10 Critical Components of a Talent-

Development Program
Virtually every value building workshop we conduct generates an initiative to
“groom the next generation of leaders” or some variant of that theme. 
Certainly this makes sense.  Our companies success is a function of our
ability to lead.
1. Explicitly test candidates in three dimensions:  ability, engagement, and
aspiration.
2. Emphasize future competencies needed (derived from corporate-level
growth plans) more heavily than current performance when you’re choosing
employees for development.
3. Manage the quantity and quality of high potentials at the corporate level,
as a portfolio of scarce growth assets.
4. Forget rote functional or business-unit rotations; place young leaders
in intense assignments with precisely described development challenges.
5. Identify the riskiest, most challenging positions across the company,
and assign them directly to rising stars.
6. Create individual development plans; link personal objectives to the
company’s plans for growth, rather than to generic competency models.
7. Reevaluate top talent annually for possible changes in ability,
engagement, and aspiration levels.
8. Offer significantly differentiated compensation and recognition to star
employees.
9. Hold regular, open dialogues between high potentials and program
managers, to monitor star employees’ development and satisfaction.
10. Replace broadcast communications about the company’s strategy with
individualized messages for emerging leaders – with an emphasis on how
their development fits into the company’s plans.
What is strategic workforce planning?
Strategic workforce planning is the systematic identification and analysis of an
organization's future talent needs associated with its long-term goals and objectives,
establishing a clear strategy that ensures that it will achieve these goals.

Workforce planning aims to align an organization's people strategy with its evolving
needs. It is a continual process due to the constantly evolving nature of organizational
change.

It is essential that HR leaders develop a strategic workforce plan that will help their
organization to meet its strategic goals by identifying critical talent needs, assessing
potential talent risks and developing strategies to mitigate those risks.

What is the goal of workforce planning?

The main goal of workforce planning is having the right talent in the right roles at
the right time. The organization will never be over or understaffed, and will be ready to
react quickly to changes in the business landscape.

Effective strategic planning will shape the future of HR, enabling People teams to
demonstrate their capabilities and influence in managing people processes and in
driving overall business success.

The 4 key elements of workforce planning

All workforce strategic planning processes should consider the following essential
components:
1. Key business priorities must be translated into talent strategy
2. HR initiatives must be prioritized based on both current capabilities and projected needs
3. Strategic plans must be communicated to key business stakeholders to get leadership
buy-in and investment
4. Plans must be able to evolve to reflect ongoing changes in business conditions

Common barriers to strategic workforce planning

According to a recent study, only 8% of senior HR leaders believe they are getting a
suitable return on investment from strategic workforce planning and talent
management. So before you kick off your planning efforts, it is useful to be aware of
some of the obstacles that organizations face when they are focusing on workforce
planning.

Common barriers that organizations face during workforce planning:

 Lack of the necessary tools and resources

 Failure to align planning with wider businesses goals
 Little to no support from leadership
 Lack of collaboration during the planning process
 Talent and skill gaps not identified correctly
 No reliance on employee data

Although there are some barriers, being aware of the challenges going forward will help
you to implement a roadblock free planning process.
Benefits of strategic workforce planning
Effective strategic workforce planning improves HR’s strategic contribution to the
organization by  13%  and, in turn, drives talent outcomes and revenue.

Investing time and resources in your workforce planning process will set up your
organization for success. If you are still on the fence, the following benefits will convince
you that it is worth your time.

Benefits of strategic workforce planning:

 Reduce labor costs

 Identify future customer needs
 Devise appropriate strategies for people development
 Identify and improve target areas
 Improve employee retention
 Boost productivity
 Improve work-life balance
 Improve KPIs

Where to begin with your workforce planning strategy

There is no set way to implement a strategic workforce plan. Whilst that might seem
contradictory given the title of this article, it actually reflects the unique nature
and culture of every organization. The important thing is that each plan must be
designed with your organization's specific workforce in mind in order to identify gaps
and anticipate future needs. Strategic workforce planning is no mean feat, but when
executed correctly it will have a positive impact on your businesses bottom-line.
10 steps for effective strategic workforce planning
1. Keep in mind the organization's long term objectives

Strategic workforce planning is about making sure people within your organization are
able to deliver the wider business goals. It would therefore be logical to start with those
key business goals. Think about where the company is headed in the short and long
term, what does it want to achieve, and what human capital can do to help it achieve it.
By aligning talent management strategy with the organization's business strategy, you
will start to see real benefits to the organization as a whole.

2. Engage key stakeholders from the outset

It is really important to get leadership and key stakeholders on board before you begin
with strategic workforce planning if you want to see real results. You will need to buy-in
not only from the HR department, but also from finance, operations and the C-suite.

3. Create a dedicated team

High-performing organizations might already have a dedicated workforce planning

team in place, but if your business cannot accommodate this there are ways around it.
Establish a project team, where members are able to continue in their normal role and
can also join the new workforce planning team. Build your team wisely, with input from
senior leadership, finance and HR stakeholders. Establish clear communication channels
and segment specific roles within the team.

4. Analyze the current workforce

In this stage of workforce planning, your organization needs to evaluate its gaps and
work out what actions it can take to close them. It is essential to carry out some analysis
of the current state of the workforce.

What does your workforce look like at the moment? What skills shortage is already
apparent? What could be improved on to increase efficiency and enhance employee
employee experience?
Reviewing your current talent situation and recognizing the gaps is the first step to
better understanding the changes that need to be made to drive improvement. Once
the gaps have been identified, create appropriate action plans.

5. Use people analytics

People analytics are a very useful way to get insights about the workforce. What are the
current capabilities, skills and size? Collect data on workforce demographics and
leverage this information to make smarter, data-driven decisions regarding your
workforce.

6. Collaborate

One of the biggest barriers that organizations face during workforce planning is the
failure to communicate across the company and gather internal feedback before
decision making. It is essential to collaborate with department leaders and managers, as
they work closely with employees and will therefore have a better understanding of
areas that need improvement.

7. Use innovative technology

An effective planning process requires continual interaction, something that can be

improved by using a strategic workforce planning tool. Cloud-based, data driven
workforce planning tools encourage collaboration and flexibility, and turn planning into
a more agile, collaborative and data-driven process. Using planning technology will
allow you to free up budget, model different scenarios, create better alignment between
finance and HR and better track workforce plans.

8. Outsource an expert

The complexity of creating an effective workforce planning strategy must not be

understated. Don't be afraid to seek external help. Experts are able to provide your
organization with invaluable help and support to make the process more effective.
Bringing in some external help will save your organization both time and resources, and
will represent a significant return on investment.

9. Anticipate the future

To be ready for the future, you need to have some idea of what is on the horizon. Whilst
no one can predict the future, what you can do is create potential future scenarios and
plan accordingly. These can be used to create action plans in advance. Then when
something unexpected happens, there will already be some contingency measures in
place.

10. Evaluate, revise and modify

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, workforce planning needs to be adapted

in line with the evolving needs of an organization. It is important to continuously track
the progress of your workforce planning strategy in order to identify its strengths and
weaknesses, and modify it accordingly. The process needs to incorporate a regular
review process in order to gather feedback needed to evaluate the process. The current
business environment is constantly changing and evolving, and your workforce planning
should too.

