Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Beyond Work

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative outside, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work.

  • Are There Differences in What Women and Men State as Career Needs and Goals?

    Are There Differences in What Women and Men State as Career Needs and Goals?

    “Grow in my current role.”& “Personal growth.” 

    “Financial security.” & “Growth in earnings.”

    These are two sets of responses gathered working with our clients and with Horizon Point and MatchFIT team members when posing the question, “What do you want out of your career?” as a part of our Leaders as Career Agents Process. 

    Which pair do you think came from men and which one do you think came from women?   

    Although not a scientific study, I have seen over and over again how the majority of men focus on the financial aspects of career growth and plans whereas women focus on getting intrinsic satisfaction from that growth.   Both men and women cite impact and influence on others in career growth fairly equally as I’ve seen it.

    There are a million reasons that play into these differences and similarities I would venture to guess, but I think the reality of this is important. 

    If you are a leader facilitating some type of solicitation of this type of information, I would encourage you to help balance these discussions if they are weighted more heavily towards financial or personal growth needs by asking open-ended questions like:

    • Tell me what your thoughts are on your current compensation and where you’d like to see yourself move throughout your career in terms of pay and rewards?
    • Tell me about your personal growth and learning goals?  What would you like to be exposed to? Who would you like to learn from and what would you like to learn?
    • How do you see yourself giving back to the organization and others throughout your career? 

    Finally, as a leader, take ownership in helping people understand what they are worth and driving them towards the learning and development that helps them reach their financial needs and desires.  Engage in helping people feel comfortable talking about both. 

    What differences have you seen, if any, between what women and men state as career needs? 



  • 7 Things to Consider in Wage Fairness

    7 Things to Consider in Wage Fairness

    Pay disparity has long been a topic, most notably with discrepancies in pay between women and minority groups.   The #metoo movement and #blacklivesmatter movements have brought this issue even further to the forefront.   And rightly so. 

    Payscale published its annual Gender Pay Gap Report in March, stating that, “Since we have started tracking the gender pay gap, the difference between the earnings of women and men has shrunk, but only by an incremental amount each year. There remains a disparity in how men and women are paid, even when all compensable factors are controlled, meaning that women are still being paid less than men due to no attributable reason other than gender. As our data will show, the gender pay gap is wider for women of color, women in executive-level roles, women in certain occupations and industries, and in some US states.” 

    The report is definitely worth a deep dive to read if you have a chance.  

    If your organization is concerned about pay disparity, what should you do? It starts with considering all the factors that go into determining pay:

    1. Consider what your organization values.  What creates value for your organization by creating a competitive advantage?  These are compensable factors.   As another Payscale report states, “It’s also perfectly reasonable to pay people in the same position differently as long as the compensable factors are justified and aligned with legal requirements.” 

    2. Consider time.  Years of experience overall and tenure with the organization are important factors that affect pay. 

    3. Consider performance.   Performance can and should affect pay.  Make sure you have a documented and systematic way of measuring performance that can justify and backup pay differences. 

    Examine your wage data.

    4. Conduct a pay equity analysis.   A professional in the field can help you conduct regression analysis to see what factors are contributing to pay disparities if any, and if these factors are based on protected classes and/or on factors mentioned above like years of experience, compensable factors, etc. 

    5. Get your legal team involved.  I know, I know, I hate to call the attorney too unless it is absolutely necessary, but it is necessary here.  This can help you do a pay equity analysis under attorney-client privilege, and based on what you discover, help you chart the right path forward. 

    Finally, consider ways you can help to combat systemic issues with pay disparity: 

    6. Consider policies and “norms” that impact gender or other demographic factors like race differently.  A documented reason for macro gender pay disparity issues is tied to women leaving the workforce altogether or seeking more flexible work opportunities to raise children.   Considering how your organization can retain female talent during child-rearing years is an important consideration for individual organizations and for the entire economy on a macro level. 

