There is a backlash happening at the individual level to the stagnation of the recession. Positions were eliminated and growth stopped. This had the effect of scaring employees and closing off opportunities to advance after they made “the cut” (or cuts). The fight response has become the first choice for dealing with this. As the economy improves flight is also an option.
Here is how I am seeing this reflected in organizations, meetings and the comments of individuals-
- Where overlap of roles and responsibilities may have been a collaborative-sharing pre-recession it is now a grab of extra work for visibility and a slim chance at the small bonus pot (since raises disappeared that is the only available monetary reward).
- HR and OD leaders are falling into a pattern of having to defend job descriptions, the range of compensation that falls within grades and some under and over hiring that has occurred.
- There is a genuine fear of losing talent and losing the opportunity for new talent (futurist prediction- the return of sign on bonuses in some areas?).
- I have seen movement in the last couple of months of employees out of companies because they got offers 15% or more for the same work with a competitor.
- Performance Management is becoming a change initiative
I picture a big pot of soup that has been stirred with the steam not yet escaping…
This is adding a new dimension to change management because individuals are very conscious of their “spot”. Your spot is the role you have, the compensation you are getting for that role, the marketability versus comp. equation and the pressures and changes that have been allotted to you post recession (I know we may not be there yet but CM practitioners are used to jumping ahead- it is a safety mechanism for us). What better time to make individual changes than in an environment of economic and business upheaval?
