I’ve Gotta Measure It, Too?
Archive
March 2013
When struggling big-box retailer Best Buy followed Yahoo by altering its employee telecommuting policies, many industry experts and teleworkers raised concerns that the flexible work option could be falling out of favor.
I walked into the restaurant five minutes early for our 6:30PM reservation. He was waiting to greet me by the bar. I couldn’t help but smile. I’ve never forgotten the sales lesson “showing up on time means you’re five minutes late.” He was always five minutes early.
The consensus between business and labor—deeply divided for years over what to do about low-skilled temporary workers—will be crucial to the success of any comprehensive immigration reform, stakeholders agreed.
The often adversarial AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently announced “shared principles” outlining certain areas of agreement on critical issues, such as redefining what constitutes a guest worker and revamping the method to determine how many guest workers should be allowed into the country.
On March 27, @weknownext chatted with Jonathan Segal (@Jonathan_HR_Law) about "The Boys' Club Scene at Work."
In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat ...
Is this Retaliation 2.0?
Two weeks ago, Adria Richards attended an industry conference at which she overheard sexual jokes from two attendees sitting behind her during a session. So, she complained...on Twitter:
And then she blogged about it here. The social-media complaints resulted in one of the joke tellers getting fired. And, last Wednesday, Ms. Richards tweeted that her employer supported her.
March Madness will pound its way down basketball courts when play tips off March 19, 2013. Although some employers embrace it as an engagement tool and a way to build company camaraderie, labor lawyer D. Albert Brannen warns that—much like the round-ballers playing defense—employers shouldn’t let their guard down.
The annual NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, concludes with the championship game April 8 in Atlanta. After the first two rounds, a majority of the games take place after the typical 9 a.m.-5 p.m. work day.
I firmly believe in the power of using the locus of control theory to have a richer, more fulfilling career. Read on for how you can use the locus of control theory to evaluate job candidates.
Last week I had a discussion with another local HR pro, and we were talking about interview questions that help to discern what candidates lack the requisite people skills to get the job done. We’ve all run across candidates who may interview very well, but then they turn out to be a nightmare once they are on board.
In Tuesday’s post I mentioned my friend Doug – that’s him in the picture with me. I met Doug on Twitter several months – maybe even a year ago. If you are an HR professional and not a part of the large HR community that exists on social media you are missing out and I’m going to use Doug to tell you why.
Large U.S. employers—those with at least 1,000 workers—remain committed to providing active employees with health care benefits. But they are taking more aggressive actions to improve health care delivery and manage rising costs, according to a nationwide survey by consultancy Towers Watson and the nonprofit National Business Group on Health (NBGH).
One summer while I was in high school, I worked as a counselor at an Easter Seals camp for disabled adults. Going to this camp genuinely changed my perspective on life! I entered the camp a bit freaked out honestly. Everyone around me was vastly different that me, and what I was “used to.” People in wheelchairs. People who couldn’t speak clearly. People who couldn’t feed themselves, or pretty much care for themselves on their own.
One of my favorite terms in HR is "base rate of success." Its also rarely discussed, but absolutely critical.
Simply put, the "base rate of success" tells us the proportion of employees who would be successful on the job if we hired randomly instead of applying some predictor.
Fewer U.S. employees took hardship distributions and loans from their 401(k) plans in 2012 compared with 2008—a sign of economic improvement—according to a study by WorldatWork, an association of total rewards professionals, and the American Benefits Institute, the research and education affiliate of the American Benefits Council, which represents major U.S. employers.
By Jonathan Segal
The term boys’ club refers to the unofficial and often impenetrable group of men—usually white men—in an organization or department who have effective control and power. Being part of or having access to the club is often critical to making the right connections to advance within the organization.
Employer representatives have testified before a congressional panel that they support the expansion of the federal government’s E-Verify electronic employment verification system, which experts agree will be a central piece of comprehensive immigration reform.
On March 20, SHRM @WeKnowNext chatted with Chip Luman (@Cluman) about the topic "Collective Leadership - Getting Everyone Involved."
