Create a Standard for Management

Looking through a variety of Human Resource job postings, I noticed something interesting. Many HR positions, even some entry level positions, prefer a Professional in HR or Senior Professional in HR certification. Some HR positions were looking for a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance designation. These certifications were in addition to a specified level of education, years of experience, etc...

I began to think about the strict requirement for HR, and overall how little they interact with the employees. As an employee I have worked at companies where I never had an interaction with an HR representative. I guess they must have been doing something right in those companies.

Here’s where I had my “aha!” moment. Why don’t we begin a certification process for managers?

Managers are often the first responders to employee situations or issues, and they arguably have the biggest impact on the employees in their area/department. Considering that the US Economy loses over $500 Billion Dollars per year due to unproductive and disengaged employees. Managers are listed as a primary reason that employees stay with or leave a department or company.

Managers have a lot of challenges. They need to meet sales and productivity goals. They are required to respond to business operations issues. Yet there is not a set standard of competency for managers. I have often seen a good employee promoted to a lower level management role with very little training. I think this does a disservice to both that employee as well as the others. I know that some companies have good management training programs, but I still wonder if they continue manager development.

How can a manager offer development if they don’t know how. What if they aren’t getting development? Now I understand that some people seek development on their own. But if companies are not doing it consistently, then why not create a standard that could be transferrable across businesses and offer continuing development?

What would you include in a Management Certification Program?

Create a Standard for Managment

Looking through a variety of Human Resource job postings, I noticed something interesting.  Many HR positions, even some entry level positions, prefer a Professional in HR or Senior Professional in HR certification.  Some HR positions were looking for a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance designation.  These certifications were in addition to a specified level of education, years of experience, etc...

I began to think about the strict requirement for HR, and overall how little they interact with the employees.  As an employee I have worked at companies where I never had an interaction with an HR representative.  I guess they must have been doing something right in those companies.Here’s where I had my “aha!” moment.  Why don’t we begin a certification process for managers?

Managers are often the first responders to employee situations or issues, and they arguably have the biggest impact on the employees in their area/department.  Considering that the US Economy loses over $500 Billion Dollars per year due to unproductive and disengaged employees.  Managers are listed as a primary reason that employees stay with or leave a department or company.

Managers have a lot of challenges.  They need to meet sales and productivity goals.  They are required to respond to business operations issues.  Yet there is not a set standard of competency for managers.  I have often seen a good employee promoted to a lower level management role with very little training.  I think this does a disservice to both that employee as well as the others.  I know that some companies have good management training programs, but I still wonder if they continue manager development.
How can a manager offer development if they don’t know how.  What if they aren’t getting development?  Now I understand that some people seek development on their own.  But if companies are not doing it consistently, then why not create a standard that could be transferrable across businesses and offer continuing development?

What would you include in a Management Certification Program?

Diamonds and Millennials: The 4 C's

Originally posted on HRM America

When selecting a diamond, I am told that it is essential to consider the 4 C’s: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. These 4 C’s determine the value of a diamond and will not change. These are important to consider BEFORE your purchase, because diamonds are an investment, and you want to get the most for your money.  I recently learned that similar to diamonds, there are 4 C's that can determine value and retention for Millenials in the workplace.  

During the 2014 SHRM Annual Convention, I learned that the average workplace retention of Millennial employees is declining. This poses a problem, especially with all of the Baby Boomers planning their exit of the workforce.

One of the sessions I attended was a session on Managing Millennials, led by Brad Karsh - President of JB Training Solutions

The 4 C’s of Millennial Retention

• Communicate – Manage their expectations about their work responsibilities and their career progression and give them feedback on their performance on a routine basis.
• Challenge – Offer them experiences through shadowing, managing low risk projects, and rotating in different departments.
• Coach – Instill a culture of coaching/mentorship and pair Millennials with “near peer” mentors who can help build their “soft skills.”
• Connect – Millennials need to see that they are part of the bigger picture to feel connected to the organization and see their importance.

