1-888-658-6641
Back to blog

Category: Business Skills

Why Is Management Training Important? Elevating Leadership and Organizational Success

Posted on

Effective management is crucial to every company’s success. Management training and development is one of the most impactful investments an organization can make, whether it’s an online course, seminar, or management assessment. Managers equipped with the right tools and knowledge can improve overall company performance and culture and support sustainable growth. Here are the key areas where management training can benefit your managers and your organization:

Improve Communication Skills

Effective communication is the backbone of any successful organization. Management training focuses on enhancing communication skills, enabling managers to convey their ideas clearly, listen actively, and foster open dialogue within their teams. When managers communicate effectively, they bridge gaps between departments, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure that everyone is aligned with the company’s goals. This leads to a more cohesive work environment where team members feel heard and understood.

Expand Self-Awareness

Management training courses and assessments can foster self-awareness, allowing managers to understand, their strengths, challenges, and biases. Assessments that compare the manager’s style and strengths to other members of the team can increase understanding, help build better teams and improve results. Self-awareness is key to making more informed and balanced decisions that benefit the entire organization.

Increase Productivity

When managers are well-trained, they can lead their teams to higher productivity. Management training equips leaders with strategies to streamline processes, set realistic goals, and motivate their teams to achieve their best work. Fostering an environment where efficiency is prioritized will help organizations see a significant improvement in overall performance and income.

Enhanced Employee Morale

Understanding the importance of employee morale is a hallmark of a good manager. Management training and assessments teach leaders how to create a positive work environment where employees feel valued and motivated. When morale is high, employees are more likely to be engaged, committed, and loyal to the company. This not only reduces turnover but also boosts the overall energy and enthusiasm within the workplace.

Productive Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are inevitable, but effective management can make a difference. Managers need the skills to address conflicts between manager-employee and employee-employee. By learning techniques for conflict resolution, managers can prevent disputes from escalating, maintain a stable work environment, and ensure that issues are resolved in a way that is fair and satisfactory for all parties involved.

Opportunity for Feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool for growth, both for managers and their teams. Managers should emphasize the importance of giving and receiving feedback. By creating a culture where feedback is encouraged, managers can help their teams be heard and grow. Moreover, managers who are open to feedback can also learn from others and become more effective leaders over time.

Investing in management training is not just about developing individual leaders; it’s about fostering a thriving organizational culture. From improving communication and decision-making to boosting productivity and morale, the benefits of management training are far-reaching.

Organizations that prioritize management training will see immediate improvements in leadership effectiveness, employee retention, and long-term success.

About the Author
Marilyd Montalvo has been a part of the Corexcel team for over seven years. She has been a Certified DiSC Practitioner since 2017 and has worked with many organizations across the country using DiSC to build team morale, improve communication, and increase self-awareness and collaboration in the workplace. Marilyd is also a certified PXT Select Practitioner helping many organizations hire right the first time. She takes pride in providing quick, efficient, and thorough support to all of our clients. Marilyd works hard to ensure that Corexcel meets their mission of providing our customers with the tools to develop individually while excelling professionally.

Follow These “Rules” to Make Remote Interviews Rule

Posted on

Companies are hiring, and that’s good news! Much of the interviewing is being conducted remotely, with the interviewer and interviewee in separate locations. The virtual format can present challenges, but taking certain steps can make it a smooth process for all. Whether you’re conducting the interview or being questioned yourself, follow these tips for remote interviews to get the best results.man in virtual interview looking at resume

Rules for the Job Candidate

Keep everything but inanimate objects out of sight. This means keeping the kids away. Keep the pets away. Make sure they can’t be seen—or even heard.

Present a tidy environment. Another job interview tip is to be mindful of what the interviewer will see in the background. If you’re in the kitchen, make sure there are no dirty dishes around. If you’re in the bedroom, your bed must be neatly made. Do not do the interview from a basement with poor lighting.

Set up good lighting. Lighting is important on video calls. Position the light behind you, or sit in front of a window so there is natural light behind you. Good lighting can help you appear…in the best light.

Put down the cell phone. It should go without saying, but do not text during a video interview. If the phone is near you, turn the ringer off before the interview starts.

