HR Girl 4'11" Blog

Keeping Your Employees Cool & Safe This Summer

It’s official; summer is here, and so far it has been a hot one! So what should you do in order to keep your employees cool this year? You need a plan of course, especially for your employees who work outside of the office environment. Workers who are constantly exposed to the sun should be aware of the possible dangers affiliated with the heat. An open line of communication from you to your workers in the field will be the starting point. They will be depending on you for guidance and safety, so make sure you are aware of their work environment.

Here are 6 things to share with your workers this summer, which are all critical to their health as well as reducing your risks:

Sun Screen & Block Application

On a daily basis, sunscreen and/or sun block should be applied, and reapplied as necessary throughout the day. These lotions will help reduce the amount of damage to the skin, due to it’s direct exposure to the sun. Remember, SPH 15 and higher is recommended in order to protect your skin from UVA and UVB damage. The most popular makers of these lotions are ww.bananaboat.com, www.coppertone.com, and www.neutrogena.com.  IDEA: You may furnish small bottles of sunscreen to your employees, so they can always have a small back-up supply.

Heat Stroke and Exhaustion Awareness

Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion or stroke is critical knowledge that your staff should be armed with. Heat exhaustion can occur if your employee has been doing heavy work in the heat, accompanied by lack of fluid intake. Signs of heat exhaustion include: rapid heartbeat, rapid and shallow breathing, dizziness / lightheadedness, confusion or irritability, and nausea. Heat strokes have similar signs, however, a heat stroke can be deadly. IDEA: Train your staff about the signs of heat stroke & exhaustion and how to respond to such emergencies such as these. If all employees cannot be trained, make sure at least one person on site has the proper training, preferably First Aid & CPR certified.

Staying Hydrated

It’s imperative that your employees remain hydrated by taking in plenty of fluids throughout the day. It is recommended that a person should drink 8 to 10 cups of water a day, but if your employees would like to mix it up a bit, and add a little flavor to quench their thirst, they may choose a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade which provides a healthy amount of electrolytes for their bodies so they may remain hydrated throughout the course of the day. IDEA: Provide a cooler for your employees to keep in their vehicles at all times. If not, furnish them with a coupon to purchase a cooler.

Shade Provisions

You may find it beneficial to provide your employees with adequate shade near their outdoor workspaces. A 10X10 or 8X8 canopy (www.canopycenter.com or www.dickssportinggoods.com) can be purchased for less than $200, perfect for the employees who remain stationary for long periods of time. This will cost a fraction of an emergency room visit. And whether your company provides vehicles or you require the use of your employee’s personal vehicle, you can suggest frequent breaks to their vehicles. This will allow them a place to access some cool air throughout the day.

Heat Advisories

These advisories are normally issued in the morning on your local news station as well as the national weather service (www.nws.noaa.gov).  So it’s critical for these warnings your priority is to communicate these warnings to your staff, because their lives depend on you. IDEA: Up to date weather can be accessed via cell phone applications, and you may choose to utilize texts notifications in effort to keep your employees in the know.

Weather Flag System

Depending on your geological location, you may develop a flag system that informs employees of the weather conditions along with your companies requirements for working in those conditions. The military uses a similar system that alerts the troops to the current weather conditions so they will know when to limit outdoor activities during those peak hours of high temperatures throughout the day. Here’s an example of a flag system that you can use:

Green Flag – Calm conditions and safe 70° – 89°

  Yellow Flag – Stay alert and safe. Temperatures range in between 90° – 97°.

Red Flag – Extreme caution with frequent breaks. Stay alert and hydrated.                                Temperatures range in between 98° – 102°.

Black Flag – DO NOT WORK! Temperatures exceed 103°.

IDEA: These flags may be disbursed to your staff on the site supervisor vehicle or via text alerts.

Get ready to enjoy a safe summer with your employees by keeping them in the loop. Doing so will reduce your risks as well as furnishing a great and safe working environment for your employees.

Disclaimer: Products mentioned are not being endorsed. These are merely suggestions offered in effort for you (the reader) to make an educated decision in regards to providing a safe working environment for your employees.