Conclusion
Whilst there is no one size fits all solution for today's talent management issues,
strategic workforce planning is an excellent place to start. If your organization hires
hundreds of roles a year, it is particularly important to think strategically about how your
future workforce can achieve maximum productivity at any given moment.

A clear plan will help to reduce employee turnover, prepare for demographic change
and create a long-term talent management strategy that will undoubtably improve your
bottom-line.

6 Reasons Why Poor Workforce Planning Stunts Growth

October 16, 2018
Effective workforce planning occurs when an organization considers
both internal and external factors to determine its future staffing needs
and long-term organizational structure. This type of planning offers a
range of benefits. It can help to ensure that the company has the talent
it needs, where it needs it, and when. It also helps employees remain
productive and engaged, and ensures that they have the necessary
skills to help the company continue to grow. On the other hand, poor
workforce planning can lead to inadequately skilled employees, low
morale, and reduced productivity. In a survey of corporate executives,
73 percent said that poor workforce planning resulted in talent shortfalls
that caused an inability to meet business objectives. Other executives in
the same study said they also experienced lower margins and
workforce cost overruns as a result of inadequate workforce planning.

Neglecting workforce planning can cause organizations to miss out on

the benefits of growth, and in some cases it can cause real harm. Here
are six ways poor workforce planning can derail business growth.

Improperly Skilled Employees

A key element of workforce planning is understanding the level of talent
required for an organization’s future state. For example, if an
organization currently relies heavily on individual contributors, there
may be a need to increase the number of team leaders in two years
when the organization has grown larger, more complex, and has a
broader range of products and services.

Effective workforce planning envisions the training that will be

necessary to develop the skills of existing employees both now and in
the future, and it also forecasts what new skills the organization can
acquire through hiring. Poor workforce planning fails to consider the
skills and knowledge employees will need in the future, and as a result,
existing skills become quickly outdated and provide diminishing value to
the organization over time. Without a well-thought-out workforce plan
that forecasts employee training needs, employees can’t work smartly
or efficiently because they lack the skills and knowledge to do so.
Low Employee Engagement
For some time now, employee engagement has remained at low levels
on average. Gallup reports that only 34 percent of U.S. employees are
engaged and possess high levels of enthusiasm and commitment to
their work and their company. Poor workforce planning can further
erode already low employee engagement, because it can cause
employees to feel undervalued and forgotten. After all, it’s hard for
employees to be engaged when their company seems to be taking
purely reactive steps to develop a structure and staffing plan that keeps
pace with company growth.

A lack of transparency about workforce staffing plans contributes to

employees feeling uninformed about company decision-making, which
can also lead to poor employee engagement. A TINYpulse study found
that only 25 percent of surveyed employees believe management is
transparent. If company leaders fail to plan (or don’t at least send clear
signals that there is a plan), employee commitment can wane over time.
Poor transparency can have a particularly negative impact on
the engagement of leaders outside the C-suite. When department and
division leaders feel left out of key staffing decisions they’re expected to
implement, they can become disengaged and unmotivated.

Related: Looking to revamp your outdated org chart and get your team
actually excited about using it? Download this free guide to learn
everything you need to know.

High Turnover
Poor workforce planning can lead to hiring decisions that are reactive
and, therefore, too late in the game to meet evolving business needs.
Persistent talent gaps in high-growth areas can lead to an overreliance
on existing staff to pick up the slack, which can cause employee stress,
burnout, and turnover. In a recent Hays salary survey, 92 percent of
companies reported they experienced higher turnover and lower
productivity due to an inability to hire skilled employees.
Failure to adequately plan for and manage turnover further stunts
company growth because it costs time and money to replace an
employee. Some estimates peg the cost of replacing an employee at 50
percent to 200 percent of salary. When workforce planning is lacking,
the human resources department and company managers spend more
time and resources creating workarounds to address talent gaps and
recruiting for replacement positions, which leaves them less time to
focus on activities that will support growth, such as training and
developing existing staff.

Less Productive Employees

The more productive employees are, the faster and more efficient they
can be in helping a company meet its growth goals. However, poor
workforce planning can lead to an insufficient focus on the technologies,
training, and other resources that can boost employee productivity.
Employee productivity can take a direct hit without workforce plans that
build the right organizational structure to overcome challenges related
to employee workload and skill level.

Lackluster workforce planning also prevents an organization from

getting to the heart of the most value-added employee activities and
optimally organizing talent around what’s most critical for company
growth. Workforce planning doesn’t just address staffing levels; it also
helps to ensure that teams and individuals are working on the right
things. One company increased productivity by 6 percent when it
implemented a workforce plan that reorganized work responsibilities
across multiple functions.

Weak Leadership Pipeline

Organizational growth requires that employees be organized according
to their specific accountabilities—for example, by product type,
geography, function, or project. As the organization grows in complexity
and teams increasingly require day-to-day management and guidance,
the need for leadership talent grows. When workforce plans fail to
 recruit and develop a sufficient number of individuals for the leadership
pipeline, an organization can quickly outgrow the capability of its
existing managers.

Workforce planning is not just about forecasting the need for individual
contributors and frontline staff; it’s also about identifying the number of
leaders needed, their and skill levels, and where they need to be
deployed throughout the organization as it grows. Building the
leadership pipeline is a critical element of workforce planning. Without
sufficient planning, organizations can experience some of the following
negative outcomes of insufficient leadership bench strength:

 Managers have no time to develop a connection with employees

and relationships of trust with their team.
 Leaders lack the skills and training to set expectations and give
feedback to guide employee performance effectively.
 Emerging leaders are pushed into management roles before
they’re ready, simply because of a shortage of leadership talent
elsewhere in the organization.
 Executive leaders must be hired from the outside because not
enough have been developed internally.

Less Teamwork and Collaboration

Company growth and innovation go hand in hand, but a company will
have a hard time innovating if its teams are broken, disjointed, and not
organized in a way that allows for maximum communication and
collaboration. In addition to staffing and hires, workforce planning must
also focus on building an organizational structure in which teams are
properly aligned to collaborate, share information and ideas, and work
well with each other. Operating without a sensible workforce plan can
create teams that operate in silos and are so inwardly focused that they
prevent innovation and organizational growth from happening.
Aligning Talent Management Strategy with
Business Strategy
Talent management is a strategic approach to creating a superior workforce,
and reflects an organization’s commitment to attract, develop, motivate and
retain productive, engaged employees.  Since the goal of talent management
is to create a high-performance, sustainable organization that meets its
strategic and operational goals and objectives, an organization’s talent
management strategy must be linked to its business strategy.  Recruiting,
developing, motivating and rewarding employees for job performance based
on organizational goals are all essential aspects of talent management, and
must be fully integrated into all employee-related processes, including job
descriptions, training and development, performance goals, metrics and
performance reviews.

The alignment of talent management to business strategy begins with a

careful analysis of an organization’s strategic and operational goals and
objectives.  Based on this analysis, the management team, in partnership with
HR, can identify and understand the implications on talent strategy and
planning.  Once the team understands how the business objectives will impact
the organization’s talent, they can then define specific talent goals and
initiatives and formulate their talent strategy and commitments, which may
include:

 Communicating and engaging employees in the organization’s business

strategy;
 Implementing a leadership development program for high potentials;
 Developing a strategy for succession planning;
 Conducting assessments at all levels of the organization to determine
skills gaps;
 Providing comprehensive training that addresses skills gaps;
 Matching performance goals to business strategy and rewarding
employees who meet their goals;
 Designing recruitment programs to identify and attract the right talent.

