Find Non-Executive Mentors

by David Parkinson on March 28th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Mentoring Questions, Sales & Marketing

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson  Strategic HR Mentor, Mentors.ieDavid Parkinson

Mentors.ie is a unique resource when it comes to starting businesses. They offer qualified mentors with a rich history of experience and expertise.  They can serve as board members for your business. It is also possible to find mentors to advise you. Their experience allows you to overcome challenges that your business is experiencing currently.

There are veteran executive mentors at Mentors.ie. If you are looking for non-executive mentors, you will find them as well. These are individuals who have worked in diverse fields and industries. Their experience will prove to be invaluable to your business objectives. Non-executive professionals have seen changes in many different industries. Depending on how you want your mentor to serve, you will find this expertise a good tool for modeling your business.

Consultants with Experience

You may want a non-executive expert to consult your business. The mentors at Mentors.ie offer this sort of expertise. It doesn’t matter, what type of business or company you have. It is possible to make changes that are effective. Mentors use both their experience and knowledge of individual fields to help you.

Business Planning Experts

Start-up businesses can benefit from business planning techniques. Mentors offer these businesses what they need when it comes to selecting a model. Knowing what methods have worked in the past is important. Mentors have years of experience to draw from as they advise you.

Knowledge of Successful Strategies

Strategy is essential whether you are starting a business or re-organizing an existing one. Your strategy doesn’t only speak to the public. It also inspires your employees to work efficiently. Mentors from Mentors.ie can help you to define a successful strategy. They can also re-define strategy ideas to better fit your business model.

Businesses will find a variety of non-executive mentors at Mentors.ie. Although these individuals have not worked as executive, they have vast professional experience. The mentors provided by Mentors.ie will fit well with your business goals. They also compliment the leadership that already exists. The vision and experience that mentors provide are resources that can lead to success.

Selecting the Right Chairperson

by David Parkinson on March 7th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources, Leadership, Mentoring Questions

David-ParkinsonSPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, Human Resources Mentor, Mentors.ie

One of the challenging tasks for many businesses is finding chairpersons for their boards. Not just every professional will be right for your business’ board. There are a number of considerations that should factor into this decision. Mentor.ie takes into consideration what it is that businesses and companies need in this category.

Board members must fit into your company’s objectives. They should also offer a certain amount of experience and expertise. The mentors at Mentor.ie are equipped with both of these details. It doesn’t matter, whether your business is national or international. You will eventually need to staff your board. You don’t have to do this task alone. Mentors provided by Mentor.ie can work as your chairperson. They are also available as non-executive directors, consultants, and more.

Board Member Experience

The mentors offered by Mentor.ie offer a lot to businesses. Many of these individuals have served on boards before. This means that they not only know what to expect. These mentors understand what is required of them as a chairperson. You will easily be able to fill board seats with the help of Mentor.ie.

Understand Corporate Governance

Board members should understand corporate governance. This will factor into their responsibilities as chairpersons. Mentor.ie will provide you with veteran professionals that have this experience. Mentors have worked in different industries, which is a benefit to you and your company. Their expertise will prove beneficial for your business or company.

Offer Professional Experience

Mentors at Mentor.ie have a wealth of professional experience to offer. Some of these individuals are former executives. There are other mentors here who are non-executive professionals. You will have the best match for what your business needs. Mentors will also offer an understanding of professional associations which is an added benefit.

Mentor.ie is one of the most unique offerings when it comes to business start-ups. Their expertise and professional mentors help you to steer your business into the future. Mentors here are veteran business people. They have assisted with strategies, fixing problems, and meeting challenges. These are the sorts of individuals that are assets to any board.

HR Management 101

by David Parkinson on February 24th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

David-ParkinsonSPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, Management Mentor, Mentors.ie

For those establishing a business or making a resolution to refocus on Human Resources “best practices”, there are a few topics to consider based on provisions under Irish employment law.

