Employers and Candidates Need to Be Prepared for the Interview

Friday, January 25, 2013

It almost goes without saying that job candidates should be well prepared for a job interview. Every job coach, placement counselor, and well intended parent emphasizes the importance of researching any prospective employer and industry. An inappropriate choice on the part of a job candidate can lead to months or even years in an unrewarding and even a career-stunting period of employment. But how well prepared should the interviewer be? After all, the interviewer has the potential to offer a job to a mismatched candidate who could have an equally negative impact on the organization or at least a department.

A study by Integrity Search Inc., a Philadelphia-based executive search and consulting firm, found that many candidates perceived their interviewer to be unprepared.

• 38.9% Interviewer not prepared/focused.

• 37.7% Lack of feedback/status.

• 27% No concrete or inconsistent position description.

• 23.8% Being kept waiting an unreasonable period of time.

• 23.3% Next step is unclear.

• 17% Process too long and complicated.

• 14% Interviewed by two or more people at same time.

• .5% Little/no opportunity to ask questions.

Some of the conclusions derived from the study were:

• Interview process is an indicator of how the company operates.

• Interview provides a window into what the job will be like.

• Candidates withdraw from a hiring process due to negative impressions in the interview.

• The # 1 frustration for candidates — interviewers are not prepared or focused.

An interviewer should put as much effort into being prepared as they would as if they were sitting on the other side of the table.

• Do you have an updated job/position description?

• Can you provide examples of actual work duties?

• Can you provide examples of actual co-worker interactions?

• Can you provide examples of actual customer interactions?

• Can you describe the physical work environment?

• Can you describe when and how often travel may be required?

• Is there a career path for this job?

• How much exposure will this position have with upper management?

• Can you explain how and when performance will be evaluated?

• Can you explain how and when pay, bonuses, and rewards will be determined?

• Can you explain your organization’s benefits?

• Can you answer the question why you took the job you have?

• Can you answer the question what you like about working for this company?

• Can you answer the question what you DO NOT like about working for this company?

Remember, if you are trying to hire top talent, their questions may be as challenging for you as those you are asking of them. A well prepared job candidate may know more about your organization than you do. So be prepared!

Wage Growth Outlook Remains Low But Talent Prepares to Move

Friday, January 18, 2013

On January 16th, Bloomberg BNA released its latest quarterly Wage Trend Indicator (WTI) numbers indicative that private sector employees can expect continued low wage increases. Designed to be a leading, rather than lagging indicator of private sector wage growth, the WTI is projecting growth at around 1.8%. Not an encouraging forecast for most employees. Kathryn Kobe, an economist and consultant who supports the Bloomberg BNA’s WTI database, commented, “The latest WTI suggests there is still too much slack to support most workers' demands for higher wages."

While the WTI forecast may seem encouraging for employers due to the relative low cost of labor, the reality is that low wage increases may also be a predictor of the pent-up demand for employees to seek any opportunity for higher wages. The unemployment rate has remained steady at 7.8% or approximately 12.2 million workers even after adding 155,000 jobs in December, 2012, according to data released by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on January 4th. That does not mean that employees are not thinking about changing jobs.

In a 2012 collaborative effort between PARADE magazine and Yahoo! Finance, 60% of the 26,000 workers surveyed reported they would chose a different career over their current one.  FPC, an executive search firm, reported that upwards of 80% of current employees are prepared to seek new employment prospects as a more positive economic outlook develops.  The BBC News is reporting that manufacturers are beginning to rethink off-shoring and manufacturing jobs are being returned to the US as overseas labor costs raise, US energy costs fall, and as US worker productivity increases.  The first installment of the 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index, “Acquisition and Retention in the War for Talent” revealed that workers have endured “unprecedented economic turmoil”, even so, “they are restless." Most are discontented with employment and are proactively seeking “new opportunities.” Even workers who are satisfied with their roles are searching for greater involvement and “meaning” from their employment.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in December, 22 states reported a decrease in unemployment rates, 16 states saw increases, and 12 states had no change. Furthermore, median weekly earnings in the 4th quarter of 2012 were 1.4% higher than in the 4th quarter of 2011. Coupled with adding 155,000 jobs in December, 2012 the news points to continued indications that the labor market is strengthening.

Combining a stronger labor market, higher wages, and a high proportion of workers willing to change employers will result in some employers literally struggling to keep the workforce they have. Employers who are not prepared to deal with such a dynamic environment will find that valuable talent will have moved on before they have a chance to make a counter offer. Organizations will need to be diligent in their efforts to measure the likely hood that workers are eager to seek new job opportunities. One way to lessen the prospects that top achievers will jump ship is for employers to create internal opportunities which both challenge and reward its top talent.

Where Is Your Employee Turnover Focus?

Friday, January 11, 2013

We all know employee turnover can be bad, bad for an organization’s profitability, bad for the morale, and bad for customers and clients. Dealing with the consequences of turnover is expensive, time intensive, and detracting from the business of the business.

