Guest Article: We Only Need One HR Policy by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I’ve been in human resources for twenty years. I’ve written, revised, edited, printed, emailed, posted and leveraged policies to make decisions over and over again. Too many times following the policies morphed into the focus of the work…instead of the work being the focus of the work.

Sound familiar?

We Need A Policy for “That”

My favorite policy of all time is the “policy on policies.” You know the one. It describes the proper format, headers, indentations, when to bold and not to bold, etc. Argh!

How has such a high impact function in the organization devolved into a paper pushing bureaucratic machine? 

It’s as if we in human resources believe we are the core business, when in fact we are the engine that fuels the core business. I’ve even seen policies called “Policy on ___.” 

Seriously? We love them so much we even put the word policy first! 

All for One and One for All

Here’s where I'm going with this concept. The noise, criticism, and candidly glacier-like movement that typically comes from HR relative to change must end. The one-policy approach can send a powerful message to the organization, that no longer will human resources hide behind a stack of excuses…er, paper…any longer.

Here's my human resources policy of the future:

“We will follow all applicable laws that impact our organization and will treat each team member with respect as we strive to be a truly world class company.”

Done.

How About You

One policy says it all. The only piece you need to ensure you keep track of is the consistent practices for various issues so as to avoid unwarranted discrimination or third party claims. Let’s start moving away from the paper, and get into the business of driving the business forward.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - We Only Need One HR Policy»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: NZ employment update: First fall in three years by Ross Clennett

Yesterday the most recent quarterly update for employment in New Zealand was released (Statistics New Zealand publishes labour market data quarterly, whereas the Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes the equivalent data monthly). The result was the first backward step in the New Zealand labour market in three years. Category Sept 2015 (000s) 3 month
Article source:Ross Clennett - NZ employment update: First fall in three years»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

4 Economic Alternatives to Dismissing an Employee

Whether your company is under-resourced or an employee is constantly under-performing, there comes a time where it is inevitable that businesses lay-off employees. However, you may be surprised that sometimes this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. If you are considering letting someone go, make sure you consider these 4 points to ensure you are not losing a valuable employee unnecessarily.

1. Reassigning

Just because an employee that does not perform well in their current position does not mean they are a ‘bad’ employee or lacking in capability. It may simply be a mismatch between person-job fit. Before firing an employee, consider alternative positions that they are a better fit for. Please note, that this is not a suggestion to move a ‘poor performer’ to another department, but rather an instruction to look and see if there truly is a position they would be well suited for. If you decide to reassign the employee to another role, to ensure a smooth transition, it is advisable to give the employee’s new manager some recommendations on strategies that have been successful in the past and highlight the strengths you believe the individual possesses.

2. Retraining

If an employee cannot perform their tasks, they may require additional training to build their capability in a certain area. If the employee wasn’t thoroughly trained and educated, or if their job description has changed significantly since they were recruited, they may not have the necessary skills to meet expectations. If this is the case, re-training or upskilling the current employee is more cost effective than recruiting, on-boarding or training a new employee for the role. Conducting an assessment on whether an employee requires further training will provide a good indication of their skills, and can assist in deciding if they have the right resources for the job.

3. Performance Improvement Plan

Performance plans are a great way to set expectations and clarify objectives. You could set a 30, 60 or 90 day plan. Your performance plan should state the specific performance areas to be improved; it is also helpful to provide examples where possible. State the level of work performance expected and the timeframes of deliverables. Identify and specify the support and resources that you will provide and notify them of additional resources available. Ensure the employee is clear about the measures you will be using to review their performance and progress. Monitor the plan, and communicate your feedback to the employee at specified meeting times.

4. Disciplinary Action

Given there are many legislative requirements to consider when an employee misbehaves, it is advisable to have a Disciplinary Action Plan that may be utilised when counter-productive work behaviours occur. It is important that employees are aware of what behaviour is unacceptable and are fully aware of the consequences of engaging in such behaviours. Some disciplinary actions may involve a form of counselling or training sessions, warnings, or suspension from work.


There are of course preventative measures that are time and cost effective. Many revolve around recruiting the right employee for the role and the organisation. Our partner company Psych Press has many Talent Management Solutions which can be tailored to suit your company’s needs. If you need any advice, give one of their helpful consultants a call on (03) 9670 0590.

Guest Article: 23 Leadership Essays via @LeadChangeGroup by Jennifer Miller

The Lead Change Group is hosting this month’s Leadership Development Carnival. In it, you’ll find over 20 leadership authors, consultants and coaches who wrote about various leadership topics, including:

• Leaders who have “real” conversations
• Helping people avoid the “drama” that sometimes needlessly occurs in the workplace
• How to lead people, even when they irritate you
• Leaders who develop a listening culture

. . . and 19 more insightful essays.

 

Check it out: the November 2015 Leadership Development Carnival on the Lead Change blog.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 23 Leadership Essays via @LeadChangeGroup»

Guest Article: Stop Wasting Time Measuring HR Data by Ben

Please. For goodness sake, please stop measuring HR data.

See, I know why you’re doing it. You heard this “big data” thing it was a good idea, and you started gathering information. Then you realized how easy it was, so you started pulling together even more from a variety of sources. You’re hitting up your applicant tracking system, payroll system, and other data feeds to get what you want. I know, it’s hard to stop.

But then you did what many others do–nothing. You took all that information and you sat on it.

Why?

Because you didn’t slow down and start with a plan. You need to know ahead of time (or at least have a general idea) about how the information can help you. If you’re gathering data for the sake of gathering data, then you are wasting time and resources, and you’re probably harming your credibility as well.

On the other hand, if you started with a plan to associate the data with business outcomes to actually prove a point, then carry on. I hope you make better decisions and deliver more value to the business based on what information you’re pulling together.

A quick test

Here’s a quick test to help you figure out what data is valuable and which is not.

• Learning: what is more valuable in business terms, measuring training completions or measuring changed behaviors based on the training?
• Payroll: what is more valuable to the organization, calculating how many zip codes employees live in or calculating how many have benefits and how that number trends over time?
• Employee relations: how about this? Should you measure the number of sexual harassment complaints or how many disagreements you mediate between supervisors and staff?

Here’s the twist. I could easily make the case that any of these could be valuable in specific circumstances. But if you are truly looking at how your training is changing the organization and making people work smarter, then completion information just isn’t enough to do that.

The thing is, many people just gather data without any idea of how to use it. Your needs are different from those of every other organization, so something others might ignore could be incredibly valuable in helping your employer meet its goals and vice versa.

Think about the information you gather and report. Is it truly impacting the business, or is it just a “we’ve always done it” kind of activity? When I think back to the data I reported on at my last job, some of it was valuable, and some of it was a complete waste of time. And it was rarely used for decision-making, which made it doubly painful.

For instance, I had to regularly report on turnover numbers, but we never took the time to review them by team or functional role, which might have given us some insight into what was driving turnover for those specific positions.

We need to be thinking about what we gather and report on more critically. Stop gathering data just for the sake of it. Start with a purpose in mind before you piece together the first bits of information, or “begin with the end in mind,” as Mr. Covey would say.

Hope that helps. Lessons learned from someone who did it the wrong way the first time around. :-)

Article source:Ben - Stop Wasting Time Measuring HR Data»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: End Your Week On A Positive Note by Melissa Fairman

 

I just wrapped up my week on an incredibly positive note at the Northeast Ohio Women’s Leadership Conference.   I realize the “incredibly” in that sentence is redundant but it fits.  The conference featured women in leadership positions from a variety of areas: hospitality, distribution, supply chain, manufacturing and healthcare.  Topics included: executive presence, networking, being the only woman in the room, developing our teams, removing bottlenecks, and of course, pursuing our dreams. Overall,  the day was positive, inspiring and helpful. Speakers offered real advice and resources to help women grow as leaders and people.

 

You can click through the photo’s above to get a feel for the day and in the last photo some of the aftermath, I put a quote from the conference on my office whiteboard, it was too good to pass up! More photo’s and the tweet stream are below:
#wlcneo Tweets

I’ve also been doing some creative things over at PIC.  First,  an article on work/life balance/integration: The Way We Work Has to Change and I was featured on the third episode of our PIC podcast series.  Topics included: gas at work, “voluntary” overtime and why does everyone hate HR. Click below to listen to the full podcast or wander over to Itunes and download for your mobile listening pleasure:

 

 

Article source:Melissa Fairman - End Your Week On A Positive Note»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: Wellness Isn't About the Workplace by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Now before my HR friends get all wound up hear me out. Let’s think for a minute about what wellness is ultimately intended to achieve:

- lower benefit plan costs

- fewer missed days of work; and,

- theoretically a healthier workforce

Let’s be honest. Do you actually believe large employers have launched program after program simply because they felt a passion for the personal health and “wellness” (which is a very odd word if you think about it) of their workforce?

Um, no. It’s capitalism, remember? 

So What Is the Deal?

If any of you are still reading let’s take this a step further. I’m a fitness fanatic. I work out a lot, push myself (too) hard…and eat healthier than I have to. I’m motivated to stay healthy and strong. But it has nothing to do with any workplace program that was ever launched at the organizations where I worked…and I’ve launched some really good ones!

When was the last time you heard a woefully out of shape colleague announce to the team “thank God the company launched that wellness program, now I can finally get healthy!"

Um, never.

In my view there are only two instances when workplace wellness programs make an impact. 

1. Financial incentives are put in place.

2. The employee experiences a personal health crisis or scare.

That’s it. No amount of pedometer propaganda or limited availability of sugary drinks in the cafeteria can come close to the power of money and the fear of dying.

Nothing.

So Why Even Launch Wellness Programs?

The answer here is simple. Once employers understand what the real drivers of these programs are (save money, reward employees who either are motivated by money or literally are scared to death due to their own lack of motivation and now poor physical health) only then can real progress be made.

Be honest with yourself about why these programs are useful.

Align your incentives properly.

Make sure your leaders participate as role models.

How About You

Are you fired up about wellness program that are based on grandiose ideas but in reality are not aligned with what really matters? Make the changes necessary, and get moving. For the minority of employees that will truly embrace your program it will make a world of difference.

And that makes all of it worthwhile.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Wellness Isn't About the Workplace»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR