Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Skills Improvement

We all need a little personal development mixed in with our professional and career development. Read blogs in this category for personal skills improvement.

  • Career Development: A Resource For Talent Retention

    Career Development: A Resource For Talent Retention

    Guest blog written by: Steve Graham

    In a recent study, conducted by the Work Institute, career development was identified as the top reason people leave or remain with organizations. In their study titled, 2017 Retention Report, 240,000 employees were interviewed about factors that were most influential in their decision to stay with or leave an organization.

    For decades, organizations that have invested in developing their people also experienced higher market shares and lower turnover than competitors. Despite the positive data to support career development, many organizations continue to fall short.  Lack of growth is a common reason given during exit interviews for leaving. In a study conducted by Empxtrack, reviewing data from over a number of years and involving approximately 52,000 exit interviews, the research identified lack of growth opportunity as the second most given reason for leaving an organization. The study indicated that 22% of job exits were directly related to growth.

    The good news is that with a little more focus on helping people develop their careers, organizations can reduce turnover.  Fears that investing in an employee and then having them leave the organization is one of the most common excuses for not offering training or other development opportunities. The truth is that people will leave anyway, to find an organization that offers them opportunity.  Having a well-trained and engaged workforce does not happen without an emphasis on career development.

    Career development initiatives include: formalized training programs, mentoring, internal coaching opportunities, and other opportunities. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) offers resources in integrating career development within an organization.  According to SHRM, having a designed career development path for employees allows managers to address gaps in training.  This is helpful in preparing people for promotions as well.

    Career development impacts performance. When people feel like their organization cares, and is focused on their development, it creates a deeper level of engagement. This increases the level of commitment on reaching individual and organizational goals.  Helping people become their best can help your organization stand out.  Designing a culture that supports career development also enhances your employer brand.

    Here are some basics steps in creating a career development focus:

    1. Know your people. Take time to learn them as individuals.
    2. Conduct a career path inventory and find out where they want to go.
    3. Use technology to create learning opportunities.
    4. Search for outside assistance and resources.

    Resources include, but are not limited to, workforce development programs, degree programs, mentoring, and career coaching.  The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is a great place to start.  The world of work is changing and organizations need to be in better alignment with the needs of their people. If an organization is not offering career development, people will find it elsewhere. They will seek places of employment that embrace their individuality, interest, and goals.

     

    About the Author: 

    Steve Graham serves as vice president for marketing, HR business partner and college instructor. He holds graduate degrees in management and higher education. As a life-long learner, he has additional graduate and professional education in executive and professional coaching, health care administration and strategic human resource management. Steve is also the Founder and President of Valiant Coaching & Talent Development, LLC.

    He is a certified HR professional with The Society for Human Resource Management, certified coach with the International Coach Federation and a Global Career Development Facilitator. His professional memberships include: The Society for Human Resource Management, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, Association for Talent Development and International Coach Federation.

  • 4 Tech Solutions that help you Hire for Fit AND Diversity

    4 Tech Solutions that help you Hire for Fit AND Diversity

    Most people live in an “or” world.   Whether we like it or not, we think in terms of always having to choose between two or more options or paths, rather than thinking in terms of “and”.      

    I was reminded of this when hearing the CFO of Eli Lilly, Derica Rice, speak to a group of college students who have received scholarships he and his wife fund. He told them that he always thought in terms of “or”.  I can have this career “or” that, but not both.  I can have this life “or” this one, but not both.  But one day, he said, his wife told him that he had earned the right to live and think in an “and” world.   

    This is a powerful message to us all, particularly to the minority students he is seeking to help.  I’ve found that it is also helpful to extend his point in inspiring diversity to the need to hire for both diversity AND fit.  

    And technology can actually help live in an “and” world when it comes to hiring for diversity and fit instead of relying on human, subjective judgments.

    Here are four tech companies that are doing just this:

    BLENDOOR  Using technology, Blendoor hides data that’s not relevant (for example name, graduation year and photos) and highlights data that is in order to reduce unconscious bias.

    You can view a video that explains their merit based hiring here.

    TEXTIO– With a slogan that reads, “In hiring, every word counts,” Textio focuses on helping companies write the best job postings.   In doing this, better word choice leads to more applicants, and more diverse ones at that. In particular, the company touts a 23% increase in women applicants.

    This graphic on their website says it all.

     

     

    PYROMETRICS–  Founded by a Harvard and MIT PhD in a Neuroscience team,  the company uses gamification, machine learning & artificial intelligence and unbiased algorithms to match potential employees with employers.  

    You can request a whitepaper from them on gender equality related to the science they use at the bottom of this page.

    HireVue.  When I first heard about HireVue, I thought their key value proposition was to reduce recruiter time in hiring, in particular interviewing.  Upon learning more, I realized they are also helping to reduce bias in hiring by using data (according to their speaker at HRTech, a 15 minute interview generates more than 25,000 data points) to identify best-fit for companies.

    You can read more about how using their (and Pyrometric’s) artificial intelligence helped Unilever increase their diversity hires by 16% (among other positive outcomes) here.

    Choose to live in an “and” world and the possibilities for solving problems are endless.

     

    How do you kill two birds with one stone by thinking “and” instead of “or”?

     

    Like this post, you may also like:

    You can hire for fit AND diversity: How the most innovative companies hire right

    Diversity and Inclusion in My Eyes and in the Eyes of My Children 

    What is Diversity and Why Does It Matter? 

    3 Ways to Embrace Diversity and Inclusion in Career Development

    Creating Community in Your Organization 

  • 7 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Next Conference

    7 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Next Conference

    I’m in route to Las Vegas for the HR Technology Conference.   As I travel, I’m mindful of the tragic events of last weekend, and I am prayerful for all those who have experienced such senseless loss.

    But not traveling to this conference, and any other act of ceasing to live life because of the terrible acts of another, seems tragic too.   So as I head out to this conference that I think could be an impetus for us to shift our business direction, I have prepared to maximize its benefit.

    Here’s seven steps I’ve taken, and that anyone can take, to maximize the next conference on your agenda:

    1. Know why are you are going.

    There are multiple reasons I could be going to #HRTechConf that would be beneficial for me, our business and our clients.   My main reason for going, though, is to scope out the HR Tech scene firsthand with the end goal of deciding if we will pursue outside funding to build and launch an HR Tech solution.   With this in mind, it will shape all the decisions about how I spend my time there.  Know your purpose.

    2. Align your agenda to your purpose.

    I could get lost in adult ADD if I don’t keep my eye on the mission for attending. Most large conferences with multiple breakout sessions and vendors are this way.  Taking some time beforehand to align your agenda around three key areas is critical:

      • Sessions – I’m focusing my attention on sessions that relate to what is being funded now, sessions related to the sectors we are interested in pursuing, and of course around some key speakers I like.  I’m really excited about the Women in HR Technology portion of the conference. To see what I’ve mapped out to attend, check out my agenda here.
      • Vendors – Based on your purpose, you may or may not need to spend a significant amount of time dedicated to vendors.  I’m focusing my attention on vendors that are in the spaces we are interested in- talent acquisition, assessment and culture- as well as those that are focused on taking consumer driven technologies and applying them to HR. My marketing guru created a spreadsheet of all the vendors at HR Tech so that I can sort them by primary focus. She also made notes on interesting things to consider for some vendors that stood out.  To access this resource, click here.
      • Contacts – Outside of speakers and vendors, you should have a list of contacts in the field to make sure you catch-up with.

     

    3. Calibrate your agenda with someone who has been there done that.

    I’ve never been to HR Tech, so I need a little insider information to make sure I’m on track to make the most of my time there.   Thanks to Ben Eubanks with Lighthouse Research and Advisory for chatting with me the week before the conference.  The person you calibrate with can also most likely help connect you with important contacts if needed.

    4. Prepare to catalogue your learning in an organized way.

    Since I’m going to a tech conference, you would think I’m planning to organize my notes and takeaways using some kind of technology.   Initially though, I’ve got a trusty notebook, divided into sections with a couple of fun pens to get me started.   This will also help me have the chance to not only write but also draw anything that comes to mind.  I’m finding that drawing helps stimulate my thinking.    The new notebook is also aptly labeled “The Next Chapter”. Maybe this will provide some motivation….

    5. Schedule debrief time.

    Conferences offer a lot of information condensed in a short timeframe. If we don’t have a plan to decompress on that information, learning can be lost.   I have time on my schedule each day to debrief before moving on to #6 below.   I plan to do this by looking back over my notes, scheduling things and people to follow-up with (and sending LinkedIn invites right then) and writing some blog posts before I lose the value of some of the information.   Debrief time should be scheduled during the conference and after you get home.

    6. Schedule some fun.

    A secondary purpose of our trip to Las Vegas (or maybe it’s the primary depending on who you ask J) is to celebrate my husband’s 35th birthday.  He likes to gamble and I don’t, so he is looking forward to doing that while I’m at conference events.   But we’ve got some great dinners planned and a trip to the Rascal Flatts concert.  We are also getting in the day before the conference, so I plan to hit up some pool and shopping time then.  If we focus too intensely on our conference purpose, we might burnout and lose some of its value.

    7. Be flexible.

    I’m obviously hyper-organized about this conference (I’m usually not this way about a conference) because the excitement of what could be has motivated me. However, I realize we all need to be flexible and open to where happenstance might lead us when we’re in a large venue with a lot of people to build relationships with a lot going on to learn from.    If I get derailed from my agenda, it will be okay.  It may even lead to better things if I stay in tune with the purpose of my trip.

     

    Where are you headed for your next conference? Do you have a plan to maximize your time there?

    Like this post? You may also like the following posts about #HRTechConf

    Globoforce Blog

    Lighthouse Research and Advisory

    Steve Boese’s HR Technology

  • What is Diversity and Why Does it Matter?

    What is Diversity and Why Does it Matter?

    I distinctly remember the first time I knew I lived in a bubble.   I was 17- a junior in high school.  I had two elective slots open.  For one, I decided to be a science lab assistant that didn’t require much work.  This allowed me to walk across the street one day a week to spend time with an at-risk elementary student as her mentor.

    Up until that point in my life, I thought most people lived like me.  Some had more and some had less but I didn’t think there were drastic differences.  As I got to know this little girl and hear her story, I realized I was wrong.  Dead wrong.

    She and her brother had been shuffled from home to home, with no one really providing for them.   She didn’t know where her next meal would come from and who would (or wouldn’t) be picking her up from school and where she would sleep most nights.

    That same year, I also had a period of my schedule where I was an aide in the developmental wing of our high school.  I spent time with students around my age with varying degrees of cognitive and physical disabilities.

    This was the beginning of the realization that not everyone’s world, even if we were occupying the same physical space, was the same as the world I was in.

    With a large focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, my realization that I lived in a bubble helps to illustrate that diversity and inclusion aren’t just about your Title VII criteria and other subsequent legislative catagories- sex, race, color, national origin, religion,  age and sexual orientation.

    Diversity and inclusion aren’t about discrimination. It’s about creating an environment in work and in life that proves it is valuable to be around people who are different from us. This value is added through perspective and leads to business results.

    So when you think about your workplace (and life), do you have diversity and are you open to the perspectives around multiple criteria of diversity?

    Does it include diversity in:

    1. Demographics- Title IX criteria such as sex (and sexual orientation), race, color, national origin (I would also add geographic diversity- I’ve learned a lot from people who grew up in a different part of the United States than I have), and religion.
    2. Age
    3. Cognitive Diversity including things that many would label as “disabilities” like Autism, Asperger’s, etc.
    4. Physical Diversity including things that many would also label as “disabilities” tied to physical limitations- blind, deaf, paraplegic individuals, etc.
    5. Personality Diversity
    6. Socio-Economic Diversity
    7. Political Diversity
    8. Diversity of Experiences

    A lot of these areas of diversity can’t be seen.  They come with being heard.

    As a business leader, I’d encourage you to use the Privilege Walk  to begin the conversation of allowing a variety of areas of diversity to be seen (by the positions people end up in on the walk) and then be heard by facilitating a discussion around it.

    Because “companies with inclusive talent practices in hiring, promotion, development, leadership and team management generate up to 30% higher revenue per employee and greater profitability than their competitors.” Source here.

    I read To Kill A Mockingbird in High School too.  I was 15.  But it wasn’t until I was 17, walking into that little girl’s current front yard to take her to dinner that I realized I just learned what Atticus Finch meant, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

    Climb into someone else’s shoes today.  You’ll add more value if you do.

     

    Interested in learning more about diversity and inclusion? Join Mary Ila at SHRM’s Diversity and Inclusion conference as she tackles the topic of hiring for fit AND diversity.

    See session information here.

  • Do You Have a Plan of Action to Reach Your Goals?

    Do You Have a Plan of Action to Reach Your Goals?

    Action Planning and Goal Setting are key tools for career success. Stephen Covey’s “Circle of Concern vs Circle of Influence” principle is a great way to start the process. In short, we need to focus on our circle of influence (the things in life and career we can control).

    Source: INSITEMIND

     

    One way we can do this is by setting goals and creating an action plan. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound.

    Source: Minute Movement

    Check out the Point Blog for more Goal Setting ideas:

    Goal Setting Articles from the Point Blog

    Develop an Action Plan for yourself with Smartsheet – free download here.