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AVOIDING THE GREAT RESIGNATION: HOW EFFECTIVE TALENT MANAGEMENT STARTS WITH GOOD JOB DESIGN

Written by Kai Donesa on July 20, 2022. Posted in Resources.

What is the Great Resignation? Avoiding the Great Resignation, can companies or organizations do it? The trend of mass resignation can’t entirely be attributed to the pandemic, and some might even argue it isn’t a true phenomenon. But one cannot deny the number of recent resignations mostly stemming from employee dissatisfaction.

Because of the sudden shift in the work dynamic brought by the pandemic, employees have started thinking about what they truly value. Many questioned whether they were okay with companies returning to the way things were. Others questioned if there was a ‘normal’ to return to after the last two years. But for many of these employees, there was no going back. Let’s look at some of the reasons people resigned:

Lack of Autonomy – Employees want the freedom to work in a way that suits them. They want to make decisions without their managers or supervisors looking over their shoulders. Being micromanaged doesn’t communicate trust and can be highly demotivating. It also takes away the sense of accomplishment the employee can get from putting in hard work.

Burnout – Staff are physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. They work long hours, and the work doesn’t give them any sense of accomplishment. Employees often struggle to find their purpose in the organization and focus on putting in the hours. Add a long commute and external stressors, and it’s a perfect recipe for burnout.

Inadequate Compensation and Benefits – Many cite low pay or lacking benefits as reasons for resigning. While having a competitive salary is always attractive, many now look for flexible work hours, output-based work systems, paid leaves, and work-from-home options. According to an article by LinkedIn on remote work, employers that offer remote or flexible work are better positioned to attract talent in a post-pandemic world. Work flexibility has become a top priority for employees when considering a new job.

Avoiding Employee Dissatisfaction and Being Part of the Great Resignation

Organizations can avoid employee dissatisfaction and being part of the Great Resignation through a purpose-driven organizational framework. We at Birches Group believe that organizations of all sizes and industries can improve employee satisfaction using a simple integrated method that starts with the job description.

Most organizations do not grasp the integral role that job descriptions play and how it facilitates several core HR functions. Clear, consistent, and purpose-driven job descriptions allow employees to shift from time-based work to one focused on purpose and outputs. When employees understand their work, they don’t need to be micromanaged by their supervisors. Employees can be empowered to make their own decisions and be trusted to do the job.

While it doesn’t seem like the obvious solution, clear, consistent, and purpose-driven job descriptions impact every aspect of human resources and workforce management. By taking this first step, organizations have the flexibility to structure their work model into a hybrid where employees can work from home when they need to and come to work to collaborate. At the same time, this addresses burnout. Working from home allows employees the freedom to work in a way that works for them and their lifestyle. Organizations can measure the work of their people through their outputs and focus on their staff’s skills development. Looking over the employee’s shoulders is no longer necessary. Gone are the days when employees need to clock in and out to prove they are working efficiently.

Because the importance of job descriptions is often overlooked, very few managers and HR practitioners are trained on how to write good job descriptions. Job descriptions should be more than just a checklist of things to do. A list focuses on process and individual tasks. In contrast, a good job description focuses on the role’s purpose and output.

Create Clear, Consistent, and Purpose-driven Job Descriptions in Three Easy Steps

As part of Birches Group’s larger Community™ approach and platform, our Job Design tool provides organizations clarity and ease in describing work. A good job description can be written in three steps:

Step 1: The Mission Statement – The mission statement is crucial, connecting the role to the organization’s larger mission and emphasizing why the job matters. It gives context to the role by describing the unit it belongs to, the broad function of the unit, and the position of the role in supporting the unit and its organizational objectives.

Step 2: The Functional Statements – The functional statements describe the intended functions and focus of the role. Organized using our three Community™ factors—Purpose, Engagement, and Delivery—we offer guide questions and a lexicon of verbs, so each statement aligns with the appropriate grade level.

Step 3: The Skills and Qualifications Profile – The profile describes the level of generic expertise required for the role. This expertise can be specialized knowledge, experience in related fields, and language requirements that could facilitate the recruitment process for the role.

Through these three simple steps, our Community™ Job Design tool provides organizations a way to craft clear and consistent job descriptions that can easily be adapted according to the role’s job level and unit.

Good job descriptions help organizations address employee satisfaction and engagement issues because every employee wants to know their work matters. Through this first step, organizations pave the way to build an integrated, comprehensive model of work where employees know their contributions are valued.

