In today’s highly competitive job market, when you want your resume considered over all others, having that certification can make all the difference.  According to the Human Resources Institute, having a PHR/SPHR Certification has the potential to make your resume stand out when applying for job openings. The additional certification shows that you’ve gone above and beyond the minimum requirements to make yourself stand out among your peers. It also demonstrates that you’ve gained a large volume of industry-specialized knowledge with enough mastery to pass the certification test. This lends strength and credibility to your position as a job candidate.

Having a Human Resources Certification may also give you an edge in salary negotiations. One hiring manager observes that this is particularly true early in your career while you are still building your day-to-day work experience. Again, having taken the time to acquire and maintain a depth of knowledge about your career field demonstrates a strong commitment to your profession, even as you are developing the work experience to go with it. Later in your career, being certified shows continued commitment to your field. It establishes that you’ve invested the time to keep your knowledge base current and proves you are aware of the newest developments and best practices within human resources.  This can help justify the salary you want as you keep moving up in your career path.

Once you’ve decided to earn the Professional or Senior Professional Human Resources Certification, you’ll need to be recertified every three years to maintain your credentials. Online learning is a great way to take the courses you’ll need to qualify. And we’d like to know: how has having a PHR/SPHR Certification has made a difference in your career?

But what makes for the best approach to health and wellness education?

Rose Ganter, an educational researcher, notes that knowledge is an essential part of any health and wellness program. The employee not only needs knowledge of the industry standards for health and wellness, but how and why to apply this information in a practical way to the employee’s life. As TheAcademy.com’s founder and CEO, Jay B. Rea, observes, there are five components to any successful lifestyle change:

• Decide what to change
• Learn why to make that change
• Learn how to break the status quo
• Commit to a plan to make the change easier
• Get support and encouragement while making the change

Health and wellness education addresses all five of these reasons, but the one with the most potential to motivate employees is to learn why to make the change. It’s all well and good to tell your workers to exercise or change their eating habits while they are at work; but what will get them to make healthy choices in their off hours?  As another researcher points out, educating employees about the reasons and benefits of healthy living results in a longer-term commitment to overall health and well-being.

Beginning a health and wellness program with an educational program designed to address the “why” makes it easier to move into the “how to break the status quo” and “commit to a plan” phases. But if the worker doesn’t start with understanding why the change is needed, he or she is unlikely to continue participating after work or when the external incentives stop.

If you already have a health and wellness program in place, adding an educational component through an online course has the potential to improve participation and enhance your overall program.

Does your company offer a health and wellness program? What has worked to get employees on board and participating?

There are other benefits to physical activity, as well. According to WebMD.com, exercise can boost your performance at work. The reason is that exercise increases energy, and it also increases levels of serotonin, which stimulates brain power. This translates to clearer, more efficient thinking, and more productivity while at work. WebMD also points out that physical activity has the potential to reduce stress by letting you work it off and serve as a distraction from whatever is bothering you. Exercise can also improve relationships if you work out with a friend or significant other. The additional time spent together as you focus on your exercise routine can build relationships and allow time to talk when you aren’t distracted by the other busyness of life.

Something this good for your overall health and well-being must require a lengthy, daily commitment, right? Actually, no. Adults only require 30 minutes per day (60 for weight loss) of moderate exercise to gain the health benefits it promises. And the minutes don’t even have to be all at once! You can do a short yoga program at home, take a brisk 15-minute walk during your lunch break, and then come home and play with the kids. Each of those short bursts of activity count toward your overall goal of 30 minutes. In fact, you might find you surpass your daily goal without realizing it. That doesn’t really sound so hard, does it?

Take some time in May to get active! Participate in any activities your company or community may be sponsoring, and take an online course to get started. And let us know—what gets you moving?

So how important is it to maintain good etiquette in the workplace? In a word: very.

Showing good etiquette in your business helps in every way. Kyra Sheahan points out that business is built on relationships, and good etiquette—or lack of it—can make or break your professional success. Good etiquette contributes to the first impression you make with a potential client or with your new co-workers, can make or break business deals, and can demonstrate respect for your co-workers. Your manners convey to clients and business partners that they matter to you.

Good manners apply to nearly every situation in a workplace, including some fairly subtle ones. The employee who shows up to the meeting early and prepared to take notes is demonstrating good etiquette. The worker who sends an appropriately formatted email using correct grammar and complete sentences is showing good etiquette. The supervisor who takes the time to turn off their cell phone and keep the meeting running smoothly and on task is also showing good manners. Etiquette even extends to things like confining smelly foods to the kitchen area or dressing appropriately for an event.

But as Susan RoAne points out it’s not enough to simply know the rules of etiquette; it’s combining the rules of etiquette with a courteous manner that creates a positive atmosphere for everyone concerned.  If you know the rules of etiquette and apply them with a rude or patronizing manner, it’s off-putting at best. RoAne uses the example of a dinner hostess who points out a dinner guest’s etiquette error in front of other visitors. She may have been right in her rules, but she was wrong in her manner.  Good manners exist to make everyone feel comfortable and respected.

