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There are a lot of aspects to consider when interviewing candidates for an open position—skill set, years of experience, ability to fit into the company culture, etc. The list goes on and on. However, there’s one factor that many companies completely overlook, and it can often come back to haunt them.
That factor is passion.A candidate’s passion for what they do could be considered the “X Factor” of any search. That’s because when a person has passion for their job, they’re compelled and they’re driven to not only carry out the duties of the position, but also to do so extraordinarily well. For people with passion, going through the motions is not an option. In fact, it’s not even a consideration.
Here are three reasons why employers should hire people with passion over people who lack it:
1. They’re more productive—People with passion don’t leave at 5 p.m. on the dot, and they often work through lunch. They love what they do, so they do as much of it as they can. That translates into more productivity . . . a lot more.
2. They’re more engaged—You don’t have to make sure they’re engaged in their job and with the company. If they have passion for what they’re doing, they’re practically self-engaging. This makes it far easier to retain the person over the long haul.
3. They’re intrinsically motivated—You don’t need to throw huge amounts of money or a slew of perks at these candidates in order to make them happy. Verbal compliments and other forms of recognition for a job well done go a long way. Once again, this increases the chances of retaining their services.As you can see, passion has a distinctly important role in the hiring process. Failure to identify which candidates possess it and which ones do not can have a negative impact on that process. In fact, it could even result in hiring the wrong person for the position.
Job benchmarking is the most important step in beginning a selection process.
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Written by Hiring by Design Contributing Author: Gary Sorrell.
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In the first two articles in this series, we looked at the basics of a Health & Productivity Management (H & PM) program, as well as the advantages associated with using one.In this, the third and final article in the series, we’re going to explore how a company can implement such a program.The way in which we’ll approach this analysis is from the standpoint of size.In other words, how both larger companies and smaller companies should implement their programs for the purpose of maximizing their efforts.
Blueprint for larger companies
Bigger companies with thousands of employees face more challenges than smaller companies, in large part because of their size.As you recall, the effectiveness of Health & Productivity Management is tied directly to its emphasis on integration throughout the system.The bigger a company is, the less integration there is, for a couple of reasons.
First, employees are more likely to be scattered throughout the country (or around the world) at various locations.Second, the different departments within a larger company tend to work more independently of each other than they do in a smaller company.As a result, the company is less efficient—and subsequently, less effective—in the area of employee health and productivity.
The keys for the implementation of any program are consistent and explicit communication and set expectations, and this is especially true in the case of large companies.With that in mind, below are important steps that must be undertaken if an H & PM program is to succeed.
1.Secure specific details from senior members of management regarding what they expect the program to achieve.The more detailed, the better.
2.Identify a team of 10 or more people—including a leader—to create and then carry out the program’s overall vision and individual objectives.This might include the use of an outside consultant.
3.Determine which members of the group will be responsible for which tasks.Make sure those roles and tasks are properly communicated.
4.Decide when and where integration and interventions will be utilized.(Refer to the first article in this series for more information about these aspects of the program.)
5.Devise a preliminary draft of the program’s plan, including the evaluation process, for whatever span of time has been approved for the initiative. Three to five years is the norm.
6.Use feedback from senior members of management and stakeholders to modify the plan and present it for final approval.
7.Begin implementation of the H & PM program, making adjustments when necessary.
Blueprint for small to medium-sized companies
As you might imagine, the blueprint for smaller companies is, well, smaller than it is for larger companies.However, the core directives and procedures remain basically the same, especially in regards to consistent communication and set expectations.These are crucial to ensuring success with any Health & Productivity Management program.
Rather than list how the blueprint for small and medium-sized companies is the same as for larger ones, it will be easier to list how they’re not different:
The plan is shorter and simpler in scope and ambition.
The group of people comprising the implementation team is smaller, as well, perhaps consisting of four to six people as opposed to 10 or more for larger companies.
The span of time approved for the initiative is usually shorter, no more than three years in most cases.
If the company is too small to conduct proper integration and interventions, these tasks are outsourced to a separate vendor.
Attention to detail
For a Health & Productivity Management program to be successful, its implementation cannot be haphazard or neglected in any way.In addition to consistent communication and set expectations throughout the process, attention to detail is also of paramount importance, especially during the evaluation phase.Remember, an H & PM program is not unlike any other business initiative—it’s designed to save the company both time and money and help it become more productive and profitable.If it’s not accomplishing these goals, then it’s ultimately not effective.
Something else to remember is that an H & PM program is a little like a fingerprint.No two programs are exactly alike.What works for one company might not work for another.However, if done correctly, the creation and implementation of such a program can hold the key to combating the challenges presented by current economic conditions and the state of healthcare in the years to come.
Hiring by Design Contributing Author: Gary Sorrell.
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In the first article in this series, we looked at the basics of Health & Productivity Management, starting with a definition of the concept:
[Health and Productivity Management] is “the integrated management of health and injury risks, chronic illness, and disability to reduce employees’ total health-related costs, including direct medical expenditures, unnecessary absence from work, and lost performance at work (i.e., presenteeism).”
As we discussed, this concept is comprehensive in approach and pro-active in nature, significantly differentiating it from other healthcare/productivity endeavors. Now that we’ve laid the groundwork, what makes this type of program so important? Why should companies and other organizations consider implementing an H&PM initiative? With this article, we’ll look at the answer to these and other questions.
Meeting the economy’s challenges
The economic crisis currently facing the United States—and in some fashion, the world—makes an effective Health & Productivity Management program even more essential. This is true not just for certain types of companies, either. It’s true for companies in every industry and of every size, namely because the economy is presenting the same types of obstacles for all companies. Some of those major obstacles and challenges are outlined below.
The healthcare dilemma—Healthcare costs seem to skyrocket every year, rising even faster than the annual rate of inflation. For some small business owners, the cost of providing healthcare to employees has become a crippling expense. Consequently, it’s in their best interests to help their employees be as healthy as possible in an attempt to keep costs at acceptable levels from year to year.
The need for more productivity with fewer employees—Companies have been slashing payrolls at quite a fast clip since the beginning of the year, and more job losses are forecast for the remainder the year. As a result, it’s imperative that companies invest in the health of their employees so that they can reap a sizeable investment in terms of productivity. Specifically, they need to maximize their productivity from each employee on an individual basis. This “production-per-employee” matrix is a strong indicator of a company’s long-term success. In other words, it’s what makes a company “lean and mean.”
Survival of the fittest—That leads us to the top priority, both for companies individually and the country as a whole. Continued revenue generation and the existence of concrete profit margins are essential for the continued growth and development of the economy. Only those companies that pay the proper amount of attention to health and productivity will be positioned correctly to reap the benefits once the economy rebounds.
Taking the next step
As you can see, keeping employees healthy and productive has never been as important as it is right now. In all likelihood, it’s going to become even more crucial in the future. If properly implemented and monitored, a Health & Productivity Management program can help just about any company reach their goals and objectives, especially as they pertain to greater productivity and a healthier bottom line.
However, now more questions can be posed. How does a company go about implementing such a program? Are there specific steps that can be undertaken to ensure a greater level of success? Does it matter if you’re a big company or a smaller company? In our next issue, we’ll tackle these questions in the final part of our three-part series.
Hiring by Design Contributing Author: Gary Sorrell
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During this holiday season, more than ever, our thoughts of gratitude turn to all who have made our progress possible and successful.
In this spirit we sincerely say:
Thank you and best wishes for a safe and wonderful Holiday Season.
We look forward to working with you in the New Year!
From all of us at Hiring by Design.
Sincerely,
Tricia Neves
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When it comes to the level of competition that currently exists in our capitalist society, as well as the competition that also exists in what is increasingly becoming a global economy, every company is looking for an edge—an edge that will make them just a little better, stronger, and more resilient than the other guy.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that new and more aggressive programs are being developed to give companies that edge. One of the latest initiatives in this area is that of health promotion, and one of the programs most directly tied to that initiative is called Health & Productivity Management (H&PM). This strategy, which strives to ensure the growth of productivity within organizations, is gaining more popularity with each passing year.
