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b82d152ef11bf22d168b9b8248935a5b	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/02/05/how-to-implement-an-office-dress-code-without-harming-employees-self-expression/	How To Implement An Office Dress Code Without Harming Employees' Self-Expression	How To Implement An Office Dress Code Without Harming Employees' Self-Expression Dress codes have a purpose within the workforce, both in terms of reflecting the organization’s culture and presenting a certain image to customers. However, the downside of a strictly enforced dress code is that employees may tend to feel stifled in their personal expression. In the case of an employee who enjoys expressing themselves through their attire, a strict dress code could lead to severe unhappiness. A company needs to figure out where the balance lies between enforcing a dress code and allowing employees to be relaxed and open about their personalities. To help, nine contributors to Forbes Human Resources Council examine how a business should best approach dress code policies without sacrificing individual expression. Members share their best tips for creating a professional, yet flexible office dress code. Photos courtesy of the individual members 1. Provide Basic Guidelines Provide basic guidelines such as "business casual," but less hard fast rules. Address any issues with a one-on-one conversation -- for example, "Your top should cover your bottom if you want to continue wearing yoga pants and be taken seriously" as opposed to, "No yoga pants." Freedom to be diverse individuals, as well as a culture of inclusivity, is what brings us together, not stringent dress codes. - Kerri Johnson, Foam Supplies, Inc. 2. Match The Culture A dress code (or a decision to not have a dress code) should be aligned with the company's culture and values. There are very innovative companies out there that do not have dress codes and then there are very traditional companies that have strict dress codes. If you're somewhere in between, then your dress code should be, too. - Lotus Buckner, NCH Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 3. Communicate The 'Why' An illustrative "fast-fail and recover" story is one about a jewelry update to a uniform guideline at a global coffee company. The update caused a subset of employees to go to social media to protest their restriction of personal expression. Once the "why" was explained -- a health and safety code legal requirement -- the customer-obsessed employees embraced the change readily to support the company. - MJ Vigil, PEMCO Insurance 4. Keep It Simple Whatever your dress code is, you need to communicate it in a simple and effective manner. I live by the rule that simple is always better. Simple will create simplicity, while complicated promotes complicated. Every company and industry is different. When creating your standards, keep simplicity in mind, what is important to the company, and what is important to the employee. - Adam Mellor, ONE Gas, Inc. 5. Model The Dress Code Prospective employees and employees take their cues from the managers they meet with and from social posts of the team. Consider the visual assets you use internally and externally, make sure they represent how you want people to show up for work. Be sure and consider your own wardrobe to drive adoption of your organization's dress code. While a written policy is a safe bet, being a model works. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners 6. Reflect The Organization Dress codes should be broad and simple -- expect employees to use good judgment when presenting themselves in the workplace. Your guidelines should reflect the work of the employee and the organization. It's helpful to provide guidance, such as business attire in client meetings or safety-minded clothing when working with machinery, and to set examples at all levels of the organization. - Jennifer Marszalek 7. Set Expectations And Gather Input Be clear, direct, upfront and lead by example! Ensure your company dress code is communicated to new employees during the onboarding process. Your leaders should be adhering to the dress code and setting an example for the entire team. It's important to also gather input from your organization -- understand what makes people comfortable, productive, and professional. - Jamie Hoobanoff, The Leadership Agency 8. Aim To Empower Your People Empower your people. You are hiring grown-ups, and they can dress appropriately. And, if someone isn’t dressing “appropriately,” you need to share that feedback with them as soon as possible, and be specific on why they’re dressing inappropriately. For example, if someone works in a warehouse, wearing open-toed shoes is a safety concern. Beyond that, employees expect to be trusted. - Deborah Muller, HR Acuity 9. Focus On Your Clients Dress codes should be appropriate for your client base. If your clients came into your office, would it match the image you have presented them with? If you visit them, are you dressed appropriately for their environment? As long as those things match, there can be quite a lot of freedom. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden
7c4444d4e735359c55648377820d18df	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/02/19/hiring-on-demand-consultants-and-advisors-as-the-gig-economy-matures/	Hiring On-Demand Consultants And Advisors As The Gig Economy Matures	Hiring On-Demand Consultants And Advisors As The Gig Economy Matures Photo: Getty When you think of the gig economy, you most likely think of people shuttling around passengers or delivering food and of companies like Uber, Lyft and Taskrabbit — companies whose workers are, generally, not thought of as highly skilled. You may also think of companies like Upwork, whose success is proof the business model for freelancer workers is here to stay. McKinsey reports that up to 162 million people in Europe and the United States are engaged in some form of independent work. That’s 20% to 30% of the working-age population! From Low-Skill Freelancers To Specialized Knowledge Workers But the gig economy is more than low-skill freelancers and side hustlers, more than drivers shuttling passengers, people hosting overnight guests and workers delivering meals and groceries. Today, highly experienced — and highly educated — knowledge workers and creative professionals are the fastest-growing segments of the gig economy. Companies are realizing that the quickest and most efficient way to get specialized talent is to hire them as project-based gig workers. Corporate boards and executive teams are hiring experts who can provide high-level advice on how to take advantage of business and technology trends while also delivering tactical insights on implementation. These knowledge workers are changing the face of the gig economy. The Role Of On-Demand Consultants And Advisors In Changing Times With the rapid rate of change in today’s world, it can be difficult, time-intensive and expensive to assess and react to each new technology trend and challenge on your own. How should your company incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into its strategic plan? What are the latest cybersecurity threats, and is your company prepared for them? What is the internet of things, and how does it affect your market? Why should your company care about blockchain or 5G? How can your data be analyzed to provide deep insights into new product and market opportunities? These kinds of questions and problems are perfect for executive-level consultants who have deep industry experience and can be contracted at an hourly or project rate. How can on-demand consultants and advisors help? On-demand advisors can help with a variety of needs — whether it’s providing an in-depth report on competitors, spending an hour giving advice on a potential new product, writing a memo on entering a potential new market, creating financial models and investment memos, or providing expertise on switching software systems. Executives can use on-demand knowledge advisors as sounding boards, to brainstorm ideas, get vital introductions, and ask for advice and insight at critical times. How are corporate boards engaging on-demand advisors and consultants? Corporate boards are also relying on independent subject-matter experts to help with high-level, long-term planning and strategy that management teams may not be focused on. Moreover, on-demand consultants can bring unique outside perspectives, which are particularly helpful at companies that lack diversity. I've seen it firsthand: Our consultants have helped corporate boards assess expansion plans, acquisition plans, capital raises and exit strategies. These kinds of projects are critical to strategic planning and management in today’s fast-paced economy. So, how do you find these advisors and consultants? Start by asking your network for referrals; someone you trust is likely to be able to make an introduction. And, after all, you’re most likely to have a successful engagement with someone who has a track record of delivering strategic insights. If your network fails to uncover the right professionals, there are marketplaces and providers of on-demand executive-level advisors like Business Talent Group, Catalant and our firm, FlexTeam. Some outsourcing options provide rigorously vetted executive-level consultants; through others, you vet the workers yourself. Not sure how to vet your on-demand advisors and consultants? When vetting your on-demand advisors, start by asking whether they have an incorporated entity and an EIN (IRS-issued employer identification number), as those are indicators of commitment to their consulting business. Review their LinkedIn profile and website for red flags. Then, if all seems well, ask for references, and request case studies that illustrate their value proposition. An experienced and reputable advisor may not be able to share work samples due to nondisclosure agreements but should be able to speak confidently about the kinds of work they have done and the outcomes they have achieved. With more and more companies using on-demand knowledge workers, it will soon become commonplace to hire on-demand advisors. Companies that don’t will risk falling behind their competitors. The future of work is here, and the decision to adapt and change for the better is yours. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
9be9cfe72759361ff313f89e31d9bd0b	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/02/26/this-is-why-blitzscaling-threatens-talent-acquisition-and-company-culture/	This Is Why Blitzscaling Threatens Talent Acquisition And Company Culture	This Is Why Blitzscaling Threatens Talent Acquisition And Company Culture Photo: Getty How can we rethink how companies use technology, people and processes to create sustainable, profitable businesses and instill company culture in the long run? No matter the size of a company or startup today, many would argue that creating a profitable business should be a critical driver. But, there seems to be more talk about fast growth and valuation and less talk about prioritizing profit, talent and creating a culture that becomes the galvanizing force in a company’s success. McKinsey researchers address the talent and human capital component when they talk about winning transformations for companies and the importance of investing in digital talent. But, in the world of high-growth venture capital (VC), sometimes the talent and culture component is neglected. When the Silicon Valley mentality became more prominent in Europe a decade ago, we saw two things happen: a shift from business owner to entrepreneur, from building a company to a valuation-centric mindset. This tectonic shift in the thinking evolved into “blitzscaling,” or prioritizing speed over efficiency — the term was coined by Reid Hoffman. That approach has created some great companies, but the blitzscaling approach also isn’t for everyone. If you look at the number of companies exiting at a billion dollars globally, it’s minute compared to those that received VC funding. Startups have a 1% chance of becoming unicorns. Even Wall Street knows that most unicorns aren’t profitable. So, it’s not scale at all costs; it’s about how you’re going to scale. You can’t ignore the fundamental building blocks that will make your company succeed in the long run: talent. A False Talent Market VC rounds are getting more significant. Funds are supersized, and investors are pushing to scale fast. On average, the road to unicorn has shortened from seven and a half years to just under six years. Salaries surpass those even for the same positions in established tech companies. Many billion-dollar unicorns have no clear path to profitability, and instead rely on the “wow” factor to push forward to inspire employees to go with them on world-changing missions. But, at the same time that they’re scaling, they’re also leveraging their talent as a means to an end, treating them more as a commodity. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur or Elon Musk. But, it’s incredibly hard to scale like Uber or WeWork. This is why you see so many broken cultures at startups — burnout, high rates of attrition, overinflated salaries with companies having to overpay in a hyped-up market to attract the best people. Being focused on scaling at the expense of creating a valuable company culture rarely creates a long-term business. You can’t short-change talent. The Talent Phenomena The good news is that out of this blitzscaling decade we’re seeing a new approach emerging, driven by a new generation of startup founders and investors, where the value of talent is parallel to the company’s success. In his book, What You Do is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz, looked at the importance of company culture. This is what we’re beginning to see in this next generation of startups: the value of talent coming to the forefront. Where recruitment used to be an afterthought, we are beginning to see the best companies in the world have high-performance talent teams. Recruitment has the power to change how companies create culture internally. In the past five years, companies have become more strategic about how they acquire talent by bringing talent experts to the executive table. A 2019 First Round Capital report found that when employees lack faith in their CEO, they’re three times less confident their company will see a $1 billion-plus exit. And, they’re five times more likely to leave within a year and two times more likely to think the company will fail due to culture or team. Talent is the No. 1 challenge for companies today; it’s also the highest cost. Recruitment conversations must be strategic decisions. Elevating recruitment to the C-level is how we change the talent narrative. With talent as the key to the future, we are seeing a more significant emphasis on culture, diversity, mental health — things that founders would not have talked about a decade ago. Founders have started to bring teams together faster by bringing in talent experts earlier in the process. They also know they need the right talent to build their company at inception. Elevating the talent agenda at a startup company is the epicenter of what makes a lasting company culture. This is sustainable hiring. Here are three ways you can ensure your company attracts the best talent. 1. Talent should be on your agenda from day one. Think about how you’re going to scale your teams from the beginning to 20 years down the road. If you’re going to be a billion-dollar company, you’ll need the right talent along the way. You already invest in your product and brand, but if you aren’t making people the epicenter of your investment, you won’t get very far. 2. Take your talent on your journey. Founders should be clear on the mission of the company. Everyone at every level should be on board with that plan. Sharing where the company is going and how everyone can help reach that goal is how you create a winning culture. 3. Keep your bar high. Your first dozen hires set the tone for the rest of your business and will encourage more A-players to join your company. People want to work with the best people, so you’ll need to be agile and vigilant. Implement data to spot trends and make changes quickly when you have to. Remove your opinion and bias, and let go of people who don't work out. Growing a company at a rapid scale has challenges, but there are a lot of things you can do to make it successful. Having a focus on people and culture from day one will make your company successful today and tomorrow. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
7daf46be5a55110883e3a4d67b94745e	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/04/the-future-of-work-is-the-liquid-workforce/	The Future Of Work Is The Liquid Workforce	The Future Of Work Is The Liquid Workforce Photo: Getty The future of work — or, as some call it, work of the future — has been a hot topic for many years. Most people think of the future of work as it relates to a specific technology or social issue. For example, the wide range of ideas I’ve heard discussed around the future of work include: • Jobs at risk of being automated due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). • The end of physical office space as companies transition to fully remote operations. • A digital workplace that includes virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR). • Diversity and inclusion. • Attracting and retaining top employees in an increasingly competitive talent market. • Soft skills and emotional intelligence. • Retraining and reskilling workers for the future. • Finding work-life balance or work-life fit. • The rise of multivendor software as a service (SaaS) for personal and team productivity applications. • Good jobs that pay a living wage, regardless of education or sector. • The gig economy. • Government-enacted policies and regulations, like California AB5, designed to protect and effectively tax freelance workers. So which of these many options is truly the future of work? I believe it’s a combination of all of the above, and it can be summarized by saying that the future of work is the liquid workforce. Working For Yourself: The American Dream Working for yourself used to be the American Dream. We were a nation of farmers, creators, builders and individuals with a shared identity as aspiring achievers taking charge of our futures (and destinies). According to historian Steve Gillon, before 1860, most Americans lived in rural areas, and upward of 80% of the workforce was self-employed. By the late 1970s, the self-employment rate dropped to an estimated 7%. Today, that percentage has risen and continues to rise faster than the overall labor growth rate — 10% of workers are classified as self-employed, and 20% to 30% of people are engaged in some kind of independent work. Corporations And The 9-to-5 During The Industrial Era As America transformed from a nation of rural farmers to one of industry, so did the way we work. America became a nation of large hierarchical corporations, and our industrial economy required reliable, cookie-cutter workers. The 9-to-5 traditional workforce is a relic of this era: Early 20th century factories introduced the five-day workweek (down from six days to improve productivity). Future Of Work In The Digital Age In today’s digital age as AI and machine learning begin to automate jobs and as VR and AR change our workplace and training abilities, the structure of work and the skills needed to succeed have changed. Soft skills like emotional intelligence are now paramount to success, requiring changes to our education system. People are increasingly looking for work-life fit and choosing to leave traditional jobs and instead engage in independent, and often remote, work. From the corporation side, the talent market is becoming increasingly competitive, requiring companies to engage the liquid workforce as part of their talent strategy. Remote work is becoming commonplace for both liquid workers and traditional workers. Governments are looking to regulate and capture taxes as the workforce evolves. And as the business case for diversity and inclusion has been made clear — that diversity in thought correlates directly to increased economic output — corporations need to add more diversity to their workforce. Corporations are increasingly turning to on-demand workers, consultants and advisors as part of their diversity and inclusion strategy. The Liquid Workforce What brings this all together is the idea that the future of work is the liquid workforce — a diverse, robust economy where more and more workers go back to being self-employed, where we go back to our roots as an entrepreneurial nation. Where the corporation was once the structure driving our economy, the future is an agile, technology-enabled, human-optimized and inclusive system. The individuals who comprise the liquid workforce will work anywhere, anytime on projects with varying durations. This idea encompasses the changing policies, mindsets and strategies of the future of work, and more importantly, the opportunities that follow. Opportunities Ahead In The Future of Work Integrating the liquid workforce will bring fresh and diverse perspectives to companies and add new energy and ideas. Businesses will be nimbler and able to quickly respond to changing customer expectations or shifting markets. Developing an adaptive workplace and systems will enable companies to support their flexible blended workforce in terms of both productivity and experience. The future of work is the liquid workforce, and it is already here. Companies that expect to compete in today’s fast-paced digital landscape must activate the liquid workforce, often by engaging on-demand advisors and consultants along with other freelance workers. Are you ready to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead in the future of work? Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
949e4733b03a9b3cafdc19cd40589859	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/06/women-in-leadership-how-to-move-the-needle/	Women In Leadership: How To Move The Needle	Women In Leadership: How To Move The Needle Photo: Getty March 8 is International Women’s Day. This year, the theme is "I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.” In the last 100 years, women have made great strides, but this is the generation that has the best shot at equality. As a female leader at Mr. Cooper Group, I am proud to be a part of that effort by continuing to take active steps toward helping women advance in the corporate world. But real progress is a collective effort. The State Of Female Leadership To move forward, we must know our starting point. Although they hold almost 52% of all management and professional-level jobs, American women fall substantially behind men in terms of their representation in leadership positions. Yet, research shows that companies in the top quartile for executive-team gender diversity were 21% “more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.” You have to wonder: Why are we not seeing more progress? Women face challenges, stubborn stereotypes and stigmas that are roadblocks to their advancement. Understanding those dynamics is the first step toward a more equal and productive workplace. Below are a few things to keep in mind as you work to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce and ways you can support our collective effort. Create a pipeline. Leaders should pay close attention to how many women are in leadership positions and focus on how those women are being developed for future roles. To support the creation of this pipeline in your organization, ensure you are building and supporting a workplace that offers more diverse development opportunities, executive visibility and sponsorship. Celebrate successes. Generally speaking, women tend to be less comfortable with self-promotion. With that in mind, there’s an opportunity for co-workers, both men and women, to help make the environment more welcoming by calling out the good work done by the women around them. This includes recognizing female colleagues during team meetings, highlighting their impact to leadership, and even recognizing them on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. If someone does good work, they should be appreciated and celebrated for it. Pull women into more projects. One way to celebrate women’s successes (and, in fact, give them an opportunity to accomplish more) is to have more of them on larger projects. Studies show that women are less likely to be assigned to bigger projects with larger budgets. As we all know, those projects are the ones that regularly lead to promotions and recognition from management. It’s not just being included in “hot” projects that matter — think about the specific roles women are assigned to. On big or small projects, women often end up with administrative tasks. Leaders should actively work to put women in diverse roles. Without experience doing different things, women may not have the same opportunity as men to discover what they excel at, find what they love to do or demonstrate their leadership potential. Not utilizing women’s entire skill sets not only impairs their professional development, but could also be an inefficient use of a business’s resources. You don’t know what someone can do if you don’t give them a chance. Women must help themselves in this area, too. As a woman, it’s up to you to stand up for yourself and ask for more opportunities. You can have no expectation for advancement if you’re not willing to put yourself out there, stretch your own capabilities and swim outside your lane. Fortune favors the brave. Be a sponsor and advocate. Being a sponsor or advocate can have just as much impact as mentorship. Mentorship is a relationship based on advice and guidance — a wonderful thing to have — but not necessarily associated with direct advancement. As a sponsor or advocate, you can actively work to promote women and recommend them for specific projects, development opportunities or leadership roles. It also never hurts for people to have a sponsor in different departments or areas of the company. That exposure to other people and jobs can open up opportunities that make women more well-rounded leadership candidates. The Role Of HR Progress in diversity and inclusion is not dependent on human resources teams, but their active leadership can be transformative. As an HR leader, here are a couple of suggestions to champion change. Know the data. HR departments should know how teams are structured from all perspectives — race, gender, etc. This data should go deeper than headcount. Consider looking at recruiting, promotions, identified successors, performance ratings and compensation. After you run the numbers, you then have to communicate where your company is at with leadership. Identify the opportunities (and there are always opportunities), and suggest specific actions to drive change. People can find these conversations uncomfortable, but I’ve found a lack of change starts with a lack of awareness. Take action. If the data shows there is room for growth, you should take intentional steps to improve the situation. Are there changes you can make to your management development programs that will lift more people up? Can you do more to actively ensure the talent pipeline is diverse? Are you creating a welcome and inclusive environment for your team? Look at everything from recruiting to performance management to development programs to diversity and inclusion efforts, and be intentional in how you lead your function to support diversity. Allies of women in the workplace play a key role in driving us forward, but ultimately the best champions for women are themselves. So, this International Women’s Day, I want every woman to advocate for herself, seek out new opportunities to grow and take a chance in her career. Together we can continue the progress of the women who came before us and set the stage for an equal and inclusive future. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
12ddfe9ccd4552599825bb56154e41d0	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/16/eight-benefits-of-encouraging-employees-to-disconnect-on-time/	Eight Benefits Of Encouraging Employees To Disconnect On Time	Eight Benefits Of Encouraging Employees To Disconnect On Time As the focus of the modern world pushes for higher productivity, there is an unsettling trend for businesses to force employees to work past the end of the workday. Some even offer higher payment or days off as incentives to keep their employees productive after the company has closed its day's operations. Work-life balance suffers when this happens, and it's not uncommon to see employees experiencing burnout as a result. Knowing when to pack it in for the day is as important as knowing when to start working. Below, eight associates of Forbes Human Resources Council examine the benefits that come with encouraging employees to disconnect after a long day's work, and how this could help both the business and the employee in the long run. Members share the best ways to encourage employees to disconnect from work at the end of the day. Photos courtesy of the individual members 1. Avoiding Employee Burnout It is too easy for employees to feel the need to answer every email. One practice is to ensure managers are not contacting employees after hours. An easy fix is for managers to schedule emails to be delivered during work hours. Encourage employees to take vacation time -- you can deactivate their service during their vacation and reactivate when they return. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI People 2. Promoting Work-Life Balance Encouraging employees to disconnect after work promotes work-life balance. Work-life balance enables employees to rest, perform their hobbies and spend quality time with their friends and family members. Promoting a culture of work-life balance will lead to increased employee engagement, enhanced employee productivity, reduced attrition and improved company brand perception. - Ochuko Dasimaka, Career Heights Consulting, Inc. 3. Improving Efficiency Research shows that humans need downtime and brain breaks for maximum efficiency. We've found that our staff is more productive and eager to work when they're well-rested, healthy and have taken some time for themselves. That's why at our weekly all-hands we do a green/yellow/red check-in to be sure we're all in a good headspace to start the week. - Yolanda Lau, FlexTeam Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Higher Productivity Levels Short answer: your workforce will be more productive. While leaders should encourage work-life fluidity, an important aspect of that is taking the appropriate amount of time to truly be "offline." When people are happy in their personal lives, they'll be motivated to succeed at work. And, when people have time to disconnect, they are given more mental capacity to bring creativity into their work. - Lisa Sterling, Ceridian 5. Increased Creativity And Engagement The workplace has changed dramatically! Employees demand better balance than prior generations experienced at work. We find that when employees are given the opportunity to unplug at night and on weekends, they are recharged and refreshed and come back to work with higher levels of creativity and engagement. When employees are more engaged they are more innovative and productive! - Diane Strohfus, Betterworks.com 6. Higher Retention Rates When employees are encouraged to disconnect at the end of the workday and on weekends, they come back to work with increased creativity, higher job satisfaction, and increased retention rates because they aren't burned out. Employees who can take time off to unwind also tend to feel more valued by the company as an individual, rather than feeling like a replaceable piece of the business. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc. 7. Building Respect And Loyalty Respecting boundaries like weeknights and weekends builds employee loyalty. If workers know that they are treated as whole humans, then they will return the favor by committing to their employer. Retention of refreshed, productive and energized employees will result in successful execution of goals and will create impactful careers. Both employees and companies benefit from protected downtime. - Jessica Delorenzo, Kimball Electronics Inc 8. Honoring Employees As People Employees need a chance to recharge. Using evenings and weekends as personal time empowers employees to pursue personal interests, spend time with their families and rest. During work hours, they can be fully engaged in their work, and perhaps even more creative because their brains and bodies are refreshed. It's also a way of honoring employees as full people rather than as cogs in a machine. - Courtney Pace, Ph.D., FedEx Employees Credit Assoc.
20fc44a4a1cecb356f834d9c4f9a439c	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/19/microlearning-the-future-of-professional-development/	Microlearning: The Future Of Professional Development	Microlearning: The Future Of Professional Development Photo: Getty From dawn to dusk: That’s how long the average adult spends on-screen — about 11 hours daily. At the same time, corporate trainers are trying to grab employee attention long enough to educate them and ensure the information sticks. Tools like EJ4 let viewers watch five- to 10-minute training videos, while Google Primer provides five-minute interactive lessons on the go, and our platform, The Training Arcade, offers three- to five-minute microgames to reinforce information and assess learner knowledge. Each of these bite-sized and user-friendly tools takes the limited time (and attention) users have into account. Microlearning This reframing of content through microlearning can be easily applied to any corporate training program. Instead of long, constantly interrupted courses, microlearning is brief and easily digestible. It’s ultra-focused with precise, measurable goals. Above all, microlearning helps make training simple and fun. Is it necessary to update tried-and-true training methods? We say yes. Millennials are claiming the place of baby boomers as America’s largest adult generation, and as digital natives, they think differently. That’s why passive training doesn’t always work anymore. Across multiple platforms, microlearning can increase learner engagement with audio, video and games without wasting valuable time. Microlearning is built on cognitive science. It uses spaced repetition, a proven retention-boosting method of breaking down learning topics into more manageable pieces and repeating them with adequate spacing between lessons. This learning technique accesses the learner’s working memory bank, which makes microlearning worth consideration for any employer seeking to teach candidates hard skills. Let’s explore industries that have implemented microlearning: Manufacturing And Transportation Through a combination of retiring experts, rapidly advancing technologies and underskilled newcomers, these industries are facing an uphill battle when it comes to training. Keurig Dr Pepper has acquired a number of distributors and bottlers over the years, resulting in a geographically dispersed workforce and different standards of business. In an effort to train employees on a standard way of doing business, the company developed a series of brief training videos available on desktop and mobile that cover a variety of topics, including HR compliance, sales techniques and communication skills. Technology As an industry leader on the pulse of what’s next, it’s easy to see why Google entered the microlearning space. In 2014, the technology giant launched Google Primer, a free mobile app with five-minute interactive lessons designed to empower startups and small businesses with knowledge about search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, audience measurement, branding, business planning and many other subjects. Courses can be taken on the go, in a plane, on the subway, at a coffee shop or just about anywhere else. Today, over 10 million learners have downloaded the app. Healthcare And Pharmaceutical Healthcare professionals deal with high-demand situations every day: long hours, patients in need and sometimes life-or-death situations. Our firm created Dr. Neb, a game that helps clinicians who treat patients with uncontrolled COPD to identify the best solution to prescribe. These games offer a series of branching dialogue, virtual conversations between doctors and patients, laid out with a storybook narrative much like a comic book with voice bubbles. Merck, a multinational pharmaceutical company, leveraged Axonify’s microlearning, gamification and adaptive learning platform across 52 global manufacturing sites to improve its safety culture. With an 80% voluntary participation rate, the company saw a decrease in recordable incidents and a decrease in lost time injury frequency rates. Beyond games and videos, here are a few solutions worth considering when creating your microlearning strategy. 1. Animations Animation is a powerful tool. In a recent study published in Neuron, researchers discovered that the brain absorbs about 80% of an environment’s sensory information. This hyperdigestion is why corporations and government institutions like Cleveland Water utilize video-creation services like Vyond, Powtoon or Moovly to produce studio-level videos. Learners are easily distracted by texts, instant messages, emails, social media, phone calls, fitness trackers, etc. This means every second counts. When fighting for their attention and retention, a well-crafted video enables you to pull your audience away from everyday distractions and deliver memorable content. By creating videos with relatable characters, environments and situations, training leaders can help learners remember concepts and details that they might otherwise forget. 2. Infographics Infographics help learners digest information, show a hierarchy of data and illustrate a point in a condensed visual manner. Beyond training, IBM uses infographics to streamline recruiting. HR professionals can find infographics tools like Piktochart and Visme handy in building a stronger company culture. Do you believe the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words? A well-designed infographic is worth even more. Visuals can help learners process information faster and store information longer by appealing to emotions. When designing your infographic, follow these rules: • Write a headline that clearly states the purpose of the infographic. • Choose a simple layout with lots of blank space. • Write clear and concise text. • Ensure all visuals (e.g., charts and graphics) are clear without explanation. • Make all fonts and color combinations easy to read and appropriate for the topic. 3. Chatbots When it’s time for coaching and reinforcement of training, some teams bristle. Older methods — like dreaded compliance meetings — can feel patronizing, or worse, like a big waste of time. Chatbot platforms, such as Mobile Coach, create chatbots for meaningful outreach and useful conversations on the employee’s schedule. As consumers, most of us are familiar with chatbots, but this technology has evolved and is being used more and more for new employee onboarding, customer service, sales training, diversity training and several other topics. Designing a chatbot is as much an art as a science, but when done right, it can be a very effective tool for introducing new concepts, providing reminders, tracking goals and assessing knowledge. Train The Next Generation With Microlearning Younger learners will increasingly be joining the workforce, so it’s time for industries across the board to meet their training needs. Companies who do will find themselves ahead of the curve, with employees who are engaged in training and can recall what they’ve learned. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
064559a92642912a1c6880a308f29f36	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/27/12-employee-wellness-initiatives-that-actually-help/	12 Employee Wellness Initiatives That Actually Help	12 Employee Wellness Initiatives That Actually Help Employee wellness and well-being are significant factors in the efficiency of a company's operations. Naturally, companies have started to institute wellness initiatives that can help employees reach their highest potential. Not all of these initiatives have been successful, as some of them focus more on the benefits to the business over the employee. This results in a system that doesn't perform the task it's designed for. These 12 employee wellness initiatives, as described by professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council, work remarkably well. Below, we examine how they seek to benefit the employees of a company and why they are so effective. Members share some employee wellness initiatives that can actually help your staff. Photos courtesy of the individual members 1. Mental Illness First Aid Certification The National Council for Behavioral Health has an incredible program: Mental Health First Aid. It is akin to CPR. At least one member of the HR team should be certified. Employees are under increasing stress, and if we can recognize a problem prior to an incident, it benefits all. Plus, the goal is to take the stigma from mental illness. I am a certified instructor and I know this program works. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI People 2. Flexible Time-Away-From-Work Programs Implementing a flexible workplace initiative can create an environment where people have the opportunity to be their best selves at and away from work, in a way that suits their lifestyles. With a program like this, not only are you showing your commitment to people's well-being, but also potentially creating a fulfilling workplace experience and optimal business results. - Lisa Sterling, Ceridian 3. Emotional Wellness Programs Beyond the classics -- step contests and weight loss initiatives -- employees also value opportunities to improve their emotional wellness. Quiet rooms on campus give employees space to meditate, rest or reflect during the day. Walking trails or outdoor sitting areas can help employees get outside to enjoy the sunshine. Plants in the office can be very calming, and add a fresh pop of color. - Courtney Pace, Ph.D., FedEx Employees Credit Assoc. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Wellness Ambassadors An easy way to get employees involved in being "well" is to create a group that meets once a month. We call them "Wellness Ambassadors." They are tasked to spread the word about whatever wellness topics are covered during the meeting in their environments and create healthy challenges for their teams! It is a cost-effective, easy and fun way to spread wellness in your organization! - Tina Barte, HASELWOOD AUTO GROUP 5. Mindful Pauses Stress is one of the top factors for poor health. Consider eliminating back-to-back meetings and institute 15 mindful minutes between meetings. Use guided mindfulness breaks once a month -- several are offered online including through Brown University. Mindful pauses lead to better health outcomes. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners 6. Walking Meetings Not every meeting needs to be held at a conference table. By getting out of the office and holding occasional meetings on the move, it improves circulation and increases the amount of oxygen to the brain, allowing a better flow of ideas. Additionally, walking meetings prevent attendees from being distracted by their phones and computers, enabling them to contribute to discussions. - John Feldmann, Insperity 7. In-House Yoga Yoga and meditation has been proven to reduce stress. This is why bringing in a yoga instructor -- even just once a week -- could be a great way to help employees de-stress the high demands of a fast-paced, performance-driven organization. - Angela Persaud, G/O Media 8. Massage Therapy We've seen great results from a body therapist who comes to our office for monthly visits. He also corrects our chairs and desks to suit individual height, and gives individual exercises to compensate for sitting all day. Our offices have adjustable desks so we're able to sit and stand during work. And we compliment these efforts with mindful breaks during the workday to recharge. - Anne Iversen, TimeXtender 9. Health Exchange Program Given the rising cost of healthcare, a more customized approach to benefit programs is important, particularly when it comes to health insurance. Participating in a health exchange program can improve the employee experience by offering for more choice and empowering employees to select a medical insurance plan that best suits their own health and financial priorities. - Kelly Ann Doherty, Mr. Cooper Group 10. Financial Wellness Financial wellness is a key focus area for wellness programs today! The data shows that most employees experience financial stress, which affects performance at work. Financial wellness programs and applications help employees with budgeting, planning, investing and goal-setting, to create better financial security and reduce stress! - Diane Strohfus, Betterworks.com 11. Themed Wellness Days Catering healthy meals on a certain day of the week -- think "Wellness Wednesdays" -- can be a great way to promote healthy eating habits among employees and curb afternoon snacking, at least for the day. You can also combine this with other initiatives like "Fit Fridays," where employees are encouraged to compete to get the highest number of steps during the workday or reach some other fitness goal. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc. 12. Wellness Challenges Wellness challenges are a fun way to gamify wellness. Employees can earn points and badges for any and all activities that they complete and they have a choice in what those activities are -- physical wellness, mental wellness, etc. They can form teams and compete as individuals or groups. - Lotus Buckner, NCH
74f70e104ebe85981af7b4a80e6b952c	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/04/01/how-to-prevent-your-top-talent-from-burning-out/	How To Prevent Your Top Talent From Burning Out	How To Prevent Your Top Talent From Burning Out Photo: Getty Exhausted. Overwhelmed. No longer making a difference. Many of us know the feeling. And a few of us have experienced these symptoms at the peak in our career. Burnout is a global problem, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared burnout as a legitimate syndrome linked to chronic workplace stress. It’s a problem that your employees are at risk for — and it leads to big consequences if you don’t take the steps to address, prevent and help employees recover from burnout. Burnout may result from ongoing emotional, physical and interpersonal stressors. It’s been found that when employees experience greater levels of stress, they feel higher levels of exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy. Burnout can happen when employees begin to have low well-being due to unmanaged workplace and/or personal stressors — and it’s your most engaged employees who feel the impact of stress more than disengaged employees. Before you can help your people, it’s crucial to know the impact burnout can have on your employees. Burnout Has Big Consequences According to Aon Hewitt, SHRM and Hay Group, companies with engaged employees are 78% more profitable, 40% more productive and five times less likely to have a safety incident, and they have a stock price growth two and a half times that of peers. But without manager and organizational support and resolving employees’ stressors, engagement will suffer, and your engaged employees could burn out. While some companies are finally taking burnout seriously, they often approach burnout as a personal issue, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Burnout is commonly associated with issues that organizations control, including work overload, role ambiguity, lack of manager support, a disconnect in values and more. Because it’s associated with employee absenteeism, intention to leave the job and actual turnover, it’s crucial to focus on supporting your most valuable assets — your employees — by addressing burnout and understanding real prevention and recovery tactics you can implement today. The Good News Burnout is preventable if companies take the time to understand its causes and mitigation strategies. Here are four ways to help prevent burnout today: 1. Help employees put self-care first. Now more than ever, employees are looking for more well-being support. In fact, research has found that when it comes to well-being benefits for Generation X, “more than 70% agree their company should do more to support holistic health.” Furthermore, 90% of those surveyed “said they believe employers should be responsible for helping employees manage stress.” Stress impacts people differently. For some, stress is a powerful driving force, while for others it can be paralyzing. With a focus on fostering a well-being mindset, managers are better equipped to help employees cope with stress that’s tied to burnout. Managers can help prevent burnout by cheering on their team through positive encouragement, helping employees set emotional boundaries with their work and finding the “sweet spot” of stress that enables them to rise to the challenge instead of crumble. 2. Connect employees to the organization’s values, and help them find personal meaning in their work. Bringing your company’s values to life is a win for everyone. Engaged employees have a deep and real emotional connection to their work. When you empower your employees to not only connect their values to the organization’s, but to also dig deep and find their own meaning behind their work, they’ll ultimately feel more connected to the company and their own purpose. Start with the basics: Make sure every employee knows the company’s values and mission. Put them on the office walls and in your employee handbook, and train managers to reinforce them on a regular basis and connect each individual’s role to the greater company mission and what makes them a valuable asset. 3. Go beyond breaks by providing true recovery time. Everyone needs a break to recover, but it’s not the answer to solving burnout in the long term. Managers should prioritize one-on-ones to check in with employees and keep a pulse of workload. Lead with questions around their well-being before jumping into projects and tasks. Managers can also be a great resource for helping employees prioritize projects and manage workload to ensure they’re able to stay on track and meet deadlines or goals without feeling swamped with to-dos. This kind of support is crucial to stop burnout before it starts. 4. Foster a sense of community by encouraging employees to build social connections. Relationships at work matter — maybe more than you think. A nationwide study by Cigna found that 61% of employees suffer from loneliness. And, “lonely workers say they are less engaged, less productive and report lower retention rates.” As people, we’re wired to be social. And that’s also true in the workplace. Social connections help guard against burnout at work by creating a sense of community and belonging. Help your team to get to know each other with weekly lunches or quarterly off-sites focused on team building. Make sure new employees are onboarded properly, and focus on introducing new teammates in a way that offers personal information that the employee approves to share. Encourage employees to grab coffee or meet outside of work hours. The stronger and more positive the connections, the more likely your employees will feel they belong and are able to flourish in their work. Tackling burnout isn’t easy, and it won't happen overnight. With proactive, strong and supportive managers, companies can take an active role in stopping burnout in its tracks — or better yet, preventing burnout before it starts. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
2853bdfedc81d50fab523301128b4712	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/04/07/being-naturally-influential-what-hr-leaders-can-do/	Being Naturally Influential: What HR Leaders Can Do	Being Naturally Influential: What HR Leaders Can Do Photo: Getty Most staff functions such as human resources (HR) work from a position of influence rather than a position of power. So, being influential is a competency these functional leaders must master to be successful. All organizational leaders, inclusive of those in HR, can do two things to be viewed as influential. Those two things are consistently knowing and doing the right things that result in being instructive to others and that create value for organizations and their customers. One may want to insert the word "successful" into the previous series of adjectives. Yet, failure, and the exhibition of integrity and ethics (e.g., truth-telling) when one fails, is meaningful and instructive. Sometimes, the consequences of failure are negative. But if the truth is told, everyone involved can learn. And, in the end, both the successful and the failing person can be influential. In fact, three of the richest men in the world — Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet and Bruce Flatt — move mountains by excelling at turning failure into a strategic advantage. However, depending upon the gravity of the situation, if a negative consequence such as the loss of a job follows the failure, which would you prefer to do? Would you rather retain an individual who has failed, learned from their mistake, and exercised strong integrity and ethics? Or would you rather retain an individual who failed but refused to acknowledge or learn from their mistake, or shifted blame to cover up their role in the situation? I hope you said the former. Because, if trust matters, then truth must prevail — even when one fails. And, the truth has sustainable power, whereas a lie will last only until the truth shines a light on it. Recognize that influence is a natural outcome of having an impact without being pushy (exercising positional power, competitiveness and aggressiveness) or being a pushover (conflict-avoidant and unassertive). Influence is in the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of the beholder. So, if you have self-evaluated that you are highly influential, then you may be in for a surprise if you dare to ask others what they think. That is, if they aren't afraid to tell you the truth. On the other hand, you will know that you are influential when others naturally seek your thoughts and opinions before making a decision about a course of action. Being viewed as influential requires work. At a minimum, HR leaders must do three things to be considered influential and to take decisive actions. HR leaders must: 1. Know HR. The HR field contains a broad spectrum of disciplines inclusive of organization development and training. The body of knowledge in the field evolves constantly. Therefore, continuous learning must be a pursuit of competent HR professionals. A lack of knowledge and understanding often leads to uncertainty. Uncertainty appears in several behaviors. The primary one is "faking it until you make it." Faking it can only take you so far. In HR, this behavior can increase the chances of employment law charges against the organization. Uncertainty can lead to type 1 and type 2 errors. Type 1 misperceptions lead to unnecessary actions and resource commitments. For example, HR convinces the business to buy a large storage space to accommodate hard-copy files when a more efficient solution is to scan documents and safely store them in the cloud. Type 2 misperceptions lead to bad decisions that harm the business. For example, HR convinces the business to store employee file information in the cloud without properly examining the security and safety of this approach. Consequently, the company experiences a loss of its employees’ sensitive personally identifiable information. HR leaders have multiple opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of aspects of their roles. I recommend the certifications and resources available from the Society for Human Resources Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute. 2. Know The Business Of The Organization They Are Serving Wisdom is demonstrated when you are able to apply what you know and understand in the proper context. This means you have to know the business in which you are a leader. In the early 1990s, for example, failed implementation of business process reengineering methodologies focused on changing workflows is broadly attributable to a lack of understanding of the business's context, especially if the pretext for the organization was downsizing. Successful implementation of the methodology requires a full understanding of the business's context because it touches all aspects of the organization. So, the impact was inadvertently increasing costs by breaking workflows that were not fully understood. In this example, knowledge and understanding of the process alone is insufficient. Wisdom, in this case, is analogous to putting all the ingredients into a cake and baking it based upon the altitude if the oven in which you are baking it happens to be at the top of the Rocky Mountains. 3. Know Themselves. Dr. Tasha Eurich proposes self-awareness as a key to leadership success. She defines self-awareness as having two components: knowing yourself (internal self-awareness) and knowing how you are viewed by others (external self-awareness). As mentioned previously, these two components are not always congruent. For example, a leader may know their strengths in innovation and creativity (internal self-awareness). However, they may lack external self-awareness in as much as they are viewed by others as powerful, yet intimidating, defensive and noncollaborative. Those who need specifics may be hesitant to share that they are not on the same page with the leader and may go along with the execution of an idea that they clearly see as flawed. They may never tell the leader the truth, especially if the person is in a power position, for fear of retaliation. Accordingly, wise HR leaders embark upon a continuous learning journey that includes self-knowledge. By knowing the field and the business, and by having an undelusional sense of self, HR leaders increase the chances of being viewed as naturally influential within the organizations they serve. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
90d12fec4446a6c26b93ca9c576dfe5a	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/05/11/13-vital-considerations-to-remember-when-creating-a-csr-program/	13 Vital Considerations To Remember When Creating A CSR Program	13 Vital Considerations To Remember When Creating A CSR Program Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a boost to the external image of the company, but this can also indirectly affect the organization’s internal processes. Many businesses, however, miss the importance of taking employee values into account when developing their CSR programs. If a company manages to do this, it's more likely the employee will feel more engaged with the job, since the company's values align with their own. How should a company approach the designing of CSR programs to engage their employees better and represent the values they hold dear? Thirteen professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council share their views on how companies can seek to accomplish this. Members share some important considerations for companies looking into a CSR program. Photos courtesy of the individual members 1. Articulate A Compelling Mission There is something magnetic about a massively transformative purpose statement. This is where companies such as LinkedIn, Microsoft, Tesla and Google have done a great job. Your mission can attract the right talent who is seeking personal fulfillment and contribution through work that has real meaning and impact. Connecting people's purpose to the company mission can be transformative. - Priya Priyadarshini, Microsoft 2. Find Your Purpose Organizations must find, live and tell their clear purpose in order to thrive. These companies motivate action, secure loyalty and encourage advocacy -- all in service to a healthier bottom line. Creating a smart CSR program starts by addressing critical social/environmental issues through smart strategy, innovative stakeholder engagement, powerful partnerships and communications. - Margaret-Ann Cole, Porter Novelli 3. Have A Holistic Approach When designing a CSR program, it is critical to conduct a stakeholder analysis while in the design phase. It will tie your employees to the industry/your company mission including what is important to your investors, customers and your employees, thus creating a holistic approach by integrating all of their perspectives into the strategy. This results in highly engaged employees and ROI for business. - Naveen Bhateja, Medidata Solutions Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Always Be Authentic While employees are drawn to companies whose values align with their own, especially companies who support CSR programs, being inauthentic will backfire and they will see right through it. It is better not to create CSR programs than to put something together that is not truly aligned with what the company and the senior leadership believe in. Inauthentic "feel good" does not feel good. - Danielle Monaghan, Uber 5. Look Inside First It's hard to launch a successful CSR program if employees see questionable ethics or poor decisions inside the organization. It's also hard if there is not widespread respect for employees, as demonstrated by managers and leaders. It's critical that internal people practices reflect the values of the external CSR program. - Karen Crone, Paycor, Inc. 6. Align Skills with Passion When creating CSR programs, organizations should consider leveraging their business specialty to support local community needs and use the company's values as guiding principles. By doing so, the program will offer the greatest opportunity for workforce inclusion, reinforce organizational values, and attract other passionate candidates with similar skills and interests. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, BMC Software 7. Align Purpose And Beliefs An important thing to remember is that core purpose and core beliefs are aligned with individual purpose and individual beliefs -- it’s OK if they’re not the same. It’s the awareness and dialogue that’s important. - Anne Iversen, TimeXtender 8. Think Globally, Act Locally I am a fan of grassroots CSR programs where employees can see the impact to their local community and drive and manage the initiatives themselves with light corporate oversight. It’s important for people to volunteer for causes that are tangible and in their own neighborhood. Staying local is an important aspect of CSR programs and will help drive both participation and engagement. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits 9. Practice What You Preach One way a company can damage its employer brand is to profess one set of values while practicing another. If an employer decides to create a CSR program, it should ensure that management, and especially C-level executives, demonstrate the program’s values and serve as examples for current and prospective employees. Those who don’t will likely see more damage than just forgoing a CSR program. - John Feldmann, Insperity 10. Define The Program's Reason For Being No matter your CSR plan, make sure the reason for its existence is truly for the community's benefit. It's great if the plan can be mutually beneficial, but keeping the community at the center of the CSR plan will keep the purpose and company efforts aligned with their people. - Kelly Loudermilk, BuildHR, Inc. 11. Ask Employees What Causes To Support Employers should remember CSR is not a tick-box exercise. It's a real opportunity to not only contribute to the wider society but also to help strengthen a business. Ask your employees what they'd like to see in your CSR program -- that way they can get involved and suggest causes that matter to them. They’ll know your intentions for CSR are authentic because they’ve had a say in it. - Kim Pope, WilsonHCG 12. Concentrate Your Efforts When considering the diversity of new hires and the personal values each employee holds, it would benefit the organization to assess and align all values under general buckets. In doing so, they can identify a short list of initiatives that can make the most impact while engaging the majority of the workforce. These categories should also align closely with corporate mission and vision. - Erald Minga, Kellogg School of Management 13. Articulate Your Daily Positive Impact CSR is all about providing an opportunity to make an impact on the community around you. The first step is to recognize and clearly articulate to your teammates the daily positive impact your company offers through your mission statement and core values. Step two is layering in more direct philanthropy and volunteer initiatives. It is OK to start small and grow your CSR over time. - Jessica Adams, Brad's Deals
