SHRM-Atlanta

Hiring Fit vs. Skills

chavrilla — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:58 +0000

This is a repost of an article, Hire People, Not Just Skills, I wrote for HR Examiner last week, that was inspired by some of the fantastic speakers/sessions from our recent 23rd Annual SHRM Atlanta Conference. One of the themes that really resonated with me was threaded through many of the sessions that I attended — and that was a focus on people – humans. This is a subject I have been very passionate about throughout both my Recruiting / HR and IT career, whether we are talking about business application design, technology/tool adoption, hiring, talent acquisition, management, or development. While a seemingly simple concept, it is one that gets missed – way too often.

I want to thank the following speakers that I had the opportunity to see, for their focus on this very thing in their sessions — and the additional inspiration for my post:

Speaker: Jennifer McClure, Unbridled Talent LLC – From HR Leader to Business Leader: 7 Strategies To Achieve Maximum Impact in Your Organization
Speaker: Eric Winegardner, Monster Worldwide – The Evolving World of Work
Speaker: Melanie Holmes, ManpowerGroup – Talent Mismatch — the Gap Widens
Speaker: Jason Lauritsen, Talent Anarchy – The Future of Talent Management

Please follow this link to read, Hire People, Not Just Skills. found on HRExaminer.com. I welcome your comments – please join the conversation!!

Chris Havrilla is a Management Consultant through her own company Havrilla LLC, as well as the incredible team at Recruiting Toolbox, where she focuses on all aspects of strategy, process, technology, and training as it relates to Recruiting, Sourcing, Talent Management and Development. Chris holds a BBA in Management Information Systems and is an often-sought after speaker, writer, and advisor in the recruiting and HR industries. Chris is currently serving as Vice President, Social Media for SHRM-Atlanta, as well as on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Recruiting Society. In addition to co-founding and blogging at RecruiterChicks.com, she is also a regular contributor on HRExaminer and Jobsite.com blogs.

Millennials, Generalizations and Racism

chavrilla — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:18 +0000

By Laurie Reuttimann

Please note: This is a re-post of a piece with the same title, originally appearing on Laurie’s blog, The Cynical Girl, on May 2nd.

I’m just back from SHRM Atlanta where I ate some cupcakes and talked to fellow nerds about recruiting, social media and the future of Human Resources.

You know what else people talked about? How to manage Millenials in the ever-changing workforce.

I like to pay attention to what’s said about Millennials because I have actually managed three generations in the workforce: Baby Boomers, Generation Jones and Generation Y. Not many of my peers can say this. And I know that what has been said about Generation Y (born 1982-2004) has been said about every white-collar worker since 1948, including me.

They are coddled.
Their diversity should be embraced.
They want flexibility.
They value benefits over salary.
They want to be liked and accepted in a group environment.

While it’s true that a kid born in 1996 will never use a fax machine unless they are communicating with Sallie Mae about deferring their student loan repayments, I am not sure a new generation in the workforce changes the game of how you manage people.

It’s not like we manage people well in the first place, yo.

My favorite “Gen Y” writer thinks that much of this talk is garbage, too.

Replace the phrase “Gen Y” with any other protected class and you realize how ridiculous this is as a “best practice” for HR. #SHRMATL13

— Matt Charney (@mattcharney) April 30, 2013

I love it. Let’s try it.

Puerto Ricans demand flexibility in the workforce.
When you think black people people, think social and mobile.
Asians: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
Muslims do not use Twitter in large numbers, but college-aged girls with disabilities show the greatest enthusiasm for the application.
Native Americans want to work in a loose, collaborative environment without a ton of structure.
The Irish want unlimited PTO.

[Wait, of course the Irish want unlimited PTO.]

Just because you have demographic data doesn’t mean the data is applicable, relevant or even appropriately interpreted by a bunch of Human Resources ladies at a conference. And just because people have evolving preferences and communication styles doesn’t mean that the concept of management changes all that much.

