HR Matters
Texas SHRM
Seven professional chapters and two state councils were awarded the coveted 2011 Pinnacle Award for focusing on issues such as homelessness, the midterm elections and workplace diversity.
Our very own, San Antonio Human Resource Management Association received a Pinnacle award for their program: "Overcoming Homelessness Through Employment Readiness." This program allowed chapter members to teach interviewing skills and conducted mock interviews with homeless people trying to re-enter the workforce. This program involved collaboration with Haven for Hope and SAMMinistries. Haven for Hope is a nonprofit organization that provides job training, education and behavioral health services. SAMMinistries provides shelter and other services to the homeless and persons at risk of becoming homeless.
Congratulations San Antonio!
The 2012 SHRM-TSC Global Conference will be taking place on Thursday, February 9, 2012. We hope you will plan to join us.
Who should attend?
A typical attendee will work with global HR in either a large or small capacity. Whether you work as a generalist, in global tax, compensation, benefits, finance, or manage international assignments, you will have a chance to learn something from experienced HR practitioners. This conference is designed for all size companies that deal with questions regarding hiring foreign nationals or sending employees to work in other countries for short-term or long-term projects.
Many of our attendees will have responsibilities for HR outside of the U.S., requiring knowledge of HR functions in several countries. Their challenges and concerns vary from one corporation to another. Some are concerned with the concept of "Think Global, Act Local," while others are more concerned with other countries employment practices and cultural differences.
No matter which of these areas are of greatest focus for the prospective attendee, their organizations must develop globally experienced employees trained to take advantage of expanding global markets.
There will be something for everyone at the conference and we look forward to you joining us for a fun day of education.
For Registration information visit http://www.tscglobalconference.org/
It is that time of year for company parties and year-end sales events, events that leaders spend lots of money and time planning and putting together to show their employees how much they appreciate their hard work and recognize their top performers. But you can bet many of them will have the hangover of that famous question the next morning, "Hey did you see that guy or girl last night at the company event?" That question can elicit many answers and some may sound like, "Oh yeah, everybody did when he got on the microphone and slurred profanity for everybody to hear. Or, "Did you see that girl? She was so drunk; she was saying all kinds of inappropriate things to her boss."
I can guarantee his or her boss remembers it and their boss remembers it and they are for sure talking about it, but not as a funny story at the coffee pot. No, they are talking to HR or legal on how they are going to handle the situation. Many great careers have been ended at company events by someone being that guy or that girl.
I have fortunately have not been that guy or girl as far as I know, but unfortunately, I have been the boss of a few in my career.
In 2000, our area had our annual planning session and awards event. This event was hosted by my boss, the Area Vice President and all of my fellow directors and all of our managers and sales reps were in attendance with an estimated 300 employees. It was the first night and until then we’d made it through the first day without any major incidences, but it was still early. Later in the evening after dinner, many of the employees went to the bar in the hotel to continue celebrating and having fun with their peers from across the country. A few of us managers were in a room with my boss having a discussion on how the event was going and reviewing the next day’s activities when another manager walked in and said, "one of the employees is throwing up in the middle of the bar." With confidence I said, "I know it’s not one of my people." I was confident because I had a talk with my team prior to this event on how everybody needs to act. We discussed dress code, good and bad topics to discuss in public and under no circumstance do you want to be the person that sees the bartender leave to go home. Since I just had this conversation about the do’s and don’ts, I knew it could not have been one of my people.
Well, I have been wrong a lot in my life and tonight was no different. The manager then looked at me and said, "Actually, it is your employee." I instructed her immediate supervisor to have one of the other female employees to get her safely to her room immediately. Now, this was not a terminating offense, but it was a "that girl" event. Needless to say, she was embarrassed the remainder of the event. I bet she remembers the advice we gave her following corporate events. Here are a few simple company or business event rules:
1. Use the 2 drink maximum rule or if you have low tolerance, then soda is probably what you should stick with.
2. Remember no matter your surroundings, you are still at work.
3. Don’t be the last one at the bar, because you probably broke the 1st and 2nd rules.
4. Have fun.
5. Make sure someone else is "That guy or girl!"
Take it from the boss of that guy or girl, the story never has good ending when you are that person.
What is a company to do?
Many leaders are doing fewer events and some are eliminating them all together to help avoid the human resource and legal issues that happen so often during these events. This is a mistake that can and will cost the company good employees and good morale. Keep doing the events, and focus on educating the teams on the appropriate behavior ahead of time. Know at every event there will be that guy or that girl and you can deal with them, but the good news there are those remaining hundreds of great employees talking about that person and how thankful they are to be working for a company that shows how much they appreciate them. Events can be expensive and a pain for many leaders, but they are cheap compared to unmotivated and unhappy employees and clients.
Have a great end of the year and Merry Christmas to everybody!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nathan Jamail, president of the Jamail Development Group author of Best Selling Business Book "The Sales Leaders Playbook," as well as radio host on CNN 1190 delivering business talk radio with an edge, is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and corporate coach. As a former Executive for Fortune 500 companies, and business owner of several small businesses, Nathan travels the country helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum success. His clients include Radio Shack, Nationwide Insurance, Cisco, Stryker and Army National Guard. To book Nathan, visit www.NathanJamail.com or contact 972-377-0030.
My name is Kelly Kilcrease and I am an Assistant Professor of Business at the University of New Hampshire. I am conducting a research project to find out which corporate outplacement activities are being used, which are being omitted, and which are the most effective within organizations. I am inviting you to participate in this study along with approximately five hundred other SHRM representatives.
If you agree to participate in this study, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MFW6XCC
and follow the instructions to answer 21 multiple choice survey questions. The survey should take approximately five minutes to complete. You will not receive any compensation to participate in this project however, I will be happy to send you the tabulated results of the study once it is completed. If you would like to receive the results please notify me at kelly.kilcrease@unh.edu. These will be available after aggregate tabulations.
If you agree to participate and then change your mind, you may withdraw at any time during the study. I seek to maintain the confidentiality of all data and records associated with your participation in this research. Data will be kept on my PC under a security password and only I will have access to the data. I will report the data in aggregate within an article that will be submitted to an academic journal.
If you have any questions about this research project or would like more information before, during, or after the study, you may contact me at 603-641-4186 or kelly.kilcrease@unh.edu. If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact Dr. Julie Simpson in UNH Research Integrity Services at 603-862-2003 or Julie.simpson@unh.edu to discuss them.
The 2012 SWC Region Student Conference & Case Competition will be held March 30-31, 2012; at the CenturyLink (Qwest) Conference Center in Lakewood, CO. Registration will open on December 1. Conference information and call for speakers proposal form are available at http://www.shrm.org/Conferences/StudentConferences/Pages/SouthwestCentralRSC.aspx.
TEXAS IS A BIG STATE: As we close out another year and prepare to start a new one, I would like to thank all of the SHRM HR Chapters across Texas that afforded me the opportunity to speak with their membership on Diversity and Inclusion. The hospitality and kindness was greatly appreciated.
For those that missed this opportunity, 2012 is just around the corner for the same opportunity.
BEST PRACTICES: As I traveled around Texas, I was always looking for that "Best Practice" that I could pass on to other SHRM chapters. Well I found a few and here they are:
The Concho Valley SHRM Chapter in San Angelo with Mary Smith as President and Veronica Sanchez as President-Elect have found a true Diversity Advocate in Bernie Coffee. Not only was she excited to assume the position, but took it a step further by producing a monthly newsletter titled: "Diversity Dish." The November Edition is posted on the SHRM TSC website under the Diversity Committee tab: http://www.texasshrm.org/default.asp?PageID=10009984. I look forward to posting the others that she shares with us. ·
The Austin HRMA Chapter with Wendy Chance as President, Lori Rohre as President-Elect, Jessica Olson as VP Diversity and Shirelle Zachary as Diversity Technology Director hosted a "Diversity Day." It has become a practice each year for AHRMA to dedicate a monthly program to diversity. The event includes diversity related professional development sessions in the morning and afternoon, as well as a luncheon speaker that will speaks on diversity related topics. Along with this, they have a robust website that provides programs and resources that promotes diversity as a strategic component in the individual and organizational success of their members. AHRMA Web link: http://austinhumanresource.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=304
DallasHR with Sandra Reid, Phd. as President, Bruce Waller, CRP as President-Elect and Gabriela Norton, SPHR as Diversity Director have established a HR Diversity Excellence Award to recognize and commend a worthy member on an annual basis for their leadership of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. HRDallas has continued this tradition since 2009. http://www.dallashr.org/DallasHR/HR_Resources/Diversity/DallasHR/HR_Resources/Diversity.aspx?hkey=f14cf74c-b99d-4341-893e-a10de8e26ca3
The Corpus Christi HRMA Chapter with Melissa Harrison as President and Angelina Olivares as their Diversity Leader, recently followed the lead of the SHRM Texas State Council and held their own Disability Awareness panel. This panel was made up of local advocates from: Deaf and Hearing Center Costal Bend Center for Independent Living Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Workforce Solutions of the Costal Bend Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).
An excellent way to educate HR Professionals on individuals with differences, but also provide them with resources in the local area. In addition, if done correctly, it will also provide you with an opportunity to provide the membership with strategic HR credit through HRCI. My thanks to all of these chapters for setting the example. This does not mean that there are not other best practices out there, I just have not heard about them or been exposed to them. So if you have a best practice that you feel should be shared around the state, e-mail Dana or me. We will be sure to let the rest of Texas know.
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION: How many of you are aware that during designated months, there is a Presidential Proclamation signed to recognize the contributions of the many that make up the USA. Below is the link for the last proclamation. National Native American Heritage Month, 2011 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/01/presidential-proclamation-national-native-american-heritage-month-2011
2012 DIVERSITY CALENDARS: Wondering what days to recognize and just what is taking place each month that you should be aware of in the workplace? Visit www.diversitycalendar.com/more.html to obtain a hard copy or soft copy of the 2012 Global Novations calendar.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Holiday season. I am looking forward to working with you in 2012.
Otis "Scotty" Scott
SHRM-TSC Diversity Chair
Today’s workplace faces strict regulatory oversight calling for heightened awareness by those employers and managers who implement policy. With political and public sentiment at an all-time high regarding how immigrant workers factor into America’s workforce, it is imperative that employers be knowledgeable about volatile issues.
It is no longer acceptable to claim, "I was unaware." Employers are now required to be proficient in the regulatory laws that govern labor and employment, and are expected to enact policies complying with those laws. In 2010, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reached its highest immigration enforcement numbers on record. Since January 2009, ICE has audited more than 32,000 employers. Fines of $50 million have been imposed, and 225 companies and individuals have been disbarred from federal contracting.
Quick Starting Point: 10 Basic Strategies for Immigration Compliance
1. Enroll in E-Verify. E-Verify is a free, Web-based program allowing employers to perform verification checks for new employees. It’s a great way to establish good faith and show the company as a civic-minded employer. It can also limit civil and criminal penalties (https://e-verify.uscis.gov/enroll/).
2. Establish an internal I-9 training program. HR staff should review the M-274 handbook (available at www.uscis.gov) and be familiar with the I-9 process. ICE agents scrutinize I-9s, and if they notice non-compliance or a pattern of identity fraud, they will expand their search to other facilities or company-wide.
3. Avoid harboring scenarios. Employers should ensure they are not offering housing or transportation to individuals they know are undocumented. Offending employers offer ICE an opportunity to fine them much more severely than for hiring situations.
4. Establish a no-match letter protocol. The Department of Homeland Security continues to use the receipt of no-match letters as proof of constructive knowledge that employers knowingly hired unauthorized workers. Pay close attention to no-match letters where Social Security numbers belong to infants, retirees or dead people.
5. Avoid violating anti-discrimination practices. Employers must strike a balance between being proactive and not violating anti-discrimination provisions. Employers cannot terminate or refuse to employ individuals based on their national origin or citizenship status.
6. Establish a culture of immigration compliance. Companies need to establish and enforce an immigration compliance policy that addresses issues such as what the company will do when an innocent bystander complains of identity theft and how it will respond when it receives reports that someone is undocumented.
7. Use red ink for updated I-9s. All I-9s should be reviewed for completeness and corrected as required. New I-9s produced to correct previous errors should be attached to the original. An authorized company representative should write "Updated" at the top in red ink.
8. Don’t contract-out your immigration responsibility. Contracts executed with outside contractors should include language stating that the company expects its contractors to follow immigration laws and demand audit rights to ensure contractors are complying with immigration laws. Include an immigration audit clause for any subcontractors when the employer has a federal or state contract.
9. Arrange an I-9 audit. ICE is focusing on I-9 audits and assessing fines for errors. Employers should hire an external auditing firm to ensure compliance. An external audit is the key to determining any potential liability in case an employer is targeted by ICE or other governmental agency.
10. Visit ICE’s website. It includes news releases on enforcement actions, information on tactics used in civil and criminal cases and a list of Best Hiring Practices. Consult legal counsel to determine which practices to incorporate into your immigration policy. (http://www.ice.gov)
About the author:
Jacob M. Monty is the founding and managing partner of Monty & Ramirez LLP, an employment and labor law firm in Houston, Texas. His distinguished career involves expertise in the representation of employers in litigation matters, all aspects of immigration compliance and labor and union issues with Hispanic workforces. He represents employers in federal and state courts in civil cases and in investigations and audits conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Homeland Security-Citizenship and Immigration Service (DHS-CIS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Mr. Monty also offers a selection of manager training courses and is a speaker at HR Southwest.
Accredited by Institute for Credentialing Excellence, the HR Certification Institute offers Professional in Human Resources (PHR®), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®), Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR®) and California (PHR-CA® and SPHR-CA®) certifications.
In a recent survey, a majority of the 1,500-plus professionals who participated stated that certification is highly valued because it reflects the practical and professional experience of the certified HR professionals, shows a commitment to lifelong learning and helps with career advancement. The survey also showed that 62 percent of U.S. employers and 82 percent of outside of U.S. employer respondents consider professionally certified employees to have a strong impact on a company’s profitability and that most professionals and employers feel that the demand for professional certification in the HR field will grow in the next three to five years.
The objective of the research, conducted by the HR Certification Institute and B2B International, was to understand the awareness, perceptions, and value of HR and other professional certifications, certificates, and degree programs by organizations of varying sizes from the United States and outside of the United States.
Key findings of the survey include:
• Reputation of the awarding body, as well as experience-based exams, recertification and continued education are the key factors that make certification valuable.
• Increases in employee engagement, employment satisfaction and productivity are the top ways of measuring the value of professional HR certification, as are reductions in staff churn, training and recruitment costs. Employers see increasing and updating employees’ knowledge and demonstrating their commitment as the key advantages of professional HR certification. From an employer’s perspective, having employees gain professional HR certification brings numerous advantages to the organization and 97 percent of respondents believe that it is important for people in HR to be professionally certified. In addition, the survey found that:
• More than half (56 percent) of respondents who are in charge of an HR department believe that having professionally certified employees has a positive impact on the profitability of their organization.
• Ninety-six percent of employers feel that an HR certified candidate applying for a job would have an advantage over a non-HR certified candidate.
• 69 percent of employers state that an HR certified person being considered as an independent consultant for an HR department would have a ‘very significant’ advantage over a non-certified individual.
Employers also felt that professional HR certification increases employees’ confidence in their ability to do their job and increases an organization’s reputation and demonstrates that it takes HR seriously.
Many of you are SHRM members, but not a member of your local chapter. You may not be aware of the benefits of joining a local chapter. With the local chapters, you have access to resources right in your own backyard. Most of the chapters in Texas hold monthly program meetings with a speaker, offer HRCI continuing education credit, and they have a variety of networking opportunities for you. Another benefit is being part of a group of professionals who make a difference in local communities. I would like to encourage each of you to attend one of those meetings, just to see what it is all about.
There are 36 local chapters in our great state. You can find the one nearest you by visiting our Texas State Council Web site at: http://www.texasshrm.org/. Go to "chapters," and then select "local chapters."
Corporate social responsibility, employee wellness and global HR initiatives – what do these three things have in common? Other than being on your mind as an HR professional (and likely on your C-suite’s minds as well), these are the latest topics in a long list of educational resources produced by the SHRM Foundation. In part because of your generous donations alongside corporate sponsors, the SHRM Foundation is able to provide complimentary cutting-edge HR research and educational products on organizational issues affecting our world today.
New! HR's Role in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.
A new report produced in partnership with the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) and the North American Human Resource Management Association (NAHRMA).
New! Promoting Employee Well-Being
Research shows that employee health status directly influences work behavior, attendance and on-the-job performance. Learn how to assess your organization's health risk, lower your health care costs and develop a healthier workplace culture.
New! Doing Well by Doing Good
The SHRM Foundation traveled to Mumbai, India to learn how a global conglomerate well-known for supporting its community translates global sustainability into concrete local actions. This 20-minute film describes the Aditya Birla Group's ongoing investment in social and economic development in the communities in which they operate.
