Can You Relate? Click to Read How We've Helped Others.

You Want to Hire a Team Player
You Want to Select the Right Hire
You Thought the Candidate was Perfect
Is Your Customer Service Department Trust Effective?
A Good Worker Wants to Move Up the Ranks
A previously good worker is performing poorly and worse yet, affecting morale and production

Hiring A Team Player

The Problem
The director of an established non-profit organization needed to replace several staff members. She uses an employment agency to send her applicants and still spends a lot of time interviewing and going over resumes. They already use our Managing for Success Interviewing Insights and Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values for the top candidates (and still do). And the process was too long and consumed too much time.

The Maximize Solution
We used the Internet based screening system. All the applicants are still from the employment agency but we have an place for them to apply on-line and take two screening assessments (Counterproductive Behavior Index and FirstView) before the director decides which candidates to interview.

The Result
Even though the agency is sending applicants with resumes for the type of position, more than 50% of them were not passing the screening process. She now spends less time, has more information on the candidates before interviewing and hires better team players.

Selecting the Right Hire

The Problem
A 60-person company needed to replace their receptionist. The position could be a hectic one, so it was important that the replacement be someone able to multitask easily. And since this person would be a primary contact with the public, it was crucial that the hire represent the company extremely well.

The Maximize Solution
Maximize ran assessments on the three serious candidates. After analyzing the results, it was clear that two of the three would unconsciously see phone calls as interruptions. As a result, we learned their natural manner could alienate callers.

The third candidate was the best choice, but still raised a few red flags. We discussed with the supervisor some management techniques that would address those issues before they became problems.

The Result
The company hired the candidate we recommended. Our assessment of her shortcomings proved accurate, but the supervisor used our management suggestions to easily resolve the situation. The new receptionist quickly acclimated to the company and became a valuable addition.

A Cautionary Tale

The Problem
A small company was interviewing for their only sales position. The candidate they settled on seemed perfect for the job: professional appearance, pleasant manner and a sincere interest in the company’s products.

But personality profiles indicated that the candidate, although a good person, would be a bad fit for that particular job.

The Maximize Solution
We recommended the company pass on the candidate in favor of someone more suited to the role. The company hired her anyway.

The Result
Three months later, the company fired the salesperson — for exactly the reasons we advised against hiring her in the first place: poor time management skills, limited sales ability and a desire to teach instead of sell.

The company, meanwhile, lost valuable time finding and training a new salesperson — not to mention all the lost sales during and after the misguided hire. It was a costly mistake for a small company, and one the owners vowed never to repeat.

Customer Service Concerns

The Problem
A professional services company was increasingly concerned about the effectiveness of their customer service.

The Maximize Solution
We ran nearly 200 assessments with staff and customers to identify self-perceived gaps in customer service. Although 80 percent of the respondents rated the firm’s customer service favorably, 20 percent felt there was room for improvement.

After analyzing all the data, we helped the company identify and prioritize problem areas. We then implemented new customer service procedures and additional training to address those concerns.

The Result
Subsequent reviews found the company’s customer service ratings had improved significantly, resulting in a noticeable increase in sales and client loyalty.

Employee Development

The Problem
An employee was eager to move into a competitive, better-salaried position within the company. The person had proven himself a good worker and a model team member. But how could the company be sure he would excel in a more demanding job?

The Maximize Solution
First we used personality profiling assessments to determine the employee’s strengths and identify areas that needed improvement. Then we profiled three very good employees at the next level and identified core competencies to create an aggregate “position profile” of the job.

By identifying key factors for success at that position, we were able to create a customized employee development strategy to help the employee gain the required competencies and use his natural strengths to move forward.

The Result
Both employee and his managers accepted the development challenge. He’s now on track to grow naturally into a more demanding, more responsible role within the company.

A Problem Employee

The Problem
The owner of a multi-million dollar service company was having problems with one of his 50+ employees. She had worked for the company for many years, and had become increasingly resistant to recently implemented cost controls and other changes. Her passive aggressive attitude had resulted in poor personal performance as well as more widespread morale and production problems.

Out of loyalty for her long service to the company, the owner had repeatedly tried to win over the employee. Nothing worked. Frustrated at the worsening situation but unsure how to take the next step, the owner turned to Maximize for help.

The Maximize Solution
Our comprehensive management assessments brought into focus for the owner both his own goals for the company and the negative impact this employee was having on overall productivity. With our help, he was able to translate the cost of her resistance into real financial terms: tens of thousands of dollars lost due to inefficiency, and potentially even more in reduced team productivity.

Our management coaching helped the owner develop specific techniques to resolve the situation — in this case, by recognizing that the employee’s definition of success did not and could not match the company’s vision. She was as miserable in the situation as he was. Firing her was not disloyal — it was simply allowing her to be successful somewhere else.

The Result
Once we helped the owner understand the situation and take appropriate action, he was amazed at the almost immediate change for the better. Morale improved company-wide, as did productivity. The owner’s only regret was that he had waited so long to act.