The EPG Connection

Emerson Personnel Group knows something about economic recessions. In fact, since opening our doors in 1971, the U.S. economy has gone through five documented recessions and all key indicators point to the fact that we are in another right now, making a total of six since 1971. Although a real recession can be tough on everyone, there is much reason for optimism. For example, it is interesting to note that over the last 100 years, recessions have become shorter in nature. Three of the first four recessions during the Twentieth Century lasted longer than 600 days. During the last four recessions, however, only one has been longer than 250 days (the longest was 487).

The really good news is, during expansions, we have seen the opposite occur. Over the last 100+ years, expansions have become longer in duration. Prior to WWII, there were ten documented expansions. Of those, only four (40%) lasted longer 1000 days. Since WWII however, there have been eleven expansions, of which nine (81%) crossed the 1000 day threshold.

So, if we know there is light at the end of the tunnel, what steps can businesses take while they are still in it? The following are a few tips which have helped Emerson Personnel Group weather economic storms and to emerge stronger than ever time and again:

• Take whatever steps necessary to keep employees excited, focused, and passionate about the company’s mission.
• Keep the training budget funded and be sure to keep employees up to date on cutting edge techniques. This step will pay huge dividends when the economy turns.
• Keep recruiting the best talent available! Think about it; when the economy bounces back and you have assembled the best team on the block, what will the obvious outcome be? Competition beware!
• Stay in even closer touch with your existing client base. This is an excellent time to show your customers you care about how they are doing.
• Most importantly… stay positive! Laugh out loud! As many wise people have said… “This too shall pass”.

As always, thank you for staying in touch by reading our newsletter. I’m very interested in your feedback so please pick up the phone, give me a call, and let’s keep the conversation going. ~Steve Emerson; CEO Emerson Personnel Group.

Recruiting top talent is a top priority for your company. This is probably an understatement, considering your people are your best asset. However, what about those “top producers” you already employ? Think, for a moment, about those star employees! You hope they will stay with you throughout their careers. Well, you’ll need to take steps to ensure that they want to stay. The best way to keep your top employees is to know them better than they know themselves. Use this knowledge to create the career of their dreams, and they’ll stick to your company like glue. The new “biz-speak” for this is called Job Sculpting.

The concept of Job Sculpting is defined by career experts, Timothy Butler and James Waldroop, in the Harvard Business Review. It states good people will stay in jobs which “fit their deeply embedded life interests… that is their long-held emotionally driven passions.”

To adopt this strategy, you’ll first want to spend some time listening to your company’s top people. For each of them, try to identify what life-interests are dominant within them, and then offer assignments which will satisfy this interest. It may mean simply adding another assignment to their existing responsibilities, or it may mean switching one set of tasks with another employee. It may even require moving your “star” employee to a different position, altogether.

To learn what kind of interests you’re looking and listening for, use these eight identifiable areas:

1. Application of technology
2. Quantitative analysis ability
3. Theory development and conceptual thinking
4. Creative production
5. Counseling and mentoring
6. Managing people and relationships
7. Enterprise control
8. Influence through language and ideas

For example, say you have a top employee who has been working in the area of customer service, but lately seems dissatisfied. After speaking with him/her, you may learn they would rather be dealing with the vendors. Or, perhaps you may discover this person might be just the answer you’re looking for to find the latest innovative product which could be added to your stock (conceptual thinking). Meanwhile, employee B would rather interact with the customers. By a simple switch of responsibilities, you have two happy employees who now feel they’re contributing to your business and not just putting in time for a paycheck.

It’s always more cost-effective for the business, and better for employee morale to keep your existing employees happy with their careers. The time spent finding out what will keep your top producers satisfied, is the best investment you can make in your business. ~ Amy Steelman; Marketing Coordinator at Emerson Personnel Group

Personal Information

Name: Jennifer Lynne Pence

Title: Administrative Recruiter

What you do for EPG: I place Administrative and Executive Assistants into permanent full time positions.

Education: B.S. in Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University

First job: Cashier at an AMC movie theater…what a fun job!!

Little-known fact about you: I have never eaten any seafood other than canned tuna, nor do I eat red meat… does not leave much else to choose from!!

Home: Marlton, NJ

Business Philosophy

Essential business philosophy: Be true and honest. Treat others how you would like to be treated.

Yardstick of success: To own a home down the shore.

Goal yet to be achieved: To own a home down the shore.

Mentor: My grand-mom. She is strong, resilient, honest, funny, and sees the best in everyone. After losing her husband at an early age, she raised two successful sons and continues to face each day with a smile. She takes time to “smell the roses” and leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets… all at the ripe age of 90.

True Confessions

Word that describes you: Obsessive…. over-analytical… wait, obsessive… or maybe it is over-analytical… wait, I think obsessive. Gee, not really sure which it is.

Like best about your job: I love the company I work for. I love what they stand for. They are always there to back you up and support you. They are my second family.

Like least about your job: The drive down Route 70 to get here and back.

The most important lesson you’ve learned: There are things you can not control.

Life motto: Everything happens for a reason.

Pet Peeve: People who do not acknowledge when you hold the door for them or let them into traffic. Just say thanks people!!

Person most interested in meeting and why: My grandfather. This goes back to my mentor. I would love for him to tell me stories about my grand-mom and my father from his point of view. Both are outstanding people, so I can only imagine what my grandfather was like.

First choice in a new career: To own my own business. I would love to own a coffee shop-bookstore-bakery type shop. It would be a place where you can come in, sit down, relax, read a book and have a snack. Good conversation and yummy eats.

Greatest extravagance: I live pretty simple. I guess my greatest extravagance is having a nice bottle of wine on hand?? And chocolate, lots of chocolate!

Et Cetera

Most influential book: The Broken Mirror. It helped me to understand a lot about myself.

Favorite movie: Somewhere in Time.

Favorite restaurant: Houlihan’s

Favorite vacation spot: Maui

Favorite room in the house and why: The family room. It is big, open and where we spend the most time.

Favorite way to spend free time: Walking. It is a great stress reliever and a wonderful way to make my heart happy.

Recently, I ran into a young man I know who mentioned he was looking for a new job. When I asked what he was looking for, he replied, “I’ll do anything!” While I’m sure he thought this was a very flexible attitude, he came off sounding extremely desperate (and maybe he was!). I told him I’d keep him in mind, but the problem was, I had no idea what his skills, interests, or capabilities were in order to recommend him for a future opening. Should I call him if I hear of a teaching position? A firefighter position? A clerical position?

It is a big mistake to carry a “desperate” attitude, both for the job seeker and the impression to the potential employer. For the job seeker, conveying a desperate position immediately puts you in a poor position for negotiating salary. The employer believes you are needy and therefore can probably offer you a lower salary than someone who is not desperate. Also, you are more likely to accept “any” job, with a weak analysis as to whether you will enjoy it. Soon enough, you’ll be wondering why you took the job and you’ll be unhappily looking for something else.

For the employer (or recruiter), a desperate candidate may seem unfocused and unable  to identify their strengths. So, they will be skeptical about your abilities. Also, employers like to hire candidates  who are excited about doing the work of a particular job. So, if you do not identify why you are interested in THAT job, they will wonder whether you really want it and how long you plan to be there. They are investing time and expense to hire and train someone new and will not consider someone who they believe is going to leave once a more interesting opportunity comes up.

What to do? First, be prepared to describe what you are looking for by focusing on your strengths and interests. You can keep your answer broad to show flexibility, but there must be an emphasis on your skills and capabilities. For example, that young man could have said, “I have experience in office skills and customer service in corporate and retail environments.” Someone else might say, “I am strong in sales, business development, and marketing.” Second, seriously consider whether you really want to take “anything”, since you may find yourself looking all over again in a short time. Finally, if you ARE feeling desperate, practice answering questions in a way that conveys interest and enthusiasm. You will be more likely to get an offer… and a better one at that!

Diane Irwin is President of Dynamic Résumés and helps individuals impact the job market through effective résumés, job search skills, and interview skills. She has almost 15 years experience in Human Resources, specializing in résumé-writing, recruitment, and outplacement. She is an active member of the National Résumé Writers Association, The Career Management Alliance, and Tri-State Human Resources Management Association.

In March 2008, Mitzi Joy Sacks joined the Emerson Personnel team as an Executive Recruiter for Healthcare professionals. She brings with her 10 years of administrative experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors, including office management, social work, and education. Mitzi has a passion for the recruiting industry and an even larger passion for helping people. She states, “Joining Emerson Personnel Group has given me the opportunity to learn more about the needs that clients and candidates face throughout the hiring process and how I can serve each to find the ideal fit.”

Mitzi received her B.S. in Secondary Education from Temple University in 2000. During her time there, she received The Student Teacher of the Year Award. In addition to Emerson Personnel, Mitzi is a consultant for The Jewish Family & Children’s Services of South Jersey. She is a newlywed and resides in Mt. Laurel with her husband Michael.

Please join me in welcoming Mitzi, and contact her with any questions you may have.

