performance management for your human capital

Performance Management For Your Human Capital

Presented by: Dawn Davidson Drantch, Esq., In-House Counsel

& Bob Chanin, Director of Human Resources

© 2012 Alcott HR Group LLC

This program has been approved for 1 General recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute. To receive a certificate of completion, please email: [email protected] with your request.

We are a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) providing outsourced human resource services, support and administration to small and mid-sized companies

More than 25 years in business

Accreditations:

- Employer Services Assurance Corp (ESAC) - Certification Institute for Workers’ Compensation Risk Management

Industry Leadership

- NAPEO/NYSAPEO

- ESAC Board of Directors

About Alcott

3 © 2012 Alcott HR Group LLC

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

The organized method of monitoring results of work activities and collecting and evaluating performance to determine achievement of goals, and using performance information to make decisions, allocate resources and communicate whether objectives are met.

-Society for Human Resources Management, Performance Management Toolkit


• Benefits of Performance Management

• Defining the Relationship

• Defining Expectations

• Counseling and Discipline

• Performance Reviews

• Points to Remember

• Questions

What We Will Cover


BENEFITS OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Performance Management

Benefits of Performance Management

• Corporate success

– Employee retention

– Defined expectations

– Positive working environment

– Motivated workforce

• Individual success

– Motivation

– Achievement of goals


DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIP


Defining the Relationship

• Employment-At-Will

• Employment Agreements

• Collective Bargaining Agreements

• Commission Agreements


DEFINING EXPECTATIONS


Defining Expectations • Handbooks/Policy Manuals

• Sets tone of workplace

• Consequences of non-compliance

• Job Descriptions • Define major and minor responsibilities of position

• Indicate how position fits into workplace

• Appropriate and timely feedback, counseling and discipline • Basis for performance review

• Performance Improvement Plans

• Sets expectations and goals in short, defined time period

• Performance Reviews • Summary of feedback throughout year

• Define expectations and goals for next year


COUNSELING AND DISCIPLINE


Counseling and Discipline • Ranges from simple counseling to formal disciplinary

procedures

• Be careful with progressive discipline policies

• Should be able to terminate at any time

• Should not require employer to follow to the letter

• Fair, even-handed, consistent, non-discriminatory, contemporaneous


Counseling and Discipline

Counseling • Praise in public/criticize in private

• Allow employee chance to explain

• Open door policies

• Immediate feedback

• Do not make excuses for employee’s action or inaction

• NO THERAPISTS!



Discipline • “Hot Stove Rule”

• Should happen very quickly after infraction

When considering discipline, ask yourself the following questions…


Counseling and Discipline • Was there a rule, order, procedure or known performance behavior

expectation (a “workplace rule” or “order”)? • Was the employee aware of the workplace rule or order? • Has the workplace rule or order been enforced in the past? • Was the employee forewarned of possible consequences of his/her

conduct? • Before administering discipline, was an effort made to discover whether

the employee did, in fact, violate or disobey the workplace rule or order?

• Was the investigation conducted fairly and objectively? • In the investigation, was sufficient evidence obtained against the

employee to prove “guilt”? • Has the workplace rule or order been enforced consistently and without

discrimination? • Is the workplace rule or order reasonably related to the operation of

business? Is the penalty appropriate to the offense? • Are there other employees with records of worse offenses who are a

lower level of the disciplinary process?



The answer to all questions except the last must be “YES”, and the answer to the last question must be “NO”.


Counseling and Discipline Verbal Counseling (first level or minor infraction): • Make time to meet (in private)

• Have witness present

• Explain verbal warning, the infraction, the consequences if repeated

• Make note to file documenting “verbal” warning


Counseling and Discipline Written Counseling (next level or more than minor

infraction): • Discuss in private with witness present

• Warning should include:

• Date of warning, date of infraction

• Employee’s name, supervisor’s name

• Specific facts about infraction (including dates of prior infractions if applicable)

• Consequences for future infractions and/or failure to improve

• Signature line for employee indicating receipt

• Signature lines for supervisor and witness


Counseling and Discipline Documentation:

• Employee acknowledgement

• If employee refuses to sign have him/her write “I refuse to sign” on the document and date it = acknowledgement!!

• If they refuse to do that, manager should write “refused to sign”, sign it and have witness sign

• Bad documentation is worse than no documentation!!



Performance Improvement Plans: • Issues and deficiencies

• Assistance from supervisor

• Steps that employee agrees to follow

• Goals

• Time frame for follow up

• Consequences of non-compliance

• Follow-up is critical otherwise employee is left with impression that performance is satisfactory



Suspension: • Must be given in written format to employee (follow

guidelines for written warnings)

• Be careful of wage and hour laws for exempt employees

• Can also be “pending investigation”


Counseling and Discipline Termination (employee cannot be rehabilitated): • Violent behavior/threats of violence

• Drug or alcohol use while on duty

• Having weapons on company property (state specific)

• Disregarding major safety rules

• Theft, destruction, falsification of company property or documents

• Gross or repeated insubordination

• Repetition of unacceptable behavior or performance after a series of warnings and discussions



• All verbal warnings and counseling should be documented

• Always advise employees of consequences of non compliance with corrective action

• If a performance improvement plan or time frame is given for improvement, make sure the time frames are adhered to

• If termination is enumerated as the next step, it should be the next step


PERFORMANCE REVIEWS


Performance Reviews

Useful For: • Training and development

• Employment decisions, compensation decisions and bonuses

• Promotions/demotions

• Layoffs

• Transfers/terminations


Performance Reviews

To Be Effective: • Established process

• Regular, timely and fact-based

• Accurate, consistent, objective


Performance Reviews

Should Contain: • Summary of accomplishments or lack thereof

• Goals, deadlines, expectations and measurements

• Clearly communicated expectations

• Realistic measurements and learning curves (S-M-A-R-T)

• Constructive criticism

• Positive reinforcement

• Expectation reinforcement


Performance Reviews

Appraisal Pitfalls: • Relying on memory

• Biases (“Halo” and “Devil” Effects)

• Basing current performance on past performance

• Overrating a poor performer as a motivational tool

• Rushing through appraisal

• Non-truthful information

• Not encompassing entire review period performance

• Surprises


Performance Reviews

• Someone other than appraiser in upper management should review and sign off on final appraisal before appraisal meeting (e.g., HR manager, next level supervisor, etc.)


Performance Reviews

Consider employee self-appraisals: • Use same criteria as supervisor

• Submit in advance to supervisor

• Aids in agreement on workable goals

• Common ground and easier preparation for appraisal meeting

• Produces additional information


Performance Reviews

Appraisal Meeting: • Make time/undivided attention

• Separate positive from negative

• No surprises

• Compensation discussions should be separate


POINTS TO REMEMBER


Points to Remember • The key to ALL performance management is good communication

• Manager to employee

• Employee to manager

• Employee to employee

• Address performance not the personality

• Make the time

• Make it routine

• Know when to step in

• Hearing v. listening

• Proactive v. reactive


If you would like additional information about Alcott HR, and how we can help your organization grow, please call 1-888-4ALCOTT or email: [email protected]

© 2012 Alcott HR Group LLC

performance management for your human capital

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