HR Industry Brief

How you hire makes a difference. A new survey, for instance, suggests that the negative impact of a bad hire was worse during the pandemic:

• 64% of senior managers say a bad hire had a more negative impact than usual during the pandemic.
• 76% say they had recruited the wrong candidate for a job; and this led to time wasted on hiring and training, decreased productivity, and increased stress.
• Survey respondents say it took up to 16 weeks to realize a hire was a poor match, dismiss that person, and hire someone new.
• Managers say that dealing with a bad hire creates a “ripple effect” throughout the organization and creates problems such as poor morale, errors/mistakes, and lower productivity.

A new COVID-19 Honors Program is designed to recognize employees in long-term care facilities who have demonstrated strength and courage throughout the pandemic. The program, established by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, includes three categories:

• Individuals who work in a long term care facility where there was a COVID outbreak.
• COVID survivors.
• Staff members who passed away from COVID.

• Pin and letter of recognition.
• Medal and letter of recognition.
• Medal and U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.

Working for Steve Jobs was no picnic, but his former assistant offers some tips that can help us all feel better and experience less burnout:

• Remember that your manager’s job isn’t to make you feel good. Challenging you to do your best is. However, if you are working hard and being unfairly criticized, speak up. And ask for additional guidance or training that may help.
• Our wellbeing drives our success. Your greatest wealth is your physical and emotional health. Take time to feed your mind and body.
• Understand that doing well and being well are not mutually exclusive. It is important to find a sustainable path to success in work and life.
• Following your heart and intuition is more likely to lead to both success and happiness.
• When leaders ignore the wellbeing of their workers, they create a wellness gap that inevitably leads to burnout.

Whether it’s a flood, a snow or ice storm, a hurricane, or other weather-related crisis, you know it’s coming. Take these steps so that you and your teams can be prepared to limit damage and lost productivity:

• Make sure that weather-related disasters and problems are addressed in your crisis management plans. Involve staff in identifying and addressing problems that have arisen in the past so that you can avoid them in the future. Conduct detailed weather hazard risk assessments at least annually.
• Partner with experts in meteorology for historical weather data that can translate into actionable information. Use storm impact and other analytics.
• Conduct scenario exercises at least annually. Hold discussion-based “tabletop exercises” as well as drills. Make sure you identify health and safety gaps and how you might address these.
• Consider climate insurance. A growing number of insurance providers have weather-related policies for … [Read more...] about (3/23) How To Prepare For The Next Weather-Related Crisis

According to a new study, about a third of the average job post’s skills from four years ago won’t be relevant this year and into the future. Skills, as well as processes, will have to change to meet the new normal of the workplace. Toward that end, here are a few things you need to know to prepare:

• Workplace dynamics will be different, and many organizations have decentralized as more employees work remotely. Don’t expect to bring everyone back to the workplace. Some employees are likely to see work elsewhere if they aren’t allowed to function offsite, at least on a part-time basis.
• Develop existing talent now. Identify good workers and train them for the future. Soft skills have been essential during the quarantine. Focus on strong communication skills, agility, and tech abilities.
• New leaders have emerged during the pandemic. Look around, identify these people, and groom them to be strong managers, mentors, and teachers.
• Plan for how … [Read more...] about (3/22) How to Build a Resilient Organization and Position Leaders, Employees to Thrive

Don’t assume that the pandemic and economic uncertainties are enough to keep your employees. Here are some realities you need to address…now:

• COVID hasn’t stopped employees from seeking new jobs. More employees want work-life balance and are willing to give up job security in the midst of a pandemic to get this. If you want to keep your workers, don’t expect them to work long hours with no breaks and no rewards.
• Workplace stressors are pushing people out the door. People are willing to risk security to feel emotionally, mentally sound and put stress and anxiety behind them.
• REAL mental health intervention is key. You can’t just pay lip service to mental health and expect employees to stay. They want real mental health benefits and efforts to promote their emotional health, reduce stress, and alleviate fears and anxieties.
• Working parents want more benefits. They want flexible schedules and other benefits to enable them to work and care … [Read more...] about (3/19) Employees Are Turning Their Backs on Employers

Our country has never been more divided. We hear that every day. It may not be possible to keep opinions, passions, and even dissent from infiltrating your organization. However, you can turn the heat down by helping workers find common ground. This happens when people:

• Stay calm when the other person is talking. Focus on what the person is saying, don’t interrupt, and resist the urge to interject your opinion. Ask questions. Show respect—this is critical for civil discourse.
• Restate what you heard to clarify you understand what the person is saying. Say what you learned so they know you were listening.
• Share your viewpoint respectfully and calmly. Be respectful but confident.
• Don’t debate. If the other person attacks your viewpoint and/or tries to force theirs on you, consider a summary statement such as “We will have to agree to disagree on this one.” Then politely end the conversation or move to a more positive subject.
… [Read more...] about (3/18) Patching Political and Ideological Divisions in Your Organization

The healthcare workforce proved itself to be brave, resilient, flexible, and dedicated in the past year during the pandemic. Practitioners and staff faced obstacles and challenges they never dreamed of before. There are some key trends in today’s healthcare settings that will impact staffing, productivity, quality, and engagement in the post COVID world. These include:

• A surge in burnout and turnover
• Increased staffing costs from agency salaries and signing bonuses (yet Certified Nursing Assistant pay remains relatively stagnant)
• Brewing talk about labor organization
• Nurses fleeing hospital settings

Communication has taken on a new significance in the past year. We’ve learned it’s not just what you communicate but how and when. Messaging that is transparent, accurate, and consistence is a must. To effectively move their teams into the post-pandemic world, leaders need these communication habits:

• Make sure the team knows their deliverables. Too often, your employees don’t really know what is expected of them at work or believe that expectations change without their knowledge.
• Don’t create log-jams in productivity. Avoid directives that stop staff in their tracks. These include instructing them to put a project on hold until you have more time to be involved or saying that you want to shelf something or start over. Such directives set your team up for disappointment, cause frustration, and hurt morale.
• Guide with strategic questions. Ask leading questions to advance or facilitate discussions.
• Become a coach, not a critic. Avoid … [Read more...] about (3/16) 8 Communication Habits To Make You a Better Leader

Let’s face it. Everyone has that co-worker or client. You see an email or voice message from them, and you tense up. You just don’t like this person; and sometimes you can tell that the feeling is mutual.  Don’t let this stressful relationship ruin your work or your wellbeing. Instead, take some steps and understand and improve it:

• Reflect on the cause of the tension and how you’re responding to it. Realize that there is value in every interaction with another person. Determine what you can learn from the person and focus on that. Be honest about what is causing the stress. How might your words or actions be contributing to the situation?
• Focus on being a problem solver instead of a critic. Sit the person down and ask, ‘How do you think we could work better today? What are things about our collaborations that you would like to change? Give the other person a chance to be honest – without consequences – about their feelings.
• Enhance your awareness of … [Read more...] about (3/15) How to Collaborate with People You Don’t Like