Staffing Agencies in High Demand with Current Job Market

Staff Agency

If there’s one industry booming right now, it would have to be staffing agencies. With the job market as competitive as it is, more and more businesses are turning to staff agencies to help them fill their vacant positions.

And while this seems like great news for staffing agencies, it can also be a challenge to find good employees who are interested in working temporary or contract-based jobs. But with the current job market, there’s no doubt that staffing agencies are in high demand.

What is a staffing agency?

A staffing agency is a business that provides employees to other businesses on a temporary or permanent basis. Staffing agencies typically specialize in a particular industry or sector, such as healthcare, IT, or accounting.

They work with businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations. The staffing industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, with an estimated 2.8 million staffing agency employees in 2018. Staffing agencies offer several benefits to both businesses and job seekers.

For businesses, staffing agencies can provide access to a pool of highly qualified candidates, save time and money on the hiring process, and help to fill temporary staffing shortages. For job seekers, staffing agencies can offer access to exclusive job opportunities, career advice, counseling,

What makes staffing agencies in high demand with the current job market?

Staffing agencies are in high demand due to the current job market by doing the following:

  • The staffing agency provides a service that helps businesses find qualified employees.
  • The staffing agency has a database of potential candidates and can identify the candidates that best match the business’s needs.
  • The staffing agency also provides support to businesses during the hiring process.
  • The staffing agency can guide how to conduct interviews and evaluate candidates.
  • The staffing agency can also help to negotiate salaries and benefits. As a result, staffing agencies are essential to the job market.
  • The staffing agency provides a valuable service to businesses and helps to ensure that businesses can find qualified employees.

What are the benefits of working with a staffing agency?

Working with a staffing agency can offer several benefits, especially in today’s job market. One of the main advantages is that staffing agencies can help you find a job that is a good fit for your skills and experience.

They can also provide you with guidance and support throughout the job search process, which can be invaluable when navigating the often-complex employment world.

Additionally, staffing agencies usually have good relationships with employers, which means they may be able to help you get your foot in the door at a company that you’re interested in. Working with a staffing agency can be a great way to streamline your job search and improve your chances of finding the right position.

What are some of the challenges that staffing agencies face?

The staffing industry is booming thanks to the current job market. Staffing agencies are in high demand as companies look to fill open positions quickly. However, staffing agencies face some challenges when finding qualified candidates.

Frame time challenge

Staffing agencies face many challenges when it comes to finding the right employees for their clients. One of the most difficult challenges is the “frame time” challenge.

This occurs when there is a mismatch between the amount of time that an employee is available to work and the amount of time a client needs them to work.

For example, if a client needs an employee for a four-hour shift, but the employee is only available for two hours, the staffing agency must either find another employee to fill the four-hour shift or negotiate with the employee to extend their hours.

Frame time challenges can be difficult to overcome, but staffing agencies that can do so are often rewarded with loyal clients.

The second challenge is the level of experience required.

Many staffing agencies face the challenge of finding candidates with the specific skills and experience that many companies seek. To fill these positions, staffing agencies often have to search far and wide to find the right person for the job.

This can be a time-consuming and expensive process, which can strain the staffing agency’s resources. Additionally, many companies are reluctant to use staffing agencies because they fear that the quality of the candidates will be lower than if they were to hire someone directly.

As a result, staffing agencies often have to work hard to convince companies that they can provide quality candidates who will meet their needs.

The third challenge is the competition.

While staffing agencies play an important role in the modern economy, they also face several challenges. One of the biggest challenges is staying afloat in a sea of competition.

Many staffing agencies are vying for business, so it can be tough to stand out from the crowd. Another challenge is finding and retaining good employees. To be successful, staffing agencies need to have a steady supply of qualified workers.

However, that can be difficult to achieve in today’s tight labor market. Finally, staffing agencies also need to contend with the ever-changing needs of their clients.

As businesses adapt to the shifting landscape, their staffing needs will inevitably change. Meeting those needs can be challenging for even the most experienced staffing agency.

How can job seekers best market themselves to staffing agencies?

Job seekers looking for help in finding employment should consider marketing themselves to staffing agencies. Staffing agencies work with businesses of all sizes to find qualified candidates for open positions.

Job seekers who market themselves to staffing agencies can take advantage of the agency’s knowledge of the job market and its network of contacts. Job seekers should create a well-written and accurate resume that highlights their skills and experience.

They should also be prepared to participate in an interview with a staffing agency representative. By taking these steps, job seekers can increase their chances of being matched with a position suited to their skills and qualifications.

Why do companies hire through staffing agencies?

There are many reasons why companies choose to hire through staffing agencies. Companies can save time and money on the hiring process by working with an agency. Staffing agencies pre-screen candidates and provide a pool of qualified candidates from which to choose.

