HR Management US

The top 5 overrated buzzwords in HR

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:17:00 +0000

A new study, revealing the most irritating phrases in the English language, could offers some interesting lessons to business leaders.

Following a study compiled by the Oxford University to find some of the most irritating phrases in the English language (At the end of the day; Absolutely; 24/7; Fairly unique, Shouldn't of; At this moment in time; With all due respect; It's not rocket science, etc.) a new study has revealed some of the worst phrases currently being touted across the world of business. Are you guilty of any of these?

Cutting edge
Leverage
Utilize
Value-added
[insert word here] 2.0

Its true, each one of these is over-used and irritating. With the list growing, many are nothing more than an unneccessary adjective that serves no real function. Take a look at the business book, Why Business People Speak Like Idiots, for a more critical view. In it, the others explore why business leaders throw buzzwords, vapid clichés and meaningless hype around like wildfire; but even in its own analysis of the problems facing business communications, the book's authors' discovers that the cure for the disease is actually the disease itself, with the authors opening themselves up to their own critique by using the very same buzzwords themselves.

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JPMorgan Staff to Trial iPad

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:32:00 +0000

According to Bloomberg, JP Morgan is to issue its investment banking staff with iPad tablets as part of a six-month trial.

"We believe there are real benefits in our working environment that can be realised using this device - as well as the personal productivity and enjoyment that come as part of the package," two managing directors at New York-based JPMorgan said in an e-mail obtained by Bloomberg News.

Depending on its success we will evaluate if we should repeat this one time initiative and/or expand it to others," they are quoted as saying.

JPMorgan outlined that the trial will allow associates to access e-mails, contacts, calendar and attachments via the iPad, as well as have the ability to mark-up and annotate confidential documents and make client presentations, says Bloomberg.

"There are a variety of ways to leverage the iPad. Some work off-the-shelf whilst others rely on JPMorgan software/security tools," the managing directors wrote in the e-mail. "Depending on its success we will evaluate if we should repeat this one time initiative and/or expand it to others.

Shift away from RIM

With JPMorgan staff utilizing the iPad, competitors like Research in Motion (RIM) will have its work cut out to reconnect with financial institutions - RIM specifically have been the mobile of choice for Wall Street financiers, according to Finextra. In response, RIM has announced its plans to launch a tablet computer in Q1 of 2011. But it may be too late, as big ticket banks - including JPMorgan, BNP Paribas, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse - roll out client applications for the iPad.

The shake-up of the corporate smartphone market was demonstrated last month when it emerged that Bank of America and Citi are the latest financial services giants to consider letting their staff use iPhones and Google Android-based handsets as an alternative to BlackBerrys for corporate e-mail, following in the footsteps of JP Morgan Chase and Standard Chartered.

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The Turn Back to Globalization in HR

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:48:00 +0000

Globalization across workforces has seen exponential growth in the last two decades, and after a dip during the most recent recession, is now emerging again within HR, creating challenges as well as opportunities, and tremendous uncertainty.

In a new major study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, more than 700 chief HR officers and senior executives from 61 countries and 31 industries worldwide found that China and India are leading the way by increasingly hiring in North America and Europe. In fact, the study found 45 percent of companies in India and 33 percent of companies in China plan to increase their head count in North America alone.

The study outlines the new global workforce that is emerging as companies start to deploy talent globally once again in order to achieve their corporate objectives.

In the past, North America has always been perceived as a fertile state for workers from the east, however there is a distinct change today, as North American companies' struggle to stop top talent from seeking better opportunities in the east.

"Western companies used to be able to attract workers from India or China, for example, because of the quality of life they could have here. But the economies there are growing fast, and the quality of life and lifestyle available to people from those countries in their home country is quickly becoming similar to that in North America. The bright people of the world may want to stay where they were or go back home," says Ian Cook, director, research & learning at the B.C. Human Resources Management Association.

The market for skilled workers is back to being global and highly competitive. "You can't think of it in any other terms and therefore it is expensive to play in it because you've got relocation costs, all the costs of managing talent and competing for it across the globe," Mr. Cook says.

Many of the world's top HR executives will be at the HR Summit to discuss globalization issues, as well as important HR topics including creating a corporate culture of health, developing an integrated talent management strategy, CHRO challenges for 2011, the importance of effective compensation plans and methods for businesses keen to retain their top talent.

Those on hand will include: David Fairhurst, VP People, McDonald's; Ceree Eberly, Chief People Officer, The Coca-Cola Company; Desiree Dancy, Chief Diversity Officer and VP Corporate Human Resources, The New York Times Company; Michele Golden, VP Talent Management, Time Warner; Shannon Brown, CHRO, FedEx and Felicia Fields, Group VP HR and Corporate Services, Ford Motor Company.

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Green: �Involvement in Emerging Markets Vital for Growth�

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Last week's G20 summit may have done little to quell the divisions between the emerging and advanced countries with many column inches devoted to "the currency wars" and the suspicion that many countries are using devaluation as a form of protectionism. However, it's clear for the business world that plenty of expansion opportunities still exist for companies eager to benefit from the economic growth in the emerging markets when compared to the stagnant or limited growth in the developed world.

For companies who focus on bringing together executives from the different emerging markets with the aim of improving international co-operation, it appears that times are good.

Spencer Green, Chairman of global media and events company GDS International, is tremendously excited about what this opportunity will mean for his company.
"Developing the business to business environment in key markets like Latin America, China, Africa and the Middle East has been a core focus for GDS for many years and we have had a significant impact in bringing new business to high growth regions," says Spencer. "The continuing shift in economic power to the emerging markets means that we have plenty of exciting years of growth ahead of us, with plenty of untapped industries and regions. "

Global executives are continuously looking to develop stronger business relationships throughout new emerging markets, especially where spending is on the up. Statistics have shown that IT spending alone has increased five percent in Latin America in 2010, versus marginal or flat growth in the more developed markets of Europe and North America.

"We are traditionally strong in the IT sector," says Spencer, "and that is certainly helping us now."

GDS has developed one of the most successful IT business-to-business summits in the region, the CIO Latin America Summit. The Summit offers companies the opportunity to meet one-to-one with CIOs and other business leaders from a selection of the Fortune 500 Latin American companies.

"It is clear from our impressive results in hosting summits in this region that Latin America is set for substantial growth in the next decade, especially in a number of our key industry markets such as IT, Healthcare, Oil and Gas, Mining and Infrastructure. Our existing clients are delighted that we are looking to expand our Latin America operations, with potential new offices opening up in Brazil in early 2011."

For further information relating to the CIO Summit Latin America, please click here.

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Global Events Company Opens in Miami

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Away from its stunning beaches and Keys, Miami offers a strong business culture, the region's leading financial center, and access to one of the world's fastest growing markets, Latin America. No wonder that Spencer Green, Chairman of the high-end global media and event company GDS international is developing its next office here, in the heart of Florida.

UK-based GDS opened its first US office in New York City and has never looked back. Now Spencer Green is looking to tap into the sophisticated metropolitan business culture of Miami and develop his next generation of business leaders.

"All our research points to Miami," says Spencer. "The people here have the drive we need to take our already strong Americas project portfolio to the next level. I am very excited about this new growth opportunity. Having a strong presence in one of the fastest growing markets globally is a core focus for us."

GDS has been developing its global presence from offices currently open in New York City, Wales, Malaysia, Australia and corporate headquarters in Bristol England.
"Miami will be a great addition to GDS," says Spencer. "We grew 42 percent in 2010. I hope to reach that again next year, and Miami has a huge role to play."

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GDS smash through 42 percent growth in 2010

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:57:00 +0000

GDS International, the media and events organization formed by Spencer Green in 1993, has just announced a 42 percent increase in operational growth from January 1st to November 1st 2010. With current world markets fluctuating and the British economy only showing a 0.4 percent growth rate for this quarter, GDS' results are even more impressive.

When asked to what he attributed this success, GDS Chairman Spencer Green explained: "We have been quick to react to faltering business verticals and adapted our products to reflect industry trends in real time."

Spencer is clear that while strategy is important, people are critical: "Put simply, customer satisfaction is our number one priority. Our people are all focused on that goal - and a company of 550 staff well trained, focused on the right cultural ideas, that's super powerful.

"GDS has clearly delivered on a number of world class events this year, both in our traditional key regions and verticals, but also in some very exciting emerging ones too," he continues. "Going that extra mile for our clients in these tough times is why organizations put their faith in us. They know that we deliver tangible, transparent ROI."

GDS is currently represented in four continents and has traded internationally since 2001. It is on course to top revenues of £40 million in 2010 (£29 million in 2009). Ambitious growth plans for 2011 will see a new North American satellite office in Miami to complement its US HQ in Wall Street, New York, and global sites in Bristol and Cardiff, UK, Kuala Lumpur, and Sydney, Australia.

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Bucking the Trend of Business

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:57:00 +0000

It's no secret that many businesses in the last two years have suffered because of the economic downturn. Some of them have had to make redundancies; some have had to scale back output and unfortunately some of them have ceased to exist. So how do we buck this trend? How do we prosper in adversity? Even the most narrow-minded boss would have to be willing to learn how to keep their business afloat in these unsteady waters.

Spencer Green is the Chairman of GDS International, a media and events company in Bristol, England. Spencer Green founded GDS International 16 years ago. Like most aspiring businesses in the early 90s, GDS International was riding the crest of a colossal economic wave, weaving in out of events and media in already established markets, but more importantly investing time and research into the emerging markets.

Unlike most companies in their early years, Spencer Green was persistent in marketing to emerging markets in places such as China, India and Latin America - learning the ethos, culture and how these nations did business, which would come to serve him and GDS International very nicely in years to come. These periods spent in Asia and Latin America would allow GDS International to grow rapidly in the ongoing recession.

