PAM's Talent Management Blog

Talent Management for Education

In many parts of America, high school students who aren’t college bound have limited options.  In Pennsylvania’s Reading and Muhlenberg School Districts, students enjoy broader educational horizons.  Through work-based learning opportunities in 31 programs, the Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC) prepares students for careers or for post-secondary education.  

RMCTC teachers follow educational best practices to help students compete in the workplace. Using PerformancePAM Talent Management software, school administrators initiated a unique process to help teachers achieve this goal.

Promoting Best Practices

Among their tenured teachers, RMCTC stresses professional development versus performance evaluation.  “In my opinion, the clinical supervision method to improve pedagogy is not effective. When an administrator observes a class, teachers tend to present their best lesson and students are on their best behavior.  As a result, it’s an artificial environment,” says Administrative Director Gerald Witmer.

To counteract this, RMCTC administrators invite tenured teachers to participate in a voluntary professional development process. (Last year, 100% of eligible teachers participated.)  The first day of school, each teacher receives a signed satisfactory evaluation form based on their previous year’s performance. Unless they commit a serious infraction, they retain a satisfactory rating. Gerald explains the reasoning for this approach. “To improve performance, teachers must let their guard down and admit when they’re struggling with a particular aspect of teaching.  They won’t mention weaknesses on an evaluation form because these invariably show up as a negative.”

To overcome this obstacle, RMCTC asked PerformancePAM to customize a professional development module. “Instead of an evaluation rubric, we designed a rubric to facilitate professional development.  PerformancePAM allowed us to identify growth needs of individual teachers and to identify which teachers use best practices,” Gerald explains, adding, “This allowed us to provide the resources, workshops and peer support necessary for improvement. I can, for example, pair a teacher who is gifted in classroom management with one who’s struggling. They can then work together to improve the situation.”

A Teacher Tailored Process

The ability to customize PerforamancePAM made it attractive to Gerald Witmer. “To review teaching methods, we created a software rubric defining areas of responsibility, such as curriculum and classroom management. We also identified necessary skills and had three rating levels: 1) needs development; 2) meets expectations; or 3) exceeds expectations. Next, we identified elements teachers could review to see where they place within the three levels.”

Working on a computer, teachers rate themselves in 45 areas within the rubric. When they’re finished, their supervisors complete the same process. Neither party can see each other’s responses. When both are done, a report is generated which demonstrates any differences of opinion.  The supervisor and teacher discuss inconsistencies and an agreement is reached. Finally, PerformancePAM generates a report on individual teachers and the entire faculty to help RMCTC create a professional development plan for the school year. “This allows us to target individual and group needs and make good use of our limited professional development resources,” Gerald says.

Discovering a Software Solution

Gerald Witmer found PerformancePAM in a roundabout way. “I had a vision for what our software had to accomplish, but didn’t think a packaged product could align with our needs. I asked a software developer if he knew any programmers who could write a program like the one I envisioned. While attending a national industry conference, the programmer connected with PerformancePAM creators Pamela and Scott Perryman and reached the conclusion that PerformancePAM was 90% turnkey for our purposes.”

PerformancePAM was customized beyond its existing capabilities to meet RMCTC’s objectives. Set up of the rubric, users and permission access were done remotely.  “It’s cool—I can give control of my screen to a member of the PerformancePAM technical support team who easily shows me what I need to do. They’ve been good to work with and have quickly resolved any issues we had,” Gerald comments.

PerformancePAM is entering its second year of use at RMCTC, and user feedback remains positive. “Our teachers love it. I’ve seen teachers encouraging their colleagues, saying, ‘You want to be part of this.’ They appreciate having ownership in the process. It’s a meaningful tool that meets their needs.  It helps them admit weaknesses without feeling threatened and allows administrators to provide the necessary professional development.”

Indirectly, Gerald Witmer is seeing improvement in students, too. Academic scores, trade and technical assessments and attendance are increasing. “All of our goal indicators are improving, so I think that means teachers are doing a better job engaging kids. The software process has to have played a role in that.”

An Employer's Obligation to Maintain Employee Records

All employers should be aware of the various federal and state laws requiring companies to maintain certain records regarding their employees. In the event of a lawsuit, an employer may be required to produce these records. Failure to do so can lead to fines and other adverse actions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to maintain all personnel or employment records made or kept by the employer. These include application forms, and records pertaining to hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other terms of compensation, and selection for training or apprenticeship.

The personnel and employment records listed above must be kept for one year, either from the date the record was made, or from the date the personnel action was taken, whichever is later. Records relevant to a charge of discrimination or lawsuit must be kept until the final disposition of the charge or action.

Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), employers must keep all payroll or other records containing each employee's name, address, date of birth, occupation, rate of pay, and compensation earned per week. The ADEA also requires employers to keep copies of employee benefit plans, as well as written seniority or merit rating systems. Even if the plan or system is not in writing, a summary memorandum must be kept.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to keep basic records containing employee information, payroll records, individual contracts or collective bargaining agreements, wage rate tables, work-time schedules, records of additions to or deductions from wages paid, and documentation of the basis for payment of any wage differential to employees of the opposite sex in the same establishment.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires a log and summary of occupational injuries and illnesses, briefly describing recordable cases of injury and illness, extent and outcome of each incident, and summary totals for calendar year, as well as a supplemental record containing more detailed information for each occurrence of injury or illness.

This is not a comprehensive list of record retention requirements. These federal laws, and other state laws, may include more requirements than those listed here.

By:  Claire Saady, Esq. of HR Corporate Solutions.

HR Corporate Solutions is dedicated toward working with companies to guarantee that they are in compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws.  Claire works with companies to prepare their employee handbooks, policies/procedures, non-compete agreements and also provides training seminars for employees and executives.

Increase Employee Engagement and Output with Talent Management

Talent Management is an important tool in business and it is aimed at bettering the performance of individuals with organizational activity. It typically incorporates training, education and development. However, what does this all mean and why is it important for your company to practice it?

Talent Management involves the efforts of both the individual and the company. It is a joint ongoing effort that is aimed at upgrading the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to the job they do, ensuring that they become the beneficiary of the organization as well as themselves. To achieve the best results from this effort you have to balance the career goals of the employee and the company’s requirement to get work done as efficiently as possible. This is true regardless of the level of the job, although the scale of the management will vary significantly given the scope of roles within the company.

Why implement a talent management process? The simple and most obvious reason would be that an emphasis in talent management can make a major difference to a company’s performance. A better trained or developed workforce can accomplish more as employees achieve more skills and experience with advantages for both individual and organization.  The result would be a more efficient company and a happier workforce who can enjoy what they are doing and take more pride in their work. The payoff of this efficiency will be reflected in the company’s services to their customers.

Retaining employees that have spent time and effort growing into an organization is one of the main concerns for a company. It is time consuming and expensive looking for new staff and then having to start again. Offering employees an opportunity to improve their skills and performance, as well as develop new skills is often an important factor in staff staying with their employer. This growth and expansion is also going to be extremely beneficial to the company also.

Assessing the employee’s performance including areas of strength as well as weakness would usually be the first step in implementing a talent management process and typically can lead to a discussion between both parties culminating in a development plan or outline of steps to be taken to achieve necessary goals. It is also important to have a method in place to monitor this development. It will often involve training, educating and eventually developing the ways in which the employee’s tasks can be completed more efficiently, as well as encouraging the employee to develop new skills. These areas can be tracked and monitored with a talent management system to ensure efficient deployment of these processes resulting in happier employees and a stronger organization.

How has your company addressed talent management with your employees?

Dealing with Office Gossip

We all have the person or people in the office who spread gossip and thrive on talking about others. This has the effect of making people feel unsafe as they think; will I be the target of gossip next? We also know it wastes time as people become disengaged from the work and focused on the topic of the day. There are usually a handful of people who are the initiators of gossip and the only way to stop it from happening is to address the issue directly with the individual. Here are a few talking points to use when addressing the gossiping employee:

While it's only natural to be interested in what's going on in other people's lives, I'd like you to resist the temptation to share personal information that you may be privy to or have learned from others.

OR

Hold onto personal information that you may have come across. Bypass the temptation to share it with others. 

Now you could just as easily say, "I need for you to stop gossiping" but that will most likely be met with a myriad of excuses. So, try translating what you don't want, "gossiping", into a statement that describes what you do want.

Author: Jamie Resker, President and Founder of Employee Performance Solutions

For more information about how to provide feedback, particularly on behavior based issues, please see our paper on How to Address Disruptive Employee Behaviors.

Protect Your Company with Performance Evaluation Documentation

Discrimination lawsuits by employees are on the rise and comprise about 33% of all claims in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Discrimination in the workplace is prohibited if an applicant or employee is discriminated against in the hiring, firing or terms and conditions of his/her employment because of his/her "protected class." "Protected classes" include race, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability and military status. Does this mean that a person who falls within a "protected class" has to be afforded preferential treatment? No - just equal treatment. With so many people falling within one or more categories of a "protected class," what is an employer to do? The key is education, training and documentation.

First, every company should have written policies that prohibit discrimination/sexual harassment/retaliation in the workplace. The policy needs to be signed by every employee within the organization. 

Second, training seminars must be conducted on an annual basis for all employees. The purpose of these training seminars is to make each employee aware of his/her responsibilities and rights. Each employee has the right to work in an environment free of discrimination. Each employee also has the responsibility not to discriminate against other workers. 

Third, documentation is critical for a number of reasons. Performance evaluations and warnings, if necessary, give the employee an opportunity to improve his/her performance. Those performance evaluations will also serve as evidence in the event that the company needs to defend itself against an employee who claims that he/she was terminated due to discrimination. An employer would argue that the termination was due to poor performance and not discrimination. The performance evaluations will be the best evidence of such poor performance. By the time a case goes to trial, the manager/supervisor who made the recommendation to terminate an employee may be long gone. Without the written performance evaluation, there will be no other evidence of poor performance. In addition, juries tend to believe the "written" more than they do the "spoken."

Discrimination lawsuits are so dangerous because of the cost, potentially unflattering publicity and the countless number of hours that need to be spent during litigation. Attorneys' fees for the company defending such a claim will typically be about $175,000. If the employee prevails in such a lawsuit, he/she will be entitled to his/her "reasonable" attorneys' fees which will usually be about $200,000. In addition, a prevailing employee may also be entitled to back pay damages, compensatory and punitive damages.

Thus, the key to avoiding discrimination lawsuits is education, training, and documentation.

By: Claire Saady, Esq. of HR Corporate Solutions
HR Corporate Solutions is dedicated toward working with companies to guarantee that they are in compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. Claire works with companies to prepare their employee handbooks, policies/procedures, non-compete agreements and also provides training seminars for employees and executives.

She can be reached at clairesaady@hrcorporatesolutions.com or 813.909.7379.

Do You Work for One of Those Nice Organizations That Avoids Conflict?

One of the excuses we commonly hear as a reason for not actively engaging in dialogue with employees regarding their performance is "We're really nice at XYZ organization" or "We avoid conflict and causing people to feel badly about themselves". Translation, "We have people who are underperforming but we'd rather not have those conversations". Or, "It's just easier to let the underperformance continue as is; I'll just focus on my A and B level players." And finally, "What would we say and how would the person on the receiving end react? We'd rather not go there."

There are many reasons for not having performance conversations. Here are just a few:

• He's only got another two years before retirement.
• She can't change.
• That's the way he's always been.
• What if I make things worse?
• It's a personality issue and it's not my job to deal with that type of thing.
• We can't afford to lose her.

The most contradictory of all the reasons to not provide feedback:

• "We're a gentle, nice type of place to work and we avoid conflict".

Why is it contradictory?
In our research managers admit to waiting for a performance problem to get so bad that they allow it to reach a level where the first step is disciplinary action or getting the ball rolling on moving the person out of the organization. So, if the organization was really the nice place it claimed to be, wouldn't it make more sense to provide early-on and actionable feedback that would help the employee get back on track?

One of the questions we ask at every event or workshop is:
When do people first get information on an area of underperformance?

1. Early on when the issue has just emerged?
2. When a persistent pattern has developed.
3. When the manager is so frustrated they are just ready to fire the employee.

Not surprisingly managers and Human Resources professionals report that it's when a persistent pattern has developed (meaning it's time for disciplinary action such as a warning of performance improvement plan) or when the manager is ready to fire the employee. In other words, we'd rather just let the person continue on down the wrong path and then discipline them or get the wheels in motion to fire them.

A Human Resources Director of a Boston based technology company had a manager ask for assistance to move an underperforming employee out of the company. When the HR Director asked the manager when he had a conversation with the employee about the issue he admitted he hadn't brought it up with the employee. She then point blank asked, "So you'd rather fire this person than try to have a conversation about changing the behavior? Sadly the manager answered, "Yes, I'd rather just get rid of the person". Unfortunately this is a common story in many organizations.

Good and kind organizations promote these conversations early on before the issue has reached the point of no return. From the employee's perspective it's particularly unfair when the issue is in their blind spot, they have no idea their performance is problematic. Not because the leader who could and should be having a conversation is unaware of the issue. They are aware of the problem but because most people are unsure of how to go about such discussions they avoid having them in the first place. On the surface this appears to be the "we're a nice organization who doesn't engage in conflict".

