Inspiring Human Resources Leadership Worldwide TKO SUES SSL THE DIGEST uy Legal Hub TRUS Ly Do Workplace Wellness eRe Cer Nam Why FMLA Doesn't Cut It Programs Really Save Money? | into Sour Hour! for Growing StartupsYOU REQUEST, WE PROVIDE ‘asino | Live Casino | Poker | Mobile | Sports i i" T i TECHONOLOGY OPERATIONS Cee) Cae ere! www.b3wgroup.com -EDITOR’S NOTE Companies are increasingly looking for omniscient HR executives with general management, finance, and international experience. Given the complexity of the role, HR is perceived as the cornerstone of the executive suite; someone who drives the corporate culture as a competitive advantage; helps fellow C-suite members stay in touch with employees, and pushes back against traditional ideas and approaches. With this enhanced profile comes new challenges; and this kind of changing circumstances and disruption often demand a thought role model, who is able to create and nurture a strong culture; one that is able to flex and adjust with the change. In the past decade, we've come across some of the most effective and influential HR leaders who made headlines for their measurable impact on the C-suite, the Board and every employee. The October 2018 issue of The HR Digest honors the valuable work of these HR leaders who have made a lasting impact and changed the way we look at the people- focused function. Happy Reading! The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018ie NS Anna Domanska, Editor-in-Chief Priyansha Mistry, Sub-Editor Riana Petaniek, Sub-Editor Christy Gren, Sub-Editor Aubrey Chang, Associate Editor Dsus te Jason Miller Sr. Project Director TECHNOLOGY John Hancock Head-Web Department FINANCE CONTROL RR Baratiya BEDI He oiges: Mogerine | Ovcber 2018 THE TEAM Kevin Paul Sr. Graphic Designer Reepal Savaniya Graphic Designer dco 94 Mee ead Tony Raval Project Director Jay Raol Project Director Ee Richard Dean, Advertising Manager Le Manh Coung, Julia Hunt, Sr Software Coordinator. — Magazine ProductionANEW HABIT TO KEEP AN OLD. ES 60 FORMS OF EXERCISE: 246 KRONOR A MONTH.CONTENT FEATURES10 WO 6 ols 4 au 2 Linkedin ‘Talent Insights’ to provide competitive intelligence for workforce planning EN) a SELEY Why FMLA Doesn't Cut It for Growing Startups er ZU ea Coworker from hell slurps water and goes ‘Ahhhhhh’ loudly. Every. Damn. Time. What do | do? EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Do Workplace Wellness Programs Really Save Money? TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT Do Your Employees See Learning As A Part of Their Job? COVER STORY Top HR Leaders of the Decade The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018CONTENT FEATURES 70 aw Don't Let the Happy Hour Turn into Sour Hour! 78 HR TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY What does Google Hire tell us about the Future of Recruiting? 96 II Is Your Name Holding You Back? 06 EEE The People-Service-Profit Philosophy that Guides FedEx To Success 102 Inventions That Will Have a Lasting Impact on Office Life 1 08s Mee ke ed BET He oiges: Mogerine | Ovcber 2018Te (a8 NG at NURS AUTRE GET WOMEN. Ce Cr} ee Cee eee te a ted Cee td ee Cie Cee Ci Ce eet ‘Considering some reports have the pay gap at even Dede tane elena? parent ee ony ee ee eras Pe eens Fora county that was the Sst o ge women the vole ad prides Cee ted ee Ce ee eee et Dred Ce ee eee eet ees De beedelaer eed ad Tol ight this wrong vt demandoqualpay org.nz NO Pie Me avextawo GOUUZUaha Drift Talent Insights was distributed among more than 80 customers and users at CATO ol cM aC Mae) Cla Moe Lalo Col MLR LL re MLR ALR UCLA Deliver Data on Demand, Make the Insights Actionable, and Deliver real- time updates on LinkedIn. BME He biges: nogarine | Ocicber 2018LinkedIn ‘Talent Insights’ to provide competitive intelligence for workforce planning Professional network LinkedIn has launched Talent Insights, a data-driven analytics tool for talent. The tool offers users two reports — Talent Pool and Company — to help businesses make informed decisions about recruiting and workforce planning, and metrics on peer companies in the industry. The business intelligence tool offers data and ensures actionable insights by harnessing real time updates by tapping into the network of 575 million professionals, 20 million companies, and 15 million active job listings. This tool is accessible across various regions, industries and levels within an organization. A Clear Picture of LinkedIn’s Talent Insights Elaborating on the report, Eric Owski, head of product for LinkedIn Talent Insights revealed the Talent Pool can offers an analysis report on a specific talent population: * How many professionals are within a talent pool and at what rate it is growing year-on-year. * Of a given talent pool, how many professionals have changed jobs in the last 12 months and how many job openings are there currently for this talent. + At what rate is the talent pool growing, geographically. * An insight into hiring demand based on the number of inmails that professionals sent to others from a talent pool. * An insight into the top employers within the talent pool and how fast it is growing within companies. Owski also offers insights on what the Company report can offer data on: * How a company’s workforce is distributed globally and its fastest growing locations. * How a company’s workforce is distributed by title or function and the fastest-growing functions within the company. * A company’s hiring and attrition rate. Talent Insights is LinkedIn’s first foray into business intelligence, a branch that aims to help enterprise users make more informed business decisions. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018Gap vit While the professional network has launched a number of others services in the past, it is yet to prove itself as more than an IT productivity tool. LinkedIn has included a way for users to look at and plan travels to potential Direct jobs; integrations with Microsoft Suite First Na including resume building in Word and x Posted 2d Outlook integration that allows one to extend business corporate directors 8 to with LinkedIn. Sa Owski said Talent Insights was x distributed among more than 80 customers and users at multiple levels in talent organizations to ensure it Job description fulfilled the three priorities LinkedIn set for the tool: First National Bank was built to h careers, and every day millions of : connections, discover opportunit Deliver data on demand: Offer means we get to make a direct int HR leaders and hiring managers other company can. We're much | the ability to answer complex talent lives through innovative product: questions within minutes. Searching for your dream job? At Make the insights actionable: Ensure employees find passion and purp that anyone can read the data. One doesn’t need to be a data analyst to interpret the data. Deliver real-time updates on LinkedIn: Provide the most accurate data on labor market trends at any given moment. MMMETEN th 12 Digest Magazine | October 2018»r of Financial Services ‘ional Bank - Toronto, Canada Area ays ago - 351 views nnection works here ve fl Apply »Ip professionals achieve more in their people use our products to make ies and gain insights. Our global reach pact on the world’s workforce in ways no nore than a digital resume - we transform and technology First National Bank, we strive to help our ose. Join us in changing the way the world See more ~ ToT iae MOM UA MTN fel oor PR near eee Job posted by Angelina DiNapoli - 2nd Director of Human Resources at Firs. Toronto, Canada Send InMail Grex ith Premium @ The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging that Facebook and 10 of its advertisers violated federal civil rights laws by posting sex-segregated job listings. Tr) Tre) POE e Te Uay Employers used Facebook's ad targeting features to exclude women, non-binary individuals, and others outside the targeted group from seeing the employment opportunity. According to the lawsuit, the job ads Se) Groups & ting that excluded a particular gender or race is illegal under Title VII of the Te CRO ee ea ae od un aatargeted to only men were positions in ‘well-paid, blue-collar fields from which women have traditionally been excluded.’ This type of job targeting is illegal under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which prohibits race and gender discrimination in employment. ACLU claims Facebook enabled gender-biased job ads ACLU attorney Galen Sherwin wrote “Facebook must change its platform to prevent advertisers from exploiting user data for discriminatory purposes, and ensure once and for all that all users, regardless of gender, race, age, or other protected status, are given a fair shake.” The lawsuit names Facebook, City of Greensboro North Carolina, Enhanced Roofing & Modeling, JK Moving Services, abas USA, and six other advertisers as perpetrators of discrimination against women in job ads, ACLU proposes a class-action lawsuit to include millions of job seekers who primarily use the platform to search for jobs. Facebook has faced intense scrutiny over potential gender discrimination related to ad targeting. The WIRED Neier Cie ure) ) esc) eric estar Ld NTU alee mcrae (@) Presents oe nec esc) feta circr) arte Tey Ceaesr rr) Breer anyGp ritt points out, Facebook’s ad-targeting tools allow employers to discriminate based on age and race. Facebook relatively Gender-targeted advertising may seem harmless in the fashion industry, doing so for job advertisements is against the U.S. law. Title VIl of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits race and gender discrimination in employment. The law applies to every stage of the employment process, _ including recruitment. ACLU’s claims highlight how precarious it is to target candidates based on factors such as age or gender. If an employer doesn’t want to target candidates which further perpetuates gender discrimination in ad targeting, it the best to review the language of your job postings? Remove Gender Bias from Job Ads When you're competing to recruit top talent for your company, you can't BETS He oig2s: Mogerine | Ovsber 2018 afford to make the mistake like some of the companies in the ACLU’s claims did. Here’s the best way to remove gender bias from job ads: * Replace biased terms with gender- neutral words * Review pronouns * Highlight family-friendly benefits If you follow these basic steps, you should be able to create job listings that don’t propagate unconscious gender bias in the recruitment process.Te RO eae ee Re aR Ole CCR ee i Re a occ o7OMe SU et hema eae cael De Ce Ri eR CRUE CIC ag eee eee ea ee ce A OrIndian Tech employees lose sleep as U.S decides on H-1B Visa Most Indian tech employees were waiting on September 10 for a new fate on their quest for H-1B Visa, a United State non-immigrant Visa which allows foreign workers to work in US companies temporarily, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101. But it appears they'd have to wait further. The US President Donald Trump's this year placed a temporary suspension on the premium processing for H-1B Visa in a campaign for “Buy American, administration earlier Hire American” policy. The suspension slated to end on Sept 10 was to enable a proper scrutiny of the visa for employees, popular among Indian IT professionals. Premium processing is a feature that allows companies to jump the queue, shortening the usual processing time of H-1B visa petitions, which is about six months. Through the premium feature, companies pay a fee of $1,225 (Rs 86,181) to get a response within 15 calendar days. As part of efforts to clear backlog, the U.S. rather extended the ongoing temporary suspension of —H-1B Visa application through premium processing. Announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the suspension will last until Feb. 19, 2019. The U.S. CIS disclosed that the further suspension will help the agency to process long-pending petitions it has not been able to process due to high volume of petitions coming in, including premium processing received some months back, thereby enabling a reduced overall time required to process H-1B Visas. The agency also said it will be increasing time for the temporary suspension of additional H-1B petitions beginning from Sept 11, 2018, and has extended the temporary suspension of premium processing cap-subject H-1B petitions. certain for Earlier in March, the U.S. CIS had announced the temporary suspension of premium processing for all financial year 2019 cap-subject H-18B petitions, including exemption petitions employees with masters degrees and above from the US. for The agency hopes to become more The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 EEresponsive to H-1B petitions and to prioritize adjudication of cases close to 240 days mark through this suspension. Employees may be admitted for a period of up to three years as an H-1B non-immigrant. And the period could be extended, at most once for a total of six years stay. This mode of admission is largely a U.S visa for Indian employees as statistics show that 70% of the global applicants are from India. While it has helped many Indian tech employees to gain wider practical experience, H-1B visa petitions from Indian IT professionals continued to grow over the years, limiting the chances of eligible applicants and pushing for an increased visa quota each year. Between 2007 and 2017, the U.S. CIS said it received about 2.2 million H-1B petitions from Indian IT professionals, and China second in the number of petitions with 301,000 within the same period. ee Cc aCe Re ST Rai eRe eke) ee ae CREE CisIg ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018Oe SE ge Cam a See oem Rc te Se OOSMicrosoft will begin requiring its vendors and contractors to offer their U.S. employees paid parental leave if they want to work with the tech giant. In a new policy announced, Microsoft said companies with more than 50 employees that do substantial work the tech company to offer a imum of 12 weeks of paid parental leave, for either a birth or adoption. Leave-takers would get up to $1,000 per week during their leave. Why It Matters? Most people think a paid parental Hf = leave is unnecessary because they did fine without it. We spoke to single mom Trisha who had to work multiple jobs and still struggles financially. “Most people have ‘pick yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality. I'd like to think that too, but the reality i: different. Sometimes we don’t see a change and that’s because our status quo works fine without them.” When Trisha’s company added four weeks of paid parental leave, the old timers hated it and refused to pick up shifts to cover for it. Why would people get upset about companies offering humans with basic rights at work? Microsoft suppliers or vendors with more than 50 employees that do substantial work with the en ID ANMt ACR RR SR ten lait -_ ale 7Gap vit Microsoft says it was inspired by a new Washington state law for paid parental leave that takes effect in 2020. The parental leave policy only applies to contractors and suppliers’ employees in Washington. states outside of “As we looked at this legislation, however, we realized that while it will benefit the employees of our suppliers in Washington state, it will leave thousands of valued contributors outside of Washington behind,” Microsoft general counsel Stahlkopf said in a blog post. “So, we made a decisionto apply Washington's parental leave requirement more broadly, and not to wait until 2020 to begin implementation.” Dev The new policy might increase costs. The type of vendors and contractors include people who staff Microsoft's cafeterias, IT jobs, and its landscapers. The paid parental leave mirrors Microsoft's _ benefits employees. Microsoft employees now get 12 weeks paid parental leave and birth mothers get an additional 8 for full-time The HR Digest Mogazine | October 2018 weeks off. Republican state Sen. Joe Fain, and prime sponsor of the legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program landmark said Microsoft’s decision was a “really powerful step forward.” By enacting the plan to vendors and contractors around the country, “it really creates a pressure for those state legislatures similar decision that Washington made.” to make a It's not the first time Microsoft has required vendors to improve working conditions. In 2015, the company insisted that its partners offer full-time workers at least 15 days paid time off each year.G8 CR AH Cai Ct CS Ge CH aa ax Oe dei da de de: Ce we CH Oe oe CB CB Ge da az:EADERSHIP INSIGHTS rt ’ aDaune noe A quarter-century ago, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, designed to provide workers up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave. Over the ~ > _syears, the groundbreaking policy which covers new parents, people caring for a sick vehi Ey. a family member and people fighting a severe illness has thrown America’s ever-growing startup community in a tizzy. The FMLA’s federal protections system ignore the burdens impacting early stage or growth- stage startups. Contrary to what advocates might think, the FMLA also renders employers The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS Ge See ien e me eOmeeienl eee aOR oe a eet eR oa TSC RN CAUCUS) eRe coe RNS Meu cd Let The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018to tilt in favor of employees with fewer responsibilities towards their family. “For startups, someone not the possibility of being contribute for three months at a stretch could be a sticking point,” said an associate VP at a London- based digital payment app. around to Startups are in favor of the noble goal of protecting workers and their families who need to leave the workplace temporarily, but also apprehensive as it can impact on costs as they brave lower productivity levels in action-based roles. For a startup low on funds, affording more than three months’ salary for no productive work is obtuse. Advocates of the FMLA believe that employers don’t have an incentive to create fair workplace standards. Thus, the government should step in to perpetuate the idea that the FMLA doesn’t come with real economic ramifications. Here’s something to ponder on: Employers invest time and resources hiring and training employees. At the end of the day, their bottom line depends on employee productivity. No matter if a man leaves to care for an aging parent or a woman leaves to have a baby, the workload isn't going to disappear itself. The company is going to have to shift internal resources or pour in more funds to accommodate the absence of a trained employee. No leave comes without a cost to the employers. Startups that view employees as an asset will want to accommodate their leaves to a certain degree. Failing employee's professional and personal needs is a failed HR policy that employers recognize does not make good business sense. to accommodate an Employers must figure out ways to respond to these ongoing employee demands. To help employees take leave when they need it most, employees must structural changes within the organizations. make The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 [IETHE FAMILY AND M The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) act of 1993 entitles protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with ¢ terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. B are covered by the FMLA and when employees are eligible and ea Ss * Private-sector employer, with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year, including a joint employer or successor in interest to a covered employer; * Public agency, including a local, state, or Federal government agency, regardless of the number of employees it employs; or * Public or private elementary or secondary school, regardless of the number of employees it employs. BEY 1 Digest Magazine | October 2018SU te TH eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job- ontinuation of group health insurance coverage under the same elow you can read general information about which employers entitled to take FMLA leave. Pes Only eligible employees are entitled to take FMLA leave. An eligible employee is one who: * Works for a covered employer; * Has worked for the employer for at least 12 months; * Has at least 1,250 hours of service for the employer during the 12 month period immediately preceding the leave*; and * Works at a location where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS eRe een re CnC Cee Cane AR URC ah eee enn es ‘The HR Digest Ma | October 2018PR Seg It has been found that startups that typically integrate are able to cross-training combat workplace expectations and work it to their advantage. Cross-training employees is seen as a key vehicle for retaining maximizing their effectiveness during unpredictable talent gaps. Used in conjunction with HRM best practices, the following tips will result in a faster learning curve talent — and for a more productive and engaged workforce in the absence of a trained staff member. LEVERAGING INTERNAL TALENT It is most likely that an existing employee will hit the ground running as against a new recruit. This would also contribute to better talent mobility, which is a great way to retain staff especially for startups and mid-size organizations which don't have enough resources to train new employees. Ina market scenario where competition is intense, this could help organizations gain a competitive advantage as the existing talent pool is able to meet future demands. TRAIN EMPLOYEES FOR MANAGEMENT & ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES When you cross-train employees within a department, you provide them with the technical know-how fo run day-to- day operations, allowing you to focus on ‘The Big Picture’ like communication, vision, and conflict resolution. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018ERSHIP INSIGHTS STAFF MORE STRATEGICALLY Strategic planning of employee onboarding and development ensures consistency. When organizations invest in a strategic onboarding program, it allows them to avoid dips in productivity due to ‘skill gaps’ that open up when experienced employees go on a leave. USE TEMPORARY STAFF MORE EFFECTIVELY Temporary staff can be an excellent choice when you want to keep your regular employees fully productive, but not overworked and at the same time fill short-term needs. Strategic recruitment and onboarding can help employers change expectations of how and where people work. Although the FMLA is one part of fixing the workplace, employers must remain agile to its challenges to continue to grow. Employers concerned about a range of problems surrounding productivity recognize that their organization can benefit from taking a broader approach to cross- training because of its effects on workplace productivity and employee sustainability. ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018Who did the world's leading search engine speak to, when they wanted to explore their revenue streams in Asia? | ( FrescoData’ global data expertsThe brutal and straightforward answers to HR-related queries and concerns. Send in your queries with the subject line ‘Ask JANE HARPER’ at info@thehrdigest.com Hi Jane, My bisexual co-worker keeps hitting on me. How do I handle the issue without looking anti-LGBTOI? It becomes trickier when a man is hi ing on a man ora woman asking a woman out at your workplace. Here’s how you can approach the issue at hand by not being anti-LGBTQI. Dear Jane, your suggestions have been most helpful to me, as an HR manager. Getting straight to the point, our organization is very open to accepting people with different sexual orientations. Our company policies are very friendly to the LGBTQI community. But currently, we seem to have a problem regarding a female employee hitting on other female employees. It started four weeks ago, where I received complaints from two female employees who said that they get hit on by a female colleague. They claim that she would initially start befriending them and then drop in flirty messages late at nights. They started feeling a little uncomfortable around her. Everyone in the office is very happy with her work and she’s extremely capable of reaching great heights. | have never received such complaints before and | don’t know how to go about it. | would like to know what's the best way to The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018OA handle the situation. Our employees are our top priority. We cannot fire the lady who's flirting with her co-workers because we fear she may sue us for being anti-LGBTQI. We are a big multi-national company and cannot afford anything that could go against us. Answer Dear HR, | can understand your predicament. | wish | could give you an easy tip that could solve your issue in a jiffy, but I'll have to be blunt here. Being an HR manager, you need to have the facts correct. First, try finding out whether those two employees are speaking the truth or just trying to frame her because they aren't very open about accepting lesbians at work. Such employees should not be entertained. But if that’s not the case, then you will have to talk to her directly about it. Don’t start by putting her in the wrong. Approach the topic in a different way. Tell her that there is a woman in the office who has been complaining about you. Assure her that you know how capable and mature she is. Make her think that they are just spreading rumours as they could be jealous of her. Try making her the heroine. This way, she'll realise that you are not putting the blame on her. Tell her that in order to stop such rumours from spreading, she must only maintain a professional approach where they discuss work and only that. Don’t show that you are taking their side, because then she may flip, saying that you are against her. When you are confronting anyone and you know it could be risky approaching them, always make them feel that you are on their side. This way, they'll take you seriously and the issue at hand is also resolved. One thing that must be kept in mind is that you have to be a little diplomatic. Work comes first and ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018Hi Jane, Coworker from hell slurps water and goes ‘Ahhhhhh’ loudly. Every. Damn. Time. What do I do? From loud yappers to pen tappers, and from burps to water slurps, nothing should be pardoned at work. Read more on how to deal with annoying people at work, especially those slurping at work and disturbing the formal environment. Hey Jane, | happen to have a colleague of mine who always, and I mean ALWAYS, goes Ahhhh after he sips his water. | think he must have descended from the worst part of hell. Every time this guy happens to sip his water, he happens to announce it to the office that he has satiated his thirst. Being a health freak he happens to drink water every 15-20 minutes, but with every darned sip, he slurps so loudly and then let goes a sigh like, “Aaaahhh” which happens to irritate us to the core. Being in the creative field, |, along with 2 other colleagues find it extremely distracting. We thought of talking to him about it but | am not sure how to broach the subject. Oh Jane, every morning, I pray that he doesn’t make it to work. We have been keeping up with this disturbance for the past 3 weeks, but no longer The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 [EEEcan we take his sighs. Plus, we are not allowed earphones, else | would have bought a good pair of noise cancellation earphones. Whenever | hear him open his bottle, | shut my ears or just leave the room. | can’t keep doing it all the time. He doesn't seem to understand that slurping at work is not acceptable. Really need some guidance on how to tackle this issue. Answer Dear reader, |can completely understand the scenario you so vividly described. From big-time yappers to pen tappers, I’ve come across complaints of all kind. Most people with such habits don’t realize that it causes inconvenience and irritation to people around them. They are unable to register that what they are doing is wrong or unacceptable. It comes naturally to them. But that doesn’t mean we need to up with such behavior. An effort has to be made to make them realize their faults. The situation that you mention is a tricky one. You can't leave the room or take a break every 15 minutes. So as a concerned HR, | suggest you report it to your immediate senior. Usually, they can come up with a way to let your employee (who happens to descend from hell) realize that such actions can disturb the office decorum. There’s also a different way to tackle this situation. If you aren't the only one getting distracted then you could take 2-3 of your colleagues sitting next to you and come up with a small act. What you need to do is slurp your water making the same noise your ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018annoying colleague makes. Then let one of your hand-in-glove colleagues reprimand you or make fun of the way you have water. Be sure that when this takes place, the resident from hell is able to hear the drama clearly. This way, your message will be subtly put across. | have found this one of the most effective ways of telling people not to do something: always make someone else do it and tell them loud enough for the real culprit to hear you. Therefore allowing you not to directly deal with the person at fault but the message will also be loud and clear that slurping at work is not tolerable. Hi Jane, My coworker eats with mouth open. I’m going to lose my mind! It could be unbearably disturbing when a coworker eats with mouth open. And it’s easier to deal with a loud chewer when you know them quite well. What if you don’t? Here’s what to do if your coworker chews loudly. My coworker eats with mouth open and that makes a loud smacking sound, which I find uneasy to contain. Ordinarily, | feel like isolating myself in a soundproof cave each time | hear people eating, let alone when | need to concentrate at work - it's more like a personal hell. Sounds like gnawing on a sandwich and crunching chips make me want to scream. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018» OA Before now, my office layout had supported cubicles but a new management introduced a more open layout to promote intermingling and to create additional space for more hires into my department. The coworker smacks her food at her desk, which is adjacent to mine and I honestly cannot deal with a loud chewer for any reason. I and some unknown number of persons suffer from misophonia - a condition in which specific sounds trigger negative thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions. Please, how am I supposed to deal with a loud chewer at work? My parents understand this condition and allow me to eat alone in my room. Answer It is particularly irritating when a coworker eats with mouth open. But as for the extra distress you are going through when your coworker smacks her food, I can only fail to imagine that considering your health clause. However, how you deal with a loud chewer is determined by your level of relationship with the loud eating coworker and as well as how other of your colleagues perceive the condition: if it’s equally disturbing them or not. Your first approach when a coworker eats with mouth open is to confront her politely. NB: if it’s an issue she can easily fix, then the effort is worthwhile, otherwise it would be rude to confront her. While confronting her, consider presenting yourself at fault for not BEE TEN te 12 Digest Magazine | October 2018being able to deal with a loud chewer. You have already spelled the health condition making that impossible; maintaining it will give you an edge. Don't imply that she is to be blamed. Listen to her response and thank her for being receptive. If the loud eating coworker seems offended or implies that she can't do anything to help you focus better at work, be sure to apologize and withdraw your request. If the challenge persists, you can respond each time the coworker eats with mouth open to distract you by putting on a quality noise- canceling headphone, though this can only be an option if your office permits headsets. With the first two options not viable, it’s time to privately inform your office HR or management that a coworker eats with mouth open to distract you from work. Don’t hesitate to disclose how others feel when the coworker chews loudly. Your leaders would have to look into how the coworker smacks her food to disturb others. It should lead to a new eating culture that will promote general productivity. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 [EERIEBENEFITS DO WORKPLACE ‘WELLNESS PROGRAMS REALLY SAVE MONEY? uae are) m7 In 2016, employee absenteeism — health- related absences in the workplace —- drained the U.S. economy of $2 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This was due to five major health conditions — diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking. Yearly increase in employee wellness programs is one of the top priorities of every successful workplace. Workplace Wellness is a $6 billion dollar industry in the United States, with an estimated 600 vendors now selling the programs. It is strongly endorsed as a good investment for employers so much so that even the normally skeptical academic world has jumped the bandwagon singing its benefits. For BEY | 1 Digest Magazine | October 2018MPLOYEE BENEFITS instance, a 2010 report by a Harvard stated that employee wellness programs returned three dollars in health care savings and economist Benefits are realized three dollars in reduced absenteeism — 5 Management I for every dollar invested. Programs + Heart disease + Diabetes Most analyses of workplace wellness - Emphysema programs yield the same results: money invested < money saves. But a RAND Wellness Programs Study, Lifestyle which included 600,000 workers at Management seven employers, tells a different Programs + Poor eatin: story. This has been further confirmed : aE by a new analysis of 10 years of data on the unsung benefits from a Fortune 100 employer. Fifty-one percent of employers with 50 with more employees offer one, according to a report by researchers at RAND Corp. While these programs are offered in the workplace to improve the overall health and mental well-being of their workers, it was found that they only have a modest effect. This employer’s employee wellness program has two major components: a disease management program and a lifestyle management program. The EEE the He Digest Magazine | October 2018 TIME former is designed to help employees who have a chronic health condition such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. In contrast, lifestyle management focuses on employees with health risks, such as high blood pressure and obesity, and support them in containing those risks and prevent the development of related- chronic conditions. The bottom line is to help employees take better care of their health and happiness — forFigure 1. Disease management addresses immediate health problems. whereas lifestyle management mitigates longer-term health risks. n shorter term. ntervention may avoid Heart attack Amputation Pneumonia Benefits are realized in longer term. y habits Intervention may avoid + Heart attack ercise + Amputation + Pneumonia wn example, by reminding them to take their medications or bridging the communications gaps in health care, such as missed lab tests, to their GP. (Figure 1) DISEASE MANAGEMENT DRIVE ROI FROM WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS 7 For the most part, the two component programs reduced the employer’s average health care costs by about $30 per member per month (PMPM). At the same time, it was found that disease management was responsible for 87% of those savings. Employees participating in the disease management program generated savings of $136 PMPM, driven largely by a 40% reduction in hospital admissions. Moreover, only The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018MPLOYEE BENEFITS 13% of employees participated in the disease management program, compared with 87% for the lifestyle management component. A higher participation in the lifestyle management component contributed slightly to the overall savings. (Figure 2). The Fortune 500 employer's return- (ROI) considering the reductions in health care costs to program costs, including the fees of vendors and the cost of screening employees for health risks, was $1.50 — that is, an ROI of $1.50 for every dollar spent in the program. on-investment calculations, The returns for individual components, however, differ by and large: $3.80 for disease management but only $0.50 for lifestyle management for every dollar that the employer invested in the program. The only noticeable difference the lifestyle management program brought was significantly reduced absenteeism by more than an hour per employee- year. The savings generated by this benefit aren't enough to make the program pay off financially. (Figure 3) The report's conclusions about the BET 1 Digest Magazine | October 2018 fiscal benefits of workplace wellness programs theory, workplace wellness programs should reduce an employer's expenditure as employees become healthier and thereby avoid chronic conditions such as stroke and a heart disease. But the modest savings are not statistically significant. are bleak. In medical Even more surprisingly, workplace wellness programs did not catch PARTICIPATION Percentage of EMPLOYEES WHO PART In lifestyle 87% management programs In disease management. programsFigure 2. More employees participated in the lifestyle management program, but the bulk of health care cost savings came from the disease management program. SAVINGS Percentage of ICIPATE EMPLOYER'S HEALTH CARE COST SAVINGS 87% From disease management programs From lifestyle management programs The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 [EEMS PE PLOYEE BE ELIS early warning signs of disease or improve health enough to prevent emergencies. ARE THESE FINDINGS IMITABLE? oe There are three takeaways for employers from these _ findings. One, employers must remain clear about their goals for the workplace wellness programs. The RAND report has only highlighted that lifestyle management can reduce health risks such as obesity, and lack of physical inactivity. It also shows that lifestyle management can absenteeism. If you want to improve employee health or productivity, a_ lifestyle management program would be more suitable for your needs. For those seeking a healthy reduce fe) 5 RETURN ON INVESTMENT Rg $ 3.80 ROI from disease management programs + $136 saved per member per month The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 = ROI from lifestyle management programs + $6 saved per member per monthROI on their wellness programs should specifically target workers who have existing chronic diseases. Two, given the lack of ROI from lifestyle management, employers must strive to reduce cost. Screening employers for health risks and offering health coaching to those with such risks is expensive, however, interventions such as % << offering healthy food choices and educational campaigns to be fit and physically active, are not. Third, employers must learn how to engage workers and achieve behavior change from the Fortune 500 employer to yield comparable results. Figure 3. Disease management provided a much greater return on investment than lifestyle management. $1.50 Total RO! from both wellness programs The HR Digest Mogozine | October 2018 TINDo Your Employees See Learning As A Part Of Their Job?As a management coach, | regularly meet people at corporate training programs. During employees often confess the real reason they’re taking advantage of development opportunities, and it’s rarely “to grow and learn.” Their reasons include: they’ve been told that their participation will increase the chance of an early promotion, or their supervisor told them to come. discussions, Many employees view learning as something extra, something to add on top of the regular work to get a promotion. To promote a culture that encourages employee growth, managers need to make employee training an expectation — not an option. Want to know which is the most effective job training for employees? The best job training happens at work. If you want to encourage continual employee development — that will, in turn, shape your company culture and growth — on-the-job training may be your answer. Millennial employees want an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills without moving jobs. As an HR, you can customize the on-the-job training employees receive to suit your organization's evolving needs. On-the-job training and employee development surplus of benefits. Unlike external training and development the opportunities can reflect the future bring a programs, demands of your sector and help you stay agile. You can use on-the-job training to create a skilled workforce that fits your business needs. Developing a training program isn’t an easy feat. Before you The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 [EERIEeRe Renee ct a eck Ce nen er Tot De ett AR Ree LL eee SES dive in, be sure to know whether the managers in your organization are the best ones to handle the training. Some of the people you'll need include: Seasoned employees that are matched up with new employees so they have someone to ask questions to when in doubt. The HR Digest Mogazine | October 2018 Rae es al a The person in charge of the entire training program who will schedule and assign the necessary on-the-job training. One-the-job training is rarely a one- time event. Periodic training throughout an employee's career graph is fairly common and necessary. For example, on-the-job training for an entry-level customer care representative might look like this: * Learning about the company’s vision, mission and policies.* How to respond to customers. * Updates on changes to existing communications systems. + How new laws affect their line of work and their jobs. * Refresher course on previous training. What does great on-the-job training look like? Here are ways to provide on-the-job training from scratch. It’s important to recognize that you don’t create a program that only caters to your needs. Your employees have expectations too that must be met. MENTORING Mentoring is the most powerful form of training and can increase experience, skills, and wisdom to the mentored employee to expand development. It is the key to employee development in your organization. PROMOTION A promotion is another powerful form of job training. It forces an employee to grow with the company and is a positive form of employee development. TRANSFER A transfer is the fastest approach to employee development that also helps employees accelerate their career path. It provides experience in various areas of an employee’s department or in a new department within the organization. A transfer widens the horizons and enables the employee to gain a broader experience within the industry. JOB SHADOWING Job shadowing, whether for a day, a month, or a specific period of time, allows an employee to learn about the job. It is often used by colleges and universities and is an excellent tool for career exploration. WEBINAR TRAINING CLASSES You're missing out on a golden opportunity if you aren't providing online training to your employees. A large part of employee onboarding process, access to company/ department information, and even your employee handbook can be better accessed online. Everything that your employee needs to know The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018should be available online. You can choose from myriad sources on any given job-related topic. So - how do you know whether the on-the- job training is fit your organization? * It creates a skilled workforce. * It offers continual training through an employee’s career projection. * It cares about the betterment of the workforce. * It is planned to suit your business and its specific requirements. ‘lt creates a workforce where employees want to stay and you want to promote them. * It doesn’t waste your organization's precious time and resources. Even the most effective on-the-job training program will suffer if you haven’t outlined definitive goals to measure whether your employees ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 have improved. Without a definitive goal, you can neither move forward with the plan nor can you review it later. Here’s what an effective on-the- job training program entails: THE BIG PICTURE Ea RR eats ars] eaeThis means that you not only ensure the training program fits the needs of a specific group of employees in specific job functions but that it also suits the overall needs of your company. A successful program should help employees see how they fit in your company’s vision, how critical their role is to the company’s success and why the work they do is important. THE HUMAN ELEMENT Success in the job increases employee morale and productivity. You can see spikes in confidence and loyalty as the aftereffects of a successful on-the-job training program. A MEASURABLE IMPACT An effective on-the-job training program will most definitely produce measurable results in productivity, growth, profit and so on. These are the most important metrics businesses are looking for, so you need to see measurable improvements in these areas if your training works. overall I's quite easy to think that on-the-job training is as simple as showing a new employee the ropes of the business, but that’s clearly not the case. Once you begin to view on-the-job training as a business imperative in which you are building the future of your workforce, it takes on a whole new meaning. Inability to perform according to training is a clear indication that the training program is failing to yield expected results. This doesn't necessarily mean that you may have. missed something crucial and now you must outline a program that’s different from the existing one. Part of one’s training is challenging existing learning habits. Old habits take time to change, and it may simply be that an employee needs help figuring out how to create those habits in the most sustainable way. This is especially the case when the different modes of on-the-job training are not put to use; in most cases, employees forget what they had learned. On-the-job training will cost you time and money, but it’s also an investment into your most valuable asset: your employees. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018COVER STORY Top HR Leaders of the Decade Eyal When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella publicly stated his intention to create a culture around diversity and inclusion, the arduous task went to one of the most accomplished and leaders he could think of. Kathleen Hogan, chief people officer executive vice president of human resources, managed the expansion of paid parental leave, increased 401(k), and added Martin Luther King Day to the roster of company holidays. More importantly, she was the leader capable of ensuring their company is future ready. In 2016, Hogan announced new data on pay rates by race and gender, ensuring equal pay for equal work. influential and Progressive shifts are changing the BETTY 1 1 Digest Mogarine | Occber 2018 way we work and redefining the work content of today’s HR executives. They are tasked with creating organizations that are dynamic and agile, full of highly engaged workforce to drive important shifts across the continuum. This demands a reexamination of the way executives strategize, plan and manage their organizations — in short, it’s not an easy feat. As companies pace themselves for modernization, HR executives willneed to be more risk taking and dynamic. They'll need to reposition themselves as a strategic partner, thoughtful role model, operational expert and @ curator of an all-inclusive culture. While not every HR executive will have the opportunity Kathleen Hogan did to make headlines, effective ones should continue with their laser focus efforts to make a measurable impact. Beyond handling the usual responsibilities — workforce engagement, prescribing actions on diversity, and diagnosing problems in employee satisfaction — what should an influential HR leader do? Let’s take a look at the decade’s most successful HR leaders who've undoubtedly made a_ long-lasting impact, all the while changing and growing as their companies, competitors and clients shift.Verify anyone, anytime, anywhere.COVER STORY Hollie Delaney Head of People Operations, Zappos.com Pragmatic. Risk-taking. Heroic. Connecting. Leaders thrive on these four traits as they are able to flex and adjust for radical shifts, inside and outside their organizations. Hollie Delaney is one of those leaders who contains the four rare qualities needed to enable disruption. Risk taking has built on her natural tendency which allowed the HR leader to push back against traditional thinking models. In March 2013, a pilot group of 100 Zappos employees began working under Holacracy, an experimental management system that eliminates traditional job titles. The shift to self-management helped it’s young, diverse workforce distant their focus on the two most productivity- consuming thoughts: Do managers play favorites? Do you think the management has a clear view of where this start-up is going? The result? At Zappos, employees are able to work to their full potential as they are happy and invested in the company. BEY 1 1 Digest Moverine | Occber 2018feeckedes shel akan leo The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018COVER STORY LTT) Rea ae cams aDoniel Sutton Senior Vice President, People - PayPal PayPal is in an industry that keeps changing. People, by nature, are terrified of change — an issue when not exposed earlier in the organization can create tactical and performance problems as it reinforcing advanced strategies. Doniel Sutton plays an essential role in creating and nurturing a strong culture; one that allows people to grow and develop as the company’s products, competitors and customers shift. This mindset is apparent in PayPal’s fluency in everyday business operations, product offering and market position. For an organization to be disruptive, its senior leaders must be, too. Sutton has not only positioned PayPal’s workforce to be successful but helped grow and develop future executives who will be able to lead the organization in the future. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 ENCOVER STORY Kathleen Hogan Chief People Office, Microsoft Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tapped on Hogan's shoulders when he wanted to create an inclusive culture of growth-mindset — the belief that talent should be developed in everyone. To explore this challenge, Hogan had to rethink her approach to development. As a result, previously unidentified, yet skilled employees are now able to rise to levels they might not have in a traditional training and development model. By giving people opportunities to become leaders, Microsoft is able to unleash greater potential. The reformation has been instrumental in attracting a new workforce. While Microsoft is still in the early phases, it is already reaping the benefits of adopting a growth mindset in the form of more innovative ideas, products and services — and its employees are developing core leadership skills at every level. BEY 1 1 Digest Mogrine | Oxcber 2018Chief People Office, Microsoft The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 ETa ta ’ # Gi Co-founder & Principal, The RBL Group Magazine | October 2018Dave Ulrich Co-founder & Principal, The RBL Group HR executives have proactive minds; they're inferential thinkers than their peers; constantly seeking out innovative and disruptive ideas, connecting dots between talent and the organization, and most importantly, between opportunities. Their independence of thought allows them to be an active and clear voice among employees and stakeholders, including the most essential partners within an organization. Dave Ulrich is one of those Global HR thought leaders who has helped organizations drive culture as a competitive advantage. Through the wisdom imparted in several books that Ulrich has authored, CEOs have learned to stay in touch with employees, and gird their organizations for greater business success. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018COVER STORY Lucy Helm Chief Partner Officer, Starbucks The decisions made by CHRO have a long-lasting impact ‘on an organization's workforce. They influence how well people perform while achieving strategic objectives. A partner (employee) since 1999, Lucy Helm previously served as Starbucks executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for more than five years, and served as the interim leader of the Partner Resources organization (PRO) from March to July 2017. She has spent her career as a stabilizing influence, and has some of the strongest active listening skills among members of the C-suite at Starbucks, making her one of the most valuable executives within the senior ranks. Organizations are increasingly looking for HR executives with a range of experiences across an array of business units. This is partly because HR has become a cornerstone of leading companies using their unique traits to play a strong and active role that will ultimately impact morale and retention. BETY 1 1 Digest Mogarine | Occber 2018Para) COT mae mC neta The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 INHappy Hours at work are full of fun, frolic and laughter. You may think that what goes down then is pardoned and no one remembers anything. But wait, the North (Employer) remembers! Always. Read more to know how ‘happy hours’ are also something that must be taken seriously. The Office Happy Hour is one of the best ways to let off some steam! After a long tiring day at work where the conversations that take place are strictly business-like, a ‘Happy Hour’ is something that’s welcomed with open arms. In fact, it is healthy to close the office a little early and organise for a ‘happy hour’ in order to lighten the mood of the employees by coming up with activities that help in team building. The happy hours could either be after office or during your work ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 hours, but it is essential to conduct them for the wellbeing of the employees and the goodwill