Astronology - Effectively Dealing with Poor Management

Astronology Volume XII Issue 26 April 3, 2012 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 The "natural alarm clock" that some people have, enabling them to wake up a specific time, is due to the anticipated stress of waking up.   FACT!   The "natural alarm clock" that some people have, which enables them to wake up at a specific time, is caused by a burst of adrenocorticotropin hormone. Researchers believe this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up. Here at Astronology, we wonder if this is why the night before an early morning flight, we seem to wake up every hour on the hour!     Effectively Dealing with Poor Management While many individuals assume that pay or benefits are driving factors in employee dissatisfaction and turnover, research points in another direction.  A Gallup Management Journal article highlighting excerpts from the book, First, Break All the Rules, reveals what is often the source of turnover.  Employees join companies...but leave managers. The idea that a manager could affect whether an employee stays loyal to an organization isn't a new concept. What made this article special was that it used a real life example of why one graduate of Stanford and Harvard left a well-known company after working there for only one year. The former employee said of her manager, "He's not a bad man; He's just not a manager. He's insecure and I don't think you can be insecure and be a good manager." Her comment should alert all organizational leaders.....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 2012, 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

 

Embrace the Meritocracy

In a recent episode of The Office (a show I once loved but has now gone so far downhill), a new manager walks into the office and on the first day does performance reviews where she just gives everyone raises since she doesn't know anyone or their skills. Sometimes it feels like companies do this all the time. Although promotions and raises are supposed to be based on production and hard work, many companies base it on other factors, and it's a shame that they do so.

This is not something new--office politics have been around forever--but the sad part is that in today's economy, it's better to be liked, than to produce. And, in some ways, that's fair as the sum is supposed to be greater than its parts and if someone isn't contributing to the "team" their contribution isn't worth as much. But the truth is that we all have some sort of metrics we get judged on and 90% of the battle should be meeting or exceeding those numbers.

But its rare that companies embrace that way of thinking, and it's a shame. Companies lose some of the best workers because they're too busy trying to make them brown nose their way to a promotion. We've all had bosses who rather hear how great they are and how much you can say "yes" rather than looking at your great numbers and how many times you hit the bell after a sale.

So how do companies change that? Embrace the meritocracy. You produce "X", you get "Y". Simple and straightforward. Special circumstances can always be made for people who go the extra mile but don't get the results that others get, but if someone goes the extra mile and produces, make sure that's celebrated. You want employees to know that you value their production and the best way to do that is to make sure those who make you successful, are rewarded handsomely. You do that by embracing the idea of being a true meritocracy.

Astronology - Work Share vs. Layoffs

Astronology Volume XII Issue 25 March 20, 2012 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 Chocolate can help with your memory.   FACT!   According to Jeff Victoroff, MD, Associate Professor of clinical neurology at the Keck School of Medicine, some researchers suspect that compounds in dark chocolate can help improve memory by increasing blood circulation.  As a result, your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients.  Although more research is needed on the topic, that's all the incentive we here at Astronology need to eat more chocolate!     The Astron Road Show This Thursday, March 22nd, National Director Mike Maciekowich will be attending the Capital Region Human Resource Association (CRHRA) annual One Day Conference in Albany, NY.  Mike looks forward to meeting with our clients and friends from the Albany region in the conference's exhibit hall!  Please be sure to stop by and say hello!   Work Share vs. Layoffs The idea of a layoff brings sheer terror to employees...and headaches to employers. Yet in unsteady economic conditions, many organizations have been faced with this consideration.  As we move into our new normal of ongoing economy uncertainty, any organization could possibly face a layoff in the future, if they have not gone through one or more already.....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 2012, 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

 

Do One Thing and Do It Well

Whenever I start at any new job position, I have a bit of a panic in the first week: "how the heck am I supposed to be doing all this stuff that they want me to do?!" Life seems overwhelming, and, the truth of the matter, as the job goes along, that feeling doesn't go away--it just changes. So what's the key to multitasking? The Harvard Business Review says today that the goal should be doing one thing at a time:

Tell the truth: Do you answer email during conference calls (and sometimes even during calls with one other person)? Do you bring your laptop to meetings and then pretend you're taking notes while you surf the net? Do you eat lunch at your desk? Do you make calls while you're driving, and even send the occasional text, even though you know you shouldn't?

I nodded my head at all of these, and that can't be a good sign. It got so bad the other day that while on a conference call, I went to send an e-mail and while thinking about the next e-mail I was about to send, I sent the first e-mail to the second e-mail's recipient. Outlook's "recall mail" feature isn't going to make up for that mistake.

But I liked the author's solution: "The best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal." And here's how he suggests managers promote doing that:

Astronology - What Type of Managerial Attitude Do You Have?

Astronology Volume XII Issue 24 March 6, 2012 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 On Thursday, March 22nd, National Director Mike Maciekowich will be attending the Capital Region Human Resource Association (CRHRA) annual One Day Conference in Albany, NY.  Mike looks forward to meeting with our clients and friends from the Albany region in the conference's exhibit hall!       What Type of Managerial Attitude Do You Have? Many of us are familiar with the inspirational phrase, "your attitude determines your altitude." In the worlds of human resources and management, this phrase holds much truth. In this issue of Astronology, we take an in-depth look into managerial attitudes, and how they affect the overall health and functioning of an organization.....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 2012, 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

 

The Funny and the Not-So-Funny

We'll start off today with the funny, and with a Payscale.com blog piece that says all it can in picture form (H/T Jennifer). These types of charts had been going around for a while now, but that is probably the best on I've seen about Compensation Consultants.

On the not so funny is another blog piece that says all that you can say in picture form, this time in infograph about all of us dying from our jobs from Mashable (H/T Sarah). We can all laugh at the first graphic in this blog post but the Mashable infograph is depressing and sheds a light on desk jobs--and gives more reason to making sure you get out of your chair, go outside, and walk around at least at one point in the day.

Facebook and Twitter Aren't As Popular as Thought with Recruiters

At the World of HR blog we've written a lot about the use of social media and the job search. It seems logical that the next frontier of finding new employees would be in the constantly growing social media sphere where creative and hard-working people are hanging out. Instead, Business Insider just published an interesting infographic that says that few are using Facebook or Twitter.

This doesn't mean that all social media is being ignored and it doesn't meant that Facebook or Twitter aren't being used in conjunction with another service, but it does mean that if you're just sitting on Facebook or Twitter hoping to find a job, well, maybe it's time to change your strategy. Only 3% of recruiters are either on Facebook solely, Twitter solely or combine just Twitter and Facebook.

The other 97%? They may use Twitter or Facebook but it's always in conjunction with LinkedIn. In fact, almost half (48%) use LinkedIn as their sole social media outlet for recruiting. We've written on this blog many times about the virtues of LinkedIn as a job finding tool, but this further serves to expand that feeling. It doesn't mean that a clean and well-done Facebook or Twitter page won't help you find a job, but in order to catch the eye of a recruiter, it's best to work on your LinkedIn profile and keep that up-to-date.

Astronology - Whistleblowing in 2012

Astronology Volume XII Issue 23 February 20, 2012 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.   Welcome, New Subscribers! In 2011 we met many new friends during travels to several Human Resource related conferences across the United States.  We welcome many of you to Astron Solutions' on-line newsletter, Astronology!  Astron Solutions publishes Astronology every other Tuesday, to keep you apprised of the latest in HR and at Astron Solutions.  To manage your subscription, please scroll to the bottom of this e-mail and access the links provided.    Welcome to our family!     Fact or Fiction   In a recent Littler Mendelson Whistleblower Survey 41% of employers said they will be conducting whistleblower and / or retaliation-related training within the next 12 months.   FACT!   A recent study conducted by Littler Mendelson surveying senior executives, many of whom represent    S& P 500 organizations, cited that 41% will be conducting training within the next 12 months, and 27% will be considering adding training.       Whistleblowing in 2012 Whistleblowing. In today's world this word can be synonymous with "snitch" or "truth-teller," depending on which side you stand. Why is this subject so controversial? What can Human Resources do effectively act when faced with a whistleblowing situation?.....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 2012, 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

 

When a Cover Letter Goes a Bit Overboard

I always hate the cover letter. They are supposed to be original and detailed and expressive of how you should stand out, but toe that uncomfortable line between self-promotion and pompous bragging. One New York University undergraduate student looking for a summer finance internship, didn't just cross that line--he went running way over it. Yahoo! Finance via Business Insider has the details of this amazing cover letter with this legendary paragraph that sounded like it might have been written more by The Office's Dwight Schrute than an NYU student:

"I am unequivocally the most unflaggingly hard worker I know, and I love self-improvement. I have always felt that my time should be spent wisely, so I continuously challenge myself ... I decided to redouble my effort by placing out of two classes, taking two honors classes, and holding two part-time jobs. That semester I achieved a 3.93, and in the same time I managed to bench double my bodyweight and do 35 pull-ups."