Remembering the 4 C’s (communicate, challenge, coach and connect) of Millennial Retention and implementing them will do more than simply determine the value. It is likely that there will be a continued increase in value as you increase your chances of retaining your top talent. 

The 4 C’s of Millennial Retention can be adapted to each individual, making them more important than the 4 C’s in a diamond purchase, which can never change. These actions can be taken after you have the Millennial employee, and adjusted to their needs, increasing value for Leadership, the Company, and the Millennial employee.

Gone are the days where the phrase “just do it because I said so” is effective in the workplace. The Millennial employee wants interaction, and to know how their part fits into the whole. Millennials are adaptable and looking for growth and challenges, so frequent feedback and guidance are a must. 

Brad shared a great point that “Millennials have a semester mentality.” They are used to being in school, getting frequent feedback on each of their assignments and having an interactive dialogue with their teachers. Understanding these connections can help leadership take a more focused approach in addressing and meeting the needs of the Millennial workforce.

I’m excited to put the 4 C’s of Millennial Retention to work!

3 Things Chuck Norris Taught Me About Leadership

Originally posted on Linkedin

There are a lot of Chuck Norris “facts” to be found on the internet. I would like to share some real facts that I learned, as a young teen at a martial arts convention with Chuck Norris. These 3 things have helped me make an impression as a leader. I’d like to share them, and hopefully they will help you as well.

Put the focus on others – I was at a 3-day martial arts workout convention, which revolved around Chuck Norris. We all knew who he was, and he was part of the draw. I remember standing around speaking with a group of 3-4 other teens that were in my age group and all of a sudden, there he is. We quickly stopped talking and looked at him. He smiled, put his hand out, and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Chuck, what’s your name?” Awesome! I remember thinking afterward that it was strange that he introduced himself. Of course we knew who he was! In this situation I believe that Chuck Norris looked at both himself, and us, as people. Equals. Over the next few minutes as he chatted with us, the status differences and titles didn’t matter. What a great feeling, to have someone that we looked up to come over and introduce himself.

As a leader, are you letting your title, or status get in the way of creating awesome moments like this? Think about the impact that you can make by giving someone your time. Even if it is only a few minutes. It is important to look at others and treat them as equals, as much as your position may allow. The individuals who are looking up to you, will see you through the lens of your status and accomplishments, so there is really no need for you look at yourself through the same lens.

Be bold and lead the fun – On the last night of the convention there was a dinner followed by dancing. Dinner ended and almost everyone was just standing around the dance floor. I don’t know if it was the food, or shyness, but there were only a few people on the dance floor. I wasn’t far from the DJ table, and saw Chuck go up and talk to the DJ. A new song came on that was more upbeat, and there he went. Chuck Norris, right there, BUSTING A MOOVE! He was all in having fun, and it was great! Everyone, including myself, was shocked and smiling. It did not take long for others to get on to the dance floor. As a leader and role model Chuck took a risk. What if nobody else would have gone on the dance floor?

As a leader it’s ok to take risks. Often times we are too afraid to look “foolish”, so we might not join in on the fun. Being “silly”, or “going for it” makes you more approachable. The risk is getting laughed at or teased, but if you can laugh at yourself, does that really matter? On the other hand, you might get much larger group of people to join in with you. How much more fun would that be?

Be complimentary and genuine – Throughout the convention I heard, and was told by others the nice things that Chuck had said to people. Someone told me that he said they were a good dancer. He told people they had good technique in their karate movements. He told the group of teens I mentioned that he was glad to have us there. In all of these compliments he came across as genuine, and I bet that each one of these statements had a HUGE impact on those people.

As a leader it is essential to understand the impact of a compliment. A compliment can mean something many times more to the person receiving it, than to the one giving it. Only if it comes across as genuine. Think of it this way. Imagine that when you gave someone $1.00 it became $5 as soon as they received it. That might make it a little easier to give away $1, right? The difference is that a compliment can have a much bigger impact, and last longer than $1, or $5 ever would. It’s a great way to build others up, and create a lasting positive impact.

Punishing Jaywalkers or Stopping Traffic: What is your practice?

