Welcome to the February 23, 2005 issue of The Total View

Your resource for cutting-edge news, tips, and tools to help you hire, manage, and motivate top-performing employees.

If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and want your own subscription, visit
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=11&c=292

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In This Issue
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1. Let's Talk About Job Fit.
2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #336 to #340.
3. How Can You Change The Way You Deal With the Flood of Resumes in Just 7 Minutes?
4. Ten excuses employees might give when they're caught sleeping at their desks.
5. Liar, liar pants on fire.
6. 21 Reasons Why Performance Reviews Fail.

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The Total View is written and published each Wednesday by Ira S. Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions. (Yes, Ira writes every article, every week!) and is distributed with permission by The Chrysalis Corporation.

Ira S. Wolfe 2005 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

To learn more about The Chrysalis Corporation or to read back issues of The Total View, visit our web site at
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=12&c=292

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1. Let's Talk About Job Fit.
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What follows is a transcript from a few minutes of a conversation I recently had with a human resource manager for a small employer. We talked about job fit.

DIANNA: HR types like me talk about this mysterious and elusive "job fit" as if it is the ultimate panacea for all things wrong with employees. What is it really and how do we know we have it?

IRA: Well, Dianna, I agree we talk about job fit a lot but it is really not all that mysterious. The fact is that we tend to get along best with people who are like us. It has nothing to do with unfair discrimination; it is simply a comfort issue. Each of us tends to feel more relaxed and comfortable in the presence of other people who share similar goals, values, and outlooks. For the same reasons we tend to work better with similar people.

DIANNA: Ok, that makes sense and I totally agree that it is critical to learn what makes people tick? But isn't that getting a little too personal?

IRA: Excellent point. While the following definition isn't totally accurate according to the science of psychology, I separate tests into two categories - psychological and personality. Psychological tests were constructed to diagnose clinical pathology and mental health disorders. The personality tests we recommend are based on job - related traits and behaviors of normal behaviors. Most of the personality traits and behaviors are observable to other people and therefore aren't really invading an individual's privacy.

DIANNA: I'm a bit confused. If these personality tests only provide an employer with information that is obvious, what good are they?

IRA: I didn't mean to infer obvious, but observable. If a manager has the time to interview a candidate, place them in situations similar to those they'll face on the job, and - this is really important - is a very good observer and listener, the tests will be effective but possibly less important in uncovering hidden flaws or weaknesses.

DIANNA: That makes me feel a little better.

IRA: One of the biggest benefits of using a personality test or tests is not about exposing deep hidden secrets but the ability of the manager to get an accurate picture of the employee without having to spend hours and hours of interviewing and background checking. Besides not having the time, many managers aren't very good observers and listeners.

DIANNA: I guess that is where HR people help.

IRA: That is true except…….while a third party might know how to ask the right questions, observe the behaviors and listen to the responses for accuracy and job fit, the HR folks, recruiters and the like won't understand the job the same way as a manager of that job, many of whom actually performed the job in the past. It's still important that the manager or direct supervisor be involved.

DIANNA: As a career HR professional, I'm not sure I agree.

IRA: Let me give you an example. Let's say you are the HR manager and your boss tells you to find a sales replacement. The job requires that this person is extremely competitive, assertive and confident. Sales in your company is somewhat cut-throat. Sales people are responsible for getting their own leads and negotiating the sale. The marketplace is over-crowded and margins are slim.

DIANNA: I'm still not convinced I couldn't do a good interview and identify a top salesperson.

IRA: I'd agree. What I'm saying is that not everyone has your skill and experience. My experience has shown that many top salespeople and executives turn off the front-line people. They view competitive, assertive and confident as aggressive, arrogant and not a good team player. I'm not here to convince HR professionals to use personality tests, but to help the millions of small business owners and managers who don't have the time or skills to thoroughly check out candidates before they hire employees.

DIANNA: I've got it now. What happens is that this perfect job fit submits a resume. He calls the company and asks to speak with the V.P. of Sales. His assistant screens the calls. The candidate refuses to take no for an answer. He continues to call, including over the lunch hour and early morning, when he hopes the assistant is away from her desk. The candidate's behavior demonstrates "persistence and drive", exactly what the V.P. was looking for. The assistant is turned off and in fact describes him as a "bull in a china closet." End of story.

IRA: You are absolutely right. His resume goes right to the bottom of the pile, or even the circular file. She tells the V.P. that this candidate "just wouldn't fit in with our customers". The V.P. doesn't have the time to screen the dozens of resumes or call the candidates, so he accepts her opinion. A high potential candidate is turned away because personal preference got in the way of job selection. Going back to our original question, you must understand the job before you can screen or select candidates. Employee selection is all about hiring people who can do the job for your company, not necessarily hiring employees who can also be your best friend.

To learn more about the CriteriaOne, the Whole Person Approach to job fit visit:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=3&c=292

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2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #351 to #355.
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Fact #351: Half of current federal employees will be eligible to retire between now and the end of 2008, including 70 percent of supervisors. (Source: Bernard Hodes Group, Feb 2005).

Fact #352: Half of the Federal air traffio controllers are eligible to retire over the next nine years. (Source: Bernard Hodes Group, Feb 2005).

Fact #353: Scientists and engineers who are over 60 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration outnumber those under 30 by nearly 3 to 1. (Source: Bernard Hodes Group, Feb 2005).

Fact #354: Forty-three percent of the 650,000 civilians at the Department of Defense will be eligible in the next five years. (Source: Bernard Hodes Group, Feb 2005).

Fact #355: Sixty percent of federal employees are over 45, compared with 31 percent in the private sector. (Source: Bernard Hodes Group, Feb 2005).

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Get a copy today - $7.95 includes shipping. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=7&c=292

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3. How Can You Change The Way You Deal With the Flood of Resumes in Just 7 Minutes?
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The Resu-mess is back! If piles of resumes and crowded e-mail in-boxes have got you frustrated, you NEED to preview Total APS in action.

What is Total APS? It is an applicant tracking and assessment system that puts your recruiting and selection efforts on auto pilot. Total APS even provides you assess to the TotalView assessment (see the first article in this newsletter).

Total APS frees up your time to communicate with only QUALIFIED candidates and helps you ensure a good job fit between a person and the job. Total APS can save your company is to experience the system in action. View our online7-minute, no-obligation video demonstration of the Total APS system here:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=26&c=292

Can't view it online? Contact us today for a Free CD-ROM on How to Screen and Interview Candidates Online. Follow this link and type APS in the comment box:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=18&c=292

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4. Ten excuses employees might give when they're caught sleeping at their desks.
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Any of these sounds familiar. . .

1 -- "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
2 -- "This is just a 15-minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to."
3 -- "Whew! Guess I left the top off the liquid paper. You probably got here just in time."
4 -- "This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work."
5 -- "It's okay ... I'm still billing the client."
6 -- "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement."
7 -- "I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance."
8 -- "I was doing a yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress."
9 -- "Rats! Why did you interrupt me? I almost had figured out a solution to our biggest company problem."
10 -- "Someone must have put decaf in the wrong pot."

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5. Liar, liar pants on fire.
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How many people lie?

- 10,000,000+ taxpayers -lie on their tax forms" according to the IRS.
- 6,640,000 job applicants based on "80% of all resumes are misleading".
- 489,530 attorneys, they mostly "work to benefit their clients, not to arrive at truth".
- 67,050,000 workers based on 50% or "half of American workers".
- 100% of dating couples surveyed lied to each other in about a third of their conversations.
- 20% - 30% of middle managers surveyed had written fraudulent internal reports.
- 95% of participating college students surveyed were willing to tell at least one lie to a potential employer to win a job, and 41% had already done so.

- We are lied to about 200 times each day.
- Most people lie to others once or twice a day and deceive about 30 people per week.
- The average is 7 times per hour if you count all the times people lie to themselves.
- We lie in 30 to 38% of all our interactions.
- College students lie in 50% of conversations with their mothers.

Source: The numbers above are based partially on information at the 2000 Census web site and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Looking for an assessment to help you screen out dishonest candidates? Visit the following link to learn more about the Counter-Behavior Index (CBI) -- You can even view sample report online:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=4&c=292

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6. 21 Reasons Why Performance Reviews Fail.
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It's that time of year again -- time for annual performance reviews. Some managers love em, but most think they are a waste of time. Performance reviews can actually be a highly productive process for employees, management, and the entire company IF they are done CORRECTLY. Here are 21 reasons why performance reviews fail to product positive, long lasting improvement:

1. The reviewer and employee have a personal friendship outside of work and both individuals can't differentiate their manager-employee role from their friend-friend relationship.

2. The reviewer and the employee see themselves as part of a team. Team members are supposed to encourage one another, be supportive in good and bad times. But when the manager has to provide negative feedback or discipline the employee, these actions are viewed as divisive.

3. When not provided regularly, annual (or even less periodic) reviews can be based on most recent performance, not performance over the course of the year. The results go both ways. Employees who put on their best behavior around review time get favorable ratings and the employee who has a bad couple of weeks gets punished.

4. Performance reviews are only scheduled when an employee is not performing up to expectations or a company needs to terminate/lay-off the employee.

5. "You know nobody's perfect and there is always room for improvement." The manager doesn't believe in rewarding an employee with a "10" (out of 10) even when he/she deserves it. Some employers actually use a rating scale of 1 to 9 because no employee deserves a 10 in their minds.

Source: Ira S. Wolfe.

To read more, visit:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=22&c=292

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Contact Information:

The Chrysalis Corporation
2001 Hammock Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-257-0665