Definition and Differentiation
Let’s start with a definition of H&PM, one devised by the Institute of Health and Productivity Management (IHPM). That definition is as follows:
[Health and Productivity Management] is “the integrated management of health and injury risks, chronic illness, and disability to reduce employees’ total health-related costs, including direct medical expenditures, unnecessary absence from work, and lost performance at work (i.e., presenteeism).”
H&PM has two main focuses, as listed below:
1.Health problems that are potentially preventable, especially those that could impact the company in an economic fashion
2.Sub-par performance in the workplace, with an emphasis on lost productivity due to “presenteeism.”
There are a number of characteristics that make H&PM unique from other health promotion initiatives. These characteristics stem from the fact that this is a comprehensive approach to productivity management through health promotion. In addition, this is a thoroughly pro-active program, one built on commitment and designed to reach out to employees, as opposed to many of the traditional models that currently exist. Below are some of the specific traits that make H&PM different.
·Prevention—This is perhaps the major thrust of H&PM, its central platform, so to speak. It involves three levels of prevention: primary (precaution), secondary (early detection), and tertiary (impact reduction).
·Integration—The activities within H&PM are designed for integration, meaning that they are both linked and compatible with one another. In keeping in step with its comprehensive focus, H&PM involves internal integration, intra-organizational integration, and external integration.
·Recruitment—Simply letting employees know that it’s available is not enough for H&PM. Recruitment is a staple of the program, utilizing a combination of incentives, personalized attention, and other pro-active but low-pressure methods.
·Systems-oriented—In order to address all of the potential management and productivity risks, an H&PM program emphasizes the use of systems to ensure a comprehensive (and ultimately more effective) approach to problem solving.
·Economically focused—The focus of an H&PM program isn’t just on the company’s economic interests, but on the employees’, as well. If the cost savings realized from the implementation of the program is passed on to the employees, they’ll have more of a vested interest in maintaining the program’s existence.
Commitment is key
Although this represents a brief overview of a Health & Productivity Management program, there are many more details involved. The number and extent of those details depend upon the company utilizing the program, the industry in which the company operates, and the people that the company employs. However, regardless of those variables, what needs to be constant in all instances is a pro-active commitment to carrying out the program’s initiatives. Without that commitment, success is almost impossible.
Now that we’ve discussed the basics of Health & Productivity Management, what makes this type of program so important? Why should companies and other organizations consider implementing an H&PM initiative? In our next issue, we’ll answer these questions and others as we further analyze what H&PM programs have to offer.
Author: Gary Sorrell
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Companies are constantly searching for new and better ways in which to increase the productivity of their workforce, and thereby, enhance their bottom line. They try new tactics and strategies, all of which are designed to help employees reach their full potential and maximize their contribution to the company.
However, sometimes the best solutions are the ones that are so readily apparent that they go unnoticed. One such solution involves the health and lifestyle choices of the employees in question.
Factors for success . . . or failure
There are many factors that can impact employees’ productivity levels. They include diet, sleep (or lack thereof), stress, morale, and exercise (or lack thereof). A recent survey conducted by ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs, sheds some interesting light on these factors and how they can negatively—or positively—affect employees.
ComPsych surveyed more than 1,000 employees across the United States during the timeframe of January 1 through February 15. The survey involved companies of all sizes and those operating in a variety of different industries. Overall, the survey was quite extensive and unearthed a wealth of data. However, in the interest of brevity, we’ll address a few of the more important findings, as they relate to the factors listed above.
Diet—Of employees with balanced diets, 73% reported having high levels of productivity and 50% reported having high levels of energy.
Stress—Approximately 70% of employees with poor diets had high levels of stress. In addition, 76% of employees participating in no physical activity reported a high level of stress.
Exercise—Over 65% of physically active employees reported high productivity levels, and 67% reported high energy levels, as well.
Morale—Of course, as you might imagine, the three factors listed above can have a profound impact on morale. About 55% of very active employees reported having high morale, and 51% of workers with ideal weight reported the same.
