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.

Career Report September 2016 Issue 199

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Career Report September 2016 Issue 199

The Problem with Pointing Fingers

When things go wrong at work and mistakes result in a problem or even the loss of business, employees often get annoyed and want to place the blame on someone. But before pointing a finger at a fellow employee, it’s important to take a step back and look closely at the situation. In the following Q&A feature article from The New York Times, careers columnist Eilene Zimmerman provides some important insight on the subject while also offering guidance on the importance of crediting employees for their good work when credit is due.

 

  • How can you place the blame for a problem or mistake in an acceptable, professional way?

The last thing you want is a reputation for throwing co-workers under the bus, the article pointed out. Instead, it’s far more politically savvy and productive to approach the mistake as a team problem. “Recommend a post-mortem analysis of what happened, where you look at the chain of events, what occurred and what didn’t, and questions get answered in a good-faith process,” said Ben Dattner, a management consultant and author of “The Blame Game: How the Hidden Rules of Credit and Blame Determine Our Success or Failure.”

Even if it was clearly just one person who made the mistake, it’s helpful to look at ways the entire team can make sure the error isn’t repeated. Jodi Glickman, president of Great On The Job, a communications training firm in Chicago, said that little is accomplished by focusing on one person’s mistake. “It’s not about the one error,” she said. “It’s about the breakdown in communications or the lack of understanding of responsibilities.”

You can, however, speak privately to the person, letting him or her know you are aware that the mistake is their responsibility, and ask how you could help prevent it from happening again.

 

  • What if someone blames you for something that isn’t your fault? Can you protect yourself without seeming overly defensive or childish?

Avoid a knee-jerk response and take a step back instead, said Lynn Taylor, chief executive of a workplace productivity firm in Santa Monica, Calif., and author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant.” She suggests putting yourself in the other person’s shoes to try to understand why he or she is blaming you. Show empathy to help defuse the tension, letting the person know you understand that there is reason for concern.

Keep your tone professional, and stick to the facts. Acknowledge that while you weren’t involved with the problem, you will be happy to help resolve it.

 

  • How does all the finger-pointing in a workplace affect its culture?

Unfortunately, finger-pointing or scape-goating is fairly common, said Jill A. Brown, an assistant professor of Management at Lehigh University. When people are insecure, they tend to shirk responsibility for their mistakes, she said. Indeed, a culture of blame can create a very difficult work environment, added Alina Tugend, who writes the Shortcuts column for The New York Times and is author of “Better By Mistake.”

Research shows that people in the workplace tend to copy blaming as a behavior, whether consciously or unconsciously, thus perpetrating the problem, Tugend told the newspaper. “Conversely,” she added, “when people see others taking responsibility for their mistakes or failures, they also copy that, creating a better overall work environment.”

 

  • Giving and receiving credit for a job well done is important, too. What’s the right way to give credit to others?

Credit motivates employees, Dattner said, and when there is a lack of it, people become demoralized and disengaged. But make sure that the amount of credit you give is commensurate with the accomplishment. “If it’s a small thing someone did, for example, don’t make it a public event,” Taylor added. Instead, thank the person privately or by e-mail – and be specific about what you’re acknowledging.

And be sure to give credit only when it’s truly deserved and then do so in a variety of ways and places – at meetings, during a lunch, in an e-mail, by text or by memo, using different language each time, she said.

 

  • Although acknowledging others is important for overall morale, does it benefit you directly in any way?

Giving credit to others publicly positions you as a leader, Brown said, because the ability to give credit is an important dimension of leadership. It also makes others want to work with you and for you. “If you share credit, are conscious of other people’s agendas and are always trying to make colleagues look good, people will love you,” Glickman added. “They will want to be on your team.”

 

  • NEWS FROM BLK

Summer is behind us and the motivation to hire excellent candidates is increasing quickly. More niches are attaining full employment greatly increasing the competition for stellar talent.  Immediately after Labor Day we have seen an increase in job requisitions from our established clients.  And with great surprise are witnessing orders from clients we have not heard from in years.

So if you are a job-seeker this is a good time to test the waters.  If you are a hiring authority be prepared for a competitive market place.

We at Berman Larson Kane  would like to thank our clients for their business.  It is truly an honor to assist with each talent acquisition challenge  that the market creates.

 

 

Career Report August 2016 – Issue 198

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Career Report August 2016  Feature Story

SALARY NEGOTIATION IS A TWO-WAY STREET

During any interview, common thinking says that all the pressure is on the job candidate since, after all, they are the ones trying to set themselves apart from the crowd and impress the company enough to get hired. But, according to an article published by Monster.com, it’s just as important for hiring managers to remember that the interview process is a two-way street.

For companies with an important job to fill, extracting the perfect candidate from the legions of uninspiring resumes can indeed be a challenge. Once you have identified the candidate whom you feel is the right person, and they have passed your rigorous qualifications, you want to get them on board as soon as possible. But then there’s the final question: Can you afford them?

Here, according to the article by Jim Hopkinson, author of the book, Salary Tutor: Learn the Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You, are five salary negotiation tips for employers to consider:

  1. Access the best candidates — Empower your employees to spread the word that you are looking for amazing new people to join your team, and reward them for quality referrals. This will help identify good, quality candidates who members of your team are familiar with, hopefully making the salary negotiation process smoother and more productive. Studies have shown that upwards of 80 percent of jobs are found through networking, so if job seekers are out there expanding their network and tapping into friends of friends, why aren’t you?
  1. Don’t scare them off — Some employers try to screen out candidates before they even know their name. If your job description or application has hazard label warning language such as RESUMES THAT ARE SUBMITTED THAT DO NOT CONTAIN A FULL SALARY HISTORY WILL BE IGNORED, what does that say about your company?
  1. Give them the tour — Candidates should defer premature salary talk by eager HR screeners by saying something such as, “I’ve done my homework in terms of salary, but would really like to know more about the company before we talk details.” The key for them is not just saying the words, but believing them.

For example, what if they give a low number early, but upon getting a full description of the job’s responsibilities, they find out there is more travel than anticipated, longer working hours, and shrinking budgets. They realize they’d need a lot more compensation to take the job.

Conversely, if they say a high number up front, then instantly click with their would-be manager, find out there’s a fantastic new project in the pipeline, and realize this is their dream job, they could be screened out for being “too expensive.” So before pressing candidates for a bottom line number, make sure they’ve seen the big picture.

  1. Do your research — Some employers begin salary talks by asking the question: “What are you making at your current job?”  The problem with this question is, unless you plan on doing an extensive background check, you won’t know if the candidate is telling the truth, taking their salary +20%, or picking a number out of hat. Furthermore, if the person is unemployed (zero salary), doing some consulting (where rates vary dramatically), or changing careers, it can be difficult to compare the past with the present.

But most importantly, it doesn’t matter what they are making now. The fact is, you are the one offering the job. The assumption here is that you’re hiring because you feel an additional employee will bring in more revenue to your company, so you should have a number in mind that makes sure that the return on investment is worth it.

It’s up to you to do the research and know the market value of the employee you are looking to hire, factoring in years of experience, geographic location, and demand for the position. Fortunately, a host of online resources make it easy to determine a job’s market value for bank tellers in Boise or software engineers in Silicon Valley.

  1. Respect their research — The way a prospective employee handles salary negotiation should give you a pretty good indication of their character. Are they too timid to ask for what they’re worth? Do they get frustrated or demanding if your initial offer doesn’t align with their thinking?

Or, do they calmly and confidently approach this part of the interview like a business transaction? A candidate who has done extensive research on current market rates, shows you supporting documentation for the rate they are asking and ultimately knows their true worth and stands by it sounds like someone you should want on your team.

In the end, negotiating salary can be stressful for all parties involved. But with the right preparation, the article points out, employers can get their money’s worth when the moment of truth arrives to make a job offer.

 

NEWS FROM BLK

As the summer heat wave continues we at Berman Larson Kane continue to witness a continuous increase in client hiring activities.  Disciplines that continue to remain over heated are engineering, scientific, digital marketing and field service.

As we look forward to the cooler fall weather we see no slow down occurring in new hiring activities.  Hope you enjoyed your summer and thanks again for your support we so greatly appreciate it.

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.

Career Report July 2016 – Issue 197

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BERMAN LARSON KANE   Career Report July 2016

Feature Story

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.

NEWS FROM BLK

Our last month prediction of an active favorable summer for job-seekers was confirmed in the release of the June job creation numbers.  With close to a ¼ million new jobs created in July.

We are Berman Larson Kane continue to be optimistic for the remainder of July and August.  We are extremely positive for the continuation of high job creation for the rest of the year.

The hiring cycle is becoming more competitive as skill shortages continue to materialize in additional sectors.   So if you are a job-seeker this in the best we have witnessed in the past 8 years.

Enjoy the rest of your summer knowing that your skills will continue to increase in value.

 

 

 

 

Career Advice Becomes a Summer Must-Read

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Bob-BLK-head-shot

BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Career Report June 2016

 Feature Story

CAREER ADVICE BECOMES A SUMMER MUST-READ

Summer is typically a time for breezy novels and thrillers. But this  season, books dishing out career advice and inspiration are making a strong showing, as people young and old, employed and not, seek an edge in the  job market.

While overall book sales were down  for the year through April,  retailers report that sales of career-burnishing books have been on the rise.

Clearly, the season will bring  fresh demand for classics like “What Color Is Your Parachute,” a comprehensive guide to job-hunting by Richard N. Bolles that has sold 10 million copies since it was first published in 1970, and “Knock em’ Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide,” by Martin Yale. Both titles are updated annually.

Moms who are returning to work can pick up “Back on the Career Track,” by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin, while baby boomers might opt for “Finding a Job After 50,” by Jeanette Woodward.

And while there are books for most every situation, publishers are rushing out new titles to address demand from anxious consumers.

Wiley & Sons “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring,” by Ford R. Myers. Ten Speed Press in Berkeley, Calif., has career books.. One of them, “Strategies for a Successful Career Change,” by Martha E. Mangelsdorf, a journalist, grew out of her experience writing a monthly column profiling successful career changers. The other, “The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide,” by Bolles, is a pared-down guide for job-seekers who may not have time or patience to read his 400-page “Parachute” book.

Buying a book will not magically find you a job, of course, but the best career guides offer time-tested advice, exercises to pinpoint strengths and interests, and a motivational boost.

Mark N. New, a career counselor and recruiter in Belle Mead, N.J., who has read dozens of career advice books, said job seekers can pick up useful nuggets on the mechanics of an employment search from books like “Parachute” and “Knock’ em Dead.” For those who have recently lost jobs, he suggested reading a motivational book from authors like William Bridges, a consultant who has written several books on managing change, or Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

“You have to emotionally be in the right place to put your best foot forward,” New said. He also urged job-seekers to become adept at social networking and personal branding. Here, he said, a book like “Me 2.0” by Dan Schawbel, can help.

NEWS FROM BLK

Although recent announced job creation numbers were the weakest seen in months, we at Berman Larson Kane are anticipating a very active summer for job-seekers.  We continue to witness a skill shortage in an increasing number of disciplines as the talent pool continues to grow shallower.

Bob Larson. CPC President of Berman Larson Kane says “I believe this will be the most favorable summer for job-seekers in the past decade”.  As I talk to clients they are all asking us to line up talent and keep the pool full so they can hire on fast and on demand.

