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When you’re trying to grab the attention of Senior Management, remember this; they like a good story, especially one with pictures.

If your story is intended to address the company’s single largest expense – employee pay programs – the pictures will be charts & graphs that illustrate the points being made.

Pictures (charts and graphs) capture attention and build memories much better than text or even the spoken word. Show a picture and the image is locked in, while reliance on text only can be a risky proposition. The drone of dry prose can grow boring and is liable to lose the attention of all but your strongest supporters.

Attention grabbers that work: 1) speedometer style formats that graphically indicate the current situation against the target; 2) the green light, yellow light, red light approach, again to colorfully paint a picture that stays in the mind; and 3) pie charts, tables and even regressed lines that tell a story.

People remember images because they capture the imagination. Your audience might have a hard time recalling (and taking to heart) what you said or even what you wrote, so concentrate on your supportive imagery.

Make the story you’re telling is a short one. I once worked for a CEO who thought that any proposal could be reduced to a single piece of paper, with plenty of white space left over. “If you need more than that,” he would say, “it’s not such a grand idea.”

You need a plan

However, before you settle on the visual format best suited to sell your case, you should focus on the supportive data points necessary to make that case. Remember the old adage that a dream without a plan is only a fantasy? If you don’t take action steps to convert ideas to reality, what you’ll be left with is smoke & mirrors – all talk and few results to show for your efforts.

For those who have ever been on a diet, the experts recommend that you treat the effort like a project plan. They advise participants to write down everything they eat, to have goals to strive for and to set milestones to gauge progress. It also helps to keep score – to know where you stand and where you’re headed.

To accomplish this, you should create quantifiable metrics that collectively will illustrate the state of health of your compensation program(s) – and then establish baselines (current state) and targets for each performance indicator. This key step will help you understand whether your costs are being contained and whether the ROI on employee rewards is at the level your company requires.

Commonly used HR metrics:

§ Average salary/wage

§ Compa-ratios (comparison of pay to a range midpoint)

§ Count of employees per segment (hourly, non-exempt, professional, management)

§ Average performance ratings

§ Average annual pay rise for each performance rating

§ Count and average promotional and “equity” increases

§ Voluntary turnover (employees who decided to leave)

§ Average employee age and length of service

We could go on and on, but you get the point. Refine these and any other quantifiable factors by further segmentation – salary grade, employee group, male/female, etc. Make sure each metric is measurable, because accuracy counts. A compelling argument demands precision.

To make these metrics work for you and to avoid a series of make-work arithmetic exercises that do nothing more than capture minutiae, be certain to measure what is important to your business – not simply what data you can capture. Make sure the importance of the metric is clear to management or can be made so. Management needs to grasp the importance of attaining a goal demonstrating success with a metric to understand why the metric is important and what its achievement means for the business.

Once you have the right metrics established (collectively called the “dashboard”) and a baseline in place, you will be able to readily see both what’s going well and where the problems lie. At this point you can set specific target figures going forward to improve these weak areas, creating periodic milestones to mark your progress.

What to look for

Every organization has different pressure points. However, if your metrics data indicates any of the following situations, management should be informed that a problem needs to be addressed:

§ Average performance ratings that exceed how the business was rated

§ A workforce where key segments are approaching retirement age

§ Promotion and “equity” increase activity that overwhelms the budget

§ Low compa-ratios that indicate you are not paying your salary ranges

§ Any figure that is an unpleasant surprise.

When you’re telling a story to management, make it compelling – packed with facts and pictures that feed off the critical metrics analysis that is describing the pulse of your business. Then bring home the sale by showing how to solve the challenges being faced – with practical strategies designed to end your story on a happy and successful note.

Source: http://www.hrmtoday.com/featured-stories/once-upon-a-time/

We spend a great deal of time talking to recruiters, employers and human resource staff every week. I recently sent an email asking some of them what they would list as their top 3 peeves when it came to receivingresumes and short-listing candidates. You should have seen my inbox fill up with responses! Many were repeated, so I thought I would share a list of the top 20.

