of P.U. in 1997, says employees are encouraged to devote up to four hours each week to their education.  Explaiing the thinking to one reporter, Nelson said, "Why teach drawing to accountants?  Because drawing class doesn't just teach people to draw.  It teaches them to be more observant.  There's no company on earth that wouldn't benefit from having people become more observant." 

While cross-pollination is important--company cooks taking scriptwriting classes--the next wave of employee education may have to draw on more than classroom lectures.  A whitepaper from Gartner Research predicts an 80% chance that half of all corporate e-learning projects will involve games by 2011.  For an upcoming generation of tech-savvy workers raised on digital distractions, the medium may be just as important as the message. 

The notion of all work and no play is getting turned on its head.  Companies that aren't willing to re-think the changing nature of employee education may have to face the hardest lesson of all. Contrary to popular belief, a heavy investment in employee education doesn't necessarily send your best employees packing.  In fact, just the opposite may be true.  The Container Store has a turnover rate hovering at less than 25%--in an industry that averages 100% annually.

Making an investment in your employees by encouraging and supporting active learning may teach them a priceless lesson:  sometimes the smartest move is staying put. 

About Steve Krajewski: Steve is a free-lance writer based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  His perspective is fueled by a background that includes stints as a tutor, magazine reporter, and billing team manager.

Technorati tags:  employee development, recruiting, selection and hiring, employee retention, The Container Store, Walt Disney, Pixar Animation, Pixar University.

Claudia's Wisdom - When the New Star Hire Bolts

For those of you who don't know, our own Claudia Faust writes a weekly column on Recruiting Blogs.  Situated like a "Dear Abby" on Recruiting, she fields weekly questions with responses drawn on her years of wisdom.  Check out this week's discussion about the new hire who was destined to be a star only to return to the previous employer!  Read on.

About Claudia Faust:  In my day job I’m the head of Products at Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to increase competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here.

Why are Employers Getting So Testy?

We are pleased to have a visit from guest author Glen Sheppard today.  Thanks for dropping by, Glen!

After doing some Internet research (let’s call it what it is—“Googling”), here’s a few thoughts I gathered on the role of pre-employment assessments within the HR hiring function.  I’m anxious to read your posted response to this information.

Many companies, from small mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500s, are funneling all applicants through some sort of cognitive or psychological test, and it usually occurs early in the hiring process.  Thousands of companies offer a pre-employment assessment of some sort based on the prevailing concepts of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (many of these on paper but, more recently, online testing is all the rage).

According to the Web sites of some major players in the employee assessment space (I won’t plug any particular vendor here, but they are plentiful), I’ve assembled three of the many reasons why employers have adopted the use of assessments.

First and foremost, it’s all about saving corporate dollars.  To that end, a plethora of assessment case studies claim to reduce long-term employee turnover by 20%-55% or more.  When you have to recruit, hire, and train fewer people, it saves the company money, right?

But the question is, “If turnover drops using assessments, why?”  One school of thought is that the mere introduction of a testing process lowers turnover by a measurable increment.  When an applicant has invested time and effort in a job opportunity, he/she is willing to work to make the opportunity last.  After all, test takers worked hard to “pass” the test, gain an interview, and get an offer.  Another benefit that assessment companies claim reduces turnover is the test software’s ability to match the applicant to the job opening, often through a customized “job profile” based on incumbents in the position against which you can compare behavioral assessment scores.

The second reason companies choose to assess is to identify higher-quality applicants.  Assessment scores can serve as a guideline for who you call in for an interview.  And if the assessment works, you’re saving time and money by avoiding interviews with low-potential candidates.

A third reason for the widespread adoption of pre-employment assessments is to leverage the psychological feedback provided by the assessment tool to further develop your employees once they are hired.  If a new project manager’s assessment shows her to be introverted and only comfortable in small groups, then she can be directed to projects with smaller teams until her group management skills are more developed.

That’s my .02 for today.  Do you agree/disagree?  What is your organization’s involvement with pre-employment assessments? 

About Glen Sheppard: Glenn is a Marketing Communications Specialist for PeopleAnswers, a software company specializing in tools that streamline the corporate HR function.  Glen spends the bulk of his business week writing Web content, case studies, and press relesaes while producing freelance articles (like this one) in his "spare" time.

Technorati tags:  hiring assessments, pre-employment assessment, psychological feedback, selection and hiring.

I've been Tagged!

OK, this is gonna be embarrassing, but here goes ...  About a year ago, yes a year, my friend Moises Lopez "tagged" me ... and here I am just now responding.  Since then, he has migrated his blog to this address.  Sorry Moises.  Honestly, you know you mean more to me than this tardiness might otherwise suggest.

You tagged me and asked me to comply with these simple rules:

THE RULES:

1) Post these rules before you give the facts.

2) List 8 random facts about yourself.

3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names (linking to them).

4) Leave them a comment on their blog letting them know they've been tagged!

Here goes:

Eight random facts about me:

1) I'm a neat freak.  I really like my house clean, my office well organized, and my head clear.  In fact, I can't think very well or perform effectively if there's clutter on my desk.  I like my kitchen spotless and everything put away (counters clear!).  I'm not quite OCD but perhaps close...

2) Before I pursued my long career in consultative sales, I was gonna be ... ahem ... an Accountant.  You know how they ask you in the counseling office at High School what your best high school subject was so they can "help you" determine what to study in college...?  Well, I was great at typing and business classes.  So, they suggested I study Accounting. I promptly went off and earned an Accounting diploma at a vocational school and then settled into an Accounts Receivable clerk position for a large insurance brokerage company at about age 19.  On the 8th floor of a small office building in Portland, OR, I had a desk right next to the door which opened to the elevator waiting area.  We as a small team often elected to keep that door open for ventilation, and since I was always a hopeless extrovert, I constantly greeted the stream of traffic that got on and off the elevators throughout the day.  One afteroon, a tall, rather stern-looking gentleman came in and asked me just what it was I did for a job around there.  I proudly proclaimed that I processed all the incoming checks for the company and reconciled the accounts.  With a quizzical look on his face, he stated in no uncertain terms, "You're miscast.  You belong in Sales." And then soon thereafter recruited me to sell life, health, and disability insurances.  Mind you, I was a hopeless failure selling insurance (I'm no good at sellling "death"), and after a year of trying, my boss gleefully one Monday morning asked me to sign the resignation letter he'd drafted for me.  But hey, the job got me into Sales, Account Management, and relationship development, where I've been ever since!

3) My kindergarten teacher claimed me as "the 'stupidest' kid" she had ever had in her class.  In all the years she had taught!!  This would have been about 1970 in Yakima, WA.  You see, I daydreamed a lot and felt I had so many better things going on besides school (like playing with my friends in the garden at home, having tomato fights, and placing pennies on the railroad tracks to be smashed by passing trains).  But when my teacher informed me of my complete lack of intelligence, it didn't hurt my feelings or make me feel bad, for whatever reason.  I just took it to be a statement of fact and thought, "Huh, I guess I really need to work at changing the situation, then."  I remember distinctly getting math homework in the 2nd grade and thinking, "Wow, this is really hard.  But ya know, I am stupid, so (sigh) I guess I'm just going to have to work harder than the rest of the kids on this. That's all." So, I would set to studying for hours to master the task.  This kind of focus is what guided my early schooling efforts, and then later blossomed into an absolute love for learning. Later, I went on to pursue and earn a Bachelors, two Masters, and a Doctorate. I guess I should really thank that kindergarten teacher one of these days...

4) On the culinary front, I love to cook, eat, and host  parties (which is why I must also be a long distance runner!).  I am a big fan of big, bold red wine and especially love Zinfandel. I don't like dry reds, but rather a bit fruity with a chocolate, pepper, or vanilla finish.  No oak, either, please!

5) Married at age 35 and having been the oldest child of 4 who looked after my siblings for several years while growing up, I was not immediately hip on the idea of becoming a parent myself.  My husband, however, was enamored with the idea.  After considering it carefully, it occured to me, being a fan of Abraham Maslow, that the only way I could completely self-actualize was to in fact become a parent -- to love someone else unconditionally and commit to the life-long task of caring for and supporting that person for as long as I lived.  So, my original motivation for becoming a parent was quite selfish.  It was not to see myself in my child's eyes or create a being that might later take care of me in my old age, but still selfish nonetheless:  to have a being in my life that would help me become the best human I could be.  Now, of course, I do think my 5-year old daughter has helped me immensely to grow into a better person (and that journey of course continues, and will forever), but what I was not anticipating was the overwhelming and absolute love I feel for her and the sheer joy she brings to my life. She's the best thing I've ever done.

6) My favorite color is a peachish orange.  I love the energy this color gives, and it make sme happy to wear it.  You will notice that a lot of my wardrobe consists of bright, happy colors.  This is completely acceptable and of very little notice where I live, here in Dallas.

7) I grew up in a small northeastern Oregon town called Hermiston and began working for my parents at the age of 11 in their restaurant business.  First busing tables and hostessing, I progressed to the coveted position of waitress.  I didn't know it at the time, but my father expected I would take over the business when I turned 18.  What he was not aware of, though, is that for 7 years I had been interacting with the patrons who passed through our town and frequented our restaurant.  And they told me about the really exotic places they came from -- like Portland, OR.  And over these early years working in the restaurant I came to know one thing for certain:  I most definitely did not want to stay in this small town but instead wanted to explore the world.  Starting my journey in Portland, OR, I later managed to find residence in Rio de Janeiro and Madrid, which may seem to some as exotic as Portland seemed to me all those years ago.

8) My first (and only to date) marathon was completed in 3:45:19 in Portland, OR.  I was in the best shape of my life back then, at age 29.  Ahhh, the good ole days.

Here's the eight -- errr, let's make it six people I hereby tag:

1) Paul DeBettignies

2) Jason Warner

3) Steven Rothberg

4) Toby Dayton

5) Amitai Givertz

6) Jim Durbin

About Alise Cortez:  In addition to playing on our blog here and there, I have a day job at Improved Experience, where our mission is to open dialogue between employers and job seekers.  Specifically, my roles include Customer Acquisition and Operations.

Technorati tags:  Abraham Maslow, Recruiting.