Horizon Point Consulting

Author: Taylor Simmons

  • Personal Wellness Strategies

    Personal Wellness Strategies

    Personal wellness is something that is often considered a luxury. However, the older I get, the more I realize it is a necessity. Earlier this year, I had a scare with my blood pressure that sent me to the emergency room. After multiple tests and a follow-up with a cardiologist, I was diagnosed with stress and anxiety. On a side note, my elevated blood pressure is something inherited that will most likely result in medication for the rest of my life. 

    Stress which often leads to anxiety can cause a host of issues if not addressed. When my episode happened, I had several heart attack symptoms (chest/neck/arm pain, elevated blood pressure, racing heart, etc.). It was scary, especially since I’ve always been in good health. It forced me to stop, slow down and make health and personal wellness a priority.

    There are so many ways we can combat stress and anxiety without medication. With that being said, I personally believe medication can help and is often needed in conjunction with personal wellness. Here are a few strategies to consider for personal wellness:

    1. Exercise – Don’t get me wrong, I will never be a marathon runner or someone who visits the gym daily. I do, however, love a brisk walk at the park and do my best to get there at least 4 times a week. I have also been trying yoga, PiYo, HIIT, and other workouts; I typically aim for 20-30 minutes of one of these two or three times per week. Check out this article from Mayo Clinic about the benefits of exercise to reduce stress: Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress.
    2. Meditation – This is different for everyone. I actually have meditation playlists that I listen to when I need to relax a bit; I even do it in my car sometimes. It has a calming effect for me. Personally, I also incorporate prayer and devotion often.
    3. Listening to Podcasts – I do this while walking. Most everything I listen to has some type of personal development component. Some of my current favorites are: The Next Right Thing, Cultivate with Kelly Minter, and Money Tip Monday. These are all available on Spotify.
    4. Massage – This one is another former “luxury” that I now consider a necessity. I do my best to schedule a massage once a month. It helps with so many things! Read about the benefits of massage here: How Massage Can Help Treat & Eliminate Anxiety.
    5. Talk to someone (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) – Seeing a counselor is a great way to reduce anxiety. I have not tried this yet, but my cardiologist and others have recommended this as a tool to reduce stress/anxiety. It allows you to talk to a neutral party, about anything. Check out 8 Benefits of Cognitive Behavior Therapy According to Science.

     

    As a write the blog, I am counting down the days to my sabbatical. It begins in about 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to some downtime to focus on personal wellness. Read more about our team’s plans for sabbaticals here: Taking a Walkabout.

  • Inflation and Competitive Wages – What do these mean to You?

    Inflation and Competitive Wages – What do these mean to You?

    Are your company’s wages in line with the market? Inflation is often the topic of conversation in the news and in everyday conversation. I recently read an article about Social Security increases, the largest in more than a decade, is on the horizon; you can check the article out here: Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment Could be the Highest in 13 Years.

    What does that mean for individuals? It means you should know your worth, or rather, know what the going rate is for your role. I’m currently working on a wage compensation study and researched the Consumer Price Index to ensure rates were on track. It is currently 5.4%; that’s considerable. Here are a few free sources you can use to dig into wage data:

    O*Net – (enter job title, scroll down to Wage & Employment Trends, enter zip code)

    Salary.com – (look for “Individuals” What am I worth? Enter job title & location)

    What does this information mean for companies? Just this week, I’ve received more than one request for a proposal from companies wanting a compensation study. I’ve also had more than one conversation about how hard it is for companies to find employees. One way to combat that issue is to ensure you are paying at least the going rate for the positions you are seeking to fill. If you’d like to learn more about how Horizon Point can help with this, let us know! In the meantime, check out this case study from our website: Regional Wage Survey Case Study.

  • Now’s the Time to Upskill

    Now’s the Time to Upskill

    I attended a great workforce summit in my community this week. The keynote was with the Department of Commerce for our state and provided updates on the direction and focus of their department ending with a promise to rise to the challenge and encouraged attendees to do so also.

