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Author Archives: Pat Hutchinson

1. Attracting Top Talent – Many ways prospective employers blow it!

   November 17, 2014 11:24 am Leave a Comment

   I have just read an article entitled ‘The five ways job applicants blow it!’ Great stuff and all points that prospective employees should take account of. It’s also important for employers to be aware of the ways they can blow it too. I have headed this article ‘Many ways prospective employers blow it!’ because I am convinced there are more than 5. So here goes.

   The competition for top talent is fierce – keeping top talent and making sure engagement levels are high is a key factor to success and bottom line impact so what can employers do to make sure they attract and retain the top talent?

   Here are some major booboos!

   1. Failing to recognize that talent acquisition is a two way process. Too many organisations approach talent acquisition as if it is a privilege to work for them. Whilst there may be some anomalies in the job market many organisations find it difficult to attract talent – this can be to senior positions as well as to their apprenticeship schemes.
   2. Making the job out to be something it’s not in the advert! We often hear of people leaving a role fairly quickly because the advertisement has asked for something the role can’t deliver. A classic example is ‘creativity and innovation’ when every decision has to be referred to the host company and takes months to be acted upon. Entrepreneurship is another – let’s be honest true entrepreneurs do not work for large organisations. What the role probably requires is the ability to take initiative, to work autonomously if necessary and maybe a level of optimism about the future.
   3. Not saying ‘thanks but no thanks’ to unsuccessful applicants of the first sift. Such a simple step that can do wonders for the company brand.
   4. Interviewing on the basis of eligibility factors alone – experience and qualifications are of course an essential part of the criteria. They definitely determine whether a person is capable of performing the role but do they measure their suitability for the role? By measuring suitability factors accuracy can increase from 40-45% to nearer 90-95%
   5. Resorting to subjectivity at the interview stage. Eligibility factors are easy to measure and check. Interviews are often conducted on a subjective scoring system with the results being calculated and discussions taking place following the interview. Behavioural questioning can give some indication of a person’s willingness and ability to perform in a variety of scenarios but it can’t measure working preferences which are the real indicators of success.
   6. Trying to fit to role by personality testing. Personality testing has little to do with job success.
   7. Failing to fit with manager/leader. All too often employers fail to match their new recruits to the style of the manager causing friction and mismanagement and often resulting in the newly found talent moving on to pastures new.
   8. Failing to check engagement and retention factors. What actually motivates new talent is not always the same. It is important to find out what the engagement factors are and be honest if the organisation cannot satisfy them. What are the employees expectations in relation to development, appreciation, remuneration, communication, authority, social, personal needs and work life balance.
   9. Failing to satisfy the GRT of expectations. According to Kevin Kruse the best talent is generally looking for 3 things – growth, recognition of input and ideas and trust – trust in them and the ability to trust in the organization.

   These are just a few of the blunders organisations can make in the pursuit of talent.

   If you would like to know more about how to attract the best talent call +44 (0)7768 922244.

2. 3 Reasons Why Employee Engagement Surveys Don’t Work!

   November 4, 2014 11:12 am Leave a Comment

   By David Steele, Harrison Assessments Consultant. 

   There is a really strong case for measuring engagement and retention factors in organisations. We just have to use the right tools for the job. Traditional engagement surveys have evolved from the old satisfaction survey and in most cases are likely to be used incorrectly. Proper analytic’s in the hands of leaders who believe that employees’ expectations are important and acted on accordingly, will see high levels of engagement.

   Why traditional employee engagement surveys don’t work!

   Here are 3 reasons why they don’t work, including –

   1. Engagement comes from within the individual
   2. You don’t need an employee engagement survey to know what needs to be fixed
   3. Employee engagement survey results become part of the “scorecard”

   Read the full article….

    

3. Making the most of Restructuring and Developing a New Culture

   August 28, 2014 10:39 am Leave a Comment

   Organisational restructures come about for any number of reasons – acquisitions, mergers, change in market direction, upsizing, downsizing, changes in the law, general market forces, new products, consolidation, a drive for greater efficiencies. Whatever it is there are numerous organisations worldwide going through some form of restructure.

   Whether the organisational restructure is on a grand global scale or a small local one, the challenge to get the right people in the right place at the right time can be complex and at times emotional as people are wrenched from their roles and relocated sometimes to other parts of the world. Timescales are often such that decisions have to be made quickly and the cost of getting it wrong can be enormous both financially and emotionally.

   So how would you feel if we could help you increase your chances of getting the right people in the right place by between 30—45% at a comparatively low cost?

   The Harrison Talent Management System will help you do just this. Furthermore it will generate reports on how to interview specific people for roles and how to manage them once in role. You can even begin to develop a new culture by measuring all existing employees against the cultural requirements. If this is something that interests you call us on +44 (0)7768 922244 – put aside one hour and we will explain to you via webinar exactly how this can work for you and your organisation.

4. Appraising Talent

   June 27, 2014 12:04 pm Leave a Comment

   How are you Appraising Talent?

   Performance reviews can vary in quality, in structure as well as delivery. Structurally they often include a review of measurable goals completed over the last period and a series of measurable goals to be completed over the next appraisal period. They may also cover development requirements and some suggestions/requests for coaching, training or mentoring. Discussions around these topics are generally fairly straightforward and the quality of the delivery will depend very much on the value the manager places on the performance review, or even their belief in their ability to perform themselves in the review. Whether or not the review is conducted well or poorly some subjects will rarely be approached.

   Attitudinal abilities are rarely measured. For example when was the last time you were asked about your level of optimism, your ability to take initiative, your analytical skills or your levels of enthusiasm for the role? What about your interpersonal skills or your strategic acumen or your organization skills? Maybe you lack warmth and empathy or are too frank with people or you are so open and reflective that you find decision making difficult.

   Two years ago we were asked by the HR Director of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College to get involved in their appraisal system. The College is the result of two very different colleges amalgamating into one and the HR Director was keen to promote a cohesive culture based on some strong values and behavioural competencies. We were able to create a profile of 6 essential behavioural traits, 15 desirable ones and 9 traits to avoid to represent their desired culture using the highly accurate and robust Harrison Assessment Talent Assessments. Every member of staff is measured against the profile on a yearly basis and the profile has been incorporated into the performance review process.

   The benefits are clear –

   • Managers now feel able to ask questions which may previously have been avoided. For example if levels of enthusiasm appear to have dropped then a conversation can be had around the causes. If an employee appears not to be taking enough initiative then this can be explored and so on. The system also offers suggestions on how to develop the traits which may be lacking.
   • Expectations of what is required of employees is quite clear. They have this at the forefront of their minds throughout the appraisal period and learn to behave accordingly. For example, people are expected to look for solutions to their challenges and challenge the status quo if necessary. They are expected to take responsibility for their own personal development and be aware of the impact they have on others.
   • The profile can also be used to recruit against. Going forward the College will be able to ensure that their new employees have the qualities that support the College ethos.

   If you would like to know more about developing a performance profile using HATS get in touch on +44 (0)7768 922244.

5. Measuring the Success of your Competency Framework

   May 28, 2014 4:04 pm Leave a Comment

   What are you measuring?

   Are you leaving it to subjective opinion or measuring it accurately?

   We never cease to be impressed with the time and effort that organisations put into producing competency frameworks. Many hours of research and careful analysis goes into such frameworks which are then rolled throughout the organisation with the intention of maintaining consistency of approach. Sometimes they are linked to pay reward and form an essential part of the appraisal system. More often than not they form the foundation for personal development plans whereupon important decisions re training, coaching and mentoring are made.

   Competency frameworks are playing a bigger and bigger role in decision making re recruitment, succession planning and talent management. So why is it that such an important feature of the organisation is measured in such a subjective way? Often when we speak with organisations and ask them this question we find that the only measurement is a simple scoring system – often 1-4 based on a yearly appraisal where the score is dependent on the opinion of the manager. Even if a 360 degree feedback system is used the information obtained remains subjective.

   As a result appraisal conversations often avoid the, until now, immeasurable results and remain focused on perceived measurable achievements and setting targets. But what if you could measure such things as interpersonal skills, enthusiasm, ability to take initiative, team work, influencing skills, frankness, diplomacy, levels of self-acceptance, how well an employee handles autonomy – just a few of the 156 traits employers typically ask for but find it difficult to measure. How much easier would an appraisal conversation be if employees were measured against such traits? How much money could be saved in designing specific programmes that hit the mark for individuals and groups? How quickly could a culture change if everyone knew what was expected of them in terms of working approach and attitude and they were continually working towards achieving this as well as the operational targets expected of them?

   Harrison Assessments offer just this opportunity and we have been working with organisations who see the benefit of measuring in this way. Here is just one example of how it is being used by an organisation which has just undergone a merger.

   A Real Competency Framework Example

   Preparation

   The newly merged organisation was looking to combine two distinctly different cultures very quickly. The senior team of 25 people got together to brainstorm what an ‘outstanding’ organisation of its nature would look like. They asked themselves the question ‘if this organisation was demonstrating outstanding practice what would that look like over and above operational excellence?’ They came up with 23 behavioural traits that they would like to see demonstrated by each and every employee. We then mapped these onto a Harrison profile and came up with a list of traits with a relevant weighting. They include 6 essential traits – takes initiative, enthusiasm, ability to influence, interpersonal skills, optimism and teamwork and 24 desirable traits including diplomacy, ability to handle autonomy, wants a challenge, receives correction, warmth and empathy and the ability to handle pressure. There was also a list of 10 traits to avoid including rebellious autonomy, dogmatism, harshness and permissiveness.

   Gaining Buy In

   The profile was then presented to the next layer of management for discussion and buy-in. They tested the system by completing the online questionnaire for themselves and discussing the results. Once buy-in had been achieved the Harrison profile was incorporated into the appraisal form for every employee and it was time to roll out the programme.

   Rolling out the programme

   All managers were trained in using the new appraisal system which includes opportunities to discuss the various traits and their measurements. This was an opportunity to re-inforce the importance of appraisals, teach skills where necessary and to develop the managers as role models. Managers were now in a position to have conversations around such issues as an employee’s over frankness or their ability to handle stress for example. These conversations may well have been avoided in the past because it could have been perceived as a subjective view.

   All employees in the organisation were then invited to complete the online questionnaire in preparation for their annual appraisal. Change is measured from year to year in specific areas and development plans formulated as a result.

   The results

   • A focused workforce who know what is expected of them both operationally and in terms of behaviours and attitude.
   • Specific development plans for individuals saving valuable time and money.
   • Raised awareness of expectations. Having 6 essential traits to remember forms the foundation of the culture and knowing that they will be measured fairly against such traits gives people confidence in the system.

   Harrison Assessments – The Background

   Harrison Assessments are used in 20 countries by over 2 million people and are accessible in 25 languages. They are the result of 20 years research by Dan Harrison PhD who focuses on the link between results and the enjoyment factor. It is well documented that people who enjoy what they do produce better results. The assessments therefore take into account working preferences and cross match 156 traits. There is a consistency regulator which prevents ‘fooling’ the system and profiles can be tailor made to fit the needs of individual organisations. The system is using over 8,000 cross references thus ensuring a very high level of accuracy.

   For more information call +44 (0)7768 922244, or download one of our Harrison Assessment White Papers –

   Best Practices in Talent Assessment

   Best Practices in Recruitment Assessment