I recently read something else asking the question, “why don’t we look at people’s hands?”  I honestly can’t remember where I saw this or I would happily give recognition (if you know, share it in the comments, it might have been a comment on an article).  I think this is totally true; if you want a good worker, look at their hands.  You can take that literally or not, but with the lack of workers in the pipeline for certain industries you should really get people in front of your targeted audience.  Go where they go, sponsor what they like to do.  Have representatives attend and talk about real hands-on experiences in their jobs and have a recruiter talking about the company.  Show them what they need to do to be eligible for a position at your company (do they need some training from a technical school and how do they pay for it, or do you have some type of apprenticeship program ?).   It’s time to think outside the box.

What are you doing as a human resource professional to grow interest in your industry?

Erica L.

There are quite a few opportunities this month for you to engage your employees, show them you care about their well-being and the environment and maybe give them a laugh.

Your company might want to consider planning something for National Bike to Work Day, National Memo Day, and World No Tobacco Day. Here are a few easy ideas to keep your employees happy this spring.  Maybe April snow brings May rain (plus allergies)?  They might need a pick me up!

• National Bike to Work Day (May 18, 2012) – If you already have a few bikers, think about where they park their bike at your facility.  Could they use a new bike parking rack?  If no one bikes to work yet, and you have a number of people close enough, maybe the knowledge of this day could give them the boost they need.  Here are a few tips to share.  You should pay special attention to slide 7 about improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism.
• National Memo Day (May 21, 2012) – Consider sending out an old-school memo simply thanking your staff for all of their hard work so far this year.  A little appreciation goes a long way.
• World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2012) – The health benefits of quitting smoking are amazing.  Check out this chart.  I am certainly not telling you to discriminate against smokers, but think of how the benefits of quitting can affect your health care costs.  Some employees might just need an extra push or help along the way, while others will have no interest.  Even if you can help a few quit, don’t you think that will have an amazing positive effect on their lives.  If you need approval to participate, remember to mention rising health care costs.

Do you do any of these things?  I promoted the Great American Smokeout (which occurs in November) at a past company.  We traded the day’s pack of cigarettes for a gift card to Subway and provided information on the benefits and how to stick to it.  While I know some people had an extra pack of cigarettes, I also know that there were some people who took it seriously, and appreciated their company helping to incent them.  Our HR department agreed that it was a successful event for the company.

Erica L.

PS – On a personal level, don’t forget Mother’s Day!

My background lies mostly in human resources and recruiting, but I did touch on benefits during an internship.  Since my current position is as a benefit provider I am finding myself more interested in the benefits side.

If you are looking for a benefits-specific conference, check out the 31^st Annual ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium.  It is set for August 5-8, 2012 in San Francisco.  I can certainly vouch for San Francisco; check out my recent post on telecommuting for some pictures!  They offer four conference tracks including health care, retirement, general benefits, and Canadian benefits.   Does anyone have plans to attend or have reviews from years past?

Erica L.

The NLRB wants to mandate the posting to private sector employers.  The district court level has had conflicting decisions, however, on the NLRB’s authority to mandate the posting.  For now, if you are a private sector employer, you can hold onto the posters if you were prepared to post them.  Just keep an eye out for upcoming decisions as they happen.

When and if the time does come that you need to make the posters available, make sure you are prepared for questions about unions.  For some organizations, employees won’t even notice, while others might be interested in company improvements.  Allow for open communication to see what your employees are really looking for. Maybe a benefit addition or change could help.  Or try stay interviews to help with employee engagement.

For more information check out the NLRB’s Employee Rights Notice Posting.

Erica L.

I learned about stay interviews last year while attending the Independent Energy Human Resources Association’s annual Conference.  Richard Finnegan author of Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad: Breakthrough Ideas for Keeping Your Best Workers (Davies-Black, 2010) spoke about retention.  He explained that stay interviews are conversations with existing employees to help promote retention and can help catch what is missed in exit interviews and engagement surveys.

Here are three reasons to use stay interviews:

1. Help predict turnover.  If you can get employees and supervisors comfortable enough with the process to create a level of trust, employees can be honest and open about their goals.  The first hurdle will be that level of trust and can have a lot to do with the culture at your organization.
2. Increase trust and loyalty throughout the organization.  Giving employees an opportunity to speak with supervisors about what they value and see as missing helps employees feel like they matter.  You are giving them a chance to help make the organization better, and they will appreciate that.
3. Find out what is working and what is not.  The things you feel are important might not be what your employees see as important.  Allowing for that feedback before it’s too late can help your company keep its talent, not to mention keep employees productive.

If you utilize stay interviews, what is one of your favorite questions?

Erica L.