Straight from the mouths of the people reading your resumes:

1. Rambling! I wish people would get to the point. I haven’t got time to read a novel.

2. Resumes that are a straight list of duties. Tell us what you did differently, what you did well.

3. I want people to tell me how they meet my need. If not, I move on to the next resume. Simple.

4. People who don’t meet the criteria for the role. If you don’t have the essential skills required, then don’t apply. Essential and desirable criteria are listed for a reason.

5. Career Objectives. OMG, these are so annoying. I don’t want to know what you want. I want to know what you can do for me!

6. Incorrect contact details. If an email bounces or the wrong phone number has been given, I won’t search for them, I’ll just move on to the next application.

7. Poor grammar and spelling mistakes. It amazes me how many people apply for a role where written business communication is a major component of the role and send me a resume riddled with errors. These people usually claim they pay attention to detail as well!

8. An application addressed to someone else. Its obvious they use the same application for every job and haven’t changed the salutation. These usually hit the shredder.

9. Clutter. Personally, I can’t stand looking at resumes that are jammed so tight and written using the smallest font to get as much information on the page as possible. They are too hard to read and very unappealing.

10. A cover letter that repeats, verbatim, what is in the resume. Why bother? You’ve wasted my time and yours.

11. Long resumes. Resumes longer than 3 pages lose me.

12. When you call a candidate about a job application and they say something along the lines of “ Sorry, what job is this about again?” Keep track of your applications.

13. Resumes without dates for each position. My first thought is “What are you trying to hide?”

14. I’m sick of reading that everyone is a team player, has attention to detail and can see the big picture. Really? Prove it.

15. When I ask about salary expectations and get the “What is this role offering?” question in return. You should have an expectation and be prepared to discuss it.

16. Candidates who can’t make the time for an interview. I spent close to 20mins on the phone the other day with a woman who couldn’t seem to lock in a time to meet. It interfered with soccer practice, music practice, a monthly ‘girls’ movie night, and of course, her current role. If you’re serious about job hunting – make the time to be available for the interview.

17. Template driven resumes. One day recently I saw 4 resumes, the exact same format, and in some sections, the exact same wording! Write it yourself or get a reputable writer to do it for you.

18. Resumes that are not in chronological order. It is too hard to followresumes that jump all over the place.

19. Trying to figure out locations of positions. People who have worked internationally or nationally need to include this information – I am not an atlas!

20. Gaps in employment that haven’t been explained. I know you will have a reason for it, but try telling me, I’m not a psychic.

So there you have it …. 20 ways in which to kill your application and lose an opportunity. I hope by sharing these, you will be able to avoid some of these pitfalls in your job search.

Source: http://www.humanresourcesblog.in/2012/07/20-ways-to-kill-your-job-application/

Marketing yourself to others is not quite as easy as it might first sound. You’re good at what you do so others will surely be able to pick up on this, right? Wrong.

Perhaps once it was that simple to get recognition for your achievements, but times have changed. There are now more young people out of work than ever before, and it’s certainly not because they aren’t skilled. In fact, they’re more educated than generations that came before them and yet, the number of graduates who are able to translate this academic route into a job role is dwindling.
With more highly qualified people available for work, the jobs market becomes incredibly competitive. And this doesn’t just apply to students, although it is inevitable that they will be hungry to get on the jobs ladder just as much as the next person seeking employment.

If anything, younger workers may be the preferred option. As ‘juniors’ they can be cheaper, and they are also willing to be moulded, unlike older generations where traditions and old habits may be difficult to shift.

Looking at the employment plain overall, it’s clear to see why knowing how to sell yourself effectively is vital. It doesn’t matter whether you are going for a new job role, hoping for a promotion or if you want to become an expert in a niche area.

If for no other reason, knowing how to market yourself properly is about protection as much as it is about progression. Think about the amount of redundancies that have occurred since the beginning of the recession. If you were in the running for the chop, would you be able to defend your worth?

The following action points should help you to stand out from the crowd, no matter what you are trying to achieve.

1. Always be yourself
It’s been reported that a large number of people lie on their CV. Only recently, it emerged that Scott Thompson, the chief executive of Yahoo! “embellished his academic credentials” claiming that he had obtained a computer science degree. It later turned out this wasn’t the case and despite his company stating that he is a great employee with a great track record of success, the point was, he achieved the position unfairly, and on the basis of false information.