How Are We Doing? - Feedback Slips For Your Employees

Many companies offer a feedback slip to it's customers in order for them to receive critical feedback whether it be good or bad, in order for the company to monitor it's customers' satisfaction. Likewise, feedback should be an assurance that it's customers will continue to come back on a regular basis.

But what about your employees? Have you ever thought about a comment slot for them? Do you fear what will be said? Are you certain that your top talent will remain on board with your business?

Offering employees an opportunity to write down their thoughts and provide feedback in a confidential space is one of many positive steps towards retaining top talent and monitor your employees' overall satisfaction with their job, regardless of your industry.

A simple feedback program is of ZERO cost to you, therefore it is not necessary to purchase fancy software and/or facilitate long meetings. Simply print out a slip for them to fill out anonymously. Once they have completed it, they may place it into an assigned slot or with a trustworthy staff member (non management).

Here are a few questions that should be included on the slip, feel free to use this as your actual form:

Is your boss knowledgeable about the requirements for your position?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Do you receive feedback on the tasks performed; either correctly or incorrect?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Are decisions made promptly enough for you to have the materials necessary to complete your tasks?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Is your work space efficient for you to perform your tasks within reason?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Is your work space safe and cleared of possible hazards?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Do you feel as if you received proper training / orientation for the position?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Is there more training that you would like to have access to in relevance to your position?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Are you currently enrolled and utilizing the benefits offered by the company?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Are there more benefits that you would like to see offered by the company?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Do you feel as if you are able to use your skills for your position?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Overall satisfaction with your immediate boss?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Overall satisfaction with company benefits?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Overall satisfaction with company culture?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Overall satisfaction with your job?	0	1	2	3	4	5
What can we do to improve?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Cleanliness of the building (if outside company is responsible for cleaning)?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Quality of foods available in the lunch area?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Responsiveness of the HR Department?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Responsiveness of the IT Department?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Responsiveness of the Maintenance?	0	1	2	3	4	5
How likely are you to refer qualified candidates to work for this company?	0	1	2	3	4	5
Please share your thoughts on what we can do to improve your work life experience with us.:	0	1	2	3	4	5

5 Indicators That You May Be An HR Doormat - How to Fix It

So you have a job despite the current economic state. You're feeling pretty secure, right? But there are a few things about your job that leaves you a little restless at times. Most of the tasks that used to be assigned to you have been taken over by other members of the company and even outsourced to a third party. Scratch head here.

There are growth opportunities within the organization you serve, but no one has spoken to you about them. You're simply being overlooked. What gives? You may be an HR Doormat.

If you are, it's not too late to fix it. I've compiled a list of 5 common indicators that are real, along with an action plan to fix the problem. Of course there are many more scenarios that I could have addressed, but these to me are the most frequent.

Here we go...5 indications that you are being an HR Doormat:

1. Candidates (internal and external) are strongly encouraged to submit applications or resumes directly to the chief. Recruiters and staffing agencies will sense that you are incapable of handling open requisitions, therefore they will migrate upwards in order to get things done. They will in turn alert others, including your future employees, about your insufficiency.              

ACTION: If there isn't an existing flow chart, make one immediately! Make sure that you have included yourself on this chart and present it to management. Let them know that you are  aware of the loopholes within the system and you are ready to take charge of the requisitions. Reach out to all of the recruiters and re-introduce yourself to them. Inform them that you will be participating in the hiring process from now on. If job boards are utilized, obtain pass codes immediately and make sure you keep a running log of who has access to the site and how you can regain control of the hiring processes. Only forward the qualified candidates to the respective department head, not all of them.

2. Inquires regarding payroll or benefits are rerouted directly to the HRO, because it's  responsible for furnishing accurate information to the employees.  This is a result of either upper management or the employees having frequent problems obtaining timely information from you. Now they have outsourced all personnel related functions in order for a clear line of communication to be established.

ACTION: Outsourcing functions are great, however utilizing them as a full time crutch without using your free time to focus on strategy, could buy you a one-way flight to Extinct Functionality Island. Familiarize yourself with the HRO's data systems so you can still assist the employees with the questions they may have. Speak with the CEO and management regarding your ability to learn and grow with the organization, so you can be an asset instead of a liability. Also, don't be afraid to dig into your organization and learn how it operates.

