Let's Talk About ... Change Management

Avis Australia ’s HR Director Jeannette Kruk is passionate about creating a diversity strategy that challenges the status quo and achieves real advancement for women. As one of Australia ’s pre-eminent rent-a-car companies, Avis currently has four women out of a team of 14 that report directly to the CEO. Kruk, a finalist in the Diversity Leader category of EOWA’s Business Achievement Awards 2001, speaks with Action News.

AN: What do you see are the biggest challenges to advancing women at Avis?

Kruk: I believe Avis has the fundamentals right, and by that I mean selecting the right person for the job based on knowledge, skills and experience, and advancing people through the organisation based on their job performance and potential. Our female workforce representation is around 40%, which is a pretty good mix. But what needs work are the subtleties, things like people’s inherent value systems which are based on their life experiences. Changing people’s perception of gender roles and challenging senior managers to think outside the box of the traditional full-time, 8 to 5 employment situation are opportunities for us.

AN: Changing an individual’s behaviour and attitude is certainly a big challenge. How do you approach the issue?

Kruk: I’m not sure if it’s possible for me to change someone’s ‘attitude’ as I think that is more closely related to a person’s beliefs, and those beliefs were formulated long before they came to Avis. However, I believe my mission is to make people aware of the biases they may bring into the workplace and allow to influence their employment decisions. It’s the behaviour I’m looking to change, not necessarily the beliefs, and keeping the focus on a person’s ability to do a job and away from personal characteristics is the way to achieve that aim.

The key, as I see it, is to constantly challenge perceptions and assumptions. I challenge our recruitment processes, compelling managers to focus on job competencies rather than personal attributes such as age, gender or nationality which can easily be gleaned from a person’s resume. I take a stand when someone acts contrary to our Values or EEO policy. I challenge the people I work with, asking them to put themselves in the position of another and to “walk in their shoes” for a while.

AN: As a woman in senior management, what is important to you?

Kruk: When it comes to gender role perception, I believe that being competent as a female in a senior management role will speak for itself to someone who believes that women belong in the home, or in clerical roles only, and have no positive contribution to make at the strategic level.

I also think it’s important to ‘walk the talk’ of the Avis Values in carrying my job responsibilities. These Values provide the framework for our success in the workplace. Each individual is equally responsible for upholding these Values, which are woven into many of our human resources programs to foster accountability. The Respect for the Individual value, for example, led to the development of a similarly titled diversity training program focusing on recognising and understanding our biases, and valuing the differences that each of us brings to the table.

Obviously, if everyone thought the same then innovation and creativity would be pretty rare commodities!  Another program deals with sexual harassment, stereotyping and discrimination, and we present the information in a way that makes the light bulbs go off in people’s heads.

AN: In what way have your efforts led to behavioural change?

Currently I have several examples of managers who have eagerly sought alternative work schedule arrangements to accommodate new mothers on their staff – talented and loyal individuals who otherwise would have been forced to resign. These managers have recognised the positive impact on the business in making these arrangements, which typically are not costly or disruptive. Previously these same managers may simply have said, “Sorry, it’s a full-time job.”

AN: Resistance to change is inevitable. How do you handle it?

Kruk: I deal with resistance in two ways. Firstly, I built and continue to build credibility for the HR function by getting the basics right. HR has to be seen as a strategic business partner within the organisation and this comes from the CEO down. I attend all operational reviews, for example, and add value to the business in that way. Having a good rapport and good personal relationship with business and line managers is essential, as is making yourself available and being responsive to their needs. As a result, I find that they now call on me for assistance.

Secondly, I sell the line managers the business case for diversity. I focus on actions and outcomes, and I look for buy-in from people by relating to their experience.

AN: What kind of outcomes have you achieved?

Kruk: We have a very supportive and communicative CEO and this is fundamental to the success of our diversity strategy. We have achieved a more integrated and flexible work environment, and have examples of part-time work, job sharing and telecommuting where previously these arrangements were non-existent. This not only sets the tone for the organisation, but challenges the mind-set of other business managers.

Employees are happy about the flexibility too, with 77% in our most recent Employee Survey stating that Avis and its managers provide the flexibility necessary for employees to achieve work/life balance. I think that’s a great result, particularly in an operations shift work environment where being accommodating is much more challenging than in a head office situation.

AN: What about women? How have they advanced in Avis?

Kruk: We approach the advancement of women as part of our overall Diversity Strategy from which women benefit. This has meant that individuals’ behaviour has changed as employees and managers are aware that they are being measured in terms of how they treat others and value differences. Specifically, it is important for women in the organisation to see other women in senior management positions and, in this way, those on our senior team have become role models and mentors. I also think it’s very inspiring that at Avis the large majority of our management staff have come up through the ranks…our CEO started his career at Avis washing cars! Everyone has a chance, and we dedicate a lot of resources to ensure the ongoing professional development of our high potential employees.

AN: What keeps you motivated to do the job you’re doing?

Kruk: I enjoy the challenge of converting the non-believers, not by force, but by enabling them to see for themselves the actual benefits of changing certain behaviours. It’s personally very satisfying when you see a tangible result from your efforts. The fact that Human Resources has evolved from a purely administrative function into a strategic business partner, and to work for a company that recognises the value in that, is also a great motivator. It’s a great time to be in HR!