Perfectly Placed 2Blog - Nick Price

Soon Bright Purple will be announcing a new line to it’s traditional business of recruitment and we will be working with one of the world’s leaders in the talent management space. So we started to think about the questions that will drive the answers that we need to understand the problems our clients face in this arena. So while carrying out our research we came across the perfect questions, asked by Vicky Pope of VIPCG Inc who put the questions that were in our mind so eloquently.

So if you ‘think’ you have all the answer’s to talent managment, jot down your answer’s to these questions asked by Vicky …..

1. Is your HR or Personnel Department organized and staffed for efficiency and effectiveness? Your HR Department is charged with Human Talent Management function. The effectiveness will affect every facet of your organization. 

2. Does your HR function use the most effective technology and software to management your HR function? There is a lot of software out there that can help simplify and improve the efficiency of your recruitment, and development and other HR practices.

3. Do you have an HR strategy? Is it tied to your organization’s long-range plans? No matter how good your organization’s planning processes, nothing can be achieved without an effective HR strategy that is forward looking, and tied to your plans. The plans once made must be implemented otherwise you get nothing.

4. Are you attracting the right kind of personnel that will help your organization grow and retain a good market share? The most effective vehicle for this is your employees, more than your clients, your funders/supporters. If they consider your organization a good place to work, they will be your evangelists.

5. Is your organization loosing good employees to the competition? If your attrition rate is higher than the market rate, look at why your employees are leaving, and take what they say in the exit interviews seriously. Not acting on exit interview data, can only make the situation worse and send the signal that your don’t care.

6. Are you using competency-based recruitment practices (competency identification and behavioral assessment) to hire the right staff? The standard process of recruitment is hit-or miss. Using competency based recruitment practices ensures that you hire for the right skills and abilities, attitude and behavior.

7. Do you have a system in place to identify and groom high potential employees for higher future roles in the organization? This doesn’t need a comment. Your high potential employees are the most likely ones to leave for better opportunities elsewhere unless they find it in your organization. You organization needs to groom this group to ensure availability of capable talent in future roles.

8. Do you have organization-wide and individualized employee development plans? Employees need to be trained and have their skills upgraded not only to improve their performance in their job but also to keep them up to date with developments in their fields. If you have not paid adequate attention to this either because of money, or the workload, your performance will stagnate (at best) or worse still regress.

9. Does your compensation system pass internal equity and external competitiveness test? Simply put, is there serious disparity in compensation between roles within your organizations. How do stack up against ruling market structure? A sense of internal inequity will drag down morale, and employees will leave for better pay elsewhere if your compensation package is not competitive.

10. What do you need to begin to focus on to ensure that your have a future oriented talent management system in place? What resources do you need? Where and how can you get them? What will it take? Have a pow-wow with executive staff, do a compensation study, and Have your Board look at your needs. Do something!

That’s it and so if you have 10 out 10 then the rest will be easy, because you are so far ahead of your competition that you have nothing to worry about. But when reality kick’s in then you must take action and find a solution to your talent managment issue’s - unless you have no issues, but who doesn’t?

In this dog eat dog world, where a truly global talent war is raging, you need to get your Talent Management solution right if you want to hire and then retain the best people out there for your organisation. While you think about your next move your competition are already thinking about your staff. Look after them, manage that talent!

Well I think I may have noticed by now? But a common sympton of old age is memory loss - but at 46, come on give me a break!

Yes I let my blog slip away from me and while in the past couple of month’s since I last posted, lots of things have happened in my life and my business and in the world in general and I have not bothered to comment or share anything with anyone. So I feel sad that I went off the boil, but I am back and I believe with a vengence!

Can I thank two friends for making me get my bottom back in to gear with the blog again - Phil Atkinson, who suggested that maybe I was making too much money and didn’t need to indulge in the blog again - thanks Phil. The master of change made me sit up and listen.

Then there’s Eamonn Jones - this week a blast from the past, a talented guy and a truly nice guy. Worked with me at Careercare many years ago and was a star, but now selling in the whiskey industry, where once again he is thriving. Eamonn contacted me this week after a long silence, but came back with ‘I loved your blog - so you, full of life and enthusiasm’…. thanks Eamonn, you have also put me back on track!

