Talent Tips: Hiring Managers/Organizations
Talent Tip #47: Avoid Alka Seltzer with Writing Samples, Tests
July 15, 2013
A while back, a client of mine developed a raging case of heartburn after learning a new hire didn’t have the writing skills the client thought he did. The employee excelled in other areas, but no Billy Shakespeare was he.
Despite having requested writing samples during the interview process, the organization realized it misjudged the person’s ability to write – a core function of the position. For a while my client downed Alka Seltzer like Pez – until he…
Read MoreTalent Tip #44: Liar Liar, Pantalones en Fuego!
April 18, 2013
I love a good story — especially if there is a good lesson we can draw from it. That’s why I wanted to share this tale I just heard from a friend.
A gentleman recently applied for a job with my friend’s organization. During the application process, the candidate was asked to provide his current and desired salaries.
He provided the following figures:
Current: 85k*
Desired: 97k*
Fair enough, right? Of course, we can debate the 14% desired increase, but…
Read MoreTalent Tip #42: Recommendation Investigations, Your Reputation, Kiss Cams, and My Dream World
February 19, 2013
I know what you’re thinking. How in the Sam Hill is she going to tie all these things together? Well, stay with me.
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen some interesting things transpire related to recommendations, referrals, and references. It occurs to me that there are three issues we should discuss. Here goes.
1. Recommendation Investigation: Is a Referral Necessarily a Recommendation? Hiring managers often receive applications that start with lines like this, “My friend John Doe suggested I apply for this role.”…
Read MoreTalent Tip #41: Work-Life Balance Policies, Part II: A Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent
January 22, 2013
As the fog of Auld Lang Syne and bubbly lifts, you may remember that last month in this space we offered up valuable advice about work-life balance from the good folks at Illinois Policy Institute. The underlying idea was that work-life balance policies help organizations attract and retain their most valuable asset – people.
This month we’re sharing eight more policies an organization should consider if it wants to maximize staff happiness and performance.
Once again, special thanks to Kristina Rasmussen, Executive Vice President of Illinois Policy…
Read MoreTalent Tip #40: Work-Life Balance Policies: A Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent
December 18, 2012
Great news – turns out you’re on Santa’s “Nice” list this year! That means instead of coal, you’re getting something very special: valuable advice about work-life balance from my good friends at Illinois Policy Institute.
At the Institute, they value work-life balance and are always experimenting with new approaches and policies to attract and retain their most important asset – people. Kristina Rasmussen, the organization’s Executive Vice President, recently polled staff about what matters to them when it comes to work-life balance. She distilled the…
Read MoreTalent Tip #33: Lessons From My Parents’ Marriage: It Pays to Court Candidates
May 15, 2012
After 43 years of marriage, my father still opens the door for my mother and my mother still packs my father’s lunch before he heads to work. With all this time behind them, you’d think they might be tempted to knock off the niceties. After all, at 70+, is either really going to walk out? I mean, if I think dating’s bad at my age, can you imagine the dating market they would face?
Yeah, yeah, Claire. That’s nice about…
Read MoreTalent Tip #30: Dear Valentine, Your Reputation Stinks
February 14, 2012
So here you are on Valentine’s Day, sitting alone in tears watching The Notebook. Why? Because you’re a nonprofit manager who has had difficulty filling key positions in your organization.
Nonprofits regularly ask me why they are having problems hiring for a role. Often, it’s because the opening is a challenging one to fill (i.e. fundraising!); but sometimes it’s due to reputational issues. In this market, candidates are skittish about joining an organization with anything less than a solid character.
Candidates…
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Talent Tip #28: No Raise or Bonus? You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!
December 13, 2011
With the holiday season comes annual reviews. Therefore, I’ve been getting many calls lately about raises and bonuses. Some calls have come from employees wondering what to expect under the tree, and other calls have come from employers questioning what appropriate gifts will look like this season.
Well, let’s start with the obvious: thanks to the Grinch (aka the Government), the market still stinks. Donors continue to limit giving; thus, we have to keep our Santa belts tightened. Given that, here…
Read MoreTalent Tip #19: Free-Market Karma: A Lesson in Retaining (or Losing) Talent
March 15, 2011
A friend of mine who used to work for a prominent free-market nonprofit recently told me a disturbing story. After he was laid off, he worked diligently to find another job in the liberty movement. During his search, he was shocked by how he was treated by many of our own organizations. Two examples he cited:
He often never heard back from hiring managers after engaging in lengthy interview processes. Even after his own follow-up, he rarely got responses. He received… Read More