KeenHire Blog by Margaret Graziano

National Association Of Personnel Services Teams Up with California

As you may already be aware, NAPS is offering the Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) credential program at the upcoming CSP conference in a few weeks.  I thought you might like to know that I’ve added my name to the list of people who are signed up to take this program, and I really wanted to share with you why I’m making a point of coming to CSP to earn my CERS credential.

First a little bit of background.  I’ve been in the search industry for almost 30 years and have been both CPC and CTS for many years.  I’ve always felt that Certification has given me a competitive advantage over other recruiters with whom I compete in my marketplace.  Additionally, I’ve always seen the value-add to my clients that my certification knowledge has enabled me to provide in the way of additional information and services to them.  There is no question that Certification HAS made me money through the years.

However, when I learned that NAPS was going to be offering the CERS credential, I couldn’t wait to find time in my schedule to sign up to take the class.  There is no doubt in my mind that my clients consider employee retention to be one of the biggest issues on their plates.  With over 70MM baby boomers retiring and only 28MM Gen-Y’ers coming up to take their place, there’s no question our clients are going to be facing a talent shortage of epidemic proportions.  Current economic conditions not withstanding, we’re about to face the most exciting boom time for recruiters! The need for experienced talent will approach “feeding frenzy” and recruiters will be moving experienced talent from one company to another in record numbers. Consequently, our clients will be frantically looking for advice and input about how to keep the experienced talent that they’ve spend hundreds of thousands of corporate dollars to train. 

A CERS-credentialed recruiter will have the “keys to the kingdom”  in terms of providing this critical value-added service.  And who can deny the attractiveness (whether now or in the near future) of an additional LARGE revenue stream that the CERS credential will bring to you?

Join me at CSP for the CERS credential class! I look forward to seeing you there!

Carol Wenom CPC/CTS
NAPS Chairman of the Board

My Dog Ate My Cell Phone & Other Nifty Excuses Why Not To Be Powerful

With all the talk of recession, depression, and obsession with how 'bad it is' it is tough for most people to keep their thoughts positive.  Personal Empowerment begins with making a choice to be grateful, optimistic and committed to the present and the future as a possibility. Happiness is a choice and it's a choice we all must make daily, if not hourly.

Last March with recession looming in the background I chose to forge forward with launching Keenhire and it was the best choice I have made in my career.  I won't hide the matter that when I was in the 'decision making' process it was ugly, stressful and overwhelming. I relied on my long term goals, my masterful coach and my gut instinct to guide me.

When I review my life and the choices I have made; what to study, where to work, with whom to share my friendship - I am satisfied for the pathways that I have walked and the lessons I have learned. For they have brought me to where I am today and I have never been happier -personally and professionally. 

In my keynote, The 5% Factor I open up my life's journey from struggling single mom to corporate difference maker, to audiences and what I find each and every time is that as they wake up to their own possibility in life; I get re-inspired. There is no other feeling on the planet for me as powerful as giving someone the gift of possibility.

The 5% Factor is about making powerful choices in life that alter the quality and experience of life itself.  In my own life, many times the moments before choosing are truly painful yet once the choice is made, I experience freedom, power and ease. I have learned to trust my heart, and to listen to my gut.

There are 6 Key Elements of the 5% Factor.

• Being an Eternal Student of Life
• Accepting 100% Responsibility, for what is and what isn't
• Choosing Powerfully in the Moment
• Taking Risks, letting go
• Being Coachable
• YOU to the 5th power

We all have something we are striving for -what is it for you?

When I completed the Advanced Breakthrough to Success program by Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles I walked away with several tools for my KeenCoaching business. One of them is the 100/100. Before we begin a new person in the Keen Leadership Development program they are given a pre coaching assignment.

The assignment is to create a list of 100 Successes in their life and to create a list of 100 Goals for their life. (kind of like the 'bucket list') 

Once a person is aware and awake to what they have achieved thus far in life and ignited by the possibilities of what they can create for their future a solid foundation for a coaching relationship exists.

Inside the The 5% Factor are key elements that goal attainment hinge on -
I look forward to sharing more indepth about the 5% Factor distinctions in upcoming blog posts.

Time...Use It Wisely

One of the most critical Success Principles is using your time wisely.  While squandered money can sometimes be replaced, wasted time is gone forever.

The pace at which the world is moving seems to be increasing exponentially:  we now have the tools to monitor a universe of information continuously – companies buying and selling; changes of ownership; economic ups and downs; the war on terrorism; the war for talent; the war on drugs; natural disasters; racial tension; campus massacres, and at home my kids growing by inches every time I turn around – things are different now and downtime is diminishing. With the current state of the world, the new issue is getting more done with less.

So, how do you muster enough power to accomplish everything you need to get done in a frenetic world where information overload is the norm, and stay committed to being the best you can be at work and home?

My personal breakthrough in time management has to do with gaining mastery on three levels: leveraging my power, choosing my opportunities wisely, and becoming a power user in Outlook. Each level took me time to grasp, master, and implement. 

The breakthrough into power, freedom, and peace of mind I experienced came from a course I attended years ago when I was a Landmark Seminar Leader called Mission Control.  That course certainly continues to have an impact on me; it showed me that I was spending a considerable amount of time doing things that either did not “light me up,” that I was not particularly adept at, or that were simply distractions on the path to achieving my goals.

That course made me realize that there were a many things I need to delegate, outsource, or simply stop doing.  Over time I built a system in which anything that I am not any good at, or does not add value to me personally, or does not bring forth new opportunities for KeenHire, is delegated.  Using the power of talented people and resources has enabled me to essentially clone myself 25 times – through the use of full-time, part-time, “virtual” employees, or off-site consultancy capacities. 

Now I have much more time to take care of the important things, like watch my sons’ basketball games, run, bike, make dinners, see friends and loved ones and to be a part of life – and all because I do not try to do everything myself. 

This is a continual learning process because discovery takes place each time as I ask, “Is this the best use of my time and, if not, who can I find to take care of this and how can I structure it so it works for everyone?”

The second level that requires me to gain mastery of was attracting and choosing my customers and business opportunities wisely. 

Who are the people you find pleasurable to work with?  Who are the people who respect and appreciate my 25 years in the recruiting and selection industry as a top performer ranked for quality and integrity? 

Who will pay me to save their time?  Who has a compelling mission that people can wrap their hands around and to which they want to contribute? 

Who offers a well-managed work environment that fosters excellence in employee performance as well as in development? 

The more specific I am on what type of customers and opportunities I want to represent, the easier it is to spend my time on things that have a pay off or make a difference, and which use my best skills and talents. 

When I compromise any of the above for the sake of ‘getting a deal,’ I always wind up spinning my wheels, becoming frustrated and exhausted. 

The technique of choosing your clients wisely can also be applied to attracting and choosing your perfect mate and/or employee and is based on a process called the “law of attraction,” a process detailed in the book, Attracting Perfect Customers (Stacey Hall: Jan Brogniez).

The last level that requires me to become powerful with was using a tool like Microsoft Outlook to foster mastery in productivity and eliminate time bandits.  I learned about every function that Outlook offers and how to use those elements of the software to impact the way in which I spend my time as well as to create efficiencies in my work day.

The message is clear:  time – there is a limit on it; we only have so much of it; and, as the song says, ‘You only got 100 years to live.’ (if your lucky)

Best in Success
Margo

Talent Strategy 2015 -It Starts NOW!

Every time the right person walks out of your door and the wrong person walks in, the cost to your bottom line is immense.  With a rocky economy, emerging global competitors on the rise, three generations in the workforce, Sr. level leaders on the verge of retirement and a future of opportunities knocking at your high potential workforces’ door, it is time to start thinking about how you are going to incorporate the ‘talent mindset’ in your company. The Society of Human Resource Management reports that 6 of the top 10 Workplace Trends are directly related to talent acquisition, selection & retention. The number 1 trend to most likely have a major impact on the workplace is workforce retention, and the most critical HR function effecting business strategy is Staffing/Employment and Recruiting. The above issues are not separate -they are looked at as Talent Management and there is no better time than right now to master the distinctions of Top Grading and Employer of choice.

The KeenHire™ Corporate Talent Strategy Series empowers hiring managers, business leaders and strategic HR partners to leverage the power of their human capital. Given Workforce retention is on everyone’s mind, it is only fair to share that 65% of all retention issues are caused in the selection process.  In this 16 hour program you will learn strategies for choosing your talent wisely, creating an engaged multigenerational workforce, and on-boarding, as well as strategies for effective succession planning, performance management and retention.

Join us for this provocative, insightful and fun program that delves into the corporate strategic talent issues and highlights innovative solutions you can initiate to solve them.

Course Outcomes

We will delve into corporate retention issues, dispel the myths and uncover critical issues that affect your ability to attract and keep good people.

You will learn a strategic approach to assessing your real human capital needs and how to implement the top grading approach to building an organization of high performers.

You will gain hands on experience in uncovering the Real Cost of Employee Turnover and the impact that it has on your company’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives. You will gain competence and capacity to choose your talent wisely.

You will walk away with the power and prowess to create the Talent Mindset within your company.

You will leave the workshop with a myriad array of retention strategies that meet the needs of a multitude of people in your workforce.

Course Overview

Corporate Retention issues
•    Understand the difference between Talent equity and Tenure equity
•    Review the generational parameters and influencers effecting retention

Corporate Assessment
•    Learn the organizational development approach to uncovering your human capital challenges
•    Benchmarking and Top Grading and how it can help you help your company

The Talent Mindset
•    Understand how the change in mindsets is imperative to your ability to attract and retain the right people in the right roles
•    Learn solid retention strategies that you can immediately implement

The Real Cost of Employee Turnover
•    Work through a hands on deep digging exercise and uncover the painful impact of hiring the wrong person or keeping the wrong person in a key role

Empowering your Management team to Choose Wisely
•    Implement hiring process and systems that bring forth only top tier talent

What They’re Saying

“I am pleased to recommend Margaret Graziano as a foremost authority in personnel recruitment, assessment, selection, and retention. I have paid to attend training and certification events with Margaret as the leader, and feel that the value was exceptional. Beyond her incredible knowledge of the aforementioned subjects, she brings a sincere passion to the training, and presents useable information in such a way that it is actually useful in a real-life setting. She cares about the people she works with and truly wants to advance our industry by helping others thrive as “true professionals”. Her training has helped me in my professional development, and the development of my organization. I believe that even if you are a “master” in this business, you can certainly increase your personal productivity and profits from her training, speaking, and the products offered by her company, KeenHire.

Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert

Ed Keil, CPC, CERS, Owner, Reliance Recruiting
hired Margaret as a Consultant/Coach/Trainer in 2006 , and hired Margaret more than once

“Margaret Graziano has proven to be one of the torchbearers of progressive Human Resource/Human Capital initiatives. Her insight to what Corporate America wants and needs in order to help their company grow and prosper is truly leading edge and spot on. She has wowed her contemporaries with her "Keen" insight to the marketplace and has produced products and services which will revolutionize our industry. If anyone has any questions about Margaret's ability, just let me know. There is no one better equipped to assist you with Talent Acquisition and Talent Management issues for your firm. Do yourself a favor and get her involved with identifying and helping you solve these HR issues.” October 21, 2008
Jeff Wilson, CERS, CPC , Managing Partner/Owner , Key Corporate Services, LLC
was with another company when working with Margaret at KeenHire

 

Video testimonials are available