Organizations that recognize the importance of adopting a talent management

strategy that aligns with their business strategy can expect to be more
successful in attracting and retaining the talent needed to achieve their
strategic goals and objectives.

Top methods and techniques for evaluating employee

performance

Employee performance evaluation is a key factor in inspiring your employees,

improving the quality of work, and keeping them motivated. It is not only the best
channel to understand how your employees are performing, but also a
compelling measure to get feedback about how your business is operating,
whether the employees are working positively towards achieving your goals, and
what you can do to improve employee engagement. It also provides a foundation
for determining increments and succession plans for employees and their
development.

A comprehensive employee performance evaluation process often consists of

different evaluation methods to help judge an employee’s performance. Using
multiple techniques can help you get a broader perspective of the areas where
your staff needs to improve and the steps you can take to support the growth of
the employees.

As opposed to the common belief, an employee performance evaluation process

is not only beneficial to the organization, but also for the employees. This
process includes the following:

Peer review
Peer review is one of the strategies that many organizations and employee
evaluation software used to enhance the traditional evaluation process. The
process of peer review consists of taking anonymous feedbacks from colleagues,
teammates, and peers on specific aspects of an employee’s performance.
It provides a unique opportunity to study the employee skills and capabilities and
help identify individual’s networking, leadership, occupational, and collaboration
skills within an organization. Given the intricate nature of working relationships,
this process provides a unique chance to identify each employee’s strengths and
weaknesses, and use this valuable data to make decisions regarding succession
planning, building teams, and job rotations.

Self evaluation
Self-evaluation is a vital activity to help make your appraisal process more
efficient. When done properly, it can provide several key inputs to the
organization. This method offers a chance for employees to play an active role in
their evaluation process. Thus, rather than simply being the receiver of the
management’s feedback, the employees are given a voice.

This provides a direct link between their jobs and the evaluation process and
fosters better communication between staff and management. With active
participation, employees can experience better engagement with the overall
review process, while managers can better understand the individual’s
performance as well as their perception of their performance. When the self-
evaluation is developed as an integral part of the review process, it encourages
employees to regularly evaluate themselves throughout the year leading to a
maximum achievement of the company’s goals.

Quantitative evaluation
Quantitative evaluation is based upon statistics and uses various standards to
track productivity. The process begins with the formulation of company standards
against which employee’s data can be measured. It is critical to layout standards
in clear and precise terms without ambiguity, leaving no chance for
misinterpretation.

Some of the quantitative standards against which the employee’s’ performance

can be compared are cost standards, time standards, income standards, ROI,
productivity, and market share standards. The data can be used to evaluate a
company’s goals and also provide a foundation for awarding promotion or raises.
Additionally, you can also use the data to justify the termination of any staff
member for poor work performance.
 

Qualitative evaluation
Qualitative evaluation goes hand-in-hand with quantitative evaluation.  While the
quantitative evaluation model is statistical, or figures-based, it does not provide a
full picture of the employee’s performance.

Enter the qualitative evaluation.

A qualitative evaluation focuses on the performance areas that can be visually

observed, but not measured in numbers like teamwork, communication skills,
and absenteeism. The qualitative evaluation is prepared by observing the
employee during the workday and gathering descriptive, long-form information
comments on their work behavior. It must include comments on their daily
obstacles and challenges, their daily work habits, and job successes.

Together, the qualitative and quantitative evaluation types will provide a complete
picture of the employee’s “on the job” performance.

360-degree feedback
360-degree feedback appraisal method provides a chance for all employees to
submit their views and contribute towards the business goal. Under this system,
an employee is rated by his/her subordinates, superiors, peers, and even clients
and customers. As an employee is evaluated from all the sides it is called ‘360-
degree feedback‘.

Under this method, a questionnaire is prepared which contains aspects such as

teamwork, leadership qualities, goal orientation, motivation level, adaptability,
etc. and the relevant person is asked to fill this questionnaire – albeit
anonymously. The feedback helps employees to gain insight on how other
employees perceive their work and motivates them to work hard to realize the
company’s objectives.

Competency on a scale
This is one of the most commonly used employee performance
evaluation techniques. Under this method, the individual’s performance in various
areas of job duties is graded on a scale. A wide range of criteria, including
productivity, customer service, teamwork, quality of work, concern for safety, etc.
are evaluated. This method can be accomplished with letters or numbers and it
usually consists of a range, moving from unsatisfactory to outstanding. This
method also allows employers to simultaneously evaluate several employees.

Considering the importance of Employee performance evaluation, it has become

necessary to have an efficient Employee evaluation software in place to provide
a competitive edge in the ever-changing business environment.
With AssessTEAM, you can control how employees are to be evaluated based
on the job profile and also as per the needs of your organization.

Continuous feedback
Continuous feedback, in essence, is a method of ongoing feedback. It is
designed to take the place of the annual performance review. It is also essential
to note that continuous feedback is not only ongoing feedback. It is an evaluation
methodology that is practical and drives the process towards actionable steps
and development objectives. It is not a form-filling exercise that focuses on
retrospective ratings, it is the day to day engagement between managers and
subordinates.

There are many advantages to continuous feedback; however, the most

important benefit is that it allows team leaders or managers to intervene
timeously when an employee is underperforming. This prevents a negative
situation from spiraling out of control. And, it will pivot a negative into a positive;
thereby, driving profitable growth and development.

Critical incident method of performance evaluation

The critical incident feedback is a methodology that is designed as an
identification and intervention method ONLY where the employee completed a
task or project really well, or the employee failed miserably. It is important to note
that it is a technique based on the event’s description. And, it relies on tools like
continuous feedback, qualitative evaluation, and real-time feedback. These
incidents must be recorded as they occur and are not left to be dealt with
retrospectively.
It is worth repeating that this methodology is designed to intervene in a critical
scenario where immediate intervention is required to solve a situation that could
potentially be disastrous for the company. The converse is also true for a high-
performing employee.

Profitability evaluation
One of the most challenging aspects for any sized business is evaluating its
profitability. The success of the business is defined by its ability to continually
earn a profit. Therefore, at-risk projects must be highlighted to prevent the
company’s profitable activities from turning into a loss-making exercise.

Evaluating the profitability of employees is often a big challenge with months of

number-crunching, systems like AssessTEAM offer this in a simpler package.
The profitability rating is determined by calculating the total time spent multiplied
by the employee’s hourly payment rate versus the allocated budget for the
project. If the cost of the time spent on the project is higher than the budget, then
the project is making a loss, and interventions must be put into place to turn the
situation around.

Candidate selection pitfalls

It is unfortunate that many companies still follow the age-old method of hiring, a process
that is outdated and makes the candidate selection process more difficult and time-
consuming. The world is fast-moving, and companies need to adapt to it. Technological
advancements, growing economy, changing minds of the youth are some of the reasons
why the hiring process does not reflect the nature of the modern job market.

Some of the most common pitfalls seen in today’s candidate selection process include the
following:

1. Poorly written job description

A job description is the first encounter a candidate has with the available role. The most
common mistake that many organizations make is that they offer a brief description that
does not offer all the vital information that is needed for the candidate to make an informed
decision. By offering a poorly written description, you may lose suitable candidates and be
burdened with a large number of candidates who are not the right fit for the role.
2. Unstructured selection process

An unstructured selection process can lose a company the right candidate, as many
professionals tend to judge the company based on its selection process. Candidates will
perceive the company to be unprofessional and prefer not to accept the offer. A messy
selection process leaves the candidate with a negative view of the company and its brand.
Besides, an unstructured candidate selection process can cause confusion and stress on
HR as well.

3. A single process for all roles

One-size-fits-all is a selection process that does not offer positive results. Every job is
different from the other and requires different skill sets, personality traits, and competencies
to fulfil them. Using the same selection process can lead to a ‘loss of productivity.’ It also
leads to an inefficient selection process, resulting in hiring incompetent candidates or overly
competent candidate that will lead to employee attrition. Every role is different, and each
role needs a different selection process to find the right person for the right job successfully.

4. Fewer candidates to choose from

One of the most misleading aspects of the hiring process is that ‘having fewer candidates to
choose from helps make the right decision.’ This can lead you to lose the right candidate.
The selection process may be short and easy with only a few best candidates; however, by
letting go of one or more suitable candidates, you may have to restart the hiring process if
the selected candidate does not accept the offer made. Having more candidates in the
selection process is time-consuming and cumbersome, but the results are fruitful.

5. Ignoring technology

Yet another pitfall that the selection process falls victim to is by sticking to manual labour,
posting vacancies on job boards, ploughing through heaps of resumes, and scheduling
interviews manually by calling each candidate one after the other or sending an invite by
post. These tedious and time-consuming tasks can be handled with ease with technology.
You can save precious time and energy by adopting technological changes and make your
life easier. Furthermore, candidates love to work in a company that is progressing parallel to
technological advancements.

6. A decision that is based on gut feeling

You may sometimes face an issue wherein you are left to make a decision based on limited
information. Many people rely on their gut feeling and base their decision on that feeling. If
your gut feeling is right, you succeed. But unfortunately, decisions based on lack of
information and wrong information can be a mistake that you may regret later. It not only
lets bias creep into the selection process but also leads to hiring the wrong candidate for the
role. Don’t rely on gut feelings, and instead, look for more evidence or data that will help you
make the decision.
7. Neglecting candidate experience

Most times, the candidate perception of the company is based on their experience in the
selection process. Many companies ignore candidate experience and concentrate more on
how to make the process easy and convenient. Candidates expect feedback for the
assessment and interviews attended, and failure to offer feedback contributes to a negative
review in the minds of the candidates. You can lose the most suitable candidate if you
ignore candidate experience during the selection process.

CANDIDATE SELECTION METHODS

Introduction
You want to employ the best talent possible to strengthen your business, but what’s
the best way to ensure you do?

Attracting a strong pool of candidates can be challenging enough, but once you’ve
options, employers must avoid undoing all that hard work through a slow, poorly
planned, or badly executed selection process.

In this article we survey the main candidate selection methods available to hiring
organisations and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each method.

We look at application forms, CVs, interviews, presentations, psychometric tests,

assessment centres and pre-employment background checks.

We outline how to choose the correct mix of selection methods, how to mitigate the
risks of unconscious bias, and the role recruitment agencies can play in the
selection process.

Finally, we provide advice on how to make the final decision the correct one,
avoiding the most commonly made mistakes.

1. Application forms
These can come in physical form or be completed online. The advantage for the
employer is it ensures applicants supply the same information and in the same
format. This allows assessors to judge applications in a consistent and uniform
manner.

For the candidate the application form is a familiar format and leads them through
the information gathering process in a structured manner.

The downside is they can be rather time-consuming to complete, and in the digital
age can provide a poor user experience for the candidate.

2. CVs
Once a candidate has created a master CV, it can be relatively quick and
straightforward to tailor this to each application. It also provides an opportunity for
the candidate to showcase their personality and catch the assessor’s eye through a
well-designed and impactful CV.
However, a multitude of CVs with different formats and varying degrees of
information can make it much harder for the employer to benchmark one against the
other. This can lead to important factors being overlooked, or less significant
aspects being given undue weight.

In their raw state CVs can encourage unconscious bias and even outright
discrimination. To reduce this hiring organisations should consider anonymising key
data such as names, addresses, gender, age, ethnicity and educational institutions.

Photographs should also be removed.

3. Interviews
Interviews are by far the most commonly used recruitment selection method. In fact,
allied with the CV or application form, it is regularly the only tool used to make a
hiring decision.

Employers put great store in the interview as a way to assess the candidate’s
experience and their ability to perform the key elements of the role. It is also seen as
an opportunity to assess communication skills and get a feel for any cultural fit with
the organisation.

The interviewer should also use the interview to showcase the role, the company, its
culture and values, potential development opportunities and employee benefits.

Similarly, the candidate has the opportunity to ask questions and get a more
accurate impression of the opportunity and the company enveloping it.

Given the prominence of the interview in the selection process it is wise to examine
the process for potential weaknesses particularly given the host of unconscious
biases that can feed into*:
  The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Effect – interviewers may ask questions designed
to confirm initial impressions of candidates gained either before the interview or
in its early stages.
 The Stereotyping Effect – interviewers sometimes assume that particular
characteristics are typical of members of a particular group. In the case of sex,
age, race, disability, marital status or ex-offenders, decisions made on this
basis are often illegal. However, the effect occurs in the case of all kinds of
social groups.
 The Halo and Horns Effect – once interviewers rate candidates as ‘good’ or
‘bad’ in some attributes, they often replicate this judgement across the board,
reaching unbalanced decisions.
 The Contrast Effect – interviewers can allow the experience of interviewing
one candidate to affect the way they interview others who are seen later in the
selection process.
 The Similar-To-Me Effect – interviewers sometimes give preference to
candidates they perceive as having a similar background, career history,
personality or attitudes to themselves.
 The Personal Liking Effect – interviewers may make decisions on the basis of
whether they personally like or dislike the candidate.
*Taken from Neil Anderson and VJ Shackleton’s Successful Selection Interviewing
(Blackwell Publishers: 1993). 
a. Unstructured interviews

Most research shows that unstructured interviews – where interviewers do not stick
to a set of common questions, in effect having different conversations with different
candidates – are the least effective selection method for predicting the success of a
new hire.

These should be avoided as a ‘first interview’. If using, they are best saved for the
final interview stage where the likes of communication style, rapport-building, and
‘thinking on the spot’ may be being examined.

b. Structured interviews

Research points to structured interviews being a much more accurate predictor of

candidate suitability. The process for structured interviews usually consists of the
following:

 The key requirements of the job are identified

 A list of questions is compiled which explore these requirements
 The interviewer or interviewers work through the questions in an orderly
manner with the candidate
 Each interviewer scores the candidate on their answers
  Once the selection process is complete, these scores are fed into the final
decision-making process
 The weight of contribution is dependent on what other selection techniques
are involved and what weighting they have been given
The advantage of structured interviews is candidates are asked the same questions
and therefore have the same opportunities to showcase their skills, knowledge and
experience. 
Interviewers, too, can compare candidates more easily and therefore make better
decisions.

