retaining high-profiles employees

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The HR executives from Roving Coach International, Neopost USA, DJO, Bunim/Murray Productions, and Feeding America on:

Retaining High-Performing Employees: Providing Training

and Opportunities to Keep Your Top Performers

Nicoa Dunne President and Chief Relationship Rover, Roving Coach International

Marie Mann Vice President Human Resources, Neopost USA Inc.

Thomas Capizzi Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO

Debbie Hori VP of Human Resources, Bunim/Murray Productions

Daphne Logan Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Feeding America

No matter how good the mission statement, corporate goals, market position, or product, you are only as good as the people who cre-ate them. Without the right people in place to execute a vision, it

remains just that — a vision, not a reality. Many companies spend more time trying to salvage poor performers than leveraging their most outstand-ing ones. In this ExecBlueprint, HR executives in both for-profit and non-profit industries discuss ways to make their brightest shine even brighter. It isn’t always easy. It requires putting training programs in place, getting and giving feedback, finding out how employees really want to be rewarded, and then giving them those rewards. If companies really want to keep their highest performers, then they need to instill a culture that encourages promotions. Your best employees will always want to become even better. If you give them plenty of opportunities to do so, and then reward them every time they succeed, they will be happy to stay with your company. n

Action Points

I. What are Key Standards for Evaluating and Reviewing Talent?In order for evaluations to work properly, you must have clearly defined metrics to measure against. For example, be sure to clearly define what “integrity” means. Set specific competencies and discuss them regularly. Once everyone understands the standards to which they are being held, you can work together to exceed them.

II. The Bottom LineThe best employees always crave more acknowledgements, more money, and more challenges. In order to keep them from looking elsewhere, continually communicate with them so that they do not feel ignored or invisible. Show them how every achievement benefits both themselves and the company.

III. Must-Haves for Attracting TalentGive your managers all the tools necessary to bring new people into the organization. Build your brand name so that you are considered an employer of choice. Embrace a culture that fosters promotion, as well as camaraderie and respect. Find out how people prefer to be rewarded.

IV. The Golden Rules for Retaining High PerformersGive your high performers every opportunity to grow. Offer training programs. Help them plan their careers and align their personal goals with the overall company goals. Promote from within to emphasize how good work will be rewarded with better positions.

V. Essential Take-AwaysFeedback is essential, both to employees and from employees. Tell your high performers how much they mean to the company. Everyone needs positive affirmation; make sure you give it often and sincerely.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

Nicoa Dunne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3

Marie Mann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.7

Thomas Capizzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.11

Debbie Hori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.14

Daphne Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.16

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.18

© Books24x7, 2010 About the Authors ExecBlueprints �

About the AuthorsNicoa DunnePresident and Chief Relationship Rover, Roving Coach International


Thomas CapizziExecutive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO

Nicoa Dunne brings over 17 years of experience in strategic HR and global corporate com-munications and coaching. As a strategic

business partner and coach, her collaborative approach to innovative problem solving is refreshing and motivat-ing for those partnering with her. A graduate of NC State University, Ball State University, and Charles Stuart University (Australia), her background includes

nine years with GE, where she graduated from the GE Human Resources Leadership Program. Her four years with Thermo Fisher Scientific spanned 20 countries and included over 10,000 employees in her client group created through the two largest acquisitions in the his-tory of the company. And most recently as the SVP of HR for Allscripts Misys Healthcare Solutions after providing key leadership in the transformation of Misys

Healthcare, positioning the company and culture for growth and the ultimate merger with Allscripts — creating the NEW Allscripts (MDRX). She is now the managing partner of holland archer, inc. and president and roving coach for Roving Coach International.

Marie Mann is an award-winning HR executive who was named “HR Leader of the Year” in 2009 by the Southern Connecticut Chapter

of the Society of Human Resources Management. She currently serves as vice president of human resources for Neopost USA, an international mailing and shipping solutions company, headquartered in France. In her current role she is charged with leading the cultural transformation, integration, and value proposition positioning of Neopost USA to help the company attain its goal of becoming the fastest-growing mailing solu-tions company in the U.S. Ms. Mann is a member of Neopost USA’s 12-person executive leadership team and

reports directly to the chief executive officer for North America.

Ms. Mann’s broad experience includes leading human-resources strategy in fast-paced organizations that are experiencing transformation and change. She has worked both internally in executive HR roles, and externally as a consultant in diverse industries in both creative and traditional businesses, mid-sized newly merged companies, and large multi-national corporations.

Prior to joining Neopost USA, Ms. Mann was senior vice president of HR for Remy Cointreau USA,

a luxury brand spirits company where she led multiple change initiatives linking HR to their business strategy. Prior to Remy, she was chief people officer at AKQA, a global new media company; executive vice president of human resources at AGENCY.COM and global advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi; and vice presi-dent of human resources for the professional publishing division of Times Mirror Corporation.

Tom Capizzi became DJO’s executive vice presi-dent, global HR, immediately following the completion of the merger with ReAble

Therapeutics, Inc. Mr. Capizzi previously served as EVP, HR of DJO Incorporated. Capizzi joined DJO Incorporated as SVP, HR in July 2007. From 2001 to July 2007, Capizzi served as vice president, worldwide HR & administration for Magellan GPS, a consumer

electronics company. From 1999 to 2001, he was VP, HR, chief administrative officer for PCTEL, a publicly-held telecommunications and modem technology com-pany. From 1997 to 1999 he served as corporate VP, HR for McKesson, which is a medical distribution pharmaceutical solution company. Capizzi has held various other HR management positions in companies such as Charles Schwab, Genentech, PepsiCo, and The

Hertz Corporation. Capizzi received his undergraduate degree in psychology and philosophy from Cathedral College/St. John University and his post graduate work in organizational development from the New School in New York City.

Debbie HoriVP of Human Resources, Bunim/Murray Productions

Daphne LoganSenior Vice President of Human Resources, Feeding America

Debbie Hori serves as VP, HR for Bunim/Murray Productions. Hori oversees the human resources and recruiting functions, and joined the Bunim/

Murray family in 2008. In her first year, she led the talented human resources team in process improvement initiatives, developed and delivered management train-ing programs, and refined an infrastructure to ensure that Bunim/Murray continues to build its reputation as an employer of choice.

Bunim/Murray has a great work environment and a well-established history of developing its workforce through its grow-your-own philosophy. Bunim/Murray’s successful internship program opens doors for many college students who wish to enter the entertainment industry. At Bunim/Murray, employees are provided

learning opportunities while on-the-job, leading to advancement through the company for its most talented staff. Several company executives began their careers at Bunim/Murray in entry-level positions. Hori is com-mitted to expanding and fine-tuning the tools to iden-tify high-potential employees and provide them with opportunities for growth.

Hori is an accomplished human resources executive with a broad knowledge of employment laws, benefits, employee relations, training and development, and is a proven consultative resource for all levels from indi-viduals to executive management. She has a history of consistent top performance in managing a variety of people-related initiatives.

Prior to joining Bunim/Murray Productions, Hori oversaw human resources at Metrocities Mortgage, where she built the infrastructure for the human resources department. During her tenure, Hori sup-ported company growth from 300 to 1400 employees in six years. Hori is a graduate of California State University, Northridge, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources through the Human Resources Certification Institute. Her professional memberships include the Society for Human Resource Management and the Professionals in Human Resources Association.

Daphne Logan is currently the SVP of HR at Feeding America, with responsibility for HR, knowledge and learning, and administration.

She has been with the organization for 13 years. Daphne has a successful record of organizational and strategic planning, using sound judgment to ensure desired business outcomes. Her expertise in talent development/management have provided sustainable resources for staff to embrace change and work

collaboratively while building and maintaining produc-tive working relationships. Previously, Daphne was the human resources manager at Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science. The mission of both organi-zations coupled with the opportunity to create and grow the HR function led her to a career in the non-profit sector. She is passionate about the non-profit world and finds the sector fulfilling because she can have a positive impact (even if indirect) on the quality

of life for those in need. Daphne graduated from Northwestern University and has held her Senior Professional in Human Resources certification for over ten years. Daphne is married and lives in downtown Chicago.

☛ Read Nicoa’s insights on Page 3

☛ Read Marie’s insights on Page 7

☛ Read Tom’s insights on Page 11

☛ Read Debbie’s insights on Page 14

☛ Read Daphne’s insights on Page 16

Nicoa DunnePresident and Chief Relationship Rover, Roving Coach International

© Books24x7, 2010 Nicoa Dunne ExecBlueprints �

High Performers Crave Your Feedback, Too!When was the last time you really sat down and gave your top per-former a real performance review, outlined what they were doing well, and what they could do to improve? Did you spend as much time talking with your top per-formers as you did with your less effective performers? I dare say the chances are small that you give your top talent the attention they are craving compared to the time, energy, and angst you spend figur-ing out how to give constructive feedback to your poor performers. Leaders often fail to recognize that high-performing employees are the individuals who need the most attention in an organization. The fallacy of performance manage-ment is that you spend all of your time and resources on performance improvement plans and you focus your energies on your least effective performers first; often never giving your top employees performance reviews that really count. Ever told a top performer, “Great job, keep it up?” Your top performers are the most self-critical employees you have, and they want feedback more than most other individuals within the company. They did not become top performers by sitting back and winging it; they crave feedback so much that it hurts! And without that feedback it will hurt the

company’s bottom line if they leave because they perceive that lack of feedback as not being valued. Top performers have succeeded by dem-onstrating confidence, energy, and passion to be the best that they can be, and they want to know the truth. They want to hear, “You did great, but do you know what would have made it even better?” They sometimes don’t even know why they were great. “You did great including the team during that meeting yesterday — I specifi-cally liked the way you ensured everyone had a voice. You know what might make it even better?”

The way to attract and retain top talent is to show them that they are going to be in an environment where they can be groomed, and where they will receive imme-diate feedback, especially in this day and age of constant change — resulting in fear, uncertainty, and doubt. If you can’t provide that type of environment, they are more likely to go where someone else will. Generational research indi-cates the Gen X and Millennial employees want instant gratifica-tion and instant feedback; they don’t want ambiguity. My experi-ence is that this applies across all generations and can’t be ignored. How well do you rate your efforts at providing equitable feedback to members of your team?

At the end of the day, treating high-performing employees with respect, creating an environment where they can maximize their strengths and receive ongoing feed-back to enable them to meet their career goals with clarity is the

Nicoa DunnePresident and Chief Relationship Rover

Roving Coach International

“Employee engagement of top performers starts with you.”

• Managing partner of holland archer

• Currently enrolled in the Newfield Network’s ICF Accredited Professional Coaching Certification program

• Graduate of the GE Human Resources Leadership Program

• Graduate of NC State University, Ball State University, and Charles Stuart University (Australia)

Ms. Dunne can be e-mailed at [email protected]

The way to attract and retain top talent is to show them that they are going to be in an environment where they can be groomed, and where they will receive immediate feedback, especially in this day and age of constant change — resulting in fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Nicoa Dunne

President and Chief Relationship Rover Roving Coach International

Nicoa DunnePresident and Chief Relationship Rover, Roving Coach International (continued)


secret for retention. When recruit-ing, consider a peer approach to dialogues and interviews. Ask can-didates for their opinions, their insights, how they see themselves impacting the business. It can be very attractive to a strong candi-date to hear from you why their potential will compliment you and your team. Actually, the more that we can share with potential hires and current employees alike, no matter where they are on the per-formance measurement scale, the better we will be able to move them forward in alignment with the busi-ness goals. Be as transparent as possible and find ways to continue to validate them consistently and specifically. Find ways to gain insight, get their opinions, help them improve — and more impor-tantly, help them help themselves.

Helping Leaders See ThemselvesYour top performers want value from your programs. Skill pro-grams are great when you need them, but employees would much rather participate in self-leadership experiences, ways to enhance their own self awareness, their own strengths for success as an indi-vidual and as a member of a team. Human beings love to read about themselves, and they love valida-tion of their behavior. The more self-awareness you can create in a work environment, the greater the impact their behavior will have on overall leadership, competence, project management, productivity, and, of course, employee engage-ment. By offering programs that create a mirror for the individual as well as greater insight into how others influence and are influenced,

you will see a more powerful shift in their overall effectiveness alone and on a team. As a leader, you are watched very closely. Knowing how you “show up” and how you are perceived can make or break your career. Self-awareness programs, personality assessments, attitudinal assessments, team interaction, 360-degree feedback, and coaching are just a few of the options available to you. Start with yourself — you decide!

Standards for Evaluation — So, Why Doesn’t Your Performance Review Process Work!?In my experience, and I have been in performance-based cultures for the majority of my 16 year HR career, finding ways to implement pay-for-performance in organiza-tions that are striving for continuous

improvement has been very power-ful and very effective in driving the right behaviors for success. What I have found to be the most effective is a clearly defined, core set of com-petencies with clearly defined behavioral-based values that employees and leaders alike can be measured against. Those competen-cies should have clear definitions as well. You can’t have core values like integrity, community, innova-tion, etc. without the behavior asso-ciated with them — you need to define what those look like, feel like, sound like. For instance, how many times have you seen some-body really measured on integrity? “Sure, he’s got integrity. How can I give him a bad rating related to integrity? He’s a good guy!” Talking about the behaviors of integrity, such as treating others with respect and dignity, doing the right thing, doing what you say you will do, returning calls and e-mails in a

Opportunities to Grow Your LeadersProvide them with roles in the community

Give them visibility in front of the board

Ask for their advice

Allow them to mentor a new employee

Contact them periodically to make sure they have the support they need



timely manner, etc. is essential. Then actually use these behaviors for evaluation and say, “I didn’t give you the top grade on integrity this quarter, because you are not as responsive as you could be, which doesn’t demonstrate respect for the people who were communicating with you.” So now they know exactly what they need to do differ-ently to improve in that area. Set clear differentiation. No surprises.

My biggest pet peeve about mea-suring employees is that you need to first be able to articulate how the employees are stacking up against themselves based on what we know about their potential. Stacking them in comparison with their peers is not as effective without this first step. A leader may not be con-fident or educated enough on their internal performance review pro-cess, and that can be a downfall of HR credibility. How are you vali-dating that your leaders understand the performance management pro-gram? They are the ones sitting with those employees one-on-one, and they have been known to say, “HR made me do it. I can only give you this rating because I only had so many slots available.” That is just unacceptable. At the end of the day, you could actually have a team of 15 people, and 10 of them

might very well be top performers. You can have that, and you can justify it. The lesson here is to take responsibility for your decisions when you measure someone else’s performance. Take the excuses out of it and make sure your leaders understand how to represent the philosophy of performance man-agement. Aligning this with clear competencies and behavioral-based values arms them with the informa-tion, the differentiators, and the confidence to provide a powerful dialogue around development and growth that each employee deserves.

What Matters Most to Your Top Performers and How Can You Recognize Them?If you want to show your top per-formers that you value them, you need to find out what matters most to them. Don’t assume that a $5,000 check is going to make their day. It probably won’t hurt, but it may not be a sustainable reward without a supportive manager rela-tionship or environment where they can grow. Rather, you need to value them in a multitude of ways; you need to thank them and reward them, not only financially, but also in a way that differentiates them

from the “Average Joe” by giving them benefits no one else has. Visibility is a big one, and it doesn’t cost you anything. For instance, if you call someone up and say, “We are about to sponsor the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Event. Would you like to lead a team effort for raising funds this year? We think it would give you an opportunity to meet some other leaders in this area and give you a chance to try out some of those leadership skills you’ve been working on.” Don’t miss these opportunities to grow your leaders — give them roles in the community, give them visibility in front of the board, and ask them for their advice. Ask them to men-tor a new entry-level employee. Be creative and ask them to be cre-ative, too! They know what they want, don’t assume you do.

Another type of validation can come in simple forms. For example, I have typically seen what I refer to as the “bonus effect”: when you have disgruntled employees, you have frustrated top talent and once they’ve disengaged, they have one foot out the door and are just wait-ing until their bonus is paid out before they resign. I often show a chart to my leadership team that shows attrition rates post-bonus awards every year. This can be

To complement the self-awareness tools that are available out there, I highly suggest that top performers also invest in a 360-degree review early in their career and on a regular basis thereafter to truly learn about themselves. To supplement this awareness, consider investing in a coach for your top performers — for all of your employees for that matter. Coaching as a benefit is a new trend in the field of leadership development and demonstrates that your employees matter.

Nicoa Dunne

President and Chief Relationship Rover Roving Coach International



especially evident in times of uncer-tainty, no matter how hard you are working and how engaged you believe your team is, there is always fear, uncertainty, and doubt. I would typically show a chart to the leadership team of year over year trends, with a percentage increase of top talent, average talent, and poor talent walking out the door right after they got their bonuses.

As a result, we worked to ensure we were engaging our talent and staying abreast of any retention risks. One very simple, back to basics practice at this time every year was making a phone call to all of our employees beginning first and foremost with our top talent just to see how they’re doing. If you make that phone call on a regular basis, then they know you care

about them. “Sara, I am just check-ing in to see how you are doing? Nope, don’t need anything, just making sure you are getting the support you need. Is there anything I can do for you?” When was the last time you called your employee and simply said, “How are you? Is there anything you need from me?” Try it. You might like it. I know your employees will. n


© Books24x7, 2010 Marie Mann ExecBlueprints �

Positioning the Company as a Place People Want to WorkThere are a few key elements that help build the right foundation for creating the kind of environment in which people want to work. It starts with attracting and recruiting the right people.

As a company without house-hold name recognition, it will take a little extra work on our part to position ourselves as the powerful and successful global presence that it is! At present, we are working on our employment branding plan, including upgrading our Web site to make ensure we position our-selves as a company that should attract top talent. Properly posi-tioning ourselves as a desirable employer is a first step in our employ-ment branding strategy. In my own personal journey to join the com-pany, an executive recruiter from a well-known global executive search firm called to tell me about my cur-rent position and I had never heard of Neopost. Although I now realize that working here has turned out to be one of the highlights of my career. Had I not been open to the discussion, I could have missed out on a great opportunity.

While we certainly need external recruiters on occasion to help us fill difficult or more senior position, we find our best recruiters are our own employees. For this reason, we have implemented a generous employee referral program because our experience has taught us that great people know other great people. We encourage our employ-ees to refer people they know who share the company’s value system. Current employees will have a very good understanding of what type of person is going to succeed in our environment.

Training ProgramsThe next step to positioning the company as the kind of place in which people will want to work centers on training and develop-ment opportunities. It starts with the right on boarding process to ensure your employees know the things they need to know to get started in their employment with the company. We provide multiple opportunities both through on-the-job training, formal orientation and on boarding programs and online learning to help set the right foundation.

As an example, through our online Learn Center, our employees can learn about our products and services so that they have a founda-tion for understanding our business. Our monthly metrics indicate that these courses are among the most popular available through the Learn Center. Many of our sales training courses are very popular as well. Sales professionals go through a series of week-long train-ing programs to hone their selling skills and to more deeply learn about our products and services.

For example, one provides an intro-duction to our mailing machines. Another is a certified carrier con-sulting program that involves working very closely with the post office to help people understand USPS regulations and how to work with them. Others are more focused on relationship, and solutions selling skills.

Management training is also very popular and we offer a com-prehensive program for our “people managers” to help enhance their

Marie MannVice President Human Resources

Neopost USA Inc.

“How you position yourself in the marketplace is very important [in attracting top talent].”

• Charged with leading company’s cultural transformation

• Previously SVP, HR, Remy Cointreau USA

• 2009 HR Leader of the Year (Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management)

• B.S., Wagner College

• M.S., Ed.S., Counseling Psychology, State University of New York at Albany

Ms. Mann can be e-mailed at [email protected]

Great performance results when people apply the skills required in their job as well as exhibit the six key behaviors.

Marie Mann

Vice President Human Resources Neopost USA Inc.

Marie Mann Vice President Human Resources, Neopost USA Inc. (continued)


skills and abilities in managing, mentoring, and leading others. Its subject areas include selecting and interviewing, goal setting, provid-ing feedback, coaching and mentoring, leading versus manag-ing, and motivating and rewarding your people. Another popular course we offer to all our employ-ees is a foundational course in understanding different interper-sonal and communication styles. This course is available to any employee, and has special modules for managers and for sales profes-sionals. It is intended to help each of us understand our own commu-nication style and those of other people. We introduced this pro-gram through our management development curriculum but we have subsequently made it avail-able to others. We believe that as people understand their own com-munication and behavioral style and how it relates to other styles, they are better prepared to enhance their own effectiveness with others. Therefore, this generic training helps our employees with teamwork, managing others, sell-ing, and customer service. This program has become our most popular due to its universal appli-cability to help everyone improve their interpersonal effectiveness.

Employee EvaluationsOur performance evaluations are divided into two components. First, they are based on our six key behavioral characteristics (being accountable, adaptable, communi-cative, customer centric, team- oriented, and knowledgeable). We also review skill sets, job knowl-edge, and performance against pre-determined annual objectives. We always refer to the equation: skills plus behavior equals performance. If you are really great at what you do but don’t display the six key behaviors, you are not a high per-former. If you consistently display the six key behaviors, but have subpar skill sets, job knowledge, and fall short on your objectives, then that is a completely different issue. Great performance results when people exhibit the six key behaviors while accomplishing their goals and performing their jobs up to expectations.

Top Challenges in Retaining EmployeesEmployees often want something new and are seemingly never satis-fied with their level of compensa-tion. Retaining talent can be very challenging because our strongest performers will always have other options if they don’t believe there is a commitment to their own

development or they are not being treated fairly. Consequently, we need to constantly communicate with them, provide opportunity for reward and recognition, provide ample opportunity for dialogues with their managers, allow them to try new things, assign them to dif-ferent projects, and move them around to different departments if necessary. We always need to listen to understand what matters to them. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a framework for what you are doing, to promote fairness, equity, and transparency, but then be prepared to customize it to the people who have different needs and desires: a 24-year-old, who is just starting his or her career typically wants some-thing very different than someone who has 25-plus years of experi-ence. The best managers under-stand this and manage to those differences.

Employee Feedback

Engagement SurveyEvery two years all our offices around the world, work with a global HR consulting firm to con-duct an employee engagement sur-vey. We conducted our first in 2006, a second in 2008, and we just completed the one for 2010. Our engagement score increased

The Evaluation Equation: Skills + Behavior = Performance

1. Accountable 2. Adaptable 3. Communicative 4. Customer Centric 5. Team Oriented 6. Knowledgeable

Evaluating Performance: Six Key Behavioral Characteristics



from 44 percent in 2008 to 61 percent in 2010. According to this consultant’s research, engagement scores are derived from three com-ponents: what people say about the company, whether or not people will stay at the company, and whether or not they will strive in the company. We ask questions related to these three areas. For instance, to measure what they say about the company, we ask, “If given an opportunity, I say good things about the company.”

