Kenexa attracting retaining and engaging technology talent

Attracting, Retaining and
Engaging Technology
Talent
Presented by:
Rena Rasch & Melissa Tessendorf

June 14, 2012

Rena Rasch, Research Manager
Kenexa High Performance Institute

Rena Rasch is the manager of the Kenexa High Performance
Institute‟s Minneapolis team, which she joined in 2008. She also
manages the Institute‟s WorkTrends™ study, an annual employee
opinion survey of over 35,000 workers in 29 countries around the
world.

Rena strives to provide empirically-based solutions to HR
practitioners‟ biggest questions. Topics of interest include
employee engagement, generational differences in the workplace,
trust in leadership, work-life balance and work stress, unionization
intent, why employees join and leave their organizations, and
many others.

Rena will receive her Ph.D. in I/O psychology from the University
of Minnesota in the summer of 2012.

Melissa Tessendorf, Client
Relationship Director, Kenexa

Melissa supports the Competency Solutions and Executive Compensation
businesses and contributes to the organization's thought leadership activity
and strategic direction. Prior to joining Kenexa, Melissa was Managing Director
of Professional Services Operations with Salary.com supporting the Talent
Management, Human Capital Management Consulting and Payroll groups.

Melissa began her career in compensation as a consultant at BankBoston working with the
Wholesale Bank and Debt Capital Markets businesses. Continuing to build expertise in
Executive Compensation, she joined W.T. Haigh & Company, a boutique executive
compensation and human resources consulting firm in Cambridge, MA. As one of the firm's
Consultants, Melissa was responsible for client relationships, design and implementation of
executive compensation and broader human resources plans and programs.

Agenda

• WorkTrends survey data and questions
• How do we attract US technology employees?
• How do we engage them?
• How do we retain them?
• Addressing Drivers with Competencies
• Competencies
• The “Job”
• Career Advancement
• Training and Development
• Summary

Copyright Kenexa® High Performance Institute, 2012

WorkTrendsTM Survey

• Administered annually or bi-annually since 1984
• In 2012 taken online by 33,500 full-time workers across 29 countries
• Currently includes over 200 questions about workplace issues, employee
attitudes, management behaviors, and organizational practices
• Diverse sample of the working population across organizations,
industries, job types, ages, gender, etc.


What are these US technology employees like?

• Technical jobs (e.g., medical technician, computer programmer,
engineering technician)
• N = 1,210
• 57% in an IT-related department or role
• 46% have a bachelors degree, 19% have a graduate/professional degree
• All major industries represented, biggest industries are:
– Health Care Services (14%)
– Electronics and Computer Manufacturing (11%)


What questions did we ask them?

• Why did you join your current organization?
(distribute 100 percentage points to these categories)
– Development and growth opportunities
– The job itself, including the type of work I’d be doing,
meaningfulness of my work, and work/life balance
– Organization’s values and reputation
– Compensation, benefits and recognition
– The people I work with; my boss, coworkers and leaders
– Other work-related reasons
– Other personal reasons, such as spouse relocation



• Employee Engagement
– Pride - I am proud to tell people I work for my company.
– Satisfaction - Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my
company as a place to work.
– Advocacy - I would gladly refer a good friend or family
member to my company for employment.
– Commitment - I rarely think about looking for a new job
with another company.
• Turnover Intentions - I am seriously considering leaving my
organization within the next 12 months.



• We also asked about 22 other topics
– Career Advancement – Process Formalization
– Compensation – Quality Emphasis
– Control Over Work – Recognition
– Cooperation – Safe Work Environment
– CSR and Business Ethics – Senior Leader Effectiveness
– Customer Orientation – Training and Development
– Direct Manager Effectiveness – Transparent Communication
– Diversity – Work Life Balance
– Goals and Feedback – Work Processes and Equipment
– Innovative Climate – Work Stress
– Job Security – Workload


How do we attract US technology employees?

Why Join?
5% The job
6%
8% 30% Compensation
Development
10% The Organization
The People

15% Other Work-Related
26% Other Personal


How do US technology employees compare to others?

35%

30%

25% The job
Compensation
Why Join?

20% Development
The Organization
15%
The People
10% Other Work-Related
Other Personal
5%

0%
Technical Clerical Sales Service


How do US technology employees differ by organizational level?

35%

30%

25% The job
Compensation
Why Join?

20% Development
The Organization
15%
Other work-related
10% The people
Other personal
5%

0%
Individual Supervisor Manager


How do technology employees differ by market type?

35%

30%

25% The Job
Compensation
Why Join?

20% Development
The Organization
15%
Other work-related
10% The People
Other personal
5%

0%
Established Emerging
Note: Established markets are the G7 (US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan) and emerging markets are the BRIC
countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).


How do US technology employees differ by generation?

35%

30%

25% The Job
Compensation
Why Join?

20% Development
Other Work-Related
15%
The Organization
10% The People
Other Personal
5%

0%
Boomers Gen Xers Millennials
Note: Baby boomers born between 1943 and 1960. Generation X born between 1961 and 1981. Millennials born 1982 and later.


Summary: How do we attract US technology employees?

Why do they join?
• US technology employees joined their current organization primarily for
the characteristics of the job and compensation, and to a lesser extent
growth and development opportunities
• Compared to clerical and services workers, they put more emphasis on
potential for growth and development
• Technology employees who are supervisors or managers place even more
emphasis on growth and development
• Technology employees in emerging markets exhibit different profiles;
more emphasis on pay and growth, less on the job
• Technology employees also vary by generation; Millennials place more
emphasis on growth and development


How do we engage US technology employees?

Career Advancement 8%

Senior Leader Effectiveness 5%

Recognition 4%

Training and Development 4%
Work Life Balance 4%
CSR and Business Ethics 4%
Compensation 3%
Quality Emphasis 3%
Unexplained 28% Explained 72%
Job Security 3%
Innovative Climate 3%
Cooperation 3%
Diversity 3%
Transparent Communication 3%
Customer Orientation 3%
Safe Work Environment 3%
Direct Manager Effectiveness 3%
Work Stress 3%
Workload 3%
Work Processes and Equipment 2%
Goals and Feedback 2%
Control Over Work 2%
Process Formalization 2%

Driver Individual Supervisor Manager
Career Advancement 10% 8% 6%
Compensation 4% 3% 3%
Control Over Work 2% 3% 2%
Cooperation 3% 3% 4%
CSR and Business Ethics 4% 3% 3%
Customer Orientation 3% 4% 2%
Direct Manager Effectiveness 2% 3% 3%
Diversity 3% 3% 3%
Goals and Feedback 2% 2% 3%
Innovative Climate 3% 5% 5%
Job Security 3% 3% 5%
Process Formalization 1% 1% 3%
Quality Emphasis 3% 3% 4%
Recognition 4% 7% 5%
Safe Work Environment 3% 3% 3%
Senior Leader Effectiveness 6% 3% 6%
Training and Development 4% 5% 4%
Transparent Communication 3% 3% 4%
Work Life Balance 3% 4% 4%
Work Processes and Equipment 2% 2% 2%
Work Stress 2% 3% 3%
Workload 2% 3% 3%
Unexplained 29% 22% 21%


Career Advancement 7% Career Advancement 8%

Compensation 4%
Compensation 5%
Established Control Over Work 2% Emerging
Cooperation 2% Control Over Work 2%
Markets Markets Cooperation 2%
Customer Orientation 3% Customer Orientation 3%
Diversity 3%
Diversity 2%
Job Security 4%
Unexplained 28% Explained 72% Unexplained 30% Explained 70% Job Security 4%
Quality Emphasis 3% Process Formalization 2%
Quality Emphasis 2%
Recognition 4%
Recognition 4%
Training and Development 4% Training and Development 4%
Transparent Communication 3% Transparent Communication 3%
Work Life Balance 5% Work Life Balance 3%
Work Processes and Equipment 2% Work Processes and Equipment 2%
Work Stress 3% Work Stress 3%
Workload 2% Workload 3%


Summary: How do we engage US technology employees?

How do we engage them?
• Out of over 20 workplace factors, 6 are most important to US technology
employees’ engagement:
– Having opportunities for career advancement (8%)
– Having trustworthy and effective senior leaders (5%)
– Receiving recognition for their work (4%)
– Receiving training needed to do their jobs (4%)
– Working for an organizational that supports the balance between
personal and work goals (4%)
– Working for an organization that has a socially responsible and
ethical business culture (4%)
• Importance varies slightly by level; career advancement is more important
to individual contributors , senior leader effectiveness is less important to
supervisors, recognition is more important to supervisors, and job
security is more important to managers
• In emerging markets career advancement and compensation are more
important, while in established markets WLB , CSR, and ethical business
practices are more important

How do we retain US technology employees?


Compensation 3%




Recognition 2%
Unexplained 64% Explained 36% Work Stress 2%
Job Security 2%
Cooperation 2%
Workload 1%
Diversity 1%
Quality Emphasis 1%

Driver Individual Supervisor Manager
Career Advancement 10% 5% 4%
Compensation 4% 2% 2%
Control Over Work 1% 1% 1%
Cooperation 2% 1% 2%
CSR and Business Ethics 1% 1% 2%
Customer Orientation 1% 2% 1%
Direct Manager Effectiveness 2% 1% 1%
Diversity 1% 1% 2%
Goals and Feedback 1% 1% 1%
Innovative Climate 1% 4% 2%
Job Security 2% 3% 2%
Process Formalization 0% 1% 1%
Quality Emphasis 1% 1% 2%
Recognition 2% 4% 2%
Safe Work Environment 1% 1% 1%
Senior Leader Effectiveness 2% 1% 4%
Training and Development 2% 2% 1%
Transparent Communication 2% 3% 4%
Work Life Balance 3% 1% 2%
Work Processes and Equipment 1% 1% 1%
Work Stress 2% 1% 2%
Workload 2% 1% 2%
Unexplained 58% 64% 61%



Established Compensation 1% Emerging
Markets Cooperation 1% Markets
Compensation 2%
Customer Orientation 1% Cooperation 1%
Direct Manager Effectiveness 1% CSR and Business Ethics 1%
Diversity 1%
Goals and Feedback 1% Direct Manager Effectiveness 2%
Diversity 0%
Unexplained 69% Explained 31% Job Security 2% Innovative Climate 1%
Unexplained 78% Explained 22%
Quality Emphasis 1% Job Security 2%
Recognition 1%
Safe Work Environment 1% Process Formalization 0%
Quality Emphasis 1%
Recognition 2%
Work Processes and Equipment 1% Transparent Communication 1%
Work Stress 2% Work Life Balance 1%
Workload 1% Work Stress 0%
Workload 1%


Summary: How do we retain US technology employees?

• The two most important reasons US technology employees leave are:
– Dead-end jobs (7%)
– Unfair and unclear compensation practices (3%)
• Organizational practices that engage employees also help keep them:
opportunities for advancement
• Compensation practices both draws people in and runs them off
• Similar to employee engagement, career advancement is more important
to individuals than supervisors or managers, senior leader effectiveness is
less important to supervisors, recognition is more important to
supervisors
• Similar to employee engagement, socially responsible and ethical business
culture is more important in established markets


Key Drivers

Attraction Engagement Retention

• “The Job” • Career • Career
• Compensation Advancement Advancement
• Training & • Fair/Transparent
Development Compensation
• Fair/Transparent
Compensation


Aligning with Drivers

• Leverage compensation market data to ensure that
Fair/Transparent initial offers and ongoing rewards are competitive.
Compensation • Educate the organization on how compensation is
determined and how to maximize it.

• Define your organization’s jobs to ensure that
“The Job” candidates who value the job itself understand how
to be successful in the role.

