Oceans of Opportunities

Applicant's Past Performance - Closest Thing to a Crystal Ball for Hiring Decisions

2011-06-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

When hiring employees there is no crystal ball to confirm whether you have hired the best candidate. There is a process you can use that will increase your odds of doing so the next time you hire an employee.

I’m frequently asked “What are the best questions to ask during an interview to ensure I get the best candidate for the job?”

My answer is simple: Behavioral based questions aimed at the main competencies of the job. I know that sounds like a bunch of HR techno babble. Behavioral based interview questions are questions that ask the candidate to relate a previous work related behavior from their past experience. Scientists agree with HR professionals in that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Hypothetical questions only get you the answer the applicant thinks you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Behavioral based questions get to the heart of tasks, duties and activities the candidate has actually performed in the past and when structured correctly can even divulge a level of quantity and/or quality of their performance. If followed with more probing questions behavioral based questions can reveal much about the candidate’s work experiences, skills and motivations. Using behavioral based interview questions relating to the competencies of the job really is the best predictor of an applicant’s qualifications.

Three common job competencies are customer focus, dependability and initiative. Using the behavior based interview process here are some generic questions with follow up probing questions for the three competencies.

Customer Focus:

Explain a time when you were not able to respond to a customer as quickly as promised. How did you handle the situation? What if anything would you do differently?

Tell me about a time when you received feedback either positive or negative from a customer. Why does this example stick out in your mind? What did you do with that feedback?

Dependability:

We all have to work very hard at times. Tell me about a time you started early or stayed late to accommodate your employer? What specifically did you do?

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 high, how dependable are you? Why do you say that? Give me an example that illustrates your dependability.

Initiative:

Tell me about a time when none of your supervisors were available to guide or direct you on a particular project or problem. How did you approach the situation so that you could complete your work?

Describe a situation when you identified a problem and took action to correct it rather than wait for someone else to do so. How did it turn out? What did you learn from it?

Besides using behavioral based questions, the other key to making the best hiring decision is accurately assessing the answers applicants supply. Stay tuned for a future post when I share some thoughts on that part of the hiring process.

You Missed Out on Great Information!

2011-05-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

You missed a great presentation at this month’s Chandler Chamber’s Employers’ Seminar Series.

Presentation highlights from Josh Woodard of Snell & Wilmer include:

· The Department of Labor (DOL) believes 70% of all employers have some or all of their employees miss-classified and are therefore not paying and/or calculating overtime pay correctly. Which means you may be paying too much or too little.

· If you have outside salespeople you are required to comply with the Arizona Minimum Pay Act and make sure they are receiving at least minimum wage—EVEN IF they are commission only.

· There is a way to save money on overtime if you have employees that have fluctuating work weeks.

· Paying a non-discretionary bonus to non-exempt employees may cause you to have to re-calculate overtime for previous pay periods.

· Your independent contractors may not really be independent contractors and can cost you BIG money. If the independent contractors you have are true independent contractors but not paying taxes, the business owner or corporate officers can be personally liable.

· If you do not provide Workers Compensation, not only can you be fined, but you can be charged with a criminal offense.

Highlights from Patricia Kempthorne of Twiga Foundation/When Work Works include:

· Today’s worker wants a flexible work environment just as much as they want a good salary.

· Studies show that workers with flexible work arrangements are more productive.

· Studies show that companies that offer flexible work arrangements have lower turnover, spending less money on recruitment and retention.

· You don’t have to be a large company to offer a flexible work environment.

· The best way to develop a flexible work environment is to ask employees what they need .

· Creativity and cooperation between the employer and employee makes work “work”.

This might seem like an odd combination but Patricia was in town from Idaho to finish up the last of the nominations for the When Work Works annual awards. There are still a few more days to go - so call or e-mail for more information.

Are Weeds Destroying Your Employee Garden?

2011-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I noticed the first weed of the season in my yard about 10 weeks ago. And that's all I did - I just noticed it. I would like to think that if I had gone and pulled it out right then; I would not have had another patch in another area of my yard a few days later.

Weeds are like that, one pops up and if left untreated your whole yard is quickly over taken by other weeds. Next the home owners association sends a "friendly reminder" to get rid of your weeds or it will cost you. Then the neighbors drive by and think "Those people just don't care about their yard!"

