The Singapore Head Hunter

PWC WANTS TO KEEP GEN Y HAPPY

2011-08-31T21:09:00.001+08:00

Excerpts of interview with PWC Chairman

When Dennis Nally started at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 37 years ago, the business was simpler, says the chairman of the accounting and management-consultancy. Back then nearly 80% of firm revenue stemmed from PWC audit work in the U.S.

Today, the company has 175,000 employees operating in 154 countries. And about half of PwC's global revenues derive from tax and advisory work, which includes consulting on operations, human resources and M&A, among other things.

About 18% of the firm's revenue comes from work for clients in developing markets in Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa. Over the next five years, the company expects this to grow to 40%, as its clients become increasingly focused on emerging markets.

Recruiting and hiring, particularly in those markets, is the biggest challenge the firm and its clients are facing, says Mr. Nally. As evidence, he quotes from PwC's annual global CEO survey, released in April, in which more than 90% of the business leaders surveyed said that they are focused on making significant changes to their human-resource policies in the next 12 to 18 months.

The Wall Street Journal spoke with Mr. Nally in London where he talked about hiring and the importance of keeping the so-called millennial generation happy. Edited excerpts:

WSJ: How do you define talent?
Mr. Nally: Having the technical skills is important but that's almost a given these days. [Talent is also] having the right softer skills in terms of being [able] to work in a collaborative environment, teaming with people, good communication skills, good sensitivities to cultural diversity.

WSJ: What's the biggest challenge for companies when trying to recruit talented staff?
Mr. Nally: The competition for talent in the emerging markets has never been greater and that's placing a lot of pressure on salaries. Having a competitive compensation base is really important. It's [also] about how to create an environment where people want to be. This millennial generation is not just looking for a job, they're not just looking for salary and financial benefits, they're looking for skill development, they're looking for mobility, they're looking for opportunities to acquire different skills and to move quickly from one part of an organization to another. How you manage that sort of talent and how you deal with their expectations is very different from what's been done in the past.
So, clearly articulating your people strategy, what you can deliver and importantly what you expect in return is key. Connecting with your employees so they understand you can deliver the career they want is key.

WSJ:How do you go about creating that connectivity?
Mr. Nally:The human capital agenda has to be driven by the CEO. It's so strategic today that you want to have great support coming from the HR organization, but if this isn't viewed as just as strategic as new products and services or research and development, [it] won't be successful.

WSJ: Why is this thirst for talent more evident now than before?
Mr. Nally: The opportunities are so significant, coming from all different directions in all parts of the world that the demand for talent is at an all-time high. In today's global competitive workplace, you can't think just in the context of your own territory.

WSJ: What sort of policies will companies need to put in place?
Mr. Nally: The millennium generation is probably the most technological group of people ever joining the workforce. How they want to work, use social media and team within a company is very different than the prior generation. If your human policies aren't responsive to what they are looking for, they are going to go to a company that is. They want less-hierarchical structures, they want more flexibility, they want to work as hard but they want to define how they do their work. If you can't figure out a way to accommodate that kind of flexibility, you're not going to be able to retain that talent.

WSJ: What [is PwC] doing to attract and retain talent?
Mr. Nally: We have adapted both how we recruit and how we work with people once they join us to suit the millennial generation. For example, in the U.S. we have set up a LinkedIn application that allows students to track the career paths of existing graduate trainees already in the firm so a student can see how a career with PwC develops. In the U.K., we use a Facebook application to connect recruits together before they join so they can begin to build their own PwC community.
We also provide mentors for our people from day one both formally and informally and encourage people to actively use their mentors to build skills and experience. We understand that flexibility and the ability to gather useful experience are key, as a result we actively encourage our people to move both between different business areas and around the world to gain experience. We also provide career breaks, flexible working, cycles of experience outside PwC and we actively encourage volunteering.

For full article, click below.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303365804576434223787503598.html

Moderator

GEN Y Travel Trends

2011-08-31T19:32:00.000+08:00

News Analysis: Gen Y travel trends

As the age-old Spanish proverb goes — the belly rules the mind. That truism is certainly borne out in Contiki Holidays’ 2011 Style Miles report, which shows food dictates the travel habits of most young Australians.

It appears that fast food is losing its appeal at the expense of local cuisine and restaurants, with the report finding 97% of 18 to 35-year olds agree food is the most important element of travel. They’re also keen to let the taste linger a little, with 57% replicating local dishes at home, and a quarter of travellers even changing their dietary habits to incorporate foods they ate while on holidays.

Music and art also ranked as high priorities while on holiday. Most respondents said they had visited local museums and galleries while holidaying in the past three to four years, while 88% went to see local bands or music. Fashion was less popular, however, with about half of travellers having seen a fashion show, and buying souvenirs fell off the radar altogether.

THE TREND SHIFT

The findings came as a surprise to Contiki’s managing director, Fiona Hunt, who said the report confirmed that the profile of 18 to 35-year old travellers was changing. “Young travellers are no longer happy to sit and watch their holiday go by from the traditional tourist hotspots,” she said. “They want to get involved, get immersed in local culture, and they want their holiday to be based on what they find interesting in their daily life.” Labelling overseas travel before the 1990s a “predictable venture” where travellers stuck to popular spots to avoid nasty surprises, Hunt said today’s 18 to 35s want to get a taste of the unknown. “They want to get their hands dirty, get off the beaten track and bring a little bit of their experience home with them,” she said.

Hunt point ed to the internet as the force driving the change in attitudes, but admitted that there could be other factors involved. She can’t be far off the mark though, with the findings also showing Australian globetrotters send an average of 10.8 emails, as well as making 7.9 Facebook updates each holiday. “We’re not entirely sure what’s driving the change, but technology has revolutionised how people are travelling,” she said. “People are researching their holidays more, they know where they want to go, and more than ever, they know what they want.”

WHERE TO NEXT?

Young Australians are also visiting new places. While Europe has been Contiki’s flagship destination in the past, 18 to 35s are increasingly fascinated by Asia, with 53% of the survey’s 1005 respondents visiting Asia in the last three to four years. Almost one third visited Europe, 26% holidayed in the Pacific and 23% travelled to the US.

Excited by the growth in Asia, Hunt revealed plans to launch into the China market. Breaking into the South American market later this year is also on the cards.

Although tight-lipped on the exact details, Hunt said that there will be a “string of announcements” in the coming months. “We’re taking this research under our belt so we can respond to our customer base, but I can say there will be more to come as we continue to engage with the youth market,” she said.

Extracted from the Travel Weekly. For full report, please click below:

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/news/news-analysis-gen-y-travel-trends

Singapore Head Hunter

Communicating With Gen Y

2011-08-29T12:08:00.002+08:00

Communicating with Gen Y employees can be a challenging task, but with the right communications strategies and approach in place, Gen Y can offer organizations an innovative, energetic, committed and tech savvy addition to the workforce.

Give them cutting-edge technology.
Generation Y grew up with computers, ipods, and PlayStations and this techno upbringing shapes their work expectations. Organisations can successfully motivate Yers by structuring their work so that it is congruent with their technical prowess. For a start, allow them to communicate with customers via instant messaging, provide training on-demand in multi-media formats, and give them Internet access for research and resources.

Rewards and incentives with immediate payout.
Gen Y are skeptical of long-term commitments from employers. Many younger workers have seen their parents lose jobs to downsizing and outsourcing and this has led to doubts about their own futures. For any reward to work with a Gen Y, it has to be very short term. So instead of an annual review with a huge payout, consider a monthly review with a moderate payout.

Keep them posted
Generation Y has grown accustomed to accessing information instantly through such leading edge technologies as Wi-fi, Ti-Vo, Google, and podcasts. They expect to be in the know and in the know immediately. Give them company information through digital channels and also deliver training in high-tech digital mediums.

Present information/goals in very very small bit-size.
Gen Y work most productively when big tasks are broken down into small steps with goals that are realistic. They respond very well to training programs that allow them to pick and choose the subjects that they need most, especially when those subjects are presented in short, high-impact, media rich formats.

Frequent feedback.
Experts assert that Gen Y are used to reinforcement at a rate that is 50-100 times greater than Boomers. A lot of Yers grew up spending hundreds of hours each year playing video games and these electronic games provided immediate, clear feedback on their performance. In the workplace Generation Y expects supervisors and managers to provide immediate clear feedback frequently and promptly.

Work flexibility.
Gen Y grew up in flexible times and as adolescents they had a lot of say over their world. They want say in everything from benefits to scheduling to the option of telecommuting. Generation Y expects work to accommodate their personal and family life.

Getting involved with Gen Y.
Managing from behind a desk will be most ineffective with Gen Y. They want to see managers roll up their sleeves up and get the feet/hands wet. This keeps management in touch with the challenges their people experience everyday.

Top 7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired

2010-09-19T00:01:00.003+08:00

This is a great article from the "The Top 7 Business Website"
(http://www.top7business.com/)

Top 7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired By Joel Sussman

It would be a lot easier if hiring decisions were totally based on one's resume (unless, of course, you're right out of college). The reality of it, though, is that the successful candidate is often the one who interviews the best. Here are some tips to help you make it to the final cut.

1. Visit the web site of the company you're going to interview with. Almost invariably, one of the first questions out of an interviewer's mouth is: "So tell me what you know about us." If you stumble through your answer, consider yourself eliminated from the running.

2. Be ready to rattle off your strengths and accomplishments. This is one of the main things an interviewer wants to know, so make sure this information is fresh in your mind.

3. Do you have any weaknesses? Everybody does; but only applicants who want to be eliminated in the first round of interviews will reveal a weakness that could, in any way, affect their performance in the job they're applying for.

4. Don't even hint at any personality conflicts or disagreements you might have had with your present or past bosses. Interviewers often are predisposed to side with former managers. If the question comes up about whether you've been involved in conflicts at work and how you handled it, it's highly recommended that you portray yourself as the peacemaker, the conciliator, and the diplomat.

5. Put a positive spin on your answer to the question "Why do you want to leave your current job." One of the many impressions you don't want to convey is that you're a job hopper.

6. Be ready for variations of the following questions "Why should we hire you?" "Convince me that you're right for the job!" "How do I know you can handle these new responsibilities?" "I have 25 more people to interview. What skills or qualifications do you have that make you stand out?"

7. Leave for the interview early, so you can have plenty of time to get lost, get back on track, creep your way through road construction, crawl through traffic jams, fix a flat tire, and arrive at the interview early. You'll want to have a few moments to fill out any necessary forms, compose yourself, and make a quick, last-minute grooming trip to the bathroom.

Joel Sussman is a business writer and Internet publisher who has created a online resource called "Career and Job Interview Strategy Center". Visit http://www.geocities.com/optimalbiz for helpful articles, downloadable manuals, and other job hunting tools.

Cheers,
The Singapore Head Hunter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stanleytan1000

Tweeter: @stantan

Skype: stanleytan1000

Resume Writing Tips

2010-09-15T06:00:00.002+08:00

Your resume is your marketing tool and should be visually pleasing. It should make the reader want to read on. It should have a simple and clean structure and is easy to read. As far as possible, try to make your resume symmetrical, balanced and uncluttered.

There should be uniformity and consistency in the use of capital letters, bullets, boldface and underlining. For example, if a period is at the end of one job's dates, a period should be at the end of all jobs' dates; if one degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.

A resume's first impression is most important. It should therefore be visually pleasing and appealing, to be inviting to the reader.

Ensure that there are absolutely no errors: typographical errors, spelling errors, grammatical errors, syntax or punctuation errors as well as factual errors.

All basic information is included. A resume must have the following key basic information such as your name, address, contact numbers and your email address at the top of the first page, a listing of jobs held, in reverse chronological order, educational degrees including the highest degree received, in reverse chronological order. Additional, targeted information will of course accompany this.

Listed jobs should include a title, the name of the firm and the duration of your stay with the firm.

Preferably, a resume is targeted. A resume should be targeted to your career objective, to the next step in your career. You should be clear what your career goal is, what the ideal position or positions would be. Then you should figure out what key skills, areas of expertise or body of experience the employer will be looking for in the candidate. Format the resume structure and content around your career objective target, proving these key qualifications.

Make sure that your strengths are highlighted. Focus on your strongest and most impressive traits. Make careful and strategic choices as to how to organize, order, and convey your skills and background.

Make sure that your resume has focus. A resume needs a focus to help the reader understand immediately. Think of the resume as an essay with a title and a summative opening sentence. A focus may be as simple as the name of your profession ("Financial Controller," "Marketing Director") centred under the name and address; it may be in the form of an objective or it may be in the form of a summary statement.

Try to use power words. Use the most active impressive verb you can think of for each skill, accomplishment or job described.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stanleytan1000

Skype: stanleytan1000

An Experience with an Unscrupulous Recruitment Firm

2009-01-11T16:10:00.001+08:00

As in many other countries, the recruitment market in Singapore is highly competitive. Facing such fierce competition, some recruitment companies would resort to unscrupulous tactics for self interests, with total disregard for the employers and the candidates.

My experience with an unscrupulous recruitment company last week was really an eye opener. I was searching for an Accountant and called up a candidate for an interview with me. In the current economical downturn, the candidate was absolutely delighted to hear from me. He was enthusiastic and agreed to come to my office for an interview.

During our dialogue, he told me frankly that another recruitment firm had contacted him for a similar role. Since he was coming to see me, he would inform them to hang on.

The candidate turned up punctually for his interview. After the lengthy and thorough interview, I immediately drafted the recommendation report and submitted it to the client on the same day.

The next day, imagine my shock and frustration when I received an email from the client informing me that the same candidate had been referred to them by another firm.

The candidate was equally frustrated and upset when I told him about the situation. It was apparent that the other firm had emailed the candidate’s CV to the client to “lock” him in though instructed by the candidate to “hang on”; when they learned that he was coming to my office to interview for a similar role.

Initially, the other firm denied that the candidate had given them instruction to hang on. After much insistence from the candidate, they then finally relented and agreed to “withdraw” his CV.

In the Singapore recruitment market, due to the highly competitive nature, many unscrupulous recruitment firms resort to resume-dumping to their clients, in order to be the first company to lodge the candidates’ CVs with the clients. Such firms will cut corners, work for their self-interests and totally disregard the interests of the clients and candidates. The clients will typically pay the recruitment firm that sends in the CVs first. This penalized those recruitment firms that go through the tedious task of interviewing, assessing the candidates and drafting proper recommendation reports. In many cases, the unscrupulous firms would have sent in the CVs by the time the recommendation reports reached the client.

Ironically, the clients typically consider the recruitment firms that send in the CV first as the representatives for the candidates. Such practice has indirectly encouraged some unscrupulous recruitment firms to cut corners and resort to resume-dumping to lock in the candidates. That is very frustrating to the recruitment firms that have put in the quality efforts to meet, interview, assess the candidate and draft detailed and proper recommendation reports.

Hunting for a job in a recession

2009-01-05T15:46:00.007+08:00

“You are retrenched!” That is a much dreaded verdict few would want to hear, especially during the current economical turmoil.

As the economy grinds to a halt, job seekers are hit with double whammy. First, the number of available jobs is shrinking at a frightening rate. Second, the number of job seekers is ballooning as more and more workers are being retrenched. The job market gets significantly more competitive as a result.

What can you do to secure a job in such a situation? It is going to be real tough though it is not impossible if you approach the unenviable task in a logical and rational manner.

Rather than panicking and worrying, it is more prudent to sit back and look at the situation from a totally different angle. That way, you can position yourself more favorably and create for yourself certain competitive advantages.

Understand what employers want
Start by understanding what employers want and ask if you are the best candidate to fulfill them. If you are the best candidate, obviously the employers would like to have you. If you are not, then you should work hard to become THE best candidate. Look at the big picture and understand how you can help your future employers succeed.

Stay focused
You have to stay focused on the type of role that you are applying for. As a headhunter, I see the common mistake that many job seekers make. They apply for any positions that are available. That would not work as their skill set is never going to be suitable for all positions and actually works against them. It shows that they are desperate and are not sure of what they want.

Look at different industries
Where your skills are transferable, you may want to look at different industries. If you are doing sales in the finance or IT sector, you may consider sales positions in the telco or health-care sector.

Research your target companies
The golden rule in job-hunting is to research your target companies thoroughly. You should never attend an interview without knowing about the company. It reflects your sloppy attitude towards your career and impairs your sincerity in trying to join an unknown organization.

Demonstrating a strong knowledge of your future employer will give the hiring managers an impressive opinion of yourself, your seriousness, attitude and your interests in the organization. They will have a higher confidence in you to succeed.

Customize your resume
You should never send a generic resume for the positions that you want. Customize your resume by highlighting the most relevant skills and achievements for the jobs. That will help you put greater emphasis on your potential value to the future employers.

Make full use of your network
Your network is key to your success. What you know may be important but who you know may be more important, especially during bad times. With so many candidates applying for the same job, a good recommendation from your network can do wonders to sway the selection decision in your favour.

Sell results, not skills
Employers want results, not skills. You may possess a whole plane-load of skills through your years of hard work. These will be of no use to the employers if they cannot produce results. Your skills are the necessary means to the ends (results). You should clearly explain how you can help your employers achieve the desired results using your skills, instead of just conveniently listing your skills.

List your achievements in your resume
Employers want contributors and problem-solvers. They don’t really want employees. Your resume must be a great sales tool to clinch the interview. It must include a list of achievements to demonstrate your capability and your ability to contribute or to solve problems. That will give you the competitive advantages over your competitors.

Think outside the box
Many people picture the recruitment section and the job-boards when they think of job-hunting. Nothing can be further from the truth. You should identify ideal potential employers and craft customized resumes to send to them. Explain clearly why they should consider employing you.
Contact everyone in your network. Make it clearly known that you are available and are looking for career opportunity in the job market.

Know your worth
Do you know your worth? Not many people do. A rough estimate of your worth can be a proportion of the value of your contributions to the employers. For a sales-related job, the contribution can be related to amount of sales generated. For other positions, it can be related to the amount of cost savings achieved, etc.

Knowing your worth is important as it enhances your bargaining power. You should highlight your worth to your interviewers diplomatically. If possible, let them feel that it is their loss in not employing you.

In the current economical turmoil, job seekers face an uphill task in securing a job. Though tough, it is not totally impossible to secure a job as long as you can approach the task in a logical and rational manner. You can look at the situation from a different perspective and create for yourself competitive advantages to enhance your chances of securing that elusive job.

Doing Business In A Recession

2008-12-02T21:20:00.001+08:00

Doing Business In A Recession
By Stan Tan, MBA (email: ess@ltc-cpa.com)

It is official. The National Bureau of Economic Research (of USA) said on 1st December 2008, that the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007. What does this mean for us, in this part of the world, Asia?

Undoubtedly, most people get worried about how long the recession is going to last, the security of their jobs, reduction to their salaries and their abilities to service their financial burdens.

Getting worried is not going to benefit you. Rather, one should keep a clear mind (I know that is tough!), be objective and figure out the best ways to not only survive but to do well in this recession.

What are the typical behaviors during a recession? Let us list out some:

- Businesses are understandingly more worried.
- Businesses cut down on their spending.
- Businesses think about survival instead of expansion.
- Businesses scrutinize their operations more closely.
- Businesses look at cost cutting seriously.
- All the bad news in the newspapers daily: retrenchment, bankruptcy, downsizing and even suicides.

So what should you do? Worry away your life? You can take comfort from the fact that, historically, recessions come and go. Conditions undoubtedly change for the better. Businesses and people who exploit the current opportunities and position themselves for the better times ahead, will do well and be market leaders in the future.

- Businesses are understandingly more worried.
Your customers are more worried. Talk to them and explore ways to help them. What are they actually worried about: revenues, profits, overheads, costs, survival? You will be surprised that as you talk to different clients, their worries can be different even though, in general, they are all more worried.

Offer them advice and try to sway their thoughts from the pessimistic to the optimistic. Such discussions help generally as they help to eradicate the gloom, to a certain extend. Such discussions with customers will go a long way to strengthen the rapport with them as well.

- Businesses cut down on their spending.
Remember. The key message is that businesses cut down spending. They do not stop spending altogether. Businesses reduce their spending and give their business to vendors that they trust; vendors that they view as offering them value for money.

During a recession, it is critical that your company brings itself in tune with the customers. They are fighting to cut cost (not foregoing value and quality!). Can you help them manage by offering them a recession rebate until conditions improve? Do not do the wrong thing by lowering your prices! That can send a very wrong signal to your customers, especially the very good customers. They may think that you have been over-charging them all the time, plus it will be difficult to raise the prices back to the higher levels.

- Cost management
I prefer the term cost management to cost cutting. We manage our cost more carefully in difficult times. Differentiate between the needs and the wants. Better still; re-classify the needs and the wants. Some ‘needs’ in the good times may actually become ‘wants’ now. Once this is done, forget about all the ‘wants’. For example, in good times, your staff will consider a PC with more functionalities as a need because of the increased work-load. During the current difficult time, can that PC be ‘downgraded’ to a ‘want’ instead?

