Dear Workforce:

Because we don’t have a performance-development plan in place, individual workers never get feedback on their performance and have few development and training opportunities. How do we ensure the long-term profitability of our company, especially since many employees will soon retire and those remaining lack the necessary skills/training to succeed them?

-- Bedeviled bureaucrat, government, Pretoria, South Africa

Dear Bedeviled Bureaucrat:

Employees everywhere value performance feedback. Without training and development opportunities, they get frustrated and bored. Making matters worse, the workforce changes that are coming in the next decade--with baby boomers retiring in droves--will create a brain drain like none we’ve ever seen. Unless you get a handle on your talent requirements, it will be hard for your company to remain profitable over the long term.

It’s time to implement a sound talent-management process. Think about taking the following key steps:
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Tags: Dear Workforce — Performance Reviews — Training — Performance — Employee Retention

Dear Workforce:

How do we ramp up a major recruiting drive without antagonizing existing employees? We want to prepare employees for this influx of new staff, but we aren't sure how to manage the cultural change that is sure to take place in the workforce.

-- Culture Clash, principal human resources officer, publishing/communication/ advertising, Harare, Zimbabwe

Dear Culture Clash:

The change you are facing--workforce expansion--may sound like all good news to employees whose companies are facing layoffs and downsizing. However, growth does bring its own concerns for employees who must deal with the pressures of expansion.

More people coming into an existing workspace can create crowding. The conference room that was once a great place for impromptu meetings is now the office of a new employee. Relocating to larger quarters can be a hassle for employees who must pack up and reorganize their workspaces. Requests for computers can lag behind the hiring process and create frustrations for the information technology department forced to install equipment under pressure.

On top of all that, supervisors can be tied up in interviews, so current employees wait longer to get their questions answered. Job opportunities and promotions desired by your current employees may have been offered to new hires, creating jealousy and resentment. Current employees sometimes find themselves in the uncomfortable role of teaching new hires how to do the jobs they applied for themselves.

To address workforce expansion effectively, develop a plan for growth that takes into account the concerns your employees are likely to experience. Communicate about the expansion in positive terms, but be frank about the possible downsides. Let employees know you are aware that growth can also bring growing pains.

Think through your selection process, and consider some of the following strategies:
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Tags: Dear Workforce — Culture — Recruiting — Employee Retention

Dear Workforce:

Our company is undertaking a major reorganization exercise that will change the job responsibilities of most employees. No layoffs are planned, but some people may be rotated and tried in different positions. As a precursor, and to overcome resistance, I want to give employees a presentation on change management. How do I address employees' concerns? How do I identify the various aspects I ought to cover?

—Upheaval, manufacturing, Karachi, Pakistan

Dear Upheaval:

Changes of any sort--even positive changes--can send ripples of fear and resistance through your company, so preparing employees for anticipated changes is very wise. As a leader in your organization, keep three key principles in mind as you intervene throughout the change:

• Show empathy for employees’ concerns.
• Communicate openly and directly.
• Involve employees in decision-making.
  

As change begins, it is important to listen to, and show empathy for, employees’ fears and concerns. It helps to confront, and openly discuss, the organizational changes and why they have occurred. Help to identify continuities that balance losses, but be careful to avoid giving “pep talks” before people are ready for them. William Bridges, author of Transitions and a noted authority on change, defines three stages of adjustment that people generally go through during a major change, such as company reorganizations. The three stages--endings, neutral and beginnings--are illustrated below:
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Tags: Dear Workforce — Employee Retention — Employee Engagement

Dear Workforce:

We have an HR director who appears to be ushering our people out the door. One employee recently notified her that he was beginning a job search. Not knowing how many interviews the employee might be attending, the HR director called a meeting and the two sides agreed to a voluntary separation, with a specific end date.

Now, a similar situation has surfaced with another employee who is having personality clashes with a supervisor. Our HR director wants to tell the employee to start looking, and also give her an end-of-employment date.

I'm concerned about the long-range effects on our retention, as well as our ability to recruit. What could you recommend to help us best handle this situation?

—Driving Them Away, HR manager, advertising, Long Beach, California

Dear Driving Them Away:

Have you considered speaking candidly to your HR director about your concerns? By raising your questions tactfully and in good faith, you might learn more about your company's approach to employee retention and your feedback might make a positive difference.

Don't be surprised if the HR director tells you there are reasons behind her actions that she is not free to discuss with you. If the employees involved were already subject to disciplinary action—such as for excessive absenteeism or tardiness—that might explain why she is encouraging their departure. For example, did you know that company policies generally prohibit employees from taking sick days to attend job interviews? In most cases, doing so is considered a serious breach warranting corrective action on the part of a company. So although voluntary separation might seem harsh, it could in fact be an effective and considerate company strategy that allows an employee to leave before being terminated.

Similarly, when an employee is having personality clashes with a manager, there is an expectation that both the manager and the employee will strive to establish positive communications. If, for example, the employee is not responding effectively to coaching, your HR director may be serving both the employee and the company well by encouraging the employee to move on in search of a better match.

Most HR professionals try to give employees every chance to be successful. While your HR director could be among the relative few who might be described as mean-hearted and shortsighted, I would guard against such a presumption. Rather than challenging her, consider sharing some HR best practices about retaining talent and coaching employees. If need be, demonstrate your courage by respectfully stating that you are not comfortable with her approach to a specific situation.

To safely open such a discussion, you could bring along a couple of current books on the subject. Here are just a few of my favorites for your consideration:
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Tags: Dear Workforce — Employee Retention — Coaching — Performance

Dear Workforce:

New employees in our company undergo a six-month probationary period. During this period, some employees may decide to discontinue working for us. How do we determine an "acceptable" rate of attrition for new hires? If they leave after only three months, should we assume this is because of faulty recruiting? Conversely, if they depart after four/five months, should we evaluate our training? Finally, what if they leave after six months: Is that a reflection on their direct supervisor?
Please help us understand how to interpret the meaning of our rapid turnover.

—Can’t Keep Them, senior team leader for talent acquisition, finance/insurance/real estate, New York

Dear Can’t Keep Them:

Let’s face it: Sooner or later, everyone terminates their employment. But companies cannot afford to be cavalier about turnover, especially when it occurs before the employee has had a chance to be productive.

With early turnover, the recruiting process, your training program and the manager’s coaching generally share the responsibility. The investment you make in filling a position—simply the recruiting and training costs—goes down the drain when a new hire leaves. So understanding and addressing the causes of early turnover will have a definite impact on your bottom line.

Here are three steps HR should put in place to improve retention of new hires:
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Tags: Dear Workforce — Employee Retention — Exit Interviews — Recruiting — New Hire Onboarding