Checklist: Innovative Ways to Avoid Involuntary Termination

By: Laura Mohammad
September 23rd, 2011

Jerusalem-based virtual assistance firm GlobeTask‘s process for corrective action begins before the training and before the discipline. It begins when a client is brought on. The four-year-old company has an impressive track record, losing only five or fewer employees to involuntary termination since its inception. It has found a formula for correcting behavior problems and helping employees thrive. President of Human Resources Richard Weinberg explains:

• The funnel. The executives of the 50-employee company are the first line of defense, not the last. With a process called the “funnel,” new clients connect with one of the top people in the company.”We talk sports, politics, about the family, to establish camaraderie, so that if something happens with the virtual assistant down the road, the client will come to us before it becomes a serious problem,” says Weinberg. “Damage control is so much easier.”
• Hello visits. GlobeTask leadership conducts random visits with employees called “hellos.”"We stop by, totally randomly, and just check in about their families, any problems they might have,” says Weinberg. “They tell us if there are problems and they’re not afraid to say if something is over their head.”One example, he recalls, was when an employee felt pushed to launch a website that wasn’t ready. Through a hello encounter, she was able to get the reassurance that she needed to wait until she felt it was ready to launch.
• Monitoring e-mails. Weinberg has found that monitoring e-mails when there isn’t an existing problem isn’t effective.”Unless you’re going to read through an entire thread, you’re missing out on background. I’m not really honestly going to have a whole picture,” he says.
• Regroup. When a serious error is made, the virtual assistant will no longer be assigned new clients.”It tells them we’re not comfortable,” says Weinberg. “It’s like a slap on the wrist.”Also, it gives the employee a chance to return to the basics of the job and find his comfort level.
• Refresher course. Employees are encouraged to conduct a “refresher course” with a manager to go through training, guidelines and pointers.”When a person gets comfortable with the job, sometimes they get lax,” says Weinberg.For example, employees are supposed to immediately respond to clients’ e-mails with a plan of action.”When you have a long-term relationship, you might get a little lax,” he says. “The refresher course reminds them of things like that.”

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