This entry is going to take a turn in the road to make the content covered so far more real, and prepare you for the work and actions ahead. In this section I am going to make a comparison of two organizations – both highly regarded and well known both nationally, and in their markets – on how they manage an important aspect of turnover.
While attending a recent health care conference I had an opening in my schedule and noticed that one of my client hospitals was presenting. I slipped in just in time to attend and what I heard over the next 90 minutes changed who I was and how I will approach my work forever.
The speaker began by talking about their mission, but moved very quickly to a narrow focus of the working poor within their system. The range of accommodations for the lowest paid staff at his hospitals was long and detailed, well thought out and cost effective. During the conversation he told a story about a turnover issue that he became aware of and acted on. The story, as best I can recall, follows:
“We were noticing that turnover among the staff who began their work early in the day had risen dramatically. Mostly food service, housekeeping and lab techs, I found out, were being discharged because of poor attendance and that didn’t seem right. I got a list of the people terminated in the last month and called and asked what had happened and surprisingly they were very willing to talk to me. It seems that many of the working poor take public transportation to work, and recently the bus schedule changed, so the arriving bus came just after 7 am – not coincidentally their starting time.
Looking into it further, I discovered that some staff did not miss work, but to be on time they had to be on the earlier bus which stopped just after six am, and then wait nearly an hour before their shift began. In talking to them I found out that some had to get their children up and to daycare as early as 3:30 am to make it to work almost an hour early.
None of this was an acceptable way to treat our employees, especially those that needed the jobs the most. I called every employee fired for this reason and invited them to reapply for employment, and made a commitment that we would find a way to accommodate their schedules so that they would neither be late for work, or have to rise at 3:30 to be on time. Next we adjusted the day and night schedules to assure we had coverage when we needed it and met with everyone so that they knew what we were doing and why.”
Now contrast that story to this story:
A the same conference when talking with some HR leaders from major medical center we began some discussions around metrics and turnover came up. They said that turnover by termination for attendance among the staff that started at 5 am had risen dramatically recently. I asked what they thought may have led to the change and they were completely unaware and unconcerned. “We have a strict policy. If someone is late three times in the first 90 days, we terminate them.”
Now, please consider the first four entries in this series and ask the following questions in regard to both institutions:
- How was the Brand of each hospital effected by how they handled the situation?
- How did the people that left feel about themselves and the hospital?
- What effect did each approach have on the leader to create an engaged team?
- How would fellow employees feel when they witnessed each approach in their workplace?
The Diagnosis
Like all things, there is a lot more there when we look closely. The diagnosis is that hard and fast rules, although well thought out and just when written, may need to be reviewed and even discarded when turnover negatively effects the brand, the person, the leader and the team.
The Plan of Care
Beginning with an investment plan at the time of hire, a meaningful two-way communication process with employees will go a long way in understanding their needs and concerns. Listening well and engaging your talented people may be the first line of defense in preventing the exodus of the great people you have attracted and selected, for reasons like a change in the bus schedule.
CheerupGearup - Creating a Brighter Future 