Tag: ROI

When is the Wrong Time to Do the Right Thing?

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Diversity, Latest News and Articles, Uncategorized

NEVER! Why must we question when something is right? If you are questioning it, it is probably wrong. People have made many blunders throughout history and sometimes you don’t know until it is too late. Hindsight is always 20/20. The same could be said in business.

I can tell you I am not rich by any means; however, I know a number of people in sales with much larger checkbooks because they took shortcuts or cheated clients on many occasions. I have to sleep every night therefore I choose to make the right decisions. It’s hard enough to sleep at night just being in sales!

Sadly, the unsung hero rarely gets his/her due. Take Peter Norman: during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City Mr. Norman broke the Australian record for fastest 200M race (which still stands today). Unfortunately for Norman, he came in 2nd and 2 Americans named John Carlos and Tommie Smith won the gold and bronze.

There is an iconic picture taken a few hours after the race the world knows but has often been misconstrued as a nod to Black Power. What better stage than the Olympics for Carlos and Smith to recognize the Human Rights Movement around the globe? The 2 men were never allowed to compete at the highest level again, but what they stood for was greater than that. It was a stance against the unjust wrongs of society at the time.

Carlos forgot his black gloves at Olympic Park and before they went on their way to the podium, Norman suggested they use his gloves on opposite hands to which they did. In a continued effort to respect the cause, Norman found an American who had the Olympic Project for Human Rights pin on him and asked to wear it. This was another profound statement as Apartheid in Australia was still widely felt and Norman did what he thought was right regardless of potential repercussions.

Unfortunately for Norman, Australia was not forgiving one bit. Eventually when his life ended much later at the age of 64, his home country of Australia never appreciated what the man really stood for. At the cost of aiding all human-kind who were unfairly treated throughout history to be treated as equals, Norman died with no money or recognition.

Why am I telling this story, you may be wondering? There are a lot of great salespeople out there who put the client in front of their financial aspirations. Sure, we want to be millionaires, but that shouldn’t come at the risk of doing the wrong thing.

So the next time you get a call from a salesperson, do me a favor and listen to what they have to say and realize there are win-win scenarios, but it might not always be at the advantage of the company we work for.

I promise I am here to help you get to your goals with what I have in hand…and it might not always be what I am selling.

Today San Jose State University dons a likeness of the day with a statue of Carlos and Smith without Norman. Not to eliminate that part of the legacy, rather so you and me and anyone can stand up and represent Norman as Human Rights is everyone’s business and there is never and wrong time to do the right thing.

The Organic Recruiter

For more on Carlos, Smith and Norman

 

Do You Know Why You Want It?

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Employment Value Proposition, Hiring, Latest News and Articles, Military, Millennials, Uncategorized

why-you-do-itAs we move into December and hear the pitter patter of feet running to make their wish lists, we too quietly ponder what we’d like for the holidays and in 2017. After all, haven’t we all been good girls and boys?

During a conversation with one of my best friends this last weekend we discussed the entertainment business he works in. Our conversation was about how the original ideas of some TV shows get lost because the executive producers start fighting over who has the best notes. By the time it gets to the editor, the initial idea of the show is lost.

No one says it better than Simon Sinek in his book “Start with Why”.

Without the Why you have lost your What. If the producers had stopped to remember why they were creating the show, they would not have lost the What. What was the purpose of the show and why? Could the show have been more successful if the judgement was not clouded by ego?

Every day we go after the shiny bullet or the cool new toy that everyone is talking about on Facebook or any other social media or blog. Whether it be the latest ATS such as Workday or Greenhouse to the ever changing LinkedIn. As a society we are always getting sold into the pretty tool because it helped solve someone else’s problem. The question is: will it solve your problem? Are you chasing your own solution or what someone has told you is your solution? Do you know what your Why is? Why are you doing whatever it is?

Companies boast being “military friendly”. Why does the company want to be military friendly and how has the company achieved it? Was the purpose to check a box or was it to reach out to veterans to offer thanks and help transition him/her back into a civilian job? I once sat at a bar with a recruiter and in conversation with a stranger, she learned he was a vet. She immediately reached out to give her business card and offered to help. She mentioned military.com and how it had helped many vets in her network find a position. In my opinion, that’s “military friendly”. Simply posting a position on a supposedly “military friendly” site does not equate to being military friendly. What site is that? How many veteran viewers does it link to? What efforts does that site do to reach out to veterans? What else is the company doing to reach out to the veterans?

