Posts Tagged ‘HR’

 As the economy ebbs and flows, employee engagement is rising in importance. More CEOs are talking about it and thinking about new and creative ways to communicate with their workforces.  Some interesting stats surfaced from a survey of global HR professionals from Boston Consulting Group and World Federation of People Management Associations. [By the way, that sounds like a new term for the upcoming new year in 2011 -- Federation of (FILL IN).  I have not heard it used much except in connection with wrestling (WWF).  I might try to use it somehow myself -- Federation of People Interested in Reputation or Federation of PR Professionals or Federation of Reputation Recoverers.]

But back to the point of my blog post. HR executives were asked to rank priorities for the upcoming year and the findings were compared to 2008.  Take a look.  Enhancing employee engagement has risen over the past two years and for good reason (see below). Leaders need to build morale among the workforce which has been hit hard by the Great Recession and they need to hold on tight to their best talent. It makes sense to keep the dialogue flowing by engaging employees and listening to them.  A recent article in Strategy + Business about Zappos reflected on this idea of building the right culture. The head of business development and brand marketing is quoted as saying, “I read about how Zappos is focused on customer service. It isn’t. It’s focused on company culture, which leads to customer service. We don’t talk about customer service; we allow it to happen on its own by having the right people.” And I would add by taking the time to talk to employees and building an open culture.

2010 Ranking 
#1 Improving leadership development (#2 in 2008)

#2 Managing talent (#1 in 2008)

#3 Enhancing employee engagement (#7 in 2008)

Source: BloombergBusinessWeek (9.19.10 issue)

Interestingly and I should add depressingly, work-life balance suffered the most as an action item for HR professionals. In 2008,  it was #9 on the agenda and this year it was #16.  To build a reputation as a good place to work, employee engagement and work-life balance need to be linked. The Great Recession has knocked out work-life balance issues but I have no doubt that it will come roaring back in time. This next generation demands it. And we owe it to them.

Terribly interesting article today in The Wall Street Journal about college rejection letters. They name the colleges with the best and worst rejection letters.  The list is below according to how the WSJ judged them. Many of the letters are posted on CollegeConfidential where students go to complain and commend these eagerly awaited letters.  Most important, these letters help define college reputations. In tough economic times, colleges should think twice about how they are communicating to families and young souls.  These first brushes with big rejections are not forgotten and with the Internet today, college reputations are hyper-vulnerable to these critiques. College admission directors should take note and perhaps test and refine their rejection (and acceptance) notes before they go out.  In fact, how about asking freshman for honest appraisal. They are right nearby.

Toughest: Bates College

Kindest: Harvard

Most Confusing: University of California, San Diego; Penn State

Most Discouraging: Boston University

Biggest Spin: UC Davis

Best Coaching: Mount Allison University

This article reminded me of my son’s search for an internship this summer and the many responses and non-responses he received. I was fascinated by how most companies went very much out of their way to put their best foot forward. They communicated personally on the phone and always met their deadlines about telling him when he would hear about an opportunity. He had one interview at a financial services company that was astonishingly bizarre and I guess I will never forget it. Their reputation sank in my mind and I always repeat it when talking to friends and family. So does he. The HR person asked very inappropriate questions including who his parents voted for. When she heard that President Obama was the candidate of choice, she told him that she was surprised his parents could be so clueless despite their graduate educations. Just a reminder about how important reputations can be damaged by one single employee and the importance of making sure that all employees understand their role in creating good names.  In addition, as more people look for jobs in this tough economic climate, HR departments and people who receive letters with attached resumes should think about their role in creating their company’s reputation. Time for a refresher.