Karl Ahlrichs, owner of ExpertSpeaks, an independent consultant on management, communication, and human resources speaker, as well as a business developer for Gregory & Appel, recently offered up a solution on where an organization should focus its turnover energies.  Published in the HR Daily Advisor, Ahlrichs’ remarks appear to be overtly intuitive; to manage turnover, organizations must manage their top performers. But haven’t we have been saying just that for some time. Yes, we have, but are employers listening and practicing it? Turnover starts during the organization’s selection process.  A new hire that does not fit into the organization’s value system will be more harm than just another turnover statistic. Consider the potential to do financial, physical, and relationship harm to expensive plant and equipment, co-workers, customers and clients, not to mention themselves.

At the risk of being redundant, the key to managing top performers is to hire top performers. Morton L. Mandel and John A. Bryne writing for FastCompany on December 18, 2012 outlined, ”The 5 Traits All Top Performers Share”.

1. Intellectual firepower

2. Values

3. Passion

4. Work ethic

5. Experience

It is hard to argue with Mandel and Byrne’s top 5. It is also difficult to image any employer who would want employees who lack these traits. The issue is that most organization’s have a difficult time recognizing the presence of these traits. Even when organizations recognize them, employees may be slotted into positions were it is all but impossible for them to use their talents.

Eric Jackson, contributor to Forbes in "Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent" addressed the issue of organizations’ inability to retain top talent:

1. Big Company Bureaucracy -
… when top talent is complaining along these lines, it’s usually a sign that they didn’t feel as if they had a say in these rules.

2. Failing to Find a Project for the Talent -
Top talent isn’t driven by money and power, but by the opportunity to be a part of something huge … they are really passionate.

3. Poor Annual Performance Reviews -
The impression this leaves with the employee is that my boss — and, therefore, the company — isn’t really interested in my long-term future here.

4. No Discussion around Career Development -
If your best people know that you think there’s a path for them going forward, they’ll be more likely to hang around.

5. Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities - 
Top talent hates to be “jerked around.

6. Lack of Accountability -
top talent demands accountability from others and doesn’t mind being held accountable for their projects.

7. Top Talent likes other Top Talent -
If you want to keep your best people, make sure they’re surrounded by other great people.

8. The Missing Vision Thing -
What is the vision you want this talented person to fulfill?

9. Lack of Open-Mindedness -
If all the best people are leaving and disagreeing with the strategy, you’re left with a bunch of “yes” people … .

10. Who’s the Boss? -
If a few people have recently quit at your company who report to the same boss, it’s likely not a coincidence.

Not Yet Another Employee Skills Gap Report

Friday, January 04, 2013

As we enter a new year, we continue to see reports of employee skills gaps throughout most business sectors, even in the face of persistent high unemployment numbers. "The Cornerstone On Demand 2013 U.S. Employee Report" was conducted by Kelton, between Nov-23 and Nov-26, 2012 among 494 nationally representative employed Americans 18 and over. The survey was an effort to gage workers’ outlook and mind-set regarding “performance feedback, training and development, and career management”.

Selected highlights may come as a surprise to some readers:
  ● Increasing absence of ongoing training and development.
  ● Misaligned goals/expectations between managers & employees.
  ● Lack of individual recognition and performance feedback.
  ● The worldwide skills shortage is quickly becoming a crisis.

Cornerstone offered several solutions:
  ● Reskilling high-potential employees and filling critical roles.
  ● Coaching-style performance management.
  ● Crowdsourcing [360] performance feedback and recognition.
  ● Just-in-time training and development.

One thing is clear from the survey results, as least from the employees’ perspective; employers are not investing in a renewal resource, i.e., their own employees in an effort to close the skills gap. If employees lack clear work direction and managers are not providing constructive performance feedback and coaching, the organization’s performance will suffer. For the organization to succeed, employees require both monetary and non-monetary recognition coupled with 360-feedback from internal as well as external contacts. While most employers cannot address all aspects of the skills gap; organizations can provide training when and where it is needed, and in a multitude of formats.

In 2009, The American Society for Training and Development, The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and the Society for Human Resource Management published the surveyed findings of 217 employers to analyze organizational performance on skills education for recently employed graduates of: high school, two and four-year colleges.

The study found “substantial workforce readiness training gaps exist” in the areas of:

  ● Critical thinking and creativity skills.
  ● Awareness of ethics and social responsibility.
  ● Reading comprehension, writing, and math.

Similar deficiencies were also identified in a 2006 report by The Conference Board: “Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of the 21st Century Workforce”, which established that many new workers were unprepared to enter the workforce.

The 2009 survey also found that organizations are partnering with advocate organizations to overcome some of these shortfalls. Almost 200 public and private organizations are working with Year Up to help prepare individuals for the workplace thorough internships, mentoring, and other programs.  The Northrop Grumman Apprenticeship School provides tuition-free and company-paid training in certificate and associate degree programs for shipbuilding trades.

Businesses and individuals can take other actions to use their corporate position and voice to:

  ● Communicate that new workers must be ready work.
  ● Partner with educators to develop skills programs.
  ● Adopt systems to document cost of ill-prepared workers.
  ● Encourage spending of corporate philanthropic funds on readiness.
  ● Use thier voices on discussions of worker readiness skills.