Doc Holloway comments on some of the implications of the use of the term
"employee" and wonders if we might improve retention of friends and
colleagues if we eliminate the term.
I don't know, Doc. I know there are lots of companies where the term is
rarely used. A large pharmaceuticals firm with which I'm familiar uses
"colleague." "Associates" is another popular substitute. One way of
finding the answer would be to identify companies where "employee" is not
used and see how their retention rates compare with companies where it is
used.
In the spirit of your inquiry, I wonder if "retention" is the proper term
to use? It seems to me that the heart of your inquiry has to do with the
relationship between the individual and organization. "Retention" and
"retaining" are themselves terms that smack of ownership, of command and
control of resources.
I do know this: lots of companies are beginning to focus on attracting and
keeping talented, knowledgeable people. Nowhere is this more evident than
in some of the large consulting firms where they are once again beginning
to pay attention to career paths. It is as though they have awakened from
a stupor after a reengineering-downsizing binge and said, "Oops!"
Who knows? Despite its technological focus, knowledge management (KM)
might turn out to be a good thing for people after all.
--Fred Nickols The Distance Consulting Company "Assistance at A Distance" http://home.att.net/~nickols/distance.htm nickols@worldnet.att.net (609) 490-0095
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