GDS International is now hosting summits, covering all major business verticals in every corner of the earth. And the company is continuing to grow globally. The lessons learnt from Spencer's time in the emerging markets of the 90s have paid dividends today. GDS International now has offices in Bristol, Cardiff, Kuala Lumpur, Miami, New York and Sydney, and is soon to expand its operations in South America.

The vast majority of businesses that are struggling now did not invest enough time and research into the economies of tomorrow. Organizations whose primary customers are that of Europe and North America had no contingency plan to offer their services to developing and burgeoning markets should their target audience decrease trading.

"There is a not a definitive answer I can give any suffering business in the current economic climate. What I can say is that GDS International spent resources in fruitful economic times researching the regions that are now making us successful today," Spencer Green said.

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In Brief: Google Offers Employees Additional Bonuses

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Google has offered its 20,000 employees monetary incentives for 2011, a move seen as a precursor to its high employee turnover - something that has seen a high number of staff leave to join other companies.

Google will give staff 10 percent pay increase across the board, and a $1000 holiday cash bonus (Google will pay the tax so the employee gets the full amount), which will take effect on 1 January 2011.

Employees will also receive an additional raise equivalent to 1X the employee's target bonus for the year, according to BusinessInsider's Henry Blodget.

With 23,331 employees as of September and assuming an average salary of $100,000, the new bonus plan will cost Google $256,641,000 next year, including the $1,000 holiday gifts, one percent of Google's estimated revenue for 2011.

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Recession Affected Trust and Ethics in Workplace

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:19:00 +0100

During challenging economic times, the relationship between employees and employers is often tested. Frequently, executives are forced to make decisions that broadly affect their workforces and alter what matters in the workplace. Today's business environment is no exception.

According to the Deloitte LLP Ethics & Workplace Survey 2010, the recession has diminished two important forms of business currency - trust and ethics. Nearly half (48 percent) of employed Americans who plan to look for a new job when the economy is more stable cite a loss of trust in their employer as a result of how business and operational decisions were handled over the last two years as a reason for leaving; around 46 percent of them say a lack of transparent leadership communication will drive them to seek new employment opportunities. Executives also believe that trust (65 percent) and transparency (48 percent) will be leading factors in voluntary turnover in the coming months.

Interestingly, the survey shows a disconnect between employees and employers around the issues of trust and ethics in the workplace. Executives claim to be considering the impact of their business decisions on the ethical behavior of the workforce during the economic downturn; however, 31 percent of employees say that their colleagues are more likely to behave unethically at work in this environment.

"Regardless of the economic environment, business leaders should be mindful of the significant impact that trust in the workplace and transparent communication can have on talent management and retention strategies," says Sharon Allen, Chairman of Deloitte LLP. "By establishing a values-based culture, organizations can cultivate the trust necessary to reduce turnover and mitigate unethical behavior."

As we look toward the post-recession era, the survey suggests that business leaders have not lost sight of one of the most important employee retention tools in corporate America today: career-life fit. The study found that while 59 percent of employees feel more is being demanded of them because of today's climate, 72 percent say their employers continue to support their needs to integrate work and life.

While it appears that executives are doing a good job of supporting talent, the potential for increased employee turnover still exists. With this in mind, business leaders should plan to increase their efforts and work to reinforce the importance of trust, transparency and professional ethics. This can be done by clearly communicating marketplace challenges and conditions to the workforce and level setting expectations. Additionally, it is important for leadership to foster values-based cultures by truly setting the tone at the top.

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From CFO to CEO? Not Necessarily...

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:20:00 +0100

Why the CFO role is increasingly seen as a career destination in its own right, not just a staging post to the role of CEO.

A new report by Ernst & Young, The DNA of the CFO, challenges the assumption that all chief financial officers are aspiring chief executive officers and instead finds that the majority see their role as a vocation of its own. Of 669 CFOs interviewed by the Economist Intelligence Unit for Ernst & Young, 73 percent saw their role as a career destination of its own with just 10 percent aspiring to be the CEO.

The study also highlights a broadening of the CFO role beyond finance fundamentals, with the potential to influence corporate strategy and drive business change to such an extent that most enjoy a high level of career satisfaction. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they now act as the face of their company on all financial matters and performance, with a similar number agreeing that since the financial crisis, the CFO's key priority is to increase financial trust in their business.

Financial crisis elevates role

Over 60 percent of CFOs have seen their standing within the organization elevated in the past three years. In part this is due to CFOs aligning the finance function closer to the business but also because the financial crisis has resulted in an unprecedented demand for the unique perspective and discipline of senior finance professionals to guide the business. The report also highlights a shift in the perception of the finance function from outmoded "business prevention units" to an enabling partner to the business. For many CFOs, the acid test is the extent to which business managers consult them for advice on key aspects of strategy. Just over half of those CFOs surveyed agree that this now takes place routinely.

CFOs are also finding that they are taking on more operational responsibilities, mainly in the IT and property functions, which is natural given their financial discipline and management strengths. However, Les Clifford, Chairman of the Ernst & Young CFO Program, warns that for some CFOs, this dual responsibility creates a potential conflict of interest. "There is definitely a delicate balance to strike between being the objective, independent voice of the business and assuming a broader responsibility for operations," he explains. "CFOs have a duty to maintain this independence and objectivity, and sometimes the need for growth and performance in their operation role can test this to the limit."