You can use pre-employment tests, specific interview questions, realistic job previews, and role-modeling to hire employees who crave to use teamwork and collaboration.

Warning: Many jobs do not need teamwork-oriented employees. Our society greatly values “teamwork”. Also, many leaders are teamwork-oriented, so they erroneously assume they should hire employees who love teamwork. So, find out which jobs in your company really require collaborative employees. Some jobs do not.

For example, in our pre-employment testing research at many banks, great tellers usually score high on a test’s Teamwork scale. But, the banks’ successful bookkeepers score low on the pre-hire test’s Teamwork scale.

Lesson to help you: Use employment tests to objectively discover which jobs truly require teamwork-oriented employees. Now, let’s delve into some terrific ways to help you hire teamwork-oriented employees.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS HELP YOU HIRE TEAMWORK-ORIENTED EMPLOYEES

Your fastest and lowest cost method to assess teamwork in a job applicant is pre-employment testing. Start by conducting a “Benchmark Study” in which you test current employees. Pay special attention to typical test scores of successful employees in each job. Then, you may give pre-hire tests to job applicants, and prefer applicants who get test scores similar to your successful employees-plus also do well on other prediction methods.

Here are employment test scales that help you assess and applicant’s teamwork-orientation:

• Teamwork test scale
• Friendliness test scale
• Helping People Motivation test scale

JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO EVALUATE APPLICANT ON TEAMWORK

The next method you can use is the job interview. If teamwork proves crucial for success in a job, then make sure you ask questions to uncover how teamwork-oriented the applicant is.

Here are examples of such open-ended questions:

• “What were three gratifying projects or tasks you worked on?”
• “Tell me about three projects or tasks you disliked doing?”

After you ask each question, listen to how much the job applicant mentions teamwork. Applicants who are teamwork-oriented will describes tasks involving working with people. If they are not teamwork-oriented they will say gratifying tasks which entail working alone.

RJP = REALISTIC JOB PREVIEW TO ASSESS TEAMWORK

If a job candidate does well on your pre-employment tests and job interviews, then you can do a realistic job preview (RJP). This shows what it actually is like to work in the job. An RJP involves the applicant spending a half-day or full day accompanying an employee to watch the job actually being done.

The RJP serves three purposes. First, a job applicant shows interest in the job by agreeing to spend four to eight hours observing. Second, your employee can unearth valuable insights about the candidate. Third, research shows applicants getting an RJP are (a) less likely to accept a job offer but (b) if they do accept, less likely to turnover.

Make sure the applicant sees the teamwork required to perform the job. Keenly observe the applicant’s reaction to required teamwork.

LEADERS MUST ROLE-MODEL TEAMWORK

If teamwork is required to perform a particular job, then the manager must be teamwork role model. Then, employees learn how to act on-the-job. So, if a job requires teamwork, but the manager does poorly at teamwork, then you either need to (a) help the manager develop teamwork skills or (b) replace the manager with someone whose strong suit is teamwork.

FOUR METHODS TO HIRE TEAMWORK-ORIENTED EMPLOYEES

If you use pre-employment test benchmarking or another way to see if a job truly requires teamwork, then you can hire collaborative people by doing the following:

1. Pre-Employment Tests - see if an applicant’s test scores are like your best employee’s scores.
2. Job Interview - listen to comments about working with people.
3. Realistic Job Preview - find out applicant’s reactions to teamwork needed on-the-job.
4. Role Model - exhibit collaboration so your employees learn by watching you.

Why would you bet your career or your company’s success? If a specific job requires teamwork-oriented employees, then  you readily can use these four methods to hire job applicants who excel at working with people.

© Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.

Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is nationally known as an expert on pre-employment testing and how to hire the best. The “Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™ Tests” created by Dr. Mercer are widely used to help companies hire the best. His five books include “Hire the Best - & Avoid the Rest™ and also “Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change™”. You can obtain his free 14-page special report — “Hire Productive, Profitable & Honest Employees” — plus get a free subscription to “Dr. Mercer’s Management Newsletter” at http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com

Our January 2008 Employee of the Month was Naeemah Miller. Naeemah temped for us very successfully back in 1999 and 2003. We were thrilled when Naeemah reactivated with us on 11/14/2007. We actually sent her out to work the very next day! Her assignment was scheduled to go 2 weeks to 2 months, however, she is still there. Our client is very pleased with Naeemah’s work ethic and pleasant disposition. We are honored that Naeemah thinks to contact us when looking for employment. It is a pleasure to have her back.

Congratulations Naeemah!