Erik Samdahl
Erik Samdahl is the director of marketing for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) and co-manages HRM Today. He has been repeatedly selected as one of the top HR digital influencers by HRExaminer.
Three Steps to Make Managers Give a Damn about HR Metrics
“Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn’t mean we deserve to conquer the Universe.”
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Hocus Pocus, 1990)
This may seem an unkind quote, but the sentiment for those of us in the human resources profession is clear – we need to get over ourselves.
For years HR thought leaders have been touting the use of metrics to elevate the profession, prove the value of the function or “earn a seat at the table” – a phrase that makes Jay Jamrog, i4cp SVP of Research, twitch at the mere utterance.
So in response to the call for more measurement, organizations have half-heartily created roles with titles such as HR analytics/metrics manager, HR business analyst or (a personal favorite) employee insights specialist. If “half-heartily” sounds harsh or judgmental as a descriptor for these efforts, let’s look at some facts derived from multiple i4cp studies:
Why You Want to be on This List
Fortune magazine recently released its 2011 “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” list which highlights companies with enviable perks, great work atmospheres and job satisfaction, yet we still strive to understand the “So What? Factor.” What does it mean to be on the list? Outside of the flood of résumés flowing in to the HR departments of companies on the list (that will require screening) because some people want to take advantage of perks such as wine bars or Botox injections does it really matter about the list?
First we have to take a look at the underpinnings of how companies make the list…Fortune magazine states the following and you can read it here…
“Most of a company’s score (two-thirds) is based on the results of the Institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs, and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts.”
The Contingent Worker Debate
This edition of i4cp’s Trendwatcher is a departure from our traditional format. Rather than presenting the perspective of an individual, we’re having some fun and taking two diametrically opposed viewpoints on the same important topic – contingent workers. As you read, keep in mind that our intent for both sides of the argument is to be provocative, with the goal of sparking conversation and new thinking on the topic. We hope you enjoy this experiment.
John: “Contingency Plans are Plan A, not Plan B”
Let’s face it, the reality of the greater use of contingent workers is not only here to stay, but, in fact, has been growing steadily for decades. Business leaders understand that they need to keep costs low, remain nimble to changes in the marketplace and keep up on the hottest skills without having to invest literally millions of dollars each year in developing their employees.
Our State of the Contingent Workforce Report – which you yourself wrote, Lorrie – shows that high-performing companies not only use contingent workers more often, they also use them more strategically than low performers. Specifically, by using contingent workers, they can immediately infuse their businesses with the key high-level skill sets that are vital now, not a year or more from now using traditional learning and recruiting routes. It’s kind of like buying the latest Smartphone with the idea that, by the time it becomes obsolete, you’ll already be upgrading to the new model.
Temporary is the New Permanent: Are You Ready?
The upward trend of using temporary workers has been steady, but few have a firm handle on it.
While the effects of the protracted recession on staffing are irrefutable – most organizations have increasingly turned to using temporary workers to meet changing staffing needs – the trend will likely continue long after the post-recession era. And new research on the use and management of contingent workers from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) shows that using contingent workers strategically is something few organizations have mastered.
The survey found that higher-performing organizations are much more likely to use contingent workers in operations, tech and support functions and increasingly, highly skilled functions such as engineering and legal and financial areas and use these workers for much longer durations. Their lower-performing counterparts are much more likely to use contingent works in managerial functions. Why are these important distinctions?
Win the New Business Book ‘From Bud to Boss’!
You may know Kevin Eikenberry, author, speaker, trainer, consultant, and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has a great new book that was just released today titled From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership. In celebration of its release, we’re giving away two copies for free to our HRM Today readers – one an autographed hard copy, the other a digital Kindle edition! Read the rest of this entry »
Executing Change Management in Conjunction with Internal Branding Programs
Organizations are looking to integrate their communications activities across various business segments and also create brand relationships with their employees that will encourage them to deliver better operationally and pass on ideal behaviors. Internal Communications along with Department Managers need to be able to help their team members believe in the value of full engagement and inspire them to pursue it at a personal level. Read the rest of this entry »
Do People Drive Business? You Bet Your Assets.
Is it just me?
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat in a presentation delivered by a senior executive who invariably uses a phrase that really gets under my skin. As the speaker begins to extol the importance of innovation and talent I can feel it coming. As they continue on to talk about the importance of having engaged and dedicated employees I look around the room and see faces beginning to light up – in particular those of my colleagues in Human Resources. Finally, as the speaker reaches the crescendo of praise for the workforce, I have actually found myself gripping the edge of my conference room chair as those inevitable words are uttered:
“People are this company’s most valuable asset.”
Don’t get me wrong. I agree with them. In fact, I have dedicated my career to pursuing the notion that people add value to their companies. I also believe that a large part of my responsibility as an HR professional – and as a business leader in general – is to demonstrate just how important they really are. My problem with the phrase lies in the fact that we HR professionals collectively have not done an especially good job at demonstrating that value in a meaningful way.
Let’s be honest: Can we – let alone our CEO or CFO – confidently demonstrate the true financial value that exceptionally talented and motivated people provide to our company as opposed to employees of average talent or motivation?
Do People Drive Business? You Bet Your Assets.
Is it just me?
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat in a presentation delivered by a senior executive who invariably uses a phrase that really gets under my skin. As the speaker begins to extol the importance of innovation and talent I can feel it coming. As they continue on to talk about the importance of having engaged and dedicated employees I look around the room and see faces beginning to light up – in particular those of my colleagues in Human Resources. Finally, as the speaker reaches the crescendo of praise for the workforce, I have actually found myself gripping the edge of my conference room chair as those inevitable words are uttered:
“People are this company’s most valuable asset.”
i4cp Study: Companies are Gearing Up for the Coming Talent War
As companies begin to see the light at the end of the recession tunnel, many are beginning to confront the reality that employees are preparing to jump ship en masse. After several years of decreased investment in employee development, layoffs and salary freezes, employers are vulnerable to having their best talent picked off.
And, of course, the most talented employees are the first to get poached.
The new The Critical Human Capital Issues of 2011 report from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) is based on research conducted last month with hundreds of human resources professionals. Findings indicate a growing urgency among these organizations, driving them to focus on issues that will see them through what appears to be a potential talent free-for-all.
Nine of this year’s top ten issues increased in criticality from 2010, a measure determined by an i4cp index that is calculated by multiplying the mean score for the importance of an issue by another number related to an organizations ability to manage that issue effectively. The only issue that didn’t show an increase, change management, remained relatively flat with 2010 results.
The top 15 most critical human capital issues of 2011 are:
Playing Not to Lose
This is my first turn at authoring a TrendWatcher since joining i4cp in September, so I thought I’d give you a small insight into my background. I grew up in eastern Ohio, and just like most self-respecting people from the Ohio Valley, I am a dedicated Pittsburgh Pirates fan. In recent times (sadly, we’re talking a couple of decades) this has been a lonely, unfulfilling undertaking. I approach the end of each winter with optimism about the coming baseball season, which typically lasts only until about Memorial Day weekend, when I have to face the inevitability that the Pirates are simply not going to be in the World Series. Again. I have to admit that I do, however, take solace in my dedication to noble, yet futile team loyalty.
In their 2008 book Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, co-authors Ori and Ron Brafman discuss the term “swamp of commitment.” They explain that it is perfectly natural for human beings to doggedly continue to follow a course of action that, while it made sense when it was initially plotted, is not supported by changes in the environment or empirical reasons for changing course. In layman’s terms, this may be why so many of us held on to our tech stocks long after the tech bubble burst. Or, in my case, it’s why I hold tight to the notion that the Pirates always have a chance to win the World Series. It’s human – hope springs eternal.
New Year, New Measurement Challenges
The definition of talent management has become a bit like Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of pornography: “I know it when I see it.” While reasonable minds can disagree on subtleties, at the core, talent management is about the attraction, retention and development of employees. Measuring talent management effectiveness requires knowing the answer to questions such as “Is the organization attracting better quality applicants?” or “Is the organization retaining its most productive employees?”
With this general talent management definition in mind, the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) launched a study in April 2010 to understand how organizations were measuring the effectiveness of their talent management efforts. More than 400 business and HR professionals participated in the Talent Management Measurement survey, which yielded a dreary snapshot of the current state of the field.
The rest of the article is available in the January 2011 edition of Talent Management magazine. Read the full New Year, New Measurement Challenges article.
Read More…
New Year’s Resolutions from Leading Human Capital Executives
As 2010 ends, we look ahead to 2011 and the critical issues senior executives will face. In the spirit of the season, we asked executives from several i4cp member organizations to share their human capital resolutions for the New Year.
