July – 2011

Weekly Wrap: When Is Summer Casual Too Casual for the Office?

by John Hollon on Jul 29, 2011, 11:29 AM | No comments yet

Whenever I think of “casual day” in the office, I think of the Dilbert book that is simply titled, Casual Day has Gone Too Far, because it reminds me that no matter what office perk employees may get, there is always somebody on the staff who will find a way to abuse the privilege.

And yes, offering workers the ability to sometimes dress casually is one of those perks ripe for abuse.

Workplace columnist Cindy Krischer Goodman dug into this topic over at The Miami Herald (a casual dress environment if there ever was one) when she asked, Summer in the workplace: How casual is too casual? She gives some well-needed advice on how to navigate this tricky topic. Read more…

HR Insights, Recruiting and Staffing

Why Do Good Organizations Sometimes Treat Candidates So Badly?

by John Hollon on Jul 29, 2011, 10:30 AM | No comments yet

Our colleagues over at ERE had a post today that asked something that really jumped out at you: Why Do Good People and Good Organizations Allow a Bad Candidate Experience?

It’s a great question, and it certainly got my attention as I’m sure it will get yours, too. This is what author Bryan Wempen had to say:

Here is my game-plan: share my thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style blog as move through my 60-day journey to answer the following question … Improving the Candidate Experience: Why do good people and good organizations allow a bad candidate experience? Read more…

HR News & Trends, Legal Issues

NLRB: OK to Fire for ‘Mere Griping’ About Employers on Facebook

by Eric B. Meyer on Jul 29, 2011, 9:37 AM | No comments yet

By Eric B. Meyer

The National Labor Relations Board is softening its position on employers who fire employees for rants on Facebook.

Employees who merely gripe can get canned.

Three recent advice memoranda from the NLRB (here, here, and here) reaffirm that employees who engage in protected concerted activity online are protected against employer discipline. Conversely, employees who merely gripe about their employer online are subject to discipline, up to and including termination. Read more…

HR Management, Talent Management

Fostering Collaboration When You Have a Remote and Mobile Workforce

by Nathan McNeill on Jul 29, 2011, 8:55 AM | No comments yet

Much has been written about today’s increasingly mobile workforce. The popularity of smart phones, laptops and tablets within the business world means employees can literally do their jobs from any location, no longer confined within the walls of their office.

In fact, some organizations are actively encouraging employees to work remotely. In December 2010, President Obama signed the Telework Enhancement Act into law, mandating that government agencies establish policies to enable employees to work from home. While there are numerous benefits of this model, a remote workforce also brings its fair share of challenges.

For both experienced professionals (who are used to a traditional office environment), and entry-level employees (who are accustomed to the in-person collaboration and communication of a college environment), it can be difficult to adapt to the remote model. Read more…

HR Insights, Leadership

Fairness in Leadership: It’s Usually a Plus, But It May Not Get You Promoted

by Tim Sackett on Jul 29, 2011, 7:35 AM | No comments yet

Look out HR leaders – this one is going to sting a little – from the Harvard Business Review:

In management, fairness is a virtue. Numerous academic studies have shown that the most effective leaders are generally those who give employees a voice, treat them with dignity and consistency, and base decisions on accurate and complete information.

But there’s a hidden cost to this behavior. We’ve found that although fair managers earn respect, they’re seen as less powerful than other managers — less in control of resources, less able to reward and punish — and that may hurt their odds of attaining certain key, contentious leadership roles.”

Wow, that really flies in the face of all that we’ve been taught by our HR heroes, doesn’t it! Read more…

Benefits, Compensation

What is That Social Media Job Worth, Anyway?

by Ann Bares on Jul 28, 2011, 2:17 PM | 1 comment

In yesterday’s post (The Emerging Job Market: The Struggle With Pay For Social Media Jobs), I wrote about the challenges of trying to get valid competitive pay information for emerging jobs and job families. I used social media jobs as an example of one emerging job family that is presenting this kind of challenge to today’s compensation professionals.

Although no commenters (beyond the very cryptic offering of Lua Belle) have yet spoken up with specific advice and suggestions, I did receive emails from several colleagues who — without revealing their identities — I would describe as very credentialed. This group (unbeknownst to one another) was in general agreement about the need to move beyond traditional salary survey data and consider more general market intelligence to guide the pay-setting process. Read more…

Benefits

Retirement Planning: How to Get More of Your Employees to Get in the Game

by Linda Robertson on Jul 28, 2011, 9:52 AM | No comments yet

Do you have a population of employees that are still on the sidelines regarding participating in your retirement plan?

According to a recent study by Aon Hewitt, 76 percent of eligible employees participated in their company’s DC (defined contribution) plan in 2010, which means that almost 1 in 4 employees ARE NOT participating! It just amazes me that even with the popularity of auto enrollment, there are still so many employees not taking advantage of saving for retirement.

What I see happening is that long-time employees who were hired prior to the onset of auto enrollment, and those employees who get frozen out of the plan due to taking a hardship withdrawal, are slow to enroll or re-enroll on their own accord. In 2010, 60 percent of employers reported using automatic enrollment but most of these companies (85 percent) do so only for new hires. Read more…

HR Insights, HR Management

Top 5 HR Mistakes in Mergers & Acquisitions, and How to Avoid Them

by Stefanie Sugar on Jul 28, 2011, 9:10 AM | 1 comment

Mergers & acquisitions are ways for companies to grow, acquire talent, and technologies or obtain synergies.

Whatever the reason your organization might have, chances are, as an HR professional, you’ll encounter at least a few acquisitions throughout your career. HR can add a lot of value during the acquisition process and certainly should be involved.

Here are the top 5 mistakes to avoid that are within HR’s control. Doing so adds value by creating a much better experience for all parties involved: the acquired company, the acquiring business unit, and, for HR itself. Read more…

HR News & Trends, Talent Management

The Multitasking Myth: The More You Do, the Worse at It You Really Are

by Lance Haun on Jul 28, 2011, 7:45 AM | 3 Comments

I used to believe I could multitask.

While I was working, I’d have 10 different websites up while listening to sports talk radio and chatting online. I thought I was doing great until I started missing deadlines, meetings, and forgetting where I was going (even what website I had meant to look up 10 seconds ago).

It was pretty embarrassing, especially when trying to explain exactly why I had missed a meeting clearly on my schedule and missed a deadline that was in front of my face. Over the course of my time in HR, I watched other employees get hit by that same bug.

Part of it is with encouragement from employers though. Expecting your employees to frequently switch between tasks or creating an environment that encourages constant interruption is problematic and here’s why.

Connecticut, Maryland Act to Restrict Employers’ Use Of Credit Reports

by Christopher H. Mills on Jul 27, 2011, 12:03 PM | No comments yet

By Christopher Mills and Gregg Salka

Two more states – Connecticut and Maryland – have joined Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, and several cities, in severely limiting employers’ ability to use a job applicant’s or current employee’s credit history or credit-related information.

This affects decisions in hiring or promotions, as well as in determining compensation or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. Gov. Dannel Malloy signed the Connecticut law on July 13, 2011. Gov. Martin O’Malley had signed that state’s Job Applicant Fairness Act (JAFA) on April 12, 2011. Both laws take effect on October 1, 2011. Read more…

Why Do Good Organizations Sometimes Treat Candidates So Badly?

Fostering Collaboration When You Have a Remote and Mobile Workforce

Fairness in Leadership: It’s Usually a Plus, But It May Not Get You Promoted

Retirement Planning: How to Get More of Your Employees to Get in the Game

Top 5 HR Mistakes in Mergers & Acquisitions, and How to Avoid Them

The Multitasking Myth: The More You Do, the Worse at It You Really Are

Connecticut, Maryland Act to Restrict Employers’ Use Of Credit Reports

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