magazine presents
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A Better Way to Talk About
BENEFITS Communicating Benefits to Employees Based Upon Generation and Life Cycle
Featuring new research and insights to help you make better decisions on how to best market your employee benefits to employees of each generation. Join us Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, @ 8:30 a.m. for this insightful keynote and many more sessions, discussions and networking opportunities this fall!
Dan Schawbel, New York Times bestselling author, founder of WorkplaceTrends.com and Millennial Branding
ter NOV. 9, 2015 Regis y! THE RITZ-CARLTON, toda BOSTON COMMON
For more information and to register, please visit:
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People. Practice. Insights. September 2015
Learning to Fly To mend the skills gap, Boeing’s new program gets its leaders involved in the classroom.
TalentMgt.com
Cleaning Up ‘Dirty Jobs’ Love or Lose Your Senior Talent Put Tech In, Coach SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE:
Only
% 26
of employees say their manager supports their development with coaching.
Are you calling the right shots? Coaching doesn’t have to require a significant investment in time or money. It can be more cost-effective than you think – and deliver big results. Find out how you can implement and benefit from employee coaching at your company.
“It’s Game Time: Your Practical Employee Coaching Playbook” Download your free copy
www.saba.com/TMcoaching
Source: “Global Workforce Leadership Survey,” conducted on behalf of Saba and WorkforceTrends.com, March 2015.
www.saba.com
© 2015 Saba Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Saba, the Saba logo, and the marks relating to Saba products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Saba Software, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Workforce Live! is back by popular demand! Don’t miss your chance to hear from progressive HR experts sharing best practices for today’s fast-paced world — all during 15-minute, back-to-back talks. Catch ’em when they’re in your city!
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Find Your Road to Character I find the end of summer is a great time for reflection. For many business professionals, summer is often a sweaty mix of work and relaxation; of beach vacations, family reunions and weddings; of far-away conferences, midyear performance check-ins and end-of-year planning. My summer has been especially packed, both with exciting events and work. With four weddings, two weekend trips to Boston, a vacation in Puerto Rico and a post-SHRM conference stay in Las Vegas, I’ve had my share of leisure. All these activities came amid the hustle of putting together Talent Management each month in addition to planning for 2016.
Instead of blindly following vague notions of external success, develop an understanding of what eulogy virtues are important to you. Yet, with summer winding down, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what drives human character, specifically as it relates to management and leadership. Blame it on the throng of self-help leadership books prominently displayed in airport bookstores, a place I often found myself this summer. In business, we often define who we are by our external accomplishments — by our titles, work histories, management accomplishments and leadership styles. We also do this in our personal lives. Thanks to Facebook, almost nobody’s life milestone or accomplishment goes unnoticed.
This mindset neglects what he calls “eulogy virtues,” things like whether you’re kind, brave, honest or faithful, as well as what kind of relationships you form and sustain. Most of us would agree that eulogy virtues are more important than résumé virtues, but we spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort on the latter. This provides little space for reflection. There are important lessons I think we can learn from this character-building distinction. First, it’s worth taking time to acknowledge that this distinction of character exists. Sure, we should always strive to be kind, but most of our conscious energy goes into strengthening things that improve external success. This leads to the second lesson: Take time to rebalance the effort you put into résumé and eulogy virtues. Neither should be neglected. Thinking more deeply about your eulogy virtues will ultimately bring purpose and clarity to your résumé virtues. Instead of blindly following vague notions of external success, develop an understanding of what eulogy virtues are important to you — like helping others’ careers through kindness or building meaningful relationships. Lastly, I think the most important lesson in Brooks’ book is that we shouldn’t let the desire to achieve résumé virtues overtake the need to develop strong eulogy virtues. Ultimately, the people we work with and manage are part of a shared human experience. Most of us have to work for a living, and the race for profit and organizational efficiency can sometimes muddy the humanity of the at-work experience. That’s not to say the cold realities of business should be ignored, but we shouldn’t lose our sense of humility, compassion, empathy or kindness. While we may spend a lot of time consumed in the minutiae of work, the character legacy we build will come from the small doses of eulogy virtues we discover and act on every day.
What’s more, publications encourage us to promote our “personal brand,” broadcast every accomplishment, get noticed and make yourself stand out to be successful. In David Brooks’ book “The Road to Character,” these so-called “résumé virtues” represent a straightforward utilitarian logic, or “input leads to output,” Brooks writes.
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talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
Frank Kalman, Senior Editor fkalman@talentmgt.com
| people | practice | insights |
THE BLUEPRINT FOR A MORE HUMAN WORKPLACE
The principles in this book have redefined how Hershey employees interact across the globe every day. There is immense power in a ‘thank you and well done.’
Kevin Walling, SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, The Hershey Company
http://thepowerofthanksbook.com/
WEBINARS Volume 11, Issue 9
September 2015
PRESIDENT John R. Taggart jrtag@talentmgt.com
EDITORIAL DESIGNER Anna Jo Beck abeck@talentmgt.com
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE SERVICES Gwen Connelly gwen@talentmgt.com
WEB COORDINATOR Sam Dietzmann sdietzmann@talentmgt.com
VICE PRESIDENT, CFO, COO Kevin Simpson ksimpson@talentmgt.com
MEDIA MANAGER Ashley Flora aflora@talentmgt.com
VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHER Clifford Capone ccapone@talentmgt.com
VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS Trey Smith tsmith@talentmgt.com
VICE PRESIDENT, EDITOR IN CHIEF Mike Prokopeak mikep@talentmgt.com
EVENT CONTENT MANAGER Ashley (Wynne) Collins awynne@talentmgt.com
GROUP EDITOR/ASSOCIATE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kellye Whitney kwhitney@talentmgt.com
EVENT CONTENT COORDINATOR Brittany Brady bbrady@talentmgt.com
MANAGING EDITOR Rick Bell rbell@talentmgt.com
WEBCAST COORDINATOR Alec O’Dell aodell@talentmgt.com
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR James Tehrani jtehrani@talentmgt.com SENIOR EDITORS Frank Kalman fkalman@talentmgt.com Ladan Nikravan lnikravan@talentmgt.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS Lauren Dixon ldixon@talentmgt.com Kate Everson keverson@talentmgt.com Sarah Sipek ssipek@talentmgt.com
BUSINESS MANAGER Vince Czarnowski vince@talentmgt.com REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS Derek Graham dgraham@talentmgt.com Marc Katz mkatz@talentmgt.com Daniella Weinberg dweinberg@talentmgt.com DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & EVENTS Kevin Fields kfields@talentmgt.com
COPY EDITOR Frannie Sprouls fsprouls@talentmgt.com
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Cindy Cardinal ccardinal@talentmgt.com
EDITORIAL INTERN Elyse Samuels asamuels@talentmgt.com
DIGITAL SPECIALIST Lauren Lynch llynch@talentmgt.com
VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH & ADVISORY SERVICES Sarah Kimmel skimmel@talentmgt.com
MARKETING MANAGER Taylar Ramsey tramsey@talentmgt.com
RESEARCH MANAGER Tim Harnett tharnett@talentmgt.com
MARKETING ASSOCIATE Max Mihelich mmihelich@talentmgt.com
RESEARCH ANALYST Grey Litaker clitaker@talentmgt.com
LIST MANAGER Mike Rovello hcmlistrentals@infogroup.com
TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN MANAGER Cheryl Myers cmyers@talentmgt.com
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Melanie Lee mlee@talentmgt.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nancy Flemm nflemm@talentmgt.com
LEAD GENERATION ADMINISTRATOR Nick Safir nsafir@talentmgt.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Beverly Kaye Christopher J. Metzler Alex Pascal Eric Rafat Marcia Reynolds Elyse Samuels
Richard Butler Lauren Dixon Elizabeth A. Falcone Jac Fitz-enz
Sarah Fister Gale Marshall Goldsmith Jane Brodie Gregory Sharon Jordan-Evans
JOHN R. TAGGART President
GWEN CONNELLY Executive Vice President
Maggie Sass Sarah Sipek Andrés T. Tapia Amy Whyte
FREE LIVE
ONLINE EVENTS
Why We Need More Romance in Business Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 3 PM ET AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND Aired Wednesday, Aug. 12
The Future of Recruiting: Global Talent Acquisition Aired Wednesday, Aug. 5
Finding the Fuel to Energize Your Performance Management Strategy
Kevin D. Wilde
KEVIN A. SIMPSON Chief Financial Officer Chief Operating Officer
NORMAN B. KAMIKOW Co-founder (1943-2014) EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jim Bowles Vice President, BTS USA Daniel S. Bowling III Managing Principal, Positive Workplace Solutions Doug Castor Vice President of Talent Acquisition,WellPoint Chris Cutone Senior Vice President, Talent Director, McCann Erickson Kate DCamp Senior Executive Adviser, Cisco Systems John DiBenedetto Chief People Officer, General Parts International Inc. Jac Fitz-enz Founder and CEO, Human Capital Source Jim Gillece Chief People Officer, AlliedBarton Security Services
Beverly Kaye Chief Executive Officer, Career Systems International MaryAnn Miller Chief Human Resources Officer, Avnet Inc. Matthew T. Peters Vice Deputy Director for Human Capital, Defense Intelligence Agency Matt Schuyler Chief Human Resources Officer, Hilton Hotels Gail Thakarar Chief Human Resources Officer, IntegraMed Jeff Tritt Chief Talent Officer, Resource Interactive Kevin D. Wilde Vice President, Chief Learning Officer, General Mills Bouvier Williams Founder and President, Your Personal Brand Solution
Talent Management magazine (ISSN 2333-1208) is published monthly by MediaTec Publishing Inc., 318 Harrison Street, Suite 301, Oakland, CA 94607. Periodicals Class Postage paid at Oakland, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Talent Management magazine, P.O. Box 8712, Lowell, MA 01853. Subscriptions are free to qualified professionals within the U.S. and Canada. Nonqualified paid subscriptions are available at the subscription price of $195 for 12 issues. All countries outside the U.S. and Canada must be prepaid in U.S. funds with an additional $33 postage surcharge. Single copy price is $29.95.
Talent Management and talentmgt. com are the trademarks of MediaTec Publishing Inc. Copyright © 2015, MediaTec Publishing Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of material published in Talent Management magazine is forbidden without permission. Printed by: Quad/Graphics, Sussex, WI
Available live on airdate and on-demand for one year after unless otherwise specified. Check them out today and keep the education going!
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CONTENTS 20
Special Report: HR Technology Sarah Sipek
With the Affordable Care Act seemingly at a point of no repeal, benefits managers must now place their focus on finding the right technology to manage the process.
24 28
Love or Lose Your Senior Talent Sharon Jordan-Evans and Beverly Kaye
Older workers still bring value to the workplace. Use these strategies to keep them around.
Put Technology In, Coach Jane Brodie Gregory, Alex Pascal and Maggie Sass
Professional coaching’s effectiveness is increasingly dependent on its integration with technology. Are you prepared?
32
Cleaning Up ‘Dirty Jobs’ Lauren Dixon
Being a truck driver or garbage handler is seldom considered a dream job. Here’s how talent managers can go about filling such low-demand positions.
38
ON THE COVER CASE STUDY:
Boeing Takes Flight Sarah Fister Gale
To mend a persistent skills gap, the aerospace manufacturer developed a program to directly influence students’ learning with its leaders.
8
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
| people | practice | insights |
September 2015: Volume 11, Issue 9
PEOPLE
PRACTICE
10
16
SENSING SPACES Office Space ROI Lauren Dixon
Meet the latest technology takeover.
10
12
Firms Boost HR Tech Spending
Half of talent managers say their companies’ spending on HR technology grew year over year.
CAREER ADVICE Landing That First Job Eric Rafat
18
DATA POINT Job Standstill? A majority of workers won’t seek a new job in 2015.
19
READ & REACT Training Complete — So What? Richard Butler
Companies can’t rely solely on completed programs.
14
DASHBOARD Elyse Samuels
Use these tips to get that first gig.
11
INSIGHTS
45
LEADING EDGE Ready for the Next Corporate Disaster? Jac Fitz-enz
58
OPINION Mastering Mind Expansion
INTERVIEW
Marcia Reynolds
Hire Power
WORKING KNOWLEDGE Be a Master of Timing
Staffing firms are going to be keeping busy for quite a while, says recruiting executive Tom Gimbel.
Lauren Dixon
Kevin D. Wilde
SPECIAL SECTION Why Diversity Programs Fail, Look to the East for Gender Equality; The CEO-CDO Partnership
62
Marshall Goldsmith
RESOURCES
4
Editor’s Letter Find Your Road to Character
61
ON THE WEB at TalentMgt.com Meet Our ‘Pyschology at Work’ Blogger Dan Bowling, an expert on the science of well-being and work, discusses how to boost talent development with a better understanding of human behavior and psychology. talentmgt.com/PsychatWork
FULL POTENTIAL Belief Triggers That Stop Behavioral Change
Advertisers’ Index
CORRECTION: In July 2015’s “Race and Colorism Alive and Too Well” (p. 49) and in August 2015’s correction, Eric Garner’s name was incorrectly spelled.
Are you a part of the Talent Management Network? twitter.com/TalentMgtMag
| people | practice | insights |
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talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
9
PEOPLE
Sensing Spaces Get the office space ROI By Lauren Dixon
YOUR CAREER
How to Land That Elusive First HR Job
So you’ve decided to pursue human resources as a career. Now it’s time to figure out how to get that first gig. Here are tips to help you get there:
PHOTO COURTESY OF CONDECO SENSE
Meet the latest technology to take over
your office: the desk sensor. As real estate costs weigh heavily on firms’ bottom lines, it has become ever more important for executives to measure the value of their office spaces.
Enter Condeco Sense, a workplace occupancy sensor that tracks space utilization. “Desk utilization in the U.S. averages around 35 percent, and it peaks around 60 to 61 percent,” said John Anderson, chief revenue officer of Condeco Software, which makes the sensor. “It’s important to really understand how your space is being used.” The Condeco Sense resembles a large computer mouse and sends out pulses to track space use. For each seat in an office — each cubicle, conference room chair, private office space, etc. — a sensor, which detects heat and movement, is placed indicating if that space is being occupied. The battery-operated device then collects that information every few seconds and sends the data to a wireless router. As sensors proliferate an office over time, a company can then see how their office space is used. But how much use is necessary for a good return on investment? Anderson said this all depends on a company’s culture. One company might demand 100 percent space utilization, while another might think it’s important to always have space available. Economically speaking, Anderson said an office should see 70-plus percent utilization. Think space utilization isn’t important? Think again. Anderson gave an example of a large multimedia company (he declined to name the firm) that considered adding a new floor to its office to accommodate 400 incoming employees. But after installing sensors at six locations, the company found it could actually consolidate and save more than $12 million in real estate costs per year.
