Managing Change - Get it RightWritten by Martin Haworth
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This will give everyone a clear view of how process will work and what needs to be done when. Time taken in this planning stage cannot be overdone and change management team will need to work in a focused way, to deliver a credible plan. Double-check that everything has been thought of, because it probably still won’t have been. Co-ordination If multi-site, this all needs to be co-ordinated on a macro level with each site working to same plan. Purpose The point of delivering a coherent and researched plan is not simply for protection of organisation. It is much more efficient and enables organisation to recover more quickly after significant change has happened. Individuals, too, are protected technically and it is possible to have as good as and even better relationships with individuals concerned, when they are dealt with fairly and openly. Managing change to involve your people and treat them as well as possible is a doable process. It is role of management to manage and get it right first time - it's what they are paid for. Then successful outcomes will result and organisation can move on from a potentially challenging time.
© 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - with a live link if you can).
| | What You Can't Ask a Job Candidate is as Important as What You Can AskWritten by Stephen Spain mepatwork.com
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Physical, Health or Mental Disability You may discuss: candidate's ability to perform essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation; applicant's impressions of performing essential functions of job; days of leave taken during last year; and attendance requirements of this job. You may not discuss: (until after offer is made and then only related to job performance) existence, type or severity of disability. For example, do not ask: Do you have a disability that might interfere with your ability to perform job? How many days were you sick last year? Do you have any preexisting health conditions? Do you have (name of disease)? Religion/Creed You may discuss: company's regular workdays and hours. You may not discuss: applicant's religion, religious days or whether religion would prevent him or her from working weekends or holidays. For example, do not ask: What religion are you? Do you attend church regularly? Residence You may discuss: place of residence. You may not discuss: ownership of residence. For example, do not ask: Do you own or rent your home? How much are your house payments? Military Service You may discuss: relevant knowledge, skills and abilities acquired during applicant's military service. You may not discuss: general questions about military service such as dates, discharge or service in a foreign military service. For example, do not ask: How long did you serve in (name of country)? Where did you serve? Economic Status You may discuss: salary history, but you cannot use this information to disqualify applicant. You may not discuss: credit ratings, charge accounts, bank accounts, bankruptcy, car ownership, ownership or rental of a home, length of residence at an address or past garnishments of wages. For example, do not ask: Have you ever declared bankruptcy? How long have you lived at (address)? Organizations/Societies/Activities You may discuss: job-related organizations, clubs and professional associations to which applicant belongs, omitting ones that indicate race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex or age. You may not discuss: all organizations, clubs and lodges to which applicant belongs. For example, do not ask: Are you a member of a senior citizens' group? Have you ever been a member of (name of religious group)? Would you write down names of all clubs in which you're a member? Height/Weight You may discuss: height and weight issues that are related to performance of job. You may not discuss: height and weight issues that are not related to performance of job. For example, do not ask: Do you think you need to lose weight? Is being short a problem for you? References You may discuss: who referred applicant to job and names of persons willing to provide professional references for applicant. You may not discuss: questions of applicant's former employers or acquaintances that elicit information specifying applicant's color, race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age or sex. For example, do not ask: Did your last employer have a problem with your divorce? Have any of your former employers commented on your ancestry? Toward end of each interview, be sure to explain next phase of your hiring process to all successful candidates. This description should include items such as a physical or drug test (where applicable), as well as a background check through an independent service such as VeriCruit (www.vericruit.com) to look into each candidate's driving history, Social Security number, criminal record, credit history and possible listing on a sexual offender registry. You must obtain written permission from every candidate - on a form that's separate from all of other job application documents - to take these steps; if any of your candidates seem uneasy about your request, take a few moments to discuss his or her concerns before taking further action with that person in your hiring process.
Established in 1996, MEPatWORK is the leading full-service recruitment solutions provider in the HVAC, sheet metal, refrigeration, control, electrical, plumbing and piping industries. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, this privately held company also has offices in Chicago and Pittsburgh and specializes in finding top talent for all levels of contracting, wholesale, manufacturing, consulting engineer and facilities management firms within these trades.
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