Welcome to the July 28, 2004 issue of The Total View

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

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1.   What You Don't Know About Hiring Costs Can Hurt You!
2.   Liar, liar pants on fire.
3.   Best Practice Tips and Resources
4.   Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #211 to #211
5.   New! Strategic Leadership Type Indicator.(SLTi)
6.   New audio releases. Hear Ira Wolfe on the WJJZ hot seat.
7.   Summer/Fall Workshop and Speaking Schedule
8.   Are You Wasting Too Much Time Sorting Through Unqualified
      Resumes?
9.   Build a High Motivation Employee Team
10. Success Performance Solutions is giving away up to $101 for
       the Best Small Business Solutions.

1.  What You Don't Know About Hiring Costs Can Hurt You!

For many companies, more thought and time goes into replacing a computer printer than hiring "their most important asset".

Doesn't it seem odd that a company that regards "people as its most important asset," doesn't accurately measure the cost of acquiring that asset. That is exactly what happened when The Human Capital Metrics Consortium attempted to collect data for its annual survey. Chances are the same management teams that know the company's actual and projected revenue streams to the penny are 50 percent less likely to know the cost of hiring employees and terminating employment.

The survey just released last month, published by Staffing.org, estimates the cost of hiring one employee at $4,263 in 2003.

The cost of hiring an employee has enormous impact on both productivity and profitability and costs over four times more than what you might spend on something as basic as a computer printer. Before you purchase a new printer you do a bit of research. Not a lot, but enough to feel comfortable with your decision. You visit the local office supply stores like Staples and OfficeMax. Then you surf the Web for consumer feedback and best buys. You evaluate how many pages you print each month, the cost of the toner or ink, and whether you want color or black and white. Finally, you compare the specifications of several brands and models within those brands until you make your purchase. All this for a purchase that comes in under $1000, maybe even less than $500. Why do companies continue to ignore the importance of human capital metrics?

Studying these cost of hiring statistics offer some insight. Of the approximately 2,000 organizations participating in the study, only half had solid financial data reflecting the true cost of hiring one employee. Yes, that's right - only half of the HR professionals who supplied the data for the study had quantifiable and valid information that could be used. It is obvious - too many organizations don't know how much recruitment, staffing and turnover cost their companies. Perhaps they believe what they don't know won't hurt them or these hidden costs are just a fact of doing business. That is an erroneous and dangerous assumption.

While we are discussing numbers, let's test one more assumption. If the cost of hiring an employee is $4,263, then the company loses an equal amount on the balance sheet if that employee doesn't work out and the hiring cycle starts all over. One hiring mistake now costs $8,526 to replace a single employee. When all is said and done, the cost to hire one employee in a competitive industry can cost nearly 30 percent of the employee's annual salary. This expense doesn't even take into consideration the the cost of training, lost opportunities, impact on morale of co-workers, and strain on productivity.

Is there a way to avoid hiring mistakes without making the hiring process completely onerous?

Online personality tests can be the hiring manager's best management tool. But, like computer printers, there are a lot of choices to sift through.

With thousands of tests available on the Internet, how do you know which are best for you and your business? Here are some tips for bypassing the hype about pre-employment tests and staying on the road leading to sound hiring decisions.

First decide which type of employee evaluation tool you need - one that screens poorly qualified employees from a pool of applicants or a tool that helps you select the right employees from a short list of candidates. By assessing personality or work attitude, screening tools weed out the high-risk applicants right up front. No mess, no fuss. For example, a validated and reliable pre-employment screening test can knock out 20% to 30% of the applicant pool. As an employer, you realize immediate savings in time and effort. FirstView Job Fit screens for personality traits. SELECT screens for work ethic and attitude and Counter-Productive Behavior Index screens solely for work ethic.

Once an applicant passes through screening, it’s now appropriate to use selection tools, those that identify the candidates who are both qualified and motivated. Selection tools - sometimes called personality inventories - help hiring managers cull those candidates that are the "right fit" for the job. The DISC inventory is a selection tool. The newest generation tool is TotalView. This sophisticated selection tool is easily used by both the hiring manager and job candidate. The TotalView Assessment System, which includes the TotalView assessment, allows a manager to create quickly a job profile that identifies cognitive abilities, motivation and interests critical for a position.

After a candidate completes the personality test, and this can be done on-line, the candidate is matched against the TotalView job profile and the manager receives a job match score. A job match score of at least 80 percent indicates the candidate has the necessary skills and personality traits to do the job. A ranking below 80 percent raises some concerns while a rating of 69 percent or below indicates serious concerns. The TotalView assessment offers even greater value to the manager because each TotalView selection report gives the manager three interview questions for each ability or personality trait where the applicant score dips below 80%.

