EQ: The secret to higher performing teams

Emotional intelligence is crucial in the modern workplace. It’s the secret to happier, more engaged employees who work better together. Which means it’s the secret to higher performing teams that drive fast n’ furious business growth.

Improving emotional intelligence in the workplace isn’t some fluffy, sounds-nice people goal. It’s a business-critical strategy that helps unlock maximum value from your biggest competitive asset – your people.

But emotional intelligence comes more naturally to some folks than others and improving your workforce’s EQ is easier said than done.

But the following eight ways to improve emotional intelligence in the workplace will put you on the path to get the most from your people.

#1 – Define what emotional intelligence in the workplace looks like

Your people can’t be more emotionally intelligent if they don’t know what emotional intelligence looks like.

Here’s the textbook definition: ‘EQ refers to someone’s ability to perceive, understand and manage their own feelings and emotions’ (Chignell, 2018).

That’s all well and good but textbook definitions and real-life understanding can be two very different things. What’s more useful is sharing examples of emotional intelligence in the workplace, so your people can understand how the concept relates to their day-to-day.

Like…

People with high emotional intelligence are attuned to colleagues’ moods, empathize and offer compassion where appropriate.

So, say Jane’s colleague, John, snaps at her. If Jane has high emotional intelligence, she notices that something’s wrong but understands John’s snappy behavior reflects on him, not her. Instead, she recognizes he’s having a bad day and asks what else she can do to help.

Or…

People with high emotional intelligence are good listeners, who recognize everyone’s need to feel heard. They’re comfortable accepting and expressing conflicting opinions and have constructive, positive disagreements.

So Katie and Kanish are debating whether they should hire the person they just interviewed. High emotional intelligence means they listen attentively to each other without interrupting, react sensitively to the other person’s opinions, and share their own opinions in a balanced, non-aggressive way.

Share examples relevant to your own workplace to model the emotionally intelligent behaviors you want. That’s a much more powerful tactic than sharing lifeless definitions.

#2 – Make space for creativity

Sometimes emotional intelligence in the workplace can be a chicken and egg question. Take creativity.

Workplaces with high emotional intelligence are creative hot spots, where imagination knows no silos and good ideas come from all angles. That’s fantastic for the business because it means you solve problems and innovate faster.

A workplace like that might be the natural outcome of having lots of highly emotionally intelligent employees, sure. Hyper-creative people will find ways to be creative without your help.

But you can also reverse engineer it. Because for one hyper-creative person, you might have ten kinda-creative-but-also-a-bit-reserved people. Setting up your workplace to empower those people means you unlock and encourage their creativity. To improve their emotional intelligence.

Ask yourself:

• Where can we loosen-up our policies and processes?

• How can we encourage employees to add ideas across silos?

• What other opportunities for collaboration are there?

• How can we boost diversity, so we get different perspectives?

• Do we have a micromanagement problem, and how can we fix it?

• What else can we do to support experimentation?

• How can we communicate that failure is OK?

Build a workplace that promotes creativity, and your people will have a better framework to express themselves authentically. And that’s a crucial part of emotional intelligence.

#3 – Offer diverse social events (not just ones you like)

Another chicken and egg example, your workplace social scene. If your workplace has high emotional intelligence, your people have strong relationships which likely means they spend time together socially, inside and outside work.

Like with creativity, if your employees already have high emotional intelligence this probably already happens. But you can reverse engineer it too, by creating opportunities for your people to socialize, and strengthen their bonds.

Think inside and outside work, within and across teams, catering to the diverse spectrum of your employees.

Because Sally might love a cocktail but Mesut might not drink. Or Suvish might struggle to find childcare while Sam can’t wait to escape the kids.

So hold the team night out, sure. But also hold the family BBQ, the company activity afternoon, the sponsored walks, the bowling evening, the painting class, the cookery lesson, the lunch date, the brunch date and the charity blowout gala.

So everyone in your workplace finds something for them, where they can form bonds and improve their emotional intelligence.

#4 – Encourage flexibility

Flexibility is a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence.

Managers who adapt their management style for different team members, for example, have a high EQ. And they’ll be better managers because they’ll get more from those team members than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Also, people with high emotional intelligence seek out (and perform best in) flexible environments, because they feel their unique needs are understood and accommodated.

Which means cultivating flexibility in your workplace empowers your people to act with higher emotional intelligence. And it’s how you create an emotionally intelligent workplace that attracts more emotionally intelligent people. Win, win.

Think about how you can introduce flexibility into your business, so people can work in a way that best suits them. Like focusing away from strict processes onto results, and offering remote working or flex-hours options.

