The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts ... · true do’s and don’ts for...

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© TalentKeepers ® All Rights Reserved. Page 1 The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts for Getting it Right White Paper TalentKeepers ® is celebrating 15 years of providing award-winning employee engagement and retention solutions to help companies around the globe increase their performance. We provide employee engagement solutions, leader development programs, on-boarding processes and standardized or customized surveys, and other key talent management services to address critical business issues and enhance stakeholder value. TalentKeepers helps clients respond to industry and market factors that create uncertainty and organization exposure. Let us help you build a culture that keeps your best talent, boosts productivity and delivers outstanding performance. Please direct questions, comments, and press inquiries to [email protected], please access our website at www.TalentKeepers.com or call 407.660.6041. No reproduction of this report in whole or in part is allowed without prior written approval of TalentKeepers. TalentKeepers and the TalentKeepers logo are trademarks of TalentKeepers, Inc.

Transcript of The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts ... · true do’s and don’ts for...

Page 1: The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts ... · true do’s and don’ts for getting a survey right will alleviate this risk and raise the likelihood for a successful

© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 1

The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts for Getting it Right

White Paper

TalentKeepers® is celebrating 15 years of providing award-winning employee engagement and

retention solutions to help companies around the globe increase their performance. We

provide employee engagement solutions, leader development programs, on-boarding

processes and standardized or customized surveys, and other key talent management services

to address critical business issues and enhance stakeholder value. TalentKeepers helps clients

respond to industry and market factors that create uncertainty and organization exposure. Let

us help you build a culture that keeps your best talent, boosts productivity and delivers

outstanding performance.

Please direct questions, comments, and press inquiries to [email protected], please access

our website at www.TalentKeepers.com or call 407.660.6041. No reproduction of this report in whole or

in part is allowed without prior written approval of TalentKeepers. TalentKeepers and the TalentKeepers

logo are trademarks of TalentKeepers, Inc.

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The use of employee surveys within organizations has become a common practice. The good

news is that the majority of organizations no longer wonder if they should obtain employee

feedback, however many organizations mistakenly overlook the vital steps of how to effectively

set-up, implement and act on survey results.

The undertaking of a survey initiative can be risky business for organizations when a strategic

plan based on a clearly defined process and specific goals are not in place. Utilizing tried and

true do’s and don’ts for getting a survey right will alleviate this risk and raise the likelihood for a

successful survey which will ultimately increase performance.

Do: Understand Why Employee Surveys Matter

We all get that we need to listen to the Voice of the Customer to achieve organizational

success. Yet, recognizing that the Voice of the Employee is equally

as important provides benefits to both the employee and

organization. Employees want to feel cared about, empowered

and valued.

Asking for their opinion satisfies these needs, as well as, helps

employees feel part of the organization’s operational processes

for decision making and improvement. Further, there is a

cascading effect for accountability when employees see

commitment for change from senior leadership.

From an organizational perspective, increases in levels of

engagement and retention occur by asking, listening to, and taking appropriate action from

employee feedback. The talent management industry defines engaged employees as those who

willingly give “discretionary effort” – going beyond what is typically required in a position to

help an organization succeed.

At TalentKeepers, we describe an engaged workforce as having a heightened level of ownership

when each employee wants to do whatever they can for their team, their customers, and the

organization.

82% of organizations

agreed that employee

engagement is a strategic

priority in 2015 based on

TalentKeepers’ annual

Workplace America research

study or employee

engagement and retention

trends

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There is an engaged employee behind every happy, fulfilled customer. This is reflected in the

improvement of two key performance metrics for organizations with an engaged workforce:

increased financial results (e.g. increased profitability, increased sales volume) and higher

customer satisfaction (e.g. overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend the

company/product).

Of the more than 800 respondents to the TalentKeepers 2015 Workplace America Survey of

Employee Engagement and Retention Trends 56% of employers tied employee engagement

metrics to Organizational Performance and Profitability. And note that 100% of Best-in-Class

employers do so.

