Featured Article of the Month

 Stay Interviews
A Retention Strategy for Innovative Organizations
Has anybody ever thought about the logic of asking people why they are leaving when they have one foot planted out the door? I remember on my exit interview when they asked me why I was leaving. Part of me wanted to say, “Geez, because my manager is such a hypocrite that I would rather be boiled in hot oil than have to work with her another day.” I did, however, know better. Why burn a bridge (although the bridge has since been torched)? No, I gave some answer about want to move on, etc. My only thought was I wish somebody (other than my manager) had asked me while I was there and maybe I could have stayed within the consulting firm in a different area. Oh well, c’est la vie!

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How to Make a Difference

We can make a difference.  It is the difference between a strategic human resources department and a functional one.  A functional human resources department that is focused on benefits, salaries, hiring and firing and is disconnected from the business will soon be a thing of the past.  Why?  Because legal can handle firings, finance can deal with payroll and benefits and managers can hire their own reports.  A human resources department that helps to manage talent and build a culture that attracts and retains the best people and is central to the business will be vital for its success.  Here are some ways that human resources can make a difference:

1. Understand the business.  Doug Wilwerding  had a sign in his office that said “Spectators will please remove themselves from the field of play.”  Explain how your proposal is not just a “fad of the day” but connects to the larger strategy of the organization and benefits the people who work for the organization.

2. Measure impact.  We value what we measure, yet we have to ensure that we are providing measurements that have real meaning.  For instance, you can measure training with the ‘smile sheets’ after a course and that will tell you if people liked it.  The problem is that even though people liked it they were unable to apply what they learned after the course and it had no impact.  You may be able to get X amount more candidates for a job for less money by advertising in Y magazine, yet if none of those candidates were the right person for the job then you really have not saved any money.  A simple questions to ask is ‘What does success look like with this initiative and how will it impact the business?”  Learning, for instance, is a means to an end and not an end in itself.  If you are doing training, then what do you want it to accomplish and how will you know it has been successful?  Show real ROI on what you are doing.

3. Get executive support. There is nothing worse than an initiative that is undermined by the actions of senior management.  Ensure that everybody is onboard and that senior management is not just going to put words on a wall but show it walking down the hall.  Once senior management understands the business implications and buys-in, they must also demonstrate through their actions support for the initiative. 

What about those companies that have shipped the jobs to China, how can we compete with them when they are paying people so much less than we have to pay them here?  The answer lies in the business.  Over the past year, for instance, numerous products have been recalled that were made in China because of their use of lead paint.  Many consumers are now wary of buying products made in China not necessarily out of patriotism but because many of those products are made with toxic materials and break down.   What we do does make a difference because with what ultimately makes a company profitable in the long term is having a positive workplace with highly motivated people each having the ability to utilize their unique genius to help build the organization.