In honor of National Women’s History Month, Small Business Monthly has made it a priority to recognize the top women business owners in the St. Louis region for the past 24 years. This year’s edition of the magazine features spotlights on nine local women positively impacting the St. Louis business community, including Talent Assessment & Development’s CEO, Shawna Lyonfields.

The Discovery—

Change is inevitable within any organization. Problems arise, strategies evolve, and people leave both expectedly and unexpectedly. Talent Assessment & Development is no stranger to change as we have gradually undergone our own through recent years.

The Plan—

When Jim Lyonfields retired from Talent Assessment & Development in 2015, he knew he was leaving the company in capable hands. Even before the symptoms of Huntington’s Disease began to manifest themselves in Jim’s life, he and Shawna had begun an extensive succession planning process.

The Future—

Although the Talent Assessment & Development family misses Jim Lyonfields dearly, we are pleased to announce he is making the most of his retirement. He enjoys the opportunity it has given to spend more quality time with his wife, Shawna, and their children. Jim has also become increasingly involved in his local community, investing time and energy into philanthropic efforts ranging from environmental sustainability causes to socioracial movements. He volunteers with the Red Cross and is currently growing out his hair, something he has wanted to do for years, in order to make a donation to Locks of Love.

As an employer, you know how difficult it can be to find the right person for the job. That’s why you can count on TAD to help you identify, hire, and keep those qualified individuals in your organization!

According to The Atlantic, nearly $5 trillion worth of deals were announced last year, making 2015 a record year for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) nationwide. With M&A comes change. With change comes stress, and sometimes stress has implications beyond the sweaty palms and need for stock in an aspirin company.

Sometimes, you know you need help building the proper foundation for your employees, but you aren’t really sure what help to ask for. An HR audit can help you clearly identify gaps in your compliance, policies, and processes. TAD’s team will come to you armed with a checklist of questions to ask and things to review. We will help you evaluate your current situation and figure out what will help you get to the next level in managing people. We will check out your hiring process, look at how you are processing candidates, where you are getting your applicant pool, what your interview looks like, and the results you are getting with your current process. Along the way, we’ll make sure you aren’t doing anything that could get you in hot water.

Relocating can be a stressful situation for anyone, and if no one knows this to be true more than William “Bill” French from Wm French Buyer’s Real Estate Services. Bill dreamed up the relocation company, which began as a result of him facing the same situation that countless individuals and families face – being relocated multiple times. After enduring challenging relocation experiences, Bill decided that relocating families deserved betters service and should be represented by specialists who had the buyer’s best interest in mind. Thus, Wm French Buyer’s Real Estate Services was created!

When things are going well at the office, it can be easy to put off planning for the future. Now, however, is the perfect time to begin succession planning by identifying and preparing high potential employees. Sustainability is key. Retirement can be planned and organized, but not all employee departures are that tidy. What if a key employee decides to retire without warning or experiences a sudden unpredictable change? Are you prepared for a fantastic growth opportunity? What if external factors beyond your control force a change in your structure? Who is ready to step up to the plate and lead?

When employees quit or put in their two weeks notice, it can be difficult not only for your business but also for your employees. However, unplanned and frequent employee turnover can be costly for your business. High turnover rates usually indicate that companies aren’t selecting the right employees, are failing to provide a motivating work environment, or are simply losing their employees to other businesses that provide higher pay and greater benefits.