In addition, agencies can save companies the cost of advertising for open positions and the time it takes to interview and onboard new employees. Another benefit of using a staffing agency is that it can help companies find temporary or seasonal workers quickly and efficiently.

Staffing agencies have a wide network of contacts and can often find qualified candidates available to start work on short notice. For all these reasons, staffing agencies provide a valuable service to employers and job seekers.

In Summary

  1. Staffing agencies are in high demand due to the current job market.
  2. One of the challenges staffing agencies faces is finding qualified candidates.
  3. Another challenge is convincing companies that they provide quality candidates.
  4. Staffing agencies also have to contend with competition and the changing needs of their clients.
  5. Job seekers can market themselves to staffing agencies by creating a well-written resume and preparing for an interview.
  6. Companies use staffing agencies because they are a valuable service that can save time and money.

Hiring an Engineering Staffing Agency for Increased Efficiency

Engineering Staffing

Acquiring staff and filling job openings for businesses where time is money. And that valuable time can be sucked up very quickly when it comes to hiring. These days, one simple job posting can yield hundredsof applications. Meanwhile, many prominent executives and business owners simply do not have the bandwidth to sift through all of these applications and locate the best candidates. For these individuals, partnering with a staffing agency can make all the difference. For companies that are in need of technical employees, their niche requirements may necessitate the use of engineering staffing agencies. This firm works with businesses looking to fill positions in the following fields: Construction, Life Sciences, Green Energy, Fossil Fuels, Infrastructure, Mining, Train Operations, Automotive, Manufacturing, and Chemical.

Against all odds, the recruitment business continues to grow significantly. While many believed that social media might herald the end of staffing groups, the reality of the situation could not be farther from these projections. These days, a lot of uncommitted potential employees can apply for jobs online. Job candidates who apply to work with staffing agencies, meanwhile, have demonstrated that they are very interested in securing employment. Also, when it comes to negotiating compensation, having the staffing agency as a go-between can actually be beneficial to helping the process be more objective. In actuality, there are so many hidden benefits for companies who are considering using the services of an engineering staffing group.

Saving Time with A Staffing Agency

As mentioned previously, the process of sorting through applications has been made more complicated recently due to the sheer volume of applications that are being sent to businesses. Instead of starting from scratch the way that companies do when they are hiring, staffing firms like this one rely upon a pool of qualified candidates with definable skills that put them in certain sub-categories. The people who work for engineering staffing agencies excel at getting close to their job candidates and discovering their true special skills and abilities. When it comes to filling very specific roles, this kind of knowledge is unbelievably important. Also, engineering staffing agencies tend to save companies time with background pre-checks so prospective workers are able to show up and start working earlier. When a major project is on the line, this is even more important.

Engineering Staffing Firms Saves Money

It can be very difficult to judge a job candidate’s future potential. Even if you undertake interview after an interview, there are bound to be misunderstandings and information that falls between the cracks. Even the best judges of character may find that they were not able to vet out a candidate’s true abilities beforehand. When you hire the wrong person, it can cost you a lot of money. While most companies do have a probationary period, it is still an extraordinary hassle to put someone through all of the training necessary for a job — only to see them abandon it a couple of months later. When a business works with a staffing agency, though, both employers and potential employees are given an appropriate amount of time to evaluate one another in the exact context they will be working in without the pressure of a permanent position just yet. For jobseekers and employers alike, this is often an invaluable experience that allows for adjustments on both sides.

Budgeting For New Hires

Another benefit of using a staffing agency is that payroll administration is dealt with by the staffing group. For companies that don’t have dedicated departments to deal with payroll yet, this is an extraordinarily useful tool. Leaving payroll and other pre-employment checks up to someone else can permit business leaders to focus on their own roles and help their companies to grow even more. For businesses that are booming, it’s crucial to scale up in ways that are as seamless and streamlined as possible. Using a staffing agency can help a company to acquire help without simultaneously acquiring extra red tape.

Experienced Hiring Professionals

Staffing agency specialists excel at recruitment because they do it every day. Unlike someone at a business who is tasked with onboarding people in addition to their other job duties, staffing agency professionals practice their hiring skills on a daily basis. As a result, they have developed a keen sense for which employees will triumph in certain roles. Conversely, they will also be able to pick out red flags faster than someone who has not made hiring people their daily job. Many times, these specialists possess more of a macro view, and this enables them to see where companies and entire sectors are headed. With this innate sense of the big picture, they strive to help their clients to the best of their ability. Because their livelihood is linked to how well, and how quickly, they can fill positions, many are amazed by their productivity.

Whether you’re looking to cut down on hiring costs or to avoid the hassles of interviewing new employees, call us today to see what we can do for you. Our highest aim is to help you work quickly and efficiently to find the best people to help your business succeed.

Training and Assessment: You’re Key to a New Career

If you are in search of to enhance and improve your talents at training and assessing applicants for a job in an agency, then certificates IV training and evaluation is the direction you would need to enroll in.

In case you need to be employed as a trainer at a registered training business enterprise then this direction is for you. It’s a prerequisite in case you want to educate and investigate courses and candidates inside your work area or education enterprise. You could be assured of an energetic and first rate gaining knowledge of environment of the excellent standards wherein you can perfect Gated Talent at education and assessment.

Maximum Recruiters share common abilities that lead them to effective at their jobs. These consist of a combination of hard and smooth capabilities which are both innate to the Recruiters character or are found out and honed over time.

This circle of relatives of recruitment talent is carefully associated with your personality. They’re abilities that are part of who you are, and ones that may be leveraged in your gain in recruitment surroundings. Many can also be honed and improved through the years with the right attempt.

There are Some Skills for Recruiters:

Communication Skills

Being capable of communicate via a selection of various channels is a critical talent for Recruiters. You will be anticipated to put in writing powerful activity and social media posts, and correspond with applicants and hiring managers through email, at the Smartphone, and in individual.

Self Belief

Self belief is also a precious recruitment talent in terms of hiring for role or industries you realize little about. Recruiters want to be confident in their personal abilities and experience to make the proper desire for the activity, and capable of returned up their decision-making procedure if questioned.

Listening Skills

By means of listening carefully to what your candidates and co-employees are announcing, you get to recognize exactly what they need. You could then use this data to craft your recruitment and negotiation strategies. The extra you pay attention, the more precious statistics you may get to guide your selection-making.

Body Language

Body language additionally is going the alternative way for recruiters. Being able to manage and display effective body language during in-man or woman interviews is a precious negotiating tactic. It will let you manipulate the overall path and sentiment of the conversation.

Patience

Every person who has recruited a candidate for an aggressive role is aware of that it could take time.

Persistence is once in a while the excellent skill a recruiter can have and could regularly pay off with endurance and quick thinking.

Capability to Use Technology

Technology abilities additionally are available reachable whilst hiring for especially technical positions. Being capable of communicate with applicants in their own language, and display screen then with self belief, is an excellent manner to end up a successful area of interest recruiter.

Strong Aptitude for Getting to know

The final recruitment skill so that it will serve you well in your profession is a passion and aptitude for studying. No person is aware of the whole thing, and the majority ought to continuously evolve their talent sets to stay at top overall performance. Having the potential and willingness to research fast will help you adapt to new recruitment traits; take on new obligations, and assignment into new industries. If you never stop studying, then you definitely’ll in no way stop growing the recruitment abilities you need to thrive.

If you need your enterprise to attract and keep desirable clients, your comprehensive human’s method must consist of a recruiting and selection method that attracts and retains best employees. Following a well-concept-out, based system will help your quality healthy the right human beings to the proper jobs for your organization.

Do you have the Right Skills?

What are skills tests and why do employers use them? A few organizations check applicants for employment to decide if applicants are a terrific match for their job vacancies. Organizations who conduct skills tests are seeking applicants that fit their hiring standards.

Skill assessment tests are tests designed to help employers examine the skills of their task candidates and employees. Using skills evaluation test helps agencies make sure that their job candidates, in addition to their current employees, have the required abilities to correctly carry out their jobs. Skill evaluation tests are maximum usually used in the hiring procedure. Many employers ask their applicants to take a skill Assessments test so as to narrow down their list of candidates who may be invited to a activity interview.

Locating the proper profession can be completed by way of carrying out a manner of self evaluation and an assessment. One of the main areas to don’t forget is skills. The following three steps will help you to evaluate your existing talents and the way they relate to profession. And additionally, to decide which skills you need to expand.

Listing your Abilities

Which abilities do you already have? What do you naturally do properly and what do you enjoy doing? frequently, the abilities we are desirable at are the ones we most experience the use of, truly due to the fact if we revel in something, we tend to do it greater often and so become better at it.

Of course, this isn’t the case. Choosing a career primarily based simplest at the truth that you are correct at something capabilities it involves, isn’t always an excellent plan.

Make a list of your skills and include talents you have got evolved in any region of your existence, which includes pursuits, sports activities, student activities and paintings associated activities.

Prioritize your Talents

When you have finished listing your capabilities, provide every of them scores out of ten: one score for a way nicely you carry out the ability and one for the way plenty you experience using it. Make two lists and put them in order, with people with the very best scores at the top.

Match Your Abilities with Careers

As soon as you already know which competencies you genuinely would love to apply in your career, you need to in shape them to capacity regions of work. You can do this by way of looking on-line. For example, you could search for careers the use of languages, art, IT or writing, dancing or sports-associated capabilities.