Not surprisingly, subjects such as integrated talent management, customer-focused culture, coaching, employee engagement, retention and development were all themes for the coming year. But while work in these areas sometimes seem never-ending, the good news is that each of these topics, along with many others, will be key focuses at i4cp’s 2011 Annual Conference this March.
Here are some of the resolutions that resonated with us:
“Our goal for Human Capital Planning in 2011 is to drive change in our business processes and systems to enable an integrated and holistic approach with all of our talent processes. The business value of Human Capital Planning comes from the actions we take in: who we hire and how we onboard and develop employees; what we do to grow our pipeline of talent to ensure robust succession plans; and continuously supporting the engagement and retention of all employees to drive effectiveness and efficiency for business productivity and growth.”
– Sandy Tokach, Vice President of HR Talent Solutions, 3M Corporation
“At McDonald’s, our goal is to energize our restaurant crew and managers to deliver a superior customer experience. This will be accomplished through a combination of foundational and iconic changes to our People programs at the restaurant level – changes that have the potential to be scaled globally across the system.”
– Rich Floersch, Corporate EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, McDonalds
One-on-One with Stephen M.R. Covey
i4cp’s managing editor, Lorrie Lykins, sat down with Stephen M.R. Covey, sought-after and compelling advisor on trust, leadership, ethics and high performance, who will be speaking at the i4cp 2011 Annual Conference, and asked him a few questions loosely based on the well-known Proust Questionnaire, which has been famously adopted by James Lipton, the iconic host of the A&E program Inside the Actor’s Studio. We thank the speakers for their candor, humor, and willingness to participate in this less-than-traditional interview.
What is your favorite word?
“Create” or the derivatives of the word – creative, creativity, creation, the whole idea of being able to make something out of nothing. I also love the word “love.”
What is your least favorite word?
Hate and its derivatives because of the connotations and it being the opposite of love.
What turns you on?
Insight. The whole notion of trying to not be predictable but to find insight that is of value in other people’s work and to try to provide insight into my own work. If it’s just predictable and not insightful then I don’t think it carries the same value. So what inspires me is seeking insight.
What turns you off?
When I’m too focused on the here and now to the point that I’m heavily weighed down, it’s the equivalent of being so bogged down with things on top of me that I’m not able to find space, be it mental or physical space – and I feel crunched for time.
Before I give presentations I have some processes that I go through – a sort of ritual. I try to make time to meditate and ponder and connect – I try to create those opportunities because life is too busy, so I have to make a conscious effort to seek some time to have quiet and solitude.
Learn more about the conference and Stephen M.R. Covey’s presentation.
Read More…
The Top 10 Talent Trends of 2010
It’s been a long but very good year for i4cp – an enormous amount of research on corporate performance was done and many terrific corporate members joined our network. It’s impossible to sum it all up in one TrendWatcher but I’m going to hit on a few of the research highlights and lessons learned as we prepare to embark on a new year:
- Get performance management right. We know some performance-management skeptics hate to hear it, but the research shows that PM is the cornerstone of integrated talent management. That is, it is more highly integrated with the other components of integrated talent management than any other components. Moreover, high-market performers are 20% more likely to integrate PM into their talent management systems than are low performers. So, build your business case and deal with any weaknesses in your PM system.
- Don’t assume your managers know what they’re doing. When it comes to performance management, they often don’t. In fact, less than a fifth of organizations have leaders who, as a whole, are either highly or very highly skilled at conducting performance reviews. High-performing organizations know this and are much more likely to train their managers in this area.
- Stop stalling on social media. A lot of organizations are burying their heads in the sand when it comes to social media because it’s so seemingly complex, chaotic and insecure. But social media, especially in the area of learning, can pay dividends and, perhaps even more to the point, the massive demographic cohort known as the Millennials is generally much more likely than other generations to use these technologies, both at home and at work. So, prepare to use these technologies to make them – and other employees – more productive.
Attend the 5th Annual Internal Branding & Employee Engagement Conference
HRM Today is proud to announce it has been selected as the official blogger for the upcoming 5th Annual Internal Branding & Employee Engagement Conference.
The conference, hosted by marcus evans, will help attendees deploy and evaluate strategies to maximize engagement and behaviors aligned to the brand. Hear from more than 18 Employee Engagement and Internal Communications leaders on how to deploy and evaluate strategies to maximize engagement and behaviors aligned to the brand. Read the rest of this entry »
