Penna Consulting : New year, old you?

As we are well into the new year, you may see old habits creeping back in. Those habits you said at the beginning of the year you won't turn to this year. Whilst the idea of a fresh start can be very appealing to many, in order for these wonderful new lives to take effect people have to actively make changes; it is all too common for the next year to follow the same path as the last. Further, any changes which are implemented or resolutions which are started need to be continued throughout the year: remember a 'new you' is for life, not just for January.

It has been found that the key steps to act on a resolution seem to be to ensure that you write a clear plan of action, and then follow it! In particular the traditionally used approach is setting SMART objectives (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely objectives) and these are often the 'stock answer' for organisations looking for a starting point to aid the development of their employees. However, should organisations go above and beyond to support individuals and help them achieve their work related new year resolutions? Perhaps it would depend on what employees are actually looking to change in the new year.

In an annual survey by FranklinPlanner (in the US) individuals were asked to state their primary resolutions for the next year. Predictably, fitness and health improvements topped the list, but perhaps more surprisingly, the third most popular resolution was to 'Improve work habits/career situation'. The volume of individuals wishing to address this aspect of their lives indicates a lack of employee satisfaction across the board which is something organisations should heed. Whilst the study revealed agreement that the traditional primary strategy to achieve this resolution is to set SMART objectives, the second most frequently selected strategy was to attend job interviews. This implies that resolutions for individuals are often linked to employee dissatisfaction which reaches beyond changes within their role into considerations about moving roles entirely. So, what can organisations do to avoid the costly process of losing employees and having to recruit?

Much research has been conducted around the impact of employee engagement, including our most recent research. Each of these findings come to the same conclusions; develop your talent. They strongly support the fact that supporting talented individuals to develop within their existing roles and creating talent management processes which allow them to see wider career opportunities within their current business are key elements of the retention toolkit. So, before your employees start thinking about making more drastic changes this new year, it is important to consider what is behind their motivations and look to the core of the issue so that you can make the changes needed to help engage them with their future in your business.

Sarah Mortenson,
Senior Consultant, Talent Practice