Category: Employee Attraction
CareerBuilder Leadership Series: Spotlight on Jim Rose of Mosaic Sales Solutions Corporation
July 2, 2009
This week, our spotlight is on Jim Rose, Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Mosaic Sales Solutions Corporation, a 10,000-employee, privately held field sales and marketing company. In the Q&A to follow, Jim shares his thoughts on the importance of collaboration over individual success, the power of candid feedback, the coveted “White Glove” award, the importance of your employment brand, and more.
As a leader, what has influenced your strong emphasis on people?
People are absolutely critical to our business. If you look back over my nearly 15-year executive career, I’ve always been in the service industry, where people are the product. In these types of businesses, we aren’t making widgets. Instead, the input of people drives 100 percent of our company’s output. I have regard and respect for high-quality people because they contribute the best knowledge and skill sets to produce the best return for our customers. Aside from professional experience, my executive education has driven this value deeper. I earned my MBA from the Kellogg School of Management where people are the foundation of that program. The emphasis is on collaboration, teamwork and getting a job done together over individual success.
How do you describe your personal leadership philosophy?
My view is to lead very much by example. I have never believed that as CEO I am all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-being. I see myself as just another member of the team. I have a set of responsibilities and skill sets that are good for what needs to be done, but others have abilities and skill sets that are right for what they need to accomplish. I see everyone as playing an integral role in our team and collaboration as the cornerstone to success. I strive to be an action-oriented leader and, because I believe in management by walking around, I am with people all the time. Whether it is spending time in the field, attending meetings, rewarding people, or sending encouraging emails for a job well done. I am very engaged with our people at all levels. And this extends to social activities. I play on our bowling and softball teams and believe this helps people at all levels know who I am and that I am relatable. I enjoy giving our people the ability to ask questions and they know their opinion matters. In return, these gestures have an incredibly powerful effect on the team’s confidence and their contributions.
What is one value you feel leaders can emphasize to develop their people?
Feedback. It is easy to give positive feedback, but at the same time, good leadership means delivering the not-so-good message. I believe in showing appreciation for the things a person does well, but also providing constructive direction for the things that may have not gone so well. I am candid about areas of growth, suggesting why they are in need of attention and what steps can be taken to improve. This whole element of constructive feedback is a difficult practice, one that some leaders can be better at. In the moment, people don’t always appreciate the candor, but in time they respect the openness and honesty because they know the feedback is given with sincerity.
Is there a memory that had an impact on your professional development and influences how you lead today?
I have tons of those memories! The key point you’re hitting on is to have good mentors at a young age. And I think that’s huge. In high school I was a fry cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken, and my manager was phenomenal and took his business very seriously. After cleaning, he would point out areas I missed and taught me at a very young age that doing a job right took less time than redoing the work a second or third time. Each year, he would strive to win KFC’s “White Glove” award, which is an assessment from people hired to mystery shop at the store. The evaluation was based on the friendliness of the staff, offering French fries and Cokes, and whether the food was prepared properly and served at the right temperature. We were one of two or three locations to win the “White Glove” award that year, a very high honor. The award was not worth millions of dollars, we received an inexpensive plaque, but those things left a big impression in my life about quality, service, focus and discipline.
How do you define the value of your people at Mosaic?
As a client-facing organization, our whole business is service. Our purpose is to help our customers, both retailers and brand owners, be more effective in retail. Our field staff works hard to ensure that products are on the shelves, promoted and priced right. And they know that whatever communication or engagement we have with customers must be delivered appropriately because it ultimately drives sales for retailers and brands – and for us.
With nearly 10,000 employees, the bulk of our people are in the field performing sales-driven activities. Aside from the field organization, typical back office functions like finance, HR and IT are very front and center. They communicate with customers, participate in customer meetings, and contribute to solutions for our customers. Having people in these roles who understand the business and think practically is a significant value. With everyone at Mosaic able to interact with customers and be fully customer-focused, we differentiate and drive business forward for our clients.
What is the impact to your business when you have a vacancy in a field position? Is that a client who is either underserved or not served at all?
If we are understaffed or have the wrong individuals in place, we miss opportunities to be effective in retail for our customers. If we’re not out in the field making visits, we cannot generate revenue. Such a significant part of our business is driven by field activity, so the goal is to always be fully staffed with competent, well-trained and focused people who do an incredible job. As I mentioned before, people are our product.
How does your executive team strategically consider talent to sustain and grow business?
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Leadership Development
Laid Off Workers: Keeping Quite Busy, Thank You
July 1, 2009
You may assume that your recently laid off friend, family member, or annoying downstairs neighbor is just sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and building beer can pyramids, or “beeramids” (not that there’s, uh, anything wrong with that), but those assumptions may be way off the mark. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that, despite the hardships laid off workers are facing, they are focusing on positive aspects of being in between jobs to get them through a challenging time.
So what are many laid off workers doing to fill in the gaps of employment?
- 22% are spending more time with family and friends
- 15% are fixing up their homes
- 14% are exercising more
- 11% are finally taking time to relax
- 8% are volunteering
- 7% are going back to school
- 6% are becoming more involved in their church community
- 4% are starting their own business
- 4% are taking up new hobbies
- 3% are traveling
“While finding a new job and steady paycheck is definitely top of mind, laid off workers are also concentrating on activities that will help them grow personally and professionally,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “They are reconnecting with friends and family, getting involved in the community, taking classes and exploring new career path options that may lead to a greater return in the long run.”
Laid off doesn’t mean lazy
To the contrary, laid off workers, as evidenced above, are spending their time doing those things they’re passionate about, or that they haven’t had the time do to as a busy nine-to-fiver. It’s important to keep in mind as you are hiring and considering these workers that they may not only be “good” hires — they may in fact make up some of the strongest candidates out there. These people have not only made it through a test of adversity with a layoff, but they have, rather than give up hope, been honing their skills — and rounding out their talents.
Personal and professional growth
Many workers are bettering themselves both personally by working out and exercising more, eating healthily with non-vending machine snacks, and getting out of the office cubicle environment in general. Others are becoming more well rounded and cultured by traveling to places they’ve never experienced, taking up those long-talked-about guitar lessons or photography classes, or offering their time and service to local volunteer opportunities like soup kitchens or tutoring centers. Opportunities abound — and these laid off workers are grabbing them. Still others are building their professional skill sets by going back to school or getting certifications, starting their own business, or catching up on non-work reading materials.
Perhaps most importantly, laid off workers are taking this opportunity to relax, de-stress, and mentally recharge. When the time comes for a new job, they will be focused and ready to take on new challenges.
So, employers, don’t be turned off or scared of those gaps on the resume. These candidates can bring a host of new talents and qualifications to your workplace. Keep an open mind, inquire about their time spent during these employment gaps, and be prepared for the next wave of talent.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results
CareerBuilder SHRM 2009 Booth Presentations and Available Downloads
July 1, 2009
SHRM 2009 was packed with activities and distractions. How many of you spent a little too much time on Bourbon Street? No judgement here…
In case you missed the opportunitiy to attend one of CareerBuilder’s informational sessions, you can download the full presentation decks here. We’ll also be posting recordings of each presentation in the coming days.
The Ression’s Over – Now What? Presented by Jason Ferrara, VP Corporate Marketing
Unlocking Your Organization’s True Potential Through Its People Presented by Corey Epperly, VP Personified
Shared Apply: The Best Change You Haven’t Made Presented by Mike Dutter, Strategic Services Director
Recruitment Has Changed – Have You? Presented by Matt McCloskey, Director of Corporate Marketing
London Calling – Staffing Reactions Abroad Presented by Robert Stinsa, Director of Pan European Sales
Please let us know if you have any questions about the material presented here. And don’t forget to check back for the full presentation recordings.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Events
Creating a Best Place to Work: Lessons from 2009’s 50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America
June 29, 2009
I just sat through a great session at SHRM 2009 given by Michael Burchell, Ed. D., vice president for Global Business Development, Great Place to Work® Institute. In addition to compiling the 50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America list, the Great Place to Work® Institute is also responsible for assembling the FORTUNE® 100 Best Companies list.
While talking about how a company becomes a best place to work is not a new topic to The Hiring Site, Burchell was able to share some enlightening tips.
- Categories: Awards, Building a Best Place to Work, Economy, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Events
CareerBuilder’s Top Ten Best Practices for Using Social Media as a Recruitment Tool
June 25, 2009
Social Media works because it humanizes your company, engaging your audience in a more direct way than with other recruiting mediums.
Here are some tips to think about as your analyze the social media aspect of your recruitment strategy:
- SET A GOAL: Setting a strategy before implementing tactics is critical to any business initiative. Before you dabble in social media, ask yourself if branding and awareness, client lead generation, candidate pipelining, candidate or client communication, or employee engagement is your aim.
- MASTER ONE MEDIUM: Many companies believe social media is an all or nothing adventure. However, the best approach is to start with one site. Head to your top pick and get comfortable with the interface and its unique features. It takes time and dedication to plan and follow through on posting new materials, developing a user base, etc.
- MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION: Social media is all about word-of-mouth marketing. Share success stories, from an employee’s perspective, about working with your organization. Highlight your unique knowledge and share useful information with candidates that they will share with others.
- CREATE A USER EXPERIENCE: Social media is about creating an open dialogue and building relationships with others, with the end goal of creating an active community. You don’t want one-hit wonders; you want to start conversations that engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Social Media
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice
Not Hiring? Not an Excuse: Why and How Employers Need to Think About Recruiting Today
June 25, 2009
With the latest reports showing slower declines in areas such as employment, production and inventory, all factors indicate that the economy is stabilizing, and that recovery may soon be within reach. CareerBuilder recently spoke with Herb Shields, President of HCS Consulting, to discuss trends in the manufacturing industry. What we realized, however, was that the insights Shields shared on manufacturing industry hiring trends actually apply across all industries. The following excerpt, adapted from a recent article in CareerBuilder’s ManufacturingJobs Magazine, reveals what every employer should consider today in preparation for tomorrow.
Despite rising unemployment rates, job loss numbers were much lower than projected in May 2009, a sign of hope for many economists. “The free fall that the job market was in does finally appear to be tapering off,” economist Stuart G. Hoffman recently told The New York Times.
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