Hot Topics for Business will now be written on a quarterly basis. The next Hot Topic will be posted in June 2009. Thanks for reading!

Hot Topic for March 2009:

Strategies to Improve Participation in Wellness Programs

Submitted by Patty McDonald, Frederick County Workforce Services

Exponentially rising health care costs with limited leverage to fundamentally reduce them is forcing a change in the way, and in many cases if, businesses are able to offer health care plans to employees.  Many employers have already incorporated Wellness Programs into their workplace in an effort to not only reduce the cost of health care benefits, but also improve the productivity of their workforce.  The challenge that many companies face is motivating employee participation – without the full participation of employees, wellness programs cannot be effective.  Employers can’t force employees to change potentially health hazardous behavior, or discriminate based on an employee’s health conditions or lifestyle choices.  A common question is being asked – Who is responsible for health and how can personal responsibility for healthy behavior be motivated?

Birken and Linnan site the results if the 2004 National Worksite Health Promotion Survey which indicates that 63.5% of employers who responded reported lack of employee interest as a barrier to health promotion program success.  The lack of perceived interest may be the result of other factors that could be addressed through more strategic planning and implementation.  For example, if the program is not easy to participate in or is viewed as intrusive, involvement may suffer.  Birken and Linnan suggest that involving employees in the development of programs and activities can increase their personal investment and encourage participation.  Allowing targeted populations to offer insight into their needs and interests can yield a program that is tailored to the workforce it serves which ideally removes barriers to success. 

Marketing also seems to be an important factor in increasing penetration.  Incorporating multiple strategies to promote events and on-going programs is imperative especially to reach targeted audiences.   The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), headquartered in Bethesda, MD incorporates a multi-faceted approach for marketing events, classes, and special programs.  Information about their wellness programs is provided during New Employee Orientations, included in agency wide email blasts, featured on closed circuit television programming, and discussed and supported during leadership trainings.   Representatives from NGA’s wellness program approximate that 40% of their workforce participates in at least one program/or activity (and in many cases more) offered throughout the year through their wellness program.  (Maribeth Atkins, NGA Wellness Program Coordinator - telephone interview)

Part of the success at NGA can likely be attributed to the variety of high quality education and activities offered.  In addition to regularly scheduled programs such as health related seminars, fitness classes, annual wellness fairs and bi-annual body composition testing; there are health care professionals who are available for personal assistance and consultation.  The annual wellness fair includes outside vendors and demonstrations.  Offering programs that are viewed as valuable and high quality can be more appealing to attend.

Resources:

Implementation Challenges in Worksite Health Promotion Programs, Benjamin E. Birken, MS and Laura A. Linnan, ScD, CHES, NC Medical Journal, November/December 2006, volume 67, Number 6, www.ncmedicaljournal.com/nov-dec-06/Birken.pdf

Be Careful with Cash Incentives, Dean Witherspoon, Health Enhancement Systems, www.hesonline.com/Newletter

Workplace Wellness Programs: Increasing Employee Participation, Charlene Rennick, Wellness Proposals, www.wellnessproposals.com

Deloitte, 2008 Industry Outlook, A look around the corner, www.deloitte.com

Healthy Workforce, 2010, Partnership for a healthy workforce, Partnership for Prevention, 2001 www.prevent.org

Hot Topic for December 2008:

The Gift of Motivation:

Ways to Motivate Your Workforce During the Holidays and Beyond

Submitted by Michelle Day, Frederick County Workforce Services

Of 600 full-time workers surveyed in 2006, 2 out of 3 say they have experienced workplace stress around the holidays; 25% have taken a day off from work because of holiday stress (Accenture HR services).  The loss of productivity can be costly with such absenteeism.

How do most companies support their employees during the stress of the holiday season?  Afterall, if 25% of your employees take a day off of work because of holiday stress, your bottom line can be greatly affected.   A recent SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) survey indicated the following:

• 51 percent schedule holiday events during normal business hours.
• 39 percent remind employees of their Employee Assistance Program.
• 33 percent show appreciation for employees who work during a holiday.
• 32 percent encourage casual dress for holiday parties.
• 30 percent provide holiday food.

Many companies are finding it hard this year to sponsor holiday parties as finances are tight as ever.  Some are focusing their efforts on supporting fundraising activities, donating volunteer hours to organizations and non-profits in need, and encouraging employee participation in charitable donations.  We just finished celebrating Thanksgiving and I was delighted to read about one company who created a meal for the homeless.  Rather than bring in pot-luck dishes for each other, employees brought in dishes to deliver to and serve at a local food shelter.  

The fact is that for many of us the holidays are a stressful time.  In addition, as we see the economic forecast get dimmer and dimmer every day, employees are not only worried about the holidays, they are worried about keeping their jobs.  Many more are worried about finding new ones.  The good news is managers can still implement many of the same motivating techniques during the holidays as they can the rest of the year. 

Motivation starts with engagement.  Do your employees know the purpose they serve for the company?  There is a well-known anecdote that is related by Tom Peters about a hospital in the US that treats cancer. During a series of staff interviews, an interviewer asked the housekeeper what her job entailed. She responded, "I help to cure cancer."  The leadership of that hospital conveyed to everyone his or her importance in the hospital’s mission.  Perhaps the number one issue heard repeatedly on employee surveys is the need to feel part of the picture and part of the decision making process at work. 

In keeping with the spirit of giving what can managers and leaders give to their employees to alleviate their stress and motivate them to do their best? 

Consider giving the following this season and all year around:

(adapted from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_55.htm)

• Give people a sense of importance
  Consider what small actions you could take intentionally today to make people feel that the work they do is important, and that they themselves, as people, are important to your team.
• Give feedback, not criticism
  If giving frequent criticism is your style of management, consider some of these questions: Is your motivation genuine, or is it to gain points? Are you stopping to reflect how you might deliver the feedback while still honoring the other person?
• Give people visibility
  Giving people visibility in your organization is a special gift we bestow to help others shine and grow. Think how you might give people more access to senior executives, and more access to your boss.
• Give anonymously
  Real generosity of spirit is doing something for someone without their knowledge. Think of one or two deserving people in your organization that you can help by planting a career-enhancing seed on their behalf – perhaps saying something positive about their work to someone in authority?
• Give encouragement
  Look around you and pick someone who needs encouragement, and resolve to give them that. Consider that some people have never received encouragement in their life - not from teachers, not from bosses, not even from parents.
• Give opportunity
  Is there someone right now to whom you could give a second chance to prove themselves? What doors can you open for someone who is well deserving, but not well positioned to be noticed?

As we end yet another year and embark on a new one, we can all continue to give the gift of motivation all year around. 

References:

Bruna Martinuzzi, http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_55.htm

www.shrm.org

www.frederickworks.com

Hot Topic for September 2008:

Creating a Workforce Development Plan

Submitted by Marc Scott, FCC Customized Training

While there are many ways to go about creating a workforce development plan, there are a few steps that really need to be part of anyone’s planning process.  Successfully creating a plan requires identifying organizational training and development needs and the resources available to carry out the plan and follow-up, and finally conducting a proper evaluation of the individual training event and of the program as a whole.

Some training needs are obvious to managers and employees alike, while others will require more thought and analysis to determine.  To be thorough, it is a good idea to take the time to develop an ideal scenario that includes all of the necessary and nice-to-have training that will give your managers and employees exactly what they need to excel on the job and in their careers.    Ask yourself what skills or new behaviors would improve your employees’ ability to do their jobs as they are now, and as you expect them to be in the future.  Let yourself be creative and expansive – there is no wrong answer when envisioning the ideal.  Once you have your ideal scenario, then it’s time to balance it out with an “only absolutely necessary” scenario.  Having the range of options outlined this way will keep you open to new possibilities, as well as help you to keep your eye on the bottom line.  Hopefully you will be able to develop a list of training priorities that falls somewhere between the ideal and the minimal necessary.

The most obvious training and development resource is money – to pay for training and to cover any downtime associated with having managers and employees away from their jobs for training.  Another resource that might be even more important than money is your existing knowledge base – more commonly known as your people.  Leveraging knowledgeable employees in the service of helping others learn provides great opportunity for workforce development.  Not only do you reduce the need for outside knowledge sources in order to develop staff, but those providing their expertise will find that they themselves learn when they help others to learn.  Looking outside your organization to stakeholders and local organizations, such as your partner organizations, the local government economic and workforce development departments and the Chamber of Commerce, are just a few possible resources that can yield results.

It is a sad fact that a great deal of the value of training activities is simply lost when the employee or manager returns to the workplace and gets engulfed in the old day-to-day.  Your workforce development plan should include giving any staff who have been trained plenty of support for putting their new knowledge to work, and soon.  This might include asking the trainee to discuss what was learned or to carry out a special project that reinforces what they know or puts their learning on display.  

Evaluating your training and development activities should be a lot more involved than simply asking those trained to rate their experience.  Whether an employee or manager is satisfied with training is important, but it’s more important to determine if that person is better able to carry out their job or is more prepared for promotion.  If you have been careful in creating your workforce development plan, you should have some clear goals against which to measure your efforts.  Effective comparisons require input from staff that have been trained and their direct supervisors, at a minimum.

Hot Topic for July 2008:

Chemical Sensitivities in the Workplace

Submitted by Leigh Jones, Way Station, Inc.

Businesses are starting to see an emerging issue in their workplaces - employees asking for accommodations for chemical sensitivities. According to the American Journal of Public Health, 13-16% of the general population has some type of chemical sensitivity. Chemical sensitivity can occur at any age and occurs more frequently in woman than men.

What is a chemical sensitivity?

A chemical sensitivity is an ongoing inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of chemicals. Triggers of chemical sensitivity vary from person to person, but can include:

• Fragrances
• Cleaning agents
• New carpet/furniture
• Paint
• Air Fresheners/Deodorizers
• Pesticides
• Floor Wax
• Office machines
• Smoke
• Poor indoor air quality

Symptoms vary as well from person to person, but can include:

• Breathing difficulty
• Headaches/Migraines
• Nausea
• Difficulty concentration and remembering
• Fatigue
• Tightening of the throat
• Dizziness
• Skin irritation
• Arthritis-like sensations and muscle pain

Accommodations

It is important to remember that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not have a list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities; each person must meet a general definition of disability. According to the EEOC, a person is determined to have a disability under the ADA if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. This means that one person with a chemical sensitivity may be covered and another may not.