#5 – Run an EQ workshop (but make it fun)

Improving emotional intelligence in the workplace shouldn’t be a chore. So, sure. An EQ workshop could be a great idea but for everyone’s sake, make it fun and actionable.

Nobody wants to sit through a day’s dry box-ticking lecture about the definition, history and theory of emotional intelligence.

Instead, think about ways you can bring emotional intelligence in the workplace to life. Think role plays. Quizzes. Videos. Debates. Collaborative discussions. Games.

An engaging, inspiring and memorable EQ workshop is much more likely to drive change.

#6 – Hire and onboard for EQ

To improve emotional intelligence in the workplace, you need to work with your current workforce.

But you also need to make sure the people you’re bringing into the business reflect this new emotionally intelligent vision. And you need to make sure your workplace empowers them once they’re there, so they don’t leave.

That means hiring and onboarding for emotional intelligence.

Some pointers:

• Don’t over-rely on personality tests to assess EQ. Only a person with high emotional intelligence themselves can accurately assess emotional intelligence.

• Design interviews to specifically assess emotional intelligence. Group interviews and behavioral questions are both worth inclusion. Plus check out these six questions from HubSpot.

• See this Harvard Business Review piece for a detailed how-to on interviewing for emotional intelligence.

• Get interviewees to meet prospective team members, so you get a read on how they’d work in their new team. Interviewees with high emotional intelligence are likely to make a good impression fast.

• During onboarding, you probably run team icebreakers to help new hires bond faster with their team. Make sure these are geared towards building empathy and showing vulnerability to encourage openness and boost emotional intelligence. (Check out these three activity ideas from Fast Company).

#7 – Communicate your purpose

Emotionally intelligent people tend towards intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. That means they’re more driven by personal rewards (like feeling a sense of achievement) than external rewards (like salary).

Like…

Say Thomas attends training because he needs the certificate to be eligible for a promotion. That’s extrinsic motivation. But say Juliette attends training because she relishes the challenge and wants to improve. That’s intrinsic motivation and a sign Juliette likely has higher emotional intelligence than Thomas.

Or another example…

Ferencz joins your business because you offer a 5% salary raise over your competitor. But Victoria, on the other hand, joins despite taking a 5% salary drop because your mission and values resonate with her. Long-term, Victoria is the better hire. Not only because she represents a salary cost-saving, but because she’s a brand evangelist who loves what you stand for. So she helps boost your brand, cement your culture and she’s much less likely to jump ship for a competitor offering a raise.

Because when you stand for something, you’ll attract other people who stand for the same. And they’re the emotionally intelligent employees you want in your workplace.

#8 – Level-up your workplace support offering

To improve emotional intelligence in the workplace, you need to build a culture where you empower emotionally intelligent people to thrive. Or they’ll leave, and the bucket will keep emptying even while you’re trying to fill it.

That means creating a workplace where employees are empowered to handle stress. A workplace where employees have access to the support to overcome personal and professional challenges. A workplace where employees have a voice and trust that voice will always be heard.

Don’t just say “we’ve got an open-door policy”. Think about actionable ways you can create a transparent, emotionally intelligent culture. Like…

• Mentor schemes

• Buddy schemes

• Anonymous feedback

• 360-degree reviews

• Community spaces

• Mental health support

• Mental health days off

• Forums and discussions

• Radical transparency

Over 70% of hiring managers value EQ over IQ, and 75% would be more likely to promote an employee with high emotional intelligence. Plus, 90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence. In other words, boosting workplace EQ is a massively important business strategy – not ‘just’ a people strategy.

Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in ABR Employment Services e-newsletter, HR Insights. It  was originally written by Stijn de Groef, a passionate HR professional, entrepreneur, cyclist and CEO at Talmundo.

As technology evolves, the skills gap – the disparity between the skills employers need to succeed and those workers actually have – keeps getting wider. If your company isn’t already addressing this gap, start now – no matter how big or small you are, or what business you’re in. If you don’t, you might be left behind.

To employers, I offer the following solution: Devote 5% of employees’ time at work to learning. In my experience, doing so can help you reduce talent turnover by up to 20% and save your company money. Even better, your people will have more of the skills they may need to get the job done.

The Situation Is Dire

The skills gap is like climate change. Most people know there’s a problem, but few are doing anything meaningful about it. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, today there are fewer unemployed Americans (6.2 million) than there are open jobs (7.3 million). It’s entirely possible that if people had the right skills, we could be at full employment.

