Newsletter: August 2011
Getting Hiring Right to Enable Successful Talent Integration
In the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams", Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) hears a voice as he walks through his cornfield—"if you build it, he will come". Over the years it has since become part of our lexicon of misused quotes and has morphed into phrases like—if you build it they will come.
We see this kind of thinking seep into talent integration—if you hire them (or promote them) they will contribute. Well, to use another well-known phrase, "not exactly". Why would we honestly believe that hiring or promoting a person into a new job would result in immediate success? The hiring retention success rate is disheartening; with some studies reporting a rate lower than 50%.
Without knowing the job requirements, what needs to be done, what skills, behaviors and attitudes are required for success now, and in the future (knowing the role is likely to change and adaptation will be required), you might as well spend your money on a trip to Las Vegas to roll the dice! The chance of winning is about the same - or maybe slightly better in Vegas (and likely you will have more fun).
Standard elements for selecting candidates are usually:
- An application
- A resume
- An interview (or two) potentially including a panel
- Perhaps a background check
- References
However, to be the obvious contrarian—these really tell you only what the candidate wants you to know. Meaning, good creative writing and strong impression management skills do not necessarily equal the most suitable candidate. Have you ever hired someone who appeared perfect for the job only to find out they did not have the ability or commitment to do the job? Costly mistake? Exactly! So let's look deeper.
Just because someone can report experience and expertise on a resume does not mean they have the personality and character attributes to do the job and are the right fit for your company. For example, we saw one of our clients hire a department director who was charged with turning around an under-performing department. He appeared to be well qualified, coming from a department that recently had undergone a very successful turnaround. He was the assistant director. He floundered in the new job. One of the reasons is that he was too empathetic and had a very high interpersonal sensitivity toward others. Simply, he could not make the tough, people decisions. Nowhere on the resume, during the interview, nor with the candidate’s handpicked references did this come out.
To integrate your new or promoted talent well, you need to start considering the "talent integration potential" – the fit for the role and suitability to your organization. Just as you cannot fit a square peg in a round hole (without damage), you cannot make a person successful who does not have the basic ingredients for success in the job you need done. This does not mean the person cannot be successful; it just means they are not likely to be successful in the job you need done.
So, how can you know?
In addition to the standard selection elements, consider doing four additional things:
- Use behaviorally based interview questions that probe their history of actions and outcomes respectively.
- Include some culture-based questions to help you determine values and motivators and see how they compare to your company values and attributes.
- Include/give them time for a scenario-based problem on which to work, resolve and report back.
- Have the top candidates take a personality-based and job performance indicator that measures a candidate's potential for success in different business environments and roles. (Though such an assessment should never be used as the sole criteria for selection. As part of a selection set, it can be an invaluable tool to avoid hiring the wrong candidate for the job.) It can also be used as a tool to support and coach the new employee in areas that need to be addressed to ensure a fast and effective integration into a new job and organization.
Regardless if you are in a candidate rich environment or a candidate-poor environment, it is important to take the time to thoroughly review each candidate for his or her fit into your organization. Recruiting, hiring, and integrating people into your organization should be a thoughtful and well planned process. It is your people that make the organization successful. The better the people, the better the integration of new people. And the better the retention, the better the organization.
Healthcare Corner
Health Reform â A Brief Update
In healthcare circles there is uncertainty. There is uncertainty regarding the future of the Affordable Care Act; there is uncertainty about the impact health insurance exchanges will have on businesses; there is uncertainty about whether all states will pass enacting legislation for health insurance exchanges; to name just three uncertainties.
The recent debacle in Washington over the debt limit once again brought up the issue of health care. The Republicans remain focused on repealing the legislation if they regain the Senate and the White House. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) introduced legislation to "encourage accountable care through a premium support model", and was vocal (as were other members of Congress) during the debt limit debate regarding the current problems (read cost) of health care now and in the future.
A McKinsey study recently released said that 30% of the businesses currently providing healthcare to its employees would stop doing so once the Affordable Care Act goes into full effect. This triggered a new round of polemics about the validity of the study. As of this writing, McKinsey said they were not conducting a "predictive economic analysis of the impact of the Affordable Care Act" but it was more of a business opinion survey. And even the business opinion survey comment was criticized.
The Kaiser Family Foundation website reported on the current status of state efforts to establish health insurance exchanges: http://www.kff.org/healthreform/8213.cfm
The results: 15 states enacted legislation; in 15 states the legislation failed; the remaining states are at different places in the process, from rejection by the Governor (New Mexico) to no proposed legislation.
Is there any wonder why there is uncertainty?
Uncertainty causes inaction; and inaction is not good for business, nor is it good for the economy.
As small business owners, we continue to encourage you to be aware of the impact of this legislation, or the impact of repealing the legislation, or the impact that delaying the legislation can have on your business. Our intent in this last sentence was not to be humorous; it was to capture the essence of the uncertainty that we are all facing right now. And it is important that each of us understand what is happening, what impact it is likely to have on us and our business, and to be open to different opinions and ideas and not just get caught up in one ideological bucket. The stakes are too high. And it is important to make our opinions known.
Medicare – A Different Take
During the ongoing debate on the cost of healthcare and its impact on the national debt, Robert Reich (Secretary of Labor during the Clinton Administration and currently Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley), wrote an interesting piece on The Health Care Blog entitled: Why Medicare is the Solution – Not the Problem (http://tinyurl.com/3n4pbz9)
We encourage you to read this brief piece. It provides a different perspective on how Medicare can be the solution and not the problem, with the budget.
Upcoming Events
Join us at our current learning events:
Strengthening Your Presentation Skills to Increase Your Results.
(Read more on how Presentation Is a Package, Not an Event)
September 7th, 10am-1pm at the ERE Fall Expo I
Hollywood, Florida
Results Trump Time: Accelerate Practices for Leadership Effectiveness (Time, Focus, Influence, Reputation and Personal Energy Management): A Unique Mini Power Course Designed to Help You Improve in the Key Areas of Leadership Effectiveness
When: Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 8:30am to 4:00pm at:
Where: The Bellevue House
304 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI
Continental breakfast and lunch included
Register by September 6th and receive your introductory Rate of $395. Refer a friend or colleague to come to and save $50 on your registration.