Develop your Skills

If a number of the abilities you have got chosen to come high on the entertainment listing, but low at the capabilities listing, these are those you ought to think about growing. Look into the opportunity of taking a quick route to increase your proficiency.

Some abilities, together with pc abilities, can be advanced at domestic and others can be discovered on the job if you are already in paintings.

Once you have got determined the abilities which hobby you maximum, you could paintings on them to reach the best levels feasible, giving you a mile’s better chance of locating the right profession.

Communication builds relationships with associates to improve productivity as well as with clients to assist improved sales. If you aren’t constructing relationships with personnel and clients, begin now, you’ll see improvement in productivity and in repeat sales.

Personal development is a life-long adventure, talents need to be developed and practiced on a everyday basis. In case you need assist in enhancing your skills whether or not for personal reasons or for business motives, we might be glad to help you. We manage a social profile, whether LinkedIn, Face book, MySpace or Twitter etc.

Innovative Leadership Assessment

A leader is a person that inspires you to take a journey to a destination you would not go to by yourself. The traditional manager who maintains status quo leaving what he found will not be effective in today’s environment. Today’s business challenges revolve around change, innovation, passion and creativity. I developed the “Innovative Leadership Self-Assessment” as a self-evaluation tool for those wanting to know what competencies lead to business success now and in the future.

As times change, leadership skills must also change. What was successful in the past is still relevant, but may not be everything needed for the future. Use this assessment to rate yourself. You can also give it to others and have them provide you an honest appraisal.

Scoring directions below.

  • Process Management-Designs and manages processes that are efficient and effective. These processes support the delivery of either the organization’s service or the manufacture of the organization’s products. Processes move horizontally across organizational boundaries. Score yourself higher if you have identified your critical processes.
  • Customer Driven-One of the highest leadership priorities is the ability to focus on the needs and expectations of customers. Do you build and maintain relationships with customers? Do you have metrics in place to measure customer satisfaction and customer loyalty? (Customers can also be employees) Add points if you know the needs, expectations and desires of your customers. Deduct points if there are only certain select parts of the organization having this information.
  • Information Management-The innovative enterprise thrives on information. There are multiple avenues and many means of expressing the goals, plans, and status of the organization to all people working within the enterprise. The enterprise shares success stories, ideas with everyone. How many available means are available to improve communication? For example, meetings, LANs, bulletin boards, E-mail etc. Score yourself lower if there is no organized system in place to spread information.
  • Change Management-A leader of the organization is knowledgeable of and manages change appropriately. Dovetails ongoing programs and management philosophies into the strategic or business planning. Deduct more points if your last change action created anger, resentment and frustration.
  • Innovation-Makes focused efforts to initiate new ideas and suggestions. The leader is constantly looking at other industries and trends to see beyond the horizon for new ways to do things. The organization does not maintain status quo. Add one point if people from your organization have taken site visits or benchmarked other organizations during the past six months.
  • Continuous Improvement-Continuously improving everything the enterprise does. Processes and procedures are constantly being improved. Score yourself higher if you have a continuous improvement program. Deduct one point if it is only a “suggestion box.”
  • Obstacle Removal-The innovative leader spends time pinpointing and removing barriers and obstacles obstructing work flow. Employees feel free to go to anyone in the organization for advice and assistance. Deduct points if you have not had an employee survey or sensing session during the past year.
  • Charts the Course-Provides a clear direction toward the future. Are you enthusiastic and inspiring others to take a journey to a particular destination? If there is no clear direction or inspiring vision, mark yourself low. Give yourself points if people are involved in the goal setting process.
  • Provides Motivation-You have a system of reward and recognition. Team based rewards lead to higher morale. Employees feel that they are contributing to the vitality of the enterprise. Give yourself two points if you have provided recognition to a worker or team during the past five days. Reduce points if you only recognize length of service.
  • Trust Builder-This leader allows people to learn from their mistakes and allows risk taking. The leader who tolerates risk taking scores higher in innovation. Bad signs–more than two signatures on any form, too many auditors and inspectors and time clocks.
  • Provides Purpose-Purpose gives people a reason why they should work for this organization. People relate best to the enterprise when they understand how their actions relate to the big picture. The person who understands how their actions affect the organization is more empowered to take action.

Saving Pvt. Ryan Leadership Lessons for Both War and Peace

The movie Saving Pvt. Ryan hits you with shocking realism.  From the beginning to the end, you feel as if you are there. 

The knots twist in your stomach waiting for the landing craft gate to drop. Cold water fills your boots as you slog your way up the beaches of Normandy and across the bombed out cities in France. You can feel the grit under your fingernails and the dryness of fear in your mouth.  As you hear the bullets whiz by your head and you think to yourself,  “Will I freeze up or will I do what I am supposed to?” 

