SHRM-Atlanta

By Laurie Reuttimann

Please note:  This is a re-post of a piece with the same title, originally appearing on Laurie’s blog, The Cynical Girl, on May 2nd. 

I’m just back from SHRM Atlanta where I ate some cupcakes and talked to fellow nerds about recruiting, social media and the future of Human Resources.

You know what else people talked about? How to manage Millenials in the ever-changing workforce.

I like to pay attention to what’s said about Millennials because I have actually managed three generations in the workforce: Baby Boomers, Generation Jones and Generation Y. Not many of my peers can say this. And I know that what has been said about Generation Y (born 1982-2004) has been said about every white-collar worker since 1948, including me.

• They are coddled.
• Their diversity should be embraced.
• They want flexibility.
• They value benefits over salary.
• They want to be liked and accepted in a group environment.

While it’s true that a kid born in 1996 will never use a fax machine unless they are communicating with Sallie Mae about deferring their student loan repayments, I am not sure a new generation in the workforce changes the game of how you manage people.

It’s not like we manage people well in the first place, yo.

My favorite “Gen Y” writer thinks that much of this talk is garbage, too.

Replace the phrase “Gen Y” with any other protected class and you realize how ridiculous this is as a “best practice” for HR. #SHRMATL13

— Matt Charney (@mattcharney) April 30, 2013

I love it. Let’s try it.

• Puerto Ricans demand flexibility in the workforce.
• When you think black people people, think social and mobile.
• Asians: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
• Muslims do not use Twitter in large numbers, but college-aged girls with disabilities show the greatest enthusiasm for the application.
• Native Americans want to work in a loose, collaborative environment without a ton of structure.
• The Irish want unlimited PTO.

[Wait, of course the Irish want unlimited PTO.]

Just because you have demographic data doesn’t mean the data is applicable, relevant or even appropriately interpreted by a bunch of Human Resources ladies at a conference. And just because people have evolving preferences and communication styles doesn’t mean that the concept of management changes all that much.

Manage for performance by setting clear goals and demonstrating empathy for your employees. Motivate your workers with a better with a mix of incentives — including a crazy concept called equal pay for equal work.

Right there? You’re ahead of the game.

Everything else you hear about managing Gen Y is sketchy mix of armchair philosophy and pop psychology.

With over a decade of Human Resources leadership experience in Fortune 500 organizations, Laurie Ruettimann is an influential speaker, writer and social media strategist.  She is the creator of Punk Rock HR, The Cynical Girl and The HR Blogger Network. Laurie is also the co-founder of HRBloggers.com and HRMToday.com, the first social networks created for HR professionals.

In addition to her online work, Laurie is a contributing editor for The Conference Board Review; an advisor to SmartBrief on Workforce; and her advice has been featured in various publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and CFO Magazine. Her work has been featured on the Suicide Girls and AOL.  Laurie is also recognized as one of the Top 5 career advisors by CareerBuilder and CNN.  SHRM Atlanta was thrilled to have Laurie as a part of our #SHRMATL13 Press Team providing media coverage of our annual conference!

By: Natasha L. Wilson, Esq. and Sumaya S. Ellard, Esq.

Unpaid summer internships have seemingly always provided mutual benefit to both employers and interns.   Interns have the opportunity to gain experience, build relationships, and learn about a particular career or industry in a “real world” setting, and employers gain support, albeit unskilled, from an enthusiastic worker.

However, the legality of the internship relationship is subject to increasing scrutiny.  In 2010 the Department of Labor (“DOL”) set forth new guidance to help determine whether interns must be paid minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) for the services provided to “for-profit” private sector employers.  Since the introduction of the DOL’s guidance there has undoubtedly been a surge in wage and hour lawsuits filed on behalf of unpaid interns to seek wages. The Charlie Rose show has reportedly settled for $250,000 in back wages to 189 interns.  Notably, the emerging trend in litigation is not limited to unpaid interns. In New York, a former Intern/Assistant Football Coach filed suit against Hamilton College’s Athletics Department alleging that he was paid the same monthly stipend regardless of the number of hours he worked, in violation of the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements.  The plaintiff is representing a class of forty former interns, and is seeking unpaid overtime wages, liquidated damages, interest, and attorneys’ fees.

The potential costs of internship litigation are daunting; however, internships are still a valuable resource for employers and interns.  Accordingly, employers should structure their internship programs to comply with DOL guidance.  Pre-planning is critical.  Questions regarding the applicability of the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements should be assessed using the DOL’s promulgated criteria.  A private sector employer should be able to answer the following questions before classifying an internship as exempt from FLSA wage and hour requirements:

• Is the employment experience primarily for the benefit of the intern and not the employer?
• Is the internship comparable to training offered in an educational environment?
• Does the intern displace a regular employee?
• Does the intern work closely under close supervision of existing staff?
• Is the intern not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship?
• Does the employer derive immediate advantage from the activities of the intern?
• Does the employer make clear to the intern, from the outset, that the internship is  unpaid?

After an employer makes a final determination regarding the classification of the internship, it may be helpful to take some additional steps.  Before hiring any interns, employers may want to consult legal counsel to draft a written agreement setting forth the goals, duties, and objectives of the internship program.  The agreement should explicitly outline any compensation or academic credit that will be awarded.  Employers should keep diligent records of the internship program, including time records of interns.  If an employer has an existing internship program, it may want to hire legal counsel to conduct an audit of the program to determine compliance with the FLSA.  Further, it may be helpful to train the supervising staff regarding the roles of interns.  Ultimately, employers should be diligent in their creation and execution of internship programs to minimize liability.

Natasha L. Wilson and Sumaya S. Ellard are Attorneys in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the Atlanta office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP.  Please stop by Exhibit Booth 201 in the Resource Partner Showcase to learn more about the firm and the services they provide.  Their colleagues will also present during this year’s SHRM conference.  David Long-Daniels and Brett Lane will present the topic “Gender Stereotypes and LGBT Employees – Turning a Powder Keg Into a Respectful Workplace,” on April 29, 2013 at 3:30 pm.  Todd Wozniak and Pete Hall will present the topic “Whistleblower & Retaliation Law Update,” on April 30, 2013 at 3:00 pm.  Natasha, Sumaya and the Greenberg Traurig attorneys look forward to meeting you at the 23rd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference.

Natasha L. Wilson focuses her practice on labor and employment law and devotes her legal practice to representing management in all aspects of employment law, from prevention and compliance issues to arbitration and litigation. She has litigated a wide variety of employment issues on the federal, state and local levels before courts and administrative agencies. Natasha works closely with her clients to provide counseling and consultation on employee matters, policy revisions, litigation prevention, and the implementation of sound employment practices.

Prior to joining the firm, Natasha was an associate with one of the largest law firms in the Southeast. Her prior litigation experience includes representation of clients in environmental and toxic tort defense and general business litigation. She also has experience in white collar criminal defense and corporate investigations, electronic discovery and digital information. Before entering law school, Natasha worked as a television journalist for seven years.

Sumaya S. Ellard focuses her practice on labor and employment matters. She has advised employers on Fair Labor Standard Act (FSLA) classifications and has represented clients in wage and hour issues. Sumaya has counseled employers on various employment laws, policies and employee matters, including separation and settlement agreements along with discrimination, harassment and retaliation matters. She has represented clients in discrimination cases involving age, race, gender, religion and national origin.

By: Mark Butje

While some turn-over is unavoidable and to some extent even desirable, turnover among your top performers is largely avoidable. And it is certainly worth the investment. People don’t necessarily tell the whole truth in exit interviews about why they are leaving. Managers should, of course, know in advance who is leaving and why.

A high turnover rate is likely due to a combination of reasons. Thus, increasing employee retention also requires a combination of measures. An employee will be motivated to stay at a company when they feel comfortable, well respected, fairly compensated, and (dependent on position and character) see possibilities for growth and personal development. Here are some of the areas an employer can invest in to lower the employee turnover rate:

Information

It is clear that no manager can make informed decisions without proper information. HR or employee analytics can help management decide where to invest, identify the top performers, determine what employees need to best perform and what they value. Analytics also give provide a consistent way to monitor the results of any measure taken, HR analytics really are the ace up your sleeve.

Modern human resource management systems contain a wealth of information that can give managers and executives the insight needed to make the best possible decisions about the workforce.

Communication

A lack of (or poor) communication, both top-down and between teams or peers, causes frustration and misdirected energy. For HR departments, communcation is key and company communication can be greatly enhanced by publishing the company’s values, vision and mission. Provide easy access to the company handbook. Make use of the technology for employee self-service portals and performance appraisal systems and encourage employees to use these available resources.

Work environment

BusinessWeek cites that a “San Francisco design firm Gensler found that of more than 2,000 workers around the U.S., two-thirds believe they are more efficient when they work closely with their colleagues. But 30% said that their workplace doesn’t promote spontaneous interaction and collaboration—a sentiment that’s leading many companies to rethink the office environment.”

Widespread usage of social media and web 2.0 technologies has proven that these spontaneous interactions and collaboration are no longer limited by physical borders. Employee collaboration and business social networking have already demonstrated value in terms of improved employee performance, creativity, communication and informal learning.

Employee Recognition

Most companies reward employees and recognize a job well done with a combination of compensation and benefits. But there are many more tools in the employee reward arsenal. To compete in the global workforce environment, an effective employee recognition program is a necessity.

Successful recognition programs motivate workers in ways that increase their level of engagement. According to the Human Capital Institute (HCI), “best practices” for applying recognition programs include:

• Creating      a culture of recognition in the workplace that includes both formal and      informal methods of recognition.
• Making      sure that employees get rewarded in a way that is valuable to them by      providing a wide variety of recognition rewards. Emphasizing higher      quality performance, rather than just increased amount of effort.
• Recognizing      employees frequently to maintain consistent engagement.
• Ensuring      that rewards are linked solidly to business objectives and/or desired      business cultural values.

Training

Effective training and development programs are excellent instruments to reduce employee turn-over. When employees feel like their careers can develop no further at an organization, it is often time to leave. Good training programs can help your employees learn the skills needed for new projects and challenges, or even a higher position within the company.

Compensation and Benefits

Without an adequate and competitive package of compensation and benefits, it is difficult for any company to hire or retain top talent. The challenge for small-business owners is figuring out how much their competitors pay, and what package of benefits deliver the best retention results. If the main goal is to motivate talent to stay with the company, in other words to create ‘stickiness’, it is important to choose a balanced package of benefits from many available programs:

• Work/Life      balance: Holidays, paid time off,      flexible work arrangements
• Financial      security: Retirement plans, pensions,      disability insurance, life insurance
• Health      and medical insurances:      health insurance, dental, vision flexible spending or health savings      accounts, gym memberships
• Career      development/Personal growth:      Tuition reimbursement, onsite lectures, computer based training      subscriptions
• Other: Discounted auto, home, or pet insurance, savings clubs      for shopping, employee loan programs to purchase computers.

What do you think?  Does that list do a good job summarizing it?  Has your company offered any other benefits to help increase employee retention?

You can see Mark’s session, Make Your Talent Even More Talented: The Power of Learning in an Organization, at the 23nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, on Monday, April 29 from 2:00 to 3:00 or stop by booth 207 to speak with a Sage representative!

Mark Butje is Director of Product Marketing with Sage and is responsible for positioning and product direction of the Sage Employer Solutions product offering, which includes the market-leading Sage HRMS brand.

Mark has more than 20 years of experience in the software and hardware industry and joined Sage in early 2010. Prior to joining Sage, Mark served in various marketing and product marketing roles at Apple, Gateway, Brodeur Marketing and medium size software companies in both the US and in Europe.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands and is a published author, Product Marketing for Technology Companies (Elsevier Science 2005).

By Jeff Tobe CSP

Most HR professionals worldwide agree that customer service has a lot to do with what they do!  Who told you that?  It’s NOT TRUE! You are not in the customer service business but you ARE in the customer EXPERIENCE business. A negative experience will hurt your department or your organization but a positive experience—shared with others—is one of the most powerful tools available to you.

We have all heard of the phenomenal experience offered by Nordstrom—an upscale department store chain found in major cities around the U.S. There has even been a book written about their outside-the-lines customer experiences.  I wanted to share my own experience.

I walked into Nordstrom in the Dallas Galleria intent on purchasing a pair of running shoes I knew they carried.  After being approached by a friendly (but not overly-friendly) salesperson named James, he asked me a series of questions about my desire for that particular shoe.  By analyzing my answers, James convinced me that another shoe was far more appropriate for the multi-use needs that I had.  He went to get me the shoes to try on.

James returned with nothing in his hands and a disappointed look in his eyes.  He informed me that he was out of stock but that he could order them and have them delivered to me.  Quite honestly, I didn’t want the shoes that badly.  I am a ‘instant gratification” kind of guy and if I couldn’t have them now, I could find them back home.

James persisted. “Mr. Tobe, are you going to be in the Mall for awhile?”

I hesitated but informed him that I planned on having lunch before I left.  He replied, “Let me try to find the shoes.  Come back when you are finished eating.”

I agreed and left thinking that this was odd.  There is only one Nordstrom store in Dallas, so how could he produce my shoes in the next 45 minutes?

When I returned, James was beaming.  He had the shoes!  As I tried them on I noticed a price tag on the box from an athletic shoe store also found in the mall; a competitor!  James had gone to the other store, purchased the shoes and had them ready for me.  Not only that, but the price on the tag was $2.00 more than the price James was quoting me.  When I inquired as to why he had done this, he replied, “Mr. Tobe, it is worth the effort and the extra $2.00 to make sure you come back to us next time you are in Dallas”

Needless to say, I had no choice but to buy the shoes right then and there.  More importantly, I have now shared this example with 100’s of people in my recent workshops and keynotes.  And now I am sharing it with 1000’s of you!

You see, if you believe you are in the customer service business, you are looking for a satisfied customer (internal and external).  But, once you make the leap to customer experience thinking, you are now looking for a more loyal external customer and engaged internal customer.

A recent poll conducted by the Gallop Organization found that only 43% of Americans are engaged at what they do every day in their jobs.  Most employees have the attitude that “Customer Service is NOT my job” but by changing their focus, employees begin to understand that their daily contribution—no matter how small—is part of the customer experience. When that happens, we have found that engagement can increase by 2-3 times!

The bottom line is that HR has to be the EXPERIENCE CATALYST in the organization.  It is a natural place for the focus to change.  In an effort to have a bigger say at the table you have to make the shift from being the HR department to becoming a strategic partner.  The experience mindset will start the ball rolling.  Like my Nordstrom salesperson James, you just need to shatter the stereotype people EXPECT to have with you.

Certified Speaking Professional, Jeff Tobe shows organizations how to design and implement the ideal customer experience.  His newest book, ANTICIPATE: Knowing What Customers Need Before They Do, is one of the hottest business books on the market today.  Jeff will be presenting at 23rd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference on Monday April 29^th at 3:30pm.  To get more information on Jeff, visit his website at www.JeffTobe.com or follow him on Twitter @JeffTobe

By: Allison O’Kelly

In the past couple months, two particular announcements got attention and prompted intense debate from both employees and business leaders—Yahoo and Best Buy’s decisions to halt their alternative and flexible work programs. Each shared similar reasoning behind the change, citing more face-time would bring each of the wavering organizations together. But why are corporate CEOs viewing alternative work solutions so myopically? Stopping all remote work is not the solution for bringing a company together.

There is a common misconception among business leaders that “workplace flexibility” is just a concessionary benefit for employees that comes at a cost to employers. But like many things, it is fear of the unknown that propagates perception. In truth, the benefits to employees translate to strong, measurable positive outcomes for companies. They go hand in hand, and as skilled workers and professionals in general become more of a premium, organizations that offer progressive workplace programs will remain highly competitive. What we are seeing play out today is the pursuit of short-term results, which may help with shareholders now, but not their most important asset in the long run: human capital.

An article in The Houston Chronicle cited five steps to making ethical business decisions, and this one seemed particularly relevant: Consider the effects of your decisions on all stakeholders. Decisions are often made to address one or a small number of issues, such as revenue growth, cost control or client-specific issues, but it is important to realize the wider implications of your decisions on everyone affected. Business decisions made in the best interest of stockholders, for example, can have effects on employees, clients, suppliers, people living and working near your operations, the natural environment and even future generations of people. Consider how stakeholders will be affected if the decision turns out the way you plan, and how they will be affected if things go wrong.

Certainly some face time and in-office collaboration is good practice for having everyone understand the big picture and strategic direction, meet with team members, and foster innovation. But those things don’t stop when employees are given a little bit of say over how they work and when they are most productive. If implemented correctly, alternative work options don’t reduce speed and quality; countless workplace studies have actually proven the opposite. The premise of ROWE, for example, is built on empowering employees to succeed and be more productive … however, it does need to be managed and managed well. I think this may have been part of the problem.

Flexible work options have long moved past the effusive HR conversations for moms who need to pick their kids up from school. It is a human capital and business strategy integral to the fundamental shift in how businesses operate today and particularly in the next 5-10 years. Where do you see this work trend leading?

You can see Allison’s session, The ROI of Workplace Flexibility, at the 23nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, on April 30 from 1:45 to 2:45 pm.

Allison O’Kelly is founder/CEO of Mom Corps, a national professional talent acquisition and career development firm, with a focus on flexible and alternative work options. She has been noted as an expert, advocate and consultant on the subject of workplace flexibility and alternative work options. Her ideas and experience have been quoted in the national press and she currently serves as an expert contributor for Huffington Post. She was named to Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2012. You can find her at @AllisonOKelly and @MomCorps.

By: Aegis Sciences Corporation

Synthetic cannabinoids are designer chemicals that mimic the effects of THC, the active component of marijuana. These compounds are commonly purchased in head shops, tobacco shops, various retail outlets, and over the internet.  However, these compounds are structurally unrelated to THC and cannot be detected by marijuana drug tests. For this reason, use of these products has become very popular among drug users seeking a “high” without the danger of being caught by drug testing programs.

Most synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as drug-laced herbal incense products called “Spice,” “K2,” “Black Mamba,” and others. These products are designed to be smoked or otherwise ingested, despite listed warnings on the packaging. There are thousands of synthetic cannabinoids, and manufacturers may choose to fortify their products with any one of these chemicals and retain the marijuana-like effects. Unfortunately, there is already evidence that manufacturers are switching the compounds laced in their products, likely in effort to avoid detection.

The most commonly-referenced synthetic cannabinoids are JWH-018 and JWH-073. Several European countries have banned JWH-018 and at least some of the related agonists. On November 24, 2010, the Drug Enforcement Agency temporarily placed five synthetic cannabinoids into Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act, including JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47, 497, and cannabicyclohexanol. The ban went into effect on March 1, 2011.

Drug testing for synthetic cannabinoids poses a very great challenge.  Each cannabinoid’s agonist likely has a unique pattern of absorption, distribution and metabolism as well as its own unique urinary excretion profile. It has been shown that the urinary metabolites of synthetic cannabinoids are not the same as those of marijuana and, therefore, cannot be detected by conventional immunoassay screen and confirmation methods. To detect these compounds, new analytical methods must be developed for each compound and its metabolites.

To speak with a representative or to learn more about Aegis Sciences Corporation, be sure to visit booth number 431 in the Resource Partner Showcase at SHRM-Atlanta’s Annual Conference April 29 & 30 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

Aegis Sciences Corporation founded as a sports anti-doping laboratory at Vanderbilt University, Aegis Sciences Corporation has evolved into a full service forensic sciences company providing toxicology and consulting services to sports organizations, medical examiner systems, crime laboratories, physicians, corporations and other organizations throughout the U.S. and the world.

By: Karen Tinker, President, USA Mobile Drug Testing of NE Georgia

What is an MRO? An MRO is a Medical Review Officer. An MRO is defined as a licensed physician who receives laboratory results, has knowledge of substance abuse disorders, and has appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate an individual’s positive test result together with his or her medical history and any other relevant biomedical information. Only individuals hold either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree may serve as MRO’s for federally regulated programs. The MRO is the gatekeeper protecting the rights of the ordering organization and the donor.

Why is the MRO so important? Simply stated, the MRO provides a critical element in your drug testing program-the final review of results!

Keep in mind a positive laboratory test result does not automatically identify an employee or job applicant as an illegal drug user! An individual with a detailed knowledge of possible alternative medical explanations is essential in performing this final review. This final review is required in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Drug Testing Programs initially published in the Federal Register on April 11, 1988 (53 FR 11970-11989) and revised in the Federal Register on June 9, 1994 (59 FR 29908-29931). It is also required by 49 CFR Part 40 for mandatory drug testing required of DOT regulated employees. Also many states require require both DOT and non-DOT drug tests be reviewed by an MRO.

