Mertz HR Consulting Services

18/07/2022

Part-Time Lecturing

As an HR Professional with more than 30 years of experience, local & international, I am available for part-time lecturing opportunities relating to Human Resources courses or subjects. I will facilitate workshops or Strategic/Operational planning sessions where there is a need.

Please get in touch with me.

14/07/2022

Foundation of a Retention Strategy, outlined in Diagram, is underpinned of various components that will ensure an organization has a variety of information to provide an informed position of the success or shortcomings of their strategy. The retention strategy starts with first impressions are a link to retention where 90% of employees make their decision to stay within the first 6 months.

04/07/2022

Unique to our services, is the Art of Personal Development Planning course/workshop on offer for employees and people manager.

Apart from our broad HR service offerings from a business employing less than 10 to Medium/Larger companies, we also offer People Management Coaching and Mentoring………..a practical focus dealing with the people realities on the “ground floor”.
https://mertzhrconsulting.co.za/

Employee Relations Expat Remuneration HR Management Consulting Organisational Design Performance Management

01/07/2022

https://mertzhrconsulting.co.za/
Apart from our broad HR service offerings from a business employing less than 10 to Corporate level, we also offer People Management Coaching and Mentoring………..a practical focus dealing with the people realities on the “ground floor”.

Employee Relations Expat Remuneration HR Management Consulting Organisational Design Performance Management

30/06/2022

Retention bonuses will not improve employee performance

§ Their productivity will not improve because the money is “for staying” – retention bonuses are essentially “pay for staying, but doing nothing.”

§ The retained employee will probably still be poorly managed, so their performance will not improve – if one of the reasons that the employee wanted to leave was a lousy manager or the poor way that they were managed not improve after the bonus will not deliver the optimal results.

Contact us for any assistance regarding retention of employees.

14/06/2022

Retention bonuses will have numerous negative unintended consequences

§ The retained employees may develop an entitlement attitude –Money may convince the employee that they are irreplaceable and that they mostly have a job for life. This could lead that they have an entitlement may cause them to be cocky and to misbehave as they think there is no way that they can be fired or laid off as the employer’s investment in them proves that they are indispensable.

§ The bonused employee will stay, but they will be unintentional or intentional disruptive.

§ The bonused employee will stay but continue to talk badly of the boss or the company – a retention bonus might get them to stay, but it does not buy silence.

§ Co-workers will be resentful of those that got the bonus – when bonuses are offered, it creates much questioning, complaining, and whining from other employees that could be jealous as those who are paid more, without having to produce better performance.

§ The morale and outlook of non-bonused employees will be damaged because they were not selected for a bonus – impact on other employees’ morale and their productivity, and any optimism that they had about their future with the firm.

§ Retention bonuses may damage the firm’s external image and recruiting – when the word spreads through the firm and social media, could be interpreted as a sign the firm is in trouble and this negative image will hurt recruiting and other stakeholders.

For further advise, we offer consultation to assist in addressing the challenge

07/06/2022

Retention bonuses may unintentionally cause an increase in turnover

§ Offering the bonus may drive employees to leave – offering retention bonuses is seen as an act of desperation by management. It may unintentionally immediately reduce the level of confidence of employees as they think to work on a sinking ship.

Employee turnover may increase when formerly satisfied employees become uncomfortable about the firm and their future. A large retention bonus could make an employee more desirable to recruiters and other companies.

§ They will use their “retention time” to search for a new job, especially where an employee has mentally checked out.

§ Offering bonuses may encourage employees to seek external offers - some employees who have no intention of leaving to begin looking for a new job, with the sole goal of qualifying for a retention bonus. This attempt is to “whipsaw” management into granting them a retention bonus, a raise, or both.

31/05/2022

Retention bonuses may not actually increase retention

§ No Evidence that retention bonuses work – no actual data that retention bonuses work to retain people.

§ Some “bonused” employees might keep the money and still leave – retention bonuses appear to be treated by the employee to be a “gracious gesture” to get them to stay. As a bonus with no agreement, the employee will exit with no written agreement asserting “quid pro quo,”- an agreement to stay in return for the money.

§ May retain the individual, but only for a brief time until it “wears off”

§ Money may not be effective in getting them to stay because it is not one of the primary factors that are forcing them to leave

§ Their job will still be crummy after giving them the cheque – retention bonus will no fix negative factors of the job

§ Retention bonuses will not fix retention issues in most of the jobs

§ Undesirable employees who were going to quit may stay around in the hope of getting a retention bonus - poor performing employees, out of date skills, poor attitude, occupying redundant positions, could consciously decide to stay in the hopes of getting a retention bonus.

Contact us to discuss a retention strategy or any remuneration challenge.

18/05/2022

What is wrong with Reward Programs?

Most reward programs are inflexible and remain narrowly focused on experience and tenure. The challenges that confront retention approaches and the problems of reward programs emphasize that an organization measure the success of its retention program and what is the real monetary Return on Investment (ROI).

Contact us to customize your reward program to fit the organizations need and increase motivation

12/05/2022

And more Myths about Retention

Contact us for a leading approach to retain your talent

11/05/2022

Contact us for assistance with retention programs

In organizations, myths surface that often inhibit efforts to manage talent proactively. They are:

14/04/2022

People Manager Coach

Managing diverse aspects of people with different personality types and habits requires a Manager/Supervisor approach to be good at people resources management that will result in them being truly engaged. I provide people management coaching to any manager, from CEO to supervisory level.

With more than 24 years of experience as a professional, I have coached COO, vice presidents, senior manager, and supervisors. Unfortunately, no MBA or Management course prepares a manager to manage complex areas of people management.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with me for a discussion.