3. By the way, your company is scheduled for an HR audit, and there is a stack of paperwork  including salaries, performance and metrics that have magically appeared on your desk. Management has kept separate employee files within their own reach, of the various changes that have taken place for several years.

ACTION: Realize that the management members who hid such data has compromised some serious legal issues. State the facts to them directly and let them know how critical it is that documents such as those remain in the HR Department. And show them that you are responsible enough to keep this stuff under lock-and-key so your company won't find themselves tied up in litigation.

 4. A new hire orientation is beginning in 30 minutes and you've just received the agenda via BCC (Blind Carbon Copy). Classic move. In fact this happens more often than none. You are the last to be informed about the new hires. Many of the managers want to hire the people whom they are familiar with, leaving you totally out of the loop.

ACTION: You are more than just a note taker. You must let them know that record keeping is only a small aspect of your job. You should be the one leading these meetings and structuring the agenda and from now on you will be. Let them know that the HR Department will be facilitating and issuing the schedules for all orientations including contract labor.

 5. The new employee handbook that has been approved by an attorney, for the past 3 months has yet to be distributed because no one has time to orient their regarded departments. At this point, we all know the difference between having a handbook and the result of not having one.

ACTION: Simple, set a date, send out a notice, and prepare your speech for this new employee handbook review. It's imperative that all employees (exempt & non-exempt) have a copy of the handbook, accompanied by their signed acknowledgment. Handbooks should be reviewed on an annual basis, along with an attached addendum (if policy changes occur). Take control of the situation.

If any or all of these episodes are happening to you, or someone else who is experiencing this type dysfunction at this capacity; change is imperative. Again there are more issues I could have discussed, but I narrowed it down to just 5.

I would like to hear from you. Feel free to share your experiences.

Set Up Your Internal Guidelines for Using Social Networking Sites - Qualify Candidates

So you've narrowed down your choices of job candidates, and you are ready to bring them in for an interview. Perhaps you have already started the verification process, starting with Google. Now this is a powerful tool that crawls for information across many many websites. So if you're not ready to use it with discretion, then don't do this! Step away from the internet!

Before you set out on this Googling adventure, you must first figure out what it is that you are looking for. What's your purpose? Do you want to disqualify or qualify these candidates for this position?

If you don't know the answer to these questions, then it's time for you to set up your own guidelines. Why? Because there is a strong possibility that you will spend a bunch of unwarranted time surfing without knowing where the brake is.

Ok so here we go:

1.Determine what you are looking for, such as to verifying education, experience, work history. Wondering around aimlessly and finding information that may not belong to them, could cause you to disqualify them for the wrong reason. So have a plan.

2. Decide which information is going to be considered relevant. Understand that you will view both their personal and professional histories, you can choose to give them an opportunity to list the sites that they currently use professionally in order to gather information that's relevant to the applied position.

3. Based on the information found, what will happen to that data? Will it be recorded including the source? You may beg to differ and say that you don't want to create a paper trail. But contrarily, you will need to get a paper trail started in the event that your company falls under an investigation for unfair hiring practices. And if you are one of the employers who offer feedback to the candidates who weren't selected, you would want to have legitimate information available for them.

4. If the candidate has several profiles, does the information match? If they listed a GED on their resume, but a PhD posted on their profile, then there may be a problem. A simple education verification will straighten this issue out. Just remember, you are  generally searching for accurate information on their profiles.

5. Will their personal profile outweigh their professional (more relevant) profile? If you knew this candidate used to live in Louisiana and you saw that their picture was tagged amongst a crowd of people at Mardi Gras (non flashing, with a Pepsi can in hand), would this be a negative impact on their ability to do their job? Instead of using pictures as ammunition, remember there may be more to the story than what the picture has shown.

6. Will there be a scoring system for the number of groups, profiles, blogs, and network strength? You could set up a simple sheet that rates their profile content, participation, and quality. Many candidates will have skills and knowledge well above the allowance of their previous positions. Therefore this candidate may be a great asset for your company.

7. What will be considered recent activities? For both negative and positive findings, you have to determine if 1 month or up to 10 years of history will be considered as applicable to the job in which they are applying.

8. How many resources and medias will be used in all to complete the checking process? Will you use the favorite 3 (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), or will you search newspapers, magazines, and many other social sites? This will be an easy answer if the candidate has already provided their site addresses.

9. How much time are you going to dedicate per candidate? We know that the internet has an interesting way of making time disappear. Set your timer, after time has expired, move on to the next candidate.

Use these questions to establish your guidelines in writing and make sure that you follow them. Because you never know when you will be required to show proof of your screening processes and the basis of your hiring decisions.We never know if the law will make a shift in the near future to exclude the use of personal websites to make hiring and termination decisions. So it's important to cover your assets.

Any comments?

5 Days to Social Media Presence for HR - With 30 Minutes a Day

There's no need to fight it anymore, social media is here to stay. It's not a fad, and should never be used as a weapon against your employees. So in light of this inevitable ecosystem, it's important to have a presence for various reasons such as building long term relationships, expanding your career / industrial knowledge, business building, and branding opportunities.

I've put together a quick step-by-step guide for you in order to get yourself going with social media sites. I know it's quick, but it will also be easier than you think. Here goes:

Day 1: Scout out sites that welcome the presence of your business or organization. These sites, as you will notice, will offer networking opportunities, information & resources. Your popular choices are Ning, Facebook, LinkedIn, Monster, Jigsaw, and Twitter. Make a concrete decision. Note: There are other sites which can be used to foster interaction not only between employees, but also potential candidates.

Day 2: Develop the verbiage for your pages and any other words and recognitions that you would like to include in order to build your brand. You would want to include the basics such as:

• Name of Business, Number of Employees
• Years in Business, Location
• Your Motto, Culture, Objective, Goals
• Recognitions from community initiatives
• Why your company may be a place of Choice for Employment

Day 3: Register, copy and paste your verbiage. Upload your picture. If there is enough time left, check out of the groups and networks of interest and save them for the next day's activity. Note: Check for spelling and grammatical errors. Many platforms have auto correct features for you.

Day 4: Connect to at least 20 people, especially those whom you already know, i.e. existing clients, potential vendors and employees. Their information should already be stored within your email contact list. So it should be easy to just click on the Find button in order to do a quick search for individuals and companies who are already have an existing profile on that site. Join up to 5 groups. Note: Do not freak out when people send you an invitation, this is a growth opportunity.

Day 5: Build your rapport by interacting within your new groups and networks selected. You may initiate discussions or answer questions related to your industry. Be careful not to be a spy or pest. You will be in control of your image, so make it a professional one. Note: Don't post goofy stuff like "How does this thing work, I'm brand new"!

You made it!! The reason why you should only spend 30 minutes on these tasks is because you have already made the decision to do this. Therefore, there is no need to ponder and second guess what is going on. Just do it!

Keep in mind, this is only the beginning, you will have plenty of time to build and grow more relationships in the weeks to come. Enjoy!

Stay There Til You Get It Right

Sound familiar? You may have been told that as a child, but it does not always apply as an adult. If you have ever been in a position that doesn't allow the slightest amount of brain power, or if you have been overwhelmed with an assignment, then you are familiar with the amount of frustration that some of your employees may be facing. 

 If you have a staff member who is obviously having some difficulties with their position to the point where they are struggling to adjust, grasp new concepts, or their frustration has almost reached boiling point here are some options:

A. Analyze the situation. See how long the employee has been in their current position. They may be too green for an accurate performance evaluation, therefore they may have a minor adjustment issue. Make sure that they have been given proper training and the tools needed for their position along with a clear understanding of what the company expects. If the employee has been with the company for several years, they may be experiencing burnout, so it may be time for them to expand their knowledge & skills in order to apply them somewhere else within the company.

B. Employ mentorship. Having an experienced member available to answer questions and provide insight can make a huge difference. Some employees need a little extra time in order to familiarize themselves with the functionalities of their job. Having someone there as a professional guide can take a load off of their immediate manager. Three (3) months is long enough for a person to get the majority of their questions answered through their mentor.

