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May 2006 CONTENTS
Learn to Lead: Using Feedback as a Leadership Tool Building a Better Workforce: Navigating Termination Issues
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The Online Newsletter for Clients of Express Services, Inc. Transitioning New Graduates Into the Workforce Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers recently showed that companies expect to hire 15% more new college graduates than last year. With record numbers of baby boomers leaving the workforce, many organizations are turning to college campuses to seek fresh recruits. Thus, employers will frequently be offering jobs to candidates with little to no prior work experience in the particular field or industry. So how can employers ensure a smooth transition into a new organization, industry or field? Following some basic tips can ensure a smooth transition for new graduates and create a stronger workforce. Provide a clear job description. Especially for new graduates, the job description is an essential tool employers can use to provide direction from the get-go. It may sound elementary, but a job description informs applicants as well as new hires exactly what the employer’s expectations are and what their workload will be like. The job description will often be a reference point for new hires as they begin taking on their work duties. Offer training and professional development. Providing new graduates with training and professional development opportunities as soon as they begin is a great way to ensure a smooth transition. Many new college graduates may have gained specific knowledge pertaining to their field or major. However, research shows that many new grads entering the workforce take jobs in fields unrelated to their college studies. Luckily for employers, the general skills students gain from earning a degree, such as analysis, communication, time management, evaluation, perseverance and decision-making, make them ripe for gaining the skills needed to perform professionally. Employers should offer a company orientation to get new employees up-to-speed immediately and seek out training and professional development opportunities tailored to their specific needs. Have an open door, not just a policy. It’s important to encourage new grads to ask questions, and if they aren’t doing so, to seek questions from them. Those employees inexperienced in a traditional work environment may have difficulties expressing the need for help, so it is advisable to check in with new graduates on a regular basis and to follow up after new projects have been assigned. Also, managers should create an environment that is friendly and nurturing, so that new employees will feel comfortable going to them for advice. Lead by example. Managers should anticipate being closely watched by new graduates joining the team. That’s why it’s essential for organizational leaders to clearly communicate and emulate expectations they have for recent graduates, including performance, attitude, time management, communication guidelines, respect, work ethic, drive and responsibility. Correct poor performance. One of the worst mistakes employers can make is to let poor performance slide from the start. If a new employee is not performing to expectations, managers should act quickly to point out the problems and offer advice to correct mistakes. Especially for new graduates who may not be used to the standards of the workplace, it is important for employers to take steps to ensure their work meets expectations. Following these tips can help employers make sure that transitioning new graduates into the workplace goes smoothly and adds value to their team. Learn to Lead Establishing trust is the first step to becoming a great leader, and using effective, regular feedback is a great way to encourage trust. Experts say that it is important to make feedback a routine, rather than simply conducting a yearly performance review. Giving consistent feedback can help employees perform their best throughout the year and exceed expectations at review time. Feedback is also important for productivity. In fact, organizations whose managers and supervisors give regular feedback as well as performance reviews are four times more profitable than companies who don’t, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Some basic tips can help make giving effective feedback a part of any leader’s routine. Set a time for formal feedback. Most experts advise having a weekly meeting with employees as a formal time to give and receive feedback on projects, progress and ideas. However, it is important to tailor formal feedback to employees’ needs. Finding out how often employees need feedback and setting meeting times accordingly is vital. Remember, timing is everything. It is important for leaders to give project-specific feedback as needed, and not just wait for formal review time or the appointed feedback meeting. Giving informal feedback allows employees to make improvements along the way and encourages positive feedback. Similarly, good leaders will be able to carefully gauge when and where to give negative feedback. For example, waiting to give negative feedback until temperatures have cooled or choosing to do so in private rather than in a room full of co-workers or clients signal a mature leader. Solicit feedback, don’t just give it. A vital part of using feedback to establish trust is not just to give feedback, but to ask for and accept it as well. Making it clear to employees that their comments are vital to the progress of the team can help create an environment of productivity, respect and trust. When appropriate, effective leaders will specifically ask employees for their input on projects and strategy. Say the right thing. One reason many managers dislike giving feedback is that they prefer to avoid conflict at all costs. The truth is, effective leaders will give relevant, helpful comments, even if they are not always positive. Good feedback acknowledges when a project is done poorly and highlights specific changes employees can make. It also points out specific parts of work that were done well so that employees know when they are headed in the right direction. Document positive and negative feedback for review time. One of the most frequently overlooked tasks in the feedback process is documentation, but it can be a manager’s best friend. Just as employees are encouraged to keep track of their successes, it is important for managers to do this for bonus and promotion purposes. Similarly, poor performance should be documented along the way to justify giving a poor review and protect employers if they have to fire someone. Especially in an age where lawsuits for wrongful termination are prevalent, good records are a vital step in the feedback process. Using these tips is a good starting place for introducing feedback into the workplace or for revitalizing existing feedback methods. Making effective feedback a regular part of the management process can help supervisors become the leaders they desire to be, set the stage for effective reviews and increase productivity of employees. Building a Better Workforce Maintaining a positive atmosphere in the workplace is crucial to a company’s success as well as the success of the individual employees that comprise the company. Keeping the workplace free of pessimistic attitudes and maintaining a strong team sometimes requires firing employees whose skills and goals no longer match those of the company. After considering all options and making the final decision to terminate an employee, it is important to consider whether the employee will have grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit and if so, how the organization will defend itself. Because of laws protecting employees, legal issues must be considered when terminating an employee. To prevent an expensive lawsuit, employers should determine whether or not the basis for terminating an employee aligns with the following legal circumstances:
These circumstances do not encompass every reason for a legitimate termination, but they are all safe, legal reasons to do so. Even if an employer’s reason for terminating an employee is legal, they should keep documentation of their reasons in case the situation ends up in court. In addition to the legal circumstances for firing an employee, here are some conditions that require caution when considering termination:
If employers have any doubts about their reasoning for terminating an employee, they should contact an attorney about the legality prior to taking action to prevent expensive and time consuming legal issues. After all precautions have been taken to ensure legitimate termination, producing the proper setting to inform the employee can ease the intensity of the situation. It is best to schedule the meeting early in the day at the beginning of the week and only allow direct supervisors of the employee to attend. Firing the employee on the most positive note possible could reduce or eliminate bitter ex-employee syndrome, a term used to described ex-employees who leave with a bad attitude and have the potential to spread negative publicity about the company. First, thank the employee for their efforts, then explain your reasons for letting them go without asserting blame. Don’t delay the news. Promptly inform the employee that they are being terminated and briefly explain why, and then remind them of previous warnings and records of performance. Employees should be compensated for the work they’ve completed through their final day. Employers should express sympathy. If the employee has any questions, employers should answer them to the best of their ability. Employers should inform the employee that they can collect their personal belongings before they leave or arrange for proper shipment of their possessions. If the employee reacts violently, employers should politely ask them to vacate. If employees continue to be hostile, it may be necessary to call the police. Terminating an employee can be very complicated, but it is sometime necessary to maintain a workplace that encourages positive attitudes and teamwork. One disgruntled employee has the ability to destroy the attitude and productivity of everyone in the office. For more information on the legality of terminating an employee, companies need to contact an attorney.
United States Non-farm employment rose by 211,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.7%. Major Industry Employment for March 2006 • Construction: + 7,000 • Manufacturing: - 5,000 • Professional & Business Services: + 52,000 • Educational & Health Services: + 33,000 • Leisure & Hospitality: + 42,000 • Government: + 24,000
Canada Employment increased by 51,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.3%.
Major Industry Employment for March 2006 • Agriculture: - 3,000 • Public Administration: + 4,000 • Health Care & Social Assistance: + 17,000 |
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