Recruit, Inspire & Retain

Great Job Descriptions - An Example You Should Use

If you’re like me, you see other company’s job descriptions everyday — in listservs, in emails from colleagues all hoping you know someone who fits the job.

This is a great example you can follow:

Job Title: Community Manager

Infusion Software is a CRM provider that liberates and empowers small businesses by putting their marketing, sales and customer service on auto-pilot! Our web-based software centralizes, organizes and automates lead generation, lead conversion and client fulfillment for small businesses. Unlike other CRM software available on the market today, Infusion CRM is a comprehensive, active CRM built specifically for marketers, entrepreneurs and successful small businesses that recognize marketing and automation are necessary to quick and profitable growth.

● Ranked number 10 for revenue growth among software
   companies worldwide on Software Magazine's 25th Annual
   Software 500 list with 125% growth from 2005 to 2006
● Ranked in Inc. Magazine's list of 500 fastest growing private
   companies in America
● Recipient of Spirit of Enterprise Award from the W.P. Carey
   School of Business at ASU
● Named "Top Arizona Company to Watch" by the Arizona
   Small Business Association
● Recipient of 2007 CRM Excellence Award for "Top Small
   Business Marketing Software"
● Named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Phoenix Business Journal

Infusion Software is seeking a full-time Community Manager (CM) to work on the Operations team in our Gilbert, Arizona office. The CM will lead the Knowledge Base (KB) strategy *and* the User Community strategy across the company and across our client base.

● Identify and document KB needs and requirements
   (including technical, design, functional, integration, etc)
● Identify and document user community needs and
   requirements
● Provide detailed analysis of different potential KB solutions
● Provide detailed analysis of different user community
   solutions
● Integrate the KB and the user community with other tools
   such as our Infusion CRM (our core product) and our user
   community among others
● Drive critical activities such as branding of the KB and user
   community, measuring and increasing usage of the KB, and measuring and increasing satisfaction of
   the KB and user community
● Organize and structure the KB in such a way that information is easy to find and is presented to the
   end user in a logical format
● Organize the KB and the user community to align with Infusion Software's small business building
   blocks
● Constantly audit existing KB materials to make sure they are current and applicable
● Create material (written, video, webinars, etc.) as necessary to keep the KB up-to-date and
   applicable (e.g. when there are patches or new feature releases)
● Develop a QA process to ensure all material that goes into the KB is correct and accurate
● Identify technical solutions to enhance current KB-related and user-community processes and
   procedures
● Identify risks, issues and resolutions for escalation and follow-up
● Adhere to internal processes / procedures and actively seek for improvement

● Advanced computer skills experience (*Required*)
● HTML Knowledge (*Required*)
● Database/Internet Knowledge, (*Required*)
● Captivate/Camtasia training software or equivalent
   (*Required*)
● Must work quickly to gain an exceptional understanding of
   the Infusion CRM
● Ability to prioritize tasks and activities
● Proven ability to meet deadlines and due dates
● Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to foster strong
   relationships and work within a team environment
● Self-starter with the ability to work well independently
● Ability to grasp technical concepts quickly
● Detail-oriented
● Flexible
● Ability to work in rapidly changing atmosphere

● High School Diploma or Equivalent (*required*)

● College or University (*preferred*)

● Enthusiasm and Strong Work Ethic (*required*)

● A fun yet challenging work environment
● New hire training
● 100% paid employee health benefits
● 401(k)
● Contests, giveaways and incentives
● 2 weeks paid vacation the first year
● Paid holidays
● Abbreviated Friday hours (office closes at 2:30pm)
● Stocked kitchen

This is a full-time salaried position, Monday through Friday. Salary will range from $45,000 - $65,000 based on experience.

Have a recruitment, inspiration, training, or retention idea or question? Ask by clicking the question mark, and we’ll post your idea or question (and the answer) in Answers & Ideas on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining Great Employees at http://www.trainingsys.com.

