The Blog of Michael Sibley

Why office design matters

2010-11-06T15:21:00.000-06:00

It is an element that can easily be overlooked when a business or organization tries to create a place where people really like to work. That is: the way a workplace is designed. Think about it, would you rather work in a poorly lit, crowded (or perhaps isolated), windowless office in which the interior design has not changed since the 1980s? Or would you prefer an office with large windows, easy access to your coworkers for when you need to discuss things (and the availability of some privacy when you don’t want any distractions), and with very modern furnishings? And do you think you might be more productive if your office was more like the second description?

Well apparently many employees do think they would be more productive if they had a better workplace according to this article from BNET. In fact they say they would work an extra hour per day if they had a well-designed office. The same article also has some examples of poorly designed offices that have been redesigned so that they are now much more appealing places to work.

If you are interested in some office designs that are a little more off the wall, you could check out some of these examples. With a workplace like one of these, you would have to wonder why anybody would even want to go home.

A different approach to changing negative behaviour in the workplace

2010-11-04T21:33:00.001-06:00

I attended the SAHRP (Saskatchewan Association of Human Resource Professionals) Annual Conference in Regina last week and watched a few interesting presentations, some of which I believe have some relevance to this blog. One that would like to highlight here is a workshop I attended on something called the Turnaround Interview.

The Turnaround Interview is a technique that was presented by Geordie Raine of Montana HR. It’s used as a method to change employee’s behaviour problems (such as being consistently late or failing to adhere to a dress code, to use a couple examples) without resorting to discipline or the threat of discipline. During the course of the interview the employee should agree that they do indeed have a problem, that it would be a good idea to change this behaviour, to come up with possible solutions to the problem, and finally to come up with an actual plan to change their behaviour. In this way the employee takes responsibility for solving their behavioural problem, without feeling pressured, thereby increasing the chance of success.

I haven’t had a chance to research how effective this approach is, but it does seem to make sense. It also would seem to me that adopting such an approach would make an organization a more attractive place to work. The approach requires a level of trust and cooperation between management and their employees, thus it would seem that employees would have a more favourable view of their managers than if they always felt they were being threatened.

I suspect some employers may decide against using such an approach because it does take some training if it is to be used effectively; and also because using a system of progressive discipline is relatively straightforward and simple to administer. However, considering the costs of a higher turnover rate and lower worker morale that is likely to occur if discipline alone is used to correct behavioural problems, it could easily be more cost effective to do the necessary training required to implement a policy such as this one.

How YouTube can be used for recruitment

2010-10-12T19:25:00.000-06:00

Like many hospitals across the country, Montreal's Sacre-Coeur Hospital has been faced with a shortage of workers. However, through the use of a non-traditional recruitment method that shortage has been reduced dramatically. This YouTube video was made to show the hospital as a fun and cool place to work and since it was posted last year, Sacre-Coeur has received thousands of job applicants. It's a great example of how social media and a little creativity can have a huge impact on recruitment. (see also the CBC news story here)

HR reading list

2010-09-29T20:50:00.002-06:00

Well, summer is long over and I guess that means it is about time to resurrect this blog. I have been catching up on my HR reading and thought I would try something a little different and list a few things I have been reading that you might find of interest.

Canada's Top 100 Employers list was actually released last October, but it is interesting to see not only which organizations made the list, but also what the selection criteria was. If you take a look at the provincial lists you will also notice my employer, the University of Saskatchewan, was considered one of the top places to work in that province. Items that make the U of S a top place to work include its maternity leave program, short work week, public transit subsidies, and its wide selection of benefits.
Need some practical advice that could help you career? This article explains a few ways that you can improve your people skills, which is important advice for almost any job.
Karl Moore interviews Stuart Hart on how companies can sell to the world's poorest people for the benefit of both sides. I have read Hart's book Capitalism at the Crossroads and highly recommend it. I plan on writing a review as soon as I have a chance to read it again.
A few months ago I wrote about some of the benefits (and risks) of enticing employees to stay on past retirement age. This article explains how a new Saskatchewan program is attempting to match people who want to work after their retirement with potential employers.
In another blog post I wrote about how younger people have different views on leadership than the baby boomer generation. Here is an article on how we now have five distinct generations in the workforce and how these generations can work together effectively.
And finally, I have only begun to read this new series in the Globe and Mail called "Capitalizing on Culture" but it looks like it will be a fascinating read. (thanks to Amanda for bringing this to my attention)

Why is it some people love their jobs but others do not?

