“HR is my Hobby” and the words ran in my thoughts..!!!

September 5, 2009 at 12:04 pm (HR Articles, Personal Rants)

Last nite, I had the pleasure to talk to this very talented Management trainee working in a reputed MNC company. Out of our discussion in midst of it, she expressed that for her, “Her work as HR feels like her Hobby”…and then it all started.

The discussion went on for hours where i was on the other side of plank debating about issues that as an HR How can she not feel stressed and exhausted with her work, How that feeling did not get into her, And in the current economic turmoil (which is almost passes, for those who experienced it), how as an HR she feels so free and excited about the work like there is nothing else so exciting to do. We managed to keep debating about stuff where I kept pulling her off on various challenges that are faced from a perspective of a Potential HR in “Generalist” Or any role .We kept contemplating on issues which involved over demanding responsibilites that an HR has to goes through in the current chaotic organization situation. But at the end, what i learnt that how much i was trying to overshadow her work , her initiatives at work, discouraging her efforts and arguing like a nagging colleague, that this all gonna end after few years. However, How much I tried to divert or bend her thoughts for the same, she never budge down for a moment.

I asked her “How can HR be a Hobby…? I have been in this field for so long enough & “Duh..” i can find a million things that I can say about my hobby. But as we counter defensed our stand, She was firm on her end of the ground, I found her standing tall to her belief, to her views and the passion that she showed about her was like unshakeable.

Late nite, After the conversation end and we decided to carry on laters, I felt that during my early days of career, deep down even I had that fire buring in my the deep corners of my conscious and the utter resilience for the passion where my day-to-day work was revolving around people centric efforts, counseling and things where ever i used to look up for the starting a new exciting day at work.

Did it died down due to constant hurdles, unfamiliar deadlines and unachieveable targets set upon us? Did the false commitments, lies made, people playing corporate politics, changed a part of HR in me? Is India really ready for considering HR as a Business partner in success…!!!

Too many questions, General Answers but the road is ahead and I know its gonna be a suprise. Good or Bad I leave it up on time

But today before ending this, the question I wanna ask to peoples of the HR Fathernity(India), that Did that fire died down, or is it just Hibernating ?

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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Good Boss, Bad Boss: Cultivating Leaders

July 13, 2009 at 11:54 am (HR Articles)
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Good Boss, Bad BossCompetence. Integrity. The ability to see the big picture. There are undoubtedly many qualities that make a leader great. And a lot of these traits have been identified and documented through years of research on the topic.

But what good is knowledge when you don’t have a way to implement it? After all, CLOs can’t exactly go around handing out a list of 100 desirable traits and telling leaders to get busy. This was a problem that Mike Mears, former chief of human capital for the CIA and current learning consultant and author, struggled with for years.

“I started gathering data on about 8,000 bosses in the [CIA] and in other places over a 16-year period,” he explained. “I would have employees rate them so I could get a handle on what the ‘leadership coefficient’ [was]. I collected about 60 attributes for great leaders and 60 attributes of horrible leaders, but then I kept thinking, ‘This is a completely useless list..’ So I kept thinking about it [and] I found that I could align every one of those leadership attributes just under two things.”

The “two things” were actually just two sides of the same coin: trust. A great leader is trustworthy himself and can trust others.

“So, for example, being trustworthy: Obviously that [involves] integrity, that’s competence. [To] trust others [includes] things like delegating: When you delegate to me, you’re showing you trust [me],” Mears said.

On the flip side, bosses typically are labeled ineffective when they are perceived as autocrats or micromanagers – both of which would imply that they have a hard time trusting others – or when they’re believed to be “buddy bosses” – those who are smiley and talkative but provide little oversight and often don’t challenge employees, ultimately resulting in them being considered untrustworthy.

“Think about the worst boss you ever had and the best boss, jot down those traits under those two categories, add some, and, by golly, you’ve captured 90 percent of what leadership’s all about,” Mears said.

With these qualities boiled down into two main categories, Mears offered a few tips for becoming a better leader:

1. Be aware of yourself and others.

“I guess the first rule is: Do no harm as a boss,” Mears said. “Make sure that you’re not inadvertently inflicting social pain on people. It really does require setting up some feedback systems to make sure [you know] what the troops are really thinking, how [you're] coming across, where [you] should pull back.”

2. Create an inclusive work environment.

“Another part is simply [to] establish safety with people. As long as they don’t feel safe in your presence, you can’t move to the next step and establish trust,” Mears said. “And if you can’t establish trust, you’ll never get to the next step, which is establishing clarity about expectations, rules of the road, how much risk they can take and so forth. All the great things we do in adult education and training apply to leadership: Get the cold class warmed up!”

3. Encourage participation in meetings and presentations.

“Don’t lecture,” Mears said. “Get [employees] to participate so they have insight that they gain about the subject matter.”

[About the Author: Agatha Gilmore is a senior editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine.]

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HR Article :- Employee Turnover – What is Poor Employee Retention Costing You?

March 4, 2009 at 9:09 pm (General HR, HR Articles)

Chart Employee turnover is unavoidable.  It is a fact of business life as are its associated costs.  Or is it? The costs of employee turnover can be staggering, ranging anywhere from 1/2 to 5 times an employee’s annual wages dependant upon his or her position.  It is neither possible, nor desirable to completely eliminate turnover from your organization.  Some of the costs associated with employee turnover are unavoidable and must be expected to occur in the normal course of business.  BUT NOT ALL THE COSTS!!!  You can do something about these turnover costs…

Before you can start to combat the costs of employee turnover, you must be aware of what these cost are and what they entail.  There of course are some obvious costs that come quickly to mind, but there are also numerous other costs that you may have never considered that can have a serious impact on your bottom line.


The Hard Costs:

Turning over one employee can cost around ½ of a low skilled hourly workers annual wages plus benefits, while losing a member of C-Level upper management can cost 3 to 5 times his or her annual wages and benefits.

Consider this:  if your firm has a turnover rate of 25% (about the national average) and employs 40 employees each earning Rs.2,50,000 annually, your costs of turning over 10 of these employees over the course of a year will be at least  Rs. 12,50,000!  What could you do with an additional Rs. 10,00,000+ in resources?

Severance pay can also be a huge part of employee turnover costs.  This is especially true with highly skilled employees and high-level management.  These are wages on which you will never see any return on you investment!

The costs of recruitment:  Each time an employee is lost the hiring and selection cycle must start again.  These costs can be significant:  advertising costs to announce your job opening to the masses, cost of recruitment agencies, background checks, reference checks, drug testing, cost of overtime pay, temporary help and much more.

Hiring costs:  Once you’ve made a hiring decision, the costs of turnover don’t stop, but rather continue. Sign on bonuses, relocation costs, and any increases in salary level necessary to attract new talent all add up quickly.  The time spent by HR managers to orientate and train the new employee can also be costly and unnecessary.  These are all tangible costs that could be avoided with a better employee retention.


Other Costs:  Some Food for Thought

There are clearly a number of turnover costs that can be easily quantifiable, but these costs often times are just the tip of the iceberg.  There are numerous turnover costs that will never appear on any balance sheet or income statement that can have a serious impact on your firm’s bottom line.

Low_productivity First of all consider the affects on productivity that are caused by turnover.  It takes on average 8 weeks to recruit and hire a new employee.  During this time production can seriously falter.  Other employees have to pick up the slack in production, often taking on tasks and responsibilities they are unfamiliar with or untrained in.  This can drain team morale and further hurt production.  The negative affect on production caused by turnover doesn’t stop when a new employee is hired.  There is always a learning curve associated with any job; for some it can be short and insignificant, while for many others it can be a considerable period of time.  During this time it takes a new employee to “get up to speed” with the rest of the team, production will never be as good as it could be.

There can also be a significant loss in business due to employee turnover.  Many employees enjoy a loyal following of customers with whom they share a real connection.  The father of a close friend of mine is a great example.  As a parts dealer for an automotive service center he worked with many customer on a regular basis and formed a real bond with these customers.  They trusted him and knew they he would do whatever possible to help them.  When this individual left that position and went to a competing service center, so did almost all of his loyal customers.   Little did the firm know that the customers were loyal to the employee, not the company – and they paid dearly when they were unable to keep him on board.

Another serious cost to companies when they loose employees is the loss of organizational knowledge.  Many employees are able to become experts in the field they work in and when they leave, so does that knowledge.  These employees are no longer available to share this knowledge and mentor junior members in the company.  Once again these costs are near impossible to quantify, but there is sure to be an affect on the bottom line.

What You Can Do About It

The stakes are clearly high when it comes to retaining good employees within your organization.  Undoubtedly some industries are more susceptible to experience higher turnover than others.  Turnover in the Accommodation and Food Service and Leisure and Hospitality industries average over 50% annually.  If you compete in these industries, or any other industry susceptible to high turnover rates, you know and expect that turnover is going to be a challenge, but it doesn’t need to cripple your company’s ability to be successful.

A Harvard University study reports that 80% of employee turnover can be attributed to mistakes made during the hiring process.  The implications of this are huge: up to 80% of your turnover can be blamed on hiring mistakes.  The problem lies in the employee selection process.  Simply put the wrong people are being hired for the wrong jobs.

A Michigan State University indicates that traditional hiring techniques – résumé reviews, interviews, and reference checks only provide a 14% likelihood of a successful job hire.  ONLY 14% !!!  Your odds of winning a hand at Blackjack are significantly better at around 40%.  If you rely only on traditional hiring practices you are truly gambling with the future success of your organization.

Chart_up_2 The Michigan State University study does offer hope in regards to these horrendous odds of hiring the right employee.  The effective utilization of powerful personality assessments are shown to increase the likelihood of a successful job hire to 75%!!!. The power of these assessments is staggering and provides a powerful insight into the values, behaviors, and attributes the job candidate possesses.  This information can than be compared against a Benchmark established for the job position and an informed hiring decision can now be made.   The results are incredible.

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Source – The Rainmaker Group

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HR Articles – Belbin’s Team Roles

November 19, 2008 at 7:27 pm (HR Articles, TD and OB)
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Belbin’s Team Roles

How understanding team roles can improve team performance . . .

When a team is performing at its best, you’ll usually find that each team member has clear responsibilities. Just as importantly, you’ll normally see that every role needed to achieve the team’s goal is being performed fully and well.

But often, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team will fall short of its full potential.

How often does this happen in the teams you work with? Perhaps some team members don’t complete what you expect them to do. Perhaps some team members are not quite flexible enough, so things ‘fall between the cracks’. Maybe someone who is valued for their expert input fails to see the wider picture, and so misses out tasks or steps that others would expect. Or perhaps one team member become frustrated because he or she disagrees with the approach of another team members.

Dr. Meredith Belbin studied team-work for many years, and he famously observed that people in teams tend to assume different “team roles”. He defines a “team role” as “a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way” and named nine such team roles that underlie team success.

