From the White House to the Workplace

Turn on your TV, radio, or take a drive – everywhere you turn political banter is being tossed at you like a bad infomercial at 3am. And, being merely weeks away from Election Day, we know it will only get worse as the political arena heats up. With all this taking place outside the office, it is inevitable that some would find its way into our workplace conversations and relationships.

From an HR perspective, while not a legally protected status, political views can often times have the same effect on employees as discussing other sensitive issues, such as gender / sex-related content or jokes, religious matters, income or salaries, etc. By allowing these conversations to take place during work hours, you run the risk of having employees feel alienated within their teams, offended, uncomfortable, or worse – the exchange can turn confrontational. Some cases have also made the link between political conversation and harassment via the hostile work environment clause¹.

 According to CareerBuilder’s last survey on politics at work², 36% of workers discuss politics at work, while 46% stated that they plan to discuss this year’s presidential election with their co-workers. Of those who discussed politics at work, more than one in five – approximately 23% – said it led to a heated work exchange or fight with a work colleague. At the same time, only about 25% of organizations have a written policy on political activities, according to a survey conducted during the last presidential election by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Other things to think about, legally, are that our notion of ‘Freedom of Speech’ is not wholly guaranteed in a private workplace, only in public places, and where it does exist in these organizations, is constrained under certain circumstances, specifically:

§  Within state and local municipality laws that provide protections to employees during off-duty hours

§  When the NLRA protections are enforced for your workforce. These can be for both at the workplace and away from work.

o   More specifically, these begin to kick in if an employer is stating support for specific candidates, parties, etc. in terms of the conditions of employment – tying political speech to workers’ employment situation

§  Private sector employers have a right to forbid use of company e-mail for distributing political banter, cartoons, etc., and, they can restrict t-shirts or buttons with ‘political flare’, if the employee deals directly with customers.

This line can get even blurrier and harder to walk for federal or state government employers; many in these industries have solidified policies outlining exactly what, and when, employees can talk about regarding their political views. However, for those in private or public companies, taking a hard stance or creating over-reaching policies may not just be ineffective, they could be a breeding ground for resentment and mistrust.

Best practices tend to fall somewhere in the middle – realizing that different beliefs, values, and opinions are unique to every individual and should be respected as such, but it is also in the best interests of management and HR to keep the workplace as amiable and united as possible. In a teamwork environment, an issue like politics can more-often-than-not be polarizing and divergent – a cancer that can eat away at your business, customers, and moral.

Until next time, be Inspirational!

1.     http://www2.law.ucla.edu/volokh/harass/breadth.htm

2.     http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2012/03/01/is-it-politically-incorrect-to-talk-politics-in-the-office/ 

September is National Preparedness Month

This year marks the nation’s ninth annual National Preparedness Month, in honor of September 11^th. Events can be found around the country to educate the public on various events such as natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist attacks. It is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Department of Homeland Security. To find an event near your organization, visit: http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectId=191603&exp=e1

Disaster preparedness and management takes on a much more complex tone from an HR perspective than that of the everyday person. Human Resources, concurrently with Safety professionals, are typically considered the gatekeepers of these plans, and need to be proactively thinking about all of the “what-ifs” and possible scenarios that could affect your workforce. Because there are a million and one contingencies that are possible, start with analyzing your business, your workforce, and your environment. ‘Disaster and Operations Continuity Planning’ needs to include the two important steps at the outset: consider the entirety of hazards that may occur, and then assess the probabilities of any such disaster occurring and begin planning for those with the highest degree or probability. The focus must also be sufficiently broad to include planned disasters (terrorism, epidemics) and unplanned disasters (flood, hurricane, earthquake, etc). Thus, disaster planning for continuity of operations must be aware of the types of hazards presented while devoting its attention to those with the highest probability of occurrence. Once this analysis has been completed, the organization should direct its attention to disasters in the context of the work sites being operational, versus work sites being closed, and develop its plans considering both possibilities.¹ You will also need to think about how your employees are effected by the disaster external to your business operations – if their family, home, transportation, etc. was impacted negatively, what is your company’s course of action, and can this be done on a large scale (should several employees be impacted similarly).

According to the NFPA1600’s New National Standard, an employer’s disaster preparedness plan should include the following:

• Evacuation procedures should be published to every employee and evacuation drills (as well as fire drills) should be routinely conducted.
• Maintain accurate emergency contact information to reach employees and next of kin.
• Establish and publicize mechanisms (e.g., web site, telephone chain, recorded announcement) through which the employer may apprise its employees of any pertinent developments.
• Reassess the means and manner in which critical information is stored, both physically and electronically to prevent irreparable physical damage from crippling the company’s operations.
• Review existing property, casualty, business interruption, life and other insurance policies, and modify such coverage where necessary or prudent.

As always, legal review of the plan is advised, as well as periodic updates as your business grows and changes so that the plan remains relevant to your workforce. After development of the plan, training and communication of the procedures are crucial to execution.

As you go through the plan, make sure to take note of things like continuing compensation and benefits plans during a disaster, other benefits such as leaves of absence, technology issues, labor relations/union issues (should they apply), alternative work arrangements and schedules, safety evacuations and transportation issues, workplace violence and security, and communication to employees during a disaster.²

Until next time, be Inspirational!

¹ http://www.shrm.org/about/membership/Pages/EmergencyPreparedness.aspx

² http://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/Toolkits/Pages/ManagingEmergencyandDisaster.aspx

August Uncertainty

Hello again to all my blog readers! The warm August winds are sweeping past us, children are donning their newest back-to-school gear, and employees everywhere are wrapping up last-minute summer vacations, as Labor Day weekend will signal the close of summer. Heading into fall, we have plenty of things to keep us on our toes; political uncertainty / upcoming elections (watch for an upcoming blog post on politics in the workplace!), international economic uncertainty, stalling US job growth, and the lack of qualified talent for available jobs (i.e. “US Talent Crisis”). 

According to the most recent PriceWaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) “U.S. Private Company Trendsetter Barometer”, half of leading private companies were optimistic about the U.S. economy, but nearly the same percentage remained uncertain, citing the painfully slow U.S. economic recovery and the continued fluctuation in the Eurozone. This up-and-down movement in “Trendsetter” confidence has been a consistent pattern over the past several years and signals a prevailing sense of uncertainty, leading to talent and strategic operating decisions that have a trickle-down effect on the entire working population. Other statistics from “Trendsetter” to take note of: 86% expect positive revenue growth over the next year, though they plan a slight scaling back in spending; only 54% of Trendsetter companies looking to add new employees; and 68% of companies cite potential lack of demand as their major growth barrier, while 48% are also concerned about legislative/regulatory pressures (leading us squarely back to political uncertainty and the upcoming elections).

So, where does that leave us? Enter in Creative Talent Management. Not to say that you haven’t been utilizing these tools all along, but with the vast majority of surveys out there¹ currently putting us at a national unemployment rate of 8% by the end of 2012, down only by .2% from this summer, so it’s good to refresh the memory. Best practices in creative staffing management range so vastly by market that oftentimes we dismiss trends as something that would be inapplicable to our industry just because it’s being used elsewhere (i.e. a trend in the IT world does not always translate to a successful implementation in a traditional manufacturing facility); however, I challenge you to become more open- minded when thinking through your options. Ask how something could be modified to work for your workforce, rather than dismiss it, and possibly create something new and great in the process. You will also find that no matter how great the solution, it more often-than-not becomes not about the solution itself, but how it is received; therefore, think about how you will spin this idea to employees, and you may even be able to add a ‘perk’ to your list of benefits!

Flexible work arrangements are by far the most popular staffing management tool. Any number of things can fall into this category, but start with thinking about your employee base; can you offer anyone a job-share program? Do you have office staff who would relish the idea of a four day workweek (often times, in the summer, referred to as “summer hours”, “summer schedule”, etc.)? Could you create more flexibility within specific departments that may be experiencing a slow period, offering free half days or leave early for employees in those departments? For employers in educational fields or healthcare, oftentimes you can open up time to employees to take a hiatus to do research, pro-bono work, etc. Also make sure to take a hard look at telecommuting, which is often overlooked, for those employees who need little interaction to complete their work. Whatever the option that you look at, just remember to tout the benefits of the added flexibility you are offering; studies show that as much as 81 percent of the U.S. workforce might be looking for other opportunities, thus the engagement and retention of your top talent is at risk, which directly impacts the success and sustainability of your organization. Flexibility is one of the best tools you can use to retain and attract top talent (especially with the Millennial/Gen Y generation), and close the skills gap.