**BEST PRACTICE: Always use an MRO regardless of whether you are required to do so by your state or federal regulations. Protection from liability and fairness of the drug testing process should be considered.

Keeping it current:

• Employee provides urine sample via instant device. Company employee reading the test results (not fully trained in most cases) sees the results window shows the employee is positive for BAR-Barbiturates and BZO-Benzodiazepines. Is this company representative really qualified to confirm this as a positive results (no formal training) and take disciplinary action? Or maybe this was a pre-employment test and this person would not be extended a job due to this result? Could there be a medical reason for this? Sure the person could be taking a prescribed medication in the BAR or BZO family that doesn’t effect his ability to perform X job as long as he is taking it as prescribed an MRO would report this result as NEGATIVE.

**BEST PRACTICE: All non-negative instant tests should be a) sent to a certified lab using GC/MS technology to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the initial result and b) all confirmed lab results should be reported to an MRO for verification prior to being transmitted to the employee and the company. Protection from liability and fairness of the drug testing process should be considered.

• Company conducts an onsite instant test and a lab based drug screen for all new hires. Said company relies on a “negative” instant test to start processing new hire paperwork, scheduling orientation, etc to get that spot filled quickly while lab based results are processed. In a fast paced, hectic work environment judgement calls are made. Company conducts instant test and positive result comes back on the results panel. New hire says “I have a prescription for that”, “I take X for my back”. Inexperienced/Untrained Company Representative believes the new hire and pushes along with the paperwork, orientation etc (despite company policy)…..knowing the lab results will be back shortly and will “confirm” what this nice new hire explained! Well funny that the lab results, confirmed through the MRO came back positive for Cocaine. The moral of this story is follow your company policy and DON’T take action or inaction based on an unconfirmed drug test result.

This topic could continue for a good bit, so if you have additional questions regarding MRO services or other questions regarding Drug Free Workplaces don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 678-804-7515.

Remember the use of a MRO greatly enhances the validity and reliability of the overall drug testing process. This ensures fairness to the donor and offers additional protection to the employer should future legal action arise due to a “positive” drug test where donor may have actually had a legitimate medical explanation. It is the job of the MRO to ensure the integrity of the drug test, and without the MRO, there is NO assurance of this integrity, and no court should uphold a positive test result, not reviewed by an MRO!

Is your policy in up to date?

Are you using an MRO?

Have you taken action on an unconfirmed positive drug test?

USAMDT firmly believes in a defensible drug testing program and the use of an MRO is always required when we provide testing services for our clients!

To speak with a representative or to learn more about USA Mobile Drug Testing, be sure to visit booth number 116 in the Resource Partner Showcase at SHRM-Atlanta’s Annual Conference April 29 & 30 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

This post is written by Karen Tinker, CPC of USA Mobile Drug Testing of NE Georgia (USAMDT). Karen is a DATIA Certified Professional Collector (CPC), Certified Designated Employer Rep Trainer (CDERT) and Territory Manager for USAMDT.  USAMDT services Metro Atlanta businesses, schools, non-profits, Athletic Associations and individuals who need help navigating the complicated world of drug and alcohol testing and compliance.

Well informed managers, CEOs, HR Professionals and business owners know effective Employee Appreciation pays off in better customer service ratings, less turnover, higher productivity and increased profit. The key, however, is knowing how to prov

ide Effective Employee Appreciation.

This summer when SHRM brings their National Conference to Atlanta, Jerry Seinfeld will be the Tuesday evening entertainment. While he may, or may not, provide HR content during the evening, an episode from Seinfeld does provide a practical illustration of a truth we find in HR. This episode illustrates how our appreciation must be personalized in order to be effective. In The Economics of Seinfeld we see a humorous 3-minute illustration of Kramer succeeding where Jerry Seinfeld fails in expressing friendship.

This clip provides the springboard for Four Simple Truths About Expressing Employee Appreciation.

1. Employees desire more than recognition.

Jerry remembered Elaine’s birthday. While many would praise him for acknowledging the birthday, this scene shows he failed miserably. Purchasing a card, signing it and giving her a gift of “182 bucks” evidenced a level of care. Yet, simply remembering the birthday didn’t bring much satisfaction to Elaine. She didn’t want Jerry to simply remember her birthday; she wanted to know that Jerry cared enough to make the moment special to her.

Do your expressions of appreciation to your employees show you understand the difference between recognition and appreciation?

2. Employees feel appreciated when the expression of appreciation is individualized and thoughtful.

Kramer scored with Elaine’s birthday by providing a gift that expressed thought and was tailored to her personality and needs. Not everyone would have appreciated “the bench,” but it was the perfect gift for Elaine.

When you show appreciation to an employee do you express it in a way that would be meaningful to you or in a way that is meaningful to them?

3. Spending time with an employee is a prerequisite for effective expressions of appreciation. Kramer gave the perfect gift to Elaine because he took the time to observe what mattered to her. He spent time with her and paid attention to her wants. He listened to her. As a result, he was confident in what gift would make her happy. Kramer never would have been able to express his friendship with Elaine if he had not taken time to get to know her.

Do you consider small talk with your employees a waste of time or as an opportunity to know and understand them?

4. Effective appreciation takes effort.

It was his “mental note” about the bench that provided Kramer the opportunity to express his friendship. He made the effort to understand what Elaine wanted. Furthermore, instead of walking to the corner CVS and buying the first birthday card he found, he traveled back to the store that sold “the bench.” He wrapped it and had it ready, waiting for the right moment to present it to her. It took a little extra time and effort; yet it was Kramer who got Elaine’s exorbitant smile of approval accompanied by a hug and kiss.

Do your expressions of appreciation to employees evidence a task completed or authentic love and concern?

For more on how to express appreciation to employees I recommend Gary Chapman’s and Paul White’s The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace.

Jack W. Bruce, Jr., as Chief Operating Officer at BIS Benefits, (Alpharetta, GA), provides general oversight in Finance, HR, Operations, Team Building & Strategic Management for this employee benefits firm. His role is to continually lead the firm by proactively enhancing the service, communications, human resource assistance, and technology for the benefit of their clients. Jack has earned a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation. Jack has a few connections on LinkedIn and also enjoys an occasional tweet (Twitter: www.Twitter.com/jackwbruce & www.Twitter.com/BISbenefits. He is a member of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and SHRM-Atlanta—where he serves in a volunteer position as Vice-President of GEMs.

I had the pleasure of kicking off this year’s 22^nd Annual SHRM Atlanta Conference Total Rewards track with Achiever’s Rob Catalano’s session: 2012 Trends in Recognition – an energetic session focused on how employee engagement drives revenue.

According to a recent Gallup poll, organizations that recognize employees experience 47% higher profits, 50% higher sales and 50% higher customer loyalty. Wow. So why don’t more companies take this to heart?

Well, they are. Companies realize that connecting the People Strategy back to the team, and aligning HR and Strategy will only improve the company’s chance of meeting and/or exceeding their overall goals, just by implementing recognition programs that motivate and excite. “Focus on employees first,” Rob said. And make it specific, meaningful, and timely.” Great ways to do this include:

Start by creating a foundation built on culture and core values. Be sure to communicate and demonstrate to across the organization.

Consider results-based recognition like personal wins, cost-savings, and innovation, hitting goals, and going above and beyond. (Walk before you run!)

Implement a social recognition platform. 98% of companies believe that social engagement is an important tool for recognition and retention.  One emerging trend is the gamification of recognition. Similar to Foursquare’s badges and leaderboard concepts, a gamification strategy encourages can engage the entire workforce, creating a fun and competitive and productive environment.

So where do you begin?

1. Ask if employees are engaged.
2. Use relevant data to get executive buy-in.
3. Identify behaviors your company wants to see more of.
4. Then Do It! Recognize performance, not presence.
5. If you think you want to recognize, then re-think and re-tool the rewards strategy.

What happens to highly engaged employees? What is the real ROI? You want to make an impact, and you want to make it meaningful. By doing so, the return on this investment is a retention rate of 87% – with this kind of return, why wouldn’t you focus on the people who make your company the success it is today.

Jill Heineck, Principal of Focus Relocation LLC, an independent relocation consulting firm, where connecting HR to talent mobility is the focus. Jill specializes in helping companies identify areas talent and resources may be seeping out as it relates to talent attraction and retention efforts, and helps to find solutions. Companies looking for creative ways to attract and engage top talent, raise its internal and external brand profile, and gain a competitive advantage, partner with Focus, where the goal is to maximize the organization’s return on relocation.

Prior to this year’s Super Bowl, New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady was considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of his generation, and possibly one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.  But with the Patriots loss to the New York Giants, Brady’s legacy is taking a beating.  Numerous sportswriters, sports talk hosts and bloggers have railed on Brady, blaming him for the loss.  Brought into question now are his heart, skill and ability to win another Super Bowl.

While arguably Brady did not have his finest performance in the Super Bowl, the degree of criticism appears to be overblown and misplaced.  Forgotten by the critics is the fact that Brady led his team in two consecutive scoring drives just before the end of the first half.  The latter drive started on the Patriots’ 4 yard line and ended up being the longest touchdown drive in Super Bowl history.  Had the Patriots remained pinned down deep in the own territory, the Giants would likely have received the ball with great field position and with the opportunity to score and change the complexion of the game entirely.  Brady also completed 16 straight passes during one stretch in the game.  Not too shabby.  While Eli Manning’s performance was considered great (30/40, 296 yds, 1 TD), Brady’s Super Bowl statistics (27/41, 276 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT) were similar to Manning’s.  Washed up you say?  Brady also threw an amazing 39 touchdowns this year and racked up 5,235 passing yards which, if it were not for Drew Brees’ season would have established a new single-season record.

Despite these facts, the overwhelming buzz is that Brady is now a failure and an underachiever, especially in big games.  In this case, the sport cliché of “defense wins championships” has vanished much like the vampires that looked into a set of Audi LED headlights during a Super Bowl commercial.

From a human resources perspective, there are lessons to be learned from Brady’s overnight transformation from legend to goat.  There are parallels between how Brady is being assessed and common mistakes employers make when conducting performance evaluations.  These mistakes include basing evaluations on emotion, ignoring objective criteria, placing too much weight on recent events and being inconsistent in rating similarly situated employees.

Here are five (5) tips employers should follow to ensure that employee evaluations are fair, accurate and productive:

1. Performance Reviews should be based facts and not emotion: As a threshold matter, a supervisor conducting the evaluation needs to have an understanding of the employee’s actual performance.  The assessment should be based on facts as opposed to assumptions, rumor, innuendo or emotion.  In other words, do your homework.
2. Use Objective Criteria: Focus on whether the employee is performing the requirements of the job, such as quality and quantity of production.  Subjective characteristics such as an employee’s attitude are important and should be considered, but negative ratings about these characteristics should be supported by evidence showing how the conduct impacted the organization and other team members.
3. Consider the Entire Evaluation Period:  An annual evaluation should be based on the entire year.  Avoid placing too much weight on recent events or performance.  Feedback should be given on a regular basis.  If the employee is effectively managed, there should be no surprises when the annual evaluation is issued.
4. Be Consistent:  The supervisor should evaluate employees in an objective and consistent manner.  Develop criteria and use it for every employee.  This will protect against claims of favoritism or unlawful bias.
5. Be Positive:  The purpose of an evaluation should be to motivate your team member to improve.  This will not happen if only negative comments are provided.  This does not mean you should sugar coat problems.  However, you should give appropriate praise to areas where the employee succeeded.  This will also help show that the evaluation was fair and unbiased.

Perhaps if the pundits would have followed some of these suggestions, the post game analysis would have been different and, in my opinion, more fair.

You can see Ken’s session, A Sport Fan’s Guide to Human Resources, at the 22nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, March 13-14th, 2012.

Ken N. Winkler is a shareholder of Berman Fink Van Horn P.C.  Ken’s practice concentrates on advising entrepreneurs, business owners and companies regarding the numerous employment laws and regulations that govern the workplace.  Ken’s practice also includes representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in disputes involving restrictive covenants including non-compete, non-solicitation of customers, non-recruitment of employees, non-disclosure/confidential information and trade secrets provisions.  Ken obtained his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University.