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Employment Today™


"NO RAISES! WOULD YOU STAY MOTIVATED?"

Dear Kathryn:

The profit this year was minimal and the raises non-existent. I've got a super-tight budget, banging my head as to how to keep staff motivated! With raises not available and a staff I'm trying to retain, I'm at my wits end.

What can I do to motivate my staff to stay and continue their performance with no increases to award and a skinny budget to boot!

SUSAN P., Cromwell, CT

Dear Susan:

While we all may not want our name emblazoned in lights with the word "star" attached, receiving public acknowledgement of a job well done is the next best thing to a big increase. A boss's positive affirmation of doing well is always welcome and just deepens an employee's desire to continue the good work. While an employer's appreciation demonstrated in the form of increased compensation is obviously important, public praise does go a long way.

So what can you do with a diet budget but loads of appreciation? Some suggestions!

*Throw a monthly recognition party where success stories and special desserts make it a unique event. Invite employees for a thirty minute get-together where a few specific employees are "spotlighted." Make their supervisors responsible for telling a real-life success story about the employee that spins the tale about their contribution or success to the company. The supervisor's storytelling in itself will be fun, and a yummy dessert theme will boost spirits. While your quieter, more introverted staff may feel a bit awkward at the public recognition, having a few others acknowledged at the same time makes it more fun and less daunting.

Afterwards, don't forget to get mileage out of the dessert fete and memo all employees, briefly revisiting the employee's success story. As most memos that are circulated carry negative news of benefit cuts or other dismal messages, this company-circulated memo will be positively different!

Some employers have corralled their vendors to offer discount coupons to their employees, allowing employees to purchase their services or merchandise at a reduced rate. It doesn't cost the employer anything and employees get a discount they wouldn't have normally been able to benefit from.

A national truck leasing company came up with a terrific motivator that cost virtually nothing. Once a year, an employee is allowed to use one of the truck rentals for a day at no charge. While an employee may not take advantage of this offer every year, it sure is nice to have the vehicle at your disposal. It also has made a good promotional tool when recruiting. The international chicken breeders that offered employees a dozen eggs weekly ended up having even their non-egg eating employees as their best promotional and recruiting tool. Employees thought it was neat the employer shared part of their company, however minor. Again, a no-cost perk that no other employers were offering!

Think out of the box and you'll be surprised what turns people on when you make the gesture and follow through you appreciate them.

Dear Kathryn:

I responded to an ad with a terrific employer over a year ago. As I was new to interviewing, I did a terrible interview.

I've contacted the company responding to other ads and positions they've had and human resources keeps blowing me off. They tell me they have my resume and if they're interested they'll call me. That's information from a year ago and I don't' want to be forever judged on that one lousy meeting!

How can I get to first base with this employer? This is a great employer with loads of opportunities.

STEVE R., Wallingford, CT

Dear Steve:

You've got to move past that bull-dog human resource person. Look on their website, identify the departments that are hiring and contact the department executive/manager, skipping human resources. Call the department head either first thing in the morning or at 5:00 pm, trying to avoid them shuffling you off to human resources. Pitch your credentials with a brief parallel of your experience and successes to their specific position. Follow immediately by getting your resume directly to them. Whatever you do, don't mention last year's interview. Focus on what the department head is recruiting for today.

Don't forget to bring an up-dated resume, making it more attractive and geared towards their company. Lastly, expand your search beyond this company. Many times it takes an employer to see you in a starring role somewhere else before they'll appreciate your abilities and potential.

Good luck.

Dear Kathryn:

I've been a network administrator and programmer for thirteen years dying to move into management.

My boss has told me I've got management potential but other people here don't understand my tech talk. While I sometimes expect others to understand computer jargon and why we need a bigger budget for necessary projects, my boss says I make it so non-relatable I won't get anywhere as an effective manager.

I know I'm stifling my career and will stuck in this direction, never moving into a high level management position. HELP! RON Y., Storrs, CT

RON Y., Storrs, CT

Dear Ron:

When my husband, the audio/videophile, begins describing "the effect of the Fletcher Munson curve on listening perception," I fight to keep my eyes from glazing over.

While I'm a big lover of fine audio and video, it's the tech talk that makes me feel nervous and ignorant. When you talk your complex computer jargon around the common man, they feel the same way. The only way to get by this is to start practicing with your family and everyone you know, taking the complicated material and watering it down to simple words found in any dictionary. Equally important, when you're attempting to present a proposal to management for additional technology, keep it simple. Explain the positive end result in efficiency and cost reduction that will result from the additional/new technology.

Once you put yourself in the listener's position and stop showing off your technical expertise, you'll be perceived as a potential savvy manager.

You're smart to recognize the need for a change in your communication style, as you won't progress beyond where you are without it.