A prediction by Rebecca Regan
Listed in no particular order:
1). The unemployment rate will bottom out in the first quarter of 2010, relieving pent-up demand from high performing, skilled employees and creating movement in the job market for the first time since 2008. Employers will only add staff once they must, with the pain of recent layoffs still fresh in their minds. Once overtime has been maxed out and employers cannot add more temporary staff, they'll begin to hire workers. Employers must identify their highest tier of performers, develop and deploy retention programs to mitigate loss of talent (hopefully, these plans are already in place....).
2). With increased scrutiny from the Federal government on managing risk versus reward in executive pay plan design, compensation professionals will need to play an integral role in auditing and assessing all of their in-house compensation programs. This review includes Board sub-committee structure, authority, oversight & review for compliance with new guidelines. These new regulatory standards from the Fed and SEC are expected to expand and apply to all prudently managed organizations (i.e., not only TARP recipients) within the U.S.
3). Variable pay plans will reward employees and recognition programs will help to retain them in 2010. The economy will be improved by November, 2010 because of the elections scheduled then. The question is how much of an improvement will happen between now and then? The key will be to track movement in specific job groups to respond to market pressures to compete from a total compensation perspective. With base pay used primarily as an inflation hedge, variable pay will increasingly become a commonly used tool to identify and retain A,B & C levels of performers.
4). We're not going back to where we were. Regardless of the direct impact of our own personal experience, whether it's been a loss of job, reduced 401k balance, lost home, or slashing employee expenses in total compensation programs at work, each of us has a new reality check with reduced expectations emerging on the backside of 2009. We've all struggled in some way this year, whether it affected us personally or through some member of our family. And because of that struggle, I think that many have a new found appreciation for the things that really matter in life such as our health, job stability, financial soundness, family, freedom, country and faith.
Because we don't take things for granted as much as we did only two short years ago, we have a new appreciation for the things that are good in our lives; we're simply not as greedy as we were. The bubble burst, and we're smarter for having lived through it. This is one prediction that I hope doesn't lapse before the end of 2010, because it's the silver lining of having lived through the recession.
What's your top prediction for 2010?
Copyright 2009, Regan HR, Inc.
Becky Regan is the founder and President of Regan HR, Inc., a human resources consulting firm specializing in compensation consulting for California employers and purveyor of online HR products.
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Showing posts with label Benefits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benefits. Show all posts
January 2, 2010
December 23, 2009
Handling the Holidays - Be careful and Accomodating!
Yes, it is once again the holiday season. The holidays often have employers and managers racking their brains about how they should handle them. Do you say “Happy Holidays” or do you stick with “Merry Christmas?” Is it okay to let people have days off or to let them leave early to observe different holidays? Which types of office décor are appropriate and which should you leave at home? Just thinking about all of these questions might give you a headache, but it’s very important to know how you intend on handling the holiday season in your office.
There are only two simple options when approaching holiday décor. You can either ALLOW all of it or BAN all of it. If you play favorites and tell your employees that they may display Christmas trees, but there are to be no Menorahs in the office, not only are you being unfair you are discriminating. Discrimination is most definitely an illegal offense and you don’t want to find yourself in court over something like an electric Menorah. If you let one employee decorate for the holiday that they celebrate, be prepared to allow everyone else to decorate the way that they wish to as well. On the other hand, though it might sound cold and Scrooge-like, you may choose to ban all holiday decorations regardless of religion. If you choose to go that route, be prepared to enforce the ban all year-round (watch out for Valentine’s Day and Easter!) However, if you are a public employer, it is always recommended that holiday decorations are limited to secular holiday symbols such as snowflakes and candy canes.
During this time of year, you will likely have many employees requesting time off for one holiday-related reason or another. Generally, the best way to handle these requests is to be flexible and accommodate employee’s requests to the best of your ability. Encourage employees to schedule these days well in advance. An easy way to do this would be by using an automated time and attendance system to allow employees to submit early leave requests. By submitting these requests early, you are given time to adjust the workload of others to compensate for the missing worker. Try your absolute best to accommodate your employee’s needs through flexible scheduling. You can also allow them to work longer shifts to make up hours and, provided that there’s no local or state law against it where you are located, you could also allow them to work through their lunch. If you choose not to accommodate a certain employee, be prepared to explain why and provide documentation to support your decision. If you say an accommodation is too expensive, for instance, be prepared to show the numbers. For the most part, if you encourage employees to schedule their time off early and plan for their absence, then accommodating each and every employee’s time off needs should be fairly simple. Be sure to discourage last-minute requests and remind employees of disciplinary actions that may be taken for any unscheduled absences.
The holiday season is a very important time in one way or another to most people. As an employer or manager, it is your job to respect everyone’s beliefs and handle things appropriately if you don’t want to be accused of discrimination. So make your “holiday game plan” now if you haven’t already. How are you going to handle all of the time off requests and religious icon decorations? Remember to be consistent in your rules to avoid harassment and discrimination accusations. Simply thinking ahead will help you make this holiday season as peaceful and happy as it should be.
Source: Legiant
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There are only two simple options when approaching holiday décor. You can either ALLOW all of it or BAN all of it. If you play favorites and tell your employees that they may display Christmas trees, but there are to be no Menorahs in the office, not only are you being unfair you are discriminating. Discrimination is most definitely an illegal offense and you don’t want to find yourself in court over something like an electric Menorah. If you let one employee decorate for the holiday that they celebrate, be prepared to allow everyone else to decorate the way that they wish to as well. On the other hand, though it might sound cold and Scrooge-like, you may choose to ban all holiday decorations regardless of religion. If you choose to go that route, be prepared to enforce the ban all year-round (watch out for Valentine’s Day and Easter!) However, if you are a public employer, it is always recommended that holiday decorations are limited to secular holiday symbols such as snowflakes and candy canes.
During this time of year, you will likely have many employees requesting time off for one holiday-related reason or another. Generally, the best way to handle these requests is to be flexible and accommodate employee’s requests to the best of your ability. Encourage employees to schedule these days well in advance. An easy way to do this would be by using an automated time and attendance system to allow employees to submit early leave requests. By submitting these requests early, you are given time to adjust the workload of others to compensate for the missing worker. Try your absolute best to accommodate your employee’s needs through flexible scheduling. You can also allow them to work longer shifts to make up hours and, provided that there’s no local or state law against it where you are located, you could also allow them to work through their lunch. If you choose not to accommodate a certain employee, be prepared to explain why and provide documentation to support your decision. If you say an accommodation is too expensive, for instance, be prepared to show the numbers. For the most part, if you encourage employees to schedule their time off early and plan for their absence, then accommodating each and every employee’s time off needs should be fairly simple. Be sure to discourage last-minute requests and remind employees of disciplinary actions that may be taken for any unscheduled absences.
The holiday season is a very important time in one way or another to most people. As an employer or manager, it is your job to respect everyone’s beliefs and handle things appropriately if you don’t want to be accused of discrimination. So make your “holiday game plan” now if you haven’t already. How are you going to handle all of the time off requests and religious icon decorations? Remember to be consistent in your rules to avoid harassment and discrimination accusations. Simply thinking ahead will help you make this holiday season as peaceful and happy as it should be.
Source: Legiant
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November 24, 2009
HR Strategy to Keep Your Workers Happy
by George Butler
Human Resources (HR) is a major growth industry in the small business and corporate arena. Gone are the days where bosses got away with making ridiculous demands of their underpaid, unhappy and frequently on-strike workers. In these current times, good employees are hard to come by and even harder to keep - strategy planning is essential. If you research an effective HR strategy ahead of time, that takes into account your most valuable assets, you'll be saving money, enhancing productivity and growing a more positive working environment!
Your Most Valuable Asset.
Believe it or not, it is not your product, nor is it your enormous brain or fantastic location - it's your workers! Without them nothing happens - you can't do it all! Without strategic management, retention of your staff can be difficult. Going through the ordeal of replacing an unhappy staff member can cost up to three times their original annual salary. Couldn't that money be better spent on trusted, loyal employees that reflect your business values? On a quality HR strategy? On simply making them happy? Side effects of looking after your most valuable assets include; lower staff turnover, attraction of the 'right' talent when you do need new people, higher productivity and output and increased customer satisfaction. Sounds like a terribly successful way of doing business doesn't it?
What Workers Really Want.
So what makes for a dissatisfied worker? It could be one of many things... lack of advancement in their position, boredom with job content, low wages, long hours, managerial gripes, bullying, company dynamics or personal problems. What a way to spend eight hours, every day - for whatever reason, it's pretty evident that this person will either leave or eventually stop doing their job effectively. A happy worker on the other hand, envisions a workplace where they are valued and feel appreciated, where they feel a shared ownership in the brand or company.
Opportunities for professional advancement, training in and access to new technologies, and a pay cheque that reflects their contribution to the business also helps! On a more human level, workers just want to communicate and feel heard once in a while. They'd love it if the boss would acknowledge that they have a life outside the office and be flexible for family and social commitments.
How You Can Deliver.
First and foremost, if you have a large company and are not trained in human resources yourself, get an expert in strategic management in to look after it. Whether on a contract basis, or a permanent addition to your team, an expert in HR strategy will ultimately save you time and money. Even if you don't have a huge number of employees in your own small business there are lots of ways to get your staff morale flying high above the bar and raise the stakes for your success! Try being more flexible, both with hours and job roles. Allow timeshare or trading for parents or students; where they can either work from home or take a 'part time' or different roles when outside pressures and commitments arise.
Work with people's natural circadian rhythms; have rotating shifts for morning and afternoon people - as long as the same amount of work is getting done, does it really matter when? Offer genuine thanks for good work; this is so simple, but almost never done properly. Have readily available opportunities for advancement available, in-house or external professional development can only help give you an edge over your competitors. Any which way you look at it, an investment in your workers happiness via quality strategy planning, will reap major rewards for your overall business performance.
About the Author:
George Butler is a successful businessman who believes in utilising your human resources management to the best of your abilities. His areas of interest are human resources planning and technology resources to help business grow.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Human Resources (HR) is a major growth industry in the small business and corporate arena. Gone are the days where bosses got away with making ridiculous demands of their underpaid, unhappy and frequently on-strike workers. In these current times, good employees are hard to come by and even harder to keep - strategy planning is essential. If you research an effective HR strategy ahead of time, that takes into account your most valuable assets, you'll be saving money, enhancing productivity and growing a more positive working environment!
Your Most Valuable Asset.
Believe it or not, it is not your product, nor is it your enormous brain or fantastic location - it's your workers! Without them nothing happens - you can't do it all! Without strategic management, retention of your staff can be difficult. Going through the ordeal of replacing an unhappy staff member can cost up to three times their original annual salary. Couldn't that money be better spent on trusted, loyal employees that reflect your business values? On a quality HR strategy? On simply making them happy? Side effects of looking after your most valuable assets include; lower staff turnover, attraction of the 'right' talent when you do need new people, higher productivity and output and increased customer satisfaction. Sounds like a terribly successful way of doing business doesn't it?
What Workers Really Want.
So what makes for a dissatisfied worker? It could be one of many things... lack of advancement in their position, boredom with job content, low wages, long hours, managerial gripes, bullying, company dynamics or personal problems. What a way to spend eight hours, every day - for whatever reason, it's pretty evident that this person will either leave or eventually stop doing their job effectively. A happy worker on the other hand, envisions a workplace where they are valued and feel appreciated, where they feel a shared ownership in the brand or company.
Opportunities for professional advancement, training in and access to new technologies, and a pay cheque that reflects their contribution to the business also helps! On a more human level, workers just want to communicate and feel heard once in a while. They'd love it if the boss would acknowledge that they have a life outside the office and be flexible for family and social commitments.
How You Can Deliver.
First and foremost, if you have a large company and are not trained in human resources yourself, get an expert in strategic management in to look after it. Whether on a contract basis, or a permanent addition to your team, an expert in HR strategy will ultimately save you time and money. Even if you don't have a huge number of employees in your own small business there are lots of ways to get your staff morale flying high above the bar and raise the stakes for your success! Try being more flexible, both with hours and job roles. Allow timeshare or trading for parents or students; where they can either work from home or take a 'part time' or different roles when outside pressures and commitments arise.
Work with people's natural circadian rhythms; have rotating shifts for morning and afternoon people - as long as the same amount of work is getting done, does it really matter when? Offer genuine thanks for good work; this is so simple, but almost never done properly. Have readily available opportunities for advancement available, in-house or external professional development can only help give you an edge over your competitors. Any which way you look at it, an investment in your workers happiness via quality strategy planning, will reap major rewards for your overall business performance.
About the Author:
George Butler is a successful businessman who believes in utilising your human resources management to the best of your abilities. His areas of interest are human resources planning and technology resources to help business grow.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
April 10, 2009
Job Satisfaction Factors
What is it that makes people feel satisfied with their job? A Management Consultant namely Roy Walters after having spent years on studying job satisfaction and productivity has developed a Satisfaction Potential checklist which contains nine characteristics that define truly satisfying job. Hence, look out for these characteristics and if you don't see them in your job it is better to seriously search for another job.
1. The job isn't monotonous, but allows employees to change pace with varying tasks.
2. The job does not waste a person's time and effort. It has been planned in such a way that it can be done without exerting energy uselessly.
3. Employees are free to plan their work the way they can do it most effectively.
4. Employees believe they have a reasonable degree of authority over how their work should be done.
5. Employees believe they have adequate opportunities for individual growth and recognition.
6. Employees don't feel too closely supervised, over-instructed or rigidly controlled.
7. Employees see their job as an integral part of the whole company and each employee is treated as an individual, not merely a cog in the wheel.
8. The answer to the question, "How am I doing?" comes from the job itself. Thus, employees can correct their own errors and improve their techniques.
9. Superiors offer feedback without causing embarrassment.
In other words, if any employee has to truly enjoy his job and give his best for the organization the superior has to ensure that the task given to him is not monotonous, routine, mundane and design it in such a way that he utilizes his energy to his optimum level and still feel fresh, plan his work the way he considers doing it best, give him reasonable degree of authority, responsibility and freedom to perform the way he would like to start and complete with the job, which will give him opportunities for growth, development, recognition and status, ensure that he doesn't feel closely supervised, treat him as an integral part of the organization, give him the freedom and autonomy to improve upon their techniques and offer constructive feedback which enhances his work ethics.
Wouldn't it be great if every job matched these criteria as given above? It is not just a theory which we read from the management books and forget but we need to start with the jobs in our own company and see just how satisfying you can make them?
Article by Iyer Subramanian. He is working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a Joint Director-HR.
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1. The job isn't monotonous, but allows employees to change pace with varying tasks.
2. The job does not waste a person's time and effort. It has been planned in such a way that it can be done without exerting energy uselessly.
3. Employees are free to plan their work the way they can do it most effectively.
4. Employees believe they have a reasonable degree of authority over how their work should be done.
5. Employees believe they have adequate opportunities for individual growth and recognition.
6. Employees don't feel too closely supervised, over-instructed or rigidly controlled.
7. Employees see their job as an integral part of the whole company and each employee is treated as an individual, not merely a cog in the wheel.
8. The answer to the question, "How am I doing?" comes from the job itself. Thus, employees can correct their own errors and improve their techniques.
9. Superiors offer feedback without causing embarrassment.
In other words, if any employee has to truly enjoy his job and give his best for the organization the superior has to ensure that the task given to him is not monotonous, routine, mundane and design it in such a way that he utilizes his energy to his optimum level and still feel fresh, plan his work the way he considers doing it best, give him reasonable degree of authority, responsibility and freedom to perform the way he would like to start and complete with the job, which will give him opportunities for growth, development, recognition and status, ensure that he doesn't feel closely supervised, treat him as an integral part of the organization, give him the freedom and autonomy to improve upon their techniques and offer constructive feedback which enhances his work ethics.
Wouldn't it be great if every job matched these criteria as given above? It is not just a theory which we read from the management books and forget but we need to start with the jobs in our own company and see just how satisfying you can make them?
Article by Iyer Subramanian. He is working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a Joint Director-HR.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
November 12, 2008
The Benefits of NLP Coaching
A good NLP Coach will use a number of techniques on themselves and with their clients to get results fast. This article demonstrates the use of a great NLP coach and the techniques they use.
Perceptual Positions an NLP Technique
Perceptual positions is an NLP exercise geared to looking at a situation from multiple perspectives. Any given situation has several different perspectives and different information can be gain from each. The first is obviously your own, the second is the perspective from another person that is involved in the situation and the third is a neutral, unconnected perspective. Each of these positions would give you more information about the situation and the opportunity to influence what is happening. A fuller explanation of perceptual positions can be found on my website.
A Business Coaching Example of Using NLP Techniques
There are many NLP tools that a coach might use in the first instance, but for illustration purposes we will restrict this to just using perceptual positions.
The coach might use this technique for themselves initially to get a flavour of what their client is thinking and, if it is a business context how the business views the situation.
A typical business coaching situation might involve a client who has a new role that they have some doubts over. Perhaps they also don't know how to approach their new team and are unsure about what is expected of them.
You could use Perceptual Positions for every part of this situation.
Getting the client to look at the situation from the perspective of their new boss and doing a skills analysis from this perspective would give them confidence. They were employed for the role therefore someone has faith in them and seeing their skills from this perspective will help.
Seeing the role from the perspective of the job and the organisations might yield clues as to direction, goals expectations.
Looking at the new team's perspective and then getting the client to plan their approach from this and the organisation's perspective might give them a different view of how to meet, motivate set expectations with the new team.
Also, getting the client to imagine a future version of themselves that is happy, comfortable and settled in the role may help. But what if you took a neutral, observer perspective on the difference between the two and develop the action plan to take you from the current state to the future state?
Coaching using NLP Techniques
The illustration above was just to demonstrate how a foundation level NLP Tool could be used in multiple ways in a single coaching situation. The reality is that there are many powerful NLP Techniques a good coach will employ for you to get results.
As an example, whatever you happen to be doing there is an ideal frame of mind associated with it. Athletes recognise this as being in the zone or a flow state. Any good coach will have a coach state they have anchored and can fire off to be in the right frame of mind to assist you as a client. If appropriate they could be showing you how to do the same for your role.
The Real Power of NLP Coaching Techniques
Language (both verbal and non verbal) binds the relationship between coach and client. But language is just a filter on our thoughts and impacts how we represent the world to ourselves.
A good coach is trained to notice these filters in themselves and others and then can open or restrict them to provide a better frame on the situation. A good NLP Practitioner Course will show you how to do that and much more. This is why all good coaches study NLP.
My expectations of a good hypnotic NLP Business Coach to that coaching situation described above would be to linguistically given you change strategies, installed empowering beliefs and set preframes that eliminate self doubt before you have even started the session. All of a saddened you might find yourself filling in the detail and getting results within a framework of fun coaching session.
Anyone interested in getting great performance out of themselves should consider a coach…but if you are unreasonable, impatient and want those results faster then a NLP Coach is a serious consideration.***
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Perceptual Positions an NLP Technique
Perceptual positions is an NLP exercise geared to looking at a situation from multiple perspectives. Any given situation has several different perspectives and different information can be gain from each. The first is obviously your own, the second is the perspective from another person that is involved in the situation and the third is a neutral, unconnected perspective. Each of these positions would give you more information about the situation and the opportunity to influence what is happening. A fuller explanation of perceptual positions can be found on my website.
A Business Coaching Example of Using NLP Techniques
There are many NLP tools that a coach might use in the first instance, but for illustration purposes we will restrict this to just using perceptual positions.
