TAPP Blog

Most jobs/industries require an ability to follow instructions and my industry, association management,  is no different. As the CEO of TAPP and The Guild Associates as well as the executive director of a number of associations, I have to carry out the directives of the board and members.

When I advertise for a new staff member, I request that a cover letter accompany the resume. A no brainer – right? Wrong. At least 20 percent of the resumes arrive with no cover letter or an email note saying something like “attached is my resume, please call me with more information.” These individuals are immediately eliminated. If they can’t follow instructions and include a cover letter, then most likely requests from members will not receive a response.

One of the fun parts of my job is being able to participate on all the webinars. Today's webinar was with resume experts Dawn & Melissa from Relaunch Career Associates and focused on how to be hired as a part-time professional. As we discussed the current trends for an individual to find a job and how to organize his or her resume, I realized that some of my perceptions about a resume were stuck in the 80s. For example a one page resume is not necessarily the best length - the length of a resume is determined by years of experience, industry, and position. In addition the resume must demonstrate how the candidate fits into the company... it is the primary sales piece to be hired.

In order for the candidate to convey the message that the hiring manager hopes to read, the company must provide the right job description. So what does a job ad say about your company? Is it part of the sales tool to get the "right people on the bus*." Large companies often have a section on their websites which try to share what is like to work at the company and the company culture. My guess is that many smaller companies don't have that information on their website. I remember the first time I was asked what our company culture was. I think I rambled trying to explain it.  How an individual will fit into the company culture is important for both the employer and the employee. Realizing how much job seekers are being encouraged to research a company and tailor both their resume and cover letter, makes me think of the job ad differently.

Thanking a potential employer for an interview is a MUST. An email note is all fine and good, but the handwritten note seems to be on its way to becoming a lost art. Think about how you feel when you receive in the mail a hand addressed envelope with a kind note inside. It’s special and it stands out over junk mail, bills and the emails that glut your inbox. Don’t you think the same applies for an interviewer? It’s a great way to make an impression.

From Good to Great by Jim Collins is the book which I am reading now. The focus is on what has distinguished truly great companies and their CEOs from other companies. One element of having a great company is having the right people ‘on the bus’. And not only having the right people on board but having them in the right seats is critical to distinguishing a great company from a good one. The focus of this book is on large multi million or billion dollar corporations - very different from the micro shop that I run. However there are many points which I think translate to all size organizations:

1. Hire staff at all levels who are passionate about what the company does or provides
2. The right people will be self motivated. (however management has to work to ensure that they do not demotivate these individuals).
3. Don’t settle for just anybody when looking to hire. It’s better to wait than to settle.
4. When a company is in time of transition, get the right people on the bus and the right people off the bus before determining the direction.
5. If it seems like you don’t have a fit with an employee, first determine if it’s the role you have assigned to that individual before ending the relationship.
6. If it is not a good fit, act… let everyone move on with their lives. (a tough one)

What Jim Collins does not discuss but I think is connected is retention. When you have the right people, what will you do to retain those individuals? How do their life events factor into your retention plan? Do you work with staff to reduce hours to a part-time schedule; create a flexible schedule, etc?

If you have managed people for any length of time, then you have had a resignation. There are times when this might b e a good thing. You and the employee both know at some level that the relationship isn’t working for either and this is the right next step. Hopefully this is the exception, not the rule. Too often the resignation is from a reliable, high performing individual and comes at a busy time for the company.

If you run a small business like I do, then it is tough to be without an employee for long. The temptation is to post a position and spread the word that you need a person who can do the same tasks as the person who left. But is that the best course of action? Are your services and customers the same? Are you using exactly the same technology? What current employees are ready for a new challenge?

Welcome to the first TAPP blog post!

The TAPP staff set creating a blog as one of our goals for 2012. Our hope is that it will provide information and dialogue with the TAPP members and potential members.  There will be TAPP staff bloggers as well as guest bloggers so if you want to contribute, please contact us. After all, we believe that collaboration is fundamental to an association.