Many companies use such difficult times to downsize by retrenching. It may be prudent to use retrenchment as a last resort. Why? Because it can be conservatively estimated that it costs a company more than S$100,000 to replace a manager in term of recruitment, training, lost production and opportunity cost. Unless your company is 100% sure that the staff is definitely no longer required for the long foreseeable future, it would be prudent to utilize other cost management methods such shorter work-hours or going on mandatory vacation. Retrenchment can lead to low morale (which can be already low in such situation) and diminish the company’s reputation as a good employer!

- Scrutinise your offerings.
Customers’ needs and focus may shift during difficult times. Like you, they are going to focus on only their needs. Fad items are out. Think of ways to help your customers whenever possible, be flexible and tailor your services to suit their needs for the current time. New offerings and corporate image are out; superior value and price performance are in.

-Manage your marketing.
It is not advisable to stop all your marketing activities altogether! On the contrary, companies should market harder to position themselves as the customers’ best help to get the best value for their money, reduce cost and to do well in the recession.

In fact, companies should use such time to negotiate for a better price with your marketing agent and lock in the favourable prices. Adjust your marketing message to focus on value for money, superior value and price performance for your customers.

-Manage your customers.
Do not lose your customers. It enhances your company reputation greatly when you can keep your customers for a long period. Studies have shown that it costs more than 5 times to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one. Be as flexible as far as you can go and keep your customers happy. That does not mean that you should agree to a loss-making deal. Your customers who are with you long enough will be reasonable, as long as you demonstrate to them that you are giving way to meet their demand. You must always remember that you are in business to make a profit.

-Maintain your core values.
Your company is successful because of your special core values, culture and your unique selling propositions. Do not lose track of these or your foundation of your success will be undermined.

-Innovate during this difficult time.
Your customers may have special requirements during this difficult time. You can work closely with your customers to understand these requirements and adapt your services to suit them. Such working relationship with customers is crucial and can go a long way to cement you as their key vendor/consultant.

-Build for the future.
Do you realize that you can actually get more for less during difficult times? When times are bad, your customers are not going to pay your premium price. They go elsewhere instead.

The same goes for recruitment of employees. Potential employees do not demand higher salaries in view of the softer labour demand. Progressive companies use such time to cherry-pick good talent that may be let off by their employers. Such talent can be a real gem when market conditions recover and can help your company stay way ahead of the pack.

Who knows? Such employees may just be the ones to help your company do well and overcome this difficult situation.

Conclusion
In conclusion, recessions come and go. Like the Chinese phrase, “wei ji”, you should focus on the “ji” (opportunity) instead of worrying about the “wei” (crisis). Understand your strengths and focus on your customers’ modified requirements for this difficult time. Work closely with your customers and adapt yourself to satisfy your customers. Exploit this difficult time to position yourself for the turn-around.

You will not only survive this recession. You should be coming out of it much stronger!

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Article by Stanley Tan, Director of ELTICI HR Consultancy Pte Ltd, a leading regional executive search firm. ELTICI HR has an established network of offices in the Asia Pacific and Europe, specializing in the search for middle-management and senior management executives and senior executive placement service.

Copyright 2008 by ELTICI HR CONSULTANCY PTE LTD, all rights reserved. This material may be freely copied and distributed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice and the author's name.
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Recession-Proof Your Job

2008-11-26T10:28:00.002+08:00

Copyright 2008 by ELTICI HR CONSULTANCY PTE LTD, all rights reserved. This material may be freely copied and distributed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice and the author's name.
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Recession-Proof Your Job
by Stan Tan, MBA (email: ess@ltc-cpa.com)

In the current economy downturn, we may want to refer to the famous quote from John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States:
“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”

It may be appropriate here to modify this famous saying as follows:
“Ask not what your company can do for you - ask what you can do for your company.”

Why? Because if your company does not make it, neither will you. You lose your job and if you are lucky, you find your next job quickly. But ask yourself: how likely will that be during the current market situation.

Another timely quote from Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States:
“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it."

Companies are struggling! In the United States, former leading brand names like GM, Ford and Chrysler are fighting for survival. Companies in Singapore are foreseeing a difficult time ahead. So, what should you do? Whine and wait for the worst or stand up for your company and live to fight another day? Below are some suggestions how you can stand up and make a difference to recession-proof yourself.

Attitude counts a lot.
It is all about attitude. In the current difficult time, the importance of attitude cannot be over-emphasized. Positive attitude will help boost morale and enhance harmony and unity. This is made more important during difficult times where morale is typically low.

Take a macro view/look at the whole picture.
Look at the company as a whole and see yourself as part of the whole company. Do not wait to be told to do something. Now is the crucial time when you should look hard around and help the company to be stronger to be able to secure the diminished available business.
Be aware of and anticipate the needs of your co-workers and other departments. If you come across an article that might be useful to your co-workers, send it to them with a note.

Think of ways to generate revenues or cut costs.
During an economy downturn, the opportunity to generate revenues is diminished. Even then, we should always pro-actively think of ways to generate revenues. It is only when we ‘give up’ and stop thinking that we get into trouble.
We should keep the cost factor firmly in mind and cut costs wherever possible. Whatever costs that can be postponed should be postponed. Differentiate between needs and wants. All the wants should be firmly put on hold.
Cutting costs means that you can offer a more competitive price to your customers. Cutting costs is different from cutting corners. It means doing things in a more efficient way and doing away with non-essential stuff, without any adverse effect to quality.

Make positive contributions.
Make positive contributions whenever possible. Think of all possible ways to make positive contributions, even if it is not in your area of responsibility. Share your ideas willingly and be helpful to everyone.

Talk up your contributions.
There is no need to boast about your contributions. But keeping silent about contributions is not going help either. Subtly mention how your contributions have helped and offer more help whenever possible.

Doing your job well will not help.
In good times, doing your job well may suffice. In the current difficult situation, doing well just is not enough. Why? Because of the diminished available business opportunity, we must do our job exceptionally well to be able win the projects.

Build a strong rapport with other departments.
Unity is strength. Unity enhances morale. This is more crucial during the current downturn when morale can be low.

Make yourself stand out. Strive to be leader in your industry.
In such difficult times, it becomes more essential be best as we are competing for a limited number of available projects in the market. You can write articles, do a presentation at a seminar or even make use of the current trend and use a blog.

Get your skills up to date.
Ask yourself. If your skill is outdated, how can you contribute to the company? During the downturn, normal people start to worry. Progressive people think of how to contribute to the company by upgrading their skills, in line with the company’s requirements. Doing so will demonstrate to your company your positive attitude.

Continue networking.
It is more about who you know than what you know. What you know is important of course, but who you know can go a long way to help you succeed in difficult times. With your strong network and through the network of your network, you will be surprised how much can be achieved. This is particularly true in the current difficult time.

Be visible.
Be visible. In such difficult times, the company needs all contributions it can get. Now is not the best time to go on long vacation. The risk is that you may return to find out your job has become redundant. Make yourself useful and visible. Offer whatever help you can to whichever department that needs help.

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Copyright 2008 by ELTICI HR CONSULTANCY PTE LTD, all rights reserved. This material may be freely copied and distributed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice and the author's name.

Helpful Tips to Recession-Proof Your Job

2008-11-23T13:54:00.000+08:00

Helpful Tips to Recession-Proof Your Job

Quote from Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States:

“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it."

These tips can help you to recession-proof your job.

1. Make positive contributions: - Make positive contributions whenever possible. Share your ideas.

2. Make your superiors aware of your valuable contributions to the organization.

3. Be aware of and anticipate the needs of your co-workers and other departments. If you come across an article that might be useful to your co-workers, send it to them with a note.

4. Build a strong rapport with other departments.

5. Offer sincere and genuine compliments.

6. Build upon your skills or develop new ones.

7. Strive to be the thought leader in your industry. You can start a blog, write for journals or speak at seminars or conferences.

8. Build a strong network within and without the organization.

Self Management for the New Manager

2008-10-12T12:20:00.001+08:00

1. Monitor your work hours.

Set a limit and stick to it. It’s very easy to get sucked into working longer and longer hours just because you are new to the role and have so much to learn.

2. Recognise and manage your signs of stress.

Each of us has different reactions to stress. Unfortunately, when we are stressed, we often don’t realize it until it becomes too late and we get ill or it severely affects our performance.

3. Learn to delegate.

Failure to delegate is the most common failing of new managers.

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

This means regular meetings with:

· your team members

· your boss.

5. Give praise and recognition regularly.

Even “Thank You’s” are important.

6. Focus on what is important, not what is urgent.

In particular, talk with your manager about the three most important priorities he/she has for you in your role. Make sure you focus on these at all times.

7. Ensure you have a balance between intellectual, physical and emotional activities.

Whilst people differ markedly in their biorhythms (the way we manage our mental, physical and emotional makeup), each of us needs to manage these three.

8. Find yourself a mentor.

This should be someone who has been or is a successful people manager.

Tips for improving coaching

2008-09-30T20:12:00.000+08:00

Tips for improving coaching

· Develop a skills matrix for all the roles within the team.

· Ensure each staff member has an individual analysis of where his/her skills match the matrix and whether they need to develop further skills.

· Identify team members who are good at coaching / training others and formalize this process by setting specific training tasks for these people.

· Arrange rotation and temporary placements (within the team when someone is on leave and in other units / teams for further development).

· Encourage people to suggest new ways of doing things and look for ways to improve work flows.

· Allow people to make mistakes without feeling threatened (remember, most of us learn by trying things out!)

Effective Training and Leadership Development

2008-09-21T20:45:00.000+08:00

Effective Training and Leadership Development

Here are tips about how to provide effective training and leadership development for adult learners.

Enormous research has been done on how to train with impact. Here are some specific tips that will increase the impact of your investment in building leadership brand, as opposed to developing leaders:

- Offer an integrated model for the experience.
We continue to see many training events as parades of stars, with each day or module taught by a thoughtful presenter (either outside faculty, line manager, or customer), then another module from another face, and then another. With little integration, each training module is an isolated event. Branded training requires an integrated message (what our leaders need to know and do to demonstrate a leadership brand consistent with a firm brand) that has distinct modules woven around the brand theme.

- Use a host of training pedagogies.
Since adults learn differently from another, different methodologies can and should be used. A mix of lecture, small group discussion, written case studies, live case studies, action learning projects, team presentation, video snippets, technology-based learning, simulations, assessment tools, and so forth can be woven into the training experience to ensure that regardless of each participant's learning style, all will find some methods that work well.

- Bear in mind that with adult learners, the faculty should be talking about 60 or 70 percent of the time.
If faculty allows their participation to fall below 50 percent of the talking time, participants are in a problem-solving session and wonder what the faculty adds; if faculty does 85 percent or more of the talking, participants are more likely to be listening than internalizing what is taught.

- Design modules to follow the concept-illustration-action (C-I-A) rational.
During a training experience, a host of modules may be woven around the integrated C-I-A theme. Each module should have a clear set of concepts.

Tips For Managers - Assessing performance .........

2008-09-04T14:58:00.000+08:00

Tips For Managers

Assessing performance and providing feedback

· Ensure performance standards are discussed and agreed at the start of the review period.

· Correct poor performance as it happens and do not include it in the annual review.

· Conduct informal performance reviews regularly – at least monthly.

· Ask staff members how the performance review sessions can be improved.

· Be sure to include discussion on career /professional development in the review sessions.

Manager Team Building Tips

2008-07-29T07:01:00.002+08:00

Team-Building Tips for Managers

Positive office dynamics add great strength to a business, while strained ones create strife. As a manager, you simply can't afford to leave such an important aspect of the company to chance.

There are many ways for managers to bring a team together and foster its ability to work together as a whole. These 10 tips can help unite even the most disparate group of people.

Communicate goals clearly.

Employees look to management for basic company goals. When those goals are not clear, disagreements will erupt as employees try to define goals themselves. By clearly laying out goals, everyone begins in the same place and understands where the business is going.

Define responsibilities.
Offices run best when everyone clearly understands their responsibilities. Provide each employee with a distinct definition of his or her own responsibilities, both individually and as it relates to group projects. This eliminates confusion over who is accountable for what, and allows employees to relate without struggling over responsibilities.

Provide equal training.
Make sure that each member of your staff is trained and equipped to complete the tasks at hand; divisions surface when one member is unable to perform necessary duties. Provide ongoing training — if additional time is needed, pair two employees to learn from each other. Make sure, though, that it's an equal teaching relationship, where both employees are gaining new skills.

Encourage relationships.
Most offices are busy places with many demanding deadlines. But allowing employees an occasional extended lunch to go out together and relax outside of the work environment can build understanding that will transfer back into the office and improve working relationships.

Empower.
Give decision-making power to the people working on the project. Give them the authority necessary to get their jobs done, but observe the process to make sure they're rising to the challenge. Trusted employees can make decisions without fearing consequences, and good employees will value that trust and seek to make the best decisions.

Provide feedback.
Don’t make a group second-guess your opinion of its work. Be clear not only in your initial expectations and assignments, but also in your opinion of the work. Open and frequent communication, where employees are clear on where they stand, will help them feel more secure and willing to work together.

Reward.
Provide rewards to the office as a group. Whether it's an award, a luncheon, or some other treat, providing the whole office with an encouraging reward for hard work will build team spirit and bring your employees back in with renewed enthusiasm for their jobs.

Set reasonable deadlines.
Reasonable deadlines are often subjective, and timelines vary based on need. But you can build a spirit of teamwork by dividing assignments equally, providing compensation to employees who are working additional hours, and reworking less important deadlines to allow for a little more time.

Meet regularly.
The best way to understand your employees and to let them know they're not alone is to meet regularly with them. Whether it’s a monthly lunch meeting or an organized meeting with specific agenda items, it's critical to keep the lines of communication open. This allows you to gauge not only their needs and productivity, but will also help you assess any team-building concerns that need to be addressed.

Discourage “backdoor” reports.
Inevitably, there will be at least one employee who will attempt to report to you after every meeting — giving a play-by-play slanted in his or her favor. Don't encourage this behavior, and resist the temptation to use this employee as a fly on the wall. Backdoor tactics can severely undermine an otherwise positive office environment.

Building a team means creating a noncompetitive and encouraging work environment — the kind of environment that fosters positive working relationships. When employees feel valued and know that they don't have to vie against one another for recognition, they will be comfortable and confident in working together to achieve their common goal.

Seven Tips for Becoming A Successful Manager

2008-07-10T21:27:00.001+08:00

Seven Tips for Becoming A Successful Manager By Susan M. Heathfield,

An effective manager pays attention to many facets of management, leadership and learning within organizations. It is difficult to take the topic of "management success" and say that the following ten items are the most important. However, there following are seven management success skills without which yon may not be a successful manager.

The most important issue in management success is being a person that others want to follow. Every action you take during your career in an organization helps determine whether people will one day want to follow you.

A successful manager:

- Builds effective and responsive interpersonal relationships. Reporting staff members, colleagues and executives respect his or her ability to demonstrate caring, collaboration, respect, trust and attentiveness.

- Communicates effectively in person, print and email. Listening and two-way feedback characterize his or her interaction with others.

- Builds the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other. People feel they have become more - more effective, more creative, and more productive - in the presence of a team builder.
- Understands the financial aspects of the business and sets goals and measures and documents staff progress and success.
- Knows how to create an environment in which people experience positive morale and recognition and employees are motivated to work hard for the success of the business.
- Leads by example and provides recognition when others do the same.
- Helps people grow and develop their skills and capabilities through education and on-the-job learning.

Referrer earns S$500. Our ELTICI Referrer Program Is Off To A Great Start!

2008-06-25T13:21:00.001+08:00

Congratulations to Mr. SS Poo of Internal Audit, who earns himself S$500! Poo referred a great Accountant candidate who got a great job and career with our client, a reputable public-listed manufacturing company with about USD1 billion in revenue and more than 3,000 employees worldwide.

You can be a winner too. This is a win-win situation for all. You earn extra cash while helping your friends land great career opportunities. Your friends will be grateful to you and you get to become the popular guy or gal!!! :-)

The ELTICI Referrer Program is designed to enable you help your friends and earn extra cash at the same. You just need to keep your friends informed of the job openings that we have or call them to tell them. If your friends get the job, you get the S$500 referral fee. So do not forget to visit our interim website:

http://www.singaporeheadhunter.blogspot.com/

Or keep a look-out for our regular emails on the latest job vacancies.

Selecting The Right Candidate For A Job

2008-06-22T21:01:00.000+08:00

The mistakes employers make when selecting candidates for a job

By Ben Fletcher
(Ben is Professor of Personal & Organisational Development at the University of Hertfordshire.)

Appearances can be deceptive. Organisations spend considerable amounts of money recruiting staff. They then continue to spend money on training and paying for people they should not have taken on. In about one-third of new jobs, the selected incumbents can be considered as wrong decisions by the company.

This state of affairs is not the fault of the recruitment firm. On the contrary, companies that use recruitment services are much LESS likely to make these kinds of mistakes because the client is required to clarify what they really want when giving the brief, and the successful candidate will be more suitable.

Employers make all sorts of mistakes when selecting candidates for a job. These mistakes fall into different areas:

Inadequate specification of needs

The company has a vacancy because someone has left, or alternatively a new job has been created. In both cases, it is not uncommon for the client to be unsure about what needs they really have. This is not just because people do not work to job descriptions in the real world, but also because the operational managers (as opposed to the HR professionals) cannot communicate their real needs. They know what they want done, but not what might do the job. Alternatively, they might have a constrained view of who could fill the job or what skills they need. It almost always pays to spend time on getting a clear job/person specification and to do it properly. It is definitely cheaper than years of employing the wrong people.

Believing that you do not need the professionals

Professional recruitment companies do more than you might think. The best ones attract the best candidates, they can talk their language (and make sure you do), they know the markets and the options; they can assist throughout the entire process. Do not forget their job is recruitment even if you only hire new staff occasionally. You could do it but doubtlessly, at more long term cost.

Internal company politics

Unfortunately, people interfere in the recruitment process in ways they should not. It might be that a boss has a particular axe to grind or a way of doing things. It might be that the last job incumbent messed up and that some incidental and irrelevant characteristic has been blamed for it. Unfortunately, humans are prone to believing in the causal significance of completely irrelevant coincidences. This can be true of bosses too!

Wanting the impossible or the very unlikely

Another common problem is the employer who does not know the candidate pool well, so they want a person with a particular experience mix, or qualifications that are unusual. Perhaps the last person they had in the job was the one in a million whose skills profile they had taken for granted. It is a fundamental law that the rarer it is the more expensive it is, or the more difficult to get. It is better to be flexible as an employer, too. People can soon grow into roles and niches they did not fit exactly before. You might even find they bring something innovative that you had not thought of.

Not staying focused on need

It goes without saying, but people get sidetracked easily in the selection process. There are a number of ways this can happen. It might be the problem of 'seduction'. Perhaps one candidate has skills that - although not important for the particular job - would be useful in a different role. Or perhaps they come from a competitor and might have useful information. Keep to the agenda unless there are compelling reasons to deviate. Even then, remember that a different job spec would have attracted a different set of candidates.

Poor selection from amongst the possible

There are many reasons companies fail to choose the best candidate put before them. These range from poor methods such as unstructured or unprofessional interviewing, taking too much notice of the irrelevant or allowing prejudices to cloud judgement. Some companies cannot even be persuaded to see the best candidates.

Hiring what you know, not the best

Another fundamental law is that people like the predictability and certainty of choosing people that are 'like them'. This is a group identity need. Often people like the job to be done with a style and in a certain way for no other reason than that is the way they do it or are used to seeing it done. This is not efficient. Indeed, this Comfort Zone is a dangerous place indeed for performance and responsiveness and innovation in business. Take professional advice. Look at what you don't know - it might prove better.

There is no panacea for these problems, but awareness of them is a starting point. As a single piece of advice I would say try to survey the territory from another tree.

Talent Retention Tips

2008-05-29T21:06:00.000+08:00

Talent Retention Tips by Craig Donaldson

A recent US white paper found that by 2010, there could be as many as 10 million more jobs available in the country than there are employees.

Further, there is growing evidence of worker dissatisfaction, primarily as a result of layoffs, lack of career growth, and minimal pay has increased over the past several years.

In addition, some employers have become ruthless in order to survive over the past decade, creating aggressive cultures that may not be comfortable for many workers.

The ‘Responding To The Mega-Billion-Dollar Retention Crisis’ white paper, produced by The Ken Blanchard Companies, detailed 10 steps for building retention within organizations:

Show genuine interest and appreciation. Continue to be or become genuinely interested in each person whom you support and depend on.

Make work meaningful. Help people see the connection between what they do and what difference it makes, to the company, the internal or external customers, and society.

Ask courageous questions. Do not shy away from asking why people stay and what it will take to retain them.

Grow competencies, situationally. Look for opportunities to put people into challenging situations where their skills and competencies will grow.

Meet one-on-one, routinely. Conduct regular, but brief one-on-one meetings between manager/leaders and direct reports. Begin by asking, “What’s on your mind?”– then listen and act.

Make retention everyone’s responsibility. Encourage all members of the work group to feel responsible for the retention of their peers and to be alert to problems that can be fixed.

Be a career builder. Talk to people about their long-term career aspirations and help them use or build the skills and competencies they need for the future.

Help people get an “A”. Give the gift of being clear about what an “A” level performance looks like.