Creating More Balanced Teams

Belbin suggests that, by understanding your team role within a particular team, you can develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses as a team member, and so improve how you contribute to the team.

Team leaders and team development practitioners often use the Belbin model to help create more balanced teams. Teams can become unbalanced if all team members have similar styles of behavior or team roles.

If team members have similar weakness, the team as a whole may tend to have that weakness. If team members have similar team-work strengths, they may tend to compete (rather than co-operate) for the team tasks and responsibilities that best suit their natural styles. So you can use the model with your team to help ensure that necessary team roles are covered, and that potential behavioral tensions or weaknesses among the team member are addressed.

Tip 1:

Belbin’s “team-roles” are based on observed behavior and interpersonal styles.

Whilst Belbin suggests that people tend to adopt a particular team-role, bear in mind that your behavior and interpersonal style within a team is to some extent dependent on the situation: It relates not only to your own natural working style, but also to your interrelationships with others, and the work being done.

Be careful: You, and the people you work with, may behave and interact quite differently in different teams or when the membership or work of the team changes.

Also, be aware that there are other approaches in use, some of which complement this model, some of which conflict with it. By all means use this approach as a guide, however do not put too much reliance on it, and temper any conclusions with common sense.

Understanding Belbin’s Team Roles Model

Belbin identified nine team roles and he categorized those roles into three groups: Action Oriented, People Oriented, and Thought Oriented. Each team role is associated with typical behavioral and interpersonal strengths.

Belbin also defined characteristic weaknesses that tend to accompany the team-role. He called the characteristic weaknesses of team-roles the “allowable” weaknesses; as for any behavioral weakness, these are areas to be aware of and potentially improve.

The nine team-roles are:

  1. Action Oriented Roles:

Shapers (SH)

Shapers are people who challenge the team to improve. They are dynamic and usually extroverted people who enjoy stimulating others, questioning norms, and finding the best approaches to problems. The Shaper is the one who shakes things up to make sure that all possibilities are considered and that the team does not become complacent.

Shapers often see obstacles as exciting challenges and they tend to have the courage to push on when others feel like quitting.

Their potential weaknesses may be that they’re argumentative, and that they may offend people’s feelings.

Implementer (IMP)

Implementers are the people who get things done. They turn the team’s ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans. They are typically conservative, disciplined people who work systematically and efficiently and are very well organized. These are the people who you can count on to get the job done.

On the downside, Implementers may be inflexible and somewhat resistant to change.

Completer – Finisher (CF)

Completer–Finishers are the people who see that projects are completed thoroughly. They ensure there have been no errors or omissions and they pay attention to the smallest of details. They are very concerned with deadlines and will push the team to make sure the job is completed on time. They are described as perfectionists who are orderly, conscientious, and anxious.

However, a Completer-Finisher may worry unnecessarily and find it hard to delegate.

  1. People Oriented Roles:

Coordinator (CO)

Coordinators are the ones who take on the traditional team–leader role and have also been referred to as the chairmen. They guide the team to what they perceive are the objectives. They are often excellent listeners and they are naturally able to recognize the value that each team members brings to the table. They are calm and good-natured and delegate tasks very effectively.

Their potential weaknesses are that they may delegate away too much personal responsibility, and may tend to be manipulative.

Team Worker (TW)

Team Workers are the people who provide support and make sure the team is working together. These people fill the role of negotiators within the team and they are flexible, diplomatic, and perceptive. These tend to be popular people who are very capable in their own right but who prioritize team cohesion and helping people getting along.

Their weaknesses may be a tendency to be indecisive, and maintain uncommitted positions during discussions and decision-making.

Resource Investigator (RI)

Resource Investigators are innovative and curious. They explore available options, develop contacts, and negotiate for resources on behalf of the team. They are enthusiastic team members, who identify and work with external stakeholders to help the team accomplish its objective. They are outgoing and are often extroverted, meaning that others are often receptive to them and their ideas.

On the downside, they may lose enthusiasm quickly, and are often overly optimistic.

  1. Thought Oriented Roles:

Plant (PL)

The Plant is the creative innovator who comes up with new ideas and approaches. They thrive on praise but criticism is especially hard for them to deal with. Plants are often introverted and prefer to work apart from the team. Because their ideas are so novel, they can be impractical at times. They may also be poor communicators and can tend to ignore given parameters and constraints.

Monitor – Evaluator (ME)

Monitor-Evaluators are best at analyzing and evaluating ideas that other people (often Plants) come up with. These people are shrewd and objective and they carefully weigh the pros and cons of all the options before coming to a decision.

Monitor-Evaluators are critical thinkers and very strategic in their approach. They are often perceived as detached or unemotional. Sometimes they are poor motivators who react to events rather than instigating them.

Specialist (SP)

Specialists are people who have specialized knowledge that is needed to get the job done. They pride themselves on their skills and abilities, and they work to maintain their professional status. Their job within the team is to be an expert in the area, and they commit themselves fully to their field of expertise. This may limit their contribution, and lead to a preoccupation with technicalities at the expense of the bigger picture.

Figure 1: Belbin’s Team Roles

Action Oriented Roles

Shaper

Challenges the team to improve.

Implementer

Puts ideas into action.

Completer – Finisher

Ensures thorough, timely completion.

People Oriented Roles

Coordinator

Acts as a chairperson.

Team Worker

Encourages cooperation.

Resource Investigator

Explores outside opportunities.

Thought Oriented Roles

Plant

Presents new ideas and approaches.

Monitor – Evaluator

Analyzes the options.

Specialist

Provides specialized skills.

