What is Individual Development Planning?

Also known as IDP, individual development planning is a process that allows an employee to own their career.   Although the organization establishes an IDP process, it is up to employees to take advantage of, and own their own IDP.  Research has shown that when employees are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.

A typical individual development planning process includes the following steps:

• A self-assessment.  There is only one person who truly cares about your career, and that is you.  You may have a great manager and work for a great company, but in the end, you have to control your own destiny.  Understanding your talents and passions will help push you towards finding your career best.
• Feedback surveys.  Commonly known as 360s, these surveys help you gather feedback from your manager, peers, direct reports and/or others regarding your strengths and areas of development.  This is a critical step in the development process as it helps us compare how we see ourselves to how others perceive our behaviors.
• Coaching/training.  Receiving and interpreting feedback isn’t always easy.  Utilizing an outside coach/trainer to interpret and understand your feedback is a must.  This person can also coach you in how to approach your manager regarding your development plans.
• Action planning.  Once the employee assesses where they are at today and determines where they want to go, it is time to create a plan.  This plan should include no more than three critical goals or action items that the employee wants to complete.  The plan should also indicate what steps need to be taken to reach that goal, what resources are needed, and who is responsible.
• Manager and organizational support.  An employee can do all of this work and still run into roadblocks without the support of their manager and organization.  It is imperative that organizations understand the value that IDPs provide:  aligning an employee’s talents and passions with the needs of the organization equals a career best for that employee.  This results in an engaged employee for the organization.  Win-win.

What is Performance Management?

Performance management is a process that is owned by the organization.  It is an attempt at establishing and rewarding employees for achieving individual goals/objectives that align with the organization’s strategic goals/objectives.

Most companies do a mediocre job of performance management.  This can be for a variety of reasons:

1. Failure to create objective and quantifiable strategic goals.
2. Inability to create individual and/or department goals/standards that align with the established strategic goals and objectives.
3. Inability of organizational leaders/managers to hold others accountable for meeting those established goals/objectives.
4. Establishing subjective or non-behavior-based measurement tools.  Ex.  “Comes to work with a positive attitude.”

 Why Development is Better than Performance Management?

Most small and medium-sized businesses are still very much focused on critical issues like cash flow, customers, process improvement, and more.  This is to be expected.  Unfortunately, people processes are generally some of the last things that these organizations review and make a priority.

The good news is that implementing a development program is affordable and has huge pay-offs for a small to medium-sized business.  On June 20, 2012, Skywalk Group will be offering its first ever workshop designed to help employees with their individual development process:  The Engaged Employee.  For just $299.00/employee, an organization can create an IDP process, help their employees align their talents and passions with the needs of the organization, and have happier, more productive, and engaged employees in their company.  Again, a win for employees and for the organization.

Retaining Talent is Essential to Delivering Business Value

The fine art of retaining talent has an effect on your ability to deliver business value. A survey by McKinsey & Company asked senior executives of global companies to rank obstacles that prevent them from having talent management strategies. Among the most critical as defined by executives:

54%- Senior managers don’t spend enough time on talent management
52%- Line managers not sufficiently committed to people development
51%- Silos discourage collaboration, resource sharing
50%- Line managers unwilling to differentiate high, low performance
47%- Senior leaders do not align talent management and business strategies

Here’s one more statistic for you. A recent study shows that 85% of HR executives state that the single greatest challenge they have in managing the workforce is their organization’s ability to compete for talent.

So, if your organization is one of those facing obstacles with talent management and you are concerned about your ability to compete for talent, then you seriously need to consider a plan to train your organization on how to effectively retain your best talent.

Retaining Talent is Woven into Your Organization’s Financial Performance

Most people can understand that turnover is costly in replacement expense, but it also impacts productivity when other team members see good people leaving the organization.

Picture this scenario: Ray was an executive for a hotel chain that had lack-luster performance. Attrition of leadership was high in the organization. He decided to conduct an analysis of risk factors in retaining top talent. He identified new strategies and tactics such as creating an emerging leaders program, training future leaders and providing more on-the-job training for line supervisors. As a result, they have recruited better talent and, more importantly, have retained that talent which has resulted in the value of their stock growing by more than 50% in the last five years.

Reap What You Sow – Get Started Today

By training your managers, you will help them realize the significant leverage they have to combat turnover in the organization. You will be giving them the tools they need to create a proactive and productive environment that values key talent.

Managers need to understand that they, by all means, need to be concerned with team member retention and how to identify individuals at risk. Are your managers able to:

• Describe the scope, severity and cost of attrition?
• Determine the risk of attrition for each team member?
• Identify which retention factors motivate each team member?
• Increase each team member’s engagement and commitment?
• Build and implement an effective Retention Action Plan for their entire team?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to start thinking about a new game plan around retention.

Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies is a program that identifies the region’s most dynamic companies that have made significant contribution to the strength of our economy. Nominated companies are ranked according to revenue growth over a three-year period, both dollar and percentage increases are taken into consideration. The rankings of the top 20 companies will be announced at the May 22, 2012 Fastest Growing Companies Breakfast.

Last year, Skywalk Group earned the number 3 spot on the Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies list.

Skywalk Group is a professional services organization specializing in human resources management, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness. The leadership team and professional staff at Skywalk Group have extensive human resources and executive experience providing critical human resources strategy and support for companies of all sizes.

 A new search can be daunting- knowing what you’re looking for in candidates, and knowing how to recruit them, are sometimes two different things. Having a knowledgeable partner in the process (ok, maybe not really a superhero) can make a huge difference!   Recruiters can turn the hefty task of your next great hire into an enjoyable experience.

Recruiters have dedicated their professional lives to being the best at identifying, qualifying, and placing the best talent.  Sometimes this means employing tools of the trade that just aren’t in the toolkits of others.

What Can a Recruiter Do for You?

Recruiters can:

• Help you find candidates that aren’t looking- the best candidates tend to be happy, productive workers- not necessarily actively applying to your company’s external job board. We know where they are, how to communicate with them, and how to make sure the qualified people we send you will be happy, productive workers for you too.

• Conduct professional interviews – we do it every day and know how to dig into what makes a candidate tick.  “Practice makes perfect” may not be completely true, but recruiters have built up vast experience interviewing various candidates. We can utilize interviews and candidate assessments to really get you the best match possible, not just the one that tells you what you want to hear.

• Reduce search time – we can draw upon our strong local and national network to get referrals for the right person.  We’ve worked with great people in all kinds of fields, all over the country. When one of our network asks “who do you know?” our ears perk up, and we recall that great professional we knew, and what would have been hours of searching becomes a quick phone call to an old friend.

• Give guidance on what you really need to get the job done – experience is a great teacher, and knowing up front that a candidate with x years of experience, really isn’t going to cut it for that position will save time, resources, and the stress of having to learn those lessons on the fly. Industry, geographic region, and other market factors can make a big difference in a successful search, and when you start the search with realistic expectations, you’ll be more likely to be successful.

Recruiters know their markets, their region, and their area of expertise- so, while recruiting consultants may not be superheroes, they are super-helpful!

This week we are featuring a blog from Maureen Collins-Williams at MyEntre.net.

For decades, women have failed to thrive as much as men in the workforce. They’ve struggled to rise to management levels in top corporations, to have their voices heard in the boardroom and their efforts fairly compensated. Today, many women believe there’s another way. Perhaps women don’t have to follow traditional rules of business success—perhaps for the first time in history, they can bypass them altogether. How? Technology.

What is Organizational Behavior?

Organizational behavior is the study of human behavior within organizations.  If people are an organizations most important asset then understanding how humans behave in organizations will lead to insights that can improve productivity, job satisfaction, employee relations, and more.  Organizational behavior focuses on the impact that individuals, groups, and structures have on behavior within organizations. Below are just a few of the components that need to be taken into account:

• The job itself.  What kind or type of job is an employee doing, and what is the design of that job? How does the job fit in with other job’s employees are working on? Knowing the type of job an employee is working on can help determine how the employee will react with that job.
• The nature of the work. This goes along with the job because if the nature of work is compatible with the employee then it is more likely that the work will get done well and in a timely manner.
• Turnover.  If a person is compatible with the work environment and likes their job, they will be more likely to stay and be high performers at the company. Organization’s rarely take a hard look at the cost associated with turnover.  Therefore, cost savings associated with improving the recruiting, selection, on-boarding, and training processes are often ignored.
• Productivity. If an employee is productive, they tend to be more motivated and more likely to enjoy the work that they are doing.  This is a win-win for the organization and the employee!

Organizational Behavior Challenges and Opportunities

With everything in life, there are challenges and opportunities, and organizational behavior is no exception.