Manage the meaning of change. Move toward people in uncertain times, including personal and organizational change. Be there and be open. Check in with people often.

Walk your talk. Be aware that people are always watching and assessing you and your actions as a leader.

Retaining Talent

2008-05-11T19:24:00.000+08:00

Retaining Talent

With the economy growing at a steady pace, companies are facing newer challenges. In particular, the Human Resources Department has to change its approach to managing Human Capital.

Gone are the days when the employer called the shots. Today with more people-centric business models it has become ever more crucial to be able to retain talent. The loss of talent in a firm can adversely affect the firm’s ability to succeed.

Many companies have yet to be more innovative in talent retention. Improving talent retention should be the primary aim of every manager.

We list some tips to improve talent retention below:

• Select the right people in the first place through behavior-based testing and competency screening.

• Offer an attractive, competitive, benefits package with components such as life insurance, disability insurance and flexible hours.

• Provide opportunities for people to share their knowledge via training sessions, presentations, mentoring others and team assignments.

• Demonstrate respect for all employees at all times. Listen to them; use their ideas; never ridicule or shame them.

• Offer performance feedback and praise good efforts and results.

• People want to enjoy their work. Make work fun. Engage and employ the special talents of each individual.

• Enable employees to balance work and life. Allow flexible starting times, core business hours and flexible ending times.

• Involve employees in decisions that affect their jobs and the overall direction of the company whenever possible.

• Recognize excellent performance, and especially, link pay to performance.

• Base the upside of bonus potential on the success of both the employee and the company and make it limitless within company parameters.

• Recognize and celebrate success.
• Staff adequately so overtime is minimized for those who don't want it and people don't wear themselves out.

• Nurture and celebrate organization traditions. Run a food collection drive every Christmas. Pick a monthly charity to help. Have an annual company dinner at a fancy hotel.

• Provide opportunities within the company for cross-training and career progression. People like to know that they have room for career movement.

• Provide the opportunity for career and personal growth through training and education, challenging assignments and more.

• Communicate goals, roles and responsibilities so people know what is expected and feel like part of the in-crowd.

•Encourage employees to have good, even best, friends, at work.

These tips will go a long way to make your organizations that truly appreciate and treasure employees. The returns are immeasurable. If you treat your employees really well, you will not lose them and will not lose your competitiveness.

Blurring the Distinction Between Work and Play

2008-04-30T16:28:00.000+08:00

Culture Shift: Blurring the Distinction Between Work and Play By Paul Levesque

High-performance businesses understand the four elements that can turn any kind of work into an energizing play-like activity for all employees.

The moment you set foot in a high-energy workplace you can feel the difference. Employees move faster and smile more. They all seem to be deeply engrossed in something enjoyable—and it is no illusion. In the name of research, I directly asked scores of workers in a variety of high-performance businesses: "Do you find the work you do here enjoyable?"

The work they do may be different, but their answers all sound alike—all use words like "fun" and "satisfying" to describe their jobs. A theme that pops up again and again in their answers has to do with their perception of time. They are constantly kept busy—but amazingly, they cite this as a big plus as time on the job then passes quickly.

This of course represents the very opposite of the traditional clock-watcher image of an employee bored stiff. References to "fun" and "time flying by" are usually associated with pleasant games or pastimes—forms of play, rather than work. To help us understand how some businesses make work feel more like play, we need to review the four elements that make play itself enjoyable.

1. The Element of Challenge

Disgruntled employees often describe their jobs as "boring," "repetitious," and "pointless." But now visit any bowling alley. Each time a bowler manages to knock all the pins down, a mechanical contraption promptly sets them right back up again. Wouldn’t this qualify as one of the most boring, repetitious and pointless human activities ever devised? Yet many bowlers cannot wait to get away from their boring jobs and pay money to take part.
Would bowling be even more fun if the pins were closer, and therefore easier to knock down?

Everyone understands that it's precisely the challenge of attempting something difficult that gives structured play activities—such as bowling, golf, billiards, etc.—their basic appeal. And a particularly stimulating challenge theme in many children's games—like paddle-ball, hot potato and others—are often based on a "keep the kettle boiling" theme.

In businesses, the challenge is to keep the lines moving through the store, keep the cars flowing through the drive-through, keep the shelves stocked with fresh product. The whole operation is one big keep-the-kettle-boiling game from opening to closing, and the workers love the challenge.
Culture Shift Opportunity: Do the workers in your businesses feel they're engaged in a challengingly difficult shared objective?

2. A Clear Set of Rules

In play activities, the rules by which the game can and cannot be played are clearly understood by all the players. In most workplaces, the rules are vague and keep changing. But in high-energy businesses, employees are all aligned toward a single challenging objective: delighting every customer every time. Everyone understands the rules—for example, you must do nothing to harm the organization in any way while you strive to deliver a delightful customer experience.
Culture Shift Opportunity: Do your employees have clear rules, core values, or other guidelines that spell out what is and isn't allowed during the pursuit of their shared objective?

3. A Scoring Mechanism for Immediate Feedback

All play activities allow participants to track how well they and the other players are doing at all times. Would these activities be as enjoyable if this form of immediate feedback were removed? How much fun would golf be, for example, if the players could not see the cup, and had the results mailed to them at home weeks afterward?
In many business settings, if workers receive positive feedback about their work at all, it's only during formal "performance review" meetings—too late to have much impact. Contrast this with workplaces focused on customer delight, where employees receive immediate feedback every day in the form of appreciative comments from happy customers, generous tips, and the cheerful return of "regulars." Their work earns these employees a succession of "high scores" that keep them motivated.
Culture Shift Opportunity: Does your staff get to receive positive feedback on a regular and timely basis—whether from managers or customers?

4. The Satisfaction of Winning

In football, the lively reaction each time a player scores a touchdown makes it clear the accomplishment is extremely satisfying.

When energized businesses "score" (i.e., when the feedback makes it clear they're delivering a delightful experience and attracting business away from competitors), their satisfaction can be as great as that experienced by players in any structured game.Culture Shift Opportunity: Instead of looking for ways to change workers so they'll be more motivated on the job, look for ways to change the job to make it more motivational for workers.

Diversity a Top Trend for 2008 in Executive Recruiting

2008-04-19T10:06:00.000+08:00

Diversity a Top Trend for 2008 in Executive Recruiting
By Kel & Partners

Polachi, the leading provider of Access Executive Search services to technology, life sciences, clean tech, venture capital and private equity clients, released its top trend predictions for executive recruiting in 2008.

1. Alternative Energy/Clean Tech to Tap Pharma Execs: "Clean tech will continue to grow and will take executives from other industries to lead them," says Dr. Christopher Palatucci, Life Sciences Practice Leader. "Pharma, and increasingly biotech, are attractive targets for alternative energy industries as these executives have relevant product development experience, and as the executives seek exits due to pharma's continuing pipeline and other woes."

2. Finance Experience at the Board Level: "Boards will continue to need outsiders, particularly qualified financial types," says Charley Polachi, Partner and co-Founder.

3. Diversity at Larger Companies: "Larger companies are especially putting on a big push for diversity," says Paul Moran, Partner. "They recognize that having a more multicultural representation leads to improved products and services for the ever-expanding minority and international markets."

4. Rise of the "Outside" Chief Technology Officer: "The demand for VP's of Engineering and CTO's continues to be strong in our markets and looks likely to continue," says Brigid Oliveri Siegel, Partner. "In particular, companies in the $100 million to $300 million range with aspirations of growing to $500 million and beyond will be looking to bring in fresh ideas with CTOs from outside their company."

5. Sales & Marketing of Enterprise Software: "With more enterprise software companies targeting businesses as well as consumers, there is a growing need for sales and marketing executives who have experience selling into both B2B and B2C markets," says Rebecca Foreman, Vice President.

6. Global Interest from VC/PE Industry: "An increasing number of venture capital and private equity firms will progressively seek international exposure," said Karen Burke D'Agostino, Partner. "There is a particularly high level of interest in China and India."

7. Favoring of Strategic Leadership Skills "Strategic leadership skills will increasingly be favored over specific domain expertise amongst CEOs and other senior functional executives," said Jim Poe, Partner. "We are seeing a swing back toward the recruiting environment of the late 90's and away from the excessively stringent selection criteria imposed by investors and boards that was common in the early years of this decade."

More International Search Assignments

2008-04-15T07:36:00.000+08:00

Last week saw an increase in oversea assignments: for Japan and China. Clients were looking for legal counsels and senior general accounting manager in Japan and China.

The client was sighing as he was having difficulty searching for good legal counsel for his Japan operation. We got our colleagues in Japan into action and got a handful of really solid legal counsels for him, just in a week’s time. The client was so impressed and wanted us to search for a legal counsel for his China operation. About 4 hours after we spoke, our colleagues in Shanghai got 2 great candidates for him to consider. The client will be in Shanghai to do the interviews this week.

It is good that the regional executive search assignments are coming along and we are grateful that our regional team is able to do a good job to keep our client happy.

In case you are looking for Search Consultants to help you in the Asia Pacific region, do feel free to contact us. You will be glad you did.

Increase In Demand For Legal Counsel

2008-04-11T19:01:00.000+08:00

It appears that there is an increase in demand for legal counsels recently. This has resulted in an increase in the salary of legal counsels.

Just recently, we received several requests for legal counsels, including one for Japan and one for China. We were able to produce good candidates within a week and it was really gratifying to hear the clients graciously complimenting our team for producing quality candidates in a short span of time.

For Singapore, we got several requests and through our strict and thorough screening process, we were able to find a few quality candidates. Candidates were asking for approximately a 20% premium. The companies did not mind that. I guess that the priority is to fill up the position, and salary is a secondary concern.

Just in case you are looking for legal counsels for your Asia Pac operations, do feel free to contact us at 65-62260080. You will be glad you did.

A CASE OF PROMPT QUALITY SERVICE

2008-04-09T07:09:00.002+08:00

How about this for PROMPT QUALTIY service?

We got an email from a reputable client. One of their staff had just resigned and they needed a replacement quickly. We called the client to get more information and quickly contacted a few potential qualified candidates immediately. After discussion with the candidate, we submitted her candidate profile to the client.
Guess what? The client liked her profile and an interview was arranged for the next day.

The rest is history. The client likes the candidate and the candidate loves the client.

This is really a case of PROMPT QUALITY service.

For employers: remember to give us a call to enjoy prompt quality service. (Tel: 65 6226 0080)

For job seekers: remember to send us your CV if you do not want to miss out valuable career opportunities. (ess@ltc-cpa.com)

How To Find Top Performers

2008-04-04T13:46:00.000+08:00

How To Find Top Performers

There has been a lot of talk about businesses struggling in this weak economy. We have heard of slumping sales, budget cutting, lay-offs and even business closures. But that is not the case for everybody. A minority of businesses are thriving in this economy, reaching goals and doing better than ever.

Managers of these successful businesses always seem to praise the individuals who are working for them and the productivity they provide. On the same note, many struggling business managers blame their people.

Whereas successful businesses always seem to praise their people, they should praise their "people systems." It is actually the strict hiring process and competent coaching/managing/motivating system that promotes their success.

Once a company realizes there is no guesswork or gamble involved in hiring, developing or retaining employees, and it creates consistent people systems, a company is well on its way to success.

There are three things successful businesses always do better than their counterparts.

First, they put the right person in the right position the first time through job matching.

Second, they "individually" train, manage and coach their employees.

And third, they know when it is time to replace a struggling non-producer.

With proven, consistent hiring and managing systems, companies improve retention, sales, teamwork and leadership effectiveness. Besides these vast improvements in productivity and revenues, another positive is they do not have to replace as many employees as they had to in the past, thus greatly saving recruitment, hiring and training costs.

Peter Drucker, the famous management guru, writes, "Chances are good that 66 percent of your company's hiring decisions will prove to be mistakes in the first 12 months." Whether these struggling, non-producers are replaced or not, this means that two of three employees should never have been hired for the job they hold.

Through job matching, successful companies know how well a candidate fits the position before making a hiring decision. By building "Job Success Patterns" based on the behavior traits, interests and skills of the top performers in every position, and comparing candidates to these benchmarking standards, a company will know how well a person will perform the job if hired, thus eliminating the guesswork and risk of hiring.

As companies continue to struggle with the 80/20 dilemma (80 percent of their productivity comes from 20 percent of their workforce), and managers spend more than 60 percent of their time on personnel issues stemming from miscast employees, they must realize the hiring issue will not take care of itself. If ignored, the problem will only get worse.

A hiring system should never take "gut feel" into consideration. In his book, "Hire With Your Head," Lou Adler wrote, "First impressions based on emotions, biases, chemistry, personality and stereotyping cause more hiring mistakes than any other single factor."

Without creating thorough job descriptions and benchmarks built on top performers for every position in your company and then comparing candidates to this organized data to measure job fit, gut feel is still playing a major role in the hiring process. Sure, the resume and interview can help you measure the skill, experience and company match, but that is just a minute portion of what you need to know before hiring. Experts estimate information gathered from exaggerated resumes and rehearsed interview answers is only 10 percent of the information required to make a sound hiring decision.

The essence of the total person, or the remaining 90 percent, is gathered by considering the candidate's skills and abilities, occupational interests and behavioral traits. This is the documented data you have on your current employees and your top performers.

Whereas every employee is a unique individual with diverse experience, ability, interests and behaviors, most companies continue to train, coach and motivate every individual exactly the same. In addition, they expect the same productivity from these individuals.

In 1999, the Harvard Business Review wrote, "In these days of talent wars, the best way to keep your stars is to know them better than they know themselves - and then use that information to customize the careers of their dreams." Without truly knowing the interests, significant behavioral tendencies, preferred style of performing a job and motivators, it is virtually impossible to receive the maximum productivity from an employee.

How to Retain High Performers

2008-03-29T11:23:00.000+08:00

How to Retain High Performers

By Ron Elsdon

Despite the economic slowdown, voluntary employee turnover — coupled with retention of valued workers — remain critical issues. This is a marked contrast to previous downturns. Layoffs can cause significant upheaval within an organization, prompting even the most valued employees to be uncertain about their futures.

There are two types of employee turnover: unavoidable and avoidable. Unavoidable turnover results from life decisions that extend beyond an employer's control, such as a decision to move to a new area or a job transfer for a spouse. Avoidable turnover is something organizations can take certain steps to prevent by hiring, evaluating and motivating their employees more effectively.

Employers today should focus on preserving their top talent and reducing turnover rates by taking proactive measures before it is too late. Here are ten strategies to select, motivate, and keep high-performance individuals:

1. Hire the Right Person — Most voluntary turnover is due to issues of "chemistry" or "fit" within an organization. Employers are quickly adopting the strategy of "hire for fit, train for skill." By doing a thorough analysis of the success factors required for a position, you'll be better prepared to conduct a behavioral-based interview process.

2. Integrate for Success — The first few weeks of employment are the most critical time to lay the groundwork for long-term employee commitment. Turnover can be cut dramatically by implementing a thorough, well-executed orientation program. Demonstrating employer commitment to a new hire's success early on fosters trust and commitment from the employee in the organization.

3. Phase in Training — Rather than throw a new employee into several weeks of job-specific training right away, provide them with basic training at the outset. As they build experience and time with the company, you can then offer further training in recognition of their growth.

4. Provide Growth Opportunities — The irony of retaining good people is that the more they feel they are able to grow and become more marketable, the more likely they are to stay. Employees are taking ownership of their careers and recognize the need to continuously refine and upgrade their skills. The more easily accessible and relevant training you can offer, the greater the likelihood that turnover rates will decline.

5. Align Aspirations with Contributions — Try to match the skills and interests of your employees with their work assignments. Do employees seem interested or best suited to what they're doing? Provide an environment where employees can make the necessary adjustments to ensure that they are effectively aligned with what the company needs them to do and what they are best at and enjoy doing.

6. Motivate the Troops — Assess the underlying motivators for work beyond the paycheck. High-tech employees are often motivated when recognized for their unique skill-sets, whereas a service organization is more likely to have employees excited about helping others. Check your assumptions, and then design strategies to reinforce what matters most.

A key factor in motivating employees is creating a sense affiliation within the organization, which means having a two-way relationship based on meeting mutual needs. A recent study DBM conducted with over 400 companies across the US, revealed that creating an inspiring vision — motivating employees to feel a strong sense of purpose in their organization — is critical to building a sense of affiliation for employees with their organizations. The stronger the affiliation, the higher the level of productivity (and incidentally the retention rate).

7. Make Rewards Count — Rewards should be immediate, appropriate, and personal. Receiving a bonus check at the end of the year may mean less than smaller, more frequent payouts. A personal note means more than a generic company award. You may want to survey employees for their input on desired forms of recognition, then use the findings when it comes time to reward employees.

8. Enlist Problem Solvers — When possible, invite employees to help solve company problems. Rather than stating the problem from a corporate perspective and implementing a solution, discuss the consequences of the problem with employees and enlist their aid in helping to solve it. This shared approach creates deep ownership for employees in the company's success.

9. Practice What You Preach — People do not necessarily commit to "an organization;" they commit to the employees and culture that drive the organization. Employees are most content when they are able to become an integral part of their work community. Establish your corporate values, and then make sure you walk the talk.

10. Sweat the Exit Interview — Knowing why employees leave an organization is instrumental in understanding turnover rates. Exit interviews should be conducted either in person or on the telephone by an independent third-party interviewer, who is skilled in exploring sensitive issues. Tracking reasons for departures may uncover patterns that, when addressed, help stem further turnover.

The costs associated with losing an employee are well-documented, ranging anywhere from one to five times salary depending on exempt versus non-exempt status. Beyond the obvious costs of recruiting and training new employees are the many hidden consequences of employee turnover, which include lost productivity, reduced morale, lost intellectual capital and, perhaps worst of all, lost business. Don't make the mistake of ignoring the reasons for turnover in your organization.

"Show me the money" is not the only mantra of today's worker, and organizations must recognize that and adapt their retention strategies accordingly.

The Importance of Networking and Relationship Building

2008-03-25T00:11:00.001+08:00

The Importance of Networking and Relationship Building

By Craig D. Sandok, Esq. - Search Consultant

Why do we network? It is the most powerful way to build professional relationships, actively foster contacts and disseminate information.

In 1994, it was estimated that the average person would change jobs 10.3 times during their life. In the year 2000, the average person would have three to five different career changes. These figures indicate that you better understand that people skills, personality, the ability to communicate, and the ability to build a network are key to keeping a job. Most major law firms and corporations now have marketing departments, an indication that people have to get along with people.

Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Labor indicate that 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking (personal contacts). A mere 15 percent are through a search firm, 10-12 percent through want ads, 4 percent have been found by people creating their own jobs, and 2 percent by blindly sending out resumes. More people are hired by being in the right place at the right time than for any other single reason. But you can't take advantage of that unless you stay in contact with your network. This is the main reason to have a network.

How do you build and maintain a network? Most people personally know at least 250 other people, and have even more acquaintances. Harvey McKay, a well-known author and speaker, suggests keeping a rolodex of everyone you know and putting a little something about that person on each card. McKay also suggests that you update your rolodex on who you meet daily. Get to know other paralegals -- get involved in MPA and NFPA; go to Sectionals; get on a MPA committee currently meeting. This could include the annual meeting, nominations and elections, winter gala, etc. Go out of your way to meet every single person that you have the opportunity to meet. Meeting new people will be easier for some than for others, but it will be worth your while. If networking is hard for you, start on a smaller scale - but start! The other thing I must say is be genuine, because people know if you are a phony. For some, it may take reading books to learn to genuinely like and meet new people.

Volunteering can help people who are shy or who find it hard to meet new people break out of their shells. Volunteering will afford you a smaller group to start and then you can build on that. Plus volunteering will build self-esteem and confidence faster than anything else because you are helping others. Always deliver more than you are asked to deliver.

Beware of networking errors.

(1) Be sincere;
(2) Do not ask for (or expect) payback;
(3) Respect other people's time;
(4) Follow through on promises;
(5) Use special care with referred 'friends';
(6) Do not make disparaging jokes;
(7) Err on the side of politeness and formality;
(8) Do not wait to be properly introduced - practice a self-introduction; and
(9) Say thank-you.

Even if you aren't looking for a job, it is always important to keep adding to your network -- both inside and outside your industry. Networking allows you to be in a position to win and be in with the decision makers who are making things happen. You can't take advantage of that unless you position yourself to win by staying in contact with your network.

One of the more important sayings I've heard is, "It is not what you know, it is not who you know, it is what you know about who you know." Another saying that we have all heard, "They do not care what you know until they know that you care"!

I want to end with this - did you see the movie Erin Brockovich? Without giving anything away, do you know why Erin was so successful? It wasn't because of the way she dressed (and I do not recommend dressing like that), or the way she spoke -- because she definitely could have used better language. It wasn't her education either, although she was very smart. It was the fact that she really cared for others, could relate to them, and others trusted her with everything they had. So above all else, you need to honestly care about what you are doing and learn to relate and work with people.

STAYING AHEAD WITH PROGRESSIVE HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGIES

2008-03-22T11:54:00.001+08:00

STAYING AHEAD WITH PROGRESSIVE HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGIES
Adapted from a research paper by Forrester Research

The professional workforce is dramatically changing as a new generation of younger, college-educated workers launches their careers at the same time that a large number of senior employees reach retirement age. To effectively manage this changing workforce at both ends of the age spectrum, companies need Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs), who have a different focus from traditional human resources executives. CHCOs should have business backgrounds and focus on aligning the workforce with the corporate strategy, whereas HR executives focus primarily on recruiting, benefits, promotion paths, evaluations, compensation, workplace diversity, equal employment, etc. Organizations need both types of human resource executives to address the needs of a workforce that is seeing a technically savvy generation begin to replace the retiring labor force.

Between 1946 and 1964, 76 million workers were born in the US. This massive population bulge is now are getting ready to retire, leaving a significant hole in their wake and creating serious concerns for many organizations with highly skilled workers who have built their expertise through years of on-the-job training. Industries now facing this problem include government, oil and gas, utilities, transportation, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, education and healthcare. Most enterprises don’t realize the magnitude of this problem or the force with which it will hit businesses during the next five years. Those that do are grappling with the complexity of issues surrounding the knowledge drain. Some initiatives being considered and implemented are mentoring programs, contracting retired employees to work part-time, deploying new systems that reduce the reliance on knowledge-intensive work (for instance, through implementing self-diagnosing equipment to replace inspections by highly trained engineers) and by considering knowledge management initiatives.

The new generation of workers – the ‘Millennials’ (those born between 1980 and 2000) – have an innate ability to use technology, are comfortable multi-tasking while using a diverse range of digital media, and literally demand interactivity as they construct knowledge. Millennials lack the workaholic drive of their burned-out predecessors, but they compensate by using many technologies – often simultaneously – to get the job done quickly (and have a personal life as well). They don’t have the skills and experience of the many retirees they are replacing, but they look to technology to help fill this gap. Managers must understand the work style differences among the multi-generational workforce and develop collaborative work environments that give Millennials the information they need – just-in-time and integrated with the job.

Geographically, trends are consistent. Like their North American counterparts, European businesses and government agencies are beginning to grapple with the retiring workforce. Many European countries have an even bigger problem than the US and Canada, as declining birth rates and low immigration levels combine with early retirements to create acute skilled labor shortages in fields requiring extensive technical training and experience. European industries feeling the impact include government, banking, oil and gas, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and airlines.

Human capital management is a critical initiative to help develop plans for mentoring, succession planning, recruiting and establishing a new mindset to come up with ways to address the challenges.

Several key best practices for human capital management initiatives include:

• Find out what you are up against. Don’t just guess about the timing and numbers of workers planning to retire – find out when employees plan to retire. Build a detailed knowledge base about who, when, the job role, the worker’s skills and experience, and the impact of their departure on the organization.

• Build a knowledge base of available skills. Identify the skills and competencies of all employees, and develop plans for building skills and experience in employees that are currently lacking.

• Designate a chief human capital officer. This new role complements traditional human resources management by addressing strategic business considerations while HR managers take care of the tactical nature of hiring such as recruitment and benefits.

• Implement succession planning. Develop a plan for identifying successors – even if the timeframes are long term – and for building the necessary skills of future candidates for promotion.

• Implement mentoring programs. Many agencies have found mentoring to be highly effective, and recommend it in conjunction with succession planning and hiring younger workers. However, be warned that finding effective mentors who are motivated to convey their knowledge to younger employees and are skilled at mentoring is difficult and often requires appropriate rewards.

• Consider a flexible workforce. Enterprises should not only draw on full-time, permanent workers but also incorporate part-time, seasonal and on-call workers. The key benefit from a nonstandard workforce is flexibility when fluctuations in work demand require to quickly scale up or reduce staff.

• Provide career planning. In addition to managers and leaders reviewing employees’ competencies on a quarterly basis, workers should indicate their career interests five years out and then work on development programs to achieve those goals.

• Focus on competencies instead of credentials. Given the outlook for tighter talent pools, the key to future success is to understand what competencies will be critical to future operations and focus recruiting and retention activities on ensuring these mission-critical skills are available to support operations.

• Overcome the bias against younger workers in some industries by implementing intern programs. This allows younger workers to see if they like the work environment and supervisors and managers can assess the interns' ability to perform the job within the company’s culture.

• Use human capital management software tools. Human capital management software tools assist in tracking all aspects of worker employment, from administrative transactions to strategic talent management and employee development.

How To Get Yourself Promoted

2008-03-16T21:20:00.003+08:00

How To Get Yourself Promoted
By Long Yun Siang

1. Where Are You and Why Are You There?
How do you get yourself promoted? First you will need to have a reference point. Ask yourself, where are you now? And why are you there? Is there any key strength that has brought you where you are now that you can continue to leverage for the next promotion? Are there any weaknesses that you really need to correct before the next promotion is possible? These questions, while simple, are strategic. It allows you to check your strengths and weaknesses. It forces you to access what has worked and what will work to get you promoted.

2. Where Do You Want To Be and How Do You Get There?
You would need to have an objective and a plan. Just saying that you want to get promoted is not enough. You need to be clear on your next position. Is it a promotion to a different department or a different branch? Be specific and write this down.

Now that you have written this down, how do you plan to get that promotion? Develop a plan to achieve that objective. If you are lucky, you can even work this out with your immediate boss. Most bosses do not promise that promotion at such discussions but at the very least you get an idea of what are the expectations.

3. Put Pride, Passion and Belief In Everything You Do
People who get promoted are those that have a sense of pride in their work. And they take pride in their work. They are driven by genuine enthusiasm and desire to do their best no matter how small the job. They believe in themselves and they believe in the bigger goals of their unit or department and company. How do you get promoted? Ask yourself; do you conduct yourself with pride, passion and belief?

4. Back it Up with Skills/Knowledge, Direction and Action
Having pride, passion and belief is only part of how to get promoted. It must be backed up skills and knowledge. That means having the necessary skills and knowledge to do a superb job. Having a direction is important to guide that energy generated by your passion. Otherwise, effort is wasted. Without action which is the actual completion of the task, all else is academic. You will be judged by what you do.

5. See Challenges As Opportunities
Another obvious tip on how to get promoted is to see challenges as opportunities. Very often I see young executives being thrown challenging assignments, which they choose to see as an additional chore. If you want to be promoted, look at challenges as opportunities to shine. Do not complain about hard work, how hard you worked or if your assignment is tougher than your colleagues’. Trust me, no one wants to know how hard you work. In everyone’s mind, their own work is the hardest.

6. What Is Your Part?
Know your part and play your part. What is your role? Are you an implementer? Or are you a leader? Know exactly what you need to do in order for your unit to achieve its goals. Knowing your part means being a team player. No one can succeed without help from others. We all need the support of colleagues. When the team succeeds, you succeed too.

7. Do Your Best NOW
I consider this as one of the most important tip on how to get promoted. Do your best NOW. Today. This week’s tasks and projects. Do not bask in the glory of your previous work. That is gone. In all likelihood, no one else cares about it, especially your bosses. Do not think too much about future projects that are not implemented yet. That is in the future. It is not here yet. Focus on DOING your best NOW. It determines how you are being judged. When you reflect too much on the past and think too much about the future, you forget to focus on the NOW.

8. Do More Than Necessary
If you want to know how to get promoted, do more than the necessary. That means volunteering for work and taking the initiative to make a job better. It also means not sitting around waiting for work to come to you. Bosses like people who can help them solve problems. Even if the problem is not yours, but if you feel you can be of help and have the expertise to solve it, volunteer to help. You become the team’s competitive advantage when you do that. And bosses like people who give their unit an advantage over the others. Helping your team stay ahead is then helping you stay ahead too.

9. Do Work from The Next Level Up
If you continue doing work for your current position then you truly deserve your current position. People who know how to get promoted know that if you want the position next level up, you start doing some of those works from that level now. If you are a senior executive now, do some work that is only expected of an assistant manager (assuming that is the next level up). This allows you to demonstrate that you are capable of that position already.

How You Can Make a Career Shift Confidently

2008-03-10T17:15:00.000+08:00

How You Can Make a Career Shift Confidently

by Susan Eckert

More and more people are following this previously unpopular career path. In fact, it’s becoming much more common for men and women, especially those in their 30s and 40s to do just that.
Tragic world events have also contributed to this new phenomenon—people are reconsidering work/life balance issues, their legacy, and how they want to be contributing to this world in the here and now. Doctors, interested in work/life balance and greater safety, are nurturing their artistic interests. Corporate employees, desiring greater independence, are swapping suits for bathrobes and starting up home-based businesses.

You can change your line of work and yet be successful.

If you do your research and plan well, you’ll be able to make a confident, well-informed decision about making a career change. Knowing the answers to the following 10 questions will provide you with the information, motivation and confidence to move forward and choose the right new line of work for you.

1. What are your skills and competencies?

Make a list of your general (e.g. management, organization) and technical skills (e.g. specific software skills, other industry-specific skills). Don’t stop until you’ve exhausted your list. Refer to online career development sites for help.

2. Which of your skills are transferable?

Note where you are strong, average, and/or weak. Also note your preferred skill set—which responsibilities do you enjoy.

3. What key competencies are required to be successful in your new field of interest?
Talk to others in the line of work you wish to pursue—ask them to list the key competencies that enable them to be successful. Check with the headhunters you know. They should be able to give you some good advice. Match these against your list.

4. How many of these key competencies do you currently have?
Are they your strongest skills? Where are the gaps?

5. If there are skills you don’t have, ask how you might build them.
Talk to people you know, in your targeted line of work, and check with them on how to build the skills that you are lacking. If you know any headhunters, do check with them for ideas.

6. Would school or a certificate program support you in making the transition?
If so, can you/do you want to pursue this option?

7. What would making the change entail?
Would there be a temporary setback in pay? If so, can you live with the temporary adjustments? What are your financial obligations? Are you able to cope in the short term?

8. What are the costs/benefits of staying right where you are now?
Have you carefully considered and weighed the positives/negatives of your current situation? Determine whether or not the negatives can be improved by a change in environment. Or, do the negatives revolve around the work and a conflict with your interests?

9. What are the cost/benefits of making a change?
Consciously make a list of cost and benefits. Be as detailed as possible.

10. Which is more appealing to you?
Once you’ve weighed the positives and negatives to both options, what have you found?

Once you know the answers to these questions, a clear choice should emerge, and you should be armed with key information to help you find work in your new field. Having a list of your strengths and transferable skills, and a clear understanding of how this new field better fits with your lifestyle, interests, etc. can also help you present yourself in a compelling way to a prospective employer or business partner.

Moving ahead
If the benefits clearly outweigh the costs, or, if you’re completely adamant about making the change, then carry a list of the benefits/reasons why you want to make the change in your back pocket. Anytime a “doubting Thomas” thought pops up, squash it by reading the list aloud.

If it still sounds good, then keep going—you will achieve your goal!

Boost Employee Morale - Part 2

2008-03-03T17:32:00.001+08:00

Boost Employee Morale - Part 2

(Low morale - low profits. High morale - high profits.)

By: Terri Levine

1) Research and analyze, with employee and management participation, to determine just what factors are at play that affect morale within their organization. You will find this includes things that involve individual satisfaction with work roles right through to ineffective company policies and practices or lack of clear direction, poor management, etc. Brainstorm ways in which grievances and complaints that affect morale can be turned around - put in place improved methods and let it be seen by employees and management alike that procedures are in progress that address these issues. Openly invite and encourage honest employee feedback.

2) Motivate employees and management - ask for their ideas on motivational practices, rewards, etc. that they consider valuable and implement those that can be implemented. Recent research has indicated that company paid-for training is more highly regarded by employees than the provision of a company car. Training and the continuous upgrading of skills and education more readily assures an employees future employability and promotional prospects, whereas a company car does neither.

3) Always show appreciation to every employee, no matter where they are on the ladder. Let staff know you take pride in them and their efforts. Make a fuss over success - acknowledge successes openly.

4) Self-empower. Encourage individuals to take responsibility for their work roles and to feel free to suggest and implement ways in which procedures might be improved. Let them have a hand in setting job goals.

5) Prepare a new company mission statement - but this time include the active participation of every employee - this allows them to feel involved in the future direction of the company.

6) Promote a "family" atmosphere, encourage workers to care about each other, to support each other and trust each other. Suggest such things as car pooling, or develop a Social Club. Offer barbecues.

7) Promote pride in the company. Employees today are concerned with the values and ethics of their employers. Ensure the company is one in which the employees can take pride.
8) Show interest in individuals - permit them to be human during work hours. It is not possible to leave personal issues at home - it doesn't work that way. People appreciate care being shown to them and assistance to deal with personal issues. Today's manager must also be an adviser, counselor, coach, trainer and a good listener!

9) Find other ways in which life can be made more pleasant and easier for employees. This can be organizing affordable daycare facilities for children, flexible work timetables, gym memberships, weight loss program assistance, counseling, etc.

10) Show loyalty. Before laying off employees, discuss with their department ways in which layoffs might be avoided. Let it be seen that the company really is trying to avoid laying off anybody. Some people may even suggest a cut in pay for the short term until business picks up, in order that everyone may still keep their job. You'd be surprised how inventive employees can be, given the opportunity. Let employees know that promotional opportunities are available and help them achieve their goals.

11) Finally, how is the working environment? The workplace should be safe and pleasant. Don't expect employees to use outdated, faulty equipment or furniture. Ensure airconditioning and heating systems function correctly, and noise levels are acceptable. Are there adequate carparking facilities? Is the area well-lit? And with anxieties at an all time high regarding increased terrorist activity, make sure you have emergency procedures in place to protect the workforce in the event of an attack, and ensure every employee is aware of these procedures.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and an improved morale will not happen overnight. A key factor in boosting morale and productivity is employee participation in making and/or changing rules and procedures/policies. Having a say makes them feel "part" of the company and gives them a vested interest in outcomes. Having a loyal and motivated staff will produce innumerable benefits, including increased productivity and the resultant increase in profitability.

Pay rises and bonuses are soon forgotten, but ongoing praise, self-worth, a sense of importance and achievement last forever. When you acknowledge and reward good behaviors, you get more of the same. It may be something as simple as the way an employee answers the phone, or neat work, or timely completion of tasks, or working overtime one day, or providing good customer service. Every positive behavior should be acknowledged publicly and verbally. Sometimes, on special occasions, a hand-written thank you from the CEO or President is appreciated. Some kind of employee recognition program could be designed by which individuals are given wide recognition for their efforts.

To get out of the slump, businesses can not afford to wait around until they're certain the war is over and they're safe from another terrorist attack, and with or without these fears, there are definite steps that can be taken now and which will make a huge difference to a company's performance. It may sound trite to repeat that people really are a company's best asset, but time and research has found that this is the truth, so whether a business intends to make a profit in the next 6 months, or scrape by in mediocrity, really will depend on how they treat their best asset.

GET THAT SALARY RAISE: HOW TO RESEARCH YOUR SALARY SCALE

2008-02-29T11:36:00.001+08:00

GET THAT SALARY RAISE: HOW TO RESEARCH YOUR SALARY SCALE
by Linda Ann Nickerson

http://www.helium.com/items/290546-get-that-raise-how-to-research-your-pay-scale

Homework Pays Off
Most companies prioritize staff positions in a complex hierarchy of pay grades. Each level is assigned a salary range. Once an employee reaches a certain wage or salary level, their possibility of pay raises is capped out. Despite their stellar performance, such staffers are ineligible for increases, unless their positions are reassigned to a new pay grade and compensation range.

Know Where You Stand
All too often, ambitious employees gather up their wits and courage and march into their bosses' offices to request pay raises, only to be turned down. Alas, they have reached the top pay rate allowed for their position. Perhaps they would do better to propose a promotion, instead of a pay hike. How can an employee determine where he or she is on the company's pay scale?

Do Some Inside Research
Check the company's publications, whenever possible, employee and policy manuals, and web-site. Are the salary scales posted? Make an appointment with the human resources manager/director. If possible, set up a session with the HR staffer who recruited and hired you in the first place. Ask polite, but direct, questions about pay levels in your employment track. Find out how close you are to the ceiling for your slot.

Check Out Financial Publications
Several periodicals annually publish salary survey editions. Major newspapers do this as well. One such publication is the SNEF’s annual salary survey. You have to bear in mind the survey data is usually one to two years behind. Do make allowance for the time lag. Look for job titles that match or approximately your own. What are similar workers making annually? How do your wages match up? (Be prepared for possible surprises. You may count yourself fortunate, or you may find yourself seeking employment with a more generous company.)

Go Online
Several job-related websites offer helpful salary survey information. Search on SALARIES, and a myriad of sites will pop up. Online resume listing sites also offer salary information. See what job openings exist in your field. Make a few confidential inquiries, just to discover what wages are available. (No one said you had to accept a new position, but you certainly could! Keeping your options open is always a good strategy.)

Check With Your Headhunter / Recruitment Agency
If you know any headhunter or recruitment consultants, check with them about the appropriate salary range for your position title, with the same number of years’ experience. Most of them are in the market and they would be able to tell you accurately the salary range for your position/number of years’ experience.

Consider Redefining Your Position
Job descriptions are rewritten all the time, and positions may be upgraded far more than most people realize. A promotion may not mean an immediate pay raise, or a significant one, but it may raise your pay ceiling and open the door to larger increases in the future.
A little homework can help you to realize what you are worth to an employer, so you can approach your own boss more intelligently, productively, and successfully.

Boost Employee Morale - Part 1

2008-02-27T17:23:00.000+08:00

Boost Employee Morale
(Low morale - low profits. High morale - high profits.)

Part 1

By: Terri Levine

Employee and manager morale dipped even further toward the end of 2002, and the current climate that businesses are operating in does not offer any promising turnaround. Businesses are too focused on the negative, and economic threats, terrorist threats, the war, etc. are contributing to a continued downward spiral in morale.

Studies have proven that the morale of a company's workforce is directly linked to profitability. Low morale - low profits. High morale - high profits. This is because workers who are happy in their job and with their employer perform better, resulting in higher and improved productivity and profitability.

Prior to all the terrorist activity and outbreak of war, it was mostly the workers whose morale was poor, but now management is showing signs of concern and their lack of optimism does nothing for the existing morale of their workers. What is even more alarming is if management has this attitude, it will confirm in their employee's minds that any effort is futile, so what is the use?

What does all this mean? Well, apart from a larger number of unhappy people in the workforce, if immediate steps are not taken to boost morale, few businesses will see any respectable profits within the next six months. If management and workers are both coming from a place of negativity, it spells serious trouble for business.

Surveys performed by Gallup have shown that the old-fashioned methods of offering financial incentives, company cars, etc. do not produce long term benefits. Their research has found that as many as two-thirds to three-quarters of people employed in Sales, for example, are performing at much lower standards, which has a detrimental affect on the entire business. Add to this a management that agrees with them and you can see the trouble for which they're headed.

Employees and managers need to feel emotionally attached to their work and their employer in positive and uplifted ways. Senior management needs to convey optimism and send that down the line, with a message that conveys strength and security. They need to encourage and show frequent appreciation of every employee's efforts, and find ways of helping employees work in jobs that utilize natural talents. Both employees and management need to know that what they are doing is highly appreciated, that opportunities for advancement and self-growth are available within and by the company, and they need to come to work in a happy and positive environment.

It is a mistake to think that morale will improve when business picks up, or the war is over. Of course, these things do have an impact on company morale, but for a long term improvement, focus needs to be placed on the individual within the organization. When everybody goes to work and loves what they do and where they work, their productivity is high which produces the profitable results for the business. The challenge is matching employees to roles in which they can and will shine - sometimes it is possible to modify existing roles to bring out the best in the employee, and other times it may require a transfer to a different position or department. In any case, consultation with the employee is important.

More and more companies are hiring professional Coaches to establish methods by which employee and management morale will be permanently boosted and profitability assured. Many H.R. professionals are seeing the benefits in the Coaching procedure and are learning coaching skills to use within their organization. But for those businesses that choose to try and sort it out themselves, they can take steps that are definitely in the right direction.

These steps will be presented in next week’s newsletter. Please keep a look-out for it.

Part 2 will be posted next week. Please keep a look-out for it.

Ways to Improve Your Resume

2008-02-20T09:51:00.000+08:00

Ways to Improve Your Resume

Here are some ways for you to improve your resume. Most the times, your resume may be your first contact with your future employers. These employers may be receiving many resumes (if they are good employers). It is important that your resume stands out from the rest and grabs their attention.

Use a bulleted style to make your resume more reader-friendly.

Given that employers screen resumes for between 5 and 20 seconds, they will find your resume a lot more readable if you use bullet points instead of paragraph style. It is just easier to read.

Order of Importance.

The information on your resume should be listed in order of importance to the reader. Therefore, in listing your jobs, what's generally most important is your title/position. So list in this preferred order: Title/position, name of employer and dates of employment. Dates can be important to some employers, but they're generally not as important as what your position was and whom you worked for.

Education follows the same principle; thus, the preferred order for listing your education is: Name of degree, followed by name of university.

Your experience and education should be listed in reverse chronological order on your resume; it is assumed that your most recent education and experience are more important and relevant to the reader.

Eliminate clutter from your resume.

Several elements can clutter up your resume and reduce readability:

Unnecessary dates. Do not list dates that do not add anything to your resume; for example, dates you spent involved in college extracurricular activities. If you were involved in these activities during college, the reader can pretty much guess your dates of involvement, and listing the dates will just clutter up your document. Same with dates of involvement in professional or civic organizations; ask yourself if those dates will be meaningful to the employer reading your resume.

Parentheses.
Jobseekers have a particular tendency to set off dates of employment with parentheses. It is easier on the reader if you just use commas.

The line "References: Available upon request."

This statement is highly optional because it is a given that you will provide references upon request. If you couldn't, you would have no business looking for a job. The line can serve the purpose of signaling: "This is the end of my resume," but if you are trying to conserve space, leave it off.

Articles.

Those little words "a," "an," and "the." Resumes are not written in sentence form, but in concise phrases that have become an accepted shorthand that employers understand. Articles tend to clutter up that shorthand; your resume will read in a more streamlined manner without them.

Use strong, concrete verbs to describe your jobs, and do not mix noun and verb phrases.

Let's look at this example:

Managed and controlled all aspects of company's North Area presence. [verb]

Complete ownership of inventory and financial standards. [noun]

Full P&L responsibilities. [noun]

Analyzed market and forecast sales, prepared corporate budgets and monitored results to achieve ROI objectives. [verb]

Instead, be consistent with verbs:

Supervised inventory and financial standards.

Completely oversaw profit and loss aspects of operation.

Also avoid the weak verbs, “to be,” “to do,” and "to work." Everyone works. Be more specific. "Collaborate(d)" is often a good substitute. Instead of: “Worked with Marketing Department to launch promotional campaign,” say “Collaborated with Marketing Department to launch promotional campaign.”

Focus on describing past job activities that highlight the skills you most like to use and want to use in your next job.

Do not spend a lot of time, for example, describing all that clerical stuff you did in a past job if you have no intention of doing clerical work again. Even if you've mastered skills that are in great demand, do not emphasize them if they are not the skills you want to use in the future.

Do not worry too much about the one-page resume rule.

It is nice to keep your resume to one page if you can, but do not go to extraordinary lengths, such as by using tiny type. If you have significant experience, you'll probably need more than one page. What you should avoid is having one full page with just a little bit of text on your second page. If you fill a third or less of the second page, consider condensing to one page.

Ways to condense:

Narrow your margins. The margins in Microsoft Word are set very wide by default. You can have margins as narrow as 0.75” all around and still have a nice-looking document.
Use a smaller point size, but not too small. A font size of 11-point is good; do not go too much smaller than 10.5-point.

Many jobseekers use a two-column format with headings in the left-hand column. To conserve space, narrow or even eliminate the left-hand column and simply stack your headings on top of each section.

Give your resume a sharp focus.

Again, given the microscopic amount of time that employers spend screening resumes, you need a way to show the employer at a glance what you want to do and what you're good at. One way to sharpen your focus is through an objective statement.

Do not list too much experience on your resume.

The rule of thumb for someone at the senior level is to list about 15 years worth of jobs. Age discrimination, unfortunately, is a reality, and even more likely, employers may think you're too expensive if you list too much experience on your resume. Similarly, do not give the date of your college graduation if it was more than about 10 years ago.

Be sure the reader will understand all the acronyms and jargon you use in your resume.

Resumes in the high-tech field are notorious for these mysterious terms. We recently received a resume containing the following acronyms and jargon: MCSE, MCP+I, TCP/IP, CCA, CCNA, token ring and PCMCIA network interface cards for LAN connectivity, NT Service Packs, Ethernet cards, Server 4.0, SQL 6.5, 7.0, Red Hat Linux 6.1, Turbo Linux 4.0 and Caldera 2.3, Cisco 2500 routers and switches. Now, chances are that employers in this jobseeker's field understand all these terms. Just be sure that's the case. Spell out any acronyms you think could be questionable, and explain any terms you think some readers of your resume might not understand.

Top ten talent retention tips

2008-02-18T19:09:00.001+08:00

Top ten talent retention tips
by Craig Donaldson

WITH employee turnover costs inflating everywhere and now exceeding profits in some industries, addressing the issue of employee retention is an urgent across-the-board business concern.
A recent US white paper found that by 2010, there could be as many as 10 million more jobs available in the country than there are employees.

Further, there is growing evidence of worker dissatisfaction, primarily as a result of layoffs, lack of career growth, and minimal pay increases over the past several years.

Additionally, some employers have become ruthless in order to survive over the past decade, creating aggressive cultures that may not be comfortable for many workers.

The Responding to the mega-billion- dollar retention crisis white paper, produced by The Ken Blanchard Companies, detailed 10 steps for building retention within organisations:

Show genuine interest and appreciation. Continue to be or become genuinely interested in each person whom you support and depend on.

Make work meaningful. Help people see the connection between what they do and what difference it makes, to the company, the internal or external customers, and society.

Ask courageous questions. Don’t shy away from asking why people stay and what it will take to retain them.

Grow competencies, situationally. Look for opportunities to put people into challenging situations where their skills and competencies will grow.

Meet one-on-one, routinely. Conduct regular, but brief one-on-one meetings between manager/leaders and direct reports. Begin by asking, “What’s on your mind?”– then listen and act.

Make retention everyone’s responsibility. Encourage all members of the work group to feel responsible for the retention of their peers and to be alert to problems that can be fixed.

Be a career builder. Talk to people about their long-term career aspirations and help them use or build the skills and competencies they need for the future.

Help people get an “ A ”. Give the gift of being clear about what an “A” level performance looks like.

Manage the meaning of change. Move toward people in uncertain times, including personal and organisational change. Be there and be open. Check in with people often.

Walk your talk. Be aware that people are always watching and assessing you and your actions as a leader.

How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions

2008-02-11T19:52:00.000+08:00

How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions

By Caroline Levchuck

You know they're coming: Those seemingly unanswerable questions that pop up during job interviews.

You can't clam up. And you don't want to stutter and stammer. So what's a job seeker to do?

The 'Future' Question

Otherwise known as the "big picture" question, the future question goes something like this: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

The best tactic: Talk about your values.

Don't get too detailed about your specific career plan. Instead, discuss things that are important to you professionally and how you plan to achieve them. If growth is a goal, mention that. You can also talk about challenge, another value that employers prize in their employees.

The 'Salary' Question

Most people will tell you that whoever answers this question first loses. But that's not necessarily true.

When an interviewer asks your salary requirement, try first to gently deflect the question by inquiring about the salary for the position.

If the interviewer presses you for a number, give a range. To decide on a range, think about the salary you want, your salary at your most recent position and the industry-standard salary for the job.

The bottom line: The salary question is one of the most important, so you should prepare for it in advance and plan what to say.

The 'Why' Question

There's a fine line between boastful and confident. And you need to learn it.

When an interviewer asks you why they should hire you, you're going to have speak confidently and honestly about your abilities. But you should avoid sounding overly boastful.

Aim for earnest and prepare by practicing. That's right: Stand in front of the mirror and acknowledge your abilities and accomplishments to your reflection. Tell yourself: I have a very strong work ethic. I have integrity. I have excellent industry contacts. I aggressively pursue my goals.

It's sometimes hard to praise yourself, but after a few sessions you'll sound sincere.

The Seemingly Silly Question

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? What if you were a car? Or an animal?

These type of questions can bring your interview to a screeching halt.

First, don't panic. Pause and take a deep breath. Then remind yourself that there's no "right" answer to these questions. The job isn't hinging on whether you choose to be a spruce versus an oak.

Interviewers usually ask these questions to see how you react under pressure and how well you handle the unexpected. It's not so important what type of tree (or car, or animal) you choose as that you explain your choice in a way that makes you look favorable.

So, be a spruce -- because you want to reach new heights in your career. Or be an oak -- because you plan to put down roots at the company. Either way, you'll get it right.

Getting Started in Training/Human resource management

2008-02-10T13:34:00.000+08:00

This is question and answer from the ASTD website. The question is relevant to many of our readers. The answer provides good knowledge and information for many of us. Enjoy reading.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to post them here. We will attempt to address all questions to the best of our ability.

Getting Started in Training/Human resource management

Question:

I finished my MS in Management three weeks ago. My major was organizational behavior and development. My BS Degree is in psychology.

I am six years out of high school, and the only job experience I have is working as a sales associate in retail during a few summers. I went straight from college to graduate school. I did not have an internship during school; but I did participate in a semester-long HR field research project in conjunction with a local organization, SHRM, and my school.

Relevant classes that I have had included: Human Resource Management, Coaching for Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Organizational Development and Change, Team Design and Development, Learning Psychology, and Industrial-Organizational Psychology. My ultimate career goal is to do work in coaching, or a related field such as leadership/management coaching. I figure that my best bet is to start out trying to get an entry-level job in training. My main weakness, of course, is having no professional experience. Here is my question: do you know how I should go about getting a job in training and development?

I joined my local SHRM and ASTD chapters. I apply for jobs posted on the Atlanta SHRM and ASTD sites, and I also apply for jobs posted in the Atlanta classified and on Monstertrak. I am networking the best I can. The career services at my school are not very good, although I have tried visiting their multiple times for advice (the main thing they could do for me was give me tips on how to improve my resume).
Thank you for your help.

------ XXXXXXXXX--------

Answer:

You have certainly started your job search campaign with a number of appropriate activities. However, there are some additional activities you can engage in to gain greater visibility and increase your chances of obtaining your desired training position.

• Attend ASTD & SHRM functions. Although during the summer the chapters may not hold monthly meetings, other activities may take place, such as special interest group (SIG) meetings, and summer social events. Participate in those functions you think are appropriate and do some networking. You will find that after attending a few functions, you will know some people and they will recognize you.

• Volunteer. Introduce yourself to chapter leaders and let them know of your interest in becoming involved in chapter activities. This is a good time to do this as plans are being made for the coming year and committee and task force members are being appointed. Strongly consider volunteering to staff the registration table for chapter events as this is a good place to meet people, be visible, and usually comes with a perk of free or reduced fees for the event.

• Talk with your professors about job leads. It is not unusual for professors to have a small consulting practice and as a result learn about position openings. Many times they are asked to refer some good candidates.

• How about checking with your school Alumni Office to see if it has an alumni resource bank. You can look for graduates in your field of interest or from companies that value workplace learning.

• Resume review. Lacking job experience, your resume should reflect your potential and capabilities and be demonstrated through your academic experience and achievements. Ask a couple of chapter members that you have gotten to know if they would critique your resume. Do they feel it projects your ideal professional image?

• Chapter career service programs. Many chapters provide mentors, a resume critiquing service, a job support group, etc. Make use of such programs. You will meet other people who are also seeking employment and thus, not feel so alone in this matter. If a job support group does not exist, select one of the chapters and see if you can organize the group.

• Job interviews. If you have had some job interviews, how do you feel about your performance? Do you feel comfortable and confident about job interviews? Find out if the University Career Center does job interview simulations. If your ASTD or SHRM Chapter has a job support group, suggest a presentation on job interviews as well as a job interview practice session.

You are realistic about where you can start as an entry-level position. As you grow as a T&D/HRD specialist and gain more experience, you will learn if coaching is truly your ultimate career goal. If so, you will need additional training/certification to make a successful transition.

Good luck!

8 ways to recession-proof your job

2008-02-05T16:37:00.000+08:00

This is an interesting and educational article from Fortune magazine which I think will benefit you a lot. You will not regret reading it.

So, what do you say? Do you think we will have recession in 2008? Do you have any tips to survive a recession or to recover from a layoff?

We invite you to post your comments here.

8 ways to recession-proof your job

Worried your employer might cut your position in a downturn? Fortune's Anne Fisher offers tips to help you avoid the ax, and how to keep your career afloat if you don't.

By Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer

(Fortune) -- First, let's not panic. True, payrolls shrunk by 17,000 in January. But at the same time, the Labor Department adjusted December's numbers upward, reporting that 82,000 new jobs were created that month - a far larger figure than the government's initial estimate of 18,000. Unemployment, now at 4.9%, is just 0.9% higher than the 4% level that economists consider "full employment" (meaning that everyone who wants a job has one).

Still, with the ripple effect of the mortgage mess still spreading, consumer spending in a sulk, and companies like Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) and Sprint Nextel (S, Fortune 500) announcing big layoffs, you'd be smart to start thinking about recession-proofing your job - or, failing that - devising a plan for landing on your feet somewhere else.

Here's how:

Think of ways to generate revenues or cut costs. That brilliant idea you had that would open whole new markets for the company, but require substantial spending to get started? Scrap it for now. Concentrate instead on finding places to pinch pennies, or identifying cheap new sources of revenue. Or both.

Be visible. "This isn't the moment to take an extended vacation. Your position could be eliminated while you're gone," says Dale Winston, CEO of New York City-based executive recruiters Battalia Winston (www.battaliawinston.com). "It's also not the time to come rolling in at ten o'clock." If you possibly can, figure out a way to stand out and distinguish yourself. She adds: "If you're in sales, get your numbers up. Nobody will be laying off star salespeople."

Talk up your contributions. "Make sure you're adding value at work by going above and beyond your basic job responsibilities," says Christine Price, principal at staffing firm Ready to Hire (www.readytohire.com) "Then make sure your boss knows it, without being obnoxious."

Keep a broad perspective. "Don't get a reputation as someone who only does what he or she is told to do," advises Richard Bayer, chief operating officer of career counseling network The Five O'Clock Club (www.fiveoclockclub.com). "Pick your head up, look around, and get in on the action. Volunteer for crucial responsibilities, including tasks for which your boss is responsible."

Just doing your job well isn't enough. "The question is," says Bayer, "when your organization is making a list of who has crucial skills, will you be on it?" If you suspect not, now's the time to hustle.

Get your skills up to date. "Companies get rid of people whose skills are obsolete and replace them with people who are already trained," Bayer says. "Take classes, join trade organizations, and prove you're plugged in." Christine Price adds: "Consider going back to school, to show your employer you're serious about your career and your performance."

No whining allowed. Attitude does count - a lot. "Management wants people who can boost morale during tough times," observes Dale Winston. Not only that, says Christine Price, but happy workers are less likely to get laid off than people who seem to dislike what they do. After all, the reasoning goes, if you grumble about your job all the time, then maybe giving you the sack would really be doing you a favor. Gulp.

Never stop networking. Of course, the day you get a pink slip is not the day you want to start calling old colleagues, asking former bosses out to lunch, and getting in touch to say hello to all the interesting people you've known over the years. No, the time to start doing that is now. Whether or not you move seamlessly (and relatively painlessly) into a new job after a layoff often depends on how consistently you've contacted - and maybe even helped - lots of people when you didn't need them.

Update your resume, return headhunters' phone calls, and start picturing where else you might like to work - just in case. If you're mentally prepared for a move, you'll make a wiser one than if you wait until you're desperate (read canned).

One more thought: If we really are in, or headed for, a recession - and economists can't even agree on whether or not we are - it may not be so bad. Every downturn is different. So who knows? If you're not a mortgage banker or a home builder, maybe your current position is perfectly "safe." But think about it for a while and you may find yourself wondering: Is "safe" good enough? Maybe it's time to change jobs anyway -- and heed the immortal words of Keith Richards, "I'm gonna leave while it's still fun/ I'm gonna walk before they make me run."

Happy Chinese New Year To All

2008-02-04T11:16:00.000+08:00

Wishing all our Clients, Candidates and Friends,

A very prosperous and happy Chinese New Year!

For our Clients:

May 2008 be the best for you ever!!

For our Candidates:

May your career blossom and you achieve what you wish for in 2008.

Remember: ELTICI HR CONSULTANCY is always here to be of service.

Talent Management - THE TIPPING POINT FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT

2008-02-01T17:28:00.000+08:00

THE TIPPING POINT FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT

By David C Forman, Chief Learning Officer, The Human Capital Institute

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, an innovation or change can suddenly appear through small, almost incremental steps, none of which by itself is especially noteworthy. But the combination of these seemingly minor events can cause organizations to be shaken, countries to be impacted and people to break out of established behavioral patterns. What could not be accomplished in one grand wave of the baton is, in fact, being accomplished by different pieces of the puzzle coming together at just the right time.

We are in the midst of such a sea change in the field of talent management. This new approach to managing companies and people has not yet become a clearly articulated science. There is still too much to understand and learn about the shifts occurring before us. But there is an emerging set of practices – especially as evidenced by industry-leading companies – that are moving talent management to its tipping point

The changing business context

The current economic environment sets the foundation for the reason that talent management practices have arisen in the first place. Bossidy and Charan (2004) have identified five different economic stages that have existed during the past century. Others have talked more generally about the movement from agrarian to industrial to the knowledge economy. Pink (2005) describes the next step as moving from the knowledge age to the conceptual age, while Friedman (2005) discusses many of these same shifts in terms of ‘Globalization 3.0’. While neither of these terms has resonated with wider audiences, there is no doubt that we are entering a post-knowledge worker economic stage – whatever it may be called.

The management models and systems from past stages tend to be the first ones applied in new stages. These, after all, have been what executives know, understand and have experienced. Past success becomes a blinder for future achievements, because it is natural to think that what worked once, should work again. It takes years and even decades for new models and practices to emerge.

Most of our current management practices are mired in the past and based on a set of assumptions that no longer exist. The sidebar opposite highlights many of these differences. Consider this list and assess your own company’s position.

Many companies are at a spot along this continuum with one foot in the past and another in the future. Some of these factors may not be as important as others, but it is becoming increasingly clear that old practices will not be effective in a future that requires innovation, fast responses, horizontal relationships, high engagement levels and optimum performance from assets that are not “owned” by the company. Perhaps this is why in this transition period, 75 percent of change managements fail, less than 10 percent of companies do a good job of implementing their own strategy, and the vast majority of mergers and acquisitions fail to meet their objectives. New mindsets and practices are needed for new times.

Globalization

“Today, the most profound thing is that a 14 year old in Romania or Bangalore or Vietnam has all the information, all the tools, all the software easily available to apply knowledge however they want.”

Perhaps the biggest contributor to the talent management tipping point is the new global marketplace. More than any single factor it has caused us to consider how fast change can take place, and how firmly held beliefs are wavering or are no longer valid. The world is a very different place than it was even at the start of the century, barely six years ago.

Consider the following examples:

• Billions of people are new entrants into the world economy and entire nations have skipped stages of economic growth to get there faster than anyone could have anticipated.
• The talented minds of foreign born nationals are returning to their home country rather than contributing to the human capital of Western Europe and the United States.
• China is revamping its educational system to focus less on rote memorization and more on creativity and innovation.
• Ireland is the world’s largest exporter of software.
• The business incentives and infrastructure offered by many ‘developing countries’ is equal to or better than the environment in the so-called ‘richer nations’.
• Three countries that excel in new scientific and technical talent are India, China and Russia.
• Talent pools, just like markets, exist all over the world and are no longer the exclusive province of Western countries.
• Microsoft’s R&D center in Beijing is the best performing software research unit in the corporation.
• Outsourcing and offshoring are not just about cheaper wages and low cost services, but also about access to talent.

The companies that will win in this post-knowledge economy may not be those that were the most successful in past stages.

Integrated talent management wheel

Talent is now a global game. It requires a much broader horizon than just a specific company, city, region or country. And it requires a much broader vision even within a company. The Talent Wheel (Figure 1) highlights the key talent functions that need to be coordinated and integrated within organizations.

Workforce planning looks at the supply and demand for talent over a two-year or longer period of time for key jobs within the enterprise. Key issues are retirements, planned and unplanned attrition, varying staffing options, competencies for superior performers and bench strength for key talent.

Talent acquisition is the ability of a company to attract and hire key talent. This is one of the two most pressing needs according to Accenture’s 2005 survey of global executives. Key issues are compelling employment brand and value propositions, referral recruiting, and keeping a gold standard for new talent entering the organization.

Talent engagement represents the extent to which the workforce identifies with the company, is committed to it and provides discretionary effort so that it can be successful. Engagement is a key leading indicator for high performance workplaces, improved employee productivity and subsequent turnover. Keep engagement surveys relatively short and ensure that data are acted upon by employees and managers.

Talent development used to be synonymous with training, but no longer. Research shows that 70 percent of what we need to know to do our job, we learn on the job. Informal learning is more powerful than formal learning through such activities as stretch assignments, cross-functional teams, international assignments and flexible job design.

Talent deployment can be summarized as the right people are doing the right job at the right time. Top talent is assigned to the most vital projects or roles. Alignment is a key aspect of talent deployment, and it is most often achieved through performance management systems and competency databases matching project needs to employee capabilities.

The ability to lead talent is also key. Great managers are like chess players who understand that different pieces (employees) have unique strengths (Buckingham, 2004), and these managers work hard to put employees in positions where they can shine. Great managers also understand that their value to the organization is through the contributions of others, and it is their responsibility to develop, guide and enhance the performance of the people that report to them.

Talent retention is the number one issue on the minds of global executives according to the Accenture study (2005). Many CEOs doubt their company’s ability to retain top talent. Too little and too much turnover can damage a business. It is interesting to observe that when managers of departing employees are asked why a person left, money is the overwhelming answer. When the employees themselves are asked, money doesn’t even make the top five.

