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Becoming an Employer of Choice by Creating a

Positive Workplace Culture

Chris HyltonCG Hylton & Associates Inc.chris@hylton.ca

403 264-5288

Infonex Conference

Sept 29 2010, 3 pmCalgary

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Agenda Tips to become an Er of Choice Hiring for Attitude Training for success Improving morale Benefit plans that work Flex work and total rewards

Your issues

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What do you want out of our session today?

What type of staff do you hire?

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What is an “Employer of Choice”?

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What is an “Employer of Choice”?

Any employer of any size in the public, private or not-for-profit sector that attracts, optimizes and retains top talent… because the employees choose to be there

Employees choose to work for your organization… even when presented with other employment opportunities

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Becoming an Employer of Choice

But does it really matter? Yes!

Nearly half of all American workers (49 percent) indicate that their companies' brand, or image, played a key role in their decision to apply for a job at their respective workplace, according to a 2001 Maritz Poll.

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ExpectationsResourcesDo what I do bestRecognitionCareDevelopment

Opinions countMissionCo-workersBest FriendFeedbackGrowth

First Break All the Rules

12 Good Questions

Buckingham & Coffman, 1999

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What Do Employees Expect from Employers?

A good working environment A chance to make a difference Set goals and evaluation Support for education Respect from peers Understanding their needs

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Set GoalsAccording to a 2004 study of

Canadian employee attitudes, only half of employees say they understand how their organizations will assess their job performance Employees want to know what the

expectations are of them Setting goals for the organization and

with them as workers is imperative

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Evaluation

Employees should know where they stand These days most businesses cannot

afford to lose employees It is imperative that you get the best from

them An employee cannot improve if they do not

know what you expect

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Support for Education

Training – A well designed training program that maximizes learning before, during and after instruction Partner with local education resources

Self Directed Learning Employees control their own learning

Coaching and Mentoring Improves quality and quantity of work

Involves investing in your employee’s future

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Respect from PeersThis can only be accomplished by

management modeling behaviours Good behaviours include open communication

where an open door policy is a fact, not a saying Remember, a good attitude from a manager sets

the tone for the organization

Have you ever called an employee at home and thanked them for doing a good job?

How often do we thank employees at work?

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Understand Their Needs

Surveys of student attitudes for those preparing to enter the workforce Indicate that young people want jobs that

allow them to pursue their lifestyle and private interests

In other words do not be surprised when they tell you that they need every Monday off to go skiing between November and March

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Costs of TurnoverCost of adTime cost to

receive and review apps

Time cost to interview (your real job not getting done)

Work you need the person for is not getting done, before and during hiring

Potential Human Rights complaints

Costs After HiringTime to train and

orient person to position

“Rookie” mistakes and time to fix them

Lost business and credibility

Potential for other staff problems

Potential termination costs

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Planning to RecruitGather info from other stakeholders and

interest groups – needs analysisCreate ideal candidate on paper: includes

skills, aptitudes and work environmentCreate interview questions that will get

information you are seekingReview questions with stakeholders and

other interest groupsProvide written candidate profile and position

descriptionPrepare search strategy

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Hiring for attitude

Skills

can be taught

Attitude

cannot

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How students look for work - IPSOS

1.  existing contacts—who they know

2.  campus recruitment seminars

3.  corporate websites/internet

4.  internet based job boards

5.  career fair

6.  print media ads (no wonder the traditional way is not working)

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Gen Y shopping for opportunities

Key messages to attract Gen Y talentBe part of a first class organization led

by an expert team of industry leaders Work with competent, enthusiastic, and

engaged professionalsContinuously develop your skill toolkit

through exciting projects and initiatives

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Gen Y shopping for opportunities

Key messages to attract Gen Y talent• Experience a flexible work schedule,

providing peace of mind and convenience that facilitates your work/life balance and commitments

• Enjoy a personally and professionally rewarding work experience

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More Questions to Consider for an Ideal Candidate

Transferable skills – soft (eg. Leadership,

people skills, communication)

Personal Characteristics - ( Honesty,

Integrity, Etc.)

Unique Talents/Skills - ( Languages)

Extra Curricular Activities

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Resume EvaluationScreen resumes based on “ideal candidate”Search resumes for transferable skills keywordFirst reading: Yes, No and Maybe pilesDetermine number of tentative interviewsTelephone screening candidates saves timeCheck some references if permitted – not what

they say, but don’t say or leave out Identify candidates for shortlist Interview “Yes” pile

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The most accurate way to predict future behavior is to examine past behaviourRather than ask a hypothetical question such as “how do you think you’ll handle a busy office?”Ask the candidate to relate a past experience “Please describe a busy office you worked in…” or “Tell me about a busy office you worked in…” or “Can you think of a time when the office was really busy…?”

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Tips for interviewing Gen Y Wrong message

Wait your turn and you will climb the corporate ladder

There are many candidates who would love to have this job

Source: Bruce Tulgan reported in Business Week Sept. 16 ‘96

Right messageWe hope to have a

win-win relationship

Pursue your goals along with ours

We will help you gain as much knowledge and skills as you can

We value your hard work as a creative individual

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Recruiting - best phrasesThere aren’t a lot of rules around hereWe’re not very corporateYou can do it your way…We’ve got the best tools and equipment

to help you do your job

We want you to have a life…

In our org, ee’s are evaluated on basis of ideas not length of service

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Training for success

What deficiencies, if any,does job holder have interms of skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviours?

What behaviours are necessary?

Is there a need fortraining?

What arethe strategicgoals of theorganization?

What tasks mustbe completedto achievegoals?

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Tie career development to performance appraisalMissed targets due

to lack of skills or tools

Development program to address gaps

Has effect of making the performance appraisal more positive – focused on something neutral

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Becoming an Employer of ChoiceIn groups, come up a top five list of factors you would implement in your organizations to attract talent & explain why these are important

Discuss the impact.Pick a spokesperson to give the groups examples.

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Improving MoraleIpsos surveyTop reason for staying in the job – like the

work, like the atmosphere

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IPSOS Top 5 reasons for staying in a job

1. like the work

2.  like the co-workers

3.  like the company

4.  learning a lot

5.  salary satisfaction

(Yes, this is in order of preference) 

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Conduct Discovery Interviews

What?

Informal meetings, separate from performance reviews.

Why?

To emphasize each employee’s value.

To understand his/her top motivators, job satisfaction and any termination risk—so that you can proactively address any issues and focus on what really matters.

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Discovery Interview Questions

Job Satisfaction What makes you want to come to work each day?

Job Content Which particular projects/clients/assignments are

appealing to you?

Recognition How can I make your day?

Manager Relationship How can I be a more effective manager for you?

Retention What is the number one reason you choose to

continue working for us?

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Benefit Plans that WorkWhen paying employees it is wise to

think of how to maximize their compensation

If you give them dollars, it is all taxableIf you give them a benefit plan it is tax

freeIf you are an owner or executive of a

company, you should run all your medical and dental expenses thru a benefit plan or health spending account

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Employee data is the most critical part of pricing

Basic Monthly LTD Rates Per $100

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2

3

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Age20

Age30

Age40

Age50

Age60

Age Group

Basi

c M

onth

ly R

ate

Males Females

Basic Monthly Life Rates Per $1000

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0.4

0.8

1.2

Age 20 Age 30 Age 40 Age 50 Age 60

Age Group

Basic

Mon

thly R

ate

Males Females

Source Great-West Life

Demographics and Rates

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Benefit Trends - Flex

Traditional flex plans are a pain

Health Spending Account gaining favour

Tax effective

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Health Spending Account

Health Spending Account

Funded by savings

$ sit in ee name until spent (18 mos max)

used for medical dental expenses, not covered by plan

dental 20% of basic and 50% of major restorative

50% of ortho, or over max

vision many other

applications tax free to ee

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Common MistakesLife Ins premiums taxableLTD benefit Plan that encourages

employees to spend, no cost sharing

No flexibility

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Solutions

Have ees pay for Life, medicare and LTD

Introduce a H S A (funded by hi deductible)

Have employees share in paying cost of claims

- 20% of Rx

- 20 – 50% of Dental

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Turnover Potential Employees say…

– 40% plan to depart within the next year – 85% ‘passive’ job seekers

Employers believe…– 14% of their workforce will leave within the

next year

Employers are unaware that their team is at risk.

Spherion Emerging Workforce Study results, 2005 (3,200 employees, from 502 U.S. employers)

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Committed Employees Exhibit enthusiasm and confidence

Talk openly about concerns in a

professional manner w/o complaining

Go the extra mile

Responsible to work through issues vs.

blaming others

Help others succeed

Resist Recruiters

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At Risk Employees Lack enthusiasm and confidence

Talk behind others’ backs; undermine

leadership and policies

Do the bare minimum

Not responsible, blame others

Don’t help others, may sabotage

initiatives and systems

Explore Recruiters

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People leave jobs for many reasons.

Most of these reasons fall under

either the “Push” or the

“Pull” Category.

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“pushes” include Salary too low

Benefit package not adequate

Job insecurity

Commute distance or time

investment is too demanding

Lack of adequate accommodation

A person’s immediate manager is

not meeting the employee’s needs

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Some of the “pulls” include: employee becomes aware of a

terrific job that offers more family issues call for a change in

location employee has a strong desire to

change geographic location former manager “recruits” the

person to come work with him or her

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Opinion or Climate Surveys

Exit Interviews

(“why” people are

leaving?)

Selection Interviews

(“what” people are

searching for)

How to know which factors are impacting turnover rates?

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Departing employees are reluctant to

burn bridges behind them

It is safer for employees to discuss

“pulls” than it is to discuss

“pushes”!!

Why should departing employees

trust the organization to “handle the

truth’?

What are some obstacles for organizations as they attempt to pinpoint root causes of turnover?

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Keep lines of communication open. For example:• Establish regular 360 Feedback on

“satisfaction” with manager’s style and competencies, etc.

• In conversations, ask questions of individuals that demonstrate genuine interest in their needs and issues

• “Debrief” individual and team projects to see what went well, what was learned, what might have been done differently, etc.

• Tell people that you (a) value them, (b) want to keep them around and (c) want to scratch them where they itch.

What can managers do to pinpoint causes of turnover?

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Flex work costs you nothingTotal Rewards HandoutFlex work important partCelebrate your compensation and perksVary by level

Our offer to you

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Please call if you have any HR, or workplace issue that you are overwhelmed with

We can help you

We also are pleased to do Free Workshops for your organization (some limits apply) Let us know what your needs are and we will make it happen!

CG Hylton - Services

HR ConsultingJob DescriptionsSalary GridsWellness at WorkStaff MoraleTraining and

Workshops

Benefits, Pensions,

EAPStrategic PlanningDrug and Alcohol

programsDept re-orgsLeadership

compensation

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Tel 403 264 5288chris@hylton.ca

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CG Hylton & Associates Inc would like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today

Questions?

Chris@hylton.ca 800 449-5866