Who do you serve?

By Sheri Mazurek on September 1, 2010

The workplace today is filled with its own set of politics and “workplace dynamics” as it sometimes called. There are power structures within the organization both formal and informal. Often times the informal leader has the strongest voice while the formal leader struggles with the very concept of guiding others or having them “follow them.”  I have witnessed position power be overruled across industries and within multiple organizations by those persons in organizations that people follow despite their title or position. It is very likely that if you are an HR professional or employee anywhere that you too have witnessed this in your own organization.

Another question that is often asked that is also dictated by these power structures is, “who do you serve?” Many HR professionals believe they are working for their internal customers. Many claim to have gotten into the profession because they like helping people. (No judgment on that answer, I myself initially chose this profession due to the “human” aspect.) However, I wonder how many HR professionals out there are serving “the people” or “their internal customers?”  At the end of the day, is that really the job of HR?

If you are and HR professional, what do you see as your “job”? Who are serving? Is it you job to serve the business or the people?

Your thoughts are encouraged!!

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com.

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Motivation- Whose job is it anyway?

By Sheri Mazurek on August 17, 2010

There is a lot of information written about motivation. New manager/leader training found in organizations and books everywhere has at least one course or chapter devoted to the topic of employee motivation. Located within the material, one will find lists of tips and tricks to keeping employees happy and motivated to meet performance objectives.  There is another school of thought that believes it is not the manager’s responsibility to motivate employees or create the motivation for employees. Instead it is the responsibility of the manager to hire motivated employees and then act in such a way to keep them motivated and stay away from things that would de-motivate.

After many years of teaching motivation techniques to managers, I have come to the realization that the later is actually the way to go. In reality everyone is motivated by something different. People seek jobs that are a match for their needs. For some, that might be a job that provides training or skills in area of interest; for others, the perfect job will allow them to work flexible hours to meet the needs of their family while utilizing already developed skills. Regardless of the motivation to seek a job or the factors that keep one motivated on the job, the first step for a manager/leader who wants to maximize the discretionary effort of employees is to figure it out.

What do you do that de-motivates your team? Have you ever said, “Oh, he loves it when I do that?” assuming your actions are inspiring or motivating? Keep in mind, if you are the manager/leader you have the control in the situation and the employee is well aware of this fact. He might not actually love it.

What things do you leaders do that de-motivate you?

Your thoughts are welcomed and encouraged!

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Are you concerned with employee retention?

By Sheri Mazurek on August 7, 2010

How concerned are you about employee retention? If you are a HR pro, you should always be concerned about the retention of your high performing employees.  And if you have allowed the job market of the past two years to sway your focus on this, then you might expect some trouble ahead.  According to a recent survey conducted by Kelton Research, The Cornerstone OnDemand “Employee Attitude Survey”, you may not be alone. The survey reveals a look at the perceptions employees currently have about their workplace.  If we were to use the survey as a scorecard, then we would see that many organizations are failing in some very critical retention areas. Using the familiar grading scale of where a 70% get you a C, let’s take a look at the areas with a failing grade.

      GRADE
 

Showing appreciation

  

54% say their colleagues show them appreciation

  

Only 30% say their managers; 16% say executives

  

F
Receiving Feedback  on Performance 58% say NO 71% say “they haven’t gotten any reaction from their supervisors in the last six months.” F
Establish Career Goals with Employees 82% say during the past six months that they haven’t F
 

Show alignment with company goals and objectives

  

53% say they don’t have a clear understanding of how their role fits within the organization

  

F

Study after study continues to a direct link to these behaviors and the retention of talented employees. Despite the research, many company leaders seem baffled by the retention dilemma that is projected to get tougher on companies as the job market shifts and opportunities for top talent increase.

How would you rate your company and yourself on these critical retention driver? By the way, many of them are a lot more cost effective than expensive reward and incentive programs. 

Your comments are always welcomed and encouraged!

 Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is currently employed as the Human Resource Manager at EmployeeScreenIQ, a global leader in pre-employment background screening. Follow her on twitter @sherimaz!

