HR Management Articles

Employee onboarding boosts retention, improves productivity

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
June 25, 2010
© HR Works, Inc.

Good talent is hard to find, hard to retain, and expensive. If your objective is to ensure new employees feel welcome, prepared and ready to make a positive impact as soon as possible, consider implementing a structured employee “onboarding” program.

Job satisfaction doesn't have to slip in turbulent times

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
February 19, 2010
© HR Works, Inc.

According to the Conference Board survey, only 45 percent of U.S. workers are satisfied in their jobs. Additionally, nearly one-quarter of those surveyed anticipate leaving their jobs within the next year.

As the effects of the recession linger, employers should examine the level of job satisfaction among employees, and take steps that will help their workforce feel valued.

Make use of tools, training for effective appraisals

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
July 3, 2009
© HR Works, Inc.

“Wanted: An easy-to-use template for conducting effective annual performance appraisals, adaptable for all industries and for employees in all departments, from middle managers to account executives to receptionists. Must be designed to minimize awkwardness, save time and result in improved employee performance. Will pay top dollar!”

Surviving tough times requires communication, retention, cost containment

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
December 28, 2008
© HR Works, Inc.

For those who manage organizations, there’s no avoiding the realities wrought by an economic climate as difficult as this one.

Those who emerge on the other side of the recession as stronger organizations will have done so by communicating exceptionally well, retaining and motivating key employees, and containing rather than slashing costs.

How CEOs can stop spinning their wheels and start making a real difference

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
November 10, 2008
© HR Works, Inc.

We’ve all heard the “definition” of insanity: Continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results. That’s why it’s always troubling to meet with a CEO who has dedicated years and long hours to building a business, only to see the company continue to struggle.

Several factors determine why one company quickly evolves from start-up to successful, profitable enterprise, while another organization languishes for years. But the most important issue may be the ways in which the CEOs and senior managers use their time.

The habits of exceptional CEOs

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
October 17, 2008
© HR Works, Inc.

Lisa Withers keeps the three-year strategic plan for Spectracom Corp. on her desk and looks at it weekly. From that document comes the company’s operating plans, which in turn dictate the senior team’s goals.

While Withers, president and CEO, calls herself a “compulsive planner,” her systematic focus on the bigger picture reflects what research has shown to be necessary if a CEO – and his or her organization – is to thrive in a challenging marketplace.

Building part-time and telecommuting options into a workforce management strategy

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
February 22, 2008
© HR Works, Inc.

As baby boomers retire, and as global competition raises performance expectations for many technical and professional positions, employers increasingly struggle to find the talent necessary to grow their organizations. Meanwhile, more employees are seeking arrangements that allow a better balance with family life.

To recruit and retain such workers - typically parents, retirees, students, and those caring for aging relatives - more employers are offering work-life balance initiatives, including part-time/job-sharing, flex-time and telecommuting options.

Reducing the odds of losing trade secrets to a competitor

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
August 25, 2006
© HR Works, Inc.

Every individual has the right to advance his or her career, including sometimes leaving what may be an attractive position in order to take a chance on a new opportunity. Problems arise, however, when a highly placed employee resigns from a company to join a competitor or, worse, to set up a rival venture. While non-compete and non-disclosure agreements are prudent and essential, they do not always provide full legal protection for the former employer. Nor do they mitigate all of the disruption and sense of betrayal that flourish in the wake of a defection.

Beyond good intentions and codes of conduct: What ethics in action really means

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
May 26, 2006
© HR Works, Inc.

Pick up any day’s news, and one is likely to read about another government or business leader accused of wrongdoing. At the same time, we’ve heard a great deal recently about how Robert Wegman’s deep-rooted integrity and genuine commitment to people drove his every decision and set the stage for the grocery chain to blossom into one of the nation’s most admired employers.

While plenty of organizations talk and write about high standards, many companies’ actions are clearly falling short. Often, companies engage in formal programs such as developing written codes while paying little attention to informal ethics practices. But it’s precisely those day-to-day activities and attitudes that tell the real story about just how ethically the organization and its people behave.

Demonstrating human resources' value to the business

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
October 10, 2005
© HR Works, Inc.

As most traditional, transactional human resources work is mechanized or outsourced, HR professionals must either transform their approach or find work in another field. Demonstrating the significant economic value that cutting-edge HR approaches can deliver requires professionals to invest in understanding the enterprise and the climate in which it operates. HR must learn to speak the language of business and recognize that excellent HR strategy is whatever allows the people who work in a company to serve the organization's purposes to the greatest degree possible.

Creating a climate of motivation for executives

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
July 1, 2005
© HR Works, Inc.

Most entrepreneurs and business owners have an important characteristic in common: They’re high achievers who are motivated by the sheer joy of their work. As business founders move to grow their organizations, however, they must hire additional competencies, and the senior-level executives who can offer those skills will expect realistically competitive total rewards and compensation packages.

For small to mid-sized companies with limited resources, offering the exorbitant compensation deals that some large corporations favor is not an option, and small-company founders may wonder how they can possibly compete for top talent. The good news for smaller companies is that talented executives are often driven by factors other than money.

How effective CEOs manage their most precious resource: Time

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
June 10, 2005
© HR Works, Inc.

Research has shown that only 10 to 20 percent of CEO or senior manager time is spent on significant priorities linked to long-term business results. Many CEOs, lacking clarity about what they're paid to do, get caught up in low-level matters that should be delegated, outsourced or ignored. But by taking time to regularly assess their activities, CEOs can better focus their precious time on growing, rather than merely maintaining, their companies.

Measuring the benefits of outsourcing human resources

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
March 11, 2005
© HR Works, Inc.

A recent survey of 298 HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Professionals showed that 58 percent of organizations outsource one or more HR functions. This trend is expected to burgeon as employers continue to pursue alternative arrangements for operating most efficiently and reducing their risks.

Avoiding the perils of hands-off management

Published in the Rochester Business Journal
January 28, 2005
© HR Works, Inc.

Over the past few decades, as the concept of empowerment has gained favor, managers have become increasingly hands-off. Repeatedly warned against "micromanagement" - a term that conjures up visions of employees being asked to account for every paper clip and restroom break - managers have aimed to hire good people and then leave them alone to do their best work.

But as managers have fled en masse from the "micro" label, is it possible the pendulum has swung too far? Have today's managers become so hands-off that they have abdicated their day-to-day responsibilities and left their key performers to flounder?

Timeout: A different approach to executive development

Seminars, books and articles telling us how to grow sales, improve marketing, strengthen the balance sheet, and manage one's time multiply daily. But it's much harder to find guidance in the business literature for an equally important imperative: deliberately stepping away from the workplace and taking time to reflect on new ideas, trends and ways to strengthen our companies.

HR-Finance collaboration adds value, delivers results

Call it the evolution of HR. Long stigmatized as a cost center preoccupied with the “warm and fuzzies,” the HR department has gained status in organizations, earning a place alongside – rather than subordinate to – the finance department.

In recent years, HR professionals are realizing that their success depends not only on their HR knowledge but also on their understanding of the business’ operations, sales and finances. Many are moving beyond the roles of “policy police” to become business partners with finance and the entire management team. They are creating value that can be clearly linked to improved organizational competitiveness.

Smaller firms' HR departments achieve top results

Each year Fortune magazine recognizes the top 100 companies to work for. Typically large corporations with significant human resource department infrastructures and budgets, these companies serve as good role models.

But equally inspiring are the HR departments in smaller and midsize companies that are revolutionizing their processes and achieving superior results.

When a company restructures, a business-savvy HR department can play a vital role

When a company finds itself in jeopardy, the quest for black-and-white simplicity takes hold. Typically, officials decide to retain the services of restructuring or “turnaround” professionals. These consultants work urgently to uncover the causes of operating and financial problems. They then devise and help implement plans for “fixing” the company – usually via operating strategies, finance and cash-flow projections.

But what about the people strategy? In times of crisis, how can the human resources function impact the company’s survival and shape its long-term health?

PaeTec fosters practices for firm's lasting health

“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.”

-- Walt Disney (1954)

Nearly 50 years later, Arunas Chesonis espouses a similar corporate philosophy, one that treats the employees of PaeTec Communications Inc. as the most important components in the company’s formula for success.

The case for outsourcing human resources

An article published a few years ago by Fortune magazine advocated abolishing human resource departments. The piece criticized the traditional HR department as bureaucratic and unable to quantify its contributions. Fortune argued that many of the services provided by traditional HR departments could be better handled by outside service organizations that offer economies of scale, often reducing risks while improving service.

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