Remote Work Succeeds at Some Firms , Not Others

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Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

September 2017

Feature Story

 

REMOTE WORK SUCCEEDS AT SOME FIRMS, NOT OTHERS

 Although a growing number of U.S. employees are working remotely, thanks in large part to technology that enables flexibility and young workers who expect it, the perk has been getting mixed reviews of late, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.

That’s mainly due to some high-profile companies that have called employees back to the office for more face time and collaboration, with most of the scrutiny on IBM. The company in May announced it would require some remote staff in the U.S. and Canada to work out of regional offices instead.

The change was particularly jarring because the technology giant was a pioneer in letting employees work remotely, and in software facilitating that trend. Honeywell, Bank of America, Best Buy and Yahoo are among those who have made similar shifts away from remote work in recent years, the article noted.

Some companies that have been having success with work-home arrangements are keeping a careful watch on the latest developments. “I want to see what went wrong,” said Joe Hagan, CEO of National Equity Fund in Chicago, who three years ago instituted a work-from-home policy for a few days a week in hopes of improving employee retention.

So far, it seems to be working: turnover was less than 5 percent last year, its lowest ever, dropping from an average of 8 to 11 percent before employees could work from home.

In IBM’s case, skeptics wondered if the goal was to cut staff through voluntary departures, but the company has maintained that it is building a workforce of the future composed of small “agile” teams that work quickly and closely in the same room to meet demands of a constantly evolving industry.

To be sure, remote work is not dead at IBM, as the change only applied to 2 percent of the workforce. Moreover, the perk is succeeding at many other companies, as flexible work policies top employee wish lists when employees look for a job, the article noted.

Nationally, about 3.7 million employees, or 2.8 percent of the workforce, work from home the majority of the time.

According to a report this year from Gallup, the most engaged employees are those who work off-site three-to-four days out of a five-day workweek. The key, advocates of flexible work policies say, is to match the environment with the type of work that needs to be done.

“The office is becoming a place for collaboration, while home is a place for concentration,” said Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics.

Studies have shown working remotely increases employee engagement, but in moderation since there is still value in relationships nurtured when colleagues are face-to-face.

“I want to kill the notion that it’s one or the other,” said Kate North, managing director of workplace innovation and strategy at the Chicago office of Colliers, a commercial real estate firm. “We’re working everywhere.”

As more employees allow people to work from home they are also shrinking and revamping their offices with new workspaces and other features to make employees excited to come in.

At National Equity Fund, adopting a work-from-home policy coincided with the end of its office lease and a move to a new building. The new office is 25 percent smaller and will save $2.5 million over the course of the 10-year lease, according to the article.

Now 91 of its 176 employees nationwide work from home two or three days a week, spread out in such a way that 22 people are out of the office at a time. On their home days, employees tend to start work earlier and end later, but take longer breaks to take care of personal business.

Employees were warned the perk would be withdrawn if it affected productivity, but since the policy was instituted productivity is up 50 percent.

NEWS FROM BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Bob Larson’s scheduled speaking engagement at this year’s annual NAPS conference is scheduled for September 21st in Denver CO.. This year’s session, entitled “Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Mat”, will combine the knowledge of his 39 years in Talent Acquisition with the philosophies learned through his 16 years on the Yoga Mat.

For additional Information about this event  https://naps360.site-ym.com/page/ConferenceOverview

 Present Moment Awareness: For More Placements
Bob Larson, CPC
“Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Mat”

16 Years on the Yoga Mat – 39 Years doing Talent Acquisition – We work in a “instant” results, “instant” information, “instant” communication environment. Our clients look for us to respond instantly, 24/7. For example, one of our staffing assignments had us covering the three U.S. time zones with the client located at a 17 hour differential. Sleep for us to service this client was not an option.

Fall-offs, cancelled appointments, no-shows, MIA clients and candidates, client’s poor communication/feedback, failed background checks and just the fact that our product (candidate) has a “free-will” adds to our world-wind challenges and disappointments.

At times you operate in a panic mode, searching for candidates, job-orders, concerned that budgets are being slashed, expenses are under double scrutiny and in the back of your mind you wonder if/where your next job-order will materialize.

Learn how Yoga Philosophies’: “staying in the moment”, “breath control”, “flexibility”, ‘relaxation”, “patience” and “just sitting” can bring positive – sensible – realistic results to yourself, your billings and build confidence within your department and organization.

