Industrial News

Mr. Freedland advised home builders on the importance of "courageous leadership" in the current market, which requires taking risks to achieve long-term gains. According to Mr. Freedland, "taking risks means not following the crowd or matching the competition, but rather taking strategic counter-cyclical actions designed to strengthen your business and to build for the future."

One of the key areas Mr. Freedland addressed with home builders is the strengthening of their human capital during the soft market. He discussed the importance of identifying the core characteristics of successful performers in critical positions such as Sales Consultant and of fine-tuning their organizations' recruiting and hiring practices to ensure the selection of top talent during the down cycle.

Mr. Freedland also revealed findings from The Berke Group's ongoing study of personnel in the home-building industry utilizing the Berke Assessment, an online employment test measuring candidates' natural talents, behaviors and personality traits against job requirements and company culture. After testing personnel across multiple home builders, The Berke Group identified the behaviors and talents commonly held by top performers in key roles. The same study also revealed that home builders are often disregarding these characteristics during the recruiting and hiring process.

Mr. Freedland encouraged home builders to take a hard look at their current teams and to identify those individuals who are not well-matched behaviorally with their positions. At the same time, Mr. Freedland challenged home builders to actively recruit "A" players during the down market in order to position their organizations for even greater success when the market turns.

Mr. Freedland's presentation is available on The Berke Group website.

About Martin Freedland
Martin Freedland has been committed to helping organizations improve the way they recruit, hire, train, manage and motivate their people for over three decades. Mr. Freedland founded Organizational Development Associates, now known as The Berke Group, in 1974. A significant aspect of his work has been providing managers with the skills and tools necessary to ensure the right people are hired for the right jobs, which includes use of the leading-edge Berke employment test. A number of Mr. Freedland's clients have achieved national recognition based on the strength of their organizations, including Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" designation, as well as "America's Best Builder" and "Builder of the Year."

About The Berke Group
The Berke Group is an assessment and consulting company specializing in employee selection, management and retention. It is the creator of the Berke Assessment, an online assessment tool measuring candidates' natural talents, behaviors and personality traits against job requirements and company culture.

Contact:

Leslie Owens, Director of Marketing
The Berke Group
404-262-7009