Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Next Generation Workforce and Workplace

We help individuals, organizations, and communities think innovatively about the next generation workforce and workplace. Read these forward-thinking stories and best practices from our work and lives.

  • Could You Pass a Labor Relations Class?

    Could You Pass a Labor Relations Class?

    School is starting back, and that means I’m collecting the latest news on union activity – good, bad, and ugly – for a college-level labor relations course I’m teaching. Each of us at Horizon Point has a unique perspective on the union landscape through our work with various clients and projects, which we’ll be sharing in a series over the next few weeks. 

    I’m kicking us off with a look at union activity right here in our North Alabama region, featuring a snippet from the 2023 Wage & Benefit Survey. When asked if any employees are represented by a union, only 3% of participating companies said yes:

    All of these companies are in the manufacturing industry. Is that surprising? Why or why not? (I won’t grade you on it!)

    In the same wage survey, we ask questions about pay practices, compensation, and benefits – these factors contribute to employee satisfaction and whether or not they’ll seek unionization. You may have noticed that big names like Amazon, Starbucks, and UPS have been making news for employee union activity and the sometimes less-than-stellar response from corporate leadership. Workplaces are more advanced than ever before, but sometimes labor practices don’t keep up.

    SHRM recently published “The Evolution of HR and Labor Relations” for the Summer 2023 edition of HR Magazine. The biggest takeaway for me? The last sentence: 

    “The worker of today isn’t so different from the worker of yesterday in terms of their core human needs,” [Steve] Bernstein says. “What people really want in the workplace is to be listened to, to have access to decision-making and to be in a position to at least influence their workplace.”  

    Stick with us over the next few weeks as we explore further the changing (and stagnant) trends around labor relations and why it matters for YOU.

  • Application Process 2023

    Application Process 2023

    Should you Change your Application Process to make it easier for Candidates?

    A couple of years ago, we worked with a client who was having difficulty filling positions. They were using all the right avenues to get the word out to potential candidates, but the pipeline was not working. After surveying several candidates, we discovered the issue was with their extensive application process. It was lengthy and ultimately deterred candidates from completing their application. Fortunately, we helped them streamline by removing some of the steps to apply.

    Recently, a close family member applied for a position online and had the opposite experience. During a conversation, he shared that it was the “easiest process” he’d had while applying for jobs. He was asked two questions and had the option to upload a resume. Within a week, he was called in for an interview.

    In Alabama, the current unemployment rate is 2.2%. Which means, most everyone who wants to work is already working. This makes it tough for companies who are looking to expand their workforce. Making the application process easier for candidates is one way they can attract future employees. A few weeks ago, I was in a café that had “mini applications” placed throughout their dining area. I immediately took a picture, thinking of our clients & how we can help them increase their applicant pool.

    How can you streamline your hiring process? Consider what steps you can remove from the process all together. Save the paperwork for new hire orientation! Let us know if we can help.

  • Second Chances

    Second Chances

    Who among us has not needed a second chance in life? Have you been extended that grace? In my life I have been given chance after chance and have needed that opportunity to fail and to learn from those failures. When prisoners are released they are told that they cannot carry a fire arm and will not be eligible to vote but most times are not warned of the invisible barriers that exist in finding a job, housing or transportation. For example, you are good enough to buy a car but you cannot sell cars for a career. You must obtain housing but most will not rent to you due to your criminal record. 

    On June 29th Lorrie, Mary Ila and I attended the first Reentry Leader Conference in Birmingham at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey. As a subject that is near and dear to my heart, I was excited to hear about ways to help employers afford people a second chance. We have so much untapped talent and potential in Alabama and in the world. Studies show that 77% of our population is justice involved, that’s 32% more than the percentage of people who have college degrees. Depending on state, there are between 2-4 open jobs for every one person available to take that job in the industrial sector. Connecting those jobs to reentrants is critical. Of the 9.7 million reentry each year, only 8% can find employment.

    This is where Reentrycenters.com comes in. They equip participants with must haves such as affordable housing, food, transportation to appointments and counseling and most importantly good jobs. They even offer a free mobile bank for reentrants. Local Auto plants like Mercedes near the Reentry centers employ these workers. 

