pres·en·tee·ism

Presenteeism only promises to continue as a major workplace problem in 2012, so the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) thought we’d share some insights into the issue.

Speechly Bircham’s Employment group is a UK-based employment law practice.  In their in-depth 2012 survey of HR directors and senior HR professionals across the UK, they determined that working hour increases are linked with higher stress and staff turnover, while longer work hours and presenteeism are set for big increases in 2012.

A review of the survey can be read at The State of Human Resources blog.  Conclusions include:

• Greater business uncertainty is linked with higher stress, absence, presenteeism and workforce discontent.
• Talent shortages for 40 percent of organizations exist and are linked with longer working hours, stress and presenteeism.
• Presenteeism is now a major workforce issue, linked with more grievances.

Today’s workplace has changed from two or even one decade ago. Some of these changes have contributed to the growing incidence of presenteeism.

Causes of presenteeism

• Increase in dual-earner and “sandwich generation” households.
• Fear of note meeting Employer expectations.
• Little or no paid sick days available or accrued.

Employer Solutions

• Recognize the problem.
• Rethink the use of disciplinary action to control absenteeism.
• Develop a workplace policy on presenteeism and inform and educate employees.
• Provide Paid Sick Leave and/or Paid Time Off (PTO) to Workers.
• Make an Effort to Boost Employee Morale.
• Offer a flu vaccination program.

The image of a sick-as-a-dog employee who comes to work as being a dedicated and valued worker is no longer fitting. Presenteeism costs are a real and potentially significant drain on a company’s financial well-being. Employers need to make a concerted effort to develop a workplace with healthy and highly functioning workers. This will go a long way toward meeting goals for company productivity and profits, and fostering a healthy work culture and environment for employees.

Talent management systems focus on providing strategic assistance to organizations in the accomplishment of long-term enterprise goals with respect to talent, aka “human capital.”

HRO Today has announced its 2012 TMS Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team took a look at the Top Five apps on the list:

1. 1.     Lumesse
2. 2.     myStaffingPro
3. 3.     Kenexa
4. 4.     iCIMS
5. 5.     SilkRoad

Lumesse

Lumesse, Europe’s largest independent talent management solutions company, has released a new version of its Lumesse Mobile app for Apple iOS, with an enhanced user experience, multi-lingual capabilities and improved usability. The Lumesse Mobile app allows businesses worldwide using Lumesse TalentLink 12 to give managers access to key process steps and employee information in multiple languages from their iPhones (the app is also iPad-compatible.)  Lumesse Mobile is designed as a true native iOS app to ensure a responsive, high quality user experience on mobile platforms.

myStaffingPro

myStaffingPro is a full-featured applicant tracking and recruiting software system with advanced applicant screening capabilities.  myStaffingPro provides professional staffing software tools designed to help users achieve hiring goals while saving time and money.  myStaffingPro Elevate: social recruiting and employment branding software that harnesses social media, job distribution, network building and career site techniques.  myStaffingPro Express: economical solution for companies looking for the essentials in applicant tracking.

Kenexa

Kenexa offers unified business solutions for human resources that support the entire employee lifecycle, including:

• Recruitment Solutions (RPO)
• Employment Branding
• Employee Assessments
• Talent Management
• Compensation Solutions
• Engagement Surveys
• Leadership Solutions

iCIMS

iCIMS is a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) talent acquisition software for growing businesses.  iCIMS’ Scalable Talent Acquisition Software offers:

• Secure Web-based platform accessible from anywhere, anytime
• Fully automated job publishing to social networks
• Electronic onboarding documents and communication
• Robust searching and reporting functions
• Free 24×5 access to award-winning customer support

SilkRoad

SilkRoad Technology is a leading provider of social talent management solutions.  RedCarpet, SilkRoad’s HR onboarding program, helps organizations better plan and manage employees during transitions using tools that include:

• Onboarding management – Automated workflows, standardized task assignment, reporting, global localization and an intuitive user-interface designed to help HR professionals and managers efficiently streamline the onboarding process.
• Employee portals – Branded content, social network integration and ongoing communication help transition employees into company culture and keep them in-the-know during transitions.

Electronic forms – Auto-populated fields, electronic signatures and instant delivery help HR managers keep compliant with E-Verify and I-9 while eliminating time and cost associated with paper-based administration.

There is a growing number of jobs available in the manufacturing and healthcare industries and even the hard hit construction sector, according to a recent CNNMoney article.

And the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that finding workers to fill many highly-skilled jobs remains difficult.

But there ‘s also a downside.

Good old fashioned well-paying employment remains hard to come by for many workers in the U.S., according to a CNNMoney survey of economists, who say that just 135,000 jobs were added in December and that the unemployment rate likely rose to 8.6 percent.

At the core of the problem: sluggish consumer spending and a housing market in a quagmire.  Declining home prices make it harder for people who might want to move to a state with better job prospects. People are trapped where they are.

“The real estate market will continue to inhibit job growth,” said Ray Stone, an economist with Stone & McCarthy Research in Princeton, N.J. “When you are underwater on your mortgage, you can’t move from New Jersey to take a job in Chicago.”

SHRM LINE® Report

Though far more companies are expected to hire than lay off in February 2012, the numbers will lag compared to one year ago according to an SHRM report on a survey of 500 service-sector companies and 500 manufacturing companies.

The report shows that on an annual basis – comparing February 2012 to February 2011 – service sector hiring will drop by a net of 12.3 points and manufacturing sector hiring will fall by a net of 2.5 points.

The findings are detailed in the SHRM “Leading Indicators of National Employment® (LINE®) Report.” LINE is the only national employment index capturing HR professionals’ month-ahead hiring expectations, and past-month recruiting difficulty. The report also includes a new-hire compensation index and an index of exempt and non-exempt job vacancies.

A close look at the SHRM LINE service-sector hiring index shows that a net of 20.9 percent of employers plan to add jobs in February 2012 compared with a net of 33.2 percent that did so one year ago—a 12.3 point drop.

The month alone, however, shows a more positive outlook with more service-sector companies planning to hire (26.3 percent) than layoff (5.4 percent).

The U.S. business services sector consists of about 340,000 companies with combined annual sales of about $580 billion, according to a Research and Markets: 2012 Report.

The manufacturing-sector hiring index also shows that February 2012 – when examined on its own – will have significantly more companies hiring (49.1 percent) workers than cutting (8.9 percent) jobs.

“The economy is showing gains in job growth but not at the pace needed to significantly bring down the unemployment rate,” said Jennifer Schramm, GPHR and manager of workplace trends and forecasting at SHRM.

Regarding past-month trends, the SHRM LINE Report shows the recruiting-difficulty index and new-hire compensation for January 2012 rose slightly in both the manufacturing and service sectors.

“Despite the high number of people seeking employment, finding workers to fill highly-skilled jobs remains difficult,” said Schramm. “Those job seekers able to land such job offers are likely the ones seeing the small gains in new-hire compensation tracked in the SHRM LINE report.”

For example, 48 percent of all job seekers (and 63 percent of those with a profile) did social media job hunting on Facebook in the past year. That’s a lot of eyes searching for opportunities, and if your brand is already active on the network, it could be worth engaging power users to recommend applicable candidates.

In December 2011, Nielsen Company, which tracks usage on the Internet, counted 153 million unique U.S. users on the Facebook website for the month.  Here are further interesting stats from the graph:

What are Job Hunters doing on Facebook?

• 84% of Job Seekers have a Facebook profile
• 48% of all Job Seekers (63% of those with a profile) have done at least one social job hunting activity on Facebook in the last year.
• 1 in 5 Job Seekers added professional information to their Facebook profile in the past year.
• 16% of all Job Seekers received a job referral from a Facebook friend.
• 56% of all Job Seekers are male
• 64% are under the age of 40
• 36% earn more than $75,000
• 42% are college graduates

Recruiters—How to Be Awesome on Facebook

• Design beautiful career pages, avoid clutter
• Share fresh and interesting content to tickle your audience
• Listen to candidates and be responsive
• Engage your prospective hires through quizzes and contests
• Give industry insights, post employee experiences
• Schedule updates and monitor results
• No “Silver Bullets” — it’s a long-term investment

Comments on the LinkedIn page that reviewed the story included these two cautions:

Ryan Johnson

I hope businesses and companies pick up on this who hire directly, on the other hand I pray “professional” 3rd party recruiters leave Facebook alone. There’s enough spam on Facebook as it is.

Herve Peitrequin

Social media users spend around 30% of their webtime social networking, mainly on Facebook. But still, most Facebook users in Europe don’t feel like being engaged by companies on the network itself. Employer branding, viral job ad spreading, yes.  Direct people sourcing, less easy.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is looking forward to a great 2012.  We’ve put on the future goggles and found some insights into possible HRO industry developments this year.

“In many ways, this is the golden era of HRO,” says Josh Bersin, CEO and president of research and advisory services firm Bersin & Associates.

Bersin is quoted in an article titled “Artful Predictions–HR Thought Leaders Forecast 2012,” which appeared in HRO Today’s December 2011 edition.

According to the article, HRO trends that are currently underway and that auger more of the same in 2012 include:

• The increasing use of predictive and descriptive analytics to glean business insights driving improved performance.
• Higher adoption rates by clients leveraging providers’ cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions.
• Greater use of balanced shoring options — combining off-shoring, on-shoring and near-shoring models.

In talent management, expect growing sophistication in services offered by HRO providers, as opposed to just software packages. And chances are the industry will continue to see greater acceptance of a la carte HRO services, rather than binges on entire “soup to nuts” menus from single providers.

Rajesh Ranjan, research director of RPO provider Everest Group in New Delhi, India, has expectations for 2012 in two areas — multi-process HRO and single-process HRO.

“There are some common themes playing out in both areas,” he says. “Buyers, for instance, are approaching HRO with a balanced set of outcomes in mind, as opposed to immed iately alleviating cost pressures. Yes, they’re interested in models that address their short-term needs, but more are looking to create a foundation to realize long-term objectives.”

Shakeups in 2011 likely portend similar actions in 2012:

• Mercer acquired Censeo Corporation to enhance its talent management consulting capabilities and online platform of assessment services.
• Kenexa and NGA partnered with SkillSoft for learning content.
• Talent2 added advisory services and rebranded to simplify its talent management focus; in addition the company become a reseller of Cornerstone OnDemand, widely used for its performance management, succession planning and learning modules.

Several interviewees in the article touted the likelihood of talent management playing a greater role in HR BPO.  Says Linda Merritt, research analyst at London-based BPO analyst firm NelsonHall: “It could be a disruptive force, shaking up the HRO field.”

Merritt predicts that vendors will continue to build talent management capabilities, internally as well as through strategic partnerships and acquisitions. A look back at the recent past confirms this trend. Take, for instance, the breakneck speed of Kenexa’s deals. Although the global HRO provider had developed talent management expertise internally, it enhanced it over the past few years via the acquisitions of Salary.com, which strengthened its compensation management capability, and Gantz Wiley research, which beefed up its employee survey research capabilities.

Generational conflicts in the workplace—the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team has had this highly topical issue on our radar for quite a while. The crossfire can be intense, as revealed in this recent article from The Fiscal Times (TFT), a New York-based digital news, opinion and media service.

In “Gen Y vs. Boomers: Workplace Conflict Heats Up,” author David Koeppel explores the dynamics of the modern business office and the sometimes strained interplay and resulting tensions that arise among the various age groups working together.

Click here for the full article.

Generational conflicts have always been present in the office, but experts say Baby Boomers and Generation Y in particular have characteristics that can clash.

Feelings of desperation and even anger among the millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 2000) towards their Baby Boomer (those born between 1945 and 1964) managers are common among young job seekers according to experts. The recession has put a damper on their career goals—55.3 percent of those 16-29 were employed in 2010, down from 67.3 percent in 2000, and 5.9 million Americans between 25 and 34 lived with their parents, up from 4.7 million before the recession, according to recent census data.

At the same time, statistics show that Baby Boomers are delaying retirement.

A 2010 study by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire found that while 17 percent of men and 9 percent of women age 65 and over were in the labor force in 1995, by 2009, 22 percent of men and 13 percent of women were still working. Those numbers are expected to grow.

According to data from The Population Reference Bureau, the number of older workers in the next few years will increase by 11.9 million, meaning nearly 25 percent of employees will be seniors by 2016. This backlog of older workers has heightened potential workplace conflict between the generations.

This is evident in some of the comments posted in response to the article.  First, Jen from “Gen Y.”

Jen Zucker—”Boomers are the ones who have gotten us into the financial mess (and just about every other mess). They plucked the system dry for those coming up behind them and then blame the generation they stole from.  Message to Boomers: Pack it in, your time has come and now leave. And by the way, the thing sitting on your desk, its not a microwave.”

But many Boomers don’t quite see things that way.

rdl114—”One gadget does not a summer make. I am 60 and my peers began using computers in the late 1970s. By the mid-1980s they were a part of virtually all white collar jobs. So, weigh it for yourself, younger folks. We have about 35 years of experience in the tech arena.  Being ‘savvy’ about Facebook and iPhones is not what is required in the workplace. Tell us you can run analytics on the price of, for instance, precious metals; show us you know Fibonacci numbers, Chinese Candlesticks and other advanced math processes and maybe we’ll sit up and listen. Or show us you can write a sentence as sharp and clear as diamond. No worry. You’ll get a job then.”

Still, the generational lines aren’t impermeable.  Here’s a contrarian take from one of the younger members of the workforce:

RIPCivility—”‘It’s vital that baby boomers extend an olive branch to Gen Y’?? Are you kidding? What do they need to apologize for? For an economy what wiped out their retirement? For being marginalized after being laid off and unable to find work? For developing the technology so Xers (like myself) and Ys can work from Starbucks? I believe this generation is bright, motivated and they think in new and unique ways. But they also give up easily, feel like nothing is ever their fault and think they have the right to ‘demand’ rather than earn their jobs.”
Today’s challenges facing HR administrators necessitate first understanding and then reconciling the opposing forces currently impacting the modern workplace.  None of this conflict is going away anytime soon, so squarely facing the challenge is the HR order of the day.

The answer may lie in the health care reform law.  One revision to the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to provide unpaid, “reasonable break time” and a place, other than a restroom, that is “shielded from view and free from intrusion” to allow new moms to pump breast milk.  This provision covers all workers subject to overtime-pay requirements and lasts up to one year after the baby is born.  It also provides reasonable workplace policies beyond maternity leave to help new mothers balance career and family.

Remember, except for the 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave mandated by federal law, many new mothers either can’t afford to take more time off or aren’t permitted to by their employers. Reasonably accommodating nursing mothers meets them in the middle by allowing them to work without giving up breastfeeding.  Not to mention, mom-friendly HR policies are sure to increase employee morale and retention after maternity leave!

Personality profiling is designed to spot and prevent personality conflicts before they happen.  If significant differences emerge between an employee’s and a manager’s personality profile, a personality conflict will likely occur that may cause stress in the workplace.  An aggressive manager could see a more passive employee as working too slowly and lacking motivation, whereas a passive employee could see a more aggressive manager as controlling and micromanaging.  Such an environment can have negative effects on employee retention, as the new hire is more likely to resign—and quickly—when such a distinct conflict exists.

