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Don’t Just Adapt to Change – Lead It

by Hank JacksonOn August 17, 2017 0 comments

 

What a difference a decade makes. In 2007, the most pressing issues for HR were succession planning and leadership development. HR analytics was in its infancy, and we were still feeling our way through the metrics. Annual reviews were the norm, as opposed to the constant feedback employees expect today. And social media was viewed by management as a threat to productivity, not the essential business tool it is today.

But between then and now, the Great Recession intervened. Organizations—and HR departments—were decimated by staffing cuts and budget...

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How to Handle Difficult Conversations

by Dana WilkieOn August 17, 2017 0 comments

 

 

Some workplace conversations are just hard to have.

Like telling two of three applicants for a promotion that they won’t be getting one. Or speaking frankly about how unproductive your company’s meetings are.

Andrea Lee, CEO of Thought Partners International and author of We Need to Talk: Your Guide to Challenging Business Conversations (Thought Partners International, 2015), said the first step to having such discussions is to acknowledge that they can be awkward and even painful. She approaches difficult conversations by first asking herself three questions:

  • Where are we now?
  • Where are
    • ...
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The Litmus Test for CEO’s Who Say They Value Their People

by Mark S. FogelOn August 17, 2017 0 comments

 

 

I have a simple test to see if CEOs practice what they preach. Does their Head of HR report directly to them or to someone else? If they report to the COO -- or even worse-- their CFO, it is a red flag.

If you’re a candidate, it's a great 15-second test to see if the business you are contemplating joining really cares about “its most important resource”. If you work in HR, it's the pass/fail question before you join the firm you are interviewing with.

So, let's dig in...

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#Nextchat RECAP: Skills Gaps and Employee Development

by Mary KaylorOn August 16, 2017 0 comments

On August 16, @shrmnextchat chatted with special guests Lorne Epstein (@LorneEpstein) and Alexandra Levit (@alevit) about Skills Gaps and Employee Development.

In case you missed this informative chat, you can read the tweets here:

 

 ...

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Avoiding the Cone of Silence

by Keith C. Enochs, PHR, SHRM-CPOn August 16, 2017 0 comments

 

 

I think we all recognize the “cone of silence” from Get Smart. Information is kept highly confidential among a select few. On the screen, hilarity ensues and somehow the good guys manage to save the day. In the workplace, however, this kind of tight-lipped operation often leads to very negative consequences.

I think there is a fundamental flaw in the way many companies communicate. It starts at the top with the C-Suite, who also have full access to information: strategic plan, financials, competitive vulnerabilities, the works. As we move down...

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Top 5 Proactive Ways for Start-Ups to Avoid HR Nightmares

by Keisha-Ann G. GrayOn August 15, 2017 0 comments

 

 

Unless you’ve been under a rock, the fact that many start-ups have recently found themselves on the wrong side of the litigation or threatened litigation “v.” should not surprise you. In fact, it is often the very things that make start-ups so appealing - their laid back culture, open floor plans, no dress code, lack of defined titles - that can create some of their worst HR nightmares.  With this in mind, here are my top five proactive tips for keeping your start-up out of trouble:

1.      Harassment and Discrimination...

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#Nextchat: Skills Gaps and Employee Development

by Mary KaylorOn August 14, 2017 0 comments

 

 

Is your organization finding the talent it needs to fill skills gaps?  Are you finding that it’s becoming increasingly necessary to develop the skills of your current workers?

The SHRM Online article These HR Leaders Are Going ‘All In’ to Bridge the Skills Gap says “Employers worldwide are facing the most acute talent shortage since the Great Recession, according to the results of ManpowerGroup’s 2016-2017 Talent Shortage Survey, released last fall. Of the 42,000 employers surveyed globally, 40 percent reported having a hard time finding qualified people...

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Don’t Overlook These Basics in Your Job Search

by Eva Del Rio, SPHROn August 14, 2017 0 comments

 

 

Q:  I have been job hunting for about three months with little luck. I‘ve had a couple of interviews but afterwards,  I never heard anything back.  The most frustrating part is that I don’t know why.  I wish there was a way to find out what I’m doing wrong.

 

A: You might not be doing anything wrong.  Job hunting is –among other things- a head game, and you must make sure you remain optimistic and positive in spite of continued rejection.  After all, a job search is a series...

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SHRM Connect: Socially Awkward -- and Invalid

by Mary KaylorOn August 11, 2017 0 comments

SHRM Connect is an online community where SHRM members can ask questions and get answers on a variety of HR topics. It’s a great place to network with other HR professionals and share solutions.  

The conversation topics range from “HR Department of One” to Employment Law, are always insightful, and deal with some of the most pressing issues that HR professionals face in the workplace today.

Some of the conversations are serious and others are downright amusing, and on Fridays, I’ll be highlighting a conversation or two in hopes that you’ll take some time to visit. You may want...

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How to Power Up People Skills

by Desda MossOn August 11, 2017 0 comments

 

There is a shocking "execution gap" between the goals organizations set and the ones they actually achieve, writes Trevor Throness, author of The Power of People Skills: How to Eliminate 90% of Your HR Problems and Dramatically Increase Team and Company Morale and Performance (Career Press, 2017).

To prove his point, Throness cites the results of a Harris Interactive survey of more than 23,000 full-time employees in a range of industries, including hospitality, automotive, banking. communications, retail and technology, that found that:

  • 37 percent of respondents
    • ...
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