41f247988e77361b0b53d167a6cdf189	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/12/tackling-diversity-and-inclusion-sponsors-consultants-and-advisors-as-part-of-your-strategy/	Tackling Diversity And Inclusion: Sponsors, Consultants And Advisors As Part Of Your Strategy	Tackling Diversity And Inclusion: Sponsors, Consultants And Advisors As Part Of Your Strategy Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer at FlexTeam. The business case for diversity and inclusion is clear — diversity in thought correlates directly to increased economic output. But without a chief diversity officer or chief diversity and inclusion officer, it falls to HR to lead on diversity and inclusion. There are a multitude of known strategies for improving diversity and inclusion, including creating policies and practices that tackle unconscious bias, improving company culture and securing buy-in for D&I strategies. In addition, I recommend engaging on-demand consultants and advisors as part of your D&I strategy. The Business Case For Diversity And Inclusion McKinsey found that companies with diverse executive teams achieved 53% higher returns on equity than less diverse teams, Similarly, Morgan Stanley found that the share price of companies with more women in their workforce (and in senior positions) outperformed companies with fewer women. McKinsey also discovered that companies with the most gender-diverse executive teams were 21% more likely to have industry-leading profitability, while companies with ethnically/culturally diverse executive teams were 33% more likely to outperform on profitability. More importantly, McKinsey illustrated the penalty for diversity failure: Companies at the bottom for both gender and ethnic/cultural diversity were 29% less likely to achieve above-average profitability. MORE FOR YOUWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication LessonsThe Biden Administration And What Happens To Trump’s H-1B Visa RulesBiden Is Expected To Enact Emergency Executive Orders To Aid Struggling Americans Improving diversity and inclusion clearly leads to improved business and economic performance. What's not as obvious is how to improve diversity and inclusion. Complexity Of Implementing D&I Strategies: Tackling Systemic And Structural Issues Diversity and inclusion is complex. Start by objectively defining and measuring diversity and inclusion goals. Given the business case for D&I, all executives should work to increase diversity and foster a culture and environment where every employee feels welcome. Authentically incorporating D&I into your corporate culture is necessary to ensure that your D&I strategy is embraced and successful. This, in turn, helps HR create a recruitment strategy for attracting a more diverse pool of candidates — and build a robust talent pipeline to attract, develop, mentor, retain and sponsor diverse leaders and workers at all levels. Unconscious Bias Training Isn't Enough Unconscious bias training makes individuals aware of how stereotypes and biases impact behaviors and decision-making. Training executives and employees to overcome racism, prejudice, bias and discrimination is a start, but it's not enough. D&I strategies must also tackle systemic and structural issues (SSI) — complex issues that allow biases to persist in the workplace and throughout society. HR professionals need to ensure that evaluations for hiring and promotions are done by multiple leaders using objective variables, lessening the effects of the systemic bias of preferring to hire people who look similar to themselves. Diverse search and evaluation committees can be helpful, if truly diverse — one token woman, trans, black or brown person doesn't count. Sponsorship Programs Are Better Than Mentorship Programs Sponsorship programs are an effective way to overcome network gaps, another systemic and structural issue that further increases inequality. CNBC reported that up to 80% of jobs are secured by networking. Most people leverage their network ("who they know") to secure even a first-round interview — and diverse candidates usually have smaller, less powerful networks to leverage. While mentors serve as advisors who help mentees shape their ambitions and plans, sponsors take a direct role in sponsee advancement. Sponsors are senior-level leaders who advocate for sponsees, helping them earn promotions and raises and get credit for their successes. Sponsors put skin in the game, using their network and connections to advance sponsees via guidance and, crucially, endorsement. Sponsorship or advocacy programs should contain elements to support the roles and development of both sponsors and sponsees. For example, create structured leadership programs for sponsees and formulate a thoughtful selection process for sponsors, positioning sponsors as agents of D&I change to lead to economic gains. Lastly, build in strategic touchpoints and guidance for sponsor-sponsee interaction. These are just a few D&I strategies that every company should implement today. As Ellen Pao says, we also need more radical solutions to tackle D&I. But these strategies move slowly, and economic gains will take time to manifest. On-Demand Consultants And Advisors As A Short-Term D&I Strategy Melinda Gates founded Equality Can't Wait on the premise that it'll take 208 years to achieve gender equality at the current rate. We need to do more to tackle diversity and inclusion — and companies who don't will stagnate as competitors with clear and effective D&I strategies will increase economic output. Working with diverse on-demand consultants and advisors is an unconventional D&I strategy, but an effective one. Firms like ours (FlexTeam) and Business Talent Group exist to keep women engaged during the mid-career period when many choose to leave the traditional workforce — a decision often driven by caregiving for children or elderly parents. By reengaging women who have left the traditional workforce, you make a direct impact to keep the workplace more diverse. But beyond that, corporations that need to move quickly to increase diversity are turning to on-demand workers, consultants and advisors as part of their D&I strategy. These on-demand thought leaders from diverse backgrounds — backgrounds that your company lacks — can tackle high-value projects for your company. By engaging diverse thought leaders to assess and react to technology trends and challenges, your company can start to manifest economic gains from diversity of thought while working on longer-term, wide-ranging D&I strategies. A Better Future Diversity and inclusion should be an integral component of your management strategy. Today's executives and HR leaders need to engage diverse on-demand consultants and advisors as part of a multiprong strategy to tackle the complex, systemic, structural problems at the root of D&I issues. Are you heading toward stagnating business performance or are you leading your organization toward a better future and improved economic performance? Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
e7d147b6441179d0af3f59429f54319c	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/17/12-things-recruiters-look-at-first-when-going-through-job-applications/	12 Things Recruiters Look At First When Going Through Job Applications	12 Things Recruiters Look At First When Going Through Job Applications Successful HR executives from Forbes Human Resources Council offer leadership and management insights. Human resources departments all have their own unique things they keep an eye out for when judging job applications. Some details can give a lot of insight into what sort of person the applicant is and whether how they present themselves in the resume is an accurate reflection of who they truly are. One of the skills that HR personnel use daily is the ability to read between the lines. Job seekers can be quite honest in some parts of their application, but few are always reliable. Spotting the relevant details can help to fill out the rest of the unsaid information and determine whether the applicant deserves an interview. To help, 12 members of Forbes Human Resources Council discuss the critical details they look for first in a job seeker's application, and what those elements help them ascertain about that person. Members share what recruiters are really looking for when they first review a job application. Photos courtesy of the individual members 1. Career Continuity It takes time to learn the ropes of a new job and to carve a place within a team. One whose career trajectory shows frequent jumps likely does not have the determination and stamina to stick around long enough to make the difference. Certainly, there are exceptions — for example, when one needs to take time off to take care of their family or faces obstacles along their path. - Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss 2. Customization The candidate's resume and cover letter should align with the job description and requirements. The resume should clearly state and show work experience, education, skills and achievements that relate to the specific job opening or application. The candidate's cover letter should convey why the candidate is interested in the company and what makes the candidate a good fit for the job. - Ochuko Dasimaka, Career Heights Consulting, Inc. 3. Effective Communication I am drawn to a clearly-written resume/application. For those candidates that include an objective statement in their resume, I want to be able to immediately see strengths, background/skills highlights, and industries they have worked in. If this is well-written, I will review the resume further. Otherwise, the candidate most likely won't move forward. - Kathy Short, Yorktown Systems Group Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Ability To Follow Directions When hiring, especially for remote positions, the first thing to look for in an applicant is their ability to follow directions. Did the applicant do what was asked of them during the application process, providing pertinent details and documents like a resume and cover letter? Did they respond to your request to share why they would best fill the role, or did they send a generic message? A person’s ability to follow directions and "read between the lines" of the job description shows they are a good candidate to consider. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc. 5. Previous Job Description Some candidates will list out their job descriptions in their duties, which look highly like the ones they were probably given upon hire. Wording duties like "processes invoices" rather than "process invoices" tells me they more than likely copied and pasted the responsibilities for that job rather than taking the time to tell me what they really do (or did). - Kerri Johnson, Foam Supplies, Inc. 6. Sense Of Authenticity And Self Resumes, job applications and online profiles can only tell you so much about a candidate. I want to hire a person who happens to have experience relative to a job and that special something that brings their skills to life. Frequently the best hire is someone with the greatest number of intangible credentials, so I look for a sense of authenticity and self to come through in their application. - Jennifer Marszalek, Working Credit NFP 7. Agility And Flexibility We live in an agile world where we need to focus more on hiring for potential than just the project or role in front of us. Therefore, agility and willingness to be flexible are key — certainly in the ever-changing digital world we live in today. - Paul Phillips, Avanade 8. Length Of The Resume Despite all advice to keep resumes short, many people still have resumes stretching way past seven or eight pages. A long resume tells me that you haven't put the effort in to update your resume, you can't make a decision on what to take out, or you think the rules shouldn't apply to you. There is nothing positive about a lengthy resume. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden 9. Storytelling I love looking at a resume that is easy to read and tells you a compelling narrative of the candidate's story — a big picture outline of who they are followed by a list of accomplishments that weaves in with the key points mentioned in the summary. The ability to put years of experience in a one-page document that invokes interest says a lot about the person's communication and presentation skills. - Jyoti Khadgawat, smule Inc 10. Spelling And Grammar It may sound old-fashioned, but when submitting a resume, spelling and grammar are important. This is one document that is not rushed or time-sensitive — therefore, the applicant has ample time to read, review, tweak and have someone else edit it prior to submitting. Every job description asks for strong written communication skills and this is the first place to display it to a potential employer. - Rebecca Edwards, Infinite HR of Charlotte 11. Wins, Numbers And Metrics In any resume, I want candidates to demonstrate, using numbers, the impact that they made in previous roles or schooling. If a candidate can succinctly articulate the story behind their previous wins and show the metrics how they improved performance, increased revenue or grew users, then I want to chat with them. It’s an indication that they see the big picture and are data-centric. - Jessica Adams, Brad's Deals 12. How They Present Themselves I am always interested in how the candidate presents themselves as a person. What do they emphasize? How do they talk about their experience? Titles are relative and skills can be taught. The evolution of someone’s experience, how they think about it, and the types of tasks they completed to go above and beyond demonstrate their growth and the potential to be successful in a new role. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits
c71ab69d25f559ab4f288977af44e256	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/19/13-essential-hr-tactics-to-improve-strategic-management-planning/	13 Essential HR Tactics To Improve Strategic Management Planning	13 Essential HR Tactics To Improve Strategic Management Planning Successful HR executives from Forbes Human Resources Council offer leadership and management insights. Human resources departments must ensure that employees meet the needs of a business before they hire them. It's more than just determining if they're qualified — HR departments deal with ensuring those employees bring skills to the table that will improve the business. Because of this, HR departments have a crucial role in ensuring the company meets its obligations in the strategic management planning process. It's only through a combined effort where all stakeholders are aligned that a company can achieve its goals. Thirteen professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council touch on the essential approaches that HR departments can leverage to ensure that all parties are focused on the same goals. Members explain how HR leaders can improve their strategic management planning. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Operationalize Workforce Planning Use market research to identify which skills you may need, then operationalize that within your company. If you're planning an IT transformation project in two years, you should pipeline talent now, so you’re ready to hire before it starts. Talent pipelines will give you consistent access to qualified candidates who are ready to join when immediate needs arise. - Kim Pope, WilsonHCG 2. Understand The Primary Objectives Understanding the three primary objectives of the organization's strategies matters. Identifying the key priorities will naturally drive alignment among talent, strategic objectives and results. Often, HR professionals overlook the importance of focusing on the key issues that the organization would like the talent to solve. - William Ng, Bed Bath & Beyond MORE FOR YOUWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication LessonsThe Biden Administration And What Happens To Trump’s H-1B Visa RulesBiden Is Expected To Enact Emergency Executive Orders To Aid Struggling Americans 3. Solidify Buy-In From Decision-Makers Once the strategic management plan is designed, ensure the decision-makers are ready for the implementation. Change is difficult. On the surface, the CEO may be supportive, but when things no longer work the way they used to, will your strategy genuinely be supported? Recognize that new strategies will have potholes here and there. Ensure that decision-makers are committed. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI People Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Tie It To The Overarching Business Strategy Just as human capital strategy needs to be aligned to the business strategy, so, too, the strategic workforce planning must be linked to that overarching business strategy. Talent (along with finance and marketing) are the three legs of the stool necessary for successful operations. Processes must project future needs, and hiring must seek the skills and capabilities of tomorrow. - Russell Klosk, Accenture 5. Review Your Interviewing Process Review the overall interviewing process as a team so that every interaction with the candidate brings new insights and educates the candidate about the company. Developing a feedback-based interview framework will ensure a consistent interviewing process — assess candidates from multiple perspectives and determine how the candidates can contribute to the culture of cohesiveness and inclusion. - Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits 6. Ensure Diversity Of Thought Processes of any type can benefit from a diversity of thought. If everyone starts off aligned from the beginning, this should be a red flag that there may not be room for dissenting views. Encourage those who are sometimes hesitant to speak up and share. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes 7. Get The Voice Of The Employee It is important to ensure in your strategic planning process that not all the participants voice only the management's view. Getting the voice of the people who are at the ground zero of where work happens and are closer to your customers, included in the management planning process can ensure that it does not devolve into just planning for dollars and cents. - Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly \| Mentoring Complete 8. Future-Proof Your Plan There's no question that companies will have immediate needs to fill in any given year; however, any strategic planning process should incorporate future-proofing your workforce by hiring candidates who will meet the future demands of the business. Employers can do this in many different ways, but one of my favorites is to consider partnering with an educational institution focused on next-gen talent. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, BMC Software 9. Conduct A SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is an important tool for HR to consider when setting up or improving the strategic management process to include the entire workforce. The process must begin with an insight of the overall strategic initiatives to assess the current workforce and future workforce competencies to identify gaps, develop and implement talent plans, and continually evaluate and monitor for agility to pivot. - Sherry Martin, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) 10. Clarify The Mission And Vision Invest the time upfront to gather and analyze all pertinent information before setting strategic planning goals and implementing strategy. Do not move forward until all stakeholders have bought into the plan. No evaluation and control tools will be able to save you if you're executing a strategy that does not align the mission and vision of the business. - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire 11. Slow Down To Go Fast Slow your hiring managers down. All too often, managers and leaders will throw bodies at a problem, rather than thinking it through. Take a step back, work with them to craft a thoughtful business and organizational plan, and then carefully consider what skill sets are truly needed to get the job done. And then take the time to hire the best! - Tracy Cote, Zenefits 12. Keep Employees Engaged As HR develops and plans the company’s business strategy, it’s important to keep employees engaged as to what the strategy will be and how it should be implemented. By soliciting employee feedback, ideas and suggestions, HR can get a better feel for what will work and what won’t from those who will ultimately execute the strategy, as well as how best to lead and communicate changes. - John Feldmann, Insperity 13. Use Experienced Recruiters Despite an MBA, marketing skills and being very familiar with my product, I admittedly have poor skills in sensing who upon an interview makes a good salesperson or programmer. It wasn't until I hired experienced senior executives in these areas, who in turn used assessments they trusted to verify aptitudes and knowledge, did we have a consistent record of successful hires. - Eric Friedman, eSkill
849a9a120247c1b90f235e25a174383d	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/22/why-counteroffers-to-exiting-employees-are-counterproductive/	Why Counteroffers To Exiting Employees Are Counterproductive	Why Counteroffers To Exiting Employees Are Counterproductive Vice President of Talent Engagement & Culture at CNFA overseeing the culture of positive engagement with its employees globally. At some point in your employment career, you apply for a new job, interview, become the selected candidate and receive a great offer. Then what? You review the offer and discuss options with your closest networks to determine next steps, expressing that you have previously made your current employer aware of your career path expectations and goals to no avail. Then, you ultimately make the decision to accept the offer. You are on cloud nine with the new offer and elated to move on to the next phase in your career, but you become a bit nervous because now you have to advise your current employer of your decision to depart, followed by reemphasizing the reasons. Once you make your current employer aware, they throw you a curveball and make a counteroffer, trying to persuade you to stay, citing the need for your talents and how much you have contributed to the team. This counteroffer may come in the form of a promotion, more money for the same role and duties, or simply a promise to make some of the changes you identified. So, you think: “Wait, what? Have they now all of a sudden actually heard me and my concerns? Where was this profound appreciation before? Is it only because I am now in demand by another employer? And, moreover, is it simply ‘cheaper to keep me’ so they do not have to go through the recruitment process for my replacement?” And rightfully so — these are all questions that you need to have answered. The reality of the situation is that the trust between both parties is now broken, and it is not easily recoverable. Your employer questions your loyalty and commitment, and you question why suddenly it appears that you are valued. Simply put, counteroffers are not long-term solutions because they typically do not address any of the underlying issues — absent compensation — and months down the road, those mitigating factors that caused the initial external search will continue to persist. The short answer to avoid this situation is that employers pay people what they are worth, based on performance and market data. Employers should evaluate performance and review compensation at least once annually, as well as make equity adjustments where appropriate. People do not always leave their jobs for more base compensation; some of the other commonly cited reasons include, but are not limited to, better job opportunities, better benefits, career advancement with clearer paths for growth, teleworking options and/or a shorter daily commute. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Certain organizations simply prohibit counteroffers in part so as not to set precedent, but also because they are already paying at or above market rates for their sector. These organizations have robust compensation programs and compare apples to apples with their competitors using employee population, employer size, financial statement data and benefits offered to finally arrive at an employee’s total compensation package. Quite candidly, if an employee has made an employer aware of their unhappiness with their current role and responsibilities and no substantive changes have occurred, no counteroffer will change the employee’s mind if they truly want to leave. If an employee decides to stay after a counteroffer is presented, it becomes a double-edged sword because the employer will then question the employee’s overall commitment and loyalty. Further, it sends the wrong message where others may believe that an employee was rewarded for threatening to leave in order to receive what they wanted. This can lead to groupthink on the issue that results in further resentment for the team. More often than not, counteroffers simply delay the inevitable. If meaningful changes are not made, employees will ultimately leave for the same reasons they initially identified. Employers should do their part in listening to their employees, valuing them and paying them their worth, which will surely lead to not being put into a position where a counteroffer is your only option to retain top talent. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
