I recently had a conversation with a director of a major
law firm about morale among employees. It was low, and
employee retention was beginning to be an issue.

As we talked, it became apparent that while the lawyers had
access to everything that would help them perform to their
potential, the same could not be said for everyone else in
the firm. People from managers and supervisors to support
staff at all levels felt their contribution was not valued.

The problem was not money. On the contrary, these people
were paid very well, and in fact that may have become part
of the problem. Senior management felt that any unrest in
the ranks could be quieted by simply giving them more
money, and they were quite dismayed to find that was no
longer doing the trick. For them, money was the first and
only form of reward and recognition to offer employees.

Why would they think that, and why would they be surprised
to learn they were wrong?

I wonder how often they actually thought about the feelings
and attitudes of their people, and my guess is — only
when there was a problem. Of course the problem was there
all the time, and growing worse, but they just didn’t
notice.

This situation is unfortunately all too common, and not
just in law firms. There is much discussion among Human
Resources professionals about employee retention, and how
to make sure good and great employees stay around. The
principles are understood, but the practice often doesn’t
match up.

Of course there are numerous specific incentives that can
be implemented, including formal appreciation programs, and
these should certainly not be ignored. Many of these
programs are expensive, and management might well feel
employees are ungrateful not to appreciate them.
Ironically, the root cause of discontent can often be
successfully addressed with no financial outlay at all.

No matter how much money you pay someone, if they are
overloaded with work and constantly stressed by
unreasonable deadlines and treated as if they are
invisible, don’t be surprised when they rebel. Again and
again, studies have shown that the number one cause of
workplace dissatisfaction is that employees don’t feel
respected or appreciated — and those are two different
things.

In another law firm where I facilitated a difficult
discussion between a senior lawyer and his support staff,
one clerk pointed out that the manner in which work was
assigned was offensive. Citing one common task in their
particular area of law, she said, “It takes you just a few
seconds to throw the papers on my desk and tell me to do
it, and for you it’s done. But you forget that for me it
represents two hours of work.” She wasn’t complaining about
the work itself, but felt that her contribution to the
process was not appreciated. As part of a broader picture
of discontent and deepening resentment, this was
significant.

When I visit clients’ offices for meetings, I’m usually
offered coffee, and in this simple situation I can
immediately observe the attitude of the manager or
executive towards staff. One person will introduce me by
name to the assistant bringing the coffee and make the
request in a friendly civilized way; another will simply
buzz the assistant and say, “Bring us coffee in the meeting
room.” This may sound like a small thing, but the second
version demonstrates a lack of respect for the person as a
human being, and when it’s part of an overall pattern, it
can make a huge difference in someone’s quality of work
life.

If you are a Human Resources professional facing morale
problems, you might take some time to observe the
interactions between management and staff. If you see the
signs I’ve been talking about, consider meeting with
managers as a group and pointing out the possible
consequences of their thoughtlessness. Encourage them to
recognize people’s deep human need for respect and
appreciation and take any opportunity they can to meet it.

If you are a manager yourself, consider honestly how you
treat people. Have some meaningful conversation with those
who report to you to let them know you value their
contribution and respect them as individuals.

There’s no financial cost to these initiatives, but the
positive effect on employee retention, morale and
productivity can be immense.

—————————————————-
Helen Wilkie is a professional keynote speaker and workshop
leader specializing in workplace communication. She also
facilitates World Cafe events to enable deep conversation
at all levels in organizations. For more information on her
services, or to subscribe to her free e-zine,
“Communi-keys”, visit http://www.mhwcom.com or e-mail her
at hwilkie@mhwcom.com

Employee evaluations serve an important purpose. They let
both the employee and the company know how things are
going. Ideally, they offer feedback, guidance and
recognition; too often, though, they become just another
drudgery and serve no real purpose. Here are some ways to
improve the experience for both sides.

For the Supervisor.

