4 Keys to More Effective Workplace Communication

We communicate every day in lots of ways. At work. At home. At Starbucks. Most of the time, we do it without a specific plan. And while planning out your communications may sound strange, it can work wonders for your results— especially when you’re talking business.

To make the most of your workplace communication efforts, you’ll want to consider the following factors:

  • Priorities – Are you communicating the most important things?
  • Data – Is your information accurate?
  • Audience – Are you speaking to the right people?
  • Rhythm – Does the timing make sense?

Start with priorities

Some conversations are best when they come about organically, but that’s rarely the case when you need to address a specific topic with your team. Setting your priorities before you have that conversation will help keep you from being unclear, getting sidetracked, or missing the point completely.

To get on the right track, ask yourself these key questions:

  • What is it that you need to convey?
  • Are you leading with the most critical information dancing around the topic?
  • How will you express your thoughts in a way that makes sense and resonates?

Be sure not to cram too many priorities into any one conversation. People can only process and remember so much. Keep the priority list short, clear, and succinct and you will have an easier time getting the information across.

Check your data

If your conversation centers around trends, numbers, research, and/or evidence, make sure you get your facts right.

  • Do your homework
  • Check your sources
  • Write things down
  • Don’t try to wing it or keep a bunch of statistics straight in your head

Which of these approaches sounds more effective?

“According to your last review, you’ve missed 3 deadlines in a row.”

“I feel like you’ve been missing a few deadlines.”

Number 1, right? If you have the actual review in front of you, even better! Now you can work off of documented history rather than hazy memories.

If you’re talking trends, simply saying “Sales are up!” isn’t going to be nearly as impactful as saying, “Total sales are up 12%, but online sales are up 26%.” Now that’s some useful information! But if sales are actually up 36% and you didn’t get it right, you missed an even bigger opportunity.

If you’re using numbers to make your point, the key is to be specific and accurate.

Consider your audience

Before you get into a discussion, take a moment to think about who needs to hear your message and what their respective concerns will be. Depending on who you are talking to, these things can be vastly different. Here are a few examples.

  • Prospects will be interested in what you can do for them
  • Clients need to feel appreciated and valued
  • Partners want to know the advantages of working with you
  • Employees are interested in company culture and values, and where they fit in

Of course, all of these things can adjust and change depending on the topic of the day. The key is to think about who you’re communicating with and how the information will be received and processed— before jumping into that discussion.

Thinking about your audience will help you tailor your delivery to make it as effective as possible.

Get your rhythm down

To communicate effectively, you have to know what needs to be communicated and when. Blindsiding someone with a conversation out of context (or out of nowhere) never ends well and waiting to deliver critical information does way more harm than good.

To make sure the timing of your communications make sense, ask these questions:

  • Is this information urgent or time sensitive?
  • Who needs to know about this and when?
  • Is it something that needs to be communicated regularly?
  • Who should the message come from, and in what format?
  • Is there an existing meeting where it makes sense to bring this up?

But keep in mind that it also depends on who you’re talking to:

  • Prospects don’t want to be overwhelmed with information or solicitations
  • Clients can’t just hear from you when there’s a problem
  • Partners need to be reminded of the value of your relationship
  • Employees get very frustrated when they don’t know what’s going on

Use this information to plan out individual discussions and get the most of your conversations. Or, better yet, put together a big-picture communication strategy that covers all of your needs.

Yes, may sound like a lot of work on the front end, but it’s work that will pay off in the long run.

 

Photo by rawpixel 

Job Interview Tips – For the Boss

There’s a ton of information out there about how to conduct yourself before, during, and after a job interview, and about 99% of it is geared toward candidates. This is very helpful if you’re looking for advice on how to score yourself a new job. But what if you’re on the other side of the table, looking to score a fantastic new hire?

If you’re new to the hiring game, you may not know quite where to start. If you’ve been recruiting forever, you may have fallen into some habits that no longer serve you. Either way, it’s always good to review best practices for interviewing job candidates.

Here are 7 ways to make the most out of your interview process:

Be prepared

As the interviewer, you hold the primary position of power. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do your homework. A great candidate will take the time to learn about your company, industry, and the specific role they aspire to take on. A good interviewer will also show up prepared.

  • Look over all of the applicant’s information carefully beforehand.
  • Compare skills and experience to the job description to see which ones apply.
  • No matter what position you are hiring for, do not simply show up and wing it.

A candidate that senses you are disorganized or phoning it in will extrapolate that behavior to the rest of the organization and set expectations accordingly. Represent your company and yourself in the best possible light. 

