Venturion president Don Huse appears on NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin

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AUSTIN (KXAN) – The holidays may be a time of cheer for some, but for others it may signal a time to look for a new job.

Don Huse of Venturion talked to anchor Brian Sanders on Sunday morning about the fact that companies may be cutting personnel at what is often viewed as the happiest time of the year.

Often the signals are there: a boss who makes less eye contact; less face-to-face time with a manager; receiving a poor evaluation when you’ve had good evaluations in the past; and extensive department cutbacks.

Be prepared, Huse said. Offer to work in a contract basis for your company. Know your company’s severance policies and request outplacement services if they are not part of your severance packages.

Whether or not the top termination warning signs apply, employees should continually update their resumes, build and maintain their career networks, and keep their professional knowledge and skills current.

There are also measures employers can take to ease the transition of departing workers until they find new jobs. A Venturion survey of displaced employees the firm has counseled during the past two years validates the value of providing outplacement career counseling services.

After receiving outplacement assistance, more than six times as many displaced employees reported having excellent or very good job search skills than before they entered the programs.

“Terminated employees continue to enter a very challenging job market. Some have not looked for new employment in several years and their job-search skills are rusty or outdated,” Huse said. “Other former employees are experiencing their first reductions in force and need additional resources and support to cope with the stress and anxiety.”

Companies can provide outplacement career counseling to departing employees to ease their transition.

“Outplacement assistance upholds the morale of workers who remain as well as those who are displaced. It reduces employees’ anxiety and reflects corporate social responsibility,” added Huse.

And evaluate whether you want to continue on your current career path or strike out on your own.

“Many people are too upset and emotional after losing their jobs to quickly launch a search. Give yourself some time to re-assess your career and determine what you want to do next. Conduct a thorough career check-up and develop an action plan,” said Huse.

Holiday parties may not be the time to ask for job leads, but it could be a time to gather business cards. People you mingle with may be your step to your next job.

Tips For Workers & Employers Facing Terminations

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Reductions in force have been increasing in recent weeks as more employers adjust their workforces to meet current and anticipated demand. The end of the year is a more precarious time for employees who may be most vulnerable to reductions in force as companies reduce costs to get a fresher start next year.”Although employees do not have much control over their company’s financial situation, rather than complaining about the situation and feeling like a victim, there are ways workers can decrease the chances they will be affected and steps they can take to correct performance-related issues,” said Don Huse, Managing Partner of Venturion in San Antonio, a leading global coaching and leadership development/consulting firm. Venturion offers these tips to employees to decrease their risk of being impacted:
1. Outperform expectations in your job. “Go well above the minimum requirements and seek to make yourself indispensable. Demonstrate how motivated you are and gain a reputation as someone who consistently delivers more than expected,” said Huse.

2. Show you are a team player. Being part of a team is the number one quality employers desire in workers, according to an OI Partners survey. “This has taken on a higher priority since many companies are operating with leaner work forces and there is a greater need to accomplish goals through others,” said Huse.

3. Offer ideas that could help grow business or attract and retain customers. Be on the lookout for ways to increase revenue, profits, productivity and efficiency. “The more you do to help your company, the more valuable you become to them,” said Huse.

4. Be on time and dependable. “Follow company rules such as keeping your cell phone off during working hours and doing your job rather than excessively surfing the Internet. Don’t spread rumors or be an agitator. It is OK to ask relevant questions, but do not become the company malcontent,” said Huse.

5. Be positive and supportive. “It is contagious and encourages others to do the same,” said Huse.

6. Keep on top of the latest technology and new developments in your field. Take classes or workshops to stay current with advances in your profession and in other areas that have an impact on business.

7. Set yourself apart. “Do something that will give you added recognition, such as write an article for a trade publication, or be a speaker at a conference. Volunteer to lead a special project, task force or charity drive to showcase your ability to take on responsibility,” said Huse.

