Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

4 Tips for Your Business to Weather the Next Storm

Hurricane Irene has left the radar, but her effects will be felt and dealt with for some time. In the days leading up to the storm, governments, businesses, and homeowners had time to prepare and, in drastic cases, evacuate. How well you and your constituents weather a crisis often depends on the strength of leadership, dedication of front-line employees, and accurate and timely flow of information. Here are 4 crisis management lessons to help your business weather the next storm.

Effective Manager's Understand the Importance of Coaching People

Managing employees to ensure superb performance is crucial to gaining – and keeping – a competitive edge. A coaching culture is today's silver bullet. Effective managers coach their employees early and often.

In case you are catching up on your reading or just joining us, here are our top stories for last week, August 22 - August 26, 2011. Check out the hot topics in Leadership & Management.

We’ve all witnessed the havoc and felt the pain created by problem co-workers. Ironically, the biggest mistake managers make when managing problem employees is avoiding the problem.  They stay away from the employee and place added burdens on other employees whom they trust.  This leads to a whole host of other bigger problems.

Hiring should never be as complicated as crime scene investigating. So when the largest owner of Applebee's franchises reduced management turnover and saved $345,000, (with the help of the ProfileXT) the HR director was pleased to see another sudden benefit: simplicity.

Succession planning at the CEO-level and beyond is serious business. In a public letter to Apple's board resigning as chief executive, Steve Jobs wrote "I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple."

Leaders are catalysts for change in organizations and managers are necessary for managing change through the rank and file workforce. Unfortunately some managers resist change, especially if they have already lived through previous change initiatives that forced them to do more with less. Managers who are unwilling to embrace change have distinct characteristics that put them "at risk" for derailing in their careers.

Talent acquisition has become the heavy artillery in the war for talent. In the ultra-competitive world in which we live, organizations with the right people in the right jobs at the right time stand to win big. These organizations take care to understand their current state, forecast talent gaps and take the necessary steps to close those gaps.

5 Lessons from Morton’s Steakhouse in How to Delight Customers.

Last week something amazing happened: At a time when companies are charging more and providing less, one company went out of its way to delight a patron with exceptional customer service. And for their good deed, they’re making international headlines and drawing both praise and criticism.

Our leadership skills research reveals that exceptional leaders set high performance standards to achieve results for their organizations. Top leaders model the integrity, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, and emotional intelligence they expect of others. But that’s not enough. Leadership is more than being a leader. It about delivering the results the organization needs to fulfill its mission. The buck has to stop somewhere, and that is with leaders.

What’s at the Heart of a Successful M&A?

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a part of business and happen in both flourishing and dismal markets. Some are wildly successful, some fail miserably, and some just leave us scratching our heads. Why do some M&As work and others fail?

Organizations with a philosophy of matching people to jobs can get a leg-up on their competition. Having followed 360,000 people through their careers during a period of 20 years, a major study published by Harvard Business Review demonstrated that a key ingredient in retaining people is ensuring that they are matched to their jobs in terms of their abilities, interests, and personalities.

Steve Cardy thought all hope was lost as he joined a new company that was facing abysmal employee turnover levels of 600 percent. He was recruited to his new position with the sole purpose of growing the company. Experienced in the hospitality industry, not staffing, he knew he had find a solution and quick.

Creating a healthy work environment keeps our key people engaged and loyal in an era when we’re demanding they do more with less. Not healthy in the sense of lots of fresh air and few toxic chemicals knocking around (although that’s always a good start), but a healthy psychological work environment—one where providing recognition for exemplary performance seems normal. There are several key elements to achieving this.

4 Considerations For Managing Talent In Your Business

As the dust settled and the stock market crumbled following the debt-ceiling agreement and subsequent downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by S&P, a quiet announcement was made that signaled the end of an era, but which has broader talent management implications. The Page Program within the US House of Representatives will end at the end of August after nearly 200 years.

The aging workforce presents both challenges and opportunities to organizational leaders. America's population is getting older at a faster pace than at any time in the nation's history. The Census Bureau says that an American turns 65 years old every 13 seconds and that some 10,000 boomers retire every day. It's estimated that 70 million people will be 65 or older by 2030—nearly doubling the 34 million today.

