The Perfect Fit

Ten Things Your Employees Wish You Knew About Them . . .

I'm re-posting a blog from Fast Company, written by Roberta Matuson.  I just love how simple, straightforward and true this advice is.  It's especially relevant in these days of employee resentment at increased pressure and hours, "the boss" needs to be strong, yet empathetic . . . sometimes a difficult balance to strike while trying to continually get more done with less (employees).

"If you think it's tough being a manager these days, try being an employee. Most are in the position of having to go with the flow because of the current economic conditions. But that doesn't necessarily mean they do so with a smile on their face. Here are ten things your employees wish you knew about them:

1. They are happy to have a job. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are happy in their job. Big difference. People who are happy in their jobs act a lot different than those grateful to have a job. They are highly engaged and will do whatever it takes to delight the customer. The other group simply floats along praying for the day they can tell you really what they are thinking. Most likely they will do this as they hand in their notice. That is if they even give notice.

2. You're not the boss of me. My five year old used to say this to me all the time. That is until I corrected her by telling her that actually I was the boss of her and that what I said goes. You may be the boss, but you don't own your people. The minute you start playing the, "Because I said so" card, you've lost the game.

3. Your girls don't like being called girls. I remember how shocked I was when my first client started speaking to me about the girls in the office, as he pointed to a sea of silver haired women. That should have been a sign that the problem was right in front of me. It is disrespectful to call females over the age of 18 girls. They are women. Keep this in mind when referring to female employees or you'll soon find yourself managing a team consisting of yourself. Then you'll be free to reference yourself in the manner that best suits you.

4. We are no longer going to take one for the team. That is after the senior team has just awarded the departing CEO an exit package that certainly could have been used to restore salary cuts.

5. We are tired of picking up the slack from the non-performers. We know who is not pulling their weight and so do you. Do something about it before we throw ourselves on top of the dead weight pile.

6. That was our idea you just shared with the CEO. We understand that tough times call for tough measures, but that doesn't give you the right to take credit for something that is not yours. Now go back in there and give us the credit we are due.

7. Measure us on results, not face time. Stop penalizing us for our ability to get work done quickly or we will give you what you want. More face time, and that's about it.

8. Stop wasting our time with surveys. You already know what's wrong. Now start fixing things before we find a work place that is willing to take action.

9. Stop micromanaging us. Micromanagement is a sign of mistrust. You've hired us for a reason. If you don't trust we'll get the job done then by all means, either find people who you think will, or leave us alone to do our jobs.

10. We are never going to act like business owners. Stop complaining that we don't act like business owners. We are not business owners nor are we compensated the same as the owner. And by the way, if we really wanted to act like owners we would have started our own businesses.

I'm sure there is a lot more your employees wish you knew about them. Perhaps they'll be brave enough to add their comments to this list."

 

It's remarkable to me how often I hear many of these issues as the compelling reasons an employee wants to leave their existing employer.  I keep harping about retaining those employees you care about and helping them (training and educating) to succeed.  It seems like simple behavior to adopt.  Why don't more bosses do it?

There's been a bit of a hiring flurry regionally over the past two months.  I believe that flurry is still be tempered (if not strangled) by the economic uncertainly that continues to pervade the U.S..  I hope that Managers, Directors, VPs and the C-Suite all take these suggestions to heart.  Those "bosses" who haven't been respecting those who report to them or who have been blindly asking for more and more, are going to get a rude awakening as soon as job options become available for those employees.  The employees are going to bolt, and do it fast . . .

Leadership, empathy and respect will directly affect how employees perform, and whether they have any interest in continuing to work for you.

New Search: Associate Creative Director-Art #10084

We’re looking for ACD candidates with a related degree and 5-7 years’ experience.  We’re looking for candidates who have leadership capabilities, superb design skills and an approach to innovative, contemporary marketing  (across all channels) that can reach and impact customers in that targeted 18-28 demographic.  We only want candidates with national CPG food and beverage experience (including packaging), who are ambitious and who want increasing opportunities and responsibilities in their career growth.  Here’s an opportunity for your next step forward.

Our client is winning new business and consistently growing.  They want creatives who “live the lifestyle”, can “be the consumer” and know what resonates with that demographic.  Your portfolio should show novelty, risk and success for the client.  You must understand and embrace the emergence, proliferation and evolution of online, mobile and virtual tools, blurring the boundary between one’s professional and personal life.  We want enthusiasm and evidence that you’re embracing the confluence of the internet, broadband and mobile.  It’s likely you also have a significant online personal brand.  We want to see it!  Experience with traditional tactics is assumed.

We want a voracious learner, someone who’s not content with the status quo but is looking towards and playing with, the future.  You need to have worked closely with colleagues by contributing,  collaborating, enhancing and presenting to both internal and external stakeholders.  You should be sensitive to helping your colleagues grow.

Our client is offering a compensation package including a base salary and outstanding benefits.  Your starting salary will be based on experience, expertise and is designed to intrigue premier candidates. The benefits package includes medical insurance (dental and vision), a 401K, Disability and Life insurance.  EOE


If you’re intrigued and want to learn more, apply through our website and we’ll respond promptly.  As a part of your application process, send links or electronic samples directly to [email protected].

Executive Recruiters and Unemployment

I'm going to share some thoughts from a retained recruiter and colleague of mine from the International Retained Search Associates, Ted Konnerth.  Along with his superb golf game, Ted is a thoughtful guy and the leading recruiter in the electrical manufacturing and distribution industries.  You can learn more about his company Egret Consulting here.  I've done a bit of editing to apply these thoughts to the marketing/advertising industry.

Most people assume that with high unemployment, the availability of quality talent is as easy as posting an opening and waiting for the flow of hundreds of well-qualified applicants. Let’s disabuse you of that notion and begin by using facts:

1. Unemployment is 9.5% of the working population

2. Unemployment for those with a college degree is 4.8%

3. Baby boomers have begun to retire, with estimates of that pace predicted to quicken as the stock market and therefore retirement accounts return to levels prior to the Great Recession.

4. Emerging markets in the marketing industry are attracting experienced talent away from traditional employers, thereby depleting the available pool.

5. Levels of employee engagement are at record low levels, which will drive employers demand for more replacement talent*.

The majority of the unemployed are laborers; skilled or unskilled. Their plight is unlikely to dramatically improve going forward as many of their jobs have been shipped offshore. Additionally, the talent skills that the emerging companies need today require far more education than traditional laborers. College or technical school diploma-level attributes in IT, computer sciences, electronics and semi-conductors are in high demand.

The US already has a shortage of technology professionals, and the same is true as technology relates to the changing marketing methodology and expanding channels.   We’ve seen the demand and wages increasing dramatically for online, mobile and social media marketing even in the past two years.  Those who are expert in those new media areas, those who are leaders and/or innovators are scarce and not easily hired away from existing employers: relocation, signing bonuses, vacations, etc. are being offered to the premier players to try to attract them.

The war for talent issue has been moving forward for the past ten years. We were all forewarned this day was coming, but in the teeth of a deep recession it’s difficult to rationally increase hiring to prepare for the imminent shortage. Leading companies are already doing exactly that. Others are making a renewed effort to retain their own top performers and offering them professional training as part of a succession plan.

If there is a call to action, I would suggest three specific actions:

1. Enact retention strategies for your top talent immediately. Losing a key contributor is extremely costly, not just in the replacement costs, but in the lost down time to ramp up the replacement.

2. Implement succession plans for the top talent. A recent study found that less than 50% of corporations have a defined succession plan for their CEO’s (or any of their management team).

3.  Create a recruitment plan that addresses three issues:a. Building a bench. Start a college recruitment program.

a. Building a bench. Start a college recruitment program.

b. Direct recruitment department. Focused on the college recruiting and the lower level positions that experience higher turnover rates, an internal recruitment organization can effectively meet these needs.

c. Sourcing partnership. For critical talent, that can only be identified through direct recruitment processes, identify a third party firm who can partner with your organization, acting as a pure recruitment organization and as a talent scout for opportunistic hires when ‘best athletes’ become available.

The next ten years will be exciting on so many levels: new technologies, new markets of growth and a melding of technology and devices into changing channels. There will be winners and losers in this battle as always, but for those who view the path to winning through attraction of qualified talent, the odds will be significantly higher.

* Global Employee Engagement Declining

Your Resume is Boring . . . How To Write A Resume To Get A Job!

I've just run across an article by John Sullivan, a "well known thought leader in recruiting and retention of employees", and someone I've come to respect over the years.  He always delivers a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to what he writes.  This is one of the best articles I've ever read on the subject of "how to write a resume", and I've read scores of them.  Before this article, I would send interested parties to my website to read an article entitled "Prove Value".  I'll add this article from now on!  It's a bit long, but covers every base in detail!