Why, Why, Why?

	Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?
	Why do banks charge a fee on ‘insufficient funds’ when they know there is not enough money?
	Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
	Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
	Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?
	Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
	Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
	If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
	Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
	Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
	Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
	Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
	Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
	How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
	Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that’s falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
	In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
	How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Inspire in Buckets

by John Pearson

You won’t find “Hoopla! 101" listed in any business school curricula, nor a chapter devoted to the subject in the standard management textbooks. So what’s all the fuss about hoopla! and why are more and more companies, nonprofit ministries and churches taking fun so seriously?

In his book, Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job, Dennis Bakke writes, “We have made the workplace a frustrating and joyless place where people do what they’re told and have few ways to participate in decisions or fully use their talents.” Bakke is waging a war on CEOs, senior pastors and managers who keep all the fun (that is, decision-making) to themselves. His Top 10 Water Cooler Wisdom rules (www.DennisBakke.com) summarize his radical-but distinctively Christian-beliefs about the transformational changes needed between the hours of nine and five.

I’ve known Dennis since the eighth grade, and when he reads the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, he actually believes there’s a message for us. “Enter into the master’s joy,” (Matt. 25:23, KJV) means just that: God expects there to be joy at work. Bakke’s aspirations for the workplace come through loud and clear in Rule #3 of his Water Cooler Wisdom Top 10:

Rule #3: Attempt to create the most fun workplace in the history of the world.
Most people don’t believe that fun and work can coexist. The key to joy at work is the personal freedom to take actions and make decisions using individual skills and talents. A special workplace has many ingredients. The feeling that you are part of a team, a sense of community, the knowledge that what you do has real purpose-all these things help make work fun. But by far the most important factor is whether people are able to use their individual talents and skills to do something useful, significant, and worthwhile.

A fun workplace is one that allows people to work in an environment that is most consistent with human nature. Failure and mistakes are all part of what makes work fun. Even stress contributes to fun, as long as a person has a certain amount of control over the outcome. When all of these factors come into play at the same time, we feel something approaching pure joy.

Hoopla! Defined
First of all, let’s agree that hoopla! should always be in italics (for emphasis) and always spelled with an exclamation point (for fun!) . . . but what does it mean? Google the word and you get a mixed bag. Hoopla! turns up related ideas, such as hullabaloo, excitement, commotion and ballyhoo. Here’s our working definition: every email, event, effort and energy expended to enhance fun, affirmation and recognition in the workplace is hoopla! And the more hoopla!, the better!

When Bakke was co-founder, president and CEO of The AES Corporation in Arlington, Virginia, the company employed 40,000 people worldwide. “Fun” was one of their four shared values (see the Culture Bucket). The idea, Bakke said, came from his biblical understanding of work and how leaders must affirm and value their people.

For the Christian leader and manager, hoopla! is holy, whether your ministry is in the marketplace or at a church or nonprofit. Hoopla! zealots demonstrate a heart for people, and a fun workplace backs up the talk with the walk. Creating a hoopla! culture is a powerful tool, but the reverse of that is almost lethal. Imagine your team members praying, “Lord, use my life to serve the people around me-the poor, the widows, the orphans and the forgotten. Amen. . . . P.S. Please forgive me for hating my job so much. As you know, Lord, I’m not appreciated much here.”

You’ve probably seen the motivational poster of the barrel-chested pirate cracking a nasty whip over the heads of the hapless sailors in the hold of the ship. The slogan reads, “Floggings will continue until morale improves.” Scott Adams, the insightful creator of the Dilbert cartoon strip, tells about a company that eliminated annual raises, but promised year-end bonuses if the company achieved at least five of their seven annual corporate goals. Unfortunately, only four of the seven goals were met that year so there were zilch bonuses. One of the goals they missed, according to Adams, was “employee morale.”