A very common question asked to us is "can't a candidate fake the test". The answer is yes. They can try to fake it but the TotalView Assessment System has four internal validity checks to catch the candidate who thinks they are smarter than the technology.

As a quick review, a screening tool allows hiring managers to make a first cut in a large pool of applicants. The selection tool fine tunes the interview process with a means of making an objective assessment in what can be an inherently subjective process.

Because pricing is relatively low for many screening tools, it is tempting for many managers to use these screening tools to ascertain the job match between the applicant and the job. Screening tests, however, work best for hourly, low to semi-skilled job-level positions. Screening assessment tools are less effective for identifying talent in key positions such as sales and management.

Regardless of the sophistication and reliability of a single assessment, Success Performance Solutions clients have found that one test just doesn't cover all facets of human personality. Therefore, those of you who want to match the right person to the job the first time should follow this recommendation. Use CriteriaOne, our proprietary selection and employee evaluation process.

CriteriaOne uses three assessment tools - DISC, Business Values and Motivators and TotalView. By using this "whole person approach" you get an accurate picture of the work style (HOW candidates will do the job), what candidates value (WHY they will do the job),and how quickly candidates can learn, how accurately they work with numbers, words and shapes, what interests them at work, and if they have the personality to do the job, and fit with your team and your business culture.

Whew! That's a whole lot of information. But, here's an important comment. Personality inventories are not tests in the literal sense. There are no right and wrong answers, no passing or failing grades. Personality inventories simply help determine whether a candidate is a match for the job, and as a member of your team. While they may not fit in one particular job, they might be a top performer match in another.

Success Performance Solutions helps many small to medium sized businesses avoid costly hiring mistake without a hassle. To speak with one of our employee evaluation experts, call us at 717.656.4632 for a no-obligation consultation or contact us.

You risk nothing, and we’ll even give you a copy of our newest CD-ROM set, "TotalView Job Profiling: The Best Kept Secret for Hiring The High Motivation Employee". (A $48 Value)

How do you get trained or certified in CriteriaOne? See #4 below.

2.  Liar, liar pants on fire.  How many people lie?

•  10,000,000+ taxpayers -lie on their tax forms" according to the IRS.
•   6,640,000 job applicants based on "80% of all resumes are misleading"
•   489,530 attorneys, they mostly "work to benefit their clients, not to arrive at truth".
•   67,050,000 workers based on 50% or "half of American workers".
•   100% of dating couples surveyed lied to each other in about a third of their     conversations.
•   20% - 30% of middle managers surveyed had written fraudulent internal reports.
•   95% of participating college students surveyed were willing to tell at least one lie to a potential employer to win a job, and 41% had already done so.
•  We are lied to about 200 times each day.
•  Most people lie to others once or twice a day and deceive about 30 people per week.
•  The average is 7 times per hour if you count all the times people lie to themselves.
•  We lie in 30 to 38% of all our interactions.
•  College students lie in 50% of conversations with their mothers.
  
  
  Source: The numbers above are based partially on information at the 2000 Census web site and the Bureau of Labor Statistics  and Lies
  

3. Best Practice Tips and Resources for Interviewing and Hiring High Motivation Employees

CriteriaOne® Train-the-Trainer: Competency Identification, Personality Testing and Behavioral Interviewing.  Special Fee for The Total View readers - save an $500 off our registration fee of $1595. Your fee only $1095.  Learn to identify competencies, complete a job analysis and interpret behavioral, values and personality assessments and build a behavioral interview. The next Train-the-Trainer will be held from August 18-20, 2004 in Lancaster PA. Register early and save $500. Register a 2nd person from your company at no additional cost.
Register for CriteriaOne online or call 717.656.4632.

Where can you receive more information about....
TotalView

FirstView

Counter-Productive Behavior Index

SELECT Associate System

DISC Behavioral Style Indicator

4.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #211 to 215

The changing face of our work force.

Fact #211: A record 6.9 million adults were in prison or on probation or parole last year, nearly 131,000 more than in 2002, according to a Justice Department study.

Fact #212: Put another way, about 3.2 percent of the adult U.S. population, or 1 in 32 adults, were incarcerated or on probation or parole at the end of last year.

Fact #213: About 3.5 percent of the 2.1 million prisoners in the USA produced goods and services worth an estimated $1.5 billion in 2002.

Fact #214: Women-owned businesses generate nearly $2.3 trillion in annual revenues in the U.S. (Center for Women's Business Research)

Fact #215: By 2030, women will hold a larger share of management and professional jobs than men. (Employment Policy Foundation)

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 - $7.95 includes no shipping costs for limited time only.

Get the forecast LIVE at your next meeting or conference. Now scheduling 2004-2005 keynotes - Ira Wolfe, What's Ahead In Hiring Trends or Generations in the Workplace - You can't work with them, You can't work without them.

