I have conducted extensive research into the use of Social Media in organizations over the past several months. It started out as a bewildering and massive array of information while I sorted out which 'experts' really are experts. I quickly came to realize that the world of Social Media is like many other professions (such as HR) in that one must learn as much as they can in a 'generalist' sense, then choose an area of specialty.
As a person with an extensive HR/OD background the concept of the use of Social Media in an intra-organizational sense is intriguing. I have also read reams of information on using Social Media for marketing and branding. While my future use of Social Media will be in a new business launch later this year, the idea of using Social Media for HR and OD purposes still captures much of my interest.
One thing that is clear is that many organizations still fear opening the gates to Social Media in their organizations. The key is to treat it in a similar manner that you would any other major business process or program. The organization must first hold discussions on what the implementation of Social Media can do for various aspects of the business. Once that is determined the leaders (including a starring role by HR/OD) must develop a well thought out policy for the organization's Social Media strategy. IBM has one of the best I have seen so far and it is easy to find via Google.
The next step is organization wide communication and education on the strategy, the policy, the roll out and the expectations of all employees regarding the use of Social Media in the organization.
This should sound familiar and if it seems daunting it is a little, however the rewards of a well thought out strategy and roll out will be evident within the first six months.
The benefits of Social Media for improving organizational communication, recruiting and training and development programs are significant if the organization takes time to develop and then follow an effective plan first.
What steps regarding the use of Social Media have been taken in your organization? Have you proposed or initiated any Social Media related projects in your HR/OD role?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Are Organizations Made Up of Talent, Capital or People?
Over the past 8 years there has been a growing trend to using new buzz words in HR. We no longer refer to employees as people, now we call them ‘talent’ or ‘capital’; we refer to executives as the ‘C-Suite’ and attempt to apply a financially oriented return on investment (ROI) to literally everything related to Human Resources.
Is it any wonder that managers, candidates and employees feel disengaged and frustrated with their experience with the people that work in HR? If the people of HR continue this trend of referring to people in this manner the concern is that we move further and further away from what our purported roles are. Whatever happened to facilitating the ability of the management team [people] to attract, retain and develop people? Remember the right people, in the right place, at the right time? I have yet to speak to a non-HR CEO or Manager that refers to the people that work for them as talent or capital-they call them people if referring to groups, or by name if referring to individuals.
Talent, in the form of competencies, skills and abilities come as a complete package, they are attached to people. We can not afford to forget this and by replacing the words people and human with talent and capital what message is being sent? People are far more complex that the set of skills they bring to the workplace and people who work in HR must be conversant with this complexity and understand how it affects the culture of the organization, the engagement of the people who work for the organization, and the future of the organization.
Instead of focusing on catchy new ways to describe what we do, why not focus on simply doing it better?
Is it any wonder that managers, candidates and employees feel disengaged and frustrated with their experience with the people that work in HR? If the people of HR continue this trend of referring to people in this manner the concern is that we move further and further away from what our purported roles are. Whatever happened to facilitating the ability of the management team [people] to attract, retain and develop people? Remember the right people, in the right place, at the right time? I have yet to speak to a non-HR CEO or Manager that refers to the people that work for them as talent or capital-they call them people if referring to groups, or by name if referring to individuals.
Talent, in the form of competencies, skills and abilities come as a complete package, they are attached to people. We can not afford to forget this and by replacing the words people and human with talent and capital what message is being sent? People are far more complex that the set of skills they bring to the workplace and people who work in HR must be conversant with this complexity and understand how it affects the culture of the organization, the engagement of the people who work for the organization, and the future of the organization.
Instead of focusing on catchy new ways to describe what we do, why not focus on simply doing it better?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Perspective on the HR Certification in Canada
At the end of January, my membership in the local HR Association came up for renewal, as did my certification requirement for the CHRP designation. Over the previous several months I debated whether or not to continue with either. I am moving into a new career arena and my satisfaction with the association and the designation had become increasingly poor over the past several years.
My decision shortly before the renewal date arrived was to let both lapse. I debated maintaining the designation for a further three year term but discovered that one is required to also maintain the association membership in order to do so. It was not a good return on investment to do this, therefore my decision was based primarily on a business decision but also on a quality factor.
My decision to forgo the designation is based on the fact that recertification points are offered for attendance at events that in my opinion do not improve ones ability to perform on the job. Points are awarded for attendance at a 1.5 hour session, which in my experience consists of about 20 minutes of introductions to everyone in the room and one hour of a consultant essentially selling a product, with a short question and answer session at the end.
In addition, the attribution of points for various events appears to lack logic. For example, you are awarded 30 points when you have a Masters thesis accepted and you are also awarded 30 points for attending a series of short seminars over the course of a 3 day conference.
While there is a significant requirement to demonstrate a high level of learning and application over a two year period for the Masters degree, there is no requirement to demonstrate that sitting through those seminars improves your ability to perform on the job. All you need do is hang in there for a few days and provide 'proof' via a receipt that you attended the conference. Given that fact, what logic was applied to awarding the same number of credits for both those events?
If HR professionals want this designation to attain real credibility then there is a need to sharply step up the requirements for recertification. The fact that it is all too easy to recertify shows up in a lack of high quality output on the job. The stream of complaints and HR bashing in the news and among employees and management in organizations is occuring for a reason and HR needs to start paying attention.
My decision shortly before the renewal date arrived was to let both lapse. I debated maintaining the designation for a further three year term but discovered that one is required to also maintain the association membership in order to do so. It was not a good return on investment to do this, therefore my decision was based primarily on a business decision but also on a quality factor.
My decision to forgo the designation is based on the fact that recertification points are offered for attendance at events that in my opinion do not improve ones ability to perform on the job. Points are awarded for attendance at a 1.5 hour session, which in my experience consists of about 20 minutes of introductions to everyone in the room and one hour of a consultant essentially selling a product, with a short question and answer session at the end.
In addition, the attribution of points for various events appears to lack logic. For example, you are awarded 30 points when you have a Masters thesis accepted and you are also awarded 30 points for attending a series of short seminars over the course of a 3 day conference.
While there is a significant requirement to demonstrate a high level of learning and application over a two year period for the Masters degree, there is no requirement to demonstrate that sitting through those seminars improves your ability to perform on the job. All you need do is hang in there for a few days and provide 'proof' via a receipt that you attended the conference. Given that fact, what logic was applied to awarding the same number of credits for both those events?
If HR professionals want this designation to attain real credibility then there is a need to sharply step up the requirements for recertification. The fact that it is all too easy to recertify shows up in a lack of high quality output on the job. The stream of complaints and HR bashing in the news and among employees and management in organizations is occuring for a reason and HR needs to start paying attention.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Will HR Become More Effective?
HR has the unfortunate tendency to be inward focused; rather than collaboratively engaging cross functional colleagues in HR project design and implementation, they garner sources of information from other HR practitioners to inform their project process. Successful HR projects that drive business goals require the expertise, input and engagement of the rest of the organization. Therefore the CHRP should include a significant requirement to develop a high level of competency in cross functional collaboration, project management and systems thinking. Business acumen is all well and good but of little value if you are unable to discern the need to engage others appropriately.
Of all members of an organization, the HR practitioner should be the role model of collaborative effort and show leadership in the practice of engaging others in business oriented projects. Yet too often, HR is seen as a department that is somewhat isolated and out of touch from the rest of the organization.
If HR associations took a different approach to the surveys they send out regarding the value of services offered by association to practitioners, they would gather radically different input. Send out a survey regarding the effectiveness of HR in their organization, to the non-HR employees and you will gather a very different perception of what needs to be done if HR is ever to begin to garner the respect they claim to want. To get the ‘seat at the table’, a stated desire that gets tossed out there so often will be attained by radical change. Is HR up to that challenge?
Of all members of an organization, the HR practitioner should be the role model of collaborative effort and show leadership in the practice of engaging others in business oriented projects. Yet too often, HR is seen as a department that is somewhat isolated and out of touch from the rest of the organization.
If HR associations took a different approach to the surveys they send out regarding the value of services offered by association to practitioners, they would gather radically different input. Send out a survey regarding the effectiveness of HR in their organization, to the non-HR employees and you will gather a very different perception of what needs to be done if HR is ever to begin to garner the respect they claim to want. To get the ‘seat at the table’, a stated desire that gets tossed out there so often will be attained by radical change. Is HR up to that challenge?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Competency Development: Collaboration
Perhaps the most important competency HR professionals can develop is the ability to show leadership in collaboration. Collaboration is often defined as a problem solving competency, another way to look at it is for goal accomplishment.
Rather than viewing collaboration as a means to only solve problems, consider it as a way to develop a business case for a program that you see as innovative and important to the future success of the business. Working collaboratively means access to greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.
For the HR professional, this means engaging subject matter experts across the organization to develop the best practice approach to accomplishing a goal. Perhaps your goal is to launch Social Media/Web 2.0 applications in the organization. In order to develop a comprehensive business case for the project you need to access expertise in IT, Marketing, Communications, and Learning and Development.
Engaging others to share their expertise requires that while you are taking a leadership role in developing a collaborative effort, you must ensure that all participants are committed to the success of the project. This requires that you use well developed leadership skills, especially in the competency areas of Emotional Intelligence.
When you are researching information related to the project through the internet Google searches are a very useful tool. A key resource via internet research however is the use of Social Media groups where you can access a vast scope of expertise; join groups that are not specific to HR as you will develop comprehensive and useful information resources by inviting knowledge that is diverse.
To start the discussion of what you ‘see’ as the goal(s) for the project, summarize the information you gather through online research. Ask the participants that you have engaged in your project for their thoughts on that information in relation to integration in your organization and what else needs to be considered.
Rather than viewing collaboration as a means to only solve problems, consider it as a way to develop a business case for a program that you see as innovative and important to the future success of the business. Working collaboratively means access to greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.
For the HR professional, this means engaging subject matter experts across the organization to develop the best practice approach to accomplishing a goal. Perhaps your goal is to launch Social Media/Web 2.0 applications in the organization. In order to develop a comprehensive business case for the project you need to access expertise in IT, Marketing, Communications, and Learning and Development.
Engaging others to share their expertise requires that while you are taking a leadership role in developing a collaborative effort, you must ensure that all participants are committed to the success of the project. This requires that you use well developed leadership skills, especially in the competency areas of Emotional Intelligence.
When you are researching information related to the project through the internet Google searches are a very useful tool. A key resource via internet research however is the use of Social Media groups where you can access a vast scope of expertise; join groups that are not specific to HR as you will develop comprehensive and useful information resources by inviting knowledge that is diverse.
To start the discussion of what you ‘see’ as the goal(s) for the project, summarize the information you gather through online research. Ask the participants that you have engaged in your project for their thoughts on that information in relation to integration in your organization and what else needs to be considered.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Does Your Succession Plan Work?
This example shows how a leader that the succession planning process missed turned out to be the best choice for the job. The organizations’ succession plan identified specific people who were thought by their managers to have the potential to fill leadership positions. The development plan included coaching, support for ongoing education, leadership development programs, and opportunities to work in cross functional areas to gain tactical experience.
For employees that were not included in the succession plan, the opportunities available to them for promotion to leadership positions were support for continuing education, the opportunity to volunteer for various organization wide committees, and the ability to apply for leadership positions posted internally. The internal hiring process mirrored the external process.
In one such competition there were several candidates for a management position, but only two of these candidates are noted in this post.
One candidate was reluctantly nudged into the competition by others that felt he had demonstrated many of the competencies required. He consistently exhibited a solid understanding that everyone’s contribution to the organization was critical to the success of the organization. He was well respected both on a technical basis and an interpersonal basis by his peer group. He influenced the attitudes of his co-workers in a way that built commitment to quality and productivity. However, in his over ten years of experience, he had never expressed an interest in a leadership position; had not taken advantage of the opportunity to advance his formal education, or volunteered for any of the committees that would have him ‘noticed’ by the leaders of the organization.
Another candidate who had expressed an eagerness to attain a management position applied for the competition. During his employment with the organization he had taken advantage of the support for continuing education and volunteered for many of the organization wide committees. He was respected for his technical knowledge, however his interpersonal skills did not garner the level of trust and respect that the other candidate enjoyed. His influence with his coworkers was compromised because his skills (emotional intelligence) needed development in several areas.
Each candidate underwent an extensive interview process and wrote an exam that required knowledge of the business and a solid understanding of leadership practices. Once the interview and exam phases were complete the interviewing panel tabulated the results. The ‘reluctant’ candidate topped the list with the highest score, the ‘eager’ candidate placed fifth (out of six candidates) in the ranking.
Many of the criteria for ranking the candidates were items that could be objectively ranked, while the emotional intelligence items by nature had a certain amount of subjectivity in the rankings. The rankings were 80% objective and 20% subjective.
Why did the reluctant candidate fair so well in the rankings? By all appearances and criteria set by the organization for leadership he appeared to be a follower rather than a leader. Yet close observation of his actions throughout his work life and analysis of his interview and test results showed a remarkable level of understanding how to coach and motivate people.
Previous managers that he had reported to failed to submit his name for leadership development, in part because he did not overtly seek such a position. But also, because they failed to note his demonstrated skills and thus did not coach and mentor him.
The succession planning process, which appeared to be comprehensive, failed in one important aspect-the managers that submitted names were not adequately trained to effectively evaluate candidates. In this situation the internal hiring process filled in the gap.
For employees that were not included in the succession plan, the opportunities available to them for promotion to leadership positions were support for continuing education, the opportunity to volunteer for various organization wide committees, and the ability to apply for leadership positions posted internally. The internal hiring process mirrored the external process.
In one such competition there were several candidates for a management position, but only two of these candidates are noted in this post.
One candidate was reluctantly nudged into the competition by others that felt he had demonstrated many of the competencies required. He consistently exhibited a solid understanding that everyone’s contribution to the organization was critical to the success of the organization. He was well respected both on a technical basis and an interpersonal basis by his peer group. He influenced the attitudes of his co-workers in a way that built commitment to quality and productivity. However, in his over ten years of experience, he had never expressed an interest in a leadership position; had not taken advantage of the opportunity to advance his formal education, or volunteered for any of the committees that would have him ‘noticed’ by the leaders of the organization.
Another candidate who had expressed an eagerness to attain a management position applied for the competition. During his employment with the organization he had taken advantage of the support for continuing education and volunteered for many of the organization wide committees. He was respected for his technical knowledge, however his interpersonal skills did not garner the level of trust and respect that the other candidate enjoyed. His influence with his coworkers was compromised because his skills (emotional intelligence) needed development in several areas.
Each candidate underwent an extensive interview process and wrote an exam that required knowledge of the business and a solid understanding of leadership practices. Once the interview and exam phases were complete the interviewing panel tabulated the results. The ‘reluctant’ candidate topped the list with the highest score, the ‘eager’ candidate placed fifth (out of six candidates) in the ranking.
Many of the criteria for ranking the candidates were items that could be objectively ranked, while the emotional intelligence items by nature had a certain amount of subjectivity in the rankings. The rankings were 80% objective and 20% subjective.
Why did the reluctant candidate fair so well in the rankings? By all appearances and criteria set by the organization for leadership he appeared to be a follower rather than a leader. Yet close observation of his actions throughout his work life and analysis of his interview and test results showed a remarkable level of understanding how to coach and motivate people.
Previous managers that he had reported to failed to submit his name for leadership development, in part because he did not overtly seek such a position. But also, because they failed to note his demonstrated skills and thus did not coach and mentor him.
The succession planning process, which appeared to be comprehensive, failed in one important aspect-the managers that submitted names were not adequately trained to effectively evaluate candidates. In this situation the internal hiring process filled in the gap.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Some Resources: Employment Status and Severance Packages in Canada
To determine how to approach the question of severance compensation when you are laid off you must first determine whether your role was regulated by the federal or provincial employment standards. You can check the following three links to determine, first which applies, then to access the standards.(**Please note that the following information is not intended to convey any form of legal advice, it is simply resources that you can find on the internet to guide you in your decision making.)
Link to determine if your workplace is regulated federally or provincially: http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/employment_standards/regulated.shtml
There is a link on this page that will take you to the Canada Labour Code should you determine that your organization was federally regulated:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2
If your organization is provincially regulated the following link will take you to the Employment Standards Act for your province:
http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/employment_standards/ministries.shtml
If your position is covered by a collective agreement, the provisions of the collective agreement shall prevail, except in the circumstance that the collective agreement provision does not meet the minimum applicable labour/employment standards.
Severance packages only need meet the standards; however, in most cases they will go beyond the basic standards. Courts will generally consider the following: age, level of responsibility (entry through to senior executive level), length of service with the organization and the availability of similar work and compensation in the market place.
Outplacement Counseling and Your Job Search
If you are laid off you must mitigate your circumstance by conducting a serious search for new employment, or develop a feasible plan for your own business.
Your ex-employer may offer outplacement counseling as part of your severance package. Before accepting this first consider whether or not you really need this service. There are many resources available on the internet to help you in your search for a new position, so if you have access to a computer and internet service you may not need the outplacement counseling.
Once you research appropriate job search and resume/cover letter writing information via the internet you should discuss your approach with a few people to help ensure that you have the best resume and cover letter possible and to help you practice interview skills. Ask people you trust that have experience in management, human resources, and recruiting to review your resume and cover letter and to help you practice interview skills. Join Social Networking groups such as those found on LinkedIn as you will find further resources and networking opportunities available to you there.
A few online resources for writing resumes and cover letters and tips for developing interview skills can be found at:
http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/WorkLoginView&lang=EN
http://www.monster.com/
http://seekers.jobbank.gc.ca/common-commun/login-connection.aspx?redirect=true&target=1&lang=en-CA
http://www.resume-resource.com/examples.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm
Check out the free resources available to you before opting for outplacement counseling as those packages can cost several thousand dollars and you may be better off negotiating that amount into your package. If you haven’t conducted a job search in a long time or do not feel confident that you can access the needed resources on your own, then the outplacement counseling may be appropriate for your situation.
Should You Obtain Legal Counsel?
If you have long service with your organization, perhaps in the ten year range, and you are in the 45+ age category, you may consider at least consulting with an experienced employment lawyer if the severance package offered to you either just meets or barely exceeds the appropriate employment standards requirements.
An experienced lawyer will be able to advise you as to whether your compensation package is appropriate or not within about 30-45 minutes. Many firms post their hourly rates on their websites, if not, simply ask when you call for an appointment. Ask around for references as you want a lawyer that will negotiate a reasonable package in a manner that maintains a respectful relationship with your ex-employer.
Common Forms of Severance Packages
The most likely form of severance package that you may be offered is a continuing salary for a specific amount of time. There will be a caveat that should you obtain new employment or become self-employed prior to the end of that period, the balance of the severance will be paid out as a lump sum at 50% only. You may also be offered certain benefits coverage to be continued for a specified period of time, although some benefits require that you be actively at work and may not apply. Other items that are often offered are outplacement packages as discussed above and a reference letter.
Often an option to accept a severance package in a lump sum may be available if you ask. This may come with a caveat, such as a discounted rate. You should consult with a lawyer prior to making a decision.
.(**Please note that the above information is not intended to convey any form of legal advice, it is simply resources that you can find on the internet to guide you in your decision making.)
Link to determine if your workplace is regulated federally or provincially: http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/employment_standards/regulated.shtml
There is a link on this page that will take you to the Canada Labour Code should you determine that your organization was federally regulated:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2
If your organization is provincially regulated the following link will take you to the Employment Standards Act for your province:
http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/employment_standards/ministries.shtml
If your position is covered by a collective agreement, the provisions of the collective agreement shall prevail, except in the circumstance that the collective agreement provision does not meet the minimum applicable labour/employment standards.
Severance packages only need meet the standards; however, in most cases they will go beyond the basic standards. Courts will generally consider the following: age, level of responsibility (entry through to senior executive level), length of service with the organization and the availability of similar work and compensation in the market place.
Outplacement Counseling and Your Job Search
If you are laid off you must mitigate your circumstance by conducting a serious search for new employment, or develop a feasible plan for your own business.
Your ex-employer may offer outplacement counseling as part of your severance package. Before accepting this first consider whether or not you really need this service. There are many resources available on the internet to help you in your search for a new position, so if you have access to a computer and internet service you may not need the outplacement counseling.
Once you research appropriate job search and resume/cover letter writing information via the internet you should discuss your approach with a few people to help ensure that you have the best resume and cover letter possible and to help you practice interview skills. Ask people you trust that have experience in management, human resources, and recruiting to review your resume and cover letter and to help you practice interview skills. Join Social Networking groups such as those found on LinkedIn as you will find further resources and networking opportunities available to you there.
A few online resources for writing resumes and cover letters and tips for developing interview skills can be found at:
http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/WorkLoginView&lang=EN
http://www.monster.com/
http://seekers.jobbank.gc.ca/common-commun/login-connection.aspx?redirect=true&target=1&lang=en-CA
http://www.resume-resource.com/examples.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm
Check out the free resources available to you before opting for outplacement counseling as those packages can cost several thousand dollars and you may be better off negotiating that amount into your package. If you haven’t conducted a job search in a long time or do not feel confident that you can access the needed resources on your own, then the outplacement counseling may be appropriate for your situation.
Should You Obtain Legal Counsel?
If you have long service with your organization, perhaps in the ten year range, and you are in the 45+ age category, you may consider at least consulting with an experienced employment lawyer if the severance package offered to you either just meets or barely exceeds the appropriate employment standards requirements.
An experienced lawyer will be able to advise you as to whether your compensation package is appropriate or not within about 30-45 minutes. Many firms post their hourly rates on their websites, if not, simply ask when you call for an appointment. Ask around for references as you want a lawyer that will negotiate a reasonable package in a manner that maintains a respectful relationship with your ex-employer.
Common Forms of Severance Packages
The most likely form of severance package that you may be offered is a continuing salary for a specific amount of time. There will be a caveat that should you obtain new employment or become self-employed prior to the end of that period, the balance of the severance will be paid out as a lump sum at 50% only. You may also be offered certain benefits coverage to be continued for a specified period of time, although some benefits require that you be actively at work and may not apply. Other items that are often offered are outplacement packages as discussed above and a reference letter.
Often an option to accept a severance package in a lump sum may be available if you ask. This may come with a caveat, such as a discounted rate. You should consult with a lawyer prior to making a decision.
.(**Please note that the above information is not intended to convey any form of legal advice, it is simply resources that you can find on the internet to guide you in your decision making.)
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