So that’s my crap excuses out of the way and it’s back to blogging!

As recruiter’s of techology staff and of very senior business people, you can probably guess that at Bright Purple we hear our fair share of stories about people being bullied at work or about working environments that allow people to be subjected to intimidation on a daily basis. These day’s many smart individuals don’t put up with it and let’s face it, there’s lot’s of opportunity out there to get another job, one where you don’t have to take abuse or feel bullied - remember there is a skill’s shortage and it’s global!

So why think about it now? Actually because I was invited to London to meet a potential client and through doing my research on the client I came across Mr. Bob Sutton and his book The No Asshole Rule - controversial in title, yes but a real eye opener all the same. His book is simple and to the point and he give’s his Dirty Dozen ‘Common Everyday Actions That Assholes Use’…… actions that are used to consistently to demean or deflate the intended targets and they are -

• Personal Insults
• Invading one’s ‘personal territory’
• Uninvited physical contact
• Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
• ‘Sarcastic jokes’ and ‘teasing’ used an insult delivery systems
• Flame e-mails
• Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
• Public shaming or ’status degradation’ rituals
• Rude interruptions
• Two-faced attacks
• Dirty looks
• Treating people as if they are invisable

Bob goes on to ask you to take the Asshole Test and right now he is looking for someone who has never been even a ‘temporary asshole’ (someone who does some of this stuff, but does it without the intention to harm or be a true asshole - in other word’s one that does this stuff everyday of their working lives to make certain people’s lives a misery). So what he is saying is, we are all guilty of being a temporary asshole at times and of course he is surely correct - yes even from reading his book I can admit that if Bob’s 12 rules are correct, then at time’s I have been one - who hasn’t sent a flame mail (then maybe regretted it!) - but as we are all taught, it’s never too late to learn and change for the better.

Bob’s blog - http://www.bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/ is an excellent daily read and I would highly recommend every manager of people, everyone who believe’s they might fit the temporary asshole category because of the way they interact with colleagues and peers, or even those angel’s who never sin like this against anyone in their workplace - get on line, read his thoughts and see if you can spot anything in here that reads like you. I guess the hardest part is then admitting it’s you and doing something about it, if you want to of course?

We hear many client’s today complain about staff attrition and even more so right now in a market tight on available and proven skill’s across many sectors of the business world. Client’s try to search for an explanation as to why can’t they seem retain the good people they invest so heavily in and it’s not always for the reasons given - exit interviewee’s don’t always tell the truth for fear of how it may effect their next post, especially if a reference is required by the old employer. Maybe it’s worth exploring what’s going on around your team in closer detail - are they the target of one of Bob’s asshole’s in the working environment and if so can you spot them and take action?

April 2007, the official National Spring Clean for Scotland month, organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful - I didn’t even know we had a national day for this or that we had a Keep Scotland Beautiful team? Anyway not sure if it’s all a joke as it starts on April 1st, but I do not think we are being made fool’s of, because the website looks to good to be honest!

Anyway I think it’s a great idea and as I live in Scotland, as do my family then we should all be proud to take care of what we have. Having lived in the Dean Village in central Edinburgh in past years and been involved in the annual Water of Leith clean up, I’m all for it. It alway’s amazed me as to the amount of rubbish that ended up in just that small piece of the river and also the lengths people would go to dump the unusual, such as the tradional shopping trolley from the super market! The nearest super market to the village was a distance away, yet someone would always find time and the inclination to drag one along and throw it in the river - why? Obviously the young of today have nothing better to do with their time i guess and maybe it will good penance for our litter louts (not all young I should point out) to lend a hand?

Anyway I seriously do think it’s a great idea and I will see if I can get my team here at Bright Purple to get involved and if we do, I’ll report back on what we did take on as a project. Although I must admit I think the organisation is maybe asking too much to suggest that the public may want to choose a theme and do the clean up in fancy dress - now that is an April Fool’s joke surely?

It’s been a big weekend in the football calendar, so many important games in the UK leagues and of course in Europe, but sitting at home on a rainy, cold British weekend, there’s nothing better than watching the footie on the box - so yes I had a weekend in!

What sport has shown this weekend is how thin the line is between being winner’s and loser’s and what a difference ‘confidence’ and a ‘positive attitude’ means to a team. One minute you’re up and the next your down. Is that not just the same as any business?

Why do many people like football so much (of course I acknowledge there are as many who probably don’t.)? But for those that do, maybe it’s because of games like the one I have just watched with Premiership West Ham taking on Tottenham Hotspur, I’m still catching my breath to be honest! As I sit here I have seen West Ham lose a two goal lead early in the second half, to a fighting Tottenham side and then take a 3:2 lead, only for Spurs to score two late goals to win it in extra time!

So I guess you saw everything in this game that might relate to your business environment (?), belief in the team, positive mental attitude, frustration, lack of focus, fighting to the end and not giving up, pure talent, speed of response, satisfied customers (Spurs supporters I guess?), dis-satisfied (the other side) and there are of course alway’s winners and losers. Yes a lot like business isn’t it?

As a neutral sitting there on the couch it is was pure magic to watch, but you always feel sorry for the losers and I was no different after it finished. Good luck West Ham and well done Spurs.

January 30th 2007 I blogged about Sweden opening up for business with their own Avatar inside the Second Life site and thought it was a very interesting way to get your country out there to the world and flog tourism to the globe. Then a good friend of mine, Marion MacDonald contacted me last week and told me that now ING Bank was going in to Second Life to create - OurVirtualHolland! So I thought that there is obviously something in this Second Life and had a good look around and was amazed to be honest.

So after more exploration and then buying the “Official guide to Second Life”… (ok so that’s a bit sad I guess), I have jumped on board and I am now the owner of my own Avatar!

Haven’t got a clue what to do with him yet, but it seem’s that anything is possible here and who knows maybe my friend’s idea of opening up the world’s first  ’Global Sweetie Shop’ (candy store, if sweeties don’t ring any bell’s) could be the destiny for my new Avatar - I am totally open to ideas at this time, but first things first - how the hell do you get started and find your way around this place?

So what am I called I hear you asking?

Strange, but I saw a surname in the choices for a wonderful Swedish friend of ours - Soderstrom (thanks Susanna - hope you don’t mind?) and I grabbed it, but sticking a first name in front of this - difficult? So I thought if I was empire building what name would I use - How about Purple, well after all I am involved in two Purple businesses - Bright Purple and Purple Patch Wireless and guess what, yes that’s my new cyber name “Purple Soderstrom”.

I look forward to letting you know what I find out about my new second life and if I end up making any Linden Dollars!

I was recently asked by Andy Kelly of Future Positive to give my views on IIP to a group of visiting business people from Lithuania. I have just spent my morning in most enjoyable company and a thought provoking discussion with the representatives of three Lithuanian businesses, on a visit to Scotland to discover the benefits of IIP (Investors in People) in the work place. We talked for a few hour’s with Lithuanian/English translation taking place at a pace (well done to Evelina and Saule, couldn’t have done it without you) around the Bright Purple involvement with IIP and the IIP Accreditation we achieved. We discussed our reasons for originally taking it on and what we believe it had done to help our business in the years we have held the accreditation.

My guests seemed to be genuinely enjoying the learning experience, as we talked through our challenge’s and through development in area’s such as internal communication, structure, continued investment in people and using IIP as a tool to ensure we adhere to best ‘people’ practices. 

Adoption of change can be hard for most companies to see through to a successful end, sometimes it’s even hard to start to make the changes you commit to for fear of the unknown. However it seems that some of our concerns in a country that been free to adopt change for as many years I care to remember, seem to be small compared to the fledgling European nations who are joining from Eastern Europe.

