ECI’s Foundation Study v. Google’s Project Oxygen to Identify High Performers

One of our associates passed along this New York Times article about Google’s Project Oxygen to me earlier this week.  Google wanted to identify the factors associated with high performing managers.   Being the experts they are with data analysis, they sliced and diced all of their performance review ratings and other anecdotal information to identify [...]

Are Pharmaceutical Reps Exempt or Non-Exempt?

A recent article in the news described the court case at Novartis where sales representatives were pressing for overtime, given the structure of their accountabilities.  This has been a topic we have reviewed a number of times for our clients and which rarely lands on the same recommendation.  Pharma companies generally pay on business results [...]

The Stay Survey

I just saw a great presentation the other day on how to increase employee engagement and productivity.  One points that I took away from this presentation was the idea of a “Stay Interview”.  Most companies have an exit interview process that tries to understand why an employee is leaving the company.  I know many companies [...]

Strategies for Reinventing Your Company in Hard Times

Everyone I talk to is looking for strategies to maximize business in tough times.  Yesterday, we talked with a colleague who works for a company headquartered in Japan.  She told us that one of their senior officers came to visit the US division and told everyone to look at the lull in the business as [...]

How To Respond in Reference Checks

A few weeks ago, I received a call from a placement firm checking references for a prior employee.  This individual didn’t leave here on the best of terms so I had a bit of trepidation about what the recruiter would ask me and how I should answer her inquiries.  Of course, the lawyers were telling [...]

Creating Selection Standards

We recently had a team discussion over whether a company with 50 or less employees and no government contracts needed to abide by OFCCP, EEO and Uniform Guidelines in its hiring criteria.  Who must comply and which federal guidelines should these clients follow in developing their selection standards?  You might be interested in this discussion, [...]

Regrettable Losses

I wish I could tell you that we at ECI have the answers to every organizational issue you can raise, but this is simply not the truth.  From time to time, we have to let people go and we have people we wish would have stayed, move on to other jobs.  In each instance, we [...]

Diversity and Cultural Fit

We often hear about leaders of companies who avoid the use of assessment tools because they believe that these tools could screen out diverse candidates and could expose their organizations to lawsuits.  Is this true or false? The answer to that one is, it depends….If you utilize a tool that is not well constructed and [...]

“Fit”…a Two-Way Street

What does it mean to find an employee that truly “fits” your organization?  What does a good “fit” look like from the perspective of the applicant?  Organizational fit, job fit, and motivational fit are key factors that drive how new employees will assimilate to the work environment, mesh with the corporate culture, as well as how [...]

What is my company’s culture and why does it matter?

The culture that exists within a company is something that many people may not pay attention to on a day to day basis.  However, it is an element of your organization that should not be overlooked.  It is an element that can make all of the difference when introducing your company to a potential hire.  [...]