HR Industry Brief

Watch for a new oversight bill for nursing homes to be introduced before yearend. Among the possible contents:

• Reauthorization of the Elder Justice Act, including forensic centers to investigate elder abuse.
• Recommendations that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services use codes that might indicate elder abuse to verify whether abuse is adequately reported.

There are opportunities to increase productivity and lower turnover. A key to this is ensuring the right personnel and chemistry on your teams. Consider the types of personalities that work best in different situations:

• The Pressure-Cooker. If you’re in a business where competition is fierce, you may need more aggressive people on your team. These should be individuals who demand excellence and are comfortable openly challenging each other to improve.
• The Sandbox. If your work requires a more flexible approach, consider adding influencers, motivators, encouragers, and harmonizers to your team. These individuals will likely be more welcoming to new people and ideas; and they will be more collaborative, open, and emotionally driven.
• The Sanctuary. If you have a steady operation that needs to be carefully maintained, fill your team with counselors, supporters, planners, and stabilizers.
• The Laboratory. For a hyper-meticulous, highly … [Read more...] about (12/13) Build Teams by Knowing the Right Personalities

A new year is almost here, and it’s a time for reflection and planning. Take a look at the policies and plans guiding employee compensation and benefits. Start with a few steps:

• Make sure your compensation plan works for your company. This plan should motivate employees without hurting your bottom line, and it should be flexible and able to be modified at any time.
• Make sure your company handbook reflects any changes promptly. Outdated policies, materials, and resources put your organization at risk and can lead to employee complaints, dissatisfaction, and turnover.
• Correct wage and hour compliance issues to avoid hefty and unexpected costs such as tax bills, backpay, and damages.
• Keep your plan documents updated.

Answer these questions honestly to determine how you’re doing on addressing ageism in the workplace and where improvements or changes might be in order:

• Have you personally asked employees over age 50 what they experience at work? What are they feeling?
• Are your training and development opportunities designed/developed with all employees in mind?
• Does you employee handbook address age discrimination?
• Does your team always plan outings or parties that are suitable for all age groups?
• Do you have older employees who are suddenly less enthusiastic? Have you made an effort to find out why?
• Are your flexibility programs really for everyone?
• Does your business send the message that it’s all about 20-somethings?
• Do you include age issues in diversity efforts?
• Are you making assumptions and practicing unconscious bias?
• Have your HR practices kept up with the times?
… [Read more...] about (12/11) A 12-Step Action Plan to Combat Workplace Ageism

Forget the calorie-laden food baskets and unimaginative gift cards. Give your colleagues a holiday gift they can use to make 2020 a successful, productive year. Consider some of these books that business leaders recommend:

• Minority Leader by Stacey Abrams
• Dare to Lead to Brene Brown
• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
• Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built by Duncan Clark
• The Big Idea by Donny Deutsch
• Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu
• The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson
• Give and Take by Adam Grant
• Rebel Talent by Francesca Gino
• Athena Rising by W. Brad Johnson and David Smith
• Powerful by Patty McCord
• The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock
• Taking the Work Out of Networking by Karen Wickre

  According to a new study, while organizational leaders are embracing technology, they may not be focusing on long-term impact. As a result, they are making short-sighted decisions that affect workforce issues over time. Among the study’s findings:

• 46% of employers say they expect their workforce to increase in size. However, most expect a skills gap in the next two years; and 59% say they will face a labor shortage in the same timeframe.
• To meet skills and labor demands, 53% of respondents plan to leverage remote workers, 51% plan on assignment-based freelance support, and 50% will outsource or seek contract workers.

There’s no time like the present to try something new. Give your recruiting efforts an immediate boost with these ideas:

• Create live recruiting events to get to know candidates in a less formal setting.
• Share open-source documents; post openly about your competency framework and career paths for various positions.
• Focus on making contacts via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
• Refresh job descriptions; old-fashioned boilerplate descriptions just won’t cut it anymore.
• Redesign your employee referral program. Establish incentives for workers to refer others to the company. Create and share “elevator” pitches they can use in conversations and encounters with potential job candidates.

If you’re not making the best use of technology to maximize employee engagement, you’re not alone. According to a new survey:

• Under half (45%) of employers use technology to improve employee engagement.
• 92% of respondents say they would like to establish an internal culture that affects results.
• 81% of respondents say they believe that investing in people-focused programs and skills such as onboarding, performance, and employee engagement would help increase revenues and profit margins.

Reducing turnover is a priority for every employer, but many don’t realize that cybersecurity gaps can contribute to workers’ decisions to leave. Here are three ways healthy cybersecurity makes a difference:

• Maximizes uptime. Poor cybersecurity can result in system failures and lost time. Hardening the network security can prevent these problems and give employees the confidence that they won’t have to deal with glitches or lost work.
• Minimizes friction. Don’t let security measures get in the way of work. Support streamlined processes that enable workers to do their jobs without being dragged down by intrusive security.
• Enables best practices. When employees understand the need for strong security, they are more likely to feel a personal responsibility to adhere to best practices and keep data secure.

Thinking about establishing a peer-to-peer recognition program? A new year is the time to stop thinking and start doing. Here are some steps to get you started:

• Start by defining the goals and trajectory of the program.
• Get senior staff on board to promote the program.
• Determine up front who will be responsible for implementing the program.
• If you will be using software as part of the process, create guidelines in advance to assess and compare software options.
• Make sure the program is easy to use, and don’t underestimate the amount and levels of training that will be required.
• Determine how employees will recognize each other.