Manage for performance by setting clear goals and demonstrating empathy for your employees. Motivate your workers with a better with a mix of incentives — including a crazy concept called equal pay for equal work.

Right there? You’re ahead of the game.

Everything else you hear about managing Gen Y is sketchy mix of armchair philosophy and pop psychology.

With over a decade of Human Resources leadership experience in Fortune 500 organizations, Laurie Ruettimann is an influential speaker, writer and social media strategist. She is the creator of Punk Rock HR, The Cynical Girl and The HR Blogger Network. Laurie is also the co-founder of HRBloggers.com and HRMToday.com, the first social networks created for HR professionals.

In addition to her online work, Laurie is a contributing editor for The Conference Board Review; an advisor to SmartBrief on Workforce; and her advice has been featured in various publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and CFO Magazine. Her work has been featured on the Suicide Girls and AOL. Laurie is also recognized as one of the Top 5 career advisors by CareerBuilder and CNN. SHRM Atlanta was thrilled to have Laurie as a part of our #SHRMATL13 Press Team providing media coverage of our annual conference!

Art and Science of Influence

chavrilla — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:28:42 +0000

By Tom Fee

Leadership is the ability to get people to follow you. So how do you do that? Influence. Dan Crosby, PhD, of IncBlot, outlined the psychology for the 6 Pillars of Influence in his SHRMATL 2013 conference presentation. It has less to do with your title and more to do with your approach. You have to learn how to package and deliver your recommendations in a way that is attractive and enticing. So here are the laws that good leaders use to influence others:

1- Reciprocity – you have to give to get, kindness for kindness. People have a natural need to return a favor with a favor. But watch out, women and southerners have been taught to underplay the significance of their contribution. When you have done a favor, accept their thanks graciously, but in a way that clearly underlines the value of the favor and relationship.

2- Scarcity – people want what they can’t have, because it is rare or the opportunity is slipping away. When you make a recommendation, make sure that you reinforce the consequences of not accepting the offer. Most people are two times more upset about a potential loss, than attracted by an opportunity. Also, clearly outline what needs to be done to implement the plan, people often fail to connect the action to the benefit.

3- Authority – people trust others with experience, expertise and credentials. If you don’t have them, quote the opinion of someone who does. And remember that you depend on others to build your authority, so constantly reinforce the authority of those in your group to build your own. The best approach is a subtle approach, when underscoring your authority start by admitting a minor weakness and then offer your most authoritative evidence; “lower their guard and then counter punch”

4- Commitment and Consistency – people stick once they commit, even to a small commitment. So get people to commit to something, anything, and they will be one step closer to sticking to the succeeding decisions.

5- Consensus – people have a herd mentality and they look to others for approval. If you can get some people to commit others will follow. You can leverage the unseen “they”, just like the advertising that tells you that everyone else uses a product. Surprisingly, the merit of an idea has less to do with the adoption of an idea than the adoption of others.

6- Liking – like speaks to like. People tend to agree with people who are just like them. So, position your approach and appeal to appear to have commonality with your audience. Make them laugh, be attractive (well groomed), share common stories, pay compliments and show that you have a common struggle. Take the time to recognize a person’s personal Brand (their clothes, hobbies, tastes, style) and compliment them on it.

That’s it – 6 Pillars that will make you much more influential. It has to do more with building your credibility in a group and using relationships effectively, than it does with title. Take the time to build these six capabilities and you will find your influence and impact growing in your organization and life.

Tom Fee is the Managing Partner of Verity Partners, a consulting firm that helps drive new strategies to successful execution. He brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in business analysis, design and implementation with over 100 companies (consulting at Booz, Deloitte, Verity Partners). Currently Tom is developing new approaches to effective change by focusing on individual learning and adoption. SHRM Atlanta was thrilled to have Tom as a part of our #SHRMATL13 Press Team providing media coverage of our annual conference!

23rd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference is a Wrap!

chavrilla — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:47:07 +0000

Our 23rd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference held April 29-30, 2013 at Cobb Galleria Centre is a wrap – what an event!! As VP of Social Media for SHRM-Atlanta, as well as one of the conference content chairs, our annual conference is an event months in the making. Of special note — for the weeks leading up to the event, I had the opportunity to interact with many of our Speakers, Sponsors, and Exhibitors on our 2nd annual Speaker and Sponsor Blog Series that have been spotlighted on the SHRMATL blog. Our goal was not to just TELL our distinguished members and conference attendees how great the content and the expertise shared would be, but to SHOW you.

I am so grateful to all of our Speaker and Sponsors who contributed — and who, in partnership with Meeting Expectations and our amazing SHRM-Atlanta Volunteers, made this year’s Conference such a success. But the great features on our blog are far from over! I also want to say thank you to all of our fantastic #SHRMATL13 press team who were hard at work last week tweeting, shooting video, and starting their blog writing to provide post-conference coverage to this premier event!!

I have listed their names, as well as links to their blogs and twitter id’s where applicable.

I hope everyone followed the #SHRMATL13 hashtag on twitter — and by all means keep an eye on the SHRMATL blog for the next couple of weeks for some fantastic insights from our press team on all they saw and heard from the conference!!

SHRM-Atlanta Receives Distinguished EXCEL Silver Award

SHRM-Atlanta — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:50 +0000

By: Robin D. Lane, CAE, SHRM-Atlanta

rlane@shrmatlanta.org

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has awarded SHRM-Atlanta the EXCEL Silver Award for 2012.

The SHRM Affiliate Program for Excellence (SHAPE) has been designed to ensure a strong connection between SHRM and its affiliated chapters from a business perspective. In addition to clearly outlining the requirements to measure chapter alignment and engagement with SHRM’s overall objectives, SHAPE focuses on activities and initiatives which are more strategic in nature. These efforts allow each affiliated chapter to increase its viability and effectiveness, as well as promote the HR profession at the local level. Additionally, this program was designed to enhance the business acumen of local volunteer leaders. This program raises the bar of excellence for affiliates and introduces the EXCEL Awards – a tiered recognition and awards system.

SHRM is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates.

“This recognition is a distinct indication of the chapter’s successful partnership with SHRM to serve the networking and professional development needs of human resource professionals and to the advancement of the human resources profession,” noted J. Robert Carr, senior vice president, membership, marketing and external Affairs for SHRM.

SHRM-Atlanta receives a Certificate of Recognition, a specialized banner to display at its meetings and events, and is being recognized in SHRM’s publications and at its conferences.

About SHRM-Atlanta

SHRM-Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, was founded in 1965, and has a current membership of over 2,200 individuals. SHRM-Atlanta seeks to promote the professionalism of the Human Resources Management field by offering members a wide variety of professional development opportunities and a common forum in which to share ideas and experiences. Serving the Atlanta HR professional, SHRM-Atlanta provides opportunities for career development and community involvement both inside and outside of the chapter. More information is available at www.shrmatlanta.org.

Interns- Pay Now or Pay Later

SHRM-Atlanta — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:03:28 +0000

By: Natasha L. Wilson, Esq. and Sumaya S. Ellard, Esq.

Unpaid summer internships have seemingly always provided mutual benefit to both employers and interns. Interns have the opportunity to gain experience, build relationships, and learn about a particular career or industry in a “real world” setting, and employers gain support, albeit unskilled, from an enthusiastic worker.

However, the legality of the internship relationship is subject to increasing scrutiny. In 2010 the Department of Labor (“DOL”) set forth new guidance to help determine whether interns must be paid minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) for the services provided to “for-profit” private sector employers. Since the introduction of the DOL’s guidance there has undoubtedly been a surge in wage and hour lawsuits filed on behalf of unpaid interns to seek wages. The Charlie Rose show has reportedly settled for $250,000 in back wages to 189 interns. Notably, the emerging trend in litigation is not limited to unpaid interns. In New York, a former Intern/Assistant Football Coach filed suit against Hamilton College’s Athletics Department alleging that he was paid the same monthly stipend regardless of the number of hours he worked, in violation of the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements. The plaintiff is representing a class of forty former interns, and is seeking unpaid overtime wages, liquidated damages, interest, and attorneys’ fees.

The potential costs of internship litigation are daunting; however, internships are still a valuable resource for employers and interns. Accordingly, employers should structure their internship programs to comply with DOL guidance. Pre-planning is critical. Questions regarding the applicability of the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements should be assessed using the DOL’s promulgated criteria. A private sector employer should be able to answer the following questions before classifying an internship as exempt from FLSA wage and hour requirements:

Is the employment experience primarily for the benefit of the intern and not the employer?
Is the internship comparable to training offered in an educational environment?
Does the intern displace a regular employee?
Does the intern work closely under close supervision of existing staff?
Is the intern not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship?
Does the employer derive immediate advantage from the activities of the intern?
Does the employer make clear to the intern, from the outset, that the internship is unpaid?

After an employer makes a final determination regarding the classification of the internship, it may be helpful to take some additional steps. Before hiring any interns, employers may want to consult legal counsel to draft a written agreement setting forth the goals, duties, and objectives of the internship program. The agreement should explicitly outline any compensation or academic credit that will be awarded. Employers should keep diligent records of the internship program, including time records of interns. If an employer has an existing internship program, it may want to hire legal counsel to conduct an audit of the program to determine compliance with the FLSA. Further, it may be helpful to train the supervising staff regarding the roles of interns. Ultimately, employers should be diligent in their creation and execution of internship programs to minimize liability.

Natasha L. Wilson and Sumaya S. Ellard are Attorneys in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the Atlanta office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Please stop by Exhibit Booth 201 in the Resource Partner Showcase to learn more about the firm and the services they provide. Their colleagues will also present during this year’s SHRM conference. David Long-Daniels and Brett Lane will present the topic “Gender Stereotypes and LGBT Employees – Turning a Powder Keg Into a Respectful Workplace,” on April 29, 2013 at 3:30 pm. Todd Wozniak and Pete Hall will present the topic “Whistleblower & Retaliation Law Update,” on April 30, 2013 at 3:00 pm. Natasha, Sumaya and the Greenberg Traurig attorneys look forward to meeting you at the 23rd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference.

Natasha L. Wilson focuses her practice on labor and employment law and devotes her legal practice to representing management in all aspects of employment law, from prevention and compliance issues to arbitration and litigation. She has litigated a wide variety of employment issues on the federal, state and local levels before courts and administrative agencies. Natasha works closely with her clients to provide counseling and consultation on employee matters, policy revisions, litigation prevention, and the implementation of sound employment practices.

Prior to joining the firm, Natasha was an associate with one of the largest law firms in the Southeast. Her prior litigation experience includes representation of clients in environmental and toxic tort defense and general business litigation. She also has experience in white collar criminal defense and corporate investigations, electronic discovery and digital information. Before entering law school, Natasha worked as a television journalist for seven years.

Sumaya S. Ellard focuses her practice on labor and employment matters. She has advised employers on Fair Labor Standard Act (FSLA) classifications and has represented clients in wage and hour issues. Sumaya has counseled employers on various employment laws, policies and employee matters, including separation and settlement agreements along with discrimination, harassment and retaliation matters. She has represented clients in discrimination cases involving age, race, gender, religion and national origin.

Diversity Disrupts

SHRM-Atlanta — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:13 +0000

By: Joe Gerstandt

Difference is a part of any and all social interactions. You may pay attention to it, you may ignore it, but it is there. All groups, all conversations, all interactions, all relationships contain difference…it is one of the basic building blocks of everything social.

Difference is also a natural catalyst…it changes social groups. Whether the social group is a family or a neighborhood or an organization, when you introduce additional diversity into that group or pay more attention to existing diversity you are going to change that group in some way.

Diversity disrupts because it always brings tension with it. Tension activates human emotions, informs patterns of behavior and it demands different relational skills. Whether a social group is moved towards realizing better outcomes or lesser outcomes depends on its willingness and ability to deal with the tension in a healthy functional way or not.

In some relationships or groups, difference is avoided. Close friends sometime avoid issues that they disagree on. I have worked with senior leadership teams that are not willing or able to really disagree with each other, they forfeit the ability to benefit from their differences. My family used to have big and long conversations about politics…it was easy and fun for us to do this as we mostly agreed politically. We do not agree politically any longer…and now we pretty consistently avoid political conversations. Our desire to avoid that conflict has disrupted this aspect of our relationship, and our ability to be whole and real with each other.

Sometimes difference is not avoided, but rather becomes the central focus and a source of conflict and dysfunction. These groups silo and segregate and are disrupted in a different way.

Sometimes groups have the skills and maturity to hold on to the tension of difference and use it. They are able to explore the intersection. These groups are innovative, they learn and adapt and they become greater than the sum of their parts. These groups are able to synthesize and recombine the variety of knowledge, perspectives, narratives, heuristics and experiences that they have access to; all of which is wasted in the other groups.

Diversity disrupts…it pushes groups in new directions.

Diversity work also has to be disruptive.

And here is the catch.

We have a lot of organizational and community leaders that say really, really nice things about diversity and inclusion today. I think that they sincerely like the idea of diverse and inclusive places to work and live.

But.

They are not crazy about disruption.

Lots of people really like the ideas of creativity and innovation; but lots of people do not like the tension, uncertainty and risk that actually feed innovation. Lots of people like the idea of being physically fit; but lots of people do not like the work involved in actually making that happen.

If you are doing diversity and inclusion work in your organization or your community it is going to be disruptive. If you are not rocking the boat in some way you are likely not doing anything.

When did you last ruffle feathers?

You can see Joe’s session, No, Great Minds Do NOT Think Alike, at the 23nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, on Monday, April 29 from 3:30 to 4:30pm.

Three HR Technology Trends of 2013

SHRM-Atlanta — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:40:53 +0000

By: Harold G. Ford III, SPHR

As we look at Human Resources disciplines in 2013, there are many significant HR technology trends returning to the forefront. Over the past five years, many HR budgets were slashed in great proportions, with training and technology leading those cuts. But in 2012, we saw that trend shift, as a Towers Watson survey reported a strong and increased level of HR technology spending. More and more companies looked to leverage the HR department through technology. This trend will continue in 2013, with three major HR Technology trends at the forefront.

Talent Management continues to be the top HR service delivery issue in organizations. With online tools, social media, and Software-as-a-Service applications on the rise, companies are evaluating Talent Management systems at a rapid pace. Because of this HR need, Talent Management systems are plentiful in number, and most are still silo applications that are difficult to integrate with core HR Management Systems (HRMS). In 2013, these systems will get more flexible, and integration and other challenges attributed to these systems will be decreased. Talent Management applications will also increase the strategic value of HR in a company, allowing HR to contribute to long term talent issues for an organization. Organizations will utilize these systems to tie employee goals and objectives, link goals to performance measures, and integrate measurements to long term business strategy.

In addition to getting strategic through talent management, HR will leverage their HRMS to generate meaningful business analytics on their human capital. Workforce analytics are an imperative part of HR technology, and are an integral component in corporate-wide decision-making. HR must meet the demands of their organization by delivering analytics that can be integrated with other key corporate data in order to predict workforce demands for the future. HR departments must also be able to sift through the ever increasing amounts of Big Data in the organization to transform it into valuable information and business intelligence. In 2013, organizations will harness the power of their HRMS via robust reports, dashboards, and business alerts in order to meet this demand.

As mentioned in the other trends, integration with other data in the corporation is critical to HR technology needs. HRMS must integrate with a plethora of applications, including talent management, accounting systems, and CRM in order to provide valuable metrics and insight. Data integration is intricate and complex, and does not only involve on-premise solutions. With the introduction of other trends in HR technology, including cloud-based systems, social networking, and workforce mobility, integration has become even more complicated. Ultimately, each of these systems must work together to provide the organization with relevant, worthwhile information. These systems must also synchronize in order to manage the quality of employee data.

