Team Building and the Art of Whirlyball

What happens when you throw a group of seriously competitive, energetic and strong-willed people who work together into a completely different situation; one that involves bumper cars and whiffle balls? Lots of trash-talking, future visits to the chiropractor and a rollicking good time.

Our industry, IT recruiting, is fast-paced, competitive and often requires a high degree of diplomacy. Seeing our staff all compete in a no-holds-barred competition was not just fun, but educational. Each and every team worked hard together and played in a manner that would make any World Cup coach proud. We’re a highly competitive bunch, but this can also result in conflict. As issues arose in the games they were resolved quickly, effectively and amiably. This, in turn, brought about a greater focus on winning. Hmmm…could this somehow translate into a workplace lesson?
Playing Whirlyball gave us the opportunity to let loose, have fun and not worry about our actions impacting our business. In return, everyone gained new insight into those around them. While playing, we all let off a lot of steam and came out of the event happy, sweaty, relaxed and with some great stories to tell.

While such training as the Meyer’s Briggs personality testing is worthwhile, it was good to mix in something completely offbeat. I gathered a great deal of understanding about how a lot of my coworkers deal with things without the strictures of a professional environment. Such fun and educational experiences should be a regular part of any company’s training regimen.

Next time, I’m shooting more and driving into fewer walls!

Jeff Weadock
Information Technology
The InSource Group
www.insourcegroup.com

So, You Want to Hire an “A” Player?

During meetings with our clients, managers often tell us, “We only want to hire an “A” player”.

What does that really mean? And are companies and management really prepared to handle the total package of responsibilities that go hand in hand with hiring a true “A” player? Every company needs its share of “A” players, but frankly not every position can handle the challenges and demands of an “A” player. These employees have greater expectations including:

• Higher Compensation: Not just at the point of initial hire, but also throughout their tenure of employment. They expect larger compensation increases and they will most likely command those increases in order to retain them long term.

• More Responsibility: Be prepared to fast track their careers or lose them to competitors who also vie for their talents. They want responsibility and expect a quick path to get it.

• Higher Work Standards: They expect more of their immediate superiors and expect to be managed differently. The “one size fits all” approach is a recipe for disaster with them. They also expect high performance standards from their co-workers and seldom settle for less. This can make exceptional employees more challenging to work with.

As an IT recruiting company, we have found that there is an additional aspect of attracting and hiring good employees that is almost universally over looked; you have to court and interview them differently than the rest of the talent pool. If you really need and want to hire that “A” player, then you need to show it. These candidates expect to be “sold” on why a particular job or company is a good move for their career. Typically, “A” players interview very well. As a suitor for their talents, you need to do a better job than they do.

If you put them through a poorly thought out interview process or just run them through your standard interview process, don’t be surprised if they are not overly interested in your opportunity. “A” players have options, regardless of the state of any economy. Sometimes more options, sometimes less; but they always have more options than others and will not hesitate to exercise them.

One of our recent experiences during an SVP search illustrates the need to treat “A” players differently. Our client’s first choice had an existing offer, and had to respond to that offer soon. The candidate had just started a typically lengthy interview process with our client. Our client recognized the need to speed up the process, but without sacrificing thoroughness. They rearranged their president’s schedule and included many senior level executives in the interview process on a compressed timeline. The final decision has yet to be made, but this is an example of changes that may need to be made to accommodate the legitimate needs of top talent.

It is critical to fully understand the responsibilities of managing and challenging “A” players to retain them over the long term. Be prepared to clearly illustrate the benefits of joining your firm, both in terms of career opportunities as well as the impact on the social fabric of your organization. “A” players like to associate with “A” players. During the interview process, involve some of your top performing employees even if they are not in the same department or at the same job level. This lends credibility to your claim of being able to attract, challenge, and keep top talent.

Wayne Rampey
Vice President
The InSource Group
http://www.insourcegroup.com/

Dress Codes Don’t Take a Vacation

At the last company I worked for, the receptionist’s official title was “Director of First Impressions.” Well, I recently visited an insurance services company, where a young, attractive woman, dressed in a hot pink, terry-cloth sundress, greeted me. As she walked away from the receptionist area, I further noticed she was wearing very cute and fancy flip-flops. Although she looked quite lovely (for a day at the beach), I thought, “Really? This is the 'first impression' this company wants to present?”

Unfortunately, this insurance company is not alone. It’s almost universal that as the summer temperatures rise, the adherence to a company’s dress code policy drops! Workers adopt a "vacation view" of dress codes. Females, especially, start to wear less; we see more cleavage, more leg, and less in foot coverage. We see everything from spaghetti-straps and halter-tops, to mini, mini-skirts and flip-flops. True, styles change with every season change, however, I believe, when conducting business, it is very important to exude professionalism always, and these clothing items fail to do that.

The majority of companies now practice the “business casual” dress code policy, which can leave much to self-interpretation, if not outlined with specifics. Employees must realize that all “casual” clothing is not suitable in the workplace. Clothing that you would wear on the beach, in a nightclub or for exercising and yard-work is not professional or appropriate in the workplace. Clothing that reveals the chest, cleavage, back, stomach or underwear is also inappropriate. These items can actually be distracting and/or offensive to co-workers, clients and customers.

To remain professional, wear a jacket or sweater to cover low-cut blouses and spaghetti-straps. If you are the slightest bit concerned about the length of your skirt or split in your skirt, you probably should not wear it work. And those strappy sandals with the 5-inch spiked heels, that looked “hot” at the club Saturday night, are probably not professional in the office; and neither are the fancy flip-flops, even though you paid nearly $100 bucks for them.

When the temperatures heat up, don’t let your clothing style “heat up.” Remain professional and present strength and stability when representing your company in front of your clients, customers and even co-workers. Be cognizant of your company dress code policy and abide by it, even when the temperatures rise above 90 degrees. And save the flip-flops, no matter how fancy or expensive, for the mall or the beach.

Lisa Pettigrew
Human Resource Manager
The InSource Group
www.insourcegroup.com