People’s greatest hits

By Carolyn Cohen
Illustration: Cathy Pentland

A little review is a good thing. Looking back and evaluating the good and the bad can improve future plans and performances

Every so often, especially at the start of a new year, it makes sense to take stock — to look at what one has accomplished, at what one can do better and to establish direction for the future. Perhaps it’s also a good time to reflect on the effectiveness of your human resources/management efforts over the past year. The point is that evaluating what you’re doing helps you develop a more strategic plan as to what you would like to improve or increase, and what you would like to decrease or eliminate. To help do this, let’s review some of the essential considerations from previous columns.

Training (September 2001)
Have you made an effort to communicate with your employees and find out what they want and need to know?

Have you made an effort to determine whether the training you have offered has been effective?

Have you thought about the fact that training is a key consideration when employees think about taking their talents to other employers?

The following suggestions were offered to ensure that employees benefited from the time and money spent on training.

• Be selective in choosing who attends training.
• Give participants a say in the content of the training.
• Give managers a say in the content of the training.
• Insist managers participate in parts of the training.
• Require participants and their managers to discuss (and document) what will be covered in the training and how it will be used in their specific job.
• Follow up.
• Positive reinforcement for what has been transferred to the job and done well is essential and can make the difference between the material being used or being forgotten and ignored.

Performance improvement (June/July 2002)
Do you deal with performance problems quickly or put them off hoping they will remedy themselves?

Do you make performance improvement a joint effort (manager and employee) thereby requiring the employee to take responsibility for his or her actions?

Do you take time to determine what may be causing the problem?

Do you discuss this with the employee?

A number of solutions were identified in dealing with improving an employee’s or manager’s performance.

• Coaching or training (if lack of skills is the problem).
• Referral to an employee assistance program (if personal issues are the problem).
• Self-assessment and executive coaching (if the manager’s skills are the problem).
• Communication with employees (anon- ymous or otherwise if other morale problems are present).

Interviewing (November 2002)
When interviewing an applicant for a position, do you take a moment to establish rapport with them?

Do you promote your organization in a way that makes a lasting impression on candidates? In other words, do you emphasize what might be important to them rather than what you are most proud of?

Candidates are better prepared for interviews than ever before. They take time to develop intelligent questions about the job and organization. Do you know how to answer those questions in an effective way? Here are a number of tips.

• Be honest. It is better that applicants know up front what is possible. Be prepared to give specific examples. Don’t generalize. If you do, you will sound like every other organization they’ve talked to and won’t be very convincing.
• If you’re stumped, admit it.
• Ask interviewees if you have answered their questions. If necessary, invite them to seek further clarification.
• Pay attention to their reactions.
• Treat an applicant with respect. Even when it is clear to you that this is not the best person for the position, the individual has taken the time and effort to come to the interview, so in turn an interviewer should show appreciation by sharing information about the organization. It is the right thing to do and an opportunity to promote your organization and to make a connection that may be profitable in the future.

Giving criticism (March 2003)
Are you afraid to criticize your staff?

Do you put off criticizing your staff until a small problem turns into one that requires more drastic action?

Is the criticism you give employees effective in that they change their behaviour?

Criticism helps individuals do better, which is really what all of us want. How the message is delivered is crucial. Here are some of the things that were highlighted:

• Do not criticize employees too much or too little. Pick your battles carefully to ensure maximum effectiveness.
• Be certain employees know what is expected of them.
• Give criticism in a timely manner.
• Be specific, giving examples and effects of the problem behaviour.
• Discuss how the performance or behaviour can be changed.
• Obtain commitment from the employee.
• Follow up.

Employee orientation (June/July 2003)
Do you have a new employee orientation program, even if informal, in place?

Do new employees still spend their first week filling out payroll and benefit forms, reviewing policies manuals and studying other peoples’ work?

Are new employees quickly connecting with others in the workplace?
Effective orientation procedures are crucial because first impressions are hard to change. A sense of belonging and contributing to the organization in a positive way go a long way toward staff retention and the sooner this occurs, the better.

There are many things that need to be discussed that first week on the job. Here are several items pertaining to the job itself that should not be overlooked.

• Review the job description and expectations for performance and make suggestions about how tasks should be prioritized. Review the performance apprais-al form in detail so the individual will know how he or she will be evaluated. Explain salary increases (when they happen, the process used to make the decision and how the employee might influence the outcome).
• Discuss how the particular job impacts others in the department and the organization as a whole. Be explicit about what will not operate smoothly in the organization if this job is not done well.
• Discuss with the employee his or her individual goals and hopes for the future and include a discussion on the organization’s policy on promotion from within and career progression.
• Ask the employee how he or she likes to receive feedback and be rewarded. Discuss any aspects of the job where the employee will require immediate coaching/training.

Terminating staff (June/July 2004)
Are you documenting serious performance problems when they occur?

Are you offering employees help in changing their behaviour? Are you clear about what will happen if they choose not to make changes?

For many, this is the most difficult human resources issue to deal with. Having to fire someone doesn’t have to mean sleepless nights and piles of guilt. Compassion and understanding can and should be part of the discipline process but respect is also important. When someone has been repeatedly asked to change his or her behaviour and has been offered resources and considerations to help do so, not taking action demonstrates a lack of respect. There is also a negative effect on employees who are and have been working hard and succeeding.

When an employee must be terminated, consider the following with respect to those who are staying:

• Meet with staff as soon as possible following the termination.
• Tell them you are not able to share details about the termination due to your respect for the individual’s privacy.
• Acknowledge the difficulty for the employees that has been caused by this problem and thank them for their efforts.
• Give information about the plans for filling the vacant position.
• Invite staff to meet with you on an individual basis to discuss concerns.

So, how did you do? If your organization is adhering to many of the suggestions above, congratulate yourself. But don’t sit back. Now may be the time to set new goals regarding people issues. Find out from employees what is missing and what will keep them loyal. If you didn’t do so well, you may want to reread the articles (see the archives section at CAmagazine. com or e-mail me at c.cohen@sympatico.ca).

I would like your feedback on what you have read in this column and what you would like to see so that I can take stock. In a future issue, I would love to print your responses to the following question: in your experience, what strategies/techniques/tips have you found particularly effective in managing employees?