Nearly eight million jobs have been lost in the Great Recession, according to the Department of Labor. The un employment rate has been hovering between 9 percent and 10 percent for nearly two years. Meanwhile, senior citizens will account for 20 percent of the U.S. population by 2030. This demographic explosion may wind up helping a struggling economy catch its breath. However, it presents both challenges and opportunities to business leaders as they navigatethrough change.

HR Execs in Chile Want to Increase Leadership Charisma for Themselves and Their Companies

Since publishing our book, Leadership Charisma, back in January, we’ve not only watched sales increase, but also interest in and discussion about the topic. After the initial excitement of the book launch, people wanted to know how to take what they learned from the book and strategically implement it with the leaders in their organizations.

Small businesses must continually search for ways to make the whole more valuable than the sum of its parts. Though one might expect them to be most applicable to large companies with substantial headcounts (and budgets), small business leaders can also take advantage of people management solutions to align and improve their organizations.

Does the 80/20 rule apply in your organization? Do you wish you could consistently replicate high performers? Successful leaders know that a small percentage of people drive a disproportionate percentage of value to an organization. Although this is clear in roles that can be measure through hard numbers, such as sales, we often see this play out in customer service, engineering, product development, and marketing roles as well.

5 Parallels Between Sports Teams and Businesses

The months-long NFL lockout just ended and the MLB trade deadline has just passed, both of which resulted in a dizzying spell of player deals that would make any HR exec’s head spin for months. How many company executives do you know who go on a binge buying spree like that of managers and owners of professional sports teams? What if your corporate talent management strategy resembled that of an NFL or MLB team?

The time for organizations to focus on strategic talent acquisition is now. When talent is available and affordable, progressive organizations will seize the opportunity to upgrade talent, shore-up their talent pipeline, and be more competitive.

An Interview with Peter Downes

The Caribbean is made up of a series of islands and the northern coast of South America, each with very small local economies that are primarily dependent on tourism. Some countries have rich natural resources, such as oil in Trinidad, but the Caribbean’s largest resource is their people.

Lessons from America’s Most Productive Companies

The phrase “doing more with less” is thrown about somewhat casually, but there are firms out there who take it very seriously – namely, America’s Most Productive Companies (AMPC). These companies are able to achieve equal or higher revenues than their peers with fewer people, meaning they have more effective and efficient employees, who are therefore more productive.

A look under the hood at the Profiles approach to talent and team management at the c-suite

Kym Lam, national director of Profiles International in China, was recently interviewed to give his opinions on the business environment in China, the people-related challenges organizations face, and how employee assessments can help improve these issues.

When you start a business, the passion and energy are usually palpable among the founders and early staff. The thrill of trying something new, being the underdog, and pushing towards success seem to be driven by a limitless fuel. You’re all drinking the same Kool-Aid, so assessment tools are probably far from everyone’s minds.

Transportation Leaders of America’s Most Productive Companies

A Happy Workforce Is a Productive Workforce

Organizations that truly value effective talent management place a priority on ensuring good job fit. One way to maximize job fit is to use employee assessments in the employee selection process. Managers need a plan before they seek applicants. Good workers are difficult to find, and a manager needs to not only focus on stellar qualities, but also a person's ability to fit into a certain work culture or accomplish a particular job description.

Hire and nurture young grads, or wait and poach grizzled vets

Employee assessments can help Australian businesses increase engagement in their workforce. Learn how as Profiles International’s Andrew Henderson discusses the current business environment in Australia, the leadership development and people-related challenges organizations are facing, and how Profiles assessments can help these issues.

Electronics Manufacturing and America’s Most Productive Companies

In a recent interview, Profiles International’s Mark Cunningham discussed South Africa's business environment, people-related challenges they face, leadership charisma – and how Profiles’ employee assessments can help organizations improve their effectiveness.

Making the Case for Job Fit

It is easy to complain about how our employees don't live up to our expectations. Yet how often do we ask ourselves if we are enabling our employees to be effective and productive? Probably not often enough.

Five Actions for Rising to the America’s Most Productive Companies Standard

Yesterday is history, Tomorrow’s a mystery; Today is a gift – which is why it’s called the present! – Anon

Realistically, we live and will always be living in the present. Our minds may focus on past experiences and dream of future possibilities, but no one can question that the present moment is all we have to work with. Therefore we must focus all our efforts on ensuring that we are as productive as possible in the present.

Who survives a treacherous economy? America's Most Productive Companies (AMPC) not only live through turmoil, but also thrive in spite of it. How do they do it?

Frequently Asked Questions about America’s Most Productive Companies

For the third consecutive year, Profiles International has conducted a study of America’s Most Productive Companies. The research and findings provide the most comprehensive study of human productivity available.

Three Ways to Ensure Employee Utilization

Employee utilization seems to be one of those over-used business terms that poorly describes one of the most important elements in productivity. The most productive companies in America know that successful employee utilization is an active ingredient in their overall success. When human capital planning is at the top of a company's priorities, they are sure to achieve their goals despite a potentially lean number of employees.

Why do front-line managers fail, and what can be done to avoid failure?

Times of change and uncertainty present many challenges for organizations, particularly for front-line managers whose people will be responsible for implementing the change. Pressure to perform is high, as are emotions, and everyone is expected to do more with less.

Times of change present many challenges throughout organizations — especially for front-line managers, who need to implement change through their people and do more with less. Ironically, when you need your highly effective managers to perform at their very best, that’s when they are the most vulnerable to buckling under the pressure. This article will provide you with early warning signs of management derailment.

Some managers inspire, some motivate, and others fail miserably to engage their employees. The entertainment industry seems to have created the ultimate formula for the "bad manager" character, so why can't real people understand how to be effective managers? When employees choose to leave a position, it's often because of their manager or relationships with people in their working environment. People quit people, not jobs.

Business as usual was suddenly interrupted at the end of 2007 when the recession began. Drastic changes were required of all businesses if they were to survive. Costs were cut, people lost jobs, and expenses were minimized. This dramatic economic situation forced business leaders and managers to change in order to survive. Since that dramatic shift, the general public has been in a frozen limbo, afraid to move for fear of further displacement.

When you are excited about what you’re doing, you will become more animated, and it will be evident to all those around you. This transformation can make you unstoppable on your way toward achieving your career goals. Success is inevitable.

Because managers carry more responsibility than any other position in most offices, their personal development is sometimes forgotten. Over time procedures can become routine, and managers can unconsciously begin to derail. How can your leaders become effective managers?

Sometimes words can't do justice to the story of pre-employment screening. The statistics below describe, in further detail, the kinds of workplace risks Profiles International assessment solutions and pre-employment screening will help you avoid.

Sometimes words can't do justice to the story of pre-employment screening. The statistics below describe, in further detail, the kinds of workplace risks Profiles International assessment solutions and pre-employment screening will help you avoid.

Large Companies Have Used Them For Years, But Small Organizations Can Realize The Same Benefits

If you run a small business, you need to make every hire count. Period.

Avoid Hiring Competent Employees Into Jobs In Which They Will Fail

There is no greater tragedy in business than hiring competent employees into jobs in which they are destined to fail. When this happens, their potential is wasted. Could your employee hiring process use some improvement? Do you find that you hire employees with long-term expectations, and yet their employment is short-lived?

Job Assessments Help Ensure Proper Job Fit, Which Leads to Successful Employees

Capability refers to the skills, tools, and experience that a person needs in order to successfully perform her job. When any of these factors are missing, there is an increased chance that the employee will underperform. It isn't uncommon for hiring professionals to overlook these basic factors, especially if a candidate has solid academic credentials and comes across as intelligent and confident in a job interview. Furthermore, it's no secret that most candidates exaggerate their abilities on their résumés and job applications.

Personnel decisions are too important to leave to chance, and interviews and background checks can only reveal so much information. In this time of uncertainty, it is imperative companies try to surround themselves with as much certainty as possible.

Did you know that an estimated two-thirds of employee hiring decisions may be mistakes? In the aftermath of a recession that decimated employee ranks, most companies hiring today are challenged to improve their hiring processes to cut costs and maximize productivity. Whether you're an owner, an executive, or a manager, you have a stake in making the most of your existing hiring process and finding the right talent. One of the most effective ways to improve your hiring process is with pre-hire assessments.