Punishing Jaywalkers or Stopping Traffic:

What is your practice?

I attended an educational course over the first part of this summer.  Due to the location of the building, it was nearly impossible to park nearby, so parking across the street was the only real option.  The street was not a traffic intersection, but still fairly busy and it usually took a while before the green man lit up so we could cross.  Most of the time, people would cross at the breaks in traffic, rather than wait for the signal.

After a couple of weeks of crossing this street to attend the course, a few of my friends began sharing that the police are in that area giving tickets for jaywalking.  At first, I thought they may have heard a rumor and decided to share it.  I didn’t think much of it, until I saw it for myself.  Two different times, I saw uniformed police officers at that location (by the tree straight ahead).  One time there was an officer standing behind the bush and difficult to see from across the street, and the other time there was an officer in a police cruiser around the same area.  A couple of days after I saw the officers, another one of my friends shared their story of someone getting a $90 ticket for jaywalking.  Ouch!

After seeing the officers, and hearing the story, I am very careful not to jaywalk in that area.

The officers in this case were watching, and waiting for someone to do something they weren’t supposed to do.  Then they would punish that person with a ticket.  I found myself wondering how long they would stand there each day to catch someone doing something wrong.  Why not offer to help the people to safely cross the street?  Now this story isn’t just about this officers, but more about how many people act in this same way.  The truth is that one doesn’t even need to be in a position of authority to act this way.  Have you ever worked with anyone who would report every mistake others made?  Have you ever worked with a boss that operated with a focus of watching and waiting for people to make mistakes?  Sometimes employees who notice that someone is watching and waiting can mess up from simply being nervous.  If you are waiting and expecting people to mess up, eventually they will.

How about you?  Are you waiting for your “I told you so” moment after someone does something wrong? 

The most important thing that we need to think about is the experience that we are creating in the workplace, not just for our subordinates or co-workers, but for our supervisors too.  The way you interact with others will have an impact on the success of your relationships in the workplace. 

What we can do when we notice something is identify what the obstacles or challenges are, and ask to help.  Offer that person the extra hand they need to complete the task, or share information that will help them in that situation.  Ask questions to get a better understanding of their perspective, which will give you an opportunity to see things from their eyes.

So when you notice something you’ve got a decision to make about whether you are going to create an obstacle, or help remove one.

Connect with me on Linkedin: Benjamin Patient

4 Tips to Rock Your Interview

Through my experience interviewing over 2,000 applicants I have realized that many people hear the question, but may not understand the intent.  It seems that many think these are trick questions, or just aren’t sure how to respond.  Here are the top 4 problem questions I have encountered, with some help on how to answer.

Why do you want to work here? – Please do not say “I need a job,” or anything that might resemble that.  Of course you need a job or are looking for one, otherwise you wouldn't have applied for the position.  Right?  What I’m looking for in a response are the things about that company attracted you.  So here’s what you can do when you know that you have an interview.  Look at the company’s website, and pick a nugget or two of information that you can share.  This shouldn’t be something too obvious, but something of interest to you.  When asked this question, you can also share how your Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities make you a good fit for the organization and position.

Can you share a time that your manager made a decision that you did not agree with? – I have noticed many people get stuck on this question.  It almost sounds like a trick question doesn’t it?  I have heard countless times “I always agree with my manager.”  I have also heard a good number of people say “I didn't agree, so I left.”  While these responses may be true, they don’t address the intent of the question.  The interviewer is looking for a time that you didn’t agree with the decision, and the actions you took to come up with ideas, or how you communicated with your manager.  It’s more about constructive problem solving, and how you are responding to situations that you don’t agree with.

Can you tell me about a time when you made a mistake? – This is a good one to think about in advance.  It’s another one that seems tricky.  I have heard countless "no's" to this question.  Many of us don’t like to think about our mistakes, so this can be a tough one.  This question is about accountability, and problem solving.  When you make a mistake, do you own up to it?  It also checks your ability to include the people who need to be involved.  We all make mistakes, so share how you handled yours.