These talent functions must work together and be part of a seamless system. Being excellent in one or two areas is a start, but the whole system must be working effectively. It does little good, for example, for a company to attract and hire great talent but then have few challenging development opportunities. Similarly, for CEOs to focus compulsively on retention misses the point that retention probably wouldn’t be a problem if talent engagement, development and deployment functions were smoothly operating.

These talent functions are too important to be left to separate departments, silos or champions. The essence of a company’s ability to compete rests with the optimization and integration of these functions – it is the network, not the nodes that provide the value.

The tipping point

Talent management is ready to be tipped. First, there is the growing amount of empirical evidence that shows a clear relationship between excellent talent practices and improved shareholder returns. Among the providers of this research are McKinsey, Gallup, Collins, Bassi, Watson & Wyatt, Becker and Huselid, and the Fortune Best Places to Work surveys.

Second, there are the best practices from companies that truly believe that talent is the essence of their success. Among these companies are GE, Dell, P&G, HSBC, FedEx, Starbucks, Microsoft and Capital One, to name just a few.

Third there is the growing realization that talent issues are board level issues. More investment analysts and company directors are demanding to know about engagement levels, segmented turnover data, and the types of developmental opportunities for top talent. CEOs are starting to spend 30 percent or more of their time on talent issues, and are being held accountable for the strength of their talent pools. For instance, all companies registered in Denmark will be required to include in their annual reports information about customers, processes and human capital. A minimum of five measures for each is required and comparisons with the previous two years must be shown. Information for investors about intellectual capital both current and future should occupy at least one-third of the report.

The confluence of both internal and external factors is causing a new science of talent management to emerge and tip. This is very different from traditional human resources concerns. While HR is more concerned with consistency, compliance and treating everyone in the same fashion, talent management recognizes that different people make different contributions to the enterprise, and that top talent is the key to competitive differentiation. The seamless and integrated functioning of the talent management wheel is what will drive companies into a leadership position in the new, post-knowledge economy.

100 Best Companies To Work For in 2008

2008-01-26T10:18:00.000+08:00

Fortune Report on:

100 Best Companies to Work For in 2008

Which are the 100 best companies to work for in 2008? In its annual survey cum study, Fortune has come out with the list of prestigious companies.

What make these companies shine? In the stiff competition for talent, being able to attract and retain the best helps the company succeed.

Learn who these companies are and find out what make them so very special. Pick a few valuable tips from the best, and who knows, your company can be special too.

100 Best Companies to Work For

And the winners are...
See the full list of America's top 100 employers, including detailed company profiles, top locations, and contact information. Plus, post your thoughts on the winners in our Best Companies blog. more

1. Google
6. Cisco Systems
2. Quicken Loans
7. Starbucks
3. Wegmans Food Markets
8. Qualcomm
4. Edward Jones
9. Goldman Sachs
5. Genentech
10. Methodist Hospital System
• See the top 50

BEYOND THE PAYCHECK

Everybody loves Wegmans
See why this grocer is so popular among cashiers and customers alike. more
• How the Mayo Clinic cares

Unusual perks
From scuba classes to free iPods, here are some benefits Best Companies offer that go above and beyond. more
• Perk-Finder: See firms with perks you want
• Best cafeterias - and gyms to work off lunch
• Best places to work... and play

WHY GOOGLE IS NO. 1

What makes Google great
Sure the pay and perks are terrific. But employees also love the opportunity to build their resume and try new things. more
Help Wanted: Google
These cool job openings aren't just for techies. Are you an animal health expert? Lawyer? Submarine cable negotiator? Time to send your resume. more
• 10 fascinating Googlers
• Ex-Googlers: Where are they now?
• 9 things you didn't know about Google

Best employers in your state
California and Texas are home to the most companies on this year's list. See the top employers near you (including interactive maps) and the best places to live nearby. more
• California
• Texas
• New York
• See the rest

25 Top-paying companies
Associates at Bingham McCutchen take home an average $211,017 total compensation annually. See which other top employers offer big paychecks. more
• Biggest bonuses

CAREERS SPECIAL REPORT – BY BUSINESSWEEK

2008-01-23T20:47:00.001+08:00

CAREERS SPECIAL REPORT – BY BUSINESSWEEK

This is a great, in-depth and informative article on career by Businessweek. It is a great read and would be beneficial to you in your career.

Topics covered include:

Randstad Bridges the Generation GapThe employment agency teams newbies with older staff to great effect

Confessions of a LinkedIn DropoutBlogger Jeff Pulver quit the professional network in favor of Facebook and urged his friends to do the same. Here's why he's not looking back

How To Make A Microserf SmileWhile Google was turning heads with its employee perks, an unlikely manager took on morale in Redmond

Companies with Quirky PerksFrom basketball tickets to free beer, here are some unusual benefits that companies offer to augment workers' paychecks

Straight Talk At Review TimeMore than 70% of managers admit they have trouble giving a tough performance review to an underachieving employee, according to a survey by Sibson Consulting and WorldatWork. How do you learn the art of delivering constructive criticism?

The Best Places To Launch A Career 2006The top 50 employers for new college grads

Salary WizardFind out what typical salaries are for your job and location

Internships: The Best Places to Start
More than just résumé-padding, these summer opportunities have become great tools for students and employers to find that perfect fit

Slide Show: Interning Your Way to a Job
Believe it or not, big companies are already filling up next summer's slots. Here's our ranking of the top 50 places you may want to launch a career from

Interactive Table: 50 Best Internships
BusinessWeek's first annual ranking of the 50 best U.S. companies for undergraduate internships

The 95 Best Places to Launch a Career
In-depth profiles of all the companies, plus reader forums

The Best Places to Launch a Career
The surprise in BusinessWeek's second annual ranking: Accounting firms have raced to the head of the pack

Behind the Best Places
Our methodology remains the same, but the list is almost twice as large, totaling 95 companies

The College Administrator: What's Different About the Ys
And how companies are adjusting to it

The New Hire: Why I'm Delighted with Deloitte
An intern-turned-consultant settles in

Video: Inside Scoop From Big Four Recruiters
BusinessWeek spoke with three recruiting executives from Big Four accounting firms Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers

Personalized Ranking Table
An interactive table to create your own personalized ranking

Slide Show: Wacky Ways to Land a Job
The experts weigh in with tales of some of the strangest interview techniques they've seen. While standing out is usually a good thing, there are limits

Teach for America Taps Titans
No. 10 on our list of the Best Places to Launch a Career, the nonprofit is raking in big bucks and raising its profile

Video: Upward Bound at JP Morgan—One Analyst's Personal Account
A former analyst in JP Morgan's Global Training Program talks about her experience and how it led to a job offer at the New York investment bank

Reporter's Journal: Microsoft's Happiness Czar
This narrated slide show describes how big bucks, great benefits, and a newly flexible work environment are making a middle-aged tech company more attractive

The Bottom Line on Next Gen Workers
Universum Communications' CEO talks about the sexiness of accounting, the popularity of tech, and the misunderstood millennial generation.

For the complete articles, click the link below:

http://www.businessweek.com/careers/special_reports/20070914bestplaces.htm

You will be glad you read some of the articles. Enjoy reading.

Managing The Innovators

2008-01-18T21:34:00.000+08:00

Managing the innovators

This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine.

All workplaces want to be creative, but managing 'ideas people' can be a challenge as well as a joy. Here are some tips for dealing with your innovators.

Innovation is a prime source of sustainable competitive advantage, and very often is the single most important factor separating the commercial success stories from the also-rans.

Businesses that ignore the need for innovation usually find they are unable to keep pace with rapidly changing technological developments and customer requirements. But look at high-profile brand companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon and Easyjet, and it's clear they all recognise that to develop products and services that offer value for customers, they must place innovation at the core of the business.

For this reason, business leaders, politicians and academics frequently stress that employers should do all they can to remove barriers to innovation and stimulate creativity within their organisations. These barriers can take the form of internal political wrangling, too much comfort with the existing status quo, inappropriate management measurement systems, and insufficient time being allowed for talented people to be creative.

Inspiring innovation

But knowing how to tackle such problems can be a real challenge for many businesses. So what can employers do to ensure that innovation becomes ingrained in the organisational DNA?
If innovation is to take root, organisations need to stimulate an environment that allows creativity to flourish, and then put in place processes to successfully harness the ideas and energy of their employees.

The most innovative organisations generally tend to:
• Allow a diversity of opinions to exist within their business
• Consider the value of ideas that arise outside of their business
• Tolerate certain degrees of failure (otherwise staff will stop putting ideas forward)
• Incentivise and reward employees for innovation
• Encourage knowledge-sharing and put in place systems to capture knowledge
• Regularly introduce new talent at senior management levels
• Ensure an appropriate mix of management styles
• Put in place checks and balances that screen out inappropriate ideas at an early stage before time and financial resource is invested.

These are all important factors that have to be addressed at a senior management level, and then cascaded down throughout an organisation by managers who are visibly committed to the nurturing of innovation in the organisation.

At the same time, employers must do all they can to ensure that they effectively channel efforts at an individual level, and for this reason, must not overlook the challenges that are inherent in managing innovative people.

Coping with creativity

In a study of more than 400 employers from across Europe, development consultancy Cubiks discovered that innovation is the competency that organisations find most difficult to develop in their staff, and one of the hardest competencies to assess at selection stage. Not surprisingly, genuine innovators are considered to be highly valuable resources.

However, dangers can arise if 'ideas people' are put on pedestals and treated as heroes.

If the innovators are allowed to overshadow those who are responsible for implementing their ideas, it can encourage the more creative staff to display working styles that are both difficult to channel and hugely detrimental to the wider team effort.

Innovators often have very strong abilities in the area of conceptual thinking, for example, but a strong aversion to the more detailed aspects of product development and project scoping. Such people often wish to be free to generate lots of ideas for follow-up by the wider team, and prefer to avoid the time-consuming research and analysis that is needed to establish whether a potential product or service is either commercially viable or capable of implementation.

Managing innovators can be challenging when those who are required to carry out the actual implementation of their ideas become disenchanted by the volume of follow-up work required of them. They will have their own existing workload to deal with, and poor planning and lack of consultation may mean they now have a further workload with an unrealistic deadline for completion.

When this happens, it is common for such team members to begin looking for reasons to throw out or undermine potentially lucrative ideas rather than exploring their viability in full.

One of the most common reasons why projects fail is because leaders fail to gain the buy-in of team members at the outset, and there is a lesson here for innovators. If they simply become recognised as generators of work rather than enablers or 'do-ers', they will quickly see their efforts thwarted by those around them. This is not good for the business or staff relations.

It is vital that creative individuals and those responsible for managing them are able to recognise how their behaviour affects team dynamics, acknowledge any development needs, and find a productive way to bridge the gap between idea generation and idea evaluation and implementation.

These issues aside, it is imperative that employers create a business culture that allows innovation to thrive, as by successfully harnessing the competencies of creative people, employers can achieve long-term competitive advantage. To ensure this happens, managers must work hard to ensure that the competencies of talented innovators are channelled for the benefit, and not the detriment, of team dynamics.

The HR Manager Story

2008-01-13T13:24:00.000+08:00

Do you take your job search for granted? Read the story and have a laugh. On a serious note, do not just look at all the good things you hear. Do your due diligence.

The HR Manager Story

One day while walking down the street a highly successful Human Resources Manager was tragically hit by a bus and she died. Her soul arrived up in heaven where she was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself.

"Welcome to Heaven," said St. Peter. "Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had a Human Resources Manager make it this far and we're not really sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," said the woman.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in Hell and a day in Heaven and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend an eternity in."

"Actually, I think I've made up my mind, I prefer to stay in Heaven," said the woman.

"Sorry, we have rules..."

And with that St. Peter put the executive in an elevator and it went down-down-down to Hell.

The doors opened and she found herself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club and standing in front of her were all her friends - fellow executives that she had worked with and they were well dressed in evening gowns and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf and at night went to the country club where she enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner.

She met the Devil who was actually a really nice guy (kind of cute) and she had a great time telling jokes and dancing. She was having such a good time that before she knew it, it was time to leave. Everybody shook her hand and waved good-bye as she got on the elevator.

The elevator went up-up-up and opened back up at the Pearly Gates and she found St. Peter waiting for her.

"Now it's time to spend a day in Heaven," he said. So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing. She had a great time and before she knew it her 24 hours were up and St. Peter came to see her.

"So, you've spent a day in Hell and you've spent a day in Heaven. Now you must choose your eternity."

The woman paused for a second and then replied, "Well, I never thought I'd say this, I mean, Heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in Hell." So St. Peter escorted her to the elevator and again she went down-down-down back to Hell.

When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up the garbage and putting it in sacks.

The Devil came up to her and put his arm around her.

"I don't understand," stammered the woman, "yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club and we ate lobster and we danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable."

The Devil looked at her, smiled and said - "Yesterday we were recruiting you -- today you're an Employee."

Key HR Issues In The Asia Pacific Region

2008-01-12T17:48:00.000+08:00

According to a recent study by PWC entitled "Key Trends In Human Capital - A Global Perspective 2006", the 3 top HR issues in the Asia Pacific region are:

- Retention of talent,
- Performance management and
- Leadership.

Retention of talent
It is getting harder and harder to keep good staff, due to the highly competitive environment, particularly those in key positions where skills and experience are most valued. At the same time, mobility from job to job is seen to increase career value.

Talent management is seen as important to the achievement of strategic business objectives, and is high on the agenda of many corporations.

Performance management
The current trend is towards more performance based working cultures, and corporations are citing performance management as a key HR priority.

Leadership
Corporate leaders are responsible for building and generating high employee engagement and commitment. Identification of leadership is a key HC issue as it is recognised that an effective leader will deliver higher shareholder return.

78% of the organisation has leadership dev progm; 64% consider them effective.

76% of the organisation has succession planning, 61% consider them effective.

76% of the organisation has talent management program, 61% consider them effective.

In China and Taiwan, there is a poorer perception of succession planning.

In Singapore and Vietnam, many feel that more can be done.

U.S. Economy: Job Growth at Weakest Pace Since 2003

2008-01-05T09:07:00.000+08:00

According to the latest Bloomberg report, the job growth in the US is at its weakest pace since 2003.

In the U.S., hiring slowed more than forecast in December. Unemployment jumped to a two-year high. The key question on most people's mind is whether this indicates a forthcoming recession in the US.

Payrolls rose by 18,000, capping the worst year for job creation since 2003. The jobless rate increased to 5 percent from 4.7 percent in November, while the Institute for Supply Management said growth in U.S. service industries cooled last month.

For the full report, click below:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anAEcNUtyKAU&refer=home

Always Let Your Boss Have The First Say?

2008-01-04T13:57:00.000+08:00

Always Let Your Boss Have The First Say?

A salesman, an administration assistant and their manager were walking to lunch when they chanced upon an antique oil lamp. They rubbed it and a Genie came out in a puff of smoke.

The Genie said, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one."

"Me first! Me first!" said the administration assistant. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! She was gone.

"Me next! Me next!" said the salesman. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life." Poof! He was gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie said to the manager.

The manager said, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Your Worst Interview Experience

2008-01-03T20:50:00.001+08:00

I found this article about "Worst Interview Experience" by this guy quite interesting and would like to share it with you, our readers. Do you have your own "Worst Interview Experience"? Would you like to share with us?

"too qualified...

1. A while back, I applied for a role as CIO of a large $500M/yr turnover company. The response from the recruiter interview... "The client is looking for someone to "develop into the role". Which was a less than polite way of saying. "Over qualified".

2. I interviewed for a senior technical role. as an enterprise architect. Big govt project, lots of inter agency stuff. I asked the incumbent what "architectural methodology" used. Blank Stares. I then asked if they were aligning with a similar effort within a major US Federal Government Agency - they weren't aware of it...(If you "googled" the name of their project, you would actually get it, not their project...)

A month or two later, they were advertising again. This time, they were asking for people with skills in the architectural methodology that I had recommended.

I now have a consulting firm, that is looking to place me, in there... They will charge 3 times, what the client would have paid for me, and I will get more, but such is life........."

What do you think? Do you have any comments?

How To Interview Potential Employees

2008-01-03T15:15:00.000+08:00

Interviewing Potential Employees

The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process in most organizations. Hiring the ‘right’ employee will help your organization grow and succeed. Hiring the ‘wrong’ one will do the reverse. That's one reason it's so important that you're very thorough in your interview. Another reason is that your decision is an indication of your ability to manage. A good or bad choice will reflect on you. Your new hire will interact not only with you, but with your boss, your colleagues, your staff, and your customers.

Other background checking and work history references provide much less personalized and more factual information. You should have these checks added to your hiring decisions, too. But the job interview is the key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit. The job interview remains the tool you can use to get to know your candidate on a more personal basis.

While human resource professionals receive training in hiring practices, the department/line managers generally do not. These managers are often required to interview job candidates who will potentially become their subordinates. Many articles about job interviewing provide advice and tips for potential employees. Here, we will address the needs of those who must interview potential employees.

Is The Interview Important?

Typically, the HR department is responsible for screening candidates to verify the information on their resumes. Once that is done, qualified candidates are generally passed along to the department/line manager of the department in which they'll work. This department/line manager is likely to be working very closely with the job candidate hired. This is why it is so important that you're very thorough in your interview. Another reason is that your decision is an indication of your ability to manage, as mentioned above.

You'll be responsible for making sure the candidate:
• Can do the job well;
• Fits in well with other members of your department; and
• Will be able to work well with you.

How to Select Candidates to Interview

Before scheduling a job interview with a candidate, review each candidate's cover letter and resume. When faced with a large number of candidates, it's important to use tools (if available) that help to separate the good candidates from the average. These will help you select the candidates for the job interview. They will also help you prepare your list of questions to use to telephone screen candidates and ask during the job interviews.

You may also like to do the following:
• Form an interview team;
• Hold a recruiting planning meeting; and
• Devise a list of qualities, skills, and experience to use to screen resumes and job interview candidates,

One useful approach is to do a telephone screening of candidates. This will help to save your time as well as the candidate’s time (coming to your company).

Telephone Interview / Screen Candidates Prior to an Interview

The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone job interview saves managerial and candidate time and eliminates unlikely candidates.

Your Should Prepare For The Interview

The interview team was selected at your earlier recruiting planning meeting, so the interviewers have had time to prepare. You should also prepare some general questions before interviewing any candidates. You will need to take some time to review each job candidate's cover letter and resume. This will give you the opportunity to prepare questions that are relevant to the candidate's work history.

You will want to use the list of qualities, skills, knowledge, and experience you developed for the resume screening process. Use this list to make sure each interviewer understands their role in the candidate assessment. Review each interviewer’s questions, too, to make sure the interview questions selected will obtain the needed information.

Ask open-ended interview questions that reveal the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses to determine job fit.

During the job interview, help the candidate demonstrate his or her best knowledge, skills, and experience. Start with small talk and ask several easy questions until the candidate seems relaxed. Then, hold a behavioral interview.

Behavioral interviews are the best tools you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics that you have selected as necessary for success in a particular job. Additionally, behavioral interviews ask the candidate to pinpoint specific instances in which a particular behavior was exhibited in the past. In the best behaviorally-based interviews, the candidate is unaware of the behavior the interviewer is verifying.

In addition to the candidate's verbal responses during the job interview, observe all of the nonverbal interaction, too, as this is part of the non-verbal communication.

Assess Candidates Following the Job Interview

After the interview, you need to do a post-interview assessment of the candidates. Have a standard format for each interviewer to use to assess each candidate following the job interview. After the assessment, you should have several candidates who you'll want to ask back for a second or even third job interview.

Conduct Yourself Well During The Interview

You should conduct yourself well during the interview as the candidate will be assessing you as much as you are assessing the candidate. You represent the image of your organisation.

You should try to put the interviewee at ease since that will help insure that you get more honest answers. However, you shouldn't give the impression that you are relaxed type of manager if you aren't one. It's as much about the potential employee deciding if this place is right for him or her as it is about you deciding if the candidate is right for the job. If this isn't a good match, from either party's perspective, it's best to find out during the interview.

Be polite and considerate. Making the candidate waiting, or taking phone calls in the middle of an interview reflects poorly on you and your company. This person you are interviewing may some day work for you, or, in this fast moving world, you may someday work for him or her.

Hot Jobs for 2008

2007-12-30T15:40:00.000+08:00

According to the US outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc, below is the list of hot jobs for 2008. What do you think? Are you into any of these hot jobs?

Hot Jobs for 2008

Posted by Charley Hannagan December 17, 2007 3:29PM

Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., which keeps a keen eye on the nation's labor market, has come up with a list of hot jobs for 2008.

They include "green" jobs such as: environmental engineer, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program specialist, solar panel installer-technician and corporate sustainability manager.

Energy jobs should also be hot including positions as: field service technician, mechanical engineer, renewable energy engineer, and pipeline designer-engineer.

If you're interested in a global career you can practically write your own ticket, according to Challenger. Hot jobs include: translator, plant manager, logistics manager and construction engineer-manager.

Other hot jobs: registered nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, network engineer, information security specialist, Web 2.0 software engineer, biotechnology scientist, lawyer, accountant and management consultant.