If you are among those employees being impacted, OI Partners-Venturion recommends following these steps:

– Explore whether you can work for your company as a contract or freelance employee.
– Determine what severance pay and benefits you will receive.
– Utilize career counseling you are given.
– Request outplacement job-search assistance if it is not part of your severance package.
– Familiarize yourself with your company’s severance policies, especially if you qualify for any enhanced severance formulas that use a combination of your age and seniority.

There are also measures employers can take to ease the transition of departing workers until they find new jobs. An OI Partners survey of displaced employees the firm has counseled during the past two years validates the value of providing outplacement career counseling services.

Six-Fold Improvement In Job-Search Skills: After receiving outplacement assistance, more than six times as many displaced employees reported having excellent or very good job search skills than before they entered the programs. Only 12% of terminated workers rated their job-search skills as excellent or very good before receiving outplacement compared with 78% who ranked their abilities that way afterward – an increase of 650%.

‘Good’ or ‘Average’ Job-Search Skills Not Good Enough: Displaced employees who rated their job-search skills as only good or average before receiving outplacement significantly upgraded their knowledge. 78% of former employees reported they had only good or average job-search skills before receiving outplacement, compared to just 21% afterward – a decline of 73%.

“Terminated employees continue to enter a very challenging job market. Some have not looked for new employment in several years and their job-search skills are rusty or outdated. Other former employees are experiencing their first reductions in force and need additional resources and support to cope with the stress and anxiety,” added Huse.

“In such a competitive job environment, it is not good enough for terminated workers to only have ‘good’ or ‘average’ job-search skills. Their job-search skills must be equal to or exceed their career knowledge and experience in order to be able to successfully compete and gain new employment,” Huse said.

Companies can provide outplacement career counseling to departing employees to ease their transition. “Outplacement assistance upholds the morale of workers who remain as well as those who are displaced. It reduces employees’ anxiety and reflects corporate social responsibility,” added Huse.

2 Out of 3 Companies Trying to Retain Talent

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In a sign of an improving job market, 2 out of 3 employers are implementing programs to retain some of their most talented workers, according to a survey by Venturion, a global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm.

68% of employers have taken steps during the past year to retain some of their best executives, managers, future leaders, and those who work on the front lines. That is because turnover has already increased at 30% of surveyed companies and most are bracing for more employee exits in the coming year, according to the survey:

* 90% are concerned about losing high-potential employees
* 72% are worried about departing front-line workers (sales and service employees)
* 60% are apprehensive about middle managers leaving
* 45% are uneasy about senior-level executives exiting

“Most employers have initiated measures to hang on to their best talent. They realize if retention is a problem with a high unemployment rate, it will only get worse once more jobs become available if they don’t do something to entice employees to remain,” said Don Huse, President of Venturion.

“Companies are most concerned about losing employees who they have designated as their future leaders and those who directly work with customers. Job opportunities have already increased for these levels of workers and competition for the best ones will become more fierce, as well as for those who manage them,” Huse added.

The most difficult types of workers to retain are: operations and production (chosen by 30%), sales and marketing (27%), customer service (24%), accounting and finance (22%) and information services (20%).

Coaching programs, better compensation and benefits and tuition reimbursement are among the top retention methods employers are using to retain management employees and future leaders.

“Providing coaching to employees in how to become better managers is as important a signal of investing in their career development as are salary and benefit increases,” said Huse.

Employers are using primarily non-financial methods to retain those who work on the front lines, including selecting them more carefully, giving departing employees exit interviews, and providing better orientation and training.

The methods companies are using to retain employees are:

– High-potential workers: The top ways that companies are trying to retain high-potential employees are through better compensation and benefits (43% of respondents), coaching programs (40%), mentoring programs (38%) and tuition reimbursement (37%).

– Middle managers: The most popular retention methods companies are using for middle managers are coaching programs (35%), tuition reimbursement (30%), better compensation and benefits (30%), and flexible hours and schedules (24%).