Why do you think you are the best person for the job? – Often this question comes near the end of the interview.  When asked this question, please don’t respond with “I’m not the best,” or “I don’t know who else has applied that might be better.”  You applied for the job, so you must think you're qualified to do it, right?  This is your opportunity to recap the things you talked about at the beginning of the interview, and highlight your responses during the interview.  You also have a great opportunity to share your excitement for this position and company.  Take this opportunity to add in any other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities that you have that are relevant to the job.  For example, unless you are applying for an ice skater job, I don’t need to know that you are an ice skater.  

Many of the behavioral interview questions (i.e. "Tell me about a time ___") are looking for STAR responses: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.  This style of question gives you the opportunity to share a story about a work situation.  So make the most of it.  

What was the Situation?  This is the background for your story.  So, paint the picture for the interviewer.  Remember they weren’t there, so add enough details so they know what was happening.

What Task were you doing?  Set the scene.  Were you working on something, and then asked to do something different?  Were you doing something that led to you making a mistake?  Were you unsure of how to do the task?

What Action did you take?  This is the high point of your story.  Share details about the people you involved and the steps you took to finish your task or solve the problem.

What was the Result?  This is the end of the story.  Was it happily ever after?  How did your actions impact you, your work area, and your company?

Although not generally part of the STAR responses, I think it is very valuable to add the things you learned from that situation.  If you would do something different given the chance to do it again, share that.  It shows that you can be reflective and seek ways to improve.

With some review and practice of these 4 problem questions and your STAR responses, you will be better prepared to shine in your interview.  Go get 'em!

What problem questions have you encountered?  Maybe I can help.

Dreadlocks, tattoos, and the EEOC

Does your company have appearance guidelines?  Many companies have instituted policies against dreadlocks and tattoos.  What is your practice in handling these issues?  Would it surprise you if I said that making hiring decisions on these bases could be considered a form of religious discrimination?  

In my experience, companies with policies against dreadlocks will ask applicants if they are willing to cut them.  If an applicant says it’s religious, a common follow up question is “what religion?”  In previous conversations that I have had, I have heard “Rastafarian is the only religion that has dreadlocks,” when, in fact, there are other religious practices that include dreadlocks.  What if they say it is just a personal or spiritual belief?

According to a poll from Fox News, 1 in 5 Americans have tattoos.  Many companies don’t want these tattoos visible in the workplace.  Visible tattoos are typically those on the hands, wrists, face, and neck.  Some companies do not allow any additional items like band-aids or makeup to cover the visible tattoos, which could eliminate someone with visible tattoos.  What if the tattoos have a religious basis?  You may think of asking “what religion has tattoos?”

Asking “what religion?” in the interview process could be putting the company at risk if the decision to hire is based on whether or not the interviewer believes the response is valid.  An important note is that the EEOC includes both theistic and non-theistic beliefs under title VII.  Theistic beliefs include the more common, familiar religions, while non-theistic beliefs include “moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.”  So essentially, it doesn’t matter what religion they are.

Title VII of the EEOC requires companies to make a reasonable accommodation, as long as it would not cause an undue hardship on the employer.  Employers should engage in the interactive process to determine what accommodations can be made.

It is important to consider the purpose of the appearance guideline policies, and whether they are for a legitimate business purpose.  Does having tattoos or dreadlocks impact the business?  That is for you and your company's legal counsel to determine.

I think that companies should loosen up these policy restrictions.  This is a great way to encourage diversity in the workplace.  Companies should be flexible enough to allow dreadlocks to at least be held in a hat.  When it comes to tattoos, I think we should loosen up restrictions as long as there is not offensive/explicit content visible on the tattoo.

This is an opinion blog article exploring the possible impact of the EEOC, title VII rules on hiring practices.  I am not an attorney, and this is not intended to be legal advice.  I suggest consulting an attorney before making any decisions relevant to the content in this article.

Leverage Technology for a better ROI at your next job fair

When at a job fair, and your company uses an online application management system. It makes sense to tell job fair attendees to go online and apply. Right? It seems that this is where many are missing the mark.

