Disengaged: Part II

“Many of the most unhappy, unproductive — and potentially destructive — employees can be found in the executive suite. These top dogs may put in the time, but not the heart. They are common to most companies and number in the thousands.”

While yesterday’s post focused on the listless employee, today’s topic shifts to underline executive management. According to Gallup surveys, approximately 1 in 10 top executives are actively disengaged, posing great harm to the workforce structure below them as well as the good of the entire organization. This “cascading effect” filters its way down the line until there is a complete breakdown in hierarchy.

What happens when company leaders find they can no longer lead? How does an organization recover when the “head’s” heart is no longer in it? Where do you turn when management needs managing?

Read the full article from USA Today.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group

What's Really Going On in Cubicle-land?

For the past few years we have been receiving warnings about overworked, stretched to the max, stressed out workers, 80% of whom are expected to be looking for greener pastures. Yet, according to a 2005 survey conducted by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker surveyed admitted to wasting 2.09 hours per 8 hour work day. The number one reason for the wasted time? Not enough work to do. Hmmm . . .

The topic of generational differences in the workplace also continues to receive a great deal of ongoing attention in the media. How do generational differences play into the issue of wasting time at work? According to the survey, younger workers are likely to waste more time than the dedicated boomers.

The total estimated cost to American employers of time wasted on the job? $759 Billion per year - yes that's Billion with a "B". It has to make you wonder what the impact might be of redirecting all of the wasted time back into finding ways to strengthen the overall competitiveness of American companies within the global economy.

To read Dan Malachowski's article on Salary.com, click here: Wasted Time at Work Costing Companies Billions


Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Who's Decided to Retire

Are HR professionals capable of dealing with the myriad of age discrimination issues ahead of them in the coming years?

This year; baby boomers – approximately 75 million people born between 1946 and 1964 – began to turn 60. Don’t expect most of them to retire right away, however. According to AARP, 68 percent of workers between the ages of 50 and 70 plan to work during retirement or forgo retirement altogether.

According to an article in HR Magazine by Jonathan A. Segal, “Time is on Their Side”: " For employers, a graying workforce creates both opportunity and potential liability. Opportunity lies in using older workers’ skills to fill gaps occasioned by the declining birth rate. But liability will arise if your organization improperly excludes, marginalizes or tosses aside older workers. They will fight back, and they will find strong allies in juries."

When you couple the aging of the baby boomers with the relatively low birth rate, you see that the workforce as a whole will continue to age. Aging is universal; we cannot say that about any other protected group.

Historically, have we been too focused on simply looking for ways to exit our aging workers from our businesses? If so do you really think your business is as protected as it needs to be from potential litigation? Should we instead be looking at opportunities to more fully utilize our aging workers and their experience? As you look at your company, what have been the HR practices relative to the older worker?

Read the entire article Time Is on Their Side by Jonathan A. Segal as posted @ SHRMOnline

Posted by Pam De Leest, Senior Consultant, The H. S. Group

Biased and Unaware?

Two people—one a nattily dressed young white man, the other a middle-aged black woman who is slightly overweight—apply for a job with your organization. They seem equally qualified, but the hiring manager has an inexplicable and slightly negative reaction to the woman. “I just can’t put my finger on it,” he tells you, “but I don’t think she’ll be a good fit.” You agree, admitting you just have a feeling the male applicant would be a better performer.

Are you, or is your hiring manager, harboring a bias against this female applicant—perhaps one based on age, sex, race or physical appearance? If so, is that bias unduly influencing your collective hiring decision?

Read the entire article Detecting Hidden Bias by Pamela Babcock as posted @ SHRMOnline

Posted by Amy Dennis, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group

Do You Really Know Who Is Sitting in the Executive Suite?

It has happened again. Yet another high ranking executive, this time the now former CEO of RadioShack has resigned amid allegations regarding false academic information on his resume. By all accounts this executive, like others in recent years, has had a successful track record in business. If that is the case should it matter that his educational credentials aren't true? Only if honesty, integrity, trust and ethical behavior are characteristics that a company values.

Some studies state that upwards of 27% of all resumes have false educational information on them. Other studies indicate that the trend of falsifying information has jumped anywhere from five to fifteen per cent in recent years. In reality is there really any percentage of false resumes that is acceptable?

RadioShack has stated that at the time this individual was hired, in 1994, they were not in the practice of verifying academic credentials. They are not alone in that. Was your company verifying academic credentials in 1994? Are you verifying them in 2006?

