Training for the HR Department

Most of the time when we think about training and HR, it's the HR department providing the training. But a lot of HR bloggers are talking about the need for HR itself to undergo some retraining.

Trisha, at the HR Ringleader blog put out a call for re-branding the HR department and its functions, while Laurie at PunkRock HR thinks it may actually be too late.

I think it's somewhere in the middle. Rebranding, while certainly something we need to do to clear up the real role of HR in the modern corporate world, is critical. But unlike Laurie, I'm not quite ready to stand poised with pen in hand, ready to sign the death certificate.

I think there is still hope, albeit maybe only with the radical approach House might use on one of the patients everyone else has given up on. It requires major surgery, a complete change in life style and a different view of what a viable HR career looks like.

1) The surgery --

• Centralized, standardized, cookie-cutter HR-driven performance evaluations, raises and promotions go first. Far too often, someone in the HR office who has never even met the employee in question rewrites appraisals, sets the raises or makes a firing decision. No more.
  
  The people who know the employees best, make the choices, write the reports. HR can look them over to make sure they're legal and not likely to result in a barrage of lawsuits, but that is it.
  
  
• HR as a policy-makers and enforcers on dress code, social media access, work hours and rules about whether or not someone can have a plant or a picture on their desk -- gone. No more. We're all grown-ups here, and can certainly make reasonable choices without a virtual parent on site.
  
  Supervisors and managers can deal with the rules for their departments -- again, they know the people and the work requirements. They also have a direct stake in making sure the rules set result in better performance. Again, HR can enjoy an over-site role to make sure federal and state labor law rules are followed -- but last I checked, neither plants on desks nor jeans on bodies fell under any law-making body's jurisdiction.
  
  
• Remove the phrase "We've always done it that way." and the equally offensive phrases "But it's our policy." from the vocabulary of everyone in HR. Forever. Gone. Cannot be spoken, or used as a excuse for any action or inaction.

2) The new lifestyle --

No that HR is so much lighter because of all that surgery, what can they do?

• Learn about what motivates employees.
• Set up programs to make those motivators available to managers and supervisors.
• Learn about training needs assessment.
• Make training needs assessments available to managers and supervisors.
• Create a library of training opportunities for employees. Open the door so they can access that training AS THEY NEED IT! No more holding on to training opportunities with a closed fist!
  
• Work with senior management to develop strategies to maximize every employee's potential, reduce turnover and improve job satisfaction.
  
• Do not study the strategies. Act on the strategies. Now.
  
• Learn about the power of social media. Use it. Allow employees to use it.

3) What an HR career is -- and is not --

What it is not:

• A policing role
• A top-down power role
• A "rules-is-rules" role

What is should/must be:

• A facilitation role
• A problem solving role
• A performance strategy role
• An information sharing role

Is there still time, Laurie? I think so. The big machine that goes beep hasn't flat-lined yet.

Yet.

Keeping employees on their toes, a field study

Continuing with the Training Trends theme from last week, I’d like to demonstrate how you, too, can easily keep your employees on their toes. Depending on your line of work, it could be as simple as putting on a blue polo and a pair of khakis.

Back in 2006, the self-proclaimed “urban pranksters” from Improv Everywhere recruited a group of about 80 people to play an interesting joke on a local Best Buy store. After arriving to a secret location dressed in the company’s signature blue polo and khaki pants the group was given these instructions:

“We’re heading up to the Best Buy on 23rd Street. We’ll enter the store one by one. Once inside, spread out and stand near the end of an aisle, facing away from the merchandise. Don’t shop, but don’t work either. If a customer comes up to you and asks you a question, be polite and help them if you know the answer. If anyone asks you if you work there, say no. If an employee asks you what you’re doing, respond ‘I’m waiting for my girlfriend/boyfriend who is shopping elsewhere in the store.’ If they question you about your clothing, just explain that it’s what you put on when you woke up this morning and you don’t know any of the other people dressed like you.”

And, they caught it all on video:



Get creative, keep your employees on their toes and have some fun.

Monday funday: Poetry at work

Oh, the office – full of stressed employees hiding out in their cubicles, fueled by bad coffee and the latest coworker gossip, tirelessly punching keyboards in hopes of landing the corner office one day – it’s like poetry.

passing in the hall
My boss: "I volunteered you"
Me: [biting my tongue]
- Christopher

my first cubicle
decorated it myself
looks like IKEA...
-Jennifer

starting the work day
wondering when it will end
fighting for friday
-Sherry

These fantastic workplace poems come courtesy of the Jobacle blog, whose authors are on a quest to find the best haiku about work. Read the whole list and enter a haiku of your own over at the Jobacle blog today.