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Why we hate the performance review.

By Sheri Mazurek on July 28, 2010

Most employees in companies today are all too familiar with the concept of the performance review. Just the mention of this often dreaded occurrence of discussion with one’s supervisor where they get to critique every move you’ve made during the year while you sit ideally by is sure to send negative feelings throughout the mind’s of employees everywhere.  The performance review generally has a similar effect on managers and supervisors as well. So why is this performance review so dreaded and loathed by many?

A few of the reasons are listed below.

Employees: Managers:
They have no control in the situation. Managers get to provide ratings and comments on multiple areas of performance that are most often subjective in nature.  If an employee disagrees, they might get a small “employee comments” area to provide their rebuttal all the while knowing that if they push too much the person controlling their future still has control. Managers often dread the discussion of the employee performance review assuming the discussion will turn into a battle with the manager left to convince the employee that their ratings are accurate. Managers usually assume employees think they perform better than they actually do.
Reviews sheets are completed before the actual discussion occurs. Therefore bringing up comments has little effect on the actual rating which is most often tied to their annual increase which is usually only a few cents different from the person with the next highest or lowest rating. Managers are busy with tasks and goals of their own . Taking the time to thoroughly review a whole year’s worth of performance is time consuming. They often rush through the forms because the HR department has a deadline they are struggling to meet?
Employees are often forced to write a self evaluation prior to the meeting as well. Unfortunately, these usually only serve as annoyance to employees because the majority of the time it is ignored by the supervisor any way. The forms are too complicated, long, short or don’t cover what is really important to success in this department.

 

So, what’s the answer to overcoming the negativity around the performance appraisal? Here’s a few tips to get you started:

  1. Set clear expectations. Provide them on the first day of employment.
  2. Provide feedback all year. Create a culture where performance discussions are a regular part of the work day and review meetings are held at frequent intervals such as montly.
  3. Ask first, tell later. Begin a performance discussion by asking the employee to rate their performance. Have them provide examples of where they have met and exceeded the expectations.
  4. Do not complete the form until you have the discussions. Do monitor performance all year and have examples ready to discuss.
  5. Guarantee no surprises at the annual meeting. If you are waiting for annual meeting to discuss performance, you lost your chance to be effective.

How does your company handle the performance review? Why do you hate it?

Your thoughts and questions are always welcomed and encouraged!

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is currently employed as the Human Resource Manager at EmployeeScreenIQ, a global leader in pre-employment background screening. Follow her on twitter @sherimaz!

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Are your employees ready to succeed?

By Sheri Mazurek on July 15, 2010

One of my favorite reads is the Fistful of Talent blog. The blog hosts a number of talented HR folks who focus on moving the profession forward.  The perspective of this group is fresh and I highly recommend adding this to your reader. 

In a recent article posted on the blog, author Tim Sackett discusses the workforce readiness of college grads (or should I say the lack of). He further provides insight on how the parenting of these graduates fails to prepare them for the skills needed to be successful in the workplace.  His list is right on the mark and I encourage  you to review it here  

So, what do we do if we find one these ill prepared college grads on our work team? For many  of us, we continue the training of the workforce just like the well-meaning parents did before us.

  1. Problem solving: ”I don’t know what to do, I am going to have my manager handle this.” Managers if you are always solving the problems, you are doing nothing for the development of your team or for yourself. If you have time to solve all the problems, them keep solving them!
  2. Collaboration: Do any of you have “chain of command” rules in your organization? Or do you find yourself saying, “Next time, you need to ask me.”
  3. Agility/Adaptability: Anyone use those checklists with time frames for each and every task that is completed during the day?
  4. Entrepreneurialism: Do you employees know how their work contributes to the bottom line? Do they know what factors control the department budget? Do they know you have a department budget? Have you ever asked for input in the budget?
  5. Oral and Written Communication: What are your doing with your poor communicators. Do you just keep them away from clients/customers and find them a job that doesn’t require much. Are  you modeling solid communication skills?
  6. Accessing and Analyzing information: If you are always solving their problems and giving them the answers, how will they develop these skills?
  7. Curiosity and Imagination: This is probably the most stifled skill of all. Our employees can’t think on their own. “We do things this way because it works or because that is how we have always done it this way.” Have you ever heard the saying, “keep doing what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you always get?”