b99778438890402bbbcb845a4aa76d8d	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/23/13-key-considerations-for-workplace-policy-flexibility/	13 Key Considerations For Workplace Policy Flexibility	13 Key Considerations For Workplace Policy Flexibility Successful HR executives from Forbes Human Resources Council offer leadership and management insights. Workplace policies vary vastly between industries. For an HR department, determining whether workplace policies should be non-negotiable or flexible depends on the company's needs. Flexible policies allow employees a lot of freedom but may lead to less control over events and resources. Nonnegotiable policies, on the other hand, could lead to an unhappy workplace, since many employees may feel pressured to conform. Human resources departments need to determine which methodology is the better approach based on the company’s culture. To help, 13 members of Forbes Human Resources Council examine the crucial considerations facing an HR department when determining whether they'll opt for non-negotiable or flexible workplace policies. Members share some key considerations for HR leaders who are deciding between flexible and non-negotiable workplace policies. Photos courtesy of individual members. 1. Organizational Culture The culture of an organization is critical to consider when implementing any type of workplace policy. Legal obligations notwithstanding, policies that are counter to the company culture are guaranteed to be met with resistance. The application of company policies must also be considered to ensure fairness and potential discrimination claims, which in many organizations can be a challenge. - Dana Garaventa, GPHR, PHR,, Opus One Winery LLC 2. Putting Family First One non-negotiable consideration from the employer side we have at Degreed is the following family-first principle: "Degreed is not your family. Your family is your family. And your family is more important than Degreed." - David Blake, The Future of Work Studios MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss 3. What The Market Values In a competitive job market, understand what the market values to create a competitive and comfortable work environment for employees. In addition to meeting employees' needs, understanding how your competitors and companies in your geographic location handle various policies and benefits is helpful. Culture surveys and evaluation publications (e.g. Best Places to Work) also provide guidance. - Jeff Buenrostro, Metric Theory Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. How You Measure Productivity When deciding whether to be flexible, you have to evaluate if you can measure productivity based on outcomes versus activity. If you are able to get your business or team to a point where you can evaluate them through tangible results and outcomes, that will open up multiple avenues to provide flexibility — be it in terms of working hours, location, number of days worked or work from home. - Amee Parekh, Uber Technologies 5. Impact On The Work Culture Work policies need to reflect what outcomes you want in your organization. Some policies are put in place for the lowest common denominator and edge cases which, in the broad scheme, will have overall negative outcomes. Any policy that is put in place must be periodically evaluated to assess the impact it had and if it makes sense to change in case of adverse impact or unintended consequences. - Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly \| Mentoring Complete 6. Effect On Recruiting And Retention When deciding the flexibility of workplace policies, an important factor to consider is whether inflexibility will hinder talent attraction and employee retention. If competing companies offering similar opportunities and salaries have more flexible policies, stricter employers may be forced to update their policies in order to prevent top talent from migrating to their competitors. - John Feldmann, Insperity 7. Employee Feedback Employee feedback is an essential consideration. In your employee surveys and exit interviews, add a question or two around company policies. Compile that feedback over time, look for trends, and revisit company policies once a year to ensure that you're staying on top of what matters most to your employees. - Jenna Hinrichsen, Advanced RPO 8. Competitors' Workplace Policies Properly implemented policies can benefit employees and provide a competitive advantage to the business. As new competitors continue to shape markets and disrupt norms, organizations should be keenly aware of their competition within their industry, as well as geographic area. This will allow for increased retention without sacrificing business values and standards. - Erald Minga, Kellogg School of Management 9. Purpose Statement And Guiding Principles Ask what culture you are trying to achieve. In order to answer that question, you need to have a clearly articulated and aligned purpose statement and guiding principles. Is your company employee-centric or does it put primary emphasis on profits? How do you retain customers, and do you let them know regularly that you appreciate them? The answers to these questions and others will guide you. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes 10. Mutual Expectations The degree of flexibility on workplace policies should be dependent on the level of mutual trust for further changes given the dynamics of the economy, organizational situation and other circumstances. The degree of openness for change, such that the organization can adapt to new circumstances, should be considered when determining the level of flexibility in workplace policies. - William Ng, Bed Bath & Beyond 11. Business Scalability Policies should be aligned with the business objectives. In this world of continual swift business pivots, policies must be able to scale according to business changes. We live in a world of disruptors and disruption. We need to own that change is constant and adaptability is key to success. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI People 12. Alignment To Mission, Vision Be open to implementing any/all (reasonable) policy flex requests by your people so long as they align with the organization's mission, vision and culture. Run with them if they're realistic and meet this criterion, with a focus on the more challenging ones, to increase employee happiness and retention. - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire 13. Holistic Thinking Are you setting a precedent that you feel you can honor going forward? A rule may be creating one rule for the many, so the business can continue to operate effectively. Think holistically — every decision or change will have a knock-on impact so don’t forget the stakeholder impact assessment. Change is inevitable but be sure you understand the broader consequences. - Paul Phillips, Avanade
6b71933ab0084deabce79bff099b65f4	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/29/how-to-create-a-successful-flexible-work-culture/	How To Create A Successful Flexible Work Culture	How To Create A Successful Flexible Work Culture David is a veteran human resources leader and CEO of IQTalent Partners, Inc., an on-demand talent acquisition and executive search firm. Prior to the onset of a global pandemic, the U.S. workforce was moving toward more flexible work arrangements. The coronavirus simply accelerated the progress. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 5 million Americans were already working from home at least half the time prior to quarantine, an increase of 173% over the last decade. The challenge presented by the pandemic was that nearly every workplace had to adapt to this trend overnight. Ideally, a well-thought-out plan would have been crafted, a timeline would have been mapped out and the change to flexible work would be implemented step by step. We did not have that luxury when we pivoted from in-office culture to remote work environments almost instantly. But it’s not too late. We can implement a plan for success and create a culture where flexible work arrangements offer increased productivity, better collaboration and more engaged employees. What Is Flexible Work? Flexible work is a blanket term for the ways in which employees have more control over when and where they work. Workplace flexibility can be broken down into several categories: • Telecommuting: Telecommuting in this sense refers to a full-time job performed from the office only part of the time. Telecommuters often live locally and split their time between working in the office and from home. • Remote work: An employee who works remotely performs their job entirely away from the office. These employees can typically live anywhere in the world as long as they perform and are available when a client or a colleague needs them. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss • Condensed workweek or flexible work hours: These plans offer employees flexibility regarding their office hours. For example, they can come in and leave early, or work four long days and take a three-day weekend. Who Will Thrive In Flexible Work Cultures? Not every role can enjoy flexible work arrangements. We’ve learned through social distancing how to have school at home, see a doctor from home and order groceries from home, but in reality, positions like educators, most medical professionals, and retail or factory workers are not ideal for flexible work arrangements. Professionals who will thrive with flexible work arrangements are those doing “knowledge” work. Software engineers, website developers, data scientists and graphic designers are examples of those who can be successful working from the comfort of a home office. As technology advances, particularly around remote workplace collaboration, more roles will have the ability to be performed remotely, allowing for more employees to enjoy flexible work cultures. What Conditions Are Needed For Successful Flexible Work Culture? Creating a thriving flexible work culture will pay future dividends with increased employee morale and empowerment. Building a successful flexible work culture requires consideration of the following: • Manage outcomes and results, not inputs and processes. Having a performance-driven culture will result in successful outcomes. Flex-work employees must know the level of performance expected and what metrics will be used to measure their work. The more information an employee has about expectations and key performance indicators (KPIs), the more they will flourish in a flexible environment. • Be specific about outcome expectations. When are deadlines? When are check-in dates? How will the group collaborate? What does success look like? Praise successful performances, and focus on the end result, not how they arrived there. • Create a culture of accountability and personal responsibility. Knowing they will be held accountable for the results of their work will motivate employees to apply themselves fully to their tasks, regardless of where their workstations are located. Each employee must accept responsibility for their specific job and know that others on the team will expect they accomplish their part productively. • Hire the right people. Before you can create a successful flexible work culture, you must have the right fit for the position. Employees who will thrive are self-starters and self-motivated. They have a desire to excel that comes from inner drive, not just the need for a paycheck. Having a specific interview process with questions directed at these soft skills will aid in selecting the right candidates for flexible work arrangements. Beware The Downside While it seems that flexible work arrangements offer only positive outcomes, working from home can have its downsides. Some employees enjoy a social work setting. Most appreciate flexibility, but it’s important to have colleagues you enjoy socially. Workplace collaboration software and videoconferencing can help people feel more connected, but nothing replaces joining your co-workers for dinner and a drink after work. People may think those with flexible work arrangements are not actually working. From neighbors to a child’s teacher to a co-worker, those around you may question your work ethic or get offended if you turn down a personal request in the middle of the day. Along those same lines, the line between professional and personal responsibilities can get blurred. If you are working from home, do you stop to pick up the kids from school or put a load of laundry in the dryer? Conversely, when does the workday end? Flexible work arrangements can create workaholics; employees may feel like they are always on the clock. Encourage employees who work remotely to create schedules and enforce boundaries between personal time and work hours. In a post-quarantine era, it’s evident that flexible work is the way forward. It is the culture embraced by the future workforce, and it is the direction technology is progressing. By embracing the remote work trend and investing in the tools and people who will make it effective, you can be ahead of the curve and achieve a thriving flexible work culture that will attract the best people, promote growth and ensure the long-term success of your business. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
390e0b51e02ce0ee099e15dda1a1a852	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/06/30/13-steps-employers-can-take-to-decrease-turnover-rates/	13 Steps Employers Can Take To Decrease Turnover Rates	13 Steps Employers Can Take To Decrease Turnover Rates High employee turnover rates can be a signpost that certain things should change within the organization. These might be massive, sweeping changes from a cultural perspective or something that management may need to address directly. If not managed properly, a high employee turnover can have negative consequences for the business, both in terms of reduced productivity and poor morale among the remaining employees. Whether it’s a senior employee who has become disgruntled or a new employee who finds they cannot deal with their new work environment, company leaders need to understand where the problem originates and address it promptly in order to keep staff on board. To help, 13 experts from Forbes Human Resources Council take a look at a few essential steps that employers should be taking to help reduce employee turnover. Members explain how employers can effectively decrease employee turnover within their organization. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Lead With Empathy Checking in on employees in a genuine and meaningful way is key. Employers should ask team members, "How is your life?" "How are you finding the work?" and "How can I support you?" As leaders, we have to stay open to understanding what excites, challenges, inspires our people and to truly listen, especially and most importantly, when the employee's experience is vastly different than ours. - Sheila Murty, Tillamook County Creamery Association 2. Allow For Growth Be intentional about providing growth opportunities for employees, whether that is in the form of career paths or training and development to learn and apply new skills. Providing special projects and committees is also a great way to keep employees engaged in the organization. - Lotus Buckner, NCH MORE FOR YOUHow To Get Rich Using These Top 5 Wealth Building Secrets5 Ways Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” Could Help People With DisabilitiesFreewheeling Millennials And Gen-Zers Are Starting A New Side-Hustle Career: Aggressively Trading Stocks Online, Minting Money And Showing Up The Wall Street Pros 3. Create A Voice-Of-Employee Strategy Create a voice-of-employee strategy which can increase dialogue, help inform your employee and talent strategies, and make employees feel heard. Studies show the more voice employees have, the more they connect with the employer brand and purpose. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Instill Individual Purpose Aim to instill individual purpose. Providing each employee the reason why their presence matters on a daily basis gives the employee motivation to serve the organization over the long term. Periodic reflection is required from an employer standpoint to align corporate objectives with employee contribution to ensure that team members feel a sense of purpose on a daily basis. - William Ng, Bed Bath & Beyond 5. Live Your Values At Work Too often, we hear that companies have changed and the environment that attracted someone no longer exists. This is a shift in company values. Make sure they are more than pictures on walls and that all new starters act in accordance with them. If employers are acting in line with their company values, employees will be happier for longer. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden 6. Change Things Up Many times, an employee leaves because they aren't engaged in the work they are doing. Unintentionally, we can pigeon-hole our employees by thinking of their skills only through the lens of the function they are in at that moment, and not rethinking how past experience or other skills they attain may align better with a different role for them. Roles can get stale; changing things up can help. - Sarah Palmer, Hueman RPO 7. Train Your Managers Employees leave managers, not companies. Bad managers make people quit. Good managers possess higher levels of emotional intelligence and better interpersonal skills. Companies need to plan and budget for managers training to improve their leadership skills. Strong leaders can help reduce turnover. - Tom Zhang, SERES EV 8. Be An Ethical Leader People are watching and listening to every move you make. They want to work for leaders who follow through on commitments and behave in trustworthy ways — such as not speaking bad of others on the team when they aren't present. It's not just how they behave when others are present, but how they behave behind closed doors that keeps employees committed and "in the seat." - Tessa White, SHE Team, LLC 9. Build A Strong Culture Build a strong culture with very capable and inspiring people managers. While people join a company, they often stay or leave because of their immediate leader who instills a sense of purpose and engagement or convinces them to look externally. Strong people managers also find ways for employees to progress their careers and build new skill sets, which then results in a low employee turnover rate. - Amee Parekh, Uber Technologies 10. Don't Underutilize Their Strengths Managers should be able to strike a balance between team goals and challenging their employees to think outside the box through continuous improvement projects and an innovative mindset. This way, employees have the flexibility to draw from their diverse strengths and experiences. The resulting projects showcase internal growth opportunities while increasing collaboration and employee engagement. - Erald Minga, Kellogg School of Management 11. Build Solid Relationships Invest time in building solid relationships with your employees. When employees feel valued and supported, their loyalty to you, as an organization, will increase. - Jenna Hinrichsen, Advanced RPO 12. Re-Recruit Top Talent With Stay Interviews Why wait until top talent resigns to learn what's driving their satisfaction or dissatisfaction? Stay interviews create an opportunity for top talent to share what they love about their work and what gets in the way of contributing more. Stay interviews also help re-recruit your best by exploring job challenges offered by your company before they explore options outside. - Karen Crone, Paycor, Inc. 13. Reevaluate Your Hiring Process Employers should look at their hiring and onboarding process to discover ways to decrease turnover. A more rigorous selection process with improved communication and collaboration by your team throughout may be needed to improve your win/win hiring decisions and stick ratio. Also, a poor onboarding experience is a great way to send your new hire(s) immediately down the turnover path. - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire
e2b6c0deafd38e21d000d683fd75f784	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/07/03/secrets-of-developing-a-digitally-ready-workforce/	Secrets Of Developing A Digitally Ready Workforce	Secrets Of Developing A Digitally Ready Workforce Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer at FlexTeam. Before 2020 started, remote and virtual work had already grown 159% since 2005. This growth has been driven in part by the rise of the liquid workforce. Freelancers and independent consultants have long been shaping the future of work and making a digitally ready and virtual workforce a reality. The work that we do and how we do it is also transforming. The World Economic Forum has predicted that over the next 10 years, digital skills will be required for 9 out of 10 jobs, and automation will change 5 out of 10 jobs. Freelancers are also at the forefront of this skills transformation. The current environment is rapidly accelerating these trends. So how can we develop a digitally ready workforce that can scale and grow a business? Insights from working with executive-level freelancers and consultants can help provide the answers. Rethinking The Workforce The liquid workforce has steadily grown over the last decade, with over 57 million people freelancing in the US last year. This growth has been driven in part by the shift to more project-based workflows in companies. One of the fastest-growing segments of the gig economy is knowledge workers due to the demand for a digitally ready workforce. Knowledge workers serve as on-demand consultants and advisors, helping companies to take advantage of business and technology trends. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Increasingly, companies are moving toward a blended workforce, with a strategic talent pool of full-time workers for long-term needs and liquid workers for dynamic, short-term needs. This strategic approach increases flexibility, agility and diversity while fluidly scaling digital readiness. Redesigning Work Styles And Workspaces The events of 2020 are likely to result in fundamental changes to our workspaces, accelerating the shift to virtual and flexible work and making it increasingly important to communicate effectively with fewer meetings. The new digital workspace will require managers to embrace flexibility and autonomy. Freelancers have learned how to build trust virtually. A key enabler to building that trust is having shared, clear goals and objectives. Combined with proactive, open and transparent communication through modern communication channels, freelancers can establish effective working relationships despite never interacting in-person. The accelerated shift to digital and virtual interaction in our workspaces will put pressure on soft skills, with communication, collaboration and emotional intelligence all increasingly essential. The importance of emotional intelligence, also referred to as EQ, is often underestimated but is directly related to not only great leadership, but also the ability to learn from experiences. We all need to learn to adapt our work styles to match the fluidity of our workspace with a more versatile approach. For example, we need to easily pivot between multiple internal communication channels, adapting our communication style and tone to each for effective virtual and in-real-life collaboration. Developing An Agile Mindset Core to any digitally ready workforce is the ability to handle and seek change. Individuals need to be agile, flexible and willing to learn. Successful freelancers are entrepreneurs and, as such, must be nimble, ready to take risks and look for opportunities. These freelancers are curious and take the initiative to continue to advance their knowledge and skills. When hiring freelancers, you can use trial projects to gauge fit. Similarly, you can task employees with small projects to assess their agile potential. To develop the necessary agile mindset, individuals must be comfortable with being uncomfortable. According to research by McKinsey, the key traits to seek among individuals are the ability to handle ambiguity, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Agile thinkers embrace change and adaptability and strive to keep improving their skills and knowledge. Investing In Continuous Learning Successful freelancers continually assess and develop their skills, following personalized pathways of development. Seventy-eight percent of freelancers surveyed by Upwork responded that soft skills were at least equally important as technical skills to their success. These development pathways are pursued by combining online courses, mentoring, coaching and experiential learning. For freelancers, proficiency in using collaboration and productivity tools is a minimum standard to achieve. They also require strong technical skills in their areas of specialty, combined with cognitive and soft skills. Developing a digitally ready workforce requires assessing your company’s current talent in terms of both hard and soft skills. You also need to understand their passion for learning and curiosity — key traits that the best freelancers share. Support continuous, ongoing learning within your team, and help individuals develop the best personal learning pathway. Developing digitally ready talent isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. Identifying and developing digitally ready talent sets the foundation for an agile business that is ready to adapt and scale. While half of jobs may change due to automation, creative and critical thinking, thoughtful communication skills and emotional intelligence will be essential strengths to develop, regardless of how technology evolves over the next decade and beyond. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
96accd1bf0f9a88e8dadde1b0520b51a	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/07/20/14-essential-steps-in-workforce-planning/?sh=159f4726589f	14 Essential Steps In Workforce Planning	14 Essential Steps In Workforce Planning Workforce planning requires in-depth insight into what a company needs in terms of talent and skills. This kind of planning generally adds a level of abstraction to operations, allowing HR a bird's eye view of the business. From there, HR administrators can determine whether a hire is a good fit overall, not just because of their qualifications — several aspects are typically considered, including where the company is coming from and where it is headed, as well as the employee’s own goals and dreams and how they fit with the organization. Here, 14 experts from Forbes Human Resources Council examine some of the key steps in workforce planning and why they are so crucial to the organization’s success. Members share some essential workforce planning steps for HR leaders. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Ensure Alignment And Goal Clarity The most critical step in strategic workforce planning is alignment — alignment of business strategy, organization structure, people and results. Ensure clarity around strategic objectives, then ensure you have a holistic organization design and talent plan to drive getting the right people in the right role at the right time to deliver results. Sounds easy but takes discipline! - Elisa Gilmartin, Fuze 2. Understand Where The Company Is Headed Strategic workforce planning is a key component of the overall talent strategy. It starts with understanding where the company is headed; future organizational capabilities. This helps the organization identify new skills and competencies needed to inform learning and development opportunities and its talent acquisition strategy. - Sarika Lamont , E3/Sentinel MORE FOR YOUHow This Dutch Startup Plans To Disrupt The Supermarket LandscapeHow Kash Doll Is Cashing In On The Renaissance For Black Women RappersForbes Introduces ‘Journalist Entrepreneurs’ Program, Allowing Writers To Build Enduring Businesses Around Deeply Engaged Audiences 3. Execute A Current State Assessment Executing a current state assessment in workforce planning is absolutely critical as many workforces tend to jump into planning without truly understanding what resources they have in the first place. An organization needs to understand who they have in place right now, where they're going and how they’re developing to create a more accurate plan of action for the future. - Srikanth Karra, Mphasis.com Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Create A Staffing Model It's essential to create a staffing model to predict and drive workforce planning. For example: how much revenue can an account executive generate, or how many calls can a customer service specialist take per day? Along with revenue and operating plans, answers to questions like these help shape your strategic workforce plan, for both headcount and timing. Without them, it's just a guess. - Jennifer Marszalek, Working Credit NFP 5. Determine Current Talent Gaps To create the right workforce plan, you need to identify your organization's current talent gaps and needs and understand how those relate to your strategic roadmap. If you determine something is in conflict, then you can create the right plan to focus on uptraining your current team or hiring new team members with that missing expertise. - Jessica Adams, Brad's Deals 6. Identify The Long-Term Needs Identify the long-term needs of the business beyond the next step. Research and awareness of the long-term future will allow you to take the next step in your workforce strategy knowing what you need to develop in the workforce for the step thereafter. When we just plan for tomorrow, we are behind the change curve because development and hiring for the future must be one step ahead of tomorrow. - David Alsop, Ultradent Products, Inc. 7. Challenge The Status Quo The expectation must be set up front that we need to think differently about workforce planning. Then, challenge the status quo and try to really evaluate where people are really needed, why, how and how many. - Lotus Buckner, NCH 8. Ensure All Data Is Collated In One Place The first crucial step in strategic workforce planning — and where many companies run into a roadblock — is making sure all the information is collated in one place to perform that planning work. That marrying of human capital, workforce management and financial data is not always easy to accomplish based on different systems in place. - Jeremy Ames, Hive Tech HR 9. Start At The Finish Line Start at the finish line. You can't know when you've arrived at your goal if you don't know where that is. If you start with the finish line, you can work backward to figure out what you need and when. - Elizabeth Roberts, eGenesis, Inc. 10. Focus On Core Competencies Understanding where individual team members rate against specific core competencies necessary for driving the business allows you to understand which competencies you need to add going forward and in which department. Focus on the trio that makes up a competency — knowledge, skills and abilities. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes 11. Think Beyond Hiring New Talent Think beyond hiring in new talent. This is one lever, and an important one, but not the only option — certainly not if you want to retain and engage your current talent. Invest in developing their skills, knowledge and experience so that they can rotate and enjoy a variable career journey within your organization rather than going external. - Paul Phillips, Avanade 12. Constantly Follow Through And Pivot One essential step in strategic workforce planning is the follow-through with evaluating, monitoring and making ongoing adjustments to the workforce plan. Ensure regular performance monitoring on the implemented solutions to identify if gaps are addressed. A workforce plan should be ongoing and fluid to pivot as the strategic direction, workforce supply and workloads change over time. - Sherry Martin, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) 13. Consider Your Budget And Forecast The most critical step is to consider your budget and forecast for the second half of the year. Before hiring and moving back to business as usual, companies need to consider their needs for six, 12 and 18 months out and take into account employee retention, internal promotions and internal lateral moves. Retention and investing in employee growth are key to profit increase and workforce planning. - Polina Wilson, Unruly ® 14. Consider Your Company's Site Strategy Considering your company's site strategy is a major component of workforce planning that tends to be overlooked. Where do you want your people? Which groups must be co-located? Should you pivot to a remote-first environment? Many companies are looking at this now, and rightfully so. Clarifying the company's philosophy on site strategy is closely tied to both business and workforce planning goals. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits
7b72f89dbb3e5a348b981583518244f5	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/07/24/the-importance-of-reintroducing-employee-assistance-programs-during-the-pandemic/	The Importance Of Reintroducing Employee Assistance Programs During The Pandemic	The Importance Of Reintroducing Employee Assistance Programs During The Pandemic Rebecca Edwards, SPHR, SCP enjoys providing workplace-tested solutions to employers and employees with her firm, Infinite HR of Charlotte. Working from home during the pandemic is not just heartwarming pictures of parents working on laptops with children snuggled next to them on the sofa, or families posting dance videos on social media. The reality is that a large segment of the workforce is struggling to figure out, navigate and maintain a “new normal” that was never meant to be. There is no blueprint for this new design of managing full-time work responsibilities along with parenting/teaching/caregiving/household responsibilities, with no separation of the two worlds. This reality, coupled with restrictions on movement, has created a concerning dynamic. Mental health is under attack right now, so human resources leaders: It's time to reintroduce your employee assistance program (EAP). The demands employees are facing now are unprecedented, and they need support to work through their stressors and the uncertainty of what is to come. Let’s review a few of the major areas where EAPs can help employees weather this storm. Parenting (Including Teaching, Entertaining, Refereeing) Sure, many people have worked from home for years and have even reared their children while doing so. But, in this lifetime, none have had to do this without having the option of sending children to school, day care or camp for some portion of the day. Few, if any, were thrust into becoming a home school family without warning or anticipation. For years, working parents have joked about having two full-time jobs — one from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and another from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. — but handling both without even the pause of a commute is certainly unique to 2020. Many families are coping with this situation by splitting the days 50/50, with one parent managing home and child responsibilities during the morning while the other parent focuses on their occupation, and then switching off for the afternoon. However, with only eight working hours in a day, both parents will eventually have pressing career priorities arise at the same time, and that will be the day the children let loose and all bets are off. And what about all of the single working parent households? This new world order requires an entirely new set of skills, distractions and bribery for parents to attain that elusive “balance,” and the EAP can help them with that. MORE FOR YOUWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication LessonsBiden Is Expected To Enact Emergency Executive Orders To Aid Struggling AmericansThe Biden Administration And What Happens To Trump’s H-1B Visa Rules Caregiving (Including 24/7 Nursing, Therapy) In addition to parenting, caregiving has been disrupted as well. Many employees care for elderly family members or children with special needs. They require a completely different level of support because they have likely had to take on responsibilities that they may not be qualified to handle. Social distancing and the inability to have skilled nurses, therapists or caregivers come in to help has forced these employees to take on intensive caregiving tasks themselves, while still maintaining their level of work. This is nearly impossible, yet your employees are doing it every day. We need to make sure someone is there for them. Personal There are also employees who may be handling their own medical needs during this time. Medical support is limited to telemedicine in many areas, and several nonemergency surgeries have been delayed. Yet, somehow these employees are coping, all while meeting the expectations of their jobs. Family dynamics are also a possible source of stress. While love conquers all, no one signed up for being together 24/7 for 20-plus weeks at a time. Restrictions on movement can be problematic for all members of the family, including college students who left their campuses and are now under their parents’ roof again. Consider also that many of our employees live in several of these realms simultaneously. Life was complicated and varied before, and most employees had it compartmentalized somewhat. Now, it’s all thrown on the carpet and mixed together — for months on end. People need some support. Preparation For Reintroduction If there was ever a time to run an EAP campaign, this is it. But before you do, reach out to your EAP provider and confirm a few things. First, ensure that remote counseling is now the norm for the majority, if not all, of the providers in its network. Second, while there is a set number of sessions available per contract, an unprecedented worldwide pandemic is upon us. See if it would be willing to add a session or two to that number — it can’t hurt to ask. Third, check your employee data fed to the provider. There is nothing worse than promoting the EAP only to have your employee or their family member be denied access to services due to missing or incorrect information. Double-check it. Promotion The EAP is one of the most valuable yet underutilized employee benefits. It is overlooked in part because of remnants of the old stigma surrounding who needs/uses therapy (spoiler alert — everyone) and because it has always played second fiddle to “big” benefits such as medical. So, it’s HR’s job to push it to the forefront and show employees what a life-changing benefit they have at their fingertips. Be sure to emphasize that it is free and explain the confidential nature of the benefit. If EAPs secretly shared personal employee information with employers, they wouldn’t have lasted 80-plus years. So, shout it from the rooftops. Promote it on your intranet and your internal social media. Spotlight it for the next few months in your newsletter. Highlight it on your VPN login page, and mail out wallet cards. Print it on paycheck stubs if you still have paychecks printed, or note it on the payroll portal if you don’t. Have the EAP provide a few online, accessible presentations about stress management and other relevant topics. Just get the word out! Remind employees they have someone ready and available to talk with them, and more importantly, listen to them as they navigate this very challenging time in life. Ensure them that they are not alone. Let’s make sure we’re supporting each other in our workplaces and in our households. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
af3e32b34f60adef416f491ebd250c6f	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/08/13/creating-an-attractive-employee-benefits-package-11-tips-from-hr-experts/?sh=65f0790d5f4c	Creating An Attractive Employee Benefits Package: 11 Tips From HR Experts	Creating An Attractive Employee Benefits Package: 11 Tips From HR Experts If a business wants the best talent the industry has to offer, it must provide a competitive benefits package. In the past, a company might have been able to get away with a massive paycheck, but today's workers are savvier when it comes to choosing a place of employment. Instead of looking at the flat pay rate, they weigh their options based on the perks the company offers them. The most skilled and specialized employees within a sector know how much they're worth to a company. Thus, a business needs to show it is also aware of an employee's worth and reward them accordingly. Below, 11 associates of Forbes Human Resources Council look at what a business should consider when preparing an employee benefits package to attract the right talent. Members share their advice for creating an appealing employee benefits program. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Understand Your Demographic What is your demographic, aka who is your audience? A competitive benefits package is not a one-size-fits-all and largely depends on the age range of your company. For example, younger workforces will be strongly enticed by competitive financial wellness packages and single health and medical benefits. A more mature workforce might prioritize family benefits. - Natalie Rast, Y7 Studio 2. Start With Focus Groups And Surveys Start with focus groups and employee surveys. Recognize the desired benefits have shifted this year. Perhaps your employees would prefer flexible paid time off, or mental health resources like the Calm or Headspace app, or perhaps a robust mentorship program. The package may include 15 mindful minutes between meetings as opposed to back-to-backs. Whatever you do, it needs to reflect the needs of your unique team. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners 3. Ask What Benefits Are Actually Used Ask for feedback and see what benefits are actually being utilized. We can spend a lot of time coming up with something we think is great, only to find out it isn't what employees want. We can be reluctant to ask sometimes as companies worry that the requests will be unreasonable. By asking, we get the desired result much quicker. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden MORE FOR YOUHow This Dutch Startup Plans To Disrupt The Supermarket LandscapeTrillion-Dollar Opportunity: How A New Internet Will Completely Reimagine Your Business ModelForbes Introduces ‘Journalist Entrepreneurs’ Program, Allowing Writers To Build Enduring Businesses Around Deeply Engaged Audiences Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Aim To Provide Value To All Employees Design a benefits program that contains value for all employees, not just some. When the organization spends money on something relevant to only a portion of employees, such as vision care, they question the investment. Offering a more personalized plan, experience and insights on a modern technology platform will deliver huge value to the employees and their families. - Jennifer Bouyoukos, Entertainment One 5. Offer Employee Ownership Opportunities I'm a fan of full-spectrum employee ownership. Regardless of the talent level, just about everyone reacts well to this offering for one reason or another. At the end of the day, you're getting a more engaged and inspired overall team with this employee benefit. - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire 6. Provide Remote Work Benefits This is talent retention as remote work opens more options. Remote work benefits include upgraded technology and funds to pay for faster Wi-Fi. As employers see employees as adults, offer upgraded vacation policies. Provide increased benefits for childcare for virtual programs/support for working parents, time off for social justice and passion projects, specific monetary investment in development annually. - Cher Murphy, Ph.Creative 7. Add Inclusion And Equity Efforts Include your inclusion and equity efforts in your benefits package! If you believe in this, you will attract candidates who do, too, and it would be extremely enticing to work for an organization that values inclusion and equity so much that it promotes it as a benefit. What gets measured and publicized gets done, so what a great way to hold yourself accountable, too! - Lotus Buckner, NCH 8. Consider Soft Benefits Employers need to consider soft benefits, such as work flexibility, work-from-home office allowances, with a particular focus on a strong culture to stand out from their peers. With employees working from home, certain benefits have fallen to the wayside, like free lunches and office snacks, so it's important that employers promote a strong culture of collaboration and inclusivity. - Polina Wilson, Unruly ® 9. Offer Free Healthcare Something that our company does differently than most companies is that we offer free healthcare to our employees. While this may seem old-fashioned or cost-prohibitive to some companies, employees really appreciate the benefit when they need it. In some cases, it has been the one significant difference between our company and other offers the employee received. - Frank Molinario, Security First Insurance Company Inc 10. Let Employees Choose Wanting a choice is a human trait. It makes us feel powerful and in control. Consider giving your employees a choice each year which voluntary benefit offering they would like to add. The majority wins, and that benefit is added to the open enrollment line-up. Letting your new hires know that you consider employees' opinions gives them a peek inside your amazing culture! - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes 11. Conduct A Cost/Benefit Analysis When trying to create an attractive benefits package, employers should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to understand what benefits are being utilized. It is also important to know if your employees understand how to maximize their benefits. Employee education, focus groups and surveys can help an organization understand what is important to their employees for an attractive benefits package. - Sherry Martin, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
ffef1f1cf59007b0918b45c876dd0940	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/08/19/can-technology-transform-managers-into-leaders/	Can Technology Transform Managers Into Leaders?	Can Technology Transform Managers Into Leaders? Co-Founder of Gloat - Internal Talent Marketplace platform. HR Evangelist. getty Succeeding as a business is all about embracing change. The world around us is in a constant state of flux, with disruptive technologies, social trends and unpredictable events — like pandemics and social unrest — surfacing one after the other. This isn't new, and although many of us have a tendency to think that some things have always been done a certain way, every part of our lives has undergone multiple changes and transitions. This is doubly true when it comes to business practices and the way companies are organized and managed. A big part of what we conceive of as work today has been influenced by the production lines and factories of the First Industrial Revolution. In that kind of early industry, workers had set tasks that needed to be carried out, managers who coordinated that work on a larger scale and executives who set goals and defined visions that guided the overall trajectory and aims of that industrialized effort. Since then, the types of products created and the ways in which they're produced have changed radically — but the organizational method (in all but a few pioneering companies) has stayed more or less the same. It doesn't matter if an enterprise is focused on producing consumer goods, software, or large-scale infrastructure. It's likely that there will be workers like programmers, engineers, manual laborers, digital marketers, etc. who, much like in the production lines of old, have managers overseeing their work. MORE FOR YOU4P’s Are Dead—Because They’re Academic, Not Practical And More Irrelevant Than EverFreewheeling Millennials And Gen-Zers Are Starting A New Side-Hustle Career: Aggressively Trading Stocks Online, Minting Money And Showing Up The Wall Street Pros5 Ways Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” Could Help People With Disabilities But while that may have been the best organizational solution for industrialists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there's no reason to think that this is the best way to manage a business today. In fact, we know it isn't — this rigid structure doesn't allow companies the flexibility and agility they often need to adapt to new situations as they arise, and can inhibit employees' creativity, initiative and engagement. As new technological paradigms and possibilities become available, more and more large enterprises are starting to think about democratization and the flattening of their organizational hierarchies. New technologies, like talent marketplaces — which allow employees to seek out opportunities within their companies independently, aligning both their personal aspirations and the needs of their organizations — alongside learning experience platforms and sophisticated communication tools, have all turned the type of coordination critical to the role of managers into an automated, organic process. This leaves more room for people doing the actual work to take initiative and make smart decisions on their own in light of broader business needs and priorities. Not only are they able to take these extra responsibilities on themselves, but studies show that when they do, their engagement and commitment to the workplace actually grow, as does their sense of professional satisfaction and fulfillment. But to truly reap the full potential these tools can offer, organizations need to adapt their company culture to accommodate them. The biggest change this requires is to stop thinking about employees as resources that belong to managers and to start thinking of them as talent that can and should serve the entire organization in a way that also aligns with their own personal aspirations. The company should structure itself in a way that offers its workforce a robust, colorful wealth of opportunities in which their skills and abilities can be utilized — where initiative and engagement will naturally follow. Often, however, there's a natural resistance to this idea from managers, who feel like this kind of change takes their most important resource — their employees — away from them. In a sense, it does. So do we even need "managers" anymore? The answer, in my opinion, is both yes and no. There will always be a need for people to actively think about the bigger picture and make decisive decisions, and people holding managerial positions today are perfectly situated for that. But should they be dedicating their time to managing their workers? The more I think about it, the shorter the distance between management and micromanagement seems to be. Still, these managers need to be in a position to affect change in their designated areas of responsibility. But as more responsibility and power shifts to the workers themselves, I've found that it's helpful to stop thinking about these people as managers and to start thinking about them as leaders. Their role is no longer to push their workers from behind toward their goals but to show them their goals and pave the way forward. With smart technology and progressive organizational structures, employees can be trusted to find their own paths toward these goals by themselves. So can technology transform managers into leaders? There's no algorithm for turning a manager into an inspiring leader. But algorithms, along with cultural change, can help people in the right positions rise to the occasion and drive the organization forward. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
7be3c7bb7cbc5e9e745322f65f8e5fda	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/08/21/the-future-of-work-is-more-than-remote-work/	The Future Of Work Is More Than Remote Work	The Future Of Work Is More Than Remote Work Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer at FlexTeam. getty What is the future of work? For many, this idea has become focused solely on shifting to a digital workplace. Covid-19 has caused us all to rethink how and where we work, accelerating the shift to the remote office, but the future of work is so much more than going remote. In my view, the future of work is the liquid workforce where workers are self-employed entrepreneurs. An Entrepreneurial Workforce Companies are increasingly relying on a blended workforce, engaging a mix of full-time and on-demand talent (or liquid workers). This enables companies to smartly and cost-effectively employ the best available talent to meet their skill and work needs at any given time. Liquid talent is being engaged at all levels, even as on-demand consultants and advisors for corporate boards. As the liquid workforce becomes a critical strategic asset for companies, HR leaders are evolving their roles and responsibilities to take charge of leading a blended workforce. For liquid workers, and particularly knowledge workers, the future of work offers a return to our entrepreneurial roots. Liquid workers can achieve “work-life fit” and gain greater independence and control of their work. This shift to the future of work is resulting in challenges and opportunities for companies and for liquid workers. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Opportunities For Companies Shifting to a blended workforce requires companies to rethink their processes and systems. Liquid workers are not employees and need different workflows — for example, think about onboarding. The compliance steps and documents required are distinct for 1099 versus W-2 workers. How you welcome and bring on the liquid talent also needs to be different. Your onboarding needs to enable the flex worker to hit the ground running from the moment they start. Working with liquid talent is also inherently very fluid, with projects simultaneously starting and ending across a company. It’s essential to have a robust contracting process that you can simply and easily replicate with every new liquid worker. Likewise, you need to have the right financial processes and systems in place to ensure full visibility of liquid worker costs, invoice management and payment. Today, many companies still manage their freelancers and independent consultants using spreadsheets. To fully take advantage of the future of work and maximize talent pools through a blended workforce, we need engaging liquid workers to become as easy and as operationally standardized as it is with full-time employees. It needs to be easy and efficient to source, contract and manage liquid talent. Opportunities For Liquid Workers For individuals, although the idea of being your own boss and having your own company can be exciting, it’s also daunting. Just as with a startup, being a solopreneur can be an uncertain endeavor. It can also be confusing to figure out everything that needs to be done administratively as a self-corporation, particularly in areas such as insurance, disability and professional development that might have been taken for granted when working in a traditional corporate environment. Individuals new to being liquid workers can also find it to be isolating. To shift from the traditional to the future of work, individuals need help to make running their businesses easy and time-efficient. They need support in managing their companies, addressing benefits (such as insurance, access to credit and disability), meeting legal requirements and building human connections (training, coaching, etc.). Solving The Future Of Work The shift of the professional workforce will continue, and the pace is likely to increase. The focus on the rights of liquid workers, such as with California’s AB5 law, is not abating. Managers will need to adapt their people leadership skills to lead, motivate and integrate a blended workforce successfully. But to fully achieve the future of work and realize the true potential of the liquid workforce, we need solutions that will address the barriers that still exist. Many solutions are under development, but there’s still so much opportunity left to build the capabilities required for the future of work, which include: • Helping companies and liquid workers find each other and connect. • Making it easy and straightforward for contracts to be executed. • Enabling companies and liquid workers to work with each other effectively and efficiently. • Simplifying the process of establishing and managing liquid workers’ businesses. • Offering options for liquid workers that meet needs for traditional benefits, such as insurance and 401(k)s, professional development and community connections. Companies and individuals are continuing to shape the evolution toward a more entrepreneurial and independent workforce. Remote work is just one aspect of the future of work. Consider how you can go beyond the integration of remote work and include the future of work in your human resources strategy. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
