ASIS 2009

For those of you who were able to join in on the ASIS festivities last week, I hope you found the trip as rewarding as I did. I felt Anaheim was a good venue (and who can complain about that sunny Southern California weather!) with plenty of hotels in close proximity to the convention center, which was ideal with three compact levels allowing for easy manuevering between sessions, the exibit floor and meeting rooms.

I believe that this years ASIS conference was a great success. While attendance my have been down slightly from years past, it seems as though everyone who was able to attend seemed to have a sense of purpose in being there. Those I spoke with shared a dedication to Security Industry and a hope of learning the latest and greatest and improving their personal and professional offerings.

The industry's future is bright - I saw a nice mixture of experienced individuals as well as eager up and comers. Professionalism continues to rise as does passion for personal development. I felt that the show offered a reassurance that security professionals are begining to see themselves in a broader scope - as team members who have many skills to contribribute and a business approach to their discipline.

In talking with employers, many are already making plans to add staff in 2010 and some are begining that process now. The pent-up demand I have refered to before is definitely in force. Organizations who do not remain ahead of the curve have the potential to lose key staff members and could quite possibly be forced into a reactive hiring position. This, of course, has the potential to further delay their economic recovery. In other words, I believe the war for talent is on.

I look forward to sharing more information in the next few weeks about what I leared in the several seminars I attended, from my conversations last week and what's ahead.

Make your plans now for ASIS 2010 in Dallas (October 12-15, 2010).

Thanks for reading,
David Lammert

I am packing my bags and heading to Anaheim for the ASIS Seminar and Exhibits and hope to get the chance to meet with you.

I would enjoy discussing what career opportunities might be available to you or to see if I have the ideal candidate for your current opening. Please contact me to set-up an appointment time.

I look forward to meeting with you!

David Lammert
Direct: 415-495-7170
Email: david@pinnacleplacement.com

For more information on the show: http://www.asisonline.org/

The ASIS International 55th Annual Seminar and Exhibits starts on September 21 in Anaheim, CA.

For more information on the show: http://www.asisonline.org/

I will be attending the show and would look forward to meeting with you to discuss your career and how I can assist you with your personal and professional advancement or to see if I might assist you with filling your openings and planning for future growth and openings within your organization.

Please contact me to set-up and appointment time.

I look forward to meeting with you!
David Lammert

Direct: 415-495-7170

Email: david@pinnacleplacement.com

Last Chance to Make a First Impression

As we have discussed in previous blogs, as the economy shifts in a positive direction there may be more of an opportunity to select new individuals to join our team, both due to potential expansion and growth, or the attrition on current employees.

Be prepared, you only have one chance at a positive first impression for these new hires and, to be honest, you might be a bit out of practice for how to orientate and acclimate a new employee to your company.

I found the attached interesting and hope you do as well.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Employee Onboarding: One Chance for a Positive New Employee Experience
Abridged: www.about.com; By: Brian Platz

In the talent management universe, the new employee orientation and mainstreaming process is known as “employee onboarding.” Keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, your business should make absolutely sure that new hires feel welcomed, valued, and prepared for what lies ahead during your new employee orientation or onboarding process.
The following four key points will help you get your newest team members on track, up to speed and “on board” so they can start contributing to your success as soon as possible.

Familiarity Breeds Contentment
A friend recently married into a large family and was overwhelmed with the sea of new faces, names and relationships. To ease her transition, a well-meaning uncle prepared a set of flashcards, complete with photos, names, hometowns and professions. Thanks to his efforts, she knew that the woman making the tearful toast at the wedding was her mother-in-law’s first cousin.

A similar approach will help familiarize new hires with the corporate family tree and could help avert embarrassing situations such as the new hire who asks a stranger for help with the fax machine, only to discover later that he was the CFO.

Rather than flashcards, a “who’s who” area with photos, names and titles on your company Intranet will do the trick. Offline, a simple bulletin board with staff pictures, names, and positions will get the job done.

Let New Employee Orientation Be Simple and Interesting
The employee onboarding period can be quite complex and uncertain. Consider the experience from the employee’s perspective, and then make an effort to make it fun, interesting, exciting, painless, and as simple as possible. If you do, you will make your new team member feel valued, wanted, interested and excited. By engendering these positive emotions from the word go, you make the new employee want to do great work and add great value to your organization.

One easy solution is to post new employee orientation schedules, materials, benefits forms, and an extensive FAQ about the company on an Intranet that is accessible to new hires fom a link in a welcome email before their first day on the job. By providing some information in advance, you eliminate a common source of new hire angst and give them a better chance to start off on the right foot.

Don’t Make New Employees Learn “The Hard Way”
Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, benefits and bonuses, nuances and traditions. Don’t make your new employees learn these things the hard way. If your company observes a “casual Friday” rule, make sure all new employees know this before they show up at the office on their first Friday in a neatly-pressed suit.

Every company offers a range of benefits and perks. They’ll seem even more valuable if you make sure your new employees know about them from the onset. Give new employees an easy way to keep track of exactly what they’re eligible for, and how they can take advantage of these benefits.

This applies to social functions as well as benefits packages. If your company plays in a corporate softball league, let the new guy know right away. Welcoming the whole person, rather than just a set of job functions, will help new hires more quickly assimilate to your corporate culture. And you never know – maybe that unassuming new financial analyst will be the secret weapon that your team needs to shut out your fiercest rival.

Again, post policies and procedures in writing somewhere convenient. Verbal mentions during a marathon new employee orientation session can easily go unheard, especially on a new hire’s first day in the office. Similarly, a stack of papers and reminders can easily get lost in the shuffle. An online resource that is regularly updated, and always accessible, is the best practice when it comes to information sharing.

Make New Employee Orientation Personal
Don’t make day one all about paperwork. Instead, prioritize interpersonal relationships with key colleagues. Consider assigning welcome mentors to each new hire, so they can immediately get a feel for the personality of your organization. This day of first impressions will have an enormous impact on the employee experience, so make it a good one.

Of course, some paperwork must be handled on or before the start date. Keep in mind that when your new hire goes home to tell his family about his first day on the job, he would rather have something more exciting to report than, “I filled out over 30 forms.”

When it comes to documentation, get the key documentation on file in advance or as quickly as you can on day one. For everything else, create an online hub where new hires can find materials as they need them. Once they’ve settled into their new job, send a reminder email that certain materials are available online, and encourage them to frequently visit the Intranet for information.

When it comes to onboarding new talent at your company, the Internet is the most powerful tool in your toolbox. A web-based employee onboarding system will let you standardize, streamline, track, and coordinate every step of the process, all while making your company’s most recent hires feel valued and supported.

It’s been proven that happy employees are more productive employees. So, if you’re looking to drive bottom line results with state of the art talent management tactics, it’s time to get “onboard.”