Astronology - 2011 Compensation Budget Forecasts

Astronology Volume XI Issue 17   October 19, 2010 Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.   Fact or Fiction   Car Horns beep in the tone of F. FACT! American car horns beep in the tone of F. That's helpful to know if we need to tune an instrument! Today's article focuses on the cash compensation element of total rewards. However, total rewards encompasses so much more. What are some of the fun and unusual things your organization does to keep your employees engaged and motivated? Perhaps you have a company band, excluding any company cars? Please share with us some of your favorite total rewards offerings, and we may feature you in an upcoming issue of Astronology!   2011 Compensation Budget Forecasts It's that time of year again - time to begin setting compensation budgets for 2011. As we move towards the fourth quarter of 2010, we are left with mixed messages regarding the state of the US economy. In one case, the stock market has returned to the 11000 levels, and companies are reporting record profits. On the other hand, unemployment is stuck at 9.5% or higher. It is evident that many organizations have "re-tooled" in terms of staffing, and have discovered that they can provide their goods and services with less staff. If you add in the uncertainty surrounding healthcare reform and its impact, one can clearly understand why it is very difficult to make predictions for 2011 with any confidence.....more   Have a Question? If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.   The Fine Print We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time. To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2010, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 Quick Links Client List Meet the Astron Team Contact Us   World of HR Blog Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions. More

 

Back to New York and Collaboration

After spending the week at a conference in Richmond, Virginia, I'm in a cab heading back to Manhattan. The conference I went to was the "Global Compliance, Legal and Government Relations" conference for my company. Two takeaways that I want to share on the blog are "Cool-aboration" and the "GFC".

"Cool-aboration" was a fun term for a presentation about collaborating with others. While most companies preach this, the conference had a big difference to talk about: actually listening to other people. When we discussed the great things each group had done the past year, it was all because of collaborative efforts--but even more important it was the communication and the listening of our associates that allowed for these great things to continue. Being able to feed off others and work with them in a collaborative manner is a sign of a great organization.

The other term I used above--the "GFC"--was a term I learned that the rest of the world was using for this recession which either stood for the Great Financial Crisis or Global Financial Crisis. But the important takeaway here was to understand the impact of Dodd Frank and other international regulations to your organization. Just because you are not located in your European office does not mean that what they are doing there doesn't effect your job, especially if you work in Human Resources and deal with employees' whistleblowing or executive compensation.

Although there were many other things I took away from the conference, those are two that I wanted to share here on the Astron blog. Although many companies are already thinking about it, some "cool-aboration" is always needed to make sure good policies and procedures are implemented and enforced.

-Andrew

Literal Self-Promotion and Human Resources

Besides being the baseball playoffs, tonight is also The Office night. The show is nowhere near as funny as it was in the earlier years, but it still is a funny, enjoyable half hour and well-worth the watch (at least until Steve Carrell leaves at the end of the year). Last week's episode was an interesting one, though because of Pam's literal "self-promotion" and Toby's mediation with Michael due to his "corporate punishment" from the week before.

Usually when we think about "self-promotion" we think of someone promoting their own brand. What happened on the last episode of The Office was quite different. When a sales person walked into the office and asked who the office manager was, Pam stepped up and took the position even though it wasn't hers. She then set out to convince the rest of the office that she had the position but had not received her salary bump. In the end, she got her way, but through less-than-savory means (well, she lied). 

Now Human Resources should be encouraging employees to promote themselves to other members of the office. Taking responsibilities that are not there's to help out in the office is great as well and should be encouraged. But that's where this should end. Actually giving yourself a promotion and a raise was funny on the show, but is not exactly ethical.

As for Toby, he had another classic showdown with Michael. Toby is Michael's punching bag and usually doesn't bring a good face to Human Resources, but he shined much of this episode (except when he had Michael fill out his own form). Toby's inability to stop Michael from acting out has been one of his toughest thing to deal with but his ability to work with Michael despite all the abuse gets kudos from me.

We'll see what types of office hijinx happen on tonight's episode, but last week's episodes was certainly chock-full of laughs and Human Resource topics.

Jobs in the Financial World

With Warren Buffet coming out today (via Telegraph) and saying that next time the financial world goes bust, the chief executives of those banks and their wives should go broke too, I figured it was a good time to delve back into the job market in the financial world.

Within the same article came this ominous forecast: "Despite the difference in the fortunes of those on Wall Street and many Americans in other industries, analysts have said that banks may decide to cut jobs in coming months as trading revenues decline. Meredith Whitney, for example, has forecast that up to 80,000 finance jobs could go over the next 18 months." Eek

More specifically, Morgan Stanley came out last week and said they were going to freeze investment bank hiring in 2010 according to Bloomberg (H/T Wendy).

For those looking for a job in this market, FINS has some advice for college graduates about how to find a job in the financial world (one of the pieces of advice "Take on Internships" is a good one).

Also from FINS, a different type of sheriff is coming to town: the IRS is hiring special agents for their Criminal Investigation Division, one of its prime divisions.

Lastly, Corporate Compliance Insights has two Dilberts that hopefully don't hit too close to home for many compliance professionals.

Astronology - Head Games

Astronology Volume XI Issue 16   October 5, 2010 Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.   The Astron Road Show The Astron Road Show continues on!  Our next stop?  National Director Michael Maciekowich will present at the 20th Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference, October 18- 19th.  Mike's session is entitled "Building a Compensation Program Based on Changing Strategic Objectives, Focusing on Cost Controls and Real Life Solutions."  Mike will also have a booth in the exhibit hall, so please stop by and say hello! We'll see you on the road!   Fact or Fiction The same person wrote the famous State Farm and Band-Aid jingles.   FACT!   Before his "Copacabana" days, Barry Manilow wrote jingles. Of his jingles the most famous are the ones for Band-Aid: "I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!" and State Farm: "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!"   Do you have any special memories triggered by Barry Manilow's music?  Please write us so that we can share your stories in the next Astronology!   Speaking of Barry Manilow, he's been performing in Las Vegas for several years.  Will you see him perform next June when SHRM holds their annual conference in Las Vegas?  Visit SHRM's websiteto learn more about the 2011 annual conference!   Head Games by Jan Greene Benchmarks will never be the same for Robert Mansfield. Enrolled in a course under that title, the New Jersey healthcare executive essentially put his psyche and management style up for grabs by his coworkers -- all for the sake of career development. Each filled out a lengthy survey asking about Mansfield's workplace quirks and behavioral basics, ranging from whether he cracks under pressure to how he works with others.....more   Have a Question? If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.   The Fine Print We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time. To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2010, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 Quick Links Client List Meet the Astron Team Contact Us   World of HR Blog Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions. More

 

Beware of College Students in the Workplace

Back in April, the New York Times wrestled with the issue of whether the unpaid intern was legal or not. One of the conclusions stated: "California and some other states require that interns receive college credit as a condition of being unpaid. But federal regulators say that receiving college credit does not necessarily free companies from paying interns, especially when the internship involves little training and mainly benefits the employer."

Well TLNT wrote this week that the United States Department of Labor (DOL) has begun to crack down on businesses that do not pay interns and offers some keys about complying with the law. While the DOL has issued a "fact sheet", TLNT does a great job of translating that for Human Resources and figuring out where problem areas still exist.

And then there's the factor of which degree to choose when you're in school? Well Monster.com and Yahoo! HotJobs issued a list of the worst-paying college degrees (H/T Wendy). A good list of majors to avoid for students and areas where Human Resources should take notice.

Well once those college students graduate, what is waiting for them? Not much. The New York Times wrote back in July that many are trying to join Teach for America--but few are actually chosen for the very selective positions. But yet many graduates from some of the most prestigious colleges around the country are applying there for the job security and resume booster that it provides.

Last piece of advice for the college grad (or, really, anyone else) comes from The Oatmeal: "What your email address says about your computer skills." A funny must-read for anyone who is applying to a job with an @aol.com/@yahoo.com/@hotmail.com address.

Saturday in the Park

Not exactly in the park, but it is a beautiful Saturday to be there and if you want some great links while you're lounging in the sun.

From ben's blog, some advice about the right way to lay off an employee. The steps? Get your head right, don't delay, be clear in your own mind about why you are laying people off, train your managers, be visible and be present. "After seeing their friends laid off, employees were no longer willing to make the requisite sacrifices needed to build a company. He said that although it was possible to survive an isolated layoff, it was hugely unlikely that a company would experience great success."

From ESPN New York, an interesting conflict between the New York Jets and a female reporter. The interesting part of this story has been the response from other female journalists who have been less than supportive of Ines Sainz, the woman who filed the complaint of discrimination and harassment.

Interview Tips has 20 ways to nail an interview with some hilarious videos of people who didn't come close to doing so (H/T Wendy). Number 16 may be the worst.

There are job reports out there, but finally there is The Hidden Job Report.