According to a 2018 report for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, not all industries are experiencing skills gaps, but there are significant shortages of qualified candidates for many high-skill roles such as healthcare practitioners, business and financial operations professionals, computer and mathematics professionals and architects and engineers.

And the issue goes beyond jobs demanding rare or complex skills. The National Skills Coalition says that 53% of the U.S. job market consists of middle-skill jobs, but only 43% of workers have the right skills for these jobs.

Employment Numbers Hide The Truth

The skills gap can hit companies where it hurts: their bottom line. Consider manufacturing: According to a study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, a shortage of skilled workers could reduce the U.S. manufacturing gross domestic product by up to $454 billion by 2028.

But many in business don’t understand the urgency of the situation. They consider the skills gap a vague threat existing in the far-off future. How could there be a problem, they ask, when unemployment is so low?

Here’s how: Official unemployment statistics significantly understate the number of jobless Americans. As reported by Quartz, at less than 63% as of June 2018, the labor force participation rate – which measures the share of employment-age Americans who are working or actively looking for work – is at roughly the same level as it was during the late 1970s, when far fewer women were part of the workforce. This shows that the joblessness problem is far bigger than the unemployment numbers suggest – and that many have likely given up even looking for work. I believe it could be because they don’t have the skills required by the jobs that are available.

So What Can Employers Do?

Finding and keeping the right people with the right skills is a must for companies. But as business change accelerates, doing so is growing more difficult. What can you do?

In a better world, governments, universities, companies, and employees would all pitch in to solve this problem. But I don’t think that elected officials, academics and employees have the power or the will to drive the kinds of policies and practices that are required. Meanwhile, the problem is too important to wait for someone else to take care of it. Do that, and you may fall behind.

You can try to solve the problem by recruiting new talent, but qualified talent can be expensive to source and hire – and there’s a real chance that you won’t find people with the right skills. Or you could try accelerating the automation of key functions. But that can be risky.

Bridge The Skills Gap By Investing In Learning

I believe the answer is to upskill your existing employees – something that millennial workers, who want more from a job than compensation, are particularly enthusiastic about. To drive employee-learning success, think beyond just offering training options, and take the following steps:

• Enable success by addressing different learning styles. Devote 5% of employees’ time to learning – but beyond that, give them a variety of learning options so that they’ll engage fully regardless of learning style.

• Get managers at all levels to buy into your approach. Spread the word about what you’re doing, and show the business case: Upskilling employees can drive a healthier bottom line by reducing employee turnover and increasing productivity and engagement. Without buy-in from managers, employees are less likely to receive the time and resources they need to learn new skills successfully.

• Make learning an ongoing practice. This way, your people will always be adding new skills – and your business will be better prepared for the changes waiting around the next corner.

• Measure results. To justify your employee-upskilling efforts to management and employees alike, track quantifiable results of your training programs – employee satisfaction scores, for instance, or productivity rates.

Future-Proof Your Business Today

I believe there’s far too little urgency around the growing skills gap caused by technology and the acceleration of business. If you run a company, aim to devote 5% of your employees’ time to upskilling and development. You’ll be more likely to keep your top talent and save money – and your employees can gain the skills they may need to keep your business alive and thriving.

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Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in ABR Employment Services e-newsletter,HR Insights. It  was originally written by Adam Miller, President & CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand.

As with most things in life, you should hope for the best but plan for the worst in the event that a valued employee leaves to join a competitor. Keep these tips in mind following such a move by a key employee.

Stay On Good Terms With The Former Employee Whenever Possible

Once your employee announces that he or she is making the jump to a competitor, ending the relationship on amicable terms can benefit you down the road. It may very well turn out that the employee’s experience and knowledge of past or ongoing projects become critical to the resolution of a future problem or dispute. For that reason, among many others, it is better to remain civil despite the negative feelings that frequently percolate in these kinds of situations.

Take Action When Things Get Ugly

Of course, though you may try, it is not always possible to maintain an amicable relationship with a former employee. Most of the time, you will simply move on with business as usual. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon that a former employee attempts to pack up and take your business to the new company. This frequently takes the form of a soon-to-be former employee copying documents and computer files containing the likes of confidential client information or records concerning former and ongoing projects. If this occurs to you, it is time for action.

The law provides you with several methods of redress to prevent other businesses from obtaining an unfair competitive advantage where a former employee has taken proprietary information. Here are some of the most common lines of defense.

A Well Drafted Employment Agreement

An artfully crafted employment agreement with a covenant not to compete can provide the basis for a breach of contract claim against the former employee. Many employment agreements also prohibit solicitation of clients or taking confidential information. An effective employment agreement is a great tool to prevent a former employee from unfairly poaching your business.

