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 Article: Employers: Take Action to Comply with New Legislation
Article: Improving Performance-The Five-Step Plan
 White Paper: Why Smart Employees Underperform
 HR Humor:Fun Jokes for the Day
Webcast: Learning Solutions - A New Approach to Making Organizational Training Stick!
 Podcast: Procrastination/Delayed Decision Making
HR 180: Brain Teaser Interview Questions
What's New? The Latest in HR Software and Services
• Recruitment & Staffing
• Compensation & Benefits
• Talent Management
• Training & Development
Article: Employers: Take Action to Comply with New Legislation
Source: Advantec
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
April is here and the Department of Labor ("DOL") regulatory requirements to support the 2009 economic stimulus legislation are having a significant impact on small and mid-sized businesses. Do you know what is required to comply with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("ARRA")?
Consider that terminated employees may be eligible for a COBRA subsidy, even if they were terminated prior to the creation of the Act in February 2009. Do you know how to properly inform terminated employees of this new eligibility? Are you concerned about how you will recover the subsidy from the government?
Are you aware of the "Making Work Pay" tax credit for employees? Have you updated your withholding calculations to reflect the reduction in federal withholding taxes? Is your company compliant with CHIPRA?
If you are a typical American business, right now you are focused on growing your business in a challenging economic climate and on holding on to your existing customer base. The unpleasant surprise behind this significant piece of legislation is that getting this support to the American worker will place a considerable burden on you, the employer.
Article: Improving Performance-The Five-Step Plan
Source: Kevin Herring, president, Ascent Management Consulting, Ltd.
When we go to a doctor for a health problem, the doctor will ask a few questions, poke us where it hurts, and often write a prescription for whatever ails us. In a few days, all will be well again. If the doctor doesn't bother to examine us, and simply prescribes the same treatment for everyone, we head for a second opinion. With no examination, how would the doctor diagnose our problem and know how to treat it? Yet, when employees have performance problems, we act like the doctor who thinks everyone has a headache and needs an aspirin. We sit down with them, tell them they're not getting the job done, and prescribe the same solution for all - punishment or threats - expecting that, somehow, they will get better. With a little more skill and effort, we might discover the real basis for most performance problems and create solutions that give us much better results. To help struggling workforce performance doctors, we've developed a simple plan for examining, diagnosing, and solving most performance problems. It's called the Five-Step Plan.
Step One: The "Ahhh" Test
This is fairly simple. Have the troubled employee sit on a chair in front of you, open his mouth, and say what he knows about the business. If all he can say is "ahhh" or "uhhh," he definitely has a problem that will affect his performance. A healthy employee will be able to tell you about your products and services in some detail as well as describe how the work is performed. He should be able to tell you what you are competing against and explain how well your business is doing. If your employee shows any sign of weakness during this task, you should begin remedial treatment immediately with a liberal regimen of business learning until he or she can pass this test.
For more go to:
White Paper: Why Smart Employees Underperform
Source: Profiles International
We've all been there. After an extensive and thorough search for a line manager, one candidate stands out. You hired the qualified individual, only to find there is a disconnect with the new employee. This report offers strategies to address:
- Inadequate capabilities
- Poor job fit
- Unclear goals and accountabilities
- Poor relationship with manager
- Poor relationship with co-workers
- Health and wellness issues
- Physical and environmental factors
HR Humor: Fun Jokes for the Day
Source: Laughter is the Best Medicine II, A Laugh-Out-Loud Collection
The employee stormed angrily into the cashier's office.
"What's the meaning of this? I just counted my pay and it's a dollar short!"
The cashier examined the envelope, and then checked his records.
"Last week we paid you a dollar more. You didn't complain then, did you?"
"Look," said the employee. "An occasional mistake I can overlook – but two in a row is too much."
A not-too-bright candidate for the police force failed in the written
examination. Since he was the Chief's nephew, the examiner decided to go easy on him with the oral test.
"Who shot Abraham Lincoln?" asked the examiner.
The candidate pondered for a moment and then asked if he could have
sometime to come up with the answer. The examiner told him to come back the next morning.
When the would-be recruit went home, his wife asked, "Well, how did it go? Did you get the job?"
"I think so," he replied. "They have already got me working on a case."
Webcast: Learning Solutions - A New Approach to Making Organizational Training Stick!
Source: Lisa Bull for Ceridian Canada
Corporate-sponsored learning is rated as one of the most effective employee-retention tools available. High quality, innovative learning programs position your organization as an "Employer of Choice" and help motivate and retain top performers while reducing turnover costs. Industry-leading learning and development opportunities increase employee engagement and loyalty, resulting in a skilled and more productive workforce. The results translate into positive impact on the financial success of the entire organization.
Podcast: Procrastination/Delayed Decision Making
Source: Cynthia Kyriazis, president, Productivity Partners, Inc.
Join Cynthia Kyriazis in this two-minute podcast as she offers insight into delayed decision making and suggests practical ideas to help overcome this potential career-ending habit.
HR180: Brain Teaser Interview Questions
Source: glassdoor.com
A fun, inside look at brainteaser interview questions and process details for 39 companies.
Contribute to News for HR!
Want to get published? To submit your article, white paper, webcast or other HR-related content (including interesting non-fiction and non-HR related material for our HR 180 column) for consideration in News for HR, please send an email to newsforhr@hrmarketer.com with a link to your content. |
What's New? The Latest in HR Software and Services
* Please note that the editorial team at News for HR does not recommend or endorse any of the companies or products mentioned in our newsletter. We also cannot support any claims made by the respective companies. These are products and services we have found interesting and are sharing with our readership. If you have any experience with these companies you would like to share with us, we'd love to hear from you!
