Making Managers Accountable

By building accountability into performance management systems, line managers as well as senior managers can be made accountable for ensuring EO is always on the agenda. More and more organisations are taking this approach in different areas of their businesses. Bevilles Jewellers is one of these forward-thinking organisations.

Bevilles Jewellers employees 261 staff, of which 208 are female. As part of their training and development strategy, they found they needed to provide regular feedback on performance as well as identifying and meeting staff developmental needs.

What did they analyse?

• Equal Opportunity Committee discussions

• Workplace profile

• Equal Opportunity Employee Opinion Survey

What did their analysis show?

• The need to develop a recruitment and selection process.

• Provide regular, constructive feedback on performance; identify development needs and implement strategies for improvement and/or change.

• Educate and update employees on EO policies and procedures.

Actions taken:

• Made it part of management accountability and attached bonus payments to remuneration if all staff were reviewed every month.

• Trained management on providing feedback and coaching of staff.

• Implemented two hours per month in-store training program.

Outcomes:

• All staff had feedback and training needs assessed at least twice a year.

• Staff found the in-store training program was excellent.

• Improved performance of new recruits so greatly that 78% of Christmas casuals were offered continuing employment through the following year. 

The full case study is available here.