SCENARIO:
An HR consultant receives a phone call from the CFO of a mid-sized family-owned manufacturing company. She states that the company's turnover is nearing 100% in the operations department. Employees are staying an average of 60 to 90 days before leaving. Exit interviews indicate that turnover is due to lack of training. The CFO doesn't understand this data, because all new employees participate in a one-day orientation and an onboarding program.
The consultant further learns that the manager of the operations department has a reputation for being aggressive and direct. The manager, who directly reports to the CEO, has been with the company for ten years and is a good friend of the owners' family. The CFO admits that the manager can be difficult to deal with but nobody says anything because of the manager's strong relationship with the family. She says that while morale is low in the department, the company hasn't conducted an employee survey in at least two years.
The CFO asks the consultant for help in fixing the turnover problem. They discuss various options, including training, coaching, and an employee engagement survey.
A minimal budget has been provided to determine which tasks are necessary and to complete them.
The consultant agrees that turnover needs to be addressed quickly. 1. Which are the initial actions they should take to determine the root cause?
2. The consultant is surprised at how brief the onboarding process is and how it appears to focus more on orientation activities. Which action should the consultant recommend to create a long-term onboarding program?
3. The CFO has requested that the consultant administer an employee survey. Which action should the consultant take to determine if a survey would, in fact, be the best step to take at this point?
4. The CEO supports the consultant's recommendation to further develop the manager through executive coaching. Which step should the consultant take to gain the manager's support for coaching?