Case 1:

Email

To: Chris Perillo

From: Fanny Davidson, HR Manager

Date: 1 NovemberCONFIDENTIAL

Dear Chris, Welcome aboard! I am looking forward to working with you on HR matters. We have been experiencing a high level of turnover recently. I am quite concerned that we are finding it difficult to retain talent. My analysis of the issue points towards Mark who manages the Business Development function. I have heard that he puts a lot of pressure on his team to deliver new business opportunities. He is known to raise his voice and shout at staff members who I think are a bit scared of him. He tends to overcommit to potential clients/customers which then puts pressure on the software development teams. Recently, he promised one of our longstanding clients an upgrade to their existing system to be delivered within 10 weeks. This led to a heated argument between him and Brandon who heads the Software Development Department which many staff members witnessed. Brandon was adamant that the upgrade would take at least double the time as his software engineers are busy with other critical and time bound projects. He told Mark to "back off". Let me tell you that this is not the first time that they have had such arguments. All this impacts team morale and I am concerned that we may have more resignations coming our way. Apart from a drain on our resources, a high turnover rate damages our reputation and impacts our ability to recruit. I really don't know how to handle this situation. I am inclined to have a chat with Mark as the matter was brought to HR's attention. However, as his new Supervisor I thought it's best to update you first about this situation. Do you have any advice on how best to handle this problem? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Regards,

Fanny