1. Operational Communication Centres Commander’s Conference 2014
It’s not fair! Employees’ perceptions of unfairness can fuel a staffing crisis
Jim Kuthy, Ph.D.
CritiCall Pre-Employment Testing Software
Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

2. Everything you say or do sends a message about your organization

3. Feelings of Trust Result From Perceptions of Fairness
High trust
Employees have little concern about getting their fair share
Low trust
Behaviors become much more cautious
Employees start looking for alternatives
No trust
Aggressive behavior or withdrawal

4. Passive-aggressive behavior Fewer organizational citizenship behaviors
Employees’ reactions to perceptions of unfairness in the workplace can result in…
Lower job performance
Passive-aggressive behavior
Fewer organizational citizenship behaviors
Theft and other counter-productive behaviors
Less commitment
Depression & stress
Which can lead to absenteeism, tardiness, and irritability
Increased absenteeism and turnover

5. Employees’ perception of fairness is influenced by their relationships
Supervisor
Other
Employees
Organization
Distrust between any of these can influence individual employee’s sense of fairness

6. Communication is Key Employees want to know…
What will be expected of me?
Can I provide input to the standards or expectations that will be expected of me?
Is there a mechanism for appeal if my performance is judged lacking?

7. Communication is Key People like to be heard
They want a “voice” (input)
It is important to be sincere when listening
Mirror what is said to show you heard and understand
Take action on what is said, when appropriate
Provide feedback as to what action was taken
Or, explain why no action was taken

8. Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder
People want the system used to decide outcomes to be fair (Procedural Justice)

9. Examples of Procedural Justice
Objective criteria used whenever possible
Instead of favoritism or family ties
Instead of prejudices or stereotypes
Subjective data, when used, is weighted appropriately
“Formal” procedures are used when making all aspects of employment decisions
There is an honest and effective appeals process

10. Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder
People want the system used to decide outcomes to be fair (Procedural Justice)
People want the distribution of outcomes to be fair (Distributive Justice)

11. Some Examples of Distributive Justice
Everyone who does the same job under similar circumstances in the organization receives similar compensation
Employees receive compensation similar to those in comparable jurisdictions who do the same work
Everyone who commits the same offense under similar circumstances, receives similar punishment
All qualified employees are similarly offered/provided optional training

12. Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder
People want the system used to decide outcomes to be fair (Procedural Justice)
People want the distribution of outcomes to be fair (Distributive Justice)
People want to be treated with dignity and respect (Interactional Justice)

13. Examples of Interactional Justice
People are treated with dignity and respect
Pejorative labels (e.g., “traitor,” “troublemaker”) or abusive words are never used
Employees feel safe and not likely to be deceived (e.g., no broken promises, lying)
Privacy is protected (e.g., no disclosures of confidences)
Considerate actions are taken (e.g., lots of appropriate feedback)
People do not feel coerced

14. Perceptions of Justice are in the Eye of the Beholder
Employees who are treated with dignity and respect are more likely to perceive they are being treated fairly
Employees who believe they are being treated fairly are less likely to quit or behave negatively

15. What you think you are presenting What you are actually presenting
DOH!

16. Perceptions of Justice are in the Eye of the Beholder
Those people who expect injustice, unless they have clear, objective evidence to the contrary, will likely see injustice
So… convince them by communicating effectively
Then, continue to reinforce the evidence

17. People who perceive they lack control…
Are more likely to be fearful at a very basic level
They try to regain “control” by forming illusory relationships between unrelated events or actions
Superstitions are more likely to be developed
Are more likely to perceive conspiracies
Whitson, J. A., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Lacking control increases illusory pattern perception. Science, 322,

18. Tools to Help Minimize Fear & Anxiety
Sharing knowledge of the process can help
People who learn the details of painful medical treatments report less anxiety and even shorter recovery time
Also…
Help to provide an objective sense of control, if possible and appropriate
Provide positive feedback to encourage them to think about and affirm their own self-worth

20. Planning work and setting expectations Monitoring performance
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board For employee engagement to flourish, managers must provide appropriate guidance and feedback throughout the performance management cycle
Planning work and setting expectations
Monitoring performance
Assessing and fulfilling training needs
Appropriately rating and rewarding performance
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. (September, 2008). Issues of Merit.

21. In other words… Substance is more important than structure
A 2005 study by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board found that the formal structure of performance management activities is not as important as the activities themselves
In other words… Substance is more important than structure
Including being more important for retaining employees
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. (September, 2008). Issues of Merit.

