Tag Archives: employee assessments

  • 24
    Feb 15
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3 Steps to Improving Your Business Success

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Businesses are constantly evolving to adapt to industry trends and consumer needs. Continuous improvement is a necessity to stay current with clients and remain the brand of choice for your target audience. Thanks to modern technology and innovative solutions, improving your business is possible with a dedicated investment and a few crucial steps.

Strategize

Have a clear strategy that you revisit periodically

Every company needs to have a clear direction in order to grow and develop with purpose. Ever year, revisit this strategy so your entire company can make decisions that will move towards your goals, together. Below are a few questions to ask yourself about your company’s current strategy.

  • Do we have a written strategy that our leaders can refer to?
  • Do all employees have a vision of the company direction, vision, mission and goals?
  • Has the company direction changed? If so, has the strategy been changed to reflect it?
  • Has a goal process in your strategy become outdated?
  • Do you have a backup plan in case your current strategy falls through?

Invest

Invest in your human capital

A company’s talent is what propels it to business success. Even if you have the best product available, you need to have equally good teams managing, marketing and selling that product (and your company). Your front-end and back-end staff needs to be trained, educated and capable. Make sure they are versed in your product benefits and the company mission in order to relay these important foundations to the customer. Below are a few things to ask yourself about your workforce.

Measure

Measure quantitatively and qualitatively

In order to see how far your company has come and postulate where it is going, you need to measure your successes and failures. To move forward and make the best decisions for your company, you should measure the ROI (return on investment) of your processes. Below are a few questions you can ask yourself about measurement and tracking.

  • Are you using analytics tools to help you measure social media ROI?
  • Do you adjust for improvement upon each measurement?
  • Are you measuring both customer and employee satisfaction and retention?
  • Are you keeping track of the important partnerships you form?
  • Are you setting measurable goals?
  • Are you tracking ROI both quantitatively and qualitatively? ROI isn’t just numbers, it can come in the form of social media mentions, news mentions and customer reviews.
  • Are you reaching your target market and building your brand?
  • Do you understand your strengths and weaknesses better thanks to each measurement?

What other things should a company analyze for business success? Share your thoughts in the comments!

  • 03
    Feb 15
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Leading the Next Generation

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Things are rapidly changing in the way leaders manage their talent. The leadership style needed to guide the new generations filling our workforce is vastly different from the top-down model so many of us are used to. According to Dan Schwabel in an interview, millennials leave their jobs in two years, whereas Boomers leave in about seven years and Gen X leaves in five years. They value purpose more than a salary, and are willing to take a pay cut to do something they truly believe in. Millennials also emphasize entrepreneurship and value their time and freedom.

Companies need to start realizing that a lot of people go home or go on vacation and they’re still doing work. You can’t trap someone from 9 to 5 every day when they’re going to be doing work outside of work. – Dan Schwabel, Interview With Dan Schwabel: How to Retain Your Millennial Workers

Because the millennial work ideal is so different from the generations that came before them, HR and managers should be exploring new ideas and work models that will help retain young talent with high potential.

Flexible office hours…and offices

…most of your new-generation leadership will begin as first-level managers. But they will share a commonality with high-profile tech entrepreneurs who manage virtual teams, lead across cultures and adapt to new technologies. Their experience as the first truly diverse and digital generation has prepared them well to lead the next generation. – PJ Neal and Michael Watkins, Millennial in Training

Many employees have come to the realization that time is more important than money, and that work can be done from virtually anywhere. Millennial employees will have experience with virtual teams, online work spaces, and new technology. Companies can offer their employees flexible hours and equip them with the resources to work virtually (and efficiently) to help keep employee satisfaction levels high. Having to sit at an office for two hours with nothing to do can destroy employee morale fairly quickly, and make millennials wonder why they keep coming to work when they can do just as much or more from home.

Volunteer Programs

Many millennials want to do good for society, and be a part of the bigger picture. Volunteer programs allow your employees to help their communities as part of their job. Companies can give employees the option of volunteering with different programs, while still being paid for their time. Many companies can also offer paid “vacation leaves” as long as an employee volunteers that day with a non-profit organization.

Intrapreneurship Programs

Intrapreneurship means acting like an entrepreneur within a company. Intrapreneurs imagine, create and implement new products, processes and practices to make the company better in some way. It may add a much needed solution to a problem, or enhance a product, or make a process more efficient. Intrapreneurs can look beyond whatever is in place now into how they can change, improve or combine aspects of a company to serve a better good.

According to a Forbes article, Social Intrapreneurs: Disruptive Innovators on the Inside, Unilever Chemical Engineer James Inglesby had the task of finding new business opportunities for toilet cleaning products. He learned that 2.6 billion people lack access to proper sanitation, and decided to expand beyond established markets to offer branded, affordable, self-contained plastic toilets and a toilet cleaning service that uses Unilever cleaning products.

For more information on HR, marketing, business and leadership, follow our blog!

  • 08
    Jan 15
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Develop Your Workforce in 2015

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2015 is going to be a big year for the Philippines. By the end of the year, we and all our ASEAN neighbors will be able to trade goods and services freely, which means increased competition, higher standards, and a freer flow of employees. In order to keep your workforce cohesive and up to the rapidly rising ASEAN standard, employers must develop their top talent and nurture their employees’ professional development.

Everything starts with a good hire

First things first; get the right people. Evaluate your employees and make sure you have the right people in the right position. It’s not too late to do this for your entire company! The integration is set to happen at the end of 2015, so start evaluating employees now. Find out which of your employees see a future with your company and let go of the employees who don’t. Avoid becoming a “passing” job where employees just wait for a better offer. Every employee you have at the end of 2015 should enjoy their jobs and believe in your company.

Getting your workforce in the best shape possible will take a lot of time, energy and resources. You’ll need to invest in advertising, interviewing, orientations, on-boarding, and the adjustment period in which an employee gets to know his or her job. It will be worth it. Your human capital will be prepared for the integration and you won’t (hopefully!) lose dozens of employees to other ASEAN companies.

Provide training and development

Once you have people who fit your company culture and have the right attitude to do their jobs, it’s time to train them. There are very few jobs in which you can hire someone and he or she automatically knows how to do the job seamlessly. You’ve spent a lot of time getting the right people working in your company, now it’s time to coach, mentor and train them.

It’s much easier, and usually more cost effective, to hire someone with the right attitude and train them for a position than to find the perfect fit. Helping your employees grow and showing an investment in their development will also help them understand they are valued by the company and remain loyal, even when presented with other job offers.

Give them the right resources

Every company works differently. The same can be said of each department, each team, and each individual. Because different employees will have their own unique productivity practices, be flexible enough to accommodate them with what they need. Provide meeting rooms, efficient hardware and software (no laptops from 1998), individual work rooms where employees can think out loud, adequate parking space, and whatever else they need so they can focus on their jobs.

The right resources also means allowing your employees to work during their most productive hours of the day. This may mean offering different work schedules, or even setting up a virtual work space where team members can interact online from wherever they are.

How else do you think companies should be developing their workforce in 2015? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

  • 18
    Nov 14
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The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

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Strength lies in differences, not in similarities. – Stephen Covey

A wide range of skills is important in every business. Each company needs different departments that specialize in different fields. Much like skills, a variety of cultures also adds a desired dimension to businesses. This office diversity is vital to a business’ innovation and creativity, and it is something that human resources is both a curator and gatekeeper for.

Why is Diversity Important?

A diverse workplace empowers employees to show their own individuality, and in this encouraging environment, productivity, creativity and innovation thrives. A Forbes study found that workforce diversity and inclusion often drive innovation and business growth, and a Harvard Business School study showed that multicultural networks often promote increased creativity.

Ideas and Problem-Solving

A diverse workforce will offer different angles and solutions to a problem, and bring different perspectives that enable leaders to make well-informed decisions. People from different cultures will have uniquely valuable ideas. For example, someone who has lived in France for 10 years may point out that a traditional French holiday and event opportunity is coming up, and spur a marketing event surrounding the occasion. Multiple cultural point-of-views also ensure that ideas and problems are handled in a culturally sensitive way.

Skills and Talents

People from different backgrounds will bring different talents to the table. Someone who is a former teacher brings years of experience in instruction and education, whereas someone who used to work for a newspaper would have a wealth of knowledge about editing processes and media standards. A diverse workforce makes it more likely for someone in the office to have the skills and expertise needed in almost any situation.

Languages and Communication

Communication is vital in today’s quickly globalizing world, and having a multilingual workforce makes it much more likely for your company to effectively communicate with multiple target audiences. For example, if you’re holding an event where some of the population speaks English, and others speak Filipino, it is a good idea to produce promotional materials in both languages. To do this, you will need copywriters and editors who are fluent in each language.

Inclusion and Brand Protection

According to Neil Lenane, a Business Leader of Talent Management at Progressive, “if you do not intentionally include, you unintentionally exclude.” Alienating a potential client because of a lack of diversity and cultural awareness results in lost profit and damaged brand image.

How Can HR Encourage Diversity?

HR does the hiring, meaning they are able to introduce diversity to the workplace by consciously assessing people for a variety of different backgrounds, experience and cultures. According to Forbes Insights, “as companies compete on a global scale, diversity and inclusion frequently have to shift, as different markets and different cultures have varied definitions of what diversity means.” How can HR ensure that a business stays diverse and competitive in the industry?

