Your Questions Answered.
Robert Gray, President, Insightlink Communications
Starting this month, we are introducing a new feature into the Insightlink Communications newsletter – a regular commentary by Margaret McKenzie on topics that are relevant to HR managers. Margaret is an experienced HR professional who helps us develop meaningful and practical recommendations for our clients based on their 4Cs employee results.
Through our collaboration, Margaret and I often discuss issues and case studies relating to employee opinions and satisfaction so we can both continually gain and pass on experience and I think it’s time that these discussions should be opened up to a larger audience.
So each month Margaret will write about a specific topic of value to those working in HR. Margaret’s topic this month is the importance of writing job descriptions and the important role they play in creating employee satisfaction and engagement.
If you have any questions regarding HR management that Margaret can answer, then please reply to this email, and the following month we will highlight your question or concern.
The Pay debate...
Last month we asked, “Why doesn’t anyone want to talk pay?” to which we received varied responses. Thanks to all of you who replied, and as promised no names will be revealed!
Of the responses we received, one of the most notable comments related directly to difficulties discussing pay with employees. While acknowledging that many managers are hesitant to raise the subject of pay with their staff, this particular HR officer incorporated the topic as a regular part of their organization’s performance reviews, which in turn alleviated a once prevalent culture of dissatisfaction and misunderstanding with pay. Their employees now feel they have a private forum to communicate, gain feedback and understand the compensation culture of their company.
Building on this individual experience, the benefit of encouraging discussions regarding pay is something echoed in a recent article on Businessweek.com, entitled Helping Managers Talk about Pay. A November 2009 survey by the Compensation Roundtable, a program of The Corporate Executive Board, concluded that only 1-in-10 managers conduct pay-related conversations effectively. The article then recommends action on how this difficulty can be overcome and produce effective communication strategies for compensation, including understanding value in pay communication, taking accountability and more importantly obtaining the skill sets and confidence to have discussions about pay.
For a full transcript of the article click here.
The link between pay and communications is brought home in the results of our 2010 4Cs Employee Benchmark Study. Our results clearly show that satisfaction with pay and satisfaction with overall communications are very strongly linked. In other words, organizations where employees are satisfied with the effectiveness of communications and with the the feedback they receive will also be more likely to be satisfied with their pay.
More findings from our 2010 study will be published over the coming months.
If you'd like to speak with me directly, please contact me at rgray@insightlink.com or call 866-802-8095 x702.
|
Margaret's Real-World Advice.
Why Write a Job Description?
As job definition is often one of the strongest contributors to overall job satisfaction, we encourage you to strive for 70% agreement on this measure in our 4Cs Employee Opinion Comprehensive Analysis Reports.
A well-written job description can be an effective communication tool for both supervisors and employees. The job description plays a role even before an employee is hired, as it allows the hiring supervisor to establish the job requirements. From the job requirements, the recruiter can identify the right potential candidates for the position.
More importantly, once the employee has been hired, the job description will ensure that the employee understands the duties and responsibilities of the new role and their relative importance. This will allow the new employee to focus on the most important duties and responsibilities, reducing the frustration that occurs when an employee does not understand the expectations of the job.
The manager will also use the job description to coach the employee to develop the skills needed to meet the expectations of the role. Employees want to have the information they need to do their jobs better and they want to know how they are doing in their jobs. The job description plays a role in the formal performance review process by providing clear guidelines for job performance.
The employee who is successful in the role also wants to know what roles are attainable in the future. Once again, the job description provides the employee with information regarding job qualifications that may be lacking and the knowledge, skills and abilities that will need to be developed in order to be considered for promotion. As a result, employees see that their current jobs are the best path to achieve their career goals.
All this employee satisfaction from one job description!
Margaret McKenzie is an HR professional with more than 20 years experience. Contact her at margaret@insightlink.com
|
|