Although there was a positive in there (his company was happy to label him as a great employee) his reputation is now tainted. Reinventing yourself and lying are two very different things. How can you expect others to like you if you didn’t like yourself enough to show people who you are? It’s counterproductive and you’re creating more work for yourself playing pretend.

2. Don’t be cocky. In fact, do.
The key here is to have the goods to back your claims. No-one wants to work with a know-it-all if teamwork is essential in that environment. That said, sometimes ballsy personalities make for great sales persons and can push the boundaries of a team’s structure. Judging when it’s appropriate is key.

Also, you’re well within your right to let potential employers/industries/colleagues – whoever it may be that you’re trying to impress! – know how good you are at certain tasks. In fact, you’d be wasting your time if you weren’t bothering to highlight your strong points.

If you’re claiming to be an expert in area, prove it. Actions speak louder than words. Start a blog commenting on your industry. Visit trade shows and keep abreast of new developments. Just saying you are good at sales or teamwork or management isn’t enough.

3. Know the market
This is an easy one. Do your research! There is such a wealth of information out there, that there really is no excuse to not be fully brushed up on the area you want to stand out in.

Putting in the time means you should be able to have a two-way conversation with a potential employer as opposed to an interview question-and-answer session.

If you are looking for a new job, or for a promotion, be realistic. Look for the average wages in this area. Asking for higher than this amount will look both cheeky and like you haven’t bothered to investigate the details.

4. Network online.
A lot of business is still a lot about who you know and not necessarily about what you know. A virtual ‘meeting’ could put you in the path of the person that could transform your career.

We say ‘virtual’ because, let’s face it, with such stiff employment competition, there simply isn’t the time for managers to meet everyone that needs help. Providing something useful for them could show off your strengths, put you in their good books and make you first on their list if a position opens up.

Another benefit to an online presence is your accessibility. Google your own name, and what do you see? If there is anything there that you wouldn’t want your employers to see, you’ve got some work to do. If you aren’t in the search results at all, to some people, you simply don’t exist.

Get onto LinkedIn. Start a blog. Try tweeting other industry professionals. Connecting through the internet means you can access those you can’t in person. This could potentially build a relationship. Remember, it’s who you know.

5. Don’t forget about your USP
What makes you so special? The hard truth is that there are plenty of other people who could do your job just as well, if not better than you.

It’s a hard one to accept but once you do, you are then more focused to sell your strong points, and admit your shortfalls. Many interviewers will ask what your weakness is. If you claim that you have none, you look pompous and unprepared. Make sure you know what you could develop, and make conscious and decent efforts to act upon this. Take an extra course. Read the right text books. Attend the relevant trade events. The fact that you are trying to better yourself will speak volumes and should increase your confidence as well as your CV.

Source: http://www.hrmtoday.com/featured-stories/5-ways-to-sell-yourself-effectively/

“Why doesn’t my company consider inflation when determining my pay increase?”

What this employee is asking is, shouldn’t my annual increase percentage at least match the cost of living? And as management is forever touting the company’s ”pay-for-performance” philosophy, shouldn’t my increase be higher than that, given that I’m a good performer?

Have you ever been in a situation where an employee complains to you that their pay increase is no better than the inflation rate? Or worse, that it’s lower? As a further aggravation they might ask you how the company can say there’s a pay-for-performance policy when all they do is grant increases that no more than match the inflation rate? It’s like treading water or running in place. It doesn’t seem fair or like a reward for good performance. Shouldn’t everybody receive at least an increase equal to the inflation rate? Shouldn’t increases reflect more than just a cost of living increase for the higher performers?

The truth of the matter is that it’s common practice for companies to only give a side look at inflation (cost of living) when determining their annual increase budget. They do make note of it as a reference point and to compare against a final decision, but what they’re actually focused on are two prime considerations: 1) competitive market survey data that tells them what everyone else is paying for like jobs in their area; and 2) the expense (annual grant and fixed costs) to maintain the desired competitiveness.

Companies routinely promise to pay competitive rates and, as such, will analyze what they consider the marketplace to learn what other companies are paying for jobs (base salaries) and what they are granting for increases. Their so-called “promise” does not include the granting of inflation-proof increases, or even an implied obligation to reflect the cost of living in their analysis. Their intent is to pay employees a competitive wage – including increases – and by “competitive” they mean what others are doing, not necessarily what is happening out there in the world of inflation.

If affordability is an issue for any given year, it’s likely that maintaining competitiveness will have to suffer. A quick review of salary actions over the past three years will confirm that.

Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder

Is that a fair way to manage compensation? Well, let’s imagine your name is on the company door. How would you spend your money? It’s likely you would seek to pay the lowest amount possible while still attracting, motivating and retaining qualified talent for your business. That strategy doesn’t imply decreasing pay levels but, as the owner, you would want to allocate your substantial payroll expense as effectively and efficiently as possible to staff your business with qualified and engaged employees. It wouldn’t make good business sense to spend more than you need to, be it for bricks and mortar real estate, raw materials or employee compensation.

Consider the market for talent similar to a purchase at a retail store. How frequently would you pay more than the commonly accepted price if your extra money gained you no added value? Chances are you would not often take that approach.

Other Perspectives

Now let’s consider this issue from the employee’s point of view. What factors weigh heavily on their minds when considering the potential for pay increases?

Most employees expect management decisions on compensation to reflect either the inflation rate (cost of living), the average increase for their industry/geography (typically as pointed out by newspaper “factoids”), or – if the company had a good year – a share of the financial success. You can be sure, though, that the figure employees have in mind is the highest of these three possibilities. And lest you forget, that figure is only for the average performer; better employees should receive more.

Now this view is not necessarily wrong, from their perspective, and one can certainly not blame employees for a viewpoint that puts their interests first. However, companies typically maintain a “this is a business first” strategy, one that seeks to minimize controllable expenses without losing sight of their competitive pay target. The goal of paying competitive wages is not likely to be overturned by changes to the cost of living, newspaper snippets or a “feel good” moment following company success.

Another factor to consider is that employees are comfortable with changing their reasoning from year to year, while companies are stuck on the same track. So when inflation goes up or down, the company has a good or not so good year, or the media is touting industry averages, employee expectations may likely swing from one argument to another, rationalizing a consistently more aggressive pay increase strategy.

Now for a little tongue-in-cheek: turnabout is not considered fair play. Employees would not be pleased if the size of their increase were to fall with their chosen economic indicator. It should only rise. They would similarly object to smaller increases if the company hit a rough patch or if inflation nosed downward. It should be no surprise that employees would want their cake and to eat it too!

However, management strategies tend to be consistent over time, continually focusing on the marketplace and its affordability to maintain a posture of providing competitive pay and pay increase opportunities.

So how do you avoid a clash of employee expectations vs. management strategy? If companies would do a better job of communicating their pay philosophy they would be able to allay the employee guesses and assumptions that always accompany the grapevine rumor mill. Employees would know in advance what to expect. They might not like what they hear, but the employer/employee relationship would be improved by some straight talk about how pay increases are determined.

Source: http://www.hrmtoday.com/human-capital/compensation/whats-the-fuss-about-cost-of-living/

More often than not these days, to make a major sale you have to make a group sales presentation -- and compete against the other group presentations being made. Here are some tips for making your presentation the winner.

Getting Started

You've created a unique solution for the prospect. Make it clear that it’s unique and not another dog and pony show by putting the prospect's fingerprints all over the presentation: Use the language it uses for its functions and processes, the terms used in its industry, and its logo and other company graphics. Prospective customers are always concerned about how long it will take a supplier to get up to speed and whether there will be a culture fit. By speaking its language comfortably in the presentation you'll help allay its concerns about both of these issues.

Building Your Team

Learn the makeup of the team that will be hearing the presentation. You should have as many people there as the prospect has. Match their functions as well: If their CEO, IT director or financial executive is there, your should be too. Their specialized knowledge may be needed. Plan to have your proposed account executive lead the presentation. Most team presentations are led by senior member of the team -- but for a sales presentation it should be the person who will be the account executive. This will give that person an opportunity to demonstrate leadership. Organizing the Presentation Start the presentation by introducing the team members and briefly describing what they'll cover. Then show you understand the prospect's goals by describing how you learned them. Segue on to how and why the training solution you’re offering will meet those goals. Then describe the particular advantages your company offers. Never describe your company's credentials before you talk about the prospect.