    During the 2nd chance employer Leader Session, Donny Jones from West Alabama Works shared about Building Hope West Alabama. Their passion is to “provide hope, help, and opportunity to people that are justice involved.” This program “connects justice-inolved individuals with meaningful jobs, as well as the job skills and educational credentials they need for long-term success.” Schnellke is one of the employers hiring people who are justice involved. They believe that everyone deserves a second chance.

    Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb was the keynote speaker. She became judge at 25 and now runs RedemptionEarned.org. It is an effort to help worthy incarcerated adults to become productive citizens. Alabama has one of the highest percentages of the aging population incarcerated. Out of the 4002 total parole hearings in 2022 only 409 were granted parole.Their mission is “to identify, assist, and represent worthy individuals who have spent decades behind bars, demonstrated they are transformed, and earned parole or work release.”

    At Horizon Point we have a people first mindset. We believe that people are a company and community’s greatest asset. As one of the ladies speaking put it, which one of us has not made a mistake that needed forgiveness? How can your organization help to give “people” an opportunity after they have been held accountable for their actions? Afterall, don’t we all need a second chance?

    Need inspiration? Read more from The Point Blog here:

  • The Mental Health “Connection”

    The Mental Health “Connection”

    Recently, I traveled to North Carolina for our annual family vacation. On Sunday, we attended First Baptist Church of Bryson City. The guest Pastor brought the house down on that rainy day with a message on love and acceptance. He described the ways in which we used to value connection with one another through meal time and went on to emphasize how important social connection is for our mental health. If you feel connected and cared for, he argued, then love has the ability to heal. 

    That’s wonderful to hear about in Church, but how does that translate to the mental health of an organization or, more specifically, remote workers?  As a person who has experienced the struggle with mental health, I can testify that just today as I sit here from the comfort of my home writing this Blog I’ve had some anxious thoughts and feelings come up. The people that I love are gone for the day and while the silence is useful for my concentration, it can also be deafening and lonely. You see, I need that connection for inspiration and motivation.

    There are many benefits to hybrid work. Forbes said it best “Hybrid creates flexibility in our lives and workplace, which contributes to employee satisfaction and productivity. Making it easier for them to balance their work and personal lives can result in less stress and burnout. Hybrid work allows people to work in a comfortable and familiar environment, which can promote feelings of safety and well-being.”

    However, what goes up must come down, and there are pitfalls to this setup as well. When I began working from home in September, it was an adjustment. Coming from a traditional 9-5 work schedule, the idea of flexibility challenged my thinking. For a few days, I longed to catch up my with my co-workers and to hear the latest news when I walked through the door. You see, I wasn’t missing the stress or rigidity of the job, I was missing the connection with others. It is good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Thank goodness it didn’t take long for me to shift my perspective and see the way that my Horizon Point Team members valued connection as much as I did. According to Gallup analysis, “it finds that engagement has 3.8x as much influence on employee stress as work location. How people feel about their job has a lot more to do with their relationship with their team and manager than being remote or being on-site.”  

    How can your organization create space for mental health or connection in the workday or week while working remotely? Horizon Point uses various touchpoints throughout our weeks and months. Mary Ila and I meet once a week either in person, by phone or virtually to talk through what she needs me to handle. We also have a Monthly Mingle to brainstorm new ideas, discuss plans for the future and to share a meal. Quarterly Planning is a longer meeting where we, for lack of a better term, plan for the quarter. There are also One-on-Ones during the month when we meet with Mary Ila to have meaningful conversation about what’s happening and what we would like to see happening in our careers.

    What I initially thought could be a challenge has proved to be a learning opportunity. The traditional way of working doesn’t have to be my future, and I can still connect with my co-workers in various ways and environments. There are new tools that I have in my toolkit to connect with others, and when I’m feeling a little lonely, there are certainly other ways to find inspiration and engagement rather than in an office setting. 

    At Horizon Point, we value work-life integration, and it turns out that my stress level is much lower. Even on days like today when I have some anxiety, a nice walk or phone call with a co-worker or friend decreases that feeling. I am much more comfortable than I would be experiencing those feelings in an office setting. Therefore, my overall mental health is much more in balance. 

    Does your organization support your mental health? At Horizon Point, I feel connected and cared for, which translates to love and healing.

    To read more about connection and working remotely, browse through these topics at The Point Blog:

    What’s Relationshipping, and How Do I Do It?

    Building the Bridge Between Survive and Thrive in the Workplace

    4 Ways Leaders Can Keep Remote Work Pros from Becoming Cons

    Benefits of Remote Work for Employees

  • 5 Reasons to Vote in the Alabama Primary May 24th

    5 Reasons to Vote in the Alabama Primary May 24th

    I met Katie Britt- Katie Boyd as we all knew her then- for the first time on a trip to visit The University of Alabama during my senior year of high school. Katie was serving in leadership roles with a couple of groups I was considering being a part of once I started at The University in the Fall, and she made me feel welcome.

    The two groups I was considering joining were groups that seemed to be worlds apart when it came to their purpose and approach on campus. One was intellectually based, the other social. Katie made me see that it was possible to be a part of both. She didn’t have to pick one, or even two things that would define her, and neither would I.

    As college went on, Katie would become President of one of these groups while also serving as the Student Government Association President. At twenty-one years old, Katie was leading organizations with combined budgets of close to a million dollars.

    Katie was and continues to be this. Both as someone who serves in multiple roles with grace and poise and who acts as a leader in all things. She hasn’t defined herself just as an attorney even though she has a law degree, or a mother even though her two wonderful children are the center of her world, or a wife even though she and her husband Wesley are deeply committed to one another. She isn’t just someone who knows Washington even though she’s served in various capacities in Senator Shelby’s office, or just as a fifth-generation Alabamian who is devoted to its citizens and the business community even though she’s led the Business Council of Alabama and served in roles with The University of Alabama.

    Because she is all of these things, and she refuses to choose one identity, she is the very best at each role. She is a difference-maker, and therefore, just as my second grader’s teacher says, she’s a leader. Difference makers are the leaders.

    Katie, of course, is now running for The United States Senate. She’s seeking again to be the person chosen to represent us. Her experience and accomplishments speak for themselves as to why she’s most qualified for this role out of the candidates seeking the office, but I’d like to offer a perspective that I believe speaks to the person Katie is that has led me to get involved in a political campaign when I swore I never would. It is the perspective that will lead my family and me not only to vote for her on May 24th but to set aside our desire to stay out of political controversy to spend our time and energy on her campaign.

    1. Katie is the hardest worker. No one works harder than Katie.
    Stemming out of her mentality of whom much is given, much is required, Katie is like the servant who was given ten talents and then produced ten more. She’s good and she’s faithful. She’s been the only candidate who has put her own boots on the ground in all 67 Alabama counties, meeting with individuals of various walks of life throughout the state. On the few occasions I’ve been with her on visits in Morgan County, her message is: “We are working hard to win your trust and your vote.” That she is. And that won’t stop when she gets to Washington. She’s the one to invest in that will put Alabama First and continue to work hard to invest her energy and love of Alabama to make a difference for us.

    For example, she was instrumental in getting federal dollars to help strengthen infrastructure in our area. And if you’re like me and spend a lot of time driving back and forth on I-565, this is so important. What’s going on to equip I-565 to handle the growth we are experiencing is happening, in part, because of Katie’s efforts.

    2. Katie cares. Katie is a listener.
    Katie’s worked hard to make sure she’s in all counties and all areas of our state to win trust and votes, but also to listen.

    I had the opportunity to be with Katie when she visited Kiwanis Pancake Day in February this year. She shook hands with lots of people that morning, but no one handshake was any more important to her than another. What struck me the most was the way she interacted with a little girl in line waiting for pancakes. As her campaign team was trying to direct her to move towards the exit to make it to another event on time, Katie bent down, lighting up to speak to the little girl. It was clear this precious little girl had some developmental delays. Katie looked her in the eye and told her she loved her glasses. The girl lit up and started talking to her and Katie listened. Katie sees and listens to the ones that often go overlooked. I know Katie will go to Washington with little girls like this one on her mind. And she will continue to shine her light equipping others to do the same.

    3. Katie is a consensus builder.
    On another occasion when Katie was in Morgan County campaigning, she was asked what impacted her the most while working for Senator Shelby (she spent time serving as both his Press Secretary and Chief of Staff). When did she learn the most from him, the gentleman in the audience asked. Katie thought for a second and cited a time when she got to watch Shelby and one of the most liberal Senators at the time work together to keep the government funded and going. I wasn’t shocked that this is what she mentioned because the Katie I know is a consensus builder.