Make new hires productive faster with a strong orientation program

You’ve followed recruiting process best practices to find the most talented person with the best fit for the job and your company. Mission accomplished, well done! Well, not exactly done.

Optimism is essential for leadership charisma

How many charismatic people do you know with a negative attitude? Zero! That is because optimism is essential for sustained charisma. No one is attracted to someone who makes them feel bad about themselves; we humans do not need any help in that area, we can achieve that all on our own. The success of charismatic people is the result of their ability to impact others with the power of their optimism.

Fill each job using a consistent process and prep your interviewers

Does your company have a formalized hiring selection process? It might seem obvious that best practice guidelines for recruitment and selection include using a consistent selection process for all positions, but you’d be surprised at how many don’t. Perhaps even more startling is the degree to which companies don’t prepare their interviewers to review and hire candidates.

Check candidate backgrounds and research compensation levels to improve your hiring success

Although we’re seeing “job growth” in the aftermath of the recession, no one is rushing to herald a hiring boom. Rather, companies are adding jobs slowly and perhaps prudently while also taking advantage of filling jobs with part-time and contract workers.

Take advantage of leveraging what you know about your outstanding performers

Hiring to fill an existing position shouldn’t mean reinventing the wheel. True, sometimes a fresh start with an outside hire is your best option. However, don’t overlook two recruitment and selection best practices:

Unless you’re a lone wolf entrepreneur or a small business, one significant aspect of any sizable company is hiring and managing talent. While there are fundamental aspects of those processes that all companies follow, there are certainly differences in approach. And, as Profiles International discovered in a recent research study, there are also differences of opinion on hiring between C-level executives and non-executives.

Engaged employees provide immeasurable benefits to your organization

Over the past couple of years, challenging economic conditions have required organizations to tighten belts and do more with less. While we all accept these measures are necessary for survival, the added stress on rank-and-file employees has been excruciating. Leaders need to do all they can to ensure they foster an engaged workforce that will continue to move forward in spite of the challenges that lie ahead. Those that can pull people together will survive and thrive when times improve.

The best salesmen and women use every tool at their disposal to close a deal. Sure there are those rare types who can sell with charisma alone, but there needs to be substance with that style.

Some managers run a small, tight-knit group with little turnover and spend most of their time working and managing the team. However, managers of groups with high turnover (or rapid growth) may spend most of their time filling vacant roles rather than actually working and managing.

Pre-employment assessments are extremely powerful tools that help organizations select and onboard individuals for open positions. Despite the utility of pre-employment assessments, some senior executives have misconceptions and often questions that they need answered before fully supporting a new process to implement pre-employment assessments in their organizations. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions we hear about pre-employment assessments.

Hiring better candidates using pre-employment assessment solutions

More so than any other role, human resources and training leaders likely appreciate the value and benefit of a pre-employment assessment the most. A candidate might have the right keywords on his résumé, appear to have relevant experience, and interview well, all of which keeps him in the running for the job. But experienced HR and training managers know that positive marks in those areas does not guarantee that he’s the best person for the job.

We have all heard the saying “Knowledge is power,” but at times we become lazy and forget the power of learning. Most of us start out at a new job eager to learn the ins and outs of our new employer. In the initial training and development program, we tend to be more tentative and receptive of the information we are being provided. But as with anything new and exciting, the novelty of it soon wears off. Flash-forward a few years and you will see  once bright-eyed and bushytailed employee groaning at the mere thought of employee development and training sessions. This kind of evolution in an employee’s outlook on training and development programs can really hinder the productivity level in an organization. It is a manager’s responsibility to ensure that the skills employees learn in training will be applied effectively to ensure professional on-the-job behavior.

Do you have an overbearing boss at work? Do you ever feel like your boss acts more like a babysitter than a manager? Do you feel frustrated by being micromanaged?

Stop being frustrated. If you have a boss who refuses to give you space, then try these steps to improve your situation:

Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has unprecedented year of coaching.

