HRA | We Know People

CMHA Logo Do you want to improve your ability to discuss workplace performance issues with employees who may be dealing with a mental illness? Do you sometimes wonder how you can separate performance issues from health issues?

Then plan to attend this award winning workshop on May 22, 2008 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Delivered by Linda Gaudet, a CMHA-certified trainer, the Complex Issues Clear Solutions workshop uses an interactive multi-media presentation that offers practical strategies for managers. Participants will address specific workplace situations and review video clips of real people who dealt with mental health issues in the workplace.

To register, email cmhanb@nbnet.nb.ca , or call (506) 455-5231, or fax this form to (506) 459-3878

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Improving Performance Management

Keyboard

Spring is a great season for taking steps to renew your commitment to management best practices, such as a proactive performance management system. Tools that automate and integrate performance management with other management functions can help managers follow-through on that commitment.

Automation brings performance management and succession planning to the fore of managers’ attention on a regular basis. When managers have only paper-based systems, the need to pull files, record notes, and track performance indicators becomes so burdensome that these tasks often are relegated to a once-a-year exercise. However, these tasks are vital to proactive management. Performance management and succession planning are on-going processes that need to be integrated into the daily awareness of managers and employees alike.

Paper-based systems tend to result in delayed or incomplete records because they are seen to be consuming and draining. However, there are tools designed to help organizations implement robust and effective performance management and succession planning systems. Halogen Software, a Canadian software firm is making waves with an easy to use online tool. Halogen has been experiencing a huge level of growth with-in Canada and abroad (Motorola, Irving Tissue Corp., Nestlé Canada Inc. and Nova Scotia Power). It offers several products to aid medium and large organizations such as eAppraisal, eSuccession, as well as eCompensation, and e360 to name a few.

While companies with less then 100 employees, may manage with spreadsheets and personal files, larger businesses in Atlantic Canada can benefit from IT solutions such as Halogen Software.

Traditionally performance management reviews were conducted and then filed away until it was time to conduct the next review 12 months later. Many organizations found this process to be ineffective: Employees were unable to remember what their goals were, let alone if they were met; managers did not have the file at their fingertips. Halogen’s eAppraisal, automate the process by providing simplified access to appraisal information in a single database.

A further value to automated systems, like Halogen Software, is that additional modules can be added according to the organization’s needs to track training and accreditation, compensation plans, and maintain a skill inventory without having to reinvent the system over and over again for each additional purpose. This enables organizations to actively link individual’s performance to the performance of the organization, and to stay on top of having the skills set required to be able to survive the upcoming brain drain as the baby boomers retire.

Software can also help organizations with succession planning (which is different from replacement planning). In the past many firm would use an organizational chart and identify two or three individuals to back fill key positions. Usually they would rate the individuals with regards to their level of readiness. Replacement planning assumed that the organization’s needs remaining constant, while succession planning looks forward to future needs. Succession planning focuses on skills and competences and growing the individuals so that the organization will have the ability to satisfy the skills needed in the future.

Halogen Software’s eSuccession module ties in with eAppraisal, enabling an organization to focus on skills and competences, and use them to aid with succession planning. By understanding your workforce potential and areas of retention risk, your organization is able to keep the best of the best, and attract the work force you require.

Some of Atlantic Canada’s leading organizations (Bell Aliant, Irving Tissue, and Nova Scotia Power) have already started implementing some of Halogen’s solutions. As a referral partner with Halogen Software, we would be pleased to discuss the solutions available and how they can assist your organization.

HalogenSoftware Logo To learn more about Halogen Software's solutions, or to arrange an on-line demonstration, contact Michael Cunningham.

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Insights® Helps People Discover Increased Effectiveness

Among the many talents and tools Carol Gabanna brings to the HRA team is her accreditation as a practitioner with Insights® Discovery. Having used this system within our own organization, we are excited to be able to now offer it to our clients.

It is an excellent foundational tool for managers who want to better understand the people they work with and how to improve the interpersonal dynamics of the working group or organization. With the Insights® Discovery system, you and your team can gain a fuller understanding of how you interact with others in your working group and the impact of your personal style.

