Randi Frank HR Consulting

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Q: What is the benefit of a panel style interview?

A: I like panel interviews best when dealing with executive level positions compared to entry-level positions. I observe how the candidate addresses and speaks to the whole panel because speaking to groups will also be a part of their job. I recommend doing both panel and one-on-one interviews for certain positions. This way I meet with the candidate one-on-one and I can see how they behave in a group meeting, too. It is important to see them in both environments.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: How does the feel of an interview change when it is one-on-one and not by telephone?

A: In one-on-one interviews, I can see the person’s characteristics come through. There is more time for sharing stories and I have the chance to get to know the candidates better. It is easier to have more of a conversation with the candidates and I can see how they handle themselves. And when it is time to move on to the next question, they can see my non-verbal cues that they need to wrap up their response, which is hard to do in a telephone interview.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: What do you look for when conducting telephone interviews?

A: I have to listen for enthusiasm and the person’s tone of voice more when conducting phone interviews zovirax price. You can’t see facial expressions so it is harder to get a feel for the person’s personality. As a result, I also focus more on their knowledge because I really concentrate on what they are saying. I tell people to prepare for a phone interview by pumping themselves up for it beforehand so their voice portrays their excitement through the telephone.

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Q: What really helps a recruiter begin an executive search?

A: As a recruiter, the most important thing for me is to really get to know the organization completely. I like to understand all of the agency/company’s divisions, functions, visions, and so forth. I really work with management to find out what they are specifically looking for in their next executive. It is so important to recruit the right people. Once I know exactly what they are looking for, I can prepare a quality profile. This really helps when I am working with candidates because I can give them information about the position and about the agency/company as well. I make sure that the candidate is comfortable with the position and thoroughly informed on what the agency/company is looking for.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: Why do you recommend a checklist of physical activities in your job descriptions?

A: Although it can be kind of a lengthy section, I have found a checklist of all the physical activities required on the job to be very helpful. If frequent lifting, carrying, kneeling, and so forth are part of the job, they go on the checklist at the end of job descriptions. It is an excellent document to have on file for employees to understand their physical requirements and even more important for Workers’ Compensation situations. It shows the doctors a list of things the employees do at work; then the doctor can determine, based on the employees’ injury, what they can or cannot do if they return to work. It’s a great way to reduce the time away from work because the workers can get back on the job and provide assistance in other areas within their ability.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: What situations can arise from not training staff on sexual harassment?

A: A great illustration of why sexual harassment training is so crucial is a mishap at a summer camp program. At typical summer camps, the ages of staff range from 16 to 25 years old. At the camp in question, one of the older male counselors consistently made passes at a younger female counselor, and would make comments about going to a bar and dating that were inappropriate for work. This made the younger counselor very uncomfortable and when she reported it, the directors realized they needed to train the staff on sexual harassment. Because they were so young, most of the counselors hadn’t experienced a professional work environment and they weren’t aware of the severity of their actions.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: Why is sexual harassment training beneficial for your company/agency?

 

A: I’m an advocate for the actual training sessions because most people don’t fully read policy handbooks and over the years they may forget about the written sexual harassment policy. So, by refreshing employees’ minds every few years, it reflects positively on companies/agencies because it shows that this topic is important to the organization. Also, companies would have less of an issue in the courts and with financial costs because there would be proof of their efforts to prevent sexual harassment. I even recommend sending out e-mails or hard copies of the policy to employees on a regular basis, especially if you have not conducted training sessions.

Find information regarding sexual harassment prevention here.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

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Q: How often should my company provide sexual harassment trainings?

 

A: It is so important to do sexual harassment trainings. If you look at almost any newspaper, you’ll see numerous incidents that could have been prevented by sexual harassment training. Since the 1990s, Connecticut has passed laws stating that companies of a certain size have to train supervisors on sexual harassment, yet today there is still one case after another. I always recommend that companies/agencies provide training for all of their employees at every level, and to hold them every three years zovirax dosage. Connecticut law says you must train any new supervisors within six months of their hiring.

Have an HR related question you would like to ask? Feel free to contact me!

 

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Mentoring Tip 5: Provide feedback to both the Mentee and Mentor

A good way to gauge the interest and success of the program is to survey the participants during the program. Are both parties satisfied with their roles? Do they feel they are teaching/being taught enough? Are they both gaining knowledge and/or insights?

Going further, the mentors need to provide feedback to the mentees, inform them when milestones have been reached, and guide them towards fulfilling the specific and planned outcomes of the program.

When I mentor interns, part of the process includes me providing them feedback on the work they completed and showing them examples from other projects I have completed. I also ask them if they have any other questions about the project or what they observed and what else they would like to learn. Many times we put together an agenda for our discussions that includes “feedback from mentor” and “feedback from mentee.” By sharing past stories of situations I have encountered, mentees can learn from my mistakes. Also, I find when they ask me questions, I have to really think about how to handle the new situation they pose, which is a learning opportunity for me.

One project that was very exciting for the interns was reviewing resumes. That gave them the chance to see good resumes compared to bad resumes, which gave them some great tips for their own resumes.

Here are some good articles about mentoring:

 

Questions? Contact me today!

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Mentoring Overview

A mentoring program is an excellent way to prepare future leaders. A good program can give interns, as well as newer or younger employees, exposure to experiences and opportunities that help them develop their own management and decision-making skills. Here are some tips for developing a successful mentoring program in your company or agency.

See details on each of the following tips as they are posted during the coming weeks:

• Mentoring programs can be formal or informal

• How do you pick the right mentor

• Preparing for the role of mentor and mentee

• The mentor has to lead by example

• Provide feedback to both the mentor and mentee

Questions? Contact me today!

 

 

 

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Job Descriptions Tip 10

10. A job description can be helpful if a company has a non-performing employee.

An accurate job description can be the basis of performance documentation and add credence to terminating an employee who is not meeting his or her essential job functions. This can be particularly beneficial if the terminated employee tries to bring a discrimination or wrongful termination case to court. The employer then has documentation supported by the job description showing that the employee had not been meeting the essential job functions clearly stated in the employee’s job description.

For example, perhaps a customer service representative does not report problem areas and simply ignores them. Since “reports problem areas via phone, email, mail or social media” has been described as an essential job function in the job description, this customer service representative’s manager can develop the documentation that will support disciplinary action or termination of that employee. If the terminated employee fights the termination, the employer can point to the job description in asserting why that employee was fired, and provide the written documentation.

 

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Speaking at CTWorks – Your Workforce Connection

Ms. Frank will be making a presentation to CT Works Clients on January 22, 2014 about preparing resumes and preparing for interviews. This is a special program for clients who are currently looking for new jobs/positions. Ms. Frank will discuss the Top Ten Tips for Resume Writing and Preparing for Interviews. If you would like more information on these topics please see Randi Frank Consulting, LLC’s website www.randifrank.com blog section on these tips. If you would like Ms. Frank to make a similar presentation at no cost to your group please email her at [email protected]

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The Importance of Human Resource Planning

Hamden Economic Development Commission

Speaker Series: January 14th, 2014

The Hamden Economic Development Commission is pleased to announce the first session of our 2014 Speaker Series. scheduled for Tuesday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m.in the Conference Room on the third floor of Government Center -2570 Dixwell Ave 

Session Overview:

Randi Frank for Randi Frank Consulting LLC will make a presentation on several topics related to Management and Human Resource Planning. She will cover the process of Recruitment, Interviews and general personnel policies topics such as Employee Orientation, Sexual Harrassment. etc.

Randi has more than 30 years of successful experience as a manager and administrator with various local governments in several capacities, including: Human Resources Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Purchasing Agent, Risk Manager, Budget/Management Analyst, and Grants Writer and Administrator. Randi also has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Southern California and Bachelors in Urban Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. She is a Certified Risk Manager and a Certified School Business Manager. She is currently a Certified Woman Owned business in CT – her company started in 2000 serving both the public and private sectors. 

Some of the services she provides include:

  • Executive Searches
  • Conducting recruitment and testing for management, professional and clerical positions
  • Performing classification and salary studies and preparing job descriptions
  • Preparing or revising personnel policies
  • Developing safety programs
  • Developing return-to-work programs for Workers’ Compensation

It is anticipated that there will be considerable interest in this presentation. The room has limited capacity so please RSVP to Dale Kroop at 203-287-7033 or [email protected].

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Tip 10: Performance evaluation provides legal protection for employers against lawsuits for wrongful termination.

Performance evaluation is one of the most powerful defenses for employers against wrongful termination charges. Supervisors should give candid and truthful performance appraisals in a timely, consistent, and thorough manner—and keep accurate records. Charitable or neutral evaluations that don’t communicate important performance issues with employees can weaken the defense against unfair dismissal claims.  For example, if a manager consistently gives a 3 out of 5 rating to an employee who actually has performance problems, then terminates the employee later, the company opens itself up to a wrongful termination charge.

 

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Facilitation and Other Projects

Facilitation Projects

The City of Norwich requested assistance with the City Manager’s annual performance review, and with creating a process to develop next years’ goals for the City Manager. Performance evaluation forms previously developed by Randi Frank Consulting were used by the City Council as a jumping-off point to develop a customized evaluation form for the new City Manager. Ms. Frank used the Nominal Group Technique Method to help the Council brainstorm ideas, then prioritize the issues of concern to set the top goals for the City Manager.

Weston, CT:

Randi Frank Consulting, LLC is currently conducting a salary survey for the Town of Weston to prepare for union negotiations. This project involves creating a list of positions with a brief description of each, and sending them to relevant Towns in Connecticut. Participating Towns complete the survey by listing their positions and salaries that best match those of the Town of Weston.

Old Lyme, CT:

Randi Frank Consulting, LLC assisted the Town of Old Lyme with drafting new job descriptions. Due to vacancies, management decided it was time to revamp the direction of the positions and departments. It is always important to review job descriptions before a new recruitment to ensure they are accurate and reflect the changing needs of the municipality or agency.

Member – Louisville Independent Business Alliance

member of Louisville Independent Business Alliance

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