In the seconds before the charge, the eyes of the soldiers turn and gaze upon the person who is their leader.  They think to themselves, “Is this person worthy?” Trust, confidence and leadership must be present before the first battle begins.

Today’s workplace sometimes resembles more of a combat situation than anything else.  Are your people following you or have they deserted and heading in the opposite direction?  People today want leadership, they are not happy being managed. 

This movie clearly showed what it means to be a leader.  It was a fascinating work of art—sometimes horrific, but entirely accurate.  The genesis of my fascination was I could see myself.  I spent many years as an officer in the Army.  I never faced combat, but have been in enough demanding situations to understand the bonding soldiers feel when faced with life and death situations.  I gained the satisfaction of knowing, when called, my soldiers would give their all for each other and their country.  As an officer in the Army, I learned several lessons.

A job title doesn’t make a person a leader.  Leaders must first travel down the gauntlet with those they lead BEFORE they are accepted as the leader.  Joel Barker, the paradigm expert, has the best definition of leadership.  He says, “Leadership is about taking people to a destination they wouldn’t go to by themselves.”  To reach that “destination,” a leader must endure a “baptism by fire.” He or she must PROVE themselves first.  Until you prove yourself as a leader you will not have the respect and trust from those you are suppose to lead. 

The title “leader” is not something you call yourself.  Like a crown, those you lead place it upon your head.

The supreme test of leadership is the ability to lead people in combat.  There is nothing scarier than facing the possibility of death in war.  No matter the situation–war or peace, authentic leadership and a clear sense of purpose are the key ingredients making the difference. 

Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) was faced with the almost impossible mission to lead a squad of soldiers to find and bring Pvt. Ryan back home.  The most fascinating aspect of this movie was the portrayal of leadership and the magnetism between the soldiers, the mission, and their Captain.  It was the Captain that formed the glue that held that unit together.  Looking at the movie you can see three important shifts or transitions in Capt. Miller’s leadership style.  I call these three shifts the “Faces of Leadership.” 

Face of Fear-The lowest level or form of leadership is by fear.  On Omaha Beach, orders were direct and to the point.  Life or death-do what you are told because there is little time to think.  Anyone who has been in combat or in a trauma situation understands that people don’t always act rationally in a crisis.  Even the Captain slipped into a momentary “thousand yard stare” when the ravages of combat became overwhelming.  Actions become instinct driven–survival.  Leaders have to think, must push themselves forward and give orders for the group.  What is good for the group must outweigh what is good for the individual.

Face of Respect-I enjoyed watching how the soldiers bantered back and forth about what was the Captain’s career before the war.  He had a charismatic affect on his men based on trust and respect.  He only revealed enough about himself to maintain professional objectivity.  He couldn’t afford to do anything that would compromise the mission.  His troops even started a lottery for the person who could guess what the Captain did for a living before the war.

Early in my career, I faced a similar dilemma.  I worried about being liked by my soldiers. Should I be feared or should I be respected?  I resolved this dilemma though trial and error.  Leadership is a developmental process.  There are few, if any, born leaders. Leadership is both a science and an art form and the good leaders learn from their mistakes.  The Faces of Fear and Respect can only take you so far which leads us to the next level. 

Face of Purpose- The highest level of leadership is that of providing purpose.  True leadership progresses from fear, to respect and finally to that of purpose.  During one scene in the movie, you could feel this important transition. As the squad fought deeper into enemy territory, Captain Miller’s men find themselves beginning to doubt their leader and their orders.  They demanded, “Why is one man worth risking eight…why is the life of this private worth more than ours?” 

But first, another firefight took the life of another comrade.  The scene unfolds on the hill of the enemy radar station. The trigger finger of the First Sergeant held life and death in balance as he pointed his pistol at the American soldier who prepared to desert the unit. Life and death hung in the balance for what seemed forever until the Captain spoke. 

He told them the secret, what he did before the war.  He was a school teacher.  Silence. . .you could feel the explosive pressure evaporate.  You could almost hear the soldiers say to themselves, “Damn, if he is a school teacher, what am I complaining about!”  It was at this moment, the final shift occurred.  The men no longer needed or depended on the Captain.  There was complete alignment between what they had to do and how it could make a difference to their world. 

Every Army unit has a flag called a guidon.  Each unit guidon has its own unique design and color.  The guidon stands apart from other military units.  The challenge facing all leaders today is to create their own “guidon” based on the Face of Purpose. 

For most people today, just having a “job” does not cut it.  A job is an obligation with a paycheck attached to it. Creating purpose at work is much different; it requires leadership.  People will not give their all until they see the connection between what they do and how they see it making a difference in the world.  A connection between what people value and what they are doing must exist.  It is the psychological connection between my soul, my heart and what I do.

