Welcome to the May 12, 2004 issue of The Total View Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe Job competencies are like the tools in a carpenter's toolbox NEW! What Interview Questions Can You Ask An Employer's Guide to Good Practices: Testing and Assessment What Every Manager Needs to Know to Recruit In the Future Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #156 to #160 Stop Hiring High-Risk Hourly/Entry-level Employees with CBI and SELECT NEW! Management Effectiveness Profile Wolfe featured in May 2004 HR Magazine Build A Top Performer Profile At No Cost Looking for Lifelong Learners? Stop the Resu-mess! Have Candidate Apply Online Anytime I just know you wanted to know this. Online Self and 360 Competency Assessment Job competencies are like the tools in a carpenter's toolbox. A successful interview uncovers the competencies that a candidate carries with him to work. What you as an interviewer wants to find out is what tools are in the tool box and who owns the tools – the candidate or the previous team or employer. Does the candidate have the needed degrees, licenses and training? Do they have experience or will they need to be trained? The resume is an excellent tool to describe what a candidate did in the past. But who is to say that he or she can repeat these successes again for you? In other words, does the candidate own his tools or did he just borrow them for the last job from his co-workers. That's what you really want to find out during the selection process – what competencies does a candidate have, how skilled is he at using them and will he use them for your benefit? How effective is the interview at evaluating job competencies and projecting past performance into future job success for you, the employer? Research has shown that the traditional interview is slightly better than flipping a coin. The behavioral interview is nearly 50 percent more accurate than “gut instinct” and job matching (psychometric assessments plus behavioral interviewing) is an additional 25 percent improvement. The challenge with relying on interviewing alone is that its success depends not only on asking the proper questions but on the skills of the interviewer to ask, listen and observe responses too. Interviewers generally tend to focus on the functional or technical skills of candidates. Interviewing for job competence requires that you focus the interview questions on the job that you have in mind and the competencies to do the job If the candidate is applying for a job with new or expanded responsibilities, what's to say that he or she has the untested ability to meet expectations? There has been this assumption that if you succeeded in the past, you will succeed again. That is true if the job the new employee will be doing requires the same technical skills as well as working with a similar group of people, at a similar pace, in a similar environment, with similar incentives and recognition. But what happens when the circumstances change, the members of the team are not as experienced or don't collaborate as well, the pace of the work hastens, competition is increased and resources are limited – will this employee have the know-how, drive and motivation, and stability to get the job done under more intense and unpredictable conditions? As thousands and thousands of managers can attest, past performance is no guarantee of future success in a world where nothing is certain and nothing stays the same. Expanding the hiring evaluation to include competencies raises the bar. The first step in integrating a behavioral based interview into a selection process is to identify what core job competencies are required. This is best accomplished by completing a job analysis. (To learn more about job analysis, see http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864073_7540958.) We recommend narrowing down the core competency list to no more than five to seven. These are the absolutely essential skills that an employee needs to have. Without these it will be difficult if not possible for an employee to perform beyond mediocrity. From this core list, behavioral interview questions can be created which link special target behaviors to the required skills. Online Interview Generator(r) pairs specific "target behaviors" to over 60 competency based interview questions. Behavior-based interviewing has been around for 25 years, but the practice has recently been gaining momentum with the increasing demand for skilled and competent employees. Online Interview Generator(r) (IG) allows users to create company and job specific customized behavioral interview guides in minutes. As an IG user, you can choose an already- developed interview guide from our Job Library of over 40 standard job titles (from Administrative Assistant to COO), then quickly and easily edit to fit your open job. Or, you can choose to design your own interview guide from "scratch" using our extensive database of 65 competencies, and over 1,500 different target behaviors (interview "answers"), and corresponding interview questions. IG is extremely versatile and flexible - it can be used for selection in every industry, business and organizational environment. IG is inexpensive and cost- effective; clients can purchase interview units separately, or through a site license. View a sample Interview Guide created with Interview Generator. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864074_7540958 NEW! What Interview Questions Can You Ask? What Questions Are Not Legal to Ask? Download Our SPS Interview Guide here. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864075_7540958 What Every Manager Needs to Know to Recruit In the Future - There Will Be Too Many Jobs and Not Enough Skilled People. Don't be fooled. The labor shortage over? The shortage of people and skills has only just begun. Learn what's ahead in The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book. See below for details. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is HERE! Order your copy today - $7.95 includes no shipping costs for limited time only. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864076_7540958 An Employer's Guide to Good Practices: Testing and Assessment This Guide is designed to help managers and human resource (HR) professionals use assessment practices to reach their organizations' HR goals. It conveys the essential concepts of employment testing in easy-to-understand terms and was developed by the US. Department of Labor. Download the 2000 Employer's Guide to Good Practices here. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #156 to #160 Fact #156 The annual growth rate of the nation's workforce will slow to 0.4 percent by 2010. Fact #152 The annual growth rate of the nation's workforce was 1.1 during the 1990's. Fact #153 The annual growth rate of the nation's workforce was 2.6 during the 1970's. Source: The 21st Century at Work: Forces Shaping the Future Workforce and Workplace in the U.S. (Rand Corporation) Fact #154 Half of all workers (51 percent) trust their companies to tell them the truth in employee communications. Source: Towers Perrin Fact #155 Obesity-related disability claims cost an average of $8,720 per employee each year. Source: UnumProvident Source: ABC PrimeTime, April 29, 2004 Stop Hiring High-Risk Hourly/Entry-level Employees with CBI and SELECT Counter-Productive Behavior Index(tm) is the most cost-effective screening test to identify these high risk work- related attitudes and behaviors: Honesty Substance Abuse Computer Abuse Dependability Aggressive Tendencies Sexual Harassment Counter-Productive Behavior Index(tm) takes no more than 15 minutes for a candidate to complete and can be scored on paper in less than 60 seconds to score or online. Online reports include a structured interview guide with recommended interview questions. SELECT(r) Associate System is a pre-employment screening tool to identify work-related behaviors such as Positive Service Attitude, Accountability, Frustration Tolerance, Acceptance of Diversity, Multi-tasking and more, plus a Validity Check and Integrity Index. Each customized report includes a step by step interview guide including recommended interview questions. Reduce Absenteeism, Theft and Harassment! http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864078_7540958 NEW! Management Effectiveness Profile It stands to reason that a good manager-an effective manager, that is, must be skilled in a number of broad areas or competencies considered critical if the manager is to help the organization achieve its goals. The Management Effectiveness Profile helps managers to identify personal strengths and weaknesses within 12 specific competency areas so that they can begin to strengthen and master them. In this profile, a manager's effectiveness as coach and leader is tied to the following competencies: MANAGING YOUR JOB - Managing and Prioritizing Time - Setting Goals and Standards - Planning and Scheduling Work RELATING TO OTHERS - Listening and Organizing - Giving Clear Information - Getting Unbiased Information BUILDING THE TEAM - Training, Coaching and Delegating - Appraising People and Performance - Disciplining and Counseling THINKING CLEARLY - Identifying and Solving Problems - Making Decisions and Weighing Risk - Thinking Clearly and Analytically This questionnaire has been designed as a self-scoring management effectiveness instrument to help individuals understand more about their relative abilities. The twelve key managerial competency areas listed above under four clusters (representing a complete model of managerial effectiveness) are treated separately and then combined to create the individual's overall profile. The Management Effectiveness Profile is available on paper or online and in a self, 180-degree and 360-degree format. To view a sample report, http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864079_7540958 In the May 2004 issue of HR Magazine, Ira Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions, was interviewed in "The Boss Makes The Weather", how training can improve the work environment between managers and subordinates. Also interviewed for the article was Dave Wolf, president of Clean Burn in Leola, PA. Six of Clean Burn's supervisors recently completed a series of Managing to Excel supervisor workshops for team building. Success Performance Solutions sponsored the Managing to Excel program. To read more about how supervisors can impact the bottom-line and the importance of training, read the May 2004 issue of HR Magazine or visit http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864080_7540958. Build A Top Performer Profile At No Cost Hiring the right employee for the job begins with developing a top performer profile with the TotalView Assessment System. Try it with no risk - just follow the link below. Complete your Job Description Worksheet here. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864081_7540958 Looking for Lifelong Learners? Read all about the Conceptual Value….and how to identify employees who are motivated by continuous learning. Order your copy of "Understanding Business Values and Motivators". Understanding Business Values and Motivators is the book manager's have been asking for – what motivates employees. In this book, Ira Wolfe describes how six motivators drive peoples' behavior in the workplace and how managers can tap into those motivators to increase productivity and improve performance. Order your copy today - only $12.95. Want to order a copy for all your managers? Call us for volume discounts. Attention Consultants - call us about affiliate and re-seller programs. Preview a Chapter of Understanding Business Values and Motivators today. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864082_7540958 Stop the Resu-mess! Have Candidate Apply Online Anytime and Cut Your Resume Screening and Interviewing Time in Half. What is Total APS(tm)? It is our newest technology. Post your jobs and have your job applicants move through our structured screening process. Critical Rapid Screening Data (RSD) includes capturing resumes and job specific personality testing. Managers are enabled to compare candidates and make accurate decisions quickly. Test batteries include: FirstView, a 15 minute indicator of basic job fit for 15 different job positions CBI, a highly effective 15-minute assessment of honesty, integrity, dependability and tendencies toward aggressiveness and sexual harassment. TotalView, the definitive indicator of high performer job fit. This assessment can be benchmarked specifically for any job. Total APS is available on a pay per-hire basis for 7, 30, or 60 days at an unbeatable cost! You can screen 5 people or 50 people all at the same low cost, until you find the right person for the job! For larger organizations or smaller businesses faced with high turnover or seasonal jobs, Total APS is also available for annual unlimited use licenses (based on number of positions and number of employees). Learn more about Total APS - Unlimited personality assessments and FREE InterView Guide through May 31, 2004 http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864083_7540958 I just know you wanted to know this. ***Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. ***Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning. ***The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called agiets. ***On the trucks of a local plumbing company: "Dodt sleep with a drip. Call your plumber." ***Pizza shop slogan: " 7 days without pizza makes one weak." Online Self and 360 Competency Assessments Janus Performance Management System - tailored to match individual needs by developing the competencies that are most relevant for every job. Janus provides a comprehensive, step-by-step planning design to help manage this process effectively. Janus not only provides a suite of goal setting and appraisal forms and templates to help this action planning process, but also helps to ensure that all reports are in plain language, complete, comprehensive, and easy-to-use. Build customized reports in minutes 36 Janus Critical Core Competencies are based on the principles of the Balance Scorecard. View a sample Janus report. http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864084_7540958 Contact Information: Success Performance Solutions · 2481 New Holland Pike Suite 2 · Lancaster, PA 17601 email: iwolfe@super-solutions.com voice: 717.656.4632 web: http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864085_7540958 To learn more about Success Performance Solutions or read back issues of The Total View, stop by our website at www.super-solutions.com. Order your personal copy of Understanding Business Values and Motivators at http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864086_7540958. Order your personal copy of The Perfect Labor Storm at http://www.super-solutions.com/remote.asp?ltk=864087_7540958 Ira S. Wolfe ©2004 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.