Posts Tagged ‘Incentives’

Building a Talent First Culture

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

People who run companies with a Talent First Culture make more money than their peers. Their businesses also are more successful.

We all know hiring and retaining top talent is the key to solving business challenges and building profits. But how and where to start.

Building a highly talented business culture starts by engaging your employees. Both management and staff level. All can contribute. It’s often amazing the insights various employees have on how to improve your business.

A key to any business is improving the processes used to run the business. The hotel industry is often slow to adopt and develop streamlined/new/better processes. Staff employees are often the key to identifying process improvements. They are familiar with the details of their jobs and departments.Often they have great ideas on how to improve the department while making their jobs easier, and themselves more efficient.

Companies with a Talent First Culture typically are innovative. Because employees are engaged they can be quick to respond. Innovation is concentrated first on improving revenues and profits. You can’t save your way to profitability. Innovate.

Improved processes and innovation lead to improved productivity and profits.

Companies with a ‘Talent First” mentality quickly become known for their agility to take advantage of opportunities. Agility also entails turning challenges to opportunities.

The beauty of a Talent First Culture? It starts with an attitude. Any business person can do it within the frame of their job. Changing a mindset and engaging employees doesn’t require capital or more staff…at least initially.

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Reaching Your Goals…Everyday

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

John Giusti, VP Small Business Marketing for Staples recently stated “You’re 80% more likely to reach a goal if there’s a commitment with some level of incentive and accountability.”

John’s quote got me thinking on what each of us can do to be more effective. Following are things we have started.

Each of us has more to do in a day, than there is day. Give yourself incentives to complete items on your “To Do” list. Give yourself larger incentives for the strategic tasks on your daily list.

Hold yourself accountable to the critical items on the “to do” list. Carefully evaluate which tasks will impact your business and career the most.

Now pass along the above tips to your employees and then have some fun comparing results and offering a prize to the team member that does the best job staying on task for the week.

It’s not easy. Our business world has lots of interruptions we can’t control. We each need assistance in “staying on task.

Share what works for you.

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Find the Best, Not the Rest

Friday, March 12th, 2010

We’ve all heard the phrase, but how do we apply it when it comes to our recruiting efforts?

Who are the “best?”

People who currently have the skills needed to fill the job you have open. Individuals who exhibit the behaviors and motivation level to make an immediate contribution.

Are these people currently working?

There’s a 99% chance these people are currently working…in jobs they consider at least “Ok.” Most of these people are not actively looking…yet. They will listen.

70% of employees indicate they are willing to consider new jobs.

As the economy starts to improve, more and more employees are starting to “test” the employment markets. Most of us have had a tough go the last couple of years, small raises, little or no bonuses, reduced benefits, longer work hours, or more stress from additional responsibilities.

Keep your best, hire the rest.

How do you keep your best employees if you can’t pay them what the market says they are worth? Give them special assignments. Compliment them when appropriate. Learn their career interests and help them achieve them, even if it means they will leave you sometime. (If this is the case, they are going to leave. Far better to help them and be “in the loop” than to be surprised.) Most employers are surprised to find their employees have interests outside their jobs that are very important. Often just giving them the flexible schedule so they can pursue those goals will keep them working for you, even if they receive an offer for more money.

Most employees feel they are under-paid and that their talents are not appreciated. Of course they will listen to opportunities to make more money. Give more frequent small raises. Or reward special effort with a small monetary reward, even if it’s just a $25 gift certificate. Or work out a trade out with a competitor in another locale, close by for a weekend stay. Let your best employees know you are thinking of them.

Who are your best employees? Your Top 40%.

How do you hire the best?

  • Forget what you want to know about the candidate. Tell them what they want to know. Your objective is to attract great candidates. Once you have attracted them you can identify how to hire them.
  • Great candidate’s are looking for jobs that will advance their careers by giving them additional skills and responsibilities.
  • Once great candidates have applied, start the phone interview, or in-person interview by telling them how the successful candidate can grow with your property/company. Get them excited about your job opportunity.
  • Now start asking the questions you want to know about the candidate.
  • This will be a great opportunity to hire great employees if…

    Employers are ready to pay a little more than planned and are ready to offer opportunities to advance. Offer the best, to hire the best.

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