Is Intel's Employee Retention Hotline Hiding a Bigger Problem
Intel's hotline to retain unhappy workers is a great resource, but conceals the bigger systemic problem. CNN reported on Intel's anonymous hotline to help unhappy workers. It is a reactive diving-catch approach to retain people when they have suffered enough that they are ready to leave. This is akin to using CPR to keep patients alive instead of preventative medicine to manage good health longevity. What about addressing the root problems so employees don't get to this point?
Look at the numbers. The article cites 20,000 cases (since 2016 for only US & Costa Rica employees). Intel has approximately 100k employees worldwide. Rough numbers, 1 in 5 employees have issues with managers or career opportunities? There is something systemically wrong.
I think the article hints at the problem: poor management training. 20 years ago, Intel had one of the industry's best management trainee programs. Many weeks, yes weeks, of training created outstanding people managers. Training was supplemented with annual courses and a relentless peer culture to support those values. That investment has largely been abandoned, with managers receiving a few hours (if that) to prepare them. The downside is employee attrition and sub-optimal resource allocation that limits what can be delivered. Doing what is 'Great' becomes very distant with weak leadership.
Back in the 90's, IBM planned their management courses just like Universities. There were textbooks, and homework. In fact, they were even named similar to Universities.
Management 101 - The basics <-- This was taken in your first year as mgr.
Management 201
Management 301
Management 401
etc etc
When I was there in 1996, there was a full-time team (6 people I think) of trainers.
I have not kept in touch with enough folks to know if that level of training still exists.
Intel had external vendors and internal teachers as part of the Management at Intel and Managing the Performer curriculums. They were excellent. Many of the courses were offsite and people were flown in from all over the country.
Wow! Was it just an expense thing that they dropped/reduced it?
It is always very hard to justify the "soft" skills. But sometimes it's got an amazing ROI.
On one hand it is great they saw the need to institute such a program to retain talent, but on the other is it just a band-aid that help avoid solving the root-cause?
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