Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) is an American manufacturer of glass, ceramics and related materials, primarily for industrial and scientific applications. The company was known as Corning Glass Works until 1989, when it changed its name to Corning Incorporated. Corning sold its consumer line of Corelle tableware and Pyrex cookware[when?], but still holds an ~8% interest. Corning allocates a significant amount of revenue (~10%) towards research and development. As of 2008, Corning has five major business sectors: Display Technologies, Environmental Technologies, Life Sciences, Telecommunications and Specialty Materials. Corning is also involved in several joint equity ventures. These include Dow Corning, as well as two companies, Quest Diagnostics and Covance, that were spun off from Corning
Effective orientation programs, where new employees are introduced to a company's mission and begin to feel they are a vital part of the team, are key to sparking early productivity and improving employee retention.
A study at Corning Glass found new employees who went through a positive employee orientation program were 69 percent more likely to be with the company three years later than those who did not. A similar, two-year study at Texas Instruments concluded that employees who had been carefully oriented to the company and their jobs reached full productivity two months sooner than those who hadn't.
"In today's labor market, new employees know they can quit and start somewhere else tomorrow," says Mel Kleiman, managing partner of the Hire Tough Group, which specializes in proven approaches to employee recruitment, selection and retention. "Orientation should be geared toward reinforcing new employees' 'buying decisions.' The focus must be on convincing them they made the right choice when they signed on."
Employees will never be more enthusiastic, hopeful, and energetic than during the first few days on the job. Those days will either spark a fire of enthusiasm or fan the flames of doubt about the commitment the new worker has made. A dismal orientation, or the lack of one, can turn a new recruit into a cynical slacker or, even worse, into someone not bad enough to fire, but not good enough to add value either.
Kleiman, author of "Hire Tough, Manage Easy - How to Find and Hire the Best Hourly Employees," believes that employers have to address what's foremost on employees' minds. "These are the same issues that worry kids on their first day of school each year: 'Will they like me?' 'Will I be safe here?' 'How hard is the work?' 'How will I be graded?'"
Without a well-planned orientation, new employees end up confused. The employer's lack of direction and disorganized approach rapidly diminishes the employee's commitment to the company.
Just a little effort on the employer's part will make that employer seem significantly better than any organization the employee has worked for before. "Employers are laying a foundation for failure when new employees are thrown into the fray without orientation," says Kleiman. "First impressions are lasting and, when you have a good orientation program, the effort invested will keep people motivated and loyal in spite of the inevitable frustrations that come up on any job."
It is important for the corporation to unanimously support the
lactation program for it to be successful.
��Make the process interdisciplinary to create more “buy in”. When beginning a
program involve employees, management, health care personnel, building
managers and a Lactation Consultant.
��Each manager and supervisor has to support his/her employees inthe
program.
��A Lactation Consultant is the key to the effective utilization of the program. A
program without a Lactation Consultant is only a room with equipment in it and
utilization rates and satisfaction rates are low.
��The program should be constantly evaluated to determine its effectiveness
and quality.
Employee turnover rates have, within the last several years, become a nationwide
epidemic. Employees no longer feel the sense of company loyalty that once existed.
Increasing numbers of corporate mergers and acquisitions have left employees feeling
detached from the companies that they serve and haunted by concerns of overall job
security. As a result, workers are now making strategic career moves to ensure
employment that meets their need for security.
This fact is clearly represented by growing employee turnover rates. In a recent
article, the Employment Policy Foundation (EPF) (2004) highlights that “for the twelve
months ending August 2004, average employee turnover costs reached $13, 355, up 6.8
percent from its December 2002 level” (p. 2). The voluntary employee turnover rates
released by the U. S. Department of Labor in November, 2004 paint a similar picture.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was an overall average increase in
employee turnover in the U. S. from 19.2% in 2003 to 20.2% in 2004. Weinberg (1997)
reports that “too many service companies face employee turnover rates of 50 percent to
100 percent per year or even higher”
Fostering employee commitment can have a great impact on decreasing turnover
rates. “Research shows commitment has a positive effect on productivity, turnover and
employees willingness to help co-workers” (Bishop, 1997, p. 4). In fact, increased
employee commitment has been shown to improve team performance and productivity
and decrease absenteeism, turnover, and intention to quit. However, companies can take
action to ensure that these increasing trends are minimized within their own individual
cultures. Therefore, strong retention strategy must be implemented. Byrnes (2002) notes
that there are five essential steps for a company to develop an effective retention strategy.
First, a corporate values system must be defined based upon the organization’s values and
vision. These values must guide the company and identify those employees desiring to
move in the same direction. Next, trust must be established within all parts of the
business. “Security comes from trust and trust comes from honesty and communication.
The bottom line is that employees want to know their employer will be straightforward
with them…Establish a process for sharing important information related to your
business with your employees” (Byrnes, 2002, P. 4). Third, assess employee priorities
through surveying. The answers will allow an organization to structure effective reward
programs, thus increasing employee satisfaction. Fourth, Byrnes recommends doing
industry homework. Companies need to understand competitors’’ compensation and
benefit programs.
In addition to elevated employee turnover rates being a frustration for employers,
they can become a financial concern as well. The EPF believes average turnover costs to
be 25 percent of an employee’s annual salary (2004). Other studies have proposed that
the cost of replacing lost talent is even higher, as much as 70 to 200 percent of that
employee’s annual salary (Kaye, 2000). Expanding on these thoughts, the EPF (2004)
stated that “for a firm with 40,000 full-time employees, the difference between a 15-
percent turnover rate and a 25-percent turnover rate is over $50 million annually. The
difference between a 15-percent turnover rate and a 40-percent turnover rate is over $130
million annually” (p. 2).
Kay (2000) justifies such costs in “…advertising and recruiting expenses,
orientation and training of the new employee, decreased productivity until the new
employee is up to speed, and loss of customers who were loyal to the departing
employee” (p. 9). The costs mentioned above touch upon another area of concern:
productivity. When a high rate of employee turnover exists, most of the workforce is at
an entry level stage of production. A very high cost is associated with large numbers of
employees who have not reached full productivity. This cycle continues with very few
employees performing at maximum productivity.
Effective orientation programs, where new employees are introduced to a company's mission and begin to feel they are a vital part of the team, are key to sparking early productivity and improving employee retention.
A study at Corning Glass found new employees who went through a positive employee orientation program were 69 percent more likely to be with the company three years later than those who did not. A similar, two-year study at Texas Instruments concluded that employees who had been carefully oriented to the company and their jobs reached full productivity two months sooner than those who hadn't.
"In today's labor market, new employees know they can quit and start somewhere else tomorrow," says Mel Kleiman, managing partner of the Hire Tough Group, which specializes in proven approaches to employee recruitment, selection and retention. "Orientation should be geared toward reinforcing new employees' 'buying decisions.' The focus must be on convincing them they made the right choice when they signed on."
Employees will never be more enthusiastic, hopeful, and energetic than during the first few days on the job. Those days will either spark a fire of enthusiasm or fan the flames of doubt about the commitment the new worker has made. A dismal orientation, or the lack of one, can turn a new recruit into a cynical slacker or, even worse, into someone not bad enough to fire, but not good enough to add value either.
Kleiman, author of "Hire Tough, Manage Easy - How to Find and Hire the Best Hourly Employees," believes that employers have to address what's foremost on employees' minds. "These are the same issues that worry kids on their first day of school each year: 'Will they like me?' 'Will I be safe here?' 'How hard is the work?' 'How will I be graded?'"
Without a well-planned orientation, new employees end up confused. The employer's lack of direction and disorganized approach rapidly diminishes the employee's commitment to the company.
