Articles tagged 'HR trends'

It’s Not Easy, But Here’s Where HR Can Add Value to the Business

by Carol Anderson on May 21, 2013, 10:20 AM | 4 Comments

We want a seat at the table? We want to add value? We want to positively influence the success of the business?

OK, then let’s stop giving away one of our best tools – the art and science of performance improvement!

No, not performance management, where managers spend as little time as possible each year providing feedback to employees that is as bland as possible.

I mean real performance improvement; the sort of improvement that gets the attention of executives and builds the bottom line. Performance improvement that brings together the social sciences to examine and adjust human behavior through assessment, action and evaluation. Read more…

Recruiting and Staffing

The 5 Rules of an Engagement-Oriented Recruiting Strategy

by John Touey on May 20, 2013, 9:12 AM | 2 Comments

Let’s face it — the active candidate has become a second-class citizen.

Conventional wisdom says that there continues to be a glut of in-transition executives in the job market. Just post a job on Monster.com and you can expect an avalanche of resumes to bury your inbox. Or, set your corporate recruiter loose on LinkedIn and within a few days, she will be sitting in your office with a stack of profiles from which you can choose your next VP of [insert job title here].

The only catch is that the vast majority of these candidates are either out of work or have something going on in their current companies that is pushing them out the door. Read more…

Recruiting and Staffing, Talent Management

Hiring Wisdom: 10 Steps to Hiring and Retaining a Great Team

by Mel Kleiman on May 20, 2013, 8:10 AM | No comments yet

Take and stay in control of your team.
Share your desire, vision and purpose with your team to move them in the right direction.
Let only positive people on your team.
Your attitude is contagious, so keep it positive.
Don’t waste your time with people who don’t want to be on the team. Read more…

HR News & Trends

Weekly Wrap: Don Rumsfeld’s 8 Rules For Successful Meetings

by John Hollon on May 17, 2013, 12:20 PM | No comments yet

Here’s a question I have heard repeated for years — does anyone out there actually like meetings?

I ask because in the world of business we seem to spend a lot of time in meetings, yet just about everyone I know, and every survey I’ve ever seen, indicates that most people say they would rather endure a root canal than be forced to attend yet another meeting.

John Cleese, the great comedian of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, once did a corporate training video (several of them, actually) titled Meetings, Bloody Meetings, and Cleese, in his wickedly humorous way, did a great job capturing the many things that drive all of us crazy from all the meetings we’re forced to attend. Read more…

Talent Management

10 Tips For Reducing Employee Turnover

by Heather Huhman on May 17, 2013, 11:20 AM | 1 comment

Many people agree turnover is a growing issue, particularly as hiring picks up.

But what are most organizations doing about it, aside from implementing some short-term solutions when they discover it’s a problem?

Reducing employee turnover actually starts with the hiring process — but there are important management aspects to consider as well. Here’s what several experts had to say about the issue: Read more…

HR Insights, Leadership

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…

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 News & Trends

Keynote by Hillary Clinton at SHRM Chicago Will Be Closed to Media

by John Hollon on May 16, 2013, 12:40 PM | 22 Comments

Just when I think I have seen just about everything happen when it comes to dealing with SHRM — the Society for Human Resource Management — something like this pops up and makes you wonder, “What could they be thinking?”

SHRM’s annual conference & exhibition, which is the single largest event in HR each year, will be held this year in Chicago June 16-19. Chicago native and former First Lady/Secretary of State/U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the opening general session on Sunday.

However, SHRM says that the media will NOT be permitted to cover Secretary Clinton’s SHRM speech. 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…