Author Archives: Larry Janis

Buy Side BPO Management-Cross Tower BPO Transition Leader

 

Our client has recently entered a BPO Outsourcing deal with a provider. The contract covers three G&A towers-F&A, HR, and indirect procurement.  This scope of BPO services is new to our client and as such needs an experienced, proven successful person to join their team as we embark upon this transformational program.    The ideal candidate will have a functional background in corporate finance and corporate controller duties, as well as 10+ years’ experience working for a tier 1 outsourcing provider. (more…)

Database Administrator

Data Platform team resides in the tech department and is responsible for architecting, building and operating an On-Premise and Cloud Database Platform as a Service for all departments throughout the company. This opening is for an MS SQL Server DBA and requires a service oriented mentality, high sense of ownership and exceptional customer service.  The company databases are migrating from a SQL2008 virtualized Platform to a highly automated, virtualized SQL2012-14 Hybrid Cloud Platform utilizing the latest compute and storage technology to offer maximum performance, availability and security. We are looking for a highly motivated and talented DBA to build and maintain a best in class Database Platform and keep our clients at the forefront of latest technologies. (more…)

The Big Reason to Hire Superstar Employees Isn’t the Work They Do

by Walter Frick

Most companies will tell you they want to hire and retain “A players”, and why not? It’s hard to object to building a company around the best possible talent. But what is it about superstar talent that actually improves performance? A recent paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines this question by looking at academic departments, where productivity can be measured in terms of papers published and citations from other researchers. Superstars were defined as academics who ranked above the 90th percentile based on citation-weighted publications. The paper points to three different ways that superstars can improve an organization, and measures the magnitude of each in the context of academic evolutionary biology departments. The first, and most obvious, is the direct increase in output that a superstar can have. Hire someone who can get a lot of great work done quickly and your organization will by definition be producing more great work. But, perhaps surprisingly, this represents only a small fraction of the change that superstars have on output. The authors write:

On average, department-level output increases by 54% after the arrival of a star. A significant fraction of the star effect is indirect: after removing the direct contribution of the star, department level output still increases by 48%. (more…)

Lead at your best

by Joanna Barsh and Johanne Lavoie

When we think of leadership, we often focus on the what: external characteristics, practices, behavior, and actions that exemplary leaders demonstrate as they take on complex and unprecedented challenges. While this line of thinking is a great place to start, we won’t reach our potential as leaders by looking only at what is visible. We need to see what’s underneath to understand how remarkable leaders lead—and that begins with mind-sets. (more…)

Mentoring or Coaching: What’s Best for Your Company?

by Lis Merrick and Steve O’Brian 

Mentoring and coaching strategies translate to better employee engagement and retention. But it pays to know the key differences between coaching and mentoring to implement an effective program.

One of the major effects of the recession was a lack of investment in developing business skills for younger, midlevel workers. Today we’re faced with a serious talent gap and, with the improving economy, greater difficulty in recruiting highly skilled employees to fill those positions.

As organizations realize the depth of their talent predicament, many are developing strategic talent pipelines, with eight out of 10 saying they are “taking the steps to grow the talent pool and ensure access to the rights skills that will help drive business results,” according to “The Talent Shortage Survey: Research Results,” a ManpowerGroup survey. (more…)