During a phone interview, stay still. Don’t go outside for a call, because the wind can affect the sound. Don’t do the interview while driving, either. You want to maintain safety and sound quality.

Check your equipment beforehand. Test your connection, including your audio and video, prior to the interview. While you can’t always avoid technical glitches during a video call, running a test lets you be as prepared as possible.

Do all the in-person interview things. Research the company ahead of time so you sound informed during the interview. Follow up with a thank-you email to the interviewer.

Rules for the Interviewer

Provide clear information on logistics. Send the job candidate a link prior to the meeting. Consider sending a “looking-forward-to-meeting-you” email that morning to put the candidate at ease.

Give the interviewee some slack. Despite best efforts, the individual might have technical difficulties. Don’t hold it against them if it appears they prepared for the interview. Leave enough time between interviews to accommodate unforeseen technical trouble.

Prepare. First, prepare questions that can help you gauge a person’s behavior since you can’t fully gauge their body language through a screen. Second, in case there are sound issues, have questions prepared that you can share on the screen. Then you can ask the candidate to submit the answers.

Keep privacy in mind. If you share your screen, make sure sensitive internal information and information on other candidates are not visible.

Remove distractions. Just as the interviewee should keep children and pets away, so should you. It can unfairly distract a candidate trying to make a good impression.

Rules for Both Parties

Our rule for both the interviewer and interviewee is to dress appropriately. It’s an interview, after all. Skip the sweats and baseball caps, and wear professional attire.

With these tips, your remote interviews can rule!

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

The Dos and Dont’s of Personality Assessments

Posted on

When used properly, personality assessments are a phenomenal tool for any workplace. The information they provide can help enhance employee communication, resolve team conflict, and make employees aware of their own behavioral inclinations. When used improperly, to make hiring decisions…that’s a “don’t.”

This is important, because these days the majority of Fortune 100 companies use some sort of a personality assessment as part of their hiring process. To encourage proper usage here is how to use personality tests and the dos and don’ts we recommend.

The Dos

We offer personality assessments because we have seen the incredible workplace transformations they’ve created. Here is how to use a personality test for the best results:

Use a research-validated assessment. All personality assessments are not created equal. Many out there are not backed by research. That’s one of the reasons we offer DiSC® assessments.

Give everyone the same assessment. This way, you compare apples to apples.

Educate the assessment givers and takers. It’s important that the people giving the assessment fully understand what the assessment measures. It’s also essential that they convey to the assessment takers, “This is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.”

When using an assessment in the hiring process, follow up. If a candidate’s results show inconsistencies or potential characteristics that might not align with the role, use interview questions to learn more. Remember that you can learn a lot about someone from an interview.

Don’t

There is one crucial “don’t” when it comes to using personality assessments, particularly if you’re using them as part of the hiring process. Don’t. Pigeonhole. People. In other words, don’t rule out a candidate just because their results show them to be in a certain personality/behavioral category.

Please always keep in mind that assessments are not designed for this purpose. While you can learn a lot about someone’s innate style from their results, that should only be a small portion of what you’re considering.

At the same time, if you’re using assessments to learn more about the people already on staff, don’t excuse poor behavior just because of an individual’s style. If an employee keeps showing up late, for example, their style does not make that acceptable.

Taking an assessment? Don’t try to trick it or answer questions in a way you think would sound good. The assessment gets to the truth.

Do let us know if you’d like more information on how to use personality tests.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

We’re Going Hybrid. Should You?

Posted on

Corexcel has focused on workplace trends for years, but we’ve never seen anything like this. The pandemic has brought about a workplace shift that’s becoming as widespread as the virus itself. Last spring, businesses, and organizations scrambled to establish work-from-home arrangements for employees. Now, nearly a year later, businesses throughout the U.S. are embracing hybrid work style and fully remote work options.

For a change of pace, we’re sharing our own work experience as it might serve as a useful example for other businesses.

