Strategic People Solutions
STRATEGIC PLANNING
"Shawn guided us through the process efficiently and effectively, and we left the session with well-articulated mission, vision, and business statements. These have helped create alignment and purpose in our organization.”
Wayne Adams
Adams Group
Effective strategic planning and the implementation of strategy is key to success. There are many techniques and approaches to strategy planning and the techniques and frameworks tend to ebb and flow as consulting firms gain and lose prominence and as business books go on and off the best seller list. The various approaches tend to have areas of emphasis based on a consultant’s clientele or a book’s target audience. When an organization engages in strategic planning, they should first understand their organization and then develop a plan around that organization.
There are a few key ideas and elements that should always be considered, purpose, people, and process. Strategic planning must always begin with an understanding of an organization’s mission and niche. Harley Davidson and BMW both make motorcycles, but the product design and niche in which they operate are very different, requiring different strategies. There must always be some form of vision casting and an assessment of risk, constraints, and opportunities based on an organization’s strengths. Finally, goals and objectives must cascade down through all levels of the organization and be continually evaluated. Statistically, 80% of strategic plans fail at implementation so the objectives should be integrated into individual performance plans with a link to a rewards program.
INTERIM / FRACTIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES
Interim and fractional services provide part time or short-term support for the senior human resources function. The need for this service can result from a sudden vacancy, the need to help an organization through a challenging period of time or provide senior human resources expertise by supplementing an organization’s current human resources skill set on a short- or long-term basis.
Interim Human Resources support is short-term and intended to fill a gap for a period. This is normally following a vacancy or to fill in when a director or Vice President of HR is out on an extended leave.
Fractional support is longer term and designed to provide part-time or on demand expertise for small or mid-size organizations that do not have the need for a full-time Human Resources executive. This is an ideal supplement to organizations need for executive level expertise without the need to hire a full-time person. Fractional services can be a long-term part-time resource or provided on demand.
HOGAN ASSESSMENTS AND 360 EVALUATIONS
“I have done several personality tests and 360 evaluations over the years. What I found unique about the Hogan Assessment was that on face value it appeared to be a typical self-assessment, but it is really about how you’re perceived by others in the workplace. Shawn was able to tie the three components together to paint a picture that illustrated how my perception of myself was different than how I was perceived. This tool could be helpful for building, hiring and coaching teams.”
Kerry D. Youker
Vice President People & Culture
The Sun Valley Rice Company, LLC
Leadership plays a critical role in the success or failure of any organization. Effective leaders inspire increased employee engagement, which has been proven to boost overall success. Fortunately, the performance of those in charge is observable, measurable, and improvable by understanding personality, performance, and reputation. The Hogan 360 is a comprehensive multi-rater feedback tool designed to help leaders at any level get comprehensive feedback and pinpoint areas for improvement. Developing a sense of self-awareness is the first step toward improving reputation. If one is motivated to work on increasing self-awareness, traits such as self-regulation, improved social skills, and other signs of high emotional intelligence will follow. Leaders who exhibit such traits are more likely to resonate with others and in turn, deliver results. The Hogan 360 delivers a comprehensive appraisal of one’s reputation that can motivate the journey toward becoming a more successful leader.
HR COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Rapidly changing Human Resources regulations require continual monitoring to assure compliance. Considering the dynamic nature of Human Resources law, even the best organizations can find themselves at risk of non-compliance in some areas.
As difficult as it is to stay compliant with regulatory law, most of the liability organizations experience comes from potential lawsuits that result from a failure to adopt or consistently apply important best practices. Missteps in hiring, layoffs, terminations, monitoring of leaves, and workers’ compensation issues tend to create the greatest areas of risk and liability and should also be monitored and audited periodically for adherence to best practices.
ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH
Organizational health is the primary defining factor in success. It is the foundation that supports all other activities and behaviors. Just as an athlete’s performance is determined by physical and mental health and preparedness, an organization is a collective body of people, and it’s success is determined by those same factors.
Some key considerations that lead to a healthy organization include:
- Clear objectives that are tied to a larger purpose.
- Leadership that values people and instills trust.
- Solid and well understood processes.
- Involvement with accountability.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The success of a sports team is determined by the performance of the individuals on the team and how the individual athletes work together to execute the playbook. The success of a business or non-profit is also dependent on the individuals and how well they work together to execute the strategic plan. An organization that can link overall organizational objectives to individual objectives and create appropriate accountability will have a significant opportunity to achieve their goals.
