HR (Human Resources)

Most Topular Stories
Many Employers Looking to Hire this Summer, Survey Finds

Human Resource News

16 May 2012 | 8:11 am

Looking for a summer job? Well, there's good news for you. A new report out Wednesday by CareerBuilder.com says employers in many industries are boosting their hiring plans.
The Cure for Horrible Employees and Bosses

Improving Employee Engagement & Leadership

jrembach

31 Oct 2011 | 2:12 am

In a Harvard Business Review article, The Cure for Horrible Bosses by Rosabeth M. Kanter she talks about the dark comedy film Horrible Bosses and how you can neutralize a bad boss. She states as many as half of American workers feel low levels of employee engagement stem from poor management. To explain how to overcome the affects of a bad boss she talks about a character Pierre that was placed into a low performing subsidiary as a COO. In the organization, the CEO was an imperialistic and antagonistic boss that immediately resented Pierre’s presence. After a bout of depression,…
Hold those employees accountable, not me

Improving Employee Engagement & Leadership

jrembach

15 May 2012 | 7:50 pm

Why is it employees want consequences placed on others that they wouldn’t place on themselves? It is very typical that people ask me what my opinion is about certain real-life and hypothetical situations in order to extract my opinion. The other day I was conducting a business briefing and was asked how I would respond to a real situation that my questioner Mark experienced. He described to me a situation where a group of employees were not providing the level of passion and commitment the company was looking for. He said this group was responsible for supporting a very…
employer won’t give me a fair chance to interview

Ask a Manager

Ask a Manager

16 May 2012 | 12:27 am

A reader writes: I am a middle-aged mom who is trying her hardest to re-enter the workforce. I worked part-time when my youngest was in high school three years ago for a year and half, but my job got eliminated. I went back to college for a year and received my certificate as a Medical Secretary. I have applied at a health system (this includes hospital and clinics; they are combined) for about a year and half, even back when I was in school. I got one interview in 2010 before I went back to school, but although the HR lady said I interviewed quite well, they let someone within have the…
Training will not Fix a Toxic Workplace

Improving Employee Engagement & Leadership

jrembach

24 Feb 2012 | 12:30 am

There have been times when I have entered a workplace and just felt the weight of the emotional tension. The air was so thick that it was hard to breathe despite it being a smoke free environment. When you looked around you could see the employees walking around on tip toes with their shoulders slumped over. The first time I walked into a place and felt this, my first assumption was the leader must be a tyrant. While that is a very understandable assumption to make, after investigation I found this was not the case. Actually the manager was a nice person and very easy to get along with. While…

Career Hub
What do you really know about a prospective employer?

Louise Garver

15 May 2012 | 9:05 am

The internet has made easy work of finding potential candidates through social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Executive membership sites have thrived in the last ten years providing executives with job search information and recruiters with a database of...
Job Loss: He Said What?

billiesucher

10 May 2012 | 3:02 pm

In graduate school, I recall taking a Stress Management course. I also recall learning that next to death and divorce, job loss is a leading stress inducer. And with the loss of a job, all shapes and sorts of emotions...
Kuh-hoh-neys and Your Job Search

billiesucher

9 May 2012 | 3:47 pm

I love listening to my clients – they always keep me thinking. And what I have been thinking about of recent is this word: kahonies – a word a client used to describe her former boss. She said that her...
5 Ways NOT to Let Your Network Know about Your Job Search

Jc

8 May 2012 | 2:15 pm

Avoid these easy but unhelpful ways to let folks know you are in job search mode: 1. Send out a mass email. 2. Only put an update on LinkedIn 3. Tell them you are looking for a job and ask...
Can Executives be Perceived as “Too Smart”?

Louise Garver

8 May 2012 | 12:14 pm

Executives rise to the top of an organization for a variety of reasons that include: thinking outside the box, vision, business savvy, strategies, and the intelligence to see the big picture and drill it down to deliverables. These are attributes...

Lance Haun
The LA Riots And How Sports Can Help Understand The World Beyond It

Lance Haun

30 Apr 2012 | 8:37 am

I remember the LA riots but I shouldn’t. I was 10 when the riots happened 20 years ago and I lived another world away in Portland. Other events from that time are a bit hazy (the first Gulf War, my parent’s divorce) but I remember the LA riots for some reason. Why? Sports. Specifically, my Portland Trail Blazers were playing the hated Los Angeles Lakers the night the riots broke out. Arash Markazi at ESPN has a great breakdown of its impact on the Lakers and Clippers. But for me at least, it helped underscore the way sports can help people understand the world, current events and…
Break Your Routines

Lance Haun

17 Apr 2012 | 8:40 am

My wife and I are moving again. This time, it’s not very far. About 5 miles from where we live, to a better neighborhood that’s closer to my wife’s work. We’re excited to move out of our small, outdated apartment into a newer townhouse with a garage, lawn and patio. Not to mention a gas stove because a year of trying to cook on standard electric burners has left me exasperated and feeling like I had the ultimate first world problem. I’ve moved six times in eight years. I was pretty sure that was a huge number until my buddy George LaRocque told me he moved five…
The Beauty Of Imbalance

Lance Haun

11 Apr 2012 | 8:14 am

Anyone can give a balanced opinion on any matter. Research the different sides of an issue and then present all of those different sides in an intelligent manner. It’s not always easy to do but executing on it isn’t a problem if you know how to properly research and write. If you are unsure, you can have multiple people look at it to make sure you have balanced the issues correctly. Of course, the idea of fair and balanced is rightly mocked when it clearly isn’t so but even truly balancing the issues leaves something to be desired. I can’t tell you the number of times…
Hero Or Villain? In Greg Smith’s Case, It Doesn’t Matter

Lance Haun

21 Mar 2012 | 8:07 am

Many words have been written about Greg Smith’s resignation letter from Goldman Sachs that was published in the NY Times last week. Many story lines emerged from it but the one that intrigued me the most was the debate of whether he held the moral high ground or if he is just a publicity hound, happy to throw his co-workers under the bus on his way out? Several things should be noted. First, not too many people can just walk off the job and napalm the bridge on their way out. Smith made good money and even a reasonable amount of savings over the course of those dozen years could…
Your Opinions Are Your Own? A Few Reasons Why That Disclaimer Is Ridiculous

Lance Haun

15 Mar 2012 | 8:24 am

“Opinions are my own.” It’s a standard disclaimer on many of the Twitter accounts I see out there. You’re an HR or recruiting pro in the great wide world and you hear that you should get on the Twitters from some person at a conference or in a publication somewhere. Only, one of two things happen: 1. You create the account without checking and think that by putting that disclaimer there, you are somehow protecting yourself and company OR 2. You check and your boss or PR person requires you put the disclaimer on there, somehow protecting the company I’ll tell you…

Human Resource News
Co-op Item Level Inventory Specialist

16 May 2012 | 12:20 pm

Thank you for your interest in the Co-op Item Level Inventory Specialist. To begin the application process, please enter your email address.
Many Employers Looking to Hire this Summer, Survey Finds

16 May 2012 | 8:11 am

Looking for a summer job? Well, there's good news for you. A new report out Wednesday by CareerBuilder.com says employers in many industries are boosting their hiring plans.
Clinical Administrative Coordinator - New York, NY

16 May 2012 | 6:01 am

Thank you for your interest in the Clinical Administrative Coordinator - New York, NY.
Russell Reynolds Associates to Host Panel on CIO Leadership at the 2012 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

16 May 2012 | 1:46 am

Russell Reynolds Associates, a leading global executive search and assessment firm, announced that Shawn Banerji, a managing director serving the global technology sector, will lead a CIO panel discussion at the 2012 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium in Cambridge, Mass.
Facebook Said to Seek Directors Who Can Add Diversity to Board

15 May 2012 | 9:36 pm

Facebook Inc. is seeking to add directors, including at least one woman, who can add diversity to its all-male board , people with knowledge of the matter said.

Human Resources News - Human Resources News Headlines | Bizjournals.com
Merry Maids to hire 1,000 new U.S. employees

16 May 2012 | 1:29 pm

Merry Maids will hire about 1,000 new employees for its 70 company-owned locations and 400 franchises throughout the U.S. The Memphis-based home cleaning franchise will host a week-long hiring event May 21-25, during which all interested candidates can apply online for jobs at jobs.merrymaids.com. Local managers have committed to follow up with almost all qualified applicants within 24 hours for telephone interviews. The jobs available are both full- and part-time and are primarily home cleaning...
Bradenton Herald parent company announces management changes

16 May 2012 | 1:28 pm

The McClatchy Co. (NYSE: MNI) has named Elaine Lintecum vice president of finance and chief financial officer, and put Mark Zieman, vice president of operations, in charge of Florida operations. Lintecum replaces Patrick J. Talamantes, who effective Wednesday is McClatchy's president and chief executive, according to a written statement. Talamantes replaced Gary Pruitt, as previously reported. Zieman will oversee Florida publications including the Bradenton Herald, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo...
Transport Workers Union groups split on American Airlines contract offer

16 May 2012 | 12:41 pm

Five Transport Workers Union work groups ratified new contracts with American Airlines during weekend voting, but two groups rejected the airline’s final proposals. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline and the TWU announced Tuesday that the fleet service, dispatch, maintenance control technicians, simulator technicians, and ground school and simulator pilot instructors work groups approved the deals. The agreements cover about 11,000 employees. The mechanics and stores work groups — covering...
Paragon Technology hires former Booz Allen Hamilton exec

16 May 2012 | 12:20 pm

Vienna-based Paragon Technology Group Inc. has named David Gordon as vice president of its health care IT practice, Washington Technology reported. Gordon was most recently a principal of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.'s health market business. He will be responsible for leading the division in delivering advanced health care IT solutions to government clients.
Cisco to open Hawaii networking academy Friday at Honolulu Community College

16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm

Cisco Systems Inc. will open its first Hawaii Cisco Networking Academy at Honolulu Community College on Friday, a program to teach students how to design, build and manage computer networks and prepare them for information and communications technology jobs. The University of Hawaii will provide classroom space, computer lab equipment and instructors Honolulu Community College Networking Academy, while San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) will provide free online course, teacher training...

HR Vendor News
GIS Receives Background Screening Credentialing Council Accreditation from NAPBS

admin

16 May 2012 | 11:00 am

Chapin, S.C. — General Information Services, Inc. (GIS), a leading provider of background screening and talent acquisition solutions, has achieved accreditation through NAPBS’ Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP). The accreditation program, established by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) and managed by the Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC), ensures that background screening companies follow high standards in dealing with background checks and personal data. “GIS has always been known for providing high…
IHRIM Extends HR Technology Expertise at World at Work Conference

admin

16 May 2012 | 8:03 am

The International Association for Human Resource Information Management (IHRIM), the world’s leading clearinghouse for the HRIM (Human Resource Information Management) industry, today announced that it will be represented at the Total Rewards 2012 Conference, May 21-23, in Orlando, FL. Located at booth 129, IHRIM will be onsite to provide HR Technology insights as well as answer questions about the benefits of becoming a member of IHRIM and the options available to earn the Human Resource Information Professional (HRIP) credential through IHRIM’s HRIP Professional Certification…
The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism Gears Up for West Coast Conference

admin

16 May 2012 | 8:00 am

LAS VEGAS, May 15, 2012—In just two months, the U.S. health care landscape could change drastically. As businesses across the country brace for the Supreme Court verdict on the controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, medical costs continue to rise while workers grow more dissatisfied with the limited offerings of their employer-sponsored health plans. Many forward-thinking corporations are opting to cut expenses and boost employee morale by adopting health care consumerism, a business strategy that involves putting health care decision making and purchasing…
Select International Announces Six New Hires, One Promotion

admin

16 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Select International, a global employee assessment and hiring solutions provider, recently announced the hiring of 6 team members and the promotion of one employee. The following key additions were made to the Consulting, Sales and Technology departments. Mike Ward recently joined the company’s Sales Team as Business Development Manager. In this role, Mike will work with new and existing clients to deliver employee assessment and development solutions. A long-time contributor to the Talent Management space, Mike has provided more than 25 years of consulting to help organizations…
Staff Management | SMX Named as Finalist in Three Categories in 2012 American Business Awards

admin

16 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Staff Management | SMX, the industry’s leading provider of comprehensive staffing solutions, was named a Finalist in the Company of the Year, Executive of the Year and Customer Service Department of the Year categories in the 2012 American Business Awards. Other finalists include Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Ford Motor Company, ING DIRECT, NASCAR, Overstock.com and YouSendIt. Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May. More than 150 members of 10 specialized judging…

Punk Rock Human Resources
Punk Rock HR is Never Coming Back

Laurie

25 Apr 2012 | 3:39 pm

Thank you for asking but I’m not going to start Punk Rock HR again. Here’s why. One person’s “over 35 punk rock” is another person’s “white trash.” It’s a fine line. — Laurie Ruettimann (@lruettimann) April 13, 2012 I have a blog called The Cynical Girl. That’s where I am. You can buy text links on this site, though. Just email me.
This Blog Is Retired

Laurie

8 Jun 2011 | 4:43 pm

You can find me here.
Ken Ruettimann Ends Punk Rock HR

Laurie

26 Aug 2010 | 5:45 am

Today’s guest post is from Ken Ruettimann who still doesn’t tweet. Hello readers of PRHR! Laurie has given me the opportunity to contribute to Punk Rock HR on her final day of blogging. I suspect that she just wants to slack off a day early, but whatever her motives, I am happy to have the chance to write this last post. I have been here from the beginning. Laurie started blogging in 2004. I really didn’t understand what she was doing and I had no idea why anyone would read it, but I was her biggest fan. She was having fun and learning something new. By the way, her first blog was named…
Longest Goodbye EVAR

Laurie

25 Aug 2010 | 5:45 am

Tomorrow is my last post on Punk Rock HR. I keep getting asked, “What the hell are you doing? Why are you leaving Punk Rock HR?” My goal is to have a portfolio career. You should have one, too. I will still blog about my life izmir escort and my thoughts. I am still attending conferences and speaking to HR professionals, recruiters, and job seekers. And crazy homeless people on the street. I am still writing for The Conference Board Review and a million other sites. I will continue my work as a Human Resources consultant. I am launching an event that will provide advice to…
Punk Rock HR Blog Lessons: Boundaries

Laurie

24 Aug 2010 | 5:45 am

I’m not very good with boundaries on the internet, which is a real pain-in-the-ass because I didn’t realize this problem until it was too late. I was well into my third year of blogging at Punk Rock HR before I realized, hey, maybe I need to be a little less friendly and a little more direct with people. I am an idiot. The problem starts and ends with the me. I like to meet new people and hear stories. I ask probing questions. I should really STFU and mind my mont own business, but I assume that everything will be fine. Most of the time, everything is fine. I meet new people and…

HR news from People Management
Work Programme risks 'parking' long-term jobseekers

16 May 2012 | 6:16 am

The government must address risks in the Work Programme's pay-per-results system that mean the hardest to place jobseekers could be "parked and ignored", a select committee has urged.
Unemployment fell by 45,000 in first quarter

16 May 2012 | 5:30 am

UK unemployment dropped by 45,000 in the first three months of this year to 2.63 million, official figures have shown.
CIPD appoints Peter Cheese as new CEO

16 May 2012 | 4:08 am

The CIPD has today announced the appointment of Peter Cheese as its new Chief Executive.
Recession 'bringing about innovative reward practices'

15 May 2012 | 10:04 am

Tight budgets since the onset of recession in 2008 have made reward practitioners explore more innovative approaches to motivating talent, delegates at the CIPD Reward conference heard.
Network Rail faces equal pay claim

15 May 2012 | 6:34 am

Female employees at Network Rail have started a large equal pay claim against their employer after a union survey revealed a gender pay gap of as much as GBP10,000.

HUMAN RESOURCES NEWS - Google News
Garofalo moves into top HR role at Unum, Farrar announces retirement - MarketWatch (press release)

16 May 2012 | 1:32 pm

Garofalo moves into top HR role at Unum, Farrar announces retirementMarketWatch (press release)CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., May 16, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) today announced that Diane Garofalo will become the new senior vice president of Corporate Human Resources. Eileen Farrar, who currently holds that position, has announced her UNUM GROUP : Garofalo moves into top HR role at Unum, Farrar announces retirement4-tradersall 2 news articles »
Alcoa Brazil One of the Best Companies to Start a Career - MarketWatch (press release)

16 May 2012 | 1:01 pm

Alcoa Brazil One of the Best Companies to Start a CareerMarketWatch (press release)NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alcoa (NYSE:AA) in Brazil was selected as one of the 30 best companies to start a career, according to Voce S/A magazine, Brazil's leading human resources publication. As a top company, Alcoa is included as a and more »
Former HR manager charged with embezzling more than $500000 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

16 May 2012 | 12:44 pm

Former HR manager charged with embezzling more than $500000Milwaukee Journal SentinelBy John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel A former human resources manager working for a Pewaukee-based manufacturer has been charged in federal court with embezzling more than $576000 over five years, according to court documents. Susan D. Tatro, 44,
HR Manager EMEA, Baden Wuertemberg, Germany, Semiconductors, SS5883 - ElectronicsWeekly.com

16 May 2012 | 5:07 am

HR Manager EMEA, Baden Wuertemberg, Germany, Semiconductors, SS5883ElectronicsWeekly.comTo support their Corporate HR Team they are currently looking for HR Manager EMEA (m/w). . BSc in HR or equivalent and a min. of 5 yrs. experience gained through increasingly responsible positions in HR . Provides human resources expertise to multiple
New Human Resources Product - DirectPay Now Offers HRDirect! - PR Web (press release)

16 May 2012 | 12:03 am

PR Web (press release)New Human Resources Product - DirectPay Now Offers HRDirect!PR Web (press release)DirectPay, a leading provider of payroll and tax-filling services, now offers HRDirect, a completely self-service human resources module. HRDirect is another tool that DirectPay is pleased to offer their clients to help them more easily meet their and more »

HR Morning
Making sense of ‘special circumstance’ pay pitfalls

Dan Wisniewski

16 May 2012 | 11:47 am

You know when non-exempt staff have to be paid for off-the-clock time or travel. But what about these other wage and hour pitfalls? Here are six compensable time issues that every HR pro should know how to handle, courtesy of Grace Lee and Robert Friedman of Venable LLP. Seminars and training Non-exempt workers who attend a lecture, a seminar or a training program outside the office don’t have to be paid if the event meets the following criteria: attendance is voluntary attendance is outside the employee’s regular working hours the event is not directly related to staffers’…
Court confirms it: Honest mistake doesn’t mean doom in FMLA suit

Dan Wisniewski

16 May 2012 | 11:40 am

If you fire a staffer for allegedly abusing leave and then turn out to be wrong, you can still win in court — if you meet this one requirement. Tom Seeger, a network technician who worked for the same firm for nearly 30 years, suffered from a herniated lumbar disc and was approved for FMLA leave. His doctor stated that he could do “no work,” including light duty. That meant, under his company’s policies, that he could receive paid disability leave while out on FMLA. Four days later, two co-workers ran into a “seemingly unimpaired” Seeger with his wife at…
Great — yet another way FMLA can trip you up legally

Dan Wisniewski

12 May 2012 | 11:25 am

Employees are eligible for FMLA if they have a serious health condition which results in a “period of incapacity of more than three, consecutive full calendar days.” So why did a court recently rule that an employee was protected under FMLA even though she only missed two days of work? Two competing medical issues Angela Fries, an administrative assistant for a telemarketing company, was diagnosed with a number of medical conditions, including herpes and a bladder disease. Both conditions caused her great pain and discomfort. On one particular Friday, Fries didn’t come to…
More evidence: Misclassifying employees could cost you big

Tim Gould

11 May 2012 | 1:18 pm

If you still need more ammo in the fight to straighten up your employee classification procedures, here it is. Wage-and-hour complaints are on the increase — causing companies more trouble and costing them more money than in recent years. Employers settled nearly 110 wage-and-hour cases in 2011, more than double the 40 settlements in 2007 and 2008. Worse: The majority of settlements were substantial – between $1 million and $2.5 million. That’s according to a National Economic Research Associates report entitled Trends in Wage and Hour Settlements: 2011 Update. OT claims and…
Bill would bar asking for applicants’ social media passwords

Jared Bilski

11 May 2012 | 11:57 am

When some businesses began asking job applicants for their social media passwords, critics were immediately up in arms over privacy issues. So you knew it was only a matter of time before something like this wound up on the table. The Password Protection Act of 2012 (PPA) has been introduced in both the House and the Senate in an effort to keep employers from requiring prospective — and current — employees to hand over personal info, such as passwords for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The PPA would also keep employers from accessing info on any computer…

HRM Today Featured Posts
Walking A Tightrope

Chuck Csizmar

16 May 2012 | 11:00 am

No one has ever said that management was easy. When you’re responsible for a group of employees, no matter how many, experienced managers will tell you that they often find themselves walking a tightrope, balancing the needs and demands of the company against their own personal wants and those of their employees. Think of a circus high-wire act, absent the flashy costumes and painted faces. The left hand On the one hand you have a manager’s natural desire to do “whatever needs to be done” to make themselves and their staff (often in that order) a success. These…
Don’t snoop on recruits Facebook profiles

Adi Gaskell

8 May 2012 | 12:00 pm

News broke last month of recruiters requesting the Facebook login details of job candidates in order to screen profiles prior to offering them a position. The news set off a firestorm of controversy about what recruiters had the right to ask for. The debate soon broadened with news reports that a teaching assistant was fired by her employer for not allowing them access to her Facebook profile. This rapid progression of controversy has prompted some states to sponsor bills that would make such requests illegal. What’s driving this invasive trend is the perceived importance of what gets…
Pitfalls of online recruitment test

Adi Gaskell

3 May 2012 | 1:26 pm

Despite recent research suggesting that a cursory glance over a candidates Facebook profile is more effective at predicting future career success than an online recruitment test, such test still remain enduringly popular with HR departments. Online tests for recruitment are widely used and routinely result in specific feedback to applicants in order to communicate decisions, emphasise the pedigree of the process to forestall complaints and to benefit the candidate. But does it deliver on these fronts, particularly when candidates have failed to meet the required threshold? Sonja Schinkel and…
What’s The Fuss about Cost of Living?

Chuck Csizmar

29 Mar 2012 | 12:00 pm

“Why doesn’t my company consider inflation when determining my pay increase?” What this employee is asking is, shouldn’t my annual increase percentage at least match the cost of living? And as management is forever touting the company’s ”pay-for-performance” philosophy, shouldn’t my increase be higher than that, given that I’m a good performer? Have you ever been in a situation where an employee complains to you that their pay increase is no better than the inflation rate? Or worse, that it’s lower? As a further aggravation they might ask you how the company can…
Employee Engagement through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives

Patrick Bradshaw

27 Mar 2012 | 12:00 pm

Interview with Carol Sinclair, Senior Director, People & Organization at VON Carol Sinclair answered a series of questions written by marcus evans before the forthcoming 3rd Internal Branding & Employee Engagement Conference, April 30-May 2, 2012 in Toronto, Canada. All responses represent the view of Ms. Sinclair and not necessarily those of VON. What are some of the remarkable programs VON is currently working on to drive the internal culture and engage employees? CS: VON Canada business strategy has at its core a focus on being the best place to work and volunteer for our 5,000…

Complinet HR
Better wellbeing: Increasing private health focus on preventative medicine and addressing absence rates

15 May 2012 | 12:10 am

Healthcare is increasingly expensive, even when delivered by National Health Service (NHS) doctors, nurses and hospitals, because groundbreaking new treatments carry breath-taking price tags.
JPMorgan CIO Drew retires after giant trading loss

15 May 2012 | 12:00 am

LONDON/NEW YORK, May 14 (Reuters) - The leader of JPMorgan Chase & Co's hedging unit is retiring, the bank said on Monday, marking the first casualty from stunning trading losses that experts say could exceed $3 billion.
Reward strategies may be futile if communication does not improve, warns CIPD

15 May 2012 | 12:00 am

The majority of employers in the UK could be wasting the money they spend on salaries and benefits by leaving employees in the dark about the true value of the total package.
Jamie Dimon should show some clawback cojones

15 May 2012 | 12:00 am

(Reuters Breakingviews) - It's time for Jamie Dimon to show some clawback cojones.
Lloyds hires Bester as new CEO wholesale

15 May 2012 | 12:00 am

(Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group on Monday said it had recruited Standard Chartered banker Andrew Bester to fill its vacant position as head of wholesale banking.

Seasonal Human Resources Blog
Guest Post by Peter Weddle - Practice Economic Disobedience in Your Job Search

Kari Quaas

2 May 2012 | 1:50 pm

What would you do if you were approached by a secret online group of workplace activists who said vulture capitalists had rigged the job market against you? And, how would you react if they also told you that the only way to protect yourself was to practice “economic disobedience?”Those are the questions explored in my new book A Multitude of Hope: A Novel About Rediscovering the American Dream.
High Five Friday - April 27, 2012

Kari Quaas

27 Apr 2012 | 1:35 pm

Holy cow, has this month gone quickly! I don't have too much to say, or time, since I'm still in the thick of packing up my apartment, which honestly, must feel much the same as many of our job seekers packing up for their summer jobs. Some, like my cat, just take it all in stride. One article that caught my eye this week was from the New York Times about the EEOC (Equal Employment
High Five Friday - April 20, 2012

Kari Quaas

20 Apr 2012 | 4:26 pm

The times they are a changin'. It's been a couple of weeks since my last post and I can summarize them with a couple of clichés. "The only thing constant is change." "Just when you think you've passed the school of life, someone comes up with another class." And here's a good quote to sum it up - “Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not
High Five Friday - April 6, 2012

Kari Quaas

6 Apr 2012 | 3:45 pm

It's almost Easter so here's my ode to the holiday, which really started as an ode to my cat, Buddy. We used to imagine him as the Easter Buddy delivering eggs to all of the good girls and boys. Silly, I know. But, that's what a creative mind comes up with and so it goes. So Happy Easter, Bunny! One of my favorite articles this week was written by Peter Weddle, who is a recruiting
High Five Friday - March 23, 2012

Kari Quaas

23 Mar 2012 | 3:23 pm

This week we had a chat on our social network, My CoolWorks, about management and motivation. It was an interesting discussion, and I was pleased to hear from both sides - the employees and the managers. We came to a few simple conclusions. Treating your employees with respect goes a long way. Good snacks do too! Also, figurative "pats on the back" work as well. My motivation for

HRmarketer.com Blog
Fake Shakespeare — Why It Matters In Social Media

14 May 2012 | 3:32 pm

"Listen to many, speak to a few." Those words are often attributed to William Shakespeare, but, alas, he never wrote them and probably never spoke them. It’s fake Shakespeare, likely based on a line in “Hamlet,” “Giver every man thy ear but few thy voice.” Editing Shakespeare is generally a terrible idea. And whoever came up with this revision not only lost the elegance of the bard’s pen, but also altered his meaning. There is one way, however, that the fake Shakespeare is an improvement over the original:…
Avoid Horse Manure Results

10 May 2012 | 9:00 am

“You have to read this!” “Check this out.” “Great article!” How often do we read tweets like this, which are concluded with a link to content? A lot. And this is a problem. It’s a problem…
This is your stuff, collected and curated for you

9 May 2012 | 2:02 pm

Ah, the favorite content you fell in love with…can be right there where you want it. Every minute of every day.And it is today for many of you. Maybe you use your RSS reader of choice. Maybe you use one or more of a myriad of content aggregation tools available today, not to mention your streams, channels and groups in Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Maybe it's your slick infographics collected in Pinterest or your favorite videos on YouTube or your favorite podcasts on iTunes or maybe it's your favorite TV shows recorded on your DVR machine.Speaking of favorite TV content, this morning I…
The Right Way to Join Social Conversations – 4 Must Do's

8 May 2012 | 8:44 am

In blog posts last week we warned companies not to act like blowhards in their social marketing efforts — you need to listen before joining the conversation — and also not to be suckers and think that all “social” listening software is equal.So - let’s assume that you are not acting like a social networking blowhard and that you’re listening to the social conversations taking place online using the technology that makes the most sense for your business objectives. Now, you’re ready to join the online conversation.And let’s further assume that your business objectives (as a…
Listening Equality is for SUCKERS

3 May 2012 | 10:54 am

In our previous blog post, Social Conversations: Don’t be a Blowhard, we proposed that to succeed in today’s interconnected world, you need to listen to what the marketplace is saying. A spray-and-pray strategy whereby you blast an email or news release and hope that a few people come to your website never was a good tactic and is just bad marketing at this point. We’re numb and bored. Today, marketing success demands uncovering opportunities in a complex network of social conversations beyond your control, but not outside of your influence. But what exactly are these "conversations"?

Ask a Manager
employer won’t give me a fair chance to interview

Ask a Manager

16 May 2012 | 12:27 am

A reader writes: I am a middle-aged mom who is trying her hardest to re-enter the workforce. I worked part-time when my youngest was in high school three years ago for a year and half, but my job got eliminated. I went back to college for a year and received my certificate as a Medical Secretary. I have applied at a health system (this includes hospital and clinics; they are combined) for about a year and half, even back when I was in school. I got one interview in 2010 before I went back to school, but although the HR lady said I interviewed quite well, they let someone within have the…
I’m afraid I’m about to be offered a job I won’t be good at

Ask a Manager

15 May 2012 | 3:16 pm

A reader writes: I had a second interview with a company last week and it went horribly, in my estimation. There were a bunch of technical questions, and I did my best to answer them to the best of my abilities, but for the most part, I did not know the answers and I told them so. The interview was to last about an hour and it lasted about 20 minutes, so I figured it wasn’t a good fit and that was that. Fast forward to today. They asked for my references. I, of course, sent them back immediately. Now, I’m scared that if they offer me the job it will be to do a bunch of things I…
tiny answer Tuesday: 7 short answers to 7 short questions

Ask a Manager

15 May 2012 | 9:03 am

It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions! Here we go… 1. Work email account after you’re fired My husband was fired a week ago. He no longer has access to his work email, of course, but his boss does and is reading incoming emails. What is the standard protocol? This is normal. When an employee leaves, work-related email will often continue to come into the person’s account, and there are two ways of dealing with it: (1) Set up an auto-reply that explains the person is no longer with the company (ideally directing them to someone…
when you manage someone who you personally dislike

Ask a Manager

14 May 2012 | 11:12 am

A reader writes: I work in a small company (35 employees) in a team of four people. We are a “young” company (average age around 30) and we get along; many people have become friends and about once a month we go out for drinks, invitation open to all. Some four months ago, I was appointed team leader and around that same time we hired a new colleague on to our team. He is young and this is his first office job. He is openly grateful for being employed (in today’s economy) and very eager to learn. He does his job quite well. The problem is that I found myself really disliking…
are you annoying all your coworkers?

Ask a Manager

14 May 2012 | 10:36 am

Are you annoying all your coworkers? Find out here.

Compensation Force
Orlando Bound (the WorldatWork Edition)

Ann Bares

16 May 2012 | 7:09 am

Heading to Orlando this weekend for the upcoming WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference & Exhibition. This year will be particularly fun, because I'm going with friends. I'm joining up with my Compensation Cafe colleagues Margaret O'Hanlon and Dan Walter to present a session we're particularly excited about - Everything You Do is Communication... How to Do Everything Better! - at 1:30 Monday afternoon. Come and join us if you're attending the conference. Later on Monday, Margaret and I will be manning the WorldatWork booth (#518) from 4:45 to 5:05. Stop by…
The Nine C's of Engagement and Why EVERYTHING is Communication

Ann Bares

10 May 2012 | 8:12 am

R. "Ray" Wang, Principal and CEO at Constellation Research Group, shares this warning about attempts to communicate with and engage today's customers. Most customers now ignore targeted marketing campaigns, avoid responding to offers, and provide minimal feedback when asked. Instead, potential customers interact with each other, bypassing sanitized corporate messages devoid of meaning or value. Switch out the word "customer" for "employee", and I think the same warning and observation could apply to our efforts to communicate with our workforces about…
Rewards Make Strategy Perform Better

Ann Bares

4 May 2012 | 10:19 am

I like to argue that we should be holding our compensation programs - and the money they represent - to a higher standard. Research examining how well company strategy delivers on its potential - and where and why it fails - sheds some light on the important contributions that rewards can make. Your reward programs, in reality, do a lot of things beyond delivering economic and psychic value to employees. Any of you who've bumped into the unintended repercussions of a misguided incentive plan know this to be true. Reward programs also: Focus: Call out top priorities Guide: Guide…
The Perils of Stretch Goals and High Incentive Hurdles

Ann Bares

27 Apr 2012 | 10:30 am

Dan Markovitz's HBR blog post, The Folly of Stretch Goals, brings to mind a development in my own management incentive plan design work over recent years, as my clients and I address heightened concerns about risk and unintended consequences. Markovitz, in his call for us to dispense with "the managment absurdity known as 'stretch goals'", lists three important reasons that their demise is necessary. (None of which, hopefully, will come as a surprise to anyone working with employee rewards.) Stretch goals can be terribly demotivating. Stretch goals have a dangerous…
If a Tree Falls in the Forest...

Ann Bares

20 Apr 2012 | 9:36 am

If a new reward deal is put in place and nobody hears anything about it, does it exist? A new Mercer report reports that employee engagement is eroding, that employee satisfaction with and understanding of base pay is down, and that employees don't believe we are living up to our end of the "new deal". Could our timid communication efforts be to blame? Check out my post today at the Compensation Cafe - and draw your own conclusions! Image courtesy of miradna.com

Evil HR Lady
Use social media? Memorize these vital 12 words

Evil HR Lady

16 May 2012 | 11:28 am

Anyone who blogs, tweets, or otherwise expresses themselves online should keep this policy in mind for using social media. To keep reading click here: Use social media? Memorize these vital 12 words
What moms really want on the job

Evil HR Lady

14 May 2012 | 7:57 am

Instead of flowers, find out what working moms really want. Click here: What moms really want on the job
Zero tolerance for tardiness in the workplace

Evil HR Lady

14 May 2012 | 7:55 am

Dear Evil HR Lady, Our company recently implemented a policy that has quite a few people perturbed, myself included. If an employee is late for any reason what-so-ever; traffic, weather, sick kid; the employee is forced to use their PTO time. We have for YEARS had the option of staying late to make up this time or use PTO. We are now forced to use PTO in order to curb excessive tardiness. A case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch. I was stuck in over 20 minutes of traffic this morning. Upon arriving late at the office in a bundle of nerves I sent an email to HR letting them know of my…
Resume problem: Is it your fault?

Evil HR Lady

9 May 2012 | 2:58 pm

Is it your fault your resume stinks or the recruiter’s fault for being too dumb to understand it? To read more click here: Resume problem: Is it your fault?
Explaining time off

Evil HR Lady

8 May 2012 | 5:23 am

Dear Evil HR Lady, I left my previous job at the end of December, 29th to be precise. It was a one year renewable contract which I did not renew with my company. Basically, I had a bad boss under whom i did not see any growth and also the hike they gave me was peanuts. Plus I was overworked. A lot. Our team initially had 5 techs which was cut down to 2 due to budget constraints. So all the work came upon me usually at the end of the day. The thing is I thought i will take a month off and start looking for a job after that hiatus. In the meantime thought I would give some certifications. But…

Fistful of Talent
3 Reasons You Should Be Video Interviewing

Tim Sackett

16 May 2012 | 9:57 am

A week from today, Kris Dunn and I will be dropping some knowledge on some of our HR peers on How To Use Video in Your HR Shop – It’s Free – It’s 60 minutes – you’ll probably waste at least that much time next week talking with Sandy at the water cooler about the new Bachelorette and how much the new girl so totally doesn’t deserve to be there. While we will be talking about 5 Ways to Use Video to Raise Your HR and Recruiting Game. Sales pitch aside, I can’t get off one of those ways, which is completely changing HR and Talent across the…
Steve Boese writes Regrets of the Retiring

Steve Boese

16 May 2012 | 8:33 am

There is a pretty internet-famous post titled, ‘Regrets of the Dying‘, written by Bronnie Ware a long-time nurse who worked with serously ill and terminal patients. Her ‘regrets’ post was really a summary and distillation of what she had heard over the years from patients, most very ill and dying, when they talked about what they might have regretted in their lives.The article, and the five most common regrets are not that really surprising or hard to guess, (‘I wish I didn’t work so hard’, interestingly made the list), and is worth a read. Read the…
Low pay and no training. The next great retention strategy?

Steve Boese

15 May 2012 | 9:46 am

While normal and well-adjusted people were celebrating Mother’s Day this past weekend, I was scouting for interesting stuff to blog about. One fascinating article that I caught was from HR Magazine out of the UK – ‘Money and skills are all that’s stopping an exodus of passive jobseekers, finds survey of 3,000.’ If you can’t be bothered to click on the piece, (really, it’s better that you don’t, we want eyeballs over here on FOT as long as possible), I’ll sum it up for you in a couple of sentences. A recent survey of 3,000 people and sponsored by Microsoft’s Bing…
Tim Sackett calls out Rookie Hiring Mistakes

Tim Sackett

15 May 2012 | 8:22 am

The New York Times recently had a good article titles “The Top 10 Rookie Mistakes for Entrepreneurs” which looks at the top reasons people usually fail when starting a new business. As you can imagine many of the reasons where typical: expense control, fiscal responsibility, having a strong value proposition, etc. But out of all 10 reasons there was one glaring omission on why so many new business owners fail – when it comes to hiring and the HR side of the business: 11. Holding on to Bad Hires too long. Read the whole post over at The Tim Sackett Project (an FOT contributor blog)
Half The Battle Is Showing Up…On Time

Marisa Keegan

14 May 2012 | 9:55 am

Nothing makes me crazier than a corporate culture where it’s socially acceptable to show up to meetings late. When meetings start late, they typically end late, and that means another group of people are left waiting…for conference rooms to become available, for people to show up to their meetings, for interviewers to show up to interview a candidate. It’s such a waste of resources. Cultures of late-ness are just a huge freakin’ peeve of mine. The other day, I was talking to another consultant about this topic and it turns out some of his clients had the same…

Flip Chart Fairy Tales
Lost Generation or Regeneration?

Rick

15 May 2012 | 3:27 am

Bit busy at the moment, hence the sporadic posting. Just time to give a quick plug to a CIPD event next week. On Thursday, 24 May, West London branch will be hosting a Question Time style panel discussion, chaired by Radio 4′s Shaun Ley. The subject: Lost Generation or Regeneration? – The employment challenges of recession… and recovery. No doubt this will be of interest to a number of readers of this blog, so if you are in the area, come along next week. I will be there but don’t worry, I’m not on the panel so you won’t have to listen to me spouting.
Punk brewer’s God Save The Queen moment

Rick

12 May 2012 | 4:27 am

I like BrewDog – not just for their beer but for their attitude. The self-styled punk brewers set out to cock a snook at the brewing establishment. They say so on the front page of their website. Their beers are deliberately distinctive and designed to contrast with the mass-produced brands. Their bars are different from both the trendy drinking establishments and the traditional pubs. Like good punks should, they have managed to fall out with the big beer companies and the established opposition. They had a row with CAMRA last year and some of the more traditional real ale fans are a…
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Yawn

Rick

11 May 2012 | 3:04 am

The details of the government’s red-tape busting Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill still have to be hammered out. “Overhaul the employment tribunal system” and “Cut unnecessary red tape for businesses” could mean all sorts of things. The Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses are already complaining that it doesn’t go far enough but, for regulation-haters, it probably never will. According to the OECD, of its member countries, only the USA has less red-tape than Britain. Does this stop American business leaders complaining about…
The equality paradox

Rick

9 May 2012 | 1:45 am

Dominic Sandbrook’s series on the 1970s is surely a must-watch for anyone over 40. It has some great footage and music but it also got me thinking about just how much has changed since that turbulent decade. A quote from Ken Livingstone resurfaced during the mayoral election campaign: If you go back to the early 70s, my generation assumed we would have created a socialist society by now. It wasn’t just people on the left who assumed we were moving inexorably towards socialism. A lot of right-wingers thought so too. Some were so alarmed by the idea that they talked of coups and…
Should older workers stand aside for the young?

Rick

4 May 2012 | 1:16 am

Age and its costs made the news last week as the Peak State penny began to drop. A cross-party group of council leaders from the Local Government Association wrote to David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband warning that parks, libraries and leisure centres might soon have to close to fund councils’ growing elderly care responsibilities. Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, said that the costs of an ageing population kept council chiefs awake at night and that, along with climate change, it was seen as their biggest long-term challenge. If it’s…

Shauna Moerke is...
Good enough

Shauna

11 May 2012 | 4:00 pm

I have strange confession to make: I don’t hold writing implements correctly. Instead of resting the pen or pencil on my middle finger when I write, I rest it on my ring finger. It’s an odd peculiarity I know, and one I doubt anyone would ever notice. But technically, it is incorrect. There is a reason for it though, and it’s because of chopsticks. For those of you who don’t know, I’m multiracial (Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, and so on) and I spent my early childhood in Hawaii with my Mom’s family which is mostly Chinese in heritage. Thus, before I…
LA SHRM: A Non Stop Good Time

Shauna

3 May 2012 | 8:04 pm

Whew, it’s been about a week since I attended the LA State SHRM Conference and I am just about recovered from the experience. I’m not going to lie to you, it was a really fun time and I left with some great take aways, and I don’t mean swag. I know what you are thinking, you mean I went to a conference and got more out of it than just shenanigans? Crazy I know, but true. And don’t worry, there were still plenty of shenanigans. PLENTY of them. Here’s my breakdown: - Dudes, New Orleans is crazy. Like certifiable. There are people everywhere, they pop out from…
Big fun in The Big Easy

Shauna

19 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm

One week from now I will be enjoying all the shenanigans that New Orleans has to offer and I can’t wait. I’ve never actually been to New Orleans (driving by doesn’t count) and I already know I’m going to have a good time. Why? Because I’m going there for the LA State SHRM Conference! Even better, I’m one of the “Official Bloggers” for the event, which of course means I will grossly abuse my access and influence to stir up some trouble. What else am I supposed to do with my Blogger Pass, be professional? Pshaw to that. I mean, just check out the…
It’s called “Secret” Service for a reason

Shauna

19 Apr 2012 | 9:31 am

I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the little “problem” that Secret Service agents had while in Colombia. I think we can all agree there is a valuable lesson to be learned form this: Do not refuse to pay your Colombian prostitute after a night of alcohol and drug filled debauchery. That’s just rude. Especially when prostitution is legal and they can go to the cops. Err, what I meant to say was, when you are in a high scrutiny position of National Security, you need to realize that your poor decisions not only reflect badly on you, but on EVERYONE within your…
Customer Service in Action

Shauna

10 Apr 2012 | 1:19 pm

I often write about customer service, good and bad, because most jobs are customer service jobs in the end. Most roles either have customers, clients, bosses, co-workers, shareholders, investors, and so on involved, and that essentially means you are providing a service or good to someone at any given time. HR alone has to provide customer service to employees, managers, applicants, and co-workers. We are all accountable to someone which is why good customer service skills are so important. Now imagine this scenario: A Company signs a contract with a Vendor for their service. The Company…

Lisa Rosendahl
Human Resources, Complacency and Making Mistakes

Lisa Rosendahl

15 May 2012 | 6:00 am

There's no room for complacency in my HR. In a recent Fast Company article, Why RIM Lost Its Crew, Its Groove, the author writes that complacency was one of the factors killing RIM. That's big. {If you weren't aware, RIM makes Blackberry. No worries, I own a Blackberry and didn't always know that either.} A complacent satisfaction with present knowledge is the chief bar to the pursuit of…
Primula, Présumé and Tactile Learning: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl

13 May 2012 | 6:00 am

Nothing like a shot of Baileys and coffee made in my Primula Coffee Press to start off a lazy Sunday morning. We have the requisite coffee maker for guests but the husband and I don't use it. Grinding, scooping, smelling, brewing, and pressing our way to the perfect cup of coffee is so . . . tactile. Sharing my love for Moleskine, my friend Trish McFarlane wondered in a recent post, "Miss Being Tactile? Is There an App for That? I have Evernote at home, on the Blackberry and on the iPad (complete with wireless keyboard) but given the choice, I reach for the…
Top 20 HR Mentors for Students

Lisa Rosendahl

11 May 2012 | 6:00 am

It all started with a conference and some construction. There I was, making my way through Minneapolis construction to the 1st ever MN Bloggers Conference and I met Josh Braaten holding up a sign directing attendees to the parking lot. One thing lead to another and Josh unofficially became my official Big Picture Web Squarespace connection. Josh introduced me to Grant Tilus via an offer to guest post and Grant developed this list of Top 20 Mentors for Students to Learn from on Twitter. It starts off like this: "As a student studying to become a human resources professional it is important to…
Employee Relations, Communication and Precision

Lisa Rosendahl

8 May 2012 | 6:01 am

Researching federal employee relations case law can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. And communicating findings effectively can sometimes be even more challenging for human resource professionals. When I am developing an action that is new or has a twist we had not encountered before, you can find me combing cases. Yet, I drew a complete blank when I was recently asked about decisions I encountered that changed my recommendations. A complete blank. What's that all about? Could it be that I am not as diligent as I could be? That I don't know the case law? Say it isn't so. It isn't…
Girls and Math: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl

6 May 2012 | 6:00 am

"'Math is hard,' a talking Barbie infamously whined. And math is tough for many people, but a new study from the Girl Scout Research Institute finds encouraging news about girls' interest in (and confidence about) science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Actually, the widely-repeated Barbie quote above is incorrect; she really said "Math class is tough." And like the Barbie quote, the perception that girls don't feel smart enough to do math (or aren't interested in it) isn't quite true either: The study finds that 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects." Until this…

Gautam Ghosh on Human Resources
Interviewed by @Forbes' @shelisrael for a profile as a #SocialMedia Thought Leader

Gautam Ghosh

13 May 2012 | 1:00 pm

Image via CrunchBase I know Shel from the time he started his blog to crowdsource his book on business blogging that he wrote with Robert Scoble - called Naked Conversations. I had left a few comments on his blog and was kicked to find out that my blog url was listed in the acknowledgements section. Last year, I finally had a chance to meet Shel after knowing him online for 7 years, when he was invited by NASSCOM for the Product Conclave at Bangalore. I was a panelist in one of the sessions and finally met what is called IRL ("in real life") Shel writes a column on Forbes called the "Social…
Stories and Branding and what it means for Employers

Gautam Ghosh

2 May 2012 | 8:54 am

The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1950 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Every marketing campaign is built around a story. Often advertising professionals are actually only storytellers. Which is why examples of creative heads in advertising like Balki and Prasoon Joshi turn scriptwriters, lyricists and directors of movies. Every statement you believe of yourself adds up to a story. And stories are power enough to become self fulfilling prophecies. Stories like "I am a fighter" or "I am a rebel" or "I am the follower of rules" are often derived from personal experiences and form patterns of behavior.
Video of my talk at #IndiaSocial12

Gautam Ghosh

25 Apr 2012 | 3:41 am

If you want to talk to me about a story or a speaking engagement, contact me on gautam@gautamblogs.com or call me at +91-97422-39954 | Twitter | BraveNewTalent | Facebook Page
Social Recruiting presentation at social media conference #IndiaSocial12

Gautam Ghosh

5 Apr 2012 | 6:45 am

This is the presentation I made this week at the India Social 2012 Summit yesterday Feel free to download and share it Social recruiting india social summit 2012 by gautamghosh View more PowerPoint from Gautam Ghosh If you want to talk to me about a story or a speaking engagement, contact me on gautam@gautamblogs.com or call me at +91-97422-39954 | Twitter | BraveNewTalent | Facebook Page
Speaking on "Social Recruiting" at #IndiaSocial12

Gautam Ghosh

27 Mar 2012 | 9:25 am

India Social, India's premier "social media" event returns this year with the theme "Social is Business" and I would be taking a session for an hour on "Social Recruiting" (and related themes like social learning and talent communities) on 4th April. If you attend the talk it would focus on why HR people need to think like marketers, how to identify the right employees as your advocates, and why communities of practice matter. If you make it , you can get to hear an amazing group of people from the client, vendor and agency side. My talk, I think would be the only non-marketing talk. If…

the HR Maven
Title IX & DriveThruHR

2 May 2012 | 8:27 pm

I don’t get excited about titles. But this title has been stuck in my head since January. I had a chance to attend a Title IX training, to become a trained Title IX investigator. I had no idea how this would affect me. It’s been hard to write about this. But my dear friend Lisa who has listened to me vent, rage, and lament kept saying - you need to write this down. You need to blog about this.I couldn't. It was easier to write about mediation, careers, and photography. This is toughIt made me cry. Then I had a conversation with William…
Book review - the startup of you

19 Apr 2012 | 2:00 am

the startup of youBy Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn and VC to many other projects if you didn’t know)and Ben CasnochaThis is how the book starts: You were born an entrepreneur. That's how it starts and it only gets better. As Reid Hoffman writes, this isn’t a book about job hunting or resume writing or interviewing skills; rather this book is about mindsets and approaches and ways to think about working in the future. Starting now. The book’s chapters are outlined as follows:•Develop your competitive edge•Formulate a plan based on your competitive…
Learning something new

15 Apr 2012 | 2:15 pm

In March, I had a chance, courtesy of my employer, to attend mediation training. It was something new. I was excited. Mediation. NOT meditation. NOT medication. Mediation. Six days. 40 hours. A boatload of learning. A very full brain. Oh, and while I was away, my regular work piled up. But it was okay. This training is offered once a year and it was a remarkable opportunity. I was in a room with fabulous people from various professions - attorneys, a judge, mental health professionals, business people, and a couple…
A really good read

13 Apr 2012 | 2:00 am

The Secrets of Successful Communication: A simple guide to effective encounters in businessAuthor Kevin T. McCarneySince I spend my time communicating – in my job, on my blog, talking to my dog – I got pretty darn excited when I received this book.This book is a wonderful collection of practical perspectives, targeted stories, and optimal ways to communicate. Using the Big Brain vs Little Brain approach, the author outlines various ways we can communicate and the either devastating or uplifting effects we can have on others. What I enjoyed about this book was the way the…
Job descriptions

9 Apr 2012 | 3:57 pm

In a few previous posts about working in HR, I have written about the importance of understanding and embracing technology. I had a comment from a colleague once who said. “Well, let’s just leave the tech to the tech people, shall we?” I laughed because that is about is far from realistic as possible. My technical colleagues can set up and program anything, anywhere but at the end of the day, it’s those of us in HR who will need to use it. From that conversation, we transitioned to another HR staple. Job descriptions. Oh my stars, can you think of anything more…

This blog is profersonal.
How to Build a High Quality LinkedIn Network

Jason Seiden

16 May 2012 | 8:17 am

I spent last night in DC, where I talked about LinkedIn to a financial group in DC. These were savvy, successful individuals whose organizations are just starting to embrace social media. One of the more common questions I was asked during the cocktail hour: “How many LinkedIn connections do you have?” There is a rich body of science behind how human networks function… and understanding the gist of it can lead to a much more effective connection strategy than connection counting: We know from Professor Mark Granovetter, for instance, that large, loose networks that connect…
LinkedIn’s Financial Services Conference – Takeaways

Jason Seiden

10 May 2012 | 8:58 pm

As I write this, I’m in NYC at LinkedIn’s financial services conference. Seeing lots of friendly faces from clients and partners, plus making new friends and connections, too. I’ve also been learning a surprising amount. A few things that have really stuck with me so far: $1.7 trillion-with-a-t has been cut from consumer credit markets since 2009. Where my brain goes: a smaller pool of buyers working with a smaller pool of resources means US banking is about to get more competitive… And that means business models will need to adapt. Californians have an aggregate debt…
What’s your dignity worth?

Jason Seiden

7 May 2012 | 10:31 pm

Actually, this is bullsh*t. What matters is what you do for others. When I talked with my wife last night, I let go of my need to be right and got important information about the impact I’m having on our kids. I also got a smile and laughter at the same time rather than a fight. When I met with one of my advisors the other day, I gave up my ego and got priceless insights on my business in return, along with a commitment to help me beyond what I had asked for. When I saw a GI doc the other week, I got a clean bill of health and it only cost me my dignity. “Ego” has been a…
Was it obvious? Yes. But don’t be a dick about it.

Jason Seiden

25 Apr 2012 | 11:35 am

“Want dirt? Just dig! It’s a very simple approach that works every time…” That’s what Clint wrote in response to a recent Facebook post. It’s good advice. So is this: “Want to know the ending? Just read the book!” “Want to know the optimal trajectory for a rocket to put a satellite into geosynchronous orbit? Just do the math!” That second example’s probably a little ridiculous… unless you’re a rocket scientist, in which case it’s probably pretty obvious. In fact, even the first one, which must look simple to…
I’m working on my influence by using more positive statements.

Jason Seiden

16 Apr 2012 | 10:12 pm

Getting to Yes! - Great book. You should read it. I’m working to eliminate negative statements. I pay pretty close attention to the way people talk—and this is one area where I can use some work. I’ve witnessed too many miscommunications over the years because someone missed a “not” or forgot a “don’t.” I’m training myself to lead with positives, end with positives, and use positives in the middle. Especially when giving directions. When I’m giving directions, I’m working to stay focused on what should be done and to communicate…

Blogging4Jobs
Job Seekers Must Educate Themselves on Employer Brand

theguestblogger

16 May 2012 | 7:17 am

Is Employer Brand Important in Candidate Selection? As a job seeker, one of the best things you can do is to get in the heads of recruiters, hiring managers and company leaders. If you understand why, how, and who they hire, you’re already steps ahead. This includes understanding an organization’s tools, processes and resources—everything from what happens after you submit your resume to the candidate selection and evaluation process. However, it’s not just about the process—every company has some sort of strategy around hiring including their brand in the talent market. Just like…
For the Sake of Learning: Ignorance is Not Bliss

Ray_anne

15 May 2012 | 12:38 pm

ignorance is not bliss Just because youcan quote statistics or cite a website, article, book, or post about a particular topic doesn’t make you smart or well-versed. It makes you well-read. I prefer to learn by experience or by listening to really great teachers who have been there, done that, or who have watched very carefully as an industry has grown and changed over the last fifteen to twenty years, either following and/or writing about trends and the trendsetters. I have bruised my bum sitting in endless conferences, blistered my feet trudging the aisles of some of…
Is Being Gay a Choice? Should It Be Protected at Work?

Jessica Miller-Merrell

15 May 2012 | 7:17 am

Can You Be Fired for Being Gay? I usually am proud to live in the state of Oklahoma. It’s a friendly place filled with great football and wonderful towns and history. It’s a place I’ve called my home for the last seven years. It’s a state that I feel safe outside of severe weather and tornados, but today I am ashamed. Ashamed to be an Oklahoman. Ashamed because Oklahoma Representative James Lankford said in an interview (video shown above) that being gay shouldn’t be protected against workplace discrimination because being gay is a choice. This choice…
A Slice of Life

Ray_anne

14 May 2012 | 1:52 pm

I grew up in a large family A little sister, four brothers, and at various times, a couple of foster kids graced the halls of our five bedroom house. My parents were happy to share their home with anyone who needed a meal or a bed, at any time. My mom worked very hard and regularly served balance meals. There was always fruit served with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, whether it was a bowl of strawberries or sliced apples. My favorite fruit side dish was peeled orange sections topped with wonderful powdered sugar in a big bowl. It was like heaven to this nine-year old girl. My…
Five Networking Rules of Engagement

Mike Haberman

14 May 2012 | 8:13 am

Business Networking Rules of Engagement There is a no lack of networking advice or tips out there in the blogsphere today. Additionally, you can buy any number of great books by authors such at Keith Ferrazzi and Harvey Mckay. But I have been networking for a long time as well, plus I have read all this material too. So for those of you who are trying to find a job, change jobs or increase your business here are Five Rules to Make You an Effective Business Networker. Rule #1: Business Networking Never start a conversation or relationship with someone by asking for something. Yes, I…

Talent HQ
The Truth About Social Recruiting Headlines

Jason Buss

14 May 2012 | 4:30 pm

The myriad of headlines in the talent acquisition and space are misleading and, at times, spellbinding. With the social sharing features on many web sites, the headlines go viral and become truth (for many). That was one of the topics at the webinar last week “recruiting secrets overheard in a dark alley”, in addition to not believing everything you see online. The slides to the webinar are below, and we’re working on including the recording which will be added soon. Here is an example used which included 4 recent headlines (none of which are true in my book) and…
The Latest Social Media Stats For 2012

Jason Buss

10 May 2012 | 4:34 pm

Yesterday I faciliated a webinar called recruiting secrets overheard in a dark alley, and discussed some of the truths about social recruiting headlines. One of the areas I focused on was the continued glamour of social recruiting given all of the “talk” from experts, analysts and vendors the past few years. The irony is that very few organizations are having real, sustainable successes as a result. When surveyed, a majority of the registrants and attendees (representing 20 countries & 49 states) have yet to make consistent hires as a result of sites like Facebook and twitter,…
4 Great Tools for Recruiting & Sales

Jason Buss

10 May 2012 | 9:55 am

There is no shortage of technology or tools for recruiters or sales professionals, but factoring in engaging with candidates and leads is the key to success in closing deals and generating referrals. The knowledge you have at your fingertips within seconds matters, and that is the case with these 4 tools for recruiting and sales professionals. Each one of them is about connecting and engaging with your networks (or leads). The best part, they are all free. The first tool is hachi. This is an incredible site that merges your social graphs and connections from all of your networks. And, in…
The Top 50 Companies for Diversity

Jason Buss

3 May 2012 | 5:10 pm

13 years ago, DiversityInc created the “Top 50″ companies in Diversity globally. This years results are out, and the Top 50 are listed below. It all started back in 2001, when companies were starting to see business value in diversity as a strategic priority. The companies participating in the survey and assessment from DiversityInc are rated in four areas, including: CEO Commitment Human Capital Corporate and Organizational Communications Supplier Diversity Only 2 new companies made the list compared to last year, and one was a first-time participant. 20 companies moved…
Are All Heads of Human Resources and HR Departments Filled With Idiots?

Jason Buss

1 May 2012 | 1:04 am

No, they are not. Human Resources as a profession can be an extremely rewarding one, when working for an organization that values the investments it makes – especially its’ workforce. As with any job function in a company there is a broad spectrum of views, performance, self awareness, and emotional competence. Irregardless of what you think about the Human Resources Department at your company (or previous companies), ABC News’ 20/20 team wants to paint a picture filled with deception, lies, and company agendas with the episode that aired last week (True Confessions)…

Simplicity @ the other side of Complexity
Performance ratings and the ‘above average effect’

12 May 2012 | 7:23 am

“Performance ratings will be shared with the employees next week. We expect employee attrition to go up significantly in the next few months”, said the HR Manager. It is a fact that in many organizations the attrition percentage goes up in the months after the annual performance ratings are announced. Some of this is because of the process linkages. Salary hikes and bonuses (that are linked to the performance ratings) usually follow soon after (or along with) the announcement of the performance ratings and it might make logical sense for employees to receive the bonus (after all one has…
On what ‘good’ looks like…

8 Mar 2012 | 3:21 am

“I am leaving this organization because my manager and I have very different ideas on what ‘good’ looks like in my domain and we have agreed to disagree. It was not a matter of lack of clarity on the performance objectives and targets. The issue was a fundamental disconnect on what those objectives and targets should be and how they should be achieved – on what ‘excellence’ means in my role and in my domain”, said the Function Leader during his exit interview. In my career so far, I have had the good fortune of experiencing many organization contexts – either as an…
A political paradox for OD & HR

21 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pm

“This is a political issue and we should resolve it politically”, said the senior consultant. I heard this interesting piece of ‘wisdom’ at an early stage in my career as an OD/HR consultant and it had left me somewhat confused. I knew that as external consultants one of our main tasks was to diagnose the core issue/root problem correctly (as opposed to merely documenting the symptoms) so that we can design an intervention at the appropriate level. I also knew that ‘workplace politics’ existed in many of our client organizations. What confused me was the part that said ‘we…
Decoding the 'IR mindset'

30 Dec 2011 | 11:30 am

“You need to be careful when you interact with him. He has an IR mindset” I was given this cryptic piece of advice by a friend many years ago. This led to an interesting discussion on what was meant by the term ‘IR (Industrial Relations) mindset’. After that, I have heard similar ideas being talked about in many other organization contexts. Recently I did some thinking about the common themes emerging from these discussions and this post is the result! Let me begin by saying that this 'IR mindset' need not necessarily have anything to do with the way ‘Industrial…
Appropriate metaphors for Organizational Commitment

27 Dec 2011 | 9:37 am

"We need more commitment in this organization. Employees should just trust their managers and the organization and do what they are asked to do. Instead, they get confused and start asking questions", said the senior HR professional. It was my second encounter with this person (See 'Passion for work and anasakti', for the details of the first encounter that happened many years ago). Like what happened last time, this statement set me thinking. I have realized that interactions like this prompts me to examine my own opinions/assumptions and hence enrich my understanding. That is why I treasure…

Profitability Through Human Capital
Drama Queens at Work

14 May 2012 | 11:50 am

I needed a little comic relief this week, so I am off topic today! I am from the South and there is nothing I like more than telling a story and being extra dramatic using my best Southern girl drawl. I have many friends (and a Mom) that have a flair for the dramatic...it's fun. But at work....that is another story. Do you know this person? You have an employee that can't make it to work on time...ever. The excuses seem to come right out of a Hollywood script. "I was on my way to work when all of the sudden a tractor trailer full of mayonnaise wrecked in front of me and I slid all…
HR's 3 Most Important Areas of Focus

8 May 2012 | 7:46 am

Ed Nangle is our guest blogger today. Ed has many years of HR experience spanning several industries such as electronics, manufacturing and management consulting. Ed has been a trusted mentor of mine for years as well as a valued teacher for Kennesaw State University. Knowledge Management is a topic near and dear to my heart as my business partner, Barbara Hughes and I embraced this concept 15 years ago this month! THREE PET PROGRAMS: PAY FOR PERFORMANCE, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND TALENT MANAGEMENT Over the years I have determined that these three programs (Pay for…
Unplug, Relax, Unwind...It's Vacation Time!

23 Apr 2012 | 9:11 am

It's two days before I leave the office for a total of 11 days, but who is counting? I am headed to New Orleans to speak at LA SHRM and as soon as I say, "Thank you very much, " I am headed to the beach. As you can see, I also have writers block, so I am rambling on about my vacation. I have pre-vacation writers block. I usually come up with a topic in the shower, but all I can think about is my vacation list. Beach hats, suntan oil, romance novels and adult beverages. I am very jealous of my fellow blogger, Chris Havrilla as she has a dozen or so topics floating…
Let's be Influential Instead of Strategic

17 Apr 2012 | 9:43 am

Blah, blah..strategic Blah, blah...business partner Blah, blah...seat at the piece of furniture. I say shut up! Change the conversation. Please! I will be attending and speaking at two conferences in the next few months, Louisiana SHRM and SHRM National's conference in my hometown, Atlanta, Georgia. I hope to hear a very different conversation. I hope I don't hear the word table or seat or any other piece of furniture. I want to talk about this new era of Human Resources. The one where we INFLUENCE our organizations. We, as HR professionals have been in a…
Should We Reward Effort?

10 Apr 2012 | 8:05 am

It's all about pay for performance, right? In this environment where companies are still watching costs and efficiencies it seems that pay for performance has made a much needed resurgence. I have had several conversations on performance management in the last few weeks. Most recently, the topic of rewarding results vs. effort came up. From a business leaders perspective they are razor focused on results. In other words, you can make all the effort in the world, but it you don't reach the finish line it doesn't matter. What about our Millennials and Gen Yers?

hr bartender
Ask HR Bartender: Veterans Returning To the Workplace

Sharlyn Lauby

16 May 2012 | 4:30 am

A reader shares a tough situation regarding a veteran: I recently encountered a situation where a veteran was hired with a firm that took advantage of the tax credit for doing so. She was then released at the end of the fiscal quarter after glowing progress reports. When she asked what she could have done differently, the response was that she is a great worker and was only released due to “fit.” This is not the first time I have encountered a well-adjusted veteran released from employment after one quarter. Is this a trend or have you seen similar cases? This scenario poses more…
5 Social Media Shortcuts to Help You Be More Productive

Sharlyn Lauby

14 May 2012 | 4:40 am

Social media is a great thing. It allows us to connect with others and learn new things that will benefit our professional lives. But it can also be a huge time drain. Our time on social media must be optimized, so when we’re using it, we get the maximum benefit out of it. A reader recently asked me about social media short-cuts so I wanted to share with you a few things I use to stay productive when using social tools: OUTLOOK – I know this might sound silly but I’m an uber organized person. And I start hyperventilating when my in-box is cluttered with a bunch of notifications. So…
Happy Employees are not Engaged Employees

Sharlyn Lauby

10 May 2012 | 4:30 am

(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is sponsored by SilkRoad technology, a leading provider of cloud-based social talent management solutions that develop engaged employees who drive exceptional business performance and agility. Creating a world-class employee experience is SilkRoad’s passion and drives everything they do.) Ultimately, we want happy, motivated employees who are also engaged. The trifecta of employee success. So, the question becomes – how do we make that happen? In just a few weeks, I will be speaking about employee engagement at SilkRoad technology’s annual users…
Poll: Putting Your Address On Your Resume

Sharlyn Lauby

8 May 2012 | 4:30 am

I received a comment the other day that intrigued me. In today’s world, why would someone include their address on the resume? The top of the resume should be name, e-mail and phone number. If a company has an interest in the applicant, they’re going to either call or e-mail. At first read, this makes sense. Do you really need to include your address on your resume? Then I thought about it a bit more. Is it possible that not listing an address could be a red flag? So, I thought it would be interesting to do a quick poll. Here’s the question: Take Our PollThanks for participating…
Ask HR Bartender: Different Types of Job Interviews

Sharlyn Lauby

6 May 2012 | 5:20 am

Recently, I got a note asking about different types of job interviews. Specifically, what’s the difference between a first, second and (possibly) third interview and what do I need to know as I progress through them? It’s a great question so I asked if I could answer it here on the blog. I’m hearing more and more that today’s interview process involves several interviews. While it may be frustrating for candidates, it’s not a bad thing. One of the best aspects to multiple interviews is getting to know lots of people within the organization before you even start your first official…

I2I - Incentive Intelligence
Is HR Ready for Their Close Up on May 23rd at 1:00 pm?