Extraordinary people at work

Jorge Munoz is a school bus driver who lives in Queens, New York. Every day when he comes home after a full day at work, he rests for about 10 minutes, grabs a cup of coffee and starts his second job.

This second job doesn’t pay in dollars (it actually costs him money to do it), instead Jorge says he gets paid every time he sees a smile on the face of the people he serves.

Jorge spends about half of his salary, about $700 a week, to prepare and serve food to hungry people under a subway stop in Queens.

"The smiles on their faces, when see they got something to eat....aaaaah, [We're] feeding [more than] a hundred people," Munoz says passionately. "If you change the life of one guy, that's enough..." (Huffington Post)

Here’s a video of his story:

Bring your (inner) child to work day

Time to get your dodgeballs and jump ropes ready, this Thursday, June 18, marks the sixth annual Recess at Work Day.

Held every year on the third Thursday in June, it’s a day set aside for “employees and employers to take a break from the stress of today’s economic worries and celebrate their successes.”

“It has been proven that breaks are essential for satisfaction,” says Rich DiGirolamo, founder of Recess at Work Day. “Breaks lead to satisfaction; and satisfaction easily transfers to increase morale, reduced employee stress, more engaged and healthier employees; ultimately having a positive impact on productivity, absenteeism and profits.”

There are no set rules to the day, just a mission to take a break from our daily work routines and get engaged in something fun with your peers.

It could be as simple as starting up a game of dodgeball or adding a new event to your office Olympics competition, as long as it gets you away from your desk and into something fun.

What are your thoughts on Recess at Work Day? Just a silly idea, or something to get excited about? Could you see your office participating?

Leave a comment and let us know.

Go ahead, leave work earlier today. It’s a holiday.

Today is the 5th annual “Leave the Office Earlier” day. No, we’re not making this up, you can read the press release.

Productivity expert and best-selling author, Laura Stack created the holiday based on the idea that most employees are dealing with increasingly heavier workloads by spending significantly more time at work. “Leave the Office Earlier” day is a way to get employees and employers to agree to limit their time at the office to eight hours, at least just for a day.

New productivity statistics show that most of us could probably use a break. During the first quarter of 2009, U.S. workers, who are already the most productive in the world, improved productivity by 1.1 percent in the business sector, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Given today's economy, the eight-hour work day will probably remain a myth to working Americans for the foreseeable future," says Stack. "June 2nd isn't about playing hooky or ditching work sooner. It's an opportunity for people to focus on changing work patterns, adjusting priorities, and engaging in conversations to find ways to achieve work/life balance while improving workplace productivity."

Another study by Corporate Voices for Working Families, revealed that workplace flexibility benefits employers and individual employees in such areas as productivity, customer service, employee work-life effectiveness, stress and well-being.

Eight out of ten employers and employees surveyed also said flexibility is important to recruitment and retention. Additionally, flexible schedules and innovative time-off policies help companies become an “employer of choice” for younger workers, according to the study.

Whether you think it needs an official holiday or not, workplace flexibility is quickly growing as a popular benefit that many job hunters in today’s labor market are looking for. But with the recession thinning out offices and putting more work on a smaller group of employees, some are finding it harder than ever to take that much-needed break.

Maybe a holiday like “Leave the Office Earlier” day is exactly what we need. What do you think?

Will you be participating in “Leave the Office Earlier” day? Do you think we should recognize the day each year? Or do you think we should stop watching the clock and get back to work?

Work/life balancing act has more moms burnt out

Spending quality time with family was at the top of most moms’ “to-do” lists this Mother’s Day, according to CareerBuilder’s annual Mother’s Day survey.

We hope they were able to check it off their list this weekend, but even during an average week our current economy is making it harder than ever to balance work and home.

Some working moms say they’re having a hard time finding work/life balance as they take on extra hours and second jobs as the economy falters, according to the survey of almost 500 women, who were employed full-time, with children under the age of 18.

The survey also found that:

• 30% of working moms, whose employers have had layoffs in the past year, are working longer hours and 14% have taken on second jobs to help make ends meet.
• 34% of working moms reported they are burned out.
• 40% fear losing their jobs today more than they did 12 months ago.
• 43% work more than 40 hours per week.
• 16% bring work home at least twice a week.
• 6% bring work home every workday.

“Nearly one-third say that despite it being one of the toughest economies in the nation’s history, they would even consider taking a pay cut to spend more time with their kids. If you’re struggling with work/life balance, talk to your manager.

Working moms who communicate their need for flexible time, job sharing or something in between will find that most companies are receptive to these kinds of policies,” said Mary Delaney, President of CareerBuilder’s talent management and recruitment outsourcing division, Personified, and mother of three.