 

OPEN PAY POLICIES COULD BECOME GROWING TREND

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Career Report

May 2016

 Feature Story

OPEN PAY POLICIES COULD BECOME GROWING TREND

Picture this: your client company has an open pay policy — where salary bands and compensation of individuals are visible throughout the organization.  Such a proposition may be a heart-stopping notion but, according a Monster.com article, recruiters and other staffing professionals would be wise to ponder the challenges and opportunities posed by pay transparency.

Why? Among other things, the article pointed out, it provides a means to overcome a job candidate’s potential doubts, fears, and objections around compensation during the job offer process.

Elements of open pay, a widespread practice among government entities, have recently gained momentum as a legal requirement for many private-sector firms. About a dozen states, including California and New York, adopted laws in 2015 that strengthen workers’ rights to: ask their employees about compensation, discuss pay with coworkers, and disclose their salary to others.

The primary goal of these laws intends to advance pay equality. Indeed, these state measures typically expand on longstanding Federal protections for pay rights.

Indeed, companies that choose a fully open pay policy — giving every employee access to everyone else’s salary — remain rare. Still, this phenomenon may potentially become a growing trend, especially if more upstarts follow the lead of tech firms like New York-based SumAll, a data analytics company and San Francisco-based Buffer, a web-based platform that helps share social media content.

What does all this mean for recruiters selling opportunities to candidates who may see salary transparency as an ill-considered scheme?  Here, according to the Monster.com article, are some top considerations, from the mouths of open-pay experts and practitioners:

Putting chips on the table can avoid wasting everyone’s time. With open pay, compensation is typically addressed toward the beginning of the recruitment process. This means candidates can quickly learn whether a job is worth going after, says compensation consultant Jim Brennan.

“Candidates no longer have to wonder what’s real and what isn’t,” says Brennan. And hiring managers, HR people and compensation specialists may no longer have to suffer through a series of candidacies that may well result in a stalemate or counteroffer ping-pong match.

Known salary bands can make negotiation more straightforward. “Open pay lowers the stress level in the hiring process,” says Dane Atkinson, CEO of SumAll, the 28-employee firm founded in 2011. At SumAll, a team comes up with the salary offer by comparing their appraisal of the candidate’s potential with the performance of current employees and then looks for an approximate match.

An open-pay search may increase the recruiter’s workload. Open pay is not all good for recruiters. With transparency, no manager can expect a company to make an exception to its internally published pay bands for an exceptional candidate; and recruiters can’t eliminate applicants who have been underpaid — mostly women and members of minority groups.

“Pay transparency is bad for recruiters and good for candidates,” says Brennan. “It’s much easier for recruiters to use prior pay as a proxy; with open pay, recruiters may have to work harder and do more research.”

Transparent pay can reduce inequities among demographic groups. With salary out in the open, unfair pay practices tend to quickly diminish — an objective that sometimes eludes even those employers that make serious efforts to treat equally all workers’ requests for raises.

A system weighted toward equity is doubly important for aforementioned women and minorities, who often tend to be weaker salary negotiators, according to studies cited by a Penn State Law Review article. Thus, open pay can be a great selling point to candidates who are members of protected classes.

Open comp companies can speak fluently about pay for performance. When each of your employees knows what everyone is paid, it requires some transparency about compensation differences among people doing similar work.

“You can think of open pay as a call to action to organizations to communicate about how comp is derived and how it links to performance,” says Salary.com CEO Kent Plunkett. “The biggest problem I see with open pay is how you feel if you’re in the bottom third” of the pay band.

Open pay can exemplify a transparent company culture.  “Pay transparency is an opportunity for a company to communicate culture and employer brand,” says Plunkett. Open-pay companies are likely skilled in communicating their culture to recruiters and the candidates they source.

Transparent pay can reassure candidates about working for a smaller employer. Candidates may have heard horror stories from friends who went to work for an exciting small company but become mired in a low to middling pay range. Visibility into your client’s open-pay structure may help overcome such objections.

“At companies with fewer than 50 workers, it’s more likely that employees will feel that pay is not systematic and open pay can mute this concern,” says Plunkett.

Openness makes compensation systems more self-correcting. Open-pay systems tend to keep themselves honest. “Once you publish a pay rate, it becomes consistent, because there’s pressure to keep it so,” says Brennan. And pay transparency makes it harder for executives to create exceptions.

Transparency tends to help employees keep up with market pay rates. “Open pay brings vitality to the whole talent acquisition process,” says Brennan.

Clearly, the article pointed out, with company-wide visibility into pay data, changes in compensation can quickly sweep through a given employment classification, helping to boost employee morale as inequity is addressed, Brennan believes. Another possible benefit of open pay: while labor costs may tend to be higher in the short term, they will be lowered in the long term due to reduced employee attrition.

NEWS FROM BLK

“April Showers they Bring May Flowers” we are not sure of this east coast weather but we are super pleased to report that May has brought a new blossom of job orders.  Segments that are getting warmer for the hot summer are scientific, pharma, marketing, sales and information technologies.   Shortages have appear and top talent competition continues to heat up.  Hot times are on the horizon for the job-seeker.

We are also pleased to report that our infrastructure improvements continue to assist our clients in stream lining the talent acquisition cycle.  If you would like to learn more give Bob Larson, CPC a call 201-556-2887 or email him at larson@jobsbl.com.

 

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.

 

 

 

Junior Accountant Contact Assignment Livingston NJ

Posted by boblarson on

Junior Accountant Contact Assignment

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Primary responsibility is to assist with the preparation of financial statements and

support schedules according to corporate time lines

  • Excel knowledge, creation of tables and organizing accounting data
  • Assist with the monthly close procedures
  • Prepare account reconciliations (cash, liabilities, fixed assets, payroll accruals)

and supporting sub-ledgers

  • Research and resolve account reconciling items
  • Assist with documentation and testing of internal enterprise reporting system

upgrades and modifications

  • Journal entries and Accounts Receivable
  • Assist with preparation of audit sampling package for external & internal audits
  • Billing experience a plus but not required
  • Support other team members as necessary
  • Other projects as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Recent college graduates encouraged to apply
  • 4 year Accounting or Business related degree required
  • Must be highly detail oriented and organized
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a customer service focus
  • Ability to act and operate independently with minimal daily direction from

manager to accomplish objectives

  • Proficiency with email and Microsoft Office application; especially Excel
  • Fund E-Z would be a tremendous plus
  • Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with all levels of employees, management, and external agencies to maximize performance creativity, problem solving, and result

forward resume to:  jobs@jobsbl.com

RECRUITING AND HIRING TOP-QUALITY EMPLOYEES

Posted by boblarson on

 

Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

March 2016 Issue # 193

 Feature Story

RECRUITING AND HIRING TOP-QUALITY EMPLOYEES

 As all employers quickly learn, there’s a world of difference between a worker who’s correctly matched to their job and their organization, and one who is not. But how does a company find and match the right people to the right jobs? According to an article published by Entrepreneur.com, a well-structured recruiting and selection program is essential.

The key to successfully developing such a program, the article points out, is to follow a proven recruiting process for positions you need to fill. And be certain to resist the temptation to omit steps, as shortcutting the process can shortchange your results. Here from the article are action items you should consider:

  1. Develop accurate job descriptions. Your first step is to make sure you have an effective job description for each position in your company. Job descriptions should reflect careful thought as to roles the individual will fill, skill sets they’ll need, personality attributes that are important to completing tasks, and any relevant experience that would differentiate one applicant from another. This may sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many small companies fail to develop or maintain updated job descriptions.
  1. Compile a “success profile.” In addition to creating job descriptions, it’s important to develop a “success profile” of the ideal employee for key positions in your company that is critical to the execution of your business plan. These might include team leaders, district managers and salespeople. For example, let’s say you have 20 salespeople. Within that group, you have four top performers, 12 that are middle-of-the-road and four that aren’t quite making the grade. If you could bump the number in the top group from 20 percent to 33 percent, that could have a dramatic impact on your company’s performance.

To accomplish this, you need to profile everyone in the sales group to identify skills and attributes common to the top group but missing from other groups. Using this information, you’ll be able to develop a profile to help select candidates most likely to succeed in the position.

  1. Draft the ad, describing the position and key qualifications required. Although some applicants will ignore these requirements and respond regardless, including this information will help limit the number of unqualified applicants.

 

  1. Post the ad in mediums most likely to reach potential job candidates. Of course, the Internet has become the leading venue for posting job openings, but don’t overlook targeted industry publications and local newspapers.
  1. Develop a series of phone-screening questions. Compile a list of suitable questions you can ask over the phone to help you quickly identify qualified candidates and eliminate everyone else.
  1.  Review resumes you receive and identify your best candidates. Once you post your ad, you’ll start receiving resumes…sometimes many more than you anticipated. Knowing what you’re looking for in terms of experience, education and skills will help you weed through these resumes quickly and identify potential candidates.
  1. Screen candidates by phone. Once you’ve narrowed your resumes to a handful of potential applicants, call the candidates and use phone screening questions to further narrow the field. Using a consistent set of questions in both this step and your face-to-face interviews will help ensure you’re evaluating candidates equally.
  1. Select candidates for assessment. Based on responses to phone interviews, select candidates you feel are best qualified for the next step in the process.
  1. Assess your potential candidates for their skills and attributes using a proven assessment tool. A resume and phone interview can only tell so much about an applicant, so you’ll need a dependable assessment tool to help analyze core behavioral traits and cognitive reasoning speed of applicants. For example, a good test will provide insights on whether the individual is conscientious or lackadaisical, introverted or extroverted, agreeable or uncompromising, open to new ideas or close-minded, and emotionally stable or anxious and insecure.

The success profile for each position will help determine which behavioral traits are important for that position. These assessment tests can be administered in person or online. Online testing can help you determine whether the applicant should be invited for a personal interview.

  1. Schedule and conduct candidate interviews. Once you’ve selected candidates based on the previous steps, schedule and conduct the interviews. Use a consistent set of 10 or 12 questions to maintain a structured interview and offer a sound basis for comparing applicants.
  1. Select the candidate. Make your selection by matching the best applicant to the profiled job description.
  1. Run a background check on the individual. The goal is to uncover any potential problems not revealed by previous testing and interviews. 
  1. Make your offer to the candidate. The information you collected during the interview process will provide important insights as to starting compensation levels and training needs.

Finally, some additional pre-recruiting tips from the Entrepreneur.com article:

Before you start the hiring process, determine your strategy relative to how people fit into your organization. What is your process for making sure they’re a good fit with your company’s culture? Decide whether your approach to the cultural question should include a second interview. Also, who else, if anyone, do you involve in interviews to help make this selection and judge the candidate? Your goal is to have a plan that will help determine whether you have a qualified applicant who will fit into your company’s culture.

In addition, decide whether you’re going to conduct pre-employment testing. How much is it worth for you to know an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, not just as a hire/don’t hire test, but as a coaching tool to help determine their training needs and best approach to maximize the person’s productivity? Pre-employment testing is often overlooked, when it could be a very valuable tool.

Clearly, if you want your business to attract and retain good clients, your comprehensive people strategy must include a recruiting and selection strategy that attracts and retains quality employees. Following a well-thought-out, structured process will help you best match the right people to the right jobs in your company.

News from BLK

As Spring begins 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.

As the unemployment rate continues of decrease competition for top talent and will continue to increase as we have witness many job-seeker acquiring multiple job offers.   As a reminder the BLK talent discover team will always bring to your attention the best talent the market has to offer.