2010-06-21T21:00:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking lately about what makes an organization that people love to work for. I am sure you know people who always talk about how much they like where they work; you could even be one of these people. You probably also know people who don’t like their work place or perhaps are even just ambivalent. So I wonder, why are some people excited and motivated to work hard and with a sense of purpose every day, while others just do whatever they are required to do to keep their job and to keep receiving a pay cheque?

Why should both employees and employers care?

It seems to make sense that people would want to have a job they really enjoy considering most people will spend a good portion of their lives at work or commuting to work (some rough calculations I have done show that the time you spend at work or commuting can be anywhere from 35-50% of the time you are awake during your most productive working years). A recent article that I read in the Financial Post describes how studies have shown that having interesting and purposeful work, where you have the chance of using your strengths on a regular basis, is an important part of our sense of wellbeing.

It also makes sense for employers to create an atmosphere that is enjoyable to employees, as this will influence how hard employees are willing to work, reduce turnover, and help the organization recruit more workers. Organizations may also not have to pay employees as much if employees have other reasons to work there.

Two factors that determine whether or not someone will like their job

I believe there are two major factors that determine whether or not someone will like their job. The first factor is choosing the right career. If someone is not in the right career for them, it doesn’t matter how great the organization is where they work, they are probably not going to like their job. While a good employer may be able to recognize someone’s strengths and weaknesses and guide them towards the right career, choosing a career that is a good fit is something that mostly depends on the employee.

The other factor that determines whether or not someone will like their job depends on the workplace. The extent to which someone likes their job is influenced enormously by the organization in which they work. While employees can choose where they work, it is often difficult for them to tell how much they will like working at an organization until they actually start working there. Therefore the employer can have a huge impact on whether someone likes their job or not.

What do you think?

There are many factors that determine whether or not someone will like their place of work. Some of the most common factors include good interpersonal relationships, recognition, meaningful work, fair compensation, and personal development. I am interested in what factors most influence whether or not you like your job. Is it a high salary and the chance of a promotion? Is it job security and good benefits? Maybe it is your relationship with your coworkers or your manager? Or perhaps it is the chance to work for an organization that is doing something for the betterment of society? Is it any of these factors or is it something else? All comments are welcome!

New look and new direction

2010-06-20T15:12:00.000-06:00

You might notice there is a new look to this blog, but that's not all that is about to change. I have been thinking about why some people love their place of work while others do not. It is a question that has enormous human resource implications and exploring this issue is the direction this blog will turn to more in the future. I am currently working on some new blog posts, one of which will be posted in the next day or two. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend!

Why people like to work at zu

2010-05-24T20:35:00.000-06:00

I came across this great example of how organizational culture can work and had to share it. Zu is a Saskatoon based web design company and from what I have heard it is also a really great place to work. The reason for this is that they put a lot of effort into creating an organizational culture that makes working there fun. I have talked about the importance of organizational culture on this blog before and have found that while many organizations talk about creating a culture that people really want to be a part of, few are successful in doing so. Anyways, the article does a very good job of explaining how zu does this (it was written by zu's Creative Director), so go ahead and read it yourself!

Recruiting workers from abroad can be a winning strategy

2010-05-19T21:18:00.000-06:00

A shortage of skilled workers seems to be a common concern amongst organizations these days. With a recovering economy and the imminent retirement of millions of baby boomers, it is a problem that is likely to grow over the next several years. One solution organizations are turning to more and more is recruiting workers with specific skills from other countries. Two recent articles I have read show that with careful planning this strategy can be one that works very well.

Two success stories

One recent article in the Globe and Mail (link is here, but you need a subscription to read it) explained how the Saskatoon Health Region has been recruiting nurses from the Philippines in order to fill a shortage of workers in this area. The Philippines was chosen because they have an education system comparable to Canada’s and they have a surplus of trained nurses in that country. The nurses have proven to be a good match as of the 95 who came here, 93 passed the Canadian Registered Nursing Exam and in two years only one nurse has made the decision to return home.

Another recent article, this one from the Spring 2010 issue of HR Saskatchewan (not available online), gave the example of the Saskatoon manufacturing facility of Case New Holland. Over the past couple of years the company has recruited almost 150 welders and machinists, mostly from Ukraine and the Philippines, to fill positions that the local labour market had been unable to fill. CNH has apparently been impressed with the skill level and attitude of these newly recruited employees.

