More employers are resolving to show employees how valuable they are in a stepped-up effort to retain top talent amid an improving job market, according to OI Partners-Venturion, a global talent management firm.

That’s because employers are more often hearing “I quit” from workers, even with a high unemployment rate.

– The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs has surpassed those being laid off for 7 out of the last 9 months, including the past three straight months, for which figures are available (February-October 2010), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.  The number of job openings rose 19% over the same 9-month period a year ago.

– Among the industries being affected most by voluntary employee departures are financial services, professional and business services, and health care.

– It’s becoming more expensive to replace departing employees.  It costs an average of 2.5 times an executive’s salary, and 2 times a manager’s pay, to replace them, including costs for recruitment and training, lost business, severance pay and benefits, according to a survey by OI Partners.

– About two-thirds of employers are concerned about losing managers and almost half are worried about losing executives, according to the survey of 262 employers by OI Partners.

“Many companies are leaner than before the recession, so when valued employees leave, it’s tougher to replace them.  It takes a higher toll on the workplace, where average workloads have increased,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion.

“Departing employees take with them not just their skills, but their knowledge, experience, and relationships with customers, compounding the damage,” said Huse.

“More employers are making it a priority to demonstrate to workers how valued they are.  It’s no longer enough to say ‘be happy you have a job.’  Companies need to be intentional about engaging and retaining top talent.  People who have been treated the same as lesser-performing employees will be looking to go where they feel they are a better fit,” Huse added.

Among the ways employers are demonstrating to employees how much they value them are:

– Developing “career paths” for top performers and providing them with coaching to help them achieve these future positions.  “More companies are concentrating on their ‘A-team’ players and those they want to develop into top-tier employees,” said Huse.

– Sharpening their knowledge and skills.  Supplying inside and outside coaches and on-the-job training to polish employees’ management and interpersonal skills are the top ways companies in the OI Partners survey are using to retain managers and executives.  “Coaching in management and interpersonal skills also helps people become better bosses, improving the retention of their subordinates,” said Huse.

– Improving compensation and benefits.  “Although higher pay is not the top reason why employees leave, companies that have recovered sufficiently to make up for past wage and benefit freezes, pay cuts, or small raises, will be expected to provide some financial reasons to stay,” said Huse.

– Teaching employees new skills.  “Even if you don’t have an opportunity to promote good performers, challenge them with projects that will enable them to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities,” said Huse.

– Making sure they are in the right jobs.  “Some employees are not fully engaged in their work because they are not in the right jobs.  They may be looking to leave not because they don’t like their employers, but because they don’t like the work they are doing.  Discover which roles they can play that are mutually beneficial,” said Huse.

– Communicating company goals and strategies and each worker’s part.  “Employees want to feel involved in what’s going on and inspired by what’s ahead so they can remain engaged and motivated,” said Huse.

– Recognizing their contributions.  “People want to feel appreciated for the work they do and the value they bring. Design low-cost ways of keeping people motivated, including expressing appreciation through face-to-face meetings, personalized e-mails and notes, and tokens of thanks,” said Huse.

With people throughout the U.S. about to stop receiving extended unemployment benefits, they will need to step up their job-search efforts.

OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a global talent management firm (www.oipartners.net) offers the following advice that may help them land a job more quickly:

– Try to connect personally with an interviewer. “Chemistry is at the root of nearly every hire. Employers choose people who seem most likely to get along with others, and are the types co-workers want to be around,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio).

– Display humor and a warm personality during the interviewing process. “Many job applicants are one-dimensional during interviews and are too focused on getting their talking points across. Don’t forget to show qualities that can be a plus in the decision-making process, including humor in good taste, warmth, and understanding,” said Huse.

– Show interest and excitement in the job opportunity.  “Companies are looking for people who are enthusiastic about working with them, and can motivate and inspire co-workers and direct reports. Communicate this in a variety of ways and express your enthusiasm for hitting the ground running,” said Huse.

– Make enough eye contact during interviews. “A good rule of thumb is to make eye contact about two-thirds of the time during an interview. Frequent eye contact signals that you are comfortable with, and sure of, yourself. Proper eye contact expresses confidence, sincerity, and interest, while looking away can be interpreted as discomfort, disinterest, and insincerity,” said Huse.

— Be sure to set yourself apart from other job-seekers.  “Answer the question, ‘Why should I hire YOU?,’ in enough detail, in cover letters and during personal and telephone interviews. You need to make the strongest case possible why YOU should be hired.  Address what impact you can have on sales, profits, costs, productivity, complaints, or other areas within the next three to six months.” said Huse.