In conclusion, these trends will increase the visibility of HR technology in a company, and will fundamentally change the way HR works in an organization. Companies will be challenged to meet these trends, but will benefit greatly by adapting to these changes.

Don’t forget to visit Dresser & Associates at the 2013 SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference booth #204 to enter for a chance to win an iPad Mini. You can also obtain a free copy of the Health Care Reform Checklist.

Harold G. Ford III, SPHR, is the Regional HRMS Manager for Dresser & Associates. For the past twenty years, Harold has helped HR and Payroll teams build strategic value in their organization utilizing today’s technology.

Should Employers Use Social Networking Sites To Conduct Background Checks?

SHRM-Atlanta — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:36 +0000

Over the past 10 years, social networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., have burst onto the scene providing a playground for people to post personal thoughts or feedback and prompt discussion on everything and anything. However, these same playgrounds provide ample fodder for employers seeking background clues on potential hires.

What can Social Media Reveal?

Consider profiles or feeds you’ve seen on social media sites. What do you post? What do your friends or (gasp!) children post? What do the pictures, article links, status updates and other information say about you? How is that information used when employers are making hiring decisions? Is it legal or even fair to use information obtained from social media about a candidate for hire?

Many employers are using social media to gather intelligence on applicants and employees. Hiring managers are able to see how a potential employee presents himself, whether there are discrepancies in someone’s work history or even if a candidate has made discriminatory comments or remarks.

What Are the Risks Involved?

Employers need to understand the risks in using social networking sites to research job applicants. There are “off-limit” areas that employers cannot use against a candidate when making hiring decisions. Certain laws such as the Stored Communications Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act dictate how information can legally be obtained and used.

Outside Vendors

As social media sites have sprung into existence, so have social intelligence and monitoring services. Some offer services to monitor and analyze a company’s social media presence across the various social media platforms. Others offer to gather intelligence about a person from these same platforms.

While social media isn’t still a “new” phenomenon, the law and courts are playing catch-up. We can expect increased scrutiny and new regulations as more lawsuits with social media elements land in our courtrooms.

Want to hear more?

Steve and Kristie will discuss the risks and benefits in using social media for employment screenings during their presentation, Background Investigations in the Information, at the 2013 SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference on Tuesday, April 30 at 11:15 a.m. Be sure to come by this session to learn more and stop by booth 405 to learn more about Troutman Sanders and labor & employment practice. We’ll see you there!

Steve Riddell is partner in the Labor & Employment group at Troutman Sanders with 30 years of experience in litigation and arbitration. Steve has served a counsel to companies such as Georgia Power and Chick-fil-A in a variety of labor and employment issues, including employment disputes, discrimination claims and class action lawsuits and labor arbitrations. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and he is a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. He can be reached at stephen.riddell@troutmansanders.com.

Kristina Klein, an associate in the Labor & Employment group at Troutman Sanders, counsels employers in all types of employment litigation matters including discrimination claims, wage and hour violations, and non-compete issues. She frequently writes and speaks on labor and employment issues, and is an editor for the firm’s HRLawMatters.com blog site. She can be reached at kristina.klein@troutmansanders.com.

Invest In Your Employees To Better Your Business

SHRM-Atlanta — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:10 +0000

By: Mark Butje

While some turn-over is unavoidable and to some extent even desirable, turnover among your top performers is largely avoidable. And it is certainly worth the investment. People don’t necessarily tell the whole truth in exit interviews about why they are leaving. Managers should, of course, know in advance who is leaving and why.

A high turnover rate is likely due to a combination of reasons. Thus, increasing employee retention also requires a combination of measures. An employee will be motivated to stay at a company when they feel comfortable, well respected, fairly compensated, and (dependent on position and character) see possibilities for growth and personal development. Here are some of the areas an employer can invest in to lower the employee turnover rate:

Information

It is clear that no manager can make informed decisions without proper information. HR or employee analytics can help management decide where to invest, identify the top performers, determine what employees need to best perform and what they value. Analytics also give provide a consistent way to monitor the results of any measure taken, HR analytics really are the ace up your sleeve.

Modern human resource management systems contain a wealth of information that can give managers and executives the insight needed to make the best possible decisions about the workforce.

Communication

A lack of (or poor) communication, both top-down and between teams or peers, causes frustration and misdirected energy. For HR departments, communcation is key and company communication can be greatly enhanced by publishing the company’s values, vision and mission. Provide easy access to the company handbook. Make use of the technology for employee self-service portals and performance appraisal systems and encourage employees to use these available resources.

Work environment

BusinessWeek cites that a “San Francisco design firm Gensler found that of more than 2,000 workers around the U.S., two-thirds believe they are more efficient when they work closely with their colleagues. But 30% said that their workplace doesn’t promote spontaneous interaction and collaboration—a sentiment that’s leading many companies to rethink the office environment.”

Widespread usage of social media and web 2.0 technologies has proven that these spontaneous interactions and collaboration are no longer limited by physical borders. Employee collaboration and business social networking have already demonstrated value in terms of improved employee performance, creativity, communication and informal learning.

Employee Recognition

Most companies reward employees and recognize a job well done with a combination of compensation and benefits. But there are many more tools in the employee reward arsenal. To compete in the global workforce environment, an effective employee recognition program is a necessity.

Successful recognition programs motivate workers in ways that increase their level of engagement. According to the Human Capital Institute (HCI), “best practices” for applying recognition programs include:

Creating a culture of recognition in the workplace that includes both formal and informal methods of recognition.
Making sure that employees get rewarded in a way that is valuable to them by providing a wide variety of recognition rewards. Emphasizing higher quality performance, rather than just increased amount of effort.
Recognizing employees frequently to maintain consistent engagement.
Ensuring that rewards are linked solidly to business objectives and/or desired business cultural values.

Training

Effective training and development programs are excellent instruments to reduce employee turn-over. When employees feel like their careers can develop no further at an organization, it is often time to leave. Good training programs can help your employees learn the skills needed for new projects and challenges, or even a higher position within the company.

Compensation and Benefits

Without an adequate and competitive package of compensation and benefits, it is difficult for any company to hire or retain top talent. The challenge for small-business owners is figuring out how much their competitors pay, and what package of benefits deliver the best retention results. If the main goal is to motivate talent to stay with the company, in other words to create ‘stickiness’, it is important to choose a balanced package of benefits from many available programs:

Work/Life balance: Holidays, paid time off, flexible work arrangements
Financial security: Retirement plans, pensions, disability insurance, life insurance
Health and medical insurances: health insurance, dental, vision flexible spending or health savings accounts, gym memberships
Career development/Personal growth: Tuition reimbursement, onsite lectures, computer based training subscriptions
Other: Discounted auto, home, or pet insurance, savings clubs for shopping, employee loan programs to purchase computers.

What do you think? Does that list do a good job summarizing it? Has your company offered any other benefits to help increase employee retention?

You can see Mark’s session, Make Your Talent Even More Talented: The Power of Learning in an Organization, at the 23nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, on Monday, April 29 from 2:00 to 3:00 or stop by booth 207 to speak with a Sage representative!

Mark Butje is Director of Product Marketing with Sage and is responsible for positioning and product direction of the Sage Employer Solutions product offering, which includes the market-leading Sage HRMS brand.

Mark has more than 20 years of experience in the software and hardware industry and joined Sage in early 2010. Prior to joining Sage, Mark served in various marketing and product marketing roles at Apple, Gateway, Brodeur Marketing and medium size software companies in both the US and in Europe. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands and is a published author, Product Marketing for Technology Companies (Elsevier Science 2005).