Career • Define career paths for each job.
Advancement

Training & • Build development plans for individual employees.
Development


Fair/Transparent Compensation

Copyright Kenexa®, 2012

Compensation

“Fair”
• Market-competitive, internally equitable

“… and Transparent”
Understand how pay is determined
Know how to maximize pay


Compensation

External competitiveness
3rd party benchmark salary data
Industry-specific
Internal equity
Analyze actual pay against stated practices
Compare pay for similarly situated employees
Transparency
Decide what and how much you want to communicate
Spend your time on education, not data management


Competencies


Competencies

 Reflects strategy and culture
Core,
 Supports selection and hiring
Leadership  Reflects the leadership pipeline
& Levels-Based  Applicable to all roles
Competencies
 Reflects functional
strategy and key skills
Functional
 Applies to all functional
Competencies incumbents and
candidates
 Reflects job/role specific knowledge
and skills
Technical and Domain  Well suited for skills assessment, skills
Specific Competencies inventory analysis and development
 Applies to incumbents and candidates by
position


Competency Models/Job Profiles

Core organizational competencies Innovation
Innovation

Leadership competencies Alignment
Alignment

Functional/Job Specific Competencies
Development
Research &
Technology
Information

Accounting
Purchasing
& Payables

Collections

Finance &
Credit &
Business
Business
Analysis
Analysis


The Common Denominator
Adaptability

Create a mix of Coaching &
Innovation Mentoring
innovation,
adaptability,
domain expertise High Tech
Software
in a candidate, a Development
team or an
organization Domain Project
Expertise
Management

Technology
Toolkits


Competencies in the Organization

Performance Management Learning and Development
• Identify areas of development;
• Provide a clear understanding • Align resources to business
of what „good‟ looks like. strategy.
• Provide a basis for
performance discussions and
coaching and feedback.

Recruitment
• Match candidates to
Career Planning
• Provide a career planning
Competencies positions based on
competencies.
framework that aligns to Understand | Measure | Improve • Establish competency
company objectives and requirements for „new
career aspirations. hires‟.

Succession
Resource Management • Identify and prepare
succession
• Assign employees to project teams candidates.
based on critical requirements. • Establish expectations
for progression.


Competencies enable you to…

• Better Define the Role

• Select the Right Person for the Right Role

• Facilitate Growth and Development

• Identify Career Opportunities

• Provided Open and Productive Feedback


The “Job”


Defining the Role

Engage Technology Professionals through:

 Information
 Clear Expectations
 Room to Move
 Acknowledging Contributions and Ideas
 Logic and Objectivity; remove subjectivity where
possible


What Defines the Role

Compensation Job Descriptions Job – Specific
Opportunity Roles and Responsibilities Competencies
Pay for Key Tasks
Performance Education
Years of Experience
Requirements


Defining Job Components
Job XYZ
Responsibilities
1. Create applications for
sale to the open
market….
2. xxxx
3. xxxx
Job XYZ
Responsibilities
include Innovation –
Innovating new Level 3
analysis
techniques to Communications –
create the highest Level 2
quality…..
Xxxx Systems Analysis –
xxx Level 4

System Testing –
Level 2

Communicating the Role

Job Title Software Development Specialist, Master
Leads the technical design and development of new or enhanced
Description software products or systems.

Architects new software products. Defines software platforms,
components, and interfaces and selects development tools.
Resp. 1

Designs complicated software products, modules, and routines.
Selects and applies software development tools and methodologies
Resp. 2 for projects.

Counsels product and development planners on new and improved
development technologies, methodologies and tools.
Resp. 3

Provides technology direction for software development strategies
and plans. Provides technical guidance to development teams.
Resp. 4


Beyond Responsibilites
Competency Innovation
Definition Develops new ideas and initiatives that improve the organization's performance.
Suggests better ways of completing own work.

Level 1: Demonstrates the ability to generate ideas organically or in a brainstorming session.
Basic Understanding Supports innovations that are introduced by team leaders and managers.
Seeks help to shape ideas into workable proposals for change.
Seeks new or non-traditional ideas to improve effectiveness in own area of responsibility.

Participates in efforts to develop ideas generated by team members.
Level 2: Seeks applicable new ideas and approaches.
Working Experience
Surfaces ideas from other groups that have applicability to the team.

Helps develop implementation plans for introducing innovations to the group.

Encourages exploration of non-traditional ideas from team members.
Seeks new or non-traditional ideas to improve effectiveness in team's area of responsibility.

Level 3: Extensive Fosters a team culture that encourages exploration of non-traditional ideas.

Experience Guides team members in the development and fulfillment of proposed innovations.

Develops change initiatives that target improvement of significant organizational capabilities.

Implements strategies for renewing or deepening change efforts.

Introduces new perspectives and information to the team in order to stimulate innovation and change.
Level 4: Supports new ideas and technologies that produce competitive advantage.
Subject Matter Shares best practices and benchmarks of excellence.
Depth
Provides ongoing sponsorship for innovation programs and change initiatives.
and
Mentors team to question established practices and propose innovations.
Breadth
Copyright Kenexa®, 2012 Leads a continuous cycle of innovation that incorporates feedback to improve future initiatives.

Describing Good or Target Performance

Competency Innovation
Develops new ideas and initiatives that improve the
Definition
organization's performance.
Suggests better ways of completing own work.
Demonstrates the ability to generate ideas organically or
Level 1: in a brainstorming session.
Basic Supports innovations that are introduced by team leaders
Understanding and managers.
Seeks help to shape ideas into workable proposals for
change.


Filling the Role – Interview Questions

Interview
Interview Question Question Group
Name Interview Question Description Names
Innovation for Impact Can you give an example of an Results
idea you introduced that was
implemented? What was the
impact?
Generating Ideas What are some of the ideas Results
you've come up with recently?

Evaluating Ideas How do you decide which ideas Solution
to turn into proposals?


Filling the Role – Interview Guides

Innovation Question 1
1. Innovation for Impact: Can you give an example of an idea you
introduced that was implemented? What was the impact?
 How did you come up with this idea?
 Was this solution successful?
Below Average Average Above Average

Interviewer Gives an Demonstrates Describes a
Rating: ordinary answer. moderate creative approach;
(Circle ONLY one) innovation; or likely AND tells why it
answer. was successful.
0 1 2

Innovation Management Notes

Problem: Excessive First Year Turnover
Background:
• Organization is fast-moving, innovative company that values collaboration and
adaptability.
• A new five year contract has been signed.
• A staffing plan has been created and Talent Acquisition has begun the recruiting
process to fill key positions in three months

Actions and Decision
• Talent Acquisition retrieves a existing job descriptions, reviews with hiring manager, and
begins to screen based on prior positions, years of experience and education.
• Several seasoned individuals are hired in the first three months. Half are going before
year-end, either washing out of the organization or self-selecting out.
• Talent Acquisition revamps interview process making it “more robust” but continues to
source using the same criteria.

Cost to Company
• First year turnover is extreme
• Company is losing $100,00-250,00 per position in terms of cost to hire
• Morale and productivity is begin to suffer as current staff continues to pick up
responsibilities of lost hire


Solution: Candidate/Success Profiles
Background:
• Talent Acquisition has been furiously executing against the staffing plan and
continuing to source candidates
• First year hires have a high failure rate. They years of experience are attracting
candidates that do not fit with the current culture.
• While good on paper, many candidates do not have the skills to be successful in the
role.
• Using the job description as a starting point, a candidate profile is created.
• Core competencies linked to the values of the company are added to determine
potential fit of the candidate.
• Working with subject matter experts, job-specific competencies are added to determine
readiness of the candidate.
• Interview questions and guides are prepared to asses the candidates against each of
the dimensions of the job profile.
Value to Company
• First year turnover is reduced.
• Talent pipeline grows with new hires that fit the culture and prepared to be successful in
their roles
• Employee satisfaction and engagement improves as new hires clearly understand the
expectations of the role.


