100 Year-Old Marine Engineering Company Selects CRG emPerform to Support Talent Growth Strategy


J.F. Brennan Company Inc. will rely on emPerform’s all-inclusive performance and talent management solution to help monitor the performance and development of their expanding workforce.


OTTAWA, ON: August 28, 2012 – J.F. Brennan Company Inc., an industry-leading marine construction, environmental remediation, and harbor services company, has selected CRG emPerform to help monitor the performance and development of their expanding workforce. J.F. Brennan will rely on emPerform’s all-inclusive performance and talent management suite to give managers and employees a real-time view of performance and the status of key development goals in order to effectively expand their talent base.

For almost 100 years, J.F. Brennan has operated in a niche market and, like many other unique and well-established companies, they rely heavily on the internal development and succession of highly specialized and tenured staff. “Our organization is expanding rapidly while at the same time experiencing high levels of turnover due to the retirement of key individuals,” said Bob Brague, director of human resources at J.F. Brennan. “We needed a better solution for conveying performance feedback during this period of succession and growth.”

Prior to selecting emPerform, J.F. Brennan used an out-of-the-box online appraisal tool that did not allow for in-depth performance analysis or the level of customization and flexibility that the company needed. J.F. Brennan will use emPerform to:
  • help identify and focus on key performance trends that emerge
  • leverage emPerform’s real-time feedback and goal status monitoring capabilities to allow managers and employees to communicate and track performance on a day-to-day basis
J.F. Brennan’s decision to choose emPerform as their vendor of choice was based on the product’s usability, strong reporting offering, and reasonable cost structure, with the ultimate factor being the configurability of the software to the company’s needs. “emPerform will help us leverage the need for continuous feedback and communication to employees as we attempt to grow people effectively,” continued Brague.

Although J.F. Brennan has a long history of success, they are constantly seeking ways to improve processes and reinforce their commitment to their workforce. Brague offers some key advice for other well-established organizations that might be hesitant to change their traditional approaches to talent management.  “I would advise that companies always be open to facilitating communication between employees, managers and the organization as a whole.  A focus on finding a product that assists in this vital communication delivery should be a strategic priority for all organizations regardless of legacy systems they might be tied to.”

emPerform has helped many companies modernize and reinvent their talent management processes in order to remain competitive in their market space. emPerform offers a full suite of online tools for automating performance appraisals, performance feedback, succession planning, and talent metrics.

About J.F. Brennan Company Inc.

J.F. Brennan Company Inc. is a marine construction and environmental remediation company that provides high-quality services to engineering, utility, railroad, paper mill, government, municipality, and harbor entities located throughout the inland waterways of the United States. Their services include dredging, diving, dam repairs, pile driving, railroad bridge repairs, in-situ capping, and more. They employ some of the nation’s most talented marine professionals, and pride themselves on their commitment to safety, quality, and the environment. Founded on the principles of hard work and innovation, Brennan has provided nearly 100 years of construction excellence. http://www.jfbrennan.com

About Corporate Renaissance Group

Corporate Renaissance Group is a global provider of innovative solutions that drive better business management and performance. With expertise in business management applications, CRG has established itself as a leading provider of solutions that drive corporate and employee performance. CRG is a Microsoft Certified Partner, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices throughout Canada, South Africa, India and the United States. For more information, visit www.crgroup.com.

CRG emPerform is an all-inclusive performance and talent management software solution. This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 reviews, succession planning, reporting and analytics, and introducing emPerform tag™ for year-round social performance feedback and journaling. CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not-for-profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and public sector. For more information, visit www.employee-performance.com.

For additional information:

Natalie Trudel
Marketing Communications Specialist
ntrudel@employee-performance.com
877.711.0367 x252

CRG emPerform Launches Free Talent Management Webcast Series


Ottawa, ON – July 18, 2012: CRG emPerform, a leading provider of online employee performance management software, has teamed up with several noted industry experts to create a series of free Talent Management Webcasts. emPerform’s Take 10  Series  offers best-practice talent management tips and tricks for HR Professionals in easy-to-swallow 10 minute doses.

