Our Mission

Stern & Associates creates systems and processes to promote employee motivation, communication, and organizational effectiveness, to help our clients realize their business objectives.

Areas of Expertise

Total Compensation

We design achievement-based, total compensation programs that link the organization's business strategy and planning to all elements of the reward system, including: base salary, short- and long-term cash incentives, stock-based plans, and benefits. Areas of specialization include:

• sales incentive plans
• executive compensation
• group / team incentive plans
• board of directors remuneration
• employee recognition systems
• organization-wide incentive systems
• customized market, factor, and competency/skill/knowledge-based evaluation plans and hybrid plans
• customized, targeted market surveys.

Performance Management

Our performance management programs integrate staffing, succession planning, career-pathing, coaching, management development, and training. We design performance appraisal systems (including 360 degree feedback) and provide management training in setting standards and goals, conducting appraisal interviews and counseling employees.

Organization Analysis, Planning and Change

We identify and analyze organizational issues and develop strategies and programs for achieving organizational change. Organizational issues are viewed in a broad business context which includes marketing strategy, finance, and technology. Projects are custom designed to meet organizational objectives and needs; they may be conducted at the corporate, divisional or operating unit level.

Employee/Management and Organizational Surveys

Our surveys provide a means for: discovering organizational issues; measuring employee attitudes, perceptions, and motivation; and identifying specific employee development and human resource needs. We:

• design targeted questionnaires
• conduct one-on-one in-depth interviews
• facilitate focus groups
• develop and facilitate an action-oriented feedback process
• assist management in translating survey findings into plans, programs, assessment criteria and results

Communication

We assess our clients' communications and help them formulate communication goals and strengthen channels of communication. We also develop management presentations, suggestion systems, and communication materials, including: policy manuals, handbooks and employee newsletters.

Executive Search

We assist clients in identifying and selecting candidates for key management positions. We work with clients in: defining the position, creating a candidate profile, determining an appropriate compensation package, identifying and screening prospective candidates, depth interviewing, reference checking and presentation of selected candidates.