World of Pain or Golden Opportunity? Building the Right Framework for HRIS ImplementationsWhether you are a Project Manager or an HR Executive providing direction, and whether you are putting in place a payroll system, Employee Portal or recruitment system, what can you do to ensure that the odds of success are stacked in your favour?
Thought Leader: David Isaacs on Cultivating Collective Intelligence and InnovationDavid Isaacs is co-founder of The World Café and President of Clearing Communications. With partner Juanita Brown, David co-authored The World Café - Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter. He recently spoke with Karen Elmhirst on his recent work.
Russia: Defining the Expatriate LandscapeWhile Russia is no longer considered a hardship location, it nevertheless presents a number of
challenges that can exasperate even the most seasoned of expatriates and HR managers; from Prudential Relocation..
Pain or Gain? The Importance of Curriculum for Assignee Families and Their TeenagersTrainers for Prudential Relocation´s Intercultural Global Workforce Development (GWD) find that assignee families with teenagers must cope with a unique anxiety: the loss of a familiar school and its curriculum; from Prudential Relocation.
Change of Tenancy Laws and Effect on Corporate Policies in Hong KongIn order to soften the impact of such dramatic changes on the residential leasing market, a transitional arrangement to help landlords and tenants of existing tenancies before the legislative amendment cope with the change was created; from Prudential Relocation.
Moving Household Goods InternationallyMoving across the street or even across state lines is one thing. But what about when the move is international? Then, the company and employee are no longer just dealing with the basics of packing, storage, and van line coordination; from Prudential Relocation.
Australia: Avoiding Pitfalls of Perceived Cultural SimilaritiesWhile on the surface there appears to be many similarities between U.S. American and Australian cultures, there are a host of cultural differences for which your relocating employees need to be prepared; from Prudential Relocation.
Best Practices in International Business and Short-term Assignment BenefitsVacations can be exciting and we often plan for months, if not years, for that two weeks. But why don´t we take the same amount of time to prepare for, or help our employee´s prepare for, business travel and short-term assignments? From Prudential Relocation.
Relocation 2010: Prudential Relocation´s Trend InventoryThis proven concept, from Prudential Relocation, is designed to identify the most important issues that affect the relocation industry and offer solutions from which it can benefit.
Acculturation: To Stress or Not to Stress?As relocating employees and their families prepare for international assignments, they begin to wonder what to expect from the experience. Maria Sortino Gillette explains some common areas of stress.
Gaining Deeper Insights on Employee Retention and EngagementThe transition to a knowledge-based, service-oriented economy has raised the importance of human capital, writes Abhay Padgaonkar.
Executive Coaching: Caveat EmptorExecutive coaching was once viewed as a last-ditch effort to rescue an executive with some fatal flaw. No longer, writes Howard Guttman.
Ask the Coach - Issue 21: Facilitating Politically Charged Feedback?If giving senior executives 360-feedback leaves you feeling anxious and on the spot, don´t miss Executive Coach Merry Marcus´ suggestions to shift the feedback paridigm and take you out of the "hot seat".
Joan Lloyd's HR Words of Advice: Feeling the SqueezeMy problem is my attitude. I feel that others in the organization now perceive me as being "lesser" because I'm now doing a lot of "grunt work." I'm a little bitter, and I know it shows.
Identifying the High Impact EmployeeA sizable minority of U.S Business Leaders feel their company does very well at identifying high impact employees and accelerating their development according to the latest Grant Thornton survey of U.S. Business Leaders.
China Among the Easiest Countries to Attract Expatriate Executives to WorkExpatriate assignments are effective professional development tools but no substitute for local talent, says new Korn/Ferry Survey.
Trust In Workplace StabilizedMore than 7 out of 10 organizations say trust in the workplace has either improved or remained steady during the past two years, according to a survey by Right Management.
Rotten Apple Syndrome Some employees use the workplace as a way to get the attention they do not receive in any other venue, writes Kathleen Dodaro.
Navigating Change and AdversityChanges that bring new opportunities or propel us forward are easy to embrace. But many changes look quite negative and are tough - if not impossible - to welcome. This list might include loss of a relationship, a loved one, health, job, money, and such; writes Jim Clemmer.
