Do your employees know where they stand?

Sure... right? We do our annual reviews. We sit down with our employees and we say, "good job with this or that" or "we'd like to see some improvment on your TPS reports". Of course our employees know where they stand.

Ok, and if I were to ask you, say, "what percentage of your employees is uncertain about their job security?" or perhaps something a little more specific like, "what percentage of your employees thought they were on the right track for a promotion right up until they didn't get one?" and "how did not getting that promotion affect their performance?", "did they start looking for another job?", "do they think you care?". You might say something like, "I'm not sure. But, more importantly, I'm not sure it matters"... and I'd believe you. And you'd have to also give me that your employees don't know where they stand; that you don't know where your employees stand; that maybe you don't know where you stand.

It starts to look somewhat amazing that the company functions. Of course, if you were to ask around, folks would say, "ahh, but we are such a dysfunctional, uncooperative, catty, bunch." He knows it, she knows it, I know it and you know it.

If you're a mamanager, start scheduling some time, right now, for each memeber of you team to come in and talk to you about "things". Maybe type up and distribute a little survey and put a box outside your door or cube or tent. Make it a "check yes or no" survey and pass it out. Get some feedback. Ask your team if they want to do a little survey too. Ask HR if you can do a big survey. Ask HR to ask if you can do a really really big survey. Ask some questions.

Creating a Culture That Encourages Employees to Think Like Owners: Part 1

January Installment by Jim Moniz:

Success now and in the future – let’s face it; that’s the ultimate goal of any business owner. But to achieve that vision of a “bigger and better” organization, you first have to identify a few key elements for success and then make sure that your staff possesses the appropriate ownership mentality to assist in both your short and long term objectives.

Fundamental to any growth strategy are three factors: fulfilling your original business plan (mission, values and company vision); the emergence of sustainable growth patterns (revenue development); and a suitable return in capital for company shareholders.

In order to best achieve those elements for growth, employees must be on board – and the most direct line to meet that aim is by fostering a culture of employee ownership. In other words, employees have to draw the same conclusions as you about what’s important, but for that to occur, ownership mentality must be personalized.

Most employees recognize the bottom line to a company’s success is well…the bottom line; but it’s also vital that they understand how their contribution will help to make that happen. Without this important engagement on the part of employees, their focus may be off center.

That engagement occurs when an employee not only appreciates the unique talents he brings to the organization but recognizes that those skills are also appreciated by management. And that is accomplished by utilizing and amplifying those special talents to allow the employee to find meaning in his work and create a framework for both his and the company’s success. The coveted ownership mentality occurs when the employee sees that connection between his and the company’s goals.

It all boils down to employees embracing the fundamental elements of understanding, importance, contribution and connection.

But a few well-placed “atta boys” aren’t going to fully engender ownership mentality. Motivation comes in many forms, including a regular and attainable incentive program designed not as an employee entitlement, but as a means to create engagement and ownership.

A sound incentive plan – which includes both short and long term motivations – always connects the dots between performance and results. It can best be described as a conditional payment in exchange for meeting specific performance standards.

Next month we’ll break down the differences between short and long term incentives and the role each plays in creating and maintaining that all important ownership mentality.


About our Benefits Installment Author:

James E. (Jim) Moniz, CEO of Northeast VisionLink, a Massachusetts firm that specializes in structuring executive compensation. James E. Moniz is a national speaker on the topic of wealth management and on executive compensation.

Jim Moniz will be presenting at this years SHRM conference in Phoenx, be sure to check out our presentation: “Creating and Sustaining a Competitive Advantage, The Role and Impact of Effective Compensation and Rewards Strategies”

...and We're Back!

Woah! Forgive us our dust, rust, decay and delay!

We've been away but now we're back! In the last month, our IT department at HR-Meter has been extremely busy working on a brand new website for HR-Meter! It's taken up so much of our time that HR-Worldview, our humble blog, has seen some neglect! That's about to change.

Now that we're just putting the finishing touches on HR-Meter's new website, it's time to turn our attention back to this here blog.

So, without further ado, let's get 2010 off to an, albeit late, start!

All the best,
Your HR-Meter / HR-Worldview Team