Job fairs are a good way to maintain a presence and brand awareness in the community, but are they worth the investment? An employer's cost of attending a job fair ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. There are also the costs for staffing the job fair booth and lost productivity from those out of the office. At job fairs, many companies no longer accept a paper application or resume. They simply redirect you to apply online.

I have been a company representative at job fairs, and have dealt with angry attendees wondering "What's the point of the job fair if I have to go online to apply?" These potential candidates have taken time out of their day in hopes of creating a meaningful interaction with a company, and we are missing an opportunity!

Think about what you are bringing to the table in the candidate experience besides a branded "tchotchke" item (pen, notepad, etc.), and some promotional flyers. Job seekers take home a lot of material, but when will they have time to get to it all? There is a lot of competition out there, so how are you standing out? Are you capturing the best candidates? How do you know?

With a QR code, you can maximize the candidate experience and track the benefit of attending the job fair with minimal costs. Many companies use applicant management systems (AMS), such as Kronos, or Taleo. These and many other vendors offer mobile-compatible online applications. Chances are your company is already paying for the AMS, so why not get the most from it?

Using a QR code allows you to maximize the impact of the job fair, your cost of attendance, and your candidates' experience. Some QR code generators are free, while others are available in a variety of budget ranges. QR code readers can be downloaded for free on smart devices from the app store.

These codes are usually about 1 square inch, and each one is unique. Some QR host sites allow customization of the square code, such as color selection, which you could use to match company colors. The QR code has a link that will take mobile users directly to your application site when it is scanned. Since you are already printing promotional flyers, why not include a QR code on the page? Some QR host sites allow you to monitor your QR usage statistics, which can be useful in identifying your immediate impact. There are increasingly more scan-to-site items that are allowing mobile users to quickly access websites. This is a great opportunity to catch the best candidates, before someone else does.

Using a QR code that sends candidates directly to your application website will allow them to apply online immediately. This reduces frustration for the applicant and generates a more impactful presence for the company. It also presents an opportunity to identify the immediate, and long-term tracking of ROI. This can help you identify whether or not those job fairs are working for you. The QR code is where you put it all together - neatly packaged in a box, ready to scan.

I'm guessing you have your QR scanner by now, so I'll make it easy for you!
Scan here for my Linkedin

3 Keys to annual reviews (update)

Let's talk about an antiquated practice that many companies and individuals have held on to since the Second World War: the annual performance review.
 
Whether you are an employee or supervisor, you are most likely familiar with the annual review process.  I can say from my personal experience that both supervisors and employees experience challenges when it comes to annual reviews. 
 
Quarterly financial reports are posted for stockholders to keep them informed on the company's recent performance in a relevant and timely way.  Why not perform quarterly evaluations of employees?  More frequent discussions about performance can improve employee motivation and engagement, resulting in a more productive and successful workforce.  I recommend incorporating a few concepts to a quarterly performance review.
 
1. The employee
An important, and often forgotten, piece of the review is the employee.  So, include them in the process.   Many supervisors have a clear understanding of business goals.  Why not ask your employees for their goals, and help guide their goals to align with business goals?   This serves the purpose of attending to the employees’ motivational needs, and increases the possibility of improved performance and engagement.  
 
2. Collaborative goal-setting
With an employee, set 3 main goals that the employee will accomplish.  It is important to guide the employee in setting these goals, because they should be challenging, specific, measurable, and have a time frame.  Main goals need to be set to align with company goals and values. Each of the main goals should have key objectives that will be accomplished, and should carry a specified weight of the overall score, dependent upon the importance and challenge of the goal.  The supervisor can utilize a percentage for work that is above and beyond, or not identified by the goals.  
 
3.  Purposeful design
The design of an effective quarterly review program is critical to achieving the desired results.  It is essential to eliminate as much ambiguity as possible.  For example, I once received a review that stated something to the effect of "you have demonstrated good communication with your peers and supervisor," then on the notes for improvement stated "continue keeping open communication with your peers, and supervisor," and I was given an evaluation score of "Average." This basically gave me no direction, and no reason why I didn't get a better review score. 
 
I suggest eliminating adjectives as a rating score from performance reviews, and using a numerical score of 0-100, with 100 being the best.  Where both the supervisor, and employee rate the employee's performance against goals.  When the time comes to evaluate achievement, keep the focus on achievement.  Make it a conversation with the employee about what success they have made on their goals, where they experienced challenges, what was unexpected and what score they feel they have achieved.  Each supervisor should evaluate, and assign a rating for the employee’s performance.  This gives the supervisor the opportunity to learn how the employee is evaluating their own performance, and how much, or little, the employees’ perspective is aligned with that of the supervisor.  After evaluating accomplishments and challenges, the supervisor and employee can together plan goals for the next quarter.
 
The great thing about implementing a quarterly performance review is that you get the opportunity to know your employees better.  Through this, employees can get the individual attention and development they need, and any concerns or issues can be addressed.  It's a win-win. 

The Business of Ironing

Ironing

Have you ever wondered why we iron our clothes?  I have, and it usually is around the time when I am doing just that.  Smooth, flat, pressed clothes are part of our culture.  It is important in our personal life, and important in business.  Friends might tease you about "rolling out of bed in those clothes", or it may impact how your colleagues view you.

I was recently working as a recruiter for many entry level positions, and one of my co-workers stated that "if someone had wrinkled clothes, then it was points against them."  Now we didn't use a point system, so that was just a figure of speech.  However, many people have an opinion about wrinkled clothes.  I have heard people say that it demonstrates an attention to detail, or relate it to organization.  This got me thinking about ironing in the business sense.

Business

When you relate sharp pressed clothes to business, you are focusing on details, and presentation.  I get that.  Then I also think about the time and/or money that this consumes.  Spending time on ironing is fruitless.  There is no productive value.  If you head into work wearing ironed clothes you have to sit in the car, or on the bus.  There goes the ironing on your shirt and pants, and your clothes have wrinkles.

There are "wrinkle-free" shirts and pants, but who really wants to go around in clothing infused with formaldehyde?

While I could continue to describe different aspects of wrinkled or ironed clothes, that it not the point I am trying to make.  I use the clothing as a representation.  How often do we get involved with unproductive tasks both in life and at work?  Often times we may focus on these unproductive tasks at the expense of the more important issues.  When looking for alternatives it is also important to weigh the risks, as with the "wrinkle-free" shirts.  Is something really better, or does it just appear that way?  Look for something that will make an impact, and if you don't find anything, that's just fine.  You should feel good that you made an effort to look for an alternative.

The call to action

Ask yourself "why?"  Why am I doing this?  What value does it add?  Is it important?  Then make a decision on whether or not something needs to change.  If you start asking why, and begin to evaluate actions and activities, you might find a better way of doing things in both your personal life and at work.  Think differently, act differently, and get different (hopefully better) results!

New SHRM Certification

SHRM recently announced a new certification program for Human Resources.  This certification is in direct competition with HRCI.  The announcement by SHRM has caused a buzz in the HR world and has left many, including myself, wondering "what now?"

More information on the new SHRM Certification is slated to be released at the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference.  However, There is currently information available about the new SHRM Certification on the SHRM Website.  According to SHRM, the new certification is based on results of a study done by SHRM, and aims to create better global alignment in HR practices and ensure that Certified HR professionals are appropriately equipped to make an impact in the workplace.   The new SHRM is a competency based certification and will cover 9 areas of competency, which include :

1. Human Resource Expertise
2. Relationship Management
3. Consultation
4. Leadership and Navigation
5. Communication
6. Global and Cultural Effectiveness
7. Ethical Practice
8. Critical Evaluation
9. Business Acumen

The SHRM competencies seem to cover important business areas as a HR professional, and not limited only to knowledge of HR practices.  Demonstrating understanding and having competencies in Relationship Management and Consultation are important areas for HR professionals to develop relationships, and work with managers to solve problems, or overcome departmental issues. 
According to SHRM, there will be 4 levels of certification, for different levels of experience in HR.  These areas are:

1. Early Level
2. Mid Level
3. Senior Level
4. Executive Level

The new certification will provide an opportunity for those without exempt level HR experience to demonstrate their knowledge and competency, in addition to providing upper level HR professionals with an opportunity to distinguish their level of competency based on the model. 

