Talent Report+THRIVE
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Episodes
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
January Talent Report with Jim Morgan
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Description: We're here with the latest talent trends in January, with a spotlight on the evolving role of AI in the workplace. Join us as we discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities surrounding artificial intelligence, and how organizations are harnessing this transformative technology to shape the future of work in the early months of the year.
Resources:
Talent Report+ Webinar Series
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Jim Morgan
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Hi, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive, which is on the January edition of MRA's Monthly. Taylor Report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks, Jim, again for being here.
00:00:42:17 - 00:01:06:01UnknownYeah, it's good to be back in the studio. yeah. Well, this month the special focus was on essentials for HR Professionals. So I guess my first question to you is really why this topic now? And maybe before we get into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which was related to A.I.. So can you kind of speak on that for a little bit, why you chose that and then the topic.
00:01:06:04 - 00:01:34:02UnknownYeah. Sure. The quote was A.I. is moving from traditional Human Resources Shared Services Administration up to human resources, business partner work using virtual assistants who provide us with cognitive insights like Alexa. It's going to happen faster and harder than HR people are ready for. And that was somebody from Deloitte. And I just thought it was interesting because where we're at right now with A.I. in HR is the very beginning.
00:01:34:04 - 00:01:55:20UnknownAnd, you know, we did some polling of our own members and talking to our own staff. I mean, it's really at its beginnings stages, and we're just trying to help our 4000 member companies kind of get out in front of it, see what's happening, you know, and where do I belong in all of this? And I think what really launched this is it took someone in the technology field to explain this to me.
00:01:55:20 - 00:02:18:04UnknownBut they said, you know, when they're when they're working on products, theirs is very much a ready fire aim philosophy. It's it doesn't have to be done. Let's just throw it out there and see what happens because our customers will scream at us with whatever is wrong. And if you think of any new version of Microsoft or any new Apple phone, there's a reason it's 2.02.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2.
00:02:18:06 - 00:02:38:24UnknownAnd that they put something out there and they say, okay, what don't our people like? And then we'll fix it. And that's different than most any other industry that usually is like, we got to get this thing right to our customers or satisfied. But in the technology world, everything's moving so fast, it's more or less put it out there and then we can just pivot and go in a different direction of That's all we need to do.
00:02:38:24 - 00:03:06:10UnknownSo we pick now at the start of the year because I think this is going to be a huge year for artificial intelligence and certainly for our members and people in HR. Yeah, absolutely. And you had kind of subject matter expert Chris Krause, vice president and principal consultant at Naviant join you for this talent report as well. And he gave kind of insight into all things AI related in terms of implementing it in companies and with HR teams specifically.
00:03:06:11 - 00:03:34:17UnknownSo can you highlight some of his key points that you kind of talked about? And Yeah, and I would encourage people to watch that. One is Chris really did do a good job, but he was just sort of breaking it down in terms of where are different places that this will be used in HR And a lot of people have used Chad GPT or some other generative artificial intelligence to do things like how to write a job description or put together a career path.
00:03:34:17 - 00:03:53:06UnknownAnd he was sharing examples of that. And again, you know, everybody has to understand this is is not perfect. You don't ask a question, print it out and send it out to an interviewer, closest friends. But it's a good place to start. And he used the example of a machinist he just typed in, you know, what's a good job description for a machinist?
00:03:53:08 - 00:04:14:24UnknownAnd it came back with responsibilities and requirements and then he asked what would be a good, you know, career path for a machinist. And it came back with beginner, intermediate, advanced Leader and so, again, it wasn't the it wasn't the this is what's going into our policy handbook answer, But it was, wow, this is a pretty good start.
00:04:14:24 - 00:04:32:02UnknownAnd now if I'm a company looking for that machinist, I figure, okay, this is a good start. Now I need to add what is it that we need and what are the things that we're looking for? And he talked about, you know, using things like chat bots because there's just so many things that are standard questions in HR
00:04:32:07 - 00:04:53:20UnknownAnd i know that when benefits come around our age, our department and everyone would like to have some. If there was a way to just answer these, you know, what's the difference between plan one and plan two? What's duct to bowl? What does it mean to be out of service area? Those are all programable easy, you know, ready to answer questions.
00:04:53:22 - 00:05:17:16UnknownAnd so looking at it from a what are the administrative tasks or the redundant things that might be able to be better done in a different way? That's kind of where he started, but then went on to say, you know, artificial intelligence is being used in learning and development, it's being used in recruiting, and all of it is how do we take advantage of this asset and use it for good and not for you all?
00:05:17:16 - 00:05:37:06UnknownAnd he just had some real good examples of ways in which it was being used specifically in human resources. Yeah, I was going to say he did give a lot of great examples and I would urge you to take a look at that recording. And also while we're on this topic, do you want to kind of give an inch of the AI series that's going to be coming out?
00:05:37:07 - 00:05:57:10UnknownYeah, sure. We're we're very excited by this, are just putting it together. It'll probably be March, April, but we're really trying to break it down into sections and talk about, you know, here's a AI, here's the basics of what's going on, but then talk about what does this mean for our administration? What does this mean for HR And learning development?
00:05:57:12 - 00:06:17:11UnknownWhat does this mean for HR and employee engagement? Yeah, all of them have samples of ways in which artificial intelligence is being utilized in a jar already. So i think it'll be a really good starting point for a lot of people who are like, I don't know where to go. I don't know where to start. I even know what the possibilities are.
00:06:17:13 - 00:06:32:12UnknownWe're going to bring in some folks. I think they're going to be able to lay things out, not here's the answer, not here's prescription as to how you should do it. But, you know, here's the possible you got to figure out where it fits in your company. So I'm we'll be putting those out pretty soon. I think that'll be very exciting.
00:06:32:15 - 00:07:02:21UnknownYeah. We also have a whole section on artificial intelligence at our employee law update that's coming up. So that's another one that, you know, again, we're trying to just help our members see where this might be going and they figure out what's going to be best for our company for sure. So stay tuned for that. But I'm kind of moving on here, looking at your actual talent report now with recruiting and retention innovation, it looks like you've pulled some stats from a new report from intelligent AECOM on some new and interesting happenings in recruiting.
00:07:02:21 - 00:07:26:09UnknownSo can you kind of highlight what was seen here in some of those stats? Yeah, what we what we pulled out there was really it was looking at bachelor's degrees, quite frankly. And I think I think a lot of companies have picked up on this already. But, you know, many if they haven't updated anything in a while, Bachelor degrees 30 years ago were a separation of two piles of resumes like has one doesn't have one.
00:07:26:09 - 00:07:59:19UnknownAnd that's kind of the way things functioned. And the world has changed. And now it's you might be looking for a specific skill set and you might be looking for a certificate. You might just be looking for someone who's got the right attitude and fits your culture, and we can teach them the rest of it. So it was just looking at companies now that are starting to drop bachelor's degree from something that might have just been in there because it's always been in there and saying, what is it that we actually have to have, especially at in some entry level jobs and even middle level jobs where they may have gotten all kinds of experience
00:07:59:19 - 00:08:23:13Unknownsomewhere else or have the ability and the skill set to do things and don't necessarily have that degree. So it was really encouraging companies to take a hard look at their the job postings in their job descriptions, to say even beyond just bachelor's degrees. You have a bunch of things in there that maybe just don't apply anymore, or that if you find the right person, you can teach them some of the things that.
00:08:23:15 - 00:08:53:17UnknownSo it's just interesting. I think companies, again, are trying to get as big a funnel of candidates as they possibly can and not eliminate someone that might still have the ability to do the job. So get rid of those just qualifiers. Yeah, that is interesting. Kind of moving on from that point, then going off of recruiting and retention specifically going into more of the talent thinking talent pool, it looks like LinkedIn released its 34 big ideas that will change our world in 2024 or less.
00:08:53:19 - 00:09:16:20UnknownAnd I know you took you looked at that list and from that list, what do you see that's really of interest to HR Professionals specifically? Yeah, it's a really interesting list. And if someone's got the time to go, look, i'm sure if you just google linkedin's 34. Interesting things for 2024, you'd find it. It's just overall, it was a look at just society in general and some things that are going on.
00:09:16:22 - 00:09:41:01UnknownBut some of the interesting ones that I thought, okay, well, these applied HR Specifically we've been talking about employee shortages, you know, here in the united states, but they had an interesting section in there on, you know, other countries that are actually encouraging and trying to put incentives in place for people to have children, whether that we're going to pay for child care or there's a bonus when the child is born.
00:09:41:03 - 00:10:17:03UnknownThey're really trying. I mean, they've got some serious problems. And, you know, years and years of China, you know, people having one male child, that's got consequences to it. And now some of those countries are starting to see it. So it's not just happening in the United States. It's it's happening other places as well. Were they also we're looking at this might be the year where tensions kind of come to a head between primarily, I would say, newer and younger employees and traditional employers where new employees expectations might not mij meet employers.
00:10:17:05 - 00:10:35:04UnknownAnd I'm not saying one sided right or wrong, but if this is the way we've been doing things for 100 years and now you're coming in and you're telling me you want it done completely differently or you were expecting 10% raises every year, or the employer is saying, no, you have to come back to work, you have to be in the office.
00:10:35:06 - 00:11:05:09UnknownA lot of these things may be coming to a head, you know, this year to say, all right, whereas an employee do I bend, whereas an employer do I bend, and probably somewhere in the middle is the fair answer. But we may see some some long held beliefs that are going to be tested this year and and see, you know, employer versus employee, you know, who ends up winning out on that and expected unretired payment wave in 2020 for people who just said, this is it, I'm getting out.
00:11:05:11 - 00:11:25:02UnknownBut now they're out and one they might miss the money, too. They might miss the socialization. Three, they might miss the purpose in life that some people maybe don't want want to go back to work in 60 hours a week. But they did get an awful lot out of work. And so now they might be taking a look at it again.
00:11:25:05 - 00:11:46:05UnknownYeah. And then just some interesting things around, you know, I think colleges and universities are starting to figure this out, teaching a little bit more about entrepreneurship and creator society and helping people. 1920, 21, 22 that might be looking to get into, you know, their own gig and get out there and get going sort of that might not have been taught.
00:11:46:05 - 00:12:04:12UnknownThere might have been more traditional business practices. Yeah. And so even they are now starting to see that there's a market here to say let's let's start looking at this creator environment and see if there are some things we can do there. So the world is changing and that was like three or four of them. But there was some pretty interesting insights into what might be coming down the pike.
00:12:04:13 - 00:12:31:14UnknownYeah, that just made me think of I saw a class, it was being offered online, unlike how to be an influencer, which I just thought was funny, but it's like that's kind of where you're shifting almost and it's funny, but it's true and it's happening. So. So the Healthy Boulder influencer on her podcast, you know, I guess you could say that class, I feel like there's so many different types of influencers though, so anyway though, let's talk about our creativity.
00:12:31:14 - 00:12:58:23UnknownSo you bring up generational diversity and what HR Professionals and MRA's roundtables are kind of sharing around this topic. So i'm curious to know what what are some of the things that they're saying about generational diversity that, you know, a lot of this, you know, looking at especially younger workers, you're starting to see some things like as a younger worker right now, I would say most look at it as like, I'm going to try out a bunch of things.
00:12:58:23 - 00:13:17:14UnknownI'm going to have three, four, five, six jobs in the first ten years that I'm working, and I'm going to get this great breadth of experience that makes perfect sense. I understand what they're doing. My life, it was, Well, I'm going to find this job and I'm going to learn as much as I can about it, and I'm going to climb the ladder and I'm going to be here for ten or 15 years.
00:13:17:16 - 00:13:33:15UnknownI'm not saying either one of those again is right or wrong, but if I'm looking at a resume and I've got my bias, I'm thinking, Wow, this person's moving all over. They can't hold a job. Yeah, that person's thinking, Wow, I'm a great candidate. Look at all the places that I've gone in order to get as much experience as I can.
00:13:33:17 - 00:13:55:10UnknownSo there's just a little bit of a we got to understand, you know, where each one's coming from. So I think people are starting to look at that a little bit. The feedback issue, you know, the traditional once a year will have some sort of review and we'll go through your entire year. Well, I'm not sure that's the best way to That's why it's been done.
00:13:55:12 - 00:14:17:11UnknownBut okay, So I'm trying to remember right now what my employees did last February. I'm likely to remember what did you do in December and January or December? In November. And if they had really good months, I'm probably thinking now is a great year for you. And if they had a maybe a mess up or two in the last two months, I'm thinking, boy, this has been a rough year and that's not what a lot of the younger talent is looking for.
00:14:17:11 - 00:14:38:22UnknownIt's, you know, monthly, it's immediate. You know, these sayings like, well, you'll learn if I go, don't make me make too many mistakes in order to learn, just tell me what you want me to do or what I didn't do, right? I guess so, Yeah. Yeah. So you're you're a living example of it. So I think it's, you know, understanding that that immediate feedback actually makes more sense.
00:14:38:24 - 00:15:01:11UnknownIt's more helpful, it's more productive when you've got, you know, a happier employee. And then we've talked about this before, but just the generational differences with communications. I text with you. If you know that you want to find me right now, you're liable to text me not emailing sure is like you're not picking up your phone and calling me, but that's the preferred method.
00:15:01:11 - 00:15:22:14UnknownAnd for a lot of older folks, it's like we have email, just email. We need to do it that way. Am I giving you my phone number? Yeah, I'm not. I don't know which one is right, wrong or indifferent, but they're different. And so we either as a company have to figure out what our policy is or just as employees and employers figure out, you know, what's our philosophy going to be on this so that we're at least consistent with it?
00:15:22:16 - 00:15:59:19UnknownAbsolutely. Well, kind of going into some HR Trends from the field section. McLean company recently released some HR trends in 2024. So what were some of the interesting findings that you saw here? I think some of the things are still not surprises. Recruiting was at the top. Providing a great employee experience was up there and I think that has to go with the retention part as companies are seeing that now controlling labor costs is in there, which is interesting because we did go through a few years where we were just about paying whatever it took to get people, and I think we did that.
00:15:59:19 - 00:16:24:23UnknownWe had to do it. But now there is there's a business decision to be made here that we can't be increasing by six, seven, eight, 9% our employee costs every year because we can't afford to do it. So now there might be an emphasis on how do we get smarter, how do we maybe use machines, how do we use technology to do it a little bit better so that one's on their developing leaders is on there?
00:16:24:23 - 00:16:50:11UnknownWe're seeing a lot of that and I think a lot of that is all kinds of retirements, younger people coming in and how do we train them a little bit more quickly. And the good news side, actually a good news bad news side for the HR Folks, an increase in HR Departments and HR People that are being used and are a part of organizational strategy and over the last three years rose from 36% to 50% that they are involved in those decisions.
00:16:50:13 - 00:17:12:08UnknownI don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but at the same time, we saw an increase from 34% to 47% of our professionals saying they're stressed out. so I wonder why you asked for something. You got it. Now you got more work, you know, as a group. But, you know, the good news is I think that companies are much more conscientious about our people are a big part of our strategy.
00:17:12:08 - 00:17:29:01UnknownAnd so folks are more engaged. And while I think that's part of the stress, I think the stress has more to do with just more things on their plate. You can of COVID. Now we're into remote work and where are people going to work and how do we get more out of less and how do we figure out where our compensation is right now?
00:17:29:01 - 00:17:47:19UnknownBecause the market is changing so quickly, we can't my people or I'm not I'm keeping people. There's a lot going on. And so I think that had an awful lot to do with them with the stress and the last one, I think is about 80, 81% of the people said, we think we're settling into the whole remote work thing.
00:17:47:19 - 00:18:04:09UnknownNow, I think people are starting to figure out whatever that means for them, were totally remote, were totally in the office, or most likely we've got a combination, but we've we've kind of figured out what it is. It's three days a week. There's a week two days a week, whatever it might be. Companies are starting to figure it out.
00:18:04:14 - 00:18:28:16UnknownYeah, So I think we're getting there with that one. Yeah, definitely. And I feel like maybe part of the reason why there's more HR Folks doing more strategic work now too. Could be because of ai or that i could help grow that percentage just because, like you've mentioned, i kind of helps you focus on the strategic work while ai is helping you with more of the operational day to day routine tasks.
00:18:28:16 - 00:18:52:14UnknownYep. And kind of going off of AI. Then Emery actually released a recent hot topic survey on AI in the workplace in this month and charts you kind of looked at a couple of the questions from that survey. So can you give us some of the data and what were the questions? First of all, I guess, yeah, first, we were trying to figure out where our members were at, you know, because our job is to is to really to serve them.
00:18:52:18 - 00:19:21:11UnknownYeah. But we asked them the first question we asked them is what percentage of your employees are currently testing out AI? And we laughed at that broad. But really we're willing to take, you know, almost anything. You know, I've been on chatbot once. Okay, yeah, that qualifies. But we still had 76% of our members have less than 5%, or at least they think less than 5% of their folks are active in in AI and another 14% that 5 to 10%.
00:19:21:11 - 00:19:43:20UnknownSo still very new. You know, for all of them. We also asked them if they had an individual or a department, somebody responsible for whatever they were going to do and whether that was can you just figure out what's going on all the way to strategic development? And 74% of them were at a point of we have nobody in charge.
00:19:43:20 - 00:20:01:15UnknownWe might have people looking at it, we might have people taken, you know, stabs added, but they really didn't have someone who said, you know, your job is to make sure we know where we need to be and what's going on. So very new with all of them at the same time, you know, we said, well, what do you need from us?
00:20:01:17 - 00:20:25:03UnknownAnd we had, you know, 80% of the people saying, geez, I could use some user guides and goals and objectives. I could use more content on what's going on. So they're looking for can you give me some things and start feeding me stuff? Because I think people know this is coming. Yeah, I'm not going to stop and you're not going to be able to control it, so we better get out in front of it a little bit.
00:20:25:05 - 00:20:50:18UnknownSo there was a lot of interest in that. And then because we had the webinar series coming up, we asked them about, you know, what exactly in age are you looking for? Is it? I think we offered them learning and development, just the admin side of our employee engagement recruiting, and all of them came back and, you know, different mixes and matches, but all of them, there were about 60 to 65% had an interest in every one of those.
00:20:50:20 - 00:21:15:07UnknownYeah. So I think it's I just need some help, Right. Well it's like just provide me something and I think that I'll be happy. So we are, you know, like everybody else, we not only have to figure it out for mirror with our own products and services and our own staff, but also figure out where our members are at and, you know, try to help them get to where they got to get because there's going to be a big year for I think a lot is going to happen.
00:21:15:09 - 00:21:31:06UnknownI mean, we all got to be ready for it. Yeah, well, good thing we have the air series coming out. We do? Yeah, we do. So. So we've got your Alberts. Well, Jim, as a kind of close out here, can you give us a look ahead at next month's or February's talent report and the kind of topics you'll be talking about there?
00:21:31:10 - 00:21:58:05UnknownYeah, we're we're going to look at internships again, but a little bit deeper around. I think it's becoming one of the leading ways for companies to find people. But those strategies around how, you know, when do I find them, how do I find them, how do I prepare them, how do I make sure their experience is a good one and how do I hang on to them and kind of give them a path right into our organization?
00:21:58:05 - 00:22:21:21UnknownBecause if we're going to invest in bringing these people in and having these interns and helping them learn, it can't just be three months of busy work. Now we have to look at them as we're almost onboarding them, right? Three months. We're trying to prepare them, one, to understand the business and two, to want to work here. And then especially for those that, you know, maybe have another year of school left, we've got nine months now.
00:22:21:21 - 00:22:35:17UnknownThey figure out how to hang on to them. So what are we doing to make that a good experience that they're not looking anywhere else and we know we can count on them when they graduate the next May. So it is kind of going to be a, you know, right from the beginning to getting them to come work for us.
00:22:35:19 - 00:22:57:22UnknownYou know, how do we just look at this as this is our supply chain and we all take care of it? Yeah, well, that will be a great topic and February is a great time to start that conversation. So looking forward to a time to all. Jim, thank you again, per usual for all the back. Great information and kind of recapping what you were seeing, January's talent report.
00:22:57:24 - 00:23:24:02UnknownBut to our listeners, if you liked our chat and our topic for today, don't forget to share out this episode. Give it a like we recommend and consider joining MRA if you are not a member already. As usual, we have all the resources for you in the show notes below, so make sure to look at those. We have Jim's LinkedIn profile if you want to get in contact with him or have any questions for him and we'll see you next week for our next episode.
00:23:24:07 - 00:23:42:06UnknownSo thank you again. Jim. Yeah, my pleasure. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out.
00:23:42:06 - 00:23:47:00UnknownThanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
HR Trends Shaping the Workplace
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Description: In this episode, we explore cutting-edge HR trends. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we delve into the evolving landscape. Discover how HR navigates challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to shape the workplace of the future.
Resources:
2024 HR Trends
2024 HR Trends
2024 Employee Trends
Labor Shortage
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Keri Wozniak
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:54:07UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. In this episode specifically, we're going to be talking about cutting edge trends with MRA, our business partner, Kari Wozniak. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we'll give you advice on how to navigate challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while also implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to really shaped or the workplace of the future.
00:00:54:09 - 00:01:16:15UnknownSo, Kari, I know you really work directly with a lot of our member companies and you've been in HR for over 20 years, I think so you've really seen it all when it comes to trends and challenges. So I'm excited about the opportunity to really sit down and talk with you on what you're currently seeing trend wise. So thanks again for being here today.
00:01:16:15 - 00:01:44:08UnknownI'm excited. Thanks. I'll be excited to be here to all just kind of kick in kicking it off. Employee experience is often cited as a critical factor in organizational success. So how are HR Professionals really working to enhance and optimize the overall employee journey with their companies? Sure. You know, this is an ongoing area of concern and has been for for for quite a while.
00:01:44:10 - 00:02:07:15UnknownAs as everyone is aware, we've been involved in a labor shortage for quite a while. It's not expected to change anytime soon. As you know, birth rates are low and generational changes and all that stuff's kind of coming through. So the employee experience becomes critical to attracting and retaining your talent. So some just key things to think about is you really need to be listening to your employees.
00:02:07:17 - 00:02:23:03UnknownYou know, it's okay to read the articles out there, listen to trends, you know, pay attention to what's going on in the world because that will help guide you in the right direction. But your teams, your environment is going to be a little bit different than anywhere else. So you want to make sure that you're you have frequent and targeted feedback loops of your employees.
00:02:23:03 - 00:02:49:08UnknownSo think about things like pulse surveys, small group listening sessions, day interviews, things like that, so that you understand why people stay and why you believe and you can address those to make sure that you have the right employee experience. You also want to make sure that you're starting small and implementing quickly. We just don't have the time anymore to plan for a year and then take a long time to implement and have the perfect programs.
00:02:49:10 - 00:03:05:16UnknownInstead, we need to look at these things as continuous improvements. Pick a few things that you can implement quickly that will have an impact on your team and move those over the finish line so that you actually see the impact of those. And then, of course, circling back with your employees, making sure that did you actually hit the mark?
00:03:05:16 - 00:03:27:18UnknownIs this what they wanted? So that's general guidelines and how to tackle things. But some actual specific ideas here are communication tools. So you need to make sure that you are communicating with your employees for the channels they actually use. And, you know, we are so used to using email newsletters, even home mailings that are now pretty old school versions.
00:03:27:21 - 00:03:46:10UnknownYou still need those because you have a lot of people who are comfortable with them. But now you need to be looking at your texting your employees. Are you recording video messages or are you utilizing instant messaging? What about like communication apps like Slack, things like that? You need to make sure that you're communicating with your teams in in those areas.
00:03:46:10 - 00:04:10:07UnknownIt is in all of these places or at least in a select few, and that you're having that same consistent message regardless of where you're communicating because you want them all to hear the same things, but where they're actually going to go, where they're going to go use it. And in that you're considering your generations, you're considering learning and communication styles and then what technology is actually available to the individual.
00:04:10:09 - 00:04:34:01UnknownYou know, your manufacturing employees don't necessarily have the same access to drop as team has. So how are you making sure that they're still getting the messages that you need to have them out there? And time is always an issue, so don't overwhelm your communications team with a million different things to focus on. Make sure it's a sustainable process and that you're automating where you can.
00:04:34:03 - 00:04:57:03UnknownSo some other things beyond communication tools is you want to make sure you're integrating and simplifying your technology tools. Again, the more things you have, the more you going to manage. So looking at fewer sources of truth or better aggregated tools to be able to pull your information and think about the the consumer experience your employees are used to when they're at home, right?
00:04:57:03 - 00:05:26:13UnknownThey're using Alexa, Siri and Google in order to get the information they need to do their personal work in seconds. But then at work, we're going into different THRIVEs, different disparate systems. You got to remember where everything's housed and how you actually pull everything together. It's time consuming and it's frustrating. So how do you mirror that consumer experience at work that they're used to at home or actually watching technology things?
00:05:26:15 - 00:05:45:23Unknownabsolutely. And I feel like just to add on that, the employee experience, it comes down to how well you can listen to your employees and implement the things that they want and that they're interested in. So I like that you highlighted that you don't always have to listen to that outside conversations that might be kind of pulling you in.
00:05:45:23 - 00:06:11:06UnknownIt's really about what does your company value, what do your employees value, and something that might work for one person might not work for another. But I'm glad that you personalization, right? Like at the end of the day, your employees want to know that you know them. You absolutely very well kind of moving on now into flexible work arrangements that's been a key trend the past couple years now.
00:06:11:08 - 00:06:35:17UnknownSo how how is really addressing the challenges of managing hybrid teams then and what strategies are being implemented to ensure collaboration and communication remain effective? Sure. So there's a couple different different things in there. So being flexible in the first place, creating those flexible work arrangements is going to be really, really important. And we're all we're hearing a lot about.
00:06:35:19 - 00:07:01:13UnknownIt's no longer about work life balance, it's about work life integration or fit and the concept there is it's not how do I fit my life around my job, it's how do I how do I have meaningful work that's going to support the life that I want to have? And while that seems like a nuance, it's a really important distinction because employees maybe don't want their whole identity to be what they do for a living anymore.
00:07:01:15 - 00:07:24:17UnknownAnd everybody has different challenges, whether it's the raising children, if they've got aging parents, if they've got just hobbies or, you know, desires to travel the world or whatever, those things are, they want to figure out how to balance that while providing the opportunity to be a professional, to contribute in different ways. So to me, one of the key things that employers need to do is be creative.
00:07:24:17 - 00:07:50:13UnknownWe can't just sit there and look at, well, everybody has to work 9 to 5 in an office and do things exactly the way that we've historically used it, you know, the pandemic that we always want to bring that up. But it just changed people's expectations and how they can how they know they can get work done. So so whether it's remote hybrid, so where you actually do work, but there's also the actual schedule itself.
00:07:50:13 - 00:08:14:17UnknownSo can I work maybe four tens? Can I work long hours on weekends or even a combination of those things? Is it more I just need to get my work done when I get it done, maybe matters a little bit less. You can even look at hiring people into job sharing kind of situations where maybe you're hiring two part time people to accomplish the tasks of one full time job.
00:08:14:19 - 00:08:35:14UnknownA lot of companies are starting to use contractors and consultants, kind of this gig concept. Like, I have a project, I'm going to pick that up, I'm going to work on it. So if you're employing people in these these new ways, it's not all just full time Monday through Friday kind of employees. Then you've got to figure out how do you how do you communicate amongst all these different schedules?
00:08:35:14 - 00:09:00:16UnknownHow do you ensure that people feel like a part of a team and that especially you hear it on weekends and like night shifts and things like that, They don't feel like they're part of the team anymore. So so a key is actually pulling people together in collaborative and community and strong communication ways. So with a focus on actually getting to know each other, having that social connection while you're still being productive.
00:09:00:20 - 00:09:30:16UnknownAnd so can you build your team meetings in person, maybe have core hours that everybody has to be there on Wednesdays from from tended to. But other than that, we can kind of work around it. But in those times when you're having people in these more collaborative work environments, make sure it's fun and make it worth driving into the office when if I could have just done my meeting on Zoom at home anyway, why did I THRIVE 45 minutes into the office today?
00:09:30:18 - 00:09:57:24UnknownSo make sure it's worthwhile that they're having that those connections. And it's not always just work like some of it's getting to know your team, having just that time to talk so that they can work better on other things outside of those meetings too. So I think it's just really important that there is that environment when you're together, that you're having fun, you're still getting things done and you're building that that team environment, you know?
00:09:58:01 - 00:10:22:20UnknownAbsolutely. I love all those ideas. Kari And we talk a lot with Jim Morgan. You mentioned the generational differences and export work arrangements, brings up a lot of ideas and even challenges with with generations and working flexible hours. I know sometimes we talk about these like, why are you emailing me at 2 a.m. and it's like, Hey, that might work for me and it might not work for you.
00:10:22:20 - 00:10:45:02UnknownBut if the employer can understand that not everybody is the same, I think that will I don't know. It just helps create kind of that more cohesive team. Even if I'm working the same 9 to 5, like you mentioned one, when you get with employers, I think the resistance comes from we've never really learned how to manage people that way.
00:10:45:04 - 00:11:06:14UnknownYou know, historically I kind of button seat management, which is maybe not the best term, but we're so used to like, I see you, I see working on your computer, you're actively engaged in a meeting. I can tell that you're doing your job when you're not in front of me, when I can't actually see the work that not even seeing an output in that scenario.
00:11:06:14 - 00:11:33:09UnknownBut when I can't see that you're working, then people question, Well, maybe they're doing something else. And then there starts to be this little bit of distrust. We need to change our management styles to focusing on outcomes instead. So it's not as much about how many hours I worked or when I worked or, you know, whether or not you went through 100 emails today or, you know, all of that is I need to produce this result.
00:11:33:09 - 00:11:56:11UnknownSo is it in my doing something of quality? Is that effective and am I having a positive impact on my team? You know, those are things we need to start measuring. But the harder they're just because a lot of jobs, they don't make widgets. You know, it's not that I'm going to produce 30 of these things an hour so how can you say I have strong output in, in what I'm doing?
00:11:56:13 - 00:12:15:19UnknownSo managers and I need to take a step back in these and evaluate the roles? How do I manage these these positions effectively so that I'm not questioning whether or not they're actually doing the job, the right thing. The right thing is, is what I produce now, how long it takes me to produce and where I do it.
00:12:15:21 - 00:12:44:18UnknownAbsolutely. That's a great point, Harry. We're also in the age of social media and increased transparency. So I'm curious, how is employer branding evolving then, with that in mind, in what role does it really play in shaping and promoting a positive employer brand and culture? Sure, a lot of this goes back to that employee experience that we talked about as the first question, and this is now your content for your employer brand, right?
00:12:44:18 - 00:13:08:10UnknownLike when you're asking the questions of your team, of what they want, then when you actually put programs in place, when things are effective, then that's what you need to do and tell tell the outside world about it and remind your your current employees when you're doing those things and what the benefits of having them are. So making sure that you're telling people the things that you're working at and getting that out there.
00:13:08:10 - 00:13:34:01UnknownBut you need to also make sure that the employer brand rings true to what your environment actually is. I think historically, marketing would put together this really professional and buttoned up program that made everything look perfect. We're seeing now instead that employers are taking their phones out and they're recording things just as much more casual, but it's more real.
00:13:34:03 - 00:13:57:16UnknownAnd I think the candidates today and employees are they connect to that because they know that things aren't always produced. And it's not that everyone's always beautiful in an actress and they should leave things instead. I want to see my coworker wearing their uniform actually working on a piece of equipment, talking about what their day is. This comes in as like workers always refer to it as the realistic job preview.
00:13:57:16 - 00:14:27:19UnknownYou know, you want to know if you're coming into an organization, what you're actually going to experience, not just what your leadership wants people to see. So being very, very honest about it, making sure that what you're putting out about your employer brand, whether it's on social media, whether it's just through word of mouth, that it actually matches what your organization does, so that when someone comes into the organization that you know, okay, this is what I thought I was getting into.
00:14:27:21 - 00:14:52:01UnknownAnd there's fun ways to do that, especially in small businesses. I think the they tend to think they need a full marketing team to build this out. You can put little notes out about employee promotions or new hires and anniversaries. You can talk about your long term employees and you know, what is their career path, kind of then throw out the time they've been there or, you know, you brought in pizza posted that's okay.
00:14:52:03 - 00:15:14:20UnknownBut those are truly things that you're doing as an organization. But then try to encourage people to do more. Like if you do volunteer days, can we post about those? If there is training that's been received, maybe you sent somebody to Emory and they got certified. Put that out there too, because these are things showing how you're actually supporting your employees in real life.
00:15:14:22 - 00:15:37:16UnknownYou know, absolutely. Those are all great examples, too. And I like that pulling out your phone and just taking a casual video feel like I've heard that so much recently. And I think Amanda Mosteller one of our working and developing instructors called it like the TikTok era, where you just do a quick 32nd video, kind of showcase who you are, what the brand is.
00:15:37:18 - 00:16:07:24UnknownAnd I had a story about that. Our marketing team was in. We worked on some project for, like we to bring in the light, to bring in the cameras, kind of like you said, the full produce. And it's like, no, just take out your phone, your cart recorded selfie style. That's what everyone wants to see. And like you said, it's very relatable and it may or may not be a generational thing, as in, I think the younger generation is used to seeing that same all over.
00:16:08:01 - 00:16:42:16UnknownAnd maybe that's something that the more seasoned professionals have to get used to that style. But I definitely agree that that's that's where branding and kind of digital content is going is the more relatable content. And I think while it is generational from the standpoint of expecting it in, I think all the generations kind of recognize that it feels more accurate in that it's like, okay, that actually probably happened, right?
00:16:42:20 - 00:17:07:09UnknownThey didn't spend $100,000 to produce this video, you know, and the questions behind that messaging. So I think it is a it's more about being transparent as an organization. And I think there's tools to make that easier to do. And actually, just as I'm saying, the word transparent, the other thing that is really important with employer brands and HR
00:17:07:11 - 00:17:30:14UnknownKnows this is is your pay pay transparency is really, really important. It's it's coming. If it's not already in your state, it's coming and know the legislations their candidates expect it. We got to stop trying to pretend it's something nobody talks about and start being more upfront about it. And so how do you wrap that into your employer brand?
00:17:30:16 - 00:17:52:01UnknownAnd, you know, we can't necessarily be the top payers and with all the benefits, you know, you have to balance your your dollars. But you can talk about what's key, you know, do you have incentive compensation that helps you stand out? Do you you know, maybe you are paying at the higher, higher level or you have some special employee benefit to your total rewards is is a is a balancing act.
00:17:52:01 - 00:18:24:01UnknownBut make sure that you're talking about that and and that you're just you're being upfront about what you believe the job is worth because then you're going to get the people to apply who and who also think that's what the job's worth, right? For sure. So just continuing with the digital digital training here with the rise of automation and I was really balancing technology adoption with the human touch in managing talent and fostering a positive workplace culture.
00:18:24:04 - 00:18:42:04UnknownSo that's been a big challenge for a lot of people recently. Well, it's so new and it's in I mean, my guess is not new. I grew up in the nineties. If we're watching The Terminator, right? Like, I mean, you expected it to come and, and now it's a question of what does it mean in reality and not in science fiction.
00:18:42:06 - 00:19:11:02UnknownAnd so every business function, including ours, is grappling with this at some, some level. I think the most important thing that needs to get out in front of this is to remind employees and themselves they are not replacing you. There is still another job on the other side of it, no different than in in the Industrial Revolution when we started seeing machines come into manufacturing, we didn't stop hiring people because the machines were there.
00:19:11:04 - 00:19:32:05UnknownNow we just needed a different skill set and so we had to make sure that that we're keeping people trained, that they're learning along the way so that they don't get left behind because the DNA not your replace your job, but you are not learning how to use it, will make someone else replace your job. The person who actually does have that skill.
00:19:32:07 - 00:19:53:04UnknownAnd so that's important for for each of us as as professionals, You know, we're employees too, but we need to stay in front of our employees and remind them that their that jobs will exist. It just might not look tomorrow exactly the way that it looked today, but it never has. So that's not completely unheard of anyway. But so we need to get in front of that.
00:19:53:04 - 00:20:27:12UnknownWe need to communicate with them, you know, where we see AI coming into their particular roles and then take the time to build training and adoption tools to help them get there because it is going to be new for everybody. So let's just keep everybody moving at the same time. Things that I think about and where I probably should be coming into play is you're trying to automate manual, repetitive processes that don't require creativity, strategic thinking or what I think is important, an empathetic response, right?
00:20:27:12 - 00:20:54:12UnknownPeople need to do that. But if the rules are already there and it's a plus B, we'll see. Get people out of that. It's not worth their time. That's when you start to have the technology come come into play too, to do that. So for our specifically, that might be answering questions on policies and benefit inquiries like it's factual and be able to use a chat bot for something like that.
00:20:54:14 - 00:21:34:21UnknownHow do you, how do you use systems and tools? You don't necessarily need to have somebody standing in front of them doing the training. How can you help affected training that that's there that they can utilize and access without the without taking up the time of an individual? Things like metrics and data reporting. I mean, I'll be able to set up automated resume screening and interview coordination are hugely time consuming things that again, as long as you define your factors and can can very much be done by by software and then performance cycle administration, I think is an area that can really get focused on what I want.
00:21:34:21 - 00:22:07:06UnknownScaring people is the idea that performance management, actual management might get in been used with I, I don't see that happening for quite a long time because there is still that's the creativity and strategic thinking and we have to have pretty pretty fancy software to be able to get that right. But that leads into HR Has to be a gatekeeper of if you want to call it algorithms, if you want to call parameters, whatever the rules are that are being built, HR
00:22:07:06 - 00:22:32:01UnknownHas to review those for bias. So you can't have your recruitment software picking your hires because there is inherent bias in the data that we're using to automate this process in the first place, and we have to question it. We got to put those on that scene with compensation, career development, anything that is truly career and employment impacting HR
00:22:32:01 - 00:22:57:06UnknownReally needs to be reviewing what those rules are that are being put into the system and and doing adverse impact analysis to make sure that we're not going to have whether conscious or unconscious bias come in because that's going to get you in legal trouble. But more importantly, it's unethical, right? No, i'm i'm really glad you reiterated the point that I is not going to get rid of your job and that we still need you.
00:22:57:08 - 00:23:23:00UnknownI feel like I've heard that in a lot of places and we've talked about it on a couple of podcasts. But those are all great examples of where HR and just business overall can use AI and how you can kind of integrate it into your automated processes so you can focus on all of the strategic planning processes if the things you don't like to do because they're boring.
00:23:23:02 - 00:24:00:17Unknownthere you go, There you go. And then you can focus on like the stuff that you actually really want to do, which is using your brain. Exactly. Well, the concept of agile HR Is also gaining popularity. So my question is, how are HR teams embracing agility to respond quickly to changing business needs and marketing market dynamics? Yeah, this is a it mentioned a little bit earlier, but it's it's changing your mindset from only implementing things when they're perfect to getting into an iterative continuous improvement process.
00:24:00:19 - 00:24:29:01UnknownWe just don't have time with how quickly things change to make sure everything is perfect. We can't build a handbook, have to go sit on a shelf and five years from now look at it again. But you have to be pulling things out every six months, reviewing, making sure that there's minor tweaks and rolling things out. Was looking at some of my concepts like technology is becoming obsolete in 3 to 5 years.
00:24:29:03 - 00:24:53:10UnknownSo if it takes you six months to select a new system and a year to implement it and six more months to optimize and get it really working for you, you're now ready to replace it again. So you need to be constantly changing and tweaking and adjusting and that is going to to be the case for for not just your technology tools, not just your HR
00:24:53:11 - 00:25:14:06UnknownResources, but really anything that you were touching in support of the business. So when you're talking about career development, maybe you're creating career ladders, trying to retain people. You can't just build the program and come back to it a couple of years later and expect that it has been working the whole time. So we something out 80% good.
00:25:14:08 - 00:25:49:09UnknownLearn from that and then make adjustments and be transparent with your employees. Be like, Hey, we tried it. We found something that didn't work. So now we're going to adjust and try to make it better. So that's necessary with just about everything. When regulations keep changing your employees and candidates, expectations are changing so rapidly. We're just in a in a world where the iterations are coming so much faster that you have to you just have to keep adjusting along the way and don't worry about perfection.
00:25:49:11 - 00:26:13:13UnknownAnd then of course, we sort of automate where you can so that you don't have to spend your time on administrative tasks and you can focus more on on these things that need to keep changing in response to the needs your business. And I would say and celebrate wins because we kind of forget that step. We keep the burnout, all that stuff kind of comes because everything is coming so quickly.
00:26:13:15 - 00:26:35:11UnknownSo when you do implement something, remember to celebrate it. Say thank you, Remind people that it's happened so that they see the work and effort that's happening. Take a little bit of a breath before you move on to the next project. Yeah, no, absolutely. That's great advice. I'm kind of moving the conversation to a little different topic here.
00:26:35:13 - 00:27:07:18UnknownHow is HR addressing the growing importance of sustainability in corporate social responsibility, in shaping workplace values and practices? I think this is something our listeners are very curious on and they kind of want to want to know more about this topic. So we set out on this question that it's it's it's very different now than when when I started my career, I was even in even five or ten years ago when people were talking about corporate responsibility.
00:27:07:20 - 00:27:35:14UnknownBut it was more like, don't be a bad player, you know, don't don't have the you know, the Environmental Protection Agency coming in and doing something from a legislative standpoint. Now it's more about aligning your organizational values with your business process. So if you go out on many, many company websites, they'll have their mission, vision and values. You see common things about integrity and ethics.
00:27:35:16 - 00:27:59:23UnknownYou know, maybe environmental sustainability is is listed out there. But I think the most important thing is aligning that to, again, what you what you're actually doing. So it's important to to walk the talk. So you want to make sure that you're integrating your business practices in in that that social responsibility that you're saying you feel is important.
00:27:59:23 - 00:28:26:14UnknownSo think about like maybe you need to review your supply chain contracts because you want to align with, you know, maybe you've got a DEA and B program that you're very vocal about you're putting on your employer brand. You can't sit there and say, I'm in support of a particular group, but then never use them as your supply chain.
00:28:26:16 - 00:28:51:23UnknownSo what are your criteria for selecting vendors? How do you bring that in from from a social responsibility standpoint? You know, looking at your manufacturing practices, it's great to sit there and say we will we recycle, reduce, reuse, recycle. But what if your manufacturing practices are creating significant amounts of waste? You need to look at that process and find ways to to have a direct impact.
00:28:52:00 - 00:29:18:15UnknownYou might want to implement a scholarship program that's in support of, you know, organizations or groups that you're providing support to. So again, just that deeper integration that rings true to your organization. So it's not enough just to to post support out on social media or write a donation check. You need to align who you are as an organization, which you're saying in your values.
00:29:18:15 - 00:29:43:05UnknownThis is who you are with, what you're actually doing. And so that's going to help with your employees will see that it'll gain trust with them candidates where this is important to them. They'll be attracted to your organization because it aligns with their values. And I mean, that's the perfect scenario is if you can recruit people who believe what you believe, they're going to fit your culture.
00:29:43:05 - 00:30:14:02UnknownThey're going to they're going to they're going to stick with you, too, because there is more to the relationship than a paycheck. Instead, they feel good about what they're doing. So a couple of common areas, because I think people question, you know, what is it all mean? What's the definition of this? Some common areas that organizations are considering under that social responsibility kind of umbrella is, as I mentioned, the diversity equity inclusion, belonging activities, environmental sustainability, fair trade.
00:30:14:04 - 00:30:37:19UnknownYou know, again, you want to buy from vendors in potentially third world countries that are not paying people effectively or just have to the sustainable wages and then responsible labor practices within your own, your own environment, within anybody that you're doing business with. So those are things to to measure as well as make sure that you're considering when you're making decisions.
00:30:37:19 - 00:31:00:18UnknownAnd as an organization. Absolutely. Those are great examples and I feel like a common one too, is just volunteering. A lot of organizations say they value volunteering, but then it's like, do you give your employees volunteer opportunities to sit out, kind of start to finish thing? Like, do you follow up with them? How is their experience? How how they get involved in the community?
00:31:00:18 - 00:31:19:16UnknownLike you can't just stop at 25%. You got to keep it going kind of thing. There are some organizations and I won't name any, but I'm very recognizable that you see out in the world wearing their volunteer t shirts and you see them at events all over the place. And so, you know that that's really something that that organization takes seriously.
00:31:19:18 - 00:31:48:02UnknownRight? Right. Well, just kind of wrapping up here today. One more question for you. Leadership development is obviously crucial for organizational growth. So what initiatives are HR Departments implementing to identify and nurture leadership talent within organization? This is a really key area for me, and i feel like we don't spend quite enough time and energy on this in an actual practice.
00:31:48:04 - 00:32:23:01UnknownYou know, so often we promote the best individual contributor into running a department, but we haven't necessarily stepped back and said, are they a leader? Are they somebody that people go to naturally when when when the managers in a meeting, who do they actually reach out amongst their team members to get support and help? So first, I think your selection process needs to definitely be evaluated a little bit more and you need to make sure that the individual contributors can still grow without becoming managers because not every person should become a leader.
00:32:23:03 - 00:32:47:04UnknownBut then another aspect of leadership development for me is actually the job evaluation of our front line and mid-level managers. We have a lot going on in these positions. There's high, high expectations of them and they don't always have the time and resources to be able to actually do the job effectively. So it's a really common pressure point.
00:32:47:04 - 00:33:20:22UnknownAnd what I mean by that is senior leadership has expectations of goals and initiatives and growth plans that need to be executed on by these team members. And now we're seeing employee expectations and the employee experience has increased a lot of what they expect out of their frontline manager. You know, they're expecting that their managers want to know them as individuals, that they adjust their leadership style to them, that they're helping them develop in their careers, that they're representing the organization on a day to day basis.
00:33:20:22 - 00:33:55:12UnknownStrong communication, regular feedback. You know, there's just a there's a lot that's being expected at that. And then these roles commonly have extremely high spans of control. So you see it's not uncommon to see a supervisor have 20 to 30 direct reports if you expect them to know their employees on an individual basis and provide a strong employee experience, while also meeting the strategic goals and needs of the organization, probably need to take a look at the span of control because that's probably not a realistic ask.
00:33:55:14 - 00:34:20:14UnknownAnd they also have a lot of administrative work, whether it's time cards and performance reviews and you just all these tools and resources that they have to do on an ongoing basis. So I think it's a really important that we especially as we take a step back and then look at whether it's a program we're implementing, what's the impact on them, but also are we really designing the jobs in a way that's going to make them successful?
00:34:20:15 - 00:34:47:05UnknownSo that's a it's just a it's a key area for me is making sure that they're spending that time, especially given we know the direct managers are a key reason why employees stay or leave an organization. So if we don't provide the support to those specific individuals, how are we really long term impacting our ability to to get the right talent in the organization?
00:34:47:07 - 00:35:12:16UnknownSo it's like I said, we need to make sure that we're focusing on evaluating what those responsibilities are, how many direct reports they might have, what's the the individual contributor tasks we ask them to, because oftentimes they're also expected to be a producer on top of being the manager of a very large team that you might need to provide administrative support to them or an automation tools or something to make their jobs a little bit easier.
00:35:12:18 - 00:35:33:02UnknownAnd then being clear on training them and the skill sets that they need to do their job well and providing very clear expectations of what they're responsible for so that they can be successful. And of course, Emery can help with the training and the development and even the job evaluations if that's something that people are interested in. But I do think it's important.
00:35:33:02 - 00:35:55:24UnknownWe very often look at our senior leaders and we're looking a lot at our individual contributors these days, but this group in the middle gets kind of forgotten. Well, I think that's a great place to close out on a great conversation today. So, Keri, I want to thank you for for your expertise in ensuring that sharing the trends that you've been seeing in HR currently.
00:35:56:01 - 00:36:18:10UnknownBut to our listeners, I want to thank you also for tuning in. When Keri mentioned we have resources linked in the show notes, so make sure to check those out today or you can find them at MRA. Net dot org. We also I'm curious LinkedIn profile linked in the show notes. So if you like to connect with her or ask or any follow up questions, be sure to connect with Keri.
00:36:18:10 - 00:36:38:15UnknownI'm sure she'd be happy to do that. Keri Again, thank you for joining me today. And to our listeners, we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform.
00:36:38:16 - 00:36:48:09UnknownAnd as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
2024 Future Forward with MRA’s CEO, Susan Fronk
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
Description:
In this episode, join us for an insightful conversation with Susan Fronk, President and CEO of MRA. Get ready to kick-start your new year, as we explore trends, strategies, and expert insights that will define success in 2024. Whether you're a professional, entrepreneur, or anyone seeking to thrive in the fast-paced future, Susan shares invaluable advice for making 2024 your best year yet.
Resources:
2024 National Business Trends Survey
MRA Hot Topic Surveys
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Susan Fronk
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Susan Fronk
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:41:11UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thank you for joining us and happy New Year. And welcome back, Susan. Hey. Well, Susan, since your New Year podcast from last year is actually in our top ten podcasts of all time, we thought it would be great to really bring you back this year and share your insights for the coming year of 2024.
00:00:41:12 - 00:01:04:09UnknownYeah, I saw that, that it was in the top ten, but you know, sort of thing too much credit because I was one of the first podcasts. So it's top ten for a still call me season, right? Okay. But for those of you who may not know, Susan Fronk is MRA's president and CEO. And you're really here today to help you get your new year off to a great start, really help you and your business thrive.
00:01:04:11 - 00:01:31:17UnknownSo speaking of where to start, Susan, let's take a look at a recent national Business Trends survey from the Employers Association of America, the EAA. I know, Susan, you always talk about using data THRIVEn decisions and using those for results. So let's take a look at the results that we're seeing from the 2024 National Business Trends Survey. We know that the economy impacts everything every day, life in work.
00:01:31:19 - 00:01:58:05UnknownSo let's talk about the numbers for this year specifically. According to the survey, 67% of organizations say the economy will improve or stay the same. And that's an 18% increase from last year's report. So we're really seeing greater confidence in this year's economy. So my first question to you is, with business leaders feeling more confident, how will that impact employers for this year?
00:01:58:11 - 00:02:28:12UnknownSure. Well, first, a word about the National Business Trends survey and how relevant it is for our members. The EAA, the Employer Associations of America. Organizations like us across the country. So employers of all sizes in all industries and tens of thousands of employers. So this survey is really reflective of kind of coast to coast thinking in how they're planning for the next year.
00:02:28:14 - 00:03:14:14UnknownAnd you're right, there is a greater confidence that business will at least stay the same or improve in the year ahead. And that's great because where confidence goes, usually production follows, sales follow and hiring follows. So I know we're going to get into that, but that's kind of a mixed blessing. So hiring is still really tough. When you look at the comfort index in production and sales and where companies are going, that means there will be investments, investments made in their companies, in mergers and acquisitions, plant expansions, maybe more experimentation and innovation as well as additional hiring.
00:03:14:16 - 00:03:45:17UnknownYeah, absolutely. And according to the business Trends survey, 52% of employers here in the Midwest are looking to hire permanent staff. So when it comes to hiring and recruiting for 2024, what suggestions do you have for employers out there? Really? Sure. Generally, when I'm talking with members, whether those are our constituents or the C-suite, they are still having great difficulty finding qualified experience hires.
00:03:45:19 - 00:04:23:03UnknownSo if you think of hiring as filling positions and not just hiring somebody from outside the organization and bringing them in, it may make a little more sense. And that's some of the creative D that I see. Employers are not necessarily looking for that needle in a haystack. Well, they certainly are, but they're also saying, who in my organization may have the ambition and the skills and characteristics to move up and what kind of development most training and professional experiences would I need to give them to grow them into that position?
00:04:23:05 - 00:04:53:00UnknownIf you can't buy it, meaning hire, you've got to make it and that'll develop. Yeah, absolutely. And we'll talk a little bit more later, especially on emerging leaders and from a CEO perspective, what qualities and characteristics do you specifically look for in those emerging leaders? We'll talk more later. But Susan Talent acquisition TA has been a serious challenge for employer employers in the past year and this year looking ahead.
00:04:53:01 - 00:05:26:10UnknownSo let's talk about what executives identified as some other top challenges of this year. Talent acquisition was top at 50 to 2%, but also making the top five list was cybersecurity at 44%. Talent retention also at 44%, inflation coming in at 41%. And then developing future leaders, as you've mentioned, at 34%. Looking at that, cyber security is new on this list for this year and really an issue top of mind for executives And, you know, all employers.
00:05:26:12 - 00:05:52:00UnknownWhat are you hearing from other organizations in business leaders overall on how what they are doing to increase cybersecurity? Sure. And it's coming up in many business conversations. Before we move to that with your commission, Sophie, could I circle back to the talent, get perhaps a lesson? Because the survey did highlight some things that I think are worth underscoring in this conversation.
00:05:52:01 - 00:06:28:21UnknownOne is that compensation, as a starting wage went up. No surprise there, but also that the ranges of the jobs themselves have been adjusted upward in the majority of organizations. And again, no surprise with inflation being kind of break away in 2022 and maybe moderating a bit in 2023, just that those are table stakes. Right. We all know that compensation alone isn't a satisfying necessarily, but it's a dissatisfying.
00:06:28:23 - 00:06:47:04UnknownSo what I mean by that is if you don't get it right, people will leave. But even if you have it right, meaning that you pay competitively and you know what the market pay is and your benefits are appropriate, the right amount of paid time off, just the fact that you get that right, those are table stakes. That doesn't mean people won't leave.
00:06:47:06 - 00:07:09:20UnknownYou have to have culture and environment and professional growth and development opportunities as well. The innovation is just the doubling down on the fact that it is a total package and human resources is right at the center of that and leadership conversation to say, here's here's how we have to touch all those bases. So pay alone will get you there.
00:07:09:22 - 00:07:34:02UnknownBut you do have to know how your jobs stack up to off. And I think business leaders may say this job title and what does this job title pay? That almost doesn't matter because titles are just that. You have to really look at the responsibilities and the role itself and the job duties to make sure that you're comparing apples to.
00:07:34:04 - 00:08:02:14UnknownAbsolutely. Thank you for circling back. Sure. Yeah. I think that was an important point, and I neglected to say that originally. Absolutely. If you asked me about cybersecurity. Yes. Well, I think it is a big question. It's like describing the you and I am no cybersecurity expert, but I do have the catbird seat, I guess I would say, and I always feel honored to have those conversations with so many business leaders.
00:08:02:16 - 00:08:26:23UnknownBut our members do share confidential information with us, and cybersecurity is keeping people up at night. It can ruin a business in the blink of an eye. Before I get to a couple of recommendations that I would make as a layperson, not as a cybersecurity expert, but as a business leader, that that does have this advantage of talking with a lot of other smart business leaders.
00:08:27:00 - 00:09:03:23UnknownAnecdotally, I happen to be in Las Vegas last fall for my husband's birthday, and it was during the MGM data breach and Hurd worldwide, everybody was talking about it because they decided not to play ball with the threat actors. And there are a thousand decisions that businesses need to make about cybersecurity. But one of them is am I going to capitulate, potentially pay ransom, try to secure my data and hope and pray that that the bad right.
00:09:03:23 - 00:09:28:09UnknownYou're going to honor their word, which is interesting all by itself mean you trust in criminals to do what they say. That makes no sense. But then the other branch is to say, forget it. I'm going to take what comes right. And what was so unique about the MGM? Brett breach is that just prior to that, the whole Caesars Entertainment family worldwide was in it.
00:09:28:11 - 00:10:04:17UnknownThey paid a seven figure ransom. Whether that was there's two huge hospitality, gaming, entertainment, playing in the same space, trying to attract the same customers in the same industry. And they went in it very different ways. So I guess an umbrella is you have to know your own company, your own culture, your appetite for risk, and that the subject matter experts you've got on hand and higher tech to move you through any threat, hopefully to prevent a threat.
00:10:04:19 - 00:10:34:04UnknownAnd then what's the fallout? Can your company with stand whatever it is from your employees, from your customers, from your vendors who say, maybe I don't trust you as much anymore, So now two organizations, very similar, could have been brought to their knees, and I witnessed it staying at an MGM property. My husband and I saw it was basically shut down.
00:10:34:05 - 00:11:18:14UnknownThey must have lost millions and millions every day. So just having that kind of ringside seat and talking to who I could. Dealers and Uber THRIVErs. Yeah, customer service people, they highlighted the fact that it was really only one employee who unintentionally who did a very bad and reckless thing against the training that he'd had, which brought the company to its knees, and that because they were networked so thoroughly at all of their properties worldwide for economy and efficiencies, a scalability, knowledge and interest locking this out.
00:11:18:16 - 00:11:55:17UnknownIt also was once somebody got in their room, they got in every. So how does that relate to our members here in the Midwest, wherever you happen to be? It's that employee training is an absolute again, just ticket to the show. If you're going to be in business today, you have to realize the threat really is everywhere and your employees, advertently or inadvertently are likely going to be the access point.
00:11:55:19 - 00:12:25:15UnknownSo train your employees and keep training and keep training and can don't take no for an answer. You just have to have that level of knowledge of what the risk is out there and and how they could jeopardize your organization. It's one thing. The second thing is I would really advocate for an independent outside audit of all of your systems.
00:12:25:17 - 00:12:56:07UnknownYes, it takes time and yes, it costs money, but they will highlight areas of opportunity, areas of risk. Can I give you a report card and a game plan to say if this is your report card, where you're strong and where you're weak, here are some gaps. Here are some systems or practices that make you vulnerable. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
00:12:56:09 - 00:13:26:09UnknownAnd then you can address those gaps that an outside third party, nothing in the game has identified to help make your company stronger. And it isn't a one and done sort of thing. I undertook one in 2020 and again in 2022. We plan to do it again next year. So that's just like maintenance review. You do what you can and that doesn't that, that doesn't ensure you're not going to have a problem, right?
00:13:26:11 - 00:13:58:24UnknownIt just maybe reduces the likelihood. So those two things extensive of ongoing kind of black and white employee training must do it. And second and a regular practice of outside objective audits of your systems so that you can become stronger and less vulnerable. Absolutely. Those are great takeaways, Suzanne. And I appreciate the examples, too, that came with it was very interesting to watch in real time.
00:13:59:01 - 00:14:26:18UnknownCybersecurity has been one of our was highly requested topics coming from our 30 minute Thrive listeners. So I'm glad we can address that today. Well, I'm not a cybersecurity expert. I would suggest we get some for future podcasts. We will really dig into it. Absolutely. Another topic that's been very highly requested is I we have a couple episodes out there if you'd like to go in depth about A.I..
00:14:26:18 - 00:15:15:01UnknownBut Suzanne, I guess I'm curious from your perspective how you feel about a A.I. in HR overall, MRA's first steps to kind of incorporate air in our company. I'm sure just kind of briefly touch on that. I will. I wouldn't say that we're ahead of the game. I would say we're writing this tsunami with most of the organizations out there and learning as best as we can so we understand not only do we need to get it right and become more knowledgeable about our own services and how we're going to offer, connect with produce what we do, and that our members are 4000 strong, are turning to us to say, What should I be concerned
00:15:15:01 - 00:15:42:07Unknownabout? And specifically, I guess as it pertains to human resources. So my thought is there is no there is no value in saying a AI is bad, more A.I. is dangerous. It can be in the wrong hands. And without a plan. But I just is it is coming on strong. So it's not it's not an argument to be debated.
00:15:42:09 - 00:16:06:23UnknownIt's a fact to be managed and wrestled with and resolved. And as best as each company can. So what do I think the impact on each I would be, I think is going to be huge. I'm making this big universal statement without a lot of detail under it. But we're learning, as I said, as fast as we can.
00:16:07:00 - 00:16:53:08UnknownThis practice might work for our members too. We have developed last year we developed an AI task force so people internal, aided by some external experts that would just make us smarter, that would take a look at it and study it regularly and carved out a bit in their time and their goals to be help us elevate our skills with regard to artificial intelligence, not necessarily deciding what our projects would be because it's a small group of people, but elevating the knowledge of our leader team, our employees in general, our senior leaders, and to say, here's what we're learning and to keep that in front of us so that we can make good decisions about
00:16:53:10 - 00:17:27:20Unknownboth internal and external offerings, program services and expertise we may do, I will say, one thing. I strongly recommend that every company who is trying to get their arms around AI and who isn't, that they start with something that sounds like you're putting on the brakes before you even get in the car, which is data governance policy, because every company has employees, whether you know it or not, who are already working with A.I., It could be in a side hustle.
00:17:27:20 - 00:18:04:15UnknownIt could be that they're using it for what they do for your organization and you just don't know it. Or it could be that innocently. They're just one of those early adopters that are saying, Well, I'm just going to experiment through having listened to some outside experts and some people in the legal realm who talk about copyright and many other legal issues, I guess I would just say help your employees be the best they can be by having a data policy and guidelines that give them the parameters.
00:18:04:17 - 00:18:26:17UnknownSo you want to make sure you know what's going on in your organization so you can make sure you don't get in trouble. But also you want to make sure that it's a conversation daily, weekly, ongoing, so that you can harness whoever is an early adopter and excited about it and use that to help further whatever you're trying to do.
00:18:26:17 - 00:18:57:23UnknownSo it's really going to impact and this is just fundamental, you know, the basic knowledge of of things I've seen, it's really going to impact the employment world, how you hire and attract source, bring on board employees. Absolutely. So HR needs to get its arms around that second thought. When you think about marketing production and content production communications, it's really going to impact that as well.
00:18:58:00 - 00:19:25:10UnknownI would never put something out there written by a guy who. What is that and who is that? You know, the the very old adage garbage in, garbage out applies might be more garbage, might be digital garbage, but it could still be art. So that I almost think artificial intelligence, I'm never going to change the title. That is what it is universally, but it's almost like it should be called augmented in time.
00:19:25:10 - 00:19:51:11UnknownJust plainly put a computer brain is helping humans do their job better. So you augment how you do your job with artificial intelligence. So artificial always kind of gives me the creeps, but neither it's real or it's not right and it's real. So I would I would say you want to use augmented and I like the do your job from the heard it here first.
00:19:51:15 - 00:20:19:15UnknownAll right. We're changing artificial intelligence. Right. It's just you know, it's not even 9 a.m.. We're getting things done. Get things that I would just add to that, too, from the conversations that I've had with some subject matter experts specifically on AI and how it will affect the workforce. And each are specifically I feel like they're seeing that A.I. is going to help with operational and more routine tasks.
00:20:19:17 - 00:20:49:23UnknownAnd that's going to leave HR Professionals and professionals in general more room to focus on the strategic planning tasks that maybe they don't have enough time on right now. That's well said. And i think HR People should be excited about that. But first, it's scary. Before you get excited about said you first have to get your arms around it and know how i'm going to harness it and you don't left behind and and and and though I do think it could help HR
00:20:49:23 - 00:21:14:03UnknownPeople focus on the more strategic conceptual things and getting more routine tasks out of the way. It won't stop there, though. I think that's a bridge to to something even bigger. Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you for those recommendations. In fact, we have a hot topic survey coming out very soon on ai in the workplace, so stay tuned for that.
00:21:14:03 - 00:21:45:16UnknownAnd if you want to learn more about how I will affect your workplace in HR specifically, that hot topic survey is going to be coming out next week, actually, so the week of January 7th. And we will also have a podcast covering those results of survey results. But so, Susan, let's talk more about some other business trends, survey results here to our attention was among the top business challenges for 2023 and heading into 2024.
00:21:45:18 - 00:22:13:08UnknownSo what are organizations doing now to really retain top talent once hired? There's very little like earth shaking and VR and tremendously different. But I can say again with the confidence of thousands of employers weighing in, that some fundamentals that again put it, are right in the middle of that business conversation session. You need to be an employer of choice.
00:22:13:08 - 00:22:56:14UnknownYou need to be an employer that competes not just on being in the top of the range you need to pay competitively, as we've determined. But there are so many other things. And one of those other things that is trending more strongly isn't new, but trending much more along strongly is learning in growth. How how are you going to take a new employee, an existing employee, a long service employee, and continue to give them opportunities to learn and to grow in your organization, that that deserves more time and attention on a regular basis?
00:22:56:16 - 00:23:35:20UnknownThen then most of us either devote to because you're there's a crush of other things to do, or maybe we don't realize just how important it has become and the talent shortage and the fact that employers are looking to hire more in a stronger economy and those people just don't always exist. And so for self-preservation as well as for growth, you really need to keenly focus on career paths and opportunities to develop your current team.
00:23:35:22 - 00:24:05:00UnknownThat doesn't mean you all have to create a university. That doesn't mean you need to have a ladder, a and a ladder being a ladder. I guess it would be the other way around. Let's see. Matter be ladder. But in some organizations that makes sense. Maybe more of a manufacturing organization, but it does mean the quality of supervision and management, the quality of those conversations are really important so that that employee knows.
00:24:05:02 - 00:24:37:04UnknownAll right. The job to which I aspire or the pay that I'd like to earn someday is achievable with these steps. My employer is going to do these three things and I'm going to do these five things and we're going to arrive at this happy destination together. So spending more time and thoughtful consideration of each employee's career path, no matter the job, is really trending strongly.
00:24:37:06 - 00:25:07:11UnknownAnd that's not going to change as the talent market stays really challenging, challenging in that there just aren't enough experienced, qualified candidates out there. And even at the very entry level or new to the job market range, I'm not letting those great employees get away and happy somewhere else. Absolutely. And I have a follow up question for that.
00:25:07:11 - 00:25:50:19UnknownThen, in addition to, like you said, table stakes, the competitive wages we've seen variable pay has also come into play to overcome these recruiting and retention challenges. Are you seeing any incentives used by our members or other organizations, employers with variable pay to kind of overcome the retention challenge? Sure. I'll give you what we've learned from our survey and then I'll give you a little Susan Twist, because, well, my opinion doesn't always carry the day, but we want to hear it.
00:25:50:19 - 00:26:24:00UnknownWell, it is what it is. What I think would work if you had an organization that you started from scratch with people that you were able to select carefully and grow the way you wanted to. You would treat everybody in a very custom way. Your best employees would get 10% raises and you, your average steady, at ease would get far less than that, and you wouldn't have poor quality employees.
00:26:24:00 - 00:26:55:17UnknownAnd in real world that doesn't exist. But I do see to sell them that employers use whatever matrix they have for pay and benefits, they use it to too much the same year. At the end of the day, what is the difference to you or to me or to anyone? You know the difference between a 2.7 raise and a 3% raise.
00:26:55:17 - 00:27:26:07UnknownIt just isn't meaningful. So if you really want to keep that better employee, what is meaningful for great performance. So again, that's the real trend with my twist using HR Being very nimble and able to layer on its policies and practices not as consistently maybe as a lifetime has taught us. You need to treat everybody the same. Not necessarily.
00:27:26:10 - 00:27:58:01UnknownYou need to have business justified reasons for doing that. You need to make sure it's tied to documented perform means but achievement of goals. Those employees who truly are head and shoulders above, they're going to go elsewhere in this market unless you do treat them differently. Ways that you can do that. Variable variable pay tied to performance, not universal bonuses, but those that say if the company achieves this, then we all get that.
00:27:58:03 - 00:28:25:15UnknownThat means gain sharing, Whatever you call it, it's gain sharing. Second would be if you in this role achieve this, you're going to get this. Those things benefit the organization and they will lift all boats instead of variable pay that isn't as tightly tied for goal achievement. And again, that brings the spotlight right down on the quality of management in supervision.
00:28:25:17 - 00:28:50:15UnknownAre your managers and supervisors savvy, trained and strong enough to say, Sophie, here's where you hit your goals. Here's where you missed your goal. Here's what that earned in our variable pay plan and here's what you going to do next year. That should be a dialog. Usually saying that's achievable might be a stretch goal, but I can do it.
00:28:50:17 - 00:29:25:05UnknownNot pie in the sky. What are you talking about? I could never do that. So it should feel like a partnership, but it should also feel like a stretch and your manager has to be able anyone's manager has to be able to say, Great job or here's the gap. And that's saying a lot. If you're not going to use things very consistently which can water down performance if you treat everybody the same, the great performers say, What the heck?
00:29:25:07 - 00:30:01:11UnknownWhy should I tie on my son Jr's every day and run at 100 miles an hour when he is and she is and they are running at 50 miles an hour? No, you know, why would I do that? It tends to it tends to breed mediocrity instead of excellence. So the key to that is high quality management and supervision and the ability to have conversations in a partnership way so that people understand, here's how I can excel, here's how I can earn that variable pay, and here's, you know, what caring what I do to improve.
00:30:01:13 - 00:30:30:14UnknownIf that was Susan's twist, that makes sense. Yeah, but it doesn't exist. It doesn't reflect. Well, Susan kind of rounding out the top five challenges from this year's survey is developing future leaders. So I know we touched on this briefly, but what recommendations do you have for developing an organization's up and coming leaders or emerging leaders? I would say, well, one of them, I think, is what I just touched on with regard to variable pay.
00:30:30:16 - 00:31:00:06UnknownPeople work for intrinsic feeling of accomplishment. That's true. I think if you hire good employees, they want they come in saying, I want to do a good job because that's just how I'm wound. That's my theory. But let's not make the mistake that an achievement is an important and compensation isn't important. And recognition and rewards are an important and I'm probably wound a little differently that way.
00:31:00:11 - 00:31:29:17UnknownI'm not saying intergenerational, but it tends to be in that newer workers in the workplace just need more care and development and to feel a part of the team. And I think sometimes longer service workers missed that. By missed that, I mean don't recognize that enough. Don't think about it often enough. Not out of bad intention, but because that's not what they experienced.
00:31:29:22 - 00:31:53:11UnknownSo so you don't want to allow that disconnect to become pervasive in your company. You want to make sure it's fluid and organic is a word I like to use there, meaning it's growing and changing all the time and it's an in an into flow of information going back and forth, people communicating about what they need and what they want and what they have and they like and what they don't like.
00:31:53:12 - 00:32:24:23UnknownI mean, then you can respond to it back to the career passing. Just make sure that's part of your performance system. Whatever your performance system is, it isn't just about goals, it's about what's next and where you want to go and what you want to achieve and and help with how you get there. So if any employee is willing to say, I want to grow my job and I'm willing to put in these things, room managers should want to work with them all day long.
00:32:25:00 - 00:32:50:21UnknownIt's great advice. Well, common sense, right? Well, Susan, unfortunately, we're running out of time here. But I know we asked this question a lot to our members, but now I'm curious to know what keeps you up at night, Susan, looking forward into the future, 2024 for business? Well, thanks, Sophia. You you actually gave me some nightmares during this conversation because most things.
00:32:50:21 - 00:33:16:19UnknownYeah, this is what I'm you. You you touched on two of them because they're so external to an organization. I think many leaders and I like to feel that I really know how to run this business and that I communicate with this team really well that you that you know where we are financially. You know what our goals are.
00:33:16:22 - 00:33:47:01UnknownOur strategic placement is tucked up in your cubicle, whatever, you know, where we're going. But cybersecurity and artificial intelligence that are tiger by the tail, both of those things, you can do everything right and not see the train coming on the track. So again, business people are paid to square their shoulders and say, how do I how do I capitalize on those opportunities?
00:33:47:01 - 00:34:13:01UnknownNot how do I run afraid from them? What your question was, what keeps me up at night? I would say it's those two things, among others, because they are so external to minimization. They are so foreign and fast moving and in the hands of other people and things and technology that today a few of us are expert in.
00:34:13:03 - 00:34:39:12UnknownSo so that's what keeps me up at night. And that's why through our conversation I highlighted just the fundamentals of policy governance practice. Outside audits, you do what you can and then hopefully you can just put your head down on the pillow and sleep because you've done what you can. That doesn't mean it will protect or be perfect or optimize artificial intelligence the impact on your business.
00:34:39:14 - 00:35:08:09UnknownBut you can't be an ostrich either and stick your head in the sand and just say, I hope it doesn't impact me for two years or five years. It will come in my CEO roundtable. We talked about cybersecurity and there were 14 really smart business leaders, owners in the room, and four of them had had data incidents, let's call it threat actors attack their business.
00:35:08:09 - 00:35:35:18UnknownSo four out of 14 just in the last year, it's not if, but when. So make yourself as bulletproof as possible. Absolutely. And we have resources linked in the charts below. You can also find them at MRA Talk. But Susan, we wrap up here. Any last thoughts, any words of inspiration for the new year, your mike drop moment here?
00:35:35:20 - 00:35:55:00UnknownI'll tell you what I told my employees and my partner over the holidays. Bring it on, We’re Ready! I love it. I need to. I'm excited. Perfect. Well, thank you, Susan. I really appreciate you coming on. And I appreciate your leadership here, too. Like I mentioned, we have resources in the show notes below, so make sure to refer back to those.
00:35:55:02 - 00:36:15:24UnknownThey are also found on our website, mranet.org. And thank you so much for listening and tuning in today. We hope you have a great New Year in a successful New Year and we are always here to help. So thank you again, Susan. Happy New Year. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect.
00:36:15:24 - 00:36:31:04UnknownFor more podcast updates, check out other Amari episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
New Year! New Goals! Get Set!
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Description: Join us as we dive into the excitement of the new year, exploring the power of setting fresh goals. Explore practical tips and proven techniques to align individual, team, and organizational goals, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented success and growth.
Resources:
Quarterly Goal Tracking Chart
SMART Goals Tracking Form
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller
Guest Bio - Brittany Czirr
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Brittany Czirr
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, we can get started right away, but we're excited that you're all here with us for our first ever live podcast. But really, we're here to make your 2024 your best year yet. And it's all about goal setting. So today, find out the impact of intentional goal setting and the value that modern day goal setting brings.
00:00:42:18 - 00:01:05:12UnknownIt's a new year. It's time for new goals, and MRA, as always, is here to help you get set. So like I said, we're here on LinkedIn live today, super excited. And for our listeners out there who have questions about goal setting specifically, ask away, definitely encourage you to put your questions in the chat. And Amanda and Brittany will answer them here and now.
00:01:05:14 - 00:01:29:05UnknownPlus, we can save some time at the end of the episode to really answer any additional questions that might come up. But for now, I'm curious to know where you all joining us from. Like we said, we're from Waukesha, Ohio, Kentucky. We're all over the place right now. So curious who's joining us today. Kind of as we get set here, I'll introduce our guests.
00:01:29:07 - 00:01:59:02UnknownMy name is Sophia Boler and the host of MRA's 30 Minute THRIVE podcast. And joining me are Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent development. And Brittany Czirr learning and development facilitator also with MRA. So kind of as we get started and warming up here and as chats are going to be coming in. Let's talk about goals. And these are really not just your typical New Year's resolutions, which may be not about just a few weeks.
00:01:59:04 - 00:02:24:02UnknownThese are really long term as well as short term goals intended to really help you realize your greatest personal development and productivity for about 2024 year ahead. So today we're really going to be talking about the evolving standards that are reshaping the way we pursue success in every aspect of our lives and the goals we actually achieve to to get that success.
00:02:24:04 - 00:02:49:17UnknownSo let's first kind of talk about the importance of goal setting. Why don't we? So, Amanda, you want to start us off and kind of tell us what the value of setting goals is? Thank you. Yes, I do. And I love your highlight, which really ushers us into modern day goal setting of this is different than end of year New Year's resolution goals that you set three weeks later.
00:02:49:17 - 00:03:12:16UnknownHey, look, I'm not at the gym anymore. I hit it strong for about 25 days and then petered off. And and I would challenge that traditional goal setting strategies kind of resulted. Similarly, I would set my goal at the beginning of the year, and then at the end of the year I go, yeah, I was going to do that professionally for the team this year.
00:03:12:17 - 00:03:37:01UnknownDidn't get to it. And so when we really talk about the change and how it's been modernized, that that was such a great highlight. So because it comes into play is why it has evolved as well. But in terms of the value and the importance goal setting theory, I can talk about theory for a moment and I promise everyone just a moment.
00:03:37:03 - 00:04:06:15UnknownDr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Lape actually started the conversation around setting actionable task performance related goals in the sixties. Now, I know you're saying modern day goal setting in the 1960s do not connect. And that is accurate. That's why we talk about modernizing a lot of their approach. But theory tends to be pretty universal in terms of how we implement it over time.
00:04:06:15 - 00:04:45:20UnknownThat modernizes and changes. But one stat that will not change and they actually updated their stats. They started doing research again in the nineties and updated it in the early 2000 in the Psychology Today Journal. But they really highlighted how 90% of individuals with performance s team personal organizational goals that they want to accomplish if they create is actionable goal, they write it down big key there and then they refer back to it.
00:04:45:22 - 00:05:15:11UnknownThey are 90% more likely to achieve success. So when I think about the value of goal setting, I think about the value of actually having an accountability partner of writing it down because we're 90% more likely to achieve success if we do some simple steps that we're going to talk about today. Brittney, what other thoughts do you have on the value of goal setting?
00:05:15:13 - 00:05:36:10Unknownmy gosh, it's so crucial, right? Because it really does allow you and to the point of writing it down, you know, putting stuff out there, speaking it into fruition, that is there's a lot to be said for that. If you just kind of keep it in and you internalize it. What are your checks and balances there? How are you tracking what you're doing to your point of accountability partners?
00:05:36:10 - 00:06:00:24UnknownYou know, how do you measure success? Because it's not going to be this like linear or not even linear, but open to the right. Like it's not going to look like that at all. It is peaks and valleys step forward and backwards. So how do you how do you navigate that and making sure that you have it somewhere that you can refer back to really helps navigate that aspect of it?
00:06:01:01 - 00:06:25:09UnknownAbsolutely. Those are all great points. And again, I would encourage our listeners, if you have any comments you want to share, how goal setting has really helped you and your organization achieve better success, We're all ears. We want to know what you're doing and what how you're finding success. But kind of moving on now that we know why we need to set goals, let's kind of talk about the what and how of goal setting.
00:06:25:09 - 00:06:55:21UnknownSo I heard you mentioned modern day goal setting five times. So what really is modern day goal setting and how does it differ from what most people think about when setting their goals? And so in the sixties, when goal setting theory and task performance coach, that element of their initial theory published in the sixties really was related around performance for the team or the organization, right?
00:06:55:21 - 00:07:21:04UnknownSo as an individual, how do I fit into the team performance, which fits into the organization performance? And we set it in January and then we come back and talk about it in December and we set my new wins in January. Modern day goal setting is much more fluid, so I establish goals that might evolve and change in 90 days.
00:07:21:06 - 00:07:50:19UnknownI establish goals that might take me three years to get to. All of them are welcome. All of them are important into that accountability partner piece, whether that's your manager or a mentor or a peer or they're checking in. So that set it and forget it truly is the older way of thinking, whether they're associated with. And we can get to talking about, you know, associations with financial gain.
00:07:50:19 - 00:08:17:04UnknownSo whether I have it's allocated with my merit increase, that's going to doesn't change the amount of check ins and this cadence of fluidity that our goals are. Additionally, people are looking to their organizations to help develop their career, which is different than being a piece of the team or the department of the or great. It's a two way relationship.
00:08:17:04 - 00:08:48:01UnknownSo the organization I'm also looking at the organization to develop me in my career so that I can continue to better the organization. It's a cyclical relationship, so goals aren't just team and department related. They're my personal career growth goals as well. And how can the organization help me set those goals and THRIVE me towards success in those goals, even if it doesn't have to do with the job I'm doing with you today?
00:08:48:03 - 00:09:06:09UnknownThe job I have today is this. But maybe I have a career aspiration of this and I could do that here. That's organization and probably will be more likely to if the organization is helping me develop my skill sets in that kind of a goal as well. That's a very modern view. Brittany, anything to add on to that?
00:09:06:11 - 00:09:35:04UnknownI do. So a couple of things. The the piece where it is a relationship that Amanda had mentioned. So it's having, you know, an investment into the person so the person can reinvest into the company. I think that that is so critical for companies to realize that because what is the saying where you provide someone with enough resources and get them where they want to be and feed into them so that they want to stay right, Like train them and get them to the point where they can leave but they choose to stay.
00:09:35:10 - 00:10:04:06UnknownIt's so much more rewarding and from a financial gain standpoint, from a satisfaction and morale and engagement standpoint, to have a culture of folks that want to be there, they have made the proactive choice to be, you know, as a company because you as a organization have fed into them. So I think that is so critical. And I also love the art and concept of the modern way of, you know, because in the past it very much was create the plan.
00:10:04:11 - 00:10:24:16UnknownJanuary 1st, it goes into effect. We revisit it in December and then see where we are right from a more modern approach. It's very much of what are your short term goals and then your stretch goals and your long term goals and how does that all feed into one another? Because again, it's not going to be a series of steps that, you know, everything aligns perfectly.
00:10:24:21 - 00:10:53:19UnknownSometimes it's this little, you know, nice shuffle along that works well and it's smooth. And then sometimes to get to that goal, if you've ever done a lunge, it's a deep lunge. You feel the burn and you're like, This is even painful at the moment, but you have to navigate through that to get to that next step. So being able to really understand like, you know, what can I do to make the lunge a little, you know, a little less of a knee is the way to go.
00:10:53:21 - 00:11:15:19UnknownYeah, well, Brittany, you hit on something that I think really highlights the connection also to another modern day thing, which is career pathing, as you mentioned, that growth and engagement. And as I was saying to I can do it, I'm going to do it somewhere. And I think as organizations we need to own that individuals are going to do it somewhere.
00:11:15:21 - 00:11:45:07UnknownThey can do it here or I can move on. If I didn't feel supported in that initiative and this is directly connected to modern day career path thing is no longer this concept of I grow the ladder, right? I come in as a individual contributor on this team. My goal is to become a supervisor of one of my teams in the department that does the work and then the department head and the vice president and I move up the ladder.
00:11:45:09 - 00:12:11:05UnknownNow, career path thing is, I have knowledge and skills I want to learn, and sometimes that's in the space I'm in. Sometimes it's cross training over into marketing and I do some things for marketing and maybe I even foyer into a marketing role for a while because there are certain business skills that I want to grow in my own repertoire that the marketing type job role will give me, that my current role will not.
00:12:11:07 - 00:12:34:18UnknownAnd that's another way, if I know to the modern goal setting, if I'm telling my leadership or my my supervisor, I want to learn how to be a great, a great strategist. And I'm trying to think of my own in filling seats for our public programs. And that's that's a big push. I want to learn how to help do that.
00:12:34:20 - 00:12:58:15UnknownWell, I could either start shadowing and learning how to do sales things, or I could start shadowing and learning how to do marketing things. But it's a goal that isn't necessarily within my job role, that traditional you know, I've had coaching conversations with leaders in the past and organizations where it's hard for them to wrap their head around, but that's not what your job role is.
00:12:58:15 - 00:13:25:20UnknownAnd so why would we throw energy into developing that if that's not what you do today? And I need you doing these things for the job and and the goal being instead reframe our thinking, amend. That's going to be a great benefit all around. And you as an individual are looking for that and and we can absolutely help you with that as it also reciprocally helps the organization have so much less siloed approach.
00:13:25:20 - 00:13:51:21UnknownRight. Like it's not so much of like you're restricted to this, you're understanding the whole organization and seeing how all the pieces in the COG work. And in Brittany, you kind of mentioned support from the organization too with goal setting and that makes a lot of sense. It's much easier to work and achieve your goals when you both have and you have both your leader and your organization supporting you in those efforts.
00:13:51:23 - 00:14:25:24UnknownAnd it looks like we do have one question in the chat kind of on this, and that is how is goal setting really help everyone in your organization that directed at us? We take that yeah yeah. From that approach Yeah you know it's interesting MRA has really done a wonderful job of creating these actionable goals that team leaders, of course will have like a waterfall goal, right, that we're doing for the department, which is also important even.
00:14:25:24 - 00:14:51:11UnknownAnd we would not say in modern day goal setting, throw out the goals. That's where you lead, that we are here to continue to grow as a team as well as individually. But you also put in your own goals and then have these fluid conversations. One of the things I love organizationally is there is an encouragement of like we encourage you to touch base quarterly.
00:14:51:14 - 00:15:17:11UnknownI will always say you should set some sort of cadence because if left to our own devices, some of us naturally are better at touching in than others. But it does not mean you can't go in and have goal conversations through this system. So we're leveraging technology to grow individually as a team or individually and as a team, rather, as well as just any time it comes up.
00:15:17:13 - 00:15:46:12UnknownBut the system we do leverage our systems for this does allow for individual growth conversations unrelated to your first biannual touch base and your annual performance review rate. And what I've seen and how it has helped. And I can only speak for our department. I haven't had cross conversations with other departments on how has this year goal setting gone for you and Sophie?
00:15:46:12 - 00:16:07:12UnknownYou can tag into on how it's gone for for your team. But what I have seen is this real feel that each of us are working individually on the things we need to work on individually. And there is some that account, some of that accountability piece, but we can see the progression. And then imagine looking back at the performance here and saying, You accomplish these things.
00:16:07:17 - 00:16:26:09UnknownAnd so then we added another one and you accomplish that one too, because you wanted to, and then we added another one you cared about and been like, Now instead of the ones goal you accomplished personally in the set it and forget it. Strategy accomplished for personal goals plus our two team goals. That's a lot. That's a lot to celebrate.
00:16:26:13 - 00:16:48:15UnknownAnd that's what I've seen is it's much more fluid. And so things drop off because they've been accomplished and then we add new ones because it's this fluid approach. Brittany You're also on the learning and development team here at MRA. Are you kind of the same thing that Amanda is saying or any other new thoughts and I am.
00:16:48:15 - 00:17:11:00UnknownBut I also want to add from my perspective, one of the things that I thought was the coolest from the MRA and goal setting standpoint was that there was actual conversation, right? Because how often have goals been assigned to folks or, you know, again, like it's kind of the less modern approach of like, how does this feed into what we need from an organizational standpoint?
00:17:11:00 - 00:17:33:03UnknownAnd the conversations are have always been, you know, where do you feel like your strengths lie? What are some things you want? You know, your opportunity areas, What are your interests? Where would you like to grow to? And then how can we mesh all of that together to get you where you want to go? And the focus on the person was really, really impactful to me.
00:17:33:03 - 00:17:55:08UnknownAnd it was one of the things that I thought, this is it makes an enormous difference. Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with that. I actually coincidentally, I just had a conversation with my manager this morning on goals, had to align to look at that perfect timing, Brittany and me. And I can definitely attest to everything you're saying on that.
00:17:55:11 - 00:18:19:09UnknownThe accountability part is huge, and I would say that you have to hold yourself accountable, too, because some goals that you make and even organization wide goals, it is up to you as the individual to make sure you're staying on task with the goal and kind of keeping up with the progress. I mean, personally, for my goals, I, I have kind of a progress tracker that really helps.
00:18:19:11 - 00:18:37:02UnknownKind of like Amanda. You say writing down the goals really helps. Also keeping track of the progress really helps because maybe you set a goal early in the year and you're 55% of the way done. You don't want to wait to do that other 55% at the end of the year. You want to kind of keep that pace going.
00:18:37:02 - 00:19:09:16UnknownSo that was a good reminder this morning, kind of when I was talking to my manager on that. Well, and another thing I think about to that question of how we've seen it impact MRI as a whole, as I'm continuing to process and think through that too, where we were talking about personal professional goals being supported internally in an organization, we have a lot of folks that step into other projects or things that MRA as a whole wants to focus on and needs to focus on.
00:19:09:21 - 00:19:31:14UnknownAnd we have someone that's raising their hand saying, I would love to do that. We have a team member that started helping doing stream maps for processes and things like that, kind of in a newer way that that's not typically the types of things they do internally in their own department, but they wanted to and they did it for every department within the organization.
00:19:31:14 - 00:20:08:03UnknownAnd what a benefit that is, and it's an internal support. It was masterfully done and a huge outcome benefit plus a team member who is developed in a skill set. They want to do that. They wouldn't have had an opportunity otherwise. But because of our philosophy for how we goal set here, supporting your own personal professional goals and not having that, you're only allowed one, you know, not any of the restrictive mindsets because I've experienced that to where organizations say, Yeah, you have three department goals and one personal goal.
00:20:08:05 - 00:20:30:18UnknownAnd then I'm like, Well, I'm really limited. And then they did the annual review and then you set your new goal. And I'm like, So I got one thing done this year, darn it. So this kind of blew it approach allows for a lot of growth. Absolutely. Those are all great examples and glad we covered that. Kind of moving on.
00:20:30:18 - 00:20:55:05UnknownWe've touched on this a little bit, but why is modernizing an organization's goal setting approach important? And do either of you have any talking points that our listeners can kind of take back to their leadership to bring this concept home? I mean, I think it's it's the it's the term that is used a lot and very applicable in this stage.
00:20:55:11 - 00:21:29:11UnknownEngagement, engagement, engagement, retention, retention, retention. I think part of the beauty of a modernized approach to is it is inclusive of those that like the annual and I said a big goal that I think will take me 12 months to get to anyway is works for that because I'm still checking in on how you're doing. And for those of us that like more Sure shorter, shorter term you can tell I've been speaking for 20 minutes is shorter term achievable goals that build it works for that too.
00:21:29:11 - 00:21:56:18UnknownSo in terms of a strategy that engages all preference types, the answer is yes. And here's how we do that. So it can become very personal ties to the individual based on how they like their performance goals. Goals to work. I wouldn't tell someone. No, you have to. I've worked at an organization like that, too. You have to have a personal goal and it has to be unrelated to work in your.
00:21:56:20 - 00:22:25:22UnknownIt felt very forced and random because I didn't want it. It wasn't internally motivating to me. But when organizations do need to do regardless strategically is determine are our goals associated with any merit increases at the end of the year? If they are, how what is the meet needs it improvement meets and exceeds structure looked like so that this aligns with that.
00:22:26:01 - 00:23:01:14UnknownNot that it's one or the other. You can do both. You just strategically have to make that decision so that we can align everything. And then you do have to because if left to our own devices, like I said before, some of us are better than others in touching base and having these conversations, even if it's fluid, because I might get really bogged down in the day to day and I forget to touch base and say, Hey, I know you wanted to work on flexing skills, needs, analysis, conversations and have we provided enough opportunities for you to do that?
00:23:01:14 - 00:23:30:15UnknownHow are you doing? How are you feeling? If I'm still in the day to day, which many of us get into naturally, because that's how work works, I won't set those conversations, so I will do a minimum expected cadence of touch basis. Often our accountability partners are managers minimum expectation with allowance that it can be much more fluid than that bringing in the other.
00:23:30:17 - 00:23:53:05UnknownYeah well and I agree. I agree with everything that Amanda said and then emphasis placed on the conversation. Right. So this is a partnership. It's not the managers dictate it. It's it's very much THRIVEn by the individual. But in a collaborative effort of like where can we make sure that everything does align? And then again, to continue to have those conversations?
00:23:53:07 - 00:24:11:16UnknownAbsolutely. Absolutely. And we do have one more question to cover here. Yeah. What is the best way to make sure team members that come in mid project are on the same page with the team's goals? You I love everything about that question.
00:24:11:18 - 00:24:34:15UnknownI get really excited when they're like really great thought provoking questions. Burning. Do you mind if I dive in first at all? Get at it. I think first is catching them up to speed with I'm always going to go vision and every project has a vision. There is an end goal that this project is trying to create. And so what are we trying to create?
