What is Smart?

I’ve always thought that I wanted to work for people that were as smart or smarter than I was. 

Someone who could stretch and challenge my mental muscles so I could become even more valuable to the organizations where I worked. I could be the leader or I could be the subordinate, as long as I felt that my contributions were visible, acknowledged, and seen as “smart”.

“Smart” was what I was always looking for in job satisfaction.

What I’ve learned in my 30+ years of experience is that I must look at this view of “smart” in team / team-leader dynamics differently. This “smart” thinking sometimes felt like it was threatening to leadership and some subordinates. 

I now understand that my interpretation of the word “smart” doesn’t necessarily = more EDUCATION or more EXPERIENCE (the engineer in me loves math equations!). 

In the “NEW” real world, SMART comes in various shapes and colors, etc. 

– SMART doesn’t have a sexual preference, # of years of experience, degree, race, culture, or gender. 

– SMART from somewhere unexpected shouldn’t be viewed as a threat but as a newly discovered advantage. 

– SMART can come from an eager new employee that is brave enough to say they have a better idea instead of trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense. 

– SMART can come from an experienced employee who feels his voice hasn’t been heard in a decade but just can’t stay quiet anymore and just do his job and get along. 

Consider this when you are trying to understand those you work with whether they are male, female, of color or not, baby-boomers, gen-xr’s or Millenials, analytical, informal, extroverted or introverted personalities, etc. 

Stay open-minded and inviting and focus yourself and your team on what is “smart”. Make the definition of “smart” about what delivers the greatest value to the organization no matter who you are. And be smart and market it, share it and celebrate it! 

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships” – Michael Jordan

Do People Want to Work at your company or do they NEED to work there?

Do people WANT to work at your company or do they NEED to work there?​

Reality check- Your “ideal company” should not take advantage of the “need” for a job to make unreasonable demands or behave poorly.

Unless you have been in a deep dark cave or deserted island without communication to the outside world (cue- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or Cast Away reference)- you’ve heard or seen some news about Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) and it’s impact to human life, industry, health care and our communities worldwide.

As a former corporate supply chain leader, I worked on business continuity plans annually. Of course, we had business continuity activities to discuss disruptions in the supply chain caused by natural disasters - (fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.) We even had internal business continuity strategies on political unrest, mass shooters, internet disruption, office contamination, etc. But never did we imagine or could plan for a world-wide pandemic.

I know you get where I’m going with this now- Covid-19 is the stuff that bad horror movies are made of especially for business. 

Trust me, I’m not making light of the situation and companies shouldn’t either. People are part of your supply chain whether you recognize it or not.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a good example of how this pandemic will impact the hiring strategies at companies who don’t take heed to protecting or improving their recruitment process. There are just too many missing puzzle pieces at the basic level of needs for candidates. 

Physiological- Food, shelter, sleep? (Do you have enough toilet paper? Can you find enough food? Can you pay your rent/mortgage? What day is it anyway?)

Safety- personal security, employment, resources, health? (Masks, sanitizer and gloves, oh my? Furloughs and pay cuts, – if you’re lucky OR lay-offs and unemployment- if you’re not; people are avoiding the doctor’s office and hospitals for routine or even urgent, non-pandemic medical needs) 

Many of these basic needs may be scarce for many of us. I personally feel like I’ve entered an episode of Twilight Zone – the Rod Serling’s version and not the modern reboot.

So, what does this have to do with companies and their current hiring practices and/or retaining the workers they have now?

I believe that people will be shifting their priorities and what motivates them. They will be searching for job opportunities that help complete the missing puzzle pieces of their basic human needs of safety, security and staying closer to family and friends. You can’t believe that you are the “Ideal Company” anymore and that people will make extraordinary sacrifices to work for you.

Companies will still need to work on attracting the best talent even in a higher unemployment environment. Getting top talent for a company cannot become a “post and pray” approach.

Here is a little story about what NOT to do- names changed to protect the guilty:

Joe is a well-liked, high performing expert at ABC Company and has a special skill set that would be hard to replace or redevelop. Lately, he hadn’t felt particularly appreciated for his specialty skills at ABC Company. Joe kept getting more work and hearing phrases like “we all have to do our part” but no one ever said thank you or we appreciate you, etc. 

Joe was called by another company and he was curious enough to learn more and talked to the recruiter. He proceeded through the hiring process at the other company and guess what? He got an offer, accepted it and gave his two-week notice to ABC company. 

This is what happened when the BIG Boss at ABC Company learned about Joe’s resignation: 

The BIG Boss told Joe, “Well I think you should be careful and think before you leave to go to this other company because the first hired are the first fired”. The Big Boss didn’t ask why he wanted to leave or didn’t bother to ask what could they have done to help Joe before it got this far… he just tried to scare him to not leave.

