Corra Daily Planet

Business Research Reports

Corra will soon be providing advanced business research and credit reports to financial groups and any interested parties. this should assist companies in evaluating investments, vendor relationships or any co-ventures that they are contemplating.

Coming soon, another product for the Corra suite of background checking services. Check them out before you spend your money.

Yelling Fired in a Crowded Office

First, Fire Your Assistant. Then, Ax All the Sales Guys

The results of a reader survey on who gets shown the door and why.

From: Inc. Magazine| By: Inc. Staff

Terminating an employee is one of a business owner’s least pleasant responsibilities. To get a handle on how frequently entrepreneurs fire workers, and which employees they are most likely to be unhappy with, we surveyed members of the Inc. Inner Circle, our reader panel. Here are the results, based on 251 respondents.How many readers have fired a full-time employee in the past three months? 20%Whom did they fire?
Well, it didn’t always pay to be close to the boss: 12% fired their secretary or assistant.

Most fired department: Sales and marketing
Field sales reps were as likely to get fired as assistants and, as a group, sales and marketing staffers were most often on the chopping block.

for the entire article go to Inc.com

Corra knows that no one likes to fire people. Yet most articles and personal testimonies reveal that most managers feel they should have fired the person sooner than later. Managers will cite different reasons, most of them surrounding the build up of animosity and the damage to the overall company morale.

The fact is that most bad sees tend to go from bad to worse. Rotten fruit rots further and starts to stink after awhile. While some heed warnings and get the message to shape it up, the majority will only take the hint when you hand them their walking papers.

So firing is difficult and hiring someone else is even more of a pain. You have to post ads, interview, and if you are smart you should have a good several level interview process and preemployment screening program in place. When you boil it down to the one or two persons you are seriously considering, order background checks, including but not limited to criminal, social security trace, credit reports and the dmv.

A thorough background search while help you determine what you are getting in the bargain. Get rid of the bad seeds. Get rid of the dead wood. Look around for valuable candidates who will be an asset to your business. And check them out before your hire.

Poor Hiring Practice Can Put Your Valuable Business Data At Risk

Guarding Against the Threat from Within

By Mary O. Foley

Most businesses have made sure to protect computer systems and networks from hackers. But the majority of data leaks or breaches of sensitive company information or intellectual property are often inside jobs.

You’ve installed protective software, adjusted your hardware, and developed a range of new office policies, all in the name of protecting your computer networks and systems from hackers, phishers, and scammers. Externally, your system seems protected.

But what are you doing to prevent an inside job? Do outgoing or disgruntled employees, or on-site contractors, have too much access to your company’s top-secret data?

The answer could well be yes. According to a March 2006 Enterprise Strategy Group survey of 227 IT professionals, “employees and on-site contractors were cited as the most likely threat to confidential data security.” They even outranked concerns over off-shore outsourcers and random hackers. A separate 2005 study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that 33 percent of all security breaches involved current employees, and another 28 percent involved former employees or former partners.

And the stakes are high: According to those surveyed, up to 50 percent of the data used in their offices could be considered confidential.

For the entire article go to Inc.com

Corra has often noted business companies spend megabucks on external security and then scrimp on the background checks that may help them weed out potential data thieves. This practice is akin to putting state of the art locks and security on the front doors and cheap locks on the servant’s entrance. This used to happen in the ritzy neighborhoods Corra once learned in an interview with a noted jewel thief who worked there.

Today, to resort to such half-hearted measures is pure folly. But this is no joke as anyone who lost important data or proprietary information can attest. When you lose valuable data you put your business at serious risk. At the very list you should have a background screening system in place for any job candidates. The obvious, a criminal check, driving reports and credit reports will often help you determine a pattern as who is most likely to steal your data and who would not.

Nothing is guaranteed of course. Disgruntled employees should come under increased scrutiny, and perhaps additional security measures should be taken. You should consider limited access to data with respect to employees who are leaving. Yes, you may appear like you are being overly suspicious, but then again in this world we live in, it is often wise to be overly suspicious.

Take the precautions necessary to keep your business intact. Don’t be victimized because someone took a payoff or became disgruntled with his working condition. And above all, check them out before your hire.

Arizona’s New Immigration Law May Spread to Other States

Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday signed sweeping legislation against employers of undocumented workers, targeting the state’s market for illegal labor with what she called “the most aggressive action in the country.”

The penalty for violators: The suspension of a business license on the first violation and permanent revocation on a second, amounting to a death sentence for repeat offenders.

House Bill 2779 (Fair and Legal Employment Act)

Provisions

• Would prohibit employers from knowingly or intentionally hiring undocumented workers.

• Starting Jan. 1, would require all employers to run their employees through the Basic Pilot Program to determine their legal status. Use of the program would act as a sort of immunity for employers facing prosecution under the law.

• Would form an eight-member committee to study employer-sanctions laws in Arizona and whether they are fairly enforced. A committee report would be due to the governor, speaker of the House and Senate president by the end of 2008.