00:24:34:17 - 00:24:55:17UnknownWhere are we at? Where have we been? And then I think to your point, Brittany, what strengths do you bring to the table here and how do you think we can leverage them the best? And where do you want to grow? Because I happen to project sometimes where I know why I'm there. I'm aware of what I'm bringing to the table.
00:24:55:21 - 00:25:21:07UnknownThere are pieces that I know I'm not strong in. I'm hoping somebody else on the project team is strong in that. And then it being asked, What do I want to grow in? I would say for me it's analytics. So if I'm in a project and we're getting to the measurements of success piece and we're reviewing the data for measurements of success, that's not my strength, wink, because it's not my where I like to spend my energy and my time.
00:25:21:07 - 00:25:41:17UnknownI love the visioning, I love the frontend, I love all of that stuff. Doesn't mean I can't do it because in my career I have to, but it's not my favorite space to be. So I don't know that I know the best ways to do it. So if I'm asking for a goal, it would be put me on that sub team within the project.
00:25:41:19 - 00:26:09:17UnknownWho's running that piece? Can I partner with them and can they give me some tests to help? Because I want to get better at that for my own career growth. I think you bring up a good point with that too, Amanda, like making sure that the vision is there, but also again, having the conversation about what you know are your strengths and what are some areas that you want to grow because like the growth is on the other side of stretching yourself a little bit, right?
00:26:09:19 - 00:26:24:23UnknownSo as a manager and as a leader, how do you nudge your folks along to make sure that the vision is aligned and that they're bought in, but so that they're not just phoning it in because they can do it every day, day in and day out with their eyes closed. So how do you keep them engaged? Right.
00:26:24:23 - 00:26:45:12UnknownSo have that conversation to make sure that the vision is there were aligned on the vision. How can I get the most out of what you can do in your sleep, you know? And then how do we also kind of test you a little how do we nudge you along so that you're engaged, so that you want to do it right, so that you feel the build and even getting someone outside their comfort zone?
00:26:45:12 - 00:27:05:23UnknownBecause sometimes as a leader, you're going to have to kind of pull them along a little because they are maybe you're going to have some resistance there. But and it goes a long way with engagement and driving that vision forward. Yeah. Brittany, that's great advice. We have another chat question and listeners to keep on coming. How many goals is enough?
00:27:06:00 - 00:27:37:12UnknownMy advice on that down right? How many goals is enough? I would say a minimum of three. Like if, if I'm creating a structure, right, I would have, you know, a department goal at least that I've assigned someone. And then do they have a current job role goal? If I'm setting a cadence of expectation because even then left to our own devices, if you're going to ask me to if you ask me to set goals, I'll give you 50.
00:27:37:12 - 00:27:59:14UnknownIf you're going to ask my husband to set goals, he'll give you zero. They'll say, Just keep doing what I'm doing. So if you want to set up some sort of minimum expectation of three goals now, they don't have to. To my point earlier about someone, I worked in organization where I had to have a personal goal and had to be unrelated to my job and it had to how you had to.
00:27:59:16 - 00:28:18:01UnknownAnd I wasn't motivated by it because I was checking a box. I would just say we have three goals. We're going to have a departmental goal that your team leader is going to assign to the department where each team has to do it, and then, you know, you and your accountability partner, your supervisor, can talk through what the other two are going to look like.
00:28:18:03 - 00:28:48:21UnknownNo more than. And this comes from strategic execution goals. No, it depends on your length of time, but I would say no more than seven. And if you're setting them ahead of time because you have to do your day to day job still and seven goals evaluate it not for anyone, especially if you have an overachiever that wants to set all seven on day one and spend the year getting through them all and then drop it.
00:28:48:22 - 00:29:18:04UnknownWho, that would be a lot. So I would say best practices, no less than three, No more than seven at a time. Absolutely. Me Do you agree on that? I do. I'm a huge fan of the way. Three, right. Three is easy to absorb when you're giving information and easy to attain when you're talking about actionable steps on things, because you have to also factor in that as you set these goals, you're also going to be working with other people in life is going to happen, right?
00:29:18:04 - 00:29:38:11UnknownSo it's not like, I give myself seven goals or ten goals or 50 goals and it's just boom, boom, boom. I'm not going to model. It generally does not work that way right? So I think three is very manageable and it gives you a sense of accomplishment, like you want to see the progress. So I'm kind of wrapping up here.
00:29:38:11 - 00:29:58:04UnknownWe're closing in on time, but what are some actual steps that an organization can make quickly to kind of get that needle moving in the direction of modern day goal setting? If they don't really do that today? From my perspective, an organization like because I know Brittany has a great add on to this too, and I want to give her time.
00:29:58:04 - 00:30:25:24UnknownSo I'm going to be short for once, but just determine your strategy. So. All right. Off the bat, yes or no, do our goals equate to compensation? Do they have a connection? We need to know that because then we need to be very clear in what constitutes needs. Improvement means expectation or exceeds expectations. If it is a I do not encourage you to have that concern.
00:30:26:00 - 00:30:46:10UnknownWhat constitutes it being? If you meet three goals, you need improvement. If you meet for because that changes the fluidity, it locks it back in. What I encourage you to do, if they do not connect to compensation, then you have a lot. Either way, you have a lot of freedom, but there's a lot more freedom because you can start implementing things.
00:30:46:10 - 00:31:13:11UnknownDay one if your merit increases have already happened or are going to happen in the next couple of months, this would be a post that stretch strategic initiative to make that shift. And then in terms of needs, improvement, exceeds or meets expectations as it relates to goals, I would have them be the departmental and job performance goals, specifically, and personal goals are just cherry on top.
00:31:13:11 - 00:31:40:18UnknownThey don't actually hit your compensation piece. Those are the two depending on which arm you go down. Those are some of the quick actionable pieces to to put into place. There. But I know Brittany's got some something as well. So when you think about how do you then accomplish it and lay it out, right, Because that's the overarching this is what we want to do.
00:31:40:18 - 00:32:05:18UnknownSo there's a couple acronyms, which is smarter goals. But then there's also one that's fast goals, which really resonated with me. Like, I love that one because FAST stands for frequently discussed, ambitious, specific and transparent, right? So it feels very much even just the word fast that you're moving things along, because if you set a goal, sometimes it can feel very drawn out.
00:32:05:18 - 00:32:25:23UnknownEven if it's a 90 day goal, it's like, How do I get to the end of this? Sometimes, you know, or or that three year goal? When am I going to get to that? When do I hit that level of achievement that I have really been working toward? So using that, that concept of fast so frequently discussed it does the relationship ambitious, it makes it a bit more aggressive.
00:32:26:01 - 00:32:48:22UnknownRight? So instead of something just be timely and measurable. It's ambitious. Let's go ahead and reach for the stars. Why not write specific again and make sure that is things that you can attain and then transparent. Making sure that those conversation do happen, that other people are aware. So you have a team and cheerleaders behind you who doesn't want to be routed on, you know, as we as we move toward progress.
00:32:48:24 - 00:33:13:06UnknownAbsolutely. Yeah. That's all great advice and well, good good way to kind of close out today. So like I said, that is all the time we have. But thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in today for this live episode. This episode is recorded, so it will actually be published next week. So if you want to watch it again or you want to share it out, going to rewatch it, that will be available for you next week.
00:33:13:08 - 00:33:41:02UnknownWe also have some great episodes coming up over the next few weeks, including an episode on the year ahead with MRA's president and CEO Susan Frank, an episode on 2024 Trends and a lot more so make sure to kind of look out for those episodes. You can find MRA's 30 minute Thrive podcast on your favorite podcast app. You can go to YouTube or you can go to MRA's website at mranet.org.
00:33:41:04 - 00:34:01:09UnknownAmanda and Brittany, thank you so much for joining us live today. I really appreciate all your insights and your expertise to our listeners. Have a great day and have a great rest of your week and we will see you for the next episode. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect.
00:34:01:09 - 00:34:16:14UnknownFor more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
December Talent Report with Jim Morgan
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
Description: 🎧 In this December Talent Report, we're spotlighting the freshest trends in the realm of talent. Uncover cutting-edge recruitment tactics, explore the surge in demand for emerging skills, and stay informed about the latest developments throughout the month of December. Tune in to stay one step ahead in the dynamic landscape of the competitive job market! 🌟
Resources:
Talent Report+ Webinar Series
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Jim Morgan
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:03:24 - 00:00:25:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:25:04 - 00:00:45:07UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. It is time to go over this month's talent report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks for being here, Jim.
00:00:45:09 - 00:01:09:00UnknownYeah, thanks for having me. Happy holidays. Happy holidays. Well, this month you are looking at 2024, actually the year ahead. So talking about the opportunities that await and some of the challenges that might be on the horizon as companies prepare for this next year, 2024. So starting out with recruiting and retention innovation, Jim, you pulled some stats from MRA's recent comp trends report.
00:01:09:02 - 00:01:32:24UnknownWhat is really shown here? Well, what we were talking about from the comp trends report was basically miscellaneous perks. Where are companies trying to distinguish themselves for others? Where are they trying to stand out? Just try to get some creative ideas of what people might be up to. And chuckled during the talent report that the number one item is employee lunches.
00:01:33:01 - 00:01:56:05UnknownAnd any time I'm meeting with HR people, I always say food. You know, it doesn't make any difference how, where or when, why food is always a winner. But food also brings with it the side effects of chance for people to talk to each other and get to know each other better and help with the culture. But it's always something that you know, was relatively simple and is appreciated by people.
00:01:56:07 - 00:02:33:07UnknownBut on a more serious side of things, tuition assistance and flexible scheduling were numbers two and three, with about 65% of the companies saying that and the tuition assistance. Two things I think are happening. We talked a little bit about it last month, I think. But companies are starting to include tuition reimbursement in there. And so those students that might have student loans as becoming a part of that and I think you've got more both younger and seasoned workers that are looking for the specific training, which may be in an educational institution of what are the skills I'm missing.
00:02:33:07 - 00:02:57:07UnknownSo if we say to you, boy, you know, Sophie, you're an up and comer, emerging leader, but we need you to work on these two things. Maybe you should go get a certificate in this and go take a class in that as people are trying to build those career paths, I think it's starting to be singled out a little bit more that let's just identify what this person maybe is lacking right now and give them the opportunity to grow there.
00:02:57:09 - 00:03:17:05UnknownThen we have some other things for allowance, additional time off office technology, enhanced benefit packages. And all of this comes back to what we're seeing more and more and is added the better that I know my employees and the people who work for me, the better I can figure out what matters to them. And we use the word benefits.
00:03:17:07 - 00:03:38:16UnknownBut I mean, it could be simple as knowing, you know, you like a triple latte shot of peppermint, soy milk, something or other drink whole class. Okay, good. And that just black coffee or not tea. And so I come to you with a 12 pack of coke. I bring you I shop at Starbucks and get you the fancy drink that you like.
00:03:38:16 - 00:03:59:11UnknownYou know, the benefit there is really, boy, he's paying attention and he cares about what's going on. So I think a lot of companies are just trying to figure out who are people. And one of the little things we can do besides offering a401k in health care and time off, that might make a difference to them. So that I think is really becoming a bigger part of the retention strategy.
00:03:59:13 - 00:04:25:02UnknownYeah, absolutely. Kind of going off of that recruiting and retention and moving into talent thinking, you highlighted succession planning in that it's really top of mind for companies. But before we dive into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which talks about succession planning. So why did you exactly pick this quote and you? Well, first you got to tell us what to call it.
00:04:25:04 - 00:04:48:03UnknownThe one that I picked was on John Maxwell. And he's a he's an author and speaker. And the quote was, when all is said and done, your ability as a leader will be judged by how well your people and your organization did after you were gone. Your lasting value will be measured by succession. And I picked that one because of what we're going to talk about here in a second is succession planning is becoming a bigger deal.
00:04:48:03 - 00:05:22:19UnknownWe've talked about that not only for the C-suite but for all of the key positions. Companies are trying to build a deeper bench, have a number two person. So whenever somebody leaves, we've got someone in the pipeline. We're not starting over every time, just good business decisions. But then we talked with the CEOs about it all of those things still apply, but they're looking at it almost holistically from a strategy point of view that says, well, if you take those things I just said, that adds stability to the organization, we all get thrown into turmoil when someone goes.
00:05:22:21 - 00:05:46:21UnknownThat type of transparency puts our employees at ease. That they know. All right. Well, whether I like the person or don't like the person, it's the enemy I know versus the enemy. I don't know. And I'd like to know what's what's happening there. It certainly reduces costs. So we have to find someone. I would much rather have to find the number three position because number two, field number one.
00:05:46:21 - 00:06:10:10UnknownNumber three, cell number two. And now I'm looking for the third person down the system rather than the top of it. And so if we built that, that's just better for that for the organization. And it's a chance for us to show value to employees. If, you know, if someone sits down with you and say, you know, Sophia in the marketing department, here's what our plans are for the department, Here's where we think you fill in, here's where we think you fit in.
00:06:10:12 - 00:06:35:06UnknownIt gives you something to say, okay, I know what what they're thinking about for me. Then I can have discussions on maybe that's not where I want it to go, or that is where I want to go. But just organizationally, that succession planning makes a big difference. I think what that quote really points out is, you know, we can have an influence while we're here, but probably the biggest influence we can have is do we set the place up for success after we're done?
00:06:35:08 - 00:07:01:11UnknownAnd so the process that we put in place, the things that we do, are not people dependent. It's not over. When Jim leaves, all of this stops. It's Jim built this and so it's all going to continue and nobody else has to figure it out. And I think that's that's really the type of succession planning there they're looking for is how do we make this systemic so we don't have to go through this big deal every time somebody might retire or go somewhere else.
00:07:01:13 - 00:07:22:02UnknownYeah, absolutely. And I guess you you kind of touched on it, but is there anything anything else that you wanted to add was talent thinking and succession planning in terms of why we're kind of touching on this now and any other information? Yeah, that's that's a good follow up. You know, I think we're touching on it now because of all these demographic things that we've been talking about.
00:07:22:04 - 00:07:49:21UnknownYou know, we have 10,000 people turning 65 every day. That means a lot of folks are leaving the workplace more than ever before just because of the size of the baby boomers. So the numbers are driving it. And then just some of the generational things that we have in place. We're just building the list right now of what's different between the Z's and the Xers versus the Boomers in the Xs versus Z’s and the Millennials.
00:07:49:23 - 00:08:12:05UnknownAnd it's it's a pretty big gap in the succession. Planning helps the younger people coming up, you know, understand better what the older folks have done and how they've done it, maybe what's good and what's bad and helps the older folks figure out how are we going to transfer this knowledge down to a group that maybe thinks differently, learns differently.
00:08:12:07 - 00:08:33:01UnknownThere's just lots of things that have to also be overcome because that's kind of a negative. But there's there's a ton of opportunities if we can figure out how to speak the same language. And I was in a you know, I was in a webinar today on Artificial Intelligence, actually, and the woman that was presenting it and this was just another difference that made me think about it.
00:08:33:03 - 00:08:54:09UnknownShe said, You know, these younger two generations have grown up with this growth mentality that you shoot for the moon. If you make a mistake, you fail fast and then you pivot and you go in a different direction. And that's just because the world moves so fast. Now, that's what they grow up with. I grew up with let's have a solid process in place.
00:08:54:09 - 00:09:21:04UnknownLet's make sure it's controlled. We don't release anything until it's 100% perfect, you know, it's not ready. Fire, aim. It's always ready and fire. And so just the way we approach things is so incredibly different because of what we've seen that I think that's what's causing companies to try to plan out a little bit more because we're going to have we got to transfer all this knowledge and there might be a couple of gaps in there that we've got to figure out how to fill in for sure.
00:09:21:04 - 00:09:45:18UnknownAnd I would just add on and encourage listeners, if you do want to learn more about succession planning and some new tips and advice, we just did a podcast episode with our mogul Meyer in our Ohio office actually on succession planning solely. So she gives a lot of great advice and some resources too, on just how to get started and challenges to overcome.
00:09:45:18 - 00:10:09:15UnknownAnd kind of, Jim, like you mentioned, involving the whole organization, that's a good call out too, because I mean, in our organizational development area, there's just so much going on around strategic planning, strategic talent planning, succession planning. The people side of a lot of things is really getting a lot of attention. Absolutely. Well, moving on here, let's talk about some HR creativity.
00:10:09:15 - 00:10:35:18UnknownIf so, you bring up AI in this section and the stats on companies stances on it. So what are you really seeing here? We had a report by an organization called Better Works, and it's how the workforce is responding to generative A.I. challenges and opportunities. That's mostly the work around Chat GPT and some of the other systems like that out there, trying to get a feel for where folks at right now.
00:10:35:18 - 00:11:01:12UnknownAnd with a little over 40% of the companies have made evaluating the use of generative AI for HR a top priority. Now what does that mean? I don't know. But at least it means that a lot of companies are starting to think about it. Another 20% are interested in starting to ask questions. 20% more said, Well, you know, people are talking about it in the hallway, but we're not really doing anything.
00:11:01:14 - 00:11:37:16UnknownBut less than 10% really said we don't want anybody touching the thing, you know. So I think like it or don't like it, it's coming. You know, it's not coming here. And so I think companies are starting to understand that. And if you go a step further, the survey also said, you know, if you talk to your company, to your employees and how they're using it, you know, and they're like, yeah, about two thirds of them are using some of their strategic work, 60% generating ideas, 52% for simple writing, you know, So there might even be a little bit of a dichotomy here between where the company might think it is and where its employees
00:11:37:16 - 00:11:58:22Unknownmight be, because nobody's asking questions yet, you know, and that I mean, at MRA, you know, we put out part of the survey that said, are you doing anything? Let's let's find out who are dabblers are because, one, you want to encourage the innovation, but two, you want to make sure that people are getting into places where maybe they don't have the knowledge yet to do it.
00:11:58:22 - 00:12:20:08UnknownSo I think as an employer, we really we've got to move and stay ahead of our own people to say, here's the culture, here's what we're thinking. You know, here are some do's and don'ts here, the user guide. And that's what we're working on right now at MIRA. And for our members, we're going to release the results of our artificial intelligence survey we just did with our members.
00:12:20:08 - 00:12:47:11UnknownAnd one of the questions we said was, what do you want from us? You know, over 80% said, I'd like our users policy. I would like do's and don'ts. I'd like to know, you know, basic information. And so we're working on that and we'll get that out to our members because I think they know their you know, whether they're doing it on their own or doing it for work or whatever it might be, it's happening out there and they've got to figure out what to do.
00:12:47:13 - 00:13:27:01UnknownAnd the last part of the report and again, this is by an organization called Better Works, they asked what specific areas are their employees hopeful about that could support bias removal? And the participants said, well, we think if you remove bias in employee training and development, performance evaluations and promotions, employee feedback, those three were all over 50%. You know, so people's initial reaction is, you know, if we're all on the employee feedback, if we're providing feedback to the organization but it's going in, we're not to a human, but in via artificial intelligence, one, it's anonymous.
00:13:27:02 - 00:13:52:10UnknownNobody knows what happens. And then it removes the human from saying, Well, I know what that person's trying to say there, and that's not really true. So we're going to drop that one out. If it's going in through artificial intelligence. I mean, they'll read what was written and try to figure out exactly what that means. So people are at least open to it, probably more so than what I thought they were crucial in the pudding.
00:13:52:10 - 00:14:07:24UnknownWhen you start doing it there, people are going to be like, wait a minute, it all sounded really good, but I just want to make sure I can sit down and talk to Sophie through I'm talking to Sophie. I know what's going on versus, you know, feeding it in and different in different places. So it's new territory, it's new ground.
00:14:07:24 - 00:14:27:09UnknownPeople are trying to figure it out. And one of the other interesting things I heard just this morning is they were talking about if you talk to people initially and say, well, it could be evaluated by a human or an algorithm or an or an algorithm, people will pick the algorithm and they say, well, you know, if it's an algorithm and, you know, it must be true and honest.
00:14:27:11 - 00:14:46:24UnknownBut the more people have the opportunity to question, well, what's in the algorithm, the less confidence they have that maybe that's what they want it to do. So it's almost like algorithm that sounds important, you know, but people are still writing the algorithm. So I start asking you questions about, well, how did you measure for this? Well, we took this, this and this.
00:14:47:01 - 00:15:08:04Unknownwell, that's not what I would have taken. And then people are like, boy, you know what just happened? So new stuff that's always new stuff without a lot of guardrails. So people, I think, are really just they're feeling their way through it right now. Yeah, that's all so interesting. And I think there's so many functionalities like with AI and chat TV too.
00:15:08:04 - 00:15:26:12UnknownAnd I was just talking with a coworker and he, I don't know, he taught me so, so many new things that I didn't learn about chat that I thought, I get the gist of it and stuff, but it's like, my gosh, no, there's a whole other 50% that I didn't think are going to keep figuring that out each week.
00:15:26:18 - 00:15:49:08UnknownYep. And this was, this was the discussion of the AI this morning was the growth mentality. This person has spent a lot of time out in the Silicon Valley and working for Google and other kind of companies. And the mindset out there is just we're going to release it. It may not be perfect and we're not even sure what's going to happen, but we're going to put it out there, which is basically what happened with the generative AI.
00:15:49:10 - 00:16:10:23UnknownAnd then we're going to pivot and we're going to go in different directions and, you know, that sort of has freaked people out like, my gosh, how can you do this without making sure you had it right? And their philosophy is we wouldn't have a 10th of the stuff that we have on our cell phones if somebody had just said, well, let's just try this and see what happens, you know, and then they try it.
00:16:10:23 - 00:16:29:05UnknownAnd if it works, great, and if it doesn't, they keep trying to fix it. And that's kind of where we are with all of this. And that was kind of difficult. Let's figure out how to do it differently. So it's it's a new world order, that's for sure. Yeah, absolutely. Well, how about what C-suite leaders are thinking about right now?
00:16:29:05 - 00:16:53:17UnknownWhere do their concerns and thoughts really lie heading into 2024? Well, the artificial intelligence rears its ugly head again. But I think as people are starting to learn more and more about artificial intelligence, they're really starting to understand that any data analytics or any analysis that's done is based on the data. And if your data isn't any good, it's not going to make any difference.
00:16:53:19 - 00:17:22:02UnknownAnd I think for not the first time, because people have always wanted to have quality data and data integrity, but now that they see the next level coming, they're thinking, well, we're not even going to be able to do this. If the data that we have is mush. We can't run good analytics, we can't utilize artificial intelligence. So I think, you know, they're taking a step back here and saying, you know, we've been talking about all this stuff, but who truly is in charge of our data integrity?
00:17:22:02 - 00:17:46:09UnknownWho's truly in charge of collecting it, making sure that it's in there? What is the status of it? And I think that's what's starting to kind of keep people up. Now is to say we're we're living in a data analytics world with artificial intelligence about to take it to a whole new level. If what we have is not very good, then right now is the time for us to make sure we start filling in all the blanks for sure.