– Senior-level executives: Coaching programs are the top way companies are trying to retain senior-level executives (37%), followed by stock options (32%), profit-sharing (27%), better compensation and benefits (24%), and retention bonuses (18%).

– Front-line workers: 50% of employers said they are selecting front-line workers more carefully as the top retention method. Other popular retention methods are: giving exit interviews (48%), better orientation and training (35%), tuition reimbursement (34%), and better compensation and benefits (26%).

10 Biggest Mistakes When Leaving Your Job

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As the number of job openings and workers quitting increases, people may be susceptible to committing one or more of the 10 Biggest Mistakes When Leaving Your Job, according to OI Partners-Venturion, a global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm.

The number of people leaving their jobs is growing as job openings increase.

  • Quits Up 20%. The number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs is 20 percent higher than two years ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1.92 million workers quit their jobs in December 2011 compared with 1.6 million in December 2009.)
  • Job Openings Up 42%. The number of available jobs is 42 percent higher than two years ago (December 2009), according to the BLS. (There were 3.38 million job openings in December 2011 compared with 2.38 million in December 2009.)
“People spend much more time trying to find a new job than they do planning a proper exit,” said Don Huse, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Venturion. “However, with pent-up anxiety building over the past few years due to the poor job market, people need to be cautious about leaving abruptly, badly, or not doing as much as they can to ensure a smooth transition.”

“You can never be sure how secure any job is. It’s important that you leave positive professional impressions with every employer so you can receive a good reference and keep the door open to returning if ever appropriate,” added Huse.

Here are the 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Leaving A Job:

1. Slighting your boss. Make sure your immediate supervisor is the first one you notify about leaving. “Do not tell co-workers before informing your boss. Do this in person – not by email or phone – and in private. Do not be overly happy or joyous about leaving, but express some regret and communicate how much you enjoyed working there,” said Huse.

2. Burning bridges. Do not leave on a sour note and be bitter or angry about actual or perceived slights such as being passed over for promotion or inadequately compensated. “This may come back to haunt you. It’s also not a time to tell supervisors and co-workers ‘what you think of them,’” noted Huse.

3. Not giving sufficient notice. Two weeks’ notice is customary for staff positions. Managers and executives may need to give more notice to ensure a smooth handoff.  An alternative is to ask how much notice they would prefer and see if this can be worked out with your new employer.

4. Not offering to train or recruit your replacement. If your replacement has been selected before you leave, offer to train him or her. If no successor has been chosen, volunteer to use your knowledge of the job to help choose a replacement.

5. Failure to thank employer. Thank your employer for the great career opportunity. “After departing, write a thank you note stating how much you enjoyed working for the company and your manager, what you learned and how much you value the experience,” said Huse.

6. Not participating in an exit interview. “Participate in an exit interview especially if you want a good reference in the future. Treat the exit interview as seriously as a hiring interview and focus on the benefits the new position presents for you and your career – and not the shortcomings of the job you are leaving or anyone working there,” stated Huse.

7. Not making a clean break. Leave professionally and do not take proprietary information with you.”It is your reputation that will still stay with your ex employer. Assure them you will not be soliciting other employees to leave,” added Huse.

8. Leaving unfinished work. Be sure you complete all of the work that can reasonably be expected within your time remaining. Do not slack off or start arriving late and leaving early.

9. Unwilling to answer questions. Volunteer to answer questions related to the job you are leaving for a short period after departing.

10. Not staying in touch with your boss and co-workers after you leave. “Keep in contact with them to maintain your career network and bolster getting a good reference. Offer to serve as a reference and networking source for them,” Huse said.

