The Science of Selecting the Right Person the First Time When the Peter Principle was first described, managers around the world nodded their heads; promoting people beyond their capacities was (and is) a most familiar phenomenon.  In fact, 70% of first line supervisors are selected because they are the best workers, rather than the best

Selecting safe employees has always been a commitment of PSP in working with its customers.  While safety accidents can occur with employees at all job levels, it is more likely to occur for hourly production and maintenance employees who are involved in operating technical equipment, handling hazardous materials, or moving materials from one location to

Companies often invest as much as a million dollars in frontline employees over a 20-year period.  To achieve a return on this investment, companies need to maximize performance of these employees.  It is important for leaders not to overlook the key role that frontline employees play in the company’s success as they have a huge

According to the NY Times, when Siemens Energy opened a gas turbine production plant in North Carolina, some 10,000 people showed up. But fewer than 15 percent of the applicants were able to pass a reading, writing and math screening test geared toward a ninth-grade education.  At John Deere dealerships, fixing tractors and grain harvesters

Our findings. Our findings showed that higher scores in mechanical aptitude and logical reasoning were important predictors of safe behavior. We also found that safer employees exhibited stronger planning skills, with a tendency to take more time to think situations through before they took action. Positive attitudes and a willingness to follow procedures were also shown

Leadership development continues to be a critical issue for companies as baby boomers retire and global competition for essential skill sets increases. With today’s continually changing technology and multi-national marketplace, leadership development must be an on-going process, not a one-time check-off on an executive’s To Do list, if companies want to stay competitive. Leadership development

Returning to the foundations of current theory can provide strategies to address today’s challenges. In the January 2003 issue, recognizing the continuing critical challenge of employee motivation, the Harvard Business Review printed for the third-time Dr. Frederick Herzberg’s 1968 classic, “One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?” Even today this is the HBR’s most

The job interview has great value, but interviews alone take very little risk out of the hiring decision.  A recent study found that 57% of candidates who recently had been interviewed believed telling lies during the job interview is acceptable. Job candidates are prone to exaggerate their skills, omit negative information, and lie about their

Leading and managing change is a necessary competency for success as a leader. Technology, workforce, and cultural changes are presently at a rate that surpasses what we have seen historically.  There is only one choice – change or risk going out of business. Today’s leaders need to be technologically savvy, able to communicate to and

Managers need to spend more time thinking through the results that need to be achieved in the job before they start reviewing candidates. Doing so allows you to look for the candidates whose strengths match what is most important for the job. Managers need to have the courage and commitment to say “no” when a