David Nova

on September 24, 2009

category: miscellaneous

Director, Human Resources

Tools for retooling

Several weeks ago, I was focused on completing a home project and looked in my messy toolkit for a carpenter’s square, a basic tool for any homeowner.

After searching the garage, I was unable to locate the tool (I would later discover my 6-year son used it for one of his many “construction projects”). So, I used my best judgment and eyeballed it. The end result was a completed project, but with flaws.

Have you ever taken this approach with people?

I believe each of us has a toolkit from which we can select to motivate, correct an employee’s behavior or reward their performance. And no, I’m not talking about a hammer. I’m talking about Management 101 tools that support and guide employees in their pursuit of professional development, compensation, promotion, or whatever the end result should be. When we don’t have the correct tool, we might eyeball it and end up with a result that’s flawed.

Have you examined your toolkit lately?  What’s in it? What’s missing?

As the recession ends and consumer confidence rises, companies will begin hiring. NOW is the time to look in your toolkit to see what you’re missing. Set some goals (and budget) to acquire those tools. They’ll come in handy when you want to attract, recruit and retain highly qualified employees.
 
Managing employees can be tough but also very rewarding. Especially when you have the right tools.

 

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David Nova

on October 17, 2008

category: miscellaneous

Director, Human Resources

New talent. Old challenges.

There’s no guarantee of life-long employment at the same company. Our economy is becoming increasingly challenging and employees are looking to go where the jobs are. As the recruiter for Hacker Group, my job is to look for qualified and, often, experienced people. And sometimes those experiences bring baggage. Heavy baggage.
A recent management study at NYU examined hundreds of employment applications and the hiring records of many companies. The objective of this study was to assess the cognitive and behavioral aspects that employees developed during their previous stints of employment. In other words, if the job remained the same, what characteristics/attributes did they acquire? The stunning results were called “Cross-Corporation Baggage”—a fancy term meaning that people get weighed down by the baggage they bring from past experiences. Of particular interest were the interviews with executives who noticed that those hired from the competitor came at a premium price. And they turned out to be the least successful hires.
What does this mean?
From where I sit in the niche industry of DM, it means a company should invest in training fresh recruits with little experience so the company has more control over how an employee “fits” and becomes part of the team. They’re not “molded.” Also, the values and culture component need
to be considered.
Values, norms and politics become part of the on-boarding experience as well. They shape us and influence our decisions and actions.
Hiring someone with experience does not diminish the urgency or necessity of training. An employee’s many years of experience will not translate to an immediate high return on investment.
As the technologies and rules of effective marketing evolve, companies will have to consider more than just experience in prospective employees. Experience may not have as much effect on your direct marketing as the type of experience combined with the right attitude and fit. Creativity will foster bigger ideas when the right mix of these intangibles is in place. In considering candidates for any direct marketing positions, make sure they carry the right kind of baggage, whether they travel heavy or light.

 

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David Nova

on December 12, 2007

category: miscellaneous

Director, Human Resources

Inspiring your people

How do you create an organization that inspires people to do their best? I'll give you a few tips:

1. You need an inspiring goal. Something everyone can relate to; get excited about and channel their passion. Be it DM print or interactive. Help your employees to cultivate that goal. Reaffirm it on a daily basis (e.g., we do what's best for the client). A mantra.
2. You need people who believe the goal is attainable and they'll stop at nothing in order to attain it. They might need to stretch and get creative to figure out how to get there. Some of these people you'll find in house, others need to be hired.
3. Finally, develop a system for measuring, tracking and rewarding their efforts. When I joined Hacker, one of my first lessons in direct marketing was: "What gets measured gets done". Rewarding desired performance, including innovation and risk taking, shows you trust people and gives them a sense of empowerment to be more accountable for their future actions.

That's a unique aspect of Hacker Group. We're always looking for smart, talented people with a passion for reaching their goals. They try something, measure it, fix it, and try again.

Sure, the money is nice. But if you ask them, they'll tell you they're part of something special. They reward the client and themselves.

That's how you inspire your people!
 

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