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Dear Workforce How Do We Avoid the Appearance of Nepotism?
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Why IT Employees Leave
Why do IT employees leave? Here are the most common reasons, according to asurvey by people³, a Gartner company:
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(N=155) |
| SOURCE: 2001 IT MarketCompensation Study of 198 organizations (approx. 35,000 employees), ©2001, people³, Inc. |
Dear Workforce How Can Employees Internalize Our Mission Statement
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Dear Workforce:
Our accounting firm is growing — from a staff of 25 to 50 in three years –and will merge with another accounting firm this summer, pushing employmentbetween 75 and 80 people. We did some strategic planning about three years agothat is largely responsible for our growth. I’m looking for an effective way tointroduce new staff to our corporate mission statement and, more importantly,help them internalize the meaning behind the words. How could we incorporatethis into our orientation program?
— Growing in Red Deer, Human resources manager, finance/insurance/realestate, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
A Dear Red Deer:
Rapid growth, followed by a merger and acquisition, can result in significantuncertainty and confusion with your workforce. Change is here to stay, and tosurvive we must all understand it, embrace it, and learn to use it to ouradvantage.
One area that still seems to be overlooked during organizational change,however, is communication. Clear, frequent, accurate and timely communicationduring change can determine the success or failure of the change event.
Creating and implementing a vision or mission statement is a critical step inthe change management process. Yes, it is important to articulate a clearmission for the organization, and yes, it is necessary to check individualemployee alignment to the organization’s goals and values. But communicating themission statement is only one step in the process.
An effective communication plan can help minimize the doubt and fear thatuncertainty and frequent change can generate. Individuals want to be involved inthe change and transition process and understand what is happening to them.There is an increased need for information. A well-conceived communicationprogram can ease the uncertainty associated with change, and help the company toachieve its goals.
It is critical to identify appropriate communication vehicles — and tomaintain a constant flow of information throughout the transition period.Closed-circuit television, newsletters, employee bulletin boards, and employeealumni magazines all should be utilized and maximized. Although it is importantto cover all “normal” communications channels — since that is wherepeople usually look for information — new channels may need to be created. Youalso should be aware that the messages conveyed be simple and consistent, andthat they speak directly to the employees.
Your organization’s mission statement is the foundation on which you havebuilt your image and objectives. It is important that all employees, both newand old, be very familiar and comfortable with it. Using this opportunity oforganizational change is the ideal time to refresh the message in all employees’minds. Instead of alienating the new employees, you may want to set up timeswhen mixed groups of new and old employees meet and review the missionstatement. You should offer them the opportunity to ask questions or providetheir feedback about it, as it is important that everyone in the company feelsconnected to the message and committed to meeting its objectives.
By bringing together the new and old employees to discuss the main goals andvalues of the organization, you not only will be reassuring that everyoneunderstands them but also build a sense of camaraderie between the two groupsbased on that understanding. You also may find that the dialogue created leadsto a refreshed enthusiasm to ensure that the organization’s mission statement isfulfilled.
SOURCE: Tom Silveri, CEO & president, Drake Beam Morin, New York, N.Y.,May 15, 2001.
LEARN MORE: See “WhatWorks: The Blossoming of aWorkplace Drone,” which explains how nurturing a true mission requires morethan a statement.
The information contained in this article is intended to provide usefulinformation on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice ora legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.
Workforce
Workforce
Dear Workforce How Do We Handle Reviews When We’re Not Increasing Pay
Q
Dear Workforce:
Our company recently had a large reduction in force and is having financialtroubles. Our policy stipulates that employees receive annual reviews. However,with the current financial situation of the company, we are not giving payincreases. I believe we still need to stick with company policy and continuewith reviews. How do I do ask the managers to provide reviews for employees,knowing we are unable to give increases?
— HR Coordinator, finance/insurance/real estate, New York, N.Y.
A Dear NY HR Coordinator:
Like so many companies, you’ve fallen into the trap of linking performancereviews with pay increases. While the results of a performance review could formthe basis for adjustments in compensation, let’s remember that this is not thepurpose of the review.
The focus should be on reviewing performance and determining what steps mightbe taken to support the employee in further growth and performance improvement.A review is simply a written documentation of what already should be knownthrough an ongoing coaching process, as well as an opportunity to formalize arecord of growth, achievement, and opportunity.
Take advantage of this special time in your company’s history to take thecompensation pressure off the performance-review process. Create a schedule ofperformance reviews to be completed every six months (away fromcompensation-change expectations). Provide training for supervisors on how toconduct a constructive, upbeat, realistic performance interview. Do the samething for employees, asking them to complete a performance review form that willbe compared against the one completed by the supervisor — a great check oncommunications effectiveness.
Remove the compensation imprint and get people more involved with the reviewprocess. Make this a positive move within the company, designed to help peoplegrow and support more frequent and complete communication about performance inan ever-changing environment.
SOURCE: Roger Herman, The HermanGroup, author of “Howto Become an Employer of Choice,” senior fellow, The Workforce StabilityInstitute, Greensboro, N.C., April 30, 2001.
LEARN MORE: See “The New Thinking in PerformanceManagement“
The information contained in this article is intended to provide usefulinformation on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice ora legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.
Grief and Bereavement Resources
Here are nine resources for grief and bereavement:
- Hospice Council of Metropolitan Washington:
- The Compassionate Friends:
A national nonprofit organization specifically created to assist bereaved parents and siblings.
Diana Cunningham
Interim Acting Operations Director
P.O. Box 3696
Oak Brook, Ill. 60522-3696
708/990-0010
- GriefCare:
A nonprofit organization based in Southern California that offers counseling, consulting, education and training for those professionals serving in caring roles.
Chip Whitman, M.A.
Director and Bereavement Specialist
27322 Calle Arroyo, Suite B
San Juan Capistrano, Calif. 92675
714/493-3918
- Willowgreen:
A Web site on grief, managed by James E. Miller. Willow-green Publishing also distributes “What Will Help Me/How Can I Help.”
509 W. Washington Blvd.
Fort Wayne, Ind. 46825
219/424-7916
- Rivendell Resources:
A nonprofit foundation that sponsors GriefNet-an Internet system with gopher, Web page and mailing list. Managed by Cendra Lynn, Ph.D. To subscribe to the mailing list, send e-mail mailto:majordomo@falcon.ic.net. In the body of the message, write the following: subscribe griefnet-announce (your e-mail address)
Rivendell Resources
P.O. Box 3272
Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106-3272
313/761-1960
e-mail: mailto:griefnet@rivendell.org
Web site: http://rivendell.org
Gopher: gopher.rivendell.org
- Crises, Grief and Healing:
Men and Women-an online site where men and women can learn the different paths often assumed by each gender. It also includes excerpts from mourning literature and useful tips from bereaved spouses, parents and friends.
Tom Golden, LCSW
10400 Connecticut Ave. Suite 514 Kensington, Md. 20895
301/942-9192
- Grief and Loss:
A gopher site on the Internet from the University of Illinois
- alt.support.grief:
An unmoderated newsgroup on grief issues
- Bill Chadwick’s bereavement site:
http://www.premier.net/~zoom
A nonprofit organization that includes nine hospices offering support services for grieving individuals and their families. The council published four pamphlets about “Grief in the Workplace.”
Karen Lubieniecki
Public Education Director
1377 K Street NW, Suite 666
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/828-0777
Personnel Journal, April 1996, Vol. 75, No. 4, p. 80.
Positively Managing Crisis Situations
It is said that in life the only things sure are death and taxes. In HR, perhaps the only thing sure is some sort of business crisis which HR must take a decisive role in correcting. Whether it’s a time-consuming irritation or full-blown catastrophe, how we handle ourselves and relate to others is crucial to solving the problem.
Here are some hints to help you tackle a crisis:
- Approach crises as a team. Allow everyone to “own a piece” of the problem. Don’t be an overprotective parent by trying to shield them. Capitalize on individual strengths and give everyone the opportunity to contribute to the solution.
- Critically assess your behavior and request feedback from others on how you handle crisis situations. Take responsibility for setting the example. Realize that others will assume it’s OK to respond to a crisis the same way you do.
- Overcommunicate to keep others informed and grind down the rumor mill. Consider implementing 5/3 Status Briefings–five minute updates at the beginning, middle and end of each day.
- Conclude each crisis with a Post-Mortem Celebration. Review what happened, identify key learning that can be applied in the future, and celebrate the accomplishment of getting through it together.
SOURCE: Reprinted with permission: 144 Ways to Walk the Talk. Copyright Performance Systems Corp., Dallas, TX.
Dear Workforce How Do I Justify Recruiting For A Position
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Dear Workforce:
How do I determine if a position is justified for recruitment? Is there achecklist of factors to consider?
— In need of guidance, HR, manufacturing, Texas.
A Dear In-Need:
Most companies use a requisition system that ties recruiting efforts to thecompany’s financial budget. A recruiter is required to have the OK from thefinance department before expending the effort to recruit for a particularposition.
The requisition serves to approve not only the position, as far as additionalhead count, but also to give a salary range to make sure that the hiring managerdoes not over spend versus the budget. Hiring managers generally need thefinancial oversight to make sure they don’t over-hire or over-spend, which wouldcut into the company’s profitability.
The requisitions are approved either at the beginning of the year during theannual budget process or during the year, as additional headcount or replacementheadcount is approved.
SOURCE: Mike Sweeny, T. Williams ConsultingInc., Collegeville, Pa., April26, 2001.
LEARN MORE: See “Hiring an Employee: How Much DoesIt Cost?“
The information contained in this article is intended to provide usefulinformation on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice ora legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.
Base Salaries and Bonuses of IT Employees
What’s the average base salary paid for a Webmaster? A database administrator?
Here are the most results of a recent survey by people³, a Gartner company. The numbers are in thousands of dollars. Note that when a candidate goes through a recruiting agency, they sometimes secure a bigger salary, as there is more back-and-forth in the process.
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| * Insufficient data to report ¹ In thousands |
SOURCE: 2001 IT Market Compensation Study of 198 organizations (approximately 35,000 employees), Copyright 2001,people³, Inc.