To learn more about our Community™ Job Design tool and how it can help you create clear, consistent, and purpose-driven job descriptions, contact us.

Kai works in our Marketing Team in Manila. She creates online content around Community™ concepts and assists in developing promotional campaigns answering why Community™ should be each organization’s preferred solution, focusing on its simplicity and integrated approach. She has had years of experience in social media content creation handling different brands over the years.

BUILDING YOUR SALARY SCALE: THE JOB STRUCTURE

Written by Kai Donesa on August 12, 2021. Posted in Resources.

An organization’s job structure is an illustration of its how specific jobs are grouped and classified based on the nature and purpose of work, different levels of contribution, and how each level relates and progresses to one another. More importantly, the job structure provides the framework to which organizations can apply policies on compensation management, as well as design strategies around learning and development, specifically on career opportunities and promotion, all aligning to the company’s overall business objectives.

There are different types of job structures available, each one designed to support specific needs an organization might have. When choosing which type of job structure to adapt, the focus of your existing jobs – whether career-based or project-based, any future expansion, and the possible addition of new roles or teams within your organization – should be kept in mind.

The most common types of job structures are the traditional salary structure, the broad-banded structure, and the project-based structure, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Types of Job Structures

Traditional job structure – provides a well-defined sequence or progression path from one job level to the next. Think of a typical career progression: Entry-level roles start as analysts, then progress to specialists, while MBA graduates (for example) start as specialists, then progress to managers, and finally to directors. The differences in levels of contribution, complexity, and pay ranges are explicit at each level, and movement within the grade or to the next higher-grade can be deliberate based on skills growth and experience. Traditional job structures are easier to manage and communicate to staff, but the pay ranges often have less flexibility than other approaches, particularly when staff reaches the maximum point of their job grade. Traditional structures are found most often in organizations with well-established career paths, where staff grow their careers by moving “up the ladder.”

Broad-banded structure – A broad-banded structure comprises fewer bands with multiple job levels grouped into each one. Some organizations prefer the broad bands because they provide wider pay ranges and more flexibility in pay management. As staff accumulate more skills and experience, pay increases and progression can be provided through lateral movement within each band without necessitating a promotion. Broad bands are not without their own challenges, however: They often cause confusion for managers and staff since less structure and guidance are provided for salary setting and the differences between job levels within each band are not as distinct as a traditional structure. Broad-banded structures are more popular with organizations that desire a flatter hierarchy and fewer levels.

Project-based Structure – The project-based structure also has grades or bands similar to the first two structure types above. What makes this structure different is that each grade or band is designed for roles that have short lifespans to reflect the project timing, without the possibility of promotion. A structure like this is only appropriate for project-based organizations with definite term contracts. Project-based structures often have higher minimums reflecting the need for employers to reach experienced talent that can “hit the ground running.” Employers utilizing such a structure should also consider project completion bonuses to improve retention.

In Birches Group, we believe that a simple, clear, and consistent approach to job evaluation is the key to a well-designed job structure. The type of structure and number of grades an organization chooses to go with is an easy one to adapt, but without a solid job evaluation methodology to readily provide the standard needed to classify your jobs into their appropriate levels, will only lead to bigger issues in capacity and pay management in the future.

Our Community™ Jobs solution uses only three factors – Purpose, Engagement, and Delivery – to evaluate any job across fourteen grade levels. These three factors are found in any job and together, provides a simple and transparent methodology that serves as the foundation for an exceptional job structure.

Organizations require structure to optimize and ensure the capacity it needs to achieve its goals and ultimately lead to business growth. Job structure, along with the pay structure, are one of the most important human resources management tools an organization will need to build and maintain an organized and efficient workforce. Through our integrated workforce management solution, Community™, Birches Group is ready to help your organization create a job structure that fits your needs. Contact us to learn more.

Want to know if your existing compensation practices have the elements of a good compensation program or if there are areas that could use some improvement? Take our quick Compensation Program Assessment Quiz to know your score!

Bianca manages our Marketing Team in Manila. She crafts messaging around Community™ concepts and develops promotional campaigns answering why Community™ should be each organization’s preferred solution, focusing on its simplicity and integrated approach. She has held various roles within Birches Group since 2009, starting as a Compensation Analyst and worked her way to Compensation Team Lead, and Training Program Services Manager. In addition to her current role in marketing and communications, she represents Birches Group in international HR conferences with private sector audiences.