Friday, December 31, 2010

Talent acquisition

Talent acquisition is an ongoing, proactive, and strategic approach to developing a pool of high-potential candidates for current and future openings.
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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Total remuneration

Total remuneration is the complete compensation package awarded employees on an annual basis, including all forms of money, benefits, services, and in-kind payments.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

First personnel management department

It's believed that the first personnel management department began at the National Cash Register Co. in the early 1900s, according to an HR Magazine article. After several strikes and employee lockouts, NCR leader John H. Patterson organized a personnel department to handle grievances, discharges, and safety, as well as training for supervisors on new laws and practices.
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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Cultural intelligence

Cultural intelligence, or CQ, describes one's capability to grow personally through continuous learning and good understanding of diverse cultural heritage, wisdom and values, and to deal effectively with people from different cultural background and understanding.
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Monday, December 27, 2010

Alumni network

SelectMinds CEO Cem Sertoglu suggests that companies maintain an alumni network of ex-employees, according to a recent Inc.com article. Keeping track of former workers can pay off for a business as rehiring a former employee typically costs only about half as much as bringing in a brand-new hire. Rehired alums may also provide sources of new business.
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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Introverts

Nearly 40% of top executives are introverts, according to a recent USA Today article. The term introvert was first used by Sigmund Freud to describe people's attitude of inward energy flow where the preferred focus is on thoughts and ideas. Workplace experts suggest that introverts succeed because they have inner strength
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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Profit-eroding factors

The unintended costs associated with irregular schedules, night shifts and extended hours are eroding the profits of American businesses, according to a study by Circadian Technologies, Inc. The profit-eroding factors for businesses with shift operations include lower productivity, higher absenteeism, greater employee turnover, increased health care costs, and more job-related accidents.
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Friday, December 24, 2010

Repetitive Strain Injury

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates the costs associated with repetitive strain injury (RSI) to businesses to be between $15 billion and $20 billion per year in the U.S. RSI in the workplace may be reduced by providing ergonomic workstation configuration and by providing appropriate pointing devices, monitors and keyboards to computer users.
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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Who Moved My Cheese

The book "Who Moved My Cheese, An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life", by Spencer Johnson, has been on the New York Times business bestseller list since 1998. This story about adjusting attitudes to accept change is told as a tale of two mice and two humans who live in a maze where someone moves their cheese. Johnson's mantra: do what you would do if you were not afraid.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Better performance reviews

Three tips for ensuring better performance reviews: show a commitment to employees and their work by sticking to the performance review date and time without rescheduling or deferring, meet in a quiet setting guaranteeing full attention to the review without interruption, and make sure both manager and employee are prepared ahead of the review session.
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Monday, December 20, 2010

Benefits survey

A recent national poll of ten thousand US workers conducted by the Hudson Highland Group found nearly 75% of respondents were generally satisfied with their compensation. Forty-four percent said they would change their mix of cash and benefits if they could, 33% would like a more flexible work schedule, and 22% would opt for additional family benefits such as parental leaves and personal days.
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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Pregnancy

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is a 1978 amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act made discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unlawful. Women affected by pregnancy must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees. Pregnancy discrimination is the fastest growing type of discrimination in the U.S.
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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Recognition efforts

A recent poll of over 1,000 full-time employees by Maritz Research found over half believed the quality of their company's recognition efforts impacted their job performance. Respondents who were "completely satisfied" with their employer's recognition programs were more satisfied with their jobs, more likely to remain with the company, and more likely to recommend their workplace to others.
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Friday, December 17, 2010

Labor Relations Manager

The HR Labor Relations Manager directs the organization's labor relations agreement in accordance with executive level instruction and endorsement. They supervise labor relations support staff and serve as the management representative in labor negotiation, bargaining, or interpretive meetings.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010

HR Compensation Manager

The HR Compensation Manager directs the organization's compensation program. Their responsibilities include developing job descriptions, analyzing jobs, conducting salary surveys and job evaluations, and establishing a salary structure. They suggest revisions to the compensation plan and procedures, administer bonus and incentive programs, and manage the performance appraisal system.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Human Resource Champions

David Ulrich's international best seller "Human Resource Champions" challenges HR professionals to define their value or face the inevitable outsourcing of their function. Ulrich identifies the distinct roles of HR as strategic player, administrative expert, employee champion and change agent. He also shows HR managers how they can change, learn, move, and act faster than the competition.
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

People strategy

A recent survey conducted by Arthur Andersen found that HR executives are missing two things that could improve their effectiveness: support from top management and sufficient financial resources. HR executives believe people strategy can significantly improve profitability. Conversely, the study found that top company managers were less likely to see a direct link between people and profits.
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Monday, December 13, 2010

Stay-at-home moms

Stay-at-home moms are on-duty 24/7, wear several hats and work many jobs in the home. Compensation software and services provider Salary.com recently set out to estimate the worth of stay-at-home moms in the marketplace. Based on a schedule of up to 100 hours a week, they have estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be $131,471 for executing all of her daily tasks.
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Sunday, December 12, 2010

HR employment

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, overall employment of human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. In addition to openings due to growth, many job openings will arise from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Generations working

There are four distinct generations working side-by-side in the workplace: traditionalist (1922-1945), baby boomer (1946-1964), generation x (1965-1980), and generation y (1981-2000). Research shows that people communicate based on their generational backgrounds. Understanding each generation may help reduce confrontations and misunderstandings, resulting in happier, more productive workers.
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Friday, December 10, 2010

The 360 method

The 360 evaluation feedback method was first used in the 1940s. Analogous to the multiple points on a compass, the 360 method provides each employee the opportunity to receive performance feedback from his or her supervisor, peers, staff members, co-workers and customers. The 360 method has produced a fair amount of debate regarding its success, effectiveness, and validity.
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Seeds of your creation

“The way to activate the seeds of your creation is by making choices about the results you want to create. When you make a choice, you activate vast human energies and resources, which otherwise go untapped.” - Robert Fritz.
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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Workplace notices

The federal government requires the following notices be posted in every workplace: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agriculture Worker Protection Act, OSHA job safety and health protection, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Monday, December 6, 2010

Human Resources Certification Institute

The Human Resources Certification Institute, the independent certifying body for HR professionals, offers three professional certifications: Professional in Human Resources, Senior Professional in Human Resources, and Global Professional in Human Resources. Certifications require professionals to demonstrate their expertise and application in the core principles of HR practice.
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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Roth IRA

The Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is an investment account that provides retirement savings for employees. In contrast to traditional IRA's, contributions to a Roth account are not tax deductible, however account withdrawals up to the total of contributions are tax free, and withdrawals of account investment earnings are often tax free.
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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Panel job interview

A panel job interview is considered the most stressful for job candidates as they face multiple interviewers who take turns asking questions. Panel interviews are more time efficient and allow decision makers to obtain the same information for making a hiring decision. Panel interviews require proper planning in order to avoid duplicate questions and to establish a rapport during the interview.
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Friday, December 3, 2010

Occupational Safety and Health Act

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) became a federal law in December 1970. OSHA was created to protect worker and workplace safety. Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide their workers with a safe and healthy work environment, free from dangers such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions.
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Thursday, December 2, 2010

COBRA

The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) enacted in 1986 provides terminated employees or those who lose coverage because of reduced work hours the ability to purchase group health coverage for themselves and their families for limited periods of time, ranging from 18 to 36 months. COBRA has been modified numerous times by Congress since its original enactment.
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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Crisis management

Human resources personnel now have greater involvement and responsibility in crisis management, business continuity planning and disaster recovery. This is in response to the continuing threats of terrorism at home and abroad, increased globalization of business, and a global expansion in workforce planning.
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