LOCAL EXPERT ON EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

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According to recent research by OI Partners-Venturion,:
QUALITIES EMPLOYERS ARE SEEKING IN NEW WORKERS:

Related experience in their industries: (chosen by 77% of survey respondents)

Team-oriented: 71%

Customer-focused: 63%

Track record for achieving employer’s goals: 62%

Work smart: 60%

Work hard: 56%

Can add value in indirect non-financial ways: 46%

Can make immediate impact on bottom line: 39%

 

TYPES OF WORKERS BEING HIRED:

General operations: 67%

Sales: 40%

Information technology: 35%

Administration: 30%

Finance: 26%

Human resources: 16%

Legal: 7%

 

WAYS EMPLOYERS ARE HIRING WORKERS:

Recruiting through LinkedIn more often this year than 2010: 44%

Posting more jobs on their company websites: 36%

More frequently using employee referrals: 32%

Using more contract and temporary-to-permanent workers: 25%

Using local candidates more often: 22%

Using Facebook more to recruit workers: 19%

 

HOW QUICKLY HIRING DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE:

About the same amount of time as last year: 63%

Taking longer to hire employees: 32%

Taking less time to hire workers: 5%

Management Bench Strength Low At Many Employers, 40% Do Not Have Enough Future Leaders On Board

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The management pipeline is bare at many employers, according to a survey by OI Partners-Venturion, a global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm.

Four out of 10 companies do not have enough employees to succeed their current executives and high-potential workers, and 3 out of 10 do not have enough middle management successors, according to the survey.

“That means employers have not selected their future leaders and do not have anyone to step in if they suddenly lose key executives or managers. The cost of lost opportunities could be huge,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion.

To build the next generation of leaders, about half of employers will be developing their middle managers and high-potential employees. One-quarter will promote now-ready executives to higher positions. Only 1 in 5 plans to recruit executives from their competitors. OI Partners received responses from 220 employers.

“Companies have not been hiring as many replacements as they need for employees who are promoted, leave for other jobs, or were laid off due to cutbacks.  Many employees who are rated high potential are not receiving the development and training they need to be prepared to assume these positions.  The management pipeline for future leaders remains thin even with many qualified managers looking for jobs,” said Huse.

With management successors in short supply and companies not hiring as much as usual, this is an opportunity for current employees to show they should be considered for advancement.

“When employers are ready to fill management slots, most companies look internally to their own employees. Fewer employers are hiring their replacements from outside their companies or from their competitors. This is an opening for employees already on board to demonstrate that they have the skills, leadership qualities and achievements their employers are seeking,” Huse added.


Key findings from the survey are:

– CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING TALENT: More than 8 out of 10 employers are worried about losing key employees today and when the economy improves. One-third of companies are very concerned about losing talent, and more than half are moderately concerned.

– MOST AT RISK OF LEAVING: High-potential employees and middle managers are considered most likely to leave companies.  Almost half (48%) of businesses regard high-potentials as having the biggest probability of leaving, and 39% of companies are concerned about middle managers leaving.

– SUCCESSION PREPARATION: 41% of surveyed companies do not have enough executive-level successors, 39% do not have enough successors for high-potential employees, and 28% do not have enough middle management successors.

– WHERE FUTURE LEADERS WILL COME FROM: 52% of employers plan to develop their middle managers into future leaders, 49% intend to build their high-potential employees, and 25% plan to promote now-ready executives to higher positions. Only 20% anticipate recruiting successors from their competitors.

Watch Out For Signs of Job Loss As Layoffs Increase

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Layoffs and terminations are very much part of our culture and “laying people off” and “being laid off” are both fearful and challenging for everyone. Following are some tips for employees who wish to be proactive in managing their careers, according to OI Partners-Venturion, a global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm.

“Layoffs and terminations usually take most people by surprise. They are generally unprepared for what to do next,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion.

“There are possible warning signs to help employees make adjustments, and be ready to move forward if a job loss occurs, Huse added.

