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Experienced human resources expertise
| Guest post by: Cori Maedel |
Article Overview: If someone tells you there is only one way to do something...run! No seriously, ask some clarifying questions. Is there only one way for legal, performance or other reasons? Why is there only one way? Make sure you understand the reason and that it makes good business sense - or don't do it. Trust the instincts that have made you successful to this point.
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Experienced human resources expertise
If someone tells you there is only one way to do something...run! No seriously, ask some clarifying questions. Is there only one way for legal, performance or other reasons? Why is there only one way? Make sure you understand the reason and that it makes good business sense - or don't do it. Trust the instincts that have made you successful to this point.
Let me share an example...
There was a highly talented visionary - let's call him Ted - who founded a very successful service business. The success of the business prompted a bigger player in the same industry to purchase Ted's company and offer him the role of President to ensure a smooth transition.
Ted was asked to hire a human resourceconsultant, let's call him Hank, to put some much needed HR practices into place. Hank came in and advised Ted that the first thing to do was to put in a compensation program. Increases were being handled ad-hoc, based in part on who had done something noticeable recently, and in part on who were Ted's favorites. Sales seemed to be at the top of his list.
When Ted asked why a compensation program was the first priority, Hank told him that compensation programs are one of the most important retention items, and thus should be created and implemented immediately. It's important to keep in mind that Ted's way, although not fair or conventional, had seemingly served him well. From many viewpoints, his way was the right way. Every time he questioned the proposed new system, he was met with resistance from Hank and the response, "This is how compensation is handled." The problem this wellintentioned, inexperienced HR professional didn't take into account was that Ted was a visionary who had never lived in a box before, yet he was being asked to do just that.
Hank announced that the compensation program was ready, just as annual increases were about to be decided. After some argument, Hank persuaded Ted to launch it first with his management team, so Hank sat down with Ted and told him what the new system said their increases should be.
Ted proceeded to tell the first manager that he thought the new system was crap and that, if he were to work within it, the manager would only receive a modest increase, but since Ted valued the manager so much, he was going to make an exception and give him an increase of $10,000 per year. Ted did this with each of his managers. He successfully taught them how to circumvent the new compensation system. Nothing changed, and even though the managers wanted more structure around compensation, they knew it was not going to happen yet.
Now you may be thinking...hmm...sounds like a management issue. But the moral of this story is not about what Ted did, but rather what the consultant did. There was a fatal flaw in his plan.
The program Hank developed was solid, but if Ted was not going to follow it (which he told Hank repeatedly throughout the development process), it was an HR practice that would not work. HR practices must rise to meet the culture and leadership of the organization - not the other way around.
If someone tells you there is only one way to approach an HR issue, they may be right, but you need to ask some good questions to make sure they have the skills, knowledge and ability to make that kind of statement.
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Article Tags: business, compensation, human resource consultant, human resources
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About the Author: Cori Maedel RSS for Cori's articles - Visit Cori's website Cori has 25 years of diverse professional experience in human resources, professional coaching and business development, and has helped many business owners at all phases of start-up and development. She takes the often overwhelming subject of human resources and delivers practical and realistic tools for small- to medium-sized business owners to implement, from recruiting and retention to development and training. Cori is a professional speaker and is known for her ability to motivate, inspire and bring out the best in people. She has worked directly with over 50 clients across many industries including aviation, construction, gaming, manufacturing, not-for-profit and hospitality, to name just a few. She is also a contributor to Business in Vancouver, CIO Magazine, HR Voice and BC HRMA (online). Her career began as a successful entrepreneur in recruiting and now encompasses a diverse range of industries. She currently runs the Jouta Performance Group (www.jouta.com), offering professional coaching and human resources consulting services to help businesses create infrastructure to attract and retain quality employees. Click here to visit Cori's website   5 simple steps to achieving and maintaining Organizational Clarity Should I Keep an Employee I Dont Trust Experienced human resources expertise Culture Shock do your people align with your corporate culture Culture Shock |
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