Performance-Drive Culture

It recently came to my attention that I had a poor performer  in my organization.  It was truly heartbreaking to me because when you hire an employee you hire the person behind the skills.  You get to know an employee and their lives outside of work and begin to naturally care about their well being.  Over time, however, the person turned on me and other management staff.  I was not made aware of this immediately but I was sensing a change in their behaviors and others.  There was falseness to behaviors and a real resistance to change- moving offices, software’s, processes, etc.  There was also a lot of talking a good game but nothing being delivered.   I was at a crossroads- I could ignore the problem and hope it corrected itself or I could begin implementing goals and clearly defining expectations for the person so I could track if work was being done.  The last thing I wanted was for this toxicity to begin to take over our company culture and ultimately impact the bottom line. 

I chose the latter option for very obvious reasons- I had a family to feed and 5 other employees whose lives depended on our business being around next year.  The changes were made because I wanted to create a performance-driven culture- I started with the end in mind…a team that all worked well together, enjoyed coming to work , and produced positive results that resulted in a constant increase to our bottom line.  I started from the beginning, met with each employee and wanted everyone to know exactly what they were hired to do, what I expected of them on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Everyone knew I would be tracking their performance and if they did not meet my expectations they would be given a timeline to improve.  After 1-2 months (which is like 6 months to large companies) they would get their walking papers if they had not improved.  This may sound harsh, and perhaps it is, but my small business could not afford to just hope that things got better.  Small businesses need workers who come to work each day ready to earn their paychecks and contribute to the company.  When they do this they are meeting or exceeding the expectations laid out for them and are pretty much guaranteed rewards at some point.

As a small business owner, I do not have the luxury of giving big bonuses, great medical plans, 401K plans with matches of 6+% etc., however, I do have the luxury of remembering who helped us grow.  If that means offering them a stake in the business, more  flexibility, or whatever it is that motivates them you can bet I will do whatever possible to make that happen.  Small businesses also have the luxury of changing its culture to reflect that of a dynamic company that delivers outstanding results because it has a smaller staff and are more agile.  It is easier to see where there is resistance to change because the reports and results will surface the “non-doers”.  The hard part is making the cuts when needed and sustaining a great culture and team when it is built.  It is hard to make a change in staff because their jobs may then become “your job” until someone new is identified.  But trust me when I say this, it will be ok.  And, when you hire that new person and lay out those expectations before they accept the offer, you will weed out any potential hires that won’t deliver because you will scare them away and this is a good thing!  They can go work for your competition.

Sustaining a great culture is up to the owners/managers.  They need to do what they say, conduct bi-annual or annual reviews, and clearly lay out in the form of job descriptions or duties what is expected of each employee.  They then need to verbally review the expectations so that employees and employers are on the same page.  Tracking tools need to be developed or purchased and both employee and employer should know how to track performance.  It comes down to transparency and good communications.

I feel very blessed to have a strong culture and team in place today.  Making changes was still very difficult because I personally cared about our former employee; however, we are a stronger team because of the changes and are now positioned to grow. 

I would love to hear from other small business about their own stories for making changes to grow their business.   How long it took you?  Was the outcome positive or negative?  Do you agree or disagree with the style laid out?  Any thoughts are appreciated.   I am not  perfect and am always open to feedback, ideas, insights, etc.

To see more about my companies you can go to www.parttimepros.com or www.tulsamedpros.com.  Questions or comments can be e-mailed to me directly at info@parttimepros.com

PTP Inc

Successful Ways to Confront Problem Employees

My last blog was about my fears about confronting a problem employee. As a small business owner, part-time pros, I have to not only manage my own staff but often counsel clients on how to manage theirs. A good friend and colleague, Shannon, suggested that I follow up with some tips on how to confront employees “correctly”. So with the help of google (not sure what we did before this) and a lot of soul searching I came up with the following.
Always remember your goal as manager/ owner of a business is to confront undesirable job behaviors, and to confront the employee about his/her behaviors. Many supervisors put off confronting an employee, but they should attempt to correct the problem when it is first recognized. The sooner a problem is acknowledged, the sooner performance can improve. Confrontation can be very uncomfortable. What is important is that you do not let your discomfort stop you from doing your job.
When confronting an employee try to implement some or all of the following:
• Do establish the levels of work performance you expect.
• Determine what is acceptable and unacceptable to you and communicate this to employees.
• Do document all absenteeism, tardiness, incidents on the job, and poor performance. Be specific with dates, times, and people.
• Do be consistent. Treat all employees equally.
• Do base the session on WORK PERFORMANCE, not on personal issues.
• Do be firm. Be direct. Speak with authority.
• Do be prepared to deal with the employee’s resistance and denial, as well as hostility. (
• Do avoid talking to the employee about personal problems.
• Do get a commitment from the employee as to what steps he or she will take to improve work performance. Continue to document.
• Set a time frame to have a follow up discussion – 1-2 months later to discuss improvements and if improvements have not occurred consider termination.
Please feel free to e-mail questions to me directly- you can go to my companies contact us page and I will get a message instantly: http://www.parttimepros.net/Contact_Us.aspx?pageid=35

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Why Managers are so afraid to confront employees

I own a small staffing company called Part-Time Pros – www.parttimepros.com – and have to manage my own staff as well as help manage contracts on client sites. The challenges of management come up daily in conversations with business owners. I was recently in a meeting with some fellow business owners who I meet with once a month and we began discussing employees. I had mentioned having performance reviews with my employees over the past few days. I shared with them my fear of these performance evaluations because of having to confront problems. I was frustrated with myself because as the owner of the business I should be confident with my employees and demand high efficiency and productivity because without the business there would be no jobs for anyone. However, I am human, and I hate conflict. I want everyone to get along. I have always said if everyone just did what they said they would do and did the jobs they were asked to do the world would be a lot better place!
I was failing to manage because I was too afraid of confrontation. Taking action requires a lot of courage that many people don’t have. They rationalize not confronting a problem with the following:
1. Maybe the problem will just go away or just correct itself if I just leave it along
2. Perhaps I can promote someone to deal with this- Very funny!!
3. Confronting the issue would be so traumatic and would probably make things worse
4. I don’t have the time to train someone new if they quite because they don’t like me confronting them.
5. We have bigger problems right now.
As a leader I needed to take responsibility not only to make sure respect is kept but also for the well being of every other staff member who realizes on a job. I did the performance evaluations and they all went well. My COO was with me during each one and I asked him if he could tell I was nervous and he said no. I guess the saying fake it till you make it worked. I guess the purpose of this blog is to not be afraid to lead, confront and manage your staff. Ultimately everyone wins if it is done correctly!

The American Dad

Happy August!  In this month’s Parenting Magazine there was an article that really struck a cord with me and I wanted to share it with you.  The article is titled “The New American Dad”.  Recently I was in a conversation with a professional (a gentleman) who very nicely said “I thought that Part-Time Pros only worked with women”.  I initially laughed but then later realized that this was due to poor communication. Since the conversation, Part-Time Pros is working to remove this misconception by sharing stories of successful placements that resonate with male employees.  As well as astounding statistics about how men are placing more value on flexibility in the workplace.

Parenting Magazine cited, “25% of preschool age children have a dad as their primary caregiver”.  This was shocking to me – 1 in 4 men are the primary care givers! The reason being is that the American Dad still gets a lot of his identity and self-esteem from his job.  However, he is much more determined to be engaged in the lives of his children.  In talking to my husband and business partner I asked him what he thought about this.  He said, “My dad was never around, he always worked.  I don’t want to be that kind of dad.  I want to work and be a provider but I also want to be active in our girl’s lives.”  I think many men feel the same way Brett does which is why we are seeing more and more men come to us seeking a more flexible work/life balance. 

