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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
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I am the HR Director for a company that has several small offices in rural areas of the country. Most of these employees are commissioned sales people who's performance is based on sales volume and me
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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
posted at 6/5/2002 5:11 AM EDT
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Posts: 20
First: 5/22/2000 Last: 11/20/2003 |
I am the HR Director for a company that has several small offices in rural areas of the country. Most of these employees are commissioned sales people who's performance is based on sales volume and meeting goals. These employees have a monthly review of their performance and know where they are at in relation to their goals. The goals are realistic, but many employees have the opinion that there is never any job security beyond the next 6 months (if their sales performance isn't up to minimum standards for more than 3 months, they are put on a performance improvement plan which has often resulted in terminations). My employees are not understanding that poor performance in any company for that long will result in termination. The managers are getting frustrated with their employees who continually express this concern.
Any suggestions? |
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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
posted at 6/5/2002 8:30 AM EDT
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Posts: 11
First: 4/23/2002 Last: 9/11/2002 |
L - do they not see the linkage between high performance and job security? I.e., if you perform well vis-a-vis your goals, your monthly performance evals go fine, you have plenty of security, no?
How effectively is this linkage communicated? In other words, can you see that the sales managers are properly representing the positives, and not just beating the sales people? Are there negative examples being shared, such as, the 1st quarter sales leader who is gone by 3q because 2q performance was poor? Is the sales cycle short enough to justify taking out someone for failure to meet goals in such a short timeframe (my sales cycle is 4-8 months per prospect...)? Do the sales people understand their role in the company, i.e., do they think "customer first" even before shareholders? What if you did a gap analysis -- ask, "what is the aspiration" (that salespeople understand that their own performance brings or diminishes job security) Then ask, where are we now in relation to that aspiration; what do we have to change in order to realize the aspiration? Enlist your communication folks, and brainstorm it out. Good luck! Sean |
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How do I convince employee's they are responsible for their own career?
posted at 7/1/2002 7:37 AM EDT
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Posts: 1
First: 7/1/2002 Last: 7/1/2002 |
L:
You have a tough challenge. My suggestion is based on solid research in retention. If you continually prepare employees to "leave you," you are more likely to hold on to them longer than you otherwise would. Particularly in sales, retention rates are very low and some other company will always be offering a little more financially. A great opportunity to work with top managers, sell an outstanding product or develop into top sellers, is likely to give them more reason to stay. Companies who try to hold great employees in place, usually lose them. It is as the old Zig Ziglar line goes, "The only thing worse than training your employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them." If your sales folks want long, successful and rewarding careers, they need to take advantage of every developmental opportunity. No one ought to make them a better sales person. That can only happen from an interior drive. The point is, they need to recognize that whether they stay where they are, or have plans to move elsewhere, the only one who really has a big stake in their development is they themselves. Just some random Monday thoughts. |
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