Articles tagged 'HR communications'

Survey Says Helping People, Not Profits, Is Primary Driver for HR

by John Zappe on May 17, 2013, 9:05 AM | 1 comment

HR is all about showing the executive team the value you bring.

I was chatting with some talent acquisition leaders at the recent ERE conference when I mentioned an innovative application being demo-ed by one of the vendors. It uses automated voice analysis to screen and help select customer service reps.

Almost instantly came OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) and EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) objections, and near unanimous declarations of opposition to the tool. This is before anyone knew much about it.

What reminded me of this conversation was a report I came across a while ago. HR professionals chose their career, the report says, primarily because they “want to help people grow and develop.” Next, and way down the scale, was business growth and development as a career choice driver. Read more…

Classic TLNT

10 Hiring Secrets of Famous Coaches

by Eric Gaydos on May 17, 2013, 8:05 AM | No comments yet

Editor’s Note: Sometimes, readers ask about past TLNT articles they may have missed. That’s why on Fridays we republish a Classic TLNT post some of you have asked about.

Tried-and-true recruiting and interviewing tactics are great, as long as they keep on working.

But would you know, really, if they weren’t? How can we imagine the team we didn’t build, or gauge the hypothetical performance of the passed-over candidate who seemed too anxious? We can’t, and that’s why recruiting and hiring decisions are so important. Read more…

HR Insights, HR Management

Exit Interviews: The 2nd Most Worthless Activity HR Has to Handle

by Barbara Milhizer on May 17, 2013, 7:00 AM | 21 Comments

Let’s be clear, the most useless HR activity is Performance Management. Hands down.

But since I have been an enthusiastic beater of that horse already, a close second has to be the Exit Interview.

Let’s review all of the reasons for their sacred cow status:

Good, actionable data on why people are leaving;
Closure for employees;
Risk mitigation for the company;
Goodwill and future employee referrals;
Knighted as one of the “Best Practices” by people who know things. Read more…

HR Management

Is Office Radio Music to HR’s Ears?

by Joseph Fung on May 16, 2013, 12:20 PM | 1 comment

Open office layouts, like them or not, are here to stay.

While there are many benefits to having a shared collaborative environment (frequent communication, more effective use of space, etc.), it’s not all sunshine and roses.

For all their faults, walls, doors and cubicles are excellent sound barriers. They cut out distractions and work to keep your private conversations private. But not all noise is the same. Some sounds — like music — are meant to be shared.

Unfortunately for country music and hip-hop aficionados, not everyone has the same taste in music. When you’re in a closed environment, this doesn’t matter: you can blast Britney Spears all day, and no one will stop you. Read more…

Benefits, HR Management

How Far Can Employers Go In Mandating What Employees Eat?

by Fran Melmed on May 16, 2013, 11:25 AM | 2 Comments

I’ve yet to talk with someone about employee wellness without hearing about how an employer allows — if not actually provides — donuts or cupcakes or something similar at meetings.

The underlying message is this: the employer can’t be very serious about wellness if they’re still offering such junk food regularly.

I don’t disagree, but how far is too far? The comments on a post about junk food-free workplaces suggests barring people from bringing in their own food is simply a bridge too far. Read more…

HR Technology

Is there a Fear of Failure for HR Technology?

by Todd Maycunich on May 16, 2013, 10:20 AM | 1 comment

Between January 1, 2010 and March 2012 there were 157 venture capital transactions, totaling $966 million, funding companies focused on solving HR and recruiting challenges.

That’s great news for the HR industry because it means access to new tools and technology designed to help source, recruit and retain new talent.

But here’s the bad news: Three out of four of these new businesses will never return investor capital — they’ll fail.

But what if the problem isn’t with their technology? What if the problem is our fear of failure? Read more…

HR News & Trends, Legal Issues

Colorado Now the 8th State With a Workplace Social Privacy Law

by Eric B. Meyer on May 16, 2013, 9:10 AM | No comments yet

By Eric B. Meyer

Over the weekend, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill making Colorado the eighth state to have a social media workplace privacy law. (The others are Maryland, Illinois, California, Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, and Arkansas).

You can view a copy of the new Colorado law here.

The new law places three restrictions on employers with respect to access of employee and applicant social media accounts: Read more…

HR Insights, HR Management

Here’s Why Bullies Are Taking Over Your Organization

by Crystal Spraggins on May 16, 2013, 8:10 AM | 8 Comments

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard plenty about bullies in the workplace.

You’ve heard how bad it is. You’ve heard about the missed work days and the increased medical costs and the disability claims and the lawsuits. You’ve heard about the disruption and the drama and the colossal waste of hours employees spend managing others’ aggression instead of producing. Instead of creating. Instead of innovating.

You may have even read the statistic that workplace bullying costs U.S. employers nearly $250 million annually.

And you’ve decided that you don’t give a crap. Read more…

HR News & Trends, Legal Issues

OSHA’s New Enforcement Approach: Regulation by Shame

by Howard Mavity on May 15, 2013, 12:15 PM | No comments yet

By Howard Mavity

When Jordan Barab famously admitted that OSHA was utilizing large penalties accompanied by harsh press releases to “motivate” employers to comply, I had mixed feelings.

Fear is a great motivator. Aggressive publication of legitimate noteworthy OSHA citations has a role in the “carrot and stick” process of safety enforcement. Moreover, I understand that the former OSHA Region IV Administrator first used the phrase, and frankly, I doubt that she misused the approach. Read more…

Leadership

What We Can Learn About Leadership From the Google Glass Experiment

by Marta Steele on May 15, 2013, 11:30 AM | 4 Comments

I haven’t tried Google Glass but I’m intrigued.

As James Rivington writes in Techradar’s Google Glass: What You Need to Know, Google Glass is defined as:

An attempt to free data from desktop computers and portable devices like phones and tablets, and place it right in front of your eyes.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.”

Are you ready for Google Glass? Read more…