The importance of planning

The key to successfully recruiting workers from abroad is careful planning. An appropriate program must be chosen, such as the federally operated Labour Market Option or various provincial immigration programs, and careful research must be done to ensure recruited workers have the appropriate skill level, training, and language skills. Once the new employees arrive the organization must ensure that they are assisted with their integration into the community in various ways: housing must be found, they may need help with shopping for groceries or opening bank accounts, appropriate clothing may need to be found. Then, of course, the organization must ensure that their new employees are integrated into their new work environment. Both the Saskatoon Health Region and CNH have been successful with their recruitment efforts in large part because they have been well prepared.

A strategy that pays off

A combination of a shortage of skilled workers in certain areas here in Canada; along with workers from abroad facing either a lack of job opportunities at home, or perhaps being attracted to better overall economic prospects in Canada, should ensure that recruiting workers internationally will continue to be a strategy pursued by many organizations. It may not be the answer in all cases, but with careful planning this can be a plan of action that provides some great results.

Note: in a future post I will be profiling a few programs that can be used to recruit workers from abroad.

Could your work be killing you?

2010-05-17T20:05:00.000-06:00

Is working overtime hazardous to your health? Well, maybe, although it depends on how many hours of overtime you work and how often. This from a recent study reported on by the Toronto Star:

The study, published in the online European Heart Journal, found that people who consistently worked three or more hours more than a normal, eight-hour day, had a 60 per cent higher risk of heart-related problems, including death, heart attacks and angina.

So if you are working 11 or more hours a day on a regular basis then, yes, you are at an increased risk for health problems. It is something both employers and employees should keep in mind. Depending on the nature of the work, it may be necessary at times to work long hours; but if this is something that is happening on a regular basis it may be time for employers to look for some additional help.

Pros and cons of enticing employees to stay on past retirement age

2010-03-31T19:06:00.000-06:00

From yesterday's Saskatoon StarPhoenix:

The Saskatoon Health Region will no longer hire back recently retired employees, unless it is an "exceptional case," under a new staffing policy coming into effect Thursday.

The policy is intended to assist in hiring more new grads, ensure the health of the pension plan and reduce sick time, said Bonnie Blakley, vice-president of people strategies with the health region. It comes after a three-year period, from October 2006 to October 2009, during which 44 per cent of retired employees were rehired, most within the first month of retirement.

It will likely become more common in the next few years to see older people either staying for longer or returning to the workforce. One of the biggest reasons for this is that there will be a lot of baby boomers reaching retirement age and not enough young people to replace them. This will, of course, depend on how well the economy rebounds from its current state but there will likely be a shortage of workers in the upcoming years. Many organizations are already preparing for this by making it more attractive for employees to stay longer, or to return after they retire, by implementing policies making it easier for employees to work part time and also by allowing them to draw a pension while being paid for their work.

There are many advantages to this. Older workers have gained a lot of knowledge from their many years of experience on the job. Employers can also gain flexibility by having workers who are more likely to be willing to work on a casual basis.

As the article shows, however, there can be consequences to such policies. If employees are allowed to draw a pension while working this can be expensive. Older workers are also more likely to need to take sick time which, depending on company policy, can also cost a lot of money. Finally, by keeping more older workers an organization can be giving up an opportunity to hire highly qualified young employees and with it the chance to rejuvenate itself through the new ideas these young employees would bring.

If you are interested in reading the entire article, you can find it here.

Google's China decision is part of a larger trend

2010-03-25T20:01:00.000-06:00

When Google recently made the decision to no longer censor its search engine in China, effectively deciding to give up its China operations, it touched off a debate over whether the company was right to place principals over profits. I would argue, however, that the distinction between the two is becoming increasingly blurred. In order to protect their brand, companies now have to take their social impact into account more than they ever have.

Google's brand had been especially vulnerable when the company decided a few years ago to agree to cooperate with the Chinese government in censoring its search engine results in that country. The companies slogan of "don't be evil" implied that this was a company conscious of its effects on society. Moreover it was operating in an area, the internet, which is often seen as being associated with free speech. To many, this previous decision of Google to censor its search results in China was hypocritical.

