The Headcount Solution: How to Cut Compensation Costs and Keep your Best People • Working Virtually: Managing People for Successful Virtual Teams and Organizations • Zero Defect Hiring • Resizing the Organization: Managing Layoffs, Divestitures, and Closings • The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide for Managers • Best Practices: Recruitment & Selection • HRWorks Handbook Series
Every organization is concerned with survival in an increasingly competitive environment. Staffing decisions need to be more strategic than ever — finding and keeping the right talent, managing the effects of organization restructuring and accurately preparing for future trends and pressures.
The following books highlight some of the approaches to successful recruitment, ongoing staffing and change management requirements in the new reality where companies must continually align their internal organization with the external environment.
The Headcount Solution: How to Cut Compensation Costs and Keep your Best People
by Fredric Crandall and Marc Wallace
237 pages, McGraw-Hill (2003)
www.books.mcgraw-hill.com
ISBN 0-07-140299-3
Businesses are learning the traditional solution to a business crisis is not necessarily layoffs that leave them poorly positioned for recovery. In a knowledge-based economy, a company will keep key talent and reduce compensation costs not by accident, but by careful design. Drawing on their extensive experience in assisting companies with avoiding losing key human capital while finding simple and straightforward ways to cut costs, the authors outline seven critical steps to sustaining a competitive advantage:
•prepare the organization;
•plan for three rounds of cost-cutting;
•decide whom to cut and whom to keep;
•implement across-the-board cost cuts;
•implement alternative work arrangements;
•conduct layoffs as a last resort; and
•help the survivors get back to work.
Working Virtually: Managing People for Successful Virtual Teams and Organizations
by Trina Hoefling
203 pages, Stylus Publishing LLC (2003)
1-800-232-0223 www.Styluspub.com
ISBN 1-57922-069X
One solution to the impending labour shortage, which some experts believe is upon us, is to recreate the work environment to include virtual work. By doing so, organizations will be able to retain top talent, quickly meet customer demands and use technology to meet the needs of the evolving workplace. A how-to guide on implementing and sustaining virtual work teams in the organization, the book reframes old terms with new meanings. For example, “collaboration” means working with any of several electronic tools within an intranet or the Internet, and a “network” means a purposeful and conscious relationship between and among distinct groups, individuals and platforms.
Zero Defect Hiring
by Walter Anthony Dinteman,
128 pages, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (2003)
(317) 572-3986 www.pfeiffer.com
ISBN 0-7879-6496-4
As a quick guide for managers, this book outlines the steps and practices that should be observed for the selection of staff. A variety of cross-functional managers share recruitment success and failure stories. “Zero defect hiring” means managing the whole recruiting and hiring process from inception to conclusion to best meet the company’s goals while providing a challenging and rewarding future for the employee.
Resizing the Organization: Managing Layoffs, Divestitures, and Closings
edited by Kenneth De Meuse and Mitchell Lee Marks
402 pages, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2003)
(317) 572-3986 www.josseybass.com
ISBN 0-7879-5891-3
Following proven principles of leadership, organizational change and human resource practices is critical for any organization facing a restructuring, merger, downsizing, divestitures or strategic alliance. This comprehensive volume sheds light on:
•the realities of resizing;
•the impact corporate restructuring has on employees and the organization;
•customer and competitor response to resizing; and
•implementing organizational resizing.
Personal anecdotes by executives and human resources practitioners provide insight and lessons learned in resizing efforts.
The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide for Managers
by Dick Grote
238 pages, AMACOM (a division of American Management Association) (2002)
(212) 903-8316 www.amacombooks.org
ISBN 0-8144-7151-X
The question and answer format Grote uses makes this book a particularly valuable resource in developing, implementing and improving upon a strategy-based performance management process in the workplace. The author not only identifies the many common questions around performance management, but also the more difficult ones such as dealing with an employee who refuses to sign the performance appraisal document or what to do when an employee disagrees with something a manager has written in the performance appraisal. Grote provides straightforward and applicable guidelines to ensure the process is fair, legal and strongly impacts the individual to align deliverables and behaviours with corporate goals and values.
Best Practices: Recruitment & Selection
by Joan A. Bolland
Carswell (1999)
1-800-387-5164
www.carswell.com
ISBN 0-459-56367-X
Replacing poor hires and employee turnover represent a significant cost to organizations. Best Practices: Recruitment & Selection, part of Carswell’s Best Practices series, is the product of research to determine which practices are widely considered effective by Canadian companies. Chapters include:
•recruitment methods;
•human resources planning;
•job application and resume-screening tools;
•other laws affecting recruitment and hiring;
•interviewing;
•employee testing;
•the selection process;
•reference checks and background checks; and
•the hiring decision and post-hire requirements.
One volume looseleaf with periodic supplements.
HRWorks Handbook Series
CCH Canadian Limited (2002)
1-800-461-5308 www.ca.cch.com
This on-going series consists of about 20 modules on various HR topics. Offers step-by-step procedures on most issues, with reproduceable worksheets, suggested reading and bibliographies to simplify recruitment and staffing requirements Relevant modules include:
Recruitment
•guides managers through each phase of recruitment.
Discipline and termination
•outlines critical steps of corrective progressive discipline.
