Page 142 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

The Real Job of Managers C129

Lang: We also measure and monitor manager effectiveness by paying
close attention to the results of our employee opinion survey. We have
2,500 employees in 16 locations and 60 different units, but we don’t
have any one function of more than 150 people. In smaller groups it
is easier to see which units are scoring poorly and offer those managers
additional training and coaching. We also have managerial effec-
tiveness criteria built into our performance evaluations.
Beyerman: We are also just starting a more formal evaluation process
where we schedule follow-up meetings to ask managers what they
have learned in the training that they are using to manage people
differently and better. We will also be e-mailing post-program
evaluations.

Q: What effect have the people management practices of your
direct supervisors had on your ability to retain employees?
Lang: A huge impact. We are 100 percent committed to managers
playing the pivotal role in retaining employees. We have seen turn-
over rates in certain units change dramatically as a result of changes
in management styles and behavior. We saw a difference in one area
within six months. There was a manager who didn’t listen well
and didn’t take feedback. We confronted the situation and helped
the manager take a different approach. We constantly emphasize the
Disney model, where leaders are evaluated not just based on the re-
sults they get but also on the behavior they exhibit in getting those
results.

Q: Have you noticed a reduction in your overall turnover rate?
Lang: Definitely. Our voluntary turnover rate has dropped from 15
percent 10 years ago to 7 percent today. The change has been most
dramatic with our nurses, which we track by vacancy rate. Ours is
now down to 2 percent, which is unheard of. While most hospitals
have nurse shortages, we actually have a waiting list of applicants.
We believe it’s because we have created a leadership culture that’s all
about continuous improvement, and a big part of that is treating
everyone with respect.