From a human resource standpoint weeds are like poor performing employees. They get noticed more than your good employees. They stick out as ugly and menacing to your customers, vendors and other employees. If left untreated, like the weeds in my yard, they soon spread and start affecting other areas of your operation. In the end they will cost you one way or the other.

As any good landscaper will tell you, the best way to prevent a yard full of weeds is a regular and professional grade treatment program, BEFORE the situation gets out of hand. The same is true with your employees - you need to have a plan to address potential "weeds" in your workplace. You need a treatment program to keep your employees from turning ugly and menacing and eventually choking out the good employees.

Your landscaper has a variety of tools and materials he uses to prevent and eliminate weeds in your yard. Besides just pulling out the weeds, he/she uses chemicals that are effective on the types of weeds you have and uses the right amount so it doesn't harm the various other types of plants nearby. I bet the really good landscapers even make periodic inspections to make sure the treatment works.

Your human resource treatment program should be thorough and effective as well. Some things you will want to include are:

Hiring procedures that effectively screen out potential "weeds"
Standards and expectations of employees' conduct that are shared with all employees starting on Day 1
Fair and consistent disciplinary procedures
Regular performance feedback sessions; AND
Training for you, your supervisors and employees on all of the above.

Noticing a weed is the first step in having a beautiful yard - taking action to prevent and eliminate weeds is the most important step. I wish you a lush and attractive yard and a successful and motivated workplace.

And You Wonder Why Employees Can't Support Their CEOs

2011-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

The CEO of a well known company (GoDaddy) has pushed some limits in the past and recently irked PETA and others. Seems this popular "leader" was enjoying a much needed vacation in Africa when his "help the masses" spirit kicked in. He decided to help the local tribes people by killing an elephant that was destroying crops.

In part of his interview he seemed satisfied that he had provided a valuable service to the people by providing them with food and saving their struggling crops.

The old story of "give a man a fish" immediately came to mind. In my opinion he fell short of providing a truly valuable service to the tribe by not spending a little more and providing them with tools that would provide a more permanent solution. I can't help but wonder if he treats his employees the same way. It's important that a company leader provide tools to their employees that offer more longer lasting solutions to their work problems. This is the best way to empower and engage employees.

Another thing I wonder about is if he even considered that some of his thousands of employees may be PETA supporters. While he may try cloaking his love of hunting behind a curtain of supposedly helpfulness, his employees can see right through it. PETA awarded Bob Parsons the "scummiest CEO" of the year award - I'll just give him the most arrogant CEO of the year award for not considering his employees before boasting about his exploits.

And All Other Duties As Assigned

2011-03-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

And all other duties as assigned” – how many times have you seen that phrase on a job description? It’s a wonderful catch all item many organizations use on a job description as a “free pass” to allow them to assign whatever duties they want to, to various jobs.

These days every organization is downsizing and right sizing and trying to be as lean as possible. One of the ways they are doing this is by restructuring jobs which may include adding duties, merging responsibilities or changing employee driven processes. This means that the duties and responsibilities listed on position “x’s” current job description may not be an accurate description of the actual work they are doing.

There are a lot of reasons to have job descriptions. Job descriptions help in recruiting and retaining qualified and competent employees, they help in performance management and evaluating the work of your employees, and they assist you in treating employees fairly and consistently. Finally, if you are ever misfortunate enough to have a Department of Labor audit or a law suit filed against you – a detailed, up to date job description may just keep you out of hot water.

I recently had a client tell me “we don’t need job descriptions; we’re not a big corporation.” No matter how large or small your company is, I say “oh yes you do.” There is no specific law that requires job descriptions, but I believe in the rule of “if it’s not documented, it wasn’t done.” So if you don’t have the essential job functions and responsibilities of each job position written down, how do you know for sure it gets done? If you don’t have a written job description and want to re-assign duties, how do you know that the new duties are something the people in the position getting the new duties have the knowledge or skill to accomplish? And can they do it at an acceptable level of performance? And by changing the job duties, does that change the title, the exempt or non-exempt status, or the salary range for that job? There are lots of things to consider when trying to go “lean”.