– Focus on what the job interviewer is saying, rather than too much on what you want.  “Listen carefully and analyze what an interviewer is saying, translating this into what you can do to help them fulfill their needs. When answering questions, be sure to match the communication and personality style of your interviewers,” said Huse.

– Fully follow up after your interview.  “Your follow-up efforts after interviews need to be proactive and assertive without becoming irritating.  Establish during the interview what the next step will be, and when and how it would be appropriate for you to follow up – by phone, if possible. Send a follow-up note, or letter, or e-mail, within 24 hours of the interview – and to each person you saw who may have a vote in the hiring decision.  Personalize each follow-up to the topic of what was discussed with that particular person.  Do not send any form letters, or the same letter to each person,” said Huse.

Although the U.S. economy showed improvement in October, jobs remain difficult to get as well as to keep.  What’s holding some people back from becoming re-employed, finding another job, or advancing in their careers, are a few career and job search myths.

OI Partners-Venturion, a global talent management firm, surveyed its career consultants to come up with several top career and job-search myths:

MYTH: Older job-seekers should leave dates of graduation and years of experience off their resumes and social media profiles.

FACT: Omitting this information could serve as a “red flag” that says, “Older applicant and embarrassed about it.”  “Don’t make a hiring manager have to guess how old you are,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion.  “Age is not as much of an issue as it used to be, but older employees need to be prepared to address it.  Refer to yourself using terms such as high-energy, able to learn new systems, and good technology skills, while emphasizing benefits older employees can bring, such as experience, maturity, work ethic, and ability to understand the big picture.”

MYTH: Mentors are usually older, more experienced employees who work with younger workers in formal mentoring relationships.

FACT: Mentors can be any age, and mentoring doesn’t have to be a formal working relationship.  “You can have more than one mentor at a time, with different ones serving different purposes.  More experienced employees can mentor younger people in how to be politically correct and how to navigate an organization.  Younger employees can teach older workers how to better use social media, produce more state-of-the-art presentations, and become savvier in using mobile communications,” Huse said.

MYTH: Telephone interviews are not as important as in-person interviews.

FACT: With so many candidates available, employers are more frequently using phone interviews to screen out people.  “You need to be prepared right from the start to make the most of the limited time you will have.  Dress for business during the call and stand up while talking.  Tape notes to a wall, and have a list of talking points arranged by topic in large letters so you can access important information without rustling through paper.  Close by inquiring what the next steps will be and ask to meet in person,” said Huse.

MYTH: Keeping your online presence up to date isn’t as critical as updating your resume.

FACT: More employers are using social media sites, especially LinkedIn, to recruit potential employees.  “Your online profiles may be searched for potential openings without your knowledge, and you could miss out on being contacted.  LinkedIn profiles with recommendations are displayed more prominently when employers are searching for candidates.  The best way to get recommendations is to give them,” said Huse.

MYTH:  With competition so intense for few available jobs, most people are thoroughly preparing for interviews.

FACT:  A lot of people are still trying to “wing” their way through interviews.  Others are not sufficiently preparing for behavioral interviews, or adequately relating their experience to the specific opportunity. “Be ready to tell the story of how you achieved an
accomplishment, as well as to answer questions such as: ‘What should I remember about you after our meeting?’  Identify examples and situations from your experience that can be used to answer behavioral interview questions.  Have the details in mind, and be able to communicate them clearly and concisely.  You’ll present yourself in a more professional manner and show greater breadth of experience if you have a variety of examples,” said Huse.

MYTH:  You should focus on getting a full-time job rather than on freelance and contract assignments.

FACT: The temporary help market has been picking up before the holidays.  Many employers are adding temporary or project workers before deciding to hire full-time staff.  “If a potential employer says they don’t have a position at present, find out what they do need to get done – and negotiate to do that for them. Temporary and contract work enables people to keep their skills current, make new networking contacts, and earn some money while looking for full-time work,” said Huse.

MYTH: Networking is over-rated.

FACT: Unfocused and haphazard approaches may make networking seem like a waste of time.  Nevertheless, most of the people being hired today owe their jobs to informal contacts, rather than searching for positions online. “You should spend 75% of your job-search time implementing a targeted contact development strategy.  Always ask new contacts for additional names to continue building your network.  Keep your contacts in the loop with periodic updates after you have been hired, and be sure to thank all of those with whom you networked,” said Huse.

Although the time between interviews and hiring decisions is taking much longer today, numerous people are not getting jobs because they are not following up frequently and aggressively enough, according to OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a global talent management firm.

