Blog

The HCG team shares their analysis, opinions, and observations on talent management. Visit us often for a different point of view on HR, talent, and the practices of managing the human potential.

Diversity and Inclusion: What We’ve Been Getting Wrong

Diversity and Inclusion: What We’ve Been Getting Wrong

The workplace is not always a welcoming place for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups. Differences in career opportunities and wage disparity have led to uneven participation in economic activity. In the U.S., this has been noted particularly in gender differences. Women account for 47% of the labor force but occupy only 17% of the board seats[1]. Of the firms represented in the S&P 500, only 24 have a female CEO[2]. The situation is not much different with respect to race. While Hispanics comprise 17% of the US labor force and have a higher labor participation rate than...

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How to Fail Less in Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

How to Fail Less in Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

The practice of setting New Year’s resolutions is most prevalent in the western world.  It can be traced back to ancient Babylonian times more than 4000 years ago. The original practice involved making promises to repay debts and return borrowed objects [1]. In modern days resolutions are more personal.  According to a survey by YouGov, the most popular New Year’s resolutions in the US for 2018 were eating healthier (37%), getting more exercise (37%), and saving money (37%) [2]. The top 10 resolutions list also featured three work-related items –reading more (18%), learning a new skill...

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Performance Appraisal: Getting to the Heart of the Problem

Performance Appraisal: Getting to the Heart of the Problem

Several organizations have done away with performance ratings, and others have made a steadfast commitment to this practice. For those reconsidering their approach – should one scrap performance ratings or work to improve the process? Perhaps the more important question is -are performance appraisals the real problem or is it something else?  We spoke with Dr. Jim Smither, a well-known authority on Performance management.  Dr. Smither's research has appeared in top-tier peer-reviewed journals. He is also a highly regarded advisor and consultant to corporations and not-for-profit...

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Why I Care About Evidence-Based Practice

Why I Care About Evidence-Based Practice

Ten years in business is a long time.  Only a third of small companies make it this far which makes me feel privileged and fortunate.  While I am thankful, I continue to be restless because there is so much more that needs to be done to achieve our mission of spreading evidence-based practice in people management.  Many have asked, why I feel so strongly about this cause.  I certainly do, and every time our journey gets difficult I find myself becoming even more resolved to push harder. In this blog, I take the opportunity to explain how I came to have this firm belief. Perhaps, you have had...

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The Future of Talent Analytics

The Future of Talent Analytics

​In the future, we will see talent analytics efforts pivot in three important ways: (a) mature from lending administration support to augmenting performance, (b) transition from describing the past to providing future-focused insights, (c) evolve managerial decision making about people from intuition-led, to one that is more objective and fact-based. According to a 2013 CEB survey, only 18% of business leaders say they trust their talent data. A staggering 82% don’t believe their talent analytics focus on the right issues, and only 15% of HR leaders say they have made a business decision...

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What is Integrated Talent Management?

What is Integrated Talent Management?

In the business world, talent management (TM) has been hailed as a pivotal practice that enables firms to compete, reduce costs, and boost performance and profits.  It often is cited among the top 10 priorities of senior leaders and frequently features among the top concerns keeping the organization from achieving their goals (CEB, 2016).  This is a curious situation considering growing investments to advance human capital.  The persisting challenges indicate that talent management, as currently practiced, has done little to drive business outcomes, employee well-being, or meet...

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Do Women and Men Differ on Work Related Abilities?

Do Women and Men Differ on Work Related Abilities?

Former Google employee, James Damore’s leaked memo has sparked a heated debate on the topic of diversity in the tech industry, particularly as it relates to women’s capacity for STEM careers. Many leaders are facing similar discussions in their own organizations and finding themselves untangling the various perspectives presented in the media. In this blog, my goal is to review the available scientific evidence on gender differences as it relates to STEM careers. Following this I will share recommendations for organizations looking to promote gender diversity.​ The ChasmThere are three broad...

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The Unlikely Leader Behavior That Drives Team Performance

The Unlikely Leader Behavior That Drives Team Performance

Ask someone to describe the characteristics of an effective business leader and you are likely to receive an answer that includes self-confidence, dominance, toughness, decisiveness, fearlessness, drive, and accomplishment. In fact, many executive recruiters look for these characteristics when selecting leaders for all levels of their organizations. But do these behaviors make for a more effective leader? Do these behaviors positively impact team performance? A study conducted this past year suggests that an unlikely leader behavior may yield better team and organizational outcomes: that...