We have a candidate, Eric, who came to us in early 2009.  He is an IT professional who had been affected by the economy.  He ultimately thought he needed full-time employment but was interested in contract work until something came along.  He also started a consulting business when he found himself unemployed and started helping friends and small business owners with their technical support needs.  We had a part-time opportunity with a utility company – they were in need of a part-time Technical professional to assist with setting up servers, ensuring data was secure, doing PC support, and whatever else the CTO needed assistance with.  He worked about 20 hours a week and this gave him peace of mind that at least he had that income and it gave him some breathing room to expand his consulting business. 

Fast Forward to August 2010- Eric is employed as an independent contractor for the utility company we placed him with and can set his own hours.  Eric said, “I’ve had two job offers in the last 30 days, but turned both of them down. While I don’t make as much money as I would working in a corporate environment, I really enjoy moving from customer to customer, and in having a flexible schedule. I doubt I could ever convince an employer to give me that kind of freedom, even if the market were so oversaturated with potential candidates.”

Of course, there are plenty of men who continue to keep more traditional schedules and put in lots of hours at the office.  As a society, we just need to be supportive of both.  So I will close this month’s newsletter with a cheer to all the men out there – whether they work 100 hours a week or 20.  You have to find what works best for you– but know at Part-Time Pros you are welcome and encouraged to apply.  We applaud your honesty and courage to shake up the traditional mindset of your role in families and in society.

 I also want to close by saying “I love you” to my husband who has worked incredibly hard to make my dream of Part-Time Pros a reality.

Advantages of Part-Time/Contract Workers – For Employers

Regardless of good or tough economic times, companies always need highly qualified, skilled professionals. But the “tides are turning” – the work climate is evolving. More professionals are placing value on flexible schedules and a work-life balance.

Flexible schedules and shift work are slowly replacing the 9 to 5 workday. According to USA Today, nine out of 10 workers cite work fulfillment and work-life balance as their top career priorities. In addition, a CNN Money survey reported 51% of GenXers said they would jump ship for the chance to telecommute and 61% of GenX women would leave their current jobs if they were offered more flexible hours elsewhere.

It’s not just the GenXers valuing workplace flexibility but another market trend shows Baby Boomers are a huge group to embrace this concept. In fact, 80 percent of today’s 76 million Baby Boomers plan to keep working in the future and more than half of them are interested in pursuing new careers, according to a Merrill Lynch survey.

Still there are some employers who are unsure of hiring part-time or contract workers. However, the numbers don’t lie and employers need to adapt to the changing work climate or will fall behind the competition.

Those worried employers should take note – changing the workplace structure or culture does not have to be difficult. The truth is that some jobs can be done on a part-time basis. Part-time and contract workers can help with specific tasks without taking time away from existing staff.

Businesses who embrace this model will see a positive impact on the bottom line. Offering alternative work arrangements can be a cheap benefit to attract highly skilled professionals at a reduced rate. Since these employees value workplace flexibility they are typically more loyal and motivated. If the employees are happy there is reduced turnover.

For Baby Boomers, a part-time job can keep retirees physically, mentally, and socially active without the drain of a 40-hour work week. Employers can utilize the retirees’ talents and receive expert opinions, which can help take the business to the next level.

Full-time employees could be the minority of the nation’s workforce within 20 to 30 years. Part-Time Pros embraces the need for workplace flexibility and taps into a demographic that historically does not approach conventional staffing companies, Baby Boomers and Generation X.

As businesses look to reduce expenses to improve their bottom lines during this economic recession, these businesses will increasingly turn to talent acquisition firms like Part-Time Pros to find and employ talent which benefits both the professional and the client.

How to Work with Staffing Agencies and Recruiters – Part 2

On our previous post we’ve discussed the do’s in dealing with staffing companies.  These tips are to help your job search work more efficiently.

Are you ready to find out what NOT to do when working with staffing companies?

Don’t

• Don’t call in daily or e-mail constantly. It appears high maintenance and will lead recruiters to be wary of submitting you.  If you are this high maintenance with the staffing company than you will be for clients and 100% of clients don’t want high maintenance employees.  Once a week alternating between e-mail and phone is appropriate.