Employee Status. Employees are secured either via contracts of service or contracts of services.  Only those under a contract of service will be an actual employee that is protected by the full range of employment legislation, while a self-employed person (independent contractor) would be engaged in a contract of services for those providing work in the role of a vendor.

Employee Terms. There may needs of the business that dictate using workers with atypical terms including fixed-term, part-time and temporary employees.  While all terms do not have to be in writing, some conditions, such as method of calculating pay and any sick pay scheme, must be recorded within two months of starting employment.

Compensation. While most experienced adult employees are entitled to the the minimum wage of €8.65 per hour, there are some exceptions including those working that are under 18, apprentices, trainees or those employed by close relatives.  There are also certain industries that require a higher minimum wage, such as those working in drapery, printing, electrical contracting and construction.

Employee Rights. As governed by the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, all employers are responsible for providing employees with adequate work hours.  This includes daily and weekly rest breaks, public holiday entitlements and annual leave.  Other leave entitlements for eligible employees could include general health and safety matters along with adoptive, parental, maternity and long-term care situations.

Policies and Procedures. Record keeping is key in having successful HR relations with employees and governmental officials.  During a National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) Inspection a number of documents will be requested including all of the previously stated information along with payroll details, holiday entitlement specifics and any employee-related history of the business.  Other internal policies and procedures should include how to deal with matters regarding absences, grievances, discipline and dignity (anti-bullying/harassment) should also be determined.

Rewarding Your Workforce

by David Parkinson on February 3rd, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

Finding and training new employees is a substantial cost, no matter the size of the organization. One of the best ways to retain employees is to reward them for their work. One of the primary rewards for working adults is to feel a sense of meaning or purpose in their work. If employees feel that they are serving a useful purpose, they are much more likely to stay at their current job.

A common complaint from employees in small- to medium-sized organizations is that they feel burned out. A common symptom of burnout is to feel unappreciated. One of the best ways to address burnout, and retain employees, is to ensure that they feel appreciated for their work.

Thus, it is critical that organizations give careful consideration as to how they reward their employees. Organizations do not need huge sums of money in order to reward them (besides, the belief that money is the major reward is just a myth). Guidelines in this section will help you to think about what might be the best rewards for your employees and to take steps to ensure that you are providing those rewards.

Guidelines to Rewarding Employees

There is not a set of standard rewards to be used for employees everywhere. Instead, each person has his/her own nature and needs. The following guidelines will help you to determine what might be the best ways to reward your employees.

  1. Reward employees by letting them hear positive comments from customers about how the employees’ activities benefited the customer.
  2. Occasionally have a Board member come to an employee meeting to thank them. This usually means a lot to employees, almost as much as having customers provide positive feedback about the employees’ activities.
  3. Understand what motivates each of your employees. You can do this by applying the “Checklist of Categories of Typical Motivators” in the previous subsection about supporting employee motivation on page 199. A major benefit of this approach is that each employee is afforded the opportunity to explain what motivates him or her.
  4. In each monthly staff meeting, take a few minutes to open the meeting by mentioning major accomplishments of various employees.
  5. Present gift certificates to employees who have made major accomplishments. Guidelines for determining who gets this reward should be clearly explained in your personnel policies in order to ensure all employees perceive the practice as fair and equitable. Allow employees to recommend other employees for awards.
  1. Probably the most fulfilling for employees is to be able to do useful work. Be sure that each employee understands the mission of the business and how his/her work is contributing to that mission. Post your mission statement on the walls. Discuss the action-planning section of your strategic plan with employees so that they see how their activities tie directly to achieving the strategic goals of the organization.

The Top 2 HR Management Myths

by David Parkinson on January 25th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, HR Mentor, Mentors.ie

Human resource management is a complex, multifaceted field that requires professionals to have the ability to juggle priorities and excel at a number of tasks-from the sometimes tedious to the often strategic. Exceptional managers know what to hone in on and what to delegate, stay on top of the latest trends in compensation and always have a finger on the pulse of employee relations.

