People Solutions

Art and Sue just returned from Chicago where they attended the Agency Management Institute’s Build a Better Agency Summit. They each hosted a roundtable discussion – Art on leadership development issues and Sue on effective interviewing. There were so many good conversations and ideas that we thought it would be helpful to share some of the things we heard. Whether you’re with an agency or in anot...

We’ve been talking a lot about the power of the exit interview and an emerging concept of the stay interview.  In this podcast, Sue and Nicole discuss the reasons for having these conversations and the importance of using the information to make changes that improve the employee experience.  Why are they useful? What questions should you be asking? What do you do with this information? Visit the r...

In this episode of our People Solutions Podcast, Sue is joined by Dr. ClauDean Kizart, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Tidewater Community College. We’re hearing a lot about DEI, and it can be daunting to take on this issue in a proactive and meaningful way. Join us as we discuss: • What is the definition of DEI? • Why is it important for businesses? • How can we get started in emb...

In this episode, Sue talks with Lori Highby, founder of strategic digital marketing agency Keystone Click.  Lori works with a number of clients in the area of Employer Branding.  Tune in to get answers to these questions:  ·      What is employer branding and why should you care about it?  ·      What are the biggest mistakes companies are making when it comes to employer branding?  ·      What ar...

In this episode, Art and Sue are joined by Craig Cody, CPA of Craig Cody & Company.  Continuing in the vein of our recent podcast about the legal ramifications of having out-of-state remote employees, Craig helps us address some of the financial considerations. What are the administrative costs? What are the tax implications? How can you avoid unpleasant surprises?

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Sue is joined by Tawny Alvarez, an attorney with Verrill Dana who specializes in employment law.  This subject recently came up here at STM when Sue relocated to Virginia and there were unexpected legal and administrative issues we had to address. Sue and Tawny discuss the legal implications of having remote employees...

In this podcast, Art is joined by David Jean, one of our strategic partners and a partner at Albin, Randall, Bennett.  In a recent conversation, the question came up, “Why do we treat our best people so poorly?”  Are you falling into any of these traps? Taking the path of least resistance and overloading your best performers because you know the job will get done right without any hand h...

How to spot people who are just "too nice." Our latest podcast episode features Art and Alyssa as they discuss competency shifts and what they mean. Some highlights include: Trends we've seen in job candidates’ attitudes about people, productivity, and planning When an over focus on people can be too much of a good thing How to screen out candidates who are too focused on people to the detriment o...

In our latest podcast, Sue is joined by Kathy Dockry, founder of Significa Group. Kathy is a leadership coach hired by large global companies to work one-on-one to accelerate the growth of top talent and is a thought leader on the power skills of influence, persuasion, and presence. Join us as we discuss: Why “What do you do” is a trick question Why it’s important to focus on the VALUE of your peo...

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions podcast, Sue, Art, and Alyssa discuss the differences between skills and values and why it’s an important distinction for hiring or promoting people. Listen in as we discuss: Don’t be blinded by surface behavior. Dig deeper to uncover core values and motivations. Value alignment allows for intuitive understanding of vision and direction and helps ease conf...

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions podcast Sue and our Senior Consultant for Training & Development, Chris Massaro, talk about how to navigate the critical first 90 days of employment. Break your strategy down into 30-day increments: learning, planning, executing This is a two-way street.  The same structure applies to the employer and the new leader. This is not the time for big, bold move...

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Art and Sue talk about the importance of ongoing communication as a key element in an effective performance management process. Some of the topics we touch on in this episode include: Regular communication about performance increases retention and reinforces strategic vision. Performance management is a continuous process of improvement and goal s...

In this week's episode of STM's People Solutions Podcast, Alyssa and Art talk about what you might find when you look beyond an individual's education, experience, and skillset. Consider their capacity, and the importance of looking within your organization first when trying to fill a position. Join us as we discuss: Hiring young or inexperienced people is risky because you do not know if the cand...

In this episode of STM’s People Solutions Podcast, Art and Sue talk about leadership capacities within the framework of the 13 Stages of Leadership Excellence . Join us as we discuss: Understanding a person’s capacity for leadership and how they fit your current needs. Developing your people to align with your plans for the future. Improving the overall leadership culture of your organization. Cli...

We recently circulated a report around our team that was based on a survey by Adecco. The report asserted that although we all understand that the best way to address the global skills shortage is through re-skilling, up-skilling, and an overall commitment to career development, the research showed that leaders and the people they lead have radically different perspectives about whether that is be...

We spend a lot of time talking about onboarding, but are we paying enough attention to offboarding? Regardless of why and how your employees leave you, they will still be talking about you. How they’re treated on the way out the door will impact what they say. Will they be an ambassador or an adversary? In this episode we discuss: Recognizing exiting employees for their contributions. Creating a p...

We at STM talk a lot about energy & drive and how important it is to uncover it in the interview process. In this podcast, Art, Sue, and Alyssa talk about future focus as a key indicator. Too low and you risk a mediocre hire, disappointment, and a lack of commitment and engagement. Too high and you’ll have someone who will accomplish their goals with you or without you. Is all of that energy p...

In this episode, Art and Sue address client questions about handling difficult situations with valued employees. Someone who is driving others away Two people who do great work but just can’t get along with each other Managing up If you have a question you’d like us to address in a future episode, get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

In this podcast, Art and Sue are joined by special guest David Jean, Managing Director of Altus Exit Strategies. An important aspect of growing a successful business is creating transferable value. Transferable value is what your business is worth to someone else without you at the helm.   To get started in determining your business’s value and creating an effective exit strategy, ask yoursel...

Selecting people who fit your culture is important, but if you’re all too much in lock step, you open yourself up to blind spots and the perils of groupthink. - Too many differences, and you’re susceptible to conflict, mistrust, and miscommunication. - Too many similarities can discourage creativity, innovation, and individual responsibility. - “Fit” is more about people sharing the same broad val...

Hi STM Subscriber,Are you struggling to find the right interviewing formula? Do you feel that your interviewing practices aren’t screening for top talent the way you’d like? STM can help! Check out our latest podcast episode where we discuss interviewing tactics like: - Be aware of your own bias; look beyond behavior. - For every question you ask, know why you’re asking it and what you do and do n...

Art and Sue recently hosted a series of roundtables at a conference centered around the issues of hiring, development, and retention. In this podcast, they share some of the ideas and issues that came up in those conversations. - How can we compete in this crazy hiring market? - What benefits and incentives can we offer to attract and retain good people? - Do we really have to put up with mediocri...

Are you providing your employees with rewards and incentives that are meaningful to them, or are you making assumptions based on what's meaningful to you? In this podcast, Art and Sue talk about the clues that help you determine what your individual people value and what rewards and incentives will resonate with them. - Hobbies and the roles your people play on your team can give you valuable clue...

Outsourcing work to contractors is a common practice, but are you really getting the most out of these relationships? In this podcast, Art speaks with STM’s marketing contractor, Graham Nash, to address common challenges managing your external people. Join Art and Graham as they discuss: - Effective onboarding is essential. Make sure your contractor has access to the resources and information they...

What's holding you back? To maintain and grow your business in today's world agility and adaptability are more important than ever. They are essential to navigating change and seeking out the best of each situation as you confront them. In this podcast we cover: - Now is the time to analyze how you do what you do. Is it out of necessity or is it just a habit? - Take a look at your culture, your pe...