Jason Blais: From the Recruiting Front Lines

The report below, published in 2008 by the Governor’s Workforce Board of RI, outlines the issues facing the hospitality industry in that state- a state which relies heavily on this sector of the economy (who doesn’t love Newport?).  What’s disconcerting, however, is that it’s now been a year since this was originally published, and there has been little or no change in behavior by the employers within this industry.

I’ve worked somewhat closely with a couple trade associations that cater to this industry, and am forced to come to the conclusion that the problem lies not with the applicant pool, nor with the industry itself, but with the individual hiring managers who are tasked with staffing.  It’s time that this industry look in the mirror.  As far back as I know, the hospitality industry has been famously cost-conscious, to the point of being penny wise and pound foolish.  In the following report, you’ll read that 3 out of the top 5 issues facing this industry are related to hiring and retaining employees.  That may not seem to big of a deal, until you consider that more than 50% of the US population has worked in hospitality at some time during their working lives.

IF 50% OF THE POPULATION HAS SOME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE TO MEET YOUR STAFFING NEEDS AND YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS ARE HIRING EMPLOYEES, THEN IT’S TIME TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR!

HELP WANTED Signs

Overwhelmingly, employers in this industry rely on the old “hang a sign in the window” recruitment advertising.  They spend ZERO dollars to attract a sizable pool of applicants, and very little time on selecting the best candidates to make offers to.  Unfortunately, this stereotype is playing out every day by a very large majority of these businesses.

While employers think they’re saving money by not running job ads, what they’re really doing is increasing costs as they take on the costs of extreme levels of turnover coupled with overtime pay to cover the unfilled positions.  What’s even more disturbing is that this industry more than most, relies on high quality service (food quality, room cleanliness, customer relations, etc) and high rate of customer loyalty to survive, while most are in a constant churn of staff.

You’d think if your business’s survival was based on your customers having good things to say about their experience with you, you’d invest more time in recruiting the people that make up that experience- waitstaff, hosts, receptionists, reservationists, concierges, cooks, chefs, housekeeping, attendants, etc.  In reality, it’s quite the opposite- these types of positions (aside from chef’s in many cases) are often looked at as low-level, low-investment seats to fill within the organization.

Hiring managers, it’s time to step up.  There is a HUGE pool of qualified, experience candidates on the streets right now looking for work.  It’s time to stop making excuses, and build a strategy to attract and select the best of the best.  You’ll need to develop your employment brand (what makes your hotel or restaurant a better place to work than the one across the street?), build employee training and advancement opportunities into your organizational structure, and take the time necessary to make sure you’re hiring the very best person for every position every time (what motivates them compared to what you have to offer; how will they fit into your culture; why is your job a good fit for their work/life balance?).

Here’s the good news, though.

If you take these steps, while you may be investing more time and money up front than you are accustomed to, you will most certainly increase your revenue (better candidates equals longer retention, which equals better quality work, which equals more satisfied customers, which equals more revenue) and reduce your overhead costs over time (better candidates will stay longer- reducing all the costs associated with turnover).

Here’s the link to the report from the Governor’s Workforce Board.  It’s great to see that the state is investing in this type of self analysis, and now it’s time for private businesses to make the changes necessary.

http://ow.ly/E1lS

And if you’re interested in how to get started with building an employment brand, here’s some posts to point you in the right direction:

Building Your Employment Brand

This was just passed internally to our company from a person I think very highly of, and I thought it was worth anybody’s two minutes to read- though I don’t know where it originated (OKAY, SINCE POSTING THIS, I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS, AND HAVE BEEN ASKED TO GIVE PROPER ATTRIBUTION, WHICH I’M HAPPY TO DO:

Law of the Garbage Truck

Based on the book by David Pollay: http://davidjpollay.typepad.com/

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jutted out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’  He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally.  Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

Instead, love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don’t.

Have a  garbage-free day!

Robert Ayers

Robert on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jobfind207

Robert on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/xbertt

This is actually the third time Robert’s found his way into one of my blog posts. Here are the others:

Posts Including “Robert Ayers”

JobsInTheUS.com to Provide HR Services to Employers Through Strategic Partnership With HRSentry

WESTBROOK, ME–(Marketwire – September 30, 2009) – JobsInTheUS is proud to announce the addition of a new suite of services powered by HRSentry, a Vermont-based company.  HRSentry’s mission is to create, deliver, and support services that empower
organizations to be self-sufficient in administration of Human Resource policies, practices, and procedures. HRSentry services enable employers to locate Human Resource forms, policies, and procedures and link to federal and state laws, regulations, and resources.

