Headhunter's Secret Guide

NEW BLOG LOCATION

2010-09-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

New Blog Entries are now appearing on my
WEB SITE BLOG PAGE

HR Execs are Stressed

2010-09-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

There is a great article on Human Resource Executive Online today entitled What’s Keeping You Up? It describes what is on the minds of today’s top HR executives. Accompanying the article is a detailed survey on the various workplace issues HR execs are dealing with. No one will be surprised to find that 80% of their respondents report that their stress has gone up in the last 18 months, that employee morale is down, and it is harder to keep people engaged and motivated.

We have written before about the productivity problem, and that people are so overworked they will respond quickly when new opportunities begin to appear in the job market. In this article, HR Execs express their agreement by indicating that employee retention is a top concern, even in this kind of market.

Another interesting point is that a key stressor for HR Execs is the inability to take action on key issues. One example mentioned is wanting to develop people to aid in retention, but not having the budget to do so.

HREO is always full of interesting articles, so take a look when you get a chance.

How to Resign

2010-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you are about to accept a new position, you probably made your decision with logic and reason. If you are currently employed, you may be on the brink of the emotional roller coaster.

Resigning from your company can be accomplished in one minute (as you will see in the script below). Most people take 45-90 minutes, and the conversation beyond the first minute is usually not pleasant for the departing executive. Follow my advice, and keep it short, simple, and close out any possibility of a counter-offer – if you are interested in a counter offer, you shouldn’t be resigning your job! (See my previous article called The Dead Meat Theory)

Here is a potential script for your resignation. You should put this into words you are comfortable with, and rehearse it the day before in your mind, so that it comes out naturally for you. The important thing is to be definitive – don’t leave any room or provide any invitation to negotiate, counter, or argue with your decision.

I want to let you know that I will be making a change. I’ve had a very enjoyable and successful time here, and I’ve decided to accept another opportunity. It is important to me to leave you in good shape, and transition my work over in an organized way, so I’m giving you two week's notice. My last day here will be: __________. It is also important to me to depart on very good terms with you, so I want you to understand that I’ve thought this through very thoroughly, came to the decision with great care, and I’m very comfortable it is the right thing for me. I’m not seeking a counter offer, as I don’t believe that is ever wise, and I hope you’ll accept this and wish me well so we can part on the best of terms.

Allow your boss to express their thoughts – you are under NO obligation to give details about your new company, except to say it is not a competitor. If you are so inclined, you can reveal just the basics – it is a VP position, with great potential in a company you expect will grow substantially, and where you can have a big impact. Don’t disclose your new compensation package. If your boss indicates that they intend to counter or want to come up with something, say:

With all sincerity and respect, I appreciate what you want to do, but I’d ask that you respect my decision, and to make sure we have no hard feelings and part on good terms, let us not go there.

Reiterate if needed. Stand up. Don’t go to lunch with your boss. Prepare your transition out. Stick to your plan.

Guilty Pleasures - 10 Good for You Vices

2010-08-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lou Adler for pointing out this CNN article today entitled: America's Healthiest Pleasures: 10 'Vices' That are Good for You (original article here on Health.com)

Balance is really important in being effective at work, so if these "guilty pleasures" can keep me in balance, I'm all for it! A healthy mind, body, and high emotional IQ make people more productive. So, engage those brain chemicals and make them work for you!

My 3 Most Important Books

2010-08-12T16:31:00.001-07:00

There are several books that I would consider to have been life-changing for me. Here are the 3 most powerful books I've ever read, and the lessons I learned from them.

3. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – by Deepak Chopra. I read this book in the mid 90's, when life was pretty intense. It seemed like an easy-going self help book, UNTIL I got to the most shocking thing I've read in the last 20 years – a chapter called The Law of Detachment From Results. The very title of the chapter knocked me back in my chair. Detachment from Results? Un-American! We have to be driven to results, right? This chapter came right after The Law of Intention and Desire. When I read the two together, I got it: All your thoughts and actions must be in alignment with what you want to have happen, then when you have done everything you can do, whatever happens, happens. This allows me to be in the present, and greatly reduced my anxiety level. It is hard to do – I don't say that following this is easy, but it is totally worth it. It is the serenity prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. When you can live this, you can have peace in your life.

2. Man's Search For Meaning – by Viktor Frankl. Written in 1946, this book is the chronicle of Frankl's experience in concentration camps. He was incredibly lucky, and went through absolute hell, losing most of his family. Frankl was a Psychiatrist, on par with Freud, and reopened his practice after the war, mostly counseling other victims, who were hard pressed to find meaning in their lives after the horrors of the holocaust. I read this book in the late 70's, and it taught me forgiveness and tolerance of other's foibles. Nobody is perfect, and it is a blessing to see everybody as perfect just the way they are. Learning to fully accept people as they are, warts and all, is one of the greatest gifts I have ever gotten. Again, this is hard to do, but I try every day to be better at it. I'll never be perfect, but who is?

1. Tao Te Ching – by Lao Tzu. The basic philosophy (not religion) of Taoism. This book is about 2500 years old, and is attributed to an author that we don't even know truly existed. It is 5000 Chinese Characters, 81 chapters, and you can read it in an hour. It is the most important book I've ever read. I own many translations, including a beautiful poetic one by Ursula LeGuin, but if you are just starting out, the Stephen Mitchell translation is good, even though scholars say it deviates from the original too much. The Tao teaches balance, the concept of Yin/Yang. You cannot understand beauty without understanding ugliness. You cannot understand good without evil. We can sometimes get as much done by doing no-thing as some-thing. The Tao is exquisitely simple – even simpler than Zen, but very hard to embody. I try to give a pocket copy of this book to everyone I know well, because it has brought so much comfort and meaning to me.

Well, there they are. Who am I to pontificate about these books? Just a seeker who found brilliant lights on the path along the way.

Drucker’s Most Important Lesson

2010-08-12T15:52:00.001-07:00

If you read my newsletter, you know that I have written in the past about valuable lessons from Peter Drucker.

I got an e-mail today from HumanResourcesIQ.com, which has really good articles, written by Dr. William Cohen, one of Peter Drucker's earliest students, and an expert and author on Drucker. Cohen's article, just published yesterday is entitled Uncovering Drucker's Most Valuable Lesson. This terrific article points out a number of Drucker's key teachings, like doing the right thing, not overpaying executives, focusing on customer perceptions of value, staffing for key strengths (not assuming "well-roundedness" about execs). Ultimately, Cohen answers the question: What was Drucker's most valuable lesson? He taught us to think and ask questions.

I love reading about Drucker, because he was a common-sense visionary, and his ideas are timeless. Cohen has many articles and books about Drucker. Take a peek at some of Drucker's ideas, and I am sure you will find something that you can apply this very day.

Employee Recognition and Motivation Week (not actually a real holiday)

2010-08-11T10:50:00.001-07:00

I received an e-mail promo with this heading, and thought, gee, wasn't that in March? It isn't actually about a real holiday week. The promo is for a Training Course by Workplace Training Center, and they are simply calling the week-long course by this name. This made me think, it isn't such a bad idea for employers to be thinking about recognition and training more than one-week per year!
There are detailed descriptions of each day's program. Just reading about the individual one-hour daily courses is enough to increase your awareness:

Is your Employee Recognition Program working?
The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up
Why You Want to Be Known as a Great Place to Work
Motivating a Demoralized Workforce: Getting to the Source of TRUE Motivation
Bud to Boss: How to Motivate the People Who Used to Be Your Colleagues

WTC is offering this on CD and Live, next week. I have no idea how good the course is, and I'm not specifically endorsing it, but if you do visit their site, whether you take the course or not, you will remind yourself what you need to be doing every day to keep your employees productive, happy, loyal and motivated.

Interview Mindset – “The Customer Visit”

2010-08-09T11:22:00.001-07:00

One of the many tips I give to executive level candidates going on job interviews is to have a customer visit mindset. When people think to themselves "I'm going on an INTERVIEW," they become more humble, modest, respectful, etc. They speak when spoken to, and accept the one-down hierarchical aspect of the interview setting. This is highly counterproductive.

On the other hand, executives who visit customers are proactive, engaging, and on an equal footing with the customer. They ask lots of questions, and understand the value of an "incremental close" – getting small agreements that the product or service they offer is being "bought." This approach works wonders in an interview.

Position yourself to be an equal to the interviewer, not one step down. Engage in an active discussion, but remember to let the interviewer set the pace of the discussion. Proactively show the employer how you can do the job (how the product meets their needs) by making sure you discover the objectives for the position, then offer illustrations of how your experience fulfills those objectives.

You are the "VP of Sales & Marketing" for the "YOU" company, and "YOU" are also the product. Find out what benefits the customer needs from the product, and then make sure they are convinced that your "product features" will meet their needs. At the end, "ask for the order", by determining if the employer feels you are a fit for the job.

Justification vs. Rationalization

2010-08-04T12:32:00.001-07:00

True Story: As Freshmen in Architectural school, we had practicing NY Architects come in weekly to critique our work. These brilliant, talented and egocentric people weren't professors teaching us how to design; they just commented on work in progress - what we had already designed.

One of my classmates was enduring a particular brutal critique ("Why did you do this? Why is this here?") as the Architect slammed the pinned up blueprint with the back of his hand. My classmate tried to explain. Then, this frightening genius of a man gave us all one of my life's most valuable lessons. He stopped his criticism, and said, "I want you all to go to a library tonight and look up in a big dictionary the definitions of justification and rationalization. Never rationalize what you create."

Of course, we all ran after class to look this up, and there were lots of discussions over the next week. A justification is a solid reason in advance to do something. It propels what you do in the right direction. Even after you've taken action, the justification holds up. A rationalization is an explanation after the fact that usually amounts to an excuse. You are coming up with reasons that don't justify the action you took, but seek to explain it away. The two words often get mixed up, and are considered synonyms, but if you get the meaning behind this piece of teaching, that is what is important.

If you find yourself explaining away what you've done, and it isn't resonating with the listener, than what you did wasn't justified. This includes partial and inadequate apologies for errors big and small. Justifications make the listener feel ennobled about what you've done. Rationalizations make people feel diminished.

Sharing the P&L with Employees

2010-07-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

There are two significant ways in which you can share the P&L within your company, financially and informationally. Let’s talk about both.

Many companies are now “sharing” company losses with employees, in the form of layoffs, reduced hours, pay cuts, etc. This is getting companies back to break even, and from what we hear, employees have been tolerant of the changes. We hope that these same companies will be willing to share on the upside as well. We are strong proponents of incentives tied to specific individual performance.

Open Book Management provides company employees with a clear view of company financial information. There are pros and cons to this approach, but we believe that in challenging times, you can make this work to your benefit. Here are some tips on how to effectively use Open Book Management:

Train employees to understand the financial basics
Provide appropriate visibility. Example: Cost of goods sold could be completely transparent. Some G&A accounts, like office staff compensation, should be shown selectively, or as an aggregate number.
Empower people to own the numbers under their direct control, and to be able to use the information to improve their performance and the company’s performance.
Provide clear direction on how each individual’s actions specifically and measurably impact the financial results of the company.
Give people a stake in the company’s success – provide performance based incentives.
Listen to the reactions of the employees – allow for a variety of feelings and responses when the information is received and processed.
Take it slow – don’t overwhelm people with data, or expect them to be experts overnight.

Jack Welch has said “When people know what they’re up against, they feel a greater sense of ownership and urgency. And the sense that ‘we’re all in this together’ can jumpstart teamwork and innovation, often sparking improvements in processes and productivity.”

Open communication is high on the desirable list of most CEOs. Open Book Management is an opportunity to lead by example and get solid return on investment – investing trust and confidence that employees will utilize properly presented information to your advantage.

Ayres plays White House to celebrate ADA 20th

2010-07-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez befriended a homeless man named Nathaniel Ayres, about 6 years ago. Steve's articles about Nathaniel were so compelling, they were turned into a movie, called The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Nathaniel Ayres is a former Julliard student, fascinated with music, who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, and as a result, was lost for many years. He has turned his life around, partly because of the fame and direct help that resulted from Steve Lopez recognizing him as a person.

Well, Mr. Ayres played at the White House, and met Barack Obama this week. Please read Steve Lopez's article in today's LA Times, which is really heartwarming.

It is valuable to remember that the occasion of Nathaniel's performance and meeting with Obama is the 20^th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. I wonder how far we've come. This is a good time for companies and business leaders to reflect. Is the ADA a nuisance to you, or have you embodied the spirit of the law? Is mere compliance your objective, or are you really considering how to best deploy the "Differently Abled?" Ramps and wide bathroom stalls are one thing. Sitting down and really figuring out how you can capitalize on the assets of every individual takes human capital management to a whole different level.

Some companies do a great job of this. For example, I learned about a great program called Sentinels of Freedom from one of our clients at General Dynamics. This program, and Wounded Warrior Project, have corporate sponsors that help injured returning veterans to get meaningful work.

I hope that Nathaniel will play again to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of ADA, and that in the next five years we can make more progress than we've made in the last 20.

The Art of Networking

2010-07-27T17:48:00.001-07:00

Whether you are looking for a new job, trying to win more business, or just need to find a solution to a challenge, networking is often the answer.
Most people need some help to capitalize on their own contacts, and certainly when calling strangers. Here's some key tips on how to get people to joyfully help you:

Walk in their shoes. Understand who they are, where they are in life, in business, and what motivates them. Be cognizant of their point of view at all times.
Create value in the conversation itself. Being asked for help can be a huge downer to the recipient of the call, or the bright spot in their day. How you come across makes the difference. Be cheerful, positive, flattering, thankful. Make it a joy to just talk with you.
Define the benefit to the buyer. Why should the networking target help you? How will it reflect well upon them to do so? How will the person they refer to you benefit from your ultimate request? You must have the answers to these critical questions, before you get on the phone.
Help people help you. When you call, out of the blue, your networking target isn't going to be immediately responsive to your request. They may need to think it through. Be prepared to offer prompts to stimulate their thinking, and help them figure out where and how they might know the person you're asking to find.
Give them time. Let them ponder your request, and offer to call back in 1-2 days. Providing this "deadline" will actually put them to work for you.
Offer to reciprocate. Suggest ways that you can be helpful in return, and actually be available when called upon.
Ask open-ended questions (who, what, why, where, how, when) not closed-ended questions (do you know anybody that….?). You don't want a yes/know answer – you want valuable information.
Be grateful – even if the new info, connection or lead is not useful – say thanks and mean it.

E-Mail Signatures - Your Personal Brand

2010-07-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Jibber Jobber Blog has a post today on making your e-mail signature count. The post dissects someone's current so-so signature, but doesn't really point out how to construct an ideal signature. At my firm, we constructed signature boxes, and we feel they work well, so let me use my own as an example:

Here's what is included:
Name, title, company (with hyperlink to company website)
Personal e-mail with hyperlink
Telephone numbers
Company motto (at top)
Visual links to LinkedIN profile, Twitter, Company FaceBook page, and this Blog
Opt-in sign up for company newsletter

As you can see, this is all accomplished in a compact, well-organized box. My regular contacts get used to seeing this, so it has become a personal logo / brand. The only challenge is that some people who view this on a PDA don't realize right away that all the "pictures" they see at the end of the message are just part of the sig box. But those folks are "Luddites" anyway .

