I have been running this business for almost fourteen years now … along the way there have been lots of lessons learned, and through this blog I occasionally share some of those.

Some lessons can be counter-intuitive, or complex in nature and finding a “cookie cutter” answer can be difficult.

One of those scenarios is around IDEAS …

The good thing about ideas is that in some ways they are the lifeblood of an organization, they can fuel growth, help companies adapt to changing situations and differentiate from competition.

The bad thing about ideas is that they can cause you to lose focus. If you take your eye off the core business, or they cause a change to the core business with unintended consequences you have a problem. Also some people think they bring good ideas to the table, but really their value to the organization is in executing on the job they are supposed to be doing … managing that disconnect an be delicate.

How do you handle this kind of dilemma?

1. You don’t want to discourage ideas … so be careful about demotivating employees who are willing to come forward with ideas.
2. You might want to actively encourage ideas for innovation from your staff … but set very clear expectations around how the process works.\
3. It would not be unreasonable to reward people for their ideas … perhaps something small for giving a credible idea and something more significant if it is implemented.
4. You need to ensure that everyone knows their core job is their most important priority.
5. One technique that can work with ideas considered to “have legs” is to pilot it in a controlled manner. This ensures the impact on the core business is minimal and any unforeseen consequences are contained.

It seems counter intuitive that ideas should be a problem, but this is an area that can be a bit of a minefield, so tread carefully!

Have you ever been frustrated because you felt the person you were dealing with was moving too slowly, or perhaps did not understand your need?

When I am dealing with a salesperson, customer service person or anyone providing a service I want them to make me feel like my issue is important to them. I want to be treated like a valued client.

It is not a hard thing to do if you are the one providing the service …

#1. LISTEN. Understand what is needed.
#2. SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. If you don’t know the answer, then tell them that … but make sure that you GET the answer.
#3. KEEP THE CLIENT INFORMED. Don’t go into a black hole, give the client feedback throughout the process.
#4. Do ALL of the above with a SENSE OF URGENCY!

I think that this last point is the “secret sauce” of customer service.

You can do all of the other things, but if the client doesn’t feel that you are giving their issue the appropriate level of priority (in their eyes) then they are not going to be satisfied.

In the staffing business this is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL! It is probably the number one knock against the industry (clients don’t get candidates and don’t know if their order is even getting any attention) and a clear way for staffing companies to differentiate themselves.

• If a client gives you an order you MUST “jump on it” and get the ball rolling.
• IF its going to be a longer than expected process then let the client know!
• IF you are not going to be able to get to it for a day or two let the client know!
• IF it is not the right type of order for you then tell the client.
• IF your process is such that a bunch of work goes on before the client sees anything then MAKE SURE the client understand that AND keep them informed of progress.
• EVEN if you have made no progress you can let the client know where things stand.

The absolute worst thing for a client who needs resources is to be left wondering … to be forced to pick up the phone and chase you! They are paying for a service and want to be treated as a valued client … otherwise they don’t feel that way, and there are plenty of staffing companies they can use!

I first heard that saying as one of “Bob’s Rules” … a collection of wisdom from a former boss of mine. When I google the phrase it turns out that it might have been John le Carre who coined the phrase, and I can well imagine him using it in the context of one of his spy novels. Having said that, the phrase is very attributable to the everyday world in which we operate.

If you are a salesperson then spending too much time at your desk means that you are not spending enough time with your clients and prospects … and from a sales perspective that IS a dangerous practice.

If you are a manager and you spend too much time at your desk then do you really know what your team are doing? No matter how much we “tell people”, they are often reluctant to come and find you if there is an issue … which might NOT be the answer you want to hear.

If you are a supervisor in a factory and spend too much time at your desk then are you sure that health and safety concerns are being adequately looked after? Are your team being as productive as they might? How will you know if you could help them, if you are not there?

As a senior executive how do you know what is going on if you are stuck to your desk?

The statement applies in a tom of situations … one of Bob’s Rules that you need to think about (some are more self-evident) but definitely worth understanding in your situation if you are a manager at any level.

Many people spend a lot of time and effort striving to be successful. They will work hard, put in long hours, invest in learning and do whatever it takes to be successful in their career.

One thing that is often forgotten in that plan is health and fitness. The “up and comer” is usually relatively young and still benefits from that youthful natural strength. Once the realities of long work hours and perhaps starting a family kicks in, it becomes that much harder to “stay in shape”.