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Should Facebook Data be Used to Make Hiring Decisions?

Should Facebook Data be Used to Make Hiring Decisions?

​Companies are looking for ways of implementing popular technology to aid them in the employee selection process. One popular trend is to use social media sites (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) as a tool for attracting and researching potential candidates. A senior manager for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the United States reported that approximately 75% of recruiters across multiple industries are required by their firms to conduct online research of job candidates, and more than 70% of recruiters state that they have rejected candidates based on the material...

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Lessons on Courage and Leadership from the Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize

Lessons on Courage and Leadership from the Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafsai recently received the Nobel Peace Prize at the young age of 19 year for standing up against the Taliban and promoting education of girls and children. What can we learn about corporate leadership from Malala's approach? In this blog post, HCG President and Founder, Dr. Shreya Sarkar-Barney shares a brief analysis. This week we saw examples of great leadership recognized with well deserved awards.  Malala Yousafsai, who was shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls, has been outspoken about the right of women and young girls.  Last week she received the Nobel...

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Company Ratings on Social Media Should you Trust Them

Company Ratings on Social Media Should you Trust Them

For job prospects, social media sites such as Glassdoor and CareerBliss have become go-to places for company reviews. How much should you trust the company ratings on these sites? Our analysis shows not much. In this blog, HCG research consultant, Izabela Widlak, reveals what she uncovered. In the case of concerning reviews about your organization or its practices, investigate the reported problem and its root causes.  While few negative comments in the midst of positive reviews aren’t likely to do much harm, many negative comments may indicate that there is a greater problem that has to be...

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All Posts

Diversity and Inclusion: What We’ve Been Getting Wrong

The workplace is not always a welcoming place for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups. Differences in career opportunities and wage disparity have led to uneven participation in economic activity. In the U.S., this has been noted particularly in...

How to Fail Less in Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

The practice of setting New Year’s resolutions is most prevalent in the western world.  It can be traced back to ancient Babylonian times more than 4000 years ago. The original practice involved making promises to repay debts and return borrowed objects [1]. In modern...

Performance Appraisal: Getting to the Heart of the Problem

Several organizations have done away with performance ratings, and others have made a steadfast commitment to this practice. For those reconsidering their approach – should one scrap performance ratings or work to improve the process? Perhaps the more important...

Why I Care About Evidence-Based Practice

Ten years in business is a long time.  Only a third of small companies make it this far which makes me feel privileged and fortunate.  While I am thankful, I continue to be restless because there is so much more that needs to be done to achieve our mission of...

The Future of Talent Analytics

​In the future, we will see talent analytics efforts pivot in three important ways: (a) mature from lending administration support to augmenting performance, (b) transition from describing the past to providing future-focused insights, (c) evolve managerial decision...

What is Integrated Talent Management?

In the business world, talent management (TM) has been hailed as a pivotal practice that enables firms to compete, reduce costs, and boost performance and profits.  It often is cited among the top 10 priorities of senior leaders and frequently features among the top...

Do Women and Men Differ on Work Related Abilities?

Former Google employee, James Damore’s leaked memo has sparked a heated debate on the topic of diversity in the tech industry, particularly as it relates to women’s capacity for STEM careers. Many leaders are facing similar discussions in their own organizations and...

The Unlikely Leader Behavior That Drives Team Performance

Ask someone to describe the characteristics of an effective business leader and you are likely to receive an answer that includes self-confidence, dominance, toughness, decisiveness, fearlessness, drive, and accomplishment. In fact, many executive recruiters look for...

Should Facebook Data be Used to Make Hiring Decisions?

​Companies are looking for ways of implementing popular technology to aid them in the employee selection process. One popular trend is to use social media sites (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) as a tool for attracting and researching potential candidates. A senior...

Company Ratings on Social Media Should you Trust Them

For job prospects, social media sites such as Glassdoor and CareerBliss have become go-to places for company reviews. How much should you trust the company ratings on these sites? Our analysis shows not much. In this blog, HCG research consultant, Izabela Widlak,...

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