Yes, the government is introducing yet another new form, the VETS-100A.  Large federal contractors will begin using the form September 30, 2009.  However, they should start collecting data for the new VETS-100A Report Form now or they won’t have the necessary 12 months of data to report.

Currently federal contractors with government contracts of $100,000 or more that were entered into or modified on or after December 1, 2003, are required to file the VETS-100 Report by September 30 of each year with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), as are federal contractors with unmodified government contracts of $25,000 or more that were entered into prior to December 1, 2003.

But in 2009, federal contractors will have to file the VETS-100A Report for government contracts of $100,000 or more that were entered into or modified on or after December 1, 2003, as well as the VETS-100 Report for any unmodified government contracts of $25,000 or more that were entered into prior to December 1, 2003.

In a May 19, 2008 final rule on reporting requirements, the DOL Veterans Employment and Training Service announced that the new VETS-100A Report would not have to be filed until September 30, 2009, but added that contractors are to collect and maintain the data for the new report in 2008. The DOL noted that the VETS-100A Report calls for contractors to provide data on veterans’ employment for 12 months ending on a date in the report year between July 1 and August 31 that represents the end of a payroll period, as is the case for the VETS-100 Report.

The job categories on VETS-100 and VETS-100A differ slightly because VETS-100A incorporates changes that the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA) of 2002 made to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), the law requiring certain federal contractors to engage in affirmative action for certain veterans.

You will want to determine the size of your federal contract in order to determine which form(s) to complete in 2009.

I was recently helping a friend sort through resumes responding to an ad she had placed and came upon a realization.  No one …. ok very few people….. do cover letters anymore.  I must admit that I have a prejudice toward candidate who take the time to write a cover letter.

I find them valuable for several reasons.  They provide an opportunity to assess:

• grammar proficiency
• writing style
• attention to detail, are there typos?
• ability to formulate thoughts into words in a coherent fashion.

In a recent Office Team survey, 86 percent of hiring managers say cover letters provide valuable insight when evaluating candidates.   However, the prevalence of online job sites has job seekers responding to email addresses with a few sentences of introduction.  I think that job seekers would do well to include an old-fashioned cover letter, personalized to the extent possible.

Candidates should make sure that their cover letter is devoid of the typical errors –

• Addressing the letter Dear Sir -  As a female hiring manager I have received far too many Dear Sir letters.
• Referencing the incorrect job – When recruiting for multiple jobs, if you don’t know what job you are applying for then how should I?
• Failing to include an attachment – If you are asked to provide salary history, cover letter, salary expectations, resume, etc.  Do it!  It is not a suggestion, it can eliminate you from consideration.  If you can’t follow instructions during the hiring process I am not optimistic that you will follow instructions as an employee. 
• Cute email addresses – Don’t list “cute” emails on your resume.  PartyGirl, BabyFace, Loverboy, may be great for friends, but not for obtaining employment. 
• Providing unnecessary personal information – I want to hire you, not be friends with you.  I do not care what your hobbies are and certainly don’t tell me about your children, their ages, what your spouse does for a living, etc.

The job market is tough, use every opportunity to tell why you are the ideal candidate and differentiate yourself from the hundreds of other people applying for the job.

As the use of web based programs grows, becomes more common and is more widely accepted we've begun to have clients ask to add 3rd aprty widgets (like their own stock ticker) to our online human resource software.

I get why clients want this... it's a perk for their users and can enhance employee self-service.  Widgets, when embedded together in a single page, can offer a kind of one stop shop for employee self-service.  if your learning management softwware offers this widget and your performance management solution overs that widget and you embed them all in your core HRIS software then everything has coalesced into one easy to use piece of software.

As a general web surfer I think widgets are great.  I use several of them and like to look at sites like google to see what new gadgets are available.  Almost all of my favorite sites offer some sort of plugin or another.

As the head of IT for a company I hate widgets.  Everyone wants to install them on their desktop, include them in their home page so they're there every time they open their borwser.  My problem with them is that they are frequently authored by random people and aren't subject to oversite so they are potneitally riddled with spyware, malware, virus and whatever other icky stuff someone can dream up.

Two news articles this week point this out.  One, a blog post from TechCrunch, talks about a worm spreadhing on Facebook.  Another points out theat google gadgets are now the focus of hackers.

Employee training and development is the number one way to prevent these kinds of tools from becoming a danger to your information security.  You can't alway control where people go, or even sometimes, what they install while at work.

So, it is clearly obvious that we have all been yelled at here at Achievant for not blogging enough if at all.  Like so many times in life we are being punished for the actions of a few.  Well!  I am that few, or at least a member of a very small group (like no more than 2).  Big picture, I sort of get the blog idea but I am one of those individuals that if I can't see some pretty immediate and measurable gain I am less likely to move it up on my priority list.  Being brutally honest, everythng seems to be a priority!  This is not a new phenomena but one that always intrigues me. I think we would all agree that not everything is a priority and if it is then we better settle for a heavy dose of status quo and mediocre results.

Same holds true for the many organizations we talk to on a daily basis.  We/They get so stuck in the tactical day to day that you can never get out in front of things that are the "supposed" priorities.  Examples would include but not be limited to conversations that should sound very familiar and and usually start out something like; "My top priority is...", "The top project we need to deliver on is...", "The results of our 4 column process (strategy session) reveals we need...",  now insert the priority:

....to improve and automate Applicant Tracking
....to streamline our HRIS System
....to create a consistent Learning Management approach
....to train leadership on the essence of Performance Management
....to automate Time and Attendance 
 

I think you get the picture!  If we continue through the conversation and go out several weeks if not months I would submit that very few of these priorities would actually still qualify or would not be that much farther down the path of completion.  The biggest obstacle is nothing went on the back burner or yielded to the priority.  Sound familiar?  

Speaking of looking out several weeks or months, I am expected (priority) to deliver several more blogs, as in one a week.  Let's see if I can break the cycle.  Wish me luck! 
  

I had the best of intentions.  We purchased the coolest blog service from Compendium Blogware (www.compendiumblogware.com) and I was going to blog once a week and let the world know what my thoughts were on life, business, HR and brag a little about Achievant's success.  Well....it's 8 months later and I've written 5 blog entries.  I've fallen 27 entries short of my goal of once per week. Pathetic.

I feel like some of the organizations we're talking to about applicant tracking, HRIS and performance management. They bought some software with great hopes and expectations.  They were going to load their employee data, track time & attendance, do on-line benefits enrollment and automate their performance management review process all at the same time. Somewhere along the way their "day job" got in the way. We both needed more than just software - we both needed a partner invested in our success.

That's what makes Achievant so different from the rest.  We invest in our clients by ensuring they utilize our platform.  We invest in our clients by taking responsibility for getting the application up and running - loading employee data, configuring workflows, defining reports, training the organization and ensuring after the 90-120 day implementation period they can be proud of the decision they made.

I will have to say the Compendium has held us accountable to our initial promise and have been on-site recently to ensure a good kick in the pants.  They know how to partner and so does Achievant.....our clients will testify!

  

Learning management software is a beast unto itself.  It can be a very simple piece of human resource software or it can be a giant, full-blown module.

In my career I have worked on Online Employee Training software that has covered the entirety of the possible range of robustness and complexity.

Because learning management modules can spider their way into so many other aspects of HRIS they can be an integral and important part of any talent management system. Learning management naturally flows into performance management, succession management and even applicant tracking depending on what your on-boarding process is like.


This week Achievant rolled out some new enhancements to its LMS.  Our module for learning management started off life as a lightweight module that though flexible and fairly robust had room for growth.

We've added over 17 new features some of which included:

·         proctoring features for trainers who need more detailed class planning and tracking

·         more robust class rosters and session results

·         the ability to track education credits for both internal and external classes

·         automated notifications for minimum class size not being met

Our goal, as is almost always our goal (and philosophy), as we build out our web HRIS software is to grow it incrementally.  Each time we work within the app we look for areas where we can add new features.  We listen to our current clients, our future clients and our industry to see what needs and wants are out there and we take the opportunity to add them whenever we can.