If you want to succeed in business, your people have to succeed. Develop their skills and keep them engaged. That just makes good business sense. And remember, like parenting, management isn’t for cowards!

As always, your comments are encouraged.

You can also follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

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On the topic of Lebron and background checks

By Sheri Mazurek on July 9, 2010

With the news of Lebron’s departure from the Cleveland Cavs announced last night, the emotions of Clevelanders are running high. There are so many lessons we could discuss from this situations in the world of the workplace, but it is also good to find humor in those emotionally charged events.  Nick Fishman of EmployeeScreenIQ writes in his blogabout the background check of Lebron:

Let’s take a look at what LeBron’s employment background check might look like the next time he looks for a job:

Criminal Background Check: Guilty of Stealing the Hearts of the entire city of Cleveland

Motor Vehicle Record: Speeding out of town

Employment Verification: Check out Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert’s reaction. Do we think he would offer a glowing reference?

Now that we have seen the humor the situation can bring, let’s discuss at least one lesson. DO NOT BURN BRIDGES! If you get your dream job offer that you just can’t refuse, don’t feel bad about taking it. But be sure to leave your current employer with dignity and tact. You never know if your dream job will eventually turn out to be a nightmare.  While us Cavs fans are hoping Gilbert’s prediction about the curse is right, Lebron should be hoping it works out in Miami.

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10 Ways to Encourage Your High Performers to Leave

By Sheri Mazurek on July 7, 2010

A recent survey, Mercer’s 2010 Attraction and Retention Survey (as cited on clomedia.com) indicates that 27% of companies are planning to expand their workforce, which is up from 12% in 2009. As more and more companies begin hiring in higher numbers, the fear of losing high performing talent increases for many. If you have that fear, please see the below list of things that will drive your high performing employees to seek other opportunities.

  1. Fail to provide them with development opportunities
  2. Question everything they do
  3. Micro manage their work
  4. Fail to let them take ownership of their work
  5. Fail to provide challenging work
  6. Fail to address performance issues of others
  7. Fail to provide them with performance feedback
  8. Fail to consider their insight or fail to even ask
  9. Ignore their suggestions
  10. Fail to discuss their goals

What else can you add to the list? Your comments and questions are always encouraged!

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Do you know why you didn't get the interview?

By Sheri Mazurek on July 1, 2010

In a previous ASK HR post, I addressed the question of fully completing the employment application. A recent article in Wall Street Journal discussed eight blunders made by job seekers. The list included:
1.    Entitlement syndrome- asking for things such as free lunch at the conclusion of the interview
2.    Behaving rudely- examples included bringing a child to the interview or opening a sandwich during the interview
3.    Acting arrogantly-accepting a call during the interview
4.    Lies, lies, lies- a candidate falsely claimed a referral from a company employee
5.    Dressing down- wearing jeans or attire that doesn’t fit to an interview
6.    Over sharing- sharing personal information
7.    Saying thanks with gifts- sending gifts instead of a simple note to thank the interviewer
8.    Sporting a mom-and-dad complex- having mom or dad contact the interviewer

For those you who recruit regularly, you are can probably relate to this list and can most likely share your own horror stories of things candidates have done in the interview process. My list of recruiting blunders seems to be a little more common than the WSJ list, but still equally as damaging and many applicants seem to be oblivious to the fact that they ruin their chances of being hired.                    

  1. Sending in a resume with the changes marked (track changes function in word still showing)
  2. Not completing the application
  3. Submitting an application full of grammatical, spelling or typographical errors
  4. Not following the application directions   
  5. Lies or fabrications on the resume or application (although these will be found in the background checks, many candidates seem to forget their own lies and admit the falsehoods in the interview or show the inconsistencies between the resume and the application)
  6. Arriving late to the interview without an explanation or apology
  7. Knowing absolutely nothing about the company or the position

 

Recruiters, what is on your list of blunders?