of the company. With all that goes down during the Happy Hour, know well that it does not stay there. Oh no, not at all! As ‘fun’ and ‘cool’ and ‘awesome’ as it sounds, the Happy Hour is something that isan extension of your work hour and so you must make a mental note of how you conduct yourself. Apart from that, as an organization who conducts ‘happy hours’, it is more important to see to it that Happy Hour remains happy and not turn into something serious or scandalous. Coming to the point that what happens at the ‘Happy Hour’ does not stay at the Happy Hour, it is true. No matter where you are, you will always be judged. Sadly, it’s the truth. Now you may be open or a little of yourself after work, but bear in mind that nothing goes unnoticed and nothing should. That doesn’t mean you find ways to go around it. And you really shouldn't because that will give your boss and colleagues, a different way to perceive you. With all the employee friendly policies that your company may boast of, how you act, even during the ‘happy hours’ may reflect on your professional life. Being in the legal department, we have had a lot of issues go down during the ‘happy hours’. And as an employer, these setbacks can have drastic impacts on the company. | have noticed that a lot of after-office parties or as we call them ‘happy hours’, quite often include drinks. Not that it’s bad but when they are The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018conducted for team-building, it’s good to not include drinks. Anyway, even if you incorporate drinks, you have to keep in mind a few things. Happy Hours are mandatory for, not only the goodwill of the company, but also for keeping employees excited and motivated. Now what follows is necessary for employers as well as employees to keep in mind. Avoid Drinks: For employers: As an employer who is organizing the happy hours, see to it that you avoid alcohol. It’s not bad, but most of the times, it is excessive intake of alcohol that results in unpleasant situations. Hence, in order to avoid liabilities of any sort, organize for beverages that don’t contain alcohol and some snacks. Alcohol consumption capactity is not the same for all. Employees who cannot handle themselves can cause situations that could have been avoided otherwise. Fist fights, exchange of unpleasant words or even physical harassment can be led to through alcohol consumption. For employees: As an employee, it is your duty to not get carried away ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 by what you are offered. Having drinks with your friends and family is completely different than having drinks with your colleagues. Your attitude and conduct still needs to be professional enough. Also, have drinks but avoid getting drunk. You may feel that it is informal, but don’t forget that you are constantly under scanner. How you handle your drinks is also something that your employer will make note of in the manner of assessing you. They watch how you conduct yourself even when you are consuming alcohol, and in this way they get to know where you deserve to be placed in the future. Oh yes, your future in the company has quite something to do with how you are after office hours. Talk with a filter. For employers: As an employer, it’s important to know that employees may still hold you liable without any alcohol being involved whatsoever. Always keep tabs of the conversations taking place in between your employees. | don’t mean to say that you need to dictate what the topic of conversation should be, but you must see that no one. is getting uncomfortable at the table.comfortable with people of the opposite sex, your employer will start judging you in a particular way. Your happy hour attitude is one thing that you really need to keep a check on. How you conduct yourself outside, helps employers to know your true colours. It’s good to be modest and polite, showing that you are always aware of what’s going down. If you see your employee trying to boast a lot and create a scene, try being the one to control the other employee. Such actions make you stand out. | am The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018not saying not to have fun and crack jokes, etc, but know what you are talking and who is listening. Now you may ask how being overfriendly can go against you? Your intentions may be very pure, but a lot many times, people mistake that for someone being inquisitive and ‘sticky’. Have a neutral approach towards all your colleagues. Sometimes being overfriendly can also result in people thinking that you may be involved in an office romance. In order to keep all such speculations at bay, it is important to draw a line, even during the ‘happy hours’, as to how you approach your co-workers. Plus gossiping at ‘happy hours’ is a big no no because you never know who is on your side and who isn’t. Believe me, if your employers know about this, they will never trust you with big projects that need to be kept secret. So avoid getting into or spreading gossips of any kind. Your progress could be at jeopardy. For employers: Happy hours at work can be quite a disturbing hour if an employee’s intentions of enjoyment are a little different. As an employer, it’s your duty to see that no employees ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 are made to feel uncomfortable at any point due to another co-worker. Harassment cases are serious and not all employees will be open about them being harassed. Avoid bars, instead go for a well-lighted café or restaurants where everyone shares a table. Bars usually have a different environment which really healthy and ‘happy hour’-friendly. | won't stop you from going to bars but if you do go there keep an eye on your employees’ consumption. aren't For employees: Happy hours are the time to unwind and get friendly with your colleagues. But, you also need to be a little alert as to how you are treated. If you realise that you are being made to feel uneasy, the first thing you ought to do is report to your immediate senior. Always keep in mind that when this happens for the first time, make it a point to nip it in the bud. Try not encouraging it. Stand your ground and let your co-workers know that you are not someone to be taken for a ride. Happy hours are an extension of your work hours and therefore it doesn’t mean that it needs to be pardoned or even forgiven. Bear in mind that unacceptable behaviour cannot and must not be pardoned.J Even if your office friend is harassing someone else in the office, be the one to put an end to it. Harassment during ‘happy hours’ can be many things apart from physically violating someone’s privacy. Harassment can also be of a mental form where someone is constantly trying to pull someone down with an intention to harm them. Let’s get down to the legal side of business: No employer must say that what happens at the ‘happy hour’ is not their concern. You should be concerned. I’ve also seen some organizations take extreme steps like firing someone for saying something against the company while s/he was drunk at an office party. | think that’s crossing the line. A drunk employee usually speaks the truth, but jokes apart, giving a warning works fine rather than firing someone indefinitely. The decision to fire someone must be when there is no way of getting over what happened. You can’t show the red card to someone who played a prank or if someone got too comfortable with their co-worker. | am not saying it should be tolerated. No way. Don't get me wrong there. What | am saying is that you must try to tackle the situation based on how serious it is and how harmful it can be, zs) The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018to not only the organization but also for all your employees. What you must also keep in mind is that if an employee is unhappy with another employee’s behaviour during ‘happy hours’ don’t dismiss it saying that such things happen. They have the right to approach the court of law and sue you for not paying heed to their issues. Getting dragged to the court for not rectifying the issue at hand is the last thing any organization would want. If you come across an employee who has had an issue with what went down at the happy hours, then hear them out. Make them realise that what they say will not go unheard. Sit down with the company policies and see how you can tackle the matter. Then discuss it with the hapless employee and tell them how you will be taking care of the matter at hand. If they still find issues with it, take it to the board and discuss the issue. But don’t take steps without informing both parties or else there are chances that you could be sued by both. Yes. The guilty party may also press charges for taking extreme measures without proper consideration. Only once you have established well and gathered the facts for not keeping an employee, ‘The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 then go ahead and fire them. It’s necessary to know what goes behind ‘happy hours’ and be aware of it. | am not saying that such things go down all the time. It’s good to loosen up with your employees and get to know them at a personal level as it also helps you understand the team you are working with. All| am saying is that an alert eye is also important at such times.<< BEN 5 — What does Google Hire tell us about the future of recruiting? Panne keenTechnology has gravely changed the modalities of talent acquisition within the past two decades, and more changes are yet to come in the nearest future. Today, you can tell your phone to read all the new voicemails from your mom, ask it if you need to go out with an umbrella, and many other tasks regarded as too complex in the past. Machine learning is the new key to every future we can imagine and the tech is increasingly contributing more in all areas, much more in the corporate realm. This has raised many questions such as if some professions would go obsolete ceding adequate operational space to machine learning. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk believes that learning multiple languages would soon stop to fascinate the corporate sector as wearable Al- powered interpreters will soon become a common value. Japan has already developed wearable real-time language translators that supports up to 27 languages for the 2020 Olympic. A lot of systems are being overhauled by artificial intelligent and recruiting tools will find no course to escape the transitions, with some players that can match the pace categorically prone to be displaced.Tools & Technology Technology and the recruiting industry Despite the growing number of recruitment tools or HR technology, innovation has been largely criticized in the recruitment market space. A lot of challenges are still mounting without feasible trial solutions. The mandatory form filling imposed on recruiters and candidates to bridge the gap between them is already a full-time job; bias hiring and employment gender gap in various sectors are both growing into a norm whereas major players such as Oracle, SAP, and ADP are merely parading basic iterations as innovations in the recruitment space. This concept has largely presented the major players in the recruiting industry to be stuck and stagnant in the status quo. They still flaunt basic stuff like Mobile Recruiting and The Cloud (that’s SaaS enablement or device agnosticism) to promote their software and solutions. “In the next 24 months, maybe sooner, the hiring and recruiting landscape is going to meet very meaningful The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 thresholds,” said John Younger, the CEO of San Francisco-based recruiting technology company HireMojo. “And hiring automation recruiting firms into pushing harder for more tools to remain competitive”. will soon send In the real context, these companies have fallen short of the required gears to redesign or reinvent their product offering, even with all the experiences they have in the industry. However, Google’s intervention in the sector with “Google Hire” is the only promising things, which has cast a spell of massive innovation into the future of recruiting. The Google Hire The launch of Google Hire by Google in July 2017 became a turning point in the Human Resource Technology. I's a job applicant tracking system that completely revolutionized the recruiting process for medium scale companies using G Suite, precisely in the United States. small and Google Hire can be described as a manager of hiring managers. It helpsemployers’ interview process efficiently aside from finding the candidates. On the app, hiring managers are able to attract the best candidates and establish strong relationships with them using regular Google solutions such as Gmail, Google search, Google sheets, Google calendar, and Google recruiters to manage hangouts. The app enables recruiters to gain more insight on a candidate whose profile is on Google Hire by linking their profiles on other websites such as LinkedIn through an automated Google search. It also allows hiring managers to view and filter a The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018ao pool of candidates applying for a particular position. The candidates are then sorted according to their source, current company and or other attributes. Google Hire helps interviewers to integrate their interview schedule with Google calendar and provide unbiased feedbacks without seeing entered. All email communication with a candidate is streamlined with email templates and can be tracked on the candidate’s profile. It has a comprehensive dashboard that highlights important tasks such as upcoming interviews, emails from candidates and pending feedback requests. what co-interviewers The future of recruiting Hire has been adopted by most companies as a positive opportunity being that most G Suite clients don’t have any dedicated system for recruiting or ATS. Small employers, which represent about 50% of all hiring in the US, according to Recruiting Daily, see Hire as an efficient means BETA He oiges: Mogerine | Ovober 2018 of completing a hiring process and as a tool that levels the playing field for top talent finding and hiring, thereby, helping them to save money, time and effort because it streamlines and standardizes their hiring processes. Some of us were misinformed about Hire’s modality in the aspect of sharingsearch history with employers. We assumed that a potential employer could snoop into a user’s search history and deemed the future of recruiting less confidential. Well, that has been clarified. “Google does not share private information such as search or viewing history,” said a Google spokesperson while speaking to Gizmodo. “Only the information that applicants input into Google Hire will be shared—for example, first name, last name, email address, resume, cover letter, etc.” Here are two major implications we see in the future of recruiting. Job ads on Google Many speculated that Google would disrupt many businesses when it begins to look beyond search services due to its dominance in the internet space. That's completely true and could largely hurt its competitors here. While Google Hire is conclusively light years ahead of its competitors, it would have no restrictions placing job ads on Google. And that would grimly hurt competitors like Glassdoor, Beyond, Indeed and more who rely on SEO to gain traffic if they are to compete with Google, though the company plans to partner with other vendors such as Lever and SmartRecruiters. Most recruiting firms would definitely sink while many will desperately seek partnership with Google to remain afloat. This will further deepen Hire’s dominance and satisfy Google’s plan of getting into a broader market serving the needs. Forced innovation and consolidation We are definitely expecting some form of innovation and consolidation The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018H in the recruiting sector in the future as already mentioned earlier. Without competing, surviving or lasting long in the sector won't be likely and the only way to do so is to introduce something that’s missing — innovation. Recruitment vendors not ready to crash out of business will either acquire firms that could help product sales or simply innovate. We could experience the evolution of more niche job boards, targeted recruiting services and a motivation for new entrants in the SMB market to swim upstream for space, MMMIETTE thee Digest Magazine | October 2018 Tools & Technology mostly in the areas Google shows indifference. Conclusion The recruiting industry is poised to experience some major impacts following Google’s entry into the space. Vendors can only in the market by diversifying their recruitment strategies and in working hard to know and understand new remainchanges that may further disrupt their doesn’t find light in the old paths that business. once kept the sector’s development in the dark. Google Hire represents one of the most interesting tools that have rekindled the HR Technology. While it represents a true market disruption designed to serve both employers and job applicants better, we hope it The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018RECRUITMENT P@®INT IS YOUR NAME HOLDING YOU BACK? By: Priyansha MistryBuilding a successful career is quite demanding and requires well- calculated advances in the labor market, aside from acquiring the necessary skills and experiences. But these requirements overwhelmingly bizarre includes something far more personal; not even how one looks. could be when it You have identified a perfect job position, after spending a couple of hours going through some listings. Interestingly, the required experience, qualifications and soft skills are all a perfect match for you. So, with high anticipation and conviction of being qualified, you submitted a well- tailored resume, waiting for a phone call. It would be normal to assume that the company had found someone more qualified if you didn’t get a call after a few weeks or a month. By the way, you wouldn't be the only qualified candidate that could’ve applied for the position. But something similar happened after you tried another perfect position. Again, again, and again, there was no call. At this point, you would begin to review your resume over and over to find that typo or terrible mistake in your resume. Could it be that you didn’t spell your email correctly or your contact number is enteredRECRUITMENT P@INT wrongly? Oh, it’s not. Perhaps your hobby is outrageously awkward. Well, the problem could be what you have never imagined: your name! Job candidate Hermeisha Robinson took her frustration to the social media last month after receiving a rejection letter saying her name is too ‘ghetto.’ Though the health company alleged its email was hacked by a disgruntled BET 1 Fe ces Mogi J = | Osebd ° - ff employee who must have sent the reply and apologized to the 27-year old job applicant. That didn’t address employment discrimination based on name in the US labor market. It’s terribly sad to accept that name and employment could have some sort of dependency on one another at any point. Or to even imagine that one’s name could be a criterion for promotions or treatment at work. Theresults of many studies on employment discrimination based on name are actually disgusting and clearly indicate that non-white sounding names do not only face problems getting employed but deal with a more difficult life in the labor space. A recent study led by Associate Prof. Colin Holbrook of Cognitive and Information Sciences University of California, found a depressing truth about names and racial bias. The study involved about 1,500 adults, mostly whites as the participants who were presented with two almost identical stories about a main character that could be named Darnell, DeShawn or Jamal in one version of the story, and Wyatt, Connor or Garret version of the story. The participants in the second The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018RECRUITMENT P@INT were asked to report their impressions about the status, aggressiveness, height, build and other characteristics of the main character. It was found that the non-white sounding names: DeShawn, Darnell, or Jamal were mostly reported as more aggressive and larger in size than Wyatt, Conner or Garret. The results clearly reflect the fear of Latino and black men in our society. We can see the reason why they are always victims of violence; people are afraid of them and consider them dangerous, even when they have not exhibited any attitude, Prof. Holbrook said. In view of understanding the height of racial discrimination in the United States job market, a field experiment by NBER Faculty Research duo Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan clearly identify its presence. The study responded to 1,300 ads covering various jobs with over 5,000 identical resumes randomly assigned with white-sounding and black-sounding names, and the team measured the number of callbacks for each category. The results found that job applicants with white-sounding names are required to send half as much as applications before getting an interview invite as those with black-sounding names. The 50% gap in callback rates indicates that racism The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018usually derived from names is still an essential career-determining factor in the US labor market. It shows that white-sounding names gain more callbacks equivalent to an additional eight years of experience with non-white sounding names. The authors added that Race is also a determining factor in having a better resume. White-sounding names with higher quality resumes are entitled to 30% more interview invites than the same category with lower quality resumes. And resumes with non-white