It's hard to believe that Santa will hopefully be making his way to my parents' house in a few short hours. I've tried to be a good girl this year, but I'm never quite sure how I stack up against the rest of the general population.
With all the gloom and doom on the news, it's easy to be down this holiday season. For the first time ever, I didn't decorate my apartment. (Unless you count seasonal placemats and towels, in which case I'm good.) In reality, though, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. For those who have steady employment, the opportunity to make a difference in our organizations in 2009. For those who are looking, a chance to reinvent themselves in the new year. You hopefully enjoyed good health, strong friendships, and good times in 2008, with more waiting in 2009.
Thank you for reading our blog. Time is a precious commodity. Andrew, myself, and everyone at Astron Solutions appreciates your sharing a part of your day with us. We look forward to the opportunity to share with you 2009's late breaking news and HR insights.
Happy holidays to you and your family, and best wishes for a successful and positive new year!
This morning on the radio I heard about a new study out of Britain. According to the research, someone who listens to their iPod or other music device for 1 hour a day for five years will go deaf.
Scary.
The study got me thinking. If someone listens for longer periods each day – like many of our Gen X and Gen Y colleagues in our offices – will he or she go deaf sooner?
Free will is an important part of life here in America. If someone wants to risk their hearing to listen to music, that’s his / her choice. However, as HR Professionals, what can we do to help our employees make informed choices? What should we do? I’m thinking about going beyond traditional policies that restrict the use of musical devices in the workplace. We currently provide opportunities to educate employees about wellness, financial planning, and other topics. Perhaps preserving one’s hearing should be included in that mix. If we don’t – and this study’s results turn out to be true – our workplaces and ways of doing business will radically change in the next 10 or so years. Being bilingual in American Sign Language is one aspect that comes to mind. What are your thoughts?
Learning vacations are one of the hottest trends in time off. Instead of sitting poolside for a week, participants in learning vacations try their hand at a variety of activities, running the gamut from archaeology to yoga.
Vocationvacation.com takes the adult learning experience a step further by allowing participants to get a preview of what it’s like to have that “dream job.” Want to test drive being an alpaca rancher? How about a sword maker? Or a country music singer? Here’s your opportunity to try something new in a relatively risk free environment. According to vocationvacation.com, 20% of participants switched their careers as a result of their experiences.
I’ve always been a fan of learning new things, so the idea of a “working vacation” appeals to me. Reading about vocationvacation.com got me thinking about 2 broader possibilities for the HR space:
1. What can we as HR professionals offer through the vocationvacation.com process to others who might think of our organization as a dream job?
2. How can we capture the excitement a learning vacation offers in our own organizations? Mentoring is a start as we look to even broader experiences.
Given the choices on vocationvacation.com, it’s a tossup between Forensics and Meteorology for me. Something to think about for starting that second career after retirement.
Last night I watched CSI: Miami. During the show, a tease came on for the 11 PM news. One of their lead stories was people getting plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures to make themselves more viable in this new job market. Of course I had to stay up for this story – I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!
According to the piece, people who go this route most often opt for Botox or other filler type procedures, followed by surgery. The two women profiled in the story said that using Botox would make them a more viable candidate in the job market because they appear younger.
This got me thinking. It’s undeniable that there is a quiet appearance bias in America. However, I find it hard to believe that a small wrinkle near the corner of someone’s mouth would prevent him or her from getting a job. What happened to the strength of one’s résumé and experience? Given the choice between a great looking candidate and one who has the knowledge and experiences I need for the position, I’m opting for the latter.
After all, laugh lines often come along with wisdom and experience.
I was watching the ABC World News last night, and of course the upcoming Presidential election was one of the main stories. The candidates’ stands on Executive Compensation were a primary focus for the evening. It appears that the American public has had enough of golden parachute and other severance provisions that in many cases reward failure rather than success. The concept of “Say on Pay,” or shareholders’ opportunities to vote on executives’ pay, was also mentioned.
Presidential election notwithstanding, it is time for Americans to look more closely at executive compensation, and to make sure that pay is truly for performance – positive performance. While the average American may think they can’t control what happens at a Fortune 500 company, it’s time to think again. The power of consumers is great. Vote with your spending and dollars, and see how quickly changes and accountability come to organizations that previously seemed untouchable.
On today's Q104.3 morning program, show hosts Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein discussed an article in Men’s Health magazine regarding women’s dress and the signals such clothing may send to members of the opposite sex. Reactions in the workplace were of particular interest. According to the author of the magazine, clothing with plunging necklines or a soft hand sends subtle messages of a romantic nature to male co-workers.
Kerr and Sonstein then opened the discussion to members of the listening audience. The listeners' takes on wearing a plunging neckline in the workplace were much rawer, eliciting comments that wearing such clothes tells men that women are thinking “do me in the copy room now” and “do me on my desk.” I’m not making these comments up – the male callers actually said them, and thought they were amusing, too.
The question of the propriety of a plunging neckline in the workplace aside, is this what people are truly thinking? I’m shocked to think that this could be happening! As HR professionals, we must be sure to address such thoughts and attitudes to ensure a non-hostile environment for everyone. While of course everyone is entitled to their private thoughts, work-related thoughts should be the primary focus of 9-5, not extracurricular activities.
The August 2008 issue of Continental magazine featured an article called “Chutes and Ladders.” The author, Dayton Fandray, asserts that employees no longer only move up and down an organizational hierarchy. Rather, lateral moves, growth experiences, and other “non-traditional” career moves are becoming the norm.
Mr. Fandray’s assertions are right on the money. In today’s work environment, we have to recognize that not all employees are looking for that traditional climb up the corporate ladder. Sure, some people are, but that’s not everyone. To attract, retain, and motivate the talent necessary for success, we have to customize career opportunities to meet the needs of our organization and our employees. This means adopting a flexible total rewards mentality. Thinking differently about career moves will be beneficial for all parties involved. So if that means we’re playing Twister instead of Chutes and Ladders, all the better.
Yesterday I Twittered for the first time. Actually, five times.
No, it’s not as risqué as it sounds.
For those unfamiliar with the process, Twitter.com is a site that takes blogging a step further. You post instant microburst updates on your latest happenings and thoughts on your own Twitter site.
Since it’s relatively new, people primarily use Twitter for social networking purposes. However, the site holds many possibilities for management in general and HR in particular. Looking to keep a project team up to date on the latest happenings? Want to inform your employees of exciting new things coming? Twitter can help you achieve them, in an easy to use manner. The Gen Y employees in your organization most likely either use Twitter already, or follow someone on the site. Why not communicate with these employees using a method they’re comfortable with?
(Warning – shameless promotion ahead) Astron needs followers on Twitter! If you like our blog, you will enjoy this peek into our daily activities at Astron HQ. Visit our site at https://twitter.com/astronsolutions, sign up, and become one of our followers! We’d love to have you as part of our Twitter family.
Before I dive into today’s blog post, I apologize to the readers of my column. August was quite the month – I was on the road for most of it due to vacation (aah!) and business travels (yea!). When I wasn’t on the road, I was working here in the office training our newest team members (also yea!), and mourning the loss of a few other favorite restaurants of mine. Now that I’m back in the swing of things, let the posts continue!
Yesterday evening I overheard a conversation between three healthcare professionals. They were discussing how they have to fight for office space in order to conduct their work. It appears that the space they were fighting for wasn’t particularly glamorous either. Tiny, dark, and without doors would best describe it.
One of the women mentioned her techniques for making her small space the envy of her colleagues. She added plants, a fountain, and a curtain against a wall that makes it look like the wall opens up onto a beach. Pretty clever!
Those of us who work in offices may often take for granted the importance of space and privacy for being effective members of an organization. While we can’t always guarantee a private office for each employee – buildings do have space constraints – we should do our best to make each person’s space feel as warm and inviting as possible. A small investment in some décor – living or faux – will help to make employees feel welcomed and appreciated. With those feelings should come greater organizational loyalty. With the cost of turnover as high as it is, purchasing a few plants or pictures seems relatively inexpensive in comparison.