Employee surveys are a key step in creating an engaged workforce!

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Do: Understand the Process for Success

The TalentKeepers’ process for success encompasses five components of a survey initiative: set-

up, survey administration, data analysis, results delivery, and action planning. Understanding

each step will help create the path of least resistance during survey implementation.

There are to-do tasks within each of these components that, if not addressed, can put the

success of your survey initiative in danger. It is important to have a checklist for each phase to

ensure all critical elements are addressed:

Set-Up: Needs Analysis, Customization, Data Grouping Design, Pre-Survey

Communications

Survey Administration: Multi-Media Response Options, Step-by-Step Instructions,

Invitations, Reminders, Participation Reports, Customer Support

Data Analysis: Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses, Timely Results (Less than 30 days

from survey close), Easy-to-Access Results, Detailed Report Generation, Benchmarking,

Observations/Recommendations

Results Delivery: Prescriptive Executive Presentations, Action-Oriented Front-Line

Leader Presentations, Organizational Group Results, Individual Leader Reports

Action Planning: Executive Coaching, Individual Leader Coaching, Online Action

Planning, Focus Group Facilitation, Skill Building, Goal Setting

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Do: Understand Your Resources

A common question around survey implementation is whether to use an external partner or

complete the undertaking internally. A witty response from the world of survey providers is,

“Having the tools doesn’t guarantee the desired result, take TV commercials for example, you

have a video camera, so why don’t you just make a commercial?” In truth, there are a lot of

moving parts when implementing a survey initiative that can be difficult for someone to

manage if that is not his/her full-time job.

Yet, with all of the options available for

online survey administration, it can be

enticing to go it alone.

There is no doubt that one can implement

an effective survey without the help of an

external partner, but confirming internal

resources is a must.

Some things to consider when lining up

resources are the development of survey

items, selecting the survey takers,

administering the survey itself, analyzing

the data, presenting the results and action

planning. (Phew!) Let’s not forget

implementing this paper’s “dos” while

avoiding the “don’ts”.

Further, “do” keep confidentiality in mind

when making the “internal versus external

partner” decision as confidentiality is a key

benefit to utilizing an external partner.

First, internally administered anonymous surveys pose a problem for tracking participation. An

external partner is able to track participation without breaking confidentiality. External survey

providers are also able to tie an individual’s survey results to their operational performance

metrics and then report these relationships, through the use of group reports.

This maintains the confidentiality of the individual’s responses but still leverages the ability to

see survey results for certain groups of respondents such as high performers. Internally

administered surveys cannot provide this vital information without violating confidentiality.

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Do: Determine the Purpose of the Survey

There are two common “don’ts” made at the onset of survey development: “failing to clarify

purpose prior to survey design” and “trying to create a single survey that addresses all purposes

at once but does not adequately address any in depth”. (Wiley, 2012, p. 18)

It is tempting to eagerly jump into a survey initiative before determining the purpose of the

survey, but don’t do it! Understanding the type of survey that the organization should

implement sets the foundation for the entire process. There is a spectrum for survey type,

spanning from defensive to offensive. The defensive category includes “warning indicator” and

“program evaluation” surveys, while the offensive spectrum includes “employer of choice” and

“drive high performance” surveys. (Wiley, 2012, p. 18-19)

Make sure to understand the goals of the organization and what types of questions the survey

results should answer: Are there safety concerns? (Warning Indicators) Is a certain job group at

risk for leaving? (Employer of Choice) By working backward from what successful survey

deliverables look like, the purpose of the survey and the most appropriate survey type will be

discovered.

It is important to keep in mind that each survey type requires different action steps and follow-

up, which must be factored into the decision of which survey type to choose. For example, the

“drive high performance” survey type is most successful when correlations of survey results to

performance metrics are analyzed. These statistical analyses will help to determine the survey

items that most strongly correlate with performance, and in turn, should help increase financial

worth and customer satisfaction when improved upon.

Strategic Survey Model

Model taken from: Wiley, J.W. (2012). Six things you need to know about strategic employee surveys. People & Strategy The Professional Journal of HRPS, 35 (1), 16-23.

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The second “don’t” when determining your survey type is selecting a type and not sticking to it.

To be successful in business, one must be an effective multi-tasker; to be successful in surveys,

one must show restraint with a singular focus. It is an attractive proposition to try to get all of

your questions answered from one survey administration. Unfortunately, what seems attractive

at the start often leaves an end result of unclear action steps and no true answers on any one

subject. The “jack of all trades” survey is a recipe for disaster.

Don’t: Believe Surveys are One Size Fits All

After determining the purpose of your survey, content is the next major obstacle on your path

to survey implementation. There are all kinds of considerations: How long? Should items be

indexed? If so, what indices? It can be overwhelming, especially when a successful survey for

one organization may not be as effective for another.

The length of traditional surveys varies greatly across the industry. It is important to strike a

fine balance of getting the information you need without creating a burdensome experience for

the survey taker. When developing the content “do” include topics deemed effective by

research and add custom items that are geared to the workings of the particular organization.

Don’t: Ignore Research Findings when Determining Content

Many research studies have shown that certain items tend to bubble to the top for producing

effective survey outcomes. Sometimes a common theme emerges from a group of survey

items. Responses to these items can be grouped into an index. The benefit of combining similar

items into an index is that it can be used as a key metric.

TalentKeepers’ TalentWatch® Survey includes four key indices to drive employee engagement

and better understand why employees choose to join, stay with, and leave an organization. The

four indices are: Leadership Engagement Index (LEI), Co-Worker Engagement Index (CEI),

Organization Engagement Index (OEI), and Job/Career Engagement Index (JEI).

One of the main reasons employees stay with organizations is the people that they work with. It

is all too common to hear employees say I would leave if it weren’t for so and so. The two

indices that address “people” issues are the LEI and CEI.

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Leadership Engagement

Index (LEI) First, the LEI is

composed of leader-

specific items that are

asked of team members

about their leader.

Leadership items within

the LEI include

communication, trust,

coaching and recognition.

The LEI provides leaders

with direct feedback about

the behaviors that are, and

are not, working for their

particular team.

The greatest benefit of a leader-based key metric is the ability of the leader to instantly

improve upon behaviors that greatly affect the performance of a team. The LEI index does not

include items that a leader does not directly influence. Therefore, when acted upon a leader

has the opportunity to immediately impact employee engagement by enhancing leader-to-

employee experiences and interactions.

Co-Worker Engagement Index (CEI) The second index within TalentWatch® which deals with

people is the CEI. Supportive co-workers play a vital role in enhancing workplace experiences

through work relationships and interactions. The CEI measures these elements by how the

leader and/or organization support a positive co-worker environment. The last thing an

organization wants is an employee who loves their job, but cannot stand their co-workers.

People relationships are hard to replace while jobs for top performers are readily replaceable.

Organization Engagement Index (OEI) It is also important to understand how employees

perceive the organization, as well as, their current and future opportunities. The OEI is

composed of survey items that address how employees perceive their tangible rewards and the

fairness of processes and outcomes. Perceive is a key word when discussing items around being

a high performing organization since many organizational issues are not easily changed.

However, organizations must address these tough topics, such as compensation, in order to

educate employees on the organization’s position on the issue instead of keeping them

guessing and perhaps perceiving the topic as unfair.

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Job/Career Engagement Index (JEI) The JEI measures facets of job and career satisfaction.

Items included in this index are clarity of job roles, job responsibilities, accountability for goals,

opportunities to utilize skills and career growth. It is important for organizations and employees

to understand their current place within the organization and the possibilities of where they

can go. Employees who understand their options for development and growth are more likely

to be engaged and stay longer.

Asking the right questions and forming appropriate indices greatly affects the ability of survey

results to help the organization improve performance. When survey results are effectively

acted upon, TalentKeepers and numerous other researchers have documented increases in

various organizational performance metrics, such as sales, service, productivity, and earnings

per share. Demonstrating the link between survey metrics and performance metrics is vital to

getting senior staff and employees on-board and truly committed to acting on survey results.

Do: Use Items that are Organization Specific

The second key “do” when determining survey content is the addition of items that are

organization specific. Custom survey items allow organizations to gauge what employees are

thinking about organizational objectives and “hot topics”. Custom items also work for company-

wide initiatives and can measure unique elements within different job groups. One example of

customized survey items are on the topic of safety. To remain in business and avoid major

financial repercussions, organizations must know if precautions and proper processes are being

utilized, especially in labor intensive industries. Further, employees need the opportunity to

express if they do not feel safe in their work environment.

Do: Determine Survey Takers and Communicate to Them

The most effective survey initiatives include participation from

every aspect of an organization. Therefore, cross functional

inclusion, where all departments are included is a definite “do”.

One exception to including all employees is those who have only

been with the organization for 90 days or less. New employees

need the opportunity to understand their role and the organization

before providing input in an all employee survey.

If including the entire organization is not an option the best practice is to select a

representative sample from each department and attribute group (i.e. tenure, generation,

performance). A well selected cross section will provide a snapshot to the overall picture of the

organization.

Implementing regular

communications about the

purpose of the survey, how to

take the survey and

reminders to complete the

survey are vital to gaining a

high participation rate

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When implementing a survey initiative, a communication plan is vital to success. Employees

need to understand the process, who is involved, and the purpose. Even more important is

demonstrating the support of senior leadership for the survey so that participation is seen as

important.

A communication plan is a major “do” when only a representative sample of employees can be

surveyed. A clear communication as to why some employees were and were not selected must

be given to avoid employees feeling devalued. Further, all employees must be involved in the

results and action planning process.

Don’t: Be a “One and Done” Surveyor

How often do

managers and senior

staff members look at

their organization’s

performance metrics?

The most common

answer is at least once

a week. How often do

those same groups

look at engagement

and retention

statistics? – Long

pause.

Don’t make a common mistake of doing one survey and then stopping. Building momentum is a

key “do” for survey initiatives to create sustained positive change.

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According to the TalentKeepers’ 2015 Workplace America research survey only 5% of

organizations currently implement surveys more than once per year while 13% of Best in Class

do. Yet, conducting surveys every six months for all employees improves the odds of “getting it

right” due to:

Receiving Honest Feedback: Respondents need to be comfortable with being honest on the

survey. When employees see that their responses are used for a positive, organizational

change they become more and more willing to voice their true opinions each

administration.

Collecting Performance Metrics: The first administration establishes a baseline for the

organization. Subsequent administrations allow senior staff, leaders, and employees to

measure changes in the survey metrics. Often times a large focus is placed on benchmarking

against other organizations. After the initial administration the most valuable benchmark is

against one’s own organization.

Increasing Accountability: Two administrations per year holds the organization accountable

for making steps toward change quickly. A “one and done” mentality only fosters an

environment where employees use their voices, but do not feel heard. It is risky business to

ask and not act!

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Don’t: Let the Results be Senior Staff’s Little Secret

Results need to be socialized to everyone in

the organization. It is common, especially

when results are unfavorable, that senior

leaders shield the data from lower levels.

This is similar to taking a test in school, but

never receiving your grade – frustrating!

When employees have taken the time to give

their feedback, organizations must give the

same respect in return.

The most valuable outcome of survey results

is the opportunity to learn something new.

Don’t provide leaders with their individual

results prior to providing guidance around

the report itself and next steps.

For example, TalentKeepers advocates

asking leaders to look for gifts, affirmations

and surprises in their data. Gifts are results

that are better than expected and should be

leveraged by leaders to engage and retain

employees. Affirmations are results that are

right about what the leader expected, while

surprises are results that are worse than the

expected.

The most valuable of these results are often the “surprises” because, without the surprising

survey data, leaders would not spend any time working to improve in an area in which they

think they are already strong.

It is important that leaders avoid guessing on how to change their “surprise” results, especially

since it is hard for them to see what may not be working when they believe it is an area of

strength. Encourage leaders to ASK their team members for feedback through a powerful

“start, stop, and continue” technique. This allows their team to explain behaviors that the

leader should start, stop, or continue doing in order to be more effective.

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Do: Hold Leaders Accountable for Communicating and Acting on Results

One of the greatest measures of how well the organization and its leaders communicated and

acted on survey results is the participation rate of the subsequent survey. If employees never

hear the results or see action taken, they are much less likely to spend their time on another

survey. Yet, when leaders and organizations are accountable for results, discuss the results, and

take action on the results, a culture of engagement is created where employees are excited to

voice their opinions.

The first step to accountability is communicating both the results of the survey and the action

plan for change. Many organizations and leaders think it is enough to explain the results and

stop; employees need to understand the plan for action. Next, employees must actually see

those plans implemented. One key way to measure this process is the addition of a custom

item to a second administration. Ask survey takers whether they feel their leader and the

organization acted on previous survey results. No leader wants to explain why they did not

follow through on their survey results and action plan.

Do: Integrate Survey Metrics into Standard Performance Reporting

After reviewing and socializing key

engagement and retention metrics

from the survey, the organization

must integrate the metrics into their

standard performance management

metrics.

Once employees are held

accountable for these metrics their

focus on improvement will grow. Key

methods for integration are adding

the new metrics to regular reporting,

as well as, making them a consistent talking point during meetings.

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Don’t: Think Anonymous Surveys Reign Supreme

When discussing employee surveys it is true that anonymity is crucial to a successful

implementation if the survey is asking employees to evaluate people, policies and procedures.

Remaining anonymous allows employees to feel comfortable providing honest feedback,

especially if they are rating things negatively.

Yet, there is a world of surveys out there that are more effective because we know who is

responding. Determining whether to use a non-anonymous or anonymous survey is based on

the audience and the result the organization is trying to achieve.

The table below provides a summary of the features provided by both anonymous and non-

anonymous surveys.

Popular Survey Features Provided by Anonymous and Non-anonymous Surveys

Survey Feature Anonymous

Survey

Non-Anonymous Survey

Ask sensitive questions Yes No

Track participation Rarely Yes

Tie results to performance Rarely Yes

Tie results to department, tenure, gender, age Yes Yes

Allow leaders to see individual team member’s responses and ask follow-up questions

No Yes

Evaluate leader performance Yes No

Results can feel threatening to leaders & team members

Yes No

Useful when on-boarding new employees No Yes

To understand if a non-anonymous survey is the right fit, it is important to understand what

benefits this type of survey brings to the table.

First, knowing who is completing the survey allows for accurate tracking of participation.

Next, leaders are able to see individual team member responses and ask specific follow-

up questions.

Finally, non-anonymous surveys give organizations the ability to tie results to

performance metrics.

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One example of a non-anonymous survey and its use is TalentKeepers’ FirstFit® Survey. This

survey asks employees to rate and rank the leadership attributes they value most in any leader,

share their engagement and recognition preferences, and the career drivers that are most

important to them now. Since the survey is non-anonymous, it helps leaders learn and

understand each team member’s individual needs and preferences at work.

A second example of using a non-anonymous survey is TalentKeepers’ Co-Worker Connection™

tool. This survey is taken by co-workers to measure their preferences on seven drivers of co-

worker engagement. Upon completion, their preferences are compared to the preferences of

another co-worker within a report so that co-workers can have conversations about how to

effectively work together. The purpose of the tool is to create support and mutual respect

among co-workers, which is why non-anonymity is vital for success.

Do: Go the Extra Mile with Hybrid Surveys

Hybrid surveys allow the survey taker to specify his/her identity or remain anonymous. By

giving the participant the option to identify, the full benefits of the survey being completely

anonymous or non-anonymous are lost. Yet, in certain circumstances this tactic is the best

option and provides information that helps organizations reach the extra mile on their road to

improvement.

