Wikipedia defines groupthink as “a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.”

There is a phrase, “two heads are better than one” … the implication being that the more people involved in thinking through a decision the better, which is often the case.  It is not the case however if everyone agrees with “the boss”, or the “loudest person”.

Organizations will always do best if they have people with complementary skills, who are willing to voice their opinions and bring new ideas to the table. 

So … GroupTHINK is something to avoid!!!

Some things to remember:

1.  The groupthink phenomena is not productive when strategising/brain storming or just discussing options.

2.  People proposing their different ideas can be uncomfortable … get over it.

3.  Proposing alternative ideas is welcome … just shooting down other ideas is not very valuable at all.  It is always easier to shoot down ideas, than propose new ones!

4.  It is possible to be forceful, passionate and still be courteous while disagreeing with peers … but its MORE important to get the ideas out!

5.  Once all of the ideas have been tabled, and a decision has been made the team needs to support it 100% … that’s life too!  I call that GroupACT!

6.   A member of a management team that does not support the  group decisions, who does not GroupACT, will quickly become dispensable.

Great management teams will often see some friction while in that decision making process, but they will come together with a unified front outside of the meeting room!

Wikipedia hasn’t discovered GroupACT yet   I will define it as “a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. Group members fully support the same strategy and work together towards a common goal, despite any personal differences.”

GroupTHINK … Bad!

GroupACT … Good!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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I just read an interesting, fairly short, article about the purpose of a cover letter on TechReplublic.

It got me to thinking about the parallel between (a) a cover letter from candidate, and (b) the submission information from a recruiter … they are very similar.

Toni Bowers in her TechRepublic article does emphasise the need for a cover letter, despite some naysayers, she suggests that it should “put your experience into a perspective for the job being filled”.

I whole heartedly agree … but I think I might even emphasise the importance of the cover letter more than Toni.

To me, like the submission email, a cover letter is a “selling document“.  (a) It tells the reader exactly why you are the right person for the job; and (b) It makes it EASY for the reader to understand why!  Like ANY good selling document it takes all of the relevant information and presents it in a format that is designed to suit the reader.

What do I mean by that?  If you are an experienced consultant in the IT space it is likely your resume is quite long, listing many different projects and roles over a number of years.  To read through that chronologically will take a while … AND it is easy to miss some of the nuances.  The cover letter (submission email) takes exactly what the reader is looking for and matches it to the resume … presenting itself in a way that is compelling!  The resume then just becomes a supporting document!

A former sales manager of mine once told me that  you MUST make it easy for the buyer to buy!   Do as much of their work for them as possible … and you have done your job!  THAT is what a cover letter should do! 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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I have written several times about the need to support the less fortunate and the other good causes within our society.  I reviewed a book by  John Izzo called, The Five Secrets You Must discover Before You Die … the 5th secret being to Give More Than You Take!  I wrote a piece in November last year asking people to dig deep because it has Been a Tough Year Charities.

It sometimes feels like I am always asking for money … but I am also acutely aware that I need to do my bit or our charitable organizations would be in a mess. 

So … I am the guy who is always asking people for money, and I decide to take part in the Becel Ride for Heart.  A 50 km bike ride, for which I am sorely (pun intended) prepared.  My intention was to write a $100 cheque myself, perhaps send out an email to “the usual suspects’ and see if a few more dollars came in.

It has been amazing, and the generosity of people has blown me away!!  If you visit my personal pledge page today you will see that my friends have donated more than $3,250 to this cause already!  All the result of one email asking for a few dollars!!!

It is times like this that I am reminded of the good in people, of how lucky I am to know such people and that the vast majority of people are basically good.  It is easy sometimes to be a little cynical and forget that … but it is a lesson worth remembering, and times like this teach it.

THANKS!!!! 

PS.  If you want to donate a few dollars yourself, here is my Donation Page

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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This is the time of year when many new graduates are out looking for their first job.  Fresh out of university they will have a wide range of expectations … from wanting to change the world, to getting a pay cheque.  They will also be in various states of readiness for this big adventure … but generally speaking they will all have a lot to learn.

Over the years I have written a few entries on this subject, so it seemed like a good time to dig them out, dust them off and provide some advice to people embarking on a new job … whether it is a first job or just the “next job”.

One of my earliest blogs about this was titled … New to the Workforce, 10 Rules!  this one is memorable for a couple of reasons (a) there is some sound advice based on many years of experience; and (b) there is a picture of me in my old Navy uniform

A second entry was based on the book Dumbing Down Our Kids, and I called it More Advice for New Entrants to the Workforce.   Its a little dated in some detail, but the general principles are good … and it tries to moderate expectations to be in line with reality, rather than the very high expectations many new grads might have.  It might also be very relevant given the fact many companies are just recovering from a severe recession, and unlikely to be handing out major salaries and benefits to unproven workers.