There are several different types of performance management systems, from forced ranking to team evaluation. The overall structure and goals of an organization determine the best system, but there are always a few principles that must be in place for any approach to work. Every effective system must 1) Link individual objectives to organizational objectives. 2) Monitor and evaluate progress that includes two-way communication. 3) Incorporate both accountability and a rewards program.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
Succession planning is the process of identifying talent within an organization and developing those employees to fill critical roles in the future. The focus is on high performing and high potential employees (HIPO’s). There are many benefits to a succession planning program, some are direct, but many are indirect. Some direct benefits include lower recruitment cost, the retention of the knowledge, skill, and ability within an organization, and the ability to fill critical vacancies in a short period of time. Indirect benefits include the ability to attract and retain talent, higher performance due to targeted training programs, continuity in culture, and the ability to maintain internal and external relationships. The most successful candidates come from within, especially for senior positions, therefore a well planned and executed succession planning program is a key component to organizational success.
EMPLOYEE SURVEYS AND PEOPLE ANALYSIS
Employee surveys are an invaluable tool to gain insight into what an employee group is thinking and feeling. If conducted well, they can also help employees feel like they have input and that their thoughts are valued. Surveying employees has a positive effect on job satisfaction, retention, and performance. It is important that surveys be conducted properly. An ill-conceived and poorly implemented survey can have adverse negative effects.
COMPENSATION PLANNING
There are three primary factors when it comes to motivating employees for attraction, retention, and high performance. These consist of 1) contractual factors (compensation and benefits), 2) psychological factors (how an employee thinks about work), and 3) emotional factors (how an employee feels about work). Of these three factors, compensation has been demonstrated to be the lowest in motivational effectiveness. How an employee thinks about and how they feel about work is, by far, a more significant motivator, however, compensation and benefits is a foundational element. It is largely why a person works and the foundation on which the other motivational factors are built. Therefore, a well-designed compensation and benefits program is essential.
A graduated pay scale that considers the two primary determinants for pay, market equity and internal equity, will create a solid foundation to compensate employees appropriately for their position and address any perceived fairness concerns. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) and the courts consider a well-planned wage scale a good affirmative defense against charges of discrimination. The extent to which compensation planning accurately reflects the market and is internally equitable determines the extent to which it can be a defense against discrimination claims.
A pay scale is an effective tool to create focused compensation planning for employees based on individual performance and career planning, especially when it is integrated with the more significant motivational factors (the psychological and emotional motivators).
EMPLOYER BRANDING
An employer brand is the reputation an organization has in a community or industry related to the value the employees place on their experience working at the organization. Employer Branding activity is a process of communication that denotes an organization as the premier employer in a particular region or industry.
There are two elements of employer branding, internal and external. Internal branding is the reputation an organization has with its employees and the manner and extent to which current employees communicate that reputation to potential employees. Internal branding is focused on creating an employee value proposition (EVP) so that those employees speak favorably and pass on the value of working for the organization. External branding efforts relate to promoting the internal brand. Activities associated with External Branding include involvement in community events, social media posts, networking with schools and trade organizations, and using recruitment strategies to promote the brand.
TESTIMONIALS
ABOUT
Providing senior level Human Resources support, connecting people to strategic processes to achieve alignment and higher performance.
Shawn Miller provides senior level Human Resources support, connecting people to processes to achieve alignment and higher performance. Shawn has extensive experience in Human Resources and senior operations leadership for companies with diverse product lines and structures. He has been a service provider for a variety of industries, including, but not limited to, medium-size manufacturers and food processors, agricultural co-ops, and non-profits. As an entrepreneur, Shawn founded a furniture and cabinetry company with a dealer network in four states. This distinctive combination of business ownership, professional Human Resources experience, and real-world operational experience, uniquely qualifies Shawn to serve clients’ “people” needs--whether that’s business strategy planning, organizational health and development, or fractional human resources support.
Shawn has been a frequent speaker at trade conferences and professional associations as well as a contributor to professional periodicals. Shawn earned his SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources – SHRM) in 2003. Other certifications and credentials include:
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Hogan Assessment System
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Targeted Selection Behavioral Interviewing
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Det Norske Veritas Loss Control Management
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California Law Credential