A 2010 study of 1,500 CEOs indicated that leaders rank creativity as the No. 1 leadership attribute needed for prosperity. Companies must seek out individuals who challenge the status quo and contribute groundbreaking ideas in order to survive in today’s fast-paced and increasingly complex business environment. Just as importantly, the must establish a culture of innovation to foster those ideas and bring them to fruition. Companies with a culture of innovation adapt repeatedly to stay ahead of the competition. They develop creativity at all levels of their organizations, and develop new ideas to tackle problems large and small.

But how do you build a culture of innovation??

1)    Hire the right people
During the interview process, don’t limit yourself to asking questions about a candidate’s specific experiences or skills. In addition to determining if the candidate is a good fit for the job, it is important to make sure that the candidate will also fit in with the company. Be sure to ask questions about the company’s values. If you are fostering a culture of innovation, then innovation should be one of the company’s top values. Ask the candidate to give an example of a time he or she was innovative in solving a problem.

2)    Put them in the right jobs
In addition to hiring the right people, it is important to hire them for the right jobs.  The quickest way to stifle creativity is by putting people in jobs that don’t incite their passion.  Look for ways to give employees ways to follow their interests and express their talents. Provide opportunities for employees to take on additional responsibilities to accomplish organizational goals. Allow employees to gain exposure to other departments and learn how they function.

3)    Meet people’s needs
Managers should always meet with employees and ask them what they need to accomplish their best work. Some people may be motivated by challenge, while others by appreciation. Some people may like quiet working conditions, while others appreciate noise. The more people are worrying about their unmet needs, the less time they will have for developing creative ideas and attacking problems.

4)    Make work meaningful
To be truly motivated, we have to believe that our work really matters. Everyone needs to feel like they are working for some larger purpose. To create this sense of purpose, a leader should define a mission that transcends each individual’s self-interest.  For example, at iCIMS, it is our mission is to be the top provider of HR software for small and mid-sized businesses. Our client, Whole Foods, was founded with the goal of becoming the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket retailer. By establishing an important purpose, you will incite passion within your team.

5)    Encourage autonomy
Autonomy means ” independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions.” Give your employees challenges, but give them freedom in how they accomplish them. Define what success looks like and hold people accountable to metrics, but let people design their days as they see fit to achieve those outcomes. By micromanaging or hand holding, you will only stifle your employees’ creativity.  An employee who has to run every detail by his or her boss for approval will lack motivation to contribute in innovative ways.

6)    Encourage people to ask questions
People need to be aware of an organization’s processes to improve them, and aware of challenges in order to solve them. Encourage employees to ask questions about what your company has done in the past, as well as what your company is doing today. Encourage them to look for contrarian ideas and insights. 
You should also encourage your employees to provide feedback. By reaching out to your team and asking them what they think, or if they see any issues arising from the company’s current direction, it will demonstrate to your employees that your company doesn’t want to simply maintain the status quo, and it is open to new ideas to improve the business.

7)    Encourage people to explore and take risks
Provide employees with the freedom to take creative risks without a fear of judgment. Experimentation is an absolute essential part of  discovery. Of course, many experiments will fail, but it is important to see the value in failure.  One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Edison: “ I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Nearly every innovation in history has come after countless “failures.” Encourage your employees to not fear failure or let it extinguish curiosity, but to keep trying. Eventually, it will pay off.

With many nations moving into a post-industrial stage, we are beginning to see more organizations move into the service sector. Because of this, there is less of a need for a physical presence for employees at the office. Whether it is to allow carpenters to take their tools home to begin working on their clients earlier in the morning, or to allow technical and sales people to log into their corporate networks, this is a tremendous perk that many people benefit from today.

There are benefits to both sides of this equation. Employees get to engage in work in a more “at-will” manner, sometimes they are even able to make their own hours, so to speak. They also might be able to work in a more comfortable environment. It may even enable them to tend to needs at home or in their personal lives more easily. The benefit for the employer is that their workers feel more flexibility around their job, and in turn have a higher satisfaction rating, and will perform better overall. Studies have also shown that individuals who regularly work remotely will work more hours in a day and often times at no additional cost. Organizations can also save budget on eliminating the need to house and maintain physical assets on site. Companies could lease smaller buildings for the reduced number of on-site employees and equipment.

While working remotely may prove beneficial to both employee and employer, there are also issues that a company should be aware of.

1. Preparation: It is important to prepare employees to embrace activities that keep them productive. It’s much easier to get distracted while working in the environment of their choosing, but with the right mindset these environments can be much more soothing and (surprisingly enough) distraction free.
2. Ideal Workspace: It is important to encourage employees to set up a “work area” that is away from major attention grabbers (perhaps away from the Xbox?), but still within a comfort zone.
3. Accountability: It’s equally important to maintain a system that allows management to ensure that employees are staying accountable. If their work is project driven, having a project management system with time logging works, if performance is sales driven, strict quotas can work. Most scenarios should have a method to ensure that management is aware if productivity is slipping, and that it can be addressed before it becomes a major problem.

I’ve personally had the joy of working from home on occasion many times over the past few years. At first it was very easy to get distracted, but once I trained myself to get into the mindset, I began producing at a level even greater than when I was present in the office. I also accessed my projects during off hours more often, especially if I realized a new idea on the weekend or late at night. Some days, I’d even begin working much early in the morning and keep going until the close of business. As long as an employee is interested in their work and realizes that they may need to adjust some of their working habits, allowing them to work remotely can be beneficial for everyone.

Today's post comes to you from Joanna Snodgrass, Subject Matter Expert at iCIMS. Joanna works directly with iCIMS customers to ensure overall customer satisfaction by providing technical assistance. Today's post is the first of two on the iCIMS' customer experience. Be sure to check back next week!

Its 9:02 a.m. when I settle in for my morning cup of Kirkland’s finest medium roast, poured in the tastefully obnoxious “World’s Greatest Entry-Level Employee” mug. Two desks over, I hear one of our ever-so-suave customer favorites finishing up what must be his 8th call of the morning. The minute or so it takes my computer to boot up is likely the quietest time I will have until 6 p.m. hits.  It’s just another morning at the iCIMS Help Desk, and the calls and emails are about to come in.
 
So what is the role of a Subject Matter Expert?  With each call it changes. One minute we're teachers, walking through the steps of properly constructing an EEO report. The next minute we're taking down notes on what features users would like in the next release. We troubleshoot system issues and resend lost passwords, all the while trying to provide the best experience possible for our clients.  In between all questions, emails, and ringing phones, it’s hard to forget the team itself is constructed of young, extremely social, eclectic personalities. We understand the importance of having a positive atmosphere, so in between calls you can hear us discuss the top methods of surviving a zombie apocalypse, proper casting for an iCIMS movie, and how to prank our co-workers’ desks while they are out on vacation (this week, we’re considering a bat cave theme, but the team is open to suggestions).

We love to hear from our customers even if the calls and emails are frequent. When we hear from them, we know that the client is actively using the product they have invested their trust, time, and money into implementing. The iCIMS Talent Platform is designed to make the HR professional's work easier, more accurate, and faster. But what good is any new system or gadget if the user does not set aside time to explore how it works?  My absolute favorite thing to hear a customer say is "I never knew I could do that!" Especially when I can follow it up with "If you like that feature, you'll love what else this can do..."

For all the clients who may be reading this, we want you to give us a call. We’re ready to show you how to streamline your work and honestly, we look forward to getting to know you a little better. And for those of you who haven’t made the switch to iCIMS yet – we’re all eager to support you in your talent management initiatives.  Who knows…switching to iCIMS and leveraging our support teams might just free up enough of your time for you to come up with your own office pranks.

(Added 8/9 - The bat cave theme was chosen...)

Can you believe it is almost July? As many of you get ready to kick-off your Fourth of July weekend celebration, I’m sure HR will be far from your mind. But as with most jobs, the workload will only increase with every day off. How do you handle work that piles up?

In the HR industry, we most often hear about the importance of creating a stress-free work environment to facilitate employee satisfaction. And while of course that is very important, industry leaders may be forgetting about the stress of a few very important people: the HR professionals. Of course, some could say that an HR professional is an employee and is therefore benefiting from the stress-management initiatives that HR is setting in motion. But unfortunately, HR professionals are often overwhelmed with stress when implementing and managing those employee satisfaction programs.