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talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
Build experience. This can be as simple as volunteering in HR departments of local charities in your neighborhood. It is a win-win situation for both parties. You get to help out while building your experience, and they get to have more momentum toward their cause. Gain skills. If you have a degree that is totally unrelated, think of doing a post-graduate degree with a cooperative option in local colleges. These programs will provide the foundation and the necessary knowledge to be able to practice. Work in recruiting. Working at a recruiting agency is a good way to build hands-on experience. However, it may not be suited for all, as some environments can be too sales driven. Establish a personal brand. Personal branding is how you present yourself both online and offline. Consider having a polished online presence, including a professional picture, and ensure you’re presenting your best possible self. Get social. Get on the Twitter bandwagon. Let’s not write about that awesome party you went to but rather what the latest trends are in the field you’re interested in. Start a blog. Start writing on practices, tips and insights. HR requires such a wide variety of skills, including presentation and writing, both in analytical and business voice. Attend industry events. Start the conversation by saying, “How can I help you?” rather than “What do you do?” This gives a different tone to the conversation. Being involved in the local HR community is good, but you also have to step out of it to gain more valuable connections. Understand the big picture. Learn how to demonstrate and understand how HR can add value to organizations. Whether it’s increasing retention or reducing recruitment cost, you need to know how it affects the bottom line. Eric Rafat founder and CEO, Keyobi
Want to share career advice for talent managers in a future issue of the magazine? Submit a 300-word response to editor@talentmgt.com.
| PEOPLE | practice | insights |
PEOPLE
Web Spotlight An inside look at some of the content featured on talentmgt.com. EXTRA CANDIDATE INSIGHT FOUND IN PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS Personality assessments can help reveal where a job candidate would best fit. Watch the video here: talentmgt.com/ CandidateAssessment
HIRING TALENT WITH A SHORT SHELF LIFE To hire the right candidate, the process needs to be speedy enough that the competition won’t beat you to the punch, writes blogger Dan Campbell. Read the blog here: talentmgt.com/ShelfLife
CREATE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN EVERY JOB Blogger Aubrey Daniels addresses the best practices in the office help you get noticed and promoted, such as supporting your co-workers. Read the blog here: talentmgt.com/Growth
NEW GRADUATES RENEGE JOB OFFERS Recent graduates are offered more jobs than previous years, but this means turning down offers. Recruiters now face the challenge of offering jobs while expecting more rejection. Watch the video here: talentmgt.com/JobOffers
BUYING INTO CULTURE New research from Fortune Knowledge Group and ad agency gyro shows that companies are more likely to work with those that have a strong culture, writes editor Lauren Dixon. Read the blog here: talentmgt.com/StrongCulture
| PEOPLE | practice | insights |
DATA POINT Job Standstill?
65%
62% Employed adults in the U.S. who said it was unlikely they would seek a new job opportunity this year.
Employed adults who said they are unlikely to relocate for a new position if they took one.
Source: American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor, 2015
Voice of the Reader Is it time to ditch the concept of labeling talent high potential in favor of a more comprehensive leadership development company culture?
@marcharvey:
Developing talent isn’t sustainable with a one-size-fits-all strategy. It needs to be intentionally customized to reap max ROI.
@michelemulieri:
Yes! We need to create leaders at all levels to create a leadership pipeline and move the company forward.
Mark Pringle:
I think the problem is one of how well we do it and explain ourselves rather than the label we give it. Change the definition, and you will still have the same problem, only called by a different name. If you have a “talent” department, you can’t keep your work secret or in the dark! Hardly good leadership role modelling. ... Transparency builds trust, [and] may need some difficult conversations, but at least people know where they stand. [The] program should also be flexible and agile to allow for false positives to be removed and false negatives to be enrolled on programs moving forward. Just because it’s hard does not mean it can’t be done!
What do you think? Join the discussion at tinyurl.com/ditchHiPo or follow us on Twitter @TalentMgtMag.
talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
11
PEOPLE
They’ve Completed the Training … So What?
Companies depend on the quantitative data from their training completion reports for various reasons. First, the completions indicate which employees enrolled and when they completed it.
@angiehubert:
Managers benefit from completion reports by knowing they can hold their employees accountable for the information covered in the training. Completions can also be considered to be a prerequisite to the evaluation process.
@genepease7:
From a company’s perspective, completions are tied to the employee’s performance. However, companies cannot — and should not — rely solely on training completions. If companies want their training completions to mean more to “the bottom line,” then their training departments should focus on the completeness of the training delivered to employees.
Start with focus on learning design and experience and not just the subject matter
Companies should consider the following issues and related questions: • Consumption: Will they experience everything that was intended for them to see? • Compliance: Will they agree with the information covered? • Comprehension: Will they understand the information covered? • Competence: Will they be able to perform the objectives covered? • Confidence: Will they perform those objectives with little or no difficulty? • Creation: Will they have opportunities to use their new knowledge and skills post-training? • Coaching: Will they need any reinforcement at a later time?
What do you think? Richard Butler
associate director of training design AT&T University
12
For more, go to tinyurl.com/LifeAfterTraining
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
Use analytics tools to tie training objectives to cascaded performance goals and business outcomes
Align the training with business outcomes, then measure to test if successful, adjust initiative and repeat.
@learnchamp:
Larry Brower
This question underscores the benefit of such tools as 360-assessment used both pre-training and post-training. This approach helps participants’ managers and other stakeholders reinforce the real-world display of new and different behaviors that have been learned by training participants. To me, this is where the rubber hits the road.
Jacque Vilet
If training isn’t applied regularly in the workplace, the knowledge gained will likely be forgotten. In my opinion, that is why having a large training effort for all first-line managers companywide (for instance) is useless. Ninety percent go back to their jobs with no application to reinforce the learning. Real training takes planning between the trainers and managers of participants to agree on how to use that learning and track and rate that new learning. And training needs to be given on a particular skill/competency only for those employees who need it in their current job. It’s almost training on demand.
Roberto Guandique
What I have observed in most of the companies that I have provided professional training, is that the professionals — once they have finished the training — do not have the opportunity to apply the newly acquired learning into their functions. This is because his/her “ecosystem” continues being the same, doing the same things with the same tools, no changes in career planning and being managed the same way. All these issues make the evaluation of training effectiveness very difficult. Organizations need to do better strategic planning of “what” is needed to accomplish their revenue objectives and sustain growth. People within the right environment accomplish the strategic objectives. They are one of the “how” of growth achievement. What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn at talentmgt.com/ LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter @TalentMgtMag.
| PEOPLE | practice | insights |
magazine presents
@workforcenews #WFFOCUS15
DESIGNING Ayesha Khalid,
surgeon scientist and innovator, MIT Hacking Medicine
the Future of Health Care #MedTech Done Right
Health care delivery has been slow to adopt the digital experience for patients. We need to start designing digital health for patients, and build sustainable business models that use technology effectively to keep ourselves healthy. Join us Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, @ 1:15 p.m. for this insightful keynote and many more sessions, discussions and networking opportunities this fall!
ter NOV. 9, 2015 Regis y! THE RITZ-CARLTON, toda BOSTON COMMON For more information and to register, please visit:
WORKFORCEFOCUS.COM Partners:
Underwriters:
LEADING EDGE Jac Fitz-enz
Ready for the Next Corporate Disaster? Notable corporate disaster stories carry valuable lessons for talent managers. Recent history has given share dropped from 35 percent to 8 percent This has happened to some corporations. It human resources a primer on how to make a bad situation worse as well as how to recover quickly when disaster strikes.
In 1979, the nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, came close to exploding. The event started when a control valve became stuck open, allowing dangerous coolant to escape while a light on the system’s control panel indicated the valve as closed. As a result, the operators didn’t correctly diagnose the problem for several hours. Metropolitan Edison, the company managing the plant, therefore gave out incomplete and inaccurate information to Pennsylvania’s governor, who informed the surrounding citizens that the area was generally safe. In fact, a significant amount of radioactive gases and radioactive iodine had leaked to
almost overnight. Yet within a couple of years, because of J&J’s quick and thorough action and follow-up communications, Tylenol became the most popular over-thecounter analgesic in the United States.
Then, in 1994, computer maker Intel’s Pentium system had a floating-point flaw. But Intel claimed it wasn’t serious and would not affect most users. Eventually, because of public pressure, Intel offered to replace processors only to those users who could prove that they were affected. On Jan. 17, 1995, Intel announced a pre-tax charge of $475 million against earnings, seemingly the total cost associated with the flawed processor replacements. Finally, in July of this year, Katherine Archuleta, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, was forced to resign.
Delays only allow the situation to worsen and public relations to suffer. the environment, making it very much unsafe. When the truth emerged, the incident changed people’s attitudes toward nuclear power for decades. In 1982, a number of bottles of Tylenol were laced with cyanide, causing several deaths in the Chicago area. When investigators determined the cause, Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Tylenol, immediately recalled about 31 million bottles with a retail value of $100 million. The company also offered to exchange all Tylenol capsules already purchased by the public with solid tablets. Tylenol’s market 14
This was driven by the fact that starting in late 2014 more than 25 million employee records were hacked, with the problem still unsolved. Archuleta had been director of OPM since November 2013. This was another case where management’s response to a disaster was ineffective. These examples point to a lesson: When faced with a major problem with public implications, management must respond quickly and openly. Delays only allow the situation to worsen and public relations to suffer. How would you react, for instance, if hackers gained access to your employee database?
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
most likely will happen again. I presume your system has built-in defenses. Have you engaged an outside group of experts to try to break in? Do you have a disaster recovery plan in place if someone does get through? Have you tested it by engaging an outside firm to attempt to hack your system? If you only run in-house checks, you are fooling yourself. You don’t know malicious outsiders’ motivations, which can help them find ways past your firewalls that your systems experts would not have thought workable. How would you handle the accidental death of one or more employees? This could occur by accident or by malicious acts of outsiders. What are you prepared to do if an employee is killed by an internal accident? It could be as simple as falling down a flight of stairs. It could be coming home from a company party where alcohol was served. How about planned attacks? In your wildest imagination, what type of person or persons would want to do your company and your people harm? The most obvious one would be an ex-employee. There have been well-publicized cases within the past year where angry people with real or imagined grievances have attacked executives as well as rank-and-file personnel. You have a legal department and outside counsel to protect you from lawsuits. What do you have to protect your organization from physical and criminal acts? The world has become a very dangerous place. Be prepared. Be honest if it happens. Be correct with what you say, and respond as rapidly as possible. Jac Fitz-enz is the founder and CEO of the Human Capital Source and The Predictive Initiative. To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
| PEOPLE | practice | insights |
magazine presents
@workforcenews #WFFOCUS15
A Better Way to Talk About
BENEFITS Communicating Benefits to Employees Based Upon Generation and Life Cycle
Featuring new research and insights to help you make better decisions on how to best market your employee benefits to employees of each generation. Join us Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, @ 8:30 a.m. for this insightful keynote and many more sessions, discussions and networking opportunities this fall!
Dan Schawbel, New York Times bestselling author, founder of WorkplaceTrends.com and Millennial Branding
ter NOV. 9, 2015 s i g e R ! THE RITZ-CARLTON, today BOSTON COMMON
For more information and to register, please visit:
WORKFORCEFOCUS.COM Partners:
Underwriters:
///DASHBOARD///
FIRMS BOOST HR TECH SPENDING Half of talent managers say their companies’ spending on HR technology grew year over year. By Elyse Samuels
H
uman resources practitioners are opening up their wallets for new technology. But they’re also heavily scrutinizing the new technologies being offered.
A little more than half of HR practitioners say their companies’ spending on HR technology has grown this year compared with the prior year, according to a survey by the Human Capital Media Advisory Group, the research arm of Talent Management magazine (Figure 1). The survey, conducted in March, polled 127 HR professionals from companies of various sizes and industries. About 43 percent of respondents were director level or above, and 85 percent of participating organizations are located in the United States. Roughly 54 percent of survey participants were from organizations of fewer than 1,000 employees, while 15 percent were from organizations of more than 10,000. Additionally, 40 percent of participating organizations were located in one country and location; 9.2 percent have multiple locations across the globe.
HR practitioners in the survey said they have several different types of technologies at their disposal. With a new and changing market, HR professionals must decide which technologies are worthy of investment. For example, according to the survey, companies use HR software regarding workforce management, recruiting, learning management, performance management, analytics, compensation management, wellness, succession planning, collaboration, onboarding, workforce planning, talent management and mobile. The survey shows that 58 percent of HR respondents currently do not have plans to invest in wellness software technology, 16
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
though 14 percent said they plan to purchase and 27 percent said they already use it. The second-least popular technology area is succession planning. While more than half of respondents said they do not currently have and have no future plans to invest in succession planning software, about 20 percent already do and 23 percent plan to in the future (Figure 2). About 39 percent of companies reported they plan to purchase mobile HR software. Mobile is the area most HR practitioners said they are likely to purchase in the near future, according to the survey. After mobile, 37 percent of respondents said they would purchase talent management suite software, and 31 percent said they plan to use performance management software. Overall, respondents reported that they found usefulness in most of the technology they use. According to the survey,
FIGURE 1: HR Tech Spending What is your spending on HR technology like this year compared with last year?
51% 7%
42 %
■ Growing ■ Declining ■ Flat
Source: Human Capital Media Advisory Group, 2015
| people | PRACTICE | insights |
///DASHBOARD///
about half of respondents said HR systems provide data to help them make better talent management decisions. Many in HR are proficient at using most HR technology. According to the survey, just 23 percent of respondents reported the HR staff at their organization lacks the skills and expertise needed to use these HR technologies effectively, while nearly 77 percent agreed that their staff had the right skills and experience (Figure 3). While most HR practitioners surveyed said they weren’t likely to replace, reimplement or upgrade their current core technology system, about a quarter said they were and 13 percent said they were very likely to do so in the next three years (Figure 4). Moving forward, many practitioners say their companies are still exploring the idea of implementing more broad-based cloud technology, where data are stored not in a physical server on-site but through an Internet-based system. Benefits include lower costs, easy usage and simple management. Roughly 28 percent of respondents said they plan to purchase cloud-based software services in the next year, and 30 percent said they were still considering the option. When asked what the top motivations are for using cloudbased software services, half of respondents said cost savings was their first priority. Priorities were ranked, in descending order, as accessibility, moving on to improved productivity, easier upgrades, data recovery resilience, mobility, scalability, IT security, agility and boosts collaboration. Overall, HR technology providers are already accomplishing a great deal for their employees. About half of organizations that participated in the survey said they were satisfied with their HR technology providers; just 20 percent said they were not. Organizations said they consider a variety of factors when looking for an HR technology vendor. Roughly 43 percent of companies said they value “best fit” as the most important factor in the decision-making process, 17 percent said cost was the most important factor, and 15 percent chose data security as their top priority, according to the survey. Additionally, 7 percent chose scalability as their top characteristic, and 7 percent said ease of use was their most important deciding factor. Elyse Samuels is a Talent Management editorial intern. To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com..
| people | PRACTICE | insights |
FIGURE 2: HR Software What kinds of HR software do you currently use? Wellness software Succession planning
59%
14%
27%
Collaboration software
52%
23% 24%
50%
21% 29%
Onboarding
The works
56%
23% 20%
27%
Workforce planning
46% 27% 39%
27% 27%
Talent management suite
39% 37%
24%
Mobile
26%
35% 38%
■ Have no plans to invest in this software ■ Plan to purchase ■ Already use this Source: Human Capital Media Advisory Group, 2015
Skills and Expertise FIGURE 3: Skills and Expertise At my organization, the HR staff has the skills/expertise necessary to use our HR technology effectively.
Agree
77%
24%
Disagree
Source: Human Capital Media Advisory Group, 2015
FIGURE 4: Current Tech System Are you likely to replace, upgrade or re-implement your core HR platform in the next three years? ■ Very likely ■ Likely ■ Not Likely ■ Will not
13%
25%
47%
14%
Note: Percentages might not add to 100 because of rounding. Source: Human Capital Media Advisory Group, 2015
talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
17
OPINION Marcia Reynolds
Mastering Mind Expansion People managers who expand the minds of others are vital in today’s growing and complex organizations. A significant but overlooked responsibility of a leader is to develop the minds of others.
I don’t mean giving people more information and teaching them new skills. To prepare employees to deal with an increasingly complex, uncertain and volatile future, leaders should be able to ask questions that prompt people to question themselves, to expand the limits of habitual thinking, and to break through the constructs that define who they are today so they can be more tomorrow. In short, leaders who expand the minds of others keep the organization alive. This mind-expansion skill not only is essential for preparing the workforce for the changes the future will require but also important for filling the leadership pipeline. Vibrant, sustainable companies have a full pipeline of mentally developed leaders. Organizations where leaders are able to respectfully challenge the thinking and expand the perspective of others keep the company agile and the leadership pipeline flowing and strong. How can leaders master this skill? Helping people think for themselves means the leader is primarily using a coaching approach in problem-solving conversations. However, a specific form of listening and coaching is needed when people are trapped seeing things in a certain way, or they are resisting looking at their situation differently.
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they act, they might feel sad, embarrassed or angry. The leader needs to be able to stay centered, breathe and let people process their experience to allow the discomfort to pass.
Then, feel compassion and a genuine desire for people to grow to open your heart. Say the word courage to yourself and breathe it deeply into your belly to open your gut.
How do you listen so you know what to ask to change people’s minds?
Do this before you speak, breathe in and open all three centers. The caring and courageous words you speak from your head, heart and gut might confuse, embarrass or make people angry. Then they grow.
The powerful questions that change people’s mind emerge when you listen to your intuition. When researching my book on this topic, I found that using your intuition means listening with your entire nervous system, including your heart and gut as well as your brain.
Even though it is uncomfortable, this coaching approach does more than expand people’s views of themselves and the world. It is an important way of connecting with others at a
Mind expansion is important not only for preparing the workforce but also for filling the leadership pipeline. Most of us don’t commonly do this because we listen with our chatty, judgmental, censuring brain, which drowns out what is going on in the rest of the nervous system. When you learn how to read the signals from your heart and gut, you access the critical data you need to fully comprehend what is going on in the complex humans you are talking to.
Leaders need to hear beyond the words to discover the assumptions, attachments, fears and desires creating the blind spots and blocks.
From your head, you hear their assumptions and beliefs that frame their version of the story. From your heart, you hear what they desire, why they feel cheated or disappointed and why they are cynical. From your gut, you hear what they are afraid of, including what they are attached to.
Also, leaders need to be comfortable with discomfort in conversations. When people who are being coached finally realize how they are sabotaging their success, or they recognize that what they want is inconsistent with how
To access your intuition, you need to feel grounded in the present moment and visualize opening all the centers in your neural network. Use curiosity to open your mind.
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
deeper level — a level where you see a deeper humanity in the person who you’re with. In return, they feel seen, heard and understood. How does the younger generation respond? A good way of retaining young top talent is to listen to them and trust they can figure things out when you ask them good questions. They are asking for coaching. They appreciate the leader who listens and challenges them to be and see more than they do now. All leaders should be developing leaders. This includes expanding their minds and skills. Leaders who master discomfort-zone conversations are vital to an organization’s ongoing success. Marcia Reynolds is the author of “The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations Into Breakthroughs.” To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
| people | PRACTICE | insights |
Kevin D. Wilde WORKING KNOWLEDGE
Be a Master of Timing As in life and talent management, timing is everything. Learn to be a master timer to get the most of your talent initiatives. The novice entertainer was granted a five-min-
bring up a new idea, when to schedule a meeting and when to send out an email request. Call it political savvy or just plain street smarts. As an executive coach once told me that knowing the “buzz” about you and your team is critical in judging the amount of credibility and influence you have to propose something new.
There was no response from the comedian. After a few uncomfortable minutes, there was a knock at the door announcing time was up. An assistant entered the room and escorted the now confused and frustrated novice out of the room. As the door started to close, the novice heard the voice of the master comedian suddenly shout out: “Timing!”
Product Readiness
ute encounter with the master comedian. Ushered into the star’s private dressing room prior to the evening show, he bumbled through his one and only question: “Sir, what I really want to know is, what is the secret of telling jokes?”
Waiting until the perfect, risk-free moment is a fantasy in this fast-paced world of business. Timing is critical to the world of entertainment — and equally important to talent management. Excellence in talent management is providing a steady supply of the right talent, for the right roles, ready at the right time. Nothing is more satisfying than getting the timing right. But go too early or too late and the joke is on you. Premature launches solicit unnecessary resistance or apathy, quickly getting disposed into the dustbin as “another waste of time by our human resources department.” But waiting until the perfect, riskfree moment to start a new initiative is a fantasy of timid souls in this fast-paced, ever-changing world of business. In my career, I’ve been the novice timer more than I would care to admit. At times, I moved too quickly with what excited me but not the organization, or reacted too slowly to make a difference. Over time, I improved by watching and learning from the masters of timing in my organization. The best teachers were often sales professionals or skillful research and development product advocates. The best ones displayed excellence in situational scanning, product readiness and personal preparation.
Situational Scanning
Master timers are constantly scanning the environment for what is going on in the company, especially with key stakeholders. They are consciously reaching out to senior leaders to know what’s on their minds. Because of this, these people know when it’s a good or bad time to | people | PRACTICE | insights |
The second master timer practice is judging if the new talent proposal is “ready for prime-time.” The novice may prematurely launch a talent product or delay with needless over-engineering. The master avoids both extremes by first assessing the minimum capabilities necessary for a solid launch. Some innovations just need a “lean startup” approach, where a small pilot is tested in part of the organization, and then a series of rapid adjustments are made until the product is proven and ready to go to scale throughout the organization. On the other hand, circumstances may dictate the level of risk is too high to try anything until the new talent product is more thoroughly designed. This is especially true with new global talent products. With either rapid introduction or slow build, the master timer has a finely tuned sense of what degree of product readiness is necessary for success.
Personal Preparation
The final dimension is personal by requiring the innovation champion to be ready for the demands of courageous leadership. Anything with meaningful impact will generate a good deal of resistance and challenge. Even when the right situation presents itself and the innovation is quite ready, the novice falls short by being overcommitted, overconfident or underprepared for what’s ahead. Master timers, on the other hand, are up for the challenge. By making the tough choices of prioritization, they have adequate time and personal energy to shepherd the new idea. Having done the homework well, they display confidence and internal fortitude to stay focused. Yet the master possesses the humility to be open to learn and adjust when necessary. In all, mastering timing may be one of the most critical capabilities. Consider fine-tuning your sense of timing by investing in the habit of situational scanning, product readiness and personal preparation.
Kevin D. Wilde is the vice president and chief learning officer at General Mills and author of “Dancing With the Talent Stars.” To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
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SPECIAL REPORT
HR Technology
Tech Benefits With the Affordable Care Act seemingly at a point of no repeal, benefits managers must now place their focus on finding the right technology to manage the process. By Sarah Sipek
O
n June 25 in a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that millions of Americans will retain their right to receive federal health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
“There were some people that kept hoping the ACA is going to go away,” said Scott Kirschner, director of benefits strategy at Iron Mountain Inc., an enterprise information management services company headquartered in Boston. “I think that some other companies woke up and For employers, this meant that any hope of avoiding realized it’s 2015 and they have to do this in a year, so the bevy of reporting required by provisions such as they have to get going.” the employer mandate, individual mandates and the pending excise tax, known as the “Cadillac tax” was As a result, many benefits managers have turned to lost. Employers must continue to work to comply with technology. The same Guardian survey found that ACA legislation. 47 percent of companies with more than 1,000 employees intended to outsource some portion of their benefits “Employers and individuals alike will be able to continue administration processes in the next year. Companies their planning for ACA compliance now knowing all ex- with fewer than 1,000 employees aren’t far behind, with changes will be treated the same,” said Gary Kushner, 30 percent intending to do the same, the survey said. president and CEO of Kushner & Co., a Michigan-based benefits consulting firm. “It also means that the em- But compliance isn’t their only concern. Employers are ployer responsibility provisions of the ACA will be unaf- also demonstrating a renewed interest in helping their fected. Any employer holding back on their planning in employees make better benefits decisions. On a anticipation that the Court would overturn some or all of 10-point scale, the Guardian survey found that employthe ACA should get started immediately.” ers ranked helping employees make better benefits decisions at 7.5 and providing benefits education at 5.8. If they weren’t before, employee benefits managers are now very much on the hot seat. Even though the legislation is five years old, many still feel underprepared to comply with the ACA’s upcoming deadlines.
ON THE WEB For more insight and analysis on HR technology, visit talentmgt.com/ HRTech2015.
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According to a 2015 Guardian Workplace Benefits Study, even though 61 percent of employers surveyed reported that they understood the importance of preparing for the post-health care reform era, only 40 percent felt they had successfully prepared to meet the ACA’s mandates.
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
‘There were some people that kept hoping the ACA is going to go away. I think that some other companies woke up and realized it’s 2015 and they have to do this in a year, so they have to get going.’
—Scott Kirschner, director of benefits strategy, Iron Mountain Inc. | people | practice | insights |
HR Technology
SPECIAL REPORT
For Ben Jackson, executive director of health and wel- Obey the ACA fare benefits at telecommunications firm AT&T Inc., The two most pressing issues that human resources these two goals can be achieved by creating an engag- technology can solve for a benefits manager is helping accurately count full-time employees and subsequently ing benefits platform. offering employees health insurance coverage that “A key tenet for benefits, particularly on our health care meets the affordability test under the ACA legislation, team, is that we want our participant experience and our said Jayson Saba, the vice president of strategy and inemployee experience to align very closely with our core dustry relations at Ceridian, a human resources softfunction as a company,” Jackson said. “That means ware provider headquartered in Minneapolis. that we want to connect people to their benefits, and we want to leverage our core tech to enable that to create a The employer mandate states that all businesses with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees must offer frictionless, effortless experience.” affordable health care insurance to at least 95 percent Finding a balance between designed platforms that en- of their full-time employees and dependents up to age gage employees to make benefits decisions and the ne- 26 or pay a fine. Affordable health insurance is defined cessity of a technology that can handle ACA compli- as coverage costing less than 9.5 percent of an employee’s gross annual income. ance is the biggest challenge for benefits managers.
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talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
21
SPECIAL REPORT
HR Technology
The problem with achieving this goal, however, is that it requires payroll and benefits — areas of a company that are typically separate functions — to work together. “Benefits and HR are tasked with working on long-term planning and making the employer a good employer of choice — all the sexy stuff that we hear about at the conferences we attend,” Saba said. “They don’t want to deal with the nuts and bolts of hours worked and tax filings. But with the ACA, there is no offshoring of that responsibility and getting away from that burden and putting it on payroll. HR, benefits and payroll have to work together.”
Because typical HR tech vendors are not equipped to integrate tasks across departments, they partner with smaller specialty companies to try and fill in the gaps.
Typical vendors are not equipped to seamlessly integrate tasks that cross department lines, Saba said. To compensate, they partner with smaller, specialty companies to try and fill in the gaps. Saba cited the partnership between Kronos Inc., which has strong time and attendance software, and ADP, which specializes at tax filing. Unfortunately, when benefits managers attempt to patch together different products themselves, the result is often ineffective and expensive. Iron Mountain, for instance, partnered with health care tech firm bswift to handle its compliance issues, Kirschner said. Its product provides the integration Saba and Leonard describe while also producing the necessary 1094-c and 1095-c forms that must be filed with the IRS to prove that health insurance was offered. In speaking with colleagues in the industry, Kirschner said he has found the biggest complaint to be the high cost of having to use separate vendors for each part of the reporting process.
“Their existing benefit administrator is not going to be able to accommodate them, so they’re having to look at stand-alone solutions, and some of the stand-alone solutions are really expensive,” Kirschner said. “Some of my colleagues are paying upwards of $200,000 for a That means if an employee crosses the 30-hour-a- solution. We pay a tenth of that using a single vendor.” week threshold that defines a full-time employees, payroll needs to alert the benefits manager so that an Furthermore, employers can accrue fines of up to affordable health care policy can be offered to the em- $3,000 per employee for incorrectly filling forms with ployee. Benefits must then communicate the plan se- the IRS. lection to payroll to ensure that the appropriate amount of money is deducted from the employee’s check each The industry seems to agree with Kirschner that fewer pay period, Saba said. vendors are the way to go. According to the Guardian survey, 58 percent of companies with more than Achieving this goal requires a nimble technology soft- 1,000 employees are reducing carriers to cut costs and ware that is able to integrate payroll, time and labor improve efficiencies. data; leave of absence data; and then health plan data, said Gerry Leonard, president of benefits services at HR Not Just a Pretty Face Once benefits managers have gotten the government benefits firm ADP. off their backs, their focus can turn to helping employ“A robust solution will run through weekly payroll fees and ees get the best health insurance. At AT&T, this begins automatically figure out who is eligible for benefits,” with providing employees with technology that allows Leonard said. “It then takes those eligible for benefits easy access to the company’s health care portals rethrough a process reviews absence data and all of their gardless of where the employee is based. ‘look back’ data. If they’re still eligible for benefits, it will direct employees to a tool that will help them make a AT&T currently has 240,000 employees — a number that plan decision. If they’re not eligible for benefits, they will will likely reach 300,000 now that the Federal Communications Commission approved its merger with DirecTV. be given the option to move off into public exchanges.”
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talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
| people | practice | insights |
HR Technology
SPECIAL REPORT
With employees spread out across 56 countries, Jack- what’s going to help drive a little bit more efficiency in son needed software that met a variety of needs. the health care space going forward.” “The way that we interact with them is going to be different and on different timelines,” Jackson said. “What we’re very focused on in benefits is unlocking the necessary channels to engage employees. Whether that’s company portals, intranet sites or an app, we want to meet people where their preferred ways of interacting with their programs are best optimized. We have a multichannel approach, and we’ve leveraged that tech where we can in order to meet that employee need.”
The app itself is built to resemble an Amazon.com online shopping experience, Jackson said. Employees can pick and choose providers and compare ratings as if they were purchasing a new TV or picking a restaurant on Yelp. Handing employees this decision-making power is particularly important given the rising popularity of high-deductible health plans, which have shifted a great deal of the cost of health care onto the consumer.
“I really respect what Castlight is doing to create some more transparency and efficiency within the health care Earlier this year, AT&T partnered with Castlight Health to industry,” Jackson said. “AT&T’s perspective is that we offer employees access to a transparency tool that cre- have a role to play not only with our people, but with the ates a consumer-driven health care experience with the broader marketplace to try and bring awareness to company’s self-insured plan. The native application these issues and solutions as well.” works across a variety of mobile devices to allow employees to compare the cost of certain health care pro- While bswift’s product has a similar online shopping feel, cedures before choosing a health care provider. Kirschner said he values the platform’s video-based decision support tools to engage employees and drive their overall understanding of their benefits options.
40
%
of employers feel they are successfully prepared to meet the Affordable Care Act’s mandates. Source: Guardian Workplace Benefits Survey, 2015
“Say you’re at the doctor, and they tell you that you need an MRI,” Jackson said. “What they don’t tell you is the hospital a mile down the road may have better quality at half the price. We don’t really have this element of consumerism in health care, which is really odd because we have that in pretty much any other industry that we interface with. The ability to see cost and quality on the go and in the moment when you need it is a really powerful thing. And it’s ultimately
| people | practice | insights |
“We have rolled out some new decision support tools to help people be more mindful about what is available to them and to make better choices,” Kirschner said. “We put together videos with bswift explaining the benefits options and put them up on the website. We’ve had a lot of people view the videos. “I think video can be a very effective, quick way to communicate things to people that they remember. They see it, they hear it, they read a quick blurb on something and it sticks in their mind vs. just having a paper document sent to their home and they read through it. Those things have been effective, and we’ve been talking to them about: how do we support this more complex structure in the future?” This strategy seems to be working. According to Kirschner, even though the program was just recently rolled out, they’ve had 3,100 out of 8,000 U.S. employees use the decision-support tool. Of that number, 600 employees have made a plan selection change based on the information they learned from the tool.
TECH BENEFITS continued on page 61
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34 MILLION
76
MILLION
140 MILLION
24
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
| people | practice | insights |
LOVE or LOSE
Your Senior Talent
Older workers still bring value to the workplace. Use these strategies to keep them around. ESSAY BY SHARON JORDAN-EVANS AND BEVERLY KAYE
W
hen managers look at their older workers, do they see gray or gold? Do they view them as over the hill, burned out, obsolete or change-resistant? Or do they see them as committed, wise and mature sources of leadership, intellectual capital and organizational history? Older workers are redefining retirement. Many will take advantage of early retirement but will still work. Some will start their own businesses, consult or work part or full time for someone else. Healthy and energetic, others will work well beyond age 65. Some will continue to work out of economic necessity, but many will work out of passion for what they do.