How to Use the Tool:

The Belbin Team Roles Model can be used in several ways: You can use it to think about team balance before a project starts, you can use it to highlight and so manage interpersonal differences within an existing team, and you can use it to develop yourself as a team player.

The tool below helps you analyze team membership, using the Belbin team roles as checks for potential strengths and weakness.

Use Belbin’s model to analyze your team, and as a guide as you develop your team’s strengths, and manage its weaknesses:

1. Over a period of time, observe the individual members of your team, and see how they behave, contribute and behave within the team.

2. Now list the members of the team, and for each person write down the key strengths and characteristics you have observed. (You may also want to note down any observed weaknesses).

3. Compare each person’s listed strengths and weakness with the Belbin’s descriptions of team-roles, and note the one that most accurately describes that person.

4. Once you have done this for each team member, consider the following questions:

· Which team roles are missing from your team? And from this, ask yourself which strengths are likely to be missing from the team overall?

· Is there are prevalent team role that many of the team members share?

Tip 2 – Prevalent team roles:

Among teams of people that do the same job, a few team roles often prevail. For example, within a research department, the team roles of Specialist and Plant may prevail. A team of business consultants may mainly comprise Team Workers and Shapers. Such teams may be unbalanced, in that they may be missing key approaches and outlooks.

If the team is unbalanced, first identify any team weakness that is not naturally covered by any of the team members. Then identify any potential areas of conflict. For example, too many Shapers can weaken a team if each Shaper wants to pull the team in a different direction.

5. Once you have identified potential weakness, areas of conflict and missing strengths, consider the options you have to improve and change this.

Consider:

· Whether an existing team member could compensate by purposefully adopting a different team role. With awareness and intention, this is sometimes possible.

· Whether one or more team members could improve how they work together and with others to avoid potential conflict of their natural styles.

· Whether new skills need to brought onto the team to cover weaknesses.

Tip 3:

Remember not to depend too heavily on this idea when structuring your team – this is only one of many, many factors that are important in getting a team to perform at its best.

That said, just knowing about the Belbin Team Roles model can bring more harmony to your team, as team members learn that there are different approaches that are important in different circumstances and that no one approach is best all of the time.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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HR Article :- Promote From Within to Create Employees Loyalty

November 15, 2008 at 2:30 pm (HR Articles, TD and OB)
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A company can generate increased employee loyalty by always looking first to promoting from within, rather than hiring from the outside. The advantages are clear: when employees realize that they are valued, and that they have long-term potential for advancement within their company, their loyalty and commitment will be strengthened.

In many small businesses, a few key employees keep the ball rolling. These individuals are usually highly dedicated, intelligent and experts at their jobs. But human nature is such that few people remain comfortable doing the same thing repeatedly. Dedicated employees often feel the need to expand their scope of responsibility. They want to learn new skills. And they want to feel that they are growing. One of the best ways to meet these needs is to give employees the opportunity to move upward in the company, achieving greater respect, increased salary and expanded responsibility.

Consider these tips before placing a want ad:

When a new position opens up, always evaluate in-house talent first before looking outside. Seldom will a current employee fully possess the experience and qualifications that could be found in a new hire. But by closely examining the abilities and desire of current employees, you may find someone who can be trained easily for the new position. This will save you time and money — and you’ll end up with an employee who already knows the ins and outs of the company. When you can promote in this way, you’ll create an exceptionally dedicated employee — and send a ripple of dedication through all other employees as well.

Establish pre-designated career paths. When employees know from their first days of interviewing with the company that they can achieve their career goals without changing jobs, you’ll have loyal workers.

When searching for people to promote, take suggestions from other employees. You may not be able to spot the hidden talent under your nose, but employees in the trenches know who has what it takes to move upward in the company.

Create relationships with trade groups, seminar companies, local schools and colleges, and other educational organizations to provide ongoing training for your employees. Offer to pay, or at least partially pay, for this training. Successful small businesses usually have employees who are able to multi-task.

If you contract work to outside vendors, see if these tasks can be assigned to current employees. This will help them expand their responsibilities, and could provide an avenue for in-house career advancement.

During routine employee performance evaluations, ask employees if they are interested in taking on additional responsibility. Doing this makes it easy for employees to discuss their goals.

Stick with your career-path commitments. If you waver, hiring from outside when a qualified employee was already on staff, you’ll undo all your efforts along this line. Exceptions are, of course, when a highly specialized or top executive position needs to be filled. Even so, explanations should be given to current employees so they understand and accept the decision to hire from outside.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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HR Article :- Five Ways to reduce staff resentment when hiring new employees

November 15, 2008 at 2:27 pm (General HR, HR Articles, Labor & Employee Relations, TD and OB)
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Most small business owners think of their employees as a family. But there are times when this family feeling is tested, especially when new employees are hired. It’s only human nature for current employees to feel threatened when new employees are brought in: Is my job in jeopardy? Will a new employee be made my superior? Will my salary be reduced? These questions and others are natural and inevitable–although they will seldom be voiced aloud. In today’s Workshop, contributor Jeffrey Moses lists five ways small business owners can help reduce employee anxiety when new hires are announced.

Bob Adams, author of Streetwise: Small Business Start-Up (Adams Media Corporation, 1996) includes the following thoughts about reducing employee resentment when hiring new employees:

1. Communicate with existing employees before hiring takes place. Employees at a small business are often a close-knit group, with most having strong attachment to the company and the company’s management. These employees should be told what positions will be filled, in which department new hires will work and whether supervisory positions are being filled or created. This is the first and most important step in reducing employee resentment.

2. When hiring will directly impact the job description or responsibilities of current employees, they should be assured that their positions are not being undermined or threatened in any way. If an employee has been doing a good job, say so–and make sure that the new hire realizes that the existing employee is a valued member of the team.

3. If youÆre hiring supervisory positions, be sure to make the position available to current employees first. If you don’t give existing employees the chance for advancement, you’ll lose their confidence.

4. When new hires become part of a team or department, give the existing members of the team input into the actual hiring decision.

5. Never simply assume that once a new employee begins working, there will be no added friction within the company. Talk with veteran employees regularly after new hires begin work. Don’t let too much time go by without finding out if employee resentment or anxiety is building.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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HR Article :- Don’t Rely on the Resume Alone

November 15, 2008 at 2:21 pm (HR Articles, Staffing & Selection)
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Statistics show that a significant percentage of job seekers misrepresent themselves in some way on their resumes. While the misrepresentation does not often result in future difficulties on the job, the possibility exists that inaccurate information may lead you to hire individuals who are incapable of performing the work for which they were hired. Take precaution when reviewing a resume and never make a decision to hire someone based solely on information contained in a resume.

Following are tips to help you identify and verify possible misrepresented information:

Overstating experience: The best way to check this is to include an on-the-job day as a final segment of the hiring process. A lack of skills quickly becomes apparent when the potential hire works closely with current employees who are expert in their work.

Falsely claiming college or other degrees: Often, the names of schools will be mentioned, but degrees and dates of attendance will be left off. To check whether an applicant received a degree, simply call or write the institution. Some institutions may not give out all requested information, but most will verify whether an individual graduated and received a degree. Also, numerous institutions exist that give MBAs and PhDs without an adequate, certified curriculum. If an MBA or PhD is needed for the job, you may want to check the credibility of these programs before you hire the job candidate.

Falsifying reasons for leaving former jobs: To verify, call former employers. It might be difficult to check this accurately because many employers are reluctant to say anything that might leave them liable — although some will indicate whether an employee is eligible for rehire with that company.

Fudging dates of employment to fill gaps in work history: This is usually easier to check because former employers are more likely to verify specific dates of employment.

During and after the hiring process, there is no substitute for requiring actual on-the-job demonstrations of ability, in the form of tests to determine skill levels, or even in the form of trial work periods that can range from several days to a month. When hiring an employee subject to a trial period, don’t get caught in a legal trap. It’s important to inform the individual both verbally and in writing about the length and what needs to be demonstrated during the trial period.

It’s normal for an employee to receive a salary during a trial, although the full salary level may not be established until after a satisfactory trial period.

Also when hiring, use all resources available to determine the true qualifications of potential hires. Ask the job candidate for a list of references and contact all of them. Also, ask about the individual among your current employees, business contacts, local civic clubs members and trade association members. The more background information you can find about a person, the more accurately you’ll be able to judge the accuracy of his or her resume.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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Simple Exit Interviews Help Reduce Turnover

November 15, 2008 at 2:18 pm (General HR, HR Articles, Labor & Employee Relations)
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There’s turnover, and then there’s turnover. There’s the kind we welcome, as when a marginal, pain-in-the-neck employee quits, and the kind we dread, like when a valued employee resigns to go elsewhere. Once an individual’s decision to resign has been formalized, there may not be much that can be done to prevent the loss of that employee. But we can, however, take steps to learn why valued employees leave and use what we have learned to help prevent similar losses in the future.

Exit interviews are often described as locking the barn door after the horse has been lost. But the purpose of an exit interview is not to reverse an individual’s resignation, but rather to reduce future turnover by learning the reasons for leaving so conditions that might be driving good people away can be addressed constructively.

Many large companies put every departing employee through an elaborate exit interview and accumulate statistics related to departures. But a constructive exit interview doesn’t need to be lengthy or complex, and not every departing employee needs to be subjected to such an interview. There’s little sound reason to pursue the occasional welcome instance of voluntary turnover, and certainly no reason to exit interview persons leaving because of retirement or disability or those whose departures are unavoidable (for example, resignation owing to spousal relocation).

People leave their employment for various reasons. When examining voluntary departures of good employees, look most closely at those who leave for other employment and those who resign for “personal reasons.” The most frequently encountered reasons for leaving include, in no particular order:

  • Lack of recognition; the feeling of being unappreciated, of never having one’s contributions recognized.
  • Poor quality of supervision; unhappiness with how one is treated by superiors.
  • Personality conflicts; frequent differences with coworkers and supervisors often cause one to seek a new work environment.
  • Lack of advancement opportunity; the perceived opportunity for promotion and growth is important to many employees, and its absence prompts some to find work where this opportunity is more likely to exist.
  • Money, often important in one of two senses: the desire for a larger income; or seeking change because of a belief that one is unfairly paid relative to others.

Valued employees often consider changing jobs because of unhappiness with some aspect of the work situation, and often their reasons relate to how they believe they are treated. Look at the role of the immediate supervisor. Recognition, quality of supervision, personality conflicts and perhaps even a portion of perceived advancement opportunity fall within the immediate supervisor’s sphere of influence. In other words, the supervisor’s relationship with the employee is often the strongest factor influencing an employee to either remain or depart.

Departing employees are most likely to speak honestly if exit interviews are conducted by someone other than the immediate supervisor, say perhaps another supervisor, the immediate supervisor’s manager, or, preferably, whoever usually attends to human resource matters. Even when undertaken by a neutral party, some departing employees — usually those leaving for “personal reasons” — may say nothing negative for fear of affecting future employment references.