    I watched her do it in college and I heard about how she did it as the leader of the Business Council of Alabama when the situation was less than ideal. At a time when things are so unbelievably polarizing in our country, I believe what we need the most in Washington is people willing to 1) work hard 2) listen and care well and know that this combination equips someone to build consensus.

    This doesn’t mean compromising on what matters most to the constituents Katie will represent, it means building relationships in D.C. and beyond so that what matters most to Alabamians will be heard and recognized because the person voicing them on our behalf is respected. This will be unbelievably important as Alabama steps into a situation where both of our senators, regardless of who is elected, will not have seniority.

    4. Katie knows the government’s place.
    Katie is unequivocally focused on continuing to build the American Dream for the next generation of Alabamians. She knows that this will only happen when freedom is at the forefront of what we do as a country and where we aren’t strapping our children and our children’s children with a level of national debt that will cripple the dream. The first line of where Katie stands reads, “As the Senator for Alabama, Katie Britt will be our advocate for smaller government, modern job growth, constitutional liberties, and greater opportunity.”

    She knows that greater opportunity comes when Alabama families, our faith-based communities, and business and industry lead the way. It is not the government’s job to lead and to spend more than it can ever possibly sustain. It is to support good-paying, competitive job creation and provide all citizens with the education, opportunities, and safety to realize the American dream.

    Katie also has the business experience to do this. She walked into a debt-ridden situation at the Business Council of Alabama and when she stepped down to run for Senate, left the entity not only with a balanced budget but with a surplus. She advocated and lobbied for policies while at BCA that supported and spurred business and job growth in Alabama. Any government funding or spending she has ever advocated for is an investment in the future competitiveness and attractiveness of our state and nation, not a government handout or a pet project.

    5. Katie represents a perspective and a demographic that we need more of in Washington.
    There are currently twenty-four females in the United States Senate, one-third of which are Republicans. Of these eight female Republicans, none have children at home or are younger than the age of 18, thus labeled “working moms.” Approximately 25 million women in the United States are “working moms.”

    Katie turned 40 this year. There is only one person, Senator John Osoff (D- GA) who is under the age of 40 currently serving in the Senate.

    Selfishly, I want someone in the Senate that represents a voice more similar to my own. Currently, there are none. A wife, a mom of school-aged children, a business and political leader, and an Alabama-born and bred Senator is needed. So needed.

    Katie has come under some criticism for running for such a demanding job given the age of her children (they are both in middle school). To them, I say, you don’t know Katie. And you also don’t know that her children were among the first to challenge her to run- to step up. Katie is not one to sacrifice one role for the sake of another. Throughout the campaign, she’s still dropping her kids off at school more days than not, cheering them on at their sports endeavors and supporting them in academic and social excellence. I know this first-hand. On her visit here in the fall, she made sure she left an event here to get back in time for a basketball game. But she will accomplish more while here because she’s present while here, just like she’s present at home. As one dear friend of mine noted, “She’s got her priorities straight.” And she’s still visiting more places across the state and visiting with more Alabamians than her opponents.

    I know her role as a mom will make her a better Senator, and her role as Senator will make her a better mom. She’s started Moms on a Mission to drive home the need and the way to ensure our country and our state are places where our children can thrive.

    Thank goodness for people like her who refuse to choose and who refuse to back down to criticism that is a result of her excellence in all that she does. As her campaign website reads, “Katie and Wesley have chosen Alabama once again by putting themselves forward, enthusiastically volunteering to fight to ensure their kids — and our kids — have the opportunity to choose an Alabama worth fighting for long into the future.” Amen to that.

    The enthusiastic and genuine Katie Boyd, now Katie Britt, that I met over twenty years ago and made me feel like I mattered is who I will be voting for in May. Maybe that is all that needs to be said of her. She knows you and I and the little girl with glasses at Pancake Day matter. If you’ve met her you know it to be true because she made sure you knew you mattered when you interacted with her. And I know she’ll lead with this attitude in Washington, representing every Alabamian with grace and poise.

    You matter. And your vote matters. I hope you’ll join me in exercising your right and privilege to vote on May 24th.