The Chamber recently added some links to various HR tools that make it easier to write a job description. (You can find all the tools by clicking on the “Doing Business” section then selecting Business Tools, then Employer Relations on the Chamber’s website.) One link will take you to the Department of Labor’s Career One stop site that can help you develop a new job description or revise an out of date one. It’s free and is a fairly easy tool to use. Before you get started, you will want to have a general idea of the job tasks, work activities and experience and skill required for each job. When you are finished you can save it as a Word document so that you can have the manager or supervisor and/or your HR expert review to make sure all essential items were included and the knowledge, skill and abilities as well as educational and experience requirements are listed as minimum requirements and not embellished. When it is finalized, be sure to review it with the effected employees.

Because one person’s definition of “other duties as assigned” can vary, make your job descriptions as specific as is practical. Get the employees doing the job involved either through a questionnaire or face to face meeting, so you get a true picture of the work tasks that are performed by that job class. Don’t go overboard with a 5 page job description, but do more than just scribble a couple of bullet points on the back of a napkin.

Add reviewing or developing job descriptions on your HR Spring Cleaning list today.

Fun Times With Medical Marijuana

2011-03-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

April 13th is fast approaching. This will be the day when Medical Marijuana will become legal in the state of Arizona. Why should an employer care?

Arizona will be the first state enacting a Medical Marijuana law that provides an element of protection for employees, thereby limiting an employer's options to enforce their own policies and practices in the workplace. Currently an Arizona employer who has a policy against drug use in the workplace and who also tests applicants post-offer and wants to deny employment if there is a positive result is well within their right to do so.

After April 13th, if the applicant is certified as a Medical Marijuana user or a caregiver of a Medical Marijuana user - or also works at a Medical Marijuana dispensary, this will no longer be the case. You can't deny them employment just based on a positive drug test if they meet the above criteria.

Also in the near future, those certified as Medical Marijuana users, caregivers or dispensary employees can only be terminated if they violate other provisions of your drug policy - not simply if they fail a drug test.

That is why it is even more important than ever that employers have policies against possession of drugs in the workplace or the use of drugs during working hours. Only if you can prove serious impairment will you be safe to do so. I'm predicting that proving impairment is going to be challenged in the courts for many months to come.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

First, make sure your policies are worded specifically and communicated well to all employees. Be sure to include the right to inspect any possessions brought into the workplace by employees. If you emphasize your right to inspect possessions and put employees on notice, you'll have some protection and be more likely to prevail if taken to court. Second, train your employees and supervisors on the requirements of this new law. Finally, be ready to enforce your policies to ensure a safe workpalce for all - you, your employees and your customers.

Have fun! It should be interesting!

Will You Be Hiring in 2011?

2011-01-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

With the onset of the new year a lot of "experts" are forecasting that hiring will increase, helping the economy by getting people back to work. In these first 17 days of the new year, I've talked with several organizations that have already hired or are planning to hire in the near future. That's good news. But I go a little crazy when they tell me how they did it or are planning to do it.

Getting referrals from friends and family is by far the easiest and cheapest way to source candidates. But beware of friends giving glowing references. Could it be they are just trying to get rid of their own deadwood? Think about it, passing off poor performers to someone else is easier than firing that employee. In fact it makes you look like a hero. But not what I'd recommend.

CraigsList is the second easiest and cheapest way to source candidates. Where else can you get hundreds of resumes in your inbox for $25 in a matter of hours? A better alternative than strict referrals.

Whatever your source of candidates its important that you take the time and energy and follow these steps:

1) Know the job requirements, knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to be successful in the job. Don't just think about what you as the manager or business owner needs - think about what your customers need in the person that is going to be waiting on them, providing a service and generally interacting with them. Write down the key job duties, knowledge and skills needed to perform the job.

2) Put the applicant to the test. Be sure the applicants have the knowledge and skills they say they do by asking behavioral based questions - questions that draw on their previous performance, not hypothical situations. Consider using assessments to test their aptitude for customer service, sales, or other job requirements. Don't forget to check references.

3) Get a second opinion. Bring another employee, manager or HR professional into the final decision making process. A fresh set of eyes brings a new perspective into the process and can help you find any holes in your decision making - before you fall into it and are trapped with an employee who turns out not to be the best fit for your organization.

For a complete Hiring Process Flow Chart, give me a call or drop me an e-mail.

Happy Hiring in 2011!

Take Another Look At Misfit Employees

2010-12-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

My all-time favorite Christmas story is Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer I first heard the song sung by Gene Autry on my mom's "hillybilly" radio station The story airing on TV, narrated by Burl Ives playing the part of Sam, the talking snowman is one I still watch every year to this day.