sounding names get smaller positive impact with a better resume. EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON NAME IS A GLOBAL CHALLENGE However, it is wrong to assume that name employment discrimination is only pragmatic in the US labor market. Job applicants around the world are grossly affected by their names and some careers are struggling just because they are being pursued with some sort of names. A similar survey was conducted by researchers atthe University of Toronto and Ryerson University in 2017. The researchers responded to 3,000 job postings with some 13,000 fictitious The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 IRECRUITMENT P@INT resumes. Results from the study found that the resumes with Indian, Pakistani, or Chinese-sounding had 28% fewer interview invites than the fake applicants with white-sounding names, even when they had the same qualifications. names Name and employment factor was even worst in some scenarios, according to the study results. Big companies that participated in the BMRA the He Digest Magazine | October 2018 study were 35% less likely to invite resumes with all foreign qualifications bearing Asian-sounding names, while companies were 60% likely to invite the same category of applicants for an interview. small less A government-funded survey in France between April and June 2016 found that job applicants with North- African face employment discrimination. The survey which was namesconducted in 6 French cities showed that 30% of big companies prefer to employ candidates with French names. In the research, 3,000 fake resumes were sent for 1,500 job openings in 40 companies with over 1,000 employees. A 2012 group study in the United Kingdom found that women with non-white sounding names will have to send twice as many applications than those that have “whitened” their names before getting an invite for interview. IS THERE ANY SOLUTION TO EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON NAME? While this has created a troubling employment gap in our society at large and an “everyday racism,” most employees are actually ignorant of how they are segregated. And some employers are perpetuating name employment — discrimination unconsciously. Suggestions have been made by some groups that employers should be educated on the impact of their recruitment decisions. Researcher Bertrand suggested that teaching recruiters about the subconscious bias is important in any planned effort to arrest the challenge, and maybe they can change recruitment procedures to reflect equity. Well, most companies are beginning The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018RECRUITMENT P@INT to train their recruiters on unconscious bias and are implementing certain procedures, in some cases Al-assisted recruitment system. But the training itself has been identified as ineffective by some experts who pointed out that the training would rather yield opposite results. An easier solution “name-blind recruitment,” was enforced by former British Prime Minister David Cameron but that didn't solve the latter part of employment procedure. The solution required companies to names from resumes and identify them differently. Some companies such as KPMG, Deloitte, and HSBC implemented the procedure to erase name employment discrimination. remove recruitment The approach was partly unsuccessful as it only succeeded in delaying the discrimination. Recruiters unconsciously deployed the inevitable during a face- to-face interview with the candidates once they introduced their names. Several nations have experimented name-blind applications but the results were almost the same. A similar result in the UK was achieved MMEIE the ie Digest Magazine | October 2018 in the Netherlands; ethnic minority candidates did not gain more chances of getting hired, even with anonymous CVs, they were segregated at the interview stage. Only a study in Sweden, reported by Economist found that “only female immigrants wereboosted by anonymous recruitment”. While a valuable solution that can separate name and employment is yet to be found, should desperate candidates opt for a name change? We could fault the studies in an argument that it focused on callbacks for interviews, and did not ascertain if the candidates were hired or not. But name-blind application experiments in some nations indicate that the challenge is sometimes deeper than names. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018SUGGESS SIORMpuree Human Capital is your company’s greatest asset — and if it’s managed properly it could take the next step in growth and innovation. Yet it is often underused, or underdeveloped. A few companies have been able to ensure their single biggest asset — the employees — work in a supportive, balanced, and productive environment which in turn contributes to greater and continued success. FedEx, one of FORTUNE Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For — an honor it has received for the past 13 years — is one of those few workplaces which recognizes its human capital as the key to the company’s growth and to achieving outstanding work environment. Visionary leaders at FedEx have built the culture of “People-Service-Profit,” a philosophy that challenges the traditional mindset and behavior and inculcates self- management approach in the workforce. With a global network of workers delivering over 7 million packages a day, FedEx knows that the happiness and well-being of its employees are crucial. Many of FedEx’s programs far- exceed what's required of its overall philosophy The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018eee ai of People-Service-Profit (PSP). Here are some of the best practices it follows to ensure its employees work in a supportive, balanced, productive environment which leads to continued success. PEOPLE FIRST Research from the University of Warwick noted that employees who were happier at work were 12% more productive than those who were unhappy. FedEx has invested more in employee wellness, and employee satisfaction has risen as a result. It has created an inclusive environment where employees are proud of the work they do. It has also committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding for both its customers and the people who handle the end- to-end process. Its People-Service-Profit philosophy (PSP) is based on the belief that by creating a positive work environment for employees, they will provide better service quality to customers, which would then lead to engaged employees and greater success. The people-first allows employees to thrive when they business culture BEN the ie Digest Magazine | October 2018 feel they are contributing based on what they're good at versus being given tasks with no consideration of their working capacity. LISTEN MORE FedEx understands the importance of listening. It believes that employees are its make-or-break stakeholders. It keeps them in the loop with newsletters, meetings, blogs, events and an in-house TV network. It also conducts online surveys and organizes feedback sessions with managers to discuss the results. Management and leadership teams welcome the voice of even entry-level trainees. FedEx considers employees to be the single greatest source of ideas and innovation and has strived to create a two-way communication The People-Service-Profit program allows swift problem assessment and resolution opportunities. street. HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE Flexible work schedules and job sharing has encouraged a culture of work-life balance at FedEx. Ithas also provided the company with access to more employees with a wide range of skills. Moreover, the nature of their work allows employees to have more flexible work schedules to accommodate education needs, family commitments, or other personal goals. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FedEx has mentoring, leadership The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018(eS development and coaching programs designed to retain and advance minorities and women. By tapping into the cultural and communicative skills of its diverse workforce, it has been able to innovate and improve the company’s products, services and customer experience. As a global company, its success will come from its increasingly diverse workers who bring with them unique perspectives. A SENSE OF GIVING BACK TO THE WORLD FedEx has picked top charitable efforts by polling workers on issues they care about most. As a result, thousands of employees from around the world have become passionate and active volunteers of some of the The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018 — company’s philanthropic ventures. The results of its philanthropic activities reflect in the sense of camaraderie that carries over to all of its employees’ job efforts. Frederick W. Smith, chairman of FedEx, supports the company’s efforts. One of the biggest trends FedEx has seen since its increase in philanthropic efforts is team member engagement. Employees at FedEx volunteer their personal hours to assist other people. enthusiastically For example, ina toughneighborhood in the United States, FedEx has a facility so people can assemble todo philanthropic activities. While it's a modest part of its corporate philanthropy, it’s. __ increasingly something that employees at FedEx indulge themselves in. PURPLE PROMISE AWARDS Did you know that ninety-two percent of FedEx managers came from within the company? Its Purple Promise awards recognize employees who have saved the lives of others or have demonstrated the true meaning of ‘Purple Promise’ to make every FedEx experience outstanding. Keeping the Purple Promise is a big part of its business. The evolution of People-Service- Profit (PSP) philosophy has gone from only creating a for shareholders to a broader responsibility to shareholders, employees, and communities. FedEx trains its employees to build alliances, as a result, it has been able to make return an impact and difference all over the world. A philosophy that is now a mainstay in corporate innovation. The HR Digest Magazine | October 2018WORKPLACE CULTURE INVENTIONS THAT WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON OFFICE LIFE Pao Cnene nee Walk into almost any workplace, big or small, and you'll quickly see how technology has transformed the way we work, Whether you're a freelancer, a delivery driver, or a CHRO, one thing is clear: The modern office has adapted to new technology and tools in a number of ways to cater for changes in evolving workplace needs and working styles. How, for example, did we live without Skype or Slack? Think about the Otis Elevator. Otis’ invention lifted cities and freed us from the tyranny of stairs as tall workplaces started to pop up in cities. But, Skype or the elevator, of course, is not the only inventions that solved humankind’s BMT TE the He Digest Magazine | October 2018