The Duty of Loyalty

When it comes to high-ranking employees, always remember that the soon-to-be ex-employee has a continuing duty of loyalty while working for your company. Almost certainly, the former employee will have breached that duty if he or she surreptitiously copied confidential records and computer files during employment.

Trade Secret Laws

It is also illegal to misappropriate trade secrets. This can vary from state to state.

Copyright Laws

Copyright laws may further help to protect your business interests. Copyright tends to be particularly important for businesses involved in artistic endeavors, architecture, and software development among many other fields that produce original works of authorship. Usually, the underlying copyright in any work generated for your company by the employee within the scope of his employment will belong to the company. Such laws can, for example, help stop a former employee from taking copyrighted project plans and using them to replace you on a client’s project or passing off the material in a portfolio as their own. Because registration of the work with the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov) is required to file a lawsuit for infringement, see 17 U.S.C. 411(a), and because registration also provides the opportunity for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees, we recommend registering the copyright in your valuable works and include a copyright notice on each of the works involved (e.g., for works first published in 2019, acceptable copyright notice would read “©2019″).

Computer Fraud & Abuse Act

Finally, the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”), 18 U.S.C.A. 1030, is a vital law that protects you from theft and destruction of information stored on your company’s computer system. In the event your company sustains damage or loss due to a CFAA violation, you may be able to maintain a lawsuit to prohibit the former employee from using the illegally obtained computer files. Damages may also be available under the CFAA. As a measure of cautious practice, you should have your information technology staff check all computer systems after the employee departs.

Through the use of the foregoing business and legal tools, you should be able to protect your business interests in the event those interests are threatened by illicit means. Your attorney will usually start by writing your former employee and/or the new company a “cease-and-desist letter.” However, depending on the urgency of the matter, events may require an immediate lawsuit to enjoin the former employee and/or their new employer from acting in a way detrimental to your interests.

Remember the Flip Side When You Are Hiring

Similar concerns exist when you are on the hunt for new talent. Regarding the recruitment process, you should always:

• Remember that the employee owes a continuing duty of loyalty to his or her current employer for the entire duration of employment.
• Inquire whether the prospective employee may be subject to any post-employment restrictions contained in an employment agreement.
• Take the time to understand whose rights may be implicated by any potentially proprietary information gleaned from the new employee, and refrain from acting upon questionable information.

In short, while a valuable new employee can certainly lead to new business opportunities for your company, you should always act carefully to avoid potential exposure to the types of litigation discussed above.

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Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in ABR Employment Services e-newsletter, HR Insights. It  was originally written by Michael Faley, a partner at SmithAmundsen LLC in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. 

When An Employee Changes His Mind About Leaving

Employers might welcome notice of resignation from a troublesome employee as a simple solution to a problem. But what are the ramifications when the employee tries to rescind his resignation?

In most cases, the better choice will be to reject the rescission and hold the employee to his resignation. Ensuing litigation may have to be settled or defended, but the potential harm to morale and productivity from an unhappy and resentful employee will be avoided. Best practice – if an employee will be trouble whether he is inside or outside, put him outside.

Be Aware of ‘Constructive Discharge’ Claim

Moreover, courts in wrongful discharge cases have supported employers who reject rescission of a notice of resignation. An employee who quits can attempt to bring a wrongful termination claim against the employer on a theory called “constructive discharge.” Constructive discharge occurs when the employer intentionally creates a working atmosphere which is so intolerable that a reasonable person would be forced to resign. However, courts have held that an employee who seeks to rescind a notice of resignation and remain in the workplace has in effect admitted that the workplace was not intolerable, which defeats the claim of constructive discharge.

Also, in order for a former employee to make a claim of employment discrimination, he must show that he has suffered an adverse employment action. Ordinarily, termination is a classic adverse employment action. However, courts have held that the refusal to permit an employee to rescind a resignation is not considered an adverse employment action. There is no grace period allowed by law in which an employee is free to reconsider a notice of resignation; it is not an adverse employment action for the employer to take the resigning employee at his word.

Tricky Unemployment Compensation Principles

On the other hand (in employment law, there is usually an “other hand”), different principles apply to claims for unemployment compensation. A person who voluntarily quits his job is usually not eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. Nevertheless, there can be variations from state to state. For example, in CT, according to state regulation [31-236-18], a person who gives notice of resignation and then attempts to rescind it before the expiration of the notice period is not considered to have quit voluntarily and is therefore eligible to collect unemployment benefits, unless the employer has made a commitment to a replacement in the meantime.