For us, such a successive refinement approach to all of our modules is not unlike learning management itself: with continuous work and grooming people (or applications) can get better at their jobs.

I live in a house full of guys and it seems like we live sports 24/7.  In that light, I find myself using those teachable moments to point out to them that the “sports world” is not like the “real world”.  I mean where else can you make an incredible salary, not be held accountable for your actions, and be uneducated and successful all at the same time.  But from time to time there is a sports story that mimics life for the rest of us.

Currently that is the Bret Favre story.  I think this story is fascinating to watch from an HR perspective.  Here you have a nice guy working for your company for a very long time.  He’s a great employee and you’ve got an employment agreement to keep him with you.  For several years he has been openly talking about retiring in the near future.  Finally he decides that this is the time to make that change.  You hate to see him go, but you understand and are even happy for him.  So, you send him off with a great good-bye party.

Then as an organization you set about rolling out the succession plan that you’ve had in place.  So, you replace him and move on as an organization.  Then, he decides that he misses working for you and wants to come back to his old job.  You tell him that you’ve already replaced the top spot, but he can have the number two position.  He is not content with that and asks to be released from his employment agreement so he can go work for your direct competitor.  He doesn’t like that and goes to the local paper or industry trade magazine and gives an interview saying that he doesn’t feel welcome back at his old company and that because of his years of service, he should simply be released.

 What do you do?

Favre is a legend.  The Packer's management is taking a beating in the media about its handling of his request to return.  It's a talent management nightmare.  At this point, it seems the Packers have chosen to take the do nothing approach.  They don’t seem to be in any hurry to release or trade Favre.  In the meantime, they seem set to continue the process of rolling out the succession plan they have in place.

What's your position?  Should the Packers take him back as the starting quarterback?  Should the Packers continue the succession plan they began when Favre retired a few months ago?

I'm siding with the Packers in moving on, here are my reasons why:

    1. Football is a business – There is no disputing that both the Packer fans and up until this point the management absolutely love Favre.  But that being said, we must remember that football is a business.  So, it would be a poor business decision to release him to a competitor without getting something in return. Remember, along with the benefits of being a contracted employee, there are also some down-sides (i.e., management decides when you play, where, and if you will play). He in essence has a non-compete.

   2. Once you cross that bridge – My experience has been that counter-offers and allowing employees to rescind their resignation are only temporary fixes.  Typically whatever factor made them vulnerable in the first place is still there and in the not too distant future will reappear.  As a side note, no one wants to continually hear that you are thinking about leaving the organization.  Keep it to yourself until you are ready to make the move.    

   3. Don’t make it public - When the Packers didn't rush to reinstate Favre, he went negative.  Going negative against an organization in the media is pretty much going to the point of no return.   Even if you end of getting what you want, it can be a pretty ugly place to be.

   4. It’s all about me – When an individual makes the situation all about them and not about the organization, they typically fall out of favor with their coworkers.  Favre has seemed like a great teammate through the years, a good citizen and a role model for youth.  But, if you listen closely to him over the last few weeks he seems to be talking more about himself and less about coming back to help the organization or his teammates.  

The Packers have done the right thing from an organizational development or succession management perspective.  They knew he was going, they put a succession plan in place for a number of years (i.e., Aaron Rogers), then when they got notification that he was leaving, they started it in motion.

What would you do? 

I just got back from my first prospective college visit to Florida with my oldest son, Michael (because of course why would he want to attend a college with in-state tuition!).  I’ve also been traveling a lot lately for new and perspective clients so I’m becoming quite the airline connoisseur.  Frankly as airfare has sky-rocketed I tend to book whoever is cheapest or works with my schedule, but I do have my favorites.

This most recent trip had me on Southwest Airlines.  Now I’ll admit that as an HR leader I have followed this company for several years.  Southwest is one of the few profitable airlines and has been in the black for 33 consecutive years and has paid a small dividend for 127 consecutive quarters. While its competitors are reducing the number of flights offered and grounding hundreds of aircraft, Southwest will add a few flights daily, will take delivery of another dozen aircraft next year and still plans to grow by 2 percent to 3 percent.  Southwest now carries more passengers annually than any other U.S. carrier.

So, my down time in the airport yesterday had me pondering...how has Southwest been successful?  I think it is based on a few guiding principles –

    * Keep things simple
    * Keep it consistent
    * Manage costs and maximize productive assets, and
    * Manage customer expectations.

These are business strategies that can be applied to most businesses.

Keep It Simple

While Southwest’s competition operates numerous types of planes, Southwest flies just one plane type.  This saves millions in maintenance costs, employee training, parts, etc.

Business Application – Do one thing and do it well

In the technology world, Human Resources software providers are trying to be all things to all people.  At Achievant, we have determined what we do is provide HRIS software solutions to small and mid-sized companies.  Achievant is not a payroll company, but we work with your payroll company to manage your employe data.  We have seen numerous companies try to meet all needs by bolting together the components of a human capital management system (i.e., HRIS system, time and attendance tracking, learning management, performance management, applicant tracking, and succession management) together with a payroll system and try to pass it off as integrated.  As a result these providers are adequate at many things, but not really good at anything.  Don’t get caught up in a feature/function comparison….who has the prettiest screen, bell, or whistle.  You should evaluate the entire package.

Keep It Consistent

I have to admit that I have not always been a fan of Southwest's approach to assigning seats.  Which is…..there are no assigned seats. You just line up according to an assigned number and you choose an open seat as you board the plane.  As someone who is slightly a control-freak (ok, maybe a little more than slightly), this was initially unsettling to not have a seat assigned specifically to me.  But, as I have flown with them more I have come to appreciate the control of choosing my seat...the one that is not next to the crying child or the chatty person, and have relished the opportunity to get a seat with extra leg room or no one sitting next to me.  Best of all, they still provide beverages and snacks for free!

Business Application – Manage the brand experience

At Achievant we work very hard to manage the experience our clients have with us and our Human Resources software solution.  Every time they contact us we want to respond to them in a friendly way, on a timely basis, and in a way that is relevant to them.  

No fees, no frills

As other carriers have removed perks and added fees, Southwest has kept its customer proposition streamlined and unchanged. The airline only sells in a few price "buckets" which allows it customers to understand the fare structure and believe they are getting value for their money. Prices are all-inclusive too, no fees for fuel surcharges, ticket changes, or luggage.  They have looked for out-of-the-box solutions to things like the clunky beverage cart.

Business Application – If customers can’t understand the pricing structure, they can’t understand the value you offer

Most HRIS systems, learning management systems, time and attendance solutions, and payroll providers utilize an ala carte menu for the services they provide.  In addition to the monthly or annual subscription, anything additional you’d like (e.g., a system change, new report) is charged by the hour or project.  This can make it very difficult to manage your costs.  I have spoken with numerous potential clients who when questioned how much they pay their current system provider, respond that they won’t know until the end of the year.

At Achievant, we have adopted a modular pricing model that is very simple to understand and is inclusive.  You are not charged for new version releases, minor system changes, client support, etc.

Management, Happy Workforce

Herb Kelleher finally stepped away from Southest earlier this year after leading it for more than a generation.  Although he was a very colorful leader, the airline avoided fads, shied away from anything that increased costs or complicated the basic travel proposition. Management ranks are lean, but most importantly, productive.

Southwest has embraced a culture of making their work (and consequently our travel) more fun.  They sing, dress in casual uniforms, and allow employees to go “off-script”.  In return, they have employees who are friendlier, seem to enjoy their jobs, and don't strike.

Business Application – If your workers aren’t happy, your customers aren’t happy

It is important to note that there are many intangibles that contribute to how much employees enjoy their job.  Take time to focus on these and you will be repaid for your efforts in higher levels of customer satisfaction.  360 degree feedback can be a great tool for this.

These are important business applications that I think will apply to any industry, not just HRIS software and talent management providers like Achievant.  In the meantime, I will continue to watch the progress of Southwest. 