Being in HR requires having a number of talents and brings with it the potential to make a big impact on the lives of individuals working for the company-its most important assets. Despite the importance of the role, often HR managers are left feeling less than appreciated, when their value as a strategic partner or their contributions to the bottom line are questioned.

HR’s Role: Strategic or Tactical?

Whether dictated by management, assumed by the practitioner, a function of “fighting fires” on a daily basis, or a combination of the above, HR’s role in the organization is all too often tactical over strategic, often to the dissatisfaction of practitioners themselves. This point is illustrated by USC Professor Edward E. Lawler III, who noted that HR professionals reported spending only 23% of their time in 2005 “being a strategic business partner” – no more than they reported in 1995. And line managers, he found, said HR is far less involved in strategy than HR thinks it is.

Though company culture often sets the stage, HR practitioners must actively seek key areas for improvement for themselves, their roles and for the company and take action to defend their role where possible.

HR : Cost Center or Cost Savings?

The view of HR as a cost center may be one of the hardest to overcome. How executives view the HR department and its role often plays a huge part in its perception and function, including whether the job is managed in-house to begin with. Frequently HR must take every opportunity to be its own proponent in providing greater education on the value of its offerings.

Other companies realize that HR managers contribute more directly in taking care of their most valuable assets, handling a range of responsibilities, including: recruiting; interviewing; providing, presenting, and delivering medical, dental, vision, life, and other ancillary benefits; job training; instituting programs for retention and growth of employees; establishing tools and guidance for management reviews; and reviewing and selecting technology to support HR functions, to name a few. Each of these, in fact, contributes greatly to the bottom line when all hard and soft costs of doing business are considered.

Group benefits, for instance, are a major part of the compensation employers offer to entice and retain productive and reliable employees and maintain the organization’s competitive nature. The methods by which these compensation elements are derived and presented are key to a company’s success. In retaining good employees, companies can save thousands, if not more, in rehiring and training costs. HR must be prepared to justify its case with a strong knowledge of its employee base and a rationalization of these types of obvious and not so obvious costs.

Choosing the Best Candidate… or Finding New Ones

by David Parkinson on January 20th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

Hiring a new candidate for your company can be a complex situation. After posting the position, choosing the short list of interview candidates and performing interview rounds, you are now faced with a difficult challenge – choosing the best fit candidate for your business.  However, it is surprising how much interviewers’ impressions can change once they all have an opportunity to carefully discuss and consider all of the candidates. Be sure your approach to selecting the best candidate is a comprehensive and consistent approach.

Soon after interviews are completed, interviewers together select the best candidate.

Within one or at most two weeks after all interviews have been completed, convene the interviewers. Consider a consistent method to select the best candidate from among the interviewers. For example, mention the name of a candidate, and allow 15 minutes total for all interviewers to share their impressions of that candidate. Also share results of any comments from references and/or background checks. Repeat the process for each candidate. After all candidates have been discussed, then list the candidates again, this time having interviewers vote for the best candidate from the list.

If there does not seem to be suitable candidate, then consider the following:

  1. Are the job requirements too stringent or an odd mix? For example, the job might require someone with strong technical skills and also someone with strong clerical skills. Those two types of skills are sometimes unusual to expect to mix together.
  2. Reconfigure the job so that the nature of the required skills and training are somewhat similar and so that the overall nature of the job becomes more common.
  3. Hire the candidate who most closely matched the requirements of the job and then plan for dedicated training to bring that person’s skills up to needed levels.
  4. Re-advertise the position.
  5. Get advice from a human resources professional. At this point, your need for their advice is probably quite specific, so they might provide services on a pro bono basis.
  6. Hire a consultant for the position on a short-term basis, but only as a last resort as this may be quite expensive.

Not All HR Tools Are Created Equal

by David Parkinson on January 6th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, Human Resources Mentor, Mentors.ie

One way that HR can heighten its role and increase strategic input is by using technology to better access, manage, and report on information. But, as with any industry, it is hard to cut through the clutter and hype surrounding proposed solutions to select the best technology to meet organizational needs. Though one provider may declare it offers self-service capabilities, for instance, it may not be the same level needed or offered by others, providing disappointing results. For an HR manager that has met with false promises in the past, doing the homework on proposed solutions is even more important.