Just a little effort on the employer's part will make that employer seem significantly better than any organization the employee has worked for before. "Employers are laying a foundation for failure when new employees are thrown into the fray without orientation," says Kleiman. "First impressions are lasting and, when you have a good orientation program, the effort invested will keep people motivated and loyal in spite of the inevitable frustrations that come up on any job."
It is important for the corporation to unanimously support the
lactation program for it to be successful.
��Make the process interdisciplinary to create more “buy in”. When beginning a
program involve employees, management, health care personnel, building
managers and a Lactation Consultant.
��Each manager and supervisor has to support his/her employees inthe
program.
��A Lactation Consultant is the key to the effective utilization of the program. A
program without a Lactation Consultant is only a room with equipment in it and
utilization rates and satisfaction rates are low.
��The program should be constantly evaluated to determine its effectiveness
and quality.
Employee turnover rates have, within the last several years, become a nationwide
epidemic. Employees no longer feel the sense of company loyalty that once existed.
Increasing numbers of corporate mergers and acquisitions have left employees feeling
detached from the companies that they serve and haunted by concerns of overall job
security. As a result, workers are now making strategic career moves to ensure
employment that meets their need for security.
This fact is clearly represented by growing employee turnover rates. In a recent
article, the Employment Policy Foundation (EPF) (2004) highlights that “for the twelve
months ending August 2004, average employee turnover costs reached $13, 355, up 6.8
percent from its December 2002 level” (p. 2). The voluntary employee turnover rates
released by the U. S. Department of Labor in November, 2004 paint a similar picture.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was an overall average increase in
employee turnover in the U. S. from 19.2% in 2003 to 20.2% in 2004. Weinberg (1997)
reports that “too many service companies face employee turnover rates of 50 percent to
100 percent per year or even higher”
Fostering employee commitment can have a great impact on decreasing turnover
rates. “Research shows commitment has a positive effect on productivity, turnover and
employees willingness to help co-workers” (Bishop, 1997, p. 4). In fact, increased
employee commitment has been shown to improve team performance and productivity
and decrease absenteeism, turnover, and intention to quit. However, companies can take
action to ensure that these increasing trends are minimized within their own individual
cultures. Therefore, strong retention strategy must be implemented. Byrnes (2002) notes
that there are five essential steps for a company to develop an effective retention strategy.
First, a corporate values system must be defined based upon the organization’s values and
vision. These values must guide the company and identify those employees desiring to
move in the same direction. Next, trust must be established within all parts of the
business. “Security comes from trust and trust comes from honesty and communication.
The bottom line is that employees want to know their employer will be straightforward
with them…Establish a process for sharing important information related to your
business with your employees” (Byrnes, 2002, P. 4). Third, assess employee priorities
through surveying. The answers will allow an organization to structure effective reward
programs, thus increasing employee satisfaction. Fourth, Byrnes recommends doing
industry homework. Companies need to understand competitors’’ compensation and
benefit programs.
In addition to elevated employee turnover rates being a frustration for employers,
they can become a financial concern as well. The EPF believes average turnover costs to
be 25 percent of an employee’s annual salary (2004). Other studies have proposed that
the cost of replacing lost talent is even higher, as much as 70 to 200 percent of that
employee’s annual salary (Kaye, 2000). Expanding on these thoughts, the EPF (2004)
stated that “for a firm with 40,000 full-time employees, the difference between a 15-
percent turnover rate and a 25-percent turnover rate is over $50 million annually. The
difference between a 15-percent turnover rate and a 40-percent turnover rate is over $130
million annually” (p. 2).
Kay (2000) justifies such costs in “…advertising and recruiting expenses,
orientation and training of the new employee, decreased productivity until the new
employee is up to speed, and loss of customers who were loyal to the departing
employee” (p. 9). The costs mentioned above touch upon another area of concern:
productivity. When a high rate of employee turnover exists, most of the workforce is at
an entry level stage of production. A very high cost is associated with large numbers of
employees who have not reached full productivity. This cycle continues with very few
employees performing at maximum productivity.