If you are wondering why you aren’t called in to interview for great job opportunities, it’s undoubtedly because your resume is not “powerful,” and significantly undersells your abilities and experience. Having worked with major corporations on the design of their hiring and resume screening processes, I can attest that nearly all applicants fail to adequately highlight themselves in a way that increases their chances of being selected for further evaluation. While you may actually be a very good fit for the roles and the organizations to which you have applied, chances are that your boring resume doesn’t instill that perception in the 15-20 seconds that those charged with screening resumes typically spend per applicant.

 
Even if you are not currently seeking a new role, failing to adequately highlight your achievements is a weakness that can impact you throughout your career. When it comes to performance appraisal, promotion consideration, and even day-to-day work assignment, learning how to influence the perception of you as a performer is key to ensuring that your career reaches the heights you desire.

Over a decade ago, Fast Company magazine dubbed me the “Michael Jordan of hiring,” so if you want to have a resume as powerful and effective as Michael Jordan’s actually is, consider each of the checklist items that follow.

Bolster the Content of Your Resume

While an unusual format may garner a few seconds more of attention, it may also prevent your resume from making it through electronic sorting and filtering tools used by larger corporations, so it is best to focus on what your resume says about you, versus the font, layout, and embellishment used. (This is true for online profiles as well; spending hours adjusting the color pallet and background and only minutes on the content doesn’t facilitate stronger networking.) To maximize your appeal, focus on powerful “selling” points that cover your results, your impact on the organization, your skills and your ability to manage and lead.

For each of the items on the checklist, mentally review your working life, as well as other outside work responsibilities, for experiences/activities that relate to the item. For example, if you are seeking a role that calls for leadership skills, ask yourself how many times you were a leader of a project, a subproject, a team, or even a meeting/event. It does not matter if you were never formally appointed a leader or given a leadership title; if you have successfully led others, you should reference leadership as one of your attributes. Feature leadership terms throughout the content that comprises your resume, including sections covering your experience, education, and extracurricular activities.

Continue through the checklist until each of the factors appears at least once in your resume. When you have reached the end of the checklist, step back and admire all that you have done and accomplished, and can do again in your next job, ad then raise your career goals and expectations!

Thirty “Power Factors” to Bolster the Content of Your Resume

1. Result or accomplishment — everyone wants employees who produce results, so you need to find a way to list every significant result, output, or accomplishment. Your resume should include dozens of performance-related references. (Example: Achieved 100% of ___ rollout project milestones while being first to implement ___ within the division.)
2. Quantify results in dollars — the language of businesses is dollars, so characterizing the dollar impact of your accomplishments on the organization can be a key differentiator. It’s OK to use estimates if you can explain your logic. (Example: implemented changes to the ___ process that resulted in a 32% increase output with no noticeable impact on quality).
3. Skills used — listing the work you did but omitting the array of skills that you need to accomplish that work is a major omission in most resumes. You should never mention a task or accomplishment without highlighting both the technical and people skills required to accomplish it. Start with a list of all the skills that you can find in job descriptions of interest and try to mention each one. (Example: Used root cause analysis to track an emerging issue back to a change that had been overlooked many times and used strong Internet research skills to gather supporting information and build a business case to successfully convince a skeptical manager to address the issue.)
4. Demonstrate the quality of the work — you need to clearly demonstrate that you do high-quality work and that you understand and deliver quality consistently. Whenever you mention the volume of your work, also mention indications of its quality. (Example: Consistently ranked top producer within the division while maintaining the lowest error rate and a 98% customer satisfaction rate.)
5. Awards and honors — mention all recognitions received for outstanding work. Don’t forget shared and team awards, or informal awards created by local managers. Include awards received both in school and on the job. (Example: Awarded employee of the month six times.)
6. Leadership — employees who can lead are always in demand. Mention cases where you led a team or project, even if informally. Highlight challenges addressed and leadership methods used. (Example: Assembled and led a team responsible for developing a plan to expand scope of services provided, overcoming resource limitations, personality conflicts, and communication breakdowns to successfully present the case to the executive committee).
7. Management tools used — even if you were not a manager by title, show that you did use common management tools and processes during your assignments. (Example tools to highlight: team work, quality control, conflict resolution, CRM, time management, process reengineering.)
8. Technology tools — few things are more important these days than the ability to use and understand technology. Look for work examples that demonstrate your ability to learn and leverage emerging technology. (Example: used online groupware to create a project management office providing a common document repository, shared calendar, alerts, and staff assignments for key projects within our division.)
9. Worked with key people — individuals who have the opportunity to work with key people and executives are assumed to be among the best. If you worked for or with a famous individual, highlight them. Also include enough information so that the reader will know their importance. (Example: Was selected by my divisional vice president to serve on a committee led by our CEO to evaluate key customer satisfaction.)