Strategy co-pilot

The report updates the now clichéd story of the CFO's migration from ‘scorekeeper' to ‘strategic advisor', by seeking to clarify exactly what strategic contribution means for the CFO: 35 percent of the CFOs questioned believe they make an active contribution to developing and defining the overall strategy for their company. But the majority of respondents say their contribution focuses on providing insight and analysis to support the CEO and ensuring that business decisions across the business are grounded in sound financial criteria. "CFOs see their role as going beyond being an ‘information provider' or ‘aggregator-presenter'," says Clifford. "Their commercial understanding and analytical skills mean that this element of their role is a vital part of understanding how different decisions will lead to certain outcomes."

But while CFOs are reveling in their newly elevated role, they are also coming up against the challenge of carefully balancing the development of company strategy with the renewed focus on fundamentals brought about by the financial crisis. CFOs identified cost management, risk management and cash flow as their top three business priorities in the wake of the financial crisis. For almost four in 10 CFOs, this means they are not spending as much time on strategy as they would like.

In addition, CFOs are under greater pressure to be the public face of their company but recognize the need for investment in building stronger connections with a number of their key external stakeholders. Less than half of respondents say that their relationship with investors is good or excellent, while just 21 percent say the same for their relationships with governments and 25 percent for their relationships with the media. Asked where they needed to enhance their skills and knowledge, respondents pointed to communication and influencing as the most important area for improvement.

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Toronto Number One City for Employment

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:10:00 +0100

According to a study by Aon Consulting, a global risk management firm, Toronto is the least risky city in the world to recruit, employ and relocate employees. The study measured the risk involved to organizations in 90 cities worldwide by analyzing demographics, education, employment practices and government regulations.

"Montreal and Toronto are among the five lowest risk cities primarily due to Canada's low level of corruption; strict enforcement of equal opportunity laws; health and retirement benefits; and high quality and broad availability of training facilities. The main difference between the two is due to Toronto's larger population as well as quality and broader availability of training resources," said the report.

Rounding out the top 10 were New York in second place, Singapore and London tied at third place with Montreal in fifth. Zurich and Stockholm tied for sixth, Copenhagen and Amsterdam shared eighth place and Los Angeles was 10th.

Rick Payne, Aon's Chief Research Officer, said that a significant factor influencing the report is government support. "Cities were low risk typically have a government that is transparent, non-confrontational, and deal with employment issues fairly. Employers in these cities are less likely to be surprised by changes in government policies on employment, healthcare and retirement. Therefore, they have fewer issues finding and retaining educated and experienced talent."

Payne went on to say that the report indicated that not even the top cities are perfect. "The talent pool in Toronto and Montreal is small compared to New York or Los Angeles, which increases the risk of recruiting for certain types of jobs such as highly specialised financial jobs and design/visual arts jobs. Additionally, in Singapore the inflow of foreign talent helps to increase its talent pool despite its small population, low birth rate and aging workforce."

The top 10

1. Toronto
2. New York
3. Singapore
3. London
5. Montreal
6. Zurich
6. Stockholm
8. Amsterdam
8. Copenhagen
10. Los Angeles

The bottom 5

90. Dhaka, Bangladesh
89. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
88. Lagos, Nigeria
87. Karachi, Pakistan
86. Tehran

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How Market Intelligence Can Save 9.5 Days a Year

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:09:00 +0100

Collaboration software and tools have become part of our daily lives. Using such tools for market intelligence, where information on the business environment is systematically gathered, processed and analysed in order to aid decision-making, can certainly enhance business planning and save precious time and money. Companies often waste resources and time due to faulty or inaccurate business information.

According to the latest Global Market Intelligence Study conducted by Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA), businesses with organised market intelligence systems and tools reduce resource wastage by as much as 50 percent. Having market intelligence information organised, stored and readily available within the company's enterprise system can on average, save users at least 1.5 hours a week. That effectively accumulates to about 9.5 days a year for each end-user.

In addition, 48 percent of the survey respondents who did not have organised market
intelligence systems in-house said they could only get the information they required after a long delay. In contrast, while 82 percent of those with organised market intelligence systems said they could access information immediately or after a short while.

Other benefits of having organised market intelligence systems and tools include:

1. Better decisions: Having research-based insights readily on hand to capitalise on
opportunities and to minimise risks.

2. Faster decisions: Avoiding surprises and being constantly equipped to make educated decisions even under time pressure.

3. Efficiency: Shifting decision-makers' time-spend from looking for accurate information to making decisions based on it. Avoiding inefficiencies and redundancies in purchasing and processing business information.

4. Shared learning: Facilitating shared understanding and insight creation through
continuously exposing end-users to fresh intelligence content.

5. Staying ahead of the game: Involving the organization in collectively identifying
emerging opportunities, threats and strategic themes of relevance.
Just what does it take to develop high-performing collaborative market intelligence systems?