The representatives shared their thinking on how their country, that was originally part of one union, the former Soviet, had then given up it’s brief freedom to become part of the European Union and the changes this had led to in the country in recent years. There seemed to be a view that many of Lithuania’s young businesses, led by the new generation of leaders would welcome IIP with open arms and they wanted to learn as much as they could from it’s Western union members. There was certainly a lot of excitement around the table about it’s possibilities in their own businesses. However on the flip side it was considered that for the old guard who still ran businesses or managed teams and where change wasn’t exactly a way of life in past years, it might not be that easy to achieve in the short term.

On a lighter note, a couple of comments made throughout the morning’s conversation also taught me that although we are all in the one Union, some economies have not yet caught up with some of the current business terms that we take for granted here - USP’s and EMEA region had not yet reached this group. So it didn’t help when I kept on spouting out terminology I thought everyone knew, but I also learnt from that mistake!

So to the companies, VSA, Autostarto Group and Lipnus, may I wish you the best of luck in your push to be the leaders of bringing IIP into Lithuania and we look forward to helping your group to develop the idea out there.

It only take’s one company to get things started - let’s hope it’s you guy’s!

While we celebrate an announcement on the expected growth in the Scottish jobs’ market for 2007, some firm’s will also face a few sleepness nights worrying about where the new staff the business will require to drive forward, will actually come from?

For the 35th month in a row, the availability of permanent staff in Scotland fell and at the same time this shortage is driving up salaries. Some areas of Scotland, especially the Capital of Edinburgh have a very tight labour availability and in an article printed in the Edinburgh Evening News (23rd January 2007), it headlined “18,000 migrant workers set up home in the city in two years” and thank goodness they have decided to come here to start a new life, or things might be even tougher for us!

The majority of these people it seems, are coming from Poland and I must admit I have experienced being served by many Polish people in the last year and my own experiences are that they are excellent people, well mannered and certainly understand what it means to work in the service industry and I am delighted they are here with us.

I also hear that as a Capital we are struggling to fill even the basic job’s and our Admin Recruitment friend’s are saying that they are having a tough time getting even basic skill’s. In Bright Purple’s field of technology recruitment we know that one candidate can have 5 or 6 things going on in their search for a new appointment, at any one time. There is always someone out there willing to pay a bit more to secure the skills they desperately require and it’s a busy time, so why bother training someone - just buy them in, that’s an attitude we have seen a lot of recently.

So I am happy to hear we are creating more jobs here in Scotland and for a recruiter of course, that is music to our ears and I won’t be complaining. However the temp/contract market will have to grow to support the lack of permanent resource and even then, these people have multiple choices so you still need a great story as an employer as to why they should join you. 

What is it with a name that stick’s in your head and you can’t seem to shake it?

Today I was attending a leadership development course and while we were in a debate, my tutor seemed to have a mental blank and suggested that Nick from Deep Purple may have something to add on the topic - I do, it’s not Deep Purple, it’s Bright Purple!

This is the third time in recent week’s someone has introduced me as Nick Price, MD of Deep Purple and then I explain that I am not one of the legendary rock stars, but a simple head hunter based in Scotland - maybe not quite as exciting I realise, but fact?

On the lighter side, I am actually quietly happy that the name sometimes get confused with the god’s of rock, because at least it get’s people talking about the business, after reality kicks in and let’s face it, I don’t exactly have the hair style to be a rock god do I?

Travelled down from Scotland to attend the birthday party (won’t say what age!!) of a friend in Tonbridge recently and at the party (which was brilliant and fancy dress - thanks Vanessa), I met a very interesting guy called Graham Sadd.

As we all live in fear these day’s of identity fraud and someone from the dark side picking up our personal information and cleaning us out, along comes PAOGA. Please have a look because I think you’ll like what they are doing. Graham and his team have come up with an ID management solution not only for the business community, but also for all us Joe Public’s and  storing all your personal data in a digital vault, promise us that we can get rid of the dusty file boxes where we keep those documents we can never quite find when we need to - good news for me then!

However the team are not rushing in to thing’s, but it looks like Graham has a winner on his hands.

As if he doesn’t have enough to do Graham is also a blogger on the whole ID managment space, so log in to Graham’s blog and learn something new - I should also add he seems to be a nifty dancer from what I saw, but I won’t talk about the outfit’s!