Joan Lloyd's HR Words of Advice: Bite the BulletI am a business owner who has had an employee work for me. She made a MAJOR mistake in one of our business dealings, in which she had to redo the whole job over, costing us literally thousands of dollars. How do I handle the discipline of this person?
Too Much Time Connected38% of executives surveyed believe they spend too much time connected to communication devices; more than four-fifths say they are always connected to work through mobile devices; from Korn Ferry.
Global Survey finds US Heads of Sales and Marketing are Among World´s Highest PaidHow and what companies pay their sales and marketing professionals - people on the front lines responsible for corporate growth - differs greatly around the world, according to a new global survey of more than 8,000 organizations by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
What Happened to Job Evaluation? It´s Back!Join David Creelman, of Creelman Research, and Gayle Spear, of Towers Perrin, as they discuss what happened to Job Evaluations, and the state of the art now. (Transcript of educational webcast.)
Building Leadership CompetenciesCompetencies is an umbrella term that encompass such things as: knowledge; skills; abilities; attitudes; traits; and for some, values. Karen Elmhirst, Jim Concelman, Jack Zenger, Sylvester Taylor discuss this topic in this educational webcast. (transcript with slides)
Why Outsource?Conventional wisdom holds that firms that outsource do so mainly to cut costs: If it´s cheaper, they´ll job it out. So many executives may be surprised to learn about the key drivers for outsourcing most commonly cited by respondents in Veritude´s Workforce Data Insights national survey.
Immigration Reform: Myth or RealityOn May 25, 2006, US Senate bill, S-2611, increasing border security and placing illegal immigrants on a road to citizenship passed; in December of 2005, the House also passed an immigration reform bill, H.R. 4437. Â What does this mean for employers? Â What is likely to happen? From Susan Hance Sorrells.
Time Management 101Time Management. Â An interesting concept, and a topic that Solutions EAP is asked to present fairly often in a workshop format. Â
FriendshipERISA Section 404(c) ComplianceAs one could assume, most plans will adhere to the requirements in ERISA Section 404(c), if an employer or plan fiduciary pays heed to all that´s involved. All the same, it is wise to be proactive in avoiding the need to rely on ERISA Section 404(c) as a defense in the first place, advises Ray Andree.
Effective Employee Feedback Fosters EngagementIs there a correlation between employee loyalty and a company´s bottom line? According to a study by ISR Global Research, the answer is a resounding yes.
China to Broadly Increase Public-Sector CompensationOn July 22, 2006, the Chinese government announced it would raise salaries or pensions of 120 million people this year; from PacificBridge.
Singapore Increases Foreign Worker Levy on EmployersOn July 14, 2006, Singapore´s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that it was restoring its skilled foreign worker levy from S$100 (about US$63) to S$150 (US$95); from PacificBridge.
Japan to Overhaul Premiums for Senior HealthcareThe Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) is planning a new, separate national health insurance system for the elderly; from PacificBridge.
Malaysia: Law to Extend Benefits to More of WorkforceOn July 31, 2006, Malaysia´s Minister of Human Resources, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, said to reporters that the government had drafted an amendment to the Employment Act which would raise the "salary ceiling" to 2,000 ringgit per month (about US$550); from PacificBridge.
China Suggests Requiring Foreign Companies to UnionizeAccording to a recently proposed amendment to China´s Trade Union Law, all foreign-invested companies in China would be required to establish labor unions as part of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU); from PacificBridge.
Hiring for Emotional IntelligenceThere is a compelling case for understanding Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and evolving your company´s hiring practices to select candidates with high EQ according to Sharyn Mosca.
The Universal Soldiers - Recruiting Now As a competitive employer, our biggest HR need is to attract and retain the best of the best... that inevitably means great salaries, great benefits, and some other perks to keep your heard-earned Human Assets under your roof, writes Lehan Stemmet.
The salesman, the sales data and the oopsydaisy!One of the most traumatic things you will ever experience as a sales or marketing manager is having all the right info, sales statistics, plan your forecasting according to that and then still battle to sell anything, writes Lehan Stemmet.
New Happiness Program Increases Corporate Productivity and ProfitsNew cost-effective program helps companies increase business efficiency, boost revenue, decrease healthcare costs, and fundamentally create a healthier work environment.