9cf55e3d337b0da683b45fb43b5a6e93	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/09/09/four-steps-for-managing-talent-pools-and-pipelines-during-covid-19-and-beyond/?sh=4ba41fb732c1	Four Steps For Managing Talent Pools And Pipelines During Covid-19 And Beyond	Four Steps For Managing Talent Pools And Pipelines During Covid-19 And Beyond Tonushree Mondal is the Founder & CEO of Tonushree Mondal Consulting, a leading boutique HR consulting firm. getty Covid-19 disrupted well-laid-out strategic workforce plans for many organizations. Many business models are imploding, causing some companies to shrink their workforce. Meanwhile, healthcare and consumer technology companies are continuing the trajectory of their strong growth, while industries like food logistics and online fitness are seeing a growth explosion. This is leading to an imbalance in demand and supply of skills in the labor force, posing interesting choices for organizations as they assess their talent pools and pipelines. While constant pivoting may seem necessary, organizations should pause and explore the following strategies to guide their way forward. Revisit your strategic workforce plan. Talent pools and internal pipeline requirements have changed in 2020. As organizations explore how to build, buy, borrow or shrink talent in reaction to Covid-19, they need to conduct scenario modeling. Even one meeting to talk about potential scenarios can help figure out how future needs may have changed and prepare them to iterate as the environment changes. Companies should pin down the focus of their organization’s strategic workforce plan and ensure it aligns with the long-term business strategy, instead of reacting with measures that may yield short-term results. Creatively tap into broader talent pools. The remarkable work-from-home experiment that was forced upon the global workforce earlier in 2020 silenced critics who believed that working from home was not possible in most cases; it instead boosted productivity. As the virus stubbornly refuses to go away, people are making choices on where to live and moving away from expensive cities because they can do so without making career sacrifices. The talent pool has, therefore, truly become a much bigger, global one, opening up opportunities for people. Also, as companies are trying to make a more visible shift in their overall diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) approach, sourcing more diverse talent pools from other geographies that were previously out of reach is likely to make a difference to the numbers. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Assess the composition of your internal talent pipeline. There are three ways to look at your internal talent pipeline. All three need to be looked at together to give a holistic picture. Often, companies solve for one or two of the problems out of these three and therefore miss the opportunity to bring it all together. Skills: Data is key for insights, and organizations need to ask the right questions. What skills are critical for the future? What skills are no longer required? Can we build these skills in our own talent pipeline, or do we need to buy them? How well have our upskilling and reskilling programs worked in the past? Based on this analysis, organizations need to quickly figure out an agile framework on how to reskill or upskill the talent they have to guide the process of active business recovery. Critical roles and high potentials: Critical roles and high potentials disproportionately impact a company’s profitability. Covid-19 may have shifted the criticality of certain roles, and your high-potential talent may be feeling burned out and may be a potential flight risk. The key questions to be addressed here are: Which roles are critical for the future? Are our high potentials in the right value-creating jobs? Which of our high potentials are at risk? Upon analysis of this, an active plan needs to be put into place to support the stress and development of high potentials and ensure there is a solid bench of talent for critical roles. Diversity: Analyzing the diversity composition of the talent pipeline alone is not enough anymore. The key questions that need to be addressed include: Are we failing to promote or retain key diverse talent? Where do our success stories lie, and what drove that success? What new stretch opportunities can be created to develop our diverse talent? This can lead to outcomes that match the desired statistics of representation at diverse groups at each organizational level. Manage the velocity of your talent pipeline. The velocity of an organization’s talent pipeline is defined as the rate at which talent is coming into or leaving the organization, moving vertically or laterally. Organizations that do this proactively orchestrate talent moves like a chess game to create value rather than allowing it to happen in an ad hoc manner. Internal talent marketplaces are gaining a lot of traction in large global organizations as employees want transparency and mobility for the existing opportunities. The importance of more proactive talent orchestration is to develop and retain diverse high-potential talent while creating a strong bench of futuristic skills. Strategic HR processes may seem more difficult now given the uncertainty and pressing operational needs, but if anything, their criticality is more compounded. When we come out on the other side of Covid-19, a well-thought-out talent strategy that lends itself to quick iterations can put you on a steadier path to long-term value creation. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
4a3811eacc136c863518155ef6d59314	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/10/07/shaping-employee-experience-through-your-hr-technology-stack/	Shaping Employee Experience Through Your HR Technology Stack	Shaping Employee Experience Through Your HR Technology Stack EY Partner - Americas Leader, People Advisory Services. getty Technology is a very big part of the employee experience, but one that isn’t top of mind for employers. Quite rightly, they prioritize issues such as company culture, the organization’s purpose, mission and values as well as ways to boost staff engagement and satisfaction. Yet, talent management has become significantly more complex as organizations try to tackle everything from performance management to well-being, productivity and beyond, especially in our current climate. Technology has a valuable role to play here, enabling companies to design personalized employee experiences at scale rather than simply provide a blanket approach to all initiatives from benefits and rewards to learning and development (L&D). This situation is truer now than it has ever been following the digital transformation that has taken place among employers due to Covid-19 lockdowns around the world. Digital working has been redefined and workplaces are being reimagined, in many instances, as a network of physical and virtual locations rather than a single office headquarters sitting at the heart of company life. As Rebekah Wallis, director of people and corporate responsibility at Ricoh UK, reportedly told The Hive: “We in HR have almost ‘had’ to do [digital transformation], and employees have ‘had’ to accept it too — it’s like everyone has suddenly got permission to embrace the sorts of technologies that were previously being resisted, or waited on.” MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss In a workplace context, this has resulted in the technology focus switching away from human capital management systems that control internal processes and procedures toward experience platforms that are aimed at improving employee satisfaction. Providing A Consumer-Grade Experience This switch in focus is important because organizations that fail to create a positive employee experience today will put themselves at significant financial, operational and reputational risk tomorrow. To attract, retain and keep talent motivated requires employers to provide a consumer-grade experience as the default. But to deliver this consumer-grade experience, it is vital that employers have a sophisticated ecosystem of HR applications in place that cover the entire employee lifecycle, ranging from onboarding and career management to L&D and even right through to potentially exiting the company. Today’s employee arrives in the workplace armed with technological expectations. Employees are familiar with the ease that technology enables in their personal life and expect their employer to possess a similar capability. And this is amplified even more today, with meal and grocery delivery services, virtual celebrations of weddings and birthdays and to contactless shopping at our favorite retailers. In fact, organizations that fail to innovate and transform their HR systems by putting workers at the center of everything they do will put themselves at a significant disadvantage. This is why the most effective HR technologies increase the value felt by employees, in turn improving the day-to-day experience of work, while simultaneously minimizing the time spent in the tool. AI-driven chatbots are an excellent example of a technology that can quickly add value to employees, answering queries and moving them quickly on to the task. However, while there is currently no single “joined-up” platform to manage the entire employee experience from end to end, we are increasingly seeing the development of both systems that look after constituent parts of employee experience, as well as apps (e.g., ServiceNow (an EY product) and Mya) that sit atop these systems and integrate experiential data to build up a better, more data-driven picture of the workforce. Putting Employees At The Center By collecting data around issues like employee sentiment and well-being, it is possible to evaluate the impact on employee experience that a number of touch points, or moments that matter, such as performance evaluations and promotions, have on individuals. This means that a combination of business rules, data science and machine learning software can take the employee experience data and analyze it. Mapping these results onto operational information would enable leaders to derive meaningful insights into the short- and long-term engagement levels of employees following experiences. Such insights are invaluable in that they enable HR professionals to make data-driven decisions on how best to enhance the employee experience by basing their action on insights into what it actually looks and feels like for employees. With this, people leaders can make more effective policy decisions and design better experiences from which the entire workforce can benefit, thereby enhancing the organization’s ability to adapt and change by truly putting people at the center of everything it does. Bottom line: People at the center drive business results when talent is viewed as an asset and value is placed on employee experience. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
dbc9b4fec46026a4af044a2716b26bf1	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/10/09/ensuring-security-in-a-remote-work-environment-six-key-considerations/	Ensuring Security In A Remote Work Environment: Six Key Considerations	Ensuring Security In A Remote Work Environment: Six Key Considerations More businesses are seeing the benefit of having workers operate remotely. As those who have been part of the work-from-home routine know, it can be far more productive than going to an office every day. However, remote workers introduce a significant concern for businesses – that of data security. With workers connecting to your company’s servers and accessing data stores from work on their home computers, it's natural to be concerned that someone will be able to skim company data without them being aware of it. As a result, companies are responsible for ensuring their employees are adequately trained in industry-standard data security protocols. Six experts from Forbes Human Resources Council offer some considerations for companies embarking on this training plan. Members share their best tips for ensuring security as your team works remotely. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Ensure All Security Practices Are Documented Companies must first ensure all data security practices and policies are documented and acknowledged by the employee and provide updates to data-handling expectations during the course of employment. Providing ample training on managing company data on all devices (private and company-owned) and proper network usage, including multi-factor authentication, is critical to fostering remote work! - Jay Polaki, HR Geckos 2. Provide Access To Key Tools Companies should make a couple of tools available to all employees: 1) Password management tools; 2) Enabling two-factor authentication for all apps and 3) A VPN service that can be enabled on the home router. Employees need to focus on basic security principles: strong passwords, SSL anywhere usage, etc. Companies should also mandate training for all employees on data security practices. - Madhukar Govindaraju, Numly™, Inc. MORE FOR YOUHow This Dutch Startup Plans To Disrupt The Supermarket LandscapeHow Kash Doll Is Cashing In On The Renaissance For Black Women RappersTrillion-Dollar Opportunity: How A New Internet Will Completely Reimagine Your Business Model 3. Have A Clear Cybersecurity Policy Today's organizations should have a cybersecurity policy and annual security awareness training for employees. Both the training and policy should incorporate remote/field best practices. I believe this is true, whether an organization adopts a permanent remote work environment or not. The reality is that today's workforce is mobile at least some of the time. Having a clear policy minimizes risk. - Kelly O'Connell, ON ITS AXIS Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Keep Them In The Loop About Cybersecurity Now that most companies have embraced remote work, employers should ensure workers are well-informed about cybersecurity. This may be communicated through managers, emails or training sessions, and should cover software updates, the importance of creating strong passwords, using VPNs with public Wi-Fi networks, and any other information with which newly remote workers may be unfamiliar. - John Feldmann, Insperity 5. Provide Regular Training Opportunities Employees should undergo regular cybersecurity training, so they can spot scams and potential attacks. It’s important to test staff regularly with simulated attacks to determine their level of awareness. This will allow you to provide additional training to those who need it. Ensure your trainers are up to date with the types of cyberattacks as they evolve at such a rapid pace. - Kim Pope, WilsonHCG 6. Offer Online Training Solutions With respect to training, companies need to deliver training opportunities online (if they haven't already) so that employees have easy, continuous access to learning resources. Powerful learning experience platforms incorporate social and personalization features to help learners stay engaged with others in the learning process, individualize the learning experience and promote skill development. - Heide Abelli, Skillsoft
949fa06bdd9eff73b64b14b90e84799f	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/10/15/how-hong-kongs-shifting-anti-discrimination-and-parental-leave-laws-will-impact-workers/	How Hong Kong's Shifting Anti-Discrimination And Parental Leave Laws Will Impact Workers	How Hong Kong's Shifting Anti-Discrimination And Parental Leave Laws Will Impact Workers James Peters is the President of Global Expansion, an Equus Software company. getty With the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s safe to say that the world as we once knew it has changed. In some places, like Hong Kong, things are looking up — at least for employees. There, two major developments are set to take effect by the end of 2020 and by the mid-point of next year, 2021. Each of these will have major implications for businesses, and all employers and employees should be well aware of what’s soon to come. First, new anti-discrimination laws are set to be implemented in June 2021. These new laws are incredibly important for employees because they guarantee equal treatment under the law and within the workplace. Because these laws are essentially being expanded, they’ll be applied much more broadly over Hong Kong’s workforce. Secondly, a new maternity leave policy is set to go into effect sometime before the end of this year. Maternity leave and paternity leave rights continue to be a hot topic, and it appears that Hong Kong is looking to be on the right side of history as it expands maternity benefits and ensures expecting and new mothers have the support they need and the time they need to recover and spend time with their family before returning to the workplace. Anti-Discrimination Laws Expanded For Hong Kong, it’s important to ensure that every last worker has the protections they deserve as granted to them under the law of the land. Currently, the small region has four distinct anti-discrimination ordinances that applies to workers: The Sex Discrimination Ordinance, the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance and the Race Discrimination Ordinance are all current laws that are in place to provide employees with protections from employers that try to hinder their ability to work based on sex, pregnancy and marital status, race, disability and family status. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss In June 2020, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong passed a new set of amendments to these current discrimination ordinances in order to ensure that the laws would apply much more broadly. Most notably, one introduces protections for breastfeeding women in the workplace. This protection goes hand in hand with the maternity leave expansion that we’ll discuss. The protections for mothers are growing and expanding all around the world, and Hong Kong is no exception. This important amendment will ensure working mothers can feed their children at the workplace when necessary without risking their job or their safety. According to the analysis of global law firm Eversheds Sutherland, “an employer may be held liable for indirect discrimination against a breastfeeding employee if (a) the employee cannot comply with a requirement or condition that applies to all staff and she suffers a detriment as a result and (b) the employer cannot justify the requirement or condition.” As of now, these new amendments are set to go into effect in June 2021. Employers that refuse to comply with the amendments once in effect may risk investigation by the Equal Opportunities Commission, ultimately facing strict civil liabilities. Hong Kong Expands Parental Leave This next development is a major achievement in the fight for maternity rights in the region. Prior to this expansion, new and expecting mothers were granted up to 10 weeks of maternity leave. However, on July 9, 2020, the Hong Kong Legislative Council convened to pass the Employment Amendment Ordinance 2020 to increase legal maternity leave by four weeks. However, maternity pay during these extra four weeks will be subjected to a cap of HK$80,000. Employers are required to make these payments, and they will eventually be reimbursed by the government. Although there is no set date yet for when this expansion will go into effect, legislators have targeted Q4 2020 as a likely date. Employers failing to abide by this new expansion when it comes into effect will be punishable by law and a hefty fine. With such strict penalties, it is recommended that all employers review maternity and paternity leave policies to ensure that they already align with the new expansion. In addition, the ordinance also allows a father to take his paternity leave up to 14 weeks after the birth of his child, expanding it from the current date of 10 weeks. What Does This Mean? It’s clear to see that Hong Kong is striving to keep its workers protected, even during the height of a global pandemic. With that in mind, legislative bodies, organizations and employers everywhere should be interested to see the reaction and response of employees and citizens when these new ordinances on anti-discrimination and maternity leave are rolled out in the coming weeks and months. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
eddb48d043b2476d8b0e1f397b9d6539	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/10/26/hr-and-recruitment-through-the-pandemic-lessons-from-the-front-lines/?sh=69beec7c3aac	HR And Recruitment Through The Pandemic: Lessons From The Front Lines	HR And Recruitment Through The Pandemic: Lessons From The Front Lines Founder and CEO of Duffy Group Inc., a global recruitment firm whose innovative recruitment research model targets passive candidates. getty A new year usually comes with surprises. Even so, most of us could not have fathomed that this year would include a global pandemic and a near-Depression-era jobs market. The events of 2020 are historic, and they are changing the way we live and do business. HR and hiring managers are facing a new normal, too, with shifting recruitment strategies to manage a partial or entirely remote workforce. The good news is that the nation's economy is waging a comeback, though the pace of the return to pre-pandemic activity remains to be seen. Some economic indices are encouraging, like this one by Moody's Analytics and CNN Business and another by Bloomberg Economics, but there are still some burning questions. Among them: Have we hit rock bottom, or is the worst yet to come? Will the promise of a vaccine propel our economy forward, or do we watch and wait while companies find new ways to serve customers in what has become an uncertain world? And what implications does that have on our company or clients' current workforce and hiring plans for the next year and beyond? As I often do at Duffy Group, I met with our company's recruitment practice leaders to get a sense of what they are experiencing and how HR and hiring managers are feeling. Here's what I learned. MORE FOR YOUWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication LessonsBiden Is Expected To Enact Emergency Executive Orders To Aid Struggling AmericansAt CES And Beyond, CMOs See Potential With New Kinds Of Virtual Events Creatively Embrace Change At the moment, the economy is a mixed bag. Some see the outlook as sunny and bright, while others see doom and gloom. Manufacturing, renewable energy, technology and some facets of health care are on a roll while restaurants, retailers, hotels and higher education are taking it on the chin, fighting their way back. Still others are undergoing a reinvention, rethinking how to do things differently. Consider the restaurants-turned-gourmet grocery stores, commercial airlines using their planes for cargo transport services and nonprofit organizations finding new ways to connect with prospective donors. My take is that America is waging a strong economic comeback as we learn ways to defeat the virus and move business forward. For external recruiters, internal hiring managers and business leaders, that means understanding and acting upon changes created by the pandemic, including capitalizing on industries that need top talent now and embracing and engaging the current workforce to operate effectively and efficiently. On hiring, overall the sentiment seems positive. Some industries, such as higher education, are taking things slow, while others are filling immediate openings and actively working on their hiring plans for the coming year. While companies are understandably cautious, there is reason to be optimistic. Covid-19 has underscored to companies the importance of being nimble. As such, they value experienced workers who can hit the ground running with little or no on-the-job training. The bottom line: As employers adapt to changing times, they are seeking flexible, creative candidates who can do the same. Extend Your Boundaries To Attract And Engage Talent High unemployment has created a glut of candidates, though the process of finding the diamonds is laborious. Although the talent pool has grown, in many cases, the best candidates are still those who are currently employed. The good news is that with the advent of the virtual workplace, we have more prospects. Workers can live in one place and work remotely for a company located somewhere else. For recruiters and hiring managers, the key is to dig deep — beyond job postings and other traditional tactics — to find workers who are an ideal match for the jobs at hand. The sentiment of candidates is an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, the pandemic has made candidates who are unhappy in their current roles receptive to exploring new opportunities. In contrast, it is harder to get the best talent over the finish line, as candidates contemplate the risks and rewards of leaving stable positions. Employers are being methodical, too, by taking longer than usual to select candidates and coordinate phone or video interviews. As a result, some are losing the opportunity to hire the best talent. Now is not the time to stall hiring decisions. Finding the right workers to fill open positions can keep your firm running smoothly, pandemic or not. Hiring managers' mindsets have shifted from finding candidates in their local markets to a broader, national view. They are embracing the virtual workplace in a much bigger way, with the majority opting for a balance between having workers split their time between working remotely and (if they are local) from the office. This presents an opportunity for recruitment and hiring leaders who now have access to an even bigger talent pool. Covid-19 will go down as one of business leaders' biggest challenges, but there are upsides, too. Companies have learned to adapt to a changing environment, how to deploy their workforce from the office and from home and to prepare for a 2021 economic recovery that could be akin to a post-World War II economic boom. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
17d0055ba594fc24f8794c828b615b85	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/10/28/10-ways-companies-can-improve-their-intern-selection-process-in-2020/?sh=2a788df45c34	10 Ways Companies Can Improve Their Intern Selection Process In 2020	10 Ways Companies Can Improve Their Intern Selection Process In 2020 Fall season usually comes with an influx of new interns seeking apprenticeships in their field of interest. The fall intern search and onboarding process is an established part of a company's culture by this point. However, the world has changed drastically in the space of a mere six months, as a result of the ongoing pandemic, meaning that the intern search, onboarding and placement processes may need to be reviewed. With so many new procedures in place, companies may need to revamp how they approach their process, as this fall’s internships will look significantly different from the previous years. Below, 10 professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council explore some of the actions businesses should take to ensure their internship process can deal with the new demands of the working environment. Members share some ways companies can streamline their intern selection process for the current season. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Consider Offering Paid Internships With so many young jobseekers turning to virtual internships this year, companies should consider offering paid internships rather than unpaid ones. Paid internships attract candidates who will feel more invested upfront and likely take the opportunity more seriously, especially as they work from home without the in-person supervision they'd normally see when being mentored through interning. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc. 2. Take A Socially-Inclusive Approach Now is the time to take a socially-inclusive approach to internships and focus our efforts to provide life-changing opportunities to candidates from underrepresented groups. Establish partnerships with social mobility charities, who represent diverse young talent and consider gender, ethnicity, socio-economic circumstance and other areas of diversity as part of the selection criteria. - Sharon Doherty, Finastra 3. Highlight The Benefits Of Virtual Internships Make the unique advantages of participating in a virtual internship a key feature in your intern posting, interview questions, welcome onboarding and intern projects. Positives such as increased exposure to global colleagues, project opportunities beyond the walls of site or intact team, a "buddy" system of interns from around the world, and easier access to business leaders are huge perks! - Bianca McCann, SAP SuccessFactors MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Put Your Company Culture On Display Find a way to put your company culture on display. Leverage the technology you have or invest in additional technology to better connect interns to people throughout the organization. Hold open-office hours each week with senior leaders where interns can join with other employees to ask questions about the business and leadership; show you have an open, transparent and connected culture. - Sarika Lamont, Avantus Federal 5. Throw Away Geographic Restrictions Without a clear horizon with regards to when/if it will once again be safe to work together in a physically safe manner, I recommend businesses take full advantage of securing the very best interns regardless of geography. Since we're going to be largely virtual for the foreseeable future, I say throw out any geographic restrictions you may have had and fish in a deeper talent pool! - Bryan Passman, Hunter + Esquire 6. Get Smart About The Use Of Video Your interns are comfortable with technology, and they don't want to join an organization that's in the dark ages. Get smart about the use of video. Level up your virtual processes and procedures across the board, so the interview and onboarding experiences are seamless — even if it's all online. A rise in remote work is here to stay, and that means remote internships, too. Embrace it! - Tracy Cote, Zenefits 7. Screen For Innovation And Flexibility Internship selection needs an overhaul to match the shifts in 2020 where innovation and flexibility helped companies survive. Companies should adopt a selection process that screens for these skill sets through business simulations where students compete to propose the best solutions on real business case studies. A degree ensures basic knowledge, but execution is king. - Tessa White, SHE Team, LLC 8. Set Up Networking Groups Or Meetings Set up networking groups or meetings. One of the key benefits of an internship is the relationships you build either with your peers or superiors. Set up groups for them to build relationships with peers and one-on-one meetings with more senior staff members. It's hard to do that for yourself as an intern, so the company really needs to enable it. - Karla Reffold, Orpheus Cyber 9. Personalize Your Process Personalization is key to making internships a meaningful experience in the "next normal." Tailor onboarding by creating a whole suite of hybrid activities such as virtual social hours, onsite "buddy" groups to learn intentionally, and coaches to ensure they have the right tools to succeed. Always have a check-in plan that is clearly communicated to all parties to make the best of fall for all! - Jay Polaki, HR Geckos 10. Tailor Programs To Remote Working Companies need to focus on tailoring their internship programs toward the new normal of working from home or remote working. In addition to training managers on the structure and expected outcomes of the program, managers need to be given specific training on how to engage remote interns. Engaged interns will have a more enjoyable experience, and they will come back again for a job later. - Madhukar Govindaraju, Numly™, Inc.