The use of a systematic rating system also greatly reduces the risk of bias.

The main disadvantage of structured interviews is that by progressing systematically

through a set list of questions the candidate experience can feel stiff and
impersonal.

Flexibility should be included to let the candidate ask questions and add any
additional details they may not have been allowed to express when responding
directly to the questions.

Hiring teams should also build their selling points into this structure, taking time to
outline areas such as autonomy, training, career development potential, and
company culture and values.

The interview should be, after all, a two-way process where both parties bringing
critical faculties to bear.

c. Panel interviews

Although they require additional resource and planning, panel interviews can be a
very effective form of interviewing.

Asking questions while simultaneously observing responses is not always easy for
one person to do well. Having additional interviewers on hand to note the
candidate’s body language, tone and general behaviour can be insightful.

Additionally, once the candidate has left the panel can discuss their performance in
a collective and more objective manner, incorporating a range of views and
perspectives. This greatly reduces the risk of unconscious bias inherent in a single
interviewer.

The disadvantages of panel interviews is they can be a very intimidating experience

for the candidate, particularly if it is for a relatively junior position. The tension
involved can inhibit the candidate’s performance and give an inaccurate picture of
their suitability for the role.
Often two interviewers – the hiring manager and someone from the HR department,
for example – can strike a good balance between increasing objectivity while
decreasing the stress-related drawbacks of a panel interview.

d. Telephone interviews

Employers commonly use telephone interviews for quickly and easily screening out
unsuitable candidates. For example, establishing whether the applicant has client-
facing experience.

Additionally, they can be used to quickly gather extra information, e.g. digging into
the specifics of a past or current role.

These approaches are particularly useful if the hiring organisation has a large
volume at the application stage of what appear to be suitable candidates. A brief,
structured telephone interview can be an efficient and effective means of producing
a shortlist.

If the vacancy receives applications from national or international candidates, a

telephone interview may be the only realistic option – at the beginning of the
selection process anyway.

A face-to-face interview may involve an unnecessarily long journey, be prohibitively

expensive or the candidate may not have time to spare due to work or family
commitments.

Whatever the rationale for conducting a telephone interview they should be arranged
as far in advance as possible. This avoids the candidate being caught unawares and
gives them time to prepare sufficiently.

Applicants should be given guidance on what to expect during the interview and be
advised to find a suitable location for the call to ensure they will not be interrupted.

e. Video interviews

As a substitute for face-to-face interviews, video calls are always preferable to

telephone interviews. 
Unlike telephone interviews the candidate is not solely reliant on verbal cues.

The interviewer can – quite literally – form a better picture of the individual being
assessed. Body language and facial expressions are underestimated indicators of
performance during an interview.

For both participants video interviewers are also a much easier forum in which to
build a rapport.
Skype, FaceTime and Zoom mean costs are negligible and logistics easy for both
interviewer and interviewee.

f. Second/final interviews

Second stage interviews are used by employers for various reasons.

For some, it’s to meet a relevant senior person in the organisation. For others it’s an
opportunity to focus on less technical aspects surrounding a candidate’s work
history. And it can also be a chance to revisit an area of possible concern with an
otherwise strong candidate.

Second stage interviews more regularly take the shape of a more informal meeting.

Formats can involve the candidate being given a tour of the office, meeting potential
new colleagues over a coffee, or perhaps even a lunch or dinner.

The advantages of informal meetings as part of the selection process is they can
serve as an opportunity to observe the candidate’s behaviour in a more natural and
fluid situation. For the candidate it’s a chance to see their possible new working
environment.

The disadvantages of informal meetings largely surround lack of clarity for the
candidate.

What is the purpose of this stage? What is involved? What is expected of me?

All these questions should be addressed in advance otherwise this part of the
selection process can be counterproductive and lead to poor decision-making.

g. Interview question types

Just as important as the format of the interview, the types of questions employers
use to assess candidates plays a central role in the effectiveness of the recruitment
selection method.

Traditional, open-ended questions such as ‘Where do you see yourself in five years’
time?’ or ‘What’s your biggest weakness?’ are less effective than behavioural
or competency-based questions, rarely provoking response which reveal the true
potential of a candidate.
That said, employers often do not know the difference between a behavioural and
competency question.

This confusion doesn’t help the interviewee or the interviewer. Both types of
questions tend to start with phrases such as ‘Tell me about a time when…’ or ‘Can
you describe a situation where you…’.
Both also require candidates to draw on past experiences in order to highlight their
suitability for a role.

The main difference, however, is that competency-based interview questions should

assess the individual’s skills, knowledge and experience – ultimately their ability to
carry out competently tasks inherent in the role. This largely includes technical skills.

In contrast, behavioural interview questions assess the candidate’s likely cultural fit
with the organisation, department and team. They explore the individual’s
personality, the types of people they work well with, how they make decisions and
how they communicate.

A well-balanced mix of competency and behavioural interview questions is often the

optimal approach. But employers should be clear with candidates what category of
questions they should expect.

The proliferation of ‘gimmicky’ or ‘curve ball’ questions, often attributed to originating

in Silicon Valley, seems to be receding (e.g. How could you solve humankind's
biggest crisis given $1 billion and a spacecraft? Or What kind of tree would you
be?).

While there’s an argument the unanticipated or ‘off the wall’ question gives better
insight into an individual’s analytical or creative capabilities, be aware that these
questions are regularly met with incredulity from candidates and can leave them
disengaged.

4. Presentations
Presentations can make a valuable contribution to the overall candidate selection
process, particularly if it’s a senior managerial or leadership role or has a strong
client-facing element.

Presentations are good for assessing candidates’ communication skills, strategic

thinking and attention to detail. They highlight the individual’s ability to synthesise
complex information and present it in a structured and disciplined manner.

Employers should give some thought to whether they share the topic with the
candidate at the same time as the interview date is confirmed or wait until the day of
the presentation.

While sharing the topic on the day and allowing the candidate to prepare under
controlled conditions can provide insight into their ability to work under pressure and
to tight deadlines, most businesses choose to set the topic a few days in advance to
see the candidate’s best work.

5. Work-related tests
Depending on the type of role, many employers advocate work-related tests as a
key component of the selection process.

The belief is that the way to most accurately gauge future performance is to task the
candidate with a piece of work that forms a central part of the role in question.

If we take an example from financial services, during selection a potential trainee

investment analyst might be asked to interpret a set of company accounts.

Here the candidate is being tested as to whether they have at least the minimum
skill level required for the role.

Because of this, it’s important to clearly identify the skills required for the role, the
appropriate test or tests which assess these skills, and the minimum standards
required.

Work-based tests bring the added benefit of assessing how well the individual
behaves under pressure, priorities correctly and maintains attention to detail.

6. Psychometric tests
Psychometric tests are designed to establish insight into a candidate’s intelligence,
skills, behaviour and personality. The results can be used to examine specific
characteristics at interview or as a final verification or ‘rubber stamp’ stage of the
selection process.

They fall broadly into two categories: aptitude and personality.

Evidence suggests cognitive aptitude tests can be a good predictor of how well
individuals will perform in a job, especially when applied to more cerebral roles.

These types of tests can assess a wide range of different abilities and attributes,
including verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, analytical and clerical.

Personality profiling – as it’s often called – is perhaps the most controversial area of
psychometric testing. The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator test is perhaps
the most famous.

Personality tests do not produce right or wrong answers as such, so interpretation

can be everything. But establishing the type of personality a candidate has can add
a useful perspective to the selection process.

At the risk of oversimplification, a candidate whose results indicate they are a strong
introvert will likely be unsuitable for a sales role. At the very least, it will flag to
assessors this is an area requiring further investigation.
Overall, psychometric tests add a number of advantages to the candidate selection
process.

They can be quick and easy to carry out, often with instantaneous results, and
provide objective and standardised means to assess candidates.

When interpreted correctly they offer a good snapshot of working style and cultural
fit.

However, these tests should be facilitated and assessed by experienced

practitioners and should not be used in isolation but as part of a wider selection
process.

7. Assessment centres
The principle behind assessment centres is they are designed to put candidates
through multiple tests and selection methods over a relatively short period of time,
usually one or two days.

As a result, assessment centres not only gauge applicants’ skills and abilities but
also mental stamina and resilience. They are also particularly useful when selecting
candidates as part of a high-volume recruitment campaign.

Exercises during the assessment centre can include all the selection methods we
have covered already as well as additional tasks such as in-tray exercises and
leaderless group discussions.

Whatever tests are included they should reflect key components of the job and
measure candidates against these.

Some experts argue an assessment centre is the most reliable, effective and
efficient method of candidate selection. It combines several methods, measures
different abilities and across multiple perspectives, both on an individual and group
basis.

The disadvantage of assessment centres is their success depends on the skill levels
and availability of assessors, and often they can be relatively expensive and
logistically complex to organise.

8. Pre-employment checks
Although pre-employment checks are normally carried out after the successful
candidate has been offered a contract of employment, they still constitute a vital part
of the selection process.
A discrepancy in the checks – depending on how serious it is – may immediately
disqualify the preferred candidate, leading to the job offer being withdrawn. An
undeclared criminal offence or a fabricated professional qualification are two
examples.

Nowadays, background checks go well beyond the traditional reference check. Our
pre-employment check division, Core-Asset Verify, performs a wide range of checks,
both nationally and internationally on behalf of our clients.
Our checks can include but are not limited to:

 Identity verification
 Financial probity check
 Employment history verification
 Educational qualifications check
 Professional qualifications check
 Criminal background check
 Online media checks
Some employers can be tempted to try and carry out these checks internally, but our
advice is always to use a specialist third-party provider. 
Limited expertise, ad hoc processes, poor technology, and a lack of knowledge
surrounding everchanging regulations can lead to painfully slow completion terms,
inconsistent results and poor decision making.

The costs of hiring the wrong person can be huge. Background checks should be
left to experts.

9. Using recruitment agencies as part of your selection process

The entire selection process does not need to be conducted or facilitated in house. If
time, resources or expertise is limited, parts of the process can be outsourced to a
recruitment company.

At Core-Asset Consulting we support our clients throughout the candidate selection

journey.
Working on behalf of employers, we can screen candidates, shortlist them, carry out
preliminary interviews, can organise and manage assessment centres, facilitate
psychometric testing and conduct extensive pre-employment background checks.

Outsourcing parts of the selection process to a recruitment agency allows the

employer to focus on elements they think are of particular importance, such as face-
to-face interviews.

By allowing a specialist third party to administer the selection process, it can help
improve the candidate experience and therefore boost employer brand.
The success of this, of course, very much depends on the reputation and
professionalism of the chosen recruitment company.

10. Making the final decision

Any final decision will be made based on the collective results of different selection
methods.

There is, however, no point creating a series of objective assessments if the final
decision defaults to a subjective or arbitrary ruling, or undue weight is given to one
selection method over another.

For example, if the successful candidate turns out to be the one who impressed
most during the face to face interview stage with the hiring manager but who
underperformed in all other objective tests.

Crucial in mitigating unconscious bias and the risks of subjectivity, assessors need
to commit at the outset of the selection process to an overall rating system and
agree appropriate weighting.

In short, the candidate with the highest score should be selected regardless of any
‘gut feelings’ or ‘nagging doubts’ of the assessors.

For this to work, the most senior stakeholder must agree not to overrule this scoring
system at the end of the process, trusting data over the ‘HiPPO’ (Highest Paid
Person's Opinion)’.

Choosing the appropriate selection methods, managing the process in a logical and
thoughtful way, and reaching a final decision based more on science than art should
ensure the very best candidate is selected for the role.

And don’t forget to communicate clearly throughout the process the attractions of
working in the role and wider business, as the critical assessment is a two-way
street.

But perhaps of most importance, whatever methods you decide to use, make sure
you have the resources - especially the people – to execute them in a timely and
consistent fashion.
How to reduce subjectivity in a performance appraisal?
Performance management depends on a lot of factors, but not all of them are related
to an employee. A good part of the appraisal also depends on the appraiser or the
rater, and their perception of the employee’s performance. When assessment and
evaluation come into the picture, bias cannot be ignored. Whether it is personal or
professional, a bias prohibits an appraisal from being effective in its totality.
Fortunately, there are a lot of techniques to identify and overcome or reduce this
subjectivity in performance appraisal. This article highlights some of the methods. But
first, let’s take a look at the types of biases commonly found in appraisals.
Common Biases that Affect Performance Appraisals
The Halo Effect
The halo effect is a bias created by employees who make it a point to stay in their boss’
good books. They highlight contributions made to projects or tasks assigned by the
boss or shine in only particular fields. This gives an impression of excellence and
sincerity, and they create a halo around themselves.
Horn Effect
This is a negative bias that is typically formed by employees who aren’t doing much
about impressing their seniors. They are good at their work, but not at the fore. This
often leads to them going unnoticed.
First Impression Effect
This bias is developed depending on the kind of the first impression the employee
makes in front of the boss or senior management.
Recency Effect
In this type of bias, the appraiser evaluates an employee on their last impression
before the appraisal.
Stereotyping
This is an entirely personal kind of bias, which can be positive or negative depending
on the appraiser’s preconceived notions about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ employee traits, and
what characteristics the employee displays.
Spill Over Effect
In this type of bias, the evaluator goes beyond the current appraisal period and rates
the employees based on performance in the distant past.
Personal Tendency to Rate
This is the final type of bias where the appraiser just shows a general tendency
towards ratings. For example, someone may be too strict or too lenient. Another
appraiser may have a tendency to be generally neutral.
Ways to Overcome Performance Appraisal Biases
Creating Awareness
Many times, appraisers are unaware of the existence of these biases since they exist at
a subconscious level. An effective way of reducing subjectivity is by making employees
aware of its existence, and educating them on ways to realize it. Doing this close to the
appraisal season will be more helpful.
Using Objective Ratings
Often times, the ratings that appraisers are supposed to choose from have subjective
tones. For instance, ‘meets deadlines’ is a more objective rating than ‘exceeds
expectations’ or ‘follows all orders’. When there is even a small scope for
interpretation, subjectivity comes into the picture. Hence, organizations should
develop ratings that are to the point, unbiased, and objective.
Increase Frequency
When a lot of time lapses between an event and the actual appraisal, then while
recollecting it, the brain often tends to muddle facts or replace them with what it
thinks is right. This is true for performance appraisals as well. When conducted after
long lapses of time, appraisals can be inaccurate, because they depend on the rater’s
memory and its veracity. It is a good practice to conduct appraisals half-yearly or
quarterly, helping the appraiser recollect events more easily. Another technique is to
take frequent notes of an employee’s performance, like a performance appraisal tool,
which can later be used to write an appraisal that’s more accurate and fair.
360-Degree Feedback
It is a given that appraisals are more impartial and dispassionate when more people
are involved in the process. The power of majority comes into play here; the larger
perception of an employee’s performance is generally more accurate than that of one
person. The reason behind this is that not all of the raters from any group are driven
by personal or other biases. Most of them are impartial and unbiased.
Parting Thoughts
Impartiality is extremely important in performance appraisals. Since it is an evaluation of an
employee’s professional performance, it can affect his/her morale, confidence, and work.
Identifying this subjectivity and reducing it is hence crucial for the development of an
organization and its employees.
Nine Tips for
Managing Low
Performers on
Your Sales Team
How you manage your lowest performing sales team members has a significant
impact on the overall effectiveness of your sales organization. Here are 9 ways to
help low performers win more deals and better meet their goals.
1. Ask Them What They Want
Take the time to ask each of your low performing salespeople what their goals
are for themselves. Find out why they want to be on your team, and what really
matters to them.
Use probing and open-ended questions to help them establish their own intrinsic
reasons for improving their performance. When they take ownership of the desire
to change and improve, the rest of your efforts will yield better results.
2. Establish and Communicate Clear Expectations
Make sure that you have established for your team exactly what
your expectations are, including following your sales process, the high-gain
activities they should be engaging in, desired behaviors, training requirements,
and so on.
Align your expectations with what helps your salespeople to perform better, and
communicate them clearly to every team member, including low performers.
3. Track the Right Metrics
Effective metrics will help you establish each team member’s baseline and
effectively measure improvement. Beyond win/loss ratios and quota attainment,
establish behavior and activity KPIs and other metrics that help you and your
salespeople see where their gaps and weaknesses are, as well as what’s
working for them and where they are most effective.

