It’s that time of year when businesses get applications from students, student funding program applications are due, and supervisors are wondering what jobs students can fill in their organization.

Students are in a world of learning and growth.  They are typically curious, excited to learn new things, ambitious, and eager to make a good impression.  They also typically do not have a whole lot of experience and need a great deal of guidance to perform.  Sometimes, they are a bit lost.

Generally, it is good practice to hire for capability, capacity, and attitude.  In higher level positions, capability and skills may be critical; however, for a student position, attitude and capacity to learn are more important.  Hiring the right student essentially means hiring the student with the right attitude.

Although how a student is hired is important, how they are managed is equally important to maximize the results an organization receives from hiring a student.  Below are six considerations for hiring and managing your summer student this year:

1. What is on the student’s resume?  You are not necessarily looking for job experiences.  You are looking for how involved they are with life.  Are they involved in any activities?  Do they volunteer?  Are they committed to anything, e.g., do they play in a band, go to zumba classes every week, or sit on any committees?  This demonstrates a student’s interest in learning, his or her ability to commit, and his or her overall attitude towards living life fully.

2. What is the student passionate about?  You are not only filling a gap in your business when you hire a student.  You are giving back to society.  You are helping a student gain experience and explore career options.  Ask the student what he or she is passionate about in the interview or pre-screen phone call.  Listen to their voice to determine their passion.  Passion is one of the most important factors to consider for employee engagement.  Can you provide an opportunity for the student to use those passions on the job?  For example, does the student you want to hire have a passion for photography?  Can you give the student the opportunity to photograph the staff or take pictures at an event?  Look for ways to create a win-win situation.

3. Why does the student want this job?  Ask the student this question in an interview.  Probe for more details.  Look for indicators that the student wants to learn AND wants to contribute.  Ask how the student thinks he or she can contribute to the organization.  Ask what would bring the student the greatest satisfaction at the end of the student placement.  Look for more than knowledge and skill to do a specific job – look for curiosity, mindfulness, and authenticity.  Indeed, the student will want the money and experience.  Expect that – and ask for more.

4. Who will be the student’s mentor?  It is true – students typically need a lot of guidance.  They will be bored if they do not get the right amount of supervision and guidance because they, usually, really don’t know what to do.  Select a person in your organization who has an interest in positively impacting a student’s life.  That person may be his or her direct supervisor, or it could be someone in addition to the supervisor.  The role of the mentor is to be available for the student to ask questions about the organization, the job, where to find things, how to operate equipment, what behaviors are appropriate, workplace norms, and possibly career guidance.  A student mentor can improve the student experience, resulting in the student talking positively about your organization, as well as help them perform on the job better.

 5. Ask the student for their input.  Students will enter your organization for a short time.  Regardless of whether they have successfully completed the job they were hired to do, they will have a different perception about the organization than employees.  Bring the student to continuous improvement meetings, marketing meetings, or occupational health and safety meetings and ask him or her how the organization can improve or ask for new ideas or concepts.

 6. Talk to the student daily.  The student’s direct supervisor should make it a point to talk to the student, either face to face or by phone, every day.  That conversation should include direction on what the student needs to do that day as well as answer any questions the student may have – and questions should be encouraged.  The supervisor should be responsible for talking to the student about his or her performance, being clear on the student’s responsibilities, and ensuring the student has the proper training and/or mentoring required to do the job.  A 15 minute conversation could mean a full day of productivity; whereas, ignoring that daily contact may result in a day of no productivity.

Remember – this student could be a permanent hire later.  An organization should always be recruiting.  Hiring a student is an excellent, low risk way to observe him or her on the job and determine if he or she is a fit with the organization and a future position with the organization.  Hiring a student who is not a good fit with the job can have its advantages too.  When you hire for attitude, you bring energy and enthusiasm and/or a sense of curiosity to the workplace – all of which are good.

Happy hiring!

Tina Pomroy, MBA, CHRP, CMEC, is the President of Pomroy Consulting Inc.  She provides leadership, management, and HR coaching, consulting, and facilitation to bring organizations to life.  For more information on coaching employees and management through sudden change, please contact Tina at 709-728-4810 or tinapomroy@hotmail.com or connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

When change falls upon us and is beyond our control, we fear it, we resist it – especially if it is a difficult and sudden change.  Recently, the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced 1,200 layoffs in its government.  As people lose their jobs and ‘bumping’ occurs, the workplace environment is full of fear, anger, worry, and despair.

Managers and leaders of an organization also face challenges during these times.  In their fear, employees become unproductive and distrusting of management.  Managers must conduct the layoffs and then create a highly productive workforce during and after the changes.  No one wants this job.

Managing layoffs is managing change.  There are several theories on managing change, many of which work when implemented properly.  However, none will work effectively in an environment such as a mass layoff without this: CARE.  Management and executives of an organization must care – and demonstrate their care – about employees’ needs and how the change will impact them.

The following four strategies will help managers alleviate the fear, anger, worry, and despair employees may feel when facing sudden changes, such as mass layoffs, and help employees transition more easily.

1. Communicate.  When a decision is final and will impact your team, share it as fast as you can.  Do not avoid communicating bad news.  Prevent grapevine gossip and its toxicity as much as possible.  Ask your employees to not gossip and not allow anyone to gossip to them.  Communicate regularly and frequently to teams and individuals affected as well as people not affected.  Let everyone hear the same message.  Be clear and empathetic.  Communicate by informing, and then listen.  Communication is a two-way process.  Allow your team to process and talk about the information they have heard (but not gossip).  You have already had the time to do this.

2. Be Authentic.  This is a high stress time for managers and leaders as well as employees.  Some managers may not have much experience in this area.  No doubt, they will lose sleep over this situation no matter how much experience they’ve had.  Allow your team to see your human-ness.  It’s OK to feel compassionate and empathetic towards your team – in fact, it’s good management.  You need to make unpopular decisions and you are responsible for following through.  But you need not lack mindfulness.  You also do not know everything – admit it.  Include your team post-change in generating ideas to get through this time.  This gives them a sense of more control and it creates better solutions.  As difficult as this time will be, in the short-term, authenticity will lessen the anguish, and in the long-term, employees will remember how you made them feel and will respect that you did your job with compassion and authenticity.

3. Recognize the fear and what is lost.  Job loss is loss.  Those losing their jobs will grieve.  And they will fear.  They will fear not being able to pay the bills.  They will fear that they won’t find another job.  They will fear losing touch with friends at work.  Those not losing their jobs will grieve too.  They are losing a co-worker.  They may have a different role in the organization.  They will fear their new responsibilities and whether they have the ability to do the job.  They may also experience guilt that they still have a job.  As a manager, you can recognize that many of the emotions demonstrated by employees are natural states of grief and fear.  Acknowledge feelings and allow everyone to move through them – including yourself.   Control your own emotions and do not judge a person for their uncharacteristic reactions from shock, worry, and fear.  Provide coaching for your employees dealing with sudden change – both those leaving and those staying – and get a coach yourself.  It helps progress through the necessary stages until acceptance is reached.  Allow this process to take place at the workplace and speak openly about it at your team meetings.

4. Empower.  How a person views change is all in the mind.  As a manager, you have the opportunity to empower your team to change their perspectives and make fear a catalyst for accomplishing great things.  Once acceptance is seeping in, empower those that remain in your organization to help create a new and vibrant culture for the future.  Share any and all information that will help them understand where the organization is headed and what each person’s role will be.  Be grateful for and recognize past employees’ contributions and communicate that.

One more thing:  Never stop communicating and caring.  Share as much information as you can in the beginning of, during, and after the changes are made.  Employees will respect your choices when they understand why you made the decisions you made.

Tina Pomroy, MBA, CHRP, CMEC, is the President of Pomroy Consulting Inc.  She provides leadership, management, and HR coaching, consulting, and facilitation to bring organizations to life.  For more information on coaching employees and management through sudden change, please contact Tina at 709-728-4810 or tinapomroy@hotmail.com or connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

Life doesn’t have to end at retirement; it can be the start of a new adventure.

That’s the message being trumpeted by the Northeast Avalon Regional Economic Development Board (NEA REDB) as it promotes the upcoming Newfoundland and Labrador Silver Summit. NEA REDB in partnership with its community, academic and government partners are currently planning the Silver Summit on September 30 and October 1, 2012.

“The changing demographics offer opportunities for both the individual and business. The summit will help to stimulate your thinking,” said Christine Snow, NEA REDB Executive Director.

NEA REDB recently launched the website, www.silversummitnl.com to promote the event and its goals.

Many other regions have recognized the potential impacts of the rapidly aging population and have been proactive in responding to the changes. The European Union held its fourth annual Silver Economy Conference in France in January of 2011. The Government of Nova Scotia held the first Silver Economy Summit in North America in May 2010.

There are a number of objectives of the summit; with the main goal being one of identifying, informing and acting on the opportunities of an aging workforce from a business, employment, and entrepreneurial development perspective.  The event is targeted towards retired and pre-retirement age individuals, seniors, community organizations, policy makers, business leaders and academics.

Registration is now open and can be accessed at www.silversummitnl.com or by calling (709) 753-5554. The registration fee is $60.00 covers all sessions on both days, as well as refreshments.

For more information, please contact:

Christine Snow
Executive Director
NEA REDB
P: (709) 753-5554
E: christines@nearedb.ca

Or

Greg Knott
Economic Development Officer
NEA REDB
P: (709) 753-5554
E: gregk@nearedb.ca