It is hard to find time for a workout. It is easy to grab fast food, rather than eat a healthy balanced diet. Pretty soon the hard charging, up and coming new executive is putting on some extra pounds and finding themselves a little out of breath climbing stairs!

There are LOTS of reasons why sacrificing your health and fitness for a job is a bad idea, and intellectually I don’t think many people will argue with that. However if you don’t establish good habits early in your career then it just gets harder with time.

So … my advice to anyone serious about their career is this. A career is a marathon NOT a sprint. You NEED to stay fit and healthy if you want to remain at the top of your game for the long haul!

Not long after starting this blog I wrote four entries on this subject and I am reposting their links here. Take a read and see if you can improve your health and fitness, and enjoy the benefits of that at work AND outside of work.

1. The first posting was called The Healthy Executive … and talks about why it is important to be healthy in a leadership role.
2. I then wrote a blog called The Healthy Executive – Diet. Like the title suggests it is just a common sense approach to making sure you don’t put on too much weight!
3. Afterwards was the Healthy Executive – Exercise. I don’t think you have to be a fitness guru, or an athlete but you do need a minimum amount of exercise to stay reasonably fit.
4. The final in the series was The Healthy Executive – Sleep. Being well rested is critical to staying healthy and operating at your best, this blog entry talks a little about that.

Healthy and fit people get more enjoment out of every aspect of their lives. they may even live longer … make time to look after yourself.

You are busy.

The world moves at incredible speed … and you rush along with it!

Every now and then something nice happens, and you feel good about it. Maybe someone compliments you, or does somethhing nice, or is just thoughtful … but you notice.

So … its YOUR turn to do something nice for someone (or even lots of someones!)

DO IT … MAKE THEIR DAY!!!

I write about change quite often in this blog … just a month ago I wrote about Technology Progress, the changes that can cause and the opportunities that come from that change.

It is a pet subject of mine, as a business owner and especially one in an industry that has undergone tremendous change … and that change is not slowing down.

Think about some industries that have undergone significant change, what that has meant and what has been the result.

1. The music industry. Napster and sites like it were a huge threat to the music industry and have led to massive change there. Today, everyone I know has an iPod (talking about game changing technology) the sales of CDs has to be drastically reduced, the traditional players have either learned to play in this new environment or they are fast becoming extinct.

2. The manufacturing industry used to thrive in Canada, but over the last ten years we have seen most operations move offshore to “low cost” countries, an inevitable fact of the global economy. Goods wanting to compete on the world stage need to be price competitive, and they cannot do that with an expensive labour force. Companies in Canada have either adapted their business model to align with foreign partners, entered niche markets or become the interface to offshore solutions. There are obviously still some manufacturing companies left here, but what does their future look like (without government subsidies)?

3. The systems world. Again cheap offshore labour has changed the face of this industry, with all of the big players (IBM et al) employing large numbers of employees in these other countries. This allows them to produce quality solutions in a cost effective manner, but costs jobs in the “higher cost” countries. Just a fact.

4. The newspaper industry is an industry under siege, with online content readily available for nothing why are people going to buy newspapers? Obviously there is still a market, but greatly reduced and companies are having to tailor their content to meet the needs of their new customers. These changes have cost a lot of jobs too.

There are many other industries I could mention but the story is the same.

CHANGE is happening … most likely to YOU and YOUR COMPANY.

The good news is that with change comes opportunity … and THAT excites me! In a “flat world” we have access to markets we would never have dreamed possible before the internet era; we also have access to partners, technology and ideas in unprecedented ways.

Today a someone can create a phenomena that captures the world’s imagination in a couple of years (Facebook); entrepreneurs in the African sub-continent can get access to funds through micro-loans from ordinary people around the world (Kiva); you can communicate (video conference) with friends, relatives, potential business partners in almost every nook and cranny around the world for next to nothing (Skype); we can get access to talent anywhere in the globe to help us solve our business problems wherever we might be; and every day people are innovating business ideas, products and services.

Sometimes we just hold too tight to the old ways of doing things … and if we do that, we go the way of the buggy whip manufacturer. However I bet there were some of those buggy whip manufacturers who reinvented themselves, using their assets to develop businesses of the future!

Are you ready for the future … or is it going to run you down?

