Striking the Balance Between Ethical Leadership and Bottom-Line Leadership

I took a class this summer about leadership and I found it to be extremely interesting as it relates to what I do. Our class researched the last 100 years of leadership styles in the world, the methodologies behind them, and studied the evolution of approaches to leadership from 1900 to today.

I found the ethical leadership research to be the most interesting and timely in today’s environment. The vast majority of the work that the Executive team at Aureus Group does is tied to helping our clients find great leaders. We are hired by companies that are looking for people to lead initiatives, lead teams, lead change – all in an ethical environment.

Hiring Turn Around on the Horizon

Over the past couple years, with an increasing number of employees being laid off and unemployment rates climbing across the country, we have been experiencing a primarily employer-driven market. Instead of posting job openings and praying that someone will apply, employers have been posting positions and then weeding through hundreds of resumes. Hiring managers have become more specific in their searches, screening out people who don’t have experience with the most recent version of a software package or who are missing one key word on their resume.

Two New Tax Benefits for Employers

Aimed at providing hiring incentives to restore some of the jobs lost in the latest economic recession, and to help put Americans back to work as soon as possible, the IRS recently updated language in the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act, which offers employment tax incentives to businesses, established in March 2010.

This new $17.5 billion legislation (scaled down from an earlier $150 billion package) is of particular interest to businesses as it includes new tax benefits directly related to hiring employees and writing off investments in business equipment.

Email Pitfalls

Think of a time when you were minding your own business, right in the middle of your daily grind. Up pops the email icon on your PC, perhaps accompanied by that familiar written tone we all know so well. You stop what you are doing; knowing full well that whatever is in your inbox can surely wait, and rush to see what waits. It’s from your boss and the subject line reads “Report Question”. Your heartbeat ratchets up a notch as you go to click on the message. “What did I do wrong?” you wonder out loud as the email opens to full screen. You see the words “What is this?” with a print screen below showing the report you had just turned in.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Development

There are undoubtedly many different factors that contribute toward someone developing into a great leader. In previous Aureus Group blog articles, we’ve addressed the importance of demonstrating effective communication skills when interacting with colleagues in the workplace. Well what about emotional intelligence? How does one’s emotional intelligence impact their ability to be a top performer in the professional world?

Update Your Job Descriptions and Hire Smart

The employees you hire can make or break your business. Don’t make the common error of skipping the job analysis and updating of job descriptions. Take the time to figure out your staffing needs and know what you’re looking for in an employee before you actually start looking. This exercise will save you time and money in the long run.

Social Media: It’s Time to Get Connected!

What? You don’t have a Facebook page or a Twitter account? You’re not even LinkedIn? Fear not, the phenomenon of social media is hurdling toward critical mass by way of the wonderful Internet and it is not too late for you to get on the bus. But when you do sign on, do yourself a big favor. Be responsible and know how to use the different social media sites appropriately.

So, what is the difference between social and professional online networking? Great question! Easy answer is Facebook/Twitter equal “social” and LinkedIn equals “professional”. I talk to many business owners and managers who are fearful of getting involved in either for various reasons, but most simply assume that all social media is the same. Not true of course.

Are you an Effective Communicator?

We continue to hear from clients and candidate’s what motivates and frustrates them in the workplace. Not surprisingly, increased communication is the common denominator on everyone’s’ wish list. It’s evident that today’s business climate requires collaboration vertically and horizontally. It’s not enough to just work hard. It’s not enough to do a great job. To be successful, you need to learn how to really communicate with others.

Have you ever gotten frustrated because you weren’t able to communicate your ideas as effectively as you wanted and people just weren’t getting it? Maybe you’ve walked away from a discussion with a different perspective than your co-worker, boss, or employee? Or worse, have you ever written or received an email that was taken way out of context?

Don’t worry. You’re not the only one. I answered yes to all three questions!

Mission Man Visits Aureus Group

C&A Industries, parent company of Aureus Group, brought its mission statement to life late last year when we introduced Mission Man, C&A’s very own super hero and mascot. Mission Man is on a mission to recognize employees who go above and beyond incorporating C&A’s mission statement values into their daily endeavors.

Mission Man paid a visit to the Systems Division of Aureus Group in May armed with words of praise and Mission Man candy tins for Jillian Huston, Linda Aughenbaugh, and Gabe Romero.

A Look into What Makes Top Talent Take Flight

Last week I opened up the grill on our back deck at home with the intention of firing up some hamburgers. When I opened up the grill, I was shocked to find that the neighborhood birds had targeted it for their next home. The grill was filled with twigs, grass, and debris from all over the neighborhood. Luckily, there weren’t any eggs or birds in there, but this forced me to spend some time cleaning out the grill and cook the burgers in the house.

As I reluctantly cooked dinner for my wife and myself on the George Foreman Grill in the kitchen, it got me thinking. The birds chose my grill for their next home. What prompted them to select my grill? What separated my grill from other locations in the neighborhood? We have plenty of trees, my other neighbors have grills – why my grill on my back porch?

That thought gave me an idea for my first blog entry. I decided to look back at 100 random interviews that I’ve done in the last year with candidates looking to take the next step in their careers. My goal was to track their number one job consideration and really try to get to the bottom of what people are looking for in their next opportunity.