A recent Gallup poll reported that “65% of Americans received no praise or recognition in the workplace in the past year.” That’s both shocking and sad. Hoopla! never came naturally to me in my 30 years as a CEO. I always had too much to do and too little time. “The tyranny of the urgent” could well have been the slogan on my letterhead! Okay, we’ll celebrate yet one more birthday (if there’s decent cake), but let’s keep the interruption under 12 minutes. The FedEx guy will be here at 4:00 P.M. and those graphs aren’t done yet.

Then one year at my professional association meeting, the American Society of Association Executives, I attended a workshop: “How to Put Fun Into the Workplace.” In one hour, I got a $10,000 idea. It’s the perfect event for launching hoopla! in your organization (see my book). When the fun is poured out of the Hoopla! Bucket, generously drenching your people, they’ll know for sure that they are appreciated and recognized as important members of the team.

Excerpted from SHRM Research Quarterly, first quarter 2008

Those Who Have Left: The Value of Building Employee Relationships

Strong relationships have always been important assets in the workplace. Today, as organization becomes increasingly global and professionals work together across countries and time zones, managing and maintaining workplace relationships has become more challenging than ever, creating a need for new ways to build the powerful connections and communities that drive organization success.

What happens to relationships when someone leaves to move on to another opportunity or retires from the workforce? How can organizations continue to maintain, cultivate and mine these relationships and the associated institutional knowledge for business value? The solution: Build lifelong relationships with employees to ensure an ongoing dialogue and connection that can be leveraged even after they have left.

Many organizations have viewed the employee life cycle as “hire to fire”. But attitudes have come full circle. Brick-and-mortar companies first encouraged lifelong employment. Later, as business models evolved, they moved toward a model of just-in-time employment and the hire-to-fire cycle.

This new paradigm meets the needs of both employers and employees. Organizations require knowledgeable, just-in-time talent pools to staff business as it evolves. Individuals are much more self-directed and motivated by their own professional development. Companies that can help individuals develop throughout their lifetimes, whether or not they are current employees, will benefit from their loyalty and interest.

Corporate Social Networking: Build and Enable Lifelong Employee Relationships
With the advent of Web 2.0 technologies and the prevalence of consumer social networks, companies are turning to social networking enterprise solutions to facilitate and maintain these lifelong relationships. Enterprise, or corporate social networks, are online, affinity-based social networks through which relationships can be fostered and leveraged for business value. Similar in concept to consumer sites such as MySpace and Facebook, corporate social networking technologies allow organizations to easily connect employees, former employees or corporate alumni, retirees, new hires, interns, globally dispersed sales organizations and any number of other targeted employee subgroups — in the combination that makes the most sense for their business. Furthermore, corporate social networks are private and secure, open only to those groups identified by an organization, making the knowledge exchange much more valuable and trustworthy than is possible with public, open networks.

The identified groups within the corporate social network connect with each other; build trusted relationships centered on common affinities; locate, share and transfer knowledge quickly; collaborate across geographical boundaries; share insights on work-life balance; search for job opportunities; and much more. Facilitating better connections amid the different employee groups and important constituencies leads to higher levels of productivity, a more engaged workforce, a solid sourcing and recruiting pool from which to hire or rehire, higher levels of employee engagement and retention, increases in new business and greater innovation. Once an employee leaves or retires, former colleagues and the organization can easily stay in touch with him via the network, keep him updated on company news, share relevant corporate information, and keep him posted on full- and part-time job openings and contracting engagements.

Don’t Count Them Out: Today’s Retirees Want to Stay Connected
If the average enterprise took an informal poll of its employees poised for retirement over the next few years, chances are most of them don’t have plans to immediately retire, or those who do want to remain engaged with the organization in some capacity. They want to stay connected to colleagues and the company, perhaps serve as consultants on projects, share and transfer knowledge to their younger team members, and even volunteer in the organization’s community efforts. With approximately 40% of the workforce eligible to retire in the next three years, this is knowledge, goodwill, brand ambassadorship and quality that organizations can’t afford to lose.

