Archive for the ‘Our .02 Cents’ Category

  • Ee Engagement: First Define, So as Not to See It Decline

    Our .02 Cents

    An “engaged employee” – Who is this person? Someone commonplace or rarely found? How to define? What are the characteristics of? Questions of the day floating around many a workplace, and ones that are as open-ended as ever.

    What defines an “engaged employee” is perhaps the most important one a company can ask of itself… i.e., if you don’t have a clue as to what it means (or may mean… essentially where to begin), then you won’t know how to get there (creating an engaged workforce).

    Here at PDR we asked the question among our staff, and the answers we got varied greatly – one person felt engagement could be defined by how knowledgeable an employee is (someone who has made the effort to be better at what they do); another person thought it was all about being a team player (putting the We before the Me); a company owner emphasized an engaged employee as someone who actively and openly and willingly is able to communicate with peers and management (ever on the same page, set expectations); still another staff member felt an engaged employee takes pride in their work and speaks favorably of the company to others; and as for the HR geek (me), well he commented it’s all about showing discretionary effort, stepping up to the plate rather than managing down expectations (the “going above and beyond” thing without being asked to).

    As you can see – truth be told – there is no single right answer to the question: What is (makes for) an engaged employee? But it’s definitely a question worth asking and answering.

    2010.05.20 / no responses / Category: Our .02 Cents

  • Shutter Index: Bringing a Thaw to Er / Ee Relations

    Our .02 Cents

    The Challenge

    It’s fair to say both employers and employees, in most instances, enter into workplace arrangements with the best intentions, full of goodwill… a heartfelt handshake is struck at the outset, with both parties excited at the prospects of a healthy, productive and lasting relationship. But beneath the surface loom potential problems. Employees start to ask questions (”Why isn’t my paystub correct?” “What are these deductions for?”); wage disputes can occur and escalate; costly violations of various federal anti-discrimination and labor protection laws can ensue, etc. In short, what once started out so promising soon turns into a nightmare scenario.

    The Solution

    Shutter Index, a product of PDR Holdings, can help. Relational in nature, Shutter Index facilitates – and in many ways enhances – the quality of interactions between employees and employees. The goal is to turn workers into active participants in a business rather than passive observers, as well as mitigate if not eliminate many of the potential downstream problems (when things go wrong) lurking just below the surface of employer-employee relations.

    In more detail, Shutter Index leverages an intuitive, online technology that enables companies and their workers to interact in an entirely unique way – one that is more informed, more involved and in many way more meaningful (a common platform and language). Workplace expectations are more clearly set and followed through upon, better lines of communications achieved. The end result is an engaged workforce and an empowered employer.

    Learn more … shutterindex.com 877 – 766 – 6032

    2010.04.16 / no responses / Category: Our .02 Cents, Products

  • Small vs Large Clients: Price Appropriately

    Our .02 Cents

    Most companies have a mix of clients based on size, large and small as well as those that fall somewhere in between. But are all clients created – and thus should be treated – equally? Not necessarily so, as this blog post illuminates nicely. A company always is in the process of determining how to allocate its resources in the most cost-effective manner; and this sometimes requires making hard decisions … e.g., just saying No to sales opportunities if/when it can be determined that the “fit” just isn’t right, that neither seller nor buyer benefits from a situation of over promising and under delivering.

    2010.03.23 / no responses / Category: Our .02 Cents

  • Time to Draft That Data Theft Policy

    Our .02 Cents

    In today’s information age, data is everything, and everywhere, transmitted in real-time and then stored, data pretty much a fact of life. As such, it’s increasingly important for individuals and companies to be proactive in protecting their data. Identity theft is a real concern. In a given year, nearly 10 million people fall victim to it, at an average fraud of over $5,000, with countless untold hours spent trying to fix the problem, prosecute perpetrators and repair credit. Talk about a headache. Employers, in particular, should take time to review their internal controls (flow of information, who has hands on what types of information) and put in place a policy that helps prevent data theft and loss. Below is sample language that might be used to get started.

    Sample Policy Language

    “The company makes every effort to prevent ‘identity theft’—the misuse and / or fraudulent use of an individual’s personal information. Personal data, e.g., social security, driver’s license and bank account numbers, as well as other private information, is considered private and in need of safeguarding. Internally, in regard to the company’s staff, such data is kept in secure locations (accessible only to a few pre-screened individuals), and its capture and transmittal (via paper or digital formats) kept to a minimum.

    The company takes a similarly proactive approach to ensure data integrity among clients. Attention is paid upfront, coupled with ongoing educational efforts, to inform clients of the importance of appropriately granting and / or restricting access to their own organization’s data.

    An employee who suspects his / her personal information is being misused or mishandled should report this concern immediately to management, who can then take appropriate steps in response. Likewise, if a company employee suspects a data breach among at a company’s client company, or if a contact at a client company reports as much, this information should be reported immediately to management, which will take appropriate next steps.”

    2010.02.20 / no responses / Category: Helpful Tips, Our .02 Cents

  • I (Heart My) (Co)Work(er) Here

    Our .02 Cents

    Valentines Day. That special time of the year every February when intoxicating feelings of lust/like/love swirl in the air – two hearts beating as one at home and just as likely at work, in the office… ahhh, the issue of workplace romance… what’s an employer to do? Are cubicle couplings of the amorous variety possibly harmful? Healthy? Inevitable? A combo of all three?

    The short answer (conventional wisdom holds) is that, quite simply, work is a great place to meet folks – and possibly find a partner. Much time is spent together in close quarters among those often of like-mind, spirit and interest. In other words, human beings will do what human beings are meant to do – seek out and find comfort, compatibility, and connection from among those around, who surround, and with whom one interacts frequently and intensely.

    A majority of companies understand this reality (attraction happens) but that does not mean they don’t put in place certain expectations and rules that govern appropriate behavior and conduct when that loving feeling takes over. PDR recommends as much – that companies take time exploring what kind of an approach they might want to take when workplace romances blossom and/or wilt.

    Read more here and here.

    2010.02.14 / no responses / Category: Human Resources, Our .02 Cents

  • Bureaucracy thru the Eyes of Government Employees

    Our .02 Cents

    So just how dysfunctional is the federal government? As PDR’s Human Resources staff – who interact with multiple agencies at all levels all the time – can tell you, often times incredibly so: inefficient systems, unresponsive personnel, nonsensical forms and publications, etc… you name it. In many ways, government is the very definition of bureaucracy; in fact, here’s how the dictionary defines bureaucracy:

    1.         government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

    2.         the body of officials and administrators, esp. of a government or government department.

    3.         excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators.

    4.         administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

    But just don’t take our or dictionary.com’s word for it. Consider how federal employees themselves rate their “boss” Uncle Sam.

    Interviewed in mid-2008 by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, less than half of a random sample of federal employees reported that their agencies were able to recruit employees with the right skills, just over a third said promotions were based on merit, and even fewer said their agencies took steps to deal with poor performers. To continue, just over half of the federal employees surveyed said their managers encouraged communication across work units, and less than 40 percent said that innovation and creativity were rewarded in their agencies.

    Perhaps the federal government should start listening to its own workforce when it comes to determining how things break down, and what the appropriate fixes might be.

    2010.01.20 / no responses / Category: Our .02 Cents

  • Learn to Manage Upward

    Our .02 Cents

    It’s fair to say most employees become anxious come performance review time. After all, in many ways, it’s the moment of truth – a judgment is made by your employer (your boss) as to how well (or not-so-well) you’ve done. It’s a time replete with conesquences… on the positive side, a pay increase or a promotion; more negatively, a demerit, even termination.

    The process often is one-sided as well, a top-down approach. One listens while another person does most of the talking, a one-way discussion. But it needn’t be. In fact, many companies have found that employees feel empowered when given a chance to assess the performance of those who sit above them on the corporate ladder.  It’s called “managing upward” and can be an effective way to improve not just a company’s morale but its bottomline as well. Often those who sit in the middle know best, able to provide fresh perspectives and insights into how an organization might operate better.

    2009.12.31 / no responses / Category: Human Resources, Our .02 Cents

  • A Rather Rocky Mountain State Health Care Reform Effort

    Our .02 Cents

    People visit Utah in droves for the scenery, from its majestic, red rock parks down south to its world-class ski resorts up north. But could the state ever serve as a similar draw for its approach to health care, in particular as a model for insurance reform?

    The answer appears to be no, PDR’s homegrown biases aside. One is probably better off looking elsewhere for inspiration, beyond the primal kind, that is, experienced by hiking remote slot canyons or whizzing down steep, snowy slopes at breakneck speeds. Utah — from whence Senators Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett hail, both leading Republican voices and the latter a champion of state-driven insurance exchanges — may have had its Waterloo moment as to health care reform, a monumental letdown in the making, and it should be getting more national attention.

    In late summer, after months of parsing the details, a group of industry players and political poobahs launched with great fanfare the Utah Health Exchange — a virtual (online) marketplace whereby participating small employers would soon feast from a hearty menu of health plans, 66 in total. No longer would employees be restricted to enrolling solely in what their company offered, typically a single plan; instead, workers who liked Health Savings Accounts could select that option, while those wanting traditional insurance could get that, and so forth. Choice would reign supreme.

    While controversial aspects of how today’s health care insurance is practiced — pre-existing condition exclusions, gender-based premium differentials, recessionary decisions, etc. — remained off the table in Utah’s discussions, the Exchange nonetheless represented a step forward. So much so, many outside observers and pundits began championing it as a way — perhaps The Way, a be-all end-all — in which a public option should be deployed nationally: leave it to the states (keep it local) and let markets experiment away, capitalism’s wondrous wand magically at work.