Create an attractive, simple, informative signature box for yourself, and help to have a personal brand.

Making Reference Checks Count

2010-07-06T18:09:00.001-07:00

Employers are uneven on the subject of reference checks. Many check references very thoroughly, and even employ outside services. But, I also hear, "why bother – HR will only give name, rank and serial number, and what candidate will give you someone who isn't just spouting rehearsed answers?"
Here's a peek at my method:

Ask for too many: Ask the candidate to provide 12 references, which must include a boss, a peer (or two), and a subordinate, for each job for the past 15 years. Stellar candidates can provide this list. Mediocre candidates can't. You won't call them all, but the candidate no longer can predict WHO you will call.
Engage the reference: Start by having them talk about how they know the candidate, were they the supervisor, what was the framework of the relationship.
Easy questions first: What was your overall impression? What special skills or talents stand out in your mind?
Then the questions they don't have rehearsed answers for: If you have prepared performance objectives, simply turn them around: "One of the things the employer needs done is [describe]. What experience did [candidate] have in getting this accomplished for you?", or, "What did [candidate] do to prepare him/her to accomplish this for us?" The reference will not have a rehearsed answer for this, and you will get a clear, candid response. Listen carefully, probe, notice generalities and platitudes. The real opinion will be there.
Shortcomings: Ask late in the conversation about areas in which the candidate could have been better, or needed improvement. Probe: "What impact did that have on the work." Ask how others saw it: "How did your peers feel about this trait in [candidate]." Most of the time, the clarifying questions actually make the candidate seem better, not worse, but it is still worth probing in this area.
Close with open-ended question: "What have I not asked you that would be useful for me to know?" Lots of info about what the candidate is like personally will emerge from this question.

Trust the process, and know that you really can get legitimate references, if you use a structured approach, call a broad range of people, and probe for the real answers.

Flies in Urinals

2010-07-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

Amsterdam's Schipol Airport famously had pictures of little black house flies etched into the porcelain, near the drains in each of the urinals in the men's rest rooms. "Spillage" (men are notoriously bad at aiming) was reduced by 80%.

School cafeterias in many countries including the US have experimented with placing desserts at the front of the food line, the back, and on separate counters. They have also tried putting the yogurt and fruit right up front, with the chips and other junky items last on the food line. Such positioning has always resulted in kids making better food selections.

These little tricks of manipulation are known as "Choice Architecture" – reorganizing the context in which we make our decisions.

Look at your supermarket layout the next time you shop, or the layout of any retail store. Odds are, you have to walk the farthest to get the most critical item on your list. Milk and eggs are always at the back. At my market, I have to walk through the fresh baked desserts to get to the toilet paper aisle. This isn't random.

Companies are increasingly using Choice Architecture with their customers, and with their own employees.
If you are a subscriber to my newsletter, watch for my upcoming review of the book "Nudge - Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" (Thaler and Sunstein). If you aren't already a subscriber to my newsletter, click here to SUBSCRIBE NOW, for more on this interesting new business tactic.

Oil Spill – Focus should be a Solution!

2010-06-17T16:13:00.001-07:00

I just returned from 2 weeks in Europe, and it was interesting to see how the press there is handling the Gulf Oil Spill, especially in the UK.

Apparently, while I was gone, Obama has been referring to BP as "British Petroleum", when BP is in fact an international firm, with 40% of its stock owned by Americans. He also said he would have fired BP CEO Hayward, and he is infamously reported to have said he is trying to figure out "whose ass to kick."

Although there is vast criticism of BP in the UK press, they are not so happy with US-based Brit-bashing. Other factors: BP paid $1.4 billion in UK taxes last year, and BP is a major component in many pension investments. This has Brits worried, because the stock had plummeted after the spill. A BP bankruptcy would have worldwide economic implications.

Interestingly, today, a conservative US Senator (who has accepted lots of campaign contributions from O&G companies) APOLOGIZED (and has just UN-apologized) to BP, setting off a huge backlash.

In their final show of the season, Saturday Night Live ridiculed BP, in an opening sketch offering ludicrous and unworkable solutions to the spill by parodied BP execs.

All this has me thinking, why bother with all the rhetoric? When there is no solution, apparently all the leaders (corporate, US, UK, etc.) can do is TALK, with little results. When SNL does a spot-on parody of you, you know you're in trouble. What a waste of effort – looking for whose ass to kick, who has to apologize to who, who is to blame, and on and on.

All the more reason for everyone involved to be focused on results – what do we need to do to get a solution. Please, no more wasted words, hearings, press briefings and leaks. JUST CLEAN IT UP!

Flexibility in Staffing – Give Yourself Wiggle Room

2010-06-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Almost always, I advocate precision in hiring: Specify the critical results (in the form of SMART objectives) you want from a candidate, and hire someone who can deliver those results. This usually creates a job profile with very narrow parameters, and as recruiters, we aim to hit the bullseye.

Recently, we’ve had a client situation that calls for greater flexibility. An entrepreneurial company is replacing one senior executive with two people. To protect their confidentiality, I won’t state the exact functions, but the current person’s job can be clearly divided into two functional disciplines. Because the company is still growing and evolving, it is possible that a successful candidate could be found for each of these roles at different levels of experience. In fact, a couple of the key responsibilities could easily slide from one position to the other.
This employer is fortunate to be able to have this level of freedom in hiring, and it is really only happening because they have two slots to fill at the same time.

We never advocate changing a job description to fit a particular candidate. We say don’t hire around people, hire people to fit the specific slot – round pegs for round holes. In this situation, we can take a view of the whole system - in other words, the sum will be equal to more than the parts (each individual job), because strong top performing people in these roles will cover the whole set of key functions. I’ve written before about constructing a skills matrix, where you ensure that all the key functions are covered by a team. One person could be seasoned, another greener, as long as they cover all the objectives. A key ingredient will be to ensure that all new hires fit well into the management team, and can operate with credibility as peers with current senior execs.

When appropriate, a systemic approach – looking at how all the critical objectives are executed by a team - can pay off, if you hire excellent people no matter what level. I learned to be flexible to fit my client’s needs in this situation, and perhaps the same attitude can help others recruiting for multiple roles.

Robin Hood and The Tea Party

2010-06-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time for blockbuster action movies, and one that recently opened is the umpteenth remake of Robin Hood. This time, director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe (both reunited from Gladiator) do less folklore and more political allegory.

I loved NY Times critic A.O. Scott’s review, in which he asks if this new Robin Hood is one big medieval tea party. Scott / Crowe apparently portray Robin not as a socialist bandit who is robbing from the rich to give to the poor, but more as a libertarian rebel, fighting against high taxes and a government trying to impose its will on the people. Peter Travers, in the Rolling Stone review, also brings up that Tea Partiers will love the movie for this connection. Fox News writer Steven Crowder calls Robin Hood the “First Tea Party Activist.” This comparison has legs!

After the recent recession, one could easily understand that a movie that shows underdogs rising up against a privileged upper class that didn’t earn what they’ve got, would certainly be topical and relevant.

Roger Ebert didn’t like the film too much; he only rates it 2 stars. He longs for the folklore and story-telling side that was more present in prior versions of this story. I’m with Roger. Winter is the time for movies that make you think. Summer movies should simply make us want an ice cream afterward! Or maybe an ICED Tea.

Job Hunting Tip #6 – A Graceful Exit

2010-05-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

I predict many executives will change jobs this year, hoping for a better situation at a different company. Base on 25 years experience, I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly of how people conduct their personal exit from a company. Ideally, when you leave a company, it is a graceful exit, without burning bridges. Here are my top tips on how to do this the right way:

If you are leaving voluntarily, be sure of the decision. Counter offers rarely work to your advantage. Never leverage a new job offer to get a better deal at your company. If you have legitimate reasons to leave, stick with the decision.
Keep your own counsel: Thinking about a job change is a private matter. Don't share with others - the gossip mill will start talking as soon as you do.
Plan to give notice, but be prepared to leave immediately. Some companies want people to work two weeks to make a smooth transition, and some ask for even more time. But, some employers walk people to the door, especially if they will be going to a competitor. Be prepared for all scenarios.
The resignation discussion: Make an appointment with your boss. Don't just drop in. Rehearse your speech, and keep it simple, concise and to the point. We advocate:
"I have decided to accept another position and I will be leaving as of [date]. Being with this company has been a valuable experience to me, and it is important to me to leave on excellent terms with you, and remain a valued contact down the road. [If your company has a history of making counter offers, preempt that with:] I have thought this through carefully, my decision is made, and this isn't about getting a counter offer, so I hope we can quickly dispense with that. I will be happy to work diligently through the next 2 weeks(or as negotiate) to make a smooth transition."
Keep it simple. Be concise in responding to questions. Do not reveal too much.
Hand over a written resignation letter, essentially stating what you say verbally.
Thank your boss. Be positive. Be graceful. Don't do anything to burn a bridge. If your boss is angry, validate their feelings, don't argue. Take the approach that you may work for this person again, or may need a reference from him/her.
NEVER say anything negative about your boss or company to co-workers, people outside the company, or his/her peers. Every complaint can be spun around and reframed to the positive, usually by thinking about what you want instead, or what you want in the future. Example: "My boss is a micromanager who second guesses me all the time" becomes "The new position will offer me more freedom, responsibility and autonomy."
If you are being let go, ask about a severance arrangement, and evaluate the offer before responding. Don't agree or sign anything immediately. Think about consulting an attorney for advice if appropriate.
Ask for letters of reference at the time of your departure - make the request in writing, and "suggest" things that you were proud of, that the writer may want to include. They will usually write what you suggest!

In summary, use common sense and imagine you were reporting on the exit scenario to your next boss. Make sure you would be proud of the story you would be telling.

Executives To Watch

2010-05-25T13:14:00.001-07:00

Lots of publications, news organizations and bloggers write annual "Executives to Watch" columns. They usually chose very visible CEOs and others whose names are in the news all the time.

As a recent buyer of a Droid phone, three executives that I want to watch are Vic Gundotra, Vice President, Engineering, Sundar Pichai, Vice President, Product Management, and Mario Queiroz, Vice President, Product Management – all with Google, which is responsible for the Android operating system.

Google recently held its Google I/O event in San Francisco, hosting 5000 developers who attended 80 sessions, 100 demonstrations, with deep technical content featuring Android, Google Chrome, Google APIs, GWT, App Engine, open web technologies.

Vic Gundrota in particular made strident points about how Android 2.2 is so much better than Apple's I-Phone. He particularly bashed Apple for pushing a closed rigid system, and said Android was so much more open, and added to the debate started by Steve Jobs about whether users are focused on applications or search on mobile devices.

Google, partnering with many phone makers including most notably Motorola, have been hyping Android based phones, and the Motorola Droid as "I-Phone Killers". If you check the forums and user boards for both phones, you will find complaints galore on both sides.

I think the Google execs are at a crossroads on this issue. What Vic, Sundar and Mario do over the next year will be key to whether Google really can "take over" this market space from Apple. Sure lots of people are buying Android based phones (100,000 a day), but will they really make the functionality superior? We'll watch and see….

Disasters – Can your EMPLOYEES Recover?

2010-05-22T14:02:00.001-07:00

Try to imagine this scenario: You are a BP Oil or Halliburton employee anywhere along the Gulf Coast, attending a friend's backyard barbecue on a recent Sunday, and in between sips of beer and nibbles of chips and dip, you hear, over and over, "Oh my god, you work for BP!? You must feel awful – what that company has done to this region!" You might answer, "I'm sorry." You might protest, "No, I have nothing to do with the drilling, I'm in Data Processing." But let's face it, you don't want to be having that conversation. When Saturday Night Live devotes its opening sketch to this issue, you know it is really bad.

Or how about working for Toyota the week another recall or another Federal investigation is announced? Or how about a Goldman Sachs employee in New York anytime the last few weeks?

We know what these companies are doing on the external PR side, because we hear or see it in the news each day. I wonder what they are doing internally. I tried to find info on the web under the company names and "employee relations" and "internal public relations" and found very little.

I suspect that morale is awful, people are gossiping, keeping their heads down and trying to duck for cover. Besides the financial losses and the visible external PR nightmare, think of the productivity and employee loyalty losses these companies suffer in this kind of situation.

I think as much effort must be made on the inside as on the outside, because if we don't repair damage to relations with our own employees, how would we expect strangers to react any better? Companies need to be clear about what they are doing, and provide employees with specifics on what they can say when asked about the problem. Companies might even provide counseling to employees who are suffering stress over the incident.

With regard to the companies who are subjects of the recent corporate performance issues, if you know specifically what these companies are doing, I'd appreciate hearing from you (mark@bobsearch.com), and we will all learn more! I'll publish an update with comments.

Google Info in Interviews

2010-05-19T13:00:00.001-07:00

Today, many people Google each other before they meet. In the workplace, this often happens before a job interview, and it happens both ways: The interviewer Googles the candidate, and the candidate Googles the interviewer. So what can you discuss from what you have found?

If you are the interviewer, you are in the power position, so most of what you find is fair game. Discretion, manners and legal parameters would define what might be inappropriate to discuss. For example, even if you saw a photo of the candidate with her kids, it still isn't right to ask about how she balances work and family. If you saw that same picture, and the candidate had a same-sex partner and kids, even more inappropriate to discuss your findings. Anything that could be construed as discriminatory, rude or intrusive should be off-limits.

If you are the candidate, it is a bit trickier. You are not in the power (decision-making) position, so you need to be even more careful. Suppose you saw that the interviewer ran in a 5K the past weekend for a cancer charity? Suppose you are a runner too, or you also work for cancer charities. You might say to yourself that this is great, it will be a way to bond, to establish common ground. However, the interviewer might feel that your mentioning this info is intrusive, that it crosses boundaries.

On the other hand, if you saw that the interviewer had won an award at a local business association meeting, that might be worth commenting on. It shows that you do your homework, that you know how to influence with subtlety (flattery), and that you know what is appropriate. If the interviewer were to inquire, "Wow, I'm surprised you saw that. What else do you know about me?" I would recommend that you clam up, and not go any further.

In general, I think the rule of thumb for candidates is to ask yourself: what would you be comfortable with a stranger knowing about you? Most of the time, that answer will guide you in selecting what you could discuss with an interviewer from what you have found on Google, without seeming like a stalker!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

Cinco de Mayo is here, and it is on my mind today as a celebration of overwhelmed people achieving a victory over more powerful and better equipped people. In the US (especially here in CA), it is a heavily and heartily celebrated holiday, but perhaps marginally understood. Many think it is Mexican Independence Day, but that is September 16^th. In Mexico, May 5^th is not that big a deal. Cinco de Mayo is not even a national legal holiday, it is celebrated lightly, and mostly in the area of Puebla, where the battle took place in 1862. In that battle, which was over money owed (interest on debt), 4000 under-equipped Mexicans defeated 8000 well-equipped French soldiers. The French had not lost a battle in a similar situation in 50 years. Historians have tied this setback for Napoleon somewhat to helping end the US civil war, because the French were moving to alignment with the Confederacy.