Through this partnership, JobsInTheUS.com will offer subscribers access to these tools as part of their new JobsInTheUS Human Resources Center. Not only will this new service help businesses better understand and stay current on state and federal regulations, but it also provides tools to manage human resources functions more efficiently.

Jason Blais, Director of Business Development for JobsInTheUS, on the new strategic partnership: “Many employers simply don’t have the resources or experience to fully understand many of the state and federal regulations surrounding Human Resource management. In addition to providing a simple to use library of knowledge, HR Made Simple provides content related to HR Training, Best Practices, and much, much more.”

JobsInTheUS.com (JiUS) operates state specific online recruitment resources, including www.JobsInME.com, www.JobsInNH.com, www.JobsInVT.com and www.JobsInRI.com. In each of their four markets, they are the number one recruitment resource, offering both employer and job seeker services.  From building a resume to building an employment brand, JobsInTheUS.com’s large inventory of services includes HRCI accredited webinars and a continually growing archive of employment-related site content.

JobsInTheUS.com has been operating state specific job internet sites since 1999 and remains at the forefront of the industry through innovation, solid sales, distinguished marketing techniques and there-when-you-need-us customer service.

In this great article from the HR Executive Online, Leslie Stevens-Huffman explores the power and effect of developing internal competencies in Critical Thinking and Creativity.  To underscore the evolution of training and development in the workforce, Stevens-Huffman highlights the tremendous efforts Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, has undergone to ensure these core competencies company-wide.  As with many case studies you’ll read on any number of innovative programs, this is an example of the highest level of commitment and engagement to this philosophy.  While your company may not be able to go as far as Hackett has gone, the article does illustrate the need and potential benefits of focusing on critical thinking and creativity as core competencies.

FULL ARTICLE from HR Executive Online

Innovation to the Rescue

Training may have taken a backseat during the downturn, but some HR executives are looking to add courses in creativity and innovation to drive their companies out of the recession. Such training won’t work, however, unless a spirit of innovation cascades through the entire organization.

• After completing this entry, I did some digging to find good assessments tools, and found this Research Brief from the Aberdeen Group on the Topic, showing First Advantage as a Skills Assessment leader in 2009: Research Brief on March 2009 Aberdeen Group’s Assessments in Talent Management Report

For more posts related to Human Capital Management, click here.

Your key to career success!

Best Practices Roundtable Discussion

• Screening and Selection – Improving the quality of new hires.
• Leave Integration – Tracking leaves and integration of benefits.
• Compensation for Performance – Increases based on merit in the current market.

Join us for this informative session with seasoned HR professionals helping each other to
develop strategies in each of three challenging areas.  NHRA-NH takes its monthly program
meeting “On the Road” in October, traveling to the seacoast area; note location below.

The session is designed to provide insights and to have attendees work together in sharing
ideas and strategies in Screening and Selection, Leave Integration, and Compensation for
Performance.  Several seasoned HR professionals will provide an overview in each area
then the group will have a working discussion, and we will close the session with an open
forum on best practices.  This will certainly be one of the best meetings we have planned
this year and we invite not only HR practitioners to attend, but also their internal business
partners that would like to develop their skill competencies in each of these areas.

Bring your questions, challenges, ideas, and working strategies to share with each other in a
supportive manner.  You do not have to be a member of NHRA to attend, as our meetings
generally draw both members and non-members.  We look forward to your attendance.

Monday, October 19, 2009
Courtyard Marriott Portsmouth
1000 Market Street Portsmouth, NH
Registration: 5:30 p.m.
Dinner and Business Meeting: 6:00 p.m.
Program: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Members & Students: $25
Non-Members: $35
To Register, contact Kathleen McDonnell – phone 603-801-8377 or go to:
http://www.humanresources.org/events_main/cfm

New Hampshire Business Review

Building your employment brand

By Jason Blais

Friday, October 9, 2009

I was told once that the way to determine whether the glass if half full or half empty is to know whether your filling the glass or emptying it. If it started out empty, it’s easy to see the glass as half full; if it started out full, you’re likely to feel that it has become half-empty. Following that logic, I suggest that the glass of our economy is half full.

“What I can tell you is that we are seeing signs of improvement. Layoffs, although we are still having them, seem to be leveling off a bit compared to a number of months ago. Of course, that doesn’t help those still out of work.”

Those were the words of Fran Allain at the beginning of September. Allain is the employee retention project manager for the State Department of Resources and Economic Development, one of the officials on the front line of the labor market here in New Hampshire.

Allain continued: “Simultaneously, we see more hiring. Not in great numbers, but there appears to be some positive movement. I wouldn’t expect massive hiring too soon. It’s going to be a conservative, long-term correction to the workforce.”