The survey has 80 questions: six specifically measure engagement and the rest measure satisfaction. People who answer that they “strongly agree” or “agree” will be counted as “satisfied” or “engaged” with that particular measure. Since 2008, every single question relating to satisfaction on the survey increased anywhere from two to 30 points. Our leadership was very pleased because this shows that we are going in the right direction and getting closer to attaining “best company” status. Our consulting partner tells us that “best compa-nies” have at least a 65 percent engagement rate and that the top quartile in the North America exceeds 75 percent.

Based on the feedback we received on our 2008 survey, we made many changes, which is why we believe our scores have increased so significantly. In the areas I discuss above, we have made huge progress simply by pay-ing attention to what our employees told us in the survey and commu-nicating back to them on a consistent basis that those changes being implemented were based on the feedback they provided. We have been making improvements for the past two years, which is

reflected in the higher scores, but we recognize that our new “bar” is 61 percent and we still have much work to do.

Two-way dialogueWe strongly believe that two-way dialogue with employees is an important component of retention; therefore, we also engage in other activities to attain their input. Last year, for example, we did a pulse check survey in between the more formal biennial survey. We also host quarterly employee communi-cation meetings where our employ-ees have the opportunity to learn about where we are against our financial objectives and key initia-tives, hear about new opportuni-ties, and interact with our most senior executives. During these meetings there are ample opportu-nities for Q&A discussions. After each meeting, we poll the employ-ees for input to use in developing the content and format for future meetings. In addition, approxi-mately every six weeks or so, we host a “conversation with the pres-ident,” which is a more informal round table discussion for our

employees to interact with our CEO. He gets a sense of what our employees are thinking about, receives input and feedback, and has the chance to reinforce key messages, expectations, and com-pany goals. It has been very well received.

Finally, we share a lot of infor-mation with employees through our electronic employee newsletter and multiple employee communica-tions which they receive directly in their inboxes. These two vehicles help us keep employees informed. But most important, we solicit articles and information from employees across the country to make this newsletter their own.

In short, we believe in the impor-tance of two-way dialogue. We don’t hesitate to poll employees through use of surveys, focus groups, or employee meetings to gain an understanding of what is important to them. When soliciting input from employees, the most important thing is to provide out-put, whether it is through the communication meetings, newslet-ters, or postings that we send out. Therefore, we do everything

Expert Advice

In a desire to have even more feedback from “underserved” groups in the com-pany, we started a diversity council about a year ago, which is focused on raising awareness of “difference” — not only in race and gender, but in ways of working, thinking, and interacting with one another. As an off shoot of this group we also formed a woman’s alliance. The women’s alliance is composed of the 14 most senior women in the company and has adopted the following statement as our mission: We are the senior female leaders of Neopost USA who influence and advocate gender balanced organizational leadership.

Our current focus is to understand how we can be influential to help mentor women and other underserved groups of people to help them with their career development. Recently, this group polled a subset of our employees to understand what they think about their own development. We are also tackling the issues around work/life balance and hope to identify ways and develop programs to promote the right mix or work/family and leisure.


© Books24x7, 2010 Marie Mann ExecBlueprints 10

possible to keep that two-way dialogue alive!

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Retention EffortsWe monitor and report turnover in our field sales organization versus the non-field functions every month. Voluntary turnover is a good indi-cator of our retention efforts and it is important to dig a bit deeper and look at what we often refer to as “regrettable turnover” — those key people who leave on their own, who we would have strongly pre-ferred that they stay! We conduct exit interviews to fully understand why some chose to leave in hopes of gaining insight of what we can improve to increase retention.

Our employee engagement score is another key indicator. The “say, stay, strive” questions are a great way to monitor retention. In addi-tion, as a follow-up to the engagement survey, we conduct focus groups on the questions where we scored the lowest. We will ask our employees why they think we got this score, what sug-gestions they have to improve the score, and what steps we can take as an organization to improve the scores. That two-way dialogue enhances the employee-employer relationship. We realize there is not a quantitative measurement for this qualitative data, but it does make a difference. And in a less formal way, we pride ourselves on being leaders who “walks the halls” as a

way of keeping informed and enhancing employee engagement. Talking to our employees directly, asking questions to gain insight is, in my opinion, the best way to understand their needs.

In summary, we are all proud of what we have accomplished so far. Personally, I attribute our success to having a great CEO who believes and communicates that employees come first. Working for a CEO who understands that people ultimately create financial results, certainly makes the HR executive’s job easier! n

Thomas CapizziExecutive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO

© Books24x7, 2010 Thomas Capizzi ExecBlueprints 11

Evaluating Employees Against Core Company ValuesTo evaluate our employees, we have developed a wide range of performance competencies at all levels, primarily through non-exempt, exempt employees, man-agement, supervisors, and the executive-level competencies. They vary from level and function as well. The performance competen-cies are reviewed annually and in that process, we make sure we are keeping it simple. Another stan-dard we follow is to be sure we are in line with the core values of the company, what is important to the company in terms of those val-ues, and measuring that against our employees as well. The value of the company depends on the strategy of the company, but the core values of the company have been there for quite a long time; that is the operat-ing system that drives this com-pany. We measure our employees against those values and have included them in our standard per-formance review process Even though performance competencies have been measured, we are leaning more toward focusing on the values of the company and what they mean, because performance is embedded in those values. We ulti-mately look for new employees who can embrace and embody those values when we are recruiting for our open positions within the company. We have also started a peer recognition program that

allows our employees to recognize and reward their fellow employees if they witness our values being demonstrated during the course of their work day.

Identifying and Attracting High PerformersHigh-performing employees are identified through our performance criteria. We ask the managers to identify the high performers and to work closely with them. We have established some key parameters around the high-performing stan-dards that we are seeking. Now that we are moving into being a growing, high-performing organi-zation, we are going to create a management review process at the end of this year. This review pro-cess is where attention will be focused around high-performing, high-potential employees, as well as our short- and long-term capa-bilities. We can then measure the success factors of those high poten-tials and in that process, the man-ager or supervisor will identify high-potential employees.

