Articles - SoftTime Online

How Baby Boomers Who Retire Will Effect Your Company

2009-06-22T17:53:30.257

The baby boom generation is approaching retirement in record numbers, and organizations across the country need to brace themselves for this large shift in talent resources. The good news, however, is that more employees approaching retirement than ever are willing to stay on afterwards in a part time capacity. This willingness to stay on after retirement can be a life saver for some organizations whose talent pools are going to be badly drained.

Whenever you think of the talent that resides in your organization, it may concern you to know that the most skilled and knowledgeable workers in the office are all dreaming of faraway beaches soon to come. Because of the effect that the baby boom retirement is bound to have on widespread industries, organizations with an eye on the future know they need to be prepared.

How can an organization prepare for the loss of so much of its talent pool? Simply waiting and hoping for the best is by far not the best solution out there. Working to integrate new talent is an essential process that will only become more important as the baby boomers retire from their positions. Hopefully, some experienced workers will be willing to work part time in order to help train new talent in their positions.

As a human resource manager, it is absolutely essential that the process of talent integration be looked at early on. It is important to identify areas where a shortfall is likely, and begin hiring or retraining existing employees to prevent that gap from ever forming. A talent shortage at the wrong time can really put a dent in company productivity, so it's crucial that this shortage never occur.

This is a great opportunity to look within a company. Wherever possible, use the exodus of the baby boomer generation as a tool for creating opportunity for more junior employees. Junior employees will love the opportunity to move up and experience new responsibilities within the organization.

It may not be entirely possible to cover a talent shortage with existing employees. In that case, it may be necessary to hire intermediate to high level employees to cover the shortage. The more people may be hired at a lower level, the better. Higher level positions are best filled with existing employees if that is at all possible.

How to Attract Top Talent to Your Company

2009-06-22T19:07:57.537

Attracting the most talented and experienced individuals for a job begins with a great job posting. Job seekers will often get their first hint as to what a job will be about from your job posting. A job posting that is effective will give candidates a firm impression of who and what the job involves. After all, no one wants to waste time pursuing jobs that might be totally out of their realm. After spelling out what is involved in the job, the posting must also manage to pique their interest in the position.

Especially in a competitive labor market, no job seeker wants to spend time pursuing job positions that sound deathly boring. Effective job postings must both spell out the potential position, as well as make it sound exciting and full of opportunity. Studies have shown that job seekers hold much more than money in consideration when looking for potential jobs. The excitement of the job, what they will learn, and who they will meet are also very important considerations.

Where is your organization located? If you are located in the middle of the nowhere, it might be best to mention that later. On the other hand, location can also be a powerful marketing tool. Be sure to promote the location and all the benefits of living there within the job posting. Get candidates excited about all the things they can do and see during their time off.

Outlining benefits and potential opportunities for skill learning are also a must in any effective job posting. Employees want to know what they stand to gain other than the basic compensation. If an organization truly wants to attract the best talent, then job postings must be about more than just the basic compensation involved. Outlining all the potential benefits of working at the company may attract candidates that would otherwise have gone with someone paying slightly more.

Clearly listing the requirements of a job is another cornerstone of effective job posting. Without clear requirements, you will either receive too many applications, or too few. Having concise requirements listed in the posting will help to narrow the range of responses to something more manageable. This is very important if the HR department wants to spend time efficiently in finding the most qualified candidate. Too generic a job posting will result in a flood of applications, potentially obscuring the best candidates for the job.

How to Handle Company Internet Abuse

2009-06-22T18:53:37.303

The internet is a great tool that has changed the way business is done around the world, but it also has its fair share of problems. For one, how can companies be sure their employees aren't spending the day zapping aliens on a Flash game or catching up with gossip on Facebook?

Internet access can be a very touchy subject at many organizations. Putting too many controls in place can engender some hostility and feelings of "big brother" discontent. Even worse, some blocking and filtering software can do a poor job of deciding what is legitimate content and what's not.

Rather than forcing content policies down employee throats via programs, it might be a better idea to instead focus on making sure employees are aware of use policies. Employees can easily circumvent filtering software with a simple proxy, so making sure employees are aware of use policies is by far the best means of preventing time wasting.