I really do want everyone to enjoy their Margaritas and Dos Equis today. The commercialization by corporate America and Tequila and beer importers will be good for the US economy, and it is an opportunity to celebrate the richness and importance of Mexican culture in the US. And chips and guac are darn tasty!

One parallel I will keep in mind is how the overwhelmed immigrants (legal and not legal, and of all nationalities, but mostly of Latino descent) in Arizona now have even more difficult odds and more powerful foes, with the stiff new immigration laws that will promote unfair racial profiling and deepen discrimination. This is a national issue, and I hope the US comes up with a sensible response soon.

All of my ancestors were immigrants. Yes, they entered the country legally, but at a time when it was much easier to do so. Today, many Americans descended from immigrants take a NIMBY approach – "not in my back yard" – "I'm in; lock the door behind me." I try to remember my roots, the good fortune of my grandparents, and hope that others will still find America to be the land of opportunity it was 100 years ago.

So if you're with me on this, raise one salted rim to freedom, winning battles against heavy odds, fairness, democracy, and good will.

TOP TEN WORST CEO TRAITS

2010-05-03T15:38:00.001-07:00

Ever had an awful boss? I'll bet he or she had some or maybe most of these bad traits:

Control Junkie: Has a tough time truly delegating or letting go. Has an opinion about everything.

Being Right: Even if your boss is usually right, it feels bad to think that you are generally wrong.

Rude: Bosses too often fail to say please and thank you, and they don't take the time for basic politeness.

Gives Blame / Takes Credit: Bad bosses take the credit for what goes right, and blame others for what goes wrong.

Bad Listener: Already formulating a response before you are done talking, because what you have to say doesn't matter. Even worse, doesn't even make a pretense of listening.

Withholding: Boss expects you to know and share everything he/she needs to know, but doesn't tell you enough and keeps secrets.

Anger: Why are bad bosses so mad? Perhaps they don't like themselves too much and see their own bad traits in others. In any case, bad bosses feel free to fling anger at you whenever they need to vent.

Kills Messengers: Tells you he wants to know things, but if it is bad news, or even not what he wanted to hear, jumps down your throat.

Win/Lose: Never read The 7 Habits (Covey) and doesn't understand Win/Win and the art of compromise.

Negativity: Glass is half empty, and always has a reason that your ideas won't work.

So to end on a positive note, I hope you have a boss who: Delegates well, appreciates input, is gracious, recognizes contributions, listens and hears you, communicates clearly and transparently, is even tempered, accepts bad news well, wants you to win too, and can always see the bright side.

Hiring Pet Peeves - Take Poll

2010-04-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Every interviewer has things they hate about the interview process.

We're running a poll on Linked In to find out your pet peeves in hiring.

Please click the link in the text (not the picture) above or here (http://polls.linkedin.com/p/86801/ghfgp) and take the poll!

Thanks!

Hiring Paradigm Shift Gets “A” Players

2010-04-28T11:53:00.001-07:00

Successful entrepreneur and investor Dave Berkus wrote a blog today titled Hire Each Employee as if Your Survival Depends Upon it. In this blog, Dave talks about the critical importance of finding "A" players, and how every CEO should invest the time and effort it takes to write good job specifications and then screen, interview and hire on the basis of what it would take to be that "A" player.
Dave cites the book "TopGrading" by Brad Smart, which is also one of my favorites.
I agree with 90% of what Dave says today, with one significant exception. I don't think it has to be that difficult or time consuming for a CEO to get this accomplished. It is really about a paradigm shift. Most CEOs take one of two old-school approaches to hiring people for their senior management team. They
either play it safe by specifying the ideal background and experience, and screen for that, OR they go with their gut – relying on intuition to pick the right people.

In our experience it only takes 60-90 minutes to identify the Performance Objectives (critical, tangible, measurable results) required of the new executive. Then, the entire screening process is simply based on can the candidate achieve these objectives? Interview questions and reference checks are constructed accordingly, and the hire is based on the objective assessment of candidate capability to be the very specific "A" player needed – the round peg for the round hole.
Kudos to Dave for pointing out the need for CEOs to take action on this, to ensure their survival. Make it easy on yourself, with a shift in your thinking about what is most important in setting up a recruiting project for success.

Interviewing Basics

2010-04-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Vault.com has some good ideas about basic interviewing in this video.

To these basics, I would add the following:

When talking about weaknesses, it is good to show how you have overcome a weakness, or at least have successfully worked on that weakness.
Make the interview a dialogue - with give and take. Get validation on how you are doing ("Does that fit with the way you would want this problem solved?")
Ask the interviewer what the most important objectives are in the position (see my previous blog on "Get the Job by Doing the Job") and talk about how you can get that done.
Get some closure ("How do you feel my background fits your needs?")
Eliminate concerns ("Do you have any doubts or concerns about my ability to do this job?")

Computer Engineer Barbie

2010-04-22T12:03:00.001-07:00

Recently, there have been several articles about the release (Fall 2010) of "Computer Engineer Barbie", and interviews with prominent female engineers, including this one with Erin Fitzgerald from the Department of Defense. Most guys don't know too much about Barbie dolls, so if you are like me, you may not have realized that this is the 125^th profession for Barbie. Given all the press, I thought this might be an especially enlightened profession for Mattel to have assigned, or that they were showing extra feminist sensitivity. I was very surprised and pleased to see that this is not the case. Mattel has had an enlightened view of Barbie's professional life from the very beginning!

A review of Barbie's list of careers shows that Barbie has been an Astronaut (1965), a Surgeon(1973), and several other kinds of prestigious and well-compensated professionals – Doctor(s), Dentist, Business Executive, Olympic Athlete, twice a Presidential Candidate, and much more. Considering that Mattel gets a lot of flak for making a doll that could be (physically at least) a negative stereotype, from a career standpoint, they've set a good example in providing solid roles. Of course, Computer Barbie's laptop is pink, but that's ok.

The reason this 125^th release got so much attention is that Mattel very smartly engaged their adult and young female customer base in a worldwide online vote to select the latest professions. They are also releasing a list of "10 Women to Watch in 2010", all people of significant accomplishment, including a 13 year old fashion blogger!

My wife and my daughter were very into Barbie as youngsters, but I never realized Mattel had actually done such a good job with Barbie's professional identity, so I thought some of my readers might also enjoying knowing about it!

Take a Candidate to Lunch

2010-04-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

My weekly e-mail from SHRM today is an offering of books about bad behavior by employees. The titles have to do with discipline, conflicts, bullying, performance problems, turf wars, and in general, dealing with difficult people. This caused me to start thinking about how to prevent such hires. What can you look for in the interview stage as a clue to predict future bad behavior?

A particular client story came to mind. This company had just let go a President after less than a year, and was about to bring the new person on board. The outgoing person was a tyrant, a bully, never listened to others, and was uniformly hated! I asked the chairman if he'd seen anything in advance to reveal these awful traits. He responded that he actually had – at lunch! The candidate had bullied the waiter, complained unreasonably, sent food back, and was generally disagreeable to the wait staff. The Chairman said, "I should have realized then, that is how he would be likely to treat people in a subordinate position."

Conventional wisdom has in-laws sharing meals with prospective brides and grooms, to see if they have appropriate manners. Many divorced people will tell you that you'll never see better behavior from your future spouse than you see at restaurants, and that they also could have predicted future behavior by observing mealtime behavior.

So, take your job prospect finalists to lunch, and notice not just how they behave with you, but with everyone that crosses their path – from the parking valet to the host/hostess, wait staff, bus staff, etc. I'd also issue a caveat to beware of the overly charming candidate too. The person who wants to win over everyone, even random strangers, could be a narcissist, who craves having everyone love them. Such people can also wreak havoc on the job. What you want is normal, good behavior. Watch out for bullies and charmers – the extremes could be worthwhile indicators of future action in the workplace.

Get the Job by DOING the Job

2010-04-19T14:12:00.001-07:00

One of the best techniques you can use to get a job is to prove you can do the job. Here’s how:

During a job interview, find out as much as you can about what needs to be done. Ask the interviewer to define the results needed from the new hire. Ask about the criteria by which this person would be reviewed on in 90 days. Rephrase your questions in several ways to make sure you elicit the objectives for the role. Keep asking, and what else… and what else?

Once you have a clear picture of what is needed, begin to portray how your skills will enable you to achieve the objectives. Since the interviewer will have a specific agenda for the time you have together, you may not be able to get all of this across, so don’t stop when the interview stops. That night, at home, put together a plan for what you would do in the first 30, 60, 90 days, and e-mail it to the interviewer and hiring manager (if you met the person who would be your boss) so they have it on their desk first thing in the morning. Put yourself in their place. Wouldn’t you be impressed? Even if you get a few things wrong in your plan, you are demonstrating that you WANT to do the job, and that you have the drive and initiative to do whatever it takes.

Employers can’t help but be impressed by this. Any follow up after an interview is good, but showing the employer that you can do the job, in writing, overnight, is one of the most powerful messages you could send. Give it a try.

Hiring Upturn Signals

2010-04-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

A few months ago you had to really hunt for signs that the recovery was hitting the job market in a positive way. But this week, a number of indicators hit my news feeds, and others were easy to find. A good sign! Here are some highlights:

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Tech hiring is on an upswing, due to significant recovery by many key firms in the sector. Intel, AMD and Google reported substantial increases in revenue and/or profits last week, and Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are due to report next week.

CBS News is reporting this week that signs of new hiring are beginning to emerge in Healthcare, Finance and Engineering (they also mention the tech sector).

Numerous reports specifically about Wall Street indicate that job postings are up, hiring freezes are down, and overall expectations are good for that sector.

The new Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act signed by the President last month provides employers with exemptions and credits for new hiring.

An article in Fortune (CNN Money) this week reports that Warren Buffet, Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan Chase) and Jack Welch are all confident and optimistic about the upturn.

Retail sales are up, the market is up (mostly, despite the Goldman Sachs reaction drop today), and many other indicators are turning positive. Our company (executive search firm) is busy, and I’m hopeful that all this will continue, everyone will reap the benefit of a strong recovery, very soon.

The 2% Difference

2010-04-01T14:48:00.001-07:00

I have consistently contended that executives who tolerate "B" and "C" players on their teams give up a lot. Let me now quantify it:

Let's say you are a CEO with 5 key management team reports, running a $50 million (revenue) company. Let's say that you project 10% revenue growth next year, but you have a "B" player on your team that might hold you back a bit. If you achieve only 8% growth, you just gave up $1 million in revenue. Would hitting 8% instead of 10% be regarded as a failure by your board or parent company? Probably not. You probably still get your bonus.

If you run this company for 5 years, and you tolerate 2 "B" players rotating in and out of your management team, it might cut your annual average growth to 7%. Over 5 years time, you give up $7.5 million in revenue. If you have a $200 million company, you gave up $30 million in growth. This could erode equity by an equivalent amount when the company is sold.

In January I wrote about the 18-Month Factor – that it takes 18 months from discovering a sub-par performer before most companies have a fully effective person in that role. What if you established a zero tolerance policy for anything other than "A" players in every management position? Each time that you quickly replace a "B" or "C" person with an "A", you could gain 2% in growth. Would the 2% difference be worth it to you?

Who Moved My Job? The Challenges of Relocation

2010-03-31T16:40:00.001-07:00

As a recruiter, for 25 years I have been asking people to move to different locations for jobs. Up until 2001, people were readily willing to do this to advance their careers. My view is that Since 9/11, people have significantly changed their attitudes about relocation in general (the cocooning syndrome), and since the recent recession, this has gotten worse. With people upside down in house equity, it is very difficult to think of moving. Fewer companies give full relo packages that pay for real estate sales and closing costs, and almost no companies "buy" houses anymore.

Family factors have also evolved. Most employers try to get management level people in their 40's and 50's. People in their 40's often have kids in middle school and high school. Those kids have opinions, and of course, significant busy lives of their own. I have seen many parents refuse to move if their kids are in high school, and the limiting age keeps dropping, so that now 13 year olds can influence career move decisions. Once the kids move out (50's), many people are then faced with elderly parents who live with them or nearby. Many excellent job candidates have trouble moving when their parents are in their 80's and perhaps ailing.

So, why do so many companies still seek to move people? Is it really critical to have an executive at company headquarters, only to have them travel 30%, be on the phone 20% and on the computer 20% of their time? For the 20-30% of their time that actually has to be in meetings at company HQ, they could be commuting there instead. This is especially applicable to Sales & Marketing Executives, who spend even more time on the road, and more time coordinating with people in remote locations.

I'm an advocate of increasing the flexibility of workforce locations. I have seen many people successfully fill roles while commuting across 3 states or even coast to coast. Many families survive dual household situations. In some cases, limiting the hire to someone who will move reduces the candidate pool by 50-90%. Companies who downplay relo could benefit from having access to the talent they want and need. Companies need to really think – where could this person be effective, and allow the solution to fit the need.

US Survives First Day of Health Care Reform!

2010-03-23T16:27:00.001-07:00

The stock market went up today, and there is no evidence that more people died than usual, so far. It's only 4 pm... OK, I'm just kidding.

But seriously folks, can we get a grip?! I haven't seen such acrimony about something as boring as insurance in a real long time. I'm impressed by this article published an hour ago by the Associated Press: FACT CHECK: Spinning the New Health Care Law. It already has 2500 comments on Yahoo. It gives (IMHO) a balanced view of the myths and realities about the new law.

Also see A Historic Look at Health Care Legislation in the US – surprise – we've done this before!

I love the intensity on this issue – I wish we could get excited about more issues - but without the polarization, hostility, propaganda and rhetoric. No matter which way you feel about this law or about health care reform in general, I hope that most people agree with me there is too much fighting today in politics.

Peter Drucker, who would have been 100 this year, gave six tips for US Presidents back in 1993. The last tip was, "Once you're elected, stop campaigning." There has been a lot in the press lately about how many members of Congress are forgetting they were hired to do a job, and are simply perpetual candidates, always giving sound bites and stump speeches.

Ironically, one movie rental waiting for me at home is the 1976 multi-Oscar winning Network. Remember "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore?!" Seemed like an irrational rant at the time. Perhaps it is a rallying cry.

I don't know what it will take, but I hope some of the current calls for a new civility reach the ears of our tone-deaf Congress and Senate, and cause them to start doing the real work of the nation again. We sure need it!

Worst Employer Interview Mistakes

2010-03-22T18:08:00.001-07:00

Hiring techniques have not improved much in the last 25 years while I've been a recruiter, certainly not to keep pace with other aspects of business that have grown and improved exponentially. One of the most challenging aspects of the hiring process is the interview itself. Many interviewers really don't find out much about a candidate's capability, because they don't know how. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by interviewers, and my suggested solutions.