Career Advancement


Benefits Of Career Pathing/Planning

 Align Employee Desire with Business Needs
 Support Talent Mobility
 Maximize Workforce Potential
 Dual Track
 Path for Management
 Path for Individual Contributors


Identifying Opportunities – Verticial /Depth: The Job Family
Progression
Software
Software Software Software
Development Software
Development Developer, Developer,
Specialist, Developer
Director Sr. Jr.
Master
Alignment 4 3
Innovation 3 3 2 1 1
Producing Results 4 3 2 1 1
SOFTWARE
4 3 2 2 1
ENGINEERING
Software Product
Design/Architecture 4 2 1 1
Software Development 3 3 2 2
Software Problem
3 2
Management
Software Product
Testing 3 3 2 2

Copyright Kenexa®, 2012 Required Proficiency Levels

Identifying Opportunities – Horizontal/Breadth: Across the
Function or Organization
Job Family Name
Software Software Field Software Product
Engineering Support Quality Management
On-site and remote Quality management, quality
Design, development,
customer support for assurance, quality control,
delivery, and
Job Family Description installation and testing and compliance
enhancement of
operation of company's services for software
software products,
software products, products, systems and
systems and platforms.
systems, and platforms. platforms.
2 Senior Management
Strategy formulation; Vision
implementation; Operational Software Development
Field Service Director Quality Assurance Director
responsibility; Cost and risk Director
management; Enterprise view
3 Management; Senior Level Consulting
Functional, technical or Software Development Field Service Manager, Quality Assurance Manager,
process leadership; Manager, Group Region Group
Management of multiple Software Development Field Service Specialist,
Testing Manager, Senior
teams; High complexity and Specialist, Master Master
ambiguity; Tactical
Quality Assurance Architect
responsibilities

Identifying Opportunities – Horizontal/Breadth: Across the
Function

Example Competencies Target Proficiency Level
Software Developer Target Proficiency Level Jim's Current
Specialist, Master Testing Manager, Senior Proficiency Level
Knowledge of Organization 2 2 2
Products and Services 3 3 3
Earned Value Management 3 3 3
Software Development 3 3
RAD (Rapid Application
4 4 4
Delivery)
Extreme Programming (XP) 4 3 3
IT PROJECT
3 2 3
MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SECURITY
3 2 2
MANAGEMENT
Configuration Management 3 2 3
ISO 9000-3 3 1 2


Across the Organization
ORGANIZATIONAL
FUNCTIONS Information Technology Oil & Gas Industry General Corporate Functions

Software Software Field Compensation and
Job Family Names Exploration Production Human Resources
Engineering Support Benefits
2 Senior Management

Strategy Software
formulation; Field Service Human Resources
Development Exploration Director Production Director Benefits Director
Director Director
Vision Director
implementation;
Op responsibility;
Cost and risk Compensation and International Human
management; Benefits Director Resources Director
Enterprise view
3 Management; Senior Level Consulting

Software
Functional, Field Service Drilling Operations Compensation and Health and Safety
Development Geoscientist Manager
technical or Manager, Region Manager Benefits Manager Manager
Manager, Group
process
leadership;
Management of Software Dev. Field Service Compensation
Exploration Manager Oilfield Manager HRIS Manager
multiple teams; Spec, Master Specialist, Master Manager
High complexity
and ambiguity; Corporate Insurance Human Resources
Tactical Geophysicist Production Engineer
Manager Consultant, Senior
responsibilities
Reservoir Engineer Reservoir Engineer Executive Comp
Recruitment Manager
(Exploration) (Production) Manager


Problem: Dramatic Drop in Engagement between Years 3 and 5
Solution: Career Pathing/Planning
Background:
• An organization committed to best practices conducts an employee engagement
survey.
• The survey uncovers that employees with 3 to 5 years of tenure have unusually low
levels of engagement.
• This is supported by turnover rates for that population
• With competencies as the foundation, both vertical and horizontal opportunities are
communicated to the organization.
• Employees are encouraged to consider increasing the breadth of their experience and
skills not just depth.
• These moves are supported with the appropriate development and learning support.

Value to Company
• Turnover returns to normal levels.
• Level of engagement dramatically rises.
• Company benefits from new ideas and perspective from cross pollination of talent.
• Talent mobility enabled.


Training and Development


Training and Development

 Facilitate Employee Growth
 Understand Where Gaps Exist
 Better Allocate Training and Development
Budgets
 Build Skills for Future Success


Competency-Based Development Plans

Devel.
Development Statement
Statement Name Description Group Types
Fostering Foster innovation by increasing R&D Quantitative
Innovation expenditures by 20% in the next year.
Prompting Attend industry-specific conferences on Qualitative
Innovative a quarterly basis, and look for products
Thinking of offerings that could be improved or
expanded on as a way to jumpstart
innovative thinking.
Rewarding Offer a quarterly award to the most Qualitative
Innovation innovative employee, as measured by
the number or success of innovations.