    7. Teach advocating and negotiation skills to women and minority groups.  I personally believe one of the reasons women and some members are of minority groups are paid less is because they don’t ask for what they are worth.  There is evidence to support this (and there is evidence that contradicts it).  Helping people understand the market for their skills and experience and giving them the confidence to stand for what they are worth and ask for it is empowerment at its finest.  I’ve found that many people just don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to the knowledge and skills needed to advocate and negotiate, so they just don’t.  Over a lifetime, this could mean a substantial difference in lifetime earnings. 

    Are you concerned about pay fairness and pay disparity at your organization?

  • A Book Review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

    A Book Review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a must-read for introverts and extraverts alike. It explores the misconceptions of introverts and their many positive attributes.

    I have two children who are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to introversion and extraversion. This book resonated with me on so many levels. I also love that it has a Tips for Educators section at the end. 

    The back cover notes Quiet as The Book That Started The Quiet Revolution. It explains:

    At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society. 

    In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

    Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Quiet:

    “We don’t ask why God chose as his prophet a stutterer with a public speaking phobia. But we should. The book of Exodus is short on explication, but its stories suggest that introversion plays yin to the yang of extroversion; that the medium is not always the message; and that people followed Moses because his words were thoughtful, not because he spoke them well.”

    “Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.”

    “So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”

    Regardless of your MBTI results, you will find value in this book. Unsure if you are naturally an introvert or extrovert? You can check out 16 Personalities to find out for free!

  • Satisfied or Standing Still

    Satisfied or Standing Still

    I’ve been thinking a lot about satisfaction at work and in life. If you’re a fan of Hamilton, you know the iconic song, “Satisfied”, about the struggle of feeling dissatisfied with your life when you’re aware of other possibilities. I’ve felt this personally, and we’ve seen it in others through our work helping individuals and organizations find mutual FIT. We believe person-organization fit leads to job satisfaction and engagement.

    If you know “Satisfied”, then you also know the line “I am not standing still, I am lying in wait” from the song “Wait For It”. (Is it obvious I just rewatched Hamilton on Disney+?) That line – and the entire song – describes those of us who find ourselves waiting for something better to come along. A better job. A better boss. A better company. We’re waiting for something better, but we’re not taking any action.

    My message today is to stop standing still and take action toward satisfaction. That doesn’t have to mean leaving a job, although the timing for that might be right. It could simply mean taking a moment for self-reflection to understand yourself and identify why you might not be satisfied. Is it a values mismatch?

    We know from research and our work with organizations that a mismatch of values or work environment preferences is likely to lead to dissatisfaction, disengagement, and eventually turnover. Long-term FIT is more likely to occur when individuals and organizations share a common approach to work and balancing that work with life.

    Question of the day: Are you satisfied or standing still?

     

    Jillian will be speaking at the NASHRM September Workshop on Tuesday, September 8th. Find out more information or register here.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Want to learn more about finding your fit? Check out our sister company MatchFIT. Visit thematchfit.com

  • 3 Tips for Your Job Search During a Pandemic

    3 Tips for Your Job Search During a Pandemic

    Almost every event I’ve attended lately, I’ve had conversations with individuals or overheard discussions about furloughs, downsizing and layoffs. The job market is volatile, and more and more people are searching for new opportunities, and many of those people haven’t had to search for a job in a long time.

    My husband and I have had conversations about what we would do if one of us lost our job. It’s scary to think about. We agree that we would do whatever we needed to do to continue to support our family. Which leads me to my first tip:

    1. While searching for the next best opportunity, find a side hustle that will allow you to pay your bills during your search. Instacart shoppers make way more than you would think! Also, during your downtime, check out The Next Right Thing, a book about making life decisions.
    2. Network like it’s your job. Networking is something we do on a daily basis without even realizing it. During my career, the majority of my positions have been obtained through networking. Not sure how to get started? Check out this article from Balance Careers: How to Use Networking to Find a Job.
    3. Stay busy. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, I often help clients with gaps in their resume. The best way to avoid gaps in your resume (& questions about them in an interview) is to keep yourself busy while you are searching for your next job. Volunteering or continuing your education area great ways to avoid resume gaps. The Muse shared 5 Better Ways to Talk About the 5 Most Common Resume Gaps.

     

    Check out The Point Blog for more resources to help with your job search.