Strengthening a brand through social responsibility

In the past, it was considered to be bad business practice to mix business with social responsibility. Companies were responsible only for maximizing shareholder value and social issues were to be left to government or non-profit organizations. However, this is changing. Consumers, particularly in North America, are becoming more concerned with the social impact of the company they are purchasing goods or services from. A company's reputation, or brand, now not only depends on the quality or appearance of its product, but often on how socially responsible the company is. Google's decision to stop censoring its search results in China probably bought it a lot of goodwill amongst those in the public concerned with the preservation of free speech on the internet.

HR implications in socially responsible companies

The reputation for being socially responsible can also impact a company's human resources. As I have mentioned before on this blog, many people, particularly younger people, are looking for meaning in their work and are not just concerned with how much they are being paid. Often they want to work for companies that are seen to have a social conscience in order to fulfill this need. Having a reputation for being socially responsible can therefore help in recruitment. Not only that, but companies practicing social responsibility often do not have to pay their employees as much as those with a poor reputation in this area. Therefore compensation costs can be reduced.

Still need to weigh costs with benefits

As with everything, being socially responsible does come with a cost and so companies will have to weigh potential benefits with that cost when deciding how far they should head down the social responsibility path. In Google's case I realize that there were many factors at play in their decision, particularly the difficulty they were having in penetrating the Chinese market. Still, the protection of their brand certainly would have played a major role in that decision. I expect that social considerations will play a larger role in decision making for companies in the future.

Using your intuition to advance your career

2010-03-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

It seems to be popular these days to talk about how intuition should be used to make good decisions. I attribute a lot of this popularity to Malcolm Gladwell's book: Blink. Now here is an article that describes how you can use your intuition to further your career.

I never used to believe in this line of thinking. Being the methodical person I am, I believed good decisions could only be made after carefully analyzing all the available evidence. But recently I have begun to recognize that sometimes going with your gut feeling can lead to some pretty sound decisions. More importantly this method can save valuable time, particularly for if those decisions are relatively minor. When it comes to the big decisions, however, I think I will stick to considering all my options first.

New links

2010-03-15T19:26:00.000-06:00

You may notice that I have added a few more links at the side of this blog. While none are actually blogs on human resources, they are business related and I think you will enjoy reading them.

Meowgarita is a friend of mine and a marketing specialist living in Vancouver. She writes on topics related to her specialty and also uses her blog as a way to showcase some of her work. She recently worked for NBC during the Olympics and has several recent posts related to the games.

Matt Baril is also a friend of mine who lives in Vancouver. His specialties are management of information systems and international business. Many of his posts are related to these areas. He has several good posts on social networking and how it can be used for business purposes and also recently completed a series on business ideas that he has thought of.

Talking Management is a column in The Globe and Mail, written by Desautels School of Management (McGill University) professor, Karl Moore. In it he interviews prominent business leaders and university professors on their various views and theories related to management. It's a column I have mentioned here before and is one of my favourite ones to read.

What motivates people

2010-02-10T22:24:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting discussion on what motivates people:

This actually describes pretty well the idea behind a high involvement managerial strategy. What is unfortunate is that there are a lot of companies who could be using these ideas and are not; or at least are not using them very well.

In a tough job market will employees be looking for more job security?

2010-02-07T12:09:00.000-06:00

I haven't heard of this being discussed very much, but I am wondering if the current state of the economy may lead to employees valuing job security more than they have been in recent years. If so this may provide for a new way for employers to attract new employees, by offering more job security than their competitors.

Changing career paths

Career paths have changed greatly over the past 30 years. Where once employees would expect to spend their entire careers with one company, now it is common for people to work for several companies and to change careers several times over the course of their working lives. Employers like this because it gives them the flexibility to hire people when they need them and to lay off employees when they don't.

Many employees have also come to appreciate their end of this deal as they now have greater flexibility in pursuing work they find interesting. Employees are now more concerned with finding meaning in their work rather than just seeing work as a way to accumulate material rewards, and the variety they experience while changing jobs often can help keep thing fresh and interesting. The catch, of course, is that they always will need an abundance of jobs available when it is time for them to move on.

Could employees start to value job security more?

What I am wondering about is if this recession will change this somewhat. Yes, the economy is starting to grow again, but growth may be slow compared to previous recoveries and the unemployment rate usually lags GDP growth (after the recession of the early 1990s, it took eight years before Canada's unemployment rate was reduced to levels similar to those before the recession began). So jobs could be scarce for several years.