There are a host of ways to brush up on business etiquette, including online courses. And let us know: how have good manners have helped in your career?

Using the theme “One Text or Call Could Wreck it All,” the Department of Transportation has designated the month of April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, with the goal to raise awareness of just how dangerous it is to text and drive. A study by the Virginia Tech Traffic Institute discovered that the average time for eyes to be off the road to look at a text was 5 seconds. That doesn’t seem like a long time, but if you’re traveling at 55 miles per hour, it’s the equivalent of driving the length of a football field without looking at the road.

That means that choosing to look at that text could be disastrous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009 there were over 450,000 injuries and deaths involving distracted driving—about 25,000 of which connected to some sort of cell phone use.

The NHTSA defines distracted driving as any time you take your hands off the wheel, take your eyes off the road or take your mind off the business of driving.  What makes texting and driving so dangerous is that it involves all three definitions: you must take a hand off the wheel, look away from the road, and think about what you’re reading or writing, instead of what’s happening on the road around you.

While the emphasis this year is on texting or calling, distracted driving can be more than cell phones usage. The NHTSA points out that if you use your drive time to finish your grooming, program a navigation system while driving, change radio stations, consult a map—even eating or drinking while driving—all of these can be distracting. Any of these actions can take your focus off the road.

So this April, take time to turn off your phone before you get in the car. Take a refresher course on defensive driving to remind yourself of the rules of the road. If you must take a call, reprogram your GPS, or change the music on your mp3 player, pull over first. And let us know—how do you keep safe while traveling?

E-training has a number of advantages for both employers and employees.

For the employer, e-training is cost-effective. No matter how you do your training—live or online—it takes time to produce a course, develop materials, and keep them current. With e-training, the return on that investment improves over time. The same materials can be used repeatedly by accessing a computer file; no need to run copies, print manuals, or reserve training rooms. E-training can take place onsite, saving the cost of travel.  And e-learning can increase productivity both by utilizing production downtimes for training, and by providing the skills your workers to perform better at their jobs.

But the advantages are not solely on the employer’s side:  employees also benefits from e-training. Many e-courses are designed for employees to take at their own pace.  E-learning also offers the freedom to learn through repetition; material can be reviewed until it is mastered, which is not always possible in a traditional course. And when coursework is completed in an interactive format—e-learning combined with multimedia simulations–retention tends to be higher.

The employer and the employee also receive the benefit of standardized training. No matter how skilled the live facilitator may be, there are variables in a classroom setting that can make one group’s training experience different from another. Learning online ensures a high level of consistency in training so that all employees are receiving the same teaching in the same way, every time the course is taken.

TheAcademy.com can partner with you to develop the right training to meet the needs of your business. And we’d like to know what your company’s experience has been with online education. How have you used e-training in your business?

After all, the first days at anything new can be daunting—especially a new job. For the new employee, starting fresh at a new workplace—in a new environment, with new bosses, new co-workers and a new set of expectations—is both exciting and overwhelming. For management, getting to know the new hire and ensuring he or she has all the information needed for success is critical, but no less challenging for management to deliver than for the new employee trying to absorb the new situation.

What Makes Onboarding Different?

While onboarding includes completing government and financial paperwork and going over company benefits, it goes beyond that to help new workers develop relationships within the organization and quickly meet the expectations of their new job. Employees are assigned a mentor to follow up with them on a regular basis; they are introduced to the people they work with; they are shown a written plan of their expectations and responsibilities; they are taught the company’s policies on issues ranging from business communications procedures to health and safety issues to the dress code. Onboarding ensures the new hire knows what to expect from their new workplace, and they know what their workplace expects from them.

And onboarding is worth the extra effort it takes. An article in Money-Zine.com points out a number of benefits with the onboarding approach to new workers:

• Helping the employee to identify with their new employer
• Allowing the employee to understand some of the company’s values and priorities
• Building an optimistic attitude towards the company
• Avoiding misunderstandings
• Helping the employee feel valued
• Encouraging socialization and creating a sense of belonging
• Reducing new employee anxiety
• Setting of performance expectations
• Decreasing the learning curve.

The Academy features a series of courses designed to meet all of your onboarding needs. With the right onboarding approach, employees tend to feel like valued members of the team, which in turn fosters loyalty and reduces the learning curve many new hires experience while trying to acclimate to their new workplace. This translates into dollars saved in lost productivity and often reduces employee turnover, as the new hire feels supported and integrated into their new environment.

Have you used onboarding in your organization? What do suggest as the best way to convert new hires into successful employees?