05/04/2022

Retention bonuses may not actually increase retention

§ No Evidence that retention bonuses work – no actual data that retention bonuses work to retain people.

§ Some “bonused” employees might keep the money and still leave – retention bonuses appear to be treated by the employee to be a “gracious gesture” to get them to stay. As a bonus with no agreement, the employee will exit with no written agreement asserting “quid pro quo,”- an agreement to stay in return for the money.

§ May retain the individual, but only for a brief time until it “wears off”

§ Money may not be effective in getting them to stay because it is not one of the primary factors that are forcing them to leave

§ Their job will still be crummy after giving them the cheque – retention bonus will no fix negative factors of the job

§ Retention bonuses will not fix retention issues in most of the jobs

§ Undesirable employees who were going to quit may stay around in the hope of getting a retention bonus - poor performing employees, out of date skills, poor attitude, occupying redundant positions, could consciously decide to stay in the hopes of getting a retention bonus.

17/03/2022

RISKS OF COUNTEROFFERS

Organizations are always eager to hold onto their best employees, and it is no surprise that a counteroffer often follows. A counteroffer is flattering, but it rarely addresses the factors and underlying issues behind the resignation. Moreover, the employer's counteroffers are a cost-saving measure as recruitment is a significant business expense.

Employee Perspective:

· An employee feels stagnating within the organization and employee is not reaching their career potential;
· Other factors include unresponsive management, unfavorable working conditions or simply burnout in the job.

Employee considerations

· Counteroffer could hamper career development if the employer has opted to keep the employee simply because it is easier than finding a replacement.

· It leaves the question of why a counteroffer, while the employee did not receive recognition or a salary increase from the last performance.

· Possible that the employer has been trying to get away with paying less than the employee is worth;

· Continue with the same company, and it would be a case of "more of the same" and continue in the same environment with the same career development opportunities.

Employer Perspective: Questioning Employee's Loyalty

The risk for the employee accepting a counteroffer is that the employer will never see the employee in the same light again. In the 'boss' eyes, the resignation has demonstrated poor loyalty to the company and uncertainty for an organization of how long the employee will remain with the organization. For this reason, an employee might be overlooked for projects with extended timeframes.

Counteroffers are likely a short-term solution to the underlying issues as it rarely addresses the underlying factors that prompted the employee to resign in the first place. A counteroffer also leaves an employee wondering why a resignation provokes the organization to respond with a counteroffer without the employer creating a climate in the organization to retain their critical talent. Considering employee perspective and consideration with the of the employer's perspective, counteroffers can be gratifying, but the risks outweigh the rewards. It leaves the question of whether a counteroffer is worth it.

Don't hesitate to contact us for Professional HR Advice in managing counteroffers, retention bonuses, or any other information to address the situation.

09/03/2022

Update of new Website & Email Address:

Mobile: +27 (0) 82 960 9044

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://mertzhrconsulting.co.za

Employee Relations Expat Remuneration HR Management Consulting Organisational Design Performance Management

01/03/2022

4 REASONS WHY EMPLOYEE RETENTION IS A CHALLENGE
1. Strong Economy
In Strong economies such as USA, job openings in 2017 exceeded hires, meaning there are not enough hires to fill these vacancies, and it leads to an increase of employees finding better opportunities in a better economy. In South Africa, with a plodding growing economy, jobs are limited, but the demand for highly talented employees or scarce skill resources will remain in demand that will keep organizations remain competitive and maintain their position or production output. Top talent will go wherever they choose and with whoever offers them the best suitable financial and cultural fit.

2. Changing Workforce
The workforce has a new stream of Generation that is starting to become a more substantial part of the workforce. Most of the younger workforce has fewer obligations holding them down, and it frees them to try new things and live in new places. They are job-hopping in search of growth opportunities for quicker advancement of their career to set them up for success in the future. In summary multi-generations, consists of Generation Y (1980 to 1994), Generation X (1965 to 1968), Millennials (1981 to 1996), Generation Z (1995 to 2015). Each Generation has a different expectation regarding, feedback, rewards, pace of promotion and the level of transparency. Millennials and Generations Z has no synergy, and it defined as follows:
a. Millennials - select jobs in the same way they select their smartphones, vacation destinations, or sneakers and tailor their packages the same way as consumers package, i.e. mobile phone contracts. Want to know how the employer makes compensation decisions.
b. Generation Z – After seeing what their parents have gone through multiple recessions and the staggering rise in college tuition, they tend to want to plan for their financial future – will seek work that “feels more than a job”.
With the changing workforce, organizations must rethink total rewards holistically, as a mix of base pay, incentives, benefits, and learning and development.

3. Technology
As Technology evolves it makes it easier for people to find and apply for new job opportunities through searching on the internet, social media (such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Career Junction) and professional associations compared to a few decades ago where job seekers used newspapers or notice boards to find jobs. They turn to the Internet via Smartphones and access sites like Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn at any time or place and even receive notifications without searching.

4 Side Incomes
Making money in a person’s pyjamas is the ideal dream. Freelancing and self-employment have become the way that modern-day workers are generating extra money or creating a fulltime living. Many employees are waiting to leave their organisation as soon as the online side-business can replace their income.

22/02/2022

What is wrong with Reward Programs?

Most reward programs are inflexible and remain narrowly focused on experience and tenure. The challenges that confront retention approaches and the problems of reward programs emphasize that an organization measure the success of its retention program and what is the real monetary Return on Investment (ROI).

Contact us to assist with having a Reward Program that fits the organization as a leading employer, align to culture and is attractive for Talent.

22/02/2022

A Strategic Human Capital Plan will ensure that all your Human Capital decisions is on a solid baseline and not a "guessing" process.

Contact us for professional HR advise