Finally, I wrote a book review about a book called The Rules of work … which I would suggest as required reading for anyone setting out on a new career.  Once again it tries to set realistic expectations, but also prepare the new employee with some ideas about how to act, how to dress etc.

That first job out of school can be so important in setting the new worker up for success, it only makes sense to be as prepared as possible for it.  So it seems to make sense to do a  little homework … so if you know a new grad, point them at this stuff, it can’t hurt!   

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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I often write about the work of industry associations, and why any good corporate citizen really should belong to their industry association.  There are LOTS of good reasons to be a member and I can’t think of ANY good reasons not to be … except perhaps ignorance.

That ignorance can be just (a) a lack of understanding of the work done by industry associations … OR (b) it could be that other type of ignorance that companies display when they let others pay the cost, instead of contributing themselves.

So why would it be important to a client, a candidate, independent contractor or even temporary employee to choose to work for an association member before a non-member?

1.  ANY serious company recognizes the need to support their association … I have written lots on this.  So do you want to work with a company that is NOT serious?
2. The Association fights for the rights of the members and their employees and contractors … a bye-product of that effort is that they are fighting for the non-contributing companies too.  How fair does that sound to you?  If they are not fair to their association are they going to be fair to you?
3. The members are kept abreast of the issues of the day … as an example in the month of May the ACSESS Government Relations report listed eight different initiatives and the NACCB lobbying efforts are focused on a couple of big issues.
4. How do you know your company even understands the rules applicable in the staffing industry?  Anyone can “hang out a shingle” and sound credible, but the rules around deductions for temp, versus sole-proprietor or for independent contractors can get interesting.  Associations provide advice and support to their members.
5. Industry associations hold their members to a code of conduct … not all companies do!
6. Industry associations will arbitrate and provide expert advice where issues arise.  Obviously it is easier if the companies involved are dealing with members.
7. Industry associations provide ongoing guidance and education … ensuring that their members are up to date on legislative requirements etc.

There is no excuse for freeloaders in our society … so don’t support them, work with the legitimate agencies, who are working hard to make sure your interests are protected! 

How would you know if they are a member of the industry association? 

Ask them whether they belong to one of these organisations …

Here in Canada there are a couple of primary industry associations that represent the staffing industry …

1.  ACSESS (Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services) is the largest, representing the industry in general.

2.  NACCB Canada (National Association of Computer Consulting Businesses) is probably the next largest with a mandate of supporting those staffing companies in the IT space specifically.

There is another local association I am aware of … CabiNet is a local Ottawa based organization focused primarily on companies supplying contract services to the Federal Government.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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General Observations:

Overall employment for Canada in the month of April was up about 58,000 (mostly part time) jobs. For the second month in a row the employment rate improved by 0.1% meaning that it was 7.6% in April. Canada is basically back where it was before the recession both in total jobs AND total “full-time” jobs.

Canada’s inflation rate surged to to 3.3% in March, which is worrisome, but the Bank of Canada has resisted raising the prime bank rate from its current position at 3% . Moody’s described Canada as the first G7 country to make the jump from recession to “self-sustaining expansion” … but their analysts feel we are operating below potential. A Heidrick and Struggles Global Talent Index shows that global demand is outstripping supply, suggesting that labour shortages are imminent … they point to a growing demand in oil and gas sector as the biggest factor in Canada.

The Canadian Dollar remains very strong, trading at $1.03 US as we speak. The markets have been through some significant fluctuation this month, and today the TSX is sitting at 13,625, down about 200 points from last month. The price of oil has been up and down significantly lately and today is sitting at $98.43 a barrel down 9 cents from last month, but still high and expected to rise. As referenced above the oil and gas sector will benefit from this resulting in higher demand for people!

Here at Eagle, April saw a slight decrease in the amount of activity. Client demand slowed a little and the flow of resumes through the website also slowed a little. Early indicators in May are that this brief respite is just that … the pace has picked up again! April was somewhat affected by the Canadian general election which typically results in a slowdown in government demand … but a majority government will typically mean some projects will now move ahead.

More Specifically:

The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is still the hottest job market in Canada, and despite a slight dip in demand during April, May is busy again! Clients across all sectors are picking up the pace, looking for professionals to help them with their projects … both on a contract basis and as full time employees. The financial services sector remains the strongest with big demand in the capital markets area particularly. Other strong sectors include the highly competitive telecommunications sector, retail and insurance as well as the System Integrators that service all of these clients. As can be expected in a market that has changed … moving from the very slow of several months ago, to the very hot of today … is changes in both client and candidate behaviours. Many clients still expect rates to be lower, and many candidates expect rates to be higher … it’s just not that easy. Hence we are seeing that time when expectations need to be tempered with reality … a higher than normal amount of candidates turning down offers and a higher than normal number of clients missing out on the best candidates.

In Western Canada, as previously mentioned, the price of oil hovering in the $100 a barrel price range means that many Calgary based companies are executing on projects that had been on hold. Like Toronto the changing market sees a clash in demand, the clients still expecting lower rates and the candidates expecting increases. This will likely continue for a few months as the system “evens out” … meanwhile some clients are missing out on the best people, who always seem to have another offer around the corner. The demand for all professionals is high in Calgary, but Business Analysts seem to be in most demand. Among other Western markets Edmonton is the closest to Calgary for demand, but certainly not nearly as busy. The other major markets are steady but not particularly busy!

Eagle’s Eastern Canada region is mostly Ottawa and Montreal, although we do see some demand from the Maritimes … which this last couple of months has been slow. The Federal election did cause a slowdown in the government demand as expected, but a majority government in place should see some movement in projects that have needed this stability before proceeding. Montreal is still a fairly busy market with demand in the financial services and telecommunications spaces.

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

> The price of oil has been fluctuating but remains high at $98.43 a barrel.
> At 13,625 the TSX dropped about 200 points from last month.
> The Canadian dollar continues to be very strong, above par with the US dollar at $1.03 US.
> Prime remains at 3% however there continues to be talk about when this will go up again, particularly with inflation rearing its head!
> Canada’s employment numbers improved this month as we added 58,000 (part time) jobs and improving the unemployment rate to 7.6%.
> Eagle continues to see high demand despite a slightly slower April, May is picking up and all indicators are for another busy month! This was reiterated in conversation with staffing industry leaders at this month’s industry conference.

Summary:

It seems that most market continue to pick up the pace of demand for talent .. most particularly in the financial services, telecommunications and oil sectors. This is good news if you are looking for work, but there are also plenty of signs that we will be seeing skills and labour shortages in the not too distant future. The Heidrick and Struggles report tells us this is a global phenomenon (no surprises) so Canada will be competing with the rest of the world for talent, it is going to be an interesting time.

Canada continues to do well as compared to other countries, and Moody’s description that we are the sole G7 country in a period of “self-sustaining expansion” is a good sign. We are seeing more and more indicators that the pendulum is swinging to the point where there are more clients looking for great people, than great people looking for jobs. This is where the staffing industry can really bring value to its clients. I will be continuing my “standing advice” to ANY company needing people (a) Start the process now with a strong PLANNING phase; (b) develop very clean processes to find, screen, choose, hire and on board these new resources; (c) know that you will have a lot of competition and therefore speed in decision making will be critical; (d) the job doesn’t stop there … retention becomes the next challenge!

That was my monthly look at the Canadian job market and some of its influences. 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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I have been very involved with the United Way for the last several years.  They helped me to set up a family foundation to remember my brother, they are the charity of choice for our company “Eagle” plus my wife and I make a major donation each year.  In addition to some committee work (sounds innocuous … but actually translates to serious hours of commitment) I am also involved with the Major Gifts Committee. 

On the Major Gifts Committee I meet with people in our community to talk about the work United Way does, and to convince them that this is a charity worthy of our support … and hopefully persuade them to donate $5,000 a year or more to join the ranks of Major Donors.

It is interesting when you meet people and talk about this agency because many people have a perception of the United Way based on old experiences.    The United Way has changed considerably over the years, and even more lately as it has moved from an organization that funded agencies to one that is about Making Change Happen!  

I am not an eloquent person, but luckily there are some eloquent people who explain this much better than I!  There is a blog entry on the United Way Ottawa site called Make Change Happen: What United Way Ottawa is Doing Right … and it is worth a read.

Go on!  Take a read and learn a bit about an organisation that makes a difference in YOUR community!  Think about that when considering the charities that you will support in the future.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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No matter how “even tempered” we are, there is always the opportunity to be a little edgy … and in a business setting that can be dangerous.

One of the biggest topics of conversation here in Canada lately is the weather … always a topic close to the surface, but a wet miserable Spring is certainly being felt!  You can almost feel the tension in people, after a typical long Canadian Winter we are ready for some sun … so a cold, miserable Spring has people in general feeling edgy!

Whatever the cause for a “bad mood” it is critical that your mood does not cause you to make business decisions based on emotion, rather than on sound business parameters!  

If you were in a great state of mind would you be having “this” conversation? 

Are you tending towards more “direct and honest” feedback … and would you do that IF you were in a “sunny” mood!

Are you going to make a decision, “say something” or act in some way that you will regret later?

We are all human, with human feelings and emotions … but in the work place it is important to make rational business decisions, NOT react because of those emotions.   A few thoughts for when you might be a little emotional …

1.  Make sure you give yourself time to really think before reacting.

2.  The old example of sending your “response email” … to yourself and not replying to the originator until you have had time to settle down is good advice.