• Don’t be rude to the person answering the phone.  In staffing companies, like Part-Time Pros, we all work together so if an individual is unprofessional on the phone or rude to our office manager it will be communicated with the president and the recruiters, which will likely result in an inactive status in our system.  If you are rude to us than you will be rude to our clients.

• Don’t expect staffing companies to “find you work.” Simply completing an online application does not mean you will find a job.  Finding employment is a two-way street and great communication with whom you are interviewing with, where you have applied, etc. will go a long way toward a great partnership.

• Don’t ever walk out on a job (unless it is harmful to you personally) – this is a guarantee to never work with that staffing company again. Always give 2 weeks’ notice.

We hope these tips are helpful as you begin the process to work with staffing companies.  If everyone respects one another and is professional, staffing companies can help start the path to a great career. Have any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact Part-Time Pros.

How to Work with Staffing Agencies and Recruiters – Part 1

So you decided to work with a staffing agency to aid with the job search – smart choice!

According to the American Staffing Association’s website, more than 90 percent of companies in the US use staffing firms, and 40 percent of employees looking for their first job or reentering the job market have done so by working with a staffing company.

As with any business relationship, there is proper way to work with staffing agencies and recruiters to ensure the best results for all parties involved.

Here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts in dealing with staffing companies.

Do’s

• Do approach a staffing company just like you would any other potential employer.  Remember the role of staffing companies is to find the best talent. You will not be considered if your approach is unprofessional.

• Do be courteous and understanding toward a recruiter. Recruiters are working with thousands of applicants and need time to process all professionals so that they can submit the most qualified applicants. They do not get paid unless they put people to work so if they do not follow up, it is not personal.

• Do know what type of employment opportunities you are looking for. People are fearful that they will not be considered for certain positions so they go with a “keep my options open” attitude.  This can make you appear unorganized and desperate. Recruiters want people who are focused and know what they want.

• Do consider temporary positions. Here at Part-Time Pros, we have had several temporary positions lead to permanent placements.

Now that you know what to do, check the Part-Time Pros blog next week for what NOT to do when working with staffing companies.

Relationships Matter: How LinkedIn Can Help the Job Search

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, many social media sites are helpful tools for the job hunt. However, LinkedIn is arguably the site most geared toward business professionals.

According to LinkedIn, there are 60 million members in more than 200 countries, with a new member joining approximately every second. LinkedIn says there are more than 130,000 recruiters on its site who actively seek top talent. If you are not on LinkedIn, you are missing out on endless career opportunities.

Build Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is free to join, so began by creating an account and developing your profile. Your LinkedIn profile also serves as your online resume, so make sure you include all employment history, education, skills, interests and any association memberships. Be sure to post your picture in your profile because your online profile serves as your personal brand.

Develop Network Connections

Once your LinkedIn profile is completed, make connections with colleagues, bosses, clients, friends and family. Write a list of former colleagues and look for them on LinkedIn. Once you develop connections, ask for recommendations from past employers and co-workers. It is advised you get three to five recommendations on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Groups

There are countless LinkedIn groups, some started by companies and others by individuals. These groups allow users to share common problems and discuss industry trends. Seek out groups in your career field as well as job seeking groups. Examples of LinkedIn job seeker groups include: About.com Job Search and Careers, Career Change Central and The Talent Buzz.

Remember to stay active, keep your profile updated and continue to make connections.

Don’t forget to connect with Part-Time Pros on LinkedIn.

Social Media and Job Hunting

Social media use continues to grow at a fast rate. A recent Nielsen survey showed an 82 percent jump in the usage of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in 2009 from the previous year. Many job seekers have found social media is a fresh outlet to find a job.

While social media can help you find your next career path, it can also backfire if used the wrong way. Here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts when utilizing social media for the job hunt.

• Do understand the networks: Spend time studying the networks, see how people act and how their profiles look. Sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, and Emurse are helpful online job searching tools.