What to do when learning of employee unhappiness in an exit interview? Over the course of one, two or a few exit interviews you’re not likely to accumulate sufficient information to act upon. To be reliable, exit interview information must be accumulated until certain patterns begin to emerge. Once a pattern emerges, however, you’ll have a reasonably clear idea of what needs attention if you are to head off some undesirable future turnover. A pattern may tell you that a supervisor’s style is objectionable, recognition for work done is scant, workload is unfairly distributed, pay and benefits are lagging behind the community or any number of other undesirable circumstances. Once this information is validated through repetition, steps can be taken to address the problems.

Your company’s exit interview questions may be customized to your unique circumstances, but some suggestions can be offered. Following are several sample questions.

  • How do you feel you were treated by your supervisor? By your coworkers?
  • How well do you believe your work was recognized and appreciated?
  • Do you feel you were given adequate training and assistance in learning the job you were expected to do?
  • What’s your opinion of the opportunities for transfer or promotion within this business?
  • How would you describe the general morale of the employees with whom you worked?
  • How fairly was the workload distributed among you and your coworkers?
  • What could be done to make this company a better place to work?

An exit interview won’t always tell you everything you’d like to know, but it’s often a constructive start on learning why good employees leave.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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Eleven Low-Cost Ideas for Retaining Employees

November 15, 2008 at 2:16 pm (HR Articles, Labor & Employee Relations)
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As the job market improves, labor force pundits such as the Society for Human Resource Management and the Texas-based professional employee organization Administaff predict that many employees will start looking for greener pastures. But that’s not the worst news for employers. According to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao’s 2001 State of the Workforce address, by the year 2008, the number of workers aged 25 to 34 will decline by 2.7 million people.

Business owners have a vital need to retain valued employees. Unfortunately, valued employees are the most likely to find better opportunities. And even when many small businesses are doing well financially, they still may not be able to offer benefits packages and salaries that compete with larger companies.

Fortunately, while money and benefits are important factors in employee satisfaction, a work place where people feel cared about and valued is also essential to retention. The following tactics can help you build a personal connection with your employees, reducing their interest in leaving.

1. Give recognition by thanking employees for a job well done. Leave them a handwritten note, publish worker accomplishments in the company newsletter and on bulletin boards or, if appropriate, publicize them in the local newspaper. Recognize groups as well as individuals in order to foster a spirit of teamwork.

If you’d like to establish a formal employee recognition program, you can obtain guidelines and resources at the National Association of Employee Recognition (www.recognition.org), particularly their FAQs and Recognition Articles sections.

2. When you notice a specific achievement, reward it right away with a bonus. You can also use non-cash items such as event or movie tickets or an extra paid vacation day. Keep your bonus-giving spontaneous since research shows that workers quickly adopt a sense of entitlement toward more regularly scheduled merit pay.

3. Offer flexible work schedules to help employees achieve a better work/life balance. For example, allow them to vary their arrival and departure times or the length of their work days/weeks with flextime. You could also offer compressed workweeks, for example, 40 hours in four days or allow workers to telecommute for at least part of their work time.

4. Exhibit the pictures and bios of new employees in a community area, whether it is your bulletin board, Web site or intranet. It makes the new employee feel valued, and if two or more workers find common ground, such as hometowns or hobbies, they’re more likely to stay in your work place.

5. Acknowledge individuals’ birthdays. Follow the example of Southwest Airlines, known for promoting a feeling of family among its employees. The airline mails greeting cards to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, new babies and so on. Southwest also sends gifts to employees at significant times in their lives, so consider sending a gift or gift certificate along with your card.

6. Celebrate each anniversary of an employee’s first day with you with a meal, gift or some other token of appreciation.

7. Ask for your employees’ opinions and actually use some of their ideas. This includes asking what types of perks or benefits they’d appreciate or what they need in order to work more effectively. In addition, give them the chance to evaluate supervisors, provide input on decisions that affect their jobs and discuss the overall direction of the company. Try for annual one-on-one meetings in a neutral location or use materials such as questionnaires. For more sensitive issues, consider confidential climate surveys.

8. Facilitate your employees’ professional development, whether it’s with college classes, seminars, conferences, membership in a professional organization, or even cross-training for career moves within your company. Some companies pay for courses even when employees choose non-job-related topics. If you have budget concerns, consider offering this perk only to employees who have been with you a certain length of time.

9. Match the talents, traits and skills of individuals to their jobs. You may want to invest in personality assessments to better help current and future employees. The AdvisorTeam Web site (www.advisorteam.com) provides a free Web-based “Temperament Sorter” or you can have a consultant perform evaluations for you. The Myers-Briggs Foundation Web site recommends CPP Inc.’s SkillsOne service (www.skillsone.com) for ethical online delivery of the famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment.

10. Create traditions such as a holiday dinner, party or charity drive. Your traditions also can be more informal, for example, a stress-busting treat after or during your busy season.

11. Hire the right people in the first place. Find people who are looking for the characteristics of your work culture, whether it’s fast-paced, laid back, structured or fluid. A good fit makes for a happy and valued employee who is less inclined to leave.

Regards,

Pinal Mehta

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HR Tool :- Six Exercises to Sharpen your Focus

October 20, 2008 at 10:41 am (HR Articles, TD and OB)
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One reason many people have trouble remembering something is that they don’t make a clear picture of what they want to remember, because they don’t pay enough attention in the beginning. The crucial first step to remembering anything is to PAY ATTENTION. You have to first take in the information in order to put it in your short-term or working memory and later transfer it to your long-term memory.

Naturally, you can remember all sorts of things without being particularly attentive, as unconsciously you are absorbing information all the time and much of this stays with you, even if you are unaware of it. But, this casual absorption of information can be a hit-or-miss proposition. While you may take in much of this information unconsciously and may later remember things you didn’t realize you had even learned, to improve your memory you have to consciously pay attention. This approach is sometimes referred to as being “mindful” as opposed to operating on automatic.

Certainly, you want to continue to keep most everyday processes in your life automatic, since you need to do this to move through everyday life; you can’t try to pay close attention to everything you do, since this will slow you down. Yet at the same time, you can become more aware of what you are doing on automatic and you can focus more closely on some usually automatic activities. Then, you can better remember what you want to remember, such as the names of people you meet at a business mixer or trade show.

Learning to Pay Attention

The following exercises are designed to help you pay closer attention to what you do.

Creating a Memory Trigger to Increase Your Ability to Focus

When you’re in a situation where it’s particularly important to remember something, you can remind yourself to pay close attention by using a “memory trigger.” This trigger can be almost any type of gesture or physical sign—such as bringing your thumb and forefinger together, clasping your hands so your thumbs and index finger create a spire, or raising your thumb. Or you could use a mental statement to remind yourself to pay attention. Whatever signal you choose, it’s designed to remind you that it’s now time to be especially alert and listen or watch closely, so you’ll remember all you can. If you already have a signal you like, use that, or use the following exercise to create this trigger.

Get relaxed, perhaps close your eyes. Then, ask yourself this question: “What mental trigger would I like to use to remind myself to pay attention?” Notice what comes into your mind. It may be a gesture, a physical movement, a mental image, or a word or phrase you say to yourself. Choose that as your trigger.

Now, to give power to this trigger, make the gesture or movement or let this image or word appear in your mind. Then, as you make this gesture or observe the image or word, repeatedly use this gesture for a minute or two, and as you do, say to yourself with increasing intensity: “I will pay attention now. I will be very alert and aware, and I will lock this information in my memory so I can recall it later.” This process of using the gesture and paying attention will associate the act of paying attention with the gesture.

Later (either the same day or the following day if you are beginning this exercise at night), practice using this trigger in some real-life situations. Find three or more times when you are especially interested in remembering something, and use your trigger to make yourself more alert. For example, when you see something you would especially like to remember (such as someone on the street, a car on the road, etc.), use your trigger to remind you to pay attention to it. Afterward, when whatever you have seen is gone, replay it mentally in as much detail as possible to illustrate how much you can remember when you really pay attention.

Initially, to reinforce the association with the sign you have created, as you make this gesture, repeat the same words to yourself as in your concentration exercises: “I will pay attention now. I will be very alert and aware, and I will lock this information in my memory so I can recall it later.” Then, look or listen attentively to whatever it is you want to remember.

Repeat both the meditation and the real-life practice for a week to condition yourself to associate the action you want to perform (paying attention) with the trigger (raising your thumb, etc.). Once this association is locked in, continue to use the trigger in real life. As long as you continue to regularly use the trigger, you don’t need to continue practicing the exercise, since each time you use the trigger, your attention will be on high alert.

Then, any time you are in an important situation where you want to pay especially careful attention (such as a staff meeting or a cocktail party with prospective clients), use your trigger, and you’ll become more attentive and alert.

Using a Physical Trigger or Motion to Keep Your Attention Focused

To keep yourself from drifting off while you are listening to something or to keep your mind from wandering while you are observing or experiencing something, you can use the trigger you have created or any gesture or physical signal to remind yourself to pay attention to what you are hearing or seeing.

For example, every 20 or 30 seconds, click your fingers softly, move a toe, or move another part of your body as a reminder. Once you decide on the trigger, practice this signal to make the association with paying attention by repeatedly making this gesture and after that focus your attention on something. Then, that gesture or motion will become your trigger to pay attention.

After a while, should your attention drift away, simply repeat the trigger to bring you back to attention again.

Using Clear Memory Pictures or Recordings to Improve Your Memory

Another way to pay closer attention is to make a sharp mental picture or recording of the person, place, or event you want to remember. This process will also help you with the second phase of the memory retention process, where you encode this information using visual imagery or sounds. But this first phase is what picks up the information in the first place, much like using a camera or a cassette.

A major factor in poor remembering is that often we don’t make this picture or recording very well. As a result, we may think we remember what we have seen, but we don’t. Courtroom witnesses, for example, often recall an event inaccurately, although they may be positive they are correct. Accordingly, before you can recall or recognize something properly in the retrieval stage of the process, you first must have a clear impression of it.

One way to do this, once you are paying careful attention, is to think of yourself as a camera or cassette recorder, taking in completely accurate pictures or recordings of what you are experiencing. As you observe and listen, make your impressions like pictures or tape recordings in your mind.

It takes practice to develop this ability, and the following exercises are designed to help you do this. At first, use these exercises to get a sense of how well you already remember what you see. Then, as you practice, you’ll find you can remember more and more details.

The underlying principle of these exercises is to observe some object, person, event, or setting to take a picture, or listen to a conversation or other sounds around you. Then, turn away from what you are observing or stop listening and recall what you can. Perhaps write down what you recall. Finally, look back and ask yourself: “How much did I remember? What did I forget? What did I recall that wasn’t there?”

At first, you may be surprised at how bad an observer or listener you are. But as you practice, you’ll improve—and your skill at remembering will carry over into other situations, because you’ll automatically start making more accurate memory pictures or recordings in your mind.

