SHRM Blog

Ask an Advisor: The More You Know ... The More You Need Pay Transparency!

Who remembers the public broadcasting commercial “The More You Know”?  The premise was to educate the audience on a topic with the intent of helping them make better decisions.

Could this same premise apply to pay transparency? Employee attraction, retention and engagement are critical factors in today’s labor market, and workers’ understanding of employers’ compensation programs may improve all three factors. The SHRM HR Knowledge Center often receives questions regarding employee compensation, such as whether employers can prohibit salary discussions among employees and what to do about employee complaints that...

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#CauseTheEffect: Leverage Real-Time Change Challenges as “Pop-Up Learning Labs” and Get Results. #SHRM22

If your company is having a hard time retaining and recruiting top talent, you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September 2021, setting off what’s being called The Great Resignation. And guess what? Workers aren’t leaving for higher pay but for greater benefits like increased training opportunities, professional development, work-life balance, meaningful work, and psychological safety.

So what does this mean for your company? How can you as an HR or L&D professional help retain and nurture the talent you already...

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Ask an Advisor: What Training Should Managers Receive?

As a SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor, I have recently been receiving more questions about what type of training managers should receive.

The short answer is anything and everything that benefits the work, workers, and workplace. Figuring out the “anything and everything” is the challenge. The initial thought is to look at training that may be required by law, industry, or position, such as safety training and harassment prevention training, but managers will need other training, as well.

Sometimes, managers don’t have the proper experience to manage effectively, or they don’t...

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Ask an Advisor: Inflation’s Impact on Competitive Salaries

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many challenges for employers, one of which is a labor shortage. The high turnover during this time has become known as the Great Resignation or the Turnover Tsunami. The difficulty of maintaining competitive salaries has made hiring and retention a struggle, especially with today’s inflation.

Inflation has surged 7.5% and is at a 40-year high. Naturally, employers are concerned. In fact, according to Payscale’s 2022 Compensation Best Practices Report, 85% of organizations surveyed expressed concerns about rising inflation eroding the value of pay...

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Frontline Workers in a Changing Landscape

COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill in a flash, forcing people to stay and work from home. But the frontline workers were the lifeline of the economy and society. They kept risking their own lives and saving light on groceries, restaurants, hospitals, and other energy-saving essential services. According to Brookings, these unsung heroes are mostly “low-wage earners estimated at around 7 million people” according to Eonocofact, “ most of the workers are also minorities women, PoC, etc.,” as shown in the figure.1

Fig.1 Composition of Frontline Workers

The...

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13 Ways To Support Employees Mental and Social Wellness

During times of significant stress, employees turn to their Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). 

As an HR professional, give one way you can ensure that employees' mental and social wellness is sustained?  

To help you with the health and wellness of your employees, we asked CEOs and HR managers this question for their best advice. From encouraging pulse checks to providing access to financial education and tools, there are several insights that may help you ensure the mental and social wellness of your employees. 

Here are 13 pieces of...

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Ask An Advisor: Help Your Employers by Helping Yourself

Over the past year, I have often been asked by various members of the HR community: With so many immediate changes in society, what can I do to best help my employer?

From insect invasions (murder hornets, cicadas and joro spiders, oh my!), to an entire pandemic, to the more-standard challenges of matters like voting legislation, mental and physical wellness, refugee crises, racial injustice, pay equity and gun violence, there has been plenty for HR to deal with over the past two years.

Employees are asking for different things. Employers’...

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Why HR Should Champion Fair-Chance Hiring

Business leaders are looking to HR for strategies and innovations to address pressing talent-related challenges. Fair-chance hiring is a strategic, innovative solution to improve talent acquisition, retention, engagement, and DEI efforts.

What is fair-chance hiring?

It is the practice of assessing job candidates with criminal records on a case-by-case basis. It typically involves the Nature-Time-Nature test, which considers the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and the nature of the specific role.

Why should HR champion fair-chance hiring?

By championing fair-chance hiring for your organization, you are bringing...

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Empower Young Talent to Find Their Superpower

Giant segments of U.S. workers remain unsatisfied with their careers. Millennials and Generation Z’ers, which comprise a large majority of the workforce, often report feeling unfulfilled by their pay, career, and overall sense of purpose on-the-job. Many say they feel devalued and struggle with how to make their mark in business.

I’m often asked for advice from young professionals on the best way to excel and advance on-the-job. Hard work is important. But in today’s business environment, it’s not enough. That’s understandably frustrating since it runs counter to the belief that we’ve grown up with that “hard work pays off.”

I offer this wisdom as it’s...

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9 Skills to Manage Your Team

What separates good managers from great ones? It's not their knowledge of the business, that's for sure. In fact, one of the most important skills to being a great manager isn't knowing your numbers or your industry—it's managing people. Managing people isn't always easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding if you have the right attitude and skill set. Here are nine skills all great managers need to know to be successful at managing their team members, from interns to veterans.

1.  Use data collection in decision making

To dole out effective feedback, you need facts....

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