Companies should try to avoid spying on employees as much as possible. Some companies go as far as installing keyloggers and other such spy software on employee computers. This kind of spying is invasive, hostile, and potentially open to legal ramifications. Employees are likely to discover that they are being monitored, which could potentially lead to a general feeling of discontent and employee disengagement.

According to some studies, employees spend as much as an hour of the work day just checking personal email and surfing non-work related content. Overcoming this problem is largely a matter of changing company culture. Making it clear that such time wasting is unacceptable is a great way to begin curbing those activities. Many employees say they engage in such activity because the company has made its policies vague, and does not provide a clear direction or work agenda in the first place.

Should initial policy fail to have an effect, it may be necessary to counsel individual employees on their internet usage. It should be made clear that the internet is a tool for productivity, not the checking of personal email. If an employee has a problem with following the internet policy, it might be a good idea to track their usage, but only if they have provided a reason for such supervision. Targeted supervision of internet activity can be a much more effective means of monitoring internet use than a blanket policy that snoops into employee activity.

What is Intellectual Capital?

2009-06-22T18:49:24.257

It has been the traditional role of the human resources department to manage administrative tasks like compensation, scheduling, and retirement. While these are certainly very important tasks, they are increasingly done outside the organization by contractors who charge less for their services. What can human resources professionals do to prevent their own extinction?

The answer seems to lie with what is popularly known as intellectual capital. In a knowledge economy, the collective talent of an organization has become its most important asset. Without the right talent, an organization cannot hope to compete in a fierce economic environment, no matter the quality of their tools or ambition of the business plan.

To some businesses, intellectual capital trumps all other factors when it comes to success or failure. Discovery and retention of talented employees has become such a fierce competition that is commmonly called the "war for talent" in some circles. This war for talent has made finding skilled labor more than a simple matter of posting a job availability. Maintaining the best talent has become crucial to retaining that competitive edge.

This is where human resource professionals have an opportunity to step in and make a contribution. What many companies fail to realize is that effective recruiting is not the only requirement of a great intellectual capital strategy. Retaining talented individuals already at the company is very important as well. A dedicated human resources professional has many tools at their disposal.

Developing a personal relationship with critical talent is absolutely essential. Truly talented employees are highly sought after, and if such personnel feel neglected at an organization, they may seek rewarding employment elsewhere. A human resources professional should strive to ensure that key personnel feel in touch with the management. Opportunity for change and advancement are also very important when it comes to retaining talent.

Any true human resources professional should seek to establish a rapport with important company talent. Checking in often to see how the job is going and to offer support is essential. An employee unhappy in their position will seek a change elsewhere if they feel they have no opportunity for a change within the organization. Checking up regularly with these employees and keeping opportunity on the table is a great way to retain essential talent in the organization.

Find the Right Human Resource Software Package for Your Company

2009-06-22T18:47:45.943

As organizations have become ever larger and more complex, automated systems have emerged to handle the demand. The management of "human capital" is a major part of any business, and doing so efficiently is the foundation of any successful organization. Where in the past an entire branch of a company might have struggled with mountains of paperwork, human resources software has streamlined this process today. Human resources software can provide a solid foundation for any HR department, ensuring that its operations are reliable and timely.

Human resources software comes in many varieties, from packages that automate the employee pay process, to appraisal software that can help a manager make an effective performance evaluation. Whatever the function of an HR software package, the end goal is to make the process faster, more reliable, and accessible. With an effective HR software package, a company can rid itself of human error while maintaining thorough records, without all the accompanying paperwork.

Tracking time and attendance are a major part of any organization, and this can introduce serious overhead to any operation. Developing an in house solution to the problem can be costly and time consuming. With a software package like TimeKRON, however, a complete time management solution can be at your fingertips. Instead of generating massive amounts of paperwork, TimeKRON archives information electronically. This efficient archival of information can allow both managers and employees to easily access schedules and request or review leave.

TimeKRON provides a highly reliable, accurate, and paperless solution. Where a company solution might involve large amounts of paperwork that is at best unreliable, TimeKRON provides a bulletproof solution to the issue. In addition to providing convenience, TimeKRON also gives managers the ability to review and evaluate attendance records without having to go through a heap of paperwork. Managers can even view who is currently punched in or out. When coupled with a hardware solution, TimeKRON can provide a traditional punch in/out interface coupled to a highly efficient database back end.

Human resources software is a broad topic, but every software package on the market has efficiency, ease of use, and effective information storage as its goal. The best HR tools should allow a company to manage employees in a cost effective manner. With HR software, management should be easier, take less time, and be more reliable.

The Right Human Resource Career for You

2009-06-22T18:43:58.537

Careers in human resource management have become a promising field for talented individuals with all kinds of training and background. Human resource management careers are highly diversified in their responsibilities, compensation, and outlook. Almost every company, from the small star tup to the multinational corporation, requires the assistance of an HR department. The size and culture of the company, however, will have a great deal to do with the nature of the human resources jobs to be found there.

In a smaller company, it is typical to find what are commonly referred to as "human resource generalists." A generalist approaches the human resource problem as a whole, assuming a wide array of responsibilities that at a larger company may have been further delegated. The generalist must possess a variety of skills, including hiring and placement, as well as training and evaluation.

At a larger company, it is typical to find an HR department that delegates a number of responsibilities to its employees. Some HR personnel may be responsible for recruitment, others for compensation and benefits, while still others manage the company training and evaluation program. A recruiter can expect to travel frequently, often to college job fairs and community events. Working and talking with other people effectively is a crucial job skill for a recruiter.

In a larger firm, it is common to find positions such as the occupational analyst. An occupational analyst is responsible for creating job descriptions and researching the efficiency of the company job structure. A compensation manager works to create an equitable pay rate for all employees, and will frequently survey pay rates found outside the company for comparison.

The training and development arm of human resource departments has also become increasingly important to firms. Businesses have come to recognize the importance of training to employee effectiveness. As such, corporations are placing an increased focus on developing training programs that work effectively with their employees. In some companies, training personnel may work as instructors on a full time basis, managing classrooms.

This is a great time to consider a career in human resource management. With an overall projected job growth rate of 17%, the human resource field is growing at a faster than average rate for the economy. Many universities offer programs in human or labor relations, as well as business administration. Although applicants with a bachelor's degree will have more opportunity overall, those with relevant experience may find it possible to attain entry level positions in the human resources field without a degree.

What you Need to Know Before Making Hiring Decisions

2009-06-22T18:41:06.77

Deciding to bring on additional help at your organization is a major choice that any manager faces. The hiring process itself is complicated enough, but the decision to even begin that process also deserves some attention. Hiring for the wrong reasons can end up costing your organization in the long run. Thinking out your staffing needs and deciding what the best course of action is beforehand can avoid such long term costs.

The first question, of course, is why do you need to hire someone? Sometimes this crucial question goes unanswered or at best vaguely answered. Avoiding kneejerk hiring sprees is something every manager should be capable of. Before the decision to hire someone is made, be sure that the need for that hire can be clearly spelled out. What is behind the demand for more labor? If it is a temporary spike in business, deciding to hire might require some second thought. Likewise, hiring simply because a few employees are retiring is another kneejerk reaction best avoided.

Before adding a significant new cost burden to the organization, identify areas that might allow the additional coverage to be added without making new hires. If it is simply a matter of needing additional coverage, can existing employees provide that coverage with some overtime? This is especially important if the extra coverage is required because of what could be only a temporary spike in business or sales.

If existing resources simply cannot satisfy demand, consider going through a temporary agency to find qualified workers quickly. Temporary workers or part time workers usually do not expect benefits, and can provide a flexible staffing solution. Even better, temporary employees can often be offered permanent positions if they perform well, allowing the employer to make hiring decisions based on performance.

When attempting to fill a vacancy quickly, do not neglect all the usual employment processes. Doing background checks and conducting thorough interviews are just as important even if the position is only temporary or must be filled quickly. Following normal hiring procedures will allow you to find talented individuals that may become permanent employees later on.

Customer service is ultimately the most important factor, especially in a retail environment. Finding workers that can provide excellent customer service is very important, and these standards should not be relaxed, even if the staffing crunch is particularly severe.

Outsourcing Your Hiring Process

2009-06-22T18:37:03.037

Hiring can sometimes be a very time consuming process at many firms, especially if the company is looking to fill more than just a few positions. Although it is a primary function of the human resources department, the stress of having to manage the entire hiring process can easily become more than a little overwhelming. Having to field dozens of calls and screen potentially hundreds of applicants is more than some human resources departments would like to handle.

How can this deluge be reduced to a manageable flow of qualified applicants? For many organizations, a job placement firm may be the best solution. Contracting the hiring process out to a job placement firm allows an organization to deal only with the most qualified of candidates. This time savings can be far better spent on efforts such as employee retention and quality of life issues.

The hiring process inevitably involves sorting through large batches of resumes to find a handful of highly qualified and suitable candidates. In the case of the current economy, that process is all the more difficult, with a job posting easily attracting hundreds of applicants if not more. With such an overwhelming response, having a job placement firm to narrow the field can be indispensable.

Although a job placement firm will never replace in person interviews, they can help to considerably reduce the number of applications to consider. Hiring a good job placement firm can effectively screen out those applications that are too under or over qualified for the job in question. The remaining pool of candidates are usually worthy of an interview, allowing both potential employees and the company to avoid wasting each others time.

This can be a great way to quickly locate new talent when needed. Job placement firms typically keep good resumes on file, making a massive pool of talent just a phone call away. This can be a godsend for companies that need a quick contract stopgap to begin work on a project or ramp up production. Job placement firms can be an expensive service, but the intangible benefit of an HR department that doesn't have its hands tied can be very valuable.

Every organization that has demanding hiring needs should consider a job placement firm. Other resources such as jobs websites are also a consideration, as they can make more information on potential candidates available without quite as much overhead.

Hiring the Right "Tools" for Your Company

2009-06-22T18:28:40.49

An organization is only as effective as the people that it hires. To that end, hiring is an extremely important component of any organization. The human resources manager in charge of the hiring process must ensure that new hires are a good fit for the company that will complement long term goals.

Obtaining the most talented individuals in a certain field can be a difficult process, but also a very rewarding one. When an organization wants to find the best talent in the field, it must turn to new approaches in hiring philosophy.

The traditional approach of hiring in which applicants approach the company with a resume and are subsequently interviewed, then hired or passed over, is starting to see a subtle shift. The core of the process remains, but the approach at some companies has begun to change. Instead of collecting resumes and turning away large groups of people, many organizations are focusing on fostering a sense of community outside the company.

When the talent of new hires is a highly critical factor, it can pay to maintain a relationship, even with those that are not selected for a given position. Keeping resumes on file and alerting individuals to new positions is an excellent way to attract talent. Many companies are going so far as to maintain contacts with potential hires over months, if not years, fostering their interest in the organization. This kind of keen interest can develop a relationship that leads to securing a great hire.

With the traditional model, many applicants may feel they have no chance with the organization if they are turned down for one role. Working instead to keep potential hires informed and interested through a community atmosphere can keep good hires around, even if they weren't right for a specific position. This kind of attention can win over talent that would otherwise never consider relocating or leaving their present jobs to work with the organization.

Although the traditional approach certainly has merit for many organizations, this more involved and long term view to hiring may benefit companies that need to attract the best talent. Some of the best talent in the field may be held at other firms, with no intention of ever considering a different organization. Through a strong community effort and a personal touch to the process, such important talent may eventually reconsider.

Understanding how Globalizing Affects Your Company

2009-06-22T18:25:26.96

In an increasingly global economy, more and more companies are faced with the challenges of managing an expatriate work force. Expatriate workers can be key to extending business abroad, but the challenges they face are numerous. To successfully operate abroad with employees from home, an organization must take into account a wide spectrum of issues that normally do not apply. Failing to acknowledge the special issues confronted by expatriate workers can lead to a breakdown in global business strategy.

Relocating an employee abroad can be one of the most expensive things a company does, and for good reason. This problem is compounded when the dollar happens to be weaker than foreign currency. Taking the former into account, companies must also recognize that a healthy incentive is needed to attract talent for global assignments. Depending on the assignment and nature of the work, training geared toward life and business abroad may also be in order.

Seen as a whole, global relocation is an extraordinarily expensive undertaking. The initial cost and professional burden can be very taxing. With that in mind, a company must also consider the tremendous personal strain that global relocation can cause for an employee. Leaving the country and adapting to a new culture by itself can be a serious strain, and one for which some employees may be better suited than others.

One of the most serious impediments to global assignment are family concerns. Often times, the spouse of an employee will have their own career to consider. Working out a compromise that enables the spouse to continue working may be difficult or even impossible. Children are also an important consideration in global relocation. Depending on the situation, employees with children may be unwilling to undergo a global relocation.

Retention of global talent is also an important consideration. Once an employee has been relocated, the company must make every effort to ensure that their new assignment is successful and comfortable. Global relocations require much more than careful financial planning to be successful. Often times, it can help tremendously to have an employee assistance program in place. Helping employees adjust to their life abroad can do wonders for retention. Employees that feel as though they were cast adrift in a foreign country will most likely require reassignment.

Developing a solid global business framework requires much more than deep pockets. Some employees will adjust to life overseas better than others, but every employee should be given a network of support to draw upon.

Is Flex Time Right for Your Company?

2009-06-22T18:23:12.63

Flex time has become a popular scheduling choice at many organizations across the country. In a flex time arrangement, employees may choose to come in to work earlier, or later if they wish. Although the number of hours worked remains the same, employees have a limited degree of flexibility as to when those hours will be. In most flex time arrangements, the organization sets out "core hours" during which all employees must be present. These core hours are typically during midday, with employees having the choice of whether to come in an hour or two early, or later in the day.

Flex time scheduling has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety among employees. Without the need to arrive at an exact time, employees no longer feel the pressure of tardiness, and employers for the most part no longer have to worry themselves with the issue. Instead, employees are able to craft their schedules around personal needs. As a result, employees should feel considerably less stress in their daily lives. Productivity typically rises in a flex time arrangement, with employees working when they feel at their best.

Best of all, flex time may allow an organization to retain employees that would otherwise have quit because of personal time issues. With flex time, those employees can shift their schedules to take care of their personal needs without having to seek another position somewhere else. This can be a great way to maintain talent and limit turnover.

When implementing a flex time solution, organizations should approach the issue on a case by case basis. Making flex time available to everyone may be impossible because those employees need to be present for the organization to function. Establishing a fair and objective flex time application process can allow a company to transition smoothly to the new system.

Flex time does not come without tradeoffs. It can be somewhat more difficult to schedule task completion when no one is certain when employees will show up. Although the core hours usually comprise most of the day, it can make completing tasks early or late in the day problematic. This kind of problem is usually far outweighed by the potential benefits of the flex time system. Employees are typically happier in general about their position, and experience far less anxiety. The resulting boost in productivity is well worth any minor inconvenience that may be introduced.

Understanding Employee Assistance

2009-06-22T18:21:16.71

Employee assistance programs can offer an invaluable service to talented individuals that are in need. Although it is a difficult subject to quantify, it is likely that a company will lose a fair amount of employees because of personal problems those employees are suffering. Even with the perfect workplace environment, it is impossible to provide a perfect lifestyle for everyone.

Any number of issues can abruptly destroy the relationship that any employer has with its talent. Personal financial problems, family issues, and health concerns are all major issues that can suddenly decrease productivity and efficiency at work. Finding the cause and helping to resolve the situation are sometimes difficult for a company. When circumstances beyond an employer's control cause harm to the business, an employee assistance program might be of help.

Instead of dealing with such issues, many companies are turning to employee assistance programs. Although they are not cheap, these programs can potentially save employers a great deal in lost productivity and turnover costs. The cost of replacing an employee, or turnover, is oftentimes tremendous and best avoided if at all possible. If an employee assistance program can prevent even a small number of turnovers, then it has done its job.

Most employee assistance programs offer themselves as a comprehensive, hands-off solution. A company hires the assistance organization, and employees are given information on how to utilize the program. From then out, any contact between employees and the assistance program is strictly confidential.

What services does such a program offer? This can vary, but most offer counseling on anything from financial trouble to marriage problems. The goal is to reduce the impact any personal problems will have on the workplace. Dealing with such problems in an in-house manner would be very expensive and time consuming. Many companies have gone with employee assistance programs as an easy and effective means of handling the problem.

An employee assistance program typically has layers of help that an employee can utilize. A 24 hour phone line is typically made available on which employees can have a range of issues addressed. Should an issue prove a little too serious for a phone operator to handle, the organization can then refer the individual to professionals that are more able to provide assistance.

Through its anonymous nature and comprehensive set of solutions, an employee assistance program strives to help solve any life issues that an employee might be facing. Whatever the problem, the organization seeks to alleviate the issue. The end result should be that productivity is maintained and turnover is kept at a minimum.

How to Handle Weak Performance in the Work Place

2009-06-22T18:19:28.037

An employee that performs weakly is a serious detriment to any organization. Lost productivity alone can be a harmful drag on the company, but the attitudes engendered by weak performance are even more dangerous. Should an under performing employee not be dealt with promptly, their attitude could spread throughout the office, gradually lowering performance across the board. At the same time, it is important to recognize that weak performance may have a number of causes. Working with the employee to improve performance should be a serious priority for the human resources department.

The first barrier to weak performance is a consistent benchmark for performance evaluation. Nothing engenders weak performance more than an inconsistent evaluation process. If an employee feels that evaluations are ineffective and unrealistic, they are far more likely to put less into their work. An effective evaluation system rewards success and improves upon a lack of performance. Should that key ingredient be missing for whatever reason, an employee will put forth only the effort they deem necessary to avoid being fired.

Employee disengagement can be another productivity killer. Eventually, even the most motivated employee will become disengaged with their work if circumstances remain stagnant for too long. An employee that feels stuck in a position that no longer holds any interest to them will inevitably become less productive as their efforts wane. Opportunity and upward mobility are key to maintaining employee productivity. If there is no room to advance or try new things, employees will do only what it takes to keep a job.

Conflict within the office can be another source of weak performance. A tense and uncomfortable office environment can easily lead to lost productivity, especially in circumstances where effective communication is key to the work.

An employee that is shopping around for a new job may also tend to fall off in productivity. When an otherwise productive employee begins to perform weakly, they could very well be prepared to leave the organization. Entirely preventing this kind of situation is impossible, but providing a challenging work environment full of opportunity is the most effective counter measure.

It is entirely possible that a slump in productivity may be due to some personal factor, such as the failure of a relationship or the death of a family member. In these cases, a good employee will overcome the situation and begin performing as expected again.

Top 5 Tips to Company Dress Code

2009-06-22T18:17:16.303

The dress code of any professional company is oftentimes the subject of office complaints and general angst. On the one hand, you want the company to project a professional image to potential clients and employees. On the other, you want a workforce that is comfortable.

Matching the two desires can be something of a challenge. Wanting workers to be comfortable is one thing, but having them show up in their club clothing is another.

How can a company ever hope to strike a healthy comfort to professionalism ratio? With the help of these five tips, your company may find the right balance between comfort and professionalism.

- When it comes to pants and the business casual regimen, employees should look to slacks made out of cotton or some synthetic materials. Employees should definitely attempt to avoid anything like jeans, shorts, bibs, or spandex. Jeans and other relaxed pants might be appropriate for a casual Fridays sort of affair, but they should be absent for most of the week.

- The traditional rule on skirts applies to business casual. Any skirt in the workplace should extend at least to the knee. The spaghetti strap dress is also a definite no-no in the workplace. Mini-skirts, it should go without saying, are also inappropriate.

- Shirts likewise should be at least a little formal in their style. Dress shirts are usually the rule for a business casual environment. Anything with slogans on it that somebody else in the workplace can potentially take offence at are typically an idea best avoided. Anything that bares the shoulders or too much skin, likewise, is to be avoided in a business casual setting.

- Shoes with a closed toe are best for business casual. An open toe shoe is usually not appropriate for the workplace, so it's a safer bet in general to go with the closed toe. In some work environments, closed toe shoes might be required by law.

- Hats are typically precluded from the work environment. Any head covering required as part of a religious observance are of course to be allowed.

The above five points should keep the business casual environment business-like. Giving employees some flexibility when it comes to the dress code is great, but it takes a little work to maintain a professional appearance around the office.

Kick Company Conflict In the Face

2009-06-22T18:14:58.27

Conflict in an office environment can quickly lead to a downward spiral in productivity and morale. Learning to manage conflict and mediate is an essential skill for any human resources manager. Allowing conflict between workers to get out of hand can all too easily ruin the atmosphere of the office environment, leading to a tense workplace that is too stressful for quality work to be done. Spotting the seeds of conflict early on and dealing with the problem before it can spread is one of the most important responsibilities any effective human resources team has.

A conflict between colleagues can erupt over the smallest of issues. Disagreements over who's turn it is to wash the dishes in the company kitchen can be the root of a long standing grudge that ultimately hinders company productivity. Combating this kind of office grudge can be difficult, especially when employees are reluctant to involve the management. Higher management may find itself ineffective in mediating such disputes because employees think their complaints may reflect negatively upon themselves.

To effectively root out conflict it is sometimes necessary to hire an outside party. When conflict seems to be out of hand in an office, it can sometimes take the trained ear of an ombudsman to find a solution. Although existing management may be able to assist with small problems, it can be very difficult to eliminate a general air of hostility without the promise of anonymity.

Anonymity is precisely the advantage offered with an ombudsman. An ombudsman can field complaints within the office and offer helpful suggestions as to how those conflicts might be resolved. Although an ombudsman is typically found in larger corporations, they are a growing trend at smaller organizations as well. With the outside ear of an ombudsman, employees are more willing to get to the root of the problem, explaining the issues that are causing strife within the office.

An ombudsman can also predict problems that might occur in the future based on current company policy. Bad job descriptions or a vague performance evaluation system can easily lead to conflict, and an effective ombudsman can help a company develop solutions to those budding problems. Instead of spending valuable company time defusing conflicts between employees, a human resources department can be freed to focus on other activities, such as training.

Human Capital - The Secret Treasure Chest

2009-06-22T18:12:39.583

Human capital is by far the most important asset to be found in any organization. No matter how advanced the technology involved, or how important the product, no organization can survive if it manages human resources in a poor and inefficient manner. The hiring, training, and allocation of human resources is key to the success of any professional endeavor. Without the appropriate approach, an organization at best will misuse its human resources, and at worst destroy the foundation of its business.

Building an efficient human resources management framework is the key to any success that may follow. The impact of human resources management on a company begins at the front door, when the hiring manager brings aboard a new employee. It is critical that the hiring manager understand the business thoroughly, with a keen awareness of who will best advance the agenda of the company. Having an unaware manager that hires almost blindly can hamstring an organization, lowering both morale and productivity.

Training is also an essential part of any effective human resources management plan. Although the productivity of a worker should increase gradually as they become more comfortable with their surroundings, this natural increase can be greatly amplified with effective training. Training can be very effective in any field, whether it is a customer service or technically oriented job. Effective training sessions let employees know that their knowledge is valued. The benefits of effective training far outweigh the costs.

Human resource management is also about setting realistic goals and expectations for an organization. Providing a benchmark for performance measurement is key, giving employees something to strive toward and exceed. Without standards, it is impossible to reward success or recognize problems. It is the responsibility of a human resource manager to be sure that each employee is aware of their responsibilities, and what is expected of them.

Managing human resources effectively means being in touch with the day to day of the company, and understanding the contributions of employees, as well as their needs. Without such an understanding, it can be difficult to effectively assign employees based on their abilities and personality. Having an HR department that simply distributes forms, paperwork, and memoes is not enough. Staying in touch with employees gives an HR department the awareness it needs to effectively manage human resources.

Brand Marketing and your Company Image

2009-06-22T18:09:04.38

It may come as no surprise that the strength of a brand has more to do with a company than just its sales. A strong brand can also have a huge effect on the efforts of an organization to recruit and retain talent. In fact, a recent study has shown that 8 out of 10 job seekers would rather work for a highly regarded company at a lower salary, than would for a poorly regarded company at a higher salary. Anyone could tell you that job seekers prefer working for "cool" companies, but the results of the study seem to reinforce that notion even more.

High profile and industry shaping companies such as Apple and Google enjoy a vast pool of potential talent. Many job seekers would likely consider a position at either one as a career building move, taking the job for considerably less than they would with other organizations. The prestige factor of working for high profile companies cannot be denied, and this recent study has shown that job seekers place a great deal of weight on the reputation of the employer.

What does this mean for employers that do not already enjoy the profile of an Apple or a Google? The results of the study imply that efforts to build a strong brand, both for general marketing and talent purposes, can pay off in a very rewarding fashion. The war for talent begins with the job seeker and their perception of the important players in an industry.

Working consistently to develop a recognizable and strong brand is a very worthwhile investment. Building a recognizable brand is not an overnight process, but it clearly delivers significant dividends, as in the case of high profile companies such as Apple. Apple did not emerge overnight as a huge force in the computing world. Developing a reputation as an industry leader requires a long term dedication and strategic vision.

Efforts toward talent branding can be devoted not only to a general marketing strategy, but also to specific human resources campaigns. Emphasizing the employee friendly culture, for instance, is one way to promote the experience of working for the company. High profile companies typically emphasize the image of working with employees as a collaborative and creative affair. Working to promote such an image can be an effective tool in attracting greater talent.

How Baby Boomers Will Effect Your Company

2009-06-22T18:07:29.397

Attendance Tracking - Don't let it be your nightmare

2009-06-22T16:34:48.833

Tracking attendance can become a nightmare if an organization does not have an effective means to do so. Time management is a huge part of the human resources problem, and can quickly become a serious issue if the process is not streamlined. Creating schedules alone can be a very time consuming task for any manager. Throw in requests for paid time off, vacation, sick leave, and more, and the situation becomes very difficult indeed to manage. Doing so manually would be a full time job in and of itself even for a smaller company.

Tracking hours and attendance can not only be an administrative nightmare, but a financial one as well. If hours are not managed effectively, it can quickly lead to the company losing hours due to time theft and other problems. While it is easy to underestimate this problem in a small company, it can grow uncontrollably as the organization itself increases in size. Once a company has become too large for the HR department to manage on a personal basis, trouble can quickly follow.

How can this inefficiency and administrative overhead be avoided? Many smaller organizations, as well as large companies, have turned to lightweight time management solutions. With the advent of "software as a service", affordable web based packages have made it possible to largely automate the attendance and time issue. SoftTIME is an excellent example of attendance control software that can help organizations of all sizes streamline their administrative processes. With a wealth of options, SoftTIME makes time management a simple and intuitive process.

Using SoftTIME, an employee can log in and request leave with up to 24 different leave categories. Managers can view archived attendance information and evaluate attendance trends over long periods of time. With such an abundance of information tracked in a completely paperless fashion, HR management has never been easier. Best of all, SoftTIME is a highly scalable solution as well. Small organizations can purchase an affordable XP license to manage their needs, while large corporations can harness the flexibility of the TimeKRON Suite.

With the full TimeKRON package, an organization can move their attendance tracking and time management completely online. TimeKRON can also be integrated with hardware punch in/out systems, making it a highly flexible package that can work for almost any corporate environment. SoftTIME is just one tool of many that can help organizations to minimize time spent on administrative tasks.

Absenteeism - A company unseen downfall

2009-06-22T16:32:27.21

You might not think it, but worker absenteeism is actually one of the biggest expenses that an organization can face. With healthcare costs grabbing all the headlines, it's easy to see how this important but low profile issue ended up swept aside. According to some labor reports, absent workers cost companies billions every year. Some of this cost is built into planned absences, such as vacations and sick leave, while some of it is unexpected absenteeism.

Unexpectedly absent workers account for around 9% of all absenteeism costs, with planned absences such as vacation accounting for the rest. Although this might not seem like such a huge number, it actually adds up to billions of dollars per year. The impact on company productivity can sometimes be hard to quantify, but the disruption to the workflow cannot be underestimated.

Employers frequently measure the cost of absenteeism strictly in the tangible sense, with the amount of sick hours and vacation time that is paid out. The indirect costs often go unaccounted for, even though they can be far more serious than anything incurred directly. Although difficult to quantify, the lost productivity can have a serious affect on a project.

When a worker is absent, it often causes other employees to lose productivity as well. A breakdown in communication can often occur if key members of the team are absent, leading to inefficient production. Temporary workers are usually unable to really fill the gap, only being partially capable of acting as a stopgap. Repeated absences, or a high frequency of absence across an entire team, can put tremendous drag on a project.

The moral of the story is to watch employee absenteeism. The average American worker has about 5 unplanned absences per year. Keeping a lid on this problem can go a long way to improving and maintaining productivity. If unchecked, employee absenteeism may become a rampant problem that seriously drains productivity.

Should absenteeism become a serious problem for your organization, it can help to educate employees about the costs associated with the issue. Letting employees know how damaging unplanned absence is may give them second thought when they are about to call in for reasons that might be somewhat less than legitimate.

Tracking attendance is an important task that all organizations must undertake, so that they are aware of how time is managed. With effective attendance tracking, problems like absenteeism can be dealt with before they get out of hand.