 |
Failures You Can't Ignore Any Longer
In a recent post on ERE, Dr. John Sullivan shares the scorecard for a very common business process:
-
70% of users are dissatisfied with the process.
-
50% of customers regret their buying decision.
-
46% turnover among new buyers.
-
46% failure rate of process output selections.
-
A mere 19% are unequivocal successes (less than 1 in 5).
This process is a clear failure by any measure right?
Sadly these are the metrics for the recruiting and retention function. (There is even more bad news in the full ERE article).
But you don't have to settle for results like that. We are always researching better ways to manage your recruiting and retention.
No time to read? Would you prefer to talk through your challenge instead? No problem, just give me a call - I'm happy to help -staffing problems are my favorite thing to talk about.
Remember, we're not going to break your budget - Staffing Advisors is the one search firm you can actually afford to use - we're uniquely designed to deliver, fast, predictable, cost-effective results for small and midsize firms - just read what our clients say about us.)
|
|
Let's Build Your Network.
Connect with me on ...
|
|
Greetings!
 Are you gearing up for January hiring? We're already hard at work on it for businesses, associations, and nonprofits all across the Washington Metropolitan area. (Hard to believe that January is just around the corner isn't it?)
Although our region has held up well, I'm also happy to see that nationally - for the first time since the beginning of the recession - more companies are hiring than downsizing. Another national study showed that 60% of small businesses expect to grow and 44% plan to hire in the next 12 months. |
|
|
OK, We Survived ... Now What?
So we apparently avoided an economic catastrophe, but now we've all entered unfamiliar territory. GE CEO Jeff Immelt calls it an " emotional, social, economic reset." In separate interviews, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, and author Jim Collins called our current turbulent state "The New Normal."
 One thing is certain. Most of your employees find today's business climate profoundly disconcerting ... and that has serious implications for how you hire, promote and manage performance.
We continue to carefully study the research and best thinking on what works in staffing right now, and we're determined to bring you proven, practical solutions to your most complex staffing problems.
What you will read below is a just the tip of the iceberg, so please feel free to call me for more information on any of these topics.
Need an article to prove a point to your executive team? Give me a call or send me an email.
|
|
Why Aren't Your People Getting Better Results?
 You probably spent the 4th quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 pulling back, cutting costs, and rethinking your strategy. You took a hard look at staffing and cut your obviously low performers. In the second and third quarter of this year you were serious about executing your new strategy. But if you are like most organizations, somehow it's not yet working quite as well as you hoped.
- Maybe your strategy needs some refinement.
- Maybe you have managers who are confusing motion for momentum, and not really measuring results.
-
Maybe you tried to hire key people from outside your firm, but found it really difficult to find qualified people, even now, in the midst of a recession. There is a reason for that. -
Often we find that you simply have the wrong person trying to lead the change you need. I'm sure some of your people stepped up ... but not everybody. You are probably disappointed that some of your most loyal, experienced, solid and stable people simply have not yet adapted to the current environment. There is a reason why they are no longer able to get results. See the article below to learn what it takes to succeed in this environment. |
What To Look For in Hiring Now
I recommend promoting from within wherever possible, but when you need to replace a failing leader, a recent Forbes article persuasively argues that " insiders may be precisely the wrong people to fill a failed leader's shoes," because insiders are still psychologically connected to the old decision makers and therefore more likely to "throw good money after bad" on failed initiatives.
Whether you promote from within or hire from the outside, what factors should you consider when you staff a complex, high risk initiative? In turbulent times like these, you need to look for:
 People who thrive in this environment are inquisitive, have a capacity to experiment and a willingness to fail, are comfortable with uncertainty and have the ability to see patterns and take action before things become obvious to other people. If your executive team is lacking in these qualities, it may explain why some of your strategic initiatives may be failing. These qualities are not going to be obvious in a resume, and are easy to overlook in an interview. So how exactly will your current hiring process identify, recruit and select these people for you?
(By the way, we regularly discuss these topics in our blog). |
|
So what can you do about it? |
|
Is it Too late to Prevent a Spike in Employee Turnover?
 Although most employers are enjoying relatively low turnover at the moment, forces are building rapidly that will cause a huge spike in turnover, probably within the next six months. Here are a few areas that require your immediate attention, before it is too late: | |
|
|
|
But equally ominous are the surveys that say that your 
