Real Economic Opportunity for Women in the Workplace

June 23rd, 2014 | SEIU My job as a family child care provider for the past 21 years is the lowest paying job I have ever had. I put my earnings right back into my business and what is left is not a lot. But the best part of this job is working with children. It is extremely rewarding to see all of your work reciprocated back to you instantly.

Being a part of the SEIU Local 99 Family Child Care Providers Union is one of the best moves I could have made. It helped me see that we are stronger together. Together, we can fight injustice and win.

Over the years, I have shared conversations with state and federal lawmakers that have led to bills, and finally to laws that have made life easier for people in my community and parents of the children in my care. I have stood in solidarity with other providers and shared stories about the wonderful work we do with legislators and even with our governor.

Women make up nearly two-thirds of all low wage workers in this country. When we come together and bargain collectively, we can raise wages and gain valuable benefits that can improve our lives and the lives of our families. For example, child care and home care workers in states across the nation have come together as members of SEIU to secure raises that lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

I have seen doors that were once bolted shut, slowly crack open and are now opening a bit wider. Together, women in a seemingly “common” position such as child care provider can do uncommonly great things that make life better for all of us and our families

How To Make A Great Impression In An Interview

Jappreet Sethi | January 25, 2014 | HR Interview | 4 Comments

It takes less than a minute for people to assess and make a first impression about the personality of a stranger. When it comes to getting a job and placing yourself before the interview panel, you must be extra careful not to disappoint.
There is never a second change to make a great first impression and failing here could mean failing to get the job. Interviews might be a stressful affair, but there isn’t anything to worry about if you can exude confidence and be prepared for what’s coming.
Here are five things to take note of when you want to make that first impression during the interview count.
1.    Dress The Part
The first thing that hits the eye of the interviewer when you walk in through the door is your attire and the way you carry it. You may be a regular sweatshirt and cargo user, but the interview desk is where you need to get professional.
It is not about changing your habits and style but about proving to possible employers that you care about the professional standards of a workplace. Dress according to the job you are interviewing for.
You need not be suited in straight trousers and blazers when looking for the position of a sketch artist or a photographer (although even these sometimes need you to be suited depending upon the company you are applying to).
Your dress also includes your overall hygiene – clean nails, shaved chin or neatly trimmed beard, subtle fragrance, neat jewelry and tasteful accessories.
2.    Have a Firm Handshake
Shaking the hands of the panelists as you are introduced to them is considered a positive gesture. Even if the interviewer doesn’t offer his hand in return, it is  standard protocol to, at least, initiate the gesture. If your palms happen to be sweaty, do carry a tissue and wipe your hands well before entering the room.
Make sure your handshake is firm, not floppy and weak, but also avoid gripping the other person’s hand too tight. A firm handshake implies confidence and makes a good impression on the interviewer.
3.    Avoid Fillers
Don’t talk too much, and don’t try to be over smart in an effort to conceal nervousness. If you don’t know the answer to a question, be polite and straightforward about your ignorance. It is not a sin to say, “I don’t know.” This could even chalk up some points for honesty.
If you need a few moments to compose your thoughts, start by repeating the question before answering. Avoid filler statements that have nothing to do with the question asked.
4.    Sport a Good Posture
An office is an uncomfortable place to be in, especially if you have just passed out of college and this is your first job. Resist slouching over while you are getting comfortable talking to the interviewers. It may even help if you practice interviewing yourself in front of a mirror and affecting a good, steady posture.
5.    Be Grateful
When you have done all you could possibly have and concluded a good interview session, don’t forget to thank the interviewers for their time .The heavy sighs of relief can wait until you are out in the hallway and away from the sight and sound of the interviewers.
Going to a job interview is always a stressful experience. But, if you are confident in your abilities and remember these tips, you are more likely to tackle the interview session calmly and improve your chances of getting the job

9 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid In Your Resume

Jappreet Sethi | September 30, 2012 | Career Tips, Résumé Writing, Resumes | No Comments

Here are 9 of the biggest mistakes to avoid In Your resume , not correcting them will instantly make your resume appear antiquated:
The One Page Rule
Don’t spend countless hours trying to squeeze a decade or two of valuable experience onto a single sheet of paper. The worst thing you can do is try to make the font smaller or eliminate space between lines. If you do, your resume is too hard to read.The best way to gain extra space is to decrease the margins. Use 1/2 an inch instead of an inch. The good news is that the one-page resume no longer rules, as today’s hiring manager is more likely to be scrolling down on a screen than flipping to the next page.In fact, for experienced professionals a two-page resume is the most common format. There are obvious exceptions, such as recent graduates and entry-level applicants who can easily fit all of their experience on one page without sacrifice. For seasoned pros, however, even three- and four-page resumes are not uncommon and are acceptable today.Printing double sided will get you two pages for the price of one, and can impress companies who are environmental oriented.
Using Ancient Fonts
A “font” is the style and shape of the words on your resume. The right fonts are modern and easy to read. The wrong fonts are ancient and difficult to read. The right fonts are Arial and Helvetica. The wrong fonts are Times New Roman and anything else too fancy.If you have your resume in Times New Roman font, like many of us do, change it to Arial. You’ll be amazed at how much cleaner, modern and more professional it looks.
Writing in Paragraphs instead of Bullet Points
Your resume is an outline, not a novel. Use bullet points to highlight your experience and education, with short sentences or phrases.Don’t write in long block paragraphs that tell a story. It makes your resume much harder for a human to “scan” quickly, and is likely to cause your resume to be thrown into the rejected pile.
Using a Street Address
Including a City and State is fine, but there is no reason to include your actual Street Address. The employer isn’t going to be notifying you of an interview by snail mail.Skipping the street address is good for you for two reasons. It helps prevent both identity theft and junk mail. Since many job ads are from companies that choose not to reveal their names, you never know who you’re sending your resume to, so skip the street address and keep yourself protected.
Not Including an Email Address
Yes, you may have emailed your resume to the recruiter, but it’s still important to have your email address on your resume, as well as your phone number.Listing an email is not just a matter of convenience. It says, “Yes, I am part of the modern world, please hire me.”
 Using an Objective instead of a Summary
Objectives are out and Summaries are in. The reason is an Objective tells the employer what you want. A Summary tells the employer who you are and what you can do for them.Your Summary should be about 2 or 3 sentences that state what job you are applying for, and a brief explanation of your career highlights. You should be able to read your summary section out loud in 30 seconds or less.

Ignoring Keywords
Resumes are scanned by computers as often as they are read by humans. The software is designed to scan resumes for the keywords chosen by the employer. If you don’t have the right keywords, your resume never gets selected to be read by a real human.There are two ways to manage keywords. The easy way is to simply include a keyword section (don’t call it that, call it “Core Competency”).The harder but better way of using keywords is to place them throughout your resume in the descriptions of your work and school experience. It’s more natural, and will score better with the actual human recruiter.The secret to knowing the right keywords is that they are usually in the job ad. If you see a list of skills required, a certain educational degree, or specific licenses or other qualifications, those are all keywords. Any unique words could be keywords, but things like “strong work ethic” are never keywords.
Stating Obvious Computer Skills
Don’t list common technology on your resume. We all know how to use Microsoft Word, Windows, Internet Explorer, Twitter and Facebook. We all know how to use an email program. For upper-level applicants, it is already inferred that you possess the entry-level technical skills that were needed to successfully rise through the ranks. Listing them would unnecessarily lend your overall presentation a lower-level feel, which you would obviously want to avoid.

Best Practice HR Tips from Liane Hornsey, Google VP Operations | MeetTheBoss

Human Resources Manager Job Description 

This human resource manager sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.

Description: Human Resource Manager

Human Resource Manager Job Purpose: Maintains and enhances the organization's human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices.

Human Resource Manager Job Duties:

• Maintains the work structure by updating job requirements and job descriptions for all positions.
• Maintains organization staff by establishing a recruiting, testing, and interviewing program; counseling managers on candidate selection; conducting and analyzing exit interviews; recommending changes.
• Prepares employees for assignments by establishing and conducting orientation and training programs.
• Maintains a pay plan by conducting periodic pay surveys; scheduling and conducting job evaluations; preparing pay budgets; monitoring and scheduling individual pay actions; recommending, planning, and implementing pay structure revisions.
• Ensures planning, monitoring, and appraisal of employee work results by training managers to coach and discipline employees; scheduling management conferences with employees; hearing and resolving employee grievances; counseling employees and supervisors.
• Maintains employee benefits programs and informs employees of benefits by studying and assessing benefit needs and trends; recommending benefit programs to management; directing the processing of benefit claims; obtaining and evaluating benefit contract bids; awarding benefit contracts; designing and conducting educational programs on benefit programs.
• Ensures legal compliance by monitoring and implementing applicable human resource federal and state requirements; conducting investigations; maintaining records; representing the organization at hearings.
• Maintains management guidelines by preparing, updating, and recommending human resource policies and procedures.
• Maintains historical human resource records by designing a filing and retrieval system; keeping past and current records.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Completes human resource operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees; following up on work results.
• Maintains human resource staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.
• Maintains human resource staff job results by counseling and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills/Qualifications: Hiring, Human Resources Management, Benefits Administration, Performance Management, Communication Processes, Compensation and Wage Structure, Supports Diversity, Classifying Employees, Employment Law, Laws Against Sexual Harassment, Organization

Director HR - Motivational Speech For Employees

Motivational Speech For Employees

    

Director HR - Motivational Speech For Employees

Dear ladies and gentlemen, very warm welcome to all of u.

On behalf of Patni computer I Neeraj Chadawar Director HR addressing you. As u all know patni computer is one of the well known IT Company in India. We are the leading exporter of IT services in India. Our brand has recognised by top notch client, as we provide them unique technical as well as the various strategic solutions in all the verticals. We become a 1 billion company in the year 2007, by this we create a benchmark in Indian IT industry. In the year 2008 we also got IT excellence award. This is possible only due to pool of talented, energetic, and dedicated workforce in our organization

Coming to main the point of discussion, as you all know last year we somehow lost one of our big client from our basket of clients, because he got bankrupt, who was a generator of more than 30% revenue for our organization. This situation occurs due to recession. We all know that this is economic factor which we cannot control. Due to this most of the businesses are in dark. Due to our large client base and talented people like you we able to survive.

At present we are in talk with 2/3 top clients and I hope we will get them very soon, we are also going to start new project at the end of this month. We all know that Failure is the foundation of success; success is the lurking place of failure. Very soon we will come on the previous trek and definitely we will achieve bigger success in the near future.

So all of my team members pull up your socks, assemble your team , assemble your thoughts and try to put efferts in the vision of the company because I know that Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. We have to touch so many benchmark in future.

Now company has set some short term goal to achieve success, if company grows u people will automatically grow with organization, now company has linked some incentive plans with this short term goals for the benefit of employees

At last I end with that We cannot exhaust the creative power of our minds, If your mind can accept that something is achievable, it will find a way to attain that thing.

Thank u

Andrea B. Smith 

Global Head of Human Resources, Bank of America

        Andrea B. Smith is Bank of America’s global head of Human Resources and a member of the company’s executive management team. Smith leads a global team of human resources professionals responsible for recruiting, leadership development, learning, compensation, benefits, diversity and inclusion, and employee relations for employees in more than 40 countries. She is also responsible for the company’s Corporate Aviation, Corporate Security and Executive Protection functions.

Smith joined Bank of America in 1988 and has held a range of leadership positions in Global Human Resources. She served most recently as the Senior Human Resources executive for Global Banking and Markets, Global Commercial Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Technology and Operations, and the Chief Administrative Officer group. She was also responsible for Global Staffing and Global Learning for the company.

Smith actively promotes the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion internally and externally, including serving as a member of the company’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council. Smith is also active in the Charlotte community, serving on the executive committee of the Charlotte Chamber, and the boards of trustees for Discovery Place and Thompson Child & Family Focus.

What Is the Future of HR?

        Robert Browning’s poem “Andrea del Sarto” describes the 16th-century painter’s love for his wife but laments that del Sarto is limited by the mundane duties of earning money and supporting her, while his more famous (and unmarried) contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael live for their work with greater passion and spirit.

Despite being published in 1855, the Victorian Age poet’s work is relevant to the challenges facing human resources leaders today. The demands of day-to-day HR may be crowding out the focus, passion and spirit that are necessary if practitioners are to take a leading role in helping organizations capitalize on opportunities offered by emerging trends such as big data and gamification. This could hinder an organization’s quest to maximize productivity and be competitive.

Is the HR profession moving fast enough to capture the opportunities in emerging trends? Much of the work addressing this issue has defined the future of HR in terms of competencies, workforce demographics, or professional techniques or practices.

Here we take a different departure point by starting with prominent emerging general trends and examining their potential effect on HR, now and in the future, and HR’s desired and actual role in addressing them. What we found was that while HR leaders generally feel their ideal role is one of broad leadership, their assessment of the current role often is far less than that.

Our research at the Center for Effective Organizations was conducted with a consortium of 11 large companies: Citrix Systems Inc.; Electronic Arts Inc.; Gap Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corp.; Mattel Inc.; Rockwell Automation; Royal Bank of Canada; Sony Pictures Entertainment; Unilever; UPS Inc.; and The Walt Disney Co. Twenty to 30 HR professionals within each company participated in the consortium. We examined the trends of globalization, generational diversity, sustainability, social media, personal technology, mass customization, open innovation, big data and gamification.

                                         

HR SKILLS


Right skilling 
Right skilling, or matching jobs with a particular level of training rather than hiring overskilled workers, is gaining currency. Companies use this strategy to tide over a manpower supply crunch and to broaden their talent baseApart from IT and ITeS firms, organizations in the banking and financial services sector, too, have been increasingly hiring graduates and training them. The upside? Lower attrition rates and wage costs. Pai explains that when you have an over-qualified employee, it is very difficult to meet her aspiration levels and, therefore, the chances of the employee moving on to something more challenging are higher.

Managing ‘solid citizens
Organizations which neglect their solid citizens are doing this at their own peril, say experts. Unlike star performers who are potential leaders, and therefore more likely to move out of an organization faster, this group provides stability and bench strength to an organization. Experts say companies need to take a fresh look at solid citizens and invest time and resources in managing and developing this group.

Instant rewards
Recognizing and rewarding performers is one of the most effective tools to attract and retain the right talent. Companies in India are looking at rewards systems more seriously, and are adopting total rewards practices that include compensation in both cash and kind. 

Apart from lifestyle perquisites such as a house, a car or a club membership, profit-linked incentives, deferred gratuity, and wealth-building programmes in the form of stock options and soft loans, companies are also including work-life balance programmes; competency pay packages where niche skills are compensated; and career opportunities, such as overseas assignments, new projects, etc., to reward staff. These rewards can be tailored to suit the top performers’ aspirations to achieve maximum effect.

Measuring human capital: Evaluation of performance plays a key role, not just in rewarding an individual employee, but also in setting performance benchmarks. And hence, the need for a fair and transparent performance management system. A strong performance analysis helps make human resources both efficient and effective.

Managing aspirations 
As aspirations of organizations grow, so do those of employees. And, with the changing lifestyles and profiles of the workforce, personal and professional aspirations of employees are not just varied, but are increasingly on the rise. Experts say people as well as organizations have aspirations, and when the two get aligned, achieving business goals becomes easier.  Companies should be clear about goals of individuals as well as of the organization, and the role each needs to play. The firm should also communicate the goals, and have robust and reliable processes to execute them.

Recent trends in critical HR management practices   

       Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary S. Becker, who coined the term “human capital,” says that”the basic resource in any company is the people. The most successful companies will be those that manage human capital in the most effective and efficient manner.”

The present day economy has been titled as “Knowledge economy”.  In such an economy, it is people who make all the difference.  In political economy capital or market was important.  Talent occupies centre stage in the Indian workplace.  In view of this, managing and retaining manpower is becoming crucial to an organization’s success.  To achieve this, companies across sectors are focusing on some of the more critical HR practices. Some of the trends that have been noticed are:

Leadership development
Creating a pipeline of leadership talent is key to a business’ future growth.  It is imperative for the top level of an organization to make leadership talent management a priority, and put its money into long-term plans, as opposed to short-term ones. If companies are worried about their talent pipeline, they have to develop their people.

Work-life balance
No company or employee has found the Holy Grail of balancing work and life, but that is a work in progress. However, multinationals, information technology (IT) and IT enabled services (ITeS) companies have been able to promote the balance between career, family and leisure-time better. Other sectors have also been increasingly promoting a work-life balance.

Interestingly, most companies in India use benefits such as flexible timings, telecommuting, crèche facilities and concierge services as an attraction and retention strategy. Experts say companies should see the work-life balance as a business proposition since progressive companies carry business forward with employees and families.

Inclusion and diversity
With higher numbers of Gen Yers joining the workforce in India at a time when companies across the world have an ageing workforce on their rolls, conflicts are to be expected.  Therefore, companies are investing both time and resources in ensuring that all age groups are comfortable working together.

Organisations in India have also been focusing on making workplaces more representative. For companies such as ICICI Bank Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Vedanta Resources, PepsiCo India, Shell Companies in India and Bharti Airtel Ltd, gender diversity has become a critical area of focus.

Health and wellness
The work culture at globalized workplaces involves long working hours, frequent travel, multitasking and tight deadlines - and all this often leaves employees mentally and physically stressed. Companies have begun to realize that healthy employees contribute to higher efficiency and productivity. Apart from medical benefits, companies are also offering yoga classes and health camps and have doctors on campus.HCL Technologies Ltd, for instance, like many other IT companies, has 24/7 medical facilities in all its centres. DuPont has an Intranet-based tool, which assesses an employee’s health through a questionnaire and makes recommendations based on the scores.

Mobile hone. 

       The world’s gone mobile and it’s pretty awesome. Now your talent lives and breathes in real time portable connectivity. To reach this talent, you’ve got to go where they are. Mobile-ize your search-and-employ efforts. Make applying for a job possible while people are riding the subway, eating lunch, or listening to Lorde (or even doing all three at once).

Sweeten the deal. 

       Organizations are cutting back on employee benefits, especially healthcare. To make up for this unfortunate fact, it’s imperative to make employment attractive through secondary benefits such as childcare, flex time, gyms and exercise classes, healthy food offerings, gamification prizes and extras like free-lunch Fridays. You want your people to feel cared for and cared about, morale stays high, and a healthy workforce performs at a much higher level.

I know, relief from this weather is right around the corner. But from where I’m sitting, looking out my window at unmovable mountains of slushy snow, it seems like a mighty long corner. Then I think about the potential of the exciting HR trends, tools and technologies, and suddenly spring is in the air!

Real time talent analytics and big data management. 
          In the bad old days, employees got annual or maybe six-month assessments. Which translated into a lot of squandered time and opportunity to learn, grow and improve (or terminate if need be). Today technology enables a continuous real-time assessment of performance. Employees can made aware of their shortcomings and get work on improving them, and people who are doing great work can get the kind of support and encouragement that will inspire and allow them to soar to new heights.

Technology-technology-technology. 
        The number and kinds of data-mining, talent search and hiring technologies that are out there can be daunting. But they are crucial, exciting tools that every organization should make themselves aware of. Whether it’s video interviewing or a pinpoint search for a highly-specific skill set, technology can make HR easier, faster and more effective. Don’t get overwhelmed by your options. Use the technology that works for you. Be wary of too many bells and whistles, and overly-aggressive salespeople. Focus on what you want to accomplish and ignore the rest.

5 Trends Driving HR Technology In 2014

Let’s take a look at the top five:

1) The world is your oyster (and your talent pool).  Real talent knows no geographic borders — no country has a monopoly on the must sought after, up-to-the-second skills that are needed in IT, social media, software programming, science and math. You want the best, no matter where he or she lives. The trick is to find them. This means taking your search global byincreasing your presence on networks that have worldwide reach. Aggressively seek out talent sites and forums around the globe. Hire outside help if needed to accomplish this.