5. New! Strategic Leadership Type Indicator.(SLTi)

Help leaders understand their own leadership habits and learn how they can respond more effectively in the future. The first part of the SLTi is a self-assessment that gives leaders feedback about their use of multiple leadership strategies. The second part guides them in selecting the best strategic leadership style to use, and the third part illustrates how leaders can develop their direct reports using these strategies.

Each leader's Strategic Leadership Type Indicator self-scoring workbook is only $25.


Strategic Leadership Facilitator's Guide - $497


Now forming for the fall! Strategic Leadership Academy - 5 days of comprehensive training for current and future leaders. Includes a certificate of completion in SPS Strategic Leadership, self assessments, coaching, case studies, and 360 degree follow-up six months to one year later. Strategic Leadership Academy is also available at your company location.
Email for details.

6.New Audio Releases

For all you sleepy-heads who missed Ira Wolfe's interview at the crack of dawn on July 11, you have another chance! We awaiting our digital recording and will soon have it available on CD-Rom. Ira was interviewed on Phildelphia Focus/Empower Half-Hour, a Philadelphia public affairs program hosted by Lehronda Upshur. Lehondra interviewed Ira Wolfe on The Perfect Labor Storm and how to motivate employees.

To order a copy of this 30 minute interview, click here.

Other recent interviews:
The "Resu-mess" on WHP-TV (Harrisburg, PA). View the interview with Sherry Christian and Ira Wolfe.


Worker Shortages Loom Ahead. Jim Plummer, PA Radio (a Public Radio affiliate), interview Ira on The Perfect Labor Storm.


In August and September, Ira wil be a interviewed on CN8 TV and WHP Radio. Watch for more details.

7. Summer 2004 Workshop and Speaking Schedule

Just announced! Ira will be a presenter at the 2005 International Builders Show in Orlando, FL at the end of January. Watch for more details.

August 18-20, 2004 - CriteriaOne Train-the-Trainer: How to Identify Competencies and Use Assessments for Hiring, Promoting, and Managing Performance. The Hampton Inn, Lancaster, PA. Call 717.656.4632 for more information and to reserve your seat. Limit - 10.

September 1, 2004 - Ethical Shenanigans: How Susceptible Is Your Business? Small Business Group Breakfast. To reserve your place, call The Lancaster Chamber at 717.394.3531. Speaker: Ira S. Wolfe

September 13, 2004 - What is This Thing Called Emotional Intelligence
….And Why We Need It In The Workplace?" Sponsored by Clemson University; Location - Harrisburg, PA. Speaker: Marilyn Walker

September 27, 2004 – Best Practices in Performance Consulting, Atlanta, GA. Sponsored by International Quality and Productivity Center. Speaker: Ira S. Wolfe. Ira will join leaders from Dell, Microsoft, HomeBanc, Harley-Davidson,Hewlett-Packard, Putnam Investments, EDS, Synovus and Internal Revenue Service.

8. Are You Wasting Too Much Time Sorting Through Unqualified Resumes?

Eliminate The Hassles and Headaches Associated With Screening Candidate with Total APS.

The Total Applicant Processing System enables the small and medium sized employer to do online recruiting and screen applicants with customizable and scorable filtering questions with a click of the mouse.

Use Total APS to recruit and screen applicants for your next job opening. View more information about resume screening by Total-APS.

9. Wondering if you have the right people on your team?
Everyone wants to build the High Motivation Employee Team.  Do it with team building activities packaged exclusively for small businesses and home businesses.

10. Success Performance Solutions is giving away up to $101 for the Best Small Business Solutions.

In celebration of our new solution - Best-Small-Business-Solutions.com, a new website exclusively for small business owners and hiring managers, we are giving away $101 in products and services to each owner, manager, consultant, HR professional or vendor who shares a Best Small Business Solution if your story is selected for inclusion in our new e-book, 101 Best Small Business Solutions.

Submit as many entries as you like. You can have more than one winning solution. Every participant will receive a complimentary copy of of our new e-book, 101 Best Small Business Solutions plus a certificate valued at $101 for products and services from Success Performance Solutions.

Your Best Small Business Solutions should include a brief case study of the problem, what you did to solve the problem, approximate costs if any, and any other information you can provide about you, yourself, your company and how others might find the same or similar solution.

The 101 Best Small Business Solutions will be published in September 2004 - and each person who submits a solution will also receive a free copy of our Secrets to Hiring High Motivation Employees (mid-September 2004).

Submit your solution now at Best-Small-Business-Solutions.com

Contact Information:
Success Performance Solutions 2481 New Holland Pike, Suite 2, Lancaster, PA 17601

email: tv@super-solutions.com
voice: 717.656.4632
web: http://www.super-solutions.com

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.


Order your personal copy of The Perfect Labor Storm. at


Ira S. Wolfe. 2004 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.