An Interview with Justin Lowe, Senior Manager, Verifications with HMS by Tabitha Woods

Tabitha: Justin, if I were a stranger on the street and had never heard of HMS before, how would you describe what the company does?

Justin: Well, I would start with HMS’s mission, which is to help improve the effectiveness of the country’s healthcare system. A lot of folks might scratch their heads and say, “What does that mean?” Well, we provide a range of services that help government -sponsored healthcare programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, to save dollars. As a result of our services, these programs can make healthcare coverage available to more people. So we have a direct impact on people’s lives.

Tabitha: So, tell me a little bit about your department.

Justin: The Verification Department at HMS authenticates commercial insurance policy information that is believed to exist (in overlap) with Medicaid coverage. In an average month, the department will verify in excess of half a million commercial insurance policies.

Tabitha: Your department is huge. How do you keep your employees motivated in their daily tasks?

Justin: To begin with, I think it’s important to share the company’s mission with them. I believe everyone has to find purpose in what they are doing. It’s very hard to come to work when you don’t understand where the organization is headed, and how you fit in. I have folks who work 12 hour shifts, three days a week. When people work that intensely, it’s important for them to know where and how they fit into the big picture.

I’ve always believed that you can lead somebody with a dollar only so far. If there’s nothing else, at some point they’re going to say, “You know, I don’t want to do this anymore.” So the carrot and stick aspect of motivation only goes so far. If I don’t also make someone feel like they’re an important part of why we are succeeding, they will walk away. Even people who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year will walk away from a job if they’re miserable. So money, we know, isn’t the only answer.

I’ve always believed—in work and in life—that you have to grasp your purpose, whatever that is for you. It makes it a whole lot easier to understand what you are doing and why you’re doing it. And it gives you a reason to do it. The book The Purpose Driven Life has been an influence on me in that respect.

If you communicate the mission of what you’re doing—and HMS has a powerful mission—people will feel a lot better about their jobs. I want my teams to know that what they do every day is key to HMS’s success. In a down economy, and with healthcare reform on the scene, what they do is integral to the government programs that provide healthcare coverage to those who need it most. But then you have to continue to keep your teams engaged.

Tabitha: That was my next question…you’re brilliant!

As your employees come in day to day—to a high volume of telephone business—how do you keep them engaged throughout the day? How do they deal with intense calls?

Justin: We are in a very unique situation as a service center. Even though we are an outbound service center, we are not calling individuals and cold calling, or trying to sell. We are very much a “polling” type of organization. We are calling other businesses—insurance companies to be specific—and gathering information from them. It’s a business-to-business transaction. So, we don’t run into a lot of difficult telephone calls because it’s usually one professional talking to another.

The nature of the work we do in my department can be very challenging, since there is a fair amount of repetition. But we have so many folks who are self-motivated and have the drive to do their best, and that makes all the difference to them and to HMS.

I talk to my folks a lot about servant leadership and knowing the importance of their jobs as team leaders, supervisors, or managers. If you have people working for you, but don’t lead them, then you don’t really have a team.

Tabitha: Tell me about the support systems you have set up here. What’s the best way to build support in such a large group?

Justin: Because of the size of the department, I rely on team leaders and the individual units for that cohesiveness.

Tabitha: So you think that it filters from the top down?

Justin: Yes, but I would tell you that it’s an inverted pyramid. It filters from the top down, but the top level is that frontline staff. As a leader, I look at the fact that I have a job because I have 200 people first, I have 20 team leads second, I have 7 supervisors third. And then there’s me. I’ve got to always be thinking about those frontline folks. I am always thinking about those team leaders and supervisors, and try to be employee-centric. My philosophy is, whenever you can, err on the side of the employee. Do the thing that is right by the employee. There are always boundaries and limits within which you have to work. It’s not like we have a blank check to do whatever we want. But where you don’t have limits counts more—caring about staff, being visible to them, and going out of your way to recognize good performance.

Tabitha: Let’s talk about that. When they get feedback, do they get it directly from their team leads, or their supervisors…or you? How does that feedback come, and is it pretty specific?

Justin: There are a number of different ways that we provide feedback here. Team leaders and supervisors provide feedback and coaching during the training phase and during the formal evaluation process. We also produce written reports that are used to counsel and review performance with staff. I am a very strong believer in the importance of delivering both positive and constructive feedback. The positive feedback is very important because I believe that everybody is doing something right. It’s our job as leaders to serve employees by correcting any issues in their business practices, but also to serve them by building up their esteem, and praising them for what they are doing well. And that is extremely important to me.