1. The number one rule is that an employee must never be
surprised by his or her evaluation. Good managers deliver
evaluations regularly by praising areas where the employee
excels and offering guidance and instruction when the
employee falters. It’s not fair to your staff to keep them
in the dark about their work performance and then spring it
on them once a year.

2. Keep a written record on each employee. It doesn’t have
to be fancy, just a folder where you can jot down notes
when Sally does something exceptional or when you have to
discuss Bob’s tardiness. Keep copies of any “attaboys” your
staff gets, too. It’s easy to forget things that happened
eleven months ago and then end up basing the evaluation on
the work of the past month.

3. Never criticize an employee’s performance without
offering some corrective action. If you are going to grade
someone down in “interpersonal skills”, make sure you offer
concrete examples of when he or she didn’t handle a
situation very well. Then brainstorm a little and encourage
the employee to suggest ways in which he or she might
improve in that area.

4. Use the evaluation time to look ahead to the future as
well as reviewing the past. Insist that your employees come
prepared with personal and professional goals for the
coming year. Go over their goals with them and discuss how
you might help. Maybe the company can offer to send Sam to
that training class on PowerPoint, or maybe Jean would be
interested in starting a corporate blog. Encourage your
staff to dream big and then help them get there – even if
“there” takes them away from you and on to a bigger, better
job.

For the Employee.

1. Keep a file on all your accomplishments during the year.
Every time someone says “great job”, make a note of it.
Write down all the extra things you do, like staying late
to get the budget figures in on time after the finance dept
changes their requirements at the last minute. Take
particular note of any special projects your boss asks you
to work on.

2. A month before evaluations are due, write up a “brag
sheet” about yourself and send it to your boss. List all
your accomplishments over the past year and the projects
you have lined up for the coming year. If you want to ask
for some special training or for more responsibility, this
is the time to do it. Add a paragraph about how learning to
write effective business correspondence or how to design
direct mail brochures would help you do your job better and
how it would benefit the company.

3. Understand the company culture and how it affects
evaluations. If the policy is to grade on a curve, with
most of the employees in the middle, then you’ll have a
better idea of what your actual grades mean. Without being
defensive, ask your boss to explain any very low grades and
ask for specific examples of where you could have done
better.

4. If you really think you’re being unfairly evaluated,
don’t respond right away. There’s nothing wrong with calmly
explaining that you need time to process the feedback and
asking for a second meeting. Take the time to gather your
facts and possibly consult with an outsider, like a former
boss or a friend in the HR business or a career coach.
NEVER discuss your evaluation with another employee in your
company. If a second meeting with your boss doesn’t resolve
your concerns, then you should take the case to your HR
dept. Again, keep your emotions in check and stick to the
facts. Ask if you can write a rebuttal letter to go in your
file.

While there is no single (or simple) answer to managing the
stress of evaluation time, the most obvious idea is that
performance, goals, problems and achievements are things
that require ongoing discussion. Both parties (the
supervisor and the worker) need to communicate clearly and
often. If the communication is there, the performance
evaluation will be easy, because it will be just another
part of the dialogue.

—————————————————-
Joan Schramm, the Workplace Solutions Expert, is a career,
executive and personal coach with twenty years experience
in management, training and coaching. Joan can work with
you to figure out exactly what you want from your life and
your career, and how to get there without a lot of detours.
For more information, or to talk about what’s going on in
your life, go to:
http://www.achieve-momentum.com

It’s January and it’s the time of year when most people
look to make changes, and that includes changes in their
jobs. It is also a time when most companies begin posting
new positions. Depending on which side of this scenario you
are sitting on will determine if that is good news or bad
news for you and your company.

Consider this. In a recent job satisfaction survey,
compensation was indicated as the most important factor for
job satisfaction for employees under the age of 35 as well
as those between the ages of 36 to 55. (Source: SHRM 2006
Job Satisfaction Survey.) Surprising? Maybe, particularly
when you consider that over 20 aspects of employee job
satisfaction were examined including career advancement
opportunities, benefits, flexibility to balance life and
work, and compensation.

What does this mean for your organization? As the pool of
talent continues to compress, compensation costs are likely
to increase. However, it is important to note that
compensation isn’t the only factor that impacts job
satisfaction and your success in recruiting and retaining
talented employees will rest upon your ability to create a
compelling employment package and satisfactory work
environment overall.
Sound expensive? Not to fear. In a recent Red Ladder poll
(November 2006), when asked their greatest wish for
themselves or their co-workers in the coming year, here’s
what employees said:

• 36% want development opportunities that allow (them/ me)
to stretch and     grow

• 27% want more balance and alignment between (their/ my)
personal and professional commitments

• 23% want tools, training and resources to get (their/ my)
work done more efficiently.

This means that you have other options at your disposal
that you can use to help to increase job satisfaction and
retain employees without bankrupting your budget.

It will be important to remember that one size will not fit
all. Managers will need to become skilled in assessing what
motivates their employees and then work to find ways to
deliver on these strategies while adhering to corporate
policies and budgets. While this will take more time on the
front-end, consider the costs to replace even one of your
employees. These costs include lost productivity,
recruiting fees, and training costs to orient a new
employee to your company and get them up to speed, not to
mention the impact to the remaining staff who will have to
pick up the slack during the process, and of course, your
customers.

Consider any investment you make in your employees like
buying reverse insurance. You pay a small ongoing premium
with the hopes that you won’t ever need to pay a lump-sum
premium (to cover the costs noted above) at the back-end to
bring on even one new employee. In my opinion, that’s a
policy worth investing in.

Copyright 2007 Regina Barr, Red Ladder, Inc.

—————————————————-
Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker. Her
consulting firm, Red Ladder, Inc., specializes in helping
organizations and their leaders develop their full
potential through strategic consulting and project
management, executive coaching and training. Regina also
helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and
retain high potential leaders. For more information visit
http://www.RedLadder.com or http://www.redladder.blogs.com/

Regardless of which business sector you are in, it has
become increasingly difficult for businesses to recruit the
right people in recent years.

The reason for this lies in the dramatic change in the
business environment over the last 10-15 years. This means
that the traditional methods of recruitment just aren’t as
effective nowadays

In the same way that you need to be aware of the key issues
in your market in order to trade successfully, you also
need to be aware of what is going on in the candidate
market to successfully attract and recruit the right people.

• No More Jobs For Life -  Gone are the notions of ‘jobs
for life’ with any one employer. Similarly, people tend to
have less loyalty towards any one employer. Today’s school
leavers will have not just a number of different jobs
throughout their lives, but also a number of different
‘careers’ through their lifetime

• More Mobile Workforce -  As people become much more open
to changing jobs and careers, the internet has made
changing jobs so much easier. There is also much more
movement of people to different cities, countries and
continents.

• Technology  – The advance of technology means greater
competition on a global basis, changing job roles and
skills. This has enabled more mobile and home working as
well as many more small business start-ups which mean that
people have more choice in where and how to work.

• Demographic Changes -  Many of the western economies are
facing increasing challenges brought on by declining birth
rates since the 1960s. The result is an ageing workforce
with less talent coming through the ranks and shortages of
people likely to continue.

• Wealth -  As many of the modern world economies become
wealthier, so the workforce is looking for more from their
work and their lives. We travel more, are more cultured and
want more fulfilment in our lives and our work.

• Work-Life Balance – With this wealth has come the
increasing emphasis on a ‘work –life balance.’ People no
longer want a job for life, but a job with life. They want
a healthy balance between work and their lives away from
work and are therefore much choosier about the jobs they
take on.

• Sense of Purpose -  Linked into the above factors, many
people these days are looking for a sense of meaning and
purpose from their work.

Unlike previous generations who may have looked at work as
a means to earn a wage, more and more people look to their
workplace to give them a sense of purpose and will readily
move on if they don’t find it.

This may be because of the job itself, or indeed the
company and the way they operate.

• The Pace of Change -  Increased competition in most
sectors coupled with increased technology means your
business has to keep changing faster than it ever used to
just to survive.

But the labour market cannot always keep up with this pace
and so it often appears that there is “no one out there” in
the market, when in fact there is; they just don’t have the
exact skills and experiences you need to fit your changing
business.

• A More Discerning Candidate -  Just as your customers and
clients have become more discerning, so too have candidates
in their job search.

They are more knowledgeable, better aware of the
marketplace and more demanding than previous generations
and so it’s much harder to attract them than it used to be.

Collectively, a combination of these factors has led to
some of the challenges many businesses face today in
finding the right people.

To what extent each of these factors affects your own
business will be different depending on the market you are
in and the conditions in your local economy.  But
fundamentally, the rules of recruitment have changed – you
cannot just do what has worked for years, because it’s
simply not effective any more.

Those businesses that change the way they recruit will be
the ones that succeed in attracting the right people.

My approach to recruitment takes all this into account –
you need to start thinking about your vacancy as an
opportunity and a lifestyle you are selling, not just a job.

You need real clarity about what is you are looking and
real clarity around your unique proposition as employer.
And then be highly proactive in getting out and finding and
selecting people to fit your requirements.

—————————————————-
Sital Ruparelia, ‘The Recruitment & Retention Expert’,
publishes the twice monthly Authentic Resourcing
Newsletter. If you’re ready to jump-start your efforts to
find and keep the right people so that you can make more
profit in less time then get your FREE tips now at:
http://www.authenticresourcing.com/

When it comes to inducting new employees into your business you only get one chance.

Get it wrong and you have started to sow the seeds of doubt in the mind of your new starter in the first few weeks. Get it right and it will make a huge difference to how the person settles in. Without being perfectionist, the key is to make sure that every new starter feels excited and positive that they have made the right choice in joining your business.

The way to do this is to:

1. Get The Practical Stuff Right

Make sure you have practical aspects such as a desk, phone and computer ready, with a password. Get their name added to your email system or have a uniform ready for them as appropriate. Will they need business cards? Do they need a key or security pass to access the premises? Having everything ready and organized before they arrive shows you place a high value on the service you provide to your people as well as your customers; something that sets a very good tone with a new starter.

2. Have A Plan

Make sure there is some form of training/induction plan that is ready before they start. Something you can physically give to them on their first day so that they are clear about what they will be doing over the first few days (or weeks). You may even choose to call them the week before they join to confirm arrangements for the first day and tell them broadly about their induction plan before they have joined – they’ll feel less apprehensive about their first day in the new job and feel like a valued employee even before they have joined you.

3. Inspire Them

In the first week, it is important that all new staff know what you are trying to achieve in your business, what your future vision and goals are, what your values are. Understanding this will get new starters excited about the business they have joined, but it also gives them clarity and a sense of purpose, no matter what their role. Something that is a critical strategy in retaining people.

4. Socialize

A large part of someone’s success comes from how well they fit into your team. So ensure that all new starters have an early opportunity to get to know their new colleagues on a less formal basis, whether it’s a quick drink with the team during the first few days or a lunch. It allows them to get to know the team and start to bond with them in the first few days.

5. Be Systematic

It’s all very well getting it right once or twice, but to get the induction process right for all new starters, you require a system – a standardized way in which all new starters are introduced into your business. So, set up a manual that has step-by-step guidelines for inducting new starters. This way, the quality of an individual’s induction is not dependent on you or one member of your team, it will be of a consistently high standard.

Many businesses talk a good game about induction but often don’t deliver. Others simply don’t place much importance to it at all. But in my experience first impressions play a big part in hiring people. And like any first impression – for every new employee, you only have one chance to get their induction right – so never don’t waste the opportunity.

—————————————————-
Sital Ruparelia, ‘The Recruitment & Retention Expert’, works with small and mid-sized businesses that struggle with recruitment and retention issues and helps them implement strategies proven to Find & Keep The Right People quickly and cost effectively. Recieve Sital’s free report, 101 Tips to Finding & Keeping The Right People now by going to this link: www.authenticresourcing.com

Progressive companies are increasingly relying upon
employee benefits to attract and retain top talent
according to a new MetLife study.  55% of employers rank
‘employee retention’ as their No. 1 benefits objective.
Unfortunately, the same study showed that only 33% of
workers feel strongly that their company effectively
educates them on their benefits options.  This reveals just
one of the many problems the employers face when confronted
with the daunting task of developing a benefits strategy
and communicating it with their workers.  If you’re going
to use benefits to build a solid workforce, here are the
five most common mistakes to avoid.

Lack of communication

Perhaps the biggest mistake employers make is not involving
the employees during benefits decisions.  Open
communication is key.  Finding out what employees want in
regard to benefits should be your first step before making
any changes.  Communicating your objectives will make
employees an active part of the decision making process.
Different employees have different needs.  Don’t assume
that the folks in the warehouse are interested in the same
benefits as the middle managers in accounting.  This is a
big mistake.

Cutting benefits to control costs

This is often misused because it is a short term solution
to a long term problem and frequently results in high
levels of employee turnover.  While cost sharing is an
important element in a long term benefits strategy, it’s
important to do this over multiple years.  Managed
incorrectly, this is a serious morale killer.  To avoid
this, develop a 3-year cost sharing timeline and instead of
trying to figure out how to cut benefits, focus on
exchanging low value / high cost benefits for high value /
low cost benefits.  Approaching this with a give-and-take
mindset can alleviate most complaints from your employees.

Offering everything but the kitchen sink

Offering every known benefit causes more problems than it
solves.  When you offer every benefit imaginable, you set
yourself up for skyrocketing costs.  Also, down the road
your employees will ask why you never add new benefits.
Instead, consider starting with a simple package and adding
new benefits incrementally.  This will also provide the
advantage of testing new benefits to understand their
impact on your workforce.

Offering the benefits your management team suggests

Don’t assume that feedback from managers will give you the
best idea of what benefits to offer.  While this is a valid
way to gauge several business issues, benefits desires are
often personal and not communicated to managers.
Administering a survey to collect information about what
employees want from their benefits is a simple solution.
Larger companies can form a committee to explore the issue
further and develop champions of the process through
leaders in the organization, encouraging everyone to get
involved.

Taking a short term approach

Anything you do to make short term improvements without
considering long term objectives can be dangerous.  This is
often where an outside advisor can be advantageous,
especially one with a long history in business that can
share experiences that support or refute possible changes.
By focusing on long term goals like employee retention,
productivity, and absenteeism, you can navigate many common
obstacles.

Designing and implementing a benefits strategy can take as
little as two weeks and the long term implications can be
sizable.   As the labor market tightens, employee benefits
will continue to grow in importance as companies seek an
edge to attract and retain strong workers.

—————————————————-
Mike Nacke designs employee benefits for growing
manufacturers to attract and retain top talent, improve
productivity and employee morale, and reduce absenteeism.
He is also the host of Employee Magnetism, the talk show
that offers practical advice on employee retention and
attraction strategies from some of the nation’s top experts.
For more information, visit http://www.mikenacke.com

What sort of things should you consider? What do you want
your employee to do? Is the expense of an employee, or you
going to make more money, or is it going to cost you more
in the end? These are some of the questions you are going
to have to ask yourself before you decide to add to your
workforce.

Here are 4 things you should consider before you decide to
hire:

Cost vs. Profit – Having an employee can certainly increase
your production, and even help you make more sales. But, it
is important to consider whether an employee – with wages
and expenses – is going to warrant the added expense in a
growth of profit. If you are in a position where you cannot
keep up with the demand for your craft, and people may be
willing to pay a little more for it to get it, then it
might be time to hire another set of hands.

A capable employee – Are you going to have to struggle to
find someone to fill your position, and excel at it? Or, do
you already have someone in mind? Finding an employee for
your craft show business might be challenging, especially
someone who shares the same vested interest in your love of
the craft, and of the end profit. An employee just looking
to collect a wage is not the type of employee you are
looking for.

Sales or production? – You may need to make a decision
where a new employee is going to help your craft show
business the most. If you are struggling to keep up with
demand for your product, you may want them to help with
production of the crafts. However, if you have a large
supply of crafts and you are simply unable to meet the
demand of customers in your craft show booth, then you may
want to put the person into the sales side. You may decide
that you need someone for both areas in order to increase
the profit.

Business expansion – Adding an employee might provide you
with the opportunity to expand the overall breadth of your
business. With another employee, or two, you may be able to
attend more craft shows – including craft shows that are on
the same weekend. You may literally be able to double your
overall income if you find a person you are comfortable
with handling an entire craft show operation.

Adding another member to your staff is a choice you may be
faced with in time. If you business is rapidly expanding,
you may find that an extra set of hands is the only way to
maximize craft show sales. Consider carefully whether that
person is going to provide you with a boost to business, or
be an added cost that isn’t providing the appropriate
returns.

—————————————————-
Natalie Goyette shows you how to make your craft show
business profitable in her best selling ebook: Craft Show
Success Secrets. Visit her site:
http://www.craftshowsuccess.com

Employee turnover impacts an organization in a variety of
ways, most of which are negative.  High turnover generates
not only heavy tangible costs, but takes its toll on the
current team members as well.  So what can you do to reduce
the cost of continually bringing in new people?  Here are
just a few reasons for high turnover and some strategies to
correct.

First of all, not all turnover is bad.  When I see an
organization that has not fired anyone in a very long time,
that tells me that the culture there is very tolerant and
most likely has few if any over achievers.  If you were a
highly ambitious person, would you want to work in a place
where achievement goes unnoticed?  Many times, companies
will have “upgrading” periods where the management team
identifies the lower 2-3%, and lays them off.  So if you
are not moving some percentage of your people out the door
on a regular basis, you are missing out on a great
opportunity to find much better performers.

The number one reason why people leave an organization is
because of their manager.  Think of what the manager
influences in the team member’s activities and overall
success.  Managers control compensation, time away
approval, day to day expectations, and last but certainly
not least, the overall environment.  Managers determine
whether or not the team member “wants” to come to work
every day.  Managers can generate a team that is just fun
to be around, a team that works well together and all know
what is expected of them.

Do you support your team members?   In other words, when
team members need your help, are you there?  Do you do what
she can to remove roadblocks for them, so their job is as
easy as possible?  How supported people feel directly
impacts how they feel while at work, and how long they will
stay.  Great managers do not wait for team members to come
to them, they “notice” changes in people and seek out the
reason.

Do you recognize and reward outstanding efforts?   Notice I
did not say “results”.  Great managers know that not every
effort creates the desired results.  Often times there are
circumstances that are beyond the control of the team
member.  Knowing the level of effort people are placing
into their role, and providing feedback on how to make
changes to produce results is the job of the leader.  So be
involved enough to know who is really working hard, and
provide rewards and recognition for those efforts.  This
also communicates to others just what behavior you value
and expect.

Do you lead in a “teaching” fashion?  One of the simple
ways we motivate people is by teaching them new things.
When we stop learning, our job becomes routine, and we
often times start to look for new opportunities.
Delegation skills are critical in the teaching process, as
it not only is a great way to get more done, but also
provides a process to teach people new tasks and
potentially prepare them for a promotion.  Often times new
managers tend to hang on to day to day functions, because
they feel it is just faster to perform them themselves.
Make sure you create a continual learning program, that
provides people with ways to feel that they contribute more
to the organization.

