If this newsletter does not appear to be displaying correctly please click here or paste the following link into your internet browser: http://www.retailmerchants.com/_newsletters/retail-employer-2006-08.htm

The Retail Employer

 August 2006

The Hiring Process—Part Six

by David E. Nagle

The consequences of bad hiring can be significant: diminished productivity, lost opportunity costs (in time invested in training, supervision, and turnover, and the disruption, expense and uncertainty of litigation. Hiring is an investment, and skill in managing the hiring process must be acquired. Like all skills, it takes considerable training, effort and experience to develop, and a review of all of the legal considerations applicable to the hiring process would be incomplete even if we devoted the entire two day seminar to that topic. This article summarizes the author’s presentation to the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium conducted in Las Vegas. It focuses upon (a) the way in which organizing the hiring process can help reduce the risk of litigation, and (b) selected issues where legal considerations require particular attention. One step will be featured in each issue of the Retail Employer.

Follow Through: Look Back, Then Look Forward

On a periodic basis, the employer needs to evaluate the hiring process and the hires that have been made, in order to ensure that the process is being followed, and identify deficiencies in the process. Through the evaluation of new hires—those who succeeded and those who failed—the employer is in a better position to evaluate areas needing changes. For example:

  • Is the new hire performing the job as defined?
  • Were the stated job qualifications appropriate?
  • Were sufficient applicants generated, and where did the best applicants come from?
  • Was the candidate assessment process effective at identifying and evaluating the qualities which are reliable indicators of a likelihood of success in the job?
  • Were there any issues that arose from an inconsistency between a new hire's claimed expectations regarding the employment relationship and either the formal offer of employment, or the conditions of employment? Have any inconsistencies arisen subsequent to the hiring process?
  • Was the probationary period managed aggressively and effectively, so as to provide either a clear, objective justification for the decision to terminate a new hire, or a commitment by the supervisor to the individual's ability to succeed in the position?
  • What steps are required to improve the process, going forward?

This information was taken from an article by David E. Nagle of the LeClair Ryan law firm in Richmond.  He can be reached at (804) 343-4077, or dnagle@leclairryan.com.  The information originally appeared in an article he wrote for the Virginia Employment Law Letter, published monthly by M. Lee Smith Publishers, Inc.  For information on that publication, call 1-800-274-6774

<< Back to top

Providing Employee Feedback to Improve Behavior

It is difficult for new management people to criticize an employee’s performance. The way to start to improve behavior is to not allow it to become common practice or accepted behavior. Always take a coaching approach at first rather than a confrontational one.

When behavior is not correct:

Think about whether the employee was fully trained correctly in the first place. The START model is typically used when the training has not been completed or retraining is required. It can be used when training a new product or procedure.

Whether to Coach or Discipline:

If you are not confident that a person has been qualified or certified, coach them.

If they have been certified / qualified and still under perform, follow your disciplinary procedures.

Some basics about coaching:

  • Always criticize in private; never in public.
  • Provide feedback as close to the offensive event as possible.
  • Focus on the behavior not the person.
  • Insure 2- way understanding.
  • Respect the other person’s point of view.

Follow the START Model to improve performance

  • S tate your expectation.
  • T ell them what’s happening; discuss deviations from expectations.
  • A sk for their reaction and discuss - listen & paraphrase their feedback.
  • R estate what is expected – “I understand XYZ but I need…”
  • T alk commitment – “Can I count on you to …”

Use the STARTmodel when you want to improve performance.

This article is reprinted with permission of Mike Dunleavey, Executive Associate —Business Support Center—Retail Merchants Association.

<< Back to top

Establishing a Healthy, Happy Workforce—Mind, Body and Funny Bone

Two of the top concerns for employers these days are retention and healthcare. The costs of each of these areas can be immense if not properly managed, and the issue can be serious for both large and small employers. But instead of getting stressed out or becoming heavy-handed, employers are well advised to lighten up and even laugh a little. And in doing so, they might just help solve both of these problems one joke at a time.

Though much of our history teaches us that work should be a serious place where jokes and laughter are out of place, HR experts are realizing that a little lighthearted fun can do employees – and employers – good. In fact, research shows that humor in the workplace has many benefits such as increasing retention, fostering positive relationships, reducing stress levels and improving health.

A work environment that is open to humor, laughter and moments of hilarity is simply a fun, enjoyable place to work. With deadlines, tasks and projects pushing and tugging on employees, it is refreshing for employees to know that they can look forward to good-natured humor without fearing repercussion or a harsh reprimand from a superior. Further, humor frequently serves to spark creativity and productivity. Some may think that time spent on humor is wasted and that it takes time away from projects or work. But in actuality, jokes and laughable moments can positively impact the bottom line and increase productivity by helping unite a team and fostering communication. Not to mention that a workplace where people feel connected to their supervisors and co-workers through humorous exchanges has a much better chance of retaining workers.

The results are in: a little laughter goes a long way in making your workforce happier and healthier. Studies have shown that laughter works similarly to exercise to promote a healthy cardiovascular and respiratory system. It also relieves stress and pain, boosts the immune system, promotes relaxation, and may help prevent heart attacks. In fact, a Mayo Clinic study showed that people who are pessimistic have worse mental and physical health than those who are positive or humorous.

When embracing humor in the workplace, it is important to establish ground rules and guidelines to keep a good thing from turning bad. Humor that discriminates, offends or is belittling has no place in the workplace and can cause more harm than good. Furthermore, the health benefits of humor go south when humor isn’t uplifting or positive. In fact, research shows that positive humor, that which enhances relationships or helps you cheer yourself up, is good for you. Negative humor, that which is self- defeating or harmful to others, is actually unhealthy for you. A study by Swinburne University in Canada showed that people engaging in positive humor benefited from better psychological and physical well-being while those who used negative humor were more likely to suffer from symptoms such as poor sleep, headaches and indigestion as well as psychological ailments than their counterparts with positive humor.

Appreciating the advantages of humor in the workplace and striving to make sure employees know the types of humor that are appropriate at work can help employers reap the benefits of a healthy, happy workforce.

This article is reprinted with permission of www.ExpressPersonnel.com . Contact Mr. Lars Nordin at Lars.Nordin@ExpressPersonnel.com if you would like to be added to their distribution list.

<< Back to top