Paul Hebert

15 May 2012 | 7:20 am

Believe it or not, if you’re in HR you have something in common with Stephen Spielberg. Moving pictures. Talkies. Film! I know you never thought you’d have to worry about script changes and pushy agents. But you just might. Video is getting more popular than ever when it comes to marketing – and HR is in the business of marketing people. I know from a reward and recognition standpoint video is just now getting some attention and it’s something I think you’ll see more of in the future. So where do you go to find out about video and its impact and use in the…
How Time Can Affect Your Ability To Change Behaviors

Paul Hebert

11 May 2012 | 8:14 am

I’ve posted before about something called temporal discounting – the effect time has on our perception of value. The further out in time a reward is the less value we think it has. We value rewards we earn sooner more than awards we can earn later. To me it is one of the big reasons we have such a problem with wellness in our companies. That hamburger tastes awful good today – versus the rewards I might see in a year if I don’t eat it. Turns out that rewards aren’t the only thing that is affected by time. Time Impacts What We Pay Attention To Bob Sutton discussed this on…
Incentive Leader Board – Or Leader BORED

Paul Hebert

10 May 2012 | 7:39 am

The results from my recent survey on what readers wanted to see on this site were interesting. Far and away the most valuable thing you all said you wanted to see was … Case Histories. Case histories about what works, and what doesn’t. And these two topics weren’t #1 and #2 by a small margin – but by a HUGE margin. And that got me thinking. We Want To Know What Other People Are Doing I know – Duh. But really, all of us want to see the experiments that people in our same position, our same function are doing for a few reasons. We want to double check our thinking (no,…
Case Histories Wanted

Paul Hebert

8 May 2012 | 7:40 am

Based on a recent survey on our site our readers are looking for case histories of successful (and unsuccessful) programs. Over 80% of readers surveyed wanted more information on case histories. Both on HR/Employee efforts AND channel programs. Our audience is split almost 50/50 on their focus. We know what the audience wants but we have a little problem… we’re under NDAs with all of our clients so we can’t really talk about the work we’re doing. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about the work YOU’RE doing. You Can Be The Focus Our…
HR, Knock Down Those Office Silos

Paul Hebert

7 May 2012 | 7:26 am

Guest Post Sometimes you need to take a break. Now we don’t normally take guest posts here on Incentive Intelligence but because I have a soft spot for college folk and HR AND my nephew will be playing football for Villanova I’m making an exception. Below is a guest post from Erin Palmer who works with their online Human Resources programs. Enjoy one of the few guest posts you’ll see… To a farmer, silos are important. They can store huge amounts of grain and silage that can be a critical resource in many areas. However, you don’t want to work in one. They are…

About.com Human Resources
Do You Play Well With Coworkers?

16 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Know what employees need? I speak often about the fact that employees need to understand the overall goals of the company - so they understand the parameters of the ...Read Full Post
Are Employee Handbooks Required?

15 May 2012 | 12:05 pm

Is having an employee handbook the law, asked another reader recently. Not something I have ever really thought about in the past. Here is my response. What do you think? ...Read Full Post
Use Mentoring to Develop Employees

15 May 2012 | 6:10 am

Effective relationships and learning are the mainstays of organizational success today. Organizations that find meaningful ways for their employees to connect are more likely to realize greater productivity, enhanced career ...Read Full Post
No Carrots for Motivation

14 May 2012 | 11:37 am

Daniel Pink recommends no carrots to encourage and reward high level performance in higher level cognitive skills and output. Loved this less-than-five minute cartoon drawing summary of the presentation about rewards ...Read Full Post
Is Your Management System Failing?

14 May 2012 | 4:00 am

In a client company, a manager had decided that the goal setting components of the performance development planning process were not clearly communicating his goals and expectations to one of ...Read Full Post

TalentedApps
Check out the May Leadership Development Carnival!

Mark Bennett

14 May 2012 | 4:29 pm

If you haven’t read it already, you’ll find many excellent posts related to leadership. Dan McCarthy has assembled contributions from 27 different blogs into one post, providing a brief description of each. All of the contributions are high-quality and provide valuable insight, advice, and challenges to everyone, but you might be tight on time, so these descriptions help you spot that ones that seem most relevant to you and your organization. If you’re really short on time, here are a few that I found particularly interesting: Art Petty’s The Cruel, Bitter And Crushing…
The New Crucible of Leadership

Mark Bennett

5 May 2012 | 2:28 pm

A crucible is used to burn off the unwanted materials and leave behind the stuff you want. Today’s world has the potential to transform leadership into more what it should be by burning away the old trappings that undermine its real purpose. In today’s fear-dominated world, some people ask, “Where are all the leaders?” One answer was provided by James S. Rosebush in his March HBR post: Why Great Leaders are in Short Supply. Rosebush makes some excellent points about leadership and what has been eroding the ability for there to be “Great Leaders”, but I took issue with his premise,…
Who is setting goals for you?

Anadi Upadhyaya

19 Apr 2012 | 12:46 pm

Your ability to accomplish or outperform predefined goals at workplace determines your success. Goals can be your performance appraisal goals or your divisional performance goals; it can be organization wide product delivery targets or sales target. Whether you are celebrating your success or striving to achieve one, it’s important to retrospect your goals-setting process and your role in the process. Three most commonly observed patterns at workplace are: You set goals for yourself as well as for others, either due to your authority, influence or charisma but you don’t believe…
Bill Kutik Radio Show hosts Steve Miranda

Meg Bear

30 Mar 2012 | 2:55 pm

I’m sure you are all big fans of Bill’s radio show already. I’m sure you have subscribed on iTunes and listen for all the most important news (and gossip) in our industry. If you are like me, and a bit behind on your listening, I’d suggest you skip ahead to this week and then catch up on all the other great shows in between. True to their respective brands, Bill does not shy away from the hard questions and Steve is candid and open with his responses. Topics about the Taleo acquisition, the cloud, Oracle for smaller businesses and how Lake Larry is bay water, are all…
A Heartfelt “Thank You” to Fistful of Talent!

Mark Bennett

27 Mar 2012 | 1:26 pm

We here at TalentedApps are always trying to bring value to the Talent and HR community by sharing our thinking about how we can create positive change in the way employees and companies work together. We’re a very diverse team, with a lot of different perspectives and interests, shaped by our wide range of experiences, but we all write posts here because we share this common goal. Part of the reward from doing this is to be recognized by our peers, of whom we have the utmost respect as they also work hard to make the world of talent in work a better place. So it was wonderful and…

Steve Boese's HR Technology
Looking for Innovation in Recruiting Technology

Steve

16 May 2012 | 7:20 am

Tomorrow and Friday I will be attending the Recruiting Innovation Summit, an ERE Media event, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. I will also have the great pleasure and honor to serve as one of the members of the judging panel for the event's startup competition, where six companies, selected from almost 50 initial submissions, will vie for a $10K grand prize, and get the chance to demonstrate their innovative solutions to a gathering of industry experts and leaders. Innovation in any market often comes from the startup space, where experimentation is encouraged,…
Regrets of the retiring

Steve

15 May 2012 | 7:33 am

There is a pretty internet-famous post titled, 'Regrets of the Dying', written by Bronnie Ware a long-time nurse who worked with serously ill and terminal patients. Her 'regrets' post was really a summary and distillation of what she had heard over the years from patients, most very ill and dying, when they talked about what they might have regretted in their lives.The article, and the five most common regrets are not that really surprising or hard to guess, ('I wish I didn't work so hard', interestingly made the list), and is worth a read. I'm not sure what led me to stumble upon the…
Media and Consumer Tech Trend #3 - Information Acceleration

Steve

14 May 2012 | 7:31 am

Recently the analyst firm Gartner issued an interesting press release sharing their '10 consumer macro trends shaping the technology, media and service provider markets over the next 10 years', and I have covered two of these trends Gartner called out here on the blog. The first one, the importance of understanding the customer profile as you create products and services, and perhaps more importantly, as you make decisions on hiring and promotion into leadership roles has definite implications for the design of enterprise technologies and programs. The second, the desire for simultaneously…
Not all viral resignations are flame outs

Steve

11 May 2012 | 7:33 am

Lately the public, viral, and virulent types of employee resignations have been getting seemingly more and more popular. Whether it is on Twitter, via a blog post, a letter published in the New York Times, or via a YouTube video - the 'epic resignation', usually accompanied by some choice bashing of the company, its leaders, co-workers, and/or customers is enjoying a little run of popularity. And while I am certain many of the complaints and concerns raised by these public and attention seeking kinds of resignations have some merit, I generally don't look too favorably upon how they are…
#HRHappyHour Show Update - Summer Hours

Steve

10 May 2012 | 4:55 am

Quick update for listeners of the HR Happy Hour Show, the weekly internet radio show and podcast on Human Resources, talent management, recruiting, workplace technology, and the HR marketplace that I have been hosting for the last 3 years or so. The show, normally broadcasts live via BlogTalkRadio at 8:00PM ET every Thursday, and to date we have done 144 shows covering anything and everything related to the world of work and the practice of people management. After 144 shows, and in light of an upcoming really busy personal, work, and travel schedule the rest of this month, and quite honestly…

Federal Employment Law Articles
D.C. Federal District Court Overturns NLRB Quickie Election Rule; Leaves Questions for Employers May 15, 2012

16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s challenge to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) quickie election rule that technically took effect on April 30. District Judge James E. Boasberg handed the NLRB its second major defeat in the past two weeks. Holding that “the quorum requirement…is no trifle,” he ruled that the NLRB failed to approve the quickie election rule with a quorum, and that the new rule was therefore invalid.
Seventh Circuit Concludes that "Travel Time" Following Clothing Change Is Not Compensable, Setting Up a Circuit Split

16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

In a case that explicitly acknowledges a consequential circuit split, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has concluded that the time that an employee spends walking from the locker room to his work station after changing into work clothes is not compensable if the applicable collective bargaining agreement does not require compensation for the time spent changing clothes.
HHS Adds New Medical Loss Ratio Reporting Requirement

16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule (pdf) that imposes a new reporting requirement on health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets that meet or exceed the applicable medical loss ratio (MLR) standard for the 2011 reporting year.
US DOL Judges Require Production of AAP Data Beyond Date of OFCCP Scheduling Letter

16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Administrative Review Board (ARB) recently issued a decision requiring an employer to produce OFCCP data well beyond the date of an OFCCP scheduling letter. See OFCCP v. Frito-Lay Inc., DOL ARB, No. 10-132, 5/8/12 [released 5/10/12]).
NLRB Suspends Implementation of New Representation Election Rule

16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

In light of yesterday’s federal court decision finding that the NLRB lacked a quorum necessary to issue the controversial new representation election rule, the Board has decided to suspend the rule’s implementation. The Board’s Acting General Counsel has similarly withdrawn guidance released last month governing the representation case procedure changes, which had taken effect on April 30, 2012.

JD Supra Labor & Employment Law
Labor Ruling Adds to Burden on Federal Contractors in Audits

Ballard Spahr LLP

16 May 2012 | 1:38 pm

Contributor: Ballard Spahr LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Court Rejects the NLRB's Quickie Election Rule on Technical Grounds

Miller & Martin PLLC

16 May 2012 | 1:20 pm

Contributor: Miller & Martin PLLC [View: Profile | Documents]
Is a Simple Cafeteria Plan Right for You?

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

16 May 2012 | 1:19 pm

Contributor: McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Federal District Court Rules NLRB Too “Quick” In Voting On Election Rule Changes Allowing For Quickie Elections

Thompson Coburn LLP

16 May 2012 | 1:18 pm

Contributor: Thompson Coburn LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
NLRB Suspends Implementation Of Representation Case Process Changes

Akerman Senterfitt

16 May 2012 | 12:54 pm

Contributor: Akerman Senterfitt [View: Profile | Documents]

Bayt.com Blog
How to Build a Brand Internally Through Employee Experience

Suha Mardelli Haroun

15 May 2012 | 8:05 am

Question: Some companies have successfully managed branding and differentiating themselves from their competitors. Is it possible, in the same way, for a company to build its brand internally through employee experience? Answer:That is a very good question and the answer is simply, yes, it is possible to ‘brand’ employee experience and a lot of organizations have managed to do that amazingly well. Here at Bayt.com for example, our brand values such as striving to be the best and empowering others are communicated well through our website and our online job search tools, and these are in…
Bayt.com Career Tips: How to Prepare for an Interview

Apeksha Udeshi

15 May 2012 | 3:47 am

Now that you’ve got that interview call you had been waiting for, the next hurdle to clear is the interview stage. Before you walk into that room, you need to make sure you are pitch perfect. Bayt.com career expert Yvette Kikuyu is here to help you plan and prepare on the six key elements before your interview. Related posts: Bayt.com Career Tips: How to Identify Your Perfect Job Bayt.com Career Tips: How to Write a Thank You Letter Bayt.com Career Tips: Making the most of Career Fairs
Interview with Rohit Bassi, Managing Director at In Learning, UAE

Rohit Bassi

13 May 2012 | 8:16 am

Bio: Rohit Bassi is the founder of In Learning, and is passionate about learning and development. Rohit has extensive years of international work experience in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, USA, India, Africa and the Middle East. Apart form being the only Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® Licensed Facilitator in the UAE, he has worked on projects with companies such as Cadbury Schweppes, PwC, British Airport Authority, Jumeirah, Harrods, Marriott and many more. Rohit strongly believes that our skills are our most vital assets. He says: “An organization’s assets is its…
إطلاق عملي الخاص

Bayt HR Guru

11 May 2012 | 8:42 am

أفكر في تأسيس عمل خاص بي فالوضع في منطقة الشرق الأوسط ليس مستقراً وذلك يؤثر بشكلٍ كبير على سوق العمل. لذا فأنا بحاجة الى المساعدة في توجيهي الى الطريق الصحيح واعلامي بالخطوات الأساسية التي ينبغي علي اتباعها لتأسيس عمل خاص بي انه لمن الرائع أن تفكر بتأسيس عمل خاص بك ولست أنت وحدك الذي يفكر بذلك. فقد أشارت الدراسة التي أجراها…
Launching my Own Business

Bayt HR Guru

10 May 2012 | 5:58 am

Question from Job Seeker: I have lately been considering opening my own business. As you know, the situation hasn’t been very steady in the Middle East, and that is greatly affecting the job market. So I could really use your help in guiding me through the ideal steps before launching my business. Answer from Bayt HR Guru: It is great to know that you are considering launching your own business, and you’re not the only one. A recent survey on “Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector and Arab Springs” (March 2012) conducted by Bayt.com, Stanford and YouGov revealed that there is…

Gruntled Employees
How to get people to do what you want (in six minutes)

Jay Shepherd

26 Apr 2012 | 9:02 am

Here is the six-minute "LexThink .1" speech I gave in Chicago in March at the ABA TechShow. In it, I explain the three simple steps you need to take to get someone to do what you want. LexThink follows the "Ignite" speech format: six minutes, 20 slides, 18 seconds per slide, advancing automatically with no control by the speaker. Enjoy. And if you want the free Result Triangle worksheet, it's right here. You can print it out and use it right now to help solve whatever problem you're facing.
Facebook privacy, simplified

Jay Shepherd

7 Mar 2012 | 11:41 am

Over at jayshep.com: a simple chart explaining who can read your Facebook comments. Check it out.
Why HR might not want to read Firing at Will

Jay Shepherd

29 Feb 2012 | 11:04 am

Book authors want everyone to read their book. It's a universal law. They spend a year or longer typing and retyping words, and when they're done, they want as many people as possible to read what they've written. And I'm no different. But it occurs to me that some people may want to avoid my book. Firing at Will is listed (and intended) as a management book. My publisher (Apress) even included a handy little instruction on the back cover: "Shelve in Business/Management." But so far, in every Barnes & Noble store I've checked, they've filed it under "Human Resources." And I get that,…
The 10 most important traits for job candidates

Jay Shepherd

28 Feb 2012 | 2:45 pm

Over at jayshep.com there's a new excerpt from Chapter 17 ("Hiring to Avoid Firing") of Firing at Will: A Manager's Guide. In it, I talk about the ten things to look for when hiring an employee. The better you do at hiring, the less likely you'll need to fire. Check it out.
A Facebook policy for grown-ups

Jay Shepherd

24 Feb 2012 | 11:19 am

Bop on over to jayshep.com to check out a Facebook policy for grown-ups. Feel free to adopt it as your own.

upstartHR
No More Mister Nice Guy

Ben

16 May 2012 | 4:39 am

Recently I ran across an article that led with an interesting premise: if you want to be better than the competition, you need to be asking better interview questions. That made me stop and think. In the HR blogging space we are very friendly with each other and often provide advice that is informative and uplifting; however, that title takes the conversation in another direction. If your competitors are better, they will win. If the competitor has better HR people, they will have a significant advantage. So what does that mean for you? It’s time to step up your game. Look at what some…
Corporate Legends-Your Culture Weapon

Ben

14 May 2012 | 5:00 am

Using Corporate Legends to Communicate Culture We often hear that communicating organizational culture is an important task. However, most people fail to provide examples on how to do that very thing! I’ve been testing different methods for sharing culture (collecting touchstones, for one), but one of my favorite ways to share our corporate beliefs and values are through the “legends” within our organization. What is a legend? In this sense of the word, a legend is defined as a person who took extraordinary action to achieve a goal. The guy who drove 400 miles to support a…
HRevolution-Is it for the “little guy?”

Ben

11 May 2012 | 5:00 am

A few months back I read a great post by Keith McIlvane about wanting HR conferences to offer more content toward small companies. My first answer for HR conference problems is almost always going to be an event like HRevolution, because it allows participants to drive the conversations and topics that they find interesting, not what some organizer slapped on the agenda. Keith’s post goes on to discuss this specific content request: Don’t get me wrong, the big-brand case studies are extremely strategic in how they launch each initiative and often in a very impressive manner. But most…
How to Become a Best Place to Work

Ben

9 May 2012 | 5:15 am

Yes, I know this logo is from 2011. New badges not out yet. If you’re looking for ideas on how to become a best place to work, maybe I can help. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend the Huntsville Best Places to Work Awards ceremony, and Pinnacle received an award in the “micro” size business category. Over 200 companies were nominated to kick off the process, and there was definitely some stiff competition. This is the first year we were eligible to compete since we were too small in previous years. Want to know how to become a “Best Place to Work?”…
Company Success Stories-A Lesson from Clif Bar

Ben

7 May 2012 | 5:00 am

Have you ever thought about company success stories? Most of us are captivated by the startup company “started in a garage and became a millionaire” type stories. I wasn’t looking for an object lesson, but I found one in an interesting place. I snagged a Clif Bar to munch on before the Run for Kids 50k this past weekend, and as I read the package (I know, I’m a nerd) I was instantly transformed from a casual snacker to a believer in the Clif Bar mission (a little dramatic, but you get the general idea). Below is a slightly modified version of what is on the packaging…

Free Human Resources Magazines and Downloads from alltop.tradepub.com
How to Run a More Cost-Efficient Employee Benefits and Services Program

16 May 2012 | 2:00 am

These companies provide a highly integrated system for managing all employee related tasks. For many companies, this can mean going from being overwhelmed by enrollment forms and employee complaints to having the entire process flow smoothly and all participants' concerns being handled adroitly.Employee benefits and services management companies can provide everything from 401k retirement and health insurance plans to virtually any type of benefit or service an employer would want to offer. These companies often provide many of these benefits and services directly. Some partner with human…
4 Tips for Recruiting Oil & Gas Professionals

15 May 2012 | 2:00 am

Read these tips and you'll increase your pool of qualified candidates, improve your ability to choose the right candidates, and lower your turnover.Request Free!
Rigzone Global Retention Survey

15 May 2012 | 2:00 am

Lower turnover and improve your ability to retain your most valued employees. Find out what percentage of your employees believe it would be easy to find a new position and how likely they are to have been contacted by a recruiter. Learn about successful retention incentives. See results by world region.Request Free!
10 Best Practice Tips for Screening Resumes and Candidates

15 May 2012 | 2:00 am

Reduce the amount of time you spend sifting through unqualified candidates' resumes with these 10 quick and easy tips. Screen applicants more efficiently, save yourself time and frustration and be more successful filling your open positions with top performers.Request Free!
Solving the Brain Drain for Nuclear and Power Generation

11 May 2012 | 2:00 am

Your organization's most important asset is the knowledge your workers hold. With today's transient workforce and the large percentage of nuclear workers approaching retirement age, it is critical to implement a system that will capture their knowledge in an efficient, usable way.This white paper discusses information technology that enables you to identify, manage, and relate knowledge from best practices, human experience, industry communities of practice, changes to plant configuration, regulations, training, lessons learned, and more.Knowledge presented through existing business processes…

Interesting Bits From Brad Herbert (www.HerbertHRC.com)
15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

Brad Herbert

11 May 2012 | 10:36 am

My friend Wendy connected me to a fun blog post on 15 things you should give up to be happy. I'm guilty of many of these things some of the time, and probably all of them at one point or another. What about yourself?Here's the top line take aways; please visit the website for the full article.1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others.2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROLBe…
No Fear In The Now: Tell It Like It Is!

Brad Herbert

8 May 2012 | 2:59 pm

My friend Sonny Thind shared this video with me and I love how spot on he is about focusing on what is happening now versus the past or future. I am guilty big time of focusing / fretting on the future which in so many ways drains my focus on what I actually have control over in the moment.Does any of this resonate with you? One of the reasons I am so committed to coaching is that it is such a powerful partnership to help people get clear on what they will take on in this moment.
Why The Buzz Around Employee Recognition...and Leadership Coaching ?

Brad Herbert

8 May 2012 | 1:01 pm

Solid, succinct article from Bersin and Associates on the global context for increased focus on employee recognition. I thought it was interesting that leadership coaching was called out as an investment that paid dividends across multiple challenges. I'm presenting just the highlights below, so please go to Bersin for the full article. "(1) Volatile Economy —As many Western organizations responded to the economic recession, they found themselves unable to increase compensation and had to decrease or eliminate bonuses. Further, many of those same organizations reduced…
I LOVE this employee handbook from Valve

Brad Herbert

2 May 2012 | 2:12 pm

Form follows function, and I believe the folks at Valve have done a stellar job explaining the cultural "how and why" around org design, product development, priorities, and company strengths and gaps. It's a quick read and a great example of the importance of an intentionally designed culture. How does your organizational culture help or hinder your broader goals? What would you like to see change? I'd enjoy chatting and helping you with your team's culture and design.
An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page — Action Steps to Avoid or Turn Around a “Great to Good” Slide (Part 2 of 2)

Brad Herbert

30 Apr 2012 | 10:46 am

In part II of his ERE post, Dr. John Sullivan offers some solutions for "Great to Good Slide" companies. I've shortened the article to just the highlights so please visit ERE for the full article. Excellence matters, and technology advances so fast that the potential for improvement is tremendous. So, since becoming CEO again, I’ve pushed hard to increase our velocity, improve our execution, and focus on the big bets that will make a difference in the world. Google is a large company now, but we will achieve more, and do it faster, if we approach life with the passion and soul…

The Staffing Advisor
Interviews are 80% Performance Art

Bob Corlett

14 May 2012 | 10:50 am

Imagine you are hiring for a key position. A good looking, well dressed candidate confidently walks in on time, smiles, looks you in the eye and warmly shakes your hand. You exchange pleasantries for a few moments and you can feel yourself beginning to relax. You think “Oh good, they seem like a great candidate!” So you might be tempted to begin talking more. You know, to get them interested in the job. Except, of course, you don’t know a thing about them yet. Interviewing is full of traps like these. We’re drawn to good looking resumes that fit our mental picture of…
But Enough About You, Let’s Talk About Me…

Bob Corlett

9 May 2012 | 7:15 am

I recently wrote a post for the Washington Business Journal about curiosity–the one attribute smart employers look for, but job seekers rarely demonstrate in an interview. My post drew some insightful comments I wanted to share with you (below), but many people simply wanted to know why people are not more curious. Luckily, neuroscience researchers at Harvard recently discovered why we’d prefer to talk about ourselves rather than ask someone else a question. “Talking about ourselves—whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and…
Making a Job Offer? Don’t Make This Mistake

Bob Corlett

13 Apr 2012 | 7:30 am

Client emails me and says “Hey, I want to offer the job to Kathy, but I only have her salary on her past two jobs, can you get her salary from the company before that? That would be helpful to arrive at a fair compensation package for both her and us.” Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Except it’s not the right way to set salary. If my client wants to retain Kathy, her past salary is irrelevant – the only factor that matters is market rate. And in this search, all the other qualified candidates were within 5% of each other in total compensation–that’s market…
They Can Wait a Week, Right?

Bob Corlett

12 Apr 2012 | 5:45 pm

Client says to me, ”Hey I like Bill and want to make him a job offer but it’s going to take some time to pull it together. He knows we’re busy and he’s working now, so he won’t mind waiting a week, right?” No, Bill won’t mind a bit. He’ll just have a week longer to get a promotion in his current job, or to get another offer from one of your competitors. So as long as you don’t mind losing him, take all the time you need…. And hey, when you do get around to making Bill that job offer, you won’t mind waiting around for a week…
Do You Really Know Who Exactly Are You Driving Away?

Bob Corlett

23 Mar 2012 | 6:53 am

“If they can’t be flexible to a schedule change, I don’t want them working here.” The hiring manager was emphatic as he changed his interview schedule for the second time. When the manager proposed a new interview time of tomorrow, he said “If they don’t get back to me quickly, they must not be that interested in the job.” When the manager further insisted on requiring three hours of online skills testing, he said “If they are afraid of a little testing, their skills probably aren’t very good.” (Yes, you guessed it, they had never…

XpertHR - Employment Intelligence
Does your organisation have a retention problem?

Rachel Suff

14 May 2012 | 3:26 am

The 2011 XpertHR labour turnover and absence survey showed that voluntary resignation rates stood at an average of 10.1%, with the recession still having a negative impact on some organisations' labour turnover patterns. What is the right voluntary resignation rate? The answer is that the ideal level of labour turnover can vary enormously from organisation to organisation with no "one-size-fits-all" solution. But the rate of staff turnover can be too low as well as too high if an employer needs to attract new skills and encourage innovation in the organisation. Measuring a fundamental key HR…
What are the key characteristics of leaders in the Digital Era?

Michael Carty

11 May 2012 | 1:00 am

As business moves ever further into what we might term the Digital Era, how are our expectations of leaders and leadership changing and evolving?This fascinating question is posed by the Global Center for Digital Era Leadership (GCDEL) ...and they'd very much appreciate your help in "crowdsourcing" a list of the defining characteristics of Digital Era leaders.Help 'crowdsource' the defining characteristics of Digital Era leadersHere's what they're looking for:Thinking across sectors and disciplines, but focusing on the role of digital technology in organizations, economies, and societies,…
Employee engagement scores show HR could do better | HR strategy round-up

Noel O'Reilly

10 May 2012 | 10:43 am

If you ask HR directors what are their most important strategic priorities then employee engagement is likely to be at or near the top of the list. But in reality few are getting this right, according to recent global surveys. For example, the recent Modern Survey finds only 10% of employees are engaged, according to an article by Jacob Morgan. He cites other reports with similar results, by Gallup and Blessing White. Another article, "The Sharp Drop-Off In Worker Happiness--And What Your Company Can Do About It", by Mark Crowley on Fast Company's Expert…
Are we seeing a premature end to rapidly falling inflation in 2012?

Michael Carty

10 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Recent months have seen a welcome easing of inflation from the high levels seen throughout 2012.But this trend could be coming to a premature end, latest official inflation data suggest, with consumer prices index (CPI) inflation showing an unexpected rise. The rise in CPI means "the sharp slowdown in UK inflation has come to a premature end," according to Scotiabank's Alan Clarke. So where will inflation go from here?The minutes of the MPC's April 2012 meeting note a "a risk that inflation would fall less rapidly in the near term than the Committee had anticipated in its February Inflation…
'Faster, higher stronger': The challenge for HR in the public sector in 2012

Michael Carty

9 May 2012 | 1:00 am

"Faster, higher, stronger."This is new Public Sector People Managers Association (PPMA) President Martin Rayson's assessment of what he expects to be the themes of his presidency.In an interview with HR Magazine, Rayson said:It is not about doing HR differently, but with a harder edge.Rayson pinpoints the key challenges for HR in the public sector:The industrial relationship challenges, pay freezes - and belief that senior executives are paid too much - don't create a positive brand and this should be a concern to HR professionals.Public sector staff morale is deteriorating, XpertHR research…

KnowHR Blog
The HR Also Rises

Frank Roche

16 May 2012 | 6:00 am

There’s some writing advice with heft. Want your HR writing to rise up? You don’t need to drink. But you need to get drunk on words. On ideas. On attitude. Then step away from the blue pencil. [Image source]
How To Write Mommy Porn: The HR Edition

Frank Roche

15 May 2012 | 8:48 am

You can’t turn around without bumping into someone reading 50 Shades of Grey. You know the largest group of readers of that mommy porn? HR people. Know why? Prurience and HR go together like “S” and “M”. There’s an HR cadre who are drawn to the job because of the legal voyeurism. Dirty deets spun dirt cheap! Splendor in the crass! You’ve got mail! (And I’m reading it.) Why not put all that prurience to good use? Here’s what you do. How to Write Mommy Porn for HR Pros Setting: Futuristic offices, ultra-minimalist design aesthetic. New York…
When Enough is Enough

Frank Roche

14 May 2012 | 7:22 am

The best people I know, Know when enough is enough. Enough things. Enough pay. Enough joy. Enough policies. Enough reviews. Enough training. Enough vacation. Enough friends. Enough information. Enough ideas. Enough distractions. Enough meetings. Enough waiting. And of those who don’t know when enough is enough, I’ve had enough. [Image source]
When a Tech Writer Dad Makes School Lunches

Frank Roche

11 May 2012 | 7:38 am

Charlie sent me this image yesterday. I laughed out loud thinking about a tech writer dad writing lunch instructions for his kids. Want to document a process? Call a tech writer. Want to make lunches with love? Call mom.
Here’s to the Sane Ones

Frank Roche

10 May 2012 | 8:58 am

Here’s to the crazy ones… No, you know what, dammit? Screw the crazy ones. Crazy ones are for the most part, cray-cray Note to you if you think that Apple ad was talking about you: You’re not Albert F’ing Einstein. Not Gandhi. Not Hitchcock. Not Lennon. Not Earhart. Life isn’t like a rolling stone to you. You’re more like a friggin bump on a log. A bump on a log that spends its waking hours making other people crazy. A bump on a log that wears a beret and smokes Gauloises. Here’s to the crazy ones? Yeah, good luck with that in business. Here’s…

Easy Small Business HR
Employee Theft Statistics For 2012

Howard

16 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Three out of four of your employees will steal from you this year, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. One of those people will steal repeatedly or has already done so. Let this situation continue and your business has a one in three chance of declaring bankruptcy and going under. statistics for 2012 show [...]Supervisors Toolkit: How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took The Job- A Step-by-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers. http://www.HowToBeASupervisor.com Your Toolkit Includes: 1. Three versions of the ebook, (Kindle/Nook/PDF) 2. Twelve months of free…
5 Team Leading Skills You Can Learn From Navy SEALs

Howard

13 May 2012 | 8:44 pm

This week’s guest post is from Mike Sanders: Even those who have never served in an elite military unit can respect and admire the hard work and constitution required to become a Navy SEAL. However, not only is becoming a SEAL about effort, fortitude, and discipline, it’s also about management and leadership. Some may assume [...]Supervisors Toolkit: How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took The Job- A Step-by-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers. http://www.HowToBeASupervisor.com Your Toolkit Includes: 1. Three versions of the ebook, (Kindle/Nook/PDF) 2.
Hiring Teenagers – What Employers Need to Know About Child Employment Laws

Howard

11 May 2012 | 7:23 am

It’s that time of year when employers are considering hiring teens. Here’s an article from the Easy Small Business archives that you can use as a reference. How many hours can a minor work in a week? Can I hire a 13 year old? Small business owners who tap into the teen work force [...]Supervisors Toolkit: How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took The Job- A Step-by-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers. http://www.HowToBeASupervisor.com Your Toolkit Includes: 1. Three versions of the ebook, (Kindle/Nook/PDF) 2. Twelve months of free access to G5…
Attendance Policy Checklist for Small Businesses

Dianne

7 May 2012 | 9:56 pm

Do your employees know what to do when they need time off work or even if such time off is allowed? Instead of relying on word of mouth, craft a detailed attendance policy that keeps every supervisor and worker on the same page. Avoid confusion, conflicts and court battles by drafting a document with each [...]Supervisors Toolkit: How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took The Job- A Step-by-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers. http://www.HowToBeASupervisor.com Your Toolkit Includes: 1. Three versions of the ebook, (Kindle/Nook/PDF) 2. Twelve months of free access to…
Hot Topics From Around the Web: Making the Grade- Employers Face Increased Scrutiny of Pre-Employment Testing Programs

Dianne

3 May 2012 | 8:09 pm

If you’re thinking about implementing a pre-employment testing process for your company, you’ll want to read the article “Making the Grade: Employers Face Increased Scrutiny of Pre-Employment Testing Programs from the blog of law firm Vedder Price. This particular article focuses on a company whose pre-employment testing process adversely affected minority job candidates. Read more [...]Supervisors Toolkit: How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took The Job- A Step-by-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers. http://www.HowToBeASupervisor.com Your Toolkit…

alstin communications
A Not So Guilty Pleasure – The Pitch

brendenconcannon

15 May 2012 | 12:55 pm

Several of us here at Alstin have recently given up space in our Sunday night TV lineups to watch a delightfully different reality show – The Pitch. The show itself is has many of the elements about reality TV we love such as suspenseful cliff hangers, and an emotion stirring sound score, but the beauty of it is it is something we can finally relate to. AMC’s new series The Pitch offers an inside look at two top ad agencies competing for a new client in a head-to-head cut throat showdown (that last part is what makes this interesting enough to be on TV). The show starts out by introducing…
What a Working Mom Wants

Annette DeHaven

14 May 2012 | 8:54 am

Skimming Twitter this morning I came across a tweet to this blog on What Moms Really Want on the Job. It’s a good post-Mother’s Day topic. As a working mom, I decided to give it a read to see if I match up with popular opinion. In an unscientific poll, the writer posed this basic question on Glassdoor: What are working moms looking for in a company? Here are the top 10 answers: Paid maternity leave Flexible schedule Option to work part-time Sick and vacation days Medical/dental/vision benefits Overall company support for the working mom On-site childcare Child care reimbursement…
Can we please fix the candidate experience? Pretty please?