The power of promotion
So . . . what does all of this mean? You might be thinking to yourself, “I already knew this. It doesn’t help me any!” Or perhaps you’re thinking that you can’t force employees to be healthy, so this information constitutes a moot point at best. But that would be underestimating the power of promotion. There is plenty that a company can do to build and cultivate a corporate culture that promotes a healthy lifestyle. While it’s true that you can’t force an employee to make healthy choices, you can make it easier for them to make those choices. That’s why it’s imperative for company officials to analyze their culture and ask some tough questions:
Does our culture promote health and well being?
Do we make it easy for employees to make healthy choices during the workday . . . or difficult?
How much more productive could we be through promotion and other health-related programs and initiatives?
The evidence is indisputable. Healthy employees are productive employees, but it even goes beyond that. They’re happy employees as well and that combination is almost impossible to beat—especially by your competition.
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There are many facets in regards to the all-important issue of employee retention, but perhaps none makes as much sense as the one that we’ll explore in this article. Why? Because it benefits you in ways that go beyond simply retaining your best employees. (And that, all by itself, would be enough.) There is a crucial mistake many companies make when they’re delegating tasks to their employees, and even when they’re considering which ones to promote and how to promote them. That mistake is tied to a golden rule of corporate productivity, which is this:
Make sure that everybody in the organization does what they do best.
Simple, right? Well, you’d be surprised at how easily “simple” becomes “complicated.”
An example from The Office
Let’s use an example from the hit television show The Office to illustrate this point. The show is a “mockumentary” about a paper company by the name of Dunder-Mifflin, located inScranton, Pennsylvania. The manager at this particular branch is Michael Scott. Prior to becoming manager, Michael was a salesman at the Scranton branch. In fact, he was the top salesman at the branch, which is the main reason he was promoted to manager.
That, in a nutshell, was a mistake. Anybody who has seen the show can attest to that. What the Dunder-Mifflin brass did is something that’s actually quite common in the corporate world: they put Michael in a position that does not play to his strengths. What he does best is sell, not manage. Their attempt to “reward” Michael with a promotion clearly backfired. However, Michael occasionally turns his attention away from managing to sales, and when he does, he enjoys success.
Michael Scott should have been promoted to a sales manager position, if he was promoted at all. That would have been best for him and also best for the company, especially his co-workers. Many companies promote a key employee from a job where they are a top performer to something else they don’t do nearly as well. Since the candidate has an expanded skill set (and there is more than one opening available), the company might be tempted to bring them in for a position that’s outside their range of expertise, a position that’s perhaps more managerial in nature. More often than not this strategy backfires. Below are the two main reasons why:
As a general rule, what people do best they enjoy the most. If the employee is not able to pursue their passion, they will eventually become disenchanted and disengaged.
The company is hurt on two different levels. First, the employee isn’t doing what they do best, so the company loses productivity. Second, as the employee becomes disenchanted, theyti lose their drive and motivation, further causing productivity to suffer.
The silver lining
Despite all the doom and gloom portrayed to this point, there is a silver lining. By ensuring that everybody within the organization is doing what they do best and playing to their strengths, you can raise your retention rate drastically. When a person is doing what they do best—what they truly love to do and have a passion for—there’s practically no way to tear them away from it. Even money won’t do the trick, unless they can be convinced that the new situation will be identical in every way to their current one.
And this is a classic “two-for-one” bargain, because it also means that these employees will be infinitely more productive, as well. So not only will your retention rate increase, the company will make more profit and continue to grow for the foreseeable future, since your best candidates are locked in, happily doing what they love to do. That truly is the best of both worlds.
This type of “common sense retention” falls under the category of “can’t see the forest for the trees” syndrome, and some of you might be saying to yourself, “Of course that’s the best way to retain employees!” However, the hustle and bustle of the corporate world has a way of clouding even the best of intentions, to the point of distraction. So review every member of your team, and make sure that you can identify the one thing that they do better than anything else. Once you’ve done that, then make certain that their role within the company fully embraces that one thing.
Because as funny as Michael Scott might be—intentionally or not—his situation is better left to television and not the real world.
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In our previous post about retention, we discussed the importance of helping your best employees to grow, mainly by giving them the proper amount of attention.This provides them with the experience they crave, thereby increasing your rate of retention.In this, our next article in the retention series, we’re going to take a small step backward for the purpose of going forward.
That small step involves what the candidate hears during the interview process vs. what they experience after accepting the offer and starting their employment.This “before-and-after” dynamic is crucial to the overall retention experience, and it’s all the more crucial because many employers don’t take the time to examine what type of experience they’re providing for their new employees.And then they wonder why they take another job after only three months.
It’s human nature
The “before-and-after” experience is a smaller component of the larger, more complex subject of onboarding, which we’ll be discussing in future articles.However, it differs from onboarding in the respect that it continues for a greater length of time after the candidate becomes an employee—for at least the three-month period mentioned above, and perhaps even longer.
What it comes down to is this: you have to pay as much attention to what you say and do both before the candidate is hired and after they’re hired as the candidate does.The fact of the matter is that the majority of company officials fail to do that.The reason?They don’t have the time to do it, or perhaps more accurately, they think they don’t have the time.Sure, everybody’s busy, but those people willing to apply energy to critical areas are the ones that will be more successful in the long run, and providing the best experience to candidates in this situation is most definitely critical.
You see, an employee is mentally comparing and contrasting what you say about the company and the position during the interview process with what they experience after they’re hired.They do this either consciously or subconsciously.(It’s human nature . . . there’s no way around it.)And if the notes they compare don’t match, then the experience you’re providing is ultimately a negative one.Consequently, your chances of retaining that employee decrease dramatically.
A hierarchy of needs
Okay, so what are some of the areas about which employees take (and compare) mental notes?There are a few, to be sure, but there’s also a hierarchy of importance:
·Job requirements—This is the one that can cause you the most damage.Nothing will deflate a new employee more quickly than discovering that what they were told about their new position during the interview was nothing like it actually is once they start the job.
·Company culture—Telling a candidate during the interview stage that they won’t be expected to work past 5 p.m. isn’t wise if the company culture is one that dictates—in an unwritten fashion—that longer hours are not only encouraged, but expected.
·Perks—This could include the availability of a company car, the number of holidays the company observes each year, the amount of vacation time afforded new employees, or even the details of their health insurance plan.
·Miscellaneous expectations—If the new employee has been told that they’ll meet with their immediate supervisor for an hour every week for the first four weeks of their employment, and that doesn’t happen, then their expectations were not met.This category can include a host of other things, including what equipment you’re providing the employee, the length of their lunch break, the company’s policy regarding personal phone calls, etc.
There are two measures that you can undertake to ensure that you’re providing the best “before-and-after” experience.The first is to meticulously write down what you tell candidates during the interview process and then consult the list in the weeks after the candidate begins employment.Keep an eye out for any discrepancies.The second measure is to conduct a “post-interview” with the employee and inquire as to whether or not their expectations are being met.This is probably the more difficult of the two measures, since there’s a prevailing company mindset that stipulates new employees “must prove themselves.”
What many company officials fail to realize, though, is that they’re on probation, too, as is the company in general.Not only does the employee have something to prove, but in a way, you do, as well.By realizing this and addressing it in a pro-active fashion, you can enhance the experience that new employees receive and dramatically improve both their satisfaction and your overall rate of retention.
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Providing a positive experience for your employees is the best way in which to increase retention within your team, your department, or your company. In this article, we’re going to address a specific way you can provide that experience, and it involves giving your best employees the proper amount of attention.
This is important for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s human nature to not pay enough attention to your best employees and top performers. Why is that? Because they’re usually self-motivated go-getters who need no prompting or anybody looking over their shoulder. As a result, managers don’t feel the need to interact with them as much, or to “check up on them,” if you will.
This gives the manager more flexibility and more freedom to tackle other issues. After all, there never seems to be enough time to get things done. If you have a select number of employees who are high achievers, people who need a minimum of supervision, it only makes sense to leave them be and let them do their jobs, right? To a certain degree, that’s correct, but if that philosophy is taken too far, it can prove disastrous in terms of retention.
The 20-80-20 Rule
For superstar employees, a positive experience with the company includes the opportunity for professional growth.
If they don’t believe that they’re growing in their current position and that they’re working toward something bigger and better, than they’re going to think about leaving. Even if they like everything else about their job—including their boss—feeling as though there’s nowhere to grow will prompt them to begin contemplating whether or not the grass is really greener on the other side.
With that in mind, here’s a practical strategy for solving two problems at once. Let’s say that your team or department adheres to the standard 20-80-20 rule, meaning that 20% of your employees are superstars, 80% are competent but not spectacular, and another 20% are bringing up the rear. Instead of spending precious time and energy attempting to motivate the bottom 20% re-evaluate them inside of their roles and consider a change. Perhaps the individual is in the wrong job and may be energized in another role.
By doing that, you’ve already increased the overall quality of your team. In addition, you’ve created extra time for yourself, since you don’t have to devote it to your underachievers. You can now take that time and put it to better use. For example, you can focus on your top 20% and discover what their professional needs and career goals are.
Involve Yourself Now
This may sound a bit simplistic, but the best way in which to do this is by asking them. Not in casual conversation, of course, but behind closed doors during a formal meeting. It shouldn’t be an intensive, pressure-packed meeting, though. It should be one that fully engages the employee and makes them feel comfortable enough to broach topics they might not bring up themselves. Below is a loose blueprint for how you should conduct this meeting.
• Ask what their expectations are for their employment with the company. This type of open-ended question may prompt a response you didn’t expect, but that’s information you need to know.
• Ask what their career goals and objectives are.
• Ask what the company can do in order to help them achieve their goals.
• Begin to formulate a concrete plan based upon their responses to the above questions.
• Plan to meet on a consistent basis in the future in order to gauge progress and set additional goals.
Star employees think about their career ambitions all the time. It’s in their nature. So if that’s the case, then it makes sense to be part of their thought process and to be involved in their plans for the future. If you don’t make sure that your company is involved now, you increase the chances that it won’t be involved down the road.
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The fact they believe there are no real opportunities for them at the company?
While many might argue about which of the above has more impact on whether or not a person decides to jump ship, attempting to identify the main overall culprit is probably the least productive approach to increasing retention. Why? Because while studies may show that one factor carries more weight than another, those same studies also show that all of the factors have the ability to influence people to some degree.
So that means by focusing solely on the main culprit—whatever it might be—your retention plan is only as good as the number of people in your company who are primarily affected by that factor. Which means that it’s nowhere close to being 100% effective.
People and situations
Are you going to retain every person you hire? Of course not. The key is to retain those people you want to retain, those employees who make a difference and contribute a tremendous amount to the company in numerous ways. And in order to retain those superstar employees, you have to consider what kind of experience you’re providing to them.
Life is nothing more than a series of experiences, and people respond to them in a rather predictable fashion. They strive to avoid negative experiences, and they tend to gravitate toward positive ones. That rule certainly applies to people. After all, people provide an experience, don’t they? I’m sure you could identify people in your life who provide negatives experiences and people who provide positive ones.
Which ones do you try to avoid?
The same holds true for an employment situation. If people aren’t receiving a positive experience in their job, they’re going to try to find a new one. The challenge is to ensure that they’re receiving that positive experience. However, there are two aspects of this challenge to keep in mind:
Experiences are very person-specific. In other words, what one person believes is a positive experience might not be the case for another person.
Employees are not apt to come right out and tell you what constitutes a positive experience for them. Unless you have a very outgoing and highly communicative person on your team, you’ll have to gather that information yourself.
Productivity and profitability
As you might imagine, there are many different components to an experience, especially an employment experience. The good news is that there are ways to not only account for all of them, but also to ensure that you’re addressing them in a way that will create positive experiences with your team and increase retention.
In future posts, we’re going to identify and discuss these different components, how they affect the overall employment experience and why, and how your understanding of them can help you to maximize the productivity—not to mention the profitability—of your team.
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