by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jul 29, 2013 | Human Resources
While the economy seems to be on the mend, there are still many companies struggling to remain solvent. As such, companies that cannot find other ways to cutback are moving to layoff employees.
This is never an easy time for employer or employee. No one wins in these situations. The only upside is the business extends its lifeline at the expense of the employee’s jobs becoming obsolete.
There are ways to somewhat ensure that assumptions, gossip and miscommunications don’t make an already difficult situation worse- and that is to communicate truthfully and regularly. In business, we speak a lot about “being transparent”. This is one of those times where preaching about transparency will not help -you will have to act the part.
As a manager, you may not be able to divulge all that is being discussed regarding a pending layoff. However, once you start discussing the potential for layoffs and request that employees justify the necessity of every duty and task they perform- you are opening up a pandora’s box of worry.
Worry in turn becomes assumptions, and assumptions become gossip. All of which are catalysts to commiserating employees in the bathrooms and/or in the hallways- as their discussions lead to distrust of management and disenchantment with both the business and work.
Ask yourself this- what would you want to know if your boss said layoffs were coming and it could affect you? How important are the details of the layoff that you can’t be honest with your employees?
Let me remind you once again that you are managing adults. Adults have bills to pay and families to care for and in as much as any of them complain about their jobs- the fact is they need them. Communicating effectively during a layoff entails you being empathetic, truthful and timely.
Here are five tips for communicating during a layoff:
1) Call a meeting with your team when notifying them of a potential layoff situation. There is a time for e-mail and this is not one of them. This is a difficult message to deliver. Conducting a face-to-face meeting allows for an open discussion of the information being received and any concerns.
2) Be ready to answer questions that may be asked about how this will affect individuals. This will require you to take off your manager hat for a second and be a human that understands (to some extent) how this is affecting your staff.
3) If you aren’t sharing details, you aren’t sharing details. The worst thing you can do is to tell your team you have no further details on how cuts will affect them only for them to find out through the grapevine that there is more to know. The employee-boss relationship can be sticky. If you have been sworn to secrecy, don’t be caught voluntarily sharing information that hasn’t first been shared with those it affects- your staff.
4) Do not let long periods of time lapse in communicating updates to your team. Even if you haven’t heard anything new- it doesn’t preclude you from inquiring and reporting back to your staff. A layoff is a situation where any news is presumed bad news and no news is not good either. Keeping them up-to-date even when there is nothing to share will at least make your staff feel like you care enough to keep them updated.
5) Be truthful. If the plan is to cut 10% tell your staff that. It is all in the delivery. You can simply say- “senior management has called for a 10% across the board cut. This doesn’t mean that any of your jobs are in jeopardy per se, but we are evaluating all possibilities at this time. I know this is a difficult time for all of us and especially you, the employee. I need you all to continue to perform as you would normally and I will continue to keep you abreast of this situation. I am here to discuss any concerns you have individually.”
Who can argue with that kind of communication?
Many employee situations or dilemmas can be made easy with effective communication. Keep in mind, what really motivates the employee-employer relationship without making it solely about either side- can help you to humanize the way you interact with your employees and more specifically, during difficult times such as layoffs.
Janine Truitt
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jul 11, 2013 | Human
HR Aristocrats, the time has come for your Czarina to take a break. At the top of the year I spoke a lot about “introspection and execution” (see here for that post) and I believe I have more than achieved that goal more than halfway into 2013.
When you are a one-woman act it all comes down to you- the articles, the guest posts, the editing, launching your business, following up on prospects etc. I have been doing this and much more in my quest for success since January.
That being said, I’m taking a break from the blog and social media for the next two weeks. There will be no instagramming, facebooking or awe-inspiring HR wisdom coming from this here blog. I need a moment to regroup and relax- which is something that has gotten away from me.
You may see a guest post or tweets if something I was already working on comes to fruition, but please be warned they will be Hootsuite produced and scheduled.
There’s a lot of talk about the effect of the 24/7 digital world we live in these days and how it is affecting our well-being. I won’t get deeper than that, but I will say- it is worth exploring how you are managing in a society where we are expected to be on all the time.
I’d say I will miss our weekly chats about all things HR, but I would be lying because I am really excited to do some regular and random things during this break. I do want to let you know that I appreciate all of the support, kind words and encouragement I get from you all. It means a lot to me and keeps me going and grinding.
I hope you all are enjoying your summer. See you in two weeks.
See below for some of my favorite blog posts for 2013 and things to look forward to.
Xoxo,
CzarinaofHR
Things to remember
Be on the lookout for my debut article as a contributor for ‘Performance I Create’ on Friday, July 26th. In case you missed it- here was my introduction. It is very NY.
Janine Truitt
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jul 9, 2013 | Life
This weekend was pure bliss as it was all about rest, relaxation and rejuvenation for me. Part of my rejuvenation, was due to my scheduled facial I enjoyed with my esthetician, Sybil. Every visit is a treat where I walk away less stressed, glowing and with some beauty goodies. My goodies this time around was the most recent issues of: The Beauty Authority: New Beauty Magazine.
