Bex Partners

The Bex team wishes you and yours a very Happy Holidays! Thank you for being part of our journey in 2024 and here’s to a happy and healthy 2025.

How do you screen for culture in the interview process?  Culture screening should be layered throughout the interview process, from the first call to the offer stage. Incorporating ongoing conversations about workplace preferences and values will allow every stakeholder of the interview process to assess if a candidate aligns with the organization’s existing culture and what they aspire to.      Get Granular – What’s the cultural element or value? Let’s say integrity is a big value for your team; some questions that identify Integrity with specificity could be:  "Tell me about a time that you were asked to do something you were uncomfortable with at your job – how did you handle that?"  "Was there ever a time where you realized you were going in the wrong direction with a project? How did you 'right the ship'?" Be Direct – Ask the candidate open-endedly what they are looking for regarding culture and values and tell them how that relates to your current culture and the culture you’re trying to build. Provide space in each conversation for candidates to get a sense of the workplace, communication styles, and values that the team adheres to.  The strategy for screening for culture can be circumstantial, depending on the candidate and team involved. It’s important to be intentional about how you discuss culture, and it is advantageous to dedicate a piece of each conversation to the topic. 

Your HR and People Success leaders can be more than managers—they can be your strategic advisors. At Bex Partners, our 1:1 coaching draws from our backgrounds in HR and leadership roles to elevate your leaders to executive levels. We help them operate as true talent partners, securing stakeholder buy-in and driving your company’s vision forward. Ready to build a powerhouse leadership team? 

Predictive Index – Going beyond the assessment One of the most beneficial aspects of using The Predictive Index to help hire and scale your teams is the expansive toolkit that enables you to engage and inspire your team after hiring.    There are Management Strategy Guides and Coaching Guides to provide structure to one-one-one conversations, give insight to preferred communication styles, and strategies for overall management practices based on the candidate’s individual behavioral needs.  The 1:1 Relationship Guide allows you to select an employee and a manager, then create a guide for how the two individuals’ behavioral styles will mesh, and how to best facilitate a working relationship between them. 

Team Member Spotlight | Jen Lipscomb Meet Jen Lipscomb, the Bex Team’s Talent Acquisition Manager! Growing up, Jen spent countless weekends camping, which remains one of her favorite childhood memories. These days, she loves to recharge by heading to the beach, her go-to vacation spot and plans on traveling to Greece someday. One of the things Jen is most proud of is the incredible partnership and life she’s built with her husband. If you peek inside Jen's desk, you'll find her trusty label maker, which keeps her organized and efficient. Fun fact: Jen is always hyper-aware of her surroundings and has an exit plan ready, wherever she is! Her favorite piece of advice? "Common sense is the best sense" — a motto she leads by, every day. If you're looking for a good read, Jen recommends The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

The Head, the Heart, and the Briefcase When hiring talent for your team, it’s important to look beyond the resume and see what else the candidate brings to the table. The head, the heart, and the briefcase model is a helpful way to see the candidate as a whole person and assess different aspects of the individual.  The head is the behavioral wiring of the candidate. This includes aspects like independence versus collaboration, extroversion versus introversion, need for structure versus flexibility, etc. There are several ways to screen for behavior, including assessments like The Predictive Index or strategic interviewing.  The heart is comprised of the candidate’s values and cultural preferences. What’s important to them in a new role/organization? How do they show up in the workplace, and how do they want others to show up?  The briefcase is the resume, skill set, and experience. What are the past experiences of the candidate that make up their professional knowledge? How are they going to level up your team? What are you as an organization offering to further their career and skillset?  In what ways are you screening talent for a holistic picture of the individual?

