People Solutions

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Sue is joined by Tawny Alvarez, an attorney with Verrill Dana who specializes in employment law.  This subject recently came up here at STM when Sue relocated to Virginia and there were unexpected legal and administrative issues we had to address. Sue and Tawny discuss the legal implications of having remote employees working in other states and how to be prepared so you avoid trouble.  Tawny’s advice: Think before you hire: do I have the time, energy, resources that may be necessary to begin doing business in another state by hiring a hybrid or remote worker in that state? Check out the state’s DOL website: this is a great resource for employers who are starting business in the state to understand their obligations. Resource assessment: do my team members have the assessment to manage individuals remotely (in addition to making sure they are complying with state and local laws)? Tawny has put together a checklist (link: https://strategic-talent-mgmt-1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/14095418/Hybrid-How-To-Tawny-Alvarez.pdf) that can help you be prepared and avoid common pitfalls.  Although we’re no legal experts here at STM, reach out if we can be helpful in selecting or managing remote employees to maximize productivity and engagement.

In this podcast, Art is joined by David Jean, one of our strategic partners and a partner at Albin, Randall, Bennett.  In a recent conversation, the question came up, “Why do we treat our best people so poorly?”  Are you falling into any of these traps? Taking the path of least resistance and overloading your best performers because you know the job will get done right without any hand holding Spending so much of your time trying to develop green or underperforming employees that you ignore the needs of your rock star Failing to invest in developing other talent because you know you can always turn to a handful of your best people Don’t risk burning out and losing the best people on your team.

How to spot people who are just "too nice." Our latest podcast episode features Art and Alyssa as they discuss competency shifts and what they mean. Some highlights include: Trends we've seen in job candidates’ attitudes about people, productivity, and planning When an over focus on people can be too much of a good thing How to screen out candidates who are too focused on people to the detriment of the competencies you really need You can contact STM to learn about how our assessments can help you improve your success rate in hiring and promotions, including identifying those who are just “too nice” for the job.

In our latest podcast, Sue is joined by Kathy Dockry, founder of Significa Group. Kathy is a leadership coach hired by large global companies to work one-on-one to accelerate the growth of top talent and is a thought leader on the power skills of influence, persuasion, and presence. Join us as we discuss: Why “What do you do” is a trick question Why it’s important to focus on the VALUE of your people and yourself rather than the ACTIVITIES you perform How to articulate your own value and unearth value in others For more information on this subject, download Kathy’s white paper - Click Here (or copy and paste this link https://strategic-talent-mgmt-1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/18092959/What-Do-You-Do-Is-a-Trick-Question.pdf?inf_contact_key=97112c5505bf3715f8d7d234cd29b349)

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions podcast, Sue, Art, and Alyssa discuss the differences between skills and values and why it’s an important distinction for hiring or promoting people.Listen in as we discuss: Don’t be blinded by surface behavior. Dig deeper to uncover core values and motivations. Value alignment allows for intuitive understanding of vision and direction and helps ease conflict. Bet on and invest in people whose values align with the organization and who are open to coaching and developing new skills. Need help navigating the hiring or promoting process? Download STM's Interviewing Guide and Interviewing Questions from the resources page on our website.

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions podcast Sue and our Senior Consultant for Training & Development, Chris Massaro, talk about how to navigate the critical first 90 days of employment. Break your strategy down into 30-day increments: learning, planning, executing This is a two-way street.  The same structure applies to the employer and the new leader. This is not the time for big, bold moves.  It is a time for listening, observing, and asking a lot of questions.

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Art and Sue talk about the importance of ongoing communication as a key element in an effective performance management process.Some of the topics we touch on in this episode include: Regular communication about performance increases retention and reinforces strategic vision. Performance management is a continuous process of improvement and goal setting. If managed effectively, no one should be surprised at the annual review.

In this week's episode of STM's People Solutions Podcast, Alyssa and Art talk about what you might find when you look beyond an individual's education, experience, and skillset. Consider their capacity, and the importance of looking within your organization first when trying to fill a position. Join us as we discuss: Hiring young or inexperienced people is risky because you do not know if the candidate is worth your investment of time, energy, and dollars to train or develop. Capacity is more important than skill, because if the candidate has the capacity, you can train them for skill. Don’t forget to look around your organization for individuals who may have the capacity and drive to fill vacant roles first, otherwise they may end up at your competitor's business!

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Art and Sue talk about leadership capacities within the framework of the 13 Stages of Leadership Excellence.Join us as we discuss: Understanding a person’s capacity for leadership and how they fit your current needs. Developing your people to align with your plans for the future. Improving the overall leadership culture of your organization. Click here for more information on the 13 Stages of Leadership Excellence.

We recently circulated a report around our team that was based on a survey by Adecco. The report asserted that although we all understand that the best way to address the global skills shortage is through re-skilling, up-skilling, and an overall commitment to career development, the research showed that leaders and the people they lead have radically different perspectives about whether that is being achieved. What does this mean and what can you do about it? At its core, this is a communication issue. Regular and meaningful career conversations with your people is a worthwhile investment. We tend to know more about the career aspirations of our new hires than our long-term employees. Make it easier to hire internally than externally. Set up the aspiration to build a culture of life-long learning and internal mobility. Create the expectation that your employees need to take charge of their own careers. They need to have skin in the game.

We spend a lot of time talking about onboarding, but are we paying enough attention to offboarding? Regardless of why and how your employees leave you, they will still be talking about you. How they’re treated on the way out the door will impact what they say. Will they be an ambassador or an adversary? In this episode we discuss: Recognizing exiting employees for their contributions. Creating a plan for handing off projects and responsibilities. If it's an involuntary exit, providing constructive feedback to help them be more successful in the future. Not underestimating the power of a structured exit interview!

We at STM talk a lot about energy & drive and how important it is to uncover it in the interview process. In this podcast, Art, Sue, and Alyssa talk about future focus as a key indicator. Too low and you risk a mediocre hire, disappointment, and a lack of commitment and engagement. Too high and you’ll have someone who will accomplish their goals with you or without you. Is all of that energy pushing them in the direction you need them to go?

In this episode, Art and Sue address client questions about handling difficult situations with valued employees. Someone who is driving others away Two people who do great work but just can’t get along with each other Managing up If you have a question you’d like us to address in a future episode, get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

In this podcast, Art and Sue are joined by special guest David Jean, Managing Director of Altus Exit Strategies. An important aspect of growing a successful business is creating transferable value. Transferable value is what your business is worth to someone else without you at the helm.   To get started in determining your business’s value and creating an effective exit strategy, ask yourself these 3 Universal Questions: How much do you as the owner want to take out of the business when you exit? When do you want to scale down? To exit? Who are the future leaders of your company and are they ready to step up?

Selecting people who fit your culture is important, but if you’re all too much in lock step, you open yourself up to blind spots and the perils of groupthink. - Too many differences, and you’re susceptible to conflict, mistrust, and miscommunication. - Too many similarities can discourage creativity, innovation, and individual responsibility. - “Fit” is more about people sharing the same broad values rather than thinking exactly the same way. Planned diversity is healthy.

Hi STM Subscriber,Are you struggling to find the right interviewing formula? Do you feel that your interviewing practices aren’t screening for top talent the way you’d like? STM can help! Check out our latest podcast episode where we discuss interviewing tactics like: - Be aware of your own bias; look beyond behavior. - For every question you ask, know why you’re asking it and what you do and do not want to hear. - Don’t stop with the first answer; dig deeper for validation.

Art and Sue recently hosted a series of roundtables at a conference centered around the issues of hiring, development, and retention. In this podcast, they share some of the ideas and issues that came up in those conversations. - How can we compete in this crazy hiring market? - What benefits and incentives can we offer to attract and retain good people? - Do we really have to put up with mediocrity? Is it better to have a marginally productive person than an empty chair?

Are you providing your employees with rewards and incentives that are meaningful to them, or are you making assumptions based on what's meaningful to you? In this podcast, Art and Sue talk about the clues that help you determine what your individual people value and what rewards and incentives will resonate with them. - Hobbies and the roles your people play on your team can give you valuable clues to their motivators. - Everybody likes a raise or bonus, but it’s not always all about the money. - Customizing rewards to zero in on what your people really value is a powerful tool.

Outsourcing work to contractors is a common practice, but are you really getting the most out of these relationships? In this podcast, Art speaks with STM’s marketing contractor, Graham Nash, to address common challenges managing your external people. Join Art and Graham as they discuss: - Effective onboarding is essential. Make sure your contractor has access to the resources and information they need to do the job. - You're not their only client. Respect their boundaries, bandwidth, and scope of work. - Communication is key. Contractors are not mind readers or magicians.

What's holding you back? To maintain and grow your business in today's world agility and adaptability are more important than ever. They are essential to navigating change and seeking out the best of each situation as you confront them. In this podcast we cover: - Now is the time to analyze how you do what you do. Is it out of necessity or is it just a habit? - Take a look at your culture, your people, and your systems. Are they serving you well in this new reality? - Trust your employees. Is how it gets done as important as that it does get done?

We often talk with companies who use behavior assessments in making hiring and promotion decisions.  Behavior is a good place to start, but you shouldn’t stop there. - Using behavior assessments alone in hiring decisions is as effective as flipping a coin.  Any behavior style can do any job. - Personality (a.k.a. behavior) can mask both strengths and weaknesses in your employees and candidates. - Using the right assessments can accelerate and sharpen your hiring process.

To prepare your company for planned or unplanned succession, you should prepare legally and financially. But you should also identify people who fit your culture and who can build on your organization’s success. The most important concern for your potential buyer is the quality of your management team, so that should be your number one concern as well.  - Every business problem is about process or people and how STM addresses the people issue - The buyer of your business expects to see a strong management team in place after you leave - Your next generation of managers will need coaching and development to prepare for taking charge

The recruiting landscape has changed and having an engaging selection process is critical in this competitive market for talent. In this episode we talk with STM’s most recent hire, our Executive Assistant Nicole Rodrigue, about her job search experience. What got her to engage, and what practices turned her away? Join us as we discuss: - Are you painting an accurate picture of the opportunity and your organization? - Are you asking for information you don’t need or won’t use? - Are there ways you can streamline your selection process without sacrificing quality? - Ghosting goes both ways. You can’t expect candidates to fully engage with you if you’re not communicating with them.

Listen Sue MacArthur and Art Boulay answer some questions from our clients. - How many interviews are adequate and how many is just too much? - Are you really communicating or just talking? - When is enough really enough? How do you know it’s time to cut ties with a mediocre employee? - Are you rewarding employees the way they want to be rewarded, or the way you like to be rewarded?

The upheaval of the last two years and today’s highly competitive hiring market have forced us to rethink how we position ourselves in the world. Whether you’ve clearly defined your company culture or not, now’s the time to pay attention to who you are and how your people fit together. - Significant changes in the makeup of your leadership team, the business climate, your industry, or the way you do business (i.e. in person vs. remotely) are key triggers for taking a closer look at your culture. Is it what you thought? Is it what you need to get you where you want to go? - If you haven’t measured it, how do you know how you’re doing? Using specific and repeatable measurements are the only way to track your cultural progress. - Once you’ve defined your culture, creating benchmarks for hiring, promotion, and succession take the guesswork out of making critical people decisions.

Listen in as Sue MacArthur and Chris Massaro, STM's Director of Training & Development, discuss relevant topics including: The most impactful leaders in your organization may not have a management title. Leadership is more than just a title; it’s an attitude and behavior. Do you have people who just work for you, or do you have followers? A leader without followers is just a manager. An organization’s culture is defined by its leadership. What values do your leaders bring to your culture?

Listen in as Team STM discusses relevant topics including: Don’t start with the future, start with the past and the present. You can’t develop a realistic plan without knowing where you are and where you’ve been. Get EVERYONE involved! Creating buy-in from day one increases your chances of successful execution. Don’t be afraid to talk about the “great unsaid,” the elephant in the room. Tune in for valuable insights for developing

Listen in as Team STM discusses relevant topics including: Behavior (whether someone is an introvert or extrovert) is about how we approach communication and problem solving. That’s ALL it is. Behavior alone cannot accurately or consistently predict a person’s potential for success in a particular role. Behavior shows us how someone behaves, but not why they do what they do or if they have the attitudes, energy, and drive to actually perform.

Listen in as Team STM discusses relevant topics including: What’s happening in this crazy recruiting market? Good people go fast! What adjustments should you be making in your selection process? You don’t have to sacrifice quality, but there is a need for expediency. How is STM responding? Gone are the days of the 30 to 60 day screening process. We have to move on good candidates immediately. If we don’t, someone else will.

Check out this week's episode, The Great Resignation, with host, Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. Listen in as Stephen and team STM discuss a wide range of topics including: Why the recurring theme STM hears from employees leaving their jobs is “I just couldn’t go back there”, and what factors are contributing to The Great Resignation Why it’s equally important for candidates to know who they are and what their goals for their career are Why you shouldn’t be looking for “perfect candidates” but rather should be focusing on what you need in a role and then finding someone who fits those needs Why your existing team can be an outstanding resource for building a pipeline for talent and bringing in great candidates even during The Great Resignation Tune in for valuable insights on how to attract and hire the right employees.

This part two of a two-part discussion on employer branding with special guest host, Drew McLellan, owner of the Agency Management Institute (AMI). Listen in as Drew and team STM discuss a wide range of topics including: Employer Branding - It’s just as important to market to prospective employees as it is to market to prospective customers. Hiring Process - You need to accelerate your selection process–good people go fast! Company Culture - It’s a new landscape out there! Be prepared to deal with social/political issues.

This part one of a two-part discussion on employer branding with special guest host, Drew McLellan, owner of the Agency Management Institute (AMI). Listen in as Drew and team STM discuss a wide range of topics including: Employer Branding - It’s just as important to market to prospective employees as it is to market to prospective customers. Hiring Process - You need to accelerate your selection process–good people go fast! Company Culture - It’s a new landscape out there! Be prepared to deal with social/political issues.

Listen in as Craig Cody, host of the Progressive Agency podcast, interviews Art Boulay on a wide range of topics involving today’s hiring and management challenges. Join Art and Craig as they discuss: Causes and solutions to today’s high rate of turnover The value of assessment tools for your current team and new hires Management tips for retention And when all else fails, how to handle an exit interview Tune in for valuable insights on how to strengthen your relationships with your team members to ensure that they feel valued, how to be flexible in meeting their expectations, and how to speed up and improve your hiring and onboarding processes

In the episode we discuss: Do you know yourself? You need to know your own management and communication style. Do you know your team? Getting the most out of your team means understanding what motivates and drives them. Do you know your culture? Recognize the impact you have on your organization’s culture.

In the episode Art and Sue discuss: Salary Competition - How do you determine the salaries of your remote employees? Do the same rules for calculating in-office employee salaries apply? Talent Pool - There’s an opportunity to recruit and hire employees from a much broader talent pool, but there are certain pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. Effective Management - How do you maintain engagement with a partially remote team? You’ll need to find ways to connect remote employees to your culture. Art and Sue are joined by Chris and Alyssa. You can download our "5 Key Traits for Successful Remote Workers" handout from the link in the episode description: https://strategic-talent-mgmt-1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/17115100/5-Key-Traits-for-Successful-Remote-Workers.pdf