Technical brilliance is not enough

So often people are promoted to managerial positions because they have been there the longest or because of technical brilliance but this is a fatal mistake.

I was in a strategy session today with an organisation that has a very structured approach to promotion based on tenure and qualifications but they are now in a position of not having strong leadership because their managers have no leadership skills. This is causing teams to become disengaged and to not feel valued because there is poor communication between managers and their teams.

If you know your managers have skill gaps in leadership and people management, identity them now and provide training to your current and future leaders so they are equipped with the skills to inspire their teams to stay longer and perform better.

It'll save you money in the long run because you will prevent future employee turnover and boost current productivity.

Our in house manager program assists your managers to become 'retention agents' within your organisation.

Employment - another economic surprise

Some of us were surprised that the the RBA hiked rates up so soon when they lifted the cash rate to 3.25% last week. I thought we were still digging ourselves out of the economic ditch?

But it seems it isn't too soon for a bit of optimism if last week's economic data is anything to go by.

Last week the ABS showed that a surprising number of Australians were employed in September causing the unemployment rate to drop to 5.7%, from 5.8% in August. Economists had been predicting that unemployment would hit 6% as we saw the worst of the GFC, putting more stress on the housing market and bank balance sheets as foreclosures increased. But maybe Australia really is the lucky country and we'll bypass the economic strain that is still being felt by most other countries around the globe?

Another indication that the talent market is recovering is the ANZ job advertisements data which showed that job ads improved 4.4% in September, the fastest rate since November 2007.

So organisations are employing and they probably want your staff....... I hope you're better at keeping them than your competitors are at poaching them!

BBQ talk reveals disengaged employees

I was at a BBQ on the weekend and the host started telling about his job as a top sales executive for a global software company. And I realised that this was the same story that is being told at dinner tables all over the world at the moment, but particularly Australia as many employees are expecting a pick-up in the employment market in the next year.

This particular company that he was telling me about has cut 20% of its sales staff during the downturn but sales targets are still being met because of increased workloads on the remaining staff. Not surprisingly, he said the whole sales team feels exploited and disengaged and most of the team are looking to jump ship as soon as they find an opportunity.

The big problem with this is that this sales division holds the organisation's client relationships and losing some high performing sales people could have a big impact on revenue. If I was the HR manager of this organisation I'd lose sleep over that.

Are there divisions within your organisation where increased workloads have left a disengaged work force? Do you have employees you can't afford to lose?

Identify them - and then call us and we'll help you keep them. Or look at our webpage on Personal Engagement Plans which are one of our most popular products at the moment as an effective way to keep high value employees.

Counter cyclical hiring

Last week the Australian Financial Review had a great section about the current economic climate and the effects on the talent market. In one of the articles it talked about U.S. based company HP and its counter cyclical approach after World War II.

HP decided to hire lots of engineers as they were leaving the military after the end of the war, despite its business and the economy suffering contraction. This move allowed HP to secure a team of the best engineers in the country and the company credits the decision as one of its greatest ever opportunities.

There is a current opportunity out there for your organisation too - and before the economy recovers. Organisations that poach the best of the masses of disengaged employees out there at the moment will be well placed to take off again once things pick up. And remember - your competitors are trying to work out right now how to poach your high value employees. Do you know what will make your 'high values' stay with you?