Recruitment & Staffing:
Prolucent™ Workforce Management is a new tool that delivers a unique combination of web-based vendor management, staff scheduling, strategic sourcing, and active staffing agency management services. These capabilities can be used to complement or transform clinical staffing processes. The company's suite of software and services enable healthcare providers to optimize their workforce by identifying and deploying the right staff for the right shift at the right time. Visit their site for more information.
Compensation & Benefits:
Employers nationwide are recognizing that the federal government intends to expand and strengthen Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) authority, and ensure strict adherence to industry-specific guidelines. National claims and risk management service provider Avizent is expanding its in-house Loss Control program to serve clients nationwide. They will work in conjunction with Atlanta-based Risk Consultants, Inc. (RCI) to provide site-specific evaluations as well as web-based training programs. The team's Loss Control services will focus on helping businesses to achieve regulatory compliance and create the safest possible work environment for their employees. Read the release here.
Talent Management:
Through new social media resources and an iPhone app, The TRACOM Group offers research, whitepapers, insights and specific tips to help professionals more effectively and productively work with others. TRACOM's social media channels include Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter and can be accessed here.
Training & Development:
konekme introduced a tool designed specifically to ensure that each year you articulate your high-level corporate vision and goals, and translate these into specific actions and behaviors for every employee. And, most importantly, it aligns individual objectives and behaviors with annual corporate goals. Please visit their site for more information.
About "News For HR"
"News for HR" is a monthly newsletter profiling new products and services in the human resource marketplace and timely articles on various HR topics. The newsletter's content is selected by our editorial committee and is not the result of paid advertising.
Most of the content comes from the Human Resources Directory - one of the HR industry's largest and most up-to-date knowledge centers with a library of over 2,000 white papers, webcasts, podcasts, articles and more. Please let us know how we are doing by e-mailing newsforhr@hrmarketer.com.
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Stat of the Day
Recognition Equals Retention
Source: Spectrum Human Resource Systems Corp.
According to Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, authors of The Carrot Principle, 79 percent of employees who leave their jobs do so because they don't feel appreciated.
In a 10–year study of 200,000 managers and employees, Gostick and Elton found that managers who use recognition effectively have lower turnover rates, have better business results and are seen as stronger leaders in the authors' "Basic Four" areas of leadership: goal–setting, communication, trust and accountability.
Of employees polled who were happiest at their jobs, 94.4 percent said their managers effectively recognized good work.
Of employees with low morale, 56 percent said their managers failed to recognize their contributions. Only 2.4 percent of those with low morale said their managers were "great" at recognition.
For the full story, you can click here.
Quick Tips
Could Your Handbook Use Some More Profanity?
Source: Sam Naris for HR Blunders
No one likes working with a jerk. But here's a company that's taking serious measures to keep them away.
New hires at SuccessFactors, a software firm based in San Mateo, CA, are required to sign off on a list of 15 corporate principles.
Number 15: "I will not be an a–hole."
CEO Lars Dalgaard implemented that policy after years of corporate experience taught him that jerks (as we'll call them) "stifle performance," he told the San Francisco Chronicle. As for the harsh language, he said the rule would be easier to ignore without it.
What also makes the rule tough to ignore is that Dalgaard isn't afraid to enforce it. One time, he took a group of job candidates out to lunch at a local restaurant. Those who weren't friendly to the wait staff weren't brought back to continue the interview process.
Read more here.
Did You Know?
Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette
Source: MindTools.com
Dress
Deciding what to wear when you're on business in a foreign country can be difficult. Get it right, and you'll be accepted. Get it wrong, and you could lose respect - or even lose the deal you're trying to close.
In some countries, the clothes you wear don't mean much at all. In others, clothes can make a powerful statement about who you are. Know the attitudes in the country you'll visit. This is critical to knowing how to dress.
Here are some examples:
United States
Here, business dress is generally formal on the East Coast, but much more casual on the West Coast. However, be sure to check on the company you're visiting - many have changed to "business casual" dress.
Japan
It's best to dress conservatively, no matter which region of Japan you visit. Men should wear dark suits and ties, and women should have very minimal jewelry and makeup.
Colombia
This is the exact opposite of Japan. Because of their warm climate, business dress is much more casual. Colombians tend to notice detail, and they WILL notice what you're wearing. In this country, it's best to dress professionally, but with style.
Spain
Spaniards can be all about status. They want to see top-quality, conservative clothing. Brand names and designers are important here, so spending more on your wardrobe will probably be noticed. Women business travelers should not show a lot of skin - even outside of work. Remember, be elegant and conservative.
China
Avoid bright colors. Suits should be dark and conservative. Women are advised to wear flatter shoes, not high heels.
Conversation
The art of conversation can be tricky in a new country. Often, what you don't say is just as important as what you do say, and different cultures approach conversation in very different ways.
Consider these examples:
Switzerland
Swiss people can often be quite quiet. They're excellent listeners, and they remember almost everything that you tell them. It's wise, however, not to ask them personal questions about their lives, occupations, religions, or families. They tend to be private and reserved, and they open up only after they've known you for a while.
Chile
Chileans can be the exact opposite. They love talking about themselves, and a great way to establish relationships is to become familiar with their country's history. Chileans are often very patriotic, and you'll be a popular guest if you show some knowledge about their past and their economy.
United States
It's common for Americans to ask people what they do for a living. In many countries, this is considered an offensive question - but here, it's a typical conversation starter. Generally, Americans love to laugh, and a great way to establish a connection with people is to tell jokes, especially about work-related issues. However, avoid any jokes about gender, religion, or politics.
For more, visit the full article here.
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