4f89f6ccd8f78387e2d37c97403f69ce	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/11/03/the-case-for-international-experiences-are-you-prepared-for-global-mobility/?sh=f94cf716448b	The Case For International Experiences: Are You Prepared For Global Mobility?	The Case For International Experiences: Are You Prepared For Global Mobility? CEO at Topia, the leader in Global Talent Mobility. getty As we adjust to life in a world with Covid-19, it seems our wanderlust is finally returning. According to Google search results, 45% of the top 100 search questions related to travel have focused on the impact of the pandemic and the desire to get back out there as soon (and as safely) as possible. Now that remote work has proven to keep companies and their employees productive and moving forward over the past few months, the renewed desire to travel is opening some interesting possibilities for people and their employers. It turns out that maybe we don’t need to be so “grounded” in one location after all. And that realization could drive growing demand for new ways of work outside of the office, including remote work, virtual assignments and more traditional international experiences. We already know that companies are keen on leadership with international experience. And according to our recent study, 57% of employees agree that gaining international experience is critical to career growth and mobility, especially for those interested in senior roles. In fact, before the pandemic hit, over a third of employees said they’d consider moving abroad, 24% for a long-term assignment. At the same time, there’s tremendous potential for companies to recruit, hire and expand their talent search abroad. The uncertainties surrounding Brexit have freed up a valuable talent pool both in the U.K. and in countries where employees working abroad in England have been left in limbo. Nearly a dozen countries are now offering digital nomad visas that entice knowledge workers with short-term (usually one-year) stints around the world. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss There’s also now room for a transitional model, in which an employee will eventually need to move, but aren’t ready to do so just yet. In this hybrid, agile companies can recruit and allow these employees to work remotely at first, tapping into the talent they need now and dealing with location later. If you haven’t guessed by now, all of this means companies could be facing both incredible opportunity and equal risk. As Darren Murph, head of remote at GitLab, put it, what we're doing now is not remote working: “It’s crisis-induced work from home.” He’s right, and while we may have only scratched the surface of what remote work will look like, it’s already exposing huge logistical and strategic challenges that many companies have yet to fully address. As borders begin to open and people start to venture out, here’s what you need to do to prepare. • Talent tracking: Knowing where your people are working at any given time — in real-time — is now critical. It’s incredibly easy for anyone to pack up their laptop and move two towns, two states or two countries away, set up shop and resume working without skipping a beat. Whether it’s for visiting family on the coast of France or renting an Airbnb in Mallorca, this has serious implications around labor laws and tax implications for your company. Can you rely on employees to report their whereabouts and notify you of moves? • Compliance: Knowing where your employees are is a start, but you also need to be able to prove it. For the last six months, countries and other government entities have been relatively lax with enforcement of labor and tax laws, recognizing the crisis caused by Covid-19. But, as we settle into the new normal, it’s likely that many will begin stepping up enforcement as a means to buffer their own budgets. To justify your employees’ legal and tax standing, you’ll need to ensure compliance with audit-quality tracking and reporting. Validating location data based on logistical inputs like VPN access, GPS and other digital parameters can provide a real-time audit trail. • Talent logistics: The ability to recruit, hire and support international workers certainly widens the talent net, but could it be too wide? Having staff that spans international borders creates logistical issues that can strain scheduling, productivity, product delivery and even relationships between employees. Will your company actually get work done if your talent spans seven, eight or more time zones? Will people in Shanghai be willing to work U.S. hours? One way to overcome this hurdle is to take a zoned or longitudinal approach, hiring from within only three time zones but spanning the equator — a New York-based company recruiting in Argentina, for example, or a London-based company from South Africa. • Global policy: Establishing international work policies will become critical, particularly with regard to tax and intellectual property concerns, as well as health and safety requirements. While our boundaries may theoretically be unlimited, in practicality, things can look much different. Companies will need to manage financial/tax liability and IP risk alongside talent needs, and of course, ensure that employee safety is a priority. • Cultural integration: Giving employees the ability to work from anywhere is an exciting opportunity, but it can also create some awkward moments. Providing employee acclimation tools that can help ease cultural integration will be important to maintaining credibility and respect among an increasingly diverse team. In addition to language courses, offering content to introduce new locales, cultural norms and communication styles can help ease the transition, whether you are in person or on Zoom. Where once only a handful of employees may have been willing to pursue international experience, as more companies embrace remote work, they’ll need to prepare for a potential surge in global employees (whether through hiring or mobility). The reality is the future is quite unknown. That’s why implementing programs and policies to support a global, agile workforce now is critical to capitalizing on opportunities and minimizing risk down the road. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
f51fc60d7addce3546bcccdbc5aac8c6	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/11/04/13-strategies-for-training-new-employees-efficiently/?sh=1f1100016b46	13 Strategies For Training New Employees Efficiently	13 Strategies For Training New Employees Efficiently When a company hires a new employee, there is a lag time between their entry and their contribution to the organization. During this lag time, it's up to management and peers to train them and teach them the skills necessary to accomplish their tasks. Unfortunately, training takes time, and if the department is disorganized or there is no practical methodology to the processes involved, the lag time could grow exponentially. Training is an investment, from which the business expects productivity as the return. To help, 13 professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council offer their most successful strategies for training employees so that they can start contributing to the company as quickly as possible. Members offer their best strategies for training new employees in your organization. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Have Clear SOPs For Their Jobs Proper support starts prior to your new hire beginning. Ensure that your team members have up-to-date standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their jobs. So when someone is out for an extended period or they move on and you have to hire a replacement, the nuances of the position's responsibilities are accurately captured and available — aiding in the next person's success. - Rebecca Edwards, Infinite HR of Charlotte 2. Tailor Your Training To The Employee Training should always be tailored to the employee. Have an open dialogue about how they learn best. Is it through training documents with step-by-step instructions? Or do they learn by doing it themselves as the manager provides instructions? Once a manager has this information and can tailor their training, learning for the new employee will be much more effective. - Kerry Andolina, COMME des GARÇONS/Dover Street Market MORE FOR YOUHow This Dutch Startup Plans To Disrupt The Supermarket LandscapeHow Kash Doll Is Cashing In On The Renaissance For Black Women RappersTrillion-Dollar Opportunity: How A New Internet Will Completely Reimagine Your Business Model 3. Give Them Structure And Time Give them structure and time for self-discovery. Create an onboarding map that allows them to dive into where they need to. Then, create a loop for reporting back so they can summarize their learnings and ensure knowledge is being transferred. This mindset provides transparency into where their gut takes them and creates opportunities for one-to-one connection. - Keri Higgins Bigelow, LivingHR, Inc. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Leverage Tech Tools And Automation Leverage tech tools and automation to streamline the time-consuming admin tasks that come with bringing on new employees. When new hires don’t have to spend time on cumbersome paperwork, both employees and their managers can focus on training, mentorship and immersing in the company’s culture from day one. - Cecile Alper-Leroux, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) 5. Ensure Alignment Of Expectations Alignment of expectations is extremely critical for the new employee. This can be achieved by proper orientation from the manager and other stakeholders. Having a 30-60-90-day plan clarifies "what" needs to be done and "how" it can be done. This plan helps the new employee ease into the new culture of the organization. - Kumar Abhishek, S&P Global 6. Having All Training Materials In One Place Having a reliable location where the employee can find trainings and answers to their questions all in one place is critical. Invest in your intranet, make sure it is up to date, and post everything your new hire might need in a way that is clear and easy to navigate. This will save everyone time and allow your new hire to prioritize their learning so they can be productive much faster. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits 7. Create A Trello Board With All The Information Create a Trello board containing all of the information a new employee needs, along with when they will need that information. Have dedicated sections for the first day, first week, first 30, 60 and 90 days. The onboarding process is ongoing. We throw so much at them that it is hard to remember everything. The Trello board is always there for them to refer back to for any information they may have forgotten. - Amy Casciotti, TechSmith Corporation 8. Have Them Shadow Other Employees Allowing the new employees to shadow more experienced employees for one or two weeks is a great training strategy. Also, managers should invite the new hires to participate as observers in key meetings so that they can witness the company culture and people dynamics. - Olga Sanchez, GFR Services 9. Pair New Hires With A Mentor Pair new employees with a mentor. This person is different from someone who will train the new employee on their job duties. A mentor will provide the ins and outs of the company culture. They will be the person the new employee can feel comfortable with to ask ancillary questions. - Quyen Nguyen, American Medical Technologies 10. Embrace Experiential Learning Nothing is better than experiential learning. Like one cannot read a book to ride a bike, the approach has to be “observe, learn, do, teach.” This completes the full lifecycle of being a beginner to being a practitioner of your craft. - Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly \| Mentoring Complete 11. Make Sure They Understand Your Culture Make sure the new hires understand the corporate culture and how the organization got to the place where it’s at today. Learning the culture can often take the longest, so gathering several people’s perspectives at the start can be helpful to know what’s expected of you, how teams work together, how work gets done and if the values of the company are just words on a wall or a part of their everyday life. - Jennifer Reimert, Workhuman 12. Implement A Blended Coaching Approach Onboarding new employees using a blended coaching approach works! Bite-sized digital modules containing fundamental knowledge, followed by virtual collaboration rooms where employees exchange notes on how this new knowledge helped them in the field, fosters stronger bonding with the team and builds confidence in the performance of the new role. Also, social learning enables meaningful engagement. - Jay Polaki, HR Geckos 13. Get Feedback From Those Currently In The Role I always find it helpful to go to the subject matter experts when building a training plan — those people who are currently in the role or who have worked in the role previously. Ask them questions such as, "Looking back, what do you wish you were trained on sooner?" or "What parts of your training were most critical?" I find they often know exactly what our new employee needs. - Lindsay Gainor, Kent Power
649c83b74d385aecc873d5e6eca5b420	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/11/17/need-to-report-a-problem-to-your-manager-heres-what-you-should-do/?sh=158e71943e6f	Need To Report A Problem To Your Manager? Here’s What You Should Do	Need To Report A Problem To Your Manager? Here’s What You Should Do It doesn't matter how well you and your manager get along: When bringing up a problem, there's always a faint hint of hesitation. Issues within the organization happen that sometimes require your manager's input. However, because of the office's social setting, complaining to your manager might cause tension within the staff, while some managers may take complaints personally. Through all of this, lodging a complaint with your manager is necessary to bring about change and address the problem you are facing. If you do intend to bring an issue to your manager's attention, there are a few strategies you should consider. To help, nine experts from Forbes Human Resources Council share their best tips on how new employees can approach a manager with a problem and explain why these suggestions help build a more understanding relationship. Members offer their best advice for tactfully and professionally reporting a problem to your superior. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Make Sure You Understand The Issue Before approaching their manager, employees should prepare by understanding the problem and exploring possible solutions. Employees should approach their manager with a clear definition of the problem and the possible solutions they have considered. This strategy will lead to a more productive meeting and the manager would appreciate the proactive problem-solving demonstrated by the employees. - Ochuko Dasimaka, Career Heights Consulting, Inc. MORE FOR YOUHow To Get Rich Using These Top 5 Wealth Building Secrets5 Ways Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” Could Help People With DisabilitiesFreewheeling Millennials And Gen-Zers Are Starting A New Side-Hustle Career: Aggressively Trading Stocks Online, Minting Money And Showing Up The Wall Street Pros 2. Ask If They're Open To Your Input I believe the best way to approach your manager with a problem is to ask if they are open to your input. Once you have permission from a manager to give them the input, they will be a lot less defensive. - Max Hansen, Y Scouts 3. Have A Trust-Based Relationship Make sure you have a trust-based relationship with your manager first, if possible. If you don't, are you able to build one? Once there is trust, bringing problems forward is a lot easier. When approaching anyone with a problem, it's important not to be accusatory but rather solutions-focused. Communicate what a successful solution would look like. - Lotus Buckner, NCH Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Elicit Empathy From Your Manager Elicit empathy from your manager. I always advise employees to draw out the experiences their managers may have had and learn from them. So seek their advice by asking what they would do in this situation or how have they addressed a similar problem in the past. This allows them to not only share how they addressed a similar issue, but also empathize with you on being in the situation. - Hafiza Gujaran, AlixPartners 5. Always Go In With At Least Two Ideas Always have at least two ideas to present about how to address the situation. Providing alternatives to address the problem gives the manager confirmation that you have considered the problem, evaluated the causes, thought through proposed consequences, and evaluated alternatives. Leadership is not about having all the answers, but leaders should evaluate alternatives before taking action. - Ralph Kellogg, Lutheran Family Services 6. Set An Agenda And Send It In Advance Be planful. Set an agenda, send it in advance, and only schedule the amount of time you need to share the challenge. Share your approach to date and actively listen to your manager's feedback. Once you have had that meeting, follow up with a recap, expressing gratitude for the partnership. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners 7. Try To Understand Your Manager's Perspective Change your lenses to fit your manager's perspective. Prepare for what question they might have about the problem. The factual clarity, different angles and possible fallout of the issue would be a good starting point. Then present your view with a couple of potential solutions and ask for their feedback. These steps would build your reputation as a measured person with an opinion and open to suggestions. - Kumar Abhishek, S&P Global 8. Don't Apologize For Coming With A Problem Don't apologize for coming to your manager with a problem. Good leaders understand that the most important part of their job is to ensure the well-being of their team. Unless you truly need to brainstorm, come with a solution as well. Even if it isn't the ultimate solution, it shows that you have taken responsibility. - Sherrie Suski, Tricon American Homes 9. Don't Come In With Emotion, But With Facts When approaching your manager, you should always think through your approach, make sure you aren't coming in with emotion but with facts. Explain to your manager what your problem is, make them aware of anything you have done to try to remedy, and if nothing has helped, ask your manager for their advice. Problem-solve together; don't go to your manager with no solution or without having tried to fix it. - Heather Smith, Flimp Communications
154e610bcaee2ea2886de0701c3385b9	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/11/23/good-people-and-good-businesses-finish-first/?sh=6c4485a24530	Good People And Good Businesses Finish First	Good People And Good Businesses Finish First Bryan Passman is the Founder of Hunter + Esquire, a cannabis industry talent acquisition firm. Companies that value people do well. Similarly, people who are authentic, transparent and true to themselves are companies’ best assets. When good people and good businesses come together, you have the opportunity to create a professional community with goodwill at its core, which results in more growth and prosperity for both employers and employees. For both job seekers and hiring businesses, building goodwill begins at the interview process. It’s more important than ever for those in the hiring process to be interviewing from both sides of the table. Potential candidates should be interviewing the business just as much as the business is interviewing them. Often, an interview process can feel like a sales presentation. However, the decision for employers and candidates to work together should be because it makes good business sense, not because either party is sold. An ideal job interview should feel like a fact-finding mission. Each party should be honest and transparent about what they bring to the table. Get all the facts from both sides and see if you’re in alignment. A problem we often see at Hunter + Esquire is both potential candidates and hiring businesses have a tendency to not show all of their cards during the interview process. Too often, both sides feel entitled and try to take advantage of the other, which leads to a high employee turnover rate, wasted time, wasted money and failure. So what can employers and potential candidates do? MORE FOR YOUPardons May Have Revealed Insincerity Of Trump Immigration PoliciesWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication Lessons5 Ways Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” Could Help People With Disabilities Advice For Employers You might still be wondering if creating goodwill within your company is entirely necessary, but it absolutely is. When you have goodwill, you become a talent magnet. Better talent improves your business which, in turn, attracts bigger and better talent. Your business becomes a powerful talent orbit, always improving the business and the lives of employees. Your company must create goodwill by treating your people as they should be treated and it starts with the selection process. Here are a few tips for employers. • Be upfront about your company culture, the job requirements and what the employee’s future will look like. Have integrity when you explain this to a potential candidate and have their best interest in mind. If you try to “trick” them into working for you by not being completely upfront, the employee will not be happy, will likely resent his or her work and may end up leaving the company. If there’s a grey area in your business, bring it to the table so there are no secrets. Be honest and transparent. You don’t need to represent yourself as Mother Teresa, but quit the “bait and switch” or you’ll have a low employee retention rate and a failing business. • Treat human capital well so they keep coming back for more. If there’s an opportunity or part of your business that’s not fully defined, acknowledge it and put it on the table. When you’re transparent, you’re more likely to be respected and trusted. • Use connectional intelligence to build a stronger network of goodwill. Grow your business’s goodwill using connectional intelligence and seeking connection with good people. Your network is your net worth. Responsibly and confidentially bring connections from conversation to conversation. Grow your orbit of talent by building sturdy bridges with vendors, talent, customers and employers. Initiatives like these could even earn your company a “Best Place to Work” award, but you must have a strong mission, value people, value culture and be transparent. Advice For Candidates Similarly, candidates, show up with your A-game, be honest and transparent and look for a company that aligns with both your skills and personality. There are a few ways to do this effectively: • Accurately display yourself. Show recruiters what you have to offer and be honest about it. You won’t get hired solely based on resume and uniqueness. If you have skills that are on par and have a personality that aligns with the company, recruiters will prioritize you over someone with a better resume but a terrible personality. • Be honest and transparent. Candidates need to bring honesty and transparency to the table. When companies are selecting the right person for the job, it’s a disservice to both you and the company if you’re not authentic. • Have integrity. In the cannabis industry, as with other more established industries, businesses often seek out “unicorn” candidates that possess sharp functional skills and recent industry experience. The problem is that sometimes this “unicorn” candidate knows how desired they are and they leverage every bit they can. If you’re going to alter your compensation or title demands after winning the job, there’s a chance you’ll be cut because of a lack of integrity. Taking advantage of your desirability is not how you develop strong, lasting relationships and goodwill. Instead, consider the best interests of both you and the company and assess if those interests are a match. • Put your best foot forward with recruiters. If you’re working with a recruiter, be sure to extend the same kind of courtesy and transparency to them that you would with potential employers. Recruiters want to find a good fit for you, but they can’t stand behind you or recommend you to potential employers if you treat them poorly as it would diminish the goodwill between the recruiting firm and the employer. Conclusion Both employers and candidates will benefit long-term by creating goodwill from the very beginning of their business relationship. As Warren Buffet once said, “It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who has been swimming naked.” The worst of people are exposed eventually, especially during hard times like the ones we’re experiencing now; but if you’re not hiding anything, then you don’t have to worry about indecent exposure. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
1c53412d08072b2d3c023f0d24f9144d	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/11/30/count-your-business-blessings-theres-actually-a-lot-to-be-grateful-for-this-thanksgiving/?sh=4240c5bd3d07	Count Your Business Blessings, There’s Actually A Lot To Be Grateful For This Thanksgiving	Count Your Business Blessings, There’s Actually A Lot To Be Grateful For This Thanksgiving CEO and founder of Grokker, the on-demand well-being engagement solution, personalized to match employees' needs and abilities. 2020 has been one of the most stressful years in modern history, but instead of cataloging its challenges — and there have been many — let’s take a few moments to bask in the silver lining and the albeit mixed blessings the year has produced, specifically for employees and their employers. This Too Shall Pass — And Strengthen Us. Everything we’ve experienced this past year has given us the gift of resilience, a gift that’s as valuable to a business as it is to its employees. Research examined by Harvard Business Review shows that those who are the most intimately exposed to suffering benefit from higher resilience levels, and — specifically for the workforce — the more changes one absorbs, such as layoffs or furloughs, sheltering in place and change in work hours, the more resilient one becomes. Resilience en masse, especially when it’s guided by strong leadership and an organizational growth mindset, is what gives a workforce culture a beautiful combination of humility, grit and consciousness that it couldn’t really achieve any other way. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, things have gotten better for employees across several key indicators of organizational (not to mention employee) health. Personal Connections, Prioritized When employees had to unexpectedly begin social distancing and many pivoted to working in relative isolation at home, companies quickly recognized the importance — and need — for connection. It’s required for effective virtual collaboration, of course, but social belonging and camaraderie are central to maintaining cultural ties. As a result, companies are exploring new ways to meaningfully connect colleagues using both technology (e.g., video meetings and instant messaging apps) and workday practices (e.g., kicking off meetings with social banter and virtual happy hours). MORE FOR YOU5 Ways Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” Could Help People With DisabilitiesWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is Providing Key Crisis Communication Lessons4P’s Are Dead—Because They’re Academic, Not Practical And More Irrelevant Than Ever These connectivity tactics will become entrenched in the “new normal” and won’t simply fall out of favor — because, thankfully, they really work. A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study analyzing employee sentiment on workplace changes brought on by Covid-19 found that U.S. employees who reported satisfaction with social connectivity with their colleagues were approximately 3.2 times more likely to say they were as productive or more productive than they were pre-Covid-19. Engagement And Productivity For The Win Since 2000, Gallup has been tracking the relatively steady metric of employee engagement. They reported that in 2020 — surely to no one’s surprise — engagement levels fluctuated more than ever before. “After a wild summer,” they said, “...engagement has reverted back to pre-Covid-19 levels,” noting that the pandemic-related disruptions to the workplace had a short-lived negative impact on organizations who have shown a commitment to finding and implementing solutions and interventions that enable employees to engage — and work effectively. BCG also had this to say about new ways of working: “Understanding the drivers of productivity in this new environment and designing appropriate, sustainable working models are crucial to the success of work.” In fact, employees in their study said that during the pandemic, they have been able to maintain or improve productivity on both their individual and collaborative tasks. We can be thankful that we have new insights into the advantages of remote working and what it takes to conduct business and keep employees supported and productive across their various individual or team-based daily tasks. We will certainly carry these practices— more flexible schedules that accommodate working from home, for example — into an even more productive and more human post-pandemic world. Well-Being Is Having Its Moment A workforce culture that values and prioritizes employee well-being, coupled with empathetic leadership and benefits that support the whole person, can actually thrive — not just survive — during these chaotic and uncertain times. We can be thankful for the fact that employers are getting the message that employees can’t (and don’t want to) “go it alone” and are therefore providing more resources to help them cope. According to Willis Towers Watson, 89% of employers have put measures in place to ensure that employees feel supported during this time, and a Quantum Workplace survey on the impact of Covid-19 on employee engagement found increases in employees’ perceptions that “Our culture supports my health and well-being” and “My job gives me flexibility to meet the needs of both my work and personal life.” Effective well-being benefits — the kind that employees will thank you for — include providing resources that help make employees’ lives easier, when, where and how they need it. Importantly, they give employees access to self-care tools they can use to manage stress, beat burnout and perform the daily activities that help them feel their best, from doing a workout video to listening to a calming sleep story. Spreading The Gratitude Employers are clearly doing the right things at a time when people need all the positivity and support they can get. So, keep it up — it’s making a difference! • Show your gratitude! As discussed in an article by Forbes, leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton see gratitude as “one of the easiest, fastest and cheapest ways for managers to boost performance and employee engagement.” • Strive to understand your employees — and show you care. Continue to survey employees and informally check in with them. Ask them, hear them and act on their insights by introducing new guidelines and tools that build on your successes. • Celebrate small wins. With so much doom and gloom all year, people need permission to be OK with what they have accomplished under exceptional circumstances. Recently, when Grokker was named one of the Fortune 100 Best Small Workplaces, we sent out cookies to every employee to thank them and celebrate the achievement. Moving into the holiday season, keep working toward being an organization that takes action and responds positively, despite the obstacles in our midst — and remember, as long as we have our employees, we have much to be grateful for. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