No organizational charts, PowerPoint presentations, strategic plans, metrics or mission statements will be offered. Only peaceful, simple solutions will be offered. Attend this session with an open mind and it is strongly suggested you leave your PDA’s and shoes outside the room… Namaste

 

 

 

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Artificial Intelligence Transforming Workplace

Posted by boblarson on
Bob Larson, CPC

Career Report

July 2017

 Feature Story

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMING WORKPLACE

 

Move over, managers, there’s a new boss in the office: artificial intelligence. The same technology that enables a navigation app to find the most efficient route to your destination or let an online store recommend products based on past purchases is on the verge of transforming the office, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.

In fact, AI promises to remake how we look for job candidates, get the most out of workers and keep our best workers on the job.

These applications aim to analyze a vast amount of data and search for patterns—broadening managers’ options and helping them systematize processes that are often driven simply by instinct. And just like shopping sites, the AIs are designed to learn from experience to get an even-better idea of what managers want, the article pointed out.

Consider just a few of the AI-driven options already available. A company can provide a job description, and AI will collect and crunch data from a variety of sources to find people with the right talents, with experience to match—candidates who might never have thought of applying to the company, and whom the company might never have thought of seeking out.

Another AI service lets companies analyze workers’ email to tell if they’re feeling unhappy about their job, so bosses can give them more attention before their performance takes a nose dive or they start doing things that harm the company.

Meanwhile, if companies are worried about turnover, the article pointed out, they can use AI to find employees who may be likely to jump ship based on variables such as length of time they’ve been in the job, their physical distance from teammates or how many managers they’ve had.

Still, the same data-analysis technology that promises to make managers more effective also sweeps them into uncharted territory. With its relentless focus on facts, AI seems to overcome supervisors’ prejudices, but it can have its own biases, such as favoring job candidates who have characteristics similar to those the software has seen before. Automated decision-making may also tempt managers to abdicate their own judgement or justify bad decisions that would have benefited from a human touch.

These systems, though, are fairly new, and we really don’t know yet whether they make decisions that are as good as or better than human managers, the article noted. And it would be difficult to devise a foolproof way to test that.

The AI systems’ thirst for data can lead employers to push the boundaries of workers’ privacy. Clearly, it is incumbent upon managers to use them wisely.

That said, according to the article, many companies profess concern for privacy and include in their tools features designed to keep data they collect under customer control, if only to enable customers to comply with privacy policies and laws.

Here, according to the article, are a few examples of some of the ways AI is remaking hiring and managing workers, and some of the benefits and downsides it may bring:

  • Companies using AI for personnel management may start implementing it before workers are even hired—to help them find the best candidates for jobs. Such software spots the most promising resumes among what may seem like an unmanageable deluge, or widening the net so employees can find a more diverse pool of candidates than they would select on their own.
  • Once managers have hired ideal candidates, artificial intelligence can help keep them productive by tracking how they handle various aspects of their jobs—starting with how they use their computers all day.
  • Companies can also track employees’ whereabouts in the office. And AI is also beginning to help managers peer into personal aspects of job performance that used to be left up to managers’ instincts and observations—for instance, attitudes toward the job.
  • Some AIs aim to predict when employees may be winding down their career and advises how to keep them on board.

For all of their promise, though, these systems raise a number of issues–some of which are evident today, while others may take time to become clear. Privacy is an obvious concern when tracking employees, particularly personal behavior. Systems that sort job candidates also raise questions. But despite this, the use of artificial intelligence as a workplace management tool is clearly an emerging business trend, which should be watched closely.

NEWS FROM BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Bob Larson’s scheduled speaking engagement at this year’s annual NAPS conference is scheduled for September 21st in Denver CO.. This year’s session, entitled “Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Mat”, will combine the knowledge of his 39 years in Talent Acquisition with the philosophies learned through his 16 years on the Yoga Mat.

For additional Information about this event  https://naps360.site-ym.com/page/ConferenceOverview

Present Moment Awareness: For More Placements
Bob Larson, CPC
“Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Mat”

16 Years on the Yoga Mat – 39 Years doing Talent Acquisition – We work in a “instant” results, “instant” information, “instant” communication environment. Our clients look for us to respond instantly, 24/7. For example, one of our staffing assignments had us covering the three U.S. time zones with the client located at a 17 hour differential. Sleep for us to service this client was not an option.

Fall-offs, cancelled appointments, no-shows, MIA clients and candidates, client’s poor communication/feedback, failed background checks and just the fact that our product (candidate) has a “free-will” adds to our world-wind challenges and disappointments.

At times you operate in a panic mode, searching for candidates, job-orders, concerned that budgets are being slashed, expenses are under double scrutiny and in the back of your mind you wonder if/where your next job-order will materialize.

Learn how Yoga Philosophies’: “staying in the moment”, “breath control”, “flexibility”, ‘relaxation”, “patience” and “just sitting” can bring positive – sensible – realistic results to yourself, your billings and build confidence within your department and organization.

