Study Identifies Negotiation Skills as Key to Success

US: A primary research report conducted with a large US environment services company has clearly validated the benefits of improving the negotiating skills of salespeople.

Results of the report, entitled Enhancing Sales Performance Through Negotiation Skills and carried out by the performance improvement provider Wilson Learning, showed that negotiation workshops led to positive improvement in all skills and performance outcomes, and that 53 per cent of total sales revenue ($2.5 million) was attributed to skills acquired in the improvement process.

Interestingly however, the study found that success in developing and changing the behaviour of the 120 salespeople involved was tied to a performance-improvement approach, rather than training alone.

‘This study provides strong evidence that when salespeople learn the principled negotiation process, they are better equipped to deal with a difficult message, like a pricing change, and end up with stronger relationships with customers,’ said Dr Michael Leimbach, Vice President of Research and Design with Wilson Learning. ‘Principle negotiation skills produced significant bottom-line results for this organisation.’

Visit www.wilsonlearning.com to view the report.

Performance Management Worth $2.5 billion by 2012

US: A study by one of the world’s largest business and investment information providers has forecast that the global market for workforce performance management (WPM) software and services will reach $2.55 billion by 2012. This will represent an annual growth rate of 10.1 per cent.

Author of the report, and employer of over 1,000 business analysts in 110 countries worldwide, IDC, believes consulting services will make up the largest share of this spending; because of the complexity organisations face when redesigning performance management for strategic advantage. WPM remains a relatively new market with ample room for growth and innovation according to the IDC.

‘Despite a potential business downturn, employee retention will continue to be a key concern for HR executive in 2008, given the very real demographic shifts occurring in the workplace,’ says Lisa Rowan, IDC’s Program Director of HR and Talent Management Services. ‘Employers will be seeking ways to both automate and integrate talent functions, with the goal of identifying and retaining top performers. Performance management is a lynchpin in this process.’

HR Consultancy Launch Revolutionary Audio Update

UK: Aberdeen based employment law experts Empire HR have launched a new initiative to allow employers and HR teams to keep up-to-date more easily with the latest in employment law: a monthly audio CD called HR Drivetime.

The CD is aimed at helping people to be more aware of ever-changing case law, legislation and the various policies they should have in place. It is understood to be the first of its kind targeting the HR market in the UK.

According to Empire HR businesses and HR teams are constantly inundated with journals advising of changes but for many it is difficult to find the time to read them thoroughly.

HR Drivetime provides a synopsis of these journals, transforming them into an easy to listen to, comprehensive guide. Each issue will provide information on recent law changes, updates on statutory rates and look at some of the frequent questions dealt with by Empire HR’s advice team. In addition every month will include a complete breakdown on drafting a different HR policy.

Director Steve Cook said: ‘Many employers or HR professionals just don’t have the time to keep informed of all the changes and this means that some company policies could be seriously out of date. It [HR Drivetime] means that people can catch up with the updates outside their working day; they can play it in their car, on their computer at their desk or even in the gym. It’s basically hassle free HR updates anytime, anywhere.’

Europe to Implement a Qualifications Framework

EU: A recommendation to implement the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) was signed in April by the Presidents of the European Parliament and the European Council, signifying the beginning of an effort by member states to make their national education awards compatible with the EQF.

The aim is that by 2012, all new qualifications issued at post secondary level in the EU will occupy one of the eight EQF qualification levels (in the same vein as how most Irish awards are designated a level of 1 to 10 on our National Framework of Qualifications).

The EQF will link countries’ qualifications, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more readable to employers and individuals in the member states. For example, currently an enterprise in Ireland may hesitate to recruit a candidate from Hungary because it does not understand the applicant’s qualifications. But once the EQF is implemented in 2012, Hungarian awards will have an EQF reference level, allowing the Irish employer to more readily interpret the candidate’s level of education and training.

The EQF was officially launched in 2007; its rapid development and adoption representing the urgent need of the EU’s businesses and learners for a transparent and international qualifications framework.