From the employee's vantage point, withholding key performance information is anything but nice. How many times have people been written off or worked around due to a performance inhibitor? "You know how Jennifer can be, let's not have her on the team this time around". Only for Jennifer to realize she has been left our of various activities and opportunities which can lead to her asking why she wasn't asked to participate. When employees are left out of important meetings, bypassed for promotional opportunities or interesting work, left behind while team members go to lunch together, or whispered about, they pick up on the undertones. This leads to further disengagement and only exacerbates the problem.

First Step: Warning or Performance Improvement Plans?
Worse still is when the employee hears about the issue for the first time and is put on a warning or performance plan. Even worse than that is when the person is "laid off" or suddenly fired. What could be more unfair, particularly when there is evidence that most people can get back on track when they receive early, actionable feedback. When managers say the employee is unable to perform, we always ask, has the person been given the opportunity to demonstrate his or her true capabilities? If the answer is yes, they have been given feedback and the support to realign their performance then the obvious answer is to get started down the disciplinary path or moving the person out of the organization.  When the answer is no, I haven't really had that kind of conversation, then the conversation about how to be more effective should take place.

Being a kind organization means giving people the opportunity to improve, even when it might mean initiating an uncomfortable conversation. The goal should always be to "help the employee out" before "helping them out of the organization".

Author:  Jamie Resker, President and Founder of Employee Performance Solutions

For more information about how to provide feedback, particularly on behavior based issues, please see our paper on How to Address Disruptive Employee Behaviors.

Managing Performance Appraisal Review Cycles

There are two schools of thought on review dates. The first school believes that employees should be reviewed on a yearly basis, at the anniversary of their employment. This method staggers the reviews of employees over the course of any given year. The second school believes that employees should all be reviewed once per year, at the same time, regardless of when they joined the organization.

Most experts now agree that, except in the case of new employees, one annual review for all employees is the more beneficial approach. The benefits of reviewing all employees at the same time are:

• Consistency: When managers are required to review all employees during the same time period, it eliminates bias from the review process. If each employee were reviewed throughout the year on an anniversary date, the mood of the manager (either positive or negative), might affect the performance evaluation.
• Compensation: Reviewing employees all at the same time (preferably at the end of the organization's fiscal year), makes planning compensation easier. This is especially true if the organization intends on ranking employees by a review "score" and then recommending compensation increases and promotions based on those scores.
• Momentum: No matter when reviews happen, they take a considerable amount of manager time and energy. When the review requirements are spread out throughout the year, review dates have a tendency to slip. When they occur all at the same time, with an organization-mandated deadline, the reviews are more likely to be completed.

Perhaps the only time not to complete an annual, all-at-one-time review is in the case of new employees. It is a good policy to review a new employee after the first three or six months. That employee should still be reviewed with the rest of the employees at year-end, with the interim acting as a supporting document.

When you implement PAM Web, the performance appraisal management cycle can be determined by individual employee, by group, or by company. A performance appraisal software like PAM will start the review process on the schedule that you determine.

Creating Behavior Based SMART Goals

When we think of goals we typically think of areas of performance that are quantifiable and measureable.  Reduce errors by 50% or increase sales by 15% are examples of measurable goals.  The two biggest challenges in creating behavior based goals are setting the time frame and measuring the behavior change.  Here's how to do that:

• The measurement is "observation and feedback"
• The time frame is "now - ongoing" (unless training is required beforehand- the training takes place and then the behavior should be observable)

Here's an example of a behavior based performance issue translated into a SMART goal (you'll probably get that this person was rude and nasty in his email communications):

Goal: Jack is most effective when dealing with colleagues/peers in person. When conflict arises I would like Jack to forgo email communications as a first resort and instead utilize his in person communication skills where he comes across as collaborative and respectful. Increase of in person communication with an emphasis on consistently utilizing respectful business language communication skills. Hold off resolving conflict with email as the primary communication medium.

Complete By:   Now- ongoing

Measurement: Observation and Feedback 

Conclusion: When goals are put into writing there is a better chance that the employee will successfully meet the new expectations.  Behavior based goals can and should be translated into specific, measurable, attainable  relevant, attainable and time bound objectives. 