Among possible termination warning signs are:

– Your boss is making less eye contact with you than usual.
– You have less face-to-face time with your manager.
– You are included in fewer meetings.
– You received a poor performance review.
– You have been told your skills or knowledge are outdated.
– Your workload or responsibilities have been reduced.
– Your co-workers know more about what’s going on than you do.
– Emails you send seem to have less importance.
– Your comments and suggestions are not considered.
– Cutbacks in your department have been more severe than others.
– Your company’s earnings or stock price have declined dramatically.
– Your employer has announced plans to outsource.
– Speculation about layoffs is rampant.    “Individual employees do not have much control over their company’s financial situation and the economy. You may be able to correct performance-related issues if they exist. However, if a number of these signals are present, you should formulate an action plan in case it is needed,” Huse added.

If you are affected by a job loss, OI Partners-Venturion offers this advice:

– Explore whether you can work for your company as a contract or freelance employee.
– Determine what severance pay and benefits you will receive.
– Utilize career counseling you are given.
– Request job-search assistance if it is not part of your severance package.
– Prepare your family or significant other for the financial effects of the job loss and adjust your budget accordingly.
– Do not immediately begin a job hunt until you have had time to put things in perspective.
– Do not send out resumes, call networking contacts or reply to job postings until you are fully focused.
– Consider transferring your experience to another industry or changing careers.
– Examine starting your own business or becoming a contract or freelance worker for past employers.
– Look into pursuing your “dream job” in addition to positions similar to those you have held.

“Many people are too upset and emotional after losing their jobs to quickly launch a search. Give yourself some time to re-assess your career and determine what you want to do next. Conduct a thorough career check-up and develop an action plan,” said Huse.

Whether or not the top termination warning signs apply, employees should continually update their resumes, build and maintain their career networks, and keep their professional knowledge and skills current.

Employers can provide outplacement career counseling assistance to terminated employees to ease their transition. “Outplacement assistance upholds the morale of workers who remain as well as those who are displaced. It reduces employees’ anxiety, demonstrates good public relations, and reflects corporate social responsibility,” Huse added.

WOAI – Companies are Hiring Again, But the Way You Get That New Job has Changed

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  After hunkering down and dealing with the impact of nine to eleven percent unemployment for more than three years, indications are emerging that the long jobs drought is lifting, but local experts say the types of jobs that are available in the marketplace, and even the process for getting a job has changed dramatically since before the recession, 1200 WOAI news reports.

  Don Huse, President of the San Antonio office of OI Partners-Venturion, the global talent management firm, says the hiring process will be new to people who have not gotten a job since before the recession began.

  First of all, he says the process will take more time, and more than just the manager will interview you, and will have input into the hiring process.

  “If more people have a good feel for that candidate, then the likelihood that the candidate will fit in as part of the team increases,” Huse says.

  He says the chances are far better than before that you will be hired without having seen the new office, he says flying in a dozen candidates for in person interviews has changed.  More interviews are being connected via Skype, through traditional phone calls, and even through social media interaction.

  And while previously, ‘lone warriors,’ people who could go out and get results on their own were valued, today’s work place demands more teamwork.

  “I think one of the biggest things is to have a reputation as a team player,” he said.

  And he says, thanks to instant information through the Internet and social media sites, reputations, both good and bad, that a worker obtained in the past is more likely to follow them to a new job.

  “The person that works hard but is a little abrasive, a little harder to work with, that person is going to have more and more trouble,” he said.

  While computer and Internet savvy is important for any job, Huse says the business site ‘Linked In’ is more critical than Facebook in conducting a job search.

  “Linked In is definitely used more,” he says.  “Facebook is used, but so many people have their Facebook sites private.”

  54% of companies say they will hire ‘more employees’ in 2011 than they did last year, and half of all companies are far more concerned about retaining employees than they were in past years.

  He says the number one trait that employers are looking for in new hires is ‘related experience in their industries,’ followed by ‘team oriented,’ ‘customer focused,’ and ‘track record for achieving employers’ goals.’

  Interestingly, ‘work hard’ is just the fifth most important qualification, with only 56% of companies saying they are looking specifically for that quality in new workers.