My role in identifying, attract-ing, and retaining high performing employees is to provide the tools, programs, and systems to put the “A.R.T.” of HR in the hands of management. The Attraction, Retention, and Training and devel-opment of employees become their responsibility, and it becomes my responsibility to provide the company capability to support that.

My goal is to make sure that all of the key management of this com-pany fully embodies our philosophy, strategy, desire, and passion, and that they are demonstrating that each day because it cascades down

Thomas CapizziExecutive Vice President, Global Human Resources

DJO

“We are constantly looking at our employees and their ability to demonstrate our company values.”

• Served as vice president, worldwide HR & administration for Magellan GPS

• Held various other HR management positions in companies such as Charles Schwab, Genentech, PepsiCo, and The Hertz Corporation

• B.S., Psychology and Philosophy, Cathedral College/St. John University

• Graduate work in organizational development, the New School in New York City

Mr. Capizzi can be e-mailed at [email protected]

If you do not train and invest in your employees and you do not give management the tools to know what to say, how to say it, and how to interpret and use the data, then it is not effective.

Thomas Capizzi

Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO

Thomas CapizziExecutive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO (continued)

© Books24x7, 2010 Thomas Capizzi ExecBlueprints 1�

to their functional areas and each of their employees.

In sum, we attract high-performing employees by establishing what the company is about, showing what the values of the company are and how important they are, and then showing what our mission and vision are in the orthopedic world. We also must establish the type of people that are successful here and then get out there to show that these are the type of people for whom we are looking. Doing so allows us to attract the best of the best. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; as we bring in new high-performing people, they then bring in their friends. We are also looking at referable capabilities, and that has helped us drive a strong success in obtaining strong employees over the past couple of years.

Retaining Key EmployeesRetention becomes a key issue for any company; our best practices for retaining our high-performing employees include making sure we are having at least quarterly discus-sions, not just about the day-to-day business, but about performance of the job. We also focus on the indi-viduals and talk through their needs. The key issue that most people have relates to their future career growth in the company; if you do not have that discussion with your employees, they will start looking elsewhere for employment. Clearly a key retention opportunity is to establish the goals and the objectives of the company, and then align those goals and objectives with the individual’s personal goals and objectives going forward.

Another key area in retention is to keep managers involved in the

education and training of employ-ees. If you do not train and invest in your employees and you do not give management the tools to know what to say, how to say it, and how to interpret and use the data, then it is not effective. It is important to give the managers the capability and the tools to do it well and to communicate well; it is not just about the high potential of the employees, but it is about the man-ager involvement with those employees. A key success is when you align the company goals with the employees’ goals, which will affect this company from the pro-duction line employee all the way up to the CEO. It is easy for those of us at the higher levels of manage-ment to know that we have an overall affect on the company. If you are down in the trenches as a staff accountant or a manufactur-ing line employee, you need to understand what value you bring to the company. This becomes a process to cascade goals and

objectives down or what is com-monly called “nested objectives.”

Employees are leaving because they do not feel that they can make a difference; if you can align those goals so that they feel that they can make a difference in the company, then I think that is what is impor-tant. In small companies you can get away with that because you can absolutely get close to the CEO — you can go and knock on his door or you can talk to him in the hallways; as the company gets big-ger and bigger, it becomes more difficult. You need programs that allow employees to feel they have a voice, especially a local voice, and that local voice has an ability to be heard somewhere else and ulti-mately back to the headquarters.

The Importance of the Working EnvironmentIt is also important to have a good working environment, not only with promoting high-potential and

Thomas CapizziExecutive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO (continued)

© Books24x7, 2010 Thomas Capizzi ExecBlueprints 1�

high-performing employees, but it has to be a good place to work, a fun place to work, and a place where employees want to be; they spend most of their adult life work-ing so the work environment becomes a key issue. From an eco-nomic standpoint many companies are getting away from the old days of providing creative work environ-ments that help stimulate creativity and open communications; includ-ing such things as ping-pong tables, pool tables, and open forums where people can sit, chat, and drink cof-fee, for more traditional work environments. However, you do need to have some of that within the capability of the company. There are some simple things you can do to create a working environ-ment that retains employees and it can be as simple as flexible sched-ules, lunch-and-learn classes, health and fitness programs during the day, extracurricular activities at night, or developmental opportuni-ties both business related and

personal to name a few. It is also important just to communicate with them on a regular basis.

Soliciting Employee FeedbackWe solicit feedback regarding employee satisfaction in a couple of ways. We actually have a new survey going out shortly to all employees worldwide beginning with our domestic employees, and then followed by our international staff. We have not done an employee survey for a while because I do not like to do surveys for the sake of doing them. If you take a survey and do not do anything with the data it can be more damaging than asking the questions. The key is to establish an employee survey and then quickly release the feedback. We also do what we call Employee Opinion Surveys, both by organiza-tion and function, which is less cultural and more focused on individual functional areas. Those

are done on a regular basis; if we think there may be an opportunity or a hot spot in any key area of the company I will ask the HR profes-sionals to go in and do an employee survey. It could be something as simple as a quick five question survey written by the HR profes-sional, something that is more formal, or even something where an outside third party is used to facilitate. We will use a third party for our worldwide survey of employees, because I am asking for a lot of data and information, some of which is cultural; however, since we are establishing a new culture in the company we need to collect that type of information as a base-line, so we know where to improve. “How do you know you have arrived if you do not know where you are going?” n

If I look at the number one reason why I have lost some key people, it has been through a lack of career planning. It is because management has not done a good enough job of putting their arms around those employees and discussing what they want to do in the next three to five years. Sometimes managers are too focused on the day-to-day execution. The reality is that you need to be thinking well ahead.

Thomas Capizzi

Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources, DJO

Debbie HoriVP of Human Resources, Bunim/Murray Productions

© Books24x7, 2010 Debbie Hori ExecBlueprints 1�

Attracting High-Performing EmployeesThe history, reputation, and culture of our company have made it a magnet for those interested in a career in reality television pro-duction. We promote heavily from within, but we also are on the look-out for the best talent from outside the company. As a result, we frequently receive résumés from interested parties and utilize industry-specific job boards as needed. Many of our employees are freelancers who sometimes work at a variety of companies, and we use their recommendations for high- performing people with whom they have worked.

We also have a strong internship program as an outreach to the com-munity, enabling college students interested in the entertainment industry to get course credit for rotating through various depart-ments. Many of these interns love their experience, and want to come back to work for the company after graduation. Some of our best employees have been located through the internship program.

Representatives from human resources and post-production attend job fairs at targeted colleges, universities, and technical schools that have educational programs with a good fit for our business. By targeting educational facilities that

have programs related to our busi-ness we can locate the best and brightest future talent who have exposure to the most recent developments in technology.

Best Practices for Retaining High-Performing EmployeesOur best practices for retaining high-performing employees are providing growth and advancement opportunities, and a positive com-pany culture to enable our employ-ees to thrive and blossom creatively. Providing opportunities for advancement to more junior employees provides a feeder pool for our more advanced positions, enabling us to match the right people to the right positions. These employees understand the product, embrace the company culture, know who to go to for informa-tion, and have historical knowledge enabling them to navigate our systems.

Career advancement through promoting from within is a long-standing and important part of our culture. Some of our executives started out in entry-level positions and have risen to the top of the organization. We hire a large num-ber of entry-level employees, and those who perform well are selected to move into other areas. Typically,

a manager will note that an employee is hard working, capable, and gets along well with others, and will ask that employee about their career interests, and give them opportunities to move into that area. When time permits, high- performing employees are provided with short projects outside of their usual job duties to give them expo-sure to other functions within the company and test their abilities.

Debbie HoriVP of Human Resources

Bunim/Murray Productions

“The culture of respect and appreciation is driven from the top of the organization.”

• Supported company growth from 300 to 1400 employees in six years at Metrocities Mortgage

• Member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Professionals in Human Resources Association

• Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources through the Human Resources Certification Institute

• Graduate of California State University, Northridge

Ms. Hori can be e-mailed at [email protected]

Company culture is also a very important part of our retention program. The company strives to ensure that employees feel that they contribute to and are part of the larger organization.

Debbie Hori

VP of Human Resources Bunim/Murray Productions

Debbie HoriVP of Human Resources, Bunim/Murray Productions (continued)

© Books24x7, 2010 Debbie Hori ExecBlueprints 1�

Company Culture and RetentionCompany culture is also a very important part of our retention program. The company strives to ensure that employees feel that they contribute to and are part of the larger organization. Each month, everyone gathers for a company-wide lunch where the chairman and CEO talks about each of the com-pany projects. His 10-minute talks are laced with humor and interest-ing remarks, and his casual and down-to-earth remarks bind the group into a cohesive whole. Each new employee is mentioned by name, and we recognize the recent births, marriages, birthdays, and other significant events within our company family.

We also have companywide events where employees gather to watch a new show shortly before it

premiers and enjoy drinks and pop-corn. The chairman and CEO will start the meeting by making posi-tive comments about the show, which is followed by thanking all of those who contributed to the show, and pointing out their con-tributions. This serves to keep everyone informed of the variety of shows that are produced, and is a great team-building event. Other employee appreciation events such as dessert treats, burgers, ice cream socials, or pancake breakfasts are held frequently. We also have mid-afternoon snack trays where employees gather to snack and socialize.

In an industry where there are tight deadlines, long hours, and sometimes extreme pressures, it is critical to have managers who enjoy growing and supporting the people within their work groups. This culture builds loyalty, and the

hard work and dedication needed to create a good product simply follows.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Retention ProgramAs strange as it may seem, we evaluate the effectiveness of our retention programs through exit interviews. Because our freelance employees are employed for defined periods and leave at the end of their project unless there is another proj-ect available, we are able to assess their interest and reasons for want-ing to return. When another project opens up, we need to be their employer of choice. In exit inter-views, our employees tell us that compared to other companies this is the best place to grow, and that our company is their extended family. n

People need to feel respected, appreciated, and supported to do their best work, especially in a company where creativity is an integral part of the work product. The chairman and CEO treats everyone with warmth and respect, driving the culture of respect and fair treatment throughout the company. He meets with each intern and new corporate employee, including entry-level positions. This meeting reinforces that everyone is an important part of the whole, and that all employees are appreciated and valued.

Debbie Hori

VP of Human Resources Bunim/Murray Productions

Daphne LoganSenior Vice President of Human Resources, Feeding America

© Books24x7, 2010 Daphne Logan ExecBlueprints 1�

Attracting and Retaining TalentFeeding America, in itself as an employment destination is a big motivation. We are seen as the leaders in domestic hunger relief. People like to “give back” and know that what they do will help others. Our core service of securing and distributing food and grocery product to hungry Americans is unmatched. Candidates who come to us from for-profit companies are sometimes surprised that we run like a “business.” We understand that we would not be successful if not for our people and we work hard to retain, grow, and develop the talent that we have. In fact, our most recent receptionist was just promoted to a development associate in our philanthropy department.

Promoting Talent Feeding America has a passion for employee success. We promoted 21 people across the organization in FY10. We have a committed staff of people who are very proud to work for Feeding America and want to grow professionally. However, there have been times when we recognized a talented individual but did not have a position that would suit his/her

abilities. If we have a need for a different position that will benefit the organization and can utilize the staff member in a different way, we will pursue it.

