HR Made Simple

August 15, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (3)

I recently saw a question posted on a professional networking website that is a question I have been asked myself many times. It's a common question for anyone involved in recruitment:

"How much should I rely on my gut feeling vs technical competence when interviewing a candidate?"

I posted a reply and decided to share it here for the benefit of any readers who might have asked a similar question :

In our recruitment work we find that a structured interview process - which does not need to be anything more than a specific set of very well designed questions at each stage - garners the best results.

I believe that the most important thing to consider besides technical competence is not even your gut reaction (as strong as this might be).
It's cultural fit. For instance:
- Will this person get along with...Read More

August 10, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

I'm angry today.

Daniel Evans, the CEO of Clarian Health Partners, a Healthcare organization based in Indiana has decided that because his staff wellness programs are not working that he's going to start penalizing employees for their obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking habits.

Just who does this man think he is?

At first pass, and with the weight of those monthly premiums dragging you down you might think "Well, why not?". Apparently someone at BusinessWeek said "What's not to love?"

Here's what's not to love about it:

1. Employers are perfectly entitled to stipulate rules and regulations and issue rewards and punishment for work and performance behavior. They ar...Read More
Industries: Human Resources

July 24, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

I have heard a number of stories recently from friends and acquaintances on both sides of a particular coin : the manager who has just been promoted, and the staff who now find themselves with a new boss. Unfortunately, none of the stories I’ve heard have been good ones. Tales of poorly communicated job roles, reporting lines, and reasons for change seemed to be a common theme in these tales of woe. One man who had recently been promoted into the Number 2 slot in his company – subsequently taking on 5 direct reports was so disenchanted with the way his promotion was communicated and handled  by his own boss that he quit.

How can this happen? It’s tempting to believe that you really are doing someone a huge favor when you give them a hard-earned promotion. But promotion of one employee represents change for all the others – and that change is...Read More
Industries: Human Resources, Operations

July 23, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

It’s a universal truth in life, politics and business that what gets measured, gets done. If you’re struggling to build a team that’s cohesive, collaborative and productive, it may pay to look at whether you’re actually measuring them to be those exact 3 things.

 

To be sure of always building the team that helps you compete and succeed think about how you might institute the following:

 

1. Team Goals : Encourage the team to collaborate with a financial or operational goal that everyone on the team must play a part in and contribute to.
2. Structure : set up the organization so that people ha

...Read More
Industries: Human Resources

July 18, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

When I asked the question recently to one of our clients - "What's the most important ingredient to you in a working relationship?" The answer came fast, firm, and repeatedly.

 

"Trust" She said. "Trust, trust trust."

 

As owners of businesses, it's critical that we trust our people, and it's why we all put so much effort into finding the right people to work with. Most of us will use our own networks of people we trust to find others, who we can trust by association. Our client put a very high value on trust, because her experience had shown that - while an abundance of it doesn't necessarily always mean she won't be let down from time to time, a dearth of trust is a ce...Read More

Industries: Human Resources, Operations