Submitted by: Brian Cox, PHR, President IndySHRM

Are You Pushing the Envelope or Just Pushing the Buttons?

As HR Professionals in our organizations, we tend to wear a lot of "hats", covering many items and needs. However, if we stand back for a moment, we might find that we are suffering from "transaction reaction syndrome" (I think I just created a new disease state). By this I mean, are we "pushing the envelope" or just "pushing the buttons"? If you are moving your company into the new economy, the new competition, the new engagement levels needed for your employees and the new strategies that are going to make the difference in 2010, then you are pushing the envelope. If you find that you are spending your days controlling your headcount, telling your business partners what they cannot do, working on the same benefit enrollment paperwork rollout and completing next year's corporate holiday calendar, then consider outsourcing all that, or at least delegating it, and get back to the work that is going to make a difference.

As process authors/owners and enforcers, the “conscience” of the corporation, and the personal coach to many a supervisor, we need to schedule the time to focus on the other strategic issues and do everything we can to honor those "strategic appointments" with ourselves. Once you sit down with your company's mission / vision in hand, break it down into sections which will then show you the exact roadmap you need to be on.

For example, if your mission states that you are going to increase sales 20% and, in turn, increase EPS 7%, you are on your way. You need to ensure you have the right talent in the right jobs....right now! If not, plan out the changes over the next 60 days and present your plan to your executive partners by the end of the week. When was the last time you made the effort to rate the current performance / potential of every employee and ensure you are retaining the top 30%? (Recall Jack Welch's advise to turn over the bottom 10% as a healthy strategy to building a performance based culture).

Once you have the talent scorecard in place and retention programs are refined, turn your focus to the employee issues that are truly holding your employees back from their ability to reach the potential they have to increase your bottom line. Spend the money to hire an outside firm to anonymously share the real story of your Company, it's environment and what is holding it back. If framed correctly, an externally collected, anonymous survey will identify the truth that you need to address. With that data in hand, you are now armed to make impact in creating programs, clearing bureaucracy or merely modifying the little policies that are at the core of employee dissatisfaction.

All the while, you are partnering with your executive team to clearly state the mission/vision of the company, asking for feedback, creating town hall sessions with your employees and executives to have open dialog on the hard issues and driving for improved performance. You have to think about outsourcing, stripping out the work that no longer needs to be done, and focus on the work that matters.

Employees at the core truly want to feel connected to a greater purpose, a team mission, a real reason to get up in the morning and RUN into work. They want to know they are making a difference. They cannot do this in a stale, bureaucratic, slow moving organization. The environment today is one of entrepreneurial spirit, even in the largest of organizations. It is clear we need action and we need it now. Corporate demise occurs far too often and I would surmise that it is due to lack of vision and action.

Thus, my challenge to you today is to decide to avoid "transaction reaction syndrome" and instead "push the envelope"!

Best in HR Success,

Brian

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Submitted by: Jen Lange, PHR

Don’t Forget to Recertify…

When you became certified—whether it was last month, last year or three or more years ago—you demonstrated not only your support of the HR profession, but your personal commitment to excellence in the field.

Recertification demonstrates your continued dedication to stay up to date with the rapidly changing HR profession. To retain the PHR, SPHR or GPHR designations, the HR Certification Institute requires all certificants to recertify every three (3) years either by accumulating 60 educational hours through continuing education, instruction, on-the-job experience, research and publishing, leadership activities, or membership in a national or international professional organization such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), or by retaking the examination (but who wants to do that?). The cost to recertify by documenting 60 credit hours of continuing education is $100. The cost to recertify by retaking the exam is the same as for candidates attempting to certify.

You can find more information about recertification at www.hrci.org> Recertification. (from www.hrci.org)

Do You Need Help Recertifying?

Take the mystery out of how to enter your activities in your personal recertification record by watching a step-by-step virtual tour of the application process on the HR Certification website at www.hrci.org/recertification/vrt

You can also access a Virtual Recertification Counselor and view past questions posed and the Virtual Recertification Counselor’s answers. A “live” Virtual Recertification Counselor will be available on Wednesday, 09-23-09, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visit www.hrci.org for more information. (from www.hrci.org)

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Submitted by: Karen Seketa, SPHR

We are SO CLOSE to getting our NEW website up and running, thank you for your patience while we work hard behind the scenes to get it just right. I want to take an opportunity in this newsletter to recognize those on my committee and extended committee who have been so helpful in this process. If you see these folks be sure to help me thank them for all of their hard work.

Deidre Werner
Mark Anderson
Vicki Noblitt
Jim Moffitt

Special mention to these folks who have dedicated hours and hours to this effort:

Brian Cox
Mark Records
Alysia Prunier

Without the collective help in all sorts of ways, we would be targeting 2012 for our full rebranding project to become a reality. Keep your eyes open for news of our new website and take a sneak peek at the design at our table at the Indiana SHRM state conference. Keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter too!

Joint session with the Domestic Violence Network
Morning or Full Conference Options Available

The Ripple Effect: Domestic Abuse in the Workplace

Session 1: The Ripple Effect: Domestic Abuse and the Bottom Line
Pat will make the case that domestic violence is not only a societal crisis, but also a crisis for business. That is, domestic violence takes a toll on a company’s workforce and bottom line. So, domestic violence in the workplace should be handled the same way any other business crisis is handled.

Pat will go on to offer a strategy for addressing domestic violence in the workplace in terms of various elements of crisis management. For example, just as a good company prepares for crises and doesn’t wait for them to happen, so also preparations should be made for addressing domestic violence in the workplace. Other crisis management strategies include such things as identifying the effects the crisis will have on the company, educating employees and forming partnerships with local crisis-response groups as ways of dealing with the problem.

The final crisis management tenet Pat will note is to avoid “No comment” responses. She will tie this in to encouraging the audience members to take action by creating their own “crisis management” plans.

Session 2: The Ripple Effect: Domestic Abuse and Your Employees
Click Here to read Lorel Steven's "Taking A Stand" article.

Session 3: The Ripple Effect: Achieving management Buy-In to Address Domestic Abuse

This program has been approved for recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org

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IndySHRM—Affiliate of The Society for Human Resource Management
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.—Indiana Chapter
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Small Business Programs
Proudly sponsor

“Employer Compliance Assistance Forum”
Understanding DOL Rules and Regulations

This forum will provide valuable information to small business owners regarding occupational safety and health, labor and employment issues. Discover how compliance assistance can strengthen your small business and get expert information on DOL rules regarding minimum wage, overtime, fair labor standards, and workplace safety.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Small Business Programs, Wage and Hour Division, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration will participate in the forum and answer questions from small business owners.

For small business compliance assistance on the laws and regulations that the U.S. Department of Labor administers, you may telephone or write to:

Office of Small Business Programs
200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room C2318
Washington, DC 20210
Toll free: 1-888-972-7332 or 202-693-6480
Website: www.dol.gov/osbp