Andie Burjek, Author at Workforce

January 15, 2019June 29, 2023

Recognize the Signs: Addressing Behavioral Health in the Workplace

An estimated 23.2 percent of Americans aged 18 and older experienced symptoms of a diagnosable mental health or substance use condition in 2016. At the same time, fewer than half of those diagnosed with a behavioral health condition received treatment. When left unaddressed, these conditions may contribute to various workplace challenges, including loss of productivity, low morale and turnover.

Although behavioral health conditions are prevalent, there remains a lack of understanding in the workplace on how to properly support them. Given that employees spend a great deal of time at work, this presents you with the opportunity to better assist those with a behavioral health condition to foster trust and aid in recovery.

Understanding the typical progression of a mental health or substance use condition and its corresponding symptoms can help you better identify employees in need and connect them to available resources. While these conditions often begin with a relatively mild impairment that has a minimal impact on the employee’s performance, symptoms can progress and ultimately hinder their work.

Be prepared by knowing how to spot the signs and the appropriate ways you can respond. The following five stages explain the cycle of behavioral health conditions that an employee may progress through and tangible ways you can help:

Risks emerge

A challenging aspect of behavioral health conditions is that they often begin without being noticed. In fact, a manager may confuse the symptoms of a health condition with poor performance. While conditions may be hard to identify at this stage, it’s important for employers to create a safe climate and culture for employees to speak out and seek help.

All managers should be trained on how to document performance on a regular basis, noting any observed performance changes. Managers should also be familiar with resources the organization has available to support employees, such as management coaching and employee assistance programs.

Symptoms escalate to impact performance

In the second stage, an employee’s symptoms may increase to a moderate level and are more likely to noticeably impact work performance. An employee may be absent more frequently or request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to help them cope with the situation.

Referrals to an EAP are more common at this point, and the employee may be more likely to seek treatment on their own. Absence management approaches may also help employees address issues and stay at work in this stage. That’s why stay-at-work disability management strategies, such as referrals to workplace resources and accommodations, are best initiated at this point.

An increase in severity

In this stage, the employee experiences severe symptoms that could directly impact their work performance and abilities. Performance problems and employee absences may escalate to the point where they require a disability leave. In many cases, the need for accommodations to support recovery becomes more visible to employers.

For those who are able to stay at work, it’s important to work with the employee to develop accommodations tailored to their specific limitations or restrictions. Proactively implementing accommodations may help keep an employee engaged in their work, successful in their role and supported by their peers. For employees who require a leave, being supportive of the employee’s FMLA application also is important.

Also read: 5 Practical Ways to Support Mental Well-being at Work

Chronic impairment

At this point of an employee’s condition, they may continue to experience severe or chronic symptoms and apply for long-term disability benefits. The employee may also start seeing themselves as “disabled,” struggling to find a sense of purpose or meaning in life.

During this stage, goal-directed case management and return-to-work strategies are generally initiated or continued. But the impact is generally lower than during the previous stages. With earlier interventions, there’s a better chance that the employee will return to work.

Recovery occurs

The last stage is where employees begin to see their condition improve — either through treatment or as part of the natural course of the condition. But with the proper employer response and intervention, recovery can occur at any stage in an employee’s journey.

Recovery before severe or chronic symptoms develop often depends on an employee connecting with timely and effective care and support. Effective support can empower the employee and rebuild confidence.

Given that mental health and substance use conditions are common in the Unites States, it’s important to address this issue through effective services and support for your employees. Research shows that only 50 percent of employees return to work after having been out of work for six months. When you’re prepared, you can intervene earlier and increase the chances that the employee will return to work.

Being prepared for a behavioral health condition means supporting employees in their time of need. Without the proper strategies, resources and assistance, an employee’s work performance may suffer. By offering your employees various programs and benefits, you can help ensure a timely and safe recovery and return to work.

January 15, 2019June 29, 2023

Matt Hayes: An Employee Engagement Guru

employee engagement tips — Matt Hayes, CHRO, Feeding America

Matt Hayes has been working in human resources for a quarter century. Some 18 of those 25 years were spent with Ingredion Inc., a for-profit ingredient provider. Two years ago, he made the shift to the nonprofit organization Feeding America. From providing volunteer opportunities to conducting employee surveys, Hayes, Feeding America’s CHRO, has excelled in all aspects of employee engagement.

Workforce: What got you interested in being a leader at this organization?

Matt Hayes: For quite a while in my career I thought about working for a mission-based organization. When Feeding America came along, I learned more about hunger in America and the impact it has in every community. Seeing the work Feeding America does to respond to that challenge, I wanted to join the fight. I’ve gotten to know the organization better and these people are very passionately committed to what we are doing. It’s a fun environment to work in as a regular employee and HR leader.

WF: What equals employee engagement for a nonprofit versus a for-profit?

Hayes: Thinking about Feeding America, we have volunteer opportunities at our 200 food banks and 60,000 agencies nationwide. On the for-profit side, understanding the value proposition you’re bringing your employees is critical to attracting, motivating and retaining talent. Even at Feeding America, where we think our mission is a major differentiator, we developed a model where we have seven factors that looks at employee engagement. It’s things like career advancement and work-life balance.

WF: Is there a new engagement strategy from when you first started?

Hayes: Employees now force-rank what matters most to them among seven focus areas. For example, where does career advancement rank versus work-life balance? Is it a 10, being fantastic, or a 1, this is missing right now? Then the manager and employee discuss the results. We found it helps promote transparent discussions about what matters most to each employee and what managers can do for those employees.

Also read: Debunking the Major Myth of Engagement

WF: When natural disasters occur, how do you engage employees through volunteer opportunities?

Hayes: We have a senior leader who’s focused on leading disaster response and we engage a cross-functional team to coordinate that effort. The team works to move food to impacted communities. We raise funds nationally to support disaster relief and advocate for federal disaster support in Washington when that’s needed. With Hurricane Florence, we provided 5 million pounds of food to communities in the Carolinas. We raised almost $2 million in funds to support that work. With Hurricane Michael, even in the early stages we worked with Florida’s Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency before the hurricane made landfall. We had water and meals staged in critical places. Disaster response is an integral part of our organization and mission.

January 11, 2019June 29, 2023

Employers See Palliative Care as Option to Cut Health Costs

When George Schwartz’s late wife was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in 2002, he faced the task of managing her care while working as a financial advisor in a small brokerage firm.

He accompanied her to appointments, researched treatment options, coordinated her care and struggled to manage the fears that came with the dire diagnosis.

The experience was both physically and emotionally draining. It wasn’t until the couple turned to palliative medicine, a fairly new subspecialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 2007 that helps patients manage serious illnesses, that the load became bearable, he recalled.

“It provided us relief from anxiety, starting with a clear explanation of the course of the disease, what end of life would be like and how a palliative care doctor would deal with her deteriorating health,” said Schwartz, 66, whose firm, Gilbert, Doniger & Co., is based in New York. “I had a lot of interaction with the health care system and I hadn’t heard of it. My wife found out about it in a magazine article.”Palliative medicine, which is practiced by specially trained doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, provides care for patients with life-limiting conditions such as cancer, advanced heart disease, dementia, and kidney failure, among others. The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life through pain management, stress relief, treatment for fatigue and depression, and by offering support for caregivers.

It is also associated with lower health care costs and better outcomes for patients and their caregivers, who are vulnerable to stress and illness, according to Lea Tessitore, a researcher with Catalyst for Payment Reform, a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of large employers.

“Cost savings can come in a variety of ways,” she said. “If you lead with a focus on quality of life then cost reductions will follow. For example, having a conversation around the goals of care with a provider can help to avoid aggressive and potentially harmful treatment that isn’t necessary.”

In September, CPR and the Center to Advance Palliative Care released a guide to help employers develop a palliative care strategy and educate them on what it is and how it can help patients and caregivers. Tessitore said that it could also help employers approach a topic that can be difficult to talk about.

“Many people think that palliative care is synonymous with hospice care and that creates a barrier to having these conversations,” she said. “They think that this is the type of care I get when I’m ready to give up. But palliative care is a high-value way to make an impact on the lives of employees with serious illness and their caregivers. It can improve the quality of life and it can reduce costs.”

Also read: Organ Transplant Innovations Can Save Health Care Dollars

It is associated with shorter hospital stays and lower health care costs due to a decreased need for 911 calls, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and the elimination of costly and ineffective treatments. In fact, patients with serious illnesses who received palliative care saved an average of $3,237 over the course of a hospital stay compared to patients who did not receive it, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2018.

These costs savings are catching the eye of employers, who recognize that while just a small fraction of employees have serious illnesses, most of their health care dollars are going toward their treatment, according to Allison Silvers, vice president of payment and policy at the Center to Advance Palliative Care.

“About 2 percent of the commercial population is facing a serious illness and the care they get is often avoidable. … That percentage sounds tiny but it’s where employers are spending most of their money.”

One employer who recognized the costly gaps in care for seriously ill patients is Dow Chemical, which worked with insurance giant Aetna to launch a hospice program in 2004 that allows patients to pursue treatment through palliative care. Typically, insurers will not cover hospice care if the patient continues to seek “curative treatment,” said Silvers. Dow is featured in the CPR toolkit.

She hopes that more employers will see the potential of palliative care to improve the lives of employees with serious illnesses.

“We really want purchasers to demand from their health plans that they make palliative care available to participants,” she said. “We’re hoping to drive demand. It’s not a hard thing for health plans to do, but they don’t have much impetus. Employers need to demand this.”

January 9, 2019June 29, 2023

What Does It Mean for Jobs to be “Substantially Equal” Under the Equal Pay Act?

The Equal Pay Act requires that an employer pay its male and female employees equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Substantial equality is measured by job content, not job titles.

The Act is a strict liability law, which means that intent does not matter. If a women is paid less than male for substantially similar work, then the law has been violated, regardless of the employer’s intent.

This strict liability, however, does not mean that pay disparities always equal liability. The EPA has several built-in defenses, including seniority, merit, quantity or quality of production, or any other factor other than sex.

A recently filed case out of Boston delves into these issues.

According to CBS News, Elizabeth Rowe, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s principal flutist, claims that her employer unlawfully pays the principal oboist (a man) about $70,000 more per year.

According to the lawsuit, “Both the principal oboe and principal flute are leaders of their woodwind sections, they are seated adjacent to each other, they each play with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and are both leaders of the orchestra in similarly demanding artistic roles.”

How did the oboist end up earning more? According to the lawsuit, the orchestra lured him away from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra with the promise of higher pay. Rowe claims that she should be paid equally for similar work, regardless of the circumstances of his recruiting.

The orchestra claims that gender plays no role in how it sets salaries, which instead are determined by a variety of non-discriminatory factors, such as the difficulty of the oboe and its smaller pool of musicians.

What does it mean for two positions to be “substantially equal?’” According to the EEOC, employers should balance these five factors:

Skill: Measured by factors such as the experience, ability, education, and training required to perform the job. The issue is what skills are required for the job, not what skills the individual employees may have. For example, two bookkeeping jobs could be considered equal under the EPA even if one of the job holders has a master’s degree in physics, since that degree would not be required for the job.

Effort: The amount of physical or mental exertion needed to perform the job. For example, suppose that men and women work side by side on a line assembling machine parts. The person at the end of the line must also lift the assembled product as he or she completes the work and place it on a board. That job requires more effort than the other assembly line jobs if the extra effort of lifting the assembled product off the line is substantial and is a regular part of the job. As a result, it would not be a violation to pay that person more, regardless of whether the job is held by a man or a woman.

Responsibility: The degree of accountability required in performing the job. For example, a salesperson who is delegated the duty of determining whether to accept customers’ personal checks has more responsibility than other salespeople. On the other hand, a minor difference in responsibility, such as turning out the lights at the end of the day, would not justify a pay differential.

Working Conditions: This encompasses two factors: (1) physical surroundings; and (2) hazards.

Establishment: The prohibition against compensation discrimination under the EPA applies only to jobs within an establishment. An establishment is a distinct physical place of business rather than an entire business or enterprise consisting of several places of business. In some circumstances, physically separate places of business may be treated as one establishment. For example, if a central administrative unit hires employees, sets their compensation, and assigns them to separate work locations, the separate work sites can be considered part of one establishment.

I don’t enough about symphony orchestras to know how these factors all shake out in Boston. It seems to me, however, that a recruiting bump to lure someone from another employer is a solid “factor other than sex.”

Also read: Your 2019 Employment Law Compliance Checklist

If you have concerns that men and women in your workplace are being paid differently for similar work, you should audit you pay practices, and, if necessary, even them out, before the government or a plaintiff comes calling.

January 8, 2019June 29, 2023

Indeed and Glassdoor Reveal the Best Places to Work

This December, employment search engine Indeed and job-hunting service Glassdoor released their respective lists of top places to work. Indeed’s list identified the top workplace cultures of 2018, while Glassdoor noted the 10 best places to work in 2019.

In Indeed’s 15 top-rated workplaces with the best culture, Keller Williams Realty landed the No. 1 spot. Glassdoor ranked the 10 best places to work in 2019, and management consulting company Bain & Co. came out on top.

These two lists had one thing in common: In-N-Out Burger and Southwest Airlines.

The fast food restaurant In-N-Out Burger was ranked second by Indeed and third by Glassdoor. It received great feedback from both sites for sticking to the same plan and resisting any new trends in the fast food industry. Its simple menu and tasty food have attracted both celebrities and burger fans alike for a long time.

Southwest Airlines was ranked No. 10 on both sites. On Glassdoor, Southwest Airlines’ mission of being dedicated to the highest quality of customer service and company spirit gave them a 4.4/5 rating.

Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and and author of The Fearless Organization, Amy C. Edmondson, believes In-N-Out Burger and Southwest Airlines cracked both lists because they are places that would qualify as “psychologically safe” workplaces.

“[In a psychologically safe workplace,] people feel their voice is valued,” Edmondson said. “At Southwest, they’re incredibly collaborative and engaged in getting planes turned around quickly and safely. Southwest is a terrific example of a culture that has worked hard to ensure its employees know that their voices are valued and welcome.”

Edmondson has three tips for offices to overcome intrapersonal fear and create psychological safety. These tips allow for more people to speak up, ask for help and address what isn’t working in the office. It gives everyone a healthy mindset while on the clock.

Also read: Ranking the World’s Top Companies for HR, 2018

First, constantly remind people of what they’re up against, Edmondson said. “What are the challenges, what is the nature of the work an office does, [and] what is world of which we now live in?”

She suggests asking respectful questions to people about their work, then taking a moment to think before reacting to any bad news.

Edmondson said that having psychological safety in the workplace has other positive results as well.

“It leads to the work feeling meaningful, believing what you do has an impact, believing that your colleagues are dependable and having some structure and clarity about tasks,” Edmondson said. “Psychological safety is the underpinning factor to other aspects of a healthy workplace.”

January 7, 2019June 29, 2023

Your 2019 Employment Law Compliance Checklist

Today is the start of the first full week of 2019. Which means it’s a perfect time to take a step back and review your efforts at HR and employment law compliance for the coming year.

This list is not mean to be complete or exhaustive, but should provide a high level look at the top 20 issues that you should be reviewing this year, and every year for your business.

☑️ How many employees do you have (15 / 20 / 50)?

☑️ When is the last time your handbook has been reviewed and updated?

☑️ When was your last harassment / respectful workplace training?

☑️ Do you require restrictive covenants for key employees?

☑️ Do you have employees that work in states in which marijuana is legal?

☑️ Do you have federal contracts?

☑️ Are your employment law posters up to date?

☑️ Has your state or local minimum wage increased?

☑️ How are you calculating and paying overtime to non-exempt employees?

☑️ When did you last analyze your exempt employees?

☑️ Do you have independent contractors?

☑️ Is all of your workplace OSHA compliant?

☑️ Are your OSHA 300 logs up to date and your 300A form posted?

☑️ Are your FMLA forms up to date?

☑️ Are you managers trained on the ADA interactive process?

☑️ Are you job applications and workplace accessible for the disabled?

☑️ Do you know what devices are accessing your network?

☑️ Have you tested your network for security?

☑️ Are employees trained on cybersecurity compliance?

☑️ Do you have necessary and appropriate insurance (EPLI / Cyber / D&O)?

Questions about how to execute this list in your business? Call your employment counsel.

Also read: EEOC Offers Sage Advice on Following Checklists for Harassment Compliance

Also read: Workplace Compliance By Carrot Trumps Compliance By Stick

January 4, 2019June 29, 2023

AI is coming — and HR is not prepared

The future of work will be driven by artificial intelligence, and HR is woefully ill equipped to make it happen — at least according to many reports about AI and HR.

IBM, PWC and Deloitte (among others) have all done surveys on AI’s impact on HR in the last 18 months, and the message is clear: companies want AI, but they don’t have the talent, leadership or confidence in their human resources team to make it happen.

IBM predicts that 120 million workers in the world’s 10 largest economies will need to be reskilled in the next few years to adapt to an AI-driven marketplace — and that if companies don’t get started soon they will quickly risk losing their competitive edge. Yet its “Unplug from the past” report found that just 28 percent of CHROs expect their enterprise to address changing workforce demographics with new strategies.

Even if companies are gearing up for an AI reskilling evolution, roughly half of their employees don’t think they can pull it off. A global study by Harris Insights in collaboration with IBM found that while more than 80 percent of employees in the U.S. and UK believe having AI skills will be a competitive advantage for their companies, 42 percent said they don’t believe their HR departments can execute it.

Deloitte’s “2018 Global Human Capital Trends” report showed a similar lack of confidence. It found that while 72 percent of respondents think adopting AI is important for their business, only 31 percent feel ready to address it. And research from PWC shows 63 percent of companies are rethinking the whole role of their human resources department in light of the impact AI will have on the business.

Part of the problem is HR’s historic lack of experience with data and analytics, said David Mallon, chief analyst for Bersin by Deloitte. “Every other part of the organization is accustomed to using data to support decisions, but not HR,” he said. “They lack data fluency.”

HR’s evolving role

But things need to change. If HR leaders want to stay relevant (and employed) they need to start thinking more strategically about their roles, said Chris Havrilla, VP of HR technology at Bersin by Deloitte. “They need to shift their mindset to be more data driven, and to see themselves as human teachers for the machine,” she said.

That starts with a change in culture, where data is used to make decisions about people in the same way other departments use data to track finances or manage the supply chain. “The notion that data should inform people decisions is new for a lot of companies,” she said.

HR also needs to think about how that data will help them reskill the workforce for an AI-driven future, said Amy Wright, managing partner of talent and transformation at IBM.

For example, HR leaders will have to reassess how they deliver training to employees and alert them to their own learning needs. “Employees are used to a personalized approach in their consumer lives and they want that in the workplace,” Wright said.

They don’t want to be given a list of full-length courses that may help them learn new skills. They want short, easy-to-consume learning nuggets that have been curated to teach them exactly what they need to know, when they need to know it. “AI-driven training platforms can deliver that personalization,” Wright said.

Also read: For Better or Worse, Artificial Intelligence for Talent Management Has Arrived

AI can also help HR to identify which employees might be best suited to be upskilled for new AI roles, to identify the actual skill gaps they have, and to customize a learning and development path based on others who’ve moved through the organization.

Do something

This transition won’t be easy. It will require HR leaders to upgrade their own skill sets while simultaneously upskilling their workforce and changing how the business functions.

It may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be, according to Wright. The key is to get started. “Don’t feel like you have to build an entire AI roadmap and plan everything out. Just pick a business problem in one unit and pilot a solution,” she said.

Starting small will allow HR to either fail fast or prove the benefits of AI — and their own ability to leverage it — which will help them win over stakeholders and bolster the workforce’s confidence in their ability to navigate this digital transformation.

“HR can be the growth engine of the organization,” Wright said. They just have to prove they can get it done.

January 4, 2019June 29, 2023

Value-Based Care: Making Health Plans Work Better

Health care is costly. That’s nothing new.

Consider this: The average annual cost of health care has increased from $146 per person in 1960 to more than $10,000 per person in 2016, and care costs are expected to increase by six percent in 2019. So, while offering high-quality health care is a great way to take care of your employees, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to juggle the cost of their care with your company’s bottom line.

An option that’s become more available in recent years is the value-based health plan. In value-based health plans, payors share data and analysis to help providers improve their patient care outcomes. Through enhanced reporting and collaboration, doctors can identify areas to gain efficiencies, reduce unnecessary care, and most importantly, improve patient satisfaction and health.

Then, providers earn additional reimbursement based on their performance on cost, quality and outcomes measures. In value-based payment arrangements, health plans pay doctors more for improved patient outcomes and higher quality, and the total cost of care is better controlled.

Many companies are moving away from traditional fee-for-service agreements and toward these value-based payment arrangements. According to an analysis, the number of available alternative payment plans grew from 67 in 2011 to 823 in 2017.

Value-based payment arrangements get to the heart of the major drivers of health costs — hospital stays, ER visits, over treatment and chronic conditions like diabetes. So, when patients get the care they need at the right time, in the right setting, they have fewer complications, and require fewer hospital stays, ER visits and readmissions. These improvements help reduce costs paid by employers and insured members.

Nationally, the Michigan Blue Cross plan shares data and analysis with other Blue plans across the United States, so they can not only measure performance on a national scale, but use the data to create tailored, value-based health plans for companies with employees in multiple states.

For example, value-based Blue plans nationally have shown a 10 percent decline in ER visits, 2 percent decline in hospital stays, and an increase in prevention and chronic care management.

When it’s time for companies to decide on health plans for their employees, they should first ask their health plan some important questions.

Are value-based plans available where you have employees? Does your plan have enough value-based providers and programs to benefit your team? Make sure to check the geographic distribution and depth of services available, so your employees can realistically use the services of these value-based providers.
How long has your plan’s value-based program been in place? Find out if the program is mature, and whether they have a measurable trend in value. Programs that are older or more established typically have data that demonstrates the results they’ve been able to achieve.
Do the health plan and its providers collaborate? This will show whether they understand the local dynamics, and whether the plan supports the providers in achieving improved performance.
How extensive is the plan’s member base and value-based network? The larger the plan, the greater its ability to share meaningful data and influence care delivery practices.
Does the plan offer flexible options? A one-size-fits-all approach to value-based networks doesn’t necessarily fit the unique needs of your employee base. Take some time to ask your plan how it measures provider performance and how it rewards members for choosing high-performing providers.

Value-based payment arrangements and value-based network design are two trends that have been demonstrating results for companies. Health care is costly. But now, there are strategies that help companies manage health costs while improving health care for employees.

Also read: Performing a Check-up on Value-based Health Care

December 26, 2018August 25, 2023

5 Easy Onboarding Strategies for Small Businesses

The onboarding process is among the most critical parts of the employment experience and it sets the tone for an employee’s expectations throughout their time with an organization.

Implementing an effective onboarding strategy shows a new employee that the company is organized and excited for their arrival. Onboarding also doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Here are some ways to enhance the onboarding process without breaking the bank.

Be prepared. In most situations, HR will have about two weeks to implement its onboarding strategy for a new employee to start, which is plenty of time to ensure the team is ready for their newest addition. Make sure managers build a realistic schedule, considerate of sufficient time for questions, hands on training, and breaks.

It helps to include employees in other departments who can loop the new hire in on ways their roles will impact each other. Notify the IT department as early as possible that someone new is starting and when. Ensuring the equipment, software, email address and key card badge are ready before the employee’s arrival streamlines a majority of the initial problems new hires general encounter.

Be thoughtful. Nothing is more uncomfortable for a new employee than having no idea what to expect during the first few days of their new job. They’re likely already overwhelmed with anxiety. “What do I wear? Who will I sit with at lunch?”

onboarding small businesses — Cheryl Strizelka, human resources manager for Orlando-based Design Interactive Inc.

The best way to deal with those kinds of questions during the onboarding process is to answer them directly. Sending an email a few days before the employee’s start date outlining what time they should arrive, what they should wear, that they can expect breakfast and lunch with the team, and that they’ll be able to take off early. This is guaranteed to alleviate most first-day jitters.

A small swag bag for the new employee to dig through on their first day is a great touch. Throw in some candy, maybe a bottle of water or a small gift card to a local coffee shop. Include items with the company logo that you normally hand out to clients or at conferences.

Get integrated. It’s vital through the onboarding process that a new employee starts to feel like they’re part of the team as quickly as possible. To get ahead of the game, email the new hire a week before they start to get some fun facts about their life and post them for the staff to see before the start date. This opens the door for friendly conversation and allows the new hire to relate to their colleagues immediately.

For any employee’s first day, facilitate a 20- to 30-minute all-hands breakfast in a common space so everyone can take a moment to put a face with a name. This doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. Doughnuts for 40 people costs about $25 and the experience takes the edge off typically boring or intimidating introductions.

And ask a manager to plan a lunch and invite anyone who identifies as part of the team’s nucleus. This is a great bonding experience and only has to cost the price of the lunch for the manager and the new employee. To avoid the expense all together, invite the team to enjoy lunch together in the break room to get better acquainted.

Stay organized. During the onboarding process the HR professional should check in with the new hire regularly to make sure they have everything they need or aren’t too overwhelmed. Most new employees feel embarrassed to ask questions and don’t want to seem like a squeaky wheel. It helps to have several points of contact that the employee feels comfortable approaching, including an HR professional, an office administrator and a receptionist.

Also read: Shortened Onboarding Times See Mixed Results

Also read: Onboarding Tips HR Leaders Can Adopt from the First Day of School

These friendly faces should offer to make themselves available for any issues the new hire may encounter. To alleviate some of the more common questions, go ahead and give a facilities tour early in the process. Show the employee where the bathroom, water cooler and supply room are. Make them feel at home as quickly as possible.

Follow up. Most crucial to this entire onboarding process is the follow-up. Call a new employee in a month or two after their first day and get their insight into the process. Find out how they’re transitioning onto the team as a whole and ensure they have the resources they need to do their job well. Schedule a session for a group of new hires who started around the same time so they can talk about their experiences together. Every time an employee makes a suggestion, they provide a gift. Use their feedback for future onboarding hacks to create an even better experience for the next round of newbies.

While effective onboarding may seem daunting, or to some, a formality at best, it actually sets the tone for your new hire’s overall employment experience. Companies should invest time and energy into ensuring new employees transition successfully to their new position through an onboarding strategy. While managers technically absorb this responsibility once formal training begins, it behooves human resources representatives to facilitate the onboarding process behind the scenes.

After all, it’s HR’s job to maintain a healthy company culture and overall fulfillment.

December 19, 2018June 29, 2023

Announcing The Worst Employer of 2018

The day has finally arrived. It’s time to announce the Worst Employer of 2018.

To remind you, we had four finalists in contention for this … (dis)honor:

The Murdering Manager — company owner hires two men to rough-up a handyman who was not doing his job, and they accidentally kill him.

The Sexist, Racist, Xenophobic, Oh My! — plant manager calls foreign-born employees “terrorists” and women “bitches,” and tells the only black employee that her husband should work in a cotton field with a rope around his neck.

The Supervisor Supremacist — supervisor begins morning staff meetings by saying “White Power” and giving the Nazi salute; when African-American employee complains, he finds himself hanged in effigy.

The Tasering Torturer — company owner disciplines employee by threatening to kill him, lighting fires near him, and repeatedly shocking him with a taser.

The final vote wasn’t close. The winner tallied an astounding 62% of all first place votes.

The Worst Employer of 2018 is…

•

The Murdering Manager

I love it when a local boy makes good. This story came from my own backyard, right here in Northeast Ohio. In fact, the top two were both Ohio employers. (Next year, Buckeye State, let’s not try quite so hard.) Rounding out the finalists are The Sexist, Racist, Xenophobic, Oh My! in third place, and the The Supervisor Supremacist in fourth.

What did we learn? That murder bests torture, and they both top harassment of any variety.

This brings 2018’s contest to a close. I hope everyone had a little fun, and learned something along the way.

The contest has already resumed for the Worst Employer of 2019 — Our first nominee, The Philandering Pharmacist (thankfully not from Ohio), has already set a pretty high bar.

Also read: Announcing the Worst Employer of 2017!