ON THE WEB Baby boomers are less satisfied than any other generation in the workplace, but the right kinds of development could get them engaged again. talentmgt.com/ BoomerLearning
By 2020, roughly 60 million Americans will be over age 65, according to a 2010 report by financial software firm Intuit Inc. The majority of aging baby boomers will work beyond the traditional retirement age, the report said, and many will start small businesses both for financial support and lifestyle. Younger boomers — those aged 55 to 65 — will start more small businesses than any other demographic.
U.S. WORKING POPULATION
TRADITIONALISTS AGE 70-82 BABY BOOMERS AGE 52-69 GEN X AND Y AGE 18-51
| people | practice | insights |
talentmgt.com • september 2015 • talent management magazine
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If many of these individuals are going to stay in the workforce, why wouldn’t managers want to keep the talented ones in their organizations, rather than watch them take their knowledge, experience and dedication to a new endeavor? This manager decided to try to keep a valued senior worker a little while longer: Manager: I’m really sorry to hear you’re thinking of retiring. The entire team counts on you for so much. You’ve got the experience and the customer connections, and you know almost everything there is to know about this company. Is there anything I can say or do to persuade you to stay — even if it’s for only a little while longer?
Some managers think that losing senior talent is inevitable or it won’t be a big loss. Think again. Key account salesman: That is so nice of you to say. It makes me feel great. To be honest, I think the time is right for me to go. I don’t really see anything new or very exciting for me in this company. Manager: What if together we could find something new or exciting? Key account salesman: Like what? Manager: Well, I’ve noticed how you work with the young salespeople as they come on board. I think you’re a natural mentor. What if we created a more formal mentoring role 26
for you? I think it would be a win-win. Key account salesman: That does sound intriguing. Let’s talk more about that. What happened? The account salesman stayed for another two years. He mentored several new hires, speeding up their learning and helping to establish their connections with key customers. The new hires loved him, and he loved them. He felt very rewarded by the new relationships he formed and the help that he gave to the next generation of sales professionals. Baby boomers (born between 19461964) and traditionalists (those born between 1928-1945) make up the combined group we’re calling senior talent. We often speak of them as if they are alike, bringing the same talents and desires to the workplace. In fact, there are some differences that may be helpful to those who manage talented people from these two generations. In short, spikes and declines in birthrates define generations. These groups of people are influenced by the cultural events, changes and challenges that they experience, especially during their formative years. As a result, they bring their own set of attitudes, perceptions and values to the workplace.
Traditionalists
Many of this generation and older are still working, in large and small companies, in entrepreneurial ventures and even in new ways. What They Bring Traditionalists are also known as matures, veterans, pre-boomers, the Swing Generation and the Silent Generation. There are an estimated 34 million people in this generation. Rich with work experience, they built many traditional corporations through their hard work and loyalty. They appreciate and understand the importance of achieving common goals and offer a lasting knowledge legacy. For many reasons, managers may want them to stay a little while longer, even in a parttime or advisory capacity. Traditionalists
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
lead companies, retain customers and carry institutional memories. They are civic-minded and help-oriented. And they have a significant knowledge legacy when someone taps into it. Hints for Hanging On Managers will do well to ask all traditionalists what will keep them. They can then consider using some of these strategies: Respect and mine their knowledge. Age does not guarantee wisdom. Still, having been “around the block” a few dozen times can’t hurt. Older workers have knowledge about life and work that they share by just being part of a work group. Tell them what value they bring to the team and the organization. Then, use what they bring. Let them mentor younger workers and pass on their wisdom and knowledge. With more similarities than any other two generations, the combination of a traditionalist and a millennial makes for a great mentoring (and reverse-mentoring) relationship. Connect them to the community as a way of using their expertise. Ask if they’d like to serve on the community service committee or head up the next charity drive. When running short on talent, or wanting someone smart, loyal, hardworking and connected to the customers, consider hiring a traditionalist, even if only in a parttime or temporary position. Many organizations are now partnering with the AARP to match job-seeking senior workers with the right employers.
Baby Boomers
There are 76 million people in this generation, sometimes divided into two groups: the early boomers and the late boomers. Boomers are competitive and hardworking. Their focus on personal goals and achievement has been the hallmark of their generation. And now, as they approach the traditional retirement age, boomers are beginning to question the meaning and purpose of their lives again. SENIOR TALENT continued on page 60
| people | practice | insights |
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Put TECHNOLOGY IN, Coach C
oaching in business has made great strides. The development of certifications, credentials, empirical research and professional organizations has each helped build the credibility of the practice.
Professional coaching’s effectiveness is becoming more dependent on integrating with technology. Are you prepared? ANALYSIS BY JANE BRODIE GREGORY, ALEX PASCAL AND MAGGIE SASS
Still, professional coaching overall is missing some important components. The process for selecting and matching coaches with clients needs to be streamlined, the management side of coaching could be better served through integration in HR technology, and measurement and evaluation of coaching needs to be enhanced to better demonstrate its value. Incremental progress can be made on each one of these challenges by using technology better in coaching. According to a 2010 study from the book “Virtual Coach, Virtual Mentor,” more than half of professional coaches in the United States regularly use telephone coaching as part of their practice. And as 2011 research featured in Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research shows, distance coaching and mentoring are just as effective as face-to-face.
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| people | practice | insights |
ON THE WEB Rene Petrin, president of Management Mentors, provides insight into best practices around coaching and mentorships. talentmgt.com/ CoachandMentor
| people | practice | insights |
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Technology-enabled coaching can also enable a better match because studies have shown it increases access to a large pool of potential coaches by eliminating geographic constraints. Technology-enabled coaching is convenient, flexible, time and cost effective. Here are five aspects of coaching that can be enhanced through effective use of technology.
Coach Selection
Coach matching is part science, part art. Research has shown that the quality of the relationship between the coach and coachee is one of the biggest factors in the effectiveness of a coaching engagement. To get that great relationship, there needs to be a good match. Many companies use variables such as geographic location, the coach’s knowledge of the client’s industry and the extent of the coach’s experience to match coaches and clients. With the right technology, coaches and client organizations can use a more systematic approach to matching similar to an online dating website. The right interface can also help organizations collect data on what variables are most essential in a successful coach match. A great matching platform could pull in assessment data or other variables to allow users to track what variables are most useful in matching coaches and clients.
Business Management
Managing coaching engagements can require great attention to detail and spreadsheet skills. Coaching engagements include a number of different activities like contracting, coach matching, scheduling, goal planning, surveying for satisfaction, impact and billing. Although spreadsheets are useful for many tasks, they are inadequate to manage the variety of activities and moving parts associated with coaching. Jeremy Stover, head of coaching at LinkedIn Corp., said that as organizations scale the use of coaching, it becomes necessary to have an integrated management platform to enhance its efficiency. 30
Business Management Coach Selection
Supplement Face-to-Face Coaching
Evaluation
Replace Face-to-Face Coaching Source: Jane Brodie Gregory, Alex Pascal and Maggie Sass
This is done to provide standardized tools that coaches and coachees can use to make the engagement more successful and to get as close as possible to an accurate return on investment measurement. Ideally, coaching management technologies provides an opportunity to enhance transparency and accountability, while protecting confidentiality and privacy. These platforms can help organizations centralize coaching practices and help in achieving the objective of making coaching a one-on-one initiative that produces measurable organizational success.
Supplement Face-to-Face
Coaches can supplement traditional practice with technology in many ways. Most coaches rely heavily on email and texting to correspond with clients, and many coaches embrace online tools that simplify the administration of their practice, such as online scheduling tools. In addition to these administrative applications, many coaches also incorporate online media, such as providing online articles or links to videos or TED Talks as additional resources to help clients learn outside of regular coaching sessions. Other options exist for more in-depth and engaging technology uses between coaching sessions. Member-based advisory firm The Corporate Executive Board Co., for instance, recently launched its online “DevelopmentCoach,” which enables on-thejob experiential learning (Editor’s note: One of the authors works at the CEB). DevelopmentCoach provides clear guidance on how to develop and practice skills on the job. Coaches can assign “homework” to
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their clients using DevelopmentCoach so clients get additional guidance and support in developing skills in between coaching sessions. Additionally, services like The Institute of Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California’s “SimCoach” offers participants access to a virtual “human” that can conduct assessments and lead participants through exercises. Coaches can incorporate virtual services like DevelopmentCoach and SimCoach into a traditional coaching engagement to ensure that growth and development are maximized between coaching sessions.
Replace Face-to-Face
Options also exist for technology to replace face-to-face coaching. This can alleviate limitations stemming from geography, cost and availability by using virtual collaboration tools. In addition to the phone, coaches can use tools like Skype, FaceTime and other video applications to conduct virtual coaching sessions that still allow for a degree of faceto-face interaction. Using technology in this way increases a coach’s geographic reach — if a coach lives in New York, for example, he or she can coach clients in San Francisco without taking on travel costs — and increases the network of coaches available to potential clients. “It’s crucial that we leverage a coaching model that is both cost-effective and that delivers sustainable results,” said Josh Rogers, executive coaching practice leader at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “Blending in-person and virtual coaching sessions allows us to use the best coaches avail| people | practice | insights |
able, regardless of geography, while maintaining a low-cost model.” Of course, the big issue is that virtual coaching under these conditions remains effective. A 2001 study by Li-Bin Wang and Tim Wentling at World Bank of Asia found that coaching used in conjunction with a training program led to significantly higher transfer of training. A similar 2009 study by Caroline Cornelius, Gabriela Schumann and Margarete Boos of the University of Göttingen in Germany found that when given access to a virtual coach, participants had better worklife balance and were more effective at managing their priorities even three months after the conclusion of the program.
What to Ask Technology makes evaluation easy to set up, administer and analyze. What technology does not do, however, is determine the right questions to ask. Coaches, clients and client organizations need to ensure they are asking the right questions to get the kind of data that they need. Here are things to consider when strategizing how technology might support your coaching initiatives: • How will you ensure virtual coaching relationships are as effective as faceto-face? • How will you ensure coaches and coachees are proficient with the selected technology? • What level of technology is your organization able to support? Skype, videoconferencing or telephone? • What risks does our selected technology pose for confidentiality and data security? —Jane Brodie Gregory, Alex Pascal and Maggie Sass
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Evaluation
Evaluation is a critical component of coaching. “Organizations want to know that the time and money they invest in coaching will pay off,” said Marly Franke, an executive coach based in San Diego. “As coaches, we need to get feedback and data on our effectiveness in helping our clients achieve their goals and experience meaningful behavior change.” Clients, too, need a way to collect feedback to gauge their progress and influence on others. Fortunately, technology and evaluation make great bedfellows. Online survey tools such as SurveyMonkey and Qualtrics offer accessible methods for collecting data and feedback. Moreover, the leadership development and research firm Center for Creative Leadership has developed a “Coaching Evaluation Assessment” designed to help organizations and individuals determine the impact of coaching engagements (Editor’s note: Two of the authors work at CCL). The online tool allows coaches and clients to assess change resulting from the coaching engagement, such as progress toward goals, behavior change and the effect of that behavior change on others. Historically, coaching evaluation has focused disproportionately on the coaching process and satisfaction rather than impact or actual behavior changes of the client. Typical coaching evaluations are self-report scales that ask about coach competence, enjoyment and overall usefulness of the coaching engagement, with items such as “Rate your level of satisfaction of the coaching engagement” and “Indicate how likely you would be to recommend your coach to another employee in your organization.” Measuring behavior change — and measuring what matters, not just what can be measured — is difficult, which is probably why most coaching evaluation has focused on process and satisfaction rather than impact. Once coaches and clients determine the right questions to ask, technology can
help them gather data and feedback from the right people to assess coaching. Effective use of technology in a coaching practice offers new opportunities for more streamlined management, access to more coaches, cost savings, ongoing learning and development, and increased rigor and continuous improvement through evaluation. But there are trade-offs and considerations for using technology in coaching. When considering virtual coaching, coaches and clients need to consider whether effectiveness is being compromised for the sake of efficiency. The convenience and cost effectiveness of virtual coaching offer great benefits, but without the appropriate level of client commitment and engagement in the session, the coaching engagement will not be set up for success. Both coach and client need to be familiar and comfortable with their chosen technology platform and be committed to full engagement during the session. Just because you aren’t in the same room doesn’t mean you should multitask or be otherwise distracted from the conversation. Another important consideration is security and legality. Coaching conversations often focus on sensitive personal and business topics. When using technology both coach and client has a responsibility to ensure that data are secure, protected and confidential. When used appropriately, technology offers many advantages for enhancing coaching practices, particularly coach selection, business management for the coaching engagement, supplementing face-to-face coaching, replacing face-to-face coaching and coach evaluation. Jane Brodie Gregory is an industrial/ organizational psychologist and senior consultant in talent solutions at PDRI, the consulting arm of Corporate Executive Board Co. Alex Pascal is CEO of CoachLogix and adjunct executive coach at the Center for Creative Leadership. Maggie Sass is a faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership. To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
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Cleaning Up ‘Dirty Jobs’ Being a truck driver or garbage handler is seldom considered a dream job. Here’s how talent managers can go about filling such low-demand positions. BY LAUREN DIXON
T
rucking is an integral part of the United States’ economy. The more trucks on the road and the more inventory being moved, the better the strength of the economy.
But while overall trucking revenue was about $700 billion in 2014, there is a shortage of roughly 40,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Association. If the economy is pushing for growth, which means truckers are in high demand, why aren’t people interested in rig-rolling the country? According to human resources experts, the answer is simple: Being a truck driver has never been a desirable job because of low pay, paltry benefits and odd work hours. When the economy is on an upswing, these less-desirable jobs become more likely to experience shortages, experts said. Those willing to take them on during economic downswings have now found better, more enjoyable work. Some of these jobs are “repulsive” no matter the state of the economy, said David Allen, professor of management at the University of Memphis. Think garbage collectors or other “dirty jobs.” “If you’re doing something that society sort of views as dirty ... how do you as an individual sort of frame that so that you can still take pride in your work and enjoy going to work every day?” Allen said. And with the nature of work shifting to more service-oriented creative work, finding a palatable career path doing routine work like driving a truck can be a hard sell for talent managers, said Andrea Alaimo, human resources director at trucking company Redwood Logistics.
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ON THE WEB Scott Birkhead, RPO projects director at Futurestep, spoke with editor Lauren Dixon about recruiting for the mining industry. talentmgt. com/MinerRecruiting
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But every economic cycle calls for people to do dirty jobs. So how can talent managers in these industries bolster their recruitment and retention strategies?
Scrubbing Out the Stigma
To overcome the social stigma that comes along with a dirty job, people have used a variety of tactics. In a 2007 study in The Academy of Management Journal, researchers explain that society equates cleanliness with goodness and dirtiness with badness. “The taint of dirty work creates a real dilemma for its practitioners,” the study said. Managers in these types of roles face challenges typically found in managing a staff, but they have additional complexities because of the stigmas associated with their jobs. For some managers, this means reframing the meaning of their work on the surface by focusing on a positive value or neutralizing the negative value.
more rigorous recruiting practices can help when seeking to fill these types of positions. Alaimo said that referral bonuses are a common recruiting practice. A current employee can refer a friend for a position in the company and receive a monetary reward. She said this has been an effective tactic for Redwood as it recruits truckers — at least 30 percent of its new recruits are from referrals. Redwood also does exploratory phone calls prior to setting up a formal interview. Recruiters can use these calls to explore where a candidate might best fit, rather than pigeonholing them into a certain position. A candidate might have applied for a certain job, but through an exploratory approach, recruiters can refer them to a position that better aligns with what the
others might enjoy a job where they’re alone with time to themselves. Companies can also sell something bigger than the job itself, such as a trucking company saying that “our drivers keep the economy moving,” or “our drivers keep America moving.” Allen also suggested using recruitment advertising, where companies have to identify the attributes of a product or service that will appeal to a targeted population. In the area where he lives, for example, there are casinos with many entry-level jobs. In advertising for these jobs, Allen said he has seen the casinos emphasize a fun working environment and fun culture. “Shift the focus from the specific job tasks to what a great organization it is to work for,” he said. Additional benefits can also be a perk to encourage people to take the gig. Waste Management Inc. offers a competitive job benefits package plus relocation benefits for regions that are hard to fill. Similar benefits are also given when an internal employee accepts a new position within the company, said Charlotte Cantu, the company’s director of talent acquisition.
‘If you’re doing something that society sort of views as dirty ... how do you as an individual sort of frame that so that you can still take pride in your work and enjoy going to work every day?’
Another way to overcome the stigma of a “dirty job” — David Allen, professor, University of Memphis is recalibrating its meaning, adjusting the standards used to assess the work and making a seemingly candidate is seeking. If candidates are intrivial task appear important. terested in a position that isn’t open at the time, they’re kept in the pipeline for conExterminators, for example, might focus sideration later on. on their knowledge of entomology, thus making them professionals, The Academy of Additionally, by focusing on the company’s Management Journal study said. Refocus- strong organizational culture and reputaing attention to the nonstigmatized as- tion within their industry, recruiters can pects of a job might also help. A car sales- excite candidates about joining the compaman, for example, could see the benefit of ny instead of “just focusing on ‘maybe this a shorter workday. is not my ideal job, but I’d like to just get in at some level with an organization that is in These tactics of reframing, recalibrating a high-growth environment,’ ” Alaimo said. and refocusing aspects of a job can change the mindset to be more positive, and man- University of Memphis’ Allen said recruitagers can “speak of their work in more or ers should focus on the positive attributes less ideological terms,” the study suggested. of a job. For example, some might find Aside from these tactics of rethinking, driving freight boring and lonely, while 34
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Veterans are also sought out, making up 7 percent of Waste Management’s new hires in the United States in 2013. These hires possess transferable skills, such as transportation, vehicle maintenance and construction experience, Cantu said, which “allow them to do well within WM’s environment.” “Generally, veterans also work well in a team environment and possess the work ethic we seek in an employee,” Cantu said. “Leadership experience is fairly common among veterans, so that is important, as we are always seeking to | people | practice | insights |
Promotion Predictions Aside from helping retain talent, are promotions the best route to take? Matthew Bidwell, associate professor of management at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, studied investment banks, comparing people who had been promoted with those who were hired from outside. One of his main findings was that promoted employees got better performance evaluations for the first two to three years. After that, there wasn’t much of a difference between the two groups. He thinks a explanation for this is the time it’s taking people to be effective within the new organization. Bidwell also said the people being promoted tend to look worse on paper. Because of this, “you don’t have to pay them as much because they’re not as appealing to other employers.” With their qualifications, people coming from outside of the company have more bargaining power when it comes to salary. But how much can a company promote one person? Bidwell said this is where the “Peter Principle” comes in. This principle states that people are promoted until they reach their level of incompetence. “It’s a very cynical take on organizations,” Bidwell said. “But the basic idea is that if you’re just promoting people based on past track record, you’re not necessarily thinking about how well they can do the job that you’re promoting them into.” Bidwell advised having job applications to fill certain roles. He said the emerging evidence is that organizations with open, competitive processes tend to do better than those who don’t. —Lauren Dixon
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strengthen leadership at over 1,100 locations in North America.”
is a very valuable thing,” he said. “The worker should have the right to be heard.”
Emphasize Training
Training is another valuable tool that helps both the employee and the business. Waste Management offers training for current drivers and those who are interested in pursuing a future driving position. Also, the company’s operations management training program trains current employees and attracts external candidates who would be interested in a management role.
Allen said research shows that when people first start a job, there’s a lot of uncertainty automatically built into that experience. “Anything that you can do when they first start to really help people adjust to the new work environment ... will make it more likely that they’re going to stick around past that early stage where lots of people drop out,” he said. With technology and HR software becoming increasingly popular, it’s easier than ever to make onboarding and training more efficient. However, Allen said onboarding should be kept social so new hires can make connections with peers who are also starting out new. By planning group activities for training sessions, workers can more easily build those connections needed in a new job. Once the onboarding process is over and the employee has been working with the company, dirty job retention becomes the next step. Although Redwood Logistics doesn’t use this practice, Alaimo said she has seen other companies use retention bonuses to retain talent. She said Redwood doesn’t adopt this practice because of the fear that employees will bolt shortly after taking the bonus. However, while not explicitly in the form of a retention bonus, other performance-based rewards can be effective in low-demand jobs. Eddie Lou, CEO and founder of Shiftgig, an online community for service and hospitality jobs, said performance-based rewards can be a good incentive to retain workers. This bonus could be based on milestones such as hours worked or tasks accomplished. “You’re really aligning the worker’s incentives with that of the business,” Lou said. Lou also advised companies create an environment in which workers can give feedback. “Oftentimes, when workers are able to express their opinions and share their frustrations by having a supervisor or some kind of platform where they can be heard,
Additionally, Cantu said Waste Management offers a technician apprentice program and military technician apprentice program that provides on-the-job training to those in trade schools. In addition to that real-world practice, “upon graduation, WM will provide benefits to participants that could include tuition reimbursement, part-time job opportunities while still in school and tool/equipment reimbursement,” Cantu said. Aside from training, promotion of talent can also encourage lower attrition rates. “Make sure there’s a career path at every level for different types of employees,” Lou said. These can be promotions or the ability to transfer departments and gain additional skills. Internal promotions have helped Redwood Logistics retain talent. To keep people engaged and looking to the future, Alaimo said the company focuses on career development and new opportunities. People need to see upward mobility, even if it isn’t immediate. Even if there’s a particular role in which an employee shows interest, management can talk to them about potential opportunities that are coming up. “It’s an ongoing conversation I think that you need to have with those employees about what’s next on the horizon so they don’t feel like ‘I’m stuck in this role forever,’ ” Alaimo said, adding that it is important to be transparent with employees about what would be required of them for the next role. Lauren Dixon is a Talent Management associate editor. To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
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BY SARAH FISTER GALE
BOEING’S AEROSPACE TAKES
FLIGHT
To mend a persistent skills gap among engineering graduates, aerospace manufacturer Boeing Co. developed a program to directly influence students’ learning by getting its leaders involved in the classroom.
A
erospace manufacturer Boeing Co. has a message for all colleges and universities: You’re not doing a very good job at preparing students for our workforce — so we’re going to help you.
Like many manufacturers that rely on an annual flow of work-ready engineering graduates, Boeing has struggled to consistently find entry-level candidates with the skills it needs to stay ahead in the competitive aerospace industry, which logged a record $729 billion in revenue in 2014, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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But rather than taking on engineering grads and putting them through a rigorous training program, Chicago-based Boeing has decided to close its skills gap by working directly with students before they leave school, with the hope of recruiting them once they graduate. “Our plan is to close the skill gap by helping colleges create an experiential, project-based program that more closely aligns with the industry’s needs,” said Fabien Zender, an engineering performance coach at 165,000-employee Boeing. Enter Aerospace Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering, or AerosPACE, a program Boeing launched in 2013 through which the company’s executives work with professors at partnering schools to develop a collaborative engineering capstone course. To help build the various components of
Still, getting more schools to participate — and to relinquish some control over their course content — remains a challenge. Executives also say the company has yet to fully configure a fast-track recruiting process for participating students. As a result, executives say the number of recruits from the program remains unclear. “We want to prepare students to enter the aerospace profession and enhance student competencies using the latest research and technology,” said Michael Richey, associate technical fellow of engineering education resources at Boeing and one of the program leaders.
Aligning Academics With Industry
The so-called skills gap has been well documented. For years, manufacturers and other trade employers have pointed to the growing disconnect between what colleges and uni-
‘The collaboration part of AerosPACE teaches them how to optimize the capabilities of the team, and to work together to solve problems. Those are skills they normally wouldn’t get exposed to until they are on the job for a while.’ — Fabian Zender, engineering performance coach, Boeing Co.
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AerosPACE for universities, Boeing has partnered with organizations like CorpU, NASA and Siemens. Each partner has provided tools, training and support to the program.
versities are teaching and the skills new hires need to work in trade fields — like the ability to work on a dispersed team, problem-solve in a group and project management.
Now a little more than two years in, the program has partnered with a few universities, including Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Company executives say the effort has gained momentum, with about 50 students currently graduating from the program annually. The goal is to top 100 graduates in 2016.
Corporations and universities have historically engaged in more passive partnerships. Seventy-six percent of companies offer internships to students and 69 percent set up tables at campus career fairs, according to a 2015 report from the Human Capital Institute, a human-resources trade group. But just
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35 percent of employers partner with schools for research and development and just 30 percent help design courses, the report said. “There is definitely a gap between what faculty think students need and the actual skills they need to be well-equipped for the modern environment,” said Steven Gorrell, associate professor of mechanical engineering at BYU. Such a gap is expected to endure. According to a report from The Manufacturing Institute and management consulting firm Deloitte, over the next decade nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs are expected to become available, 2 million of which are expected to go unfilled. Additionally, more than 75 percent of executives surveyed in the report said the skills gap is likely to affect their ability to meet demand, implement new technologies and increase productivity. For years, Boeing has been part of a consortium of college and industry leaders whose goal is to help colleges and industry become more aligned. While many such consortiums turn to executive advisory councils and other informal gatherings to link academic with industry skills communication, Boeing wanted to take it a step further. By having more direct influence over course content while students were still in school, Boeing executives could ensure graduate skills aligned with the industry’s needs. “The idea was to reach deeper into the talent pipeline, to develop learning opportunities at colleges that employers wish students would have,” said Alan Todd, CEO of CorpU, a virtual learning platform and Boeing’s content partner on AerosPACE. AerosPACE’s overarching goal is to help students develop the core skills needed to be successful on the job. Although participating in the program doesn’t guarantee a job, the goal of the program is to make sure they are positioned to secure an interview. “The kids coming out of this program are highly qualified, which Boeing really needs,” Richey said. Over two semesters, participating students work together to design, build and test an unmanned aerial vehicle under the guid| people | practice | insights |
ance of professors and Boeing mentors, who also watch to see which students thrive in which areas of the program.
Schools and Institutions Participating in AerosPACE
But these students don’t just build any flying machine. Each year, the program sets a different theme or “grand challenge” based on the long-term skills and societal issues that Boeing has identified as a priority. In 2014, the focus was on solving social problems related to population growth. “By 2045, there will be 9 billion people on earth,” Richey said. So students were tasked with figuring out how to leverage unmanned airborne vehicles to address this need. “The students came up with designs for aircraft to map topography, measure farm yields, and to help increase crop production,” Richey said. For 2015, students focused on creating an aircraft to meet first-response needs, like finding lost hikers or rescuing survivors after a disaster. “We don’t expect them to build a first-response vehicle, but it has to be part of their design vision,” Zender said. Once the theme is set, professors at each school put out fliers promoting the program encouraging students to apply. And while Boeing lets each school know what they are looking for in students — diverse backgrounds, interest in aerospace and some internship experience — student selection is ultimately left up to professors. Competition is fierce. Last year at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, another participating school, 190 students applied for eight spots, Richey said.
No ‘I’ in Team
AerosPACE is currently operating at three other universities besides BYU and Purdue: Georgia Tech University in Atlanta; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida; and Tuskegee (Alabama) University. Professors at each school take the lead in running the program, with the support of Boeing’s executive experts. Up to 10 seniors are chosen to participate at each school; they then are assigned teammates at the other schools and together collaborate to | people | practice | insights |
design and build an aircraft. Students work together virtually using the CorpU platform’s virtual communities, as well as Skype and email to brainstorm ideas, share documents and develop project materials. That process includes everything from writing a business plan and requests for proposals; designing the craft using 3-D modeling software; managing budgets and schedules; troubleshooting design theories; assembling the vehicle; and taking it for test flight. “Students get the experience of moving through the entire design-build-fly process on a distributed team,” Richey said. One of the most important aspects of the
program is that the challenge cannot be completed by any one student because of the project’s technical complexity, Boeing executives say. It requires the knowledge of the entire dispersed team to be successful — exactly what project teams experience at Boeing. “We have engineers all over the world working collaboratively, and employees need to understand how to be a productive part of those teams,” Richey said. “These students have a chance to be exposed to all of those challenges.” That means not only can students take advantage of the unique expertise of their teammates, but also that they have to learn how to work together despite their different
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backgrounds, knowledge and approach to projects. “The challenge isn’t just about working remotely,” Gorrell said. “They also have to deal with different design strategies and skill sets of their teammates.” Once students are assigned to a team, they work together using a variety of technologies, including computer-aided design software and collaboration strategies to design and develop the craft. They also attend mentoring sessions and workshops, take online courses and listen to presentations from industry leaders as part of the program. The students are encouraged to engage leading-edge technologies and advanced manufacturing processes to solve design challenges. “Students get credit for being innovative,” BYU’s Gorrell said, even if the innovations don’t always work. “We need innovation in our industry, and that will come from academic proficiencies.” Boeing performance coaches mentor the students by helping them think about new ways to solve problems. The students also work with industry experts to brain-
storm ideas and to harness new design strategies. This year, first responders met with the students to talk about the capabilities they might need from an unmanned airborne vehicle to help inform students’ designs, Richey said. And last year, to accomplish their design goals in the time and budget allowed, one team of students printed the entire body of their vehicle using a 3-D printer. “They worked with Stratasys on the aerodynamics and wing geometry, printed right and left versions of the wings, and put the motor in the center,” Richey said. Each week, students meet with their faculty coach and Boeing mentors, either in person or virtually, to report on their progress and set goals for the week. They also watch video lectures, take virtual training courses and work together using the online collaboration platform hosted by CorpU.
During the program, professors grade students on their progress, problem-solving skills, participation and achievement of goals. Professors only responsible for grading their own students, though they may work with faculty at partner schools to share updates and information on the overall team performance. Professors and Boeing leaders also review analytics from the CorpU platform on how students performed in the online courses and participated in online forums, and how frequently they interacted with others on their teams. The early research is focused on understanding student interaction patterns, but the team says it hopes to use the data to customize the program for expansion into community colleges and postsecondary degree pathways. Teams get points for how well they work together and the results of the project itself — including how innovative their designs are and whether they hit key deadlines, managed costs and delivered a functioning vehicle. “It’s not meant to be a contest, though there is a lot of friendly competition,” Zender said. “Rather, it is a study in how well they collaborate to achieve their goals.” While students don’t have to successfully fly the aircraft to pass the class, many of the teams to date have. One of the vehicles designed by a student team is still in use in Purdue’s aerodynamics class to demonstrate how aircraft function in a wind tunnel. Others are used to spur students’ interest in the program. Richey said he wouldn’t be surprised if some of these projects turn into marketable products. One of this year’s teams, for instance, built a first-response vehicle for $2,500 that rivals a $25,000 vehicle currently used by the American Red Cross. The vehicle, dubbed Betty BEAR (Back-country Emergency Air Responder) is an unmanned rescue vehicle that uses thermal imaging and a video camera to lo-
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cate lost victims in remote locales. “I would not be surprised if that team starts their own company,” Richey said.