HR stress is too often underestimated or just plain-old forgotten about. So, while you are helping employees reduce their stress, who is helping you?

I came across an interesting article by Mark Gorkin that touches upon the stress HR professionals often have and five strategies on how to survive those situations. Developing a strategy to handle these strenuous situations is essential to reducing burnout (as Gorkin mentions) as well as increasing HR satisfaction and growth development. When stress is reduced, workers are happier – no question. HR employees who are happier tend to strive for greater goals which not only helps them in their own career growth but also their performance with their employer. What many corporate executives fail to see is that a stressed and burnt-out HR team can directly affect the performance of the company as a whole. A stressed to-the-max HR group can impact quality of hire, hinder training programs, and ultimately hurt employee satisfaction. I'd start “petitioning” your executive team to provide your HR team with the necessary funds and programs to support a stress-free department.

How are companies combating these high-stress HR environments? Some companies are leveraging HR solutions to handle the administrative tasks that can bog down productivity time. Others  are sending their HR professionals to training programs to learn how to optimize their current programs. And other companies are attending conferences and expos, like SHRM 2011 (you there?) to learn about the latest trends and what other people in the industry are doing.

What do you do to reduce your HR stress? How does your company help? If nothing else, one way you can reduce your stress is to relax and treat yourself to a yummy Fourth of July meal this weekend!

Close to three years ago, when I was onboarded at iCIMS, I was part of a group of about 12 other new hires. As we were given a rundown of all the benefits and programs available, I remember with amusement that one member of our group asked about pet insurance for his cat. But while the group laughed at the notion of having pet insurance as an employee benefit, it was not the first time I had run across the concept.

In a previous life, I worked for a large insurance company in the employee benefits division. One day we received a Request for Proposal for a full slate of voluntary workplace insurance products, such as cancer care, accident insurance, and other similar elective products funded by the employees themselves, who can take advantage of the workplace for group buying power. One of the products that the employer wanted to add to their benefits program was pet insurance! We didn’t have a pet insurance product to offer them, but I submitted the idea to a new products contest sponsored by the insurance company. 

My rational for submitting the idea was the fact that more and more pets are becoming true members of the family. In fact, a 2009 survey revealed that 50% of Americans felt that their pet is as much a part of the family as other people in the household. Furthermore, the same survey reported that about a third of Americans included their pet in either a family portrait or holiday card, and over 40% had taken their pet on vacation with them, reminding me of a story that my neighbor recently told me about seeing a woman on a hotel elevator in Florida carrying a fishbowl with her pet fish in it!

Here at iCIMS, pets are no less valued. And while the coworker above was particularly fond of his cat, dogs seem to rule the day for the rest of the team. In just a quick survey of the iBlog alone, 6 entries feature photos of dogs, two of which are actual iCIMS pets, (see The Pursuit of Happiness and Gaining a Competitive Advantage). And, along with all these four-legged family members come medical bills and the question of whether or not to buy insurance to lessen the economic impact of pet healthcare. 

Dr. Stephen Batich of Shark River Veterinary Hospital examines the Blogger’s new pup Salty.

Typically, the decision about purchasing pet insurance is a personal one. But according to a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, more and more companies are adding it as an employee benefit. In 2010 alone, one pet insurance provider added an additional 400 large companies and associations to its pet insurance book of business of 2,200 groups. And, while many employers might balk at the idea of offering pet insurance as a benefit in these tough economic times, they are still open to the idea of offering a group discount for employees to purchase pet insurance themselves like some of the other workplace group discounts available today.

My new product idea submission was not successful, but in coming years the concept of pet insurance as a workplace perk or benefit is sure to gain traction, especially as the economy strengthens and the war for talent heats up. For those companies already offering such innovative benefits, be sure to let job seekers know about them through your Recruitment Marketing programs and internal and external recruitment websites. With 39% of US households owning dogs and 33% owning cats, this is a benefit that promises to get tails, and tongues, wagging.