Very often, companies invest hundreds of thousand Euros in their systems and tools but don't spend enough time to influence the usage of the information. The corporate culture must be one that encourages market intelligence-friendly behaviour, to ensure that collaboration tools do end up adding value to decision making.

Europe's largest companies all have sophisticated market intelligence systems, but not all have been able to apply the behavioral attributes listed below.

Keep the scope of your vision wide

Keep an open mind and ensure that you examine and cover all aspects of your company's external environment, beyond the ‘usual suspects', and include such information into your market intelligence information system. This could involve macro-economic issues outside your markets, new technological innovations, global consumer trends or politics in neighbouring countries, for example.

Involve a cross section of managerial staff in the process

Sales executives, general managers and other staff who spend a lot of time outside the organization often have valuable market information, which should not be missed out on. Find ways to integrate their input into the company's market intelligence systems.

Educate and bring others onboard

It is important to cultivate a culture that supports team effort and knowledge sharing through the market intelligence enterprise system. Consider conducting system orientation sessions when new employees join. Use collaborative platforms more actively. Share best practices and recognise employees who actively contribute useful market information into the system.

Make sure the resulting information and analysis is useful

This seems to be quite obvious but is often the most challenging part of good market intelligence is making sure that the results are useful and will be used for the company's strategic planning, innovation and product development or sales and marketing. It is important to focus and prioritise, and think about what information is absolutely vital, why, when, and to whom.

Outsource and focus on strategic analysis

Companies have started to outsource parts of their market intelligence function, such as identifying information sources, collecting external information, structuring information, developing information portals. Outsourcing gives companies more time to manage internal knowledge and integrate their market intelligence for maximum impact on their business.

For collaborative market intelligence information tools to be quickly adopted and used within an organisation, they must take these behavioral attributes into account and promise ease-touse, clear structures for information storage and automated delivery of relevant market signals. Only then can they add more value and saves employees even more valuable time.

About the author

Saku Oikarinen is Vice President and United Kingdom Business Unit Director at Global Intelligence Alliance UK. Saku is a seasoned expert in the Market Intelligence field and has several years of experience in serving industrial and service industry clients with analysis and consulting in the UK and Scandinavia.

About Global Intelligence Alliance

Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group. GIA was formed in 1995 when a team of market intelligence specialists, management consultants, industry www.globalintelligence.com analysts and technology experts came together to build a powerful suite of customized solutions
ranging from outsourced market monitoring services and software, to strategic analysis and advisory.

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DreamWorks climbs to #6 on Fortunes Top 100

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:10:00 +0100

In 2010, DreamWorks animation studio jumped from 47 on ‘Fortunes' Top 100 Companies to Work For' up to sixth; an impressive accomplishment for a company founded only a decade ago.

At first glance, it seems natural that working at a world-class animation studio like DreamWorks would be a fun and dynamic company to be employed by; after all, it was co-founded by a legend - Steven Spielberg - and is at the forefront of creativity and innovation. Its production staff get to work across blockbuster movie releases like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon and Shark Tale. Yet behind the glossy facade, there are tough deadlines, a backlog of work, and fast-paced projects at every turn.
"Everyone here knows they have a particular project that needs to be done, has a deadline in place, they have a particular shot or sequence they are working on which have deadlines attached to them," said Dan Satterthwaite, Head of HR, in an exclusive meeting with MeetTheBoss.tv.

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And yet, even in such a high pressured environment, staff are motivated, relaxed, and have a great attitude. "The management and company [...] have a genuine desire to create a great place to work. Nice campus, free food, activities, perks. Union provides all benefits including health, which are generally regarded as being very good," an unnamed animator told AOL.

"I don't think DreamWorks animation studio is very different to most other animation studios, but what we do in addition is what I think makes us unique: the breaks we let people take, the events that we host on campus for employees, the kind of opportunities to bring an ornithologist in to talk to our character effects artists, those are the kinds of things that make DreamWorks a very unique environment - the balances, the extremely hard work, with some really crazy fun things to do," Satterthwaite told MeetTheBoss.tv.

Part of DreamWorks' appeal is turning its back on conventional big corporation methods and maintaining a small-scale mentality, which Satterthwaite sees as a key component to allowing artists and other creative professions to distance themselves from a rigid corporate mentality, and work in a relaxed, positive environment.

"[At DreamWorks we wanted to create a] very fast-moving, very creative, small organisation; almost a start-up within a large corporation. What we decided to do at the time when recruitment was successful [was to] carve away from the cooperation as a completely separate entity. Many of the creative, innovative thinkers, practically in web design, and in online businesses are not attracted to being a large corporation as they [like] being [involved in] a very small, almost start-up feel so we set it up that way. Because of that, we are able to attract some of the best of the best."

Of course, the best thing about DreamWorks is the studio's ability to take such a dynamic, collaborative workforce and steer them all in the same direction, creating sustainable and solid business results.

To watch the full interview please click here.

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David Fairhurst Wins Most Influential Practitioner

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:10:00 +0100

He may not have done it conventionally, but David Fairhurst, Chief People Officer of McDonald's Restaurants Northern Europe, has been voted HR magazine's most influential practitioner for the third year running.

"This person has done a lot of work in putting out there an evidence base for the power of good HR practice, which has done a lot to boost the credibility of what we do," one commentator said of Fairhurst.

HR magazine's editor, Sian Harrington, agreed: "The result of our ranking is a polarised picture of HR. The best directors are described as inspirational leaders, successful in showing how HR can add real value to the business and with strong vision. They are effective, progressive, pragmatic and transformational, commanding the respect of their peers, the organisation and key stakeholders."

And Fairhurst has demonstrated that good HR needn't be conventional. In an exclusive interview with MeetTheBoss.tv in June, he outlined how trends of hiring for intangibles like teamwork, dependability, flexibility, leadership and attitude are more important than hiring for aptitude alone.

"I think the best advice is to rip up job descriptions. I'll probably get struck off my profession for saying that, but the reality is people who have the [wrong] attitude will work against progress, so to me the first thing you do is no different to that that I do in a store level around the country at McDonald's, and that is to hire for attitude. Forget the qualifications, even forget some of the experience; look at the attitude.
"So for me it's about building a team for the attitude. Hire the people who want to progress," he told MeetTheBoss.tv.

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This approach of hiring staff with the right attitude is quickly becoming a trend across all HR. A theory that is endorsed by Jonathan Levy, Attorney and President of Fair Measures, a management training firm: "Why do we often hire the wrong people? We don´t get the right information in the interview. We find out about their abilities, their aptitude, but not about their attitude. As a result, they may be able to adequately go through the motions of their jobs. But that´s all they do - go through the motions. They don´t have their hearts in it."

With his third victory in three years, David Fairhurst has demonstrated that his methods work, and that hiring for the right attitude is a proven method to drive for success.

For the full MeetTheBoss interview, click here.

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Top 10 Places To Live in America

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0100

There are several intangibles that factor into an idyllic, suburban, American dream, but it appears the most important factors revolve around good schools, bountiful job opportunities, safe streets and a little touch of charm.

Below is a list of the Top 10 places to live in America, as written my CNN.

10. Rogers, AR
Right next door to retail behemoth WalMart, many executives move to the Arkasas town of Rogers, giving it a cosmopolitan feel. There are also top-notch schools and outdoor activities, including swimming and wakeboarding on the town's two lakes, and golfing on its five courses.

9. Ames, IA
Unemployment in Ames stands at just 4.3 percent thanks to Iowa State University, which employs 9000 and many other biotech and agriculture jobs nearby. Besides cultural and athletic offerings the town boasts 36 parks, a bustling shopping district and a new aquatic center.

8. Fishers, IN
Fishers offers a winning combination of low-cost houses, easy access to the big city and good schools. And it's booming. Development abounds and 1600 jobs were created last year alone with major employees including Sallie Mae and Roche Diagnostics.

7. Overland Park, KS
Schools, 300-acre arboretum and botanical garden, a biweekly farmers market and a brand new 12-field soccer complex are just some of the draws of this Kansas City suburb.

6. Fort Collins, CO
With 29 miles of well-used cycle trails in the foothills of Colorado's Front Range this is a great place to live if you want to spend time on your bike. Likewise, the town has become a high-end microbrew mecca, so pack your bag if that's more your thing. The one thing hurting this idyllic town however, is the schools. The state sliced public school budgets this year, laying off 139 full-time employees in Fort Collins' Poudre School District.

5. McKinney, TX
At number five, McKinney near Dallas has low crime, affordable homes and good jobs. It also has a lovingly restored downtown with 19th century buildings housing restaurants, boutiques and galleries. While the town has grown massively over the past decade, the community is still tree-filled and surrounded by ponds, parks and hiking trails.

4. Bellevue, WA
Bellevue's compact downtown is packed with new skyscrapers that hover above Lake Washington and when the clouds part, mountain views are beautiful. The jobless rate is more than two points below that of the Seattle metro area, thanks to a recent influx of jobs from Microsoft, T-Mobile, Verizon and Expedia. The town's high schools are also consistently at the top of state rankings.

3. Newton, MA
Full of New England charm, Newton is less than 45 minutes away from downtown Boston and is loaded with pedestrian friendly shopping, districts, parks and playgrounds. It's not perfect however; this community comes with a hefty price tag: a three-bedroom house runs at almost $600,000.

2. Columbia/Ellicott City, MD
Boasting grand homes, and 18th century downtown and lots of restaurants, Columbia offers a wide range of housing, tons of parkland and a major music venue. This duo is also an economic powerhouse, with unemployment standing at 5.2 percent. Excellent schools and a diverse population make this a great family location.

1. Eden Prairie, MN
Why is Eden Prairie number one? Not only is it friendly, but is has just a 5.1 percent unemployment rate, which is nearly one percentage point below the county rate and four points below the national average. With a population of 64,000 and 50,000 jobs right in town, it's got to help. Major employers include, C H Robinson, a trucking company, hearing-aid maker Starkey Labs and the Minnesota Vikings. The town is also in a fantastic location with 17 lakes, for year-round swimming and ice skating and town parks making up 125 miles of running, hiking and biking trails.

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Creating the Best Environment To Work

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0100

Kevin Grossman, Principal at Glowan Consulting Group believes that creating a best place to work isn't just about seeing your company's name in a list, but rather about improving your competitive position and reaping an extremely compelling set of organizational benefits including greater profitability, improved productivity and better retention of top talent.

According to the Great Place To Work Institute, which produces Fortune's annual 100 best Companies to Work For List, the benefits of creating a best place to work include: better financial performance and better preparation to weather economic downturns; higher profitability and productivity; higher levels of customer satisfaction; greater innovation, creativity and risk taking; a reduction in the negative effects of stress on employees; and, enhanced public perception as an organization trusted by clients and customers.

Organizations that make Fortune's annual "100 Best" list are among the most successful businesses in their sectors with revenues and market positions that can only be won by superior performance. These are organizations where employees are inspired to give their best, to collaborate and perform to the highest standards day-in and day-out. Earning a spot on the list means these organizations have scored well in terms of management's credibility, employees' job satisfaction and camaraderie. They also excel in the areas of hiring practices, diversity and communication. Yes, pay and benefits are part of the equation but earning the designation "best place to work" clearly encompasses much more.

Work-life culture is critical to reputation as a best place to work. Follow these nine essential elements of excellence, developed by the Center for Work and Family at Boston College, for a culture and a reputation that work hand in hand.

1. Leadership: Organizational leaders recognize the complementary importance of work and life priorities for the success of the business and integrate his approach to build a supportive work environment

2. Strategy: The work-life strategic plan supports the vision, goals and priorities of the organization and its employees

3. Infrastructure: The organization actively supports work-life strategies through a systemic (proactive, integrated and ongoing) rather than programmatic approach

4. Accountability: Management of work and personal life effectiveness is a shared responsibility between the employer and the employee, for which both are held accountable

5. Relationship building: The organization promotes a culture built on relationships of respect and mutual prosperity with its employee and community partners

6. Communication: The organization's work-life strategy and resources are consistently and effectively promoted in communications, both internal and external

7. Measurement: The organization strives for continuous improvement of work-life through ongoing measurement of its work-life strategies, including: evaluation, assessment, feedback and response

8. Career/Life planning: Career-life planning helps individuals integrate personal and professional goals with their values and life purpose. This section assesses the level of education and assistance that the organization provides to the individual in taking ownership and a proactive stance toward managing his or her work-life integration

9. Skills of work-life professionals: The individuals in the organization who are responsible for work-life initiatives and strategies have the skills necessary to influence organizational leaders and infuse a work-life perspective throughout the organization's culture and systems

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Social media jobs still in high demand

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:12:00 +0100

While most professions continue to struggle in the gloomy jobs market, exclusive figures from PeoplePerHour.com have revealed today's most in-demand skill - the social media consultant.

Job postings on PeoplePerHour.com for ‘Twitter consultants' have jumped more than 300 percent this year as increasing numbers of businesses recognise the value of using social medias like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as an integral part of their marketing plans.

"We're seeing increasing demand for social media experts to oversee the Twitter feeds and Facebook pages of a very wide variety of companies," said PeoplePerHour.com founder Xenios Thrasyvoulou.

"It's a profession that's likely to continue to grow. The feedback we're getting from the small business sector suggests that if companies aren't paying attention to social medias, they're missing significant marketing and sales opportunities."

PeoplePerHour.com's findings highlight how British businesses are rapidly incorporating social media into their marketing plans, but leading social media consultants are warning they lag behind their competitors from the other side of the Atlantic.

"We're six to 12 months behind American companies," observed Tony Wood, a freelance social media consultant from Norwich.

"In the US, around 90 percent of the top companies are really serious about social media and have invested in the infrastructure to make things happen.

"Here, it's improving rapidly, but only around half of the FTSE 100 companies are proactively harnessing social media outlets. And when you get down to SMEs, it drops down to around a quarter."

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From 2011 employer healthcare costs expected to rise by 9%

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:12:00 +0100

According to forecasts released on Monday, employers in the US can expect to pay nine percent more for their employees' healthcare costs in 2011.

The announcement could prove bad news for employees: according to the report from consulting group Hewitt Associates, an estimated 60 percent of employers will expect employees to cover around 12 percent of the increased healthcare costs. Given that the average salary raise is likely to hover in the vicinity of three percent for 2011, employees will see a subsequent decrease to their income.

According to the Hewitt report, the cause of the rise in healthcare and medical costs is due in part to America's ageing population, but also a direct result of the US healthcare reform. The latter has caused a real stir in political and non-political circles since President Obama announced the changes earlier this year, and is still a thorn in Obama's side as the November congressional elections approach and voters learn they must wait for promised savings to come into effect.

Calculating the cost of reform

Reuters have calculated the fiscal effect of the report, and projected that average health care cost per employee will rise to $9,821 in 2011, up from $9,028 in 2010. Employees will pay $2,209, or 22.5 percent of the total premium, up 12.4 percent from 2010.

"After 18 months of waiting for healthcare reform to play out, employers find themselves in a very challenging cost position for 2011," Ken Sperling, Hewitt's health care practice leader, said in a statement.

In a more detailed breakdown of the growing costs, IndustryWeek confirm that other rising costs are due in part to employers moving toward pre-managed care benefit design by increasing deductibles and replacing co-pays with co-insurance, drugs representing about $26 billion in annual sales are expected to go off patent in 2011, including the world's best-selling drug, Lipitor, and COBRA subsidies passed by Congress in 2009 created a one percent increase in the medical cost trend, and costs are expected to return to more normal levels in 2011.

IndustryWeek do highlight that the biggest inflation of healthcare costs is due to the rising cost of hospital treatment and physician costs, which account for 83 percent of premium costs.

"Health reform delivers only a minor impact on the underlying medical cost trends in 2011 and introduces hundreds of changes in the healthcare system designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in the long-term," said Kelly A. Barnes, U.S. health industries leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "These changes could bring significant new cost savings opportunities for employers and payers as well as new choices and transparency for workers buying insurance."

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Gender segregation not improving

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:26:00 +0100

A recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C. has outlined how professions are still dominated by particular sexes, although it does suggest that women are making progress within some previously male dominated professions whilst other professions are seeing increasingly less women than 20 years ago.

The study outlines how the percentage of women has increased in several professions including law, which has seen a rise of female lawyers from four percent in 1972 to 32.2 percent in 2009. However some sectors have seen a considerable decrease in female representation; female computer programmers have fallen from 33 percent to 21 percent, and from 13 percent of civil engineers in 2005 to just over seven percent in 2009.

However according to Index of Dissimilarity, overall progress towards equity has stalled since 1996, 95 percent of kindergarten teachers, librarians, dental assistants and registered nurses.

Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research said:
"It is very likely that the stalled progress in integrating the labor market is contributing to the failure of the wage gap to close."

The study also highlighted that women traditionally require a higher level of education to achieve the same positions and salaries as their male counterpart.
Ariane Hegewisch, a study director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research explained:

"All workers are likely to do better if they have at least some post-secondary school qualifications. Yet while it is still possible without college to earn a decent wage in some male-dominated occupations, the same is not true in female-dominated occupations. Almost as important as getting a qualification, however, is the field in which you qualify. A speech language pathologist - an occupation that is predominantly female - on average makes US$1153 per week, compared with a pharmacist - an occupation nearly half female - who receives median earnings of US$1841, a difference of close to US$700 for a week of full-time work."

Policy makers need to pay attention to the stalled progress in gender desegregation. Occupational segregation carries costs for the economy and employers by exacerbating skill shortages and causing reduced productivity. It also costs working families. Particularly in low-skilled jobs, working in an occupation predominantly held by women instead of one held by men, may be the difference between earning a poverty wage and earning a family supporting wage," said Robert Drago, research director for the Institute for Women's Policy Research.

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Organizing the chaos in HR

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:14:00 +0100

Recent reports show that unemployment within the United States has improved very little over the last quarter. Figures show that unemployment is hovering around 14.9 million, which equates to an unemployment rate of just under 10 percent. The large number is indicative of the current global economic climate which has shrunk working opportunities and left 1 in ten of the working population out of work.

A common fault by many organizations is to organize change when implementing a new strategy even though today's volatile economy leaves little room for error. The NG HR committee feels there are clear reasons for these struggles; for most companies a change in management means altering organizational structures and processes. They rarely ask staff about how willing they are to make changes, which, the majority of the time, they are not.

"[CEOs and managers] must realize that by nature people are wary of change. They must be careful about making difficult decisions and pace the changes. When implementing a new structure there is a need for a gradual process to shape the system."

John McGuire - Center for Creative Leadership, who is currently in attendance at the NG HR US Summit, spoke on ‘transforming your leadership culture'. He believes that too many changes with management initiatives can prove detrimental to morale.
"Our work with clients around the world has shown that there is a hierarchy of organizational cultures. Each advancing culture is more capable of dealing with the kind of complexity and ambiguity that typify our world today. But if an organization's current leaders have not developed the right beliefs and practices - in other words, the right culture - to work across divisional boundaries, they'll rarely change successfully. When they get it right, however, every dollar invested in leadership development yields results and organizational impact that far exceeds expectations," He said.

John was also joined by Hard Rock International - Kim Creighton, VP HR, Madison Square Garden - Dwight Tierney, SVP HR and Administration, Time Warner Inc - Maggie Ruby Lynch, SVP Worldwide Recruitment and Virgin Atlantic Airways LTD, Frances Fiorillo, SVP People. Although talks are still in progress at the NG HR US summit it seems that all are in agreement although change is on the horizon it will be managing it that proves who will be successful and who will be creating organized chaos.

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