• Economic pressures impact both individuals and organizations.  Employees may have to fight to keep their job.  This may encourage the employee to be more productive throughout the day and strive to do excellent work. Competitive pressures are tough in the business world.  In a highly competitive society, every organization wants to be recognized as the best.
• Workplace diversity is prevalent. Employees from all over the globe are applying for positions.  Diversity is a good thing and can become a competitive advantage that inspires innovation.  But it also creates individual and organization acceptance and appreciation challenges.

Ultimately, it is up to the employees in an organization to work with one another and to recognize the differences and skills that each other have. This is crucial within a workforce and a great reason as to why organizational behavior is an important tool to be aware about and understand.

–Annalise Bandel, Student, Loyola University

Not every manager is as bad as Kevin Spacey is in Horrible Bosses.  However, there are many organizational leaders and managers who don’t fully understand the impact of every decision they make, every comment they make, or their own behaviors.  Have you ever stopped to think about why being an effective leader matters?  Or how to become a more effective leader?

Join Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, Tim Sieck, for a free leadership breakfast on Friday, March 2nd at 7:30am.  Tim will share evidence that supports the need for leadership development, discuss why it is such a challenging task for both individuals and organizations, and provide practical tips on how to improve leadership development in organizations.

Also, the first Leadership & Development Public Workshop series of 2012 kicks off in March.  There are still seats available for this 4-session series that focuses on practical skills that every manager needs to be a successful leader.

Don’t be a horrible boss.  Be a solution in your organization-not part of the problem.  Participants who attend the leadership breakfast on March 2nd will receive a 10% discount on registrations for Leadership & Development Public Workshop or The Truth About Becoming a Manager.

What owners and hiring managers often overlook is that their management style is also under review during the hiring process.  Potential new employees are reviewing the company culture and management style of a possible employer at each and every step of the interview process.  While the recent economy has put more candidates on the market, there is still a shortage of outstanding A-level potential employees.  Because of this, you need to make sure you are putting your best foot forward at each and every step of the process.

Here are some hiring process situations and how your candidates may view the situation.

DELAYS IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

FACT:  There is a long delay in getting back to people after the initial conversation or, if working with a recruiter, you don’t provide feedback for a long period of time.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate may view this as either you don’t operate with a sense of urgency, or you don’t value other’s time enough for a prompt response.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS SCRIPTED

FACT:  Every step of the interview process is scripted and the only questions asked are off of a printed, prepared question set.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will view this as a sign that you are overly formal and that your organization values process over free-flowing ideas.

THERE ARE TOO MANY INTERVIEWS

FACT:  There are more than 2-3 interviews in the process.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will be concerned that either nothing moves quickly in the organization, you don’t believe they are the right fit, as a hiring manager you may be reluctant to make a decision, or that you don’t view the position as valuable.

TOO MUCH NEGATIVE INFORMATION IS SHARED

FACT:  You have a negative interview style and ask questions like “Sometimes you need to work 100 hours per week, we will swear at you and your equipment won’t work – are you okay with that?”

PERCEPTION:  You may think that you are doing people a favor by letting them know what they are getting into, but in reality you are telling people that this is the culture you support…and if this is the case, be prepared to lose A-level candidates in the process.

LOW BALL OFFERS

FACT:  You present a low-ball offer…just to see if you can get the candidate to go for it, or feel that you have to negotiate anyway.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will feel that everything at your company will end up being a battle.

If you are serious about attracting top talent to work for you, take a minute and walk yourself through your own process and think about every step from the candidate’s perspective.   The little details can make all the difference in creating the kind of experience that will make the best candidates want to work with you.

Tim Sieck, Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, states, “Over the last three years, we have worked with a large number of local businesses.  As part of that process, we have identified a disconnect between employee engagement, the manager’s role in the process, and the needs of today’s organization.  These new offerings are designed to address these gaps.”

The first public workshop, The Truth About Becoming a Manager, will be held February 22, 2012 from 8:30am – 12:30pm.  This half-day workshop is designed to help employee’s assess and prepare for becoming a manager.  Sieck adds, “All too often, companies take a sink or swim approach when it comes to hiring managers.  We want to assist employees by giving them insights and information about what being a manager is all about.”

The second new training option, The Engaged Employee:  Individual Development Planning Workshop, will be held on June 20, 2012 from
9am – 5pm.  This full-day workshop is designed to show employees that when they are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.

Contact us for more information or to register for a workshop.