The survey revealed that many working moms’ would gladly accept alternative schedules in order to spend more time with their children. More than half (55%) of working moms already take advantage of flexible work arrangements at their organizations, and most say that their decision has not adversely affected their career progress.

Whether you’re a working mom searching for work/life balance or just an average employee on the verge of burnout, follow these tips to reduce work stress and find balance:

• Take a vacation. It’s the most tried and true method for finding relaxation and getting some perspective on your situation. Even if you don’t leave town, use your vacation time to determine the source of your stress and find a way to change it.


• Talk to your boss. Sit down and have a serious conversation with your manager about finding a work arrangement that will help you achieve better work/life balance and improve your productivity. Whether it’s coming in early or working a few days from home, there’s always an alternative option out there.


• Set boundaries. Avoid bringing work home at all costs. Do your best to get it all done during the workday, but know that it’s not the end of the world if some unfinished tasks make it on tomorrow’s to-do list.


• Get out and play. Take time out each day to play with your kids. If you don’t have kids, take an hour or two out of your day to spend with friends, exercise and/or meditate. Eliminate distractions by turning off your cell phone and computer.

Also take a look at:

Burned out at work or bad day? Know the difference and how to beat it

How to feel happier at work ... instantly

I’m Not Stressed – That Pencil Had It Coming!!!

Are you living to work or working to live

Change puts engagement and productivity at risk

Warning! Happy employees may rap on the job

Want to see a great example of a happy employee who loves their job? Watch this ...



Think an unhappy employee would ever spend that much time putting together a rap about their employer? I doubt it.

Happy Friday!

Improve a process, boost productivity and morale

If you’ve been traveling recently, you’ve probably taken notice of an interesting change in the way airlines do business - cashless flights. Many major airlines are no longer accepting cash for in-flight services and only taking credit.

On the outside it may seem like a simple business decision that modernized a dated process, but for those on the inside it has made a considerable impact on the way they work.

Mark Mader at the Smartsheet blog told a story last week about how Alaska Airlines improved a process that was working “just fine” and found that the change impacted more than just the cost of doing business.

“As I saw the flight attendant slowly make her way to row 26, I thought, "why would Alaska give up the 2-4% margin to the credit card companies?". Following the first beverage service, I headed back to the galley to ask Cindy, the lead flight attendant, what she thought of moving away from the simple cash transaction.”

He asked the flight attendant how the new process has impacted the way she does her job. She answered, "I LOVE it!"

Switching to the cashless process made her job significantly better by eliminating the chance that she’ll forget to give someone their change, having to remember who rented digital movie players and putting an end to the tedious and stressful process of managing cash throughout the flight.

Though most processes are a necessary part of business, some may be more of a burden than a blessing when it comes to helping employees get their jobs done.

If we can find ways to simplify people’s jobs and reduce their stress, whether it’s through streamlining a work process or through employee training, they’ll appreciate it and be happier at work because of it.

Fixing that one tiresome process can snowball from happier employees to an overall improvement in productivity and morale across the company. Find ways to help employees get their jobs done more efficiently and they’ll be saying ‘thank you’ in the quality of their work.

When going ‘business casual’ causes a wardrobe malfunction

For some employees, casual Fridays are one small benefit in corporate America that can make a big difference in your organization’s morale.

Everyone usually looks forward to that last day of the workweek, where they can shed those stuffy business threads for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but it can also cause a lot of confusion if your rules are unclear.

What’s considered appropriate dress code for ‘business casual’ Fridays can greatly vary from company to company and from employee to employee.

In order to avoid any confusion, set aside some employee training time to remind everyone about your company’s definition of ‘casual’ dress. It could save a few employees from having an embarrassing day at the office if they show up wearing the wrong outfit.

We hope you’re having a great casual Friday and that you don’t come across a wardrobe malfunction as bad as this:

Friday office humor: Peanuts and a cube

What do you get when you have a few thousand pieces of packing popcorn and a coworker’s vulnerable cubicle? ... One funny office prank.

It’s Friday - watch the video below, have a little laugh and hope your coworkers aren’t planning to pull a stunt like this with your cube. Then protect yourself from any work-related brain damage and go home. Happy Friday!

Working long hours causes brain damage, go home

Looking for reasons to cut out early this Friday afternoon? Tell your boss that working long hours causes brain damage ... and you have the research to prove it.

New research from University College London and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health suggests long working hours may raise the risk of mental decline and possibly dementia.

As part of the largest study of its kind, researchers analyzed 2,214 middle-aged UK civil servants using cognitive tests in 1997-99 and again in 2002-04.

The first set of tests were administered to two groups of people, one group of employees who worked more than 55 hours a week and the other group worked 35 to 40 hours a week.

The first group performed significantly worse in vocabulary tests than those employees who worked less hours. Follow-up tests mirrored the original findings in that employees who worked more than 55 hours a week performed worse on vocabulary tests and cognitive reasoning.

“The effects were cumulative, the longer the working week, the worse the test results. Employees with long working hours also had shorter sleeping hours, reported more symptoms of depression and used more alcohol than those with normal working hours.”

So when you’re skipping out of the office early today, just let your boss know that it’s for your health. Have a happy Friday!

On hugs, stimulus packages and shoes: This week’s must-reads

There’s a ton of great information out there this week, so much that breaking it up and discussing it all separately would take months. Instead, we’ll just direct you strait to the sources of all it. Here’s some of the best HR and training related information posted on the Web this week:


Try to give hugs to more people at work. After just four sips of wine, read how Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk made an amazing discovery - hugging in the workplace can make you happier. If President Barack Obama can bring hugging into the White House, you can find a way to bring it into your workplace.


While we’re talking about Obama, he just signed the $787 billion stimulus package that included some important HR action items. The team at G.Neil’s HR Forum put together a quick overview of how the stimulus plan will impact HR and U.S. businesses.


Obama signed the billion dollar stimulus package yesterday and now is the time for the Leadership Development Economic Stimulus Package, according to Dan McCarthy at Great Leadership. The total cost of Dan’s plan is only a fraction of that Obama signed, but the impact on business leadership would be huge.


Put yourself in their shoes. Knowing your audience will put you on the road to success when designing your next training program. Take some advice from Chris Morgan at Learn2Develop, put yourself in the shoes of your trainees and look at your training from a new perspective.


Is the traditional training course dead? If so, technology is the killer. Technology gives us the power to learn what we need to know, when we need to know it and most of what we learn is through informal methods. Learn more about the potential death of the instructor-led training course by reading this Training Zone article by Vaughan Waller.

Can you train yourself to be happy at work?

You can train for a marathon, you can train employees to follow safety rules at work, but is it possible to train yourself to be happy at work?

Karl Staib, author of Work Happy Now!, believes that by eliminating complaining out of your day it can force a positive change in your life and at work.

Karl recently signed himself up for a personal “No Complaining” 30-day challenge and discovered how putting situations in a positive light had the power to change attitudes of people around him, as well as his own attitude.

He explains how it basically comes down to how you phrase things:

“I might say, “I don’t feel like going to work today. I’m tired. My job doesn’t give me any incentive to work hard.” This is just whining. If I rephrase it and say, “I’ve been working really hard on this project and I need a break.” Then we start to turn the complaining into something more positive. If I rephrase it again and say, “Going to work is probably not the best choice for me right now, but I need to work on this important project.” Then we get into more of a “sharing complaining” territory.

You could say in a boisterous voice, “I’m going to work today and even though I’m tired, I’m going to accomplish great work.” It doesn’t sound so much like complaining, but reinforcing a positive state of mind. We all know it’s still complaining, but it’s a lot easier to handle for the people who have to listen.”

He followed two methods to reduce complaining:

1. If you complain about something, redirect your thoughts to something positive.

Instead of saying, “Arrgh, why do I have to do this report over? I wish they would make up their minds.”

Say, “Okay, they might not be right, but I don’t know all the reasons behind their decisions. I’ll redo this report and also take mental notes on how I would handle this situation. When I become an owner/manager I won’t make the same mistakes.”

Understand that the experience, whether positive or not, can be used to improve our skills. Looking at it in a positive light makes you feel like you have control over the situation where you may have felt powerless before.


2. Rephrase the complaint before you say it.

You’re thinking, “Arrgh, why do I have to do this report over?”

Rephrase that thought by saying, “Hmm, it’s interesting that they want me to do this report over.”


Flipping the complaint into a positive statement or rephrasing it can mean the difference between having a horrible day or a great one. Finding a way to enjoy the situation, even if it’s not how you originally intended it to turn out, will help you have a better day and be happier at work.

Here’s how Karl sums up his 30-day “No Complaining” challenge:

“No Complaining” for thirty days made me aware of many areas of my thoughts and emotions that were invisible before this challenge. This month has given me the most personal improvement I’ve seen all year. It helps to take a microscope to your inner thoughts. I’ve taken my work happiness to a whole new level.

Read more about Karl’s “No Complaining” challenge at Work Happy Now!

So, do you think you can train yourself to be happy at work? Do you think it’s a worthwhile experiment to try?