The coach might use this technique for themselves initially to get a flavour of what their client is thinking and, if it is a business context how the business views the situation.
A typical business coaching situation might involve a client who has a new role that they have some doubts over. Perhaps they also don't know how to approach their new team and are unsure about what is expected of them.
You could use Perceptual Positions for every part of this situation.
Getting the client to look at the situation from the perspective of their new boss and doing a skills analysis from this perspective would give them confidence. They were employed for the role therefore someone has faith in them and seeing their skills from this perspective will help.
Seeing the role from the perspective of the job and the organisations might yield clues as to direction, goals expectations.
Looking at the new team's perspective and then getting the client to plan their approach from this and the organisation's perspective might give them a different view of how to meet, motivate set expectations with the new team.
Also, getting the client to imagine a future version of themselves that is happy, comfortable and settled in the role may help. But what if you took a neutral, observer perspective on the difference between the two and develop the action plan to take you from the current state to the future state?
Coaching using NLP Techniques
The illustration above was just to demonstrate how a foundation level NLP Tool could be used in multiple ways in a single coaching situation. The reality is that there are many powerful NLP Techniques a good coach will employ for you to get results.
As an example, whatever you happen to be doing there is an ideal frame of mind associated with it. Athletes recognise this as being in the zone or a flow state. Any good coach will have a coach state they have anchored and can fire off to be in the right frame of mind to assist you as a client. If appropriate they could be showing you how to do the same for your role.
The Real Power of NLP Coaching Techniques
Language (both verbal and non verbal) binds the relationship between coach and client. But language is just a filter on our thoughts and impacts how we represent the world to ourselves.
A good coach is trained to notice these filters in themselves and others and then can open or restrict them to provide a better frame on the situation. A good NLP Practitioner Course will show you how to do that and much more. This is why all good coaches study NLP.
My expectations of a good hypnotic NLP Business Coach to that coaching situation described above would be to linguistically given you change strategies, installed empowering beliefs and set preframes that eliminate self doubt before you have even started the session. All of a saddened you might find yourself filling in the detail and getting results within a framework of fun coaching session.
Anyone interested in getting great performance out of themselves should consider a coach…but if you are unreasonable, impatient and want those results faster then a NLP Coach is a serious consideration.***
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
October 26, 2008
Ten Job Secrets for Career Success
For you to find career success, you must be pro-active about your job. The following are ten career secrets you can use and find career success:
Invest the time to investigate and understand your organization’s mission, goals, and values. Your organization may be facing challenges and the person who can tune into what the organization needs to be successful and provide the solution can write his/her own career success ticket.
Remember, to get what you want in your career, you must help your organization, your department, your manager succeed. Focus on what is important to your manager and provide the solution. If customer service is important, speak with your manager in terms of creating customer solutions. If your manager is a numbers person, quantify all your results, etc.
2. Be a Change Agent for Career Success
Organizational change will change the way you do your job. There is no escaping the changes that are happening around us all the time. Learn to embrace these changes so that you can learn how to take advantage of the career opportunities available from being a change agent.
How do you do this? Be pro-active and ask questions about the change. How does it affect the organization? What challenges will there be implementing the changes? How will these changes affect the way you do your job? And the most important question, “What can you do to help implement the changes?”
Once you receive the answers to these questions, and are able to act on the answers, you are way ahead of the “change curve” and will be looked at as someone who can “make things happen” within the organization. This will lead to countless career opportunities
3. Be the Master of Your Job for Career Success
Invest the time to learn as much as there is to know about your job. Many times, employees will become complacent and master only the few tasks that they do 80% of the time. Then when a career opportunity comes up, this employee doesn’t have the skill set to take advantage of a promotion or raise.
Take the time to read trade journals, go on the Internet to job related sites, and ask questions to master the understanding of your job. With the wealth of information there is in the 21st century, there is no excuse for “not knowing.”
4. Volunteer to Make a Difference for Career Success
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for especially challenging projects that other people have declined.
Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization. This will show and develop your leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your challenges and how you are working with the person you are mentoring to overcome these challenges.
Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter. This is another way to benefit a large group, while showcasing your skills and ideas.
5. Be a Solution Creator and Not a Problem Maker for Career Success
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find you. Some people have a special skill for finding problems and reporting them.
Develop the skill of looking at these problems as “opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem. Make sure you communicate these solutions during meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with management. You will soon be looked upon by management as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things happen within the organization.
6. Handle the Next Level at This Level for Career Success
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president, then start working like a vice president. Find a vice president that is open to mentoring you for the next level. Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the next level unless the organization sees that the vice president has developed someone to take his/her spot. It might as well be you. Plus, you can lighten the vice president’s work load.
Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a win-win situation for all involved.
I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will prepare you for the next job level.
Note: Dress as if you are already at the next career level. When you dress for the next level, this makes it easier for the decision makers because they can already envision you at the next career level.
7. Announce That You Want It!
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the decision makers and career influencers do not know they are interested in being promoted.
Announce that you want to go to the next career level!
Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager, director, etc., and let them know you are interested in going to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when the next career opportunity appears.
Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the Human Resources Department. Remember the more people they can hire from the inside, the less work they need to do. Make it easy for them to hire you.
Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for your promotion.
8. Network and Join Groups to Accelerate Career Success
Join and be active in committees within your organization for career success. This shows management that you care enough to make a difference. It also allows a larger assortment of managers to experience your skill set outside of your normal duties.
Also join professional groups and associations for career success. Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let influencers outside your organization become aware of your skills. Remember, these influencers most likely work for other organizations and may be in positions to hire new employees. Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills.
Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these groups. This will show your organization that you are an employee who is taking action to stay ahead of the “career success curve” and can contribute to the organization.
9. Tell Your Job Story for Career Success
Let as many people within your organization and outside your organization know what you do and how well you do it. Make sure you tell your job story at meetings, company conferences, and retreats and to customers. Make sure you tell them with passion!
Many people are shy about telling their career story in a group setting. Because of this fear, you may miss out on the one opportunity to let other people know what you know. One of the most important groups that you could ever join to overcome this fear is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with over 175,000 members dedicated to helping members improve their public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and leadership skills. The main reasons you should join Toastmasters are the following:
* Toastmasters can give you the confidence to approach any opportunity with confidence.
* Toastmasters can give you the speaking skills to stand up in front of a group and present your point in a persuasive manner, while others may shy away from this opportunity.
* You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and evaluations, while learning how to empower the receiver to do better.
* You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state, regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t get the skills at your organization, you can get it at Toastmasters.
10. Build a Nest Egg for Career Success
One of the biggest barriers to creating career success is not building a financial nest egg. When you are at a financial disadvantage, you are less likely to pursue job opportunities, invest in educational opportunities to increase your skills; and, most importantly, you may develop an overwhelming fear of losing your job while in your present position.
Eliminate your debts so that you can freely pursue any career opportunities that present themselves. It’s no fun knowing that you wanted a certain job but couldn’t pursue it because of financial obligations.
I challenge you to apply these ten career techniques today! You will see immediate job results and go to the next career level no matter what the economic environment may be.
October 19, 2008
An Environment that Motivates Employees
Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about employee motivation? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about employee motivation.
The success of an organization does not solely depend on management but on the work of its employees as well. An employee that enjoys his or her position and feels rewarded by their efforts will ultimately be the most successful in their careers and the most beneficial to the company.
There is nothing like being around happy, satisfied employees who bring their optimism and productivity to the organization. These are the employees who are the most attentive to the needs of the customer and strive to go that extra mile to be the most helpful.
A positive attitude is contagious and can change the attitude of every staff member around. However, just as a positive mindset is easily spread, so is a negative one. If a member of the team is unhappy, watch out! His or her negative attitude can become infectious - contaminating fellow coworker and customers alike.
Pessimistic employees can breed an atmosphere of low morale which equals decreased productivity, employee turnover, and unproductive time spent gossiping and complaining among coworkers.
In order to combat negativity in the workplace, it is essential that employees receive ongoing motivation from management to perform their work to the best of their abilities. Regular contact with employees is necessary to show that you care about their contributions.
Another way to beat low morale is to develop an employee satisfaction survey. This is an easy, anonymous way for employees to voice their concerns and problems without being identified. Issues that are brought up from the survey can be addressed during an organizational meeting.
It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of employee motivation is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about employee motivation.
Other ways that an employer can create an environment that motivates employees include:
~Staff lunches
~Holiday celebrations
~Employee of the month
~Continuing education programs
An organization that recognizes that its employees are valuable and deserve to receive a certain amount of praise and recognition will benefit from increased productivity and employee satisfaction and retention, which in turn, will positively affect customer satisfaction. Otherwise, the expense of training each new employee so that they may excel in some OTHER organization is foolish, time-consuming and expensive.
Management with the "easy-come-easy-go" mentality creates conflict, confusion and quite a bit of turnover in the workplace. Nothing positive can be gained by treating employees in such a manner. It's no wonder that some employees treat their positions as a 9-to-5 job.
Any organization can make changes for the better and help create an environment that is conducive to employee happiness. After all, the success of your business depends upon it.
The organization with the right approach will be the one to reap the rewards of success.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of employee motivation. Share your new understanding about employee motivation with others. They'll thank you for it.
Source: Free Articles
September 24, 2008
Dress for Success
Do you possess the look of a professional? Do you look incredibly smart? Are you confident enough to take charge and get the job that you applying for?
Consider the fact that your resume is quite impressive and the employer can’t resist to have the audacity to ask you to come for an interview. But after the all the preparations, your final problem will surely comes up right after you realize and ask yourself ” what should I wear?” These things are actually important for the job hunters, people tend to have a systemic problem nowadays regarding what they should wear on a job interview. Honestly I’m wired toward automatically seeing the person in these kind of situations because I also had the same experienced when I was hunting for a right job. However many take these for granted, with the eloquence of having an “impressive resume” they forgot that applicants will not only be examined based on the job experience and personality but also with how they present themselves professionally.
Here are the top 20 tips in dressing for an interview
1. Research if the company or your potential employer have a specific dress code.
2. If your planning to buy new clothes, get good advice from sales persons.
3. Have the clothes altered to fit and accent your features.
4. Select an outfit that you have worn before and are comfortable wearing
5. Your hair should be clean and neat.
6. Do not wear a strong perfume or cologne, scent must be low key or absent.
7. Cover any tattoo and limit pierced jewelry to ears only.
8. For men – Wear a suit or sports jacket that is color coordinated with your trousers.
9. For men – You should have clothes in Neutral or dark colors such as blue, black or gray.
10. For men – Wear a conservative and low key tie. Avoid ties with flashy patterns.
11. For men – Keep your sneakers away. A clean, polished black leather shoes is highly recommended.
12. For men – Don’t forget to trim and clean your nails.
13. For men – White socks are definitely NO! Use dark socks.
14. For men – Use dark suit and light colored shirt.
15. For women – Wear a classic suit or simple dress paired with a jacket.
16. For women – The appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy or gray.
17. For women – Don’t be too provocative or sexy.
18. For women – Trim your fingernails and use a polish that complements your clothes and would not distract the interviewer.
19. For women – Choose a moderate shoes which is clean and with heels that makes you comfortable.
20. For women – Use a tan or light hosiery.
Clothing will play a role in your career so you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Add pieces made of high quality that will match to what you already have. Buy separates that can be mixed and matched. Dressing is not everything but it will definitely add up to your overall impression that you will make on.
These are some advices and the right tools that I can give to someone on their job hunting, but I have to leave it here. Because as we all end up with reality, applicants must not look good with their own respective dress but might as well have the confidence to make themselves qualified enough for the job. Job hunters should think first all the requirements before going to an interview, from the resume to his/her diploma. They must be ready to answer the question exquisitely. So if you want to have a job career in the future, you should consider these suggestion for you to succeed.
Consider the fact that your resume is quite impressive and the employer can’t resist to have the audacity to ask you to come for an interview. But after the all the preparations, your final problem will surely comes up right after you realize and ask yourself ” what should I wear?” These things are actually important for the job hunters, people tend to have a systemic problem nowadays regarding what they should wear on a job interview. Honestly I’m wired toward automatically seeing the person in these kind of situations because I also had the same experienced when I was hunting for a right job. However many take these for granted, with the eloquence of having an “impressive resume” they forgot that applicants will not only be examined based on the job experience and personality but also with how they present themselves professionally.
Here are the top 20 tips in dressing for an interview
1. Research if the company or your potential employer have a specific dress code.
2. If your planning to buy new clothes, get good advice from sales persons.
3. Have the clothes altered to fit and accent your features.
4. Select an outfit that you have worn before and are comfortable wearing
5. Your hair should be clean and neat.
6. Do not wear a strong perfume or cologne, scent must be low key or absent.
7. Cover any tattoo and limit pierced jewelry to ears only.
8. For men – Wear a suit or sports jacket that is color coordinated with your trousers.
9. For men – You should have clothes in Neutral or dark colors such as blue, black or gray.
10. For men – Wear a conservative and low key tie. Avoid ties with flashy patterns.
11. For men – Keep your sneakers away. A clean, polished black leather shoes is highly recommended.
12. For men – Don’t forget to trim and clean your nails.
13. For men – White socks are definitely NO! Use dark socks.
14. For men – Use dark suit and light colored shirt.
15. For women – Wear a classic suit or simple dress paired with a jacket.
16. For women – The appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy or gray.
17. For women – Don’t be too provocative or sexy.
18. For women – Trim your fingernails and use a polish that complements your clothes and would not distract the interviewer.
19. For women – Choose a moderate shoes which is clean and with heels that makes you comfortable.
20. For women – Use a tan or light hosiery.
Clothing will play a role in your career so you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Add pieces made of high quality that will match to what you already have. Buy separates that can be mixed and matched. Dressing is not everything but it will definitely add up to your overall impression that you will make on.
These are some advices and the right tools that I can give to someone on their job hunting, but I have to leave it here. Because as we all end up with reality, applicants must not look good with their own respective dress but might as well have the confidence to make themselves qualified enough for the job. Job hunters should think first all the requirements before going to an interview, from the resume to his/her diploma. They must be ready to answer the question exquisitely. So if you want to have a job career in the future, you should consider these suggestion for you to succeed.
August 12, 2008
Four D Words Are Needed To Be Successful
Copyright © 2005-2008 Gordon Bellows
In order to achieve any amount of success in your life, it is
important that you understand four basic characteristics.
Let's call these four attributes the four D's of success, and
they are vital no matter what level of success you want.
Desire - Decision - Determination - Discipline
Desire is the most essential of the D's. Without desire, the
other fundamental things just don't matter. There are many
things we might like to have, and perhaps, we envy someone who
already has something we like. However, we are not very likely to
have these things for ourselves without desire. Not just a
feeling of wanting something or thinking it would be nice, but a
deep-down burning desire, a do-it-or-else attitude and a
willingness to make sacrifices to reach that goal. By sacrifices,
I mean things like giving up the extra servings to lose weight,
watching less TV to have more time available for a special
project, doing without a few things to be able to save money for
a down payment on a new house. Without a strong desire, the
sacrifices may become more of a dreaded chore than a means to an
end, in which case we are more likely to just give up and abandon
the goal.
Decisions need to be made once you have a clear-cut desire. You
want to accomplish a specific goal and now you need to decide how
to do it. Decide on a method to reach your goal and how long it
might take to get there. You can usually find valuable
information that is related to your goal in a bookstore, the
library, or on the Internet. Other times, you might need to talk
to someone who has accomplished a similar goal. Also, decide what
sacrifices, if any, may be necessary for you to make in order to
reach your goal. Reaching a goal is often easier by breaking a
major goal into mini-goals, each one being a milestone in
itself.
Determination and willpower are the traits you need to reach your
goal when you have a burning desire and you've made the decision
to take action and make something happen. There may be obstacles
on the way to your goal, but strength of mind and fortitude can
help keep you on track. It doesn't matter how fast you are
moving toward your goal as long as you keep moving in a positive
direction. You should be resolved to turn your desire into a
reality no matter what it takes.
Discipline can sometimes be the hardest D to handle. We may have
the best of intentions, but a moment of weakness can throw us off
track. It takes self-control and restraint to make sacrifices and
stick to the plan we decided upon. Every so often, we have to be
strict with ourselves and remember that the goal we seek is worth
the effort. If it becomes too hard to follow the plan, we might
need to revise the plan or the time it takes to get there.
Usually, what we desire most, is not the goal itself, but the
benefits that we experience when the goal is reached. The
following are typical goals and some possible benefits:
Goal: lose weight Benefit: look/feel better, more energy
Goal: plant garden Benefit: fresh food, exercise, nature
Goal: learn to golf Benefit: exercise, recreation
Goal: buy motorhome Benefit: travel, family outings
Goal: work at home Benefit: freedom, more time with family
Goal: higher income Benefit: better lifestyle, independence
Take a moment to think about your desires. Chances are good that
you have desires that are strong enough for you to make the
decision to take action and make things happen!
About the author:
Gordon Bellows struggled to find success with a home-based business until he was given some life-changing information. The same clear-cut tips and secrets that put him on the fast track to success are revealed in a useful e-course that is yours at no cost! Go to http://www.Home-Biz-Builder.com
Click here to read more articles from Gordon Bellows.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
In order to achieve any amount of success in your life, it is
important that you understand four basic characteristics.
Let's call these four attributes the four D's of success, and
they are vital no matter what level of success you want.
Desire - Decision - Determination - Discipline
Desire is the most essential of the D's. Without desire, the
other fundamental things just don't matter. There are many
things we might like to have, and perhaps, we envy someone who
already has something we like. However, we are not very likely to
have these things for ourselves without desire. Not just a
feeling of wanting something or thinking it would be nice, but a
deep-down burning desire, a do-it-or-else attitude and a
willingness to make sacrifices to reach that goal. By sacrifices,
I mean things like giving up the extra servings to lose weight,
watching less TV to have more time available for a special
project, doing without a few things to be able to save money for
a down payment on a new house. Without a strong desire, the
sacrifices may become more of a dreaded chore than a means to an
end, in which case we are more likely to just give up and abandon
the goal.
Decisions need to be made once you have a clear-cut desire. You
want to accomplish a specific goal and now you need to decide how
to do it. Decide on a method to reach your goal and how long it
might take to get there. You can usually find valuable
information that is related to your goal in a bookstore, the
library, or on the Internet. Other times, you might need to talk
to someone who has accomplished a similar goal. Also, decide what
sacrifices, if any, may be necessary for you to make in order to
reach your goal. Reaching a goal is often easier by breaking a
major goal into mini-goals, each one being a milestone in
itself.
Determination and willpower are the traits you need to reach your
goal when you have a burning desire and you've made the decision
to take action and make something happen. There may be obstacles
on the way to your goal, but strength of mind and fortitude can
help keep you on track. It doesn't matter how fast you are
moving toward your goal as long as you keep moving in a positive
direction. You should be resolved to turn your desire into a
reality no matter what it takes.
Discipline can sometimes be the hardest D to handle. We may have
the best of intentions, but a moment of weakness can throw us off
track. It takes self-control and restraint to make sacrifices and
stick to the plan we decided upon. Every so often, we have to be
strict with ourselves and remember that the goal we seek is worth
the effort. If it becomes too hard to follow the plan, we might
need to revise the plan or the time it takes to get there.
Usually, what we desire most, is not the goal itself, but the
benefits that we experience when the goal is reached. The
following are typical goals and some possible benefits:
Goal: lose weight Benefit: look/feel better, more energy
Goal: plant garden Benefit: fresh food, exercise, nature
Goal: learn to golf Benefit: exercise, recreation
Goal: buy motorhome Benefit: travel, family outings
Goal: work at home Benefit: freedom, more time with family
Goal: higher income Benefit: better lifestyle, independence
Take a moment to think about your desires. Chances are good that
you have desires that are strong enough for you to make the
decision to take action and make things happen!
About the author:
Gordon Bellows struggled to find success with a home-based business until he was given some life-changing information. The same clear-cut tips and secrets that put him on the fast track to success are revealed in a useful e-course that is yours at no cost! Go to http://www.Home-Biz-Builder.com
Click here to read more articles from Gordon Bellows.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
July 10, 2008
Ways to Measure and Increase Training Productivity
All training programmes don’t deliver results that were expected. Company leaders need to strategize how to assess and increase results.
We take for granted that in the corporate world, training schedules rule. This is even more true in an evolving world with the unprecedented opportunities. It is therefore important to ensure that these training sessions are indeed productive.
Now, how do we assess this quantifying and increase evolving processes? There is a simple process behind this.
In terms of ascertaining the reach of training programmes, an accurate indicator is: data – the productivity of employees before and after the training programmes. When data shows significant improvement in their productivity, it can be said that their training programmes delivered. In case there is not a noticeable, or if you find yourself needing to use a lot of adjectives rather than cold data then it didn’t work as expected.
What is it that we can do?.
To begin with is the content of your training. We often see training as simply stating of the obvious. Even though this is good enough for entertainment purposes, it is important to have an eye on what it is that we are conveying that the group doesn’t know and could benefit from knowing. It works well to have a meeting to identify the intention, content and boundaries of the training programmes.
Contrary to how it seems, boundarylessness is not an advantage when it comes to training. Talking about infinite subjects doesn’t lead to infinite learning, but detracts from the intensity of the core subject by talking about too many things and not having time to invest in them.
The next thing to do follows from this. Plan your flow. This could be called your programme schedule, your training design, or simply be a small chit of paper you carry around and refer to for options to follow at any point in the training. Something that gives you an idea of where you would be planning to arrive at the end of the session or day or programme. Without that, the training is like driftwood. It could look nice on the beach, but it could just as easily be floating unnoticed in the sea.
It is important for the facilitator to realize that he is a tool to change, not a participant in the change. It is a role boundary that needs to be respected, if the training is to have results that extend beyond its duration. Too often, we see trainers participating in the change. Classic symptoms of this include the facilitator having suggestions on how things “should” be done, explaining failures to reach targets rather than staying with the data and leading the group. Recognizing and accepting failure is perhaps the single biggest step to deep change.
A facilitator’s participation will also typically show more impressive “results” during the training programmes (and ensure that the facilitator seems to make a great impression about his effectiveness) than if participants initiated the change, because the facilitator has greater experience of resolving problems due to the nature of his profession. However, these results will not last in the absence of the trainer, because they are results of his leading the group, rather than enabling change in the group itself. Trainees will typically have a tentative and slowly evolving process. This doesn’t seem like much, but because it belongs with the group, it goes back into their routines with them.
The final and important thing is to set identifiers for results. This means seeing the statistics to you and identifying the area that the training aims to impact. For example: number of consumer complaints per week, attendance records, quantity of handmade paper produced per month, etc. The key to this is in its being a clear quantity. It is also important that you have the data available before the training. For example, it is no use using attendance records as a parameter for training on punctuality, if I have no data on the group’s attendance before the training to compare it with.
With this, we can hope to have an accurate assessment of the value of the training programmes we are doing.***
Source: Ezinearticles by Vidyut Kale
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
We take for granted that in the corporate world, training schedules rule. This is even more true in an evolving world with the unprecedented opportunities. It is therefore important to ensure that these training sessions are indeed productive.
Now, how do we assess this quantifying and increase evolving processes? There is a simple process behind this.
In terms of ascertaining the reach of training programmes, an accurate indicator is: data – the productivity of employees before and after the training programmes. When data shows significant improvement in their productivity, it can be said that their training programmes delivered. In case there is not a noticeable, or if you find yourself needing to use a lot of adjectives rather than cold data then it didn’t work as expected.
What is it that we can do?.
To begin with is the content of your training. We often see training as simply stating of the obvious. Even though this is good enough for entertainment purposes, it is important to have an eye on what it is that we are conveying that the group doesn’t know and could benefit from knowing. It works well to have a meeting to identify the intention, content and boundaries of the training programmes.
Contrary to how it seems, boundarylessness is not an advantage when it comes to training. Talking about infinite subjects doesn’t lead to infinite learning, but detracts from the intensity of the core subject by talking about too many things and not having time to invest in them.
The next thing to do follows from this. Plan your flow. This could be called your programme schedule, your training design, or simply be a small chit of paper you carry around and refer to for options to follow at any point in the training. Something that gives you an idea of where you would be planning to arrive at the end of the session or day or programme. Without that, the training is like driftwood. It could look nice on the beach, but it could just as easily be floating unnoticed in the sea.
It is important for the facilitator to realize that he is a tool to change, not a participant in the change. It is a role boundary that needs to be respected, if the training is to have results that extend beyond its duration. Too often, we see trainers participating in the change. Classic symptoms of this include the facilitator having suggestions on how things “should” be done, explaining failures to reach targets rather than staying with the data and leading the group. Recognizing and accepting failure is perhaps the single biggest step to deep change.
A facilitator’s participation will also typically show more impressive “results” during the training programmes (and ensure that the facilitator seems to make a great impression about his effectiveness) than if participants initiated the change, because the facilitator has greater experience of resolving problems due to the nature of his profession. However, these results will not last in the absence of the trainer, because they are results of his leading the group, rather than enabling change in the group itself. Trainees will typically have a tentative and slowly evolving process. This doesn’t seem like much, but because it belongs with the group, it goes back into their routines with them.
The final and important thing is to set identifiers for results. This means seeing the statistics to you and identifying the area that the training aims to impact. For example: number of consumer complaints per week, attendance records, quantity of handmade paper produced per month, etc. The key to this is in its being a clear quantity. It is also important that you have the data available before the training. For example, it is no use using attendance records as a parameter for training on punctuality, if I have no data on the group’s attendance before the training to compare it with.
With this, we can hope to have an accurate assessment of the value of the training programmes we are doing.***
Source: Ezinearticles by Vidyut Kale
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
July 8, 2008
Managing Payroll Attendance
Hourdoc informs business owners and professionals about payroll attendance and the costs and challenges associated with payroll attendance. It highlights the positives of payroll attendance and use of payroll attendance to see more innovative techniques of managing payroll attendance.
Employers need an effective, efficient method of tracking payroll attendance that is associated with hour’s employee’s work, which are connected with payroll attendance. A lot of companies use old fashion ways of tracking payroll attendance, reporting payroll attendance, and managing payroll attendance. This is the age of digital interconnectivity, to enhance payroll attendance, payroll attendance telecommuting and payroll attendance virtual offices. These tools are good, especially when dealing with payroll attendance. A lot of older systems dealing with payroll attendance are outdated and irrelevant.
Old systems, dealing with payroll attendance, require HR personnel to perform all aspects of payroll attendance and if not up to speed, managing payroll attendance becomes too cumbersome and HR is overloaded, then payroll attendance suffers and the bottom line suffers. Using newer systems when payroll attendance is up and running smoothly payroll attendance becomes self regulated and instead of focusing on payroll attendance and payroll attendance related issues management could focus on pressing matters. The antiquated payroll attendance systems are prone to human error where payroll attendance is concerned and management, administration, and employees become impaired.
Payroll attendance can take care of employees from beginning to end with an updated cost effective payroll attendance system. Only Internet access is needed. This will free up a business owner’s time to keep focus off payroll attendance and payroll attendance problems, so they can focus on strategic aspects of their company. A huge percentage of companies spend more time and money on payroll attendance than they really should. Fraud creeps into the picture when no payroll attendance tracking, or payroll attendance documentation is integrated into the corporate structure along with no accountability for payroll attendance systems.
A payroll attendance system that is Internet based, payroll attendance user-friendly, payroll attendance up-to-date, and payroll attendance cost effectiveness will ease the burden for administrative, which are payroll attendance related, and employee payroll attendance functions. Also a payroll attendance implementation time should be short.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Employers need an effective, efficient method of tracking payroll attendance that is associated with hour’s employee’s work, which are connected with payroll attendance. A lot of companies use old fashion ways of tracking payroll attendance, reporting payroll attendance, and managing payroll attendance. This is the age of digital interconnectivity, to enhance payroll attendance, payroll attendance telecommuting and payroll attendance virtual offices. These tools are good, especially when dealing with payroll attendance. A lot of older systems dealing with payroll attendance are outdated and irrelevant.
Old systems, dealing with payroll attendance, require HR personnel to perform all aspects of payroll attendance and if not up to speed, managing payroll attendance becomes too cumbersome and HR is overloaded, then payroll attendance suffers and the bottom line suffers. Using newer systems when payroll attendance is up and running smoothly payroll attendance becomes self regulated and instead of focusing on payroll attendance and payroll attendance related issues management could focus on pressing matters. The antiquated payroll attendance systems are prone to human error where payroll attendance is concerned and management, administration, and employees become impaired.
Payroll attendance can take care of employees from beginning to end with an updated cost effective payroll attendance system. Only Internet access is needed. This will free up a business owner’s time to keep focus off payroll attendance and payroll attendance problems, so they can focus on strategic aspects of their company. A huge percentage of companies spend more time and money on payroll attendance than they really should. Fraud creeps into the picture when no payroll attendance tracking, or payroll attendance documentation is integrated into the corporate structure along with no accountability for payroll attendance systems.
A payroll attendance system that is Internet based, payroll attendance user-friendly, payroll attendance up-to-date, and payroll attendance cost effectiveness will ease the burden for administrative, which are payroll attendance related, and employee payroll attendance functions. Also a payroll attendance implementation time should be short.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
May 22, 2008
Go Green and Mean It
by Beth Ziesenis
After 2.5 years in the proverbial African mud hut in Peace Corps, I decompressed for a few months by working as the head housekeeper for a dude ranch in Colorado. The general manager approached me with small placards she wanted me to place in every bathroom. “We love the environment,” the cards proclaimed. “Please reuse your towels to save water and energy.”
“This will save us money on the laundry service,” she said, “and it’ll make us look good.”
I balled my fists and put them on my hips before sputtering out the reply. “You’ve got to be kidding me! We don’t recycle; we don’t compost; we don’t do anything for the environment. I’m not putting these up in the rooms and lying to our guests!”
After we determined that my outburst was just shy of grounds for termination, she and I compromised. She let me start a recycling program at the ranch, and I put the cards in the room.
That was 1995, a few years before “An Inconvenient Truth” and the ubiquitous acceptance of the need for environmental awareness. As a freelance copywriter, many of my clients ask me to write articles or flyers about how green the company is, describing their recycling policies, energy savings, green marketing strategies, etc.
My question is still the same one I posed to my boss at the dude ranch: Sure, you have recycle bins near the main printer. But are you really green?
BusinessWeek listed a “Green Crisis” as one of its Ten Likely Events in 2008.
“There will be a backlash in the green movement after it becomes clear that many of the companies claiming to be green are in fact nothing of the sort,” the article states. “Businesses that proclaim they are ‘carbon neutral’ will find that such proclamations no longer carry much weight among far more skeptical media and consumers.”
More consumers are looking for proof of an environmentally conscious agenda by the companies they choose. Before your marketing department wraps your website in a green border, examine your company’s policies to make sure you pass the consumer green sniff test.
Here are a few tips for making sure you’re communicating a truthful message about your company’s green efforts.
1. Don’t exaggerate.
Buying carbon offsets or wind energy credits can actually give you the “right” to say your company is powered by alternative energy sources even if you’re plugging your computer into the same power plant you always have. But companies like Native Energy can help you reduce your carbon footprint and spread a truthful message about your environmental efforts.
2. Write a green philosophy statement.
Put down in writing the things your organization does to reuse, reduce and recycle. If you’re just getting into the green scene, say so, but detail how you’re making changes. Post the information on your website, and be ready to share it with people who ask.
3. Share green tips with your audience.
Everyone wants to be greener these days. Share small tips on what you do to think green in your regular communication such as emails (try your signature line!), eNewsletters, promotions, etc.
4. Just the stats, please.
Spend some time calculating how much paper, energy and resource your organization’s green efforts have saved. This info can make a nice press release.
5. Participate in green events.
Organize your staff for a Saturday trash pick-up in your area, or volunteer for a storm drain cleaning project. Then let your clients know about your events and give them resources to participate as well.***
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
After 2.5 years in the proverbial African mud hut in Peace Corps, I decompressed for a few months by working as the head housekeeper for a dude ranch in Colorado. The general manager approached me with small placards she wanted me to place in every bathroom. “We love the environment,” the cards proclaimed. “Please reuse your towels to save water and energy.”
“This will save us money on the laundry service,” she said, “and it’ll make us look good.”
I balled my fists and put them on my hips before sputtering out the reply. “You’ve got to be kidding me! We don’t recycle; we don’t compost; we don’t do anything for the environment. I’m not putting these up in the rooms and lying to our guests!”
After we determined that my outburst was just shy of grounds for termination, she and I compromised. She let me start a recycling program at the ranch, and I put the cards in the room.
That was 1995, a few years before “An Inconvenient Truth” and the ubiquitous acceptance of the need for environmental awareness. As a freelance copywriter, many of my clients ask me to write articles or flyers about how green the company is, describing their recycling policies, energy savings, green marketing strategies, etc.
My question is still the same one I posed to my boss at the dude ranch: Sure, you have recycle bins near the main printer. But are you really green?
BusinessWeek listed a “Green Crisis” as one of its Ten Likely Events in 2008.
“There will be a backlash in the green movement after it becomes clear that many of the companies claiming to be green are in fact nothing of the sort,” the article states. “Businesses that proclaim they are ‘carbon neutral’ will find that such proclamations no longer carry much weight among far more skeptical media and consumers.”
More consumers are looking for proof of an environmentally conscious agenda by the companies they choose. Before your marketing department wraps your website in a green border, examine your company’s policies to make sure you pass the consumer green sniff test.
Here are a few tips for making sure you’re communicating a truthful message about your company’s green efforts.
1. Don’t exaggerate.
Buying carbon offsets or wind energy credits can actually give you the “right” to say your company is powered by alternative energy sources even if you’re plugging your computer into the same power plant you always have. But companies like Native Energy can help you reduce your carbon footprint and spread a truthful message about your environmental efforts.
2. Write a green philosophy statement.
Put down in writing the things your organization does to reuse, reduce and recycle. If you’re just getting into the green scene, say so, but detail how you’re making changes. Post the information on your website, and be ready to share it with people who ask.
3. Share green tips with your audience.
Everyone wants to be greener these days. Share small tips on what you do to think green in your regular communication such as emails (try your signature line!), eNewsletters, promotions, etc.
4. Just the stats, please.
Spend some time calculating how much paper, energy and resource your organization’s green efforts have saved. This info can make a nice press release.
5. Participate in green events.
Organize your staff for a Saturday trash pick-up in your area, or volunteer for a storm drain cleaning project. Then let your clients know about your events and give them resources to participate as well.***
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March 28, 2008
Time Management | Bring to your personal growth
Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.
But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.
Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.
Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.
Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.
The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.
The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.
The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.
The career aspect involves school and work.
The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do list for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.
Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.
A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.
One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often.
A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.
Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.
Each and everyone of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.
Learning to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.
Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.
Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.
Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.
Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.
Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.
These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.
As the say personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.
From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.
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February 20, 2008
Human Resource Will Become More Strategic For Companies
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Whether it is large, medium, or small business set up, the success of a business firm depends upon the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees working in its organization. Hence, a coherent as well as strategic approach is inevitable for the successful co-ordination and performance of employees working in an organization.
Here comes the importance of human resource management (HRM.) Human Resource Management, alternatively known as personnel management, manpower management, or industrial management, is a discipline of management that deals with the activities that are related to employees in a firm, such as their recruitment, management, and above all providing proper guidance to them. In other words, human Resource covers everything from wellness, safety, and benefits of employees to their administration, motivation, and communication. Broadly speaking, human resource management includes employee management, time management, payroll management, and employee benefit management.
Every organization has now a separate section exclusively for handling activities in connection with human resource management. Among the functions of this section are:
- To create significant jobs that is vital to meet the goals of an organization
- Appointing right personnel in right position, thereby ensuring that required knowledge, expertise, and skills are blended in right proportion for the accomplishment of goals
- Developing a framework in order to help employees to effectively carry out their tasks and responsibilities
- Creating a favorable environment for employees to work within the organization
- Providing employees with feedback regarding their performance
- Creation of a positive working environment
- Retaining competent employees
- Assist employees as well as the firm to face challenges and changes
Human resource management involves a series of principles or tasks, such as, staffing, training and development, benefits and compensation, personnel management, and organizational management. Staffing is the hiring of right personnel with adequate skills at the required time. In other words, hiring an employee who is not committed or qualified may affect the reputation of a business firm.
In the case of employee training and development, the employees are imparted proper training and knowledge, which in turn help them to perform their task well and efficiently. Training involves both formal and informal training. Covered in the compensation and benefits are evaluation of employees' performances and development of plans in connection with employee compensation, benefits, and retirement plans.
Personnel management includes creation of work plans, supervision, resolution of conflicts, dealing with issues regarding termination, and day to day administration of human resource. An effective personnel management is staple for the maintenance of a healthy relationship between staff and board members, effective communication, and minimized costs. Above all, the prime purpose of organization management is to create a favorable working condition for employees, through effective supervision, adequate appreciation and freedom, effective tools to aid work, good pay and benefits, and encouragement to face challenges.
With effective human resource department as well as manager, a company can enjoy a host of benefits, which among many others, are
Effective employee management: An experienced human resource professional can easily devise a systematic as well as effective plan to hire and build a professional work force. Further, since they employ a series of strategies to such as training and test plans, this in turn enables employees in such a way to accomplish organizational goals.
Consultancy: One of the greatest advantages of human resource is that it provides an employee all the consulting he needs, apart from providing answers to his general queries.
Development of Strategic Business Plans: A human resource department mostly consists of highly professional people, who would be adept in devising such business plans that would enhance the return on investment of the organization.
Long term Benefits: Since HR section deals with long term management of a firm, it enables to assess the future scope of an organization and set up plans to ensure the profitability of business in long run.
Other obvious benefits of HR management are tremendous cost savings, flexibility, and considerable savings in time. In deed, human resource management has now become an indispensable segment of an organization.
However, a firm could enjoy the benefits of human resource system only if it comprises professional as well as experienced people. A plethora of executive search firms are now in the scenario to help you find competent human resource executives.
________________
Article Source: The Article Cafe by Wolfgang Jaegel
December 12, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
It’s that time of year again. Time to think about making New Year’s resolutions. How did you do in 2007? If you kept them, congratulations, for you are now a better person because of them.
Now let's making some resolutions for 2008. And here are some tips to help us carry out our resolutions.
If we make a resolution, we are resolving to do something we are not yet doing. Why aren’t we doing it? There must be reasons. It may be difficult to do, involve some efforts we have to make, or sacrifices we have to carry out. So, expect resistance. Prepare for it. Accept the short-term pain for the long-term gain. After sticking to our resolution for a month or two, it will become a habit and much easier to carry out. So, it will no longer be a matter of working harder, but of developing good habits which will propel you forward. Keep your eyes on the goal and anticipate the success that is yours.
Don’t become unrealistically ambitious. True, it may be great to improve your golf game, lose weight, hang out more with your friends, take a computer course to improve your productivity, learn ballroom dancing, make a rec room in the basement, and design a flower garden for your backyard. But wait a minute! Do you have the time? Don’t engage in wishful thinking. Instead schedule each activity so you know exactly how much time is available. And don’t forget to include extra time for emergencies.
A powerful technique. At the same time you make your New Year’s resolutions, change your routine. For instance, take a different route to work, have lunch at another place, open the door to your office with your left instead of your right hand, and so on. Why do so? Because each time you act out of character, you are forcing yourself to remember that you are living in a new way. It is easy to change your routine, and the changes will act as powerful cues, reminding you that you have resolutions to follow.
Make your goals as specific as possible. Don’t say, “I’m going to lose some weight” but say “I'm going to lose 10 lb. by June 30, 2008 by drinking more water, cutting out junk food, eating balanced meals, and exercising.”
Monitor your progress weekly. What are you doing right? Keep doing it! What are you doing wrong? What is the cause of the problem? How can you correct it? Also, set milestones. For example, if you’re going to lose 10 lb. by the end of May, that works out to 2 lb. per month. Confirm you standing every month. By keeping a watchful eye on your progress, you’ll be able to make corrections as you go along.
Do it for yourself. Don’t be pressured into anything. Remember, to succeed, your plan must be a passionate one. How can you be passionate about something you don’t want to do? Decide on what you WANT from life and focus on those goals. Granted, there may be things you should be doing, but don’t want to. That’s fine; it simply means you’re a human being. The good news is that as we accomplish goals we WANT, we develop self-discipline. In other words, you’ll have the strength to work on bigger goals later.
Patience. Because we cannot accomplish everything at once, we need patience, focus, and persistence. As we monitor our progress and see the progress we are making, no matter how small, it will be enough to motivate us to continue. If you come across bumps in the road, don’t be discouraged. Just pick yourself up and continue. How can you develop your skills if it’s smooth sailing all the way? You need to experience a few storms before you can become the Captain of your ship.
That's all. Happy New Year!
Now let's making some resolutions for 2008. And here are some tips to help us carry out our resolutions.
If we make a resolution, we are resolving to do something we are not yet doing. Why aren’t we doing it? There must be reasons. It may be difficult to do, involve some efforts we have to make, or sacrifices we have to carry out. So, expect resistance. Prepare for it. Accept the short-term pain for the long-term gain. After sticking to our resolution for a month or two, it will become a habit and much easier to carry out. So, it will no longer be a matter of working harder, but of developing good habits which will propel you forward. Keep your eyes on the goal and anticipate the success that is yours.
Don’t become unrealistically ambitious. True, it may be great to improve your golf game, lose weight, hang out more with your friends, take a computer course to improve your productivity, learn ballroom dancing, make a rec room in the basement, and design a flower garden for your backyard. But wait a minute! Do you have the time? Don’t engage in wishful thinking. Instead schedule each activity so you know exactly how much time is available. And don’t forget to include extra time for emergencies.
A powerful technique. At the same time you make your New Year’s resolutions, change your routine. For instance, take a different route to work, have lunch at another place, open the door to your office with your left instead of your right hand, and so on. Why do so? Because each time you act out of character, you are forcing yourself to remember that you are living in a new way. It is easy to change your routine, and the changes will act as powerful cues, reminding you that you have resolutions to follow.
Make your goals as specific as possible. Don’t say, “I’m going to lose some weight” but say “I'm going to lose 10 lb. by June 30, 2008 by drinking more water, cutting out junk food, eating balanced meals, and exercising.”
Monitor your progress weekly. What are you doing right? Keep doing it! What are you doing wrong? What is the cause of the problem? How can you correct it? Also, set milestones. For example, if you’re going to lose 10 lb. by the end of May, that works out to 2 lb. per month. Confirm you standing every month. By keeping a watchful eye on your progress, you’ll be able to make corrections as you go along.
Do it for yourself. Don’t be pressured into anything. Remember, to succeed, your plan must be a passionate one. How can you be passionate about something you don’t want to do? Decide on what you WANT from life and focus on those goals. Granted, there may be things you should be doing, but don’t want to. That’s fine; it simply means you’re a human being. The good news is that as we accomplish goals we WANT, we develop self-discipline. In other words, you’ll have the strength to work on bigger goals later.
Patience. Because we cannot accomplish everything at once, we need patience, focus, and persistence. As we monitor our progress and see the progress we are making, no matter how small, it will be enough to motivate us to continue. If you come across bumps in the road, don’t be discouraged. Just pick yourself up and continue. How can you develop your skills if it’s smooth sailing all the way? You need to experience a few storms before you can become the Captain of your ship.
That's all. Happy New Year!
November 28, 2007
Keeping Employees Happy
There are many things that you have to worry about as you have a business in the world today. Keeping your employees happy is certainly one of the things that you are going to want to focus on. This is especially true if you have gone through the trouble to find employees that you really feel are valuable to you in each and every way. Once you have found the employees that fit into your business, do good work and that you can trust, you simply do not want to lose them because of something that you have done or something else that you could have helped.
People who are good at what they do or who are good employees are going to know that they can find work anywhere, so they are going to need to be kept happy, no matter what you do, so that you do not lose them. On the same token, you should know that an employee who demands things that you can not do might not be the best employee for you. There are several tricks that you can use to make sure that your employees stay happy.
First of all, think about what they are doing for you and make sure that they have the conditions that make this worthwhile for them. Are they working under safe conditions, conditions that make them happy? Can you tell that they are going to be happy in their job? Are there safety measures or other things that you could do to make sure that they stay happy at work?
Secondly, remember that you should listen to your employees. Is there a place where you can have a suggestion box or something else that will let your employees tell you how they feel about certain matters? This is something that you might find more important than you think. If you have a way for your employees to tell you what they need or how they feel, you might be surprised by what kind of results you get. Also, be sure that there is a way that they can suggest or ask things without talking to you face to face. Often people are intimidated and will not ask for something unless they can do it anonymously.
Also, when an employee asks for something, see if you can do it. Even if it is something small, you might be surprised at how much of a difference it will make in a persons work day. You want to keep your employees happy and keep them working for you and even if it is something that you can do through the small things, you should try to do so. You might find that it makes all of the difference in your business.
______________
Article Source: ArticleCafe by Obinna Heche
People who are good at what they do or who are good employees are going to know that they can find work anywhere, so they are going to need to be kept happy, no matter what you do, so that you do not lose them. On the same token, you should know that an employee who demands things that you can not do might not be the best employee for you. There are several tricks that you can use to make sure that your employees stay happy.
First of all, think about what they are doing for you and make sure that they have the conditions that make this worthwhile for them. Are they working under safe conditions, conditions that make them happy? Can you tell that they are going to be happy in their job? Are there safety measures or other things that you could do to make sure that they stay happy at work?
Secondly, remember that you should listen to your employees. Is there a place where you can have a suggestion box or something else that will let your employees tell you how they feel about certain matters? This is something that you might find more important than you think. If you have a way for your employees to tell you what they need or how they feel, you might be surprised by what kind of results you get. Also, be sure that there is a way that they can suggest or ask things without talking to you face to face. Often people are intimidated and will not ask for something unless they can do it anonymously.
Also, when an employee asks for something, see if you can do it. Even if it is something small, you might be surprised at how much of a difference it will make in a persons work day. You want to keep your employees happy and keep them working for you and even if it is something that you can do through the small things, you should try to do so. You might find that it makes all of the difference in your business.
______________
Article Source: ArticleCafe by Obinna Heche
October 3, 2007
What Salary Are You Seeking?
Recruiters often use salary requirements as part of the initial screening process, asking applicants to disclose their expectations in a cover letter or during a telephone interview. HR job seekers are certainly not immune from such inquiries and need to be prepared to drawn on their HR expertise when responding, experts say.
"Salary negotiation is more an art than a science," says Gail Aldrich, SPHR, an executive coach in Genoa, Nev., and former chief membership officer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). But she says interviewers are going to expect HR people to know how to handle this type of question.
Dodging the question entirely is not recommended, according to Jim Kennedy, president of Management Team Consultants Inc., an interview training company in San Rafael, Calif. "My advice would be to share what they have in mind as an expected range and not just dance around the issue," he says.
Sometimes the best response is to ask "Can you tell me what you have in mind for this particular position?" says Lin Blair, SPHR, HR project leader for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Little Rock, Ark. Candidates should know their own bottom line, she says, but be very careful not to undersell themselves.
Blair, who is also a career planning instructor at Webster University, suggests HR candidates use this question as an opportunity to distance themselves from the competition by describing any additional experience, advanced degrees or HR-related certifications they possess. "Recap your skills and experience and give a range," she says, that is based on research into comparable pay for similar sized organizations in the same industry.
Candidates should take their time responding, however. "Don't throw out a number first if you can avoid it," says Laura M. Labovich, president, A & E Consulting LLC, a Washington, D.C., area career coaching and HR consulting service. "If you do, you'll either undersell your value or overbid yourself out of the position."
Instead, Labovich suggests recapping the position requirements and stating "I'm open to hearing what this position's market value is."
Everything Is Negotiable
"HR people get too limited by knowing the top of the range," says Maureen G. Henson, SPHR, vice president of human resources at Henry Ford Bi-County Hospital in Warren, Mich. She says they shouldn't be so constrained by their knowledge of salary structures.
Aldrich suggests finding out as much as possible about a position's total compensation package, including benefits, stock options and bonuses, as well as base pay, before the interview takes place. If complete information is not available, she suggests a response such as "I'm confident we can find the right number, but I'm reluctant to give a specific number until I have done a complete analysis of the total compensation."