Selecting the best tools requires assessing key factors, such as the ability to:

  • Grow and scale with the organization
  • Provide full ownership of the data
  • Simplify processes through wizards
  • Provide full security for backups, servers, added protective layers, etc. and transfer data within secure encrypted sessions, secure sockets layer (SSL) (128 bit encryption), or be encrypted prior to being sent
  • Provide authority to decide who will be allowed access and to what degree
  • Offer a robust eligibility engine for company enrollment activities and rules
  • Link with carriers with clean, validated transfers, beyond basic ANSI files
  • Offer 24-hour service from a direct contact that can help.

Though managing human resources is certainly not without its challenges, perhaps individuals are drawn to this role in the first place because of “the challenge” and the opportunity to make a difference at companies and in the lives of individuals. Frequently, HR managers can accomplish more and further prove their worth to the company by relying more heavily on employees and technology that can help them to focus on the most important issues.

Aligning Your Incentive Programs

by David Parkinson on January 4th, 2012 / No Comment

Category: Finance, Human Resources

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, HR Mentor, Mentors.ie

Within the new business climate the subject of “Business Intelligence” has become a new buzzword within the community as well as some other “new” words that have been around for a long time such as “data mining”…but the problem with these buzzwords is that they usually are clouded in mystique around a certain specialty, such as “technometrics” or some other phrase of the day. But in operations management a majority of the work is performed by those in operations, and as a result the data to drive these new areas of inquiry is present within their own daily tasks. So how does an organization utilize these front line employees and turn them into data-mining business analysts with their day to day grind? The answer in short is to link their recognition toward the development of deeper level analysis and data driven problem solving.

The only way to motivate employees is to link their recognition to a set of criteria, because in the end you can only manage what you focus on. So employee’s recognition and reward must be focused on those items that are in alignment with the things that are deemed important to the employer. In these days of lean profit margins for commodities the low hanging fruit has been harvested by previous efforts and new relationships and deeper levels of data must be observed to drive out waste and harvest improved profitability. Every employee must be rewarded and judged on their ability to think analytically about the work they do as a business, and this involves data.

Data must be at the cornerstone of the recognition program as the “acid” test through which everything must pass, and this has two distinct reasons.

1. Without data profitability can be suspect and interpreted in several different ways.

2. If the data collection method is not present to meet the needs of the analyst new data collection methods will spring into existence and the organization will have another lens through which it can evaluate itself and its environment.

This creation of new data collection driven through operations will push the organization toward a better understanding of how it can collectively impact its world, and the appropriate recognition system will allow the employee to feel as if their contribution was directly tied to the value of their effort in discovering the solution and highlighting the relationship or issue. In the new reality the department is a business, and each employee is a franchise in that business, while they have been handed a system, their interpretation of the system will drive a stronger business unit.

How to Retain Employees During Times of Change

by David Parkinson on December 30th, 2011 / 104 Comments

Category: Human Resources

Retaining talented employees is one of the topmost priorities of employers today. Without the right people with the right skills, your business can’t consistently fulfill your customer’s needs. The challenge is not only to attract the best talent but also to retain them.

Rising opportunities for career development, lifestyle decisions, job mobility, unbalanced work life, poor mentoring and stress are some factors which influence and individual’s decision to continue or quite. Among other things, a retention strategy demands respecting employees’ concerns right from their entry into the organization till their retirement. It encompasses the organization’s ability to provide the best of work climates.

What Troubles Employees?

Employees expect from their employers to:

  • Provide induction
  • Create a good work environment
  • Motivate them to work
  • Train them
  • Provide a suitable compensation package
  • Implement reward strategies
  • Counsel them
  • Hold affable exit interviews

An appropriate HR strategy alone can satisfy employee expectations.

Where are companies going wrong in these times of change?

Too many companies approach the retention of key employees during disruptive periods of organizational change by throwing financial incentives at senior executives, star performers, or other “rainmakers”. The money is rarely well spent!

There is a better and less costly approach to employee retention—and one that will serve companies well as they merge, restructure, and reorganize to seize strategic opportunities as the economy picks up. It starts with identifying all key players, but targeting only those who are most critical and most at risk of leaving. These people are then offered a mix of financial and nonfinancial incentives tailored to their aspirations and concerns.

Three suggestions for Retaining Employees

  • HR and line managers need to work together during times of major organizational change to identify people whose retention is critical. Yet too often companies simply round up the usual suspects—high-potential employees and senior executives in roles that are critical for business success. The “hidden gems” might be found anywhere in the company: a Business Development manager who is nearing his retirement age and is no longer on the company’s list of’ high potentials”. Even if the employees’ performance and career potential are unexceptional, their institutional knowledge, direct relationships, or technical expertise can make their retention critical.
  • One-size-fits-all retention packages are usually unsuccessful in persuading a diverse group of key employees to stay. Instead, companies should tailor retention approaches to the mind-sets and motivations of specific employees.
  • Financial incentives play an important role in retention—but money alone won’t do the trick. Praise from one’s manager, attention from leaders, frequent promotions, opportunities to lead projects, and chances to join fast-track management programs are often more effective than cash. Leadership opportunities are a powerful incentive in any sector.

When financial incentives are required, it is important to design them appropriately and use them in a targeted way.

Closing Thoughts

Targeting retention measures at the right people using a tailored mix of financial and nonfinancial incentives is crucial for managing organizational transitions that achieve long-term business success; it’s also likely to save money.

Maintaining Company Morale in Turbulent Economic Times

by David Parkinson on December 21st, 2011 / No Comment

Category: Human Resources

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By David Parkinson, HR Mentor, Mentors.ie

When the going gets tough, the tough get going… or so they say. But if your company has been going through the rough for some time – managing costs, asking staff for concessions, delaying bonuses, reducing training and hiring budgets – the general effect is often lowered morale.

Although you may not believe your company is experiencing a morale problem, consider that low morale demonstrates itself in a number of ways, including – increased sick leave or personal time taken, decreasing performance, higher number of customer complaints, higher rates of company theft or shrinkage, increased turnover amongst staff, decreased communication between managers and employees, or simply a lack of interest and enthusiasm amongst staff.

Faced with such a list of symptoms, it is easy to see the connection between low employee morale and a direct effect on your company’s bottom line. We coach our clients to consider employee morale as one of the key performance indicators for the company’s leadership team. Careful consideration of the impact of strategic decisions on employee morale will directly influence the profitability of the company.

Some of the simple tips we give leaders to improve employee morale include:

  1. Constant Communication – If your company only has a general meeting or performance reviews once a year for staff, your employees have 11+ months of uncertainty in which they’re left wondering how they valuable they are to the company, and how the company is doing overall. Increasing the frequency of communication and feedback is key to keeping employees engaged with the company.
  2. Transparency – Is your company’s rumour mill working against you? Does it seem like negative news escalates and there’s an atmosphere of fear in your office? Encourage transparency amongst your managers – set guidelines for what performance indicators they can share with their staff and advise them that they should share both good AND bad news with staff. Often times, the facts of a negative outcome are far less scary to staff than the rumour itself.
  3. Lead By Example – Negative company performance affects the morale of leaders just as much as it affects the employees, however this is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and turn around the situation single-handedly. If absenteeism is skyrocketing, consider postponing your own vacation until later in the year. If your managers seem apathetic or less communicative than normal, make yourself more accessible to them simply by walking through the office twice per day. If company turnover is high, look for ways to reward long-term employees publically.

Every company is different, and these simple tips may not be enough to turn around the tide of negative emotion in the workplace. If you fear you’re facing an impending exodus of important intellectual assets, consider working with a Cognito Management Consultant to review your company’s morale and develop a plan to improve it, and your bottom line.

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