tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30934037072919190342024-03-08T11:12:43.181+08:00Leadership and Strategy PracticeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093403707291919034.post-16115358797479086942011-04-11T08:12:00.000+08:002011-04-11T08:12:55.567+08:00Strategy & Leadership Snips<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Californian FB";">Issue 5, Mar /Apr 2011</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Welcome to the fifth issue. What you will find in this issue are (1) General principles that leaders in organizations’ operating in competitive and dynamic environments need to work towards (2) A reference table outlining the high level roles of corporate centers, business units & shared service functions (3) People management practice section deals with Stress management and Effective employee Background checks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #99cc00; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18pt;">Strategy & Leadership Snips</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
Organization power is generated when people work in alignment, focused on the business and the customer, not on internal organizational demands. Leaders need to understand the drivers of their business and spend time putting the right people and processes in place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fundamentals of superior performance in a dynamic environment require organizations to:- </span></div><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Progressively work towards decentralized structures with talented leaders assigned with direct lines of responsibility.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Build the capabilities of the sales team to be both hunters and harvesters.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Design and deploy operating metrics that get people to focus on areas critical to business strategy effectiveness and efficiency.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reward people for results that link to the overall business performance and goals and not the achievement of functional goals that while good to have do not add value to the business.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Avoid having tall structures that spend a lot of time trying to educate people so far away from the day to day business that timely decision making is sacrificed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders need to be enabled and provided resources to act.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spend time where the action is and talk to people that are able to shed light on what is going well and what is getting in their way.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Identify which processes and functions are best kept at a global level and which should be left at the local level. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop systems that help the organization get closer to customers, collect customer intelligence and develop competitive value-creating insight.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Establish effective co-ordination mechanisms that promote team-working across functions and locations, promote open information and knowledge sharing.</span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Strategy, Leadership, People, Processes and Customers need to establish strong links & alignment for success. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20pt;"></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20pt;">The table below provides a quick high level summary of the typical role of corporate centers, individual business units and shared service functions.</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Roles of Corporate, Business Units and Shared Services</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background: black; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Corporate Center</span></b></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #d4d0c8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Business Units</span></b></div></td><td style="background: black; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #d4d0c8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shared Services</span></b></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: windowtext 1pt solid; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #d4d0c8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Set overall strategy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Decide business / revenue stream portfolio mix</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Define global performance measures</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Define ethical business standards</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Approve business unit strategy</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 9.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -9pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Strategic financial planning </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #d4d0c8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #d4d0c8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 7.8pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop annual and 3 year business unit strategies </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 7.8pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Manage business to deliver short and medium financial performance commitments</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 7.8pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Understand the drivers of the specific business and establish the next level performance measures for focus and alignment</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: #d4d0c8; border-right: windowtext 1pt solid; border-top: #d4d0c8; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 145.2pt;" valign="top" width="194"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 6.6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Provide client driven and scale relevant expert service support</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 6.6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Run it like a business so that internal customers will be willing to pay</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 6.6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seek to understand the client needs and not aim to apply blanket solutions</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.8pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 6.6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -7.8pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seeks opportunities to leverage volume to get superior cost benefits.</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: green; font-family: "Bauhaus 93"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">People Management Practice</span></i></b></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;"><line from="-7.2pt,3.8pt" id="_x0000_s1027" strokecolor="#f90" strokeweight="3pt" style="left: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; z-index: 2;" to="424.8pt,3.8pt"><stroke startarrow="oval"></stroke></line><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: green; font-family: Batang; font-size: 20pt;"></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Workplace Stress Management – </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The number of articles on stress management at the work place have increased in recent years. This could be linked with the general directions of organizations that aim to do more with less. Managing stress at the workplace needs to be approached using a 3 step process of: </span></div><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Identify the chief workplace stressors in employee’s lives</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Evaluate the current stress levels</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop strategies that reduce or eliminate work-related stress</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monitor progress and adapt </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first step is to assess potential areas of work that create stress. A lot of stress at the work place relates to employees feelings that they have little control over their work. This is where organizations need to start attacking the causes of stress. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not all stress is bad however because stress is very much an individual experience stress management efforts will only work when they involve a combination of employee + employer initiated strategies. Also not all sources of stress can be resolved by organizational programs. For example stress related to employees private lives are areas where the organization can do little to change.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Strategies to reduce stress can be broken down into two categories, employee take charge actions and employer support initiatives. Examples of approaches used to help employees take charge of their stressors include:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting employees to write down what stresses them out to do a self diagnosis</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arrange brown bag lunches seminars on stress management where they can learn about stress management techniques</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Provide training to help employees boost efficiency and performance</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Provide on-job-coaches that can help them through new experiences and situations.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Examples of approaches used by employers to provide a less stressful work environment include:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Restructuring work to provide better work / life balance allowing for time-off, flexible working schedules, work from home arrangements, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Using<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>teams to cover each person’s work so that people are able to take compulsory time off, vacations and long weekends</span></li>
</ul><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Provide employee access to assistance programs such as counseling, elder care, childcare, legal assistance, serenity rooms, massage therapy, food, wellness initiatives, etc.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arrange stress management training to help employees understand the root causes of their stress, how they react to stress and individual strategies to manage the stress.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Organizations need to develop programs that are suited their specific needs and are perceived as culturally relevant. Whatever strategies are deployed they need to be monitored for their effectiveness. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 22pt;">Employee Background Checks</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">….guidelines to consider</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">:</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Background checks are a common component of the recruitment process. Their importance is increasingly recognized as a means to get to know the real person and comparing that to what is said during interviews. The extent of inquiry depends on the type of business, the size of the organization and the job responsibilities. Common inaccuracies uncovered during reference checks include dates of previous employment, degrees awarded, past salaries, former job responsibilities and titles and disciplinary actions. Reasons cited by organizations for checking references include efforts to:</span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reducing legal liability resulting from the employment of an individual that causes harm to the company or their co-workers</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Determine credentials and qualifications for specific roles</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Understand past performance as an indicator for future performance</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Comply with industrial standards and applicable laws</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Assess overall trustworthiness and credibility of a candidate.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In some countries there are professional firms that specialize in providing reference check services to organization. But what about firms that want to do it independently? Are there guidelines that practitioners should keep in mind when performing background checks? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #99cc00; font-family: "Basic Sans SF"; font-size: 18pt;">Good Practices</span></b></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop questions that do not ask for information that violates any local laws.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Provide training for those people responsible to do background checks</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get the potential employee’s written consent to do the background check.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get the employee to provide a list of professional references specifically those that he /she has worked with or reported to.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contact them by mail, phone call or both and keep a record of when you tried to contact them</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Document the responses provided by references</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consider leveraging on modern technology such online surveys, checking up on the person’s public social media site </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Define a clear policy on who is authorized to do background checks together with procedural steps to be followed </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ensure privacy of reference checking contacts</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ask for information that is factual and can be referenced back to. For example: </span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Questions about: Last position held, Dates of employment, Last salary drawn, Reason for departure, Last performance grades, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ul><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Design questions and depth of background check to suit the position being applied for. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When developing the background check tool, clarify the purpose of the check. For example is the check to support: Productive work environment, Safe work environment, Meet legal requirements, etc. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get the individual responding to complete the document and sign it rather than make some blanket comments.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where a person is only willing to respond over the phone ask very specific questions and probe for specific examples to support descriptions or evaluations provided. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seek to get a reference from a person that has actually worked with the individual in a similar work setting.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Californian FB";">For more reading resources visit <a href="http://www.strategy-oe.com/"><span style="color: purple;">www.strategy-oe.com</span></a> ;</span></div><span style="font-family: "Californian FB"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Comments for Suggestions please write to: <a href="mailto:kfernando@strategy-oe.com">kfernando@strategy-oe.com</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0