• Do create an online presence: It is important to have an online presence to showcase your skills and experience. Online profiles can help you connect with people who can assist with your next career step.

• Do be consistent: Make sure your employment history on your resume match what’s on your LinkedIn and other social media resumes.

• Do build your network: Make connections in your industry and career field.  Join groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, post and join the discussion. Talk to contacts on Twitter and follow career experts.

• Don’t post anything negative: Hiring managers are checking out candidates on social media sites. Refrain from posting inappropriate information and negative comments about current and former employers on your social media networks.

• Don’t connect with everyone: Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to online connections. Connect with people with whom you have a common denominator.

• Don’t neglect your profiles: Be active and present on your social media networks. Make sure to update your profile when you change jobs or start a new venture.

Though social media will not replace traditional job seeking methods, it can give you an edge over the competition.  If you have any job search questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Lucky You!

Given it is the Month of March and this month is either associated with basketball or four-leaf clovers I thought it would be appropriate to write about whether or not “Luck” has anything to do with success in business and in personal life.

Part-Time Pros will celebrate its 2nd year of business the end of this month. When Brett and I started the business it was a true leap of faith and I would not be honest if I did not admit that there were at least a half a dozen times that we both wanted to call it quits. In looking back over the last 2 years I have wondered how much luck has played into our success and honestly I don’t think it has played into our success at all. However, there have been a few common denominators that have been prevalent to our making it to the second year and I wanted to share these with you because I think they are transferable to anyone.

This is our take on making our own good luck:

1. Responsibility
Business owners who take responsibility for their own actions. When things go wrong or the outcome of any given situation is different than intended, we never point the finger of blame at external factors or other individuals. Instead, we look in the mirror, “What have I done to make this happen?” Then we act accordingly to solve the problem.

2. Learning from Mistakes
Creators of good luck don’t see a mistake as a failure. Instead, a mistake is an opportunity for learning. Thomas Edison is the classic example. More than 1,000 attempts to invent the first long-lasting electric light bulb led to bulbs that only stayed lit for a few minutes. One of Edison’s colleagues asked him, “Mr. Edison, don’t you feel you are a failure?” Lacking any sense of vanity, he answered, “Not at all. Now, I definitely know more than a thousand ways how NOT to make a light bulb.”

3. Perseverance
Creators of good luck don’t give up or postpone. When a problem or situation arises, we act immediately to solve it without delay. We don’t carry a list of “things to do” in our brain. Instead, we work to resolve problems and situations as quickly as possible. This enables our energy to be fully focused on our work and avoid conscious or unconscious distractions, which only generate inefficiency.

4. Confidence
This powerful principle is often the most overlooked. Confidence is divided into two parts: confidence in yourself and confidence in others. Confidence in yourself is essential, and those who create their own good luck have high degrees of assertiveness and self-esteem. They keep to their purpose, persevere, and work to create the conditions that ultimately help them achieve success. Closely linked to assertiveness and self-esteem is trust in others and respect for them, seeing other people as major sources of opportunity. This doesn’t mean that one must be naive and trust just anyone. Instead, it speaks to the trait of seeing others as sources of opportunity for achievement. Without confidence there is no way to “give yourself” to the situation. If there is no intimacy—if it is ruled out by paranoia or rampant suspicion, for example—there can be no opening up to others. Hence, there can be no room for dialogue or for the genuine and sincere exchange of opinions. Without this, any initiative proceeds more slowly until, eventually, it simply withers and dies.

5. Team Work
Trust in others leads to a solid network of work colleagues and friends, which, in turn, provides more resources to carry out projects. Think cooperation rather than competitiveness.

As we have seen, whether or not one can create good luck basically depends on an attitude towards oneself, towards others, and towards life. It is also tied to the perception that the individual is much more of a cause than an effect. Above all else, is the realization that one must be the creator of the conditions that foster success and the achievement of specific, visualized goals. The person who grasps that wisdom is lucky indeed.

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