  • Hire candidates with different backgrounds and life experiences.
  • Hire individuals with different philosophies and a variety of outlooks.
  • Hire individuals complementary but different personalities from existing employees.
  • Hire candidates from different ethnicities and have an equal gender balance.

Equip your HR department with a simple way to gauge different personalities and roles. Make sure your HR department isn’t stuck hiring the same “type” of person by profiling each candidate in an unbiased assessment. Visit ProfilesAsiaPacific.com for profiling assessments or email solutions@profilesinternational.ph to find out how we can help diversify your workforce by profiling current and potential employees.

  • 06
    Nov 14
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Business Leadership: Becoming Management Material

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Join Profiles Asia Pacific’s Business Leadership workshop November 18 to 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.! This two-day workshop would be beneficial for anyone who interacts with internal or external customers, project managers, employees who serve on teams, and anyone who wants to enhance their leadership skills in order to achieve outstanding results. It is designed to help create and accomplish your personal best and help you lead others excel. At its core, leadership means setting goals, lighting a path, and persuading others to follow. But the responsibility entails much more. By accepting the challenge to lead, you come to realize that the only limits are those you place on yourself.

Participants will learn to identify their leadership profile and explore how to use this knowledge to take control of their future, assess leadership competencies and learn how to develop strengths, identify additional skills and tools to make a better leader, develop the ability to influence and communicate with others, become a better problem-solver and decision-maker, discover how to prepare for and embrace the forces of change, and create a strategy to actively use these skills in the workplace.

Course Outline

  • Leadership profile and competencies to highlight your strengths and challenges
  • Directional and consequential thinking and how to develop these skills
  • Strategies for influencing others through improved communication and interaction
  • Your role in making meetings effective, both as a leader and as a participant
  • Critical problem-solving skills and the tools and techniques you can use
  • Strategic planning with a SWOT analysis to introduce change
  • Ways to manage the change process effectively for sustainable growth

This course will be facilitated by Dr. Maria Vida Caparas. Dr. Caparas holds a Master’s Degree and Ph.D., Summa Cum Laude, in Psychology. She is an Accredited Trainer of the Philippine Government with invaluable experiences in Organizational Development as a Human Resource, Training and OD practitioner. She authored three books on Psychology/HR Management and was a Trainer Delegate of DFA-Foreign Service Institute in Italy and Singapore in 1999-2000. Dr. Caparas is a recipient of various national awards and also a professor in prestigious universities.

The workshop fee is PHP10,500 and includes instruction by an expert facilitator, small group workshops that promote “active learning,” a specialized student workbook, a free eBook, personalized certificate of participation, snacks and lunch, and a free management skills test. This assessment is designed to measure knowledge and understanding of general management and organization principles. The test assesses competencies that have been identified as important through extensive studies of management positions in a wide range of of organizations and settings. The measures include performance management, coaching and development, planning, organization, scheduling, problem solving, interpersonal relations, communications, flexibility, dependability, ethical conduct and overall performance.

To learn more or register, please visit ProfilesAsiaPacific.com.

  • 04
    Nov 14
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Creative Thinking and Innovation

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Creative thinking and innovation are vital components in both our personal and professional lives. However, many feel that they lack creativity. What most of us do not recognize is that we are creative on a daily basis, from picking out what clothes to wear or stretching a tight budget at work. While these tasks may not normally be associated with creativity, it takes a great deal of creativity to get these jobs done. While some people seem to be simply bursting with creativity, others find it a struggle to think outside the square. If you fall into the latter category, it is important to understand that boosting your creative and innovative abilities takes practice. Recognizing and honing your own creative potential is a process. That’s what this two-day workshop is all about.

From November 12 to 13, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Profiles Asia Pacific is hosting a Creative Thinking and Innovation workshop at unit 502 OMM Citra Bldg., San Miguel Ave. in Pasig City. Participants will learn how to identify the difference between creativity and innovation, how to recognize their own creativity, ways to build their own creative environment, the importance of creativity and innovation in business, problem solving steps and tools, individual and group techniques to help generate creative ideas and how to implement creative ideas.

Course Outline

  • What is creativity and innovation?
  • Individual creativity and how to get creative
  • Developing the right environment for creativity
  • Creativity and innovation in business
  • Where does creativity fit into the problem-solving process?
  • Defining the problem
  • Creative techniques (RAP model, shoe swap, mind mapping, metaphors and analogies, situation/solution reversal)
  • Encouraging creativity in a team (brainstorming, rolestorming, brainwriting, stepladder, and slip writing)
  • Putting it all together

The course will be taught by Ms. Blesilda “Baebee” Reynoso, who holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and Literature. She is a Creative Communications and Personality Enhancement Consultant specializing in training programs on Communication Skills, Learning Strategies, Team Building and Corporate Image. Ms. Reynoso, as an artist-educator, also conducts lectures in Humanities and Art Appreciation for students and teachers. She also conceptualizes and organizes heritage tours, art conventions, seminars, and exhibitions. She is also an author/consultant for publishing houses.

The course fee is PHP6,500 and includes small group workshops that promote “active learning,” a specialized student workbook, a free eBook, a personalized certificate of participation, snacks and lunch.

To register or for more information, visit ProfilesAsiaPacific.com.ph.

  • 30
    Oct 14
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Talent Management Challenges for Small Companies

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Is your business just starting out? Check out these talent management tips to promote success and avoid disaster.

Start-ups may experience a number of growing pains as they begin their ambitious ventures, and eventually develop into successful businesses. Below are some of the common mistakes to look out for if you are starting, or current running a small company.

Hiring Right the First Time

Making sure you hire the right person in the first place will save your company money, and, more importantly, time. If someone is placed in an ill-fitting job, they may make mistakes that will cost your company time to fix, and possibly damage relationships with your clients. Having a poor job fit leads to a bad representation of your company, and your employee’s lack of skill will not go unnoticed. In addition to the risk of a bad hire acting unprofessional, there is also the danger of him or her hindering the productivity of your other employees. Be sure to hire right the first time by implementing assessment tests to determine both the business ethics and professional skills that your candidates possess.

Determining Proper Salary

Knowing what to pay a person can make or break a company that’s just starting up. If you pay your employees more than you can afford, your company will collapse unto itself. But if you don’t offer enough incentive, your company won’t be attractive to highly skilled workers, and talented employees may overlook your company in favor of one that pays more. Do your research on the market and industry when determining how much to pay someone, and be attentive to what other companies are offering for similar positions.

Asking an Employee to Leave the Company

Knowing how to fire someone is more than just emotionally draining–there are legality issues surrounding it as well. For example, your employee may have had to receive a number of warnings before you’re able to fire them without repercussions. Make sure you have someone who understands HR law in your country before firing anyone.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Understanding the capacities of employees as a first-time business owner can be one of the biggest challenges you face. If you overwork your employees, or expect too much from them, you could alienate them. Employees could feel so pressured to do a large volume of work that they rush through their tasks and make hasty errors. On the other side of the coin, if you don’t set high enough goals, employees may become complacent and end up wasting time. Strive for a balance between the two extremes, observe your employees and how they work to determine what a realistic expectation for output is in your company.

Finally, realize that the best talent management comes from years of experience, listening to your employees, and being flexible and creative with your solutions. Want some help managing your human capital? Contact us for employee solutions.

  • 23
    Oct 14
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Evaluating Employee Assessments in the Philippines

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Assessments can range anywhere from a free IQ test you can take online to a scientific exam that measures participant answers based on a wealth of research and history. Below is an evaluative breakdown of how the best assessment tools function, as modeled by the ProfileXT exam.

What makes an assessment thorough and reliable?

  • Customizable – All companies, candidates and positions are unique. You shouldn’t be using one generalized test that overlooks the differences between one position and another.
  • Based on solid scientific research – Assessments should be built on a foundation of studies, research and tests. Companies such as Profiles International have been testing their assessments and measuring the results for years, and have an expansive database to promote accurate and effective placement recommendations.
  • Yields measurable results – An assessment should show measurable results, not a generic description such as “will work well in an office.” Look for assessments that pinpoint skills and personality factors, and lays out the results conclusively with indebatable statistics.
  • Goes beyond transparent questions – Most job candidates are intelligent and have taken multiple employment exams. This makes it crucial to find an assessment that doesn’t use questions with obvious “correct” answers. For example, a question like “Should rules be broken when there is good cause?” will reveal more than a question like “Is it okay to use drugs at work?”

The ProfileXT assessment is a multi-purpose, total person employee assessment used for pre-employment screening, selection, development, training, managing, and succession planning. This employee assessment measures how well an individual fits specific jobs in your organization, and the results can be used during the training or succession planning stages. This assessment is customizable, and peak job performance models can be developed by company, position, manager or geography.

There are three main uses for ProfileXT.

  1. For self-development: To understand personal strengths and weaknesses in order to build on strengths and overcome weaknesses.
  2. For employment: The results of this test are evaluated on different scales based on what a company is looking for. A “success profile” for the job in question is compiled based on high-performance employees, so each job description is matched with an ideal set of results for evaluation.
  3. For career planning or succession planning: This exam follows a bell curve, meaning that the middle range indicates the highest concentration of scores. High scores are not necessarily good, and low scores are not necessarily bad.

ProfileXT is customizable based on the position you are trying to fill, it’s based on solid research and years of experience, yields measurable results and asks questions that reveal important psychological traits of a candidate. Keep this checklist and example in mind when selecting the assessment tool for your succession planning or onboarding needs, and remember that it’s better to wait for the right candidate than hire a bad fit.

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