3.   Walk away from contentious discussions, put them off, set up a future meeting … don’t get drawn into a “her and now” discussion.

4.   Take deep breaths and physically calm yourself down … so that you can appear relaxed.

5.  Always remember that you don’t want to be regretting “this decision” later!

Walk fast and SMILE!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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It is easy to develop bad habits.  It is especially easy in today’s fast paced environment.

The thing about bad habits is (a) they get worse; (b) they lead to “bigger” bad habits; and (c) we are judged by them!

We might not care too much about 90% of the people judging our bad habit of … not using spell check for instance.  However some of the people “‘judging” will be clients, bosses and others who might not see it as so attractive.

We might not think its so bad to be on the PDA in the middle of a meeting … but someone will care; and someday your bad habit will be so ingrained that you will do it without thinking, and that won’t be good!

We might think its so bad to text and drive … its just a quick one home to say I’m on my way, and its a red light, and I’m a good driver!  However … you will add that quick text about your tennis game, and maybe you’ll text while in heavy stop and go traffic.  If you are lucky you’ll have a near miss that alerts you to how bad your habit has become … worst case it will be MUCH worse!

We might not think its so bad to be a couple of minutes late to meetings, or a day late with that report, or taking a year off personal development.  We might not think its so bad to call home less, to miss an anniversary, to get home late after being out with the boys/girls.

Truth is, in and of themselves small bad habits are just a part of who we are … but do we really understand what the potential is?

On a positive note … doing “the small things” right is a great way of establishing credibility, of becoming known as someone who “delivers”.  If you are in business that is priceless.

I hope you are not reading this while driving home!!!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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I probably ask myself that question every year, especially as the date gets closer and the workload is not decreasing!  Can I afford to be out of the office?  Is the return on investment going to be worth it?  Will I regret the decision when I get back to my office and have to play catch-up?

Yes, yes …no!

I did afford the time out of the office.  The ROI was definitely worth it …AND NO I don’t regret having to play catch-up, well maybe just a little but its the same after a vacation too!  And like a vacation, a trip to the annual industry association conference is a “must do”!

The conference in question was Canada’s staffing industry (ACSESS) conference, this year held in Montreal.

I can deem a conference to be a success for me if some reasonable cross-section of these benefits happens:  (a) I get a couple of takeaway ideas that can have an impact; (b)  I get inspired/motivated by one of the speakers; (c)  I get to spend some quality time networking with other industry leaders; (d) I meet a few new people.  Some bonus points are given if I have a good time … but its rare that I don’t have a good time!

So … how did this year’s conference stack up against those benefits:

A.  Take aways. 

Statistics Canada unveiled this years industry statistics in a form that we can incorporate into client presentations about our industry.  Understanding the size and scope, and thus importance of our industry to the Canadian economy is powerful stuff.

CareerBuilder gave a presentation about three of their surveys … all with Canadian content.  1.  What are clients looking for from our industry; 2.  What do candidates value from staffing companies; and 3.  What are staffing companies paying their staff these days!  You can’t get more relevant that this!  Any staffing company can have a significant impact if it gets those three things right!

There was plenty more relevant “stuff” … social media advice from LinkedIn and CareerBuilder; information about how technology might affect our future;  advice about the four generational cohorts in the workplace today; and Leadership advice from industry experts like Neil Lebovits and Stanley Cup winning hockey coach Jacques Demers!

B.  I did get inspired AND motivated.

In fact I am turning into “that guy” who comes back from a conference with a million new ideas.  Of course the first words from people’s mouths will be … “he went to a conference!”  The important thing is to take those ideas and the motivation, to be pragmatic about what can work and when and only then to start to implement change.

The information was relevant and there was a passion to the delivery … how can you not be moved by a guy like Jacques Demers!  Jacques even passed his Stanley Cup winners ring around the room!

C.  Networking. 

There were more than 200 delegates at the conference and I got to spend time with some of the leaders of Canada’s biggest staffing companies, in a setting that promotes dialogue and co-opetition … we compete, but we can still share best practices to help our industry serve its clients best!

D.  Out of 200 people there is always the chance to meet some new people, I met people who are new to the association new board members and people new to our industry.  I got to meet people who travelled from across Canada to be at the event.  Its a great way to share ideas and help an industry to grow.

And the last question has to be about fun … well I always have fun.  I’m also pragmatic because you don’t always need to spemd a ton of money to have fun.  Some industry conferences are at the most expensive locations, with lots of golf and other expensive activities.  I am more comfortable when work activities are done in a tasteful but not lavish environment.  The hotel was good, the days were filled with meaningful learning opportunities … and we still got to party a little in Montreal.

It doesn’t get much better than that!

Kudos to the ACSESS conference committee and thank you to all the sponsors and presenters.  If you are ever wondering whether an industry conference (whatever industry you are in) is a worthwhile investment then just read this blog post!
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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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