CANADIAN IT JOB MARKET – Mini update June/July 2010

General Observations:

June saw Canada add 93.000 jobs bringing the total added since July 2009 to 403,000. That basically means we have replaced almost all of the jobs lost through the recession. The unemployment rate also dropped below 8% for the first time since January 2009. Of course the “big picture” can also hide some realities. Before the recession the unemployment rate was closer to 6%, so today there are more people unemployed than back then … possibly because of seasonally adjusted rates. Also, the job boom for June was almost exclusively in Ontario and Quebec, while the Eastern provinces actually lost jobs.

There continues to be volatility in the markets, and for the second month in a row the TSX dropped little, however that reading is a point in time which could well have righted by the time you read this. Interest rates were hiked again, the second time in two months, making the Prime Rate now 2.75%. I guess the Feds didn’t want McGuinty getting all the tax dollars (with his HST implemented effective july 1st). Canada’s Staffing Index saw a big jump of 7 points in June, which is indicative of increased demand for labor heading into the Summer months, obviously a trend we would like to see continue!

More Specifically:

The “buzz” in the staffing industry continues to highlight the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) as the engine of growth and the most active market across Canada. Month over month there is little changed, just a little more pressure as the best candidates get snapped up and demand continues to increase. The incidence of “multiple offers” and “turndowns” by qualified candidates is on the rise, indicative of a market that is definitely getting hot. The two hottest sectors continue to be the financial sector and the telecommunications industries, but we are also seeing a lot of activity with the large system integrators. That is a very good indicator because large clients are now engaging the integrators for major projects again … another sign of some confidence and a need to “get things done”. The Ontario provincial government continues to slowly increase its demand, as it catches up on some pent up demand. There is a healthy demand for both full-time and contract resources within all of those areas.

The mood across our Western Canada markets continues to improve, and other than market-specific activities getting in the way of business (Stampede Week), we are hopeful that things are improving across the board. Calgary has been, and continues to be the hottest Western market and June was very busy there. Edmonton also had a busy month as the provincial government ramps up prior to the Summer holidays impacting. Vancouver may be getting past it’s “post-olympics hangover” as demand also seemed to pick up in June. Overall it was a busy month for all of Eagle’s Western offices which also saw their share of “multiple offer” scenarios.

In Eagle’s Eastern Canada region Montreal has continued to be fairly strong market and here too we are seeing a shortage of the most in demand candidates. Like the GTA it is the financial sector, telcos and system integrators that have the biggest demand. In the National Capital Region there has been a fairly steady demand over the month and some large RFP activity as departments position themselves for future demand.

The following are some facts/indicators we are watching as of time of writing:

> The price of oil is a little over $77 a barrel, basically unchanged from last month … our experience with the activity in Calgary would suggest the oil sector is picking up! Perhaps as a result of stable oil prices, despite the BP woes in the Gulf.
> Natural Gas prices have been trending down, probably due to Summer usage and increased stocks … nothing crazy here.
> The markets continue to be pretty volatile, with the TSX down a little from last month at 11,586 today but that’s still a pretty healthy level.
> The Canadian dollar has fallen a little from last month, currently sitting at 95.49c US.
> Prime was raised to 2.75% in July, the second hike in two months so borrowing continues keeps getting more expensive!
> Canada added 93,000 jobs in June which effectively replaces all jobs lost during the recession (403,000 added since July 2009). The unemployment rate dropped below 8% to 7.9%, for the first time since January 2009.
> Eagle continues to see a pickup in activity in most sectors … banks, energy companies, and telcos in particular. There is also some pickup in Municipal and Provincial Government activity.
> The Canadian government, while not expected to drastically reduce its spending this year has not really “wowed” the market with its spending. There has not been a lot of new IT business and the National Capital companies are suffering a little for that.
> Canada’s Staffing Index increased significantly this month, by 7 points. This puts the index at 86, which is just 14% off the pre-recession baseline set in July 2008.

Summary:

Increased interest rates and the introduction of HST will dampen the recovery a little, and there does seem to be a concern that this recovery is still not “a given”. Having said that, we have seen a steady increase in demand over the last several months, and the Canadian Staffing Index continues to demonstrate a positive (but generally cautious) trend.

Canada’s employment figures are promising and if we can keep things heading this way all will be well. Canada is however impacted by global events and that is the wild card, if the world’s economies cannot sustain their recovery then we will be caught in that. For now, I am optimistic, everything we are seeing in our world indicates that the job situation is good and getting even better … keep your fingers crossed!