How Successful are People at Making Lasting Changes

More often than not, people do not stick to their New Year’s resolution for very long. In one study over two years, about one in five people (20%) were able to keep to their resolution. On the other hand, three in five (60%) dropped their resolution within 6 months. In a recently reported British study, 22% of people reported that they were “very successful” in keeping their resolutions.   Source:  WAIBTV.  Those percentages are pretty dismal when you think about it.  And those are your own personal changes that YOU want to make.

Now, imagine you are the CEO of a company.  Your company has 200 employees in 3 different locations and you have just decided to purchase another company in a fourth location.  How likely is it that you can successfully implement this large-scale organizational change and get everyone moving in the same direction, working towards the same goals?  There is no sugar coating this answer.  It is going to be very difficult and require a tremendous amount of energy, patience, communication, and outstanding leadership skills in order to make this happen.  And you can bet that energy, patience, communication, and leadership abilities DO NOT fit neatly inside a brown paper bag.

Change in a Brown Paper Bag

You may be wondering what that means.  Too many companies try to implement organizational change through a “brown bag lunch” process.  Has this happened in your company?

“Our managers need leadership training.  Let’s schedule some brown bag lunches and teach them how to be better leaders!”

“Our health insurance costs are increasing.  Let’s have a wellness speaker come in for a brown bag lunch presentation!”

“Our employees say they aren’t engaged and satisfied.  Let’s have a company-wide monthly meeting over lunch and motivate them!”

Steps to Effective Organizational Change

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if all of a company’s problems could be solved through the brown bag lunch process?  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.  Organizations who successfully implement change do the following things:

1. Collaborate.  Share ideas with employees early in the process to get feedback and buy-in.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.  There can never be too much communication when change is involved.
3. Be transparent.  Not only about the change but also that you may not always know the answers.  Even with the best plan in place, there are unknowns.
4. Be compassionate.  Change is a process for everyone.  Even for those who embrace it.  Help people move towards acceptance.  That process will be different for each individual.
5. Allow and demand questions.  Employees should have questions.  Part of helping them move towards acceptance involves education and inclusion.
6. Celebrate.  Make a big deal about the little things along the way as well as celebrating major milestones.

As fun as we are (or like to think that we are), even we are subject to being lulled into that familiar ho-hum state from time to time. We are a resourceful bunch though, and willing to take control of our own destinies. So, for our own amusement, we’ve decided to play a little game. One in which all of our loyal (Cedar Rapids-based) subscribers will enthusiastically participate (fingers crossed) with a selfless dedication to rescuing us from the concert of humming fluorescent lights and whirring servers that is our 3^rd floor office. (Actually, it’s not totally selfless, because there’s a prize, but more on that later.)

You’re all on the edge of your seats, I can tell. So, with out further adieu, we proudly present the first ever Skywalk Group Name That Person Blog Contest. It works like this.

1. Starting with this post, we’ll feature a blog article with some “not fit for a professional biography” facts about one of the members of our team.
2. You’ll take that information and try to match it to one of our professional bio’s found throughout the website.  (Hint:  Look for pages called Meet the Team under Recruiting, HR Consulting & Outsourcing, and Organizational Development.)
3. When you think you’ve got it figured out, email us your answer.
4. We’ll draw a winner from all of the correct answers submitted on the last Friday of each month. The winner will be treated to lunch at a local, downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant, accompanied by the correctly identified team member.
5. THE FINE PRINT:  Limited to one entry per person, per month. Must be willing and able to pay for transportation costs to and from the selected restaurant.  Open to anybody that isn’t a current Skywalk Group employee, because that just wouldn’t be fair now would it?

Ready. Set. Go!

This team member is affectionately known around the office as Honey Badger for their uncanny resemblance to the subject of a wildly popular, albeit slightly inappropriate, viral video of the same name. Like the furry version, this person transforms from an adorable cuddly creature to a laser focused hungry predator if forced to go more than 2 hours without food. It takes regular fuel ups to maintain this persons jam packed schedule, perpetual smile and infectious laugh. Thankfully, it only takes a handful or almonds or a fresh, juicy apple to satiate our officemate, making it much easier keep the necessary staples on hand than their carnivorous counterpart.

Obviously, meetings are a necessary evil in running successful businesses.  They bring people together by uniting creative minds and are vital in achieving the strategic goals of the company.  Leaders who know how to run productive meetings can be the most valued employees of the organization.

Meetings can fail for a variety of reasons. Some of the most important are a lack preparation, agenda or goals.  Lacking respect for participant’s time and failing to follow up on specific action items can result in frustrated participants and fewer results.  Whether your meeting is at the office, via Skype or conference call, how do you lead an effective one?  Reader’s Digest author, Graham Buck, recently gave a few tips:

• Start and end strongly.  Conduct every meeting with a purpose and close it with a plan for “going forward”.  Denver based consultant Teri Schwartz noted that running a meeting is like “Flying a plane. Most crashes happen at takeoff and landing.”
• Pick a leader.  Assign someone to lead at the beginning of each meeting.
• Think small. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and keep the number of attendees manageable to stimulate discussion.
• Direct, don’t dominate. Encourage others to speak up and get involved, especially junior staffers.
• Lay down the rules of engagement. Everyone should understand who will take notes and how decision will be made.  Assign follow-up tasks during the final five to ten minutes and then reiterate them later in a group email.

A final tip that I’d like to add is to respect participant’s time.  As an HR consultant, one of the biggest complaints that I hear is that employee’s never have enough time to complete their own projects because of all the meetings they are required to attend.  Smart business leaders understand the value of participant’s time. If a meeting is scheduled for an hour, be respectful and end it on time!

Does your company struggle with leading successful meetings?  Skywalk Group’s Employee Development and Training can help.

Technology is increasing the need for real-time communication and streamlining work processes. Technological advances have allowed employers to embrace the use of modern tools & various mobile communication devices as a benefit to increasing productivity demands.  Employees seeking a healthy work/life balance and embracing increased employer flexibility have taken advantage of technological tools to increase their accessibility, particularly when off-site or after hours.

These changes in the employment landscape have caused legal commentators to worry about potential litigation stemming from the use of mobile communication devices, including claims ranging from employee privacy infringement to complaints of unpaid overtime.   Hence, the ever-increasing need to revisit, revise or develop a Cell Phone / Smart Phone Policy.

Now, where do to begin? Check out the 11 Factors to Include in a Cell Phone Policy.

There are two reasons HR professionals should be involved in making decisions about mobile policies:

• The devices directly impact workers, and the mobile strategy affects all aspects of the company.
• Developing policies and informal training will set the stage for good mobile practices.

For a free sample of a cell phone policy, please email the HR experts at Skywalk Group.

11 Key Factors to include in a Cell Phone Policy

1. Company expectations.
2. Harassment and discrimination policies.
3. Wage and hour policies that may impact compliance with state and federal law.
4. Company provided equipment.
5. Monitoring of equipment usage.
6. Trade secrets protection.
7. Customer, employer, and employee privacy.
8. Management of electronic documents and tools.
9. Conserving company resources.
10. Limiting liability for employee misconduct.
11. Discipline or terminations for violations.

Read more about how technology is changing the workplace and why human resources professionals need to be prepared.  Or contact the Skywalk Group HR Experts for a free sample of a cell phone policy.

Fear comes in many forms: fear of failure, the unknown, success, loss of self-image, and more.  A fear infects multiple areas of our lives, especially at work where we are required to push beyond our comfort zone.  Fear drives us to avoid volunteering for a project, confronting a problem, attending a social event, making a presentation, or giving our best effort.  All because being safe is more comfortable.

Practical Steps to Overcoming Your Fears

While I don’t profess to have a PhD in how to overcome fears, here are a few practical steps to get started:

1. Acknowledge the fear. The next time you make a choice, stop to analyze your thought process.  Did you make the choice or did fear?   Once you acknowledge when fear forces your hand, you can take control to overcome the fear.Realize you are not alone.
2. Realize you are not alone. Everyone has fears.  We just don’t talk about them.  We’re told not to be afraid of monsters under our bed because that’s impossible.  So, rather than overcoming the fear, we just stop talking about it. Start small.
3. Start small.  Offer to assist with a portion of the project just slightly beyond your comfort zone rather than taking on the whole project.  No one climbs a mountain with one giant step.Practice with friends.
4. Practice with friends. Start expanding your boundaries with people you trust.   They’ll build you up in your success and give you feedback in a manner you can swallow.Talk yourself up.
5. Talk yourself up.  It might sound silly, but your biggest enemy is that annoying voice in your head that says you can’t.  Silence it by first telling it and then proving it wrong.

Let’s step back to our snake scenario.  The next day after acknowledging my fear, and sharing my story with friends, I faced my fear head on. I now boldly (that might be a bit of an exaggeration) walk through the snake infested ped mall.  My fear of snakes still exists, but I won’t let it control me today.

For additional information visit the National Labor Relations Board website at www.nlrb.gov.

Steve Jobs once said that he wanted to put a dent in the Universe.  I’m only one voice, but I’m here to tell you he did.  Sure, we all know about the things he’s associated with.  I’m writing this blog on my MacBook Pro.  I check my email 100 times a day on my iPhone.  I am carrying 30 books around on a device that’s less than an inch thick, and I could drive across the country (twice) without ever hearing the same song twice on my iPod.  But those, are secondary, to what he has meant to my world.

Here it is!

Yep.  This little snake caused me more anxiety and uneasiness than any work or personal challenge I have faced in recent history.  After keeping an eye on him (in reality, that means being frozen in place) for about 45 minutes while I was perched on top of my park bench, I was finally able to get up and escape to The Java House.  Unfortunately, as I sit here now, I still find myself scanning the perimeter for snakes and having weird sensations on my skin that make me feel like things are crawling on me.

I pride myself on being an incredibly rational person in nearly every situation that life throws at me.  But I will admit, I have an irrational fear of snakes.  I have absolutely no idea where this fear has come from.  I have never been bitten by a snake.  I have seen relatively few snakes outside of contained situations (zoos).   But none of that matters.  That tiny snake had me completely frozen and under its control.

The Impact of Fears

My situation today reminded me that we all have fears.  Some are extreme and keep us from doing certain things or going certain places.  Other fears might be less extreme but they still create challenges or stress for us.

In the workplace, fear of failure may keep us from trying new things, taking on a new project, or applying for a promotion.

Outside of work, fear of the unknown may keep us in an unhappy or unhealthy situation.

Imagine how productive and happy people we all could be if those fears were eliminated.  Unfortunately, I don’t know how to do that.  I wish, for my own sake, that I did.  However, there are some practical tips and suggestions that may be helpful in working through some of your own fears, especially as it pertains to the workplace.  Stay tuned for that article next week.  In the meantime, please take a moment and subscribe to the Skywalk Group E-Newsletter to receive industry tips, trends, and entertaining tidbits like this blog article from the blog writing team at Skywalk Group.

Employers may be held liable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if they are responsible for creating or tolerating a hostile work environment.  Failure to take prompt, remedial action is viewed as toleration of a hostile work environment.  When a supervisor has been made aware of harassing behavior and takes no action, the company has tolerated a hostile work environment.

Prepare your supervisors and senior management to appropriately respond to claims of harassment, discrimination, or a hostile work environment with the acronym DRAFT:

Details

Any agent of the company, supervisor level or above, who receives a report of harassment, must initiate the employer response.  Gather the basic details necessary to inform the designated authority that prompt action is required.  Tell the employee the claim will be reported and investigated, by the party identified in the company policy.  Supervisors must then avoid retaliation against an employee who reported harassment.

Report

Company agents must follow company policy and report claims to the authority designated to investigate and respond to claims, often the company HR Manager.  Are you a company that doesn’t have an HR Manager? Skywalk Group can serve as your HR Manager.

Action

The designated authority must investigate the claim and take prompt, appropriate remedial actions based on the facts of the situation.  Document the discovered facts and the remedial action taken, if any.

Follow-up

Follow up with the employee who claimed harassment.  Inform them of the results of the investigation and action taken, if any. Give the employee instructions on whom to contact if harassment continues or there is retaliation.  Document, document, document.

Training

Conduct annual training on company harassment policies and procedures for both employees and managers.  Supplement with situation-specific training based on the results of claims and investigations.

An effective response to harassment in the workplace starts with adequate preparation and identifying each person’s role.  If you’ve recently experienced a situation of harassment or just need ongoing training, utilize Skywalk Group HR experts to deliver your next harassment and sexual harassment training.

If you found this article helpful, you may also like:

Do Your Managers Know How to Hire?

How to Design a Benefit Communication Strategy

How Do I Create an Effective Job Description?

As we discussed in the accepting feedback article, most people follow the SARA(H) model during that process.  However, at times, people respond negatively to feedback and follow an atypical SARA model.

• Shock.  Rather than just being surprised by feedback, some individuals are utterly shocked when they receive feedback from others.
• Anger.  Frequently, the shock quickly progresses to anger about the feedback or specifically towards the person providing the feedback.
• Retaliation.  Unfortunately, what that often leads to is retaliation against the person providing the feedback.
• Avoidance.  And finally, the last step in the atypical SARA model is avoidance.  Refusing to speak or work with the individual who provided the feedback.

If you find yourself or someone else you know following the atypical SARA model, it may be time to review how to give and receive feedback as a team.