The OperationsInc Navigator
January 19, 2010

Greetings!

The Navigator is published every other week and is filled with the latest HR related news, practical tips, answers to our reader's questions and a whole lot more! We welcome your participation in the makeup of this periodical. Send your feedback, ideas and input to:

[email protected]

In This Week's Edition...
  • Directing you to HR Solutions
  • Development Opportunities Most Important to Job Seekers
  • Are Your Employees Loyal?
  • What's on Your Mind?
  • Searching for Inspiration? A Few Words of Wisdom...
  • Ask Yourself...
  • Legal Disclaimer

  • Development Opportunities Most Important to Job Seekers
    growth

    A recent study indicated that 40% of job seekers ranked career development prospects most important when considering a new employer. Having a good connection with one's manager is the least important factor when considering a new employer according to 8% of job candidates. Other areas of importance according to job seekers included the following:

    • Work/life balance (21%)
    • Innovative company culture (15%)
    • Competitive compensation and benefits (12%)


    Are Your Employees Loyal?
    loyalty

    A recent survey of nearly 1,600 workers explains how the recession has been affecting employee loyalty. When asked "How has the recession impacted your attitudes and behaviors toward your job and career in terms of your loyalty toward your employer?", 36% responded that there has been a significant decrease. Only 9% of respondents stated that there has been a significant increase in loyalty.


    What's on Your Mind?

    Because we want to best serve our readers, we feature a segment of our Newsletter where you can submit questions directly to our OperationsInc professionals. Do you have a question related to the management of the Human Resources function? Email it along to [email protected]. The best ones will make it into a future newsletter, along with the answer... and those that don't get published will still receive a response.

    This week's question:
    -Is it okay to allow for an employee to take a sick day when their child is sick, not them?

    --- Controller, Hospitality

    Answer:
    It is your firm's choice as to how to handle sick time and when it can be used. That being said it is not in our view a favorable practice to allow for sick time to be used for anything other than the illness of the employee. The main concern is that sick time will be used up if/when the employee gets sick, leaving the employer with the need to use other PTO or have to potentially deal with extra paid time off or unpaid leave issues.


    Searching for Inspiration? A Few Words of Wisdom...
    compass


    " The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many."

    - John Naisbitt


    Ask Yourself...

    How Strong Is Your HR Backbone?


    Legal Disclaimer

    Information provided in The OperationsInc Navigator is researched and reviewed by the HR experts at OperationsInc. The information in every issue of The OperationsInc Navigator is in part gathered via information available in the public domain, as well as in part the original, copyrighted work of OperationsInc and is protected under U.S. copyright laws. As such, you may not reprint or publish in any format any article or portion of article The OperationsInc Navigator without the express permission of OperationsInc.

    OperationsInc provides the information in this e- newsletter for general guidance only. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional human resources, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation.

    We encourage you to pass along any issue of The OperationsInc Navigator by forwarding it to friends and colleagues.


    Directing you to HR Solutions
    Direction

    INTERVIEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK

    Each Newsletter we will publish an interview question which hiring managers can utilize to better qualify candidates for hire, along with our analysis of the answers you may receive and their meaning.

    This Week's Question
    -Vacation Donation Policies

    GAUGING THEIR RESPONSE ---
    It has become a popular trend to arrange for the donation of vacation time to individuals in need, be it employees or for cash value as a donation. If you choose to engage such a practice you need to consider a wide variety of issues, including how to deal with compensation variances between the donor (s) and the recipient, as well as the tax implications if you allow for the time to be converted to a cash donation. Another item of note is to be sure only accrued time off is eligible for donation. Overall the message here is to move cautiously.

    HR Best Practices Tips

    --Describe the most creative work related project you have ever worked on
    The word "creative" will be interpreted a bit differently from candidate to candidate. Overall you should be able to secure some sense of how the candidate adapted, overcame and addresses a challenging set of circumstances OR perhaps addressed something innovative. Your gauge in part will come down to how you see their version of "Creative" - in your view is it a match with what they have to handle in this role? As always listen carefully and secure the full story by probing and pressing for greater detail.

    Quick Links...

    More About Us

    CHECK OUT MISTER HR's BLOG!

    OperationsInc Brochure

    WEBINAR: Social Media and Your Employees 1/28/10

    Sexual Harassment Prevention & Awareness Training: 1/27/09 in Stamford, CT




    Join our mailing list!
    phone: 203-322-0538
    Email Marketing by