Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Reimagining the Employee Experience

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Reimagining the Employee Experience Atlast summersSilkRoad Connections conference, researchers from Kaiser Associates presented two innovative ways to consider and impact the employee experience. The business case for tweaking our approach is clear. Research shows that organizations with high employee satisfaction outperform peer organizations over time by approximately two to four percent annually and 89 to 184 percent cumulatively â€" even controlling for other factors that drive returns. Additionally, the cost to replace experienced and executive-level employees is 75 percent and 200 percent of their full salaries respectively. In addition to salary, new hires require investment via recruiting, onboarding, training and development, and the Kaiser researchers pointed out that organizations will never realize the full return on that investment if they do not evaluate and design a powerful employee experience. A New Perspective: Employee Experience Empathy Mapping Understanding how employees view pieces of the talent management lifecycle with themselves at the epicenter can turn a process lifecycle into an individualized, forward looking, and connected journey. There are a number of components of the employee experience that should be considered at each phase, including work environment, people, incentives, technology enablers, programming, and roles. We can use Employee Experience Empathy Mapping to identify gaps and opportunities between the current vs. desired state employee experience throughout. In other words, what are employees actually feeling versus what we want them to be feeling? Experiential components can be mapped along the talent lifecycle as follows: Attraction: What is this organization about and why would I want to work there? Potential candidates develop an impression of your organization based on your brand and what you share publicly. A dynamic organization attracts a dynamic candidate. Recruitment: Is this the right organization and role for me? Candidates are exposed to organizational processes and culture, either solidifying or challenging pre-conceived notions. Sodexo, for example, drives recruitment internally through its Candidate Discovery Program, which offers candidates a strong initial impression from the individuals through which they are referred. Onboarding: What can I expect here, and what’s expected of me? New hires become excited about the organization and gain an understanding of how their roles fit into the organization’s strategic direction. Performance: How will I receive feedback? Employees receive constructive feedback on performance and work collaboratively to develop meaningful goals and objectives that align with organizational goals. Development: How will I continue to grow my career? Employees seek out development opportunities and their long-term goals are supported by the organization throughout their tenure. To make an impact here, insurance company the Hartford has an experiential mentorship program that pairs senior-level executives with entry-level staff so critical skills can be acquired in both directions. Retention: Should I stay or should I go? Employees are continually engaged through development opportunities, rewards, compensation, and promotion. Hubspot, for instance, has developed a retention element that positively contributes to employee experience. Spinoff City is a forum in which employees devise, vote on, and help to implement innovative programs. Transition: What are the high and low points of my experience here? Employees provide meaningful feedback on their experience and remain engaged with the organization post-tenure through alumni networks and personal contacts. For more where this came from, head over to the SilkRoad blog.