Corporate Culture.  We hear it so often talked about around the workplace.  For many employers, corporate culture is what draws in the best talent and ranks organizations high on “Best Companies to Work For” lists.  For employees, corporate culture is often the deciding factor for those evaluating a career change or deciding between competitive offers from different companies. 

Organizations of all sizes can easily struggle with maintaining and driving the corporate culture. Smaller organizations most often lose sight of their corporate culture as they grow and mature, while larger organizations could be forced to regain a corporate culture that has already been lost. A company culture must be actively maintained.

Because iCIMS values employees and company culture, we have recently implemented a panel of interviewers that have been selectively chosen to help evaluate candidates against our core competencies.  The goal is twofold:

1. Allow a cross-section of employees to interview candidates against our core values.  During this process, candidates are also given the opportunity to learn more about our culture from this same panel of employees, thus giving them an insider’s perspective on what it is like working for iCIMS.
2. Assist managers in the hiring decision process by offering further insight into candidates.  In one particular case, we had the hiring decision narrowed down to two candidates. Two very good candidates!  The hiring manager, after reviewing the feedback provided by the panelists, was able to make a decision based on their hiring recommendations.

This hiring approach was first brought to my attention by way of the book, “Delivering Happiness” written by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh. He affirms that the emphasis on corporate culture has led his organization to unprecedented success and should be a company’s #1 focus.  His company later went on to be sold to Amazon for a sum total of $1.2 billion dollars; I trust that he’s doing something right!
 
While it’s too soon to be able to tell if this interviewing process has had any real success, I think it has provided for a great learning experience to all those involved.

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."
--Michael Jordan

It is always nice to see that the 3 hour lecture hall classes we were forced to sit through in college actually taught us something besides ‘how to fight to stay awake’. My minor in college is entitled, “Labor Studies and Employment Relations” which most people give one of those side head nods, not having a clue what it really means. Honestly, when I first started taking the courses it may just have been because the professors all got smiley faces on ratemyprofessor.com, however I have found the subject and the courses are relevant in almost every and any job position you may be in. 

As a marketing intern at iCIMS, I am beginning to discover that a positive work environment can motivate employees to stay on task and achieve higher goals. While customers and clients are what keep the business thriving and moving forward, employee satisfaction is vital to keep the company running smoothly.

In my previous experience, I have seen both good and bad working environments and the way it affects the productivity of work is incredible. My first job was at an ice cream shop. While the endless amount of ice cream was mouth-watering, the work environment brought a whole new meaning to ‘rocky road’.

Some of the negative aspects of work environment included:

• No Supervision- The owner was barely ever at the store, so he had no idea what needed to be done in order to keep the business in top shape.
• No Communication- The employees were told not to speak to one another while working, as it would distract them from what they needed to do. 
• No Teamwork- We didn't have meetings, goals, or anything to keep us feeling involved in the workplace. Without the initiative to work towards something, many employees worked as little as possible.

When employees (or interns for that matter) feel like they are apart of a company, they want to see it succeed. Employee communication is an important part of having a positive work environment. When employees feel like their opinions matter, their concerns are being met, and their work has a significant role in the overall success of a company, they are more likely to excel in their positions.

A few things iCIMS does to keep a positive work environment include:

• Weekly training sessions- Every week employees have a training session about something new or interesting that can help them with their work. This keeps everyone on the same page and allows for the company as a whole to progress together.
• Weekly department meetings- Although this may not seem like much, this allows everyone to share what they have been working on and express any questions or concerns they may have.  
• Monthly Goals- Goals give every employee a reason to work their very best. No one wants to be the reason why a goal wasn’t met.

These small things may not seem too important; however, a positive environment can put everyone in the right mood to succeed. I, for one, know that I feel a lot more comfortable expressing ideas and working to surpass my goals in a company that embraces a positive workforce.

A garden?

A solid company culture can have a myriad of benefits ranging from improved employee motivation to better retention rates.  But what elements of a company culture do candidates and employees say set their business apart?

Some organizations are suggesting it might be the greener things in life. Most recently, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care made the news for its company garden, and they aren’t the only ones doing it. Kohls, Google, Yahoo, and Aveda are some of the big named corporations with company gardens – and the benefits go further than you might think.  Harvard Pilgrim cites promoting healthy eating as the motivation behind the garden but has seen benefits ranging from an improved corporate responsibility program (the food raised is donated to local charities) to boosted moral, increased teamwork and sustainability.  Some even think that having a company garden could be a new recruiting tool – an inexpensive addition to their business' bright company culture.

Don’t have the space for a company garden in your business park? Here are some other easy ways to add to your company culture (courtesy of about.com) and ultimately, your recruiting tool box:

Performance-based compensation and reward programs:
Don’t let good performance go unnoticed! Our traffic coordinator, Corey Milloy recently blogged about some employee retention tips, and this is what he had to say: "Reward repeated positive behaviors—when an employee has consistently done well for your team and is committed to helping your organization succeed, make sure that you show them how much you appreciate those efforts. Give them an appropriate (financial) reward for their efforts but be sure to clearly explain why they are being rewarded.  This is an especially valuable tool now, as top contributors are starting to have other options for employment."

Effective 360-degree communications:
Be transparent! Let your employees know exactly what is happening within their departments and the company.  One on one meetings, weekly departmental meetings, and quarterly company-wide conferences are all imperative – but having an open door policy is crucial.  Also, think about investing in an instant messaging service for improved company communication via a casual outlet.

Commitment to learning and skill development = better employee performance:
Maximizing the performance potential of your existing talent pool can provide your organization with significant benefits, from a reduction in turnover to improved employee morale and more. By creating an open forum for learning employees' expectations, goals, and perceived performance levels, your organization can empower individuals to take control of their own career paths.

Training management software comes equipped with easy-to-use training data management tools so users can post training courses online and track employees who have registered for courses through web-based portals. Department heads can then track employees against training requirements; from training course request through attendance through post-class assessments.

In addition to these employee management strategies, some good old fashioned perks and benefits don't hurt either! Here at iCIMS, we benefit from generous financial security, health benefits, career development plans and extensive time away options.  But sometimes it's the extras that really set us apart from other companies:

iCIMS Extras:
Casual Dress Code
Complimentary Soda, Coffee and Tea
Complimentary “Bagel Fridays”
Complimentary Monthly Luncheons
Group Discount Auto and Homeowner’s Insurance
Corporate Gym Discount
National Discount Program
After Hours Social events.

And to wrap it all, did I mention that iCIMS is hiring?

Two weeks ago, I sat at my desk proof reading away, while listening to some epic movie music on my iPod…don’t ask about the music choice. After, ensuring all of my “i”s were dotted and all of my “t”s were crossed, figuratively of course, I sent the document in for approval. I looked at my watch and what do you know, I still had an hour before lunch! Two hours from start to finish. Well, the document was on the shorter side, but this was still a big accomplishment for me, as writing doesn’t come quite as easily as I would like it to. In truth, I am the type of person who overanalyzes every word written on the page, which often leads to an evening on the couch with my computer on lap and ice cream in hand. It often takes quite some time before I am even the slightest bit satisfied with what I have written. But, by completing this type of work in a timely manner, with appropriate word choice and sentence structure, my confidence level went way up. I was finally “starting to get it”. I was finally starting to become more efficient at my job. When I finished the project, I first sung a sigh of relief, then reflected on how much I’ve learned since day one and lastly, questioned how this growth was possible. After a two minute thinking expedition, I landed on training and work environment. I had extensive and frequent trainings and I have been able to work in a healthy, comfortable work environment (in my case, the ability to listen to music while I work). The skills I have developed and the knowledge I have gained have not only helped me in my current job responsibilities, but they will also enable me to have a successful career. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have a great deal to learn, but I now have the confidence to reach my professional goals. And, much of it is thanks to iCIMS.