Britain: Employment rate set to slow to worst figure for a decade

2007-12-30T15:33:00.000+08:00

Britain: Employment rate set to slow to worst figure for a decade

According to the latest report in The Independent, in Britain, the forecast for the number of new jobs next year is the worst in a decade because private firms are recruiting fewer staff and the public sector is facing severe cuts. It warns that this could fuel a recession in Britain in 2008. Read the report for more………..

Employment rate set to slow to worst figure for a decade
By Amol Rajan; Published: 28 December 2007

The forecast for the number of new jobs next year is the worst in a decade because private firms are recruiting fewer staff and the public sector is facing severe cuts, a new report warns.
Fears are mounting that storm clouds gathering over the British economy, coupled with slowing global economic growth, could fuel a recession in Britain next year, as a decade of steady growth and low inflation threatens to come to a painful close.

Click below to read the full report:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article3289232.ece

10 Hot Jobs For 2007

2006-12-04T20:59:00.000+08:00

The below article is taken from the CareerBuilder.com Website.

10 Hot Jobs for 2007 by CareerBuilder.com

As the world continues to advance and change technologically, we are living longer, retiring later and pursuing higher education at a higher rate than generations before us, and the employment market is changing right alongside us.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technology is just one of the few factors in determining what's going to be the next great gig out there. Demographic shifts, legislative changes, business trends and consumer behavior also factor into what's going to be the next big thing and what's going to be history.

Here are some of today's jobs that are on the cutting edge:

1. Radiation Therapist
What they do: Work with radiation oncologists to administer treatment as prescribed and supervised by the doctor. They also maintain records and check the operations of the radiology equipment.

What you need: An associate or bachelor's degree in radiology and certification under the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Licensing may also be required.

2. Nurse Paralegal
What they do: Similar to LNCs, they are hired to assist law firms, government agencies and insurance companies with expertise on medical-related cases. Unlike LNCs, nurse paralegals have a stronger focus on the legal relations to medicine.

What you need: A bachelor's or advanced degree in nursing or another health-related field and certification.

3. Genetic Counselor
What they do: Assist families who have members with birth defects and other genetic disorders, and also aid in educational and administrative roles related to genetic counseling and inherited health issues.

What you need: A bachelor's degree concentrating on biology/biosciences, psychology, genetics or nursing and a master's degree in genetic counseling. The American Board of Genetic Counseling and the American Board of Medical Genetics offer certification.

4. Legal Nurse Consultant
What they do: Perform an analysis of medical information as related to law. They conduct legal research, interview expert witnesses and assist with legal paperwork and processes.

What you need: An RN license. Formal training as a legal nurse consultant (LNC) is not required, but helpful.

5. Art Therapist
What they do: Treat physical, mental and emotional disabilities through art expression.

What you need: A master's degree in art therapy with completed curriculum under the American Art Therapy Association's educational standards. To be a registered art therapist, 1,000 hours of direct client contact must be reached after graduation.

6. Computer Forensic Expert
What they do: Use computer investigation and analysis to determine legal evidence. They uncover deleted information and can help the legal system track down people attempting to cover their illegal actions, such as hackers and inside traders.

What you need: A wide range of computer hardware and software experience, as well as an associate or bachelor's degree in computer forensics, computer science or another related field.

7. Medical Illustrator
What they do: Create images that visually communicate bioscientific and medical discoveries. They also act as consultants, advisers, administrators and educators in biological science communications.

What you need: A bachelor's degree with a major in art and a minor in biological sciences or vice versa; a portfolio of artwork demonstrating competence. A majority of medical illustrators have master's degrees in medical illustration.

8. Veterinary Physical Therapist
What they do: Focus on animal treatment and rehabilitation methods, including hydrotherapy, swimming, exercise and massage.

What you need: Certification training is offered to licensed veterinarians, veterinary technicians and physical therapists. Some certification programs require written exams, and follow-up case reports, independent studies and take-home exams are also available.

9. Animal Defense Lawyer
What they do: Handle cases dealing with animals in cases ranging from custody in divorce cases to veterinary malpractice. While laws suggest that animals are regarded as "property," owners who are battling for the custody often regard their pets at a higher standard.

What you need: The educational degrees and requirements for a major in law, a Juris Doctorate, and a concentration and clinical work in animal law.

10. Animal Assisted Therapist
What they do: Study and identify behavioral patterns in animals and apply techniques to improve mental, social and physical issues within humans through animal/human companionship.

What you need: A bachelor's of science degree in psychology, social work, physical therapy, nursing or education. Additional training and certification in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a big plus. AAT program concentrations can include elderly care, social work, education and other specialties.

Candace Corner is a writer for CareerBuilder.com.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

View my Ecademy profile; :-)

Leadership: Top 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Managers

2006-11-28T21:57:00.001+08:00

This is a good article on leadership entitled:

Leadership: Top 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Managers
By Dennis P. Collins

Why do some managers make managing look easy and enjoy major success while others never seem to figure it out?

Effective management is no accident. The best managers have studied success and have learned the secrets.

See how you match up against these seven:

Ask lots of questions. Listen, and then listen some more.

Great questions open up dialog that you otherwise might have missed. When you listen, really listen. You'll be amazed at what you'll hear and your staff will be thrilled you care.

Practice 360 degree learning.

Learn something from everyone and everything, inside and especially outside your own industry and business. As Tom Peters says, when you wander around you're sure to find out what's really going on.

Be slow to hire, fast to fire.

Having the right staff in place is your most important managerial responsibility.

Accept less of the credit and more of the blame than you deserve.

Enough said.

Focus.

Pay attention only to high impact issues that matter most. Delegate or eliminate everything else.

Lead.

Your staff wants to know where you're taking the business. Most of them will follow in you share your vision and values.

Recognize and reward.

Be lavish, public and prompt with praise and awards for work well done.
BONUS SECRET: Stay humble. You may have the power and the title, but nothing good happens without the dedication, commitment and hard work of your staff.

With over 30 years experience as a senior manager in the media business, Dennis P. Collins has studied the secrets of management success. Through his BizFitLab, he shares those secrets and helps managers in all businesses become the best they can be. For more information, contact Dennis at dpcwiz@bellsouth.net.

Source: http://Top7Business.com/?expert=Dennis-P.-Collins

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Why Do You Use Headhunters? You get the best by using the experts.

2006-11-26T15:32:00.000+08:00

Imagine this. When you want a great company web page, do you do it yourself if you are not a web designer? Logic tells you that it would be more cost-effective and you will get an excellent web-page by using the experts. Prudent companies use the services of external professionals to give them the best results.

Headhunters should be viewed in the same light: as skilled specialists who can identify the best executives to fill an important position on the management team. When you are trying to recruit top talent, one of the best ways is to use a good headhunter who will provide you with the best candidates.

Using the services of a headhunter is ultimately more expedient, efficient and effective then trying to do it yourself. Headhunters provide strict confidentiality, a valuable and extensive network of contacts, objectivity in candidate evaluation, and negotiation experience and expertise.

Headhunters observe strict confidentiality. Organizations with an opening in their executive ranks are vulnerable. Whether for an existing position to be filled, or a position newly created by downsizing or market opportunity, the hiring process must be strictly confidential.

Confidentiality can keep competitors from being tipped off to management shake-ups, new product and market initiatives, and can protect against employee, stockholder, and supplier apprehension. Search consultants value the highly sensitive information they become privy to during the search process. They are acutely aware and respectful of their client's vulnerability.

Headhunters can tap into a global network of contacts. Top notch executive talent is a scarce commodity today. The limited contacts of in-house human resource departments cannot compare with the wide net cast by a headhunter's network. (An international search especially calls for the capabilities of an international executive search firms.)

Usually, the best candidates are gainfully employed; many will deal only with a recruiter. They appreciate the worth of third party representation, confidentiality and professional mediation. Recruiting superior candidates is intricate and best performed by a discreet professional.

Headhunters bring objectivity and feedback to management. Executive search is a time-consuming, sensitive process. Recruiters can help clients evaluate their expectations, review relevant organization structure and reporting, and define a realistic profile and compensation package for the open position. Search consultants provide objective feedback on the candidates and advice to the client. As experts in research and reference checking, search firms can glean significant information from even reluctant reference-givers.

Headhunters are cost effective. The benefit of using a headhunting firm can be weighed against the cost of preparing and executing an advertisement / recruitment campaign, screening and qualifying candidates, operating without a needed employee
for an extended length of time, compared to the relative insurance of getting the right person for the job. The use of headhunters is an investment in improving the quality of managerial might. But even beyond that, the risk to not use executive recruiters is too great. For smaller companies - in which one hiring mistake can have disastrous results - using headhunters is sometimes more important than for corporate giants. Hiring an incompetent employee who makes bad decisions can cost a company millions - or its very existence. More than ever before, executive talent is at a premium and can make or break the fortunes of a business. Headhunters can deliver the best.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Senior Auditors For Shanghai (Japanese Speaking)

2006-11-25T17:43:00.000+08:00

A great career opportunity exists in Shanghai. This is great if you would like to gain experience working in Shanghai, China.

SENIOR AUDITORS FOR SHANGHAI (JAPANESE SPEAKING)

OUR CLIENT:

Our Client is a global, diversified company that provides vital products and
services to customers in the Fire & Security, Electronics, Healthcare, Engineered Products & Services, and Plastics & Adhesives. Its 2004 revenue is USD$40 billion. It employs approximately 250,000 people worldwide. Our Client is seeking highly motivated and committed individuals to join its team in the Regional Corporate Office in Singapore to join as :

REGIONAL STAFF AND SENIOR AUDITORS:

THE JOB:
Reporting to the Regional Audit Director, you will be responsible for conducting financial audits throughout the region.

REQUIREMENTS:
• University degree in Accounting or Finance
• Between 2-6 years of internal or external audit experience in a Big 4 accounting firm or in a large multinational organization
• Manufacturing and/or contract accounting experience preferred
• Willing to travel extensively
• Proficient English and Asian language skills such as Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Hindi are desired
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Superior problem solving ability
• Project management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• IT analytical skills including ACL, Microsoft Access

SALARY:
Negotiable.
Successful candidates will be offered competitive salaries and benefits packages.

This posting can also be seen in our website:

KT Solutions' Newsletter...Click here to view

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Visit my Ecademy profile; ;-)

Sample interview questions on behaviour

2006-11-23T17:18:00.000+08:00

Here are some useful questions on behaviour from the HR-Guide in the internet. These are useful to you during the interview.

Good Interview Questions On Behavior

A fellow employee told you what his/her salary is and wants to know yours. How would you react and what would you do? (situational)

Describe a conflict with an employee and how you handled it.

Describe a complex problem you solved.

Describe a work situation in which you were not proud of your performance. What did you learn from this mistake?

Describe an important goal you have set and tell me how you reached it.

Describe how you have been able to apply something you learned from your degree program to a real-life or work-related situation.

Describe a (recent) project in which you failed? What did you learn from this?

Describe a (recent) situation in which you asked for advice?

Describe a (recent) situation in which you asked for help?

Describe a (recent) situation in which it took several tries or approaches before you were able to figure out what was going on.

Describe a (recent) situation in which you had to quickly establish your credibility and gain the confidence of others. What did you do ?

Describe a (recent) situation when you didn't know who you needed to speak with in an organization too get something done. What did you do ?

Describe a (recent) situation when you were able to identify a conflict between two individuals and were instrumental in the solution to that conflict. (skills)

Describe a (recent) situation when you worked in a team environment.

Describe a (recent) situation in which what was really going on with someone else was much more complicated than it might have seemed on the surface.

Describe a (recent) situation on your last job that you did not handle as well as you might have.

Describe a (recent) situation that you just couldn't handle.

Describe a (recent) situation when miscommunication created a problem on the job.

Describe a (recent) situation when you were confronted by a difficult problem and how you solved it.

Describe a time when you had to take on something very new or different and you had little or no guidance and support in doing so. How did you handle it ?

Describe a time when you organized a project where your directions were vague?

Describe a time when you simplified or clarified a situation by putting your finger on the key issue.

Describe a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.

Describe a time when you accomplished a challenging goal.

Describe a time when you accomplished a difficult goal.

Describe a time where your performance went above and beyond expectations.

Describe how you work under pressure. Do you anticipate problems effectively or just react to them?

Describe how your (office/department/company) is organized.

For more questions, visit the HR-Guide website....Click here.....

We welcome your comments and feedback. If you have any comments, please let us have them. Thanks.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Job Candidates: Enhance Your Chances Of Getting The Job!

2006-11-22T16:25:00.000+08:00

How can you, a job candidate, enhance your chances of success at an interview. Remember that your objective in attending an interview is to get the job. You have to make sure that the interviewers are convinced that you are the ideal person for the job. You have to show them why you are better than the other candidates. In effect, you are actually going to ‘market’ yourself as the best person for the job.

Here are some points that you may want to consider.

Insist on meeting or talking with the hiring manager first, whenever possible

Whenever possible, try to insist on meeting the hiring manager first. The hiring manager is going to be your immediate superior in the new job. He would know the type of candidate that he is looking for, the experience and skills that he wants. The human resource department will not know as much as the hiring manager. If the hiring manager finds you suitable, you can talk to the human resource later.
Ask yourself this: would a HR person who is not in your area of work be able to understand fully what you are going to explain about your experience, skills and your work?

State your expectations

Try to ask for the agenda for the interview meeting. Even a verbal one over the telephone is better than none. You need to find out who the interviewers are, their designations, how they are related to the position that you are applying for? Is it just going to be the interview or more? If they are not at all related to the position that you are applying for, ask for the purpose of their presence in the interview. Use the reason that you would like to know so as to prepare yourself. It demonstrates your seriousness in the interview and the position.

Expect respect and set your standard

If the interviewers do not greet you, think cautiously before ever accepting another invitation from that company. That should let you have an idea of the employees in that company: lack of courtesy and respect for others. You have to set your standards high and be sure that the company that you are going to join has a high standard too. If not, do not waste your time.

Show respect to the interviewers

It is always a good practice to show respect to others, irrespective of who the other party is. You never know the influence the other party has over the recruitment decision. Or how closely you are going to work with the person (assuming that you get the job)? Finally, how you treat others reflects on you directly. So do set a high standard for yourself.

Do not ask about renumeration or benefits in the first interview.

Many great candidates make the serious mistake of asking about salary and benefits in the first interview. This is a serious mistake as it sends the wrong signal to the potential employer. The first interview is the opportunity for the interviewee to find out more about job, career prospects, the company, the expectation of the hiring manager and to ‘market’ the candidate.

Remember that no offer has been made yet. Asking about salary and benefits at that time is plain silly because you have not been offered the position! On the other hand, it signals to the potential employer that the interviewee is more interested in the money and personal gain, rather than how he can help the company. Asking such questions in the first interview is almost your guarantee not to get the job. Never, never, never do that.

Dress appropriately for the position

How you dress will depend somewhat on the position that you are applying for. At the same time, it makes sense to do some research on the organization. Or you may politely ask the person who calls you for the interview about the preferred dress code.

Some companies are more formal and they would expect at a long-sleeve shirt and a tie. For ladies, probably a skirt, blouse and a business jacket. If you the position is a sales position, where you are expected to meet clients, then it may be appropriate to dress up a little, such as putting on a business jacket. If the position is taking charge of the engineering department, even a long sleeve shirt without tie can be fine. It demonstrates to the interviewers that you are in tune with the position that you are applying for. That can be a good start.

Be prepared

Never attend an interview unprepared. That would be a sure recipe for failure. Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Ask yourself: what is the interviewer looking for, what questions would he be likely to ask, what business is the company in, what are they famous for, why are you the best person for the position. Do your research. Check out the company’s website. Try to find out as much as you can about the company: from the web, newspapers, magazines, friends, employees, etc.

Listen

Many candidates make the mistake of ‘over-selling’ themselves such that it sounds rather ‘exaggerated’. True, an interview is where you would want to market yourself, to show why you are the best person for the job. But overdoing the process can be counter-productive. It makes the interviewer wonder if what you have said is true.

You should listen to what the interviewer has to say. Show respect to the interviewer. Understand what the interviewer is looking for and answer to the point. Be tactful and do not ‘hard-sell’ yourself.
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Do not talk bad about your current or previous employers

Whatever your reason for wishing to quit your present position, never talk bad about your current or previous employers. It is very discourteous to talk bad about anyone and reflects on yourself. Be objective. Do not be personal.

What are your opinions about this article? Do let us have your comments. Thanks.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter,

Interviewer’s Role In An The Interview (Part II)

2006-11-21T16:54:00.000+08:00

The interviewer should be as knowledgeable as the candidate.
Irrespective of the subject matter or objective of the interview, the interviewer should be as knowledgeable as the candidate. Make sure everyone coming to the interview (on your end) is prepared and knowledgeable. It must be emphasized that the first impression counts a lot.

Everyone interviewing the candidate should be prepared.
All members on your interview panel should be of such a caliber that they could fit into the position they were interviewing for. Interviewers of a lesser caliber would not add value to the interview and might send the wrong signal to the candidate.

Do not have follow-up interviews in mind.
The first impression counts a lot. A HR Assistant who is not an expert in the work of your department should not represent your organisation to the candidate. Like what we had said before, treat your candidate as a customer. Would you send a junior staff to meet a customer? Would you send someone who is not familiar about your company to meet a customer? Likewise, do not send someone from another department to interview your candidate as that is not going to add any value at all. Why let a Finance manager interview a Programmer about his career goals?

Your best team member for the interview.
When the time is suitable, introduce the candidate to his peers. Your goal is to assess the candidate and to establish your credibility. Only the team member who can impress the candidate and can hold his own should be in the introduction meeting. The selected team member should be a motivated employee. Do not put him into the front line if he is not.

You are interviewing to recruit top talent, not to talk.
Many a times, an interviewer mis-manages the interview by talking about himself, his goals, etc, etc. Or, he spends the time interrogating the candidate about the past or the future. All these might be important topics, but not until the key issue is addressed: the work.

Step back and ask yourself this: If the candidate passes your personality and credential tests, would you offer him the job if you found out he could not do the work properly? The answer is obvious. Find out if the candidate can do the work first. The rest can be established later.

It is common that managers sometimes avoid detailed discussion of the work content because they themselves do not really know enough of it to discuss. A head-count is approved so someone has to be recruited, but no one is clear about why. Sounds familiar?

Before the interview, be prepared. Make sure you understand the purpose of the position and the work content in detail. Otherwise do not interview the candidate or that might reflect badly on you and your organization.

A job candidate is an invited guest to be treated like a customer.
Recruiting and interviewing are not an administrative process. This is a highly skillful social art: the art of influence a top talent to join you and your team. You have to do it responsibly. You must constantly focus on the state of the candidate. Is he warming up? How is he reacting? Is he opening up? Does he look enthusiastic? You are responsible for what the candidate thinks; as that depends on how well you have managed the interview.

Do you have any comments on this article? Share your thoughts and comments with us.

Cheers,

The Singapore Headhunter,

Interviewer’s Role In An The Interview (Part I)

2006-11-20T11:35:00.000+08:00

The quality of an interview is the interviewer's responsibility

Typically, the interviewer will set the tone of the interview. Though an interviewee may want to influence the tone of the interview, that is quite unlikely as the interviewee would not want to come across as disrespectful or disdainful.

The interviewer’s role is to ensure that there is an air of mutual respect in an interview, or the interview would not be successful or effective. The interviewer should set the tone of the interview and the objective of the interview should be to recruit top talent.

The objective of an interview is to recruit top talent.

The company is trying to attract top talent. Ideally, the first interview should be with the hiring manager. Do not forget that the first impression counts a lot. The interviewee is at the interview to know your company, the department he is going to work in, and the superior that he is going to work for. He is at the interview to discuss his experience and the job scope of this new potential job offer. The first interview should not be for the HR to do the screening, but rather for the hiring manager to have a detail and meaningful discussion about the job scope, career advancement opportunities, the candidate’s experience and aspirations, the fit between the candidate and the department.

The interview should be a meeting of mutual respect: a challenging and useful discussion of professionals.

As the interviewer, your objective should be making the interview a meeting of mutual respect: a challenging and useful discussion of professionals. As you are trying to recruit top talent, the top talent would be assessing the organization and the superior that he is going to work for. He is not going to join if he is uncomfortable with his interview experience.

The interviewee is at the interview with his own objective as well. He is there to assess if your organization is ‘attractive’ to him and what he would be able to ‘gain’ by working for you. It would be wise to treat him like you would treat a prospective customer. Show him why you are different from your competitors, why he should join you instead of your competitors. Show him that you are serious about him. If possible, work out a simple agenda. Tell the interviewee that he is not at the interview for an interrogation session. That will allow you to demonstrate to the interviewee the positive difference between you and your competitors and give the interviewee a certain good feel about your organization.

Do not be presumptuous.

In most interviews, the interviewers hold the upper hand. The usual mistake they make is to start ‘interrogating’ the interviewees too soon. The interviewer should be sincere in wanting to know the interviewee more; like what is he looking for in his next job, why he applies for your position, how he thinks he is going to add value to the position and what makes him choose your organization.
The interviewer should also share with the interviewees his (interviewer’s) goals and objectives, the profile of the person he is looking for, his background, his management style and what he is looking for in a candidate. In this way, the interviewee would be able to decide if he would be likely to fit into the working environment, for a long time to come.

State your business clearly.

The interviewer is the host and should take the lead. Lay your cards on the table. What is your company’s mission? What is its long-term goal? What role does your department play in the organization? What are some of the immediate challenges of the department? Why are you recruiting? Why are you interested in the interviewee?
After that, let the interviewee has his say. An interview has to be a 2-way communication to be effective. You want to ‘market’ your vacancy that is available as well as to learn more about the interviewee. Respect the interviewee. Pay full attention to what he got to say. Learn as much about him during the interview. If you have questions, wait for him to finish and ask him politely. Questions should be pertaining to his experience and how he feels he would be able to fit in successfully. Ask about his concerns, if any, about the vacancy. Everyone likes to work for an understanding, reasonable, caring and polite superior.

In the next part to this topic, we talk about why the interviewer needs to be prepared and be knowledgeable. Do come back soon.

Do you have any comments about this article? We appreciate your comments and feedback, which are crucial for us to improve.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Do Not Make The Same Mistake Or You Will Lose Out!

2006-11-19T07:34:00.000+08:00

The other day, I sent a candidate to the client for a Manager position. Everything went on smoothly. The client liked her and the candidate was impressed with the organisation.

A reference check was requested. The reference check turned out great! Things were going great then. The client was keen to make an offer to her. The client was happy and the candidate was exhilarated. She called me to thank you profusely. We had a great conversation. I was delighted for her.

Then, the dreadful thing happened! The client needed some details from the candidate and one of her junior staff telephoned the candidate. Maybe, she was too happy or she was not in her usual frame of mind, she became agitated with that client's junior staff and spoke to her in an unfriendly manner. Instead of co-operating, she started to question that junior staff. Oh dear! Guess what happened?

That junior staff informed her superior (my client) and I received a call from the client to say that the offer was off. They were concerned about the attitude of the candidate. That was the worst thing to happen. Imagine that a potential job offer was lost over a small incident like this! What a dread!

Job seeker should also bear in mind to respect everybody irregardless of the position of the other party. A junior staff's comments could be worse than her bite. Her superior would be more likely to believe what she said. Be polite to all and respect everybody.

Do not make the same mistake or you may lose a job offer.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

How A Potential Deal Was Lost - Not Because Of Me!

2006-11-18T08:29:00.000+08:00

The other day, I sent a candidate for interview with the client. She was a 'prize catch', a great candidate and the hiring manager liked her very much. She possessed a good track record, excellent qualifications and experience, great interpersonal skills and communications skills.

I was quietly confident that this assignment was going to be a darn deal. I called up the prize catch after her interview. She sounded mildly interested, not with the 'wow' feeling. That put me on my guard at that moment.

I called the hiring manager to get his feedback. He was so excited and asked me for the candidate's reaction. He told me to make her an offer. I thought that this was great and quickly called the prize catch and discuss with her.

My prize catch sounded cool and said that she would like to consider about it. I was supposed to call her the next day.

The next day, I called my prize catch and she said no. The prize catch rejected the client's offer!!! What a drag!!! But why? I asked. She explained to me that the distance was too far from her home. To go such a distance on a daily basis was a serious matter, unless the client was going to pay her extra. (Not for this position, my client was adamant.) As I probed further, she hinted that some comments made by the HR interviewers made her feel uncomfortable. For example, they told her that working overtime was a norm and she should not be expecting more increase for the following year as they were offering a great salary. Oh my God! How I hope interviewers can be more tactful and handle interviews more tactfully.

Anyway, there was no use in crying over spilt milk. Life moved on. I told the hiring manager who sounded as disappointed as I was.

Do come back next time. I will talk about the interviewers' role in a recruitment interview. What should interviewers do? What role do they play? How can interviewers help to attract good talent? So, see you around next time.

By the way, do you have any comments on this article? Please let me have your comments.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

The Joy Of A Headhunter

2006-11-14T11:34:00.000+08:00

The work of a Headhunter is challenging, exciting and satisfying. It is challenging to headhunt a top-notch professional, and be able to convince that professional to move into a new role (usually besieged with uncertainties, risks and surprises) from his existing comfortable and happy environment.

It is exciting to work with such professionals and the Headhunter gets to make new friends and learn from such experts in their fields. The Headhunter's network continues to grow and develop.

The satisfaction and joy come when an assignment is successfully concluded. All parties involved are happy. The Client is happy as they get the man or woman they coveted, the Candidate is happy to get a new and great career, coupled with greater
challenges and responsibilities.

The Headhunter is happy and feels a great sense of achievement: mission accomplished! Another happy Client and Candidate; not to mention the associated professional fees for successful closing the deal.

Cheers,

The Singapore Headhunter

2006-11-13T14:37:00.000+08:00

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

You have a job offer to consider. When you were working hard on, and worrying about getting the job, you do not think making a decision would be this difficult. This is serious matter as it affects your long-term career. The job that you accept may be yours for a long time to come.

What are some of the more significant factors to consider? Compensation, benefits, convenience, organisation, size of organization, your boss / co-workers, staff turnover or career opportunities? Or could it be the corporate culture or the length of your commute? What about your future superior and team-members - will working with them be pleasant? There are a number of factors to consider and only some are negotiable.

Compensation

The importance of compensation cannot be under-estimated as it gives you a sense of satisfaction. You want to make sure that you are being paid what we are worth. At the same time, you need the money to pay the bills.

Many companies will not talk about pay until they have decided to hire you. It is important to find out what other people are making for the same work in the same industry. You need to have an estimate of what the job should pay, to decide if the offered compensation is reasonable. Ask around: your friends, your headhunters, check out the recruitment advertisements for a ball-park estimate or some salary surveys, if you can get hold of them. You can look at other occupational information as well. If other aspects of the job appeal to you, you can try to negotiate the offer. Consider the benefits as well as these will add to your basic salary.

The organization

The information on an organization can help you to decide whether it is a good place for you to work. This includes the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location. You can generally get an organisation’s background information, especially a large organization, on its website or by reading its annual report (call its investor relations department for a copy or download a copy for the Singapore Stock Exchange website.)
If possible, speak to current or former employees of the company. If you know anyone who has any dealing with the company, such as a consultant, a supplier, a vendor or a customer of the company, ask them for inputs about the company.
Stories about an organization in magazines and newspapers can tell a great deal about its successes, failures, and plans for the future. You can identify articles on a company by looking under its name in periodical or computerized indexes in libraries. However, it probably will not be useful to look back more than 3 years or more.

How will the size of the organization affect you?
The larger organizations offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more advancement prospects and better benefits than do small firms. Large employers also may have more advanced technologies. However, many jobs in large firms tend to be highly specialized and focused.
Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.

Culture
Webster defined ‘culture’ as "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation, "culture should be an important factor in your decision whether to accept a job offer. If you value your personal time, a company with a culture that promotes late hours may not be suitable for you. Does this company believe in "winning at all costs?" Does this fit into your personal belief? Is the company in the gambling, tobacco or wine industry? Are you personally for such activities? If not, you may not want to join companies involved in such activities.

Commute Time

You have to take into account the length of your commute. What may have seemed like a decent distance to travel for a job interview will begin to wear you out when you have to make that trip twice a day, five days a week, especially during the peak hour traffic. Do you fancy spending between 2 and 3 hours commuting to and from your work? Definitely not, though there are some people who would not mind. Are you one of them?

Your Boss/Co-Workers

All the employees in a company will undeniably affect the quality of the time you spend at work. A conducive and friendly team will generally make it easier for you to work. You would not want to work with team-members who enjoy shouting at each other, would you? Or team-members who are unco-operative, gossip behind your back or make life difficult for you.

If you have a chance to tour the office, observe if the employees seem friendly and happy. Check with people who may have some insider information about the company.

Staff Turnover
A high turnover can mean dissatisfaction with the nature of the work or something else about the job. Do find out more, if possible. Discuss with the HR Manager. Have a frank talk with the manager. If you detect something is not right, do be cautious.

Career Opportunities

A good job offers you many opportunities to learn new skills, increase your salary, and rise to positions of greater authority and responsibility. Many people quote their reason for leaving a job as: “Lack of career advancement opportunities.” So, you would like to be careful to ensure that your future employers can offer a decent career advancement opportunity.
Do check with the HR Manager or the Hiring Manager about the career advancement opportunities offered.
The employer should give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited?

Accepting or Declining the Offer
Whether you choose to accept or reject a job offer, you must inform the employer who has made that offer. This should be done formally, in writing, and if you wish by telephone as well. If your answer is "yes" it's obvious why you'll want to make a good impression with your future employer. But, why is it important to be polite to someone you do not plan to work for? Well, you do not know where your future will take you. You may at some point wind up with that employer as a superior, a colleague, a client, or even your next door neighbour. You certainly do not want to leave a bad impression, or to burn the bridge, so to speak.

Comments

Do you have any comments or inputs? We welcome your comments and inputs on this article.

Cheers,

The Singapore Headhunter

First 2007 IT Salary Guide Arrives!!!

2006-11-11T08:10:00.000+08:00

This is a report from eWeek.com.

eWeek Report

Starting salaries for IT pros are expected to increase an average of 2.8 percent in 2007 over 2006, and more than 4 percent in high-demand areas, according to the 2007 IT Salary Guide from Robert Half Technology, to be released Oct. 24.

Larger increases in base compensation are expected in roles in higher demand such as software and Web development and data warehouse management.

"We see this as part of the Web-ification of the world. There's a whole lot of development work going on there to making the world of computing even more seamless, and to do this, companies need developers," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology, a provider of IT professional services in Menlo Park, Calif. ...Read more...

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Do You Want A Job Or A Career?

2006-11-10T11:33:00.000+08:00

What is the difference between a job and a career? We took a look into the Webster Dictionary for the definitions of both words.

Job - a piece of work; especially: a small miscellaneous piece of work undertaken on order at a stated rate.

Career - a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life (Washington's career as a soldier)

Career - a profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling (a career in medicine) (a career diplomat)

The difference is obvious. A job is a piece of work while a career is a profession for which one trains in, in pursuit of consecutive progressive achievements.

If you keep pursuing different jobs without any consideration to your career, you are likely to end up being good at a few things but excellent in none. That will also place you in the lower echelons of management where being “good” is acceptable; but not the top echelons of management, where only excellence is accepted.

One needs to plan carefully when it comes to one’s career but when it comes to a job, planning would not be that important, by virtue of what a job is.

Some people ignore their career and take any job that comes along. Such people will take the jobs, work and save some money. They basically work to live.

Others prefer to choose a single profession, such as accounting, marketing, lecturing, engineering, medicine, and sales and make a career out of it. They start in their chosen profession at the lower levels and painfully make advancement up the higher levels. For example, they may start as an Audit Assistant, then to Senior, to Assistant Manager, Manager and hopefully to become a Partner in the firm. Throughout their career, they stick to one profession, that is, External Accounting. It is highly likely that such people will choose a career that is compatible with their personal interests and beliefs and they basically live to work.

So, what is for you? Ultimately, it is your choice, right? There is no perfect answer here. Many people experience a little of both. Sometimes, there may be no choice at all. This is what life is all about.

What do you think of this article? Do you have any comments.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

MORE THAN ONE JOB OFFER; WHAT TO DO?

2006-11-09T15:53:00.000+08:00

You have just received a written offer from a prospective employer, ABC Systems, Inc. It is a decent job and better than your current one, but it is not as exciting as two other jobs you are interviewing for, with 123 Machines Inc. (you are in the final stages) and Wonderman Inc. (you are about to have your second interview). Offers may be imminent from one or both.

The ABC job would be fine with you, but you would like to hold out to see what happens with the two other companies. The trouble is, ABC wants an answer by the end of the week, and neither of the other companies will be ready to make you an offer by then.

Many job hunters get confused and rattled easily in such a situation. Should you take the sure thing and cancel your other interviews? Should you let it go in favour of the uncertain but more attractive "two in the bush"? What would you do?

In such a situation, some people begin to question the job hunter’s ethics. Would it be advisable to take the ABC job, then quickly leave if one of the other companies delivers an offer? How can you manage such staggered job offers?

The job hunter's usual ploy is to ask ABC Systems to extend the offer deadline. But, if ABC gave him a reasonable deadline (a week or more), he risks creating the perception that he is unenthusiastic about the job.

Another way is to try to get the other companies to accelerate their decision process. Good luck. Unless you know you are the front-running candidate, you risk alienating the employer you would really like to work for.

In many instances, companies decide slowly, but want the job hunter to make a decision quickly. What would be the best action in this situation? Be realistic, deal with the facts and ignore "what could be".

The reality is that you have one offer only. You thus have only one decision to make: Would you accept the offer from ABC as it stands, if there were no alternatives? Since 123 Machines Inc. and Wonderman Inc. do not exist as opportunities until their offers are on the table, leave them out of your decision process. But if you feel that the ABC offer is not that fantastic, then just let it go and wait.

If 123 Machines Inc. or Wonderman Inc. then makes an offer, then you do not have to rescind an acceptance. If there is no offer, well, the ABC offer is not that fantastic.

Is rescinding an acceptance ethical? Personally, I do not believe it is, as it boils down to going back on one’s words. Unless you feel that not keeping to your words is ethical. It is a not a nice thing to do. It is a bad thing to do to a company that just hired you. It could affect your reputation.

Deal with staggered job offers by focusing on what you have in hand. Do not let a future possibility affect how your evaluation of a current reality.

Do you have any comments? Do you agree?

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Do You Have Any Interesting Encounters With Headhunters?

2006-11-08T16:02:00.000+08:00

Some lucky people get calls from headhunters regularly. Some will contact headhunters to look for possible career opportunities while some will be using headhunters to fulfil their vacancies.

So, do you have any interesting experiences to share with us? Tell us: What do you like about the headhunters? What do you dislike about the headhunters?

It would be good to hear from you.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

Ever Thought Of Becoming A Headhunter?

2006-11-06T11:04:00.001+08:00

Everyone, except a headhunter (maybe), seems to think headhunting is an easy way to get rich quickly. It may not be as simple as it appears to be. It is analogous to seeing a sport star earning big bucks, without realising the sacrifice and effort that are required to achieve the 'star' status.

So, how does one learn to become a good headhunter. One can learn how to do it by working with the seasoned headhunters, make the necessary sacrifice and put in a lot of effort.

Some so-called headhunting firms are like multi-level marketing schemes and they give the business a bad name. The owners are likely to be without any experience and think they can succeed by employing many recruiters, many of them inexperienced, to set the business rolling.

They find clients through reading the recruitment advertisements and then submit unsolicited resumes to companies that are hiring. They run advertisements to solicit resumes from anyone who is desperate to want their services. Their recruiters call hundreds of "potential candidates" in an essentially random effort to build their resume database, so that they can ship these wholesale to their "clients".

Some headhunting firms won't hire you. They retain you and pay you when you close a deal. These firms won't give benefits. You are technically on your own, working as an associate with the firm, just like an insurance agent or a property agent.

Another class of search firms are the relatively young, marginally successful, and will actually put you on their payroll. Benefits will be minimal or nil and your pay will be a draw against commission, but the commission plan will be aggressive. The owner views you more as a partner than an employee, and the expectation is that if you perform well enough to keep your job, you will earn more than enough to pay for your own benefits.

A young headhunting firm is typically the result of a pretty good headhunter leaving a bigger firm and striking out on his own. By starting his own business he expects he'll keep more of the profit, and maybe bring on a few people to handle more clients. He quickly learns it's very difficult to hire good headhunters or to train green ones. If he's a good manager, he'll do okay, but the business will likely face cash flow problems most of the time.

If you join such a firm, the owner's risks become yours. However, if you can get enough of the owner's time, you can learn the business and maybe spin off your own business in a couple of years. If the owner is smart, he'll make you a partner and you'll stick around.

The better headhunting firms, which have been around longer and have gone through difficult times, will offer more complete benefits, better training, a good commission plan and job security. This is a sign that they know what they're doing, and that they'll probably be around for a while. These firms may be small or they may be big but they are run by seasoned headhunters who are also good business people. The best ones can offer more than one kind of job. You may be hired as a headhunter, as a researcher, or in any of several support roles from which you can rise to become a headhunter. What all these firms have in common is that they select new hires carefully and they diligently train the people they hire by assigning them to partner with successful members of the team.

You can find out which firms are worth working for by talking to the owners, the employees, the clients and the people the firm has placed. A complete reference check is essential before you jump in. If anything seems unusual or "not so right", there is probably a problem. The most common problem is usually poor cash flow.

Some firms claim that they have been in business for many years. Often, the business has been acquired several times, and the owner may be new or inexperienced.

The best and most successful headhunters have a good business acumen. You'll learn pretty quickly whether this is the business for you. Headhunting can pay well, but it is a lot of hard work.

Like any legitimate job, you can make a lot of money in headhunting but there is no easy path. It takes time, perseverance, study, practice, enthusiasm, the guidance of other good headhunters (this really is an apprenticeship business), and a very hard head. Many new headhunter never earn much, and quickly get out of the business.

The best compensation plans in the headhunting industry are heavily commission-based. While this may seem questionable as you are starting out, the best incentive to learning this business is a getting a big pay-check right after you close a deal. If you have got to pay back a "draw" (a small, refundable "salary" to keep you afloat while you get started), you will never enjoy the incredible high of that incredible reward. It is that high that keeps you going and turns you into a good headhunter. A draw can be a kind of indentured servitude: you owe so much that you can't get out of the hole. That kills your motivation and the likelihood that you'll learn the business.

Remember that headhunting is a specialized and personalised kind of sales: you will hear "no" much more often than "yes". Most people who fail at headhunting cannot stand hearing "no", and they cannot understand or believe what hard work this business really is.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

How To Read A Client's Real Meaning???

2006-11-03T16:45:00.000+08:00

This is a frustrating incident. I was 'headhunting' a manager for this Client. She specifically stated that her salary budget was to be capped at S$70,000 per annum. On the other hand, her specifications and experience requirements are ridiculously high that I did not think I could find a good candidate (at that salary).

I called the Client and verified the salary budget and was bluntly told: "Do not send me anybody whose expected salary is more than S$70,000." Ok, that was the Client's ultimatum. I had always learnt that the Client was always right and never to argue with the Client.

Searching for a candidate meeting those specifications and requirements and willing to accept that salary was almost impossible. I managed to find a couple of good candidates: good experience, stable career, good communications skills. I thought: "Great, another successful placement."

After the Client had interviewed the candidates, the feedback was that they were not good enough. I explained to the Client that with her salary budget, those candidates were the best in the market place. Guess what was the Client's rebuttal? I nearly fainted.

The Client told me that even though she had stated her salary budget, she could still pay more!

"No, you told me not to send you anybody whose expected salary was more than S$70,000," I explained.

"Even if I had told you that, I can still pay more if they are good," replied the Client.

I was caught in a lose-lose situation. Do you think the Client is always right???

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

2006-11-03T12:22:00.000+08:00

What Will Be the 10 Hottest Jobs?

Looking for your next job? Would you like to know what would be the 10 hottest jobs in the future. What jobs are these: Knowledge Engineers, Narrowcasters, Turing Testers, Tissue Engineers, Gene Programmers, Pharmers, Data Miners, Frankenfood Monitors or Hot-line Handymen?

What will the the 'sunset' jobs then? (Jobs facing extinction, I mean! Haha)

Would you have known that a Web designer would be one of the hottest jobs of 2000? So, what do you think would be the hottest jobs in the future. Brave to make a guess? Not guessing.....Here are some clues.

Do you agree with the article? Do you have other hottest jobs in mind? Tell us.

Cheers,
The Singapore Headhunter

What Is Headhunting?

2006-11-03T10:13:00.000+08:00

What is Headhunting?

Headhunting is the process conducted to "head-hunt" the most suitable candidate to fulfill a senior management position.

An employer will be interested to find the 'best' candidates for a top management position. Usually, the best candidates are gainfully employed and, as a rule, do not consider changing career. The headhunter's role is to find the right candidates, select the 'best' applicant among them and create the right conditions for the 'leaving' applicant and helping him to adapt to the new organization.

The process of head-hunting starts from the detailed study of client's needs. The head-hunters are always willing to render consultations on detailed description of the required application's characteristics, help in establishing the salary level and optimizing working conditions. The headhunters then make up a vacancy description and develop the search strategy, allocating terms and resources for conducting a qualified search. The gathering of information about the candidates starts, accompanied by collecting the reference data and simultaneous market analysis – study of the companies that may currently employ the potential candidates.

The headhunters then do the following:

· Creating the ‘long list’ – the list of candidates that generally fit the given vacancy, with the basic characteristic of each candidate attached;

· Forming the ‘short list’ – the list of the most suitable candidates from the ‘long list’, with the additional detailed information on candidates’ work experience, personal features, motivations, commitment to vocation, loyalty to employer and other (based on preliminary interviews). At this stage of comparison the candidate selection is most likely to occur.

· After the employer selects its best candidate, the headhunters will do a reference check. Depending on the employer, a psychrometric test may be carried out (this is optional).

After conducting negotiations between the employer company and a candidate, the best position is placed.

Do you have any comments or queries regarding this post? Feel free to let me know. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Singapore Headhunter