We get all kinds of interesting questions about HR, talent, and the workplace, and today is no exception. Have your own question? Shoot it in to us and we’ll keep it anonymous!
Can an employee be docked on a yearly/scored performance evaluation for using their paid sick leave benefit for legitimate medical appointments?
Ask almost any business leader, and they’ll tell you that they want their organization to have a culture of learning. However, in today’s discussion, Mark Onisk points out that firms often fail at that “squishy” dream because it’s not well-defined. Simply setting up a learning portal won’t lead to improved results, says Onisk.
In this episode, Ben talks with Mark about the development of learning as a discipline and how it has changed over time. Mark is the Chief Content Officer at Skillsoft, a company that recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In the discussion, Ben and Mark look at how to create durable skills for workers, the biggest mistake to avoid when setting up a learning strategy, and how to get business leaders to prioritize skills development.
If your organization is looking for ways to build a more competitive workforce that is ready for a digital future, this is the episode for you.
Read Mark’s blog on how learning will change in the next five years:Â https://www.skillsoft.com/blog/2018/11/5-ways-corporate-learning-will-change-in-the-next-20-years/
Get the 2019 HCM Trends Report mentioned in the introduction:Â http://lhra.io/blog/2019-hcm-trends-market-size-investment-priorities/
In terms of writing and reading content, I have always been anti-trends. Every year people recycle the same information over and over, and it never really reflects reality.
However, this year I partnered with a team to create a list of real trends for 2019 based on where capital is being invested into HR technology, what the forward-thinking employers in the market are doing, and more. It’s a true look at the trends for the coming 12 months. I hope you enjoy the report below. If you’d like to download a copy just click here.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this important announcement!
Cover design for the new book
This year I’ve written my first book. It’s coming out in North America on December 28th. Since the publisher decided to push it to the end of the month, it’s not a Christmas present–it’s a “let’s start 2019 off with some really cool insights on HR and how technology is enabling us to create more human workplaces” present.
As with all my writing, there’s a good blend of research, fun stories, and examples to make even a book on technology very interesting and actionable!
To encourage you to grab a copy, I’ll be running a special promo. Anyone that buys a book in the presale period will receive a special shirt to commemorate our collective belief that HR is an essential part of the future of work. We’re working on the design right now but it will be sure to get great comments (and plenty of jealousy) from your HR friends if they don’t get in on the presale.
Additionally, for every copy you buy you will get entered into a drawing to win a Human Capital Institute virtual conference pass ($800 value). Buy two copies, double your chances of winning! :-)
Please note: Amazon and other sellers do not send me presale information as the author, so in order to enter the contest and get your shirt I need you to send a copy of your receipt and your preferred shirt size to ben@upstarthr.com no later than December 30th in order to participate. Shirt orders will be made on 12/30 so we may not be able to accommodate late requests.
Note: If you are ordering a batch of 10 or more books for your HR team, your students, your customers, or a local HR chapter or reading club, please let me know and I can try to help with a bulk order to save you some money through the publisher directly.
Questions? Drop a comment below! Thanks in advance for all of your support and I am looking forward to sharing the book with the world!
Human capital plays a critical role in carrying the vision of the company. A team can determine if the company achieves its goal of not. At a time when finding talent is an arduous task, taking a risk is not an option. You want to get the best person for the job. You also want a person you can nurture to be a future leader.
Because of that, you have to consider many factors before making a hire. They include merit, aptitude, temperament, ambition, culture fit, and many other things. Thanks to pre-employment assessments, you can tighten your hiring process to minimize the risk of hiring the wrong person.
You must be wondering how that is possible. Well, keep reading.
Whenever you post a job advert, some candidates get offers from other companies when you are still shortlisting. You can remove the shortlisting stage by introducing pre-employment tests. During such trials, candidates will naturally select themselves out of the running for the position.
The process leaves you with those who score highly. All you have to do is to invite those who qualify for the interview. Unlike the keyword-based shortlisting method, this one is specific to the void you want to fill.
Note from Ben: my wonderful wife, Melanie, recently wrote this as a personal tribute and “thank you” to those veterans closest to our family. She’s taken to doing more writing of late to share personal stories with our kids both now and in the future, and I am always touched by the words she crafts to explain emotions, feelings, and more. Sharing here with her blessing.Â
For 20 years, I selfishly thought as Veteran’s Day as just another day. Another day to miss school and/or work.
I remember the day I received the call. I was in Scottsboro cheering Ben on as his brothers and he competed in a triathlon. My phone rang and it was my mother telling me that my dad had received word that he would be sent to Iraq for a year, possibly longer. I broke down, went and hid in the restroom, and thought of nothing more than my father’s safety.
The time that led up to his deployment was hard. We tried to fit in a lot of family time, but we also kept dreading the day we would have to send him off.
Eventually, we all gathered at the airport, hugging him tightly. Then he boarded his plane and was gone.
We coped as best we could. We stopped watching the news, avoided newspapers, and continued to pray for his safety.
We received letters, emails, phone calls, and pictures. Technology has come so far. We didn’t have him home, but we heard from him often.
Thankfully he remained safe during the full term of his deployment, but things at home didn’t go as hoped. His mother was suffering from cancer, and we knew her days on earth were numbered. He received personal leave to come home, but when he arrived, she no longer was responding to us. She soon passed away.
Also during this time, my sister had to have an emergency c-section due to preeclampsia. My niece was born not breathing, but was revived. She was taken to a NICU at another hospital while my sister recovered in the ICU where she delivered. Things were very scary. We kept these details from him until we knew they were both going to be okay.
My point is that not only are our military men and women put in harm’s way, they miss so much family time when they are away. Instead of thinking of today as just another normal day, make it a point to thank a Veteran.
To those veterans both stateside and abroad, we thank you for your service from the bottom of our hearts.Â
