Today I released a free eBook called "Employee Satisfaction Survey Success" that reveals what I believe are the most important keys to successful employee satisfaction surveys.
The difference between a successful employee satisfaction survey and one that fails can be small. This book identifies the critical turning points in survey design, administration and action planning that separate the winners from the losers. Some of the tips I cover include:
1.Survey Design: Is it better to use an anonymous forced response survey or one with open-ended questions? The answer is situational - in some organizations it may be better to use an anonymous survey method while other companies might be better served using open-ended questions or even focus group discussions to get feedback from employees.
The key is to make sure you evaluate the environment first and to have the satisfaction survey format be sensitive to that environment. Other design topics include how to word statements and develop a Likert-scale that effectively gauges employee opinion (and why a 7-item scale may be better than a 5-item scale). I also include all 70 of our basic survey statements.
2.Survey Administration: More employee satisfaction surveys are hurt by this factor than any other. Fortunately this is something that is totally within the control of the organization. I provide specific examples, including sample letters announcing the survey and even example survey administration instructions to make sure survey administration can go without a hitch.
3.Survey Action Planning: This is the most critical part of any satisfaction survey - what you do with the results. The book offers an easy-to-implement 3-step process to survey action planning including how to prioritize action items and successfully use teams of employees to help solve employee relations issues that come up.
Other keys explained in the free eBook include legal issues with conducting surveys in today's litigious environment. Companies that have recently undergone a union organizing campaign or are concerned about union avoidance definitely need to think carefully about how to use an opinion survey. I outline all the legal issues here. This is stuff that just isn't covered in the survey texts that I've seen.
The eBook is one of many free tools for HR professionals on my web site - including the Open Source HR Department that contains numerous tools, policies and handbook provisions for HR professionals - all at no charge. I want the site to be a place where the HR community can go to get practical and useful tools to do their job. I'm just trying to build the site that I wish I had when I was an HR Director. To download a copy of the free eBook go to http://www.lrims.com/satisfaction-survey.html
Friday, June 30, 2006
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Firing Teachers
I was interviewed today by a reporter for a national magazine oriented to public education leaders. The topic was interesting - how to fire a teacher. I told the reporter that the thought had crossed my mind many times when I was in school - probably about the same number of times my teachers wondered why there weren't more effective ways to fire students - but that I hadn't actually advised a public school on a teacher's termination. Since I have worked with some private schools and other public sector clients we continued to mull over the topic and the four parallels I thought would be interesting to my readers.
1. Like in any workplace, the firing issue almost always starts out as a hiring issue. Teachers, like any other employee, need to be motivated and engaged in their work environment or they are likely to engage in poor behavior which will result in bad performance. School districts, also like many companies, are desperate for good talent and often sub-par candidates to get a warm body in front of a classroom. This is almost always a bad idea.
Schools, like companies, always underestimate the downstream costs of a bad hire. If forced to fully account for the potential costs - emotional, financial and opportunity costs - it almost always makes sense to keep looking for a good candidate. I suggested that when faced with a serious bind for talent that schools should only offer short term contracts with clear exit terms to marginal candidates. Then they should continue to aggressively search out good talented candidates.
Schools (like companies) should also get creative about their talent pool. Retiring executives or professionals seeking to "give back" to their community would be ideal pools of talent for "fill-in" positions while searching for longer term solutions.
2. Focus on creating a great work environment. A lot of performance problems can be traced back to an employee just unhappy with his or her day-to-day work environment. It is important to create a workplace that engages employees and gives them plenty of opportunities to develop their skills and show off their true talents. Make certain that the performance problems you see aren't simply the behaviors of unmotivated employees with nothing better to do than cause trouble. Consider conducting an employee satisfaction survey or other intervention to improve employee morale.
3. Learn the 7 Tests of Just Cause. Once you've established that the poor behavior is related to an individual who just doesn't want to perform as expected it comes time to give them the option to "shape up or ship out." Most teachers are either represented by a union or are public employees covered by a "just cause" requirement (as opposed to the "at-will" presumption in place in most of the private sector).
There are 7 tests commonly used by arbitrators to decide whether the burden is met (and whether a termination decision is valid). Some of the most important are proving the teacher had knowledge of the rule and consequences for breaking it before action was taken, that the alleged violation was fully and fairly investigated and that the punishment was consistently applied. Document every step of the way.
I recommend any manager or supervisor who doesn't know these rules by heart to pick up a copy of my book, "Managing the Union Shop" which covers these in great detail. The bottom line here is to build a case so strong that an outsider looking back at the termination will conclude that the employee basically resigned without turning in a resignation letter: in other words, the employer made the work expectation and the consequences for failure to perform so clear that no reasonable person would have acted like the terminated employee.
4. Use a "last chance" agreement whenever possible. It can be very difficult to get an arbitrator to uphold a "for cause" termination - many times they will try to split the award (for example, granting re-instatement but without back pay). A good practice is to negotiate a settlement of a grievance (or to suggest as part of an award) that the employee be put on a last chance agreement. This is essentially a contract between the school and the employee that says if there are any other similar violations that the employee agrees they will be terminated, without exception. Arbitrators are much more likely to uphold a termination based on a last chance agreement.
1. Like in any workplace, the firing issue almost always starts out as a hiring issue. Teachers, like any other employee, need to be motivated and engaged in their work environment or they are likely to engage in poor behavior which will result in bad performance. School districts, also like many companies, are desperate for good talent and often sub-par candidates to get a warm body in front of a classroom. This is almost always a bad idea.
Schools, like companies, always underestimate the downstream costs of a bad hire. If forced to fully account for the potential costs - emotional, financial and opportunity costs - it almost always makes sense to keep looking for a good candidate. I suggested that when faced with a serious bind for talent that schools should only offer short term contracts with clear exit terms to marginal candidates. Then they should continue to aggressively search out good talented candidates.
Schools (like companies) should also get creative about their talent pool. Retiring executives or professionals seeking to "give back" to their community would be ideal pools of talent for "fill-in" positions while searching for longer term solutions.
2. Focus on creating a great work environment. A lot of performance problems can be traced back to an employee just unhappy with his or her day-to-day work environment. It is important to create a workplace that engages employees and gives them plenty of opportunities to develop their skills and show off their true talents. Make certain that the performance problems you see aren't simply the behaviors of unmotivated employees with nothing better to do than cause trouble. Consider conducting an employee satisfaction survey or other intervention to improve employee morale.
3. Learn the 7 Tests of Just Cause. Once you've established that the poor behavior is related to an individual who just doesn't want to perform as expected it comes time to give them the option to "shape up or ship out." Most teachers are either represented by a union or are public employees covered by a "just cause" requirement (as opposed to the "at-will" presumption in place in most of the private sector).
There are 7 tests commonly used by arbitrators to decide whether the burden is met (and whether a termination decision is valid). Some of the most important are proving the teacher had knowledge of the rule and consequences for breaking it before action was taken, that the alleged violation was fully and fairly investigated and that the punishment was consistently applied. Document every step of the way.
I recommend any manager or supervisor who doesn't know these rules by heart to pick up a copy of my book, "Managing the Union Shop" which covers these in great detail. The bottom line here is to build a case so strong that an outsider looking back at the termination will conclude that the employee basically resigned without turning in a resignation letter: in other words, the employer made the work expectation and the consequences for failure to perform so clear that no reasonable person would have acted like the terminated employee.
4. Use a "last chance" agreement whenever possible. It can be very difficult to get an arbitrator to uphold a "for cause" termination - many times they will try to split the award (for example, granting re-instatement but without back pay). A good practice is to negotiate a settlement of a grievance (or to suggest as part of an award) that the employee be put on a last chance agreement. This is essentially a contract between the school and the employee that says if there are any other similar violations that the employee agrees they will be terminated, without exception. Arbitrators are much more likely to uphold a termination based on a last chance agreement.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Open Door Policies
Should HR Departments have an open door? I received an interview request on this subject recently from a major HR publication and thought I'd share my thoughts here. The interview request basically went like this: "For small HR departments, the constant interruptions that come with an open-door policy can be a huge drain on productivity, but they're often reluctant to put more structure in place because they want employees to feel welcome. I am especially interested in solutions that balance the need to be available to employees with the need the get things done."
I was very surprised to see the request. It illustrates what I think is a major problem in HR generally: failure to see the employee relations forest for the transactional trees (I acknowledge this may have been the point of the request). Here are my 3 reactions:
1. The HR people who bemoan not having a "seat at the table" often share a similar attitude toward open door policies (and other employee relations policies). The topic strikes me as strange as saying, "should HR stop sourcing and hiring talent?" or "should HR stop keeping employee records?" I would outsource both of those functions before I would limit HR's role in dispute resolution.
2. Informal dispute resolution is a critical component to any positive work environment. Interruptions are annoying sometimes and you can certainly block off some time where the door is closed (see below), but giving employees multiple routes to complain about workplace issues is critical to resolving problems before they become lawsuits. Some frustrated employees will try HR once and then stop - this is both an employee relations problem and potentially even a lawsuit if you are trying to prove that your organization has an effective complaint process.
3. Time management tips may help with HR's "open-door" frustration. An "open-door" policy does not have to mean that HR is available for complaints 24/7/365. Instead, block off specific times where the door is open (preferably there is an HR presence on every work shift at least some work days). It is definitely a good general practice to have employees make an appointment to talk to HR about a problem (most employees will understand and be happy to do this), but HR should be flexible enough to accept walk-in complaints whenever possible, especially if there is a serious problem.
I was very surprised to see the request. It illustrates what I think is a major problem in HR generally: failure to see the employee relations forest for the transactional trees (I acknowledge this may have been the point of the request). Here are my 3 reactions:
1. The HR people who bemoan not having a "seat at the table" often share a similar attitude toward open door policies (and other employee relations policies). The topic strikes me as strange as saying, "should HR stop sourcing and hiring talent?" or "should HR stop keeping employee records?" I would outsource both of those functions before I would limit HR's role in dispute resolution.
2. Informal dispute resolution is a critical component to any positive work environment. Interruptions are annoying sometimes and you can certainly block off some time where the door is closed (see below), but giving employees multiple routes to complain about workplace issues is critical to resolving problems before they become lawsuits. Some frustrated employees will try HR once and then stop - this is both an employee relations problem and potentially even a lawsuit if you are trying to prove that your organization has an effective complaint process.
3. Time management tips may help with HR's "open-door" frustration. An "open-door" policy does not have to mean that HR is available for complaints 24/7/365. Instead, block off specific times where the door is open (preferably there is an HR presence on every work shift at least some work days). It is definitely a good general practice to have employees make an appointment to talk to HR about a problem (most employees will understand and be happy to do this), but HR should be flexible enough to accept walk-in complaints whenever possible, especially if there is a serious problem.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Lisa Haneberg's New Book
Lisa Haneberg has a new book out called Focus Like a Laser Beam. You can pick up your copy on Amazon.com. I am hoping to interview Lisa on an upcoming podcast for my executive job search business. Her specialty is coaching middle managers how to be more effective, and I am interested in her thoughts about my argument that you have to rely on middle managers to have an effective job search because they are decision makers (or at least the ones who read Lisa's book High Impact Middle Management are).
Influence by Robert Cialdini
This is a book I am embarrassed to say I just read for the first time. I will read it again - soon.
I was first introduced to Influence: Science and Practice while in college by my debate coach David Snowball (whose academic interest is, and dissertation topic was, propaganda). Dave thought it was a great book - he, as usual, was right. I have a hard time imagining any business endeavor - or for that matter any social endeavor - where these principles aren't applicable. Certainly in my areas of interest, employee relations and helping executives find a job these ideas are extremely powerful and important. If you haven't read it and you have anything to do with business, especially if you need to convince people to work with you in some way (buy your stuff, help with your project, pull the knife out of your back, etc.) you MUST read and absorb this book.
Here's the quick overview: Cialdini is a professor who studies how and why we humans are influenced to act. More interesting, he addresses how those principles can be used by what he calls "compliance professionals" to get us to act in a way which benefits them. His interest in the subject is very personal - in what may be the best first line of any "academic" book I've ever read Cialdini confesses, "I can admit it freely now. All my life I've been a patsy." He is a sucker for these influence tactics - I think most of us would have to admit we are too - and likes to study why.
Cialdini identifies 6 laws of influence. They are reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. He addresses each of them in a lot of detail with both entertaining (and sometimes frightening) anecdotal evidence regularly bolstered with what the academic research says on the subject. These 6 laws are even more powerful given what Cialdini calls the "click, whirr" tendency we have to react quickly to a situation based on limited information once our brain has identified that it fits into a particular category. It is a riveting read.
Here are some highlights.
Click, Whirr - This is the tendency we have to act based on very limited information. I kept thinking of Malcolm Gladwell's recent book Blink when I read this part (it also plays an important part in the conclusion of Cialdini's book). The basic idea is this: humans (and most other animals) have evolved over time to react almost instinctively to certain situations. When we receive enough information to conclude that we are facing that situation, we pretty much react without thinking - we roll the tape in our heads (hence, "click, whirr") that tells us how to react. This is normally a good thing - for example, it is why mostly cooperative beings are walking the planet instead of ones who would rather kill you than look at you. But in the hands of compliance professionals "click, whirr" can be used against us. Here's some of the ways they do it.
Reciprocation - We want to repay somebody who gives us a gift or provides a service for us. Otherwise we feel like a moocher. This is usually a good thing - it pretty much is required for any economic exchange. But in the hands of a compliance professional it can work against us - we will regularly give back much more than we receive. Some compliance professionals actually try to get you to reject them first, so they can put the rule of reciprocation to work against you when they make their counter offer.
Commitment and Consistency - If we take a public stand on an issue we are much more likely to behave consistent with that publicly stated position, even if circumstances change. This has a lot of implications with respect to union petitions and cards.
Social Proof - We tend to go with the crowd. This is usually a good shortcut for having to investigate a situation for yourself. The key is making sure to think about when a crowd is likely to be less informed than yourself - and when to ignore a crowd altogether. This is easily the most disturbing chapter of the book. It discusses how the law of social proof explains the over 1,000% increase in commercial airline fatalities in the month after a highly publicized suicide. Further, it explains how the principle led to what Cialdini calls the "most spectacular act of compliance of our time" - the Jonestown massacre.
Liking - We tend to be influenced by people we like, especially attractive or beautiful people. This law explains why I am not asked to do a lot of endorsement deals.
Authority - We also do what we are told by authority figures. This one is pretty easy to spot but often difficult to defend against.
Scarcity - This is what I call the eBay rule. We tend to value most what we think is scarce. This is a very common tactic used by compliance professionals in sales.
Cialdini concludes that these laws, if anything, are more powerful today in our always on, interconnected world where we are inundated by a constant torrent of information. The more overwhelmed our brains become, the more likely we are to fall back on these instinctive reactions to information. Cialdini offers a number of defense mechanisms that are great starting points. But perhaps the best defense is to read his book so you can learn - and recognize - when the laws are being used against you. Highly recommended.
I was first introduced to Influence: Science and Practice while in college by my debate coach David Snowball (whose academic interest is, and dissertation topic was, propaganda). Dave thought it was a great book - he, as usual, was right. I have a hard time imagining any business endeavor - or for that matter any social endeavor - where these principles aren't applicable. Certainly in my areas of interest, employee relations and helping executives find a job these ideas are extremely powerful and important. If you haven't read it and you have anything to do with business, especially if you need to convince people to work with you in some way (buy your stuff, help with your project, pull the knife out of your back, etc.) you MUST read and absorb this book.
Here's the quick overview: Cialdini is a professor who studies how and why we humans are influenced to act. More interesting, he addresses how those principles can be used by what he calls "compliance professionals" to get us to act in a way which benefits them. His interest in the subject is very personal - in what may be the best first line of any "academic" book I've ever read Cialdini confesses, "I can admit it freely now. All my life I've been a patsy." He is a sucker for these influence tactics - I think most of us would have to admit we are too - and likes to study why.
Cialdini identifies 6 laws of influence. They are reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. He addresses each of them in a lot of detail with both entertaining (and sometimes frightening) anecdotal evidence regularly bolstered with what the academic research says on the subject. These 6 laws are even more powerful given what Cialdini calls the "click, whirr" tendency we have to react quickly to a situation based on limited information once our brain has identified that it fits into a particular category. It is a riveting read.
Here are some highlights.
Click, Whirr - This is the tendency we have to act based on very limited information. I kept thinking of Malcolm Gladwell's recent book Blink when I read this part (it also plays an important part in the conclusion of Cialdini's book). The basic idea is this: humans (and most other animals) have evolved over time to react almost instinctively to certain situations. When we receive enough information to conclude that we are facing that situation, we pretty much react without thinking - we roll the tape in our heads (hence, "click, whirr") that tells us how to react. This is normally a good thing - for example, it is why mostly cooperative beings are walking the planet instead of ones who would rather kill you than look at you. But in the hands of compliance professionals "click, whirr" can be used against us. Here's some of the ways they do it.
Reciprocation - We want to repay somebody who gives us a gift or provides a service for us. Otherwise we feel like a moocher. This is usually a good thing - it pretty much is required for any economic exchange. But in the hands of a compliance professional it can work against us - we will regularly give back much more than we receive. Some compliance professionals actually try to get you to reject them first, so they can put the rule of reciprocation to work against you when they make their counter offer.
Commitment and Consistency - If we take a public stand on an issue we are much more likely to behave consistent with that publicly stated position, even if circumstances change. This has a lot of implications with respect to union petitions and cards.
Social Proof - We tend to go with the crowd. This is usually a good shortcut for having to investigate a situation for yourself. The key is making sure to think about when a crowd is likely to be less informed than yourself - and when to ignore a crowd altogether. This is easily the most disturbing chapter of the book. It discusses how the law of social proof explains the over 1,000% increase in commercial airline fatalities in the month after a highly publicized suicide. Further, it explains how the principle led to what Cialdini calls the "most spectacular act of compliance of our time" - the Jonestown massacre.
Liking - We tend to be influenced by people we like, especially attractive or beautiful people. This law explains why I am not asked to do a lot of endorsement deals.
Authority - We also do what we are told by authority figures. This one is pretty easy to spot but often difficult to defend against.
Scarcity - This is what I call the eBay rule. We tend to value most what we think is scarce. This is a very common tactic used by compliance professionals in sales.
Cialdini concludes that these laws, if anything, are more powerful today in our always on, interconnected world where we are inundated by a constant torrent of information. The more overwhelmed our brains become, the more likely we are to fall back on these instinctive reactions to information. Cialdini offers a number of defense mechanisms that are great starting points. But perhaps the best defense is to read his book so you can learn - and recognize - when the laws are being used against you. Highly recommended.
Sample Employee Satisfaction Survey Questions
I just ran across this press release on a couple of new sample employee survey books. I haven't looked at them carefully, but they seemed pretty interesting and I thought I'd at least pass along the release. I also have some sample statements from my employee satisfaction survey available for free on my employee relations consulting site.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Layoff Tips
I was interviewed yesterday for an article about best practices for a layoff. Layoff decisions during downturns are never easy. Unfortunately I have helped numerous clients through layoffs. Here are the three tips I offered for employers who want to do it effectively.
1. Avoid the temptation to cut a little at a time. Employers often try to cut in phases, hoping for business conditions to turn around so they can avoid additional cuts. This is a bad approach. Instead, companies make an honest assessment of the business conditions and cut based on the assumption that things won't improve quickly. This avoids creating an environment of uncertainty and impending doom in the workforce that remains.
2. Use a performance-based system to decide who goes. It is tempting to rely on factors like seniority to make cuts. This seems "fair" but leaves the company in a much weaker position to compete in the tougher business conditions. Create an objective, documented performance-based selection criteria based on conditions just prior to the layoff. This planning will also help to defend against potential legal challenges to the layoff.
3. Immediately get the reamining employees focused on the future. Acknowledge the pain of the layoff decision and the understandable desire to grieve a bit for those who didn't make it. However, let the remaining employees know how and why they were selected - they were the best - and clearly outline your plan to win in the downturn. This gets people focused on what they can control and gets them engaged and motivated to help the company succeed.
1. Avoid the temptation to cut a little at a time. Employers often try to cut in phases, hoping for business conditions to turn around so they can avoid additional cuts. This is a bad approach. Instead, companies make an honest assessment of the business conditions and cut based on the assumption that things won't improve quickly. This avoids creating an environment of uncertainty and impending doom in the workforce that remains.
2. Use a performance-based system to decide who goes. It is tempting to rely on factors like seniority to make cuts. This seems "fair" but leaves the company in a much weaker position to compete in the tougher business conditions. Create an objective, documented performance-based selection criteria based on conditions just prior to the layoff. This planning will also help to defend against potential legal challenges to the layoff.
3. Immediately get the reamining employees focused on the future. Acknowledge the pain of the layoff decision and the understandable desire to grieve a bit for those who didn't make it. However, let the remaining employees know how and why they were selected - they were the best - and clearly outline your plan to win in the downturn. This gets people focused on what they can control and gets them engaged and motivated to help the company succeed.
Friday, June 02, 2006
New LM10 Guidance
The DOL issued some new guidance for employers on the LM10 form several times over the last few months, with the most recent update on May 31, 2006. If you haven't had a chance to review this guidance I highly recommend you take a look. You can look at the new guidance here.
The highlights of the new guidance include:
Widely Attended Gatherings: The most important change is the DOL's guidance on certain "widely attended gatherings" where multiple union officials are in attendance. There are a number of caveats, but the bottom line is that the DOL is providing for exemptions from both reporting and, most critical, record-keeping. There are rules for $20 per person expenditures as well as one or two $125 per person expenditures. Since the exemption also exempts record-keeping it is an important one to look at carefully.
Providing Office Space: Another new item that could trip up employers is a rule requiring companies to report the fair market value of office space provided to union officials on its property. Many employers I know provide stewards and other union officers an office in their locations. The guidance requires reporting for these expenditures.
Subsidiaries or Acquired Companies: The DOL also provides some rules for determining how employers with multiple subsidiaries or recently acquired divisions must file their forms. The bottom line here is that anyone that qualifies as an "employer" under the rules is subject to reporting.
There are a number of other important clarifications and new rules you should take a look at. Don't hesitate to call if you have a specific question about the new guidance or your company's compliance program. If you haven't picked up your copy of the LM 10 Compliance Handbook you can get your copy here.
The highlights of the new guidance include:
Widely Attended Gatherings: The most important change is the DOL's guidance on certain "widely attended gatherings" where multiple union officials are in attendance. There are a number of caveats, but the bottom line is that the DOL is providing for exemptions from both reporting and, most critical, record-keeping. There are rules for $20 per person expenditures as well as one or two $125 per person expenditures. Since the exemption also exempts record-keeping it is an important one to look at carefully.
Providing Office Space: Another new item that could trip up employers is a rule requiring companies to report the fair market value of office space provided to union officials on its property. Many employers I know provide stewards and other union officers an office in their locations. The guidance requires reporting for these expenditures.
Subsidiaries or Acquired Companies: The DOL also provides some rules for determining how employers with multiple subsidiaries or recently acquired divisions must file their forms. The bottom line here is that anyone that qualifies as an "employer" under the rules is subject to reporting.
There are a number of other important clarifications and new rules you should take a look at. Don't hesitate to call if you have a specific question about the new guidance or your company's compliance program. If you haven't picked up your copy of the LM 10 Compliance Handbook you can get your copy here.
Hoffa Still Missing
The FBI just gave up searching for Jimmy Hoffa's remains...again. From the NYT article: "After a thorough and comprehensive search, no remains of Mr. Hoffa have been located," Judith M. Chilen, an assistant special agent, said at a news briefing at the farm entrance. Ms. Chilen added that she was convinced that his body had been buried on the farm and that there was "no indication that it has been moved."
My favorite quote: "There are still prosecutable defendants, and they know who they are," Ms. Chilen said. Right. I'm sure they're shaking in their boots. Good to know that it was worth about a half-million to move a barn and dig up its foundation so we could not find him. Why hasn't Geraldo Rivera done a show on this?
My favorite quote: "There are still prosecutable defendants, and they know who they are," Ms. Chilen said. Right. I'm sure they're shaking in their boots. Good to know that it was worth about a half-million to move a barn and dig up its foundation so we could not find him. Why hasn't Geraldo Rivera done a show on this?
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