Piece it Together
There’s always something to talk about, so pull up a chair and let’s Piece It Together. Through articles written by our consultants, we share with you our take on the latest news, trends, and changes in HR, leadership and the workplace.
Read our latest posts or peruse our past articles. Please let us know if you have any comments or want more information on how we can help your organization.
The Homestretch on Your Annual Goals
Every year around the end of summer I look ahead at what the final quarter of the year has in store. I use the transition into Q4 as an opportunity to check in to see if I’ve accomplished the goals I outlined at the beginning of the year and reprioritize or set any additional goals.
Setting organizational goals is an ongoing and fluid process. I find it both healthy from a process and personal standpoint to consistently check in to ensure we don’t get caught into the trap of complacency.
For us at HR Advisors Group, one of our 2015 goals was to develop some more engaging ways to share […]
Take Your Seat at Your Organization’s Table
As I look at HR trainings being offered this fall, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern emerging. Many programs being offered by my local SHRM chapter and other organizations are centered on opportunities for HR professionals to become more involved and aligned with the businesses they support.
Further promoting this concept is a series of articles I recently read in the July-August 2015 edition of the Harvard Business Review under the cover title, “It’s Time to Blow Up HR.” Peter Cappelli’s article, “Why We Love to Hate HR… and What HR Can Do About It” walks through historical challenges in the U.S. that shaped the HR profession along […]
To Take a Vacation or Not?
With summer nearing its inevitable conclusion, many colleagues, friends and family are hitting the road to the beach, the mountains, or simply to their hammocks in their back yards. It’s always such a great time of the year where many finally take the time to unplug, unwind and relax.
However, it always comes as a surprise to me that many colleagues don’t take vacation or time off at all. In fact, as my colleague Mary Lake pointed out in our blog, nearly 400 million hours of vacation time go unused every year. In addition, throughout my years of working in-house and as a consultant, many […]
Workforce Consolidation – Oil in Water?
When a large oil producer announced in 2012 that they were relocating and consolidating all their employees to their headquarters in Houston, TX, it was met with great resistance and frustration. Nearly 2,100 employees, their spouses and families were faced with the reality of a new life in Texas. Over the past year here in the Washington, DC region, I have had several friends and colleagues who have been affected by this move and have been leaving the area.
I’ve worked with many companies that have gone through this transition over the past several decades and it seems that no matter what, your workplace is inevitably affected in ways […]
The Hidden Biases of the Workplace
The most important asset any organization has is its people. Being able to hire and retain the right individuals is important to any organization’s overall well being. At HR Advisors Group we have been involved in many searches where resumes are reviewed and potential candidates are phone screened in an effort to identify the crème de la crème for our clients to interview. Other times, clients do their own preliminary reviews and ask us to participate in the in-person interviewing process so that we can provide our input on the final candidates they have selected. We have helped many clients find the most qualified candidate who is the […]
Employee Handbooks for the Modern Workforce
Over the past several months, I have worked on three employee handbooks which often causes friends and colleagues to groan, roll their eyes and let me know how sorry they feel for me. Ironically, working on employee handbooks is something I really enjoy and find rewarding!
I admit, workplace policies aren’t particularly glamorous and often seem antithetical to workplaces that are more often moving towards progressive ideas such as telecommuting, flexible schedules, and unlimited PTO. Even last week an HR colleague of mine suggested that companies need to scrap rigid policies and encourage creativity by allowing flexibility in all aspects of the work experience.
I am encouraged that companies are […]
The Art of Over-Communicating
There’s been a lot of talk over the past few years of giving greater flexibility to employees through teleworking, remote offices and other initiatives. Justification for these programs have been driven from a range of motivations including financial benefits, employee morale and talent retention.
I recently met with a client who has a model when it comes to remote working – his entire leadership team is spread out over the country. I’ve seen this trend more often lately. For my client, the flexible working environment forces their leaders to work even more effectively, think more creatively about the business and has saved an enormous amount on relocation expenses.
The question […]
Summer Workplace Fashion Musings
With Memorial Day in our rear view mirror, summer is finally here! That means vacations, flexible work schedules and a relaxed dress code, right?
I was in NYC this week for a client meeting and was sitting in a café eating breakfast. There was a group of individuals at the table next to mine and it was obvious that they were preparing for a presentation. Everyone in the group had on dark suits, white shirts and/or blouses and ties. The same goes for here in Washington, DC., as it tends to be very conservative looking. However, I have a colleague who is based in Silicon Valley and won’t be […]