HRCleanUp

HRIS Success

The following arrived in my email in-box the other day. Talk about making a professors day!

Hello Jay,

I have to share this with you. As you remember (or not), I asked you about different HRIS in the past. Well you'll be happy to know that I have handled the purchase the very first HRIS for my company ALL BY MYSELF.

From the research; viewing demos; seeking IT input (regarding software and hardware requirements); scheduling demos for my managers; endless back and forth communication with vendors; selecting final three vendors; checking references; to writing my recommendations (including pros & cons) for each one.

And yesterday, we signed the contract.

But I wouldn't have experienced such thrill if it wasn't for you. So you see, I haven't been sleeping in your class even though I didn't ace it, I have learned a whole lot! You deserve the Teacher of the Year trophy in my book...

Creating Your Own Future

Do you think that proposing a new or different position for yourself is futile?  Take a look at the email I received just this morning from one of my former students:

Hi Jay!

Hope this finds you well, and enjoying the spring like weather. I wanted to share my good news with you; I was promoted last week to HR Representative - having written my own job description.  I was surprised, as they had hired a new generalist to fill our opening so I had thought there was little hope for me. I do still have 20 hours of front desk work which I'm fine with (for now).

My manager, director, and the rest of my team were quite impressed that I had written my own job description. I wanted to thank you for that advice, it ended up working out very well for me - I knew you would steer me in the right direction!

Thanks again!

With so much doom and gloom in the news about the current job market, I'd like to remind people that initiative is still rewarded and there is limitless possibility out there!  If you hate your job, start thinking about the job you want.  Write it down and create your own job description.  And, the next time your boss is saying something good about you and your performance, talk to him/her about your dream.  See what happens.

Great people are hard to find and companies still want to retain good people.

A Student's Point-of-View

Bullying Bosses Effects on the Workplace

Bad bosses are one of the top reasons why employees choose to leave an employer. 
Bully bosses will terrorize both male and female employees although the majority of employees whom suffer from this incivility tend to be female.  Women  tend to be victimized more than men because they are perceived to be weaker and incapable of defending themselves.  Bullies thrive off of picking on others weaknesses.  Although 95% of bullying is witnessed there are far fewer incidents that are reported to an authority figure that can stop the behavior.  Many bystanders will not get involved out of fear of being victimized themselves or even losing their position.  Other employees may not get involved because they think that the manager is just tough or having a bad day, rather than behaving like a bully.  If bullying bosses are not confronted and the environment remains status quo there can be serious consequences to the company and individuals that are being victimized.  
  
Employees who deal with a bully boss day in and day out tend to be less productive and have greater health issues than those with fair and just managers. Employees need to take a tactful approach when dealing with a bullying boss.  It is not an easy conversation to have for any employee.  However, if employees let the behavior persist there are few options that will be left in the end.  Employees will need to face the bully head on or move on to another company.  The harmful effects of bullying on any person can only be tolerated for so long. The best way to handle a bully, regardless of which type of management style your boss has is to talk to them.  
 
Employees are not the only victims when a bullying manager is present at a company.  The organization itself will suffer tremendously if bullying behavior is allowed to persist.  Employees will produce less; have higher levels of absenteeism due to health issues, have lower employee morale and be less loyal to the company.  The cost of losing productivity during business hours can be staggering for an organization.  Employee health issues can also cost a company in the millions due to the lack of work being produced, sick pay and higher health care premiums.  If a company fosters a bully friendly environment employee morale will be extremely low and will result in internal conflict and high turnover rates.  
 
Companies should start by recruiting diverse candidates with strong cultural fit.  They also need to have a policy in place that clearly states that harassment and incivility will not be tolerated and that all employees are expected to treat each other with respect.  As mentioned previously however, just having a policy will not guarantee that it is read or followed.  It is up to the management team to monitor not only employee behavior but also other managers’ behavior when interacting with peers.  If a company sets their expectations in a clear manner such that all employees, regardless of level, must adhere to the policies implemented there will be less oversight when the culture is not followed. 
 
