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October 2011 Newsletter |
Randisi &
Associates, Inc. Helping
Employers Protect Clients, Workforce and Reputation Through Employment
Screening, Drug Testing & Skills/Behavioral Assessments |
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October 3, 2011 |
100 West Road, Suite 300 Towson MD 21204 410.494.0232 or Toll Free: 888.494.4050 Email: jim@preemploymentscreen.com |
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Quotes That
Inspire "You
already know what to do. Problem is, you’re just not
doing it.” Jeffrey Gitomer’s
Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching! Common Employer Mistake in Employment
Screening – Assuming the applicant is truthfully
revealing all prior addresses on your application. Many times an applicant will not reveal all
of their prior addresses. The reason why? The applicant wants to hide a
jurisdiction in which they have a criminal conviction. Employers try to
assure, as much as possible, that criminal conviction searches are done in
jurisdictions other than what the applicant reveals. The Social Security
Trace report is a relatively inexpensive report that can be very revealing.
It can reveal addresses associated with a social security number. And, an
employer does not have to go to the credit bureau for this Social Security
Trace Report. There are public database sources available that are as good if
not better than the Header Report from a credit bureau. An added bonus - this
Social Security Trace report can also reveal former names and alias names.
Former names and alias names should also be researched when performing
criminal conviction searches. If a
person’s name with the criminal conviction was Thomas Kelly and he changed
his name to Thomas Johnson, it is likely that just searching under Thomas
Johnson will not reveal the criminal conviction under Thomas Kelly. 101 Ways to have a Great Day at Work by
Stephanie Goddad Davidson " There is only one way to happiness,
and that is cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our
will.” – Epictetus Spending a lot of time feeling guilty or
worrying? Guilt is giving attention to something that has passed. Worry is
spending time thinking about something in the future. You don’t have control
over either, so stop wasting your time and increasing your stress. Ask
yourself what you can do right now about the situation. And then do it. Your
guilt or worry will magically disappear. |
This free eNewsletter
contains news and ideas to help you in your business life and is brought to
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If you wish to unsubscribe at any time, please reply to this message
with Unsubscribe in the subject line. This month we highlight:
Information in this newsletter is not
intended as legal advice. Please consult legal counsel before taking any
actions. I hope you find this month's newsletter beneficial. Jim Randisi 410.494.0232 The Care and Feeding of High-Potential
Employees Up
to one-quarter of your top talent might be fed up and thinking of leaving
your organization. Consider 14 ways to retain these valued employees. Summary of an article by Robert J. Grossman.
a contributing editor of HR Magazine, is a
lawyer and a professor of management studies at Marist College in
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In
2010, the Corporate Leadership Council of the Corporate Executive Board
surveyed 880 high-potential employees. More than 25 percent said they planned
to change jobs within the next 12 months. That’s potential attrition 2.5
times greater than just five years earlier. Among the dissatisfied, 64
percent said their current employment experiences are having little impact on
their development. Engagement levels, measured by assessing levels of passion
and discretionary effort, declined 30 percent from 2009 to 2010. From employers’ perspective, the performance
of those who are sticking around is similarly troubling. More than half of
the executives surveyed said their organizations are ineffective at managing
and retaining top talent. They said 40 percent of internal job moves made by
high-potentials end in failure and fewer than 15 percent of their direct
reports are ready for immediate transition to subsequent roles. Who
Are These People? Corporate
leaders typically look to the top-rated 3 percent to 5 percent of their
employees as candidates for fast-tracking. Writing in the June 2010 Harvard
Business Review, researchers Jay Conger, Douglas Ready and Linda Hill
describe high-potentials as individuals who "consistently and
significantly outperform their peer groups in a variety of settings and
circumstances. … They exhibit behaviors that reflect their companies' culture
and values in an exemplary manner, they show a strong capacity to grow and
succeed throughout their careers within an organization—more quickly and
effectively than their peer groups do." First, researchers see a huge divide between
what employers think motivates high-potentials and what actually motivates
them. Employers cite lists of what "we’ve given them," including
outstanding remuneration. But attractive pay and benefits are on a
high-potential’s " ‘I’m given’ list, meaning he or she can replicate
them elsewhere fairly easily," says Roland Smith, lead researcher at the
Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, Colo. "What they’re
looking for instead are the things that truly differentiate employers. These
include opportunities to more directly influence and direct their careers and
more-challenging assignments with real risks and rewards." It often takes more than compensation, stock
and options to retain people, says Raoul Buron,
vice president and chief learning officer at Prudential Financial in Newark,
N.J. Second, high-potentials need smarts and
experience to thrive, but ability and seasoning are only part of the recipe.
"We know from our benchmarking studies that high-potentials don’t fail
because they lack ability," says Jean Martin, executive director of the
Corporate Leadership Council. "Most don’t succeed because they are not
engaged and because the assignment they’re in is not what they want." Here
are some strategies you can initiate to boost morale and engagement:
Center for Creative Leadership research
reveals that only about 40 percent of employers formally tell high-potentials
of their status. A second study from the center suggests that those who fail
to do so pay a steep price in attrition. Of the high-potentials who were not
formally told of their status, 33 percent were looking for another job. Of
the high-potentials who were told they were special, only 14 percent were
looking.
High-potentials want to be involved in
planning their development, not dictated to. Often, they’re presented with
assignments knowing that if they decline or hesitate, they will be left
behind. "Historically, the interaction has been a transaction—‘You do
this, and we’ll give you that,’ " Smith says.
"Now, in best-practice situations, it’s becoming more about mutuality
and reciprocity. It’s a dialogue where interests on both sides are
balanced."