No organizational charts, PowerPoint presentations, strategic plans, metrics or mission statements will be offered. Only peaceful, simple solutions will be offered. Attend this session with an open mind and it is strongly suggested you leave your PDA’s and shoes outside the room… Namaste

 

 

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

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Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

July  2017

 Feature Story

 

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

As talk of a thaw in hiring freezes rises, many people are already planning to look for a new position when the job market picks up, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. In fact, one recent survey, by consulting firm Right Management, revealed that as many as 60 percent of workers say they are planning to leave their jobs when the economy improves. And while it may be tempting to give the boss an earful if you do land a new job, workers need to keep in mind that the way they quit can have a long term impact on their career.

Here are some tips from the newspaper article on to resign from a job on good terms:

  • Be prepared. Review your employee handbook or employment contract before announcing your decision, so you know what your company policy is regarding resignations, severance, return of company property, and pay for unused vacation time. Also, find out the company’s reference policy to see what information will be disclosed to a prospective employer. If you have another job lined up, be sure to have your offer in writing before you resign.
  • Use it or loose it. If you haven’t used vacation time and will lose it if you quit, you might want to use your time before leaving or link it to your resignation date. But if you don’t want to burn any bridges, don’t take vacation and announce your departure just after your return.
  • Make an appointment. “Be formal and make an appointment with your boss,” recommended Tanya Maslach, a San Diego, Calif., career expert who specializes in relationship management issues. “Be prepared and engaging—and be transparent,” Maslach said. She also recommends asking your boss how you can help make the transition easier. After the discussion, put your resignation in a hard-copy letter that includes your last day and any transitional help you’ve offered.
  • Give Two weeks Notice. Two weeks advance notice is still standard but experts recommend offering more time if you’ve worked at a company for more than five years. Importantly, though, you also need to be prepared to leave right away—some companies require it.
  • Don’t take the stapler. “It’s not worth it,” said Michael J. Goldfarb, president of Northridge, Calif.-based Holman HR. “If there are security cameras or coworkers with a grudge, stealing from the company doesn’t look good.” In some cases, you could also end up getting billed for the missing equipment—or even taken to court, he said.
  • Scrub your digital footprint. Clear your browser cache, remove passwords to Websites you use from work, such as your personal email or online bank account and delete any personal files on your work computer that aren’t relevant to work. Don’t delete anything work related if you’re required to keep it.
  • Be honest but remain positive. Be helpful during the exit interview, but keep responses simple and professional. Don’t use the session to lay blame or rant about the workplace. “Whatever you do, don’t confess about how much you disliked working there,” said Maslach.
  • Stay close. Consider joining an employee alumni association, which often serves as a networking group for former employees. It can be a good way to keep up with changes in the company and industry—and find leads to new jobs down the road. Lastly, make an effort to keep in touch with coworkers you worked with; they may end up in management roles.

News from BLK 

Hot Summer / Hotter Job Market is the experience here hat BLK.   Numerous clients continue to add to head count both on the direct hire and contact employment.  All are experiencing the effects of low unemployment that is causing a scarcity of good candidates.  As the market continues to become more competitive we believe wage increases will return to the employees.

One of the hottest most competitive niches is engineering and the sciences.  As job openings are larger than available candidates.

We at Berman Larson Kane continue to use our proprietary data base to uncover passive talent to meet the increasing client demand.   Bottom line it is a good time to be seeking employment in almost all professional categories.  We so thank our loyal clients for giving us the privilege of recruiting for their needs we so greatly appreciated it.

Five Questions to Never Ask in an Interview

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Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

June  2017

 Feature Story

 

Five Questions to Never Ask in an Interview

Hiring managers and HR pros will often close out a job interview by asking an applicant if he or she has any questions themselves. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the job and the company’s expectations, but you can’t forget that the interviewer hasn’t stopped judging You. Here are five questions from an article published by Monster.com that can make a bad impression on your interviewer and potentially scuttle your chances of getting the job.

1. When will I be promoted?

This is one of the most common questions that applicants come up with, and it should be avoided, said Rebecca Woods, vice president of human resources at Doherty Employer Services. “It’s inappropriate because it puts the cart before the horse.” Instead of asking when the promotion will occur, Woods said a better approach is to ask what you would need to do to get a promotion.

2. What’s the salary for this position?

Asking about salary and benefits in the first interview “always turns me off,” said Norma Beasant, founder of Talent Human Resources Consulting and an HR consultant at the University of Minnesota. “I’m always disappointed when they ask this, especially in the first interview.” Beasant added that the first interview is more about selling yourself to the interviewer and that questions about salary and benefits should really wait until a later interview.

