Welcome to the World of HR

Unpaid Internships: Legal or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Clearing out the links this week, I found this interesting article from the Village Voice talking about unpaid internships and whether they flout the law? Students like it because it gives them valuable experiences, universities feel that they are a huge part of the academic curriculum, and businesses really like it because they get free labor. But the U.S. Department of Labor warned that it may not be so kosher: [Some internships] could actually violate state- and federal-labor laws. The Department of Labor guidelines stress that "the internship experience is for the benefit of the intern," and for-profit employers are supposed to derive...

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Astronology - Does Office Etiquette Exist?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:05:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 21January 24, 2012Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. The Astron Road ShowThere's one stop on the Astron Road Show this week. On Tuesday, January 24th National Director Jennifer Loftus will present to the Greater New York chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR-GNY) on HR Certification - Demystifying the Process and Understanding the Benefits. Click here to...

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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo May Be Worth Hiring

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Once in a while an article appears online that is so captivating, that multiple people send it to me to post on the blog. I believe that this article from Inc. set a new record for the amount of times that I received the same article to post on the blog. So it's about time I posted it. The article is talking about the movie/book "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" and the lead character Lisbeth Salander who is a bright and creative girl but covered with tattoos and piercings. The point of the article is that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover--that we shouldn't dismiss someone from being qualified for a job just because of their body art....

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Guest Post: Professional Emailing Etiquette that is Too Often Abused

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:20:00 +0000

Hope you're having a great MLK Day today! We love our guest posts here at Astron Solutions: Welcome to the World of HR blog. Today we have a great one from Kimberly Wilson on e-mail etiquette. Kimberly is from accredited online colleges, she writes on topics including career, education, student life, college life, home improvement, time management etc. Here is her guest post: -------- So much of our conversation today takes place through informal modes of text. With things like text messaging, instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, and emailing, we've become very comfortable with fast paced and impersonal conversation. While these modes of...

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Astronology - Retaining Talented and High Performing Management Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 20January 10, 2012Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. What to Do With a TroublemakerHere comes trouble! Does your organization have that one person with the reputation of being a troublemaker? How are employees supposed to respond to such an individual? And how can an organization protect itself from inadvertently hiring such individuals? Astronology investigates the dynamics of the office...

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Going Abroad for Work

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:04:00 +0000

With the United States economy still in recovery and the job market still weak, many job seekers (whether they currently have jobs or not), find the prospects underwhelming and unfulfilling--at best. Sometimes there are no prospects to speak of and the search is just one, long frustrating march through resumes, cover letters, and interviews. But, as the New York Times op-ed from yesterday described, sometimes it just takes thinking outside the box to find what you're looking for in your profession. And by "box", I mean "the US borders". While the United States and much of Europe is hurting for jobs, places like China needs people to come...

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Celebrating a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:32:00 +0000

I want to start by wishing everyone a very Happy New Years and hope you had a very happy holiday season! The new year allows for a lot of new experiences in both your personal and professional life. Yes, your New Year resolution can be professional as well! Some have taken that to the extreme. One of my friends gave her two weeks notice right after she got back from her new years break. She realized the job she was in was making her unhappy and she wanted to pursue her dreams. I wish her luck! Changes don't have to be that extreme, though. A change in your cubicle layout or where you sit or the new co-workers you want to get to know...

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Monitoring Survival Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:54:00 +0000

The news about jobs continues to be mixed which has led to increased uncertainty once again this holiday season. The uncertainty of jobs has some positive effects at times as workers go out of their way to distinguish themselves and be more productive to avoid the axe, but this type of pressure is not something you want employees to constantly have hovering over their heads. One of the worst effect of this uncertainty is "survival mode". Forbes via Yahoo! (H/T Wendy) tells us 5 signs that will allow you to tell your employees are in "survival mode". The article is definitely a good read but the five signs are that relationship building...

