Archive

March 2017

                 

 

March 30, 2017
 
The cornerstone of the American dream is and always has been hard work. Deeply ingrained in our psyche is the belief that if you push hard enough you’ll eventually get there if for no other reason than the sheer force of your effort. One of the many factors that separates successful entrepreneurs is their innate grasp of the fact that the American dream requires a lot more than just hard work, it’s also about smart work.
 
March 30, 2017
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On March 29, @shrmnextchat chatted with SHRM Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) members Jillian Caswell and Jessica Gofforth on Entering the Workforce - Ready or Not.

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

 

March 29, 2017

 

Indeed recently compiled a list of the best jobs of 2017, based on number of job postings, salary and growth opportunity.  What we found is that technical roles continue to be in high demand -  seven of the top ten jobs are software engineers and developers, with positions in management, healthcare and engineering rounding out the top 25 list.

March 29, 2017

 

Nearly 50 human resource and recruiting experts will offer presentations on a wide range of talent acquisition and recruiting topics at the 2017 Talent Management Conference & Exposition April 24-26 in Chicago.

Some of the concurrent session speakers shared quotes that highlight the focus of their presentations.

Monday, April 24

 

March 28, 2017

As part of our coverage of the SHRM 2017 Annual Conference & Exposition, each of the official bloggers is conducting Q&As with session speakers.  As I scanned the list of speakers, one that caught my attention right away was Jeffrey Tobias Halter, president of strategic consulting company YWomen. His session is titled, “Why Women – The Leadership Imperative to Advanc

March 28, 2017

 

Ready or not, here they come.

In just a few months, the Class of 2017 will be taking the full-time leap into the workforce.

Starting a new job can be awkward at any age, but even more so for new graduates—and all new young professionals—who are entering the workforce for the first time.

March 27, 2017

Whether you are preparing someone to transition to a supervisor position or coaching a seasoned executive who wants to keep up with his or her field, helping managers learn when and how to take on duties they once might have delegated is a much-needed skill these days.

March 27, 2017
                      
                      
 
 
March 27, 2017

 

By SHRM 2017 Young Professional Council member Jessica Gofforth.
     

You’ve successfully navigated the transition from New Graduate to Young Professional and you’re wondering what’s next. Here are three reasons why volunteering is extremely beneficial as a young professional:

1)      Networking is Key!

March 26, 2017

Disrupt or be disrupted" is Donna Morris's rallying cry. From abolishing Adobe's annual performance reviews to dramatically expanding its family leave policy, she has set the industry agenda while making Adobe a great place to work.

March 25, 2017

 

Did you happen to attend the SHRM 2017 Employment Law & Legislative Conference? No? I think you may have missed out! I know, you’re probably thinking, another work-related conference? More bad conference food, freezing cold session rooms and just adequate speakers. Not at this conference!

March 23, 2017

 

The average person has between 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day -- and many of them are negative. 

Taking five minutes a day to be still, breathe and organize your thoughts, removing or "re-filing" the bad ones, can be a great stress buster. 

In his latest video on meditation, Dr. Woody chats with Pandit Dasa, The Urban Monk, about simple ways to use meditation to combat stress at work so you can be happier and healthier.

 

March 23, 2017
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On March 22, @shrmnextchat chatted with the #SHRM17 Bloggers for #Nextchat: #SHRM17 Bloggers Are All In - In Real Life

In case you missed this super-informative chat packed with tips and advice that will help you prepare for #SHRM17 you can read all the tweets here

 

March 22, 2017

The goal of company-provided training is to improve performance and, ultimately, business results. But in order to achieve this, employee training must change behavior.

March 22, 2017

We continue to hear how recruiting is a challenge. In a research report published last year by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), sixty-eight percent (68%) of HR professionals are experiencing difficulty recruiting candidates. There are several reasons for the increased difficulty including skills gaps and lack of experience. However, forty-nine percent (49%) of HR pros cited competition from other employers as part of the challenge.

I feel like l’ve always worked in highly competitive environments. My thought is there are two different kinds of competition:

March 21, 2017
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Last year I attended SHRM for the first time - it was spectacular!

Attending as an international delegate, the scale of the conference was mind-blowing - much bigger than anything I've attended in Australia or New Zealand. I was surprised with the number of international participants, but to be honest the biggest takeaway for me was the calibre of attendees and speakers alike.

March 21, 2017

 

I live in Silicon Valley, the technology capital of the world. You’d think a person of my regional bias would turn his nose up to the Mid-West when tackling the subject of technology design. But, there is something about the creative force that exists in the purple city of Minneapolis. Is it the time spent on the lake or the fact that the weather is less than ideal 10 months out of the year? Either way, if you are a Human Resource Professional, you’ll find your fair share of Minneapolis-Based companies in the Exhibitor Hall at #SHRM17.

March 21, 2017
 
 
 
It is hard not to read several articles a day bemoaning the performance appraisal process, and how it should be abolished. There have been a lot of reasons given for wanting its demise. However, I have discovered the real reason.  Much like lawyers make the worst clients, and doctors make the worst patients, HR professionals make the worst appraisers.
 
How do I know this?
 
March 20, 2017

 

 

Are you ready to go “all in” on your HR education?

March 20, 2017

I once saw a photograph of a dandelion plant. On its own, that image wouldn’t be anything special: dandelions are everywhere. But these dandelions were nestled atop a small mound of asphalt. Somehow they had managed to push through this seemingly impermeable barrier and reach their goal: bathing in sunlight and fresh air. If there is a better illustration of patience than this photograph, I’ve yet to see it.

March 17, 2017
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During this critical time when global employers are facing uncertainty over U.S. employment-based immigration, you cannot afford to miss the Council for Global Immigration 2017 Symposium on June 11-14, in Arlington, VA.

March 16, 2017
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Too much work? Too many deadlines? Feeling stressed-out at both ends of the day? 
 
Employers can help workers alleviate anxiety by investing in programs that promote mental and physical wellness.  Meditation training can help ease the angst.
 

In "Episode Two" of the series Mindful Meditation, Pandit Dasa, "The Urban Monk", shares tips with organizational psychologist Dr. Woody for helping beginners get their meditation routine started. All you need is five minutes and a bit of discipline.

March 16, 2017
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With the 2017 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition rapidly approaching, articles will be written on keynotes, concurrent speakers, networking and even what to wear or not wear.  One area that is been overlooked is one of my (and many others) high points to any Annual Conference and that is the SHRM Store.

March 16, 2017

On March 15, @shrmnextchat chatted with Kathy Gurchiek @shrmwriter and Sarah Morgan @thebuzzonHR about A Positive Process for Performance Reviews.

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

 

March 15, 2017

On March 15, SHRM participated in Media Planet's #WorkBetterChat Twitter Chat that focused on conveying the importance of employee well-being initiatives in the workplace as a driving force for businesses. The chat invited HR professionals,C-suite executives, benefit and wellness managers as well as overall key business decision makers to encourage an open dialogue about the benefits of investing in employee wellness programs.

March 15, 2017


 

Many companies are starting to take education and employee training into their own hands to ensure their employees are equipped for a rapidly evolving future.
 

March 15, 2017

 

Today is Pi Day as well as Albert Einstein’s birthday. As you may know, the number π is a mathematical constant, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, commonly approximated as 3.14159. If we round up, it’s 3.1416 or 3/14/16 – today!!

This is a day to think about math and science and the future of work. To change the world will require future generations to anchor their learning in science and math.

March 14, 2017

 

 

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government released its analysis of the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

Here are some of the key points from the CBO analysis:

By 2026, 52 Million People Total Would Not Have Coverage

March 14, 2017

This month, we focus on the contributions women have made, including in medicine, law, business, and literature.

But we must do more than recognize these contributions. We must acknowledge that, at least in the business world, the talent women offer is grossly under-utilized and painfully undervalued.

March 14, 2017
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Humor can help relax inflexible situations, reduce rising tensions, and even improve productivity. 

Humor can also be dangerous, though, when used inappropriately.

In the workplace, funny is generally good; but inappropriateness is not.

Properly used, humor serves many good purposes, including but not limited to:

March 13, 2017


 

Do you dread your annual performance review? 

You’re not alone. 

March 13, 2017

I’m always amused when employment lawyers trip over themselves each year at this time to blog about the risks of gambling and lost productivity with the always-popular NCAA basketball tournament. It’s akin to the famed quote from Casablanca when Captain Renault says in Rick’s Cafe, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”

March 13, 2017

 

 

Design Thinking (DT) has become a sought-after competency for modern businesses. Why? And what is DT good for?

March 11, 2017
 
 
Take a couple of minutes and conduct a brief experiment.
 
March 10, 2017

 

 

If you have read any of my past articles and posts, I tend to write quite a bit about the issues associated with the recruiting industry. Some of the main issues with the recruiting industry center on one of the following:

March 10, 2017
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As The 2017 SHRM Annual Conference grows closer, the SHRM Social Media team is continuing to analyze the SHRM Competency Model's profound effect of leadership development.

Today we review the second competency: Relationship Management

March 9, 2017

On March 8, @shrmnextchat chatted with Vice President of HCM Innovation for Ultimate Software Cecile Alper-Leroux (@cecilehcm) and Social HR Specialist for Ultimate Software Micole Kaye (@socialmicole) about

March 8, 2017
 
Stressed out at work?
 
"Too much work. Too little pay. Too many technological advancements." According to the SHRM Online article Workplace Burnout at 'Epidemic Proportions' by Dana Wilkie, there are many reasons employee burnout is higher than ever.
 
Employers can help alleviate some of the stress by investing in programs that promote wellness. Meditation training and programs are a great way to help workers learn how to ease their anxieties. 
 
March 8, 2017
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But, will the EEOC’s bark be louder than its bite?

I’ll discuss service animals and Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations after the jump…

March 8, 2017

 

Workplace flexibility has been in the news a great deal over the past few years. The 2016 National Study of Employers provides an opportunity to check these media stories against the realities of organizations across the U.S. It also revealed four surprising trends.

Trend #1: 12 weeks of leave is becoming the norm, especially for maternity leave, though less so for spouse/partner (paternity) leave; while at same time, longer leaves are less available.

March 8, 2017
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If there’s one thing I learned in my time in the Navy and during my last 10 plus years in the Human Resources field, is that the one ingredient you can never go wrong with in a recipe for success is: Grit.

March 8, 2017

 

Mahatma Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  As our worlds and the people in it adjust, organizations must, too. HR professionals are in a great position to be a catalyst for change in our workplaces.

March 7, 2017

 

Not too long ago, a business professor friend invited me to address a luncheon of university students enrolled in his class on entrepreneurship. I was honored to have been asked, but not sure I was the right person for the task.

“Your students would be better served by a high-tech entrepreneur half my age,” I told him.

March 7, 2017
 
“Call me ASAP.”
 
It was Monday morning and I had just finished a meeting while getting settled on a trip to St. Louis when I received that text. It was from the head executive of the group I support in Chicago. As I dialed his number, a few things went through my mind. Either somebody resigned or there was an urgent employee relations issue, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to hear. One of our employees had died.
 
March 7, 2017
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Is your organization “going with the flow” of the ever-evolving workplace or becoming stagnated by outdated talent strategies?  

The new world of work is responding to societal changes and sociocultural shifts by breaking down traditional barriers in the workplace and empowering employees to bring their whole selves to work to become more than a profession, title or job description.

March 6, 2017


 

Examining and renegotiating pharmacy benefit management contracts can help trim drug spending
 

March 6, 2017
 
 
Have you ever sensed that, when it comes to getting humans to work together effectively, many “innovative” HR solutions do nothing but imperfectly reinvent the wheel?
 
March 3, 2017

 

They say that the hardest work in the world is being “OUT OF WORK.” Being unemployed is one of the worst nightmares one can think of. Specially, in such a competitive era where everyone is trying to excel and move ahead. You might feel like you’re useless and all the efforts that you put into your education and prior experience is going nowhere BUT, is being unemployed really a bad state? After my personal experience of going through this phase of life, my answer is NO!

March 2, 2017
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 For those of us in the human resources profession, the SHRM Annual Conference is approaching. This year’s event will be held June 17-21, 2017 in New Orleans.
March 2, 2017
 
 
As much as we all know we shouldn’t, we do in fact, play favorites. The most experienced among us do not let it interfere with our work in a major way. But the reality is, deep down, there are those on our team we like better than others and if given the chance we will give preferential treatment. Even if that preferential treatment only amounts to the biggest slice on pizza Friday.
 
March 2, 2017

Making the decision to start contributing to a 401k plan isn’t easy, but it is a “yes” or “no” question. Once you decide to go with “yes” (which I hope everyone will do), then you have to decide:

March 2, 2017
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Some time ago, after I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was lucky enough to get a job working for the governor of Nevada (see, internships can pay off!). I was also fortunate to have a great boss (the governor himself) who impressed upon me how important it is to start saving for retirement, even at the tender age of 22. I started saving early because I was able to make a small contribution with my modest salary. Had I been saddled with huge amounts of student loan debt, that wouldn’t have been possible.

March 1, 2017