Welcome to the April 19, 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:

Health Care Benefits Survey

Health care costs are out of control. Massachusetts just enacted a law imposing a $295 per employee fee on every employer if they didn't provide employee benefits. Maryland hopes to require private companies with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on employee health benefits or make a contribution to the state's insurance program for the poor. Employers
are telling employees to stop smoking and lose weight or pay more for these health care coverage.

Are these states and employers on the right track or are they headed down a slippery slope?

Please take a few minutes and share your opinions in this short HR Health Care Benefits survey. Results will be published in an upcoming issue of The Total View.

Please forward this to colleagues or clients, HR professionals and senior executives. The more respondents the better.

A Busy Week Indeed!!

Ira S Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions, participated in two big interviews last week:

1. Ira was interviewed for David Greenberg's Mastermind Inner Circle. His interview can be heard at:
Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business or downloaded at: :
Ira S Wolfe MP3- Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business
The topic was "".

2. He was also interviewed by Stephen Miller, editor/manager of SHRM Online's Compensation & Benefits Focus Area, on the subject of Sleep Deprivation Brings Lower Productivity, Higher Health Care Costs. For SHRM members, login.  For non-SHRM members, contact us..

3. And 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.   What does the job interview and stepping on a bathroom scale have in common?

When our bathroom scale delivers bad news, we hop off and then on again, just to make sure we didn't misread the display or put too much pressure on one foot. When our scale delivers good news, we smile and head for the shower. By accepting evidence when it pleases us, and insisting on more when it doesn't, we subtly tip the scales in our favor.

Last year we screened a candidate for a new client using our Big 3: TotalView Assessment, Business Values and Motivators and CriteriaOne DISC. Just today, we got a call from Michelle:

"I hired Sue (not her real name) about a year ago. Recently Sue has been coming in late, leaving early, doing a lot of sighing, and generally appearing disengaged. She was not a great fit but at the time I thought the "gaps" were workable."

This probably isn't a big surprise to you: this isn't the first time we've heard this same story from other client like Michelle. Michelle wanted Sue to work out but the assessment reports indicated a risky job fit. But Sue seemed so nice, so helpful: how could it not work out?

Research suggests that the way we weigh ourselves in the bathroom is the way we weigh evidence outside it. Two psychologists, Peter Ditto and David Lopez, asked subjects to evaluate a student's intelligence by examining information about him one piece at a time. The information was quite damning, and subjects were told they could stop examining it as soon as they'd reached a firm conclusion.

Results showed that when subjects liked the student they were evaluating, they turned over one card after another, searching for the one piece of information that might allow them to say something nice about him. But when they disliked the student, they turned over a few cards, shrugged and called it a day. (Source: I'm Ok, You're Biased by Daniel Gilbert, New York Times Op-ed, April 16, 2006)

Managers also strive for the whole truth and nothing-but-the-truth every time they hire, promote or terminate an employee. But more often than they'd like to admit, they miss the mark. (The same goes for their bosses too.) Why? Because the brain cannot see itself fooling itself. We see the world through our eyes which inherently and intentionally skews our viewpoint. We just can't believe that our first choice candidate isn't the magic bullet we've been dreaming about, despite references and testing that says "Do Not Hire." So we rationalize away what doesn't fit until we can justify our decision.

That's why research continually shows that interviewing is such a poor predictor of success and why job matching - a competency based selection process combining behavioral interviewing, background checking and personality testing - improves the success of hiring right the first time to nearly 90 percent.

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 # 523 to 524

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 #523: The average medical expenditure for a normal-weight man is $1,351 a year. Men who are 30 to 60 pounds overweight cost $462 more based on added medical costs and absenteeism. Extremely obese men cost $2,027 a year more. Average medical expenditures for normal-weight women are $1,956. Women who are 30 to 60 pounds overweight cost $1,372 more when medical costs and missed work are included. Women who weigh 60 to 100 pounds too much cost $2,485 more.

Fact #524: The most obese workers (those 100 or more pounds too heavy) make up 3% of the employed population but account for 21% of the costs of obesity.

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.  NEW! Basic Office Skills Testing

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:

4.   Quotes from Hire Authorities

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

5.    Ask The Hiring Expert
As a hiring manager or small business owner, what is the most nagging question you have when it comes to hiring smarter, in less time, and finding the right person for the job?"

Don't be afraid to ask - no obligation, just submit your question and we'll respond within 24 hours. To ask your question, go to Ultimate Hiring Solution.

Many employees in today's work environment are "feedback poor." This means they do not receive accurate feedback of how well they are doing. Adding to this problem, corporate culture and social rules can often impede honest discussions about a person's performance, especially his or her weaknesses.

So what does an organization need to improve its overall performance if it is so hard for employees to learn how to improve themselves? The answer is 360-degree feedback.

Multi-rater or 360 degree feedback is a tool used in many organizations for helping employees at all levels gain insight into their strengths and developmental needs by providing feedback from multiple perspectives -- peers, subordinates, managers, and internal and external customers.

More about 360 Degree Feedback:

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