Sometimes while the rest of us are scrambling to make sure we get everything done in a day – we are halted by the observations of sheer genius. Seth Godin is a revelatory machine. He is one of the rare individuals who can smell an up-and-coming trend and give us the prophetic nuts and bolts of what is to come and what is already upon us. Like the clever mind-readers of the stage, he takes cues from subtle changes in our corporate facial expressions, makes keen observations about the direction of business . . .and he breaks those semiotic indicators down for the rest of us. I admire him for that. He’s a really brave guy.

Linchpin, Mr. Godin’s most recent book is no exception. The basic premise of this book is similar to Purple Cow. This time, however, you are the product. You must be remarkable, indispensable at your work – or you can be replaced by anyone at any time. The problem, he says, is that we have been conditioned by society to operate as cogs in a wheel – and that paradigm won’t cut it in the days to come. Now, Godin says, employers need true creative contributors. They need linchpins.

Are you a linchpin?
A linchpin, in the literal sense, is a pin inserted through the axletree of a wheel in order to keep a wheel on. In other words, a linchpin is a vital piece of an operational puzzle. If you are a linchpin, you are essential to your company. You are creative. You are unique. You are a contributor to the overall mission of your organization, and you are indispensable.

The reality is, for most of our lives we have been taught to put in a day’s work for a day’s wages, and go on our merry way. We were taught that if we show up and “do the thing”, and get paid for “doing the thing” – that we would be safe. As Godin says, “We exchanged genius for stability.” Boy, did we.

Well, there’s great news. We don’t have to do that anymore. This particular time in history has forced employers to search for people who refuse to be automatons. Larger organizations may not be onto this yet, but smaller organizations are starting to hire people who are indispensable . . and why not? They may not be cheap or easily replaceable – but they make a difference.

The good news is that whoever you are, and whatever your role, you are creative. Your creativity may be safely tucked under a mask of mindless cooperation and “yes man” gestures, but it’s there, ready to question the status quo and bring forward-thinking change to your organization, your work, and frankly, your personal life. If you give yourself the opportunity to create, you will find that you have contributions unique to you that can only be brought to the table by you. It’s time to bring those contributions to the forefront.

I could ramble on for days about this book – but I think you should just read it. If you have a pulse, you will find it inspiring. If you find it threatening – read it anyway – and find a good therapist to help you through it. If you take action on what Godin says, be prepared to meet resistance from others – and from your own fear. If you move past all of that garbage, though, the path ahead of you could just be the most satisfying journey of your career.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at twoods@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

This month, I had the great pleasure of talking with Leanne Edwards of Leadership Management International. Leanne is a leading industry expert in talent management, development and strategy. . . and it shows.

Tabitha: Leanne, you have such a large spectrum of clientele; I would love to know your perspective on hiring in the months to come. What kind of employee do you think employers will be looking for as we come out of this recession?

Leanne: I think that companies are going to be looking for several different things:

• One is somebody who can look at what a company has and make the most of it. Someone who can have a broad perspective and say “Here’s what we’ve got; now how do we leverage what we have?” I think that is going to be needed for quite a while.
• Two, is someone who can think strategically. This is another leverage point – As we add to our workforce, as we add to our company’s portfolio – as we continue to refine what we do, what gives us the biggest pay-off? Being creative and innovative with what’s there, but then also being able to look forward and strategically make decisions and make good choices about what will propel the company forward on a limited budget, time, people whatever resources are there. That type of person will be highly valuable.
• Another thing that I think is going to be valuable is the ability to work across teams, work across divisions, and leverage the people that are there. There are people across an organization that have skill sets that are not being used at this point. We have had to get rid of people, unfortunately, that had [specific] skill sets. So now, being able to pull teams together, cross divisions, across the company to make up for the missing skill sets is important.

Tabitha: Let me ask you this while we are talking about this – do you think as we move forward that companies are going to have more team-based, flat structures rather than hierarchical?

Leanne: I do, and I also think that the scrutiny on compensation packages is going to create that demand as well. Because right now, there is so much negativity surrounding high-level compensation that I think that shareholders are not going to want to add to the top level. I also think that they are not going to want to bonus and compensate out as they have done previously, so I think that business owners and shareholders will be more likely to add in towards that mid-level, mid-upper level as opposed to the upper level. For several reasons. You can get more people, obviously, for the same dollar, but you avoid the whole scrutiny from your shareholders on the high-level compensation packages.

So, [companies will be looking for] the person who can leverage what they’ve got, and strategically position people and resources across the company to accomplish objectives, and be able to see the talent that people have that may not be used and pull that together in team structures across the company. I think all of those things are huge and create value. And there are people out there that can do that.

