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February 17, 2010
Integrating Generation Y into the Workplace: PART I
I have been with my current employer for five years and feel that loyalty (when earned) is paramount, both personally and professionally.
I value the time I spend with my family and the advice and counsel they give me when I’m faced with life’s biggest decisions. Their opinion is important to me.
I believe that if I work hard, my contribution should be acknowledged and possibly rewarded- but certainly noticed- and not necessarily in 30 years when I retire.
I value media, art, food, Twitter, the internet, Facebook, politics, growth, intelligence, the power of one’s network, and that everything I do in life should be challenging and fun. Why waste my time on anything else?
I want success for myself. To me, this is defined by financial freedom, emotional well-being, and enjoying the fruits of my labor.
I am a Millennial. A Gen-Yer. And I am the future of the workforce.
With all this talk about multiple generations entering the workplace, I feel like I have to weigh in. After all, I am one of the 79.5 million Gen-Yers who make up the largest population subgroup- and soon, the largest segment of the workforce. We have the unfortunate and inaccurate reputation of being lazy, entitled, spoiled, disloyal and even indifferent. But stop and ask any member of today’s young workforce what they contribute to society, and you’ll likely hear such words as change, loyalty, diversity, commitment, ingenuity and integrity. How can there be such disparate descriptions of one group of people, and why is it such a hot button issue?
Are the Boomers right? Are we entitled and lazy? Or are the Gen-Yers right? Can we do it better and faster than those who came before?
Like most things in life, you have to dig a little deeper to get the real answer.
I believe the cold hard truth is that we are just different. We are not like our parents, and in turn, we do not think in the same way that our predecessors in the workplace do. Haven’t we been taught all of our lives that different isn’t bad or incorrect, different is just….different? And if so, shouldn’t we find a way to harness the Millennial potential in order to make every business the most productive it can be? Conversely, shouldn’t the Millennials be open to adapting to certain “traditional”, yet necessary, workplace practices?
From a recruiting perspective, I see both sides. I see the frustration that comes with communicating with a potential Gen-Y candidate when their emails are riddled with texting acronyms, spelling errors, and are sent at 4am, no doubt while catching the latest episode of Tosh.O. But I can also relate to the Millennials who want to work for a company that is progressive, competitive and views them as an asset, not a necessary evil.
One thing is for sure: an oversimplified description of any group of people is considered a stereotype, and generational groups are no exception. Assuming that we are all the same, all think exactly alike, and will all affect the business world in the same [apathetic] way would be short sighted.
So how do we bridge the gap between yesterday’s business practices and today’s evolving workforce demands? Between the past and the future? Between “the right way” and “the wrong way”?
Stay tuned for Part II: How Companies can attract, integrate and retain Gen Yers.
Special thanks to the following resources for providing information & inspiration:
Gen Y Now – You can find them here, here and here
Millennial Marketing Blog – Giving Gen Y a voice
December 16, 2009
Rudolph The Red Nosed Partridge Is Up On The House Top
We would like to share one of our favorite holiday videos currently making the rounds in our office these days. Enjoy Straight No Chaser’s take on the Twelve Days of Christmas. The boys sure are talented. And they’re easy on the eyes, too!
From our family here at Renaissance- Happy Holidays to you and yours! May your holiday season be filled with laughter, love and lots of fun.
The Renaissance Elves,
Laura, Dave, Holly, Lauren and Denise
December 4, 2009
Measuring your “Cost per Hire” – to Outsource or not to Outsource
Guest Blogger Michael Swope, VP at Renaissance, shares his thoughts on determining your true cost per hire.
In almost every client meeting I’ve had over the last two years, Cost-per-Hire (CPH) is a topic of discussion that always comes up. In my position, this is an important factor in determining if our services are of use to a particular company. What continues to surprise me is the number of small and large companies that don’t track this measurement and what’s more, these companies often incorrectly track this measurement.
There are many studies on CPH and a simple Google search will take you in every direction possible, with most searches yielding a simple and outdated formula of 1.5 times the position’s annual salary. For example, a marketing position paying $50,000 would yield the following formula: $50,000 x 1.5 = $75,000 cost per hire.
