by John Sule | Apr 30, 2018 | Articles
“The first job of a leader at work or at home is to inspire trust. It is to bring out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardships and to create an environment in which high-trust interaction inspires creativity and possibility.”
That quote is from Stephen Covey who was an American educator, businessman, keynote speaker and author of the famous book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“. It means that Trust is equal to Engagement which results in increased performance.
Trustworthiness at a workplace is being honest, dependable and being reliable to get things done right. Without trust, allies can become enemies. However, trustworthiness is not just about employees feeling good about the company, but also having the confidence that a leader instills trust in the organization which contributes to the employee’s engagement and retention.
The article “Building Trust at Workplace– How Important Is It?” listed down the six consequences of lack of trust in the workplace which includes:
- Lower productivity
- No delegation of authority
- A load of work increases
- New ideas will not be welcomed
- Increased cost
- Competitors may win
A leader should also be trustworthy. There’s an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review by Professor David DeSteno of Northeastern University entitled “Who Can You Trust?” which shows the results performed on research about trustworthiness. It answered the questions “Are we trustworthy?” and “How does trustworthiness look like to those we interact with?” It also includes 4 points to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to do business with a new partner.
A reputation earned doing business with one customer with one set of costs and benefits cannot be relied on to hold up when trade-offs or accountability change. It merely means that trustworthiness depends on circumstances.
Research by Paul Piff, a social psychologist at Berkeley, suggests that indicators of socioeconomic status can predict trustworthiness. As explained, a person’s honesty depends on his relative feelings of power, and not on how much money he has in the bank. So when deciding whom to trust, consider new and temporary power differences.
- Confidence Often Masks Incompetence
We often associate confidence with competence. There will be no harm done if someone can back up his confidence with consistent performance, but if you fall for deluded posturing, then that is when the problem comes in. So do not forget to do your research, although reputation cannot be an indicator of integrity, it is a reliable predictor of competence.
- It is OK to Trust Your Gut
Some findings demonstrate that our minds come with built-in trust detectors, but we sometimes suppress our intuitive machinery by taking into consideration what we believe to be more rational predictors and mistakenly looking for the wrong nonverbal cues. Trust your gut and allow your mind to arrive at a judgment undisturbed by predictors and wrong nonverbal cues.
Horizon Technology Partners believes that TRUST is one of the key factors in creating a long-term relationship with employees and clients. Here’s an interview with a client named Brian, a Software Development Manager, who expressed trust and confidence with HTPartner’s dedication and commitment to providing elite staff.
Brian: “He supplies people who are so passionate at their jobs, and he made them qualified team members, good team-oriented personnel, and they spoke well. I can’t think of anyone that I did not like that he brought forward, and in some cases they were fantastic.”
Are you also looking for a trustworthy provider of IT Talents, as well as elite staff that you can trust?
For a “No-Pressure” conversation with John Sule, schedule a call
If you would like to learn more about finding the right candidate for your open positions give us a call at 847-202-3242 or email us at connect2htp@htpartners.com.
“Building talented teams where talent matters.”
–Horizon Technology Partners
by John Sule | Apr 11, 2018 | Articles
More than just a French term, “esprit de corps” is the sense of unity and commitment to achieving a common goal. It is persistently pulling each other together even in times of great adversity. It is a spirit of devotion and loyalty that each organization rely on to achieve success. Thus, Horizon Technology Partners believes that aside from providing talents with significant expertise, a professional should also be able to fit into the company’s ecosystem and should be committed to working with the team on a long-term basis.
Linda, Director of a Major Financial Institution, emphasized the importance of esprit de corps in an organization: “I think the collaboration that you get out of enjoying the people you work with causes you to have a better sharing of ideas and feel more comfortable on exposing yourself because IT is collaborative. So I think many times the end product has a lot more value added because you have people who really like to share and exchange of ideas.”
Although, it is a reality that in every working environment, conflicts can arise, as well as jealousy, one-upmanship, and misunderstanding. People have differences that could get in the way of ensuring harmony and loyalty. However, there are ways on how to deal with them and promote esprit de corps within an organization.
Michael Feuer, an entrepreneur, management consultant, venture capitalist, speaker, and author, wrote the article “How To Create ‘esprit de corps’ In Your Organization” which explains how a leader’s actions and effort contribute to molding a culture and establishing esprit de corps in a company. According to him, there are different strategies for achieving esprit de corps, here are some:
1. Create and focus on a single and common goal.
Keeping the team focused on a mission makes each team player concentrated on how to achieve the goal and refrain from dwelling on unimportant matters. Getting ready with action plans for those who are losing focus and motivation creates an easy way to get them back on track.
2. Lead by example
There is no better way to demonstrate ethical values, commitment, and teamwork but by showing them yourself. A leader can promote the company’s core values by showing how seriously it matters, then in following the same values and procedures comes uniformity and solidarity.
3. Support each other
Show more support especially during adversity. Being supportive builds connection which motivates someone to get more involved and promotes better productivity.
4. Maintain good communication
Take advantage of the different communication platforms to ensure that everyone in the organization is well-informed. We know that misunderstandings frequently stem from miscommunication, thus delivering a clear common purpose and making sure that everyone is on the same boat promotes unity and progress.
