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Nichols For Your Thoughts: New Mexico, I'll forever be your cheerleader

Meagan Nichols — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 18:14:42 -0500

“Hauntingly beautiful.” To me, those two words are synonymous with New Mexico. Over the past three-plus years, I’ve explored the state — from Las Cruces to Taos. And while I barely scratched the surface, the one thing that consistently took my breath away was the vastness of the varied geographies. It is a feeling of both solitude and total peace. Yes, some might call it enchantment. And it is a feeling uniquely found in New Mexico, which is why I plan to soak up as much of it as…

Spectrum Reach's Cortlan Booker is busy honing his improv skills

Nikki Kingery — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0500

Cortlan Booker, 39, is an advertising manager at Spectrum Reach.

Forbes 'Best Companies' list includes U.S. Bank, Amerprise, UnitedHealth

Abby Bulger — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:32:26 -0500

Forbes considered more than 60 metrics across 11 categories: employee sentiment, customer sentiment, financial strength, DEI, cybersecurity, media sentiment, public trust, sustainability, remote work policies, workforce stability and accessibility policies/performance.

2024 Women of Influence honorees

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:01:06 -0500

Learn more about this year's honorees — in their own words.

The region's largest BIPOC-owned businesses

Todd Kehoe — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:31:23 -0500

The number of businesses that qualify for New York's minority business enterprise program has increased over the past few years both in the region and statewide.

Weir's Furniture CEO steps down after two decades

Lauren McDonald — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:57:56 -0500

Weir’s Furniture Village Inc., which has been in Dallas since 1948, announced that its chief executive J. Mark Moore will retire after 38 years with the company and 21 years as CEO.

How to share your views on what UWM needs in its next leader

Logan Hanson — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:56:41 -0500

Here's the deadline as University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officially embarks on search for next leader.

For-profit Impact Award honorees

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:22:13 -0500

Six Alamo City area businesses have shown it's not just about the bottom line, but giving back to the community too.

How one North Carolina county is targeting youth to keep workers from leaving

Ben Tobin — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:11:16 -0500

Johnston County is growing rapidly, but much of its workforce leaves the county each day for jobs elsewhere. A youth program is trying to solve the problem.

Construction worker trapped after accident at LOUMED site

Zak Owens — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:41:09 -0500

The incident is the second high-profile workplace accident in Louisville this week.

No public posts available.

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:15:34 -0400

Washington Business Journal does not share any public posts. Visit the Google+-Page

5 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolution (and Wellness Program) on Track

Admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:54:00 -0500

One week into a new year and you are probably already sick and tired of hearing about the latest diet trend or exercise regimen that is “guaranteed” to make your New Year’s resolution to “get healthy” stick this time around.

Most medical professionals will tell you that (unfortunately) there is no silver bullet to a “healthier you”, and as it turns out, a good old fashioned healthy diet and consistent exercise routine tends to be just what the doctor ordered.

So what does all this talk about New Year’s resolutions have to do with HR and building great workplaces here in Northeast Ohio?

Well according to ERC’s 2015 Wellness Practices Survey, at three-quarters of local organizations, the connection is their formal wellness program. Take the analogy one step further, and you’ll quickly discover that wellness programs often suffer from the same plight as New Year’s resolutions—the best of intentions, but lacking in follow-through when it comes time for implementation. Despite becoming an almost standard benefit at many employers over the last several years, some wellness programs and individual wellness focused activities are now suffering from a lack of participation and interest on the part of the employees.

In fact participants in both the 2013 and 2015 ERC Wellness Surveys cited “effectively educating and incentivizing employees to participate in wellness programs” as the most common barrier to creating a successful wellness program at their organization.

To help both employers and employees make the most of what can be and should be an important piece of overall employee wellbeing, participating organizations in ERC’s Wellness Surveys offered the following advice on creating (or reinvigorating) a successful wellness program.

1. Offer wellness activities/programs that employees find useful.

This particular struggle is most easily addressed if met head-on at the program’s inception and can be as simple as a survey of employee’s interests in a list of potential activities under consideration. Understanding the basic demographics of your workforce can also help inform what types of programs make the cut. Gender, age, shift work (who will actually be around if you are offering programs on-site during the day), etc. are all useful statistics to consider, but don’t get too overzealous and start trying to dig into specific health related needs—HIPPA can get messy quickly.

By starting out with wellness activities that employees want to take part in, you are already ahead of the curve.

But don’t worry if you already have a program in place, it’s not too late to start taking your employee’s interests into account. In fact, a quick survey of your employees every couple of years to make sure the programming is still relevant isn’t a bad idea either.

2. Make the programming accessible—both geographically and intellectually.

If your organization is on the larger side or draws employees from a diverse geographic footprint, make sure the activities are easily accessible to as many individual employees as possible. Your employees are probably juggling a family life, the stress of work, and any number of other time intensive activities.

In short, their time is valuable, so partnering with a gym with only one location far on one side of town may not see the best results. Instead, consider offering reimbursement for a gym of the employee’s choosing or make the investment in an on-site gym or fitness classes.

Online programming can be an easy option, but make sure it is providing useful information that isn’t too overwhelming or too basic. One the one hand if the online articles, tracking mechanism, or lectures are overly technical and scientific employees might be turned off, but by the same token presenting overly simplistic information won’t do your employees any good either.

3. Use the resources you already have.

Many health insurance packages include an array of free resources that you the employer can pass along to your employees. All you have to do as the employer is promote them. But that is sometimes easier said than done—now someone has to be tasked with sending out the email reminders or monthly newsletters to help get employees on board. If financial resources are not available to create a new position (e.g. Wellness Coordinator) delegation or committee work can be helpful in prevent overloading a single individual with wellness related administrative tasks. Of course if all else fails, and you are determined to create a robust, successful wellness program, just ask for help. You may find that you have a multi-talented staff that is more than willing to share their kick-boxing expertise or vegan baking skills with their co-workers.

4. Get full buy-in on all levels.

As with most new initiatives, it is critical to get the full support of the top management team. Buy-in from the top can definitely be helpful when budget season rolls around, but when it comes to wellness programs, a more visible buy-in can be hugely helpful as well. Having the CEO out there trying to get to his or her 10,000 steps during lunch can be a great motivator and even a fun way for employees to interact casually with other employees that they may not typically encounter on a day-to-day basis. And of course keep in mind that the importance of buy-in goes beyond these specific activities to the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve with your wellness program. If your end goal is to fully indoctrinate your organization with a culture of wellness, engaging employees at all levels is particularly important.

5. Incentivize, when you can.

Even with all the struggles and barriers to participation discussed above, many organizations are running very successful wellness programs. If better health isn’t enough of a motivator, money is bound to do the trick. Keep in mind that there are specific limitations as to how much and how the monies are distributed for each individual and for different types of activities. Cost can also be a strong disincentive against certain behaviors, most notably tobacco usage. The Affordable Care Act provides a detailed breakdown of allowable incentives and disincentives should you choose to go down the path of incentivizing your wellness program. If you aren’t quite ready for the monetary commitment, remember that food or other small non-monetary incentives can help improve the effectiveness of your programming by bolstering attendance at lectures or participation in fitness challenges.

Much like the New Year’s resolution you made a week ago, setting your organization’s wellness program up for success can seem overwhelming. But with the help of the advice above and a little extra hard work and perseverance in 2016, you too can get to the gym 4 days a week and get your employees to show up for the nutritionist you’ve booked for that lunch-n-learn next month.

View ERC's Wellness Practices Survey Results

This report summarizes the results of ERC’s survey of organizations in Northeast Ohio on practices related to health care and wellness.

View the Results

13 New Year's Resolutions for HR Professionals

Admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:35:00 -0500

A new year brings New Year's Resolutions. The most common personal resolutions are to be more health conscious, work out more, and spend more time with friends and family. But what about your professional life?

As HR professionals, there are many aspects of the workplace that you are responsible for. HR is constantly growing and becoming more important to organizations. In keeping with this growth, the new year creates a great reason to do better this year than the last for not only the HR department, but the organization as a whole. Here are a few practices to consider.

1. A flexible work schedule.

According to a national survey administered in 2013, nearly one-third of employees indicated that they “do most of their work from a remote location.” Today, more and more employers are looking into options other than the typical 9-5. There are many options to a flexible work schedule, including compressed work weeks (i.e. allowing variable start and end times), job sharing and part-time schedules.

2. Give employees positive feedback on a regular basis: not just during performance reviews.

This one is crucial. Though a financial reward is great, many employees are looking for positive feedback more than once a year. Make sure the feedback is timely, appropriate, and genuine. This will go a long way with the employee and makes for a more positive workplace environment overall.

3. Review HR policies and procedures.

It's important to be consistently up-to-date with all of the changes that happen in the HR community. You are the organization's quarterback. If an employee has a question, they will come to you first. By staying on top of current changes, you will be an important asset to the organization.

4. Implement training programs.

Training programs are a great way to get everyone in your organization on the same page. Maybe you would like to get all of your managers together for a class on supervisory training. Or maybe you just want a refresher on employment law. Don't forget to check out ERC's full list of training offerings.

5. Update your LinkedIn profile.

This is one that constantly gets overlooked. Most people set up their LinkedIn account and then never think to update it again. It's important to not only stay active on LinkedIn, but to make sure you have an updated profile. After all, your LinkedIn profile page is a representation of you - make it stand out! As such, consider a professional portrait photograph for your profile picture versus a 'selfie'.

6. Meet with department heads and staff members to figure out how the HR department can improve.

This is a great way to make your employees feel like they have a voice within the company. It can be formal, with a scheduled meeting, or more casual with just a survey. Whatever way you prefer, make sure your employees feel like they are involved with the organization they work for.

7. Identify local vendors willing to offer discounts to your employees.

Preferred partner networks are a great way for your organization and employees to save money. Talk with your employees to see what kind of programs interest them, and then reach out to local vendors.

8. Read a blog post a day.

This one is simple. Just read. Find a website you enjoy, such as TLNT or the HR Bartender (and of course, the ERC Blog) and see what it has to say. Staying informed is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your organization.

9. Streamline the new hire paperwork packet and update the employee orientation packet.

It's one of those jobs that sounds tedious, but once you do it, you will be glad you did.

10. Update your employee handbook.

This is another tedious and time consuming project - there's no sugar coating that. However, it's an easy way to answer employee questions and keepeveryone on the same page when it comes to employee benefits and expectations.

11. Earn your PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification.

Because the HR profession is constantly changing and evolving, it is important to be certified or recertified to continually update your HR competencies and knowledge.

12. Reorganize your personnel files.

With a new year comes new paperwork and files. Clean out your desk and filing cabinets.

13. Need HR resources, training, or consulting? ERC can help!

ERC helps organizations create great workplaces by providing HR Resources, Training, and Consulting services. ERC offers HR content and tools, compensation & benefit benchmarking data, experienced HR Advisors, and access to an exclusive partner network.

ERC Training provides customized learning and development solutions that enhance the skills of managers, supervisors, leaders and the general workforce. ERC Consulting helps organizations attract and retain talent through assessments, coaching, and consulting services, with a specialty in compensation & benefits.

Get more articles like this one delivered to your inbox.

Join the thousands who receive ERC's weekly newsletter to stay current on topics including HR news, training your employees, building a great workplace, and more.

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5 Ways to Spot & Develop an Emerging Leader

Admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:34:00 -0500

Your emerging leaders are your rising managers and leaders in the making. But how do you spot an emerging leader and then develop them into a leadership role? Picking the right people and training them the right way is essential. That's why we've provided five (5) qualities these talented employees usually embody plus 5 ways to develop them.

1. Achiever.

Emerging leaders are smart and talented high-achievers in their current roles. They consistently produce more and better work than their peers, are considered subject-matter experts, and know how to attain results by their own accord and through others. They are driven to accomplish great things.

2. Change agent.

Emerging leaders are often agents of change in their organizations. They are likely to initiate new ways of doing things and are proponents of taking risks to further the organization. They share ideas, aren’t afraid to embark on new projects and opportunities, and may challenge the status quo.

3. Developer.

Emerging leaders not only show an interest in developing themselves and their own capabilities, but also have the ability and interest in training, developing, mentoring, and coaching other employees. Many have a natural knack for building talent and want to see others succeed and grow to their fullest potential.

4. Team-player.

Emerging leaders are collaborative, great teammates, and good communicators. They seek others’ input and opinions, use it to shape their ideas, and generate consensus. They have strong soft-skills and have emotional intelligence when it comes to dealing with others. They are well-liked and well-respected by their peers and get along with others easily.

5. Business-savvy.

Emerging leaders are business savvy. They are strategic-minded, show business acumen, and have a good understanding of the market and industry in which your organizations operates.

Disclaimer: It's important to use these general qualities as simply a guide - an example of the types of attributes that typically characterize these employees. We encourage you to identify specific leadership traits that are important to your own organization since they may differ and vary in every workplace. In addition, after you have identified these individuals, use these five critical tools to develop your emerging leaders.

1. Challenging projects.

Talented up-and-coming leaders need challenging assignments that stretch them to new heights. Identify strategic projects, high visibility assignments, strategic business opportunities, lean/efficiency projects, and short-term assignments in other divisions/departments and perhaps in tandem with your executive team. The more exposure your emerging leaders can receive from senior leaders, the better.

2. Mentor or coach.

Emerging leaders will benefit from a senior-level mentor or coach. Ideally, the mentoring or coaching relationship should be structured with regular meetings at least quarterly (and if possible monthly or more frequently) and target specific skills that the rising star needs to develop.

3. Opportunities to lead.

Rising stars want opportunities to lead others and practice managing key initiatives. Designate them as leads on major projects or initiatives and on special committees, teams, or sub-groups. Allow them to mentor or train other employees such as new-hires or junior-level employees. These opportunities will help build their leadership abilities to prepare them for future roles in your organization.

4. Development plan.

A development plan is necessary for your high potential. It can be very basic or it can be highly detailed. The important part is that it must exist. There must be a living document or plan that is created to help get your rising star from point A to point B in the organization. Why? Lack of structure in developing others leads to lack of accountability by all the parties involved in the development process.

5. Formal training.

Emerging leaders have likely never been taught the fundamentals of leadership and management and need to be educated on them and engage in classroom experiences that help them build critical skills in communication, presentation, change management, performance management, conflict resolution, and more.

If your organization hasn't yet embarked on identifying and developing your emerging leaders, consider doing so. Not only will it help you prepare for future management and leadership openings, but it will also help you engage and retain these critical employees that you likely can't afford to lose.

Emerging Leader Training Series

Have the emerging leaders within your organization been identified? Do they have the skills and knowledge needed to best represent your organization? In this 3-part series, participants will learn tools to present themselves more effectively and enhance their contribution to the organization.

Learn More about Emerging Leader Training

Being Black in Japan | TokyoBlackChick - YouTube

scavengerhuntdc — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 09:12:34 -0500

Being Black in Japan | TokyoBlackChick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5seVSXt4Rd_a47T3teL9fw

wordpress

scavengerhuntdc — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:16:45 -0400