    Hardly a ripple of concern surfaced early as folks plunged in. More than 130 companies applied, with 99 eventually deemed eligible, comprising a total employee pool of around 1,200. Then the insurers came back with their pricing, and that’s when matters got sticky. The new premiums were much more expensive than what many participating employers had been paying let alone anticipating, sometimes 50 to 130 percent higher.

    PDR had excitedly signed up for the Exchange. Upon seeing the numbers, however, its HR Director more than cringed, having been talking up this new approach nonstop — come open enrollment, there would be choices galore; employees could select a health plan that best suited their needs. Many were raring to go. But then to be told the bad news: “Hold on a sec guys, but that nifty new health insurance exchange we’re piloting here in Utah, well, it may not be happening.” So much huff and puff had gone into making the Exchange happen only to see it compromised, in the end, by profit-first insurers — apparently still more bent on maintaining bottom lines than expanding accessible and affordable coverage.

    Not ready to call it quits, vested parties have recommitted. Utah’s Exchange is still officially underway. Hazard the thought in a Red state like Utah, but there’s even talk of the heavy (helping?) hand of the government stepping in, applying pressure to redo the Exchange’s pricing — basing it on applicants’ ages rather than health histories. Perhaps this new tack will result in lower costs, and thus reinvigorate the Exchange. Here at PDR we’re doubtful.

    We know reforming health care is complicated, with no easy answers. A battle is being waged between entrenched and powerful camps, many of which have been known to get red in maw, tooth and claw when defending their respective turf. A lot is on the line, dollars and not least lives. But if Utah’s approach is a sign of things to come — what Washington eventually hands down in a few weeks or months time — we worry. Experience is telling us that state-based insurance exchanges stand a better chance of becoming more bust than boom.

    2009.12.11 / no responses / Category: Benefits, In the News, Our .02 Cents

  • Employer Beware! Worker Disaffection = Possible Worker Defection

    In better economic times, the unhappy worker often bolted for the door, hardly waiting for it to slam shut before jetting off in the direction of his or her next job (good riddance: onto bigger responsibilities, more pay, a better work environment, etc.). But given the recent recession that dates back to late 2007, more employees – even if dismal – are grinning and bearing it, fully aware that having a job is better than having no job at all … for every available position, 6 hungry workers-in-waiting are vying for it.

    Still, companies might be well-advised to start paying closer attention to their level (not to mention quality) of engagement with their workforce, asking themselves “Just how is morale?” As overall labor conditions begin to stabilize and improve, employees will once again hold more sway, explore more outside employment options (shop for jobs). As one HR consultant put it:

    “Employees are clearly expressing their pent-up frustration with how they have been treated through the downturn,” Douglas Matthews, president of Right Management, commented. “While employers may have taken the necessary steps to streamline operations to remain viable, it appears many employees may have felt neglected in the process. The result is a disengaged and disgruntled workforce.”

    Sixty percent of employees intend to leave their firms as the economy improves next year, and an additional 27 percent are networking or have updated their résumés, according to a recent survey of 904 workers in North America by advisory firm Right Management, whose President was quoted above.

    A recent survey of 500 U.S. employees from consulting firms APCO Worldwide and Gagen MacDonald found that more than 80 percent of respondents say they are extremely loyal to their company and personally motivated to do all they can to help their companies succeed. But less than half of employees say they completely agree with the statements “My company is loyal to me” and “My company values its employees.”

    Far from sitting on their hands, some employers – aware of a looming defection problem (employees en masse itching to leave for greener pastures) – plan to reverse cost-cutting moves (such as unfreezing salaries and bonuses). These companies are likely to pursue a softer approach with workers (tied to increased transparency, improved education and training opportunities) to renew and reinvigorate the shared bond between employer and employee.

    2009.12.08 / no responses / Category: Human Resources, Our .02 Cents

  • Writing on Our (and Your) Behalf

    Our .02 Cents

    Here at PDR we do a fair amount of business writing (for us directly, as well as often on behalf of our clients), and we hope we do it well, or at least well enough…whether it concerns conveying separation information related to fighting unemployment claims or marshaling all the facts in a wage dispute case.

    So what is writing? An act of remembering: the attempt to recall all the relevant details. An act of listening: the attempt to find prose that captures the nuance, the vibration of voice, being attentive to the sounds of sentences and not just their structure. An act of quarrelling and confrontation: the attempt to fight language into submission. An act of synthesizing: the attempt to convey concepts and ideas meaningfully. An act of permanence: the attempt to make words reliable.

    What is writing perhaps most of all? A rumination. A pondered finality—to persevere, to be patient, to be dedicated, to be disciplined, to arrive at just the right word or sequence of words so as to have the desired effect. Mark Twain got it spot on: “The difference between the right word and nearly the right word is the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug.”

    2009.12.04 / no responses / Category: Our .02 Cents

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