C.  Offer them the option of transferring to a different position or department (if available). The employee may have a set of skills that aren’t a match for their current position. This could occur if you have heavily relied upon outdated assessments to place candidates in certain positions. If transferring is an option, make sure that they not only qualify, but have the drive to make it work. At any rate, they still have to prove that they are capable of assuming a new role, so first make sure that they are evaluated properly through the use of personality profiles and skills assessments before recommending them for a new role in the company, “show me the money”.

D. Wait another 6 months so they will have a poor performance evaluation. Besides the proof is in the pudding. Once they've shown that they are incapable of doing their job and it is well documented, then you can't be sued. (Many companies do this all the time.)

E. Just fire them because they can't get it together. There are thousands of other people who can replace them right now. You don't have time, everyone that comes on board should be able to hit the ground running. (Nice mentality, don’t you think?)

Let's face it, ruling your employees with an iron fist is out. But retaining good talent is in and will be here to stay for a while. If you selected D or E, I really feel sorry for your employees, because they will be joining the 60% of workers who are waiting for the economy to pick back up so they can leave.

Remember, every employee contributes to a company, through their position. Giving them the right tools and a reasonable amount of time to do their job, is a small step in the right direction towards retaining good talent. Avoid at all cost forcing an employee to stay at a dead end job, because it's a sure fire way of showing that you really don’t care, and therefore they won’t either.

Longevity Doesn't Equal Contribution

Finding a candidate with some staying power is such an awesome thing. There are a lot of candidates out there who are willing to stick with a good employer, and there are others who are just looking to build their resume.

Though you may find candidates who have been with a company for several years. They may appear to have staying power, or they could have a bad case of the "Warm Body Syndrome". 

Before your recruiting campaign kicks off, look at your current employees to see what their track record has been and how much they are contributing to your business. Think about it:

• When was the last time your employees were evaluated for performance?
• When were they held accountable for the things they do?
• Does your company have an invisible grandfather clause?

Ask them for some feedback on how they enjoy their job and what could happen in order to make their job a little better. Besides there is always room for improvement. Some of your old timers may not like the fact that you are asking questions, however, it is critical to your bottom line. Be brave and just do it! You both will have a lot to gain from it.

The idea here is simply to slow down the hiring mistakes. You don't want a warm body migrating from another company, to sit in your chairs for another 15-20 years. It doesn't necessarily mean that an employee who has managed to stay under the radar for a long period of time without any spots, has the capability to make a contribution to their employer.

Here are some critical questions to ask your candidates:

1. When you participated in a team project, what position are you normally nominated for?
2. When was the last workshop / seminar you attended? Was it mandated or voluntary?
3. What are some of the goals that you foresee setting in this new role?
4. How would you like to grow with this company?
5. How do you stay on top of your field?

The goal here is to hire staff with some staying power, along with the ability to contribute and grow. The bottomline is you have a business to run. Though there is no such thing as a perfect person or candidate, you still should strive towards a contributor and steer away from the warm body.

Blind Employment Ads

With many avenues for advertising your vacancies available, such as the internet, local newspapers, job boards, and networking groups. You are sure to receive many inquiries and applicants.

Your main purpose is to fill that position, and your main objective is to find a quality / qualified candidate. You also would like to get your point across, precisely so there isn't any questions as to what the job will intel. Yes, all of this must be done in a few short sentences so your advertising budget doesn't explode.

Why spend all that time, money and effort into posting your positions, only to receive mediocre responses. You must ask yourself, why am I receiving such responses. Why didn't these candidates who claim that they are interested in working for my business, take the time to read the ad and respond appropriately. Well, the answer could more than likely be right at your finger tips.

The truth is, you didn't clarify the job and its requirements, and possibly the consequences of submitting incorrect information if the candidate chose to ignore the guidelines for your request. Also, if you didn't include an email, address, phone number or point of contact, it will lead to candidates having to hunt around for your information and in return, they will contact the wrong individuals within your organization for employment opportunities.

So save yourself a lot of grief, be clear precise and to the point. And all will live happily ever after.......