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Sometimes you just need to laugh

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:21:00 +0000

The "World of HR" is usually a pretty serious place with some pretty serious consequences if things don't go right. Lawsuits, firings and lack of productivity are not things to laugh at. So I really enjoy when I find something I can laugh at including this "Cover Letter" that I found floating around Facebook. Hopefully that link works but it certainly gave me a laugh today. The faxing in of the cover letter was one thing but the creativity on the page is pretty hilarious. I have horrible handwriting, but I know that if I was to submit anything in writing, it would have to be a lot neater than that...especially for a Graphic Design job....

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Astronology - Metrics: Not Just a Year-End Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 19December 9, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Happy Holidays!Everyone at Astron Solutions wishes you and those dear to you a safe, fun, healthy, and relaxing end to 2011! Thank you for allowing us to visit with you in your inbox every other Tuesday. We look forward to seeing you again with our next issue of Astronology on January 10, 2012. Happy holidays! Metrics: Not Just a Year-End...

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Who To Get Rid Of

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:04:00 +0000

In the first season of The Office, Michael Scott has to decide who to lay off. He goes through a terrible ordeal trying to figure out who to let go as he debates the merits of each of the members of the office. But what if he had a guide of who to fire? Well Bloomberg Businessweek has a list of three types of people that you should fire right now Those three type of people are "The Victims", "Non-believers", and the "Know-it-alls". I think that the idea behind the article is correct (what type of people to avoid if you want a more innovative company), but I don't think you can quote that article when you fire someone. I'm not sure that...

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Astronology - Addressing the Needs of Seasonal Employees

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:27:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 18November 29, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Astron in the PressTwo publications recently featured articles authored by National Director Jennifer Loftus. CPA Practice Management Forum published Jennifer's article on the Fair Labor Standards Act. HR West, the publication of the Northern California Human Resources Association (San Francisco, CA), published Jennifer's piece on politics in the...

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Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Hopefully you all are enjoying your Black Friday shopping. I know I'm a day late, but while you all are still digesting turkey (and probably eating turkey leftovers), we want to take the time to say we hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. We are certainly thankful for you, our readers, and we look forward to some great blogging in the weeks ahead. Hope you had a great time with your loved ones.

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Telecommuting and Productivity

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:31:00 +0000

In my new job, I've had the opportunity to work from home (or elsewhere) quite a bit. Everyone always tells me that they could never work from home and be productive but I always retort that I'm actually really productive working from home--sometimes even more productive. The Smithsonian via their Surprising Science blog took a look at telecommuting the scientific way, and has some results that may support my own findings: After a few weeks of the experiment, it was clear that the telecommuters were performing better than their counterparts in the office. They took more calls (it was quieter and there were fewer distractions at home)...

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Astronology - Civility in the Workplace---Is it Decreasing?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:15:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 17November 15, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Fact or FictionOver half of Americans think civility training should be offered in public schools.FACT! The Civility in America poll reports 78% of Americans believe civility training should be offered in our nation's schools. Do you have a story from a time when incivility in the workplace strengthened your resolve to find a new job or to stop...

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The Worst Excuses for Missing Work

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:50:00 +0000

I've heard some back excuses for missing work. People have readily admitted to partying too much the night before, missing their flight home from vacation, or oversleeping. I thought I had heard them all. But then Jennifer posted a great link from ThomasNet's industry market news which lists some great ones from Careerbuilder including, my 5 favorites: Employee's 12-year-old daughter stole his car and he had no other way to work. Employee didn't want to report it to the police. Employee said bats got in her hair. Employee was in line at a coffee shop when a truck carrying flour backed up and dumped the flour into her...

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Astronology - Evidence-Based Human Capital Management - Lessons We Can Learn from Healthcare

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:10:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 16November 1, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Astron Road ShowIt's time for the last stop on the 2011 Astron Road Show! We finish our 2011 tour close to home, in Tenafly, NJ. National Directors Mike Maciekowich and Jennifer Loftus will both present to the 2011 Morry Stein Fall Management Conference, hosted by the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey. Jennifer will speak on...