 
 

A Student's Point-of-View

HRM: Human Role Model?

Human Resources has the reputation of being the role model for employees. This
is primarily because it is the department that oversees policies regarding dress code,
attendance, ethics, workplace conduct, and many others. They should embody the model of a good employee, or one would think. That’s what I thought before I started in Human Resources.

This is my first job in my HR career. I had an idea of what Human Resources entailed from my undergrad coursework. However, I was extremely surprised how my human resources manager acts, and continues to act. Especially as a manager, you would think that she would be more professional. She comes in late every day. I expect her to arrive to work anytime between 10 and 11. Per corporate guidelines, we allow for a flexible schedule start time can vary between 7 and 9:30, depending upon department and project needs. When she does have a meeting scheduled at 10 she gets in around 9:58. She doesn’t have time to even boot up her computer most days. In addition when she arrives in the early meetings (sometimes 5 or 10 minutes late) she always “huffs” and it is very disruptive to the meeting that has already been started. I also think that many days she leaves around 5 or 5:30, based on emails that I receive. In addition, she does not dress professionally. She looks disheveled and is not dressed what I deem appropriate for a manager. It has gotten to the point that the HR department is a considered, kind of a joke at my location.

She has some experience, but I do a majority of the work. Every time I go into her office she is either typing away a personal email or sitting blankly at the computer screen. Over the summer I caught her reading books in her office (not on lunch), when I was contemplating working overtime in order to get all the work done that needed to get done.

How is it that a manager can act like this and get away with not representing the company properly and not doing her fair share of work? Can I make her salary, have those hours, and do less? Where do I sign up?

A Student's Point-of-View

You’ve Been End Dated
By: Victoria Enos

Last Wednesday I was told that my position would be eliminated as of the end of the month.  This was not a shock to me because I’ve actually been expecting it to happen for over a year based on the direction the company is choosing to go in.  I was mentally prepared for this to happen so the meeting with the HR Generalist was a breeze for her I’m sure, but it left me wanting more from my HR Generalist.

In the package outlining what the severance would be it did not speak to a quarterly bonus that my department is entitled to.  This quarterly bonus is potentially a big portion of my pay.  I asked if we would be entitled to a pro-rated amount and was told she would have to look into it (thankfully she got back to me, a week later, and let me know that we are entitled to it!).  I would have thought that all aspects of pay would have been worked out ahead of time and that it would have been in the package.  I also would have hoped for a quicker turnaround time on the response…I guess I’m not a priority now that I am on my way out the door.

Secondly upon getting back to my cubicle and reading through the package I noticed a discrepancy in the number of weeks in which I would be getting severance.  The document states that I am entitled to a severance package equal to twelve weeks of pay, but where the calculation is actually done out it is only based off of eleven weeks, two weeks for every year I’ve been with the company.  Depending on how long my teammates have been with the company this could be a much larger discrepancy for them.  So off I went again to see the HR Generalist to ask about this, hoping that she would say I would get another week of severance, but that wasn’t the case.  The answer I got was “this must be a typo, you know there is a form drafted up for these that they plug information into and the twelve must have been saved in the template from the last package they put together.”  REALLY????  That made me feel special!  Basically she was telling me that the person who put this together couldn’t be bothered to look it over and make sure it was correct and that the details matched up?  Personally I think when dealing with material that is this sensitive HR should triple check it before handing it out to the employee.

Next time you are in the position of putting together a severance package or delivering one make sure to check over the information.  There is nothing more frustrating for an employee than to have incorrect or conflicting information provided to them.  This is a stressful situation for your employees and as their HR Representative you should do everything in your power to make the process as seamless as possible.  And lastly, don’t say we’ve been end dated, I’m not sour milk!

HR Students vs. The Automobile Industry CEOs

Last week in my HRIS course that I teach at Suffolk University, my students had to present a business case to the senior management of  a fictitious company.  The business case had to present the current state of affairs, the desired state of affairs, the cost of doing nothing, a procurement and a high level implementation plan. 

What does this have to do with the Automotive Industry?

As I was listening to these very sharp students discuss the ROI on HR technology solutions it occurredto me that they were better prepared for class than the CEOs of the Big 3 American Automakers were for their Congressional Hearing.  These executives just showed up.  No plan in hand.  No imagination.  No justification.  Did they just plan to "wing it"?  My students, on the other hand,  had done more preparation and funding justification for their in-class presentations than the heads of the Big 3 American Auto Makers did for a presentation to the Congress of the United States.  And most of my students took the Subway to class vs.  a private jet.

We constantly berate HR professionals for their lack of business acumen and avoidance of all things related to the bottom line of a business; however, if my students are any indication of what is to come in the field, I think that the CEOs of the Big 3 can learn a thing or two from them.

First, be professional.  Second, be prepared.  Third, have a plan of action.  Fourth,  when you are asking for a handout, don't take a private jet.  Perhaps the three of you could carpool.

Mr. Professor

I'm often asked "why do you teach" and I often respond "because I have to".  And people always wonder why I respond the way I respond.  Tonight is the second night of HRIS class and I'm on campus a bit early--I had to pick up my ID card (hey, who knows when it might come in handy for a discount somewhere...).  In any event, even at 6:15 p.m. campus is an active place.  I always find academic institutions exciting places to be.

I have been reflecting on the question "Why do I teach?"  One reason is because it keeps me current in the profession.  I am constantly scanning the HR environment for articles and case studies that support HR as a strategic profession. Secondly, I am a teacher at heart.  I enjoy it immensely except for the grading part.  Finally, it gives me professional credibility.  When people find out that I'm a professor of Human Resources they listen a little bit more intently to what I have to say.  Those three reasons alone make it worth the time and effort (it is certainly not about the pay, trust me).  However, the #1 reason I teach--my students.  After working all day, balancing career and families, they show up.  They show up ready to learn (despite what say about Gen Y/Millennials, the vast majority show up and are present).  And it never fails that I get a note, about six months after the final exam, from 2 two or three people that say "thanks so much.  I use what you taught us every day".

I know that in the past I've struggled with the Millennials in the classroom but I've changed up a few things and I'm getting better results.  You see, what has always worked in the past doesn't always keep working--so you've got to refresh your material, your style, and your thinking.

If you haven't done so lately, think about a teacher you had -- either formal or informal -- and say thank you.

I'd like to thank Dr. Jack Dustman and Rory Madden both who taught me well at Northern Arizona University.  If you've never heard of NAU, it isn't in the desert.

Back to School

Most of you know that I teach at Suffolk University in their HR Master's Degree program and I love it.  Why?  Most of all, I enjoy the students, the discussions in the classroom, and the fact that I demystify technology for them in my HRIS course.  However, last year, I had a head-on collision with Millennials in the classroom.

It was hard.

Why?  First, most of them did not have a point-of-view on anything related to HR.  They were so busy processing transactions that they couldn't see the forest through the trees.  Secondly, they just didn't have the life experience to carry on the types of discussions that I had hoped to have in the course.  And, Finally, I learned that because I sent our the presentations at the end of each evening, they didn't bother to take notes.  They just sat there and listened (or daydreamed--hey, it was 7 p.m. in the evening). 

So what am I changing this year?

1. More focused, in class, reading and discussion
2. I won't be sending out the presentation after the lecture
3. More frequent check-in's with them to find out where they are at in terms of the reading and the course material in general
4. More structure to the course as a whole
5. I'm implementing a final exam
6. Cell phones must remain in the off position--no texting during the lecture!

It isn't as much fun for me as a professor to grade on things like attendance and reading comprehension however just showing up and sitting there isn't an option in my book. 

Does your organization think differently about Millennials in the workplace?  In the training room?  I woud love to hear from you about what works and what doesn't.  This old dog is always willing to learn new tricks--especially if they work!

...and for my Millennials...the picture is Rodney Dangerfield.  If you haven't seen "Back to School" or "Caddyshack" shame on you.  Log onto Netflix and get them in your queue.