There are many more areas that effect the amount of
turn-over you experience, but staying focused on the
effectiveness of your leaders is one of the fasted ways to
reduce turn-over and improve overall team performance.

—————————————————-
For free and low cost mentoring services for new leaders,
visit our website at http://www.leadershipmentor.net .
Articles, informative weekly newsletter, Blog coaching, and
more.

“Happiness is often the result of being too busy to be
miserable.” Anon.

Do you manage or supervise difficult employees? Ever think
you’re alone? You’re not. Most likely your difficult
employee is someone you’ve inherited. Not someone you
would’ve hired. Yet somehow they fell through the cracks
and got hired anyway. Now, it’s your job to do the cleanup
work.

Thoughts shape our words, which shape our actions. Negative
people produce negative results, not to mention more
negative people in the workplace. Attitude really is
everything. The number one complaint I hear from managers
and supervisors when conducting speaking engagements is,
“My difficult employee is hard to be around, and they’re
making my life and everybody else’s miserable!” And, you
and your employees have a right to come to work and enjoy
it. I tactfully told that to one of my chronically
difficult employees when I was a manager and it worked.

It’s easy to internalize all the negative behaviors of your
difficult employees and then attempt to find ways to change
them.  Most people cannot be changed unless they want to
change. Sometimes nothing will motivate them. Another
comment often heard is, “They’re just here to collect a
paycheck. They are doing the absolute minimum to get by.” I
call these people the “work-the-system” workers.

In my workshops, we go into a specific action plan on how
to turn them around, get them motivated and producing
results. Most likely the previous manager or supervisor was
non-confrontational. The employee “tested” them and knew
what they could get away with. It’s called learned
behavior. And if you don’t take action, it will reflect
negatively on YOU. The other employees start to wonder why
you’re not doing something about it.

If the difficult employee is simply motivated by a
paycheck, often what finally motivates them is receiving
progressive disciplinary action and knowing you have
specific documentation to back up their underperformance.
Knowing they may be out of work can be a
last-house-on-the-block approach for the difficult
employee. Sometimes even that doesn’t work because they’re
simply biding their time. Knowing they will be fired
eventually, or retiring “soon.”

Often managers and supervisors exclaim, “Oh, but we’re
union, we’re different.” Or, “We’re government employees
and it takes years to fire them.” True. Research shows that
it can take a great deal more time to terminate a difficult
employee under these circumstances. Not to mention endless
documentation. It will require thorough documentation
showing everything you, and everyone else, has done in an
attempt to “save” the employee.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. “But Colleen, I’m
overloaded and I feel like I’m spending 80% of my time with
the 20% of my difficult employees. I don’t have TIME to
document! I just can’t afford that luxury of time!” Well,
you can’t afford not to document. If only I had a dollar
for every manager or supervisor who has confided to me that
NOT documenting came back to haunt them. Unfortunately, you
must document in detail what the difficult employee is or
isn’t doing.

If you are union or managing government employees, and you
have to throw out their records after one year, consider
writing down past problem behavior in their performance
review. Performance reviews aren’t always thrown out. Even
when supervising or managing government or union employees.
Check with your Human Resources department and your manager
to make sure you’re up-to-date on dealing with a difficult
employee effectively.

Remember, the documentation is not to build a case for
termination, but to record what you attempted to do to help
the difficult employee. Ask yourself, “Did I do everything
I could? What, if anything, is my part in this?” If you’ve
done all you can, the rest is up to the employee.

In my “Dealing with Difficult Employees” program I
frequently hear, “I did everything I could, and ultimately
the person fired themselves.”  I think that is often the
case. Especially with the difficult employee you’ve
“inherited” but wouldn’t necessarily have hired. Sometimes
the difficult employee isn’t a bad person. Maybe they just
weren’t the right person for the job, or their job
description evolved and they haven’t evolved with it. Maybe
the manager before you was non-confrontational and enabled
the behavior. Unfortunately, you have to be the “bad guy.”
You must be the one who takes action. Otherwise, you now
have a part in it in that you enabled the difficult
employee’s behavior.

Something managers and supervisors sometimes will confide
in me “Colleen, after your presentation, I’m beginning to
wonder if I might be a difficult person!” This is a step in
the right direction. What part of YOU needs to change? Ask
yourself, “How can I react differently to these difficult
employees in the future?”

You can’t change the difficult employee. All you can do is
change how you react to them. You can change the
environment and hope they become motivated. This often
works when they know you’re taking progressive disciplinary
steps and may ultimately terminate them.

It can be easier to look at the faults of others. It makes
it easier not to have to focus on ourselves. That is the
hard part. Remember though…it’s also the part we can
control.

—————————————————-
Colleen Kettenhofen is a speaker, workplace expert, &
co-author of “The Masters of Success,” as featured on the
Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For
free articles, e-newsletter, or to order the book visit
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Topics: leadership, success,
difficult people, public speaking. Colleen is available for
keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. (971)212-2412.
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

Copyright (c) 2007 Mr Sital Ruparelia

Recruitment is one of those activities that you cannot just
‘switch on’ when you have a vacancy and expect instant
results. To attract the right people on an on going basis,
you must have some key steps or systems in place all the
time – even when you have no open vacancies.

1. Always be looking  – whenever attending a network event,
a social function or visiting your competitors – be aware
of the people you meet. Who impresses you? Who is
particularly successful? Who has impressed the people you
know? Like a football manager or basket ball coach – you
should always be looking at bringing in better talent into
your team so that you are constantly raising the bar and
making your business more competitive. In business, like
professional sport – if you stand still, your business is
at risk.

2. Keep On Advertising  – whether it’s a listing on your
website or a simply a poster in your reception area – never
stop advertising your positions .If you haven’t a vacancy,
you may word the advert differently. E.g. “We are always
interested hearing from x,y,x people” etc….

3. Always welcome applications -  regardless of whether you
have a vacancy or not, be open to receiving applications.
Make your friends, ex-colleagues and business associates
aware of the type of people that you look for when
recruiting and make it very clear that you are open to
hearing about people they know – even when you have not got
immediate vacancies. If you use recruitment agencies and
headhunters, then inform them that you are open to hearing
about strong candidates on a speculative basis – just be
totally clear on what you want and totally clear that you
do not want to be pestered with speculative CVs / resumes
every week. You only want a call or email when they have a
‘star candidate.’

4. Have a system to capture & store details – if you are
welcoming applications when you have no vacancies, then you
must have a system or process in place to store details and
be able to recall details when required. Depending on your
business this could be a database, an excel spreadsheet, a
diary or simply a “little black book” where you store names
and details of people you are impressed with or referred to
you. So the minute you have a potential opening, you have a
ready made list of potential people to start recruiting
from. Yes, some of them may no longer be looking – but many
others will. And even if they are not looking – they may
well know people who are and so if you have maintained a
relationship you have access to some very good people.

5. Inform The Team Your team may be sensitive about why you
are open to applications when you have no current
positions. So be honest and up front in informing them
right from the start. Explain that you want a ready made
pipeline of candidates (or to use a sporting analogy,
“substitutes”) so that it save time and money when you do
have a vacancy. And like sports, having people sitting on a
‘substitutes bench’ puts pressure on the existing team to
stay “on their toes” (i.e. to perform) – which may not be
bad thing….

So start putting these steps into practice and you will
save time and money when you are recruiting. But don’t
expect instant result, there is a time lag with these
things.

—————————————————-
Sital Ruparelia, The Recruitment & Retention Specialist,
works with businesses that struggle with recruitment and
retention issues and helps them implement strategies proven
to Find & Keep The Right People consistently.
To receive further tips and advice on Finding & Keeping The
Right People, sign up to our FREE twice-monthly newsletter
at: http://www.authenticresourcing.com