22. Fairness in Compensation
For example…
Fairness in Compensation
Pay is a necessary, but not totally sufficient, condition for good performance or tenure

23. Sometimes, if employees are complaining about pay…
They have the perception they are being paid too little for the job they are doing
Perceptions are not always the reality
Often, they are really talking about other types of compensation (e.g., recognition, training) or other, more sensitive, issues
and okay…sometimes, it’s the pay!

24. People want to be treated “equally,”
But, also want to be treated “uniquely”

25. Questions people typically ask when a decision is made
Would
Would things have been better otherwise?
Could
Could the manager have done differently?
Should
How “should” the manager have acted? (moral standards)

26. An example of how “Should” is important
Research shows: If your supervisor listens carefully and treats you with sensitively during a performance review session, even if you got a lower rating than you hoped… you will likely have a high opinion of your supervisor and remain committed to your employer

27. Things you can do to increase the perception of fairness
Devote time and energy to ensure procedures will be perceived as fair
Think about it before you do it!
Explain how and why decisions are made
Do not wait for grumbling to build
Do not adopt inappropriate workplace behaviors as shortcuts
“Because I said so, that’s why!”

28. Things you can do to increase the perception of fairness
Answer questions and address concerns
“Open Door” policies seldom are, so make sure if you claim to have an “open door” that your “open door” is really open to your employees
Be proactive in seeking feedback from your employees
Reduce the “psychological distance” between you and those who are affected by difficult allocation decisions (as appropriate)
Listen to what is said and what is not being said!

29. Satisfaction Surveys of Current Employees Can be Helpful
Do not assume your concerns are their concerns
Allow for open-ended responses
Take action based on the results
Do not ask, and then do nothing
It is better not to ask, than to ask and do nothing
Follow up to communicate what actions you took (or didn’t take), and then ask again

30. Example of results from a “closed ended response”
People will fill the buckets you give them to fill
Are these the only six reasons why people left?

31. Change of context can change perceptions of fairness

32. Beware of Creeping Job Duties
How much extra did you ask your employees to do today?
Extra duties have a tendency to add up
Be upfront and honest about added job duties or additional work
Ask for input and suggestions on how they can be efficiently addressed
This allows for discussion and feedback to take place
Publically support the training and/or resources to perform these additional duties

33. Beware of Creeping Job Duties
Your employees should be doing the job they were hired and trained to perform, or you should “re-negotiate” your psychological contract with them
A psychological contract consists of the beliefs about terms and agreement between an employee and his or her employing organization
Violation occurs when a failure to fulfill promises are perceived
Psychological contracts are based on perception
In the “eyes of the beholder”

34. Appropriately providing feedback to employees increases perception of fairness
Provide feedback immediately for both good and poor performance (equal, yet unique)
Providing feedback for something done in the past is never as helpful as saying it at the time of the action
Providing feedback plus assistance on how to improve is the best combination
Be specific with your feedback
“I really liked the way you reassured that injured caller just now”
Tie feedback to performance under person’s control
Be genuine
Practice makes perfect

35. Reinforce Good Behavior
Feedback
Reinforcement
Good
Behavior
Great
Behavior
Provide assistance, training, and/or model appropriate behaviors
Feedback
Training
Modeling
Poor
Behavior
Discipline, if appropriate
Improve Poor Behavior

36. Functionally deal with those who fail to improve
Address Poor Behavior
Provide assistance, training, and/or model appropriate behaviors
Feedback
Training
Modeling
Poor
Behavior
Functionally deal with those who fail to improve
Discipline, if appropriate

37. Good Great Feedback Behavior Behavior Poor Feedback Behavior
Trust is built when it becomes apparent that there is an appropriate mechanism in place for employees to grow and learn within the organization when challenged
Feedback
Reinforcement
Good
Behavior
Great
Behavior
Feedback
Training
Modeling
Poor
Behavior

38. An apology can be a powerful tool when used appropriately!

39. Summary Managers can often affect perceptions of fairness
Perceptions of an organization's fairness sends a message to everyone about that organization
Both inside and outside of the organization
Failing to address perceptions of unfairness can have many negative outcomes, including higher turnover, productivity loss, dishonesty, and more
Increasing perceptions of fairness can have many positive outcomes, including increased volunteerism and sharing behaviors, higher productivity, longer tenure

40. Fail to honor people… and they will fail to honor you. - Lao Tzu (600 B. C.)

41. Thank you for your attention!
Dr. Jim Kuthy
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