Comparing personality profiles can deter personality conflicts from being introduced to the workplace.  But what if a personality conflict already exists?  First, try assigning the new employee to a more compatible manager.  Higher compatibility rates yield faster-learning, more productive employees.  If that isn’t a viable solution, arrange a meeting with the manager and the new employee.  Sometimes, verbalizing how the two are alike and how their differences can complement each other is enough to get them working as a team.  Addressing differences in a positive manner puts an optimistic spin on a stressful situation and can help promote harmony.

As part of its turnover reduction strategies, GHRO offers employee selection services including personality profiling, employment testing, drug screening, and background checks.  These services are only a small part of what GHRO has to offer as your business’ Human Resources PEO.  Through GHRO’s services, you’ll receive the expertise of a professional HR team at the fraction of the cost of hiring an internal Human Resources Department.  Contact GHRO today to see how your business can benefit from outsourcing its Human Resources needs!

If the answer is “no,” consider a Human Resources audit: an objective, comprehensive review of your company’s HR compliance and practices, which could prevent costly employment lawsuits. The two-part audit will bring out the best in your company by streamlining and modernizing its HR services. The compliance portion of the audit examines legal facets, including outdated or conflicting policies and inconsistencies between policy and practice. The practices portion of the audit focuses on HR fundamentals, including performance evaluations, employee handbooks, recruitment, discipline and termination, absence requests, and record keeping. Your company will become aware of any deficiencies in its HR network and will receive direction on a level tailored to your company’s needs.

At the end of the audit, recommendations will help your company to develop consistent policies and to become compliant with current laws and regulations, including ADA and FMLA. These recommendations may lead to a number of additional improvements, such as fewer employment lawsuits, better handling of employee grievances, and fewer errors and complaints. Fair and equal treatment of employees encourages enhanced recruiting, increased employee morale, and improved retention.

The benefits of an HR audit are not all legal; the audit can promote many other positive changes within the company. The comprehensive nature of an audit can help uncover the HR programs most important to the company’s objectives, so those programs can be better utilized. The close examination of practices may also encourage fresh ideas and approaches to HR. An audit will also provide a benchmark of HR services to ensure consistency and to set future goals.

Global Human Resources Outsourcing offers full-service HR audits to help keep your company at its best. For more information, contact GHRO at 888-308-0338.

Google was voted the number one company to work for in 2007. It’s no surprise considering life at the search engine giant is very relaxed and stress free; employee benefits abound. While some companies stress time lines and attire, Google emphasizes recreating the home experience at work. Employees can do laundry, work out at the gym, receive a massage and learn a new language. Feeling a little under the weather? Visit Google’s on-site doctor. Buying a hybrid? Google will give you $5,000 towards the purchase price. Expecting a child? They’ll reimburse you up to $500 in take-out food. If you ask any employee what they do at Google they’ll typically respond a personal embodiment of the company’s mission statement- “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This kind of motivation by employees is rarely seen, but envied by most.

Google’s goal, as often recited by employees, is ambitious (to say the least). Thankfully, Google just happened to find the right people to take it on. By creating a comfortable work environment, employees are not burdened with stress. Instead, employees are motivated to collectively achieve a similar goal; indexing information and making it useful. Google wouldn’t be the tech giant it is today without its bevy of happy employees. The appeal of a work environment that mimics their homes stimulates productivity and increases employee moral, making Google one of the most sought-after employers in the world.

Even if you don’t have the resources of a Silicon Valley titan, you can easily follow Google’s ideology, making your employees happy too. The first step may just be rethinking how you see your company. Simply making the mission statement more accessible and personal will help employees insert more of themselves in to their work and ease stress levels. Extend the home experience to work and rethink the office; would you want to live in it? If you wouldn’t mind spending an evening or weekend at the office because it’s hospitable and welcoming, you’re on the right track. Make the office a place your employees love to be, rather than the place they dread to go.

Employees need to come first in a company, as they are the heart and soul of your business. Creating a comfortable work environment that mimics a home eases stress, raises morale and increases productivity. Even simple changes can greatly affect employee health and happiness in a positive way, which will certainly lead to long-term growth for your business.