I’ve also met with partners who’ve insisted that their CPH is as low as $10. Their rationale is that they post an opening on a job board for $100 and end up making 10 hires from that one posting. Trust me- there are large corporations that truly feel this is their cost per hire, ignoring all other factors that go into making a new hire.
So which is it? Does it cost $75k or $10 to staff a marketing position? I think the answer actually lies somewhere in between.
I like to calculate the CPH using some/all of the following metrics:
- Time invested in the recruitment process – How much does a company pay all the people making a specific hire and how long does it take them to make that hire? Companies are running leaner than in the past and when time is being spent on recruitment needs, time is being taken away from core responsibilities and revenue generating tasks.
- Employment advertising investment made.
- Loss of revenue – If a sales position that generates $10,000 a month remains open for three months, and it takes two months to get that individual trained, a company could be looking at $50,000 of lost revenue through the recruitment process.
- Training invested in your new hire – Training costs vary per company, but I like to use a round estimate of $2,500, $5k or $10k, based on the level of training needed. Even a qualified person has costs associated with getting used to company culture and processes.
These are really the only four areas of cost per hire that concern me, and each can add up to a significant investment.
Case Study: Company X needs a new Sales Manager
- Position pays $70,000 per year, plus commission/bonus
- Current sales team is generating $50k per month, short of $60k per month goal.
- Advertising the position will cost $500 over a two week period.
- 600 resumes will be received and need to be reviewed:
- Typical review time is 3 minutes per resume – 30 hours of time.
- 25 phone screens will take place – 6 hours, 15 minutes of time.
- 8 in-person initial interviews will occur – 8 hours of time.
- 3 follow up in-person more detailed interviews will occur – 6 hours of time.
- Background checks and reference checks will take 2 hours total of time.
- The position will remain open for 2 months and it will take this person 2 weeks to be fully integrated into the company – lost revenue at goal of $25k.
- Hiring Manager earns $100k per year or $48.08 per hour (assuming only one person is involved in hiring decision).
- Time invested of 52.25 hours = $2,512.18.
- Training and two week ramp up of new employee – $2,500.
- Time lost from core responsibilities we will set at zero for the sake of this case study, but can be very significant for most companies.
- Total Cost per Hire = $30,512.18.
The true CPH may actually be higher based on the time/revenue lost from the Hiring Manager’s core duties and possible involvement of more than one hiring authority.
Taking all these factors into account, Outsourcing may or may not be the best solution for your company. If you are able to reduce your cost per hire to just a few thousand dollars, then keeping the hiring process in-house makes sense. However, in most cases, costs can easily rise into the $10k-$20k range. If this is your situation, it may be best to focus on your core business responsibilities and outsource the hire as a cost-saving strategy.
November 23, 2009
What's Your Flavor?
Like It, Love it Or Gotta Have It? If you’ve ever made a trip to Cold-Stone Creamery you are certainly familiar with those choices. In fact, who doesn’t LOVE ice cream??? And, as odd as it may sound- ice cream was recently used as an analogy to describe a company’s culture during our last Roundtable with Maria Utagawa. I had never thought of it that way- but it makes perfect sense. Culture is like ice cream; you have to have a taste for it. And everyone has a different preference, whether it‘s chocolate, vanilla or even better, and my personal choice, butter pecan. It’s a collection of elements. It’s energy, a vibe. Think about it; anytime you walk into an office whether you are interviewing with the company, or visiting a potential client you get a certain feeling. And much of your decision on whether you like or dislike the company is based on those initial feelings.
Maria highlighted some great examples of companies in today’s marketplace that are doing it right. Take Zappos.com for instance. They sell thousands of shoes online! And the best part- if they don’t fit or you don’t like them, you have up to ONE YEAR to return them. How great is that? Beyond their great shoe selection they care about their employees, and the CEO of the company has taken great strides to be sure his company is at the top of the “best places to work” list!
