Let’s think about this for a moment.  What constitutes a good training session?  Consider all the training sessions you’ve participated in throughout your professional career?  What sessions were engaging for you personally?  What factors do you believe contributed to that successful training session?

Even though most of us will never have a career as a professional trainer, the likelihood that we’ll be called upon at various points to provide informal training to co-workers remains strong.  Serving your team effectively in this capacity is a very realistic, achievable goal!  Excelling in this arena is definitely a way to separate yourself from other professionals who may be vying for that next internal promotion in your department and serve as a way to make a lasting impression with other leaders in your organization.

If you’ve never heard of Mel Silberman’s book, Active Training, I highly recommend checking it out.  Silberman provides great framework for any professional to follow when presented with an opportunity to develop curriculum and lead a training session. One of the biggest “take aways” for me personally, as I read this book, related to the nature of adult learning.  Consider the following average retention rates from various instructional modes:

• Lecture–5%
• Reading–10%
• Audiovisuals–20%
• Demonstration–30%
• Discussion–50%
• Practice by doing–75%
• Teaching others–90%

According to Silberman, learning is enhanced if people are asked to do the following:

• State the information in their own words
• Give examples of it
• Recognize it in various guises and circumstances
• Make use of it in various ways
• Foresee some of its consequences
• State its opposite or converse

Additionally, if you find yourself in a training situation, consider the different learning styles of those who are engaging in the training session. Some people are going to be more visual learners and will prefer a carefully sequenced presentation of information. On the opposite end of the spectrum are auditory learners, who rely on their ability to listen and recall the information that’s been shared verbally.  And last, but not least, there are those individuals who fall into the category of kinesthetic learners.  Kinesthetic learners excel when they’re given the opportunity to have direct involvement in learning activities. 

Whether you’re training a new team member on functions of the position, or you’ve recently been promoted to a manager level position and want to engage in training sessions with your new team, Silberman provides an easy to follow guide for ensuring the experience will be worthwhile for all parties involved.  Consider how you can positively contribute to any team you’re a part of right now by sharing your knowledge and experience with those around you…..embrace your “inner trainer!”

Stephanie Miller, Account Manager, Aureus Group

About Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

If you are thinking of changing jobs, below is a list of concerns that you may be considering. The first section is a group of wounds that we do not necessarily consider to be severe enough to require a job change. If you’re thinking of changing jobs and would place yourself in this category, it might be a good idea to re-evaluate your situation and consider sticking it out. If you would place yourself in the second section, the time is probably right to check out other opportunities.

You might want to re-think changing jobs

1) Compensation – This is always a dangerous reason to change jobs. If candidates enjoy their job but feel they’re not being compensated appropriately, I always urge them to stick it out. The frustration level of candidates who are looking for more appropriate reasons are always more intense than those who are looking to leave their current situation for money reasons. 

2) Personality Conflicts – If interpersonal clashes are motivating you to look at new opportunities, I would suggest staying put. Generally, there are two sides to any story about inner-office clashes so leaving a position without resolving something like this can potentially burn bridges. Often, these can even be a great development opportunity for both parties who learn to work together and may expand their ability to blend in with different people.

Personality conflicts in the office can be exceptional opportunities to create a success story that could really highlight a candidate’s ability to work with people of different backgrounds in different divisions with different viewpoints and enhance their marketability.

3) Opportunism – If I call a candidate to discuss an opportunity and they indicate that the reason that now is an appropriate time for them to look at another job is because, in their words, “you called me”, then the conversation doesn’t last very long. If this is truly the case, then the candidate probably really likes their job, they’re probably engaged in their job and they’re most likely thrilled to go into the office every morning. If that is really the case, then why bother with a great situation?

Now is the time to make a move

1) Geography – If geography is getting in the way of a happy life, then the timing is good to make a change. As a recruiter, it is extremely fulfilling to help a candidate from the Northeast get closer to family, or to help a professional from Omaha get back home, or to help a native Californian get back to the Pacific Ocean. The pull of family and the comfort of home can be a strong and is absolutely an appropriate reason to investigate other opportunities.

2) Lack of Progression Opportunity – Companies want to hire candidates who have a burning desire to get something accomplished in their career. For some people that means that they’re looking to enhance their technical exposures. For others it means that they want to continue to progress and develop their leadership skills. For many, it means that they want to work for a company that will continually challenge them to grow.

For some people, working in a stagnant environment can be comfortable and stress free. But, for others who are passionate about driving their career forward, it can be maddening. If a candidate falls into the second of these two categories, then changing jobs could be an exceptional solution.

 3) Lack of Recognition – Progressive companies today have realized that an excellent way to enhance employee retention is to up the recognition levels. I am happy to say that C&A Industries does a fabulous job of recognizing people who stand out and work hard. I speak with candidates every day who have a measurable track record of meaningful impact that goes completely unnoticed.  For many people, job satisfaction is strongly affected by how much of an impact one feels that they are making in their company. It is very easy to get beaten down by an environment that doesn’t take time to say “thank you” and that pain can be alleviated by making an impact on a more appreciative organization. It is amazing how much employee satisfaction goes up when people are recognized for doing things the right way.

Evaluate your reasons, and when the time is right, start your career search with confidence knowing you have considered all the pros and cons.

Jeff Kovar, Aureus Group Recruiter

About Jeff Kovar

Jeff has been with the Aureus Group Executive Search team since September 2008 and in the recruiting business since April 2007. Prior to entering the recruiting world, he worked for five years in the corporate currency exchange business. He specializes in working with $100K+ candidates in the actuarial, financial, accounting, banking, and many other functional areas from coast to coast. Jeff enjoys golfing, watching Nebraska football, spending time with his wife Jenny and jogging with their two labs – Freddy and Cali.

My father, another mentor, always told me, “Successful, happy people surround themselves with people who have different experiences and are smarter than themselves”. In fact, he used to ask my friends about their grade point average. At the time, I always found this question bewildering since my father was a mechanic by trade who turned into a successful, happy entrepreneur. I guess after raising six children and developing cherished friendships throughout his 62 years he wanted to make sure we followed an easier path. I think about his random, unsolicited advice often.

The truth is that we are all a work in progress. In this fast-paced world of ours I think it’s imperative to slow down and listen to success stories as well as lessons learned from people who have these stories to share. Bridging the gap between generations, academics, and the real world takes a village. Collaboration is far too often a “fear zone” or something we think will take too much time. What I mean by that is I’ve noticed sometimes we feel like it’s a sign of weakness not to have all the answers or we just want to make a decision and move on. In reality most innovative solutions that impact teams’ and lives come from a group of people. A fresh objective look is truly a gift!

Whether you are just beginning your career, planning your retirement, or somewhere in the middle, I promise you have something to give and gain from building your network of mentors and finding others who you can mentor in return.

“…And you can take that to the bank!” – Bruce Carlson

To learn more about mentors and the value of mentorship visit the management section of About.com.

Chris Carlson, Aureus Group Regional Manager, CPC

About Chris Carlson
Chris is an experienced executive in the staffing industry. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing operational analyses and programs and has assisted hundreds of firms streamline processes and upgrade the competencies of its workforce. Finding innovative ways to generate new business and build teams is her passion. She has developed and executed many successful strategic marketing plans. Chris began her career at Aureus Group, a full-service professional recruiting firm, in 1994 and currently serves as the regional manager of Aureus Group specializing in the Finance & Accounting, Systems and Executive search areas.

In addition, Chris is a Certified Professional Consultant, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

We decided to ask our top clients, across varying industries, this question recently: What are the top three soft-skill (non-technical) traits you find in your highest performing employees? Here is what we found, in order of frequency:

1. High Integrity & Ethics
2. Loyalty
3. Accountability
4. Resourcefulness/Adaptability
5. Leadership

Any of this sound familiar? It kind of looks like the bullet points to every mission statement, or listing of company values I have seen. Organizations work hard to craft these company mantras, yet sometimes they are easily cast aside in the name of profit or strategic business direction. What we sometimes forget is that the traits presented in our company mantras are the living, breathing embodiment of our organization and they are what make up the characteristics of our best people.

I have never seen a list of company ideals though that includes intelligence or strategy. Can you imagine the environment of an organization where we only tried to hire the smartest and most strategic people, regardless of other traits? I’m sure there are some wall streeters that could say “yes” to that question, but hopefully that is not the culture we are really trying to breed. More in this in a moment.   

It should be noted that integrity was the runaway winner, with the next four coming in tightly packed together.   When we asked our best clients about their best people, they thought to mention “integrity” and “loyalty” before “intelligence”, “professionalism”, or “strategy”.

Just think how incredible it would be to work in an organization that was unilaterally high in integrity and accountability. Do you figure things might get done with the best intentions in mind always? How would company morale look? How would this impact your customers? Rhetoric aside, it is easy to pose these questions in a blog and imagine nirvana in the workplace. It is much harder to actually apply the idea in the real world. 

After all, how does one illustrate they have these traits? Therein lays the real challenge of shaping a corporate culture that truly follows our ideals. The reality is that many hiring processes are not too much unlike this scenario: Candidate comes in and sits down at a table while a hiring manager asks questions about their resume, and then the interview is over. From this are you able to assess that person’s character?   

We must avoid the trap of falling in love with hard skills and resume fluff and instead realize that although the hard skills must be present, it is the soft skills that make people dynamic. We must not be robotic in the way we profile our talent pool, and always remember that our customers do not necessarily care how smart our employees are, but rather they care about how they feel about the individuals representing our products and services.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of really smart people out there, but have you ever bought from someone just because of their intellect? On the flip side, how many times have your purchased or endorsed products or services based solely on how much you liked and trusted the individual selling it? For me, I know the latter of the two cases is the clear winner.

It is assumed that to get an interview with your organization, candidates will have the technical skills to get in the door. To get hired, they should also have the “it” factor that makes up your best people. Otherwise, even if you have hired the smartest person in the market, you have defeated the very ideals your company stands upon. If we commit to the practice of emulating our best people, we will in fact shape a positive culture and make our organizations stronger.

Nate Elgert, Account Manager, Aureus Group

About Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, his daughter Sofia, 2. Nate and Angie welcomed their second little girl in May.

Then I met Chris. Chris approached our group, introduced himself and immediately started talking about his new business venture, a Web site marketing firm. He directed our attention to his shirt, which sported the logo and Web site address for his new business, and started handing out business cards. Everyone smiled and congratulated him on the new venture, but it was clear that the group dynamic had drastically changed, in just a matter of seconds. As I looked around at other members of the group and caught their reactions, I could tell that everyone, with the exception of Chris, was feeling uncomfortable. We were caught off guard by Chris’ brazen approach to use this social gathering as a forum for promoting his new business. 

Chris took advantage of what he saw as an opportunity to do some PR for his new start-up company. While he obviously felt like this was an appropriate decision, I beg to differ. There’s an appropriate time and place for promoting one’s business and professional accolades and this was clearly not the right setting for Chris’ five minute infomercial! Whether you’re a hiring manager looking for top talent to join your team, or a professional who is interested in exploring a new job opportunity and researching great places to work, the opportunities for networking are endless! The critical factor, in my opinion, is evaluating whether the event is truly an appropriate forum for recruiting talented professionals or marketing oneself to prospective employers.

While I can completely appreciate the fact that there are many professionals out there who are motivated to achieve success and land their next “dream job”, networking is something that needs to happen more organically, particularly when it occurs in a setting that is not specifically geared toward this purpose (i.e. a volunteering program). If you force your personal agenda on other professionals whom you’ve just recently met, you risk coming across as inauthentic and self-absorbed, which are not the redeeming qualities most hiring managers are looking for in their next great addition to the team. 

Don’t get me wrong–I am a big advocate of getting involved in community organizations, professional associations, and volunteering programs. There are many positive aspects of becoming an active member in these groups. But, these added perks, such as connecting with other professionals who may be a great resource in helping you achieve your personal goals, should be the “icing on the cake,” not one’s sole motivating factor for joining the group. If you’re focusing on what the organization can do for you, you’re missing the point. The other members are going to eventually sense your lack of true interest or enthusiasm and the negative impact of this discovery could be lasting.

It was very obvious to everyone in our group that Chris was not truly interested in volunteering and giving back to the community. His motivation was to network with other professionals in order to convert his fellow volunteers into new clients for his business. His overzealous approach backfired….big time. I know the next time I’m at a social gathering for this volunteer group and I see Chris venturing my direction, I’m going the other way!  If I wanted to listen to a sales pitch, I can head over to the nearest car dealership. There’s no question that Chris has a lot to learn when it comes to demonstrating appropriate rules of etiquette when engaging in professional networking.

According to the Web site Careerealisim, there are three smart rules to smart business card etiquette.

1. Keeping your business card to yourself!  Don’t hand it out to every single person who walks by you! It’s annoying and, as career coach Tai Goodwin states, “It’s the equivalent of receiving junk mail at home.”

2. Giving your business card to someone when they ask for it. If you are truly interested in connecting with someone after the event, simply ask them what would be a good way to contact them in the future. Additionally, if someone asks you for your business card, take a moment to write something that will serve as a reminder to that person of the context of your conversation (i.e. discuss career opportunities or providing insights on professional certifications).

3. If you are successful in making some promising connections, don’t waste the contact information you’ve gathered during the event. If you ask someone for their work number or email address, take the time to follow up with a thank you and let that person know that you would like to keep the dialogue going.

This definitely isn’t rocket science, people. Don’t take advantage of situations where it’s not appropriate to engage is blatant networking, like my fellow volunteer, Chris. And in those situations where it is okay to engage in such activities, make sure you follow the simple guidelines listed above.

Now that you’re more aware, I have a feeling you’ll be amazed by how many other professionals you cross paths with who aren’t following these rules!  As a result, they end up sabotaging their own attempts to make positive connections with other professionals who may serve as great resources in the future.

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

I found the ethical leadership research to be the most interesting and timely in today’s environment.  The vast majority of the work that the Executive team at Aureus Group does is tied to helping our clients find great leaders. We are hired by companies that are looking for people to lead initiatives, lead teams, lead change – all in an ethical environment. I spoke with a high level executive in the financial services industry last week who told me, “Ethics is huge today. Twenty years ago there was a belief that people who skirted the rules tended to move ahead faster. That is clearly not the case anymore.” I completely agree with him. The four components of ethical leadership are as follows:

Moral Sensitivity – recognizing the existence of ethical problems and issues and acknowledging the impact of strategic decisions on the followers in a company.

Moral Judgement – deciding which course of action is the right one to follow based on justice, cooperation, and respect.

Moral Motivation – the follow through stage of the choices made by leaders; the rubber stamping of the decision.

Moral Character – this is the implementation phase; this is the act of taking a project to the hoop and executing.

Many high level candidates during the last few years have told me that the pressure on them today is higher than ever. They are under the gun to produce results and many times, in the wake of sound fiscal decisions, their people are left feeling battered and abused. When a CFO is making a judgment call decision, there can be an extremely fine line between a positive and negative ripple effect.

A decision made by an executive could skim a few thousand dollars off the company’s bottom line but significantly negatively affect an employee’s ability to provide for their family. A shaky compliance department could make a nice short-term impact on a company’s business development team, but it could make the company vulnerable to significant long-term ramifications. It can be extremely difficult for leaders to manage their corporate image within an organization both up and down the food chain.

Finding the balance between “doing the right thing” and “doing things right” is maybe more difficult now than ever before. Our clients have communicated to us that finding leaders who not only have the ability to drive a business to new heights, but also have the ability to make their employees feel fulfilled, motivated, and excited about what they do is paramount in today’s environment. Leaders must juggle the bottom line responsibilities of the company that pays them, but also work every day to keep their people happy. 

General Norman Schwarzkopf had one of my favorite quotes about ethical leadership when he said, “Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy.” However, that’s an easier sentence to say than it is to execute. The companies that are able to execute on sound ethical leadership decisions will surely separate themselves from those that cannot, and the tough decisions that are made today will shape the business landscape of the future.

Jeff Kovar, Aureus Group Executive Recruiter

About Jeff Kovar
Jeff has been with the Aureus Executive Search team since September 2008 and in the recruiting business since April 2007. Prior to entering the recruiting world, he worked for five years in the corporate currency exchange business. He specializes in working with $100K+ candidates in the actuarial, financial, accounting, banking, and many other functional areas from coast to coast. Jeff enjoys golfing, watching Nebraska football, spending time with his wife Jenny and jogging with their two labs – Freddy and Cali.

I was recruiting for some help desk positions recently, and I received more than 500 responses to one of my online ads. I immediately screened most of them out due to having no help desk experience or being extremely over qualified. Of the 20 or so who actually matched the job requirements on paper, after phone screens and interviews, I ended up presenting my top five candidates to my client, who selected just one of them to join their team. That is one out of 500 inquiries, and that does not include the candidates I actively recruited, or those who were referred to me. 

My client had the luxury of being so specific with their requirements because when you add up candidates who applied to them directly and candidates who were submitted through other recruiters, this position probably received a few thousand applicants. With odds like that, it’s no wonder that so many job applicants have struggled to secure new positions in recent years!

In response to this employer-driven market I have seen many companies make the mistake of offering entry-level positions to senior-level people, or offering them a much lower salary than they are worth. Unfortunately, candidates have been settling for these positions and accepting poor job offers because they couldn’t afford to remain unemployed. However, these jobs were never intended to be a long-term solution; rather a temporary band-aid. 

It goes without saying then, that during the past several months I have seen many these quick-fix hiring decisions fall apart, leaving employers with several vacant positions and increasing attrition rates. Senior-level people who accepted entry-level jobs are now accepting job offers that are a closer match to their work experience and desired salary. Instead of projects being put on hold, wage and hiring freezes, and mass layoffs, an increasing number of companies are seeing just the opposite. Employers are starting to hire again, and the market is beginning to turn in candidates’ favor.

What does this mean for employers? It means more competition to hire the best talent. Low ball job offers and mediocre benefits packages won’t cut it anymore. In fact, I have seen more candidates receive multiple job offers and counter-offers in the past few months than I have in the past few years.  I have seen some pretty impressive job offers turned down recently because the candidates were interviewing for jobs that paid a little bit more or that were a little bit closer to home. I have seen too many employers lose candidates to their competitors because they took too long to schedule an interview. 

The bottom line is, the market is turning, and employers need to adjust their recruiting and hiring strategies accordingly. I am not saying that unemployment rates are not still high; I am not saying that candidates no longer have to compete for job openings. What I am saying is that employment conditions are moving in the right direction for job seekers, slowly but surely. So although we have been experiencing an employer-driven market the past few years, the candidate-driven market is right around the corner. Let’s just hope enough employers are ready to compete!

Julie Pentis, Aureus Group Recruiter

About Julie Pentis
Julie has been with Aureus Group since 2006 after graduating from Creighton University with a BSBA in Human Resources and Spanish. In 2010 Julie received her MBA from Bellevue University.  As a technical recruiter for the Information Systems team, she is responsible for sourcing, qualifying, and matching candidates with job opportunities in the Kansas City area. In 2007 Julie earned the designation of Certified Personnel Consultant and currently serves as vice president of membership for a local Toastmaster’s group and co-chair for HRAM’s Workforce Readiness Committee. In her free time Julie enjoys spending time with her dog Jack at the dog park and singing in her church choir.