Our Hybrid Experience

At Corexcel we went fully remote in 2020, and we recently transitioned to a hybrid work arrangement. We’re still ironing out the kinks, but for now, our team is working remotely on Mondays and Fridays and in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So far, we’re finding the three-days-in-the-office-two-days-at-home arrangement to be a good balance.

woman on her laptop sitting on couch wearing a headset

We decided to try a hybrid format to:

  • Provide flexibility for employees
  • Reduce our rent expense
  • Lower the company’s carbon footprint

Before going hybrid, we polled the Corexcel team and, interestingly, no staff members indicated a preference to work virtually every day. While that might not be the response at every business, we’re finding that our team members aren’t missing a beat. In fact, our employees are comfortable and working effectively with the new arrangement.

We asked why they like the hybrid arrangement and received these comments, among others:

  • “It’s nice to skip the commute sometimes after being on the go with the kids.”
  • “I can work more at my own pace.”
  • “I appreciate the mix. I get quality time with the kids, but I also get time in the office with no kids and no dog.”
  • “Hybrid is so flexible. We can start a project in the office and finish the work at home at night if that works best with our schedule.”

These benefits would resonate with employees at other organizations as well.

Why Hybrid Instead of Fully Virtual?

As we see how our hybrid work arrangement plays out, we might decide to go virtual; who knows. For now, we like coming in part of the week to get a sense of normalcy. Our time in the office works well for meetings, too. Employees who might be hesitant to speak during a Zoom call are often open to speaking at an in-person meeting. For us, the hybrid model seems to be the perfect mix.

A Trend That’s Here to Stay

From our own experience, though brief, as well as input from other businesses, we believe a hybrid workplace could be the wave of the future. We’re hearing that business owners feel hybrid work styles widen the hiring pool. Candidates who might find the commute too much on a daily basis based on their location might be willing to travel two or three days a week. In addition, if a hybrid structure makes employees happy, they’re going to be loyal to the company. Hybrid workplaces could lead to less employee turnover, and in turn lower costs.

Going Hybrid?

If you’re going hybrid, there are several factors to consider. SHRM’s article, “What to Consider When Moving to a Hybrid Work Model,” is a good place to start. If you’re concerned about hiring when your team isn’t in the office full-time, we recommend using a hiring assessment tool to screen candidates. PXT Select™ lets you assess candidates on thinking style, behavioral style, and interests—from wherever they are. If you’re thinking of going hybrid, please let us know!

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

Are you Hiring? Be Sure to Hire Right

Posted on

What a year we just had; businesses and organizations across the board scrambled to revise operations, workers went remote, and hiring in many sectors came to a halt. As we enter a new year, hiring freezes are beginning to thaw. If you’re fortunate enough to be hiring, be sure to hire right with these best recruitment practices.

woman typing on the computer with the word assessment on the screen

Employing the wrong candidate comes at a cost. It costs you money. It costs you time. In fact, the cost of a bad hire is considered to be the equivalent of an employee’s first-year salary*. According to surveys conducted by John Wiley & Sons, which questioned 2,000 individuals, hiring practices are a common problem:

  • 39% of hiring managers do not always align job requirements with candidates.
  • 54% say candidates are not always assessed with a structured interview process.
  • 65% of hiring managers rely on their instincts rather than data.

To help ensure that you bring the right individual(s) on board follow these best hiring practices:

Establish a consistent hiring process. This ensures that hiring is fair, and it makes it easier for you to compare candidates. Consider creating a checklist that keeps the position’s requirements and the qualifications you seek front and center.

Use data in the hiring process. We use data to make lots of decisions these days, so why not use it for hiring? While the impression the candidate makes during the interview carries considerable weight, going exclusively with your gut is so yesterday. Data offers valuable input.

Use PXT Select™. This online assessment is designed to help you select the best candidates for your organization. Candidates take an assessment, and PXT Select generates a report that provides insight into their behaviors and interests. It also tips you off to their verbal and math skills so you can see if they’re a good fit for the position.

PXT Select lets you compare candidates to one another and a single candidate to multiple positions. In addition, the reports have ongoing use as they provide tips for an individual’s onboarding, training, and development.

After the year we’ve had, focusing on 2021 is a welcome development. If your organization is growing, congratulations. We’re here to help you do it right.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

* Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Need Credits for Your EPIC Account?

Order EPIC Credits Here
Authorized Wiley Partner
Top 1% Diamond Award Winner
Diamond Partner
2006 - 2024