Take for example their employee handbook. It’s very unique. Instead of filling it with the standard rules and regulations mandated by the company executives, it’s filled with testimonials of actual employees of Zappos. There are pages and pages of real people talking about what makes the company so great and why they LOVE working for the CEO. It’s a simple, yet powerful concept, which we can all learn from.
What makes a company’s culture like Zappos’ successful is instilling the same values, ethics and expectations for both your employees and your customers.
Today, more than ever, company culture is critical not only for attracting new talent, but also for retaining your employees. If you are working for a company that could use some improvement, now is the perfect time to make those changes.
If you missed our Renaissance Roundtable series last week, you missed out! Maria Utawaga, an HR Consultant, shared the above concepts with us and helped us understand the power of company culture. Don’t miss the next Roundtable event scheduled for Thursday, December 10th. Sharon Cottor will be with us to discuss how to effectively handle difficult conversations in the workplace. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive an invitation!
November 10, 2009
You Can't Say That In An Interview
While catching up on my TiVo this weekend, I couldn’t help but laugh when I came across this golden nugget of “reality” television. I apologize for the commercial introduction, but it’s worth it, I promise.
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Whether or not you are familiar with Jeff Lewis’ off-the-wall antics, you just can’t help but laugh at the absurdity that took place in that interview. In less than one minute, Jeff manages to ask the interviewee 7, count ‘em SEVEN, highly off-limits, if not illegal, questions. It’s almost as if he looked at the list of protected classes and then thought, “Hmm…I feel like going rogue today.”
All kidding aside, I’ve found that many employers just don’t know what they can and cannot ask: what is protected, what isn’t, and how can you get the information you need without crossing the line?
One of the ways to avoid any conflict is to monitor and educate your hiring managers. We see it everyday: an inexperienced manager, who has never been shown the ropes, asks entirely inappropriate questions during an interview. In most cases they mean no harm and don’t know any better, but it can still ruffle feathers. (If it ruffles the wrong person’s feathers it can be highly detrimental to your company and its reputation.) Avoid this unfortunate situation altogether by holding annual training meetings for all parties responsible for hiring. This is a great forum for addressing staff questions, highlighting changes in employment law and even implementing a company-wide interview process. Promoting uniformity leaves less margin for error in large organizations.
There are also several great resources that we recommend you look into when forming your interview outline or educating your staff. With education comes awareness, and in turn, a more well-equipped interviewer. The US Equal Employment Commission has a great website filled with information and suggestions for business. They offer excellent information for both employees and employers to understand their rights and investigate possible violations. If you do your homework [and follow the rules], your applicant won’t have to do his [and file a claim].
The website HR World also offers some excellent articles for employers to reference when developing interview questions. If you’re wondering how to phrase a particular question, check out the article entitled “30 Interview Questions You Can’t Ask and 30 Sneaky, Legal Alternatives to Get the Same Info”. It covers pretty much every topic you would want to address in an interview.
The real reality is that the most important tool you have in an interview situation is your intuition. Let your gut guide the process when making each hire…just make sure you play fair and stay on the up-and-up! I think that’s one thing that Jeff Lewis is exceedingly good at…trusting his gut and whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, he goes for broke. In the end, no matter how much you prepare, investigate and probe before making a hiring decision, isn’t it really just a blind leap of faith?
November 4, 2009
November Roundtable Anouncement!
Good Afternoon Readers!
In spite of the fact that it’s a balmy 92 degrees outside right now, welcome to November! November boasts many great traditions: the Eggnog Latte makes its annual appearance at Starbucks (in the RED cup), Pumpkin ANYTHING is the flavor du jour, and if you live anywhere but Phoenix, scarves and mittens are usually hanging by the front door. Personally, I get most excited about the Eggnog Latte.
But enough about me. November will also be host to our last Roundtable event of 2009. We’ve invited the talented and engaging Maria Utagawa of achieveHR to speak on strengthening company culture. The Power of Company Culture-Build a Winning Culture to Win Business will be presented on November 17th, 2009, from 8 to 9am.
If you’ve ever asked yourself any of the following questions, RSVP today!
How do companies achieve their rankings such as best places to work, top rated customer service providers, and most profitable in their field? Why do some companies continue to flourish even in an economic downturn?