Temporary employees, independent contractors, consultants, Co-Ops, and more are another realm of creative staffing that every HR leader should utilize as much as possible when economic signals create uncertainty. Typically the benefits in hiring through these means outweigh the perceived drawbacks, specifically cost and quality of hire. For temporary employees, make sure to develop a close relationship of mutual trust with your staffing agencies in order to get the best candidates, customer service, and pricing.

Layoffs, voluntary or involuntary, should typically be a last resort, unless you are using a voluntary layoff in lieu of a flexible work arrangement. However, even then, the word “layoff” evokes fear and anxiety in employees – whether they are affected or not. Other companies, who would otherwise be faced with a layoff situation, strategically utilize “shut downs” or market the move as something different. Another useful tool to utilize when faced with a layoff situation is performance management. Making sure to retain your top talent and reduce your bottom 5% through these metrics is oftentimes an easier outlet if trimming needs to take place.

As always, hiring while implementing these practices can create an added layer of confusion, both for current employees and for those being brought on-board. Best to keep communications open, and if you can, pull from within before hiring externally, or pull from an existing temp pool. According to recent employers surveys, most employers plan to add strategic positions, but hold steady otherwise, leading to continue the tread of low-job growth that began back in June.  

Until next time, Be Inspirational!

1.     At its June 2012 meeting, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors forecasted the nation’s unemployment rate to range from 7.8 percent to 8.4 percent at the end of 2012. The National Association of Business Economics 2012 outlook survey said they expect unemployment to fall to 8 percent sometime in the fourth quarter of 2012.

♫ Schools out for the Summer ♫

The days are getting longer, the breeze is getting warmer, and the everywhere you turn there are graduation caps flying through the air. It’s hard not to smile at the ambitious, enthusiastic, I-can-now-take-on-the-world look of the shiny new graduates with those precious pieces of paper clutched in their hands. For those graduating high school, the recession has severely shaped their frame of mind and ambitions – with nearly 69% of graduates planning to attend college (60% at four-year universities, 9% at community colleges or technical programs)¹, with financial security in mind. Meanwhile, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 1,781,000 students at the bachelor's degree level will graduate as the college Class of 2012. The NCES national employer survey results indicated that employers will be looking to hire about 19.7% of this year’s grads, with the median salary currently at $42,569.

For those employers looking ahead at the impending talent crisis, a great option, if available, is to set up a job shadowing program with local high schools, technical schools, and maybe even four-year colleges. Not only is this a great way to introduce yourself as an employer, but it will help to guide future employees into fields that they had maybe never considered, and provide a realistic job preview, versus what they may envision due to media, school, and other sources. Creating a robust internship is also crucial - read last month's post (http://inspirationalhumanresources.blogspot.com/2012/05/very-very-intern-esting.html) for more on that!

For those employees who currently work while going to school, graduation can take on a whole new meaning; new job potential in terms of growth, meeting employer expectations for your current role, or perhaps a pay increase for your new skillset. HR departments will need to set this expectation early on with employees and remain consistent; typically policies that reward employees for improving their education with additional pay and job responsibilities see less turnover and increased company loyalty, however, whether or not your organization paid for the additional education, you should only reward employees in this manner for schooling related to their current/future roles, or potential roles within your company. For those that make it a habit to not do anything for employees upon graduation, don't be surprised when your newly minted graduates leave at their first opportunity. If you do pay for tuition, and don't plan to reward the employee upon graduation, make sure you have a clause in your policy for payback or that they must work for you for a certain period of time (but that the policy does not change the employee-at-will relationship!).

For those companies’ looking to attract this year’s grads, a new Towers Watson survey that was just published shows that the most important job factors for attracting younger employees is as follows:

1.) Job security  

2.) Base Pay  

3.) Health Care Benefits  

4.) Vacation / PTO

5.) Reputable Workplace  

6.) Commute   

7.) Career Development  

8.) Retirement Benefits.

Why is this earthshattering you say? Not only is “Base Pay” not first on their minds (which wouldn’t be a first, but is still uncommon) but “Job Security” is first – something clearly affected by the recession. Also, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen “Retirement Benefits” enter into the top ten. This is a clear indicator for employers to review the way they position their offers to new grads, and need to start ‘selling’ what they offer in terms of security and retirement as part of the whole package – usually something that is either glossed over or unaddressed entirely.

On a completely different note, for those employees who are parents of the new grad, this will also come as a busy, albeit stressful time of year. Tuition payments are at an all-time high, with public universities seeing increases around 110% since 2000. A great out-of-the-box benefit that many companies (that can afford to do so) do is to set up a scholarship fund for employee’s family members. Another option is to set up an internship program or summer work program for employee family members who are currently in school, which will not only help teach them job skills and responsibility, but also off set some of the schooling costs.When deployed correctly, these types of solutions can greatly affect the loyalty and moral of your workforce.

Until next time, be inspirational!

1    United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 report

Very very INTERN-esting...

Conceptually, the idea of internships, co-ops, or student workers isn’t a new or radically improved idea. So why are we talking about it this month? Because it’s not something that many companies do very well. And when there is potential for substantial ROI with a program that requires very little extra resources, it makes one stop and wonder why more isn’t being invested into these programs. Internships and programs like them, starting at the recruitment phase, is basically marketing your company to the next generation of employees. Even if you don’t hire them, getting your name out there as a potential employer is important, as the high-potential students, who then later become your high-potential employees, will remember you with a favorable association.

If you do have the opportunity to take these young, blossoming employees-to-be under your wing, the situation can get even better, or can get substantially worse. If, let’s say, you hire a group of interns, talk to them during their orientation on their first day, then drop them off at their communal office and never see them until their last day – perhaps wave at them every once and awhile and say “Hi” at the company picnic – you have no idea what their impressions are of your company. You don’t know if their being given all the information that is necessary for them to succeed, you don’t know if they even want to consider you as a potential employer, and with one swipe of a forefinger, they're letting everyone in their social network know not to come work for you. And yes, the economy is down right now, but if you’re in a similar situation to over half of the nations’ employers, where you see many of your management retiring in the next ten years, you will want these young, talented individuals.

However, if you hire that same group of interns, orient them and create a specific, structured onboarding program for them wherein they are introduced to not only their department, but all the departments, through various measures such as lunch and learns, group meetings with key leaders, presentations at the end on their key projects to a core group of management, etc., you will make them feel integrated, important, and leave them wanting to work for your company – which is something they will feel free to share with their social network as well.

Also important to note that while employing interns, whether paid or unpaid, it is crucial to follow all current legislation surrounding these employment relationships; this will also do substantial harm to the employer brand.

Ideally, this relationship is win-win; students increase their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and gain real-world experience in their chosen field, and may also have an opportunity to join the company after the internship has concluded, and employers gain inexpensive labor at the cost of training, as well as expanding their “employer brand” into the next generation, while grooming potential employees.

Until next time, be inspirational! 

In like a Lion, out like a Lamb…

Welcome friends and followers! March has blown into the Midwest with an outstanding display of warm weather, blooming flowers, and increased vacation days. Records have been broken, shorts have been pulled out, and suntans have even begun to surface – however – many are still holding out for the other shoe to drop, referencing back to the old English proverb “in like a lamb, out like a lion” (or vice versa). But enough of the weather lore – what does this have to do with HR?

As I began writing this month’s blog, it occurred to me that weather is not the only thing people hold out reservations for; in fact, most do this pretty regularly in everything. Not wanting to seem too trusting, not wanting to look like a fool, your employees are constantly holding out, waiting for the bad news. From an HR perspective, this is bad, bad, bad. Preoccupation with negative company actions, not reaching full potential because employees are holding back, or consistently checking to see if the grass is truly greener on the other side by interviewing with competitors are all side effects from this epidemic. These issues come to pass when clear, concise top-down communication is not at play and withholding information from employees is a common practice.

