by admin | Sep 12, 2019 | Benefit Management, Human Resources
Right now our national unemployment rate is 3.7%–edging towards a 50-year low. With this low rate, companies are actually finding it increasingly harder to hire and retain great talent. One way to combat this issue is by increasing employee engagement through volunteering.
In survey after survey, employees state that they want to work for companies who care for others. In fact, “71% of employees surveyed say it’s very important to work where culture supports volunteering,” according to America’s Charities Snapshot. There are different types of volunteer options when looking to begin a volunteer program at a company. For example, entire companies can come together for a big “Day of Service” event. Or perhaps there is an ongoing need in the community, like Meals on Wheels, and employees sign up to help when needed by the charity. Offering pro bono services to non-profit community groups or donating skills for specific projects are other ways to assist charities in your area.
The issue of time worked and pay typically comes up when talking about employer sponsored/encouraged volunteering. There are a couple different ways that companies structure this. One way is to simply pay employees for their usual time at the workplace even though they are not actually working on company business at the time of the volunteer project. This is typical of big “Day of Service” campaigns during the workweek. Another way is to encourage employees to donate their break or lunch time to complete volunteer service projects. Finally, and this is the emerging trend in employee benefits, is to give each employee Volunteer Time Off (VTO) hours as part of their benefits package.
The benefits of VTO are numerous. One of the biggest values of VTO is that of employee recruitment and retention. PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a survey and the results were that “59% of Millennials gravitated towards companies with pronounced Corporate Social Responsibility programs.” For retention, the value is even higher, “74% of employees say their job is more fulfilling when given the opportunity to make a positive impact at work.” Companies also see a benefit in camaraderie across departments and company hierarchy. Working together towards a common goal builds these interdepartmental relationships. Also, by playing towards strengths unseen in a regular office setting, employers have a chance to discover untapped leadership skills and completely unknown skill sets of employees. Finally, your company’s brand image is boosted by the view of its involvement in the community.
Whatever the benefit that your company assigns to a healthy VTO program, be it retention, image, or team building, the fact remains that there WILL BE a benefit. If you are looking to begin the search for the right fitting program, there are great resources available for you. Check out this quick read on Charities.org and also the great tips on SalesForce.com. Start the conversation today with your leadership and start making an impact in your community!
by admin | Aug 27, 2019 | Human Resources, Workplace
How much job training equates to time wasted: About 20%, according to one LinkedIn study. That’s the percentage of learners who never apply their training to their job. That same study says 67% of learners apply the lessons learned, but in the end, revert to previous habits. Another study found 45% of training content is never applied.
For HR professionals designing or monitoring the Return on Investment of training programs, those are disturbing statistics, especially when you consider the decrease in productivity this causes and the cost of wasted money.
So, how do you mitigate or address the issue?
Learning Metrics
Gone is the day leaders make learning strategy decisions via gut and intuition. Arrived is the day leaders look at learning data and statistics to make decisions and provide evidence for an action.
There was a time when the only metrics requested from learning and development officials were the number of people taking part in the training and the cost involved. In other words: basic effectiveness and efficiency.
As with everything, however, learning and development has evolved. It’s now a business critical change agent. It’s not enough, though, to measure inputs, the number of courses, and attendance. Learning and development must look at the output and outcomes.
“We’re in the process of trying to become a learning organization, and to become a learning organization you have to be nimble. You have to have a culture of leaders as teachers. You have to have a culture of recognizing those things that contribute, and actually those things what lead to success,” Brad Samargya said. Samargya is the Chief Learning Officer for mobile phone maker Ericsson.
All of the descriptions Samargya is using refer back to the content, specifically how it is delivered and is it of substance. When both pieces are in concert, HR professionals should see an increase in quality around the metrics gathered.
Delivery
First, let’s focus on delivery.
Samantha Hammock is the Chief Learning Officer for American Express. Her company employs a learning management system as part of their learning process. Hammock says measurement is the company’s biggest need.
“If we’re going to mandate training, we had better be robust in tracking and reporting. Is the experience getting better, is the knowledge increasing. We have put it thru workforce analytics to slice and dice some of those metrics,” Hammock said.
Of course, learning management systems are not the only way to deliver learning. Mobile learning for instance, makes content available on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Not only is the content accessible anywhere, but anytime. Video learning is similar in that the content is available in the ever-popular YouTube format. Gamification, or education by gaming, again delivers learning in a form much for attractive than your regular classroom format, and micro-learning, or the strategy of delivering learning content over a short amount of time.
None of those work without one specific ingredient, however: the content. Providing relevant content is key to a good learning strategy, good metrics, and to ensure your learners are engaged and continue to come back for more.
The modern employee is distracted, overwhelmed and has little time to spare. Catering content to their needs is not only important – it’s critical.
The content presented to employees must be applicable and timely to help them with their daily duties, expand their mind, and provide them with quick takeaways that can immediately be applied.
Metrics to Watch
There are a handful of metrics derived for HR professionals to analyze.
- Completion rates – This metric is important because it indicates the level of learner engagement, motivation and participation. Low completion rates indicate employees aren’t investing in the material or how it relates to their jobs. High completion rates show employees are invested.
- Performance and Progress – This particular metric is split into two categories: the individual and the group. For the individual, metrics will give you a detailed look at how the employee is doing with the learning. For the group, the metric will include the details around specific trends. For instance, how the group is progressing through the material. Both individual metrics and group metrics allow for the tracking of course effectiveness and engagement.
- Satisfaction and approval – This metric gives HR professionals some indication of how the employee or employees feel about the content. The is a powerful metric because it allows HR or learning managers to adjust current content or, if need be, create better content based on the needs of the employee.
- Instructor and manager ratings – This metric may not always be applicable as, in some cases, material is not presented by an instructor or manager but through a technology interface of some sort. If that is not the case, this will indicate how learners feel about the instructor or manager. It can also be directly linked to the reason an employee or group of employees are not learning at the level expected.
- Competency and proficiency – Competency and proficiency metrics show HR professionals if employees have the knowledge and skills to achieve a desired outcome. If not, this metric allows for learning managers to adjust the material accordingly. It also allows from some insight into an employee or group’s currently proficiency.
In summation
The challenges facing HR professionals when using analytics to transform the learning and development program are connected. Before companies can actually engage with the transformation, data has to be present. Whether it is realized or not, companies do have learning data available. What may not exist is the ability to evaluate that data.
Data provides invaluable insight into the future learning opportunities of a company’s workforce. Now, more than ever before, HR professionals have a real opportunity to do what all leaders and C-suite members want to do: predict the future. By leveraging and understanding the data generated by learning programs, HR professionals can better evaluate the content and their effectiveness. It can lead to better outcomes both developmentally for the employee and financially for the employer.
By Mason Stevenson
Originally posted on hrexchangenetwork.com
by admin | Aug 13, 2019 | Human Resources
When it comes to culture, companies have to walk the walk and talk the talk.
HR professionals have all been there. A potential new employee comes in for an interview. Company representatives question the prospect and then ask if the candidate has any questions. With surety, the first question uttered will be about the company’s culture. The response has to be real and backed-up with proof.
Why?
In addition to the usual reasons (truthfulness, respect and ethics and so on), look at the current make up of the workforce for guidance. Companies are dealing with one that’s multigenerational; one that stretches from spectrum to spectrum in terms of what they want and need from their employers. Take Generation Z for instance. These workers are very confident and that bleeds into the way in which they approach the interview/hiring process. They will want to explore the office and talk to current employees. They are going to test what HR says about the culture.
Having said that, what constitutes an excellent company culture?
Company Culture Tips
An excellent company culture is:
- Richly Diverse – A company culture thrives on diversity. This doesn’t just push toward ethnic or gender diversity, though that is equally important. It must also embrace cognitive diversity; the different ways in which people perceive and digest information. Leaning on this allows for ideas to be evaluated from multiple angles and can reveal both the pros and cons of an action. A diverse company culture also looks at all dimensions of diversity including hiring or seeking employees from diverse backgrounds both personally and professionally. That may include, as an example, hiring a candidate with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). Other examples include hiring more veterans or the formerly incarcerated. These present unique challenges, but given the right action plan, those issues can be overcome and the company can benefit.
- Innovative – A company culture must always look to the future. That means embracing innovation. Employees at all levels need to feel the freedom to posit ideas for consideration. And those ideas need to be thoroughly discussed and evaluated. That’s the key to innovation. Most employees just want their ideas considered. If it’s not an idea that is feasible or realistic, that’s fine. The importance lies in that the employee has a voice.
- Open to dissent – Speaking of employee voices, workers need to feel they can dissent from leadership. This doesn’t mean protest or rebel against a decision, but that their concerns will be heard and they will not see retaliation from sharing those ideas.
- Transparent – A company culture that embraces transparency will not, in most cases, fail. Why? In a transparent culture, everyone knows the important bits of information, but more importantly, they can take ownership of what’s happening. Employees who are proud to work for their employers ultimately take more ownership in the company’s destiny. They will be more engaged and will pour more energy into ensuring success than the average employee.
- Aligned with company brand – Employees and customers must see value in the brand which helps support the culture. It has to resonate with them. For HR, this might include a partnership with the company’s marketing or public relations department.
- Supported by all, especially leadership – If leaders don’t see value in or support the culture, expect the same from employees. Leaders have to actively engage in the culture and make it a staple in their normal operations. Lead by example. When the CEO cares… the employees care.
- Aligns with strategy and process – Think about this from a talent perspective. The culture needs to align with processes like hiring, compensation and benefits, development and hiring. And don’t forget about succession planning. How will the culture align in the future?
- Collaborative – This is a great way to instill the culture for your employees. Look at ways to encourage collaboration between teams of employees. This reinforces the idea that everyone is part of a much larger team.
- Feedback driven – Give employees regular feedback on performance. This will help in aligning their performance with the goals of the company. But don’t save this for a once-a-year event. Any time an employee or team makes progress toward the company’s goals and in doing so supports the culture, it’s time for some P.R.O.P.S. or Peer Recognition of Peer Success.
- Deliberate – Culture should be deliberate. It’s not something that just happens. Values must be known and supported, especially by leadership. Otherwise, the culture that is trying to be built will slowly pass into oblivion and the process will have to start all over again.
Benefits of an Excellent Company Culture
The tips listed above are just that, tips. If they’re not internalized and not used properly the company will not benefit. On the flip side, if those pieces are practiced well, companies will see some huge advantages.
For one, expect to see an improved environment. It will truly become a pleasant place to work. It’s pleasing socially and psychologically. If that’s the case, expect to see the quality of work improve. That means higher increases in productivity which leads to more business success.
By Mason Stevenson
Originally posted on hrexchangenetwork.com
by admin | Aug 8, 2019 | Benefit Management, Human Resources
Volunteering Time Off, or VTO, has become a buzz topic for many companies as of late. It involves encouraging employees to take time off from their job to plug in to their community and the nonprofits that support it. Let’s delve in deeper to understand what VTO looks like.
- Typical VTO policies allot for 8 hours of paid time off to volunteer each year.
- Just like Paid Time Off (PTO), VTO usually requires advance notice to the employer and approval for time away from the business.
- Studies have shown that VTO boosts employee engagement and retention.
- Millennials state they are attracted to companies who offer VTO.
- VTO builds loyalty and pride for a company with its employees.
- A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study states 20% of its respondents now offer volunteering benefits as part of their employee benefits package.
As you look for ways to engage with your employees through VTO, take a look at these resources:
- VolunteerMatch.org—This website makes the business-to-nonprofit connection possible. Nonprofits post projects and jobs they need assistance with and then the company builds its team to help.
- Volunteering Is CSR—An arm of Volunteer Match, this blog is for business leaders to educate themselves on best practices and case studies.
- CatchAFire.org—This site connects professionals with nonprofits using their specific skill sets.
- PointsofLight.org—Founded by President George H.W. Bush, this group offers toolkits to businesses and nonprofits to maximize volunteering efforts as well as offers products to maximize those efforts.
by admin | Jul 30, 2019 | Employee Benefits, Human Resources
Question: Should we include holidays, PTO, vacation, or other leave taken during the workweek in calculating overtime premium pay under FLSA rules?
Answer: No. Because holiday, PTO, and vacation hours are not actually hours worked they do not count towards overtime pay.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an employer who requires or permits an employee to work overtime is generally required to pay the employee premium pay for such overtime work. Unless specifically exempted, employees covered by the FLSA must receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay. The key consideration for premium pay under the FLSA is whether or not the employee actually works more than 40 hours in the workweek, not just that he or she is paid for more than 40 hours in the workweek.
For example, an employee is off work for one day for a company-paid holiday and takes the next day as a paid vacation day. He then works 10 hours for the next three days of the workweek. Under the FLSA, he would be paid straight time at his regular rate for the 46 hours recorded for that week as follows: 8 hours of holiday pay + 8 hours of vacation pay + 30 hours of regular pay for time worked = 46 hours at his regular pay rate.
Employers should also check state laws for overtime requirements regarding holiday and vacation time.
Originally posted on thinkhr.com
by admin | Jul 2, 2019 | Benefit Management, Human Resources
By now you’ve heard of the term “gig economy” but you may not know what it means. Is it describing the economy of musicians as they work gigs? Does it mean something about computers and the measurement of space allotted for their programs? Does it have something to do with fishing? Well, not exactly. But, have no fear! We will break this term down into easy bites and you’ll be an expert on the gig economy in no time.
What IS the Gig Economy?
The term “gig economy” refers to the new landscape of employment in the world where workers are hired for temporary, flexible jobs instead of full-time permanent positions. Think of it this way: workers in a gig economy are paid for completing a job in a predetermined timeframe—like musicians are paid for a night of music (a gig) at a venue. In a gig economy, you see that independent contractors and freelancers tend to be hired over the more traditional, full-time job seekers. Examples of jobs that thrive in this economy are technology-based positions, creative jobs, and the new tide of service-based positions in companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Instacart.
Gig Economy Numbers
Forbes magazine reports that according to the 2018 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 55 million people in the US classified as gig workers. This is a huge number! In fact, that translates to more than 35% of the current US workforce. Projected to rise to 42% in 2020, over 40% of these workers are estimated to be millennials. As those numbers increase, the proportion of male to female workers shifts. Once right at 50/50, the new ratio is 60/40. This is attributed to larger numbers of women returning to school for postsecondary education. In fact, many leave the workforce completely to return to school versus taking courses and working at the same time.
Pros of Gig Economy Jobs
There are many pros to a job in this category. Job seekers who are looking for gig economy positions name flexible workplaces and flexible hours as their top priorities. The shift to remote offices as well as the freedom to work at whatever hours are most convenient definitely supports this new economy. Employees who have the discipline to manage their workflow and complete tasks on time are ones that will thrive in a gig job. The positives are not limited to just the employees, though. Employers like being able to choose new hires from a much larger pool of candidates because they are not tied down to job seekers in their immediate vicinity. Employers are also able to save money as they do not have to invest in work equipment, health benefits, or on-going training for these independent workers.
Cons of Gig Economy Jobs
The cons of gig work are some of the flip sides to the pros of gig work. These drawbacks include the absence of health benefits and 401k benefits. Freelancers have to buy their own healthcare and figure out their own savings schedule for retirement—both of which aren’t impossible, but they do take up time and tend to be at a greater expense than the benefits offered in a traditional work environment. Gig workers also face the reality of no paid sick days or vacation days. If a freelancer has the flu, he isn’t paid for the time he misses from work and his deadline isn’t adjusted in this task-based economy. On the employer side of the equation, companies report that the pool of qualified candidates for higher level management positions continues to get smaller as the trend for gig workers who freelance from job-to-job increases
The workplace continues to evolve from a traditional 9-5 workday in a traditional office environment to one that is a flexible work cycle in an ever-changing location. Employees place high priority on setting their own rhythm for work flow and prize independence. Employers are encouraged to stay in-tune with the gig economy and to seek ways to marry their company’s needs with the needs of this new workforce population. Both employer and employee can benefit from this new work landscape.
