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“Leading with a courageous mindset
is imperative to being a Best Managed
company,” said Peter E. Brown, nation-al
co-leader of Canada’s Best Managed
Companies program and partner at
Deloitte. “When faced with tough situa-tions,
these companies have the values and
the strength to make hard decisions to en-sure
that their business continues to move
forward and succeed.”
Best Managed companies are calculated
risk-takers and make brave business de-cisions
that contribute to their sustained
success, year over year. Trends common to
Best Managed companies that contribute
to their success include:
■■ A disproportionate investment in
people, with a focus on fostering
diversity and inclusion, developing
leadership capacities and investing in
learning and growth to upskill
their workforce
■■ Targeted investments in
productivity and adaptability
including software, equipment, and
new processes and developing a culture
that embraces change
Best Managed companies also place a
strong emphasis on self-assessment and
being realistic about their limitations and
potential future challenges. This mindset
enables companies to plan constructive-ly
for their business and ultimately move
them beyond only wishing for growth,
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and toward developing tangible actions
for success.
“While many companies look only
to revenue growth as a key marker of
success, Best Managed companies take
strategic risks to grow in a number of
different ways,” said Lorrie King, nation-al
co-leader of Canada’s Best Managed
Companies program and partner at
Deloitte. “It’s this adaptability and ap-proach
to business that sets them apart
from the status quo.”
MORE THAN HALF OF
CANADIAN MANAGERS
ARE ANNOYED BY UNTIDY
WORKSPACES
Is it time to spring clean your messy desk?
More than half of Canadian senior man-agers
(51 per cent) interviewed by staffing
firm OfficeTeam said the most distracting
or annoying aspect of employee workspac-es
is sloppiness or disorganization.
Nineteen per cent of senior managers
reported seeing an inappropriate or offen-sive
item in an employee’s work area.
“Your work area can be viewed as a
reflection of you, and a messy desk or
distasteful décor may leave people ques-tioning
your professionalism,” said Koula
Vasilopoulos, a district president for
OfficeTeam. “Keep any personalization
simple and declutter regularly. A tidy space
can lead to fewer distractions, and a more
comfortable and productive work environ-ment
for everyone.”
OfficeTeam offers three tips for creating
a workspace that leaves a good impression:
1. Clean up your act. Spend a few
minutes every day clearing out old
documents, food wrappers and dirty
dishes. Reduce clutter by organizing
files or going paperless.
2. Keep it simple. It’s okay to have a
few things in your workspace that are
inspiring or fun to look at, but covering
your desk with too many knickknacks
can be an eyesore.
3. Don’t be offensive. Remember, items
in your work area aren’t always for
your eyes only. Ditch the political
posters, risqué photos and anything
that might be too controversial.
MORE THAN EIGHT IN 10 SMALL
BUSINESSES HAVE MADE A
BAD HIRE
Building a successful business depends
largely on hiring the right people. But
as small and midsize firms expand, how
strong is their hiring process? A new sur-vey
from global staffing firm Robert Half
aimed to find out. Among the results:
■■ More than half said most hiring
managers underestimate the complexity
of the hiring process
■■ Sixty-two per cent admitted to
problems with their process
■■ A strong majority said their companies
have made a bad hire
Robert Half ’s Small and Midsize
Business Hiring survey explores perspec-tives
of business owners and managers
related to a variety of hiring issues. More
than 400 business owners and HR man-agers
of Canadian firms, ranging from
one to 499 employees, were surveyed by
an independent research firm to gather
relevant data.
“Successful businesses rely on employ-ees
who are invested in the company’s
vision and goals, so it all starts with hiring
the right people,” said Greg Scileppi, presi-dent
of Robert Half International Staffing
Operations. “Smaller organizations, in
particular, may face hiring challenges as
they might not have a human resourc-es
team dedicated to recruitment, nor do
10 ❚ APRIL 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
