HRS Survey & Stats, 2000
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The Cost of Turnover…It costs $12,000 in recruitment and training expenses to replace the average nonprofessional worker and $35,000 to find a new professional employee. (According to Maria Grant, Deloitte and Touche partner in charge of The Human Capital Program, Employee Recruitment and Retention.)
Improve Customer Service to Save Business…A recent study conducted by ETICON (Etiquette Consultants for Business) shows that 58% of business professionals surveyed will take their business elsewhere when rudeness is encountered. The most popular "rude" behaviors identified are…(Adapted from the ETICON web site) • 62%… telephone rudeness – including long or abrupt holds, calls that aren’t returned and voice mail mazes • 39%… indifferent, inattentive or "don’t care" attitudes • 36%… ignoring customers or conducting private conversations while customers wait • 34%… time abuses, such as long waits, long lines, slow responses and tardiness Questions to Expect from Young Candidates…The Wall Street Journal reports that college recruits are asking more "quality of life" questions in job interviews, such as…
Recruiting and Selection are Biggest Challenges!More competition for fewer candidates is the biggest challenge of 62% of employers in a recent survey. Almost half the employers say their selection process is too cumbersome and plan to update it. 65% expect to spend more money on recruiting over the next two years, and 68% will spend more on selection. (Adapted from "Survey: Recruiting, Selection Top Business Concerns," by Mike Verespej, in Industry Weekly magazine, cited in The Motivational Manager – March 2000.) The Top Five Perks…The most common employee perks offered by U.S. employers are: (Adapted from research conducted by Ceridian Employer Services, cited in The Motivational Manager March 2000.)
Growth Attracts More Workers Than Security…Changing jobs is no longer a dreaded reality of downsizing. Now, for many workers, it’s the key to driving the career fast track. A 1998 poll of more than 1,000 full-time workers by Louis Harris & Associates showed that workers today feel they, not their companies, are responsible for their professional growth. What’s more, they reject the notion of job security, instead embracing the idea of finding work opportunities that let them grow. Nearly 80% want positions that allow them to think creatively, and more than 80% seek jobs where performance appraisals are based, at least in part, on their ability to come up with new and better ways to do things. (Cited in Employee Recruitment and Retention – April 2000.)
Love is in the Air, but it’s not Mentioned in the Employee Handbook…Soured office romances have disrupted the workplace, while several lasting romances have actually heightened team member job interest, commitment and desire to achieve. It would appear that most US companies don’t have any policies against them. In a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey of 617 HR professionals: (Cited in The Motivational Manager – April 2000.)
Customer Service: WANTED!!A woman approached the manager of a large department store....(Adapted from the Funnigurl Web Site.)
Focus on Shared Goals when you Criticize…Can you criticize an employee without harming his or her motivation? You can if you focus, not on what the employee is doing wrong, but on a shared goal or benefit to the employee. Instead of "You’re working too slow!" try "If you can maintain quality standards at a quicker pace, our team will attain productivity goals much sooner, which means less stress for all of us." (Adapted form "Hey, whom do you think you’re criticizing?" by Bob Weinstein, on the Fortune Small Business web site, April 2000.)
How to Cut to the Chase During a Conflict…Conflict between workers doesn’t have to eat up the precious time. One way to get to the bottom of the disagreement is to ask the two employees to paraphrase each other’s position. This can quickly help all of you identify mistakes and hidden assumptions that are getting in the way of an agreement. (Adapted from "Making teams succeed at work" from the Alexander Hamilton Institute.) |