Q: Some of my managerial responsibilities fall under the human resources umbrella, but since I am not trained in that field, I would like to ask your opinion. Lately we have been having some morale problems that seem to be stress-related. I was thinking of doing some fun things like having chair massages every Friday, putting a ping-pong table (perhaps in the warehouse), and offering tai chi classes during lunch. What else would you suggestâ¢
A: Actually, I would suggest you go back to the drawing board.
Your ideas sure sound like fun, but before launching them, you need to find out the true cause of the morale problem. Are employees specifically complaining about too much stress, or is that an educated guess⢠If employees are indeed complaining about too much stress, what are they saying is causing it: A bad boss⢠Too much overtime⢠Poor working conditions⢠Nasty customers⢠I could go on, but you get the picture.
Until you discover the reasons for the morale problem, you are only applying a Band-Aid. I urge you to ask a third party to conduct group interviews or private meetings with your employees to unearth the reasons, then you can design a remedy that will cure the problem - not just cover it up.
In my experience, what management perceives is the root problem, surprisingly, is often not on target. For example, I've seen employers who thought they had a compensation problem - but it turned out to be a communication problem. I've seen employers who thought they had a retention problem - but it was found to be a recruiting problem. I've seen employers who thought they had a productivity problem - but it was actually a sexual harassment situation.
So until you know the whole story, it's a little premature to get caught up in the 'fun workplace' fad. However, once you've gotten to the bottom of the issue, you can then make a sound decision as to where to put that ping-pong table. Personally, I think the reception area would be a fine choice.
Q: I'm looking for a new job and am getting incredibly frustrated because employers don't get back to me after I've sent them my resume. Since I never hear from them, I call and I call, but I can never get through to anyone. I leave voice mails, but they don't call back. Why can't they at least send you a postcardâ¢
A: Employers have no obligation whatsoever to respond to a resume. Nor do they have an obligation to talk to people who call about the status of their resume. It's a cruel world, isn't itâ¢
Years ago, when people changed jobs and careers infrequently, many employers, especially the large ones, had the staff and the budget to send postcards or letters acknowledging receipt of resumes. Then came downsizing, and now there's hardly time to check voice-mail messages, much less respond to them.
Today, even the smallest of businesses routinely receive many resumes - often unsolicited - on a regular basis. Regardless of size, employers simply don't have the staff to respond.
What concerns me, though, is that I suspect you are running the danger of becoming a pest to the employers, which can only serve to diminish their interest in you. Truth is, desperate candidates are quite unappealing to potential employers. Trust me, if they want to interview you, they will figure out how to reach you. Leave 'em alone.
Chris Posti heads Posti & Associates, a human resources consulting firm in Pittsburgh. You may send questions to her by e-mail at chris@postiinc.com .
