by CHRC | Jan 29, 2020 | Competencies, Human Capital, Skilled Labor
Some of the most fun we have as compensation consultants is when a client says: “this is such an unusual job; you will never be able to price this job.”
What makes our job so interesting? Sleuthing to find such a unique set of skills to fulfill even the rarest roles. The minute I read this headline, I was intrigued not just because I love the costumes on this TV show, but because I immediately thought, “Where would you even find that person?” “What sort of background would they need?” “What knowledge, skills, and ability does a job like that require?” Once those questions are answered, then we can start finding matched roles and salaries.
The beauty of this article? The interviewer did his job; he obviously asked all the right questions, because the article answers all the specifics required to dress Midge Maisel.
Perhaps we should see if this interviewer would like to become a compensation consultant? Read More Here
by CHRC | Jan 22, 2020 | Productivity, Work Place
In the early 1990s, I lived in Japan, and was taken aback the first few times I saw people get on the subway, and go about their daily business wearing surgical-type masks whenever they were sick. Over time, I started to realize what a smart practice this was. This time of year, I wish my fellow Americans would put medical masks on as they sneeze and cough spreading their germs all around.
So, is it okay to call in sick with a common cold? Should you tough it out and keep working or go back to bed—for everybody’s sake? Having a cold doesn’t really warrant a day off; or does it? Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), suggests, “If you are really not well and your symptoms mean you are not going to be productive, it’s better to [call in] sick [rather than] spreading your germs around the workplace.” It’s also important to remember to “be more mindful of those with severely compromised immune systems” or those caring for others with compromised immune systems.
If you still can’t shake that cold, don’t be afraid to take the day off. You (and your co-workers) will be glad you did. Read More Here
by CHRC | Jan 20, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership
I was four years old when Dr. King was killed, and I spent the ensuing days bombarding my poor parents with questions.
Three and a half decades later, when our son was four and our daughter was seven, we were sitting around the dinner table when my husband questioned them: “Do you know why you didn’t have school today?” They both knew it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Who was Dr. King?” we asked, and our four-year-old responded, “He don’t want you to fight with people.“ We accepted that answer. We turned to the seven-year-old. Her answer started with Rosa Parks and a bus. She understood that the peace part had something to do with racial injustice.
My husband then looked at our children and told them that they needed to realize how very different their lives would be if it hadn’t been for Dr. King‘s dream and his work. They would not have Jewish friends who invited them to Hanukkah parties. Our daughter probably couldn’t have a best friend who was African-American, because what were the odds that she would even go to school with kids that look different than herself? So many things that our children took for granted were things that three and a half decades earlier were unfathomable for most Americans. The best part of the evening was when our seven-year-old got out of her chair and put her hands on her hips and said, “I’m sorry I just don’t understand. How could this be?!”
Today, as Americans pause and remember Dr. King‘s legacy, some of us will be doing exactly what Dr. King would expect of us—committing acts of service, or acts of peace, extending a hand to our neighbors, and taking steps to bring his dream a bit closer to reality. But for those of us who are not part of one of those activities today, could we pause and think of the classmate or neighbor, colleague, best friend, or person we love; who, because of Dr King’s dream, is now an integral part of our lives. Today, let’s think about the person we couldn’t dream of NOT having in our life. Let’s give thanks for an American with a bold desire for justice, a thirst for equality, and a conviction that all our lives would be richer working together rather than living apart.
by CHRC | Jan 15, 2020 | Productivity
Would you like permission to not get everything done on this year’s to do list and have the scientific evidence to back it up? Now armed with neurological, demographic, and technological reasons why planning for the year to come is not actually the best way to reach your potential, you can instead let things slip onto next year’s list and still feel good about it.
It’s human nature to pay more attention to what’s right in front of us and to focus more on our immediate future, but it’s equally important to start planning for the next decade. In a recent Forbes article, Nell Derick Debevoise points out that not only have our attention spans shortened but that one’s life expectancy has also increased, thus solidifying our need for long term planning. She suggests strategies like mindfulness practice “to slow your thinking down” and using the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize what’s urgent and not urgent and then work accordingly.
Here’s to planning for your decade! Read More Here
by CHRC | Jan 8, 2020 | Productivity, Work Place
I stumbled across this article in the Economist several months ago, but when pondering New Year’s resolutions, its content came back to me. Few will be in a position to enact the sorts of suggestions that the authors of It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work recommend, but if you are, I encourage you to contemplate some of their ideas.
The authors, Fried and Heinemeier Hansson, have a strategic approach for fostering the ideal company culture. Their employees work less hours, attend fewer meetings, and get more vacation time. They contend that they would prefer to invest in these perquisites rather than those they consider a waste: free dinners, office game rooms, and snack bars.
You do not need to copy their business techniques, but you should consider the rationale behind their decision making. Fried and Heinemeier Hansson recognize the need for deep work, and that often the office layout and culture makes it nearly impossible to accomplish any work! These authors understand the true cost of human capital when they do the math: “Eight people in a room doesn’t cost one hour, it costs eight hours.”
In the current labor shortage, if you take any of these ideas to heart, you should be doing so to attract and retain the very best of a limited labor pool and to make sure that you give employees the optimum environment in which to use their talents. Read More Here
