It´s ironic, but to hear
Sandra Burud tell it, having an early and fervent advocate may be one of the
worst beginnings for a company´s work/life program.
The fan - usually from HR -
sells top management on one or more initiatives, and they´re implemented. But
then he or she moves on to another job or, worse still, another company. The
orphan programs, which management never really bought into and weren´t
integrated with the company´s goals and culture, are abandoned with a lot or a
little disdain.
Burud, a Ph.D. and
principal of Bright Horizons Family Solutions in Watertown, Mass., told an
audience at the 2000 WorldatWork convention in Seattle how to do it better.
Interestingly, only one audience member had previously attempted to collect
data on the effectiveness of the company´s work/life efforts.
Whether you want to begin
some programs or defend and strengthen the ones you already have, you have to
know who´s receiving your pitch, Burud says. Is it the people who will use the
programs? No, no, no, she stresses.
Employees are not the
sponsors, and they´re not paying the bills. In fact, relying only on employee
opinions to help you begin or tailor your efforts has two drawbacks: It´s likely
to give you much of a benefits orientation in structuring the initiatives, and
it usually won´t be enough to convince top management to keep shelling out the
bucks.
The top management is your
true audience for documentation of the effectiveness of whatever you do in the
realm of what Burud calls people-supportive work practices." Work/life
initiatives are one niche in this realm.
The first step, then, is to
assess the personalities and backgrounds of your highest officers, taking
special note of the qualities that are likely to remain at the top of the
organization even if those particular people move on. Ask yourself, "What
really pushes their buttons?" Perhaps it´s bolstering customer satisfaction, or
becoming the employer of choice, or simply saving money.
Next, identify the
company´s core cultural values - for example, customer service, speed, or
innovation - and its overall goals. Here too, Burud offers a caution: Don´t
treat everything you find as equal, since this approach will blunt your own ability
to make a compelling case. Apropos of this point, Burud recalls a Lily Tomlin
quip: "I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more
specific."
You may conclude, for
example, that the organization´s primary goal is high-touch service, which would
suggest an objective of shorter response times. Look also at what else is going
on in the organization that might provide potential linkages or present
significant barriers. An equally useful search is for the challenges the
company is facing, such as globalization, adapting and using leadership, or
improving recruitment.
By this point, you´ve
decided what you´d like to know about your programs that will be most
persuasive. Now you are probably ready to start collecting data. In this
process, take advantage of resources available to you, such as an in-house
research organization or outside consultants. Here are some key measures that
may provide useful data:
Break down your company´s
overall turnover rate into one rate for people who have used work/life programs
and one for those who haven´t. (One software company has reduced turnover to 4
percent through work/life initiatives, while the industry average is 20
percent.) Â Consider the turnover rate
for hard-to-recruit positions only, making the same involved/noninvolved
comparison. Study attendance records for involved and noninvolved employees.
Break out performance evaluations in the same way. If you have company measures
of individual productivity or efficiency (number of widgets made or loans
processed, for example), compare these according to involved/noninvolved
people. Â If existing measures - of
productivity or customer satisfaction, for example - are by department or work
group, compare the work/life participation data for those groups with the
productivity measures. Â Ask your health
care coverage carriers to provide your medical department (not HR!) with the
names of employees filing work-related stress claims, and have them matched
against participants/nonparticipants in work/life options. Â Look at the size of the company´s applicant
pool both before and after work/life programs were implemented. You might also
look at how well the pool meets recruitment needs.
Ask recruiters, both inside
and outside the company, for their opinions of how influential the work/life
efforts are among job candidates. Â
Whenever interviews or focus groups with existing employees are held,
include questions about the value of work/life programs. Â Solicit opportunities for case studies among
your departments, work or project teams, or remote locations. Â Identify the company´s peak performers, and
find an opportunity to interview them about the role work/life programs have
played for them in performing their jobs.
Assuming that you´ve
obtained some positive data, or at least figured out how to find what you´re
looking for, Burud lists some additional steps to be taken - and pitfalls to be
avoided. With moderately well-established programs, draw a profile of your
typical participant and then match it against the demographics of your
organization. Places where there´s no fit can suggest fine-tuning or new
wrinkles you might encounter.
If you encounter low rates
of participation, the reason may not be that you´ve offered the wrong options.
One male manager told Burud, "Sure, the company has work/life programs. I
wouldn´t dare sign up for one; it would signal that I´m not committed to my
job." Further research in the company showed that he wasn´t alone; the
corporate culture discouraged involvement in the programs. How to solve that
problem? With an effort that Burud recommends for all organizations that are
serious about helping employees balance life and work: Measure and rate
supervisors on their support for the programs and how well they communicate
that support. Making it count in their performance evaluations and paychecks is
an effective means of underscoring the organization´s commitment to success in
people-supportive practices.