While not a very positive outlook for job-seekers across the state, it is a very good environment for employers. In fact, forward-looking employers have a rare opportunity to significantly enhance the quality of their workforce. Those companies slowly adding new staff will have the pick of the litter when making hiring decisions. Now more than ever, they can position themselves to attract high-quality talent that had not been available prior to the recession.

Of course, to be successful, employers will need to pay close attention to the recruitment process.

FOR FULL ARTICLE: New Hampshire Business Review

With the rollout last week of our new service powered by HRSentry, we gained two invaluable assets: A strategic partner who is engaged and innovative, and a new offering to clients that will build long term brand loyalty and help reposition our company as a valued recruitment resource.

In a previous post, I outlined a key to the negotiation with HRSentry, and shared what I believed were some key considerations that came from that process.  But that was only the beginning.  As a professional with more than15 years in the business development arena, I know the perils that befall those who focus their attention on “the deal”, then lose momentum or interest once the pen has been put to paper.  While the agreements were signed previously, the real work began on September 28, the day we had HRSentry lead a web conference to our sales, marketing, and customer service staff.  That day represented the beginning of building engagement and buy-in internally to support this new service.

You see, it really does take a village to raise a healthy, competent, confident, and successful child.  In my world, it takes a village to develop a new business initiative to maturity and lasting success. While you may be thinking of the old adage, many hands make light work, there’s much more to it than that.  A new business initiative must receive nurturing and attention from many different people and departments within the organization to truly thrive.  And long term success in business development is reliant on the maturation and lasting success of each new initiative.

When you are working on an implementation plan or rollout for a new business initiative, be thoughtful about who will help in it’s development, and how.  That is, don’t look for the shortest distance between signed contract and abandonment.

As an aside, the ultimate goal of a business development professional is to abandon every new business initiative some day- to push it out of the nest.  As it matures and becomes integrated as part of your business, it no longer needs you, and will no longer be viewed as a new initiative.

That shortest distance will normally lead to a lack of nourishment, as you’re not actively seeking out a variety of sources for input and assistance.  Here are a few questions you should always consider when developing the implementation plan for a new business initiative- these questions are specific to who should be involved, and to what extent. There are obviously other questions to be considered regarding other aspects of the deal:

1. What 5 ways could each department help this initiative develop? (Make a list for EVERY dept!)
2. Which departments/people will care the most about the success of this initiative?
3. How high up in the company can I count on for support? (Will your CEO lend a hand?)
4. At each stage of the process, who can I ask for assistance? (Again, list this out)
5. How will I engage people/departments enough to care about this new initiative?

When asking yourself these questions, write out your answers.  Also, be sure to consider answers both from within your company, and from without.  By going through this exercise, you will uncover new opportunities to nourish and support the development and maturity of your initiative.   These are the key to long term success of the initiative, and to your long term success in business developments.

In this week’s look back: social media in vacationland, the art and science of winning negotiation, eLearning for HR, and thoughts on the economy.  Read on for quick hits on these topics, or follow the links for more in-depth coverage.

On september 24th, the SocialMediaFTW conference erupted at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.  Yes, it’s true- my home state, Vacationland as it were, does indeed have access to the world wide web, an avid curiosity of social media, and actual universities.  More than anything else, the shear turnout (this event sold out in advance to over 225 attendees) and thirst for knowledge were undeniable indicators that even in the farthest reaching corners of the US, the impact of social media is being felt. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

The long term survival of employment websites, aka Job Boards, is dependant upon their ability to provide employers a larger and more effective suite of services targeted to help them make better hires.  It will no longer be enough to simply drive eyeballs to job advertisements, according to the thought leaders at IAEWS’s Annual Member Congress earlier this month.  JobsInTheUS saw the writing on the wall at the end of 2008, and launched a new department to focus on identifying and developing new programs to increase their value to employers who primarily utilize their services to advertise job openings.  The first of three major new initiatives was rolled out in September, with the announcement of six new webinars designed to assist employers in the hiring continuum.  Four of these programs have received HRCI accreditation for General Credits. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

More from NextStep Negotiating.  HRSentry and JobsInTheUS signed off on the framework and agreement of a new alliance, enthusiastically completing a successful negotiation. The force of like-minded individuals working together to reach a common goal can be dazzling.  From discovery to agreement, this process was completed in under 30 days, despite a cavernous gap between the desired terms from each side.  The theme of this negotiation?  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  One aspect of this process worth consideration was the ability to re-frame the model in order to find a new solution. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST
In an effort to share the data we collect as an industry leading employment website in our markets, we’ve launched a new series of monthly job reports with state specific job data.  These videos are available on JobsInME and JobsInNH currently, and can also be viewed on our new Channel on YouTube.  You can also see these two videos on the home page of this site: jasonblais.com.

The Pinnacle of Successful Negotiation.

When all parties involved in a negotiation walk away in a better position then when they arrived, and when the terms agreed upon are better for each than they would have accepted as their bottom line, you have successfully completed a winning negotiation.  Additionally, this archetype leads to long term goodwill amongst the parties, and, more often than not, to future collaboration.  At least, that’s been my experience, and the ideal of success I’ve set out as my goal as a negotiator.  An agreement I negotiated was signed today by both parties, and I believe serves as an example of the pinnacle of negotiation success.

(Re)Framing the Paradigm.

The agreement signed today sealed a new strategic partnership between HRSentry and JobsInTheUS.  What started as a discussion between like-minded parties, quickly blossomed into a shared vision of potential mutual benefits. While the most important factors that lead to the consummation of this deal were the like-mindedness of the parties involved, and the clarity of the shared vision, the point that I will store in my memory, was the need to re-frame the paradigm to find a common ground for the terms.

Though initially we both felt very confident about our ability to work together, we later found that we were quite far apart on the stipulations we would require.  At one point, this chasm appeared to be wide enough to either suspend or possibly terminate the negotiation.  Each of us had an excellent argument for our side, and we both felt we did not want to degrade the value of our interest in the relationship.  I can now admit out loud that I really, really wanted to make this work.  I believe strongly in the long term value of this affiliation, and am excited by how well their service aligns with my company’s mission and vision.  At the same time, however, I had to ensure that financially this would be worth the level of engagement we would need to provide.

Peace and Quiet Through Low-Tech.

I was attending a conference during the negotiation, and had been acutely tuned in to my Blackberry, monitoring the desires and concerns of both my General Manager and the folks at HR Sentry.  Further delay at this time, I felt, would show a lack of commitment and engagement to HR Sentry that I was unwilling to risk.  Between sessions at the conference, I went to my hotel room, turned off my phone, shut down my laptop, and pulled out a pad of hotel stationery and a pen.  I began drawing diagrams, scribbling notes, and recording my stream of consciousness.  Through this exercise, it occurred to me that at it’s core, the crux of this issue was very similar to a model I had used when working for a travel broker over a decade ago.  From this realization, I re-framed the paradigm and offered a completely new solution, which was subsequently accepted.

At the beginning of any negotiation, particularly when in regard to strategic partnerships, alliances, or collaboration, it’s natural to conceptualize the entire process in advance, based on previous experience and your knowledge of what’s most likely to occur.  This can be dangerous.  When you think you know the answer to a question, it affects not only how you ask it, but also how you hear the response.  As Deepak Chopra would say, we mustn’t become slaves of our own experience, but rather stay open to infinite possibilities.  One way to do this in the negotiation process is to actively re-frame your paradigm, in search of new solutions.

…SOCIAL MEDIA HAS LANDED IN MAINE!… And it was ushered in by the who’s who of the industry along with a couple hundred people hoping to catch a glimpse of the new being, and, if possible, learn more about it.

Hosted at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus, SocialMediaFTW was a smashing success, selling out in advance, and packing the breakout sessions as people flocked to this conference to figure out how their business could benefit from social media engagement.  SocialMediaFTW (or #ftw09 the official twitter hashtag) was the brain child of Rich Brooks, Chrystie Corns, and Jaica Kinsman- three early adopters of social media in Maine, and all with tremendous professional experience.

I was called by Rich a couple months back, and asked to present a session on Using LinkedIn for Business.  I had a terrific time, and was glad to see a packed room.  In fact, I believe nearly all of the 12 different breakout sessions were at or near capacity. A true testament to the interest and engagement created by this new media.

Here are some of the quick thoughts I came away with from this event:

• 45 minutes per session wasn’t enough time to teach or learn about any single subject area.
• The variety of programs offered was excellent and covered a truly thorough view of social media for business.
• I LOVE presenting live at conferences much more than presenting via webinars!
• While the content helped build interest, some presenters were clearly trying only to generate leads for their businesses.
• Just because someone’s a genius in their field, they don’t automatically qualify as a great presenter.
• Of the presentations I saw, there was a good mix of basic and mid level education going on. (hard to do high level in this time frame with such a varied audience)
• There truly was something for everyone.
• The networking time was effective, and a great way to actually meet some of those folks I only knew through social networks!

In closing, I left the conference very excited and optimistic about the growing engagement of these new media outlets across all types of businesses here in Maine.  From my experience, the internet and these types of platforms are actually much more relevant and important in states where the population is spread out.  Maine, and NH and VT for that matter, are all laggard adopters of new technologies and trends, so I’m glad to see we’re finally jumping on to this ship, so we can all rise with the tide.
Want more on the conference?  Click here for the dialogue regarding #ftw09 on Twitter.