The field of HR is evolving at a record pace and HR Professionals are finding themselves taking the reins in uncharted territory.  With limited time and budget available for hands-on training, industry webinars are rapidly becoming a key source of timely and vital industry information. Although attending a traditional sixty minute webinar can be immensely informative, today’s HR Professional may find it difficult to stop whatever they are doing and attend the live hour-long session. For those who do attend, remembering and applying the contents of the presentation can also be challenging unless the recording and slides are made available after the event.

emPerform’s solution to this was to offer ten minute videos dealing with practical and specific information related to HR and Talent Management. These mini-webinars can be accessed and viewed anytime – making them perfect for busy HR pros who might not be able to set aside an hour straight but would find it feasible to take a 10 minute break.

“We are thrilled to work with some amazing presenters to offer this series” said John Smith, Director of Enterprise Business Solutions at CRG emPerform.  “One of the greatest things about being in the HR space is forming relationships with forward-thinking and insightful customers and experts. These relationships and collaborations ensure that we stay on-top of the latest industry trends and reinforce the fact that we offer more than just talent management software – we offer guidance and a commitment to customer success.”

The emPerform Take 10 series features the following topics, with new videos being continuously added.

Presented by Marnie Green, Principal Consultant for the Management Education Group Inc.

Presented by Dawn Kohler, CEO of The Inside Coach.

Presented by Dr. Vijay Jog, President and CEO of Corporate Renaissance Group.

Presented by Cindy Pascale, Founder and VP of Business Development for Vado Inc.

Presented by Lynn Lang, President of Rewarding Communities.

emPerform is no stranger to online events. They continue to host successful live webinars through organizations such as HCI.org, IHRIM, and HR.com, including an upcoming webinar in September with Mark Effron, Author of ‘One Page Talent Management’.

The Take 10 videos are available for free download on theemPerform website. www.employee-performance.com.
Click here to access:  www.employee-performance.com/take10.php.

About CRG emPerform

CRG emPerform is an easy-to-use, online Performance and Talent Management solution. This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 peer reviews, succession planning, reporting and introducing emPerform tag for year-round social performance feedback. emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and public sector. For more information, visit: www.employee-performance.com

For additional information:
Natalie Trudel
Marketing Communications Specialist
ntrudel@employee-performance.com
877.711.0367 x252

CRG emPerform Unveils ‘tag’ for Real-Time Performance Feedback


emPerform tag is shaking up traditional performance reviews by enabling real-time, year-round performance feedback to be captured and accessed when assessing talent.

OTTAWA, ON: June 18th 2012 – Innovations in talent management technology have taken a step forward today with the unveiling of CRG emPerform’s newest feature, emPerform tag™, for real-time performance feedback.  Located directly within emPerform’s all-inclusive online talent management suite, tag enables ongoing performance feedback to be captured and accessed throughout the appraisals cycle.

A big part of managing talent is giving timely and relevant feedback. emPerform tag offers an accessible way to document performance feedback from multiple sources throughout the entire appraisal cycle and to engage employees and managers in the process. tags can be archived and are accessible directly within emPerform review forms  – giving managers the rich performance feedback needed to deliver accurate performance assessments and giving employees the valuable feedback needed for improvement and to be recognized.

“Along with the growth in social networking, our clients wanted an easy way to engage employees and managers to provide and receive feedback when it happens,” said Dr. Vijay Jog, President and CEO of CRG. “tag gives emPerform users the best of both worlds – a powerful talent management platform for quarterly/annual performance discussions augmented by year-round feedback capabilities. We are pleased to add tag to the list of performance management features already included in emPerform.”

Since 2004, emPerform has been active in the HR technology and talent management solution market space. Its all-inclusive offering, ease-of-use, multi-lingual capabilities and value-focused pricing model has allowed the product to expand globally into a variety of industries seeking to automate and improve employee performance management.  tag is part of emPerform’s latest release – version 4.3, which also includes added elements to emPerform’s compensation management tool and improved administrative functionality. tag is free to all emPerform customers.

emPerform will be demonstrating tag to live audiences at the upcoming 2012 SHRM Conference and Expo June 24-27 in Atlanta. emPerform also plans to preview tag’s upcoming mobile application at the event. To get a free one-day expo pass to the SHRM exposition, courtesy of emPerform, visit: http://www.employee-performance.com/SHRM2012_emPerform_pass.php 

About emPerform tag
emPerform tag™ is a revolutionary performance management tool that enables ongoing feedback to be captured and accessed when assessing employee performance. emPerform tag is integrated within emPerform’s online talent management suite and is free to all of its customers. To learn more about emPerform tag, visit www.employee-performance.com/tag.html 

About CRG emPerform
CRG emPerform is an all-inclusive Performance and Talent Management solution, one of many solutions offered by Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG). This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 degree multi-rater feedback, succession planning, reporting and introducing emPerform tag™ for real-time performance feedback. CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and the public sector. For more information, visit www.employee-performance.com.

About Corporate Renaissance Group
Corporate Renaissance Group is a global provider of innovative business solutions that improve business performance and increase efficiency. CRG is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices throughout Canada, South Africa, India and the United States. For more information, visit www.crgroup.com

For additional information:

Natalie Trudel
ntrudel@employee-performance.com
1-877-711-0367  x252

CRG Announces Availability of emPerform 4.3 Including tag

LogoOTTAWA, ON: June 12th 2012–Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG), a global provider of innovative solutions that improve business performance and increase effectiveness, announced today the availability of version 4.3 of emPerform, CRG’s online talent management solution.

Since 2004, emPerform’s all - inclusive offering, ease-of-use, multi-lingual capabilities, and value-focused pricing model has allowed the product to expand globally into a variety of industries seeking to automate and streamline employee performance management processes; including appraisals, goal management, succession, pay-for-performance, reporting, and peer reviews.

Version 4.3 is emPerform’s latest release and includes significant enhancements to emPerform’s industry-leading offering; including updates to emPerform’s Compensation Manager tool and administrative capabilities, as well as new functionality for capturing and sharing organization-wide performance feedback, emPerform tag™.

The result of a 10 month revision process that included feedback and suggestions from the talent management community, emPerform customers, and CRG Solutions Experts, emPerform 4.3 contains several important enhancements:
  • Compa-ratio calculation and recommendation matrix.
  • Mandatory options for elements within performance appraisals.
  • Enhanced manager assistance tools.
  • Unveiling of emPerform tag - real-time performance feedback functionality.
Of the enhancements present in 4.3, emPerform's unique tag offering stands out the most. "We are excited to offer tag as part of the 4.3 release," said Dr. Vijay Jog, President and CEO of CRG. "Today’s workforce is looking to use social and accessible tools to facilitate documenting, acknowledging, and assessing employee performance.emPerform tag addresses this need by integrating ongoing feedback directly into performance reviews and talent management processes."

Version 4.3 is currently available for upgrade to all emPerform customers.

About CRG emPerform
CRG emPerform is an all-inclusive Performance and Talent Management solution, one of many solutions offered by Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG). This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 degree multi-rater feedback, succession planning, reporting and introducing emPerform tag™ for real-time performance feedback. CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and the public sector. For more information, visit: www.employee-performance.com

About Corporate Renaissance Group
Corporate Renaissance Group is a global provider of innovative business solutions that improve business performance and increase efficiency. CRG is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices throughout Canada, South Africa, India and the United States. For more information, visit www.crgroup.com

For additional information:
Natalie Trudel
Marketing Communications Specialist
Email: ntrudel@employee-performance.com
Tel: 1-877-711-0367 x252

The F-Word: Tackling Performance FEEDBACK - New CRG emPerform Webinar


Join CRG emPerform and expert panelists Marnie Green, William Tincup, and Elisabeth Lecavalier for a complimentary HR.com webinar June 13th on how to tackle the F-Word: Feedback.

Ottawa, ON - April 26th, 2012 - CRG emPerform, a leading provider of online employee performance management software, has teamed up with HR.com and a panel of industry experts to present a dynamic webinar on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 on The F-Word: The Challenges and Opportunities of Tackling Performance Feedback. In this webinar, panelists Marnie Green (Management Education Group), William Tincup (Tincup & Co.), and Elisabeth Lecavalier (Forensic Technology) will weigh in on the overlooked importance of effective performance feedback and will offer best-practice approaches and practical concepts you can use to exploit the F-Word in your organization.