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Facebook For More Than Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:35:00 +0000

Most people think of Facebook as the last place they would want a potential employer to go to check out their qualifications. They have embarrassing pictures of them partying, people posting about their kids, updates about all their Words With Friends games, and status messages about being excited for the weekend. It's been far from a job gold mine--more like a minefield. But as the Wall Street Journal writes, that's all changing and has some advice about how to take advantage of it, including this: Don't ask someone to make an introduction for you on Facebook if you wouldn't ask them to do it in person, recruiting experts say....

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Greetings from Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:52:00 +0000

I wanted to send greetings from Europe. I spent 2 days in Amsterdam and am now in Copenhagen. It's amazing to see different lifestyles and cultures and people in action. But it's also amazing that you see many of the same things here. Those camping out down in Wall Street would like to know that they are doing the same in Amsterdam (right outside the hotel I stayed at). The gay marriage debate is going to come to Denmark as it did in the United States. And as I'm in Denmark, the Danish princess Mary is in New York. It's always important to remember, in the word of a fellow Brandeis alum, Thomas Friedman, that the world is flat. What goes...

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Driving Your Co-Workers Nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:46:00 +0000

We all have co-workers that drive us nuts, but what are the things that really get us going? Well AOL Jobs decided to ask around and compiled a list of 13 things that people are doing at work that drive their co-workers crazy. A few comments on them below: 1. Hovering - I hate this and I know people that do this constantly. Saying hello or joining in a conversation is one thing but when your co-worker turns back to their computer or picks up the phone, it should be a subtle sign to leave 2. Micro-managing - This is not just for managers--all of us are guilty of this at one time or another. Self-awareness goes a long way to fixing this...

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The Blame Game

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:55:00 +0000

Full disclosure: I am a big Yankees fan who very much enjoyed seeing the Red Sox totally choke at the end of the season. Since then, they've undergone may personnel changes and the fingerpointing has started. Last week an article came out in the Boston Globe saying the manager was distracted with a divorce and pills and people were more interesting in eating chicken, drinking beer and playing video games than what was going on on the field. If their late-season collapse wasn't enough, this certainly has put many people over the edge. The issue, though, is that this would have never been a problem had the Red Sox kept on winning. When...

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The Best of the Best Perks

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:50:00 +0000

My first job out of college had a stocked fridge of sodas and snacks. I thought this was the greatest perk in the world. I would chomp down on some chips and sip my soda and think that I had it pretty good. And then my friend started working at Google and told me about the massages he gets...and the free food...and all the other great perks and I realized that my free soda and chips, while awesome in their own right, were nowhere near what some other people were getting. Mashable wrote on Monday about the best of the best perks from some of the top Social Media companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. Check it out...

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Astronology - Social Media in the Workforce...Enhancement or Interruption?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:10:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 15October 18, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Astron Road ShowThe calendar year may be coming to a close, but the 2011 Astron Road Show continues on! On October 28th, National Director Mike Maciekowich will present on trends in executive compensation to the Vision Serve Alliance Conference (New York, NY). The conference is hosted by Astron Solutions' client Lighthouse International. Fact or...

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The Time Off Conundrum

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:16:00 +0000

In January I started a new job. There are a lot of challenges with starting a new job including getting acclimated with the new company, the people you work with and making sure you have a handle on the position. One of the other challenges is to figure out when it is okay to start taking your vacation time. Many companies have vesting periods for that time, but once it vests, is it all right to just start taking it? Or is there really a "waiting period" until it's okay to start taking time off? I'm taking my first vacation in a few days. I have been at the job for 9 months now so I figured that the initial "probation" period has started...

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Astronology - Salary Budget Projections for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Katz) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:19:00 +0000

AstronologyVolume XII Issue 14October 4, 2011Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software. Astron Road ShowThe Astron Road Show continues to roll this fall! Where will we see you in the next two weeks? On October 10th, National Director Jennifer Loftus presents at the Nonprofit Human Resources Conference, in Washington, D.C. Her topic? Nonprofit Executive Compensation: What is Fair? Later that week, National Director Mike...

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