No Structure: "Tell me about yourself" is NOT an exciting first question. [Put together a structured interview that finds out exactly what you need to know about the candidate.]

Failing to Discover Capability: Interviewers who don't identify what they need done (performance objectives) can hardly find out if the candidate can do the job. [Clearly define objectives, then ask the candidate to tell you what they've done that relates to your objective.]

Behavioral Interviewing: Nice to know that someone can tell you about their leadership skills, being a "team player", etc., but unless you ask about these skills in the context of your objectives, you will simply get well-rehearsed answers. [Ask how the skill was used in a similar situation to your objective. Example: "How have you exhibited leadership by improving morale and motivation to achieve better productivity?"]

Failing to "Recruit": By staying in "evaluation" mode, some interviewers don't sell the candidate on wanting to work for the company. [Create balance by incorporating recruitment into the interview- like a first date – the meeting goes two ways.]

Repetition: Candidates often meet 5-10 people in the course of an interview day at the prospective company, and sometimes they all ask the same questions, and all give the same company description. The candidate leaves NUMB! [Assign different areas of questioning to different people, if possible, based on their expertise. Example: Have HR ask personality questions; have the Engineering people ask technical questions, etc.]

Trying to Find a Clone: Many interviewers try to find the same traits they already have, not realizing that a complementary set of traits may be of greater benefit. [Seek balance on your team by ensuring you look for people different than yourself.]

Relying on Your Intuition: Too many employers hire based on their "gut" feeling. [Use objective interviewing questions first, to discover the true fit, and only then let your intuition enter the scene.]

Lessons are repeated until learned. I hope some interviews improve as a result of these ideas.

Lies vs. Morals

2010-03-22T11:56:00.001-07:00

I've written three blog articles in the past about lying and ethics. Then this weekend I saw "The Invention of Lying" a witty and insightful movie by Ricky Gervais. The premise of the film is that one man, in a world that has no concept of lying, discovers he can lie – and what he does with that ability. For a good concise idea of what the movie is about, read Roger Ebert's Review.

What I discovered is that the movie isn't so much about the ability to lie, it is about how people treat each other. Gervais' character, Mark, uses lies to his own benefit only minimally. He gets money, sure, but only from an entity we want to see give it up! In almost all the other key moments, he benefits others with his lies. He makes people without hope feel hopeful. He helps people with constricted views of themselves see beyond those limitations. Aside from a few comic moments needed to keep the satirical underpinning, he mostly treats people very well.

I still believe fundamentally in telling the truth, and will always advocate transparency in relationships, business and hiring. Out and out deceit with the purpose of taking advantage of someone unfairly is something I'll always be against. But, I realized that there may actually be something more important than the pure black and white viewpoint of lies/truths.

Kindness, human understanding, dignity, consideration, even love, all depend just a little bit on lying. Sometimes it becomes more about being moral than being truthful. In the movie, Mark uses that benchmark, of first being a good person, of not hurting others, as his guide on how to act. I appreciated that message in the movie – it reframed "the truth" in a gentler light for me.

Multigenerational Households – Impact on Employers

2010-03-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

The percentage of Americans living in multigenerational households has increased 33% since 1980. After steadily declining for the 40 years prior (1940-1980), the rate reversed and started climbing. The last 4 years have seen sharper rates of increase. 49 million by 2008 vs. 29 million in 1980 lived in such households. This was reported this week in a Pew Research Center Report.

All of the people in the household are impacted by a multi-generational configuration, and I believe the generation most affected is Boomers. 55-65 year-olds are the people most likely to be in the middle of a multi-generational household, with elderly parents living with them, Gen X/Y kids with their own families who can't afford to buy a home, and, millennials who have returned to (or never left) the nest. Boomers aren't always the hosts in these households. Some who have struggled with mortgages, foreclosures, etc. are living with their more financially secure Gen X or Gen Y children!

What does this mean for employers and the workplace? Flexibility is the key.

Time vs. money – people in multi-gen families often need extra time to care for elderly parents, children or grandchildren. Give them flex scheduling, and extra vacation time. Surveys of boomers have indicated that if they could have 6 weeks of vacation, even if some was unpaid, they would continue to work further into their senior years.
Recognize the value of Boomers, who are often your most knowledgeable and productive people. They are excellent leaders, hard workers, and actually statistically quite healthy. It pays to keep them fully utilized. After this recent recession, many have lost major chunks of their retirement money, and are highly motivated to keep working.
Flexible Pay and Benefits: Cafeteria plans for benefits enable people to get what they need, whether it be child care or hospice care. Deferred compensation could be a great benefit today, as people rebuild their nest eggs and postpone retirement.
Sensitivity: With so many people in close quarters, possibly having financial, health and relationship issues at home, recognize that people may be under more personal stress as a result.

Generations United is a DC based organization with many good resources on multi-gen living and other issues.

LEONARDO DA VINCI – DEFENSE CONTRACTOR

2010-03-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci was a successful Defense Contractor? And, he certainly knew how to put together a proposal!

This week I gave a webinar on How to Market Yourself and I emphasized the need to focus on the buyer’s (employer’s) needs. Prospective employees (and defense contractors!) must show the buyer (employer) how they solve a particular problem and add value.

In 1482, at the age of 30, Leonardo Da Vinci recognized that the Duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro was in need of better ways to wage war. Here is the translation of Da Vinci’s letter:

"Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to anyone else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.

I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy.

I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions.

If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc.

Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion.

And if the fight should be at sea I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes.

I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river.

I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great but they would break them. And behind these, infantry could follow quite unhurt and without any hindrance.

In case of need I will make big guns, mortars, and light ordnance of fine and useful forms, out of the common type.

Where the operation of bombardment might fail, I would contrive catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other machines of marvelous efficacy and not in common use. And in short, according to the variety of cases, I can contrive various and endless means of offense and defense.

In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another.

I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may.

Again, the bronze horse may be taken in hand, which is to be to the immortal glory and eternal honor of the prince your father of happy memory, and of the illustrious house of Sforza.

And if any of the above-named things seem to anyone to be impossible or not feasible, I am most ready to make the experiment in your park, or in whatever place may please your Excellency - to whom I comment myself with the utmost humility, etc."
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This has often been analyzed as Da Vinci’s resume, or even his “cover letter” to an employer. Whatever we call it, we certainly have to acknowledge that Da Vinci successfully conveyed his ability in the specific context of the employer’s need. The Duke gave him the job, and Leonardo became a very successful defense contractor!

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Photo credit: "Courtesy of Leonardo3 from Hoepli edition 1894-1094 - www.leonardo3.net."

PEAK EXPERIENCE EXERCISE

2010-03-16T10:38:00.001-07:00

(Click here to enlarge)

People often get revelations about themselves by looking at the best parts of their lives in a special way. This peak experience exercise has its roots in the teachings of Abraham Maslow, and in the techniques of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). Do this in a quiet, relaxed state. It is ok to ask for input from others to recall these best experiences, but then return to a quiet space alone to finish out the exercise.

Define the experiences. From each aspect of your life (Education, Relationships, Work), and at perhaps more than one age, remember particular experiences that gave you joy, a thrill, at which you feel you were at your best. Describe the experience. i.e. Started a business and moved quickly to success.
Think about what feelings the experience created for you (joy, pride, confidence, excitement, comfort, accomplishment, etc)
Vividly recall the situation. Who were you with, where were you, what could you see, hear, sense?
What actions did you take to create the outcome? [Contacted clients, bankers, new vendors, hired people]
What skills do you have that enabled you to take those actions? [Domain knowledge, ability to analyze things quickly, decisiveness, willingness to risk]
How could you apply the skills again? What else can you do with those skills?
Look for patterns – similarities in the actions and skills, that help define who you are and your capabilities.
Anchor the resources you discover in yourself, so that you can access the skills again and again.

What’s Wrong with Resumes

2010-03-13T16:22:00.001-08:00

The trend is moving positive, with many people actually "getting it" that a resume needs to be a promotional flyer that accurately represents who you are in a selective, exciting, compelling manner. BUT, too many people still have really bad resumes!

A bad resume contains:

Opening paragraphs about Objectives (too general OR too specific – save for cover letter), Summary of Qualifications, Key Strengths, Technical Skills, etc.
More boring paragraphs about responsibilities and duties
Insider language and acronyms that people outside your company or industry don't understand
Bad formatting (emphasis on dates, mixed fonts, letter sizing, pagination problems, headers embedded in text, spacing instead of tabbing, etc.)
Spelling and grammar errors – more common than you would think
Personal info that could give hiring managers reasons to DESELECT you
Functional descriptions with limited job info (should only be used by people with a problem in their job history, like gaps, odd career choices, etc.)
Tries to tell the WHOLE story of who you are. Leave out the grocery clerk jobs from high school, and start reducing the detail on jobs over 10 years in the past.

A good resume conveys a SHORT story about your relevant experience and transferrable skills from the point of view of an employer who needs to understand your value.

Good resumes include the following features:

Concise, easy to read highlights that list specific accomplishments (with $, %, increases, stats, etc.)
Focus on employment chronology (with accomplishments for each job listed under that job) without the usual fluff in summary and opening sections
Well formatted, corrected spelled copy
Only what is needed to get in the door
Nothing to enable an employer to de-select you
Enable scanning, electronic conversion, faxing etc. (Important to know the formatting that works and doesn't work)

You may need more than one resume, if you are targeting different types of jobs. Specifics of how you address the requirements of a particular job should be in a concise and to-the-point cover letter, not built into the resume.

Hope this helps!

Exceptional Customer Service – Capt. Denny

2010-03-13T14:55:00.001-08:00

United Airlines pilot Captain Denny Flanagan is a legend. Just Google his name and you will find hundreds of personal stories about him. One of my wife's business acquaintances flew with Captain Flanagan last week, and reinforced that Capt. Denny is still at it – wowing the customers with consideration, competence and good humor. I was so impressed with the story, that I asked if I could retell it here. Here is the direct first person account (with the traveler's name and employer changed to protect his privacy):

As I entered the departure area for a United Airlines flight from Orlando to San Francisco on March 1, 2010, I saw something I had never seen before. The captain of our flight was standing in front of the counter with the desk microphone giving a short welcoming speech. He welcomed the passengers to the upcoming flight, told us he was glad we had chosen United, gave an update on travel conditions expected to be smooth, informed us that we would be twenty minutes early due to prevailing winds, once again emphasized how happy he was we had chosen his flight, and asked us to let him know if any of us had any needs.

As we entered the plane, he stood at the door welcoming us and handing out business-size cards with a description of the Boeing 757 we would be flying that day. About once a year I might see a pilot at the door but this was getting to be beyond the normal pilot.

After about two hours of flying, I got up to use the rest room. As I returned to my seat, one of flight attendants stopped me and said, "The Captain wanted me to give you his business card." The card had the name of Captain Denny Flanagan from Chicago's O'Hare Airport and even included his cell phone and e-mail address. The handwritten message on back was special:

Dr. Doe. You are a valued customer and your business is Greatly appreciated. Please let me know how we can exceed your expectations. Capt. Denny

Because I have a lot of miles on United from before going to [current employer] where I mainly use Southwest Airlines, I had used a free upgrade into First Class and my 1 million mile flying status may have contributed to my getting this handwritten card - the second time in fifteen years.

An hour later the flight attendant told the passengers that the Captain had handed out the plane trading card when we entered the plane and he had signed two of those cards. If we had a signed card, he wanted us to have a gift of a bottle of wine. Two call button signals went on and she proceeded back with two wrapped bottles of wine.

Upon return I wrote Captain Flanagan highlighting what I had experienced and thanking him for being a great ambassador for United. Within hours I had this rather remarkable response:

Dr. Doe,

Thank you for your kind words. They are appreciated. Statistics shows that for every compliment or complaint that there are 100 others thinking of doing the same thing. Feedback is so important to know you are on the right track.

In the service business the recipe for success is quite easy. Choose your attitude for the day, anticipate your customer's needs and exceed their expectations. I have a few work philosophies and they have proved effective over the years;

-- I believe that each customer deserves a good travel experience whether on United, American, Continental.........train, bus, taxi or with your best friend in his car. You deserve a safe and comfortable ride.

--Treat each customer as if it is their first flight and have no expectations. .I lead by example and this helps motivate the crew to do a better job. When they see me stow bags, assist moms with strollers and answer questions as if it is the first time I heard it they are brought back to their new hire days.

--It is easier to keep the customers you have than to find new ones....United has a devoted sales team to find new customers and it is time consuming and expensive but necessary. My job is somewhat easier and less expensive and that is to provide a safe and customer-oriented service. If I do my job then the folks in the sales department will have less pressure on themselves.

John, Thanks for flying "The Friendly Skies" of United Airlines. Your business is greatly appreciated. If you are ever on one of my flights again stop up to the cockpit and say hello. If we have time I will go out and buy us a Starbucks.

Capt. Denny

(Cell Phone Listed)

I learned so many lessons from Captain Denny in his response. I hope this five hour experience I enjoyed last week will inspire you to choose your attitude, anticipate the needs of others, and then exceed their expectations. Servant leadership is something else I think about when reading the Captain's e-mail. May others be motivated as you share this brief story.

WOW – I was really impressed reading this, and I hope you are inspired as well! Go Capt. Denny!

Hope in Job Data?

2010-03-10T18:07:00.001-08:00

In the last two days, somewhat conflicting job reports have been issued. AP reported yesterday a 7.6% rise in the number of new job openings, and that 5.5 people are competing for each new job, down from 6 per job in December. This is a positive indicator, evidence that employers may soon be hiring. But today, AP reports that unemployment rose in 30 states in January. If this is because there were more people in the job market, this might not be a negative indicator.

There is some anecdotal news evidence at the local level and about specific sectors that indicates hiring is turning up. I've seen articles about San Francisco, San Diego, and also about housing and retail within the last few days.

I've been saying for months that 2010 will bring a big wave of hiring. This week, hiring expert Lou Adler echoed this in his article Are You Ready for the Upcoming Hiring Tsunami?
Lou mentions one of the key reasons we've cited: Employee dissatisfaction. There are other reasons why the "Tsunami" might happen – one that I've been talking about for a while is the potentially unsustainable increases in productivity.

What do you think? Do you think there will be a jobless recovery, or will hiring increase to keep pace with or even outpace economic growth? Let me know! Thanks!

International Women’s Day

2010-03-08T14:28:00.001-08:00

In my 25 years as a recruiter I have taken a feminist posture – ensuring that we not only consider but seek out qualified women for all positions. In some sectors, this is quite challenging. Aerospace and Defense engineering for one, is not a niche that historically employed many women. There are times that we have found NOT ONE woman for a particular position, and it often troubles me.

Fortunately, the situation is changing. Women are now in the majority in college attendance, college graduation, and graduate school. Even in technical and scientific disciplines. A generation from now, this won't be an issue.

So, to help it along, if you are in the HR or staffing field, invest a few moments today, International Women's Day, to think about how you can proactively be inclusive on all your recruiting assignments. The workplace is enriched, AND it is the right thing to do.

Top Five Ways to Gain an Edge in Business

2010-03-02T15:50:00.001-08:00

This could easily be a TOP 10 list, so to be concise, I offer the five most important ideas:

Benefit to the Buyer: A clear tangible benefit that differentiates you from your competition.

Extra Value: Going beyond why you are different, you must also be better. This includes delighting your customer with superb service.

Communication: The ability to get your message across consistently so it resonates better than your competitor's message. Further, the ability to communicate internally as well, so your employees are empowered, inspired, and known specifically what they have to do.

Play to the Audience: Create products and services that are pain killers (not vitamins) and address specific needs articulated by your market niche. Don't create the perfect mousetrap, only to find out your customer has no problem with mice!

Promise Short, Deliver Long: Create realistic customer expectations, then set a goal of consistently exceeding them. Engage in proactive customer relationship management to ensure you know your customer's perceptions about you at all times.

The Value of Gratitude

2010-02-27T14:39:00.001-08:00

A client and I were recently chatting about how the words "please" and "thank you" aren't used as often these days. In the workplace in particular, but perhaps even in our personal lives, we are so hurried, and we've become so matter-of-fact in communication (texting, chatting, tweeting) that extra words get edited away.

In the workplace, it is important to recognize that even if an employee is supposed to be doing something, it will FEEL better to do it if we say please first and thank you after. In customer relations, it is imperative to demonstrate that we appreciate everything about the relationship, by expressing our gratitude. Thank customers for their time, for responding to you, for providing needed information, for paying bills.

Retaining customers is far easier than finding new ones! Having your employees do their jobs cheerfully instead of grudgingly is so much better!

Remember the pleasantries – they're called that because they make everything more pleasant!

Thank you for reading!

Take my Poll on Job Improvement

2010-02-23T11:53:00.001-08:00

Take my poll on LinkedIN: If there is one way my company could improve my job it would be to… http://polls.linkedin.com/p/78660/fawam

Productivity “Paradigm Shift” Paradox?

2010-02-22T15:53:00.001-08:00

Dozens of news articles today about a speech given in San Diego by Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve President in SF, where she claims that this may be a jobless recovery because employers will squeeze every bit of productivity they can out of their workers, in lieu of hiring. Yellen commented on interest rates and many other topics in her talk, and financial markets reacted to her speech. With regard to employment, Yellen added that it may be 3 full years until employment catches up with growth in the economy. A new post by Shahien Nasiripour on the Huffington Post posits that this point of view on productivity could be a permanent paradigm shift by employers.

I've written before on how I (and several other hiring experts) feel that the productivity increases are unsustainable. The projected 3% GDP growth over the next few years, combined with federal budget cuts, changes to the balance of trade, and severely low worker morale and loyalty, means to me that there will be job creation, and over the next 3 years we will regain the losses of the past 2 years. My research and personal anecdotal experience indicates that especially at the managerial and above levels, people will simply not put up (and "put out") to the extent they have, during a time of recovery.

In the 140 or so comments rapidly accumulating on Huffington Post, most of the writers are really angry, about how the government and business have failed to address "Main Street". I think this attitude will start to seep into the workplace and even if employers expect to get blood from stones, further increases in productivity or even sustaining the current high rate, will not happen.

Disagree with me? Start a comment chain, and let's discuss it!

Sign Up for My Latest Webinar

2010-02-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

I will be hosting a free Webinar in March about how to market yourself to employers and get the job of your dreams. To sign up, send an e-mail to amanda@bobsearch.com and for more info click on the flyer to the right:

Apologies For Last Post....

2010-02-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I sounded a bit flippant about the man who crashed his plane into the IRS building. I apologize for that insensitivity.

Suicide is always a tragedy. Mental health treatment is stigmatized and under-addressed in our society, and under-funded by insurance coverage. When people are so desperate that they have nowhere to turn, and no one to talk to , it is very, very sad.

It is too easy to make light of people being angry at the IRS, and it was wrong of me to take that angle.

I have worked in the mental health field, and I wish there were ways for every individual and for our entire society to be able to prevent the needless, painful loss of suicide.

For the wonderful gentleman who pointed out the personal impact of my story, I have apologized personally, and to anyone else who was offended, I am truly sorry.

If there was any point to my last blog it was that I wish compassionate communication was available to all who need it.

Imagine being THAT mad at the IRS!

2010-02-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

I've heard of tax protests, but this beats all. A guy in Texas plows his plane into an IRS building with 200 employees, killing himself of course, and injuring many others.

Just another symptom of a society where people are forgetting how to communicate with the spoken word.

See the article here.

Productivity Jumps Again

2010-02-04T12:53:00.001-08:00

Productivity jumped again in Q4, which means that employers are still getting more out of their people. This is 3 straight quarters of productivity gains. I've said before that this means new hiring is coming soon. There is a limit to how far overworked people can be pushed, especially if growth is starting to happen.

Dueling Jobs Bills?

2010-02-02T13:46:00.001-08:00

I wrote to President Obama 4 days before the State of the Union address, urging him to focus on job creation as the number one theme. Thank goodness he listened! <JK> There are two different jobs ideas now on the table, one promoted by the House, and one by the White House. Because it seems nothing the government does these days can be without controversy, these proposals have been referred to in the media as "dueling" or competing. The essence of the controversy is whether it is better to create jobs by stimulating private industry, or by directly funding projects that cause hiring. The answer in a down economy is that BOTH are needed right now.

Both proposals include tax credits for hiring. The President emphasized credits to small businesses, because they hire quickly, more broadly across skill areas, and have an immediate impact. This is great, and it will work. Both proposals call for infrastructure investment: Start road projects and hire construction workers. Improve education and hire more teachers (or bring them back from layoffs). Support homeland security at the local level by hiring more police and firefighters. All of this will work, will stimulate spending, result in more income tax and sales tax revenues, etc. Ultimately, government gets paid back on all this investment, as was evidenced during the prosperous 90's, when we had budget surpluses.

Personally, I hope the factionalizing and partisanship stops, and government can move swiftly to take decisive action that will actually speed the recovering. No more dueling!

The 18-Month Factor

2010-01-23T14:19:00.001-08:00

Many executives tolerate B and C performance from their key reports for far too long. I have had the privilege of sharing a speaker's platform several times with investor, serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, consultant and all around good guy Dave Berkus. Dave coined the phrase "The 18-Month Factor" to describe how long it takes from the time you acknowledge having an underperforming manager to the time you have a fully effective person producing critical results. Dave's theory, with which I agree completely, is as follows: You (the CEO or Senior Executive) first realizes the problem by noticing that "Joe" is not getting it done. You say, "Well, I'll give him a bit more time." Interestingly, this patience only seems to apply to people, not other key business decisions, right?

3 months go by, then you say, "Well, I'll talk to him about it." Joe agrees to change, so you give him 3 more months, and still nothing has changed, so you give him a warning. Shape up or else. At that point, 50% of the B and C players become "mentally unemployed". Some of them actually start looking, but some just eat up your payroll while their performance actually gets worse. And, it is expensive in indirect ways too - lost opportunities, etc.

So, at about the 9 month point, you decide you really must do something about Joe. You launch a search. The search takes the usual 3 months, and you find a new person who looks like an "A" player. By the time that individual is on board, and the get-acquainted honeymoon is over, you're in the 13^thor 14^th month, and it will surely take 3-4 months before you can expect meaningful change and better results. Presto, 18 months have gone by.

Strategic replacement takes brave, decisive action. My grandfather used to say, "The first loss is the best loss," because business loss is really valuable information, and if you pay attention quickly, you can cut the next loss. 2010 is a very meaningful year for executive change. As companies jockey for position to see who is going to rise first in the recovery, there will be a scramble for market share. For many companies, that will require stronger people. Don't find yourself stuck with B and C people in an 18-month cycle.

If you are a business leader, and you've survived the past two years, you probably have keen judgment. Make sure it applies to more than financials, inventory, operations, etc. Apply it to your #1 asset as well – your people.

Attention to Detail or Micromanagement?

2010-01-22T17:41:00.001-08:00

I am a possibilities and alternatives thinker, so when an idea is presented to me, even a great idea, my first instinct is to think, how else could this be done? My thinking also drifts to: what could go wrong with this, is this the best way to do it, etc. Funny thing is, I perceive myself as a conceptual idea person who hates details, is low-data, makes decisions easily, and wants to be strategic. However, when I ask my "what-if" and why questions, others easily can get the opposite impression, that I am too into the details, too analytical, and even micromanaging. The person who generated the great idea can get frustrated and feel judged and underappreciated.

Until I had a trusted employee point this out to me, I had no idea that what I thought was collaborative what-iffing could sometimes be perceived as frustrating nit-picking.

I'm a strong believer that with human behavior, there is no reality, only perceptions. It isn't always important whether I'm "right" or "wrong" about what I'm doing. However it is really important how my actions affect others – their work output, their job satisfaction, etc. If my behavior and my style of communication isn't productive, and it obstructs progress by producing frustration, then it is important to look at it and change it. For me this week – lesson learned!

Stepping in a New River

2010-01-15T16:39:00.001-08:00

Bear with me… I usually give very concrete advice, and today I'm going to philosophize.

Heraclitus, who felt that change was central to the universe said (around 500 BC), "You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." In other words, a river is never static, it is in each moment a different river, because the water keeps flowing. Just as each moment brings new water down the river; each moment brings a new experience into our existence. What happened just now is now over.

It takes effort to embrace change. We are creatures of habit - we expect to step into that same river. At my advanced age (jk) learning something new or experiencing something differently is a great thing - a true delight. Most of us experience new things through filters based on our similar previous experiences - we play old tapes in our head. It actually takes work to see things without that set of filters. Letting go, clearing the head to see things as they are, or even to just see them fresh, with new eyes, or to be open to a new point of view, is not automatic. But, practice does improve the art.

Friday night is a good time to clear stuff out. Start the weekend with a blank-slate attitude, and I'll bet you will step into a new river. Happy wading.

Google Yourself - We Do!

2010-01-08T17:11:00.001-08:00

Most hiring experts advocate background checks, but many employers don't take the time to do this before hiring, or they just don't take formal checking tools seriously. A free and easy way to look at someone's background is to simply Google "first last" in quotes. Unless the name is unusually common, you can find out lots about people. Most headhunters do this on candidates. I can see all the routine things you might expect, AND, people can see if you have ever made a political contribution, or if you have been tagged in a photo of a beer bash that someone posted on Facebook, Picasa, etc. If you have been named in a lawsuit, or convicted of a crime, that often comes up. If you had an unhappy breakup, maybe you or pictures or videos of you, are posted on a psycho ex boyfriend site, or on YouTube. You probably want to see all these things before I do!

If you should find that there are things that are unfair, untrue, etc., there are steps you can take to change the items, but at the very least, you may need to be prepared to explain yourself to an employer if there are damaging items.

For tools to correct problems, visit: Wired Wiki, or use a Google remove request. To stop Google from indexing you, use a "no-index" robot.

An Update on our Survey

2010-01-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Survey results:

40% of people responding to our survey question "The best way I could advance my career today would be..." answered: "Build / Improve my Network". The second most popular response (24%) was "Leave and get a different job" [Based on 229 responses].

Jobs Coming – Yes or No?

2009-12-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

This week’s issue of Newsweek (12/21) has two conflicting articles about jobs. In the first article, Jobs Are On the Way – Why Employment Will Rebound Faster Than You Think, Daniel Gross makes great points about the economy and job picture. We’ve been echoing this point of view most of this year. In the contrasting article, Joblessness Is Here To Stay, Rana Foroohar says there are fundamental reasons why job recovery will lag.

If you are in HR or business leadership – read both. At least be informed on both points of view, and see which one you agree with more. Your comments are invited here. Let’s start a dialog.

December: Great Month for a New Job

2009-12-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Most job seekers, whether actively looking or passive (just interested in other opportunities, but not looking), put job search activity on hold in December, under the assumption that employers aren’t thinking about hiring.

An article Friday on CNNMoney.com points out that December can be a great time to explore a new job. Hiring managers are relaxed, and perhaps under less pressure, so they can invest time in candidates. Because fewer people are looking, there is less competition. And, although more hiring actually occurs in January, many employers would prefer to hit the floor running fully staffed in January, by making the hiring commitment earlier.

Over my 25 years in the executive search business, I’ve never had a slow December. Many companies do their next-year staffing plan in September or October. Budgets and head counts are set, and plans put in place. In fact, in some cases, when hiring managers do procrastinate, it can actually be to the advantage of the job-seeker, because you may inquire and find an opening that hasn’t been posted, and no one else knows about.

So if you want a new job, use the next two weeks (up until 12/18 or so) to make contact with hiring managers. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Leadership Development Lacking for Execs

2009-11-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

It didn’t surprise me to learn that a recent survey by a top talent research firm revealed that only 37% of survey respondents (352 participants) would rate their executive leadership “excellent”, and less than 20% rated first-line supervisors excellent.

The study found that focused development effort is lacking for top executives. Not enough top people are getting “continuous improvement” of their leadership skills.

The survey report is titled Leadership Development Factbook: 2009: Benchmarks and Analysis of Leadership Development Spending, Staffing and Programs. It was produced by Bersin & Associates, and is available for purchase on their web site. You can download an executive summary at no cost.

I have some additional thoughts on why top leaders may fail to achieve excellent ratings. Several personality and psychological profiles have established that there is a distinct range of task vs. people/relationships. Some people are more task oriented, some more people oriented. Their behavior on this scale is mostly automatic – they manage in keeping with their preferred tilt on this scale.

In my 25 years in executive search and talent management consulting, I’ve seen many companies promote people up into the executive ranks based on production of specific results. This is fundamentally a good thing. People should get promoted based on producing results. However, the managers who are most driven toward results are usually more task focused. Often they lack strong people skills, and this is the area in which they need the most development. Hopefully, corporations, and even the leaders themselves will realize that investing in courses, coaching, etc. to improve leadership skills is very valuable to optimize corporate performance.

Ethics and the Recession

2009-11-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

This must be my year to be preachy. I’ve already written three blogs about lying!

I was thinking this morning about whether values, morals, ethics have shifted with the economic downturn, and my conclusion is that things are worse. People have understandably gone into survival mode, become more desperate, and are becoming inured to the traits that made us great as a nation. So I googled this topic, and sure enough, there is already a book on it. In The Ethics Recession: Reflections on the Moral Underpinnings of the Current Economic Crisis, author Rushworth Kidder (gotta love the name) makes the point that integrity has declined, but fortunately, there are many things we can do to turn this around. Many other speeches and essays have surfaced this year on the topic of values shifts in this recession, and I see this as a good sign – at least people are thinking about it.

Harvard Professor and former CEO of Medtronic, Bill George, said last week at a symposium on ethics: "Business leaders of today focus on personal gains and instant gratification." Citing a survey, George said that 66% of Americans surveyed believe we have a leadership crisis in the United States.