Penalties

• 1st offense: Businesses caught “knowingly” employing an undocumented worker would lose their license for up to 10 days. Those caught “intentionally” hiring an undocumented worker would lose their license for at least 10 days.

The court would order that the employment of all undocumented workers at the business be terminated, and require the employer to sign an affidavit stating that the workers were fired and they will not hire such workers in the future. Employers would be placed on probation for three years (five, for “intentional” violations)

• 2nd offense (while on probation): Permanent revocation of the business license.

Enforcement

• Investigations would be conducted based on complaints against employers.

• If the complaint was shown to be valid, the investigator would be required to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement.

• From the state’s 2007-08 General Fund, the bill would provide $100,000 to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, and $2.4 million to be distributed to county prosecutors.

For the entire story go to AZCentral.com

Corra believes this new law, if it withstands all challenges to its legality, will soon be adapted by other states. With the Federal Legislators bogged down and busily pandering to myriad solicitation bases is is small wonder Arizona took it upon itself to enact meaningful legislation.

You may love the new law that is scheduled to be implemented this January. You may hate it. Clearly, there are both sides to this issue. It is not Corra’s place to argue either or both sides of this argument.

What Corra can tell you that severe penalties for those who hire undocumented workers is most definitely the trend. so rather than become the poster child for government crackdowns and new laws designed to discourage the hire of illegal workers, Corra urges you conduct background checks on every job candidate and possibly on every current employee.

The Social Security Trace is a must. It will tell if a social security number is valid or not and for the most part if it belongs to your candidate. Corra suggest a criminal check and a Motor Vehicle Report For the few bucks you spend, these searches can save you a lot of money and maybe even prevent your business license from being suspended or revoked altogether, as the Arizona law will mandate.

So do your business a major favor. Check them out before you hire.

Do Your Employees Get It Done?

Hire Finishers!

By: Tim Augustine

Finishers are people who get things done. Here’s how you can find and hire them.

In today’s competitive business world, organizations that sustain profitability and continue to grow are firms that can attract, hire, and retain finishers. This article will cover methods that you and your firm can use to find and hire people who can get things done.

Through my experience, I have developed a list of characteristics that I feel describe finishers.

1. Ability to prioritize tasks and do what really matters
2. Ability to make a decision
3. Ability to execute
4. A clear perception of reality
5. Never satisfied with status quo
6. Ability to understand deadlines and schedules
7. Ability to recognize accomplishments
8. Ability to show aptitude
9. Practical approach to problem solving
10. Proactive

Finishers lead by example and have the drive and tenacity that is contagious to those who surround them. They are reliable and have the ability to build trust within organizations and teams.

Think about the individuals in your organization who you rely on. What makes them dependable? Most importantly, what do you accomplish by having them on your team? Imagine if every hire you made brought the same energy, dedication and enthusiasm to your team.

For the entire article go to Inc.com

Corra is surprised most of the time when anyone gets anything done. What with employees hanging around the water color or tending to their online shopping, dating or health needs it is small wonder much of the work time is not particularly productive.

Employers face the dilemma of whether to use the carrot or the stick, positive reinforcement or fear, or a little of both to get they people moving. Of course this is not a one way street, and as the article attests your key people should lead by example. Company culture is very important, and if yours is culturally deficient then you can be facing major problems.

Part of the key is to hire the right people. Hiring the right people begins with a preemployment background check on all your finalist job candidates. Conduct the nationwide criminal background check or county criminal checks for your candidates and perhaps even run cyclic updates on your employees. For candidates who will be involved in your finances you may want to run the Federal Criminal check to see if they have ever been implicated in white collar crimes.

Make your employees finishers. Don’t let them finish you. Check the out before you hire.

Are Background Checks a Part of Your Interview Process?

The Office: No Further Questions

It’s enlightened of you to have your employees interview potential hires. Nonetheless, it’s driving everyone batty.

From: Inc. Magazine | By: Leigh Buchanan

When I interview job candidates I always ask: If we had a party, what would you bring? Some people come up with fun answers (one woman who was married to a radio personality offered to supply the DJ). Some offer panegyrics to their acclaimed artichoke purée with garlic pita crisps. Some say, “The napkins.” And some look annoyed and ask me what I’m getting at.I’ve always justified the party question as one that provides insight into a candidate’s personality. And it does–a little. Mostly though, I ask it when I still have 10 minutes to kill before shuffling the poor applicant off to his or her next meeting. That’s after I’ve dutifully reeled off the same six or seven unimaginative questions (”What kinds of things would you like to work on?” “What accomplishments are you most proud of?”) that everyone before me has already asked and everyone after me will ask again. As the candidate trots out an answer that probably felt fresh when he sat down with the CEO three hours ago, I wonder what exactly I’m supposed to be adding here.

I understand why leaders want to expose prospective hires to an array of employees, and vice versa. CEOs demonstrate respect for their staff members by soliciting their participation in personnel decisions. Employees are more likely to accept colleagues they’ve vetted themselves. Different people may detect different strengths and weaknesses. And job candidates can use this experience to assemble a fuller picture of the company experience.

