Feature Association Forum Hiring: How To Increase

Featureassociation Forumhiring Tiie Very Besthow To Increase Your Em

Featureassociation Forumhiring Tiie Very Besthow To Increase Your Em

FEATURE ASSOCIATION FORUM Hiring tiie Very Best How to increase your employees' morale and productivity By Tracy Mullin Tracy Mullin is president and CEO, Nationai Retail Federation, Washington, D.C, [email protected] . I remember a quote from former ABC execu- iive Thomas Murphy, who said. "If you hire the best people and leave them alone, you don't need to hire very many." While I think re- tailers should be hiring the best people possible, and treating them well, it may not always be best to leave them alone. Especially during the holi- day season. With the holidays almost upon us, retailers are scrambling to hire the best seasonal workers— more than 520,000 of them—while retaining their top performers.

And during the most cru- cial selling period of the year, there is no time for mistakes. Executives know that good em- ployees ean bolster the image of a store and unsatisfactory employees can be disastrous. More often than not. finding good workers is high on the list of challenges facing retail exec- utives. And keeping those people is even more difficult. Turnover in the retail industry is nothing new, and it is not a problem that will disappear any- time soon.

After Sept. 11, many retailers experi- enced low turnover as employees waited for the job market to improve. Now that the economy is back on traek, workers are keeping an eye out for new opportunities, and many are moving on. Statistics reinforce that theory: According to the 2005 NRF/Mercer Retailer Compensation and Benefits survey, released last month, turn- over for store managers rose 20% last year over 2003. Leading HR experts seem to agree that tradi- tional approaches to management haven't been working.

Author Bruce Tulgan. a consultant who spoke in June at the National Retail Eed- eration's Loss Prevention Conference, talked about the mind-set of the new American worker and said that the best way retailers could keep their employees was to find out what people want and use it to drive performance. Best Buy is one of those retailers. Nearly half of the 3.500 employees at Best Buy headquarters have embarked on a radical strategy that enables employees to work where and when they as long as their job gets done. The approach seems to be working, as executives maintain that this new program has reduced turnover and increased productivity at the same time. Other retailers, such as Costco, believe that the way to their workers" hearts is through their wallets.

Costco's employees earn an average of $17.41 an hour and receive some of the most generous health benefits in the industry. Perhaps that's why they are able to maintain a low turnover rate of about 17% per yean However, money isn't everything. In his pre,s- entation, Tulgan also featured several non-finan- cial elements, such as people needing to be sat- isfied with their jobs. One of those basics, giving employees control over tasks, is an area where Trader Joe's has an upper hand. Instead of giv- ing employees specific instructions on how to merchandise and what to feature.

Trader Joe's trains the staff on their products and gives them the green light to handle the rest. By offering workers some creative authority, the environ- ment tends to be more personal, more original and more fun. But not all retailers are quick to paint their entire employee base as worthy of keeping around. Applebee's recently implemented a pro- gram that ignores overall turnover but instead rewards managers for keeping turnover low among top-performing employees. They call it "Mix Management": the idea is that not all employees perform equally, nor should they be mourned equally when they leave.

By focusing on the top tier, Applebee's has been able to keep turnover low among their very best performers. Retailers don't need to be reminded that employees are always an extension of their stores, or tbat keeping turnover low can reduce overhead costs in the long run. But as the retail landscape becomes more competitive, turnover will start to matter more, and the retailers with the best employees will win. Maybe we don't need to be leaving our employees alone, but we might want to think about giving them a little more leeway. 34 CHAIN STORE AGE, OCTOBER 2005 Chapter Fourteen This assignment is only worth 20 points.

Part one: 1. How should managers address resistance toward cultural audit? 2. How does diversity attitude differ from diversity climate? 3.

Explain in details three things that could be done to build organizational competence through OD? 4. Name three tips for designing a D & I Management Program? 5. After taking this class and exploring all of these topics, why is organizational diversity competence important.

Part two: After reading page 308, “Finding Qualified People of Color and Women in High Tech†(1) Summarize in one paragraph the point of this discussion and tips provided. After reading page 311, “Exploring Resistance to Diversity†(1) Summarize how a cultural audit works works and the benefits to diversity and inclusion Zakaria Awada Chapter Thirteen Part one: 1. What does diversity competence mean for organizations? 2. What does valuing diversity have to do with building diversity competence?

3. What are the proposed multicultural competencies for managers and what is the purpose of each stage? 4. Why would organizations want to have awareness training? 5.

