HR HIGHS
Skipping-level meetings help managers get better insight
Whenever an organisation is undergoing change or dealing with a merger or acquisition, there is bound to be some changes on all levels of the organisation. Such events can trigger different employee reactions ranging from optimism to disappointment, insecurity and even forcing some employees to look for another job.
The senior management has to try their best to salvage the situation and assuage employee fears and assure them that things will change for the better. For this they can rely on one-to-one meetings with their direct reports to get a feel of what employees think. This is de rigueur in most organisations. But such meetings cannot give the senior level management the complete picture. When information is provided through a chain of command, it will naturally go through a filtration process and ultimately the top management will only hear the good news. Even if facts are not hidden in such meetings, they will only get to hear that information, which the line managers think, is important for them.
This is where the practice of holding skip- level meetings comes in, where the top management skips a level or two in the hierarchy and meets employees who are not in direct contact with them. This will help managers gain a new insight. This kind of meeting will especially help during periods of change or transformation in the organisation.
These kinds of meetings are something like a structured interview. The purpose is for the managers to get a feel of the employee’s thoughts, their views on the company policies and their suggestions and feedback. For the employees it provides a peek into organisational goals, the standards, and the work culture the company desires and most importantly it tells the employees that the company cares for them and gives them the much-needed assurance that they have a role to play in managerial decision making. They will provide the management with first hand information so that necessary changes can be made and the situation improved.
But the one deterrent to holding a skip level meeting is that employees may not open up. They are not sure whether the information that they provide will be kept confidential or will be utilised properly. So the first step before holding such a meeting is to assure the employees that they can disclose any details without the fear that it may work against them. If this confidentiality is assured then it will lead to a better quality of interaction.
The HR personnel in the company can help the managers by giving them the necessary advice on how to conduct such meetings. Managers should be reminded that the experience of attending such interviews is new to these employees and they will at most times be clueless on how to answer the questions and hence need some guidance. The managers should know that employees could be guarded in their responses regarding other individuals. Here are some further guidelines on how to conduct skip-level meetings:
• The interview can start with the manager asking a few fundamental questions from the employees. These questions should put the employee at ease and make him comfortable enough so that he can answer the tougher questions that follow.
•Asking such questions first is better than asking sensitive ones and getting a reluctant reply or incomplete information from the employee
•The replies given by the respondent to sensitive questions needs to be clarified with rejoinders by the manager which could reveal further information
•Ideally in such a meeting, the conversation flow should be from light and safe topics to more sensitive and revealing questions.
The questions in a skip-level meeting should be focused on three areas; the initial questions meant to gather biographical data from the employees are designed to put the individual at ease. They help gather vital details about the individual, which can later be used for streamlining the work process by using the talents the employee can offer.
The next level of questioning is about the job of the employee. This will help the manager decipher how well the employees understand their jobs, employer expectations and also how well they are tuned to organisational goals. These questions will give an insight to employee aspirations, frustrations and satisfaction from their jobs.
Questions on the organisation and the management will reveal the kind of managers the employee works under and how happy they actually are under the management. They will also reveal the obstacles employees face in putting their best for the company. Employee feedback on ways to improve performance can also be solicited for betterment of the organisation.
Skip level meetings can be an amazing source of information to the senior management. It will give them a new insight to employee feelings and perceptions.
Such meetings can be successful provided they are conducted in the right manner and in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality. Such meetings are necessary to help maintain a healthy balanced relation among different levels in the organisational hierarchy.
HEMA GOPALAKRISHNAN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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