Competency-Based Coaching

Coaching Tip Coaching Tip
Name Description Type
Looking for Look for alternative solutions to business Exploring|Planning
Alternative problems, without initially evaluating
Solutions feasibility or likelihood of success.
Sharing Problems Encourage your team to share problems Promoting
for Second with coworkers for second opinions.
Opinions People not directly involved in the problem
can provide ideas and points of view not
previously explored.
Out-of-the-Box For major projects, hold brainstorming Exploring
Thinking meetings with your team that facilitate out-
of-the-box thinking. Let employees
bounce ideas off of each other without
requiring an immediate solution.


Bridging the Gap – Learning and Development Plans
Learning Learning Reference Learning Reference
Reference Name Description
Activities On & Off Quality initiative Participate in the
the job participation implementation of a significant
quality initiative that includes
process mapping, developing
improvement strategies,
negotiating tradeoffs and buy-
in for resources, and
developing follow-up
measurements
Activities On & Off Observe role models Observe and analyze the
the job behavior of potential role
models for change
Activities On & Off Create benchmarks Benchmark other groups or
the job external organizations to get
new ideas for productive
change

Problem: Failed Opportunity for Development
Background:
• Annual Performance Review for past year and Development Planning for next
• Marty meets with Jim to review year‟s work
• Jim is bright, but his performance is mediocre and his personality irksome to Marty
• HR has provided a form with 5 point scale and blank text boxes for comments
• Marty has an unrelated project deadline he needs to attend to
• Marty asks Jim to write up his accomplishments for the year
• The review lasts 15 minutes with Marty choosing the “3” in the scale for most areas to
avoid confrontation or protracted discussion – suggests Jim select some classes to take
for the year.
• Jim feels underappreciated and under utilized, but has no way to talk to Marty about
specific skills. He pursues training that will help him become more marketable outside
of the company
• Marty is relieved that review is over so that he can get back to work
Cost to Company
• Jim‟s potential is not being tapped., and he performs at the same level the next year
• Training dollars may not be spent addressing critical company competencies
• Employees focus on salary and bonus only.
• Marty is not assessed on his people development skills – he sees the performance
reviews as a distraction which takes him away from his real work


Solution: Focus on Development
Background:
• Annual Performance Review and Development Planning time
• Mary, who has met with Roger every quarter to review development plan
execution, meets with him to review year‟s accomplishments
• Roger is a quick learner, with the ability to put acquired knowledge to work
• Mary has set aside an hour for the review
• The discussion focuses on the effective application of the learning Roger has done over
the year by reviewing his execution of the development plan
• Mary and Roger continue the development conversation, discussing competencies that
are both needed by the team and an individual knowledge gap in preparation for a new
project assignment. They discuss the new competencies he will learn.
• Roger is excited about the new opportunities to learn and apply the learning to the
forthcoming project.
Value to Company
• The Performance Review and Development Plan not only looks at past performance,
but enables the manager and employee to plan for future requirements.
• Detailed competencies provide an effective communications tool for a more objective
discussion around performance, needs of the company, and desires of the individual.


Summary


Moving Ahead

 Build a foundation
 Don‟t create; customize
 Understand your jobs and their place within the
organization
 Have a communication strategy


Benefits of Competencies are Compelling and Tangible

• Acquiring • Engaging
Talent Talent
Operational
Cost of a poor efficiency rate
due to poor
hire: employee
$300K-$500K engagement:
30%

Cost of losing a Value of a top
talented performer: 2-4X
employee: performance of
$250K-$500K average
employees
• Retaining • Evaluating
Talent Talent


Rena Rasch
Research Manager
Phone: 612-217-5056
Rena.rasch@kenexa.com

Melissa Tessendorf
Client Relationship Director
Phone:
Melissa.tessendorf@kenexa.com

Kenexa attracting retaining and engaging technology talent

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