If it is determined that a reasonable accommodation is necessary, the following questions should be considered:

• What limitations is the employee experiencing?
• How do these limitations affect the employee and the employee’s job performance?
• Are there specific tasks that are problematic as a result of the limitations?
• What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate the problems?
• Has the employee been consulted regarding possible solutions?
• Do supervisors and other employees need training regarding chemical sensitivities?
• Once an accommodation is in place, has the employee been asked about its effectiveness?

JAN (Job Accommodation Network) offers the following accommodation ideas:

• Provide an office or workspace that has working windows.
• Make certain the ventilation system is not distributing pollutants throughout the work-site from locations within or outside of the building.
• Use HEPA filters in the ventilation system if possible and have ducts maintained.
•  Have an air quality test performed by an industrial hygiene professional to assess poor air quality, dust, mold or mildew accumulation, VOC concentration, etc.
• Use air purification systems throughout the building or in personal workstations.
• Maintain a work environment which is free of pollutants such as fragrances, toxic cleaning agents, pesticides, exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, etc.
• Provide adequate exhaust systems to remove fumes from copiers and similar office machines.
• Provide pre-notification of events such as remodeling, painting, pesticide applications, floor waxing, and carpet shampooing by way of signs, memos, e-mail or an employee register. A voluntary registry can be created for people to be notified on a regular basis.
• Allow for alternative work arrangements for those people who may be sensitive to the chemical agents used in the above activities such as offering the use of another office, work on another floor of the building, work outside, or work from home. (1)

Resources

American Industrial Hygiene Association - promotes, protects, and enhances industrial hygienists and other occupational health, safety, and environmental professionals in their efforts to improve the health and well- being of workers, the community, and the environment. http://www.aiha.org

Human Ecology Action League, Inc. – provides current information about the health effects of environmental and chemical exposures. http://members.aol.com/HEALNatnl/index.html

JAN (Job Accommodation Network) – a free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations, the ADA and the employability of people with disabilities. http://www.jan.wvu.edu

MCS Referral & Resources, Inc. – a non-profit organization providing professional outreach, patient support, and public advocacy regarding the diagnosis, treatment, accommodation, and prevention of multiple chemical sensitivity and multi-sensory sensitivity. http://www.mcsrr.org

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) – Part of the US Department of Labor, OSHA establishes protective standards, enforces those standards, and reaches out to employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation programs. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/multiplechemicalsensitivities/index.html

Works Cited

(1) Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Environmental Illness. DeFreitas Saab, Tracie, M.S. Job Accommodation Network. Updated 2/1/06. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/MCS.html#Intro. Last accessed May 19, 2008.

Hot Topic for June 2008:

Strategies for Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace

Submitted by Leigh Jones, Way Station, Inc.

Addressing your workforce’s mental health is good for your business’ bottom line.  Consider the following statistics regarding mental health and the workplace:

• More than 90 percent of employees agree that their mental health and personal problems spill over into their professional lives and have a direct impact on their job performance.
• $150 billion in lost productivity each year is due to untreated and mistreated mental illness. U.S. businesses pay up to $44 billion of this bill.
• Mental health conditions are the second leading cause for absenteeism. Stress related to the workplace causes approximately one million employees to miss work every day!
• Three out of four employees who seek treatment for workplace issues or mental health problems experience an increase in work performance. (1)

Employee Assistance Programs

Providing an employee assistance program (EAP) has proven to be of value to businesses and employees. According to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, EAPs have a dual purpose they help companies address productivity issues and assist employees in identifying and resolving personal concerns.

A recent study indicates that workers who were experiencing depression and had “telephonic outreach” available, such as an EAP, fared much better in accessing treatment and recovering, thus reducing lost time expenses to their employers (2). Consider the following:

• Chevron has recognized a savings of $50,000 per case from reduced turnover due to EAP use.
• Campbell Soup Company saved 28% in mental health costs using its EAP.
• An Abbott laboratories study reported a 6 to 1 return on dollars spent for the EAP, and noted that the average employee who utilized the EAP spends $10,000 less for inpatient medical costs over a three-year period.

Promoting a mentally healthy workplace

When individuals with mental illness are asked “what is the worst part of having a mental illness?” many respond “stigma”. The following are ways businesses can help reduce the stigma of mental illnesses therefore promoting a more healthy work environment.

• Educate: All employees at all levels need to learn about mental illness, stress, wellness, the health and mental health benefits available and how to access those services.
• Watch your language: Words such as “crazy”, “nuts”, “going postal”, etc. increase the stigma of mental illness. Encourage employees to not use these labels and instead use “person-first” language (i.e. a person with depression vs. a depressed person).
• Encourage dialogue: Create a safe place where employees can talk candidly about mental health. Send a message that mental illnesses are real and treatable. Ideas for encouraging dialogue include:
• celebrating Mental Health Month in May,
• providing employees with literature about resources available to them periodically,
• including information to email signatures regarding mental health. For example “Mind Your Health, learn how stress on the job can affect you, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may.”

Resources

American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) HealthyMinds website is a campaign to help tear down stigma and provide free mental health information. http://www.healthyminds.org/

Mental Health America

The country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net

NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness)

The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. http://www.nami.org/

Partnership for Workplace Mental Health – Employer Resources http://www.workplacementalhealth.org/employer_resources/business_case.aspx

Partnerships for Workplace Mental Health has a publication that provides insight to the question of how does a company change a mentally unhealthy workplace into a healthy workplace? A Mentally Health Workforce – It’s Good for Business. http://www.workplacementalhealth.org/pdf/POPartnershipBrochure05.pdf 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Provides information about mental health to users of mental health services, families, the general public, policy makers, providers and the media. http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/. SAMHSA has a Mental Health Friendly Workplace brochure which contains information and tools for human resource professionals and managers to use in developing a mental health friendly workplace. http://allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/business_execs.html.

Works Cited

(1) Gaining a Competitive Edge Through Mental Health: The Business Case for Employers.  Mental Health America. March 12, 2007(rev). <http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/gaining-a-competitive-edge-through-mental-health-the-business-case-for-employers>. Last accessed April 23, 2008.

(2) Telephone Screening, Outreach, and Care Management for Depressed Workers and Impact on Clinical and Work Productivity Outcomes. A randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 298, No. 12. 1401 -1411.

Hot Topic for May 2008:

The Work Sharing Alternative

Submitted by Patty McDonald, Frederick County Workforce Services

Tough times call for tough measures.  No employer looks eagerly toward a downturn in business and a less active market.  While some employers expect seasonal fluctuation in activity, some are greatly affected by a sluggish economy.  Regardless of the cause, what is a business to do faced with the necessity of cutting costs?  For many businesses the first reaction is a reduction in force.  There are times when downsizing can save the life of the business, however it is usually not without consequence.   Employers typically recognize that the cost of losing trained workers is substantial.   Add to it the drop in morale for the “survivors” and the air of uncertainty that settles into the workspaces – all of which are damaging to the overall effectiveness of the organization.

There is an alternative for employers seeking to evade the high cost of initiating a layoff.  According to Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Work Sharing – A Guide For Employers Pamphlet, “In 1984 the Maryland General Assembly enacted legislation establishing the Work Sharing Unemployment Insurance Program” (“DLLR Pub./OUI 4169”).  The program allows businesses to cut costs while retaining its employees.  Business may initiate a plan for a Work Sharing Program with the Office of Unemployment Insurance, which essentially allows the company to reduce the percentage of hours worked by employees rather than laying off that percentage of the workforce.   The first step is completion of an application for participation in the program submitted to Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Work Sharing Coordinator as soon as the organization identifies that a layoff is forthcoming.  The Work Sharing Coordinator will work with the company to develop a plan to meet the company’s needs.  Management has flexibility in choosing which departments are included in the plan provided that all personnel within each identified department receive equal reduction in hours.   

How it works -

• Company X applies for and is approved for participation in the Work Share Program.  The Work Share Coordinator provides guidance and the plan is enacted within the organization.
• Company X cuts the hours worked by employees in the identified department by 40% averting the layoff of 40 % of the employees.
• Employees affected receive Work Sharing Benefits for up to 26 weeks to compensate the reduction in pay resulting from the reduction in hours.
• When business improves, the department workforce is ready to resume normal operations.

This is a win-win situation for both the organization and its employees.   The company avoids a subsequent expensive re-hire and re-training phase when business activity increases by retaining its workers.  Workplace morale remains higher with an employer who makes an effort to keep their valuable staff.  Employees are able to keep their position within the organization allowing workers to maintain seniority, employment skills conducive to availability for advancement.  Aside from the obvious stress of launching a new job search, this program offsets the financial implications of being downsized by providing a portion of Unemployment Benefits while working hours are reduced. 

For more information about the Work Share Program contact: 

Maryland, DLLR Unemployment Insurance

1100 North Eutaw Street

Baltimore, MD  21202

1-800 492-5524

or

Frederick County Workforce Services

5340 Spectrum Drive, Suite A

Frederick MD 21703

Phone: 301-600-2255

Hot Topic for March 2008:

House Keys 4 Employees

Submitted by Terri Householder, FCC Customized Training in partnership with FCWS

Affordable housing is a critical issue in our suburban market.   People want to live close to their work to avoid the long commute, yet the Washington metropolitan area is ranked as having one of the longest commutes in the country.   People also want to be near their families and hopefully have the opportunity to give back to their local community through volunteer activities.

Businesses need affordable housing to attract the workers they need for all levels of their organizations – from front-line workers to up-and-coming young executives.  This is especially true in our service-driven economy.

Besides the cost to purchase a home in this market, first-time homebuyers are particularly stymied by the high downpayment and settlement costs.  These costs are ranked as the #1 barrier to the homeownership dream.