3. When can I expect a raise?

Talking about compensation can be difficult, but asking about raises is not the way to go about it, Woods told Monster.com. So many companies have frozen salaries and raises that it makes more sense to ask about the process to follow or what can be done to work up to higher compensation level. Talking about “expecting” a raise, Woods added, “shows a person is out of touch with reality.”

4. What sort of flextime options do you have?

This kind of question can make it sound like you’re interested in getting out of the office as much as possible. “When I hear this question, I’m wondering, are you interested in the job?” Beasant said. Many companies have many options for scheduling, but asking about it in the first interview is “not appropriate,” she added.

5. Any question that shows you haven’t been listening.

Woods said she interviewed an applicant for a position that was 60 miles from the person’s home. She told the applicant that the company was flexible about many things, but it did not offer telecommuting. “At the end of the interview, the applicant asked if she would be able to work from home,” Woods said. “Was she even listening? So some ‘bad questions’ can be more situational to the interview itself.”

With the economy the way it is, employers are much more choosy and picky, the Monster.com article pointed out. Knowing the right questions to ask at the end of interview, and staying clear of ones that hiring managers find inappropriate, can clearly help you stand out – in a good way.

NEWS FROM BLK

The summer months are almost here and unemployment continues to decline and skill shortages in numerous niches continues to experience hot competition for top and not-so-top talent.  We at Berman Larson Kane find that we have to dig deeper and deeper into our ATS and make more phone calls and solicitation emails to discover good candidates for our clients.

We thank all of you for the privilege of helping you staff your teams and for the confidence of job-seekers to allow us to help with their job search and career development.

Bob Larson, President BLK will be a featured speaker at the NAPS convention in Denver Co. in September  http://www.naps360.org/page/2017Agenda .  His talk titled “Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Matt”.  Bob will share his combined 40 years in talent acquisition with his 20 years experience  on the yoga mat.  “Many of the lessons I’ve learned on the Yoga mat like listening closely, present moment awareness and beginners mind are so relevant to our recruiting profession” say Bob.

 

Job Seeking Tips After 50

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Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

May  2017

 Feature Story

 

7 TIPS FOR GETTING HIRED AFTER AGE 50 (Reprint by Popular Request)

Finding a new job can be a lot of work for many, but it can be especially challenging for anyone in their 50s and 60s. And while the unemployment rate for older workers is lower than that of younger workers, once out of work older workers seem to have greater difficulties landing a new position than others. In fact, according to an AARP data analysis cited in a U.S. News & World Report article, the average duration of unemployment for job seekers was 55 weeks as of December 2014, compared with 28.2 weeks for younger workers.

To help older workers in their quest to find a new position, here from the U.S. News & World Report article are seven strategies to consider:

Start your job search right away. Don’t wait until your unemployment runs out to start looking for a new position. “It does seem like prospects are best for the unemployed as soon as they leave their jobs, so it might be a good idea to start job searching in earnest right at the beginning, rather than easing into job searching while on unemployment,” said Joanna Lahey, an associate professor at Texas A&M University, who studies age discrimination. A large gap on your résumé and a growing sense of frustration with the job search process can make it even more difficult to get hired aging.

Work you network. Although there are certainly many modern ways to find jobs online and through social media, having contacts at the company you would like to work for is still one of the best ways to find out about openings and get hired. “The number one way to find a job is through personal contacts,” Lahey pointed out. “You can avoid a lot of implicit discrimination if someone who knows you is willing to vouch for you.”

Reassure a younger manager. Some managers may feel uncomfortable supervising someone who is more experienced than they are. “The big thing to keep in mind is that the person supervising you or making the hiring decision may well be younger than you are, and insecure about supervising someone with more experience,” said Peter Cappelli, a management professor and director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “So it is important to let them know you are OK with the role you’re applying for, that you don’t want their job and that you are expecting to take direction from them.”

Don’t mention your age or the interviewer’s age. You don’t want to call attention to your age by listing jobs you held over 20 years ago on your résumé or mentioning age during the interview process. Equally as important, don’t comment on the age of a younger manager. “Even if the person interviewing you is no older than your children, never make any reference to their age thinly veiled or otherwise,” said Nancy Collamer, a career coach and author of  “Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit from Your Passions During Semi-Retirement.”

Shorten your résumé. You don’t need to include every position you have ever held on your résumé. “Don’t make your résumé a history lesson. Highlight your most recent achievements and the new talents you’re acquiring,” Collander said. “In general, you should keep the spotlight on the last 10 years of relevant experience.”