Leadership Provides Purpose, Direction & Takes Action

Sad to say, but I hear this comment far too often. Sounds like this person is working for a person who needs a few lessons on leadership. True leadership is about taking people to a place they wouldn’?t go to by themselves. Good leaders don’t merely supervise; they create a
sense of purpose and direction for those they lead. After holding leadership positions and teaching leadership classes for 24 years, I am beginning to believe that some people have a natural ability to lead, have a passion, a burning desire to make a difference. Those are the
people I want to work for.

A strong company is one that has leaders spread all across the company, not just at the top. The business world today needs both good leaders and good managers. However, because of the rapid change occurring in industry today, a company needs far more leaders, not more
managers.

Time after time again, businesses put the wrong person in charge. Unintentionally they reward a ?don?t rock the boat? mentality. Conformity and status quo are the first steps leading down the staircase of a business disaster. This is partly the reason Sears, Zayres, IBM and Howard
Johnson?s et al. got in trouble. A major part of being a good leader is making people uncomfortable, uncomfortable with conformity that is.

All of us in leadership positions need to evaluate our actions. Are you providing a positive example for others to follow? Are you leading or managing? Are you effective at what you do? Maybe its time for a self-assessment? Zig Ziglar says, ?”A check-up from the neck-up.”? Look at these leadership self-assessments to give you an idea of where you stand and where your managers stand as effective leaders.

http://www.chartcourse.com/ttiassessmts

Leadership Action Steps:

  • Give your ego a break and ask your people, ?What I should stop doing? ?What I should keep
  • doing?? and what do I need to start doing?? Ask them frequently, “What can I do to make
  • your job better, easier or more productive?” Then do it.
  • Good is no longer good enough. Be always on the look out to improve, change and renew
  • everything the business does.
  • Give people direction and purpose. Be able to tell people how their job individually impacts
  • on the overall company mission.
  • Make it part of the company culture to put managers and staff in the field to work with frontline
  • workers multiple days/hours all year long.
  • Reduce unnecessary regulations and policies. Place a container or paint a mailbox red and
  • centrally place it for people to deposit all dumb rules and regulations needing revision or
  • elimination. Form a team to evaluate each nomination. Celebrate with a bonfire burning the
  • policies and procedures no longer needed.
  • If you haven?t already, start a system of education and training for everyone in the business.
  • A leader is a teacher. As a leader, you should be teaching some of your own classes.
  • Be willing to admit your mistakes.
  • Be quick to deal with individuals who are poisoning the attitudes and performance of others.
  • Allow your workers the ability to reward each other?s performance. Peer pressure is a terrific
  • tool to create the behavior you need for success.
  • Conduct frequent, informal recognition/award celebrations for workers.
  • Give employees permission to disagree with management.
  • Instead of only having the “Best Employee of the Month/Year” etc?recognize individuals for
  • different reasons.
  • Periodically challenge your people with BHAG?s. (Big Harry Audacious Goals) Generate
  • some friendly competition between departments.
  • Have your team establish guiding principles to help them take initiative and stay on course.
  • Take your people off-site and visit other business establishments to get new ideas.
  • Then reward them for implementing those ideas. Have contests for the best idea of the
  • month.
  • Don’?t be afraid to have your staff evaluate your performance. Use a 360-degree evaluation
  • instrument to get feedback. If you don?t have one, call us.

Leadership Mentoring Programs at Work

How do you retain and prepare your best talent to lead? Leadership mentoring programs are one of the most effective tools in achieving business results. The authors of the book, War on Talent reported, “Of those who have had a highly helpful mentoring experience, 95 percent indicated it motivated them to do their very best, 88 percent said it made them less likely to leave their company, and 97 percent said it contributed to their success at the company.”

Many organizations have discovered providing a mentor for high performing employees not only helps them settle into their job and company environment, but also contributes to a lower employee turnover rate and greater job satisfaction.

A mentor, basically, is someone who serves as a counselor or guide. Being asked to serve as a mentor is an honor. It indicates the company has faith in the person’s abilities and trusts him or her to have a positive impact on the situation. The use of a mentor may be an informal, short-term situation or a more formal, long-term assignment.

In an informal mentoring program, the mentor usually helps the mentee for a limited period of time. Advice from the mentor may include the most basic of information about everyday routines including tips about “do’s and don’ts” not found in the employee manual to helping the employee learn job responsibilities and prepare them for future roles in the organization. A mentor who is available to answer questions and provide leadership development also saves time for the supervisor or manager. In addition, mentees often feel more comfortable asking questions of their mentor than their supervisor.

In a program of this type, mentors often are volunteers. Forcing someone who does not want to serve as a mentor to do so can quickly create problems. Obviously, someone with a negative attitude, who might encourage a new employee to gripe and complain, should not serve as a mentor.

