| If you are having difficulty seeing this mail or images in it, you can view it in your Web browser. |
|
| Volume 7, Issue 4 |
|
In This Issue:
 Video resumes
Top 10 toughest questions - asked and answered
Work like you're showing off
Want a superior workforce? Hire the best employees for high performance
Employment ending checklist
 Your brilliant second career
Frenemies at work
Excuse me for doing my job
 Flex-time, time off - who's getting these perks
6 ways to kill your credit score
7 net-worth killers
 Standing out by standing up
 When workers speak out
Most employees believe they can outperform their bosses
The nightmare of too little sleep
 Winning the turnover war
The 2 percent solution: managing merit pay
Getting onboard
 Has HR finally arrived?
A higher standard for managers
HR Execs on the hot seat more than ever before
HR Workers split on what fuels job satisfaction
Employers are the losers in the dating game
|
|
|
 |
Video resumes
Do Employers Want Video Resumes?
If you haven't received your first video resumes from candidates yet, you will shortly.
The buzz is growing and video resumes are the next "cool" thing to do. In fact, the conversation has already moved from whether to make a video resume to how to make a
professional video resume to enhance job applications. So, employers will be seeing video resumes - whether you want them or not. And, most employers appear open to
viewing video resumes. According to career publisher Vault Inc.'s annual employer survey...
Read the article. Back to top
Top 10 toughest questions - asked and answered
Regular emails from readers ask hundreds of questions each year. Patterns emerge about the toughest situations you face in your organizations.
These are the ten toughest, but most frequent, questions you send my way.
I’ve written a how-to piece to answer each question you’ve asked. These articles address and answer your toughest questions.
1. How to Deal With a Negative Coworker: Negativity Matters
Some people exude negativity. They don’t like their jobs or they don’t like ...
Read the article. Back to top
Work like you're showing off
Factors That Drive High Performance
In my 27 years of working with a wide range of companies and organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to HR associations to small businesses, it has become painfully
obvious that, as the old saying goes, success “isn’t rocket science.” My job is to discover and report what high performance organizations and individuals have in common.
What do they do that others don’t? How do they think? What differentiates extraordinary performers from everyone else? It’s a shock to some people to learn that high
performance factors seldom have to do with superior talents or skills, and have much more to do with the simple act of making choices. I’ve come to think of high
performance as showing off. Showing off, as I define it, isn’t about bragging or arrogance...
Read the article. Back to top
Want a superior workforce? Hire the best employees for high performance
Hire the Best Employees. If your goal is a superior, high performance workforce that is focused on continuous improvement, you need to manage people within a performance management and development framework.
When you implement each of these components, you'll ensure the development of the superior workforce you seek. Use this high performance workforce checklist to make
certain you have all of the necessary components in place to develop a superior, high performance workforce. I have provided the specific broad category of practice. Then,
the bullets define the key success areas in each component.
Superior Workforce Checklist
1. Create a documented, systematic hiring process to ensure you hire the best possible staff.
See the Top Ten Recruiting Tips...
Read the article. Back to top
Employment ending checklist
Employees leave your organization for good reasons and bad reasons.
On the positive side, they find new opportunities, go back to school, retire or land their dream job. Less positively, they are fired for poor performance or poor
attendance or experience a layoff because of a business downturn. In each instance, you need an employment termination checklist to help the employee exit process go smoothly...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
Your brilliant second career
Your work experience makes you a valuable commodity. Figure out how you want to parlay it into a new career for yourself.
have always wondered how a kid in his second year of college is supposed to pick a major and then, a couple of years later, dive into a career. At that stage in life,
most folks know almost nothing about the range of careers that are available and have so little life experience. It's no wonder that, in survey after survey, midcareer
professionals report that they "fell into" their areas of specialization. Few, if any, of us, after all, have childhood dreams of becoming a procurement manager, a process
engineer, or a human resources information systems analyst. And yet, here we are. What's exciting these days is that, with average job tenures getting shorter and
shorter and big-company lifetime jobs already a thing of the past, more and more midcareer professionals are finding job happiness in Chapter Two careers—sometimes in
radically different areas from the gigs they've held for the first 15 or 20 years out of college. Still, sitting in your cubicle at XYZ Corp., it can be hard to imagine
yourself taking the necessary steps onto a wildly different career path. Here are some ideas for getting started...
Read the article. Back to top
Frenemies at work
How can a colleague be a pal one day and stab you in the back the next? Here's how to deal with this common workplace peril.
A generation ago, the workplace was a lot more formal than it is now. I am old enough, just barely, to remember when people in offices were called Mr. Smith and Miss Jones,
when bosses were on a higher plane vis-à-vis their employees than most bosses are now, and when telling a risqué joke at work was considered bad behavior. I'm not saying I
want those days back, I'm just pointing out some of the differences in the post-millennium workplace. These days, most business environments are more frenzied,
more casual, and more familiar than they have ever been. Another change is the abundance of very close, intertwined relationships that bridge people's professional
and personal lives. While it certainly wasn't unheard of for people to socialize with colleagues in the past, the sheer amount of time that people spend at work now has left
a lot of people with less time and inclination to develop friendships outside of the office. But the rules are different for these relationships than they are for ones that
have nothing to do with work, and you could easily find yourself with a "frenemy": that hybrid who is part friend and part enemy.
Frenemies at the Gate
A frenemy is a person you spend time with, enjoy talking with, and rely on at work—but you can't completely trust. He or she is so much a part of your working day that a
relationship that isn't strictly business between you two is not just assumed—it's unavoidable. And, day in and day out, it's not unpleasant. But at the same time you
have been burned by this person,...
Read the article. Back to top
Excuse Me for Doing My Job
When you rise in an organization, the bad vibes can rise off other employees like steam in a Turkish bath. Here's how to deal with it.
The very first time I got promoted, the stakes weren't high. There were four customer service reps (average age: 20) in the department. Two people weren't interested in the newly created supervisor position, and my only rival for the job fell asleep at her
desk on a regular basis. So I got the nod, a fifty-cent-an-hour raise, and the cold shoulder from my sleepy rival, whom I was now supervising. My manager sent me off to a supervisory-training course where I sat like a stone, too shy to ask any questions
until the very last session. I finally murmured, "How do you deal with a co-worker who's resentful because I got promoted?" The instructor didn't have an answer for that one. But it happens—all the time. If you're a person who sets career goals and achieves
them, trust me, it will happen to you. Perhaps you've already been a victim of the "how dare you!" effect. That's the iciness directed your way when you do or get something that others feel you had no right to. As wonderful as it feels to be awarded a
promotion or a plum assignment, there are people who will like you a little less (or even a lot less) as a result. [Here's what to do about it]...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Flex-time, time off - who's getting these perks
Some employers understand that your working at the expense of everything else in your life isn't good for you ... or for them.
Employees at the Seattle office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office know that they have to put in 80 hours of work every two weeks. But they can configure those
hours pretty much how they'd like, with the exception of the one day a week their managers require all employees to be at the office at the same time. Plus, they can
work from home for some of the week, or they can work compressed weeks so that they can take every fifth or tenth day off and still log their 80 hours. Those policies are why
that GAO office is among the recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan awards for excellence in workplace flexibility given by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) every year.
Three-quarters of big organizations now offer flexible-work benefits, according to Hewitt Associates. Watson Wyatt in its survey of mid- and large-sized companies found
that flexible work schedules was the most commonly offered benefit, followed by telecommuting and compressed work weeks. But just because an HR policy exists doesn't
mean that your employer has your back if you're afraid to take advantage of it. That's why FWI recognizes employers that have flexibility policies that are both innovative
and regularly used by employees. Here are just a few examples from among FWI's 2007 winners...
Read the article. Back to top
6 Ways to Kill Your Credit Score
A low score means higher rates. Here's how you may be doing yourself harm.