Explain why you’re not overqualified. Having 20 or 30 years of work experience can make you seem overqualified for many positions. “Make sure your cover letter explains why you’re right for the job you’re applying to,” Lahey said. “Explain any gaps or why you’re applying for something for which it seems like you’re overqualified.”

Demonstrate your fluency with technology. Older workers are often perceived as being unable to effectively use technology. Make it clear to potential employers that you are tech-savvy and continuing to keep up with new developments. “I think the single most important thing you can do to overcome age bias is to demonstrate your comfort with technology and social media during the interview process,” Collamer said. “There are lots of different ways to subtly let potential employers know you’re tech-friendly: [For example] include your LinkedIn URL on your résumé, mention an interesting article you found on the employer’s Twitter feed or be a regular contributor to industry-related groups on LinkedIn.”

NEWS FROM BLK

Bob Larson, President BLK will be a featured speaker at the NAPS convention in Denver Co. in September  http://www.naps360.org/page/2017Agenda .  His talk titled “Talent Acquisition Lessons Learned on the Yoga Matt”.  Bob will share his combined 40 years in talent acquisition with his 20 years experience  on the yoga mat.  “Many of the lessons I’ve learned on the Yoga mat like listening closely, present moment awareness and beginners mind are so relevant to our recruiting profession” say Bob.

As the summer vacation season approaches we continue to see an increase in direct hire orders with the competition for top talent more competitive and salaries beginning to rise rapidly.  We all at BLK thank you for your business and thank you for allowing the honor of staffing for your organizations.

 

 

Employers Find “Soft Skills” in Short Supply

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Best Staffing Options
Best Staffing Options

EMPLOYERS FIND ‘SOFT SKILLS’ IN SHORT SUPPLY

Companies across the U.S. say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find applicants who can communicate clearly, take initiative, problem-solve and get along with co-workers. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, those traits—often called soft skills—can make a difference between a standout employee and one who just gets by.

While such skills have always appealed to employers, decades-long shifts in the economy have made them especially crucial now. Companies have automated or outsourced many routine tasks, and the jobs that remain often require workers to take on broader responsibilities that demand critical thinking, empathy or other abilities that computers can’t easily simulate.

As the labor market tightens, the article pointed out, competition has heated up for workers with the right mix of soft skills, which vary by industry and across the pay spectrum—from making small talk with a customer at the checkout counter, to coordinating a project across several departments on a tight deadline.

Companies, in pursuit of the ideal employee,  are investing more time and capital in teasing out applicants’ personality quirks, sometimes hiring consultants to develop tests or other screening methods, and beefing up training programs to develop a pipeline of candidates.

“We’ve never spent more money in the history of our firm than we are now on recruiting,” said Keith Albritton, chief executive of Allen Investments, an 84-year old wealth-management company in Lakeland, Fla. In 2014, for example, the firm hired an industrial psychologist that helped it identify the traits of its top-performing employees, and then developed a test for job candidates to determine how closely they fit the bill.

To determine the most sought-after soft skills, LinkedIn analyzed those listed on the profiles of members who applied for two or more jobs and changed jobs between June 2014 and June 2015. The ability to communicate trumped all else, followed by organization, capacity for teamwork, punctuality, critical thinking, social savvy, creativity and adaptability.

Workers with these traits aren’t easy to come by, said Cindy Herold, who runs the Old Europe restaurant in the state of Washington. In a moment of frustration, Herold recently put a sign outside seeking workers with “common sense,” she told the newspaper.

Training new workers in technical skills takes time and resources and employers say they are less willing to invest in workers who don’t also have the soft skills to succeed in the long run. That may be one reason hiring has lagged its pre-recession pace despite a near-record number of job openings, according to Labor Department data.

According to a Wall Street Journal survey of 900 executives, 92% said they have a very or somewhat difficult time finding people with the requisite attributes for jobs, which include both technical and soft skills. Moreover, 58% of hiring managers in a LinkedIn survey say lack of soft skills among job candidates is limiting their company’s productivity.

Soft skills have always been important tools for managers, but now it appears employers are finding them more important than ever, even at the lower end of the organizational chart, and the focus is earlier on in one’s career, the article noted. Indeed, the combination of soft skills and high grades can attract multiple job offers, with premium starting salaries for recent college graduates in technical fields such as computer sciences, accounting and finance.

Many employers, frustrated by the difficulty of identifying job candidates with the right soft skills, have adopted more rigorous hiring practices.

At Two Bostons, a small chain of pet boutiques outside Chicago, owner AdreAnne Tesene conducts at least three rounds of interviews before she hires someone. For higher-level positions, she invites job candidates and their significant others out to dinner with the rest of the management team, “so we can see how they treat their family.” She also has her employees fill out an evaluation of a new co-worker after 90 days.

Tesene, who opened the store 11 years ago, told The Wall Street Journal that she sees fewer candidates who can hold a conversation, want to interact with people and are eager to excel. “Trying to find people like that is becoming harder,” she said. “But also, I think our standards continue to increase.”

Career Report October 2016 Issue 200

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Best Staffing Options
Best Staffing Options

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

October 2016

 

 

Feature Story

WHAT MILLENNIAL EMPLOYEES REALLY WANT

Despite struggling with debt, recession, and the jobs crisis, millennials—who will account for 75% of the workforce in 2025— are not motivated by money. Rather, according to an article in Fast Company, they aim to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable.

In fact, more than 50 percent of millennials say they would take a pay cut to find work that matches their values, while 90 percent want to use their skills for good.

Clearly, the future of work lies in empowering millennial talent, points out the article’s author Adam Smiley Poswolsky, who wrote the book The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: A Guide For Millennials To Fined Meaningful Work. From interviews with numerous millennial entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and leaders with both for-profit, social enterprise, and nonprofit backgrounds, millennials want to work with purpose, and they want their workplace to be aligned with their values.

So how can companies deliver on meaningful employee engagement? Here are a number of ideas offered by the author on ways to attract, retain, and empower top millennial talent.

  1. Don’t Just Talk About Impact, Make An Impact – Many companies use words such as impact and purpose without seriously moving the needle on major social and environmental problems. Millennials want to work for organizations that are transparent on how they’re using their technology, resources, and talent. They also want to create shared value, make positive social and environmental changes, and increase opportunities for disadvantaged populations. Recruiting the top talent of tomorrow begins with making a difference today.
  1. Create Opportunities for Mentorship, Skills Acquisition, and Co-leadership – A common critique of millennials in the workplace is they are impatient, entitled, and not willing to put in the time and hard work needed to succeed. “Delayed gratification” doesn’t apply to them; they want change to happen fast.

This doesn’t mean millennials aren’t hard workers. On the contrary, millennials will work hard when you get serious about investing in their skills development. Young talent wants the opportunity to learn from someone with expertise; they want that on-the-ground experience to happen today, not tomorrow—and certainly not in five years.

Companies need to empower millennials by offering co-leadership opportunities, offering young talent a chance to manage and develop a new project—preferably of strategic importance—that excites them. They need to be paired as project-lead with a senior executive, or someone with 15-plus years of experience, giving them an opportunity to learn from a mentor. It also builds on the assumption that millennials can teach something to their more senior colleagues. For example, when it comes to technology and social media, the person with the most innovative idea in the room may happen to be the youngest.

  1. Give Young Talent A Voice – Everyone wants to feel valued at work, especially millennials. There is nothing worse for a millennial than feeling as if your supervisor thinks you have nothing to offer because of your age or inexperience.

In their new book, When Millennials Take Over: Preparing For The Ridiculous Optimistic Future Of Business, authors Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter recommend creating fluid decision-making and organizational structures. They highlight companies such as Medium and Zappos, which have embraced Holocracy, a new organizational and management system that spreads decision-making responsibilities among a set of roles and teams, rather than a hierarchy of people.

A fluid structure empowers more staff—especially new staff—to make decisions and take ownership of solutions. It’s hard to value your employees if you don’t listen to their voice, or give them a seat at the table.

  1. Make HR the New Life Coach – The average millennial is staying at their job less than three years. This might be shocking to corporate America, but the truth is the average American of any age is staying at their job for about four years.

Due in part to rapid changes in technology and a volatile economy, millennials aren’t the only ones job-hopping. How do human resources departments invest in their talent if much of that talent is going to leave the company in several years? Embrace that the workforce of the future is going to be in flux. Currently, some 53 million Americans—or 34% of the workforce—are freelance, and the number of remote and part-time workers is expected to increase.

Companies can no longer expect their employees to be loyal enough to stay for 10 or 20 years, and maybe that’s a good thing. HR departments should design training programs that invest in skills development, while helping their employees prepare for whatever is next in their career two, three, or five years down the line. A future HR professional will look less like Toby Flenderson’s drab character from the TV show The Office, and more like a beloved life coach, who will design personal learning plans for each young staffer based on what they want to accomplish during their stint at the company, and understand their values and interests enough to ensure a smooth landing at their next job.

Looking forward, to remain innovative, impactful, and financially competitive, the Fast Company article points out, companies will most definitely need to go outside their corporate comfort zone to design roles for a purpose-driven millennial workforce.

NEWS FROM BLK

Proud to report that having attended the National Association of Personnel Services NAPS360.org  annual convention in September that  the over view is that hiring will continue to increase over the next 12 months. Many NAPS members complained of the lack to quality candidates in many niches.  With overall competition for this talent increasing daily.

We at Berman Larson Kane continue to also witness shortages in numerous niches and our talent discovery staff find challenges in discovery of top talent.

As we enter the final quarter of 2016 we look forward to assisting our client s with on-boarding the best talent that the market has to offer.  Thanks for your support we so greatly appreciate it as we celebrate the 200 addition of our employment  newsletter.

HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

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HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

Successfully recruiting new employees to your team can be a grueling process. It can take months to find someone who’s the perfect fit for both the position and company culture – and sometimes, when the going’s really rough, it can be tempting to settle on someone who’s good…but not great. But according to an article published by the blog Hubspot.com, bad hiring decisions are not only frustrating for you and your team, they can also jeopardize the longevity of other valuable employees, slow down productivity, and cost your company money. So what should hiring managers look for in candidates to ensure they aren’t setting themselves up for failure? According to the article, when looking for prospective employees, focus on those who you feel possess the following six qualities:

  • Values Match the Company’s Message – Knowing what values the individual is looking for in a company helps better understand whether or not they will fit the organization office culture.
  • A Desire to Learn – Hiring managers want individuals on their team who want to continue learning. During the interview process, look for candidates who show excitement towards growth.
  • Long-term Potential – With turnover being extremely costly, look for new hires that show a long-term interest in the company and aspire to work their way up the corporate ladder.
  • Enthusiasm For the Position –For a new hire, you want someone who is assertive in performing necessary responsibilities, portrays excitement for daily tasks and is inspired to contribute to the company.
  • Good Communications Skills – It is necessary to have employees who can respectfully communicate and articulate the company’s message clearly to business professionals and clients so that the organization’s reputation remains positive.
  • Trustworthiness and Responsibility — An employer needs to be able to put full trust in their employee’s ability to perform and complete tasks accurately in order to maintain a positive and productive office culture. Look for employees who are good with taking direction and take responsibility for their work.

By staying focused on these six qualities, you’ll be weeding out those who can have a negative impact on your business and enhance your chances of hiring someone who can contribute to your organization’s growth and success.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING FOR CULTURAL FIT

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

April 2016 Issue # 194

 Feature Story

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING FOR CULTURAL FIT

Cultural fit is a concept that can be hard to define but, when it’s missing, everyone in an organization can clearly recognize it, an article in Business News Daily points out.

 For example, imagine a company founder who believes that an open-office plan and team projects promote creativity and progress, but whose employees are overwhelming introverts. Or think about the ambitious employee stuck in an organization that offers no training, tuition reimbursement or room for advancement.

According to the article, at its core, cultural fit means that employees’ beliefs and behaviors are in alignment with their employer’s core values and company culture. Many employers understand the importance of hiring for cultural fit, and research shows that people who fit well into their companies express greater job satisfaction, perform better and are more likely to remain with the same organization for a longer period of time.

In fact, a 2015 survey of international employers found that more than 80 percent of managers named cultural fit a top priority when hiring new staff.

“We can teach someone to do a job. We can’t teach someone to love the way we operate,” said Lauren Kolbe, a founder of brand media agency KolbeCo. “An employee who is not aligned with the culture and is not committed to living it can wreak havoc pretty quickly, even if they bring a great deal of skill and experience to their craft.”

The first step in hiring for cultural fit is to be able to articulate what values, norms and practices define your business. Once that’s in place, it should be clearly expressed in all of your communication materials, including your website and recruiting tools.

Your job ads, in particular, must reflect your business culture and connect back to your core values, said Ian Cluroe, director of global brand and marketing at Alexander Mann Solutions, which helps organizations attract, engage and retain talent.  “You can do this by emphasizing some of the qualitative things you want in a candidate,” Cluroe told Business News Daily, the publication that aims to provide solutions and inspiration to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Any members of your organization involved in interviewing potential employees also must have a good grasp of your business culture and refer back to it throughout the hiring process, Cluroe noted. It is not sufficient to ask candidates if they will fit into the corporate culture because “a smart candidate will know what you want to hear and give you the right answer,” he added.

To dig deeper, Barnes-Hogg recommended that interviewers ask probing questions that move applicants beyond canned answers and require them to demonstrate how they deal with uncertainty, solve problems and approach new challenges. Then, interviewers must determine how a candidate’s responses align with company culture and business goals.

Additionally, the article, by contributor Paula Fernandes, pointed out that employers can assess candidates for cultural fit by asking them to take personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and arranging for them to meet with team members from a range of levels across the organization. A potential employer may even ask prospective hires to spend a day in the office to learn about the inner workings and culture of the business or invite them to join the organization for a trial period.