A big part of managing employee performance is giving effective performance feedback. The trouble with the traditional performance appraisal process is that feedback comes too late, from too few sources, rarely or often not at all. Once-a-year feedback isn’t enough to properly develop and recognize employees and engage them to excel in their role.

Making the most of ongoing performance feedback requires a clear understanding of why feedback is essential, why it is often mishandled, what opportunities exist and how you can use fresh & modern approaches to bring a tired performance-management process back to life and unleash the power of the F-Word.

During this webinar, the panel of experts will provide leading-edge insight into:

·         The overlooked importance of ongoing performance feedback
·         The challenges HR, Managers, and Employees face getting, giving, using, and managing feedback
·         How continuous feedback is shaking up traditional performance reviews
·         Creating a feedback-centric culture

Date: Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Time: 11AM – 12PM EDT

*Registration for this webinar is on the HR.com website. If you are already a member of HR.com, please login to register for the webcast. If you are not a member of HR.com, you will need to sign up for a FREE HR.com membership before registering.

emPerform is no stranger to online events. They continue to host successful live webinars through organizations such as HCI.org, IHRIM, and HR.com, including their most recent webinar, The Secrets of Personality Testing. Past webinars have been archived and are available for download on the employee-performance.com website.

About CRG emPerform

CRG emPerform is an easy-to-use, online Performance and Talent Management solution. This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes; including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 multi-rater reviews, succession planning, reporting, and introducing emPerform tag™ - revolutionary functionality for capturing real-time performance feedback that can be archived, accessed and used directly within emPerform’s online appraisal forms.  CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and public sector. For more information regarding CRG emPerform, visit: www.employee-performance.com


For additional information:
Natalie Trudel
Marketing Specialist – CRG emPerform
Tel: 613-232-4295 x:252
Email: ntrudel@employee-performance.com

CRG emPerform and Online Talent Manager Explain Personalities in the Workplace

Join Business Psychologist, Bert Goos, and leading performance management software provider, CRG emPerform, to learn the secrets behind understanding employee personalities to attract and retain the right people.

OTTAWA, ON – March 26, 2012: CRG emPerform, a leading provider of online performance management software is teaming up with the Human Capital Institute (HCI.org), and Bert Goos, Business Psychologist and CEO of Online Talent Manager, to deliver an insightful, and engaging complimentary webinar Wednesday, March 28th on The Secrets Behind Personality Testing. In this webinar, Goos will draw from his 25+ years as an Organizational Psychologist and Executive Coach to share his secrets behind understanding personalities in the workplace and how companies can leverage it to attract and retain the right people.

Whether you are an HR leader, manager, coach, trainer, or company owner, this webinar will provide important insights to consider when trying to find, develop, and keep the best possible talent. During this informative presentation, participants will learn the basics behind personality assessments and how an understanding of employee personalities can lead to better hiring decisions, increased engagement, better performance and communication, and overall workplace satisfaction.

  • The three personality tests that determine what roles, company structure, and goals best fit your employees
  • How understanding personalities can help managers choose the right development plans for employees and can help companies improve the effectiveness of competency training for their employees.  
  • How the unique working landscape of the Netherlands has opened the door for using personality testing to hire the right leaders. Why is personality testing used so much, and so successfully, in this environment and how can the lessons learned there be applied to helping your organization today?

Bonus: Participants will be given a coupon code for a free personality test to learn more about themselves and help them develop a 'vocabulary' for speaking about personality in the work place.