The State of Maryland has established the House Keys 4 Employees Program (HK4E).  This program is administered through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development “Partner Match” initiatives.  HK4E is designed to aid eligible homebuyers with additional downpayment and settlement assistance.   

This program provides downpayment and settlement costs above and beyond the traditional assistance programs offered through the Community Development Agency:  Downpayment and Settlement Expense Loan Program (DSELP); MMP+2% and MMP+3%.  More information on those programs is available through the Community Development Administration Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.   800-638-7781 or email:  SingleFamilyHousing@mdhousing.org

Any borrower who receives a contribution for downpayment and/or closing cost assistance from an employer and meets the eligibility criteria under the Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) may participate in House Keys 4 Employees.  All borrowers must participate in mandatory homebuyer education program(s).

The HK4E assistance is in the form of a 0% interest deferred payment loan that is repayable at the time of payoff or refinance, or upon the sale or transfer of the house.  The loan is a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution from participating employers, up to a maximum of $2500.  The participating employer’s contribution may be in the form of a grant or a loan.  The participating employer must make its contribution available at the time of settlement.   The employer’s contribution may also be combined with assistance from local jurisdictions, unions and/or nonprofit agencies; however, the HK4E match to the combined contributions will still not exceed $2500.

An enhancement to the House Keys 4 Employees Program is the Smart Keys 4 Employees.   Smart Keys allows borrowers to receive additional matching contribution from the Department of Housing and Community Development if the property the borrower is purchasing is located in a Priority Funding Area (PFA) and the property is within ten miles of the borrower’s place of employment or within the boundaries of the local jurisdiction (county).  This program will double the amount of the normal HK4E match for borrowers that meet the criteria for Smart Keys 4 Employees, for a total maximum match of $5000.  Priority Funding Areas are existing communities and places where local governments want investment to support future growth.   Participating lending institutions should have information on currently designated PFAs.

For Frederick County, the income limit for 1-2 people in non-targeted areas is $94,500; in targeted areas:  $113,400.  For 3 or more people, the income limits are $108,675 for non-targeted areas; $132,300 for targeted areas.  The maximum purchase price in Frederick County in non-targeted areas is $429,620; in targeted areas:  $525,091.  Eligible properties include existing homes; new construction (if in a designated Priority Funding Area); townhouses; detached or semi-detached homes; condominium units; and modular or manufactured homes with the State seal of approval for code compliance.  The home must be occupied as a principal residence, as investment property is not eligible.

Interested employers must sign and return to Community Development Administration the Participation Employer Agreement and designate an authorized representative who will coordinate with the CDA lender.  They are also responsible to qualify employees for eligibility to receive contributions for downpayment and settlement expenses and ensure the employer’s financial contribution is available at settlement. 

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development maintains a list of employers which have agreed to participate in the HK4E program.    More information on this Program and others, as well as a list of participating lenders and employers, can be found at morehouse4less.com or 1-800-638-7781.

Hot Topic for January 2008:

Five Requirements for Effective Change

Click here to read this article

December's Hot Topic:

Managing Holiday Stress in the Workplace

Submitted by Laurie Hedlund, FCC Customized Training in Partnership with FCWS

According to USA Today, nearly 40% of Americans experience holiday stress.  “Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment when holidays – portrayed in popular culture as a time of joy, cheer and festive gatherings – become, for many people, a time of loneliness, depressing memories, and feelings of hopelessness and anxiety,” says the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

This sort of stress can obviously spill over into the workplace, and the ramifications to productivity and job performance can be serious.  In an eNewsletter produced by the American Management Association titled, “Coping with Holiday Stress at Work,” the tension noted at holidays because of the added holiday-shortened deadlines, end-of-year business demands, and “crazed customers” becomes apparent.  In a poll of 600 full-time employees by Accenture’s HR Service, reports that 66% of the respondents reported additional stress at work during the holidays.

What is Stress?

Let’s first talk about definitions.  First is stressor – defined as a situation with a physical reaction and emotional response.  Next is stress response – defined as the physiological changes associated with stress.  And finally stress – defined as the general, physical and emotional state that accompanies the stress response.  The physical responses to stressors can be conscious (for example getting frustrated) or unconscious (for example increase in blood pressure).

Sources of Stress

• Dealing with stressed-out customers
• Trying to complete projects before the holidays
• Balancing extra demands at home with work

Symptoms

• Changes in performance
• Lack of mental energy
• Anxiety
• Frustration
• Loss of temper
• Lack of focus
• Inability to deal with distractions or changes

So, as a manager of an organization, if you notice some or all of the symptoms of stress with your employees, and you want to keep productivity and employee spirits positive during the holidays, start by not causing stress.  As an employer, you control many of the variables that create holiday season stress for people.  Of course, there are many organizations that do attempt to create the ideal environment for their employees and are aware of the effects of stress on workplace productivity.

How can organizations help?  One example from the Accenture study found that 54% of surveyed workers reported that flexible hours during the holidays would help alleviate workplace stress,  while  26%  want to telecommute, at least once in awhile, until the seasonal rush passes.

The SHRM staff asked human resource professionals, “Does your company engage in any of the following practices to help alleviate holiday-related stress among your employees?”  Below are the ACTIONS cited most frequently.

IDEAS/SOLUTIONS

• 51% schedule holiday related events during normal business hours.
• 39% remind employees of their Employee Assistance Program.
• 33% show appreciation for employees who work during the holiday.
• 32% encourage casual dress for holiday parties.
• 30% provide holiday food.
• 23% give the quarterly or annual bonus early for holiday shopping.
• 20% provide floating days for holidays worked.
• 14% offer reduced hours so employees can run errands.
• 13% allow time for volunteer opportunities during work hours.
•  8% provide extra shifts for people to earn holiday money.
•  1% cover child care for employee errands.
• 15% of employers provide other employee perks and opportunities.

ADDITIONAL IDEAS

• Recognize diversity and plan meetings and deadlines accordingly
• Poll employees
• Plan a volunteer activity together as a group/organization
• Communicate that all corporate holiday activities are optional.  And mean it.
• Allow for relaxation and wellness activities at work.  Plan some for everyone!
• Have a fun activity planned to increase laughter, promote wellness.
• Have access to resources to assist employees with managing stress – examples such as:
• Social support
• Communication
• Exercise (but not over-exercise)
• Nutrition/Hydration
• Limit caffeine use
• Time management skills
• Techniques of relaxation
• Visualization, deep breathing, relaxing music, progressive muscle relaxation
• Get enough sleep

There are many ideas and solutions to help employees and organizations control, manage and eliminate holiday stress – the possibilities are endless – and are appreciated!  And remember, that when the holidays are over, that doesn’t mean the blues will all-of-a-sudden disappear.  “Take the focus off the past and redirect it to the future by getting employees involved in planning the upcoming year.  Get them excited about how they can make a difference.” says Frank Kenna III, president of workplace communications firm The Marlin Company.

Resources

Stress Less for the Holidays

Heathfield, Susam M

http://humanresources.about.com/cs/stressmanagement/a/stressless.htm

Managing holiday stress in the workplace

The Charleston Regional Business Journal

Hawkins, Honor

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com

Coping with Holiday Stress at Work

eNewsletter, December 2006, Volume 1, Number 12

http://www.amanet.org

Fit & Well – Core Concepts and Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness

Fahey, T., Insel, P. and Roth, W.

McGraw Hill

Fifth Edition, 2003

November's HOT TOPIC:

Effective Retention Strategies for the Retail Industry

Submitted by Michelle Day, Frederick County Workforce Services

A 2007 Career Builder Survey of retail employers reported that nearly 50% of those surveyed said it is harder to recruit employees this year compared with 2006.  As the fall season continues and as the retail industry builds its arsenal of associates in preparation for the holiday season, managers in this field will face yet another challenging season in staffing and retaining talent.  The same Career Builder survey also reported that nearly 30% of retail employees plan to leave their current positions within the next year.  The most commonly cited reasons for leaving jobs in the retail industry are:

• Lack of career advancement

• Unsatisfactory pay

• Increased workload

• Work/life balance challenges

It is not a revelation that retention and turnover in the retail industry has traditionally been high.  However, as the labor pool continues to shrink (local labor market statistics report that Frederick County’s unemployment rate in July, 2007 was 3.4%), retailers are seeing the advantages of being competitive in their hiring and retention processes. 

Let’s look at each of the four reasons listed above and consider the following solutions. 

Career Advancement - Career ladder models that help workers develop sets of highly transferable skills and tie their skill development to increased wages and greater opportunity for advancement may result in benefits to both employers and the workforce. Design principles and guidelines of effective career ladders are as follows: (1) a demand-driven workforce intermediary plays a leadership role; (2) career ladders acknowledge the needs of employers as the central determinant of required skills and training and build relationships among firms and providers of workforce development services; (3) career ladders demonstrate clear pathways entry-level, to intermediate level, to professional within a single firm or through a network of participating employers; and (4) career ladders provide pathways or structures for employers to "grow" or find workers that meet their business needs.

Unsatisfactory Pay –  While the wage may be unsatisfactory, that doesn’t have to translate into having unsatisfied employees.  Money may make them happy, but more important, so does a positive workplace culture.  Most studies indicate that money is not the number one motivating factor in people’s decisions to accept positions.  People have indicated that their work environment, job satisfaction, and workplace culture are more important than money.  A Sears study has linked employee satisfaction with customer retention. In conjunction with the University of Michigan Business School, the study found that if employee satisfaction were to improve, there would be a corresponding improvement in customer satisfaction. The study also found that quarterly revenue would then grow by about 1.6%. 

In the effective workplace, employers and staff share responsibility for how work is completed. Management and employees in collaboration decide schedules, develop customer service protocols, and design solutions for efficient business operations. In highly effective workplaces, 81% of employees express high levels of satisfaction with their jobs.

Increased Work Load and Balancing Life/Work Activities - Allowing flexibility in scheduling is important.  While telecommuting may not be an option for most of associates in the retail industry, could it be an option for the marketing staff, for example?  Consider offering flex start and end times or compressed workweeks.  A 2006 study funded by the Ford Foundation and the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility found that employees having input into their schedule is significantly correlated with employee engagement. Employee engagement increases with greater perceived input. Similarly, employee engagement is related to the perception that schedule preferences are taken into consideration by the person who writes the schedules. Employees may request a specific shift during a specific week or to request not to work a specific shift during a specific week.

As an example, a cashier may be routinely scheduled to work on Thursdays, but because of a medical appointment would prefer to work another day during a particular week.  Research found in this study suggests that the perception that it is possible to change an assigned work schedule to attend to a family or personal matter is linked to employee engagement. Employees who strongly agree that they are able to modify their work schedules on an as-needed basis are more engaged with their jobs. Similarly, employees have some way of addressing last minute schedule changes without losing work hours or taking vacation/sick leave or without suffering adverse implication for their jobs.

The nature of many retail businesses requires that they closely align labor costs with customer demands. To accommodate this kind of changing market, common practices within many retail firms are to assign schedules on a weekly basis. For some employees, this practice makes it difficult to coordinate other life events. Advance schedule notification is a workplace practice that provides employees with notification of their work schedules beyond the 7-day practice routine within the industry. As an example, working parents who need to arrange after school care may find it easier to do so with some advance notice. Advance schedule notification is positively correlated with employee engagement. Employees who report that they have generally 7 or more days advance notice of their weekly schedules are more engaged in their job.  In certain industries it might be very difficult to give employees more than 7 days advance notice of their coming week’s schedules. In these cases, data suggest that at the very least employers could provide is some mechanism for employee input into their schedule preferences. Having some input into assigned schedules is more strongly linked to employee engagement than providing advance notification.

References:

Jobs for the Future –  http://www.jff.org/index.php

Institute for a Competitive Workforce an Affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-

Frederick County Workforce Services – www.frederickworks.com

October's HOT TOPIC:

Ready, Willing, and Able…

Submitted by Margaret Mulligan, Way Station, Inc. / Maryland WorkFORCE Promise

What kind of employee are you looking for?  A problem solver? Someone who can bring fresh perspectives to the table?  How about a person who is able to adapt to different situations or conditions?  The untapped talent pool of individuals with disabilities of working age is approximately 21-million strong – our nation’s largest and fastest growing minority population – and one that includes all other dimensions of diversity.  Many qualified workers with disabilities are ready, willing and able to succeed in today’s workplace.  Listed below are some tips for including this valuable population in your workforce.

Six Steps to Integrating Your Workforce

• Commitment: Commit to employing, advancing and retaining people with disabilities.  Make workforce diversity a part of your company’s culture.
• Recruitment: Aggressively seek job candidates with disabilities.  Inform disability-related organizations and agencies of your job openings.  Search for résumés on disability-related websites.
• Interviewing: As you would with any job seeker, focus on the individual’s skills, abilities and achievements. 
• Accommodations: Include the employee in the process of determining appropriate accommodations.  Who knows better than the employee what is needed to perform the essential functions of the job?  
• Training: Training offered by the company should be accessible to all employees.  This includes new employee orientation, skills improvement, career advancement training and off-site seminars.
• Awareness / Sensitivity: Educate your workforce on topics such as interacting with individuals with disabilities, reasonable accommodations and misconceptions about disabilities.

Making a Connection

• Contact your local One-Stop Career Center, for prescreened, job ready applicants.
• Create partnerships with Maryland Department of Education, Division of Rehabilitation Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Check with Disability Services offices at local universities, community service providers, and disability organizations.
• Hire students and other job seekers with disabilities in temporary, seasonal, internship and mentoring programs. These employees will prove themselves to be qualified candidates for your regular positions.

Every October, we recognize the contributions and skills of employees with disabilities as the U.S. celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).  According to U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM began as an “effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment…  In 1945, Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October of each year National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.  In 1962, the word ‘physically’ was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month."   This year’s theme is “Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team.”  Visit ODEP’s website (http://www.dol.gov/odep/talent/index.htm) to view profiles of individuals who have benefited from “programs aimed at eliminating the chronic underemployment of people with disabilities, as well as employers and organizations that have successfully implemented strategies to hire, support, empower and otherwise value employees with disabilities.”

Resources regarding employment of individuals with disabilities:

ADA & IT Information Center
Mid-Atlantic Region
Voice / TTY: (800) 949-4232
Email: adainfo@transcen.org
Website:  www.adainfo.org

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Voice/ TTY: (800) 526-7234
Email: jan@jan.wvu.edu
Website: www.jan.wvu.edu

Maryland Business Leadership Network
Voice: (866) 624-3502
Email: bln@suntrust.com
Website: www.usbln.com

Maryland Disability WorkFORCE Information Exchange
Voice: (301) 662-0099
TTY: (301) 662-4853
Email: info@mdworkforcepromise.org
Website:www.mdworkforcepromise.org

Maryland State Dept. of Education
Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
Voice: (410) 554-9385 / (888) 554-0334
TTY: (410) 554-9411
Email: dors@dors.state.md.us
Website:  www.dors.state.md.us

U. S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy
Voice: (866) 633-7365
TTY: (877) 889-5627
Website: www.dol.gov/odep

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

Voice: (800) 827-1000

Email: vetsuccessonline@vba.va.gov

Website: www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre

August's HOT TOPIC:

Telework: A Win-Win for the Business and the Employee

Submitted by Margaret M. Mulligan, Maryland WorkFORCE Promise and Lori Markland, Maryland Technology Assistance Program

(Content for this article was adapted from publications developed by the Maryland Technology Assistance Program)

With portable computers, high-speed telecommunications links, and ever-present pocket communications devices, many employees today can work almost anywhere at least some of the time (www.telework.gov). Telework, an employment arrangement that is growing in popularity, is paid employment, either full-time or part-time, that is regularly performed, in whole or in part, at a location other than the employer’s customary office or place of business, including the worker’s home or a telework center.

Telework offers a wide range of benefits to the business as well as to the employee.  According to the Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP), the benefits of telework arrangements to a business include:

• a Maryland business tax credit for the cost of employee teleworking expenses.
• the ability to attract and retain the most forward-thinking employees who can work from anywhere at anytime utilizing the most technologically advanced devices to complete that work.
• the reduction of employee lateness and callouts caused by long commutes, congested highways, and unrelated family/life issues.
• decrease in business overhead costs due to reduction in required space and utilities costs.
• retention of employees who may otherwise leave, often in cases of spousal job change or economic, familial changes at home.
• retention of an aging workforce, keeping the most knowledgeable, skilled employees in service.
• aiding in reduction of urban congestion and smog, contributing to a healthier environment.
• Maryland Department of Transportation’s Telework Partnership with Employers
• A program that provides up to $15,000 per business, non-profit, organization, or local government to hire a teleworking consultant.

A 2005 study estimated that “45.1 million Americans telework from home, up from 44.4 million in 2004” (ITAC, the Telework Advisors to World at Work, 2005).  Telework offers a wide array of benefits to the employee:

• Teleworking reduces travel time and costs, allowing the employee to focus solely on the job duties without travel and transportation concerns.
• Teleworking is a barrier-free alternative to inaccessible buildings, rigid working conditions, and un-accommodated workstations.
• Teleworking provides job opportunities to those living in rural or economically depressed areas where employment is very limited.
• Teleworking allows for a greater balance of work and home.
• Telework builds trust and commitment between employee and employer.
• Maryland’s income tax subtraction modification for employee telework expenses.

The Maryland Technology Assistance Program offers the Telework & Self-Employment Loan Program, which helps Maryland residents with disabilities qualify for low-interest loans to buy equipment to be able to Telework. With the option to telecommute, far more individuals with disabilities can provide the services needed to keep a business serving its clients quickly and effectively.  The following example shows how one man and the company he works for has benefited from the Telework & Self-Employment Loan Program.

Mr. B knows the value of owning a business.  He’s done it eleven times himself, operating several restaurants, a gas station, a motorcycle shop and a dispute resolution service.  Now Mr. B is training others (who, like himself, are blind) to run their own businesses.  Through his job with Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, Mr. B travels frequently. He needed technology to help him find his way in unfamiliar cities and to gain access to notes and financial data while he’s on the road. He couldn’t afford a global positioning system and an upgraded BrailleNote (a PDA for people who are blind). “The truth is, technology is expensive,” he says.

Mr. B turned to the Maryland Assistive Technology Guaranteed Loan Program and the Telework & Self-Employment Loan Program, which provided him the financing he needed.  Now he is helping create a management recruitment franchise. “Our customers are the same customers that any personnel recruitment company would have,” he explains. “The difference is that we, the sales force, happen to be blind.”

Telework FAQs

What is Teleworking?
Telework is work performed effectively from home or from other designated sites away from the office, such as work on the road or at a telework center. The purpose of telework is to reduce or eliminate barriers to employment such as inadequate transportation, fatigue, inaccessible work environments, and the need for personal assistance experienced by individuals with disabilities.

What types of jobs lend themselves to telework?
Any job that has tasks that can be performed away from the main worksite generally qualifies for telecommuting alternatives. However, the employer and employee should determine the specific duties most conducive to telework.

Is teleworking a good way to employ an individual with a disability?
Absolutely! It enables an individual with a disability to work in a barrier-free environment.

How does the supervisor monitor work performance for the telecommuting employee?
Performance can be measured in many ways, including examining the work products and results. By implementing project schedules, key milestones, regular status reports, and team reviews, an employer can track and oversee goal completion.

Does the employee’s work suffer without direct, on-site supervision?
No -on the contrary, because the employee is working at home or at an alternative worksite, fewer disruptions and distractions are present. And because the employee has even greater incentive to demonstrate the value of telecommuting, the work produced and goals met are even more imperative to the employee.

Who provides equipment at the home-based work site?
This will vary by situation. Each agency and organization must establish its own policies on this matter.

Who is responsible for maintaining and servicing the equipment?
A teleworker who is using his/her own equipment will be responsible for maintaining it. If the employer is providing the equipment, the employer would be responsible for its maintenance.

What type of equipment can be purchased with the Telework Loan Program offered through MD TAP?
Examples of equipment that can be purchased with this loan include computers, printers, and related peripherals; software; fax machines and scanners; telecommunications devices; telecommunication system installation charges (i.e. DSL); office furniture; home and/or home office modifications for accessibility; and assistive technology.

For additional information on telework and the Maryland Telework Loan Program, a program of the Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP) / Maryland Department of Disabilities, contact MD TAP.

Maryland Technology Assistance Program

2301 Argonne Drive, Room T-17

Baltimore, MD 21218

800-832-4827 (voice)

800-881-7488 (tty)

www.mdtap.org

July's HOT TOPIC:

The “Flip Flop” Generation: Tips for Hiring, Managing, and Working With Generation Y

Written By Michelle Day, Frederick County Workforce Services

An employer interviewed a recent college graduate with no prior professional work experience for an entry- level position.  Upon concluding the interview he asked this young candidate, “Now, what were you thinking in terms of your salary expectations?”  The candidate confidently replied, “$80,000/year sounds good.”   The expectation of the candidate did not exactly match what the employer had in mind.  Similarly, a Human Resource manager at a local call center recently shared with me that her younger employees were showing up to work in flip flops and pajama pants!  She was appalled as many of us would be.  However, workplace demographics as well as expectations of the upcoming workforce are changing.  Is your company aware of what factors shaped this generation and how you can best work with them?

Generation Y is a force of as many as 70 million, and the first wave is just now embarking on their careers — taking their place in an increasingly multigenerational workplace. They are the most diverse and technology savvy generation in history.  They are arriving in the workplace with higher expectations than any generation before them—and they’re so well connected that, if an employer doesn’t match those expectations, they can tell thousands of their cohorts with one click of the mouse.

Most resources agree that the terms, Generation Y and Millennial, refer to those who were born roughly between 1977 – 2000. Whatever we call them, one thing is certain - they are the future workforce, CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and global citizens of our world.  The remainder of this article provides some food for thought to consider when faced with hiring, managing, and working with these newcomers.  According to Claire Raines, author of Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook, there are several key trends of the 1990’s and 2000’s that have had a “profound effect” on the collective millennial personality.  Some of them are:

Focus on family.  The Federal Forum on Family Statistics reported that national attention to children was at an all-time high (The earlier peak was in the 1960s when the Boomers were kids.). Older parents—the average age for moms are now 27—brought more maturity to their roles as caregivers, teachers, and coaches.

Scheduled, structured lives.  They were signed up for soccer camp, karate club, and ballet lessons—and their parents were called into service, shuttling them from one activity to the next.

Multiculturalism.  The most recent data from UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute shows that interracial interaction among college freshmen has reached a record high. 

Heroism. Policemen, firemen, firefighters, and mayors were pictured on the front page of the newspaper, featured on TV specials, and portrayed in art and memorabilia. In the ten months following 9/11, the word hero was heard more than it had been in the entire ten years before. 

Parent advocacy. Parents challenged poor grades, negotiated with the soccer coach, visited college campuses, and even went along to Army recruiting centers.

Globalism. With pen pals in Singapore and Senegal, Millennials grow up seeing things as global, connected, and open for business 24/7.

What does all this mean for businesses?  It means that in order to maintain a competitive advantage we must acknowledge what motivates them so that you can hire, manage, and work together alongside them. Here are some ideas to consider:

Be the “Employer of Choice.”  Use the Internet to market your company using virtual tours that allow potential candidates to see what it would be like to work there.  “Sell” telecommuting and flexible scheduling as a benefit.  This generation, as well as Generation X, prefers a well-balanced personal and professional life. Xerox is using the slogan "Express Yourself" as a way to describe its culture to recruits. The hope is that the slogan will appeal to Gen Y's desire to develop solutions and change. Recruiters also point out the importance of diversity at the company; Gen Y is one of the most diverse demographic groups — one out of three is a minority.

Give them cutting-edge technology.  Generation Y grew up with computers, iPods, and PlayStations and this techno upbringing shapes their work expectations. You can successfully motivate Yers by structuring their work so that it is congruent with their technical prowess. For example, allow them to communicate with customers via instant messaging, provide training on-demand in multi-media formats, and give them Internet access for research and resources.

Design rewards and incentives with immediate payout. Believe it or not, money does not typically motivate Generation Y or X.  They are skeptical of long-term commitments from employers. Many younger workers have seen their parents lose jobs to downsizing and outsourcing and this has led to doubts about their own futures. For any reward to work with a Yer, it has to be very short term. So instead of a 12-month contest with a huge payout, consider a 60-day contest with a moderate payout.

Manage by getting involved. Managing from behind a desk will be most ineffective with Yers. They want to see managers roll up their sleeves and get in the trenches. One easy way to get involved is modeled by Southwest Airlines – they request managers to play baggage handler, reservation clerk, or ticket agent once a month. This keeps management in touch with the challenges their people experience everyday.

Feedback. Be sure to give plenty of feedback often. This generation requires more input and commentary on their performance than all the other generations before them. They will not wait for a semi-annual or annual review. Set aside time weekly to check in with your Millennial and give positive, constructive feedback as often as you can.

Clear communication.  Make things crystal clear. Millennials are used to following directions (think gaming here). Clarity on all processes, especially how they will move up in the company, is essential. Communicating clearly from the beginning can save enormous amounts of time and energy. What may seem glaringly obvious to you isn’t always so with this group.

Focus on the positive. This group is energetic, bright, fearless, and multi-task better than anyone. They are technologically savvy and are used to a 24/7 environment.  Instead of complaining about the ways in which this group differs from past generations, use their strengths to your advantage. 

References:

Managing Millennials, by Claire Raines, 2002

http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm 

http://top7business.com/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm

For additional resources and information on generations in the workplace consider the following:

http://www.generationwhy.com/

http://www.iconoculture.com/

http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm     

Generation X Managing Generation X, by Claire Raines, 1997; http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/ genx.htm.

Generational Leadership Listening Sessions Report, by Frances Kunreuther, Ludovic Blain, and Kim Fellenr, Building Movement Project, 2004.

http://www.buildingmovement.org/artman/uploads/glls_report_001.pdf

May's HOT TOPIC:

Mental Health and the Workplace

Written by Leigh Jones, Maryland WorkFORCE Promise

Consider the following names: Buzz Aldrin, Theodore Roosevelt, Ted Turner and Winston Churchill. Now consider this question, “If the opportunity presented itself, would you, as an employer, hire any of them?” Most employers would welcome such talent, but what if you knew before you hired them that they all have one thing in common…a persistent mental illness, would your answer change? Consider what society would have been like if these individuals and others were never given the opportunity to work.

Myths and Facts

Mental illness is surprisingly common, affecting one in four Americans. (1) It is very likely that you know someone, have hired someone, or interact with someone on a daily basis who has a mental illness. It is important to get the facts about mental health and not make decisions about current or future employees with mental health problems out of fear or misconceptions. The following are some common misconceptions about mental illness and the workplace. (2)

Myth: Recovery from mental illness is impossible.

Fact: Mental illnesses are persistent; research has shown that with treatment, the majority of people with illness can lead active and productive lives.

Myth:  People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.

Fact: Research has found that the vast majority of individuals with mental illnesses are no more violent than anyone else. In fact, people with mental illness are more likely to be the victim of violence than the perpetrator and are more likely to hurt themselves than hurt other people. (3)

Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

Fact: The response to job-related stress, and precisely which factors will be perceived as stressful, varies among people with mental illness. For all workers, those with or without mental illness, productivity is optimized when there is a close match between the employee’s needs and his or her working conditions.

 

Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have received effective treatment and have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers.

Fact: Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mental Illness (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illness are compared to other employees.

The Mental Health-Friendly Workplace

If you ask someone what the phrase “mental health” brings to mind as it relates to the workplace, you might get the following responses:

• “burn-out”,
• dealing with employees’ anxiety,
• conflict resolution between employees, or
• the emotional “fall-out” due to a traumatic event either on the job or off.

A business can prevent or help resolve problematic situations similar to those listed above by having a workplace that is mental health-friendly. (4) What does a mental health-friendly workplace look like? Businesses that value an employees’ health, this is not only physical health, it includes mental health, will have policies and procedures in place specific to mental health. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the following is a list of characteristics found in mental health-friendly workplaces:

• Welcomes all qualified job applicants; diversity is valued.
• Includes health care that treats mental illnesses with the same urgency as physical illnesses.
• Offers programs and practices that promote and support employee health-wellness and/or work-life balance.
• Provides training for managers and front-line supervisors in mental health workplace issues, including identification of performance problems that may indicate work distress and possible need for referral.
• Safeguards confidentiality of employee health information.
• Provides an Employee Assistance Program or other appropriate referral resources to assist managers and employees.
• Supports employees who seek treatment or who require hospitalization and disability leave, including planning for return to work.
• Ensures “exit with dignity” as a corporate priority, should it become essential for an employee to leave employment.
• Provides all-employee communication regarding equal opportunity employment, the reasonable accommodations policy of the Americans with Disabilities Act, health andwellness programs, and similar topics that promote an accepting, anti-stigmatizing, anti-discriminating climate in the workplace.”

Promoting Mental Health

There are several simple and inexpensive ways to promote mental health. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Have a representative from the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and/or have designated times for a representative to come and speak with employees during new employee orientation.
• Add information to email signatures regarding mental health. For example “Mind Your Health, learn how stress on the job can affect you, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may.”
• If your business has an intranet, create a link that provides information about mental illness and resources available.
• Have a health or wellness day to introduce employees to the importance of mental health.
• Celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month in May and/or Mental Illness Awareness Week in October.
• Institute training for supervisors about how to supervise in ways to promote mental health and decrease stigma and discrimination toward employees with mental illnesses.
• Decrease stigma and discrimination by modeling appropriate language use (i.e. don’t use the terms “wacko”, “going postal”, “schizophrenic”, etc. instead use first person, a “person with depression, schizophrenia”, etc). (5)

The Bottom Line

Addressing your workforce’s mental health is good for a business’ bottom line. Consider the following:

• Mental health conditions are the second leading cause for absenteeism. Stress related to the workplace causes approximately one million employees to miss work every day!
• People who have untreated mental health issues use more general health services compared to people who seek mental health care.
• Untreated and mistreated mental illnesses cost the United States $150 billion in lost productivity each year, businesses pay up to $44 billion.
• Three out of four employees who seek treatment for workplace issues or mental health problems experience an increase in work performance. (6)

Resources

* American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) HealthyMinds website is a campaign to help tear down stigma and provide free mental health information. http://www.healthyminds.org/

* Mental Health America

(Formerly known as the National Mental Health Association.) The country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net

* NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness)

The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. http://www.nami.org/

* Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Provides information about mental health to users of mental health services, families, the general public, policy makers, providers and the media. http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/. SAMHSA has a Mental Health Friendly Workplace brochure which contains information and tools for human resource professionals and managers to use in developing a mental health friendly workplace. http://allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/business_execs.html.

Works Cited

(1) The Numbers County: Mental Disorders In America. National Institute of Health. 2006 (rev). <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm#Intro>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

(2) Mental Illness and the Workplace. The Center for Reintegration. <http://www.reintegration.com/reint/employment/workplace.asp>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

(3) Let’s Talk Facts About What is Mental Illness? American Psychiatric Association. November 2006 (rev). <http://www.healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-WhatIsMentalIllness.pdf>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

(4) Businesses Materials for a Mental Health Friendly Workplace: Executive Booklet. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). <http://allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/business_execs.html>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

(5) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Workplaces That Thrive: A Resource for Creating Mental Health-Friendly Work Environments. SAMHSA Pub. No. P040478M. <http://www.allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/business.html>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

(6) Gaining a Competitive Edge Through Mental Health: The Business Case for Employers.  Mental Health America. March 12, 2007(rev). <http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/gaining-a-competitive-edge-through-mental-health-the-business-case-for-employers>. Last accessed May 17, 2007.

April's HOT TOPIC: 

Emotional Intelligence and Employee Retention

Written by Michelle Day, M.A., Frederick County Workforce Services

Are your employees actively engaged in their work?  Recently a Gallup study found that only 26% of employees surveyed categorized themselves as actively engaged in their work.  Studies illustrate that there is a direct relationship between employee engagement, leadership, and retention.   According to a 2005 survey by Career Systems International the top five retention factors included:

• Exciting Work/Challenge (48.4%)
• Career growth/learning (42.6%)
• Relationships/working with great people (41.8%)
• Fair pay (31.8%)
• Supportive management/great boss (25.1%)

So what kind of leadership does it take to increase retention and reduce employee turnover? Leaders and employees who have a moderate to high degree of emotional intelligence can directly influence the workplace morale, employee engagement, commitment, and job satisfaction.  Emotional intelligence, in general, can be defined as "the ability to process emotional information, particularly as it involves the perception, assimilation, understanding, and management of emotion." (Mayer and Cobb, 2000)  Although there have been variations of this definition, it is generally agreed that most valid definitions share the same basic core concepts that include:

            Self-Awareness

            Self-Management

            Social Awareness

            Relationship Management

Spherion, a staffing and consulting firm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Lou Harris Associates, found that only 11 percent of the employees who rated their bosses as excellent said that they were likely to look for a different job in the next year. However, 40 percent of those who rated their bosses as poor said they were likely to leave.  People working with good bosses and with effective leaders tend to stay in their jobs and be productive.  Similarly, bosses who possess emotional intelligence tend to be the most effective leaders because they can provide the employee with the direction and support needed to make their work exciting and challenging (see the #1 retention factor listed above).   With the cost of turnover becoming increasingly important to business leaders, it has become necessary to look at how companies can adjust their operations in order to positively affect the bottom line.   One solution worth exploring is to examine how the presence of emotional intelligence can contribute to your company’s bottom line.

Consider these success stories taken from the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations and think about how your business’s bottom line could be positively affected by an emphasis on emotional intelligence in all levels of leadership within the company. 

• At L’Oreal, sales agents selected on the basis of certain emotional competencies significantly outsold salespeople selected using the company’s old selection procedure. On an annual basis, salespeople selected on the basis of emotional competence sold $91,370 more than other salespeople did, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. Salespeople selected on the basis of emotional competence also had 63% less turnover during the first year than those selected in the typical way.
• In a large beverage firm, using standard methods to hire division presidents, 50% left within two years, mostly because of poor performance. When they started selecting based on emotional competencies such as initiative, self-confidence, and leadership, only 6% left in two years. Furthermore, the executives selected based on emotional competence were far more likely to perform in the top third based on salary bonuses for performance of the divisions they led: 87% were in the top third. In addition, division leaders with these competencies outperformed their targets by 15 to 20 percent. Those who lacked them under-performed by almost 20%.
• After supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better and help employees resolve problems on their own, lost-time accidents were reduced by 50 percent, formal grievances were reduced from an average of 15 per year to 3 per year, and the plant exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.
• The most successful debt collectors in a large collection agency had an average goal attainment of 163 percent over a three-month period. They were compared with a group of collectors who achieved an average of only 80 percent over the same time period. The most successful collectors scored significantly higher in the emotional intelligence competencies of self-actualization, independence, and optimism. (Self-actualization refers to a well-developed, inner knowledge of one's own goals and a sense of pride in one's work.)

Good news!  Research has shown that emotional intelligence, like technical skill, can be developed through a systematic and consistent approach to building competence in personal and social awareness, self-management, and social skill. Overall the presence of both cognitive and emotional competencies is ideally present in employees and leadership.  It is also important to note that because the foundations of social and emotional competencies are often laid down early in life and reinforced over several years they tend to become synonymous with self-image and therefore will need honing over time to bring about change. (2004 The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations)

References:

2004 The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. www.eiconsortium.org.

The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence.  Cherniss, Cary, Goleman, Emmerling, Cowan, & Adler, 1998.

Identifying Competencies with Behavioral-Event Interviews. Psychological Science, McClelland, D. C. 1999.

Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Employee Engagement: Creating a Psychologically Healthy Workplace.  Kenneth Nowack, Ph.D. 2005.

Working with Emotional Intelligence. Goleman, D. 1998.

Mayer and Cobb study 2000 - http://eqi.org/acad.htm#Educational%20Policy%20on%20Emotional%20Intellig

http://www.eiconsortium.org/research/business_case_for_ei.htm

March's HOT TOPIC: Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow

Written by Margaret Mulligan, Maryland WorkFORCE Promise

How would you describe someone who is ready to take on the responsibilities that come along with the world of work? In 1989, the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development indicated five characteristics that might help you answer this question. The Council stated that an effective human being is one who

    · is an intellectually reflective person,
    · is en route to a lifetime of meaningful work,
    · is a good citizen,
    · is a caring and ethical individual, and
    · is a healthy person (National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth [NCWD/Youth], 2006).

Two questions might have come to mind at this point. 1) How do youth come to possess these characteristics?, and, 2) what does this have to do with me?

If we stop to consider what we can do to help youth navigate the day-to-day challenges life throws their way, we might soon realize the importance of mentoring. Can the outcome be anything other than a win-win situation when we, as mentors, provide youth with guidance, support, and connections as they journey towards becoming productive and contributing members of society? When we, as mentors, are able to instill in them a sense of pride in work? When we can all share in the successes that result from mentorship?

If you are ready to explore the concept of mentoring, let us begin with a brief look at some successful mentoring models. One-to-one mentoring pairs one adult with one young person. A relationship builds and strengthens between the two, and the mentoring often lasts for years to come. Peer mentoring does not necessarily refer to the age of those involved. It could be that the adult and the youth share a common life experience, such as a disability. In this situation, the mentor provides support and advice along with the sharing of personal lessons learned. Group mentoring matches one or more adults with several young adults. Examples of this arrangement are often seen in work-based mentoring programs offered through local school systems. E-mentoring is a rather new concept, where the youth and the adult correspond via the internet, with occasional face-to-face interactions (NCWD/Youth, 2006).

Regardless of which model is used, career-focused mentoring strategies incorporate the importance of appropriate attitudes, skills, and behaviors that lead to success in the workplace. Paving the Way to Work, a guide developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), suggests the following strategies when mentoring for career preparation:

     · Promote career exploration activities and tools.
     · Provide information on networking in a particular field.
     · Promote activities to support career goal setting and planning.
     · Provide information on job shadowing, workplace visits, and tours.

Paving the Way to Work also suggests mentors 1) provide supports that help youth develop an understanding of the world of work, 2) identify work readiness skills, 3) identify strategies to complete educational requirements or training, and 4) identify individual strengths and potential opportunity for meaningful work (NCWD/Youth, 2006).

Mentoring experiences are beneficial to all youth, especially those with disabilities. Such programs provide opportunities that this particular population might not otherwise receive. Additional advantages experienced by mentees with disabilities include changes in attitudes regarding education, which oftentimes results in improved academic performance and increased pursuit of higher education. Improved communication skills, career awareness, social opportunities, and gaining a real understanding of the adult world and adult responsibilities are other benefits garnered by the mentee.

Mentors express personal and professional satisfaction from participating in a mentoring relationship. Feedback regarding the experience often indicates improved interpersonal skills, recognition by peers, and a better understanding of teen and societal concerns. The organization that offers mentoring opportunities also realizes positive gain. Right off the bat, it has access to a pool of up-and-coming talent. This young talent, which the business helps shape by providing positive role models, may soon be an employee rather than a mentee (NCWD/Youth, 2006).

Leading businesses understand the benefits derived from a diverse workforce – a workforce that provides variety in terms of perspectives and experiences that add to the success of the business. Including youth with disabilities in a mentoring program complements the company’s larger diversity initiative.

By participating in Disability Mentoring Day, you could positively influence the career path of a young adult who is interested in pursuing a career with your company. Visit www.dmd-aapd.org to learn more about October 17, 2007, the official date on which you could play the important role of mentoring a youth with a disability. Browse through the highlights and testimonials, and you will read examples of how we all benefit from the mentoring experience. The young people we mentor today are the workforce and leaders of tomorrow.

Resources for businesses interested in mentoring youth with disabilities:

National Disability Mentoring Day, sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities, is designed to encourage career exploration for young adults with disabilities. Visit www.dmd-aapd.org to learn more about this initiative and to find out how you can participate.

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is an annual event that brings together youth, the local business community, and vocational rehabilitation service providers. See Maryland’s Division of Rehabilitation Services’ coverage of DMD events from the past few years at http://www.dors.state.md.us/DORS/ProgramServices/Business1/DMD/.

The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition has published a brief entitled Creating Mentoring Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities: Issues and Suggested Strategies. The publication is available for download at http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=704

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth develops initiatives and provides resources and valuable information about employment and youth with disabilities. Paving the Way to Work, the publication referenced in this article, is available for download at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/mentoring.html.

The U.S. Business Leadership Network (www.usbln.org) promotes best practices regarding employment of individuals with disabilities. Through membership in local chapters, businesses learn from each other how to best recruit and market to the disability community. The Virginia BLN’s publication Why is Workplace Mentoring Important? is available for download at http://www.vabln.org/downloads/Why%20is%20Workplace%20Mentoring%20Important.pdf.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) develops programs and resources to assist businesses in the employment of individuals with disabilities. Visit ODEP’s Publication page to view the fact sheet Cultivating Leadership: Mentoring Youth with Disabilities (http://www.dol.gov/odep/audiences/employers.htm).

References:
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring. (2006). (2.5, 1.3, 2.4, 1.7).

February's HOT TOPIC:

Talent Outside Traditional Groups: Individuals with Disabilities and Older Workers

Written by Leigh Jones, Maryland WorkFORCE Promise

There are 78 million people who fit the classification of “baby boomer”. According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), by 2014 more than one in five workers will be 55 or older. What untapped resources can businesses look to for filling the gap that will be left when the baby boomers retire? Hiring individuals with disabilities and retaining your older workers are two ways to fill this need.

There are several reasons why companies should look to individuals with disabilities as a source to fill the gap that the retiring baby boomers will leave.  First, there are approximately 54 million individuals with disabilities in the U.S. and only 55.8% (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy) of those individuals are employed.

Second, businesses that have tapped into this underused talent, have found that individuals with disabilities add value to their workforce. For example, over the last decade and a half, Pizza Hut has employed thousands of individuals with disabilities and has found that turnover is approximately 100 percent less as compared to new hires without disabilities. Pizza Hut has been able to save millions of dollars because of this low turnover rate as well as the millions of dollars the company has received by using federal tax credits for hiring individuals with disabilities. IBM has found that actively recruiting individuals with disabilities increases the talent pool, which in turn enables the company to produce the best products and allows it to come up with fresh ideas and viewpoints.

Third, the most common worries businesses have about hiring individuals with disabilities are myths. Most companies worry that individuals with disabilities will be less productive and reliable and will increase their health care costs due to increased usage. In a 30-year study, DuPont found that employees with disabilities have above-average records in job performance, attendance and safety. The Hartford, a Connecticut disability insurer, indicates that once a disability is acquired, there is no difference in medical utilization when you compare individuals with disabilities and without.

Some experts caution that the effect of the baby boomers retiring may not have as much impact on all industries as the media would lead the public to believe. AARP research (2003) found more than two-thirds of 50 to 70 year-old workers plan to work into their retirement years or never retire. This figure may have businesses breathing a sigh of relief, but consider this: McKinsey & Co., a consulting firm, reported that 40% of retirees were forced to stop working earlier than they had planned, due to health problems or job loss. Only 13% of baby boomer retirees who were expecting to work past 65 have actually been able continue working.

It makes good business sense to accommodate your aging workforce for several reasons. First, according to an AARP commissioned report, “Replacing an experienced worker of any age can cost 50 percent or more of the individual’s annual salary in turnover-related costs.” Second, the knowledge and skill level of older workers is invaluable to a business. Third, the most common myths about older workers are they are less productive, less healthy, and will not be around as long as their younger counterparts.

In a March 2006 article in Workforce Management these were rebutted. Younger workers do tend to work faster, but they also make more mistakes than older workers do. When the assignment involves thoughtful conclusions and smart solutions, older workers outperform their younger counterparts. Older workers will have health problems due to their age, but younger workers have been found to hurt themselves on the job more and have more absences due to illness than older workers. Younger workers tend to job hop more frequently than older workers. The average 20 to 30 year-old changes jobs every three years while the average 40 year-old changes jobs approximately every 15 years.  A business may get more years back by retaining and investing in older workers.

It makes sense for a business to consider both of these groups as talent pools for the future. A business may need to make some changes in its policies, i.e. flexible work schedules, use of technology, job sharing, etc., to accommodate the unique needs of both of these groups, but in the long run, looking for talent outside the traditional groups may be what is needed to avert a shortage in the workforce.

Resources:

AARP’s website has a resource center for businesses. Topics include recruitment, retention strategies, benefits, workforce trends, workplace law and best employers program. Click on www.aarp.org.

Senior Service America/Open Doors assists low-income older workers to gain employment in their local communities. Businesses can work with Open Doors to find qualified older workers. For more information or to locate your local Open Doors program, visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an excellent source of information for job accommodation suggestions and/or technical assistance. JAN’s website is www.jan.wvu.edu.

Each state has its own Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office that assists individuals with disabilities in finding and retaining employment. To locate your local VR office, visit www.jan.wvu.edu/sbses/vocrehab.htm.   

References:

U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy www.dol.gov/odep  

U.S. Census Bureau

www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/disability.html

Workforce Management (www.workforce.com) Articles:

"Age Wave: Adapting to Older Workers", March 27, 2006, pp. 32-36.

"Hiring Without Limits", June 2004, pp. 53-58

"They’ll Just Keep Going, and Going, and Going…", October 9, 2006, p.26

"Think Twice: Disabling Some Old Stereotypes", August 2002, p. 88

January's HOT TOPIC: 

Strategies for Improving Healthcare Worker Retention

Written by Michelle Day, M.A., Frederick County Workforce Services

Less than four years from now, by 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that health workforce retirees will outnumber entrants by 13,800 per day.  Registered nurses are the number one in-demand healthcare occupation in Maryland, according to a May 2004 report from the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.  Recruitment of qualified healthcare workers is undoubtedly a major challenge, not only in Maryland, but also throughout the nation.  But how do businesses address the issue of retaining the healthcare employees that they currently do have?   Below are several methods that have proved to be successful in retaining employees in the healthcare industry.

• Exit Interviews – Consider finding out why employees leave in the first place.  Exit interviews can provide crucial information on the experiences of your employees.  Effective exit interviews can possibly reveal an opportunity to retain an employee.  For example, you may find that an employee had concerns that were never brought up before but could be handled easily leading to a resolution that could affect his/her decision to stay.

• Training* – Ongoing education and training should not be underestimated as a retention tool.  According to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO): 

“Considering the pace at which new drugs, procedures and technologies are being introduced, hospitals can ill afford - on a patient safety basis alone - to under fund these critical education and training needs.”

• Effective and Inspiring Leadership - Stress and working in a fast paced environment are both ubiquitous characteristics in the healthcare field.  When polled, most employees name poor leadership or poor management as one of the key factors in leaving their position.  Facilitating purposeful work is critical among supervisors, not only in the healthcare field, but also across all industry lines.  Baptist Hospital Northeast in Lagrange, Kentucky reported:

“Front-line manager training is important because the hospital believes that a well-trained manager will make all employees perform at a higher level. The hospital also is focused on constantly improving its service to patients and employees. Because of these efforts, the hospital has seen a reduction in the use of agency staff and turnover, a nurse-to- patient ratio of one-to-six, a near zero vacancy rate, and employees who work together closely.”

• Recognition - In "First, Break All the Rules," author Marcus Buckingham challenges us to think about what matters to employees.  Many employees should ask themselves,  "In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?"  The answer should be ‘yes.”  Employers that offer interesting work, regular recognition and rewards, and opportunities for quick advancement are the most popular targets for job seekers, according to the findings of a global recruitment survey released in August, 2006 by Accenture, global management consulting, and outsourcing company.  In fact, Accenture’s survey of over 4,000 job seekers showed that 58% named rewards and recognition as a top feature with “challenging and interesting work” as number one.  The bottom line: recognition and reward systems can offer a low cost and effective method of retention.

The driving force behind many people who enter the healthcare field is the desire to help.  Similarly, business, education and workforce development professionals care about the current trends and future development of a healthcare workforce and recognize it is essential to work together to provide solutions to the workforce shortage.

*For more information on grants available for training and educating your current workforce please contact Frederick County Workforce Services at 301.600.2255. 

References:

Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

www.accenture.com

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

December's HOT TOPIC:

Behavioral Interviewing as a Successful Retention Tool

Written by Michelle Day, M.A., Frederick County Workforce Services

Recently Jim Collins, author of “From Good to Great, Why Some Companies Make the Leap….And Others Don’t” argues that the old adage “People are your most important asset” is wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are.  Have you ever hired someone who interviewed well, but proved to be a disappointing performer? Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior. This comprehensive process uses carefully structured, in-depth questions to gather and evaluate information on a candidate's experience and skills. This technique helps predict employee performance and reduce subjectivity when making a selection. 

Statistics show that behavioral interviewing is five times more accurate than the traditional interview style for choosing the right candidates. Utilizing proper interviewing and selection techniques can save your organization hundreds of dollars per year. It will also help you avoid other outcomes of mis-hires including low employee moral, poor productivity, lost customers, and reduced profit margins. 

In a knowledge economy, people and their ideas power corporate success; to tap this success, 90 percent of the Fortune 500 uses behavior-based interviewing. "There are several reasons why behavior-based interviewing has become a core element of most selection systems, including ease of understanding, prediction of job performance, flexibility, and efficiency," says Scott Erker, vice president of selection solutions for Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global human resources consultancy.  Global human resources consultancy DDI uses a behavior-based selection process to identify high performers. Using DDI's process, clients report that more than 75 percent of their new hires are considered above-average performers.

Below are seven areas and examples of behavioral interview questions to consider during your hiring process. 

Communication

• Give me a specific example of a time when a co-worker critized your work in front of others.
• How did you respond?
• How has that event shaped the way you communicate with others?
• How do you ensure that someone understands what you are saying?
• Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get across an important point.

Decision Making

• Give me an example of a time you had to make a difficult decision.
• Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer.
• How did you approach the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome?
• Give me an example of when taking your time to make a decision paid off.

Initiative

• What did you do to prepare for this interview?
• Give me an example of a situation that could not have happened successfully without you being there.

Planning and Organization

• Describe a situation when you had many projects due at the same time. What steps did you take to get them all done?
• How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give me an example.

Flexibility

• Describe a time where you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.
• Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist them? What was the result?

Leadership

• Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a project by taking a leadership role.

• Give me an example of when you involved others in making a decision.

Time Management

• Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline.
• What things did you fail to do?
• What were the repercussions?
• What did you learn?

• Tell me about a time when you were particularly effective on prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.

References:

Frederick County Workforce Services

www.bls.com (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Kansas State University, Career Development Center

HRO Today http://www.hrotoday.com

Development Dimensions International www.ddiworld.com

November's HOT TOPIC:

Recruiting "Internal" Candidates

THE GRASS IS USUALLY NOT GREENER: Mining Internal Candidates Pays Off

By Kevin Wheeler

(This article was reprinted with permission from ERE http://www.ere.net).

Hiring people into your organization from the outside is always a crapshoot. You can never be sure if the person is going to really have the skills you think she has, nor can you be certain if she'll fit the culture of the organization. Yet, for most recruiters it is assumed that somewhere around 90% of all our requisitions will be filled by an external candidate.

This hasn't changed much, as far as I can tell, over the years. We still operate on the belief that while talented employees have always been hard to find, a well-defined job description, combined with good recruiting, will usually produce an adequate new external hire at a reasonable cost.

Today's evidence suggests that no matter how well-defined the job is or how competent the recruiters, a significant number of jobs will not be adequately filled. Some recruiters report that they have to go back to the hiring manager and encourage her to redefine the job to meet the skills of candidates they do have. Others encourage the hiring manager to settle for less competence to keep time and costs reasonable. And sometimes the position is just not filled at all. The work is either redistributed to incumbent employees or the project is dropped.

There are several reasons why it is more and more difficult to find skilled staff, but the driving cause is that organizations themselves have changed. They've evolved from basic production and manufacturing operations to operations that require large quantities of often tacit integrated knowledge to be successful. The factory of 1950 or 1960 hired a high school graduate or less, trained them in one or more repetitive skills and assumed that family, geography, and social forces would keep them loyal. And for almost 100 years that model worked quite well. But today's organization has need for employees with more complex and constantly evolving skills.

For example, an effective salesperson in a biotech firm may have to know a great deal about the technical side of the product, but also possess knowledge of how it was tested, who was involved in that process, what the competition has to offer, what pricing may be appropriate based on knowledge of the competition's probable pricing models, and so on.

Or a project manager for a chemical company might need deep technical knowledge, but also knowledge about previous projects, how the people on the project team have worked together in the past, what internal politics will affect the team, and what new R&D innovations might be useful to the project.

Even a mid-level employee needs to juggle very rapidly changing technical information, absorb and integrate knowledge about the external environment and changing market conditions, and stay involved with a variety of internal departments and functions.

The amount and depth of knowledge today's worker needs is very hard to find in candidates moving into organizations from elsewhere.

Of course, being able to integrate knowledge from a variety of sources has always been necessary. What is different is the amount of knowledge, where the knowledge originated, its complexity, and how fast it changes. At the same time, traditional training models and methods have been hard-pressed to keep up with this, and will not be able to for some time. Other causes include the changing social contract within organizations that promised employees, although informally, some permanence and security. With the waves of layoffs that have regularly occurred over the past decade, little loyalty is left. Millions of people shun working for corporations and have chosen to work as free agents — either as contractors, consultants, or independent part-time employees.

At the same time, the dot-com boom gave rise to a new interest in entrepreneurism. Younger people are more willing to start their own businesses or work in small organizations with minimal structures and bureaucracies, so they can have the freedom to pursue their own ideas. This has removed thousands of talented and highly educated people from the active job market.

The least expensive and more potentially productive way an organization can cope with this talent shortage is to learn how to nurture and evolve its own incumbent employee population. Diverting some of the resources spent on recruiting external talent, often with limited success, to focus on improving the efficiency and skill of the current employee population, can pay high dividends.

The time is takes for a new employee to become productive can range from a few weeks to several months or more, depending in the level of the position and the experience of the employee. No matter how long that takes, it costs the organization salary and training dollars, for no immediate gain.

IBM, General Electric, and hundreds of other organizations learned this long ago. They hired primarily at the entry level and then invited employees to take advantage of wide ranging and very effective development and training opportunities. This helped them keep recruiting costs low and built an immense pool of internal knowledge and ability.

Here are some ways to improve your retention and create the talent you need:

It starts with two philosophies: (1) that employees are investors in the organization, not assets or units of production; and (2) that by having a development philosophy there will always an employee who can do whatever job you need done.

An investor is someone who contributes to the success of organizations and is looked after and afforded respect. Organizations that act this way take the time to recognize the important of the implied contract that exists between them and employees. By understanding what employees really believe about your attitudes toward them and their development, you can start a process to renegotiate the contract.

Spend Time on Development

Put in place a process for employees to gain the skills and experience they need to do a variety of jobs. Strong organizations have people who can do many different things, not just vertical pipes of specialists. Continental Airlines has the same employee act as ticket agent, gate agent, and baggage handler. This gives employees the chance to learn many different things and avoid boredom, and it gives the organization flexibility when it needs it. Provide access to informal and formal knowledge-gathering and tools such as databases, corporate documents, analyst's reports and so forth. Create forums for collaboration and discussion that any employee can be part of. A key ingredient is to lessen hierarchy and bureaucracy and open up communication and sharing.

Make Movement Easy and Profitable

So many organizations invest lots of time and money in development and then restrict when, where, and how an employee can apply for or move to a new position. HR policy has to be aligned with a development approach to recruiting, and internal movement has to be easy, common, and without political consequences.

By encouraging movement, an organization also fosters the exchange of information, breaks down silos, and spreads knowledge, and builds a community of people who know one another.

Reward Managers Who Develop People

As part of this change in philosophy, managers who hire internal candidates and who allow their own people to move easily should be rewarded. The active development and movement of people it what makes this process successful. Any constraint on creating an internal free talent market will make it less successful. Some organizations require that that managers move a certain percentage of employees to other departments or positions and that they get rid of a certain percentage of underperformers. These two actions reinforce the organization's commitment to development as a recruiting strategy and to performance as the criteria for success.

Don't Go Outside Very Often

Make it hard for hiring managers to look outside for people. Put in place a process that focuses eyes internally first and only allows an external hire in certain circumstances. Over the past several months, many organizations have adopted this position in order to avoid more layoffs, but it should be the way we always do our search for talent.

Most organizations have people who are capable of more and who want to do new things or learn new skills. But these organizations feel that development will take too long and cost too much. So they more quickly look outside for talent and spend as much or more money finding unknown talent. And, with the talent scarcity that we see today and the rapid, complex organizational knowledge that employees need to be most productive, outside people are hard to find and do not have the knowledge we need. Nurturing your own internal talent aggressively may be the best strategy and will create a workforce that is more loyal, committed, and capable.

Kevin Wheeler (kwheeler@glresources.com), the President and Founder of Global Learning Resources, Inc., is a globally-known speaker, author, columnist, and consultant in human capital acquisition and development. His extensive career, global client base, and research affiliations make GLR a leading provider of both strategy and process. GLR focuses on assisting firms architect human capital strategies. GLR guides firms thorough comprehensive talent acquisition processes and procedures as well as the development of talent within organizations of all sizes. GLR can be explored at http://www.glresources.com/.

October's HOT TOPIC:

Diversity in the Workplace

Contributed by Margaret Mulligan, Maryland WorkFORCE Promise

Take a look at your workforce.  Take a look at each individual’s distinct experiences, qualities, skills, personality and background.  With these measures alone, your workforce represents a collection of unique individuals.  What about education? Origin? Religion? Marital and/or parental status?  Now bring in to the equation gender, race, age, and ethnicity.  What do you have?  An even greater mix of individuals with the ability to provide their own perspectives and experiences to the success of your business.  What you also have is a workforce that mirrors the customers you serve and the communities where you do business.  Your diverse workforce represents a powerful force; a force that values, respects and appreciates individual differences; a force that represents buying power from all walks of life; a force that works with you to achieve your business goals.

You can increase the diversity of your workforce, and thereby increase your customer base, by including individuals with disabilities.  The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) indicates, “Perhaps more than any other group of people, individuals with disabilities have the ability to adapt to different situations and circumstances.  As employees, they add to the range of viewpoints businesses need to succeed, offering fresh ideas on how to solve problems, accomplish tasks and implement strategies.  Hiring people with disabilities can positively impact a business’s bottom line.”  It is estimated that Americans with disabilities represent more than $200 billion in discretionary spending.  You can enhance your competitive edge by taking steps to ensure that Americans with disabilities (nearly 21 million working age individuals) are integrated into your workforce, which will thereby integrate them into your customer base.     

According to Rob McInnes of Diversity World (www.diversityworld.com) “…it is clear that the greatest benefits of workforce diversity will be experienced, not by the companies that have learned to employ people in spite of their differences, but by the companies that have learned to employ people because of them.” 

You can learn more about hiring individuals with disabilities by visiting the following websites:

Maryland Business Leadership Network

Website: www.usbln.com

Maryland Department of Disabilities

Website: www.mdod.maryland.gov

Maryland Disability WorkFORCE Information Exchange

Website: www.mdworkforcepromise.org

Maryland State Department of Education

Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)

Website: www.dors.state.md.us

U. S. Department of Labor

Office of Disability Employment Policy

Website: www.dol.gov/odep