By Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy
Tony Schwarz and Catherine McCarthy state that since time is a finite resource, it makes more sense to focus on building one's energy; this is done by working to the natural rhythms of expending and renewing your energy throughout the day. Staff must adopt rituals that tap into four different sources of energy: body, emotions, mind and spirit.
This article is relevant and valuable to individuals and employers alike. An experiment at Wachovia bank reportedly improved performance dramatically. But they question whether companies are brave enough to institute such working patterns
2. “Talent Management: Nurturing the Egg”
By Jean-Michel Caye and Ivan Martin
This article states how firms can find, keep and promote the best staff in emerging markets. The firs identifies three converging trends: “Ego” (staff who know their value); “Globalization” (the importance of emerging markets as a pool of talent); and “Generation” (the impending shortage of managers in the West when baby-boomers retire). Using the acronym "EGG", the author’s advice: "If companies fail to adjust to the trends, the egg will break…nurture the egg properly, however, [and] it will hatch and produce a thriving organism". This can be done through sustainable development programs like trainings and field trips. They also stress on making staff feel the sense of belonging to ensure that the “nurturing” process flows smoothly and naturally.
3. “Aligning Talent for Global Advantage”
By Daniel Friedman, Jim Hemerling and Jacqueline Chapman
“Aligning Talent for Global Advantage” central claim is that global staffing is now a strategic issue, no longer just the remit of the human resources department. The article gives useful, practical recommendations. Its main virtue lies in its numerous real-life examples: for example, how SAP situates its plants according to the available talent pool; how Philips and Unilever outsource routine human-resources tasks so the division is free to think more strategically; how Schlumberger operates tactical talent-planning teams and makes annual forecasts of its global staffing needs so that further trainings will bring the best results.
4. Defending the indefensible?
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Fall 2007
“15 Minutes with Hannah Jones”
Hannah Jones, Nike's vice-president of corporate social responsibility since 2004, argues the case for a company that has been a whipping-boy for anti-globalization activists. Some 80% of Nike's workforces, says Ms Jones, are contract workers, many of them women aged 18 to 24 who are working away from home for the first time. “These women have to be our primary concern,” she says, although Ms Jones doesn't specify how Nike polices its contractors.
Nike's other concerns are the environment and “excluded youth”—Ms Jones says the company promotes sports activities for the latter. She gives the impression that Nike's main achievements have been to find opportunities for improving conditions within its supply chain: encouraging designers to turn designs in on time, for example, so that workers are less likely to be pressured into working excessive overtime.
5. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
by John Williams
DECEMBER 20, 2000
John Williams writes an article which corporations can adopt if they want their workers to work at optimum level. He suggests that companies should invest a little bit more in their work tables and chairs and also furniture which give better support and comfort because it reduces aches and pains as well as increases their productivity. He also encourages companies to buy new technology tools and train their staff to use them and encourage them to experiment with these programs because it saves their time and reduces fatigue. He also states that there is always room for improvement so companies should not stick to only one old type of technology but combine both new and old technology to innovate new ideas and finally get optimum results
6. CSR: Ask, Don't Tell
By Kurt Ronn
President and founder of HRworks
This article states that you can bring cohesion to your workforce by giving employees a say in your company's charitable contributions. Most corporations have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) statement, many have a charitable foundation, and nearly all encourage their employees to be a positive presence in the community, both on and off the job. But traditionally, CSR is a top-down proposition. The leaders of the organization select a worthy cause, back it with charitable funding, and direct their employees to support it. To be successful, though, that concept needs to be reconsidered. He states that the charity events done should reflect the employee’s interest’s and that they should let the employees decide which charity event would be most suitable for the company as they also have rights as workers in the company.
7. PROTON's Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility
http://www.proton.com/community/csr/csr_index.php
This article shows how the company shows its concern towards the community, environment and also to its workers by encouraging continuous sustainable development. A new and comprehensive employee communication framework was developed to ensure that all employees are aligned with the organization’s direction and goals. To take this effort one step further, strategic human capital capability-building initiatives were executed. In addition to facilitating assessment, these initiatives sought to develop leadership competencies, develop talent pool and put into motion a succession planning programme to better equip the workforce with skills to compete globally. Continuous development of workforce is vital for them to ensure that they measure up as a key player in the automotive industry.
This year PROTON continues to provide opportunities for students through Yayasan PROTON, where the Group explored viable opportunities for human capital development through programmes with secondary school students and university graduates. Their role is to be a catalyst of success through educational programmes to underprivileged yet smart students who can eventually be a part of the PROTON family.
PROTON also developed and launched Declaration of Assets and ‘Whistleblower’ policies to clearly underline the seriousness to establish integrity as one of their key values.
8. Seeing the Bigger Picture
Saturday January 26, 2008
The Star Business News
Securities Commission chairman Datuk Zarinah Anwar thinks many companies do subscribe to the principles of good business practices, a lot more can be done. She shares her thoughts with StarBiz on why companies should move from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to corporate responsibility (CR). CR is about integrating responsible and ethical practices in all aspects of a company’s operations. CR is wider than CSR because it deals with issues of ethics, governance and the environment as well as the social issues that are the primary concern of CSR. She states that companies should focus more on capacity building and companies should invest time and effort in transferring their skills to help develop their staff. She also states the choice between profits and CR go hand-in-hand so CR responsible companies still earn a lot, if not more revenue than non CR friendly companies.
9. Strengthen Your Business by Developing Your Employees
By Leslie Levine
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development/1240-1.html
Companies that want to attract and retain valuable people on staff need to actively participate in their employees' growth and development. It's rewarding for employees to expand their knowledge base and take on new challenges, as it makes coming to work about more than just a paycheck. To maintain a work environment that fosters learning and a desire to constantly improve, companies should implement mentoring programs to provide job coaching, advice on career development, and introductions to other professionals in the industry. Mentors often help their charges to see the "bigger picture" when it comes to their working life. And, at the same time, mentors themselves can gain valuable insight from their protégés and become better managers.
Launching employee-training programs also demonstrates that the company values its people and wants them to grow. Reimbursing tuition costs also help employees finance their education and is a tangible way to demonstrate a company's commitment to fostering a workforce full of skilled and talented people. This form of employee development also benefits the company as a whole, better educated employees increase the firm's chances for success in a competitive marketplace. Adding tuition reimbursement to the benefits package also makes the company a much more desirable place to work, and can help attract top talent.
Employees appreciate job security, but in order to grow professionally, people want and need new responsibilities. Giving employees opportunities to grow within the company lets them know that you value their past contributions and have faith in their abilities to take on greater challenges. Star performers should also be rewarded because disregarding their hard work can be demoralizing. A simple pat on the back or acknowledgement will make them strive to work harder.
Often, employees want to make suggestions about the way things are done but don't have a way to voice their ideas. Fostering creative learning processes makes it easier for staffers to share their creative ideas or suggestions with top management.
10. The Benefits of Skill-Based Training
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-job-training/1151-1.html
Skill-based training can positively affect employees and the company. Training increases employee productivity. In addition to learning how to complete new tasks and take on more responsibility, employees can learn advanced techniques to help them complete everyday tasks more efficiently.
Training also reduces turnover which reduces costs as well as increases job satisfaction and it challenges them to learn more and get more involved in their jobs
11. CSR Training Styles
http://www.oww-consulting.com/csr-training/types.html
Different companies use different styles to train their workers because company culture differs in each organization. Amongst these styles, three types of training are most popular which are the Board of Directors Training, Executive Level Training and the Communications Training. In the Board of Directors training, Directors are trained to familiarize themselves with issues and opportunities regarding non-financial, environmental, social and governance risks to help them manage them well to increase the business value in the market.
Executive Level Training trains executives to realize current CSSR issues in their area and to guide them how to make the best CSR friendly decisions. The communications training trains the communications staff with CSR issues. This usually involves departments like the Public Affairs Department, the Investor Relations Department, the Marketing Department and the Customer Relations Unit
12. Career Opportunities
http://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/careers/restOpp.aspx
McDonalds practices its Five People Principles which are:
i) Respect and Recognition - where managers treat workers the way they want to be treated. Employees are respected, valued and empowered. Employees are recognized and rewarded in a variety of different ways. This includes once in a Lifetime Opportunities.
ii) Values & Behaviors- where the company works in the best interest of the company, community and also workers. They communicate openly, listen for understanding and value diverse opinions. They accept personal accountability as well as they coach and learn.
iii) Competitive Pay & Benefits – Where Pay is at or above local quick service restaurant levels. Compensation packages include benefits that employees value and they receive regular performance and wage reviews
iv) Training, Learning, Development and Personal Growth - Employees receive work experience that teaches skills and values that last a lifetime. They are also provided the tools they need to develop personally and professionally.
v) Resources To Get The Job Done - Employees have the tools they need to get the job done.
13. Training
http://www.inc.com/guides/hr/training.html
In Merkle's in-house educational center, known as MIT ("Merkle Institute of Technology"), employees can take and teach classes on a variety of topics, from statistics to yoga. Besides earning credit hours, which qualify them for annual salary increases, employees gain much more such as the opportunity to investigate anything they are curious about and a more interactive and close-knit working environment. Even classes like pumpkin carving are valuable to the company, as employees become better overall learners, which dramatically boost the company's intellectual capital.
One of the basic training strategies used is Cross Training because the better everyone knows everyone else's job, the better the company runs. They also stress that increasing learning opportunities can lower turnover and the most valuable employee training usually comes from on-the-job experience, not from a formal training session because this empowers employees to learn for themselves.
Training non-English speaking workers by sending them to English classes and honing sales skills through fun and games raises work satisfaction and also productivity. Leadership training sessions also adds value to workers and empathizing with their problems helps reduce work stress. Training also is important as it helps avoid discrimination where employers would learn what training strategies they should use to avoid harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
14. Ten Employee Training Tips
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-job-training/1465-1.html
i) Stress training as investment.
ii) Determine your needs
iii) Promote a culture of learning
iv) Get management on board
v) Start out small
vi) Choose quality instructors and materials.
vii) Find the right space – location & size
viii) Clarify connections – training & job
ix) Make it ongoing.
x) Measure results.
15. New Employee Training – Is it Worth the Investment?
http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/NEO112597.htm
From F. John Reh
This writer of this article tells readers why employers should and should not train new workers. He says that workers that workers that bring revenues that are lower than their salaries should take initiative to learn themselves the skills needed to reach their target goals. However, he also says that training new workers will make them more productive. They will feel better about themselves and the job. They will stick around longer. He also states that skills needed for the job is usually not learnt in the classroom but at the workplace.
He states that Government regulation, insurance coverage’s, and common sense dictate some training that MUST be given to every new employee. Dr. Edward Gordon recommends companies make training a stand-alone function, separate from HR. He suggests Training Managers use Return on Investment (ROI) to demonstrate that the training function is a profit center, not just a cost center.
16. Productivity Improvement
http://www.accel-team.com/techniques/articlesSum.html
There are many dynamics to consider, both internally and externally, before changes are made. We must then review these dynamics both during the change process, and then evaluate them again when the changes have been accepted as standard practice.
Companies should use the force field analysis which looks at the variables involved in planning and implementing a change program and will undoubtedly be of use in projects such as team building and productivity improvement, when attempting to overcome resistance to change.
Goal Congruence is also important. The extent that individuals and groups perceive their own goals as being satisfied by the accomplishment of organizational goals is the degree of integration of goals. When organizational goals are shared by all, the term goal congruence can be used.
An organizational growth cycle examines the problems associated with organizational growth and the impact of change on employees.
The Open Systems Approach enables companies to better plan and coordinates the activities of teams, departments, organizations. It will enable creation of an internal and external vision of the strategically important factors that impact on the team, department and or organization, or are impacted by the 'system' under review.
Self-Assessment and thinking like the boss raises productivity because if they're performing to the satisfaction of those above them, their efforts are likely to lead to increased pay and responsibilities.
Time Management and Measuring the Office Staff Productivity improve performance achieves tangible results. Changes up and down can be detected allowing managerial action to be taken to ensure that improvement.
17. It’s Up to You (Stopping Sexual Harassment)
http://www.business-marketing.com/store/sexualharassment.html#3438
With recent legal changes, and the ever-increasing need to confront sexual harassment issues in the workplace, the challenges to comprehensive training have grown. This series uses real-world situations and a knowledgeable host to help your organization understand and stop sexual harassment behavior. Settings include office, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, and hospitality.
The program gives in-depth understanding of the key definitions of sexual harassment, the negative effects of sexual harassment on organizations and individuals, how to recognize and discourage illegal behavior, how to respond to sexual harassment from both the employee’s and manager’s perspectives, fostering a safe and comfortable work environment, judging behavior as a reasonable person, Proper procedures for reporting sexual harassment and prevention and response tools for unwelcome behavior.
18. On-The-Job Video Training
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_13/b3977062.htm
By Reena Jana
Corporate trainers are betting that games' interactivity and fun will hook young, media-savvy employees like Holshouser and help them grasp and retain sales, technical, and management skills. "Video games teach resource management, collaboration, critical thinking, and tolerance for failure," says Ben Sawyer, who runs Digitalmill Inc.
Companies like video games because they are cost-effective. Even better, employees often play the games at home on their own time. Besides, by industry standards, training games are cheap to make.
Games are also being developed to help teach customer service workers to be more empathetic. For instance, a game requires players to use the art of persuasion to sell products, and simulates a store, down to the carpet and point-of-purchase display details
Don Field, director of certifications at Cisco, says games won't entirely replace traditional training methods such as videos and classes. But he says they should be part of the toolbox. Our employees learn without realizing they are learning
19. Achieving Performance Excellence in University Administration: A Team
http://books.google.com.my/books?id=F17nUy2ww18C&dq=employee+training&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
By Manuel London
Human resource strategies for organization development include team-building methods to improve communication and reduce interpersonal conflict among university administrators.
20. Training Management
http://www.businessperform.com/html/training_management.html
More attention is being paid to the discipline of project management. “Projects” with unlimited budgets and never-ending timelines trying to satisfy fuzzy organizational objectives are becoming tolerated less and less in today’s business world. Hence, the demand for project management training has seen a dramatic rise in the last ten years. With this there is an increased interest in project management tools and methodologies. More training projects are now being run using an Instructional Systems Design (ISD) model. This way, the learning objectives that companies strive to achieve will be reached.
Donald Kirkpatrick’s traditional four-level model remains as the most used model for evaluating the effectiveness of training. This, however, has been supplemented by Jack Phillips with a new fifth level, Return on Investment (ROI). Using this approach, training is no longer a naïve single-point solution, but is perhaps just one component of the final package.