It is possible employees could start to value job security over things such as interesting work or higher pay. I know that I myself have become more cautious in planning the next step in my career. As I have a secure job now I would be reluctant to give it up unless I can find something else that looks like a sure thing. One wrong move, should I take a job and find that I really don't like it or a job with a company that is about to downsize, and I could spend a long time looking for something else.

What this means for attracting quality talent

If this becomes a trend, employers may want to start offering more job security, such as offering more permanent jobs over contract jobs or promoting a "no layoff" policy as a way to attract highly qualified employees. Of course these things always have to be balanced by employers need for flexibility, but it may be worth considering.

Again, I really have no idea if this will actually become a trend. There are many generational and economic factors that determine what people look for in a job; and it's unlikely most job seekers will ever expect to spend their entire careers with a single organization as was once the case. However, employers should still be aware of the possibility that employees could place more value on job security should jobs continue to be scarce over the next several months or even years. It does seem the job market has changed over what was the norm pre-recession and companies will have to adapt their policies to reflect the changing needs of job seekers if they want to continue attracting the best talent.

Generational differences in the workplace

2010-01-28T19:40:00.000-06:00

I recently discovered an interesting section in the Globe and Mail's Report on Business in which Karl Moore of McGill University interviews different people on subjects related to management. Last week there was a good one on a lecture Moore himself gave on the topic of how younger Canadians, or postmodern as he calls them, have different views on leadership than the baby boomer (or modern) generation have (here are both the article and video links). Basically to sum up, in comparison to their parents' generation, the postmodern generation are much more willing to question authority and what is considered conventional wisdom and they are also more concerned with doing something they find meaningful rather than just obtaining material goods.

This obviously has an effect on how organizations are managed as older managers need to learn to work more collaboratively with younger employees instead of just giving orders. Organizations also need to do more to attract younger talent than just offering them a good salary. Whether that means making themselves appear as though they are environmentally sustainable, offering more flexible work arrangements to allow employees to better balance their work and lives outside of work, or just doing more to make jobs more interesting; attracting and retaining employees is becoming more complex.

My personal experience is that many of those from the "modern" generation do understand this. It will increasingly become essential, though, that all managers realize that employee expectations have changed.

How a high involvement managerial strategy works for volunteer organizations

2010-01-21T20:41:00.000-06:00

This is the fourth part in a series about challenges faced by volunteer organizations

In any organization, employee behaviour is determined in large part by the managerial strategy that is used. More traditional management strategies, such as the classical strategy or the human relations strategy rely on highly centralized power and a top down approach to management. Both assume that employees do not enjoy working and so must be enticed to stay through other means. The classical strategy uses, mainly, the threat of dismissal to entice employees to behave appropriately while the human relations strategy tries to encourage loyalty to the company through a friendly work atmosphere, generous benefits and seniority based pay increases. (Richard Long, a former professor of mine, has a great description of managerial strategies along with how they relate to compensation strategy, here) Both rely heavily on compensation and therefore neither will work in a volunteer organization.

A more recent strategy that is now being used more often, typically in organizations that rely on highly skilled labour, is the high involvement strategy. This strategy assumes that work can be intrinsically motivating and therefore employees will work, at least in part, because they simply enjoy working. The high involvement strategy is much more compatible with the realities of a volunteer organization, and indeed AIESEC is one such organization that does model itself on this strategy.

Interesting work and a flat organizational structure

A key feature to a high involvement managerial strategy is that jobs need to be designed to include a wide variety of tasks and to allow employees a great deal of autonomy in their work. In AIESEC, members are given the opportunity to work outside of their assigned jobs on a regular basis. For example, a member of the finance or talent management portfolio can go on marketing calls to attempt to sell AIESEC internships to companies even though this would fall outside the regular duties of their job. There are also opportunities to serve on various organizing committees, to facilitate at conferences, to make presentations at general assemblies, and to participate in recruitment activities.

High involvement organizations also limit hierarchical control. The idea is that members should be able to motivate themselves and this works best in a flat organization where employees are trusted to make many of their own decisions. In my own experience as a Vice President of Talent Management I was able to make most decisions related to my portfolio on my own. If I had an idea I would explain it to my Local Committee President first and most of the time he would give it his support. The ability to develop my own vision for my portfolio and to plan and implement a strategy to see it through was a lot more interesting, and therefore motivating, than it would have been if I was simply following someone's orders. Leadership in an organization such as AIESEC has to be done more through providing a general, overarching vision for the organization and communicating it to the general membership than by giving very specific orders.