What is your why? If you have a wish list, what is on it and why is it there?  Are you looking to appease shareholders? Is it to attract the right talent? Is it to do the right thing at the right time? Is it to increase your ROI of time, money or retention?

you-why“Start with Why” explains how to inspire with ideas rather than product. Simon Sinek goes on in his 2 of his 3 theories being:

  • The Golden Circle:
    • Sinek states, most people in a company know what they do; less people know how they do it; and hardly anyone knows why they do it
  • The Celery Test:
    • If you’re at a grocery store getting food for your health food business, could someone look at your groceries at the checkout line and immediately know what you’re all about?  If you’ve purchased soy milk, chocolate, pudding, and celery the answer is no.  If you’re just purchasing the soy milk and celery, then yes.
    • In business, if you’re not passing the celery test, if you can’t walk the walk after talking the talk, you’ve lost credibility and frankly damaged your integrity.

People buy Apple products because even before Tim Cook, Steve Jobs would only speak on the Why long before he showed you the what.

The founders of Southwest Airlines knew people would love to fly with them because they built their airline on the Why they wanted to fly, rather than just getting to their destination through crappy service.

What’s on your list this year? Why do you want it?

Let’s talk about your Why.

~The Organic Recruiter | Co-wrote with Candy Store

TO TELECOMMUTE OR NOT TO TELECOMMUTE?

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Employment Retention, Employment Value Proposition, Latest News and Articles

by Anne Caldwell | February 2016

Working at Monster, we are blessed to work from home (~85% of us).  We are more accessible to our clients, flexible to internal meetings and much more productive as an organization. The amount of money saved by organizations by not having to pay high priced office space is huge.  One of the benefits to our clients is we don’t pass office expenses on to our you, therefore you know you are getting great pricing on our solutions.

A great benefit to my employer is they are getting much more efficiencies, less stress from undue commuting, and most likely more hours of production (i.e. me writing this newsletter on a Saturday). ~The Organic Recruiter

More than 80 percent of employees consider telecommuting a job perk, and 36 percent would sacrifice salary for the option of telecommuting at work, according to a survey conducted by Global Workplace Analytics.

This begs the question: Should employers provide telecommuting options? The increased demand and employee popularity of telecommuting in the workplace has resulted in the upward trend of more than 37 percent of U.S. workers currently telecommuting, according to Gallup’s 2015 annual Work and Education Poll, but the debate on the benefits of telecommuting rages on.

Technology has made working remotely, “Telecommuting,” easier and ideal for employees, but is it beneficial to employers, too? Many business owners are hesitant to implement telecommuting options for employees because they are afraid that telecommuting reduces employee productivity, quality of work and team collaboration – but studies show that when implemented properly, telecommuting is a win-win for both employees and employers.

Even more eye opening is that today’s employees are increasingly willing to sacrifice other perks to be able to telecommute, including sacrificing a portion of their salary for the increased flexibility that working from home offers.

Cost Effective: When implemented correctly, telecommuting increases business profit margins and streamlines business operations – and is cost effective for both employees and employers.

Employees who are given the option to telecommute are reportedly much happier with their employers and their ability to telecommute than traditional office workers, says a study conducted by OnlineMBA.com.

Many employers are also embracing telecommuting as a way to show their commitment to the environment, incorporating telecommuting options into their social and corporate responsibility initiatives.

Today’s employees, especially millennials, place more value on “Life perks,” such as corporate culture, social responsibility and telecommuting options, than salary.

One critical aspect of implementing a telecommuting policy is to be clear about which positions qualify for telecommuting, that is, which are capable of being done remotely.

Business owners should develop an employee benefits package that includes telecommuting eligibility and options, telecommuting policies, and company tools and processes for success, too.

Telecommuting in public relations Scottsdale-based The Knight Agency, a boutique public relations, marketing and event agency, launched telecommuting options as a part of its company culture and employee perks, which produced the following results: Efficiency: Each employee has a different working style, and telecommuting lets employees create their best work, says Erica Knight, president of The Knight Agency.

Empowerment: Working in an environment with telecommuting perks empowers employees and gives them control over their schedule and work efforts – making them feel valued.

~ for complete article: http://bit.ly/telecommute-cw