Thursday, May 28, 1998

Companies need positive environment to retain workers

By Carol Kleiman / Chicago Tribune

A "rotten" atmosphere.

It's something companies have to clean up if they want to retain qualified workers, according to Steve Hunt, senior consultant of SHL USA, a human resource consulting firm headquartered in London and with offices worldwide.

"Loving the work you do can be entirely separate from loving the company at which you do it," said Hunt, whose firm studies 10,000 workers each year.

And that's where "rotten" comes in: Even an upbeat person won't put up with constant humiliation, lack of trust, invasion of privacy and other assaults by management, he says.

"Today's workers simply have too many options," said the consultant. "There's often little incentive for Ôsticking it out' in a company that has a rotten atmosphere."

Hunt suggests employers provide "a challenging yet balanced work environment. ... A positive work environment will go further than you might imagine to keep your work force in place."

And everyone knows that rotten is rotten.

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What happens to downsized workers? Do they ever get another job? The good news is that more than half of 2.4 million employees who lost their jobs in 1993-94 did get work.

The Monthly Labor Review reports that when surveyed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1996, 65 percent of the workers had full-time jobs. Another 7 percent had part-time jobs, and 9 percent were self-employed or working as unpaid family workers.

The remaining 35 percent still were job hunting or had dropped out of the labor market.

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I've often pointed out how businesses connected with cyberspace seem to have "men only" in the highest positions. My colleague, Jim Coates, who covers the world of computers, has described high-tech conferences he's attended as "reeking of male cologne."

But Open Port Technology Inc., a Chicago software manufacturer, not only hires qualified women, it assigns them to important posts.

The firm, whose products shift message traffic to data networks and the Internet from the public telephone system, has 80 employees. Thirty percent are women. It has eight officers. Three are women.

And the posts the women hold are impressive: Neta Hittelman is vice president of engineering, Cheryl Mayberry is senior vice president and general manager of sales and marketing, and Jennifer Schuster is vice president of marketing.

Maybe the smell of that male cologne is beginning to dissipate somewhat.

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How do you avoid aching muscles, developing carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain and other ills that come from long hours seated at computer work stations?

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in Arlington, Va., says to reduce or prevent these injuries you need an adjustable keyboard tray, gel-filled wrist rest, a document holder, adjustable foot rest and a monitor stand.

The ACA puts its seal of approval on the ergonomic equipment of 3M, headquartered in St. Paul, which manufacturers each of these products.

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Here's an excerpt of interest from a new book that pertains to the world of work: "... Most Latinos do not grow up with access to corporate culture or role models. Most of us do not attend prep schools and Ivy League universities or have summer jobs in major organizations. ... The focus has always been on getting in.

"But you don't want to be like the dog who chases the car and, having caught it, doesn't have a clue what to do with it.

"In order to pursue your dreams, you must familiarize yourself with the environment you will be joining.

"You have to construct a plan that understands and respects the culture in which you want to work and be prepared to play by your organization's rules."

From: "Just Because I'm Latin Doesn't Mean I Mambo: A Success Guide for Hispanic Americans," by Juan Roberto Job (Ballantine Books, $22.95).

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Coach's Tip. To break into the old boys' network -- the ruling class of American business -- you have to do your homework. And that means finding out in advance what the corporate culture is, if you can fit in and if someone will show you the ropes.