A more formal version corporate mentoring program occurs when an organization appoints a senior manager with extensive knowledge and experience to serve as a mentor to a professional the company feels has excellent potential for growth. The mentor’s role usually lasts for an extended period of time.

Effective mentoring programs must have senior level support from the beginning, otherwise it will fail to get the attention and support it needs to become part of the organization’s culture. Experience shows the most effective mentoring programs are run by senior level executives, not just the human resources department.

Whether informal or formal, both parties need to understand the parameters. These may be more important in a long-term, formal mentoring situation, but can also influence the success of short-term, informal mentoring.

  • Select the right mentor. Not everyone makes a good mentor. A mentor is someone who is respected, successful and understands the culture of the organization. They must be willing to make a commitment of their time and knowledge.
  • Ensure proper pairing and create an emotional bond. It is helpful to conduct a behavioral assessment on both the mentee and mentor. This insures proper matching and helps both parties understand each other’s communication styles, strengths and limitations.
  • Establish goals and a purpose. The mentor needs to outline these areas at the beginning. The goals should be in alignment with the strategic plan. Just as important, the protégé should outline their objectives as well.
  • The mentor’s role is to coach and advise the mentee. The mentor does not interfere with the supervisor or manager’s decisions. The new employee, while expected to seek the mentor’s advice particularly on critical issues, is not bound to accept that advice.
  • Confidentiality is important. Both parties need to feel confident that discussions remain between them–not immediately relayed to a supervisor or manager.
  • Decide in advance how you will communicate. Will you have regularly scheduled meetings? Will discussion be face-to-face, over the telephone or even via e-mail? Both parties need to make their preferences known at the beginning and reach an acceptable compromise if they are different.
  • Discuss time limits. If the mentoring period has a time limit the mentor should state that at the beginning.
  • Discuss time commitments. Again, this may be more critical for long-term, formal mentoring. The mentor must expect to give the employee adequate time, but the newcomer should not expect excessive amounts. Setting a schedule at the beginning (example: meet once a week the first month, then once a month after that) avoids irritating misunderstandings later.
  • Build openness and respect. Both the mentor and the person being mentored need to be open and honest, yet respect the other. A mentor who withholds important information or comments does not contribute to the other person’s success. However, such feedback should be delivered with tact and courtesy–and (even if somewhat hurtful) received with an open mind.
  • Establish a professional relationship. The relationship between the mentor and his or her protégé is a professional one, not a personal one. This is particularly important for the mentee to understand.

Leaders Energize and Engage the Workforce

A. W. “Bill” Dahlberg, the former CEO of Southern Company believes in having fun. At company gatherings, he has impersonated soul singer James Brown….dressed as General George Patton… and arrived decked out as a fortune teller complete with crystal ball.

Employees at PeopleSoft, Inc. remember the day that CEO David Duffield danced the Macarena in front of 500 happy co-workers.

Over at Odetics, Inc., they’re still talking about the time the chief technology officer took over duty on the cafeteria cash register on St. Patrick’s Day…dressed as a leprechaun!

And then there’s John Briggs, director of production at Yahoo! In early 1997, Briggs promised salespeople that he would have the Web directory’s logo tattooed on his posterior when the stock passed $50 a share. To show he had kept his promise, he modeled the new tattoo in front of everyone in the company.

Finally, there’s something called “Bowling with Turkeys.” Hotel tradition calls for employees at the Hyatt Regency (Lexington, Kentucky) to wrap a 12-pound frozen turkey with electrical tape, then roll it 50 feet down the loading dock and try to turn over as many wine bottle “bowling pins” as possible. Winners get a pumpkin pie.

After a professional lifetime identifying what it takes to create transform ordinary organizations into extraordinary organizations, I know work can be awfully boring—unless someone at the top shakes everything up!

The leaders and organizations I just mentioned know it is important to engage, energize and involve people about their work. You need to lighten up and have some fun every now and then.

It isn’t hard to dress up as a leprechaun, sponsor a company contest, ask people for their ideas and maybe even throw a party. And the payoff for an energized work environment is enormous: improved retention and productivity and reduced turnover.

We can’t merely employ someone’s hands and tell them to leave their hearts, minds and spirits at home. Today’s workers are looking for many things in an employment relationship. They want a meaningful partnership with their workplaces. Workplaces that provide meaning and purpose and are fun, engaging, and energizing will enjoy greater retention, higher productivity and lower turnover.

Remember Abraham Maslow? His well-known hierarchy of needs theory said all people strive for self-actualization, which is the need for innovation and creativity. When people can reach this higher level on the job they gain greater personal fulfillment, which improves job satisfaction. Yes, you still have to pay well, but an organization can create an energized, “higher calling” environment will have higher retention and greater productivity.

Jobs and work environments using high-involvement activities provide people with autonomy, learning opportunities, meaning, purpose, and a way to grow and get ahead—not to mention a host of benefits to the company as well. High-involvement activities include, but are not limited to, the use of self-managing teams, information sharing, shared goal setting, suggestion programs, brainstorming sessions, Kaizen, idea campaigns and motivational meetings.

A survey conducted by Development Dimensions International (DDI), asked 232 organizations around the world including 81 from Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia to answer the question, “Do high-performance practices improve business performance and which practices have the greatest impact?”

The findings from the survey showed significant improvements in all areas.

Most noteworthy were the improvements in the areas of customer service and quality of the products and services. Furthermore, I would be so bold as to estimate that the biggest changes were not measured directly, but more implicitly. Although the survey did not measure the improvement of attitudes, retention rates, and feelings of the workforce, I’m sure they improved as well. As Abraham Maslow indicated in his theory of motivation, the more ability and freedom people have to use their thinking ability the more satisfaction they receive on the job, and the higher they move up the pyramid of needs. People do not respond favorably to overly restrictive work environments. High-involvement activities help people reach higher levels. These places engage and energize their workforce.

HOW TO RESOLVE WORKPLACE CONFLICT

Conflict in the workplace is a painful reality and a key reason for poor productivity and frustration.  Do you have people in your workplace that cause problems for everyone else?  Do they create additional work for others?  One point is clear–conflict does not magically go away and only gets worse when ignored.

Certain types of workplace conflict are readily identified.  Other forms of conflict may not be so easily detected.  Small, irritating events such as negative attitudes occur repeatedly over time and can cause people to strike out at each other.  In many cases, conflict occurs at the senior level of the organization.  In these situations some kind of intervention is needed.

What type of workplace conflict requires intervention?   Anything that disrupts the office, impacts on productivity or poses a threat to other employees needs addressing.  The degree to which you tolerate a situation before intervention may vary.   A manager may not feel it necessary to intervene when a minor exchange of words occurs between employees–unless such an incident becomes a daily occurrence and expands beyond the employees initially involved.  However, a situation where one employee threatens another requires immediate action.  When handling conflict, some basic guidelines apply.

  • Understand the situation.  Few situations are exactly as they seem or as presented to you by others. Before you try to settle the conflict insure you have investigated both sides of the issue.
  • Acknowledge the problem.  I remember an exchange between two board members.  One member was frustrated with the direction the organization was taking.  He told the other, “Just don’t worry about it.  It isn’t that important.”  Keep in mind what appears to be a small issue to you can be a major issue with another.  Acknowledging the frustration and concerns is an important step in resolving the conflict.
  • Be patient and take your time. The old adage, “Haste makes waste,” has more truth in it than we sometimes realize.  Take time to evaluate all information.  A too-quick decision does more harm than good when it turns out to be the wrong decision and further alienating the individual involved.
  • Avoid using coercion and intimidation.  Emotional outbursts or coercing people may stop the problem temporarily, but do not fool yourself into thinking it is a long-term solution.  Odds are the problem will resurface.  At that point not only will you have the initial problem to deal with, but also the angry feelings that have festered below the surface during the interim.
  • Focus on the problem, not the individual.  Most people have known at least one “problematic individual” during their work experience.  Avoid your own pre-conceived attitudes about individuals.  Person X may not be the most congenial individual on your staff.  This does not mean they do not have a legitimate problem or issue.  Focus on identifying and resolving the conflict.  If, after careful and thorough analysis, you determine the individual is the problem, then focus on the individual at that point.
  • Establish guidelines. Before conducting a formal meeting between individuals, get both parties to agree to a few meeting guidelines.  Ask them to express themselves calmly—as unemotionally as possible. Have them agree to attempt to understand each other’s perspective.  Tell them if they violate the guidelines the meeting will come to an end.
  • Keep the communication open.  The ultimate goal in conflict resolution is for both parties to resolve the issue between themselves. Allow both parties to express their viewpoint, but also share your perspective.  Attempt to facilitate the meeting and help them pinpoint the real issue causing conflict.
  • Act decisively.  Once you have taken time to gather information, talked to all the parties involved, and reviewed all the circumstances, make your decision and act.  Don’t leave the issue in limbo.  Taking too long to make a decision could damage your credibility and their perception of you.  They may view you as either too weak, too uncaring, or both, to handle the problem.   Not everyone will agree with your decision, but at least they will know where you stand.
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Explore our Resolving Conflicts training course.

Greg Smith’s cutting-edge keynotes, consulting, and training programs have helped businesses improve communication, reduce turnover, increase sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service.  As President and founder of Chart Your Course International he has implemented professional development programs for thousands of organizations globally.  He has authored nine informative books including 401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees.