The Three R’s Recruitment, Retention and Reputation

Offering feedback to unsuccessful candidates who have attended for interview is considered best practice in recruitment and selection. It places a value on those who have shown an interest in working at your organisation and have made a commitment to both apply and attend for an interview.

Consider your brand values

In the past, prospective employees joined an organisation to gain an income or experience. Now, candidates are not only looking for a job, but a career. In order to attract and retain talent, organizations must enhance their value proposition by increasing their reputation as “the place to work” in the communities in which they operate.

Now, more than ever, organizations have a opportunity to strengthen their brand through their recruitment activity.  An organization’s reputation is crucial when thinking about joining. The proactive organizations focus on branding through quality products and services, strong values that matter to employees, such as corporate responsibility initiatives, to attract high potential employees and ensure the strength managerial talent.

The Essential 3 R’s Recruitment, Retention and Reputation

It’s essential that following a recruitment interview the applicants maintain a favourable view of your organisation, remember that applicants and their families may be your customers as well as potential employees, so it makes business sense to be fair and courteous

Also, there may be future job vacancies for which the candidate would be suitable and for which you would wish them to apply. Failure to get one job does not necessarily mean unsuitability for other jobs with the organisation.

 “Vodafone sees every candidate as an actual or potential customer. If a company values its brand, it will consider all the things that people will remember about it”

Using Recruitment Agencies

There are a variety of recruitment attraction methods available today and yet there still remains a demand for recruitment agencies to assist employers to attract and recruit key personnel to their organisations. Selecting the right agency and developing a strong relationship is essential to ensure that the agency has the ability to act as an extension of your brand. 

To ensure market reputation – talk to your network about which agencies they are using and seek candidate or client testimonials from your chosen supplier.

 Look for an agency that is willing to align their client offering with your culture and values.

 Add Value

Providing feedback can be an uncomfortable process for the person giving the feedback, particularly if the candidate failed to answer some or all of the questions adequately or was unsuitable for the post.

The general aim of feedback is to provide constructive advice to demonstrate why the candidate did not get the job, and to add value you may suggest some activities that could be of benefit to the candidate’s development. 

The following are key points to consider when giving feedback:

1. Check whether the candidate wants feedback, not everyone does!
2. Ensure that the feedback is based on an objective judgment relevant to the selection criteria for the job taken directly from the job specification
3.  Feedback given must be based on the actual notes taken during the  interview
4. Feedback should incorporate both positive evaluations from the selection process in addition to observation on areas where the candidate did not demonstrate that he/she met the criteria for the post
5. Feedback should be constructive e.g. suggesting ways in which the candidate may obtain the skills and experience necessary for the job
6. Feedback should be consistent with the majority decision of the selection panel, even if the individual providing the feedback does not agree with the decision
7.  When providing feedback over the telephone it is important to check that it is a convenient time for the candidate to speak as they may want to ask specific questions 
8. Select carefully who will provide the feedback, the candidate may ask questions relating to a technical/specialist area of the post or his/her own experience that the individual giving feedback is not familiar with
9. Create a “feel good” factor do no harm to the candidate!
10.  Always keep a record of any feedback given to candidates

Spectrain provide the following recruitment and selection development programmes: Investing in Recruitment & Selection and Recruitment for Results and Competency Based Recruitment & Selection

Contact us to discuss your individual needs

Dodgy Decisions – When your reality check bounces

Why do managers want to or fail to see some things and not others? What are the filters that screen, cloud, and distort their reality?

Perception is our manufacturing process it leads to an output or product.  In this case the product is a decision, judgment, a conclusion we reach about a situation.  The process of thought involves all the steps that take us to that conclusion.

We all receive a constant supply of data from our senses; we extract clues from our environment at work, an environment cluttered with people, machines, and noise. We cannot pay attention to everything that is happening around us only some of the information leading to decisions can be processed usually spontaneously without reflective thought.  Often this leads us to rely on plausibility or what is believable and appearing likely to be true to help us to judge and make a decision.

Individuals seem to spontaneously expect and welcome events or inputs which conform to expectations influenced by their personal characteristics, personality and those life experiences which have been rewarded or punished in the past. These subconscious expectations are like a hypothesis that helps us to make assumptions that such-and-so will naturally occur.

In this assumptive world, an individual selects those relevant bits of sensory data from the immediate environment which influenced by previous experience has been identified as useful in some way. This data process works negatively as well to filter out of a situation those realities that the individual’s previous experience suggests are not useful.

We see what we expect or want to see and we filter out what we do not want to see

Consequently, plausible decisions are made in the absence of proof and facts yet, plausible accounts of a situation are often good enough, comfortable and acceptable for managers to act upon.

To avoid the many problems associated with perceptual distortions, managers must consciously withhold evaluative judgments about events and situations and focus upon obtaining additional data often this involves confronting situations that they do not want to see. When managers focus upon the pattern into which these events fit that they can begin to understand the situation. This is called taking a functional point of view and it requires withholding speculative judgments until clear verification of the facts relating to the situation are feasible

Managers who recognise those personal influences that distort their view of the world have a stronger base for decision making and that critical small edge over their peers and competitors.  Fact is the only material that can be presented in an entirely non-dogmatic way. Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, but no one has a right to be wrong in his or her facts.

And so, this reflection leads me to recent situations which involve impaired judgement and a failure to check on reality and the magical poem that follows is dedicated to:

• The British Government, Police and Press – (if) the cap fits!
•   The guy who stepped over the woman who collapsed at the airport in Qatar – what! Don’t tell me – you didn’t see her!
• The three distorted idiots in Jordan
• The manager who completely over reacts to a mistake made by an employee – get a grip on reality!

Senses

A Mouth was talking to a Nose and an Eye.
A passing listening Ear
Said, Pardon me, but you spoke so loud,
I couldn’t help by overhear.”
But the Mouth just closed and the Nose turned up
And the Eye just looked away,
And the Ear with nothing more to hear
Went sadly on its way.

Poem by Shel Silverstein poem by. You can find it in the fabulous book A Light in the Attic

 Ensure your decisions are based on fact – make smarter critical decisions with our problem Solving & Decision Making Training Course Download available here: http://www.spectrain.co.uk/Managing-Myself

There is Value in Diversity -Tap into it!

In today’s economy traditional barriers to trade are diminishing and for many companies international trade is essential to their growth and success.

Rapid developments in technology have made new markets accessible; however, consumers continue to prefer to deal with a workforce representative with which they can identify and many organisations just do not understand the huge benefits that a culturally diverse workforce can offer.

The problem is that many managers are culturally deprived; their education, training and upbringing simply did not prepare them to manage the situations they face in today’s multicultural environment, and many organisations do little to provide them with the resources that can assist in developing their knowledge and understanding of cultural preferences.

We all tend to like people who are like us, similarity is comfortable, however, we clearly need to recognise and cater for the differences amongst individual employees – and that requires an understanding of their cultural norms and the operating implications of those behaviours. 

Management training should go far beyond trotting out an equal opportunities or nationalization policy, and provide an opportunity to consider the appropriateness of their actions when working with individual;s and groups from different cultures and value the benefits that the differences bring.

So what do managers actually need to learn? Here are a few ideas:

Non verbal awareness- the more we understand how subtly we communicate, the better we understand others non verbal communications.
Body language, gestures touch, and personal space. A pat on the back may be appropriate for some employees, while others will feel uncomfortable and violated by this gesture.

Managing stereotypes and assumptions. Stereotypes prevent us from thinking differently about individuals and groups and lead us into forming untested and invalid conclusions about those groups. Even when an individual seems to fit a stereotype then it’s still important to check the assumptions that are being applied, managing a diverse workforce requires managers to learn new ways to recognise contributions and this means putting aside some assumptions and looking beyond style and preferences to actual results and outputs.

Cultural differences and the balance of power. In many cultures power is centred at the top of the organisation and the span of control is tight. Therefore, employees expect to be told what to do and are not encouraged to take responsibility. For those people taking initiative represents risk. Managers do need to understand the values that people bring to the workplace, and agree with individuals how they can make a contribution and how that contribution should be recognised.

To make diversity work, difficult decisions must be made  lip service, official statements and policies will not change behaviour! Success can only be measured through fundamental changes to an organisation’s culture traditional attitudes.

Prepare your managers to interact with the work force on their next assignment. Our training and coaching services will provide that insight and understanding to enable them to engage successfully:

Visit us at Http://www.spectrain.co.uk and Http://www.spectrain.com.jo 

How performance can deteriorate in an environment where foreigners are the majority

Amjad’s story

It appeared to be an amazing opportunity at the time, I embraced it fully, enthusiastic, keen to develop, and willing to learn. Working with expatriates was different and presented some challenges, I was certain I could adapt and hoped that the expatriates would also be willing to understand my cultural background and appreciate my individuality.

Now, after three months I am uncomfortable, life is confusing! During the day I feel like a minority among a diverse workforce. I try to comply with rules, procedures, instructions and expectations that are foreign to me. I desperately try to engage with co-workers and managers but I simply don’t seem to be connecting with them successfully. Meanwhile I am drifting.

Outside of work my community is traditional, tribal and conventional, I want to talk about my difficulties at work but nobody seems to understand so I keep quiet.

I feel isolated, a minority, disrespected, misunderstood a foreigner in my own country.

 When I joined the company I had BIG dreams for a brighter and prosperous future for me and the family. I tried to avoid the negativity generated by some of my colleagues in the department which seemed to suggest an US and THEM environment.  I notice that some of my colleagues have stopped respecting the rules imposed by THEM, the expatriates and seem to come and go as they please. I am desperately trying to avoid a conflict with my colleagues and THEM but it’s hard because there are so many expectations that really don’t conform to my cultural norms.  I wish there was more contact time between US and THEM, perhaps that would help bridge this divide.

Previously I worked at a Ministry, I felt safe there and there was never an expectation that I should stay late after 3pm because it was understood that I had family commitments.

The Self-fulfilling Prophecy

I had a meeting with my manager about a computer process that needed to run at 4.30pm daily, he responded by saying “yes but you people won’t be around at 4.30pm because you don’t commit to working any longer than you have to in order to get the job done!” Now I feel stereotyped, demotivated and my willingness to contribute is diminishing quickly.

I am trying not to internalise these feelings because that would mean defeat and helplessness and somewhere in the back of my mind my dream for a better life is still alive……meanwhile, I am drifting……

Expatriates: A familiar story are you failing to engage nationals through avoidance, ignorance, lack of understanding, unethical practice?  Have you considered the consequences?

Boardroom Babble – Dictionary of Jabberwocky

The request was simple enough – the job was to coach members of a multicultural management team over a period of time to ensure that they were sufficiently prepared with data/facts that supported their agenda items at the monthly management meeting which I would facilitate. The goal was to ensure greater efficiency, commitment, and enhanced understanding from those meetings.

 The first “meeting”:

Prior to the coaching the area manager felt it would be advantageous for me to attend one of the management meetings…

There were 9 people around the table; amongst their native languages were Spanish, Arabic, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Babble and Jabberwocky. Unknown to me the Babble, and Jabberwocky dialogue was strictly reserved for management meetings,

Curiouser and Curiouser

So the verbal humbug began, -The head of purchasing wanted to play hardball so he stuck to his knitting  focusing on himself and the needs of his department often at the expense of others. That of course has a red flag effect on the head of finance who felt he was losing control of his hoard of beans.. The distribution manager forgot his lines completely and blew hot and cold throughout the meeting generally testiculating, he eventually gave up – after all “if at first you don’t succeed, remove all evidence you ever tried and eventually you will be able to say I told you so!”. The marketing manager, ruthless with a perfect smile – a deceptionist, constantly fired arrows at the sales manager who went into combat by throwing in a bag of snakes. The CEO (a Jargonaut”) revealed his true mastery of ridiculous jargon with his robust vocabulary, uttering a monologue of verbal dribble none of this burble made any sense and everyone yet everyone agreed.

The Jabberwocky

Feeling a little like Alice in Wonderland  I was reminded of Alice’s reaction to the poem “Jabberwocky” How is it that a poem can be full of nonsense, and apparently devoid of meaning, but still sound like proper English?  Few people understand what the poem is about just like the meeting I had just witnessed full of nonsense, and devoid of meaning.

Management decision-making is negatively affected by conflicts of interest, emotional attachments, dominant personalities, entrenched attitudes, and expectations which stem from our prior experience and past decisions,

This group had become egocentric and self-focused, this behaviour placed limits on their capacity to understand the viewpoints of others people, which may have provided much needed insight.

Individuals at the group used jargon which created a smoke screen, and had the effect of forcing listeners to create their own meaning behind the speaker’s words, rather than seamlessly receiving the information.

 Just as Lewis Carol used nonsensical words in The Jabberwocky that convey a message that is unique to every reader according to the way one interprets it, and we simply cannot have nine interpretations of the meaning and consequences of actions as people leave a management meeting.

 Perhaps it’s time to slay the jabberwocky

Prior to preparing for your next meeting consider your contribution and its likely effect on outcomes, are you clear about who’s supposed to do what to whom with how much and when?  That analysis will lead to the kind of information that nearly everyone wants and needs to know to enable them to move forward.

Extract from Jabberwocky Lewis Carroll

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!”

 All Clear?

Sound Familiar? Contact us if you feel the need to slay your jabberwocky’s and get your meetings back on track: Http://www.spectrain.co.uk