Evaluating EmployeesWe use the same performance review process for every employee, regardless of position. There is an internal review after their first 90 days with the organization. Supervisors are trained to manage expectations during that initial period. During our succession man-agement meetings, we discuss per-formance and future potential of employees. Did they complete their objectives? Were those objectives tied to our strategy and outcomes? At the supervisory level, we assess: how they are performing in the

area of change management; if they are connected to their staff; if their staff respects their leadership abilities; and if they are making an impact. Supervisors are measured on their ability to be direct. Specific competencies are different for each

Daphne LoganSenior Vice President of Human Resources

Feeding America

“We are committed to retaining talent and we take that commitment very seriously.”

• Has been with Feeding America for 13 years

• Previously human resources manager at Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science

• Certified, Senior Professional in Human Resources

• B.A, Sociology, Northwestern University

Ms. Logan can be e-mailed at [email protected]

We invest in our people so that we develop the talent for future leadership roles and fill gaps we may have.

Daphne Logan

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Feeding America

Interestingly, the Feeding America receptionist position has the highest percentage of promotions in Feeding America. That person is responsible for answering our switchboard and is the face, voice, and emotion of Feeding America to potential, new, and existing staff, as well as network members, donors, and board members. They have a wealth of knowledge about our organization and are viewed as an asset.

Daphne Logan

Senior Vice President of Human Resources Feeding America

Daphne LoganSenior Vice President of Human Resources, Feeding America (continued)

© Books24x7, 2010 Daphne Logan ExecBlueprints 1�

area, but the basic tenets hold true: we want transparency and a super-visor who is able to deliver the facts during challenging times. This builds credibility within leadership.

Retention ChallengesWe like to make sure employees are visible to senior staff. We want them to have role models and strive toward promotions and lateral moves by seeing what others have done in the organization and what opportunities are available. It is very important to keep staff engaged. We want them to stay true to the mission and let them know how and why they are making a

difference. People want to feel like they belong to something larger than themselves, so we work hard to show them how their individual contributions affect our long-term strategy.

Identifying High-Potential EmployeesFeeding America identifies high-performing employees through suc-cession management. We use a tailored approach to organizational needs and have broad involvement amongst our leaders. Our goal is to develop a workforce that is adapt-able and prepared for future chal-lenges. We look at past performance

and ask each person to complete a high-potential questionnaire based on a set of observed behaviors. The combined information helps us determine whether they are work-ing at medium or high capacity. Once they are identified we provide the appropriate opportunities for growth through training and on-the-job experience. We invest in our people so that we develop the talent for future leadership roles and fill gaps we may have. We want to develop talent who will lead Feeding America as it will be, not necessarily as it is today. n

Supervisors • How are they performing in the area of change management?• Are they respected by staff?• Are they making an impact?

Employees • Did they complete their objectives?• Were objectives tied to strategy?• Were objectives tied to outcomes?

Performance Review Questions

© Books24x7, 2010 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 1�

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points I. What are Key Standards for Evaluating and Reviewing Talent?Evaluations are useless without defined measurements. Integrity may be necessary, but what is integrity? How do you define it? Set clear differentiation so that there is never any doubt. You cannot measure people against each other without first understanding how to measure each person against their own abilities. Ways to ensure that evaluations are effective include:

• Holding management, not HR, responsible for evaluations

• Setting clear competencies and defining behavior-based values

• Creating peer recognition programs that incent employees to recognize and reward other employees for demonstrating core values

• Implementing 360-degree reviews for every layer of management to build credibility

• Measure against set behavioral characteristics (being accountable, adaptable, communicative, customer-centric, team-oriented, and knowledgeable)

II. The Bottom LineTop performers expect attention for their efforts. Validate their achievements by acknowledging them. Often, just a pat on the back, either public or private, is worth more than money. Find out what type of reward your top performers most appreciate and give it to them. Also, provide them with plenty of opportunities to shine and grow through:

• Self-awareness programs

• Personality assessments

• Attitudinal assessments

• Team interaction

• 360-degree feedback

• Coaching

• Promotions

• Lateral moves

• Training programs

• Succession planning

III. Must-Haves for Attracting TalentPerformance criteria are essential for finding and keeping the best talent because without it, how will you know what you want out of your performers? The only way to really attract talent is to be an attractive company in which to work. Position your company by:

• Highlighting your company values, history, and reputation

• Following through on recommendations so that your top performers bring in other top performers

• Keeping managers involved in the education and training of employees

• Aligning company goals with employee goals to create a set of “nested objectives”

• Giving employees a voice and access to leadership

• Establishing a strong culture and good working environment

• Building your brand

• Providing growth and advancement opportunities

• Emphasizing fairness, equity, and transparency

IV. The Golden Rules for Retaining High PerformersIt is more beneficial for a company to spend time reassuring top performers that you value their contribution than trying to bring mediocre performers up to snuff. Most top performers actually crave feedback and often cite a lack of feedback as a reason they have left a company. Don’t make that mistake. There are some simple ways you can retain top performers by:

• Providing them with training programs that will enhance their skills and abilities, help them understand their communication and behavioral styles, and improve interpersonal effectiveness

• Creating a good working environment that offers flexible schedules, lunch-and-learns, health and fitness programs, extracurricular activities, developmental opportunities, and fun companywide events

• Building a culture of respect, support, and appreciation that helps people maximize their strengths, provides them with ongoing feedback, and helps them meet and achieve their career goals

V. Essential Take-AwaysWithout feedback, there is no way for employees to truly know where they stand. This information not only helps them succeed, but helps them to feel as if the company really cares about their achievements. Did they complete their objectives? Were those objectives tied to the strategy and goals of the company? To aid transparency, make sure there is only one performance review process for everyone in the company and do it annually.

However, asking for feedback is just as important as giving it. Send out surveys that that focus both on culture and operations. Make changes based on the feedback to show that the company listens to its employees. Create a two-way dialogue with top performers so that they always have a voice. Also, if the company works with vendors or freelance employees, then exit interviews provide an excellent way to determine if you are considered an employer of choice. n

© Books24x7, 2010 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 1�

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points (continued)

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