by Janine Nicole Dennis | Mar 5, 2014 | Business, Featured, Life, Talent Management, Women, Work/Life
Image Courtesy of StockPhotosForFree.com
I was inspired by the TLNT wrap-up written by John Hollon last week discussing the demographics of people participating in flex work and questioning why there is a lack of women teleworking. For more on what he said- read here.
As someone who considers herself fortunate to telework, I can tell you that merely referring to the arrangement as “fortunate” is part of the problem. You see there are many employers that still see this flex work as the ultimate privilege. It is almost as though they should be crowned best employer and have employees kneel before them for bestowing such an honor. They put unnecessary and onerous hurdles in front of employees that are afforded flex work and in turn it becomes a less desirable option.
Women in particular have been made to disclose every nook and cranny of their home arrangements. Some are subjected to presumptuous questioning regarding whether or not they have a nanny to watch their kids during telework time. While other flex work infractions have to do with being exclusive to a certain subsection of employees- leaving those with other non-familial obligations feeling singled out from the possibility of teleworking.
When the strategy becomes this entitled all or nothing process, you have to ask yourself are companies really all-in regarding flex work or are they slapping a policy together to appear as though they are a part of the growing trend?
I like what Cali Yost of CEO of Flex+ Strategy Group said in a recent press release, “Telework is not a perk and it’s certainly not just for moms and Gen Y. Rather, it’s an operational strategy.”
If you have a flex work option for your employees, is it being treated as an operational strategy or is it a wild-card policy that you pull out of your bag-of-tricks to appease employees?
It needs to be an operational strategy. Your employees both men and women are stretched at home and at work; with or without children. If the job lends itself to some flexibility- give it to them. Like most concepts of giving- try to give flexibility without ultimatums and ridiculous demands in return for this alternative.
Here are some rules of engagement if you are serious about offering your employees more flexibility:
1) Focus on results. It is none of your business who watches their kids, if a nanny is present during telework hours, spouse’s work hours etc. As long as you are receiving their work and it is quality, focus on the results; not how they got there.
2) Trust your employees to do the right thing. If you don’t ask your employees to document what they do every minute of the day in the office, why would you do it when they flex work? Trust your employees to do the right thing unless you find out otherwise.
3) Do not offer flex work unless you believe in it as an “operational strategy”. Everyone wins when trust and flexibility are given. The second you start to micromanage or make your flex work policy an elitist offering it will do more harm than good for the company and your brand.
According to a recent infographic by Flex+Strategy Group, 31% of workers are working from home, a business center or another location. Employers can expect decreased absenteeism and tardiness, less employee burnout, increased employee productivity as a result of offering flex work.
So I ask employers that are still hesitant about flex work- what are you really losing?
Need some innovative ideas on flex work strategies- contact us.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Feb 26, 2014 | Business, CHRO, Development, Featured, Human Resources, Talent Management
Image courtesy for Stock Images For Free.com
This is a real-talk forum. I’m not about to list leadership competencies or some empirical data I happened upon in my latest internet search on where CHRO’s and leaders in general go wrong.
As a CHRO, you are the figurehead and face of Human Resources. The success and failure of HR’s programs and initiatives rest on your shoulders. The obvious strategy ( assuming you still need to assert the value of HR in the organization) is to align at the top and do whatever they ask of you- even if it undermines the very essence of what HR contributes to the organization. It takes a vision, business savvy, strategy, and the ability to advocate and raise the important issues/discussions around employing people. According to some, marketing and/or financial types are just a few of the professionals being touted as the better choices for HR leadership and even at the staff level. The fact is I don’t care if you put someone with 20+ years of HR experience or 20+ years in Marketing- the central point is you better know people, the challenges of the business and the opportunities that are inherent in investing in talent. HR has always been a field that welcomed professionals from non-traditional backgrounds, so professionals in different fields outside of HR as HR leaders or professionals isn’t exactly groundbreaking.
When people join your organization they are in effect putting their faith in you and the possibilities that may or may not exist within your company. Essentially, they are entrusting you with their livelihoods. The hope is that they can make a decent living, enjoy the work they do and grow. The growth doesn’t necessarily have to mean promotions, but just the ability to continue to learn and grow in the way that is most meaningful for them professionally.
Newsflash– there are few people currently employed purely out of the love of working. Your employees are humans. They have families, problems, debts, health concerns, marital concerns etc. Your job as a leader of HR isn’t to be their psychologist, financial advisor or angel investor. However, it would help if you saw your employees, I mean really saw your employees in the context of being human beings with needs, wants and complex circumstances.
If you can see them through this varied lens, you may be moved to also see them as an investment. If you see them as an investment you might also be moved to do some of the following:
1) Get to know your people. How can you invest in something you know nothing about? Take the time to get to know the people behind your company. Say hello, shake a hand, know them by name where possible. It all makes a difference in how they see you.
2) Now that you have gotten to know your employees- it’s time to be honest. Be honest about work conditions, raises or lack thereof, your plans for the future. Somewhere along the line we have learned to treat employees like children withholding information and disseminating it as it suits your interests. Know that the omission of facts that affect your employees are seen as deliberate and underhanded.
3) Now that you know them and you are being honest. Good job! Put your money where your mouth is. Invest in your employees. There is nothing in this world that allows for us to receive something for nothing. Where are the programs aimed to develop, train, compensate, re-recruit, and allow flexibility where possible to retain your employees?
Some more questions…
How are you prioritizing your efforts? What’s the strategy? Pleasing the C-Suite is important and there’s no doubt that your decisions will not always be in the best interest of the employees. However, what if you tried to do the absolute best you could by your employees? What if- the key to keeping the C-Suite happy was to ensure that the employees were happy and productive. Isn’t that what you were hired to do?
That was a lot of questions, but these are all of the questions you should be asking yourself as a CHRO. HR has the unfortunate plight of having to walk a fine line between competing interests, people, obligations to the business and legal matters. That said, you are the consummate middle man leader. You cannot be so aligned to the top that you lose sight of the very element that keeps you employed- the people.
Are you a CHRO putting your talent first and impacting business strategy through dynamic employee-centered programs? Share your story.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Feb 19, 2014 | Business, Career, Featured, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
Depending on who you speak to there is a talent war and every employer should be gathering up their troops to battle for the best and brightest. While I don’t disagree that there are still some highly sought after professionals that are hard to get to particularly in technical fields- I don’t see this said talent shortage/war being true in general.
What I have seen is great talent who are no longer passive but now actively open to any and all conversations surrounding new opportunities. I see those top performers as ready to have conversations about their next move, but employers being ill-equipped to receive them.
What do I mean?
This means that many of the employers speaking about the talent shortage are really spreading workforce propaganda and are in fact the root of the problem when it comes to the talent discussion. All employers want the best and brightest at their company, yet not all of them are diligent enough in how they attract, assess, develop and retain that talent. They want the finest selection of talent but are only willing to offer up salary, development, and benefits that don’t begin to compensate or reward the efforts of quality professionals.
There are various types of workers needed to keep your organization afloat. You have the top performers who will do what they are expected and offer up ideas, skills, and abilities above and beyond what you ask of them. These are your current and future leaders. You have your operational kinds that will be on time do what is asked of them and nothing more. They’re not overly concerned about upward mobility or development-just pay them for an honest day’s work and you will have them for the long haul. Lastly, you have those that will do less than what you expect and require a lot of hand-holding. These are the people that do just enough to keep you off their backs, but are not adding much to your workforce in terms of engagement and productivity.
When you think about what you want the makeup of your employee ecosystem to be- it isn’t likely that you want to attract or retain the latter kind of professional. Everyone is aiming for the best! You want those professionals that are self-motivated, productive, and ready to push the company agenda ahead.
Return on Effort
While it’s great that you are clear on what you want- are you as clear on what will attract and retain what you seek? The talent is there. They are open to conversation and helping you solve your business problems, but it comes at a price. Just as you expect ROI on your investments in them; they expect that you provide opportunities for growth, benefits, fair market value pay in return for their efforts. It’s called “return on effort”. This is where you get what you need from the employee and you in turn provide proper remuneration for their deliverables.
Be Honest
Do you have the budget or resources to garner the talent you seek? This is an important consideration for all businesses. If the answer is “yes”, your only worries is the strategy in getting and keeping them. If “no”, you have both a budget concern and work to do in terms of figuring out how you fairly and equitably distribute what you can; plus continuing to attract and retain talent despite a shortfall. This is not an easy task, but it may require you to be honest with current employees as well as new hires as to what you can really offer. Some may still join or remain with you through the struggle and others may flee. The point is it’s time employers stop selling grown adults on ideals and fluff that may never come to fruition.
Be cognizant of what you can offer as an employer and admit your shortcomings. Talent gaps and shortage may be real, but it isn’t the full story.
How will you rework your talent strategy in 2014 and beyond? Let me know how I can help?
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Feb 4, 2014 | Employment Branding, Featured, Recruiting, Recruitment, Snippets, Social Recruitment, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management
Image courtesy of PushandPullsigns.com
Hello HR Aristocrats! Today you can find me on the iCims Hire Expectations Institute blog with a brand new article called: ” The Push and Pull of Recruitment”. iCims is a strategic partner of my business Talent Think Innovations, LLC and a supporter of “The Aristocracy of HR”. This article is the first of many collaborations you will see with iCims and I in the future.
