Getting a Jerk-Free Workplace

Want to rid your workplace of jerks and their bad attitudes? Dan Essad, human resources senior manager at Plante & Moran has a few suggestions that have worked for that firm:

• Develop a core set of values and live by them. At Plante & Moran, policies and procedures are aligned with the firm's core values and mission. The firm also strives to live by a short list of core values. These values are “hardwired” into the firm's culture, and they help to create a caring, respectful work environment.
• Screen out the jerks. At Plante & Moran, the firm uses several methods to make sure they're hiring the right kind of employee. For one, those who do the hiring assess candidates against personal qualities embedded in the company's performance management system. Having the right credentials and experience do not guarantee a job offer at Plante & Moran. New hires undergo a personality assessment and must fit into the firm's culture based on eight personal qualities: enthusiasm/drive, hardworking, honesty/integrity, initiative, judgment, personality/professionalism, reliability, and teamwork/collaboration. Those who do the hiring at the firm also use behavioral interviewing techniques and questions based on these attributes.
• Reward right behavior and good performance. Plante & Moran's performance management system rewards good behavior and discourages the bad. There's also a system in place for project reviews. And both are based on valued competencies, as well as the personal qualities and principles that the firm wants to promote in the workplace. At the same time, the firm's performance management system helps de-motivate or not reward behavior inconsistent with the firm’s values. In other words, bad behavior becomes a performance issue. When evaluating employees, the firm looks for honesty and integrity and whether they: achieve objectives in appropriate ways, choose the right course of action even in the face of adversity, and consistently communicate and make decisions that are candid, free from deception, and based on fact.
• No jerks, no exceptions. It's rare, but it happens. Despite a company's best efforts, sometimes jerks still get hired. When employees behave badly, sometimes they need to be shown the door. But often, the firm uses coaching to bring people back to behavior that aligns with the firm's values. At Plante & Moran, the firm's well-established mentoring program is just one way to provide this constructive coaching.
• Stay involved in the process. HR plays a large role in corporate responsibility and in helping to create a jerk-free environment. It does this through effective processes and performance management systems. And while it's important for HR to lay the groundwork in developing policies and procedures that help jerk-proof a workplace, it's equally important that HR remains involved to ensure that the systems continue to work and support the right kind of workplace environment.

To read more about what makes Plante & Moran one of Fortune magazine's “Best Companies to Work For,” click here.

Written by Jenny Cromie, certified human resources specialist (CHRS)