Page 180 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

151
Expectations

with them than you, then you should not be in the business of
supervising, developing, or leading people.
Setting clear expectations begins during the interview pro-
cess as hiring managers let employees know what they can
expect and what will be expected of them. For example, if the
culture of the organization is such that employees come in early
and work late, you better make sure to mention that during the
interview. When employees feel as though they have not been
told the whole truth about the job, they feel disrespected and
begin to disengage immediately. You should be clear regarding
issues around training, resources, support, growth opportuni-
ties, and so on. Employees should also be clearly informed of
what challenges they can expect to meet and what not to expect.
For example, if a supervisor expects that a new hire will hit the
ground running with little training, feedback, or support, then
he or she should make that clear. If the potential employee’s
opportunity to advance in the organization will be limited by
the lack of a college degree, that should be mentioned during
the interview. The more clear and transparent the expectations
are during the hiring process, the greater the satisfaction of
both employee and manager.

How to Effectively Set Goals and
Communicate Expectations

To achieve maximum effectiveness, goals should be clearly
defined, meaningful, challenging, achievable, and time-limited.
Tying goals to actual data is critical. For example, setting a goal
of increasing quarterly sales by 5 percent will almost always
yield higher performance than simply creating a goal of increas-
ing sales with no set target. Goals provide focus, and reaching
them provides a sense of accomplishment and pride. Without
clear goals, efforts are often uncoordinated. Collaborating with