An ideal way to use these techniques is with a mental awareness trigger. Whenever you use that trigger, you will immediately imagine yourself as a camera or recorder and indelibly impress that scene on your mind for later recall.

The next three exercises are designed to give you some practice in perceiving like a camera or cassette recorder in a private, controlled setting. The fourth exercise is one you can use in any situation to perceive more effectively.

Looking at Things More Accurately

This exercise will help increase your powers of observation.

Look at something in front of you that has a lot of different things in it. These can be different objects, people who are mostly stationery (i.e., sitting down, not a bustling crowd), scenery, and so forth. Or use a picture of such a scene. Then, stare at this scene for about a minute, and as you do, imagine you are taking a picture of it, as if your mind is a camera taking a snapshot. As you do so, notice as many things about the scene as you can. Pay attention to forms, colors, the number of objects or people there, the relationship between things, and so on.

Then, look away from that scene, and try to recreate it as accurately as possible in your mind’s eye. As when you looked at the scene, notice the forms, colors, number of objects or people, and the relationship between things.

Next, to check your accuracy, without looking back, write down a list of what you saw in as much detail as possible.

Finally, rate your accuracy and your completeness by rating your observations. To score your level of accuracy, designate each accurate observation with a +2. Score each inaccurate observation with a -1. Score each invented observation with a -2. Then, tally up your score and note the result. To score your level of completeness, estimate the total number of observations you think were possible in the scene and divide by the number of observations you made, to get your completeness score.

As you continue to practice with this exercise, you’ll find your score for both accuracy and completeness should go up.

Listening to What You Hear

This exercise will help you become more aware of what you hear and help you listen more completely and correctly.

Tape a short segment of conversation or some sounds on a tape cassette. You can record this from an ongoing conversation, from a television or radio program, or from ambient sounds on the street around you. Tape for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then, while you are taping or later when you play back the recording, concentrate on listening as intently and carefully as possible. Imagine you are a tape recorder that is recording every bit of conversation clearly and accurately. Either way, as you are taping or playing back the recording, really listen. Perhaps form images in your mind as you do.

At the end of the recording, try to recall the conversation or sounds in as much detail as possible. Perhaps imagine yourself as a tape recorder playing this back. Additionally, try to remember what you heard in sequence as best you can.

To check your accuracy, write down a list of what you heard in as much detail as possible. You needn’t write everything down word for word, but write down enough to indicate the gist of each thought or statement. Then, play back the tape, and review how complete and accurate you were.

Finally, rate your accuracy and completeness by rating your recall of the conversation. To score your level of accuracy, designate each accurate recollection with a +2. Score each inaccurate recollection with a -1. Score each invented recollection with a -2. Then, tally up your score and note the result. To score your level of completeness, estimate the total number of recollections you think were possible in what you heard and divide by the number of recollections you made, to get your completeness score. Give yourself 10 bonus points if you got everything in sequence; 5 bonus points if you got most things in sequence. Finally, total and divide this result by your estimated number of total sounds, statements, or phrases for your percentage rating.

As you continue to practice with this exercise, you’ll find your score for both accuracy and completeness should go up.

Seeing Like a Camera; Listening Like a Cassette Recorder

This exercise will help you observe or listen more accurately and completely in everyday situations.

You can use this technique wherever you are—it’s especially ideal for parties, business networking meetings, and other important occasions where you want to be sure to remember things accurately. Also, you can use this technique to practice and sharpen your skills when you’re waiting in line, traveling in a bus, in a theater lobby at intermission, and in places where you are waiting for something to happen.

Simply imagine you are a camera and snap a picture of what you see. Or imagine you are a cassette recorder picking up a conversation. Or be a sound film camera and pick up both.

Afterward, turn away or close your eyes if convenient, and for a few seconds, focus on what you have just seen or heard. If you have taken a picture, visualize it intently in your mind’s eye and concentrate. What objects or people do you see? What colors or details do you notice? What furniture is in the room? What are the people wearing?

Then, look at the scene and compare your picture with what you see now. What did you leave out? What did you add that wasn’t there? What details did you observe incorrectly? The more you do this, the more complete and accurate your picture will be.

If you have tried to listen like a cassette recorder, replay what you have heard in your mind. What did people say? What sounds did you hear around you? You won’t be able to actually hear these conversations or sounds again, but you can get a sense of how much detail you were able to pick up. The more you practice, the more fully you will hear.

If you have imagined yourself as a sound film camera, review both the pictures and sounds.

Experiencing an Object

This exercise will help you become more aware of what you see and help you perceive more completely and correctly.

Place a common object or group of objects in front of you (such as a collection of objects from your desk, a painting on your wall, an advertisement or picture from a magazine, a flower arrangement in a vase). Stare at the object or group of objects for about a minute, and notice as many things about it as you can, such as its form, texture, color, design, pattern, and so on. Be aware of how many objects there are, and catalog the names of all the objects in your mind.

Then, remove the object, or groups of objects, so it is out of sight, but continue looking at the spot where it was, and imagine the object(s) as still there. Try to recreate what you saw with as much detail as you can.

To check your accuracy, write down a list of what you saw. Then, look at what you observed again and see how accurate you were.

To chart your progress each time, score the total number of observations you think were possible (this will vary with each observer), and score each of your accurate observations with a +2. Score each of your inaccurate observations with a -1, and your invented observations with a -2. Finally, total and divide by your estimated number of total observations for your percentage rating.

As you continue to practice with this exercise, you’ll find your rating will go up.

By Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D

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