Now, everyone take a heavy sigh. This is not new news. Nor is this incredibly insightful. It is, however, common sense. And while every top-level leader in the organization says they have open communication with their staff, they support an open-door policy, and they don’t withhold information from their employees, only about half of their employees would agree. However, I am not really concerned about the top-level managers – more often than not, where information gets lost in translation, or just plain left out, is somewhere in the middle, leaving the masses of your lower-level employees uninformed and fearing the unknown.

What can we do? I have a favorite saying, that I’m sure I share with many of you: Keep It Simple Stupid. Employee problems always start and end with HR – let’s not kid ourselves there. Start with recruiting individuals with the right cultural fit, and give them a realistic job preview – don’t sugar-coat the job, or make it more glamorous, because once they get here, disappointment and disillusionment will lead to distrust. Secondly, be an advocate for your employees – if you see that your middle managers are leaving them in the dark, or information is not getting out to your employee base is a timely fashion, figure out a way to make it work. Quarterly meetings? Monthly webinars? A newsletter? Whatever works for your organization, you need to become the change agent and insist that transparent communication (as much as possible) occur from a company-wide perspective. Do not leave this up to the direct managers – the daily grind will get in the way of something they may not see as imperative, and thus the breakdown in communication will occur. While group meetings to discuss current projects, issues, etc. should be theirs to plan, communication on the over-all company needs to take place at a higher level, and many times this will fall to HR (some larger companies will have a communications dept. – utilize them!). We want our employees to feel secure with the information we are telling them, secure with their positions, and with the company, so that they can become fully engaged and spend all the time they used to predicting what was going to happen next making your business more profitable and better for your customers.

Until next time… Be Inspirational! 

Feeling the Love

February is flying past us at a rapid pace, and for most managers and HR professionals, the shortest month is also that which is associated with the most dreaded activity of the year; performance reviews. Recent data by SuccessFactors polling HR professionals tells us that nearly eight in 10 companies conduct performance appraisals; of those, 72% reported being only “somewhat satisfied”, “not very satisfied” or “extremely dissatisfied” with the process.

At best, what is supposed to be a forthright, transparent conversation between managers and subordinates for the benefit of their performance becomes a meaningless, inflexible annual ritual in which we must put complicated human behaviors and actions into simplified numeric or generic categories to fulfill a directive. At worst, managers abuse the systems by inflating ratings of favored employees while deflating the accomplishments of others, otherwise known as the halo effect. And while study after study has shown this process to be ineffective and unwanted, there is little left to take its place, as companies need measurement data to support compensation decisions, as well as termination decisions. 

So how do we get back on track without throwing the baby out with the bathwater? How do we start using this process as a performance management tool instead of a compensation tool? How do we use these conversations as opportunities for improvement, so that employees “feel the love” for their efforts, rather than making them a check on managers’ lists?

The answer may not come easy – there’s not an app for that. Because attitudes towards this process have developed over decades, it only makes sense that a major shift in not only how the process works, but how people think about it, will take some significant time. And while there are many best practices out there to help guide us, I will only touch on a few, and I encourage you to contact me with your ideas if you have fought this battle and won!

If you are looking for a complete overhaul, first consider going electronic if you have not already done so – paper forms inhibit doing things remotely for both employees and managers, and it’s also easier for both to go into the system and add notes throughout the year as they come to mind, making the year-end results much more accurate. Another idea is to break down one-and-done mindset – ensuring that employees and managers have consistent, timely feedback. My favorite initiation of this includes having the managers rate each employee on a quarterly basis (keeping to the bell curve may or may not be enforced at this stage) and include comments as to reasoning; for year-end ratings, you then simply calibrate these ratings altogether giving you the annual score. While no paperwork would is needed for these quarterly meetings, managers would schedule them with their subordinates to discuss their current performance – and as ratings would not be communicated at this meetings, the honest feedback is imperative here. This process alleviates the annual year-end crunch for managers and HR, gives employees timely feedback, and reduces the potential for issues like the halo effect and insufficient substantiation.

Other alternatives for those not looking for a major change include creating set expectations for what constitutes a particular rating, calibration group sessions, and peer reviews. Creating set expectations for each rating would include a written description of what behaviors and actions constitute the ideal embodiment of a particular rating. Many find this helpful when managers throughout the company are not on the same page rating-wise. Calibration group sessions are more fitting for executive level groups, and are usually done off-site with a third party. Managers at a certain level gather in a room, designate certain areas of the room as rating buckets, and every employee’s name goes on a post-it note. Each manager then puts that person’s post-it in the area in which they believe they rank; from there, the discussion takes place in order to not only ensure the bell curve, but also alleviate any disproportionate rankings by any certain manager (i.e. a manager who considers themselves a “hard rater” never gives out high ratings would be forced by the group to do so if warranted). This tool is also useful so that talent at that level is exposed to many different managers, and bench strength can be discussed with the visual tool of the post-its. Lastly, peer reviews, notably toted by Google, are in addition to a peer review and manager review; typically the employee must choose a specified number of peers to review them (usually those whom the employee works most closely).

So, while the dissent is getting louder, I wouldn’t plan on a total eradication of the performance review process. It is still a much-needed practice, and an inherently good one – it’s just about finding out what works for your employees and company.

Until next time – Be Inspirational!

Resolving to Change

A new year – a fresh start, a new leaf, that new resolution -  a time when everyone takes a long look back at the time that’s past, and a hopeful look into the future of those things that are yet to come. As HR professionals, it can be an exceptionally busy time, as we’re wrapping up any 2011 initiatives, gathering incoming data to finalize presentations, metrics, etc. for the previous year, as well as kick-starting any new year communications and/or programs, end-of-year reviews, and merit increases. It is also the start of the “unofficial” recruiting season – a fact that many managers will see not only due to increased interviews and new faces, but increased turnover and workload for existing employees.

In the midst of all this, it’s easy to lose sight of January’s biggest HR opportunity – change.

The atmosphere is prime for people to be ready for change, and smart companies will seize that opportunity to re-brand, re-communicate, re-engage, as well as re-position themselves externally in the market for new talent. Utilizing last year’s data, now is the time to make your case for the next big step needed for your workforce.

In order for this to not feel like “the flavor of the month”, you’ll need to do your homework, and depending upon what you’re tackling, that could mean a little or a lot. What really matters most is to separate fact from fiction, and to remain completely unbiased, something that is remarkably hard to find, even in HR. Too often we hear that change needs to come from the top – down, however, when making a massive change, the most successful companies are able to create a grass-roots-like movement, with employees embracing the change faster than the C-Suite. Taking off those rose-colored glasses, we will see that sometimes the best solutions for our everyday use arise somewhere in between – creating momentum in the employee base, while still gaining top management support.

By utilizing the actual data, you will also be able to take on what is really plaguing your workforce, not just what you hear the most complaints on, or what your executives think needs work. You should also try to have data from multiple sources, not just one area; for instance, exit surveys may show employees who are leaving due to certain employment factors, but an engagement surveys may show why those employees who are not leaving are still in the game, and what their concerns are. If you have resounding concerns from both in certain categories, full steam ahead – if not, further study may be needed to find out where to go from here.

Re-branding and re-positioning externally takes looking at your employee value proposition – i.e. what do you offer to potential candidates that your competitors don’t – and how to set yourself in the market of prospective job seekers. As Q1 hiring picks up, you’ll need to be thinking about this, and crafting your recruitment strategy for 2012 to align with it. Again, you will find that data from the previous year(s) will be instrumental in this process, as talent gaps, bench weaknesses, and recruitment support issues will not go away just because the calendar flipped – analyze what is taking place, how it is affecting your business, and what resources are available to you with the appropriate ROI to create a solvent solution.

Remember, there is always something to improve upon, even if it’s minor, to increase productivity, accuracy, customer service, communications, etc., and if you take the appropriate steps to realize these opportunities and seize them when your audience is seasoned for it, you can ensure success (of course, you need to also have an airtight communication plan, business reasoning, etc., but more on that in later months). By taking these minor steps as they come, you can find yourself moving from talking about best practices to accomplishing them.

As always, Be Inspirational!