• First, April is Financial Literacy Month.  If you put out a newsletter to your employees, it would be nice to share with them the 2012 Financial Literacy Challenge.  There are cash prizes for participation.  This is a very easy way to promote financial wellness in your company, which affects productivity, loyalty, and healthcare costs.
• April 16^th is National Healthcare Decisions Day.  Encourage employees to plan for their futures.  Many employees have aging parents and encouraging them to think about the unthinkable now will save them a lot of extra unneeded pain and stress in the future.
• April 22^nd is Earth Day.  Have your company picnic tables ready to go!  If it is possible, join a local Earth Day Event and let your employees get a little fresh air.  It is a great way to help your community and show employees you care about their communities.

Are you highlighting any special days in April?

Happy Spring!

Erica L.

This idea of daily deals got me thinking … wouldn’t it be awesome if we could drum up that much excitement for company information.  Whether it is safety updates, benefit updates or information put out on a company intranet or portal.  The information is important and it can be very frustrating when your employees don’t read about the great new benefit you spent time researching that could really help them. Maybe companies should create their own daily deal forum.  Give out daily safety updates, benefit announcements and throw in a few exciting offers to keep them coming back for more.  As a benefit provider, I am pretty sure that if you reached out to yours and told them you want your employees to know their benefit exists and understand how it can benefit their lives, providers would be happy to hand over a small giveaway.

Daily might seem like a lot of work, so try weekly.  Start the week off with a reminder of something employees get from your company or a new safety tip.  For the giveaways, maybe the first five people that shoot you an email get a prize, and then put the winners’ names out there so you don’t get bombarded the rest of the day.

If communication with your staff is something that is really important to you, this is a very unique and exciting way to go about it without adding too much to your workload.  This would also be a great project for an intern!

Is anyone doing something similar already?

Erica L.

Moving onto Dig Safely NY events… this was the first I’ve heard of them, and I think they are a great idea.  I wanted to share this information for readers in the utility and energy related industries.  I am not sure if all states offer something like this, but I did check PA One Call, and they do as well.  These might be something for HR or safety departments to look into.  Attendees had information sessions on current safety guidelines, a great keynote speaker, and exhibitors handing out goodies.  I can’t speak for the attendees, but I am sure they learned something throughout the day, and I must say the group in Watkins Glen, NY really seemed to be enjoying themselves during the afternoon trivia.

Consider sending a few field workers each year if you have something similar nearby, so they can keep up on safety concerns and learn from others about what they are doing to stay safe.

Erica L.

This can be a daunting task.  HR representatives are very familiar with the verbiage used by benefits companies and we need to remember that not all of your staff will be familiar with it.  Plus, benefits affect their families as well, so they need to understand it enough to explain it at home, or at least have the right information to take home.  Here are a few ideas on how to better communicate your benefits to employees:

• There is no harm in allowing a benefit representative to be on site for a few hours to answer questions employees might have.  This can be tough for some types of employers, but if you can pull it off, try it.  These representatives know their products and services, and if they are a good company, they will want to help your employees find the best benefits for their unique situations.
• Along the same lines, consider planning an employee wellness day or health fair to pull a group of your benefits and wellness providers in, and open it up to family.  Allow employees to be away from their desks for 15 minutes. Remember to encourage those working in the field to stop by, too.  Offer them an extra half hour for lunch (even better, you could provide lunch if you have that ability).
• Provide clear communication that all levels in the company will understand.  Use examples of how each benefit can help and which problems the benefits can help solve for employees.  For example – my credit union is a benefit companies can offer to employees.  Employees with credit challenges can receive free counseling and ideas on how to improve their credit and better understand it.  A better understanding of credit score and ways to improve it will help employees better their financial situations.
• Repeat!  Benefits communications should not be once and done.  Have a wellness fair every summer; provide clear communication before and during open enrollment.  Consider using your Intranet, newsletter, email, a blog and bulletin boards.

Please feel free to share any of your ideas in the comments!

Erica L.

We were visiting my brother and sister-in-law who picked up and moved to their dream location about a year ago.  One of their employers, located on the opposite end of the country, agreed to allow telecommuting.  Through email, chat, and video-conferences they can easily stay in touch and on track.  I’ll even vouch for him – he is amazing at what he does and the company allowing this option helped them to retain a talented employee.

Do you have plans in place for when one of your top performers comes to you wanting to telecommute; will you lose them, or adapt?  In today’s world – adapt.  You will keep or be able to find top talent and they will be happier and more engaged employees living in a place they truly love and find inspiration.  Check out this team scattered throughout the world.

Take a look at your current human resource policies on telecommuting and picture yourself at any one of these gorgeous places!

Erica L.