Companies such as The Dow Chemical Company are building social networks to maintain access to the knowledge retirees hold and take advantage of the medium to help keep them engaged with their organization for flexible employment opportunities. With 40% of Dow’s workforce eligible for retirement over the next five years, the company is taking aggressive steps to help stem the associated brain drain of this large percentage of its workforce. The company recently made public its plans to launch a retiree network to access much needed talent "who may be looking to return for short-term projects" and prevent the loss of knowledge as boomers exit the workforce.

KPMG has signed up approximately 10,000 former and current employees on its corporate social network since its launch in the spring of 2007. KPMG credits its network with helping it hire 137 former employees, or around 14% of the company’s total hires, since the network’s launch, up from 72 people in the three months prior. This increase in the number of rehires delivers significant benefits to the organization — from cost savings to productivity improvements and increased goodwill among employees.

Additional benefits include access to the knowledge experienced alumni hold, the ability to inform opinions and discussions alumni have about the organization, and the potential to create positive impressions for individuals who may remain shareholders or customers of the organization. Such brand ambassadorship, whether for an organization’s employment or corporate brand, can have substantive results.

Rehires Hit the Ground Running
Corporate alumni bring many benefits when they rejoin an organization. They understand the culture, work ethic and how to navigate their former employer’s organization. Further, the organization has knowledge about their prior performance, and the goodwill associated with returning, customer-facing employees can have substantial financial impact.

According to a recent survey of SelectMinds clients, most were able to increase the amount of rehires versus external experienced hires by approximately 30% following the implementation of a corporate social network, linking corporate alumni with each other, the company and their former peers.

The study also found rehires are more likely to be star performers. Study subjects report, on average, 66% of rehires made through their corporate social networking program are star performers versus 26% of experienced hires. According to industry statistics, star performers contribute three times the amount of an average performer.

The study also revealed, on average, the time to contribution of rehires is half that of all experienced hires, which may be linked to rehires’ existing knowledge of customers and established relationships within the organization that can facilitate work.

Building relationships for life won’t happen overnight. In many organizations, this way of thinking is an entirely new concept and will take a massive shift in organizational thinking from the CEO on down. Yet, the numbers speak for themselves. The sheer number of retirees eligible for retirement over the next five years versus the number of Gen Y workers marks a clear chasm in the workforce of the future. Retirees who leave are taking with them incredible knowledge that if not captured and shared will be lost forever, marking gaps in knowledge transfer and a potentially dangerous gateway for competitors to gain an advantage in the marketplace. These potential risks to an organization’s business, bottom line, market reputation and brand recognition cannot go unnoticed. Action must be taken to build and maintain these important relationships for life.

Adapted from Talent Management Magazine, February, 2008

K www.eartheasy.com has great tips on green cleaning.
K www.greendimes.com & www.41pounds.org will help you get off junk mail lists.
K www.thegreenguide.com has tips on every facet of green living.
K www.energystar.gov gives advice on replacing old light bulbs w/energy efficient bulbs.
K www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower provides comprehensive "green power" info.
K www.globalwarming.org urges the use of recycled paper.
K www.arborday.org helps you plant trees to save the environment.

Going Green At Work
find ecofriendly building materials and services at http://www.rateitgreen.comom
buy ecofriendly office supplies at http://www.thegreenoffice.comomm 
work from home ideas at http://www.treehugger.com 
find jobs and volunteer opportunities with socially responsible organizations at
         http://www.idealist.org 
Reduce paperwork by invoicing, & paying employees & bills electronically
         (TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC.  now invoices exclusively by email and is close to paying everyone
         by credit card, PayPal, or automatic debit from checking account).
Encourage employees to use public transportation.
Use ceiling fans to reduce air-conditioning costs
Reduce your hot water heater temperature by 2 degrees and insulate the tank.
Use energy-saving light bulbs

B.I.G. ON BOOKS is an organization that promotes literacy in underprivileged countries, primarily Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. You can donate books through most Rotary Clubs. B.I.G. also accepts cash donations. Send email to Steve Frantzich at frantzic@usna.edu for more information.