PS. Last month I referenced the World Cup and getting the right result! Born in England I had hopes, which of course were smashed … but I can’t argue with the eventual winner, Spain were awesome!

If you ask people what they would like in life, whether it is material things or less tangible things they can usually tell you.

I would love a nice house with a big yard, or a flashy car, or a comfortable lifestyle, or a place in the country etc. They might say I want a life partner and a couple of kids, a dog and a picket fence!

To them, that is their dream … and each of us have something, or some things that we would want in our lives.

If you go to the next level and ask them what are they doing to get there … the answers are less clear.

For many people a dream is just that, a dream … they don’t really expect to get there. Some people’s idea of reaching their dream is to buy a lottery ticket … if I win the lottery I will do this and that etc. Many people just don’t believe that they can reach their dream.

Here is a fact … the world is FULL of people that have reached their dream People who have overcome incredible odds to achieve things. So what does it take?

At an ACSESS conference a couple of years ago I heard Warren MacDonald suggest that how we view the world is what it becomes! Warren lost his legs in an accident and is now a motivational speaker and author, who tells the story of what he has been able to achieve since then. So … if you can believe in your dream, if you can look at the world that way then you CAN make it happen. I blogged about Motivation after seeing Warren at that conference

At this year’sACSESS conference Frank O’Dea suggested Hope, Vision and Action were the catalysts for achieving your dream. Frank was a co-founder of the Second Cup chain … but before then had been an alcoholic living on the streets! His philanthropy inspired me to write a blog entry called Frank O’Dea, An Inspiration to Give Back.

Their stories are but two of many, and yet still, they are a minority. The vast majority of people will go through their lives WISHING for a dream … but the only way to achieve a dream is through action.

If you can bring yourself to believe a dream is possible then you are off to a good start … then you need to plan and then execute on that plan.

Are you going to be a dreamer … or are you actually going to make a dream come true?

James Dean’s quote, “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today” epitomises that sentiment. Dreams are GREAT … but if you don’t believe in them and work towards them, then they are just dreams.

Make your dreams happen … its unlikely someone else will do it for you.

The staffing business is very cyclical by nature, and the two extremes that we deal with are the “Cold Market”, with fewer job openings (the recent recession an excellent example) and the “Hot Market”, where there is huge demand and finding people is an issue. The pre-recession boom in Calgary was a great example of a hot market.

As we slowly recover from the recession we move along the continuum from a “Cold Market” to a “Hot Market”, and it is worth noting the differences, because understanding them can improve your opportunity for success in finding the talent that you need.

COLD MARKET

Could be also called a “Buyers market” or “Employers Market. Typically there are lots of candidates in the market looking for jobs, and not too many jobs to be had. There are some excellent candidates in the market but they are typically snapped up quickly, and a generalization would suggest that the excellent candidates are NOT often available under ANY market conditions (they get scooped long before they are looking). These are the people that every company wants on their team. It is also fair to say that they are less likely to move jobs during a “Cold Market” and so can be difficult, but not impossible, to hire.

Staffing companies bring value that is specific to these market conditions in a variety of ways.

1. They sort through the volume. There are a ton of resumes floating around, and when a client needs someone they can be deluged in resumes which makes finding the best fit very time consuming and it will detract from the “core business” of the client. Having a senior project manager wade through hundreds of resumes is not a good use of their time.

2. Staffing companies know who the “great candidates” are and can identify them quickly for clients who need help now.

Staffing companies always bring their clients fast, efficient access to quality people at an attractive rate. In a Cold Market access to the great people and volume processing can bring additional value.

A Cold Market is a great time for forward thinking clients to strengthen their teams. You have a great opportunity to replace mediocre performers with “A Players” during a cold market, without significantly increasing your cost base!

HOT MARKET.

Could also be called a “Sellers Market” or “Job Seeker Market”. Typically companies are in hiring mode, there are lots of jobs available, we see skills shortages and even labour shortages. During a hot market, even decent (not great) candidates get multiple job offers, we see more “turndowns” (refusal of job offers) and candidates feel more empowered to “pick and choose”. The Great candidates are all gainfully employed and only accessible as passive job seekers, and therefore more difficult to access (you won’t see their resumes on Monster!).

During a hot market staffing companies provide their usual valuable service (fast, cost effective access to quality candidates) but can also bring very “Hot Market” specific skills.

