An interview with Denarius

Denarius Human Resources is a firm led by Chuck Lindberg and Heather Lintner that offers a range of human resources services, particularly relating to compensation. But in this interview, Chuck and Heather discuss the ways they can help companies eliminate performance review systems.

The interview is presented in the RealMedia format. I've broken it up into chunks to make your download time shorter and also to allow you to listen to it in parts without having to start over at the beginning.

Note: The files below are in the Real Media format. They download faster for listening.
If you'd rather have these files on a CD, so you can listen to them in the car, click here.

Part 1: 7:52

• Introductions
• Services Denarius offers clients
• Where the idea for the "No Performance Review" program came from

Part 2: 8:27

• Objections...how would we handle pay, feedback, terminations?
• There's no research supporting performance reviews
• There are other systems to handle pay, feedback and discipline
• What about firing someone legally?
• Examples of replacement systems for discipline and compensation.

Part 3: 7:18

• Systems thinking vs individual performance reviews...the weakness of trying to improve organizational performance one person at a time
• What can Denarius offer?
• What if a company doesn't have an Human Resource (HR) person?
• What if a company doesn't have sophisticated HR systems?

Part 4: 6:49

• What do I need from Denarius to do this?
• Example of work Denarius did at a "good sized manufacturing" firm.

Part 5: 6:30

• Where might a company start with Denarius?

Further information about Denarius Human Resources:

• Click here to request a readiness tip sheet from Denarius
• Click here to check out the Denarius web site

What is the significance of the word Denarius mean?

A Denarius was a Roman gold coin valued at 25 silver denarii.

The inspiration for the name of Denarius Human Resources, Inc. came from a parable which we believe documents the first employment relationship problem.

In this parable, an employer hires a worker at the beginning of the day and both agree that a fair wage for a day's work is one denarii (a Roman coin). Throughout the day, the employer continues to hire workers, telling them that he will pay them fairly at the end of the day.

At the end of the day, the employer paid each worker one denarii although each worker did not work the same amount of time: one worked a full 10 hour day, another 6 hours, while another only 2 hours. The result was that although the employee who agreed to work the full day for one denarii had originally felt that was a fair wage, ultimately when comparing himself to how the other workers were compensated, believed he had been unfairly treated.

So goes the first documented employment relationship problem between employers and workers - paying competitively, retaining talent, motivating employees, and rewarding excellence.