NEWS FLASH … City Manager suspended for one week without pay for role in hiring policy. Have you kept up on the news regarding the expanded background checks that the City of Bozeman was requiring of all job candidates’? Those checks included asking for their personal social websites, usernames and passwords. This requirement has been going on since the fall of 2007 without the knowledge or approval of the City Manager, Chris Kukulski. Many have asked: “How could this happen without the City Managers knowledge?” So what can business owners and employees, learn from the City’s mistakes?
Here is a condensed version from the recent independent investigation. The Chief of Police, Mark Tymrak, sent the Deputy Chief of Police and some officers for training on how to run background checks on job candidates. Back from the training, the Police leadership made a decision, without consulting the HR Director, City Attorney, or City Manager, to add the new requirement that all job candidates must provide any and all website and password information as part of an expanded background check.
The Fire Department leadership also adopted those same requirements of their new hires, without consulting their superiors. In 2008 the HR Department also implemented those requirements to their background checks, again without the knowledge of the City Attorney or City Manager.
In June of 2009, a local TV Station first informed the public about the practice after receiving an anonymous tip. The City Manager immediately consulted with the HR Director as well as the leadership at City Police and Fire Departments. They assured Chris and the City Commissioners that obtaining this information was voluntary for all job applicants. The commission received an email after that meeting stating that the information staff provided them about the practice wasn’t entirely true. The City Commission hired an independent investigator who discovered that the request for all social networking information was not voluntary, but mandatory, particularly with respect to the Police Department. If the respective department heads had provided honest disclosure back in June, this would not have been strung out for the last 4 months or cost the citizens of Bozeman thousands of dollars.
I understand why the department heads involved believed that obtaining job candidate’s social networking information was important to the hiring process. They wanted to protect the public and hire the best candidates to work for the City. But they chose to operate in a vacuum without communicating up the chain.
Communication is the life-blood to any organization. The City had a blood clot that lead to a stroke and the City Manager is now the one paying the price. Chris Kukulski had no role in this new policy, yet he has come forth and publicly apologized to all City Employees as well as to the citizens of Bozeman. He has taken full responsibility for the actions of the department heads and has disciplined those involved. Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn, Fire Chief Jason Shrauger and Human Resources Director Pattie Berg have all been put on probation for six months. Berg has been suspended for one week without pay.
As of yet there has not been a public apology from Police Chief Mark Tymrak, who is set to retire at the end of the month. We have not heard anything from the Union that represents the Police and Fire Departments. Why is that? Isn’t it the Union’s job to protect the employees’ interest in the workplace? They have known about this problem for a long time and have chosen to do nothing, sitting silently on the sidelines, void of any leadership role.
The business definition of communication that I like best in the workplace is simple: NO SECRETS, NO SURPRISES. To be effective, communication has to flow in two directions. First it must flow from the bottom of the organization to the top. Then it must flow from the top of the organization to the bottom. The leadership of any business must work for the employees first, and then the customer. It is a fact that how managers treat employees is how they will treat the business’s customers. Employees need to feel safe contributing their ideas on how to make the enterprise run more effectively.
Here are some tips to get you started:
For Managers/Owners:
1) Create the environment. Let your employees know that you want and need their input. Encourage them to ask questions when they are uncertain about something and let them know that there are no bad or stupid questions. Foster an environment where constructive disagreements are acceptable as long as it is done respectfully.
2) Invite employee involvement. Recognize that everyone will be watching to see if you are serious or if grave consequences occur to the first one who sticks their neck out. Don’t sit back and wait for things to happen. Be proactive and invite your employees’ involvement and communication. Praise them publicly for their ideas and for leading in the area of communication as an example for all to follow.
For Employees:
1) Speak up. Employees often make the mistake of keeping their suggestions and ideas to themselves out of fear. This is a big mistake. If employees don’t speak up to a supervisor, then they will never get the chance to see what good ideas or thoughts the employee might have to contribute.
2) Ask questions. There really is no such thing as a stupid question. Many employees are afraid of asking questions because they don’t want to sound stupid. If you do not ask questions you will never learn. Asking questions displays an eager attitude and a willingness to learn.
3) Don’t be afraid to disagree. Nobody likes a “yes droid”. Avoid the trap of simply agreeing with everything that your superior has to say. If you disagree about a specific point or topic, let them know, but make sure that you express this in a tactful, thoughtful and respectful manner. Ask your boss to “sell you’ on their idea. Your boss and coworkers will respect you more if you can show that you are capable of forming your own opinion.
A confidential employee survey administered by a third party is one of the most effective ways to amp up the two-way communication. This fall is an excellent time to gather input from your entire team to discover any communication barriers that might exist in your organization. And remember, NO SECRETS, NO SURPRISES.