Alternately, what does your own company’s culture look like? What values are you demonstrating to your customers? Are your employees engaged and acting like owners?
Please visit our website for more information or to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, November 17th. Coffee, donuts and networking begin at 7:30am, and the presentation will get underway at 8am.
We are currently accepting topic/speaker suggestions for the 2010 Roundtable line-up. Please email Lauren at lauren@jobsinarizona.com with your ideas.
October 26, 2009
Networking or NOT Working
This past Thursday morning we conducted our 5th Roundtable this year, led by Al O’Connor, founder of O’Connor HR CareerCoaching. (For those readers that are new to this blog, a Renaissance Roundtable is a monthly, informational seminar featuring a selected speaker from the Valley business scene.) We had a wonderful turnout and Al gave an inspiring presentation on the perils of networking, what’s NOT working, and how to make the most of your network.
Attendees listen while Al O'Connor presents
With over 30 years of networking and professional experience in the Valley, Al knows a thing or two about building a network, and our guests were all ears. Covering everything from how to get started, the “dos and don’ts” of building a network, and some practical tools you can keep in your arsenal, attendees left with plenty of food for thought.
Al discusses the merits of networking
Here, Al discusses the importance of creating an “elevator speech”- a 30-second introduction that describes your background.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. You just never know how each person you meet will positively affect your job search, so it’s important that they know who you are and what you’re all about.
Other highlights from Al’s presentation:
- Despite popular belief, only 2% of job seekers secure jobs located through internet postings.
- When a company is looking to hire, they almost always reach out to their employees – their built-in network – first.
- This means that job seekers are doing the exact opposite of what their potential employers are doing.
- Job-seekers are often led to internet postings at the suggestion of a friend, co-worker or acquaintance.
- Talk to people who know people. These are your Centers of Influence- they will lead you to others.
Al was kind enough to sit down with us and answer a few questions about his own networking experiences over the years:
RPG: How did you get started in the HR field?
AO: Like many young college students, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take. I changed majors a number of times but wasn’t excited about them. I finally went to a counselor who conducted some assessments which strongly suggested I switch from Liberal Arts to the Business School and concentrate on either Marketing or Human Resources. I got my degree in HR and started out there but eventually wound up in marketing.
RPG: What is the best advice you can offer someone who is looking to break into the HR field, but isn’t sure how to do so?
AO: Human Resources is a difficult field to break into if you don’t have some education in the field. In addition, most companies want some related experience before they consider you. The good news is that the more enlightened companies are now considering people who have sound business sense, a strong desire to work in HR, a willingness to start entry level and work at getting an HR certification. Even with all of the above, you need to be able to get in front of the right people to sell yourself. You can’t just send in a resume because your limited background won’t sell you.
RPG: You spoke about networking at our Roundtable event today…what has been your favorite, or most fruitful, networking interaction to date?
AO: I have started two organizations of Human Resources Executives designed primarily for networking and sharing best practices. This has allowed me to meet more people, provide them with a forum to meet others and generally add value to the entire group. That being said, the most fruitful networking situations are always the one-on-one meetings you can set up with people you have met. Time spent over a cup of coffee or lunch or cocktails provides a relaxed setting to get to know one another on a personal, non business basis. These types of meetings more often turn out to be beneficial to both parties.
RPG: What is the number one mistake people make when networking?
AO: Thinking only about what you are getting out of it. What goes around, comes around. If you help them, they will be more willing to continue the relationship.
RPG: What’s the next best practice in recruiting for organizations?
AO: The newer generation is being referred to as “consumers of work.” They are a different breed with greater expectations of what they will get out of a work experience. As a result, companies need to develop a strong developmental culture and employment brand. This brand should include a strong communication strategy, a good on-boarding process, development opportunities, freedom of expression, risk taking, challenge and reward. From a recruiting perspective, this brand needs to be marketed through the website, blogs and other social networking media.
As always, thanks to everyone who joined us at the event, it is always a pleasure to have you as our guests. And thank you to Al O’Connor for providing an enlightening and informative presentation- we hope to have you back in the future!
If you’d like to reach Al, you can email him at aoconnor@hrcareercoaching.com.
Check back soon for information about our November Roundtable!
(Hint: We’ll be discussing how you can build your company’s developmental culture and employment brand to stay ahead of the curve.)
September 22, 2009
PICK UP THE PHONE
As a recruiter, my job is to talk to people. I use the phone interview as an assessment tool when qualifying candidates for employers. However, I seem to come across more and more people who would rather just send me their resume and/or write a description about themselves via email. Although that is helpful, it’s not nearly as effective. In 2-3 minutes I can feel the energy on the other end of the receiver. I can get a glimpse of their communication skills and also a more accurate read on their personality. If I feel connected to you, I can place you in a job. If all I have are words on paper, I’m not going to be as successful because the personal connection is missing.
Ironically, I’ve noticed lately how many people avoid TALKING to one another. I realize we now live in a society where texting and tweeting are primary ways to communicate with friends and family, but I firmly believe quite a bit is lost in translation when you are forced to communicate this way, especially in a business or professional setting.
I recently read an article from workforce.com that really stuck with me. Titled “Why Customer Satisfaction Starts with HR”, the author discusses the trickle down effect that HR has on maintaining a successful customer service campaign. Patrick J. Kiger writes in the article: “…Because email strips away facial expressions, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues, it conveys only about 7 percent of the intended message!!!” Kiger goes on to say that, ”only 7 percent of your communication with another person is in the words you use. Thirty-eight percent is in the tone of voice. The remaining 55 percent of the message comes from physical appearance, mannerisms, eye contact, etc.”
55% PEOPLE! Do I even need to address just how important it is to meet and engage with people face-to-face in the business world? And if you can’t schedule something in person, the least you can do is PICK UP THE PHONE. Though he is speaking specifically about how email relates to HR and customer service, the same facts apply in general business communication as well.
Have you ever felt this when when reading an ambiguous email?
Emails can be misconstrued, phrases and or words can be misleading, and you can read too much into the tone of an email. BOLD type is sometimes used to get someone’s attention but can also be a way of expressing anger. How do you tell? During a phone conversation, you wouldn’t be asking yourself those questions because emotion is in a voice, not in a typeface.
The art of conversation is not lost, and we CANNOT afford to lose it. Think about picking up the phone if you really want to land that next job or make a strong first impression.
August 27, 2009
Director of First Impressions
How does that saying go? You can never make a first impression twice. Well, if that’s true, companies should take a much closer look at who they have answering their phones and greeting their customers.
Recently, a receptionist hung up on me. TWICE. In the same conversation. And the 2nd time I called back, I prefaced the call by asking her not to hang up on me before I could get out a full sentence. Seriously. SERIOUSLY?
This very encounter got me thinking: why is hiring for the front desk more difficult than hiring for any other position? When our clients call needing a Receptionist, we know it is a tough job to fill. I think in some ways, it’s easier to find a well-qualified CFO than it is to find an exceptional Receptionist/Front Desk Administrator/Director of First Impressions/Whateveryouwanttocallit. While a strong CFO often comes with a required skill set, i.e. Master’s Degree in Accountancy, CPA license, etc., a gifted Receptionist’s qualities will not be on their resume- a warm personality, excellent customer service skills and the ability keep it all together amidst total chaos. It never ceases to amaze me that each and every client always says the same thing: “Why couldn’t we find the right person on our own?” I’ll tell you why. YOU’VE BEEN GOING ABOUT IT ALL WRONG!
As I was experiencing what I like to refer to as The Great Hang-Up-And-Be-Rude-To-Your-Customer-Debacle-of-2009 last week, I tweeted about the experience, and a friend of mine said this in response “because they are order takers not professional sales people, it’s a skill, but few have tried to learn it!!” Thanks Carlton. While I agree with the statement…it is a very specialized skill…I almost think that we, as employers, need to hold this position with more regard. Shouldn’t we be hiring people who are, in a sense, “sales” people, who believe in the company/product, and who want to be its ambassador? I think so.
