Being the New Hire at the Office

June 28th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: News

Being the new person at work can be both exciting and fearful. I recently started a new job and having been out of the workforce for a bit of time, -I had spent the last 3 years as a full-time, non-traditional student- I was somewhat anxious!

So, I began my research on what to expect the first few weeks. From the perspective of a new employee, here are two things I found helpful in adjusting to the new office:

Learn the company culture

Observing how others act—the hours they work, main modes of communication, lunch habits, dress code, etc., is an important step in becoming a part of the company.

This was an eye-opening experience for me! Coming from a traditional office setting, our team and how they work is inspiring. This non-traditional setting will be an adjustment, but I can do it! I love the fact that we don’t necessarily sit at our desks to complete our work. The collaboration room is a room designed for many of us to sit and work together.   (thus….collaboration room)

Having a web-based calendar allows for us to view each other’s schedules and also to make meeting appointments with each other, which in turn allows for the team to function within each other’s schedules.

Technology allows us to communicate effectively.  Texting, email and instant messaging are the main modes of communication that our team utilizes. We still communicate face-to-face, which is the mode I prefer, but that isn’t always an option with most of the team working off-site with companies and meeting clients.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

This was also a relatively new concept for me. In my last position, (prior to going back to college) I was in a supervisory position which mostly demanded that I have the answers to questions. Now I’m not afraid to ask questions, it’s just that I want to ask the right question at the right time. Well, we all know that is a novel concept, yet not my style. I             usually ask pointed questions, but can sometimes have a blunt delivery. So, I am working on the delivery aspect of my questioning.

My source for this article states that it is unnerving when a new employee doesn’t ask questions. I can’t imagine not asking questions, because how else will a new hire know the specifics of their job and what is expected beyond a verbal or even written scope of work?

I must say I do get concerned that the individuals I am working with are too busy to be bothered with my questions, but I am finding out that the team I have the privilege to work with have been very helpful; courteous in allowing me to ask questions, and patient in answering them! Thanks to the OE team!

Now on the flipside– I would like to add a few pointers on what an employer can do to make the new hire feel a part of the organization.

• Greet the new employee at the door.  This seems simple enough, but with the busyness of doing business, it can get forgotten or may not happen at all. I know as a new hire, this did occur on my first day—and I felt                 that I was important enough that my manager greeted me! This simple act will make an indelible impression.

• Prepare a comfortable workspace.  Having the workspace ready with the necessary items needed to complete the job also indicates the organization was anticipating your arrival, but also that you are valued. This again was done for me—I had a laptop on my desk, highlighters, calculator, and stickies ready in my office!

• Get other employees involved.  It is important to let the organization know about the new hire before they show up. This would deem necessary especially with the employees that will be working directly with the new hire. Once again, I was involved with employees from the organization before I even had my first day of work. I was invited to a lunch the week before my first day of work. That was very enjoyable to meet some of the people I would be working with, giving me insight into each of their unique personalities!  Given the parking situation with our organization, (downtown parking structures) one of the team members assisted me with getting to the correct structure—again a small gesture that was helpful and made me feel a part of the team!

Whether you are a new hire or an organization bringing in new hires, I hope these tidbits can be beneficial to all involved. I am grateful for the gestures that were extended to me on my first day and weeks of my new job! Shout out to the team—THANK YOU!

Make Employee Retention an Integrated Part of Your Strategy

April 27th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: News

If your organization is focused on growth, profitability, customer loyalty, new product introductions, employee engagement and shareholder value to name a few, you must also be in the process of talent management. This is the fabric of a strategy that allows you to not only develop new leaders, but also retain the exceptional talent you hire. It is a tightly woven process and what you do to retain talent must be threaded throughout all you do.

Retaining Talent is Essential to Delivering Business Value

The fine art of retaining talent has an effect on your ability to deliver business value. A survey by McKinsey & Company asked senior executives of global companies to rank obstacles that prevent them from having talent management strategies. Among the most critical as defined by executives:

54%- Senior managers don’t spend enough time on talent management
52%- Line managers not sufficiently committed to people development
51%- Silos discourage collaboration, resource sharing
50%- Line managers unwilling to differentiate high, low performance
47%- Senior leaders do not align talent management and business strategies

Here’s one more statistic for you. A recent study shows that 85% of HR executives state that the single greatest challenge they have in managing the workforce is their organization’s ability to compete for talent.

So, if your organization is one of those facing obstacles with talent management and you are concerned about your ability to compete for talent, then you seriously need to consider a plan to train your organization on how to effectively retain your best talent.

Retaining Talent is Woven into Your Organization’s Financial Performance

Most people can understand that turnover is costly in replacement expense, but it also impacts productivity when other team members see good people leaving the organization.

Picture this scenario: Ray was an executive for a hotel chain that had lack-luster performance. Attrition of leadership was high in the organization. He decided to conduct an analysis of risk factors in retaining top talent. He identified new strategies and tactics such as creating an emerging leaders program, training future leaders and providing more on-the-job training for line supervisors. As a result, they have recruited better talent and, more importantly, have retained that talent which has resulted in the value of their stock growing by more than 50% in the last five years.

Reap What You Sow – Get Started Today

By training your managers, you will help them realize the significant leverage they have to combat turnover in the organization. You will be giving them the tools they need to create a proactive and productive environment that values key talent.

Managers need to understand that they, by all means, need to be concerned with team member retention and how to identify individuals at risk. Are your managers able to:

• Describe the scope, severity and cost of attrition?
• Determine the risk of attrition for each team member?
• Identify which retention factors motivate each team member?
• Increase each team member’s engagement and commitment?
• Build and implement an effective Retention Action Plan for their entire team?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to start thinking about a new game plan around retention.

Skywalk Group Announces New Workshops for 2012

January 30th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: News

Skywalk Group, the number three ranked Fastest Growing Company (Corridor Business Journal) in 2011, is pleased to announce the addition of two new public workshop offerings for 2012.

Tim Sieck, Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, states, “Over the last three years, we have worked with a large number of local businesses.  As part of that process, we have identified a disconnect between employee engagement, the manager’s role in the process, and the needs of today’s organization.  These new offerings are designed to address these gaps.”

The first public workshop, The Truth About Becoming a Manager, will be held February 22, 2012 from 8:30am – 12:30pm.  This half-day workshop is designed to help employee’s assess and prepare for becoming a manager.  Sieck adds, “All too often, companies take a sink or swim approach when it comes to hiring managers.  We want to assist employees by giving them insights and information about what being a manager is all about.”

The second new training option, The Engaged Employee:  Individual Development Planning Workshop, will be held on June 20, 2012 from
9am – 5pm.  This full-day workshop is designed to show employees that when they are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.

Contact us for more information or to register for a workshop.