446e8b7ddfe6f773a08babbb40bf880a	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/08/what-makes-your-job-descriptions-stand-out-13-key-components/?sh=548e42c31405	What Makes Your Job Descriptions Stand Out? 13 Key Components	What Makes Your Job Descriptions Stand Out? 13 Key Components If a company wants to find the most talented individuals to fit their organization, it needs an attractive job description. With so many businesses competing for talent, it's up to the organization to make a profound impact on the potential applicant first to draw them into applying for the job. Unfortunately, not all job listings are expertly crafted, and many of them leave a lot to be desired. How can a business interest the top tiers of talent with their job description? Thirteen experts from Forbes Human Resources Council delve into the constituent parts of a well-crafted job description and explain how these make the position enticing to potential applicants. Members explain what elements make a job description stand out to candidates. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Intentionality Behind Language A well-crafted job description doesn't leave talent on the sidelines. Studies have shown that men apply for a job when they meet 60% of the qualifications, while women apply only if they meet 100%. A well-crafted job description has intentionality behind language that focuses on potential, fit and transferable experience rather than an industry-specific checklist of skills and requirements. - Addie Swartz, reacHIRE 2. A Glimpse Of The Culture A well crafted job description gives the applicant a glimpse of the culture of the organization along with what a typical day looks like in terms of responsibilities. It helps the organization attract candidates that are a culture fit and those with the right skill sets. - Suchi Kommi, Hubbell Incorporation 3. Boundaries Of The Role Well-crafted job descriptions describe the influence, autonomy and decision-making offered by the position. They help candidates understand the boundaries of the role. They preview the freedom available to exercise the candidate's expertise and creativity. They also give a glimpse into culture — is there room for innovation and experimentation? - Karen Crone, Paycor, Inc. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 4. Description Of Employee Impact I love job descriptions that describe how an employee will make an impact on the company. People want more than just a paycheck — they want to matter to the company. Highlighting how the role and employee contribute to the success of their colleagues and the company can be a great way to attract strong talent. - Jennifer Dill, Data Innovations LLC 5. The Problem That Needs Solving The job descriptions that best catch my attention are the ones that define the problem I’m helping the company solve. Reviewing specific job duties and responsibilities helps me evaluate if the role aligns with my skill sets. However, understanding from the start how my contributions will help the company meet its mission gets me excited! - Cassandra Rose, Sprinklr 6. Required And Preferable Skills Companies should specifically clarify required and preferable skills, both hard and soft. Most companies focus on hard skills and leave out soft skills in their job descriptions. It is important to call out all the critical skills required for the candidate to be successful in that role. Transparency and clarity in expectation setting are critical enticing factors for prospective candidates. - Madhukar Govindaraju, Numly™, Inc. 7. Traits You Are Seeking Candidates want to imagine themselves flourishing in the role. Go beyond job skills by including traits you're seeking. Words like enthusiastic, motivated, self-starter, creative or positive capture the essence of the role and will help candidates imagine themselves as part of your company's team. - Courtney Pace, Ph.D., FedEx Employees Credit Assoc. 8. Professional Growth Opportunities Candidates want to know how a position can lead to professional growth and future opportunities. No one wants to take a job that lacks a forward trajectory. Make sure a job description specifically addresses the growth possibilities inherent in the role and the kind of training/development support that will be given by the organization to help the candidate achieve readiness for the next step. - Heide Abelli, Skillsoft 9. Description Of Day-To-Day Work The best job descriptions tell it like it is: what you'll actually do every day and the legitimate skills and experiences you need to bring to the table. All too often, recruiters tick the box and dredge up some ancient job posting to advertise the role, then wonder why they aren't getting many qualified inbound candidates. Make it real, and the role will resonate with your target audience. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits 10. Brevity And Clarity A good job description should be succinct. These should be job ads and not job descriptions. Effective marketing needs to be simple, clear and purposeful. However, it is imperative that they reflect reality; otherwise, you are likely to see high early attrition, which can be even more damaging on a medium-term scale. - Paul Phillips, Avanade 11. Diversity Commitment A statement from the company around your diversity hiring is imperative. Invite candidates who may not meet every qualification of your job posting to apply. This will expand your candidate pool to include more women and underrepresented groups, and you can feel even more confident that you are finding talent that will add to your culture. - Jessica Adams, Brad's Deals 12. What Success Looks Like Job descriptions can be dry, and yet employees and candidates look to them to understand the essence of a job — to understand both what is expected and if they are qualified for the position. Well-crafted job descriptions bring the job responsibilities and qualifications to life in a way that embodies the organization's culture, the spirit of the job and what success looks like in the role. - Jennifer Marszalek, Home Chef 13. Alignment With Company Success When a job description includes the company’s mission, vision, goals and/or values, it sends a strong message to applicants. It shows how closely aligned each position is with the overall success of the company and that every employee, from entry level to executive, plays an important role. It also gives applicants insight into what's important to the organization. - Regina W. Romeo, CPS HR Consulting
c97ac5f1677cd7d6f878cf077eb0cf56	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/10/why-empathy-and-emotional-intelligence-are-more-important-than-ever-for-leaders/?sh=87edbb64fb8c	Why Empathy And Emotional Intelligence Are More Important Than Ever For Leaders	Why Empathy And Emotional Intelligence Are More Important Than Ever For Leaders Kristina Johnson is Okta’s Chief People Officer, leading the organization’s global People function. getty No previous history lesson or business playbook could have prepared us for the radical changes that swept across our world and our workplaces this past year. As employees sign on to work from their homes or adapt to a hybrid workforce environment, they are not only battling the fears and unknowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they are also getting pulled in every direction across their home, community, family and peers. Everyone is affected by the racial injustice in the nation, the global pandemic and our recent presidential election in varying ways. As a result, emotions are high and conversations on these topics have entered the workplace this year in a way we’ve never seen before. These events have forced leaders and organizations to make decisions about how to approach discussions about politics and social issues. Coinbase caught the tech industry’s attention when its CEO urged employees to “focus minimally” on politics and social causes, prompting 5% of employees to leave entirely. Other companies like Expensify took the opposite approach, actively urging stakeholders to vote for the Democratic candidate in the presidential election. While companies are divided in how they handle these conversations, this tumultuous year illustrated how difficult it is to keep talk of wider political and social issues out of the office — virtual or not. Companies have the chance to infuse every workplace discussion with empathy and better support employees, no matter how they feel about specific issues. At Okta, we’re proud of the steps we’ve taken this year to support our employees. Whether supporting a workforce with diverse opinions or knowing when to speak up, here are some lessons we’ve learned. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Give every voice an opportunity to be heard. From children running in the background of Zoom calls to discussions about the election on Slack, employees’ personal and work lives will continue to overlap. Companies shouldn’t shy away from this but encourage employees to bring their full selves to work — especially with these issues weighing heavily on them — as long as they remain respectful to colleagues and customers. As employers, it’s important to be inclusive of all viewpoints, but there is a way to go about this that fosters a respectful environment. According to one study by the Associated Press, more than half of employees said the pandemic increased their stress, and 68% of working parents whose schools or daycares have closed “describe the pandemic as a major basis of stress.” Another survey found the U.S. presidential election was a significant source of stress for 68% of respondents, while only 52% said the same in 2016. Acknowledging and understanding this stress is critical to supporting employees during challenging times. If employees want to talk about these issues, it’s essential that employers set an example and provide safe, respectful ways to do so. For example, we encourage employees to submit anonymous questions for our all-hands meetings. This year, our CEO fielded questions about our response to this year’s major concerns, from racial injustice to the election. Other formats, like issue-specific town halls with experts or ERG programs that are open to every employee, can address employee concerns and invite them to share their opinions, even if they disagree with company leaders. Companies can also support employees by offering free mental health resources like Modern Health, which confidentially provides access to personal coaches and therapists to counsel them through stressful situations, and Headspace, a meditation app. With these channels and resources in place, company leaders signal to employees that they’re aware of the issues affecting them and ready to listen if needed. Foster empathy throughout the office, leading by example. Start by proactively communicating expectations around having personal discussions in the workplace, both virtual and in-person. Encourage everyone to prioritize understanding and kindness, provide helpful resources and make it known that inappropriate or disrespectful language isn’t tolerated. For example, our CEO sent a note to all employees immediately following Election Day as everyone awaited the outcome. In it, he reminded us of a core value — acting with integrity — and encouraged employees to put empathy into every interaction with others, no matter the outcome of the election. Those managing employees through distressing times must prioritize emotional intelligence (EI). Not only will it allow leaders to establish more dynamic relationships with those they manage, but higher EI also encourages more inclusive and engaging workplaces. A Yale-led study found that employees with emotionally intelligent leaders thought positively about their workplace, and when describing their work, “nearly two-thirds of the words they used were positive.” On the other hand, 70% of employees with supervisors showing little emotional intelligence had primarily negative feelings about work. EI takes time to develop, and workshops and online courses are worthwhile investments for managers at every level. Stand up for your employees. Fostering a more empathetic workplace requires leaders to take a stand on issues that are important to the business. This year, Okta’s leaders spoke out on matters that directly affected our customers, partners and employees, such as the H-1B visa ban. Stricter rules for H-1B visas hinder the technology industry’s ability to innovate and compete on a global scale, so our leaders made our position known. Put a communications plan in place that discusses the issue at hand and how it will affect the company. Likewise, conduct a listening tour to understand employees’ needs and experiences of those most affected by a specific policy or issue. Look to Regions Bank for an example: Following the death of George Floyd, the company’s leaders set out on a virtual listening tour, giving teams a chance to directly share opinions and practical ways to address racial injustice. As the year comes to an end, the issues that dominated 2020 are far from resolved. They will continue to affect how we work and live, and how the two blend together. But one thing remains certain: We can build more resilient, inclusive organizations by encouraging empathy and understanding across every workplace interaction. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
9b75a530268b58392f54d49387678de5	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/11/transforming-a-work-culture-during-a-pandemic/?sh=12ffd8935eec	Transforming A Work Culture During A Pandemic	Transforming A Work Culture During A Pandemic Ben DeSpain is the Chief People Officer of Velocity, a Managed Services company. getty For my company and many others, the Covid-19 pandemic has been like the tide going out on the shore. As the waters receded, we saw what lay beneath — good and bad. The pandemic has revealed the "rocks" that existed in our culture — both the challenges in our path and our most important priorities. This has been an opportunity to see, in real-time, what has enabled our ability to successfully navigate unforeseen challenges, what has limited our ability to respond and, most importantly, to experience the immediate impact of where we fell short. As a young and growing company, our team already knew that we needed to make some cultural changes to continue to grow. The surprise onset of Covid-19 accelerated this process, forcing us to revolutionize our culture and our tech in ways that went beyond our original plans. Early in the crisis, our company's leadership team made a decision: we weren't going to lay off a single person. "That's not an option," our CEO, Greg Kiley, said in our March leadership meeting. "We're going to find a way to keep everyone and we're not going to put them in harm's way." At the same time, we vowed to continue delivering services to all of our customers without interruption. In response to this mandate, like many companies, we swiftly moved about 90% of our workforce to remote work. In doing so, we quickly learned where our "rocks" were that had to be removed to keep the business running and how to remove them effectively. Here's how you can, too. MORE FOR YOUJack Ma, Chinese Multibillionaire And Founder Of Tech Giant Alibaba, Went Missing After Criticizing China’s GovernmentWhat The New Coronavirus Relief Bill Does For Unemployment InsuranceThe Ridiculousness Of Learning Loss Use Technology To Reimagine Leadership Our work culture had been one in which our leaders relied on being physically present with their teams and on the ability to see and interact with them every day. Having physical office space had enabled us to deliver seamless and comprehensive customer service — and this was hard to do remotely with teams juggling remote requests for assistance across a variety of platforms. This demanded that we bring our leadership and organizational systems to the next level. We needed to provide training and discussions to our teams, teaching them how to continue to deliver a seamless customer service experience. It required a combination of technology and a strengthening of leadership fundamentals. In today's environment, there are a lot of technology tools on the market. Companies need to look at their processes and determine where they experience the most "pain" in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Use that as the guide when shopping for technology solutions. In situations like this, companies should go back to basics and ensure that their leaders are communicating effectively, able to give and receive feedback and put extra effort into employee recognition. Measure Output Prior to the pandemic, we focused too much on measuring employee input to gauge productivity. As a result, it was difficult to measure the productivity of our employees when working from home versus in our office environment. We had to switch to focus more on the output and how to effectively measure that. Implementing a call center management software platform that gives us real-time productivity metrics greatly increased our ability to measure output. Conversations about how changes to our approach affect productivity are now happening, and in the future, we will be able to use these to optimize our productivity. Organizations should examine their current ways of measuring productivity and reevaluate if these measures are truly able to capture productivity. Implement Training And Onboarding Technology Without the option of in-person training, we struggled to effectively onboard and train new employees or implement training updates for existing staff. We saw this gap as an opportunity to implement a learning management system (LMS) — a move that has already paid for itself. We now have a full online training and onboarding curriculum that has enabled us to hire and train new remote employees. As our company continues to grow, this LMS will be useful far beyond our current situation and will enable us to continue to scale rapidly. As with any technology solution, if a company is evaluating LMS options, they should pick one that is simple to use (both as an administrator and a user, including being mobile-friendly), integrates well into other systems and is scalable to accommodate future needs and growth plans. With new hires now joining the company remotely, we realized how much our cultural onboarding relied on our brick-and-mortar presence. Communicating our values and ensuring that our employees feel included was easier to do when we all shared an office. We’re now working to codify those cultural aspects into media formats that communicate the warmth of an in-person welcome. Necessity has forced us to create a system that builds a great employee experience, where employees feel welcomed and valued, whether they are setting foot in our building or not. We still have work to do here, but we welcome that opportunity. The best way we've found to communicate values and culture to new and existing staff is through stories. That gets difficult when onboarding is remote, but the more a company can document its values and culture through stories, whether in written form, video or other media, the more it can be easily conveyed to new team members. Takeaways The current crisis has forced us to mature and we are determined to use this opportunity to its fullest extent. I know that I will be forever changed by having to pause and work with employees on a case-by-case basis and to see the individual impact of these decisions, such as the single parent working the night shift since she can now work remotely and her children can stay home and sleep in their own beds while she works. Many employees have reported that such flexibility has made a huge difference in their quality of life — and that shouldn't end when Covid does. We don't know how long this pandemic will last, or what its full effects will be, but we do know that it has forced us to grow in ways that may otherwise have taken us years. It's allowed us to create new flexibilities to support our employees and new tools to help us optimize. This situation presents an opportunity to accelerate cultural change and transformation to create resilience for the future. For us as individuals, and as companies, the challenge has been in learning how to survive through this uncertainty. The opportunity is to learn how to thrive. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
311ff5d78092417a7a337bbcdcfc72e8	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/23/five-learning-and-development-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021/?sh=5345ce24d2f1	Five Learning And Development Trends To Watch For In 2021	Five Learning And Development Trends To Watch For In 2021 Steven Dineen is the Founder & President of enterprise learning platform, Fuse. The digitization of learning and development (L&D) went into overdrive when the pandemic hit and 2020 has seen corporate L&D catapulted to the top of the business agenda. It's been a revolutionary year, to say the least, and for many learning leaders, more of a white-knuckled ride. In light of the accelerated transformation of learning, and with the industry forever changed, what can we expect to see from L&D in 2021? Here are five trends to look out for: 1. Rapid Reskilling The cataclysmic shift to remote work called for the immediate upskilling and reskilling of entire workforces, often disparately located and speaking multiple languages. That's a far cry from just 12 months ago when learning leaders were planning for skills gaps two years in advance. The pandemic has removed the luxury of time, and with new knowledge being created faster than ever, it's also deterred leaders from spending months creating learning experiences that have a short sell-by date. That's no bad thing given that far-in-advance L&D planning has always seemed nonsensical. The order of the day is agility, and it is this — not forward planning alone — that will dominate L&D conversations in 2021. Agile learning methodologies that focus on speed, flexibility and collaboration are the future of L&D. This is the approach that will enable leaders to better manage the revolving door of perpetual skills gaps by ensuring people are rapidly reskilled for the benefit of work and business performance. MORE FOR YOUHow This Dutch Startup Plans To Disrupt The Supermarket LandscapeHow Kash Doll Is Cashing In On The Renaissance For Black Women RappersTrillion-Dollar Opportunity: How A New Internet Will Completely Reimagine Your Business Model 2. Performance Over Skills L&D has finally taken its rightful seat at the head of the table, but not without creating increased pressure on Chief Learning Officers and others who hold responsibility for learning to demonstrate its tangible impact on the bottom line. It's a growing trend that will see learning design become increasingly scrutinized for its ability to drive business performance, with a welcome secondary consequence being the end of reskilling for the sake of reskilling. In line with this, we can also expect to see a continued rise in the number of transformer CLOs as the traditional remit of skills development is replaced with a longer lens focusing on overall business performance. Although this is still an emerging trend, it will soon become a deafening drumbeat as L&D programs are widely redesigned to drive performance ahead of skills. 3. Corporate Learning Will Be An Everyday Thing There will also be a marked uptick in learning "on the job" or "in the flow of work" next year as more and more business leaders realize the significance of integrating learning into people's everyday work as a means of developing applicable skills. This will signal the final nail in the coffin for scheduled Thursday afternoon "sit-down-and-do" learning — and it's the beginning of L&D becoming an everyday activity where people are actively engaged in searching for the trusted answers and knowledge they need to satisfy their curiosity and perform better at work. 4. Integrating Virtual With Digital When the first wave of Covid hit, some L&D teams went into reactive mode as they scrambled to make the transition from classroom learning to a digital-first model. The transformation to digital has been rapid in all areas, but the progression in L&D over the past 10 months is arguably greater than that seen over the last 10 years. So with the L&D department now having more time to take stock, the key question is this: What should holistic learning look like next year? The good thing, if you'll excuse the pun, is that leaders have been quick to learn what does and doesn't work in this pandemic. There was, for example, the quick realization that constant Zooming can be draining and disengaging for learners and so it's been known for some time that simply switching to a virtual classroom is not the solution. Instead, the answer lies in marrying the best of a reimagined virtual L&D with the best of digital learning — and striking the right balance in these terms will feature high on the business priority list next year. There is more to this than just achieving the optimum blend, however, because any integration of virtual with digital must also be underpinned by learning in context and inflow and, crucially, it must support remote learners' heightened demand for value and social interaction. 5. Learning Designed By Data Perhaps the biggest — and most far-reaching — L&D trend for 2021 will be the mainstream adoption of data in corporate learning design. Yes, progressive companies have been doing this for some time, but next year this will become the standard approach. The overarching benefits? Business leaders will be empowered to ask the right questions at the right time in order to understand what matters most and design learning solutions with both learner and organizational outcomes in mind. At the same time, and armed with data-driven insight for the first time, more and more organizations will swap stand-alone learning for a culture of continuous learning for the benefit of work — as characterized by active engagement and tapping into tacit organizational knowledge. The result? A self-perpetuating cycle of learning success that can be iterated when needed and which will positively transform the world of corporate learning. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
5e669a8433a37311916e42c86bc39d4c	https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2021/01/06/how-to-improve-communication-among-conflict-avoidant-teams/?sh=75001a036637&utm_campaign=Retrium%2BAgile%2BRoundup&utm_medium=web&utm_source=Retrium_Agile_Roundup_57	How To Improve Communication Among Conflict-Avoidant Teams	How To Improve Communication Among Conflict-Avoidant Teams Founder & CEO of Reverb. Author of Female Firebrands: Stories and Techniques to Ignite Change, Take Control, and Succeed in the Workplace. You may bristle at the word conflict, but in fact, a certain amount of conflict is healthy. Teams that avoid hard conversations miss opportunities to hear differing opinions and can experience a false sense of harmony since people aren't comfortable expressing disagreement. People may nod along in silence while expressing discontent behind closed doors. Here's a recent example from my own HR consulting firm. My staff and I had been brainstorming off and on for several months about a new service we wanted to launch. We had many conversations but at the end of each, we knew we hadn't quite nailed the solution that would best serve our clients. After a weekend of deep thought, I believed I finally had it! Normalize debate and disagreement. When I enthusiastically shared my new idea at our Tuesday morning meeting, one person said, "I think that's a great idea, and here's why..." and went on to explain her point of view. When she was finished, another member of my staff said "Well, no, I don't think that's a good idea at all, and here's why..." She went on to make several valid points. They both did. After rethinking my initial plan and incorporating their feedback, we finally came up with a service that we all felt confident enough to pilot. You might be thinking, "How dare your staff member publicly shoot down your idea" or "Wow, you're lucky to have a team that's comfortable telling you you're wrong." When teams readily disagree, debate, and don't let hierarchy get in the way of expressing their views, this is one indicator of psychological safety. MORE FOR YOUResistance Has No Age Limit: Three Women Over 50 Who Stood Up To TrumpShine A Light, Tom Brady (#MLQH)Freewheeling Millennials And Gen-Zers Are Starting A New Side-Hustle Career: Aggressively Trading Stocks Online, Minting Money And Showing Up The Wall Street Pros It's something we've worked on and is still a work in progress. We created team norms that guide our interactions, and point out or own up when we make mistakes. Over the last couple of years, I'm confident we've moved from being conflict avoidant (nice) to a place where we share feedback and express disagreement (kind). This work is never done, but we're on a good path. Teams don't start out good at conflict, but they can get better. It's important to understand that teams don't start with the ability to engage in healthy conflict — it takes intentional time and effort. It requires leaders to role model trust, curiosity and vulnerability. With over 20 years in human resources, I can tell you I've never once met a team that started out good at conflict and hard conversations. But I've watched many teams improve their conflict competence skills. If you'd like your team to get better at conflict, here's where I'd start. 1. Address Unwanted Behavior If you've never talked about what healthy conflict looks like, your team probably has no idea what you expect. Some people might be too aggressive and overly direct (rude). Sometimes we make excuses for them by saying things like, "He doesn't suffer fools gladly" or "That's just how she is — don't take it personally." I'm all for clear communication, but I draw the line at rudeness. When your team member makes a rude or aggressive remark, you've got to say something. I know you don't want to call them out or put them on the spot. Still, if you don't speak up publicly then everyone assumes this behavior is fine. After all, you're condoning it. Not sure what to say? Try one of these for starters: • I'm surprised to hear you say that. • Can you clarify what you mean? • I'm sure it's not how you intended it, but that felt pretty abrasive. 2. Use Your Values If your company has established values, there's likely something in there about respect and kindness, or healthy disagreement and winning together. Whichever of these resonates most with your team, find ways to link your values to the behaviors you expect. For instance, we have a value of kindness. If someone makes an overly pointed remark we may ask, "Is there a kinder way to say that?" When we share written feedback, we lean on the work of Brené Brown by asking ourselves, "Is that clear and kind?" In summary, you need to start with clear expectations and boundaries about how you want people to behave and express themselves. Organizations emulate their leaders, so the more senior or influential you are, the more important it is that you lean into and lead hard conversations. Seek out disagreement, normalize debate and reward people who constructively share what's on their minds, even and especially when they disagree. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?