How would you define a successful year? Maybe you outsell your top competitor or you help turn the deal that leads to your company's greatest moment of success. Although these accomplishments are well-merited, few can say that they were the best in the world at their job.

The impact of natural disasters on employee turnover rates.

People rush to help after a national disaster like the hurricanes in Lousiana and now into Japan to help after the Tsunami, but nothing can help the long term effects.  The impact can last for many years on the employee turnover rates. Research has showed many areas hit by natural disasters never return to have the same employee retention.

Everyone is affected by stress on a daily basis, especially work related stress. While some stress is a normal part of our day to day life, too much stress can interfere with our productivity and have a negative impact on our health. It is important to find ways to manage your work related stress.

Keeping up with technology is essential in the business world today. Several devices and software companies have changed the daily conducting of business. Often when people look at their company’s technology level they think about hardware, computers, software, services, and etc. What they fail to oversee is the technology level of their actual people and how it relates to workplace performance. Technical abilities don’t have to be the same across a company. For example, the technical abilities of a person in sales and IT department will most likely be very different.

New Research on Today's Multi-Generational Workforce.

The workforce is currently hosting a 'clash of the titans': four generations are attempting to coexist and cooperate in the workplace. Managers are forced to find ways to overcome communication differences, work-style obstacles and the technology gap in their organization.

Like many people these days, we never stop to sit down to check our email or favorite websites. We simply look at our phone or tablet. The market and rush to make content mobile friendly has exploded. Content promotion companies such as Limelight, Brightcove, and Telligent have bombarded businesses with the importance of mobilizing their content and they are right to do so. This leaves several companies with a new question,

To be self employed or not to be that is the question. This issue is becoming more and more prevalent in the world of business today. With companies continually downsizing it might be time to think about going into business for yourself.

Testing the theory that Charismatic leaders are born rather than made

When most people hear the word charisma, they think of that one person they know who people flock to, the person that when they speak, there is silence in the room, and everyone around them is completely engaged in what they are saying and following their every word. People want to impress this charismatic person; they want to associate themselves with them.

Good Planning Ensures Bank's Annual Report on Track for Ontime Release

To many organizations, the sudden departure of a CFO at year-end and tax time would spell disaster. Fortunately for Wells Fargo, good executive succession planning has minimized the impact of this untimely event. Howard I. Atkins, Wells Fargo’s chief financial officer and senior executive vice president, abruptly retired last Tuesday, citing personal reasons.

The concept of “playing ball” is similar to the mentality managers have in the workforce. When playing for a sports team, if an athlete consistently underperforms, he or she is removed from the game. When an employee underperforms in the workforce, he or she may be removed in order to make room for fresh talent. In order for the company to maintain good standing in the public eye and remain successful, it is important that its employees are working their best for the welfare of the company and its customers.

"It's over." "We're done." "We've lost them." These are all phrases that are hopefully never said when it comes to your customers. Developing customer loyalty consists of an ongoing relationship filled with innovation, cooperation, and ultimate satisfaction; however, assuming that a customer is satisfied could create a false sense of loyalty. In order to build extreme customer loyalty, a company must continually develop themselves to fulfill the needs and desires of their customers.

Every workplace has them. They never come to work on time; they invade your personal space; and they eat their favorite hot, smelly lunches at their desks. They never refill the coffee pot, they shout on the phone during personal calls, and they complain about every little organizational change. One of the biggest challenges in dealing with difficult employees is remaining professional.

Promote a positive attitude in your organization and dramatically increase employee productivity.

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."
- Susan J. Bissonette

If you're like me, you've had one of those days when you've begun work with a spring in your step and a smile on your face, eager to see what the day had to offer. But by the end of a particularly long and stressful day, you've left the office with a dramatic mood change, slumped shoulders, and a negative attitude. It has been a tough day surrounded by negative employees with poor attitudes.

Employees need to be able to answer “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) to be fully engaged in their work.

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the first theories that explained the basis for understanding what motivates people. It begins with the most fundamental needs for basic survival and concludes with self-actualization.

Management training and development solutions will help you help your employees become more effective in management roles. Yes, many organizations slashed T&D budgets during the recession. But how else can you help your managers improve the critical skills most needed by your organization?