Excited for my two latest issues, I went home Saturday to quietly indulge in the latest and greatest in beauty products and services. Along the way, was an emphasis on invasive facial plastic surgery procedures and what they do for all of us imperfect beings.
Did you know that…
According to the Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), rhinoplasty (the nose job) is the most popular facial plastic surgery procedure for the past three years. The reason for this popularity among both women and men is said to be because the nose is the “most prominent feature on the face”. It is the first thing a person sees when they look at another person. The procedure is cited as making a huge difference in a person’s apperance. When done well it can create a more balanced, symmetrical and harmonious appearance.
Good plastic surgeons state that there isn’t one nose for everyone it is all decided on a case-by case basis. The aim being that the final product blends in seamlessly with all of the other features of the face. The nose like any other facial feature should never attract too much attention. All things should be harmonious- collaborative even.
What if…
HR followed the strategy of all good facial plastic surgeons and particularly those specializing in rhinoplasty. Isn’t it our aim to make a huge difference in the business? It should be clear by now that there isn’t such a thing as a one-size-fits-all HR function. Sure, there are laws and regulations that we must abide by- trends that we should tune into-but much of what we do should and can be tailored to the business depending on the context and/or circumstances that are specific to that company.
Our best work and contribution is when we are able to make a difference by using a balanced and symmetrical approach. We are most successful when we aim to balance our practical knowledge of the HR discipline with our knowledge of people to create outcomes that are advantageous for the business.
HR should be the most prominent feature in a company because they are more often than not the first attribute of the company a new hire sees. However, we have to question whether our prominence is detracting from the business or attracting. This is an important question, because like the rhinoplasty- perfection is in the balance, symmetry and harmony of our practices. The nose that is overly boastful or prominent is one that is detracting from the rest of the face. Conversely, if a nose is too small to suit a face it is equally prominent as it is out of sync with the rest of the features. Upon first glance you can immediately tell something is wrong in both of these instances.
From this, our lesson is- HR can make an impact in the business, but in all our endeavors we should seek to create harmony in the business not unnecessary disruption. This means policies and processes that live in the realm of context and not theory. Policies that look for the balanced approach not ones heavily leaning or aligning with one side or another. They are ones that seek to satisfy all pertinent parties ( to the extent possible). It means listening to your internal customers and trying to create a symmetry between what you require and what they need to accomplish.
I leave you with this, if your nose (HR function) is asymmetrical, is unable to properly function or is grossly crooked you may want to perform an HR Rhinoplasty to restore balanced and symmetrical prominence to your organization. It may very well give your organization a new and improved appearance.
Janine Truitt
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jul 2, 2013 | Human Resources
All too often, I have encountered people in leadership that walk around with this air about them. They are too good for you to stand next to. You ought not to breathe their air; for good measure just stop breathing when they are around. As a matter of fact, be sure not to speak to them unless instructed to.
What do I think about all of this?
Plainly, it’s a load of crap and businesses need to redefine or get clear on what leadership means. Leadership is not about putting on appearances or a power trip. It is a necessary and crucial role in the organization that offers visionary and practical guidance and administration over a particular portion of the business.
Your ego and assumed celebrity as a leader is not a license to misuse the autonomy and power you have over your employees. Your job is to guide more than lead; listen more than you speak. In short, be humble and get over yourself.
Engagement is so 2012.
When you foster an environment, where employees don’t feel empowered or respected you are building up to disastrous results. Never mind whether these two variables lead to a disengaged workforce. Forget that! Engagement is the least of your worries when employees feel belittled or not valued. Your biggest concern is the following statistic (which I have shared before), which is that 8 in 10 employees in your organization are prepared or would leave your organization today if they could. The other statistic of interest is half of those employees will be successful in finding comparable work and compensation.
The greatest concern businesses have today is turnover.
As job market confidence improves, these numbers can only increase. At the height of the recession, it was said that companies would benefit in some regard because employees would be less likely to leave given the economic climate. That was true as we saw layoffs increase over quits, but the first month of the recession in December 2007 saw 2.9 million people quitting. As of April 2013, we are down to 2.3 millionpeople quitting just four months into the year. Obviously, there can be many reasons why people have quit their jobs. However, the key is to ensure- to some degree- that it isn’t because of your hierarchy-driven, pompous leaders.
The greatest opportunity businesses have is retention.
A focus on leadership competencies that lead to successful business outcomes rather than haphazard promotion of ill-equipped leaders would be a start in ensuring you have a collaborative, respectful and engaging leadership slate. Encouraging bi-directional communication in place of top-down directives can also go a long way in giving your employees the autonomy in duty and thought that is needed for them to feel empowered. If you were diligent on the recruitment and selection side, you’re not worried about talent shortages- you already have great talent. Now all you need to do is to treat them right and retain them. It is often said people don’t quit jobs-they quit bosses. That being said, it would behoove you to continuously coach, mentor and hone the skills of your leaders.
It doesn’t get much simpler than this people!
Janine Truitt
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jun 24, 2013 | HR Innovation
Amidst all of the HR knowledge transfer at last week’s SHRM National Conference in Chicago was an expo hall full of vendors catering to everything from health and wellness to applicant tracking systems. It became an overwhelming experience merely walking the expo hall and hearing all of the pitches and opportunities to give up your contact information in exchange for an iPad mini or something else.
Alas, I decided to focus my efforts on a single area. My focus was on technology that are aiding us HR practitioners in doing our jobs better. In my quest, to find the “techies in the ruff” I identified some innovative gems that I want to share with you.
Benefits
I had the great pleasure of meeting with the founders and executives of a company named ALEX The Jellyvision Benefits Counselor. Consider this: you start at a new company and your are sitting through employee orientation. The benefits representative is giving you the rundown on what you are covered for. Now, ask yourself these questions: How much pertinent information did you retain? Do you understand everything there is to know about your benefits?
If I had to guess your answer, it is probably “no” and “no”. As an HR practitioner that has been a new hire a few times, I can admit that I have not always understood my benefits and all of the coverages that come along with it. What the good people at Jellyvision were able to do was to create a virtual benefits counselor that counsels employees on their benefit offerings through the Jellyvision platform. Alex walks you through deductibles, copayments and is happy to stop or explain further anything you don’t understand. Your explanation of benefits comes in plain language with cartoon skits to both humor and inform you in the best way possible. I found myself extremely impressed and laughing during my demo.
If you can spare some continuous improvement dollars for the year, this is a product worth looking into.
HR Apps Provider
I wasn’t planning on visiting with this next vendor largely due to the fact that I didn’t know they existed. Thanks to a colleague of mine, I am so glad I found this product. We all know that cloud software is the future. I would even argue that cloud software is the present. While many have not caught on, there is no question that the flexibility and bandwidth of the cloud is going to be unmatched for sometime.
We can also speak to both the popularity and convenience of apps. The marriage of everything you love about the cloud, HR systems and apps are in HR Cloud. HR Cloud is a company that develops a cloud-based HR management suite that engages a company’s workforce with tools like onboarding and performance assessment with plug-and-play usability and cloud-based scalability. Since the company has developed an intuitive suite of HR cloud apps with an easy, self-service HR experience, HR Cloud truly empowers an organization with social tools that promote connectivity, ideas, support and recognition while also boosting employee participation, morale and productivity.
Productivity? Yes, please.
Who doesn’t want to be more productive? In fact, if you have been looking at things like mobile optimization-this is likely a good place to start.
Video Interviewing convenience has arrived!
Here’s another gem for productivity, rivs.com. Rivs.com is a Chicago-based company that is getting into the video interviewing game. With this product, you can conduct written, recorded or live interviews with candidates. Candidates can schedule themselves to suit their schedules and interviews are easily shared with hiring managers for their review. I can see this as a great pre-screening tool especially for those of you that work in high-volume industries like retail. As a recruiter, this has me swooning, because it would cut the time I spend on in-person interviews down by more than half.
Let’s talk rewards and recognition
If you haven’t looked at your rewards, recognition and performance initiatives lately, chances are you haven’t noticed that employees aren’t impressed with the diamond encrusted watch or gold-plated pen you’ve been giving them in return for their efforts the past three decades. I know you mean well, but it is well documented that most performance practices are failures and rewards and recognition aren’t doing much for rewarding or retaining your employees.
Instead, why not check out Achievers. They have created a system that connects your performance indicators with rewards, recognition and engagement metrics. It allows you to socialize the recognition of your employees by allowing for transparency in your recognition initiatives while also allowing for things like peer-to-peer recognition. Essentially, your performance program will no longer be a once a year, bane of everyone’s existence task. With Achievers, it becomes a year long spree of recognition and the added bonus is your employees can choose gifts that meet their needs. The gifts are vast as they have relationships with everyone from restaurants to charities.
Why not make performance and recognition fun while being able to provide valuable analytics to senior management?
Social Branding/Jobseeking
How do you know what your former employees are saying about you? Yes, you could just do a google search, but why not check out Glassdoor. Glassdoor can be used from the perspective of both the job seeker and employer. For jobseekers you can get a real account of what a day in the life is like at a prospective employer. For employers it is a great opportunity to manage your online presence and message. Glassdoor like its name gives both the jobseeker and employer a transparent view of the good, bad and indifferent. From anonymous salary information to reviews of company culture this tool is fantastic for improving how you serve your most important customers- the prospective hire/applicant and your employees.
Depending on who you speak to technology is either helping or hindering HR processes. I believe that good vendor choices, proper implementation and a decent understanding of how technology can enhance what you do can go a long way in improving your value proposition to the business.
I hope you will check these vendors out and see what they can do for you.
Janine Truitt