SHRM will be providing an opportunity for current HRCI Certified Professionals (PHR, SPHR, GPHR) to gain the appropriate SHRM certification by going through an online module in 2015.  The SHRM website states that over 30,000 HR professionals were surveyed in planning for this new certification.  SHRM states that “the new SHRM certification will become the new standard for HR professionals around the globe.”  The current certifications offered by HRCI have significant recognition, and there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the new SHRM certification. 

The presentation of the new SHRM certification program had a sloppy delivery, with a lack of specifics to build confidence in this program.  The potential benefits were lost in the confusion of the initial announcement. SHRM has done well at providing supplementary details, but these details should have been pitched at the onset to build industry confidence in the certification. 

Through the switch from knowledge based certification to competency based certification, SHRM is making a bold move. It is this bold move that could transform industry certifications and change the way we look at business, or could prove to be ineffective.

The first SHRM certification exams are slated to be in May of 2015.  After that, only time will tell what impact this certification will have on HR professionals.

Applying Customer Service Principles to Leadership

Imagine if you could create a work environment where employees not only wanted to

stay, but refused to leave.

    At some point or another we have, or will encounter an employee that we identify as

someone who is not an engaged employee. In many cases, the easy thing to do is to write them

off, and let them do their job until they leave. Another choice is for leadership to encourage

them to leave through lackluster interactions with the employee. Alternatively, leadership

can work to engage them and the rest of their workforce by delivering an exceptionally

positive experience for them. This will result in a higher level of employee engagement in the

organization.

    To address the employee engagement issue, I suggest changing the way we think about

employees. We need to start looking at employees in the same way we look at customers. Both

are essential for operations, and both impact the bottom line. There is a focus on Customer

Service, but it is important to begin focusing on Employee Service. To do this managers and

leadership will need to implement the principles of customer service in their interactions with

employees. I feel that a basic, yet effective Customer Service model that can be applied to

Employee Service is the L.A.S.T (Listen, Ask, Solve, Thank) model.

    For the next 90 days, I challenge you to start using your knowledge of Customer Service,

and start applying these principles to your interactions with your employees.

Begin this challenge with an intentional service approach toward employees demonstrating the

“how can I help you?” attitude.

• Be willing to genuinely listen to your employees. Having this willing attitude to

listen will make employees feel comfortable approaching you.

• Ask questions to get an understanding of how they are doing, what they are

working on, and plans for the day instead of telling them what needs to be done.

Chances are, they already know what needs to be done, so give them a chance to

tell you. Ask questions like “what are your goals today?”, or “What is going well

on your project?”

• Through your interactions with employees, it is important to demonstrate a

value for them by genuinely listening to their concerns, and solicit their ideas

for solutions to those concerns. Facilitate their process of solving their own

problems. This is a great opportunity to develop the decision making skills of

your employee, provide employee empowerment, and a way for you to better

understand that employee.

• Thank them for their contribution with specific details, and be genuine. In

this process you can reinforce the desired behaviors that your employees are

demonstrating.

    The point of this challenge is to develop trust and build the relationships within your

team. It is an opportunity to trust your team more and increase their trust in you, while

identifying their strengths and opportunities for development. There may be obstacles along the

way, but keep at it. No matter how much you think they like you right now, they may like you

even more after this challenge.

    For those of you who are brave enough to step outside of the regular daily routine and

are willing to try this challenge, I would love to hear about your successes in Employee Service.

After completing the challenge, I encourage you to continue providing great Employee Service

to your employees, and watch their satisfaction with you as a leader and satisfaction with your

company rise. You might just see them coming back each shift with smiles on their faces, and

passing that great service forward to your customers.