Recruiting and Retention
June 27, 2011 by admin
Filed under Human Resources
As the economy improves and the workplace continues to age, HR professionals know that recruiting and retention policies will be a considerable component in your organization’s talent management. Companies need to plan now how to retain their best talent, keeping those star employees engaged and appreciated so they don’t lose them to competitors.
With budget restrictions easing, HR professionals will likely see increased volume on the recruitment side. To help, building a database of resumes will allow HR to quickly gain access to qualified professionals when positions suddenly become available. With the increased demand for qualified candidates, you may want to get the jump on bringing in viable candidates as soon as possible and shorten the usual amount of time the recruitment process takes. Good candidates are likely entertaining offers from multiple organizations and if you are too slow, you may miss out on hiring the best candidate. A company culture and work environment that provides a work/life balance and room for advancement within the company will be better positioned against the competition.
Does your organization currently have a succession planning process in place? If not, now might be the best time to implement. Look at your workforce and see who might be eligible to retire in the coming years. Do you have a successor in place for that position? You may also want to consider high-potential employees who might be considering jumping back into the job market and make efforts to retain them through investments in training and appreciation. Keep those employees apprised of their future with your organization and communicate why you are investing in providing new skills to them. Creating company loyalty and feelings of appreciation will go a long way in helping to retain your best talent.
Has your organization undergone a recent merger or acquisition? Or are there plans on the horizon? Integrating two organizations is never an easy process. Some employees may need training or skills development to function in the new organization. Provide employees with as much communication as possible to reduce the “grapevine affect” and keep your key people from jumping ship.
Finally, embrace social networking to find top candidates for recruitment. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogs will allow your organization to find talent that appreciates the company culture and may find passively looking talent who just happen to see your job postings or employee culture news. Social media helps put a face on the company and may help promote your organization as a “great place to work”.
Slips, Trips and Falls
Don’t STUMBLE OVER slips, trips and fall prevention
Falls occur in all areas of the workplace, both inside and out. They are the leading cause of death in the workplace, sending 183 people to the emergency room every hour, killing approximately 21,000 each year and costing between $60 and $80 billion dollars. Injuries range from minor sprains and strains to more serious back injuries and broken bones, all caused by a slip, trip or fall.
The National Safety Council records reveal that falls have caused more lost time than any other class of occupational accidents, creating high costs related to both employees and employers. As an employer, that lost time impacts your bottom line through lost productivity, increased worker’s compensation premiums, medical treatment and costs associated with training a replacement employee. Your employee suffers pain, lost wages, temporary or permanent disability, reduced quality of life and the adverse effects of his/her family life.
Most employees don’t give much thought to slipping, tripping or even falling on the job much less dying from such an incident, but the potential for hazards are everywhere in the workplace, not just confined to production areas. No one in your workplace is immune from these kinds of accidents. Even your office workers are at risk.
There are many factors that contribute to the potential for slips, trips, and falls including the human factors of health and physical conditions, behaviors and actions, poor housekeeping, inattentive behavior and taking shortcuts. Initiating best practices can reduce and/or prevent some of these incidents, but it’s not just good practice, it’s the law. There are a number of OSHA standards that apply to slip, trip and fall prevention. What can you do to reduce the risk in your workplace? The first thing is to get serious about training your employees to recognize the necessary actions to reduce the risk for slip, trip and fall related injuries in the workplace. You can’t practice what you don’t know. Make sure your employees know how to keep the workplace safe for everyone.
TheAcademy.com offers a variety of online courses to help you keep your employees safe and prevent this potentially devastating accident. To learn more, check out our environmental health and safety training page. Stay safe!
Talent Retention
June 17, 2011 by admin
Filed under Human Resources
As the economy slowly improves, experts predict that there will likely be a shift in employees looking for greener pastures. As an HR professional, the main concern will be retaining the high-performing talent in the organization. An August 2008 Aon Hewitt Engagement 2.0 Survey found that 24% of employees would be open to other job offers and/or will actively look when the economy improves.
So, how to keep your top-performing talent? According to the survey, 53% of respondents said that aside from salary and other compensation, being appreciated would motivate them to stay at their current position. Showing appreciation from the organizational perspective can include a culture of open organization/employee communication; empowerment; flexible job descriptions and work arrangements; and training and education.
One of the best methods to retain talent is to train managers to be more effective and provide the education for the employees to continue their career growth. Training is one of the most critical aspects of a talent retention policy and unfortunately, is one of the first budget items cut during down times. As the economy rebounds, training and education should become a priority in human resource offices looking to keep their best people.
Being Safe in the Heat
Heat Stress is a serious medical issue that can affect employees working in hot and humid working conditions. Knowing the warning signs of when you have had too much in the heat is important and could be the difference between life and death. Recognizing the warning signs and taking appropriate measures to reduce exposure is the best prevention.
Warning signs include headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, irritability, confusion, nausea/vomiting, cramping, fatigue and diarrhea. Excessive sweating can lead quickly to dehydration as well, making it essential to replenish essential salts and minerals in the body.
Learning the signs and symptoms of heat stress is critical. Workers in teams should be trained to monitor not only themselves but their work mates as well. Gradually acclimating to hot work conditions will help your employees adjust and taking regular rest breaks is important. The rest breaks should be provided to allow the body to cool down and drink water. Lightweight and light-colored clothing helps keep the body cool as will fabrics that promote evaporation.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol when exposed to hot weather conditions. These beverages promote water loss, leading to potential dehydration.
Heat stress is avoidable as long as you are aware of the warning signs and know the proper methods (primarily rest breaks and drinking plenty of water) to mitigate the risk.
Summer of Safety
Summer is a time of fun but it can also be a time for injuries and accidents. TheAcademy.com provides training related to safety and we always like to remind our clients, friends and prospects to be mindful of the dangers summer fun can pose. When you’re on the water, make sure to wear life jackets. When you’re grilling, ensure that children, pets and others are not too close to the flames. Food safety is also important, particularly when you have food sitting out on a hot summer day. Be cautious around pool decks, slipping and falling on a concrete patio or worse, falling into the pool, can have disastrous consequences.
Be mindful of the fact that just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean that you can forget about safety. Make this summer a fun – and safe – one!