As you create the presentation, review the list of customer people who will be there. Be certain that what you're offering will meet the needs of everyone -- and of any others who will be influencing the sale.

The document you leave behind should use a design that matches the presentation’s visuals. It should be detailed and thorough -- but the presentation itself should describe your solution in broad strokes, focusing on strategic issues and your main points. Among the most common mistakes seen in presentations is providing so much detail that what's essential gets lost.

Determine in advance whether the presentation will be delivered standing or sitting. Standing is better because it allows for movement that can demonstrate leadership and energy. If it's a sit-down meeting, be certain that everyone can see your visuals -- particularly the prospect's key decision-maker.

Each presenter should introduce the next one so the transitions are smooth. The handoff should link what was said with what's coming so the prospect can follow the presentation's development easily.

Sharpening the Team’s Presentation Skills

The better the visuals, the better the presenters have to be because the team, not the visuals, must be the center of attention. It isn’t the visuals that will distinguish you from the other presenters; it's how well your team communicates on a human level. It must project warmth, integrity and an emotional commitment to helping the prospect meet its goals.

Your team can't communicate on a human level if they’re reading from scripts. The presentation should be rehearsed so well that team members can deliver it while looking at the audience in the eye, one person at a time. Warm and steady eye contact is essential for building trust. Encourage everyone on the team to turn on the full force of their passion for the solution you're offering and to deliver the presentation with a high level of energy. This will help demonstrate commitment and keep the audience involved. There should be changes in voice pitch and timing, and constant movement of the entire body, hand gestures, head turns and facial expressions that help underscore important points.

Be certain that team members avoid leaning from side to side, fussing with hair or jewelry, or using "keep away" signals like crossing arms or backing off from the group. They also should avoid using non-words such as um and ah or rushing through their parts, both of which are common errors of inexperienced speakers.

Alert the techies and numbers-crunchers on the team to avoid talking over the heads of the people listening or using their own jargon. These team members also may be the ones most likely to feel that "the facts speak for themselves,” so they may have a particularly need for presentations skills coaching.

Presenters often rehearse their part of the presentation by reading the script silently to themselves -- and as a result fail to show the dynamism a successful presentation requires. Advise your team members that when they rehearse their roles they also should rehearse the body movement and voice changes they'll use to emphasize important points. Bringing it all together this way will help them get their roles down pat and eliminate their need for a script. Be sure to have one or more team presentation rehearsals. Having an audience present at rehearsals will generate valuable feedback on how the presenters are coming across.

Delivering the Presentation

The speakers must keep ”reading” the audience to determine how they’re being received and be ready to adjust their presentations if needed. Maybe the prospect's people are becoming inattentive. That calls for the presenter who’s speaking to shake things up, perhaps by asking a question, either real or rhetorical. Maybe puzzled looks show the audience doesn't understand what's being said. The speaker should backtrack, explaining better with an example or an analogy. Maybe the audience is really excited about something. The speaker should delve further into the topic. You want the presentation to stay on course -- but you have to make detours when needed.

You can anticipate some of the questions that will be asked. Agree in advance about who will answer which questions. Prepare answers that are compelling and concise -- and which tie into one of the major points the presentation makes.

That All, Folks! Finish with a flourish.

Untrained presenters often pull together their papers and mumble a thank you, relieved that the ordeal is over. In contrast, the proposed account executive who’s leading your presentation should take the floor to sum up the major points that were made, express appreciation for the opportunity to present and make it clear, with voice and body movement that signals energy and commitment, that your company wants the business.

Source: http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/corporate-learning-alignment/articles/sharpening-your-team-s-presentation-skills-to-make/

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Once Upon a Time

20 Ways to Kill Your Job Application!

5 ways to sell yourself effectively

5 Key Elements to Building a Talent Community

What’s The Fuss about Cost of Living?

Sharpening your Team's Presentation Skills to Make a Major Sale

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