However, employers should avoid confusing personal similarities with cultural fit. “When cultural fit is used to hire a homogenous workforce, the resulting lack of diversity will often manifest in poor creativity and undermine a company’s competitiveness,” said Pavneet Uppal, a managing partner with law firm Fisher & Phillips that represents employers in labor and employment matters.

“Focusing on hiring based on shared background or experiences may also lead to discriminatory practices,” Uppal added. “Refusing to hire someone because of an alleged lack of cultural fit will not save an employer from legal liability if the real reason for the employment decision is that an individual is perceived to be too old, too black, or too disabled.”

Asking candidates about personal issues — such as age, citizenship status, health, family history or ethnic background — can never be justified on the basis of cultural fit, Uppal stressed in the article.

The end goal, according to the article, is to identify and hire the very best candidates whose skills and attributes match the organization’s core values. Cluroe said this objective is achievable when organizations have a “culture that’s based on positive values that are open enough to enable a diverse selection of people to embody them in their own way.”

News from BLK

The second quarter of 2016 has seen a continuing increase in competition for top talent in numerous sectors.  Leading specialties s experiencing the most competition include scientific, digital media, healthcare and engineering.

Although recent data suggests a small increase in the unemployment rate and a decrease in New Jersey job creation numbers.  The overall direction of our clients continuous with planned additions to staff.

A sign that competition is increasing are the number of counter offers has increased greatly over the past few months. Employers using VORP models are sweetening the compensation as employees resignations trigger their current market value.

 

 

 

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

Career Report

February 2016 Issue #192

 Feature Story

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

As the unemployment continues to go down and new jobs are being created it is estimated   the percentage of job-seekers will continue to increase rapidly. In fact, one recent survey, by consulting firm Right Management, revealed that as many as 60 percent of workers say they are planning to leave their jobs as the economy continues to  improve. And while it may be tempting to give the boss an earful if you do land a new job, workers need to keep in mind that the way they quit can have a long term impact on their career.

Here are some tips from the newspaper article on how to resign from a job on good terms:

  • Be prepared. Review your employee handbook or employment contract before announcing your decision, so you know what your company policy is regarding resignations, severance, return of company property, and pay for unused vacation time. Also, find out the company’s reference policy to see what information will be disclosed to a prospective employer. If you have another job lined up, be sure to have your offer in writing before you resign.
  • Use it or loose it. If you haven’t used vacation time and will lose it if you quit, you might want to use your time before leaving or link it to your resignation date. But if you don’t want to burn any bridges, don’t take vacation and announce your departure just after your return.
  • Make an appointment. “Be formal and make an appointment with your boss,” recommended Tanya Maslach, a San Diego, Calif., career expert who specializes in relationship management issues. “Be prepared and engaging—and be transparent,” Maslach said. She also recommends asking your boss how you can help make the transition easier. After the discussion, put your resignation in a hard-copy letter that includes your last day and any transitional help you’ve offered.
  • Give Two weeks Notice. Two weeks advance notice is still standard but experts recommend offering more time if you’ve worked at a company for more than five years. Importantly, though, you also need to be prepared to leave right away—some companies require it.
  • Don’t take the stapler. “It’s not worth it,” said Michael J. Goldfarb, president of Northridge, Calif.-based Holman HR. “If there are security cameras or coworkers with a grudge, stealing from the company doesn’t look good.” In some cases, you could also end up getting billed for the missing equipment—or even taken to court, he said.
  • Scrub your digital footprint. Clear your browser cache, remove passwords to Websites you use from work, such as your personal email or online bank account and delete any personal files on your work computer that aren’t relevant to work. Don’t delete anything work related if you’re required to keep it.
  • Be honest but remain positive. Be helpful during the exit interview, but keep responses simple and professional. Don’t use the session to lay blame or rant about the workplace. “Whatever you do, don’t confess about how much you disliked working there,” said Maslach.
  • Stay close. Consider joining an employee alumni association, which often serves as a networking group for former employees. It can be a good way to keep up with changes in the company and industry—and find leads to new jobs down the road. Lastly, make an effort to keep in touch with coworkers you worked with; they may end up in management roles.

News from BLK

We continue to see an increase in hiring across numerous sectors with scientific leading the charge.  Numerous clients are looking at adding to staff during the 2nd quarter.  We at Berman Larson Kane continue to be very optimistic for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.

One major observation is that contract-to-hire appears to be the preferred model by several clients.  So job-seekers should be open to various employment arrangements besides direct hire.

In our continuous cycle of quality improvement we have adjusted our ATS system to better track your career progress and service our clients needs.