The Bagg Group Blog

 A recent Belgian survey of 1,200 employees says loud and clear what many just mumble about …working alongside people from other generations can be irritating.

The study conducted by a recruitment firm in Belgium found that 48% of employees are annoyed by colleagues of another generation.  People over 30-years-old showed a greater frequency of irritation than those under 30. 

In our latest Ask a Recruiter blog for candidates, we noted that today’s workplace is a mish-mash of four generations:  Traditionalists  (also known as Greatest Generation) born before 1945, babyboomers, born between 1954 and 1964, Gen X, born between 1960 and 1980, and Gen Y, born after 1980s, who are also known as millenials. 

Each generation has its particular values, aspirations and approaches to work.  For hiring authorities who aren’t part of Gen Y, interviewing these candidates can be a whole new ballgame.

The reputation of Gen Y, fair or not, precedes them.  In a US poll of hiring managers and human resource specialists, 85% reported they believe this generation has a greater sense of entitlement. 

The survey showed the great majority of respondents think the youngest employees expect more flexibility at work, more personal time, faster promotions and more money than older employees.

It’s true Gen Y may have attitude, but it’s not all bad, says Ron Alsop, in his book The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace. 

Alsop says a characteristic of Gen Y is that they are “bred for achievement.”  As well, this group understands the wired world better than most and they’re born multi-taskers. They have much to offer the workplace.

At The Bagg Group, we have successfully placed people, of all ages, in all types of positions with the best companies in the GTA for more than 40 years.  We know that regardless of their birth year, every individual ultimately wants the same thing – to take pride in what they do.

Still, when interviewing Gen Y candidates, for either full-time position, contract work, or a temporary placement, The Bagg Group recruiters suggest keeping these four tips top-of-mind:   

Talk purpose:  Be sure to tell the candidate, in detail, how they can make a difference, and why this job is important to the company.  A paycheck isn’t the key motivator for these young workers; they want to know their efforts mean something. 

Set out a game plan:  Gen Y expert RonAlsop notes that it’s opportunity that attracts and retains the millenials.  Let them know what they can strive for.

Spell it out:  Make no assumptions.  What older employees take for granted, studies show that Gen Y doesn’t. Discuss the expectations of the company.  For example, these multi-taskers, who easily text while working, don’t necessarily know to park their cellphones during meetings. Similarly, if there’s a corporate dress code, explain why it’s in place. Typically, this generation needs to understand the reason behind the rule before they’ll respect it.

Welcome ideas:  They want to be heard. Let the candidates know about forums for sharing their ideas.  The best managers of Gen Y staff listen to their younger employees’ opinions, and let them have some say in decisions. 

These strategies don’t just favour younger employees.  At The Bagg Group, we know they work for everyone.

In fact, Gen Y’s insistence of having a voice is doing everyone a favour.  They are prompting greater communication and openness in the workplace.   And that is what, in the end, will keep people of all ages working harmoniously together. Studies show the only way to keep irritation to a minimum in the multi-generational workplace is to make sure people communicate.

Next time you walk into a Starbucks, take a good look at the barista pouring your coffee. He or she is one of the reasons why Starbucks is once again in growth mode, after experiencing a crisis in the recession. 

In his newly released New York Times best-seller, Onward:  How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul, Starbucks founder Howard Shultz details what it took to get his company back on track.  Largely, it required empowering employees in three areas: responsibility, autonomy, purpose.  At The Bagg Group we know those are the essentials for attracting, engaging and retaining top talent — whether the talent’s skill is pulling a perfect espresso or improving a supply chain or IT operation. 

Some may consider focusing on employees to be a less than surefire strategy for significant growth.  But those people don’t know what we do. After decades of speaking with clients across the GTA, as well as candidates looking for full-time positions, contract work and temporary placements, we know this to be a fact:  People’s efforts, talents, dedication and creativity are a company’s competitive advantage.   With facts and figures, Onward makes it clear just how much.

On Tuesday, February 28, 2008, Schultz writes that he went further than most to re-invigorate his frontline employees.  At the price of about $6 million in lost sales and labour costs, Schultz closed all 7,100 Starbucks in the US for three hours.  During that time, training took place to remind 135,000 baristas that with the perfect cup of coffee, they can make a difference in a person’s life.   

“If the barista only goes through the motions, if he or she does not care and produces an inferior espresso that is too weak or too bitter, then Starbucks has lost the essence of what we set out to do 40 years ago: inspire the human spirit,” Shultz explains.

The founder of the world’s largest coffeehouse chain writes that he recognized “….even more than perfecting our coffee, we had to restore the passion and the commitment that everyone at Starbucks needed to have for our customers.”

For Shultz, that meant giving employees the autonomy to take responsibility and make decisions to do right by the customer.  Since the training, every employee is empowered to throw out an espresso that they don’t believe is good enough, and start again.

Writes Shultz:  “Speaking to our people via the video, I had no script, just a heartfelt plea. ‘It is not about the company or about the brand,’ I said. ‘It is not about anyone but you. You decide whether or not it is good enough, and you have my complete support and, most importantly, my faith and belief in you. Let’s measure our actions by that perfect shot of espresso.”

The Bagg Group recruiting experts know that it’s that level of recognition and trust, combined with a company-wide pride in product, that candidates seek.

In its time of hypergrowth, the CEO of Starbucks said the company made the mistake of not focusing enough on its people.

All of us at The Bagg Group are delighted that Onward is making the case today that a company that pays attention to its employees is the one that people want to work for — and with.

One-third of the workforce has been hit hard by spring fever this year. 

At the end of March, the insurance provider MetLife released its ninth annual Employee Benefits Trends Study.  While the survey polled US organizations, the findings highlight trends that are sweeping across all of North America. Restlessness is happening in Ontario as much as elsewhere. 

In the MetLife poll, no less than one in three employees reported that they want to work for another employer in the next 12 months.

Loyalty to employers has been ebbing over the last several years.  The survey showed that three years ago 59% of full-time employees said they felt attached to their employer. But in the last quarter of 2010, only 47% reported the same devotion.  

In reviewing the study, Anthony J. Nugent, executive VP at MetLife, attributed the loss of loyalty to the legacy of “do more with less” demands placed on downsized workforces of the past years.

 At The Bagg Group, we get many calls from employees seeking new opportunities because they are worn thin by having to shoulder the workloads of those who were let go as part of a restructuring. 

Interestingly, it’s the highest performers who are more likely to shop for new opportunities in the GTA.  The MetLife survey noted the same phenomenon in the US.

After speaking with hundreds of A-level talent, The Bagg Group recruiters confirm that it’s never hard work that defeats the best employees. Instead, top talent look elsewhere when they are forced to devote too much time and energy to tasks that don’t require their skill or expertise.  As a result, they’re frustrated because they’re unable to focus on work at which they can make the most difference, and which offers learning and growth potential.  

Yet many employers appear unaware of the downward trend in loyalty.  About half (51%) reported that their employees feel the same strong loyalty toward them today as they did several years ago.

The reality is nobody can afford to take anybody for granted nowadays.  Loyalty isn’t a given, it needs to be fostered.  And with four decades of experience in best workplace practices, we know that the way to nurture loyalty is to open the line of communications between employees and their direct reports. 

The most effective solution to workplace frustrations always start to take shape during candid conversations between employees and their employers.

In the case of work overload, there is always an answer. The Bagg Group staffing solution experts work with organizations of all sizes, across the GTA, to create and fill new positions, hire experts on contract to take over projects, or bring in temporary placements to handle tasks.  The result is higher employee retention and greater productivity.

But we can’t emphasize enough that an employee-employer relationship is just that – a relationship.  And we all know that when two people in any relationship don’t communicate honestly and openly, at least one will dream about leaving.  So in these times when high-performing employees say they are dreaming about jumping ship, start talking about how to make the relationship work.

Sitting in a meeting with a group of people around a table can be intense, but it doesn’t match the intensity of a one-on-one job interview. 

People who interview candidates with regularity know how much energy and focus it takes to listen intently to assess whether the job seeker’s aptitudes and approach are the right fit for a particular position. 

That’s why at The Bagg Group we advise hiring authorities to do what we do, and take breaks rather than schedule an endless marathon of interviews. Tony Schwartz, in the Harvard Business Review writes, “Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity.” 

Many people break between interviews only to do some work, respond to emails, etc.  But according to productivity experts, scheduling in a short relaxation time is equally necessary.  It is in the down time that we are able to recharge our batteries.