If an individual's business references are stellar do you really need to take the extra step of verifying the academic information? Again, only if you believe your employees need to be honest and trustworthy. You have to wonder, if they are lying about their education, what else might they be lying about? And by the way, if it really doesn't matter, why would anyone go to the trouble of falsifying the information to begin with?

To read CNN's report on this most recent resume "scandal" click here: RadioShack CEO Resigns in Resume Flap


Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Tag! You're ID!

Do you like movies about stolen identities set in a techno-world future? Are you a conspiracy theorist? Interested in or captivated by personal, financial, and workplace information security? Hollywood is betting on it with recent action thrillers such as Firewall and The Bourne Identity.

Science fiction sometimes blurs with reality. For the first time in the United States, radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips were implanted in living humans. Two employees of CityWatcher.com, as well as the CEO, recently volunteered to try using this technique to better secure the company’s data archives. The microchips (“tags”) are a product of VeriChip, the leading company in RFID devices and security. Picture using your employee identification badge to enter a building, only the badge is always with you -- inside you. The microchips are encoded with an electronic ID and were injected into the employees’ forearms, just beneath the skin. When scanned, the tags allow/deny access into the secure server centers.

CityWatcher.com CEO, Sean Darks, praises the VeriChip system for providing state-of-the-art security. Former WI Governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, is on VeriChip’s board of directors and announced last July that he will have a chip implanted. He advocates the chip as “an important and secure means of accessing medical records and other information." He has yet to have the tag injected under his own skin.

The technology is not new. However, it has recently surfaced in mainstream applications such as tracking pets, vehicles and warehoused commercial goods. VeriChip produces active and passive tags and is marketed as the world’s first and only patented, FDA-cleared, human-implantable RFID microchip for purposes ranging from security solutions for the identification, tracking, and protection of people, their assets, and their environments. How secure is the tag ID system? Critics have several arguments, including the possibility the chip may be read and cloned by others. Critics ask, “How much information is identified by these tags? Who controls the information? Who reads it? Who tracks it? For what purpose?”

Applying this identity technology to employees is sparking another ethical (and sure to be legal) debate on the abuse of privacy and civil liberties. What does this mean for employees? Individuals? Criminals? Government? Business? You?

Is this leading edge technology applied to keep us -- and our information -- secure? Or is it another example of “big brother” keeping watch? How do you see this technology affecting your workplace, your life?

Read about VeriChip

Posted by Amy Dennis, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group

Hiring via the World Wide Web

“The study of hiring practices at leading U.S. companies revealed that Internet sources produced 51% of all hires in 2005 with the largest source of hires being the employers' own corporate web sites, while newspaper classified advertisements were the source of only 5% of the new hires.” - JOBcentral.com

Consider this surprising statistic the next time you get ready to shell out a sizeable portion of your budget to post your open positions in the local classifieds. Have you first considered whether there are more efficient ways to reach your intended audience?

According to a study posted on JOBcentral.com, the Internet has been the latest trend in hiring, with 21% of new hires recruited directly through corporate-based websites. That means that if your business has its own website, you’d be well-advised to utilize the space to promote your open positions. And where does this leave those smaller organizations who don’t currently have access to such resources? This sector can take advantage of local or national job posting boards which assisted in filling 15% of open positions in 2005.

Not only are the most positions filled through corporate websites, but the highest-quality candidate has been recruited this way as well. Corporations benefit from seeing candidates who already have researched company products and services online.

Where has your company received the best response from job seekers? Was it online or through a posting in the classifieds? Read the full article from JOBCentral.com.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group

Cautionary Tales of Workplace Relationships Gone Bad

Every Valentine’s Day there are stories told of workplace relationships that blossomed into storybook romances. Alas, a court docket is rarely the place to find those tales! Each year, courts are confronted with wreckage from workplace relationships gone bad—or which never should have started in the first place. The year 2005 was no exception, so we present our list of the most eye-catching workplace relationship cases from the past year and the lessons they provide to employers and employees alike. To view the entire article from Nixon Peabody LLC, click here: Workplace Relationships Gone Bad

Posted by Nancy Ledvina, Human Resource Consultant, The H.S. Group

Married at Home . . ., Married at Work

Relationships and Valentine's Day seem to go together . . .

This week, Good Morning America's workplace contributor, Tory Johnson discussed the growing phenomenon of Workplace Spouses. This is not the traditional spouse but instead, the co-worker whom you know so well that the two of you can finish each other's sentences. The co-worker with whom you spend significantly more time than you do with your family. The co-worker who watches your back and you watch theirs.

