HR That Works: Posts tagged with times

CHANGE: A PLACE TO START!

Author DonPhin , 4/8/2014

Change is inevitable. If you need proof, just look at where you were 10 years ago.

Fast Company magazine sees change management as one of the three essential components for survival in today’s economy (learning and leadership are the others). Although changing with the times makes sense, there can be a great amount of emotional resistance in getting people to “move their cheese.” The word “change” evokes images of a distant past. For most people, their first experience with the concept came when their parents told them to change one of their behaviors. Since early on “change” has been associated with control, the threat of punishment behind it, and rebellion.

We were resistant to being told to change then, and we remain so today, even if it makes sense to do so! That’s why managers and leaders have to be very careful when going about the process.

Before implementing “change” in your workplace, start by asking team members to describe an experience in their career that involved change. Ask them how going through the process felt and what the eventual outcome was. Acknowledge that not all change is positive: Things often change for the worse. Telling stories allows us to connect emotionally with change by expressing our fears and anxieties, as well as our hopes and desires. We can build on past lessons, including successes and failures alike.

Going through this type of group exercise allows team members to have some ownership of the change that will affect them. Once these emotional fears and anxieties are on the table, they will disappear in the light of understanding — and big changes can happen!

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COMPLIANCE/PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST

Author DonPhin , 3/17/2014

How effectively are your compliance and personnel management practices? Rate your performance using a 1 to 10 scale, on which 1 is “we’re doomed,” 5 is mediocre, and 10 is perfect:

POINTS:

1. We have a fail-safe system designed to hire only trustworthy

employees.

2. All new employees go through an extensive orientation

experience

3. We have clearly identified the workflow obligations for

each employee.

4. We have clearly communicated our company’s vision,

mission, values, and goals to our workforce

5. Our employees are very clear on expected performance

standards.

6. We allow employees to devote time and resources to

furthering their career development.

7. We have eliminated all unwanted turnover.

8. We have taken all steps “reasonably necessary” to

avoid compliance law concerns.

9. We have systems in place to proactively encourage

innovation.

10. We celebrate and reward superior performance.

TOTAL:

If your score is less than 80, you have a lot of work to do. It’s time to start talking about how to achieve better results in harder times.

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WORKPLACE RULES: A COMMON-SENSE TEST

Author DonPhin , 11/13/2013

Most businesses use practices to boost their workers’ productivity. All too often, however, such tactics can backfire. These guidelines can help determine if your workplace practices make sense:

Trust. Does the practice increase or decrease trust between the parties? If the latter, why are you using it? For example, traditional sick pay, which was designed more than 50 years ago, doesn’t match today’s reality. According to a survey by CCH, 74% of workers who call in sick are perfectly healthy. Because trust is so important, why have a policy that, by its nature, causes mistrust between you and your workers?
Direction. Does the policy, procedure, or process align with your firm’s goals? If your objective is to provide quality customer service, you’ll need to empower employees to use their best judgment at all times. Unfortunately, this means that they’ll make some mistakes. Punishing these errors will inhibit their desire to “go the extra mile.”
Communication. Does the policy or procedure increase or decrease the level of communication? For example, a winner-take-all incentive system will inevitably lead to internal hoarding of “best practices.” So will team competitions.
Commitment. Commitment is the glue of relationships. Not surprisingly, each party in a relationship usually thinks that it’s more committed than the other. Don’t have a policy or procedure that you aren’t prepared to commit to. Failure to commit to the policy, procedure, or process creates mistrust and destroys relationships.

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THE HIGH COST OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Author DonPhin , 7/10/2013

It costs approximately $50,000 to replace a $50,000 a year worker – and the more the employee earns, the greater the expense of replacement. Replacing an executive can cost two to three times his or her annual salary. A turnover rate of “only” 15% for rank and file employees remains a substantial figure.

According to a nationwide survey by the Gallup Organization, employees leave their jobs for three basic reasons (none of which involve money):

1.Poor hiring practices. Companies that don’t have an effective hiring process wind up with misfits. In many cases, ineffective orientation compounds the problem, leaving employees to ask themselves “Why am I here?”

2. Lack of growth opportunities. Most valuable employees want to be able to grow in their careers. Employees who don’t have a clear understanding of their career path will also leave.

3. Poor relationships with supervisors.

Money has little to do with turnover. Most surveys have found that satisfied employees won’t leave a job unless they’re offered a raise of 15% or more. Once workers believe that they’re receiving a “fair” wage, salary quickly drops to between fifth and seventh place on their list of concerns — below such factors as job satisfaction, benefits, stress levels, and acknowledgment.

As a rule, the older and more experienced the workers, the lower their turnover rate. Although this statistic has an inherent bias, employers who use minimum wage employees should consider hiring senior workers to reduce their turnover cost. For more information on job retention and turnover, visit the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics site (www.bls.gov),
.

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CHANGE: A PLACE TO START!

COMPLIANCE/PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST

WORKPLACE RULES: A COMMON-SENSE TEST

THE HIGH COST OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER