Welcome to the May 3, 2006 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

Don't forget to register for:

The Greater Valley Forge Human Resource Association
Organization Development Special Interest Group presents

Navigating the Talent Management Rough-Water:
Charting for the Labor Shortage Ahead

Keynote Speaker: Ira S Wolfe, Author - Perfect Labor Storm

What does all the current buzz about “Talent Management” mean in light of the impending labor shortages we face? This forum is your opportunity to get an insiders view of the latest statistical data as well as hear how several well known companies are “battening down their hatches” to prepare for the changing tides.

Listen to presentations and ask questions of:

• Ira S. Wolfe, Author and Founder of Success Performance Solutions
• Virginia Clarke, VP Organization & Talent Management, SAP America
• Gail Townsend, Organizational Development Specialist and Tiny Dyer, Human Resources Generalist, W. L. Gore
• Scott Cook, Sr. Director, Human Resources, Day and Zimmerman

To learn more or register for Navigating Talent Management Rough-Water.

1.   How to Avoid Hire Sales "Hunters" Who Won't Crash and Burn

Dennis had all the promise in the world. He was the clear-cut top recruit and "ordained" the next superstar by his sales manager Robbie. His references checked out and despite some concern about his job hopping, his manager-to-be persuaded the rest of the interviewing team that this was the normal career path for top performers.

Several colleagues urged Robbie to "test" Dennis before the job offer was extended. Robbie was appalled at the suggestion: how insulting to have a candidate of this caliber "tested." His refusal didn't surprise anyone - Robbie didn't believe in testing despite a suspect hiring record. He ignored the suggestion that testing was a two-way street. Not only did personality assessments test job fit for the employer but helped candidates avoid accepting jobs that set them up for failure.

Fourteen months have passed. Robbie was terminated for missing his sales targets over the past four quarters. A new Vice-President of Sales was hired. His first order of business: assess his team. Just like a new coach taking over a professional team, the VP wanted to know what talent he had on board and the potential of this team to meet very ambitious sales goals.

The assessments were completed and Matt, the new VP, was on the phone. "Tell me about Dennis," Matt asked. "Is he a good fit for sales?"

Dennis had completed three assessments: TotalView Assessment, CriteriaOne DISC Sales, and Business Values and Motivators. This was a perfect example why the "whole person approach" is so important in completing a comprehensive and predictive assessment.

Dennis couldn't have fit the traditional behavioral profile any better. His DISC pattern was the classic "Z": high Influencing, secondary Direct, followed by Compliant, then Steady. (For explanations about DISC, go to:

His Business Values and Motivators also fit the sales mold: highly motivated by money (Economic) and control (Power and Authority). Typically top performing managers and salespeople are driven by the bottom line and climbing the career ladder.

So far so good.

Finally Matt and I took a look at his personality fit. This is the most predictive assessment for future performance. His level of competitiveness and assertiveness feel right in the top performing ranges. His group-orientation was okay too but his outgoingness exposed vulnerability. I'll come back to that shortly.

His conscientious and stable (stress) traits fell within the desired ranges, too.

Therefore based on personality, values, and behavior, Dennis should be knocking the lid off sales goals. Why isn't he working out?

In addition to personality, TotalView also assess cognitive skills and interests. After describing what this meant for Dennis, Matt let out a huge laugh. "You're dead-on, man. You pegged him perfectly. Why didn't we know this earlier? You could have saved us a lot of time and money."

What did we know now that Matt wished he knew earlier. First of all his cognitive skills - the ability to think fast and learn quickly - were "lower" than the norm. In fact, his ability to read and comprehend quickly was slower than over 90 percent of the population. But this alone didn't explain his performance. Many top performers learn to compensate for lower than average skills.

But this takes motivation. And Dennis' reports indicated he had little interest in learning and working with data or facts. In many sales positions this wouldn't be a problem and there's the rub. He was selling health insurance to large employers. Part of his job was to keep up with trends, research the competition, prepare for client meetings, and create value.

Dennis was the ultimate sales hunter: Dennis would cold call without hesitation, make appointments, and close sales. The problem was making a positive impression on the client. Matt described Dennis as going for the "easy kill." When I mentioned that he probably hated to practice sports but wanted to play in all the big games, Matt told me he lost a full athletic scholarship after he missed too many practices. BINGO!

What I confirmed for Matt was exactly how he performed during his first year. Not only was learning and research unnatural for him, he expressed no interest in learning the products or learning to add value when selling.

Because Dennis has the hunter profile, Matt wasn't ready to give up on him. Dennis was placed on an ambitious performance improvement plan which includes specific timelines for learning products and earning certifications. He understands exactly what he needs to do and how to do it.

The jury is still out if he'll succeed but a year's worth of lost opportunities and frustration could have been avoided had Dennis been assessed before he was hired.

When evaluating candidates, it is important to get a comprehensive look at potential with personality traits, interests, abilities, values and behavioral style. Ignoring just one of these areas of personality may make the difference between candidates who rise to the top and those that crash-and-burn.

To learn more about online personality tests like TotalView, Business Values and Motivator, CriteriaOne DISC and our newest system ASSESS.

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 528 to 530

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.
 

Just Released! Listen to "Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business" - FREE Download.

Fact #528: Replacing an experienced worker of any age can cost 50% or more of the individual's annual salary in turnover-related costs, and the cost is even higher in jobs requiring specialized skills, advanced training, extensive experience, and knowledge. (The Business Case for Workers Age 50+, 2005)

Fact #529: Employees age 50 to 65 use on average from 1.4 to 2.2 times as much health care as workers in their 30s and 40s. (The Business Case for Workers Age 50+, 2005)

Fact #530: Companies paid an annual average of $7,622 in medical claims, from hospital bills to prescription charges, for workers age 60 to 64, compared with $4,130 for workers age 40 to 44 and $3,206 for workers 30 to 34. (The Business Case for Workers Age 50+, 2005)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3.   Assess360 Component

This web-facilitated multi-rater survey component of the ASSESS platform utilizes dimensions and behaviors populated directly from the organization's competency model. A participant can rate multiple people at a time and the system allows for comparative ratings. Reports provide detailed individual feedback on:

• Competency Rankings

• Behavior Ratings

• Developmental Suggestions

• Action Planning Guidance

View a sample ASSESS 360.

4.   Quotes from Hire Authorities

It is never too late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot

5.    The Leader Within

Best-selling authors and Fortune 100 consultants, Dr. Drea Zigarmi, Dr. Ken Blanchard, Dr. Michael O'Connor and Dr. Carl Edeburn reveal the results of an in-depth, seven-year statistical study of leadership in Corporate America. Their new book, The Leader Within, Knowing Enough About Yourself To Lead Others, shows how leaders exert influence and how disposition, values, beliefs, and persona contribute to their very success—or failure.

Learn more about "The Leader Within"

Employment tests are an important part of the hiring process, as they objectively assess proficiency and give employers quick results. Good testing software will help eliminate guesswork and ensure that you find the right person for the job.

We are pleased to introduce an office skills testing package which includes assessments to evaluate ten basic office skills. Our testing software makes it easy to determine a candidate's abilities in the areas of typing, data entry (both numeric and alpha numeric), ten key, grammar, basic math, proofreading, vocabulary, filing and spelling.

In addition to our standard tests, we also offer testing on MS Office products such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and others.

If you wish to purchase our office skills tests, you may either purchase software for PCs or buy them online, on a pay-as-you-go or unlimited usage.

More about Office Skills Tests

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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.