Instead of hiring someone who only handles phones, merely greets visitors, and just readies the conference room, why don’t we empower them to be more? Hire someone who is great in dealing with customers and building relationships, excels at promoting brand awareness, and shines when contributing to the bottom line. After all, you expect sales people to be great, excel and shine with clients outside of your office, why wouldn’t you want that same experience for those customers that contact YOU?
This may require a bit of retraining on your part, but what new challenge doesn’t? Follow these guidelines the next time you need to hire your Director of First Impressions:
- You get what you pay for. You can’t pay for a Yugo and expect a Mercedes: Bump your normal salary by 15-20% and you’ll be amazed by what a few dollars (per-hour) can change.
- The definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If you’re always struggling to find someone with “previous reception experience”, change up your game. We place more people with retail and hospitality background in Reception positions than we do “actual” Receptionists. Prior background in positions which require high levels of customer service is invaluable.
- You’re offering a job, not a prison sentence. If you’re going to hire talent, be prepared to grow and nourish talent. You expect the majority of your employees to grow and develop and move up the corporate ladder, why should your Director of First Impressions be any different? Limiting your search to “Career Receptionists” could be a huge mistake. If you expect this person to be great, excel and shine, be prepared to allow them room to do that in other aspects of your company down the road.
In so many other aspects of life we, as a society, care about making a positive first impression. We take a littler longer to get ready for a special first date. We go ahead and buy that new suit for an upcoming interview. And we bring the good bottle of wine over to the boss’s for dinner. The same care and consideration should be taken when hiring your Direct of First Impressions. You only get one shot, so make it right and make it last.
August 17, 2009
Renaissance Roundtables Are Back!
Ok, if you pinned me against the wall I would admit that our conference table is in fact rectangular in shape, but Renaissance Rectangletable just doesn’t sound right, does it? But the point is: they’re back. THEY’RE BACK!
At the request of many (at least tens of people!), the monthly, business-minded, informational seminar known as the Renaissance Roundtable has been resurrected. Beginning back in May of this year with a presentation on Social Media by Jennifer Maggiore, we’ve since covered topics on the use of behavioral assessment tools (June 2009) and internet marketing paired with search engine optimization (July & August 2009). All three speakers and topics were met with a strong turnout of attendees from all avenues of business- from small business owners to managers from large, matrixed corporations. There really is something for everyone.
Our first presenter, Jennifer Maggiore of MCM Consulting, spoke about the rise of social media in the workplace and how to effectively incorporate it into your business. Doesn’t every business want the advantage of knowing what’s being said in the marketplace about their product/service and have a chance to react accordingly? Seems like a no-brainer to me. The topic was such a hit we had to schedule a second day!
Attendees enjoy breakfast and coffee while Jennifer Maggiore presents.
In June, about the time that the desert temps started heating up, Joy Schewertly of Discovery Profiling was presenting her own hot topic: how to use behavioral profiles to bring out your employees’ natural motivators. The large group of hiring managers and HR professionals in attendance loved learning about their own profiles and what it said about their actions in the workplace. It was pretty interesting how “spot on” most of the assessments were.
And most recently, we had the pleasure of having the guys from FireDrum Internet Marketing, Jacob Lebo and Bob Woodbury, speak to our guests about maximizing internet marketing and search engine optimization. Did you know that internet/email marketing can be personalized and measured better than any other kind of direct marketing? If you missed the presentation, you can check Jacob out in the most recent issue of Scottsdale Airpark News, or read his article online. Pretty snazzy stuff Mr. Lebo!
It may have been early, be we were all having fun!
The staff at Renaissance would like to give a BIG, public Thank You to our wonderful speakers: Jennifer Maggiore, Joy Schwertly, Bob Woodbury and Jacob Lebo. We couldn’t have asked for better speakers to help us revive the Roundtable! Thank you.
As we move forward and plan future Roundtable seminars, we’d like your help in choosing our upcoming topics. What would you like to learn more about? Which topics are most relevant to your business? Take a moment to participate in the poll or feel free to leave a comment.
Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive future Roundtable invitations in your email.
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