Validity White Papers

The Disk Theory of Management

Human Resources is a system of interrelated functions. Changes in one area invariably affect other areas. Sometimes the interrelations are difficult to explain and describe. Managers and employees often have difficulty understanding why job descriptions and performance managements systems are important, or how they can help the company be more effective. The Disk Theory of Management is a simple way to illustrate the relationship between organization design, job descriptions, and performance management, and to highlight the importance of these key human resources practices.

Tripling Traffic to Your Careers Site With a Facebook Account?

Curious as to the impact of social media on your search-engine profile? Try this experiment: Go to a search engine and type in “(your company) careers” into the search field.  If you’re most companies, you may get one or more entries that may or may not point a job-seeker to the correct website. If you’re a few companies I won’t mention, you sadly go to the archives of well-known recruiter blogs begging you to upgrade your site.

What Is Your Hiring Strategy, and Is It the Right One?

At an early age I had the unique opportunity to work at the corporate offices of two different Fortune 500 companies. One was number 37 on the list, and the other one 497. While there, I learned a few timeless strategy lessons. They might be useful as you develop the hiring strategy for your company or organization.

Has Your Employee Entrance Become a Revolving Door?

There's been a lot of press about today's labor shortage. Applicant flow is down to a trickle in many industries. Business owners and their supervisors are being challenged to make the most of the workers they have.

New Legal Wrinkle Developing with Social Media

As if employers don't have enough to worry about, businesses are now being cautioned that employees who make exaggerated claims about their company could put the company at risk for violating the FTC's guidelines for endorsements and testimonials in advertising.

The HR Role in a Drastically Changing Business World

Strategic alignment. New buzzwords? Not necessarily. The terms strategy and strategic thinking have always been part of the business vocabulary, but the linking of the HR function with strategic thinking and strategic alignment is new.

Dealing with Complainers

Complainers are people who feel powerless to anything about their problems. They are an admitted pain in the neck because no manager wants to hear someone whine. And whining they do. They don't explode or attack they just gripe. They can also be cured. Here's how.

Hiring for Fast-growing Departments or Companies

To be a fast-growing company, whether a start-up or a new growth unit within a large corporation, there needs to be a product or service that is priced right, that customers are interested in, and are buying. The company also need to hire and manage people well, and you as the owner, recruiting executive, or HR manager in charge are faced with managing rapid growth.

The Most Powerful Questions That Recruiting…Never Asks

More often than not, it is the simplest things in life and in business that produce the biggest impacts.  Having spent more than 30 years analyzing corporate recruiting practices and strategy, Sullivan has noticed there are some rather basic questions that, if only posed, would have a profound impact on the effectiveness of most recruiting endeavors.

Bambi vs. Godzilla: How to Deal With Difficult People

Difficult people are everywhere!  They can be our co-workers, customers, supervisors, neighbors, and even family members.  Difficult personality types can drain us of our energy and move us from a positive position to a negative state of mind very quickly.  Many of us would like to avoid interacting with difficult people, or even worse, we can’t help but react to them with frustration and defensiveness.