Date: Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
Time: 2PM -3PM EDT


About Online Talent Manager
Since 2002, Online Talent Manager has been a leading provider of personality testing software for the workplace. Based in the Netherlands, Online Talent Manager has helped to assess over 90 thousand candidates and help companies find the best personality fit between employees and positions. For more information, visit: http://www.onlinetalentmanager.com/

About CRG emPerform
CRG emPerform is an all-inclusive, online Performance Management solution used by companies to automate and streamline processes and build a top-performing workforce. This easy-to-use suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 degree multi-rater feedback, succession planning and reporting and analytics. CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and public sector. For more information, visit: www.employee-performance.com


For additional information:
Natalie Trudel
Marketing Communications Specialist
Tel: 613-232-4295 x:252
Email:
ntrudel@employee-performance.com

Leading Manufacturing Company Selects CRG emPerform for Strategic Succession Planning and Goal Management

OTTAWA, ON: March 13, 2012 – Propulsys Inc., a leading manufacturer of hydraulic drive products, has selected CRG emPerform™ to globalize its performance management processes and build an effective succession planning strategy. Based out of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Propulsys Inc. relies on its global team of over 500 employees to deliver world-class products and customer service. Propulsys plans to use emPerform to ensure that company-wide performance expectations are consistently aligned with corporate objectives, and that succession gaps can be identified and addressed in an efficient manner.

“Succession planning and setting performance goals are critical processes that challenge a manufacturing company every day,” said Larry Dean, Global Director of Human Resources for Propulsys. “Using accurate performance data as a basis for succession forecasting and decision making is critical to our success and will save countless dollars in future training and development.”

Prior to selecting emPerform, Propulsys relied on a manual form-based appraisal system for evaluating employee performance. The overall process was not effective for a global workforce and the standardization of performance evaluations was impossible. “Clearly our processes had to be automated,” continued Larry. “We looked very hard at four different software vendors and selected emPerform for the fact that succession planning capabilities were built into the software versus having to buy constant upgrades or additional modules. Getting an all-in-one solution was a big cost-saver for our company”.

“Using emPerform, our employees will have a simple and consistent evaluation process and a better understanding of how their performance contributes to company goals,” said Larry. “We have several business units and emPerform provides real-time visibility into the performance health at every level within the organization”.

When asked about the implementation process, Larry commented, “Implementing emPerform was made much easier due to experience and diligence of the emPerform support team. They were very patient in helping us re-do and define a very critical process [talent management and succession].  User adoption was as expected – some employees resisted a different process but after they used the system, they have been receptive and even complimented the ease-of-use and accessibility”.

CRG emPerform comes standard with the nine-box talent matrix for succession planning. Performance metrics and potential data from appraisals, self-assessments, 360 reviews and surveys are automatically fed into emPerform’s Succession Manager and gives managers and HR a snapshot of the performance health of their organization. Employees ready for advancement can be easily identified and employees in need of development can be addressed. Results from the Succession Manager can be monitored in real-time or exported for decision making. Succession Manager comes standard with emPerform. Customers are not charged extra for this powerful functionality.

About Propulsys Inc.

Founded as White Hydraulics, Inc. in 1977 by Harvey and Hollis White, Jr. and now in its second generation of family ownership, Propulsys has become a leading manufacturer of hydraulic drive products – low-speed high-torque motors, orbital steering, axial piston pumps, brakes, and accessories.  With wholly-owned manufacturing facilities in Hopkinsville, KY, and Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China, as well as sales and distribution offices in the US, China, and Europe, over 520 Propulsys employees serve customers around the world. In addition to the core hydraulic drive business, the Propulsys companies also include White Drive Products, Inc., K Products, Inc., White Staffing Management, Inc. and a joint-venture, Peerless Manufacturing (Zhenjiang) Co. Ltd. http://www.propulsys.com/
 

About Corporate Renaissance Group

For over 20 years, Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG) has been a global provider of innovative business solutions that improve business performance and increase efficiency. CRG is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices throughout Canada, South Africa, India and the United States. For more information, visit www.crgroup.com

CRG emPerform is an all-inclusive Performance and Talent Management solution, one of many solutions offered by CRG. This all-in-one suite includes robust functionality to simplify and automate core talent management processes, including: performance appraisals, compensation management, 360 degree multi-rater feedback, succession planning and reporting and analytics. CRG emPerform has a diverse customer base within sectors that include professional services, not for profits, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, hospitality and public sector. For more information regarding CRG emPerform, visit www.employee-performance.com.

For additional information:

Natalie Trudel
Marketing Communications Specialist
CRG emPerform
ntrudel@employee-performance.com
613-232-4295 x252