Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Marietta, Good response. Delegating needs to be a win-win situation. Not only do you gain a lighter load but your employee also has an opportunity to learn new skills as a result of the task delegated. Dumping is more one way. Little or no thought is given to the professional growth of the person to whom you are delegating. The other point that is important to remember is that the person delegating retains the ultimate responsibility for satisfactory completion of the task.

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Do Employee Retention Strategies Work?

Marietta, Those are great strategies that certainly impact employee retention. The other one I have found that really makes a difference is treating all employees with dignity and respect. It is sometimes the little things that make a really big difference. Valuing your employees makes them feel that you care about them as contributors to your institution's success. Performance evaluations and salary increases are another way to show respect for your employees. How your employees are treated has a big impact on how they treat your students which in turn impacts your student retention and your bottom line. Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Retaining Your Top Employees

Marietta, I agree with you that employee retention impacts productivity. It also impacts employee morale when you have excessive turnover regardless of whether the turnover is voluntary or involuntary. If it is involuntary, continuing employees always worry about their own longevity within the company as well as that of others. Your point about continuing employees having to pick up extra work of those who have left is an important one as well. Since there is seldom additional pay for doing so, resentment tends to build. All in all, retaining employees is an appropriate goal. Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Recruiting the Best Person for the Job

Marietta, That is great! I have seen some schools where the student graduates and comes back immediately to teach. Accreditors are real uncomfortable with that. Then they also count that as a related placement which creates more issues for the school. You are doing it right. I especially like the idea of starting them out as assistants to senior instructors. Great job! Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Recruiting the Best Person for the Job

Hi Marietta, Graduates are always good candidates for filling vacant instructor slots. The only caution I would make on that practice is that you want to make sure that they have gotten some experience first which they can then bring into the classroom to share and that you recruit from places other than just your institution. Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Delegating or Dumping

Bridget, You understand the difference. The other piece that is important to understand is that even though you delegate a task or a project, you still have ultimate responsibility for its successful completion and for ensuring that the employee does indeed benefit from the experience. Guiding as needed is the supervisor's responsibility. Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Recruiting the Best Person for the Job

Patricia, You are fortunate that you have little or no need to recruit faculty. Congratulations on creating an environment where there is little turnover and, therefore, little need to recruit faculty. I am sure, though, that you must have a need to recruit for other positions within your institution. I know we always had high turnover in admissions as do most career colleges. As the economy shows some inprovement, we may again see employees jumping ship to seek greener pastures with another employer and they will cause a need to recruit. You are fortunate to have a ready source of… >>>

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Retribution!

Susana, I agree with your response. The one thought that comes to mind in terms of "less painful for everyone involved," is that it is important to recognize the fact that there are other employees who will continue in your employ who have to be comfortable remaining loyal to you as an employer. If the dismissal is performance based, there should have been a performance improvement plan with followup so that the termination is really no surprise. Regardless of the reason for the termination, I agree that it is important that the employee be allowed to maintain their dignity and… >>>

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Retribution!

Patricia, Good response. The dismissal should not be a surprise if the employee has been on performance improvement plan. Establishing goals and followup to review progress is an important part of the proess. Preparation for delivering the message that your employee is being terminated is important as well. I am glad that you recommended that another person be with you when you deliver the message, just as a precautionary measure. As you say, it is also best to keep it brief and not get into a debate regarding the facts. Pat

Dr. Patricia Kapper

Discussion Comment

Recruiting the Best Person for the Job

Hi Bridget. Welcome to the class. Are you still with Gibbs? Good response to the question. Using a variety of sources for recruiting is key. Over time,you will identify those sources that bring you the best candidates and use them more frequently. Turnover is an expense for the company so you want to make sure you are getting the best qualified candidates so that turnover is reduced to a minimum. Pat