Research shows that high-potentials thrive
when they’re truly accountable for something. But employers are often
reluctant to give them the reins. "When they get the more significant
assignments, they’re being told what to do rather than being assigned to
direct or co-direct," Smith says. "Within reason, you have to be
prepared to let them make mistakes. What got them into your program is the
ability to succeed on their own" expertise.
Inflexible assignments, especially those
that require relocation when people have young children and employed spouses,
can be morale busters or worse. Finding creative solutions that respect
lifestyle needs and still provide seasoning for advancement can differentiate
an employer.
The single biggest factor in retention is
whether people feel valued, says Michael Critelli,
former executive chairman of Pitney Bowes Inc. in Stamford, Conn., and
current CEO of Dossia in Cambridge, Mass., an
employer-led group dedicated to empowering individuals to improve their
health. "Make them know that you would not want to run your business
without them."
Who the mentor coach is makes a difference.
High-potentials want access to people in the hierarchy that they respect.
"In a lot of mentoring arrangements, you’re assigned or pick from a
pool," Smith observes. "That tends to be hit or miss, and often the
relationships are not really that good
Employers should insist that substantive
exposure to top decision-makers—not just face time with them—is essential.
Boards of directors should "get out to remote facilities to see people
in their native settings," says Critelli, who
currently sits on the board of Eaton Corp. "Boards should go somewhere
away from headquarters at least once a year so members can see promising
people below the top tier in action."
Encourage high-potentials to master skills
and gain transferable experience outside of work. For example, Critelli says one of the best preparations for his job as
CEO at Pitney Bowes was to be the vice president of his homeowners’
association. "I learned a lot about conflict management," he
recalls. Promoting outside experience only works, however, if you’re giving
due weight to these activities in selection and advancement decisions.
High-potentials are savvy; they read the
business press, field phone inquiries from headhunters regularly and communicate
endlessly with colleagues through social media. They know what they want from
a development program. Keep their desires in balance with company objectives.
"Target the competencies that will enhance your organization,"
advises Sandi Edwards, senior vice president of AMA Enterprise, a specialized
division of the American Management Association in New York City.
Even with tools in place, talent management
and succession planning often falter because managers do not have
comprehensive systems for their high-potential programs. One area that
suffers from lack of attention in many companies, for example, is the
selection process. According to a survey of 120 HR professionals responsible
for high-potential programs, 48 percent of managers are ineffective at
identifying high-potentials because of a lack of standards or inconsistency
or lack of rigor in applying them, says George Penn, senior director for CLC
PRO, a technology product offered under the auspices of the Corporate
Leadership Council.
"Provide
processes for creating criteria, assessing performance and controlling for
compliance in administration," he advises. A systems approach does not
require sophisticated software. But more-sophisticated software is worth
exploring, and some options are described in "Sizing Up Talent" in
the April 2011 issue of HR Magazine. The idea is to control the whole process
from profiling and employee feedback to standardizing, where possible,
selection processes and criteria for judging performance. Many types of
integrated talent management software have these features. Put assessment to
the transparency test. Morale suffers when employees say the selection
process is unfair or built around favoritism. Focus on competencies and
skills and assess each person objectively, and for each person to go through
his or her results with a coach to gain understanding."
Inevitably, some high-potentials will depart,
making critics question the investment in talent now benefiting others. Part
on good terms, however.
Unless leaders agree to the financial
investment and make a personal commitment to the initiative, efforts are
destined to end in frustration.
The next time you’re given responsibility
for the care and feeding of your high-potential employees
note that balancing priorities goes both ways: Weigh carefully whether your
company can afford to pay the total rewards that high-potentials like given
all other competing demands. AVOIDING PAYROLL TAX RELATED IRS PROBLEMS One
thing certain to make the life of a small business owner miserable is a
payroll tax problem. The IRS does not care how hard it is to run your
business, and they typically aren’t receptive to excuses. The best way to
deal with the IRS is to not have to deal with them at all. Here
are five things small business owners need to know about payroll taxes and
the IRS. 1. Tax penalties build quickly and can
result in a mountain of debt. There are three major penalties the IRS can hit
you with: a. Failure to file b. Failure to deposit c. Failure to pay If
you don’t pay within defined periods, the IRS will be assessing a penalty in
the neighborhood of 33%, plus interest. 2. Timely deposits are essential. In
general, payroll taxes must be deposited within three days of the payroll
check date. To avoid late fees and penalties, ensure that all tax amounts are
deposited by their due date. 3. The IRS loves small businesses – they
really do! Unfortunately, not in the way you want. The IRS has identified
small business owners as the largest source of uncollected taxes. Therefore,
small businesses get plenty of attention from the IRS enforcement area –
particularly in down economic cycles. 4. Do you know what the Trust Fund
Recovery Penalty (TFRP) is? Well, you should because it gives the IRS the
power to go after the small business owner individually for payroll taxes
owed. There is no “corporate” protection that the IRS cannot surmount if they
decide to use TFRP. 1. The thresholds for criminal referrals
are very low. The IRS can and will refer your case to the criminal
investigation division and the Department of Justice if they can prove you
intentionally did not file or pay. How
do you avoid these problems? First, recognize that “if you want to play, you
have to pay”. It’s that simple! Then, make sure you have a payroll and tax
partner with the experience and integrity to keep the IRS from your door. PayChoice enables small and mid-sized companies to focus
on running and growing their businesses. Our comprehensive suite of services,
personalized customer service and competitive pricing delivers the best value
in the marketplace. PayChoice is simply a better
choice. For more information contact Mark A. Lyn, District Sales Manager at
301.351.8847 or mark.lyn@paychoice.com |
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