The characters I identify with most, are the Misfits. Rudolf, the reindeer and Hermie, the elf are both told they don't fit in because they have skills and abilities that are a little different than their co-wrkers. Rudolf's nose glows and is seen as a distraction to the other reindeer. Hermie has skills as a dentist and since most people don't know what a dentist is, the Head Elf says "we don't need any chewing dolls." Both Rudolf and Hermie leave their employer and strike out on their own trying to find a place where they do fit in. They make their way to the Island of Misfit Toys, where they find out that even among misfits, they are misfits.

In the end, they return to the North Pole and Rudolf's special ability keeps Santa's deliveries on track during a blizzard. At the same time, the Head Elf realizes that innovation in toy making such as "chewing dolls" is a valuable commodity.

Are you overlooking the special skills and abilities your "misfit" employees have that could save your company during an emergency situation or bring new innovation to your operation? Are some of your employee's laughing and calling misfit employees names and causing them to strike out on their own - taking their special skills and abilities with them? We can never know when we might need an employee's special skills or abilities, but in this day and age of faster than the speed of light change, if we found ourselves in need of a miracle, wouldn't you want to know who to call on within your organization?

In 2011, vow to take a closer look at each employee by identifying their strengths and weaknesses through a performance management review - with the goal of discovering the unique skills and abilities of your "misfit" employees. You just might go down in history!

Thanks for Checking Out Oceans of Opportunities!

2010-12-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

Watch the video below to learn how I can help you chart the right
HR course for your business.

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3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Hiring Someone

2010-12-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

Land a prize catch! This video will explain how...

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Training and Development Ideas

2010-12-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Are you still training this way? Watch the video below to see what I mean.

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Secret Recipe for State and Federal Law Compliance

2010-12-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

It really is a piece of cake! This video will tell you why.

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Are Your Policies and Procedures Dead?

2010-12-09T05:52:00.000-08:00

A living, breathing policy manual is just what the doctor ordered!
This video will explain more.

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Being Unsure is a Pretty Risky Thing!

2010-12-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

This video will explain how you can be safe and not sorry.

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The Secret to Enforcing Policies and Procedures

2010-12-09T05:42:00.000-08:00

Companies of all sizes have a few if not a lot of policies and procedures. They look really great on paper, but when it comes to enforcing them, a lot of small business owners choke at the thought of having to be the “heavy” and “lay down the law”. Another question small business owners sometimes have – “Do I really need these policies and procedures anyway?”

The best way to know whether you need a policy and procedure is to take the pulse of your workforce (even if there are only 5 or 6 employees – they have opinions too) and find out what your employees want and/or feel they need in their jobs and within the workplace. Ask what your company is doing right and wrong, and what it could do better. After gathering the data, outline your proposed policy and procedure clearly. It’s important to have a third party review your draft policy and play devil’s advocate so there is no doubt how the policy will effect some and not others and why.

Too often when a policy is first implemented, competition sets in and employees start spending time keeping track of what others are getting because the rules are so ambiguous they don’t know where they stand in comparison to their co-workers. How many times have you heard “Why does Chris get to do that and I have to do this?” Ambiguity leads to a perceived feeling of unfairness. Nothing creates office drama better than a perceived feeling of unfairness.

That is why it is necessary to take the next step and do a reality check. Just because you think things are equitable, doesn’t mean everyone else in the organization does. Do this check by soliciting feedback on an ongoing basis and show you are open to suggestions and making changes based on what you can and should change for the good of the organization.

Keep in mind that absolute parity is unrealistic. By reaching out to the whole workforce, listening and understanding employee concerns and encouraging a workplace that shows tolerance and respect for other’s personal choices, eases tensions and increases employee engagement.

The best way to implement policies and procedures is:

Distribute the policy to all employees and require them to sign an acknowledgement that they read and understood the policy.
Train employees in the proper use of the details of ALL policies.
Remind employees of policies on a periodic basis.
Review all policies at least annually at staff meetings.
Provide and explain a valid business purpose for each policy and procedure. Legitimate business purposes include the need for quality or quantity standards, adherence to federal or state laws, protection of ideas and other things. If the purpose is well known throughout the company, then the chances of employees understanding and adhering to the policy and procedure are greatly enhanced.

If you would like to talk about the policies and procedures you should and shouldn’t have within your organization, contact: Jude@oceansofopportunities.com.