Who really wants to be here?

When I was managing a large team at a global HR Technology company, there were times when reductions-in-force had to happen. Performance measures were examined, bench strength was assessed, and when the budget wasn’t able to be balanced, cuts had to happen. It was one of the things I hated the most.

But I always wondered… who REALLY wants to be here?

What are the many ways it’s possible to know who’s performing at the top of their game, who’s working in the best way they know how yet can’t quite meet expectations, who could be a top performer but is just coasting, and who’s already expecting to get cut and is therefore,polishing up their resume.

Sometimes it feels like the job of a line manager is to be a mind-reader, but there are ways to make this easier. My 23 years in HR/Learning/Performance have led me to the list below:

·        Goals: What goals has the individual employee set for themselves?

·        Challenge: Has the employee set challenges for themselves?

·        Ask for Help: Does the employee seek assistance in order to meet the goals they’ve set?

·        Volunteer: Even when it’s not immediately apparent, does the employee volunteer to help others?

·        Recognize: Does the employee make time to thank those who have contributed to the team’s outcomes?

·        Future Plans: How does the employee see their future with your organization and beyond? Do they think about the future and how they fit in to it?

·        Feedback: Does the employee proactively ask for feedback? Do they seek out advice from others and indicate that both good and constructive feedback is preferred?

It’s always difficult to make tough decisions about who stays and who goes when a reduction-in-force is required, but there are methods and tools to make it easier.

What methods do you use to figure out who really wants to stay?

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