Managing Employees

Starting the process of change can be exciting and daunting at the same time. 
When we become conscious of something not working, our initial reaction may be to ignore it or to try to incorporate the change right away.  Lasting change takes time to organize and communicate to everyone.  

Change occurs at the individual level.   Yes, you may drive the change, but the effectiveness of the change occurs at the employee level.   Your job as a manager is to present the change in a way that is understandable and manageable for the people involved.   

The word “change” provokes many different emotions…from excitement to fear and in between.  Change is ongoing within an organization, so why not become knowledgeable on how to manage change within your team and yourself.

Mirriam-Webster Online states: “Change” is:

• to give a different position, course, or direction to 
• to replace with another 
• to make a shift from one to another 
• to undergo a modification of 
• to undergo transformation, transition or substitution

Everyone has different reactions to change…some excited, others dreading anything that is out of the ordinary.  So how do you predict reactions to change?  The basic assumption you can make is that anything or everything that you change will elicit a reaction.   

Someone has weeded through hundreds of resumes to come up with a short list of candidates that potentially meet the requirements of the position.    Now it’s time to interview the candidates.

What is the most important component of the interviewing process…asking the right questions of the candidates.  Most managers wing this part of the interviewing process.   They depend on their gut to access the candidate’s appropriateness for the position.  Their questions don’t delve deeply into the candidate’s experience and behaviors.  In this competitive talent landscape, you can’t go by your gut.  You need the tools to help you select the right candidate to build your business.

In this highly competitive market, finding top talent can be a challenge.   Employers are searching for successful recruiting methods to bring in the right employees to grow the business.  An employee referral program (ERP) can provide you with great talent and at a low cost.  

It does take some upfront time to create the right program for your company, as well as marketing time to educate the employees on the value of the program.  Once your made the initial investment, the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts becomes more powerful.  

You are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department and are knowledgeable around the business functions.  What about the people tasks?    Managing people starts with recruiting…finding the right talent.   I’ve created a simple systematic guide to help you through the maze of hiring the right talent.

1. Job Opening – decide who owns the recruiting process…you or Human Resources.  In some companies, HR drives the process.  In smaller companies, the manager is usually in charge of whole process.  If it is HR, you still need to be involved during many of the steps.