SHRM Blog

Ask An Advisor: Terminating for Performance Issues?

by Robyn HopperOn April 20, 2022 0 comments

“Can I just fire this employee because of their performance?” Many human resource professionals are asked this question all the time, and it’s a question we receive in the HR Knowledge Center quite often, too.

Unfortunately, the answer really depends on the situation. Like most things in HR, situations are complicated, and many will fall within a “gray area.” So, what do we do with underperformers? I tend to ask myself a list of questions before going forward with termination, because termination may not be the only solution or outcome:...

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#SHRM22: Take Charge of Change: How HR Professionals Can Transition from "Reactive Change Receivers" to "Proactive Change Leaders"

by Barbara A. Trautlein, Ph.D.On April 20, 2022 0 comments

Consider this scenario: A major new change is coming to your organization! The executive team approved the change a year ago, a project team has been designing it for several months, and now it's ready to be rolled-out to the organization. You just got a meeting request to create a communications plan to inform the workforce of the changes. Just like that - wham - the ball's in your court!

Sound familiar? So often the Human Resource professionals I work with (at all levels - often including senior management ranks) lament that...

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Go Overboard on Onboarding: Why It’s a Good Idea

by Julie Schweber, SHRM-SCPOn April 14, 2022 0 comments

This week I received an interesting question asking how important onboarding is for new hires.

I have worked at organizations that have done a terrific job with onboarding and other organizations where it was not so terrific. I had an employer show me to my desk without introducing me to the team or telling me anything about the history of the organization. My onboarding consisted only of filling out the standard new-hire forms. It was a bit of a letdown, and I felt like maybe I had made a bad decision...

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Ask An Advisor: Managing Remote Workers May Be More Complicated Than You Think

by Katie BrennanOn April 14, 2022 0 comments

One of the biggest trends I’ve seen arising from the pandemic has undoubtedly been the “work from anywhere” mindset. Once both employers and employees realized that work could be performed effectively without sitting in a traditional office, things started to change. Some employers chose to close their brick-and-mortar worksites for good, while some workers decided to relocate to be closer to family or to live in a region with a lower cost of living.

As a SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor, I regularly receive questions from members regarding remote employees. Members...

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Data Analytics to Advance HR Practices for the Social Sector

by Daniel StokesOn April 13, 2022 0 comments

Data analytics has long been used by the private sector to provide a thorough examination of organizational performance in areas such as marketing, sales, and operations. However, the social sector has lagged behind in using data-driven approaches to support organizational goals, and this is also true when it comes to human resources. It is holding the sector back.

For more than a decade, First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise, has used data analytics to inform everything we do. Research directs our work with educators and advances our mission: to further educational equity...

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How to Build A Cross-Functional HR Team Culture that Works

by Ben FrasierOn April 12, 2022 0 comments

Whoever has managed a cross-functional HR team knows the challenges that often arise. As companies and their leaders transition from siloed and hierarchical structures to more project and team-focused management styles, the oft-touted panacea of cross-functional teams can sometimes prove to be tricky to implement and even trickier to implement successfully.

In fact, a Harvard Business Review study found that as many as 75% of cross-functional teams fail in several important criteria including working within the budget, meeting deadlines, satisfying the client, meeting specifications and staying true to corporate goals.

Add...

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You Snooze, You Lose – How to Move the Search Process Along in This Competitive Hiring Market

by Peter KesericOn April 7, 2022 0 comments

Our client found the perfect candidate for an open Vice President position and offered her a bump from her current salary and position. She assured us that she was only interested in this role and was not interviewing with other firms. But before she took the offer, she met with a former boss/mentor to discuss the new role. They decided to meet for coffee at 8:30 am. Ironically (or not so ironically as it turned out), she met him across the street from her mentor’s office. At 9:15 am, she was sitting inside her mentor’s office interviewing with the Vice President of Talent at her mentor’s firm. At 10:00 am, she was meeting...

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Overcoming the Challenges of Understanding HR Data

by Bruce MarableOn April 6, 2022 0 comments

Human resources professionals have been slow to get on the HR data train. Have you noticed that too? Is it a lack of forward thinking? Is it the huge challenges of finding the right technology and then implementing HR analytics? Maybe you don’t have the support you need to make it happen. What reasons have you found hesitancy to venture into HR data?

In discussions around data and analytics with HR professionals, we’ve found that there are different levels of intimidation based on HR experience. We’ll focus on...

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3 Tips For Creating A Remote Workplace Culture

by Stuart CookeOn April 1, 2022 0 comments

In a traditional workplace, it is much easier to let culture evolve organically as teams chat, collaborate and take on projects together every day. The time they spend together in person is invaluable, and building relationships with their teams gives them an increased sense of purpose and belonging.

So how do you go about creating and nurturing a winning company culture for your remote workers?

Read on to find out.

1. Prioritize meaningful work

Something that is important in any workplace, but especially in a remote...

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Ask an Advisor - Connecting with Virtual Staff Through Touchpoints

by Yuletta Pringle, SHRM-CPOn March 30, 2022 0 comments

The last two years have been challenging as many businesses were forced to embrace a virtual workforce along with virtual meetings, policies and technology. However, the importance of effectively leading a virtual staff with regular and meaningful touchpoints should not be ignored. Touchpoints are regular meetings or periodic check-ins with staff—easily achieved via phone, internal communication platforms, videoconferencing or e-mail—that typically occur between a manager and a direct report.

The purpose of touchpoints is to provide and receive ongoing feedback related to company, departmental, team and individual goals, including expectations and...

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