Recruiting Graduates and Universities
More important than their grade, however, is the fact that the students who come out of AerosPACE are better prepared to work at Boeing or any other major manufacturing organization. “The collaboration part of AerosPACE teaches them how to optimize the capabilities of the team, and to work together to solve problems,” Zender said. “Those are skills they normally wouldn’t get exposed to until they are on the job for a while.”
offered interviews to all interested students and extended “multiple offers.” To eliminate future hiring gaps, however, the team says it has begun pulling department heads onto the AerosPACE advisory board to help shape the program and to make them aware of the value of incoming recruits. “We want to make it programmatic, so that when these students apply online their application is sent directly to the right person,” Zender said. Involving internal leaders has helped generate some excitement about the students and the program in general. Richey said
‘There is definitely a gap between what faculty think students need and the actual skills they need to be well-equipped for the modern environment.’ — Steven Gorrell, associate professor of mechanical engineering, Brigham Young University Zender argued that no other course or internship opportunity provides students with this kind of experience. “The intensity of the program, the focus on functionality and the project life cycle exposure is invaluable in getting them ready for the work we do,” Zender said. The challenge now is making sure they get into the company once the program is complete. Most students in the AerosPACE program who aren’t going on to graduate school apply for jobs at Boeing. But because of the company’s size — it typically hires 300 to 400 new grads each year — it can be difficult for these candidates to find themselves on Boeing recruiters’ radar. The program leaders say they are still hammering out formal processes to ensure these students get fast-tracked in the recruiting process. While they don’t have specific data on the number of students hired, Richey said that the company has | people | practice | insights |
once Boeing’s chief engineer became familiar with the program, he now wants to hire all of AerosPACE grads, and is encouraging Richey to expand the program so there is a larger talent pool to pull from. Ultimately, the AerosPACE team would like to have several hundred students in the program, though it’s not simply a matter of inviting more schools to participate. Getting universities onboard for this kind of project isn’t easy. “The traditional academic structure is misaligned with this kind of learning activity,” Richey said. Indeed, BYU’s Gorrell said that capstone programs in particular are sacred to many universities, and asking professors to make changes to that aspect of their curriculum can be a tough sell. “They are very sensitive about these things,” Gorrell said. To get universities to participate, the AerosPACE team has had to work to find
academics that are willing to spearhead the necessary culture change and embrace a more project-focused, experiential-learning environment. That means they have to be willing to mentor students at other schools, change their approach to grading and judging performance, and integrate other academics and industry experts into the development and delivery of their courses. “They aren’t incentivized to do any of this, and it’s a big change,” Richey said. “So they really have to believe in it.” The AerosPACE team has tried to overcome this pushback by talking up the opportunity professors will have to be innovators in their fields, to publish papers on their results and to secure grants for their future work. Boeing also taps current faculty, like Gorrell, to talk to potential participants about how the program works, including how the curriculum is developed and how students are graded. Finding academics with past industry experience also helps. BYU’s Gorrell had an 18-year career in the U.S. Air Force before switching to academia. “I know these students don’t get all of the skills they need to jump right into the workforce,” Gorrell said. “I saw how this program could help them hit the ground running.” Gorrell said he ultimately hopes more academics will see the benefit of engaging in programs that provide their students with this kind of real-world learning opportunity. “By partnering with industry, we can bring more students into the STEM fields and train them to be more effective in the companies that hire them,” he said, referring to science, technology, engineering and math. That not only will help close the skill gap but also might drive companies like Boeing to spend less time and money training new hires. “It’s the way we should be teaching students in the future,” Zender said. Sarah Fister Gale is writer based in Chicago. To comment, email editor@ talentmgt.com.
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SPECIAL SECTION
WHY DIVERSITY PROGRAMS FAIL p. 48
Despite proliferation of diversity programs, the number of EEOC lawsuits continues to rise.
The CEO-CDO Partnership Chief Executives Must Hold Themselves Accountable
LOOK TO THE EAST FOR GENDER EQUALITY Take a page from Eastern Europe p. 52
| people | practice | insights |
p. 47
Transgender Issues in the Workplace
Be Clear and Thoughtful About Policies p. 52
Forget What You Think You Know About Africa
It Has Huge Talent Potential p. 53
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Clueless, Not Malicious
Voice of the Reader What have you done to make sure dissenting political views don’t affect workplace inclusion or performance?
@CulturCoach
In 1995’s “Clueless,” a rich girl named Cher thinks she knows everything that everyone else needs. But when her insular, privileged life becomes complicated, she realizes she is, in fact, actually clueless. Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas created a documentary for MTV called “White People” that reveals some people can be a bit like Cher. Vargas poses questions to young white Americans about white privilege and asks them how their lives would be different if they weren’t white. As they struggle to answer, these young people reveal themselves to be sheltered from the everyday reality of many minorities. They live in predominantly white towns, socialize with mostly white friends and rarely engage in discussions of race at home. The documentary goes a long way to explain the discomfort many have with conversations about race and why some end up feeling they are being attacked. We cannot point at them as though they are the problem we are trying to solve, however. Instead, we should do what Vargas did: Ask questions, and show the reality and complexity of diversity. We also have to share the data to disprove certain beliefs. In the film, Katy, a white student from Arizona, believes she was discriminated against for a college scholarship. The reality is white kids are still 40 percent more likely to get scholarships than minorities. It’s simply harder for everyone to get financial aid these days. In “Clueless,” Cher comes to her senses in less than two hours. It will take a lot longer to dismantle the barriers of institutional racism. This documentary helps; it should be required viewing for all diversity programs. It’s an eye-opening point of view on the battle for change.
Kellye Whitney, Associate Editorial Director kwhitney@diversity-executive.com
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The best thing to do is to keep politics out of the workplace, to include OFFICE politics.
@ErickaDunlap
The end goal is the top priority; whether political dissent or personality discord. The critical focus is to defy margins.
Michael Adams
The easiest and most destructive thing to (inclusion) is to show defensiveness or angst towards contrasting political views that one may overhear. Rather, engage the discussion with open-mindedness and discovery. Doing so should open up dialogue to share your comments and opinions. While conventional rules say we should label politics and religion as danger zones, I question how will we ever get to an inclusive society where people aren’t having backdoor discussions, but instead are comfortable and open to sharing their thoughts on race, politics, equity, religion, economics. Diversity doesn’t start with sex, color or religion. It begins with our thoughts, with enlisting others to be inclusive, sharing, collaborative, and open to respecting others thoughts. When the “coolers” are replaced by “table talk,” that’s when we know we have reached the promised land of inclusion.
Toni Howard Lowe
Healthy conflict or opposing beliefs are normal for any corporate environment. The problem arises when political opinions are so extreme that it results in distractive and contentious behavior. I would say this is more a conduct/conflict issue we fear more than the act of the discussion. The simple remedy is bad behavior can and should be addressed and corrected. However, any topic that drives opposing beliefs can be managed when the company’s values are clearly defined, and their activities in the global community adhere to their self-defined values. As a corporate company your mission and core values should always be a guiding blueprint for how employees conduct themselves. Varied political representation should not prevent social inclusion, mutual respect and professionalism. What do you think? Join the discussion at tinyurl.com/ DEpoliticaldiversity or follow us @DiversityExec.
| people | practice | insights |
Christopher J. Metzler SHIFT
The CEO-CDO Partnership
CEOs have to hold themselves and others accountable for diversity and inclusion. Over the past decade, I worked
in academia where I could comfortably write about CEOs’ commitment to diversity, and the need for them to hold people accountable. As a consultant, I often worked with chief executives on what to do about diversity, what to say and how to demonstrate commitment. Now that I am a CEO, and I realize that holding others accountable is easy; holding myself accountable is hard. But it can be done. Many chief executives care about diversity. However, many of us have not examined our intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for caring. A fellow CEO said to me at lunch the other day, “Look, I have not walked in your shoes. There is only so much I am going to
THE RIGHT TALENT MIX Dimensions addressed in CEOs’ diversity and inclusiveness strategies. 1%1%
7%
5%
8%
33%
8%
25%
32%
Gender
Age
Knowledge, skills and experience Ethnicity/ nationality/race Attitude to career/ progression
Disability Personal quality/mindsets Religion/creed Adaptability
Base: 858 Note: Percentages add up to more than 100 as respondents may have highlighted more than one option.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 18th Annual Global CEO Survey, 2015
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actually know about what it’s like to be excluded. I grew up in a time when everybody was treated fairly, so I care about making sure my organization is fair to everyone.” I said I understood, and then I talked him through the reality that diversity is not about fairness. It’s about access, opportunity and leading from a place where diversity is woven into the ecosystem of the organization.
In many organizations, someone has the title chief diversity officer, but that person is neither chief nor officer. When I took the reins as CEO, I thought I knew all there was to know about diversity. After all, I’ve done the work and published seminal pieces on the topic. I was wrong. Chief executives are trained to get things done, to protect shareholder and stakeholder interests. This means that we must be decisive and take action. With that in mind, I put together several permanent cost-reduction teams whose singular focus was profitably, sustainability and efficiency. The teams were visibly diverse. I thought my work was outstanding. It was a mess. I did not consider that the team had to present recommendations in a matrix organization. Visible diversity alone was not enough. While the team came from different parts of the business, I failed to vet them for an understanding of how the business worked and how their recommendations would affect its operations.
This vetting would not have necessarily eliminated diversity on the team. In fact, as the CEO, it would have given me the opportunity to have a team that was visibly and geographically diverse, and an asset to the business. The chief diversity officer is a critical component in these kinds of discussions. Though many chief executives believe this intrinsically, they simply don’t act on it. I’ve found many of my CEO colleagues want to give the title chief diversity officer, but that person tends to be neither chief nor officer. Too many of us still believe diversity is something nice to do — not something critical to a company’s survival. We have human resources write the position description, and then we’re not involved until the selection. But the position description is often about diversity experience, rather than a combination of business and diversity experience. A true chief diversity officer is the CEO’s partner. This person should have the business acumen to help chief executives drive diversity as a business imperative — not to strictly count heads, deliver training and programs, but rather to embed diversity into an organization’s ecosystem. The organization must know that when CDOs speaks, they are speaking for the CEO. I am a new CEO, and I have much to learn. For instance, we have to deploy the same intestinal fortitude for diversity as we do for the rest of organizational life. But we must start with ourselves, hold ourselves accountable and build inclusive — as well as profitable — organizations. Christopher J. Metzler is president/CEO and chief innovator for FHW Squared, a global strategic issues and consulting firm. He is the author of the “Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a ‘Post Racial’ America.” To comment, email editor@diversity-executive.com.
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Why Diversity Programs Fail BY SARAH FISTER GALE
Despite the proliferation of diversity and inclusion programs across America, the number of EEOC lawsuits continues to rise. Here’s why, and what you can do to avoid them.
I
n the past two decades, diversity and inclusion programs have become a mainstream piece of the corporate structure. Companies today proudly tout diversity metrics on their websites and highlight their commitment to inclusion in job postings and media stories. Still, despite all of these efforts, the number of racial and sexual harassment complaints filed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, continues to rise. And while many of these claims come from smaller organizations that may not have comprehensive diversity practices, it is not at all uncommon to see major global brands making similar headlines.
paid $75,000 to settle an EEOC religious harassment and retaliation lawsuit after a Gambian and Muslim asset protection coordinator reported systematic harassment by his store manager, who frequently made offensive comments about the employee’s national origin and religion, mocked his accent, and said things like, “All Muslims do is blow up buildings and people.” That same month, United Airlines paid more than $1 million to settle a class-action EEOC lawsuit in response to claims that the airline discriminated against employees with disabilities by forcing them to compete for vacant positions in order to keep working.
In June 2015, for example, Wal-Mart Stores East, the eastern division of the global retailer, 48
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And earlier this year, Ford Motor Co. earned headlines for an EEOC investigation of sexual harassment claims in a civil lawsuit, originally filed by four women in November 2014. The lawsuit, now filed at the behalf of 33 people, states that the they were discriminated against and subjected to gross racial and sexual harassment, including lewd and demeaning remarks, groping, fondling and requests for sexual favors. These lawsuits occurred despite the fact that every one of these companies has long-standing diversity programs that include a corporate vision for inclusiveness, zero tolerance for harassment, and annual
‘When leadership shows a willingness to remove someone, regardless of how productive they are, it sends a reverberating message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.’ — Pamela Culpepper, chief people officer, Golin
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THINKSTOCK
| people | practice | insights |
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reports demonstrating their ongoing success in this space. So where are these companies going wrong? More important, what lessons can other organizations learn from their experiences?
Diversity Isn’t a Box to Check
Even though EEOC lawsuits are still prevalent, it’s not all bad news, according Seth Halpern, a partner at Malkinson and Halpern, an employment law firm based in Chicago. “We are seeing fewer sexual harassment claims than we used to, because there is a much stronger awareness of what you can and cannot say and do in the workplace,” Halpern said, adding that retaliation claims, in which
an employer fires, demotes or otherwise “retaliates” against an employee who files a charge of discrimination, are on the rise.
business-focused and integrated into the corporate culture of the organization, you lower your risk.”
In fact, the EEOC’s latest private sector data show that while the total number of discrimination claims filed in fiscal year 2014 decreased overall compared with previous years, claims alleging retaliation reached a record high, accounting for nearly half of all claims that year. Race, sex disability and age-related claims round out the top five reasons of EEOC complaints.
More Than Words
Halpern said large and small companies face different pitfalls when it comes to ensuring a diverse and inclusive culture. “Smaller, privately held or family-owned businesses don’t always invest in training and creating policies to support diversity,” Halpern said. “Unless you have someone at the top who really cares about these issues, there is often a ‘don’t tell me what to do’ attitude.” In those cases, it usually takes an expensive lawsuit to spur these companies to action, Halpern said, and even then it is treated more as a box to check than a culture-change initiative.
‘It’s not about avoiding negative behavior. It’s about looking at how we can achieve our business goals through the lens of diversity.’ — Anise Wiley-Little, chief human capital and diversity officer, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management
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Whereas larger institutions today have invested in building policies and procedures to support diversity, the problems these organizations face usually occur in small pockets of the business that are ruled by a few midlevel managers. “If you’ve got one jerk in charge who thinks it’s funny to shown porn to his assistant or make racist jokes, that is where the claims tend to arise,” Halpern said. These kinds of rogue miscreants can be harder to weed out, said Anise Wiley-Little, chief human capital and diversity officer for Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “All it takes is one individual to make a bad decision, and I don’t think that you can avoid that completely,” Wiley-Little said. “However, if you build a diversity strategy that is
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Whether big or small, the fundamental solutions are usually the same: deliver effective training, establish clear and strong policies, and make sure the leadership team is willing to act decisively when problems arise, regardless of who’s involved. “You can’t waiver on diversity because someone is a high performer,” said Traecy Smith, director of diversity for the One Club, a New York-based advertising nonprofit. “You have to create an environment where everyone understands that this is not just a policy, it is what we believe in, and if you step outside of that, we will take action.” Sometimes it takes someone getting reprimanded or fired for employees to believe the diversity vision is something they need to take seriously, said Pamela Culpepper, chief people officer for Golin, a global PR firm headquartered in Chicago. “In a lot of organizations, people will continue to do what they always did until there is a negative consequence,” said Culpepper, who is also the former chief global diversity officer at PepsiCo Inc. “But when leadership shows a willingness to remove someone, regardless of how productive they are, it sends a reverberating message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.” “Companies also need to stop thinking about diversity as a stand-alone compliance issue,” Wiley-Little said. “You have to embed your diversity strategy into all of your organizational vision, training and leadership accountability.” That’s the only way it becomes part of the business process and not just a separate HR issue to contend with.
Build Alliances
When Wiley-Little joined Kellogg in 2014, she began by building a vision for diversity that aligned with the organizational goals of | people | practice | insights |
the university. These include attracting top students from all over the world, accelerating the school’s global reputation and delivering a high-quality executive education.
where there will be no debate about repercussions,” Culpepper said. “Then they need to put that message out to their employees and members.”
“These are all business goals, not diversity goals,” Wiley-Little said. But by aligning her program with these business objectives, Wiley-Little said she is able to tie diversity to organizational performance.
To further engrain diversity into the corporate culture, Culpepper said diversity training should be integrated into all learning initiatives and programs, rather than existing as a separate set of courses and programs.
This is important because it helps to change the way employees think about the value of diversity as a business tool. “It’s not about avoiding negative behavior. It’s about looking at how we can achieve our business goals through the lens of diversity,” Wiley-Little said.
