How Do You Keep ‘em…

1. How Do You Keep ‘em… If You Don’t Know What They Want! 2008 PCCYFS Annual Spring Conference Tom Dondore, SPHR HRS/TND Associates, Inc. tom@hrstndassociates.com

2. Retention • Retention = the ability to keep and maintain the employment of skilled and valuable workers; often in periods of short labor supply and in highly competitive employment markets

3. Keys to Successful Retention • Keeping a workplace environment of greater interest to workers than any other • Discovering what makes the workplace interesting to your workers • Maintaining interest of workers over changing times and situations • Delivering a “workplace of choice”

4. About Turnover • Reversing the turnover trend results in high retention and stronger continuums of productivity • ??? = How do you know if you are delivering this stuff?

5. What is Satisfaction? • ??? - How do you know if you are delivering this stuff? • …and how do you know if it is what workers really want?

6. Traditional Tools for Determining Worker Needs • 1 on 1 Interviews with Existing Workers • Exit Interviews • Group Forums with Existing Workers • Focus Groups • Questionnaires to terminated workers • Scuttlebutt

7. The Pros Instant feedback Horse’s mouth advantage Timely The Cons Fear of face to face Concern about motives Concern about repercussions Saying what you want to hear 1 on 1 Interviews with Existing Workers

8. The Pros Predetermined, directed questions An ‘Old Standard” - tried and true The Cons Responses are from people who LEAVE! No stake in helping to improve things Possible ax-grinding Retaliation No-lose situation Exit Interviews

9. The Pros Time efficient Multiple responses Confidence of a group environment Opportunity for discussions The Cons Group think Fear of speaking up The “Nobody’s Business” syndrome Ganging up One person overpowers the forum Group Forums with Existing Workers

10. The Pros Effective, directed system Structured inquiry Easy to report and create action plans The Cons Same as previous group process Little opportunity for free thinking Structure leads to telling what employer wants to hear Focus Groups

11. The Pros The “No skin off my teeth” response Carefully Structured Simple administration The Cons What do they really care? Response is likely to contain personal gripes Might get answers from “Home” Questionnaires to terminated workers

12. The Pros DUH!!!!!!!!!!!! None! The Cons See “The Pros” Scuttlebutt

13. What Method Can Really Work?

14. The Employee Opinion Survey • A carefully and custom structured instrument, administered to existing employees, soliciting graded answers to questions crafted to define those things that matter most to employees

15. The Employee Opinion Survey2 • Topic oriented - multiple questions grouped into meaningful topics • Demographic breakdowns • Existing employees • Completely anonymous • Recurring administrations over time • Honesty stems from confidentiality

16. The Employee Opinion Survey3 • Provides for scaled responses so intensity of opinion is measured • First administration provides benchmark, subsequent ones show changes and maturity • ALL employees are counted! • Very time and cost efficient • Aids in strategy development

17. Relevant Topics • Company Benefits • Job Content • Management • People orientation • Monetary issues • Training and Career Development • Company Action Bias • Bureaucracy

18. Relevant Topics2 • Excitement • Innovation • Job Security • Motivation • Technology • Work Pressure • Autonomy • Interpersonal Harmony

19. Remember the Satisfiers?

20. Age Educational Level Job Classification Location or work site Proximity to Work Department Race Salary or wage Seniority or Length of Service Sex Shift Work Status (FT or PT) Using Demographics

21. But, Surveys are Hard To Do! • Easy steps to construction • Well worth the quality of the data • Very timely • Employees LOVE them • A strategic tool • Great for soliciting feedback • Not expensive

22. Steps to Creating a Survey • Needs Analysis • Survey Design • Development of Questionnaire • Questionnaire Review • Instrument Pre-test (optional) • Assurance of confidentiality • Administration of Questionnaire

23. Steps to Creating a Survey2 • Analyze the data • Written interpretive reports • Presentation of Results • Share Results with employees • Solicit employee feedback • Create Retention Action Plans • Execute Retention Plans/Strategy

24. Surveys Ideal For Retention • Quantitative AND Qualitative • Demographics • High Honesty Factor • Benchmark and repetition • Multi-dimensional data • Full employee input • Promotes Communication • Compartmentable

25. Your Questions???How Do You Keep ‘em… If You Don’t Know What They Want! Tom Dondore, SPHR HRS/TND Associates, Inc. our interactive website at www.hrstndassociates.com tom@hrstndassociates.com