 
 
4. Uncover the Roots of the Problem
It’s rare that a salesperson performs poorly because they’re just not trying. To
help salespeople do a better job, you must first understand why they’re not
performing to expectations.
Do they not know what to do? Are there particular stages of the sales
process they’re struggling with? Are they lacking essential selling skills? Do they
lack the mindset to have the right conversations with clients? Are they not
applying their training?
Involve them in this discovery process, so they can take ownership of the
problem once it is identified.
5. Co-create a Solution
Once you’ve defined the key problems and gaps with your salesperson, engage
them in the process of identifying measurable steps to take to improve
performance.
Co-create a performance improvement path, including actionable steps, skills
improvement measures, and achievable short-, mid-, and long-term goals.
5. Train, Coach, and Enable to Fill the Gaps
Once you know what each salesperson needs to do in order to improve their
performance, make sure they do it by holding them accountable on a regular
basis.
Likewise, make appropriate training available to fill any skills gaps. Coach to the
areas where they need improvement. And give them access to resources and
enablement that will help them achieve their goals.
6. Provide Consistent  Reinforcement and
Feedback
Prevent the “rubber band” effect by establishing consistent opportunities for
coaching, reinforcement, and performance feedback.
Check out this post for tips to build a positive feedback culture on your sales
team.
7. Motivate by Focusing on Goals, Gains, and
Improvements
Avoid the temptation to focus only on weaknesses and failures. Keep low
performers motivated by focusing their attention on their goals, gains they make,
and improvements that you witness.
Measurable results may not begin to appear until they have been practicing new
skills and approaches for a while, so it’s important to encourage them in the early
stages with detailed feedback on their improvements, as well as to reward them
when gains do show up in tangible ways.
8. Focus on the Coachable
Sales managers often wonder where they should spend their coaching time. To
manage your coaching time most effectively, focus most of your attention on the
coachable salespeople on your team. Coachability means having the motivation
to improve, the willingness to work at new skills, and the humility to accept
feedback willingly and productively.
As you work with your team, you’ll learn which salespeople take what you give
them and run with it, reaping productivity gains as a result. You’ll also discover
which salespeople you have to fight every step of the way. Reps unwilling to
receive coaching may need to be released to the marketplace.
9. Use the Right Communication Style
Everyone has a communication style they feel most comfortable with.
Strong sales managers get to know the behaviors, motivators, and
communication preferences of each of their team members (a comprehensive
assessment is extremely valuable here) and tailor their approach to be most
effective.
The Bottom Line
Assessing your salespeople with a comprehensive assessment tool will uncover
not only their behaviors, motivators, and communication style, but also their
knowledge of B2B, customer-focused selling practices used by top sales
performers.
You can evaluate each sales rep individually, or get a “birds eye view” of how
your entire team stacks up against your established ideal performer profile.

The Benefits of Hiring With Diversity in Mind

The Essential Tools of Talent Management

The ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain engaged employees who will be
productive in working to assist an organization in reaching its strategic objectives and
operational goals is known as talent management. An understanding of talent management
processes and the essential tools available to create a highly successful team of individuals
should be included in your business or organizational procedures. The tools required for
successful talent management include workforce planning, recruiting, strategic plan and
goal alignment, executive coaching, leadership development, recognition programs,
diversity and inclusion, and engagement, as well as retention. Let's look closer at how an
effective talent management plan will make it easier to identify, recruit, engage and retain
talented individuals to be a part of your organization.

Talent Management begins with Workforce Planning

Effective workforce planning involves an intentional strategic goal to access talented

individuals from both inside and outside your organization that have the knowledge, skills,
and behaviors needed to achieve the demands and objectives set for your organization.
Workforce planning should take into account both strategic and operational workforce
planning. Strategic workforce planning takes into consideration the strategic needs of an
organization and its associated workforce. This includes the projected loss due to employee
exits as well as the projected qualification requirements necessary to sustain and progress
organizational goals. Operational workforce planning is process based. Operational
workforce planning builds on the use of simple tools, and techniques leading to templates
and procedures that can then be integrated into your existing workforce base.

Recruiting Effectively

Recruiting involves the ability to successfully identify, attract and hire talented individuals
with the potential to move your organization towards accomplishing your objectives. This is
accomplished through targeted advertising and focused interviewing of perspective
candidates. Consider including a clear mission statement as part of your recruitment
advertising. This is likely to attract those with the talent and desire to become a part of your
mission to move your organization forward. Clear job descriptions and skills lists further help
narrow the field of applicants.

Strategic Plan & Goal Alignment

Having a strategic plan that includes goal alignment may be one of the most important
things you can do to maximize the profitability of your organization. A strategic plan and
goal alignment ensures everyone is moving forward towards the same goals to optimize
resources and achieve the vision for your organization. With a clear strategic plan in place,
management can clearly see the strengths and weaknesses at any time and has the
flexibility to make changes and adjustments more readily.

Executive Coaching

Executive coaching is a relationship that provides motivation and inspiration to make

changes that transform employees and those around them to obtain optimal results
personally and professionally. In supporting growth and change both the individual and
organization benefits. Ideally, executive coaching helps leaders and those with leadership
potential to examine possibilities and transfer their discoveries to move themselves and the
organization forward.

Leadership Development
Leadership development involves a plan of goal-driven strategies designed to enhance the
leadership attitudes and abilities within an organization or individual. The goal is to develop
a team of high quality leaders with the ability to effectively share the vision of the
organization as well as inspire and motivate those around them to achieve their best both
individually and within the workplace. Leadership development enables top personnel to
quickly access potential problems and implement strategies to avoid undue damage or
delay to overall goals. An effective leadership program fosters open communication and
encourages groups to work cooperatively to achieve personal and organizational
excellence.

Recognition Programs

Recognition programs within an organization acknowledge the individuals and teams that
consistently contribute to your organization's success. Setting up an ongoing recognition
program that honors, and thanks loyal staff and team members increases overall job
satisfaction. Encourage team leaders to acknowledge contributions from individual team
members on a regular basis with a word of thanks, or repeating an encouraging comment
made by a satisfied customer. Including an unexpected thank you to those working behind
the scenes should also be a part of any ongoing recognition programs you develop.

Diversity/ Inclusion

An awareness of diversity and inclusion extends far beyond the internal work. Diversity and
inclusion also encompasses customers, suppliers, and other outside resources. In addition
to ethnic and cultural differences, there are also generational differences and gender to
consider. True diversity must include those both inside and outside your business structure.
Diversity and inclusion in a workplace or organization brings many advantages including
increased creativity, productivity and problem solving. Enhanced communication and an
expanded market share are also real benefits. Inclusion adds value to employees that leads
to retention and increases the ability to attract top talent from many resources.

Engagement

Engagement involves encouraging employees to be fully involved and enthusiastic about

their workplace with the desire to help move the business ahead. Employee engagement is
encouraged in an environment that supports open communication where everyone feels
their voice and ideas will be heard. Show your employees they are a valuable part of the
team and they are less likely to seek employment elsewhere. A successful plan that
encourages employee engagement is seen when employees are motivated to enhance your
organization's success while feeling their own well-being is of importance.

Retention

All organizations know the frustration of investing in the recruiting and training of talented
individuals only to have valuable employees move to a potentially better
prospect. Employee retention depends on understanding why valuable employees are
moving on and how you can prevent them from leaving. Salary, work schedules,
comfortable surroundings or the prospect for better advancement are only a few possible
reasons to consider. It cost money to recruit, hire and train employees. It is better to keep
skilled employees than lose them to a possible competitor. Perks, competitive benefit
packages, promoting from within and offering incentives are a few ways to increase
employee retainment.

Many of us value the importance of diverse friends and influences as a personal core
belief. But did you know it also has a big impact professionally?

According to McKinsey & Company, research shows companies with more diverse
workforces perform better financially. Their latest report found that companies in the top
quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have returns above
their national industry standard.

While increased diversity doesn’t automatically equal greater profits, there is a strong
correlation to success — from the ability to win top talent to improving customer
relations to harvesting more qualified leaders which in-turn leads to better decision
making. Ultimately, all these wins bring a competitive advantage and rich returns.

Yet companies who are succeeding in diversity initiatives don’t merely view diversity as

an accessory or add-on. These companies have built diversity from their foundation and
continue to build upon it daily. It can be seen from their executive boards, training and
development programs, and all the way down to their hiring strategies.

Hiring With Diversity in Mind

Achieving a diverse workforce starts with hiring with diversity in mind. Incorporating
diversity hiring initiatives into your talent recruitment plans keeps your team accountable
and pushes for change in how you attract, evaluate, and hire potential employees. It’s a
longer-term strategy that requires more work, but the payoff is substantial.

To help keep your company and team members’ potential bias in check, you may want
to consider the Rooney Rule. The Rooney Rule is a policy made popular by the National
Football League. The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview at least one
minority candidate for general manager or head coaching positions. The NFL
implemented this policy in 2003, and many businesses, including Pinterest and
Facebook, have since adopted a similar strategy for leadership positions.

The goal is to source talent that is underrepresented and outside your networks. It
requires extra planning and careful thought but will leave you with a stronger and more
diverse talent pool to ultimately make a better hiring decision.
Strive to make your hiring processes as inclusive as possible. Look at your current
process, and think of ways you can try to remove bias or add other opinions in. For
example, you could ask candidates to complete a sample project or challenge for a
more precise evaluation of skills. Then the focus is less on the resume or who knows
who and more about the actual skill sets and fit of the candidate.

It can be difficult to keep track of hiring processes as is, and even more so when you
introduce more steps. Using talent recruitment software not only automates parts of the
process for greater ease but also helps ensure a consistent experience for each
candidate.

The More Diverse Your Workplace is, the More Diversity

You’ll Attract
A diverse workforce is a symbol of a robust and inclusive culture. Potential candidates
look at who already works at a place of business, what values the company pursues,
and what leaders are doing or saying that matches or doesn’t match those values.

Potential hires want to feel that they’d be welcomed if they accepted an offer. And they
want to feel like there is a path forward for growth. Having a diverse team from entry-
level employees all the way up through executives helps ensure candidates can see
themselves reflected in the leadership pathways the company offers. The more diverse
you become, the greater talent pool you’ll attract. And once you have a diverse team in
place, you’ll reap the rewards.

Diversity Increases Productivity

A study conducted at MIT found that diverse more productive and generate larger
revenues than non-diverse teams. Working with those who are different from us pushes
us to grow and perform better. And having a wide range of backgrounds, experiences,
and opinions gives teams access to more tools when solving a task, which in turn drives
results.

Don’t limit your definition of diversity to gender alone. It’s crucial to have a team with
diverse thinking, a variety of personalities, different tactics of reaching solutions, and
distinct analytical strategies.

For example, an entire team of extroverts might be respected for their bold or loud
influence, but as we have learned from author Susan Cain, “The loudest person in the
room isn’t necessarily the one with the best ideas.”

Having introverts and extroverts on the same side will help to challenge and push the
team towards success. Analytical thinkers are detailed oriented, focus on the job to be
done, and tend to perform better on executing tasks. Placing an analytical thinker in a
group with creative synthetic thinkers could help solidify and ground big, open-minded
ideas. Diversity within teams can help teams generate massive ideas while still keeping
them focused on accomplishing the overarching goals.

Diversity Builds Creativity

When we work with others from different backgrounds, experiences, and working styles,
we’re forced to see different points of view that make us think creatively. That process
can make team members feel uncomfortable or vulnerable at first. But as author Brene
Brown says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”

Diverse groups tend to make better decisions and generate more innovative ideas.
When you lack diversity you’re missing out on other perspectives that could greatly
improve your results and returns. According to a McKinsey & Co report, US companies
with diverse executive boards have a 95 percent higher return on equity than those
without.

When diversity is done right, individual team members feel valued for what makes them
unique. That validation drives the positivity in any workplace and can help promote a
healthy culture. Remember, diversity isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. It’s a value your
team and leaders need to think about and operate within day in and day out. But every
journey starts with one small step, so don’t be afraid to get started today.