Susan.Avello

I’ve discussed the issue of aging parents numerous times and am currently at the place in life where I’m starting to put a plan together to make sure that if and when something happens to either of my parents, the transition will be a smooth one. Whether an illness, an accident or perhaps my parents come to the point they can no longer take care of themselves, proactive preparedness is a much better approach than avoiding the inevitable.

I have been thinking a lot about wellness initiatives for the past couple of years perhaps due to having participated in Illinois annual Workplace Wellness WOWIE Awards a couple years back. ILSHRM in partnership with Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Illinois has really created an excellent program in acknowledging companies across Illinois in their wellness efforts as well as encouraging others to step it up a notch!

Since this month’s We Know Next theme is HR Advocacy and several SHRM members have been “heading to the Hill” in Washington, D.C., I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage the need for thinking differently as it relates to hiring veterans.

We’ve been behind closed doors discussing what it would be like to bring a potential threat to our culture into our organizations by hiring those who may have PTSD. We’ve looked at it as something that might upset the apple cart and make our lives more difficult.

Some companies are still of the mindset that social media is a big waste of time, a fad that is only going to pass us by. But is it?

Think about how much time it takes to sort through emails, or prepare and send a fax or interoffice memo that may or may not reach the person in the time needed to receive an answer?

According to experts, candidates with the right skills are being overlooked by employers more interested in "cultural fit" and alignment of core values with their company. In fact, cultural fit has become so important to hiring managers that it now often rates above a 100 percent match to the necessary technical skills.

We are entering a new digital era, an era in which people are connecting with content and with brands through multiple screens – through their PCs, TVs, smartphones, and tablets. 2011 marked an exciting year for the digital media industry and signaled an even more momentous year ahead with the rise of smartphones and tablets that have altered consumers’ digital media consumption – changing the way people access content, where they consume it and the frequency of their consumption.

Since October is National Work and Family Month, it’s a good time to discuss work-flex.

I love how Jason Seiden described “work/life balance” recently at Illinois SHRM: “We talk of it as something we separate by a slash and then hope we can balance everything in between. Trying to package them and keep them separate doesn’t work…There is no rigid separation.”

Flexibility in the workplace is imperative. It should be seen as a result-based business strategy—not a benefit.

With the variety of employee demographics now in our workforce, the importance of workplace flexibility becomes even clearer. For instance, millennials prefer flexible working arrangements and consider them in accepting employment. But boomers need flexible options as they take on care of their aging parents.