00:17:46:12 - 00:18:08:07UnknownMoving on here from the field, looks like you pulled some stats from a new survey from the Conference Board on U.S. Workers and Compensation in September of 2023. So you kind of summarized the data here and what you're seeing here. Yeah, this was from the Conference Board and it was trying to look at Non-salary compensation and say, you know what matters here?
00:18:08:12 - 00:18:32:00UnknownAnd I don't think there's any real surprises, but top of the list, workplace flexibility and options, whether by location, by hours, whatever, everybody's hearing it. But I think, you know, it's good to check in every once in a while and just say, is that still what's remaining at the top of the list? And it is right behind that was bonus and commissions and incentive pay.
00:18:32:02 - 00:19:00:04UnknownSo not just your base salary, but it means something to people if they know they're going to be rewarded for certain achievements, certain revenue numbers or whatever. So 64% of the employees said that, 60% said generous paid time off. And I'm not sure what the definition of generous is, but it's a competitive market. So I'm guessing part of that is based in are you giving me enough that I can do the work life balance that I want?
00:19:00:06 - 00:19:24:24UnknownAnd is that a potential reward? Is that one of the things that we're giving away for a project well done for going the extra step or whatever, it may not be money for some people it might be take another day or something along those lines. Forth was retirement plans at just under 60%. And last but still over 50% in fifth place with health care plans that are flexible and affordable.
00:19:25:01 - 00:19:46:04UnknownSo, you know, we got done talking about alternative benefits a little bit ago as people are trying to figure out other things out. But when you ask the question, what is it, you know, you still get paid time off retirement, health care, you know, the biggies are still the biggies. And so it's how do we make sure we're hitting the right parts of the biggies, I think.
00:19:46:04 - 00:20:04:18UnknownAnd then finding the creative one again, it comes back to knowing your people what what, what's a value to them. Because if I give days off to people who don't even use their time off, now they're looking at me like, what are you nuts? You know? And so no value add there. So what is it that they're looking for?
00:20:04:20 - 00:20:29:19UnknownRight? So you also had just seen vice president of commercial banking at BMO join you for this webinar and he gave insight into reviewing 2023 and then looking ahead into 2024 from an economic and financial standpoint. So what were some of of his key points? I'll I'll summarize them here, but I will say that Jeff really did a good job.
00:20:29:19 - 00:20:58:07UnknownAnd so if anybody wants to actually see the recording with his charts and things, they should, you know, go to our Web site at Marinette Dawg and look up the talent report for our December. But his outlook was actually pretty positive. He said. At this point, most economists are predicting that stocks are going to have a pretty positive year in 2020 for some of the terms and quotes he used was slow but controlled growth.
00:20:58:07 - 00:21:27:16UnknownAnd the hard part is over, which I think right now people would take as great optimism if you could just give me, you know, just give me something relatively stable and put the probability of a recession in 2024 between 15 and 25%. So that's pretty optimistic that, you know, we're not going to see something in 2024. You know, good news, bad news in the United States, the economic conditions are pretty good.
00:21:27:18 - 00:21:53:18UnknownThere's a lot of geopolitical noise out there around the rest of the world. And so that, you know, is always a wild card in all of this. Good news Backlogs for companies continue to be relatively strong. University of Michigan puts out a consumer sentiment report, which is basically, you know, how are they feeling about what's going on? And the score is on a scale of 100.
00:21:53:18 - 00:22:23:17UnknownAnd it was 61 in November and jumped to 69 in December. So people are feeling a little bit better that their wages are covering their food and their rent and things like that. So, you know, I think that those are all relatively positive signs for people that maybe trying to plan for a softer landing is may actually going to happen and there isn't going to be perhaps the catastrophe that we thought there might be a lot more interest in Mexico and Canada.
00:22:23:19 - 00:22:45:00UnknownThe trading partners that are right here, it's the easiest, you know, So I think companies are picking up on that on the down side of things. As I said, the geopolitical risk, there's an awful lot going on right now. And in their survey, for the first time in quite some time, geopolitical risk overcame talent as the top concern for CEOs.
00:22:45:00 - 00:23:13:18UnknownSo it's certainly on their mind. The interest rates will probably stay up a little bit. So that's a little bit of a concern. And we're heading into an election year. And any time that there's an election year, heaven knows what could happen. And it doesn't even really matter so much on which party. It's just all kinds of information is going to be being thrown out there and most of it will be negative and that starts to affect people and then it has to settle down again.
00:23:13:18 - 00:23:37:18UnknownSo I think elections might just be a wild card in all of this for 2024 as well. And like you said, I've had a lot of slides with a lot of great information on them. So so for you to go to MRA's website and watch the reporting there, Jim's got his report, your PDF version on there too. So you look at that, but kind of moving on into church.
00:23:37:18 - 00:24:11:10UnknownNow, the last section, you've included some data on population and some projections. You also have a map showing the median age in each state. So this data show. But here's the here's the two takeaways. I would say we had one that looked at people over the age of 65 and people under the age of 18, and those two lines crossed in 2034, meaning at that point we'll start having more people over 65 and actually not shrinking, but leveling off children under 18.
00:24:11:10 - 00:24:29:10UnknownAnd we're living longer. People are sticking around longer. We're not having as many children and it's just sort of, okay, well, so what? And the so what basically means we're going to have fewer people to take care of more people. You know, if you want to really just sort of cut through it all, that's what's about to happen.
00:24:29:10 - 00:24:58:21UnknownSo we're going to see pretty good growth in the over 60 fives and slide decrease in the under 18. It's common. Beware. The other one was the median age in the states and every state just had a number in it. And northeast Midwest are all in the if not in the forties pushing it 3839. Florida being kind of the outlier in the whole thing for for obvious reasons retirement wise.
00:24:58:23 - 00:25:20:08UnknownBut this is starting to THRIVE policy now where you're seeing states start to say, well, you know what? So if you if you move to North Carolina, we'll help you with the down payment on your house or we'll get you a better rate on a mortgage or the tri, you know, we'll give you will allow you to deduct your your mortgage percentages from your income tax, whatever it might be.
00:25:20:10 - 00:25:38:19UnknownThey're trying to set up tax policy and other types of incentives that say if we can get people to come and build a house, we're probably going to hang on to them. And it's beginning. You know, companies are knowing that they're fighting for that shrinking population group to say, you know, it's great that, you know, Florida might be thinking, hey, we're growing like crazy.
00:25:38:19 - 00:26:01:08UnknownAnd all these 75 year old snowbirds are coming down here. But those are going to be expensive people at some point, you know, just strictly from a health care point of view, a friend, if for no other reason. So it's really starting to THRIVE policy. It's forcing companies then to say, look, if we're in those states where we're already 40 something and going older, what does that mean for our workforce?
00:26:01:08 - 00:26:23:12UnknownWhat do we have to automate? What might have to go someplace else? So I think, you know, the two charts just sort of show two mega trends of things that are happening that, you know, if you're in HR And you're 65 years old, you're thinking, well, that's somebody else's problem. But if you're an hour and you're 30 years old, you're probably thinking, holy smokes, we're going to have to deal with this too.
00:26:23:14 - 00:26:42:07UnknownSo it's just another one that's that's out there on the horizon. So a couple of things to model over during the holidays and have a conversation with your family about, you know, how old is your state and what's it like there. So perfect topic of conversation. Yeah. Yeah. What else do you have to talk about at the house?
00:26:42:09 - 00:27:11:09UnknownWell, Jim, as we wrap up, this was the last tailor report of 2023. So how does the report schedule look like for 2024? I think we'll probably be able to bring some different ideas and things to the podcast in 2024. We're changing the format a little bit. We've used a lot of our own subject matter experts from Mirror in 2023, and now we're going to start bringing in companies that maybe are excelling at something.
00:27:11:11 - 00:27:37:15UnknownSo start out the year we're starting with our artificial intelligence. And so we're going to use a company that's already using it both in their company and their HR And we'll go through the talent report, but we'll also utilize them in terms of their expertise and then we'll talk about internships, but we'll be using companies that have interns and how are they using that as a strategy to develop their next group of leaders and things like that.
00:27:37:15 - 00:27:59:09UnknownSo you'll get the mirror perspective on what's kind of going on in the big picture. But I think we'll also be able to share with your listeners a little bit more boots on the ground expertise from a company that's actually practicing whatever we're talking about that day. Well, I'm excited. It sounds like a good start to 2024, so make sure you tune in, everybody.
00:27:59:11 - 00:28:26:21UnknownYou're bet. And thank you for all that great content today. And kind of recapping what you've been seeing in business with an emphasis on talent in December. To our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA. If you aren't a member already. Like always, we have the resources in the show notes below, including resources on this talent report and the 2024 Talent Report schedule.
00:28:26:23 - 00:28:47:00UnknownOtherwise, thanks for tuning in and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out.
00:28:47:01 - 00:28:51:18UnknownThanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
What You Want and Need to Know About FMLA
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
Description:
FMLA is one of our top requested topics from our 30 minute Thrive podcast subscribers. We are glad to have this opportunity to talk about the complexities of FMLA eligibility, outlining who qualifies, and exploring the spectrum of covered events. This episode will help provide some clarity on navigating leave requirements!
Resources:
FMLA Toolkit
FMLA Made Simple - Training
HR and Employment Law Essentials - Training
FMLA: Tips for Tackling 5 Everyday Challenges - Training
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Rob Lapota
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Rob Lapota
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:46:09UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. FMLA is one of our top requested topics from our podcast subscribers, so no pressure on today's guest, but we're really glad to have this opportunity to talk about all of the complexities of FMLA eligibility, outlining who qualifies and exploring the spectrum of covered events.
00:00:46:11 - 00:01:12:21UnknownSo our goal really for today's podcast is to help provide some clarity to you on federal FMLA. So I'm joined by Rob Lapota HR director, part of MRA Learning and Development Team. Rob, you have over 30 years of HR experience. You've answered more than 15,000 member calls on the HR hotline, and you're recognized as one of the top knowledge experts on our topic for today.
00:01:12:21 - 00:01:33:09UnknownAnd that's a federal FMLA scrub. I'm really excited to have you here today as the subject matter expert and thanks for joining us. Thank you for asking me to be here today. And welcome to everybody for our interesting talk. Yes, I like I like to tell people in our training program with FMLA made simple, get your notebook out because you're gonna be taking a lot of notes.
00:01:33:11 - 00:01:56:03UnknownYeah, absolutely. Get them out. Well, Rob, let's kind of start out with the big overarching question here, and that is what is FMLA. I know we have a lot of HR Professionals obviously, who listen to the podcast, who know what FMLA is, but some of our other listeners who may not be in that HR professional may not know exactly what FMLA is.
00:01:56:03 - 00:02:28:15UnknownSo can you kind of just give us an overarching picture? So we start out the first acronym, FMLA. First, let's talk about that Family Medical Leave Act. So that took on a federal basis, that was a law. Those passed back in 1993. And it impacts employers that have 50 or more employees anywhere in the United States. Here's a kind of like a short definition of here's what the law is all about 12 weeks of unpaid leave with no penalty to the employee.
00:02:28:17 - 00:03:01:09UnknownNow, that sounds like a very simple one sentence definition of what is FMLA, but they're in wise the complexity, the no penalty to the employee. That's a challenging aspect of the law. And what qualifies as a reason for taking FMLA. That's the other big challenging portion. And then the overriding complexity of this law by the employee when I'm going to be off of work, I don't ask for FMLA.
00:03:01:11 - 00:03:19:15UnknownSo, for example, if you are a supervisor, I don't call in and say, Hey, Sophia, it's Rob. Last night, my daughter, she was knocked unconscious in a soccer match, but she's actually been admitted to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. That's where I am right now. I'll give you a call a little bit later today and I'll give you an update on what's going on.
00:03:19:17 - 00:03:48:12UnknownThat said, I the employee is not mandatory under the law for me, the employee to say, and by the way, Sophia, why don't you give me some of the FMLA stuff? The way the federal law is written, it is the employer's responsibility in all circumstances to designate leave as FMLA qualifying. So therefore, because of the complexity, that's what makes it our number one call on our hotline.
00:03:48:18 - 00:04:14:22UnknownYeah, I was shocked. Over 20% of our calls are just on FMLA. I was just going to mention that this is one of our top calls on the HR hotline and still remains to be. Yes. And we've had some topics on the podcast on FMLA, just because it is one of our most highly requested topics. And like you said, there's so many different complexities within that, even though that one sentence you gave us seems so simple, it's not as simple as you may think for experts.
00:04:14:24 - 00:04:42:16UnknownWhat factors and determine an employee's eligibility for FMLA, FMLA leave? And how does an employer ensure compliance with these criteria? So there's several criteria. And the first is I need to be working at a covered employer for FMLA. And a covered employer is one that has 50 or more employees on their payroll anywhere in the United States. And it also includes temporary employees from a temp service.
00:04:42:18 - 00:05:02:13UnknownSo if I have 25 employees that are on my payroll and I use 25 from a temp service, I actually have 50 employees for federal employee purposes. I'm covered by the law. So for an eligible employee, first of all, I have to be working for a covered employer. Then I have several other criteria that need to be met.
00:05:02:15 - 00:05:24:20UnknownNumber one, I need to be working for at least 12 months for that employer. Number two, I work at least 1250 hours in the 12 months prior to my need for leave. And third, I have to be working at a facility that has 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius. Now, again, just like that, a little definition I can give you FMLA.
00:05:24:22 - 00:05:46:18UnknownWell, that seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? But there's a lot of twists and turns within those definitions. So, for example, the 12 months service on a federal level, it need not be consecutive. So I could be working, for example, as a college intern. As for an organization, let's say, in marketing and work for four summers in a row of three months each summer.
00:05:46:20 - 00:06:12:17UnknownAnd we're recording this in December. So let's say that I'm graduating in December. I'm going to start with the employer January of 2024. Well, you actually cannot my three months of service going back four years because it's a seven year lookback period. Okay. So here's the strange thing. Effective January 2nd, 2024, since my official start date, I'll actually have 12 months of service for that employer.
00:06:12:19 - 00:06:38:19UnknownThe same thing goes when people leave organizations. Let's just say I worked at an employer from 2015 to 2020 and then I get rehired on January 2nd, 2024, by that same employer. Well, again, there could be up to a seven year break in service. That's well within that. So I will actually have 12 months of service on my first day of employment reemployment, I should say, with that employer.
00:06:38:21 - 00:07:04:09UnknownSecond of all, the 1250 hours that is paid time only, that does not include things like holiday pay, PTO, sick pay, self-funded short term disability payments. Those are not included. And that's it's just actual work hours. And then the third criteria, this is and again, another strange one. I work in a facility that has 50 or more employees within a 35 mile radius.
00:07:04:11 - 00:07:33:03UnknownWell, let's just take it for plain value. Let's say that we have an organization that has three facilities. They're all within 75 miles of each other. And one employs 30, another one employees 20 and a third facility. Employees 20 there, or that's 70 employees. So if I work at any of those facilities, I'm working in a facility that has 50 employees within a 75 mile radius.
00:07:33:05 - 00:07:57:02UnknownNow, that's also extended to include remote employees and all that's since COVID. You know, a lot of remote work going on. And still today, the little twist with that, I'm included in the headcount where I get my work instructions from. So here we are. We're in Waukesha, Wisconsin, recording our program. And this is our call, our corporate offices for me.
00:07:57:04 - 00:08:28:20UnknownSo let's say that I live in Iowa and I work remotely, but I report to my manager, who is here in the Waukesha, Wisconsin, location for the 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. I'm actually counted in the Waukesha, Wisconsin, head count for FMLA eligibility. Now, some employers don't have that. They might have facilities for example, in one state that are not within 75 miles of each other.
00:08:28:22 - 00:08:53:11UnknownAnd we don't have 50 employees within that 75 mile radius. However, they still have 50 total employees. So they're covered employers under the law for now. What do you do? I'm a covered employer, but I literally I don't have any eligible employees because we don't work at a facility that has 50 employees within a 35 mile radius. What do we do?
00:08:53:13 - 00:09:14:08UnknownWell, if I was your head of HR What i would recommend is that we treat all of our locations as though we have 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. This could also become a little bit of an employer relations issue. Let's say that one of those facilities has 125 employees, and the other ones are outside of the 75 mile radius.
00:09:14:09 - 00:09:42:14UnknownLet's just say they have, you know, 40 employees each. Well, during employment meetings, I've had this happen before. Our plant that has 125 people that's going to be eligible employees, got 50 employees within a 75 mile radius, the location being C, we're not going to call you covered employers, eligible employees. Excuse me, because you don't work at a facility that has 50 employees within a 75 mile radius.
00:09:42:16 - 00:10:05:19UnknownSo too bad, so sad you lose. Well, for an employer relations standpoint, we need to go have your employee meetings. The employees are company B and C are going to immediately throw their hands up in the air to go. Why does everybody at location, age, how come they get FMLA and we don't get FMLA? Well, you got to understand, you don't work at a facility that's 50 employees with a 75 mile radius.
00:10:05:21 - 00:10:29:16UnknownThat's an employee relations disaster. So that's why I suggest mandatory. But I suggest you treat those locations as though they do have 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. Absolutely. And I love that you're giving those scenarios because that that helps helps a little more to, I don't know, understand. I'm sure a lot of people have these certain situations, laws to absorb.
00:10:29:18 - 00:10:54:19UnknownSo are there any common misconceptions? And with FMLA eligibility that you often encounter kind of sees or working with members in, how can these kind of be clarified? Then the biggest misconceptions for the employee eligibility portion it covers around those the areas of tribute to a seven year break in service. So the example I gave that I'm a college student working in marketing Pimp.
00:10:54:24 - 00:11:14:16UnknownI work for you through 2020 Rehire Me. A lot of employers are not aware I have 12 months service effective on day one. And the other big misconception about eligibility, All of our members of MRA, they will work on what's called a temp to perm basis, or they'll have employees from a temporary service work for like 90 days.
00:11:14:16 - 00:11:41:11UnknownAnd if they work out, they'll put them on their payroll. Well, that's a situation called Joint Employment. So for those temporary employees that we put on our payroll, effective on day one, the hours that they worked and the months of service that they worked actually do count towards their eligibility of 12 months of service and 1250 hours worked through like a walking book of knowledge, you know, like that's what they're on.
00:11:41:11 - 00:12:00:05UnknownTell me. Yeah. I've even had some people tell me I know a little bit too much about FMLA, I think, but that's why you're the perfect guest here. You can answer your question. So I have an advantage. I've been in here at Emory 25 years. Yes. As an instructor. We're not attorneys here, but I love the law. I read a lot of court.
00:12:00:06 - 00:12:19:11UnknownI mean, I've read thousands and thousands of court cases. Keep up with employment blogs, Talk about FMLA. Jeff Nowak is one of the top people in the United States at his blog FMLA Insights. And yeah, I just I actually find it very fascinating. Well, that's right. And you probably get a lot of calls, too, on FMLA, where you are.
00:12:19:11 - 00:12:42:12UnknownYou want to kind of give those scenarios. And here's what I would do in that situation kind of thing. Correct. So next question here. In what situations might employees find themselves ineligible then for federal FMLA leave? And do you have any alternatives or options that may be available to them that you can suggest? So go back to the eligibility requirements.
00:12:42:12 - 00:13:00:04UnknownI worked for you for 12 months and I have at least 1250 hours worked in the 12 months prior. And we already kind of explained that 50 employees within the 35 mile radius once we don't need to hit that one. That would be a point of ineligibility that I don't can, you know, work there. So let's focus on those first two.
00:13:00:06 - 00:13:26:24UnknownSo for the hours of work, let's say that I get what's the score? January 2nd, 2024, since it's right around the corner here. Let's say that it's my first day of work. Let's see. Then in March 2024, I'm diagnosed with cancer. They catch it early. It's not very advanced, but I do need to miss work or radiation treatments and then, if necessary, to recover from those radiation treatments.
00:13:27:01 - 00:13:50:22UnknownWell, I still have to send me as the new employee who's only been there for three months now, I still need to get an eligibility notice from the employer. There's three mandatory notices that need to go out, so I need to get that eligibility notice. It states you're not eligible for FMLA, federal FMLA. Why You haven't been here 12 months as of the date of your need for lead.
00:13:50:22 - 00:14:15:19UnknownThis is on the eligibility notice. You've worked X months towards 12 months of eligibility, so the employer would write three months in their hours of work. If I am working part time, I could be working for you for over a year. But again, if I don't have that 1250 actual work hours, that could be our second issue, where I will not be eligible as the employee.
00:14:15:21 - 00:14:39:14UnknownNow in our training, I always told employers, if you can't give FMLA, if it doesn't qualify, it's an issue that's not covered by FMLA. We need to be much more flexible as employers today with time off and adjusting schedules and what other policies to you have as an employer so that employee can have time off. Maybe you have a policy.
00:14:39:15 - 00:15:06:01UnknownIt's called a force substitution policy. You must use any accrued, unused PTO, whatever you're going to be missing work. Maybe that's what'll be implemented. Maybe there's a personal leave of absence that can be used now if it's for the employee's own medical issues. For example, the cancer that I gave you that's actually now going to fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
00:15:06:03 - 00:15:42:13UnknownNow we have an employee who's suffering with cancer, which is considered a disability, and they're not eligible for FMLA. So we would actually need to provide unpaid leave as an accommodation under the American Disabilities Act. So I'm going to get a eligibility notice. You're not eligible for FMLA, but then I'm also going to receive a cover letter I should from the employer saying, okay, although you're not eligible for FMLA, you are covered under the American Disabilities Act and we will be providing you with unpaid leave as an accommodation under that law.
00:15:42:18 - 00:16:09:24UnknownSo it's very, very important that the employer state specifically what laws are applying during what time of their lives. Interesting. Yeah, well, that's great to know. And I know you've covered this a little bit in her past. Questions, uncertainty, examples of medical leaves. But do you have any other examples that are covered instances or events under FMLA? And are there specific nuance says for each type of leave.
00:16:10:01 - 00:16:13:21UnknownSo how much time do we have?
00:16:13:23 - 00:16:37:00UnknownThis is worth over a long problem. This is where we're getting into the nuts and bolts of the mechanics of FMLA that can get very, very complicated. We were very, very fast. So let's try to summarize this for our listeners and our viewers. So I like to refer to these as buckets of leave. So there's nine completely different buckets of leave.
00:16:37:02 - 00:16:59:23UnknownAll of them can have completely different operating orders. For example, when does that one come into impact? You know, when are we when do we apply to excuse me, I said that when do we apply that particular need for leave? How do we certify it? How long will that individual be off of work? And here's again, another big misunderstanding on employers.
00:17:00:00 - 00:17:22:15UnknownAnd I hear this now. I've been doing this for 25 years. The law has been in place for over 30 years now. I will still have no, I'm not surprised. Managers and supervisors in our supervisor in the law, of course, are FMLA overview class and even HR People in our FMLA simple administration class for FMLA. So how long do you need to be off of work in order for FMLA to apply?
00:17:22:15 - 00:17:49:24UnknownHer hands go up and they go, I know, I know, I know. You have to be out of work. Three consecutive workdays, and then when you're out for three consecutive workdays, that's when FMLA applies. The answer is, No, it doesn't. But I was like, No, nice try. No, no, it doesn't. In fact, all of the buckets of leave except for one can actually be taken in our concurrence.
00:17:50:01 - 00:18:17:11Unknownwow. So let's talk about the one that you do need to have multiple days of absence, because this is a common one that happens in this particular book. It's called Continuing treatment. And part of this bucket of leave, i.e., the employee need to be out for four consecutive calendar days or I'm off of work taking care of the same family member for four consecutive calendar days.
00:18:17:13 - 00:18:36:21UnknownNow, it's tricky about this bucket is that this is the only one where the employee can actually just call in and say, I'm sick and it could be FMLA. You know, the reason why we said could be FMLA once it meets these requirements for these particular buckets, well, then the employer response. Remember I said earlier, the employee doesn't ask.
00:18:36:21 - 00:19:02:15UnknownThe employer responds with all the mandatory notices, but all these absences need to be documented with a certification form. None of this is done verbally. It's all documented. So how we use that medical certification form. So, Sophia, it's Rob. It's Monday. Soviets. Rob, I'm sick. I'm not going to be in today. That's not FMLA Tuesday. Sophia, it's Rob.
00:19:02:15 - 00:19:27:07UnknownI'm still sick. I won't be in today no matter familiar. Now, Wednesday. Sophie Last night, my wife took me to urgent care. I don't have COVID, but I've got some sort of a respiratory thing that's going around. I actually feel worse not going to be in today. We're not there yet. Again, the way the law defines this particular bucket, it says more than three consecutive calendar days of incapacity.
00:19:27:09 - 00:19:55:15UnknownSo literally what that means is I need to call in four days in a row. So now, Thursday. Hey, Sophie, it's Rob. I'm still not feeling good. I'm not going to be in today. Now use my manager. I notify our leave administrator. Could be HR Could be somebody else. Payroll, maybe. And that starts the familiar paperwork process. Okay, so once the employer's notified of my need for leave, which in this case would be Thursday.
00:19:55:17 - 00:20:20:06UnknownNow, the employer has five business days from that date to give me the eligibility notice. Then rights, responsibilities notice a medical certification form goes along as well, and that needs to be returned within 15 calendar days. And then after that time period ends, there's a third mandatory notice called the designation notice. So this is really it's a paperwork here.
00:20:20:06 - 00:20:44:01UnknownIt really, really is. So we the employer, we act on that fourth day of absence Now for this particular bucket, in order to be covered by FMLA, the employee would have to go see a health care provider medical certification form and need to be returned within 15 calendar days. And on their certification form, it's documented. They were out for four consecutive calendar days or more.
00:20:44:03 - 00:21:07:21UnknownThey saw a doctor in person tell the visits are included in that and they got a prescription medication that's like 90% of the certain forms I've seen in the past. The other could be they saw a health care provider two times in person. When that's documented, that then would be qualified and can be marked as FMLA for that particular employee.
00:21:07:23 - 00:21:29:11UnknownSo the key there for consecutive days of absence calendar days. If I work Friday, I'm off Saturday and Sunday. Friday. So if it's Rob, I'm sick. I won't be in today. I don't work Saturday and Sunday. Monday. So if it's where I am sick, I won't be in today. Believe it or not, under the law, that's considered more than three consecutive days.
00:21:29:11 - 00:21:51:24UnknownI mean, capacity that actually starts the FMLA paperwork process. Now, the way that the employee says I don't want FMLA. Yeah. Is they never return their medical certification form. Their employer still needs to go through all the paperwork, all those monitoring notices. But eventually you're going to get a designation notice at the end that says absences for these four days, not FMLA.
00:21:52:01 - 00:22:14:19UnknownWhy you didn't return a medical certification form. So that's that's just one bucket, the only one where you can call in sick. And these are short term illnesses and injuries. Now, there isn't a list that I can give you that does not exist, but this could be the area like colds, ear infections, pinkeye. COVID falls into this bronchitis.
00:22:14:21 - 00:22:40:08UnknownYou strange your back moving grandmas are more. Over the weekend you went skiing and you broke both of your arms and you can't work. And it's going to be about 6 to 8 weeks for your bones to heal. So these are short term illnesses and injuries. And a remember for either the employee or covered family member, which would include a spouse, children or parents and then stepparents as well.
00:22:40:10 - 00:23:08:08UnknownSo that's that's one particular bucket. Things like pregnancy covered by FMLA, even absences for prenatal visits or morning sickness, those are covered by FMLA. Anything to do with adoption or foster care placements, those are all covered by FMLA, any pre placement issues that need to happen, court medical evaluations, traveling to different countries, post adoption, post foster care placement, being with them.
00:23:08:10 - 00:23:32:03UnknownThat's covered by FMLA to stay. So let's talk now about the number one headache. And I don't mean to be a pun with that, the number one headache under FMLA is a bucket called chronic conditions. So short term illnesses and injuries, that's the continuing treatment. It's got to have at least three consecutive days. I mean, capacity, chronic conditions.
00:23:32:03 - 00:24:01:20UnknownHowever, these are long term or permanent medical conditions. Okay. The employee or the covered family member are probably on some sort of a medication. And with our certification forms, it's very typical for these chronic conditions to be certified for up to a year. And what we need to look for on the certification form, it's actually the last question on the certification form, and it's the area called frequency and duration.
00:24:01:22 - 00:24:24:04UnknownSo the number one medical issue that we get in our hotline is migraine headaches. So as migraines, we send them to their health care provider, they bring back the medical certification form. We're going to go look back at that frequency and duration frequency. How many times a month is this issue going to happen? Duration? How long will any event last?
00:24:24:06 - 00:24:48:05UnknownWell, the search form states 1 to 2 episodes per month, 1 to 2 days per episode. That means that that employee could be up to four days of FMLA per month, though. Here's why This is the most complicated bucket to deal with. And actually for managers and supervisors, the most frustrating bucket to deal with. When's that employee going to have the next migraine?
00:24:48:07 - 00:25:17:03UnknownWhen is their child going to have their next seizure? You don't we don't know. And there's never a good day to be off of work. Yeah. Now, sadly, this is also the bucket where occasionally we may have an employee that will be a little bit abusive with us. For example, Fridays and Mondays is a pattern of absences days before and after paid holidays, even vacation time to make some sort of an extended period of time offering.
00:25:17:06 - 00:25:40:08UnknownNow that does happen, but thankfully it's not a very large portion of our employees that are using FMLA, But it's going to be the most frustrating one that we have now. Please keep in mind that all these different areas that we're talking about do not require multiple days of absence. These can all be hourly, right? So I think right now it's about 10:30 a.m..
00:25:40:10 - 00:25:59:08UnknownI can give you a call or I can come over to you by your office and say, Hey, Sophie, I feel my IBS about to act up your irritable bowel syndrome. I need to get out here and get home. You know, I go home and if I work until 3:00, you can charge me 6 hours of FMLA. So I can charge half a million hourly increments.
00:25:59:10 - 00:26:25:21UnknownSo it's not missing holidays, chronic back parking. It could be parts of days, leaving work early, coming to work late because of that chronic condition. And again, this is why that particular area of leave, that's the most frustrating for employers. These are long term. So I've been in Emory 25 years and let's say that I have the migraines up to four days a month of FMLA.
00:26:25:23 - 00:26:48:22UnknownWell, if I'm working 12 weeks of leave at my work schedule, that's five days per week, 12 weeks, that's 60 individual days. I work 8 hours a day. That's 480 hours of FMLA. Or if my health care provider certifies me as for four migraines a month for, you know, total days of migraines, well, four times 12 is 48 days.
00:26:48:24 - 00:27:11:12UnknownI didn't really use up all of my FMLA that I'm eligible for. I still have 12 days left. Once I'm eligible for FMLA for the next 24 years, I could be missing 48 days for migraines, unscheduled partial days coming in late. And there's very little that you can do as an employer. That's why that's one of the most frustrating.
00:27:11:14 - 00:27:37:18UnknownNow i always told managers and supervisors and HR People when we talk about this frustrating bucket that we take a little bit of pause here. Everyone struggles with this. They all know exactly what i'm talking about and we get upset with these employees and somehow we try to do something to make that person's life miserable. I'm leaving now of irritable bowel syndrome.
00:27:37:20 - 00:28:11:17UnknownYou look at me and you raise your eyebrows and half by suppose under the law, there's two legal things that can happen interference of my ability to take leave and retaliation for taking that leave. So a story that I had an actual event, a manager for a manufactured usual. It's the last week of the month. We do a lot to get everything out, got to get our orders shipped and we're try to get as much as possible.
00:28:11:17 - 00:28:41:22UnknownSo end of the month for a manufacturer, that's a big deal. So on the beginning Monday of the last week of the month, individual again suffered with migraines and this person typically was off at the end of the month because their migraines were stress induced. So on Monday, the manager has pre shift meetings always. So on this Monday morning meeting Cavs all the employees together and talks about the week and the jobs that they're working on right now.
00:28:41:22 - 00:29:01:09UnknownThen at the very end of the meeting he goes now as you know this is the last week of the month we got a couple new customers. We got to make sure that we get this out the door to make these people happy. And then he looked directly at the individual with migraines right into their eyes and said, and I'm counting on everyone to be here this week.
00:29:01:11 - 00:29:26:19UnknownNow, I do say kudos to the employee. Actually, congratulations. Employee they went right to their HR Department and they said the right thing. My manager just threatened me that i better not have a migraine this week. So i got that call on the hard line. And the member's question was, did her supervisor create any problems? Yeah. And the answer is, you bet they did.
00:29:26:19 - 00:29:51:03UnknownThey are now interfering with that person's right to take leave. I think I forgot to mention this before when I was kind of going on with another explanation that's really tell about people. The chronic bucket. You might be frustrated with your employees understand you might be here one day right now. Although my time here at MRA, I've actually had three major surgeries, two shoulder surgeries and a major back surgery.
00:29:51:05 - 00:30:15:16UnknownSo I was actually off of work and using FMLA, and none of that was held against me. The revenue lost my coworkers that need to substitute for my training aren't seats. They couldn't get booked because I was not available so that the lost revenue. None of that can be held against that employee. So again, that's that time off unpaid with no penalty to the employee.
00:30:15:16 - 00:30:37:04UnknownThat's why it's a very simple statement. But there's a lot to that implication of the workplace. So we saw the continuing treatment, the chronic conditions at school. We see a lot of her mileage when you use now the other buckets. So we have the employee who literally needs to see something medical. For example, a parent has stroke and end up in the hospital.
00:30:37:06 - 00:31:04:13UnknownSo inpatient hospitalizations, anything to do with nursing homes or hospice care, including home hospice care covered by FMLA? My mom has structures in the hospital that is way, way beyond I'm sick or opiate work today. It's very, very specific issues like dealing with end stage of life covered by FMLA. If the employee needs time off, not the bereavement part, but if I need time off to be with that family member.
00:31:04:15 - 00:31:31:13UnknownSevere arthritis and getting treatment, for example, physical therapy. How can you dialysis reconstructive surgery after an accident or a cancer? So the reasons for leave are very, very specific medical reasons. Yeah. Now under the law, there's actually two additional military related leaves. One's got a really unusual name called military exigency leave, and the other one's called Care for Recovered Servicemember.
00:31:31:15 - 00:31:54:08UnknownNow those are for family members of the employee of a covered employer that can take time off when that family member is either deployed on active duty or is injured or become sick because of their active duty deployment. Now, on our hotline in my training programs for the last several years, I have not had any examples of those.
00:31:54:10 - 00:32:11:02UnknownSo if you have an employee that comes in and says, Hey, my son's being deployed in the military, can I get some time off? Well then that said military exigency. You deal with that at that point. But that that's the summary for those two conditions. Basically that is the area of the coverage and a quick summary for our familiar leave.
00:32:11:04 - 00:32:35:14UnknownAll that was a lot. So I hope you all were writing the writing notes. TSA at the beginning, get your notepad out. I take a lot of notes like now would be a perfect time for a pop quiz or something. Right now, let's take a break and look at all your notes so far. But moving on here, what advice do you have for employers navigating intermittent FMLA leave requests and balancing business needs with employee rights?
00:32:35:16 - 00:32:52:23UnknownSo here again with our examples with that chronic condition is probably we're going to see that most often with the intermittent leaves, it can happen with the other areas of leave as well. Let's focus on those products. Yeah, once I'm certified by my health care provider, there's actually very little that an employer can do to manage those situations.
00:32:53:00 - 00:33:16:24UnknownHowever, if we do have patterns of potential abuse, there are a few things that we can do as an employer to deal with those abuse issues, and it's a little bit too much for our little overview that we're doing today. But there's a couple things that we can do as employers other than just catching the person an outright fraud, fraudulent use of leave.
00:33:17:01 - 00:33:40:10UnknownYeah, it's a bunch of hurdles that we need to come to deal with that specific issues. Yeah, absolutely. Well, kind of wrapping up here, Rob, we've talked a lot a lot today about FMLA and just kind of the overarching picture. But can you end with any insights and best practices for employers to ensure smooth and fair practice regarding FMLA eligibility in covered events?
00:33:40:12 - 00:34:04:19UnknownSo, number one are HR People who are administering FMLA, you need to be trained on how to administer properly. Now that's what we here at emory. We have our FMLA made simple class where we deal with that issue for our managers and supervisors training as well. Not how to administer FMLA but understanding what do i need to listen for those buckets of leave that starts the FMLA process?
00:34:04:21 - 00:34:26:07UnknownAnd then also, what does it mean that I have no penalty under the leave and also of the basic rights are under the law. So training and awareness are two big compliance tools that we need to use. Yes, absolutely. It also lets mention about training employees. I've had this brought up many, many times during my training programs on FMLA.
00:34:26:09 - 00:34:53:00UnknownWell, Rob, this is a really complicated law, so can you come to our organization and just do like a one hour overview for our employees? Well, first of all, the law doesn't state any mandatory training for our employees. In fact, it assumes that any mandatory training for HR People are mandatory. The supervisors but unfortunately, it's not required. You're putting the posters up, responding to the requests when they come in properly.
00:34:53:00 - 00:35:15:08UnknownThat's the way that we deal with FMLA. We have to be very careful about training our employees because if we just did an explanation of what we just covered, literally, you're going to open a Pandora's box. Hey, do you know how to be off on FMLA? Here's how you do it. No, I'm not saying that with a cold shoulder or unsympathetic, but we don't want to encourage the issues.
00:35:15:10 - 00:35:35:19UnknownWe've had a lot of situations in the past where the entire shipping department all of a sudden, though, has chronic depression. because that word spreads, right? So we don't need to encourage that. But again, the majority of our cases that we deal with under FMLA, people legitimately do have medical issues of themselves or a covered family member, and they really do need that time on.
00:35:35:19 - 00:36:04:00UnknownYeah, that makes sense. I'm sure you've seen a lot and heard a lot of story. Well, Rob, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and thank you for sharing your expertise on FMLA specifically, like I mentioned, this is a highly requested topic, so I appreciate you coming on the podcast today to cover that. And to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would urge you to come and something new that you learned today or anything that you'd like to add on to this conversation.
00:36:04:00 - 00:36:27:15UnknownWe'd love to hear, hear from you. Don't forget to share out this episode. Consider joining MRA If you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on our topic for today and training links. So check those out. And we've also included Rob's bio and LinkedIn profile. So if you'd like to connect with him, we've got the resources for you to do that.
00:36:27:17 - 00:36:50:12UnknownOtherwise, thank you so much for tuning in and thanks again, Rob. Thanks for having me. Here's a lot of fun and we'll see you next week for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other Emery episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out.
00:36:50:13 - 00:36:55:05UnknownThanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
Succession Planning - Initiating the Process
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
Description: Join us as we unravel the key components of a successful succession plan, offering insights into:
Identifying and developing internal talent
Fostering a culture of continuous learning
Mitigating potential risks
Learn how to navigate leadership transitions and ensure the long-term success of your organization through effective succession planning strategies.
Resources:
The Business Case for Succession Planning
Succession Planning Program
Succession Planning Guide
Succession Planning Tracking Chart
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Dana Vogelmeier
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Dana Vogelmeier
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:45:18UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. So today we're going to be talking about succession planning, and I found this stat a bit shocking. So every day in the US, 10,000 people turn 65. And to add to that stat, the average retirement age in the United States is 61, according to a 2022 Gallup survey.
00:00:45:20 - 00:01:07:17UnknownSo those are all pretty significant numbers in the world of work. So the impact is huge. Today, like I said, it only makes sense now that we're here to talk about succession planning. So succession planning is a business necessity, and it's as critical to strategic planning for business as a whole. But succession planning is not just about retirees.
00:01:07:17 - 00:01:36:22UnknownAnd it's not just for CEOs in leadership. It's also a part of employee development. So it's a really great topic of discussion for us today. And I'm 30 minutes Right podcast. And a lot of you a lot of our listeners have actually requested this topic. So we will finally get into it and we're excited. And I'm here with Dana Vogelmeier, MRA senior instructional designer who's worked with our members to help develop and implement succession planning programs.
00:01:36:24 - 00:02:00:07UnknownSo, Dana, I'm super excited to have you on today and thanks for coming coming on the podcast as the expert and really covering how to create that successful succession planning. Thank you so being happy to be here. So, well, let's just start out by defining what business succession planning really is and why it's essential for business owners. Okay, sure.
00:02:00:09 - 00:02:22:21UnknownSo succession planning, as you mentioned earlier, it is it's critical and it is something that sometimes gets kind of pushed to the background because it feels like it's not important work. But if you think about the sustainability for an organization, it is really one of those critical things we should do. And succession planning is it's a process of talent identification.
00:02:22:23 - 00:02:52:02UnknownSo we dedicate time to looking at all of the people in our organization and who has what kinds of skills, what kind of potential or performance do they have, what do they need, and then get them what they need. We'll talk about that too. But it's really just first about identifying what that what the talent is in the organization, what it is not is a process to go through for determining who you're going to hire for a role.
00:02:52:02 - 00:03:20:12UnknownThat's that's different. This is about putting documentation together and determining what kind of talent and skills you have in the organization and then what people need and then getting them the development that they need. Absolutely. You highlighted a lot of good points there, and I feel like something to emphasize is to not put this planning on the back burner because I feel like we've heard that a lot with challenges on succession planning is, I didn't think of it till now or we're not ready.
00:03:20:12 - 00:03:52:06UnknownSo I'm glad today we can help with those steps and kind of that preplanning process. So kind of the next step then, what are some key components of a successful business succession plan? Tongue twister. Yeah, it is a tongue twister. Yeah. So some of the kind of key components to think about are identifying critical roles that you might have in the organization where if for some reason there was a gap there and someone had left, the organization like that would really create a problem.
00:03:52:06 - 00:04:11:00UnknownSo what kinds of critical roles do you have? What kind of niche roles do you have where it's hard to find a good pool of candidates with that skill set might be super unique. You know, you want to identify that. You also want to, as one of these key components, think about business challenges that you either currently have or are coming.
00:04:11:02 - 00:04:30:24UnknownSo an example might be you currently have this issue of we're in the middle of expanding. Maybe we only do operations on the East Coast. We're going to expand to the West Coast or only in the U.S. We're going to go global, you know, like so that might be something you're in the middle of, but also looking out and that could be part of your strategic planning process.
00:04:30:24 - 00:04:55:00UnknownAnd you learned some information there. So bring that information in to your succession planning and think about there's a new law that's going into effect that might impact your industry. There could be a new competitor that is entering the marketplace. There could be some kind of restrictions or maybe you experience some supply chain issues or one of your big suppliers is going out of business.
00:04:55:02 - 00:05:25:08UnknownYou know, those business challenges that are going to impact you, how does that impact your succession planning and some of the things? Well, some of the things may not, but do you have people with that knowledge about how this is going to impact the organization? So you're really kind of looking at the the areas where you might have some deficiencies in knowledge and skills, talent and how how we can maybe make a plan to start addressing that.
00:05:25:10 - 00:05:50:04UnknownYeah, absolutely. And you talk about plan and process. So follow up question to that is what would a typical process really look like? Yeah, so this is a good question. And what I will say about like the process to think about, I'm going to give you a good example of a process that I've used in the past, but the first thing to think about in your for any company and your own process is what makes sense for you.
00:05:50:04 - 00:06:12:09UnknownAnd if you haven't done it at all before, you want to start small and just maybe pilot with a role or a department and then kind of build off of that. But one the process or approach that I have used in the past is called the climb up approach. And it starts with and within the process you establish your meetings.
00:06:12:11 - 00:06:37:05UnknownBut the first meetings are the first line supervisors meeting and someone's going to facilitate this conversation and they're going to talk about the high performing people on their teams and the high performing the high potentials and the high performers on their teams. And so who are those people? And somewhere we want to have like a database. So that we can document everything so that information goes in there.
00:06:37:07 - 00:07:11:10UnknownThen the next step is to have the second line leaders meet. They're going to talk about the first line leaders and who is a high potential, who's high performing, what people need, what do they do? Well, unique skill sets, but they're also going to have knowledge of the people that were talked about in the first round, because those might be people that fill backfill roles of first line supervisors, but also those second line leaders and every leader above that need to have some knowledge of these other folks that are in the database and what kind of unique skills or talents do they bring.
00:07:11:10 - 00:07:41:21UnknownMaybe they worked for a competitor in the past or maybe they worked for an organization that was like competitor adjacent, and they might have a different perspective that would be beneficial in a particular project or something like that. So everybody needs to be know kind of what's in there, especially with unique skills and experiences. So your your second line leaders may talk about first they see what who the first line leaders talked about and then go up to the third line or the executive team, depending on what your particular structure looks like and you do the same process over.
00:07:41:21 - 00:08:05:15UnknownBut it's beneficial that everyone now have at that higher level look and see in the database who has what. So you go through your that's your climb up approach and you have all of your meetings now you have your data so you can work with that, but also something to think about in the process is your cadence of meetings and if you always have them in certain months.
00:08:05:17 - 00:08:30:19UnknownSo people just know, as I need to be ready for that, like it's January and June or whatever, like do I need to be ready for that or do I need to be? And so I get my planning done and then thinking about the accountability piece and how you're going to how you as the executive leadership or whoever is kind of owning the process oftentimes is down through h.r.
00:08:30:21 - 00:09:00:19UnknownBut how is that accountability going to happen and explaining exactly the process of what needs to happen there. But you know, one thing that i will just ask people to think about is if you're in a leadership role and you have this accountability or this succession planning meeting and you're supposed to do the work and you come to the meeting and say, so busy, my department, you know, this or that, but your people are missing out then.
00:09:00:21 - 00:09:22:14UnknownAnd how would you imagine those employees of that person who didn't do the work? And now no one knows that they have a unique set of skills, that they have an interest in going to another area or any of that. And so they may miss out. And as a leader, you would never want your people to miss out on a future opportunity, especially if they were the best candidate.