Your follow-up efforts after interviews need to be proactive and assertive without becoming irritating, according to OI Partners-Venturion.

“There are various reasons why hiring decisions are taking longer.  Many employers seem to be waiting for the ideal person to walk through the door, a ‘home run.’  Some hiring managers are reluctant to be the sole decision-makers if new hires do not work out.  And others may be holding off because they are expecting new business that has not yet materialized.  In most cases, companies do not share this information with candidates,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion.

“The period between the final interviews and hiring is an opportunity for candidates to actively influence decisions.  It’s important to understand the decision process and timing so you can build an outreach plan,” said Huse.

After four to six weeks, companies figure that most finalists will just assume they have hired someone else, Huse said.  “People who are most persistent in following up are demonstrating leadership, and that is one reason they finally get offers.  Following up does not mean merely calling and asking where a company is in its decision-making process.  Instead, people should utilize a variety of ‘touch base’ approaches,” added Huse.

Among the follow-up tactics that Huse recommends are:

— Spell it out beforehand: Establish during the interview what the next step will be, and when and how it would be appropriate for you to follow up – by phone, if possible.

— Initiate follow up immediately: It’s critical to send a follow-up note, or letter, or e-mail, within 24 hours of the interview – and to each person you saw who may have a vote in the hiring decision.

— Use a rotating cycle strategy: Keep in touch with the company on ongoing cycle, every 7 to 12days or so.

— Personalize each follow-up: Each follow-up communication must be personalized to the topic of what was discussed with that particular person.  Do not send any form letters, or the same letter to each person.

— Develop different ways to reach out: Within 5 days or less, find a reason to reach out to the hiring person and other key participants in the decision process.  Send them a link to an interesting article that relates to business challenges and work projects discussed during the interview process.  The idea is to reinforce the potential value you will bring as part of the team.

— Follow up by phone: A well-placed follow-up telephone call to the hiring manager and human resources within five days to reaffirm your continuing interest is vital.  If they say they are still interviewing, determine when it would be appropriate to call back.

— Show your continued interest: After 7 to 10 days, send an e-mail demonstrating your continued interest in the position.

— 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.  If you are participating in an educational activity, update them on how this relates to the competencies of the job for which you interviewed.

–Ask whether you are still in the running: You can – most likely only once – ask if they are still considering you as a viable candidate.

— Give them a chance to counter-offer: If and when you receive another valid offer, but still would like to work for the company, call or e-mail them that you have another opportunity.  Tell them they are your first choice, and give them a short 24 or 48 hour timeline within which to make an offer.

— Don’t stop your job search:Most importantly, don’t stop the job search.  Continue your campaign until you get the job you want.

CEOs and other top-level executives who lose their jobsusually need to overcome three big hurdles before they can get on with their careers. These obstacles are: inability to understand their real strengths and weaknesses; long service with one company; and trouble accepting they may not be top-level executives at their next employer, according to a survey by OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a global talent management firm.

What the former top executives need most to help them make a successful transitionare: an objective evaluation of their leadership styles; coaching in new management skills and techniques; and better methods for motivating and engaging employees, according to the survey of human resource professionals from 243 companies by OI Partners (www.oipartners.net).  The survey was conducted by OI Partners at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual conference in San Diego in June.

— 6 out of 10 companies (59%) agreed that senior-level executives they have let go have needed an impartial evaluation of their leadership styles and behaviors.

— More than half of companies (53%) said the executives need coaching in new management styles and techniques, and 51% of employers said the executives need to work on motivating and engaging employees.

— Almost half of companies (48%) said the executives’ inability to understand their real strengths and weaknesses is a major barrier.

— Long-service with one organization was cited as a potential transition problem for the executives by 46% of companies.

— 33% of companies said their former executives had trouble accepting they may not be at the top-level with their next employers.

“Since they have reached the highest levels of management, many have not received an objective critique of their leadership styles and behaviors and the ways they manage.  Most have spent a number of years with one company climbing the career ladder to the top, and they have not learned other ways to manage and motivate employees.  If the executives do not recognize these limitations, they may have a very short tenure in their next positions,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio).

To address these needs, OI Partners has developed a new C-Suite Transition Program specifically designed to assist with the professional and personal needs of those transitioning from the highest management levels.

Although long service with one company is often considered a prerequisite to making it to the top levels, this presents some special problems when these executives leave and are in transition, according to the survey.

