FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 

Sonya Sullins

Human Capital Management Institute LLC

Phone:  (608) 279-0691

sonyasullins@hcmi.info

www.SonyaSullins.com

 

Cure found for the “silent Killer”:  Employee Engagement is cure for tough economy

 

Madison, WI – August 12, 2009 – Sonya Sullins, Principal Consultant and owner of Human Capital Management Institute, today announced her engagement to speak at VCPI’s (Virtual Care Provider Inc) 2009 Client Connection & Technology Symposium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This innovative Symposium will incorporate technology solutions and human capital solutions to build an engaged workforce, create fiercely loyal customers and maximize the efficiencies of technology in” Redefining the Culture of Care”.  Sullins will unveil her “S.T.E.P into Success…Status Quo is for Losers” program to top senior living executives, clients of VCPI, from throughout the nation on August 25, 2009. 

 

Jennifer Dossett, VCPI Account Manager says, “Human Capital Management Institute’s solutions should be mandatory in every organization.  We know our clients will love what Sullins has to offer!”  Although this event is closed to VCPI clients only, Sullins is offering her talk, pro-bono, to organizations or groups that feel they will benefit.  Those interested in learning if their organization or group can benefit from the talk should contact Sonya Sullins at SonyaSullins@HMCI.info or 877-HUMAN10.

 

Senior Living executives face many challenges – only made more difficult in these challenging economic times.  According to Gallup, 74% of employees report they are either indifferent or “actively disengaged” in their work at any given time.  Senior Living executives struggle with high turnover, which correlates strongly with disengagement.  Sullins will share strategies on how to attract, select and retain top employees.  Senior Living organizations that can do this will see their bottom line improve along with customer loyalty.  Human Capital Management Institute knows how to define what is not working in an organization and devise a plan to fix it.  Sullins knows that there’s no reason to believe tremendous outcomes cannot be achieved, because she sees her clients improve retention, productivity, safely, profitability and customer loyalty every day. 

“Actively disengaged employees suck the success out of the organization and the kill the morale of rest of the team.  You could say disengagement is a “silent” killer, like a cancer growing under the skin of your team.  Disengaged employees are more than unfulfilled; they are angry and feverishly sabotage every possible accomplishment.” 

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Human Capital Management Institute is the extended support offered to each manager and the teams they lead.  Says Sullins, “My goal is to provide effective, creative, revenue saving solutions for your business.  And, it is also my goal to truly change the lives of employees all over the nation.  There’s no reason anyone should have to live life hating his or her job.  It’s my job to help you love your job and value the contributions you make every day!”

Sonya Sullins is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Human Capital Management Institute.  In addition, she is an author and leads workshops, seminars and web-based trainings on various topics relating to the management and development of people.  For more information visit www.HumanCapitalManagementInstitute.com or call toll free 877-HUMAN10.

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To view video, please click here:  Sonya Sullins Introduces Human Capital Management Insitute: Select and Retain Top Talent

Or, you can read it here:

Welcome!  And, thank you for checking in today to find out a little bit more about me and Human Capital Management Institute.

 

I am Sonya Sullins - lover of people, animals and the beach.  I am a lifelong lover of learning and of teaching.  This has led me to my role now as a Consultant, Coach and Public Speaker.  

 

Also, I’d like to introduce you to my company, Human Capital Management Institute - where we show leaders how to select and keep talented employees and create devoted customers.

 

The problem is, Human Beings – you, me, and everyone who has a job – have needs that must be met to feel engaged and stay productive at work. 

 

Everyone KNOWS you have to find and keep top employees to be successful, they just don’t know whether or not they are effective at doing this.  Our solutions are based on scientific research - we not only quantify how good of job you are currently doing, we also can tell you what you need to know - or what you need to do - to do a great job of finding and keeping the best. 

 

Just to put it into perspective, 60%-90% of revenue is spend on labor – so if you’re not doing a good job of finding and keeping top talent, you’re losing hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars of revenue, needlessly.

 

For example, let’s say you hired 100 employees last year, and now factor in that it costs $8-12 thousand dollars to replace an entry-level position…How many dollars did you leave on the table? 

 

It’s amazing, really.  We’re talking $800,000 to $1.2 million GONE on just this one type of revenue waster.

 

 

And, there’s more.  According to Gallup, only 29% of employees are actively “engaged” – or are actually passionate and connected to their work. 

 

54% are disengaged – they’re just flying under the radar and going through the motions.  Not necessarily causing any trouble, but not making any positive contributions either. 

 

And, for the really scary part…fully 17% are actively disengaged – basically a toxic cancer bringing down the morale of others, making customers unhappy and undermining every effort toward success. 

 

If I may, I’d love to share with you a personal story…

 

One of my clients came to me because they knew they had some “personality issues”,

high turnover, and customer complaints. 

 

What they didn’t know was what to do about it. 

 

With my expertise and proven methods, we were able to assess the situation and bring their extremely low levels of engagement up from 3.03 to 3.85 (on a 5-point scale).  Eventually, they hit 4.13. 

 

Along with this change came a 27% increase in revenue, a 37% increase in targeted retention, reduced workers comp and almost zero customer complaints. 

 

Truly a night and day comparison. 

 

The energy of the team did not even feel like it was the same place to work.  Of course, all this didn’t happen overnight, but without intervention, they might not still be around to tell the story.

 

Personally, I’m passionate about making organizations successful and for getting employees loving what they do – and that’s why I make it my mission to do both.

 

It’s very rewarding to see an organization improve their net margin by 27%, and to see an organization achieve median retention of 88.89%, and to see the positive effects on the people, both the ones that work there as well as the customers. 

 

If this sounds at all interesting to you, I’d love to offer you a complimentary strategy session.  Call me personally at 877-HUMAN10…I’d love to hear your story!   

 

Again, this is Sonya Sullins at www.HumanCapitalManagement Institute.com wishing you a fabulous day! 

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To see the video, click here:  Help! How do I select and keep top talent?

Contact us now at 877-HUMAN10 (877-486-2610) or 608.279.0691

Email: SonyaSullins@hcmi.info

http://www.HumanCapitalManagementInstitute.com

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As reported in the Assisted Living Executive by ALFA

(Assisted Living Federation of America):

 How to navigate the most difficult economic times since the great depression.

  “…The time to build your retention is not some other time.  It is now.” 

 Experts suggest that now is the time for providers to focus on building their reputation as a “good place to work” – to attract qualified new hires, but even more so to cement the mutual commitment with existing employees. 

Glenn Maul, senior VP of HR for Brookdale Senior Living states, “The time to build your retention is not some other time.  It’s now.”

Our economy has created a situation that at first blush looks like a boon to employers.  The ALFA Career Center and Senior Living providers report receiving almost double the number of applications for each position than one year ago.  Conversely, ALFA and senior living providers also report that many applicants have little or no direct experience, and are just looking for any job they can get.  Obviously, this creates a bigger challenge for HR to sift through the masses and select the best from the rest. 

Maul says, “Even though there are more applicants, I won’t say there is a significant increase in people we’d hire.”

How Important is Employee Engagement?

“…Employee engagement is the cornerstone of achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.”  Lee Colan, Ph.D. author of Engaging the Hearts and Minds of all your Employees

·          The Gallup Organization, and Colin, describes employees as Engaged, Disengaged, or Actively Disengaged. 

·          An Engaged Employee looks forward to work and sometimes cannot believe he or she is being paid for the job that is so enjoyed.

·          A Disengaged Employee is “punching the clock”, but leaves their energy and passion elsewhere.

·          An employee who is Actively Disengaged is described by Colin as someone who is a “silent killer and a cancer growing under the skin of your team.”  These individuals react as a source of unfulfilled needs and feverishly sabotage every possible accomplishment.    

 Symptoms (and Outcomes) of Disengagement:

·         Increased turnover

·         Missed deadlines

·         Low morale

·         Increased W/C claims

·         Higher absenteeism

·         Call-in’s and No-show’s

·         Lack of accountability

·         Lack of responsibility

·         Disregard for compliance and regulations

·         Gossip and conflict

·         Low retention of high performers

 

 

 

  ·        Sadly, 74% are either indifferent to their work or Actively Disengaged

Moreover, employees who have high levels of engagement will generate the following:

·         38% higher customer satisfaction scores

·         22% higher productivity

·         27% higher profits

 The High Cost of Turnover

·          It costs 30%-50% of the annual wage to replace an entry-level employee.   

·         Cost to replace a professional (“exempt”) employee = 150% of the annual salary.   

·         Executive level employees cost 300%-500% of their annual salary.   

*Research from Columbia University and SHRM.  

Did You Know?

·          “One in four top employees intends to leave”.  This is up from one in ten last year.  

·          “Most companies are suffering about a 5% loss in productivity.  This translates into about 100 million dollars in operating cash flow for an average company.  This loss of productivity is due to Employee Disengagement.  Morale is down and people aren’t doing their job well”. 

*CNBC Interview with Tom Monahan, Chairman and CEO of Corporate Executive Board, a publically traded company that has 80% of the Fortune 500 top executives as their clients

The New Golden Rule:  If your employees are successful, you are successful.

What is the Solution?

It is clear that disengaged and actively disengaged employees pose a risk to any employer, negatively affecting nearly every facet of your organization, including occupancy, resident care, customer devotion and, of course the bottom line. 

The solution is to commit to a Culture of Engagement.  Engaged, and engaging, leaders will coach good employees to become superstar employees and more fulfilled people.  The challenge is often how to carve out the resources necessary to achieve this.  Employ the help of experts to spearhead your cultural transformation, and take the ball and run with it from there. 

Last quote from Colan:  “This is a high-tech world, but leadership is a high-touch job.  When people go to work, they don’t leave their hearts at home.”

Support and Appreciation

Invest in developing your managers.  Each needs to value and appreciate employees. 

“Money rarely compensates for a manager or management team that does not know how to carry this out,” says Julie McClactchey of Employee and Family Resources. 

• -Offer regular positive statements to employees about their performance
• -Provide opportunites for employees to obtain ongoing professional development
• -Make performance expectations realistic and clear
• -Take time to listen to concerns and ideas
• -Explain why decisions are made, versus handing out directives
• -Allow employees to take part in decision-making

 About the author, Sonya Sullins:

Harness the power of your organizations biggest resource, and unleash lost profits through attracting and retaining the best.  Sonya Sullins is the founder of Human Capital Management Institute, LLC.   Our expertise will help your organization grow and excel by aligning your human capital strategy with your business strategy. 

Contact us now at sonya@humancapitalmanagementinstitute.com or sonyasullins@hcmi.info

Call Toll Free:  877-HUMAN10 (877-486-2610) Visit us at:   www.HumanCapitalManagementInstitute.com

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As Seen On:

December 22, 2008

How to navigate the most difficult economic times since the great depression.

 

by Sonya Sullins 

 

“…the playbook they are using to navigate this recession is, at best, insufficient and possibly even dangerous.”