According to The Centers for Disease Control, the average American consumes about 3400 milligrams of salt per day, while we only need about 2300 milligrams. People at risk for heart disease and other conditions are advised to eat even less—more in the range of 1500 milligrams. Considering that one teaspoon of salt contains 2325 milligrams of sodium, it doesn’t take much to exceed your daily requirements.

Sodium Lurks Everywhere

The problem is finding ways to avoid it—it’s in nearly everything we eat. Nearly all processed foods contain high amounts of sodium:  canned vegetables, beans and soups, bread products, frozen pizza, cured meats, and snack foods such as chips, nuts, and pretzels all contain high levels of salt. So do many condiments and flavor-enhancers such as soy sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, pickles, relishes and olives. So much sodium in our food has conditioned our taste buds to want more of it than we need.

Salt is also a naturally occurring substance in nearly all foods—even fresh vegetables, milk, and fresh meat contain small amounts of sodium. Though the amounts may be lower, they still contribute to your overall sodium intake, so we need to be aware of the amounts in these products, as well.

How to Shake Off Sodium’s Attack

So, how to avoid this hidden culprit? Some suggestions include trying new combinations of herbs, vinegars, lemon juice, and other flavorings, and simply using less salt both while cooking and at the table. Taste your food both as you prepare it and before you add salt at the table. You might find it requires less salt than you think to enhance the flavors. Your tastes will gradually adapt to the lower amount of sodium and it won’t seem as difficult to make the adjustment.

When buying processed or frozen foods, it is important to get the low-sodium versions of these foods when possible. It is also a good idea to rinse canned vegetables and beans prior to cooking them, in order to remove some of their excess sodium. Reading product labels can help in keeping track of your overall sodium intake and can also help you stay focused on the goal of lowering the amount of salt you eat.

Where have you found sodium hidden in your food? And what sodium-reducing strategies have worked for you?

Create a disaster-preparedness plan for your business

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified essential points in creating a disaster-preparedness plan for businesses:

• Program Management. This is where you take the time to determine the safety requirements placed on your organization and then organize and develop your plan of action.
• Planning. This step includes gathering information about potential risks for your area and those specific to your industry. It is also where you conduct a Business Impact Analysis and determine ways to reduce risks and prevent hazards.
• Implementation. This is where you plan out the nuts and bolts of the emergency situation. How will you respond to the emergency? How will you help your employees? How will you communicate both during and after the crisis? How will you manage resources? How will you keep your business running, or get it running again?
• Testing and Exercises. In this step, you practice your plan, ensure it meets all safety codes, work out the kinks, and practice, practice, practice again.
• Program Improvement. Here is where you take the information from the other steps and look to see where you can tighten, refine, and perfect your strategy.

Whether your organization is in Tornado Alley, in the middle of a flood zone, on a hurricane-threatened coastline, along an earthquake-prone fault line, or near a wooded area during a severe drought, you need to have an emergency plan in place to keep your employees safe and your business functioning through a potential crisis. If you don’t have a plan, or need to update your current one, there are several ways to do it, including on-site trainings and online courses. However you do it, though, be sure you get this important step to workplace safety put into place—long before disaster strikes in your area.

What strategies have worked well for your company in preparing for weather-related emergencies?

So what does a healthy, nutritious plate look like?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says a healthy plate has the following balance:

• Half the plate is fruits and vegetables—especially dark green, red and orange varieties
• At least half the grains you eat are whole grains—look for 100% whole grain breads, and try grains like brown rice, barley, or quinoa in side dishes
• Use skim or low-fat dairy products
• Eat a variety of proteins, including eating fish 1-2 times per week
• Reduce sodium, and minimize your consumption of sugar and solid fats

So on your actual plate, along with having it about half filled with fruits and vegetables, the other half of your plate should feature grains or starches for about two-thirds of the space. The remaining third would be your protein, and you should also have a serving of a dairy product.

What is a healthy portion size?

In our fast-paced world of super-sized meals and packaged convenience foods, our perceptions of what a normal- sized portion of food looks like has become distorted. Not too long ago, for instance, a regular soda was 6 ounces and about 80 calories. Now a typical soda is 20 ounces and has over 300 calories. But since that now looks normal to us, we don’t stop to think that maybe it’s too much of a good thing. And you can easily go overboard on anything—even healthy foods—without realizing you’re doing it.

Mydailymoment.com posted some helpful ideas for estimating a correct portion size of various foods. For instance, a one cup serving of food is about the size of a baseball. A half-cup is a rounded handful—this is about the right size for measuring snack-type foods. A serving of meat or poultry should be about the size of a cassette tape, while a serving of fish should be about the size of a checkbook.

So do something a little mad this March (besides rooting for your favorite basketball team!), and try out a new food or two, and think about how much you’re eating. If you want to learn more about nutrition, we’re here to help.  And let us know—what did you try? Did you find you were eating about the right amount of food, or too much or too little?