Many years ago, I mediated an egregious sexual-harassment case.
A young woman―bright, personable and talented―left the modeling world to pursue her goal of becoming a successful business executive.
A series of nightmarish encounters with older male executives quashed her dreams.
I remember hearing Rajat Paharia on a panel discussion some years ago denouncing the term gamification. He was at the time dubbed the Father of the strategic technical discipline. Logically, the commodification of the behavioral practice wore him out.
We've been talking about gamification in the human capital management space for ten years, mostly in attempt to simplify the concept to form an opinion for or against it.
On November 28, @shrmnextchat chatted with Jonathan A. Segal @jonathan_hr_law about how HR can maximize the joy and minimize the risk during the holidays.
If you missed this excellent #Nextchat filled with great ideas, tips and advice, you can read all the tweets here or below:
The world is changing at a pace we have never seen before. A quick look at your Twitter feed or news scroll will show you just how volatile and uncertain the world has become. I believe our greatest challenge in navigating an unpredictable world is remembering to stick to the basics: Get your leaders right and connect with your people!
Get Your Leaders Right
On November 21, @shrmnextchat chatted with Diane Fennig @FansofFennig about how to Cultivate a Culture of Gratitude in Your Workplace.
STOP - take a moment to remember…what has been the most memorable thank you that you have received?
Let me guess, you have saved a memory of this event on your personal hard-drive, kept an item, note or card and you now are also donning a smile as you remember.
Thanksgiving. It means something different to each and everyone of us in the USA. Beginning in the early 1600s New England, this tradition of giving thanks and gathering family and friends with a feast after a season of farming has become America’s holiday regardless of your personal religion. We treat it as a secular holiday every year on the fourth Thursday of the month and everyone is welcome to participate!
With the unemployment rate at record lows, the battle for talent is on. Big or small, every company has to fight to win the attention of today’s savvy job seeker.
Blame the 'open plan' office design that pretty much takes away individual privacy or blame the workplace information overload that causes many office dweller types to feel like no matter how much they are working, they never seem to feel like they are getting much accomplished, modern work and workplaces can seem really, really frustrating.
Do your employees socialize with their bosses? Meet their spouses and kids? Talk about personal things? Exercise with them? Buy them gifts?
Too often, companies confuse perks and culture. Leaders think that to create a great culture, they should go purchase ping-pong and pool tables, get a keg for the office, or offer four-day workweeks. But these are all perks, not culture, which are two very different things. If a company only focuses on adding flashy perks, they may attract an employee, but they won’t retain them.
We are living through a moment in our nation’s history when there are more jobs available than qualified people to do them. Whether we’re in good economic times or bad, in a period of stability or disruption, it seems clear the skills shortage is here to stay.
On November 14, @shrmnextchat chatted with Leadership and HR technology expert, and author of “Digital HR: A Guide to Technology-Enabled Human Resources” Deborah Waddill @deborahwaddill.
With open enrollment just around the corner for most companies, employee benefits are top of mind. Today’s offerings have grown to include more than just medical, dental, and vision coverage. Companies are now including perks like scheduling flexibility, tuition reimbursement, and even parental assistance as part of their overall package.
John Wooden-if you are a basketball fan, this name speaks volumes. For those of us over the age of 50 (for me almost 60) Coach Wooden is synonymous with success with class. I often talk with others now about how many leaders seek success without class or without integrity, but short-term success without integrity is like sugar, the short term impact may help you get through a quick issue, but the long term impact of sugar is fleeting.
Welcome to the age of the “hyper hopper” where employees are changing companies every few years. The days of tenure, pensions, and retiring from the company you started are more fairy-tale than reality.
Culture is what motivates and retains talented employees. Every decision your organization makes strengthens or weakens your culture, and a healthy workplace culture—one that is fair, inclusive, high-functioning and free from harassment—is a critical business asset and force multiplier.
As trends in technology continue to impact how organizations manage talent, learning and knowledge, HR must be in front of the trends to ensure the creation of smart HR technology strategies that will accomplish organizational goals.
When one of your former employees signs a severance agreement with a release of all claims, the last thing you want is for that employee to sign and then sue you.
Do over?
I’ve spoken with business leaders over the last few months about their ambitious (and yes, young) employees who tend to expect a promotion after a year (or earlier)! Or more money for simply doing a good job.
Company dress codes run the gamut from requiring workers to wear formal business attire to allowing them to sport jeans and T-shirts. Employers can usually set guidelines for business-appropriate attire, but they may face lawsuits if they get too particular about how women or men should dress.
Free airline flights for an employee to spend time with her terminally ill sister. A manager who turns away a customer for mistreating a front-line worker. These are real-life stories from a company that has built a wildly successful business in the restaurant industry, which is known for high turnover and low morale. In Yes Is the Answer.
On November 7, @shrmnextchat chatted with the SHRM Government Affairs Team about 2018 Midterm Election Results and Implications for the Workplace.
If you missed this important chat you can read all the tweets here or below:
Last night’s midterm elections resulted in a tilt of power for the 116th Congress with democrats clinching the majority in the House of Representative and republicans expanding their majority in the Senate.
This was first published as the “Ask HR” column in USA TODAY.
Those who know me understand that I can act as a provocateur in conversations. I question. I disagree. I offer a counter-point.
There is always some level of risk when you delve into the world of politics. I’m cool with that because this is a topic that is critical in my opinion. Now, take a deep breath before you read on. This isn’t a post that is for or against any candidate or issue. I don’t know how to do that objectively because everyone has different views, beliefs and affiliations.
One thing I hope we all can agree on is this . . . voting.
SHRM Honors 97 Organizations for Effective Workplace Practices
Workplace learning, customized workflex, mentorship, a positive work culture, and employee-based innovation are just a few of the exciting workforce trends becoming a reality for employees of the 2018 When Work Works (WWW) Award winners.
I have learned that different psychological phases come with starting a new job. Let’s use this scenario: You followed the activities of Company X for years and wished to be part of such a great organization. Finally, an opportunity emerged, and you wasted no time in pursuing it. You got called for an interview, and after going through the necessary stages of selection, you got hired! You are happy, the hiring manager is happy! What happens next?
It was an honor to be included in Dr. Bob Nelson's new book "1001 Ways to Engage Employees". I shared a case study with Dr Bob which showcased how we used the SCARF methodology to enhance a major technology company's performance management strategy.
Managing employee performance has moved from annual write ups to high touch, systematic career development. The example I shared with Dr Bob was effective for two reasons:
Service projects, ‘mystery trips’ are among employers’ alternatives
Is the annual company holiday party still a thing?
In recent years, many companies have downsized their holiday parties to less lavish affairs or hosted other types of events that replaced the traditional after-hours holiday soiree.
Looking to get ahead in your career? Start by being respectful to your coworkers, says Georgetown University professor and leadership researcher Christine Porath. In this science-backed talk, she shares surprising insights about the costs of rudeness and shows how little acts of respect can boost your professional success -- and your company's bottom line.
To prevent biased algorithms you need to make sure you have unbiased training data on hand. You also need algorithms to be developed by a diverse set of people.
–Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Director of Offering Management and Distinguished Engineer for IBM Watson Internet of Things
In many states, it’s still legal to ask about candidate pay history. While some states have outlawed this practice, I still get questions like the one below fairly regularly:
