Six Figure Jobs Indianapolis

Here's what the process of filling out my NCAA tournament bracket has looked like for the last 5 years:  I sit down at my computer, login to CBS Sportline and immediately fall into a statistics induced trance.  I quickly paralyze myself with the information trying to figure out which picks to make and specifically, which teams are going to defy all statistics and be a bracket buster (i.e. Butler and VCU).   Then after a few minutes of analysis paralysis, I decide that I'm not getting anywhere by trying to learn about all 64 teams in a matter of minutes and making decisions based off of that limited information would be silly.  Heck, even sports analysts that have been following collegiate basketball season after season can't predict this stuff so why am I trying to do it?  So I carry on about my business and make my choices based on the information I do know and teams that I like.  (I'll even admit to picking teams because I like their school colors or team mascot.  But don't tell my husband that, he'd probably be embarassed to hear me say that.)   This year, it made me think that making your bracket picks is a lot like managing your career.  How?

1. Decisions you make early in the process can greatly affect your overall journey.  I am guessing a large percentage of people who filled out brackets picked Butler to lose in the first or second.  (These people obviously didn't know Butler's potential like the rest of us from the Hoosier state!)  Picking that loss cost them significantly!  The same is true in your career.  If you simply just take any job early in your career, even though it doesn't match up at all with your long term career goals, you are doing yourself a major injustice.
2. Limiting your Indianapolis job search to only big name companies is a very narrow-minded approach.  In years past I have selected teams to win simply because they're typically a tourney powerhouse.  However, in doing that I am ignoring the potential of the "underdog" having what it takes to pull out a win.  This is definitely the case in a career search...especially here in Indianapolis.  We are lucky to have a lot of strong small to mid-size businesses that might not be known outside of the city, but the culture and opportunities they provide are outstanding.  If you are only focusing on large companies, you will never have the opportunity to pursue some of those "Cinderella stories".
3.  Do your research, but rely on your own experiences as well.  I know that a lot of analysts didn't think Butler could make it out of the first or second round.  However, if you've followed them at all the last couple of years, you know that they play with heart and tenacity that is rarely matched by their opponents.  Knowing this, you may have had them advancing another round.  The same is true for companies.  It is important to learn as much as  you can about companies that you are targeting in your Indianapolis job search, but you also need to make decisions based on your own experiences with those companies as well.  If you hear all kinds of praise about a company, but your interview with them is awful, you need to make the decision based on that experience and not just what the "statistics" are telling you. 

So with that information, I wish anyone in an Indianapolis job search much better results than I had with my bracket this year.  Although my results weren't pretty, I had a great time participating in a couple of pools and am already anxiously awaiting next year!  Which leads me to my last point.  Have fun with your search.  If you make it a chore and a dreadful activity to complete, your journey will not be as rewarding as it could be. 

Over two decades of Indianapolis Staffing industry experience have transformed me into a demanding customer when I am in need of some good customer service myself. I figure that Monday - Friday (and sometimes Sat and Sun too), I make sure I dish out the best possible customer service to my customers. All I am asking for is a little of the same from my own service providers. I have to admit, usually I am pleasantly surprised...but not always. Every once in awhile I need to TALK to someone about a problem I am having - but NO, instead I get caught up in customer service "please hold for the next available customer service rep while you listen to this crummy music" hell. This happened to me recently and after investing an embarrassing amount of time attempting to conquer the on hold circle of defeat, I decided to investigate the deep dark depths of their website to see if there was any hope of a live person I could reach to help me out.

This is where I stumbled across the "Live Chat" option. It was not prominently displayed on the site, but I found it and although pensive about pouring my heart out to a stranger on the Internet, I was desperate enough to use it.  I am happy to report that my experience was pleasantly satisfying and the process of typing out my "problem" turned out to be rather cathartic. The customer service rep on the other end of my "chat" was polite, helpful and took care of my problem in 3 questions or less. Now, the emotional reactions and facial expressions demonstrated by my helper on the other side of the keyboard might have been frustration or exasperation about my issue, but as far as I was concerned, they passed the test of great customer service.

I was not sure how I would feel about giving credit to a pseudo-personal method of communicating with your customers. I am, after all, a tried and true student of the school of personal communication being the very best way to take care of your customers. Face to face is even better, but we all know that is an impossible dream with a large customer base that is geographically spread out. Phone communication is the next best way to take care of your customers with that personal touch. These days, email is the preferred method of communication for many, but it leaves so much open for interpretation that is is not always the most effective method.  Now I find myself sitting here pondering how cool it might be to have the "live chat" option for a service such as ours? I have not thought it fully through yet and have many potential challenges to this approach in the staffing industry already formulating in my head.  That said, it might be the next  thing on the list of "expected" service delivery options so it would be wise to mull it over.

At That's Good HR, I have to admit that we make ourselves available to our customers at all times. We try very hard to be proactive in our approach to talent management, but when you are working with the human element things come up, so it is critical to be available and ready to help. Our "live chat" option right now is the own mobile device that each of us carries which offers a personal touch to the support we provide.  Not sure we are quite ready to give that up yet.  More to come...

Hiring, branding, workplace culture, health insurance and "a partridge in a pear tree". So many balls in the air, it can be a challenge just to choose which to catch first and which to just let fall for the time being. Can you catch them all? Not alone. This is the time of year when many companies review their human capital strategies and determine what changes to make for the coming year. It is important to make sure that all of the non-tangible aspects of your business are considered (like managing your brand or keeping up with social media) along with the obvious. This week there were some good news articles focusing on some of these key issues. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and read on....
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Health Insurance plan Choices Confusing for Many: As another open enrollment season comes to a close, millions of consumers are finalizing their benefits packages for 2012. Unfortunately, more than half of insured adults are confused with several important aspects related to choosing a health insurance plan, reveals a survey released Monday. (benefitnews.com) 

The Importance of Paying Close Attention to Social Media: Imagine your company announces a major change to its service offering and suddenly, the company is being bombarded by negative social media comments about the change. Further, the leadership of the company ignores the negative comments thinking everything will simply blow over. In today’s world, things don’t blow over. Problems tend to spread virally in short order. (forbes.com)

Hiring Top Talent with Limited Resources: When clients that operate small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) ask for help recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent, they often start the conversation by highlighting a huge human resources challenge: How can they compete with larger, deeper-pocketed competitors to recruit their industry’s best performers? (financialpost.com)

What Motivates Employees more then Money? The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did. (linkedin.com)

Let's Agree to Drop these Worst Corporate Jargon Offenders: Hey!  It’s mission-critical that we circle back on this very important matter of corporate jargon in the workplace. Let’s focus on the low-hanging fruit with a small group first and then loop everyone in. Being proactive about our learnings will really incentivize the group to focus on the most critical action items and value-add for maximum impact. Let’s start high level, drill down from there, and circle back after lunch to figure out next steps. (thehiringsite.com)

Talent and skills shortage-one of the top business risks for 2012: Despite high levels of unemployment, U.S. business leaders say one of the biggest risks they’re facing is a talent and skills shortage, according to the 2011 Lloyd’s Risk Index. (benefitnews.com)

How to Manage workplace culture: The Christmas season is here. Many non-Christians participate in the commercial aspects of Christmas. Some non-Christians are offended by its religious foundations and any reference to Christmas in the workplace, at school or in the stores. Many employees have no strong opinion. (newsobserver.com)

Employer Branding - Spread the Word: “I heard that’s a great place to work.” When employer branding efforts are successful, any mention of a company should trigger that exact statement. And when a company effectively communicates its brand internally and obtains employee buy-in, “Yes, it is!” should become the automatic response. (recruiter.com)

11 Favorite recruiting strategies for hiring new college grads: A new report from Michigan State University gives college students a road map on how to connect with employers. The survey, which was completed by roughly 3,300 employers across the country, clearly indicates that internships are the No. 1 recruiting strategy. (cbsnews.com)

With the first snowfall of the year we are reminded of the importance of being prepared as the weather takes a turn for the worse. I thought I was prepared, as I pro-actively purchased yet another snow scraper for my car well over a month ago. This is a fancy one with a retractable handle and double brush. This would be the shining star of my snow scraper collection. Yesterday, upon emerging from my warm office at the end of the day to brave the snowy drive home; it occurred to me that while was proactive in the purchase of the snow scraper, my failure to leave it in my car rendered it useless to me in my time of need. Lesson learned.

My hope for you is that  my weekly news updates contribute to your ability to be prepared for HR and legal issues and challenges as they develop. Preparing for a storm is one thing, but staying on top of the daily maintenance of small issues before they become big ones is just as important (if not more important). Here are some of the top HR and legal news updates I came across this week.
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20 States to See Tax Hike on Employers: Federal unemployment taxes will rise for employers in 20 states and the Virgin Islands. Those employers are losing part of a credit on federal unemployment taxes in 2011 because their state governments have unpaid balances for two or more years on federal funds borrowed to pay state unemployment claims. (Staffing Industry.com)

Checking Social Media on a Potential New Hire? Here are some Tips: According to this recent SHRM survey, only 18 percent of companies have used social media to screen job candidates. Most cite the legal risks of screening candidates as the reason for not implementing a social-media background check. (tlnt.com)

Bill to extend payroll tax cust to be introduced by Democrats: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation this week that would extend the payroll tax cut that is due to expire at the end of the year. (benefitnews.com)

Why more folds are waiting to Retire: A recent Wells Fargo survey of 1,500 Americans between the ages of 20 and 70 reveals that 20% of them believe that they will “need to work until at least age 80” to live comfortably into retirement. (recruiter.com)

A current snapshot of the Indianapolis/Marion County economy is now available for you to view.  Inside you will find current economic indicators including: Employment Statistics, Current Real Estate Statistics , Recent Jobs Announcements (developindy.org)

Good Tips here on How NOT to fire someone: 5 common mistakes: Unless you're a natural bully, firing someone is never fun. It is, of course, a necessary part of being a manager, and it's a skill that can be honed. (cbsnews.com)

Employer Reactions to Internet Use at Work: Though it’s expected that workers will use the Internet for non-work purposes during breaks, lunch hours, and in moderation, Web activity spilling into work time is when many employers put their collective feet (adorned with 50 percent off Black Friday Blowout shoes, thankyouverymuch) down. (thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com)

Do you Measure Performance? Some: Management gurus like Peter Drucker have long since put to bed the idea that measuring performance really does improve performance significantly more than if you don’t measure. But this isn’t the reason driving most people’s participation in performance measurement. Let’s look at a few of the most common reasons, and see how compelling they are. (staceybarr.com)

Office Distractions - 6 of the Biggest: When productivity is high, your business provides better service and you are most likely making more money. But when it is low, or there are distractions among your staff, it can have a big impact not only on productivity, but on customer service, team morale and the overall state of your business. (openforum.com)

Free Guide by the NLRB Teaches Employers about Social Media Policies in the Workplace: A new employer guide entitled, “Can I Fire This Twit Over That Tweet?. Theisguide will assist HR managers in understanding social media labor laws and what behaviors at work constitute employee misconduct. (recruiter.com)

In the post-Thanksgiving spirit, I thought I would share some thoughts on the very topic of giving thanks. This time of year makes us all a little more sensitive to taking the time to appreciate what we do have and less tolerance for those who use this opportunity to simply complain about what they don't have.  For example, don't you just love people who go through life "expecting" things to go their way regardless of how they treat those around them? "Thanks for nothing", they say. "Right back at you", I say. You get what you give. Plain and simple. It is not guaranteed but as a general rule, it all works out in the end.

In a bad situation? Do something to make it better rather than waiting for someone else to fix it for you. Help yourself and then help someone else while you are at it instead of spending your time wallowing in your unhappiness. Every single day should have in it, somewhere, your chance to do good in big and small ways. Smile at someone. Not hard, right? Maybe you will make their day a little brighter. Hold the elevator for someone. Easy. Let someone go first. Hard for some, but really so easy.

I am not talking monumental, sell all your stuff and give the money to charity kind of things. The simple stuff can lead to bigger stuff and one day it will come back to you in unexpected ways. This is not all simply for the touchy-feely outcome of it all. It actually does have practical applications in the workplace as well.

This lesson works especially well in the workplace and these are the building blocks for opportunities to have an individual impact at work that could later translate to great STARs (Situation, Task, Action, Results). Building your resume is one thing, but building great examples for behavioral interview questions is just as important. When you do something to make someone else's job better, you are contributing to the productivity of the company overall.

For example: Your coworker is struggling with a particular assignment working with a software that you have some proficiency with. Find some time to help them out, give them a mini tutorial. Don't do the work for them - rather teach them how to do it themselves. No skin off your back and you don't even need to take credit for it. They get the project completed and you have a good story to tell one day down the road when an interviewer ask you: "Tell me about a time when you used your knowledge to help someone else at work".  You also now have a friend at the office who may be willing to help you out one day when you need it.

Sounds trite, I know. So simple and obvious that it is ridiculous to waste a blog post on the subject. I disagree. It is never a waste to remind others of the fundamentals around being decent human beings. Sometimes we get busy and forget and the holiday season just seems like a good time to put it out there one more time.

This week focuses on Talent. Don't think I am crazy giving away trade secrets here. Engaging a staffing resource to support you in these efforts will always give you a leg up, but we are also here to support and educate our clients on how to find the best talent. While we are at it, we are also here to support them in their efforts to retain the top talent. Some might think that is counter-productive to our business, but I beg to differ. The more value we provide to our customers around the investments they make in talent acquisition that will stick around, the more loyal those customers are. Besides, some of our best customers have been some of our best placements who moved up to become hiring managers. I also threw in at least one hard core HR news article just to give you some variety. With open enrollment coming up, we could all use a little advice. Have any questions or ideas about what you read in this week's news update? Send me a comment, would love to hear from you!
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Look for These Five Signs to Retain Your Top Talent: Highly skilled engaged employees are invaluable to an organization’s bottom line. With the costs to hire and train new workers soaring through the roof, it’s important for businesses to retain valued employees. (recruiter.com)

Don't Overlook Veterans in Your Talent Search: New research by RightManagement, the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup, suggests that many employers largely disregard the unique skills and experiences of military veterans when considering a candidate for a position. This unfortunate oversight leads to missed opportunities in acquiring top talent. (Recruiter.com)

Monthly Expenses keeping Employees up at Night more than retirement savings: Keeping up with monthly expenses was the biggest financial worry, cited by 21% of those surveyed, followed by saving enough for retirement, which was cited by 18% of employees as their biggest financial concern. (Benefitnews.com)

Picasso never went to meetings: You're going to way too many meetings.:  And yes, I do mean you. In fact, I'm thinking about you as I'm writing this. It's exactly 5.27am and I can picture your schedule for the rest of the day. All those meetings - in your office, in their office, in meeting rooms, 'conferenced in', synchronous, asynchronous, vital, tedious, overlapping and running long...always running long. (Predictablesuccess.com)

82% of Recruiters, Hiring Managers, HR, Find Evidence Of Discrimination Against the Unemployed: “I am very disturbed when I hear that employers don’t want to even look at resumes of people that have been out of work for 6 months or just (are) unemployed,” said Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis at Facebook’s announcement for their Social Jobs Partnership with the US Department of Labor, N.A.C.E., State Work Force, and Direct Employers. “It’s as though people have created this problem themselves, and that’s just not true.” (Recruiter.com)

18 of Your Burning Social Media Questions, Answered: Great follow up questions following a webinar all answered here. Valuable insights for any company engaged in social media...or even those just thinking about it. (The Hiring Site)

Wondering Why you are not able to Hire Effectively?: The problem might be you. To be sure, not every candidate is a rock star. But if you keep turning up dud after dud, the problem may not be the applicant pool. In a quest to find the best workers, entrepreneurs sometimes wind up adopting hiring practices that are actually detrimental to their companies. (inc.com)

Open Enrollment making you Sick?- Seven lessons this benefits pro has learned about staying healthy at the most stressful time of year: Open enrollment is often one of the busiest times of the year for most benefit professionals. After finishing all of the plan updates, budgets and the communication strategy, we have the open enrollment meetings. With any luck, you won't find yourself in a crowded room of people at the height of flu season. (Benefitnews.com)

Think you Know What Job Seekers Want? Think Again.: Is your recruitment process based on what you know about job seekers…or what you think you know about job seekers? (thehiringsite.com)

Tips for a new hire’s first 90 days on the job : The first 90 days are crucial when it comes to a new hire. If the fit is right, it can be the beginning of a successful long-term work relationship that benefits both employee and employer. If the fit is wrong, it can cost a company a great deal – both in time and money. (theglobeandmail.com)

Careerbuilder’s Q4 Hiring Forecast: Caution and seasonality are influencing hiring expectations for the fourth quarter as employers assess ongoing barriers to economic growth and wrap up 2011. Consistent with trends typically seen in the tail end of the calendar, employers anticipate a moderate slowdown in hiring. Twenty-one percent of hiring managers reported that they plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in Q4, down from Q3, but on par with 2010. (Careerbuilder)

This post was written and published around this time last year. We felt like it was useful for many and therefore we have pulled it out, dusted it off and republished as a quick reminder and guide to all of the students out there who are anxiously looking forward to the upcoming holidays and the brief respite they may bring from your studies.

If you are a current college student it's probably your first week of holiday break and you are literally brain dead after cramming for final presentations, projects and exams.  So you are at home in your sweats, propped up on the couch and your plan for the next 3-4 weeks is to be a couch potato while watching old episodes of "Jersey Shore" and to keep tabs on what your friends are doing all break through Facebook.  Believe me, that sounds awesome...and I don't blame you for taking some time for yourself after a hectic semester.  However, I would urge you to at least spend a little bit of your break focusing on your future career.  In a time when internships and entry level jobs are scarce and your competition is getting more fierce, you have to be able to set yourself apart to employers.  I have compiled a short list of items that you could do during break to make yourself more aware of current hiring trends and what Indianapolis job openings may be available after graduation. 

1.  Review the logs on file through the career center websites that list types positions held by alumnus in your field of study.  Write down a few of the top positions that are of interest to you and do some research in order to get a better feel for where your strengths and interests would be best suited. 

2. Schedule an informational interview.  Talk to your friends and family to see if anyone can help you get an informal, informational interview with a company that has positions similar to the ones on which you have targeted your search.   

3. Job shadow: This is very similar to the informational interview but a little more in depth.  This is a great way to really see "A day in the life of______".  There is no better way to figure out if a position is fit for you than to actually see the work first hand. 

4. Give your resume some TLC and spend some time beefing it up a little bit.  A good way to start is by translating your educational experince into relevant "work" experience.  Add any organizational involvement onto your resume and detail out any skills that are utilized in the work you perform for those organizations.  (If you aren't involved with any organizations, you better get involved quickly!)  I would also recommend having a few HR Professionals or headhunters review it so that you can get the perspectives of a few different people within various industries.  These conversations might also lead to potential Indianapolis job openings!

Again, I know it's not that exciting to think about doing "work" on your break, but if you spend this little bit of time and effort on preparing yourself for your job/internship search, the results will definitely pay off.  At That's Good HR, working with new grads and college students is one of our favorite things to do so if you are seeking career advice, summer or seasonal work be sure to give us a ring!

Trick or Treat?

This question can apply to many of the hottest HR and employment issues I came across this week. Social Media, Social Security, Healthcare, Unions, Benefits, Hiring trends and Productivity killers. Tricky? You better believe it. Treats? Only if you mange them correctly. How to do it right? Back to being Tricky. Makes you want to just bury your head in a big bag of Halloween candy, doesn't it.  Well, hopefully some of the news of the week will help you chase some of those HR ghosts away this weekend.

Happy Haunting!
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Make sure you Manage your Online Profile: Why do employers conduct background checks?  Employers are concerned with negligent hiring practices. They confirm potentially false or inflated information, abide by federal and state laws and acknowledge the age in which we live – the ‘information age.’ (womenofhr.com)

Social Security Rigor Mortis - through the eyes of the Millenials: According to a poll of 642 18- to 29-year-olds conducted by the Strategic Research Institute at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., 50% don’t believe Social Security will exist by the time they become age-eligible for the program at 67. Another 28% think the program will be around, but will provide a much smaller benefit. Just 5% expect benefits to be the same as they are to current beneficiaries. (benefitnews.com)

Shifting Costs of Perks and Benefits: As the economy sputters and health-care costs rise, businesses large and small are eliminating benefits they consider nonessential and shifting more costs to employees for the benefits that are offered. (wsj.com)

Soon-to-be Retirees get some Good News: Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% next year: Social Security retirement benefits for about 55 million people will go up by 3.6% next year, the first cost-of-living increase since 2009, the U.S. Social Security Administration said last week. (benefitnews.com) 

Indiana panel recommends right-to-work legislation: A committee of Indiana lawmakers is recommending their colleagues approve "right-to-work" legislation when they return in January for their 2012 session. (ibj.com)

DOL issues final rules on 401(k) investment advice: Defined contribution plans may offer advice from a third-party as long as that entity receives level fees regardless of their recommendations, or through a certified computer model. (benefitnews.com)

Hiring Activity for October Appears Weak: Continuing a recent pattern of weak job growth in the United States, hiring in October will be limited in the manufacturing sector and will fall in the service sector compared with a year ago, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for October 2011. (shrm.org)

Hire With Purpose: Q&A With Small Business Expert Jay Goltz: “I’m not looking for great storytellers. I want to figure out what makes people tick and how they operate on the job.” (thehiringsite.com)

Skilled Worker Shortage or Training Shortage?: Even with unemployment hovering around 9%, companies are grousing that they can’t find skilled workers, and filling a job can take months of hunting. Employers are quick to lay blame. Schools aren’t giving kids the right kind of training. The government isn’t letting in enough high-skill immigrants. The list goes on and on. But I believe that the real culprits are the employers themselves. (tlnt.com)

Productivity Killers at Work: Americans may be spending more time at work, but they're also becoming much less productive. Workplace productivity dropped 0.3% in the second quarter, following a decline of 0.6% in the first three months of the year, according to the Labor Department. It was the first back-to-back decline in productivity since the second half of 2008. (The Street)

Rising Government Layoffs Overshadow Private-sector job growth: Crippled by plunging tax revenues, state and local governments have shed over a half million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. And, after adding jobs early in the downturn, the federal government is now cutting them as well.

Unemployment Discrimination: Monster.com Has It Right, People (Job Boards are PLATFORMS)...: Repeat after me: Job Boards are PLATFORMS, not arbitrators of quality, fairness or morality. What's a platform?  A platform is where the masses can come and use technology in a variety of ways.  Think Facebook, think Amazon. (hrcapitalist.com)

Fall is officially upon us. As the days get shorter and the air cooler, we all just want to pick some apples, carve a pumpkin or wrap up in a blanket by a fire and take a big nap. My job is to free up some time to allow you to do just that by boiling down the news of the week to a few pertinent items that will make you sound like a genius. This week I have focused on some interesting HR recruiting, interviewing, on boarding and development tips. Of course, there has to be some social media focused news in there too. So, get out those marshmallow roasting sticks because this will be a great weekend to use them.

Are Prospective Employers Looking at your Facebook page? You bet they are.. Creativity, Well-Roundedness, & 'Chastity‘: We all know that employers Facebook stalk us before hiring us (or before deciding not to hire us). In an oft-cited survey released by Microsoft Research in 2010, 70% of recruiters said they’d rejected applicants based on info they found online. (forbes.com)

The Importance of Social Media from the perspective of Richard Branson: Where most corporate blogs still house formal announcements, the Virgin Group website hosts a blog written with Branson’s first-person flair. Many of them read like diary entries. (mashable.com)

How Companies Utilize Telecommuting as a Retention Tool: Companies that allow or encourage their employees to telecommute rather than come to the office are more interested in maintaining a happy workforce than achieving any direct cost savings, experts and corporate executives say. (cnbc.com)

"Pay For Performance" May not be what Generation Y is Looking for: Many money-motivated Millennials (and they do exist) will bolt to new opportunities as soon as the great recession of 2007-20?? eases up...unless you happen to be an organization that recognizes their potential. (fastcompany.com)

The Best Recruits May Not Be Who You Think: When I hired him, Shaq was barely qualified to use a computer, let alone conduct detailed forensic examinations on hard drives that later had to stand up in court and pass the rigors of cross examination. (wsj.com)

Job Interview putting you to Sleep? Try asking about their Dreams: Sometimes all it takes is one question to spring the lid open and let the personality fly out.  As someone who interviews people for a living, I have a few favorites.  And this one is my all-time, absolute, works-every time, ace up my sleeve: “What dream came true for you when you said ‘yes’ to your last job offer?” (hrcsuite.com) 

Helping new hires adjust to your unique culture: New hires may fail because of unrealistic expectations. But there’s another big reason some don’t make the grade: They just can’t grasp your organization’s culture, so they never learn to operate successfully in it. (rapidlearninginstitute.com)

HR Needs To Be The Department of Errors and Corrections...: To be successful HR needs to move from the department of enforcement to the department of corrections.  I’m cereal folks, super cereal. (fistfuloftalent)

US Labor Department launches economic and employment statistics app: The most up-to-date employment data and economic news releases from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Employment and Training Administration now can be viewed using a new mobile application. (dol)

October Employment Outlook from Simply Hired: Today, SimplyHired.com released its October employment outlook highlighting national and local market forecasts, and industry and employer trends. (simplyhired.com)
 
Problem Employees: Keep them or Kick them to the Curb? We call an unmanageable employee (UE) an employee who exhibits constant, repeated, unproductive behavior. Everyone has a bad day, a bad week, sometimes even a bad month, depending on what’s going on in their life. But we’re talking about someone who’s constantly, repeatedly – on a fairly long-term basis – unproductive. This book is about helping managers uncover what they need to put UEs back on track. (thehiringsite)

Social networking and technology tips continue to dominate the news this week. As a seasoned Executive Recruiter, I find myself always looking for ways to become more efficient without sacrificing quality service delivery. This is a fine balance and as we all become more active in social media circles, it becomes critical to understand how to behave online. Whether I am talking to candidates about their Indianapolis job search or talking with clients about their Indianapolis job openings, the subject of social networking always comes up. It is important to balance this with what it going on with employees inside your organization. As you are building your strategy for next year, make sure you understand how emerging technology and social platforms will impact the way you do business in the future. Follows are some relevent articles on all these topics and more. As a matter of fact, there were so many interesting news articles that came across my screen this week that it was difficult to keep this post brief. Enjoy!
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Navigating the tricky waters of Facebook policies for employers, workers: In the age of instant tweets and impulsive Facebook posts, some companies are still trying to figure out how they can limit what their employees say about work online without running afoul of the law. (CBSnews.com)

Demographic Trends for HR: Eldercare: The New Childcare?: SHRM’s research shows that members feel two key demographic trends are the growth in the number of workers with eldercare responsibilities, and those with both childcare and eldercare responsibilities. (weknownext.com) 

Global Trend that Could Leave Unsuspecting HR Pros in the dust : Does your open position or call for performance feedback have a better shot at being acted upon if it's emailed or texted? (hrcapitalist.com) 

Success at work influenced by Positive Attitude: Predicting an employee’s future success at a company has traditionally stumped experts, and relying on metrics such as IQ level, only tells 25% of the story. What makes up the other 75%, according to Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert, is the optimism that your behavior matters, a positive social support system, and whether you view a challenge as a stress or an impetus to improve. (benefitnews.com)

Don't Have a strong Growth Strategy? Might be hard to hold onto your Best People: Growth is one of the most critical currencies your company trades with its employees. In some cases, employees see it as even more important than the salary they receive–-particularly younger workers looking to advance. (fastcompany.com)

Protecting Unemployed Against Hiring Bias-What Obama thinks: Mr. Obama’s jobs bill would prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants because they are unemployed. (nytimes.com) 

Get Ahead of Workplace Stress: Although a certain amount of job stress is to be expected, stress in the workplace can be costly because it affects not just individual well-being but also organizational performance. (forbes.com)

How to Behave in an Online Community: If you have spent time above ground in the past few years, you have heard about the business value of participating in online communities. Participating in any online community can be hard to do right. (recruiter.com)

Losing Sleep over the High Cost of Sleeplessness: Insomnia is creating expense and danger for employees and employers alike, and it's up to HR leaders to train their own staffs, as well as all managers, on ways to deal with it. Communicating information on EAPs, providing some quiet areas for power naps and offering suggestions on ways to de-stress and relax at home are some options. (hreonline.com)

Provocative Interview Questions one Professional Swears by: Here are my all-time-best, surefire, weed-out-the-losers-and-pretenders interview questions: (businessnewsdaily.com)

Health insurance costs surge in 2011: The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance surged this year, snapping a trend toward moderate growth, but experts say these increases may slow again in 2012. (washingtontimes.com)

What the C-Suite wants from HR now: Last week while working with a client I was fortunate to attend a business briefing where a panel of 4 CEO’s talked very specifically about what they want from HR.  The focus of the conversation was how they define a “strategic HR business partner” and “what they want and need from HR now.” (passiononpurposeblog.com)

Thoughts from Seth Godin on The forever recession (and the coming revolution): There are actually two recessions: The first is the cyclical one, the one that inevitably comes and then inevitably goes. The other recession, though, the one with the loss of "good factory jobs" and systemic unemployment--I fear that this recession is here forever. (sethgodin.com)

So, I just had to put the article in here about the "Love affair with your office chair", as we are currently going through an office chair upgrade in our offices right now. The work-life balance issues are getting more scrutiny lately so there is some of that in this week's update as well. Technology and specifically social media are continuing to change at lightening speed and this week it seems there was more news around technology issues than usual. Read on to make sure that you are not a social media jerk. We were just talking about the mobile phone topic in a meeting today so I have included an article on tax implications. Fall officially begins on Friday so get those pumpkins out and dust off the s'mores sticks, bonfire season is upon us!
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Is There Really Such a Thing as Work-Life Balance?: More than two decades and countless discussions after the term “work-life balance” entered the workforce lexicon, we don’t seem to be any closer to figuring out how to achieve it. Author Matthew Kelly believes he knows why. (thehiringsite)

Tips and Tricks for Developing an Online Reputation Management Strategy: Online reputation management (ORM) has become a critical component to many corporate branding campaigns in 2011. With all of the online conversations happening today, the ability to replace positive sentiment with the negative is a primary goal of any reputation management strategy. (clickz.com)

Make Sure you are Ready To Hire Generation Z: Just as companies have adjusted to the demands of generation Y, a new generation is set to graduate from college: generation Z. (openforum)

Coaching Tools for Managers...Stop Talking and Start Listening: Coaching for better performance.  Most managers think they're great coaches.  Most aren't. (hrcapitalist.com)

Hiring for Cultural Fit – Making it Tangible: When it comes to hiring, it’s easy for recruiters, HR and hiring managers to focus on a candidate’s technical qualifications and skip right over the things that are harder to quantify – like cultural fit. (unbridledtalent.com)

IRS publishes guidance on tax treatment of mobile phones: The Internal Revenue Service has released guidance aimed at clarifying the tax treatment of mobile phones provided by employers to their employees. (benefitnews.com)

Several HR-Related Provisions in the Obama Jobs Bill: When the Obama administration rolled out the much-anticipated American Jobs Act (S. 1549) on Sept. 12, 2011, the $447 billion proposal presented the classic good news/bad news scenario to HR professionals and their organizations. (SHRM.org)

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repealed: It's official: Gay soldiers can finally say so. The repeal of the 1993 law that banned gay military personnel from serving openly went into effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. after years of fierce debate in both Congress and the armed services. (nydailynews.com)

You Know you are a Social Media Jerk When: For the first time, your online profile can determine, in part, the outcome of your business and the success of your job search. It’s time to make sure you don’t look like a social media jerk. (Recruiter.com)

Love Affair With An Office Chair: The office is a popular place for forming friendships and even finding lovers. But these days, some people’s deepest office attachment is to their chairs.

It has been a week of frustrating computer challenges and it is amazing how dependant we have become on the speed and efficiency of technology. When we cannot skim pages and pages of news articles in the blink of an eye we actually start to feel the stress of not being fully informed. Scary but true. It may just be a personal issue that I need to get some professional help for, but I am guessing it is not just me who feels this way. We want the news and we want it now and we want it fast. We want to read it and digest it quickly so we can move on to the next set of information to consume. Am I right? That said, here is a snapshot of some important news items from this week. Hopefully you can skim and consume quickly and glean some information of value so you can get on with your weekend!

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How Google keeps up with the Quality of search results: SEO.com has released an infographic on Google’s efforts to provide quality search results high. It’s an interesting look back at the key initiatives that Google has undertaken to combat sites from undeservedly dominating search results. (marketing tech blog)

Federal agencies issue clarifying PPACA guidance; The one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has come and gone, and federal agencies continue to issue clarifying guidance on several of its provisions. (Benefit news)

Surprisingly High number of People live Paycheck to Paycheck: A new survey released by CareerBuilder - a major job board and global leader in human capital solutions, suggests that the number of workers living check to check has returned to pre-recession levels. (Careerbuilder)

Finding Finance talent a challenge: Nearly half of U.S. finance executives say it is somewhat or very challenging to find skilled talent, according to a recent study. (StaffingIndustry)

Recruiting and Hiring on the Increase - Get ready: The quarterly CFO Outlook Survey from Financial Executives International and Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business found that 57% of U.S. CFOs plan to hire additional employees at their companies in the next six months. (Benefit News)

Performance Reviews - the Perfect Place to Improve your Coaching Skills... Had someone ask me yesterday how they could eliminate the performance review at their company. Really? Really. It's trendy to say that performance reviews are broken and must be eliminated from corporate life. (FistfulofTalent)

5 Things To Know About The ADA : The Americans with Disabilities Act has been around for more than 20 years. Still, small businesses continue to be uncertain about what they are or are not required to do in order to comply (OpenForum)

Benefits Trends in U.S. Organizations:  An overview of the latest findings from the SHRM 2011 Employee Benefits Research Report (SHRM)

Employers Value Emotional Intelligence Over IQ: a majority of employers are listening their hearts when it comes to hiring, and placing a higher emphasis on candidates’ emotional intelligence than their IQ’s.

New Affordable Care Act proposal to help consumers better understand and compare benefits and coverage: the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury proposed new rules under the Affordable Care Act that will enable consumers to easily understand their health coverage and determine the best health insurance options for themselves and their families. (dol.gov)

This is a week for some "hot" tips...pun intended. Tips about how not to handle FMLA, what job seekers are looking for, cool Google tips and tricks, why not to panic about the debt ceiling deadline, trends in Healthcare and a glimpse of the future of HR. Hot this week is the story around the "Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act" so be sure to check that out too. I would love to hear if you find some of these tips useful so drop me and line and let me know. NOTE: Next week I will be on vacation so we will not have a weekly news update. Tune in the next week so we can catch up!
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Here's a hint about FMLA - When an employee returns, don't do this: Telling an employee to find another job on her first day back from FMLA leave probably isn’t the best idea. (HR Morning)

Hiring Plans for Small Businesses Moving in the Right Direction: According to CareerBuilder’s nationwide survey of more than 1,400 small businesses, while small business hiring in the coming months is expected to be better than 2010, caution continues to steer the pace of job creation post-recession (The Hiring Site)

Job security scores high according to Survey: A recent survey shows that both employed and unemployed job seekers look beyond the money, to the benefits  (Benefit News)

Here are some Cool Google Tricks Worth Knowing: When it comes to researching and finding things on the web, Google is your best friend. You can find just about anything on Google with a little time and effort. Some things might take longer than others to find, but nothing is impossible with Google  (Kyle Lacy)

Don't panic yet...Fallout from debt ceiling deadline might be overblown: There is a lot of concern among investors about the looming Aug. 2 debt ceiling crisis, with investors wondering whether they should take steps to protect their assets in the event of a major crisis such as soaring interest rates and a decline in bond prices or even a stock market crash. (Benefit News)

Pay Attention to your Top Talent Before they Decide to Leave: According to a recent survey by Right Management, three out of four organizations lost high performance employees last year (Recruiter.com)

Trends in Healthcare to be Aware of: While attending UnitedHealthcare's Customer Forum, I made note of some trends that were discussed. Here are seven that I think will have significant impact in the near future. (insideworkplacewellness.com)

"Unemployed need not apply", becoming a Growing Problem. That is the message being broadcast by many of the nation’s employers, making it even more difficult for 14 million jobless Americans to get back to work. (NY Times)

A Glimpse of the Future for Human Resources Professionals? My predictions center on Millenials in the workplace, length of training sessions, social networking, compensation and benefits reviews, bullying in the workplace, public image and workplace trust and connection (WomenofHR.com)

Diversity and Inclusion - Keeping it Real: Here are some of the things that we did to improve diversity and inclusion in our workforce. Perhaps these steps can be helpful to your company, too. (Harvard Business Review)

Capitol Hill Reacts to NLRB Boeing Charge: The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote later this week on H.R. 2587, the “Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act.”  The bill would curb the National Labor Relations Board’s authority to inhibit employers from relocating or transferring employees. (SHRM.org)

I am not even going to comment on the heat this week, because you all know exactly how hot it is out there and you don't need me to update you on that news. I will, however, pass along some news about hot dogs, meeting hell and Indy being a hot place to live and work. Of course, the news update would not be complete without some news about FMLA, some survey results and the NLRB. Enjoy a cold one while you catch up on your weekly news!
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Firing employee for eating hot dogs unjustified: (Reuters) Thu Jul 14, 2011 - You might think this sounds ridiculous, but in the case of Nolan Koewler of Evansville, Indiana you should heed this example of why you need to be clear with all of your employees, even when it comes to processed meat. 

Is it Hot in Here? Around the table in meeting hell: Those whom the Lord wishes to punish for their waywardness he sends to meetings. Here is who you might find when you get there. (Baltimore Sun)

HR Focuses on Retirement-Plan Governance: The number of lawsuits, combined with regulatory complexity, the growing cost of benefits and the volatility of investments, has motivated some U.S. companies to beef up the governance of their retirement plans, say experts. (HREonline)

Indy makes the list!! 5 Places With Good Jobs And Cheap Housing: This Hoosier city scored high on every list. The city boasts 10 sports teams, an a amazing city park system, including Canal Walk, and one of the nation's top museums, Indianapolis Children's Museum.