If you’re not already familiar with the SHRM Foundation, it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit affiliate of SHRM. The Foundation is a legally separate organization and relies solely on donations. A leading funder of HR research grants, the Foundation produces publications and educational resources to advance the HR profession. Their work is made possible by your generous tax-deductible donations.
In addition to producing educational resources as mentioned above (note that their DVDs are eligible for HRCI recertification credits), the Foundation is also a leading funder of HR research and supports those seeking to further their education or credentials in the HR field through scholarships. Over the past three years, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants to fund rigorous, original academic research with practical implications for HR management practice. And, the Foundation awards $170,000 annually in education and certification scholarships to professional and student SHRM members, and doctoral students. Your donations have helped support HR professionals seeking HRCI certifications, SHRM affiliated chapters beginning HRCI certification study groups and your colleagues and future colleagues seeking to further their educations with HR degrees.
Thank you to all who have donated and supported the future of HR! As of October 31, altogether Texas has raised $17,699 for the Foundation in 2011 (in 2010 as a state we donated $29,721)!
If you haven’t already donated, it’s not too late! You have until December 31 to submit any individual or chapter donations for the 2011 fund year. And don’t forget, this is also a goal on your chapter SHAPE plans (a monetary contribution from the chapter’s funds to the SHRM Foundation is a requirement for any award level on the SHAPE).
Every dollar donated is a dollar invested toward the future of our profession and is much appreciated! For more information about the SHRM Foundation, please visit www.shrm.org/foundation or click here to donate now.
Come Fly With Me.... Even though I’m Not Certified!
By: Jim Granfor, SPHR
Would you climb in the back seat of a jet fighter with the pilot seat occupied by a well-intentioned school teacher? Would you knowingly mark a ballot electing a slate of officers to give you advice and make decisions on your behalf who never walked in your shoes as an HR professional? Finally, how many would want a doctor to guide you through a court proceeding during a wrongful termination case?
Why do many of us fall into the trap of allowing non-certified, non-human resource people to manage our own organization? It is that time of year where we are presented with a slate of officers to vote for.... And many will take the easy way out and select "ALL OF THE ABOVE." The problem is those we entrusted to watch over our society are putting non-hr, non-certified people on the ballot and we keep voting them in.
Keep in mind once voted in they will continue a cycle where our top leadership and many below that level are also non-hr and non-certified. Where does all of the hard work come into play for the thousands of HR professional that are certified and have attained a seat at the table within their respective organizations?
According to the SHRM website the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), formerly called the American Society for Personnel Administration (ASPA), was founded in 1948 by a group of just 28 individuals. These founding members anticipated the need for a national organization to represent the personnel profession. Their goal was to provide continued professional development opportunities, promote national networking, and to generally advance the interests of a profession they recognized as being in transition.
Keep in mind the second sentence above states that the founding members anticipated a need for a national organization to represent the personnel profession. Who can best represent our organization.... Someone who worked their way through the ranks as an HR professional and became certified in the field.... Or, someone else?
It is obvious to this writer the only way we are going to regain control of our own organization is to vote out non-hr, non-certified individuals by starting a write-in campaign at the grassroots level.
I suggest the State Directors use some of their time at the annual Leadership Conference to start addressing this as a major issue. Use your Membership Advisory Council (MAC) leader to your advantage. They can be YOUR tool to make serious, important, and significant changes. The MAC is supposed to work for you.... Not SHRM. They seem to be good at bringing the SHRM message down... it is time they started taking your message up. Keep in mind the message will fall on deaf ears because non-hr people run the staff and are a significant voting voice on YOUR board.
Think about the possibility of a write in candidate that each region supports. It takes away the fragmented single write-in candidate and unifies it at the regional level. In other words several states agree on a write in candidate who best personifies the profession, is a certified HR professional who would be willing to serve. If for example Southwest Central Region chapter members all wrote in the same name and excluded the non-HR types the bureaucrats put on the ballot we would have a lot better chance of getting our organization back to its roots. The key to turning SHRM around lies with the SHRM board. We must remove all non-HR, non-certified types from the board. The board selects and hires the staff.
SHRM is supposed to be your organization, founded for you as HR professionals.... It may take a few years to get our organization back.... But with your help anything is possible. Vote only for hr professionals who are also certified in our field. Put your MAC representative to work for you.... Not SHRM staff.
As for me.... I would not get into the back seat of a jet fighter with anything less than a certified professional pilot.... Why would I want a non-professional to run my organization?
