August – 2010

Dave Ulrich Talks About How to Make a Successful HR Transformation

by John Hollon on Aug 31, 2010, 2:47 PM | No comments yet

Here’s a great topic to be thinking about as we head into Labor Day: HR Transformation.

What is HR transformation, you ask? According to author, University of Michigan business professor, and all-around HR Guru Dave Ulrich, HR transformation is “how to transform HR practices so that they are aligned to customer needs and integrated around organization capabilities.” He even co-authored a book about it — HR Transformation: Building Human resources From the Outside In.

According to Ulrich, the overall model for HR Transformation is simple. You need to ask: Read more…

HR Management

Re-Engage: What Really Goes Into Employee Engagement?

by Jennifer Benz on Aug 31, 2010, 12:07 PM | 1 comment

Re-Engage: How America’s Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times by Leigh Branham, SPHR and Mark Hirschfeld was published in early 2010. The book surveys over 10,000 employers in 43 states and found that the places people want to work are also the places where the most work is being done.

The authors describe the innovative and real techniques being used by employers to keep their employees happy and engaged, and in the process, finding out it was well worth their while.

I had the chance to talk to one of the authors, Mark Hirschfeld, about what he saw while he was researching and writing it. Here are some excerpts of the conversation — including some great ideas and examples of how you can emulate these great places to work. Read more…

HR Management, HR News & Trends

What Having A “Bikini Barista” Says About Your Talent Strategy

by Lance Haun on Aug 31, 2010, 8:07 AM | 2 Comments

Some people are waking up to more than a couple of coffees these days. Yes, the phenomenon of barely covered bikini baristas has migrated from the Pacific Northwest down to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Coffee is a crowded market and shop owners are looking at ways to differentiate themselves from the pack. Some of them have chosen unique locations. Or they choose convenient drive-thru locations. Others bring in gently roasted, fair trade beans. Still others offer comfy seats, free wi-fi, and don’t gripe when you hang out most of the day. I like those latter ones. And I tip well.

The bikini barista business model for coffeehouses is a fairly new one, though. Is this business and talent strategy a flash in the pan, or does it have long term merits?

Managing Millennials: How Will They Respond Along the Way?

by Neil Howe on Aug 30, 2010, 1:17 PM | 4 Comments

By Neil Howe with Reena Nadler

“Every generation has its chance at greatness. Let this one take its shot.” —Newsweek (2000)

“Relentless optimism and faith in collective action in the face of hardship is typical of civic generations such as the Millennials. And judging by history, their attitudes will serve them well.” —Los Angeles Times (2009)

Every generation has its own strengths and weaknesses, its own potential for triumph and tragedy. Some generations steer society toward outer-world rationality, others toward inner-world passion. Some focus on graceful refinement, others on the hardscrabble bottom line.

The German historian Leopold von Ranke, who weighed many Old World generations on the scales of history, observed that “before God all the generations of humanity appear equally justified.” In “any generation,” he concluded, “real moral greatness is the same as in any other.” Read more…

HR News & Trends

SHRM Board Quietly (and Secretly) Votes to Hike Pay for Board Members

by John Hollon on Aug 30, 2010, 7:27 AM | 8 Comments

Shortly before the Society for Human Resources 62nd Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego this past June, the SHRM Board of Directors quietly voted to increase the amount of the “honorarium” the organization pays each of them annually for their service, according to sources familiar with the workings of the SHRM Board.

The increases were was follows:

From $25,000 to $35,000 per year for the SHRM Board chair (currently held by Robb Van Cleave, the Chief Talent and Strategy Officer at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles, Oregon);
From $15,000 to $25,000 per year for SHRM Board members who serve as committee chairs;
From $10,000 to $15,000 per year for regular SHRM Board members.

Few people besides the SHRM Board and a handful of staff members know of the increased “honorarium” the Board voted for themselves. That’s because a summary of SHRM Board meetings that used to be sent to the organization’s volunteer leaders, past Board chairs, and regularly published on the SHRM website, is no longer posted on SHRM.org or made available to SHRM’s 250,000 plus members and the public at large. Read more…

HR News & Trends

2010 Florida State HR Conference Gets Ready for Liftoff

by mvandervort on Aug 28, 2010, 8:27 AM | 1 comment

By Michael VanDervort

The word of mouth has been building for months. The buzz on Twitter is growing louder and louder. The hotel is almost completely booked. Potential sponsors have been calling at the last minute, hoping to find a way to get involved. The number of registered attendees has blown past expectations. The exhibition hall is completely sold out.

The 2010 HR Florida State Conference and Exposition is ready to roll!

All that remains is for the crew to show up in Orlando to launch what promises to be the single most important SHRM state chapter conference in the country this year. The HR Florida State Conference and Exposition begins Sunday August 29 and runs through Wednesday September 1, 2010 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. Read more…

HR News & Trends

Weekly Wrap: Boss Gifts, Deaths are Down, and a Terrible Workplace Secret

by John Hollon on Aug 27, 2010, 12:57 PM | No comments yet

How would you feel if you knew employees were having their paychecks deducted for gifts and parties for the boss? (Photo illustration by itstockphoto.com)

Summer doesn’t officially end for another month, but you know that in reality, we’re heading into the last, full week of our long, hot summer.

Yes, Labor Day and the unofficial end of the summer is nearly here, but there is still workplace news going on – news you may not have had the time to keep up with.

That’s the point of TLNT’s Weekly Wrap. Every Friday I summarize and link to some of those workplace news items you may have missed while you were out doing summer stuff. It’s my little way of keeping you updated and informed.

I think this roundup is useful – and a few of you have told me you agree — but I really want to know how more of you in the TLNT audience feel about it. Please me know with a comment here, or send it directly to me via e-mail (john@tlnt.com). I’d like to hear what you think and whether I should continue to cobble this together, or, perhaps just move on to something else

Yes, this is a weekly round-up of news, trends, and all sorts of information from the world of HR and talent management. I do it so you don’t have to: Read more…

Recruiting and Staffing

Getting To The Bottom of the Rejected Offer: Pay Attention to the Vibe, Man

by Robert Godden on Aug 27, 2010, 10:57 AM | 2 Comments

There are lots of reasons why job offers can go wrong, if you pay attention to what the candidate is telling you. (Photo illustration by istockphoto.com).

How did it come to this?

The resumé was great, the cover letter perfect. The interview went well. After the candidate was placed in front of the client, both sides raved to you about how well it went.

Really, the other candidates just seemed like they were going through the motions.

And so the offer is made. And rejected!

Carving Out a New Path for More Effective Meetings

by Lance Haun on Aug 27, 2010, 8:07 AM | 1 comment

Breaking out of your old meetings patterns can actually help your meetings be more effective. (Photo by istockphoto.com)

There have been a million blog posts about meetings. Actually it’s closer to 10 million blog posts, but you get my drift.

Most of them have to do with how to get better performance out of your meetings — things like setting an agenda, being prepared, having all of the materials in place, etc. It’s all good information, but we all keep coming back to the fact that business meetings are simply a pain. Even if your meetings are all of these things, they still seem repetitive, boring, and add very little value to the organization.

While communication is one of the primary reasons for having a meeting in the first place, you still see companies with the best meeting protocol struggle with communication. It’s like we keep going back to the same solutions that didn’t work before over and over again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity?

The other day though, I saw a post from Kris Dunn about how setting your meetings for only 30 minutes instead of 60 can not only give you increased productivity, but can also impact your organizational design. I was intrigued.

Workplace Flexibility: If You Can’t Have it All, What’s Close Enough?

by Fran Melmed on Aug 26, 2010, 1:27 PM | 3 Comments

Work flexibility can be a never-ending task - for both workers and their supervisors. (Photo illustration by istockphoto.com)

When I left Hewitt, I knew it’d be hard to find another company as flexible.

During my time there I’d worked traditional hours, compressed hours, and an altered full-time schedule of 7 am to 3 pm. Unwilling to compromise on flexibility and creative, challenging, and rewarding work, I chose to start my own firm and create my chances. So far, so good.

I’m one of many. Read more…

Dave Ulrich Talks About How to Make a Successful HR Transformation

Re-Engage: What Really Goes Into Employee Engagement?

What Having A “Bikini Barista” Says About Your Talent Strategy

Managing Millennials: How Will They Respond Along the Way?

SHRM Board Quietly (and Secretly) Votes to Hike Pay for Board Members

2010 Florida State HR Conference Gets Ready for Liftoff

Weekly Wrap: Boss Gifts, Deaths are Down, and a Terrible Workplace Secret

Getting To The Bottom of the Rejected Offer: Pay Attention to the Vibe, Man

Carving Out a New Path for More Effective Meetings

Workplace Flexibility: If You Can’t Have it All, What’s Close Enough?

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