Butler University, Ice Miller LLP, and Inside INdiana Business Announce CEO Survey Results: What does it take to start, grow and sustain a business in Indiana? How important is foreign competition? What’s the state’s role in economic development and what initiatives offer the greatest growth opportunities? (INCEOsurvey.com)

Trade groups press NLRB to slow down union election rules: Business and labor advocates swamped the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Tuesday to battle over a plan that likely will speed up union elections. (thehill.com)

Money Quote of the Day to Impress Your CFO from the HRCapitalist...: Don't act like you don't need it, HR.  You want me on this wall, you NEED me on this wall. (HRcapitalist)

Hiring Discrimination Against the Unemployed: Federal Bill Outlaws Excluding the Unemployed from Job Opportunities, as Discriminatory Ads Persist

Employee wasn't covered under FMLA because of lies, court rules :  A Sears employee who was fired when he lied and said he needed time off for cancer treatment -- when it was really because of his bipolar disorder -- did not have his rights violated under the Family Medical Leave Act, a federal court has ruled. Since he misrepresented his illness, he was not covered, the court ruled. (HR morning)

Health Care Reform: The Debate Continues : Some executives thought health care reform would lower costs over the next two years, but most were uncertain or felt the ACA would increase costs. This impression is not surprising given the confusion surrounding the status of the ACA and what the future will bring. (inceosurvey)

I know it is not news to anyone that it is HOT outside. The temps are rising, but it does not appear that hiring trends are following the lead of the weather. This week we have some news from the Secretary of Labor about how to work in excessive heat and some "cooling off" labor market updates from SHRM and Careerbuilder. Do you know some horrible bosses? We have some tips that might sound familiar. The good news is that according to a recent story in the IBJ, State officials say Indiana is flush with cash reserves because of an improving economy and deep budget cuts made over the past year. Stay cool out there!
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Paycheck pickup...make sure you understand the laws: Can an organization require employees to pick up their paychecks only at specific times and dates? Can the company require employees to sign up for direct deposit? Review this article focusing on the laws govern such actions. (HRE online)

2011 Mid-Year Job Forecast from Careerbuilder: CareerBuilder just released their interesting job expectations for the remainder of 2011. The report highlights some very encouraging figures for the U.S. job market. (recruiter.com)

Looking for the perfect Employee? Be Specific About What you Want: Detailed Job Descriptions are critical in finding the perfect employee (Net-temps.com)

As the Temps rise, hiring Cools in the US.: U.S. manufacturers and service-sector companies will add jobs at a lower rate in July 2011 than in July 2010, and HR professionals are still struggling to recruit workers for key positions. (SHRM.org)

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on excessive heat across the country: (Dept of Labor)

Sure signs that you Might Be a Horrible Boss: From the results of a recent survey of over 200 business professionals, here are the top twelve body language behaviors of less-than-ideal bosses. (Forbes)

Make sure your wellness incentives are rewarding the right behaviors: Forgetting the golden rule and rewarding wrong people are among the top four reasons Sykes lists for why employee wellness incentives fail. (Benefit News)

Employees want caring over cash: According to a recent survey conducted by Monster.com and Unum, the top-rated item on would-be employees’ wish lists is a company “that truly cares about the well-being of its employees.”

Local IT consultancy plans to add 200 jobs: An Indianapolis-based information technology consultancy plans to lease additional office space on the city’s north-east side to make way for a planned addition of 200 workers by 2015.

Working the mobile way is becoming business as usual: “Nearly one third of small-business owners tell us that they check their mobile device before they brush their teeth in the morning, which really signals the growing importance of mobile devices for conducting business today.” (portfolio.com)

Interesting Stats on Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses By Occupation: There were 1,238,490 cases of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. (recruiter.com)

At-will employment, IRS, FMLA, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, SHRM, unemployment, lawsuits and hygiene all came up in our That's Good HR news update this week. Good stuff to know. There is even a little bit of good news for Indiana's GDP so read on and let us know if you have any insights or opinions on any of these important topics. We always love to hear from our customers about how they are adapting to the ever changing legal and HR environment.
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How NOT to handle At-Will Employment: In most states, absent a contract of employment, an employee is considered at-will (i.e., he or she can be fired for any reason or no reason at all). Many employers reinforce that their employees are at-will (TLNT)

Good News for Indiana Businesses from the Indy Chamber: Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show Indiana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 4.6 percent in 2010, compared to the national rate of 2.6 percent. 

SHRM Meeting recap of Fox presentation - 'Don’t Play the Result‘: “The script of your life is not yet written. Life changes, and you change with it,” said Michael J. Fox, the Emmy Award-winning actor, author and advocate, during the June 29, 2011, closing keynote speech of the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 63rd Annual Conference & Exposition.

U.S. unemployment claims drop to 7-week low: The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in seven weeks, although applications remain elevated. (IBJ)

Verizon lawsuit over its policies for disabled workers ends with $20 million settlement : Verizon Communications Inc. will pay $20 million to settle a U.S. lawsuit over unlawful policies for disabled workers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in resolving its largest discrimination case. (LA Times)

Hygiene and appearance play into employers’ promotion decisions: Do your tattoos keep you from moving up the ladder? Survey Says yes.  (The Hiring Site)

Engagement, retention top HR concerns according to SHRM survey: Sixty-nine percent of the respondents said engagement would be “very important.” Running a close second is employee retention, cited by 63%. Recruitment and managing organizational culture were deemed very important issues by 53% and 51%, respectively (benefit news)

IRS announces increased standard mileage rate for qualified business drivers for the second half of 2011. The adjustment reflects rising costs at the gas pumps this year. It is accompanied by a hike in the standard mileage rate for medical and job-related moving expenses. (IRS Announcement 2011-40)  (Bizactions)

How well do you know the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?: It's long been said that what you don't know won't hurt you. Whoever said that clearly had no knowledge of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Benefit News)

FMLA: Second Opinion not enough to reject leave: The FMLA allows employers to request second opinions when they have concerns about an employee’s medical certification. But companies that are going to do that must be prepared to ask for a third cert. (HR morning)

I am not an actively social person. I am fortunate to have married a man who is equally private about his life so together we live a fairly introverted and quiet life. I like it this way because for the most part, I am not interested in the opinions of others when it comes to things that I feel are personal (child-rearing, religion, politics, money, etc). That said, I came to the realization over the weekend that even for those of us who run away to the country most weekends, we cannot escape the importance of community. You cannot and should not expect to "do it all" on your own, particularly when there are others available and interested in helping you in a way that makes your life a little better.

This really became clear to me over the July 4th weekend on a number of fronts.

• At That's Good HR, we like to have fun. In the spirit of originality in our quest for fun, two of our staff members decided to celebrate Christmas in July. They planned and executed an entire day dedicated to traveling around Indianapolis and spreading some July 4th cheer to our local client community. Without our loyal Indianapolis staffing customers, where would we be? This is a community of people call us for much more than simply need us to provide a service. They call us just to talk, to check in and to see how we are doing. They provide us with referrals to other customers and they are not afraid to tell us when we need to do something better.

• My husband has been searching for a boat to buy for over a year. This weekend he finally found what he was looking for and just in time for a perfect boating weekend. As we spent much of the weekend on the lake with a boat that we were still learning how to use, the importance of the boating community became clear. Boaters are wonderful people. Your ticket to entry is a boat. After that, anyone is willing to help you along in your quest to become an active and competent participant in this community. We had a number of little glitches along the way this weekend and there was always someone there willing to offer help. As I idled by the loading dock waiting for my husband to bring down the trailer, I observed the dynamics of boaters loading and unloading and the constant activity of strangers helping each other as challenges presented themselves.