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Can stickers motivate your employees?

By Sheri Mazurek on June 22, 2010

My teenage daughter entered the working world about a year ago. While working in a national fast food chain wasn’t her first choice of occupation, she gladly accepted the position because she saw the opportunities and freedom that could come from having her “own money.” She also became aware during her job search that the positions in which she was really interested required her to be older (she is still a minor) or have some sort of previous experience. So not only would her year at the food chain bring the money she needed to pay her car insurance, it would also give her the experience she needed to move into another position.  In her eyes, this isn’t the job she plans to have for five years. In fact, she will most likely leave as soon as she can find a job hosting or waiting tables in a restaurant with a bar so she can eventually move into a bartending position. Her ultimate plan is to follow this path until she graduates from college and moves on the better opportunities.
Now despite the fact that working at the fast food restaurant isn’t her long-term goal, she has proved to be an efficient and dedicated employee (for the most part).  She discovered that she enjoys working with customers very much and that she can handle very busy stressful situations quite well. Recently this ability earned her some recognition during one of her shifts. Our conversation that day went something like this.

ME: “How was work today?”

HER: “Good.” (typical teenager response)

ME: “Good. So, did you work in the drive-thru or the front counter?” (example of my mad digging skills which are required to find out anything about your teenager)

HER: (sarcastically) “The drive-thru, of course. Oh and because I was able to meet the time goal while working it by myself, I got a ___________ (insert positive recognition sticker or something) so at the end of week, I might be able to win employee of the week and get a fun prize like a sticker or piece of gum.”

ME: “Well, I think that is cool.”

HER: (rolling eyes) “I’m seventeen; I don’t care about a sticker or piece of gum.”

So while she doesn’t care about a sticker or piece of gum at seventeen, she does care about her work environment and how the job fits in to her future goals. She does appreciate that her efforts were noticed. However, she sees rewards a little differently. She still works there because the company works around her schedule with school, social events, and the custody arrangement her father and I share. She also still works there because the job isn’t difficult for her and she enjoys working with people. 

Motivation issues can’t be fixed with stickers and charts. It’s a cultural thing. Look for future posts on the subject of motivation in the coming weeks.

And also, please send questions and comments.

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Ask HR: Do I have to complete the application if I already sent a resume?

By Sheri Mazurek on June 17, 2010

The changes in the job market over the past few years have certainly impacted job seekers in a way that many of us have not seen before. For the first time in history, there are four generations of workers in the job market with each generation facing a unique challenge. Whether you are a recent college grad looking for your first opportunity or a victim of downsizing looking for your next career, the job search can be a very frustrating experience.
A question I often get from jobseekers is, “Why do I have to spend hours completing an online application if I already sent over my resume?” 
The simplest answer to this question is this, “Because they asked you to.”
Honestly, it is really that simple. Every step of the application process is a screening tool for the recruiting team.  The online and/or paper application should be completed in its entirety using the same care that is used on the resume. Proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar are essential elements in all communication with a potential employer (including setting up your profile on their online system). Additionally, follow all directions provided exactly and pay attention to the details of the instructions. Many online applications are programmed to screen out applicants based on your answers to key questions or whether or not the application is complete before a recruiter even gets to review the application.  Even when the initial screening is done by the recruiter, incomplete applications (in most cases) will be screened out of the process immediately and all those qualifications you have for the job will never be seen by the hiring manager.
A question I often get from recruiters is, “Why can’t applicants just follow directions?”
My advice to recruiters is also very simple. Give the applicant all the information they need to be successful in the ad and on the application. If you don’t want phone calls, explain how applicants can determine the status of posted jobs. If you have already screened the resume and know that the applicant doesn’t meet the minimum criteria, generate a quick email thanking them for applying and letting them know you are pursing candidates that better meet the qualifications. Communicate how your hiring process works and what applicants can expect going forward. As a recruiter, you are most likely the first impression a candidate will have of the company. That comes with a great deal of marketing responsibility. If you understand that, then for you, the answer to the question is also very simple.

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