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Tim Rutledge

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President, Mattanie Consulting

240 points

Oct. 3, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 7 other people answered this question

Why are across the board raises a poor compensation habit?

As Andrew suggests, when inflation is high, across the board pay increases can be justified. But the question refers to the "habit" of doing this.
If across the board increases are an annual event, the practice may spring from a wish to be "fair". Fairness is ... more

Human Resources

Talent Management Compensation

Aug. 1, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 15 other people answered this question

What HR topics should be covered in training for new managers?

I agree with Sabrina that performance management training is crucial. Employees need and expect their managers to manage their performances, and those of other employees, in transparent and impartial ways.
Other important areas for learning:
How to give away your old job.
Handling employee reactions to ... more

Talent Management

July 15, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 4 other people answered this question

What's the 'golden ticket' to talent retention?

Rachel, I don't disagree with anything you say. I would go further, though, because there really is no "golden ticket" to employee retention.
In my book "Getting Engaged: The New Workplace Loyalty" I identify several workplace engagers. These engagers serve to make the organization's exit door ... more

Human Resources

Employee Engagement

June 30, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 2 other people answered this question

What does the future of HR look like? Does it have one?

HR definitely has a future; it just needs to barge into it.
Over the years organizations have tended to graft activities that affect employees, or seem to, onto HR, and call them HR policies. In truth, there is no such thing as an HR policy; there ... more

Human Resources

Company Culture

Organizational Change

June 17, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 11 other people answered this question

Would you say that HR is responsible for employee engagement/happiness?

Workplace engagement is a product of the work itself and the environment in which it's performed. One of the most important elements of the work environment is the employee's immediate supervisor. This is the person, as others have pointed out above, who has a large ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Employee Engagement

Employee Happiness

June 6, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 21 other people answered this question

As an interviewer, what is your favorite interview question?

Here are two suggestions.
"Why would I be crazy not to hire you?" I've never seen a candidate who didn't smile at this question. That smile gives them the confidence they need to answer openly and honestly.
"What are you better at doing than 98% of the ... more

Human Resources

Applicant Screening

April 2, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 12 other people answered this question

Why do CEOs feels HR plays a small role in organization's success?

Most CEOs, and their executive teams, encounter HR through the large hard dollar HR costs: wages and salaries, benefits, some recruiting and separation costs. Executives scrutinize these costs carefully, which they should.
They tend not to be exposed to the soft dollar HR costs. I'm ... more

March 30, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 11 other people answered this question

What value does an exit interview hold for a manager and organization?

You conduct an exit interview when someone has announced his/her intention to walk through your organization's exit door, and you want to know what is driving this decision. The first thing that the departing employee may cite is that they're leaving for more money. There ... more

Human Resources

Human Resource Jobs

March 25, 2011

Tim Rutledge recommends this answer by John Anderson

How do you motivate your employees when there is limited upward mobility for them in the company?

The best way I have found is to set the expectations right from the point of employment. If people are hired in knowing that there are a limited number of "rungs in the ladder", they will hold a different view of what being successful at ... more

General Management

Leadership and Management Development

March 22, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 11 other people answered this question

Presentation skills: how to handle tough questions?

Excellent suggestions above. Here's one more. Assuming that the questioner is more interested in getting a good answer than in where it comes from, call on other audience members to pitch in with their thoughts and ideas. "Does anyone else want to help Charlie out ... more

General Management

Presentation Skills

March 21, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 5 other people answered this question

How can companies best identify and develop internal candidates for general management roles?

When employees take on their first leadership roles, their organizations are taking a gamble; namely, that they will use the organizational power - that they now have for the first time - professionally and wisely.
What power? The power to:
- assign work
- assess and evaluate performance
- ... more

General Management

Human Resources

March 7, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 10 other people answered this question

What forms of incentives or bonuses work best for sustainable engagement to be created?

We may get closer to answering this question by differentiating between rewards and recognition. Both have their places. Rewards:
1. are formalized and tangible
2. have short-term effectiveness
3. are conferred by the organization
4. are in limited supply
Recognition:
1. is within the supervisor's ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Incentive Compensation

Feb. 8, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 11 other people answered this question

Is it possible to become good friends with your staff while maintaining your position of leadership?

In a word, 'no'. Friendly behavior, yes, but friends, no.
What team members need from their supervisor is not friendship; team members need their supervisor to manage their performances. The supervisor is the only person who can do this. This means that sometimes leaders need ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Jan. 26, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 15 other people answered this question

Is it better to staff a position with anyone just for the sake of filling it?

Filling a vacant position with a "warm body" is the worst way to hire. I have seen cases, however, where an inexperienced supervisor, nervous about having a vacant workstation, rushes, or puts pressure on a recruiter, to get somebody -- anybody -- into the chair. ... more

Human Resources

Jan. 23, 2011

Tim Rutledge and 2 other people answered this question

How do you know if your organization has a "performance-based" culture??

One key to finding out if your organization's culture is performance based is the extent to which its policies and programs -- expecially those that entail recognition and rewards -- are aligned to performance (results).
Do you recognize tenure with the organization through 5, 10, ... more

Human Resources

Cultural Change

Organizational Development

Performance Management Process

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