What’s more, taking time off from tasks and letting your mind wander, or daydream, can also be helpful to the interviewer.  Jonah Lehrer, author of the book How We Decide, writes in scienceblogs.com that many scientists believe daydreaming is crucial for creative thinking.  It’s during our mental breaks that we reflect on social interactions and ask ourselves, “what if” questions.  

A  Wall Street Journal article reported that a recent study shows we spend about a third of our day daydreaming.  But our brain remains active during these supposed ‘idle’ times and often is engaged in complex problem-solving.  That could be why Newton came up with the law of gravity while strolling through an orchard and seeing an apple fall. He is one of hundreds of famous people who is reported to have experienced a major breakthrough while thinking of nothing much at all. 

At The Bagg Group, recruiters spend a large part of their days interviewing talent for full-time positions, contract work, and temporary placements.  But we recognize that the process of matching the right candidates with companies doesn’t always take place in the interview rooms.  Sometimes, recruiters say they get their greatest “AHA” moment when relaxing in the kitchen. 

Interestingly, the researchers found that people in a positive mood are more likely to experience an insight out of the blue.  That’s just one more reason for putting the stresses of the day on the backburner for a little while and enjoying a break between interviews.

And the 2011 Inavero goes to…

Some awards mean the world to people.  The Geminis, the Oscars….the 2011 Inavero Best of Staffing.

At The Bagg Group, we are delighted to have been named to the prestigious Inavero Best of Staffing Client List.  Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, this is the only tribute of its kind to recognize client service within our industry. 

Fewer than 1% of staffing firms in North America make the list.   Our celebration on being awarded such an honour may not have rivalled the glitz of an after-Oscar party, but the cheering in our offices came close to breaking the sound barrier.

This recognition is especially meaningful as it comes from companies across the GTA for whom we find the right full-time talent, contract workers, and part-time placements.

We made the cut because the majority of our clients gave us a 9 or 10 out of 10 for excellence in customer service in an independent client survey conducted by the US research firm Inavero.  The company vigorously analyzes feedback from more than 300,000 clients and candidates of staffing firms in North America every year.  

Last year, we were thrilled to be named to the Inavero Best of Staffing List for service to candidates.    We acknowledged, at that time, that we excelled at matching people with companies largely thanks to our clients who candidly answer our questions about their needs, business goals, and organizational culture.

Those same conversations helped us win this year’s customer service recognition.   The comment of one client who wrote at the end of the survey,  “The Bagg Group understands our needs and business” was echoed repeatedly in the commentary of others.  

Across the board, from companies in every industry, we received raves for our quality candidates and for our quick, successful response to urgent needs for temporary placements.

In releasing this year’s Best of Staffing List, Inavero CEO Eric Gregg, said, “Staffing firms have helped to fill at least one quarter of the 93,000 new job opening up each month in North America over the past year.  Along with the increase in demand for talented job candidates, companies engaging in staffing firms expect impeccable service more than they ever have.”

Nobody sets the bar higher than we do for ourselves.  

We believe we’re able to attain exceptional levels of service because we work in the spirit of partnership with clients.  For 40-plus years that has been our trademark.   We aren’t going to stop now.   With our sights on another Inaverno for 2012, we’ll continue to wow our partners. 

The Bagg Group-Sponsored HRPA Scholarship:  An Opportunity for the HR Students in Your Company

The Bagg Group and HR professionals across the GTA share much in common.  Our staffing solution experts and the HR professionals are both committed to ensuring organizations have productive, engaged individuals who have the drive and the support to meet their potential.

It is in the spirit of partnership that The Bagg Group has been sponsoring an HRPA scholarship for 22 years.  We are the only agency to sponsor this important award that facilitates a student’s study and career in human resources.  It is an initiative that is close to our hearts.  Promoting the careers of those who have proven competencies and motivation to help organizations succeed has been our trademark since 1971.

This year, we are delighted to champion the 2010 HRPA scholarship winner. Jennifer Kroft is a workplace discrimination and harassment prevention advisor with the Ontario Public Service. She is currently completing her Human Resources Certificate program at Georgian College.  As well, she is taking an introductory business course to expand her knowledge in this area.

All of us at The Bagg Group are impressed with Jennifer’s demonstrated leadership and her drive to help others succeed. 

Jennifer is a long-time tutor who has been tutoring students in the HR program at Georgian College.  She has completed a Master’s Degree at Wilfred Laurier University in religion and culture.  While at Laurier, Jennifer worked at the Accessible Learning Centre, designing and presenting orientations for students with disabilities to introduce them to the services of the centre.

This past summer, Jennifer was responsible for designing the training for Bill 168 and delivering it to approximately 160 managerial and non-managerial staff and volunteers.                                                                             

Prior to attending University, she worked for Local 183 Universal Workers as a construction laborer, as well as at General Motors and Ontario Hydro.  These experiences allowed her to learn from the inside what unions and labour relations are all about.

Is there someone in your company you would like to see honoured with The Bagg Group HRPA Scholarship?

The Bagg Group provides a $2,000 award to help the scholarship winner successfully complete their human resources studies.  To be eligible, the candidate must be an HRPA member and enrolled in the association’s academic courses, either full-time or part-time.

Let your up-and-coming HR talent know about The Bagg Goup sponsored HRPA scholarship.

 Here’s a question you may never have thought to ask a job candidate: “If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?”   Yet that’s what a hiring authority with Goldman Sachs asked when interviewing a candidate for an analyst position.

Or what about this question,  “What do wood and alcohol have in common?”  That one was put to a candidate for a staff writing job with Guardflex.

Those are just two of the 15 oddest questions, allegedly asked by top flight employers in the US in 2010.  The US job site Glassdoor.com sifted through 80,000 interview questions shared online by job-hunters to compile their list of stumpers.

With 40 years of interviewing candidates to successfully match people and organizations across the GTA, staffing experts at The Bagg Group don’t recommend peppering interviews with brain-teasers.  But we do suggest asking candidates some behaviour-based questions, albeit straightforward ones. 

We know that skills and experience aren’t the only factors to consider when hiring for a full-time position, contract work, or temporary placement.  The candidate also needs to have the attitude and approach that fits with the organization’s culture. 

We work with our clients across the GTA on developing attitude-based questions that make sense for the position.  The key when asking these types of queries is to put your own bias aside, and stay focused on listening for the traits that meet the needs of the team.  This can be trickier than it sounds.

Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, author of Great People Decisions notes that we all have a strong natural tendency to hire people who are like us, or make us comfortable.  But he warns, to make a good hire, we need to seek a match for the team’s personality, not our own. 

An interviewer might be a lone wolf who recognizes and appreciates another lone wolf when he or she meets one. But if the position involves a lot of team-work, then it’s the collaborative type who’s the best fit. And that’s where the behaviour-based questions come in. 

“Describe what a team environment means to you?”  and “What would you do if some team members reject your idea?” are examples of queries  that provide insight into a candidate’s approach to group dynamics, according to University of California research. 

Or you could take a more unique tact and pose the question said to have been asked by an interviewer at Capital One, “Rate yourself on a scale of one to 10 on how weird you are.”  But that might not tell you much.

An interviewer with Volkswagen in Germany allegedly asked a candidate who was vying for the position of business analyst, “What would you do if you just inherited a pizzeria from your uncle?” 

The interviewer apparently hoped to determine how the candidate would handle any project that she inherits.  At The Bagg Group, we maintain it would prove more helpful to ask the question straight up, just to be sure the answer isn’t influenced by a sudden craving for a cheese and pepperoni slice.

By the way, as to what we’d do if we were reduced to the size of a pencil and stuck in a blender, most of us agree with an online commentator who said, “I’d take a job with a different company.”

In workplaces across the GTA, January kicks off with teams making New Year’s resolutions.  However, studies show only 12% of us keep our resolutions, according to Gene Hayden, author of The Follow-Through Factor: Getting from Doubt to Done. 

Ms. Hayden says 88% of us abandon our aspirations in the face of any of 15 obstacles that typically get in our way.  Regardless of how much we wish to accomplish a project, many of us put it on the backburner because we can’t find the time, the budget, the staff, the energy, or the confidence to move forward. 

“The bad news is anytime you have a goal, you have to run something of an obstacle course to make it happen,” says Ms. Hayden. “The good news is we can problem-solve our way around just about anything.”

Letting goals slide is not only bad for business, it’s equally bad for employee retention. At The Bagg Group, our four decades of interviewing top talent confirm that employee commitment is affected when organizations don’t work to help teams and individuals turn resolutions into reality.

Gene Hayden - who helps managers and teams in companies across the GTA follow-through on their aspirations – says a proven strategy for reaching a goal is to literally map out the journey from here to there.  A critical factor is to account for all possible roadblocks and detours along the way.

“Many managers talk with their team about what they want to accomplish,” says Ms. Hayden.  “They detail what the end result looks like, but it’s more useful, and engaging, to brainstorm together on how you’re going to get there, step-by-step.” 

To illustrate the point, it’s the difference between stating that you want to run the Toronto marathon, and brainstorming with a team of supporters about how to get in shape to reach the finish line.

The staffing solution experts at The Bagg Group know that the key to turning resolutions into results is the question, “What steps do you need to take to make your goal happen?”   

When we put that question to our clients, we commonly hear that their first step is to help their valued employees find time. We are told of talented, skilled people who are frustrated because they can’t fit new, promising projects into their already overloaded workday.  In these cases, our solution may be to find the right full-time candidate, or an excellent contract worker or temporary staff, to allow top producers to focus on what they do best.

In its forecasts for 2011, Business Week predicts that companies will resolve to accelerate growth through product development and market expansion. Successful teams everywhere are now making maps to get from Aspiration to Achievement.  And every journey starts with the same question, “What steps do we need to take to get there?”

The Bagg Group wishes you great success with your resolutions for 2011.

Planning on taking a pass on marking the holidays with your team this year?  Thinking of just sending out emails and stopping there? Think again.  The staffing experts at The Bagg Group know that a celebration isn’t an indulgence, it’s an important employee retention strategy.

All work and no play doesn’t do much to lift employee morale or cement company loyalty. It may sound corny, but the team that has fun together, stays together. And t’s the season for a little levity.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  In fact, in a recovering economy, laying on the champagne and caviar can irk those who suffered the impact of budget cuts throughout the year.

Only 6% of companies in the US who are holding celebrations say they will spend more than last year on the festivities, according to a survey by the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. But more companies are getting into the spirit, with 68% of businesses planning on holding some sort of party, up from 62% in 2009.  Still, John Challenger, CEO of the consulting firm, estimates it will be a year or more before there’s a widespread return to the types of blow-outs held prior to the recession. 

The survey also found that 53% of respondents are holding their holiday party at the office, and 54% are keeping the guest list to employees only, no significant others allowed.  That’s a shame because an office party is a terrific occasion to welcome the families of employees and thank them for their support.

At The Bagg Group, we do something different. We go shopping.  The company closes for half-a-day so all of us can hit the Eaton Centre and play Santa.  With money raised by staff and matched by the company, we load up on gifts for the Adopt-A-Family program organized by the Toronto-based Scott Mission.

This is not only a tremendous opportunity to help families in need, it also doubles as a true gift for all of us at The Bagg Group.  Working together to help our adopted families have a wonderful Christmas is a team-building experience that lets us do what we love to do best – help make a difference.

 After 40 years of successfully placing candidates in full-time positions, temporary work, and contract work, The Bagg Group knows that the best companies make a point to leave Scrooge at the door in December.  From holding a pot-luck to a fund-raiser, there are an infinite number of affordable ways to mark the occasion, the only thing that matters is to bring the spirit of the occasion into the workplace.

Recently, The Bagg Group won research firm Inavero’s 2010 Best of Staffing award, presented in partnership with CareerBuilder. This is the nation’s only award that recognizes exceptional service to job candidates. 

The Bagg Group went through a rigorous candidate survey to earn the award.  The candidates gave us a satisfaction score that is double the national staffing industry’s benchmark.  More than 70 percent of survey respondents rated The Bagg Group recruiters a 9 or 10 out of 10.

What’s behind their rave review?  We believe it is the art of listening.  We listen when candidates talk about their goals, interests and values. And we respect what is important to them.  As a result, we are unparalleled in making the right fit between job-seekers and organizations. 

We are thrilled to get this vote of confidence from our candidates.  But we share the honour with our clients across the GTA. 

It is thanks to our clients that we serve our candidates well. Hiring authorities willingly engage with The Bagg Group recruiters in conversations about their organization’s challenges, needs, and culture.  And these exchanges are invaluable for giving us the insight we need to compile the best possible shortlist for our clients.

The Bagg Group recruiters are known in the industry for their approach as partners of hiring authorities, committed to finding the perfect staffing solution.  However, we couldn’t excel in our role if our clients weren’t willing to take the time to talk with us. 

Our clients give us much to listen to, and that makes all the difference. All recruiters at The Bagg Group take to heart the advice of one of the best all-time interviewers, Larry King, who said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”