Tabitha: What about people who can really get people to engage in the company vision?

Leanne: Right. So, if you have a couple of strong leaders, or one strong leader at the top of the company that’s able to impart the vision and strategy and continue to espouse the company direction – Then, a lot of the higher management structure isn’t needed, because the work is being done at the mid or lower level. So, when you have a couple of strong leaders that keep that focus going, then the middle and the lower levels are the important ones. There have been a lot of corporations that I have been in that – the upper 20% of the company could be gone for three months, and they wouldn’t even notice that. But the lower 20% could not be gone for two or three days without them having a hit to the bottom line. So, I do think that we will be more flat.

Tabitha: So, what can people do to get ready for the jobs that will be opening in the next couple of years as we come out of this recession?

Leanne: One of the things that I think that workers can do now in preparation for openings that are coming up is to read books like the one you were talking about [Linchpin]. You know , go to a Barnes and Noble and look through books on innovation or creativity. You know, we are all born with 100% creativity. We all have that ability to be creative. It is over time that it is squelched.

Tabitha: Let’s say I’m managing a team of people who are entry level. And I’ve hired them all, they are all on board, they are all doing a fairly good job, but I know they have the potential to go farther. How do I, as a manager – engage people who plan on being here for a couple of years and moving on – How do I engage them in the larger company vision?

Leanne: First off, you have got to be a mid-manager that respects your people, so they can respect you. You’ve got to give people the respect and the time to get to know you and establish a rapport with your team. Once you’ve got that going on, and they actually like who you are – That’s so much of the battle – People (especially entry people who are just coming into a company) like being a part of a community – part of a team. Engaging them in an activity or a task that is at a higher level and gaining their contributions automatically makes them start to feel that they are a part of the organization. They matter.

So, don’t treat them as a short-term employee. Don’t treat them as somebody temporary. Engage them just like they are a long-term employee. Because you want to get the most out of them no matter whether they are there for 6 months or 5 years. So often we have a tendency to look at those people who are entry level, or moving on in a couple of years in a different way, and we leave them out of the more strategic, visionary things.

I recently was in an organization that was 2,000 people, multiple levels. And it was a paramilitary organization. From the very start, as a consultant there – I said, “You know we need to engage everybody in the process.”

We were really looking at the future years, you know, the next ten years and diagnosing: What do we need to do more of? What do we need to do less of? Where are the gaps we need to fill? We actually went down to the bottom line level of employees that were just coming in to be trained (they may not even have a position in the future, but they were going through a training program; some of them would drop out). And I got questioned. People were asking, “Why do we engage way down to that level?” Because you want everybody in the organization to drive what happens today and in the future. And it was very interesting what these people’s reaction as they would come to these meetings, and there would be VP’s all the way down to – some of them were 19 years old. But those people contributed, and it was a real growing experience for those who were entry level to really understand and support what was going on, the decisions that were happening. I saw those same people volunteer for committees, you know volunteer for projects that were outside of the work hours. Why? Because they were a part of things at that point – they understood – they formed relationships with other people, they felt valued.

My time with Ms. Edwards seemed to fly by. I have several more pages of notes from our interview that simply won’t fit into this article, and I came away with a better picture of the people and organizations that will be valued in this new economy.

In this new economy, people are expected to bring more value to the table than they did before. Employers are looking for people who will contribute in new and creative ways that will help the company to innovate and create strategies for the future. With this need for innovative and resourceful gamechangers, employee engagement at every level will be essential in the days to come. Companies would be wise to engage all levels of employees in order to let them know where they fit in the bigger picture of the company vision. After that, employees will need permission to innovate and be creative – which sometimes means failure before success. As we move forward, fear-based hierarchical structures are on their way out, and if left unchanged, will create future employee gaps as people look to work for companies that value their people. The strongest organizations among us will be the ones that pay the price to hire the key players that can make a difference – and invest in them.

What are employers looking for in their employees? How can you make sure that you are indispensable to your employer?

I work with CFOs and Presidents of companies to help them hire and retain top talent. In my recent conversations with my clients, one theme prevails. Employers are streamlining their processes, making dollars stretch further, and focusing on higher levels of productivity. In this economy, they have to do more with less. Hiring decisions are crucial as positions that were eliminated are now being replaced. They expect current employees not just to do their jobs and crank out work product, but also to be invested in the goals and mission of the company.

They aim to do 2 things: 1) retain their top performers and 2) hire key players in new positions. In this post recession economy, there is no shortage of top talent. The market is full of highly educated, talented people who are looking for work. What is harder to find are people who “make it happen”. In 2010, top grading will be a focus for employers — replacing B and C players with A players who are creative, resourceful and committed to making an impact.

