First, my bias — I “grew up” in Human Resources, finishing my corporate stint with successive roles at the VP/SVP HR level. So, I somewhat “know from which I speak…”
The skills required of senior HR leadership of today and the future are so incredibly different than those required in the past, that the job almost seems to be a different profession. (more…)
I’ve worked with many organizations, both as the in-house compensation expert as well as an outside consultant, and determining the economic return for incentive plans is clearly a significant effort – and there’s sometimes nothing simple about it.
Incentive plans do not work in a vacuum; even with potentially great compensation plans, outside forces can be such that the results are almost anecdotal. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make every effort to measure the results, but it does mean that any specific measurements will have “assumptions” built in to the equation. (more…)
Fish or fowl? Black or white? Day or night?
We frequently find ourselves arguing whether human resources — as a function — is a true business partner in the strict financial sense or an employee advocate in the most liberal sense.
We’re wasting our time arguing semantics and methodology. Our resources are better spent discussing and acting on results. (more…)
Human Resources is not a day care. As such, conflict resolution should only be a part of our accountabilities as it relates to making the business successful.
In other words, we aren’t resolving conflict merely to create some kumbaya-looking harmonious state; we resolve conflict so employees will work better and be more productive.
Sometimes, the right answer can be taken from a day care playbook: Shut up, sit down, and color. Quit touching her. Don’t make me stop this car. The list goes on.
They all mean the same thing — “Drop the petty stuff and get back to work.”
First, the fiasco in Chicago was averted — we should all stand and cheer.
For those living on Pluto (the new “non’-planet), Chicago attempted to vote in a “big box” minimum wage, a wage higher than what all other employers must pay, as a penalty for simply “being” a big box retailer.
Mayor Dailey vetoed the bill — his first such veto in his million years in office. Smart man.
Having said that, and against my personal beliefs and desires, minimum wage is going to change from its paltry $5.15 per hour. 10 states have enacted minimum wage laws in 2006 alone, making their state’s minimum wage some level above the Fed’s. That brings to 23 the total number of states with such legislation, and another 6 states have pending legislation awaiting November voting. (more…)
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