In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat:
A fairly recent World at Work survey listed "lack of opportunity" and "dwindling faith in leadership" as key contributors to employee disengagement. This bell rings very familiar! Early in my career, I experienced ongoing disappointment at my own expense. I was young, energetic, and full of motivation. I understood the core functions of my job and executed them like wild fire. I volunteered to do extra work and read the books suggested by management. Still, the opportunity for advancement was not offered.
A Q&A with Appature CEO, Kabir Shahani
After my recent post about young leaders, I had a chance to catch-up with Kabir Shahani of Appature.
The number of I-9 audits multiplied over the past decade, rising from almost none—just three in 2004—to 500 in 2008 and 3,004 in 2012.
Employers should pay attention accordingly, as the fines for substantive and procedural violations of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) can add up quickly, Daniel Brown, an attorney with Fragomen in Washington, D.C., said on March 12, 2013, at the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2013 Employment Law & Legislative Conference.
Penalties
For knowing violations, IRCA penalties range from:
People’s reactions when entering BMW’s brand-new 25,000-square-foot health care center are typically the same. After walking through the automatic glass doors, most pause to gaze about and take in the large atrium lobby, where sunlight pours in through a glass ceiling.
“When people first walk in the door they usually just stop and look all around and then tell us that it is the nicest doctor’s office they have ever seen,” said Bill Raulerson, director of site operations for the BMW health care center.
Savvy recruiters know that even in periods of elevated unemployment, there are no guarantees that they’ll land the perfect candidate for their open positions. In fact, many would argue that they have to work even harder to land top talent when faced with soft labor market conditions and the disparities between the workforce skills that are available and the skills that are needed to fill available jobs.
More than a third of surveyed U.S. workers experience chronic work stress, with low salaries, lack of opportunity for advancement and heavy workloads topping the list of contributing factors, according to national survey results released March 5, 2013, by the American Psychological Association's (APA) Center for Organizational Excellence.
It was a privilege for me to attend and speak at SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
For me, one of the high points was listening to the presentation by EEOC Commissioners Chai Feldblum and Victoria Lipnic.
While not quite the same as being there, I wanted to share with you what I tweeted during and after their presentation, which actually was a “chat.”
While employers have been focused on making sure that their health care plans meet the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), new interim whistle-blower provisions under that law recently went into effect.
Savvy recruiters know that even in periods of elevated unemployment, there are no guarantees that they’ll land the perfect candidate for their open positions. In fact, many would argue that they have to work even harder to land top talent when faced with soft labor market conditions and the disparities between the workforce skills that are available and the skills that are needed to fill available jobs.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is catching a lot of grief for her new book, “Lean In,” and for her public appearances suggesting that women need to be more aggressive in the workplace. Her recent interview on “60 Minutes” seemed to raise the level of criticism to historic heights.
Building a strong employer brand is the first step in recruiting employees with a disability, Laura Wilhelm pointed out during the Feb. 13, 2013, webinar “Best Practices in Disability Recruiting.”
Think Beyond the Label.com (TBTL) hosted the hourlong webinar, moderated by Brazen Careerist, that showcased tips on how organizations can find highly skilled, college-educated professionals who have disabilities.
On March 13, SHRM @WeKnowNext chatted with Chris Fields (@newresource) about the topic "What's the Real Deal on Resumes?"
Immigration reform, the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and legislation calling for the raising of the minimum wage are some of the pressing public-policy issues HR professionals should be keeping track of in 2013, said Michael P. Aitken, pictured above, vice president of government affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
There are a lot of people who cringe at the thought of terminating someone. And when I say terminating – I mean firing. Not a layoff because in most cases, employees don’t have control over a layoff decision. My philosophy is employees play an active role in the decision to get themselves fired.
Half of new employees surveyed reported they are experiencing buyer’s remorse after accepting a recent job offer, according to global research findings about hiring trends published by Pittsburgh, Pa.-based management consulting firm Development Dimensions International (DDI).
And they are not alone: With one in eight new workers employed during a 12-month period having proved to be a bad hire, many employers that DDI surveyed also are questioning whether they have made wise hiring decisions, according to the study.
Today’s companies recognize that every individual on their team is important and that their contributions have an impact on the company as a whole. At the same time, in the age of big data, more information is widely available to all stakeholders, shaking up the traditional, top-down communication style. These changes bring about a state of collective leadership – where individuals can easily collaborate to make decisions that improve performance, at both the personal and business-wide level.
Human capital concerns, building global brand recognition, anticipating and meeting diverse consumer needs, engaging audiences and advertisers, and ensuring business integrity and trust are key to capitalizing on emerging global market opportunities, business leaders said recently.
Leaders in communications, finance, media and technology shared strategies and challenges they’re facing in emerging global markets at the 2013 Global Diversity Leadership Exchange, held Feb. 6, 2013, at the New York Stock Exchange here.
In today’s competitive job market, the importance of crafting a resume that’s clear, concise and compelling is more important than ever. It’s the critical, first step to getting a foot in the door, and it's imperative that job seekers get this part right. Errors, omissions and confusing language will jeopardize the likelihood of an interview -- and so will a dated resume style.
Thinking critically, solving problems, innovating and collaborating are highly valued at every level within an organization. More than half of polled executives, however, said there is significant room for improvement in these competencies among their employees, according to the results of an American Management Association survey released Feb. 7, 2013.
Four in 10 manufacturing and service-sector employers surveyed said they would add jobs in March, according to the March 2013 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey, released March 7.
A net of 49.1 percent of manufacturers and a net of 42.1 percent of service-sector companies surveyed said they will hire in March, as vacancies rose in both sectors.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced March 7, 2013, that the official revised Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 will be made available in the March 8, 2013, Federal Register.
Employers should begin using this new form immediately. The new Form I-9 will contain a revision date of 03/08/13. The revision date is located on the bottom right-hand corner of the form.
Final Changes to the Form I-9
Management-level employees and HR staff should be trained on the workplace impact of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking, a vast majority of respondents told the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in research findings released Feb. 1, 2013.
Employers wishing to sponsor a first-time H-1B worker should soon begin the petition process. April 1, 2013, is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for next year’s allotment of visas for foreign national professionals.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Feb. 26, 2013, that its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is rescinding two enforcement guidance documents on pay discrimination, originally issued in 2006, commonly known as the “Compensation Standards” and “Voluntary Guidelines.” The rescission is effective Feb. 28.
On March 6, SHRM @WeKnowNext chatted with Chatrane Birbal (@SHRMAdvocacy) and David Lusk (@SHRMATeam) about "Finding HR's Voice."
Managers should take the time to recognize all employees on a regular basis, experts say—focusing on behaviors they want to reinforce—rather than singling out certain individuals or groups at scheduled times.
Who among us hasn’t dealt with the need to implement and manage change? Whether focusing on a large-scale organizational change or a small-scale “in my department” adjustment, every leader is faced with the responsibility to execute and manage change.
While some parents may view gaming as an affront to their children’s social development, businesses are finding that a combination of social media and gaming—once the milieu of middle-schoolers—could be an integral part of improving employee engagement.
And if getting employees to use internal social networks more is a behavior that’s hard to change, experts said, gaming can act as an incentive.
IDC reports that the global market for social-media platforms will grow from $767 million in 2011 to $4.5 billion by 2016.
It is hard to believe another season of Downton Abbey is over. Of course, Downton Abbey refers to a property, at least technically. But it is obviously much more than just that. It is about the family who lives there and the changing times.
Perhaps less obvious, it is also about an employer. As Dowager Countess of Grantham so emphatically pointed out, among the responsibilities of the aristocrats is to provide jobs. And jobs they do provide.
Thomas Jefferson once said, "America is not governed by the majority, but by the majority of those who participate."
Jefferson's belief about the impact political advocacy had on Government 200+ years ago still rings very true today. That's why SHRM has embarked on a 5-year initiative to establish the SHRM Advocacy Team; a network of SHRM member advocates throughout all 435 congressional districts across America.
Employers that follow best practices for workplace wellness programs were more likely to report improvements in lowering medical cost trends and improving employee health status, a Scorecard report from the nonprofit Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) and consulting firm Mercer indicates.
In an analysis of data collected from more than 700 U.S. employers, researchers found that the best practices most strongly associated with positive wellness program outcomes were: