Tag: HR
Unemployment: Americans’ Top Concern
by admin on Nov.16, 2010, under Human Resources, Unemployment Benefits
According to a recent Gallup poll, one-third of Americans believe unemployment is the most important problem facing the nation today, followed closely by 31 percent who believe the economy, in general, is most important. These results put unemployment in the top slot for the first time since April. Throughout all of 2010’s polls, unemployment and the economy have remained either the first or second most important problem facing the country. January 2008 marked the last time neither of these issues was number one; the war in Iraq was America’s foremost concern.
As a rule, unemployment worries have been on the rise over the last two years, increasing 30 percent from October 2008 to now. This understandably coincides with increases in the unemployment rate, currently at 9.6 percent. If this trend continues, it may correspond to other points in American history when unemployment was cited as the nation’s top concern. Over half of all Americans said unemployment was the nation’s biggest problem in 1946, just after World War II, and in 1983, the last time the unemployment rate spiked close to 10 percent.
Until the nation shows definite signs of economic recovery, eyes will remain focused on unemployment. This was evident during the midterm elections, when voters turned toward conservatism and away from the Democrat incumbents who campaigned with promises of economic change but were slow to deliver. Republicans gained six seats in the Senate and a staggering 60 seats in the House, while Democrats lost eight states in the gubernatorial elections. It remains to be seen how this power shift will affect the economy and unemployment concerns, but one thing is clear—Americans are hoping to see some economic recovery!
Human Resources in a War Zone
by jillcook on Oct.19, 2010, under Human Resources
When someone mentions human resources, often times an image of someone in a dull cubicle such as Toby from the office.. What many don’t know is human resources exist everywhere, even in the extreme conditions of a war-zone such as Iraq.
On October 16th, soldiers from the aptly titled 387th Human Resources Co. (HR Co.) returned home. The 30 soldiers, which were deployed August 31st have been to Iraq a total of four times. The unit, which was first deployed in 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi freedom, helped manage Human Resources and postal services for Camp Liberty, just outside of Baghdad.
Human Resources play a valuable role in maintaining a structure of employees whether it’s a small business, corporate office or even the military. While you might be shocked that a Human Resources department would be deployed in Iraq, it’s no different from a large company and can help maintain a strong “chain of command” in the operation of a military deployment.
Military outfits need to work methodically and a Human Resources department can help accomplish this goal by interacting with troops and solving issues within a division. Human Resource departments help create structure and in a war zone or in a country with little stability in addition to their role of understanding people and helping them solve personal issues or acting as a mediator to solve conflicts.
Via: http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?list=194787&id=527856
The 10 Most Common Outsourcing Employment Opportunities
by Donna Steffy on Aug.19, 2010, under Human Resources, outsourcing, Risk Management
Human resource outsourcing is becoming a commonly used business solution for companies who want to lower their expenditures while expanding their labor pool. Most companies are seeking creative and effective strategies to improve their profit margin in a troubled economy.
One of the most popular alternatives is the outsourcing of non-core business such as HR management and payroll services to save money and increase output without cutting back on quality. Human resource outsourcing is important to any business because it is more cost efficient and time saving to hire an agency to recruit and train employees rather than to do it in-house. Outsourcing workers also relieves companies of the burden of assuming all of the risks and responsibilities of employee/labor relations, safety and workers compensation.
From employee benefits services and payroll processing to HR consulting and technology services, more and more companies are relying on outsourced employees to bring specialized skills to their businesses. High quality employees are any company’s most critical asset. Outsourcing for fields such as technology and professional services has been proven to be advantageous for companies who want to focus on their core business and but still progress in the marketplace.
Your company more likely than not already outsources some services for these reasons. The most common functions outsourced by employers include:
1. Call Centers
2. IT
3. Distribution
4. Security
5. Customer Service
6. Tax Advisory
7. Applications Management
8. Bank Tellers
9. Technicians
10. Front Office Administration
Using the recruitment services of a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) or an Administrative Services Organization (ASO) allows a company to rely on their recruitment services and employee leasing services without having to pay the additional high price of employee benefits.
Keeping up with the competition is more difficult to do in a down economy. Utilizing human resources outsourcing is an efficient way for businesses to raise their performance while lowering costs. HR outsourcing is an invaluable tool for recruiting the right people with the experience and expertise that will help a business stay competitive.