• My neighbor is working on a website dedicated to supporting the cancer community. It is unique in many ways and as this site prepares to launch, testing of the site usability and functionality is in full swing. As we were talking about this project over the weekend, I was amazed to hear about all of the people who have experienced cancer in any way (patient, survivor, caregiver) who are so willing to participate in helping others in the cancer community. I have not personally had experience with cancer, thankfully, but if I ever do, it was heartwarming to hear that I would not be alone in my journey.

It was a thoughtful weekend for me as I believe that we can take for granted the strength of the communities that surround us. Typically I think about networks and support as it relates to Indianapolis staffing and HR as this is where my focus is day to day. These are important communities to engage as they will carry you through good times and bad in your career so take good care of the relationships you have within these communities. Don't forget to look around and recognize other communities that can help to make your life better in many ways big and small.

Not a lot of fireworks in the news this week, but a lot of "sparklers" that could blossom into big HR challenges as things progress if you are not paying attention. This week, some updates on what the NLRB and DOL are up to and sobering news about benefits and IT talent pools. The good news? Indianapolis has been a hotbed for capital investments and new job commitments so far in 2011. Another bit of good news: If your company is focusing on Wellness, you are likely headed for some positive outcomes. Happy Independence Day and be sure the wave that flag proudly this weekend!
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Mixed reactions on federal appeals court ruling on individual mandate: Employer organizations and trade groups expressed mixed reactions Wednesday afternoon when the first federal appeals court to rule on the health care reform law upheld the constitutionally of its so-called individual mandate provision. (Benefit News)

The positive outcomes of a healthy Workforce are well worth the effort:  If every company was as progressive in their thoughts and actions as Lincoln Industries the U.S. would be full of healthy, happy and productive workers who are bringing down the cost of healthcare. (Industry Week)

Over 2,600 New Job Commitments, $553 million in Capital Investment for Indianapolis in First Six Months of 2011:  The City of Indianapolis has secured commitments from 33 companies to relocate or expand in Indianapolis/Marion County through the first half of 2011.  Together these companies have committed to creating 2,661 new jobs and investing $553 million over the next few years. (DevelopIndy.com) 

It is a mistake to stop Recruiting your top people the day they start working for you: It seems to me that after a company recruits, wows, and hires an individual, the recruiting and candidate courting process stops. (Blogging4Jobs)

State limits on jobless benefits take effect Friday: Indiana residents who fail or refuse a drug test given by an employer before they're hired will soon be unable to claim unemployment benefits. (IBJ)

Shrinking Benefits: Interesting statistics...Seventy-seven percent of surveyed human resources professionals said the economy has negatively affected benefits to some or to a large extent this year, up from 72 percent in 2010. (Staffing Industry and SHRM)

Update on NLRB Aggressive Stance On Handbook Policies and More Recently, in two key developments, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has indicated there is some truth to predictions regarding the types of drastic changes the “new” NLRB will undertake. (Indiana Chamber HR Notes)

DOL puts tracking your workweek right in the palm of your hand. Just Check Your Phone: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the launch of its first application for smartphones. The app is a timesheet to help employees independently track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. (Indiana Chamber HR notes)

Logistics firm planning 415 jobs in Plainfield: Brentwood, Tenn.-based Ozburn-Hessey Logistics LLC plans to expand its distribution center in Plainfield and create up to 415 new jobs by 2015, the Hendricks County town announced on Monday. 

2010 statistics show a decline in the number of teleworkers: Official telework tracking data began in 2003 and for the first time since this tracking began, the number of people working remotely at least one day per month decreased to 26.2 million in 2010, down from 33.7 million in 2008, according to the Telework 2011 WorldatWork study. (FCW)

Where has all of the IT talent gone? Considering that employment has been growing considerably in IT, particularly compared to general employment, and that salaries are at the high end of the spectrum, it is a mystery to me why schools have not been able to attract more graduates in this field in the past few years. (Staffing Industry)

Social Media from and Executive perspective: Fifty-three percent of executives believe they must adopt Social Business or risk falling behind. (TechCrunch.com)

June is here and the temperatures are rising but you don't have to sweat keeping up with the important news of the week. Simply sign up to receive our blog posts right to your email inbox and That's Good HR will make sure that you have a copy of my weekly news snapshot to keep you current. This week has some interesting information on managing your "generationally" (I think I just made up a new word) diverse workforce that is becoming increasingly more tech savvy. Enjoy the weekend and stay cool.

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May 2011 Economic Briefing: The Marion County unemployment rate dropped 0.4 percent from 8.9 percent in March 2011 to 8.5 percent in April 2011 dropping 0.5 percent below the national rate. The Indianapolis-MSA rate dropped 0.5 percent from 8.1 percent in March 2011 to 7.6 percent in April 2011. (from developindy.com) 

The Truth About Generation Entitlement: After a decade of bad press, Millennials in the workforce are speaking up and speaking out about the accusation of vocational entitlement and why it’s time to rethink the role of young professionals. (from portfolio.com)

The Mobile Recruitment Revolution: Today, there are 91.4 million mobile internet users in the United States and this will jump to 132.5 million—a whopping 41.5 percent of the U.S. population—by 2015, according to eMarketer.

Back towards a US double-dip:The US economy was supposed to be in bloom by late spring, but it is hardly growing at all. Expectations for second-quarter growth are not much better than the measly 1.8 per cent annualized rate of the first quarter. (From Financial Times)
 
Employees using social media: How many times do we have to tell you? It seems like every week there are a couple of social media-induced lawsuits in the news. And there is no end in site, as people try to figure out (again) what speech is free and what speech is slanderous and damaging. Here are a couple of recent lawsuits in the news. (from Techrepublic.com)

Hell Hath No Fury Like An Employee Ignored: Laying out a clear vision for your company is one thing. Getting your employees to buy in and implement it is an entirely different animal. Dwight Eisenhower said real leadership is getting someone else to do something you want done because they want to do it. (From Openforum.com)

Personal mobile devices create security headaches for biz: Results of a recent survey of 1,400 technology professionals in 14 nations show 21% of companies have no restrictions on use of personal mobile devices, while 58% have lightweight policies, and only 20% have stringent guidelines. (from usatoday.com)

Equal Benefits Gain Ground: Employers that provide equal benefits to employees with same-sex partners and spouses confront many challenges. Benefits managers must keep track of conflicting—and changing—state laws on same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. (From SHRM.org)