As Seth Godin conveys in his book, Linchpin, the economy has changed corporate America. We have moved from an industrial age to the digital age. We are in a “contribution economy” where the people behind the business are its equity. There are trends that will mark this digital age. One is businesses built on interchangeable parts and people. The other is businesses searching for those who generate value. They are looking for “Linchpins”. Linchpins are people who are on a quest to find the best that can be done, people who create order from chaos.

In 2010 and for the coming years, it is no longer enough to show up every day, do your job and collect a paycheck. If you are not adding value on a daily basis, then you are on your way to becoming dispensable. Employers are looking for people who will contribute valuable insight and opinions and produce quality work.

For example, a CFO does not look to the Accounting Manager to simply manage the accounting team, handle month end close and prepare financial statements. Today’s CFO needs an Accounting Manager who will do all of those things while looking at the big picture. The Accounting Manager will need to assess systems and processes, implement improvements, motivate the team, and get the work done more quickly and efficiently.

These expectations will be felt at all levels within organizations. Employers are not looking for people who simply do what they are asked and what is dictated by their job description. Executives are encouraging managers and team leaders to produce more and be more efficient. This gives every employee within the organization the chance to shine.

We all have the chance to take on an extra project, give our opinions on how processes can be refined, or come up with a better way to accomplish daily tasks. We should all resist the urge to check Facebook during the day, tweet about every daily occurrence, and other things that take us away from the task at hand. Instead, we should focus on ways to contribute and produce quality work on time. We should take a true interest in the mission of our company. When you focus on these things as an employee in this economy, you can be sure of one thing. Your efforts will not go unnoticed, but will likely be rewarded. It is crucial that our Employers view us as indispensable.

How can you be indispensable?

1. Sharpen your skills (ex. read, take continuing education courses)
2. Focus on professional development (learn new skill-sets, take on new projects)
3. Be invested in your company’s mission
4. Strive to work more efficiently
5. Encourage others. Build morale. Be a team player who contributes quality work and meets deadlines

In summary, employers want you to be invested and give more of who you are. They want you to do your daily job with a focus on excellence. Employees should find creative ways to do things better, more efficiently. In other words, be the “Linchpin” or the glue that holds it all together.

Andra Zwick is an Executive Recruiter for the Delta Dallas Accounting Team. You can reach her at 972-788-2300 or azwick@deltadallas.com.

Generation Y. What picture comes to your mind when I use that phrase? Do you have visions of skateboards and laptops dancing in your head? Do you have preconceived notions of what they want, who they are, and how they operate in the marketplace? Whatever your perception of Millennials, you can be sure that they will challenge it.

I’m a part of Generation X – and frankly, for the most part, I like Gen Y. Millennials exude confidence, they understand and demand the need for work-life balance, and they speak their minds. That being said, I decided to sit down with a Millennial, and get the story straight from the generation that has caused such a buzz recently.

This week I had the opportunity to talk with Alec Johns of Absolute Development, a real-estate development company founded by Johns and partner TJ Frank in early 2006. Alec is a great example of Generation Y. He is an entrepreneur, creating his own destiny rather than having dictated for him. He is intelligent, financially savvy, comfortable with technology and not one to be boxed in either intellectually or in business. Alec has his hands in several businesses including a food company, and another company that produces a clinical laser device. Not only that, but he consistently donates time and resources to the non-profit organizations that interest him. He makes ya wanna get off the couch, doesn’t he?

Tabitha: Alec, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. So, tell me a little bit about what you do and how you got into it.

Alec: Well, I am an entrepreneur. I went to college for about three semesters and decided that I would rather work. My dad had his own homebuilding company, and I went to work for him. He put me through all of the departments in the homebuilding company, (through warranty, accounting, all of them). . . and as I was going through them he said, “Pick the one you like and run with it.” So I did.

I chose land development. Eventually, I took over the Land Development Department for the company and started developing land for my dad. After a year and a half I started buying my own deals, and I ran both his company and my own.

Tabitha: Now, I know that you have other businesses…what made you decide to expand from land development into other things?

Alec: I am the kind of person who likes to have my hands in a lot of things – and I like opportunity. You know, when the real estate market slowed down, I was fortunate enough to be able to weather the storm. (I am still weathering the storm – it isn’t over for real estate.) When it slowed down, my income for real estate went down, so I had to find other things to keep me busy. That was the major thing – I had the free time, because people were not buying land. I had to find something to keep me busy – because I can’t just sit still.