Explain what mentoring is and how it works toward having inclusion in the workplace. Part two: After reading page 285, “A Model of Skills for Diversity and Inclusion†(1) Summarize in one or two paragraphs the point of this discussion. Part three: Read “Examples of Diversity Training Content†found on pages and answer the following questions: 1. Watch microaggressions and explain what they are. Provide two examples of those that were provided.

Think about when this happens repeatedly people can really become bothered but the person perpetuating the microaggression may minimize their actions. Why is it harmful to minimize this behavior? 2. Why are they harmful to an inclusive workplace? 3.

After reading the text above should people be trained on microaggressions? 4. What does the text discussion say about confronting isms in the discussion on diversity training content? 5. Provide five tips for active listening and state how they work toward inclusion.

Paper For Above instruction

The provided assignment encompasses two parts centered on diversity, organizational competence, and workplace inclusion strategies. The first part prompts critical reflection on managerial approaches towards resistance to cultural audits, the distinction between diversity attitudes and climate, building organizational competence through organizational development (OD), effective design tips for diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs, and the importance of organizational diversity competence. The second part necessitates summarizing specific pages from texts related to recruiting qualified women and people of color in high-tech industries, working through resistance to diversity initiatives via cultural audits, and understanding the significance of diversity competence and valuing diversity in organizational contexts. Additionally, it involves analyzing regulatory and educational content about microaggressions, confronting biases, and active listening techniques that foster inclusiveness.

Effective management of diversity and inclusion initiatives is essential for creating equitable workplaces. To address resistance toward cultural audits, managers should foster open communication, educate employees on the purpose and benefits of diversity assessments, and involve staff in the process to build ownership and trust. Recognizing that a diversity attitude reflects individual perspectives, while diversity climate pertains to the overall organizational environment, helps tailor interventions to promote positive perceptions and inclusive cultures. Building organizational competence through organizational development requires strategic training, inclusive leadership, and continuous feedback systems that embed diversity into core operations.

Design tips for D&I management programs include setting clear goals aligned with organizational values, engaging stakeholders across all levels, and employing flexible, culturally sensitive training methods to accommodate diverse learning styles. Cultivating organizational diversity competence is vital as it enhances the organization's ability to attract, retain, and leverage diverse talent, which correlates strongly with innovation and competitive advantage. Valuing diversity involves acknowledging differences, promoting equitable practices, and harnessing diverse perspectives for organizational growth.

Regarding the discussion on promoting diversity in high-tech industries, emphasis is placed on the importance of proactively identifying qualified women and people of color. The tips provided include leveraging targeted recruitment strategies, creating supportive environments, and removing barriers to entry. A cultural audit functions as a systematic assessment of an organization’s diversity practices, measuring perceptions, policies, and practices that influence inclusion. Its benefits include identifying strengths and gaps within the organization, fostering awareness, and guiding strategic improvements to create equitable and inclusive environments.

Diversity competence for organizations involves developing the skills, attitudes, and practices necessary to effectively manage diverse workforces, fostering an inclusive culture. Valuing diversity contributes directly to building this competence by encouraging acceptance and appreciation of differences. Multicultural competencies for managers typically encompass stages such as awareness, knowledge, skills, and adaptation. Each stage aims to deepen understanding, develop practical skills, and foster inclusive behaviors. Awareness training is crucial as it raises consciousness about biases and microaggressions, which are subtle, often unintentional discriminatory behaviors expressed through comments or actions, such as dismissing someone’s ideas or making assumptions based on stereotypes.

Minimizing microaggressions is harmful because it dismisses their impact, perpetuates exclusion, and sustains systemic biases. Microaggressions undermine workplace inclusion by creating an environment where marginalized groups feel undervalued or unsafe. Accordingly, training to recognize and confront microaggressions is vital in fostering a respectful workplace climate. Confronting isms, such as racism or sexism, involves open dialogue, education, active bystander intervention, and policy enforcement, which contribute to sustainable change. Active listening, an essential inclusion technique, includes tips such as maintaining eye contact, providing feedback, asking clarifying questions, demonstrating empathy, and avoiding interrupting, all of which encourage understanding, validate diverse voices, and support inclusive interaction.

References

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• Miller, F. A. (2015). Cultural Audits and Diversity Initiatives. Diversity Management Journal, 22(1), 15-23.
• Thomas, D. A., & Ely, R. J. (1996). Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity. Harvard Business Review, 74(5), 79-90.
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• Zakaria Awada. (2020). Exploring Resistance to Diversity. Chapter Thirteen, in Organizational Change and Diversity Strategies.
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