1. Access to great candidates. The staffing company knows where they are, and how to get to them. They can work with clients to proactively identify timing for future projects and identify when the right people might be available.
2. Process and speed. Staffing companies operate fast, their processes are designed to get clients great candidates when they need them. In a hot market clients are focused on their business and most often do not have time or patitence to wait for talent, they need it now … that’s what we do!
3. Rate control. there is upwards rate pressure in a hot market but staffing companies know what the market rates are and can advise both clients and contractors on the current market rates, ensuring best value for money.

WHAT MARKET ARE WE IN TODAY?

There is euphoria in certain industry sectors (banking would be one) but generally I would say that we are in transition … to keep the “temperature theme”, we have moved out of “the cold” across Canada and different geographic markets are at different stages of “warmth”. The hottest market right now would be the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) largely driven by the banking sector, and I would deem it to be getting hot, but not really hot yet. A market like Calgary is a little behind the GTA, slower out of recession, warm but not hot … and across the country we are in various shades of warm!

WHAT DO CLIENTS NEED TO DO?

As the markets heat up there are some important things clients can do to improve their chances of success.

1. Be proactive … as much as possible identifying “future” needs will garner more success.
2. Establish a VERY EFFICIENT hiring process. This is critical because in a hot market speed will win. Taking time for multiple interviews over a long period of time will mean losing out on many good candidates. Your staffing company should be able to help you with this, but you need to be willing to “make it happen”.
3. Establish a VERY EFFICIENT onboarding process. After all the effort to get the right candidate on board it would be a shame to lose them because you didn’t treat them right, right from the beginning! Remember they were interviewing with other companies who might get very aggressive in trying to hire “your person” when they find out they lost the candidate!
4. Be realistic. Looking for the “perfect candidate” can be very frustrating, so be brutal with those “mandatory requirements” … what if they don’t have a university degree (but have been doing the job for 10 years); what if they have only two years experience rather than five (but are top performers in the role already); what if they only have four of your five needs?

There is no doubt in my mind that we will be back to skills AND labour shortages before too long. NOW is a great time to work on these areas and make sure you are ready for the next “War for Talent”.

We have all had those moments, some of us more than others, when we realise that we are talking at “cross purposes” with someone. They are thinking about one thing and we are talking about something else.

It is often innocuous, and cause for a little chuckle … each thinking you were talking about someone else, each thinking of a different event in relation to the story. etc.

The real problems come when the communication is not clear and it really needs to be … in extreme cases this could be life and death scenarios such as a co-pilot giving emergency instructions to the pilot (have you read Gladwell’s “Outliers”) or a war situation. It could also be a business situation that could cost a sale, cause a problem or result in a project going off course.

I have blogged in the past about this kind of thing … back in 2006 I wrote an entry called “I said this and she heard that! Later that same year I wrote about communicating with different personality types.

Learning about different communication styles can really give a good insight into why this kind of stuff happens … so if you can take a few minutes I would strongly advise you read those entries to understand the basics.

It should also be said that common sense and a clear approach to communication can solve most issues. Have you ever been given directions to somewhere, set off and at the first junction there are 4 exits instead of three, or the church you were supposed to use as a landmark wasn’t there? Perhaps the explainer rushed their communication, or forgot about THAT turn or a million other things. If you are late for an appointment it might be no big deal or it might mean a lost job interview etc.

Clear communication does NOT come easily, requires some effort and often is as dependent upon the listener as the talker.

Do you ask the right questions?
Do you REALLY listen AND hear everything said? It is very easy to miss a critical word that could affect what you hear.

In a business context, documentation helps … always take notes in EVERY meeting. Do NOT rely on your memory, no matter how good you think it is. Be sure to clarify any potential anomalies. If a point is critical then perhaps ask the question a couple of ways … or repeat the answer to ensure you got it right. (So it costs $23.75 … could that possibly be $2375.00???, perhaps not but a difference in currency could be substantial etc.)

As a salesperson talking to a prospect you are sometimes (most times?) pre-disposed to look for certain “indicators” that might identify a potential client. It is easy to allow that to colour what you hear … somewhat akin to the handyman with a hammer always finding a way for the hammer to be the solution to the problem!

We somehow expect communication to be second-nature, yet there are so many ways we can go off track. Cultural reasons, language barriers, listening skills, a distracted listener, an unclear word or expression, the way we are “programmed” to communicate (personality profile) are all reasons why we mess up communication.

Don’t fall into those traps … be careful when your communication is important.