Informal discipline
•highlights nine phases aimed at addressing performance problems.
Performance management
•defines the performance management process in a common-sense approach.
Daryl Gauthier is the director of human resources at epost, a subsidiary of Canada Post delivering mail online. He can be reached at (416) 313-4181 or [email protected].
The following books highlight some of the approaches to successful recruitment, ongoing staffing and change management requirements in the new reality where companies must continually align their internal organization with the external environment.
The Headcount Solution: How to Cut Compensation Costs and Keep your Best People
by Fredric Crandall and Marc Wallace
237 pages, McGraw-Hill (2003)
www.books.mcgraw-hill.com
ISBN 0-07-140299-3
Businesses are learning the traditional solution to a business crisis is not necessarily layoffs that leave them poorly positioned for recovery. In a knowledge-based economy, a company will keep key talent and reduce compensation costs not by accident, but by careful design. Drawing on their extensive experience in assisting companies with avoiding losing key human capital while finding simple and straightforward ways to cut costs, the authors outline seven critical steps to sustaining a competitive advantage:
•prepare the organization;
•plan for three rounds of cost-cutting;
•decide whom to cut and whom to keep;
•implement across-the-board cost cuts;
•implement alternative work arrangements;
•conduct layoffs as a last resort; and
•help the survivors get back to work.
Working Virtually: Managing People for Successful Virtual Teams and Organizations
by Trina Hoefling
203 pages, Stylus Publishing LLC (2003)
1-800-232-0223 www.Styluspub.com
ISBN 1-57922-069X
One solution to the impending labour shortage, which some experts believe is upon us, is to recreate the work environment to include virtual work. By doing so, organizations will be able to retain top talent, quickly meet customer demands and use technology to meet the needs of the evolving workplace. A how-to guide on implementing and sustaining virtual work teams in the organization, the book reframes old terms with new meanings. For example, “collaboration” means working with any of several electronic tools within an intranet or the Internet, and a “network” means a purposeful and conscious relationship between and among distinct groups, individuals and platforms.
Zero Defect Hiring
by Walter Anthony Dinteman,
128 pages, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (2003)
(317) 572-3986 www.pfeiffer.com
ISBN 0-7879-6496-4
As a quick guide for managers, this book outlines the steps and practices that should be observed for the selection of staff. A variety of cross-functional managers share recruitment success and failure stories. “Zero defect hiring” means managing the whole recruiting and hiring process from inception to conclusion to best meet the company’s goals while providing a challenging and rewarding future for the employee.
Resizing the Organization: Managing Layoffs, Divestitures, and Closings
edited by Kenneth De Meuse and Mitchell Lee Marks
402 pages, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2003)
(317) 572-3986 www.josseybass.com
ISBN 0-7879-5891-3
Following proven principles of leadership, organizational change and human resource practices is critical for any organization facing a restructuring, merger, downsizing, divestitures or strategic alliance. This comprehensive volume sheds light on:
•the realities of resizing;
•the impact corporate restructuring has on employees and the organization;
•customer and competitor response to resizing; and
•implementing organizational resizing.
Personal anecdotes by executives and human resources practitioners provide insight and lessons learned in resizing efforts.
The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide for Managers
by Dick Grote
238 pages, AMACOM (a division of American Management Association) (2002)
(212) 903-8316 www.amacombooks.org
ISBN 0-8144-7151-X
The question and answer format Grote uses makes this book a particularly valuable resource in developing, implementing and improving upon a strategy-based performance management process in the workplace. The author not only identifies the many common questions around performance management, but also the more difficult ones such as dealing with an employee who refuses to sign the performance appraisal document or what to do when an employee disagrees with something a manager has written in the performance appraisal. Grote provides straightforward and applicable guidelines to ensure the process is fair, legal and strongly impacts the individual to align deliverables and behaviours with corporate goals and values.
Best Practices: Recruitment & Selection
by Joan A. Bolland
Carswell (1999)
1-800-387-5164
www.carswell.com
ISBN 0-459-56367-X
Replacing poor hires and employee turnover represent a significant cost to organizations. Best Practices: Recruitment & Selection, part of Carswell’s Best Practices series, is the product of research to determine which practices are widely considered effective by Canadian companies. Chapters include:
•recruitment methods;
•human resources planning;
•job application and resume-screening tools;
•other laws affecting recruitment and hiring;
•interviewing;
•employee testing;
•the selection process;
•reference checks and background checks; and
•the hiring decision and post-hire requirements.
One volume looseleaf with periodic supplements.
HRWorks Handbook Series
CCH Canadian Limited (2002)
1-800-461-5308 www.ca.cch.com
This on-going series consists of about 20 modules on various HR topics. Offers step-by-step procedures on most issues, with reproduceable worksheets, suggested reading and bibliographies to simplify recruitment and staffing requirements Relevant modules include:
Recruitment
•guides managers through each phase of recruitment.
Discipline and termination
•outlines critical steps of corrective progressive discipline.
Informal discipline
•highlights nine phases aimed at addressing performance problems.
Performance management
•defines the performance management process in a common-sense approach.
Daryl Gauthier is the director of human resources at epost, a subsidiary of Canada Post delivering mail online. He can be reached at (416) 313-4181 or [email protected].