The regulation also provides that a person who gives notice of resignation but who is discharged before the end of the notice period will be eligible for benefits unless his employer pays him the full amount that would have been earned during the period of notice.

Acknowledging that every situation will be different, often the best response to a notice of resignation delivered by a problematic employee is to make the resignation effective immediately, pay out the notice period, and wish him luck in his future endeavors. But even when an employee who is still working during the notice period tries to rescind the resignation, the better response is usually to reject the rescission and carry out the separation. There may not even be much exposure to an unemployment compensation claim since employees usually have another job lined up before they resign. And it is almost always better to allow a trouble-maker to remove himself from the premises than to fire him later on and have to deal with a wrongful termination claim.

Reduce Hiring Risk 

If you are having trouble finding your perfect candidate, take some time to reconsider how—and where—you’re searching for and evaluating them. They may already be in our database! We can help you reframe your search criteria and focus your efforts in new directions so you have more success in finding what you need. Get in touch with us now.

Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in ABR Employment Services e-newsletter, HR Insights. It  was originally written by Michael N. LaVelle, an attorney with Pullman & Comley LLC.

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby?

It seems hard to believe, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women now make up 51.6% of the employees in “management, professional, and related occupations” in the USA. That’s a magnitude of change from how things were just thirty years ago! Pursuing greater inclusivity helps organizations hire and promote the best talent without being misled by biases, live up to the corporate value of fairness, and create work environments that engage everyone. Things are better today, but there is still plenty of work to be done to increase inclusivity in the workforce.

Fix gender imbalance in other roles

Women and men may be approaching equal representation in professional and managerial jobs, but what about other areas? Consider, for example, jobs such as a roofer, stonemason, crane operator, and carpenter, which are over 95% male; and jobs such as dental hygienist, speech-language pathologist, and early-childhood teacher, which are over 95% female. (And before tackling any of those, HR–in which women are overrepresented–should probably get its own house in order first.)

Tap other overlooked or underrepresented talent pools

Just as women have long been an overlooked talent pool, there are almost certainly other groups that are similarly under tapped. These might include groups that have faced discrimination, such as overweight people, for example, or people who are short, whose voices are a certain pitch, or who have some other characteristic that might elicit prejudice against them. Making this a priority is not only good for business but also helps companies promote fairness.

Help overlooked people in need

If the goal is compassion, then the inclusion movement might consider groups in need who are overlooked. For example, there are many people who are highly stressed because they have a close relative who suffers from addiction or a severe mental illness. These people typically soldier on without complaining. A worthy social responsibility goal for diversity and inclusion departments is to help these people in need.

Focus on individuals rather than on groups

Companies that want the best candidates need to stop overlooking people for appearance reasons (e.g., body shape, tattoos, fashion style) connected to stereotypes and assumptions about certain groups. Instead, the organization should make better use of assessment tools so that really hire the best person for the job–a practice that is both good for business and fair to candidates. Similarly, initiatives that actively promote environments in which all individuals get along may be more useful than initiatives that stress group-based cooperation.

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Editorial Note: Portions of this blog originally appeared in the November, 2018 edition of ABR Employment Services magazine, ABR HR Insights. It  was originally written by David Creelman, CEO of Creelman Research.

On Oct. 11, 2018, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) sent a Standard Interpretation Memorandum to its regional administrators and to state plan designees clarifying its position on post-incident drug tests and safety incentive programs. According to the memo, such tests and programs are permitted if properly written and implemented.

Background

Federal law and OSHA regulations prohibit retaliation against employees for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses. In May 2016, OSHA published a final rule interpreting the retaliation prohibition broadly. The rule stated that some post-incident drug testing and safety incentive programs may deter employees from reporting injuries and illnesses, thus resulting in unlawful retaliation. It left employers uncertain as to when implementing such testing and programs could result in citations by the agency for alleged retaliation.

The October 2018 memo sets out OSHA’s new policy, stating that “[a]ction taken under a safety incentive program or post-incident drug testing policy would” not violate anti-retaliation requirements unless “the employer took the action to penalize the employee for reporting a work-related injury or illness rather than for the legitimate purpose of promoting workplace safety and health.”

Post-Incident Drug Testing

OSHA’s new memo specifically states that “most instances of workplace drug testing are permissible.” According to the agency, examples of permissible drug testing include:

• “Random drug testing”;

• “Drug testing unrelated to the reporting of a work-related injury or illness”;

• “Drug testing under a state workers’ compensation law”;

• “Drug testing under other federal law, such as a U.S. Department of Transportation rule”; and

• “Drug testing to evaluate the root cause of a workplace incident that harmed or could have harmed employees. If the employer chooses to use drug testing to investigate the incident, the employer should test all employees whose conduct could have contributed to the incident, not just employees who reported injuries.”

So employers may lawfully implement not only random drug testing programs, but also post-incident drug testing programs, as long as all employees whose conduct could have contributed to the incident – and not just the employees who were injured in the incident – are tested.

Safety Incentive Programs

OSHA’s new memo further notes that “[i]ncentive programs can be an important tool to promote workplace safety and health.” According to the agency, incentive programs that provide positive “rewards [to] workers for reporting near-misses or hazards” and encourage “involvement in a safety and health management system” are “always permissible.”

The memo also says “rate-based” programs that reward employees “with a prize or bonus at the end of an injury-free” period or evaluate managers “based on their work unit’s lack of injuries…are permissible…as long as they are not implemented in a manner that discourages reporting.” “[W]ithholding a prize or bonus because of a reported injury” is allowed “as long as the employer has implemented adequate precautions to ensure that employees feel free to report an injury or illness.” These precautions can include:

• “[A]n incentive program that rewards employees for identifying unsafe

conditions in the workplace”;

• “[A] training program for all employees to reinforce reporting rights

and responsibilities [that] emphasizes the employer’s non-retaliation policy”; and

• “[A] mechanism for accurately evaluating employees’ willingness to report

injuries and illnesses.”

This means employers may lawfully implement safety incentive programs if steps are taken to ensure employees feel free to report injuries and illnesses.

Bottom Line

OSHA’s new memo recognizes the value of post-incident drug testing and safety incentive programs if applied in a consistent and non-retaliatory manner. Employers should review their drug testing procedures and incentive programs for compliance with the agency’s new guidance.

The content of this blog originally appeared in our November 2018 e-newsletter, ABR HR Insights. It was written by David E. Dubberly, a member of Nexsen Pruet, LLC. See more workplace safety blogs here.

Using Social Media for Hiring

The rise of social media has created new opportunities and challenges in the workplace, affecting each and every department in different ways. The recruiting and HR departments are no exception, with businesses of all sizes increasingly looking to access candidates’ social media profiles when shortlisting.

However, with great power comes great responsibility and recruiters need to strike a fine balance in deciding how deep to go when tapping into social media data.

To get a thorough understanding of this dilemma, I spoke to Fiona McLean, CEO of The Social Index. With a background in both corporate hiring and HR, McLean is in the perfect position to shed light on the benefits and risks associated with social media profiling.

Why Tapping Into Social Media Profiles Makes Sense

McLean highlighted three key areas in which social media profiling can add value to the recruitment process:

First, using social media data to refine the information on file about a candidate enables recruiters to draw up a stronger short-list. They can also more accurately assess whether a particular candidate will be a good cultural fit or not. As covered in previous TalentCulture blog posts, creating a strong company culture is now a big concern for businesses of all sizes. Social media can be a powerful tool in matching talented employees with the compatible workplaces they are looking for.

Second, a candidate’s social media footprint can indicate how extensive their professional network is, as well as how engaged they are with their contacts. Although this is especially relevant in roles such as business development, being able to leverage employee connections can be valuable in many different organizations and roles.

Third, social media activity can also provide invaluable information about how a candidate deals with certain situations. For example, recruiters may seek to assess how they are likely to react during conflict or how empathetic they can be. This is potentially a valuable source of insight when assessing somebody’s suitability for a customer service role, for example.

The Dangers of Discrimination and Inconsistency

While the above points illustrate some of the many benefits of mining social media profiles during the recruitment process, McLean was eager to point out that there were also potential downsides.

One of the main issues of contention with social media research is where we draw the line when it comes to collecting data. It can be difficult to judge which data is relevant to a candidate’s prospective role and occupation and which is not. Getting this wrong can have serious implications.

For example, if a candidate has reason to believe that they have been denied an opportunity due to their ethnic background, religious beliefs or political ideologies then there is a real risk of a company being on the wrong end of a discrimination claim.

Another potential problem when looking at candidates’ social media profiles is ensuring consistency. Some people are more active and public than others in the social sphere, making it difficult to agree on a consistent and sufficient set of data to use when assessing suitability. A tried and tested methodology for assessment is needed to ensure a level playing field.

There is also the important issue of consent. How do recruiters communicate their social media research process and ensure that candidates are comfortable with that?

Setting Parameters With Social Research

According to McLean, recruiters should be actively looking to utilize social media research while minimizing the pitfalls highlighted above.

Companies already communicate the various stages of their recruitment process (e.g. interviews, selection criteria, assessments, etc.) and social media research can be incorporated into this. This should be clearly tied to the specific requirements of the business and job role to help put candidates at ease and secure consent.

Using a third party which specializes in collating and presenting relevant social media data for recruiters will also help to allay fears over potential bias and discrimination.

The upsides of using social media profiling in hiring suitable candidates are just too important for it to be left out of the recruitment process. Balancing social data collection with respect for boundaries and applying this research in a clear and consistent manner is a task all recruiters need to be engaged in.

Put Our Award Winning Recruiters To Work For You

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Editorial Note: This blog originally appeared in the October, 2018 edition of ABR Employment Services magazine, ABR HR Insights. It has been edited and was originally written by Tony Restell, founder of Social Hire. 

ABR Employment Services, a Wisconsin based staffing agency serving the Midwest, has spent the past 30 years honing its unique ability to serve clients in a best practice approach garnering accolades and awards along the way. Jim McNett, Chief Executive Officer, has spent 20 of those years personally overseeing the strategic development of ABR. McNett takes pride in what he describes as the organization’s organic growth. “We are known for customer service excellence,” he shared. And, in a bid to continue ABR’s growth, the organization recently added a professional search division in order to meet increasing demands outside of its traditional service offerings.

Meet ABR

Headquartered in Madison, ABR has 12 operating units, including a presence in MN. The long-established staffing firm provides staffing support for manufacturing, skilled industrial, HR, professional office support, logistics, scientific lab, and accounting positions.

 Additionally, ABR acquired Kinsa Group a decade ago, a recruitment agency with a national presence specializing in executive placement in the food and beverage industry.

ABR has received the Best of Staffing™ Award eight years in a row and is the only Wisconsin staffing agency with multiple branch locations to receive the Double Diamond Award. And Kinsa Group was recognized this year as one of Forbes’ Best Professional Recruiting Firms.

Growing Professional Search

Yet with all of the growth and successes, McNett knew they could do more. “We determined over the last few years that there was a huge need for professional to mid-level management positions that was a missed opportunity,” he explained.

ABR has built its base on filling support positions, both in the manufacturing and office settings. “You’re talking pay rates of $11 to $20 an hour—non-exempt, hourly positions,” explained McNett. “Then you have Kinsa Group that is doing managerial to executive searches—$90,000 to $200,000+ salaries.”

But these polar opposite roles left gaps. ABR clients are successfully filling warehouse and administrative positions, but aren’t receiving assistance for higher level openings. On the flip side, Kinsa Group is turning out executive level candidates, but can’t fulfil mid-level requests. “They would get a request for a $60,000 Production Supervisor but that would be below their level,” said McNett. “They don’t do that.”

These gaps meant that recruiters were turning down hundreds and hundreds of jobs from clients. “They weren’t quite in our funnels,” McNett explained. “This was a lot of lost revenue and our clients were going elsewhere when we knew we could probably do this ourselves with focused recruiters with the right skills.”

McNett rolled out a strategic plan and began a testing phase with a recruiter specifically working these jobs that had previously been lost in the gap. He quickly found that the need was greater than they had originally thought. “In talking with clients, we determined there really was a need for that mid-level, $45,000 to $80,000 salary realm,” shared McNett. “There was really no one doing well with that. There were some trying to do it, and big exec groups saying they were doing it, but they really didn’t want to spend time on it.”

But ABR is willing to spend the time and put forth the effort, and testing paid off. “We had great success in finding and placing these people,” McNett shared. “We decided to move forward and to brand a separate division that can really complement what ABR and Kinsa Group is doing and that can provide our clients a full array of services to get them anything they need, from entry level to executive level, through one resource.”

Goals

The professional search division is kicking off with two recruiters who are officially targeting the $45,000 to $80,000 salary range of professional to mid-level manager positions. McNett hopes to be at full staff by the end of the year—a team of four—with revenue that supports that goal.

“We will start out primarily as a recruiting partner in the Midwest,” he added. “But I hope to see us expand that footprint outside of just the Midwest in two to three years.”

Within a few weeks of launching the division, the recruiting team has placed a Production Supervisor, Assistant General Manager, Quality Manager and Manufacturing Engineer. The team has also experienced an in-flux of inquiries and resumes from candidates actively searching for their next professional opportunity.

Ultimately, McNett would like to see ABR Professional Search as a comparable and complimentary division to Kinsa Group and to become known as a national recruiting partner at the professional to mid-level manager sector in the way that Kinsa Group is seen at the executive level in the food and beverage industry.