Well, unfortunately the other company had to put Joe’s job on hold due to the Covid-19’s impact to their business. Joe came back to his leadership at ABC company and asked if he could stay. The Big Boss agreed and later was overheard saying “we’ll keep Joe now and he’ll want to stay”. Yes, Joe needs to stay right now, but I doubt Joe will want to stay as soon as the job market opens back up.

So, what can a company do now to stand out and win the ongoing talent retention and talent attraction war?

  • Communicate well and with intention both internally and externally.
  • Be realistic with expectations of current and potential employees.
  • Treat people with respect, understanding and thank them!
  • Keep investing in training, employee resource groups and diversity programs.
  • Streamline hiring and onboarding processes including more video interviews and shortened hiring timelines.
  • Train your hiring managers on proper interview etiquette/expectations.
  • More skip-level leadership/employee engagement sessions (ask the right questions and be ready and honest in answering them).
  • Engage with trusted recruiting partnerships internally and externally to help uphold best practices and the company’s brand reputation strategies.

And, DON’T STOP ACTIVE RECRUITING! Remember, this is a matter of business continuity and protecting your “people” supply chain.

My favorite quote is a suitable one –

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Some sage advice if you want to continue to retain and attract the best talent. Do you want people that NEED to work for your company or do you want people that WANT to work for your company? The choice is yours.

For more insights, recruitment resources or career opportunities contact me at geneva@tellissearch.com or follow us on LinkedIN, Facebook, Instagram.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day 2020- a couple of tips to get in front of a break up with your employer!

Just in time for Valentine's Day 2020- a couple of tips to get in front of a break up with your employer!

Your boss says, “You’ve changed”

… in other words your performance review isn’t consistent to what you think it should be.

I’ve personally had this happen to me. I walked into my performance review one year prepared with my comments about my performance (I’ve always had great reviews) only to be told by my boss- “You’re ineffective; You’re difficult to work with and You’re a poor leader.”

So here is what I did:

  • I asked questions- who, what, when and where? Can I conduct an independent/anonymous 360-survey to understand the issues? Why am I just finding this out? Has this feedback been received more than once?
  • I asked- How do I improve? If it is a legitimate issue, your boss should offer suggestions of training opportunities, coaching, etc. In the best case, you may get a free executive coach for several months, like I did. (Note: I used my coach to help me execute my transition plan)
  • I put together an action plan to address the alleged performance issue and scheduled bi-weekly updates with my boss over the next several months. On the personal front this also encouraged me to have private discussions with my mentors that I trusted. Also I made sure to get my resume ready! (FYI- Article on resume tips coming soon…)

Where’s the love?-  

You want a promotion, to be put on a new project, given a chance to present to the senior leader that is coming to town once in a millennium but have been told, “No”. Or you’ve asked for tuition reimbursement, to attend an industry conference or a new workshop that everyone is talking about, especially your peers and you have been told, “Not now” and now never comes.

What do you do?

  • Invest in yourself. Sure, some of these expenses may be beyond your current budget but that is something you can control- so start planning to put money and time aside and do it!
  •  Find a mentor and/or seek advice from someone in the industry you trust on options to improve your skills or marketability.
  • Attend a local networking event or make new connections (Ask to meet for coffee or tea) ask how they got their start, how you can help them (don’t always go with your hand out…) and you’ll get a chance to learn something new.  This is usually free or cheap (at least minimal travel is involved)

In both of these signs, you should probably make sure your resume is updated and seek help building a search strategy to know your options (internally or externally). Until you have a marketable resume, you just won’t know your options. You might also want to invest in a career coach. Find a career coach within your budget or you can also work with a non-profit in your area to work with you. 

For more insights, career resources or career opportunities, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, go to www.tellissearch.com or email me at geneva@tellissearch.com

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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Proin a semper felis phasellus porttitor fermentum dolor non viverra aenean placerat velit in consectetur viverra nisl urna molestie tellus at iaculis leo tellus nec est proin finibus tincidunt risus ac porttitor praesent facilisis tortor venenatis dolor congue at pharetra odio gravida nteger pulvinar estnon ex bibendum luctus nulla fermentum odio ac iaculis tempus iulla at eros vel augue porta tempus donec ante eros imperdiet eget eros vitae mollis varius nisl donec mi nisl elementum nulla quis justo lacinia quis consectetur orci blandi etiam cursus blandit elit imperdiet finibus pellentesque id leo suscipit aliquam dolor vitae lacinia dui aliquam posuere egestas mattis pellent esque vel viverra lorem.

 

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