One example of the appropriate use for a hybrid survey is an exit survey. TalentKeepers’

PartingWords® exit survey uncovers the true reasons why team members leave an organization

through four turnover categories: organization, job, co-worker and leader. There are two main

reasons to use the hybrid approach with exit surveys.

First, some employees do not feel as comfortable being honest when they are identified. The

option to remain anonymous can get the most accurate feedback for the organization as to why

the employee left. The second reason for a hybrid approach is for those who do identify

themselves. If a top performer leaves for reasons that the organization is willing to change

(based on the survey responses) then there is an instant ability to win him or her back.

Don’t: Be Afraid to Check the Pulse of your Organization

If time is an issue for your organization a pulse survey is a viable option. While it does not offer

the in-depth detail of a traditional survey, pulse surveys provide a quick check-in. Typically

consisting of around 5 to 10 items, Pulse surveys often serve as indicators for areas an

organization needs to take a deeper dive into understanding. Pulse surveys are also very

effective to use between full survey administrations as a progress check.

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At the end of the day, engaged employees improve performance for organizations by keeping

customers coming back for more. The only way to know how engaged employees are is to ask

them. In the same breath, asking employees for their feedback is not a simple process. There

are many hours and obstacles involved in the implementation of an effective survey initiative.

Understanding the process of survey implementation is the first step of many. Equally as

important is defining the survey purpose, type, and content so that the end result matches the

beginning expectations.

Viewing a survey as an initiative instead of a one-time administration will help create a culture

for action. Bi-yearly administrations where all employees participate, receive results, and are

held accountable for change is vital. One key element in establishing the value and importance

of a survey is linking survey key metrics to operational performance outcomes such as sales or

service. Once the survey metric to performance connection is established, it is important to

drive performance improvements by holding stakeholders accountable for improving the

survey metrics.

Further, understanding that not all surveys fit into one mold is crucial. In certain instances

knowing who said what is more powerful than remaining anonymous and is a key to delivering

a survey that makes an impact.

Overall, surveys are complicated. Yet, following the do’s and don’ts will put any organization on

a fast track for “getting it right” by avoiding the risky business involved with survey pitfalls.

References

TalentKeepers. (2012). Talent engagement and retention trends 2012: Pushing employee engagement

to the next level. Winter Park, FL.

Wiley, J.W. (2012). Six things you need to know about strategic employee surveys. People & Strategy

The Professional Journal of HRPS, 35 (1), 16-23.

Conclusion

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Talent Management Solutions

TalentKeepers®

is celebrating 15 years of providing award-winning employee engagement and retention solutions to help companies around the globe increase their performance. We’re a recognized leader in innovative onboarding tools, employee engagement surveys that drive growth and accountability, HRCI and SHRM certified training for HR professionals, unique eLearning leadership programs, teambuilding tools and much more. Twice we have won HR Executive Magazine’s Product of the Year award. Re-energize your efforts and expect more from your engagement and retention partner. Contact us today at [email protected].

Leadership Training Programs All of TalentKeepers training and development programs are built around critical competencies and designed to give leaders the skills they need to be increasingly effective in their careers. Leaders learn talents including Trust Builder, Flexibility Expert, Talent Developer & Coach and High Performance Builder in a total, blended learning approach including e-learning modules, reinforcement workshops and off-line practice activities.

Employee Engagement Solutions Retaining and actively engaging high-performing employees builds strength in an organization’s culture and improves overall performance. TalentKeepers offers several tools proven to increase commitment and positively impact engagement and productivity.

Surveys/Assessments TalentKeepers’ surveys and assessments can help you measure and report the impact of critical factors that contribute to engagement and the degree of influence those factors have on employees’ decisions to join, stay or leave your organization.

For details on our Talent Management Solutions or to get more information on TalentKeepers’ full range

of products and services:

Call us! 407-660-6041 www.talentkeepers.com [email protected]