Elevated HR Solutions: Think before you implement

Today, I had the huge honor of going to a company wide quarterly goal-setting meeting.  Not only did they score themselves on the previous quarter's results, they set new targets and goals, with dates and deadlines to meet and hit.  Really - it was an HR dream...

Two things came out of it for me:

1.) They make each other accountable for the goals that they set each quarter
2.) They aren't afraid to admit failure

I was in awe and delighted by the pragmatic and laser-like approach to the entire day-session. Yes - they spent a day developing new goals TOGETHER (as opposed to in silos like so many other companies I have been part of!)

The day also inspired the following...

Two goals were initiated by the operations/administrative department:

1.) The need for an employee handbook
2.) The need for a formalized performance appraisal system

While I applaud companies who try to be diligent around systems and processes, my question back to the team was simply, "Why do you want to formalize it? What is your end goal?"  Surprisingly, the answer back came in the form of a question, "Because it seems like it's what you're supposed to do?"

It's true - as companies start to grow, it becomes easier to manage information and communication by implementing a process or a procedure.  However, I encourage companies to ensure they know what the end result is supposed to look like before the decision is made to implement something.

So here are some questions to ask yourself and your team when deciding on whether or not to implement a new process or procedure: Will the entire management team buy in and commit to managing the same way?  Does each department or manager NEED to follow the same process and procedure?  Could this lead to more inequality down the road if there is a lack of buy in? Will it be seen as an administrative task or chore rather than something that leads to further development? 

Personally - I'm a fan of policies and procedures and performance development...but it has to fit the organization, the culture and of course, it has to promote and support employee engagement. If it doesn't, then at the end of the day you will find employees and management alike breaking (or trying to) all of the rules and ultimately defeating the purpose entirely.

www.elevatedhr.com

Elevated HR Solutions: Articles like this give HR a bad name

Last week I received of an email from the Daily HR Advisor.  It's an American publication and as such, a lot of the information is almost foreign to me, despite the fact that we share a border (this is even AFTER I ran a few HR departments IN the US...).  But this title in particular made me angry - to the point where I couldn't even READ the article at first.

This was the title: Challenge: Prevent off-the-clock work and time thievery.  What do you think this is about?

Okay, so admittedly I did eventually read the article, and basically it's a lawyer who is giving the advice that if you allow employees to work after hours they can come back and sue you.  They go so far as to say stop giving them blackberries and make sure the overtime policy is clearly laid out.  In addition, it also said to police your employees so you can make sure employees stop stealing time from you, the Employer. 

This type of stuff frustrates the heck out of me. I hate policies for the sake of policies. Some of my clients prefer to run their organization with strict guidelines.  Unfortunately, these same companies have the lowest employee engagement levels.  In contrast, employers like Google have policies that state, "Don't be evil."  I like policies that are employer and employee conscientious - policies that meet and serve purposes for both sides.  It allows and encourages employees and managers alike to be accountable. 

In a case like "time thievery"  I am a big fan of talking to employees about their performance rather than strict  guidelines -- I recently read a quote that said, feedback about a blind spot was the best gift you could give anyone. 

Okay so regarding the issue relating to employees who sue for having to work overtime - it pains me to say it, but implementing a policy probably is the right decision for an employer to do.  It definitely will mitigate your risks. 

To the employees who claim they are working over time for answering emails outside of work hours - have fun staying stagnant.  Working hard is part of recognition and rewards. You just prevented yourself from a great career and opened the door to a boring 9-5 job.  Well done.

Policies and Procedure Manuals - A Pain or a Way to Develop/Maintain/Preserve Culture?

I have worked for multiple organizations, of small to medium size and ALL of them have implemented a Policy and Procedures Manual/Employee Handbook.  But now, as I'm venturing off into this new gig of supporting small businesses, I often meet clients of small size who say to me, "I don't really need a policy manual - if a decision needs to be made, I'll deal with it on the go."  While I appreciate this insight, my advice is that if you are going to set yourself up for growth (which all businesses should be doing), setting policies and procedures you can live with today, will also help you tomorrow when you have less time to think about the small stuff and need more energy geared towards growing your empire.

That said, they take a while to produce in the beginning.  The first step is brainstorming questions/issues/ideas that need to be dealt with regularly (and I even have a questionnaire that can help this process be quick) and then come up with answers that you can manage to and stick with.  From there, the entire process is easy and simple. 

The cool thing about an employee handbook is you can actually create the culture you want inside it.  It's how you word your policies that make the difference.  On top of it, management (especially middle management) can now manage to the policies, allowing the business owner to deal with the strategic side of the business.  And if everyone is rowing their boat in the same direction, just imagine how fast your company can grow.

Finally - I should note that I'm a big proponent of breaking policies for the right reasons.  They are there as a guide, but because people are not cut from the same cookie-cutter, nor are the various situations encountered when dealing with employees - policy and procedure manuals shouldn't be there to "manage" but there as a "guide".  You will be able to develop, maintain and preserve any culture you want utilizing this strategy.

http://www.elevatedhr.com/

Investing in your employees? Ensure you have clawback measures in place!

Investing in your employees, specifically with external training, is a great way to motivate, engage and essentially retain your staff.  However, time and time again, I have ran into business owners who are frustrated. "I just spent $1,500 on a course for X and now they've handed in their two weeks notice and they are leaving!"

While sometimes it feels like you have no choice but to let them go, a smart business owner should always ensure they have some measures put in place that at least makes the employee "think" before they go and look for other opportunities.

For example, in most of the companies I have supported I have created a form that each employee signs off on before attending any type of training.  If the training is less than X dollars, they must stay for a minimum of 3 months.  As the cost of the training goes up, so must the time they stay.  If they choose to leave prior to the end of the term, they need to pay back the course in full (and I'm a hard-ass, I don't even pro-rate the amount...a deal is a deal in my books!)  And when they leave, I take it off their final pay (after taxes). 

Another idea is to give them an increase in salary after they have taken the course and have implemented the training for 3 months.  Now that you have provided them training, in essence their external worth IS indeed more.  I don't necessarily believe in giving a raise once training is done - but only after you've actually seen the results of the training.  There is nothing worse than to cram a bunch of stuff into an employee's head and then for them to think it's okay to not use it in the future. 

Just remember, you do have a choice as to how deal with investing in your employees.  I don't recommend saying yes to training just for the sake of training - make sure it's going to do what you need it to do and always ensure it's going to motivate, engage and retain the staff member.  Otherwise you're just making it that much easier for the competition.

http://www.elevatedhr.com/