Modest, aren't we? The truth of the matter, as the article points out, that this cover letter did exactly what a cover letter is supposed to do: get you noticed out of the large pile of applicants and make sure people talk about your resume. This one, though, may be for the wrong reasons. Even in investment banking which values those with self-confidence and brashness, this even seems like it may be over-the-top. We wish this applicant the best, but know that it might not have been the best route to finding a finance job this summer.

Astronology - Top Seven Warning Signs of Poor Organization Design

Astronology Volume XII Issue 22 February 7, 2012 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 There's one stop on the Astron Road Show this week.  On Wednesday and Thursday, February 8th and 9th, the Astron team will be in Dallas at the Premier Continuum of Care / Sponsors of Affiliates Vendor Fair.  Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about how Astron Solutions can help them achieve their HR goals, while enjoying an Elvis-themed event.  If you'll be attending, please be sure to stop by and see Michael Maciekowich, Brendan Williams, and Jennifer Loftus - appearing as Elvis!....more    Top Seven Warning Signs of Poor Organization Design Today's Astronology article comes to us courtesy of Tim McConnell, a Managing Partner with McConnell HRC Inc.   To learn more about McConnell HRC Inc., please visit www.McConnellHRC-NY.com.  You can also contact Tim at Tim@McConnellHRC.com.   Do these symptoms exist in your office?  Let's examine the case of ABC Agency, whose name has been protected for purposes of this article.....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 2012, 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

 

Finally Time to Stop the To-Do Lists

When I was in school, I was pretty disorganized and everyone who tried to "help" always suggested making to-do lists. I couldn't deal with them and never got fully through an entire one. They just weren't for me. Well, as the Harvard Business Review recently wrote, they don't rely work for anyone. Instead the blog post suggests a different route:

The alternative to the feckless to-do list is what I call "living in your calendar." That means taking your tasks off the to-do list, estimating how much time each of them will consume, and transferring them to your calendar. (Don't forget to leave time to process your email. And leave some empty space — one to two hours — each day to deal with the inevitable crises that will crop up.) In essence, you're making a production plan for your work.

As the blog post goes on to say, it's an eye-opening exercise that will be tough, but it's a necessary exercise to help you better determine what's important--and, almost as vital--what can be left out of your life. There are only 24 hours in the day, so stop spending hours doing to-do lists and start using that time to be more productive

Unpaid Internships: Legal or Not?

Clearing out the links this week, I found this interesting article from the Village Voice talking about unpaid internships and whether they flout the law? Students like it because it gives them valuable experiences, universities feel that they are a huge part of the academic curriculum, and businesses really like it because they get free labor. But the U.S. Department of Labor warned that it may not be so kosher:

[Some internships] could actually violate state- and federal-labor laws. The Department of Labor guidelines stress that "the internship experience is for the benefit of the intern," and for-profit employers are supposed to derive "no immediate advantage from the activities" of the unpaid interns. Indeed, business operations "may actually be impeded" in order to train the intern, who should "not displace regular employees."

It's a three-page article and certainly one to check out. Although some internships are beneficial for everyone involved, many employers who are trying to take advantage of free labor instead of hiring more workers may get a knock on their door soon. Make sure that your internship program is a fair one within the confines of the guidelines by reading through this article and consulting your local regulations.

Astronology - Does Office Etiquette Exist?

Astronology Volume XII Issue 21 January 24, 2012 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 There's one stop on the Astron Road Show this week.  On Tuesday, January 24th National Director Jennifer Loftus will present to the Greater New York chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR-GNY) on HR Certification - Demystifying the Process and Understanding the Benefits.  Click here to learn more about the event or to register.....more    Does Office Etiquette Exist? Does the treatment you receive from your co-workers affect your productivity?  According to one Forbes article, 48% of poorly treated employees have at one time intentionally decreased their productivity due to ill treatment.  Additionally, 12% confirmed that rude behavior caused them to quit their jobs.  This unintended turnover can result in an estimated loss of $50,000 per worker.  Who would have thought that office etiquette could be such a large factor in organizational productivity!  Given the potential bottom line impact of office etiquette, what can organizations do to successfully manage interpersonal relations?....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 2012, 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