For many of us these relationships are a positive and important part of our professional life. While most likely totally platonic, the relationship may still take on a depth rivaled only by marriage or a serious relationship. With the growing number of women in the workplace the chances of this relationship being with a member of the opposite sex is increasing and with that comes the potential red flag.

Most of these relationships remain at a positive, healthy and professional level but some may bloom into full-blown romances, some may become a threat to the "at home spouse" and some may be misinterpreted by co-workers. The key is to be sensitive to these potential issues without being paranoid; simply manage the relationship in an adult manner and remember where the boundries lie.

To read Tory Johnson's entire report click here: Workplace Spouses

Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Is Your Leadership Stunting the Growth of Your Organization

It happens time and time again - companies recognize how good they are and the next thing you know they no longer exist and the hundreds or thousands of people depending upon them for their livelihood have had their lives turned upside down. Or, even more common, a once great leader is ushered out the door of the company to which they have committed a great part of their life.

What is behind these occurrences?

According to insights in Dr. John Maxwell's article "In Pursuit of Potential", the causes may include arrogance at being a good company or a good leader. Maxwell states "The enemy of great is good. The primary reason so few leaders or organizations ever become great is because they get good and then stop. They stop growing, learning, risking, and changing. They use their track record or prior successes as evidence that they've arrived. Believing their own headlines, the leaders in these successful organizations are ready to write it down, build the manual, and document the formula. This mentality shifts their business from a growth to a maintenance mindset."

These comments are consistent with observations of companies large and small as well as leaders young and old. Statements like:

"That has never worked here."
"I've never done it that way and I've always been successful."
"We don't need any of those silly new ideas messing things up around here."
"I know what will and won't work."

are all indicative of leaders who have their heads buried deeply in the sand (or elsewhere). To use an old cliche, they are confusing having 1 year of experience 25 times over with having 25 years of good solid experience.

It is also not uncommon for these leaders to disparage new ideas presented by the authors of successful business books as nothing more than "book of the month management". And while sadly it is true that there are leaders who do operate their company around whatever the latest best selling book is, it is also sadly true that there are leaders who have not opened a book to broaden their exposure to new ideas since they left school. Somewhere in between those two extremes probably lies a healthy balance of growth and innovation.

In his article Maxwell further states "Leaders of successful organizations are tempted to stop working on themselves. They continue to work hard on their job, but they have a tendency to neglect personal growth. They use their experience and track record as a license never to read another book and an excuse never to attend another developmental course in their field. They point to their acclaim and accomplishments and decide to rely on the skills they have learned in the past to run the rest of their career. They develop an arrogance of intelligence that creates a disabling ignorance. This ignorance disables them, their people, and, as a result, their business."

Has our company stagnated? Have you wondered why? Have you looked in the boardroom or looked in the mirror?

To read Maxwell's entire article click here: In Pursuit of Potential
"This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter 'Leadership Wired' available at www.MaximumImpact.com."

Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Managing Office Romances

According to a recent CareerJournal.com article, surveys indicate that 41% to 58% of working Americans have been involved with or dated a co-worker. One survey indicates that these numbers are up from previous years.

It happens so easily - you're together much of the day, you share the same interests, you enjoy his/her sense of humor and then you learn you can lose your job because you're dating a co-worker. What? Policies that ban love in the workplace?

Many companies have in fact found it necessary to put policies in place that ban fraternization among co-workers, especially between an employee and his or her supervisor.

Why does the company care who you date?

First of all what happens when/if the romance turns sour? Having had the experience of supervising two "adult" co-workers whose romance ended abruptly I can vouch for the fact that both men and women, when scorned, can be equally nasty and disruptive - and not just to each other.

Secondly, when does office romance cross the line and become sexual harassment? California's Supreme Court ruled recently that workers can sue when a colleague receives preferential treatment stemming from a romantic affair with a supervisor. Creating policies limiting or banning office romance has become sound business practice.

Sound business practice or not - how does one create a policy that really controls or eliminates love in the office? When the inevitable does happen many companies have found ways to address the situation with solutions ranging from one partner leaving the company to assigning the individuals to separate work groups.

Have office romances been an issue in your company? What are the most effective ways of handling these situations? What happens when one of the involved parties is a senior executive? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences.

To read Adelle Waldman's entire article as posted on CareerJournal.com click here: Weighing the Stakes of Dating Colleagues


Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Mass E-mail: The New Sales Frontier?

If you are one of the billions of people worldwide who has signed up for any number of e-mail accounts, free or not, chances are you have already fallen victim to an ever-increasing sales trend: mass e-mails.

