Blog #5 - Problems at Work

Situation:  It's Friday afternoon, 4pm.  I go over to ask a co-worker a question about a Canada sales tax issue.  We discuss for a while, then he suggests we ask another co-worker for her suggestions.  We go over and explain the situation.  Her response - "Why are you bothering me with this at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon?"  I make light of her comment, stating that no one wants to be at work at 4:00 on a Friday.  She says, "Yeah, I'm surprised YOU'RE still here".  I try to stick to the matter at hand and say, "I feel the change in the sales tax filing warrants an adjustment to the AP system since we will need more detailed expenses.  The change will be in effect for 7 years and anything to simplify and automate the process will allow us to capture accurate information quickly."  She dismisses my suggestion, stating that there will be NO adjustments to the AP system for a temporary change in filing requirements and mutters something about the suggestion being absurd.  I say nothing, and walk away.

What is my next step?  I know this isn't the first time she has been rude to a co-worker.  Should I ignore it?  Maybe she was just having a bad day.  But my suggestion deserves consideration.  7 years, although temporary, is long enough to implement an adjustment to the system.  Okay, so I can't ignore it.  I discuss the situation with a long time friend and fellow employee and she said the employee handbook states I should confront this person and try to work it out between ourselves.  I also let me boss know the situation, without naming names, in the event we cannot work it out between ourselves and HR needs to be involved.  Then what?

The article How to Handle a Rude Co-Worker gives step-by-step instructions on how to handle such a situation. So far, I have completed Step 1 - Don't go on the defensive.  I'm on to Step 2, and Step 3 will happen tomorrow.  Hopefully, that will be the end of it.  I have never had a problem with another co-worker, until now.  I'll keep you posted.

Blog #4 -Human Resource Development - Performance Appraisals

It comes around every 4 months . . . the dreaded performance appraisal!  I have to log into our LDP System (Leadership Development Program) through the company intranet site, evaluate my goals, and have my boss evaluate my evaluation of my goals.  It seems so tedious.  I have a million things to do and now I HAVE TO do this, too?  I just finished my year-end 2010 LDP evaluation.  As painful as it is, my yearly bonus and merit increase depends on it.  Unfortunately, 80% is based on the companies performance, which is mostly out of my control.  The other 20% is strictly based on my accomplishments and  the ratings range from a G4 (below acceptable) to G1 (need to do something extraordinary).  G1s are not attainable.  My boss told me one year he saved the company over $40 million in taxes and he was not given a G1.  So, I have to consider myself lucky to get a G2 - which I did.  But why are these appraisals so important?

According to the article Purpose of Performance Appraisal, there are many reasons why companies mandate these appraisals.  1. Career Development - This is evaluated yearly in the LDP.  It allows my boss to discuss the possibilities of promotion or my involvement in other areas in the business. 2. Feedback - I find this to be the most important part of the LDP.  If I need to be doing something differently or there are areas I can improve upon, this is when the discussion takes place. 3. Administrative Uses of Performance Appraisal - A G2 rating is assigned a certain percentage for bonus and merit increase payouts  4. Performance History - I can see my career progress, which helps me to plan for the future. 5. Organizational Goals - I make sure my individual goals are aligned to the business goals. 6. Job Standards - My responsibilities and what is expected of me are very clear.  7. Documentation Use of Performance Appraisal - My boss and I must both sign the LDP for HR documentation.

So, although it seems very cumbersome, the performance appraisal is important to the company and to me.  It helps me realize my potential as well as provide constructive feedback to help me attain my career goals.  As long as my goals are aligned to the company's goals, the company will benefit from the performance appraisal.  Now that I have my G2 rating, I'm just waiting for pay day!  Oh, wait - Q1 2011 goals are due . . . .

Blog #3 - It's Time To Get Creative

Unemployment rates are at an all time high.  With so many looking for work, you would assume finding talented people would be easy.  Not true.  Finding good people with desired skills and who fit in with your company's culture is a daunting task.  How do you find these people?  It's time to get creative.  Job postings no longer entail calling the local newspaper to place a classified ad for hundreds of dollars.  Now, the job postings are on the company web-site, Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com.  Virtual job fairs are a great way to reach a large amount of people all over the world.  And sign-on bonuses are an attractive enticement. The article Race for workers requires creative recruiting methods lists a few unusual ways to find talent.  Some notable suggestions are offering perks, such as on-site fitness centers, day care and dry cleaning, and canvassing strangers.  A Dozen Tips for Creative Recruiting lists movie theater advertising and telephone "messages on hold" about available positions as different ways to find potential new hires.

Now that you have a pool of candidates, how do you choose?  There are a number of testing methods that can be used.  Employment applications, recommendations, and background checks are traditional ways of screening candidates.  Although, according to How to Choose the Right New-Hire from Several Qualified Applicants, personality and attitude are equally important.  You can observe candidates in a leaderless-group discussion to evaluate their ability to work with others, their emotional state, and what role they play in a business environment (leader, note taker, risk taker, etc.).  During an interview, you and other interviewers can assess these traits to see if the candidate will fit in with others in the company.

Finding and retaining talented employees is the key to any company's success.  Skills are not the only factor to consider;  the candidate's personality and attitude need to match the organizational culture.  You may have to come up with some creative recruitment and selection techniques - but your company's future depends on it!

Blog #2 - The Search for Talent Using Social Media

Did you ever watch the TV show "The Middle" on ABC?  I remember an episode when Mike (the Dad) is laid off from his job at the quarry for a few months and needs to find temporary work.  He begins to search the classified ads in the newspaper and dusts off the old typewriter to start drafting his resume.  This process continues for about a week.  He tells his son, Axl, that he needs to find a job, too.  A few hours later, much to Mike's surprise, Axl had found a job.  "How did you do that?" he asked.  Axl replied, "I texted Joe, who tweeted Johnny, who e-mailed me an application that I filled out and sent back to Johnny who gave it to his Dad.  I just finished my video-interview in my room.  I start tomorrow."  (It's not exactly word-for-word, but you get the idea!)  Social media is becoming a very important part of the talent-search process.  In this fast-paced business environment, businesses need to react quickly to stay competitive.  Texting, tweeting and e-mail are just a few ways to reach the talent pool.

Why use social media to find new hires?  The technology is available, so use it!  And by the way, so does everyone else.  According to econsultancy.com, current social networking statistics are:  Facebook - 350 million active users;  Twitter - 75 million user accounts; LinkedIn - 50 million members worldwide.  Go where the people are!  Post on Facebook, send a tweet, and get LinkedIn.  Tell the world you have a job available - literally.

Social media is an inexpensive (not free) way to search for new talent.  Setting up a Facebook or Twitter page or your own blog costs nothing.  Although, hiring someone to make these posts professional is a wise investment.  Yes, you will need a budget for this type of advertising.  But the amount of people you can reach vs. the cost makes this investment very cost-effective.

Don't spend your time actively searching out new talent.  Use the many social networking tools to attract the talent to you.  Target your audience and find the sites they frequently visit.  Be specific, discuss your companies distinguishing qualities and why they should consider a career with you.  Engage in conversations to further educate your audience about your values and vision.

At the end of the TV show, Mike finally used a word-processing program to draft his resume and e-mailed it to a Careerbuilder.com inbox.  He landed an interview in a few days. . . at a septic tank maintenance company.  In his words, "Living the dream!"

In the "Social Media At Work" book by Jue, Marr, and Kassotakis, I am referencing page 78, " . . .  we've seen at least five specific areas where they are capitalizing on social media to make a real difference:  1. Attracting and retaining the best employees . . ."  I focused on the "Attracting" piece of this area.

Here is an article on Careerbuilder.com discussing Social Media to Recruit Top Talent -http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2010/07/22/leveraging-social-media-to-recruit-top-talent/