Be consistent

Your hiring decisions will come much more easily if you’re comparing apples to apples. Or at least fruit to fruit. If your interview questions aren’t standardized, you won’t be getting good comparative information to help you weigh your options. At least not in a way that makes sense. Likewise, if you’re making assumptions about an individual before they even show up, you’re not allowing for equal footing.

  • Ask the same questions of every applicant.
  • Treat each interviewee equally.
  • Take steps to eliminate hidden bias from your processes.

Having a clear, standardized process makes hiring easier on everyone. The more consistent your processes are, the more fair they will be to your candidates, your current employees, and your hiring committee.

Be honest

There was a time when businesses could afford to be vague and cryptic with their job listings— and still see a pile of applications come in. During the height of the great recession, it was also easy to lowball on salaries or neglect to mention them until it was time to sign on the dotted line. In today’s talent market, this is no longer the case. Job seekers have expectations about salary and benefits, as well as other things like career development, company culture, and flexible schedules. If these things aren’t in alignment with what you’re offering, candidates will move along. Sometimes without even saying a word. Just like a ghost.

  • Make sure the job description is accurate and up to date.
  • Be upfront about compensation and benefits.
  • Sell your organizational culture accurately.

If you’re trying to win great talent by overstating the role, downplaying particular facets of the culture, or portraying a workplace reality that doesn’t exist, your victory will be very short-lived. And your turnover numbers will show it.

Be interested

Think about the interview as a first date scenario. Do you really just want to spend the whole time talking about yourself? If so, is that going to garner any interest from a potential hiring match? Probably not.

  • Don’t use this as an opportunity to sell your candidate on the company or job.
  • Learn about each candidate’s hard and soft skills, as well as their career aspirations.
  • Think about how that person would fit into the role, the department, and the team.

Of course, you want your candidate to be interested in what you have to say. And any new hire worth their salt will feel exactly the same way.

Be quiet

Again, it can be really tempting to talk your way through the entire interview process, especially if you are genuinely excited about the position, the company, and the possibilities.

But communication is a two-way street. If you really want to know about your applicant, you have to listen to what they say.

  • Resist interrupting or interjecting.
  • Listen for content and nuance, look for body language and other non-verbal cues.
  • Never make assumptions about what a candidate means. If you have questions, ask. And then listen carefully to the responses.

Be aware

Don’t make future discrimination claims part of your standard hiring process. Avoid inquiring about candidate traits, beliefs, situations or preferences that are not specifically job related. The following topics are in the discrimination danger zone:

  • Race, national origin
  • Gender
  • Sexual orientation
  • Age
  • Religion
  • Disability
  • Marital status
  • Pregnancy, number of kids

Keep your conversation focused on the company, the position, and any relevant skills and experience necessary to perform.

Be thoughtful

When it comes down to it, every interaction you have is a reflection on you and your company. Are you providing a positive experience or a negative one? What kinds of things will they tell their family, friends after they’ve gone through the process? What might their 10,000 Twitter followers see, hear, and think?

Follow these basic rules to put your best foot forward:

  • Be friendly – Make people feel comfortable.
  • Do what you say – Be on time and keep appointments.
  • Communicate – Let people know where they are in the process and next steps.
  • Follow through – If you say you’ll call or email, make sure it actually happens.
  • Always follow up after an interview or phone screen, no matter what the outcome.

Even if you don’t end up hiring a particular candidate, they should still be considered a potential client, customer, and reviewer. Give your candidates a great experience and they’ll walk away with no regrets. They might even keep you on their short list of coveted employers. Who knows? Next time, they might be a perfect match!

 

Photo by  Kittisak Jirasittichai

 

Prepping for Job Interviews – It’s Not Just for Candidates! What Employers Need to Know

Job seekers spend a lot of time preparing for interviews. Unfortunately, those on the other side of the desk often forget to take this key step.

From an HR and business perspective, an investment in preparation before the interview can have a huge ROI. Not only will it save you time in the long run, it’s critical to the success of your talent search.

What (or who) are you looking for?

When a vacancy is created, too many companies blindly set out to find an exact replica of the person whose shoes they are trying to fill.

Sheila did this and this and this. We need to find someone just like her.

Bob was a real go-getter. We’d better look for someone just like him.

But does this even make sense? A better way to approach this is to ask some important questions about the role that needs to be filled and how it might be improved to help with company goals, internal processes, recruitment and retention.

What does Sheila’s position look like currently? Does this seem like the best set of tasks moving forward? Is there potential to make this position more efficient? More appealing? More career focused?

