HR Professional - February/March 2008 - (Page 52)

FEATURE Butterfly effect Where a lot of new HR trends fail is in the execution. As Chalupiak has found in her own practice, the problem with many new HR ideas is that they’re too prescriptive and no one’s got the energy or time or resources to follow someone else’s in-depth program. So what’s the difference between a trend with staying power and a fad or flavour of the month? “Perhaps they’re the same, but I think many otherwise good ideas turn into ‘flavours of the month’ or abandoned altogether because of extremely poor execution or lack of fit with an organization,” says EMPLOYMENT LAW GETS COMPLICATED You just learned that a large international union is organizing your employees. Who do you call? Fraser Milner Casgrain’s Employment and Labour Group. We’ll talk you through the issues, give you practical assistance and be by your side. Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. When you need us, we’re there. To connect with FMC’s Employment and Labour Group, contact: Anneli LeGault 416 863 4450 (anneli.legault@fmc-law.com) M O N T R É A L • O T TAWA • T O R O N T O • E D M O N T O N • C A L G A R Y • VA N C O U V E R • N E W Y O R K www.fmc-law.com Gerard Seijts, a management professor at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School of Business. “Take empowerment. Some companies have championed this to a great extent and have done so very successfully. Other organizations have labelled it a nightmare because they couldn’t do it for all kinds of reasons.” First popular about 10 years ago, empowerment was a strategy that gave employees more leeway in decision–making. Rather than top-down management with everyone working under very narrow job descriptions, the organization was structured to “empower” employees to take initiative. The idea was to speed up decision making and to promote better quality decisions by people who are closer to customers and clients. One company that has very successfully implemented empowerment is WestJet, according to Seijts. “It’s known as an organization that’s very flat, very high in employee initiative. It was a great fit for them. A good example is how WestJet involves its flight attendants in the hiring process. Why? Because new hires are their future colleagues, so they’re given an important voice in hiring people. They have a stake in it. And of course, WestJet employees are also shareholders, so they’ve got a vested interest in the success of the organization. “I think empowerment has worked well at WestJet because it’s a good fit with the company—it has the structure to allow it to happen. That isn’t always the case. An organization can suddenly decide, ‘I’m going to empower my employees.’ But if it’s quite structured, with two or three levels of management, direct supervisors aren’t going to buy-in because they’re suddenly being undermined—making decisions is supposed to be their job. In terms of structure, to HR P R OF E S S I ON A L February/M r 357620_FMCService.indd a1 c h 52 2008 11/19/07 11:16:55 PM http://www.fmc-law.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - February/March 2008

HR Professional - February/March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Boards By the Numbers Did You Know Sustainability Education News: E-Recycling Communications News: HR Study FYI Ethics World Watch News: Legislation Legal Compensation Focus Strategy The Colour of Money Sustainable Skills From Brown to Green HR Trends: From Winners to Also-Rans Branding Human Capital HR 101 Interview with David Suzuki Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - February/March 2008

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