The International Association for Human Resource Information Management announced the development of a new professional certification at the IHRIM Conference and Technology Exposition at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida on June 3.

While several professional certifications have been available for HR professionals (e.g., SPHR, PHR, CEBS, GPA, CCP, etc.), this will be the first certification designed specifically for human resources information management professionals.

Work on the certification is already under way, and the IHRIM pass to have its first exam in 2009.  The certification will be the first of its kind. 

This morning I read an article by Anthony Balderrama who is a writer at CareerBuilder.com.  Anthony asserted that we all tell lies at work.  Now I don’t know about you, but that wasn’t a news flash for me.  Our workdays are filled with many “little lies” or exaggerations and they have become part of the corporate culture norm. 

 

The good news is that much of our dishonesty doesn't result from bad intentions; it often is the results of trying to please other people, even at our own expense.  Although telling a lie can be easy, and you might even get away with it sometimes, you're not creating the best work environment.  To help bring more honesty into the workplace, Anthony identified five lies we're all guilty of telling. 

 

You might ask yourself if you are guilty of telling them and assess how you could better handle them.

 

1. "I'd be happy to"
   
   Think about the last few times you've said you'd be happy to do something.  How often was that statement sincere?  I oftentimes find these words coming out of my mouth before I think the assignment all the way through.  If I accept a task then my boss expects me to get it done.  So if I’m afraid that a new assignment might interfere with my other work I usually try to review my workload with my boss to clarify priorities and remind him what else I have on my plate.   
   
   
2. "No, I don't have any questions"
   Ok, who hasn't been given an assignment that just didn't make sense, but when the boss asked if you had any questions you said no?  Usually this is based on the fear of believing that if I ask questions, they’ll think I don’t know what I’m doing.  However, in reality the opposite of this is true.  Projects usually turn out better with clarification. 
   
   
3. "My alarm didn't go off"
   This one is not a problem for me as I am rarely late for work.  I tend to take the straightforward approach of, "I'm sorry I was late", and then get right to work.  If it happens infrequently, it probably won’t be a big deal.   
   
   
4. "I'm not sick – it's just allergies"
   The only thing worse than being sick is having to use personal time to cover it and getting even further behind on your work.  If you think you have too much work to take a day off you might be tempted to pull one over on your cold and flu-fearing co-workers and attribute the sniffles to allergy season – don't.  Your coworkers won’t be pleased that you're putting their health at risk and lying to them.  If staying home is not an option for you, at least barricade yourself in your office and try to minimize contact with co-workers.
   
   
5. "I'm right on schedule"
   As someone who has project management responsibilities, I am very cognizant of meeting deadlines.  When asked about the status of a project it can be very tempting to say everything is going as planned, when it’s not.  "I am working on it," might be the better response, but you need to develop a timeline to put the project back on track. 

 

Like most retailers the Atlanta based home supplies chain, Home Depot, is facing tremendous pressure to be more efficient, increase sales/revenue….basically do more with less.  To that end, they are reorganizing the human resources function—a move that will result in cutting its 2,200-person HR staff in the field by about 50 percent.

Today there is an HR manager in every store, but in the future, there will be 230 district HR teams that will oversee six to ten stores each.  Each team will consist of an HR district manager and three HR managers who report to that person.  Each store will continue to have an administrative HR employee on site who will oversee schedules of the associates. Home Depot is also creating a 200 person service center to handle HR calls from employees and managers.  The new structure is expected to be in place by May.

Home Depot plans to use the savings resulting from this restructuring to add three sales associates to the floor of each of its stores by year-end.  Analysts are already applauding the move by Home Depot believing that they were overstaffed with the current structure. 

I think that it will take some time before we know if this restructuring really saves them money.  Without the right support and training for the store managers, Home Depot may find itself redirecting its HR workforce “savings” into a litigation fund.  Store managers will need to be willing and prepared to “step up” to activities currently handled by their on-site HR such as employee relations, wage and hour, and harassment issues. 

We’ve seen that other big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart have learned the hard way that it can be very costly to the organization when there aren’t enough HR reps in the field.   So with Home Depot, we will wait and see. 

 

I was interested to read about a new program launched by Wachovia Bank that allows employees to take an unpaid leave of absence for up to three years to care for loved ones.  It does not grant job protection and once on extended leave, individuals are considered inactive employees and their benefits are put on hold. 

However, the program does provide a formal way for employees to maintain a presence with the bank.  They retain access to some of Wachovia’s web-based tools, stay in contact with managers and receive employee communication materials.  They are also given regular listings of job openings within the company. When they return, benefits kick in immediately—such as 401(k) plans and vacation days—as though they had never been away.

This initiative is noteworthy for several reasons.  Obviously it highlights Wachovia’s willingness to be a flexible employer which will enable it to differentiate itself in recruiting.  Aside from being a recruiting tool, I think Wachovia will also see it as a key tool for retaining good talent as employees comparison shop, it is difficult to assign a dollar value to flexibility.  Flex programs are relatively inexpensive to create and generate employee appreciation.

Wachovia’s program is generous not only with the time employees can spend away from the workplace, but also with the definition of who is eligible for the extended leave - spouses, children, parents, domestic partners, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, and in-laws.

It will be interesting to watch if other large employers follow Wachovia’s lead. 

I always find trends interesting.  TechCrunch has a great blog post today that shows Internet trends (using a Morgan Stanley report).  In a nutshell the report shows that social sites are dominating with respect to user traffic.  Being a business to business kind of site, Achievant doesn’t necessarily fall into the same bucket as such sites, but I think there are lessons to be learned.

We all want traffic to our sites whether our sites are the company intranet dolling out the latest company news, or a marketing site pimping the latest product or a consumer site selling the latest must have widget.  Whatever basic human need is driving people to YouTube or Facebook is the same human need we can tap to bring people to our sites regardless of their function.

If you’re trying to get your employees to read the latest policy on this, that or the other thing and you can’t get them to stop on the intranet’s home page, maybe adding something social (as the trend shows) will bring them in.  If you’re trying to sell widgets it would appear a widget forum where the general masses can leave their two cents worth would bring traffic your way.

As a developer of websites I find the trend pointing toward the next iteration of a user interface.  These social sites that hundreds of millions of users hit each month are being hit by the same people using Achievant’s HCMS.  The user experience on these sites frames the expectation of the user for our site.  We probably won’t ever have video sharing or a friend tracking widget, but we might have forums or a look and feel that is less business and more social.

One of the many benefits of using Achievant’s HRIS system is the on-going system improvements that we provide.  We are continually working on the system, module by module, to make improvements.  Typically the suggestions for potential enhancements come from either our clients or Achievant staff. 

Best of all, we provide these enhancements at no additional cost to our clients.  Very few Human Resources software technology companies offer this.  Usually the new version comes at a significant cost to the client. 

Currently we are working on some Training or Learning Management enhancements.  We anticipate having these enhancements ready to roll out late April/early May. 

We are excited to be rolling out the following features:

• Place to record outside classes – allows for better tracking of conference or workshop attendance
• Ability to add classes not part of curriculum – allows for customized or ad hoc additions of coursework unrelated to an organization’s curriculum map for the position
• Class start and stop times – improvements to the training calendar view
• Track number of training hours – more and more organizations set standards as to the number of hours of training each employee is required to have. 
• Print roster for class sign-up sheet with class proctor capabilities for attendance and scoring
• Course enrollment close date – if desired, decline admittance to a class after a certain date
• Track scores and Pass/Fail on per class basis
• Determine class size by course and close class when seats are filled
• Set a minimum class size and if desired, cancel if the minimum is not met
• Create additional reports

 What has your HRIS software provider done for you lately - for free?

 

 

 

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you probably think that either I never returned from Spring Break (a great idea, although I’d run out of money very quickly) or that I’ve reached the pinnacle of ultimate laziness judging by the number of posts I’ve written lately. 

Rest assured that neither is true.  I did return from Spring Break (and it was great, thanks for asking) but I’ve have been swamped with work, which is always a positive thing in a start up organization.  I have just launched the Project Kickoff for another company using our HRIS system, have another client set to Go Live in a couple of weeks, I’m doing a 360 degree feedback engagement for a small employer and we’re overhauling the Learning Management module for our next big system enhancement launch. 

So, I have not been blogging much, but I have not been sitting idle either.  Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about some of the upcoming enhancements to Learning Management/Employee Training. 

I was intrigued to read a February 2008 white paper by Hudson, a talent management service provider, The Ambition Divide: Differences Define Women’s Career Aspirations.  Both as an HR leader and as a female, I wanted to learn the results.  When asked if they aspire to the executive level or higher, 77 percent of the female respondents said “yes.”

Approximately one in five female mid-level managers are not interested in reaching the executive level according to a recent study by Hudson.  Those who said “no” are referred to as “decliners” in the survey.  Interestingly the study found no correlation between respondents’ aspirations and their family commitments. The report indicates that 69 percent of “aspirers” are married, compared with 61 percent of “decliners”. 63 percent of aspirers have children, compared with 59 percent of decliners.

Decliners should not be viewed as unengaged. Rather than advancement, 37 percent of decliners said they seek intellectual stimulation, compared with just 17 percent of aspirers.  The opportunity to do interesting and challenging work is what 39 percent of decliner respondents like most about their job, compared with 22 percent of aspirers.  By contrast, the opportunity for growth and development was the single most important goal for 48 percent of aspirers, compared with just 28 percent of decliners.

The vast majority of aspirers (78 percent) said they want their next career step to be a promotion or lateral move at their current company.  So what is the call to action for the corporate world to keep these women? 

Female respondents said they favor opportunities to work with senior management, access to leadership development, mentoring and training programs, and the chance to work on companywide strategic initiatives.  Respondents reported that they believe their employers are most effective at offering training programs and formal schooling and least effective when it comes to providing mentoring programs, offering flexible hours and instilling an understanding of the business. 

If employers understand the goals and aspirations of female managers, they should be able to develop strategies to retain them.

 

In my last blog I talked about performance appraisals.  So today, I will personalize it a little more and talk about my own performance appraisal.  In all fairness to my boss, probably the worst person in the world to have to do a performance appraisal on is the HR person.  It’s “our” process, “our” form, etc.  So, HR people are more vested in the entire process than most employees.  And although I’ll read hundreds of reviews on “other people”, this one is about me. 

I know that in a performance appraisal the criticism I will receive is inevitable (of course totally unwarranted from my perspective!).  Frankly, if it does not include criticism it’s not very useful to me as a development tool, although we each like to believe that the criticism of ourselves is unfair. 

The critical piece in criticism is “How I give it, receive it and deal with it will tell a lot about me”. 

I have several choices on my approach to dealing with this feedback.  Here are a few of the ones I've seen most often: 

1.      Tupperware Approach – I simply internalize the feedback within myself like I’m a tupperware bowl and I put a lid on it, never to be looked at again. 

2.      Uhaul Approach – I don’t deal with the feedback, I simply pick up and move on to another job or another company, until I am criticized there. 

3.      Bulldozer Approach – I will smash right on through, reacting, blasting people with the hope no one else will have the guts to criticize me again. 

4.      Phone Approach – I will call everyone I know, gossip about my review experience, try to make myself look good and diminish the perspective of my boss. 

5.      Growth and Development Approach – I am willing to make adjustments in my behavior in order to grow and develop as both a person and as an employee.  I accept that there is probably some truth in the criticism. 

How did you respond to your review? 

Over and over I have seen the performance appraisal process fail because -

• Manager lacks information concerning an employee’s actual performance.  This is one of the primary reasons 360 reviews are so beneficial.  They provide the opportunity to see an employee’s performance from the perspective of subordinates, peers, and management. 
• Standards are unclear. 
• Manager is not prepared or fails to take the evaluation seriously.  They schedule the review and then throw it together at the last minute. 
• Manager is not honest during the review.  The manager doesn’t know how to effectively provide constructive criticism. 
• Employee does not receive continuous feedback.  The only time they hear how they are doing is at “review time”.  Feedback must occur on a regular basis. 

There are also advantages for an employee to receive a performance appraisal -

• It provides a clear and complete view of how they are performing compared to expectations.
• It provides a time to discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
• It provides a time to set future goals and recommend a specific program designed to help them improve performance.
• It’s an opportunity to express opinions in two-way communication.

Although I mentioned earlier that I believe the process is more important than the form, I do want to mention a couple things to keep in mind while writing the performance evaluation -

• Review the performance throughout the entire evaluation period, not what has just happened recently.
• Include comments consistent with ratings.  If you rated them high, tell them why.  What specifically do they do that made you rate them that way.  Likewise, be sure to provide comments for “needs development” ratings. 
• Be sure to include specific examples:  customer comment cards, employee of the month, perfect balancing, etc.
• Finish the evaluation by adding comments to areas of strength and areas that need improvement.  Require the use of a self-evaluation. 
• Don’t hesitate to have HR read the evaluation before giving it.  Sometimes an unbiased observer can shed valuable insight into an employee. 

Now that you’re ready to give the performance evaluation –

• Schedule a time and place for the evaluation.
• Be specific, not general.
• Discuss the employee’s developmental needs and goals.
• Discuss the salary increase or lack thereof.
• Give the employee time to comment on the evaluation and to sign it.

One of the most important components here is training on how to do a performance evaluation.  Tomorrow, I’ll explain what that should look like.

 

Veritude, a Boston-based talent acquisition, consulting and management services provider, recently published a research report titled, Working Together, Working Apart.  The report, confirms what most HR people has known all along - significant gaps exist in the working relationship between HR and business line leaders,

In the report, respondents said HR must improve business leaders' perceptions of their skills and abilities, while business managers must learn to turn to the "people experts" for support in addressing significant workforce issues.

The online survey gathered feedback from 101 business leaders with responsibility for at least 500 employees and 99 HR leaders in director-level or higher positions in three areas:

• The top strategic challenges that face business and HR leaders.

• The working relationship between business leaders and HR.

• How HR's relationship with business leaders affects the implementation of workforce plans.

I found the most surprising finding to be that 57% percent of business leaders said they have no established relationship with HR or that it would not occur to them to include HR in implementing workforce plans.  Imagine what it must be like to be the HR leader in that organization!

Business and HR leaders report frustration with one another.  21% of business leaders perceive HR as not being able to find the right people for the job or as lacking responsiveness to business leaders’ needs. On the other hand, HR leaders believe business leaders set unrealistic time frames, lack an understanding of workforce issues and are inconsistent in implementing initiatives.

The report also identifies a glaring inability, from the perspective of business leaders, of HR leaders to speak the language of business.  Only 55 percent of business leaders rate HR as "well versed" in financial acumen, but 80 percent of HR leaders give themselves that assessment.   What can you do to increase your ability to speak the language of your business?  When I first moved into banking, I was fortunate enough to report to a bank president who was supportive of me learning about the business.  I attended the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and stepped out of my comfort zone to write a Capstone project on something I knew nothing about, trust services. 

Both groups want to see HR more fully involved in workforce strategy and implementation. According to the report, HR should take the lead in driving human capital management strategy and get involved in the strategic planning process. Business leaders, meanwhile, need to recognize the importance of HR strategy in achieving business results while working to develop a deeper understanding, acknowledgment and respect for the function.

HR leaders are encouraged to schedule time with key leaders on a regular basis to build relationships.

The report contains key questions HR leaders should ask themselves:

• Is my HR team driving the workforce strategy with the sophistication, data analysis and planning savvy required by your business?

• What is the strategic alignment between my HR team and the business, especially in terms of the grasp of the culture and key drivers of success in support of the core business areas?

• At what level is my HR team exhibiting sophistication, business acumen, analytic contributions and leadership skills?

• What is the quality of my HR team’s relationships with business line leaders?

The bottom line - HR leaders who truly speak the language of business are in a position of great power and can offer tremendous value to their companies.