Retain Your Older Workers (It’s Good for Business)

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, more than half of workers over age 60 plan to continue working in some capacity after retiring from their current career. I've read about the “graying of the workforce” and the impending “brain drain” for years, and it's easy to be overwhelmed by the topic's sheer magnitude. And while it might be your first instinct to think that the shift is toward part-time work, the population of individuals over 65 who are pursuing full-time work has been on the rise for years. Today I'd like to share a short anecdote to help illustrate how this can play out in the real world and to teach a lesson in retaining older workers.

The Risk of Employee Retirement

When I was working as an HR Director several years back, an employee called me and told me he planned to quit. When pressed, he admitted that he liked the job and his coworkers, but he wanted to spend time with his grandchildren and pursue some hobbies.

At the time, several things were running through my head simultaneously: Continue reading →

HR Compensation Challenges: Getting Managers On Board

Recently I asked for some help in preparing for a local session on HR compensation challenges. I had some good responses and wanted to share some of the insights and advice with everyone. I’ll be sharing two blogs on the topic: determining what to offer employees and how to get managers on board. 

The second most cited HR compensation challenge faced is how to keep managers in line and/or get managers on board with decisions. In the video below I discuss some of the ways to accomplish that. A few ideas:

  • Do you have a written compensation policy or process? When I started putting things in writing with clear instructions it helped to reduce issues.
  • Also, it helps to explain the structure/process because not all managers understand how compensation “works.”
  • Give them a sense of the budget, what decisions are made, how a single change affects others, and what your responsibilities are to ensure accurate information across the company.
  • Above all else, be a partner, not just a gatekeeper. Explain how the guidelines aren’t there to give them a hard time–they’re there to protect them, the budget, and the company.

Continue reading →

Employee Compensation Challenges: Determining What to Offer

Recently I asked for some help in preparing for a local session on employee compensation challenges. I had some good responses and wanted to share some of the insights and advice with everyone. I’ll be sharing two blogs on the topic: determining what to offer employees and how to get managers on board. 

The number one response that HR professionals said was most difficult was figuring out what to offer. In the video I talk about some of the key ways to determine that information, including using local salary surveys for the cheapest and most accurate information. I would encourage companies to avoid using free, unverified tools like salary.com for building compensation structures. In addition, I discuss the importance of having an overarching compensation strategy to drive decisions from a high level. Check it out!

Employee compensation challenges video

(email subscribers click through to view) Continue reading →

How to Get 45+ Free HRCI Credits for the PHR or SPHR

This week I connected with a wonderful person who shared something that I just had to plug here. You know I’m a fan of certification and the benefits it can bring to your career. But once that certification is done you have that teensy, minor detail of getting 60 credit hours in order to recertify every three years.

Truth be told, many of us scramble at the last minute to get them in (or just to collect the information if we already attended enough events–goodness we can be so disorganized with our own professional development!) But what if I told you there’s a way to get 80% of the credits you need for your next recertification. For free. Over the Web. From the comfort of your home or office.

Yeah, I knew that would get your attention. :-)

free hrci credits hcm academyMay I introduce you to Ultimate Software’s HCM Online Academy? Let’s get you two acquainted. Continue reading →

Speeding Up Selection, Rewards, Training (and HR in General)

ricky bobby go fastThe other day I received an email from UPitch. It’s basically like Tinder for PR pitches. Still not sure? Here’s the gist:

You open the app and see a pitch. Then you have two options:

  • You don’t like it, don’t care, or generally are disinterested, then you swipe it left off the screen and see the next one (anonymously).
  • You like it and want to know more, you swipe it right and connect with the PR professional behind the pitch to begin the conversation.

What’s the point? Speed. Within a minute you can swipe through a dozen that are irrelevant to you personally and find the one or two that you want to pursue.

Taking the Leap

Continue reading →

The Front Line Leader (Video Book Review)

the front line leaderRecently I read The Front Line Leader by Chris Van Gorder while I was on a flight. Usually when I’m flying I take something fun/entertaining to keep my attention, but I needed to knock down my review pile so I grabbed this one.

I’m so glad I did.

I read it from cover to cover and made dozens of notes as I did. In short: this book is one of the best and most interesting that I have read in several years. It highlights Chris’ role as the CEO of Scripps Health Network and how he leads the organization, some of the practices they use, and loads of other interesting things about this innovative organization. Get your own copy.

The Front Line Leader Video Review

(email subscribers click through to view the video)  Continue reading →

Five Ways to Assess a Business's Training Needs

assess training needsIf you've been tasked with conducting a training and development program, it's important to look at the issue from all angles. This involves taking a deeper look at the role that each individual plays in the organization, and where there are gaps in the current employee training program. Here are five areas to focus on as you examine the organization's training needs.

1. Analyze the organizational goals

One of the primary ways to identify a business's training needs is by looking at the organization's goals and strategies. An organizational assessment takes a deeper look at what these goals and objectives area, and how effective the team currently is at the moment. You can also look at the history of employee training and if it made any measurable changes in the organization's performance. The purpose of this type of assessment is to help you see the bigger picture, forecasting where training would be required and how effective it would be.

2. Conduct a work or task assessment Continue reading →