2020, lannée du « nano learning » ?

La génération Z ou millenial représente près de 24% de la population active mondiale, obligeant les entreprises à se préparer à les intégrer dans leurs effectifs. Selon une récente étude de Pew Research Center, cette population digital native, sera plus diversifiée, formée et entreprenante que les précédentes, et elle n’aura pas peur de souligner sa singularité ! En effet, cette génération plus au fait des dernières innovations technologiques, a grandi dans une époque où les smartphones règnent et l’accès à l’information se fait via un simple bouton. Imprégnés d’innovations technologiques et habitués à l’instantanéité, les organisations ont dû repenser la façon d’intégrer ces millenial dans l’entreprise, de les motiver et former, le tout en s’assurant qu’ils réalisent leur plein potentiel. Heureusement, elles ont su s’adapter, notamment pour répondre au mieux à leurs attentes tant en termes d’organisation du travail, que de formation. Les collaborateurs sont l’or noir des entreprises et pour suivre ce vent de changement, les managers doivent donc penser à leur expérience. Repenser l’e-learning Généralement disponible sur smartphones et autres appareils mobiles, ce type de contenu de moins de 2 minutes en moyenne, offre un condensé de formations sur une sujet donné. Pour les millenial, ces formats ressemblent beaucoup à ceux auxquels ils sont habitués sur Snapchat ou encore Instagram. Les entreprises n’ont pas eu d’autres choix que de s’y adapter ! En effet, il y a encore quelques années, les formations se déroulaient de façon classique dans une salle avec des participants qui écoutaient religieusement le formateur… Le nano learning offre plus de flexibilité, en étant disponible à tout moment de la journée et s’adresse à tous les collaborateurs – et ce indépendamment de leurs profils. Maîtriser les compétences essentielles Il est évident que le nano learning ne correspondra pas à tous les collaborateurs et/ou formations, néanmoins pour certains sujets il pourrait s’avérer plus efficace. C’est le cas notamment pour les formations pour développer certaines compétences telles que la gestion du temps, du stress… L’objectif étant, qu’à travers ces formats courts et simples, cette génération se sente plus rapidement autonome et légitime, et ce dès le début de leur carrière professionnelle. Au-delà des individus, les organisations également tireront profit de la montée en compétence de ses effectifs. Mieux préparer les collaborateurs Les innovations technologiques influencent notre vie quotidienne, changeant notre façon de penser, consommer et surtout d’apprendre. Il suffit de constater l’impact qu’ont eu, au niveau international, des services comme Netflix ou Amazon. Il est donc important que les entreprises observent avec attention comment évoluent les modes de consommation, en particulier la manière dont ils affectent les nouvelles générations qui entreront dans la vie active. Ces nouveaux collaborateurs veulent des processus moins lourds et plébiscitent des outils qui leur permettront de se former rapidement afin de se préparer, au mieux, aux métiers auxquels ils aspirent. Pour les entreprises qui souhaitent investir dans le développement de cette génération Z, et du reste de leur équipe, elles doivent anticiper leur impact à court et long terme.

Ahora la selección se hace así

Assurer les compétences nécessaires pour la reprise de votre activité

Dans cette vidéo, nous vous montrons comment cartographier et identifier aisément les compétences au sein de vos équipes. Découvrez comment vous pouvez mettre en place une campagne de recrutement ciblée en s’appuyant sur les compétences requises et les formations permettant de combler les déficits.

Baromètre de lexpérience collaborateur 2021 (par ParlonsRH)

Comment le processus de recrutement impacte-t-il la marque employeur de votre entreprise ?

« Un client satisfait en vaut deux », comme on aime à dire un peu partout dans les entreprises. Au vu de la croissance exponentielle de certaines d’entre elles, cette formule peut s’avérer utile dans les processus de recrutement et de fidélisation des collaborateurs, alors que le marché des ressources humaines est en pleine transformation. L’objectif est d’entretenir de bonnes relations pour le bien de la marque employeur en priorité. C’est là où les entreprises ont encore du pain sur la planche. Réponse tardive, aucun retour sur une candidature ou un entretien ; avec ces automatismes, il est fort à parier que les entreprises n’y gagneront qu’une réputation en berne. Un point qui prive en partie les recruteurs de trouver des jeunes talents qualifiés sur le marché. C’est en analysant toutes les candidatures, qu’elles correspondent ou non aux critères recherchés, qu’une entreprise tire son épingle du jeu parmi ses concurrentes. Mais, en réalité ce qui fait la différence surtout, c’est l’expérience du candidat post premier retour ou premier entretien. L’étape clé où le candidat partage sa première impression de l’entreprise parmi sa communauté. Alors, faut-il réformer les politiques de recrutement pour soigner son image de marque ? Les conséquences d’un processus de recrutement non maîtrisé L’expérience vécue par un candidat lors du processus de recrutement affecte particulièrement la marque employeur, surtout lorsqu’elle laisse un souvenir négatif. Selon un rapport du cabinet de recrutement Robert Walters, 92% des candidats parlent de leur mauvaise expérience en entretien à leur entourage. Les facteurs qui impactent la perception d’un candidat pendant le recrutement sont multiples. Parmi les plus notables, on retient : La transparence de la culture et des valeurs de l’entreprise au travers des outils de communication Le délai et la qualité de la réponse suite à une candidature L’utilisation simplifiée des formulaires de renseignements en ligne À l'ère des réseaux sociaux et d'Internet, une mauvaise expérience de recrutement peut facilement et rapidement se propager. Il est donc essentiel d'avoir une image d'entreprise saine et d'établir une relation positive avec les futurs candidats - que l’on envisage d’embaucher ou non. La marque employeur et le recrutement : intimement liés La première impression est toujours la bonne. Ça l’est particulièrement lorsque l’on est sur le point de passer un entretien. Internet est une mine d’or pour les candidats : les recherches effectuées sur la toile en amont d’un rendez-vous donnent, d’emblée, des indices sur la culture de l’entreprise qui recrute. Les informations que l’on diffuse ainsi sont à vérifier, avec précaution. Autre point nuisible pour l’image d’une société : ne pas répondre à une candidature. Ce mauvais réflexe fragilise le processus de recrutement et induit une faible considération pour les candidats. Aujourd’hui, les candidats privilégient les employeurs qui développent des programmes de formation polyvalents qui valorisent l'équilibre entre la vie professionnelle et la vie personnelle. Cette nouvelle génération de talents sur le marché provoque une profonde remise en question des fondements des processus de recrutement. Face aux nouvelles habitudes et comportements des individus, les entreprises connaissent leur priorité : prendre en compte les attentes de ces nouveaux arrivants, et adapter leurs processus, en injectant plus de transparence dans le recrutement. Dans un contexte de transformation du marché du travail, les entreprises ont tout intérêt à être proactives pour attirer des talents de qualité. La clé pour y arriver est de prendre le temps de développer sa marque employeur, et de travailler à rendre sa culture d’entreprise plus attractive. Une marque employeur bien soignée engrange davantage de confiance, en particulier pour les collaborateurs les plus qualifiés car elle influe sur leur performance : plus l’image d’une société est positive, plus les collaborateurs sont productifs. C’est ainsi que la visibilité d’une entreprise se construit, avec de belles perspectives.

Comment recruter efficacement et en toute transparence ?

Aujourd’hui, la transparence représente un enjeu majeur pour les entreprises qui doivent désormais lever le voile sur un certain nombre d’informations ou processus jusque-là noncommuniqués. Une obligation à laquelle il est conseillé de ne pas déroger, pour ne pas subir d’importantes pénalités. Déjà, l’année dernière, des entreprises s’y sont risqués. Uber avait ainsi dissimulé un piratage informatique, tandis que Google a été poursuivie pour discrimination sexuelle. Des scandales qui ont certes terni l’image des deux sociétés, mais qui se sont aussi soldés par une perte de confiance des consommateurs. De quoi également, dans certains cas, pénaliser les plans de recrutements… Faut-il alors briser la culture du secret ? La réponse est oui. D’autant plus si les entreprises souhaitent rester dans la course à la compétitivité, le chemin de la transparence paraît inévitable. Dans les organisations, tous les départements décisionnaires sont concernés par ce devoir de transparence, y compris les ressources humaines. En effet, la croissance et le recrutement reposent en partie entre leurs mains. Aujourd’hui, les demandeurs d’emploi, en particulier les nouveaux diplômés, exigent des processus de recrutement clairs et limpides. Un critère décisif pour les entreprises qui s’y appliquent puisqu’elles mettent ainsi toutes les chances de leur côté pour attirer et fidéliser les meilleurs talents. Comment les départements RH peuvent-ils rendre le processus de recrutement plus transparent ? Être réaliste. Votre entreprise offre-t-elle de la flexibilité au travail, ou au contraire exige-t-elle des collaborateurs une présence régulière au bureau ? Travaillent-ils le weekend ou tard le soir ? Partent-ils après 17h le vendredi ? Il n’existe pas de réponses types à ces questions, cependant les employeurs doivent être clairs, en explicitant les exigences attendues sur un poste. Il faut être honnête et s’assurer que le candidat détienne toutes les informations essentielles. En maintenant une transparence absolue sur la culture de l’entreprise, collaborateurs et employeurs ont tout à gagner : d’un côté les collaborateurs se sentent plus à l’aise, de l’autre, les employeurs dénichent les talents les plus qualifiés. Utiliser les réseaux sociaux. En France, plus de la moitié des Français (50,4%) se rendent tous les jours sur au moins un réseau social. Des sites comme LinkedIn et Glassdoor permettent aux employeurs de partager des informations sur leurs entreprises plus simplement et rapidement. Pour les candidats, ces plateformes sont un atout de taille : il est plus facile pour eux de repérer les descriptions d’un poste ou encore d’exclure les entreprises qui ne correspondraient pas à leurs attentes. Pour les recruteurs l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux peut permettre d’attirer les talents avec plus d’originalité. Les descriptions de poste intéressantes et créatives, publiées en ligne, permettront de susciter l’intérêt des postulants et de créer des flux de conversations positifs via LinkedIn par exemple. L’occasion également de présenter l'entreprise de façon plus transparente. Quoi de mieux pour attirer les meilleurs profils et ainsi légitimer l’organisation. Communiquer avec les candidats. Durant le processus de recrutement, il est essentiel de renforcer la communication entre les recruteurs et les candidats. Une bonne communication améliore leur expérience de recrutement et par la même occasion l’image de l’entreprise. Le pouvoir des petites attentions est efficace : de la planification électronique de l’entretien au suivi rapide des candidatures… on optimise sa transparence tout en se différenciant de la concurrence. Aujourd’hui, les consommateurs peuvent suivre chaque étape d’un processus d’achat via leur téléphone. Aussi, les candidats s’attendent à recevoir des mises à jour régulières sur leur recrutement. Afin de fluidifier le processus, il est désormais possible pour les entreprises d’instituer des plateformes qui permettent aux postulants de suivre les différentes étapes de leur recrutement et d’avoir accès aux informations dont ils ont besoin. Tenir compte des données personnelles. Depuis Mai 2018, toutes les entreprises doivent se conformer au RGPD (Règlement Général sur la Protection des Données). Aussi, il est essentiel qu’elles prennent en compte les données personnelles de leurs collaborateurs, actuels et futurs, pour démontrer qu’elles ont intégré la notion de protection de vie privée. Au-delà de cet enjeu, c’est aussi un investissement qui renforce la relation entre le recruteur et le candidat. Les gestionnaires RH doivent s'affranchir des descriptions de poste trop génériques et des processus de recrutement qui rendent la relation recruteur-postulant inefficace, pour se concentrer davantage sur l’expérience du futur collaborateur. La mauvaise réputation d’une entreprise peut sérieusement affecter ses capacités d'embauche par un manque de candidatures, et ainsi impacter sur les activités. La mise en place d’un processus de recrutement transparent permet donc une clarté des échanges. Un point inévitable si l’on souhaite satisfaire les candidats et améliorer la réputation de son entreprise. En interne, ces processus transparents rendent la tâche moins laborieuse pour les gestionnaires RH et favorisent l’épanouissement des collaborateurs.

Cornerstone Recruiting

Cornerstone TalentLink

Entreprises, pensez au-delà des quotas féminins !

Depuis plusieurs semaines, la crise générée par l’épidémie de coronavirus a créé une situation exceptionnelle. Si elle paralyse l’économie mondiale, cette crise met en lumière l’importance du travail des femmes, qui se retrouvent en première ligne. En effet, aide-soignante, infirmière, aide à domicile, agente d’entretien ou caissière sont des métiers majoritairement féminins. Alors qu’elles sont mobilisées et plus que jamais exposées, les femmes gagnent, selon l’Observatoire des inégalités, 18,5 % de moins que les hommes. Heureusement, il n’a pas fallu attendre le confinement pour s’en émouvoir. En effet la Journée des droits des femmes 2020 qui avait pour thème : « Je suis de la Génération Égalité : levez-vous pour les droits des femmes » fut massivement suivie par des milliers de femmes et d’hommes manifestant à travers le monde. Malgré cela l’inégalité perdure. Serait-il fou d’espérer voir ce sujet porté non plus seulement par les femmes, mais par la société civile et le monde de l’entreprise ? Malgré tout les choses semblent évoluer positivement, comme le montre la création de l’Index de l’égalité professionnelle en 2019. Pour autant, aucune des 40 plus grandes entreprises cotées n’a une femme comme PDG alors qu’elles représentent 33 % des postes d’encadrement des cadres selon une étude de l’observatoire Skema. Le vivier de talents semble donc être pourtant là. Une étude réalisée par McKinsey en 2017 sur un échantillon représentatif de 300 entreprises dans le monde souligne que celles-ci comptant le plus de femmes dans leur comité exécutif affichent des rendements de capitaux propres et des résultats d’exploitation supérieurs respectivement de 47 % et 55 %. Ce que démontre cette étude c’est que la sous-représentation des femmes en entreprise, si elle ne provient pas d’un manque de compétences de leur part, est un problème plus profond et structurel. Égalité femmes-hommes, traiter le mal à la racine Une étude publiée en mars 2019 par le Conseil Supérieur de l’égalité professionnelle entre les femmes et les hommes démontre que les inégalités de genre débutent bien avant la prise de poste. Tout commence dès la rédaction de l’offre d’emploi à travers le vocabulaire utilisé. Celui-ci peut implicitement renvoyer aux stéréotypes sexistes et influer sur la perception de l’emploi à pourvoir et par conséquent sur la motivation des candidatures féminines à ce poste. Par ailleurs, une étude menée par LinkedIn explique que les femmes consulteraient davantage d’offres d’emploi que les hommes, mais postuleraient beaucoup moins qu’eux. La raison est simple : pour postuler, une femme estime qu’elle doit être en accord avec 100 % des compétences demandées, là où un homme se contentera de 60 %. Sans s’en rendre compte, il est donc facile de discriminer les genres. Seule une rédaction des offres d’emploi avec des mots neutres et non clivants permettrait déjà de limiter les mécanismes d’autodiscrimination.  Il convient d’évaluer les motivations qui sous-tendent les choix de recrutements — ceux-ci doivent être factuels, et non pas simplement permettre de cocher des cases de diversité dans l’entreprise. Une importance trop grande donnée aux quotas pourrait être préjudiciable, car ceux-ci peuvent donner l’impression qu’elles ont obtenu le poste pour leur genre plutôt que pour leurs compétences. Diaboliser ou comprendre ? Le recrutement effectué, les inégalités de genre perdurent. Une fois en poste, l’Insee souligne que, quelle que soit l’ancienneté, les écarts en termes de progression de carrière et de salaire se creusent. Nonobstant les politiques RH mises en place, la persistance du plafond de verre dans les entreprises peut être due à plusieurs facteurs tels que des résistances sociales et organisationnelles ou des effets de réseau qui entravent, limitent et retardent l’insertion professionnelle et l’avancement des femmes. À l’instar des hommes, les femmes doivent prendre conscience de la nécessité de se soutenir. Le mentorat « genré » peut être une solution. Ainsi, encourager cette pratique pourrait aider les femmes à se sentir à la fois plus sûres et plus ambitieuses pour leur avenir. Il peut également y avoir une forme de sexisme quotidien, celui qu’on prend à la légère et qui est trop souvent banalisé. Qu’il soit visible ou se niche sous des remarques bienveillantes, le sexisme peut prendre des formes très diverses. Il est parfois tellement intégré dans la culture de l’entreprise et les habitudes qu’il est difficile à reconnaître. Au-delà de l’éducation de chacun, la formation permettrait aux employés et aux cadres de comprendre et déjouer les attitudes, propos et comportements litigieux. Responsabiliser et ne pas être condescendant Si les intentions sont louables, les initiatives et les tentatives de lutte contre l’inégalité peuvent parfois être perçues comme peu encourageantes. Le traitement des femmes doit être identique à celui des hommes : juste et sans différenciation, au risque de perpétuer le clivage. Plutôt que de faire reposer la responsabilité de la politique d’égalité homme/femme sur une seule personne au sein du département RH, il est préférable d’y impliquer la sphère d’influence de l’entreprise et d’y intégrer ses aspects multiculturels. Il est important pour les collaborateurs de savoir que leurs hiérarchies prennent au sérieux ces problèmes, de façon collective. Ce n’est qu’avec une démarche volontariste de changer profondément les attitudes et les approches que nous pourrons parvenir à une véritable égalité. Et ce afin qu’un jour cette Journée internationale de la femme appartienne définitivement à un temps révolu.

Etude Cornerstone OnDemand-Féfaur - Moins de la moitié des entreprises ont développé une politique de gestion des talents

Selon une étude Féfaur/Cornerstone, sur la gestion des talents dans les entreprises françaises. L’occasion de revenir sur l’état de maturité du marché et d’identifier les tendances des secteurs en pleine ébullition. La gestion des talents est un sujet essentiel pour les entreprises. Face à la concurrence accrue dans certaines industries et à l’émergence de nouveaux métiers, les organisations doivent se réinventer à grande vitesse. Pour y parvenir, une gestion optimale des talents est un atout stratégique. Afin de se démarquer de la concurrence, être performant, innover, anticiper les transformations du marché et des métiers sont nécessaires. Faire émerger et cultiver le potentiel des collaborateurs constituent donc un levier d’action. 4 entreprises sur 5 considèrent qu’il s’agit d’un sujet très important Les entreprises ont conscience qu’il ne suffit pas de repérer les talents, leur gestion doit s’inscrire dans une démarche plus globale. Cette prise de conscience résulte du constat que la guerre des talents est loin d’être finie, notamment pour identifier les compétences nouvelles et émergentes. Susciter une forte adhésion des collaborateurs en leur offrant de vraies perspectives de carrière permet également de développer et fidéliser les talents. La formation (77,63 %) reste, aujourd’hui, le meilleur moyen pour développer les talents en entreprises et challenger les collaborateurs, loin devant la mobilité (52,63 %). La formation permet d’aligner les métiers d’aujourd’hui avec les compétences de demain. Le défi des RH est donc de s’assurer que les collaborateurs, actuels et à venir, puissent répondre aux besoins business de leur entreprise. De son côté, si la mobilité représente un coût moindre et constitue un véritable « ascenseur social » interne, elle demeure toutefois complexe car elle implique d’autres domaines tels que la formation, l’évaluation ou encore la succession. 1 entreprise sur 3 n’utilise aucune solution technologique pour gérer leurs talents La transformation digitale a eu un impact sur toutes les activités de l’entreprise et les ressources humaines (RH) ne sont pas en reste. Piloter un projet de digitalisation implique de maîtriser et d’anticiper l’impact du numérique sur les métiers de l’organisation. Les processus de gestion des talents sont aussi concernés par cette digitalisation. Néanmoins, l’étude révèle que plus d’un tiers (34 %) des entreprises interrogées gèrent les collaborateurs sans logiciels IT. Soit 4 % de moins qu’en 2017. Si le progrès existe, il pourrait être plus rapide. D’autant plus, que face au volume des données gérées par les départements, on s’interroge sur l’efficacité d’un tel procédé. Heureusement, on observe que 21 % d’entre elles ont implémenté un logiciel de gestion des talents et 10 % qui ont choisi de développer le leur en interne. Le premier chiffre est en forte évolution par rapport à 2017 où on ne comptait que 13,2 % d’organisations ayant mis en place un Talent Management System. 1/4 des DRH consacrent plus d’1/4 de leur temps à la gestion des talents La fonction RH a évolué ces dernières années. Les gestionnaires RH ne sont plus uniquement cantonnés au recrutement, à la gestion des congés ou à la paie. Désormais, ils ont un impact réel sur l’activité de l’entreprise notamment par la détection et l’attraction des futurs profils clés. Ainsi, ils sont donc 26,8 % à consacrer plus de 25 % de leurs temps à gérer les talents, un chiffre en forte augmentation depuis 2017 (16,7 %). En 2017, 21 % des DRH utilisaient moins de 5 % de leur emploi du temps à cette tâche contre 14,49 % actuellement. Néanmoins, il faut différencier l’opérationnel, à savoir le support des RH au manager qui demande un recrutement, du stratégique, qui comprend notamment la mobilité interne, l’évolution des besoins… Toutefois, ce changement de mentalité s’explique par le fait que les dirigeants réalisent, enfin, l’importance des RH sur l’activité globale de l’entreprise. La gestion des talents et l’engagement des collaborateurs vont de pair Une politique de gestion des talents optimale engendre des résultats positifs surtout à long terme. Près de 55% des répondants expliquent avoir obtenu un meilleur engagement de leurs collaborateurs depuis la mise en place d’une telle politique. Preuve qu’engager et fidéliser demeurent les principales priorités des entreprises. De plus, 50 % des entreprises ont constaté une adéquation entre les compétences internes et les besoins futurs de l’entreprise. Ce chiffre reflète le rôle « macro » que joue la gestion talents dans le développement des organisations. Leur compétitivité résidera donc dans leur capacité à anticiper les futures transformations de leur industrie et de certains métiers. Le budget, véritable frein au développement d’une politique de gestion de talents Au-delà des freins culturels, l’étude confirme que le manque de budget est le principal obstacle à la gestion des talents. Les DRH ne peuvent donc être taxés de ne pas y croire, d’autant plus qu’ils y consacrent plus de temps. Il est donc temps de donner aux départements RH des moyens pour développer les talents. Chers dirigeants, il est temps d’agir !

Étude réalisée par Forrester

L'impact économique de Cornerstone OnDemand

Faut-il maintenir les entretiens annuels dévaluation 

Fermez les yeux et rêvez en grand ! Que peut apporter l'AI aux RH

L'intelligence artificielle (IA) appliquée aux RH reste un mystère pour beaucoup d'entre nous. Là où l'enjeu de la technologie est clair dans certains domaines tels que les véhicules autonomes, dans les RH nous sommes confrontés à des capacités technologiques abstraites et des organisations en constante évolution dont les enjeux sont à chaque fois singuliers. Essayons de décrypter les difficultés et promesses de l'IA dans les RH. L'IA dans les RH est délicate et ne peut pas être trop scientifique En tant que Data Scientist, je trouve que les RH sont l'un des domaines les plus difficiles pour l’IA. L'une des principales raisons est que les données des RH sont principalement composées de "langage naturel", qui est sujet à interprétation. Une tâche difficile pour les ordinateurs en raison de problèmes de traduction, de synonymes et d'homonymes. En outre, les données sur les ressources humaines sont subjectives : les personnes se décrivent elles-mêmes et les membres de leur équipe différemment en fonction de leur propre agenda et cadre de pensée. La langue utilisée diffère d'une personne à l'autre, d'un manager à l'autre. En comparaison, les données dans le domaine juridique sont également un langage naturel, mais elles sont supposées être claires et objectives. Autre point, les concepts des RH sont eux-mêmes assez flous. Me qualifier de "data scientist" revient à utiliser une étiquette qui est loin de donner une vision claire de la réalité de mon travail. Utiliser des compétences pour comprendre le rôle d'une personne est un moyen beaucoup plus clair d'obtenir des données précises, mais même les compétences doivent être interprétées avec précaution. Par exemple, deux personnes ayant des compétences en "gestion interculturelle" pourraient avoir des points de vue opposés sur ce que cela signifie et sur les actions qui en résultent. En outre, il est difficile d'appliquer la science aux comportements humains. L'esprit humain est infiniment plus complexe que toute stratégie d'optimisation des itinéraires de transport ou de tarification hôtelière. Nous n'aurons jamais assez de données pour vraiment comprendre les humains. Soyons clairs, l'IA RH ne peut pas être trop scientifique. Un dicton courant dans la communauté de l'IA est que l'IA est généralement battue par un expert humain. C'est particulièrement vrai dans le domaine des RH, l'automatisation de processus RH entiers est irréaliste. Cependant, elle peut conduire à des fonctionnalités révolutionnaires dans les SIRH D'après mon expérience, l'A dans les RH n'est pas destinée à prendre des décisions pour les équipes RH, car elle est trop complexe. Néanmoins, l'IA peut apporter une compréhension de certains concepts RH (compétences, emplois, CV, profils, carrières, départements, apprentissage et développement...) et de leurs relations (compétences sur un CV et niveau de maîtrise, compétences par rôles, liens entre apprentissage et parcours de carrière, carrières dans certains départements). Cette analyse permettra au logiciel d'avoir un niveau de compréhension automatique sur chaque point de données disponible dans l'ensemble de l'entreprise et : D’améliorer la recherche/la navigation pour afficher un contenu approprié ; D’ajouter une recommandation pour les différents cas d'utilisation des RH pour mieux représenter les données malgré leur complexité. L'opportunité est différente pour chaque utilisateur, alors examinons les détails et découvrons comment elle pourrait avoir un impact sur les collaborateurs, les RH et les candidats : Collaborateurs : L'IA peut aider les utilisateurs à trouver les bons objets : emplois, mentor, apprentissage, conseils de carrière, parcours de développement.... Elle peut également permettre aux collaborateurs de s'exprimer dans leur propre langue - par exemple, de ne pas choisir des compétences dans des listes imbriquées fermées. Grâce à cela, ils mettront naturellement et régulièrement leurs données à jour et celles-ci ouvriront de nouveaux cas d'utilisation, comme par exemple une équipe transversale composée en fonction des compétences. Les équipes RH : Au-delà d'avoir des collaborateurs plus autonomes, l'IA permet d’optimiser certains processus en accélérant l'accès aux bonnes données. Par exemple pour trouver qui peut faire x dans la BU y ou encore qui sont les meilleurs candidats pour z ? Elle peut également contribuer à réduire le besoin d'administration car il y a moins de cadre personnalisé à maintenir. L'IA peut améliorer l'analyse et ouvrir la porte à la "vraie" planification stratégique de la main-d'œuvre. Quelle est la situation actuelle de l'entreprise, quels sont nos besoins, quelles formations sont utiles ou non, quelles mesures doit-on prendre pour réduire notre déficit de compétences ? Elle ouvre également la porte à l'analyse avancée afin de répondre aux questions stratégiques de l'entreprise grâce aux données (transformation, nouvelle acquisition, réduction des effectifs, etc.) Les candidats : Grâce à l'IA, les candidats donneront plus d'informations à l'entreprise en moins de temps, par exemple sur ce qu'ils peuvent et veulent faire. Mais c'est également vrai dans l'autre sens : les candidats sauront ce quelles compétences leur manquent pour obtenir l'emploi qu'ils souhaitent. D'autres opportunités peuvent également se présenter : par exemple, avec votre profil, vous feriez partie des 10 % des meilleurs candidats pour notre emploi x, seriez-vous intéressé ? Nous pourrions également imaginer donner à un candidat plus de visibilité sur une future carrière dans une entreprise, en se basant sur des exemples de profils similaires dans le passé et pourquoi l’encourager à échanger avec eux ?  Ce ne sont là que quelques-uns des exemples sur lesquels j'ai eu la chance de travailler. La plupart des possibilités futures de l'IA restent à définir. Dans l'ensemble, le défi des RH dans le domaine de l'IA cache un potentiel étonnant. Contrairement aux secteurs traditionnels où de nombreuses approches scientifiques sont déjà présentes et tout à fait habituelles (par exemple, personne n'a attendu le courant de l'IA pour appliquer des méthodes statistiques à la tarification hôtelière). Les RH découvrent le potentiel de leurs données et les cas d'utilisation qui peuvent en être faits. Il s'agit d'un véritable bond en avant pour les professionnels du secteur, et nous pouvons nous attendre à ce que les SIRH soit profondément repensés dans un avenir proche. Vous voulez en savoir plus sur l'IA appliquée aux RH ? Lisez mon article sur la façon dont elle humanisera le lieu de travail.

« Gig economy », vers une économie du travail à la prestation?

« L’ubérisation de l’économie » voilà ce que l'on on entend sur toutes les lèvres pour caractériser cette nouvelle économie autour des plateformes collaboratives comme Uber, ManoMano, BlaBlacar ou encore Deliveroo. En 2017, ils étaient plus de 2,8 millions en France à occuper ce type de postes et leur nombre augmentera dans les années à venir. Selon les prévisions de croissance, le marché représentera, d’ici 2025, 83 milliards d’euros en Europe, la France faisant partie des pays avec le plus d’acteurs concernés, devant l’Allemagne. Une réponse à un marché en pleine mutation ? Le recours à ces nouveaux procédés de recrutement permet aux entreprises, comme aux travailleurs de bénéficier de plus de souplesse et de précision pour faire correspondre les envies des indépendants aux demandes des entreprises. Pour ces dernières, le statut d’indépendant peut offrir un avantage financier, notamment sur les dépenses transactionnelles liées aux contrats qui sont moins importantes pour un travailleur indépendant que pour un salarié. D’autre part, cette forme de flexibilité à l’embauche est une manière d’attirer plus facilement les profils ayant une expertise particulière et qui répondent aux besoins spécifiques d’un projet. Pour les travailleurs indépendants, ce statut leur laisse plus de liberté pour s’organiser notamment dans la gestion de l’équilibre entre leur travail et leur vie privée. Mais aussi c’est l’occasion pour eux de mettre à profit leur palette de compétences simultanément au profit d’activités et de projets variés. Selon une récente étude du cabinet de recrutement Korn Ferry, d’ici 2030, la France pourrait être confrontés à une pénurie de compétences qui concernerait 1,5 million de postes. Si cette prévision tend à s’installer dans l’hexagone, certains secteurs d’activités devront s’adapter et embaucher davantage d’experts indépendants tout en investissant sur la formation de leurs salariés pour combler ce déficit et répondre aux enjeux du marché. Un statut de salarié remis en question ? Si ce phénomène a modifié les habitudes de consommation, il a aussi provoqué une transformation profonde du marché de l’emploi. En effet, l’émergence des travailleurs indépendants répond au besoin des entreprises d’embaucher des personnes externes pour réaliser une mission ou un projet spécifique. Si l’arrivée d’Uber a mis en avant ces profils, ils existaient déjà dans certains secteurs. C’est le cas notamment des journalistes pigistes dans la presse ou des employés saisonniers dans l’agriculture. Cependant, si la flexibilité est l’un des principaux avantages de ce modèle, les limites commencent à apparaître. Tout d’abord, le salaire. Avec, pour beaucoup un statut d’indépendant ou auto-entrepreneur ces travailleurs sont rémunérés à la tâche. Ensuite vient la question de la ‘protection sociale’. En effet, ils n’en ont aucune en cas de licenciement abusif, n’ont pas droit à des indemnités de licenciement, aux congés payés, etc… Cela peut, à terme, conduire à une précarisation de ce statut. A ce sujet, on entend, depuis quelques mois, des voix s’élever afin de remettre cela en cause. Preuve que la révolution est en marche, en Espagne, un livreur Deliveroo a obtenu gain de cause après une plainte pour licenciement abusif. D’autres procès sont attendus dans les prochains mois et leurs verdicts risqueront de faire jurisprudence. Un business model menacé ?  Pour y palier, le gouvernement souhaiterait s’inspirer du modèle scandinave basé sur la flexisécurité. Il permet aux entreprises et aux employés de se séparer facilement, en échange ces derniers bénéficient d’allocations chômage et autres avantages sociaux. Pour les organisations, elles pourront ainsi, selon leur niveau d’activité, diminuer leur masse salariale. Pour les seconds, cette flexibilité leur permet de changer d’emploi en fonction de leurs aspirations professionnelles, sans pour autant perdre leurs avantages sociaux. Enfin, grâce à la formation continue, les collaborateurs se retrouvent au cœur de leur projet professionnel. La Gig economy a engendré d’importants changements, notamment dans l’organisation des entreprises afin de proposer, dans des délais de plus en plus courts, des services plus personnalisés. Si ce modèle symbolise le système économique actuel, il doit néanmoins être ajusté afin que les entreprises, ainsi que l’Etat s’adaptent à ces mutations. Résultat ? Les missions des services RH évolueront car outre la gestion des salariés, ils devront également gérer ces nouvelles ressources externes. En effet, ces derniers nécessitent une attention différente des collaborateurs internes. Heureusement, l’émergence des nouvelles technologies permettront aux organisations d’affiner leur connaissance de leurs collaborateurs et pourront agir en conséquence quand le besoin d’indépendants se fera sentir. Si le CDI et le CDD restent privilégiés, le marché du travail doit donc prendre la pleine mesure des changements à venir.

La différence, au cœur du métier de manager

Ensemble des techniques d’organisation et de gestion de l’entreprise » : c’est par cette formule un peu sèche que le Dictionnaire de l’Académie française définit le mot « management », récemment accepté par les Immortels. Même dans le Larousse, le management n’acquiert une dimension humaine que lorsqu’il est « participatif ». Pourtant, le quotidien du manager consiste essentiellement à faire travailler ensemble des individus aux personnalités contrastées et parfois incompatibles. Les formations au management abordent parfois une partie de la question, souvent par le biais du « management des personnalités difficiles ». Mais cette dimension du management ne devrait-elle pas faire l’objet d’une amélioration continue des compétences ? Le télétravail accentue les différences La crise sanitaire a redistribué les cartes dans bien des domaines, à commencer par le management. Le premier confinement a été une épreuve de vérité managériale. Certains managers se sont retrouvés du jour au lendemain dans l’obligation de gérer leurs équipes à distance ; d’autres ont dû réorganiser la production en urgence. Dans tous les cas, la relation distancielle a pris une place beaucoup plus importante qu’auparavant dans la gestion des interactions au sein de l’équipe. Quand on demande aux DRH et à leurs collaborateurs quelle est selon eux la priorité de l’après crise, ils placent en première position, à 72%, la nécessité de « mieux former les managers à la gestion des équipes à distance » (Baromètre national de l’expérience collaborateur, mars 2021). C’est que le management à distance révèle la nature de la relation entre manager et collaborateurs : lorsque celle-ci repose sur la confiance et le management par objectif, le passage au distanciel pose naturellement moins de difficultés. Lorsqu’elle s’appuie prioritairement sur le contrôle et le management en silo, le télétravail s’annonce beaucoup plus délicat. Surtout, le travail à distance révèle et accentue les différences entre collaborateurs. Il y a les différences objectives de situation (logement, équipement, famille) : un tiers des télétravailleurs interrogés par l’Anact en juin 2020 déclaraient ne pas disposer d’un environnement de travail adapté. Mais aussi les différences de caractère : appétence pour la technologie, besoin de contact humain, capacité d’auto-organisation…. Un manager qui n’aurait pas pris en compte ces aspects auparavant n’a désormais plus le choix : la différence s’impose à lui. Comment se former à la prise en compte des différentes personnalités ? En feuilletant la table des matières d’un manuel de management, par exemple celui-ci, édité par Vuibert, le lecteur est frappé par le peu de place qu’occupe le collaborateur, dans sa singularité et dans sa diversité. La « théorie des traits de personnalité » est évoquée en passant, mais elle est appliquée principalement… au manager lui-même, dans l’étude des styles de leadership ! Les formations au management qui abordent le thème des différences de personnalité le font souvent pour traiter des cas particuliers : en particulier, celui des personnalités « difficiles », ou « toxiques ». Cet article d’un représentant d’un organisme de formation spécialisé dans les soft skills nous donne ainsi quelques conseils sur la façon de s’y prendre avec différents types de collaborateurs à problèmes, qu’ils soient tyranniques, « control-freak », pessimistes ou imprévisibles. Mais il s’agit surtout ici de limiter les dommages : faire en sorte qu’un collaborateur doté de traits de personnalité problématiques ne nuise pas aux autres et à l’ambiance de travail. L’analyse des personnalités s’appuie sur différentes théories, qui fondent souvent les contenus de formation. Le modèle le plus en vogue dans les milieux académiques est celui des « Big Five », développé dans les années 1960 par Ernest Tupes and Raymond Christal. Le modèle classe les traits de personnalité en 5 catégories : l'ouverture, la conscience (au sens d’ « être consciencieux »), l'extraversion, l'agréabilité et le « névrosisme » (ou neuroticité). Un modèle alternatif, moins accepté académiquement mais plus répandu dans le monde de l’entreprise, est celui des « types de personnalité », développé à partir des travaux du psychiatre Carl Jung par Isabel Briggs Myers et Katherine Cook Briggs, créatrices en 1962 de l’indice « MBTI ». La prise en compte des différences, une « soft skill » managériale à cultiver Ces outils ont beaucoup de vertus : ils permettent de mieux se connaître soi-même, mais aussi de nommer des réalités déjà rencontrées, de mettre en lumière des corrélations, de donner du sens à l’expérience vécue, de donner des conseils pratiques. L’intérêt de ces modèles est de conférer des grilles de lecture qui permettent de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement psychologique de chaque profil de collaborateur, en se fondant à la fois sur la connaissance et sur l’empathie. C’est un bon moyen d’éviter de répéter des erreurs génératrices de conflits inutiles. Certains réflexes managériaux peuvent en effet s’avérer totalement contre-productifs, alors qu’ils partent de bonnes intentions. Le cabinet Hops Coaching a par exemple réalisé une étude sur les introvertis dans la vie de l’entreprise – son domaine de spécialisation. On y apprend que les deux tiers des personnalités introverties reçoivent régulièrement des injonctions à être différentes de ce qu’elles sont – prendre davantage la parole, sourire, communiquer… voire simplement « être plus extravertie » ! L’introversion est une source de souffrance quotidienne pour un introverti sur deux. Ce n’est pas une fatalité, et c’est une déperdition du point de vue de l’efficacité managériale. Attention cependant, prendre en compte le profil des collaborateurs ne signifie pas les mettre dans des cases ! C’est le danger des modèles appliqués de façon trop rigide, et c’est peut-être la raison pour laquelle les organismes de formation s’aventurent avec prudence sur ce terrain. Il s’agit plutôt de se donner les moyens de se mettre à la place de chaque collaborateur, pour mieux identifier ses leviers de motivation et ses sources de blocage. Les auteurs de ce dossier se sont essayés à l’exercice en partant des du MBTI et des travaux du consultant Paul D. Tieger : ils identifient 16 types de personnalité en combinant 4 traits, et détaillent pour chacun d’entre eux ce qui les motive, ce qui les retient et la meilleure façon de communiquer avec eux. On devine que de tels modèles ne s’appliquent pas mécaniquement : ils servent de carburant à l’irremplaçable intuition du manager. L’expression « management de la différence » renvoie généralement à la problématique du management interculturel, propre aux équipes composées de collaborateurs d’origines, de nationalités ou de religions diverses. Pourtant, le management n’est-il pas par définition interculturel ? Chaque individu a sa culture, son passé, son corpus de références propres. Le rôle du manager est de faire en sorte que chacun puisse exprimer son potentiel au sein de l’équipe, en s’appuyant sur les complémentarités des uns et des autres et en évitant les blocages. C’est une expertise qui s’acquiert bien sûr en grande partie sur le terrain, mais qui peut – ou même doit – être renforcée par des connaissances théoriques et des échanges d’expériences, dans un processus d’amélioration continue des compétences managériales.

Lempowerment au cœur du nouveau management

Un mot revient beaucoup dans notre quotidien au travail depuis quelques années : c’est le mot « empowerment ». Complexe et polysémique, on le traduit imparfaitement en français par « autonomisation » ou « responsabilisation » – même si on rencontre parfois « empouvoirement ». Dans son acception la plus simple, le terme renvoie à l’action de donner du pouvoir à un tiers. La crise sanitaire a conféré une actualité très concrète à ce terme, en mettant beaucoup de managers en situation de devoir faire confiance à leurs collaborateurs, de leur confier davantage d’autonomie. La pandémie aura-t-elle donné un coup de pouce décisif à l’« empowerment » dans les entreprises ? Un enjeu d’engagement L’empowerment est-il un phénomène de mode ou concept managérial d’avenir en France ? Il apparaît utile de resituer l’empowerment dans son contexte RH, là où il s’est implanté, pour comprendre son sens. À l’heure où la globalisation rend les marchés toujours plus volatils, l’engagement des collaborateurs est devenu une préoccupation majeure pour les gestionnaires RH. Il y a quelques temps, une enquête Gallup de décembre 2017 avait fait grand bruit dans la sphère RH, en révélant que la France était en queue de peloton pour ce qui est de l’engagement au travail, avec seulement 6% de salariés « engagés ». Pourtant, selon le cabinet de conseil Korn Ferry, 74% des Français ont de l’intérêt pour leur travail – ce qui n’est pas tout à fait la même chose. Dans le même temps, 73% d’entre eux sont déçus que leur entreprise ne leur propose pas d’initiatives qui développent davantage leur engagement et leur offre plus de responsabilité. Le cabinet Mozart Consulting et le groupe Apicil se sont efforcés de mesurer le coût du défaut d’engagement : ils l’évaluent en 2020 à 14 310€ par an et par salarié. Il faut donc le rappeler : donner le pouvoir d’agir en milieu de travail est un facteur de réussite et de productivité ! Pour les collaborateurs, ce besoin d’autonomie tombe sous le sens dans notre économie transversale, mais de l’autre côté, les entreprises ont longtemps émis des réserves. En effet, beaucoup s’interrogent encore sur les besoins d’engagement de leurs équipes, et les façons dont l’on pourrait y répondre. La crise, accélérateur d’empowerment L'autonomie exige des dirigeants plus de flexibilité quant aux libertés accordées aux collaborateurs pour prendre des initiatives, et ainsi développer leurs propres projets. Un groupe de recherche révèle que l’empowerment et la responsabilisation encouragent les collaborateurs à s’impliquer davantage dans leurs projets au quotidien. Mais arriver à cette philosophie prend du temps - non sans mal - surtout chez les managers qui privilégient le contrôle et la supervision du travail. La crise sanitaire a représenté un accélérateur de changement, à ce point de vue comme à bien d’autre. Les managers les plus rétifs à l’innovation RH ont eu plus de difficultés à faire face aux bouleversements liés au confinement que ceux qui étaient déjà engagés dans une démarche d’écoute des salariés et d’amélioration continue de l’expérience collaborateur (baromètre Parlons RH 2021, en partenariat avec Cornerstone). A l’issue d’une période qui a profondément bouleversé les relations de travail, la question se pose en effet de façon encore plus urgente. Alors qu’une part importante des salariés a goûté au télétravail, il ne s’en trouve que 30%, selon une étude Elabe pour les Echos, pour souhaiter revenir à la situation antérieure. Les études réalisées pendant la crise montrent que le télétravail accroît la productivité, mais à condition d’être bien préparé. Dans le cas contraire, il peut la réduire significativement. D’après le baromètre de la vie au travail réalisé par Viavoice pour La Mutuelle Familiale, les attentes principales des salariés pour l’après-crise sont la reconnaissance, la confiance et davantage d’information partagée. Autant d’éléments qui participent à l’empowerment. Celui-ci apparaît donc comme un des enjeux majeurs du management des années 2020, que ce soit pour attirer et retenir les salariés ou pour accroître la productivité. Comment développer l’autonomie au travail des collaborateurs ? Comment favoriser l’empowerment ? Promouvoir la diversité Encourager les collaborateurs à gagner en autonomie passe par la construction d’un environnement propice aux interactions fluides. C’est pourquoi il est utile de constituer des équipes avec des profils différents pour permettre de nuancer les échanges et, ainsi, d’éviter que l’organisation ne se restreigne à une seule et même vision. À ce titre, il est important que la politique de recrutement de l’entreprise reflète cette démarche. Pour y arriver, les ressources humaines déconstruisent, dans certains cas, les idées reçues qui pèsent sur un secteur d’activité pour attirer des profils qui se distinguent des candidats habituels. Dans le domaine de la technologie, par exemple, un grand nombre d’individus perçoivent le secteur comme majoritairement masculin, très difficile à intégrer, avec des codes qui ne leur sont pas accessibles, sans même jamais avoir été confrontés à la réalité du secteur. Au-delà des discours managériaux qui promeuvent les valeurs de diversité, il est primordial d’examiner la construction des offres d'emploi et de faire ressortir les messages qui décrivent le mieux la culture de l’entreprise. La présentation de l’entreprise donne-t-elle envie aux candidats de la rejoindre ? Le discours montre-t-il de véritables possibilités d'instaurer une atmosphère inclusive ou présente-t-il simplement une déclaration générale sur l'égalité des chances pour chaque offre d’emploi ? Ce travail d’introspection permet à l’entreprise de mieux communiquer auprès de ses équipes et futurs collaborateurs, et ainsi d’atteindre ses objectifs de recrutement en favorisant une plus grande autonomie. Anticiper et adapter sa stratégie face aux changements du marché Souvent perçu comme un facteur déstabilisant, le changement permet pourtant à l’organisation de mieux s’adapter à son environnement économique. Ce type de situation pousse l’entreprise à développer une vision stratégique pour anticiper et gérer au mieux les évènements extérieurs, quelque soit leur nature. La crise sanitaire est venue illustrer ce point de façon magistrale : elle a été l’occasion de faire le point sur les pratiques managériales de l’entreprise, sur les enjeux de conciliation entre vie personnelle et vie professionnelle, sur le sens à donner à l’activité de l’entreprise, sur l’autonomie des collaborateurs. Elle également montré de façon irréfutable que la transparence et l’écoute sont des éléments primordiaux en entreprise qu’il est utile d’appliquer tant du côté de l’opérationnel que du management. Ajuster son style de management La stratégie managériale de l’entreprise doit refléter l’engagement et la confiance accordés aux collaborateurs. Le manager parfait n’existant pas, il faut arriver à faire coexister les différents styles de management tout en définissant un socle commun de fondamentaux pour valoriser au mieux l’autonomie des collaborateurs. On considère deux catégories dominantes de managers : le superviseur amical et le superviseur autoritaire. D’un côté, le superviseur amical éprouve des difficultés à aborder les conversations difficiles et à faire preuvre d’honnêté par crainte de froisser ses collaborateurs. Un manque de communication qui, dans les situations complexes comme le licenciement, peut entrainer une incompréhension de la part du collaborateur concerné. De l’autre côté, le superviseur autoritaire, lui, peine à tirer le meilleur parti de ses collaborateurs. Ici, ce comportement peut amener les collaborateurs à ne pas s’exprimer en cas de problèmes, lors de la réalisation de certaines tâches au quotidien par exemple, par peur d’être jugés. Ce management trop vertical et ce manque d’attention peuvent pousser d’excellents collaborateurs à quitter l‘entreprise et entraîner le turnover. Dans les deux cas, le leadership de l’entreprise est questionné et les résultats de l’entreprise sont en jeu. Une étude récente a révélé que 40 % des collaborateurs qui sanctionnent le comportement et le travail de leur superviseur ont passé un entretien pour un nouvel emploi au cours des trois mois suivants, contre seulement 10 % de collaborateurs qui ont évalué positivement leur superviseur. Souvent considéré comme une soft skill, le management reste une compétence complexe qui nécessite une formation et du perfectionnement. Pour une entreprise, placer les collaborateurs au cœur de sa stratégie est une manière de les fidéliser et, dans le même temps, de faire circuler les bonnes pratiques de management. Selon les contextes, les attentes et besoins d’une entreprise diffèrent. Il apparaît nécessaire de réfléchir et d’identifier les domaines à prioriser pour implémenter les transformations adéquates. Il n’existe pas de remède miracle pour donner davantage d’autonomie aux collaborateurs. Par définition, l’empowerment n’est pas quelque chose que l’on peut imposer à une personne passive : c’est une alchimie par laquelle le salarié s’approprie les moyens et l’espace qu’on lui accorde, parce qu’il en a l’envie, parce qu’il est engagé. La crise sanitaire constitue une excellente occasion de remettre à plat les modes de management de l’entreprise, en utilisant les enseignements acquis sur le terrain au cours des derniers mois. Publié initialement en octobre 2019, mis à jour en juillet 2021

Le recruteur propose, le candidat dispose : conséquences pour lentreprise

Les 3 vertus cachées de la mobilité interne

Le recrutement interne est souvent présenté comme un moyen peu onéreux de pourvoir un poste : on économiserait le coût d’un recrutement externe tout en réduisant le risque de turnover. Pourtant, cet avantage n’est pas forcément le plus convaincant. Le poste laissé vacant devra souvent faire l’objet d’un recrutement externe, ce qui déplace le coût. Surtout, sur le terrain, recrutement externe et mobilité interne ne s’excluent pas mais se complètent, dans une politique intelligente de management des talents. Nous évoquons ici 3 avantages essentiels d’une politique bien conçue de mobilité interne. Vertu n°1 : un vecteur d’employabilité Même si le terme n’est pas inscrit en tant que tel dans le code du Travail, le maintien de l’employabilité des salariés fait partie des obligations de l’employeur : celui-ci « assure l'adaptation des salariés à leur poste de travail » et « veille au maintien de leur capacité à occuper un emploi, au regard notamment de l'évolution des emplois, des technologies et des organisations ». En cas de conflit du travail, les manquements à cette obligation peuvent être condamnés. Mais la conformité n’est pas, loin de là, la seule raison qui motive les entreprises à développer l’employabilité des salariés. Accroître les compétences des collaborateurs est un levier essentiel de la performance de l’entreprise, bien sûr. En revanche, ce n’est pas toujours l’outil de fidélisation que l’on vante parfois : il y a toujours le risque que le salarié, armé de ses compétences nouvelles, aille chercher meilleure fortune ailleurs. Le développement de l’employabilité ne devient une raison de rester dans l’entreprise que s’il s’insère dans un récit continu qui donne au collaborateur des perspectives d’évolution au sein de l’organisation. C’est là que la mobilité interne entre en scène. Qu’il s’agisse de mobilité verticale (promotion), horizontale (changement de domaine), géographique ou d’une combinaison de ces différents types, un changement de poste va toujours de pair avec la formation – formelle ou informelle – et l’acquisition de nouvelles expériences et compétences. Une politique de mobilité interne qui raconte une histoire, ou plutôt qui permet aux collaborateurs d’inventer la leur au sein de l’organisation, fonctionne ainsi à la fois comme un vecteur d’employabilité, un levier de performance et un outil de fidélisation. Vertu n°2 : une démarche inclusive Une bonne politique de mobilité interne est inclusive et transparente : elle propose des opportunités d’évolution potentielle à tous les collaborateurs, quelle que soit leur fonction de départ – ce qui n’implique pas que tout le monde bouge en permanence, bien sûr ! Pour illustrer ce point, une fois n’est pas coutume, prenons un contre-exemple : celui d’Enron dans les années qui ont précédé le scandale et la faillite de 2001. Les dirigeants d’Enron croyaient en un libre marché de l’emploi au sein du groupe, privilégiant les « top performers ». Tous les départements pouvaient débaucher qui ils voulaient à travers le groupe. Aucun manager n’avait le droit de retenir un talent qui souhaitait partir pour un autre service. Résultat : les services d’origine étaient déstabilisés et le talent individuel était survalorisé par rapport au collectif, au détriment des performances de l’entreprise. Cette « starification » des cadres les plus talentueux, jugés sur leur personnalité plus que sur leurs performances, est considérée par certains comme l’un des facteurs de la chute d’Enron. En donnant à chacun la possibilité d’envisager, en fonction de ses envies et de ses aptitudes, une carrière dynamique au sein de l’entreprise, une politique de mobilité interne bien conçue favorise l’inclusion des différents publics de l’organisation. Vertu n°3 : une stratégie RH à long terme Le libre-échange interne des talents façon Enron est en réalité tout l’inverse de la gestion prévisionnelle des emplois et des compétences (GPEC) qui est requise pour organiser des mobilités internes profitables à tous. Le marché de l’emploi interne doit être un marché régulé, pour tenir compte à la fois des attentes des salariés, des besoins des équipes et de l’intérêt global de l’entreprise. Une équation délicate, mais c’est le cœur même de l’exercice ! La complexité du défi explique que les organisations reculent souvent devant l’obstacle. Selon un sondage, 87% des dirigeants estiment qu’un programme bien structuré de mobilité interne permet d’attirer et retenir les talents ; mais un tiers seulement des entreprises sondées avaient mis un tel programme en place. Dans les organisations qui ont franchi le pas, la politique de mobilité interne s’insère dans une stratégie RH clairement explicitée, souvent mise en place en dialogue avec les managers et les représentants du personnel. Elle est souvent formulée par le biais d’une charte de la mobilité, qui explicite les conditions dans lesquelles les collaborateurs peuvent accéder à des perspectives de carrière interne. « La promotion de la mobilité interne est une des composantes essentielles de la politique Ressources Humaines du Groupe », annonce ainsi la charte mobilité du groupe Saur, qui inscrit la démarche dans le cadre de la politique RSE. Suivent les conditions d’éligibilité et les modalités d’accompagnement. La Poste dispose également d’un document de ce type, insistant notamment sur le fait que le salarié « ne peut en aucun cas être pénalisé sur son poste s’il manifeste une volonté de mobilité », et associé à une bourse d’emploi interne. Le groupe Bouygues, en application de sa charte, déploie depuis 2016 toute une politique autour de la mobilité interne. Le thème fait l’objet de forums organisés à l’échelle du groupe (130 000 salariés) et des passerelles sont organisées entre métiers. En parcourant les différentes chartes de la mobilité diffusées par les entreprises, on est frappé par les similitudes, mais aussi par les différences : la façon dont s’organise la mobilité interne reflète la culture et l’histoire de chaque organisation – insistance sur la RSE ou sur la carrière, sur la mobilité géographique ou métier, sur la culture RH de l’entreprise (protection des salariés ou promotion des parcours)… En définitive, les 3 vertus que nous avons évoquées se ramènent à un même constat : loin d’être un substitut financièrement avantageux au recrutement externe, la mobilité interne est un formidable outil de management des talents.

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Les technologies RH confortent leur place stratégique au sein de la transformation digitale des entreprises

L’année 2020 est une année difficile pour les collaborateurs et les entreprises, confrontés à de nombreux défis, notamment, la transformation digitale qui s’accélère. En l’espace de quelques mois, les entreprises ont fait un bond de 10 ans dans la transformation digitale pour s’adapter à la nouvelle normale et planifier le futur. Au cœur de cette tourmente à marche forcée, les collaborateurs sont l’alpha et l’oméga pour mener à bien ces changements profonds. Les entreprises doivent alors s’appuyer, plus que jamais, sur les technologies RH qui permettent d’accompagner leurs collaborateurs vers un futur paysage professionnel inédit. Geoffroy de Lestrange, Product Marketing & Communication Director EMEA chez Cornerstone OnDemand, partage sa vision sur le développement des outils RH au sein de l’entreprise. Le changement ne peut être considéré comme une option Les entreprises doivent s’adapter le plus rapidement possibles aux gageures imposées par les nouvelles normes et ainsi rester compétitives sur leur marché. Un processus, qui n’est plus optionnel et qui repose sur les talents et les compétences nécessaires pour parvenir à ce changement. Les évolutions sociales et technologiques, les nouvelles formes d’organisation du travail bousculent le contenu et la structure des emplois. Autant de défis qui nécessitent de construire une nouvelle approche dans la gestion des emplois avec, au centre des attentions, la notion de compétence. On assiste alors à un intérêt croissant pour la formation continue et virtuelle, nouvelle réponse à la transformation du monde du travail. Les résultats de la dernière étude du Cornerstone Institute for People révèle qu’en mars 2020, Cornerstone Learning a enregistré plus de 27,5 millions d’heures de formations suivies et que plus de 50 % des entreprises privilégient les formations en ligne. Cependant, pour tirer parti pleinement des technologies RH en faveur de la transformation digitale, ces dernières doivent répondre à plusieurs critères. Les outils utilisés par les collaborateurs doivent s’adapter et répondre aux besoins personnels des utilisateurs. Un parcours utilisateur personnalisé permet, en effet, d’accroitre la performance des collaborateurs. Également, les technologies RH doivent reposer sur l’Intelligence Artificielle pour une intégration sur mesure au sein des tâches quotidiennes et des processus en place. Ces caractéristiques ont été mises à rude épreuve durant la crise traversée qui a poussé les entreprises à accélérer leur transformation digitale. S’appuyer sur les technologies pour implémenter le changement Définir la stratégie du changement adéquate au profil de l’entreprise et des collaborateurs est une première étape. Cependant il est nécessaire de réfléchir à grande échelle pour implémenter la nouvelle stratégie et garantir l’engagement de toutes les parties prenantes. L’usage de la technologie prend alors tout son sens pour apporter un cadre évolutif et qui s’intègre aisément au quotidien des collaborateurs. L’adoption du télétravail à grande échelle prouve que les outils utilisés par les collaborateurs sont des alliés pour le quotidien. Les plateformes technologiques deviennent alors une ressource indispensable aux collaborateurs par leur approche personnalisée et complète. La situation liée à la Covid-19 a considérablement transformé le monde du travail et imposé un nouveau paradigme. Malgré les difficultés rencontrées par les entreprises, les collaborateurs à travers le monde ont su trouver un meilleur équilibre entre la vie professionnelle et personnelle par le biais du télétravail, une pratique qui, dorénavant, s’immisce profondément dans le paysage professionnel. Une flexibilité et un niveau d’adaptation supérieur qui seront exigés aux entreprises souhaitant conforter la position de leurs meilleurs talents. Développer et maintenir les relations avec ses collaborateurs demande aux entreprises des compétences digitales, apportées par les outils RH. Une situation qui confère à ces technologies une place stratégique au sein du processus de transformation digitale des entreprises.

L'intelligence artificielle va humaniser le travail et non le remplacer

L’Intelligence Artificielle est un sujet sensationnel. Nous sommes aujourd’hui submergés d’articles, interviews et tweets de personnalités déconnectées de la réalité technique et puisant sans vergogne dans un imaginaire de concurrence et de soumission afin de générer toujours plus d’émotion et de clics. En tant qu’expert et praticien de l’IA en entreprise, ma volonté est ici d’éclairer sur les enjeux du développement de ces nouveaux outils en entreprise qui se révèlent plus humains qu’on pourrait le penser. Car la réalité est là : ce qu’on appelle l’intelligence artificielle n’est qu’une succession d'outils spécialisés, chacun consacré à l'optimisation d'une unique tâche répétitive. Exemple classique : l’imagerie médicale où un algorithme va analyser pour un cancer précis, des centaines d’images afin de proposer au médecin un diagnostic. Oeuvre de l’humain, l’IA n’est rien de plus que ce que l’on décide d’y mettre. Une technologie humaine qui a le potentiel de délester le salarié de tâches rébarbatives... L’IA permet avant tout d’automatiser des actions souvent répétitives, parfois ingrates jusque-là opérées par des collaborateurs. Il faut en finir avec l’idée reçue qui remettrait aux mains des machines la majorité de l’activité humaine de l’entreprise. L’IA doit être abordée comme une opportunité technologique qui permet de dégager du temps au salarié et l’aide à prendre des décisions. ...et d’apporter de la valeur pour le collaborateur et pour l’entreprise Le collaborateur va donc pouvoir se concentrer sur d’autres missions plus “humaines”, où il aura plus de valeur ajoutée. Il pourra d’un côté se focaliser sur sa créativité, son innovation et son analyse, de l’autre, se consacrer aux relations humaines, qu’elles soient entre collaborateurs ou en externe: par exemple, une infirmière pourra consacrer plus de temps auprès de ses patients. En cela, l’IA redonne du sens au travail, quête essentielle pour les jeunes générations. Un phénomène qui va s’accentuer avec la maturité de la technologie L’enjeu de l’IA est la collaboration avec l’utilisateur. Opaque dans son fonctionnement, l’IA est un outil organique qui nécessite une interaction similaire par certains aspects à celle entre humains. Or c’est un point sur lequel les solutions connues du grand public sont encore loin de la maturité. En effet, les GAFA ont pour principal but de garder captifs leurs utilisateurs et ne leurs fournissent ni outils de pilotage, ni justification. Il faut pourtant s’assurer qu’humain et IA se comprennent tant sur les questions que les réponses ! La collaboration avec l’humain est un enjeu phare pour les solutions d’entreprise dont la progression va affecter positivement la réalité du travail. Ne soyons pas naïfs, des suppressions d’emplois causés par l’IA auront lieu. Cependant la réalité sera loin des nombreuses prédictions de certains think tanks ou essayistes hors sol annonçant selon les cas entre 30 et 90% des emplois actuels. Les humains sont loin d’avoir perdu leur place en entreprise. Avec le développement des solutions IA au travail, les salariés se tourneront vers des missions plus enrichissantes pour des carrières plus épanouissantes.

Mauvais managers : principale raison du départ dun salarié

20 % sont insatisfaits de leur entreprise Le mécontentement à l'égard de l'organisation ou la perception d'incertitudes organisationnelles sont des problèmes qui découlent du sommet. Les dirigeants sont-ils honnêtes avec les employés ou font-ils des changements inattendus et inexpliqués ? Alors qu’il est facile d’expliquer que « les collaborateurs quittent l’entreprise car ils n’aiment pas leurs managers », cette réponse laisse souvent les autres employés au bord du chemin. Au contraire, en assumant le fait qu’il existe plusieurs raisons justifiant le départ d’un salarié et en évaluant chacune d’elles, les dirigeants de l’entreprise sont en mesure d’accroître la fidélité de leurs équipes. Si vous souhaitez conserver vos meilleurs collaborateurs, il est temps d’analyser la situation dans son ensemble… Les solutions Cloud innovantes de gestion des performances et des compétences vous permettent non seulement de mesurer la performance de chaque collaborateur par rapport aux objectifs fixés, mais également d’organiser un suivi précis des qualifications et des compétences afin de combler rapidement les éventuels manques. Corinne Bidallier

Mettre l’humain au cœur de l’expérience apprenant digitale dans le milieu associatif

A l’heure du tout-numérique, de nouvelles problématiques liées à la gestion des compétences, de la formation, du recrutement ou encore des données utilisateurs voient le jour et touchent tous les secteurs d’activités, sans exception. Les organisations à but non-lucratif n’y échappent pas. Aujourd’hui, les associations adoptent une approche plus stratégique de la gestion de leurs ressources humaines, qui tend vers la digitalisation de leurs processus. La transformation digitale est à l’ordre du jour pour permettre aux équipes dirigeantes de gagner du temps et de l’efficacité – et, répondre aux besoins des bénévoles et des collaborateurs. En effet, d’après le dernier sondage réalisé par HelloAsso, La Fonda et Mouvements associatifs, 64 % des responsables associatifs exprimaient le souhait de monter en compétences (échanges de bonnes pratiques, formations, partage du savoir-faire, coaching…) Pour éviter le rejet de ces nouveaux outils au sein d’un environnement centré sur l’humain, il est essentiel d’optimiser l’expérience apprenant pour maintenir la mobilisation et l’engagement des bénévoles. Garantir des contenus d’actualité, diversifiés et faciles d’accès La digitalisation de la gestion des processus RH donne aux responsables de la formation les outils nécessaires pour élaborer une stratégie efficace et permettre aux bénévoles de monter en compétences. Allier les formations classiques en présentiel aux cours en ligne par exemple favorise l’interactivité, par l’intermédiaire de chats ou de forums. L’occasion pour les bénévoles et les collaborateurs de compléter ou d’approfondir leurs connaissances dans la durée et à leur propre rythme. Un réel avantage pour les ressources humaines qui peuvent désormais former plus régulièrement. Ainsi, les bénévoles et collaborateurs ont accès à un catalogue de formations recommandées avec des contenus actualisés, variés et qui répondent aux enjeux du terrain. Ils deviennent ainsi les acteurs de leur parcours de formation et profite d’un suivi régulier des responsables RH. Ces nouveaux formats répondent ainsi aux contraintes rencontrées par les associations sur le terrain : le manque de temps, les besoins de formations accrues et l’insuffisance budgétaire pour les financer, ou encore la nécessité de encore maintenir le lien humain propre à ce secteur. La classe virtuelle, l’alternative au tout digital La classe virtuelle est l’un des formats pédagogiques le plus apprécié par les apprenants en milieu associatif. Elle permet de connecter facilement le formateur avec un groupe de bénévoles et/ou collaborateurs par l’intermédiaire d’un système de visioconférence. Ce dispositif permet de réduire les inquiétudes liées au manque d’interactivités humaines, de partager des documents, de discuter par audio ou par chat ou encore de réaliser des projets seul ou à plusieurs. Les participants à la classe virtuelle se rassemblent alors au même moment, mais à distance. Ces sessions favorisent l’échange et l’interactivité entre bénévoles et collaborateurs, facilités notamment par l’utilisation du chat. Par ailleurs, certaines activités, propices à la discussion, peuvent se révéler plus riches qu’en présentiel : Sondages en temps réel et à chaque fin de sessions, Jeux et quizz ludiques pour vérifier les acquis et les connaissances, Salles virtuelles pour travailler en petits groupes, Simulations, cas pratiques…

Quand les RH impactent la réussite de lentreprise

Une stratégie RH qui soutienne les objectifs de l'entreprise. A mesure que les processus sont automatisés, les RH peuvent se positionner sur un rôle plus stratégique et avoir un impact sur le succès de l’entreprise et de ses collaborateurs. Face au changement, la fonction RH doit s'adapter à l’instar de la finance et du marketing il y a une dizaine d'années. Il s’agit d’élaborer une stratégie de gestion des ressources humaines alignée avec les ambitions de l’entreprise. Trois points pour y parvenir : Clarifier les objectifs métiers Premièrement, pour tous les projets – de la planification à la stratégie RH – les objectifs et les indicateurs doivent être alignés avec les objectifs stratégiques de l’entreprise. Trop souvent, les RH sont mises de côté, sans relation directe avec les autres fonctions et considérées comme moins stratégiques. Même la mise en œuvre de nouvelles technologies RH – par exemple la migration des logiciels RH ou des SIRH vers le Cloud – est considérée comme relevant de la responsabilité du service informatique, alors que le projet impacte en réalité l’ensemble de l’entreprise. Les nouvelles technologies ont le potentiel pour améliorer l’engagement et la performance des collaborateurs et offrir plus de visibilité sur leurs compétences, tout en fournissant aux managers des données qui leur permette de prendre de meilleures décisions, notamment en termes de gestion des talents. Ce ne sont que quelques-uns des bénéfices potentiels, à communiquer au reste de l'entreprise afin de démontrer l’impact stratégique RH. Garder un œil sur l’objectif réel Pour de nombreux services RH, la mise en œuvre de nouvelles technologies ou de nouveaux logiciels correspond au désir d’innover. Mais attention, mettre simplement en œuvre ce qui semble être le logiciel le plus à la mode peut se révéler contre-productif. Les RH doivent choisir ce qui aura le meilleur impact sur les performances de l’organisation– en cohérence avec les ambitions de celle-ci. Ces décisions sont trop souvent prises selon les préférences du service informatique, qui n’aborde le sujet que sous un angle donné. Une approche holistique et l’implication des RH sont nécessaires pour répondre aux besoins de l’entreprise dans son ensemble. Les RH doivent comprendre clairement si les fonctionnalités et les points forts d’une nouvelle solution sont utiles ou non au développement de l’entreprise. Ce qui revient à comprendre les objectifs stratégiques de l’entreprise et quelle logiciel, système ou fournisseur est capable de lui offrir. C’est ainsi que les RH peuvent démontrer au reste de l’entreprise que les améliorations visées ne bénéficieront pas seulement à elles-mêmes, mais à l’entreprise dans son ensemble. Apprendre à être rapide et agile L’attention portée par les RH aux nouvelles technologies et à l’innovation démontre leur compréhension de la nécessité d’évoluer et de se développer. Pourtant, à certains égards, les RH (et les entreprises en général) sont aujourd’hui à la traîne. Par exemple, très peu d’organisations utilisent actuellement l’intelligence artificielle dans des problématiques RH, alors qu’elle peut avoir un impact énorme sur leur développement. Et nous ne sommes pas aujourd’hui en mesure de prédire quelle autre nouvelle technologie pourrait émerger pour modifier en profondeur notre façon de travailler – tout peut arriver ! ; La majorité des entreprises considère la capacité d’adaptation comme le principal moteur de leur réussite. Avec des règles souples et adaptables, nous sommes encouragés à permettre des innovations imprévues. Une approche simpliste visant à faire table rase de l’existant n'a pas sa place dans ce monde numérique qui évolue rapidement. Les RH doivent plutôt envisager de faire des ajouts, des adaptations, des évolutions, mais sans détruire les systèmes actuels – c'est le moyen de favoriser l’agilité et de suivre le rythme du changement. De manière plus essentielle, les RH peuvent ainsi prouver leur importance en se présentant comme un pionnier de l'innovation, redéployant ce modèle d'agilité à travers l'organisation. Bien-sûr, les RH doivent continuer à prendre en charge les processus administratifs, mais ceci ne doit plus être leur raison d’être. La valeur qu’elles peuvent apporter à l’entreprise est bien plus vaste. Les équipes RH sont parfaitement positionnées pour influencer la réussite de leur entreprise. Pour cela, elles doivent monter au front, en adoptant le changement pour favoriser cette réussite. Les connaissances et l’expertise que la fonction RH apporte sont uniques et elle ne doit plus être enfermée dans son rôle administratif traditionnel. Vincent Belliveau

Votre guide de la résilience en matière de recrutement

Le guide de la résilience en matière de recrutement

Préparons les collaborateurs pour l'avenir

Je sais que je ne suis pas le seul à ressentir l'impact personnel et professionnel de ces 18 derniers mois. La gestion d'une pandémie mondiale et la « grande réinitialisation » qui en a résulté ont bouleversé nos environnements de travail et de vie, en mettant en lumière l'importance que revêtent les valeurs de diversité, d'inclusion, d'égalité, et plus récemment, la nécessité de gérer la « grande résignation ». Tout cela a foncièrement changé ma vie et mon travail. Tandis que nous nous relevons de la pandémie, j'essaie encore d'équilibrer les besoins en constante évolution de ma famille, et les miens. En même temps, je dois diriger, motiver et impliquer une équipe de personnes diverses, souvent en télétravail, en veillant à ce que nous restions connectés les uns aux autres et trouvions un terrain d'entente pour innover et aider nos clients à transformer eux-mêmes leur entreprise. L'équipe a trouvé des solutions novatrices pour optimiser notre productivité tout en restant aussi agile que possible. Et tandis que nous préparons l'avenir avec enthousiasme, nous réfléchissons à nos objectifs personnels et professionnels et cherchons de nouvelles façons de grandir, individuellement et ensemble. Voici où nous en sommes aujourd'hui Les changements spectaculaires survenus dans nos vies, les bouleversements tectoniques dans notre façon de travailler et tout ce que nous avons appris sur nous-mêmes et sur les autres mettent en lumière les possibilités qui s'offrent aujourd'hui à nous. Nous sommes tous à la recherche de nouvelles façons de nous sentir inspirés et impliqués et de nous développer au travail et dans la sphère privée, de façon cohérente avec notre situation personnelle en constante évolution. Que le changement soit nécessaire ou choisi, il est naturel d'essayer de nous « replacer » dans notre nouvel environnement pour nous reconnecter à une finalité, à nos pairs ou au monde qui nous entoure. Depuis toujours, l'expérience de l'exploration, du développement et de l'apprentissage personnel est ce qui nous aide à le faire. Aussi importante que soit cette exploration du développement personnel pour nous en tant qu'êtres humains, nous ne pouvons pas négliger les principales exigences du travail. Nous ne pouvons pas, et ne devons pas, choisir entre permettre à nos collaborateurs de se développer et de réussir de la manière qui leur convient le mieux ET permettre à notre entreprise de se développer et de se transformer pour répondre aux besoins de nos clients et de nos marchés. Notre capacité à concilier ces deux objectifs est la clé de voûte de l'avenir du travail. Or, c'est la lacune qui affecte aujourd'hui le marché L'expérience et l'intelligence doivent aller de pair. Pour naviguer avec succès dans l'avenir du travail, nous devons modifier de façon fondamentale la façon dont nous envisageons la technologie des talents. Pour adopter efficacement des stratégies de « retour à l'humain » et améliorer l'expérience humaine, nous devons exploiter, et non ignorer, la valeur des outils, des processus, des flux de travail et des masses de données et de renseignements sur les personnes que nous avons mis tant d'efforts à mettre en place. C'est ce qu'une clientèle diversifiée nous dit souhaiter, et nous pensons que Cornerstone est dans une position unique pour faciliter cela. C'est pourquoi nous sommes si heureux de lancer notre dernière innovation, Cornerstone Xplor, qui est bien plus qu'une énième solution de notre portefeuille. Cornerstone Xplor intervient à l'intersection de l'expérience et de l'intelligence Cornerstone Xplor est l'incarnation de notre vision audacieuse de l'avenir. Afin de révolutionner la façon dont les personnes et les équipes apprendront, se développeront, se connecteront et prospéreront dans ce nouveau monde du travail, la solution permet aux individus d'accéder à une expérience holistique de développement personnel, en offrant un parcours d'apprentissage, de perfectionnement des compétences, de développement et de mobilité professionnelle entièrement intégré et hyper-personnalisé. Page d'accueil Cornerstone Xplor La personnalisation de la page d'accueil de Cornerstone Xplor permet aux employés de voir le contenu que vous avez mis en avant, les formations qu'ils doivent suivre ou le contenu qui leur permettra de répondre à leurs besoins en matière de compétences ou d'apprentissage. Mais contrairement aux plateformes d'expérience d'apprentissage traditionnelles (LXP) ou à d'autres applications de niche similaires qui créent des « silos d'expérience », Cornerstone Xplor réunit tous les composants du développement personnel au même endroit afin de permettre à chacun de vos collaborateurs : de concevoir un plan de développement des compétences et de progression personnalisé, ainsi qu'un plan pour y parvenir, de trouver facilement le contenu le plus stimulant et le plus pertinent correspondant aux compétences qu'ils souhaitent développer, d'explorer les carrières pour lesquelles ces compétences sont nécessaires, d'entrer en contact avec des coachs et des mentors qui maîtrisent ces compétences, de rejoindre des communautés et rechercher des missions où ils pourront mettre en pratique ces compétences, de se connecter à un marché interne d'offres d'emploi correspondant à ces compétences, d'interagir avec d'autres personnes qui partagent des centres d'intérêt et des idées similaires qui n'ont rien à voir avec les compétences. Voici deux exemples de la manière dont Cornerstone Xplor contribue à une meilleure expérience de développement des talents : Explorateur de carrière dans Cornerstone Xplor L'explorateur de carrières permet aux employés de prendre en main la gestion de leur carrière en leur fournissant un espace centralisé pour explorer les opportunités de carrière et recevoir une offre de développement personnalisée capable de soutenir leur évolution professionnelle. Onglet Découverte dans Cornerstone Xplor Avec l'onglet Découverte, allez au-delà des recommandations de contenu statique et accédez à une vue sur les recommandations de contenu d'apprentissage incluant à la fois du contenu interne et disponible en ligne. Ce contenu est organisé et filtré selon des critères de qualité et peut faire l'objet d'une recherche par compétence et par fournisseur de contenu. Cornerstone Xplor ne sépare pas cette expérience humaine des systèmes et de l'intelligence dont les leaders en gestion des talents ont besoin. Parce que l'expérience est aussi puissante que l'intelligence qui la sous-tend. C'est là que la force fondamentale de Cornerstone entre en jeu. Cornerstone Xplor exploite la puissance de nos capacités de pointe en matière d'apprentissage, de compétences, de contenu et de talents . En s'appuyant à la fois sur le plus riche ensemble de données sur les personnes qui soit et sur des moteurs d'intelligence artificielle conçus pour alimenter la personnalisation et l'optimisation continues de l'expérience humaine, Cornerstone Xplor offre aux leaders en gestion des talents des solutions sur mesure plus recherchées, plus souples et plus pertinentes. Un système de gestion des talents alimenté par l'IA et centré sur les compétences Comme Cornerstone Xplor influe sur la couche expérience, les leaders en gestion des talents ont accès à un niveau d'intelligence inédit. Ils peuvent facilement identifier leurs experts et leur offrir de nouvelles possibilités d'évolution, visualiser les compétences dont ils disposent dans l'ensemble de l'organisation, créer de nouveaux viviers de talents en fonction de ces compétences, ainsi que mettre en correspondance et aligner plus précisément les compétences de leur personnel avec les exigences en constante évolution de l'entreprise. Ils peuvent générer automatiquement des parcours d'apprentissage et de développement des compétences, créer des parcours de compétences et de carrière fluides, proposer des contenus d'apprentissage inédits, pertinents et à fort impact, tous mis à la disposition des talents par Cornerstone Xplor en fonction des intérêts, des objectifs et des aspirations de carrière de chacun, sans que cela ne leur demande des efforts superflus. Ils peuvent s'appuyer sur Cornerstone Xplor pour proposer un contenu pertinent en matière d'apprentissage et de compétences, aider les talents à entrer en contact avec des mentors et des experts, suggérer des options de carrière et de parcours professionnel classiques ou plus inattendues, et mettre les personnes en relation avec un « marché » d'emplois, de missions et de nouveaux projets. Ils peuvent répondre aux attentes de leurs employés grâce à des opportunités d'apprentissage, de perfectionnement des compétences et de développement de carrière personnalisées, à l'échelle requise et de façon plus connectée que jamais, tout en gardant cette expérience étroitement imbriquée à leurs systèmes, flux de travail et programmes d'apprentissage et de développement des talents. Entrons ensemble dans l'avenir Est-il si fréquent de pouvoir RÉELLEMENT façonner l'avenir du travail ? Inspirer nos employés et les aider à atteindre leurs objectifs et à se surpasser ? Créer un monde meilleur, celui dans lequel nous aspirons tous à vivre et à travailler ? Aider nos collaborateurs à accéder à des points de vue inédits qui leur permettront de se découvrir eux-mêmes, ainsi que leurs points forts, afin de nous éblouir avec des résultats hors norme ? Il est temps de créer ce nouveau monde ENSEMBLE. Au nom de tous chez Cornerstone, j'aurai le plaisir de vous accompagner tout au long de ce parcours, afin d'affronter ensemble l'avenir du travail. Le lancement de Cornerstone Xplor n'est que le début de ce parcours, et nous espérons que ce que vous entendrez vous enthousiasmera. Si vous avez des questions, envoyez-moi un message . J'aimerais que nous restions connectés, même si nous ne sommes pas encore en mesure de le faire en personne ! Pour en savoir plus sur Cornerstone Xplor, regardez cette vidéo : Pour en savoir plus sur l'engagement de Cornerstone en faveur de l'innovation, inscrivez-vous dès maintenant à Cornerstone Convergence, notre conférence virtuelle entièrement gratuite, qui se tiendra les 16 et 17 novembre 2021.

Embaucher et retenir les meilleurs candidats

TalentLink rationalise votre recrutement afin que vous attiriez et embauchiez les meilleurs talents, que vous leur offriez le poste qui leur correspond le mieux et que vous les aidiez à rapidement devenir un membre productif de votre équipe. Que vous recrutiez pour un seul site ou pour 100, vos recruteurs et responsables du recrutement peuvent facilement collaborer et gérer les candidats afin que ces derniers se sentent soutenus et liés à votre entreprise à chaque étape du processus de recrutement.

5 clés pour une stratégie de gestion des talents réussie

La gestion des talents est devenue une préoccupation majeure des décideurs d’entreprise. Transformation digitale oblige, les nouvelles technologies jouent un rôle important dans la mise en place d’une stratégie efficiente, tant pour le recrutement que la rétention des collaborateurs. En effet, la gestion des talents couvre de nombreux processus : recrutement, intégration, gestion de la performance, mobilités… Pour une stratégie réussie, voici 5 conseils à suivre. Talent et gestion des talents sont deux choses différentes Pour réussir un projet de formation et de développement des talents, il est important de savoir de quoi il s’agit. Tout d’abord, la notion de ‘talent’ couvre différents aspects. Si pour les anglo-saxons, un talent est souvent assimilé au collaborateur, en France, il désigne souvent les ‘hauts potentiels’. Il est commun de définir la gestion des talents comme étant le processus pour attirer, développer et fidéliser les talents, et ce peu importe le sens donné à ce terme. Compte tenu des volumes de données collectées et disponibles, élaborer une stratégie de gestion des talents efficace ne peut être possible sans un système d’information adapté. Cette plateforme de gestion des talents (Talent Management System – TMS) est la première étape d’une stratégie plus globale. Un domaine plus riche qu’il n’y parait On note que 3 enjeux clés sont au cœur d’une stratégie de gestion des talents : l’engagement des talents ; le support à la performance opérationnelle des métiers et l’accompagnement de la transformation digitale de l’entreprise. Ces défis concernent d’ailleurs différentes parties prenantes de l’entreprise et on le sait, quand plus de personnes sont engagées, plus grand est le risque d’enlisement, notamment dans la prise décision. En effet, une plateforme TMS implique différents services tels que le recrutement, l’intégration des collaborateurs, la mobilité ou encore la formation. Autant de processus à intégrer dans la mise en œuvre dans la gestion des talents. Pour les responsables RH, il est donc primordial d’identifier les freins à l’implémentation d’une telle politique. De plus, en ayant une connaissance du contexte inhérent à leur entreprise, ils pourront anticiper les éventuels points de blocage au choix de la plateforme. Hiérarchiser les enjeux de la stratégie talent La diversité des enjeux liée à la stratégie des talents oblige l’entreprise à analyser les raisons qui la poussent à investir dans une plateforme TMS. Dans les faits, il existe un lien entre tous les 3 enjeux mentionnés ci-dessus. En effet, un salarié délaissé peut difficilement être performant et contribuer au développement de son entreprise. Tout comme, l’accompagnement offert aux collaborateurs dans la transformation digitale permet de les former et surtout de mieux les engager. L’engagement des talents étant lié à la personne, la performance opérationnelle à une équipe et la transformation digitale à l’ensemble de l’entreprise, la direction des ressources humaines doit les traiter simultanément. Le tout en mettant en évidence comment une action menée dans un registre aura un impact sur les deux autres. Choisir les processus à implémenter Il ne suffit pas uniquement de classer les enjeux, une démarche similaire doit être réalisée dans le choix des processus à implémenter dans la plateforme de gestion des talents. En effet, on observe souvent qu’un domaine a besoin d’être amélioré, soit parce qu’il est mal organisé, soit parce qu’il peut créer de la valeur ajoutée, notamment au regard des défis de l’organisation. Prenons l’exemple d’une entreprise qui se développe rapidement pour s’établir à l’international. Afin d’y faire face, le processus de recrutement sera le premier implémenté. Pour une autre, l’accent pourrait être mis sur la formation si elle doit améliorer ses compétences ou s’adapter à l’économie numérique. Seulement une stratégie de gestion des talents ne s’arrêtera pas à un seul processus car très vite d’autres composantes entreront en compte. Conseil : bien choisir le processus à implémenter et surtout, anticiper ceux qui suivront. Articuler stratégie et plateforme de gestion des talents La stratégie des talents ne se réduit pas à l’acquisition et la mise en place d’une solution technologique. Malheureusement, cette erreur souvent commise par la DRH est compréhensible car une plateforme correspond à une fonctionnalité, un budget ou une équipe. Toutefois, il ne s’agit pas de privilégier la stratégie au détriment de la plateforme, ou inversement, mais de mener les deux de front. En effet, une plateforme ne se limite pas uniquement à son utilisation quotidienne car, grâce à son évolution continue, elle permet d’anticiper les besoins à venir et d’identifier les tendances du marché. Tout comme le choix d’une plateforme se fait en fonction de la stratégie choisie par l’organisation. Cette complémentarité démontre bien l’intérêt qu’il y a d’ancrer les outils dans la stratégie business afin d’éviter que la DRH ne se mue en « fashion victimes » des dernières innovations sans réelle valeur ajoutée !

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Ces soft skills qui veulent devenir champions de lemployabilité

Après les hard skills qui correspondent aux compétences techniques ou académiques d’un collaborateur, les recruteurs s’intéressent depuis quelques temps aux soft skills. Ce terme représente principalement les compétences émotionnelles d’un candidat (ou collaborateur), désormais indispensables pour appréhender l’employabilité à l’ère du digital. Selon la dernière étude menée par le jobboard Monster, 52% des responsables RH français estiment, aujourd’hui, que les soft skills constituent un critère d’embauche déterminant. Du coup, les candidats n’hésitent pas à jouer à fond cette carte lors des entretiens. Or, si la notion de soft skills fait peu à peu son nid dans l’écosystème RH, il apparaît que l’idée de mobiliser des moyens pour les déceler et les faire évoluer reste encore vague. Faut-il alors réformer les politiques RH ? La réponse est oui. En effet, si l’on en croit le dernier rapport du World Economic Forum, The Future of Jobs, la croissance des entreprises en dépendrait même. L’étude pointe même l’urgence de composer avec des processus « L&D » (Learning & Development), appliqués à notre économie. Là où la mécanisation du travail avance à toute vitesse, les cours et autres formats de formation traditionnels sont questionnés. Pour favoriser l’employabilité au mieux, les professionnels des ressources humaines s’adaptent au nouveau marché et fixent maintenant des cadres de gestion des talents inédits. Avec une touche d’intelligence émotionnelle, empruntée aux soft skills. Le jeu en vaut la chandelle: selon une étude universitaire, les soft skills augmentent la productivité des collaborateurs de 12% et leur rétention de 10%. Question : quelles sont donc ces compétences transverses convoitées par les organisations ? Décryptage. Jouez de son intelligence émotionnelle Et si l’émotion influait également sur la vie professionnelle ? En entreprise, on appelle cela l’intelligence émotionnelle à savoir la capacité à comprendre, maîtriser ses émotions et celles des autres. Dans notre monde ultra-connecté et rapide, il est utile de reconnaître cet atout comme une compétence essentielle en entreprise. Chez les collaborateurs, on dit qu’elle influence la productivité. Lorsqu’elle est bien dosée et déployée, l’intelligence émotionnelle leur permet ainsi d’appréhender les ressentis de leurs collègues, ou de s’extirper de situations inconfortables. Par exemple lors d’un stress causé par un changement de projet ou par un client insatisfait. Dans ces cas précis, le rire et l'humour sont des remèdes naturels : les collaborateurs sont maîtres de leurs émotions, et naturellement moins anxieux. Du côté des gestionnaires RH, l’accompagnement des collaborateurs afin qu’ils développent cette compétence est donc important. Cela passe, notamment, par le fait de leur proposer des formations adaptées à leurs besoins, après évaluation de leur niveau d’intelligence émotionnelle. Travaillez en équipe Le travail en équipe et la communication entre collègues sont des éléments clés pour arriver à développer des collaborateurs engagés et productifs. L’arrivée de l’automatisation dans nos sociétés a permis de faire émerger des consensus intellectuels et ainsi, de renforcer les relations entre collaborateurs pour bâtir des projets. L’émergence d’une nouvelle génération de collaborateurs, travaillant aussi bien en remote (à distance) qu’en entreprise, oblige les responsables RH à recruter des profils qui possèdent de bonnes compétences en communication, d’appui aux équipes, et en gestion de conflits. Pour les entreprises, on estime que ce plan de recrutement est relativement avantageux : les équipes les plus productives sont les plus susceptibles d’accroitre les affaires. Ayez l’esprit critique Longtemps mis de côté par les organisations, l’esprit critique permet de prendre du recul sur ses propres réalisations, en les analysant d’un œil neuf. L’objectif est de mieux réussir à prendre des décisions, et orienter ses actions. La rapidité, la détermination, la créativité et l’organisation sont autant d’atouts que l’on adresse au collaborateur doté d’un esprit critique. Pour encourager cette compétence, on organise des débats où les collaborateurs sont exposés en temps réel à l’exercice de la pensée critique, dans un format questions/réponses par exemple. Mieux encore, certaines entreprises peuvent proposer des formations dédiées au développement de l’esprit critique. Soyez qualifié pour sortir des situations complexes Dans chaque secteur d’activité, les collaborateurs font face à des situations professionnelles complexes, qu’elles impliquent directement leurs métiers ou non. Pour arriver à les identifier et trouver une solution, il faut être qualifié. En entreprise, les employeurs ont le choix d’offrir des formations dédiées à la résolution de conflits ou de crises aux collaborateurs. Côté contenus, on sort les collaborateurs de leurs cadres d’activités et on choisit des formations sur la sensibilisation à un nouveau programme informatique, ou à une nouvelle politique d’entreprise par exemple. L’objectif : augmenter leur confiance en soi pour accroître leur créativité.

Comment BNP Paribas a choisi Content Anytime pour implémenter une stratégie de formation digitale engageante et sur-mesure

L’année 2020 est une année particulière à bien des égards, la crise sanitaire qui touche le monde redéfinit les enjeux de croissance des entreprises et les collaborateurs se voient obliger d’adopter une nouvelle normale qui bouscule le quotidien de chacun. La première période de confinement a permis de mettre en lumière les difficultés des entreprises en matière de digitalisation, ainsi ces dernières se sont vues dans l’obligation d’accélérer leurs projets de transformation numérique. Une opportunité pour les entreprises d’opérer des changements intrinsèques à l’organisation du travail, comme le montre la dernière étude de ServiceNow qui révèle que pour 76 % des collaborateurs français (contre 87 % au niveau mondial) leur entreprise a créé́ de meilleures méthodes de travail depuis le début de la crise. Pour le groupe bancaire international BNP Paribas et ses 200 000 collaborateurs dans le monde, le besoin de digitaliser les processus au sein de l’entreprise est un enjeu antérieur à la crise. BNP Paribas collabore notamment avec Cornerstone depuis plus de 3 ans à l’amélioration et la numérisation des processus RH. C’est ainsi tout naturellement que le groupe s’est tourné vers les solutions de Cornerstone lorsque le besoin de pouvoir apporter une offre de contenus de formation digitalisée à l’ensemble des collaborateurs est devenu crucial. La filiale anglaise du groupe est ainsi le premier pays à intégrer et proposer la plateforme Content Anytime, suivi de près par ses voisins européens. Content Anytime : un allier pour la transformation digitale des processus de formation Le groupe BNP Paribas était avant tout à la recherche d’une plateforme innovante, facile à implémenter et qui puisse répondre aux problématiques internationales et locales auxquelles fait face l’entreprise. Ces différences s’appliquent tout naturellement sur les besoins en termes de compétences selon les régions. Cette caractéristique particulière implique l’usage d’une plateforme qui propose une multitude de contenus, fréquemment mis à jour et disponibles en plusieurs langues. Le choix de Content Anytime a ainsi permis à BNP Paribas d’accélérer la transformation digitale de sa stratégie de formation, un plus étant donné l’arrivée des nouvelles générations au sein du groupe qui disposent d’un appétit particulier pour le digital. De plus, la technologie ‘Plug and Play’ de la plateforme a permis de faciliter l’implémentation et la prise en main par les collaborateurs leur permettant l’accès à une offre de contenus très large, sur plusieurs supports. Une singularité importante pour BNP Paribas pour qui il est primordial d’avoir la liberté de proposer du contenu qui reflète le quotidien des collaborateurs, l’époque actuelle ou encore la réalité du terrain en lien avec des thématiques fortes telles que le changement climatique, l’inclusion et la diversité ou encore la Covid-19. Pour engager et motiver les collaborateurs à faire bon usage de la plateforme Content Anytime, BNP Paribas s’est appuyée sur une fonction phare de la plateforme : la possibilité de proposer des playlists sur-mesure et personnalisables. Le groupe a ainsi eu la très bonne idée de communiquer sur différentes playlists en fonction de grandes thématiques telles que le leadership, les softs skills ou encore le bien-être des collaborateurs directement depuis les signatures emails. Défi majeur pour l’entreprise : s’assurer de l’engagement des collaborateurs Implémenter une nouvelle stratégie de formation orientée sur la digitalisation des processus et des outils ne peut fonctionner sans l’engagement des collaborateurs envers celle-ci. Le groupe BNP Paribas, soucieux du bien-être de ses collaborateurs, incite ces derniers à partager leurs avis sur la plateforme, sur le fond des contenus ainsi que sur leurs formats, un aspect essentiel pour capter l’attention. Le groupe préfère ainsi traquer la qualité des contenus disponibles pour s’assurer de la régularité de l’usage de Content Anytime. BNP Paribas signe ainsi un premier succès en facilitant l’accès au contenu de formation de n’importe où. Dernier succès marquant en date au sein du groupe, la filiale luxembourgeoise a décidé d’implémenter la plateforme Content Anytime aux prémices de la Covid-19, en mars dernier. La filiale avait ainsi pour ambition d’opter pour une stratégie de formation totalement digitale. En se basant sur les fonctionnalités de la plateforme Content Anytime, BNP Paribas Luxembourg propose un programme dédié à la formation en ligne, baptisé ‘Learnify’. Les collaborateurs peuvent naviguer sur la plateforme facilement à travers les différentes playlists proposées qui mettent en lumière les contenus les plus pertinents pour eux. Sept mois après la mise en place du programme, 40 % des collaborateurs de BNP Paribas Luxembourg ont déjà commencé le programme de formation en ligne. Un succès à suivre.

Compétences : la clé de voûte du recrutement interne et externe (avec CleverConnect)

Qu’il s'agisse de recrutement externe ou de mobilité interne, les compétences sont cruciales : pour éviter les erreurs de recrutement, pour recruter en interne plutôt qu’en externe, pour fidéliser les collaborateurs grâce à des parcours de mobilité.

Content Anytime : Faites connaissance avec les nouveaux partenaires français de contenus

L’apprentissage et la formation à la demande sont des atouts importants pour amélioration de l’engagement des collaborateurs. Ils sont davantage acteurs de leur propre développement et peuvent évoluer à leur rythme. Et dans l’Union européenne, cette tendance est de plus en plus marquée. L’année dernière, l’engouement pour l’offre Content Anytime a été multiplié par dix, soulignant la volonté qu’ont les entreprises de changer leur approche et le suivi des collaborateurs dans leur formation. Pour répondre à cette demande, Cornerstone a fédéré de nombreux partenaires à travers toute l’Europe afin de fournir à tous nos utilisateurs un contenu de formation à jour et de qualité. Nous vous présentons ici quelques-uns de ces nouveaux partenaires. ASBPublishing – Créée en 2004, ASBPublishing a réalisé plus de 2500 vidéos pour les professionnels de la formation, dont plus de 800 références disponibles sur leur site en streaming et intégrables directement sur la plateforme d’e-learning de leurs clients. Depuis 2018, l’offre de ASBPublising s’est étendue à la digitalisation des formations avec un service de conseil pédagogique et un LMS en marque blanche. Halifax Sales Performance – Halifax Consulting propose une gamme complète de services de conseil et de formations mixtes, pour accompagner la transformation des organisations et services commerciaux : remise à plat de l’organisation et des processus de vente, évaluation des vendeurs, formation et renforcement des ventes mixtes, gestion du changement. Basée à Paris, Halifax soutient ses clients BtoB dans le monde entier et compte parmi ces clients, Renault, Thales, Siemens, Dassault System, Deloitte, Saint-Gobain, BNP Paribas.... Kokoroe – L’objectif de Kokoroe : aider quiconque à développer les compétences qui seront nécessaires dans le monde de demain, d’une manière plus amusante, engageante et efficace. C’est ainsi qu’est né Kokoroe. Pour permettre aux apprenants de perfectionner leur savoir professionnel et de décrypter les évolutions rapides du monde dans lequel ils évoluent, Kokoroe met à jour son catalogue chaque semaine en lançant un nouveau sujet de formation. Les thèmes de formation se concentrent sur trois univers : les compétences relationnelles, les compétences commerciales et les nouvelles technologies. NETEXPLO – Netexplo est un observatoire qui décrypte les innovations technologiques et sociétales, qui vont impacter les entreprises et leur environnement, afin de les aider à s’adapter. La mission de Netexplo ? Détecter cette innovation Tech. Puis en sélectionner les aspects les plus remarquables, pour concevoir les tendances qui permettront de comprendre les enjeux de demain et de prendre les bonnes décisions aujourd’hui. Le tout sous forme de contenus digitalisés comme des académies, des magazines vidéo et autres. XOS – XOS a modélisé tous les types d’apprentissages à partir de cinq briques fondamentales qui permettent de déployer les formations en moins de trois semaines. Basées sur les principes des neurosciences, ces formations permettent de tripler le taux de mémorisation par rapport à un autre programme. Les briques fondamentales respectent des formats courts pour être mieux assimilées par les apprenants. Cela permet de réduire considérablement les temps de formation tout en étant plus efficace.

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Fonction RH, du support à limpulsion

« L’évolution permanente d’une espèce est nécessaire pour maintenir ses aptitudes suite aux évolutions des espèces avec lesquelles elle co-évolue ». Cette citation de Leigh Van Valen (biologiste évolutioniste américain de l'Université de Chicago, auteur de la théorie de la reine rouge) évoque peut-être pour certains d’entre vous ce petit jeu qui est apparu dans les années 70. Ce jeu (au sens mathématique du terme) appelé « Jeu de la vie », repose sur le fait qu’une cellule a deux états distincts : vivante ou morte ainsi que sur un nombre limité de règles qui s’appliquent à chaque état du jeu. Ces règles partent du principe que l’évolution d’une cellule est déterminée par l’état de ses huit cellules adjacentes, avec les règles suivantes : Si une cellule morte (une case vide) a trois cellules vivantes, elle nait. Si une cellule vivante a deux ou trois cellules vivantes à proximité, elle reste vivante Dans les autres cas, elle meurt. Le jeu est donc de savoir positionner ses cellules vivantes de manière à ce que l’organisme se développe et vive le plus longtemps possible. (source : https://www.jeulin.net/automates/automate.html) Mais que viennent faire la parole d’un biologiste et la description d’un automate cellulaire (qui malgré des règles simples est un système formel Turing-complet pour ceux ayant quelques notions d’informatique) dans un blog consacré aux RH me direz-vous ? En fait, tout. Tout car ils illustrent de manière simple la complexité de la gestion du changement dans nos organisations et l’un de ses paramètres les plus complexes à appréhender, ce qui explique que dans de grands élans volontaristes certains balayent ces paramètres d’un revers de la main ou font semblant de les oublier : la prise en compte des interactions dans l’environnement. L’évolution de la fonction RH ne peut se concevoir seule, indépendamment de son biotope qu’est l’entreprise. ela étant posé, peut-on croire aveuglément en ces articles qui nous ressassent ad nauseam que la fonction RH est à la croisée des chemins, qu’il lui faut choisir entre évoluer ou mourir, qu’elle est en retard sur sa digitalisation, oubliant que la fonction RH évolue tant bien que mal dans un environnement et qu’elle est à l’image de son « biotope » ? Mais alors pourquoi ne trouve-t-on que rarement des articles expliquant que la finance ou la comptabilité sont en retard sur leur digitalisation, etc… ? Ce n’est en fait pas si simple, l’évolution de la fonction RH et son niveau de sophistication au regard de l’évolution de l’entreprise se pose ainsi en des termes bien plus complexes que le projet d’informatiser ou de digitaliser certains processus ou la fonction en entier. Comme dans le jeu de la vie, n’est-ce pas à la fonction RH à positionner les actions sur le terrain (de jeu) pour gagner ? La fonction RH ne peut contrairement à ce qu’on lit en d’autres endroits se limiter à être un animateur de talents et de potentiels, sous peine, le parallèle est osé, d’effondrement par étouffement. Il s’agit de savoir replacer correctement la fonction dans son écosystème et de créer de nouvelles règles d’interaction entre la fonction RH et les autres fonctions de l’entreprise, ainsi que celles, souvent moins formalisées entre chacun des acteurs de la fonction et ceux qui en sont les parties prenantes. Malheureusement les cellules adjacentes à la fonction RH sont bien plus nombreuses que dans le jeu de la vie et les règles de développement ne sont pas aussi simples. Du support à la souplesse … Il nous faut donc être très attentif aux évolutions de fonctionnement et d’organisation, des techniques et procédés des autres services. C’est ainsi que nous pourrons concevoir une véritable écologie de la fonction RH, une fonction qui évoluera alors en symbiose avec son environnement. En tenant compte des évolutions des uns et des autres, en se dotant d’outils adéquats (technologiques ou non) et en les ajustant aux besoins réels des acteurs, sans tomber dans les effets de mode, la fonction se dotera alors des caractéristiques d’une fonction plus agile, bien plus qu’une fonction support. De la souplesse à l’impulsion Si l’on veut continuer les parallèles avec l’univers des jeux, Aaron Nimzowitscz dans « Mon système » et son jeu positionnel, considéré comme une avancée décisive dans le monde des échecs a mis en avant l’importance du placement des pièces et de l’occupation de l’espace sur l’échiquier. Pour la fonction RH, son implication stratégique, sa vision des métiers deviendront, plus encore, les facteurs clefs lui permettant de se positionner pour devenir progressivement une fonction d’impulsion. C’est ainsi qu’avec une agilité, ou plutôt une souplesse renforcée, qu’avec des outils adaptés et des professionnels experts que la fonction RH deviendra la garantie de l’adaptabilité et de de la survie de l’entreprise. Cette ambition est-elle si éloignée de celle de la phrase de Leigh Van Valen et ces pratiques si différentes de celles du jeu de la vie ? Alors jouons et apprenons à nous jouer de la complexité, elle est la clef de notre intelligence.

Gestion de la performance : Contribution individuelle

Qui doit estimer, selon quel référentiel, et comment, la performance individuelle d’un collaborateur ? Cornerstone podcast #autourdestalents épisode N°3

Je nai pas eu daugmentation depuis cinq ans

« Je travaille pour la même entreprise depuis plus de 25 ans et je n’ai pas reçu d’augmentation depuis cinq ans. Le PDG ne cesse de nous dire que l’entreprise ne gagne pas d’argent, et il remet en doute la motivation de ses équipes. Mais il a été vu récemment au volant d’un nouveau 4X4. » Ce type de témoignage est aujourd’hui courant. Selon les derniers chiffres disponibles de l’INSEE, publiés en décembre 2020, le revenu annuel moyen des Français a reculé de 0,1% en 2017, après trois années de faible croissance à 0,8% par an. Si l’employeur est totalement libre de fixer les grilles de rémunération de ses salariés, il est tenu d’une part de respecter le SMIC ou les minima conventionnels fixés par un accord de branche ou d’entreprise, et de répercuter les augmentations des planchers salariaux. D’autre part, il doit tenir compte du principe d’égalité professionnelle : à travail égal, salaire égal. Un collaborateur constatant qu’un collègue affichant les mêmes responsabilités et la même ancienneté a bénéficié d’une augmentation, alors que lui non, peut saisir le Conseil des prud’hommes. Par ailleurs, depuis un arrêt du 6 mai 2015 de la Cour de Cassation, l’employeur est contraint de justifier toute augmentation… ou absence d’augmentation. Si le texte précise que l’employeur n’est pas dans l’obligation d’augmenter l’ensemble de ses collaborateurs de la même manière, il doit tout de même motiver ses choix en mettant en avant des « éléments vérifiables ». En clair, il doit prouver que l’augmentation est fixée sur la base de critères tangibles plutôt qu’arbitrairement. En outre, l’employeur est tenu d’organiser avec chaque salarié un entretien professionnel tous les 2 ans. Tous les 6 ans, cet entretien est l’occasion de faire le point sur les formations suivies, mais aussi sur l’évolution professionnelle et salariale. S’il s’avère que vous n’avez reçu aucune formation au cours des 6 dernières années (et les formations obligatoires ne comptent pas), l’employeur doit verser 3 000 € sur votre compte personnel de formation. Ce n’est pas une augmentation, mais c’est une compensation qui peut être utile si vous souhaitez aller voir ailleurs ! L’augmentation salariale est rarement automatique Dans l’exemple cité plus haut, la meilleure attitude consisterait en effet à actualiser son C.V., trouver un nouvel emploi et donner sa démission. Dans cet ordre. Un chef d’entreprise qui n’accorde pas d’augmentation pendant cinq ans, se plaint du manque d’argent tout en affichant de manière ostentatoire ses achats et ne voit pas que son comportement décourage ses équipes, n’est malheureusement pas prêt de changer. Bien sûr, la première chose à faire est de solliciter officiellement cette augmentation – qui comme on l’a vu n’est pas forcément automatique. A moins que le salarié ait déjà atteint le sommet de l’échelle de rémunération de sa profession et ne soit donc pas en mesure de gagner plus d’argent, même ailleurs. Les salaires sont fixés en fonction des taux du marché et si vous êtes déjà tout en haut de l’échelle, vous ne pouvez aller plus loin. Le chef d’entreprise pense qu’il fait une faveur à ses collaborateurs : quelle bonté, n’est-ce pas, de vous offrir un emploi ? A l’évidence, les patrons de PME prennent des risques. Mais ils ne le font pas « par bonté ». Ils le font parce que c’est le seul moyen de réaliser des profits. Ce patron cité en exemple n’aurait pas acheté ce nouveau 4x4 et ce nouveau bateau sans ses collaborateurs. Certes, il leur propose des emplois, mais les salariés contribuent à la prospérité de l’entreprise. Le turnover coûte très cher aux entreprises Il peut être effrayant de partir à la recherche d’un nouvel emploi – après tout, 25 ans se sont écoulés… et comme dit l’adage : « Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras ». Mais la plupart des entreprises sont en réalité heureuses de compter sur des salariés compétents et de les gratifier en conséquence. Se renseigner ne coûte rien et si rien ne se présente dans l’immédiat, au fond, rien ne presse. Quant au chef de cette entreprise, on peut lui recommander d’augmenter immédiatement le salaire de ses collaborateurs – ne serait-ce que pour compenser la hausse du coût de la vie de ces cinq dernières années. On peut lui conseiller également de consulter un expert des finances pour un audit de ses activités. S’il a financé ces achats grâce aux profits de l’entreprise, sa responsabilité est de chercher un conseil extérieur. Pourquoi ? En n’investissant pas dans ses talents, il n’investit pas dans son entreprise. On peut supposer que de nombreux collaborateurs pensent à quitter cette entreprise après avoir été traité de la sorte. Mais le turnover coûte très cher aux entreprises – et certainement beaucoup plus cher qu’un 4x4 dernier cri. Remplacer quelqu’un affichant plus de 25 années d’expérience est particulièrement coûteux. Globalement, ce chef d’entreprise prend de mauvaises décisions en fonction de son plaisir à court terme. Nul doute qu’il subira un sérieux retour de manivelle. Ce billet a été initialement mis en ligne en décembre 2018 et actualisé en avril 2021.

La diversité en entreprise : comment instaurer une stratégie RH plus éthique ?

La diversité et l’inclusion sont les premiers facteurs qui permettent d’évaluer la réussite et la performance d’une organisation, selon une récente étude conduite par le cabinet Deloitte. Pour 80 % des DRH et dirigeants d’entreprise, ces critères qui garantissent une représentation équilibrée des collaborateurs se révèlent être des avantages compétitifs. Malgré ces résultats enthousiastes, les entreprises rencontrent encore aujourd’hui des difficultés à mettre en place des politiques d’égalité et de transparence. Un travail à mettre en place sur le long terme qui ne dispose pas de solutions miracles. Cependant, il est important pour les décideurs RH de prendre en compte certaines notions, dès à présent, pour implémenter au mieux ces stratégies futures. Développer et mettre en avant la marque-employeur de l’entreprise La marque-employeur de l’entreprise joue un rôle prépondérant sur l’image perçue par les acteurs externes (candidats, partenaires, clients…), il est donc essentiel de bien définir les messages à faire passer. Un travail qui ne concerne pas uniquement les équipes marketing et communication - le département RH de l’entreprise doit également être impliqué, au plus haut niveau. En amont du processus de recrutement, il est important de faire le point sur les offres d’emploi disponibles : le vocabulaire employé est-il le bon ? Les messages adressés reflètent-ils les valeurs éthiques de l’entreprise ? Les candidats doivent arriver à voir que l’entreprise est engagée et que cette dernière promet l’égalité des chances en termes d’opportunités. Si la compréhension des valeurs de l’entreprise est erronée par une mauvaise communication, il est fort probable que certains candidats ne poursuivent pas le processus de recrutement. Il est également indispensable pour les décideurs RH d’adapter la stratégie de recrutement, notamment avec la rémunération. En effet, en prenant compte les inégalités salariales qui augmentent chaque année en France, depuis le Mardi 5 Novembre, les femmes ne sont plus rémunérées pour le travail effectué. Une partie du problème réside dans l’état d’esprit actuel qui régit le monde du travail. En effet, à poste égal, une femme accepterait un emploi pour un salaire donné alors qu’un homme serait plus enclin à demander le double de celui-ci. Si l’employeur encourage cette pensée, l’écart de salaire sera toujours plus important. Il faut donc définir le salaire approprié en fonction du poste et des compétences requises et sans prendre en compte le genre du candidat. Miser sur l’existant pour développer une stratégie RH plus éthique Implémenter une stratégie de recrutement éthique est un premier pas vers l’égalité au sein de l’entreprise. Cependant, pour instaurer plus de diversité entre les collaborateurs, il est essentiel de prendre en compte l’existant et de pérenniser les collaborateurs déjà en poste. Les décideurs RH qui réalisent un état des lieux des égalités et inégalités, notamment salariales au sein de leur entreprise, pensent à tort que l’unique réponse aux écarts constatés sera comblée par une campagne de recrutement en faveur de la diversité. Or, les stratégies RH doivent également se concentrer sur le développement des opportunités internes, accessibles en premier lieu à leurs collaborateurs, et ainsi améliorer leur quotidien. Les décideurs RH doivent, par exemple, définir clairement les objectifs à atteindre pour les collaborateurs qui souhaitent être promus. Et ainsi, communiquer sur les critères correspondants à l’ensemble de l’entreprise, pour assurer un traitement unifié et égal pour tous. L’entreprise doit faire preuve de transparence lorsqu’il s’agit de rémunération et de promotions afin que les collaborateurs puissent être récompensés sur une base éthique et non en fonction du sexe, de l'origine ethnique ou de leurs antécédents. Créer l’engagement et la motivation au sein des collaborateurs de l’entreprise Développer une nouvelle culture d’entreprise implique de faire évoluer les mentalités au sein même des collaborateurs. Les fonctions RH ont, ici, un rôle à jouer, notamment par le biais de la formation. Cependant, la résistance au changement est aujourd’hui bien présente en entreprise, ce qui représente un défi supplémentaire. Dans ces circonstances, il est essentiel de savoir communiquer et ainsi, permettre aux collaborateurs d'exprimer leurs préoccupations et de faire comprendre les raisons de ce changement. La mise en place d’une politique RH basée davantage sur la diversité implique des changements au sein même de la structure de l’entreprise. Il est donc primordial que toutes les parties prenantes soient impliquées sur ce projet. Le rôle de la fonction RH est de créer l’engagement et susciter l’intérêt des collaborateurs pour faire avancer la culture d’entreprise.

Les 5 profils du recruteur 3.0

Le marché du travail se fracture, se diversifie et le rapport de force entre recruteur et candidat n’est plus le même. Ce qui fonctionnait à merveille autrefois peut soudainement devenir obsolète. D’autant plus que, depuis la crise sanitaire où la distanciation sociale a accéléré, le tout digital est devenu une nécessité. Dans cette conjecture évolutive, les Ressources Humaines doivent apprendre à se réinventer et à trouver de nouveaux modèles d’inspiration en vue d’élaborer une approche du recrutement 3.0 plus agile et plus dynamique. L’objectif est le même, conserver, attirer et conserver les talents de demain. Voici les 5 nouveaux rôles clés du responsable RH identifiés par Cornerstone OnDemand pour donner une cure de jouvence au métier. Le chasseur Il ne suffit plus d’envoyer une annonce sur LinkedIn ou sur les sites d’emploi pour trouver le candidat idéal. Il faut « chasser » les talents, mettre tout en œuvre pour se constituer un vivier de talents actif et l’animer. Alors, comment procède le chasseur ? Tout d’abord, il identifie sa cible. En tant que recruteur, il faut donc adapter sa méthode pour aller chercher les meilleurs talents où ils se trouvent. Les recruteurs peuvent aller chercher plus loin, sur d’autres terrains de chasse, notamment par l’intermédiaire des collaborateurs. Aujourd’hui, il est essentiel de pouvoir atteindre son audience à savoir les talents que l’on cible et sur tous métiers. Et enfin, il ne faut pas oublier que les candidats aussi sont aussi à l’affût des meilleures opportunités. C’est pourquoi, l’entreprise doit être la plus attractive possible grâce à une stratégie de contenus afin de capter l’attention de ses futures recrues. Attention à rester fidèle avec l’image interne de l’entreprise. L’agriculteur Pour les recruteurs, cela signifie utiliser le plus efficacement possible les relations publiques, la stratégie de marque, les réseaux sociaux, le bouche-à-oreille pour à la fois capter de nouveaux profils mais aussi pour engager les collaborateurs. Ils deviennent alors les ambassadeurs de marque et contribuent à faire germer l’idée que votre entreprise est le terrain idéal pour grandir professionnellement. Du côté des collaborateurs, l’une des priorités doit être de les chouchouter. Replanter des arbustes qui sont déjà sur vos terres est parfois plus rentable et plus efficace que d’aller faire des semis sur de nouveaux territoires. Cela booste également le moral et l’engagement des collaborateurs lorsqu’ils sont valorisés en interne. Pour ce qui est du recrutement de nouveaux talents – l’entretien et le processus d’intégration – est absolument cruciale. Ainsi, si l’entretien et/ou l’intégration ne sont pas adaptés ou présentent des difficultés, ces collaborateurs prendront une autre direction. Selon une étude récente, 41 % des personnes interrogées ont indiqué avoir quitté un poste dans les six premiers mois, dont 15 % parce qu’elles ne se sont pas senties bien accueillies. Il faut proposer une expérience candidat de qualité. L’inventeur La créativité a du bon, particulièrement lorsqu’il s’agit de trouver de nouvelles recrues éloignées des standards habituels. En tant que recruteur, s’inspirer de cette logique apporte à l’entreprise les esprits créatifs qui remettront en cause les conventions et favoriseront le changement. En effet, quand on associe différentes perspectives, caractéristiques, opinions et expériences, on obtient de nouvelles idées, davantage d’innovation et une plus grande créativité. L’étude IDC réalisée par Cornerstone montre d’ailleurs que les entreprises les plus novatrices ont souvent les politiques de recrutement les plus éclairées. Pour elles, la capacité à « penser en diagonale » est le critère le plus important et ces entreprises font davantage jouer la diversité que la moyenne des entreprises européennes. L’ingénieur Gérer les talents et les collaborateurs impliquent de plus en plus l’utilisation de la technologie. En particulier pour les grandes entreprises ou en pleine croissance et où les processus vont se complexifier et de nouvelles fonctions vont apparaître : traitement des contacts, réseaux sociaux ou encore analyse de données. L’automatisation des tâches simples, à faible valeur ajoutée, est de plus en plus courante grâce à l’utilisation de l’Intelligence Artificielle. Elle permet de dégager du temps pour des tâches essentielles nécessitant des compétences comportementales. Au-delà de celles-ci, s’ajoutent les compétences jusqu’à présent réservées à des services tels que l’informatique – qui couplées au recrutement permet l’élaboration d’algorithmes et critères de recherche pertinents pour trouver les meilleurs candidats. L’artiste Chaque entreprise, peu importe sa taille a besoin d’une vision pour avancer – et cela ne peut venir que d’en haut. Le gérant ou fondateur doit jouer le rôle de l’artiste qui peint le portrait de l’entreprise, ce qu’elle fait, ses valeurs et sa direction. Parce qu’aujourd’hui les candidats ne s’intéressent pas seulement à l’intitulé du poste et à la rémunération. Ils veulent connaitre l’entreprise et quelles sont ses valeurs. Si cette culture d’entreprise sonne faux ou ne transparaît pas dans son ADN, les nouvelles recrues s’en apercevront rapidement et chercheront un poste dans une entreprise fidèle à leurs idéaux. En tant que professionnel des ressources humaines cette vision de l’artiste est un outil essentiel qui permettra de vendre l’entreprise à des candidats potentiels et aux collaborateurs. Si elle est claire, attractive et cohérente, elle motivera, enthousiasmera et suscitera l’engagement de tous vers un objectif commun.

Les mad skills qui vous font sortir du lot !

Les mad skills, kézako ? Le concept de mad skills nous vient tout droit de la Silicon Valley, à l’affût d’innovations et de profils singuliers. Il désigne littéralement les « compétences folles », autrement dit nos aptitudes atypiques. Il peut s’agir d’une passion sportive, d’un loisir qui sort des sentiers battus ou même d’un parcours singulier. Les mad skills peuvent révéler une créativité décapante, un leadership hors norme, ou même une persévérance à toute épreuve. Ces derniers agissent comme des révélateurs de nos traits de personnalité. La fin des employés modèles ? Alors que 85% des métiers qui seront exercés dans dix ans n’existent pas encore [1], il devient de plus en plus crucial de miser sur ces fameux mad skills. A l’heure où il faut imaginer les innovations de demain et repenser les process internes, les profils atypiques ont le vent en poupe ! Bons diplômes, bonnes écoles… pendant longtemps, les profils sécurisants et présentant sur le papier peu de risques, ont constitué le gros du bataillon des recrutements. Aujourd’hui, plutôt que de créer des fabriques de candidats modèles, il est devenu essentiel de diversifier ses équipes et de se doter de profils atypiques. Exit l’ère des profils lisses et ultra-conformistes ! Il est temps d’oser… et de sortir de sa zone de confort. La carte sésame pour sortir du lot A candidat égal, ce sont les fameux mad skills qui peuvent faire la différence. L’époque où le recruteur survolait la traditionnelle case « loisirs » du CV est révolue. Il est temps d’oublier le triptyque « lecture, cinéma, voyages » et de cesser de passer sous silence ses particularités, ses talents cachés ou ses aptitudes originales. Il s’agit de mettre en avant sa personnalité différenciante et d’en finir avec le mythe du « bon petit soldat ». Le graal : Le trio hard, soft et mad skills Alors, les mad skills sonnent-ils le glas des hard skills et des softs skills ? Pas du tout ! En réalité, c’est le trio hard, soft et mad skills qui fait du sens. Sans compétence technique, sans compétence humaine, les mad skills ne font que peu de sens. Aucune entreprise ne souhaite recruter dans ses rangs un trublion, dépourvu de tout bagage métier ou de toute aptitudes humaines. Il faut donc présenter le juste équilibre ! Les contenus Kokoroé sont disponibles sur Cornerstone Content Anytime.

L’impact du digital sur le processus de recrutement

de MARKESS by exægis pour Cornerstone

McDonald's France refait ses procédures de recrutement et de son site carrière.

Meliá Hotels International: Offrir une expérience d'apprentissage tout-en-un

Meliá Hotels International est l'un des plus grands groupes hôteliers mondiaux et le premier en Espagne. Au cours de ses 64 ans d'existence, le groupe Meliá est resté fidèle à ses origines dans le secteur de l'hôtellerie, un domaine qui continue à promouvoir l'innovation et cultiver le sentiment d'engagement envers ses clients et ses collaborateurs. L'accueil constituant par nature le cœur de son activité, Meliá accorde la priorité aux personnes et aux expériences, en particulier lorsqu'il s'agit de ses collaborateurs. Mais sa présence internationale place la société face à des problématiques qui lui imposent de suivre le parcours de chaque collaborateur tout en s'adaptant aux priorités locales. Cherchant prioritairement à améliorer l'expérience des collaborateurs, Meliá a parallèlement cherché une solution capable de transformer l'apprentissage afin de répondre à ses besoins spécifiques et de favoriser l'employabilité de ses collaborateurs et leur contribution au sein de l'entreprise et dans le secteur du tourisme. Pourquoi Cornerstone ? Meliá cherchait un système LMS capable de gérer des programmes de formation pour tous les collaborateurs, au niveau local et au niveau mondial, et proposant tout un éventail de contenus de formation, en ligne ou en présentiel, répondant aux besoins de tous les apprenants. Le système devait être utilisable sur les appareils mobiles, puisque de nombreux collaborateurs de Meliá ne travaillent pas assis à un bureau, et également offrir une expérience utilisateur simple en adéquation avec les besoins de l'entreprise. Si la solution Cornerstone Learning était en mesure de proposer à Meliá un système de formation unique, elle a également fourni une multitude d'outils modernes impressionnants permettant d'améliorer le parcours de carrière des collaborateurs et de créer une expérience fluide pour l'équipe RH. Grâce à des fonctionnalités telles que la création automatique de rapports, aux formations mixtes et à la plateforme de collaboration sociale, ainsi qu'à l'interface attractive du système, Cornerstone a gagné sa place pour relever le défi Meliá. Après avoir rigoureusement évalué et comparé 12 éditeurs différents, Meliá a choisi Cornerstone pour transformer son système d'e-learning et améliorer l'expérience des collaborateurs. Pourquoi Accenture ? Grâce à son partenariat avec Accenture, Meliá a réussi à lancer rapidement sa plateforme LMS dédiée, eMeliá, en six mois seulement, pour plus de 15 000 collaborateurs dans le monde. Nous avons adopté une approche hybride reposant sur la méthodologie agile itérative d'Accenture et la méthodologie en 4 étapes de Cornerstone (découverte, conception, mise en œuvre et déploiement). La rapidité de mise en œuvre a été possible grâce aux Accenture Accelerators, qui incluent un pack de démarrage, des outils de migration et Cornerstone for Accenture, une planification détaillée, la documentation clé, le tout soutenu et approuvé par Cornerstone. Cette approche inclut un investissement conséquent pour l'innovation qui permet de favoriser une adoption rapide par les administrateurs et les collaborateurs, par le biais de guides interactifs et de chatbots. Les résultats La soif d'apprendre : Depuis le lancement, les pages eMeliá comptabilisent plus de quatre millions de vues et les collaborateurs ont eu recours à plus de 267 888 heures de formation sur la plateforme. Au cours du premier mois seulement, les collaborateurs ont suivi 5 333 modules de formation, un chiffre qui est passé à 313 398 en quelques mois. Grâce à Cornerstone, la formation est désormais légion auprès des collaborateurs Meliá qui les intègrent au quotidien dans leurs différentes tâches. Connexion renforcée avec les collaborateurs : Si la plateforme eMeliá a encouragé la formation des collaborateurs, elle a également servi d'espace sécurisé pour leur permettre d'échanger avec leurs collègues et leurs responsables. Cette tendance a été particulièrement marquée au cours de la pandémie de coronavirus, lorsque Meliá a lancé son programme mondial « Stay Safe with Meliá » proposant une formation aux normes sanitaires et de sécurité très strictes post-COVID-19. De par sa présence mondiale, Meliá Hotels International s'est toujours appuyé sur l'excellence de son équipe pour offrir une expérience optimale à ses clients ; eMeliá a ainsi joué un rôle clé en veillant à parfaitement préparer les équipes dans le monde entier. Le programme a également pris en compte le stress et les tensions des collaborateurs liés à la pandémie et a inclus une section consacrée à leur bienêtre émotionnel. Pendant cette période, eMeliá comptait en moyenne 17 984 utilisateurs actifs par mois, contre 1 000 les mois précédents. Une expérience améliorée pour les collaborateurs : Pour Meliá, quatre grandes phases définissent l'expérience des collaborateurs : attirer, intégrer, réaliser et développer. Depuis le lancement de la plateforme eMeliá, les collaborateurs se sentent désormais responsables de leur propre parcours professionnel chez Meliá et sont mieux informés des opportunités qui s'offrent à eux au sein de l'entreprise. Par conséquent, Meliá propose désormais 70 % de ses postes vacants en interne, ce qui améliore encore les parcours professionnels au sein même de l'entreprise et permet aux collaborateurs de pleinement exploiter leur potentiel.

Quelle stratégie de contenu pour développer des leaders agiles ?

Les stratégies de leadership traditionnelles étant remises en question, les leaders agiles doivent inspirer la productivité par de nouvelles méthodes de travail et des actions de leadership adaptées. Mais comment doter vos managers des compétences critiques dont ils ont besoin pour diriger et inspirer à travers les perturbations ? Dans ce Content Café, nous discutons avec Cegos et Bureau Veritas des raisons pour lesquelles il est critique de développer des leaders aguerris et agiles pour vous aider à naviguer dans l'incertitude. Pourquoi un leadership agile est si important ? Comment développer une stratégie de contenu efficace pour doter vos leaders des compétences fondamentales pour motiver, engager et gérer des équipes ? Les formats de formation les plus efficaces, y compris un aperçu du nouveau format « My Story » de Cegos - une série de vidéos immersives sur le leadership et le management. Les tendances de formation que nous observons chez nos clients et les types de contenus consommés le plus. Nous vous invitons à consulter ces sites pour en savoir plus sur My Story de Cegos et sur l'abonnement Content Anytime - Direction et management de Cornerstone.

TalentLink. Le choix du Smart Recruiter.

TalentLink Overview Demo | The Smarter Choice for Resilient TA

Parés pour l'avenir : guide à l'intention des leaders en gestion des talents façonnant le nouveau monde du travail

« Une situation sans précédent. » « Un monde du travail en mutation. » « La grande réinitialisation. » Ces expressions reviennent sans cesse dans l'actualité. Et c'est vrai : la pandémie de COVID-19 et d'autres événements mondiaux ont radicalement changé comment nous travaillons, où nous travaillons et ce que les employés attendent du travail. À bien des égards, c'est une bonne chose, car une évolution de notre façon de travailler était prévisible depuis longtemps. Alors que nous sommes à l'aube d'une 5e révolution industrielle, les employés reprennent le chemin du travail après la période de changement la plus intense que le monde moderne ait jamais connue. Cela signifie que les entreprises font également face à une occasion en or de repenser le travail de façon plus consensuelle. Et l'avenir du travail repose aujourd'hui entièrement dans les mains des RH et des leaders en gestion des talents. Comme aucun autre chef d'entreprise, les leaders en gestion des talents ont toutes les cartes en main pour réinventer le lieu de travail d'aujourd'hui et de demain. En tant qu'acteur du changement, vous êtes face à une opportunité en or de donner à une main-d'œuvre plus connectée, plus collaborative et parée pour l'avenir tout ce dont elle a besoin pour réussir. L'avenir appartient aux entreprises ayant le courage et la mentalité nécessaires pour réinventer leur façon de travailler. Pour parer votre organisation et votre personnel pour l'avenir, avec agilité, résilience et alignement ainsi que des objectifs communs, vous devez offrir une expérience connectée porteuse de valeur pour les individus et un environnement conçu pour stimuler la croissance et la réussite collectives. ​ Cette occasion de repenser notre façon de travailler et de rechercher ce qui est possible ne se représentera peut-être plus jamais. Ne la gâchons pas. Pour vous guider, nous avons demandé à des professionnels des RH du monde entier, ainsi qu'à des leaders d'opinion renommés travaillant dans des entreprises comme The Josh Bersin Company, The Fosway Group et bien d'autres, de nous donner leur avis sur la reconstruction d'un monde du travail porteur d'un avenir meilleur pour tous. Et cela pourrait bien vous donner une nouvelle perspective de l'approche du travail dans votre entreprise. Avec ses stratégies éprouvées, ses statistiques révélatrices et ses exemples pratiques, ce guide vous apportera les informations et l'inspiration dont vous avez besoin pour préparer l'avenir. Vous apprendrez pourquoi (et comment) vous devriez : faire de l'apprentissage un pilier du développement des employés et de l'entreprise ; mesurer la réussite à la lumière des compétences ; connecter le développement des compétences à un parcours de carrière ; et laisser l'intelligence artificielle (IA) faire le plus gros du travail. Téléchargez le guide dès maintenant pour découvrir comment reconstruire un lieu de travail qui permette à chacun de s'adapter, de se développer et de réussir !

Cornerstone Xplor walk-through - FR

Le monde du travail a besoin d'une nouvelle approche pour aider les employés à améliorer leurs compétences. Cornerstone Xplor vous aide à acquérir les bonnes informations et les bons outils pour créer un environnement de travail qui favorise l'épanouissement au travail. Avec Cornerstone Xplor, vous pouvez bénéficier d'un système de travail davantage connecté et progressif proposant une expérience hautement personnalisée qui permet à chacun de s'adapter, de progresser et de réussir – ensemble.

Valoriser le potentiel humain à l'ère de l'agilité

Aujourd'hui, le plus grand obstacle rencontré par les dirigeants consiste à accompagner le changement face à l'incertitude, puis à le transformer en opportunité. Cela demande à votre entreprise de s'axer sur les nouvelles priorités commerciales, d'évaluer et de développer les compétences essentielles et, en retour, d'accroître son agilité face au changement afin de construire un avenir durable. Les résultats obtenus par les entreprises agiles sont tangibles : Performance financière : amélioration de 20 à 30 % Satisfaction des clients : augmentation de +10 à +30 points Engagement des collaborateurs : augmentation de +20 à +30 points Performance opérationnelle : amélioration de 30 à 50 % Pour créer une organisation agile et adaptative, vous avez besoin de stratégies de gestion des talents modernes, capables de s'adapter à l'évolution des priorités afin d'optimiser le potentiel de la main-d'œuvre et de permettre à vos collaborateurs de pérenniser leur carrière. Comment les clients Cornerstone du monde entier favorisent l'agilité organisationnelle Dans cet e-book, vous apprendrez comment les clients Cornerstone du monde entier utilisent des contenus attrayants et des parcours d'apprentissage personnalisés pour identifier et combler les lacunes en matière de compétences, et pour relier l'apprentissage au développement professionnel et à la réussite de l'entreprise. Plus précisément, vous apprendrez comment : Deutsche Post DHL étend le développement des compétences grâce à l'intelligence artificielle Pret a Manger place l'humain au centre de la réussite de l'entreprise Clif Bar réaffirme son engagement en faveur de l'auto-formation Electrolux optimise son impact commercial via la formation des collaborateurs, des partenaires et des clients Téléchargez l'e-book dès aujourd'hui pour savoir comment utiliser les stratégies modernes de gestion des talents afin d'accélérer l'agilité de votre personnel et aider votre organisation et vos collaborateurs à prospérer.

Développer les compétences pour le futur du travail

Le monde du travail a évolué et les modes d'évolution des collaborateurs doivent faire de même. Entreprises et collaborateurs ont besoin d'approfondir leur vision en matière de compétences, de savoir comment progresser et ce qui peut les aider à parcourir ce chemin. Cornerstone Xplor fournit des expériences personnalisées qui favorisent l'acquisition de compétences et la croissance dont votre entreprise a besoin pour conserver toute sa compétitivité. Téléchargez cette fiche technique pour savoir comment créer des connexions entre vos collaborateurs, vos ressources et les opportunités destinées à l'ensemble de vos effectifs grâce à l'IA des compétences intégrée à Cornerstone Xplor.

Des collaborateurs résilients et qualifiés

Notre façon de vivre, de travailler, de socialiser et d'apprendre est en train de changer. Les compétences et les postes évoluent rapidement. Le développement des talents exige aujourd'hui davantage de flexibilité pour répondre à l'évolution du travail et des compétences. Pour assurer la réussite de votre entreprise, vous avez donc besoin d'un nouveau modèle qui procure aux collaborateurs les outils nécessaires pour définir et développer des objectifs et des parcours de croissance pertinents. Cornerstone Xplor est ce modèle. Téléchargez ce rapport pour en savoir plus sur Cornerstone Xplor et comment il révolutionne la façon dont les entreprises et leurs collaborateurs apprennent, progressent et font évoluer leurs compétences.

4 ingrédients pour réussir un onboarding à distance

Le premier confinement, au printemps 2020, a contraint nombre d’entreprises à envisager l’inenvisageable : recruter et intégrer un collaborateur sans jamais le rencontrer ! Quelques pionniers du numérique avaient pourtant déjà expérimenté cette pratique avant la crise. Depuis, beaucoup d’entreprises ont franchi le pas et de nombreux retours d’expérience sont disponibles. Nous en avons extrait 4 ingrédients qui nous paraissent indispensables pour bien réussir un onboarding à distance. L’intégration d’un collaborateur correspond à une phase cruciale et délicate : c’est le moment où les promesses échangées lors du recrutement sont mises à l’épreuve du réel. Selon cadremploi, un cadre sur 3 a déjà démissionné suite à une mauvaise intégration ! En cette période difficile, les entreprises peuvent encore moins qu’en temps normal se permettre de rater cette étape, ni risquer d’encourir les coûts d’un recrutement raté. Et ce, au moment précis où les contraintes sanitaires contribuent à rendre l’onboarding plus difficile, en réduisant le temps de présentiel autorisé. Comment faire pour que la « sauce » prenne à distance ? Ingrédient n°1 : incarner sa marque employeur à distance C’est vrai en présentiel, ça l’est encore plus à distance : la marque employeur ne sert à rien si elle n’est qu’un simple affichage. Une entreprise dont les managers et les collaborateurs n’incarnent pas ses valeurs, cela se repère rapidement. Et la désillusion peut conduire au départ prématuré du collaborateur, ou pire, à sa démotivation durable. « Il n’a pas d’amour, il n’y a que des preuves d’amour », disait le poète Pierre Reverdy. On pourrait en dire autant de la marque employeur. Or, en présentiel, il y a de multiples façons de prouver l’identité de l’entreprise : une culture collaborative peut apparaître dans la configuration ouverte des bureaux, l’ambiance s’exprime dans des rites quotidiens ou hebdomadaires comme le café du matin ou le déjeuner pris ensemble, l’attention au cadre de travail s’incarne dans la salle de sport ou la crèche d’entreprise, la confiance se traduit par la flexibilité des horaires ou la liberté de télétravailler, cette dernière étant paradoxalement impossible à mesurer quand on est assigné à domicile par la force des choses… Il faut donc trouver des moyens de matérialiser la marque employeur à distance, par exemple : Structurer l’organisation du travail collectif via l’outil digital afin qu’elle reproduise le plus fidèlement possible le processus habituel et qu’elle reflète les valeurs collaboratives de l’entreprise ; Recréer en ligne les rites sociaux périodiques – café, déjeuner, afterwork… Lancer des initiatives collectives dans le prolongement de ce qui se fait habituellement dans l’entreprise – par exemple, un rendez-vous d’exercice physique en ligne pour ceux qui le souhaitent, un cours de Qi-Gong… Ne pas oublier de faire vivre l’activité RSE de l’entreprise, lorsqu’il y en a une – intrapreneuriat, projets de collaborateurs, action sociale… Clarifier les règles de travail, en fonction de la culture organisationnelle de l’entreprise : heures de connexion contrôlées ou non, degré d’autonomie dans la définition des tâches, rythme des points d’étape... Même si dans tous les cas, le degré de confiance et de responsabilisation sera nécessairement plus élevé qu’en temps normal. Ingrédient n°2 : expliciter l’implicite Lorsque nous arrivons dans une nouvelle organisation, une grande part de nos ressources est mobilisée par la captation des signaux implicites. L’organigramme, la description de notre tâche, le rôle de chacun, les principaux process font l’objet de documents et/ou d’explications verbales. Mais une large part de ce qui va faire notre quotidien dans l’entreprise n’est pas explicitée. Il nous faudra souvent découvrir par nous-mêmes que les vraies décisions se prennent en amont de la réunion hebdomadaires, que dans la gestion de projet les deadlines d’untel sont flexibles, quand celles de tel autre ne le sont pas, que certains sujets peuvent être abordés dans certains contextes et pas dans d’autres… Là encore, ce problème existe déjà dans l’onboarding en présentiel, mais la distance le complexifie davantage. Pour y faire face, il y a au moins trois moyens complémentaires ; Réviser de fond en comble le processus habituel, en se posant à chaque étape la question « quels sont les éléments implicites à connaître dans chaque situation de travail ? » Il s’agit de faire mentalement le trajet que va emprunter le collaborateur en distanciel en faisant abstraction de tout ce que l’on sait déjà sur l’entreprise. Tout ne peut pas être explicité, mais il y a sûrement des améliorations à apporter à la façon dont l’entreprise, ses outils, son organisation et ses process sont présentés. Dans un retour d’expérience sur le blog helloworkplace, la startup Colonies explique ainsi avoir mis en place deux journées d’intégration à distance pour transmettre le « socle commun », en réintégrant les fondateurs de l’entreprise en accompagnement du processus d’onboarding, sous la forme de rendez-vous périodiques. Organiser le plus possible de réunions de présentation en tête à tête, avec l’ensemble de l’équipe mais aussi dans d’autres services. La multiplicité des points de vue sur l’entreprise, leurs convergences et leurs divergences, est encore ce qui permettra le mieux d’exprimer l’identité de l’entreprise dans sa complexité, sa richesse et ses contradictions. Veiller à ce que le nouvel arrivant soit intégré aux listes de diffusion internes et aux groupes de messagerie instantanée où se font les échanges informels. C’est dans ces fils de discussion qu’il percevra le plus sûrement les jeux de relation, les sujets d’expertise (qui est référent sur quel sujet), les références collectives, l’humour partagé… tout ce qui constitue l’identité impensée de l’entreprise. Ingrédient n°3 : renforcer l’accompagnement La somme d’informations qu’un nouveau collaborateur doit engranger est considérable. Tout le monde se souvient du mélange d’angoisse et d’excitation que suscitent ces premiers jours dans un nouvel environnement ! Les questions se bousculent dans notre tête, et il n’est pas rare que l’on se retrouve à poser les mêmes plusieurs fois – ce qui est parfaitement normal. En présentiel, cette phase de questionnement intense peut susciter chez le nouvel arrivant l’impression d’être importun. Un bon processus d’onboarding prévoit normalement un tuteur d’intégration, chargé de répondre aux interrogations du nouveau collaborateur et de le guider dans ses premiers pas dans l’organisation. De plus, en présentiel, il est plus facile de passer la tête par la porte d’un bureau pour demander une précision. A distance, la désignation d’un tuteur est plus que jamais requise. La charge de travail associée pour ce dernier doit être anticipée, et il doit être aussi disponible que possible. Mais ce dispositif risque de s’avérer insuffisant dans le cadre d’une intégration à distance : il peut s’avérer utile de désigner des référents thématiques, accessibles rapidement par messagerie instantanée, et qui puissent être sollicités sur leur sujet d’expertise – un collaborateur pour l’administratif RH, un ou plusieurs pour les problèmes métier, un pour les questions de communication ou de réseaux sociaux… C’est, de plus, un moyen indirect de multiplier les interactions entre le nouvel arrivant et l’équipe en place ! Ingrédient n°4 : travailler le rythme Le plus difficile, dans le télétravail, est de trouver et de maintenir un rythme de travail. En période d’intégration, il s’y ajoute l’angoisse de ne pas être à la hauteur des attentes, en l’absence du feedback permanent et informel que le présentiel permet bien davantage. D’où l’importance de bien structurer le temps d’intégration, en prévoyant différents rythmes : Un rythme lent, celui des rendez-vous d’évaluation avec le responsable, par exemple à la fin du premier mois, puis tous les trois mois. Ce rythme-là ne change guère par rapport au onboarding en présentiel. Un rythme plus rapide de rendez-vous réguliers avec le tuteur, par exemple sur une base hebdomadaire. Ces entretiens peuvent être l’occasion d’évaluer en temps réel la progression de l’intégration et de confronter les attentes de part et d’autres ; le tuteur se positionnant au service du collaborateur onboardé. Paradoxalement, ce rythme-là a plus de chances d’être tenu en distanciel. En présentiel, surtout si l’on travaille dans un même espace que le tuteur, on peut être tenté de supprimer la réunion le moment venu, considérant qu’on s’est déjà tout dit. A distance, un rendez-vous par vidéoconférence planifié dans l’agenda aura tendance à être tenu. Un rythme quotidien, non planifié, d’échanges et surtout de feedback. Un collaborateur en cours d’intégration aura, encore plus qu’un autre, besoin d’être rassuré sur la vitesse et la validité de son travail. Comme le confient PayFit et Doctolib, deux praticiens de l’onboarding en ligne, sur le site de Welcome to the jungle, la maîtrise du planning est un élément crucial d’une intégration réussie.

Agilité : le leader et son rôle clé !

Rien de pire qu’une organisation empêtrée dans les silos, les processus et les lourdeurs hiérarchiques. Par les temps qui courent, la part belle doit être fait à l’agilité… Autrement dit, chaque organisation doit développer sa capacité à s’adapter rapidement à son environnement… C’est une question de survie ! Le péché originel, lorsque l’on parle d’agilité, c’est de résumer l’agilité à une seule caractéristique. En réalité, il n’existe pas une méthode agile, mais de multiples méthodes, de multiples aspects. Il ne suffit pas de créer une nouvelle équipe projet resserrée avec un nom à consonance « Silicon Valley » pour qu’elle soit agile. Un des facteurs clés souvent ignoré tient à l’engagement et la personnalité du leader à la tête de l’organisation… Celui-ci joue pourtant un rôle stratégique : il peut encourager l’agilité ou au contraire, parfois malgré lui, la freiner. Nous connaissons tous l’ADN. C’est la molécule qui présente tous les caractéristiques d’un être. Par analogie, les scientifiques, Christensen, Dyer et Gregersen ont tenté de définir l’ADN d’une organisation innovante. Le point de départ de toute entreprise innovante, c’est la personnalité du fondateur ou du manager de l’équipe. Si celle-ci est tournée vers l’innovation, ce dernier aura naturellement tendance à s’entourer de profils créatifs. L’entreprise encouragera alors le questionnement, l’observation, la collaboration et l’expérimentation. Et au-delà-même des pratiques, elle impulsera une véritable culture, déclinée autour de principes forts : · L’innovation est l’affaire de tous, pas seulement de la R&D · L’innovation de rupture est encouragée · Les équipes projets sont petites, agiles et structurées · La prise de risque intelligence est encouragée Bref, nous le voyons, le point de départ d’une organisation agile et innovante, c’est d’abord la personnalité et l’engagement du leader à sa tête… Rappelons-nous les mots de Peter Drucker : « Le leadership consiste à élever la vision d’une personne vers de hauts sommets, l’amélioration de la performance d’une personne vers des standards plus élevés, la construction d’une personnalité qui abolit ses limitations ordinaires ». A bon entendeur … Si vous voulez développer vos leaders à fort potentiel en les dotant des compétences nécessaires pour motiver, engager et gérer des équipes, cliquez ici.

A la recherche du recruteur idéal

Spécialistes du marketing : parce que les emplois d’aujourd’hui doivent faire l’objet d’une publicité proactive et les relations avec les candidats doivent être construites et gérées à travers différents canaux – réseaux sociaux, sites carrières, etc. Chaque poste proposé doit être considéré comme un package à commercialiser. Vendeurs : parce que les RH deviennent de plus en plus promotionnelles et que les candidats doivent être considérés comme des clients. Les recruteurs doivent aligner leurs mesures avec les exigences de leurs clients. Chaque poste proposé doit également être considéré comme un produit devant faire l’objet d’une promotion. Chefs de projets : parce que les nouveaux employés doivent avant tout être intégrés, puis leur compétences développées. Ceci requiert une gestion active et ciblée des attentes des candidats. Les recruteurs réalisent cela lors du processus d’accueil du nouveau salarié et deviennent les ambassadeurs de la marque entre les candidats et l’entreprise. Les agents anti-discrimination : parce qu’ils doivent prendre conscience du potentiel de candidats sous-estimés et souvent négligés. Le recruteur assure en outre que le principe de pérennité de l'entreprise soit non seulement affirmé, mais aussi éprouvé. De nombreux processus, de nombreuses possibilités Mais pourquoi aller voir ailleurs ? Les bons recruteurs ont conscience des opportunités qui existent à l’intérieur même de l’entreprise : les juniors doivent être promus afin de les encourager à rester dans l’entreprise. Le mot clé dans ce cas est plus que jamais la « marque employeur ». Le développement et l’attention d’une marque solide attire à la fois les candidats et les collègues comme un aimant. Dans la course aux meilleurs candidats, les recruteurs expérimentés ne peuvent se permettre d’ignorer l'engagement des collaborateurs, car leurs propres employés sont les points de contact avec la marque de l'entreprise et peuvent être utilisés comme des ambassadeurs positifs. Ceci peut être réalisé via le bouche à oreille classique et les recommandations, mais les réseaux sociaux ouvrent de nouveaux horizons. Pour un recrutement efficace, le recrutement prédictif offre de nombreux bénéfices. Les prédictions ne consistent pas à regarder à travers une boule de cristal ou à lancer des invocations vaudous, mais plutôt à prévoir où les collaborateurs se développeront dans le futur. L’objectif final ne doit pas se cantonner au recrutement du meilleur candidat, mais il doit viser à réduire le nombre de départ, à favoriser plus de mobilité interne et à bâtir un plan de succession. La dernière étude d’IDC pour Cornerstone a mis en relief un certain retard dans la digitalisation des entreprises. Si l’on revient à nouveau à la parabole d’Héraclite, le recrutement et la lutte pour recruter les meilleurs talents ne se déroulent plus dans un bureau, avec comme outils un stylo et de l'encre, mais plutôt dans le monde virtuel et numérique. Cette bataille n’interviendra pas dans un futur hypothétique, mais se déroule déjà ici et maintenant au 21ème siècle. De nombreux recruteurs l’ont déjà remarqué, mais l'étude IDC démontre qu’un management conservateur entrave souvent la mise en œuvre d'une stratégie digitale. Au final, chaque entreprise doit décider si elle veut s’inscrire du bon côté de l'histoire. Geoffroy De Lestrange

Bien-être des collaborateurs : les fonctions RH ont un rôle prépondérant en période de crise

Avec plus de 95 % des organisations ayant eu recours au télétravail pour les collaborateurs éligibles, selon une récente étude de l’ANDRH, la crise du Covid-19 a redistribué les cartes pour les RH. Au-delà des défis technologiques auxquels ont dû faire face les entreprises, les collaborateurs à travers le monde se sont vus imposés un nouveau quotidien très éloigné de leur environnement de travail habituel. La période de confinement, aujourd’hui terminée, laissera sans nul doute des traces indélébiles sur les stratégies RH de demain. Margaux de Tapol, Senior HR Business Partner EMEA chez Cornerstone OnDemand, partage ses conseils pour maintenir un lien fort avec les collaborateurs de l’entreprise en temps de crise. Retour sur une période qui a redéfini la relation collaborateur/entreprise. La communication, fil rouge en période de crise. La communication et la transparence sont la pierre angulaire d’une relation solide entre les collaborateurs et l’entreprise. En période de crise, sanitaire ou économique, l’importance d’impliquer les décideurs de l’entreprise dans cette communication est primordiale. Proposer un temps aux collaborateurs pour expliquer la démarche de l’organisation permet de les impliquer dans le processus et la stratégie mis en place. Instaurer une communication horizontale est essentielle pour maintenir la motivation des équipes et répondre aux questions éventuelles. Durant cette crise, les équipes RH ont eu un rôle prépondérant pour diffuser les différents messages et informer les collaborateurs sur les différents stades de l’épidémie. D’autant plus lorsqu’il s’agit d’une entreprise internationale, afin que les collaborateurs puissent comprendre les impacts dans les différents pays et développer la solidarité des uns envers les autres. Il est donc essentiel de maintenir une communication fluide avec les collaborateurs et garder le contact humain en favorisant la relation informelle par les rendez-vous visioconférences pour sauvegarder ce lien fondamental. L’organisation, une soft skill à réinventer Le télétravail prolongé demande aux collaborateurs de capitaliser sur leurs soft skills comme l’adaptation ou encore l’organisation. Plus que jamais, les collaborateurs doivent jongler entre vie privée et vie professionnelle, ce implique une meilleure organisation. Les fonctions RH prennent alors un tournant stratégique dans l’accompagnement des collaborateurs en capitalisant sur le partage des bonnes pratiques et la mise à disposition des contenus de formation. Une nouvelle organisation qui ne s’applique pas uniquement aux collaborateurs mais également à la fonction RH, elle-même. Ces périodes de crises imposent également un rythme différent et les décideurs RH doivent faire preuve de davantage de collaboration pour répondre aux nouveaux défis. Les rôles se redéfinissent et il est essentiel d’inclure les fonctions support comme les Office Manager pour par exemple renforcer le lien avec les collaborateurs et proposer des moments d’échanges informels. Ainsi, l’usage des visioconférences doit alors sortir du cadre strictement professionnel pour organiser des rendez-vous récurrents, sur la base du volontariat comme des Virtual Happy Hours ou encore des cafés/déjeuners virtuels. Le repos, clé de voute pour maintenir l’efficacité des collaborateurs Le « Business First » est une notion aujourd’hui balayée par les nouveaux enjeux imposés par la crise que nous avons traversée. Maintenir l’activité de l’entreprise oui, mais pas au dépend de la motivation et la bonne santé psychologique des collaborateurs. La fonction RH doit alors mettre en place une écoute active auprès des collaborateurs pour identifier les éventuels conflits ou problèmes auxquels ils peuvent être confrontés. Une mission essentielle mise à rude épreuve par l’éloignement géographique qui pousse les managers et décideurs RH à devoir faire preuve d’observation pour déceler les moindres signaux. Une période difficile où la technologie et la digitalisation des processus se sont forgé une place d’or auprès des entreprises et des collaborateurs. Pour autant, la notion de déconnexion n’a jamais été aussi importante qu’aujourd’hui. La suppression des temps de trajet ou encore la pause-café entre collègues sont des moments de déconnexion aujourd’hui disparus qui peuvent peser sur le moral des collaborateurs. Pour répondre à cette problématique, les fonctions RH doivent prendre l’initiative de rappeler l’importance des temps de repos et la nécessité de se créer ses propres moments pour quitter les écrans et contribuer à son propre bien-être.

Cornerstone Careers

Cornerstone Performance

Fosway 9-Grid™ : Cornerstone maintient des offres solides sur le marché du recrutement

Les équipes de recrutement et d'acquisition de talents ont connu une année en dents de scie. Gérer les congés, augmenter ou réduire les effectifs pour répondre à des demandes en constante évolution, les priorités de recrutement ont évolué ces derniers mois, y compris chez nos clients. Notre engagement et notre innovation dans le secteur du recrutement au cours de l'année écoulée ont été importants. Ainsi, l'analyste européen de référence Fosway, a désigné Cornerstone comme un Challenger Stratégique dans le Fosway 9-Grid™ for Talent Acquisition. Cette distinction prouve notre constance dans l’accompagnement de nos clients et que notre solution répond aux besoins, souvent complexes, de très grands groupes nationaux ou internationaux. Qu'il s'agisse de présenter à nos clients la puissance de l'IA comme moyen de rationaliser les processus de recrutement, ou d'aider les recruteurs à naviguer et à prospérer dans le monde post-Covid, chez Cornerstone, nous avons continué à soutenir nos clients, quelles que soient les circonstances. Accompagner les clients par une innovation accélérée dans l'acquisition de talents Notre acquisition de Saba TalentLink en 2020 s'est avérée être l'un des principaux moteurs de notre succès en matière de recrutement au cours de cette dernière année. Elle a permis à Cornerstone d’innover dans l’acquisition des talents en intégrant de nouvelles technologies et expertises. Certains de nos clients bénéficient déjà du savoir-faire combiné de Cornerstone et Saba TalentLink. myjobscotland a dû rapidement changer, au plus fort de la pandémie, de format de recrutement en adoptant une stratégie d’embauche numérique par la vidéo. TalentLink, puis Cornerstone, sont intervenus pour faciliter la transition, en mettant en place des modules vidéo tout au long du processus de recrutement. Une nouvelle approche qui a permis à myjobscotland de réduire son délai d'embauche et d'améliorer l'expérience des candidats au-delà des niveaux antérieurs à la pandémie. Le Wiltshire Council a également optimisé ses processus de recrutement au cours de l'année écoulée, en utilisant TalentLink pour déployer des tableaux de bord personnalisés à l'intention de ses recruteurs. Ils ont ainsi permis à ces derniers d’éliminer les charges administratives et d’avoir une vue en temps réel de leur activité, points cruciaux pour améliorer les indicateurs clés de performance du recrutement. Dans le secteur de l'hôtellerie, Atlas Hotels a également apporté des améliorations radicales à son système de recrutement. L’entreprise a simplifié le processus de candidature pour faire gagner du temps aux responsables du recrutement et aux candidats. Le nouveau processus présélectionne les candidats sur la base de leur adéquation avec les valeurs de l'entreprise, plutôt que sur leur expérience figurant sur leur CV. Un pourcentage plus élevé de candidats avec des profils différents/atypiques ont ainsi été embauchés, améliorant de facto la diversité au sein du groupe. Enfin, TalentLink, et maintenant Cornerstone ont joué un rôle essentiel dans le développement de la marque employeur d’ Epson en développant une plateforme unique pour les candidats. De son côté, Webhelp souhaitait proposer un processus de recrutement personnalisé aux candidats en utilisant TalentLink pour proposer une expérience personnalisée et adaptée à chaque candidat. Favoriser la réussite tout au long du parcours de l’employé Le parcours d'un candidat commence dès qu'il accède à la page carrière du site web d'une entreprise ou qu'il identifie une offre d'emploi. L'acquisition de talents consiste à s'assurer que chaque point de contact apporte une expérience à valeur ajoutée au candidat. Chez Cornerstone, nous aidons nos clients à reconnaître non seulement l'importance du recrutement externe, mais aussi de la mobilité interne et à saisir le potentiel de leurs collaborateurs actuels pour contribuer à la croissance de l'entreprise La solution de recrutement de Cornerstone permet aux entreprises d'automatiser leurs processus d’embauche et de trouver des talents possédant les aptitudes et les compétences appropriées. Notre vision des compétences touche chaque partie du parcours de l’employé et dans les semaines à venir nous dévoilerons comment faire des compétences le socle de l’expérience collaborateur. En utilisant la bonne technologie, nous pensons que les organisations seront en mesure de développer, d’obtenir ou d'emprunter les compétences dont elles ont besoin pour optimiser leurs activités et prendre des décisions fondées sur des données qui contribuent à leur croissance et succès. Pour télécharger l'intégralité du rapport Fosway 9-Grid™ for Talent Acquisition, voir ici. Pour plus d'informations sur la solution de recrutement de Cornerstone et sur la manière de constituer une équipe de recrutement résiliente, visitez notre Hub de recrutement. A propos du Fosway 9-Grid™ Le Fosway 9-Grid™ est un modèle d'analyse de marché à cinq dimensions qui évalue la position relative des solutions et des fournisseurs sur un marché particulier de systèmes d'apprentissage et de talents. Il classe ces solutions en fonction de leurs performances, de leur potentiel, de leur présence sur le marché, du coût total de possession et des trajectoires futures sur le marché. Le Fosway 9-Grid™ est un modèle d'analyse de marché totalement unique, offrant une recherche et des perspectives indépendantes et inégalées pour la prochaine génération de marchés européens des RH, des talents et de l'apprentissage.

Groupe PSA

Le Groupe PSA donne un coup d’accélérateur à sa performance commerciale grâce à la formation digitale de son réseau Dans une stratégie mondiale de formation, 145 000 membres des réseaux de vente et de réparation sont formés aux produits et innovations du Groupe PSA, grâce à la plateforme de Learning de Cornerstone Paris, le 18 avril 2017 – Le Groupe PSA, constructeur automobile mondial, s’appuie sur Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ:CSOD), éditeur de solutions de gestion du capital humain, pour la digitalisation de sa stratégie de formation produit, à l’aide d’une nouvelle solution LMS et de fonctionnalités sociales. En ligne depuis fin 2014, la plateforme de learning permet aujourd’hui à toutes les forces de vente et de réparation du Groupe PSA (internes, mais aussi partenaires externes) de se former aux produits et innovations du Groupe, grâce aux technologies cloud de Cornerstone. La réorganisation d’un géant mondial de l’automobile PSA a vendu plus de 3,15 millions de véhicules dans le monde en 2016 dont près de 40% hors d’Europe. Le Groupe possède trois grandes marques automobiles françaises de renommée mondiale : Peugeot, Citroën et la marque premium DS. Afin d’accroître ses ventes et de renforcer la fidélisation de ses clients, le Groupe PSA a lancé en 2014 avec Cornerstone son projet de formation digitale et unifiée de son réseau de distribution et de réparation. Avec un réseau étendu dans 150 pays dans le monde, composé de points de vente appartenant au Groupe mais aussi à des entreprises tierces, il était important pour le Groupe de piloter le réseau commercial de manière unifiée. Il s’agissait de former sur les produits, les technologies, les techniques de vente, et les services connectés… etc - selon les spécificités régionales ou la stratégie mondiale. Aujourd’hui, les contenus sont proposés dans 25 langues à travers le monde. En remplaçant les anciens LMS des différentes marques du Groupe, la plateforme Cornerstone Learning a en effet permis à PSA de bâtir la convergence des contenus de formation, et de mettre en place une gestion mutualisée multi-pays. Avec Cornerstone, le Groupe PSA a fait le choix de la digitalisation de la formation, qui consiste à se former de manière différente : moins de présentiel, plus de e-learning et de classes virtuelles. Les plateformes sociales sont également amenées à se développer, avec le module Connect de Cornerstone. Il s’agit de favoriser le partage de connaissance entre les salariés, en termes de bonnes pratiques par exemple. La légitimité d’un pionnier du learning pour la sécurité des données Le Groupe PSA a choisi Cornerstone pour l’étendue de ses fonctionnalités et son ouverture sur l’avenir : le groupe pourrait s’appuyer sur Cornerstone pour repenser sa stratégie de gestion des compétences. De plus, l’offre Cornerstone s’est distinguée par de nombreux atouts tels que l’accompagnement de mise en œuvre, la convergence technique des données, mais également une dimension ludique de gamification. « Grâce à notre nouvelle plateforme de learning, nous avons donné un grand virage digital à notre stratégie de formation : nous avons développé les classes virtuelles et augmenté sensiblement la part du e-learning. Notre objectif est de continuer à accroître la formation digitale, pour dans le même temps diminuer les déplacements liés aux formations. » déclare Fabien Demangeot, Responsable Systèmes d’Information Formation des Marques chez PSA. « Dans le cadre de notre politique de gestion des compétences, nous avons également l’ambition de rendre avec Cornerstone la formation beaucoup plus ciblée, collaborateur par collaborateur, selon les besoins de l’entreprise. » « Avec ce projet, nous sommes aux premières loges du formidable projet de transformation du Groupe PSA, qui pilote et digitalise la formation de ses revendeurs et centres de réparation, qu’ils fassent partie du groupe ou soient des entreprises partenaires. Dans cette problématique d’entreprise étendue, nous sommes honorés de contribuer à l’optimisation de la performance business du groupe. » déclare Vincent Belliveau, Directeur général EMEA de Cornerstone OnDemand A propos du Groupe PSA Le Groupe PSA a réalisé en 2016 un chiffre d’affaires de 54 milliards d’euros. Il conçoit des expériences automobiles uniques et apporte des solutions de mobilité, en offrant à chacun liberté et plaisir à travers le monde. Avec les modèles de ses trois marques, Peugeot, Citroën et DS, mais aussi avec une offre large de services connectés et de mobilité avec la marque Free2Move, le Groupe PSA est un constructeur automobile qui répond aux nouveaux usages. Il est leader européen en termes d’émissions de CO2, avec une moyenne de 102,4 grammes de CO2/km en 2016, et l’un des pionniers de la voiture autonome et du véhicule connecté, avec une flotte de 2,3 millions de véhicules dans le monde. Ses activités s’étendent également au financement avec Banque PSA Finance et à l’équipement automobile avec Faurecia. Plus d’informations sur groupe-psa.com/fr . Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur www.groupe-psa.com/fr/ A propos de Cornerstone OnDemand Cornerstone OnDemand est éditeur de solutions de gestion du capital humain, pensées pour développer pleinement le potentiel des organisations et des personnes. Recrutement, intégration, formation, gestion de la performance et rémunération, planification d’effectifs, plans de succession, gestion des données RH et analytique RH : le logiciel couvre toutes les étapes du cycle de vie du collaborateur. Cornerstone propose une solution unifiée, entièrement configurable pour répondre aux besoins en matière de stratégie commerciale, de conformité et de gestion des talents. Plus de 2900 clients et près de 30 millions d’utilisateurs utilisent aujourd’hui le logiciel de Cornerstone OnDemand : des organisations de toutes tailles et de tous secteurs d’activité, avec entre autres Assurance 2000, Axens, BMW, Caisse d’Epargne et de Prévoyance Rhône Alpes, CEVA Santé Animale, Le Groupe La Poste, Maisons du Monde, Nestlé, Système U. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur www.csod.fr , ou sur Twitter : www.twitter.com/csod_FR

IA – RH, comment en faire une alliance vertueuse

L'IA, soupçonnée d'être une “boîte noire qui a toujours raison”, inspire la méfiance. Pourtant, cette boîte à outils s'avère très utile aux RH et aux collaborateurs. Pour peu que l'on comprenne à quoi elle sert et comment elle fonctionne. Et surtout que l'on ne prête aucun pouvoir magique à ses algorithmes ! Fantasmée par la science-fiction et le cinéma, l'Intelligence artificielle (IA) souffre d'une réputation erronée. Chacun y projette ses propres peurs ou ses espoirs. Pour certains, elle asservit l'humain qu'elle exploite, le réduisant à une “main d'œuvre” sans plus d'espace de réflexion et de décision propre, en même temps qu'elle détruit les emplois. Pour d'autres, sa puissance d'analyse de gigantesques volumes de données en temps quasi réel apporte des solutions que des esprits humains peinent à formuler et elle identifie des schémas que seules ses capacités peuvent déceler dans un amas d'informations hétérogènes. Dans le domaine des Ressources humaines (RH), elle est autant encensée par ceux qui y voient un levier d'amélioration de l'efficacité des processus que décriée par ceux qui craignent de subir ses décisions arbitraires. Il est temps d'en finir avec ces mythes et de remettre les choses à leur place. Loin d'être une chimère ou une panacée, l'IA est une boîte à outils, un ensemble de technologies d'aide à la décision. Ces outils font – et plutôt bien – ce pour quoi ils ont été développés, autrement dit ce que nous voulons qu'ils fassent. Et s'ils nous dispensent des tâches les plus répétitives ou qu'ils sont plus performants que nous quand il s'agit d'analyser et de synthétiser des milliards de données… tant mieux ! Ce Livre blanc ne prétend pas faire l'apologie de l'IA. Il ambitionne simplement d'expliquer de quoi il s'agit, de montrer où et comment ces outils peuvent s'appliquer aux RH, comment les mettre en œuvre, quels en sont les apports et les limites, et dans quel cadre les utiliser en toute sécurité et en toute conformité. De quoi parle-t-on ? Le terme d'IA regroupe des outils logiciels et des méthodes de programmation qui aident à résoudre des problèmes complexes, parfois trop pour des intelligences humaines, en simulant les processus cognitifs et le raisonnement humain. Il n'y a là rien de magique. Simplement, la puissance de calcul et les volumes de données aujourd'hui disponibles permettent à des systèmes d'apprendre rapidement sur un sujet donné. Ils peuvent par exemple reconnaître un objet ou détecter un schéma qui se répète, puis appliquer ce qu'ils ont appris pour résoudre un problème ou pour prendre des décisions ; identifier l'objet ou appliquer le schéma qu'ils ont appris à reconnaître dans des multitudes d'images ou de textes. Ce sont ces techniques qui ont fait des programmes d'IA de fabuleux joueurs d'échecs ou de Go. L'IA procède de la même manière qu'un esprit humain, qui a étudié des centaines de parties et analyse les différents scénarios possibles, mais elle le fait sur des centaines de milliers de parties ou plus, elle étudie toutes les combinaisons possibles, et ce en un temps record. Les exemples d'applications se multiplient rapidement dans la reconnaissance de formes, la compréhension du langage naturel, l'analyse automatique ou la prise de décision autonome. On parle généralement de Machine Learning (ML), alias apprentissage machine, de Deep Learning (DL), apprentissage profond, de réseaux de neurones, de systèmes experts… L'IA repose sur deux éléments essentiels : des données et des algorithmes. Concernant les données, on parle des “3V”: volume important, variété de l’information et vélocité (ou vitesse) de mise à jour. Quels sont les apports aux RH ? En matière de ressources humaines, les outils d'IA peuvent intervenir dans de nombreux processus tant du côté de la DRH (sourcing, recrutement, on-boarding, gestion des compétences, mobilité, gestion de carrières…) que du côté des collaborateurs (interactions avec la DRH, gestion des congés, de la formation, évolution…). D'un côté comme de l'autre, la demande existe de disposer d'outils qui aident à la prise de décision, qui automatisent certains processus, notamment ceux à plus faible valeur ajoutée, qui rationalisent et optimisent les différentes tâches. Concrètement, les exemples vont de la collecte et de l'analyse des CV de candidats potentiels pour un poste donné, à l'identification des collaborateurs désireux et capables d'exercer leur métier dans un autre pays, en passant par le suivi individuel des besoins en compétences nouvelles ou le matching de postes à pourvoir et de collaborateurs à promouvoir. Attention toutefois à ne pas assimiler l'IA à de l'automatisation pure et simple. Il existe une vraie différence entre traiter automatiquement des centaines de CV pour y vérifier la présence de mots-clés relatifs à des compétences et analyser ces mêmes CV en établissant des corrélations entre le diplôme, les mots-clés voire leurs synonymes, l'expérience, etc. « Nous voulons que les employés soient fiers car ils sont des développeurs de talents mais permettent aussi d’en attirer de nouveaux. Nos collaborateurs sont engagés et leur expérience s’améliore et leur permettre de s’épanouir et progresser est une victoire pour nous ! Résultat, l’entreprise est plus performante, productive et à long terme, nous serons écologiquement durable », explique Meredith Taghi, VP Group Learning Talent & Platform chez DPDHL. Pour les responsables RH, l'IA apporte des gains de productivité, une plus grande réactivité et une réelle personnalisation des processus. Autrement dit, du temps gagné et de l'efficacité. Ce temps libéré peut alors être consacré à des tâches à plus forte valeur ajoutée comme participer activement à la stratégie de l'entreprise et conduire la transformation numérique des compétences. Du côté des collaborateurs, l'IA est synonyme de plus grande autonomie. Elle leur permet d'initier et de gérer eux-mêmes les différentes interactions avec les RH comme les demandes de congés ou de formation, par exemple. Recherche ou remontée d'informations, évolution de carrière, complément de formation, ils maîtrisent la gestion de leur parcours professionnel. « Pour la SNCF, l’intelligence artificielle sert de marqueur d’attention envers nos collaborateurs. En effet, dans un secteur fortement concurrentiel, nous souhaitions concurrencer une attractivité externe en leur proposant une solution qui permette une employabilité interne forte. Le Talent management ne consiste plus uniquement à détecter, développer et retenir les talents, aujourd’hui il permet de créer les conditions pour que nos collaborateurs se sentent désirés, employables et valorisés. On passe d’une logique de rétention à une logique d’attractivité », précise Marc Lagriffoul, directeur Talent Management chez la SNCF Voyageurs. Un accueil et une perception très contrastés Dans le domaine des RH, l'IA suscite des réactions très contrastées et beaucoup de méfiance. Des études menées dans différents pays montrent que, bien que généralement perçue comme une menace tant par les entreprises que par leurs collaborateurs, l'IA est aussi vue comme un vecteur d'amélioration et de compétitivité. Même ambivalence en matière de RH. L'IA est majoritairement acceptée si elle accompagne les salariés dans leur quotidien et améliore leurs conditions de travail. En revanche, elle ne séduit plus du tout si elle est utilisée à des fins de contrôle ou d'évaluation. Ces données varient d'un pays à l'autre selon le degré de liberté ou d'autorité nationale et le rôle des managers. Elles varient également en fonction de la catégorie sociale qui s'exprime. Ouvriers et employés sont beaucoup plus méfiants à l'égard de ces technologies que les cadres et les moins de 25 ans, plus familiarisés avec les outils numériques. Ces indications montrent que les outils d'IA ne seront réellement acceptés que s'ils sont compris, si leur fonctionnement est expliqué et transparent. Sans cela, ils n'inspireront jamais la confiance nécessaire à leur adoption, a fortiori dans les processus RH. Des risques à prendre en considération Pour que les apports de l'IA soient tangibles, il convient d'anticiper et de considérer les éventuels risques qui peuvent l'accompagner. La CNIL a relevé cinq problématiques éthiques qui se posent en matière d'IA. La première, le risque de dilution de responsabilité, consisterait à se défausser de la responsabilité d'une décision sur l'IA, qui serait une sorte de tiers omniscient. Autrement dit, il ne faut pas faire endosser à l'ordinateur le non choix d'un candidat, par exemple. Il faut aussi considérer le biais discriminatoire, c'est-à-dire éviter l'exclusion de certaines personnes en fonction d'informations comme leur genre, leur diplôme ou leur adresse, par exemple. La fragmentation algorithmique, qui personnalise les contenus proposés en fonction de l'historique, tend à uniformiser les profils sélectionnés, au risque de passer à côté des pépites. Il faut aussi trouver le juste équilibre entre l'exploitation de volumes toujours plus importants de données, nécessaires au développement de l'IA, et la protection des libertés individuelles. Cet équilibre nécessite un travail précis de préparation et de qualification des données afin d'en garantir la qualité et la pertinence. Par exemple, lorsqu'on recherche un profil précis dans des CV, qu'entend-on par “ingénieur” ou “juriste”. Enfin, la CNIL interroge l'identité humaine au défi de l'IA, c’est-à-dire que l’hybridation de l’homme et de la machine ne doit pas porter atteinte à l’identité et à la dignité humaine, ni affecter sa liberté et sa responsabilité. Données support et données de production Il convient de distinguer les données de production, celles relatives à la fabrication des produits, au marketing, au commercial et aux clients, et les données de support, dont les données RH. Outre que les entreprises investissent plus volontiers dans leurs données de production, les volumes de ces données sont beaucoup plus importants et, de fait, les analyses de type big data et l'utilisation d'algorithmes d'IA sont plus à même de fournir des résultats pertinents que sur les données support, dont les volumes sont moindres. D'où l'intérêt de recourir au cloud et au modèle SaaS pour des applications d'IA en RH. Un éditeur de solution RH en mode SaaS dans le cloud peut anonymiser et consolider les données de ses clients. Il dispose ainsi d'un volume de données qu'aucune entreprise seule ne peut atteindre et sur lequel les algorithmes d'IA deviennent très efficaces. Cornerstone, par exemple, agrège les données de 75 millions d'utilisateurs, soit des To (téra-octets) de données, ce qui assure des résultats pertinents sur des données très diversifiées. Des applications variées Déjà disponible ou en développement, l’IA peut avoir de nombreuses applications dans le domaine des RH: Sourcing et recrutement : recherche et présélection des candidats potentiels susceptibles de correspondre au poste Intégration : parcours correspondant aux profils des nouveaux entrants Formation et développement des compétences : suggestion d’actions ou de contenus de formation suivant les compétences des collaborateurs, et leurs souhaits de développement Collaboratif et engagement : recommandation de mentors, utilisation de chatbots pour répondre aux questions des collaborateurs, ... Gestion de carrière : recommandation de projets ou de postes pour une mobilité interne, avec suggestion de formations pour combler des compétences manquantes Toutefois, l'IA peut beaucoup mais ne peut pas tout. Certes, ces technologies excellent en analyse prédictive, en détection de schémas récurrents, en analyse du langage ou encore de la gestuelle et des émotions dans les entretiens vidéo. Néanmoins, même si les données ont été correctement qualifiées et les algorithmes vérifiés pour éviter les biais, l'IA reste incapable d'évaluer les fameuses compétences comportementales, les soft skills, des candidats ou des employés. Encore moins leurs motivations ou les freins qui ralentissent leur progression. C'est pourquoi il faut toujours garder à l'esprit que l'IA est une boîte à outils et que, surtout pour les RH, elle ne remplacera jamais le contact humain à un moment ou à un autre du processus. Si l’on prend l’exemple d’un recrutement, la part subjective qui consiste à se demander : “ai-je envie de passer plusieurs heures par jours pendant des mois ou des années à travailler avec cette personne” est primordiale et ne sera pas remplacée par un algorithme. Transparence et confiance Tant que l'IA restera obscure à ceux qui l'utilisent, elle inspirera de la méfiance et sera perçue comme une sorte de “boîte noire qui a toujours raison sans que l'on sache comment ni pourquoi”… Pour combattre cette vision et instaurer la confiance, il est nécessaire que les algorithmes soient transparents et explicables afin que les résultats qu'ils proposent puissent être compris et acceptés. Cela suppose un travail de pédagogie et de formation pour que chacun comprenne à quoi ils servent et comment ils fonctionnent. Cette transparence s'applique également aux données qui “nourrissent” les algorithmes. D'où proviennent-elles ? Comment sont-elles structurées ? Quels sont les risques de biais et comment les corriger ? Ceci est non seulement indispensable mais aussi exigé par le RGPD : Selon les articles 13 §2(f) et 14 §2(g) du Règlement UE 2016/679, le responsable du traitement doit informer la personne de « l’existence d’une prise de décision automatisée, y compris un profilage, [et] des informations utiles concernant la logique sous-jacente, ainsi que l’importance et les conséquences prévues de ce traitement pour la personne concernée. » L’article 12 §1 précise en outre que cette information doit être communiquée « d’une façon concise, transparente, compréhensible et aisément accessible, en des termes clairs et simples ». En matière de RH, ces questions relèvent de la bonne gouvernance et doivent être abordées en concertation entre la DRH et les partenaires sociaux. En effet, l'utilisation de l'IA a un impact sur les processus RH en ce que les corrélations décelées par ces outils peuvent remettre en cause certaines règles et nécessiter de nouvelles approches. Dans le cas des recommandations de formations faites aux collaborateurs, par exemple, il est important de connaître les critères pris en compte par l'algorithme. Il convient aussi de revoir régulièrement les règles et éventuellement d'envisager leur remise en cause et leur réversibilité, en cas de dysfonctionnement ou de résultats peu satisfaisants ou insuffisants. Une telle évaluation suppose des fonctions RH agiles et réactives ainsi qu'un dialogue continu avec les partenaires sociaux. De grands principes à respecter Pour que la confiance en l'IA s'instaure, la CNIL a énoncé des principes fondateurs essentiels au bon fonctionnement de l'IA et à la protection des données personnelles : La loyauté, c'est-à-dire que ces algorithmes doivent bénéficier également à ceux qui les utilisent, direction, fonctions RH et employés. La réflexivité, vigilance et rétrospective sont nécessaires pour garder la main sur les algorithmes, les modifier et éventuellement les supprimer. L'intelligibilité, la transparence du code ne suffit pas, des non experts doivent pouvoir comprendre la logique qui sous-tend l'algorithme, ce qu'il permet de faire et à quoi il sert. La redevabilité, savoir qui est responsable de l'algorithme, qui peut le modifier, afin de ne pas perdre la main sur cet objet. La confiance sinon rien Il n'y a pas de déterminisme technologique. Derrière les algorithmes, il y a une production, une création, une écriture. Pour mettre en œuvre ces technologies et en tirer de réels bénéfices partageables par tous leurs usagers, il convient de se poser la question de leur finalité, de ce à quoi elles vont servir. Puis de décider dans quel cadre elles vont être utilisées, quels vont être les processus de mise en œuvre et de fonctionnement. Les algorithmes n'ont pas le pouvoir et ils ne le prendront pas s'ils sont élaborés dans un cadre concerté, loyal et transparent. En conclusion, l’IA en RH est un outil incontournable qui permet aux RH à la fois d’améliorer leur efficacité et leur productivité, mais aussi de proposer aux collaborateurs des fonctionnalités qui leur sont utiles, notamment en termes de développement et gestion de carrière. Cependant, comme tout outil, il faut en comprendre les usages et les limites, ne pas hésiter à interroger ses prestataires pour s’assurer d’une conformité à la législation, et aborder le sujet dans le cadre d’un dialogue social avec les représentants du personnel. Vous voulez en savoir plus sur l'IA appliquée aux RH ? Lisez l’article sur la façon dont elle humanisera le lieu de travail.

Inégalité au travail, ce que le Coronavirus révèle

Depuis le lundi 16 mars, la France a officiellement basculé dans le confinement et, in fine, dans le télétravail pour une majorité des salariés de l’Hexagone. Depuis, on ne compte plus les articles et émissions présentant les bonnes pratiques pour travailler efficacement de chez soi. Toutefois, si travailler à domicile est une option pour beaucoup de salariés, pour certains cela n’est ni envisageable, ni possible. Qu’il s’agisse d’un ouvrier, caissier, livreur ou d’un pharmacien, il est difficile, voire impossible d’exercer leur métier à distance. Difficile ainsi de les équiper de smartphones ou ordinateurs portables afin qu’ils travaillent de chez eux, cette catégorie de collaborateurs étant souvent peu équipée d’outils digitaux. Le coronavirus démontre révèle, encore plus, à quel point il existe des différences fortes entre métiers et activités. C’est d’autant plus dommageable que certaines de ces professions sont majoritairement féminines, renforçant ainsi cette inégalité. Cette situation n’est pas nouvelle. Je participe à de nombreuses conférences et évènements en lien avec les RH lors desquelles les discussions portent, souvent, sur la manière dont les nouvelles technologies améliorent le développement des collaborateurs, la gestion de la performance, la formation… Néanmoins, les principaux bénéficiaires de ces outils sont souvent les employés de bureau, des cols blancs, dont je fais partie. Entreprise, pensez à TOUS vos employés ! Il ne s’agit pas ici d’opposer employés de bureau et les autres. Juste de souligner à quel point, dans le contexte actuel, ce sont les collaborateurs de terrain, qui se retrouvent en première ligne. À charge donc aux entreprises d’accorder une attention particulière à ceux dont l’environnement de travail n’est pas un bureau classique. Il est évident qu’une situation de crise comme celle que nous traversons avec le Covid-19 implique d’abord de prendre les mesures nécessaires pour leur santé. Une évidence qu’il est important de rappeler. Mais au-delà de ce contexte actuel très particulier, il est important d’avoir une réflexion plus générale sur ces métiers et collaborateurs. Comment les innovations technologiques peuvent-elles améliorer les conditions de travail des salariés, et ce quelles que soient leurs missions ? Quid de la formation pour les faire monter en compétences et évoluer au sein de l’organisation ? Comment améliorer l’engagement de ces collaborateurs qui peuvent sinon se sentir à l’écart du reste de l’organisation ? Autant d’interrogations que devront avoir les entreprises au sortir de cette crise sanitaire sans précédent. Les entreprises ont déjà entamé leur révolution interne, en repensant leur politique RH grâce à la digitalisation. En effet, la technologie doit optimiser le travail des collaborateurs, qu’ils soient dans un bureau ou dans un entrepôt. Elles doivent donc permettre à l’ensemble de leurs employés d’acquérir et d’améliorer leurs compétences et ce afin, notamment, de leur offrir de nouvelles perspectives de carrière. Cela passe, par exemple, par des investissements dans des outils mobiles. Heureusement, la situation n’est pas aussi complexe qu’auparavant car, aujourd’hui, le taux de pénétration des appareils mobiles, dans l’Union Européenne, est supérieure à 50%. Une stratégie de « Bring Your Own Device » est donc possible. En outre, les smartphones et/ou tablettes Android sont désormais plus abordables. Sans compter que les applications Cloud proposent désormais des connexions et comptes individuels, ainsi les tablettes peuvent être partagés par plusieurs collaborateurs. Bref, tout est techniquement réuni afin d’offrir à ces collaborateurs, les mêmes perspectives de formation et de développement de carrières que pour les employés de bureau. Les cols bleus représentent un important vivier de talents, souvent insuffisamment et mal utilisé. En effet, ils comptent des personnes qui connaissent, bien souvent, très bien l’organisation et qui sont en contact direct soit avec les produits (dans l’usine par exemple), soit avec les clients ou les consommateurs (dans les magasins). En leur donnant accès à des outils de formation, les entreprises les aident également à partager leurs propres compétences et à améliorer les connaissances générales au sein de l’entreprise. D’autres pays comme le Danemark poussent ainsi les entreprises à former les collaborateurs occupant des postes pénibles pour évoluer vers d’autres métiers en vieillissant. Lorsque la crise actuelle sera terminée, investir dans le développement de ces collaborateurs sera un excellent moyen de témoigner notre gratitude à ceux qui ont continué à travailler malgré les risques. Tout en n’oubliant pas de soutenir ceux qui n’ont pas pu travailler durant cette période.

Instagram, le nouveau terrain de jeu des ressources humaines ?

Si avant le bouche-à-oreille était un bon moyen pour dénicher le candidat idéal, aujourd’hui il est encore plus répandu avec les réseaux sociaux. C’est à notre ère digitalisée que l’on doit cette méthode de recrutement plus rapide, et à double sens, puisqu’elle concerne à la fois les chasseurs de tête et les candidats. Selon la dernière enquête annuelle menée par HelloWork, pas moins de 87% des recruteurs utilisent désormais les réseaux sociaux professionnels en complément des sites emplois dans leurs stratégies de recherche. Côté candidats, les générations Y et Z qui construisent le futur du travail, ont absorbé les réseaux collaboratifs du numérique avec lesquels ils ont grandis. L’emploi est une affaire sociale, avant tout. LinkedIn ainsi a déjà réalisé une percée notable dans les nouvelles stratégies de ressources humaines en facilitant la mise en contact entre recruteurs et candidats qu’ils soient à la recherche ou non d’un emploi. Son succès n’est pas en reste sur la toile, si bien que le spécialiste du e-recrutement inspire d’autres acteurs à lancer des canaux de recrutement. A l’heure de la mondialisation, ils sont en effet nombreux à vouloir capter l’attention des talents les plus qualifiés, quitte à adopter de nouveaux dispositifs, pour gagner des parts de marché face au monopole LinkedIn. La « guerre des talents » ne fait que commencer avec en adversaire des plateformes sociales comme... Instagram, la carte de visite 2.0 ou comment recruter grâce aux plateformes sociales ? Depuis sa création en 2010, Instagram connaît un succès fulgurant au vu des derniers chiffres : la plateforme comptabilise en 2018 plus d’1 milliard d’utilisateurs actifs chaque mois dont plus de la moitié sont âgés de moins de 35 ans. De quoi toucher au plus près les jeunes talents puisque 80% des Instagrameurs suivent au moins une entreprise. Autrefois simple appli de partage de photos, aujourd’hui principal outil de marketing pour les entreprises, Instagram tend désormais à jouer le rôle de la carte de visite 2.0 aussi, à condition de publier son contenu de façon pertinente : Mixer les contenus. Pour rendre son compte Instagram plus visuel, il est essentiel d’alterner les publications entre vidéos et images attrayantes, pour montrer la créativité de l’entreprise. La fonctionnalité Instagram Story permet également aux entreprises de créer de la proximité avec leurs audiences et ainsi de susciter de l’engagement. Trouver un fil rouge. Pour se différencier et se rendre visible, les entreprises doivent adopter un style et un code couleur commun pour chacune de leur publication. Les candidats pourront ainsi identifier la marque plus rapidement. Savoir se démarquer. Au jeu de la création de contenu, Instagram a un coup d’avance. Les entreprises qui l’ont compris ont adopté une stratégie de contenu différenciante. Il faut inciter les utilisateurs à revenir sur le compte, en publiant des contenus réguliers, comme par exemple : « le conseil du mois pour assurer lors d’un entretien » ou encore « la parole est aux employés ». Ce dernier permet également de rendre le compte de l’entreprise plus humain. Communiquer les valeurs de l’entreprise. À travers une image ou un texte, les entreprises peuvent s’appuyer sur Instagram pour partager leurs valeurs et ainsi aider les candidats à se positionner par rapport à la marque employeur. Être réactif. La nouvelle génération de talents vit dans l’instantanéité ; aussi les entreprises doivent être réactives, en répondant rapidement et efficacement aux différents commentaires. L’usage de des réseaux sociaux pour le recrutement gagne de l’importance, au point que les milieux de la création et de la communication les préfèrent aux traditionnelles recherches d’emploi. Et pour cause, ces secteurs rassemblent une grande partie de leurs cibles sur des plateformes comme Instagram. De quoi dénicher rapidement des candidats qualifiés. A vos « stories » !

Konica Minolta

L’équipe Konica Minolta France a utilisé le temps de confinement pour repenser ses processus de recrutement et son utilisation de Cornerstone afin d’optimiser l’expérience des candidats et le travail des recruteurs.

Les grandes tendances de recrutement de laprès-Covid

Inédite, l’année 2020 a bouleversé l’entreprise et son fonctionnement, mais aussi le marché du travail. Alors que se profile la sortie de la crise sanitaire et que les embauches reprennent dans certains secteurs, on constate qu’on ne recrute plus aujourd’hui comme avant le Covid-19. Des nouvelles modalité digitales au logiciel de recrutement, certaines tendances de recrutement vont se développer et se pérenniser en 2021, que l’on en ait ou non fini avec la pandémie. Des perspectives de recrutement limitées, mais aussi ouvertes par la Covid-19 Selon le baromètre des intentions de recrutement et de mobilité des cadres du premier trimestre 2021 que vient de publier de l’APEC, 62% des entreprises ont connu une baisse d’activité durant le second confinement, ce qui a fatalement un impact sur le recrutement. Les secteurs les plus touchés, comme l’Automobile ou l’Aéronautique, ont publié 50% d’offres d’emploi en moins en 2020 qu’en 2019. Il leur faudra du temps pour absorber les effets de la crise sanitaire et retrouver leurs anciens niveaux d’embauche. Pourtant, comme le montrent certains indicateurs, le pessimisme n’est pas général dans les entreprises françaises ! D’après une étude réalisée par Robert Half et publiée début janvier, 78% des dirigeants d’entreprise français interrogés se déclarent « assez » ou « très » confiants pour qualifier les perspectives de croissance de leur entreprise au premier semestre 2021. Autre enseignement, presque un quart des entreprises (23%) augmentent leurs effectifs et créent de nouveaux postes. L’étude relève une demande soutenue de talents dans les secteurs de la santé, des services aux entreprises, de la distribution, du BTP et de l’immobilier. Les dirigeants interrogés sont particulièrement en recherche de profils pour les fonctions suivantes : Phénomène notable, les entreprises qui recrutent le font avant tout pour traiter les nouvelles priorités qui ont émergé pour elles durant la pandémie. S’adapter aux nouveaux modes de fonctionnement créés ou accélérés par le Covid-19 est un élément clé de leur reconstruction. L’autre grand changement, c’est que le recrutement local n’est plus obligatoire pour nombre d’entreprises, le télétravail étant devenu pour celles-ci la norme. Dès lors, davantage de candidats peuvent tenter leur chance pour des opportunités situées loin de chez eux. Cela va apporter à ces employeurs plus de possibilités de dénicher le talent rare, mais aussi un afflux supplémentaire de candidatures à gérer ! Le digital au service de la meilleure expérience candidat possible Généralisées depuis le premier confinement, les méthodes de recrutement digitalisées ont le vent en poupe. Quelle que soit l’évolution sanitaire en France, le recrutement en ligne est une tendance appelée à durer ; les employeurs doivent aujourd’hui répondre aux nouvelles attentes des talents recherchés en matière d’expérience candidat. Si l’acte de candidature était déjà majoritairement digitalisé avant la pandémie, de plus en plus de candidats souhaitent postuler depuis n’importe où via leur smartphone. Un site carrière responsif, avec des offres d’emploi pensées avant tout pour une navigation depuis un téléphone mobile, devient ainsi impératif. Les premiers contacts ont souvent lieu en vidéo depuis le premier confinement, et gageons que cet usage perdurera dans le monde d’après Covid. On constate aussi une montée en puissance de l’entretien vidéo différé, enregistré à distance par le candidat via une plateforme ou une application dédiée : le recruteur définit ses questions en amont et peut ainsi consulter la vidéo à n’importe quel moment. Ceci permet notamment de comparer des candidats répondant aux mêmes questions. Quant à l’entretien d’embauche proprement dit, il n’a plus forcément lieu en présentiel, certaines entreprises faisant le choix de digitaliser aussi cette étape forte et symbolique du processus de recrutement. De son côté, la signature électronique de contrat n’a jamais été aussi pertinente. Un logiciel de recrutement adapté aux spécificités de l’entreprise Toutes les modalités digitales évoquées sont intéressantes dès lors qu’elles servent l’expérience candidat. Cependant, adopter une myriade de technologies ne doit pas être synonyme de complexité ni de perte de la maîtrise des coûts pour l’organisation. L’enjeu principal pour l’entreprise demeure la centralisation rationnelle de son approche et de ses process de recrutement, avec un ROI performant. Le choix du logiciel de recrutement et de gestion des candidatures joue ainsi un rôle décisif. On parlait autrefois de logiciel ATS, pour Applicant Tracking System, mais avec des sujets comme la gestion de la relation avec le candidat (Candidate Relationship Management), ou la recherche avancée en approche direct (sourcing), on parle désormais de système d’acquisition de talents. Un logiciel de recrutement moderne doit prendre en charge le sourcing, accroître l'engagement, aider à planifier les entretiens, mais aussi inclure des analyses avancées telles que l'analyse comparative et les mesures d'embauche. Il doit aussi s'intégrer de manière transparente au site carrières de l’organisation. Par ailleurs, il est essentiel que chaque filiale, business unit ou marque puisse gérer ses propres workflows de recrutement, ses propres pages carrière, et puisse développer une expérience candidat en accord avec ses spécificités et sa culture. Au-delà des seules technologies proposées par votre prestataire, il vous faut aussi prendre compte la réputation de votre fournisseur et son aptitude à accompagner vos évolutions dans la durée. Évalué sur un plan technologique, un fournisseur doit aussi l’être sur sa stabilité financière, ses références clients, et les preuves qu’il fournira en matière d’expertise de ses équipes et d’efficacité des méthodologies de mise en œuvre. La qualité de l’expérience candidat apparaît essentielle dans le contexte actuel, surtout quand on sait 88% des candidats, selon une étude, sont susceptibles d’acheter les produits ou services d’une entreprise offrant une bonne expérience de recrutement. Cependant, la meilleure expérience candidat n’est rien si l’expérience collaborateur qui la suit s’avère décevante. L’expérience collaborateur devient essentielle pour nourrir une marque employeur menacée par le travail à distance. Comment faire vivre des valeurs au quotidien, développer un attachement à l’entreprise et un esprit d’équipe en fonctionnant en télétravail ? C’est là l’un des grands défis RH de l’après Covid. Découvrez comment centraliser vos processus de recrutement de façon rationnelle tout en alignant votre expérience candidat avec votre stratégie de marque employeur.

Les enjeux de la relation collaborateur

Le sourcing

Quelle stratégie mettre en place et comment l’optimiser ?

L'éthique de l'IA dans les RH

Nous avons récemment annoncé le lancement de notre Cornerstone Innovation Lab for AI. Situé à Paris, notre centre d'excellence de l'IA réunit des experts en machine learning, en intelligence artificielle, en ressources humaines et en protection des données qui explorent de nouvelles façons d'appliquer cette technologie au domaine des RH, avec une attention particulière sur l'expérience des collaborateurs. Ce laboratoire a créé Skills Graph, un outil de recherche de compétences qui utilise la toute dernière technologie d'IA pour permettre à nos clients de découvrir plus facilement les compétences de leurs collaborateurs, ouvrant ainsi un monde de possibilités, dans lequel nous pouvons les aider à découvrir de nouvelles carrières et leur suggérer des contenus et des formations correspondant à leurs ambitions professionnelles. Reskilling et upskilling sont deux termes qu'on entend beaucoup et grâce à la vision novatrice de notre système, ces tâches sont plus faciles, plus justes et plus transparentes. D'une part, l'IA peut être utilisée pour l'automatisation des processus, ce qui nous permet d'optimiser notre façon de travailler et d'être plus efficaces. D'autre part, elle nous permet de faire des corrélations qui ne sont pas instantanément évidentes – si elles l'étaient, l'intelligence naturelle serait suffisante ! La combinaison de ces deux facteurs peut considérablement améliorer nos processus RH. Mais l'algorithme pense de manière autonome et si nous n'y prenons pas garde, il risque de répéter des erreurs. Il est donc important de parler d'éthique et de réfléchir à la façon d'incorporer la notion de comportement de l'algorithme dès la phase de conception. Il n'est pas possible d'ignorer le fait que l'IA crée risque et incertitude et que le domaine des RH ne fait pas exception. Un exemple fréquent en est l'utilisation des données RH, sans aucun filtre, pour un algorithme de recrutement et qui aboutit à une discrimination de genre. Si ce type de situation se produit, c'est souvent parce que l'IA de programmation repose sur la disponibilité d'un grand volume de données et sur la recherche de schémas répétitifs dans ces données historiques. Les données peuvent refléter des réalités obsolètes – par exemple le fait que la majorité des collaborateurs occupant certains postes sont des hommes, une situation rarement justifiable. Pour cette raison, les entreprises qui travaillent avec cette technologie ont pour responsabilité de réunir data engineers, professionnels des RH et experts en éthique, afin d'assurer une utilisation efficace de cette technologie. De nombreuses raisons, récemment devenues de plus en plus évidentes, justifient d'innover dans ce domaine : rapidité, volume, changements très rapides et limites des processus manuels classiques. Prenons par exemple une entreprise qui souhaite s'adapter aux changements et adopter une stratégie de formation reposant sur le reskilling. Un processus manuel est limité en capacité et en qualité ; l'automatisation des processus grâce à l'IA va donc nous aider à gérer ces processus plus rapidement, et à veiller à leur utilité. Mais pour ce faire, les services HR devront s'adapter et devenir des « experts » de l'IA, ou plus précisément des utilisateurs experts de l'IA. Choix des données appropriées. Quelles données utilisons-nous pour créer ces algorithmes ? Si nous utilisons des données historiques, cela peut avoir des conséquences dont il faut tenir compte pour la phase de conception. Utilisation de l'algorithme. Une fois l'algorithme mis en œuvre, ses utilisateurs (autrement dit les équipes RH) devront apprendre comment fonctionne l'IA afin de pouvoir évaluer l'exactitude de ses résultats, corriger les erreurs, réduire le risque et contribuer à améliorer la technologie. Ce phénomène permettra de créer de nouveaux postes au sein des services RH, tout en leur offrant une magnifique opportunité d'étendre leurs compétences : montée en compétences ou reconversion. C'est la raison pour laquelle Cornerstone Innovation Lab for AI dirige son effort d'innovation sur l'éthique. Nous gardons à l'esprit les sept principes clés de l'UE pour une IA éthique : facteur humain et contrôle humain, robustesse et sécurité, respect de la vie privée et gouvernance des données, transparence, diversité, non-discrimination et équité, bien-être sociétal et environnemental et responsabilisation. L'IA est un outil puissant. La façon dont on l'utilise dépend de nous, professionnels des RH. Cet article a initialement été publié sur le blog espagnol de Cornerstone, inspiré de ce podcast par Observatorio de Recursos Humanos.

Recrutement et mobilité

De meilleures données sur vos collaborateurs. Pour de meilleures décisions.

En centralisant la gestion de vos dossiers RH, vous fournissez à vos collaborateurs les outils dont ils ont besoin pour se sentir soutenus, formés, récompensés et impliqués. Un projet réussi de gestion du capital humain nécessite des données de qualité sur les employés et sur l’organisation. Avec Cornerstone HR, vous donnez à vos employés et responsables la possibilité de visualiser et de modifier directement leurs données, ce qui en retour vous permet de disposer d’informations à jour pour une meilleure planification stratégique. Votre département RH peut facilement déclencher des processus RH essentiels et initier des événements clés tels que l’élaboration de plans d’amélioration, le suivi des périodes d’essai ou la gestion des intégrations et des départs.

Mejores datos sobre las personas. Mejores decisiones.

Cuando centralice su gestión de registros de RRHH, proporcionará a las personas de su empresa las herramientas que necesitan para sentirse apoyadas, capacitadas, recompensadas y comprometidas. Un proyecto satisfactorio de gestión del capital humano precisa datos de calidad sobre los empleados y la organización. Con Cornerstone HR, dará a sus empleados y directivos la posibilidad de ver y editar directamente sus datos, proporcionándoles información actualizada para una mejor planificación estratégica. Su departamento de RRHH puede activar fácilmente procesos esenciales de RRHH e iniciar eventos clave como planes de mejora del desarrollo, seguimiento de los períodos de prueba y gestión de la incorporación y incorporación y salida de los empleados.

Repensez votre façon d’engager vos clients et partenaires

Face à l’évolution rapide du monde du travail, vous devez être dynamique et savoir vous adapter. Il est plus important que jamais de mettre les principaux acteurs au diapason avec votre entreprise. Conçu pour s’adapter à la flexibilité et à la spécificité de votre activité, Cornerstone Extended Enterprise vous aide à faire évoluer votre organisation et à garantir que vos interlocuteurs externes sont informés et adoptent vos dernières offres.

Un partenaire qui vous accompagne de A à Z

L'implémentation de Cornerstone Xplor est simple. Une fois que vous avez configuré votre LMS, les paramètres de la marque, les utilisateurs, les autorisations et les contenus sont automatiquement extraits de votre LMS pour alimenter les fonctionnalités de votre nouveau portail de développement autonome. À partir de là, vous disposerez d'une assistance dédiée de la part de nos services et de nos équipes produit pour vous aider à configurer Cornerstone Xplor selon vos spécificités organisationnelles. Téléchargez cette fiche de services pour en savoir plus sur ce que nous vous proposons pour améliorer votre expérience avec Cornerstone Xplor.

Ce dont vous avez besoin pour commencer à utiliser Cornerstone Xplor

La prise en main de Cornerstone Xplor est facile et rapide. Grâce à l'architecture de son framework d’IA conçu et centré sur les compétences, votre entreprise peut améliorer le développement des compétences de ses effectifs en un temps record. Voici ce que vous devez savoir pour préparer votre implémentation. Ceci n’étant qu’un bref aperçu puisque Cornerstone Xplor peut vous apporter bien plus encore.

Le CNES fait graviter ses talents grâce à Cornerstone

Le CNES est l’établissement qui met en œuvre la politique spatiale de la France, dans 5 grands domaines stratégiques : Ariane, les Sciences, l’Observation, les Télécommunications et la Défense. Les 2 500 collaborateurs sont répartis entre Paris, Toulouse et la Guyane. Pourquoi Cornerstone Le développement de grands projets spatiaux demande de multiples compétences et des moyens techniques importants. Au sein du CNES, faire en sorte que les personnels déploient leurs talents sur longue durée est un enjeu crucial, d’autant plus que sur certains métiers, comme la pyrotechnie par exemple, l’acquisition des compétences peut durer jusqu’à dix ans. Globalement, si 80% des collaborateurs du CNES sont des ingénieurs, cadres et doctorants, ils se forment en grande partie en exerçant leur métier. Les plans de formation représentent un très fort investissement (5% de la masse salariale).

Cartoon Coffee Break: WFH Reflections

Editor's Note:This post is part of our "Cartoon Coffee Break" series. While we take talent management seriously, we also know it's important to have a good laugh. Check back every two weeks for a new ReWork cartoon. There’s been a rise in remote work over the past few years, and for good reason. Attracted to the flexibility that comes with working from home, many employees now do their jobs from the comfort of their living room, a coworking space or even a coffee shop. But the remote work lifestyle can be difficult to adjust to for employees and employers alike. How can you empower your remote workforce to be productive and feel connected to their colleagues despite the physical distance? Read up on how your HR department can give employees the support they need to succeed. Header photo: Creative Commons

Creativity in the Workplace: Working Towards Mindfitness

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainty - Erich Fromm Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and she was also the first person and the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice in two scientific fields. One great bit of advice she wisely shared was to be less curious about people and more curious about ideas. This makes a great deal of sense especially as we now live in an Idea Economy where organizations operate in a highly competitive global environment. A big part of business success is about taking great ideas and turning them into reality faster than the competition. Fresh thinking, creativity and innovation fuel business success and deliver the all-important competitive advantage. So, what is creativity in the workplace? Creativity is about unleashing the potential of your mind to conceive new ideas. It is characterized by your ability to perceive the world in a different way and to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena so that you can generate better outcomes. Creativity is a useful tool for solving problems or exploring new and innovative ways of doing things. It is about seeking out new opportunities, to produce original ideas, and apply imagination and inventiveness. One of the key benefits of creativity in the workplace is that it fuels innovation, which is essential against the backdrop of globalization, migration, technological advancements and climate change issues. We now have the added impact of a global pandemic that is wreaking unprecedented disruption and chaos.The need to constantly review how we do things is essential. Explore new opportunities Innovation is an imperative to maintain our quality of life in these changing circumstances. Always doing things in the same way will only produce the same outcomes, which may not be relevant or useful. We are living in an age where fostering creativity and innovation will help us to overcome the challenges we currently face and, in turn, support our ability to not only survive but to thrive. Great leaders understand the power of creativity as a tool to unleash fresh thinking and explore new opportunities and solutions to complex problems. How to increase creativity Great leaders of the future will know how to creatively build an open culture for the exchange of ideas and collaboration. In my work with teams across industries and culture, I have found that empowered leaders have the ability to really set the tone for creative explorations. This leads to innovation, fresh thinking and even some unexpected solutions. These are my top three tips for fostering creativity in the workplace: 1. Build creative networks Encouraging collaboration in the creative process through building a creative network is so important. Working in isolation can stifle creativity and having a network each individual can reach out to and bounce ideas off is really stimulating, especially with remote working becoming more the norm. Build a network of empowered creative minds and your team will break through the status quo and drive innovation with enthusiasm. 2. Identify barriers to creativity To ensure that your team has the time and space to be creative, you will need to remove any barrier. If the barrier is time, mark off time in everyone’s calendar to collaborate on something fresh. If space is a barrier, open a new shared folder for ideas or start a chat chain where people can share ideas. Engage with your team to identify any barriers from their perspective and ask them to explore and suggest solutions. You don’t always need to have all the answers. 3. Support employee wellbeing The best neurochemical cocktail for most creative work is a high level of both serotonin and dopamine. This combination of neurotransmitters will help your team feel calm, creative and energized. It is important to reduce stress as it produces the hormone cortisol, which can counteract the creativity-boosting effects of serotonin. Encourage and support this wellbeing within your team with a combination of stress management, healthy eating, drinking water, sleeping well and exercising. Failing is part of the creative process Something else that is really important to remember is that failure is part of the creative process and provides one of the most powerful ways for your team to learn and grow. As Thomas Edison once said, “I failed my way to success”. If you punish honest mistakes within your team, then you will most certainty inhibit future creative potential. Set an example by viewing mistakes as learning opportunities and see them as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. Cultivate a team narrative that says, “We don’t fail, we learn and that is all part of the creative process”. This is how great leaders can best support their teams to be truly empowered, creative and innovative. If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play - John Cleese For more Mindfit resources, check out free sample courses from Cornerstone’s Original Learning Series, Empowering Minds with Liggy Webb. Read about Liggy Webb's "Mindfit" model, or take a closer look at the first three elements in the model, a Resilient Mind, a Curious Mind and a Flexible Mind. Finally, keep an eye out for the next element of Liggy Webb's Mindfit model: A Kind Mind!

A Day in the Life of a Diversity Manager

The need for more diversity in Silicon Valley is no secret — recent demographic reports from large companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter show large gaps in both gender and ethnicity. Fortunately, companies are beginning to recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce, hiring HR managers, program leads and recruiters with the specific task of increasing inclusion initiatives. “A wealth of research shows that diverse teams perform better than non-diverse teams," says Carissa Romero, a partner at Paradigm, a startup that helps companies implement diversity initiatives. "They make better decisions and solve problems more effectively. Focusing on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace isn't just the right thing to do; it's also a smart business decision." To learn more about the rise of diversity-focused roles, we spoke with three individuals who have committed their careers to inclusion. Here they discuss their everyday challenges, current initiatives and best advice for other companies dedicated to increasing diversity. Carissa Romero Title: Partner at Paradigm, a startup that helps companies implement diversity initiatives How did you get involved with diversity and inclusion? I was attracted to Paradigm because they were drawing on a wealth of research in social psychology to help companies design diversity and inclusion strategies. I believe that I can make an impact on an issue that's both personal to me — I am a Puerto Rican woman — and that I'm deeply passionate about. What's the most challenging part about your job? One big challenge that we see many companies face is their reliance on referral hiring. Because companies' workforces are often homogeneous, if they don't find other ways to source candidates, it's going to be hard for companies to create more diverse teams. What current diversity initiative or past project are you most excited about? Inclusion Labs is a partnership with Paradigm and Pinterest that will allow us to conduct workforce research to identify and better understand barriers to diversity, test new strategies for addressing these barriers, and share publicly as much information as we can about what we're learning. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? A successful diversity and inclusion initiative is one that is data-driven, draws on what we know from social science research and is context-specific. Tina Sandford Title: Managing Director of International Field Delivery at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) How did you get involved with diversity and inclusion? Last June, we ran an inclusion and diversity survey, held focus groups and did a series of interviews. I've had the wonderful opportunity to lead this initiative. What's the most challenging part about your job? Balancing the demand and drive of those who want to get things done quickly versus those who are more conservative. We want to go slow in order to go fast; to do this, we have to be thoughtful and recognize that everyone has a different point of view. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? In a general sense, ask: What are you trying to achieve and how does that relate to your organization and employee base? It's not one-size-fits-all. What is your best piece of advice for companies trying to improve diversity? Keep an open mind and realize that everyone has a different perspective and values that drive where they come from. Melanie Goldstein Title: Diversity and Inclusion Product Manager at Kanjoya, a start-up specializing in emotion-based intuitive analytics What's the most challenging part about your job? Through our technology, I am constantly faced with the reality that unconscious bias is not a myth; rather, it exists everywhere, is culturally ingrained and can impact people's careers. What current diversity initiative or past project are you most excited about? We help clients understand precisely where and how bias is manifesting in their organizations. Armed with metrics for unconscious bias, our clients can convince even the most ardent skeptics that there is a problem, take data-driven action and make diversity an organization-wide commitment. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? Successful diversity initiatives have to be data-driven and led by a commitment to transparency. The ability to track and measure progress over time is also crucial. What is your best piece of advice for companies trying to improve diversity? It's imperative to address the entire employee lifecycle. To make lasting diversity improvements requires a continuous process of iteration and experimentation. Photo: Creative Commons

A Day in the Life of an Employee Experience Manager and Specialist

The war for talent has companies of all sizes focused on creating compelling employee experiences that will not only help them attract top talent, but also prevent current star performers from exploring outside opportunities. As the idea of "employee experience" design has evolved, it's become focused on much more than access to great perks and a fun work environment. A recent study on workplace happiness by staffing firm Robert Half found that job satisfaction is most influenced by having a sense of empowerment, feeling appreciated and being able to do meaningful and interesting work. Many employers are hiring dedicated "employee experience" managers to ensure they can meet these expectations. We recently interviewed three such specialists to learn more about this emerging and challenging profession. Here's what they had to say: Kayla Rena, Culture and Employee Experience Manager at ParTech, Inc. (PAR) How did you get involved with employee experience management? I started at PAR about five years ago as a technical writer. I fell into my current role not long after I became the chair of PAR's employee-run culture committee. Our vice president of HR noticed that other companies had dedicated resources to improving culture and the employee experience and thought it was time for PAR to do this, too. I said I'd love to have that role and listed all the reasons I thought I'd be good at it. And here I am today! What is the most challenging part of your job? Initially, it was defining the kind of culture we wanted. The trick now is to "walk the talk" and to live the core values we have defined every day—otherwise, they're just words. Another major challenge is creating a consistent employee experience for our people, at all levels of the company and in locations across the globe, centered on having respectful and trusting relationships with team members and management. That is probably one of the most challenging things I've ever had to do in my career. What's your best piece of advice for other companies trying to improve their work environment? Top leadership must be totally bought into changing the culture for the better. Without that alignment at the top, it's very hard to make long-lasting, meaningful change. Change is hard, and it doesn't happen overnight. I recommend starting with small changes or focusing on areas where you know you can move the needle a bit and then build on that. Josh Blumenfeld, Employee Experience Expert at Espresa, Inc. How did you get involved with employee experience? I have a customer service and relationship management background, so I've always been very people-focused in my career. One reason I wanted to join Espresa is its mission, which is empowering companies to do more for their people. My role is primarily external-facing. I work with employee experience specialists, HR leaders, administrative staff and others to help them develop programs for building a better culture and employee experience at their companies. What current experience, initiative or project are you most excited about? Our company developed a platform that helps employers manage their on-site programs, events, team-building exercises and more to ensure those efforts are having the desired impact. One new initiative I'm excited about is a rewards and recognition program that helps companies acknowledge employee milestones, like work anniversaries or workplace achievements. Employees can choose rewards that are meaningful to them. What is the most challenging part of your job? Educating other employee experience specialists about the value of using technology to help them build and manage their programs. Employee experience is an emerging space, and many organizations have only recently started using tools like HR analytics. Another challenge—which I think most employee experience professionals face—is helping financial decision-makers understand the business benefits of investing in these types of programs and tools. Rebecca Webb, Employee Experience Specialist at Specialty's Café and Bakery What current experience initiative or project are you most excited about? Our company was recently acquired, and the new owners and leaders are motivated to build a culture that is not only customer-focused but also employee-focused. My manager and I recently finished analyzing our first company-wide employee feedback survey. I'm now creating a report to communicate the survey results, and explain what initiatives our department is working on and when. It's exciting because showing employees that you are listening to them. Making changes based on their feedback is crucial for significantly improving employee experience and engagement. I plan to share feedback reports consistently as we implement changes. What is the most challenging part of your job? My job is exhilarating, incredibly rewarding and always interesting. But it can be challenging not to take on too many things at once. When you first start in this position, you need to learn quickly what to prioritize based on the needs of multiple company stakeholders. Having patience, objectivity and the ability to build relationships, and consensus, with people throughout the company are useful qualities for this position. What's your best piece of advice for other companies trying to improve their work environment? Your team members are your most valuable assets. Ask for their feedback regularly and let them know how you intend to apply their feedback. Also, encourage and empower employees to lead and reward their efforts. If they fail, challenge them to try again. And when implementing any initiative or program, be sure to consider the potential impact of those changes on the company and its customers. Photo: Creative Commons

A Day in the Life of a Health Care Industry Compliance Manager

Karen Shell watched intently when the Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings in January for the next U.S. attorney general, a decision that could dramatically impact her day-to-day work. As the director of compliance for National Seating and Mobility (NSM), her interest in these hearings might not be clear at first, but Shell says a shakeup in the Department of Justice's philosophy and focus could seriously affect business. Monitoring changes in legislation and regulation is just one aspect of her complex role at NSM, a Tennessee-based company that designs one-of-a-kind mobility solutions like manual and power wheelchairs for disabled individuals and their families.“It's impossible to follow the rules if you don't know what they are and how they change," says Shell. “Plus, being unaware of a requirement isn't an acceptable defense." With plenty of important eyes watching, including the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), Shell sees herself and her counterparts in compliance as revenue protectors. At NSM, the compliance team has its own space on the company' organizational chart, a wholly separate department from legal and human resources with direct, unfiltered access to the board of directors. According to Shell, it's important that the compliance officer maintain independence, so decisions can be made without competing agendas and influences. A typical workday for Shell involves creating policies, procedures and compliance training, identifying risks and auditing performance as well as serving as a confidential contact for all employees and leadership. We caught up with Shell to take a closer look at her unique experience as a compliance officer. Health care is a particularly difficult industry from a compliance perspective. What challenges have you experienced while building your career in this field over the past two decades? The major challenge has been keeping up with a constantly changing legislative and regulatory environment, along with changing technology and patient expectations. An additional challenge is presenting compliance as something more than just a necessary cost or a check box. My goal is to ensure that senior leadership knows we're here to support our greater corporate mission, not to hinder it. You mentioned changing technology. How does tech contribute to your daily efforts in compliance? Technology is an increasingly important part of our compliance program because we maintain client records and file claims electronically and we communicate with our clients and their medical professionals electronically as well. We have to be careful to keep that information secure, while meeting HIPAA and HITECH regulations. The benefit of electronic records is that we can use technology to put checks in place to help prevent false claims or more easily audit claims to identify non-compliance and improvement opportunities. We also use technology to train and inform employees. We can keep our compliance messaging fresh and make sure that compliance resources, like the compliance manual, are always current and easily available online. There's not an area of our business that isn't affected by technology, so we have to be sure we maintain compliance on that front, too. Why should business executives focus on cultivating a strong compliance program that doesn't feel like an afterthought for legal or HR teams? All companies, and definitely those in health care, operate in a complicated regulatory environment. A strong, proactive compliance program is needed to mitigate risks and to make certain the company stays within the guardrails while innovating and moving the mission forward. While a compliance department doesn't generate revenue, it's important that management understands that we're here to protect the business. The cost of operating a compliance program is far less than the extensive fines and penalties that companies might incur for violating laws and regulations. It's also important to recognize the value in having a certified professional lead the program. For example, I maintain my Health Care Compliance certification through the Health Care Compliance Association, which was established in 1996 to help navigate and translate the complex regulatory requirements. Can you share some examples of particular compliance challenges that you frequently face? How do you overcome those hurdles? Our Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) work directly with clients with disabilities. They provide mobility with very restricted reimbursement processes from insurance companies, Medicare and other payers. Because not every item we provide is a covered item, it's sometimes difficult for ATPs to understand why we can't just give our clients things for free when they're clearly in need. As much as we'd love to help, the wheelchair industry has an unfortunate history of fraud and abuse, so we have to be especially careful about maintaining compliance with the False Claims Act, beneficiary inducement and anti-kickback statutes. This can be frustrating, so it's important that I communicate not just what we can and can't do, but also why we have to do it a certain way. I explain that my job isn't to help them get around something, but to do whatever I can to help them through it. The ability to communicate how and why regulations apply to how we do business is important at every level. Everyone from the field employees to the board of directors should understand it. Is that why you created a training manual, a code of conduct and compliance manual for each layer of staff at NSM? Yes. It's important to provide employees at every level with an explanation of the laws and regulations that apply to what they do every day. Our training program helps them understand what they need to do to minimize the risk of non-compliance so that we can continue to provide great care for our clients for many years to come. Our Compliance Manual is a detailed tool to use for guidance, while the Code of Conduct outlines the behaviors we expect and the consequences for not meeting those expectations. Establishing very clear guidelines with open lines of communication for employees at every level is crucial. It's also the part of my job that I find especially rewarding. I enjoy being able to communicate with everyone, from the executives to part-time employees, and developing a level of trust so that anyone feels comfortable coming to me with questions or concerns. For more on healthcare compliance management, visit https://hr.cornerstoneondemand.com/compliance-healthcare-li Photo: Creative Commons

Dear ReWorker: What Belongs In the Employee Handbook?

Dear ReWorker: Handling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?

Dear ReWorker: I Haven't Had a Raise in Five Years

Dear ReWorker, My husband has been working for the same company for over 25 years. None of the employees, including my husband, have received a raise in the last five years. The owner of the company keeps telling the workers the company isn't making any money; however, the employees have watched this same owner drive up in a brand new pickup truck, towing a brand new boat that he boasted about paying for with cash. This is the same owner who continually questions the morale of the company. What can my husband do in this situation? And, what type of advice would you have for this employer? Sincerely, Getting Impatient __________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Getting Impatient, Your husband should brush up his resume, find a new job and quit. In that order. An owner that hasn't offered a raise in five years, complains about a lack of money while showing off his expensive purchases and can't see that his actions are causing low morale isn't likely to change. Now, of course, I should ask if your husband has asked for a raise in the past five years. If he hasn't, he should ask. The exception to this is if your husband is at the top of the pay scale for his profession and wouldn't be able to make more money anywhere else. Salaries should be based on market rates, and if you're already at the top of the market, you aren't going anywhere. The owner of this business sees himself as doing a favor to the employees—isn't it great that I gave you a job out of the goodness of my heart? Now, I'm all for small business owners, and I understand that they take risks, but they aren't doing it out of "goodness." They do it because it's the best way to be profitable. Your husband's boss wouldn't have his new truck and new boat without his employees. Yes, he provides them with jobs, but they help his company prosper. It might be scary to go out and look for a new job—after all, he's been there 25 years, and the devil you know is often better than the devil you don't. But, most companies are happy to have good workers and want to reward them. Looking won't cost him anything and if he doesn't find anything better, he should stay. As for advice for the owner—he's not writing me, but I'm always happy to give advice. I'd tell the owner to make sure to give his employees raises—there's little doubt that salaries should have been bumped up at least for cost of living over the past five years. The second thing I'd tell him to do is have his finances evaluated by a professional. Now, maybe he has a wife who paid for the new truck and boat and the business is struggling, but if he is paying for that with money the business earns, he needs an expert to take a look at his books. Why? By not investing in his employees, he's not investing in his business. Your husband probably isn't the only person considering leaving after being treated like that. Turnover is incredibly expensive—probably more expensive than his fancy new boat. It's not going to be so cheap to replace someone with 25 years of experience. Overall, he's making bad decisions based on short-term pleasure, and that's going to come back to bite him. Your ReWorker, Suzanne Lucas, Evil HR Lady Photo: Creative Commons

Dear ReWorker: The New General Manager Is Cleaning House

Dear ReWorker, I am a manager in a retail business and have been there for over six years. Recently, a new general manager took over, and she seems to be cleaning house and hiring her own team. I have found out that a supervisor (we'll call him John) that reports directly to me is being asked to step down and he does not want to. The GM targeted him because he said he wanted to leave retail and was looking elsewhere. His replacement is coming from within our district, and she is a "favorite" of my district manager. I feel this is just an ill attempt to promote her and find an easy spot for her. John has had no performance documentation or any write ups for performance. He is actually very good at his job and isn't disengaged. Can my managers and company do this? It's also important to note that I don't believe that my corporate HR knows the real actions behind this internal promotion and that someone is being pushed out to make it happen. Sincerely, Concerned Manager __________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Concerned Manager, Short answer: Yes. They can do this. The only way it would be "no" in this case is if the new general manager targeted John because he was male and she prefers women. The question you didn't ask, but the one I will answer anyway, is should the general manager do this? The answer to that is more complicated. It is extremely common for new managers to bring in their own people. They've worked with them before, they know this person will bring good results, there's no time lost building relationships, and it's just more fun. But, it may or may not be good. If the previous general manager had a completely different personality and built up the staff around her personality or leadership style, it can be difficult to get people to change. If the new general manager got her job precisely because her boss wanted big changes, this can be the fastest way to do so. However, I think you should wait and see in most situations. Find out who will work well with you and who won't, then make decisions. Lots of companies don't allow a wholesale changing of leadership when a new big boss comes to town. In the specific case of John, though, he told people he wanted to leave. He told them he was actively job hunting. If you're the new general manager, and you have a supervisor who doesn't want to be there, no matter how effective he is at his job, and you have an employee you know to be great who earned a promotion and just needs a spot to open up, it makes a lot of sense to promote the person who wants to be there and let go of the person who doesn't want to be there . Lesson is this: Don't tell people you don't like your job and are looking to move on unless you're 100 percent sure they'll support you until you do leave. Your ReWorker, Suzanne Lucas, Evil HR Lady Photo: Creative Commons

Digital Leadership: engaging employees, communication, & the long-term lessons to take with you

We are facing unprecedented times. Between an economic downturn, massive furloughs, and fear for the health and safety of our communities, employees are feeling more uncertain than ever. Times of crisis and rapid change requires strong and effective leaders who are critical for setting direction, driving continuity, and motivating the broader organization. But, what does effective digital leadership look like? Join Jim Batz, Cornerstones Senior Manager of Learning and Development to learn: -The importance of instilling a strong digital company culture -The essential soft skills you need to be an effective leader -What Cornerstone is doing to effectively manage and engage a remote workforce Regardless of when things get back to “normal”, we know it will be a new normal. The digital transformation that takes place now will reap benefits today and long into the future.

Don't Be Afraid to Say, 'You're Fired'

When people get promoted into a management role, the going phrase is that you now have "hire and fire" power. Almost everyone enjoys using his or her hire power — it's great to build your own team and see each individual employee grow. But fire power? Unless you're a cold-hearted person, you generally don't enjoy using your fire power — ever. But should you? If you think the answer is "no," consider the hiring and firing operations of the federal government for a moment — you're more likely to die than to be fired in a government job. Then, think about the level of service provided by most government organizations: Do you want to run your business with the efficiency of a DMV? Then don't fire anyone. But if you want to be better than that, you need to be willing to let people go when it's warranted. When "Fired" Is the Right Choice This doesn't mean you should just start firing people whenever you feel like it. So, when should you let someone go? Here are three of the most common reasons to warrant a fire: 1) The employee is a toxic person: A toxic employee may be a skilled high-performer, but is also someone who causes problems right and left. This person makes the whole office miserable. Your best employees don't want to work with a bully and will move on. Do you want to replace your good (and kind) employees when they quit? In addition to the bully, you may have a gossiper, a harasser or a generalized jerk. You don't need these people in your office if they impact company culture and workplace relationships, no matter how good they are at the technical side of the job. 2) The employee is a poor performer: Everyone needs training time. But, if that time has long since passed and your employee still performs below his peers, firing should be considered. How much time and money are you losing because your employee can't do his job properly? How much time are your other employees spending fixing his mistakes? Perfection isn't a standard that any boss should require and mistakes will aways be made — no matter how great you are at your job — but, if you have someone who consistently under performs after considerable coaching and mentoring, it's time to let that person go. 3) The employee lacks the skill set you need: If someone lacks the skills to do the job and the skills are not something that you can provide through training — or you've given ample training and the employee simply can't grasp the topic — it's time to let her go. This is often the most difficult fire for a manager to make, especially if the employee is a great teammate. If you're in this situation, you should let the person go, but it shouldn't be a standard "firing." It should be classified as a layoff, which means you're eliminating the position that she was doing and replacing it with a different job description. Offer help in the job hunt, give a great reference and a fair severance package. The Right Way to Fire People When you decide that you need to let someone go, make sure that you do it properly. The most important thing you need is documentation. For instance, if you want to fire someone for poor performance, but you've never documented anything about the person's need to improve, you shouldn't fire him or her. Likewise, you can't fire someone for being a bully if you've never documented a problem. Most importantly, if you do fire someone, communicate the reason to your remaining staff as honestly as you can. Some managers are afraid that if they fire someone, the rest of the staff will be fearful that they're next. This is only the case if you're not clear about why the employee was let go. Firing someone is never an easy thing to do (and rightfully so), but the best managers understand that it's an important skill set to have if you want to maintain a positive and productive workplace. You will have the opportunity to hire new people with the right attitude, performance and skills for your department, and the end result will be better performance all around. Photo: Shutterstock

Employee Handbooks: Out With the Old, In With ... What Exactly?

The employee handbook: every company has one, yet most employees never lay eyes on it after they get out of new-hire orientation. And who could blame them? "Today's employee handbook feels so antiquated," says Michael Molina, chief human resources officer at San Diego-based Vistage International, a membership organization that provides executive coaching to CEOs of small and mid-size companies around the world. "Let's face it," Molina says. "An employee handbook, you pick it up on day one and you put it down unless you have a question." Small wonder, then, why innovation-focused companies such as Netflix and Zappos have experimented with more compelling handbook alternatives -- such as colorful, engaging slide presentations that showcase the company’s values, vibe and culture and downplay rules and policies, reference them in other documents or leave them out altogether. San Francisco-based Zaarly, a startup that supports a network of local merchants in selling their crafts (think Etsy for service and merchandise) has taken the concept a step further: Listed in the "Rules for Work" section of its of new employee "handbook" is a provocative mandate: "We do not have these." Most companies may not go to the extreme that Zaarly has, but the traditional employee handbook that lays out employees rules and regulations certainly deserves a makeover. In an effort to recruit fresh-faced talent and create an engaged work environment, businesses are hoping that focusing on the good stuff (core values, perks, cool culture) will make the not-so-fun stuff (regulations, rules, fine-print) obsolete.  As Molina explains, "In general they are far less detailed and serve as an advertisement for new employees." But is that enough? Is there a happy medium to strike for companies that want to impress new hires with humor and personality, but also recognize the value of clear policy information on issues ranging from "WFH" (working from home -- a hot topic again) to social media policy to discrimination and fraud?  The "no rules" concept may not be for every company, or even most companies, but it doesn't mean existing policies can't be rethought. As Molina explains, some companies are adopting a two-pronged strategy: pairing a more compliance-heavy handbook with another focused on company culture. "You can have a great work culture and still have an employee handbook about ethical standards and computer usage standards, with great responses from employees," Molina says. So what does a successful two-pronged approach look like? Here are a few helpful rules of thumb: Describe the Real Culture of the Company -- Not One You Imagine "The handbook needs to be representative of the daily experience," Molina says. "You don't want to walk into a culture where everyone looks like a drone. When future hires walk in the door, they immediately get a sense of who you are as a company. You can tell them whatever you want in the handbook, but an employee smells the actual experience out very quickly. You have to be able to articulate that within a week or a month of what that environment is going to be like." He's right: According to data collected by The Wynhurst Group, 22 percent of staff turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment. If new hires feel lost, they need more than a presentation or a pithy page to understand their new work environment. The culture of the place comes out if you'd like it to or not, just by being there. Don't Sweep the Important Stuff Under the Rug A truly no-rule environment can't exist in today’s workplace. Policy and procedure help protect both the employer and the employee -- and they shouldn't be ignored. There is room for people to be hurt and also skirt responsibility if rules are not set in place. No matter how old or experienced your employees are, lack of clear-cut rules can backfire. In fact, most ethical problems arise when employees have an out or an excuse, says Chris MacDonald, professor of ethical leadership at Ryerson College in Canada. With no rules, the "I didn't know" excuse can run rampant. "I think it's a gimmick to say you don't have a handbook," Molina says. "You can't operate without practices and policies and laws. So if a company wants to position itself properly, it has to set two things in place: something that tackles the culture and something that highlights the management practices followed. There are rules that you have to have in a company and they should be available to the employee. That being said, you must insure that the rules are representative of the daily experience in the workplace." Stick to Substance -- Not Slapstick It's important to attract and retain talent -- but even more important to stay genuine. Employees can see through the diatribe of a slick but substance-lacking handbook like Zaarly's. After all, the substance is what will hold the entire endeavor together. Yes, Zaarly throws around some fun and shocking phrases -- "You may speak to, call, email or have a meeting with anyone. Even if it's your first day. Even if you don't know their name. Even if they have a mustache," the handbook reads. But the piece also contradicts itself: calling for face-to-face communication as a tantamount practice while also encouraging employees to work from home or blast Skrillex if it makes them more productive. Furthermore it offers some tasteless jabs as other companies: "If you want to coast, we recommend you apply for a job at Craigslist." "I don't think a handbook replaces what you do day in and day out," Molina says. "I want new hires to feel as though they're coming to a place that is engaging and where the culture fits the company's values through the spirit of the right leadership and right energy. If whatever tool we use reflects that, then I think we've been successful."

Employers, It's Time to Let Go of the Unemployment Stigma

Those of us in HR don't like to admit it, but companies don't afford the same level of consideration to unemployed candidates or candidates with employment gaps as they do to working applicants. Sometimes, companies even prefer to recruit passive candidates that haven't applied for a job in the hope of attracting them. I guess we just love the thrill of the chase. Shame on us. What's more, even if we do show unemployed candidates' resumes to hiring managers, how many of us actually try to justify why great candidates find themselves out of a job? Do we argue with decision makers who claim that if the candidate was any good, she or he would already be employed? That stereotype holds no merit at a time when mergers and acquisitions are driving excellent workers to the unemployment line. In 2010, as part of the American Jobs Act, the federal government exempted employers from paying the 6.2 percent social security tax on wages paid to previously unemployed workers that they hired, and offered a $1,000 tax credit for every employee that they retained for a minimum of one year. While employers were eligible for this deal, I did the reverse of what employers traditionally do—I actively searched for unemployed candidates. And guess what? None of them were less competent than workers that left their other jobs to come on board. In fact, evidence for this is more than anecdotal. In its 2014 advocacy guide for employers, Deloitte cited a study that found “virtually no difference between the performance of those who had not held a job within the past five years, and those who had." The Benefits of Hiring Qualified Unemployed Candidates Now that the tax break has expired, there are still a number of advantages to hiring qualified unemployed candidates. For one, hiring managers have noted that this cohort had higher rates of retention than those who hadn't experienced the hardship of being out of a job, and Deloitte's guide confirms this. Companies who hire unemployed candidates “experience a more reliable and loyal workforce, as well as higher retention rates," it states. Lower recruitment costs are another benefit, because employers can source qualified candidates without paying premium recruiter fees when hiring someone who is unemployed. According to Deloitte's guide, hiring unemployed individuals also reduces hiring time by 50 to 70 percent since they're available immediately. And, because these workers are often experienced, there's a 50 to 70 percent reduction in time spent getting them up to speed as well. But a bias as deeply engrained as the one against unemployed job candidates is difficult to overcome. For example, LinkedIn experts have long advised candidates against stating that they're “actively seeking new opportunities" in their profile headlines because it signals their unemployed status. Nevertheless, a movement directed at overcoming the anti-unemployment bias is gaining traction. Together with two colleagues, we invented a hashtag, ONO (Open to New Opportunities), to make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to source, qualify and hire unemployed candidates whose value proposition might be exactly what your company needs. Look out for it, and take a closer look at unemployed candidates! Photo: Twenty20

An Employee's Guide to Successful 1:1 Meetings with Your Manager

This will sound incredibly obvious but one-on-one meetings involve two people. This means that organizations need to spend equal time coaching both meeting participants. Now, it only makes sense to talk about how employees can make the most of the meeting. The one-on-one meeting isn't the same as a performance review meeting. Yes, the discussion will include performance, but the meeting is really about feedback. Employees want regular feedback - both positive and negative. It's not a millennial thing or a Generation Z thing. Everyone likes knowing they're doing the right things. And if an employee isn't doing something well, they want to know before it becomes a disciplinary issue or affects their performance review. Regardless of how often your company does performance reviews, no one wants to be surprised during their performance review. That said, one-on-one meetings are only as good as the conversation. That's why organizations need to provide employees with some training and guidance on their role during one-on-one meetings. Having a meeting where a manager just tells an employee stuff isn't productive. Employees need to come to the conversation prepared. Employees share responsibility in one-on-one meetings Organizations that encourage one-on-one meetings shouldn't put all the responsibility on managers to make them happen. Employees share the responsibility. It's true that when it comes to scheduling, employees are sometimes at a disadvantage because a manager will typically schedule the meeting. But there are a couple of things that employees can do to make sure the one-on-one is a top priority. Work with your manager to establish a schedule for your 1:1 meeting (e.g. every second Tuesday at 2 p.m.). If your manager is reluctant to do that... Bring your calendar to each meeting. At the end of a meeting, always suggest scheduling the next meeting. If that doesn't work... Wait a couple of weeks and ask for the meeting. An employee can pop into their manager's office and say, "Hey isn't it time for our 1:1? I wanted to make sure I didn't forget to put it on my calendar." Once the meeting is scheduled, employees need to dedicate time to preparing for the meeting. At a minimum, employees should spend some time thinking about their performance. Here are two questions to consider: What have you done well? Hold yourself accountable and answer this question first. It can be tempting to think about the negative. Don't sell yourself short. There are plenty of positive things to recall. What could you have done differently? Please note: This question didn't say wrong. There's a reason for that. There are plenty of times when we accomplish something, but it could have been done in a better way. Employees should be prepared to have specific responses and examples to both questions. It shows you spent time thinking about it. And it's possible that an employee will remember something their manager either wasn't aware of or had forgotten about. Preparation also means thinking about questions to ask during the meeting. These questions typically involve what's happening inside the organization or company goals. If the manager doesn't bring up company projects, it's okay to ask them if there any new projects you should know about. Employees might also want to provide their manager with an update on goals. Which goals are on track? Which goals might need revisiting? If a goal is off track, come prepared to discuss why, what it will take to get it on track, and whether the goal needs to be changed or scrapped. If your recommendation is to eliminate a goal, come to the meeting prepared to present another goal. It's possible you won't need it but come prepared anyway. Employees should give the company feedback So far, the focus of the one-on-one meeting has been on the employee's performance, goals, etc. The focus of the meeting will continue to be on the employee, but the conversation is going to shift. Employees should be prepared to offer valuable feedback to the company. Make suggestions on actions the company can take to improve. Tell your manager what support you need from them to accomplish your goals. Just like employees, managers want to hear feedback about their performance. Employees should consider using some of their meeting time to tell their manager what they do well. In addition, think about telling your manager the things that the company does well. All feedback isn't negative and sharing positive feedback with a manager tells them which behaviors to continue. Before ending the meeting, both the manager and employee should recap what they plan to do before their next meeting. Discuss where any notes from the meeting will be located - so both individuals have access to the information. A technology solution is the perfect place for this! One-on-one meetings are a shared responsibility Many organizations already train and coach managers on how to conduct a one-on-one meeting. Organizations should make the investment and do the same for employees. After all, they're one-half of the 1:1 meeting and need to take responsibility for their side of the conversation. Employee performance will improve when they're able to properly prepare and participate in the meeting. Â

Flat-Structure Organizations: Realistic or Impossible?

What's one surefire way to get an innovative and exciting new project sidelined? In one word: bureaucracy. Too much managerial overhead can slow down productivity and discourage creativity. To combat this, companies like tech company GitHub, gaming software developer Valve and W.L. Gore, the company that created Gore-Tex, have adopted a "flat" organizational structure that has very few (if any) middle managers or formal job titles. Rather than relying on a hierarchy of managers, these companies aim to give employees the ability to organize themselves around projects that need to get done. However, writes Klint Finley, contributor to Wired Enterprise, while a good idea in theory, "Critics say flat organizations can conceal power structures and shield individuals from accountability." In 1972, Jo Freeman, feminist scholar, speaker and author, wrote in her essay, The Tyranny of Structurelessness, “There is no such thing as a structureless group. Any group of people of whatever nature that comes together for any length of time for any purpose will inevitably structure itself in some fashion.” And recently, GitHub has been under fire from a former employee for these very issues, begging the question: is a flat structure a realistic option for businesses or do they just sound nice in theory? According to Dr. Richard Ronay, a professor at Columbia Business School and author of The Path to Glory Is Paved With Hierarchy, a company must choose the management style that best fits its goals and the personalities of its leaders. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering a flat organizational structure. Invisible Power Structures One of the issues with flat non-hierarchical groups that Freeman points out is that most of the time there are power structures at work, they are just invisible, and therefore aren't held accountable for their actions. Writes Finley, "Companies like GitHub and Valve are not necessarily 'structureless.' They have a top layer of management responsible for the big decisions." However, as former Valve employee Jeri Ellswort  told the Grey Area podcast, "Valve was a lot like high school." Said Ellswort , “There are popular kids that have acquired power in the company. Then there’s the trouble makers, and everyone in between.” The Right Fit A common way that flat structured organizations ensure that work always gets done without direct supervision is through hiring people who “fit the culture,” writes Finley. While company culture is important, regardless of the organizational structure, it can sometimes deter diversity in hiring. It's important to balance culture fit with bringing in people who have a fresh perspective.  Food for Thought While Finley points out that good and bad management can be found at any company, whether the organizational structure is hierarchical or flat, the recent comments from former employees of companies like GitHub and Valve show that company structures are extremely complex. H/T Wired Enterprise Â

At The Heart Of An Adaptable Organization Is Employee Well-Being

This article was originally published on Forbes.com, under Jeff Miller’s Forbes Human Resources Council column. Employee burnout hit an all-time high in 2020. I know I felt it. Toward the end of last year, I felt like that meme of the cat hanging onto a branch. It wasn’t unusual for me to work weekends and long weekdays. I’ve never been this worn-out — and I’ve been what you might call a workaholic for much of my career. This year, we need to be better about fighting burnout, even as many of the same things that made last year so challenging persist. And it needs to start at the manager level. As we're working to build more adaptable, flexible organizations, much of that work comes back to ensuring managers are not just managing tasks, but managing people — and fostering their learning, growth and success. After a year as tiresome and demanding as 2020, the importance of managers in supporting employees’ engagement and well-being has only increased. The challenge is that managers themselves have been just as burned out as their employees, making it harder for them to coach and support their teams. Doing better starts with this awareness: My exhaustion doesn’t just affect me and my health; it affects my team as well. From there, managers can focus their energy on making work better for employees by eliminating work friction, identifying and reducing the frequency of unproductive meetings and making the most out of individual check-ins. Implementing these three changes will have a ripple effect. Because employees will be less burned out, they will have more time and energy to focus on more meaningful, strategic work that will advance their personal growth — and the goals of the organizations. 1. Reduce Work Friction As managers, our job is to make it easy for employees to do their job and ensure they have the time, resources and capabilities to perform well. Otherwise, they confront work friction. Misaligned project goals, overwhelmed teams and rigid or outdated work processes are common causes of work friction. And according to a recent Gartner report, the amount of time employees spend trying to get around work friction generates about 3.1 million wasted hours annually. I realized this problem in my team recently, after asking for feedback. Overwhelmingly, their responses told me that I wasn’t doing enough to control the work coming in from other departments or leaders. I hadn’t been filtering these requests or adjusting their workloads accordingly. To reduce work friction, work with employees to outline their roles, answering questions like, “What are the deliverables, and who is owning them?” or “What is the timeline here, and is it realistic?” Don’t assume that employees have answers to these questions or that they have the time necessary to complete these projects. And always make sure to leave employees room to ask questions. Urge them to give you feedback as well. In my experience, the best managers ask their employees for feedback as often as they deliver it to their employees. 2. Be More Intentional About Meetings Since the pandemic, the number of meetings has increased, meaning there’s even less time to tackle projects. In one small 2020 survey, about 78% of employees said their meeting schedule is always or sometimes out of control and that upper management or their direct manager is responsible for creating crazy meeting schedules. In 2021, think about reframing meetings and their purpose for your team. Meetings should be used to brainstorm ideas, gather other team members’ perspectives to help make decisions or reflect on completed projects to learn how they can be improved in the future. If not used for one of these three purposes, a meeting could be replaced with an email. 3. Do More With Employees Check-Ins One meeting that managers should always keep on their calendars is check-ins with their teams. But here, the same rules apply: If you and the individual are simply using the meeting to deliver status updates on ongoing projects, that can be handled in an email. Instead, use this time to check in with your employees about higher-level issues and questions, like their feelings on ongoing projects and personal well-being. The uncertainty and stress of the past 10 months have put many employees in survival mode — a depletive mental state that makes it harder to think logically. In this headspace, employees will complete tasks just to check them off their to-do lists without considering why they are doing them, how they could be done better or even what they like about the work. But by asking them to answer these questions in one-on-one meetings, managers can help coax employees out of survival mode. Use these meetings to check in on employees’ mental and emotional health as well. I have a technique for this called “check up from the neck up” that I developed when teaching middle school. It involves asking my employees (or then, students) questions like “Where’s your head?” or “Are you OK?” This will bring employees’ attention back to these needs and provide managers with the information necessary to optimize their management style around any current struggles. A 2021 With Less Burnout Although 2020 is behind us, 2021 will likely contain many of the same challenges — meaning that, for many people, it will at times be overwhelming and stressful. If employees aren’t taking time to reset, that can negatively affect their focus, productivity and job performance. It’s a tragic, recurring spiral. In 2021, we need to break this habit, and managers hold the key to unlocking a new way of working. They need to help employees find a better balance between work and life and develop ways to manage their workload. Then, by reducing burnout, managers can ensure employees have more time and energy for more meaningful projects that contribute to their personal growth as well as the organization’s, such as improving individuals’ responsiveness to change so they can become better at managing disruption and help build a more adaptable, flexible organization. Want to learn more from Cornerstone CLO Jeff Miller? Read his thoughts on what companies stand to gain from infusing more positivity into their workplaces in the year ahead.Â

Helping Employees Find a Productive State of Mind

Self-control drives workers to file that report, make a sales call or finish the meeting agenda, yet managers largely fail to consider its impact on worker productivity. They fret about meeting performance goals or building a product, but they ignore the motivating factors that individual employees need to deliver results. “In our own lives self-control is a big problem — yet it is largely absent from high-level discussions about worker productivity,” Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor of economics at Harvard, writes in the New York Times. In a recent study, Mullainathan and his colleagues set out to understand workers’ self-control on the job. They studied data entry workers in India. These employees were already well motivated in their jobs: they received 2 rupees for every 100 fields of data they entered. The researchers gave the workers the option to set a target for their work. If they entered 5,000 data fields, they would maintain the same pay rate, but if they failed to meet the goal, their pay rate would be halved to 1 rupee per 100 fields. Surprisingly many employees chose the target, saying it helped them stay productive. The option didn’t offer a better pay rate — in fact it made it possible for them to earn less, if they didn’t meet the target — but it helped them work harder, thus earning more. Mullainathan suggests that these workers craved a self-control mechanism to keep them productive. They’re looking at productivity as a state of mind, he says. A Call for New Measurement While data entry is a relatively easy task to measure, productivity in the knowledge economy generally lacks concrete metrics. For example, does extra time on a customer service call mean that an employee is being less productive? Or is she adding value by building stronger relationships with customers? A worker who responds to hundreds of emails all day long might feel productive, but the value of that work likely is less impactful than actually doing research or writing a report, for instance. “In general, organizations have not truly come to grips with how to think about productivity in a knowledge economy, let alone how best to manage it,” Jordan Cohen, a productivity expert with PA Consulting Group, tells Knowledge at Wharton. Managers don’t think twice about interrupting employees for an urgent request or to call an impromptu meeting, yet we know the growing amount of workplace disruptions adversely affects workplace productivity. In a study published in the Journal of Stress Management, employees who experienced frequent interruptions reported 9 percent higher rates of exhaustion; and it takes more than 25 minutes, on average, to resume a task after being interrupted, the Wall Street Journal reports. If managers think deeply about what individual productivity means, and how their actions play a role in it, they'll likely make decisions that won't set employees back. “How a company defines productivity will determine what infrastructure they build to measure and manage it,” Cohen says. “If they don’t really question the traditional assumptions around productivity, they end up with an industrial-era notion — simply that ‘more output with less input’ is better.” In other words, managers today need more subjective criteria for determining productivity. For lawyers, that might mean tracking how often others cite their briefs. For engineers, it’s not how many lines of code they produce, but the quality of the solution that the code creates. Once managers understand establish a semblance of measurement behind productivity, they’ll be better equipped to help those employees feel a sense of self-control.  h/t: New York Times

Hiring for Ethics and Integrity: 4 Tactics That Work

Every company’s got at least one: that overly competitive, sour, power-hungry -- you fill in the blank -- employee that walks around with a rain cloud over his head, infecting every conversation he joins and inciting feelings of isolation, discouragement or doubt among his coworkers. It only takes a few such toxic personalities to infect company morale and, ultimately, the bottom line. Recruiters and HR managers face a daunting task when wading through the pile of resumes lying on their desks, in search of terrific talent and great character. So how do you spot these telltale signs of toxicity in the short span of a job interview and zero-in on important intangibles like character, honesty, ethics and integrity? We asked Anna Maravelas, author of “How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress” and a motivational speaker recognized for her ability to transform negative cultures into climates of respect and pride. From prisons to the financial sector, every industry has its share of jerks. And Maravelas should know -- she’s worked with many of them. But it isn’t all doom and gloom, as she found many of her favorite hiring tactics in the companies she encountered. Here are four that top her list. Surprise them with an ethical scenario Every job candidate has practiced the tried-and-true interview questions aimed at drawing out weaknesses or negative qualities. Today’s job candidates know how to turn a negative into a positive: “I’m just too hard working, too motivated, too detail-oriented…” they may say. But what about throwing in a question from left field that catches the interviewee off guard entirely? The CEO of a predominant design and building company Maravelas had worked with stuck out in her mind for a unique interviewing tactic. The CEO would interview candidates directly, starting off with warm, getting-to-know-you conversation. A bit into the interview, the CEO would then ask, “If we ever got into a bind with a client, would you be willing to tell a little white lie to help us out?” “If the candidate said yes,” Maravelas explains, “the offer evaporated. You really have to have a lot of integrity to say no.” Listen to how they praise - or blame - themselves and others Companies built on a culture of collaboration rely on team players to achieve their goals, so working effectively as a team and bringing a fraternal attitude to the table is essential. Thus, an effective way to tell if a prospective employee fits the team profile is to see where they give credit and place blame. “Ask candidates to talk about a time when they achieved something they were really proud of,” Maravelas says. “How much credit did they give others?” Is the candidate constantly saying “I, I, I” or referring to collective achievements she accomplished as part of a team? Does she refer to a great mentor or a close relationship with her boss as a contributor to her success, or is she constantly patting herself on the back? An alternative way to gauge this quality, Maravelas suggests, is to ask candidates about a time when they really tried their hardest, yet failed, and listen to how they assess their own responsibility in that failure. Tap into referrals from your best employees Current employees can be great resource in the hiring process, and their opinions should factor significantly into a hiring decision. After all, they’ll be the ones working with the new employee. One of Maravelas’ favorite companies relies heavily on the referrals of current employees who have been with the company for several years, tapping solid veterans to actively recruit prospects from their circle of friends and professional contacts. “If they have integrity and are known for their kindness and compassion, their friends probably are, too,” Maravelas says. “They probably don’t hang out with fakes." Trust your gut We’re often so focused on the person we’re interviewing, we may not be tuned into our own physiological reaction to them. Sitting back and asking ourselves how another person is affecting us is a valuable tactic for interviewers. If a candidate makes you feel uncomfortable or ill-at-ease, he’ll probably make his co-workers feel that same way. We may not consciously identify negative qualities right away, but we often subconsciously pinpoint an off-feeling that comes in the form of an awkward moment or the feeling of being manipulated. When hiring for integrity and character, the best bet is to go with your instinct. We gravitate towards those who make us feel good, and that quality will likely be reflected in the larger work environment. Adds Maravelas: “Really pay attention to how you feel when you’re interviewing someone else.” For useful resources on building talent pipelines and developing your 21st-century recruiting strategy, check our our recruiting lookbook.

How 2020 Accelerated Bringing Humanity to Business Leadership

“I, like most people on this planet, have found [2020] to be an extremely taxing year,” Cornerstone’s Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer Heidi Spirgi shared with HR thought leader Laurie Ruettimann on a recent episode of the Punk Rock HR podcast. Spirgi and Ruettimann connected over video chat (so 2020) for Ruettimann’s popular HR industry-focused podcast to discuss how a year of intense change continues to put pressure on HR and on people leaders to rethink everything. The two shared some tips, including: Leaders Need to Be Authentic and Vulnerable Spirgi pointed out that while the inherent stress and uncertainty surrounding the global pandemic is virtually universal, it’s also extremely individualized. Every person who has been impacted by COVID-19 has their own unique experience with the virus—and everyone’s life has been in some way altered because of it. And that includes changes to work life. According to Spirgi, leaders must be among the first to acknowledge that lines between employees’ personal and professional lives are blurring, things are tough for everyone and everything is different than it was even months ago. Constant change of 2020 has accelerated the need for adaptive leadership, which requires leaders to cultivate self-awareness, express vulnerability and empathy and to listen and respond to the needs of their people. “Leaders need to tell the entire organization and their teams that they, too, are suffering—that they, too, are struggling,” said Spirgi. “It’s important for them to share that their world is incredibly messy; just like their employees.” Ruettimann agreed and noted that leaders are among the people still getting used to remote working and connecting with direct reports, clients, customers and other colleagues in new, or potentially exhausting ways. Don’t Let Zoom Fatigue Rule Your Work Life Spirgi shared with Ruettimann that even though she’s worked remotely for the last 15 years, 2020 proved (over and over, again) that Zoom fatigue is real. The constant pressure to jump on a video chat can impact employee engagement and productivity. Ruettimann added that things are different signing on to Zoom (or the video conferencing platform of your choice) in the physical sense, too—with some logging on from a couch or kitchen table instead of a boardroom or office nook. In order to combat employee fatigue and burnout, Spirgi recommends leadership teams encourage alternatives to video, including: going for walks during non-video calls, turning cameras off when not presenting and generally feeling comfortable declining a coworker meeting invitation—unless it's crucial to the outcome of a project or task. Blocking your calendar for life outside of work is important. And that goes for leaders, too. “Pre-Covid, pre-remote working, we did make [turning your camera on] mandatory during Zoom meetings because those meetings were fewer and farther between,” said Spirgi. “Being able to see people you work with is an important way to engage remotely—but the rate at which we hop on Zoom these days requires new rules.” Keep Making Everyday Work Life More Human Over the course of 2020, millions of people were also challenged with how to balance work life and home life: whether that meant typing with one hand while holding a toddler, conducting two Zoom meetings at once without crashing the WiFi and finding new ways to break up a day with activities like walks or meditation. In the process, Spirgi and Ruettimann noted, employees introduced coworkers (intentionally or not) to their personal lives. And as a result, people normalized incorporating very human elements into the work day, from exercising to cooking to walking the dog or putting a child down for a nap. This integration of humanity into business leadership is a positive development forged during a turbulent year. But, according to Spirgi, there’s plenty more work to be done among HR and business leaders in order to thoughtfully reverse engineer the best elements of remote work and bring them back to offices if/or when they reopen. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership or talent management heading into 2021, Spirgi said it’s clear “people just need to trust and connect and understand each other—and have visibility into the human side of us; not just the work side.” To learn more about Heidi and Laurie’s conversation on how leaders can help make the work experience more human, check out the full podcast conversation on PunkRock HR. Looking for leadership development resources? Inspire new ways of working with TED courses As a longtime Cornerstone partner and popular provider among learning teams, TED has taken its bold, innovative ideas and made them more actionable than ever before for work. Learn more and access sample courses on business-critical skills and topics by visiting the Cornerstone + TED Collections page.

How to Create Job Titles That Entice Modern Workers

There are few things more deflating for employees than getting a perplexed look from their parent after they tell them about their cool new job. In the digital era, many professionals face the uphill challenge of helping their parents—or really any member of an older generation—understand the nature of their work. Of course, it doesn't help that many modern workers, especially those employed at tech firms and startups, have rather unusual job titles. But giving workers creative job titles (or letting them choose their own) isn't a just a fun new trend—it's a strategic recruitment approach. In a recent survey by Pearl Meyer, a compensation consulting firm, 40 percent of companies said they use titles to attract prospective employees, up from 31 percent in 2009. Rebecca Toman, vice president of the firm's survey business unit, told The Wall Street Journal that titles offer employers a way to show workers how they “can have an impact or make a difference." And in today's dynamic and innovative workplaces, nobody wants to be assigned a bland and dimensionless title that doesn't describe what they really do or that limits their potential. Below, we've compiled a list of a few unusual job titles, what they mean and why they are so attractive to candidates. Not only do the titles fit under LinkedIn's list of 20 top emerging jobs, but they also have these three things in common: These jobs are critical to the business; they can be challenging, but also rewarding; and perhaps most importantly, they require highly talented professionals to execute them. Let these inspire the next job description you write: Office Happiness Advocate Translation: I help my company build positive and lasting relationships with its employees by coming up with creative ways to engage them online and offline. The appeal: Who doesn't want to be known for making people happy? But this feel-good title has a real business purpose, too: No company can thrive if its employees aren't happy. "Workplace happiness isn't about behavior change, though that can be part of it. More pivotal are the leaders of happy companies, who we've found are better at infusing positive energy into their work and teams," says Dede Henley, founder of Henley Leadership Group. Data Wrangler Translation: I use complex software programs to make data more useful for my company to analyze and use in business decision-making. The appeal: Working with data is tough. Making it understandable to non-data people? Even more so. This title makes the person who wrestles and tames data sound legendary. "Companies like to play 'dress up,'" Ladders CEO Marc Cenedella told Business Insider. "By wearing the clothes, adopting the lingo, and mimicking the behavior of companies they want to be like, they hope to have some of the magic rub off on them." Developer Evangelist Translation: I work with technical and nontechnical people inside and outside of my organization to create new software products and bring them to market successfully. The appeal: An evangelist's role is to help people see the light. And convincing diverse stakeholders to buy into ambitious software projects takes a special person. "Evangelism creates a human connection to technology way beyond typical content marketing means because there's a face and a name relaying the story, expressing the opinion, and ultimately influencing a decision," enterprise technology evangelist Theo Priestly explains. Growth Hacker Translation: I develop and test new ideas for using technology in marketing, sales, product development, and other areas of the business to help my company reach more customers and generate revenue. The appeal: Originally coined by Sean Ellis back in 2010 when he was tasked with hiring new kinds of marketers at Dropbox, this title evokes a vision of a vast field of fertile, untilled soil. "I didn't want to get résumés from traditional marketing people," he explained back in 2015. "By calling it something else, you could say 'these are the important things.'" People Partner Translation: I make sure that our company has the right programs and processes to help all of our employees be happy and effective at work, and to make the best use of our talent. The appeal: Companies need help retaining their talent. And workers need to know their employer is invested in their success. Enter the people partner, who ensures that people are always a business priority. "Unique titles help create a positive environment for employees, but [leaders] should be true to their company culture when crafting new names for positions or departments," advises Michael Heinrich, founder of Oh My Green, an office food supplier. Pro Tip: Focus on Tasks—Not Title Next time you're looking to fill an open position, consider this before sharing a job title and description: The translations above focus on each role's purpose and responsibilities, not its title. Keeping things simple, and avoiding acronyms and jargon, can also help you get candidates excited. And when it comes to making sure your employees' parents understand what they do, invite them to bring their parents to work. Encourage employees to demonstrate firsthand what they do, give parents an office tour, introduce them to colleagues and take them to lunch. Whether you wrangle data or hack for growth, they'll want to see the impact you're having on your company and your teams. Photo: Creative Commons

How to Develop and Hire Leaders That People Want to Follow

Some people are born leaders—naturally charismatic and able to attract and motivate followers to high achievement—seemingly without effort. But most are made. Such is the case with Scott Miller, who I recently interviewed for the Disrupt Yourself podcast. Miller oversees a thought leadership practice at consulting firm FranklinCovey and is the author of Management Mess to Leadership Success, an insider’s guide to the hard effort required to become a leader that people admire. He offers many insights into that journey, often gleaned from his own experience, that can help HR professionals make better-informed decisions when hiring, promoting and training leaders and improving leadership within their companies. Here are a few of them: You Don’t Always Need an Expert Miller started his career with the Disney Development Company; after four years, he was “invited to leave”—in essence, told he wasn’t a great fit. At that point, he realized that career disruptions were going to be inevitable, so he figured: Why not proactively explore new responsibilities and positions? He moved onto FranklinCovey, where he has since spent more than two decades, regularly changing roles every few years. In that time, he’s come to realize that there are jobs that require a specialist and others where a generalist is ideal. Leadership capacity is fostered in wide-ranging situations and experiences, and differs from domain expertise, he says. So when hiring or promoting a leader, don’t default to the top individual performer, he advises. Be open to considering those individuals with unconventional career paths and the generalists that demonstrate breadth rather than depth. They may bring skills and insights to the table that you never considered. Top Performers Aren’t Necessarily Good Leaders Miller was promoted to sales leader because he was the top salesperson. The team he led was made up of his former peers, many of whom had more experience than he did. But he quickly found that the bravado and competitive zeal that made him a great salesperson did not translate well to leadership. “I still liked the limelight. I wanted to win. I wanted to save the day,” he says. “And that’s fundamental learning: When you become a leader of people, you have to metaphorically turn that spotlight off of you and onto them.” This focus on group success requires humility, which is one of the most important qualities to look for in a leader, he says. That’s not to say you can’t still be confident—in fact, humility comes from confidence. But those who are arrogant and stuck on their individual strengths (and likely trying to mold everyone into their own image) will have a hard time succeeding. Instead, leaders need to figure out how to work with each individual to get them to perform to the best of their abilities. Everyone Needs to Learn How to Lead In fact, Miller says, many of his strongest natural qualities—like his bravado—needed to be jettisoned right away, while other skills—including maturity and selflessness—needed to be instantly put in play when he took over the sales team. But it didn’t and doesn’t work that way. Though an individual may have been an exceptional sole contributor for some time, when moving into a leadership role, they need training, mentoring and oversight if the transition is to be a smooth one. “Too often, people are lured into leadership roles, not led,” he says. Fortunately, today’s companies have greater access to management-focused training courses and systems and would be wise to provide those leadership resources to employees (most of whom want to grow professionally). Soft Skills Should Top Your List of Leadership Must-Haves Great leaders aren’t just great talkers—they’re also talented listeners. Frankly, they know when to shut up, Miller explains. In connection with humility, sincerely interested listening and empathy for others are people skills that HR professionals should seek to identify in employees under consideration for leadership advancement or during the vetting process for outside hires. Qualities like being a fantastic question-asker enable leaders to get to the root of a problem more quickly. True Leaders Are Happy to Let Others Shine Beloved leaders are not intimidated by smart, capable people. “I thought my job was to be the most educated, the most creative, the wisest, the decision maker, the know-it-all,” he says. ”[But] my job was to be the genius maker in the room.“ Genuine leaders are not afraid of being eclipsed by somebody else’s talent and are happy to allow subordinates to move beyond them. They Also View Failures as Learning Opportunities Finally, Miller summarized the qualities of his own best bosses. They “believed in me more than I believed in myself,” he says. They were patient, supportive, made a long-term investment in him and didn’t hesitate to have conversations that required courage and boldness. These leaders gave him permission to be himself and make mistakes. There is this adage that people are every company’s most valuable asset. But that’s not true. It’s actually the relationships between people, he explains. People don’t quit leaders who care about them. An HR organization that fosters the development of good leadership—leaders who leverage these interpersonal skills he describes to build meaningful relationships—creates a culture that not only attracts but retains great talent.   Â

How to Develop Leaders in Real-Time

With a growing appreciation for the ‘70’ part of the 70/20/10 model, many organizations are promoting experience-based activities for leadership development. As a result, leaders at all levels are benefitting from special projects, greater visibility and stretch assignments to support their growth. Yet many organizations are only now beginning to realize that on-the-job learning doesn’t have to consist solely of specially orchestrated undertakings. Real work – the mundane activities and responsibilities that leaders routinely take on – has the potential to deliver developmental results as well. Not just learning by doing It’s not as easy as delegating an assignment and expecting that growth will follow. Effective talent development professionals understand that simply doing does not necessarily translate to learning. Mindless, rote, mechanical activity is just that: activity. It likely accomplishes something… just not learning. However, add attention to the mix, and suddenly that same activity can inspire powerful personal insights, a visceral appreciation of a best practice and significant behavior change. Better yet, the attention that can inspire this kind of learning comes in many forms. Attention to intention For everything you do, even routine tasks, ask yourself: what’s my goal? What’s the outcome I’m hoping for? What message am I sending with my actions? Is that the right one? When you pay close attention to your intentions, tasks become insightful and educational. Here’s an example: Delia is a call center director who is struggling to help Arman, a supervisor who reports to her, develop better team building skills. She’s sent him to EQ (emotional intelligence) training and has asked him to read a few books; but his employees continue to report a punitive and fear-based culture within the group. So, Delia took a different approach. She met with Arman and asked him to identify a few upcoming interactions he planned to have with his team. They discussed the importance of his responses. He determined the emotional or affective outcomes he wanted to achieve and set some intentions for his own behavior and actions that could contribute to those outcomes. With an action plan in place (and the right amount of motivation), he was able to approach his employees more purposefully and with greater intentionality… and learn in real-time from the different reactions and results he generated. TIP: pay attention to your intentions; let routine tasks be your teacher. Don’t overlook the lessons to be learned behind your actions and the results they brought about.  Attention to feedback Actively seek out feedback and pay attention when you get it. Talk to your colleagues and ask them direct questions about your skills and knowledge. Let those around you offer comments or suggestions. After all, they’re the ones you work with day in and day out. Consider this: Tanya is a manager for a small healthcare organization. There’s little formal leadership development available to her; but she’s not going to let that get in the way of becoming a better manager. So, she identified two specific opportunities for her professional improvement - communication and recognition of others - and actively sought out informal feedback during interactions with others. After making an assignment or sharing an organizational change with employees, she’d ask: How clear is that? What could I do to share information more effectively with you? During one-on-one meetings with her staff, she would ask: How appreciated do you feel for the contributions you make? What are you proud of that I’ve not recognized? With each response, she was able to adjust or enhance her approach and continuously improve her leadership capacity in real time. TIP: Seek out feedback. Pay attention to what those around you tell you, think about what they said to build on your skills and learning.  Attention to reflection When you invest the time and effort to reflect on your day’s tasks, you’ll find there’s actually a lot to learn. With reflection, you might realize there’s a better way to manage your time, or speak with one of your reports or report on your numbers. Think about this example: Manny is a senior vice president in a financial services firm with many director-level direct reports. Given his large span of control, Manny has found that he can make the most of his limited time with others by instilling a reflection/learning discipline. He asks the directors to spend a minimum of one hour each week extracting leadership lessons from their experiences. They can be significant or small; the key is to dedicate time thinking about it – because the lessons can’t sink in without the benefit of time and reflection. Some of Manny’s direct reports engage in private journaling. Others have started blogs that they share within the organization. Others create short videos. This way, each person leverages their day-in and day-out experiences for real-time leadership learning. TIP: Try journaling, blogging or setting aside time to reflect on your experiences. Talk it out to uncover lessons learned that improve you as a leader. In each example, the calculus of leadership development is Consistent Activity (daily actions and responsibilities that naturally play out in a leader’s life) + Attention (being aware of such things as intentions, feedback and reflection) = Real-Time Learning. So, no budget for leadership development? No sophisticated training programs? No time? No problem! Growth is available right within any leader’s job – if we give it a little attention. As corporate ladders fade into the past, career agility becomes the new secret to success! Use this quiz to determine your career agility quotient and get practical next steps for developing a growth mindset.

HR Analytics Is About Asking the Right Questions

In Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the world's greatest computer was asked for an answer to the ultimate question of “Life, the universe and everything." After millions of years of number crunching, the computer majestically proclaimed the answer to be… 42. It was not the edifying conclusion the audience had been waiting millennia for, but, as the great computer pointed out, that was because they had asked the wrong question: “Life, the Universe and Everything" just wasn't specific enough. It's a fitting lesson for HR people beginning their workforce analytics journey: ask the right questions. The accuracy of the data, the quality of the analytics, the figures you come up with — everything is irrelevant if you're not asking the right questions. Think About the Bigger Picture One of the problems with the type of questions HR professionals typically ask is the narrow focus — the question will address an HR concern, without considering how it impacts the business as a whole. So, while it may be useful to keep an eye on absence, diversity or engagement metrics, this transactional information will likely not get your CEO's pulse racing. What executives want to know is how these metrics affect productivity or profitability; they want to know whether there are particular areas of the business where these rates are higher, and why. Above all, they want information and insight into what changes they need to make to change future outcomes, not data about what happened in the past. But Get Specific While you need the put your questions in the context of larger business goals, you also need to be detailed about the question itself. If your analytics questions are as vague as “Life, the universe and everything," then the answers will be vague too. It will simply be a fishing trip – you might be lucky and catch something tasty or you might come up with nothing. So what is the right question? Clearly, that will vary between companies, but the key is for the question to be plugged directly into the matrix of the business. HR can't work in a vacuum, it needs to understand where the business pain points are, to appreciate both the outside market pressures and the inside forces impacting its line managers and leaders. HR is not short on data — though some areas may fall short on quality — so, you should be able to dig up some interesting revelations with this sweeping approach. Make a Group Effort HR doesn't need to work alone on developing the right questions. By working directly with other business leaders, you can work out the answers together in order to make a real difference in business performance. For example, if you have an issue with high staff turnover, then look beyond the figures to find out why people are leaving. Is there a particular division or location where churn rates are higher? Can you talk to those managers? Or perhaps churn rates are higher among women than men? Look through the exit interview data, and take stock of the gender ratio in management. Is there a high churn rate in an area of business that requires highly prized, in-depth knowledge of the business? It's possible that the people in this department don't understand how much they are valued at the company. Asking the right question is a great start on the quest for business insight. But whatever the outcome of the analysis, it's also vital that HR maintains and presents the information in a business-friendly and business-relevant manner. Photo: Creative Commons

ICYMI: Here’s What Workers Need Most From Their Leaders Right Now

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented situation and, as with any company crisis, employees are looking to their leaders for support, compassion and reassurance. One major roadblock: there isn’t a clear road ahead. To help executives navigate these turbulent times and comfort their workforce, Accenture recently shared a study exploring what workers need most from leaders right now. Below are some of its key findings:  Build Trust With Your Employees Employee needs fall into three basic categories: physical, mental and relational. By addressing these in the following order, executives will be better positioned to earn their trust: First, fulfill employees’ physical needs by delivering transparent company updates that provide operational guidance and empowering staff to do what’s necessary to protect their health and well-being. Then, address their mental requirements, allowing them to adapt their work schedules to fit personal ones in this new reality. Lastly, meet their relational ones by making sure employees feel connected to each other and to their workplace. Reiterate Your Company’s Purpose and Values In this era of quarantines and social distancing, everyone is longing for connection. Reminding your workforce of what a company stands for can help to give them a sense of belonging. Get Organized and Stay Informed In any crisis, it’s important to immediately develop a company-wide solution and plan of action (in this case, it will likely require multiple meetings to address new developments). When carrying out these plans, assign different roles to every member of your leadership team so every aspect of your business is covered. Throughout the plan’s implementation, gather employee feedback from all areas of the organization. Use the information gathered from across the organization to inform management decisions and workforce engagement. Bring Compassionate and Caring Leaders to the Forefront Workforces will remember executives who took an active role in responding to a crisis. Be sure leaders that step up have what it takes to be empathetic and team-oriented. This way, when the emergency subsides, they’ll have an even greater appreciation for—and loyalty to—those who fought for them throughout the period of intense disruption. Invest in Remote Work Capabilities Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Accenture workforce research showed that less than one-third of all workers were able to make full use of their technology to effectively do their job. This crisis revealed who had already invested in these initiatives, and who did not. If your organization falls into the latter group, now is the time to act. Since we’re still not sure how long this crisis will last, it’s imperative to accelerate your company’s digital initiatives now. Communicate a Story, Not Data Points During times of confusion and uncertainty, people generally don’t take comfort in data. Instead, impart meaning—and relief—with stories and analogies that hit close to home. Aim to help employees better understand executive decisions and workforce circumstances. Don’t Let Your Future Growth Strategies Stagnate It may sound difficult, or like you’re ignoring what’s urgent, but try to make time to focus on getting your organization ready for the future. Even dedicating two hours every day will keep your organization healthy and your workforce hopeful for what lies ahead. Â

Introducing HR Labs, a Podcast From Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone is proud to introduce HR Labs, a brand new podcast that tells the stories of leaders who have seen the importance of employee development firsthand. Hosted by our very own Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Heidi Spirgi, HR Labs will be a four-part series featuring executives who have mastered the art and science of development, despite challenging odds. Find it on Apple Podcasts and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. On the very first episode of HR Labs, we’re telling Melissa Forte’s story. Melissa is currently the manager of talent and organizational development at SiteOne Landscape Supply. She joined the company about a year after it had broken away from its parent company, John Deere, and spun out on its own, going public in June 2016. Before SiteOne, Melissa spent 13 years at Rubbermaid, where she led talent development. Coming to SiteOne when she did was an exciting challenge—without a legacy brand to build off of, Melissa helped the growing company create a unified culture by leaning heavily on development. With no learning and development foundation to inherit from John Deere and a growth model based primarily on acquisition, SiteOne faced a major talent challenge. Not only did it have to define and establish a cohesive culture, it also had to find ways to retain the employees that came on board from various organizations. For Melissa, the answer to SiteOne’s challenges came in the form of gamified development. Enjoy this episode of HR Labs below. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hr-labs/id1482283780

Looking for Talent? You Can Find it in the Blue Ocean

Brace yourself. The talent war didn’t go away due to the pandemic. It heated it up. COVID-19 didn’t ease the skills shortage. It exacerbated it. As Warren Buffet once said, “only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Well, the pandemic tide rolled out, and based on conversations with hundreds of business owners the last few months, a lot of organizations are standing naked. One small business owner shared that, in 2019, he felt lucky if his company received 50 applicants from Indeed and 1 or 2 of them were qualified. This May, he posted a job and had 1300 applicants in less than 24 hours. He pulled the listing. His company simply wasn’t equipped to handle recruitment and screening in a high unemployment market. So, what does that mean for HR and recruiting teams? It might be time to rethink your hiring strategy—and reflect on whether the challenges you’re facing today are a result of COVID-19, or more foundational problems that have been there all along. “New Normal,” Same Challenges I first thought the small business owner’s story was an outlier but, surprisingly, I keep hearing it over and over. “We have 500 job openings and can’t get enough qualified applicants to fill a fraction of them.” Yes, you heard me right: record high unemployment and jobs remaining unfilled. In the case of the small business owner, the position was a sales job. It pays well and doesn’t require superpowers to do the work. What’s the problem? Employment brand really matters. Following a quick search of company reviews, I discovered this company consistently is rated in the low to mid 2s (out of 10). The pandemic didn’t fix bad management and bad culture.  COVID-19 also didn’t miraculously give workers new skills. In fact, the sudden need for work-from-home skills made the need for effective upskilling and reskilling programs all the more plain. Managing the family calendar was a walk in the park compared with juggling the boss, teams, clients and kids without ever leaving the house. Many workers used to have IT on speed dial. Now each remote worker is an amateur IT professional. Reserving a meeting room down the hall for your client appointment required little, if any, skill. Today, it’s an enormous challenge to lead, present, sell and participate in video meetings. Taking a New Tact: Blue Ocean Strategy All this labor market disruption creates a lot of noise and chaos. Reimagining and reinventing require a fresh approach. Fortunately, you don’t need to recreate the wheel to succeed. You can simply apply the principles of Red and Blue Ocean Strategy, created by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne. Red oceans in HR refer to the conventional approach to recruiting labor. Fishing for talent in the red ocean views the labor pool as highly specialized and defined by years of experience and education. It relies on compensation and benefits to bait candidates. The competition is consequently fierce based on a limited resource mindset, which turns the ocean red. Hence, the term ‘red ocean.’ Alternatively, the ‘blue ocean’ encourages you to leave the competition behind and pursue an uncontested market. In other words, employers looking for talent don’t fish in the same pond as everyone else. Here are some opportunities available to business and HR leaders using blue ocean strategy: 1. NIMBY Recruitment. “Going to work” will certainly return (in some fashion), but working remotely is here to stay. That means that the labor pool for many jobs and industries is expanding from local to global. Commuting distance, public transportation, and relocation hurdles are disappearing. Economic recovery efforts are destined to be unequally distributed. What the shift means for HR and talent recruitment: A lot of very talented people live outside your red ocean. Accordingly, “fish” wherever the talent you need already is. Some very talented people can’t or don’t want to relocate. The blue ocean opens access to other remote communities too—disabled, minorities, and disadvantaged—who might not otherwise have access or the means to commute. Remote work makes it easier for employees to pick up extra hours and attract people who need part-time work but don’t live in your backyard. 2. Attract Candidates with Blue Ocean Perks. A May working paper by Erik Brynjolfsson reports that half of the people employed before the pandemic are now working remotely. Pre-COVID-19, the figure was about 15%. (In 2018, a U.S. Census Bureau survey found it was only 5.3%!) With all these employees working from home, perks like ping-pong tables, employee lounges, cafeterias, free coffee and snacks aren’t so attractive. So, what “blue ocean” perks might attract top talent? Consider helping employees work from home effectively and efficiently. Many remote employees still don’t have working computers, webcams, headsets, printers or fast internet connections. Figure out what kind of equipment and internet access they need—and get it to them. Help them replace their stand-up ironing board “desk” with an allowance for a functional desk and comfortable chair. Fraying these costs will help attract remote talent. 3. Think Experience, Not Technology. Historically, HR purchased technology to automate existing systems and processes—often at the expense of candidate and employee experience. And that technology, in turn, codified consistency and perpetuated red ocean hiring. In many cases, HR technology became a barrier, closing off opportunity and vision, separating HR from job seekers. Friction-filled, technology-dependent processes were used to test the resilience of job seekers to jump the barrier, using a playbook more aligned with competing for an appearance on “Survivor” than applying for a job. Blue ocean HR leaders will make the technology “disappear” by focusing on value creation instead of the technology itself. At one time, offering an online application was a competitive advantage. Today, the process is all FCDD-up (filled with frustration, confusion, disappointment, and distraction.) Fix it! Use technology that allows you to identify qualified candidates quickly—and without them submitting pages of non-essential information. Use chatbots, video, text, or automated responses to engage quickly and often. The same is true for using technology to new skill your existing workforce: use tools that deliver learning in the flow of work (say, as an employee is preparing for that daunting presentation?) to help recruit from within—as well as externally. It’s time to start fishing for talent in the blue ocean. Blue oceans introduce unbound opportunity, unexplored and untainted by competition.Â

Organizational Change is Constant: Here's How to Get Good At It

This article was originally published under Jeff Miller's column “The Science of Workplace Motivation" on Inc.com. The pace of change in business today is accelerating—fueled in large part by the disruption that new technologies bring. And research from McKinsey shows that companies are struggling to keep up. For leaders, that means taking a closer look at the way you manage change from start to finish. Whether the change comes in the form of a new software system, a merger or acquisition, or even just a small shift in process, how can you ensure your approach will lead to business success? In my experience, the challenge is often that leadership doesn't see the change process all the way through. I've written recently about Ann Salerno's six stages of change, and how effectively leading your team through the first four stages (loss, anger, doubt, discovery) will help everyone become productive again. But stopping there is a mistake. Stages five and six, "understanding" and "integration," require leadership to reflect on the change process. By spending time to track outcomes and debrief, the entire organization will be better equipped to transition smoothly when change happens again (and again). Start by Tracking the Impact At Cornerstone, we recently launched a new worldwide manager training program. Where before the training had been more individualized, this new format emphasized group discussion among new managers. We organized trainees together into online cohorts (kind of like chatrooms), creating communities for them to share insights, ask questions and respond to topics provided by a facilitator. Once we had successfully implemented the new program, we entered stage five of the change process: understanding. In stage five, you can be pragmatic about change and start to understand its impact. That means gathering as a leadership team to discuss the short term and long term features of the change. For our team, one short term feature was using our product differently. In the long term, we were facilitating cross-cultural discussions around management. Make sure this discussion about features happens out loud—verbalization allows you to avoid assumptions--as an individual or even by the group as a whole. And use specific terms: "Did this new manager system accomplish our goals?" is too open-ended. Instead, asking, "Did we implement a system that will connect managers across offices?" helped ensure we were all having the same conversation. Celebrate Your Team This part is simple: Recognize the individuals involved in the change process for what they accomplished. Change is tough for most people; getting to stage five successfully is a major feat. It doesn't have to be a party, just an acknowledgment that their hard work didn't go unnoticed. It's an easy step that will mean a lot to your employees. Hold a Thoughtful Debrief Stage six of the change process is an opportunity to look back and debrief. It's best not to debrief with the entire company because voices will get lost. Instead, identify the people who might represent those voices and invite them to participate. For our debrief meeting, we gathered the team that implemented the cohort system. From there, review the goals you set at the beginning of the process and ask: Did we get the outcomes we wanted? What can we do better next time? What were the unanticipated outcomes? For example, we hadn't anticipated how quickly managers would make themselves vulnerable in these cohort discussions—and achieve some honest, positive communication as a result. Finally, encourage people to be introspective, too: What did I learn about myself through this change? What did I learn about others and how they handle change? The person on our team who led this change had never done anything like it before. In the debrief, he talked about how the experience had showed him it's okay to ask for help—and he'd get help if he asked for it. His confidence rose as a result of that debrief process. The next time he faces a change, he might be more open to it. Psychologists call this resilience: a person's ability to adapt well to difficult events that change their lives. By seeing these final stages of the change process through, you'll start to build resilience not only in individuals, but make it part of your company's DNA—and over time, you'll avoid the paralysis and upheaval change can often bring about in favor of efficiency and productivity. Photo: Creative Commons

Peer Feedback: 6 Tips for Successful Crowdsourcing

As companies replace corporate hierarchies with flatter reporting structures, they're also decentralizing power in the performance review process by gathering feedback from colleagues and not just top executives. Crowdsourcing feedback and providing it on a continual basis, rather than in one lump package at the end of the year, allows employees to improve their work and receive recognition throughout the year. Better yet, employees favor reviews with feedback from their peers. Four in five employees think an accurate review requires a combination of input from managers as well as colleagues, according to the Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker study. “The arrival of the crowdsourced performance review is a welcome paradigm shift in the human resources industry,” says Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce. “An innovative, more complete system for providing team members with accurate, consistent feedback creates happier employees and more productive work environments.” Why Peer Feedback Is Successful Whether peer feedback stands on its own or as part of a 360-degree review, including employees in the recognition and feedback process creates a positive workplace environment. When all employees are asked to contribute praise and constructive criticism about their colleagues, it builds a culture of open feedback and supports collaboration, notes Karen Caruso. Crowdsourced evaluations also create a community of accountability where employees can make sure that employees are working on areas they need to improve, adds Caruso. "The first time I ever had a peer review I got the most valuable feedback I've ever received in an evaluation process," says Tim Sackett, president of staffing firm HRU Technical Resources and blogger at The Tim Sackett Project. "It was a punch to the stomach, but it made me focus and change more than anything I ever had in a corporate setting." A manager often doesn't see how an employee works on all of his projects and how he interacts with different teams, so having employees fill in the gaps, especially around an employee's collaborative and interpersonal skills, gives a complete picture of employee performance. Ninety percent of HR professionals say peer feedback is more accurate than manager feedback, according to the Employee Recognition Survey by Globoforce and SHRM. While the annual performance review still exists, companies are gradually incorporating colleague feedback into employee evaluations. According to the Employee Recognition Survey by Globoforce and SHRM, 85 percent of companies are currently using or would consider using peer social recognition, and 78 percent say crowdsourced recognition would be helpful to integrate into formal performance reviews. Advice from Experts: 6 Tips for Crowdsourcing Reviews Integrating employee feedback into performance reviews isn’t as easy as sending out an email saying, “We want to hear from you.” It requires a detailed strategy with the ability to respond effectively to employee feedback on the process itself. Here are some tips from experts about how to do it right. Outline the process. Joe Shaheen, managing principal of Human Alliance, a Washington, DC human resources consulting firm, suggests addressing these questions: "Who will be reviewing who?" and, "What type of feedback will employees be asked to give?" Clarity from the outset should be the priority. Identify characteristics of top performers. Is it more important for employees to hone their technical skills, be quick learners, excel under pressure or have collaborative spirit? Based on the priorities, encourage employees to frame feedback around what’s important, suggests Shaheen. Give continuous feedback. End-of-the-year reviews are helpful to show the progress of an employee and to provide a holistic picture, but it’s best to reward successes and address areas of improvement when it’s timely and relevant. Continuous feedback can come in many different forms, whether informal recognition/badging or as part of a more formal performance management process. Provide flexibility. Having structure and defining the purpose of peer-to-peer feedback is a must, but it won’t be successful without giving employees some freedom to provide feedback in a way that suits them, adds Shaheen. Make it a routine. Panay suggests building peer feedback into team meetings. For example, at the beginning of meetings LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner asks employees to share one personal victory and one professional achievement from the previous week. Starting meetings on a positive note and talking about the little things highlights the power of small wins, notes Panay. Keep managerial reviews. Crowdsourcing feedback is great for the many reasons already discussed, but it shouldn’t be the only source of performance evaluation. Think of peer-to-peer reviews as a supplement rather than a replacement, Mosley tells Inc. Employees want to provide feedback to their colleagues and their colleagues want to hear it. When the workplace revolves around the employee experience, integrating crowdsourced feedback into performance reviews can produce meaningful ways to motivate and engage employees in the long term.

PROFILE OF THE MONTH: Andrea Sennett

It is becoming a great tradition to tell the stories of some of our amazing team members in the blogs under the umbrella “Profile of the month”. We kicked off with Sarah Spence, sharing with you all her incredible successes within the business. After that we had Gary Evans who spoke up about gender balance and how he manages modern challenges as a team manager. And now, I am delighted to introduce you to Andrea Sennett, Senior Content Partner Manager, EMEA, who has been part of the Cornerstone family since 2013. Hope you enjoy this conversation between Andrea and myself. I’m responsible for… acquiring new partners in the content ecosystem and ongoing management of our Content ecosystem in EMEA. I got here… thanks to Gary Evans! He used to be my client in the olden days when I was at Thomson NETg and he was at Direct Line (20 years ago!). He pinged me an email on LinkedIn pretty much 7 years ago and you know the rest! My typical day… it’s so diverse. I can be talking to potential new partners, handling pricing negotiations with our partner network, speaking to internal teams about what we offer, working with Content Operations’ to get partners ready for sale or presenting to clients! Not one day is the same as the next and that’s what I love about it! My most memorable moment… shaking Princess Diana’s hand as she opened a hospice when I was 11 years old and went to see her with school. Closely followed by sitting less than 5 meters way from Bill Clinton at a charitable dinner. The worst and best part of the job… honestly, I adore my role here. As naff as it sounds… I am going to say the worst part is having to use Salesforce! Clearly the best part to me are the people. Pretty much everyone I work with internally and externally are simply awesome. My funniest/worst and best trait… my dislike of bad manners 😊 and I am not afraid to tell someone when they have been rude! My best trait is tenacity and willing to have a voice. Watching Adam Grant I realised why I am so very often underestimated… I am a ‘Disagreeable Giver’ and proud to be one! How come you’re so good at giving presentations? I know what I don’t want to listen to, and I try not to put others through it!! People buy from people and even though I am not in direct sales that fact has always stuck in my mind. I work to understand my audience and aspire to never read a deck, only have it as a background filler! I like to tell a story. Why do you think W@C is an important network? I was told early in my career: “You need to realise life isn’t fair”… My response, “It doesn’t mean I can’t aspire for fairness!”. At the time, that moment taught me that speaking out like that was actually a career limiting move for me! Fairness in my mind comes from the heart of everything in life, not just being female. To have a network like W@C that I can be part of to channel that voice and progression towards fairness gives us a collective voice and helps us to be heard. If you want to join the Cornerstone family, check out our careers page and apply for your dream job today!

The ReWork Bookshelf: 8 Must-Reads from Author Carol Anderson

Editor's Note: What are our writers and experts reading? In this series, ReWork contributors share their“must-read" recommendations for HR professionals and business leaders. I read lots of business books, but anyone who has followed my writing knows I'm not terribly fond of popular business books; they simplify things too much. When organizations try to follow these books' recipes, they fail because they don't understand the underlying human concepts of organizational behavior. So, my reading list contains books that discuss original research into organizational behavior, specifically dealing with concepts most important to HR leaders: consulting, leadership and teams. Check out the first half of the list to find books that are easy to read and digest, and provide good information that is immediately useful and a little outside the norm for HR practitioners. Skip down to number five if you are looking for the most powerful—but more complex—books I have ever read. 1) Flawless Consulting by Peter Block Everyone is a consultant at some point, HR even more so. Block's chapter on dealing with resistance is powerful both in recognizing what resistance looks like, and then offering a simple method to diffuse it. 2) Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy Edmundson I started following Dr. Edmundson, a professor at Harvard Business School, when I was studying the concept of psychological safety and why smart people don't speak up even in a crisis. This single concept—psychological safety—gives HR practitioners a practical background in team behavior, and in turning problems into learning opportunities. 3) The Silo Effect: The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of Breaking Down Barriers by Gillian Tett Gillian Tett is an anthropologist turned business journalist who uses her study of culture to help organizations bust silos and improve performance. HR can and should be a connector. This book provides research-based arguments for why silos are counter-productive. 4) Repurposing HR: From a Cost Center to a Business Accelerator by Carol Anderson Full disclosure, this is my own book. I got tired of books about HR competencies that didn't provide practical “how to" advice for becoming strategic, so I wrote one. This book is helpful to HR teams that want to break down barriers, think collectively and add significant value to their organizations. As I mentioned earlier, the second half of this list contains the most powerful books I have read. They aren't necessarily easy to read and digest, but they are so worth the time. These books help put into perspective the challenges and hopes of human resource development. 5) Organizational Culture and Leadership by Edgar Schein MIT professor Schein is the father of organizational culture. Culture is a hot topic today, and this provides outstanding insight, grounded in research. 6) Organization Change by Warner Burke One of the most comprehensive and common sense models of organizational change. As an HR practitioner, I was frustrated by the number of external vendors that sell "change processes"—from Six Sigma to technology implementation to quality improvement. Their processes were good, but often not aligned with existing HR processes such as performance management. If you want to compete with the various “change agents" that tell organizations how to “change" (and you should) you have to understand change at its deepest level. 7) Leadership and the New Science by Meg Wheatley Wheatley describes how complex systems like organizations must be allowed to develop, rather than be controlled. The book offers solid ideas about how effective leaders can and should let go. I hope you find these helpful. I would love to hear stories about what you read and how it helped you. You can reach me at carol@andersonperformancepartners.com. Header photo: Twenty20

So What Does Hiring Look Like Now?

Despite the staggering increase in layoffs over the past couple of months, some companies are still hiring. Amazon, for example, has hired more than 100,000 employees in four weeks and has plans to hire 75,000 more. In addition to increased demand for essential workers, like warehouse employees, pharmacy and grocery store workers and healthcare providers, there are several other industries adding to their ranks, from video conferencing and cybersecurity companies to video streaming and online gaming providers. But how, exactly, are businesses going about hiring when people can’t come in for interviews? Even those who aren’t currently hiring—but hope to a few weeks or months from now—will need to rethink the process. Here are the steps several companies are taking, as well as a few important reminders to consider. 1) Prioritizing Video for Interviews We conduct face-to-face interviews because that’s how we’ve always done it, but today’s technology gives us options. For many, working from home has become the new normal—even late-night talk show hosts are broadcasting from their living rooms (albeit with professionals pulling everything together). So trust in your ability to successfully conduct a remote interview via Zoom or other video conferencing platform. Don’t make the mistake that the Alignable CEO is making: refusing to hire until he can meet candidates in-person because of worries around cultural fit. You can assess cultural fit by asking insightful questions about past experiences as well as hypothetical workplace situations. It’s also helpful to explain how your office or site operates and how this role adds to the team or mission—then see if candidates respond with thoughtful follow-up questions. You should also be sure to have them meet the team virtually so that everyone gains a sense of who they’d be working with. Remember that a good cultural fit does not mean you’ll be best friends with this person. It means they will thrive in your work environment. Obviously, making an offer without meeting in real life isn’t ideal, but you won’t lose out on a top candidate because you chose to wait things out indefinitely.   2) Hiring Quickly If you’re offering essential services, you may need to hire quickly. Traditional methods, with multiple rounds of interviews and drawn-out processes, might simply take too long under the current circumstances. As a result, it’s worth reviewing your applicant path and removing any unnecessary layers for the time-being. Some companies are also turning to apps that allow candidates to record answers to interview questions so that managers can evaluate people more quickly. Those who genuinely need to expedite the process may want to explore implementing a more radical method: hiring on a first-applied, first-hired basis. This probably won’t be the right fit for many companies (as it tends to be limited to fairly entry-level employment), but The Body Shop reduced monthly turnover by 60 percent after it introduced the concept. So it’s worth looking into, especially if you’re having trouble hiring. If you need tech talent, you likely can’t afford to wait until governors give the green light for businesses to resume normal operations. (Not with Netflix, Facebook, Apple and Google hiring aggressively, anyway.) Luckily, as I mentioned before, you can source, screen and interview remotely. In fact, many of these jobs may end up being permanently remote positions. Challenging as it may be, you shouldn’t wait for the dust to settle—especially if you’re competing against the big players. 3) Embracing Virtual Onboarding It’s not just getting an offer letter out there. It’s having a plan in place to get people up and running (likely from home) on Day One. The good news is that you can conduct all parts of the onboarding process—even reviewing documents—through video conferencing. (To make this possible, the government has temporarily suspended the requirement for in-person I9 verification.) But remember, it still may be awkward. The first few days of any new job are challenging and can be a bit strange. Now, imagine starting from your living room. Not to mention potentially having kids as coworkers (while trying to make a good impression with your real ones). Make sure your new hires know you’ll be there to support them throughout the process. If you normally take new employees out to lunch on their first day, send them a gift card for takeout at a local restaurant. It’s the best you can do for now—and it’s a small gesture that shows you care. 4) Setting Proper Expectations You’ll need to set two levels of expectation for new hires: “crazy” time and “normal” time. During “crazy” time (which, yep, this is), you should clearly answer questions like: Is it perfectly acceptable to hold a baby while on a video conference call? Do employees need to work from 8:30 to 5 or is it okay to work around family/personal schedules? In other words, give new hires an idea of the sort of flexibility they can expect when they start—and how policies in place now might shift once employees start returning to the workplace. You probably won’t have an exact idea of what that looks like (none of us do!), but were there certain expectations in the “before times” that will likely resume down the road? Do your best to let your new hires know now so they’re not caught off-guard later. It may take a long time for things to return to “normal,” whatever that is. Don’t put off hiring if you need to increase headcount. It can be done—even during a pandemic.

Talent Management Strategies for Agencies in Turbulent Times

As agencies face unprecedented hurdles in todays world, employee needs are the top priority for HR and L&D leaders. With the right resources in place, government agencies can continue to provide consistent and transparent communication and uninterrupted employee development and onboarding—further strengthening the agency. Join us for a conversation with representatives from Collier County, FL Human Resources, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. We will discuss how they have overcome obstacles in their employee onboarding and development to deliver highly effective talent management strategies during turbulent times. Youll learn how two distinct agencies have overcome obstacles such as: -Training different compositions of their workforce with varying degrees of technological capabilities; -Labor and employee relations concerns; -Rate of required change; and, -Positioning technology as an enabler and not a barrier. During this conversation, we will highlight lessons learned that you may be able to apply in your agency to help cover these or similar obstacles you face.

TED Talk Tuesday: 3 Lessons on Leadership Development

This post is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. Stanley McChrystal is a four-star general and former commander of the U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan. His leadership over the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is credited with the capture of Saddam Hussein. After 9/11, McChrystal faced entirely new challenges as a leader. He spent six years serving in Afghanistan, but the forces he oversaw were deployed in multiple locations. He had to find new ways of building trust with his teams without the ability to "put a hand on a shoulder." In his TED Talk, McChrystal discusses some of the lessons he learned about being an effective leader from the military. Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from his talk: "Leaders can let you fail and not let you be a failure." McChrystal explains that one day the company he commanded failed terribly at a simulated "dawn attack" drill. When he and his company had finished with the evaluation, he headed towards his battalion commander to apologize for the performance. Instead, his commander commended him on a job well done. "In one sentence he lifted me and put me back on my feet," McChrystal says. The moment taught him that good leaders give their teams the encouragement they need to continue forward after adversity and disappointment. Building a culture where failure is accepted allows everyone to learn from their mistakes and improve performance the next time around. "[As a leader], you're building a sense of shared purpose." In his post-9/11 service in Afghanistan, McChrystal saw a shift in the diversity of the teams he was leading. The age difference was the most striking to him. McChrystal was reminded that these differences in experiences, while valuable, made it even more crucial for his teams to operate under a "shared purpose and shared consciousness." "How does a leader stay credible and legitimate when they haven't done what the people they're leading are doing?" Along with new faces, the technology and tools McChrystal used in the field had changed by the time he was a commander. "Suddenly, the things we grew up doing weren't what the force was doing anymore," he says. It created what McChrystal calls an "inversion of expertise." This is a common challenge that leaders face. The people they lead know more about the work and systems they're using than the managers themselves. These changes forced McChrystal to be transparent and listen to his teams. He allowed himself to be reverse mentored from those who ranked below him to evolve as the most efficient leader possible. Photo: TED

TED Talk Tuesday: Anyone Can Be a Leader

This is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. Everyone is a leader in someone's eyes, says leadership expert and educator Drew Dudley. Although leaders are often made out to be extraordinary figures with unique skills that inspire and guide others to greatness, Dudley believes that moments of true leadership can happen in seemingly mundane situations. Dudley calls these pivotal times “lollipop moments," named after an interaction he had in college with a new student. While she nervously waited in line for new student materials during orientation, Dudley, who was promoting an on-campus organization, handed a stranger a lollipop to give her. Dudley forgot this ever happened, until the woman approached him years later and told him that he changed her life. Not only did his small gesture make her feel at ease in a new environment, but she also began dating the stranger Dudley commandeered to give her candy, and eventually went on to marry him. These types of exchanges happen every day in the workplace as well, Dudley says. In his TED Talk, he explains why instead of looking for perfect opportunities to make a difference, leaders should embrace small moments that can create big changes. Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from his talk. “We have made leadership about something that is beyond us." It's natural to idolize prominent leaders and strive to emulate them, but anyone can lead, Dudley says. Employees see their managers and supervisors as leaders, and while they're certainly in positions to offer guidance, employees can inspire each other as well, regardless of their roles at the company. Leadership isn't exclusive to certain individuals—all employees should strive to be leaders not only during pivotal moments, but during everyday interactions with their colleagues, Dudley says. You never know when a pep talk from a fellow worker can give someone the courage to ask for a raise or learn a crucial new skill. “We take moments where we truly are a leader and we don't let ourselves take credit for it." Often, great leaders lead and inspire without knowing it, Dudley says. On the rare occasion that leaders get to hear about the impact they've had on someone, they should accept the credit. It's important to understand that ordinary individuals have the capacity to influence others—this is something to value, not fear, according to Dudley. For employees, the notion of giving and receiving credit and gratitude ties back to the importance of feedback. Humans crave feedback and thrive on it—that's why Dudley says it's important to tell people when something they did or said made a difference, and it's equally important to internalize that feedback, especially in the workplace. “We need to redefine leadership as being about lollipop moments." Life is full of little moments that add up to meaningful life changes, Dudley points out. To him, giving a fellow student a lollipop was forgettable, but to the recipient, it was a turning point. This goes to show, he explains, that leadership is all about perspective. Perhaps not everyone is a leader in the traditional sense—not everyone becomes a CEO of a company, for example. But, that doesn't mean that an entry-level employee doesn't have the potential to inspire her team during a tough time. Anyone can lead at any given moment, Dudley says, sometimes without even realizing it. Photo: TED

TED Talk Tuesday: Happiness Is the Secret to Success

This post is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. Shawn Achor, CEO of consulting firm Good Think and best-selling author, is one of the world's leading experts on happiness and success. In his TED talk, Achor reveals our backward understanding of how to achieve happiness, based on his research in the field of positive psychology. (Hint: Success doesn't lead to happiness — it's the other way around.) As we prepare for Thanksgiving, a holiday defined by gratitude, Achor's lessons on positivity and practicing appreciation for the present will serve business leaders and employees well at both the office and home. Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from his talk. "If we study what is merely average, we will remain merely average." Achor shares that one of the principles of academic research — whether it's economics, education, medicine, business or psychology — is to eliminate the outliers (in a statistically valid way, of course). In most research, the goal is to focus on the "average": How fast does the average child learn to read? How many Advil pills should the average person take? Positive psychology, on the other hand, proposes that if we study what is merely average, we will remain merely average. Instead of eliminating the outliers, Achor is interesting in studying the outliers to discover why certain people exist outside of the curve — intellectually, athletically, musically, emotionally, etc. By studying the outliers, Achor believes we can glean information about how to improve the average. "We need to reverse the formula for happiness and success." What has Achor discovered by studying the outliers? It's not reality that shapes us, but our perception that shapes our reality. Studies show that the external factors of your life can only predict 10 percent of your long-term happiness; whereas how you perceive the world can predict 90 percent. Why is this? Every time we get a good grade, job or award, our brain changes our definition of success to better grades, a better job or a better award. Success is elusive, as Achor explains, which makes achieving happiness from our successes elusive, too: "If happiness is on the opposite side of success, your brain never gets there." The key to happiness is not changing external factors, but changing the way we process external factors. "You can train your brain to be able to become more positive." According to Achor, if we can find a way to become more positive in the present, our brains will experience a "happiness advantage." A positive brain is 31 percent more productive than a negative, neutral or stressed brain, and our energy, intelligence and creativity levels all rise when we're in a positive mindset. In other words, happiness actually leads to greater success. But can you actually increase your positivity? Yes, Achor says, adding that in just a two-minute span of time over 21 days in a row, you can rewire your brain to work more optimistically and successfully. For example, by writing three new things you are grateful for every day for 21 days, your brain will begin to retain a pattern of scanning the world for the positive instead of the negative. Other tactics Achor has studied include journaling about positive experiences, meditation and writing thank-you notes. By reversing the formula for happiness and success, Achor says, we can not only increase individual happiness, but also create ripples of positivity and productivity throughout organizations. Photo: Creative Commons

TED Talk Tuesday: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?

This is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, uses unusual experiments to understand what motivates humans to act in certain, seemingly irrational, ways. For example, at work, are individuals more motivated by recognition than they are by money? And at what point does a lack of recognition make even the promise of financial reward no longer worth it? These are just a few of the questions that Ariely works to answer. In his TED talk, Ariely highlights how his experiments on performance recognition help demonstrate that as humans beings, we want to be valued, not just paid. Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from his talk. "When we think about how people work, the naive intuition we have is that people are like rats in a maze—that all people care about is money." If people are truly motivated by money, "Why does anyone climb mountains?" asks Ariely. It requires time, hard work and it's downright dangerous. This suggests people get satisfaction and meaning from the challenge of completing a task successfully, especially when it's a difficult one. It's easy to get caught up trying to make employees 'happy' by providing monetary rewards. Instead, take some time to find out what truly motivates them—whether it's completing a challenging assignment, engaging with coworkers and clients or being recognized for their work. By incorporating these things into their day-to-day work, you will not only make them happy but inspire them to do their best work. "Eliminating motivation seems to be incredibly easy, and if we don't think about it carefully, we might overdo it." In one of Ariely's experiments, participants were asked to keep repeating a worksheet that was either acknowledged, ignored or shredded for increasingly smaller monetary rewards, until they no longer wanted to participate. Unsurprisingly, those people whose work was being ignored or shredded stopped participating much earlier than those who got a simple look of affirmation from the supervisor. Ariely's conclusion? Even a little recognition can be motivational, but its absence can be paralyzing. This couldn't be truer in a work environment—employees thrive on feedback and acknowledgement, no matter how small it may seem. "When we think about labor, we usually think about motivation and payment as the same thing, but the reality is that we should probably add all kinds of things to it—creation, challenges, ownership, identity and pride." There is no longer a clear separation between work and life. This lack of boundaries makes it more important than ever for people to find meaning in what they do. That's why money isn't enough to motivate individuals anymore. While adequate pay is important, it doesn't replace the feeling of being challenged, rewarded and proud. How can you incorporate these components, Ariely asks, to create meaning in your workplace — and for your employees? Photo: TED

TED Talk Tuesday: Robots Will Take Our Jobs, Then What?

This part is part of our monthly "TED Talk Tuesday" series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. Andrew McAfee studies how technology affects business and society — more specifically, how computerization will impact our workforce and economy. In his TED Talk, the principal research scientist at MIT Sloan's Center for Digital Business explains how robots will take our jobs, why that's not necessarily a bad thing and what we can do to prepare our society for "technological unemployment." While radical to some, McAfee's arguments are important consideration for any workforce participant — especially HR leaders, whose work is closely tied to the future of the jobs economy. Watch the video below and read more for three key takeaways from his talk. "There is going to be more and more technology and fewer and fewer jobs." According to McAfee, the world of technological unemployment is at hand. Our cars will soon drive themselves, which means fewer truck drivers. We'll hook Siri up to supercomputer IBM Watson, eliminating most of the work done by customer service reps. And we're already developing machines to replace human warehouse pickers. So, what to do next? "[We have] the chance to imagine an entirely different kind of society." The answer is not to run and hide — it's to celebrate. McAfee says that technological unemployment is the best economic news on the planet for two reasons. First, the progression of technology is creating "abundance": more products at higher volume and quality, but lower prices. And second, it frees humanity to stop working and to start innovating, creating and thinking. "We're going. . . to chart a good course into the challenging, abundant economy that we're creating." McAfee acknowledges that this flourishing, creative and enlightened society does not come without its challenges. Not everyone has access to the resources of the world's elite philosophers, artists, businesspeople or diplomats — and without work, the lower and middle classes will struggle. However, McAfee points to the promise of education and the fact that the challenges of a "technological" society are increasingly public. He ends his talk on a promising note: If we pay attention to the plain facts before us, we can thrive in the future world of work. Photo: TED Talks

Ted Talk Tuesday | Why You Should Dare to Disagree

This post is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here. According to Margaret Heffernan, it's only human to want to avoid disagreement and conflict. But the blogger, former CEO and television producer encourages you to do just the opposite in her two books. Heffernan challenges readers to push against their comfort zones for the sake of sparking important conversations and inciting positive change. In her TED Talk, Heffernan discusses why inviting objection into our work can be a game changer. While we are biologically drawn to people who think like us, Heffernan questions the value of surrounding ourselves with liked-minded peers. Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from her talk. "It's a fantastic model of collaboration — thinking partners who aren't echo chambers." Collaborators who challenge us and find the flaws in our methodology are crucial to doing good work. These are the working relationships that allow us and our work to grow and strengthen, but all too often we seek out people who we know will agree with us. Organizations are even worse culprits of "group think" than individuals. When is the last time you were recruiting for a role, and actively sought out candidates who might not "fit the mold" of the job they were applying for? Bringing diversity of thought into an organization is the first step to creating a company culture where people are comfortable speaking up when they have a new different idea or see a flaw in an existing system or product. "We have to be prepared to change our minds." Part of seeking out opposition is being open to accepting it. Growth stems from listening to conflicting viewpoints and the flaws that they may highlight in our own arguments. The biggest catastrophes that we've witnessed rarely come from information that is secret or hidden, Heffernan explains. In situations that go horribly wrong, we often have already been told the information we needed to to stop the problem, but we remained what she calls "willfully blind" to it all because we don't want to create conflict. "Open information is fantastic, open networks are essential." Our common fear of conflict also impacts speaking up in the workplace when something is wrong. "In surveys of European and American executives, fully 85 percent of them acknowledge that they had issues or concerns at work that they were afraid to raise," Heffernan cites. People who have worked to find the best talent for their organizations will have difficulty engaging or retaining them if they don't question suspicious issues. Creating an open network of communication that welcomes opposition makes for a functional and efficient work environment. Heffernan explains that this all takes practice to develop these skills—access to information alone isn't enough, it needs to be shared, accepted and discussed. Photo: TED

Trouble With the Curve: 4 Alternatives to Forced Rankings

Marissa Mayer has caused another stir with her latest HR stunt. Last month the Yahoo! CEO implemented a forced rankings performance review process at the company, meaning managers rank their employees on a bell curve and fire those at the low end. Forced—or “stacked”—rankings have fallen out of favor with some companies. Microsoft recently dumped its controversial forced ranking system in favor of more frequent and qualitative reviews, according to Business Week. But performance review processes that work for one company won't always fit another. “If this topic were simple there would not be over 25,000 books listed on Amazon’s U.S. book site for the query ‘performance review,’” Steven Stinofsky writes on Business Insider. Here are some alternatives—or additions—to forced rankings that companies are using to bolster their performance review schemes. Calibration Calibration is a face-to-face process, in which managers who oversee similar groups review one another’s employee-performance ratings. In these "rater reliability" sessions, supervisors discuss each of their employee’s performance rankings and their reasons behind the evaluation. "A calibration session catches the 'easy graders' and 'tough graders' and helps them rate their employees more realistically," Joanne Lloyd writes on JobDig.com. 360-Degree Feedback Instead of relying on one supervisor to evaluate an individual’s performance, some companies ask everyone with whom the employee interacts to weigh in. That’s the idea behind 360-degree feedback, a technique that collects performance data from a number of stakeholders like team members, customers and direct reports. “When it’s done well, 360 programs allow all your team members to improve in key areas that might be limiting their upward career path or actually causing major conflict within a team,” Eric Jackson writes on Forbes. Management by Objective First outlined by management whiz Peter Drucker, management by objective occurs when supervisors work with employees to outline goals and desired outcomes. Managers evaluate staff members based on their ability to achieve results. The advantage of the MBO process is that it allows employees to actively participate in goal setting, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Peer Review As the term implies, peer reviews require co-workers to comment about each others’ performance. “Coworkers often know more about their peers' strengths and weaknesses than supervisors do, and letting employees review one another is a great way for management to share in that knowledge,” Stephanie Gruner writes on Inc. Companies have used these evaluation methods for ages, but they’re continually experimenting with new feedback iterations that combine input from employees and their peers. There has been some heated discussion on LinkedIn recently around forced rankings. One contributor reminds us, “It really doesn't matter what form is used; what matters is how it is used and what the results really mean.” It’s hard to judge one company’s forced rankings system without understanding other programs that might support or counter balance it.  Photo: Can Stock

This Week on HR Labs: The Employee’s Experience In An Employee-First Business

What HR Can Learn from Community Managers at Coworking Spaces

When a worker sees an email from human resources, their stomach clenches. And if the employee sees an HR rep walk straight toward their desk, their heart skips a beat. It's easy to assume the worst: Did they say something offensive to a coworker without realizing it? Is their department downsizing? Understandably, HR managers want to shed this stern stereotype. Instead of being seen as the admonishers, they want to be seen as trusted confidants. And, as it turns out, community managers at coworking spaces may be the inspiration HR needs. Similar to HR managers, community managers' main goal is to create an environment where people can do their best work: They connect coworkers who could be beneficial to one another. They cheer on successes and provide solace during setbacks. They listen to what coworkers want—and efficiently address the problems. According to recent studies, community managers are doing quite well: People in coworking spaces rate their level of thriving at a six on a seven-point scale, according to the Harvard Business Review, and members say that they benefit most from interacting with people in those spaces and trading know how (all of which community managers facilitate). HR, on the other hand? A 2012 study found that fewer than 7 percent of employees believe HR is looking out for them. Here, a few well-connected community managers share advice for HR on how to cultivate more positive, beneficial relationships with employees. Show a Vested Interest HR professionals most commonly approach workers at the beginning and end of their tenure, for onboarding and offboarding. But what if they were to approach their workers more regularly, and on less serious terms? According to Annelie Chavez, who has worked in HR and now handles community and partnerships at coworking space Camp David, it all comes down to relationships. “Make sure you touch base with employees every so often. People aren't going to come to you," advises Chavez. "Have a quarterly or monthly [check-in] to make sure things are getting done—it's important to keep a pulse on the staff." Diana McLaren, who worked as a community lead at Hub Australia in Sydney, offers similar advice. In McLaren's opinion, HR workers would do well to get to know their employees as people—she suggests asking about how employees' kids are doing, or checking in on their upcoming vacation plans. “There's nothing that will make people feel more cherished than remembering something they said in passing last week," she says. “You're showing a vested interest in them." Move Around the Office Another way of forming better relationships with employees? Try moving around the office. Chavez sat in the front of her office as a secretary before being promoted to HR, and saw first-hand how her relationships with workers were more intimate and comfortable than some of her HR peers who hadn't come up from the trenches. “It really has to do with how open HR people make themselves," Chavez says. “If you're an HR person sitting in the corner of an office, no one is going to come to you [at the onset of a problem]. They're only going to come at the breaking point." Take Action In addition to genuinely listening to your employees—including paying attention to their successes and struggles—it's important to take action to address their concerns. “One thing that community managers do really well is come up with creative solutions that fix multiple problems at the same time," McLaren says. “Communities end up growing that way and people feel cherished and important. You're actually hearing them and getting rid of the problem for them. And that's a lot more reassuring than if the HR worker just tries to follow protocol and listen." Make Connections Among Coworkers One simple way HR can become a friendly resource? Adopt the proactive mindset of community managers when it comes to introducing employees to coworkers as mentors or peers with similar interests—in other words, focus on creating a literal "community." “People are not that complicated," says McLaren. "They want to feel a part of something, like their work matters." Jamie Russo, executive director of the Global Workspace Association, suggests putting systems in place to facilitate skill swapping. “[You] have to go after it," Russo says. “I would advise HR people to spend time in a coworking space to see how it works." Overall, if building relationships and networking are a valued part of company culture, people will generally be more engaged at work—and more trusting of the HR team that facilitated those relationships. Photo: Twenty20

What Performance Management Trends are You Noticing in the New Normal?

The prevalence of remote work in 2021 and beyond requires leaders to adapt how they work with their people. The question, of course, is how you can make that happen? Let’s explore some of today’s biggest challenges and discuss how they’re impacting performance management and HR. The New Remote Landscape Though telework has been around for years, it was generally limited to short periods and a limited number of remote employees. However, spring and summer of 2020 presented a complete shift in how we work—company offices became vacant, travel was halted and many workers transitioned to working remotely on a full-time basis.  This new remote culture has changed how employees interact with colleagues and managers. Water cooler talk is no longer a thing. It’s a lot harder for managers to track sentiment and behavior when communications are email-only. Annual reviews are a lot more challenging, too, because you haven’t seen an employee in months. Naturally, fully remote work has presented a different look at performance management. With less direct communication and conversation between co-workers, superiors, and direct reports, it’s a lot harder to track some of a performance review’s underlying components. Pair this with the ongoing dissatisfaction with traditional performance management and companies are facing an inflection point.  The Biggest Challenges of Remote Work For many organizations, the traditional performance management approach was convenient—with an appraisal of each employee once or twice a year. As a manager, you document what you would like to change or improve, use this information to create an annual review rating, and designate a day to speak with the reviewee. Then you use all of that information to determine compensation, employment status, development plans, and organizational talent analyses.  It’s convenient, it’s cost-effective, and it’s heavily embedded into your company. It helps you establish company goals, standardize expectations and identify room for improvement.  The traditional performance management process is also found to be demotivating by management and employees and is considered ineffective by HR managers. It ignores what’s on the horizon and focuses on backward-looking performance, making it challenging to build a holistic and accurate review. This ultimately creates a stressful environment for all those involved. Criticism of annual performance reviews is not a new phenomenon—it’s taken a new normal to bring this methodology’s weaknesses into the spotlight. With fewer in-person interactions, it’s a lot harder to track engagement, solicit feedback or understand whether your people are aligned.  The Rise of Ongoing and Informal Reviews To address this, many companies have decided to look beyond the traditional (and highly criticized) annual review. Instead, organizations are using the current landscape to increase the frequency of reviews to stay connected with employees. Ongoing, informal reviews are becoming more popular as part of a larger continuous engagement initiative. Not only do they provide recognition at a time when employees are worried about the future but also they rely on up-to-date and future-looking information. At a time when HR managers are making tough decisions and management teams are seeking increased productivity, shorter review timeframes can provide companies with a clearer picture of their business. How Companies Benefit from Check-ins and Continuous Feedback Though there are many reasons to embrace the quarterly review model or replace formal reviews with more frequent check-ins or 1:1 performance meetings, the following reasons stand out: Reduce Employee Angst – Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “scared chickens don’t lay eggs.” As employees read about recessions, businesses being shut down and more, they need you to lead. Your team wants to know things are moving smoothly and that the business is going to be around. Provide Recognition – 69 percent of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized. Recognition is the number one way to inspire great work. How long does this feeling of recognition last? Not long—certainly not a whole year. A shift from annual reviews to more frequent ones can deliver this recognition and increase engagement. Increase Accountability – It’s a lot harder to keep track of your employees when they’re not around the office. Accountability and engagement are intertwined here. But it’s a lot easier for a disengaged employee to deliver just enough when there are limited person-to-person discussions. This is doubly so when said employee knows that they won’t have to answer this until review season. With shorter timeframes and less formality, you can develop a clearer picture of accountability and engagement. New Tools Deliver Efficiency, Transparency, and Accuracy For better or worse, the early stages of the pandemic changed the way employees worked and communicated. Although you may have read about or even experienced “Zoom burnout,” many have found that the new communications tools used to manage the move to work from home provided a wide range of benefits: More Efficient and Effective Communications – Rather than taking time out of your day to meet or discuss projects, a well-built message board or corporate social media platform allows employees to communicate more quickly and effectively.  More Transparent Communications – The home is now the office. The virtual water cooler conversation leaves room for more discussion areas and at least one friendship has formed over mutual interests discovered by a Zoom background. Simply put, it’s easier to broaden the conversation and understand how employees are doing because you’re both in a more personal setting. More Informed Employees – The implementation of new communications tools has presented companies with another benefit—it’s easier to share information. Now, rather than a disconnected process of pushing down information, internal communications have become timelier and more transparent.  Though 2020 has introduced you to new platforms, companies have provided more communication channels to employees for years. The only difference is that instead of simply looking at or using the tools, your employees rely on them. As these platforms become more deeply embedded, this new normal will provide your staff with more fluid and accurate communications. Rising Focus on Engagement Provides Outstanding Results 2020 has presented a lot of unprecedented challenges for companies and their employees, and it might have been the shock to the system that leaders needed. With new tools in place and a new focus on connection with employees, many businesses have found opportunities for improvement that were previously overlooked.  From communications to performance management, HR is creating new programs built to facilitate conversations, encourage connection, and build engagement—often seeing outstanding results. According to Best Place to Work data meta-analysis, 2020 has seen employee engagement skyrocket, up 11 percent over the high water mark set in 2019.   In fact, the survey from Josh Bersin notes that 83 percent of employees feel better supported by management, 77 percent feel their organization is providing up-to-date and transparent communications and has found that engagement programs are working.  More Work to Do: Engagement Programs Need Continued Improvement There’s still a lot of work on the horizon. Getting from adjusting to the new normal to advancing your business into it will require a mentality that shifts and accommodates change. Now is the time to focus on engagement program results and implement new methods focused on morale.  The Role of Continuous Feedback in Performance Management, Employee Engagement, and Morale With communication taking place more efficiently, information being shared more transparently and check-ins becoming more frequent, a focus on continuous engagement can deliver results. Feedback and recognition connect employees and managers, establishes a common goal and connects processes, helping your organization: Solidify and reinforce connections between managers and employees. When feedback and recognition are provided by indirect managers or across departments, previously unknown insights emerge, helping your employees feel valued and motivated (especially if they are working between different departments or clinical facilities). Take noticeable steps toward a workplace culture where others are not only recognized but heard. Increase engagement with the talent platform(s) you’re already invested in. Gauge how your employees are doing by implementing employee pulse surveys. These surveys can help employees share where they are professionally and personally. The companies can also use them to find ways to recognize employee dedication and hard work when the lines are blurred between work and home.   Cornerstone and Educe: Learning, Thriving and Performing  Performance Management has always been a challenge. But with recent events, many have risen to this challenge.  Much like the transition to work in the new normal, the operating landscape will require the right tools, tactics and processes to get where you want to be. If you’re looking to put your business in a position for long-term success, Cornerstone and the Educe Group can help. By relying on a leading service provider to implement one of the world’s most powerful talent management platforms, you can empower your users and make the most of your Cornerstone investment. As a Cornerstone partner for over five years, Educe helps organizations at every level better understand and fully leverage Cornerstone’s powerful talent management capabilities. To keep learning more about emerging performance management trends, watch this video of Stacie Grasberger, associate at The Educe Group, and Hendrik Thomas, senior product manager at Cornerstone, discussing what you can do to be prepared for these trends and how to handle their challenges. Contact us to learn more about how Educe can help you make the most of your Cornerstone investment.Â

Why Women Are Still Struggling to Climb the Corporate Ladder

International Women’s Day is Sunday, March 8, and there’s a lot that female professionals ought to be proud of. For one, there are more women starting their own businesses—and succeeding. From 2007 to 2018, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 58%. They’re also highly profitable: A recent Boston Consulting Group Report reported that if men and women were treated equally as entrepreneurs, global GDP would rise by 3% and boost the global economy by $2.5 trillion. In fact, women consistently score higher than their male counterparts in most leadership skills. And when it comes to getting a seat at the table, women are seeing a higher level of representation than ever before. According to research from Grant Thorton, 29% of senior management roles were held by women last year—the highest number ever on record. But despite this progress, they continue to lag behind when compared to their male counterparts. Women make up 44% of the overall S&P 500 labor force and 36% of first- or mid-level officials and managers at those organizations. Yet they make up only 25% of executive- and senior-level management. What’s more, women hold only 20% of board seats and account for just 6% of CEOs. This imbalance isn’t new. For years, women have lacked representation at the highest levels. That’s especially true for women of color, who make up only 3.5% of board rooms for the S&P 1500. So why do these inequalities persist? More often than not, the challenges that women face can be linked to the “broken rung,” a term that refers to companies’ failure to empower women in entry-level roles to grow into management positions. Fixing it is a necessary step toward achieving equality. According to a report from Lean In and McKinsey & Company, if women are promoted to first-time managers at the same rate as men, there will be one million more women in corporate management positions over the next five years. Luckily, organizations are already equipped with the tools they need to turn this goal into a reality. Communicate D&I Goals and Get Internal Stakeholders On Board When you’re hiring for any position—and especially entry- and mid-level ones—it’s important to set clear goals for diversity and inclusion. Employees who hold more junior positions will eventually be qualified to move into managerial roles—and they’ll be looking for opportunities to do just that. LinkedIn reports that 94% of individuals would stay at a company longer if the organization invested in their careers. As a result, ensuring your candidate pool contains more women from the get-go is crucial if you want to see more of them land in leadership spots. Once you develop a diverse hiring strategy, communicate it internally to members of the HR team and to C-suite decision-makers. Make the case for recruiting more women at all levels so you can receive buy-in from all internal stakeholders and gain access to resources that will enable you to recruit most effectively. After you hire and onboard employees, pay close attention to how they’re adjusting to their roles. Meet with associates early on and talk to them about their career goals, ensuring they have access to the same opportunities as their colleagues from the moment they begin working. Many career growth opportunities stem from internal networking activities. And while some employees will make connections at work naturally, others may be a bit more reluctant to build bonds with colleagues. It’s also a gendered issue: Men often benefit more from networking activities at work, and sometimes these activities are centered around a “bro” culture that doesn’t always welcome women. Luckily, there are other ways to foster mentorship. For example, an employee-mentor program can empower female associates and early managers to build relationships with their senior colleagues. These programs not only provide women an opportunity to make meaningful professional connections within your organization, they also give them the opportunity to ask questions and gain new skills. Establish Clear and Consistent Evaluation Criteria At many companies, the promotion process can seem rather opaque. This lack of transparency is often frustrating for employees—especially those working hard to get to the next level. To ensure all workers have an equal opportunity to move up, focus on establishing evaluation criteria for managers to follow when making promotion decisions. This approach not only helps managers, it also offers employees greater visibility into the process and gives workers the tools they need to reach their potential—regardless of gender. Require Managers to Participate in Unconscious Bias Trainings Offering managers guidance around how to evaluate employees certainly contributes to a more just promotion structure, but fixing the systematic problem of the “broken rung” will require your HR department to challenge managers on how they hire, fire and promote employees. That starts with evaluating their own inherent biases—and taking steps to ensure those preferences don’t impact their employees’ growth and development. Managing unconscious bias is easier said than done. That’s because all humans have preconceived notions—even if they don’t necessarily act upon those judgments. The scientific explanation for unconscious bias is simple: The brain can consciously process 40 pieces of content per second, while it can unconsciously process 11 million pieces of content. We do a lot of thinking that we’re not aware of, meaning we often come to certain conclusions without realizing it. One of the most common examples of unconscious bias is gender bias. When women are strong and assertive, they are often perceived as “aggressive” while men with the same qualities are seen as confident. As a result, a female employee who demonstrates these attributes might be passed up for a promotion because of their gender, due to a manager’s unconscious bias. Knowing how to spot these fixed assumptions is critical to building and maintaining a more diverse workforce and fixing the “broken rung.” Start by incorporating unconscious bias training into your L&D efforts and educating managers on how to minimize their own judgments. Helping women move up the corporate ladder will likely require planning, communication and, in some cases, changes in policy and structure. If you’re an HR manager working to bridge the gender gap at your organization, you certainly have your work cut out for you. But with the right strategy and resources, you can empower more women to reach their full professional potential.

Why You Need Infrastructure for Managers to Succeed

Can we all agree that the leadership of an organization is the single most important element driving success? Yes, I know that's an odd question—but think about it. Isn't it the case that the behavior of leaders shapes the behavior of employees, through effective coaching, correction and development? In last month's article, I talked about leadership development and how the day-to-day work of an organization actually serves as the best learning curriculum; by solving real problems and reflecting on why something worked or didn't work, leaders grow in knowledge and experience. But is that enough? Hire incredibly smart people and let them learn by doing? In my experience, there is still a piece missing and, unless it is addressed, it can create chaos. The missing piece? Infrastructure. The Importance of Infrastructure You've likely heard the old saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Or perhaps "If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win almost every time." But what do these pithy sayings really mean? They mean that the infrastructure—the systems, processes, policies and programs that those in the organization execute every day—have to facilitate and enable behaviors that drive organizational performance. You can teach, communicate, motivate and inspire people to do the right work with appropriate behaviors, but if the infrastructure is teaching or communicating a different message, your performance and productivity are seriously impacted. It's like an orchestra with everyone playing their favorite piece. Unless they agree, it's chaos. It's like a racing pit crew where everyone runs to fix something, and they run to the same tire, so one tire gets all the attention, and the rest run flat. Infrastructure provides the parameters by which leaders lead and employees work. Values Support Infrastructure, But Don't Define It What is the purpose of those “values and principles" tacked up on the wall that talk about things like customer service, integrity and communication? They're referring to the ideal infrastructure, telling leaders and employees, “This is what is important; this is how we expect our team to behave." But it's not enough to simply say, “Act with integrity," or “Communicate effectively," because those are open to individual interpretation. The solution? Programs designed to put values to action, measure employee culture fit, and identify engagement gaps. So, Who Builds Infrastructure? There are a number of methods modern organizations have adopted to ensure organizational values are translated into action. Today, we create employee handbooks that prescribe appropriate behaviors, and define reprimands for bad ones. We offer intense manager trainings. We design pay and benefits structures that reward high performance and good behavior. We implement processes to set goals and measure performance to ensure that the work the organization is doing is aligned with the business strategy. We evaluate leaders' and employees' skills and competencies, and create plans for continuous development. We practice behavioral interviewing to try to source and hire new employees who can perform and thrive in our culture. But hang on—these are all HR programs, right? They are, but all too often, these programs fail to address their core purpose of building an infrastructure based on values. Instead, managers begrudgingly complete their tasks as HR cajoles and polices the programs, focused on compliance over strategy and completion over improvement. HR programs—which are inherently about building your organization's infrastructure—should instead be continuously evaluated and tweaked to align with the needs of the organization. The “words on the wall" may tell employees that they are the organization's most valued asset, but do the managers' behaviors reinforce the message? Do your words match your actions? Does the infrastructure that you created work, or is it shouting mixed messages? I cannot give you the answer; only you can take time to reflect on your organization's infrastructure and answer these questions. Executives, your HR team probably has a pretty good sense of the answers to these questions. If you're looking to improve your leadership culture, ask them where there might be opportunity to improve the infrastructure. I bet they have some good ideas. Photo: Twenty20

Why Your Job Descriptions Should Tell a Story

Just as branding — both personal and professional — is essential to marketing or sales, it's increasingly crucial for HR. Job candidates have understood the power of personal branding for quite some time — the key to landing a dream job is to craft a concise, first-person narrative about who you are and the value you represent to potential employers. For recruiters and hiring managers, tired beyond belief of bland, hackneyed descriptions of “results-driven, self-motivated team players," it's a welcome relief to read about actual people, not automatons. Now, flip the equation. With relatively low unemployment rates at 5 percent, employers also need to craft a compelling brand in order to attract the most qualified candidates. What more obvious place to craft your employer narrative than through your job descriptions? How to Tell a Brand Story to Candidates A job posting should focus on convincing a talented candidate that he or she belongs at your company. Just as a great resume speaks directly to the hiring manager's needs and shares a unique story, a great job posting should speak to the needs of the candidate's ideal employer and offer a narrative for his or her "character." How do you tell a unique story with a job description? Let's walk through a recent job posting from First Round Review, the online magazine of venture capital firm First Round Capital. 1) Lead with a non-stock photo image The image at the top of the post — a woman on an indoor swing in an art studio — lets interested candidates understand that this is not a buttoned-up, corporate type of job; the company obviously wants to attract creative, daring people. 2) State the company's mission Candidates immediately get a sense of the employer brand through the image, and a succinct, strong description of the employer confirms the bold brand: "We launched First Round Review to offer a better brand of advice to the startup ecosystem." A link back to the employer's site invites candidates to explore how the Review's mission aligns with the broader vision of First Round Capital and its clients. 3) Invite the candidate to join the adventure Immediately following the Review's mission, the post states, “That's where you come in." That's right — the posting speaks directly to the candidate, just as candidates should speak directly to the hiring manager through a resume or cover letter. 4) Craft a character Instead of writing up a laundry list of skills, the Review's posting focuses on character traits: Phrases like "You call yourself a writer first;" "You're curious about people;" and "Tech fascinates you" indicate certain skill sets, but put them in an individual, relatable context. By focusing on such character traits, First Round Review attracts potential hires that may not have every specific skill desired, but certainly have the right interests, approach and personality. 5) Start a conversation, not an application First Round does have a senior HR executive, one whose strategy seems to empower managers to determine whom they want to interview. Nowhere does the posting instruct candidates to “upload your resume and cover letter." Instead, a link to the manager's email encourages applicants to “talk" to her directly. Terrific! A company that eschews ATS software in favor of an actual human who can identify candidates based not only on their resume, but also on what she intuits. The New Standard for Job Descriptions HR professionals have developed a comfort zone with old-style job descriptions that are completely out of sync with the contemporary world of work. Continue posting jobs this way, and I predict that the quality of your candidates will quickly match your behind-the-times recruitment strategy. I can hear the protests already from companies that require highly specific skills and consider the example I've provided above too "warm and fuzzy" for their culture. But the point is not to copy the exact language above; it's to clearly communicate your company brand and tell a story about the person you're hoping to find. Think about it this way: When buyers shop for a house, realtors encourage them to envision themselves living there. The specs on square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms matter, of course, but the buyer also needs to believe the specs that make up that house could be a home. The same thing applies to your company's potential talent pool — your job description should invite the candidate to not only imagine working at your company, but belonging there. Photo: Creative Commons

Working Towards Mindfitness: The Flexible Mind

Wisdom requires a flexible mind. - Dan Carlin If I could turn the clocks back and do a few things differently, there is certainly one thing that I would have embraced much earlier on in my life, and that is yoga. Without wanting to sound evangelistic, it is something that has literally changed my life not only physically, but it has also had a very positive impact on my emotional wellbeing. Countless studies demonstrate the effect that practicing yoga can have on reducing stress levels, and one of the other great benefits is how much it improves your range of motion and ultimately your physical flexibility. In many ways it is a truly liberating experience because over time it helps to build core strength and nimbleness. So, in a world where the pace of change requires us all to be more and more adaptable, it is reassuring to know that as we are able to exercise our bodies to improve our physical flexibility, we can indeed do the same with our minds. Thankfully, we have now entered an age where flexibility and innovation matter much more than antiquated experiences or decades-old qualifications. Staying relevant in the fourth industrial revolution is about staying current, adopting a growth mindset and embracing fresh thinking. We are, after all, perpetual students in the university of life and continuous learning is the key to thriving. One of my favorite books was written in 1970 by Alvin Toffler who is regarded as one of the world's most outstanding futurists. The book is called Future Shock and there is a very powerful quote that says: The illiterate of the 21st century won’t be those who can’t read or write it will be those who have the inability to learn, unlearn and relearn. It is wise to appreciate that what is relevant today may not be relevant for the future and the willingness and ability to ‘unlearn’ is as important as our ability to learn. This of course requires an open and flexible mind. Our ability to disengage from one task and respond to another or to think about multiple concepts at the same time is fundamental to thriving in most modern workplaces. Someone who is flexible will learn quicker, as well as being able to adapt and respond to new situations more easily and in a much smarter and appropriate way. What is flexibility? Behavioral flexibility and cognitive flexibility are terms that are used in the field of experimental psychology to identify a form of cognition that enables humans to adapt their behaviour according to changing environmental situations. The etymology of the word flexibility is the capacity to bend without breaking and in a world that is in a constant state of flux this is a powerful skill. In many ways, a flexible mind allows us to expand our thinking and explore and discover a broader range of options that are potentially available to us. Being able to think on our feet and adjust accordingly will help us to be responsive and agile. So how do leaders empower flexibility? As a flexible leader you will need to adapt well to changes and be willing to revise your plans to incorporate new innovations and overcome challenges, while still achieving your goals. You will also need to possess the ability to think about situations and consider as many different elements as possible in the time you have available. The antiquated “one-size-fits-all” approach to leadership simply does not work anymore. In a truly inclusive workplace, flexible leaders recognize that different people and situations require different leadership styles and approaches. Leading through uncertainty and ambiguity is the new normal, especially in these unprecedented times. Flexible leaders embrace change, demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace working with a wide spectrum of people. What I love about flexibility is how tangibly useful it is in a crisis and I would like to share with you three key approaches that are fundamental to empowering flexibility within your team: 1. Constantly review and refresh your perspective The pace of change right now is relentless, and it is important to factor in time to stop and reflect and refresh your understanding of both internal and external factors that may well be impacting on your organization's effectiveness. This will help you to be constantly on top of what approaches are most likely to work best and how to prioritize and balance the need for urgency and diligence. 2. Flex your leadership style Having knowledge and a good understanding of the different styles of leadership can be very helpful in terms of improving your ability to be more flexible. As we have previously established, in a world of rich diversity one style of leadership doesn’t get the best results from everyone. The ability to flex your approach to suit the needs of each individual and each situation is key to achieving the best outcomes. 3. Lead by example It isn’t enough to know and show people the way, you also need to go the way. Modelling the behaviors that are required to be flexible is one of the most important tasks for any leader and especially in times of constant flux and uncertainty. Leading by example is one of the most powerful ways you will instil trust and confidence in a high performing team. These are just a few examples of how great leaders can best support their teams to be truly empowered and flexible. The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings. - Kakuzo Okakura For more Mindfit resources, check out free sample courses from Cornerstone’s Original Learning Series, Empowering Minds with Liggy Webb. Read about Liggy Webb's "Mindfit" model, or take a closer look at the next element in the model, a Creative Mind.

Working Towards Mindfitness: The Resilient Mind

When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience - Jaeda DeWalt I discovered one of my favourite descriptions of resilience whilst doing some research. It’s an inspiring account of resilience written by a critical care nurse called Sonja M. Schwartzbach: "And then resilience enters the room, the most elegant of emotional beings; glowing; refined; a reminder that even a flicker of light glows amid the darkness. And we can save our tiny ship of troubles from life’s stormy seas once again." Resilience, in many ways, is an elegant, rich and inspiring topic. It is also an essential skill to cultivate, and our ability to be resilient to stress, setbacks, adversity and relentless change depends so much on our inner resources and strength. So, what is resilience? The word resilience derives from the Latin verb resilire, meaning to jump back or to recoil. In physics, resilience is the ability of an elastic material to absorb energy and release that energy as it springs back to its original shape. The recovery that occurs in this phenomenon is akin to a human being’s ability to bounce back after one of life’s various and inevitable challenges. Resilience is essentially the process of adapting and recovering well from adversity, trauma, tragedy or threats. Some people describe resilience as the ability to bend instead of breaking when experiencing pressure or the ability to persevere and adapt when faced with challenges. The same abilities also help us to be more open and willing to take on new opportunities It is also essential to understand that resilience is not about ‘toughing it out’ to the detriment of our own overall wellbeing. We need to acknowledge that as human beings we will of course have our own unique fragilities and vulnerabilities. Focusing on self-care and building a toolkit of positive and healthy coping mechanisms is one of the best ways to cultivate resilience. Something else that I have learned about resilience is that the curve balls and challenges that life will inevitably throw at us, perversely, are often the most valuable lessons when it comes to learning about and building our ability to be resilient. As Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “For those who have had to fight for it, life has truly a flavor the protected shall never know.” So how do leaders empower resilience? I love a good parable, and this one is so powerful: This is the story of a man who finds a butterfly cocoon and, as he has never witnessed the metamorphosis before, he is fascinated to see what happens. This, however, was in the days before the internet and all he has is a large magnifying glass. As he examines the process, all he can see is the butterfly struggling to push through a tiny hole in the cocoon and it appears to be in discomfort. Seeing this he decides to help it out and gets hold of a pair of scissors and very carefully cuts into the side of the hole to make it bigger. The butterfly then emerges really easily with very little effort and then to the man’s dismay he watches as the butterfly withers away unable to take flight. You see, with all the good will in the world, what the man did not realize was that the butterfly's struggle to get through the small opening of the cocoon is nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight. Just like the sapling which grows strong from being buffeted by the wind, in life we all need to struggle sometimes to make us stronger. So, as a leader, you may well be tempted to solve every problem in your team’s path to save time or energy or avoid frustration. However, I would urge you to not get in the way of your team’s journey as they build up a sense of personal responsibility and self-efficacy. Allowing them to learn their own lessons and self-actualize is the key to empowerment. When you allow people to take responsibility for their own actions, they learn to demonstrate accountability. By being accountable they will ultimately feel more empowered, confident and in control when dealing with setbacks and adversity. It is also liberating to allow your team to acknowledge and understand that they can ultimately create options and choose their responses to every situation. So instead of jumping in and trying to solve all of your team’s challenges for them, work out how they are feeling about the challenges and focus on building up their confidence. Focus on supporting them to build their own unique resilience toolkit. This is how great leaders can best support their teams to be truly empowered and resilient. On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin -Gregory S. Williams For more Mindfit resources, check out free sample courses from Cornerstone’s Original Learning Series, Empowering Minds with Liggy Webb. Read about Liggy Webb's "Mindfit" model, or take a closer look at the next element in the model a Curious Mind.

3 Ways to Address Brain Drain in Government Agencies

In the age of constantly evolving technology, it's easy for any company to fall behind. But state and local government agencies face a particular set of challenges: budget cuts, an older generation of employees, a lack of resources and a strict hierarchy that can stand in the way of moving forward. This hinders opportunities to enlist young, fresh talent and retain them within the agency. A recent survey from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence found more than 90 percent of state and local government human resource managers rank recruiting and retaining qualified personnel as the most important issue they face. While government agencies can't often compete with the salary, perks, and brand of young tech startups or large organizations, they can find budget-conscious ways to create a compelling work environment and career opportunities. In addition to the civic impact and fulfilling work government agencies offer, it's important to provide talent with ways to learn and grow on their own terms. Here are three ways government agencies can bring in and hold on to top talent. 1) Be Flexible It's important to provide employees with flexible scheduling and work environments. By offering mobile training or an online onboarding experience, employees can work from anywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the Center for State and Government Excellence study, only 22 percent of agencies offer regular telecommuting for eligible positions and 28 percent of workplaces didn't offer any flex work practices. By providing a flexible workplace, agencies can improve employee engagement, as well as increase dedication to the company. According to the Best Places to Work data, work life balance has proven to be a key differentiator when people are considering where to work. Additionally, the public sector lags behind the private industry in offering these flexibilities. 2) Provide a Modern Learning Experience As HR ushers in a younger, new talent pool along with the latest technology, it's important to remember the older workforce. Training is ongoing, says Steve Dobberowsky in a recent webinar on how to attract and retain the incoming generation, senior principal of thought leadership and advisory services at Cornerstone OnDemand. So to help different generations succeed at the same place, provide everyone with video content to learn new skills and keep the user experience simple. Also, start automating the application, screening, and onboarding processes to utilize your employees' time. As Dobberowsky says, people no longer go start at one organization with the mindset that they are going to stay there for their entire career. Therefore, it's important to give young employees the resources to learn new concepts. By thinking about what's next in technology—such as artificial intelligence and smart workflows—instead of staying set in old ways, you will start to attract the type of workforce that will bring in fresh ideas to build the future of your agency. 3) Focus on Your Employer Brand According to the same study by the Center for State and Government Excellence, 84 percent of recruitment for state and local government agencies is done through online job advertising. It's important to amp up your online presence, Dobberowsky says, because 84 percent of workers would consider leaving their job for another company with a strong reputation. Agencies should be vigilant about maintaining their online presence and take active steps to maintain that identity. In today’s technological world, people look to what others are saying about things before making up their minds on issues such as ‘where do I want to work?’ Most people do their research online. Take a look at your Glassdoor account to see how your ratings are doing and respond to employee comments. Adopt a consumer-style strategy for marketing and engaging potential employees. Use social media to your advantage and update LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter with useful information about your agency, as well as marketable content that shows off a mobile and diverse workforce. By taking control of your agency's online presence, you can start to draw in the ideal candidate for your agency—and take action to make the employee want to stay long term. For more information, check out our latest webinar, "How to Attract and Retain the Incoming Generation of Government Employees." Photo: Creative Commons

A manager's guide to confronting performance issues

One of the most daunting tasks managers face is dealing with an underperforming employee. Traditional approaches to performance management often leave managers unequipped to deliver constructive performance feedback. As a result, employees feel demoralized and defensive rather than motivated to succeed. It doesn't have to be this way. View this webinar and you’ll gain insights into: Why traditional performance management makes correcting underperformance so challenging How a modern approach to performance management impacts employee engagement and productivity How to adopt a five-step process for diagnosing employee performance issues How to address underperformance in a way that feels good to the employee

In Healthcare, a Happy Staff Makes for Healthy Patients

Healthcare professionals know a slew of factors go into keeping patients healthy, safe and satisfied with the care they’re receiving. But while adopting state-of-the-art technology, recruiting top specialists and creating preventative health programs tend to get the spotlight, there’s an often-overlooked variable with wide-reaching consequences: employee engagement. Employee Happiness Matters Strong employee engagement has been linked with significant improvements in patient care and satisfaction. For instance, higher nurse engagement scores lead to lower patient mortality and complications, according to a recent Gallup study. Higher nurse satisfaction resulted in an 87 percent decrease in infection rate over two years, according to data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). What’s more, Gallup also found that hospitals employing the least engaged nurses spend $1.1 million more per year in malpractice claims than those with the most engaged nurses. Just like employees at any company, healthcare providers will do better work — and provide better care — if they are happier and invested in their jobs. The State of Engagement Today If employee engagement is so crucial to providing high-quality patient care, what are healthcare providers actually doing about it? According to a 2014 Cornerstone OnDemand study that surveyed HR professionals at healthcare organizations, nearly half of respondents said their organizations do measure whether or not employees are engaged — and to what extent. But nearly half of respondents also indicated that their employees were not fully engaged, and a quarter of respondents said they don't measure engagement at all.  The low engagement levels, survey respondents said, were primarily due to industry changes (such as the burden of transitioning from paper to electronic medical records), high rates of employee turnover and mandates to manage hospital surveys and adopt ICD-10, a new coding system for diagnosing various diseases. While healthcare organizations are aware of the problem and (some) even believe they’re prepared to address the downsides of low engagement, there is still a long way to go to achieve higher engagement rates that translate into better patient care. Only a third of organizations surveyed had an HR plan in place to drive engagement, but these initiatives become sidetracked by everyday concerns like patient emergencies and transitioning to new systems and software. 6 Ways to Boost Employee Engagement It’s clear that healthcare organizations need to address employee satisfaction and its consequences. But where to start? These six strategies can help: 1. Use succession planning to create career paths. Succession planning is not only important for the long-term success of an organization, but it also improves overall job satisfaction. This is especially true in healthcare, where the exodus of Baby Boomers and an acute nursing shortage has underscored the need for strong employee retention. Having a comprehensive strategy for building a strong leadership pipeline is directly tied to improved employee satisfaction, engagement and commitment, according to a 2012 study from Walden University. For example, a New Jersey healthcare system that implemented a succession plan for employees boosted engagement and retention, and eventually earned HR Solutions International's top rank for engagement, patient care and overall job satisfaction. 2. Recognize your strongest players. In healthcare, it’s crucial for nurses and other on-the-floor care providers to feel acknowledged and appreciated. So be sure to recognize nurses and other staff for good work. One caveat: a culture of recognition does require better performance management processes, so make sure feedback sessions and reviews happen more than once a year. 3. Prioritize learning and development. Employees who have access to “meaningful learning and development opportunities” are typically very engaged, according to the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration. Additionally, research has found that solid development opportunities can lower employee turnover and bring in up to twice the revenue per worker. 4. Deliver feedback that integrates learning opportunities early and often. Building a highly engaged workforce means delivering more frequent, actionable feedback that's tied to actionable learning opportunities. It's also important to deliver feedback early in an employee's tenure. Connecting performance management and learning opportunities keeps employees prepared with the latest skills needed to provide the best care to patients. 5. Start engagement activities early. An employee’s first day is likely to be his or her most engaged day on the job, according to Katherine Jones, vice president of HCM Technology Research at Bersin by Deloitte. Have your new hires hit the ground running by networking early with coworkers to drive home your organization's high expectations for ongoing engagement. It's also important to make new hires feel welcome in their new community. A Washington, D.C. hospital saw a significant drop in attrition when it sent new nurses a welcome card introducing them to the team before their first day. 6. Align employee goals with organizational goals. Healthcare workers generally enter the field because they have a strong passion for helping others. Communicate your organization's mission clearly and consistently so employees have a strong reference from which to set personal goals. Set your employees up for achieving these goals by providing the necessary resources, whether it's a mentorship program or training sessions for specific skills. Connecting employees' personal passion for their work with the organization’s goals leads to stronger employee loyalty and better performance. Photo: Shutterstock

Onboarding in Healthcare: To Socialize or Not - Is That a Question?

I'm sure you remember. It was your first job. You wondered whether or not they would like you. You thought to yourself, "Will I be able to do the job?" Peer pressure seeped in when you walked into the hospital the first time. However, it's not about your skills. It was whether or not the culture would accept you. Would people embrace you and give you the understanding of the "ins and outs" of this particular hospital? Leadership told you that you would be onboarded, that murky process when the hiring manager pulls you aside and has you fill out all the employment forms as well as to confirm you are up-to-date with your compliance training. Perhaps you get to meet your boss, some coworkers and go out to lunch. How would you be received? Where is Onboarding? The fact remains that onboarding, as a discipline, is often neglected not only in the healthcare industry but also by other industries as well. Little has been said about the onboarding process since usually confined to employment forms and compliance training. The reality is that onboarding is an integral part of the employee lifecycle and can make a difference to whether or not you can stave off the challenges of attrition for years to come. In the market, the healthcare industry has suffered an average of 28% turnover year-over-year (Note 1). As baby boomers continue to retire, reports show us that two-thirds of nurses over the age of 54 will be considering retirement in the next three years (Note 2). If these predictions continue, it appears that we will be 1.2 million nurses short by the year 2022 (Note 3). The challenge is real and current. The need to address onboarding is an immediate one. Let's take Different Perspective Human Resource scholars from Portland State University, Talya Bauer and Berrin Erdogan, decided that they would assume the challenge to define better and address the lost art (and science) of onboarding. Bauer and Erdogan define organizational socialization (read "onboarding") as "a process through which new employees move from being organizational outsiders to becoming organizational insiders" (Note 4). Their conclusions suggested that it is more important to take the time to socialize new employees into the institution early on in their employment history to ensure greater levels of employee satisfaction and organizational commitment, while at the macro level, reducing turnover and increasing personnel performance. They offer a set of steps that organizations can take to help in the socializing process. These measures consist of socialization tactics, formal orientation, recruitment and realistic previews as well as, providing organizational insiders as preceptors. Socialization Tactics In essence, this step suggests that the organization could intentionally connect new employees into the social structure of the institution. Some socialization tactics utilized, unconsciously, may be described as a "sink or swim" approach in which the employee is made the struggle to figure out the associated organizational norms and how they are to fit in. Though a tactic such as this has been effective to highlight self-directed employees, it is not very predictable in its outcome (Note 4). An example a socialization tactic that is more useful and predictable is that of providing an activity that brings together current and new employees. Often, the perception of team building is as an activity without an outcome, however, in this case, the journey is far more beneficial than the destination. Having the opportunity to intentionally interact, at a social level, with new colleagues, makes the onboarding experience, not only more useful but also pleasant. An example of a good onboarding socialization tactic is present at UCLA Health, where new residents are invited to participate in a day long ropes course activity to assist in establishing clear communications and building trust. These activities also help in the future when teamwork and critical problem–solving skills are required. Formal Orientation This particular step is fairly traditional and has a place in the onboarding process. Not only can formal orientations help new employees feel welcome and provide them with the appropriate information for success, but it also shows the employee that the organization is rigorous and well-structured, that it has the best intentions for their success in their new job. Research does indicate that orientation programs can be effective when discussing the goals and the history of the particular institution. Evidence also shows that face-to-face orientation has greater levels of benefit over computer-based orientation when it comes to understanding the job (Note 4). One hospital in the East utilizes the Wizard of Oz as the primary vehicle to present strong leadership skills. Each new staff member is required to watch the Wizard of Oz movie before their formal orientation so that they can discuss leadership principals in the movie and at the hospital. This approach is efficient and memorable when they are in the midst of the hustle on the hospital floor. Recruitment and Realistic Previews We have already recognized that social events are essential in the onboarding process, but it should not stop there. Bauer and Erdogan also suggest that a good onboarding process continues to recruit the employee even after the candidate becomes a formal employee. The recruitment process, during onboarding, is not like the recruiting process when discussing a job with the candidate, but more so in providing a realistic view of the job to be performed. A realistic preview encompasses showing the new employee the company culture, in action, and giving them as much accurate information about what is required (Note 4). Often, onboarding processes provide a glossy and unrealistic view of the organization and the associated job, therefore, eroding a proper understanding.  A better approach to this situation is to conduct ongoing job fairs and other cross functional activities so the new employee can continue to embed themselves in the institution and have a more realistic view of what is required. An example of recruitment and realistic preview come from a national senior living healthcare provider. Every year, they conduct an operational meeting where many of their 20,000 employees converge at headquarters to hear from senior leadership and take corporate training. During their stay for the week, there is also a department "fair."  Picture a large convention hall with many tables set out representing the various departments and major projects currently at the organization. This strategy allows new employees as well as veterans to see what is happening across the groups and potentially provide a vision to serve in different capacities within the company. Organizational Insider One of the more significant discoveries of organizational socialization research is the use of a mentor, or preceptor, assigned to the new employee. Having a one-on-one relationship between mentor and new employee allows for specific questions to be answered as well as job instruction, offering social support during the socialization process. Continued research has found that new hires are more likely to internalize key values of the organization, and its associated culture if they attend social events and spend time with an organizational mentor (Note 4). Meet Steve and Katrina Greer. Some time ago, Steve contracted Leukemia and admitted to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center (Note 5). Katrina, Steve's daughter, spent many a day and night at the hospital with her father as he underwent treatment. Katrina, concerned about her father, observed the nurses take care of him. Katrina had plans to become an orthodontist, however, after seeing the critical role that nurses play in our healthcare system, she deiced to become a nurse herself. "Nurses saved my father," Katrina states. She especially connected with one of Steve's nurses, Angie. It was Angie's actions that convinced Katrina to take up nursing. Mentorship is a powerful force. Though there are many influences in the onboarding of clinical staff in a healthcare institute, organizations must begin to tackle the onboarding process in a more proactive way. As the job market continues to be challenging for healthcare institutions to satisfy their need, these same institutions must take heed to current lackadaisical onboarding processes and take advantage of an intentional approach. By examining these four areas with relation to your current onboarding processes, you may be able to be in a better position to provide greater levels of organizational socialization thus achieving better odds in increasing retention, improving performance and overall employee satisfaction. Onboarding alone is not the answer. There are many factors that contribute to attrition and productivity. It is for that reason that Cornerstone is conducting a four-part series focused on healthcare talent issues. We would love to have you attend the next session on on October 19th where we will be focusing in on engagement.  Interested? Here is the link to register and we look forward to seeing you there. Notes: 1 https://www.healthecareers.com/article/healthcare-news/staff-turnover 2 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/nursing-shortage/459741/ 3 http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capital-and-risk/how-5-health-systems-are-recruiting-retaining-nurses-during-an-rn-shortage.html 4 Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2010). Organizational socialization: The effective onboarding of new employees. In S. Zedeck, H. Aguinis, W. Cascio, M. Gelfand, K. Leung, S. Parker, & J. Zhou (Eds.). APA Handbook of I/O Psychology, Volume III, pp. 51-64. Washington, DC: APA Press 5 Cornerstone Client Story: Penn State Hershey Medical Center. (2015). Retrieved September 21, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1HsVpXoP4Y   Â

What State Governments Can Learn from the Cornhusker State

For state governments, striving to operate as “one employer” comes with a variety of challenges. To start, state agencies range in size, geographic spread and mission, and they tend to operate in isolation from one another. When it comes to managing, engaging and training state workers, frequently there are as many methods used as there are state agencies. With 17,000 employees across 80 divergent agencies, this story rings true for the State of Nebraska—and in 2010, the State set out to unify its workforce management efforts, turning to Cornerstone OnDemand’s integrated talent management solution to support its initiatives. We recently sat down with the team at the State to discuss their progress and explore the benefits realized since undertaking their transformation. When speaking to state governments across the country, I am regularly asked what states like Nebraska did to make their talent management efforts successful. What best practices should they take away from these successes when changing or reviving their own talent management projects? Several factors make Nebraska’s initiatives successful. Understand your talent The State of Nebraska’s talent team thought beyond individual agencies to understand the skills and abilities of its entire workforce – both what skills employees possessed, and where training was needed. Looking at the entire talent pool across 80 agencies helped the State to align and consolidate training, development and succession planning efforts statewide. As a result, the State was able to create consistent methods of employee evaluation, measurement and training – something that transcends agencies, administrations and changing elected leadership. Engage the workforce The State of Nebraska didn’t settle for the commonly held perception that state government jobs rarely provide exciting, upwardly mobile and career-building opportunities. Taking matters into their own hands, the talent management team challenged this assumption and demonstrated to employees that the state is committed to providing the tools and training to let employees grow and develop their skills, obtain increasing levels of responsibility, and pursue leadership positions. Involving employees in discussions around their development led to a more productive and engaged workforce committed to growing their careers with the State. Develop careers – beyond the agency Nebraska’s agencies were siloed and operated independent of other departments within the State, and as a result, their employees—especially in the smaller agencies—often embraced a limited perspective on their job opportunities, focusing only on the narrow career progression path within the confines of their current team. With its increased focus on the whole talent picture, Nebraska is leveraging its talent management programs to help its workforce embrace a different kind of path – one where employees can move across agencies as they build their careers, learn new skills and take on increasing leadership responsibilities. This approach helps motivate employees, improves retention and a commitment to a government career, and provides a vehicle for ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right roles. Federal, state and local governments are well aware that they need to improve how they recruit, engage and retain employees. Like the State of Nebraska, governments that embrace creative ways to approach their workforce and talent management activities will see a transformation among employees that lets them not only meet the requirements of today, but also prepare to address the emerging needs for tomorrow.

What you have to know before choosing an LMS

What you have to know before choosing an LMS. Presented by Craig Weiss, CEO and Lead Analyst, Craig Weiss Group and FindAnLMS.

5 skills all leaders need in times of transition

How to improve learning impact in your organization

In the summer of 2020, we surveyed HR and Learning professionals in businesses in small and medium businesses across the US and Canada about the current state of learning within their organization and the results are in! Cornerstone’s Brett Wilson examines the survey results and explores what we can learn from the answers, and the steps to take moving forward. Watch this webinar and you’ll learn: Current trends in learning strategy for small and medium businesses Critical factors influencing learning effectiveness The 4-stage learning maturity model Actionable recommendations to improve learning impact in your organization

There's No Such Thing as a Natural Born Leader

There’s a common misconception that being in a leadership role within an organization automatically makes someone an effective leader. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. That being said, there are some people in this world who, based on their natural charisma and infectious go-getter attitudes, can play the role of “leader” and exude influence in ways that many people could only dream of doing on their own. But there’s a good chance that those skills, even as effortless as they may seem on the surface, took a little time to master as well. That’s why I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as a natural born leader. Sure, leadership may come easier to some people than others, but even those people need to fine tune their skills every now and then. In this way, you could say that leadership is not a “one-and-done” acquired skill; it’s something that people need to learn and constantly work on. So, when you’re faced with the important decision of either hiring or promoting into leadership roles within your company, what criteria do you use to make the right choice? There’s always room for growth Let’s take a look at another common misconception worth busting: just because someone has held leadership positions in the past makes them the best candidate for future leadership positions. Again, this couldn’t be any further from the truth. There are actually a lot of people who have landed in leadership positions haphazardly and, without the proper training and coaching, have had to navigate those waters on their own. This leaves a lot up to chance; some are successful at embracing the new challenge with open arms while others crack under pressure and eventually crash and burn. Some people just aren’t cracked out to be leaders—and that’s ok. They can bring a tremendous amount of value in a lot of other ways, so instead of bogging them down with leadership responsibilities, give them a runway to do what they do best. Not only will they be happier doing that work, but giving those people the right focus will also benefit your organization in the long run. It’s a win-win. Similarly, there are a lot of people who have incredible potential to be amazing leaders but just haven’t yet had the opportunity to flex their leadership muscles. These are the people you really need to focus on. With the right training and support—along with a genuine desire to lead teams and companies to success—these people can be worth their weight in gold. Not to mention, these are also likely the people who won’t shy away from learning new skills and then actually apply those skills in their day-to-day. Spotting these diamonds in the rough isn’t always easy. However, once you’ve found them, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure they succeed in their newfound leadership role: 1. Be open to unconventional career paths This may sound like heresy, but a job description is merely a job description. Very rarely will you find a candidate that ticks all the boxes—and even if you do, they may not be the right cultural fit for your team or organization. In a similar way, experience is just experience. When assessing candidates for leadership roles, spend less time focusing on what’s on paper and take the time to learn more about the “impact” that those candidates made in those roles. Because roles and responsibilities can vary significantly from one company to another, a big VP-level title in a resume may be nothing more than the result of a long-tenured employee receiving a series of promotions, without ever getting a change in responsibilities or even a team to oversee. That’s why, when pinpointing future leaders within your organization, it’s important to consider new hires—or even current employees—who may not necessarily fit the bill on paper but, rather, bring broad experience, unique insights, and an eagerness to grow to the table. 2. Leadership skills and role-based skills are two entirely different things It’s important to remember that leadership skills are learned just like any other skills. Just because someone has been a top performer in their current role doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready for the challenges of being a leader. Succeeding at the role-based level is just that: mastering the skills to do a specific job well. Although they are certainly role-based skills involved with leadership positions, there’s an entire layer of human-, interpersonal-, and communication-based skills that rarely see the light of day in a job description. In other words, just because your top salesperson keeps beating goals every quarter doesn’t mean that the same person is ready to lead a team. How this person succeeds at the individual contributor level is vastly different from the challenges they will face as a leader. Try not to confuse the two. 3. Leadership is a continuous learning process Even if someone has a tremendous amount of potential, just throwing them into a leadership role without any guidance is a recipe for disaster. You can’t expect anyone, even those people who have held leadership positions in the past, to rise to the occasion when faced with new teams, new responsibilities, and new challenges. That’s why it’s important to build learning and development into every leader’s growth plan, especially knowing that leadership is more nurture and less nature. So, if you’re in charge of developing the leaders within your organization, as an HR professional, take the time to create a leadership development skills “playlist” and make continuous learning mandatory for anyone hired or promoted into your company’s leadership ranks. 4. Don’t forget about soft skills Because leadership is interpersonal in nature, it’s important to help your leaders develop skills beyond their day-to-day roles and responsibilities alone. Qualities like empathy, adaptability, communication, crisis management, ability to inspire, and more are skills that can set apart a successful leader from one who makes little impact. Although many people at this level may feel that learning soft skills may be “overkill” or unnecessary at this stage in their career, it’s important to reinforce that these skills, like leadership in general, are not “one and done.” They must be practiced, refined, and perfected over time. And when they take the time to do this, they’ll see that their more “human” side of leadership will start to shine through. Remember, leadership is learned Unless you missed the point along the way, let’s reiterate here again out of good measure: leadership is not something you’re born with, it’s something you learn. A big part of this requires companies to proactively implement learning and development programs to ensure that leaders not only succeed in the role-based tasks but also continue to build the necessary skills to ensure that they constantly motivate, inspire, and encourage their teams to be as successful as they can be. And since being a dynamic leader isn’t a skill most of us are naturally born with, it’s important for HR teams to implement comprehensive learning and development programs to ensure that any people hired or promoted into leadership roles can thrive at all times. Platforms like Cornerstone Learning can help you take the guesswork out of developing your company’s next generation of leaders. And as always, if you don’t know where to start, the team at Cornerstone is ready to help you take your learning and development program to the next level. 

The 3 Risks of Crowdsourcing — And How to Avoid Them

The beauty of crowdsourcing is that you can now have access to thousands of talented individuals who can do work faster and at a lower cost. It's a new form of employing talent that has created unprecedented opportunities for both businesses and individuals. With these benefits, of course, come a few risks. As a new and non-traditional way of "employment", it's important to understand the challenges of crowdsourcing before jumping at the opportunity to integrate into your workforce. Here, I explore three typical risks with crowdsourcing, and how your leadership team can ensure that your company and the crowd both benefit from working together. Risk #1: Receiving Low-quality Work Whether you use crowdsourcing for development, design, content creation or some other type of work, you are putting your faith in people that you don't know, with unfamiliar backgrounds and skills. Unlike when you're hiring full-time candidates, you don't have the time or resources to screen all of the crowd's qualifications — even if you wanted to. So, how do you ensure quality work? Find a high-reputation partner in the crowdsourcing industry who manages the individuals in their crowd and their quality of work. When selecting a crowdsourcing partner, the most important thing is to ensure they have a strong relationship with their crowd members and a process for measuring quality. At Appirio, for example, the people in our crowd are incentivized to create the best (winning) outcome for your business since projects are competition-based. The best result wins — and since you only pay for the result, quality is a given. Risk #2: Turbulence in Your Business According to research by Dr. Michael Gebert, Founding Member of the Crowd Mentor Network, one of the biggest risks that companies face when using crowdsourcing is "turbulence risk" — a concept he describes as "the risk of engaging in the unknown in an environment where risk-taking is not necessarily encouraged." In other words, your full-time team might have some big questions — and hesitations — about the idea. If individuals and leaders in your organization aren't fully committed to crowdsourcing, it's hard to implement successfully. To discover if your organization is ready for crowdsourcing, consider the 3 C's: capability, capacity and calendar. Determine which parts of the project your internal teams are capable of tackling, and which parts they aren't. For the internal folks that are capable of working on things, make sure they have the capacity to do it. (You don't want to pull them away from critical work that they're already doing.) And finally, take a look at the calendar to outline your timeline for the project and decide if it makes sense to expedite some (or all) of the project with crowdsourcing. And, of course, make sure to communicate the benefit of crowdsourcing to your team — it should be a welcome help, not a threat, to their work. Risk #3: Intellectual Property Right Infringement When using crowdsourcing, individuals from outside your company will have a certain level of access to things like software source code, web content and other intellectual property, which can be cause for concern in organizations that like to keep such property close to their corporate chests. With new technologies and ways of doing business being created much faster than new laws, it's understandable that organizations may be unclear about how to best protect themselves. In order to ensure your data and work are safe, make sure the crowdsourcing partner you choose doesn't provide their members with access to real data sets. The data used should be obfuscated or the domain information should be stripped away, leaving only the information necessary for the crowd members to complete their portion of the work. And remember, a disgruntled employee is just as likely (probably more so) to steal your intellectual property as an outsourced partner. The most important thing is to have a plan of action to monitor improper use and act when necessary. While there are risks with crowdsourcing, they are certainly avoidable — and the potential benefits are worth the preparation and research you need to do. If you find the right partner, communicate with full-time employees and take the property security precautions, crowdsourcing can vastly improve the quality, scalability and creativity of your organization's work. Interested in more crowdsourcing content? Look out for upcoming posts from our partners at Appirio. Photo: Creative Commons

How to Meet the Needs of HR Customers (All 6 Types of Them)

Here's a telling question: Do you believe HR is more than just a cost center? In order to transform HR into a strategic arm of an organization, executives and HR leaders alike need to see talent management as part of the business strategy, not just an overhead department. And like most businesses, we in HR need to understand how to serve our customers in order to thrive — which means putting the customers' needs before compliance. But whom do I mean by HR's "customers"? At first thought, employees and company leaders likely come to mind. However, if you take a hard look at the organizational universe, I think you’ll find that our list of customers is much bigger. This is important, because in order to focus on meeting our customers' needs, we need to be clear about what defines a customer and what his or her needs are, exactly. This may all sound like semantics, but bear with me — after carefully exploring our broad customer base, I think you'll understand why each type of customer is important and the value that HR can provide to them. 1) The Organization If you take a 30,000-foot view of employees and leaders, the organization's needs are not necessarily the sum of its parts. The organization looks to HR to ensure a highly skilled and productive workforce. This means that every organization-wide program we sponsor should aim to achieve that goal. Programs or processes that are simply risk avoidance and create busy-work rather than drive performance are not valuable to the organization. 2) The Executive Leadership The executive leadership team sets the vision for the organization — a moral compass that guides decision-making, the process of accountability and, overall, the culture of the organization. Culture cannot exist separately of the larger employee base, and HR is the only unit in an organization, besides the CEO, that has a broad and deep view of the people — what they do, how they feel and how they perform. In order to align culture and business systems, HR should provide information about the workforce to the executive team and collaborate with them as a trusted advisor. 3) The Managers I use the term "manager" somewhat differently than "leader." Anyone can lead; people don't need a formal role to do so. A manager, however, is someone entrusted by the organization to develop talent and drive performance through a productive workforce. It is a role that carries a heavy burden, with overwhelming tasks to accomplish and a demanding schedule. Most of time, managers will see HR programs as just more busy-work. Myriad "programs" like performance management, engagement surveys, succession planning and salary reviews that each have different criteria and processes are too cumbersome to be helpful for managers. The most important thing for HR is that leaders have meaningful conversations with their employees. So, in order to serve this type of customer, HR should focus on providing tools and resources to ensure that everything the managers are assigned helps drives performance. If you can find a way to make managers' jobs easier by streamlining or consolidating their work, I suspect that would be like Nirvana for most of them. 4) The Organization's Customers Don't forget about your business' actual customers — yes, they count as your customers, too. Every organization is designed to ultimately serve a customer, so it makes sense that those customers benefit from a workforce that is skilled, efficient and trustworthy. 5) The Shareholders Like customers, the shareholders benefit from the work of the people; the more productive the workforce, the better the return for investors. 6) The Community In our connected and global society, organizations are a major part of a thriving economy and community. HR has the chance to give back to the community by developing a skilled workforce that can learn and grow. For example, an up-and-coming leader can learn so much by volunteering for a local non-profit board. Why not make such opportunities part of your talent development program — a benefit to the individuals, the organization and the community? Keeping Customers Front of Mind Nice big list of customers, isn't it? In order to bring value to each group, HR leaders must understand each customer's needs and how to address them. Of course, that doesn't mean giving them everything they want, but it does mean considering what will make their jobs easier and more productive. To start, ask yourself how many managers in your organization today would say your performance management program drives performance and productivity for business results? Why would any dissent? The answer to those two questions could very well be the first step to changing the reputation of your team and bringing strategic value to HR. Photo: Creative Commons

Why Your Job Descriptions Should Tell a Story

Just as branding — both personal and professional — is essential to marketing or sales, it's increasingly crucial for HR. Job candidates have understood the power of personal branding for quite some time — the key to landing a dream job is to craft a concise, first-person narrative about who you are and the value you represent to potential employers. For recruiters and hiring managers, tired beyond belief of bland, hackneyed descriptions of "results-driven, self-motivated team players," it's a welcome relief to read about actual people, not automatons. Now, flip the equation. With relatively low unemployment rates at 5 percent, employers also need to craft a compelling brand in order to attract the most qualified candidates. What more obvious place to craft your employer narrative than through your job descriptions? How to Tell a Brand Story to Candidates A job posting should focus on convincing a talented candidate that he or she belongs at your company. Just as a great resume speaks directly to the hiring manager's needs and shares a unique story, a great job posting should speak to the needs of the candidate's ideal employer and offer a narrative for his or her "character." How do you tell a unique story with a job description? Let's walk through a recent job posting from First Round Review, the online magazine of venture capital firm First Round Capital. 1) Lead with a non-stock photo image The image at the top of the post — a woman on an indoor swing in an art studio — lets interested candidates understand that this is not a buttoned-up, corporate type of job; the company obviously wants to attract creative, daring people. 2) State the company's mission Candidates immediately get a sense of the employer brand through the image, and a succinct, strong description of the employer confirms the bold brand: "We launched First Round Review to offer a better brand of advice to the startup ecosystem." A link back to the employer's site invites candidates to explore how the Review's mission aligns with the broader vision of First Round Capital and its clients. 3) Invite the candidate to join the adventure Immediately following the Review's mission, the post states, "That's where you come in." That's right — the posting speaks directly to the candidate, just as candidates should speak directly to the hiring manager through a resume or cover letter. 4) Craft a character Instead of writing up a laundry list of skills, the Review's posting focuses on character traits: Phrases like "You call yourself a writer first;" "You're curious about people;" and "Tech fascinates you" indicate certain skill sets, but put them in an individual, relatable context. By focusing on such character traits, First Round Review attracts potential hires that may not have every specific skill desired, but certainly have the right interests, approach and personality. 5) Start a conversation, not an application First Round does have a senior HR executive, one whose strategy seems to empower managers to determine whom they want to interview. Nowhere does the posting instruct candidates to "upload your resume and cover letter." Instead, a link to the manager's email encourages applicants to "talk" to her directly. Terrific! A company that eschews ATS software in favor of an actual human who can identify candidates based not only on their resume, but also on what she intuits. The New Standard for Job Descriptions HR professionals have developed a comfort zone with old-style job descriptions that are completely out of sync with the contemporary world of work. Continue posting jobs this way, and I predict that the quality of your candidates will quickly match your behind-the-times recruitment strategy. I can hear the protests already from companies that require highly specific skills and consider the example I've provided above too "warm and fuzzy" for their culture. But the point is not to copy the exact language above; it's to clearly communicate your company brand and tell a story about the person you're hoping to find. Think about it this way: When buyers shop for a house, realtors encourage them to envision themselves living there. The specs on square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms matter, of course, but the buyer also needs to believe the specs that make up that house could be a home. The same thing applies to your company's potential talent pool — your job description should invite the candidate to not only imagine working at your company, but belonging there. Photo: Creative Commons

Why Rotating Employees Through Your Company Is a Win-Win

The days of employees spending decades at a company -- and receiving a gold watch in gratitude -- are long gone. Workers today are constantly on the move, a fact of life that will only accelerate as job growth picks up. But the turnover poses particular challenges for companies looking to hold onto their best and brightest. In response, innovative companies are embracing a promising new retention strategy: employee rotation. Instead of locking workers into a single job category with a specific career trajectory, companies are moving workers through a variety of positions within departments or teams. Job rotation is seen as a way to motivate key employees, broaden their skill sets and, most important, hold onto them. It also gives employers the comfort of knowing there's someone who can quickly fill an ailing or departing coworker's shoes. "I can't think of a single industry that wouldn't benefit from job rotation," says Susan Heathfield, a human resources consultant who's been in the business for 30 years. "It helps employees spread their wings and extend their boundaries" and, she says, it helps employers engage and motivate their staff. The Payoff for You and Your Staff So where to start? First, recognize that employee rotation programs should be implemented with careful consideration. Every company should establish clear guidelines with each internal team so employees know what the rotation will entail and managers have a set of of best practices. Otherwise, the rotation will fall apart as employees wander from job to job without clear guidance or oversight. Have a purpose, have a plan and have a way to measure if the rotation is successful, Heathfield said. The programs can often be costly in terms of time spent training workers for their new jobs, she says, but the benefits can far outweigh the expense. Take, for instance, human resources. In a large company, an employee who typically handles employee health insurance can be shifted into a position that tends to job referrals. "So many employees come to human resources for a multitude of reasons and it makes more sense if their questions can all be answered by their first point of contact," explained Heathfield. "I want everyone in HR cross-trained so that you can serve employees immediately." The same logic applies to sales teams. Since sales hinge on relationships, it's crucial for everyone on the team to be familiar with one another's clients. "Normally people have dedicated customers, but having someone else available if the (primary point of contact) is out to serve your customers is key," Heathfield said. Sales folks are always reticent to share their clients, but will if given the right incentives. A Motivated Worker Is a Happy Worker It happens -- a lot. You have a valued employee whose skills have grown beyond her current duties and, yet, a promotion isn't an option. In any organization -- flat or hierarchical -- the opportunities to move up the ladder get smaller the higher up you go, notes Heathfield. Then, too, the employee may not want a promotion to the next rung. She'd rather stay an individual contributor than move into management. For these folks, job rotation can be a key retention strategy to keep them within your company. Whether an employee wants to be promoted or not, job rotation improves their skills and gives them a broader understanding of the inner workings of a company. Sometimes, a valued employee's career path isn't the right one for her. But that doesn't mean she needs to pack up and leave. Quite the opposite. Too often we follow the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and are happy to have employees do what they've shown they can do best. But a lot of workers might be happier facing different challenges and learning new skills. The Society of Human Resources Management reports that self-growth and career development are among the top five most important considerations for workers. If employees don't feel like they're growing, they'll head for the exits, warns Heathfield. So if you've got a great employee who has expressed interest in trying out new roles within your company, work with them to create a job rotation plan or test phase -- it could be the difference between losing a stellar employee and helping them find a new passion that, in the end, bolsters your bottom line. It’s important for companies to make sure that employees are always motivated, engaged in their work, and progressing in their careers. Click here to learn more about how business and HR leaders can do this remotely, according to HR expert Suzanne Lucas. Photo credit: Can Stock

Mastering the Art of the Self-Assessment

If you need to do a performance review, chances are you also need to write a self-assessment. While it might be tempting to brush it off – after all, that’s precious time you could spend on your actual work – here’s a couple of pretty compelling reasons why you should make the effort: Your boss might not have all the facts It’s unlikely your managers are keeping a list of all your accomplishments throughout the year. Even worse, they may only remember that one project that went horribly wrong, but not how you managed to save it. Ultimately, the person with the most knowledge of what you do at work is you. Self-assessments give you the chance to leverage that first-hand knowledge when it really counts. You and your boss might not be on the same page In a perfect world, your goals and objectives will be crystal clear, signed off well ahead of time, and regularly discussed with your manager. In the real world, it’s a good idea to record what you thought you were supposed to do and what you actually accomplished. This will help keep your review on track, and provide that all-important context for your conversation. It's all in the approach Don’t be modest, vague or overly inventive. If you accomplish something great, make sure you mention it, and make sure you can back yourself up (hard facts and figures are really hard to dispute). Acknowledge any failures. People have a really good memory for things that go wrong, so if you screwed something up, acknowledge it. Then explain what you did/or plan to do to fix it and what you will do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Everyone has to deal with a failure at some point in their career, but it’s how you handle and learn from those failures that demonstrates professional growth to your manager and peers. Look to the future and suggest development opportunities. This demonstrates your desire to grow and is an opportunity for you to develop your skills in the areas of your choosing. This is an opportunity, take advantage of it. If your manager doesn’t take the time to do a thorough review, at least your perspective will be part of the permanent record. And this is a really good time to remind your manager of all the good things you’ve done throughout the year. Let your peers to the talking. If you can, take advantage of peer feedback. Every time someone sends you an email thanking you for your exceptional work and contribution, save it and include it with your self-assessment. Peer confirmation of your achievements is a powerful tool – it’d be a shame not to use it...

Why Talent Management Makes Sense for Healthcare Organizations

The healthcare industry is certainly no stranger to changing compliance and competency requirements, but the latest shifts are changing the game as we know it for healthcare organizations concerned with providing top patient care. New regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act give patients more opportunity to decide the fate of a healthcare organization’s financial wellbeing. Now, high scores in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient surveys result in higher government reimbursements to healthcare organizations, giving patients a significant ability to affect a provider’s profitability. Given that most healthcare firms are experiencing talent shortages in areas such as nursing and IT, it’s essential for these organizations to provide ongoing training and development to their staff to ensure they are able to drive retention and provide a positive, compliant experience for their patients. Why Talent Management? Key to helping healthcare organizations keep pace and still provide a top-notch patient experience is an agile, focused and aligned employee experience that meets generational expectations. With an agile talent management infrastructure in place, healthcare organizations can respond more quickly and cost-effectively to shifts in compliance and validation standards, talent loss or shortage, and overall, gain better insights around how to best develop staff to drive quality patient care and employee retention. Creating an Aligned Employee Experience Several of our healthcare clients, such as Mount Sinai Hospital, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Sanford Health and WellSpan Health, are bringing talent initiatives to the forefront of their strategy in order to remain competitive amid rapid industry shifts. Other success stories include: · Carilion Clinic is a nonprofit healthcare organization that serves nearly 1 million patients. A client since 2008, Carilion uses Cornerstone’s integrated system to assess performance, and identify and address training gaps for 11,000 employees with role-specific content. In addition to cost savings, increased efficiencies, and improved compliance and talent enablement, Carilion also worked directly with our product team to help develop Observation Checklist, a unique solution within the Cornerstone suite that allows users to assess and record and employee’s skills and competencies while directly observing specific activities in the field. Read more about their story here. · Cadence Health, a unified health system that serves Chicago’s western suburbs and the surrounding region, strives to the region’s most innovative health system and provide an exceptional career experience for its employees. The organization implemented the Cornerstone Performance Cloud in 2012 in an effort to address staffing and leadership challenges. Using the system, Cadence is helping its employees develop careers and opportunities that align their professional goals with the goal of the health system, which is to provide exceptional patient experiences. Since implementing the system, Cadence Health administrators are now 99 percent compliant with their 6,700 performance assessments, and over 18,000 FY13 goals (both team and individual) have been created in the system. Read more about their story here. · BJC HealthCare is another great example of a firm using talent management to drive business impact and cost savings. As one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations in the United States, BJC uses Cornerstone to identify and assign training to more than 26,000 employees, ensuring superior patient care, safety and compliance. Creating a centralized learning resource for BJC’s employees helps the organization save $800,000 annually as well as drive consistent patient experiences during nursing staff changes and migrations across locations. Read more about their story here. We also recently started working with UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest healthcare system in Central and Western Massachusetts and a clinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The organization is implementing Cornerstone’s Learning Cloud and Performance Cloud in an effort to streamline its performance and development processes and enable its more than 13,500 employees to focus on providing best-in-class patient care. To read more about how Cornerstone is helping healthcare organizations drive top-notch patient care, visit www.cornerstoneondemand.com/global-business/industries/commercial/healthcare. Want to find out what your healthcare organization needs most when it comes to talent management? Take our 2-minute quiz and discover your talent management prescription.

Why You Need an Alternative to the Management Career Path

This article was originally published under Jeff Miller’s column "The Science of Workplace Motivation" on Inc.com. During one of my first corporate learning roles, a senior executive at our company approached me about the most talented developer in the organization. The employee in question was in line for a promotion that required managing a large team, and the executive asked if I could put together a management training to help him get to the next level. Easy enough, I thought -- until we sat down for our first meeting. As I asked the developer questions about his role, aspirations and concerns, I started to sense some hesitation. And that's when I asked a simple question that I've realized all too often gets ignored. "Do you want to be manager?" He hesitated, and then said, "Not really." He was one of the top employees at the company, and since our conversation, I've spent a lot of time thinking about the role management should play in the modern workplace. Because the truth is, if you want to cultivate a culture of great management at your organization, then you also need to make it optional. Questioning the Ladder to Management A couple years ago, New York Times columnist Arthur C. Brooks observed a similar phenomenon to my encounter with our company's top developer. "People generally have a 'bliss zone,' a window of creative work and responsibility to match their skills and passions," he writes. "But then the problems start. Those who love being part of teams and creative processes are promoted to management." Writers become editors. Players become coaches. Professors become deans. And then they all spend a lot of time reminiscing about when they were able to write, play or teach. As Brooks writes, "Why don't people stop rising when they're happy?... We incorrectly infer that promotions will equal greater satisfaction." I'll take his question one step further. Why do we limit "rising" to mean rising to management? The developer at my company wasn't alone. In fact, most American workers don't want to manage people. A CareerBuilder survey found that a mere 34 percent of workers aspire to leadership positions. Why? The majority (52 percent) are simply satisfied in their current positions. What's more, many people who are already in management positions would rather be doing something else. In Managing for People Who Hate Managing , publisher Berrett-Koehler found that only 43 percent of managers are comfortable in their jobs, and less than one in three (32 percent) enjoy managing. Offer Option B You've probably heard the saying, "People leave managers, not companies." And it's no surprise. If a large portion of managers are disengaged, their employees will be disengaged, too. A Gallup study revealed that one in two people have left their jobs to get away from a manager at some point in their careers. If we were more discerning about who we promoted to management, and how we structured team hierarchies, I imagine this statistic would go down significantly. And this doesn't mean you can't promote talented people. There are many ways people can remain influential individual contributors at an organization and continue to hone their expertise. For example, they can act as one-on-one mentors, they can offer training to new employees, they can lead internal committees or they can become "fellows" at your company dedicated to researching their respective fields. If you consider management as its own unique set of skills outside of the general role description, you'll not only increase engagement but you'll also directly impact the bottom line. Gallup found companies that hire managers based on talent realize a 30 percent increase in employee engagement score, a 48 percent increase in profitability, a 22 percent increase in productivity and a 19 percent decrease in turnover. Ask Why First If an employee is thriving in their current role, how do you know if they would make a great manager, too? In my mind, strong managers share one foundational quality: They inherently put people first. A great manager is humble -- they're willing to take the blame and pass the credit. They're able to set clear goals, and create an environment where people hold themselves accountable (instead of one where the manager has to hold them accountable). They're resilient when projects get derailed and turn to problem-solving, not complaining. They build cultures of trust where communication, open dialogue and transparency reign. And last but not least, they motivate people to achieve their full potential. But most importantly, they want to be managers. So before you go down a rabbit hole analyzing your top performers' management skills, ask them a simple question -- "Why do you want to be a manager?" -- and hope for a simple answer: "I want to make the people on my team better every day." Photo: Creative Commons

5 Reasons HR Needs a Seat in the C-Suite

As Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group, said, "a company's employees are its greatest asset." Branson is one of a growing cohort of leaders who understand that a company is no greater than the talent it employs. And who owns responsibility for managing the needs of corporate talent? Human resources, of course — a department that rarely has influence in the C-Suite. Corporate culture is transmitted from the top down, so a culture that values its people first needs HR in the C-Suite. Here, five reasons a CHRO is invaluable when it comes managing a company's greatest asset — its people — and their contribution to its success. Forging Career Paths from Within Succession planning — a strategic move that's often overlooked by senior management until a crisis arises — is one of the most important reasons to hire a CHRO. In order to attract and retain top talent, companies should foster a culture of growth, demonstrating through its actions that open positions are first sourced internally. In order to do that, a company needs a CHRO to not only develop a succession plan, but also monitor its progress by identifying promotable talent and cross-training opportunities. Restructuring Stale Performance Models Performance assessment is another contentious issue, particularly because of its close tie to compensation. A CHRO who understands the unique culture and requirements of the company can develop a balanced performance and compensation dynamic. Of course, this may involve shaking things up and ruffling a few feathers. When I worked at a SaaS company, its HR policies were as outdated as its technology product was innovative. I designed an interactive performance assessment to replace the "old economy" prescriptive one. In the new version, employees provided feedback on how well their managers helped them achieve goals just as their managers provided feedback on employee performance. Senior management initially derided the idea, but when I convinced them to try it for one year, the level of employee engagement rose and satisfaction increased. Engaging Your Greatest Asset Employee engagement is critical to your employer brand, and your employer brand is critical for hiring the best talent. Employee engagement, in fact, may be the most important talent strategy for companies to adopt — nearly every HR initiative can trace back to increasing engagement. CHROs are instrumental in promoting engagement, which provides the added benefit of profiling your company's talent pool and creating a more sustainable enterprise. When employees are fully engaged, two great things happen: their contributions are more readily recognized by senior management, and they become invested in the company's success as well as their own personal achievements. According to a 2011 study, raising low engagement by 10 percent in a company of just 10,000 employees can create a $24 million impact on the bottom line. Increasing Bottom-Line Results HR is rarely valued for its thought leadership — instead, most companies hire a senior HR professional to report to the COO or the CFO, trivializing the profession into a function rather than an overarching discipline integral to incubating corporate success. But big data supports the business case for the importance of having a CHRO. A 2011 study revealed that when companies include strategic HR within their other operations, they experience nearly 40 percent lower turnover, 38 percent higher employee engagement and more than twice the revenue per employee than companies who view HR as a primarily transactional function. Making the C-Suite a Cohesive Unit Throughout my career, I've worked for CEOs who initially viewed HR as a necessary, but non-revenue producing function limited to personnel management — in other words, not particularly valuable. Some soon came to recognize the need for a CHRO to provide strategic direction alongside the CFO, COO and CMO. One CEO, however, memorably invited me to the C-Suite only once — and that was to discuss the annual holiday party. CHROs belong in the C-Suite not only to manage a company's critical asset, but also to make the C-Suite team more effective. They help focus the team as a cohesive unit and by doing so, support the CEO's mission. I predict the most forward-thinking CEOs will soon start planning to bring a CHRO onboard, if they haven't already. To learn more about the role that HR should play in the C-Suite, read Cornerstone's ebook, How HR can Help Executives Get the Big Picture: Becoming a Strategic Partner to the C-Suite. Photo: Shutterstock

Forget HR Best Practices—You Need Customer Feedback

Any good business needs customer feedback. HR is a business, and the leaders and employees are our customers—but as I've highlighted in previous posts, we usually don't think of them as such. As a result, HR rarely gets the feedback we need to thrive. Leaders and employees are users of our products and services, and they're the ones who can tell us whether products are easy to use and whether services are adding value. Their feedback is how we know whether the cost of products and services measure up to the buyer's satisfaction. Facing the Lack of Feedback in HR But as HR practitioners, we get complacent about understanding our customers' needs. We hide behind the litigious regulatory environment with a false sense of security that we can and should mandate work to our organizations to avoid putting the organization at risk. We assign tasks: "Hold meaningful conversations with your employees," "Measure employee performance to make sure they're accountable," and "Develop their skills for growth." While our customers generally can't fire us, they can grown and complain—and do a mediocre job with tasks that, in reality, are critically important to the success of the business. No organization can afford to simply pay lip service to such important work. We have to think of the employees and leaders of our organization as our customers if we want them to take this important work seriously. Alleviating the "Busy-Work" of Leadership There is another reason to focus on our customers: Today's leaders could easily begin to buckle under the weight of all of the work required of anyone in a management position. When a leader is too busy to lead, we have lost our ability to be competitive as an organization. Anything a leader does should have a clear and defined positive business impact, or else it will seem like busy-work (and fall to the bottom of their to-do list). Let me give you an example. Because we're HR leaders, we know the organization needs a performance management program, so we source a vendor to build a program that is both cutting edge and affordable. We design it, train it, wrestle with leaders who don't want to do it and then spend our time chasing down completed evaluations. Let's switch it up. Start with the business premise: Improved performance will improve the bottom line. We engage leadership in a dialogue about what improvements in performance could/would have the biggest impact on the bottom line. We then agree on 2-3 outcomes, and design a simple process to meet that specific need. We help leaders decide the consequences they would impose for not completing the simple process, and we partner with the Finance department to measure results. At the end of the first phase, we ask for customer feedback, and share quantitative results and qualitative ideas about how well the jointly designed process worked, and make adjustments based on the results. Stepping Up to the Proverbial Table This approach takes courage; it is not for the faint hearted. It means stepping up and saying "HR can make a difference, but this is what we need from you." It means letting go of "best practice," in favor of mutually designing something that works. Your leaders may not want to participate, but remind them that it's an opportunity to discuss the time and resources they are willing to commit to improve human performance in the organization. If we, in HR, shift our thinking to act like a business selling services that needs customer feedback, our business processes will dramatically improve. We will: Have clearly defined products and services, and know the cost of each to produce; Work hard to understand the customers' stated needs, but also listen for needs that might not be easily expressed; Develop a sales and marketing proposal to educate the customer on how our product/service could impact their business results; Listen carefully to the customer feedback and adjust accordingly and; Build trusting relationships based on mutual benefits. Take a step in this direction. Ask some trusted operational leaders about your HR processes and programs. If they LOVE 'em, great. If they don't, you now have a tremendous opportunity to step in, step up and really make a difference. Photo: Shutterstock

Management Is About Emotional Connections—Not Rules

Once upon a time, the threat of job loss or a pay cut from upper management was all it took to influence employees and keep them on the straight-and-narrow. Today, however, the employee-manager relationship depends more on collaboration than it does on top-down ruling. Person-to-person, emotional connections are essential for engaging and inspiring employees in today’s workplace, says workplace coach Jay Forte. Some see this new management tactic as a fancy way to describe "handholding," but Forte argues to the contrary. "Actually building a personal connection with employees is one of the most significant ways managers can activate performance and inspire loyalty," he writes on Human Capitalist. How should managers add a higher level of emotional intelligence to their employee relationships? Make the effort to understand each employee and share information that will help improve performance. He offers a sample letter for managers to send to their employees, asking them to keep improving not only in their day-to-day tasks, but also as people. The letter encourages them to improve: their work, their contact with customers, their workplace culture, their communities, the planet and finally, themselves. "Do more than just manage your talent: Engage and inspire it," Forte says. Want to connect with your employees and raise their personal standards? Read the full letter on Human Capitalist.

Organizational Change is Constant: Here's How to Get Good At It

This article was originally published under Jeff Miller's column "The Science of Workplace Motivation" on Inc.com. The pace of change in business today is accelerating—fueled in large part by the disruption that new technologies bring. And research from McKinsey shows that companies are struggling to keep up. For leaders, that means taking a closer look at the way you manage change from start to finish. Whether the change comes in the form of a new software system, a merger or acquisition, or even just a small shift in process, how can you ensure your approach will lead to business success? In my experience, the challenge is often that leadership doesn't see the change process all the way through. I've written recently about Ann Salerno's six stages of change, and how effectively leading your team through the first four stages (loss, anger, doubt, discovery) will help everyone become productive again. But stopping there is a mistake. Stages five and six, "understanding" and "integration," require leadership to reflect on the change process. By spending time to track outcomes and debrief, the entire organization will be better equipped to transition smoothly when change happens again (and again). Start by Tracking the Impact At Cornerstone, we recently launched a new worldwide manager training program. Where before the training had been more individualized, this new format emphasized group discussion among new managers. We organized trainees together into online cohorts (kind of like chatrooms), creating communities for them to share insights, ask questions and respond to topics provided by a facilitator. Once we had successfully implemented the new program, we entered stage five of the change process: understanding. In stage five, you can be pragmatic about change and start to understand its impact. That means gathering as a leadership team to discuss the short term and long term features of the change. For our team, one short term feature was using our product differently. In the long term, we were facilitating cross-cultural discussions around management. Make sure this discussion about features happens out loud—verbalization allows you to avoid assumptions--as an individual or even by the group as a whole. And use specific terms: "Did this new manager system accomplish our goals?" is too open-ended. Instead, asking, "Did we implement a system that will connect managers across offices?" helped ensure we were all having the same conversation. Celebrate Your Team This part is simple: Recognize the individuals involved in the change process for what they accomplished. Change is tough for most people; getting to stage five successfully is a major feat. It doesn't have to be a party, just an acknowledgment that their hard work didn't go unnoticed. It's an easy step that will mean a lot to your employees. Hold a Thoughtful Debrief Stage six of the change process is an opportunity to look back and debrief. It's best not to debrief with the entire company because voices will get lost. Instead, identify the people who might represent those voices and invite them to participate. For our debrief meeting, we gathered the team that implemented the cohort system. From there, review the goals you set at the beginning of the process and ask: Did we get the outcomes we wanted? What can we do better next time? What were the unanticipated outcomes? For example, we hadn't anticipated how quickly managers would make themselves vulnerable in these cohort discussions—and achieve some honest, positive communication as a result. Finally, encourage people to be introspective, too: What did I learn about myself through this change? What did I learn about others and how they handle change? The person on our team who led this change had never done anything like it before. In the debrief, he talked about how the experience had showed him it's okay to ask for help—and he'd get help if he asked for it. His confidence rose as a result of that debrief process. The next time he faces a change, he might be more open to it. Psychologists call this resilience: a person's ability to adapt well to difficult events that change their lives. By seeing these final stages of the change process through, you'll start to build resilience not only in individuals, but make it part of your company's DNA—and over time, you'll avoid the paralysis and upheaval change can often bring about in favor of efficiency and productivity. Photo: Creative Commons

3 Ways to Work Effectively with Freelancers

This is the third post in a series about how to thrive amid shifting workplace demographics. The U.S. freelance workforce is currently 53 million strong and growing fast, according to a recent report from the Freelancers Union and Elance-oDesk. In fact, freelancers make up 34 percent of our national workforce. As Sara Horowitz, executive director of the Freelancers Union, writes, "This is an economic shift on par with the industrial revolution." Some managers will groan at the thought of the increasing freelance population. They may think of freelance employees as difficult employees. But in fact, the growth of freelancing opens up just as many new opportunities for employers as it does for workers: The so-called "gig economy" can expand your talent pool, empower a mobile workforce and allow your company to finish projects faster. That's not to say managing freelancers is the same as managing full-time employees. Yet, effective HR teams and managers already have the skills to integrate freelance employees effectively; they just need to understand the common problems that occur when working with freelancers. Then your organization can put helpful protocols in place before things get tricky (and know how to handle the situation if things do go awry). Here, three common challenges companies face when working with freelancers and how to address them effectively. Challenge 1: Communication When it comes to freelancers, you are managing people who could be working at a desk, poolside or on an airplane. Clear and consistent communication between the freelancer and his or her manager is needed for this arrangement to work. If not, both parties will become frustrated and tasks that can be done quickly will end up being delayed. Follow the four tips below to avoid communication mishaps. Set email protocol in advance Schedule all checks-ins in advance Establish a system to recap meetings Track projects in an easy way for both you and your freelancer Challenge 2: Collaboration When bringing a freelancer onto a collaborative project with full-time employees, it's important to identify everyone's role on the team. If no one knows who is in charge, or who is handling the operational aspects, you'll not only have work fall through the cracks, but work being done twice — a waste of everyone's time. In addition, the entire team dynamic will crumble and the project will suffer. One of the most effective ways to ensure positive collaborative environments between freelance and full-time employees is by using a "GRPI" model, an approach to team development created by the Systemic Excellence Group: Goals: Managers need to make sure that all members of the team, whether working in-house or freelance, know the end goal for their work. Roles: All workers need to know the role they play on the team, as well as the role their team members play. Processes: Managers should be open to shifting the plan when needed — an effective process for completing all projects takes time and flexibility. Interactions: Managers should maintain organizational culture when interacting with employees who do not work in-house. We’ll take a closer look at how to do this below. Challenge 3: Culture Organizational culture is dynamic. With a team that is split between the office and elsewhere, culture can easily begin to take its own form, whether you like it or not. As the centerpiece of culture among your organization's workforce, managers and HR can make a tremendous impact. These three tips will help maintain organizational culture with freelance workers: Keep culture in mind during the hiring process. Don't just hire freelancers for their skills or portfolio, but make sure to ask questions that measure their cultural fit as well. Model the desired culture through your own actions, behavior and communication style with freelancers. Integrate freelancers into the organization: virtually pair them with a seasoned employee, add them to company-wide meetings or newsletters and, if possible, invite them to work at the office during the project. The freelance workforce isn't going anywhere. It's one of the four major workplace trends organizations are currently facing, in addition to Baby Boomers retiring, women leaving the workforce in droves and minorities becoming the majority of the workforce. Managers and HR teams that take time to work with freelancers will benefit from collaborating with diverse employees, and help the organization as a whole as it enters the future of work. Stay tuned for another post in this series on changing workplace demographics next month! Photo: Creative Commons

New Grads, Your Dream Job Exists—Here's How to Find It

"What are you doing after graduation?" During graduation season, new grads get countless questions about their post-diploma plans. But the reality is, deciding on a career or finding a job is difficult and strenuous, and all too often, people make quick decisions based on opportunities easily available to them—instead of what’s right for them. If you're walking across a stage this weekend and still unsure of what lies on the other side, don't fall into the trap of just taking whatever job comes along. There's still time to target your job search based on who you are, what you're good at and what you like to do. Here are some easy tips that will get you on the path to finding your career fit and a job that actually brings satisfaction and joy! Tip 1: Clarify What You Want in a Career There are four basic questions that help uncover a good career fit: How do my natural preferences and tendencies impact what I love to do and how I do it? Where am I strong and what talents do I love to use? What motivates me to feel satisfied about what I am doing? What types of people, work and organizations appeal to me? When you take time to honestly answer these questions, you will start to see patterns and clues that indicate where to focus your career. You will begin to understand why certain tasks, people and environments drive you crazy—they don't align to your preferences or values. You will begin to understand why certain assigne are the ones you tackle first every day, because they align to your strengths and interests. These clues and themes are powerful factors that make a big difference in your career happiness. Tip 2: Reflect on Your Daily Work Identify a time each day to reflect on how the four questions above were present for you in your work—whether that's an internship, homework or general to-dos. By day three, you will already start seeing trends emerge. Here are some specific questions for daily reflection: Who was easiest to interact/work with today and why? What were the most satisfying parts of my day and why? What were the most dissatisfying parts of my day and why? What tasks were easy for me? Why? What skills did I rely on most? What tasks were difficult for me? Why? What skills are harder for me? At the end of the week, you should have a pretty clear picture of what you want and don't want in your future career! Tip 3: Get Information and Ideas From People You Trust You may be inclined to ask other people you trust, "What career do you think I should pursue?" And you've likely received some very opinionated responses, such as: "You should be an engineer because that's where there are a lot of jobs." "You should go into teaching so you can have the summers off." "You shouldn't go into teaching because teachers don't make money." Even with the best of intentions, statements like the ones above are clearly reflective of the other person's values and interests—not your own. Change the conversation by asking these questions: What do you see as my greatest strengths? What are my best traits and qualities? When do you notice I look frustrated or unhappy? What am I doing during these times? If you were assigning work to me, what projects or tasks would you most likely assign? Why? Do some research on three careers that align with what you've learned about yourself. A great on-line resource for researching career paths is O*Net, and sites like CareerBuilder can guide you in setting up and conducting informational interviews. Tip 4: Don't Leave Your Career Decisions to Chance Just because there might be an opportunity in front of you doesn't mean you should take the easy route. Take time to really consider if the opportunity aligns to what you've learned about yourself through the first three steps. Think about your career choices in terms of "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves" by creating a decision-making framework. First, make a list of five or so things that are "must haves" in your next role—things that are non-negotiable. For example: I must make $45,000. I must have a flexible work schedule. I must work for a great leader. Writing makes up a large portion of my responsibilities. I must get to work on team projects. Then, make a list of "nice-to-haves" in your next role—things you would sacrifice for a must-have. For example: I want to commute less than 25 miles to work. I want to work from home occasionally. I want to earn at least two weeks of vacation. I want to work for small- to mid-size organization. I believe everyone can find a career that brings them joy and purpose by articulating what is important to them and factoring in those details as they make decisions. Once you come to a conclusion, that formerly dreaded question, "What are you doing after graduation?", will actually be exciting! Photo: Creative Commons

Why It Might Be a Great Time to Reconsider Your Rejects

Does your recruiting and screening process have some blind spots? Have your current hiring criteria become too restrictive? Are you tossing potential A-level prospects into a growing reject pile? Recent employment and jobs data suggests that's happening at more companies and in more industries than you might think. According to the latest data from the Labor Department, the U.S. economy is cranking out the highest number of job openings since 2008 -- an 11 percent jump over 2012. Yet that far outpaces the rate of day-to-day hiring: Between January and February of this year, the number of openings jumped 8.7 percent, yet the pace of hiring grew by just 2.8 percent. Unemployment, meanwhile, is still stuck at 7.5 percent -- 2.2 percent higher than it was during the last hiring peak in 2008. So what gives? While an array of economic variables factor into the big picture here, some HR and labor experts argue that hiring managers today are suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the Great Recession: They've become too risk-averse, too infatuated with cost savings, and applying overly strict job criteria to their screening process. "The real culprits are the employers themselves," explains Peter Cappelli, professor of management and human resources at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, in the Wall Street Journal. "It is part of a long-term trend, and the recession caused employers to be able to be pickier, to get even more specific in the skills they think they can find outside the company and to cut back on training." All of which suggests that now might be a great time for hiring managers to take a serious look at the job applicants they've turned down over the last year or two -- and look at the best of them with fresh eyes. Why? No screening process is foolproof, and the labor trends strongly suggest there may be more wheat than chaff lurking in the pile. Here are a few other reasons to reconsider the rejects: 1. Moving from Need to Want A lot of hesitancy around hiring is often derived from immediate need. Do we need this candidate or do we want this candidate? During the times of economic strife, as Cappelli points out, need generally outweighs want. Today though, with the economy on the rise, it would do hiring managers well to revisit the people they passed on months earlier. Some hiring managers see this practice as laziness -- why not look at the current talent pool? -- but there's something to be said for the candidate that endured multiple rounds of interviews and still accepted a rejection gracefully. 2. Looks Are Deceiving on Paper Hiring managers turn away applicants because of how the perceived "fit" looks on paper -- with recent and relevant experience showing up at the top of resumes. Yet recent data suggests it's a foolish practice. According to a recent workforce report from analytics firm Evolv, 8 percent of recently hired employees had prior experience in the job they were hired for, while 72 percent did not. What's more, the study found that after six months there was no noticeable difference in the attrition rates between the two groups. The point is that the resume shouldn't be your single selling point. In leaner times for business, it seems easier to rely on someone who looks good on paper, but the numbers don't lie. It's a good time to listen to your gut. 3. Using Rejection to Your Advantage For some, pain and rejection can be powerful motivators -- a factor that comes into play when re-connecting with a job prospect you may have interviewed and turned down earlier. But hiring managers should heed the results of this Stanford University study, showing that while rejection can increase someone's desire to obtain something, it can also diminish its attractiveness. During the study, participants who failed to win a prize were willing to pay more for it than those who won it, but were also more likely to trade it away after they got it. In other words, your rejects may be inclined to work harder when they first come on board, but it's important to make them feel a part of something -- if not, they'll be more inclined to jump ship. Photo credit: Can Stock

How to Ask a Purposeful Question

At an early age in your professional career, many were taught to seek 'why' people do things. Whether you are a sales person, a project manager, or an implementer, we were taught to ask 'why'. Even in your personal life, we continue to ask why someone would do something like that to us, or why did someone make that decision. Well, I'm here to tell you that is poor advice. Let's Gain Clarity We need to understand what we are truly seeking and how to go about getting the real answer we seek. The fact is that we really don't want to know why, but we want to know, for what purpose. Yes, there is a difference. When asking why, we are communicating that we seek justification when what we really want is to seek for what purpose, or value. By asking 'why', which implies justification, that places the individual in a defensive position. When one is placed in a defensive position, the sole objective is to reduce or eliminate the threat, which, in this case, is you. So long trying to get any meaningful information. Now, let’s get practical. A Common Professional Scenario Let’s say you are engaged with a customer, either internal or external. You seek to find purpose in a project or request. You immediately launch into 'why' questions. Your customer hears 'give me your justification'. They become defensive, believing they are not required to justify their request, especially to you. In their mind, you have crossed the line in a hierarchical position in the relationship. They begin to shut down and gaining information becomes increasingly difficult. You get frustrated and continue to ask questions, badgering the customer, sounding like a four-year-old (why, why, why). Eventually, they give you an answer, maybe even the justification for their request, which, unfortunately, is not really the information you need as it won't help you solve their problem or fulfill their request. What To Do Okay, so what should you do? The idea is to seek purpose or value so questions like "for what purpose do you need...?" or "if you had X what would that get you...?" might be more beneficial as they provide you with information that you can actually use. Providing solution that support others' purpose is really what you seek. By raising the discussion to a higher level, you are now coming across as one that wants to help. A by-product of this approach is that you being to understand not only the value you can bring, but also what your customer values, which is great insight for future discussions. So, next time a customer has a request, or a loved one needs your help, seek to gain their purpose for the request and not place them in a defensive position by asking for their justification. You and your customer (and your loved one) will be happier and more fulfilled. #HappyLearning #HappyLife

Say "So Long" to Silos: Part 2

In Part One of this series, we discussed how humans and silos are natural partners. We like to put things in groups, categorize, and label them. We also make assumptions based on those silos that can keep us from achieving the business impact promised by integrated talent management. In this installment, we are going to take a look at a scenario encountered by many employees: Consider This Scenario A global, consumer-products company called GCP Co. has hired Doris as a Warehouse Manager. Warehouse Manager is a critical role within GCP and a vacancy in this position directly impacts GCP’s ability to serve its customers. Doris meets with her new manager, Bill, for her 90 Day Review and he tells Doris that she is doing well and exceeding his expectations. Bill also informs her that HR requires every employee to have a development plan. "Go to the talent management portal and fill out the development plan. I will approve it and then we can get on with other things," Bill instructs her. Doris leaves the meeting wondering if she made the right decision in coming to GCP. Doris calls her recruiter and says, "I expected them to give me some input on how to be successful at GCP and help me outline a plan for moving ahead. I joined this company because they stressed their commitment to employee development and providing opportunity for advancement." Get Your Managers In the Loop GCP is now on the verge of losing a great employee holding a critical position. Why? The main reason is that her manager doesn’t get it. There are three distinct silos in play here: The employee has expectations of coaching development from her manager; HR has a leadership-sponsored process for development (hey have supported it with technology and communicated the process to the business), and The manager views development as an administrative task that he must get done or get in trouble with HR. Change management would help integrate these three different perspectives by helping those involved understand that Talent Management is everyone’s responsibility. Doris is ready to participate and is motivated to move ahead. HR has provided a process. Bill thinks that Talent Management processes are HR’s responsibility and he just needs to keep them off his back. Clearly, HR has made the assumption that managers know and understand that they own talent management just as much as HR does. The manager doesn’t really understand how his lack of focus on managing his talent will ultimately end up hurting him and GCP either through low employee engagement or the loss of a good employee with potential. We used development as an example here, but this lack of understanding by managers can have equally devastating effects on performance management, succession planning, and talent acquisition. Without a common understanding of what role managers play in talent management, Doris will most likely be blamed for a less than stellar performance - and if she leaves, it will be written off as a "bad hire" by recruiting. You get the picture. Who’s Accountable for Talent Management Decisions? Another key element that is missing here is accountability. It isn’t enough to educate managers on their responsibilities. They need to be held accountable for their talent management decisions and outcomes. If Bill were held accountable by his leader, in addition to HR, he would be more likely to view the development conversation with Doris as an important business discussion rather than an administrative duty. Many organizations assign talent goals to managers. Those goals are included on either the annual performance review or used as input to their variable compensation plan. Remember, what is measured, gets attention. In summary, some of the most dangerous silos are a result of a lack of understanding of what is expected and a lack of accountability. Change management and accountability are not instant fixes and should be planned as part of the initial implementation of any Talent Management process. Even if you didn’t do that at the onset – you should do it now. As we talked about last time, silos are created by people, and in order to mitigate their impact, we need to help people see the integration that is possible and then support them in achieving it.

A Day in the Life of a Diversity Manager

The need for more diversity in Silicon Valley is no secret — recent demographic reports from large companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter show large gaps in both gender and ethnicity. Fortunately, companies are beginning to recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce, hiring HR managers, program leads and recruiters with the specific task of increasing inclusion initiatives. "A wealth of research shows that diverse teams perform better than non-diverse teams," says Carissa Romero, a partner at Paradigm, a startup that helps companies implement diversity initiatives. "They make better decisions and solve problems more effectively. Focusing on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace isn't just the right thing to do; it's also a smart business decision." To learn more about the rise of diversity-focused roles, we spoke with three individuals who have committed their careers to inclusion. Here they discuss their everyday challenges, current initiatives and best advice for other companies dedicated to increasing diversity. Carissa Romero Title: Partner at Paradigm, a startup that helps companies implement diversity initiatives How did you get involved with diversity and inclusion? I was attracted to Paradigm because they were drawing on a wealth of research in social psychology to help companies design diversity and inclusion strategies. I believe that I can make an impact on an issue that's both personal to me — I am a Puerto Rican woman — and that I'm deeply passionate about. What's the most challenging part about your job? One big challenge that we see many companies face is their reliance on referral hiring. Because companies' workforces are often homogeneous, if they don't find other ways to source candidates, it's going to be hard for companies to create more diverse teams. What current diversity initiative or past project are you most excited about? Inclusion Labs is a partnership with Paradigm and Pinterest that will allow us to conduct workforce research to identify and better understand barriers to diversity, test new strategies for addressing these barriers, and share publicly as much information as we can about what we're learning. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? A successful diversity and inclusion initiative is one that is data-driven, draws on what we know from social science research and is context-specific. Tina Sandford Title: Managing Director of International Field Delivery at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) How did you get involved with diversity and inclusion? Last June, we ran an inclusion and diversity survey, held focus groups and did a series of interviews. I've had the wonderful opportunity to lead this initiative. What's the most challenging part about your job? Balancing the demand and drive of those who want to get things done quickly versus those who are more conservative. We want to go slow in order to go fast; to do this, we have to be thoughtful and recognize that everyone has a different point of view. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? In a general sense, ask: What are you trying to achieve and how does that relate to your organization and employee base? It's not one-size-fits-all. What is your best piece of advice for companies trying to improve diversity? Keep an open mind and realize that everyone has a different perspective and values that drive where they come from. Melanie Goldstein Title: Diversity and Inclusion Product Manager at Kanjoya, a start-up specializing in emotion-based intuitive analytics What's the most challenging part about your job? Through our technology, I am constantly faced with the reality that unconscious bias is not a myth; rather, it exists everywhere, is culturally ingrained and can impact people's careers. What current diversity initiative or past project are you most excited about? We help clients understand precisely where and how bias is manifesting in their organizations. Armed with metrics for unconscious bias, our clients can convince even the most ardent skeptics that there is a problem, take data-driven action and make diversity an organization-wide commitment. What qualities make for a successful diversity initiative? Successful diversity initiatives have to be data-driven and led by a commitment to transparency. The ability to track and measure progress over time is also crucial. What is your best piece of advice for companies trying to improve diversity? It's imperative to address the entire employee lifecycle. To make lasting diversity improvements requires a continuous process of iteration and experimentation. Photo: Creative Commons

Why You Need Infrastructure for Managers to Succeed

Can we all agree that the leadership of an organization is the single most important element driving success? Yes, I know that's an odd question—but think about it. Isn't it the case that the behavior of leaders shapes the behavior of employees, through effective coaching, correction and development? In last month's article, I talked about leadership development and how the day-to-day work of an organization actually serves as the best learning curriculum; by solving real problems and reflecting on why something worked or didn't work, leaders grow in knowledge and experience. But is that enough? Hire incredibly smart people and let them learn by doing? In my experience, there is still a piece missing and, unless it is addressed, it can create chaos. The missing piece? Infrastructure. The Importance of Infrastructure You've likely heard the old saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Or perhaps "If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win almost every time." But what do these pithy sayings really mean? They mean that the infrastructure—the systems, processes, policies and programs that those in the organization execute every day—have to facilitate and enable behaviors that drive organizational performance. You can teach, communicate, motivate and inspire people to do the right work with appropriate behaviors, but if the infrastructure is teaching or communicating a different message, your performance and productivity are seriously impacted. It's like an orchestra with everyone playing their favorite piece. Unless they agree, it's chaos. It's like a racing pit crew where everyone runs to fix something, and they run to the same tire, so one tire gets all the attention, and the rest run flat. Infrastructure provides the parameters by which leaders lead and employees work. Values Support Infrastructure, But Don't Define It What is the purpose of those "values and principles" tacked up on the wall that talk about things like customer service, integrity and communication? They're referring to the ideal infrastructure, telling leaders and employees, "This is what is important; this is how we expect our team to behave." But it's not enough to simply say, "Act with integrity," or "Communicate effectively," because those are open to individual interpretation. The solution? Programs designed to put values to action, measure employee culture fit, and identify engagement gaps. So, Who Builds Infrastructure? There are a number of methods modern organizations have adopted to ensure organizational values are translated into action. Today, we create employee handbooks that prescribe appropriate behaviors, and define reprimands for bad ones. We offer intense manager trainings. We design pay and benefits structures that reward high performance and good behavior. We implement processes to set goals and measure performance to ensure that the work the organization is doing is aligned with the business strategy. We evaluate leaders' and employees' skills and competencies, and create plans for continuous development. We practice behavioral interviewing to try to source and hire new employees who can perform and thrive in our culture. But hang on—these are all HR programs, right? They are, but all too often, these programs fail to address their core purpose of building an infrastructure based on values. Instead, managers begrudgingly complete their tasks as HR cajoles and polices the programs, focused on compliance over strategy and completion over improvement. HR programs—which are inherently about building your organization's infrastructure—should instead be continuously evaluated and tweaked to align with the needs of the organization. The "words on the wall" may tell employees that they are the organization's most valued asset, but do the managers' behaviors reinforce the message? Do your words match your actions? Does the infrastructure that you created work, or is it shouting mixed messages? I cannot give you the answer; only you can take time to reflect on your organization's infrastructure and answer these questions. Executives, your HR team probably has a pretty good sense of the answers to these questions. If you're looking to improve your leadership culture, ask them where there might be opportunity to improve the infrastructure. I bet they have some good ideas. Photo: Twenty20

Why You Should Hire a Career Pivoter

Let's say you're hiring a senior HR manager at your company. What are the chances you would interview a candidate who had been teacher, a stay-at-home mom and a communications manager in financial services? Pretty low? I thought so. Recruiting firms, corporate HR departments and, today, even applicant tracking systems (ATS) gravitate toward job candidates whose careers have traveled a fairly straight trajectory. In HR, for instance, we expect candidates for mid-career roles to have started as an HR coordinator (or even an administrative assistant) before climbing the ladder to manager, director and vice president. Why? Recruiters are conditioned to believe that knowledge increases in proportion to years of experience — but that's faulty reasoning, especially in our fast-changing world of work. Rethinking the Definition of Value A particular skill or years of practice isn’t what makes a candidate truly valuable; instead, it's his or her ability to learn new skills, methods or technologies that matters. Adopting a strategy that values intellect over line-by-line adherence to a job description will produce a better pool of viable candidates. As the old adage goes, "You can teach an intelligent person, but you can't teach intelligence." Recruiters should adopt this mindset when evaluating job candidates, particularly those who have pivoted direction throughout their career. Why do I say this with such conviction? The nature of work is undergoing unprecedented change, and the ways in which we accomplish certain tasks change with every advance in technology. Job Hopping is the New Normal As Charles Coy points out in "Why Job Hopping is the New Career Ladder," it's difficult, if not impossible, to predict the types of jobs that will be available even five years from now. In fact, the skills required for these jobs may not even have been invented yet. This uncertainty requires recruiters to focus on a variety of core skills; arguably, the most critical skill is the ability to learn. That is precisely the skill that career pivoters have mastered through the variety of positions they've held. Whether employees pivot early or midway through their careers, adopting new skills develops new synapses in their brains, allowing them to learn even more. For example, Noah majored in music at college and intended to teach, when he was recruited to run operations in his family's manufacturing business. Two years later, when my company needed CRM sales support, the hiring manager wanted me to hire a Salesforce ninja, and was shocked when I suggested Noah. "But he's never even used the app!" the manager protested. Pointing out that any college grad Noah's age had grown up using apps and would soon learn Salesforce, the manager agreed to meet Noah and was impressed by his interest in learning new things. Noah has since earned his Salesforce certification and is now running market research at a major publishing company. A New Set of Core Skills As HR professionals, we need to learn a new way to evaluate candidates — not only to prepare ourselves for how recruitment is changing, but also to develop a better understanding of career pivoters whose paths are marked by a variety of industries and professions. So, what are those new "core skills" we should be looking for? With a predictive eye toward the future, here are my recommendations: Social intelligence: In a global work environment, employees need to collaborate with far-flung groups of co-workers/clients, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity and openness to diversity. Innovation: Candidates whose resumes showcase their creativity and willingness to propose new processes represent value for your company. This type of employee is interested in examining the paradigm and reconfiguring it — and that's a skill you need in a world where following the "traditional" way of doing things will leave you behind. Technical literacy: Every profession requires knowledge of industry-relevant technology, but that doesn't mean recruiters should reject candidates who don't have specific software skills. Look for quality and quantity in the types of technological tools the candidate understands — an employee who learned one app can always learn another app. Adaptability: A good indication of adaptability is one or more career pivots, either within a job function or an industry. Exposure to and success in a variety of industries and environments likely means a candidate works well with others and learns fast. Let's return to the candidate for the HR position. The one who had been a teacher, a stay-at-home parent and manager of a communications team? That was me. I didn't know about employment law, benefits or compensation analysis when I started, but those and other responsibilities of a HR generalist were acquired over time, through careful study and observation. They weren't the skills that landed me the job, or allowed me to excel. Rather, the variety of roles I had held demonstrated my adaptability, teaching in a multi-cultural environment developed my social intelligence and I had made it a point to stay ahead on technology. So, recruiters: Next time you receive a career pivoter's resume, get excited — it could just be your next star employee. Photo: Creative Commons

How to Retain Younger Employees Who Are Unlikely to Stay

Despite the common image of younger generations bouncing from one job to the next, Millennials aren’t changing jobs that much. In fact, young people are changing jobs less now than they were 30 years ago. Yet, the stereotype of young employees leaving one job for another persists, and companies struggle to retain young talent. While a majority of Millennials are happy to have a job, especially those who were job searching during the recession, a good portion of younger employees are self-starters and aspire to be entrepreneurs — or at the least work alongside like-minded people. Therefore, they are likely to move from one job to the next without much weight given to company loyalty. Quint Gribbin, a Millennial data scientist at Red Owl Analytics, is a prime example. Gribbin, who had six jobs in just three years, has always pursued his passions and looked to solve problems in his jobs, rather than conform to the job title or the culture of a company. "You follow your skill set. Not a company," Gribbin told the Washington Post. Gribbin isn’t the only recent graduate who follows this path of jumping from one company to the next. In fact, many Millennials say they expect to switch companies every year or two. When employees leave a company, that creates more work for hiring managers and disrupts the sense of company culture. To retain top talent, managers must learn what Millennials are looking for in a job and company and turn the company into a young employee’s ideal place to work. Listening to what Millennials want is a top priority for companies since within six years, Millennials will be 50 percent of the workforce. While some employees stay at a company for the security, Gribbin sees his investments in learning new skills and building a talent network as more secure than being loyal to a company. Keeping employees with Gribbin’s mindset may seem next to impossible, but here are four things that younger generations want in a job: 1. A team dynamic. While many Millennials are innovative and can take a project and run with it, they like to collaborate on projects and share their ideas. "They want to feel like they're always in collaboration with people, so it's really important for companies to show the ways they are going to bring this person into an organization and then keep them very involved, giving them feedback on a regular basis, and giving them many opportunities," says Cindy Madden, director of consulting solutions for global relocation service Cartus. 2. The opportunity to learn new skills. Many people say that the younger generations are learners for life. Once they’ve mastered one skill, they’re ready to learn another speciality and continue perfecting past ones. Millennials are known as being fast learners and open to change, so the more skills they have, the more flexible they are to move into new roles within the company. 3. New experiences. Whether it’s a river-rafting team outing or the opportunity to relocate to London for a year, younger generations like to be offered "extracurriculars." Millennials expect their company to provide these opportunities for them to expand their horizons. 4. Time to pursue outside projects. To cater to the employees who would love to start their own company, companies should provide time for them to develop new projects, such as Google’s well-known 80-20 time allocation. "Every generation from here on out will become more entrepreneurial than the next because they will have had more access to information, people and resources earlier in the life," writes Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Millennial Branding

Is Coaching Right for My Healthcare Team?

Hospitals and care centers are always looking for well-qualified, highly-skilled practitioners. And as an RN, I was always being asked to learn something new. Typically, one of my more senior peers would orient me on the new task. And I can easily say that the times I experienced the most growth in my career was when I received some kind of coaching. Over 70% of coaching recipients saw an increase in work performance, relationships, and communication skills, and 80% reported having more self-confidence.1 So it’s no wonder that coaching in healthcare is so important. So why don’t more hospitals do it? Quality patient care depends on a well-trained, passionate, committed staff, which in turn is fostered by supportive, skilled leadership. Yet healthcare organizations are facing radical changes in everything from policy to technology, a loss of key leaders and clinicians due to the Baby Boomer exodus, and an increasingly dissatisfied—and overworked—labor force. Not to mention increased competition and the need to run ever-leaner while still providing the same level of care, despite an increased patient load. Nurturing engaged, curious employees and creating skilled, committed leaders are key to surviving and thriving amid all these challenges. So what is coaching? Coaching is an umbrella term for the process of developing people’s skills and abilities, boosting their performance, and dealing with issues and challenges before they become major problems.2 But coaching can be broken out into three different categories: Executive coaching: Designed for top tier team members to improve their performance and leadership capabilities. Leadership and capacity building coaching: Aimed at helping managers—from those involved in patient care to administration to operations—become better leaders to prepare them for more high-level responsibilities. Performance coaching: Implemented to help recipients improve performance in their current roles, build strengths, or correct weaknesses. Must-Have Coaching Skill Sets In addition to the above, coaches should be able to offer intangible skills that enable staff to achieve a higher level of success. Whether a coach is "coaching your coaches," or if a manager is coaching a more junior colleague, they should be able to: 3 Listen actively: Employees need to know that when discussing career aspirations and challenges, their coach is as invested in their success as they are. By being an active listener, the coach will be able to fully internalize and understand team members’ goals and offer meaningful solutions for impactful growth. Part of listening actively is not checking e-mails, not looking at a cell phone, or doing anything else that distracts from the one-on-one element. Reinforce positive behaviors: A quality coach should reward their clients when they’ve made the right move or decision, rather than punish them for the wrong one. By rewarding correct choices, the staff member will display better performance-related behaviors as an instinct, rather than as something they have to think about doing before acting. Ask open-ended questions: Asking "yes/no" questions, or ones that similarly offer a limited number of responses, are risky because respondents have to choose best-fit answers that may not paint the whole picture. Instead, a good coach will use open-ended question, such as "How do you feel when..." or "What do you think is..." This enables the staff member to provide detailed, candid answers, rather than be pigeon-holed into responses that may not present the most accurate information. More on Coaching There are many different types of coaches, strategies for teaching and best practices on timing. For a more in-depth look on coaching, you can download our Coaching Playbook for free, here. #### 1 No author. "The Benefits of Coaching." Outstand.org. Date published: March 28, 2013. Date accessed: March 30, 2015. http://www.outstand.org/index.php/2013/03/the-benefits-of-coaching/ 2 No author. "What is Coaching?" MindTools. No date published. Date accessed: March 27, 2015. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_15.htm 3 No author. "Business Results Through Coaching."Bersin by Deloitte. No date published. Date accessed: March 26, 2015. http://www.bersin.com/News/Details.aspx?id=15040.

Mentoring 2.0: How to Redefine Employee Mentorship

Company growth shouldn't mean employees lose the personal connections they crave in order to learn and grow. Sometimes, though, as business ramps up, mentorship falls by the wayside. About 70 percent of Fortune 500 firms have formal employee mentoring programs in place, while only 25 percent of large U.S. companies have similar programs. To forgo mentorship is to miss out on a huge opportunity for employee engagement and retention. Good news: Mentorship is evolving be more exciting and less tiresome for companies and employees, alike, through revamped programs. Just as training and learning are being redefined through new technologies, new methods in mentoring are emerging that also promise powerful advantages to companies at a time of super competitive, high-cost recruiting. Some companies are changing their internal employee mentorship programs while others are looking for outside help. Revolutionizing Remote Mentorship Typically companies connect high-performing employees with newbies to guide them throughout their careers, but what about when a majority of the workforce works remotely? Remote employees don’t get mentors since a program is too hard to manage, right? Wrong. Remote mentoring is just as essential and effective as in-person mentorship when it comes to engaging employees and continuing career development, argues Beth N. Carvin, president and CEO of retention management firm Nobscot. Carvin suggests that employers let remote employees choose their mentors, but encourages them to not choose the obvious mentor (like another remoter worker). Instead, these employees should consider looking for a mentor who is highly connected in the physical office to provide them with new insights and keep them up-to-date about on-site company meetings. Another innovative idea: Give employees the option to join a mentoring group around specific topics like work-life balance or how to stay connected while working remotely. A Program to Guide the Next Mark Zuckerberg While remote mentorship is a great idea for the traditional workplace, mentoring entrepreneurs takes a different form at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Some believe entrepreneurs are born, but not Bing Gordon, chief product officer at Kleiner Perkins. "Genius may be born, but innovation can be learned," says Gordon. That’s why the firm introduced a new mentorship program — atypical for a VC firm — to help entrepreneurs turn good ideas into amazing products. The mentorship program, KPCB ProductWorks, is different from a normal employee mentorship program because it connects aspiring startup founders with talented partners from Kleiner Perkins and leading industry experts outside of the company. Plus, the program provides entrepreneurs with top-notch engineers, designers and product managers to help them create their product. Now Trending: Mentors From Outside the Company Though internal mentorships serve some companies well, a look outside of the company for mentors is a new tactic for other companies. In fact, innovative companies have taken the concept to another level by introducing technologies that can pair up-and-comers with established professionals outside of the company to help them develop new skills and provide insights for success. Everwise is one such technology — hosting a community that matches mentors and proteges using data from LinkedIn profiles and questionnaires. Once the mentor relationship is off and running, relationship managers check in to make sure both sides are satisfied with the interactions. Companies such as Cisco, eBay, Wal-Mart and HP are leading the way by adopting this technology (and others like it), recognizing that sometimes the best advice comes from without. The reason internal mentor programs sometimes don’t work is trifold, says Mike Bergelson, co-founder and CEO of Everwise: employees within the company sometimes lack genuine desire to be a mentor, mentees don’t look for the right mix in a mentor (they simply look at titles and popularity), and mentors and mentees need guidance through their relationship. "As long as the learning community is designed with the specific needs of the protege in mind as well as the specific needs of the mentor and as long as the needs are fulfilled, I think that process can work in many organizations," says Bergelson. Photo: Can Stock

10 Companies Putting Empathy into Action

Today's top employers are doing much more than providing a good salary and basic benefits to recruit and retain employees. In fact, some employers are trying to empathize with employees' personal needs as much as they focus on their professional needs. You've heard of on-site fitness classes — but how about on-site health clinics? Unlimited vacation is nice — but wouldn't a flextime schedule better match your work-life balance goals? For companies that offer these and other "personal" benefits, the potential payoff is promising — based on a recent report, UK consultant group Lady Geek found that the most empathetic companies increased in value more than twice as much as the least empathetic companies in 2015. How do you measure "empathy"? Lady Geeks defines the term as "a cognitive and emotional understanding of others' experiences" and consults clients on how to engage with customers and employees holistically. Their analysis uses a variety of metrics, such as CEO approval ratings, gender ratios on the board, brand controversy (such as scandals and fines) and sentiment on the company's social networks. Below are the 10 companies that topped their Global Empathy Index — and a little something to learn about empathetic policies from each. 1. Microsoft Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Redmond, WA Monetary value: $436.4B* Number of employees: 118,584 Empathetic policy highlight: Microsoft offers a lab program, Microsoft Garage, which both encourages and supports employees' side gigs and creative ideas. The program allows employees across any department to brainstorm, plan and develop projects outside their primary job or function at Microsoft. 2. Facebook Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA Monetary value: $289.1B Number of employees: 11,996 Policy highlight: Facebook allows employees to select their own workday start and stop times. The flextime program provides employees with the opportunity to align their hours on the job with their lifestyle, which Facebook believes leads to greater flexibility and productivity. 3. Tesla Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA Monetary value: $29.2B Number of employees: 12,000 Policy highlight: Tesla pays 100 percent of the direct plan costs for employee health plans. The plans come with high deductibles, but with an in-house medical clinic, employees can avoid unnecessary visits through an on-site clinic visit first. 4. Alphabet (Google) Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Mountain View, CA Monetary value: $515B Number of employees: 59,976 Policy highlight: Mom or dad-to-be? Moms get up to 18 weeks of paid leave, while dads get six. To help out even more, the company provides "baby bonding bucks" to help with expenses, such as formula and diapers. 5. Procter & Gamble Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Cincinnati, OH Monetary value: $213B Number of employees: 118,000 Policy highlight: Life happens. And when employees are going through a difficult time, Procter & Gamble offers a personal leave of absence. Employees can take up to three months off periodically without pay — but with continued benefits — allowing employees to take time for personal needs and the company to retain valuable talent. 6. Apple Photo: Shutterstock Headquarters: Cupertino, CA Monetary value: $587B Number of employees: 66,000 Policy highlight: Apple prioritizes employee health by offering a wellness center at its corporate headquarters, which includes doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors and dietitians. Don't work full-time or at corporate locations? No worries — even part-time and remote employees qualify for benefits. 7. Johnson & Johnson Photo: Shutterstock Headquarters: New Brunswick, NJ Monetary value: $278B Number of employees: 126,500 Policy highlight: Johnson & Johnson is a leader in understanding how employees' movement while working affects physical health. They've built an ergonomic workplace and implemented strategies to improve productivity as well as long-term health and wellness. 8. Walt Disney Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Burbank, CA Monetary value: $170.2B Number of employees: 180,000 Policy highlight: Employees receive free and discounted admission at many Walt Disney theme parks across the country, which can save workers' and their families thousands over the course of one's career with the company (not to mention provide some pretty cool vacations for theme park enthusiasts). 9. Prudential Financial Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Newark, NJ Monetary value: $35.8B Number of employees: 48,331 Policy highlight: Being a caregiver for a parent or relative is a tough job, but Prudential makes it easier by providing adult care in an employee or loved one's home. In addition, the company provides geriatric care services (in-home care and facility assessments), elder law services and adult care-giving seminars. 10. Audi Photo: Creative Commons Headquarters: Herndon, Virginia Monetary value: $28.8B Number of employees: 80,000 Policy highlight: The Audi Veterans to Technicians Program is designed to bring veterans back into the workforce. Participants in the program receive individualized support, advice and assistance from a team of dedicated program staff. *Data on each company’s market capitalization from Google Finance on 1/5/15 was used to determine the monetary value of all companies in this list. Header photo: Creative Commons

Empower Managers and Employees to Support Wellness at Work

Even before a global pandemic upended our lives, nearly three-fourths of workers said they experienced burnout at their jobs. Now, 69% of workers say that the COVID-19 pandemic is the single most stressful time of their entire career — and this unprecedented stress is taking a toll on everyone’s mental health. A recent CDC survey found that 41% of Americans are struggling with mental health issues stemming from the pandemic. Responding to employee wellness right now is essential, and companies need to shift their mindset about employee health. According to the annual Deloitte Human Capital Trends survey, 96% of respondents agreed that organizations are responsible for their employees’ well-being, but despite that, nearly 80% said that well-being is not being integrated into their work environment. Using learning content to support your managers and employees is a key way your organization can demonstrate a commitment to wellness, both personally and professionally. COVID-19 has created an opportunity and an obligation for companies to support their employees, create safe spaces and help get meaningful work done during a time of high stress—and learning content is there to meet the need. In March 2020 alone, people across the globe engaged with 27.5 million hours of content on Cornerstone’s learning platform, and nearly half of our Cornerstone Learning clients saw an increase in logins in March 2020. When creating and curating wellness learning content for Cornerstone, we knew we needed to address the stress people have felt since the pandemic began. Having practical tips and tangible tools to manage stress can help team leads and employees at every level succeed at work. Using Learning Content to Help Managers Support Wellness In any stressful time, learning content in the hands of managers can support changed behaviors and mindsets. Managers can better understand how to be available and present, both in all-hands situations and in one-on-ones—and according to a recent Harvard Business Review study, employees who feel their managers don’t communicate well are 23% more likely to experience a decline in mental health. By understanding how to recognize signs of burnout and stress, how to model wellness and how to have empathetic conversations, leaders can support their employees during any difficult time. Learning content can help your managers: Normalize mental health throughout your entire organization. The most important thing that managers can do for employees is to create an environment for psychological safety. What does that mean? It means that employees who may need to speak about difficult topics, like mental health and wellness, feel comfortable doing so. To measure the psychological safety of your team, try this publicly available survey today.  Facilitate social interactions. Connections at work can go a long way to mitigating feelings of loneliness, isolation and stress. The pandemic changed who we see on a daily basis, stripping away many in-person interactions with coworkers. With many workers still operating remotely, it can be harder to have these social interactions, but managers can work to make sure team members are still connecting with their colleagues across the company.  Identify signs of burnout in team members. Stress is inevitable at work. And while stress can sometimes help focus your energy, other times it can feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water. Unaddressed burnout can affect performance, morale and willingness to help others. Keep an eye out for people taking lots of sick days, drops in productivity or lots of people quitting. Learn how to talk to your team and give them the chance to raise any concerns at an early stage, before burnout takes over. Providing Learning Content as a Wellness Resource for Employees Content can also provide wellness tips directly to employees, giving them tools to manage stress and boost mindfulness that they can bring to the workday. Everyone feels emotions at work — and that’s OK! Content can help your employees process those emotions, gain self-awareness and understand when they may need to ask for help. Learning content can help your employees: Understand what triggers stress. The body has a physical response to stressful situations that can make it difficult to solve problems, make decisions and react rationally. To recognize trends about how you feel in intense moments, do a body scan to evaluate how you’re physically reacting. Then try to describe exactly how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking. Create the space to recharge. Mental health isn’t static — it’s something experienced on a continuum. And employees should take time to recharge when they slip toward one end of the spectrum. From scheduling screen breaks to taking walks, there are plenty of ways to build space into daily work routines. Take advantage of mental health days. Sometimes, recharging might take more than a quick walk or a screen break. It’s okay if you need a day away from work to get up and running again. And remember: The Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of disability, including many mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and ADHD. Employees with a mental health condition have the right to reasonable accommodations to help them perform their essential job functions. Turning Uncertainty into Understanding with Content In a recent webinar, we participated in together, Liggy Webb, the award-winning author and expert on human resilience, talked about how our current environment can feel like the military acronym VUCA, standing for “volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous.” That probably sounds familiar to a lot of people right now. But as Liggy pointed out, there’s are counterparts to consider: vision, understanding, clarity and agility. Content can help bring this transition to life. With the resources to understand and address wellness in the workplace, think about what this might look like for employers with stressed-out employees: Being curious about employee needs. Knowing which resources can help. Clearly communicating to help avoid information anxiety. Having a fast response that adapts to new information. This can all help navigate stressful challenges in the most positive ways possible. Looking for more ways learning content can help with stress management, mindfulness and returning to work? Join our virtual Learning Content Summit on May 12. Or try some of our free mental wellness courses, click here and choose the Wellness category.

Transforming the Government into an Employer of Choice for Millennials

On paper, a career in government service appears to beautifully align to the professional values and interests of millennials. A Capstrat study of millennials in the workforce revealed that balance, benefits, purpose and support trump all else for twenty-something workers — even salary. Millennials want to make a difference in society, and employment within the federal government offers countless opportunities to do so. But what is on paper is a stark contrast to what is reality. A recent Wall Street Journal article stated that federal government employees under the age of 30 hit an eight-year low of 7 percent in 2013, versus about 25 percent for the private-sector workforce. By comparison, in 1975, more than 20 percent of the federal workforce was under the age of 30. In spite of all the negative publicity surrounding government work, about 45 percent of college seniors remain very or extremely interested in working for the government, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. So why aren’t there more millennials employed by the federal government? The answer is simple – because federal agencies aren’t doing enough to recruit, hire, and retain them. Critical Skills, Leadership Shortages The federal government workforce is undergoing a dramatic transition. In addition to the leadership voids that are arising due to baby boomer retirements, there is also a rapidly growing need for skills and competencies required to manage the increasingly digital demands of today’s missions. While the current workforce is largely lacking this needed expertise, it could easily be obtained by strategic hiring of millennial professionals. The government cannot afford to waste any more time in addressing these issues. Millennial recruitment and workforce succession planning must elevate to the most urgent priority. According to Kimberly Holden, deputy associate director of recruitment and hiring at OPM, "the government will be lost" without technologically savvy staff able to carry agencies into a digital future. In order to build and prepare a workforce that can take on the work agency missions demand, the federal government needs to act now to recruit, onboard and retain millennial civil servants. Here is how to get started. Fix the recruiting process In spite of the urgent need for new employees and new skills, the government continues to rely on confusing, complicated and overly bureaucratic HR methods – ones that turn off even the most interested millennial candidate. Technologically savvy millennials are used to an on-demand world – and federal agencies must adapt to and meet these expectations. From improving the use of technology and social media to attract interested applicants to providing candidates more visibility and transparency into the hiring process, recruiters need to be creative in how they capture and maintain the attention of millennials to quickly convert them into agency employees. Establish career paths It’s a competitive market out there, and an improving economy is giving workers and job candidates, as opposed to employers, the upper hand. Particularly for millennials who have skills that are highly in demand across both the public and private sectors (information technology, engineering, finance), federal agencies must provide clearly defined growth and career paths to keep employees engaged, motivated, and focused on future opportunities. While we may no longer be in an era of lifetime career civil servants, agencies can still encourage millennials to have long, active and fulfilling careers at a variety of government agencies. Provide ongoing mentoring, coaching and assessment In order to keep a government job challenging and fulfilling (particularly as higher-paying private sector opportunities continue to beckon), millennials must receive ongoing coaching and mentoring from more experienced and/or longer tenured colleagues. From navigating the organizational structure to understanding growth and advancement opportunities to finding new ways to collaborate on mission requirements, a support network is critical for millennial engagement and retention. Without an influx of younger workers with much-needed skills, critical government programs may be derailed, innovation will be stymied, and the competitiveness of the U.S. compared to other nations will continue its decline. The federal government will greatly benefit from the competencies that millennials bring – digital expertise, technical savvy, and a more collaborative and inclusive approach to problem solving – as soon as they prioritize millennial recruitment and hiring.

Hiring for Ethics and Integrity: 4 Tactics That Work

Every company’s got at least one: that overly competitive, sour, power-hungry -- you fill in the blank -- employee that walks around with a rain cloud over his head, infecting every conversation he joins and inciting feelings of isolation, discouragement or doubt among his coworkers. It only takes a few such toxic personalities to infect company morale and, ultimately, the bottom line. Recruiters and HR managers face a daunting task when wading through the pile of resumes lying on their desks, in search of terrific talent and great character. So how do you spot these telltale signs of toxicity in the short span of a job interview and zero-in on important intangibles like character, honesty, ethics and integrity? We asked Anna Maravelas, author of "How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress" and a motivational speaker recognized for her ability to transform negative cultures into climates of respect and pride. From prisons to the financial sector, every industry has its share of jerks. And Maravelas should know -- she’s worked with many of them. But it isn’t all doom and gloom, as she found many of her favorite hiring tactics in the companies she encountered. Here are four that top her list. Surprise them with an ethical scenario Every job candidate has practiced the tried-and-true interview questions aimed at drawing out weaknesses or negative qualities. Today’s job candidates know how to turn a negative into a positive: "I’m just too hard working, too motivated, too detail-oriented..." they may say. But what about throwing in a question from left field that catches the interviewee off guard entirely? The CEO of a predominant design and building company Maravelas had worked with stuck out in her mind for a unique interviewing tactic. The CEO would interview candidates directly, starting off with warm, getting-to-know-you conversation. A bit into the interview, the CEO would then ask, "If we ever got into a bind with a client, would you be willing to tell a little white lie to help us out?" "If the candidate said yes," Maravelas explains, "the offer evaporated. You really have to have a lot of integrity to say no." Listen to how they praise - or blame - themselves and others Companies built on a culture of collaboration rely on team players to achieve their goals, so working effectively as a team and bringing a fraternal attitude to the table is essential. Thus, an effective way to tell if a prospective employee fits the team profile is to see where they give credit and place blame. "Ask candidates to talk about a time when they achieved something they were really proud of," Maravelas says. "How much credit did they give others?" Is the candidate constantly saying "I, I, I" or referring to collective achievements she accomplished as part of a team? Does she refer to a great mentor or a close relationship with her boss as a contributor to her success, or is she constantly patting herself on the back? An alternative way to gauge this quality, Maravelas suggests, is to ask candidates about a time when they really tried their hardest, yet failed, and listen to how they assess their own responsibility in that failure. Tap into referrals from your best employees Current employees can be great resource in the hiring process, and their opinions should factor significantly into a hiring decision. After all, they’ll be the ones working with the new employee. One of Maravelas’ favorite companies relies heavily on the referrals of current employees who have been with the company for several years, tapping solid veterans to actively recruit prospects from their circle of friends and professional contacts. "If they have integrity and are known for their kindness and compassion, their friends probably are, too," Maravelas says. "They probably don’t hang out with fakes." Trust your gut We’re often so focused on the person we’re interviewing, we may not be tuned into our own physiological reaction to them. Sitting back and asking ourselves how another person is affecting us is a valuable tactic for interviewers. If a candidate makes you feel uncomfortable or ill-at-ease, he’ll probably make his co-workers feel that same way. We may not consciously identify negative qualities right away, but we often subconsciously pinpoint an off-feeling that comes in the form of an awkward moment or the feeling of being manipulated. When hiring for integrity and character, the best bet is to go with your instinct. We gravitate towards those who make us feel good, and that quality will likely be reflected in the larger work environment. Adds Maravelas: "Really pay attention to how you feel when you’re interviewing someone else." For useful resources on building talent pipelines and developing your 21st-century recruiting strategy, check our our recruiting lookbook.

3 Reasons Why Employees Underperform

What an ongoing struggle it is to get employees to perform. At HR conferences, CEO meetings and among organizational development groups, the topic always seems to revolve around getting our employees to step up and do great work. In all my years of teaching and consulting around workplace performance, I see three reasons why employees consistently underperform: they’re incapable, disconnected or unclear. 1. Employees are Incapable Employees who are incapable have core abilities that do not align with the abilities required to complete the activities of the job. Every job has a specific set of activities that are key to performance and ultimate success. For example, the activities of an accountant are to close the books, create reports, analyze performance, and ensure compliance with procedures. These activities require a strategic, analytical, methodical and detail-oriented person. If your accountant employee is not that, performance is a challenge. Another example: If you have a site manager (at a retail store or on a job site) working for you, his activities are to hire talented people, manage work schedules, advance results, and meet deadlines. These activities require a strategic, organized, driven, results-oriented person. If your site manager is not this, he shows up as incapable to do the job. Many times the primary reason for employee underperformance is in hiring employees who do not fit their role — they do not have the abilities that align to the specific needs of the job. Solution:Include the required abilities in addition to skill and experience criteria when defining the performance profile of the job. Hire for abilities as well as skill and experience. 2. Employees are Disconnected Employees who are disconnected do not share or understand the direction, vision, belief or mission of the business. There is no emotional connection. When employees understand the beliefs and vision of the business and they align with their personal values, they are more engaged, committed and passionate about their performance. Think of the way employees who work at Google feel about innovation, the way employees feel about coffee at Starbucks, the way employees feel about service at Zappos, the way employees feel about the outdoors at Patagonia. Our performance is fueled by our passions and values — and diminished by our lack of interest or connection. Solution: Clearly share your vision and belief about the business — source and hire employees who share your beliefs. 3. Employees are Unclear Most employees do not have nor understand their specific performance expectations — they don’t know what a successful or "done right" outcome is. They have no performance standard. Here is a personal example: when my kids were younger it seemed we were always in conflict with them about keeping their rooms clean. The problem was we didn’t share the same definition of "clean room." So, once the room was cleaned "at expectation," we took a picture and then taped it to the door. This became the standard of how a room was to look when we said "clean." We all shared the same expectation or standard and now could hold them accountable for delivering this specific performance. In the workplace, employees need the same guidance about what a successful performance outcome is so that they can be held accountable to deliver it. This clarity lets them use their abilities to determine how to deliver the outcome. For example, create a performance expectation that a daily dashboard report prepared by the employee is to be accurate, completed on the CEO desk each morning, or that a certain amount of sales are required in a 30 day period. Now clear, employees can access their abilities to determine how to make the expectation happen. Without the clarity, they wander and performance suffers. Solution: Improve the clarity of performance expectations to ensure employees know what is expected and can perform accordingly. Sustainably high performance requires that employees’ abilities fit the activities required of the job, they share the values, beliefs or mission of the business, and they clearly know their performance expectations. We can’t expect employees to bring their A-game if we haven’t set the stage for them to be successful. Once in place, it is fair to expect great performance.

Star Employees Aren't Always Management Material – And That's Okay

My colleague once shared a story about managing that I will never forget. At the conclusion of her company’s performance management process, one of the new manager’s evaluations were the most thoughtful, honest and actionable she’d ever seen – despite it being his first time providing formal feedback. Unfortunately, it was also his last time. Upon realizing the effort required to manage people, the employee decided to relinquish his managing role and return to his passion as a software developer. I love this story because it highlights the importance of truly understanding people management. "Manager" is a responsibility – not just a fancy title – that requires a special set of skills and immense effort. And it's not for everybody: It should be okay for ambitious high performers to decline the management career path. The many consequences of ineffective and uncommitted managers take a high toll on organization effectiveness. Far too often, top individual contributors transition into management roles for the wrong reasons and without knowing what the role truly entails. In a previous post, I shared some alarming data from the Corporate Executive Board’s (CEB) Corporate Leadership Council research: 57 percent of managers would have opted for non-management roles if there were an option. 65 percent of managers would "opt-out" of their management roles today if given a chance to take another equally attractive role. 31 percent of managers were neither committed nor effective at their management roles. Only 19 percent (out of 9000 managers studied) were both committed and effective at managing. In order to avoid the mediocre management syndrome, human resource professionals need to provide career path alternatives, help high performers consider alternatives and then carefully select qualified and committed managers. Below are three ways to cultivate the best managers for your company and determine the best paths for your employees: 1. Offer alternative career ladders Commonly found in technology industries, dual career ladders allow those not well-suited or interested in management to advance their careers up a comparable professional ladder. "Distinguished engineer" might be the job-level equivalent of a senior manager or director, for example. And an engineering or scientific "fellow" may be the equivalent of a vice president. 2. Mentor aspiring managers You can design a set of tools, programs and experiences to help top performers gain an understanding of the management path – and make an informed decision about whether it's right for them. At 2020 Talent Management, for example, we developed a one-day program to mentor aspiring managers in Bangalore, India. During the pilot program, two engineers approached me after lunch, having already decided management was not right for them. This was a true win-win – the engineers avoided accepting an ill-fitting job and the company avoided appointing disengaged managers. The next time I delivered the program in Boston, I shared the Bangalore story with the group. By 11:00 a.m. that morning, one of the participants told me he did not have to wait until after lunch – he already understood management was not the best fit. 3. Design a comprehensive selection process Jim Clifton, the chairman and CEO of Gallup Inc., said, "The single biggest decision you make in your job – bigger than all the rest – is who you name manager. When you name the wrong person manager, nothing fixes that bad decision." Establishing a formal process for selecting new managers is critical to the future success of your organization. While the hiring manager is ultimately responsible for any decision, the smartest hiring choices are made in consultation with others (i.e. HR, Leadership Development, current colleagues). When selecting new manager candidates, consider their skills and experiences, such as leadership on informal teams or projects, collaboration and ability to establish relationships beyond their immediate team, as well as their personal motivation and commitment to being a manager. Consider utilizing standardized tools that assess attributes that correlate with manager/leader success, such as Emotional Intelligence and Learning Agility. If you offer a mentorship or self-selection management program as described above, did the candidate take advantage of it? You can also ask candidates to work through a manager-oriented case study, such as the HBR case study, Is the Rookie Ready. Great leaders foster engaged teams that deliver great results. By carefully selecting and developing effective and committed managers, you can enhance your organization’s competitive advantage and ensure a sustainable future for your company.

What Really Drives Employee Happiness? [Infographic]

As the competition for top talent intensifies, organizations are seeking new ways to attract and retain employees. From competitive signing bonuses to flexible schedules and pre-paid vacation, the perks designed to increase satisfaction on the job are more diverse than ever. This growing list of benefits may seem superfluous to some, but attempting to improve employee happiness is a strategic business decision. A recent study from the University of Warwick found that job satisfaction can directly benefit the bottom line, as happy employees are 12 percent more productive than unhappy employees. And with less than half of employees currently chipper at their jobs, successful efforts to increase satisfaction at work have the potential to substantially improve organizational results. But what factors actually make employees happy? The Secrets of Job Satisfaction While you may think the best way to determine employee happiness is to ask them about it, turns out people are generally poor judges of what makes them tick. There are some stark differences between what we think makes us happy compared to what actually contributes to our satisfaction on the job. (Click to enlarge) As seen in our infographic above, a recent study from Cangrade examined the relationship between individuals' job satisfaction and the prevalence of certain factors in their work. The results showed that some of the factors people report as "most important" to job satisfaction, such as security and work-life balance, don't matter as much as we think. Instead, the most significant influencers on job satisfaction were intellectual stimulation, achievement and power. The difference between perception and reality is particularly interesting when it comes to power — employees rated it as dead last in terms of importance, but the study found that it's the third most influential factor in overall job satisfaction and happiness. In a similar vein, while money was perceived as the fourth most important component to happiness, it ranked last in terms of actual impact on satisfaction — reminding us that as much as we think a raise or bonus will boost morale, compensation isn't the best way to your employees' hearts. However, despite these discrepancies, the study found that people do have some level of self-awareness; when people list a factor as very important to their happiness, it turns out that quality impacts their satisfaction more than it does for the average employee. For instance, intellectual stimulation accounts for 18.5 percent of job satisfaction on average, but it's even more influential for people who also listed it as important — accounting for 23 percent of their satisfaction. The main takeaway? Listen to your individual employee's feedback about company culture, but consider proactive ways to engage your workforce as well. By offering cross-training opportunities across projects and departments, you can ensure they feel both intellectually challenged and influential. Instead of simply providing bonuses, provide employees with ongoing feedback about their achievements and value at the company. Your workforce — and your bottom line — will be happier for it. Header Photo: Shutterstock