The Tale of a Shoe hurler…
Long time back I wrote an article “Who is responsible for attrition?”. My research at CiteHR said that the biggest reason for attrition (read non-performance) are supervisors. But a commenter named MP3 rightly said “The poll results are simply inadequate.”
It made me to re-think . But non-performers do exist. Then who is to blame.
Consider an employee be a non-performer. His Supervisor is to blame, as he is responsible for non-performance of employee. Right!
In organizations…usually…
All fingers point to grass root level supervisors. But one of my fellow HR bloggers with his experience says that apart from Supervisors (i.e. Reporting Manager of the employee), there are 4 more reasons for poor performance of employees, making the equation 20/80:
- Lack of transparent and employee friendly HR policies,
- Absence of processes to implement and audit these policies,
- Absence of an holistic approach to label employees as ‘non-performers’
- Focus on recognition & development of high potential employees only.
This means that supervisor is only 20% liable for the employee non-performance, 80% it is “something else”.
I don’t think we should now blame grass root level supervisors, for poor performance of employees, who have no control over 80% “something else” i.e no powers to change unfriendly HR policies, poor business culture, or…….nor…or whatsoever.
Then who is to blame:
- Supervisor’s supervisor – Who has more powers but limited to approving leaves in time or merely recommending a raise, or plead to management, in some case even that is missing, making him helpless creature.
- Next victim is HR Manager (all employees blame him/ her for every damn accident happening to their career and management for unable to control the attrition!) – Hi CEOs/ HR Folks! Do you really think even Senior HR Manager is empowered to make any changes in the policies, compensations, or whatever. Employees, please be kind enough to HR, s/he isn’t empowered to do what you expect.
- The last and powerful in the ranks – Key leadership or Top management (the Grey Matter): I won’t comment anything here, as 21 people in my Linkedin connections will punch me, but unfortunately there is no one else left (apart from indifferent investors) to whom we can pass on this wet baby. Top management has the food (Finance), clothes (Compensation) , and baby rockers (Business culture) under their control. So only they can… only they can…only they can!
That’s why most of the effective supervisors read Rich Dad Poor Dad and quit to start something of their own, even if it is a travel agency.
As I have said earlier, CEOs must ponder at Big Five Questions on a continual basis. Otherwise innocent supervisors will keep suffering for a sin which they never committed.
90% of supervisors curse the management in private talks or at water cooler, “Why pointing fingers at me…….F…ing..its not me, its You….”.
F...ing..its not me, its You....
Sorry CEOs to pinting the fingers back to you, however, as an independent HR Analyst and Blogger it’s my job to save you from this.
All I can suggest you is to be creative in handling your fuel (your employees) and remember innovation is the need of the hour.
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