Hence, before getting excited about the fruits of your hard work, make sure your organization has built the spirit of esprit de corps so it can stand the challenges and test of time. It is more enjoyable to celebrate your success together with people who are devoted and loyal to a common goal.
Horizon Technology Partners understands the changing trends in the industry. We look deeper into the backgrounds and skills of IT candidates to ensure they meet your long-term, company culture, and soft-skill needs.
Edward, Manager of a Database Architecture Team, shared his experience with Horizon Technology Partners: “Horizon Technology Partners has a rigorous selection process. Not only they are trying to select based on IT skills and technical skills, but they are also looking at people skills to make sure the person seats the team.”
We can provide you with expert professionals that will surely work for you with a common interest and purpose.
For a “No-Pressure” conversation with John Sule, schedule a call
If you would like to learn more about finding the right candidate for your open positions give us a call at 847-202-3242 or email us at connect2htp@htpartners.com.
WE RECOGNIZE.
WE UNDERSTAND.
WE DISTINGUISH.
WE PRODUCE.
WE DELIVER.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.
by John Sule | Sep 21, 2017 | Articles
As the tech talent shortage continues, hiring managers are having a challenging time filling these top tech positions. You’ve probably felt the pinch yourself. Everyone is looking to fill these top five tech positions, so demand is high while supply is historically low.
Not only is it difficult to fill these tech positions, but your competition is trying to fill them too. That means you must offer more attractive salaries and benefits than your competition, if you can find the talent, that is.
Hardest to Fill Tech Positions:
- Software Developers – This should be no surprise to hiring managers, software developers are the most in-demand IT position. Simply put, they drive business forward. Those who can design software solutions to fill a company’s needs are not only in high demand, they are nearly impossible to find on any job boards or recruiting websites.
- DevOps Engineers – New to the list, this position was expected to do away with the System Admin, but that hasn’t happened and doesn’t look to do so in the near future. Still, they are hard to come by as their demand has increased steadily.
- Java Developers – Java is being used more and more in both front-end and back-end web development, putting those with a Java skillset in high demand. If you’re a hiring manager you know that this role is one of the most difficult to fill. In fact, you probably have several positions open right now for Java Developers.
- .Net Experience – Microsoft’s software framework is in high demand and there simply aren’t enough with .Net experience to fill all the positions. The ones that are out there, aren’t out there for long, and you won’t find them on Monster or Zip Recruiter.
- Security Professionals – It seems every day there’s another massive data breach at a large corporation we believed was secure. Companies are finally taking their security seriously and want someone, many someones, in-house to manage, prevent and anticipate the next possible software hack. Tech professionals with security expertise are in extremely high demand.
If you’re trying to fill these top in-demand tech positions you know how challenging the task can be. In fact, you may have given up. Don’t throw in the towel just yet, we’re here to help.
At Horizon Technology Partners we have a large network of top tech talent that won’t be found on any recruiting website or job board. We’ve cultivated relationships with the top tech talent and match them to the company where they will be the best fit.
Horizon Technology Partners is a premier provider of IT Talent with over 18 years of experience to Fortune 1000 Companies.
If you’d like to learn more about our process please contact us at 847-202-3242.
by John Sule | Aug 24, 2017 | Articles
Mistreatment is the #1 reason people leave tech jobs according to the Tech Leavers Study a one-of-a-kind national study that looked into why people in the tech industry voluntarily left their jobs.
What the study found was that workplace culture drove turnover which had a significant impact on the retention of underrepresented groups. This turnover costs the tech industry more than $16 billion each year.
Here are just some of the key findings of the study:
- Nearly 40% of respondents cited mistreatment or unfairness.
- Underrepresented men were most likely to leave due to unfairness.
- 1 in 10 women experienced unwanted sexual attention
- LGBT employees were most likely to be bullied and/or experience public humiliation.
- Underrepresented men and women of color experienced stereotyping at twice the rate of White and Asian men and women
- 30% of underrepresented women of color were passed over for promotion.
We know that tech has a problem with diversity. There aren’t enough women or people of color entering the tech industry. While there may be some debate about why that is, especially in light of Google Memo posted a couple of weeks ago, we do know that the culture can be an echo chamber of old and outdated beliefs and attitudes.
The good news is, there’s a lot of room for improvement. You may not be able to hire a chief diversity officer, but you can implement these strategies to retain the diverse culture you may already have and to attract more women, people of color and lgbt people to your company.
Fix the Culture – Nearly two –thirds of tech leavers said they would have stayed if they culture had been fixed. Ask around and find out of your talent feels mistreated or feels as though they are being treated poorly or unfairly. The change in culture needs to start from the top down and it needs to be comprehensive. According to the study diversity and inclusion should be treated as a business strategy.
Core Values – Companies need to identify a core set of values and develop a code of conduct that strives to eliminate mistreatment and unfairness. It’s not enough to identify the problems, they must also be addressed and altered. Companies must be prepared to identify and discipline people who violate the core values.
Fairness – Companies also need to willingly audit performance management and compensation practices for bias.
Tech can save billions of dollars in retention and reputation costs if they focus on building an inclusive and fair culture.
Diversity encourages growth and development of out-of-the-box thinking, you want to attract a more diverse culture if you want to succeed in business these days.
What are you doing to ensure your company is attracting women, people of color, misrepresented men and lgbt people?
