How to Hire People With Attitude

Jim's not working out, he's got a bad attitude". "We are looking for people with a can-do attitude". These are common statements I hear, or read regularly from managers about to hire new staff or address performance issues with the current team. Just what is attitude and can you identify it before you hire it? 

Let's start with a simple definition - Attitudes are predispositions to respond in a positive or negative way to someone or something in your environment.

Attitudes are influenced by values, but they focus on specific people or objects, while values have a more general focus. 'Employees should be allowed to participate' is a value; your positive or negative feeling about your job because of the participation it allows is an attitude.

As an example, when you say you "like" or "dislike" someone or something, you are expressing an attitude. One important work-related attitude is job satisfaction. This attitude expresses a person's positive or negative feelings about various aspects of his or her job and/or working environment.

It is important to remember that an attitude, like values, is a hypothetical construct; that is, no one ever sees, touches, or actually isolates an attitude. Rather, attitudes are inferred from the things people say (informally or formally), or do (their behaviour).

The components of attitudes...

The Antecedents of Attitude = Beliefs & values

This leads to Attitude development = It creates a feeling that influences a result

The Results = The intended behaviour

For example...

"My job lacks responsibility" (leads to) "I do not like my job" (This leads to)"I am going to quit my job"

It's essential to recognise that one's attitude (feelings) influences one's intended behaviour.

So back to the original question, "Can attitudes be identified in the job candidate before you hire?" The answer is yes, with a relative degree of accuracy. I use the word "relative" because the tests used to identify "bad attitudes" are usually only accurate if the beliefs and values of a person, in relation to the attitudes being measured, are strong.

Richard I. Lanyon, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University and a consulting psychologist in Scottsdale, AZ. He is a world leader in attitude testing. Lanyon designed the attitudes inventory that is a major component of our JobCLUES assessments. JobCLUES also tests for workplace personality and mental ability. The attitudes measure in JobCLUES tests six key attitudes relating to work. They are:

1. Hostility/Aggression in the workplace -- will the candidate exhibit emotion physically -- punch the boss's lights out?

2. Dependability/Conscientiousness -- will the candidate lack motivation, persistence and organisation. Be careless and lackadaisical -- show up for work on time etc?

3. Integrity/Honesty -- will they rob you blind, short change customers, lie on expense sheets, exaggerate job qualifications etc?

4. Substance Abuse -- Are they users of illegal drugs, consume alcohol while at work; show up often demonstrating the effects of the "night before"?

4. Sexual Harassment -- Will they proposition fellow workers, make sexual remarks or tell dirty jokes inappropriately?

6. Computer Misuse -- Will they spend all day sending personal emails, surf the web or download pornography etc?

JobCLUES Attitude profile takes about 15 minutes to complete. The personality section takes 10 minutes while the mental abilities section is timed at 6 minutes. All can be used online together or as separate assessments. Reports are generated immediately against anyone of 60 job, and or, industry benchmarks.

Apart from very robust psychometric, jobCLUES is so well priced -- you can purchase 5, 10 or 20 assessments (includes all modules and reports) from $39 (plus GST) each. If you are a larger organisation you can have unlimited testing for an annual fee of $1500 for business up to 50 employees - $30 an employee annually thereafter. It really is a "no-brainer" price for such a highly valid pre-screening selection tool.

This instrument combined with a good application form, a behavioural based interview (JobCLUES provides these tailored to the role) and reference/background checking will help you avoid hiring "bad attitude".
 

Differences between Job Rotation, Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment

These three aspects are related to Job Design Approaches. Following are the three aspects in detail:
i) Job Rotation:
Job rotation, as the name suggests means rotating the job. It involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation. It can improve "multi-tasking" but also involves the need for continuous training. It reduces boredom and disinterest through diversifying the employee's activities. With the help of Job Rotation, the management can easily identify in which area the particular employee is best at work.

Job Rotation also has certain drawbacks:
Every time an employee is transferred to other department; it will cost a huge training cost.
Employees may take time in adjusting with the new environment.
ii) Job Enlargement:
Job Enlargement means the expansion of the number of different tasks performed by employee under a single job or in a horizontal manner. It attempts to add some similar tasks in the existing job. It enhances the interest of the employee.
Job Enlargement is beneficial for employers as they are getting more amount of work in similar pay.
There are few main reasons because of which an employee is motivated to continue with Job enlargement. They are:-
Task Variety: There can be number of tasks to perform under the enlargement scheme; which tends to give a good variety to the workers to perform and it also helps them to be away from the boredom.
Utilization of the Ability: With the enlarged role in job the workers tend to use their highest ability to perform the task in better and efficient manner which acts as a motivational factor for them. The fact that management has to take care at this stage is that they should not stretch or enlarge the job in such a manner in which the employee feels frustrated and bored or the job should not become monotonous. On the contrary, management should find such a task and way of accomplishing it so that the employee should accept as a challenge which can be fulfilled easily with flying colours.

Feedback on the basis of Performance: Timely feedback enhances the motivation of the employees to work effectively and efficiently every time.
Along with the benefits which Job enlargement has, it also has certain drawbacks. They are: Workers may require additional training for the new task, which may cause increase in the training budget. If a new system is introduced first time; it may decrease the productivity.
iii) Job Enrichment:
Enrichment in the tasks which a worker performs means Job enrichment. It also means that additional authority is granted to the employee in his tasks list. The company can also introduce new and more difficult tasks not handled previously. It provides opportunity for employee's psychological growth.
The theory of Job enrichment was first stated by Herzberg. According to him, it has eight characteristics. They are:
Direct Feedback: Feedback given at the time of the result increases the morale of the worker to perform better.
Client Relationship: Serving the clients either external or internal enhances the job in many ways. External clients are the outside customers for eg: if an officer working in a showroom attends the customers and finishes a sale it means that he gave service to the external customer. But on the other hand internal customer is the other employee of the same organization. For eg: the same employee coordinates with the employee from the other department it means that he/she served internal customer.
Scheduling own work: Self-scheduling helps the employee to tackle which assignment to finish first and which later. This aspect enhances the creativity of the employees.
Direct Communication Authority: It allows communicating directly with the employees, which helps in increasing the results and the output.
Personal Accountability: After receiving direct feedback; employee can easily come to know about his own stand in the company.

Feeling Human Resources @ Ground Zero

Why Focus on Transactional HR?
Have we ever wondered on how did that strategy or policy we spent umpteen hours creating, discussing, debating and deploying – actually help the Associate working at Ground Zero in the organization? OR – did that associate even get to know about it in the first place? We Human Resource professionals spend huge chunks of our time developing HR models that at best mean to be employee centric. In spite of all these efforts, the rubber meets the road when:

• An HR Head gets a payroll query!
• For resolution of payroll queries, employees go to vendor ‘A', for car lease to vendor ‘B' for retrials to vendor ‘C' … and then finally to HR!
• When HR Managers come from an OD meeting and find themselves foxed with employees writing to the top management regarding their HR queries not being resolved!
• An employee feels that his PF and Gratuity related queries are no one's babies ‐ only God can answer those!

We also spend another large chunk of our professional time just trying to gauge how effective these actually are – trying to measure "employee satisfaction" ‐ caught in this vicious "make evaluate" circle! However, the cookie crumbles when it comes to ensuring how these policies and strategies are actually felt at the ground level in the day‐to‐day professional life of the organization's micro nerve centre – the employee. Gauging the effectiveness of the roll out of such initiatives at the employee's level actually boils down to transaction management of four main areas in HRIS:

• Payroll transactions and queries
• Benefits related queries (retrials, perquisites etc.)
• HR policy related queries
• Employee Database related queries

The Practice
This transactional service converges together superlative technology, thorough HR expertise, detailed, predictive metrics and analyses and a heartfelt customer service – to create for your employee – our end customer – an experience of personal gratification. In our experience, an employee query, which used to take at least 4 days to get answered earlier, now, would take not more than 10 minutes to get resolved! We have turned around Employee SAT Scores from53% to 88% within a span of 6 months. 3 Feeling Human Resources @ Ground Zero
Today, we at PeopleStrong, resolve queries for more than 50,000 for our clients' employees…it really makes us feel that HR does speak at ground zero!
Another myth that remains to be shattered is that generation of an error free pay slip followed by a physical helpdesk with an accountant ‐ would actually put a smile on the employee's face. Nothing could be further from the truth! What will put the employee under a ‘no dissatisfaction' zone is an online and phone based ‐ 365 days a year – service. This is how we experience Client Delight – and also the joy of shattering this myth!

4 Ways to Make HR Effective and Efficient

HR is the backbone of an organization. Effective and Efficient HR processes leads to the growth of the organization. The latest trends which the HR industry is following to make their HR effective and Efficient are


1. Use HR tools- HR tools make the work of the HR Managers easy by providing a complete interface for all the HR processes. Features like people management, payroll management, leave management, attendance management, etc and that to from a centralized system removes the complexity of the HR work and makes the processes simpler and smarter increasing the efficiency and effectiveness. Use of HR tools saves 10-12 clerical working days in managing the HR processes.HR tools are improves the transperency of the the processes. You do not miss out any record. Each and every detail is stored which can be reviewed anytime in no time.

2. Using Cloud Service for HR processes- Companies have started moving towards cloud to store organizational data and for managing the HR Processes. Cloud service provides access 24X7. It has not only made the processes simpler and smarter but also cost effective. Using Cloud for managing your data makes it more secure. HR Systems that are cloud based are modifying their system everyday to make things easier for the organizations. Hence today organizations are preferring to use cloud service for HR Management as these provide the option of regular enhancements.

3. Marketing approach for HR- The knowledge of work culture, leadership style, and the organizational brand gives clarity about the kind of HR the organization needs which helps in recruiting right people. Recruiting right people with right expectations increases the retention rate of the organization. Taking on board the right people also reduces the effort to train them, to connect them with the organization.

4. Employee Development- The development of the employees in the organization increases their motivation which raises their satisfaction level and keeps them happy. When the employees are happy and satisfied with their role in the organization they become more productive and prove to be an asset to the organization. Its the people of the organizations who are responsible for the growth of the organization and hence the experiential development and the job satisfaction of the employees should be the priority of the organization. Hence organizations are becoming employee centric focusing on the development of the employees to scale up their growth and improve the retention rate of their employees in the organization.

Be Kind or Kindless...A Leadership Message For The Corporate HR

If your justice ever jettisons your existence, never do justice and never ever pay even an iota of attention to listen to others plea or supplication for mercy or justice.  It means, be cruel and merciless as that is how you have to be.  This message may sound barbaric and rude, but that is what nature conveys through the equation of prey-predator. 


The beauty is that both the prey and predator knows the above law the best.  None of the prey species of animals like deer, zebra or wildebeest ever seems to request or beg or prostrate before a predator for mercy or kindness.  They try to escape and to escape from the predator only nature has given them several adaptations and advantages.  If they fail, they have to accept that the law and justice are on the other side.

Similarly none of the predators are kind towards their prey species.  Because of the above, one should not assume that the predators are not kind.  They too carry lot of kindness, love, care and affection to their young ones and also towards other members of their group.   The question is why an animal that has lot of love and kindness towards its own clan is so cruel and kindles towards its prey animals?  If they ever become kind, the same kindness would jettison their very existence.

They cannot afford to be kind and merciful towards their prey animals.  That does not mean they are cruel.  Law of nature never defines so.   The justice and justifications of nature are always relative and what is right to my existence is right however bad it might be to others.

The advice and suggestion is not against being kind and merciful.  But remember your gesture should always support your physical and psychological existence first and only then rest should follow.

Also, the people who plead for justice and mercy must re-invent the enormous strength and capability the nature has given to them to win all odds and injustice.  If such strength is not understood, only helplessness has to be depended upon to help oneself.

The message of nature should not be understood indiscriminately.  Be kindles does not mean be cruel.  What it means is that be kind to you first and then be kind to others.

Sacrifice can only breed greed, weakness and hopelessness.  Imagine, the predator that had not taken its meal due to ‘self sacrifice' for the sake of its young ones had never been so successful in guarding, nursing and rearing the future generation.  Only the strong parents can up bring the best progenies.

The readers of the article should not run into either crazy or quixotic state.  The message has to be understood in the right dimension, sprit and reference. 

How Do You Choose the Right Human Resource Management Software?

So you've decided to deploy an online human resource management software solution at your workplace? Good choice. HRM software and process automation can help you implement the best practices in human resource management and gain new ROI from existing business processes.


There's only one little problem, you say. I don't know how to choose the best solution for my business. Not surprising. After all, a simple Google search for online HR software can give you thousands of results with each service provider claiming that his solution is better than the rest and that it is exactly what you need. They are all right, of course. Their solution is the best from their perspective but is it the same from yours? Add recommendations from colleagues and friends and numerous solicited and unsolicited overtures from service providers to this and you are right where you began.
So, how does one choose the right human resource management software for their business? What are the parameters on which the software has to be judged? What are the different steps to be taken?
Create a selection team: First things first. Before we take about features, costs, or benefits, build a selection team that will assume responsibility for the operation. This selection team should be balanced and comprised of end users, senior management, and decision makers. Invite members from different functions like Finance, IT, and HR who have a stake in the decision. Give each of them a clear area of responsibility.
Evaluate and enumerate: The first responsibility of the selection team is to evaluate the current practices being followed by the company and come up with:

• Critical business requirements
• Expectations from the software
• Parameters for evaluation of the software

The team has to actively take inputs from all stakeholders at several stages in this process.
Get recommendations from multiple sources: As I mentioned earlier, there are thousands of solutions available in the market now. Ask for recommendations from as many people as you can. We've heard of a client who used a solution because his banker suggested him to do so. Another client got a recommendation from a new employee who was using the same solution in his previous company. Search online. Ask friends and business partners. Invite recommendations from employees. Cast the net wide and get a good list of requirements.
Shortlist and qualify: Now that you have your evaluation parameters and recommendations, weigh one against the other and create a shortlist. Check all recommendations against your parameters and come up with a shortlist of no more than 3-5 vendors.
Next step is to qualify them. Speak to the vendors. Ask as many questions as you need and clear all the doubts you have. Schedule a demo and invite estimates. At the end of this stage you shouldn't have more than 2 vendors on your shortlist.
Test them: Nowadays, almost all vendors offer a free trial for a limited time period. Take advantage of this to test the solution at your workplace. Ask users for their feedback.
Deploy: Based on the feedback, deploy the solution that you found to be the most suitable for your business needs.
Congratulations! You just found the right human resource management software for your business.

Affordable HR Packages Suited for Business

There are many of the HR management companies in the world, large or small.  But, in Australia, Ascent HR Management Consultants is highly developed. There are many business persons, having medium or small business, and are associated with this management company.

With the growing needs and requirements of the people, its main work is to deliver all, its affordable packages, which is suited for the business and for the business person. The HR packages provided to the customers are very affordable.
But, before the package description, they will give you HR packages details and other information's, which you are looking for.
They believe that a good HR is very necessary for any business. In each and every business, large or small, there is an HR, who does his managerial work very sincerely and carefully.
In Australia, there are many large, medium and small businesses. So, it provides various affordable packages, not only the packages, but also templates and several plans for small business.
By making plans, a small business can also extend to a high level. And, its popularity will also be increased. It also provides flexible and cost effective HR solutions to each and every residents of Australia.
It not only provides packages to the residents of the Australia, but also it creates friendly relationships with them.
The customers also like its services and packages too, and want to be a part of this management company.
There are many affordable services provided to the customers of the Australia. Among which, the Basic HR support, Strategic HR support, and the Advanced HR support has been provided to you.
For your growth and development of your company, Basic HR support and its plans are very necessary to keep in mind, and to utilize your company resources.  So, its policies and procedures are also very important.
Strategic HR support will ensure your HR strategy more effectively. By using this service, you can also develop your strategy and its various plans, and also its management system.

Advanced HR support gives support to most of the business people. Its aim is to provide the business with the HR management capability.
So, these are the main services provided to any of the business people in the Australia.  And, now, you will know about its affordable packages.
Mainly, there are two different packages, available to the customers of the Australia. They are Basic and Advanced HR packages.
There are various facilities provided in both the packages, along with their prices and range. So, it is the choice of yours whether you want to choose which packages and its facilities suits you along with the rate.
For example, in the Basic HR packages, the facilities mentioned are drug and alcohol policy, and IT policy and other facilities. The total packages include 20% of special discount. If you are going to purchase a total basic HR package, then you can get special discounts.
To manage your business and plan your resources, you can also purchase Advanced HR suite packages, which are also very affordable to you. Resource plan, interview guide and many other services and facilities are provided to the customers, using these packages.  The total packages include special discounts of only 10%.
So, as a result, the primary outcome achieved by the management consultancy enables you to manage, utilize and develop your capital.
So, if you want to hire this HR management company, in the Australia, then you can immediately visit its site, and get much useful information and other details. And also you will get to know about the various affordable HR packages, policy and procedures for your business.
Don't forget to check the available TOP UK searches:

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