“Executives who have been with one company for a long time are less likely to be skilled at managing and engaging conflict, creating an innovative organization, and leading change, than other similar-level executives, the survey found,” said Huse. “Executives who have spent most of their careers with one employer need a higher level of assistance in exploring their full range of options during their transition, including considering entrepreneurial ventures.  They also need more help networking with similar-level colleagues and peers,” said Huse.

The executives in transition are often seeking highly personalized networking support. OI Partners offices are conducting frequent networking meetings for C-Suite executives in transition.  To assist executives seeking to build a portfolio career, including directorships, the C-Suite Transition Program provides them with access to OI Partners’ alumni contacts and those of the talent management firm’s managing partners.

According to results of the survey:

The biggest career transition needs of top-level executives are: 

Impartial evaluation of their leadership styles: 59%

Coaching in new management techniques and skills: 53%

Assessing personal & professional goals & developing plan to achieve them: 37%

Developing an appropriate message and personal “brand”: 23%

Networking with similar-level colleagues and peers: 21%

The biggest obstacles top-level executives face while in transition are:

Inability to see or understand their real strengths and weaknesses: 48%

Long service with one organization: 46%

Trouble accepting they may not be CEOs or C-Level execs in next position: 33%

Concern about equaling their past compensation: 28%

Unwillingness to consider a broad range of career opportunities: 26%

Not being current with technology and social networking tools: 26%

The skills that former top-level executives most need to develop in transition are:

Motivating and engaging employees: 51%

Communicating effectively: 48%

Strategic thinking: 42%

Leading change: 40%

Team building: 39%

Leadership:  38%

Commitment to developing people: 25%

Although large-scale layoffs have mostly ended, those who have survived workforce cutbacks may not be completely out of danger as the sluggish economy persists, and companies are preparing to make more adjustments.  Employees need to demonstrate they have the skills their companies desire for the present and future – or that their employers should invest in developing them, according to a survey by OI Partners-Venturion (San Antonio), a global talent management firm.

— More than half (52%) of employers reported that some of their managers do not have the right skills to achieve their business goals.  Over one-third (35%) said some of their executives are lacking the necessary skills to move their organizations forward.

— Inadequate management skills such as leadership, motivating people, and building team work are the top reason why executives and managers today are not working out.  65% of surveyed companies cited deficient management skills as the main reason why executives are derailing.  It is also the No. 1 reason why managers are not succeeding, according to 56% of employers.

— Almost twice as many companies cited inadequate management skills as the main reason for executives not working out (65%) as those that blamed insufficient job skills (35%).

— The surveyed employers also want executives and managers to adapt to changes that have occurred in their jobs and workplaces.  53% of companies cited inability of managers to deal with changes as a major barrier to succeeding, and 45% of employers said executives also need to make adjustments.

OI Partners-Venturion received survey responses from 262 mainly large and mid-sized employers.

“Many companies that have laid off workers are now evaluating whether their employees have the right skills for today and tomorrow.  A company’s needs change continually to meet the prevailing conditions.  The skills that may have been right to lead and manage businesses through cost-cutting and layoffs may not be the same needed to re-focus and grow,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion (www.oipartners.net).

“Employers are assessing their management strength and determining which employees currently have the skills critical for success, as well as which workers they want to develop further through coaching and other training,” Huse added.

OI Partners-Venturion recommends the following ways for employees to show that they have the right skills, or are worthy of career development:

— Demonstrate your ability to motivate others and build teamwork. “Businesses most want to retain and develop people who can motivate and inspire others.  With raises and bonuses limited, managers and executives need to design low- and no-cost ways of keeping people motivated, including recognizing contributions and expressing appreciation through face-to-face meetings, personalized e-mails and notes, and inexpensive tokens of thanks,” said Huse.

— Watch your attitude.  “Companies do not want to retain or develop employees who continually complain about changes that have been made in their jobs or workplaces.  Accept these and discover new ways you can contribute,” said Huse.

— Ask your boss for suggestions on how you can improve your performance.  “Don’t wait until a formal job evaluation. Communicate regularly with your supervisor,” said Huse.

— Verify that your are keeping your professional knowledge and skills up to date.  “Take additional courses, attend conferences, read trade journals and industry publications and websites, and share this with your supervisor,” said Huse.

— Spread the word about your successes and accomplishments.  “Don’t be uncomfortable or shy about promoting your achievements to your boss. Forward positive e-mails and letters your receive from clients or customers in an under-stated way without boasting,” said Huse.

— Volunteer for opportunities that will enable you to showcase your leadership and motivational skills, including civic and community endeavors.

— Offer recommendations on improving operations, increasing business, or cutting costs.