I believe the media perpetuates this two ways: Firstly, news stations sensationalize things done wrong by business leaders. When is the last time you heard a lead story about a leader standing up for what is right? Secondly, much to the delight of many and the chagrin of others, news outlets have become polarized, just like much of our population. The media have always been accused of bias, but now, they have an agenda, and much of what we see, hear and read is propaganda, not news.

I’m not sure what will turn this around, except individuals and organizations making a conscious choice. Kidder says we need “more ethical organizational cultures.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking."

The holidays are coming. A time of reflection. Anyone who has survived the past two years has a lot to be thankful for, and we can all look forward to better times soon. Let’s handle it responsibly.

More on Lying…

2009-11-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

Usually my blogs are meant to inform – today I’m going to vent a bit. I’m one of those people who says when I put my head on my pillow at night, I don’t worry about what I said to who – because I just tell everyone the truth. I’m beginning to feel like I’m in the minority.

In April, I wrote a blog on lies told by job candidates, with advice to employers on how to get at the truth. In the last six months, I have had an astonishing number of candidates lie to me. How do I know? They get caught!

Everyone engages in some “spin” in telling stories. Spin to me is a skillful, selective portrayal of the truth, that positions you well. An example: A job seeker felt that his last boss was a jerk, who provided no real empowerment, and no opportunity for growth. The “spin” on this is: “I realized I needed to be in an environment with a supportive, mentoring boss who would empower me to accomplish great things and advance my career.” The truth, told to the candidate’s advantage.

Telling a recruiter that you have or haven’t done something when the exact opposite is true and in fact verifiable is just stupid and dishonest. Stupid dishonest people will get caught. Say the title of this blog three times fast….

Advancing Your Career - Take my Survey

2009-10-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

If you receive my newsletter - this month's article will be on Advancing Your Career. (If you would like to receive my newsletter, send an e-mail to mark@bobsearch.com).

Help your fellow readers get good results by taking my survey on LinkedIN.

Thanks!

More About Automation and the Human Touch

2009-10-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about the need for the Human Touch in recruiting. Today’s LA Times has an interview with Leonard Kleinrock, one of the fathers of the internet. While Kleinrock is mostly positive about the impact of the medium on society, he does point out a pitfall that aligns with what I was saying yesterday: That today’s kids are un-learning the basic human skill of reading another human being in person. Kleinrock’s quote: "It [internet] gives them a larger reach, [but] they're not getting out in the sun, playing with other kids and looking in their eyes and watching their body language as much as they used to, which I think is a shame and can create a kind of indifference in the way in which you deal with your peers. Excesses include things like notifying your significant other [by computer] that you're no longer significant to them."

As a society, I think it is worth maintaining this skill of being able to size up what another person means, just by looking at them, and listening to how they express themselves. Parents will have to model this at home, and, in the workplace, I think companies will ultimately have to teach this skill to millennials who would rather text than talk!

The Human Touch in Recruiting

2009-10-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Lately more and more of our contact with candidates and even with clients (employers) is electronic. “Conversations” occur by e-mail and text, and even through neutral sites like LinkedIn. It should come as no surprise that there are even robot interviewers where you record your questions, and the candidate records his/her answers. One company providing this service advertises that you can turn a stack of resumes into the perfect candidate "while you sleep."

However…. Once the candidates get to the hiring manager, chemistry, personal presentations and all the human factors come into play. So, how can a professional recruiter, whether internal or external, adequately evaluate a candidate without knowing what the candidate is like, how the candidate expresses him/herself, etc.? I would say you can’t. Perhaps my age is showing, but I think that one of the primary skills a recruiter must have is knowing who is or isn’t a fit, and why, based on their personality.

If you’ve read my stuff before, you know that I preach using a Performance Based approach, determining if a candidate can produce critical results. Can you use a recording to determine that? Not sure. I think I hear results in tone, inflection, confidence, etc., as much as I hear from the words.

If you have an opinion on automation in recruiting, please let me know. I think this is evolving, and it will be interesting to see where it all goes.

Evidence of Recovery in Staffing Plans

2009-10-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve been writing in my company newsletter for months that I think the economic recovery will be led by a very dynamic hiring environment. Not necessarily lots of new job creation, but lots of changes and movement at the executive level. (E-mail me for a copy of my latest take on this).

Recently, other news reports and hiring experts have been echoing these thoughts. Here’s some key examples with links:

Wall Street Hiring
Google Hiring
Retailers Hiring
Hiring Guru Lou Adler on expected hiring pace in recovery (due to current dissatisfaction)
TalentRise Survey on employer expectations

The “A” players are now overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated! If all of “us” hiring experts are right, now is the time to make plans to ensure you get the people you need, before other companies grab them first.

EXECUTIVE SEARCH - CONTINGENCY vs. RETAINED

2009-09-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

A Question of Value
Fees are about the same for contingency recruiters and retained search consultants. Is it the same service?

A Numbers Game
Contingency recruiters never know if they will make a placement. To ensure an income, they must work many assignments (5 - 10) at once, and work them as briefly as possible. A contingency recruiter makes only enough calls to submit the first 2 or 3 candidates he can find. He then hopes they fit. A retained search consultant knows he will complete each search and receive a fee. He accepts only those searches on which he can perform (2 -3 at once), and then can call all the candidates that might fit (50 -100 typically), and submit the 3 or 4 best people (not first). He will work 3 to 5 times harder for the same fee!

Exclusivity vs. Multiple Recruiters
Many employers find out the hard way that more isn’t better with contingency recruiters. They erroneously believe that giving the job order to several contingency recruiters will produce more candidates, more quickly. Instead, it reduces the quality of those candidates. Make a search non-exclusive, and it dives to lowest priority. The candidates submitted will be the easiest to find, not the best. Retained search is done exclusively - the search consultant you select will fill the position. The best candidates know the difference. They take retained search consultants more seriously. Having an expert who treats you as his number one priority, who is dedicated to in-depth recruitment, produces the high quality candidates you’d like to meet in the same time frame.

Real Search or File Search
Contingency recruiters maintain files of candidates who have contacted them, looking for a change. Not the best, but the most vocal candidates. This is their first, sometimes their only source to present from. Retained search firms have even more contacts, having made more calls on each search. These high-value contacts are used as a springboard, as referral sources to finding new candidates to fit a precise specification. The candidates found and screened on a retained search are happy, productive individuals who are not seeking job change, just the top performers you’d like to meet.

Quality Evaluation
Contingency recruiters don’t ask too many questions. The simpler the spec, the easier it is for them to persuade you to see a candidate who might fit. The shoehorn approach doesn’t work. It is critical to write a performance-based job description defining objectives, critical results, beliefs, values etc. so you can recognize the candidate who can do the job. Thorough evaluation means that only candidates already determined to be a fit are the ones you will meet.

When you decide to invest in executive search, make sure that your investment will pay off: Demand to see only pre-qualified top performers who are precisely what you want, who can produce results, and who can positively impact your bottom line. Retained search is your best value!

Job Offers – The Employer POV

2009-09-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

There is an old lawyer’s axiom - Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to. I think this saying also applies to employers extending job offers to management level candidates. I’ve seen too many clients extend offers before they know if the candidate will accept, only to get a turn-down.

Once the offer is extended, the power shifts to the candidate, and often, that is when negotiation begins. The negotiation should be done before the offer is extended. An employer should know whether the offer will be accepted, before they actually give the offer to the candidate. Here is what the employer should know before extending the offer:

What other factors will influence acceptance? These could include: benefits, bonus, growth potential, relocation issues, spouse’s job, kids in high school, elderly parents, etc. Dispose of these issues before discussing money, and the money becomes easier to discuss.
What are the non-monetary reasons the candidate wants to come to my company, and/or leave his/her current company?
What are all the components of the candidate’s current compensation package? Which are important? [Some candidates don’t care about bonuses, and want a higher base; others want the opposite]
What amount does the candidate want to work at my company?
What is the minimum level at which the candidate will walk away?
Would a sign-on bonus (one time payment) substitute for some salary (permanent cost)?

When an employer takes in all the factors and truly understands the candidate’s motivation, then a “test” offer can be given, accompanied by a “trial close.” “If we offered you X, would you accept?” If you get a response “I’d have to think about it”, then you have to discover all the things the candidate would be thinking about, until you get a "yes, I’d accept". Then the next day, you can extend the offer, and know that you’ll get a yes.

Empathy in Business

2009-08-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

The word empathy was big in the news last month in connection to Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings. Some of the Senators made it sound like a bad word!

The concept of emotional intelligence has been a generally accepted business value for many years, and now a new book is out called Wired to Care. I haven’t read this yet, but I like the author’s main idea, that when people in an organization “develop a shared vibe for what’s going on in the world, they’re able to see new opportunities faster than their competitors.” They have a cool tool called the EMPATH-O-METER, that allows you to suggest and rate the empathy level of an employer.

My clients consistently ask for people who are collaborative, who work well in teams, lead teams, etc., yet most people are “wired” to be individual contributors, and our survival instincts work only partly towards teamwork. Increasing the consciousness about empathy is a good thing, and so is the word itself.

Employee Retention in Recession – Part II

2009-07-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

My last post was about the importance of keeping your best people, especially in a recession. Today I’ll focus on what motivates an “A” player. These factors need to be in place in order for you to keep your top people loyal. “A” players are motivated to stay with you when they are:

Inspired by your vision and leadership – make sure you articulate this clearly and stay positive in your communication.

Impressed by your business plan – You do have one, right? A roadmap to success must be part of your plan.

Part of a great team tackling a great challenge – an “A” player wants to be surrounded by other high quality teammates, who are operating at optimum performance.

Believing in the company’s potential to succeed – would you bet on your chances? Your “A” players can calculate the odds too.

In a stable, secure environment – have you been making people feel safe or not so safe in your comments about today’s situation?

Able to make a difference, to count – because you have clearly spelled out their objectives and shown them how the achievement of those aligns with corporate goals.

Have the right compensation – this is last on the list, because if the factors above are present, compensation becomes less important. The “right” compensation for a key manager includes incentives for their own performance objectives.

Take care of your people, mostly through excellent communication and the right attitude, and I believe they will stay loyal and take care of you!

Employee Retention in a Recession

2009-07-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

Many employers are mistakenly feeling secure about their current workforce, under the possibly erroneous assumption that no one would dare leave now. There is in fact a real danger of losing great people within the next year.

Here’s my rationale. I’m assuming that any employer who has let people go has tried hard to keep the “A” players, and let go of only the poor performers. Now the “A”s are overworked, and possibly under-utilized or under-challenged. If your business is one of the many that have really taken a hit, your “A” players want out, and have probably felt that way for a while. Such people may be waiting out the recession, but many really have wanted to change jobs for over a year. The minute opportunities start to surface, those people could be gone.

And, there is pent up demand both ways: Employers have held off hiring, and there could be a rush for talent once the recovery begins. Companies that have any edge at all over your company will be trying to hire away your people.

It is really important not to be complacent about your key people even in tough times. Next week, I’ll write more about key retention tips.

Economy's Effect on Your Staffing?

2009-06-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Please take my Linked-In poll on how the economy has effected your staffing:
http://polls.linkedin.com/p/44173/fsppo

Job Hunting Tip #5: Explaining Job Changes

2009-06-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Many job seekers make the mistake of talking negatively about a previous employer, and it is very important to be positive on this topic. When I interview people, I ask them in several different ways to tell why they’d be interested in making a change: What is the ideal job for you? What’s missing at your current job? What needs to be different?

Most of the answers I get revolve around new challenges, a company that is positioned better for growth, the usual. BUT, almost every week, I get one or two people who absolutely tear down their current employer, telling me all the things wrong with the environment, why their boss isn’t a good leader; on and on. Interestingly, I also get overly negative explanations about previous job changes.

Since many of these people are actually really good candidates, I end up coaching them on how to better describe why you want to make a change. Here are some rules:

Every negative can be turned into a positive. Think yin /yang. What is the flip side, the reframe of the negative aspect of your employment? If you think your company is moving too slowly, you say you want a faster paced environment. If you think your boss is poor at giving direction, you say you want a leader who makes it clear what your objectives are, so you have a define path to achieving the goal.

Two sentences is enough. One to describe the circumstances (“I’ve decided to move on; there was a 50-person RIF,” etc.), and one sentence that is forward-looking (“I would like ------------- in my next position).

Show Class. If the interviewer hears you saying negative things, he or she can assume that someday you’ll be saying similar things about him or her. Show some class, and model the behavior you want them to expect from you in the future.

Talk about the future. It is human nature to dig in dirt, gossip, look for the sensational aspects that are fun to discuss. Don’t give in to the temptation. Don’t let a skilled interviewer trap you into “dishing” about all the reasons you are unhappy, only to surprise you with a rejection. Move the conversation to how your capabilities are going to add value to the new employer.

An “A” Player just doesn’t have anything bad to say about a current or past employer! Why would they?

Gr7 Communication

2009-06-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

The majority of high level candidates we talk to these days communicate exclusively by cell phone. With all the advancements in modern technology, I am astonished that so many people rely exclusively on cell phones for communication. The connections can be so poor that it seems like we’ve gone back to tin cups and string.

Dan Neil has a great article in the LA Times Business Section today about cultural language innovations, and how even verbal communication is going away, with people texting each other instead of talking. Try Googling texting dictionary and see the amazing number of responses that can educate you on text shorthand.

UCLA Professor Emeritus Albert Mehrabian did a famous study of communication that revealed 55% of human communication is non-verbal (body language, facial expression), 38% is sound – (tone, inflection, pacing, volume, etc.), and only 7% of in-person communication is content. Extending this theory, when we text, we only send 7% of our communicative ability.

With people getting busier and busier, it is harder to meet people in person, and sometimes even to get people on the phone. I’m a little concerned that over the next generation we will lose some of our abilities to communicate effectively.

Dan Neil points out in his article that Gr8 is texting shorthand for Great, and if something is only pretty good, but not great, people will text “Gr7.” I love that! We are creating word formations that are specifically meant not to ever be spoken, but only texted! That’s so Gr1. In case you didn't get that I am joking, I was only able to send you 7% of my communication!

Overqualified Candidates

2009-06-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Is the term “overqualified” code for too old, or too expensive? Should an employer be wary of hiring overqualified people? The answer to both is sometimes.

Overqualified truly means a person who possesses skills way beyond what is required to do the job, AND the job being considered represents a step down for the person.

There are a few valid reasons why an overqualified person could safely be hired and could do a good job. A lifestyle change could be valid – kids at home (or elderly relative) who need attention; spouse moved for a new job with much higher pay; person is recovering from injury or other trauma. Cash infusion could be another valid reason: a recent cash-out at prior company (stock option redemption or exit package) or even an inheritance, could cause a person to think “I could afford to throttle back a notch for a while.”

If a company simply desires a younger worker, and in comparing skills, rules out a baby boomer in favor of a Gen-Y’er when both are equally qualified and would cost the same, that is simple age discrimination, and I think it is wrong. I’ve seen baby boomers do an outstanding job, leveraging their stronger experience, and yet not demand or expect as much as some of today’s younger workers.

When cost is a factor, a company is justified in hiring the least expensive person they feel can do the job, and that does not represent age discrimination, in my opinion.

The one real issue with overqualified candidates is whether they will stay. When a person steps down a level, and takes less pay, there is a real risk they will be vulnerable to recruiters, or will even seek another opportunity, seeing your position as only a stop-gap, or a way station on the path to something better. We ask candidates directly, “Why wouldn’t you make a move next year if a higher paying more responsible position became available?” If a candidate doesn’t have a really solid answer to this question – they are overqualified, and then I wouldn’t recommend the hire.

Hiring Better Than Yourself

2009-06-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Many hiring experts advocate hiring people with greater capability than yourself, as a way of growing your department, company, even yourself. Yet, in 25 years of headhunting, I’ve seen many high level executives be intimidated by the real go-getters. The one word feedback I sometimes get after submitting an “A+” player is “arrogant.” Yet, I have often perceived the candidate as “very confident” a trait you’d expect in a top performer, but not arrogant. Google turns up over 7 million hits to the string “hiring AND ‘better than yourself’”, and one of those is a three-year old piece by Guy Kawasaki. I agree with just about everything Guy says in this piece on recruiting from January, 2006.

To hire below yourself, and/or not hire complementary skill sets to your own – filling in around your shortcomings – immediately positions you to NOT be an “A” player yourself. Leaders know that having the best around them will almost always pay off, and they are willing to take a leap to get the “A+” person. I think this is a critical ingredient to being a good leader.

What I Learned Growing Up in a Bronx Housing Project

2009-06-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great ironies of the last few weeks is that while my Harvard-educated wife (BA and JD) had classmate acquaintances on the short list for the Supreme Court nominees, the ultimate nominee, Yale-educated Sonia Sotomayor was someone with whom I actually had a special connection: she and I both grew up in the same Bronxdale Housing Project at the same time.

At that time, in the 50’s, many of us saw the move to the new “Projects” as a step up. My family came from a tiny 2 room basement flat, and I saw our 6th floor Watson Ave. apartment as heaven! We got to play on new monkey bars and swings on the concrete play area – the grass was chained off - but it was better than playing in the street. Sonia has spoken to the media on how her upbringing informed her adulthood and her court decisions. Here’s a bit of what I learned:

No to Prejudice: The projects were a melting pot, and at my level (kids), we were indeed all equal. I developed first hand the evidence to reject the shocking and hateful first generation American xenophobia and bigotry that I heard from my parents and their friends. When you are taught “filters”, trying to be completely egalitarian is work, but it is worth it!

No to Elitism: The people I went to school with who dressed better, my cousins whose families owned houses, weren’t better than me. Poor is as poor does (to paraphrase Forrest Gump). We all put our pants on one leg at a time. This has helped me to never be intimidated in business.

Work Pays: People who worked hard moved up. I got my first job at age 11, working in a butcher shop (probably illegal), and the day I turned 12 I signed up to deliver the NY Post, a much classier and cleaner job! I always had money in my pocket that I earned, and the resulting work ethic has served me well.

Direct Communication: In my neighborhood, no one tiptoed around the outside edges; we didn’t invest too much time in “being polite.” We told it like it was; recognizing that there were consequences (but also much value) from being candid. I call the result of this learning “Bullseye Communication.”

Attitude is Everything: I’ve quoted Victor Frankl before, who famously said, “Everything can be taken away from a man except the last of human freedoms, the freedom to chose one’s own attitude.” Thinking As If you will succeed goes a long way to ensuring success. Just from looking around and seeing what worked and what didn’t work, I knew I’d go to college and be a professional, even before I got to the 6th grade.

I’m proud to have grown up in Bronxdale, and in other poor neighborhoods in the Bronx, and to have learned from the experiences. I do think those experiences are valuable in a Supreme Court justice too! Growing up poor, living in a diverse community and having first hand knowledge of the struggles and triumphs of those striving to emerge from poverty is indeed valuable, in any profession or way of life. For me, one significant result is that I can appreciate the little changes that happen for people, in their career especially, that can have a profound impact. Often I have the chance to help those changes along, and I value those contributions all the more.

Needs and Wants

2009-06-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

A key hiring goal for most companies is to feel safe and secure that they’ve made a good choice – they’ve selected someone who will fit in, will perform well, and have a positive impact. In order to satisfy the need to feel “safe” about a hire, some employers load up a laundry list of skills and experiences and label them “must have” or “required”. In some cases, these are legitimate, such as an in-the-trenches, hands-on technical hire. But, in many cases, the line is blurred between “needs” and “wants”. These even goes to things like location. We had a client who indicated that the candidate “must” live in a certain city. Yet the new hire would be traveling 80% between 4 cities in the region. We advocated flexibility in location, which more than doubled the pool of talent that could be considered, since many did not want to move to the primary location.

We encourage employers to sharpen the line, to distinguish clearly between required skills and attributes, and those that are desirable or a plus. Then, the key way to feel safe in hiring is to establish clear, precise, specific performance objectives, and screen the candidate to their ability to produce the critical results.

Be careful not to “need” so much that really capable people are ruled out. Establish a better way to feel safe about the hire.

Executive Compensation and Performance Goals

2009-05-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

As part of an LA Times business section focused on executive compensation, business columnist David Lazarus wrote on Sunday about CEO bonuses.

Just as we’ve been advocating for 15 years, Lazarus believes that bonuses should be “…based only on the attainment of clear performance goals, such as increases in a company's net income or market share.” He also feels, as do we, that bonuses and incentives (such as stock options) should be available to all employees doing a good job, not just the CEO.

This topic seems to get media attention mostly when lots of money is at stake, like when CEOs receive 8 figure bonuses despite declining performance at their company. It is critically important every day, at every company. Do more good stuff, get paid more! Great idea! I’d like to see the issue of incentives tied to performance be front and center when economic and human capital experts discuss how to get the economy back on track!

Radical Talent Management

2009-05-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

There has been very little written on a topic I’d like to call Radical Talent Management. Hiring and talent management continue to evolve at a much slower pace than other technologies that are critical to business success.

The word “radical” is derived from the Latin “radicalis” which means root, basis, or source. I would bet that most of us think of the word radical not by its first or second dictionary definition (of or relating to a root; growing from the base), but by its third or fourth definition: Marked by a considerable change from the usual or traditional; tending to make extreme changes.

In First Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman told us that one of the things great managers do differently is to define TALENT as “a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied.” The authors go on to differentiate talent from skills or knowledge, and advocate hiring based on talent, and in the book’s appendix, list the 12 Core Questions that correlate with success. My favorite is the first: “I know what is expected of me at work.”

I want to advocate combining these four ideas into a new way of managing talent:

Radical talent management must start at the root, which is how we define the job.

It must also be about considerable change from the usual and traditional.

Employers must define what is expected of each current employee and new hire, in SMART terms (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound), by producing a business plan with performance objectives.

Deployment of current people, hiring of new people, performance evaluation – all aspects of talent management – must be done by evaluating TALENT in the context of Performance Objectives. Only then can talent be productively applied!

Sounds simple? It is hard to believe how FEW companies follow the above four principles. So few, I’m inclined to call the idea Radical Talent Management. Let’s see if it catches on.

Getting the Real Truth From Candidates

2009-04-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Recently I read a list of the Top Five Lies Told by Job Candidates, as reported by HireRight, a candidate screening organization. The article focuses on some obvious, but superficial issues: Exaggerating dates of employment, falsifying education, inflating salary or title, hiding a criminal record, and hiding a drug habit. Most of these can be easily caught by a decent background check. You can ask for a W-2 to verify compensation. Simple diligence can help you avoid hiring a person who is lying about these issues.

Much more significant are the really important lies told by candidates that can be harder to detect, and that can cause you real harm, because you will hire the candidate despite the lies. Candidates will misrepresent their capabilities more often than the five items above. Some of the misrepresentation isn’t even their fault!! Employers ask leading questions, like, "You've set up a sales department before, right?" When the candidate readily agrees, without being asked for evidence, a check mark goes in the "plus" column. Behavioral based interviewing, where candidates are asked to illustrate a trait (like leadership, teamwork), with specific examples from their work history, can also cloud the issue. Most people can dredge up a good story to illustrate a trait, but did they actually accomplish anything with this trait?

If a candidate does not have strong capability to do the critical tasks of the job, the result can be very costly: lost opportunities, critical mistakes, lost morale, cost of replacing the hire, etc. Employers have to ask the right questions to help the candidate tell the truth. When employers take the time to develop SMART performance objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound), they can turn those objectives into interview questions that make it far more likely a candidate will have to tell the truth.

An example: Let's say that a Sales Executive has to grow sales by setting up multi-state distribution and establishing a key strategic alliance. The employer can ask: "One of our most important goals is to establish multi-state distribution as a key method of growing sales. What is there specifically in your background that would enable you to achieve this?" You keep drilling until the details emerge: Who were the distributors? Did the program succeed? How much in sales? All of these details could be verified, so the candidate must tell the truth. This is a great way to evaluate candidates, but also a great recruitment tool: Mediocre candidates hate these questions, and excellent candidates love them, because they have the answers, and are delighted to talk about how they will respond to the employers real, well-defined challenges. The truth emerges, and it is helpful to both the candidate and the prospective employer.

You can easily check on the basic lies, but make sure you have a process to protect yourself from the biggest, most expensive lies - and get an accurate, truthful answer to the most important question: can the candidate really do the job?

Poll on Availability of “A” Players

2009-04-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

I posted a one-question poll on LinkedIN, and got 17 responses. The question:

More job seekers are available. How difficult is it to hire "A" players?

The responses:

Very hard to find "A" players: 11%

Still a bit hard to find "A"s: 35%

Much easier to find "A" player: 5%

The same - "A"s still rare: 47%

My conclusion (which confirms what I thought was the case up front): The wider availability of candidates due to the economic downturn, layoffs, etc. has NOT produced a better pool of people. The “A” players are still productive, working, and not looking for a job.
To record your vote, click here.

Consistency in Talent Management

2009-04-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

A consistent approach to Human Capital Management is sometimes lacking in large companies, ironically, due to the uniqueness of each leader in the group. For example, the Talent Acquistion Director might believe in a performance based approach to hiring, but perhaps the recruiters are more comfortable with competency-based interviewing. And to compound the inconsistencies, the compensation manager may believe in a unified team approach, or company performance, as the basis for incentive compensation, which then has no tie to either individual performance or even individual competencies.

Individual philosophies in Talent Acquisition / Human Capital Management can serve well to inform the overall policy. However, it is essential that a consensus approach be utilized that makes it clear to each employee how they will be managed, from the moment of their first interview, to goal setting upon hire, evaluation, compensation, etc.

We advocate the performance-based approach, which can be applied to the full spectrum of the talent process. A job description should contain SMART objectives. These objectives can be the basis for recruitment and evaluation. The objectives also form a business plan for the new hire, can be used for evaluation, and can even be quantified for incentive compensation. Each year, this performance-based formula can be applied to generate new goals, which become a new personal business plan, and form new evaluation criteria that can be the basis for performance reviews, compensation, promotion and growth.

Employees appreciate consistency. When the same management theme is applied to all aspects of their employment experience, they will be more motivated and productive.

Job Hunting Tip #4: Value Creation and Getting Jobs

2009-04-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Grant Cardone’s latest blog is titled: 12 Tips to Getting a Job in Any Market. I agree with him, especially about showing how you can create value. It is critically important, especially for the executive job seeker, to NOT interview for a job, but to illustrate how he or she can create value by making money or saving money for the new employer. This applies particularly well to the “hidden job market”: situations where an employer is thinking about a change, but hasn’t listed or posted the job. Guess what? EVERY employer is thinking about making a change; getting rid of a poor performer that holds the company back.

Job hunting is a numbers game – you must contact lots of people to find the true opportunities. By networking with everyone you know to find out who might need your skills, you will connect with those hidden opportunities. Research the company before you call . Be ready to make a case for how and why you can have an impact, and you just might get in the door. Then you don’t have an interview; you have a sales call. You are the product; the employer is the buyer. If you can successfully show the “benefit to the buyer” of the “product’s features” – how you add value – you can create a position for yourself. See my previous blog on being a Pain Killer vs. a Vitamin, and apply these same ideas to yourself.

Job Hunting Tips #3 – Reference Letters

2009-04-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Many job seekers wonder about the value of getting letters of reference from current and past employers. I am a strong advocate of accumulating these as your career progresses. You might lose touch with many of your most important contacts, and preserving a record of their impressions about you could be very valuable down the road. Presenting a specific letter that really discusses your skills can speed the hiring process and persuade a prospective employer to move along with your offer.

Each time you leave a company, no matter what the circumstances, ask your boss or someone else in a superior position to yours, to give you a letter. You should also suggest parts of the content of the letter. Submit your request in an e-mail, and state, “Some of the things I’m proud of having accomplished here include:”, then list a few key results in bullets, using only the truth of course! You will find that the person is likely to cut and paste your suggestions, putting their own spin on the wording, and send back exactly what you want. If you ask more than one person at the same company, send them different bullets, so the letters don’t mirror each other.

You can also use this approach in electronic media, such as LinkedIn, where you can solicit and post recommendations about yourself. Keep in mind that peers, friends, etc. are not as valuable as someone you directly worked for. If you put your LinkedIn profile address in your e-mail signature line, you provide access to a place where your recommendations are shown.

When visiting a new employer, offer to show your reference letters, but don’t be pushy about it. Your credibility may decrease if you create too strong a case about the letters you’ve gathered. Taking a balanced approach to getting and using these letters shows an employer that you value your history, and have invested some effort to substantiate your performance.

Top 8 Reasons an “A” Player Will Work for You

2009-03-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

Whether you are trying to hire for a new position, replacing a “B” or “C” player on your team, or just want to hang on to the stars you have now, here are the key reasons why top performing people will come to work for you or continue to work for you:

Inspiration: They are inspired by your vision and your leadership.
Impressed by Plans: They see you have a business plan, and they are impressed by it. They are also impressed by how you have translated the company’s plan into an individual plan with SMART objectives, for them.
Challenge: They see the challenges, and want to be part of your team to address the exciting opportunities.
Believe in Potential: They see the desired outcome, and believe the company can succeed.
Big Hit OR Security: If you have an emerging growth or start-up company, they can appreciate the chance for a big hit (equity play), or if you are a well-established company, they appreciate the stability and security you offer.
Ability to Make a Difference: You have spelled out the impact that each individual can have, and each person understands his/her contribution to your results.
Culture Feels Right: They fit in; they understand what the environment is about, and it works for them. This usually means open communication and no politics!
Compensation: This is last on the list, because if all the other factors are in place, it won’t be the primary motivator. Keep yourself market competitive, and provide incentives for good performance, and people will feel they are treated right.

Passion as a Predictor of Success

2009-02-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

A business friend asked me today to comment on the idea that passion (for one’s business or vocation) could be the number one predictor of success. I disagreed. I have seen dozens of entrepreneurs present their businesses to investor groups ( I belong to TCA in OC). The investors get excited when the entrepreneurs are enthusiastic and demonstrate passion about their companies, products, potential, etc. There is a hitch though. Many of the most enthusiastic entrepreneurs, the ones that appear most passionate, have a couple of personality issues. In fact, I’d say that I’ve met many who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

There was a book written in the early nineties, (still available through Amazon), called The Productive Narcissist, which describes how these not-so-together people are incredibly charismatic, draw people to them, and often (but not always), succeed wildly, despite the negative traits that impact their relationships with others. See who the author gives as examples! So, my conclusion in this thesis about passion is that you must dig a little deeper to determine who the person really is, before you can judge a superficial pattern of passion as the best predictor of success.

Job Hunting Tips - #1 “What is Your Biggest Weakness?”

2009-02-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Since there are so many people looking right now, I’ve decided to start offering job hunting tips. Today’s blog is the first in what will be a periodic series. Subscribe to the blog to get the rest!

Employers often ask job candidates to cite a weakness, a shortcoming, or an area that needs improvement. Most interview books advise creating an artificial weakness, such as “I’ve been accused of being a workaholic”, or, “I can sometimes be too driven to succeed.” Those aren’t really weaknesses, and giving that kind of pat, prepared answer can seem a bit insincere.

I recommend finding a true weakness or shortcoming from your past, that you have worked to partly or completely overcome. Then describe what you discovered about yourself, what actions you took, and what the outcome has been. Here’s an example:

“I was told in a review that I could be stronger with my team in driving them toward results, so I took a closer look at what was preventing me from doing that, and found that I had some concern about being too much of a taskmaster. I then discovered that helping my people understand how their individual goals tied into the organization both empowered and encouraged them, and made them more productive. It was a paradigm shift for me that helped me to be better at getting results.”

This comes across as self-awareness, self-revelation, sound personal insight, growth, etc., and these will be perceived by the interviewer as strengths, even though you have discussed a genuine weakness.

Job Hunting Tips #2 – The “Informational Interview”

2009-02-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Many job hunting coaches advocate trying to get “Informational Interviews”, where you aren’t specifically aiming at a job, but just gathering information, getting advice, networking, etc. What can you try to accomplish in this meeting to improve the quality of the discussion? Here are some tips:

Treat it as a customer visit - what is the "benefit to the buyer" of having this conversation with you? Maybe they just feel better, at having given back. Maybe you give them specific value too, in the conversation.
Find the pain - what is this person's biggest business issue right now? What keeps him/her up at night? How could you offer a solution?
Be a resource - offer to help them network to find the things and people they need, now and in the future. Then really do it – send them info on things that are relevant to their needs; ask how you can help periodically.
Ask questions, don't "tell" or “sell”: Ask questions, use the two ears, one mouth ratio (2:1), let them talk. Gain insight. Don't sell yourself. The more you hear from them, the more you can find the way your background might fit, the way you could help, then you can close rather than sell: "If I could help you solve that issue, would that be of interest?"
Find the referral. Be prepared to state your benefit to your next employer (not a recitation of your resume), and ask "WHO do you know that could use that skill?"

Super Bowl Commercials

2009-02-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

There were several commercials played during Sunday’s Super Bowl related to the workplace. Monster and CareerBuilder both showed versions of dissatisfied workers, with Monster sitting a support person under a moose’s behind (while his boss is under the head, in a paneled office), and CareerBuilder showing all the reasons, over and over, why someone might want to change jobs. They both offer a solution: Come to our site, and find redemption in the form of a better job.

A more interesting sociological phenomenon is the high popularity of the Doritos’ “Free Doritos” commercial, which initially shows a somewhat crazed office worker irrationally breaking the snack machine for “Free Doritos”, then his forlorn co-worker, who hopelessly hopes for a promotion, throwing the “magic” crystal ball (really a snow globe) into his boss’s unmentionable region, thereby dashing his slim hopes of a promotion forever. At the end, he doesn't even have any Doritos! The fascinating thing to me is why this commercial with no redemption, with a tragic outcome, is the more popular. First, let’s take the escapism route – people love action movies, even though they probably won’t be involved in a car chase with a machine gun. So, seeing someone “act out” is cathartic. But this Doritos commercial as the most popular?! I guess people are so frustrated with their jobs, so cynical about the future, that seeing these angry guys detaching from reality and demonstrating anger and violence, can actually make some of us feel better.

Several ad critics have mentioned that there wasn’t much real humor this year overall in the commercials, but I laughed at many of them. Maybe our mood and what feels funny shifts with what’s going on in the world. I hope next year’s commercials reflect a more light-hearted state in the world of work!

Valuation of Human Capital

2009-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

How much are your people really worth? In dollars?! On your books?
Employers often say “our people are our biggest asset,” but do corporate actions reflect this philosophy? Headcount is usually cut before hard assets like buildings and equipment. Often, employers lay off their highest paid, longest tenure (and perhaps most valuable) workers first. The P&L improves short term, but should that really equate to higher value on the balance sheet?

Much has been written about “valuation of human capital,” but it is challenging to specifically assess a dollar value of people for accounting purposes. Accenture, Ernst & Young, Taleo, and others have proposed various ways to value people, talent and contributions. However, the average CEO, when asked “What are your people really worth” would probably say “I have no idea.”

Every key employee has the potential to either save money or make money for his/her company. Such savings and profits represent tangible value – at the multiple that applies to that company. So, someone who saves $200,000 for a small, privately held company might be worth 3x, or $600,000 as an asset to that company. At a larger, publicly traded firm, that same $200,000 might be worth 12x, or $2.4 mil. in asset value. Other factors that could translate into tangible value are customer relationships, creation or advancement of the company’s “brand”, productivity improvement of the executive’s team, etc. Many of these things are part of what is often referred to as “good will”, the intangible assets of a company, which can run as high as 35% for established firms. I submit we as leaders have to know the value of all our so-called intangible assets. Here’s a challenge to the financial wizards: Figure out a simple formula that even a small business could use. Shouldn’t our equity go up when we have selected the most valuable people to hire and retain?

Hiring: Can You Do Better Than Flipping a Coin?

2009-01-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Most top executives admit that they have repeatedly hired people who are “B” or “C” players, who have had an adverse impact on the company, who needed to be replaced. Most will admit they have someone on their staff right now that fits this description. Many studies have shown that without a formalized, professional approach to evaluating candidates, employers can expect 50-60% hiring accuracy, no better than flipping a coin.

I would define hiring accuracy as bringing a person on board who performs well, has a positive impact on the organization, fits with the team, and stays with the company a reasonable period of time. Based on what I hear from clients, hiring accuracy has not improved in the last 25 years. Almost every other aspect of corporate management has improved. Why not hiring? CEOs are smart people. They know how to use business case analysis, and seek expertise when they implement a new IT system. They will invest millions in top grade automated machinery, and establish finely-honed metrics for key performance indicators. BUT, they won’t invest in acquiring precision hiring methodology, choosing instead to judge job candidates by first impression and personality, and using an intuitive “gut feeling” process to make hiring decisions. This practice arguably suspends logic and sound business processes!

When an employer utilizes a performance-based approach, which defines specific, measurable objectives, and combines that with looking at tangible evidence of accomplishment and initiative, suspending intuitive judgment in favor of objective analysis, accuracy can improve to 80-90%. What CEO would not change a process immediately in order to get that kind of improvement? As our economy recovers and the labor supply shrinks, which will be steadily happening over the next 20 years as boomers retire, hiring is one process that needs to be better than a coin flip.

Pain Killer Vs. Vitamin

2009-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

I learned the expression “Is it a pain killer or a vitamin?” in the angel / VC investment world. This question is asked of start-ups by investors, to determine if the product being developed and funded is essential for the intended purpose (a pain killer; a must-have), or just nice to have (a vitamin). When a CEO applies this to his/her current products or services, the answer is very revealing. In an economic downturn, very few customers buy vitamins! But, they still need pain relievers. In the aerospace sector, pain can often be size and weight – the need to fit critical technology in a smaller, lighter box. Companies will pay millions for such pain relievers. In the communications world, pain can be the need to transmit more with less – less power, using less bandwidth, over fewer, smaller lines.

In my world, HR and executive search, a person can be a pain. I don’t mean an annoyance, like a “pain in the ----“, I mean a real pain – an obstacle to progress, unable to generate needed results, an impediment to team functioning. A new, more effective person who gets past these obstacles is the "pain reliever." I tell my clients they should only hire me if I can relieve pain, and have a critical, measurable impact on their bottom line. For 2009, we all need to think this way!

This Just In... Small Business is Optimistic

2009-01-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

Microsoft and Elance have just released a survey of 600 small business owners, conducted in December, that reveals that 60% are optimistic about 2009. They believe that 2009 will be as good or better than 2008. 37% are worried about 2009, but believe they'll weather the storm.

I've said in previous blog entries that attitude is a huge factor in success, so I was really pleased to see the positive approach. I too feel the economy will bounce back decisively this year, and we are preparing for that.

True or False: Available Job Candidates Are Better Than Ever?

2009-01-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

Many of my business friends and clients have remarked to me that the recession must mean that there are great people available for jobs. That is a tricky issue.

If someone is currently unemployed and actively looking, the question is why? Did the prior employer shut down a facility? Sometimes; and in that case, there could be very good quality people impacted. However, the more usual reason that people are available and looking during a recession is that they are the “B” and “C” players that companies realized they needed to let go first. Who lets their BEST people go when times are tough? Smart companies keep their best people, and make them work even harder, which means they don’t have the time or inclination to look at job ads.

In boom times, you might get 40-50 responses to an employment ad, and perhaps 5-10% (2-5 people) would be worth considering. In a recession, you might get 400-500 responses, and maybe there are 10-20 worth considering (drops to 5% with so many people applying). Will you be able to weed through 450 so-so people to find the good ones? Most “B” and “C” players still manage to put together a decent resume. So, I contend it is actually harder to find good people in this kind of a job market, and the best ones are even less accessible, because they are working harder, and wouldn’t dare be looking, for fear of risking what they already have.

My answer is False – not better – you need to get the “A” player to get you through the tough year ahead.

Top Ten Business Survival Strategies for 2009

2009-01-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Guerilla Marketing: A 25 year old concept, especially valid today. Use aggressive, unconventional, creative, and low-budget tactics to acquire new customers.

Customer Satisfaction: It is so much easier to retain a current customer and expand business with them than to acquire a new customer. Make sure you are better than any competitor.

Value Selling: How are you better than competitors, and why are you worth more? Answering these questions will maintain your margin.

“AS IF”: A big part of beating the competition is believing that you can, and acting “as if” you will. People believe you, when you act with unquestionable credibility.

Partnering: Who else can bring you customers and/or promote your product or service? Develop strategic alliances to boost possibilities.

Prepare for the Unexpected: Could a major client pull its business? Conversely, what if the recovery happens quickly? Prepare plan “A”, plan “B”, and plan “C”.

Cash Management: Hold on to cash. Prioritize payments based on who can “kill” you – IRS, EDD, landlord, mortgage holder, raw materials suppliers (that you need for your product) etc. Other vendors have to learn to wait.

Solidify your Banking Relationship: Too many companies are being surprised by their banks pulling lines of credit, refusing to renew, etc. Make sure you know where you stand with your bank. Shop for a new one before you need to.

Controls: Cut waste and inefficiency. Apply lean techniques to every aspect of your business, with the possible exception of marketing and advertising.

Work Harder and Smarter: Your time and value as a leader are critical. Make every minute count!

Detaching From Results

2008-12-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

11 years ago, violating every law of dating, I was foolish enough to give a great woman a book as a gift on our first date, and she married me anyway! The book was Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. The thing that impressed me most about the book was a sequence of two laws: The Law of Intention and Desire, followed immediately by the Law of Detachment from Results. I read that second chapter with some disbelief: This is America! You can’t detach from results! Then I read the chapter again, and over some time, it began to sink in. We can only do that which is aligned with our intentions and desires, then let go, and whatever the results will be, will be.

In my 20’s, I had an ulcer. The MD told me to make a 3 x 5 card with 3 words, and pin it over the light switch on my office door. The three words: WHAT IS, IS.

As a child, I learned the serenity prayer from a small plaque on the wall at our home: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

In 2009, I expect to use ALL these pieces of learning! Best wishes to all of you.

Safety Inspection …. Of Your Management Team

2008-12-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

Many people “winterize” their car for the cold weather. We may be in for a year-long winter in business. Smart CEOs will ensure that the vehicle (company) they’re driving will be safe during the rough roads ahead.

The big question is: Do you have the “A” players it will take to survive 2009 safely – with no loss in revenue or profitability? Next year’s “pie” is smaller – will your share be big enough?

Here’s a list of five key things to include in a “Safety Inspection” (mini-assessment) of your management team to ensure you can safely get through 2009.

Alignment – Are your key managers aligned when it comes to critical goals, and are they moving toward them?
Mileage – Do you have SMART goals established for each key leader, to get the most from them?
Acceleration – Can your people accelerate your market share, getting a bigger piece of the smaller pie next year?
Collision Impact Resistance: When you go head to head with your competitors can you beat them by being unique, special, better, faster, etc.?
Resale Value: Can you maintain the value of your company by holding on to EBITDA, positioning, etc.?

LA Schools Chief Leaves – No Performance Objectives?!

2008-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

David Brewer, Los Angeles Schools Superintendent, will be leaving his $300,000 / year job (plus $45K expenses plus $36K housing allowance) with a $500,000 severance package. Hired as a retired Navy Vice Admiral with virtually no experience in the education sector, Brewer has been under fire for most of his two years in this role, with the School Board and other political leaders largely unhappy with his performance.

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this story is the statement made by one of Brewer’s advocates on the School Board, Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, who said it was unfair to fire Brewer without having established clear, specific goals and giving him an opportunity to live up to them.

No goals, after two years on the job? After $700,000 in compensation and expenses were paid, and on the threshold of paying out another $500,000? All when the LA Schools have shown minimal progress?

I advise my clients to set clear, specific goals before the executive is hired. The time to ask this question is NOT two years into the game, when the person is about to leave under fire!

TOP 10 Things Your Managers Aren't Telling You

2008-12-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of things that CEO's almost never hear directly from members of their management team, although it would be useful if they could!

"Here's how to improve your company or product."
They fear your judgment, or your telling them why it won't work, and they won't take risks with you.
When the project will really be done.
Do you give them the room to tell the truth about deadlines?
Who, how, or why they don't get along with another key manager.
No one can NOT look like a team player to you.
That they have made a critical mistake.
They can't bring you bad news without paying a personal price.
That a customer is unhappy.
If you've created a "win" all the time atmosphere and you punish the messenger of bad news.
That they remember every negative thing you say, and every positive thing.
It takes 5-10 positives to counter every negative.
That they can do more for you.
If you will explore their capabilities thoroughly with them.
Why they do or don't want to work for you. Resulting in over-paying satisfied people, and losing unsatisfied people.
That they want more clarity.
To really want to know what is going on - the good, the bad, and the ugly - because it helps them understand the relevancy of their own work.
That they are looking for another job.
We call them the "mentally unemployed".