Tabitha: I understand! So, let me ask you about this restlessness – A lot of people are saying that Millennials won’t stay in one position for very long – or that they are always looking for the “next thing”. Why do you think so many of the people in your generation exhibit that pattern? Do you think you all have a certain level of confidence or is there an open-mindedness in your generation that allows you to do that? I mean, what do you think brings that dynamic?

Alec: I would hope that we are confident. It’s true, I see my friends stay in a job for a year, and then they are on to something else. You know, though, I think that the workplace has changed in our generation. People used to learn a trade and stay in it for the rest of their lives. I mean, I know people who have been doing the same thing for 60 years….and they are still working. As for my generation, I hope this pattern is because of open-mindedness, and not short attention spans or some kind of generational ADD.

Tabitha: Whatever it is, Millennials are on the move, and they are moving to the companies and the positions that are able to attract them. There are companies out there that want to acquire them because they are tech savvy and innovative. Can you tell me a little bit about how your generation would innovate as opposed to how a boomer might innovate?

Alec: Well, yes. I think you are right about our relationship with technology. [I think that is a tool that we would use to innovate.] I know a hairdresser who is 27 years old, and built his entire business and clientele through Facebook and MySpace.

Tabitha: So, If I were a company that was seeking out new grads, or Gen Y employees what would I do to attract them? What would make a Millennial want to work for me? What kind of benefits would attract someone like you?

Alec: You know, I think strong leadership would attract me, personally – someone that is going to be innovative and at the cutting edge of their industry.

Tabitha: So, let’s say you accept a job with an organization. What kind of things would keep someone like you there?

Alec: A healthy work environment where thoughts and ideas can be exchanged freely… A company that is all about responsibility. A boss with a “buck stops here” policy, that doesn’t blame all mistakes on the rookies, and I think a financially sound company. I like to see a company that runs their business as debt-free as possible. Debt really bothers me.

Tabitha: Let me ask you about that. I am discovering that a lot of people in your generation are truly financially astute. Millennials are getting their first jobs, and signing up immediately for a 401K. What do you think makes your generation respond to their finances with such competence?

Alec: You know, I think there are resources out there that are really starting to wake people up. I think that people have seen their friends or family members who have struggled. And I know that Dave Ramsey is huge all over the States because people are starting to see that credit card debt is pointless and that you can live within your means.

Tabitha: Let me ask you this – you grew up in a generation where there was a lot of turbulence. I mean, if we look back, it probably started with the Challenger explosion, and then school shootings, the Lewinski scandal, and 9-11, then Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – I mean the list could go on and on… How do you think that has affected your generation? I mean, has it made you more cynical or more aware of things? And how do you think that affects your approach to work from day to day?

Alec: Well I noticed in my social circle, that a lot of us were getting out of high school and college right around September 11th. The country joined together, and put political preferences aside for a while. I think it has helped our generation. I think we kind of got thick-skinned coming out of college. I mean a lot of people spent $75,000 on a good college education, and came out to find that there were no jobs. We went through a tough time, but I think that we are getting through it, and I think my generation is coming along.

Tabitha: So, how do you think that has changed your perspective on work-life balance? Is your work your life or does your life take precedent over work – or is it a combination? Do your work and your life intertwine or is there a definitive line between your work and your life?

Alec: A lot of people that know me say that I am a workaholic. I like to work; I enjoy working. But I don’t lose sleep over work. I mean, I leave try my personal emotions at the door when I come into work and I leave my emotions from work at the door when I leave the office. I try not to mix the two, because in order for me to stay mentally healthy – I have to try to separate the two.

Tabitha: One of the reasons I chose you, Alec, is because of the kind of person you are, and because of your success as an entrepreneur. Is there anything else that you would like to say about your own generation?

Alec: Well, truthfully, there are a few things that frustrate me about my own generation. We have all of this relationship with technology – and I think that sometimes that my generation abuses it. I think that sometimes between texting and emails, we are losing some of the English language. I think that people start to become slaves to their email box, but I think that as long as people in my generation have a purpose, and stay anxiously engaged in good causes, I think that we are on the right track.

I enjoyed talking with Alec. It was encouraging. His generation has truly grown up in a new age. A turbulent age that has made them tough. Now, I won’t deny that there are Millennials that are late for work, dress poorly, are selfish or argumentative, but every generation has a few of those, right? (I can feel a few Gen X’ers looking away.“Come as you are” – wasn’t just a song, right?) The truth is, that if the multi-generational workforce that exists today has been presented with a challenge in Generation Y. If we are going to focus on the future with this generation or even the generation after them – we will have to know them well enough to do business with them, to work with them, and to innovate with them.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or twoods@deltadallas.com.