FTC Disclosure: I received compensation for writing this article listed below as one of the services I offer my clients. I only work with companies I feel have great products, services and offerings. In accordance with my blog disclosure statement, I will only work with and showcase products and/or companies I believe my readers will benefit from. iCims is an ATS provider and I have either reviewed or used their product personally. I have not made any absolute statements about its functionality but endorse the capabilities I have personally observed. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Here’s a snippet of the post:
“The Push and Pull of Recruitment”
Those of you that have been in recruitment long enough remember a day when we used to be able to post to a job board or two and receive a bevy of resumes. I’m talking posting jobs before we had to pray that anyone would be interested in our opportunities. A lot has changed since that time, and yet I can be assured that every month of every new year there will be some focus on the methods we utilize to attract candidates.
Some say we need to focus more heavily on big data and analytics. Others say attracting top talent is near impossible because we are experiencing a talent shortage. Whatever your opinion on the subject, I think we can all agree that spending your recruitment budget on job board advertising alone is probably not going to cut it that much longer. We are looking at a new frontier of the modern workforce- where a specific and targeted mix of advertising is utilized to get the word out about open positions.
Along with the specific and targeted mix of advertising is a continued emphasis on company’s having a consistent and attractive digital presence.
What does this mean?
It simply means that organizations need to become clear about who they are and what value proposition they are offering candidates for joining their company. In the past, the candidate-employer relationship was guided by what the employer wanted and most experts urged candidates to yield to the company’s wants rather than encouraging them to fulfill their own wants and needs read the rest of the post here.
Want to boost your brand recognition in collaboration with The Aristocracy of HR? Click here for more on our content writing services.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jan 22, 2014 | Diversity & Inclusion, Featured, HR Policy, Human Resources, Life, Motherhood, Personal, Policy, Pregnancy, Talent Management, Work/Life
Image Courtesy of “Think Progress”
After being pregnant three times over the past seven years, I have seen, heard, and endured things that have both shocked me and made me angry. For starters, there are far too many employers that are still treating pregnancy as if it is a cardinal sin and a complete undoing to their business. Having children whether as an older more tenured employee or an early careerist is a life decision that need not be vetted or agreed with by an employer. Certainly, there are the usual considerations of the inevitable impact of having children depending on where you are in your career; but they are just that- considerations.
Consider this instead:
*The U.S. is one of only 4 countries that doesn’t offer paid leave to new mothers — the others are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
*Having a baby is a leading cause of “poverty spells” in the U.S. — when income dips below what’s needed for basic living expenses.
When you are notified by an employee that they are pregnant, they haven’t just given you their resignation simultaneously. Pregnant women are not only capable of continuing their duties (unless sickness and or the physical nature of their job interfere), but they are worthy of having your support as an employer.
As a new business owner, I would like to impart some food-for thought for dealing with pregnancy in general and pregnant employees:
- Stop saying dumb things to your pregnant employees. If you are hesitant to say what you’re thinking or you are unsure; do yourself a favor and be quiet.
- Be kind. In as much as pregnant women are willing and capable, a little compassion can go a long way. Ask them how they are feeling. If they are struggling during the first trimester or beyond; allow some leniency. It’s that whole do onto others philosophy.
- Did you also know? *51% of new mothers lack any paid leave — so some take unpaid leave, some quit, some even lose their jobs. If you can help it, get out of this third-world mentality that exists in the US and offer your female employees a dose of relief in the way of a paid maternity leave, the ability to phase-back to work, short-term disability etc.
- While said employee is on leave, do your best to refrain from contacting her regarding work related things or anything in general. Maternity leave is supposed to be a time for healing, bonding, and family. Respect the employee’s time.
- Lastly, if there are concerns about adequate time and the like- communicate your concern, but don’t over communicate. There are dr.’s appointments, unforeseen sicknesses, etc. Again, if this is a good employee do your best to work through these hurdles. In business, there are always workarounds whether you want to openly admit it or not).
- Don’t forget your male employees. They are becoming dads too and may need your support as well.
Pregnant women are not second-class citizens. You do not have to fundamentally agree with the act of childbearing or its timing but you do have an obligation to respect the decision and support your employees as best you can.
Every year Working Mother.com compiles a list of the best 100 companies for the working mother. One of their requirements for application acceptance is that they offer at least one week of paid family leave or they must be on their way to implementing some sort of paid maternity leave. The list is great and proof that nothing I said here is pie-in-the-sky. Check the list of companies out here.
Here’s a wacky bonus tip: don’t touch your pregnant employee unless you ask. I once had a manager push in my protruding belly button because she thought it was odd and cute. Please stop doing these things. It doesn’t bode well for anyone involved.
What are some innovative arrangements or policies you have implemented to support your pregnant or even new mother employees?
*Statistics from MomRising.org- http://www.momsrising.org/issues_and_resources/maternity