Tony Rosato

11 May 2012 | 9:02 am

In the last few years I’ve probably written about the candidate experience more than any other topic (although my love of iced tea is a close second). If you’re a frequent reader of our blog, you may wonder: Why the heck does this advertising guy care so much about the candidate experience? It’s actually a question I’ve been asking myself recently, and here’s what I came up with: With some wonderful, notable exceptions, the overall candidate experience in 2012 still, well, stinks. The candidate experience is about more than recruiting and strategic processes. To me, it says a lot…
Surprising Job Interview Sting – Fun Park Nabs a Job Seeker for Traffic Violation

Nicole Ballinger

10 May 2012 | 2:25 pm

Have you ever thought for a second that there would be a chance that that unpaid parking ticket or some other unresolved fine you have yet to take care of would land you in jail, all because you went for a job interview? This week, Atlanta newspapers and blogs reported the unfortunate story of Tateasa Adams, a 37 year old singer and job seeker, who found out the hard way. Having come in to apply for a job as a performer for two musical revues at Six Flags Over Georgia, Tateasa Adams was later contacted by the amusement park’s loss prevention department regarding some findings on her…
Congrats to Alstin’s Top Dog – Mike Schluth

Annette DeHaven

10 May 2012 | 10:27 am

On Monday, May 7th Alstin’s President and Owner, Mike Schluth, was honored as a nominee at The Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year Award ceremony. The awards connected to this event were developed in 2001 to celebrate the Human Resources industry and to recognize those in the HR profession who “exemplify outstanding achievement within our local human resources community.” Being nominated as HR Consultant of the Year was quite an honor for Mike as it was to all of us proudly here at Alstin. Click here to learn more about the awards, winners and how nominees are selected.

PAK HR UPDATES | HR Jobs | HR Trainings | HR Internship | HR Resources
HR Coordinator Required Telebridge Communications , Islamabad

PAK HR UPDATES

26 Apr 2012 | 1:21 am

Job Description:Human resource planning, recruitment and placementFringe Benefits.Management of personal record of employees.Compensation Management (Salary& Growth structure, Bonus, Overtime, Annual increment).Performance Evaluation/Appraisal.Conduct Exit Interviews.Minimum Education: BachelorsMinimum Experience: Not RequiredApply By: May 13, 2012ApplyRead more »
HR / Admin Executive Required Beta Pipes , Lahore

PAK HR UPDATES

26 Apr 2012 | 1:17 am

Job Description:Assist Manager HR & Administration in Planning, developing and implementing strategy for HR management and continual development (including recruitment and selection policy / practices, discipline, counseling, salaries, loan, contracts , training and development, performance appraisals, job evaluation).Main Responsibilities are :1) Assist in developing and implementing all HR/Admin policies and procedures.2) Advertise staff vacancies3) Assess applications and short list resumes.4) Schedule interviews with HR or relevant Department Head.5) Prepare reports and make…
1 Day Workshop Advance Taxation Management

PAK HR UPDATES

26 Apr 2012 | 1:12 am

AM Education ServiceOnce Again Offer1 Day Workshop Advance Taxation Management Income & Sales Tax, RGST with e-fillingLahore Workshop ........ 28th April, 2012 ......... Hotel-One by PC, Mall RoadKarachi Regular Classes ......... 27th April, 2012 ......... AMES@Rs.12,000/ExecutiveDiscount Available for Groups, NGO, Insurance, Banks, MNC, SME, ICMAP, PIPFA, ICAPFor Details Contact.........Call Now: 021-36083304, 0321-2121321, 0313-2488828, 0332-2505608 Email ameconsultantpak1@gmail.com Read more »
Assistant Manager HR Required Orient Electronics (Pvt) LTD , Lahore

PAK HR UPDATES

4 Apr 2012 | 8:42 am

Job Description: To assist Manager HR in developing, organizing and continuous improvement in all HR related areas ranging from HR Policies and Procedures, Recruitment and Selection, Compensation and Benefits, Training & Development, Performance Appraisal & Performance Management. To ensure timely execution of Monthly Payroll processing and handle all the relevant matters and satisfy queries and concerns of controlling department on monthly salary audit. To coordinate with Administration department in issues related to Employee Transportation, Accommodation, Rashan disbursement and…
Certified Human Resource Management Professional (CHRMP);

PAK HR UPDATES

4 Apr 2012 | 8:36 am

After the Successful Completion of Six Batches of Certified Human Resource Management Professional Course, Highly Keen – The HR Institute is now Offering the 7th Batch of Our 4 Months Evening Certification Course: Certified Human Resource Management Professional (CHRMP);Starting from 6th April, 2012. Optimize this opportunity to enhance your Practical Knowledge and Exposure of HR Field and give a boost to your career.Course Modules: Module - 1: Introduction to HRMModule - 2: Job Analysis, Job Description, Recruitment & SelectionModule - 3: Orientation, Training & Development Module…

Compensation Today
It's More Than Just the Pay

PayScale.com

16 May 2012 | 11:43 am

Retention Requires Communication By Tripp Ritter, PayScale.com Some stories make you cringe. For those of us who think about human resources every day, this post by Paul Spiegelman may be one of them. In the article, he talks about losing one of his top performers and the lessons he learned from the experience. Like many employers before him, he relearns the painful truth that retention matters as much as recruitment. PayScale compensation consultant Mykkah Herner reminds us that holding onto your star performers involves a number of tactics, but two are most critical. You need a strong…
Poll: What is Your Company's Maternity Leave Policy?

PayScale.com

11 May 2012 | 3:37 pm

Paid Leave Makes A Difference By Tripp Ritter, PayScale.com Do you want to make sure your pregnant employees remain loyal employees and stay at work long after they give birth? If so, you might be wise to focus on whether or not any leave you provide is paid, according to a new research study. Researchers from Bryn Mawr College and Rutgers University found that women who take paid maternity leave are more likely to still be working a year after they give birth than those who take no leave at all. Why paid instead of unpaid leave? The researchers argue that providing pay increases employee…
The Right Reason to Hire Veterans

PayScale.com

7 May 2012 | 3:04 pm

Do Them and Your Business A Favor By Tripp Ritter, PayScale.com A former Army psychiatrist thinks companies often hire veterans for the wrong reasons, leading to bad results for both the businesses and the veterans. Dr. Harry Croft, co-author of Always Sit With My Back to The Wall and a former Army psychiatrist who has been working with veterans since 1973, argues that the best reason to hire veterans is for their skills. Hiring returning veterans can appeal to Human Resources professionals for a variety of reasons. It might stir feelings of patriotism and provides a nice tax break. Companies…
What’s the Difference Between Performance & Proficiency?

PayScale.com

1 May 2012 | 2:46 pm

Just Rewards For Your Employees By Mykkah Herner, MA, CCP, Compensation Consultant at PayScale.com Here at PayScale, we often talk about compensation philosophies answering 3 main questions: How do you define your market? How competitive do you want to be relative to the market? What do you want to reward? In working with clients, I find they know the answers to the first two questions within a heartbeat. The third question, however, often leads them to stumble and to look to me for guidance. What are the options? What should we reward? At that point, I have to dig in deeper to their…
Use Data When Setting Raises, But Don't Stop There

PayScale.com

27 Apr 2012 | 3:42 pm

How the PayScale Index Fits Into Raise Planning By Tripp Ritter, PayScale.com Some high level strategic thinking and data gathering must happen before raises can be given out. From following inflation and local market rate shifts, to considering business goals and budget constraints, HR professionals must be extra hard working and efficient with their time to pull off smart merit increases. How can all of the information gathering be simplified? When do you have enough input to make a smart decision? Katie Bardaro, lead analyst at PayScale.com, works with compensation data all day every day…

In Full Bloom
Potential HRM Enterprise Software Landscape Disruptions — Microsoft

Naomi Bloom

14 May 2012 | 6:00 am

With the first post in this series, I introduced my concept of potential disruptors and other sources of disruption to the HRM enterprise software landscape. In that post I used Kronos and a hypothesized expansion of their functional footprint — a huge expansion of their functional footprint — combined with their global distribution capabilities, competent leadership, and humongous installed base, to present one scenario which would shake things up good and proper. Doing this type of scenario testing is an important component of both competitive analysis and strategic…
Potential HRM Enterprise Software Landscape Disruptions — Introduction And Kronos

Naomi Bloom

7 May 2012 | 5:00 am

It's Not The Ripples From A Single Pebble But Their Interactions With Others That's My Mental Image of Market Disruption Introduction The idea for this series comes from the work I did to update my competitive landscape talking points before several recent client meetings. After updating the vendor by vendor notes which are at the core of these materials, I was working on a new section I had titled “Wild Cards” when I decided that this section might make an interesting series of blog posts. What all of my “wild cards” had in common was their ability, if…
Driving Business Outcomes — Vocabulary Shapes Our Thinking On Analytics

Naomi Bloom

30 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

The Yiddish Of My Youth Still Shapes My Thinking In a previous post, I focused on the most fundamental metrics for measuring the impact of changes in HRM, presumably intended as improvements, on revenues and profitability. Hopefully, I succeeded in offering no-nonsense, strictly financial metrics. Focusing on changes in revenues and profitability per agreed measures of workforce effort provides a starting point for thinking about what drives those changes and what as well as how HRM changes/improvements affect those drivers. That was a good start toward getting clear about the…
Product Update: Workday 16

Naomi Bloom

23 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

Workday 16 On Tablet [Full disclosure: Workday is a client as are several of her competitors. Also, where I've noted below that something is free, a more precise description (with thanks to Dennis Howlett for suggesting this clarification) would be "included at no additional cost" if you've subscribed HCM.] It seems like only yesterday that I was writing (we were all writing) about Workday 10. But two years have passed, and those folks have been hard at it, with three major releases each year. I for one am impressed with Workday’s ability to keep up the pace, keep to their…
The Future Of HRM Software: Agile, Models-Driven, Definitional Development

Naomi Bloom

16 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

[Huge shout-out to Stan Swete of Workday and Raul Duque of Ultimate (both of whose firms have been clients, as was Raul's former employer, Meta4) for their review and feedback on my much shorter first draft of this post, which addressed only models-driven development. Based on their feedback, I've now touched on agile software development and metadata-driven definitional development. These three approaches, combined and managed properly, are at the heart of achieving the order of magnitude improvement in software economics, including time-to-market and quality-to-market, which are…

The Business of Talent - Josh Bersin
CornerstoneOnDemand Continues Growth: Update from 2012 User Conference

16 May 2012 | 7:48 am

This week CornerstoneOnDemand held its annual user conference in sunny southern California. Following a very strong earnings release (revenues of $24 million (up 52% year over year, with bookings up 71% YTY), the management team cited the "easiest time selling in the company's history," even in the wake of SAP's acquisition of SuccessFactors and Oracle's acquisition of Taleo. Company Momentum The company now has more than 8 million users and 891 corporate clients (not including 275 or so small business clients), which gives the company great staying power and depth in…
Flying under the Radar SilkRoad raises $35M in Round C

14 May 2012 | 8:13 am

Despite the recent acquisitions of Taleo by Oracle and SuccessFactors by SAP, the talent management software market is far from mature. Today SilkRoad, one of the more quiet (not for long) talent management software vendors, announced a $35 Million Series C round of funding. The new investors include Keating Capital (Nasdaq: KIPO) and NTT Finance (NYSE: NTT), among others, who invested in the oversubscribed round. (Existing SilkRoad investors include Intel Capital, Crosslink Capital, Foundation Capital, Azure Capital and Tenaya Capital.) SilkRoad intends to use this new funding to…
Making the Job Search Work for You - The Science of Fit

11 May 2012 | 11:53 am

Looking for a job is like playing the dating game: you're like a lover looking for the best mate, and the employer is playing the same game in reverse. ( The Dating Game, a TV show in the 1970s, let women select from three "eligible bachelors." It was among the most popular shows of its time. The Match Game, which used celebrities to make matches, was similarly popular.) I've been travelling around the country the last few weeks meeting with many HR leaders and everywhere I go I hear the same thing from employers: there are a lot of people out of work, yet we are having…
Blowout Quarter at LinkedIn: Now the Talent Acquisition Machine (+Slideshare)

6 May 2012 | 4:40 pm

Another amazing quarter from LinkedIn: revenues of $188.5 Million, up 101%, with the "hiring solutions" business now driving $102.6 Million or 54% of company revenue. LinkedIn's revenues in the corporate recruiting market are now larger than Taleo, SuccessFactors, Kenexa, and nearly every other software company which sells recruiting solutions. Let me highlight some of the major changes taking place in LinkedIn's corporate recruiting business. The company is expanding from "hiring solutions" toward many new areas of talent acquisition. The term "hiring…
New Research: BigData in HR as Huge Opportunity

27 Apr 2012 | 3:07 pm

The topics of BigData in HR is white hot. This week we launched our BigData in HR research study, which describes precisely how world-class organizations build high performing talent analytics functions. This research represents the culmination of many years of work, talking with hundreds of companies and many vendors in the market. In this article I'd like to highlight some of the findings, and invite you to join our research membership program to get more information. You can also come to a free webinar highlighting the findings on June 26 at 2:00 PM EST/11AM PST. Five Basic…

Glennlist
The Best Smart Phone App for Recruiters and How to Use It.

Michael Glenn

4 May 2012 | 9:30 am

Let’s face it! Recruiters no longer network like they used. It’s all online these days. And it’s really pissing me off because I keep getting “ignored”. Folks, how can I stalk you if you want make any updates! Puh-lease, throw me a frickin bone here people. I want to network with you so I can offer you a better job. Is that too much to ask? And is it too much to ask for Sharks with Frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads?? Okay, look, I..we…uh.. recruiters just need to get over that not everyone in social media networks wants to have a recruiter following their…
G-Whizz must have App for Recruiters

Michael Glenn

26 Apr 2012 | 8:48 am

A Recruiter’s expertise is judged by the number of Apps he uses to source and recruit. Even if you know some advanced Boolean strings, you really need to have the right Apps in place. I’ve been using Google Apps and services for my iPad. Here is a must have App that bundles a lot of your Apps in one cool interface. It’s called G-Whizz! Share and Enjoy:
Whip your recruiters into shape before this summer.

Michael Glenn

24 Apr 2012 | 10:10 am

I’m a guy. A dude. And, like most dudes we look at ourselves in the mirror and we think we’re Brad Pitt handsome, buff, and our mate is soooo lucky to have us. Heck, I think I’m like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. But, my wife says I’m more like the short red hairy dwarf character. “Gimli the dwarf I am not!” I exclaim from my comfy sofa with remote in hand. Okay, it’s true my recruiting brothers. Some of us are a little out of shape, BUT the same thing can be said about our recruiting knowledge. We think our sourcing department is in top notch recruiting shape. It looks…
You know you’re a gadget geek when you do this

Michael Glenn

19 Apr 2012 | 3:10 pm

Does this look familiar? You know it does. Come on, admit it. How many times have you tried to pull this one off?
An Open Letter to Linkedin.com - Stop Forcing Recruiters to Upgrade!

Michael Glenn

16 Apr 2012 | 10:44 am

Linkedin has become the craptastic tool for all recruiters and they have done something that is so wrong, so baseless, so..so, backstabbing to every recruiter who has built Linkedin. Yes, it was recruiters who built this online network. It was recruiters who loaded up their entire contact database in hopes of sharing their contacts with other recruiters. And what do we get? What are we left with? A giant network that is painfully-frustratingly restrictive that now CHARGES us to network! The decision to charge (upgrade) for 3rd level connections will come back to haunt Linkedin. Requiring…

The Workforce Institute
Can you pull off a workforce of one?

Joyce Maroney

16 May 2012 | 11:20 am

Karen Brennan-Holton is a partner at Accenture and a member of the Workforce Institute Advisory Board. She contributed an intriguing chapter to our recent book, Elements of Successful Organizations, based on the proposition that organizations can optimize performance by tailoring work assignments to the worker vs. expecting employees to conform to a fixed job description. [...]
What Children Teach Their Parents

Joyce Maroney

13 May 2012 | 4:34 pm

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mothers reading this. My children aren’t with me today as they are grown and living in different cities than me. We had lovely calls today, and I got the beautiful flowers pictured here early last week at work. My daughter, my clone when it comes to planning, determined [...]
National Nurses Week

Joyce Maroney

7 May 2012 | 8:31 am

This week is National Nurses Week. Our Time Well Spent cartoon of the week makes the point that patient care and quality outcomes are highly dependent on having the right healthcare professionals in the right place at the right time. We’ve written about evidence driven healthcare here before and published research on best practices in [...]
If they don’t know better, you may need to teach them

Joyce Maroney

3 May 2012 | 3:51 pm

The following guest post is from our board member, David Creelman. We’ve written about the challenges of hiring and training frontline workers here before. Realistic job previews and evidence-based pre-employment assessment are a couple of strategies for ensuring you make the right hires. Articulating required soft skill competencies and training for them has been a [...]
Citizen of the Year

Joyce Maroney

2 May 2012 | 5:05 pm

I’m going to use this blog post to brag, to encourage volunteerism, and to make a point about employee engagement. Last Saturday, I was awarded the annual prize for Citizen of the Year in my town. It’s kind of corny, but also one of the nicest thank you messages I’ve ever received. Why did I get [...]

Omega HR Solutions
Right to Demand Flexible Hours

Michael Haberman

16 May 2012 | 7:15 am

Should workers be able to "demand" flexible work?I am in the United States. Most of you know that already. But I do pay attention to what is going on around the world, as should all good HR people. In my news reader this morning was an article that talked about New Zealand labor and employment law. What caught my eye was a statement that a new package of legislation suggested by the Labour (Labor here in the US) Minister included the right for workers to demand flexible hours. Naturally my reaction was “What?” But I wanted to get your reaction on this.The Labour Minister…
Your “At-Will” Policy is in Danger!

Michael Haberman

15 May 2012 | 7:15 am

A decision by an administrative law judge may make employment "at-will" a thing of the past.I have written several times about the impact or potential impact that decisions of the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) may have on employers, especially non-union employers. Well here is another one… your “at-will” policies are now in danger!For those of you who are not quite sure what this means let me explain “at-will”. It is a well-established common law doctrine that allows an employer or employee to terminate an employment relationship at any time or for any…
Listen Up: Your Company is in Unionization Danger

Michael Haberman

14 May 2012 | 7:12 am

If you are not prepared your company will be a target for union activity.I know a lot of HR managers and even business owners who feel safe from the actions of the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). They feel that the National Labor Relations Board actions do not apply to them well they could not be more wrong! Recent actions by an “activist” board are promoting a union agenda and making it easier for unions to make inroads into your company. One particular danger is the “quickie election” decision by the Board.Rather that writing about it myself I am actually sending you over to…
Environmental Scanning Is More than Reading a Magazine

Michael Haberman

11 May 2012 | 7:15 am

Environmental scanning is the sum total of many efforts. In the effort to educate HR professionals on being strategic we talk about the skill of environmental scanning and the value of understanding what impacts our organizations on a day-to-day basis so we don’t get caught with our pants down. (If you don’t know what that last phrase means… click here.) Last week I told you I was reading Jac Fitz-Enz’s book The New HR Analytics and that I would pass on lessons I learned to you. Here is the first one: Environmental scanning is more than reading a magazine! For predictive…
Arrogant versus Confident

Michael Haberman

10 May 2012 | 7:15 am

Arrogance or Confidence?I am certain that each of you has at some time in your life have used these terms and applied them to someone you know or know of. We have applied them to fellow employees, fellow students, friends, family members, celebrities, politicians and more. Perhaps these terms have been applied to you in the past as well. I read the best definition of the difference between being arrogant versus confident.The man that I consider one of my “mentors”, Alan Weiss, said in his Monday Morning Memo “True arrogance is the belief that you have nothing left to learn, while…

Pearson's Critical Thinking Blog
How Can You Train Better Decision Making and Problem Anticipation?

Breanne Harris

3 May 2012 | 10:03 am

Every day we are forced to make choices. Paper or plastic? Regular or diet soda? Venti White Chocolate Mocha with Vanilla or the non-fat Soy Latte at Starbucks? Buy or rent? Post your resume or stay with your employer? When we are given choices that will result in serious impact on our business, we need to look critically at the alternatives available to us. Recently, I posted 4 of the Problem Solving Techniques that are trained in the Critical Thinking Boot Camp, and today we will take a similar approach with Decision Making and Project Planning/Implementation. Let’s say you…
Meet the Authors of Now You’re Thinking! at ASTD #astd2012

Breanne Harris

2 May 2012 | 8:00 am

Next week the authors of Now You’re Thinking! (an Amazon.com Bestseller) will be at the American Society for Training & Development’s International conference in Denver. Judy Chartrand, Heather Ishikawa and John Maketa will be in Pearson TalentLens‘ booth (#1134) signing books and taking pictures with attendees. Be sure to stop by and get a FREE copy of Now You’re Thinking! We will also hold a drawing in the booth and 5 randomly chosen individuals will receive a 1-year license to the Critical Thinking University (TalentLens’ first online learning portal for…
Help Wanted: Need Good Decision-Making Skills

chadfife

18 Apr 2012 | 8:49 am

Job ads are interesting. I’m sure you’ve seen an ad like this: Requirements: 3 to 5 years experience in the field Strong interpersonal and communication skills Excellent analytical and decision-making abilities Ability to manage multiple tasks to completion within deadlines Detail oriented So how do companies realistically measure these competencies? The first two are easy. Look at the candidate’s resume and interview them. Requirements 4 & 5 are harder to measure, but achievable. You can use a behavioral interview question such as “Describe a project that was very…
Register Now: Critical Thinking Boot Camp- New York City- June 5th-6th

Breanne Harris

17 Apr 2012 | 8:16 am

The New York Institute of Finance (in conjunction with Executive Development Associates and Pearson TalentLens) is hosting a Critical Thinking Boot Camp in New York City on June 5th and 6th. This Critical Thinking Boot Camp is open to the general public and costs $1,595 per person. Seats are limited, and to register click here. Here is an overview of the Critical Thinking Boot Camp: EDA’s Critical Thinking Boot Camp powered by Pearson’s Watson-Glaser™ Critical Thinking Appraisal is specifically designed to help your workforce understand their critical thinking strengths and…
Critical Thinking in the Classroom: Turn Liberty Middle School’s Fail into a WIN

Breanne Harris

23 Mar 2012 | 7:00 am

This week, an 8th grade civics teacher at Liberty Middle School in Fairfax County, VA has come under fire for assigning his students a political research project. What could possibly be wrong with a civics teacher assigning a research project, you ask? Well, students were divided into 4 groups and were each assigned a GOP candidate to investigate. Students were then asked to look for vulnerabilities in each candidate’s personal background and political positions. The students were then asked to take that research and write a strategy paper for how the opposition could use that…

BlogNotions - HR
Making Your Ideas Happen

tseamon

14 May 2012 | 3:34 pm

Ever had the experience of synchronicity? It’s when you notice some coincidental events and you say to yourself “Whoa.” I had one today. A few hours ago, I saw an HBR blog about making ideas happen, and then later I saw a post about the 99% conference in NYC, held last week on the subject of making your ideas happen. When I worked for the American Management Association a few short years ago, I proposed a new seminar on this very topic: How to turn your Brilliant Idea into action. It was shot down in the new ideas committee. Somewhat ironic, you might say. I was really…
Once More: What Do Managers Do All Day?

derwin

3 May 2012 | 12:59 pm

Austerity. Employee engagement. Social media. Crowd-sourcing. Entrepreneurial. Social networking. Restructuring. Innovative. Internet company. Words come and go. The verbiage changes, but how has this changed what managers actually do? In a recent conversation with a Gen-Yer, just 14 months into his first management job, he downloaded most of his day at my request. He uses different language than most of my exec clients. His context, an internet company, is a lot different than theirs: technology, small appliance, agribusiness, etc. Does that mean that the heart of what he does daily is…
The Beauty Of Imbalance

lhaun

3 May 2012 | 12:56 pm

Anyone can give a balanced opinion on any matter. Research the different sides of an issue and then present all of those different sides in an intelligent manner. It’s not always easy to do but executing on it isn’t a problem if you know how to properly research and write. If you are unsure, you can have multiple people look at it to make sure you have balanced the issues correctly. Of course, the idea of fair and balanced is rightly mocked when it clearly isn’t so but even truly balancing the issues leaves something to be desired. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve walked…
It Takes Three—Creative Type, Business Type, and…?

sbruce

25 Apr 2012 | 3:44 pm

I once read that you need three people to run a successful business—a creative leader, a businessperson, and an a**hole says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. Now, I’m not sure you actually need three people, but you definitely need all three skill sets in the top people in the company, says Oswald, CEO of BLR, who offered his thoughts on the three key management skills in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. As I recall, Oswald says, the argument went that you need a creative type who has that intuitive ability to judge what the market wanted whether it was in product…
Throw Out Traditional Performance Review

tseamon

13 Apr 2012 | 2:55 pm

One of the hottest HR topics right now is a renewed questioning of the traditional process of annual performance reviews. Are we finally witnessing the death of traditional performance reviews? I hope so. But the question is: If we don’t do annual reviews any more, then what? I have long been a proponent of throwing the old process out. In its place, I have advocated the following Success Process which has five vital elements: 1-Goals – The key to success in any endeavor in life is setting specific goals (see the research published by Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson –…

PinPoint Performance Solutions
Social Media Link Roundup – April 2012

Justin Beller

9 May 2012 | 9:55 pm

Nice flow of traffic on our social media sites last month chasing after some of the links we shared. Our most popular links last month seemed to share a common theme: productivity and making the workplace a better place be. We published a post last month that was my vision for the perfect workplace. It was actually inspired by another post I read illustrating how there are 5 types of work that fill our workday (another popular link we shared). It’s pretty clear what type of work eats up our workday. We tend to spend most of our workday reacting to other things. I wondered in my post if we…
Welcome To the PinPoint Performance Solutions Blog

Justin Beller

23 Apr 2012 | 11:00 am

If you are new to the PinPoint Performance Solutions Blog, welcome. This blog has been a labor of love for the better part of three years and we do our best to advance the efforts of training and development in the workplace to improve performance though regular posts. About The Blog The PinPoint Performance Solutions Blog provides our readers with commentary and advice on how to improve performance in the workplace through training and development and performance improvement interventions. We strive to offer an unbiased, yet general view of workplace performance improvement that’s easy to…
Creating the Perfect Workplace to Maximize Performance: One Man’s Dream

Justin Beller

16 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am

Recently I shared with you on Twitter a chart I was fascinated with that broke down the typical workday into five distinct areas. It was really the first time I had ever seen work as we know it illustrated in such a fashion. Having this visualization of a typical workday led me to think about what the perfect work environment to maximize performance would be. You can review for yourself the author’s analysis of these five areas, but here’s my take of how it breaks down: Reactionary work Reactionary work is generally responding to events that are either internal or external to the…
Social Media Link Roundup – March 2012

Justin Beller

6 Apr 2012 | 7:44 am

March logged an active month with the links we shared over social media about the world of training and development and workplace performance improvement. On Facebook and Twitter we shared the following: There was a fascinating chart I shared that showed how our workday breaks down. Most of our workday is expended on reactionary work. It made me wonder if we spent more time on planning – proper planning – we would have less reactionary work to deal with and therefore give us more time to dedicate to problem solving. I feel this would make for a workplace that would perform as it should.
Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model – Individual: Motivation

Justin Beller

2 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am

We’re now at the final stop of our journey exploring the Behavior Engineering Model and it is perhaps the most subjective out of all of the model’s components. Motivation, when it comes to the workforce in general, is different from one person to the next. It is not necessarily consistent and what one person may consider important to their work and contribution to the workplace as a whole may be completely opposite of their co-workers. Motivation in the Behavior Engineering Model is described as the following: Value Confidence Mood While these may be good ways to describe…

The Employment Opportunities List
Keep Your Stick On The Ice

Mike MacLellan

10 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Ladies and Gentlemen we are in the midst of one of the wildest NHL postseasons ever! Intensity is at an all-time high! So is scoring, so are penalties, so are suspensions, so are injuries, so is controversy… In the first round playoff series between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a series eventually won by the 2012 version of the Broad Street Bullies, the two teams tallied a record 45 goals in the first four games alone. Analysts and insiders posited that the explosion of scoring was due in part to the reckless style of play by both teams. For example, a…
HR Is From Mars

Bonni Titgemeyer

3 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Last summer, John and I rescued an enormous bouncing golden retriever named Marley. We found him through a rescue organization on the website petfinder.com. We thought he was perfect because he came from Ohio near where John grew up. I have a pretty soft spot for pets and was moved by Marley’s story–or more aptly, his lack of one. We did have some information about him. We knew he was someone’s Christmas present based upon his purchase receipt. We knew he was not exercised based on his size. He knew no commands. Based upon his instant fixation on us as “the ones”…
Unplugged

Bonni Titgemeyer

24 Apr 2012 | 1:29 pm

Anyone who e-mailed me in the last ten days received the following out-of-office message: “I am on vacation and have unplugged completely. I have no access to this e-mail account or technology and accordingly cannot respond at this time. I will be back in the office on April 25th. I look forward to telling you all about it when I get back.” Unplugging is a big deal for me. I can’t say with precision how long I am on-line everyday but for the past five years I have only been off-line for no more than 3 or 4 days total per year. I went to Panama for my vacation. My husband and…
Social Media and Mobile Boundaries – A Fine Line Between Right and Not-So-Right

Sherri Rossi

12 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pm

About a week ago I was using the public restroom at our office and the lady in the stall beside me was talking on her cell phone while using the restroom. I was so confused, I didn’t know if I was allowed to flush the toilet or wait in there until she was finished her conversation. (So, just for fun, I flushed about 6 times, but that’s beside the point). People have allowed their boundaries of acceptable mobile behavior to be blurred. Just because your phone is “mobile” doesn’t mean it must go everywhere with you (the bathroom, under your pillow, etc.) And people don’t want to…
On Project Social HR

Bonni Titgemeyer

6 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am

This week, you can find the EO List blogging on Project Social HR.

Human Resources by
What I Learned from My Students by Sheri Mazurek

Sheri Mazurek

10 May 2012 | 6:40 am

A common understanding in the learning field is that the best way to learn is to teach someone else. During the past year, I have had the privilege to learn a great deal from my HR students. What my students taught me this year: HR is still misunderstood in many organizations. Many of my students had a different answer to the question of what HR does. There were many surprised and overwhelmed faces as I talked about all the different domains and roles of HR in the workplace. HR is more than just hiring and firing. We are million things in between. Students choose to study HR for many…
3 Criteria to Correctly Classify Employees by Dominique Molina by Sheri Mazurek

Sheri Mazurek

30 Apr 2012 | 6:26 am

Please enjoy this guest post from Dominique Molina. When your business grows to the point where you need to start hiring people to work for you, you know you’re doing well. It means you’re growing, and it’s a big step forward in terms of just how successful your business can be. It also means you need to spend some time figuring out exactly what those employees are going to do, and how they’re going to do it. Do you need part-time employees? Full-time? Do you need occasional help? How you answer those questions will help determine how those employees are classified. Employee or…
From One HR Nerd To Another by Sheri Mazurek

Sheri Mazurek

21 Apr 2012 | 7:32 pm

I often get asked lots of questions about HR stuff and I often hear lots of stories about situations that occur to people in the workplace. At the end of these sometimes “hypothetical” situation descriptions, I often get the following question in one form or another, “Is that even legal?” or “Can they do that?” Most of the time for those questions the answer is “yes, they can.” Recently, I got asked another question and the answer required a little more thought on my part. One of my HR students asked, “How do you know so much about this…
Try this HR Experiment by Sheri Mazurek

Sheri Mazurek

9 Apr 2012 | 8:32 am

During the past twenty years, the landscape of communication has changed. It seems that everyone has a cell phone and a portable internet-enabled device. These devices have been great business tools that have allowed us to get answers quicker and keep informed of important events and news. They have also facilitated the globalization of business and helped us keep track of kids. There are many positive things that have resulted in development of these products. However, It also seems that it is difficult for many people to go one minute disconnected from their network of friends and…
A Human Resources Fable by Sheri Mazurek

Sheri Mazurek

26 Mar 2012 | 5:59 am

A HR Fable. You get a resignation notice from a top performing manager. You weren’t prepared. You have been talking about succession planning, but other priorities got in the way. Now you have the notice. So what do you? This is an important role and will be key to the future success of the company. Knowing the spot can’t go vacant, you take a look at the team and offer the position to the top performer. The top performer tells you he’s not ready. You know that he will be fine. You tell him that, hand him a set of keys and get busy on those other priorities. A couple weeks…

The Human Race Horses
The Power of Apps – 10 Apps to Help Organize Your Small Business

Michael VanDervort

16 May 2012 | 8:16 am

How to Organize Your Small Business Information apps (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee) (Cross-posted on Sanera Camp on 5/15/2012) One of the toughest things for a small business owner to manage is the flow of information, whether it is business or personal. If you aren’t careful, you can swiftly get lost in a swamp of personal contacts, vendor payment information, IRS forms, and human resources transactional information like home addresses, number of dependents, and more. Throw in all the calls from everyone about getting your business on social media platforms, and things can suddenly…
Micro-breweries are fun. Micro bargaining units – meh

Michael VanDervort

15 May 2012 | 6:02 am

Smaller isn’t always better Shoes in a shop (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Micro-breweries are great. We have a couple of great ones here in the Tampa area that you should check out if you are ever in the area – Ybor City Brewing Company and the Dunedin Brewery. That’s the fun part of this post. Here’s the rest, which is not so fun. More than a year ago, I wrote about the possibility that businesses would start to see the recognition of something called “Micro Unions” in the workplace. About now, you’re probably saying something like “What…
District Court Strikes Down National Labor Relations Board’s New ‘Quickie’ Election Rule : Labor Relations Today

Michael VanDervort

14 May 2012 | 5:40 pm

See on Scoop.it – HR Quoting Woody Allen in the decision’s opening passage, today District Court Judge James Boasberg of the District Court for the District of Columbia gr… See on www.laborrelationstoday.com Related posts: NLRB Member Hayes: Board Plans to Ignore its Rules to Push Through “Quickie Elections” : Labor Relations Today Via Scoop.it – Labor and employee Relations When we reported... NLRB Endorses Proliferation of Bargaining Units in Specialty Healthcare Decision : Labor Relations Today Via Scoop.it – Labor and employee Relations NLRB Chair…
Check out the new “Labor Insider” app from Projections

Michael VanDervort

14 May 2012 | 6:03 am

I bet you don’t have a labor relations app on your mobile phone A few weeks ago, my friends at Projections asked me to beta test a new labor relations app. (http://www.projectionsinc.com/app.html) I was a little skeptical about how valuable this might be, but it turns out that it is a useful product. I think HR professionals who deal with unions and labor relations professionals will find it fairly useful. It also has a feature that allows you to set up and follow Google alerts and read them on your mobile phone. This feature alone makes the app supremely useful to me.
Question the relevance of social media

Michael VanDervort

13 May 2012 | 10:15 pm

Hey Jay – Finally got a chance to respond to your last #NoFearHR post! A view slightly askew (Photo credit: mvndrvrt) I don’t know about you, but I have been super busy It’s made it tough to keep our conversation going for the last couple of weeks, but I’m back. A couple of weeks ago, you asked me about what I thought about discussing social media with the C-suite, and specifically about how the HR practitioner ought to begin the conversation about the value of social media to an executive team that still uses the term “twittering”? My first reaction is…

HR RingleaderHR Ringleader
You Are Replaceable- And Maybe By The “Beaner Slinger”

Trish

16 May 2012 | 6:17 am

You go to work every day. You’re dedicated, right? Passionate about what you do? Give it your all nearly every day? We all like to think we go above and beyond and that it is seen and recognized as value. We all like to believe that although unsaid, that we’re somehow buying ourselves some job protection and that we’re not replaceable. Well, that may not be the case. Take the case of P. Stephen Potter. Stephen, who is a lawyer by trade, moonlighted for thirty six years as the “Hot Dog Man” for the University of Nebraska. What is a hot dog man…
Job Secrets: 6 Steps To Prevent Your Job Title From Defining You

Trish

14 May 2012 | 6:00 am

I recently had a conversation with one of my colleagues from India and we were sharing stories about how in our careers, we have both been known as people who can do more than what our specific job title would indicate. We weren’t talking about being able to take on more responsibility in order to receive a promotion, we were talking about learning and using skills from another industry to help further our careers. Breaking out of YOUR mold I spent many years learning human resources and honing my skills related to compensation, benefits and employee relations. It wasn’t until…
Using Social Media: Create A LinkedIn Alumni Group

Trish

10 May 2012 | 6:34 am

Today we’re back to tackling another of the ideas from 10 Ways To Build Social Media Into Your HR Practice. So far, we’ve covered How To Tweet Your Company’s Jobs and Creating Podcasts For Your Company. One of the most accepted social platforms from a business standpoint is LinkedIn. If you’re new to social or not familiar with LinkedIn, here are a few facts from the site: The site officially launched on May 5, 2003. At the end of the first month in operation, LinkedIn had a total of 4,500 members in the network. As of March 31, 2012, LinkedIn operates the…
Recruiting Tactics: Would You Move For A Better Job?

Trish

7 May 2012 | 6:34 am

(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is brought to you by Allied Van Lines, proud sponsor of the “2012 Workforce Mobility Survey”, designed to capture the voice of HR on topics related to workforce mobility. Allied has more than 75 years of experience in corporate, household and international relocation.) What would it take for you to move in order to accept a new job? Have you ever relocated in order to take a new job? As an HR executive, I have had the good fortune to live in a city that afforded me opportunities to progress in my career without having to relocate my family. There was…
Using Social Media: Creating Podcasts For Your Employees

Trish

4 May 2012 | 5:45 am

Earlier this week, I wrote 10 Easy Ways to Build Social Media Into Your HR Practice. Now I am sharing specifics on each of the ideas I suggested. These are written with beginners in mind. Today, we’re going to learn how to create podcasts for your employees. There are so many employees who prefer a quick hit of information in verbal form. With hundreds of email coming in each day, key HR messages can tend to get buried and possibly never opened. When thinking about your internal communication strategy, it’s key to build in other ways to have the key messages heard.

HRInsights
HRInsights Weekly Lightbulb 05-11

charlie

11 May 2012 | 10:13 am

This Week’s HRI “Lightbulb” – RESPECT “RESPECT” means a whole bunch more to some people when it comes to effective management. Check out Paul Marciano’s ‘RESPECT Model’. His constructis an “actionable philosophy” and an approach to leadership that “appeals to and affects employees’ beliefs, values and sense of worth”. There are seven drivers to the ‘RESPECT Model’: recognition, empowerment, supportive feedback, partnering, expectations, consideration and trust. For small business leaders, HRInsights recommends taking a look! And, forget the…
Overtime Rules’ Violations in the Crosshairs

jim

30 Apr 2012 | 12:58 pm

Labor lawyers are doing a fine business in this ambivalent economy thanks much to employers’ unknowing abuse of overtime rules and/or misclassification of employees into exempt or non-exempt status. Bill Bowen of The Dallas Morning News writes, “As the economy has tumbled, the number of fair wage cases investigated by the Dallas office in 2011 almost doubled the 642 in 2008. Nationally, the department investigated a record number of wage and hour cases, most of which are for unpaid overtime.” One theory explaining this trend is the complicated laws and changing workplace…
Four Reasons Why Employers Should Not Ask for Facebook Passwords

charlie

16 Apr 2012 | 4:27 pm

Late last month several US Senators asked Attorney General Eric Holder and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate the legality of employers asking potential employees for their Facebook passwords as a condition of employment. Soon laws will be in place to clear up the confusion. However, regardless of the outcome, here are four reasons why employers should just avoid asking an employee for their Facebook password in the first place. These excerpts were taken from an opinion piece appearing in the 4/8/12 edition of the Chicago Tribune by Jeff Nowak, Partner and…
Why Employers Need a Social Media Policy

jim

6 Apr 2012 | 1:46 pm

Internal company policies are designed to articulate rules where laws either do not exist or where laws are not specific enough. Sexual harassment is a prime example of where laws lack specificity. To avoid litigation, an employer must “take reasonable care” to: 1)prevent sexual harassment, and 2) promptly correct sexual harassment that has occurred. To “take reasonable care”is not specifically defined, but there are deliberate steps that employers can take to easily satisfy this requirement. One of those is to have a policy communicated clearly to employees. What about social…
HRInsights Weekly Lightbulb 04-05

charlie

5 Apr 2012 | 4:10 pm

This Week’s HRI “Lightbulb” – The Distasteful Sandwich This week’s HRI Lightbulb comes to us from Collette Carlson who has nifty advice wrapped in a food metaphor on providing negative feedback in a constructive manner. The Distasteful Sandwich by Collette Carlson Have you been taught to “sandwich” constructive criticism between two positive statements? Example: ”Barb, you are a wonderful communicator, but the last three meetings you’ve dominated the conversation and even interrupted others while speaking. I’d appreciate you being more aware and…

Human Capital Adviser
Explore Your Customer Service

HumanCapitalAdviser.com

14 May 2012 | 10:12 am

It is human nature to communicate more when we are unhappy than when we are happy. Part of this tendency relates to a common perception that failing to meet expectations breaches some implicit agreement between the parties providing and receiving the service while producing the intended outcome forms the baseline or minimum of our standards. Consequently, most of us contact an organization to give feedback when we are unhappy to lodge a complaint, but forget to let people know the good things about our experience. Think about the last time you had a good meal at a restaurant. If you…
HR: A Customer Business

HumanCapitalAdviser.com

11 May 2012 | 8:05 am

Over the last several decades, most human resources functions transformed from being perceived as a costly, support function that might be necessary, but not critical to a reliable resource for assisting the leadership of an organization with attracting, retaining, and developing critical talent. This growth in scope and value opened doors in numerous organizations and creating the opportunity for more strategic and less transactional emphasis in scope and processes. Clearly, the transition continues and will for the next decade or more. Nevertheless, the momentum gained the last few…
Managing Knowledge

HumanCapitalAdviser.com

7 May 2012 | 2:52 pm

Knowledge management occupies one of the preeminent places among the critical human resource responsibilities. As economies transform from activity to knowledge-based, more attention should be devoted to what needs to be known and how best to disseminate that knowledge. Knowledge management is the process of capturing the relevant knowledge within or valuable to an organization and ensuring that the right people possess that knowledge. The two primary actions for managing knowledge include accumulating the actual knowledge and determining who needs the knowledge. The act of…
Graduation: Let’s Celebrate?

HumanCapitalAdviser.com

4 May 2012 | 6:12 pm

Graduation is an exciting time. It signals an end to one phase of life and transition to another. Most of us probably have cherished memories of the excitement of having the world at our feet and being ready to make our mark. In the best of circumstances, it is a time of leaving behind the last vestiges of childhood and beginning one’s professional adventure. However, in the dark days of the downturn, many are finding that the transition is not as sweet as it used to be. For all but a special few, it is a time of frustration and even disenchantment. The class of 2012 is finding…
Compensation Dilemmas

HumanCapitalAdviser.com

2 May 2012 | 8:39 pm

As the economy starts to improve, more organizations are turning their attention to considering the best course of action for improving compensation competitiveness once resources become available. Not all organizations have resources available right now, but the number anticipating taking some action is increasing. A variety of recent surveys indicates that between 40 and 60 percent of organizations will take some type of compensation action this year. Although this is exciting since it will relieve some of the uncertainty and need in most workplaces, it is only part of the picture. …

THE 405 CLUB
Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2012

14 May 2012 | 11:12 am

About a week ago I was checking news reports on the internet. One article on The Wall Street...
“Dis-crediting” the Credit Check to Overcome Objections for Employment.

14 May 2012 | 7:35 am

Did you know that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says it’s unlawful for...
Click in case of inspiration needed.

10 May 2012 | 7:23 am

Click in case of inspiration needed.
Make the Internet Your Friend

8 May 2012 | 9:14 am

The Internet is a vast, endless treasure trove of goodies for your job search. Don’t just use the...
Back To The Beginning: Why I Write for The 405 Club

30 Apr 2012 | 8:51 am

One of the questions I have been asked many times is: What led you to start writing for The 405...

The HR Cafe Daily Post
Lessons from Yahoo's CEO debacle: Look into EVERY job candidate

Dave Clemens

16 May 2012 | 8:46 am

Just four months after being named top guy, Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson is no longer with the company. Prior to the announcement that he was resigning for health reasons, it was discovered that he lied on his resume. Thompson claimed to have graduated with a degree in computer science, though his university did not offer such a degree until well after he left.In light of the scandal, Yahoo is dealing with some unfortunate and embarrassing press. The sad part is, this could easily have been avoided.We’ll never know what exactly happened at Yahoo in the days surrounding Thompson’s hire and…
What really gets employees fired up? Hint: It’s not an ‘atta boy’

Dave Clemens

14 May 2012 | 8:58 am

No doubt you’ve heard that managers – both in HR and elsewhere in the organization – should “show some love” to employees if they want to encourage their best efforts.And that’s true … as far as it goes.But a surprising research study shows that demonstrations of appreciation from managers, while they do increase employee engagement, are less effective at it than other kinds of positive events that are also within managers’ control.The study was done by Teresa Amabile of the Harvard Business School and independent researcher Steven Kramer. They collected 12,000 diary…
Why you want to be the framer, not the framee

Dave Clemens

11 May 2012 | 8:46 am

Imagine a photograph of a landscape with a horse, a cow and a hill. One observer says, “That’s a horse.” Another says, “That’s a cow.” A third says, “That’s a hill.”Why would three people have such different views of the same photo? Well, possibly the photographer has cropped and framed the photo differently for each – so that the horse, or the cow, or the hill, becomes the central object.What’s this got to do with the day-to-day management of your department or team?Different views A lot. As with our photo, different employees take different views of workplace problems…
Religious issues at work: What’s a supervisor to do?

Dave Clemens

9 May 2012 | 8:50 am

For years, Gretchen has been one of your best workers. Now, there’s been an important change in her life – she just converted to an evangelical Christian denomination, and her new faith makes big demands on her.You’re fine with Gretchen’s choice – she seems happier and more motivated than ever. But then one day she comes to your office and tells you she can’t wear the uniform your organization requires any more.“Why?” you ask, puzzled.“My church has a very strict code on what’s considered modest attire,” she says. “We believe women shouldn’t wear pants, and pants are…
Is this a swan, or are the others all geese?

Dave Clemens

7 May 2012 | 8:59 am

Veteran HR people and managers are aware of some of the traps an interviewer can step into – like leaning toward people who share your interests, or favoring the physically attractive candidate.But how about the “best of a bad lot” trap? That one can spring when:You’re in a hurry to fill a job, andThe candidates you’ve interviewed so far are all worse than mediocre.‘The Best Interview Questions To Smoke Out Impostors’Now, if a candidate who’s even semi-competent walks into your office, you may see her as a winner, because you’re comparing her – perhaps…

Recruiter Chicks
Examining Talent Communities…Youth Sport Clubs

Chris Havrilla

8 May 2012 | 8:43 am

Why the big focus on Talent Communities? I guess it depends on who you ask. I hear a lot about it from Recruiters or Companies that think if they build it –they will come. Who are “they”? All those passive candidates that have been alluding them — or that utopian pipeline they are sure exists. You know the one — full of completely vetted candidates that fit whatever role you might have, whenever it might open, and available to make a change exactly at the time THEY need them. I have said it before, but I will say it again – I still call that a…
Multiple Interviews? The Differences…and How To Prepare

Chris Havrilla

7 May 2012 | 11:16 am

I read a lot. I especially love blogs — if you saw my reader you would probably shudder. I skim it daily and pick out the things that look most interesting, but there are just a handful of blogs that I read daily and religiously — HR Bartender being one of them. When we set out to start the Recruiter Chicks blog, Sharlyn Lauby was one of the first people I called for advice and thoughts. I have had the opportunity to get to know her through her phenomenal writing and insights she shares online and the welcome chances I have had to interact with her offline as well. As…
Are You Asking For My Facebook Password?

Teela Jackson

23 Apr 2012 | 8:47 am

This is not the wild, wild west! We are living in the age of innovation and sure, along with that comes more availability of personal information and the notion of mixing our personal and professional lives. It has been quite prevalent in recent news that more and more employers are asking for candidate and potential employee’s social media usernames and passwords. Well, if you ask me you won’t get it! Have we forgotten about basic personal freedoms? This is Hiring Meets the Wild, Wild West! It’s that thing we call TMI. I do realize that with certain levels of…
Aligning Employee Engagement with Organizational Strategy

Teela Jackson

4 Apr 2012 | 1:58 pm

It was an honor to speak at Cornerstone OnDemand’s Talent Leadership Breakfast meeting last week in Atlanta. It was a great event that was dedicated to providing best practices in change management and a plan to implement an integrated talent management strategy. My session was entitled, “Aligning Employee Engagement to Organizational Strategy” and primarily focused on the Three Key Drivers of Employee Engagement: (1) Recognition (2) Career Development and (3) Influence. Here is a link to the PowerPoint presentation and slides: Aligning Employee Engagement to…
Interviewing – The Total Package

Teela Jackson

20 Mar 2012 | 6:55 am

Many Talent Acquisition professionals get questions quite frequently from job seekers asking for tip and tricks for job interviews. Most specifically focus on how to answer certain questions and ask the right questions. This probably sounds a bit familiar to many. I am often asked questions like: (1) Can you provide some sample interview questions? (2) How do I answer the salary question? (3) What questions should I ask at the end of an interview? (4) Should I tell a potential employer that I’m pregnant? (5) How do I answer the question, tell me about yourself? Well folks, there…

Ascentis Blog
NLRB Posting Requirement Suspended Indefinitely

Heather Bansemer

24 Apr 2012 | 1:05 pm

On April 17, employers obtained a reprieve from a new rule requiring them to post the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) notice explaining workers’ collective bargaining and other labor rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an emergency injunction preventing the NLRB from implementing its rule.
Is My Independent Contractor Really An Employee

Heather Bansemer

17 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm

Guest blog post from High Street Partners Getting your international operations up and running quickly with the right staff can be a tall order. Your company must have the appropriate entity structure in place, register payroll properly and be setup to comply with all relevant taxes, benefit requirements, etc. The reality is that [...]
Do You Deal With Multistate Taxation? Then You Must Read This!

Heather Bansemer

12 Apr 2012 | 2:30 pm

Did you know that watching an Ascentis webinar could earn you RCH credits from the American Payroll Association or the Human Resource Certification Instititute? Did you also know that all of our webinars are free of charge and are full of uself and timely information for HR and Payroll professionals? For instance, during [...]
Does Immigration Law Make You Want to Stick Your Head Through a Wall?

Heather Bansemer

23 Mar 2012 | 10:00 am

Have you been thrust you into international hiring as part of your job and you don’t know where to start? Has your company opened or merged with an international office? Then you won’t want to miss this informative webinar. Date: Tues. Mar. 27 Time: 10 AM PDT Location: Online Cost: Free Duration: 1 hour [...]
Human Resources in the 50′s

Heather Bansemer

22 Mar 2012 | 2:56 pm

Can you imagine if the office you worked in today was like this video from 1950? Or this one from 1958?

SmashFly Recruitment Marketing Technology Blog
Closing the Loop in your Candidate Experience

Chris Brablc

15 May 2012 | 9:33 am

When thinking about the candidate experience, it’s important to note the breadth of the interactions that you have with candidates in your recruiting process. Once you understand where you interact with candidates, you will be able to improve your process to make sure these interactions are leaving candidates with a better experience. There are a number of areas you can improve your candidate experience, but when it comes down to it, if there is one thing you can do to improve the overall candidate experience it would be to focus on “closing the loop”. This concept is…
5 Best Recruitment Marketing Articles of the Week 5.5.12 to 5.11.12

Chris Brablc

11 May 2012 | 11:37 am

Here is our weekly feature in which we share the top articles we enjoyed from the past week about recruitment marketing, social recruiting and anything else in the recruiting space. In this article, we’ll be talking about future of work, happy employees, talent community, making things better and disruptive HR technology. Here are the articles our that interested us this week (in no particular order), enjoy!: The Future of Work: The Manifesto by Charlie Judy (@HRFishbowl) Great work by Charlie (and other influencers). Well worth the read. Happy Employees are not Engaged…
A Better Candidate Experience: A Laundry List

Chris Brablc

10 May 2012 | 12:35 pm

On this blog, we’ve spoken about a good deal about candidate experience and how your can improve the overall experience. From going over the different stages of the process that affect it to why candidates drop off the apply process, we’ve covered a number of varying topics around the candidate experience. But I wanted to go back to our posts and create a laundry list of sorts from all the tangible things you can do today that can help improve your candidate experience. Here’s the stream of consciousness list (I know I probably will miss a bunch, please add in the…
3 Things to do with your job ads in the apply process

Chris Brablc

9 May 2012 | 2:08 pm

During the apply process, the dynamic of control in the hiring process takes a dramatic shift from employers to candidates. Candidates are the ones that control whether they move on at each step of the apply process from viewing a job to ultimately becoming an applicant. How successful you are at fostering a good candidate experience can have a significant impact on the results you receive in terms of candidates actually finishing the apply process. One of the first things to focus on in your apply process is your recruitment marketing messaging. Making sure that your content is…
5 Best Recruitment Marketing Articles of the Week 4.28.12 to 5.4.12

Chris Brablc

4 May 2012 | 9:35 am

Here is our weekly feature in which we share the top articles we enjoyed from the past week about recruitment marketing, social recruiting and anything else in the recruiting space. In this article, we’ll be talking about recruiting messaging, being baller, candidate experience awards, job referrals and marketing & sourcing. Here are the articles our that interested us this week (in no particular order), enjoy!: 3 Stories you should be able to tell candidates by Steve Boese (@SteveBoese) Great piece on a few ways you can create messaging for recruiting candidates to your…

Business Fitness
Got Job Interview Nerves? Fuggedaboudit!

Dawn Lennon

10 May 2012 | 12:34 pm

It pains me when I see job seekers get stressed out at interview time. One way to ease the anxiety is to understand the pressures on the interviewer. This post that I wrote in 2010 does just that. Amazing, … Continue reading →
Struggling with a Difficult Choice? The Answer Can Be Fit to a “T”

Dawn Lennon

3 May 2012 | 5:06 pm

Making the right work decision can be stressful, even paralyzing. We just don’t want to get it wrong. “What if I:” End up looking like an idiot or incompetent Lose all the career ground I’ve gained Cost myself or the … Continue reading →
Hungry for a Great Internship? Know Where to Find the Meat.

Dawn Lennon

26 Apr 2012 | 1:03 pm

Internships are considered a must-have for many college students (and even some high schoolers) looking for a leg up in getting a job upon graduation. They hunt to find them, compete to get them, and strive to multiply them–all for … Continue reading →
The Unexpected Career Crisis–Got the Stuff to Survive It? | 4 Essential Steps

Dawn Lennon

19 Apr 2012 | 12:39 pm

There’s no escaping problems. They show up whether we’re ready or not. Smart businesses have crisis management plans so they know what to do when calamity hits. So shouldn’t we? I was invited to review Jim Moorhead’s new book, The … Continue reading →
Suffering from Resumophobia? | A Remedy for Job Seekers

Dawn Lennon

14 Apr 2012 | 10:41 am

The job search heats up for many this time of year, particularly for new grads, anyone who’s had enough of his/her current job, or those who have simply put it off too long. So, I’m reposting this piece on writing … Continue reading →

Corn on the Job
How to Land a Job Using Social Media

Rich DeMatteo

11 May 2012 | 1:17 am

This is a guest post from Ross Simmonds, Digital Marketer and Speaker.After developing a name for himself online, Ross was able to land his current job using nothing but social media and a dash of ambition & hustle. Allow me to state the obvious. Getting a job in today’s market isn’t easy. It’s even more difficult for young graduates and people looking to join the corporate world without any prior experience. Everyday people all over the country are submitting their resumes into job banks hoping and praying that they will get a response. It’s tough out there. That is, it’s tough…
Put Your Best Foot Forward… Please

Rich DeMatteo

3 May 2012 | 8:00 am

Jessica Lee is director of digital talent strategy at Marriott International where she leads their talent related digital and social media efforts… which means she blogs, tweets and plays on Facebook all day. Kind of. In what she’ll quickly tell you is her dream job, she’s working to differentiate and position Marriott to most effectively optimize innovative technologies to address the brand’s business needs in the talent space. Pretty cool what they’ve done already… and she’ll work to take it even further to the next level. Don’t be fooled by…
Why You Might Want to Consider a Call Centre Job

Rich DeMatteo

29 Apr 2012 | 11:26 pm

Guest Post from Mark Watson. Mark Watson offers career advice at Jobs Today, the leading recruitment brand in many of the towns and cities across the UK, covering over 300 locations from as far north as the Western Isles of Scotland right down to the south coast of England. They are one of the leading and most trusted brands in online recruitment, offering advice and support on how you can enhance your career prospects. You can visit them now at www.jobstoday.co.uk Call centre jobs can be ideal for anyone who needs flexibility in their working hours, or for people who may need to…
Get Hired! What Everyone Wants Is A Good Job

Rich DeMatteo

10 Apr 2012 | 9:55 am

Tony Morrison is the Vice President of Business Development at Cachinko, a unique professional community where social networking and job opportunities come together. His roles include sales, marketing, and business development. He brings passion to Cachinko where he focuses on helping job seekers to find their ideal job and employers to find, attract, and engage their next rock star candidates. Find him on Twitter and Talent Connection. And, connect with Cachinko on Facebook or Twitter. With so many different tools and strategies to utilize, the job search can…
Top 6 Things You May Be Forgetting On Your Resume

Rich DeMatteo

27 Mar 2012 | 10:38 am

Mike Ryan is a Search Marketing Specialist at iProspect and a Managing Partner/Resume Consultant at the resume writing service, DreamResume. Mike has a great depth of experience, starting as an hourly employee at a startup and aggressively working his way up in the ranks, where he now drives digital success for the world’s best brands. Connect with him on Twitter at @mikeryan2 As a resume consultant, I see a lot of resumes. It never ceases to amaze me what people don’t put on their resume. It’s important to make your resume stand out, but it’s equally important to make…

The HRIS World
Are the HRIS system taillights about to be seen by all in IT?

Garrett O'Brien

14 May 2012 | 8:21 pm

Eventually, it was bound to happen with the advances, demands, and changes that have been gained from the advancements and values of HRIS systems – but does that mean the HRIS system taillights are about to be seen by all in IT? HRIS has been evolving since the computer arrived to the office — and since 2000, new technologies as well as the realization of the value of a HRIS system have been increasing the awareness of the value of a HRIS department. Add to this the logarithmic rate of change in technology? Then implementations as well as systems management have to follow suit as…
Business Etiquette in the Digital Age

Garrett O'Brien

2 May 2012 | 11:16 am

The demand — and sometimes expectation — to be ‘connected’ to work 24/7 has lead to a definite need to review business etiquette in the digital age. This is especially true as employees are now bringing their own machines into work – iPad, Smart Phones, even laptops. Though there is an unwritten expectation that many of remain connected almost all the time, there is a need to occasionally unplug totally. For this you can see our article The Price We Are Paying for NOT Unplugging From Work), which points out that there are many health and mental benefits to be…
The HRIS World Newsletter May 2012

Garrett O'Brien

30 Apr 2012 | 11:00 pm

May newsletter? What the heck happened to April?? If you are like us, we were looking at each other and wondering where the month went… The scarier part? This means the year is one-third gone — and there are only 240 shopping days until Christmas! OK, so we are reaching for straws! Having moved to Brazil, technically we at The HRIS World and CGServices USA will not have a summer this year. We arrived just as autumn started in Brazil and Spring started in the northern hemisphere. But before anyone gets any ideas, the autumn in Brazil is very much like the summer in the northern…
How a Small Business Can Benefit from the Cloud

Guest Blogger

24 Apr 2012 | 11:00 pm

For our parent company CGServices USA Inc and The HRIS World, most of our clientele are the Fortune 1000 companies. Yet it is the small company makes up nearly 80% of the U.S. economy. To this end, we will be including the small business as well in are promotions and articles. A small business is usually considered to be any company with few than 50 employees. Where does the number 50 come from? No clue — what does matter is that any small business usually has a full-deck of things to do to maintain and/or establish growth without being burdened by systems they do not need. In…
Managing Conflicts Within Your Team

Guest Blogger

23 Apr 2012 | 3:11 pm

This article is from guest blogger James Bentham, writer. Managing conflicts within your team can arise for a number of reasons. However, with careful management and great communication, project managers can stay on top of a project and reduce conflict within their team by identifying potential problems early. Recruiting people who are likely to get on well with existing members of your team is very important. With careful recruitment, you reduce the chances of conflict arising due to personality clashes alone. This isn’t always avoidable when you need a specific skill-set, but thinking…

Improving Employee Engagement & Leadership
Hold those employees accountable, not me

jrembach

15 May 2012 | 7:50 pm

Why is it employees want consequences placed on others that they wouldn’t place on themselves? It is very typical that people ask me what my opinion is about certain real-life and hypothetical situations in order to extract my opinion. The other day I was conducting a business briefing and was asked how I would respond to a real situation that my questioner Mark experienced. He described to me a situation where a group of employees were not providing the level of passion and commitment the company was looking for. He said this group was responsible for supporting a very…
Training will not Fix a Toxic Workplace

jrembach

24 Feb 2012 | 12:30 am

There have been times when I have entered a workplace and just felt the weight of the emotional tension. The air was so thick that it was hard to breathe despite it being a smoke free environment. When you looked around you could see the employees walking around on tip toes with their shoulders slumped over. The first time I walked into a place and felt this, my first assumption was the leader must be a tyrant. While that is a very understandable assumption to make, after investigation I found this was not the case. Actually the manager was a nice person and very easy to get along with. While…
Is this the most important gift you could give employees?

jrembach

31 Dec 2011 | 4:02 pm

To me gifts are special things for which I am grateful. It has nothing to do with physical items or monetary value. Gifts are things that I feel have enriched my life. Do you think the same way? I don’t think we are strange because we think this way. I have met many people in my life that have expressed the same sentiment. Have you? Think about your workplace for a moment. Do the employees communicate positively with one another? Are they gladly working together? Do they care about each other and your business? Are they finding the greater sense of purpose and meaning they so desire?
The Cure for Horrible Employees and Bosses

jrembach

31 Oct 2011 | 2:12 am

In a Harvard Business Review article, The Cure for Horrible Bosses by Rosabeth M. Kanter she talks about the dark comedy film Horrible Bosses and how you can neutralize a bad boss. She states as many as half of American workers feel low levels of employee engagement stem from poor management. To explain how to overcome the affects of a bad boss she talks about a character Pierre that was placed into a low performing subsidiary as a COO. In the organization, the CEO was an imperialistic and antagonistic boss that immediately resented Pierre’s presence. After a bout of depression,…
Are your Parents are to Blame for Low Employee Engagement?

jrembach

11 Oct 2011 | 11:09 am

For the longest time the Cleaver’s, in the popular 1950′s television show “Leave it to Beaver” was represented as the ideal American family. June and Ward (Cleaver) were conscience parents that viewed their responsibility for instilling values to their boys (Wally and Beaver) as an duty to the world. They did’t use force or intimidate to teach the boys lessons but used verbal communication and leading by example as the methods. June Cleaver had a very calm demeanor while she protected the boys from bad influences like Eddie Haskell. Ward Cleaver consistently…

Mindflash
Three Great Takeaways from ASTD 2012

Bill Cushard

16 May 2012 | 9:44 am

When I registered for the ASTD International Conference & Expo 2012 over a month ago, I planned to write a recap post for two reasons: First, it’s a chance to share what I learned so people who couldn’t attend might learn something from my experience. And second, writing about what I learned forces me to reflect on the ideas and lessons I was exposed to, and really lets them sink in. Jane Hart wrote a really good article on this subject just this week. However, as it turned out, I wasn’t even able to get to the whole conference — I had to go back in to the office…
Nine Training Alternatives to ‘Correct’ and ‘Incorrect’

Connie Malamed

15 May 2012 | 10:25 am

Imagine a trainer at the front of the room responding to a participant’s comment by saying nothing more than “You’re right!” or “Incorrect.” Imagine this happening over and over again. Even though it seems futile, this is one of the most common types of feedback we use in e-learning courses to respond to user actions and answers. In fact, many authoring tools come with these vacuous statements as their default response. If we’re going after higher-order thinking and maximum learning transfer, then we’re giving up a golden opportunity when we forgo real feedback and instead…
Let Employees Choose Their Own Training Materials

Jay Forte

15 May 2012 | 10:20 am

Lots of employees dread company education. They dread it because often we, as educators, don’t create compelling or engaging programs. Nor do we explain the reasoning behind the materials we use in those programs. Sometimes employees feel they’re being force-fed management’s agenda without any apparent connection or value to their day. But in talking with employees, I find they don’t actually dread learning, per seThey just dread what they’re presented with, and how. There is some company-specific education employees must have: training on computer systems, operational or…
How Sears Home Services Trained 8,000 Techs to Smile

Ian Stewart

14 May 2012 | 10:38 am

The difference between a great customer interaction and a bad one was, in many cases, as simple as a smile. That’s what Sears Home Services, the $2.7 billion arm of the nationwide retail chain responsible for customers’ in-home installations and repairs, found after a full performance analysis of its field service technicians. In fact, the things customers truly cared about when someone came to fix their dishwasher weren’t necessarily their repairman’s technical abilities, or how fast he could fix something. It was whether he made eye contact with them. It was…
#TrainChat Wrap-Up: The Skills Learning Pros Need Now

Ian Stewart

11 May 2012 | 1:02 pm

On Friday, the Daily Mindflash hosted yet another #TrainChat on Twitter, in which we posed the question: What skills do learning and development pros need now? Mindflash contributor and L&D pro Bill Cushard helped guide our discussion. Here’s a recap of the discussion that followed (please excuse the Twitter-ese grammar). [View the story "#TrainChat Wrap-Up: Skills Learning Pros Need Now" on Storify]

Daily HR Solutions
Finding a Fabric Supplier for Your Protective Clothing Business

mgwhite

16 May 2012 | 6:45 am

Does your company produce protective clothing? If you are a manufacturer of personal safety protection apparel – either mass-produced or custom – finding the right supplier to provide you with the woven fabric that you need to create the garments that you sell is a critical component of your business. It’s essential to chose the right type of fabric – one that is highly rated when it comes to safety – as well as a fabric weaving supplier that you can count on to deliver what you need when you need it on a consistent basis. Nomex fabrics are among the best options for…
Preparing to Start Your Own Business

mgwhite

15 May 2012 | 11:05 am

Are you thinking about opening your own business? Do you have an idea that you really think will take off – but you just don’t quite have access to the funds necessary to get started? If so, you are facing the same situation as many individuals who want to become entrepreneurs. Begin with a Plan If this sounds like your circumstance, the first thing that you need to do is put together a solid business plan. The plan that you create should clearly explain what you want to do, including details about the product or services itself, what you will need to get started and to operate for…
Considering Starting a Take-Out Food Business?

mgwhite

14 May 2012 | 12:09 pm

Are you thinking about starting a take-out food business? If so, there are a number of factors that you will need to consider before moving forward with your entrepreneurial venture. Here are a few important considerations you will need to keep in mind: 1. Business Plan The foundation for any successful business is a sound business plan. You will need to conduct thorough research on every element of the business you want to start, including a competitive analysis, review of all applicable laws and regulations, start-up costs, ongoing operations expenses and more. 2. Food Safety Certification…
Financial Wellness for Workplace Wellness

mgwhite

13 May 2012 | 9:58 am

Are you responsible for your company’s wellness programs? Focusing on employee wellness is something that more and more companies are doing. That’s because management seems to have finally realized that employees who are not physically and emotionally well are less productive than those who are – and are also more prone to injuries and other issues that pose risk management issues in the modern workplace. While physical wellness is the first thing that tends to come to mind when thinking about wellness programs, it is not the only type of wellness that matters. If you have employees…
Free Shipping Complaints Fully Resolved

mgwhite

10 May 2012 | 11:31 am

By Sam Lancaster I don’t get the chance to interact with customer service reps in a way that is as fruitful or helpful as my recent communication with the FreeShipping.com complaint department – I really felt like they took care of me. I know that sounds really corny, but the truth is that most of the time I can’t give those people a second thought. I feel as though they want to get rid of me as quickly as I want to get back to my life. I have two little ones and a wife that works all day so, trust me, I take no offence at those quick conversations. Actually my being so busy is really…

International HR Forum
Maxi-Devaluation in Malawi – HR Response

Warren Heaps

13 May 2012 | 11:35 pm

Author: Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC One of the most challenging situations that compensation professionals face is how to respond to unexpected or unusual external events such as maxi-devaluation, civil unrest, or natural disasters. Flag of Malawi On Monday May 7, the new government of Malawi agreed to the demands of the IMF and other donors, and floated the Kwacha, resulting in a 47% devaluation versus the US dollar. The new exchange rate, 246.26 Kwacha per US Dollar as of May 13, is fairly close to the parallel rate that has been in effect for the last several months, so in many…
Expatriate Assignment Checklist Part 2 – Assignment Planning

Warren Heaps

26 Apr 2012 | 9:08 pm

Author: Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC This is the second part of a five-part series, where we present checklists to help international HR professionals plan and manage long-term international assignments. There are five stages we identified for long-term assignment management: Click to Enlarge In part one of this series, we looked at candidate assessment, selection and approval. In this installment, we will examine Assignment Planning. Assignment Planning includes the key steps you must follow after your candidate is selected for assignment and management has approved the move. Now…
Expatriate Assignment Checklist Part 1 – Assessment, Selection and Approval

Warren Heaps

16 Apr 2012 | 9:54 pm

Author: Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC If you are an international HR practitioner, then you have probably had to deal with long-term international assignments. They can be complex, with many different people involved, both internal resources and external suppliers and vendors. One of the best ways to ensure all the necessary steps are followed is to use checklists. These are simple yet extremely useful devices that will help you stay on track with your international assignees. A recommended approach is to develop a checklist for each of the common assignment stages or events…
Expat Lump Sums – Trap or Panacea?

Warren Heaps

2 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm

Author: Mary Lou Stockton – Global Tax Network A US company sends an employee on assignment to the UK. The company informs the employee that they will pay X amount for his UK housing. The employee wants to spend more, because he wants a larger, nicer flat. He feels the allowance is not enough for the type of flat he wants considering his family needs, including the fact that his wife wanted to live near other Americans. The HR Director works with the business manager to determine whether the company would pay more in this case. The employee is told that he will have to…
Salary Survey Insanity in Small Markets – Are You Looking for the Wrong Data?

Warren Heaps

22 Mar 2012 | 11:44 am

Author: Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC Benchmarking compensation in smaller countries is challenging. The usual approaches often do not work well, mostly because the market is small! If the country is developing (most small ones are), then economic and social instability and immature labor market conditions contribute to the problem, too. Some of the most common problems expressed by our clients include: Not enough employers in my sector Insufficient job matches for my company Volatile results from year to year Gaps in coverage, with a lack of information for specific levels There…

Welcome To The Occupation
Acing the Phone Interview: Give It Your All When You Answer The Call

Paul Smith

16 May 2012 | 6:13 am

The longer I work in HR, the more I question the behavior of job applicants. I don't freak out if there's a typo on a resume. But from garbled cover letters to strangely odoriferous interviewees, from lying to acting obnoxious, I wonder aren't folks paying attention to what damages their chances of employment? Aren't they paying attention to all the advice out there? I think one of the most disregarded advices is how to act on a phone interview. (Guess what. If you're not paying attention while talking to me on the phone, I can tell.) So when Melissa Crossman asked if she could do a guest…
Carnival of HR: The Cake Edition

Paul Smith

9 May 2012 | 6:37 am

It's Carnival of HR time again at WTTO. And in keeping with my tradition of creating a theme around the selection of HR posts, this time it's all about cake. No one was forced to write specifically about cake. But many did have a cake specific post, something related to frosting, texture, shape, layers, decorations, special occasions, candles, fire, burning the house down, why it's better than pie, 1990's bands that were one hit wonders, why things are easy, or reality TV shows. For those who didn't, it was no problem. All the writer had to do was provide the cake (a.k.a great…
Why HR Should Be The Comptroller's Best Friend

Paul Smith

6 May 2012 | 8:48 am

Because Bert Doerhoff and I enjoyed working together on his previous post, "Your Company Turned You Into An HR Manager...Now What?" we decided to do it again. This time I wanted to explore how important the relationship between HR and Accounting is, and Bert again has some great advice. I'm particularly fond of #'s 3 and 4. Here's Bert... In my history in accounting, I have always tried to foster a great relationship with the HR professionals. From what I have found, human resources professionals are great communicators, are empathetic, and have a decent sense of humor as well! Hence, they…
Gen Y Hiring and T2

Paul Smith

2 May 2012 | 7:21 pm

"So what brought you here?" "Curtis sent me an email," was my response to Geoff Webb's question. We were sitting in a small room somewhere in the behemoth of the Gaylord Resort and Hotel outside of Washington D.C. We were summoned to this room because Dice.com and Clearancejobs.com were hosting a brunch for the speakers of a new unconference hosted by SHRM and Curtis Midkiff. Curtis is known on Twitter as @SHRMsocmedguy. He's also known for bringing social media interests to SHRM. This time he brought some friends as he created an unconference experience for early arrivals of SHRM's Talent…
HR: From The End Of The World To Your Town

Paul Smith

29 Apr 2012 | 7:30 am

"Isn't HR more interested in their employer than their employee?" A dear old friend of mine wrote these words to me this week. He has a workplace situation and was looking for some reasonable advice. I've given advice before to family and friends. Usually the questions are conventional which this question was too. But this time, I felt a certain amount of fear from this question. I read a couple of HR blogs that regularly offer advice to their readers (Ask A Manager, Evil HR Lady). Their posts are laden with the disparages, disgusts, and misconceptions about the work place. For the most part,…

Employee Performance and Talent Management Blog
Employees Underperforming? 5 Reasons Why You Should Look In the Mirror

Melany Gallant

14 May 2012 | 2:07 pm

In this contributed post, Andrew Call of eTundra’s The Backburner discusses why restaurant owners and managers need to evaluate their people management skills when assessing poor employee performance. Andrew offers some restaurant management tips including the importance of consistent communication and strong leadership. Owning and operating a restaurant is as daunting as it is promising. For both the new restaurateur and the seasoned professional the daily ins and outs can get frustrating. While there are some things you can’t control – like a restaurant equipment breakdown or…
Why You Should Make Performance Management an On-going Practice

Melany Gallant

11 May 2012 | 9:59 am

Ah, the most un-wonderful time of the year (excluding tax-filing time) — the dreaded annual employee review. Despised and avoided by many, the employee appraisal process is often viewed as mandatory yearly assault that delivers little or no value. In fact, some would say that that the negative outweighs the positive in terms of frustration, stress and diminished morale (Hey, I deserve a higher rating than that!) Maybe it is worse than tax time. How do you eliminate dread and drudgery of annual employee reviews and turn them into something welcome and valuable? Change Your…
Webinar: The 5 Faces Managers See During Performance Reviews

Melany Gallant

8 May 2012 | 7:26 am

The goal of coaching and feedback is to help employees be their best. One of the best ways managers can do this is to engage employees in discussions about their performance to help them arrive at deeper self-awareness. So what do you do when an employee has a worldview of their performance that has nothing to do with your reality? Ignore their perspective, and your ROI on the conversation is the equivalent of talking to a government clerk with 30 years experience about the finer points of the Nordstrom customer experience program – while you’re still 3rd in line at the DMV. Pointless,…
Developing a Laser Beam Focus on Effective Goal Management

Melany Gallant

4 May 2012 | 9:47 am

What do you know about Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation? Well that fancy-schmancy physics term is more commonly known by the acronym - LASER. Metaphorically speaking, laser beams and organization-centric goal management (and there’s no acronym for that!) are amazingly similar. Picture how a laser beam works: When all the light waves from a given source come together so that that they’re all in phase, we end up with (you guessed it) a laser beam. And when you focus that beam on a given target, the results can be remarkable. In fact, the concentrated light waves are…
Secrets to Effective Employee Evaluation Forms

Sean Conrad

26 Apr 2012 | 12:22 pm

Is it any wonder HR gets a bad rap as a paper pusher? “Fill in the job application… Complete the open enrolment form… The leave request form is on the intranet…. Did you sign off that you’ve read the employee handbook? Now about that TPS report cover…” (OK that last one’s a joke for you Office Space fans.) It’s no one’s fault. Forms are a part of our day-to-day lives and exist in almost any working environment. And yes, HR oversees more than its fair share. But if you look closer at the data being collected, many forms are mission critical to how your organization…

The Proactive Employer
Presenting HR Metrics to Senior Management

Stephanie R. Thomas, Ph.D.

16 May 2012 | 6:53 am

Yesterday, I gave a webinar on HR Metrics that Matter. Part of my presentation focused on how to communicate these metrics to senior management. I thought I would share the four key points – as I see it – on presenting your metrics. It’s not really about the metrics – the most important thing to keep in mind is that it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the story. It’s up to you to interpret the data in a way that gives clarity and meaning to the underlying business challenges and objectives. Senior management doesn’t walk away from a meeting…
Safe Hiring with Les Rosen and Joel Passen

Thomas Econometrics

15 May 2012 | 6:10 am

Do you know how to safely hire employees? It’s not as simple as you might think, and changes to the regulatory environment are complicating matters. You not only need to have a set of policies, procedures and practices in place, you also need to understand – really understand – the federal and state regulations governing applicant screening and hiring. Do you know what the new EEOC guidance on the use of criminal records to screen potential candidates means? Are you complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act in your hiring process? Is your applicant tracking system…
Pat Shiu’s Appearance on The Proactive Employer Rescheduled to June 21

Thomas Econometrics

15 May 2012 | 5:45 am

OFCCP Director Patricia Shiu was scheduled to appear on this week’s episode of The Proactive Employer. Unfortunately, we received notification yesterday afternoon that she’s been called to a meeting and won’t be able to appear this week. We’ve re-scheduled her appearance for Thursday, June 21 at 3PM Eastern / 12 Noon Pacific.
Terminated for Minor Offense Committed 40 Years Ago

Gabrielle Erway

11 May 2012 | 5:50 am

Can a minor offense committed decades ago affect your employment? As one Milwaukee woman can now tell you: YES. Yolanda Quesada was escorted out of the building and fired last week from the mortgage unit position she had held for five years at Wells Fargo. While she claims to have been a good employee and says she has pins, certificates and photos to prove it, her past came back to haunt her. Her termination came after a background check revealed that she had been arrested for shoplifting back in 1972 and had received a ticket and a misdemeanor for which she was fined and given probation.
Compensation Data, Analysis and AAPs: What You Need To Know

Stephanie R. Thomas, Ph.D.

10 May 2012 | 8:22 am

On June 11, Carla Irwin and I will be presenting a webinar as part of a Virtual Compensation Conference sponsored by Kenexa and the Institute for Human Resources. Here’s a short description of our presentation, entitled Compensation Data, Analysis and AAPs: What You Need To Know: If you’re a contractor with the U.S. government, you’re generally required to prepare an annual Affirmative Action Plan. Compensation analysis is a core component of an Affirmative Action Plan, and it’s important to understand what data you’ll need, how to prepare and validate it, and…

Lance Haun
The LA Riots And How Sports Can Help Understand The World Beyond It

Lance Haun

30 Apr 2012 | 8:37 am

I remember the LA riots but I shouldn’t. I was 10 when the riots happened 20 years ago and I lived another world away in Portland. Other events from that time are a bit hazy (the first Gulf War, my parent’s divorce) but I remember the LA riots for some reason. Why? Sports. Specifically, my Portland Trail Blazers were playing the hated Los Angeles Lakers the night the riots broke out. Arash Markazi at ESPN has a great breakdown of its impact on the Lakers and Clippers. But for me at least, it helped underscore the way sports can help people understand the world, current events and…
Break Your Routines

Lance Haun

17 Apr 2012 | 8:40 am

My wife and I are moving again. This time, it’s not very far. About 5 miles from where we live, to a better neighborhood that’s closer to my wife’s work. We’re excited to move out of our small, outdated apartment into a newer townhouse with a garage, lawn and patio. Not to mention a gas stove because a year of trying to cook on standard electric burners has left me exasperated and feeling like I had the ultimate first world problem. I’ve moved six times in eight years. I was pretty sure that was a huge number until my buddy George LaRocque told me he moved five…
The Beauty Of Imbalance

Lance Haun

11 Apr 2012 | 8:14 am

Anyone can give a balanced opinion on any matter. Research the different sides of an issue and then present all of those different sides in an intelligent manner. It’s not always easy to do but executing on it isn’t a problem if you know how to properly research and write. If you are unsure, you can have multiple people look at it to make sure you have balanced the issues correctly. Of course, the idea of fair and balanced is rightly mocked when it clearly isn’t so but even truly balancing the issues leaves something to be desired. I can’t tell you the number of times…
Hero Or Villain? In Greg Smith’s Case, It Doesn’t Matter

Lance Haun

21 Mar 2012 | 8:07 am

Many words have been written about Greg Smith’s resignation letter from Goldman Sachs that was published in the NY Times last week. Many story lines emerged from it but the one that intrigued me the most was the debate of whether he held the moral high ground or if he is just a publicity hound, happy to throw his co-workers under the bus on his way out? Several things should be noted. First, not too many people can just walk off the job and napalm the bridge on their way out. Smith made good money and even a reasonable amount of savings over the course of those dozen years could…
Your Opinions Are Your Own? A Few Reasons Why That Disclaimer Is Ridiculous

Lance Haun

15 Mar 2012 | 8:24 am

“Opinions are my own.” It’s a standard disclaimer on many of the Twitter accounts I see out there. You’re an HR or recruiting pro in the great wide world and you hear that you should get on the Twitters from some person at a conference or in a publication somewhere. Only, one of two things happen: 1. You create the account without checking and think that by putting that disclaimer there, you are somehow protecting yourself and company OR 2. You check and your boss or PR person requires you put the disclaimer on there, somehow protecting the company I’ll tell you…

CSR for HR
Employee Engagement in Sustainability at Microsoft

elaine

11 May 2012 | 12:59 am

This is not the blog in which I usually talk about corporate CSR transparency and sustainability communications. I have another blog for that - the CSR Reporting Blog. But in this case I will make an exception for the recently published Environmental Report White Paper from Microsoft entitled "Becoming Carbon Neutral: How Microsoft is becoming Lean, Green and Accountable" This is a fascinating document, and one of the most interesting corporate communications on sustainability I have seen in a while. It's short: only 16 pages, but it gets the message…
CSR, HR and Human Trafficking

elaine

2 May 2012 | 12:49 am

When did you last see a Human Resources Manager's professional job description which explicitly includes responsibility for ensuring a human-trafficking-free supply chain? When did you last catch a Human Resources professional asking the Purchasing Manager about employment practices prevalent in supplier organizations and safeguards in place to prevent to human trafficking? How many Human Resources Managers do you know who have attended a supplier audit of outsourcing vendors? Or even an audit of their own remote facilities? How many Human Resources Managers have put their own jobs on…
Why HR Managers don't do it

elaine

15 Mar 2012 | 6:07 am

As a follow-up to my post about the World HRD Congress in Mumbai in February, here you can see me in action, at the start of my presentation on CSR for HR:And while we are on the subject, you might want to take a look (it's ok if you might not!) at this interview I did with Ellen Weinreb, the Sustainability Recruitment Guru and leading light on all matters relating to sustainable jobs. Her piece is called: The real friction between human resources and CSR and speaks to the issues that prevent Human Resources from truly embracing CSR as a prism through which they manage the…
MVO VOOR HR aka CSR for HR

elaine

9 Mar 2012 | 11:41 am

For those of you who speak Dutch, you will probably know what MVO VOOR HR means. For those of you who don't, CSR for HR might be more familiar. In just a few weeks, I will be in The Netherlands to deliver two exciting sessions on CSR for HR, organized and hosted by MVO Nederland.MVO Nederland (CSR Netherlands) is the national knowledge centre and the national network organisation for Corporate Social Responsibility: the place to start for any entrepreneurs wishing to make their commercial operations sustainable. It's the "CSR Magnet" in The Netherlands. One interesting aspect of the…
Employee engagement in CSR- it's gone viral!

elaine

2 Mar 2012 | 2:11 pm

Wherever you look these days and whatever you read, getting employees on board with sustainability efforts is one of the key areas that everyone seems to be (yawn! at long last) acknowledging is the key to making it all come right. No list of top sustainability trends for 2012 was complete without employee engagement taking a star role. In a world of work where only 31% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs, we can only hope that we are in the range of rock-bottom and that things will get better. Sustainability is not only an outcome of employee engagement, it is a driver.

Employer Training Center
What Employers Should Know About Child Support Withholding

16 May 2012 | 8:19 am

Employers may be officially informed by the court about their duty to withhold child support from an employee’s wages. Sometimes employers are contacted after reporting newly hired employees to their state government. These new hire laws are meant to help state authorities identify taxpayers who owe court-ordered child support. After review, the state may contact the employer if the new hire report matches their list of delinquent parents who owe child support. (For more information on new hire laws, refer to our article “What Is New Hire Reporting?”) If an employer receives…
What Small Businesses Should Know About FICA

15 May 2012 | 9:12 am

Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) refers to the tax provisions of the Social Security Act, a law established to offer post-retirement benefits to American workers. The Social Security and Medicare tax applies to all organizations, regardless of how small or large they are. FICA is a mandatory contribution, placing the burden on the employer to deduct a percentage from the employee’s payroll and to match the amount. The amount contributed towards Social Security payroll tax is meant to benefit employees after retirement. The funds gathered over the years will be dispatched…
A Closer Look at After-Tax Deductions

14 May 2012 | 8:33 am

Employers can initiate pre-tax and after-tax deductions from employee paychecks as part of their employee benefits program. While pre-tax deductions lower taxable wages as they occur before withholding payroll taxes, post-tax deductions occur after withholding of payroll taxes, and do not have any impact on taxable wages. These deductions include union dues, Roth 401K, life and disability insurance, and charitable contributions. Employers are not legally required to offer voluntary deductions, nor do they have to agree to them. All involuntary deductions, however, must be withheld from…
What is Backup Withholding?

11 May 2012 | 8:03 am

Certain payments made to individuals and businesses attract a fixed tax levied by the IRS. This tax is known as backup withholding and accounts for 28% of income. The tax is collected during payment and includes dividends, interest payments, royalty payments, rents, profits, and commissions, as well as gambling earnings not subject to regular withholding. These investments should be reported on Form 1099. For more information, visit the information returns page on the IRS website. Backup withholding may apply to independent contractors. Brokers are also subject to this…
What is Form 8027?

10 May 2012 | 9:27 am

Employers operating large food and beverage establishments are required to report the income of employees for services rendered and earned in the form of tips. Form 8027 is applicable to businesses operating more than one establishment in different premises. It is also applicable for multiple establishments in the same building if the income receipts are recorded independently. For general instructions and important information on Form 8027, visit the IRS website. Large establishments for food and beverages can be defined as organizations that serve food and drinks for…

Investigating Further
Workplace Cruelty: Bullying is Not Just for Kids

Fran Sepler

9 May 2012 | 12:27 pm

I’ve been doing a lot of talking about bullies. Increasingly, employers are asking me to speak with their employees and managers about bullying in the workplace, and the response I have been getting is remarkable. After every session, whether in a blue-collar setting or a tony professional firm, people approach me and tell me their stories. And the stories floor me. Yesterday, a tearful employee asked me what she could do. Her husband had left an employer after being bullied so badly that he attempted suicide, and now can’t find a job and is heavily medicated and profoundly…
Has Your Organization Prepared for Defensible Employment Investigations?

Fran Sepler

19 Mar 2012 | 9:28 am

Investigative Preparedness INTERNAL INVESTIGATION COMPETENCE: When an internal investigation is being scrutinized, it’s best to have prepared for the questions that will inevitably be asked. This is an update of an oldie-but-goodie that emphasizes the importance of consistency in practice in defending your investigations. When it comes to defending investigative techniques, there is a simple standard to which attorneys and their clients should aspire; consistency and reason. For every single action or decision that an investigator takes, that investigator should be able to explain the…
Of Bathrooms, Bias and Blind Spots

Fran Sepler

26 Oct 2011 | 2:59 pm

Of the twelve investigations I have done involving transgender individuals as either complainants or the subject of complaints, all have involved bathrooms. One would think that, given the confusion, bias, fear and anxiety the subject of gender identity and in particular, transgenderism seem to generate, that the issue would come down to more than facilities for personal hygiene. Nevertheless, the use or non-use of gendered bathrooms seems to be the place where a society’s equal treatment tends to be tested. In May of this year, the Office of Personal Management (OPM) issued…
Impasse. Logjam. Intractable Conflict.

Fran Sepler

26 Jul 2011 | 6:12 pm

The political stalemate in Washington, as disheartening as it is, provides a good opportunity to think about the conflicts that lead to claims, and the challenges of investigating claims when individuals have staked out a position/set of beliefs that seem completely contrary to one or more coworkers or supervisors who have equally powerful perspectives/beliefs. Particularly in allegations of hostile environment or systemic discrimination, parties have spent a long time talking themselves (and likely others) into their perspectives. They become inflamed by suggestions that there might be…
Privilege, Subtle Bias and the Challenge of Transformation.

Fran Sepler

15 Feb 2011 | 3:25 pm

It was at the end of a long day that my client and I headed to the airport, hoping we might take an earlier flight home at the end of a several-city road trip. We marched up to the ticket counter and stood side by side. Peter, my client, and a shareholder at a major law firm was flying economy. As a not-very-frequent traveler, he did not have “elite” status on this airline. I, on the other hand, was a high-level elite flyer whose many hours in the air had earned me an automatic upgrade. The flight attendant took our ID and looked at Peter. “Sir,” he said, ”there is a seat available…

The Recruiters Lounge
Is There A Long Term Unemployment Crisis?

Jim Stroud

14 May 2012 | 2:21 pm

Is There A Long Term Unemployment Crisis? By: Marilyn Katz What Is The Definition Of Long Term Unemployment? Long term unemployment describes a situation where a person has been without work for longer than 12 months. In my opinion, it is important to consider these numbers, and not just the unemployment figures that are all grouped together. The group of people that have been out of work for a year, or longer, is a different that people who have only been out of work for a short time. Here’s the scary thing. Even though employment numbers, in the US, have been looking a little better,…
HR, Social Media and Background Checks

Jim Stroud

11 May 2012 | 1:50 pm

“HR, social media and background checks” is the topic of the day when Jim Stroud interviews Jim Andrews, the Director of Client Services for Social Intelligence Corporation. Related PostsHow to Build a Dependable Workforce: Using Background ChecksHow thorough are your background checks? (Part 2)Who wants to hire a Social Media Recruiter?How thorough are your background checks?25 Articles on Social Media Recruiting Send article as PDF
The Top Mistakes Human Resources Staff Make and How to Fix or Prevent Them

Jim Stroud

8 May 2012 | 5:31 am

Human resources staff members have an extremely vital part to play in an HR department while meeting the needs of every employee in a business or organization. Nevertheless, even though HR staffs are typically very experienced and well trained, they may still make mistakes in areas regarding laws and policies. The following are some of the top mistakes HR staff makes in addition to steps to take for avoiding them. Poor Employee Communication and Inadequate Documentation HR departments generally are thought to be a bridge between members of management and other organization employees. Whenever…
A Guide to LinkedIn Profile Optimization

Jim Stroud

7 May 2012 | 8:56 pm

A Guide to LinkedIn Profile Optimization by: Sophia L. Mendrez LinkedIn is a professional network with over 150 million members and it is still growing and opportunities within this professional social network are limitless. That is why members take time to put up a good-looking profile, business man or job hunters alike. An optimized or a well put together profile attracts visitors. It lets them know of your past and present successes, it reflects your credibility and authority. Think about a well-groomed person, doesn’t he leave a good impression on others? Think of your profile as…
How To Search Google More Efficiently

Jim Stroud

5 May 2012 | 9:56 pm

How To Search Google More Efficiently by: Jim Stroud In case you did not know, when you use a tilde ( ) in your Google search, it searches for the keyword you use as well as the synonym of the keyword you are looking for. This is a good thing as it will save you time, so long as you understand what Google considers to be synonymous with your keyword. Let’s do a quick example by searching for the term “CV.” At this writing, I get 885,000,000 search results describing what a CV is, pictures of CVs, articles on how you can write a CV and links to people who can write a CV for you. Now…

BC Labour Union
How has working at Thrifty Foods changed for you?

admin

11 May 2012 | 1:03 pm

Over the last year, we continue to talk to people that have seen dramatic changes at their job at Thirfty Foods. From the warehouse to the cashier stand, massive changes have happen. Workers continue to ask, “What would joining the Union do for me?” SENIORITY for hours and scheduling! We continue to hear about hour cuts and massive schedule changes. A Union contract can help you bargain for seniority so you can continue to get the hours that you need! RESPECT AT WORK! Whether you have worked at Thrifty Foods for 25 years or 25 days you deserve to be treated with Respect and Dignity at…
H&M Employees make History

admin

24 Apr 2012 | 4:57 pm

Great article by Kendra Coulter on H&M workers joining UFCW in Mississauga’s Square One mall in Ontario. If you would like to learn more about joining a union in retail contact a organizer at 1-888-581-1518 or fill in the “Contact Us” form. RETAIL WORKERS MAKE HISTORY By Kendra Coulter People often see retail work as destined to be temporary, low paid, erratic, and without benefits. Some think that retail workers should simply accept whatever demands are made on them by managers and corporate chains, and not expect to have many rights or protections. But several young…
Employees at Comox District Coop join UFCW 1518!

admin

22 Feb 2012 | 10:53 am

Comox Coop Gas Bar employees join UFCW 1518! A warm welcome to the newest members of UFCW Local 1518 – employees of the Comox Coop’s Aspen Gas Bar. In a vote conducted February 20, employees there voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the union, and joined Coop workers at a number of locations on Vancouver Island who also belong to UFCW 1518. “We’re delighted that the Comox Coop Gas Bar employees have voted to join,” said Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518, “and we’re looking forward to working with them and getting a first contract…
H&M Mississauga Vote YES to Join a Union

admin

28 Dec 2011 | 10:46 am

H&M workers at Mississauga store vote for union; a first for chain in Canada Posted: 10/7/2011 3:04 PM By: The Canadian Press MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Employees at the H&M clothing store at the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga have voted in favour of union certification, making it the Swedish-based retailer’s first unionized outlet in Canada. The United Food and Commercial Works union said the employees backed certification in a secret ballot conducted by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on Thursday, but did not disclose the vote total. The UFCW Canada had said…
DECEMBER 18 – INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY

admin

18 Dec 2011 | 10:29 am

A letter from UFCW Canada President for International Migrants Day DECEMBER 18 – INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY A UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release Proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in 2000, December 18th is annually commemorated as International Migrants Day to raise awareness that the human and labour rights of migrant workers must be respected and protected across all borders. The UN points to poverty, conflict, or violations of human rights in their homelands as some of the causes that have driven more than 175 million workers to leave their homeland in order to support their…

HR to HR 2.0 and Human Capital (HCM)
#ASTD2012 - integrating learning and development with compensation and rewards

11 May 2012 | 4:37 pm

It’s been ASTD’s annual conference this week which has reminded me that I never completed my review of the ASTD / I4CP’s 2011 book, The Executive Guide to Integrated Talent Management to which I contributed a chapter (alongside Dave Ulrich, Ed Lawler, Marshall Goldsmith, Peter Cappelli and others). Mine is actually the next chapter after the earlier ones I have already reviewed outlining the general benefits of integrated talent management, and on the integration of learning with recruiting. My chapter is on the integration of learning and compensation and rewards,…
At ‘lunch’ with Drive Thru HR

8 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Next Monday, 14th May, I’ll be talking on Bryan Wempen and William Tincup’s blogtalk radio show, DriveThruHR - and I’d love for you to call in or listen online. The show is at noon central time – which is 6.00pm here in the UK, so it’s a tea-time show really. And it lasts thirty minutes. If you miss the show, you can listen to the archive afterward. If you’ve not listened before, the show’s format is to ask guests about “What’s keeping you up at night?”… I’m not sure what I’m going to be talking about yet… and the truth…
The Talent Management Summit – how to win your free tickets!

4 May 2012 | 6:15 am

I’ve been promising you the opportunity to win a free place to the Economist’s talent management summit on 14th June. Well, the sub-title for the 2012 summit is ‘the next generation of leaders’ (global, female, net generation and so on) and one of the things I’m hoping to see evidence of is some ‘next generation of talent management strategies’. I believe that if we’re trying to create something different – and we certainly need to – then we need to think, act and behave in different ways as well. This means we need substantially different HR /…
Challenges & Opportunities for Talent Managers 7: The Talent Management Summit

3 May 2012 | 11:03 am

Right, to finish this little mini-series of posts on talent management, here is further advance warning of the Economist’s 2012 Talent Management Summit, www.thetalentmanagementsummit.com. This was one of my favourite events last year, and you can check out the posts at: #ECTalent - Recognising Individuals: GE vs. Aviva #ECTalent: Leadership Behaviours for the Future #ECTalent: Future Proofing the Business (Strategic Workforce Planning) #ECTalent: Setting a Talent Agenda Social leadership at Cisco Social leadership at GE Social Business at the Economist’s Talent…
Challenges and Opportunities for Talent Managers / 6: Measurement

27 Apr 2012 | 1:42 am

Of course in most of the reports I’ve been reviewing, there are also the requisite comments on needing to measure talent better. Eg the PwC report: “CEOs are also seeking a better understanding of the scale and effectiveness of their investments in talent. Productivity and labour cost remain important measurements; these are the tools investors, lenders and businesses use to benchmark progress (or lack of it). They are largely standardised in many industries, and thus easy to implement. Yet for many CEOs, those tools aren’t enough. They are very good at telling…

Human Resource Management
Glass Ceiling its causes and Types

15 May 2012 | 10:53 am

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Use of Social Media for Recruitment

15 Apr 2012 | 8:12 am

As a recruiter you want to be where the most qualified, talented, and largest pool of applicants are. Human resources can leverage social media to tap in to potential recruits. This type of head... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
How to answer 10 tough questions

12 Apr 2012 | 10:01 am

There's no worse feeling than when you're in an interview and the interviewer asks you a question to which you don't know the answer. The best way to handle this dreaded debacle is to go into the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
why you choose HR as your career

6 Apr 2012 | 4:33 am

Dealing with human beings is a toughest job in the world. Here is an opportunity to feel the pulse of the people and to help them to help themselves.So since i would like to take up challenging task... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Organizational Change and Development

26 Mar 2012 | 12:58 pm

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Adapted from the Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Developmentand Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Consultant Base Camp Blog
Social Media Link Roundup – April 2012

Justin Beller

9 May 2012 | 10:16 pm

The traffic on our social media sites last month was terrific! Here are the most popular posts we shared ranging from using social media to building a consulting business from scratch. The debate rages on: are B2C consultants really consultants? We discussed this in a blog post. In another blog post we started a new series on social media and how consultants can use it to market and promote their business. This is actually an update to a series we produced on social media a few years ago. It was definitely due for an update. We shared a link to a great article on 10 steps to a successful…
Marketing a Consulting Business Through Social Media: LinkedIn

Justin Beller

28 Apr 2012 | 11:25 am

LinkedinAnswers (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Around 2005 when social networking and social media took off, I was on the sidelines watching everybody flock to the tools that today are now commonplace in how we connect and communicate with one another. LinkedIn was one of those early social media platforms that people jumped on board with. I was hesitant at first to put all my personal information out there, but once I saw how LinkedIn was more of a resource than just an online resume, a whole new paradigm was formed in my mind that has now made this social networking application an indispensible…
Why The Business World Hates Consultants and What We Can Do About It

Justin Beller

23 Apr 2012 | 8:00 am

We can learn a lot about ourselves just by switching perspectives. Over the course of a typical week I receive hundreds of e-mails from various sources on topics such as business, consulting, technology, marketing, social media, and the like. One particular e-mail I received was a link to an article that provided some interesting insight from the perspective of the the business professional buying consulting services. What I’m about to say may sting a little. Consulting, as a profession in the business world, is not regarded very highly. For some business professionals, having to bring in a…
Social Media Link Roundup – March 2012

Justin Beller

8 Apr 2012 | 10:27 am

In March we shared some great content over at our social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. Here are some of those highlights: A new post to the Consultant Base Camp Blog asked readers to define what a consultant really is. I maintain a person working B2C who calls themselves a “consultant” really isn’t a consultant. What do you think? The event came and went, but we posted a link to a webinar having to do with teamwork. Are you a builder or a climber? In other words, do you build up the people around you or do you find success at their expense? As consultants it is a very good…
Marketing a Consulting Business Through Social Media: Facebook

Justin Beller

5 Apr 2012 | 7:53 am

Image via CrunchBase I’ve been using Facebook both personally and professionally for about 5 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes in the social media platform – some good, some bad. My attitude toward Facebook as a platform to develop your brand is a mixed bag. It largely depends on the type of consulting business you have that will determine if this is the best platform to market and promote your brand and how much time and energy you are willing invest in it. Facebook’s features, functionality, and appearance change on regular basis much to the dismay of the users.

Virtual Teams Guide
Virtual Team Video Cliff Notes – The Agent of CONNECTION

Yael Zofi

14 May 2012 | 4:25 pm

In this fast-paced global economy, the quality of your leadership and how adept you are at continually increasing your intellectual bandwidth will keep your organization’s bottom line ahead of the competition. Being a global leader is no longer an option – it is a requirement for maintaining a strong and secure place in the global marketplace. These challenges are not daunting to the effective virtual manager – they provoke innovation. The conditions that spark innovation arise from connecting the right people with the right ideas in the right environment at the right…
Virtual Team Video Cliff Notes

Yael Zofi

8 May 2012 | 1:23 pm

It’s been an exciting time for Yael Zofi since her latest book A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams was released last fall. As interest in the virtual world continually grows, Yael and her team have become the ‘go to’ resource for answers to questions about how to succeed in the virtual world. Recently, Yael was interviewed by WatchIT TV about key techniques for working with and managing virtual teams. She shares the elements that every high performing team must master, and offers the cliff notes version of what every colleague needs to know, including the four most critical…
Virtual teams can function appropriately if left alone. Myth or Reality?

Yael Zofi

3 May 2012 | 4:41 pm

Adapted for Posting by Perin Colah Welcome to the final installment of the Five Myths and Realities of Virtual Teams. This week we explore Myth #5. Myth #5: Virtual teams can be left alone and will function appropriately. Reality: Virtual teams need to establish ground rules around how and what is communicated, how minor conflicts are managed before they derail team efforts and what processes are in place to deliver results. For example, leaders should make clear that he, or she, expects regular updates around key milestones This may present a challenge if you work in…
Virtual Teams: Now and In The Future Session Summary

Yael Zofi

30 Apr 2012 | 2:47 pm

Posted by Perin Colah This past Friday Yael Zofi spoke at the 21st Annual SHRM-LI Conference. Her topic, Virtual Teams: Now and In The Future, drew in quite the crowd and was well received by over 300 attendees during both sessions. After kicking off the presentation with a video created by one of our AIM team members, Yael asked the audience to discuss the biggest challenges they face regarding virtual teams. Many answers included technology and communication. She then introduced the eight characteristics of high performing virtual teams and ended the session by giving…
Virtual Teams: Now and In The Future – Workshop April 27, 2012

Yael Zofi

25 Apr 2012 | 8:44 am

This Friday, April 27th, Yael is speaking at the 21st Annual SHRM-LI Conference, and since this topic is so significant 800+ attendees will join her. Because of the large number of attendees, we will run two workshops, which will allow attendees to choose the more convenient time for them either 9:45am or 11:15am. Yael’s sessions include interactive discussions and exercises that engage attendees with practical knowledge for managing virtual teams. Here’s our workshop description: The face of Virtual Teams is increasingly common today, due to the rise of…

GT L&E Blog
Federal court strikes down NLRB’s new election rules

Justin Keith

14 May 2012 | 4:07 pm

In a decision issued a few minutes ago, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia struck down the NLRB’s new election rules because the Board lacked a quorum when it attempted to adopt the final rule. On December 16, 2011, Chairman Pearce and then-Member Becker voted to approve the final version of the rule. However, Member Hayes did not vote, nor was he asked to record a vote. The Board majority took the position that, because Member Hayes had previously voted against initiating the rulemaking at issue, he had “effectively indicated his opposition.”…
More States Introduce Legislation Prohibiting Employer Requests for Social Media Passwords; Feds Join In

Daniel Pasternak

11 May 2012 | 2:59 pm

Earlier this year, following a highly-publicized case in Maryland we discussed in this post in which the Maryland Department of Corrections refused to hire an applicant after reviewing his private Facebook page, which it accessed by requiring that the applicant provide the employer with access, Maryland passed a law — currently the only law in the nation — prohibiting employers from requesting that employees provide login or password information to their private, personal social media accounts. Although Maryland is so far the only state to have passed such measures into law,…
Sandifer v. U.S. Steel Corp: 7th Circuit Disagrees with Sixth Circuit and DOL; Clothes-Changing Subject to FLSA Section 203(o) is not a Principal Activity that Starts the Continuous Workday

Jim Boudreau

11 May 2012 | 2:56 pm

On May 8, 2012, the 7th Circuit, in an opinion authored by Judge Posner, issued its much anticipated ruling in Sandifer v. U.S. Steel Corp., __ F.3d __, 2012 WL 1592543 (7th Cir. May 8, 2012). Sandifer was on interlocutory appeal from the Northern District of Indiana. The Seventh Circuit was asked to determine, among other things, whether clothes-changing time which is non-compensable by virtue of Section 203(o) of the FLSA may nonetheless be a principal activity that starts the continuous workday, thereby rendering any subsequent time spent walking from the locker room to the work station…
Bullying in the Workplace

Eric Sigda

10 May 2012 | 10:12 am

With a greater concentration of resources being placed on eliminating bullying at school and incorporation of anti-bullying themes in television shows, it should be no surprise that attention is being focused on bullying in the workplace. In a 2010 survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 35 percent of the American workforce reported being bullied at work. Bullying occurs at all levels within an organization and can originate from both men and women. Workplace bullying is often exhibited in the form of verbal abuse and offensive conduct or behavior, which can be threatening, humiliating…
Consider FMLA Implications When Disciplining an Employee for Unauthorized Absences

Tiffany Fordyce

9 May 2012 | 3:48 pm

A recent Middle District of Florida decision highlights the need for employers to consider implications under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when disciplining an employee for unauthorized or excessive absences. In Hoopingarner v. Corinthian Colleges, Inc., an employee fired for excessive absences claimed the employer interfered with his FMLA rights by characterizing FMLA qualifying leave as unauthorized absences. The court rejected the employee’s claim with respect to time he took off to care for his sick wife. Although his wife indisputably suffered from several serious health…

HR C-Suite
Electrify Communication Strategies Through Storytelling

Judy Rosemarin

16 May 2012 | 8:00 am

When I was in 4th grade, Miss Leigh was my teacher and while not the most attractive woman, weighing more than she should have, going bald with only a few remaining black hairs on her head and never married, we loved her. To see her at first glance, you might have certain assumptions, but she was able to move you quickly beyond your biases because we knew she cared about us, and boy could she tell us a story! After recess, our energies still wildly high, she knew how to immediately settle us down in the classroom and create a listening space. Miss Leigh would take her big ol’ self,…
FREE: How Not to Manage Performance

Tresha Moreland

13 May 2012 | 5:05 pm

How Not to Manage Performance In a day where we must achieve results with less resources, performance management is a critical workforce strategy. Learn seven ways to avoid performance management disasters. Fill out the form below and you will receive this free report delivered right to your inbox. NameFirstLastEmail About Tresha MorelandTresha D. Moreland, MS, MBA, SPHR is an HR thought leader in Human Resource Strategic Management. She has held key human resource leadership roles for over 15 years in multiple…
Job Application Question: What is Your BMI?

Tresha Moreland

7 May 2012 | 8:00 am

In an uncertain economy company’s scrutinizing how it spends its money on labor and benefit costs is commonplace today. The annual rising cost of health insurance is a strain for any company’s bottom line causing creative thinking in how to save money. Cost containment initiatives coupled with being in an industry that serves the public’s health creates special complexities. The healthcare industry not only seeks to motivate employees who may have poor health habits and issues but also serves patients who may have the same issues. To address these complexities, the healthcare industry…
FREE: Strategic Planning at the American Heart Association

Tresha Moreland

4 May 2012 | 2:28 pm

See HR Strategic Planning in Action! The Executive Insider Ever wonder how organizations approach their short, medium and long term strategic plans? Read how the American Heart Association tackles this challenge with the following report written by Katherine Neverdousky, Vice President of Human Resources. Brought to you by Executive Leadership Exchange and HR C-Suite. Sign up below and get your free copy instantly delivered to your email in-box. NameFirstLastEmail About Tresha MorelandTresha D. Moreland, MS, MBA, SPHR is an HR thought leader in Human Resource Strategic Management. She has…
FREE: 12 HR Strategy Apps for 2012

Tresha Moreland

4 May 2012 | 2:20 pm

12 HR Strategy Apps for 2012 Who has the time to stay on top of new software, apps, and e-tools? Get your copy of, "12 HR Strategy Apps for 2012" sponsored by Business & Strategy (www.bscipad.com) now! Sign up below and get your free copy delivered right to your email in-box. NameFirstLastEmail About Tresha MorelandTresha D. Moreland, MS, MBA, SPHR is an HR thought leader in Human Resource Strategic Management. She has held key human resource leadership roles for over 15 years in multiple industries most recently a senior vice president in the healthcare industry. Tresha is the founder and…

Compensation Cafe
Diamonds and Data Mining

Stephanie R. Thomas

16 May 2012 | 6:40 am

Last week, Margaret O'Hanlon told you how to get rich quick using the goldmine of information just sitting there, waiting for you. Mo is absolutely right - data can be immensely valuable in daily conversations, and having fresh information about the distribution of employees by key characteristics - and how those distributions vary across the organization - can ultimately lead to improved decision-making. If you're mining your data, or are thinking about starting, there is one essential point to keep in mind: data has no value on its own. It doesn't matter how many data points…
Work Hard, Play Hard... Source Soft

Laura Schroeder

15 May 2012 | 6:48 am

A new German documentary ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ directed by Carmen Losmann explores the modern method of exploiting human capital. The basic idea is this: You create an ultra cool and inviting work environment that entices people to stick around longer and work harder. Carefully selected colors and lighting, cool chairs, games, massages, free lattes… In other words, instead of creating a work life balance to engage employees, you simply blur the lines between personal and professional. The work environment is devoid of any awkward reminders that the employee is engaged in actual…
Where Did Performance Appraisals Come From?

Jacque Vilet

14 May 2012 | 8:13 am

With all the fuss these days about how our performance appraisal system is broken I started wondering --- where did it all start? Who started us on the path to what we have today? Not really important because, after all, it's history. So who really cares? We need to concentrate on "fixing" it, not on history. But those questions stayed in my mind. So I started researching it. What I came up with was surprising. The practice of appraisal is a very ancient “art”. In historical terms, it’s been around since before 220AD, and I guess it could claim being the…
Salary Increase Budgets, Crystal Balls and the Tyranny of the Mean

Ann Bares

11 May 2012 | 10:01 am

Are we sheep? Perhaps not, but we sure act like it sometimes. And the annual salary increase budgeting exercise is one arena where this tendency of ours plays out on a regular basis. A couple of great posts by my Cafe colleagues this week brought the topic to mind. Jim Brennan, in his post Mid-Year Moral Hazard yesterday, called us out on our slavish devotion to our annual salary budget surveys. Although we rely on them heavily for important budgeting and resource allocation decisions, the accuracy of their forecasting is taken for granted and rarely questioned or studied. Which called…
Mid-Year Moral Hazard

E. James (Jim) Brennan

10 May 2012 | 6:26 am

Moral hazard is normally only discussed at year end, in terms of the usual and typical issues of perverse incentives in executive compensation schemes. It should be discussed at mid-year, as well, when there is a more serious threat. Another tragedy of the commons threatens the compensation community. It stems from the tendency to follow our rewards, do what is reinforced and to behave in accord with the incentives we find motivating... to pump up salary budget increase predictions. I found myself impressed at the end of the American football season when both professional and college…

TriNet HR Blog
TriNet’s Tip Tuesday

Nancy Sindi

15 May 2012 | 7:00 am

One of the benefits of enrolling in a HDHP is the ability to make tax-free contributions to an HSA. You receive a debit card, you assign beneficiaries, and it is portable. You might even compare it... Visit site for full story...
Our Week in Tweets, 05-05-2012

12 May 2012 | 10:00 am

These tweets are pulled from our @TriNet account. Our CEO also tweets, at @BurtonGoldfield, and we share recruiting/job news over at @TriNetCareers. Please considering following us! RT @jgeveritt:... Visit site for full story...
Critter and Linkedout – Really?

Kayla Cheves

11 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Have you seen these billboards or storefronts near you recently? Or maybe you’ve been hearing a lot of the chatter on Twitter? Don’t worry; these silly startups are not real. On May 1st,... Visit site for full story...
Rewarding and Recognizing Employees – Make Your Workplace More Fun!

Tori Rabun

10 May 2012 | 7:00 am

Companies these days are often asking employees to do more with less, which can leave employees feeling over-worked and under-appreciated. It is more important than ever for employers to reward and... Visit site for full story...
DWYSYWD — The Litmus Test of Extreme Leadership

Janet Kluczynski

8 May 2012 | 7:00 am

In Provide Proof, the sixth video in the TriNet Extreme Leadership Series, leadership expert, bestselling author, and host Steve Farber takes us to the final stage of his leadership-building LEAP... Visit site for full story...

Fresh Tracks» BLOG
Make sure you use your brake before you break

Fresh Tracks Team Building

11 May 2012 | 7:17 am

Many of us are becoming accustomed to the three or four day weekend with Easter, May Day, Whitsun and Jubilee holidays falling so close together. These enforced Bank Holidays should result in a more rested and energised work force but it seems most of us are using these long weekends not so much to take a break but instead to press lightly on the brakes, keep working and catch up on the back log. Everybody has different ways of recharging, make sure you know your way and that you spend time doing it. Hotels and holiday cottage owners are increasingly promoting ‘free wi-fi’ knowing that…
Free Team Building Activity – Common Ground

Fresh Tracks Team Building

2 May 2012 | 5:30 am

This free team building activity is a light-hearted icebreaker which highlights the importance of communication Make sure you find time to find your team's common ground Overview A great icebreaker activity, this activity is best used at the beginning of the day to get participants communicating and finding out a bit more about each other. You simply ask each team/table to come up with a list as long as possible of things that all team members have in common. Key Themes: communication; getting to know one another Participants: 5 – 500 Timing: 5 – 20 mins Prework Ensure that there…
5 Ways to be an Outstanding Employee

Fresh Tracks Team Building

2 May 2012 | 4:03 am

If your organisation is threatening to announce more job cuts, you might like to consider what it takes to go beyond being a good employee to being an indispensible member of the team. Mr Carson, Downton Abbey’s indispensible butler, with Lord Grantham Let’s assume you are already reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, teachable and trustworthy. Here are five behaviours that will help you to stand out from the crowd: Ignore job descriptions. Be adaptable and ready to muck in where required and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done. Remarkable…
Book Review: The Empty Raincoat – Making Sense of the Future

Fresh Tracks Team Building

1 May 2012 | 9:33 am

The book starts by describing 9 paradoxes – are each of them as worthy of consideration in the society of 2012? Charles Handy wrote ‘The Empty Raincoat’ in 1994, but the predictions are so precise that it could have been published last week. Here guest blogger Nick Robeson summarises a book perhaps more relevant today than when it was first published 18 years ago. Back in 1994 the term ‘digital economy’ had not even been invented, but the changes in our society, our economy, work and our careers were already clear to Handy. The book starts by describing 9 paradoxes – each…
Team Building Development Programme for a Senior Team (Fresh Tracks Case Study)

Fresh Tracks Team Building

26 Apr 2012 | 3:05 pm

The client for this team development programme was a senior leadership team from a company that makes educational toys. The programme included our unique a large-scale team building exercise, The Team Machine It’s a fast paced company with recent growth placing increased pressure on the leadership team. We were asked to come up with a leadership development programme that would enable them to: spend time together get away from daily pressures and distractions of the office get to know one another better build trust create a positive environment in which to work on strategy A tailored…

Employee Performance and Talent Management Blog
Employees Underperforming? 5 Reasons Why You Should Look In the Mirror

Melany Gallant

14 May 2012 | 2:07 pm

In this contributed post, Andrew Call of eTundra’s The Backburner discusses why restaurant owners and managers need to evaluate their people management skills when assessing poor employee performance. Andrew offers some restaurant management tips including the importance of consistent communication and strong leadership. Owning and operating a restaurant is as daunting as it is promising. For both the new restaurateur and the seasoned professional the daily ins and outs can get frustrating. While there are some things you can’t control – like a restaurant equipment breakdown or…
Why You Should Make Performance Management an On-going Practice

Melany Gallant

11 May 2012 | 9:59 am

Ah, the most un-wonderful time of the year (excluding tax-filing time) — the dreaded annual employee review. Despised and avoided by many, the employee appraisal process is often viewed as mandatory yearly assault that delivers little or no value. In fact, some would say that that the negative outweighs the positive in terms of frustration, stress and diminished morale (Hey, I deserve a higher rating than that!) Maybe it is worse than tax time. How do you eliminate dread and drudgery of annual employee reviews and turn them into something welcome and valuable? Change Your…
Webinar: The 5 Faces Managers See During Performance Reviews

Melany Gallant

8 May 2012 | 7:26 am

The goal of coaching and feedback is to help employees be their best. One of the best ways managers can do this is to engage employees in discussions about their performance to help them arrive at deeper self-awareness. So what do you do when an employee has a worldview of their performance that has nothing to do with your reality? Ignore their perspective, and your ROI on the conversation is the equivalent of talking to a government clerk with 30 years experience about the finer points of the Nordstrom customer experience program – while you’re still 3rd in line at the DMV. Pointless,…
Developing a Laser Beam Focus on Effective Goal Management

Melany Gallant

4 May 2012 | 9:47 am

What do you know about Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation? Well that fancy-schmancy physics term is more commonly known by the acronym - LASER. Metaphorically speaking, laser beams and organization-centric goal management (and there’s no acronym for that!) are amazingly similar. Picture how a laser beam works: When all the light waves from a given source come together so that that they’re all in phase, we end up with (you guessed it) a laser beam. And when you focus that beam on a given target, the results can be remarkable. In fact, the concentrated light waves are…
Secrets to Effective Employee Evaluation Forms

Sean Conrad

26 Apr 2012 | 12:22 pm

Is it any wonder HR gets a bad rap as a paper pusher? “Fill in the job application… Complete the open enrolment form… The leave request form is on the intranet…. Did you sign off that you’ve read the employee handbook? Now about that TPS report cover…” (OK that last one’s a joke for you Office Space fans.) It’s no one’s fault. Forms are a part of our day-to-day lives and exist in almost any working environment. And yes, HR oversees more than its fair share. But if you look closer at the data being collected, many forms are mission critical to how your organization…

Employment Office News
A guide to recruiting (and retaining!) Gen Y & Z

andrea@employmentoffice.com.au

8 May 2012 | 8:27 pm

It’s the age of social media, and with employers everywhere jumping on the technology bandwagon it important to recognise who they’re actually targeting instead of just following the trends. More often than not, employers are trying to recruit fresh talent from the more tech-savvy Y & Z generations. And with Gen Z predicted to make up 36% of the workforce by 2020 it’s no wonder employers are getting in earlier than ever. read more
Super increase a hard pill for Gen Y to swallow

andrea@employmentoffice.com.au

8 May 2012 | 5:23 pm

Superannuation – it’s changing. Following the passing of the controversial mining tax, the government’s plans to use part of the tax to fund an increase to the super guarantee from nine to 12 per cent by 2019/20 are gaining momentum. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has slammed the super increase, saying the super increase will cost business $20 billion a year when the increase is fully implemented to 12 per cent. read more
Employers offered $1,000 bonus for hiring older workers

andrea@employmentoffice.com.au

8 May 2012 | 5:19 pm

Would you hire a mature age employee to work in your business? What if there was a $1,000 bonus on the line? In just a few months, employers will be offered just that. The Federal Government has responded to a growing trend of discrimination against mature age job seekers with a new scheme aimed at rewarding businesses that employ older workers. Under the Jobs Bonus scheme, which will begin in July, employers will be paid $1,000 if they take on a worker aged 50 or older for at least three months. read more
International Recruitment: A Case Study

andrea@employmentoffice.com.au

9 Apr 2012 | 11:41 pm

REVOLUTIONARY SUCCESS - JAMES FRIZELLE’S AUTOMOTIVE GROUP (INTERNATIONAL) CASE STUDY Challenge James Frizelle’s Automotive Group is one of the largest Motor Dealers in Queensland with over 360 staff across five location, selling over 8000 new and used vehicles each year. They provide great advice and information on Audi, Mazda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Skoda as well as commercial vehicles like Volkswagen Commercial, Isuzu, New Holland and Husqvarna. read more
What to consider before hiring from abroad

andrea@employmentoffice.com.au

9 Apr 2012 | 11:07 pm

Hiring employees from other countries can provide businesses with the opportunity to find motivated and skilled workers, especially in the case of national work force shortages in specific industry sectors. It can also contribute to increasing corporate innovation and competitiveness. read more

HCX RSS
Recruiting is NOT Consumer Marketing

16 May 2012 | 3:00 am

Please excuse my pressing need to vent publicly about the onslaught of marketing, promotion, and “education” around the idea that recruiting and consumer marketing are essentially the same function.Hiring a productive, engaged, long-term employee is extremely different from convincing someone to drop a few dollars on a product or service! Read more...
Worker’s Heart Condition Poses Direct Threat to Safety under ADA, Federal Appeals Court Rules

16 May 2012 | 3:00 am

An employee with a heart condition who poses a direct threat to workplace safety does not have a viable claim of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has ruled. Wurzel v. Whirlpool Corp., No. 10-3629 (6th Cir. Apr. 27, 2012). Read more...
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Narrows Scope of Federal Laws Protecting Trade Secrets

15 May 2012 | 8:03 pm

On April 11, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a much anticipated opinion explaining the reasons that it vacated the conviction of former Goldman Sachs' programmer, Sergey Aleynikov, under the federal National Stolen Property Act1 ("NSPA") and the federal Economic Espionage Act2 ("EEA"). Read more...
Your Employee Handbook is not the King James

15 May 2012 | 3:00 am

How many pages is your employee handbook? Count them…go on…then come back in an hour when you’re done. The one I’m looking at is 106 pages*…God Almighty! First of all, I understand the importance of covering our bases to the Nth degree in this crazy messed up litigious world (or country) that we live in. Read more...
To What Extent should Human Resources be Legally Regulated?

14 May 2012 | 3:00 am

I am thinking about State/Provincial or Federal legislation that determines who may claim to be a Human Resources Professional and hang out an HR shingle in whatever form. To enforce the legislation there would be a Human Resources Association handling the accreditation side and any other legally enforceable aspects. Read more...

from @BenjaminMcCall
Strategy: Never celebrate too soon!

ReThinkHR.org | Leadership, Work, HR & Inspiration by @BenjaminMcCall

8 May 2012 | 8:40 pm

It is great to make progress and many of us want to win through that progress. However, just because you have made progress and seem to be ahead never means that your work is done or you should begin to become complacent. In this clip a losing team scores a winning 3 points with only 0.6 seconds left in the game, all while the other team is celebrating their victory. See the priceless expression on the Coach’s face as it turns from celebration to disbelief. Never celebrate too soon! You may also like the following:Do you know what drives your business?What Golf has taught me about HR!
The first step in Diversity…

ReThinkHR.org | Leadership, Work, HR & Inspiration by @BenjaminMcCall

4 May 2012 | 5:45 am

The first step in Diversity… is realizing that you barely know S*(% about Diversity. The second step… admitting, openly, that you barely know S*(% about Diversity! Diversity is more than race. It is more than Inclusion efforts. It goes deeper than a statistic. It doesn’t stop when you have a Chief Diversity Officer. You have not reached success when you have met the right mix of workforce variety. Reached the correct percentage of suppliers for your construction project or vendor partners. Diversity is about building an understanding of who we are as people. It is…
Work: Who are the time-wasters, Young & Educated

ReThinkHR.org | Leadership, Work, HR & Inspiration by @BenjaminMcCall

2 May 2012 | 5:45 am

It’s based off of a survey. The information comes straight from those who have completed it. Evidently GenY is not looking too hard-working. I’m not laying judgement based on the title of this post. Simply stating the facts that the people who completed the survey provided. Pass it on! You may also like the following:Don’t be a Statistic5 reasons why HR is the New Cool KidHRevolution: It’s an UN-conference for a reason!Personal Brand: What’s on your chalkboard?

Go HR for Startups
Just Enough HR

Joyce Akiko

16 May 2012 | 10:49 am

This morning I had the pleasure of speaking with Alan Preston. A mutual acquaintance mentioned we had some things in common. Alan’s HR consulting company is called Just Enough HR and they take care of businesses without the budget or need for full-time Human Resources. A team of two, Just Enough HR is the perfect outsourced solution for companies who need the full range of HR help including: Digitizing employee files Employee file auditing Candidate phone screening Offer letter and rejection letter handling Processing paperwork To learn more about the company, visit justenoughhr.com.
Go HR for Startups is no longer accepting new clients.

Joyce Akiko

7 May 2012 | 11:24 am

As of May 2012, Go HR for Startups is no longer accepting new clients, as I am in the process of joining Talentoid full-time as Chief Operating Officer. I am happy to recommend my friend and colleague Brian Samson for your startup HR needs. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!
Resume Sourcing for Startups – Faster and cheaper than a recruiter or internal hiring manager

Joyce Akiko

30 Apr 2012 | 8:12 am

For the past couple months I’ve been working with a Philadelphia-based minority owned startup called Talentoid. The founder, GigiJK, started some discussions with me. We found that time and cost are two big problems when it comes to traditional hiring processes and we wanted to come up with a creative alternative. What we ended up with is: resume sourcing. Companies have a couple options when it comes to filling a job opening. They can hire a hiring manager to take care of it. They can also hire a recruiter. And in most cases in the startup world, they try to hack it themselves. However…
Introducing guest blogger: Brian Samson, HR Consultant for Startups from San Fransisco

Joyce Akiko

27 Apr 2012 | 10:48 am

Everyone, meet Brian Samson, SPHR. I met Brian by chance– he came across my website a couple months ago and realized we were doing the same thing… Human Resources consulting for startups! Let me tell you, there are not many of us. We started Skyping every month to discuss HR things and also hold each other accountable for goals set the previous month. Brian graciously agreed to write a guest blog post about his experiences as a consultant on the opposite coast. And now… Brian Samson! Ahh… San Francisco, home to fog, the Golden Gate Bridge, and really steep hills. Since…
New HR Blog on the Block!

Joyce Akiko

9 Apr 2012 | 6:22 pm

Everyone, meet Alexandria Brown, HR Pro. Technorati Tags: Human Resources, Recommended Reading

hrbycatherine.com
Do Unions Help Organizational Productivity?

Catherine Palmiere

9 May 2012 | 10:21 am

On Wednesday, we convened for the first Manhattan College session of the month and yet another engaging dialogue on current issues in HR. In this week’s meeting, we took on the topic of unions and their impact on organizational productivity. We can all agree that unions serve a specific and crucial role in our civilization and that when workers first began full-scale organization in the early 20th century, the institutions they created provided essential worker protections that made many aspects of modern society possible. There’s no doubt that unions, as a concept, are founded on…
Attracting and Retaining the Millennial Generation: Do Young Workers Require Special Consideration?

Catherine Palmiere

25 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

Recruitment and retention are vital components of any staffing strategy, even during a slow economy. Regardless of the state of the job market, employers need to aggressively recruit talented workers. And once great employees are on board, they’ll be more productive if they’re managed carefully, respected, and given the resources they need for success. So if you’re staffing an office with a high percentage of millennial workers between the ages of 18 and 25, do you need to alter your HR approach and bend over backwards to accommodate this special demographic? For some management experts…
High Executive Compensation: a Wise Move for Employers?

Catherine Palmiere

18 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

We’ve recently seen a high degree of media and cultural attention surrounding the issue of extravagant executive paychecks. The collapse of Wall Street, taxpayer bailouts, and a declining economy that threatens the security of the middle class have all led to close scrutiny of this practice. And because the issue strikes a personal chord for so many of us, the resulting criticism has been laid on with a broad brush. “High executive compensation” has come to suggest a spectacle of greed and undeserved privilege, and we can’t seem to separate the motivation behind the decision from…
Securing Talent in the Current Job Market

Catherine Palmiere

2 Apr 2012 | 5:53 am

As recruiters and employment firms have long recognized, jobs that require specific skill sets offer greater staffing challenges than jobs that don’t. Skilled labor is simply harder to come by, even when an economic downturn begins to favor employers in the ever-shifting balance between companies and job seekers. But some employers have trouble accepting this reality. And when employers become picky, or simply refuse to acknowledge an essential scarcity of talent, they sometimes make unrealistic decisions that can have a negative impact on their firms. These decisions can include everything…

free-range communication
context to demo hotseat at games for health conference 2012

fran

15 May 2012 | 8:00 am

employers are increasingly turning their attention to social health games as the moat-spanning drawbridge between employee dispassion and confusion and better health outcomes. if you’re in this camp, then consider attending the games for health conference in boston from june 12 through june 14. the event brings together a variety of researchers, game developers and health professionals to review, brainstorm and collaborate on how video games and video game technologies are finding new roles in health and health care. tuesday, june 12, is devoted entirely to discussing and demoing…
health affairs advises employers on health care reform and workplace wellness programs

fran

11 May 2012 | 11:43 am

“The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will, as of 2014, expand employers’ ability to reward employees who meet health status goals by participating in wellness programs–and, in effect, to require employees who don’t meet these goals to pay more for their employer-sponsored health coverage. Some consumer advocates argue that this ability to differentiate in health coverage costs among employees is unfair and will amount to employers’ policing workers’ health.” health affairs provides employers a detailed brief on workplace wellness programs, the changes stemming…
bad news for employers in recent obesity projections

fran

11 May 2012 | 7:33 am

by 2030, 42% of americans will be obese. if this projection and the projections regarding the percentage of employers continuing to offer health care benefits bear out, employers will shoulder a good portion of the cost. and the costs to employers are staggering. according to a reuters article on the subject: obesity-related absenteeism costs employers $6.4 billion per year obesity-related presenteeism (being on the job but not at your most productive) costs employers $30 billion these costs don’t tell the full story, however. they don’t account for the financial and…
how are employers doing on work-life fit?

fran

9 May 2012 | 6:34 am

the families and work institute released their 2012 national study of employers. this study examines trends related to workplace flexibility, health care and economic security benefits, caregiving leave and elder care assistance. their 2012 study looks specifically at the prevalence of practices, programs and benefits in all participating companies, the difference in approach and availability between small and large employers, and the change over time in what’s offered. here are some of their findings: employers are offering more flexible work options, such as flexible hours,…
#co_health tweet chat: small steps to big changes (may 16 at noon ET)

fran

7 May 2012 | 6:44 pm

current conversations about workplace wellness often turn to incentive design: how can we get employees to do what we want them to do and not do what we don’t? for what should we pay incentives? how often should we pay out? what will be most effective and lead employees to have “skin in the game”? the focus on incentive design, among other tactics, stems from an overwhelming need to increase employee involvement in their health. by that i mean participating in wellness activities, of course, but also making active, informed decisions about their health—every day, no matter…

hrmbusiness
Attracting and Retaining Employees through Competitive Pay Scales

Nor

16 May 2012 | 3:00 am

One of the critical human resources responsibilities is to maintain a competitive and yet content workforce. To achieve this goal, the organization must create a compensation program that is broad enough to encompass the needs of all categories of employees. It must be reviewed and adjusted regularly to ensure that they can hire and retain exceptional personnel. To be able to establish a competitive salary scheme, here are three basic HR strategies to consider: Analyze and Evaluate Jobs ObjectivelyJob evaluation is a strategy to analyze each position and compare it with other jobs within the…
How to increase your bottom line using Invoice Factoring

Nor

3 May 2012 | 7:17 am

Business is too tight these days. As many companies are closing their doors and leaving behind uncollected AR (Accounts Receivable), it is noteworthy that some startups and small businesses are seemingly thriving. While product differentiation, excellent customer service, organizational competitiveness, captured niche market, and effective management may rank among the success factors in these companies, however, the most common underlying factor is having an efficient AR collection system.Invoice Factoring has emerged into one of the best AR collection systems or alternatives for companies…
The Mobile Employee

Nor

3 May 2012 | 3:33 am

Credit: Infographic by Enterprise mobile consultants at [x]cube LABSWHAT'S NEXT? Get your updates by emailor via RSS.Follow us on Twitteror like us on Facebook. Visit ourFREE Business Resourcespage. About the AuthorNor Franco is the Managing Consultant of nextManager.net. He's a former corporate executive whose passion is bringing out the full potential of HR in Businesses. This time that passion is pursued through Virtual Management. He writes and blogs about his management views and insights here. Follow him on Twitter.
Impact of Social Networking Sites on Recruitment

Nor

23 Apr 2012 | 5:18 pm

Social Networking Sites Changed the Way we do thingsWith just over 1.43 billion social network users in the world (an increase of 19.2% from 2011), it looks like that social networking is still spreading over the four corners of the earth. With sites first appearing around the late nineties with networks such as sixdegrees.com, no one could have guessed just how big social networking was about to become. Although Six Degrees closed down in 2001, that was not before it was sold for $125million and raked in a total number of 1,000,000 active users.Unsurprisingly, the fluctuation of networking…
Transforming Corporate Culture

Nor

19 Mar 2012 | 6:10 am

How do organizations make a name for themselves, get a lion share of the market, and racked in billions on net revenues? Should they do it the Toyota way by creating a rigid Total Quality Management System (TQM)? Or should they do it the GE way by having a Visionary CEO who will take them to new heights like Jack Welch did in his heydays? Or should they do it the Apple way, by not listening to what the market says and instead create a product that the market will love like a cult?No. Although they could try any of those approaches and probably succeed, but they missed the crucial element…

Recruitment Marketing
A guide to recruiting (and retaining!) Gen Y & Z

Peter Orthmann Hansen

9 May 2012 | 10:43 pm

It’s the age of social media, and with employers everywhere jumping on the technology bandwagon it important to recognise who they’re actually targeting instead of just following the trends. More often than not, employers are trying to recruit fresh talent from the more tech-savvy Y & Z generations. And with Gen Z predicted to make up 36% of the workforce by 2020 it’s no wonder employers are getting in earlier than ever. To help you navigate this fast changing world of Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and even the latest craze of Pinterest, we’ve provided 6 social media steps…
Super increase a hard pill for Gen Y to swallow

Peter Orthmann Hansen

3 May 2012 | 5:12 pm

Superannuation – it’s changing. Following the passing of the controversial mining tax, the government’s plans to use part of the tax to fund an increase to the super guarantee from nine to 12 per cent by 2019/20 are gaining momentum. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has slammed the super increase, saying the super increase will cost business $20 billion a year when the increase is fully implemented to 12 per cent. However Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has insisted the superannuation increase is not a tax on business. He also contends that workers won’t…
What to consider before hiring from abroad

Peter Orthmann Hansen

2 May 2012 | 12:15 am

Hiring employees from other countries can provide businesses with the opportunity to find motivated and skilled workers, especially in the case of national work force shortages in specific industry sectors. It can also contribute to increasing corporate innovation and competitiveness. However, finding workers from another country can be a daunting task if you have not done it before. How do you get started? What should you consider? Employment Office asked these questions to long-term client Bruce Stronge, co-founder of NetEngine, a business at the forefront of web application technologies,…
Mining Canada For Skilled Workers

Peter Orthmann Hansen

16 Apr 2012 | 12:55 am

Depending on which industry you work in, “skills shortage” is possibly the status-quo condition in which you recruit. Australia’s mining industry is one of the most challenged in this regard, and with BHP Billiton predicting the industry will need to recruit an additional 150,000 workers by 2015, only a shortage of skilled workers can foreseeably dampen this booming sector. When the current labour market falls short, one of the most effective means of sourcing staff is to bring in a skilled workforce from overseas, and the mining industry hasn’t been slow at adopting this practice.
How to make the most out of video interviews

Peter Orthmann Hansen

10 Apr 2012 | 7:50 pm

In today’s global workplace, more and more employers are looking for candidates interstate and outside the country, using tools such as Skype, Live Messenger and video interviewing to reach the right person, rather than the person who is “right there”. Video interviewing is the perfect recruitment tool if your organisation is: Located in a remote area; Looking for specialised, high level or executive staff (and therefore working with a smaller talent pool); On a strict recruitment budget; and/or Stretched for time. There are a number of clear advantages to video interviewing –…

compensationinsider.com
Ten steps for building a salary structure

Sandrine

14 May 2012 | 9:58 pm

Today, I am delighted to host a post which was originally published by Warren Heaps at International HR Forum. “Ten steps for building a salary structure” will give you an overview of the different actions and choices you need to make when creating your salary structure for the first time. It provides background thinking on what to do, for example when you are setting up in a new country, or if you want to create a salary structure in your current country, but in a totally different market. Local and GCC regional conglomerates that have independent companies in diversified sectors…
2 more tips to prepare your files for submission to compensation surveys

Sandrine

12 May 2012 | 9:38 pm

Third post in my monthly theme around Compensation Surveys. So far I have covered Why you should participate to compensation surveys as well as 4 habits to simplify your participation to salary surveys. Today let me give 2 more tips to help you prepare your submission. Employee identification In a survey you should always strive to submit as many data points (information about specific employees) as possible. It ensures that you get survey results for as many positions as possible. When all survey participants submit all relevant employees to a survey, the quality of the results also goes up…
4 habits to simplify participating to compensation surveys

Sandrine

9 May 2012 | 10:09 pm

This week’s instalment of my monthly theme includes a few habits that I developed to make my life easier when comes the time to participate to compensation surveys. Right now in the UAE, you must be thinking about collecting the data and preparing it to submit to the various providers that you have selected as relevant for your organisation. My advice is to prepare a master data file which you will use as the basis for the submission to most surveys. It is a file which contains most relevant info requested by the survey providers, in any order relevant to YOU (because it is a working…
What is the difference between a bonus and an incentive ?

Sandrine

7 May 2012 | 9:49 pm

A quick post today, on the difference between a bonus and an incentive. We often use these two terms without making a true distinction, but in truth, they are slightly different. Both of them cover elements of compensation that go above and beyond the normal, recurring income of the employee (base pay or basic + allowances). But they differ as follows : A bonus is a payment which is backward-looking and usually discretionary or at least not expected from the employee(s). A decision is made to pay it to one, a group or all employees, based on criteria decided by management to reward past…
GCC pensions special – April 2012

Sandrine

5 May 2012 | 10:04 pm

In the past few weeks, there has been a flurry of articles on the topic of pensions in the GCC. I have selected for you the most informative of these articles so you can get a helicopter view. GCC general Pensions schemes for Nationals in the GCC should diversify their investment approaches in order to increase financial returns and ensure financial sustainability for future retirees. UAE Nationals FNC recommends pension changes with payment for Nationals who resign from government once they reach 20 years of service, with no minimum age restriction set at 50 years. Current laws sets a…

The Engagement Factor
What is the one burning question you have regarding Employee Engagement?

Brad Federman

14 May 2012 | 11:06 am

Seriously, I want to know. What do you think needs to be more clearly answered or defined when it comes to employee engagment? I would like us to create an ebook regarding employee engagement. If you present a question to us I will include your question in the ebook and give you credit for the question. I plan on compiling the questions and graphically design a compelling, profesional, and appealing ebook. It is my hope that this book challenges HR professionals, both internal and external, to take engagement to the next level. These questions can be…
5 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty Through Sales

Brad Federman

9 May 2012 | 7:43 am

Here are five quick ways to increase customer satisfaction and drive loyalty: Stop selling!!! (and start listening) The best sales people are consultative and collaborative. They behave that way because they are truly interested in and curious about their customers. These individuals (which account for a small percentage of sales people) become Trusted Advisors for their customers. Don’t give your customers what they want. (Give them what they need) Sometimes we are so interested in making a sale we forget to share our perspective with the…
Have your HR and leadership practices become irrelevant?

Brad Federman

8 May 2012 | 5:22 pm

When getting ready for a recent keynote at a client conference, I have been vigorously examining our research and other’s research from the last year several years. What I have discovered is that today's business setting demands are radically different from the past. Our current environment necessitates an entire altering of several tried and true HR practices. Let me quickly share why. Originally we were an agriculturally based economy. We lacked the formal structure as we have today. Tasks were handled within a family or community and roles were fairly well…
Does the FedEx discriminatory case impact employee engagement?

Brad Federman

30 Mar 2012 | 7:47 am

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced it has entered into an agreement to resolve allegations of hiring discrimination. Under the agreement, FedEx will pay $3 million in back wages and interest to 21,635 applicants who were rejected for entry-level package handler and parcel assistant positions. The hiring process is based on trust. When a company faces paying 3 million dollars for discriminatory practices it has to hurt. (Not just financially, but culturally as well.) Regardless of culpability, the agreement will be loud and clear…
Do Performance Improvement Plans Really Work?

Brad Federman

28 Mar 2012 | 7:37 am

Performance Improvement Plans Work (Originally published in HR Professionals of Greater Memphis) She was a challenging employee. Some had their doubts that she would ever be successful here. At the time in my career, I was managing a large staff focused on sales and service. She was a sales representative that was having difficulty in her role. She was new to sales and new to telecommuting. Her sales numbers were low and she was not making enough progress in developing new client relationships. After exploring the challenges she faced, we agreed to install a…

CompDevil — CompDevil
Making An Offer – Three Killer Compensation Myths

Judy Friedes

30 Apr 2012 | 6:46 am

The compensation that is set as part of the offer process can impact the employee’s pay for the remainder of his career. Because you want to get it right, be sure not to fall victim to the following killer myths: We can’t offer a candidate less money than he makes now. I think it’s fair to say that belief in this myth is pretty commonplace. And while it is sometimes true, it’s also sometimes false. For example, consider the fast-tracked lawyer at a flashy New York City law firm who applies for a corporate attorney job in the New Jersey suburbs. Isn’t there a lot of value in going…
Don’t Be Fooled By Compensation Statistics

Judy Friedes

16 Apr 2012 | 7:40 am

One key role that HR professionals play in an organization is analyzing compensation data. Common drivers are identifying opportunities to reduce costs or assuring management that a competitive pay structure is in place for attraction and retention purposes. As a result, we are often called upon to report summary statistics related to large groups within the company or the company overall. But statistics can be very misleading if the proper context is not provided or judgment applied. Let’s look at a couple of examples… Example #1: Your company has 5 Finance Managers with the following…
Stand Your Ground: Don’t Give Into The Urge To Counteroffer

Judy Friedes

4 Apr 2012 | 2:33 pm

One of your company’s best employees just walked into his manager’s office and announced that he has accepted an external offer. Two minutes later, the manager is in your office… what can HR do to change his mind? Well, you can always offer him more money, right? Counteroffers can be an effective tool under the right circumstances, but they should not be your go-to strategy when a valued employee resigns. People leave companies for a variety of reason, with money being just one of them. Consider the following scenarios: The employee is unhappy with his job and/or boss. A 2009 survey…
6 Reasons To Have A Common Merit Increase Date

Judy Friedes

26 Mar 2012 | 12:41 pm

When a company has 10 employees, it’s relatively easy to manage a merit increase process tied to hire date anniversaries. It’s also intuitive – employees get their annual salary increase exactly one year after they join the company. But there are some compelling reasons why larger companies should consider having a common date for all employees. Common goalsetting and performance measurement periods: Companies set their goals in alignment with their fiscal year. Leaders then cascade these goals down to lower levels of the organization, ultimately resulting in the determination of…
Walking the Tightrope of Lump Sum Merit Increases

Judy Friedes

20 Mar 2012 | 11:12 am

Compensation professionals spend a lot of time creating and maintaining their company’s salary structure. But to preserve the integrity of the structure, they must also enforce it. To this end, it is a common practice in the U.S. to give lump sum merit increases to employees who are at or above the top of their salary range. The term lump sum merit increase is a misnomer — it really isn’t a salary increase at all. Instead, the employee receives a one-time payment equal to the increase amount he would have received had he not been at the top of the range. In this way, the employee is…

Recent blogs
Practice Effect in Psychometric Testing - The Importance of 12 Month Lockout

14 May 2012 | 8:44 pm

This blog explains why psychometric test publishers should restrict candidates from completing assessments multiple times to minimise practice effects.
Employee Engagement: Perks Of The Job

2 May 2012 | 10:22 am

Will Smith, Product Manager at Onetest talks employee engagement and the perks that mean the most.
Employee Engagement: Why Employees Stick Around

2 May 2012 | 9:40 am

Tanya Pattison, Solutions Manager at Onetest talks about her journey with the company and what makes employees want to stick it out in the long term.
Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Psychometric Testing

18 Apr 2012 | 10:21 am

After a recent webinar I received some great questions about the use of psychometric testing. While I answered these questions on our LinkedIn group, I also thought it would be helpful to write a blog about the Top 5 Things To Know About Psychometric Testing.
Graduate Recruitment and the Internet

12 Apr 2012 | 7:11 pm

Guest blogger David Jenkins from GradConnection discusses the latest graduate job searching trends and the associated implications for online graduate recruitment programs.

HR Athletics
Jalen Rose and Skip Bayless Teach Us About Credibility

Joshua Westbrook

23 Apr 2012 | 6:39 pm

This is why you can't assess performance when you have no credibility in the workplace. You may be knowledgeable, you may be nice and you may understand the business. But when it comes to assessments, performance evaluations and criticism, you better have credibility. Check out the video: First of all when you criticize others, don't be disrespectful. Second of all, you better be sure you can defend why your background gives you the right to criticize others who play at the highest level of competition in their field. Finally, and most important, don't sell…
Drew Brees, Ray Rice, Matt Forte and the Franchise Tag

Joshua Westbrook

16 Apr 2012 | 8:54 pm

One simple question this week. Why do NFL players hate the franchise tag? Before we jump in to that, what is the franchise tag? According to Wikipedia: "In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag. As a result, each team may only designate one player each year as that team's franchise player. It has been designed to reduce player movement…
Saints Bounty Program: "It's A Man's Game" Part III

Joshua Westbrook

8 Apr 2012 | 2:03 pm

Earlier this week an audio was released of Gregg Williams giving a pre-game speech to his defensive players. As you can see, the audio contains explicit language that may be offensive to some. For those who haven't played football, this language is shocking to say the least. For former players they seem to be split on the issue. It's clear that Gregg William's language was over the top. No one feels comfortable about trying to cause a concussion during and after a play, or taking out a players' MCL. However, the reactions to this audio have been overly…
Saints Bounty Program: "It's A Man's Game" Part II

Joshua Westbrook

2 Apr 2012 | 10:46 pm

In my previous posts I've been clear about how I feel about the New Orleans Saints Bounty investigation. In my first post on the topic, "NFL's Reaction to Saints Bounty Program is Strategic and Hypocritical", I mainly focused on how Roger Goodell is looking to make the NFL an offensive driven league in order to sell more tickets, not just focus on player safety. In Part I of this post, I explained how NFL players are taught to be aggressive and hit you as hard as they can on every play therefore a bounty program, though illegal and deserving punishment, does not increase the…
The Real Problem With Dwight Howard

Joshua Westbrook

1 Apr 2012 | 2:13 pm

A few nights ago ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy called out Dwight Howard as he refused to join the team's huddle during a time out. It was another classic Jeff Van Gundy moment as he took a minute to raise concern about this growing epidemic of NBA players refusing to join the huddle when things get difficult. In all fairness, as Van Gundy pointed out, this is not just a Dwight Howard issue. It's a league wide issue, but I think it highlights a bigger concern for me with Dwight Howard. Take a look at the video from a couple of weeks ago in which Dwight Howard…

ACT Bridge
5 Things HR Executives can learn from Katniss Everdeen

Justin

3 May 2012 | 2:36 pm

The Hunger Games book series has hit the big screen this spring with a blockbuster movie. The film has created quite a buzz, and conversations about the characters are all around us. It’s a highly entertaining story with big government, impoverished workers, daring heroes – you name it, The Hunger Games has it. You may be wondering how any of this relates to human capital. Here are some things that HR executives can learn from the protagonist of the story, Katniss Everdeen. Develop your personal skills Build alliances Take a high perch Believe in something big Ensure the odds are…
TotalPicture Radio Interviews Kurt Ballard of ACT Bridge

Justin

9 Apr 2012 | 10:48 am

From TLNT Transform, TotalPicture Radio interviews Kurt Ballard, principal and Chief Marketing Officer of ACT Bridge, about placing the right employees, with the right skills, in the right jobs. ACT Bridge is a strategic human capital consulting organization that delivers evidence-based workforce solutions to help clients make informed talent decisions. About ACT Bridge ACT Bridge applies tools developed by ACT Inc., combined with their proprietary processes to “better align people to workplace success.” As a Principal in the company, Kurt’s focus is developing business…
Is the CFO HR’s Greatest Ally in the C-Suite?

kurt

28 Mar 2012 | 1:41 pm

There was a lot of great conversation happening at TLNT Transform in its inaugural year. There was one conversation, however, which stood out to me as being of particular importance. In a breakout session moderated by John Hollon, Nick Araco–co-founder and CEO of The CFO Alliance–discussed a very interesting trend. In the post-recession C-suite, an increasing number of HR chiefs are now reporting directly to the CFO rather than the CEO. While the rationale for this may be sound–aligning people processes with the company’s financial strategy is never a bad idea–it…
Four Ways HR can “Get It”

kurt

23 Mar 2012 | 2:19 pm

In meetings with HR executives and in discussions at recent trade events over the last several months, a theme has developed. It has become more clear that HR still doesn’t get it. Yes, there are very bright and dedicated people working in HR making a positive difference within their organization. These folks mean well and their hearts are in the right place. If you ask how HR initiatives are contributing to the bottom line, however, you get blank stares. HR does not think like a business. Getting HR leaders to connect to business outcomes continues to be a challenge. Most of the time and…
Why ACT Bridge?

Justin

5 Mar 2012 | 9:06 am

The what & why of ACT Bridge and how it can help your organization achieve success — all in 1 minute!

Latest blog entries
4 Questions You Wish You’d Asked Your Talent Management Vendor - Answered!

14 May 2012 | 9:10 pm

My friend Kyle Lagunas from Software Advice has an interesting blog post today, 4 Questions You Wish You’d Asked Your Talent Management Vendor. His article gives advice to potential talent management system buyers on how to avoid potential problems and pitfalls with the technology and vendor-client relationship.And since he asked, I figured I would give Kapta's answers to his questions. 1. How is your product different from your competitors? Kapta is very different from other talent management system vendors. First, we work specifically with small and medium-sized organizations (usually…
Performance Reviews Don’t Have to be A Necessary Evil

10 May 2012 | 4:49 pm

It’s that time of year again. You need to sit down with your employees. And you dread filling out that devilish paperwork to give them which makes their review “official” and gives you both something to file away until next year’s review. It’s very likely that you haven’t had a moment’s training on how to do performance reviews, and since your company is small, there may not be much of a structure for you to follow. And even worse, someone may have just adapted performance evaluations from some other business. So what can you do to make this year’s performance review as…
"My Employees Don't have time for Performance Management"

7 May 2012 | 5:41 pm

I was in a client meeting last week when the HR Director said the following:"Our employees are really busy with client work and they travel all over the country. We have so much going on that no one has time for performance management."Have you heard that before? Or expressed a similar sentiment?That comment really got me thinking about the state of HR and how lots of HR managers haven't come around to this whole idea of employee engagement. It's the kind of thinking that can dismantle your company (and ruin your HR career to boot).It's a fair point that your employees are busy. In…
Social Performance Management Makes a Big Impact During Tough Times

3 May 2012 | 3:09 pm

As an organization that works all the time in collaborative performance management -- sometimes known as social feedback or social performance management -- we are aware of the value that developing leaders can bring to any organization. That value can be seen most clearly in the difficult times. It's easy to seem to be a good leader when an organization is growing, for instance, because the answer to most of the difficult decisions is "yes." It's more important to have leadership that in addition to being fully trained and developed, needs to also have some good collaborative performance…
HR Resource: The Power of Habit

30 Apr 2012 | 9:26 pm

Recruitment and Applicant Tracking Solutions Blog
The War for Talent’s Secret Weapon: Technology

HeatherV-Recruiting Correspondent

4 May 2012 | 3:12 pm

ERE.net posted a blog outlining four strategies to implement as we face the War for Talent. This War for Talent has been blogged about and tweeted about ad nauseum and will continue to gain hype as the days and weeks go by, that is for certain. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very well written and easy to understand blog with several high level strategies to think about and implement before a company invests in what the author labeled, “new-fangled” technology, and I agree. A solid foundation of basic recruiting principals should be identified and carried out to all levels of the…
Start-Up, Smart-Up: How A Next-Gen ATS takes the lead in Recruitment Technology

HeatherV-Recruiting Correspondent

13 Apr 2012 | 12:08 pm

The very best thing about being in the industry of Recruitment Technology is that it changes about every 5 minutes. It’s a simultaneous change of both cloud computing technology and quickly finding solutions to the staffing industry’s needs and demands. It’s a great day when a technology company is highlighted in a respected industry blog or journal written by an industry expert. We’d like to share a blog that was written by Andrew Karpie, a senior analyst for Staffing Industry Analysts. The blog was written just after the Staffing Industry Analysts Executive Forum held in Las…
Overcoming Recruiting Challenges: How an Automated ATS Can Help

HeatherV-Recruiting Correspondent

28 Mar 2012 | 11:03 am

Staffing firms typically contact TargetRecruit with several specific goals and a list of high level requirements as they evaluate Applicant Tracking Systems. These requirements vary for every staffing company, in fact, no two staffing company’s requirements are exactly alike. The ultimate objective, however, is always the same: “Increase our staffing company’s sophistication as an enterprise by automating workflows, business processes, and communications to increase placements and bottom line profitability”. Sound familiar? For the purposes of this blog, I posed the question to…
@Booth18:TargetRecruit a Tech Sponsor-SIA 2012 Executive Forum

HeatherV-Recruiting Correspondent

22 Feb 2012 | 8:59 am

I’ve experienced a good many trade shows in my day. If you’ve attended or been involved in organizing a trade show as a professional you know that they can be extremely exhausting. It is challenging to maintain the kind of energy it takes to claim a “successful” trade show whether you’re an attendee planning your daily agenda or whether your a vendor or sponsor planning a smart trade show strategy. Our TargetRecruit team has been really busy gearing up for the Staffing Industry Analysts 2012 Executive Forum in Las Vegas March 13th-16th. We’ll be a sponsor of Tech Day(s) on…
Social Staffing Strategies

HeatherV-Recruiting Correspondent

9 Feb 2012 | 10:08 am

It’s likely that you and your company will be interested in implementing a social staffing and collaboration strategy this year. Maybe you’ve done so already and kudos to you…you’re ahead of this ever changing curve. It’s glaringly obvious how social media has changed the way that recruiters and staffing professionals do business. Recruiting: Here‘s how a search assignment used to work: Receive a search assignment. Next, scour your internal database for qualified candidates with matching skills and appropriate experience. Then, search the hundreds of job boards…

clearlink.com
Why Your Company Needs a Book Club

shawnryan

16 May 2012 | 12:48 pm

Communication in the office can sometimes be difficult to navigate, especially with everyone looking at the world through a different set of eyes. So how do we create a lens through which each of us can look and discuss tough problems that we face day to day? While it may sound simplistic, one great way we’ve overcome this challenge is by creating a CLEARLINK Marketing Book Club. Someone in the group chooses a non-fiction (preferably marketing) book for the members to read. We then meet bi-weekly to discuss the sections we’ve read and chow down on some tasty grub, courtesy of the company.
Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Free Poster.

shawnryan

30 Apr 2012 | 2:25 pm

There’s no time like the present, so don’t hesitate to accomplish your goals. Print out this poster and let it motivate you to start your next great project. Click image to enlarge. Let us know what you think of this poster in our comment section below. Check back every week to see a new motivational poster, which you can download for free.
CLEARLINK Helps U of U’s AMA Chapter Exchange Shirts at National Conference

shawnryan

25 Apr 2012 | 2:07 pm

Tia Campbell, a CLEARLINK inside sales associate, recently asked us to sponsor the University of Utah chapter of the American Marketing Association for the 34th annual International Collegiate Conference, a T-shirt exchange competition in New Orleans. We feel it’s important to help our community, so we happily donated the funds to make it possible. Their group created shirts that conveyed that “marketing is always evolving,” and they exchanged the shirts with 140 other national chapters at the conference. The chapter didn’t win the t-shirt exchange competition, but they did take away…
Sometimes the Hardest Way is the Right Way. Free Poster.

shawnryan

19 Apr 2012 | 1:00 am

Winston Churchill once said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.” We may not always like to believe this, but the most challenging route can be the best path to success. Click image to enlarge. Let us know what you think of this poster in our comment section below. Check back every week to view a new motivational poster, which you can download for free.
CLEARLINK Fitness Competition Changes Lives: 772.4 Pounds Lost and Over $7,000 Donated

shawnryan

12 Apr 2012 | 2:32 pm

CLEARLINK takes pride in providing experiences to our employees that help improve their overall happiness and well-being, which includes staying healthy. We kicked off our fitness competition in December and the final weigh-in was on March 22. Out of the 165 who initially weighed in, 91 completed the challenge, losing a collective 772.4 pounds. For each pound lost, CLEARLINK gave back to the community and donated $10 to the Utah Food Bank. Fitness Competition Inspires Better Lifestyles CLEARLINK employee Jaime Meyers retired from the U.S. ski team in 2010 and hadn’t stepped foot in a gym…

Hunt4Staff - Flat Fee Recruitment Specialists
DWP Scraps ‘Risky’ A4e Welfare-To-Work Contract

Admin

16 May 2012 | 4:05 am

A4e is a social purpose company with one sole aim. To improve people’s lives around the world. We do this by helping them to find work, skills, direction – or whatever it is they need. - mya4e.com Unfortunately though, in spite of these admirable principles, some of A4e’s contracts worth more than £70 million a year [...]
Redundancy Threat Falls: CIPD Labour Market Outlook

Admin

15 May 2012 | 4:59 am

The threat of redundancy for both private and public sector jobs has fallen according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in their quartely Labour Market Outlook survey. The survey, carried out by market research firm YouGov, consists of 1,006 employers and HR professionals, many drawn from the CIPD’s own membership. The survey [...]
The importance of a prompt reply to candidates

Admin

14 May 2012 | 3:52 am

Originally posted 2011-11-14 15:20:00. Republished by Blog Post PromoterYou have had the advert for your new accounts manager position live for 4 days now. An email pops up and you believe you have found your perfect new manager. They were born for this position. They have the right skills, education and experience and the live [...]
Recruitment Costs – How Much Would You Like To Save?

Jason Perry

14 May 2012 | 3:52 am

I often find myself looking at the costs some employers are prepared to pay to fill their vacancies with disbelief or astonishment. Now I come from an HR background, and like to think I generally understandthe issues those of you working in a corporate HR role face. However I am frequently baffled by those who [...]
Hiring the right staff

Admin

11 May 2012 | 6:39 am

I was having a nice lie in front of the fire the other night whilst my humans were watching that film – Marley & Me. I don’t know if you’ve seen it but it’s a really lovely story about this dog that just cannot be trained. Apparently it has got a sad ending – but [...]

DCR Workforce Blog
Resolving the Issue of Veteran Unemployment

admin

9 May 2012 | 11:14 pm

There is all round concern about the unemployment situation faced by returning veterans. The 29-31% unemployment rates reported are definitely a cause for serious concern. But looking at the causes and a possible solution seemed like a better option than worrying about the problem alone. To this end, our analysts have analysed employment data for [...]
Top Talent – A Glass Always at Half Empty

admin

8 May 2012 | 11:33 pm

Some of us see the glass as half empty while the others see it as half full. Being a rather opinionated person, I insist that it pays to retain the attitude that the glass is half empty, when it comes to talent management at the top. Being satisfied with a half full glass is counter-productive [...]
Diversity Initiatives on Campus

admin

7 May 2012 | 10:49 pm

Though the first ever college in the United States was established in 1628, the first Afro-American man earned his degree in only 1823, while a Caucasian woman had to wait until 1848 and an Afro-American woman till 1862 to achieve the same feat. This illustrates a state of affairs where opportunities in life were decided [...]
Creating the Culture of Supplier Diversity

admin

2 May 2012 | 11:09 pm

On 18, April, 2012 the TV network, ABC faced charges of racial discrimination over its “Bachelor/Bachelorette” show. The case may take forever, but the numbers sure speak against ABC: 10 years and 23 seasons of the show – and 610 participants – with no Black, Latino or Asian in the lead, and only 16 Black [...]
Courting Supplier Diversity

admin

30 Apr 2012 | 10:54 pm

Among the recent breaking news items, the one about AT&T surpassing its aggressive corporate goal of reaching 21.5% supplier diversity to actually achieve 23% of total spend using certified diverse businesses stands out! AT&T has also reached its supplier diversity goal of $12 billion spend one year ahead of schedule; using minorities, women and service-disabled [...]

Your HR Buddy !!
How does money speak!!

nisha.raghavan

15 May 2012 | 11:33 pm

Employers strive to motivate and engage their employees through various reward and recognition programs, perks and increases in pay scale. Its doubtful that a one or two dollar increase in the hourly rate might play the trick of motivating your employees, especially for those who are perfectly comfortable in the quality of life that they have. And these employees work not for the money but for better career prospects. Money can be a hygiene factor (a phrase coined by Frederick Herzberg) and can motivate individual performance in the short term but not in the long term though and in many…
5 Reasons why Employee Engagement fails

nisha.raghavan

3 May 2012 | 12:18 am

Engagement is not just a buzzword in corporate world alone, it’s everywhere; engage your customers in the business world, readers and viewers in the media world. Engaging a community has become far more obvious with the emergence of social media tools like Facebook and twitter and with people effectively utilizing it. People are connected with a click of a button however distant they might be. But why are we not able to connect or engage our own employees who we interact with everyday? Employees or human capital is an important component of any organization’s sustainability and…
Leader’s Talk with Social Media Evangelist – Gautam Ghosh

nisha.raghavan

29 Apr 2012 | 9:45 pm

This time Your HR Buddy is honored to bring the voice of Leaders and today we have Gautam Ghosh, India Marketing Lead at BraveNewTalent, who shares his views on how to keep your employees engaged by using social Media tools. Gautam Ghosh is social media evangelist and India Marketing Lead at BraveNewTalent and who is rated as the 3rd most Influential HR professional on Social Media by SHRM India in March 2012. He is an avid blogger at Gautamblogs.com and started blogging in early 2002. He specializes in the areas of HR, Organization Development and how businesses can leverage Social Media…
Can you escape from work ?

nisha.raghavan

23 Apr 2012 | 12:04 am

This past Monday turned out to be so awesome. Ask me why? My husband and me were having a vacation and taking time off from work! It’s been a long time since we took a break and spent time in an unfamiliar place. We had been looking towards taking an escape from our daily lives, enjoying an adventurous trip and having a wild drive. How about that? Yeah, it’s me at Napa Valley in the picture above, a wine-producing county in southern California. We are basically wine snobs but we decided to explore lot of wineries near around. We had fun tasting different flavors of the real authentic wine…
What does it take to have a winning corporate culture?

nisha.raghavan

19 Apr 2012 | 1:07 am

Time and again, organizations have understood that the best way to attain sustainable competitive advantage in a dynamic marketplace is through the development of a winning corporate culture. Well, we are part of a worldwide economy with diverse values and cultures and when competition comes from every corner, what it takes to succeed is, not what you do but how you do it. So it is very essential for all of the organization to look at their values and beliefs and make it transparent to all employees about what they stand for and how they do things around in their organization. We work in a…

HR (Human Resources)

Most Topular Stories