"You don't want to undersell yourself," Aldrich says. "You want to give the recruiter confidence that you can come to terms but need more information about how the total compensation package compares."
Aldrich, who interviewed many HR people in three roles as top HR executive, says "You really do expect HR people to have done their homework more than others. … You expect them to have good questions about the total compensation program; all HR people really need to do their homework on their current plan and new employer's plan.
"Make it clear that you are interested in an equitable salary and don't want to be overpaid or underpaid compared to others performing similar work," Aldrich says. Applicants are generally not privy to an organization's pay scale, so, she says "Tell them you will rely upon them to make sure you are equitably paid."
Take It to the Next Level
An applicant shouldn't show their hand to just anyone, according to Kennedy. "I would want to make sure this person had some decision-making authority and wasn't someone on the interviewing schedule who would just be a potential peer," he says, suggesting that candidates first ask "Are you the one who will set the salary?"
If the salary quoted is too low or the position seems too junior as described, Labovich says, a candidate can try to create a larger job during the interview by describing additional tasks they can perform for the organization which would result in a larger job and higher salary.
"HR professionals don't always know how marketable their skills are," Henson says. She says candidates should assess their worth through networking and research and not worry about pricing themselves out of the market.
_______
From SHRM's HR Careers Articles, by Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR (online writer/editor for SHRM)
"Salary negotiation is more an art than a science," says Gail Aldrich, SPHR, an executive coach in Genoa, Nev., and former chief membership officer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). But she says interviewers are going to expect HR people to know how to handle this type of question.
Dodging the question entirely is not recommended, according to Jim Kennedy, president of Management Team Consultants Inc., an interview training company in San Rafael, Calif. "My advice would be to share what they have in mind as an expected range and not just dance around the issue," he says.
Sometimes the best response is to ask "Can you tell me what you have in mind for this particular position?" says Lin Blair, SPHR, HR project leader for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Little Rock, Ark. Candidates should know their own bottom line, she says, but be very careful not to undersell themselves.
Blair, who is also a career planning instructor at Webster University, suggests HR candidates use this question as an opportunity to distance themselves from the competition by describing any additional experience, advanced degrees or HR-related certifications they possess. "Recap your skills and experience and give a range," she says, that is based on research into comparable pay for similar sized organizations in the same industry.
Candidates should take their time responding, however. "Don't throw out a number first if you can avoid it," says Laura M. Labovich, president, A & E Consulting LLC, a Washington, D.C., area career coaching and HR consulting service. "If you do, you'll either undersell your value or overbid yourself out of the position."
Instead, Labovich suggests recapping the position requirements and stating "I'm open to hearing what this position's market value is."
Everything Is Negotiable
"HR people get too limited by knowing the top of the range," says Maureen G. Henson, SPHR, vice president of human resources at Henry Ford Bi-County Hospital in Warren, Mich. She says they shouldn't be so constrained by their knowledge of salary structures.
Aldrich suggests finding out as much as possible about a position's total compensation package, including benefits, stock options and bonuses, as well as base pay, before the interview takes place. If complete information is not available, she suggests a response such as "I'm confident we can find the right number, but I'm reluctant to give a specific number until I have done a complete analysis of the total compensation."
"You don't want to undersell yourself," Aldrich says. "You want to give the recruiter confidence that you can come to terms but need more information about how the total compensation package compares."
Aldrich, who interviewed many HR people in three roles as top HR executive, says "You really do expect HR people to have done their homework more than others. … You expect them to have good questions about the total compensation program; all HR people really need to do their homework on their current plan and new employer's plan.
"Make it clear that you are interested in an equitable salary and don't want to be overpaid or underpaid compared to others performing similar work," Aldrich says. Applicants are generally not privy to an organization's pay scale, so, she says "Tell them you will rely upon them to make sure you are equitably paid."
Take It to the Next Level
An applicant shouldn't show their hand to just anyone, according to Kennedy. "I would want to make sure this person had some decision-making authority and wasn't someone on the interviewing schedule who would just be a potential peer," he says, suggesting that candidates first ask "Are you the one who will set the salary?"
If the salary quoted is too low or the position seems too junior as described, Labovich says, a candidate can try to create a larger job during the interview by describing additional tasks they can perform for the organization which would result in a larger job and higher salary.
"HR professionals don't always know how marketable their skills are," Henson says. She says candidates should assess their worth through networking and research and not worry about pricing themselves out of the market.
_______
From SHRM's HR Careers Articles, by Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR (online writer/editor for SHRM)
September 26, 2007
How Do You Want To Be Rewarded On The Job ?
Different employees are rewarded in different ways and at different times in their career. Managers have to be flexible. Employees and job seekers should realize the major trend of baby boomers retiring as they come of age. Both job seekers and employees should realize that they are in a much better bargaining position when it comes to their pay , bonuses and conditions they receive .
Gone are the days when a pat on the back for a job well done or a gold watch after 25 years of service were enough to keep employees happy , productive and in the end profitable.
Different employees need to be rewarded in different ways. You may wish to rewarded in different ways at different times of your life and career.
For example if you are a person who is newly married and saving for a home the best reward for you may be an increase in pay.
However s several years later with a young you may felt that the best rewarded is time off or 3 day weekends in the summer to better spend precious time with his family.
Good managers and supervisors are flexible in their reward tactics. Employee recognition and reward programs are often now be seen as an investment rather than an expense.
Traditionally recognizing superior job performance beyond the old fashioned compliment and occasional bonuses has previously not been a priority or concern in most Human Resource (HR) departments. And to make matters worse often bonus or reward programs were changed in midstream.
This changing of the rules was often done arbitrarily on the whim of “management privilege” causing frustration on the part of employees and often great resentment. As a result morale suffered often in the most productive employees on staff. It is often said that 85% of the results in any organization and certainly the role models of new employees come from the top 15 % of staff.
You should be aware of a major trend that is brewing in the workforce.
Masses of the most senior, experienced employees that were born during the “Baby Boom” are getting ready for their retirement and thus exiting the work force.
As a result many job seekers and employees are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their employment expectations,
What can you ask for from your management superiors and as well look for in their hiring process?
Employment recognition , awards and remuneration come in many varied forms – from simple salary increases , bonus structures , physical rewards of course such as shiny plaques and art work ,
Employees can be rewarded in “point to point reward programs for high end merchandise, memberships in elite clubs and health clubs can also be a form of remuneration to look for.
As well you could be rewarded as an employee by expensive dinners, sports tickets, vacations and of course physical cash bonuses.
However be aware of awards that are “not rewards “well at least to you.
The interviewer or manager may speak strongly of a “trip “to some exotic location such as Hawaii or Fiji. However once there it turns out that this trip is actually a “Moonie company indoctrination “session where you are held captive in an isolated resort compound: You will be lucky if you see the light of day outside of the “ meeting” and in the evening slave over so called vital “reports” and assignments .. So much for the “trip’ being a reward.
In the end as in life the simple things are really what to look for in the hiring and employee recognition process.
Either some form of effective increased salary – be it a simple salary or bonus structure , increased time off – vacations , 3 day weekends, shorter day periods or a benefit that you would otherwise have to pay out of your pocket – for example a company car , lunch allowance or a paid health care plan are best.
At the worst as your grandmother may have told you “When in doubt give cash “.
___________
Source: article99
Gone are the days when a pat on the back for a job well done or a gold watch after 25 years of service were enough to keep employees happy , productive and in the end profitable.
Different employees need to be rewarded in different ways. You may wish to rewarded in different ways at different times of your life and career.
For example if you are a person who is newly married and saving for a home the best reward for you may be an increase in pay.
However s several years later with a young you may felt that the best rewarded is time off or 3 day weekends in the summer to better spend precious time with his family.
Good managers and supervisors are flexible in their reward tactics. Employee recognition and reward programs are often now be seen as an investment rather than an expense.
Traditionally recognizing superior job performance beyond the old fashioned compliment and occasional bonuses has previously not been a priority or concern in most Human Resource (HR) departments. And to make matters worse often bonus or reward programs were changed in midstream.
This changing of the rules was often done arbitrarily on the whim of “management privilege” causing frustration on the part of employees and often great resentment. As a result morale suffered often in the most productive employees on staff. It is often said that 85% of the results in any organization and certainly the role models of new employees come from the top 15 % of staff.
You should be aware of a major trend that is brewing in the workforce.
Masses of the most senior, experienced employees that were born during the “Baby Boom” are getting ready for their retirement and thus exiting the work force.
As a result many job seekers and employees are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their employment expectations,
What can you ask for from your management superiors and as well look for in their hiring process?
Employment recognition , awards and remuneration come in many varied forms – from simple salary increases , bonus structures , physical rewards of course such as shiny plaques and art work ,
Employees can be rewarded in “point to point reward programs for high end merchandise, memberships in elite clubs and health clubs can also be a form of remuneration to look for.
As well you could be rewarded as an employee by expensive dinners, sports tickets, vacations and of course physical cash bonuses.
However be aware of awards that are “not rewards “well at least to you.
The interviewer or manager may speak strongly of a “trip “to some exotic location such as Hawaii or Fiji. However once there it turns out that this trip is actually a “Moonie company indoctrination “session where you are held captive in an isolated resort compound: You will be lucky if you see the light of day outside of the “ meeting” and in the evening slave over so called vital “reports” and assignments .. So much for the “trip’ being a reward.
In the end as in life the simple things are really what to look for in the hiring and employee recognition process.
Either some form of effective increased salary – be it a simple salary or bonus structure , increased time off – vacations , 3 day weekends, shorter day periods or a benefit that you would otherwise have to pay out of your pocket – for example a company car , lunch allowance or a paid health care plan are best.
At the worst as your grandmother may have told you “When in doubt give cash “.
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Source: article99
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