As an employer, my company’s reputation is not so good. We have had turnover – and word gets around. Ultimately we have to make sure our employees are happy, willing, able to do their jobs, and motivated to stick around. That seems like a tall order from where I’m standing right now. How do I start moving in the right direction to fix this?
Thoughts of the Day: When it comes to reputation management, it can be tempting to say: “It’s not my fault!” There is a significant cost tied to the loss of reputation as an employer. The real fix comes from taking action to improve employee relations. There are things you can do to manage what the public sees about you.
Look at the facts about your reputation as an employer by asking some tough questions. Do you keep your promises? What’s the chance that you’re inconsistent in how you handle employees? What can be done to improve working conditions? How do employee complaints get resolved? Are discipline and rewards fair? How much of what you do is able to be implemented, given the company’s profitability? Do you speak casually with people and then later forget what you threw out as opportunities? How well matched are people to the jobs they’re hired to do? What is the company’s commitment to ensuring employees are successful?
Why is managing reputation important?
A poor reputation can impact a company financially. Higher recruiting costs as you have to search longer, harder, and further afield to find people. More training costs are tied to replacing people. Lower productivity results when people hold back rather than fully commit to the work at hand. Offer higher wages to lure in and hold onto employees wary about broken promises or unfair treatment. Especially in a low unemployment market.
Here are suggestions that can lead to reputation improvements. Ask employees to step it up. Let them know what’s in it for them. Put employee agreements in writing. This way you can reflect on the agreements you’re making, and refer to the facts of an agreement later on.
That is to say, set up a list of best practices for the company to follow. Include job descriptions, training plans, and responsibility and income growth opportunities. Ask multiple managers to rate employee performance and share that information with the individual. Create a disciplinary process that is straightforward and implement it consistently.
The practice of influencing perceptions and conversations
Set up an executive review board to handle employee complaints. Spend time every week talking with employees. Encourage every manager to do the same. Above all, address complaints quickly and fairly. Be especially sensitive if concerns consistently center on one person or one issue.
For example, link employee terminations to changes in your business model. Encourage employees to build personal career plans. Discuss those plans openly. Even when it means employees will ultimately leave your company to pursue career dreams.
Deal with tough situations quickly. Need to downsize – do it all at once rather than spreading it out over time. Get rid of employees who steal or bad-mouthing the company.
Above all, build a culture of trust and confidence by being constant and predictable. Certainly let employees know what they can, and cannot expect from you. Make sure you understand the scope of the job you expect each individual to do. Likewise, ensure they are or can be prepared to handle that job.
Pay attention to online information sources. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, GlassDoor, CareerBliss and FairyGodBoss. If you don’t like what’s being said about your company, take it to heart. Finally, get together with managers to address needed changes.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION:
Looking for a good book? “Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” by Kim Scott.