Canadian Employers Struggle to Attract and Retain EmployeesHewitt Associates Survey Reveals Flexibility Key to Addressing Labour Shortage
How to Inspire Learning Across the GenerationsIn a classroom at a corporate office or local community college, students are probably from two to three, or maybe even four different generations. Roberta Chinsky Matuson and Michael Shipman propose capitalizing on this opportunity to incorporate the perspective of various age groups in your class experience.
Thought Leader : John Chaisson on "Talent Management Organizations"John Chaisson was originally a lawyer before he got interested in the human capital side of things. Lately he has been working on the issue of Global Talent Management. He recently spoke with David Creelman about his work.
Potential Is the Holy Grail - The Seduction of PotentialAre you tripping over your own potential? Or worse, are you relying on other people´s potential to ensure your success? asks Keith Rosen.
Leading at a Higher Level: Establishing an EffectivePerformance Management SystemThis excerpt on Performance Management from Ken Blanchard's new book, Leading at a Higher Level, outlines strategies to get the best from your employees. "Teaching direct reports the answers is what performance coaching is all about."
Problem Gambling Prevalent in the WorkplaceMany employers fail to consider compulsive gambling a troubling employee issue because, too often, they are not trained to recognize the warning signs of a gambling addiction; from Bensinger, DuPont & Associates.
Noodle This: Strategic Navigation 101When is the last time you triangulated your organization´s strategy with external benchmarks? asks Nathan Greeno.
Offshoring Recruitment: Is it for you?Companies sometimes look at offshoring a select non-core group of functions that makes their internal teams more productive and thus improves the hiring manager satisfaction with the internal recruitment department, writes Nitin Gupta.
IT Skills Shortage: A Wake-up Call to ActionThere is a growing shortage of IT skills in North America and the UK. Increased retirements over the next few years will make the problem worse. Enterprises cannot assume that new graduates will fill the open spaces; from The InfoTech Research Group.
Pretexting Demands an Audit of the Human FirewallThe recent HP/AT&T debacle underscores the importance of protecting the enterprise from attack by social engineers. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-virus software aren't always enough: include the human factor when securing corporate data; from The Info Tech Research.
Enabling Employees to Embrace Change(Change Management Series: II of V) People resist change. This statement can be for managers who have struggled with implementing change. However, the conversation does not have to end ...people make bold and daring changes daily, writes Peter Adebi.
Employers Face Greater Employment Immigration ScrutinyHiring mistakes can cost your business big! Immigration regulation is currently a hot and controversial topic these days, and the government is reacting with additional scrutiny of employment practices, writes Dan Curtin.
Newly Released White Papers Reveal the Dual Impacts of Misinformation and Misleading Learning AnalyticsKnowledge Factor's research team looks at misinformation across industries.
Managers Give Themselves Rave Reviews; Workers Beg to DifferHudson Survey finds gap in perspectives.
What Does Business Casual Mean Anyway?Job seekers and employees are perplexed when it comes to workplace fashion, according to a Yahoo! HotJobs and Banana Republic Survey.
Business and Labour Leaders Give Their Perspective on Skills ShortagesThe Workplace Partners Panel (WPP) released its findings from its fifth "Viewpoints Survey": The Views of Business, Labour, and Public Sector Leaders in Canada, which canvassed business, labour, and public sector leaders on critical issues facing Canada, including its growing shortage of skilled workers.
Most See New Disclosure Rules Having Little Impact on Executive PayWatson Wyatt poll finds very few companies are planning to change compensation programs.
Driving PerformanceBecoming performance driven is about motivating the entire workforce-including all employees, partners, suppliers, agents and others inside and outside the enterprise-to work together to execute the organization´s strategy, writes Mark Stiffler of Synygy.
All Recruiters Can See Their Future in Health Care´s Current Talent CrunchFor decades the health care industry has faced ever steeper recruitment challenges. Elaine Gottlieb, writer with Workforce Insights on Veritude.com, reports on the techniques health care recruiters have pioneered and the lessons they´ve learned.
Ask the Coach - Issue 20: Scheduling Beyond Human Limits?If you are exhausted and consistently working more that 10-hours a day, don´t miss Executive Coach Merry Marcus´ coaching to help you take back control of your schedule and your health.
Thought Leader: Dick Grote on "Turning Problem Employees Into Superior Performers"Dick Grote is President of Grote Consulting Corporation in Dallas, Texas and is the author of several books. He recently spoke with Karen Elmhirst on his work in performance management.
Managing The Hazards Of Electronic NotificationsElectronic communication needs to replicate the type of evidentiary value to ensure the employee got the policy and reasonably knew he/she was bound by it; from HRN Managment Group.
Little ERP in Big China: Options for ManufacturersManufacturers establishing branch operations in China are faced with a variety of different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) options; from Info-Tech Research Group.
Improve Employee Retention and Engagement: Treating Workers With Respect & Dealing With Poor PerformanceEmployers seeking to retain good workers and improve employees´ engagement in their jobs and companies may want to try two common-sense human resource policies, according to surveys by Sirota Survey Intelligence and the authors of The Enthusiastic Employee.
Generational Differences Can Make for a Confusing WorkplaceGenerational differences are nothing new. The older generation typically thinks young folks are slackers and the young people consider the older generation old fogies afraid to take chances, writes Jean Walker, OI Partners.
Five Years OnIt´s been five years since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 changed the world.
Are You Ready to Declare Your "Emancipation Procrastination?"When under the gun or with deadlines looming, sometimes the best thing to do is PANIC. Discover the Stress Doc, Mark Gorkin's acronym for "Emancipation Procrastination."
U.S. Global Companies Prefer Foreign Nationals over American Ex-Patriots for Overseas Managerial PosA Summus survey of senior hiring managers and HR professionals identified a growing demand for foreign nationals to fill overseas posts at large and mid-sized, US-based global corporations.
The "Green" Filter - A Simple Green Test for Business that Identifies Practice and Not Lip-serviceEnvironmentalism needs to go beyond marketing gimmick and to a systematized operational mindset, writes Gabriel Draven.
Flash Flood Warning: After the Early Raine Decision this Year, Employers´ Are Creating a Weather System That Forecasts a HurricaneAfter the Raine v. City of Burbank decision earlier this year, Employers´ are creating a weather system that will create a storm that could produce massive flood of claims, unless they accommodate the levees to avoid a break, writes Elizabeth A. Moreno.
´Outside´ Is Becoming ´Inside´ As More Companies Recruit Executives From Out"Outside" is becoming the new "inside" as companies are more often recruiting managers and executives from outside their industries, according to Salveson Stetson Group, a full-service retained executive search firm.
New Employment Equality Regulations Require Careful Data ManagementVurv advises UK organisations October 2006 legislation impacts recruitment advertising and candidate selection.
Towards A Financial Outcome-based Leadership ModelThis White Paper shows that current leadership assessment approaches have not kept pace with modern theories of the firm and modern financial approaches; from the Perth Leadership Institute.
The Cultural Anthropology of WorkWhen you are getting behavior you don´t want in your organization, it may not be personalities or "styles" at fault, writes Joan Lloyd.
Middle Managers Most Resilient in WorkplaceMiddle managers are the most resilient group in the workplace, according to a study of more than 2,000 employees by PsyMax Solutions, a human capital assessment firm.
I Den Tee F.Y.I - The Individuals, The Organization, The NeedCreating your identity includes the company's global indentity, the divisional identity, the departmental and functional workgroup identity, focus group identity and also your identity, as an individual performing a function within the greater organization, writes Lehan Stemmet.
Thought Leader: William J. White on HR´s Role in Helping Individuals Navigate a Successful CareerWilliam J. White is currently Professor at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University. His newest book From Day One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career, served as the basis for this interview with HR.com´s Karen Elmhirst.
Things to Think of When Choosing a PEO for Your CompanyA PEO (Professional Employer Organization) can bring many solutions to a company. PEOs are the all-in-one outsourced vendor consolidation option that many small businesses are choosing to create and manage human resources and attractive benefits packages today, explains Layne Davlin.
Listen Up Employers; Employees Know What They WantThe findings of the "Working in America: What Employees Want" survey, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) and sponsored by Kronos(R) Incorporated, found that in today´s knowledge economy many organizations still do not recognize the link between their workforce and business performance.
Thought Leader: Dr. Jac Fitz-enz on "Workforce Intelligence"For over 30 years Dr. Jac Fitz-enz has been writing about HR metrics, doing keynotes at most of the major conferences and has several books on alignment and ROI. He recently spoke with HR.com´s CEO, Debbie McGrath on how his work changes business.
Improve Organizational SuccessEmployers need to focus on 'Top Seven' Drivers of Employee Engagement and Retention says new research report examining healthy job and workplace factors present in Canadian workplaces
Compensation Audit IssuesThere are many legal concerns surrounding wage and hour issues. It´s important to audit your compensation function regularly to ensure you are in compliance with the myriad of state and federal requirements; a whitepaper from HRN Management Group.
Ability and TenacityMy work in accommodating those with physical disabilities began in the 1990s, writes Yvonne LaRose.
Restless IT Workers Looking for New ChallengesCompTIA survey finds nearly 60 percent of tech workers looking for new jobs.
Is Your Stress Management Program Stressful in Itself?Some simple advice-and pass-along strategies-for reducing stress in the workplace, from G. Gaynor McTigue.
Can Base Pay Reward Performance?Base pay is the largest single element of human resource cost. Getting the most out of expenditures on base pay is or should be a priority, write Patricia K. Zingheim and Jay R. Schuster.
When Discretion is the Better Part of ValorThe decision to fire an employee should be made only after you have reviewed all possible claims that he may file and you're comfortable that your decision is supported by the available information; from M. Lee Smith.
Practical pitfalls of the FMLAOn the surface, the FMLA provides employees with the power to achieve that balance. Lurking just beneath the surface, however, are a myriad of practical pitfalls that employers are likely to face with regard to the Act. M. Lee Smith Publishers focus on a few of those potential pitfalls.
Is the Project Off-Track? Ten Early Warning SignsIT projects often go sideways, requiring intervention. Managing successful projects demands an understanding of project requirements and close communication between the project team and the steering committee. Take corrective action in response to any of Info-Tech's ten early warning signs.
Leadership Development: A Whole Lot of HooeyKenny Moore has worked with business executives for more than 20 years, and only a few have proved to be exceptional. Likewise, most of the "High Potentials" he's seen do little more than what´s considered politically correct.
Management In Real Life: Real Business PeopleHere we go again. Another diatribe about how the human resource department can become like other, more successful, overhead functions. ´Kind of drives you crazy, doesn´t it? asks Kevin Herring.
Management In Real Life: BenchmarkingCompanies benchmark themselves against other organizations either to create some basis for cutting staff and becoming more efficient, or to make themselves more like businesses that consistently perform better. In either case, the premise is that someone else knows better, writes Kevin Herring.
I'm tired of the Word Game!Often in organizational learning settings I've heard people errantly say "Our organization has the capability but not the capacity to do xyz." Let's get real, writes Nathan Greeno.
What I Learned on Summer VacationKids have just returned to school; with that, there's the question, "How was your summer vacation?" Carol Ross shares her story with the class.
Ask the Coach - Issue 19: Employee Survey: Strategic Presentation?The responsibility to respond to employee surveys can often weigh heavy on HR´s shoulders. Executive Coach Merry Marcus offers coaching for leveraging valuable employee feedback into action.
Offshoring: A Quick No Is Better than a Slow MaybeWhile offshoring to India offers savings of up to 50% on labor costs, enterprises thinking of offshoring smaller initiatives should reconsider; from The Info-Tech Research Group.
The Ultimate Summit - Employee EngagementThere are strong parallels between what it takes to summit at high altitude and achieving employee engagement within an organization,writes Kevin Sheridan.
Management, Leadership, and Mindset Managers who have a "growth mindset" are committed to their employees´ development, and their own. This is critical for successful managers and leaders, writes Carol S. Dweck.
Poison ApplesCharlie Wonderlic writes on how to deal with poisonous employees before they infect the whole staff.
Dr. Tim Donovan interviewing Marshall Goldsmith for the Organization Development JournalMarshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders get even better - by achieving positive change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. Dr. Timothy Donovan, President of the Avery Group, spoke with Dr. Goldsmith recently about his life and his work.
China: Rising Wages and Labor Shortages in Southern China are Forcing Foreign Companies to Move Factories to Other RegionsGuangdong Province in Southern China is home to millions of foreign company factories that manufacture cheap goods such as clothing, toys, and shoes. Â Recently, however, factories in this region have been experiencing labor shortages; from Pacific Bridge.