In a recent report from MSNBC, internet giants Yahoo! and AOL are introducing a for-fee program on e-mail to help their clients reduce mass junk e-mails, commonly referred to as spam. Such a program would weed out mass e-mails for paying customers, making the process of e-mail communication much more efficient. Though many e-mail carriers already implement a similar program, this one promises to be more accurate and thorough, working in the customer’s favor.

Likewise, a poll on CNNMoney.com questions whether businesses should be charged for sending mass e-mail messages. At this point, the “Absolutely” response has a substantial lead with a total of 53% of all respondents making an effort to reclaim their inboxes from these un-welcomed, time-consuming messages. Through this plan, companies would be charged between ¼ cent to 1 cent per e-mail, thereby reducing the amount of spam and e-mail ploys that land in the consumer’s inbox. Meanwhile, plans for implementing this program within the next two months have several organizations in an uproar, claiming that charges such as these are a form of e-mail taxation. Read the complete article from CNNMoney.com.

So the bottom line remains, despite efforts to push products and services (legit or not) via the World Wide Web, perhaps companies need to start listening to consumers and find other methods of promoting sales that do not include overstepping the boundaries of privacy.

Does your company utilize mass e-mails to promote your products/services? What responses have you seen, either positive or negative toward such marketing techniques?

Posted by Shelly Paul, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group

North Country: How Close Is It To Today's Reality?

If corporate America has made so much progress in eliminating harassment in the workplace why are courts and juries continuing to hear cases and award significant damages to plaintiffs bringing charges of harassment? Why does the EEOC continue to process thousands of claims annually? Why are some states feeling it’s necessary to legislate harassment training?

Is it possible that in 2006 some companies still don’t get it?

If you’ve seen the movie North Country you were most likely appalled at the incidents of harassment (which were based on actual events). You may have thought “I’m glad that kind of behavior doesn’t exist any longer. Not here. Not now.” Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?

Would you be surprised to learn that there are still executives, including HR executives in your market area who don’t take action; don’t even investigate reported harassment? That the incidents depicted in the movie are not far removed from the reality that some people face yet today in their workplace? It’s true. It’s real.

If you are the owner of a company, or the President, or a Vice President, or an HR professional you need to wonder what kind of information isn’t getting to you because someone else thinks it isn’t a big deal. And, you need to wonder about your company’s exposure and the risk to the bottom-line. It also wouldn’t hurt to wonder what people on the street are saying about the working conditions at your company; the next time you need to hire employees will you attract the caliber of employee you are looking for? (If you think it’s not common knowledge – think again – you may be the only one who doesn’t know.)

While it’s true that the overall number of claims filed has decreased in recent years, one has to wonder if that is an accurate reflection of working life. Our own interaction with companies has demonstrated to us that there are still numerous incidents of harassment – both blatant and subtle, traditional sexual harassment and hostile work environment – occurring throughout our market area. We see good people running companies or departments in which people are treated poorly and in many cases we are sure these leaders are not aware of and would not condone the harassing behavior. So why does it continue? What, or who, allows the behavior to continue? What, or who, sends the message to the harasser(s) that it’s okay?

If you’re reading this and wondering if your company is vulnerable you need to take the next step. Get out of your office and see what is going on. No news is not necessarily good news. Don’t wait until a claim is filed to discover that your company has a problem – at that point it’s too late. If you have received complaints but have not fully investigated or have not placed the appropriate sense of urgency on the matter, you are part of the problem.

If you have to wonder; if there is even a flicker of doubt in your mind regarding the working environment in your company then you owe it to yourself, your employees and the company to check it out. If all is well, pat yourself and your employees on the back. If not . . .

Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group

Super Bowl - Super Expensive or Just More Super Hype?

According to Challenger Gray, a Chicago-based consulting firm, this year's Super Bowl will cost U.S. employers $780 million in lost productivity during the week prior to the big game and another $156 million on the Monday following the game. The lost productivity is due to time spent on football pools, planning parties, discussing line-ups and post-game disection of both the game and the commercials.

The calculations are based upon an assumption that workers will spend 10 minutes a day on Super Bowl related discussions. In acuality is that any different than workers taking 10 minute breaks any other time of the year, or spending 10 minutes discussing a favorite movie or television show? Is this REALLY a problem or is it simply another way for a non-sports related company to get in on the Super Bowl hype and marketing?

To read more of Challenger Gray's Super Bowl prediction click here: Super Bowl's Lost Work Cost


Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group