Lenders, insurers, landlords and others will charge you more or flat-out reject you if you show up with a low FICO score. Here's how you may be doing yourself harm...
Read the article. Back to top
7 Net-Worth Killers
Saving and spending aren't the only factors affecting your net worth. How you manage (or don't manage) your assets and liabilities can make a big difference, too.
...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
Standing out by standing up
Knowing when--and how--to fight your corner is a crucial office survival skill.
Bonnie Harris acknowledges she can get "pissy" with her employees. So she knew it took courage for them to ask if she could switch their weekly 7:30 a.m. staff meeting to 8
a.m. It might seem like a small change, but it wasn't to Harris, a self-described workaholic. Still, it was because of how they asked that she granted their request.
"They were very charming about it," says Harris, then a manager at the tech company Renaissance Worldwide, which was acquired by Aquent in 2001. Knowing how to stand up
for yourself at work is an essential skill. Whether you're being overworked, treated unfairly or micromanaged, the way to successfully stick up for yourself is to remain
professional...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
When workers speak out
From Enron's collapse to the U.S. attorneys scandal, whistleblowers play a crucial role in exposing employer wrongdoing. Yet, the laws protecting them are varied and confusing.
While more and more employees are filing suits claiming they should be protected as whistleblowers, employers are getting increasingly confused over what the term really
means -- and with good reason. Originally, the term "whistleblower" referred to employees who reported, or attempted to report, fraud in government contracts. However,
as the statutes have evolved, the term has also been attached to protections for any employee trying to exercise various rights under labor statutes or working to protect
the public interest. Today, the way the term is used varies according to the statute under which an employee brings a claim. Over the past 40 years, more than 90 laws and
regulations have been enacted by the federal government alone. States are not far behind. Some states have passed specific whistleblower laws, while others lump the
protections into public policy exceptions developed through state law. It's not surprising that most employers are confused about exactly what "whistleblower" really
means or how they can protect their company from exposure if a claim is made. The first step is to understand...
Read the article. Back to top
Most employees believe they can outperform their bosses
Two-thirds of executives also say they would like to replace their bosses one day, according to a new survey.
Is life easier in the corner office? Most employees seem to think so. Seventy-three percent of executive-level employees believe they would do a better job than their
current boss, according to a new survey. The executive quiz, conducted by Korn/Ferry, a Los
Angeles-based talent-management firm, also found that more than two-thirds of respondents would like to one day takeover their bosses' jobs. Korn/Ferry surveyed
2,996 executives...
Read the article. Back to top
The Nightmare of Too Little Sleep
Blame the BlackBerry, blame the boss, blame the kids. A look at how busy professionals cope.
What he found instead were strung-out employees taking catnaps at their desks. "You're working way too hard, and it was never expected that you'd be tired, or get sick," says Greenleaf. "Most of the time, you're kind of there, but you're not." Feeling bored and
miserable, he quit after just seven months. Today, at the helm of Greenleaf Books, an Austin, Texas-based independent-press publishing company he launched in 1997, Greenleaf
makes sure all 25 of his employees know they can go home when they're too sleepy -- or come in late, or take the whole day off. "As long as they get the job done, it's fine,"
says Greenleaf, 31. As a result, staffers are generally well-rested and alert most of the time, he says -- though with seven pregnancies among them in less than a year,
including his own baby daughter born just weeks ago, they can expect more than a few sleepless nights ahead. Yet whether it's the result of overwork or a crying baby at
home, sleep deprivation isn't just an employee's problem...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
Winning the turnover war
One of the characteristics of war is that the generals tend to fight the last battle. In the turnover war, these generals are both human resource managers and the operating managers who directly supervise workers.