She said PepsiCo had two different organizational groups: one for training and development and another for diversity and inclusion, which is fairly common in big organizations.
Wiley-Little said she also works closely with the leaders of every department to help them see how the diversity program goals fit into their short- and long-term business strategies. Whether it is how the marketing department positions the Kellogg brand, how recruiters assess employees and students or how course content reflects a variety of views, the diversity program has a place in every aspect of the organization. “It is important as a diversity leader to continually study the business and to make sure you have deep partnerships with business-unit leaders,” Wiley-Little said. “That’s how you keep diversity fresh, and build alliances across the organization.” For organizations that employ unionized workers, these alliances should extend to union leaders. “There is often a sense that because someone is in a union they can’t be disciplined,” Culpepper said. That can lead to disruptive behavior that eventually results in an EEOC lawsuit. To avoid such breakdowns in the corporate culture, unions and management need to treat each other as partners and establish a united front when it comes to matters of diversity and inclusion. “They need to work together to identify areas | people | practice | insights |
As a result, most of the diversity training occurred separate from other training, which meant trainees would be less likely to connect what they learned in diversity training to specific on-the-job tasks. For example, a course on performance reviews wouldn’t talk about unconscious bias, so it would be left up to managers to recall that lesson from their diversity training when handing out salary increases or deciding whether a young mother should be given a promotion. “If you integrate unconscious bias into the rest of your training programs, employees are more likely to double check what is going on in their heads before making decisions,” Culpepper said. All of these strategies can help organizations build a better, more inclusive diversity culture. However, there will always be the chance that a rogue racist or sexist ends up in a leadership role. In those cases, companies need to have an environment where people feel safe reporting on bad behavior. “Diversity leaders can’t be everywhere,” Culpepper said, “and they aren’t always around to hear what’s going on.” So they have to be able to rely on local managers and employees to defend the policy for
‘You have to create an environment where everyone understands that this is not just a policy, it is what we believe in, and if you step outside of that we will take action.’ —Traecy Smith, director of diversity, One Club the organization. That will only happen if everyone in the company has the tools to make such complaints as well as the confidence that they will be taken seriously without fear of retaliation. “For diversity to work, everyone has to defend it,” Culpepper said. Sarah Fister Gale is writer based in the Chicago area. To comment, email editor@ diversity-executive.com.
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LEGAL Elizabeth A. Falcone
Transgender Issues in the Workplace Be clear and thoughtful about policies and how changes affect the workforce. Issues involving transgender Other policies also should be reviewed. For peoples’ rights are the subject of national headlines on a regular basis these days. Caitlyn Jenner’s story has resulted in a very active public dialogue about how our society treats transgender people. Many people have expressed views that are repugnant to those in the LGBT community, and those who support LGBT rights. Narrow viewpoints such as these can affect transgender employees. A 2011 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality showed 26 percent of transgender people felt they had lost a job because of bias. Indeed, employers today receive claims for gender discrimination far more frequently than they did even a decade ago. In response, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is throwing its hat in the ring. It has filed amicus briefs in individual litigants’ lawsuits brought in district courts in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. Employers cannot always control the insensitive or poorly worded statements employees make. However, there are steps diversity executives can take to decrease the likelihood that employees will express viewpoints inappropriate for the workplace or the number of employees who do not support an organization’s diversity and inclusion goals. First, employers must regularly train on nondiscrimination and professionalism policies. Gender identity and expression should be among the topics covered, and hopefully this training will occur well before these issues result in a lawsuit or a conflict. If employees are in the process of transitioning during their employment and the company has notice it will occur, it may be helpful to discuss with transitioning employees whether they would be comfortable with sensitivity training for their team. Offer to allow the transitioning employee to be present or make any statement at the training, but do not require it. 52
example, any clothing standards or dress codes should be gender-neutral, rather than defining what men or women may wear. Transgender or transitioning employees should be permitted to wear attire that fits their gender identity, so long as it is professional or otherwise consistent with the company’s existing dress standards. Likewise, policies regarding access to restrooms, locker rooms and other gender-specific facilities should be reviewed to make sure there are no assumptions or limitations that could negatively affect a transgender individual. Once employees have transitioned, they should be permitted to use the facilities associated with their fulltime gender presentation. If there are concerns regarding locker rooms or other facilities, sit down with the transitioning individuals or other employees to discuss their concerns and suggestions. The transitioning or transgender persons’ wishes as to their name and pronouns should be honored. Ask transitioning employees what their preferences are, and ask what they would like communicated to co-workers. Co-workers should be told expressly that they must address employees consistently with their wishes and/or the employees’ gender presentation. Company records must, at an appropriate point, be updated to reflect the employee’s new gender identity. Finally, employers may want to implement zero tolerance for any failure to follow the company’s direction on treatment of transgender employees. This does not mean that every employee who makes a faux pas or an insensitive comment needs to be fired on the spot, but it does mean the employer must address such comments and, if necessary, take appropriate action. Elizabeth A. Falcone is a shareholder in the Portland, Oregon, office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart. To comment, email editor@diversity-executive.com.
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Sexual Orientation Discrimination Violates Title VII An air traffic controller filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming he had been denied a promotion based on his sexual orientation in violation of Title VII. The EEOC initially found his claim did not implicate Title VII because Title VII does not directly address sexual orientation discrimination. In reviewing this part of the decision, the EEOC determined that Title VII does reach discrimination based on sexual orientation. Though Title VII does not by its terms forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation, the EEOC nevertheless determined that discrimination based on sexual orientation could state a claim under Title VII. Relying on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, the EEOC noted that in Price Waterhouse, the Supreme Court held that discrimination based on gender stereotyping — i.e., failing to behave in a manner deemed consistent with employees’ gender expression — qualified as a form of sexual discrimination. The EEOC took the reasoning in Price Waterhouse one step further, finding that discrimination based on sexual orientation is effectively a form of gender stereotyping. Unknown v. Anthony Foxx, Appeal No. 0120133080, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. IMPACT: The EEOC is now taking the position that sexual orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination. Employers could now face proceedings before the EEOC for sexual orientation discrimination, even though such discrimination has not previously been viewed as unlawful under federal law. Mark T. Kobata and Marty Denis are partners in the law firm Barlow, Kobata and Denis, which has offices in Beverly Hills, California, and Chicago. To comment, email editor@diversity-executive.com.
| people | practice | insights |
Andrés T. Tapia GLOBAL VIEW
Forget What You Think About Africa The continent is thriving, and its emerging markets need mid- and senior-level leaders.
Much of Africa today is not GDP across sub-Saharan Africa — dominate. Quotas are in place to have black what most people think it is.
In the Western world, prejudicial and stereotyped views are pervasive about Africa’s backwardness. Fifteen years ago, The Economist labeled Africa ‘the hopeless continent,’ and many still believe Africa is a country not a continent — meaning that they are missing capitalizing on the next booming emerging market. Gleaming glass and steel corporate towers stand firm and proud in the sub-Saharan African urban centers of Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; and Johannesburg. On roads such as the Thika superhighway, BMW and Lexus vehicles careen next to the colorful and jam-packed microbuses, matatus and lorries. Incomes have been rising — doubling in some countries in the past decade — dropping poverty by hundreds of millions. Africa, composed of 54 recognized countries and an estimated population of more than 1 billion people, is estimated to double by 2050. While counties in North Africa such as Libya still teeter on chaos, since 2003 the
AFRICA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH Africa’s gross domestic product is expected to grow 4.5 percent in 2015 and 5 percent in 2016. 5.0% 4.5% 3.5%
2013
3.9%
2014
2015
2016
Source: African Development Bank, 2015
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48 countries located south of the Sahara desert — has grown an average of 5 to 7 percent per year even through the global Great Recession, according to the International Monetary Fund.
people in different positions of management. Multinational companies struggle to comply, and diversity champions such as IBM have made a point to build up talent of color to meet the numbers.
Despite a growing middle class and substantial infrastructure investments, racial issues continue to dominate Africa. Africa has one of the fastest-growing middle classes in the world. A key contributor to this growth is the growing stability in governments. Since 1991, there have been 30 peaceful elections to determine the countries’ leaders. These governments as well as major foreign investors have poured resources into building up Africa’s infrastructure — highways, electricity, potable water, education, health care — while simultaneously increasing their battle against corruption. It’s still a challenging place. For the majority of the continent’s billion people, disease and hunger are still big problems. Some 118 of every 1,000 children will die before their fifth birthday. Economic and political modernization bring other challenges and counter-reactions. Along with rising expectations that aggravate existing tribal, racial and religious fault lines, there are labor strikes as well as jihadists. Boko Haram is a brutal reactionary force that threatens Nigeria’s quest for stability, and smaller but just as dedicated groups destabilize other parts of the continent. Diversity and inclusion are also challenging. Even with Nelson Mandela’s legacy in South Africa, where black people are in the majority, the issue of race continues to
With both mind-blowing opportunities and breathtaking challenges facing an increasingly educated population of professionals, several issues — such as a lack of mandatory education and higher percentages of locals not qualified to serve in management roles — make it challenging to source, assess and develop top talent to fill gaps in middle and senior management. Now many organizations are focusing on raising black talent in Africa. For example, Korn Ferry’s Next Africa, an online community to connect senior-level leadership based in Africa or individuals of the African diaspora who left to get their education in the United States and Europe, encourages both to return. The site offers assessment tools, career resources, and a community of interest for professionals with a shared background to help source and develop this new generation of African leaders. The need is now to engage professionals at the executive level — accelerating their professional development, and connecting them to the best opportunities across the continent. It is time to identify, unlock and develop the huge talent potential that exists in 21st-century Africa. Andres T. Tapia is a senior partner in Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Talent Consulting Practice. To comment, email editor@ diversity-executive.com.
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Look to the East for Gender Equality BY AMY WHYTE
The United States can take a page from Eastern Europe, where women fill more senior management roles and don’t face the same career stigmas.
W
hen it comes to executive gender quality, the United States is falling behind. However, it needn’t be a permanent condition. In June, women from 26 countries around the world traveled to Detroit to discuss how to increase female leadership at General Motors Co.’s inaugural Global Women’s Leadership Summit. The conference was designed to bring together GM women from around the globe to promote gender equality in management. In addition to helping women hoping to climb the ranks, the summit also celebrated the women who have already found a place in the company’s upper stories. Speakers included Mary Barra, who took over the CEO position in January 2014 after three decades with the company, and Alicia Boler-Davis, the first African-American woman to become a plant manager at a GM vehicle manufacturing plant and currently the senior vice presi-
54
dent of global customer experience. “We have a great opportunity with Mary Barra, our CEO, and all the great things she’s done throughout the entire organization, throughout her career,” said Ken Barrett, GM’s chief diversity officer.
Eastern European women fill
35%
of executive roles.
Take Note, U.S.
Barra and Boler-Davis are 2 of 5 women serving in corporate officer positions at GM along with Grace Lieblein, Dhivya Suryadevara and Victoria McInnis — vice presidents of global quality, finance and tax and audit, respectively. But with 24 senior and executive positions, the company is still far from balanced at the top. GM’s leadership makeup is about the norm for U.S.-based companies, which continue to lag behind the global average for gender balance at the executive level. Women hold just 21 percent of senior management roles in the U.S., according to the 2015 Grant Thornton International Business Report. Globally, this number is not much better: Women make up only 22 percent of senior management roles worldwide. Dominic King, global economics and research manager for tax advisory firm Grant Thornton, attributes this low number in the U.S. and internationally to a number of factors, both cultural and policy-related.
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Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2015
The causes differ slightly by country. Japan, the worst-performing country in the study, is set back by its highly patriarchal society. Germany, with 14 percent of its senior management positions held by women, might struggle to break the glass ceiling because its efforts to promote gender equality are a little too strenuous; a three-year-long maternity leave, for instance, delays working mothers progress climbing the corporate ladder. Regardless of the reasons why, the result is the same: Around the world, companies fail to achieve gender equality at the executive level. “Gender is just one element of diversity, but it’s a very important and underused element as far as our research goes,” King said. Where companies come closest, however, is | people | practice | insights |
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not where one might expect. Scandinavia is often thought of as a mecca for female empowerment, with quotas maintaining a minimum for female participation in government and on corporate boards. But while Scandinavian countries Finland and Sweden are above average, with 25 and 28 percent of senior management positions held by women, respectively, they are not the ideal range. “Globally, we often talk about Scandinavia as a place where we have succeeded in increasing gender equality,” said Sofia Falk, founder and CEO of Wiminvest, an organization focused on gender equality. “That might be true when it comes to laws and regulations and social welfare. But when we look at the number of female managers, for example, Sweden is behind.” Instead, it is in Eastern Europe where women are the highest achieving; women fill 35 percent of executive roles in that region. Russia in particular has nearly achieved gender balance, with a 4-to-6 ratio of women to men in senior management. “It is perhaps not intuitive to think of Eastern Europe as being ahead of the curve when it comes to gender issues,” King said. “But there seems to be a strong legacy of the Soviet Era across all the countries in Eastern Europe — that equality of opportunity that was pushed by Soviet leaders as a communist ideal.”
Why Women Fare Better in Eastern Europe It’s not just the number of women employed in executive roles that varies from the rest of the world — it’s the types of in-
Women in Senior Management Roles
40% Russia
dustries they are employed in. King said his organization has observed a lot of the women are employed in some of the fast-growing service sectors in places like Russia and Poland; sectors like financial services and health care have a higher than average proportion of women in senior roles. What is really helping Eastern European women succeed is not just the culture of equal opportunity left over from the region’s communist roots, but also the fact that women are seeking out careers in fields that are increasingly important to today’s world economy. “We spoke to the vice chancellor of the College of Cambridge, and she made the point that a lot of girls from Eastern Europe come over and study things like engineering and computer science,” King said. “There seems to be a slightly different mentality in Eastern Europe about the types of subjects girls can study and the types of roles women can take.” In the U.S., meanwhile, women make up just 28 percent of all workers in science and engineering fields, according to the National Science Foundation’s 2014 Science and Engineering Indicators. This number is disproportionate to the overall workforce, of which women make up nearly half. There have been a multitude of initiatives launched to attract more women to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, careers. Organizations like Million Women Mentors and the National Girls Collaborative Project work to increase girls’ confidence and interest in pursuing STEM occupations. Colleges such
38% Georgia
37 % 36% Poland
Latvia
as Boston University and Arizona State University have made commitments to increase the number of women in STEM majors. Some Silicon Valley companies, including Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc., have even started offering to pay for employees to freeze their eggs, encouraging women to prioritize career over family in an attempt to retain female employees. But until the U.S. manages to break the “steel ceiling” — work cultures that limit women to low levels or force them out altogether — the stats aren’t likely to change. “These subjects are increasingly important,” King said. If girls don’t see STEM industries offering realistic career paths, he said that eliminates a whole slate of talent. Barrett said as a vehicle manufacturer, GM regularly has to contend with the gender gap. Some 80 percent of the jobs the company offers are in STEM fields or in information technology. But he said the corresponding numbers of women in engineering programs don’t match the number of roles to be filled. Despite lower numbers of available female talent, GM employs more than 7,000 female engineers, and women work as plant managers and chief engineers. “We have some of the highest numbers of women engineers of any company out there,” Barrett said. For companies in other industries, the STEM gap presents less of a challenge. Food services and facility management company Sodexo, for example, hires many employees trained as dietitians. Perhaps because it is a career more directly in line with
35%
Estonia
33%
Lithuania
21%
United States
Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2015
56
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“There hasn’t been enough study about the impact of quotas,” he said. “All we can say is it seems as if businesses have seen a lack of progress, and they are interested in what quotas can do, but they’re a fairly blunt instrument. You don’t want to see a woman promoted for the sake of having a woman there. I think that devalues diversity.”
% of businesses have no female leaders.
Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2015
traditional gender roles, dietitians tend to be female. In December 2013, the Commission on Dietetic Registration reported that of 89,300 registered dietitians in the U.S., 84,177 are women.
including leadership development programs, mentorship initiatives and sponsorship of high-potential women, which address a common barrier for women — poor visibility.
“In order to join our industry, you have to have a dietitian degree. A lot of women are dietitians, and that’s been a great career path for them,” said Rohini Anand, senior vice president and global chief diversity officer at Sodexo.
Work-life balance is another significant barrier, which Sodexo works to alleviate by offering flexible work arrangements.
What’s Needed for Change
Sodexo has been able to succeed in countries that otherwise do not perform as well in terms of gender balance. In South American countries like Brazil, for example, where only 15 percent of senior management roles are held by women, the company boasts a roughly 35 percent female executive committee. As a whole, management teams for 56 percent of Sodexo employees are gender-balanced, with the company defining gender balance as 40 to 60 percent female. It makes sense for the business. This year, results were released for a case study done between 2000 and 2012 showing the gender-balanced management teams do better in terms of engagement, brand image, gross profit and organic growth. “In all metrics, we found that gender-balanced teams outperformed,” Anand said. Sodexo has several initiatives in place to increase the number of gender-balanced management teams within the company, | people | practice | insights |
GM also offers employees a full portfolio of flexible work options, including alternative work sites, part-time schedules, telework and job sharing. The challenge is ensuring that women feel they can actually take advantage of these offerings without it negatively affecting their careers. “Sometimes in a lot of organizations you might have those types of policies on the books, but women feel uncomfortable being away too long or not necessarily being right in front of their supervisor,” Barrett said. Outside the U.S., the availability of certain, potentially female-friendly benefits like paid maternity leave give those countries an edge in the senior female management stakes. While many U.S.-based companies, including GM, do offer paid leave for new mothers, it is not a benefit that is legally guaranteed in the U.S. despite the fact that maternity leave is mandated nearly everywhere else in the world. Although King said maternity leave can improve executive gender balance in the U.S., he is less certain about other government policy changes, such as implementing quotas.
He said it’s more important to figure out what organizations actually need from leaders and design leadership positions to be more attractive to women. For instance, if an organization’s culture is all about breakfast and dinner meetings and networking after work, that can make it more difficult for women who are juggling child care and a full-time senior role. Companies have to really commit to being gender-balanced. By implementing a gender-neutral recruitment process, increasing the number of female candidates available for internal promotions, and creating incentives for managers such as gender-equality targets, Wiminvest’s Falk said there are a number of steps executives can take to adapt to the reality of workforce demographics and upgrade organizations to make a difference in gender dynamics in senior positions. It’s worth making changes — to leadership development programs and mentorship initiatives, to increase sponsorship of high-potential women and adding flexible work options and paid maternity leave — because executive gender balance makes business sense. With women outpacing men in terms of higher education and consumerism, Barrett said they are highly valuable from both a talent and market standpoint. Therefore, they should be in high demand as senior managers. “Any time you have the opportunity to connect with that particular group and bring more women in, it’s going to be better for your business,” he said. Amy Whyte is a former Diversity Executive editorial intern. To comment, email editor@diversity-executive.com.
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INSIGHTS
Hire Power
Staffing firms will be keeping busy for quite a while, says recruiting executive Tom Gimbel. By Lauren Dixon
When it comes to recruiting and staffing, the press just can’t seem to ignore Tom Gimbel. The founder and CEO of Chicago-based staffing firm LaSalle Network has made his share of media rounds over the summer and early fall, as hiring picks up amid improved job prospects in most industries. On July 2, The New York Times prominently featured Gimbel’s commentary on its report on the government’s June job numbers. And in June, Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal dropped Gimbel’s pithy analysis on high potentials and lengthy recruiting processes, respectively. Inc.’s “The Playbook” video series featured Gimbel in July. The chief executive’s Twitter avatar is a screen shot of him being interviewed on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” Talent Management is guilty of Gimbel fever too, as his inclusion in the June issue’s “Innovate Your Interviews” shows. The more recruiting, the more we hear from Tom Gimbel. But who is he? What trends does he foresee in staffing? And how will mobile further affect recruiting? Talent Management spoke with Gimbel on these topics and more. Edited excerpts follow.
What big trends do you see in staffing practices?
I think I’m starting to see a lot more of a remote workforce. I think there’s a happy medium. People are definitely not abandoning people working in their office, but I am seeing a lot more comfort with remote workers. We see it heavily in the 58
technology space. We’re starting to see it in the marketing space as well, and we are seeing it at higher and higher levels. I’m also seeing it getting to be a little bit more of an employee
‘What will end up happening is, you know this great economy we’re in now isn’t going to last forever. You’ll see companies want to have more control, and they’ll have more people come back into the fold.’
that’s going to be here for a while. I think they’re less expensive to build out, and I think that they result in a lot of productivity. I do not think that the flexible workforce is going to stick or as in a wide scope as it is now. What will end up happening is, you know this great economy we’re in now isn’t going to last forever. You’ll see companies want to have more control, and they’ll have more people come back into the fold.
Which industries are seeing the most growth in staffing?
Quite frankly, we’re seeing it across the board. I’m seeing it in professional services usually. I’m seeing it in distribution companies; I’m seeing it in education and retail. Fortunately, right now [with] the economy, the stock market is up, unemployment is down, the economy is in a pretty decent place domestically.
What technologies should recruiters pay attention to? Or ignore?
market where, many years out of the recession now, employees can be a little bit more aggressive with their salary expectations.
I really think it depends on the area of specialization and what they’re doing. I think that the majority of companies of substantial size have an applicant tracking system, or ATS. If you’re in a company that is hiring a lot of people, you need to be very well-versed in different applicant tracking systems and what functionalities you want out of them.
Which of these fads do you think will stick?
How do you see mobile staffing playing out?
—Tom Gimbel CEO, LaSalle Network
I think the open workforce is something
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
I think mobile trends are important. | people | practice | INSIGHTS |
INSIGHTS
Tom Gimbel
Founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a recruiting, staffing and consulting firm based in Chicago
Chosen for Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2009 LaSalle named as a Top Five Best Staffing Firms to Work for in America for four years in a row by Staffing Industry Analysts Inducted to the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2010 Board of directors for Ounce of Prevention Fund, a nonprofit in Chicago that aims to improve early childhood development
People are now having the flexibility and the desire to look for jobs all the time, meaning on the bus, on the train, in the office. And to have the ability to utilize your smartphone, your mobile phone, your iPad, your tablet to search job sites to do that. And so when you have hourly workers — whether they’re 1099 contractors or W-2, temporary employees — the ability to have an app for people recording time and getting it approved ... is very important in the staffing world.
How should staffing firms adapt to these mobile trends?
I think you have to be there. I think the good news is a lot of the applicant tracking systems that you buy are providing | people | practice | INSIGHTS |
mobile application solutions, and so that’s a huge plus.
stock market is up; companies have record profits. They’re doing well.
I think it’s something that when a staffing firm is utilizing an ATS that it’s one of the main things they should look at is what their mobile apps are. I think in looking for jobs, it’s important that — you know, CareerBuilder and Monster and Dice and those job boards and Indeed — they have mobile apps. But is your website well-versed to be viewed on a mobile device?
The one thing I get nervous about from a staffing perspective is the problems in the Middle East. It’s beyond my breadth of knowledge, but when there’s that much chaos going on in other parts of the world, could that have some effect domestically eventually? My guess would be yeah.
What do you see for the labor market in the next five years?
For five years, it’s a long time in the future, and I don’t have a crystal ball, but I don’t really see a huge bubble. Housing seems to be under control; the
But for the next five years, you’re going to see more and more companies relying on staffing firms as the labor shortage continues. I don’t see unemployment going up, which is a good thing. Lauren Dixon is a Talent Management associate editor. To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
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SENIOR TALENT continued from page 26 Some are part of the “sandwich generation”: raising kids and caring for aging parents at the same time. Others, whose children are grown and gone, have more time on their hands and plenty of disposable income. They’re wondering how and when they’ll find the time to enjoy it.
ment. They’re annoyed with younger generations’ apparent disinterest in loyalty, commitment and a “work-until-youdrop” mentality. They want you to acknowledge those values and characteristics, and if you do, they’ll continue to give you their all.
Research indicates that nearly half of boomers still in the workforce don’t expect to retire until they are 66 or older, including a small percentage of boomers who say they will never retire. Some need to work because they don’t have enough money to do everything they want to do, and others want to work because they find their work fulfilling, according to a 2014 Gallup report.
Flex with them. Many boomers are now aged 60 and older, and they’ve never really taken a break from work. A vacation may have been a long weekend. A sabbatical was out of the question because displaying a strong work ethic was everything. Managers who offer options such as part-time employment or a break to test-drive retirement or explore a long-ignored passion will reap rewards. Their grateful, talented employees are likely to stay a little while longer.
What They Bring Boomers have a driven “get it done at all costs” attitude that has made them phenomenally successful. At the same time, that attitude often conflicts with the two younger generations, who see boomers as having sacrificed everything — including family life — for their own achievement and self-fulfillment. Boomers have been called the “me” generation and accused of being self-absorbed. On the other hand, they see the attitudes of the two younger generations as an unwillingness to “pay their dues” and “earn their stripes.” Now, they’re looking for balance and a way out. They’re pondering early retirement, but they don’t necessarily intend to stop working. The question is what kind of work will they be doing, and can they do that work for you? Hints for Hanging On Managers will do well to ask boomers what it will take to keep them. They can then consider using some of these strategies: Help them find meaningful work. They’ve been looking for meaning in their work and lives since they were very young. Ask what they’re passionate about, what some of their current interests are and how they might blend those passions with their work. Ask what new role they might like to play. They still have plenty of energy and time left to contribute to a team. Remember that many of them are adventure-oriented. Give them time to have an adventure outside of work or help them find one inside the organization. Keep them on their cutting edge. Teach them. They still want to learn, even the oldest. Visit a junior college, and notice the silver hair in the world history, pottery and political science classes. Ask what new thing they’d like to learn this coming year. Notice and thank them for their dedication and commit60
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
Consequences of Walking Out the Door
Some managers think that losing senior talent is inevitable and, thus, they shouldn’t worry about it. Or it won’t be a big loss because those workers can be easily replaced. Stop and think about the organization’s most talented seniors. Then ask, “What will be lost to the team if valued workers decide to take early retirement?” Check these potential losses: • Depth of knowledge about the business, technology or organizational culture • Broad perspective and point of view • Wisdom • Ability and willingness to mentor and teach others • Strong customer relations • Patience and the ability to bring calm to chaos • Ability to marshal resources • Unwavering commitment and dedication to the job and the organization • Innovation • Leadership know-how and strength • Ability to work with a variety of people The bottom line is managers cannot afford to lose their best people, no matter what the age. Recognizing, valuing and leveraging senior talent will give savvy leaders an edge, as skill shortages increase in the coming years. New challenges, additional training and greater responsibility will help to engage and retain those talented senior workers that managers can least afford to lose. Sharon Jordan-Evans is an executive coach and keynote speaker. Beverly Kaye is the founder of Career Systems International, an employee engagement and development advisory firm. Both are authors of “Hello Stay Interviews, Goodbye Talent Loss.” To comment, email editor@ talentmgt.com.
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TECH BENEFITS continued from page 23 In addition to allowing employees to make better health care choices, technology is helping employers to one day intervene before a health crisis occurs. At AT&T, their health platform application anonymously collects data on employees’ search topics. This data mining gives the company greater insight into the health demographics of its employees. “It helps to give us information about a possible communication need or maybe there is a gap that we have in a program or a policy that we can close because we see significant volume in the Castlight tool around a certain topic or around a certain procedure,” Jackson said. “It’s makes us better informed about certain different topics. Just because you search on a particular topic doesn’t necessarily mean that you need care, you may just want to know more about it. It’s just really a good line of sight to what our people are looking for.”
For example, one of the top five searches at AT&T was “colonoscopies,” which isn’t something that shows up on Castlight’s broader scope of business as a top five search. In response to that information, AT&T organized an event where one of the company’s senior leaders shared the story of her fight against colon cancer, and it went viral internally at the company. “Not only are we going to create better health outcomes for people, but we’ll hopefully get to that really virtuous place of preventing claims and catastrophic issues with people,” Jackson said. “The ability to track your vitals and track your health dayto-day and communicate with your doctors and integrate that into a really easy experience. It’s going to get easier and easier as those worlds continue to merge. It’s a really exciting space.”
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FULL POTENTIAL Marshall Goldsmith
Belief Triggers Halt Behavioral Change Everyone can come up with reasons to avoid change. These ‘belief triggers’ are most common.
E
ven when the benefits of changing are indisputable, we are geniuses at inventing reasons to avoid change. That genius becomes more acute when it applies to us. We fall back on beliefs that trigger denial and, ultimately, self-delusion. What should we call the rationalizations? Mere “excuse” is inadequate. I call them belief triggers.
I have willpower and won’t give in to temptation.
We deify willpower and mock its absence. People who achieve through remarkable willpower are “strong” and “heroic.” People who need help or structure are “weak.”This is crazy because few of us can gauge willpower.
Today is a special day.
When we want to make an excuse for errant behavior, any day can be designated as a “special day.” We yield to impulse and shortterm gratification because today is the Super Bowl, or my birthday, or our anniversary. Tomorrow is back to normal.
“At least I’m better than ...”
In a down moment after failure or loss, we tell ourselves, “At least I’m better than soand-so.” We award ourselves a free pass because we’re not the worst in the world. This is our excuse to take it easy, lowering the bar on our motivation and discipline.
I shouldn’t need help and structure.
One of our most dysfunctional beliefs is our contempt for simplicity and structure. This is a natural response that combines three competing impulses: our contempt for simplicity, our contempt for instruction and follow-up, and our faith that we can succeed all by ourselves.
I won’t get tired; my enthusiasm will not fade.
When we plan to achieve our goals, we believe that our energy will not flag. We 62
seldom recognize that self-control is a limited resource. As we become tired, our self-control begins to waver and may eventually disappear.
provide a permanent solution, we forget that as we usher out an old problem a new problem enters.
I have all the time in the world.
We are raised to believe life is fair. Our noble efforts will be rewarded. When I coach leaders, I insist that they pursue change because they believe that it’s right. It will help them become a better person — and by extension, improve the lives of the people around them.
Here are two opposing beliefs that we mash into one warped view: We chronically underestimate the time it takes to do something; we believe that time is open-ended and spacious.
My efforts will be fairly rewarded.
Many of us have a misguided belief that how we behave today not only defines but also represents our constant selves. I won’t get distracted and nothing unexpected will occur.
When we make plans, we seldom consider distractions. We plan as if we’re going to live in a perfect world and be left alone to focus.
An epiphany will suddenly change my life.
An epiphany implies that change can arise out of a sudden insight. I’m skeptical of any “instant conversion experience.” It might produce change in the short run, but nothing meaningful because the process is based on impulse.
My change will be permanent.
The Great Western Disease is “I’ll be happy when …” This is our belief that happiness is a static goal, within our grasp when we get that promotion or buy that house. Is it any wonder that we casually assume any positive change we make will change us forever?
My elimination of old problems will not bring on new problems.
Even if we appreciate that no change will
talent management magazine • september 2015 • talentmgt.com
No one pays attention to me.
We believe that we can lapse back into bad behavior because people aren’t paying attention. While our improvement may not be as obvious to others as it is to us, when we revert to our previous behavior, people notice.
If I change, I am “inauthentic.”
Many of us have a misguided belief that how we behave today not only defines us but also represents our constant selves. If we change, we’re not being true to who we really are. In the end, all these rationalizations still don’t completely answer the larger question: Why don’t we become the person we want to be? I’ll explain why in the October issue. Marshall Goldsmith is an authority in helping leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. He is the author of 33 books, including “Triggers.” To comment, email editor@talentmgt.com.
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