Based on the theories of psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, Insights® Discovery uses a simple, memorable colour system to present how different individuals think, act, and work. This tool is highly relevant to all personal and team development. It provides an excellent framework for individuals to increase their personal and interpersonal effectiveness.

Carol Gabanna is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She can explain the Insights® Discovery model, and facilitate an improved understanding of yourself and the people you work with. Through this understanding of first self, then other people, your staff can develop their interpersonal skills to adapt and connect with others.

Value to the Team

Each person on your team will receive a confidential 20 page profile. The profile contains a combination of narrative and graphical information describing aspects of their personality including their strengths as well as their blind spots. It will also provide a description of their decision making and communication styles.

Every part of each Discovery Profile is unique to the user. Your Discovery Profile will consist of a foundation chapter that addresses: key strengths and weaknesses, value to the team, communication, possible blind spots, your opposite type, and suggestions for development. Options for additional chapters include: management, selling, personal achievement, and interview.

The real value of the system is realized during a facilitated workshop with the team that is fun and interactive, giving your working group the language and framework for understanding themselves and each other better, and with means of putting this new knowledge into practice immediately, including recognizing others' personality preferences adn effective communiation strategies.

To contact Carol to learn more about Insights® Discovery and other people management services we offer, click here.

To read more about Insights® Discovery go to www.insights.com.

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The Post-retirement Labour Pool

Older workers Despite the current economic downturn, many employers are still struggling with a tight labour market and a shortage of qualified workers. Traditional recruitment methods are failing to satisfy employer needs to fill vacant positions As a result, Statistics Canada reports that employers are looking for talented employees in new markets, such as the 'mature, 'experienced' or 'post-retirement' individuals who are still interested in employment.

Baby boomers are not retiring as early as in previous years or, upon retirement, many return to the workforce, pointing to a pool of employees to explore. Statistics Canada identifies the average age of retirement in 2006 as 61.5 - up from a low of 60.9 in 1998. That year there was a record proportion of 60 to 64 year olds actively participating in the labour force (45%).

Today’s employers must be creative in their recruitment endeavors. Many of today’s successful employers are looking for employees in what was a once untapped talent pool: older workers. Leading retail employers like Wal Mart and Home Depot have focused on the preferences of the 50+ workforce, developing strategies to recruit, manage and retain these workers. However, the majority of employers have yet to fully realize the full potential of this pool of applicants.

MYTHS

There are many unfounded stereotypes regarding older workers:

Older workers are less productive than younger workers;
Older workers are harder to retrain;
Older workers are short-term employees who only stay on the job briefly; and
Older workers are too expensive.

Because of these myths many employers overlook this talent pool and thereby miss out on their experience, talent, skills and work ethic that older workers possess.

In considering a recruitment strategy, employers should remember:

Age is not a predictor of performance nor should it be a factor in your recruitment and selection decisions;
Many experienced (or older) employees recognize the value of updating their education and skills and appreciate the opportunity to experience new work environments;
Statistics suggest that older workers tend to stay with an employer longer than younger workers and plan to work past the typical retirement age of 65;
Older workers, like most employees, are not driven by pay but are driven by personal growth and challenge;
Older workers may be interested in flexible benefit packages where they may opt for less life insurance coverage and choose increased health and dental coverages.

Many older employees retire long before they are ready to exit the labour force. For both financial and personal reasons many workers expect and want to continue working past traditional retirement age and there are many recently retired employees who want the opportunity to continue contributing in a rewarding environment that makes use of their talents and experiences.

ATTRACTING OLDER WORKERS

Research shows that workers aged 55 to 64 have shorter average weekly hours than core age (25 to 54) workers and more older workers tend to work part time. To attract these experienced, skilled and capable candidates, employers need to:

create work environments that offer flexible hours and working arrangements;
implement job sharing options;
provide more unpaid time off; and
accommodate reduced physical demands.

Finding great staff is a challenge. As an employer can you afford to ignore all the benefits an older worker can bring to your workforce? Older workers can be a vital part of the plan to meet your workforce needs.

Once an employer embraces the recruitment and retention of older workers, the next consideration is to address the generational differences that are present in today’s workforce and help employees at different stages in their life experiences share their knowledge and experience and build on each other’s strengths.

Watch for Shanna Doyle's next article on Generational Differences in the Workplace.

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