Communication, training, and a strong culture

Communication and training are very important for high involvement organizations. Employees or members have to be given all the information that is necessary for them to make good decisions. In AIESEC, weekly executive board meetings ensured that all executive board members would be aware of what was happening in the local committee as a whole. Executive board members could then communicate that information to members of their own portfolios. Email updates and monthly general assemblies filled in the gaps.

Training was also of high importance in AIESEC, enough so that I plan on dedicating an entire post on this issue later on. Basically, because most members will hold positions of some strategic importance, it is essential that they know what they are doing.

Finally, a strong organizational culture, as I explained in an earlier post, also helps ensure that members of a high involvement organization will be motivated to work towards the organization's overall goals.

Putting it all together

Through being given interesting work and a great deal of latitude in decision making, members of a volunteer organization such as AIESEC can stay motivated to work towards the organization's goals even though they are not being paid. It is essential however, that there is a lot of communication within the organization, that effective training is provided, and that a strong organizational culture exists if a high involvement strategy is to work. It is also important that leaders in the organization can provide a strong vision without succumbing to the temptation to micro-manage. If all these elements are in place, a high involvement managerial strategy can do a lot to ensure the retention and motivation of members in any volunteer organization.

A personal financial consultant as an executive perk?

2010-01-14T17:51:00.001-06:00

I just thought I would write to let everyone know that this blog is still alive and well. I also wanted to draw attention to an article I read today in Canadian Business Magazine that some of you may find interesting.

I am sure everyone is aware that the current economic downturn has lead to many companies making the decision to cut their payroll. This includes reducing executive compensation. One interesting idea, that is described more fully in the article, is to help attract and retain executive talent by offering the free services of a financial consultant. This would assist executives in managing their own money, thus freeing up more time for them to concentrate on company business rather than worrying about their personal finances. Personally I would suggest that companies may even want to look at making this service available to all employees. I know it is difficult to consider adding incentives at a time when budgets are being cut, but many employees may have spouses who have lost their job or someone in the family has had their pay cut and so this may be a time when they need and appreciate such a service the most.

Anyways, it's just an interesting side story more than anything. I am currently working on a few more articles for my series on AIESEC and HR challenges in volunteer organizations. So expect more posts in the days to come.

Evolving management theories

2009-12-18T21:10:00.000-06:00

If you are interested in organizational effectiveness you may want to check out this interview I came across from the Globe and Mail's website. In it, University of Southern California professor Ed Lawlor describes how he thinks it's time we moved away from a high involvement system of management to what he describes as Management 3.0 (scientific management being 1.0 and high involvement being 2.0).

He has some interesting ideas, although I am not sure how it all comes together to form a unified theory. I guess maybe we need to wait until he writes his book to find out. Anyways, he does talk about how he thinks too much emphasis has been placed on leadership and not enough on developing managerial skills. While it seems a curious and maybe even backwards thing to say, it actually makes a lot of sense. Employees do need to be controlled to a certain degree so that they will work towards their organization's goals and a lot of that structure comes from how well their managers manage.

The most interesting thing he has to say, though, is on how business needs to figure out how to make use of new technology, particularly social networking. Social networking has advanced so much in just a few short years that I don't think business has really figured out how to incorporate it into their operations, yet. But it is inevitable that this will happen and when it does it will probably create some significant changes. This blog and my reasons for writing it are just one example (I will probably write more on this topic another day).

I guess the world of business is always changing and its interesting to see how managerial theories will change with it.

Attracting talent through career development opportunities

2009-12-08T22:11:00.000-06:00

This is the third part in a series about challenges faced by volunteer organizations

In my last post I discussed the problem volunteer organizations have in motivating and retaining members without the ability to pay them. I suggested that creating a strong organizational culture can go a long ways towards overcoming this obstacle. An effective organizational culture is not the only way people can be convinced join and to work towards an organization's goals, though. Each organization will find that its members will have their own distinct set of motivators.