Yet while employees interview job candidates all the time, rarely does anyone advise them how to do it. Should managers ask one type of question, peers another, and underlings still another? What is each group trying to assess, aside from the vague notion of cultural fit? Even personality can be tough to gauge under such strained, artificial conditions.

Then there’s the peculiar role reversal that takes place when interviewers are as eager to impress as the interviewed. Employees who are insecure because they’re new or low level or simply lack confidence often want to distinguish themselves in the prospect’s eyes. A piece of their brain attends to what the candidate says, while the rest darts off in search of an insightful question. They envision the candidate conversing with his spouse back home: “…and this one guy, Brad, struck me as super sharp. I could learn a lot from him.” Others, unnerved by a prospective hire’s perceived superiority, use the opportunity to do some early turf-staking. “I’m pleased to hear you’ve worked with such large energy concerns. Of course, I handle all those accounts here, but it’s always nice to have someone around who sympathizes with me.”

So sure, have job applicants meet with Jeff in accounting and Abby in marketing and Bill R. and Bill J. in R&D. But when scheduling the interviews, tell each one what specific insights you hope he or she can supply. If all you care about is personal chemistry, let them know that. Then they can relax and concentrate on whether the stranger in the expensive suit seems like someone they want to share a mini-fridge with for the next five years.

Leigh Buchanan is an Inc. editor-at-large. She can be reached at lbuchanan@inc.com.

For the entire article go to Inc.com

Corra believes a good HR interviewer can bring out many facets of an employment candidate. As anyone who has conducted interviews can tell you, it’s not just the questions, but more the answers and the body language that accommodates the answers.

Sometimes you have to put your candidate off guard by asking seemingly innocuous questions. Innocuous questions, if delivered properly, can sometimes reveal more about your candidate than the same questions asked and answered in a dozen interviews just like yours. Your candidate may have those stock answers down by rote, but not be prepared for something a little less direct.

When you you have completed the interview process and decide to put out an offer to a candidate, it always pays to have a comprehensive preemployment screening program in place. A good background check will not only reveal additional information but will verify at least some of the information the candidate provided on his application and in the interview.

Corra mandates a criminal background check and the social security trace. Corra believes a credit report can be very revealing, as can a Motor Vehicle Report of Driving Report. Be complete with your background traces. It’s a strange world out there.

Check them out before you hire.

Do You Have The Right Staff for Trade Shows?

Avoiding Trade Show Faux Pas

Six tips exhibitors should know.

From: Inc. Magazine | By: Christopher Hosford

Bob Uhle had a challenge on his hands. As director of sales and marketing for a start-up called the Aviation Technology Group, it was his job to build interest in and book deposits for the Javelin, the company’s slick new private jet. Competition in the private jet industry is pretty intense, however, and buyers certainly have every reason to eschew an unknown company. Further complicating ATG’s efforts was the fact that the business was still in the prototype stage and wouldn’t be able to deliver planes to customers until 2009.With these chips stacked against him, Uhle decided to bet a big chunk of his budget–more than $200,000–on a major industry trade show held annually in Las Vegas. That’s a large sum for most companies, but in the airplane business it’s peanuts, especially for a launch. To introduce the brand (and maybe sell a few planes) ATG designed a 50- by 60-foot booth that included a full-scale model of the plane and a flight simulator and arranged to send 25 executives, technicians, and salespeople to the event.These days, many companies are returning to trade shows, which slumped following the terrorist attacks and recession of 2001. Event organizers are reporting gains in revenue, attendance, and the number of exhibitors, and many exhibition halls are expanding, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.

Making a trade show pay off can be tricky, however, because “the cost per contact is the highest of anything in the marketing tool kit,” says Ruth P. Stevens, a professor at Columbia University’s business school and the author of Trade Show and Event Marketing. On the flip side, “the benefit of trade shows is that they can be extremely efficient for having a series of meaningful conversations with a targeted audience,” Stevens says.

To have a successful trade show, you should prepare months in advance. In fact, Stevens recommends that you think of a show as the midpoint, if not the culmination, of a marketing campaign. What should you hope to accomplish at each stage in a campaign built around an expo? Here are some pointers.

For the entire article go to Inc.com

Corra has been to trade shows. Trade shows can be tricky. You have to prepare in advance, and then you have to allow for a whole bunch of contingencies. You have to have the right people, doing the right thing, meeting, shmoozing, recognizing business opportunities. They have to be organized and able to prioritize so they don’t waste time on lousy prospects while ignoring more viable ones.

Trade shows are fast, chaotic and then they are over quickly. Good trade show people have to initiate contact and then do follow ups, not neglecting second contact until memory fades.

Background screening will help determine your choosing the right people for your trade show efforts. Let’s face it, these are the guys who bring home the bacon so spending a few dollars to screen them makes a lot of sense. to be sure run a criminal background check, and a credit report will help determine if they will be spending your money wisely. An education verification is often a most and a motor vehicle report is necessary, especially if they are driving for business or even chauffeuring potential clients.

Check them out before you hire.

Negotiating a Job Salary is Multifaceted