5 Effects of Hiring With a Ferrari Taste on a Honda Budget

5 Effects of Hiring With a Ferrari Taste on a Honda Budget Whether you are an HR Director, Hiring Manager or whoever else is responsible for hiring employees, it’s a safe assumption that you want to bring on the best person possible for the job. Whether it’s the next President’s Club Sales Person, Innovative Technology Professional or Lead Customer Service Rep, you want someone who is going to invigorate your staff, and be an A player. But what happens when you aren’t willing to pay for it? As a 3rd party recruiter who has been in the industry for a while, I can tell you countless stories where my clients wanted someone who had 10 years of experience but wanted to offer a starting salary of entry level candidates. By doing this you are only hurting your company. Below I highlight the 5 most important reasons why offering a lower salary is counterproductive and hurtful to your company: 1)  The employee will always be looking: By: Johan Bengtsson If the market is dictating that sales professionals make 50,000 per year and you start your employees off at 35,000, you can believe that your employees will be ready to leave at the first offer that comes by. In today’s world employees are always willing to entertain new conversations and with reductions in force (layoffs) happening at the drop of the hat, employees are always willing to listen to new opportunities. But, if you compensate your employee well, it will take a lot for them to make a move. By starting them off at a significantly lower salary than other companies in the area, you are only giving them a reason to make a move that much quicker. 2)  You are getting the bottom 10%, not the top 10%: If the average web developer with 5 years experience in your geographic area is making 60,000 per year and your developer happily accepts 35,000 with no questions asked, that should raise some red flags. Why do they not have other competing offers? Unless your position is super niche its safe to assume that the candidate you are interviewing is interviewing elsewhere. If other employers are offering a significantly higher salary than why is that candidate not entertaining those positions? The primary reason: because they are not good enough to get those offers. By getting that candidate who is so easily willing to accept your lower offer, chances are you are also getting the developer who isn’t working with the latest technologies, takes 5 days longer to code and overall isnt that A player you were originally looking for! READ MORE:  How to Source  Top Talent  Online 3)  You limit your candidate pool: As much as HR managers want to think they determine salaries based on their companys history unfortunately, for the most part, they are wrong salaries are determined by the market. If the 15 companies in your geographic territory are paying customer service reps 35-40,000 per year than you can’t sit there at 25K and be satisfied because “that’s how we’ve always done it”. If car dealership A is offering the next car I purchase 20K higher than the 6 other dealerships in the area, it’s safe to assume which dealership I won’t be buying from. In turn, when you try to go against your markets grain you are cutting your candidate pool in half, if not more, and picking from a lot less talented candidates! 4)  You’re showing your employees that you don’t really value them: By: Alex Bramwell This one can be tricky. As much as you want to offer candidates the highest salary possible, sometimes your budget just won’t allow it. There is no need to break the bank, if by doing so there is no bank to be had 3 months later. So this point doesnt typically apply to those situations. However for those companies who can afford higher salaries, but don’t, you are telling your employee that you truly don’t value them as much. I have recruited the same position for a multi-billion dollar, national company as I have a start-up with 12 employees. And it always confuses me why the start-up is willing to offer higher salaries. More times than not Ive had start-ups tell me that they want to show their employees that they value them. Whereas the much larger company has hired for this position so much that hiring has become more of an assembly line: next person in. Showing an employee they are valued is important. A long time ago just being employed was enough. But in today’s market an employee wants to know they are cared about, that you have their best interest in mind. By offering a lower marketed salary, when you know you can offer more, you are fracturing that relationship right off the bat. RELATED:  7 Phrases Employees Want to  Hear  from their  Boss 5)  Setting an employee up for failure: By offering a lower marketable salary you are opening up the doors for negotiation. The candidate wants to be compensated fairly and if they have other offers on the table, they know what fair is. Now assume that you do offer the candidate the salary that is ultimately determined as fair market (for example 10K higher than the original offer). By offering the candidate a higher salary than you deem normal, your natural response is to expect more out of the candidate. However that salary you offered is the normal market value so this employee should not be expected to perform any differently than anyone else in their role. Expectations have now been unfairly put on this person when in reality they were just trying to get what they are worth. If you talk to most recruiters they will tell you that salary is not everything. And they are right. There are many things to consider when accepting an offer, such as commute, job security, career mobility/ advancement and countless others.  However, I can’t speak for everyone in the industry; salary usually plays the biggest motivating factor if not the only factor in some occasions. I’ve had candidates accept positions that would require a 45 minute longer commute just because it was a 15k increase. If you expect to walk home with a 2011 Ferrari but are only willing to pay for the 1987 Honda Accord, you are in for a rude awaking.

5 Instant Beauty Uplifters

5 Instant Beauty Uplifters Im not sure about you, but as the winter weather here in Chicago continues to drag on Im feeling the need for a beauty perk up just in time for spring! No matter what climate you may live in, these five instant beauty uplifters will help you kick a case of the Mondays and leave you feeling (or at least looking) refreshed and ready for anything! #1 Bright Lips: Add a bright pop of color to your lips to put a little pep in your step this week! My favorite colors for spring are bright pinks and oranges. Whether youre a gloss girl or lipstick lady, there are plenty of great options to choose from! For a long wearing bright smile that lasts all day I reach for Revlons Kissable Balm Stains. If Im in the mood for something a bit more moisturizing I opt for Maybelline Color Whisper or Revlon Lip Butters. If youre a gloss lover Id  recommend  checking out Revlon Colorburst and LOreal LGloss from the drugstore. OCC Lip tars are also super pigmented and long wearing. #2 Cheek Stain: For a flushed glow on the cheeks that lasts all day, reach for a cheek stain! Many, such as Benefit Cosmetics Cha Cha tint and Stila Cheek Lip Tint, double as lip stains as well for a double treat. The best part is that cheek stains are super easy to use just dab and blend for a healthy glow! #3 Brightening Under Eye Concealer: One makeup item that can never be overlooked, is a brightening under eye concealer. I dont care if youre in your early 20s, chances are your under eye area is in need of some perking up. My favorite under eye concealer formulas are lightweight, provide a bit of coverage and are also BRIGHTENING! If you have severe darkness, opt for a color correcting formula like Maybelline Age Rewind concealer. Moisturizing formulas like Benefits Fake Up concealer are great in keeping the under eye area from looking creasy, cakey or dull. #4 Volumizing Lengthening Mascara: Nothing makes a gal look more bright eyes and bushy tailed than a great mascara! This is the one makeup item most of us ladies wont leave the house without and for a good reason! Lengthening and volumizing formulas are my personal favorite as theres nothing worse than spider lashes. My recent fav is Cover Girls Clump Crusher. You can layer multiple coats to create your desired level of drama without worrying about clumps! My other holy grail mascaras are Tartes Lights Camera Lashes, Mally Beautys Volumizing Mascara and Benefit Cosmetics Theyre Real mascara. #5 The Party Nail: Sometimes I feel the need to put a little extra pizazz into my manicure. This is where the party nail comes in. Whats the party nail you ask? Nothing other than a splash of glitter on the ring finger! Its fun, festive and flirty without being over the top. Its also something you can easily do at home with any bottle of glitter nail varnish.