As a mostly student run organization, AIESEC members are especially interested in opportunities for career development. University students are in competition with each other for a limited number of jobs and so they often look for relevant experience outside the classroom to give them an advantage. Add to that the chance to network with business leaders and other students across the country and around the world as well as the availability of various learning opportunities and you have an organization that students are very interested in becoming involved in.

Opportunities to gain practical skills in AIESEC

While I was involved with AIESEC we promoted our organization to potential members by stressing the opportunities to gain practical skills. Members would have the opportunity to go on marketing calls with real companies and attempt to convince them to hire an AIESEC intern. There were also opportunities to take care of the organization’s finances and to recruit and train new members among other practical skills. Of course, the chance to go on an international internship and gain international experience in one's chosen career field was also a major motivating factor.

AIESEC often promotes itself as a way for young people to develop leadership skills and it certainly has a lot of leadership positions available. Enough so that almost any member who wanted to, could hold some sort of leadership role during their AIESEC career. It can be difficult for anyone who is young and relatively inexperienced to find opportunities to participate in a leadership role once they graduate. So the chance to develop these skills early is a significant way to attract talent to the organization.

Learning and networking opportunities

The opportunity to gain practical experience is not the only career development opportunity available to AIESEC members. AIESEC places considerable emphasis on its learning environment. Some of the learning occurs at the local level. During my involvement with AIESEC, one of my responsibilities was to organize a monthly general assembly for members during which learning was top priority. Members were trained in sales, discussed and debated various global issues, and had the opportunity to learn about different cultures through presentations given by international interns.

The best opportunities for learning, however, came during regional, national, and for some members international conferences. Members could choose to attend sessions from a particular area such as marketing, communications, talent management, or finance. The intent of course, was for members to use this knowledge to do their own jobs better in their AIESEC local committee. However, much of this information could be transferable to their future careers outside of AIESEC as well.

As most of you know, when job searching, who you know is often at least as important as important as what you know. One of the big things AIESEC has to offer is the chance to develop a terrific network. While going to conferences, members had the chance to develop a national and even international network of fellow students and recent graduates. This network could potentially produce results throughout a former member’s career. Not only that, but members also have the chance to meet and work with business leaders in their community.

Figuring out what your members want

The emphasis AIESEC puts on career development is just one example of how a volunteer organization can attract and motivate members without the ability to compensate them. What each organization needs to do is decide what is important to their members and figure out how to provide it. Should they figure out how to do this they can then develop a strong, motivated member base.

Organizational culture's role in the retention and motivation of talent

2009-11-14T19:31:00.000-06:00

This is the second part in a series about challenges faced by volunteer organizations

A volunteer organization's inability to compensate members is particularly challenging when it comes to retention and motivation. Without the ability to pay members, these organizations lose the threat of withholding pay increases or stopping pay altogether through termination of employment. Luckily, there are still many tools available and one of the most powerful of these is the creation of a strong organizational culture.

Through shared values, beliefs, and a common understanding of correct behaviour, an effective culture can influence people's desire to join, become active members and work hard towards achieving the goals of the organization. A great example of an organization with a strong culture is a volunteer organization I was once a member of, called AIESEC.

AIESEC values and the AIESEC Way

An effective organizational culture allows the members to feel that they are working towards a cause greater than themselves. AIESEC does this through something they call The AIESEC Way which describes the purpose and values of the organization. The values of "activating leadership", "striving for excellence", "demonstrating integrity", "acting sustainably", "living diversity", and "enjoying participation" all allow someone to conceptualize an organization that is both achievement oriented and globally conscious. In fact The AIESEC Way states that it envisions no loftier goal than the "peace and fulfilment of humankind's potential".

With values and goals like this AIESEC can clearly outline to its members what goals they should set out to achieve and how they should behave while doing so. Not only that but the organization is able to attract idealistic members who are willing to put a lot of effort into what they see as a purpose much larger than themselves. Its a pretty good feeling to think that through this organization you could end up teaching youth in Uganda to be HIV/AIDS peer-educators, developing leadership skills you could use to someday head a large company, or providing an opportunity for someone from another country to get valuable work experience in Canada.

Success stories and AIESEC dances

Stories and rituals are two other methods of strengthening organizational culture. Stories can inspire members to achieve more by showing what other people have achieved previously or they can be used to describe what correct member behaviour should be. AIESEC makes particularly good use of success stories, whether it is the story of a current member who recently completed an international internship or an alumnus who had later success, such as David Hughes who became President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.

Rituals can reinforce certain values or just provide an opportunity for group members to bond. During an AIESEC conference, which can last up to 5 days and during which time members usually get very little sleep, there is a break two or three times a day where songs are played and members dance. These dances provide a practical purpose as they provide much needed physical activity and increase alertness. They also strengthen AIESEC's culture as many of the same songs are played at every conference and each have their own particular moves. Being part of a group of 300 people all doing the same dance is definitely a bonding experience.

Presenting AIESEC to externals

How AIESEC is presented to those outside the organization is particularly important as AIESEC relies on external organizations to provide internship opportunities for exchange participants and as a source for funding. Not only that, but AIESEC needs to be promoted externally to potential new members.

A strong culture is an important asset to have when an organization such as AIESEC presents itself. It allows members to deliver a clear and consistant message as they have a good understanding of what the organization is about. It also generates an enthusiasm for the organization amongst the members, which becomes apparent to those outside of the organization and which adds credibility to what is being described.

Culture's advantage

Organizational culture can have a large impact on a volunteer organization's ability to attract and retain and motivate talent. In fact it can actually provide an advantage over those organizations that rely soley on compensation as culture has the ability to produce members that are extremely dedicated and committed to the organization's goals.

What is AIESEC and how the heck do you pronounce it?

2009-11-10T22:18:00.000-06:00

This is the first part in a series about challenges faced by volunteer organizations

AIESEC is a global youth organization run by university students and recent graduates. With 38,000 members in 107 countries it is the world's largest student-run organization. The purpose of AIESEC is to provide the opportunity for young people to develop their leadership abilities and participate in global internships.

Alumni of AIESEC include presidents and prime ministers from various countries (such as former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi), many prominent business leaders, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, and me (hahaha). Which brings me to the point of this post. During my three year involvement with this organization, which included several months as AIESEC Saskatoon's Vice-President of Talent Management, I had the chance to experience various Human Resource issues and challenges. I can see now that many of these issues could be relevant to organizations in a wide range of fields, particularly those organizations that make use of volunteers as their main source of personnel. Therefore, over the next while I plan to write a series of articles describing these challenges and what we did in AIESEC to overcome them, in the hope that it may help someone else facing similar problems in their organization.

By the way, two of the most common questions I would get regarding AIESEC were "how do you say it?" and "what does it stand for?". AIESEC is basically pronounced "I-sick" and it is an acronym for "Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales".

Useful resources on compensation

2009-11-01T15:30:00.000-06:00

The Saskatchewan Association for Human Resource Professionals (SAHRP) has been advertising "PayScale Webinars" on their weekly updates for a while now. This weekend I finally decided to find out more about them. Unfortunately, I found out they occur during the day while I am at work. However, I also found out that old webinars are archived and can be viewed anytime. Best of all, they are free!

I decided to watch one called "Developing Your Compensation Philosophy and Policy" as this sounded like a good place to start. I was actually pretty impressed with the quality of the material presented and immediately thought that this could be a university lecture. This particular webinar covered how you can develop a compensation philosophy that is consistent with overall organizational goals, and from there develop policies consistent with that philosophy. The importance of getting all key players in the organization to become involved in this process as well as have everyone buy into the result was stressed.

While most of what was covered were things I had already learned in my university classes, I found it useful to view these topics from a slightly different perspective. Besides, as I have been out of university for over a year already, this was a good way to refresh my memory.

So who is providing this great service for free? Well, these webinars were created by a company from Seattle called PayScale, which compiles and analyzes salary data for companies (for a fee, of course) and so I guess this is a way for them to promote their product. I also found they have a great blog called Compensation Today (for which I have posted a link at the right hand side of this blog). Anyways, for anyone interested in learning more about compensation these resources may be worth checking out.

Welcome to my blog

2009-10-31T14:36:00.000-06:00

I have blogged on and off for a few years now, but never really on any particular theme. Recently I decided that it might be a good idea to start a professional blog. I wanted to do this partly as a way to motivate myself to stay updated on issues surrounding the Human Resource profession and also, perhaps, as a way to demonstrate my knowledge of HR to future employers. Besides, I have always enjoyed writing and I am sure writing regularly about Human Resources will be no different.

I plan to improve on the design of this blog in time. I also hope to think of a more creative name. For now, though, I hope you enjoy reading!