To win that final struggle, these generals have to know which weapon will best deliver the fatal blow. In the last turnover war, HR leaders focused on pay and used a
carpet-bombing approach to meet their objectives. The motto of this war was "Show me the money." The turnover war of the future, however, is about much more than money —
it's about targeting the specific outcomes required to win. In this war, generals need smart bombs to hit the high-value targets of the turnover war and its big brother, the
talent war. To successfully wield these weapons, HR leaders must first determine what the turnover war is all about and why it's important to win...
Read the article. Back to top
The 2 percent solution: managing merit pay
|
Compensation is just such a major topic, it's something that companies have to constantly re-evaluate, talk to people about and certainly do research in the market," |
|
Managing merit pay effectively contributes to creating a stronger workforce, and it enables businesses to reach their goals.
Certainly, merit increases are not a stand-alone solution, but when effectively deployed, they can be a valuable tool to help employees progress in their jobs and
careers. Although seemingly small — in the ballpark of 2 percent — merit increases can contribute significantly to aligning pay with performance for the business and
employees. First, as a point of clarification, the merit increase is just the component of the annual salary increase related to the employees' merit, and it does not include
cost of living, promotional increases or market adjustments. In its simplest interpretation, the merit increase is what allows employees to progress within the
salary range for their jobs. In contrast, cost-of-living increases move the whole salary range, and promotional increases move the employee from the range for one job to
that for the next. Effectively managing merit pay requires a system that establishes the following guidelines:
• Establish a pay philosophy that supports pay for performance.
• Coordinate with all other pay-for-performance programs.
• Understand external market conditions and ensure pay is market competitive.
• Communicate the financial incentives and how decisions are made.
Limitations of Traditional Compensation Programs
When developing compensation programs, many corporations make the mistake of either applying a peanut-butter approach — rewarding all employees equally — or applying an
unstructured program that might seem arbitrary and unfair to employees. Both of these approaches can lead to unsatisfied...
Read the article. Back to top
Getting onboard
An often-overlooked aspect of assimilating a new external executive into a company is not getting that person onboard with the organization but vice versa.
When the new executive takes the reins of leadership, the question then becomes whether the team is ready to be led. Every seasoned manager comes into a new business with a
sense of excitement and anxiety. There's excitement about the opportunities promised during the interview process and anxiety in discovering the unknowns. A newcomer might
experience a love-hate relationship with the new team and peers — the organization loves the fresh perspective, new ideas and new practices but hates that the new person
just won't leave things alone. The new leader wants to lead change. One of the best tools to overcome resistance to new leaders is a set of assimilation questions.
Although deceptively simple on the surface, these questions can help a new leader and the organization in profound ways. They are based on the notion that meaningful
relationship building and an open exchange serve as a solid platform for leadership. I've used four key topics with leaders and...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
Has HR Finally Arrived?
Has HR arrived? Not quite, author and consultant Dave Ulrich says. But good human resource practices can create demonstrable value for an organization’s
key stake-holders, Ulrich argues, and prove that HR is worthy of that seat at the table.
Are we there yet? This is the refrain that children ask parents over and over as they journey to their desired destination. At times, the question gets redundant and tiring, but it still needs to be answered. It is the same question that seems to be
repeated over and over by many HR professionals. Are we there yet? Are we having an impact? Are we considered credible? Are we really partners, players or drivers (pick the metaphor) for the business? The answer to this question lies in rethinking how we
in HR approach our work...
Read the article. Back to top
A higher standard for managers
As Caterpillar enters its 82nd year in business in 2007, managers are being held accountable like never before. Direct supervisors are responsible for helping
employees map out long-term career paths. They are expected to closely observe employee behavior to ensure that newly acquired knowledge is applied on the job.
Chris Arvin is committed to nurturing managers at Caterpillar Inc. The company, which makes tractors, earthmovers and other heavy construction equipment, is trying to
fend off domestic and foreign competitors. Having a highly productive and engaged workforce is pivotal in an industry in which margins are tight and talent wars intense. Arvin, 40, the dean of leadership at Caterpillar University, knows strong managers
can serve as lodestars who guide employees to achieve extraordinary things. Likewise, poor managers have the opposite effect, leading to dissatisfied employees and higher turnover....
Read the article. Back to top
HR Execs On the Hot Seat More Than Ever Before
Be careful what you wish for, HR. More than ever, human resource professionals are getting that long-desired “seat at the table,” with company execs seeking HR’s help in setting talent-related strategy.
But with great power comes great responsibility--an potentially un welcome publicity, says Fred Foulkes, professor of organizational behaviour at Boston University.
“More and more CEOs see the significance of HR being a competitive weapon,” he says. “As a result of that, expectations are really up.” One sign of the times is the presence of HR professionals on boards of directors. Another is the public scrutiny this year
of Dennis Donovan, Home Depot’s former HR top dog. After the home improvement retailer’s embattled CEO, Robert Nardelli, quit in January, Donovan left, entitled to a multimillion-dollar severance package thanks to a clause in his employment agreement.
Greater expectations for HR leaders is among the key issues facing the profession these days...
Read the article. Back to top
HR, Workers Split On What Fuels Job Satisfaction
Compensation and benefits are the factors that most heavily influence whether someone likes his or her job—and 79 percent of the respondents in SHRM’s 2007 Job Satisfaction survey are happy at work.
HR professionals rate relationships with managers higher in determining a worker’s job satisfaction than employees themselves do, according to a new Society for Human
Resource Management report released Sunday, June 24 at the organization's annual conference and exposition taking place in Las Vegas. Compensation and benefits
are the factors that most heavily influence whether someone likes his or her job—and 79 percent of the respondents in SHRM’s 2007 Job Satisfaction survey are happy at work.
SHRM polled 713 of its members and 604 employees, who were randomly selected by an outside organization. The survey was released Sunday at the SHRM Annual
Conference & Exposition. The top five issues rated as “very important” by employees
are...
Read the article. Back to top
Corporate Employers Are the Losers in the Dating Game
The resignation of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz underscores the problems companies face when employees date each other.
There are no ironclad guarantees that employers can protect themselves from liability as a result of workplace romance—an issue dominating recent World Bank news—but experts say companies can take steps to minimize that risk.
The steps include policies on conflicts of interest and sexual harassment, procedures to respond to complaints, and training for employees and supervisors.
There has been considerable focus on the issue given the controversy surrounding World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz, who arranged a salary increase and supported
a promotion for his companion. Last week, having secured from the bank board a statement that he did act ethically, he resigned effective June 30.
Observers say attempting to ban workplace romances altogether is unrealistic. About 40 percent of employees report being involved in a workplace romance at some point in their careers, according to the 2006 Workplace Romance Survey by the Society for
Human Resource Management and The Wall Street Journal’s CareerJournal.com Web site.
"It’s just human nature. It’ll happen," says Diana L. Hoover, an attorney with Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw in Houston...
Read the article. Back to top
|
|
|
Forward to a Friend:
Do you have a friend that would like to receive HRWatchsm?
Perhaps you know a peer within your organization, or associate at a partner company that would
benefit from applying to receive this publication. Inviting a friend to experience the benefits
of joining the BusinessWatch Network is easy! Just FW: this newsletter to the person you know who
may have an interest and ask them to click here http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com Your friend will be glad you did!
|
|
|
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from HRWatchsm
simply change your status,
or send a letter requesting opt-off to:
The BusinessWatch Network Privacy Mailbox, 1321, Marblehead, MA. 01945
DISCLAIMER: HRWatchsm and the BusinessWatch Networksm are service marks of DMS.
All other trademarks or service marks contained in this email are the property of their respective owners.
At the time of publication, all links in this e-mail functioned properly. However, since many links point
to sites other than businesswatchnetwork.com, some links may become invalid as time passes.
DMS Inc. supports the DMA Privacy Promise and
Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice. We are committed to the proper use of
email and to protecting consumers from fraudulent or inappropriate
offers. Privacy Policy
|
|
|
| |