“We are all part of the same company,” he concluded. “We are a very cooperative organization set on success.”

What Shoes Are You Trying To Fill?

Seeking exceptional professionals or managers to build your team? Tell us you are interested in starting a conversation with us below, or call us at 608-268-2266.

Candidate Ghosting Prevention

Are potential employees continuing to disappear while in the middle of your recruiting process? You’re not alone. So what can you do to keep from getting ‘ghosted’ by job candidates?

Candidate Ghosting Reasons and Remedys

According to Strategic Human Resources, Inc., candidates are more prone to drop out of the talent acquisition process due to the image that you’re portraying as an employer online.

In a world where we are inundated with different messages and forms of communication, what can you be doing to help yourself stand out from the crowd of employers on Indeed or ZipRecruiter? Try following a few of the steps below.

Make Social Media Your Friend

Perhaps you are one of the employers who isn’t sure social media is for them. Maybe your industry or services don’t lend well to social media, or you’re just not comfortable dedicating what could be 40 hours a week to your followers on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. However, consider this: 18.2% of referral makers ages 25-34 won’t refer a provider (or in this case, an employer) if they are not on social media. If you’re in the process of trying to catch the next wave of employees, consumers, or influences, you’re going to be caught in the surf without some form of active social media presence.

Create an Encouraging Culture of Communication

By remaining in consistent communication with your candidates, you can begin to build relationships that create a sense of responsibility in the candidate to reach out if they’ve changed their mind. But this responsibility goes both ways. When surveyed by CareerArc, over nearly 60% of candidates reported a poor experience with an employer or recruiter. Imagine the impact on that 60% if those responsible for the direct recruiting remained in contact with their candidates, keeping them updated on where they stood in the process. In the same study, 72% percent of those respondents said they shared their negative experience online or with someone directly. By cultivating a culture of communication between the employer and the potential employee, you can present an attractive image to candidates – one candidates want to be involved with

Don’t Hide

Similar to the fact that you should be active and involved in the public eye of social media, you should be actively approaching negative comments that may come out from behind a far-away keyboard. In a world that revolves around constant and instant communication, bad news can travel fast, and negative reviews can have a quick impact. In fact, USA Today recently reviewed a case where Yelp.com won a lawsuit against a local law firm that had received a negative and harsh review by a Yelp user, damaging their business reputation. When dealing with negativity in your web presence, a quick, factual and polite response will show potential employees (and potential customers) that you are an outstanding partner in the whole process.

We’re Not Afraid Of No Ghosts

Even before social recruiting was common practice, ABR Employment Services embraced it, as well as the 3 tips outlined above. As such, we’ve built, and continue to build, a community of trust among the people we help connect to employment. For candidate ‘ghost slaying’ support, reach out to any ABR location for assistance.

Editorial Note: Portions of this blog originally appeared in the September, 2018 edition of ABR Employment Services enewsletter, ABR HR Insights. It has been edited and was originally written by Robin Throckmorton of Strategic Human Resources Inc.

Professional Search Services

Hire Professionals to Managers Faster & More Cost Effectively

ABR Employment Services, a leading employment agency specializing in professional office support and manufacturing announced today that they have launched a Professional Search Services Division.

ABR’s Professional Search Division specializes in the recruitment of exempt level professionals to management level talent in most industries and job disciplines within the U.S. Focused on helping employer’s access better talent, create exceptional candidate matches, shorten time to hire, and reduce cost and hiring risk, the division was created in response to client needs.

The addition of the Professional Search Division allows ABR Employment Services and Kinsa Group, ABR’s Executive Search Division, to offer a full array of recruiting and staffing services. Clients and businesses now have the ability to utilize a one-stop resource to recruit and staff for entry level to top executive positions.

“With a tight labor market and growing economy, finding the right recruiting partner is critical to success,” said ABR’s CEO, Jim McNett. “We have the experience, skills and tools to proactively source highly qualified professionals and managers needed to fill critical roles.”

About ABR Employment Services

Founded in 1987, ABR Employment Services provides professional search, professional office support and manufacturing employment opportunities to job seekers and staffing solutions to companies throughout Wisconsin and in Winona, MN.  ABR was ranked #50 on the Forbes, Inc. 2017 Best Professional Recruiting Firms list. In 2018, Kinsa Group, a division of ABR, was named to the Forbes America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms list. ABR is an eight-time recipient of Inavero’s Best of Staffing® Award.

Find Top Talent

Seeking exceptional professionals or managers to build your team? Tell us you are interested in starting a conversation with us below, or call us at 608-268-2266.