And lastly, some advice about what a company blog should look like from The New York Enterprise Report (H/T Jennifer)

Astronology - Attracting and Retaining Organizational "Keepers"

Astronology Volume XI Issue 15   September 21, 2010 Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.   The Astron Road Show This fall the Astron Road Show will be in high gear!  We hope to see you at one of the following events this October. On October 5th, Mike Maciekowich will present to the Human Resources Association of the Twin Tiers (Corning, NY) on Compensation Strategies to Control Costs.  The session is part of the association's annual one day conference. October 5 - 7th finds Jennifer Loftus in St. Petersburg, FL, presenting at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) annual HR Seminar.  Jennifer will present a concurrent session on total rewards trends for the coming year, and a general session on retaining and motivating long-service employees. Mike Maciekowich and Nicholas Karras head to the land of the Packers and the Brewers for the annual Wisconsin State SHRM conference, October 6 - 8th in Appleton.  In addition to visiting with everyone in the exhibit hall, Mike will present an early bird session on "Building a Compensation Program Based on Changing Strategic Objectives, Focusing on Cost Controls and Real Life Solutions." We'll see you on the road!   Fact or Fiction Bananas are not radioactive.   FICTION!   Bananas are in fact radioactive. Explains one reference: "The fruit contains high levels of potassium. Radioactive K-40 has an isotopic abundance of 0.01% and a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The average banana contains around 450 mg of potassium and will experience about 14 decays each second."   Perhaps this explains why bananas mysteriously ripen so quickly sometimes!   Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.  What are some of your favorite fruits and vegetables and why?  Please share your experiences with us, and we'll feature them in the next issue of Astronology!   Attracting and Retaining Organizational "Keepers" As we hopefully near the end of rough economic times, many organizations fear and dread an increase in turnover rates. In this issue of Astronology, we discuss what it takes to find and keep employees who will stay with an organization to help it succeed and grow.....more   Have a Question? If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.   The Fine Print We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time. To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2010, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 Quick Links Client List Meet the Astron Team Contact Us   World of HR Blog Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions. More

 

"Disaster" Planning

Most companies--especially since September 11th--have instituted pretty robust disaster recovery plans. If everything goes to junk, what who does what and who goes where? But what happens when things are less than disaster level--or rather becomes not a disaster for the company but for the employees? How does your company react then?

An example of that was seen today. With the huge fire in Harlem of New York on the bridge which connects Manhattan to the Bronx, Westchester, Connecticut (and other areas), Metro-North commuter rail service was suspended coming and going to Grand Central Station, one of the busiest train stations in the entire world.

Employees had to think fast about how to get from work to home, regardless of which direction they are going. Some companies let employees go a little early to give them the opportunity to seek alternative transportation and others provided extra transportation. My company decide to take all the New York City train commuters and put them on a van from Stamford, CT to Grand Central.

Companies can do things like this all the time--and at times at no cost to the company. Letting employees work at home on days that are supposed to be really snowy or providing updates when traffic or train conditions do appear to everyone in the office are little things some companies do to avoid "disasters" for their employees. While they may seem like small gestures, they can be important ones to help keep employees happy and productive--when I didn't have to worry anymore about how I was going to get home today, I sure know I was.


-Andrew

Astronology - Straightening Ties

Astronology Volume XI Issue 14   September 7, 2010 Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.   The Astron Road Show This fall the Astron Road Show will be in high gear! We hope to see you at one of the following events. Astron starts out September with multiple activities at the New York State SHRM conference, September 12 - 14th in Saratoga Springs, NY. National Director Jennifer Loftus will speak on a panel regarding the digital workplace, and present a concurrent session on Total Rewards. National Director Mike Maciekowich and Technology Supervisor Brendan Williams will staff Astron's exhibit booth (#9). This year's conference is a must-attend, with The Apprentice winner Bill Rancic as the keynote speaker! Then, on the evening of September 14th, Jennifer provides a joint presentation with HR/NY colleague Izzy Kushner at the ABWA-NYC monthly meeting. Jennifer will discuss Breaking the Code: Human Resources' Secrets Revealed with an audience of business owners. September 15 - 17th finds Mike Maciekowich exhibiting at the 2010 Upstate New York Human Resources Healthcare Conference. Held at Woodcliff Hills, the event is an annual exploration of current trends in healthcare HR across the Empire State. We'll see you on the road!   Readers Write   In the last issue of Astronology we asked you to send in your favorite photos of your kitty! We're pleased to share with you this award-winning photo of reader Laurie DeLong's favorite pirate. Laurie notes that her cat "really was not all that enthusiastic about his costume - certainly not as much as I was." Thanks for sharing a smile with us, Laurie!   Straightening Ties by Kenneth R. Cohen and Ross Reinhold As employers compete to hire information technology (IT) professionals in a sellers' market, many are seeking help to develop and implement strategies for staffing their organizations that are more productive and cost-effective and less aggravating....more   Have a Question? If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.   The Fine Print We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time. To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2010, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 Quick Links Client List Meet the Astron Team Contact Us   World of HR Blog Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions. More

 

Happy Labor Day

On Labor Day, be thankful to those who do labor for you: your employees. But while you and they are probably enjoying a day off, let's take a look at some links about your labor force.

First from the Wall Street Journal, an article from two weeks ago that got a lot of attention: "The End of Management." It's a provocative piece that makes you think if you would really be better off having managers who act like venture capitalists. It would certainly mean interesting things for the labor force.

Also from the Wall Street Journal, an older article that talks about how Goldman Sachs is banning naughty words in their e-mails, making sure their labor force doesn't use any language that will show up controversially in a congressional hearing like they had this past summer.

Next, from Yahoo! Finance via Bloomberg Businessweek, a nod to napping in the office (H/T Wendy). While before it was an act that could get employees fired, this article says that companies are more and more encouraging their labor force to get some zzz's at the workplace.

Lastly, from the New York Times Career Couch, a Q&A that asks about the separation between church and cubicle, among other labor-related topics.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your holiday BBQs!

Talking About 20-Somethings

By now, everyone I know has read the New York Times Magazine article titled "What Is It About 20-Somethings". It's been debated, discussed, and reviewed in many places. But as a 20-something in the job force, I wanted to discuss it a bit here on the blog...because I feel that me and my fellow 20-somethings are getting a bad rap.

We're in the LeBron James-decision, 140-character-Twitter, look-at-me-on-YouTube generation. And yes, I know plenty of people fall into there--babies who were born with a trust fund and parents who can't say no turn into adults of my generation who have never really held a job before and don't know how to have someone else bossing them around. Some people I know thinks the world revolves around them and have facts to back that up: their parents tell them they're that important every day with their words, actions, and wallets.

But there are still plenty of people like me who was forced to get a job if we wanted money, who are trying to make something of ourselves, who may have had undergraduate saved for by family, but certainly chipped in and definitely paid their way through graduate school. We worked hard in school and work hard at work and we have ambition and goals. And while we may not know exactly what we want in our future professional and romantic lives (and some of those issues in our romantic lives have to do with our parents generation who made America the divorcing nation and made our generation question marriage from so many angles), I doubt any of our parents really did either--and we definitely see many of those who did want to have the flexibility they think we have.

It's also not our fault we were thrown into this economy during our first occupational experience. We didn't ask for a recession and nothing we did caused the decision. We didn't take out risky loans and we weren't old enough to make the decisions at the financial institutions that made them possible and then rolled them up into collateralized obligations. We want to succeed but we are getting killed in the job market by people who are much more experienced. That we lack that experience because of our age is certainly not our fault.

So while I know people in Human Resources are reading that New York Times Magazine article and wondering why they should hire a snot-nosed, good-for-nothing, 20-something-year-old, I want to point out that we all don't think our poop doesn't stink. Hey, some of us do, but most of us have great ideas and we have ambition and we want to go places. Some may think we're stuck in some phase called "emerging adulthood", but we'll be the best damn workers you can find.

More About Disgruntled Workers

Last week we talked about Steven Slater here at the Welcome to the World of HR blog, but obviously he's not the only disgruntled worker out there. Let's take a look at a few other articles:

First we have the other "famous quitter" of this past week, "Jenny" who quit her job via job erase board "leaked" to The Chive. The whole thing ended up being a farce, but Jenny became as big of a cult hero as Slater for a few hours. What does it show when Slater and "Jenny" become "working class heroes"? People are frustrated at their current jobs.

With that in mind, Slate tells us that employers should be glad that candidates won't take their crummy, low-wage jobs, even in a bad economy: "Hiring is a negotiation between employers and employees over the terms at which they'll agree to come to work—wages, benefits, working conditions, length of commute, relocation requirements. Maybe some of these employers just aren't offering terms that are good enough."

TLNT follows by telling us that even people who have jobs aren't ready to settle for those crummy, low-wage jobs and that 40% of workers are going to be ready to find a new job this fall.

Lastly, we have a Wall Street Journal Careers Q&A where someone asks about quitting a job...before they've even started.

The lesson of all this: make sure that your current co-workers and you candidates are, well, "gruntled"