What expectations do we have for this position? Do these metrics still seem appropriate? Was Bob’s outgoing nature suited to the role he was performing? Or could it have contributed to his departure?

Finding the right person for a position requires being clear about what the position is.

What do you actually need this person to do? Is a part-time or full-time gig? Is there potential for career development in this role? Where does this job fit within the big picture company vision? How will this role contribute to the success of the company— and the individual who takes it on?

Just because you’ve been doing something one way for a long time doesn’t mean you need to continue along the same track. Think of your open positions not just as opportunities for employment, but as opportunities for your business to refresh, streamline, and innovate. Evaluate the job description as it stands and create the position it needs to be moving forward. Then, define the skills and attributes you’re looking for in an ideal candidate.

Questions to ask during this process:

  • How will we know if this role/person is successful? What metrics will we use?
  • What do we expect from this person in the first 3 months? 6 months? The first year?
  • What training and support will we provide and who will be responsible for making it happen?
  • How will we adjust if things aren’t working?

Business improvements don’t have to come in the form of complete overhauls and reorganizations. You can improve your overall efforts one thing at a time, starting with your current job listings. 

Once you’ve decided what direction you need to go in and who you are looking for, you can start developing your hiring criteria and interview questions.

What should you ask?

Establishing guidelines and consistency in your hiring process is important. Having a standard formula for recruitment will keep everyone on track and on the same page.

The same is true when it comes to interview questions. Asking random questions will get you random data. Using a consistent set of interview questions will help you effectively compare candidates.

And again, there’s no reason you need to ask the same questions you used to fill the position last time. In fact, you may benefit from trying something new.

Behavioral Interviewing

If you want to find star employees, you may want to try using a STAR approach.

The STAR approach is an interview technique that taps into the behavioral traits of your candidates by asking them to describe specific situations rather than answer general questions about skills and experience.

By asking STAR interview questions, you’re giving candidates the opportunity to tell you how they have performed in the past, and if past performance is an indicator of future performance, then asking STAR questions can garner some pretty great information.

The components of STAR interview questions are as follows:

  • Situation – What was the context?
  • Tasks – What was your responsibility?
  • Actions – How did you perform/act/react?
  • Results – What were the outcomes?

Examples of these kinds of questions include:

  • Tell me about a time when you had to work effectively under pressure. What was the result?
  • Give an example of a time you overcame a challenge with a coworker. What did you learn?
  • Have you ever made a mistake at work? How did you handle that?
  • What is one goal you’ve achieved that you’re most proud of? How did you achieve it?

Once you’ve decided on a complete set of questions to ask each of your applicants, you’re ready to move on.

Preparation is key

Hooray! You’re almost there! You’ve got your shiny new job description and your interview questions down pat. But this is not the time to cut loose and start winging it. To make the most of your recruitment effort, the rest of your processes should also be well thought out, consistent, and clear.

Before you post your position, answer the following questions to provide additional structure to your talent search and timeline.

  • What will the application process look like?
  • How long will it take?
  • Who will be involved?
  • How many interviews?
  • What days will they occur?
  • What questions will you ask?
  • How will the decision be made?
  • Where will you post positions or look for applicants?
  • Who/When/What/How will you communicate with candidates?

Once you’ve got your full plan laid out in front of you, communicate it to everyone involved and clarify any remaining questions that may be hanging out there. Once everyone is on board and ready to go, you’re free to take your plan and run with it.

Ready, set, search!

 

Photo by Валерий Качаев 

Out of Pocket Costs: 3 Pain Points to Address

Guest blog content provided to Q4iNetwork consultants by freshbenies freshbenies-Logo-CMYK 2018

It’s a sad healthcare reality that more and more Americans are being forced to decide whether they can afford to use their medical plans.

And while great brokers and employers are implementing strategic ideas to contain skyrocketing out of pocket costs, it seems to become even more challenging every year.

Employers are paying more to provide coverage, but employees and their families are also paying more than ever before as out of pocket costs continue to rise.

Here are three key problems associated with rising out of pocket costs that must be addressed by businesses and employee benefits advisors alike.

1. Shrinking coverage and higher costs go hand in hand 

Employers are paying higher prices for plans with shrinking networks and narrowed formularies. These plans are forcing families to shoulder over 40% of medical cost, which averages about $11,500 annually— with $4500 of that being out of pocket spend. This has resulted in an increase of more than $1,000 every year for working families for the last four years running.

How do smaller networks and the rising cost of care play out? Consider this statistic: one-third of patients are referred to specialists each year, and 50% of those referrals are out-of-network.

With those kinds of numbers, it’s easy to see how the pain points of rising premiums, smaller networks and high out of pocket costs quickly collide for employees. 

2. Foregoing care is costly for everyone

High Deductible Health Plans have been associated with a 55% reduction in office visits.

On the front end, HSAs have consistently remained a strong option for lower premiums and tax incentives, driven by the idea that it would empower employees to be better consumers. On the back end, however, we’re seeing that without providing practical transparency tools, education, and direction on how to navigate the cavernous healthcare space, people are tending to just avoid it altogether. Which means they are skipping both inappropriate and appropriate care. 

The great irony is that while the US spends the most on healthcare, we are not among the healthiest populations. Too often, Americans are being forced to decide whether they can afford to use their medical plans.

From missing an early diagnosis for a major medical issue to foregoing care for a respiratory issue that later lands an employee in the ER, these decisions are costly for families— and for employer-provided medical plans as well.

And if that wasn’t enough, people are also skimping on medications due to the rising cost of prescription drugs, which brings us to our third issue.

3. Rx is a BIG contributing factor 

Three in ten Americans (about 32 million people) have been hit with price hikes on drugs they routinely take. Most consumers feel they have little to no options when facing this situation.

This pharmacy out of pocket cost driver cannot be ignored. A few things to consider:

  • Increasing use of specialty drugs will prove to be the fastest growing cost component in any medical plan.
  • Removing medications from medical plans doesn’t remove the need for that prescription.
  • Empowering employees with tools and education can uncover more cost-effective options.

Higher overall medical costs, coupled with soaring out of pocket spend, make it harder to care for your employees and their families. The time to accept this as the norm is over. It’s time to do better by and for everyone.

If you’re working with a forward-thinking employee benefits broker to find creative new ways to address and solve these problems, you’re on your way to being part of the solution.

 

Photo credit vimvertigo 

Just How Important is Company Culture?

It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s another article about company culture. How to build a good one, how to avoid a bad one, how this company rocked it, or how that company completely screwed it up.

No one would blame you if you were tired of hearing about it. But here’s the thing: Company culture can literally make or break you as a business.

Who you are, how you act, and what you believe will eventually come back to you. 
Or come back to haunt you.

Very few people start a business with bad intent, and yet it’s shocking how many “good” companies end up with poor practices, corrupt leaders, and in horrific, cringe-worthy situations.

How does this happen? One (little) thing at a time.

Just about every business you can think of began with a great idea and few people dedicated to making it work. During the incubation stage, it’s pretty easy to create an atmosphere of teamwork, camaraderie, and commitment to the company goal. Start up culture is often known for being highly productive, ultra-creative and super exciting.

When new people and processes start to get added into the mix, it becomes harder to maintain that united passion, sense of purpose, and team spirit. As the business grows, so does the risk of bringing on individuals who aren’t a good cultural fit. It may be hardly noticeable at first, but over time the organization can shift from one person’s big, crazy dream to everyone’s big, crazy nightmare.

Now here’s the good news: Because company culture is created from within, it can also be changed from within.

How does this happen? One (little) thing at a time.

It all starts by clearly defining who you are and who you want to be.

  • What do you stand for?
  • What kind of people do you want on your team?
  • What are the values that will drive every action and interaction, from every employee, manager, and staff person, every single day?

Once you decide what matters most and how you will live that truth, you can start filling your bus with the right kind of people and reinforcing those values in big and small ways at every turn.

But getting and keeping the right people is only one part of the equation. To properly build and maintain the vision, organizations need to go all in on their values. They’ve got to live and breathe their core beliefs and be completely committed to demonstrating them with everything they say and do.

If you’re looking for an example of this concept in action, The Ideal Team Player is a quick read that illustrates how vitally important company culture is and how to go about finding and hiring ideal team players. The book identifies ideal team players as people who work hard, leave their egos on the shelf, and have a knack for dealing with a variety of personalities and situations. It also illustrates ways you can determine if your current and potential employees have these qualities.

But more importantly, The Ideal Team Player also paints a vivid picture of what can happen when an organization continually commits to its culture.

When it comes to culture, there’s no such thing as a little thing.

When you emphasize your company values in a strong and consistent manner in all things big and small, those who don’t share those beliefs will feel uncomfortable in the environment you’ve created.

Not only will they not fit in, they will naturally select out, taking their bad behaviors to a company that is more accepting of such things, or who isn’t as clear about how to live their truth.

And then you’ll know you’ve done it right.  

 

photo by Lipik Stock Media