Ok, so what does this have to do with iCIMS 10th Anniversary…

In their announcement one month ago, iCIMS told the world about its ten years of excellence. And, as an employee here, I am thrilled to be celebrating iCIMS success. I enjoy working here and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that I am able to improve my mind every day at this company. So, I am excited to be part of this celebration. However, I am even more excited about how the outside world has reacted to iCIMS’ announcement. I would now like to share with you some of the positive feedback and supportive comments clients and partners have made. These sentiments truly reaffirm my belief that iCIMS upholds an unwavering commitment to both customer satisfaction, along with internal employee satisfaction. (Taken from Facebook, Twitter and Partner blogs).

Always impressed with the people at iCIMS. Very sharp, creative and friendly group of pros. Can you say HR Happy Hour tour?

Don't miss the #iCIMS10 video w/President & CEO, Colin Day http://tinyurl.com/ybl95y3. I'm impressed w/the iCARE program for the environment.

@iCIMS Congrats on 10 years!

@iCIMS I'm really liking the new GUI on the latest release.

Congrats to @iCIMS on its 10th anniversary http://www.icims.com/10thAnniversary/ #icims10.

Wow! Love the @iCIMS party over on @ere_net......what a way to celebrate…(am feeling pretty lucky that I got to use iCIMS.)

Congrats to our good friends and strategic partners at iCIMS, a global leader in talent management software!  And true to form, they are celebrating this occasion in grand style.  See below. I don’t know if this will encourage attendance or not, but I plan to be at the Chicago event. EmployeeScreenIQ

It’s refreshing to know that I work for a company that is so well-respected.

The next few months are going to be quite busy with the hustle and bustle of the Happy Hour/Anniversary tour. But, having the chance to recognize iCIMS success and more importantly, thank the clients and partners who have helped the company experience such growth, will make it all truly worth it.

Check out the iCIMS 10th Anniversary page here! Get ready for our first stop on the Happy Hour tour on April 8th in New York City, countdown: 14 days!

iCIMS is kicking off 2010 with a celebration to shout about. Happy 10th anniversary, iCIMS!

Incorporated in 2000, iCIMS marks its 10th year in business with a tour around the nation starting April 8th in New York City. The celebration will give all attendees the opportunity to meet the iCIMS family and network with other HR professionals to learn the latest in HR technology solutions. The company will visit 8 cities in total. Click on the city name to register for an event near you or check out the iCIMS 10th Anniversary site!

So, why the party?

First, let’s take a little trip back in time…

Built from the ground up, iCIMS offered the world a new way to approach the HR function. Fast, flexible, web-based talent management software to facilitate human resource departments worldwide.

Within the first year, iCIMS was already experiencing rapid growth, but this was only a sliver of the success about to come.

• By 2001, iCIMS signed 50 clients.
• By 2003, iCIMS opened West Coast operations in order to assist the East Coast headquarters.
• By 2005, iCIMS landed on the “Fastest Growing Technology Company” list.
• By 2007, iCIMS signed 500 clients.
• By 2009, iCIMS adds UK division to North American and Asia-Pacific operations.
• By 2010, iCIMS celebrates 10 years of operation with all of its 800+ clients.

So again, why the celebration?

This anniversary tour celebrates iCIMS’ rise to excellence. Over the past ten years, iCIMS has gained unparalleled organic growth totaling to 963% and has experienced a corporate renewal rate of 97%. iCIMS has also shown an unwavering commitment to superior customer support and a continuous effort to improve the HR technology world. Recently, iCIMS was named the mid-market leader for business platforms. This tour reflects upon iCIMS’ dedication to offering the best software an HR representative could ask for. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, iCIMS is celebrating the ones who helped them achieve this phenomenal success: iCIMS’ 800+ clients! Thank you clients for your continued support of the iCIMS Talent Platform. iCIMS couldn’t have experienced such growth without you!

This event is just one of many to come in 2010.

Here’s a sneak peak at our next event: iCIMS will release the newest version of the Talent Platform, iCIMS 10. This new release provides clients with greater flexibility and configurability that revolutionizes the user experience. With an enhanced interface and quick-access links, recruiting candidates and managing employees just got easier. Keep up-to-date with the latest news from iCIMS at http://www.icims.com/article/.

This has been a momentous decade for iCIMS, full of growth and expansion. The iCIMS team expects even greater success to come in 2010 and beyond. Join us in celebrating ten years of excellence and register for an event near you!