    Throughout the afternoon, I listened to educators and industry panelists who had a common goal of growing a strong, engaged workforce. As I reflected on the presentations provided and conversations I had throughout the day, I thought about how important lifelong learning is and how NOW is the time to upskill as several people re-enter the workforce.

    There are numerous avenues to upskill. Here are a few of my favorites:

    Community Colleges – locally we have some amazing community colleges that offer a plethora of courses and work closely with industry to provide training. Check out what community colleges have to offer in your area!

    Online Video Courses – you need only an internet connection to benefit from thousands of courses online. Udemy is one of my favorite providers of online courses. I’ve personally taken a few of their courses; I was able to do this on my own time, at my own pace &  it was super cost-efficient!

    Credentialing – depending on your career field, credentials are often available. Credentials are a great way to verify your skillset. Look for credentialing opportunities through organizations like the Center for Credentialing and Education. They often offer materials to prepare for credentialing also.

    Whatever your next move, upskilling is a great way to get there!

  • Hiring Incentives in 2021

    Hiring Incentives in 2021

    I’ve heard it said SO many times recently. If someone isn’t working, they don’t want a job. Incentives are EVERYWHERE! Why people aren’t taking these incentives is a whole different topic for another day, but you can check out this recent LinkedIn article for reasons other than generous unemployment benefits: What’s going on in the labor market?

    While attending a conference last week, I spoke with a vendor from a staffing agency who was frustrated with his efforts to supply workers for their clients. He mentioned generous weekly bonuses and even better weekend bonuses. 

    I noticed one organization offering a chance to win a car when they signed on to work; Read about here: Shrimp Basket offering a new car as a hiring incentive. The job market is hot! Everyone is hiring and providing incentives! Cash bonuses, cars, flex time – you name it!

    Are you an employer struggling to find employees? Check out this article from Corridor Careers for ideas: 5 Incentives for Hiring (And Keeping) Employees Post Covid-19.

    In Alabama, additional unemployment payments will end soon. Let’s hope these incentives are still available so everyone can benefit & get back to work! 

    Compensation is just one piece of incentives and retention efforts. Did you know we do wage compensation studies at Horizon Point? Let us know if we can help!

  • Gender Themes in Assessments: Are women really more organized than men?

    Gender Themes in Assessments: Are women really more organized than men?

    At HPC, we facilitate assessments and coaching with leaders and potential leaders on a regular basis. We work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and with both males and females. Recently, we facilitated Work Behavior Inventory assessments with a group of organizational leaders. We noticed a trend in one component of the assessment – Conscientiousness. More often than not, males scored considerably lower in conscientiousness, which measures achievement, initiative, persistence, attention to detail, dependability, and rule-following. It is worth noting that most males were self-aware.

    This prompted our team to discuss the idea that maybe there are common gender trends in assessments. Pew Research Center surveyed and published some information that was enlightening.

    According to the research, which surveyed the public on their views of leaders, the public is much more likely to see women as being more organized than men, rather than vice versa. Fully 48% say being organized is more true of women than men, while only 4% say this quality is found more in men than women (46% say it’s true of both).

    Women were also seen as more compassionate. The survey also said:

    Women have an advantage over men when it comes to honesty—one of the most crucial leadership traits, according to the public. Some 29% of all adults associate honesty more with women than men, while 3% say honesty applies more to men than women. A majority of adults (67%) say this characteristic is displayed equally by men and women.

    Read more about Pew Research Center’s findings here: What Makes a Good Leader, and Does Gender Matter?

    Regardless if there is a trend or not, we think self-awareness is key for good leaders, both male and female. During our coaching sessions, we discuss trends in strengths and areas for development and work with leaders to create a game plan for development. 

    Do you have leaders or high-potential employees who would benefit from an assessment and coaching? Reach out to us today for more information.