Integrating Cultures After a Merger

Mergers often look great on paper – especially the dollars and sense of it. Not all mergers are successful. One of the reasons many of them aren’t as impactful as they could be, or even fail is because of company cultures that do not align.  It’s sometimes difficult, but possible to predict and proactively work to resolve. 

Management must decide which corporate culture to adopt or if they want some sort of combination of the two cultures. This is best done as closely as possible to the onset of the merger. Otherwise, the uncomfortable transition stage going from what life is for employees today vs. post-merger can lead to reduced productivity or even paralysis of the workforce.

Effectively combining two different corporate cultures requires management defining broad cultural objectives. Such objectives are laying out the ground rules of anticipated leadership structure and behavioral norms for employees. The ideal or the smoothest transition would be to try to change a little as possible. In most merger situations, one company culture will arise as more dominant than the other. It’s it important to protect that while also preserving certain parts of the other entity. Specifically, the focus should be on protecting the elements of the company culture that contributed to success.

Once the changes have been identified, management must communicate them as soon as possible. Again, with the focus on being as specific as possible. This will reduce confusion and allow for a quicker transition, avoiding unnecessary productivity losses. It is also important to allow feedback from the employees to gauge what changes are or are not working. This is the first step to deciding if further changes must be made.

If you need assistance navigating the tough road of combining cultures - let us help you! 

E-mail: info at connorcaitlin.com  Twitter: @connor_caitlin

Mergers are nail-biters...

Mergers can be tough on leadership and employees alike. After a merger or acquisition, the organizational structure of the company the employees have become accustomed to can change in a flash. Change is typically off-putting to most people. Employees may become scared that they will be no longer needed or will have to impress a new boss. All of this can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety that can slow productivity or even paralyze your work force. Therefore, it's crucial to have a plan to manage anxiety (aside from Xanax) otherwise your team will be set up for failure. 

Communication is one of the most important ways to manage merger anxiety. Let your employees know what changes will be made as soon as possible. A lot of the fear of changes from mergers is due to not knowing exactly what the changes will be. Letting your employers know exactly what to expect can help them cope with the changes sooner, minimizing anxiety. If there is no communication, it's human nature for people to come up with the worst possible scenario in their minds, thus maximizing anxiety. 

It's also very important to be as honest with your employees as possible. If your company is the one being acquired, it is likely some employees will have to be let go due to redundant positions in the two companies. It is also likely some people will have to change their role or take on additional responsibilities. Being up front with your employees you feel will be most affected will give them more time to prepare. It will also lend to a better opportunity for all of you to manage the change, allowing for a smoother transition.

If you are anticipating rough roads again, but can't see the path - let us help you! 

E-mail: info at connorcaitlin.com  Twitter: @connor_caitlin

Average Hiring Times Getting Longer

The Interview and Hiring process is taking much longer than in previous years. Average hiring times have increased from around 12 days in 2010 to around 23 days in 2014. This is due largely to the more in-depth screening process being used by employers today. Studies show that panel interviews can add almost a week to the hiring process and things like IQ tests and personality tests can add as many as 4 days.

While it is important for an employer to make sure they are making the right decision, taking too much time can actually lead to weaker hire. This seems counter intuitive, wouldn’t taking more time allow the employer to find a better candidate? However, if you take too long with the hiring process, you give the strong candidates time to accept other offers, leaving you with a weaker pool of prospective hires. Taking too much time can also result in loss of productivity. The more time the hiring process takes, the more time the empty position goes unfilled.

It is important to balance the time it takes to effectively screen potential candidates with how much time it will take. If you leave out key steps in the hiring process, you won’t be sure exactly who you are hiring. If you take too long with the hiring process, you could lose strong candidates to other companies and lose productivity.

If you have any questions about hiring practices, please contact Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions. 

www.connorcaitlin.com

info@connorcaitlin.com

It's Not What You Know, it's Who You Know.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” When you are making new connections and expanding your network, it is important to take time to think through how you can make your network work for you to get the most out of your connections.

Each new person you meet can be a new point in your network, but planning ahead and having a strategy can exponentially increase the value of networking. By thinking through how you will network and coming up with your plan of attack, you not only will be more prepared to make better connections, but will refine your networking abilities and become a networking genius.

Begin with figuring out what kind of people you need to add to your network. This can be anyone from lateral employees at companies within your industry to higher ups in a field you are interested in penetrating into. Once you have determined what kind of people to add you can begin to look for specific people and events. After you have found events to attend, try to obtain a copy of the list of attendees to strategize whom to meet. When you are at the event ma

king connections, be sure to have meaningful interactions. It does you no good to meet someone if they will not remember you afterwards. Finally, after you have made your connection, be sure to follow-up quickly. Your follow up could be a quick note in an email, an invitation to coffee or lunch, or even a connect on LinkedIn.

Networking will never be an exact science, but with careful consideration and planning it can become a nearly perfected art. Do not be afraid to try different techniques and figure out what works best for you. Inevitably mistakes will be made, that is okay. Learn from the mistakes and do better the next time. With planning, networking prowess will soon be in your wheelhouse.

Contact Connor | Caitlin to talk more about networking and how you can improve your skills.  

Being a Good Employer: Culture

At Connor | Caitlin, we frequently discuss company culture and how candidates can fit into a company. We know that if a candidate is not a good culture fit, it will never work out in the long run for the candidate or the business.

Merriam-Webster defines culture as “a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business).” In our blog about recruiting we discussed being known as a great employer; company culture can make or break the appeal of your company.

When thinking about the culture of your company, there are a few key points to keep in mind. The first of these is defining and living out the company vision and mission. It is important to be clear about what your company expects inside and outside of the work place. Your employees represent your company whether they are on the clock or not. However, if you do not articulate the expectations you cannot hold employees up to them.

Secondly, communicate, communicate, communicate. Communication is vital to success in anything, but if you want to create a great company culture it is definitely essential. It is important to include all levels of employees in conversations about culture and create an open, friendly environment for conversations to take place.

Lastly, team building. When a company takes time to create teams out of its employees, the company shows that it truly cares about the employees and their work environment. Team building also allows employees to come together and communicate expectations and goals.

If you have any questions about company culture, please contact Connor | Caitlin.

www.connorcaitlin.com 

Finding a purple squirrel, part 2.

In the first installment  of this post,which can be read here, the top five things a company should know about recruiting were discussed. Today we will tell you the next five.

1.)    Be known as a great employer! If you want candidates to want to work for your company, you need to give them a reason to work for you. By creating a great work environment and company culture, you will establish your company as one that people want to work for. It is impossible to attract the highest quality candidates if no one wants to work for you.

2.)    Check references. This one should really go without saying, but many employers do not consistently check references. When you contact the references a candidate provides, you get to hear about the candidate from another perspective and learn more about them. The more you know about a candidate before you hire them, the better prepared you can be to meet their needs and create success for both parties.

3.)    Write GREAT job descriptions. The more information you can give about a job, the better-prepared candidates can be to tell you about experiences relevant to what you are looking for. If the job description is vague, you end up with applications from people who are not qualified and not at all what you are looking for. While poor applicants will never be fully eliminated, having specific job descriptions can help decrease the number you will have to go through. 

4.)    Quality > Quantity. In the last post, we told you to improve your candidate pool. That does not mean expand your pool. It is perfectly okay to only have a handful of candidates rather than an entire stack. You are looking to hire the best person for the job, so you need quality candidates instead of a large quantity. That being said, if you have a large number of qualified candidates, you should certainly look at them all.

5.)    Remember, they’re looking too. A lot of attention is focused on what you should look for in a candidate, but it is vital to remember that candidates are looking at the company as well. In the technological era we live in, access to information is at an all time high. Your company needs to make sure that potential candidates can find good, reliable information on the business.

Connor|Caitlin would be thrilled to help you with your recruiting needs. Contact us with any questions or items you need assistance with.

www.connorcaitlin.com

How to become a Marketing Sage

In any business, marketing strategies serve as one of the central objectives in the company’s success. Diversity is very important when it comes to marketing, because the more strategies, the better. 

One very common strategy would be partnering with allies. Marketing partnerships have a lot of benefits, such as: exposing your company to new audiences, partnerships are cheaper, and success is seen more quickly. With that being said, helping customers solve their problems is a vital approach as well. A business is intended to provide solutions by listening and responding to their clients, creating campaigns, and creating apps. Apps and campaigns are noble sources for clients to receive information and keep up to date on the company’s progress.

No matter the business, your customers are always interested in interacting with your company. Creating online tools, such as social media, are the more upcoming forms of communication. Once a company’s marketing strategies are becoming successful, it’s always a smart idea to create a more personal relationship with clients. When companies are willing to be actively involved with their customers it often creates a more comfortable environment. These marketing strategies are the building blocks of a prosperous company.

Contact Connor|Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com for additional information on marketing strategies. 

Human Resources in a Technology Driven World

The first human resources department started in 1901 with the title of “personnel”.   Throughout the centuries since then, changes in industry and hiring demands have constantly changed the demands of HR departments in companies and corporations.

 Everyone knows that our world is run by technology. Sometimes that is something to celebrate and other times it makes a person want to pull their hair out. The fact is that technology has given a major face-lift, and helping hand, to human resources.

With constant Internet availability, professionals have more access to job postings and professional development tools than ever before. This translates into finding better candidates for hiring and more ways for an employer to screen potential candidates.

Résumé stacks that used to take hours to go through can now be sorted in minutes with computer programs. The lower costs of pre-hire screening tests gives employers better tools to screen candidates and sort through the stack to find exactly what they are looking for. Using these tools allows an employer to find the perfect candidate for the job in order, and faster, to provide continuity in the workplace and harmonization of employees.

To learn more about how Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions uses the latest and greatest hiring technologies to help businesses find the perfect match, please contact one of our experienced practice leaders.

www.connorcaitlin.com

What the heck is a Millennial, and what do I need to know about them?

Millennials are the newest and fastest growing generation in America’s work force. Millennials are people who were born in the 1980s or 1990s. Just like every generation before them, millennials are being misunderstood by the generation before them. Really though, millennials are more like Generation X members than they are different. If you are hiring millennials, and you should be, here are the top three things you need to know about the new kids on the block.

1. Grace Hopper said, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is “we've always done it this way.”” Members of the millennial generation believe this is the truest thing ever said. They are eager to make a difference and want to be a part of key decisions. They do not like doing grunt work “just because,” and they will stand up for themselves more than any generation before them. Millennials know that change is constant, and they believe in using change for good.

2. Leading off of that point, millennials are not as motivated by money. What, you’re asking, money does not matter to them? Of course it matters to them, but they are also very motivated by making a difference and discovering the world around them. Perhaps instead of offering pay raises, your company might consider offering extended vacation time for young employees to travel abroad, or maybe an extensive training program in a new sector of the industry.  

3. The last thing you need to know is a two-part point. Millennials are excellent multitaskers. A lot of this is attributed to the fact that they grew up surrounded by technology. So do not hesitate to ask the young guy in the corner office to help with your social media presence while he is working on a new data system. Millennials enjoy a challenge and they are well prepared for them.  

If you have any questions about millennials or want to find some fresh thinkers for your company contact Connor|Caitlin.  

Well...I just didn't like her.

Normally I like to touch on interviewing from a candidates perspective, but today I’m going to take a look at it from the other side of the table. Interviewers can be the first closed door that a great candidate may face, and in all reality, that closed door may be the result of a bias on the interviewers’ part.

We've always been told that your first impression means everything.  In this case, it’s very true. If you are an interviewer, or just someone meeting another for the first time, keep these things in mind.

Bring your bias to a conscious level.  This is the first step in neutralizing bias; recognition.  Even if you have an instant reaction, try to do the opposite of what you first feel, such as leading with a positive question if you have a negative feeling about a candidate. 

Measure your first impression at the end of a meeting.  Objectively use what you've learned within the interview to determine if the candidate would be a right fit.

Make sure to listen to all the evidence before making a conclusion. Then, use evidence, not emotions, to assess.  “I feel” and “I think” and “My gut tells me” are all statements using emotions and not hard evidence.  

Use your team to objectively study your candidate.  Have everyone share their evidence to help decrease the emotional bias of the hiring authority.

These few tips will help ensure that you are giving each candidate a complete and fair shot.  And who knows, it may even be helpful on a first date.

If you need help standardizing your hiring practices, or help finding top talent, contact Connor|Caitlin.

I got the interview...now what??

Congratulations, you landed the interview.

Now what?  You haven’t been to a job interview in fifteen years.  What has changed?  What do you need to do differently now with a new generation of hiring managers?  These are all valid concerns for someone who hasn't been actively searching for a job in years.  And unfortunately, seasoned professionals could be hurting their chances of getting hired by not interviewing properly.

While there is a myriad of interview tips on the web, there are just a few items that I want to point out.  Seasoned professionals are most likely going to be interviewing for higher level position, as well as leadership abilities.  Your best bet is giving examples of successes, but successes where you worked with a team and gives proper credit to those who worked with you.

Authority vs. Humility

Experience and skill level are always going to be selling points, but not as far as to get you that dream managerial position.  Showing that you are interdependent on your team and employer will win you big brownie points with the hiring manager.  Having confidence in your skills, as well as answering in a way that says that you are a team player and able to be flexible will get you farther than just throwing your co-workers under the bus.

If you need help learning some new interview tips and tricks, or want to find that person who can fit the bill for your company, contact Connor|Caitlin.

Economic Recovery; Fact or Fiction?

Lately we have been talking about the strengths of top talent.  However, a large influencing factor that determines if top talent goes anywhere is the dark shadow.  The crow on our shoulder. The all-encompassing; state of the economy. 

The economic state is the catalyst that drives talent acquisition.  HR managers across every discipline have a unique view on employment trends. Since they hire, fire, measure engagement and perform other tasks that measure the health of the labor force, they know when there are signs of recovery in the economy.

The first indication of economic health is lowering unemployment rates.  Unemployment is at its lowest level since 2008, around 5.7%.  More people found work in 2014 than in any of the past 15 years.

A second indication of a healthy economy is; job creation is strong. There are around 5 million job openings currently.

The third sign is; in many industries, people are quitting.  While this may seem counter-intuitive, this means that workers are confident there are better opportunities available.

However, there is an important element missing.  Higher wages.  Rising wages have not kept pace with other economic and employment gains.  

All of these add up to the determination that HR managers need to return to people management practices.  Aggressively recruiting new talent, retaining best employees, and investing in our workforce will be crucial.  This is a talent driven market.

If you need help finding that top talent, contact Connor|Caitlin.

Greatness is calling for you.

Five obstacles that stand in the way of a great workplace, and how to overcome them all. 

Every person desires a great workplace, an environment that is conducive to collaboration, teamwork and having fun. The following five issues are prominent in the workplace, but there are solutions to each.  In order for any change to be made, the pursuit of greatness must first become a priority, for both employees and managers.

1.       I don’t have time.

Even though the problem may seem complicated, as in we cannot have 25 hours in a day, the solution to lack of time can be quite simple. Leverage the systems you already have in place for change.  One approach could be eating lunch with one team member a day, or even the whole team, in order to get to know each other as people, not just a coworker. Another easy way is leaving ten minutes of every staff meeting to have an open discussion.  Let every person have their say.

2.       My workplace is different. “I’m all for it, but this would never work in my industry”

Many issues are not as unique to the industry as we might think.  Striving to maintain excellence in night shift employees is as universal as anything. It doesn't matter if you are in a manufacturing facility or at a suit-and-tie desk job, a great workplace is desired by all.

3.       It’s not the right time.

Change is never totally enjoyable, and presents its challenges.  However, a disruptive event can be the perfect catalyst for another important factor; trust.  Engaging employees in trust-building practices during the large change can create a sense of community, maintain sense and purpose, as well as promote safety and support throughout the process.  Research shows that when leaders take time to build trusting relationships with employees, it enables those employees to embrace changes faster.

4.       My employees are the problem.

Understanding a pattern of behavior, whether good or bad, is crucial to fostering a great workplace.  There are many factors that encourage employee behavior, from family and life situations to job roles and responsibilities.  When an employee does something once, it a fluke, twice is a coincidence and three times is a pattern.   Understand behaviors before setting goals is crucial.

5.       My boss isn't on board.

Even though you have the vision of a great workplace, unfortunately lack of leadership buy-in to the plan can be a formidable obstacle.  If you have the desire, you can have the ability to build trust-based relationships with employees. Reaching out can build trust, pride and camaraderie.  Stay focused on things that you can influence, and in time, your sphere of influence will increase and open doors that were once closed. 

Listening. A new fad.

We live in a world where most everyone is nose down in a smart phone or tablet with Wi-Fi available everywhere, even in seemingly the most remote of locations. It’s unfathomable to be disconnected from the “world”, yet ironically, this practice actually disconnects us from the people who are actually present in our space. It’s not just individuals who are guilty of this. Individuals bring this personal practice into their business and it trickles down to customers. Concurrently, much emphasis is focused on growth and staying ahead of the curve that it has taken away from the principal that many businesses were founded for their customers. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if companies put down the proverbial smart phone and dedicated time to really listen? Universally, customers want to feel a sense of reliability, responsiveness, empathy, competency, and last but not least being valued. All of these are achieved through active listening. So many customers feel discouraged from dialogue on their service experience because the service agents they interact with are not present.

Stella Service, Elite rated companies like Apple & Zappos are hitting the mark. Zappos recorded an epic 10 hour phone call with one customer! While that’s a bit extreme, it speaks volumes about their approach to service. These companies are successful largely because they understand that a customer centric outlook is paramount. They understand that one of the simplest (as well as incredibly cost efficient…) ways to achieve this is active listening and follow through. They take the time to liaise with customers to understand how they really feel.

TARP, research firm concluded that every 1 customer who has a complaint will share it with 10 others. These 10 will go on to further share with 5 others. A single complaint quickly impacts up to 50 people! The good news is, it’s entirely possible to avoid this by active listening. It may even be possible to detect concerns even if customers aren’t actively voicing them. TARP also concluded that for every customer who verbalizes a complaint, a whopping 26 more remain silent.

Getting back to basics – listening 101:

Ø  Be ready! How can you actively listen if you are searching for a notebook & pen, or texting?

Ø  Take notes. Details, details, details.

Ø  Be responsive. Let them know you are still present without taking over.

Ø  Match their emotion. If they are in a panic, show a sense of urgency.

Ø  Be positive or factual. Don’t color the dialogue with negative feelings. If you are negative, they will surely be too.

Ø  Be respectful. Don’t interrupt or assume you know what they are about to say.

Ø  Ask questions. Ensure you understand their needs.

Ø  Paraphrase. Demonstrating not just paying attention, but active thinking & reasoning.

Ø  Take action! The best way to show listening is to follow through on the customer’s needs. Actions always speak louder than words.

Active listening supports solid communication which leaves customers feeling appreciated and overall strengthens your long term relationship. It can often help resolve or avoid conflicts and misunderstandings entirely. The information we harvest by listening can even allow us to take a step further and not only resolve conflicts, but ensure that we are applying the right solution. Equally important to making the problem go away, is ensuring that we’ve solved it correctly. This might be an opportunity to think creatively about what the customer is saying to find a solution that works best for them and is also cost efficient for your business. 

“Listen. You don't learn anything by talking. Listening makes for good business and it makes for good friends.” — Liz Robbins

Are we talking about a job, or about a person?

A job description or a person?

Most people would think that these are two totally separate entities.  How could a job be a person?  I know I got confused at first with that statement.  The reality is, when a company is looking to hire, this is the first trap they fall into. 

When thinking about hiring a new person, the first thing a company does is write down the descriptors that seem to fit the position.  These can be the degree required, the number of years of experience, leadership skills, selling skills, and geographical location.  These are all great things to have in mind, but in truth, they are describing a person, not a job. 

If a hiring manager was asked, “In the next six months, what is the largest goal for this position to achieve?”  This will lead into the discussion about what the job will actually do on a day to day basis, not just what the person in the job needs to qualify for the position.  The hiring manager may answer that the position needs to develop a new three year plan for a particular product, so the talent acquisition team can now go forth and find candidates that have planning and product development skills along with their four year degree. 

A generic job description is the downfall of both recruiters and companies alike.  This leads to hiring challenges, such as diversity hiring trials, an artificial skills gap, and the reason why companies are finding it increasingly difficult to find talented people.  However, companies around the world are using generic job responsibilities to attract and screen new employees. 

If you are struggling finding the perfect candidate or the perfect job, contact Connor|Caitlin Talent Solutions. 

The 6 Not So Technical Needs, of Technical People

Leading people is a challenge in itself.  The needs and motivators vary from group to group; marketing people are motivated by a completely different set of values than accounting personnel. 

Trying to understand the motivators or needs of the various groups can be overwhelming at times, categorizing into one big pot is not anymore the solution than throwing your hands up. 

While much of what motivates an individual is within the individual, as leaders its important to understand the needs of technical professionals as you map your people strategy to get the most out of your people.

Autonomy:  To work without being micromanaged is part of the reason that technical professionals choose there given field.  The more you can offer them the freedom to accomplish the task with autonomy the more satisfaction they will find.  Of course, this is often easier said than done but even in small doses the positive mojo the technical professional will get from autonomy will pay off in spades.

Achievement:  While everyone wants to feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, the techie is even more motived by a sense of ‘done’ at some point.  An on-going project with no real end point will drive these folks crazy and serve as a major de-motivator at some point.  A great way to overcome this is setting milestone achievements that can be measured and tracked; this allows achievement to be real and validated for these folks.

Keeping Current:  Techies take great pride in their ability to stay on top of the latest whiz-bang process or advancement in their field.  Allowing them to keep current on their trade will not only add to their happiness at work but more times than not will help the organization get better. 

Professional Identification: While technical people enjoy their credentials more than most, they find meaning in their professional identification and association with the industry. This can be capitalized upon greatly by allowing them to actively participate within the industry events, conferences or learning and networking opportunities.

Participation in Mission and Goals:  This is great because while some folks like to hide in the weeds of the company mission, techies love to have a line of sight form their role and responsibilities to the company mission.  It is important to see their impact on the company mission. 

Collegial Support and Sharing:  Beyond water-cooler chat and company softball teams these individuals like to feel part of a bigger community.   Again, this is a great opportunity for companies and leaders to bring out the best in their people by developing and recruiting focus groups, crowdsourcing and group think.

In the end, technical professionals want to be included and actively participate in the company mission.  Developing an organization that meet these needs will fast track your group into bringing out the best in your technical workforce.

If you are building a world-class technical team, and need some help.  Contact one of the practice leaders at Connor|Caitlin.

Is a job just a job? Not anymore.

A recent issue of the Wall Street Journal highlighted a paradigm shift in how folks find meaning.

 With the dramatic influx of young workers, the millennials, there has been a change in ideals from ‘just a job’, to a job that changes the world. Employers are now trying to insert meaning into the daily grind.  This includes connecting profit-driven efforts to grand consequences for humankind. 

Work takes up more time than before, thanks to longer hours, competitive pressures and technological tethers of modern business.  Mission statements have long stated lofty goals beyond the financial bottom line, however in recent times, tech firms like Google have attracted top talent by inviting recruits to change the world by writing code or managing projects.  To that note, the words “mission”, “higher purpose”, or “change the world” have been used with more frequency in investor meetings, earnings calls and industry conferences.

“I am not a brain surgeon or a scientist.  I help some of those people do their taxes.”  Siobhan Kiernan, a manager at KPMG, a global consulting firm, stated; “I can take the worry of doing their tax returns off their mind, therefore I support advancements in medicine.” (The Wall Street Journal)  If a person can connect their work to a cause higher than themselves, they are more likely to be more satisfied with their jobs, therefore putting in more time and having fewer absences.  

Juniper Networks Inc. CEO Rami Rahim stated “Certainly, we build awesome routers and switches.  But what we are doing really is enabling researchers to find cures for deadly diseases.  We are enabling scientists to bring clean tech energies that make this planet a better place.  We are bringing education to Third World countries.” (The Wall Street Journal)

It is this thought process, of always keeping a larger goal and purpose in mind, which will get the most out of employees, and also will continue be the idea of the future.

With the competition for talent on the rise, great employers are including this as their criteria for developing roles and value. If you want to learn more about Connor|Caitlin and how we can help reach out to us at www.connorcaitlin.com.