The “Soft Side” of Business
It is always surprising — no, make that bewildering — how little importance is attached to OD by so many businesses. Corporate culture? What’s that? Employee satisfaction? They should feel lucky they even have a job. Recruiting and hiring? Get it done as quickly as possible. Comp and benefits? Bonuses and incentives? No way! We’ve got to keep our costs as low as possible. Training? OJT has always worked. Why change now? If any of the above thinking is found at your company, Collins/Fox can help.
Many organizations claim their employees are their “most valuable assets”. And, for most companies, compensation and the other costs related to labor are their largest G&A expense. Assuming both of these statements to be true, isn’t it time to give the “soft side” its due? But, where to begin?
Corporate Culture
Collins/Fox defines corporate culture as “what employees do when nobody is looking”. If those actions don’t mirror the company’s Values, Norms, and Performance and Behavioral Expectations, then there’s clearly a problem. To determine what your corporate culture is, Collins/Fox suggests undertaking a Corporate Culture Audit. It likely begins with a comprehensive Employee Satisfaction Survey. So much can be learned from such a project. Yet, such an undertaking is fraught with peril, for if there is not an ironclad commitment from management to address the issues uncovered by the survey, no matter how challenging they might be, then management loses all credibility with staff. Collins/Fox utilizes an extensive list of Employee Satisfaction survey questions designed to address the key issues relating to the establishment of a world-class working environment. And, none of them involve the presence or absence of “chair massages”. We can customize the questions to your organization.
Hiring Practices
Collins/Fox believes strongly that it always comes down to people. Therefore, attracting and retaining the right ones is truly critical to a company’s on-going success. In fact, Collins/Fox believes the “hire/don’t hire” decision will be the most important decision, by far, of all the decisions a company might make on any given day. This means attracting the best candidates. Conducting effective interviews. And, evaluating candidates not only on their ability to do the job, but their ability to fit within the company’s culture, as well. And, very importantly, it means having the discipline to always wait for the right candidate, rather than simply hiring for hiring’s sake, just to get the vacancy filled. Collins/Fox can help you identify key attributes based on your company’s Values, Norms and Behavioral/Performance Expectations. We can also help develop more effective interviewing skills and a comprehensive Candidate Evaluation form.
Performance Evaluations and 360 Degree Feedback Systems
It’s probably a toss-up as to which activity employees hate the most: giving a Performance Review or receiving a Performance Review. Objective or subjective? Easy grader or strict reviewer? Motivating or demotivating? The challenges associated with this key function are many and difficult. Collins/Fox can help by making sure that what is being evaluated is consistent from department to department and with the company’s Values, Norms and Expected Performance/Behavior Standards. And, we can help establish or administer 360 Degree Feedback systems for key members of the management team that generate feedback from superiors, peers, team members, subordinates and other key stakeholders.
Comp & Benefits
Controlling compensation and benefit-related expenses is as much science as it is art. One key way of managing this sensitive area is to establish a Job Grading system and associated Salary Ranges based on a standardized set of job descriptions and a competitive wage survey. Collins/Fox can help by establishing a system in which each job (and job family) in the company is compared to every other job in the company — and the market — and then ranked (graded) from highest paying to lowest paying.
Collins/Fox can also help establish (or evaluate existing) Bonus and Incentive Comp plans. Are they too subjective? Do they drive desired behavior? Are they being “gamed” by the staff? One of the most basic, but important, of all business questions is “who gets rewarded for what?” Collins/Fox can help you answer that question by assisting in the development of a cost effective, productive, and performance-driving bonus/incentive comp program.
Performance Development & Training
Few, if any, jobs being performed today are being done the way they were done five years ago. Technological enhancements are both a given and a constant. Increased responsibility spread over an ever-shrinking workforce is an unpleasant reality for many middle-managers. Turnover is exceptionally expensive in terms of lost productivity and decreased morale. Yet, survey after survey indicates that the potential for increased responsibility and increased capability are two of the most important contributors to employee job satisfaction. Or, lack thereof.
Collins/Fox can help by conducting an Employee Skills & Capabilities Audit. By creating both Job Laddering and Job Posting programs. And, by helping to establish certification and other training programs. Every one wants to be able to do their job better. But, not everyone wants to be the company President.
Services provided include:
Organizational Development
– Corporate Culture Audit/Employee Satisfaction Surveys
Hiring Practices
– Interviewing Skills
– Candidate Evaluation forms
Performance Evaluations & 360 Degree Feedback Systems
– Consistency with corporate Values, Norms, Behaviors
Comp & Benefits
– Position Descriptions & Job Grading
– Salary Ranges
– Bonuses & Incentives
Performance Development & Training
– Employee Skills & Capabilities Audit
– Job Laddering & Grow-in-Place systems
– Job Posting systems
– Certifications & Training
Collins/Fox Strategies Group, LLC 