I have an extensive collection of management and leadership books in my library, and from time to time I like to find a comfortable chair and indulge myself in what the management experts are writing as a way of keeping current on management issues. Collins, Maxwell, Covey and Buckingham have all influenced my understanding of leadership practices and have impacted Executive Advantage clients as I’ve consulted with them.
Recently I was checking my collection and came across a book written by Michael A. Zigarelli and called Management By Proverbs: Applying Timeless Wisdom in the Workplace. Now, Michael is not one of the management giants, but I decided to read a few chapters to see what he had to say, and I believe he has much to say.
Let me start with Principle 6, Offer Applicants a Realistic Job Preview. He tells the reader how Club Med has suffered from a 50% turnover rate even though, when interviewing applicants, they mention good pay, golf, scuba diving, surfing, and all the other glitzy aspects of Club Med. They tried to make the job sound even more appealing, but the turnover rate remained the same. I might mention turnover is expensive and time consuming. The experts seem to say that the cost of replacing an employee who quits is 1.5 times his/her annual salary.
A Club Med management team began to study the problem and based on exit interviews found that Club Med indeed shared the fun side of Club Med, but they didn’t communicate that employees work 16 hour shifts and are so tired that they sleep when not working.
When we at Executive Advantage conduct exit interviews, we sometimes hear the job was not what the employee expected. Michael recommended employers provide both the good with the bad when interviewing applicants by interviewing those who have worked out what they believe are the good and downsides of working for your company. Club Med found it was better and less expensive to tell the whole truth about working for Club Med than only the glitzy side. The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are truthful. Proverbs 12:22.
The next blog post will deal with what happens when the employer opts for a warm body instead of for a great employee.
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