Why Q4 is the Perfect Time to Focus on Your 2025 People Strategy As we approach the end of the year, many businesses are wrapping up projects and evaluating their performance. But Q4 is not just about closing the books—it’s the ideal time to look ahead and build a robust people strategy for 2025. Here’s why: 1️. Reflect and Review: Q4 gives you the opportunity to assess the successes and challenges of the past year. What worked well? Where did you fall short? Use these insights to shape a more effective people strategy for the year ahead. 2️. Align with Business Goals: As you finalize your business goals for 2025, your people strategy should align with them. Q4 is the perfect time to ensure your talent initiatives support your broader objectives, whether it’s growth, innovation, or operational efficiency. 3️. Budgeting and Resource Planning: With budgeting top of mind in Q4, it’s crucial to allocate the right resources for your people initiatives. By planning now, you can secure the investment needed to develop your team, enhance engagement, and drive retention in 2025. 4️. Get Ahead of Talent Competition: The job market is competitive, and top talent is always in demand. By crafting your people strategy in Q4, you position yourself to attract and retain the best candidates as soon as the new year begins. 5️. Employee Engagement: Use Q4 to gather feedback from your team and understand their needs and aspirations. Incorporate these insights into your 2025 strategy to create a workplace where employees feel valued and motivated. 6️. Set the Stage for Success: A well-thought-out people strategy is a roadmap for success. By planning in Q4, you give yourself the time to roll out initiatives effectively in January, setting the tone for a productive and engaged 2025. 7️. Change Management: If you anticipate changes—whether it’s a new organizational structure, technology, or process—Q4 is the time to prepare your team. A solid people strategy will help manage these transitions smoothly. Don’t wait until the new year to start planning—use Q4 to get ahead and ensure your people strategy is aligned, well-funded, and ready to drive your business forward in 2025. Need help crafting your 2025 people strategy? Email us at [email protected] to make 2025 your organization's best year yet!

Every team has unique strengths, but are you truly harnessing them? At Bex Partners, we use Strengthscope to identify the key energizers that drive your team, helping you unlock potential, boost engagement, and build a high-performing culture. By focusing on what your team does best, we empower leaders to leverage these strengths and address potential stressors, paving the way for greater collaboration and success. Ready to maximize your team’s potential? Let’s get started! 

Why Payroll Should Be in Accounting, Not HR When it comes to structuring your business, one common question is: Where should payroll sit—HR or Accounting? Here’s why payroll belongs in the Accounting department: 1️. Financial Accuracy: Payroll is fundamentally a financial function. It involves managing compensation, tax withholding, benefits deductions, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. The expertise required to handle these tasks accurately lies within Accounting, where the focus is on precision and financial integrity. 2️. Cost Management: Payroll is a significant part of your business’s expenses. Placing payroll within Accounting ensures that salary expenditures are closely monitored, managed, and aligned with your overall financial strategy. 3️. Compliance and Reporting: Accounting professionals are well-versed in tax laws, regulatory requirements, and financial reporting. By housing payroll in Accounting, you reduce the risk of non-compliance and ensure accurate and timely reporting to both internal and external stakeholders. 4️. Efficiency in Financial Processes: Payroll interacts with other financial processes such as budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. Keeping payroll within Accounting streamlines these processes, ensuring seamless integration and reducing errors. 5️. Segregation of Duties: HR’s focus should be on people management, culture, and talent development, not on financial transactions. Placing payroll in Accounting helps maintain a clear segregation of duties, which is crucial for internal controls and audit purposes. 6️. Confidentiality and Security: Payroll involves sensitive financial data. Accounting departments are equipped with the necessary controls and protocols to handle this data securely, minimizing the risk of breaches or unauthorized access. 7️. Strategic Focus for HR: By keeping payroll within Accounting, HR can focus on what they do best—building a strong, engaged workforce, developing leaders, and driving organizational culture—without the added responsibility of managing complex financial processes. Payroll is a financial function at its core, and aligning it with the Accounting department ensures accuracy, compliance, and efficiency—all critical to your business’s success. Interested in optimizing your organization’s structure? Let’s connect and explore how you can best align your teams for success!

Find the Perfect Fit for Your Team with Bex Partners! Filling a spot on your team goes far beyond resumes and interviews. We use the Predictive Index to help you find the right person with the right skills, experience, and personality to add dimension to your team.     Click the link below to complete the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment. Once you’re done, our team will reach out to schedule a free, short debrief of your profile and discuss how this tool can help you get the right people in the right seats. 👉 Complete the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment - https://shorturl.at/6fN6X