Kicking World Hunger is the biggest soccer juggle-a-thon in the world (uh, that we know of), much like a walk-a-thon, but more fun! Participants sign up to juggle a soccer ball thousands of times while raising money to provide hope for children and communities that desperately need it. http://www.firstgiving.com/kickingworldhunger

Charity Navigator (http://charitynavigator.org) is an in-depth, searchable guide to more than 5,000 charities worldwide that aims to encourage "intelligent giving". They rate charities based on their total expenses, revenues, and organizational capacity. If you want to give, but the recent slew of charity scandals has you feeling skeptical about where your money would go.

Take Pride T-Shirts (http://www.takepride.com) was founded by a group of friends who all share the belief that the more difficult the mission facing our military, the more deserving they are of our thanks and support. Each unique shirt design provides a glimpse into the life of a different US Service member who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and is hand silk-screened. The message of the shirts isn’t political, it's about acknowledging, celebrating, and taking pride in the spirit of young Americans who despite facing an extremely difficult job and unpleasant conditions, nonetheless strive to do their job well. Take Pride gives at least 20% of profits to charities and causes that assist combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Set a reminder to visit http://www.thebreastcancersite.com daily and click this button to help underprivileged women get mammograms.

volunteermatch.org helps you find organizations in your area that spark your interest in volunteering.
momsrising.org fights for family-friendly programs and policies at work.
mygooddeed.org honors the heroes and victims of 9/11, by giving ideas for good deeds to perform.
kiva.org helps entrepreneurs by connecting them with backers for short term loans
guidestar.org and charitablechoices.org both make sure the organizations you’re supporting are legit and give the bulk of their money to their mission

Global Volunteers (http://www.globalvolunteers.org)
You can:
select by type of work project
select by country and date
select by service program conditions
select by cost

WWW.TRAININGSYS.COM
Get FREE access to great recruiting, inspiring, training & retaining tips, ideas & resources where re
you can:
* Download articles for your newsletter!!!
* Use free online assessments!
* Purchase books, tapes & fun incentives to help you & your employees be the best!
* Get new tips each month on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining great employees!
* Have a recruitment, inspiration, training, or retention idea or question? Send Email, and we’ll post
   your idea or question (and the answer) in Answers & Ideas on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, &
   Retaining Great Employees at http://www.trainingsys.com 
* Click on links to great managing and training websites!
* Purchase our famous inspirational quote posters!
* Get answers to your employee recruiting, inspiring, retaining, & training questions from our experts!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Copyright 2008 TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. All rights reserved.

**FORWARD RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN TO OTHERS

Remember, you can get issues you missed at our Website  http://www.trainingsys.com/rir/index.htm. For older (pre-1997) issues, call 800-469-3560 or send an Email.

**ARTICLE REPRINTS FOR RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN
An ideal way to introduce new ideas or stimulate learning with the employees in your organization.
Article reprints can also serve as a powerful promotional or sales tool - include them with your
brochures, newsletters & media kits. For complete information on article reprints or copyright
permission, call 1-800-469-3560 or Email. 

**YOU HAVE UNIQUE, VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE FOR OTHERS
We’d love to print your articles on recruiting, inspiring, training and retaining employees. Email
your article.

**We’ll be back next month with more great tips, ideas, success stories, and information to help you recruit, inspire, train, & retain great employees!

RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN contains links to websites operated by organizations other than TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC.  These links are for your convenience and we assume no responsibility for the content or operations of those sites.

RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC., published 12 times/year. Editor: Carolyn B. Thompson, Data Entry: Patti Lowczyk (Lowczyk Secretarial), HTML: Debbie Daw (http://www.helpquestdomains.comcom). Visit us at http://www.trainingsys.com soon!