Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Human Resources

We know HR. Read our Human Resources blog archives for stories and best practices from our work with real clients and personal experiences in the world of HR.

  • Live from #ALSHRM21: Does Your Company Culture Attract Your Ideal Candidate?

    Live from #ALSHRM21: Does Your Company Culture Attract Your Ideal Candidate?

    The theme of the Alabama SHRM Conference and Expo for 2021 is “Embracing the Human in Human Resources” and organizational culture is a huge part of that goal. Craig Ellis, co-founder of our sister company MatchFIT, defined culture as “the unique way employers approach business and the unique way employees approach work” in his presentation Is Your Culture Attractive: What the Data Says Job Seekers are Looking for in an Organization’s Culture.

    According to Craig, 75% of candidates ask about an organization’s culture during the interview process. Unfortunately, the response too often given is a singular response. It’s the interviewer’s opinion and is based on their perspective, one that is most often very positive (or else they probably wouldn’t be an interviewer). 

    So how can organizations accurately define their culture and describe it to candidates to ensure a compatible fit? According to Craig, organizations need to ask those in the know; employees. Don’t look to leadership alone to define your organization’s culture, ask those who live it day in and day out. How they view your culture may be very different than how leadership would define your culture. Conduct employee surveys, find out why employees are voluntarily leaving your organization through exit interviews, and conduct stay interviews to find out what it is about your organization that makes people want to stay.

    Once you have collected data and used it to help define your organization’s culture, you can better determine who your ideal candidate is and what it is about your culture that would attract that candidate? What does your ideal candidate care about in an organization’s culture? If you have a culture that is exacting and procedural, meaning the organization values structure and diligence, a candidate that values a relaxed, informal culture won’t be a good fit for your organization. If you find that you’re interviewing candidates that you feel are your ideal but they turn down your offer, don’t be afraid to ask them why they have chosen not to come work for you. While you may not be able to convince them that it’s a good fit for both them and you, the data you collect can help you to close the gaps in how you present your cultural values to candidates and what values you seek in candidates. 

    According to Craig, an important part of the process is to “take the time to articulate your culture and share that with employees and leadership.” Ensure that everyone is on the same page and can communicate your culture in a consistent way. 

    How do you define your organization’s culture to candidates and is it making them want to sign on or sending them running for the hills?  

  • The Amazon Union Vote and the Fate of the PRO Act

    The Amazon Union Vote and the Fate of the PRO Act

    All eyes have been on the small town of Bessemer, Alabama in recent weeks. Proponents and opponents alike waited with bated breath as employees of the largest U.S. online retailer, Amazon, voted on unionization. Stories of poor working conditions have been spreading like wildfire, and as a result, many thought the vote to unionize was a sure bet. Even President Biden threw his two cents in, expressing his support for unionization at Amazon. And it makes sense that he would do so, given that Democrats are pushing for legislation that would lead to the biggest shift in labor law we’ve seen in decades.

    The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2021 was introduced by Democrats into the House on February 4th of this year. The House quickly passed it with a vote of 225-206; a similar vote to the original bill that was introduced in the House during the 116th Congress. It currently sits in committee in the Senate and its fate is questionable.

    As we know, the Democratic party is very employee-focused and very pro-union. In 1983 the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking union membership and found that 20.1% of employees were union members. In the decades since, that number has slowly dropped. In 2020, only 10.8% of employees were members of unions. The Democrats believe that they can increase union membership if they can overhaul the National Labor Relations Act.

    What makes the PRO Act so important to employers? Among other things, the PRO Act would:

    • Eliminate Right-to-Work laws and allow unions to collect dues from employees regardless of membership. Currently, 27 states, including Alabama, have Right-to-Work laws.
    • Expand the definition of “employee” by making it harder to classify someone as an Independent Contractor and narrowing the definition of “supervisor” so that more employees are covered under the NLRA.
    • Require employers to allow employees to use company equipment to organize and engage in protected concerted efforts.
    • Prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements and class action waivers.
    • Limit employer rights by expanding financial penalties, limiting the ability of an employer to seek legal advice and requiring disclosure of such communication, and requiring labor attorneys to disclose information regarding the client/attorney relationship.
    • Limit employer ability to contest election petitions and allow unions to use coercive tactics.
    • Make it illegal for employers to permanently replace striking employees and allow for secondary boycotts.
    • Require employers to provide employee personal information, including home address, home phone, and personal email, to unions without the consent of employees.

    Amazon employees voted two-to-one not to unionize. This historical vote may or may not have an impact on the PRO Act. That is yet to be determined. What is known is that the PRO Act will have a difficult time making it through the Senate. The 116th Senate sent the bill to committee where it stayed and stalled. The 117th Senate may allow the bill to meet the same fate. If it actually makes it to the floor, Republicans have vowed to block the vote. Some analysts believe that the only way the PRO Act would succeed is if the Democrats can change the rules of the filibuster, which would be near impossible. President Biden has said that if it makes it through Congress, he will not hesitate to sign it. So stay tuned.

  • Innovations in #CareerAdvice and Recruiting

    Innovations in #CareerAdvice and Recruiting

    Unemployment rates in Alabama are slowly falling and are on track to reach numbers from the pre-pandemic job boom. In the Huntsville/Madison area, there are more jobs than there are people to fill them. As a result of a volatile job market and the workplace changes in the last year, recruiters are working through some innovative ideas for 2021.

    Would you be surprised to learn that videos with the hashtag #careeradvice have reached over 80 million views since the start of 2021? TikTok has evolved into a recruiting marketplace, where job seekers and potential employers connect in a creative way. Businesses are turning to TikTok for brand visibility and as a way to reach a broader candidate pool. 

    Organizations are also working internally to redesign jobs to be more adaptable and allow for built-in upskilling and cross-training. According to a Deloitte study, “41% of executives said that building workforce capability through upskilling, reskilling, and mobility is one of the most important actions they are taking to transform work”. Looking for some resources for upskilling and reskilling? Here are three:  

    Forbes – Why Employee Upskilling And Reskilling Is So Important Right Now

    theHRDIRECTOR – Why Upskilling and Reskilling is essential to business survival

    Indeed – Upskilling Your Employees: A Guide for Managers

    We see these two questions as critical components of innovation for recruiters and organizations this year: 

    • How can we introduce new brand visibility and recruiting strategies to reach a larger candidate pool?
    • How can we reimagine our organization chart, job descriptions, and talent management strategies to build in upskilling and reskilling? 

     

    We are currently working with an organization that found itself with fewer applicants and a low applicant-to-hire ratio. We looked closely at the hiring process, we looked at job descriptions, we looked at hiring best practices in the local market, and only then did we start to ask these same questions above. 

    You can get started now by mapping out your current strategy, reach, and impact. What’s working? What worked pre-pandemic, but doesn’t work now? How can you and your team innovate recruiting practices? Dig deep, then take the leap!

  • 3 Ways to Boost Intercultural Competence

    3 Ways to Boost Intercultural Competence

    Here’s what we know (and have known for a long, long time): a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce drives exponential business growth, organizational development, and continuous improvement. Intercultural competence can serve as both a critical performance management dimension for employees and a meaningful competitive advantage for the organization. 

    What we don’t always know is how to act on this understanding. In 2021, our team has locked in on the mantra, “Be impatient for action and patient for outcomes”. Here are 3 actions we’ve taken that you can take today to boost your intercultural competence: 

    1. Understand yourself and your organization first. Consider these questions: 
      1. What is our preference for problem-solving, delegating, motivating, or managing time?
      2. How do we view relationships, laws, and leisure time?

    2. Learn from others whose preferences and perspectives are different from yours. Interact “… with people who are different from yourself, who do not share your interests, or who think differently than you do. …Find out more about them. … Concentrate on appreciating and showing respect for others…” (Cultural Competency Doesn’t Happen Overnight)

    3. Search for and acknowledge shared values and respect and acknowledge differences. A boost in intercultural sensitivity and competence can only happen with authentic engagement, learning, and understanding of commonalities and differences. 

    The Society for Human Resource Management provides an important distinction between intercultural sensitivity and intercultural competence: 

    Intercultural sensitivity is about appreciating the deeper impact of cultural differences on how we interact with other people and the effect this has on one’s own perceptions of other people. Intercultural competence is a measure of one’s effectiveness in such interactions with other people.

    These concepts apply equally to individuals, teams, and entire organizations.

    The relevance of intercultural sensitivity to interactions with people from different parts of the world tends to be clear to many people. The relevance to working effectively with people down the hall from your office may be less clear.

    What actions are you taking today to boost intercultural sensitivity and competence for yourself and your organization? 

     

    Looking for more content related to intercultural sensitivity and competence? 

    Join Horizon Point and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Huntsville on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, for a virtual workshop on Intercultural Competence: Creating a Culture of Awareness, Acceptance, and Respect. Learn more and register here. 

  • What the New Administration Means for HR

    What the New Administration Means for HR

    I often hear HR professionals and business leaders alike comment on how hard it is to keep up with the constant changes in labor and employment laws. HR is an ever-changing world and even more so when a new administration takes office. Many employers have questions and concerns about what this new administration will mean for their businesses and changes they will need to make in how they manage HR.  

    The Biden administration promises a focus that will push for more employee-friendly legislation and a strengthening of policy enforcement. There are a number of areas to keep an eye on this year and in the coming years of this administration, including: 

    • Labor Relations
    • Immigration
    • Retirement Benefits
    • Wage and Hour Regulations
    • Affordable Care Act/Healthcare
    • Paid Leave
    • Discrimination

    So how can employers stay updated on these issues? 

    1. Network: Talk to other business leaders and HR professionals. Join associations that help keep employers informed and help them navigate these changes. Your local Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter is a good resource as are industry-specific associations. 
    2. Subscribe: There are so many resources out there, including newsletters created by employment attorneys and HR professionals, podcasts, and government publications. You can subscribe to the Horizon Point newsletter here.
    3. Attend: Seek out opportunities to attend workshops on employment and labor law. A few great places to find these workshops are your local SHRM chapter, employment attorneys, industry associations, and your local Chamber of Commerce. 
    4. Contract: Seek out help from the professionals. Consider contracting with an HR Outsourcing/Consulting agency or an employment attorney that can help your organization stay up to date on labor and employment laws and ensure that your organization is compliant. 

    For more information on what to expect from the new administration, join Horizon Point Consulting and Redstone Government Contracting on April 6th for our New Administration, New Rules: Navigating the Workplace in 2021 workshop.