- Jamie Resker, President, Employee Performance Solutions

Jamie is recognized as an established thought leader and innovator in the area of performance management.  She is the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method®, a tool for systematically diagnosing employee performance issues and development opportunities and crafting messages about even the most sensitive behavior based issues. For more information on Jamie or the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, visit http://www.employeeperformancesolutions.com/.

3 Keys to Making Difficult Performance Discussions Easier

It is clear that the key reason people avoid giving feedback is not because they don't understand the problem but rather because they don't know how to craft a message that is sayable and hearable.

Put the focus on the positive, desired performance rather than highlighting the current negative performance. The result is a message that you can deliver without having a bottle of Alka-Seltzer at your side and your staff can hear without going off the rails. 

Key #1: Identify the Performance Issue

Identify the negative behavior that is holding the individual back not a problem for most people. Then describe it in the opposite, positive terms.

For example, if the employee lacks finesse when dealing with clients and behaves like a bull in a china shop the manager would ask for the employee to develop a more polished and professional style.

When an employee makes frequent mistakes the manager would talk in terms of developing more accuracy.

For the employee who chronically complains that everything is a problem, but never offers any solutions, the manager might ask the employee to develop a problem solving approach.

Key #2: Be Specific about the Desired Change

It is important to get specific about what you mean by a more polished and professional approach, more accuracy or a problem solving approach. For example, What I mean by develop a problem solving approach is that when you first notice a problem that is preventing you from getting your job done to first think through a solution and then approach me if it's something you need my help with.

Key #3: Detail the Benefits of Making the Change

Lastly, it is useful to explain to the employee the benefit of developing the performance area. Ask yourself Why do I want the employee to make this change?

In the case of the chronic complainer who never offers solutions their behavior most likely creates negativity, wastes time and garners complaints from co-workers who are sick and tired of listening to this person drone on about what's wrong.

So, the here's why I'm asking you to focus on this part of the message would sound something like this, The reason I want you to focus on solving problems is that people will notice and appreciate a how do I make things better around here approach, it will make more constructive use of the time we have and it will bring more positive energy into the team.

Notice how the message is still honest yet it talks in terms of what WILL happen when the employee develops a problem solving approach.

These keys are the core of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, a step-by-step methodology designed to make anyone comfortable delivering even the most difficult feedback.

Conclusion

Talking in terms of the desired performance versus the current undesired performance serves two purposes:

1. We are more likely to initiate the discussion because the wording makes it more comfortable to deliver the feedback.
2. The employee learns what is expected (as opposed to focusing on what's wrong) with their dignity intact

Bypassing negative performance descriptions and the resulting negative employee reaction allows the employee to respond more positively; ultimately facilitating the move towards the solution phase of the discussion the ultimate goal of feedback.

A simple rule of thumb is to provide the employee with the opportunity to receive the feedback and make progress on the issue. Only when it is clear that the employee is unwilling or unable to make progress should more extreme measures be used -- such as disciplinary action or documented performance plans.

- Jamie Resker, President, Employee Performance Solutions

Jamie is recognized as an established thought leader and innovator in the area of performance management.  She is the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method®, a tool for systematically diagnosing employee performance issues and development opportunities and crafting messages about even the most sensitive behavior based issues. For more information on Jamie or the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, visit www.employeeperformancesolutions.com.

Establish an Action Plan for Performance Results

Prior to the interview with the employee, the manager should prepare a loose "action plan" to address the weaknesses of the worker. Ideally, this plan should be unveiled at the end of the interview, and encompass a series of steps to help the worker improve performance. The action plan should consist of three distinct parts:

• Areas to Improve
• Resources Available
• Measurable Results

Areas to Improve

In order for an employee's performance to improve, he or she needs specific areas to focus on. Generally stating that employees simply need to "perform better" is not enough guid­ance, and can often lead to frustration on the part of the employee. Instead, a list of specific areas to improve should be agreed to by both parties. This will empower the employee to work toward improvement and boost morale. 

Resources Available

Employees should be assured that they will receive the necessary tools to help them im­prove their performance. These resources might include education, software programs, or other work aides. Resources should also always include periodic feedback sessions with the manager, and manager-sponsored coaching or mentoring. Providing employees with the tools they need to succeed will help improve the performance of the entire organization.

Measurable Results

In order for performance improvements to be met, the manager should set a list of desired performance objectives. Employees will be evaluated on their ability to meet these objectives, given the tools and resources available to them. The manager should make it clear that employees will be reviewed on these objectives during the next review period, or some interim period, when appropriate. Performance appraisal software can make these checkpoints easy to remember and complete.