Onions, control, and deviance

Yes, you read that right; onions, control, and deviance. Weird huh?

Let me explain my thesis; the way people act in work is controlled by a web of informal and formal social control mechanisms; those developed by the employees acting as a group, and those developed by the company. The mechanisms of social control are like an onion; at the core are those that the individual has built over time and exert on themselves, the next layer are those that have been developed within the team, then the company, and then society. A part of our job in HR is to help the organisation map out and reinforce these social control mechanisms through formal policy and procedures, and through informal means like training or coaching managers. We help align the individual within these layers of social control, so that they are engaged and productive. We do this, not just because it is ethically and morally right to do so; but more importantly, to ensure each individual is delivering as much value as possible back to the owner (be that an individual, a group of shareholders, or in the case of a public sector organisation, the tax payer)

The journey of alignment begins during talent acquisition. The ways and means of advertising vacancies and the branding and language we choose in those vacancies, start to form the web of organisational culture and control. We start to set out what is important and the way we expect people to act; the very job description itself sets boundaries and exerts control. As we progress through selection, we test and probe those aspects that we believe will lead to a successful appointment. Behaviourial based interview questions at their very heart, seek to discover whether the individual is a cultural 'fit' to the organisation. Testing also performs the same function; whether that be functional tests (like testing a typists speed and accuracy) or a psychometric test. That the organisation is spending time on the test, speaks volumes about what the organisation sees as important and thereby, what it is seeking to control. As the new employee joins the company, they are introduced to both the formal control mechanisms in policies and procedures, and compulsory job training. Again, the company is setting the boundaries of control. In HR we will see new employees who leave within their first year. We must ask ourselves, were we honest? Have we made sure that the talent acquisition process, materials, and experience adequately, completely, and with perfect alignment introduce the individual to the organisation? Or is this pipeline a hotch potch of different branding, format, language, and materials, introduced with little or no regard for the experience and needs of the new employee?

The process of alignment and reinforcement of social control continues through talent management; through performance management as we stress what is important and what must be developed, in our retention and succession plans as we develop the next generation of critical workers. Again; are these aligned and are they mutually reinforcing?

In the absence of aligned and mutually reinforcing talent acquisition and management programs, individuals and teams will develop their own social control mechanisms that are just as likely to be at odds with the outcome the organisation is seeking, than in sync. The onion may look fine from the outside and it may feel firm, but slice it in half...well we've all that sinking feeling that we're going to have to throw away half the onion because it's rotten. Much the same can happen in an organisation.

To avoid this, you need to step back and critically evaluate whether you have achieved alignment. Speak to people who have recently been through the recruitment process (those appointed and those not), get feedback from employees and managers, look for signs of misalignment like the incidence and gravity of conduct, harassment, and grievance issues, if unionised, talk with your union partners. The core question you are seeking to answer is this; is the public expression of its values and culture aligned to the way it manages?