00:09:22:16 - 00:09:47:24UnknownSo you have to do the work and have all of that information stored somewhere so that we have the knowledge. You know, it's like, garbage in, garbage out kind of thing. We had good data in there, so we can work from that. But you definitely want to dedicate time to doing the work. Yeah, and I feel like what you just described there is probably a common challenge for many organizations and just getting started in the accountability piece, that invention.
00:09:48:01 - 00:10:18:06UnknownSo it's a perfect weekend or next question of what are some other common challenges that business owners face when it comes to the succession planning? Yeah, that's a great point because time is for sure one of the I would say one of the biggest issues is just getting started and kind of knowing where to start. And you have to just figure it, figure it out along the way if you've never done it, or if you don't have somebody who has done it somewhere helping you, but, you know, start small and then you can build on that.
00:10:18:08 - 00:10:41:22UnknownBut getting started is one of the biggest challenges. And then the second thing is ensuring accountability and dedicating it at the time and working the plan because it doesn't stop after you've had the meeting. Now you have all that data from each of those meetings. You still have work to do after that. So it's working the plan. So Dana, you mentioned that a common challenge is really just starting the whole process.
00:10:41:22 - 00:11:00:20UnknownSo where would you say a good place to start is? Yeah, and it could be like many things both feel kind of daunting sometimes, especially if you've never done it before. And it's like, where do we even begin? And and I would say get the right people in the room to have some discussion around why are we going through this?
00:11:01:00 - 00:11:21:22UnknownWhat's driving the need for doing succession planning? And it really is about preparedness and kind of being ready when something changes, getting ready so you're not caught off guard when now all of a sudden, we have to hire three new leaders. And who would they be? You might have some great people in there, but you can use the time to get people developed.
00:11:21:22 - 00:11:48:20UnknownSo, you know, why are we doing this? What is it that we hope to get out of this? You know, answering that question now, everybody's on the same page. You've got some foundation set, then you can start looking. And I'm going to just say there's a metaphorical board here, you know, in the air. But put on the board and a like an employee journey map or a leader journey map, and it might look something like picture sort of a road map.
00:11:48:20 - 00:12:12:04UnknownHow do we get from here to there? So for an employee, there may be a number of different career paths that they take. And I'll just use an example from one of my old experiences in an organization I worked for in the past. I was in leadership in a call center. We had customer service reps and they might become a coach, which is not a leadership role, but it's kind of a step up.
00:12:12:06 - 00:12:33:14UnknownThey might become a trainer again, not a leadership role, but it's a step up. But they also then might go to first line supervisor and it could go those three things, but it could go right from customer service representative to supervisor, depending on the individual. No, there's never like it has to be this kind of path. I'll take that back.
00:12:33:16 - 00:12:55:19UnknownI won't say never, but in in generally speaking, people might take different paths to get where they're going. So you have this employee journey and in that journey map, you know what might be some skills that they like as a trainer, they're going to get great presents and skills experience, thinking on your feet, but also some planning for the class and things like that.
00:12:55:19 - 00:13:23:17UnknownAnd as a coach, they're going to get some experience coaching other employees, which is essential for leaders. So you could get some development along the way. Then when you think about the leader map in in my old experience, I'm going to use another example for later maps. We did things like you might have a first line supervisor who's only ever worked kind of in this area and we want to get them some experience in another part of the organization.
00:13:23:19 - 00:13:45:16UnknownThey might lateral over into an analyst role and so they're not supervising people now, but they're learning some of the business problems and they're working on cross-functional teams. So they're getting a whole new set of experiences that help them learn more about the company. And especially if you're in a large organization, it can give them some different experiences.
00:13:45:18 - 00:14:03:05UnknownThen they might go to a second line manager or they might go to a manager of analyst or something different. But you could also go from first line supervisor to second line manager or something like that. But you just need to think about what are the needs and who has a unique set of skills and an interest in a particular role.
00:14:03:07 - 00:14:21:22UnknownSo kind of figuring all of that out and you can start with your why statement, then go to your journey maps and that will help you once you do those individual development plans ultimately. So we've done the why now, we've done our journey maps and we've had some discussion. Then we had our meetings and we built all that data in our database.
00:14:21:24 - 00:14:49:21UnknownYou can see what people need individually, but as a leader now, it's my responsibility for my people to get them what they need. So so there's kind of that leg, if you will, but then you'll have people in the database who have common learning needs, development needs. So for example, maybe they've never done any type of coaching or performance management or employment law.
00:14:49:23 - 00:15:11:18UnknownSo if there's 20 people in the database that need that now, you can send people into a comment class and that could be something like RPA classes or it could be something you do on site. There also might be some some kind of really easy things to get off the ground. If you give everybody a link to a TED talk and say, watch content between now and 30 days, we're going to have a meeting and we're gonna talk about it.
00:15:11:20 - 00:15:31:04UnknownThat's great development for people to come to the meeting and hear what other people's perspectives were and share their perspectives. So get some experience with all of that and collaborating on a project. Or it could be any number of things that you could do that could be quick hits within just within the company. You could do like a book club.
00:15:31:06 - 00:15:50:02UnknownBut then there are other things that might be bigger, like a plex or a roundtable or going to a class on a law or something like that. But, you know, use that data to help you make your plans and do your the execution of the plan. No, absolutely. Those are great examples. I'm glad that you brought those up.
00:15:50:02 - 00:16:13:14UnknownAnd I loved hearing about your success in your past roles, too, and kind of just sharing your real life, your real life stories. So we talked about gaining new skills and some of that includes technology skills too. So I guess my question here is how do you use data then specifically to assist in succession planning in appraisals? Yeah.
00:16:13:16 - 00:16:50:23UnknownSo I'm assuming that everybody, you know, the new hires are going in and putting their information into whatever your h.r. Software is about. However that process looks, that could be just through h.r. Maybe putting that information in, but again, garbage in, garbage out. So the data has to be in there, but there are usually your h.r. System has an element of, like, ways to search so you could search for, like, degrees in accounting, or you could search for people who have a certain certification or speak multiple languages.
00:16:51:00 - 00:17:16:06UnknownYou could also use that information in your database to search for what's the age range as you kind of opened up with 10,000 people are retiring every day. So what is that age range? How many people are in that group and in what roles? And is it that one critical role or there's only one person with that institutional knowledge and you don't want to ask people like, Hey, I'm turning 65 or whatever, You don't want to ask that.
00:17:16:08 - 00:17:36:21UnknownYou're just looking at the data and taking that to your meeting and saying, This is what the data is telling us. This is these are things that could happen and we should be prepared for these things. So use the reports and the information that you already have in there. If it's possible you might want to automate with some succession planning software.
00:17:36:23 - 00:17:53:00UnknownThere are some great programs out there that make it so easy, very intuitive, user friendly programs. So again, you can put the information in and it can you can even set alerts and it will tell you like date of the meeting is next month and you need to be prepared to talk about your team members, that kind of thing.
00:17:53:00 - 00:18:19:01UnknownBut you can also kind of move people from ready now, or maybe they're ready with development in the next 12 months or maybe ready with development 1 to 3 years or something like that, so you can set it up and whatever makes sense in your organization. But then, you know, educating everybody on what what all those things mean, ready now what does that mean?
00:18:19:03 - 00:18:49:11UnknownSo if there's an opening and your names on the list, she's ready now. So we've got 35 people who are ready now for this first line supervisor job and great place to be if you've got a big pool like that. So you can use that data to kind of age you and in this process. Yeah, I'm glad that you brought up automation and automating the process a little bit more because I'm sure a few people are a little overwhelmed with the whole succession planning process.
00:18:49:11 - 00:19:22:06UnknownSo at least now that there are tools to help you with the process, that's another one. Yeah. So we talked about in the beginning that planning isn't just for CEOs and leadership for retirees. So are there specific roles to priority prioritize or are there high risk roles that need more attention than other roles? Yes, and I would say think about three in particular.
00:19:22:08 - 00:19:42:10UnknownSo one is if you have a particular role where only one person does it, and especially if one person has done it for years and they have all that institutional knowledge and you don't want to lose that and it's easy to just, you know, so and so it's always done and they've always been there, but at some point they're not going to be there.
00:19:42:12 - 00:19:58:22UnknownSo what are what are the plans in place so that you don't have an issue when that person does leave? So you're planning for. That's why succession planning is so essential for organizations You want to be prepared for when these things happen that you're not caught off guard going, my gosh, what are we going to do now?
00:19:58:24 - 00:20:22:16UnknownAnd somebody could hit the lottery, right? And they're gone. So so that's the first one. And then the second one to think about is any of those niche roles, unique skills. There's not a big candidate pool. It's hard to hire. Think about like what are the competitors doing, What are they paying? Are they doing anything like signing bonuses or some things to attract people?
00:20:22:18 - 00:20:49:18UnknownAnd are those things that you need to consider? Maybe you've never done it in the past, but things have changed and it might be that now you need to change to accommodate that pool. So that you can attract the best talent. And then the third thing to think about really are your growth plans. So if you are going to expand, I mentioned going global or something like what are what are the needs there?
00:20:49:20 - 00:21:18:15UnknownIf you're even just from a growth perspective, maybe it's not even going global or anything like that, but you're one of your strategic goals might be we're going to increase sales by 20%. Well, as everything increases. So do oftentimes the number of employees. So you might need to hire multiple leaders next year. Do you have anyone in the pipeline that's going to be a good leader in the meantime, if you know that's going to happen, if that's the plan?
00:21:18:15 - 00:21:42:01UnknownIn the meantime, can you work on getting people prepared so you have all that great information from your meetings in the database and you see who might be the next first line leaders, particularly your people that have some potential and have been performing. So let's say there's 20 people in there. You could take 20 people and send them through some kind of a development class to get them prepared.
00:21:42:03 - 00:22:04:14UnknownAnd then you have a good candidate pool to choose from when you have that growth that you've been expecting. So those are kind of the three areas that I would, I would say to consider. Yeah, absolutely. We talked a lot on emerging leaders here on the podcast. So again, that's a great group of people to kind of get roped into this discussion to Absolutely.
00:22:04:16 - 00:22:30:19UnknownAnd we've also mentioned kind of emphasize the point that succession planning is not for one specific type of role or not for just leadership roles. And with so many baby boomer boomers, many of them may be in leadership roles leaving the workforce, there is a greater emphasis on the younger generation needing to fill in these leadership roles. So let's talk for a little bit about succession planning for these younger generations.
00:22:30:21 - 00:23:04:00UnknownMaybe they haven't been in the workforce very long and they don't really have a ton of experience or the leadership skills. So do you have any recommendations for developing this process? A little earlier on? Yeah, I would say, you know, a couple of things to think about when looking at sort of that, I'm going to use your phrase about next generation of leaders, because consider, especially for people who've been in the workforce for a long time, you know, about the evolution of the workforce itself.
00:23:04:02 - 00:23:37:17UnknownAnd currently there are the workforce is really looking for development and opportunities and not just, you know, getting hired to work in this one job forever, but it's the the workforce, you know, the people that you hope to retain that can see that they're you care about their development. You the leader care about their development and that there is going to be future opportunity, then that's a little more attractive to that that part of the workforce.
00:23:37:19 - 00:23:54:15UnknownThe other thing about that part of the workforce, a lot of times you have people who they want to know their leader and they want their leader to know them as a whole person. There used to be an old adage back in the day that, you know, check your bags, your baggage at the door when you come to work.
00:23:54:15 - 00:24:14:19UnknownIt's work time. But there really has been an evolution in the workforce about the whole person. You're leading the whole person and you can't often as as a human, we can't. There are certain things we just can't leave at home and things that might be hindering our ability to focus or whatever it might be. But, you know, that's attractive to help retain some of the workforce.
00:24:14:19 - 00:24:38:04UnknownSo you're thinking about the next generation of employees. What's next? What is going to be the next part of the evolution? You may as an organization have a diversity goal and you might want to focus on that. You might also have new tech knowledge that's going to be coming into your work world, and you'll need people who understand that technology know how to do whatever it is.
00:24:38:06 - 00:25:01:06UnknownBut you also could be just like in a growth mode. And so all of a sudden now you find it beneficial that you need to have a project manager on staff that could be part of your next generation. Maybe we've never had that before, but with all the change that we're going through and, you know, we're going to add this madness and that it might be beneficial to have somebody with that kind of a skill set to manage projects as they go through.
00:25:01:08 - 00:25:22:18UnknownSo you just kind of have to think about what are those skills, what are some changes coming? There might be get lost, but you're looking at your next generation of hires and your next generation of leaders and what are they going to need to. Again, it's all part of the process going into leadership skills, digging in there a little bit more.
00:25:22:20 - 00:25:45:06UnknownHow do you exactly know what is needed or how do you help develop those successful leadership skills specifically? Yeah, so a lot of that is really through observation, you know, so for example, if I am a leader and I have, you know, ten people on my team and I've worked with them, I've got some experiences and I can assess from my perspective.
00:25:45:06 - 00:26:24:10UnknownSo so my observations are going to play a huge role in that, which back to what we said earlier about if the leader isn't going to the meetings and talking about so-and-so skills and abilities, sometimes they missed out. The other thing now can be through like cross-functional teams or cross-functional projects committees. So for example, if I am a sponsor of a new project and I have people from ten different departments that are on my project team, so I can see that person's work product, if you will, because they come to the meetings, are they prepared?
00:26:24:10 - 00:26:50:20UnknownDo they meet their deadlines? Do they work well with others? Just all those things. And then I can speak to that too. So their first their manager can speak to their their performance. I can speak to their performance. So there are some other examples. And in that too, I might have a different perspective because I might say they were great at these five things and you know, what they could benefit from is learning more about this other part of the organization, and that's a complement to their work.
00:26:50:22 - 00:27:12:22UnknownAnd if they understood more of the ins and outs over there, I think that it can help them understand kind of what levers to pull or when things happen, how that's going to impact another department, just kind of seeing the organization more holistically or that organization more as the system that it is. And that can really help when it comes to things like problem solving or cross training or anything like that.
00:27:12:24 - 00:27:39:07UnknownYou know, really a lot of that is, again, through observation. But then, you know, you also think about what they need next and how do you kind of meet those needs. A lot of that is through the development plans and things. Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's been a common trend of what we've also talked about this year is that cross training and the leadership development opportunities and all that great stuff that you mentioned.
00:27:39:07 - 00:28:08:01UnknownSo I love those examples. That was great advice. But Dana, as we wrap up here, can you share any any real life success stories or case studies even of businesses that have effectively navigated this succession planning process? Yes, sure. So I will share that. There was a company that I worked with not long ago and they had a pretty good succession planning process already in place with their meetings and their documentation.
00:28:08:01 - 00:28:32:10UnknownAnd and it wasn't automated. They were they were using an Excel sheet. It worked for them. It was not a large organization. So as they continue to grow, they might want to automate. And that was one of the things we did talk about. And but what they really wanted to focus on were accountability and what kind of enhancements could they do to their existing process.
00:28:32:12 - 00:28:50:15UnknownSo there were a couple of things that we talked about, and one was moving from meeting twice a year to for a while. Let's make four times a year and then people get it's it's closer, right? So you've done it more times and people are kind of more ready each time because it's like, that's three months now.
00:28:50:16 - 00:29:23:05UnknownNot six months away. So I've got to be ready. And what have I done from from this meeting to the next? And that's a reflection of me as a leader on my performance. Did I take time to dedicate to developing my people? So kind of making those meetings more frequently can really help with that accountability piece. But then the other thing that one of the things that I had had experience with in the past I recommended was make one of the leaders or the owner of a particular meeting.
00:29:23:07 - 00:29:43:09UnknownSo if it was my turn to be the leader of the meeting, then I set the meeting. I sent out the invites, I pull up the database for doing it virtually, and I show it online and we have and I facilitate the conversation. That's a different level of ownership. You know what? If I know I'm going to be responsible for the meeting, I'm going to do all my prep work ahead of time.
00:29:43:09 - 00:29:59:10UnknownAnd it's just like anything else, like riding a bike, right? The more you do it, the easier it gets, the better you get at it, the more comfortable you are with it. So if I have to have ownership in a meeting, I'm going to work a little harder to get prepared and I don't want to go in ill prepared.
00:29:59:12 - 00:30:32:20UnknownBut also it's a way to get more used to it. So you've got somebody that can kind of run that meeting. And then the other thing we did talk about was potentially automating the process and again, just making it easier for the leaders to to do that work. That's that's part of our work as leaders. So the executive team, if they need to approve like the purchase of some kind of software to make this work easier and better information, better data to work with, that might be part of this your succession planning work too.
00:30:32:22 - 00:30:56:10UnknownSo that was a company that I worked with before or one of our member companies that I worked with, but in my own role before I came to MRA in my past. When our past lives, if you will, one element in our succession planning process that I liked was so you had accountability to your leadership to do the work, to come in to the meetings prepared.
00:30:56:15 - 00:31:20:16UnknownAnd if we were not prepared, our leader was having a conversation with us about not doing the work. But the other thing is kind of like dual accountability was the expectation was after those meetings and after the conversation and all, I would go back and have a meeting with the people on my team that we talked about the high potentials and the high performers, and to have the conversation around here is what you do really well.
00:31:20:18 - 00:31:38:03UnknownAnd here are some things we think you could benefit from. And so let's make that happen. But that was an expectation. So my leader would say, have you had your accountability meetings with your team yet? So it's kind of coming from both directions and it's just another way to kind of make the work happen. But it is a little bit of muscle memory.
00:31:38:03 - 00:32:05:03UnknownYou know, again, the more you do it, the easier it gets and you start having those conversations and planning it and it just becomes part of the work after that for sure. Those are great examples too, and even some action steps that listeners can take away and start implementing right away too. Yeah, it's very. Dana, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and thank you for sharing your expertise and your success with succession planning.
00:32:05:05 - 00:32:27:03UnknownThank we yeah, and to our listeners, if you like the chat and topic today, I know a lot of our members and listeners request this topic, so I would urge you to comment something new that you learned today or anything that you really like to add on to this conversation. We always want to hear from you and your what you're doing specifically on this topic too.
00:32:27:05 - 00:32:49:03UnknownDon't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including a number of succession planning resources in the show notes below too. So take a look at those. We've also got Dana's bio and LinkedIn profiles, so if you'd like to connect with her, Dana, I hope that's okay.
00:32:49:03 - 00:33:09:22UnknownYou might be getting some good connections lately, otherwise. Thank you so much for tuning in, Dana. I appreciate you being here and we'll see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform.
00:33:09:23 - 00:33:19:15UnknownAnd as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Recruiting Trends to Look for in 2024
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Description: It's time to explore the latest trends shaping the hiring landscape in 2024, and we're sitting down with MRA Recruiting Business Partner Lead, Katie Kestly, to do just that! With more than ten years working in recruiting, Katie has seen a number of recruiting trends come and go. Join us as we discuss the innovative strategies and technologies that are redefining the way organizations attract, assess, and retain top talent in the rapidly evolving job market of 2024.
Resources:
MRA's Recruiting Services
Recruiting Toolkit
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Katie Kestly
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Katie Kestly
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:47:03UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. We're here and talking with Katie Kestly today, MRA's lead recruiting, business partner, partner and subject matter expert on the topic for today. So with more than ten years of working and recruiting, Katie, I know you've seen a number of recruiting trends come and go, so I'm kind of excited to talk about trends that you'll be seeing in 2024.
00:00:47:09 - 00:01:17:17UnknownYeah, but today we're going to like I said, we're going to be talking about those recruiting trends that you need to be aware of and start planning for for 2024. So according to a Recruiter Flow blog, some of the top ten trends for recruiting in 2024 will be hybrid work model, proactive candidate engagement, use of recruiting automation, diversity and inclusion, branding, data centric recruiting and list goes on, but we'll cover those in the rest of the podcast.
00:01:17:19 - 00:01:42:10UnknownSo Katie, let's talk about some of these trends and starting out with number one on the list that is hybrid work. So are our employees really still looking for hybrid work? yeah, absolutely. That's one of the biggest challenges right now is just, you know, to work from home, to not work from home. And it's something that companies are really kind of having that hard time trying to identify where are we going to go with this?
00:01:42:11 - 00:02:09:17UnknownBut yes, absolutely, hybrid work is here to stay. So how can an employee really still recruit top talent if they're not going to offer hybrid work? Yeah, that's a really great question. And a lot of companies run into this and I think that the the biggest thing for organizations or the biggest thing for candidates is the number one primary motivator for candidates wanting to work from home is to have that flexibility.
00:02:09:19 - 00:02:31:23UnknownSo if organizations are able to highlight what they can offer in terms of flexibility, that's something that will make them stand out if they're not offering that hybrid policy. So, for example, a lot of organizations are getting creative with their schedules, so they're doing core days in the office or core hours that they have to be in the office.
00:02:31:23 - 00:02:52:17UnknownSo for core days, whether it's your group or groups and Monday one, Friday, Tuesday, Thursday and even core hours. So maybe they'll do you have to be in the office from 9 to 3. So that gives them more of that flexible schedule if they want to work, come in at seven and leave at three or even if they prefer more of a 9 to 5.
00:02:52:17 - 00:03:16:09UnknownSo really highlighting that flexibility of what they can offer. If they can't offer the hybrid. Yeah, absolutely. I was just talking on and podcasts earlier this morning about hybrid work schedules and I had an example of a friend who was at a hybrid company and now they just moved to fully in-person and a lot of people quit because of that.
00:03:16:10 - 00:03:40:20UnknownSo I guess that leads to the next question. Is hybrid really a critical no or no go offer? I would say do you think? Yeah. I mean, personally, I like the having the flexibility. I like coming into the office. I think for candidates in the market today, just when I reach out to candidates on LinkedIn, it's the first question I get is, is this remote?
00:03:40:20 - 00:03:58:24UnknownI'm only looking for remote or what is the hybrid policy? I even have gotten to the point now on to my email messages saying we offer a hybrid schedule. This is what it looks like. So I would say it's critical and I think a lot of organizations are adapting and adapting to this new work model. No, I totally agree with that.
00:03:59:00 - 00:04:24:24UnknownYeah, it's good to know. Yeah. So I'm also curious what is meant by proactive candidate engagement as that's another item on the list. So can you give any examples of what it really means and any examples of good proactive candidate engagement? Yeah, so proactive candidate engagement essentially is just staying on top of hiring demand. So a big bulk of what recruiters do is sourcing candidates.
00:04:24:24 - 00:04:45:09UnknownSo creating those connections with them, trying to get them to sync up with the recs that they're working on. But say, maybe a recruiter doesn't have a full plate at the time, but they see a skill set over and over again. That's where what it means by proactive engagement, making sure you're staying ahead of those hiring demands and just kind of building that pipeline or building that network.
00:04:45:09 - 00:05:08:12UnknownIf you will. So an example of that is just simply networking. Recruiters have LinkedIn recruiter seeds where they can build those pipelines of of candidates now, or I should say pipeline, but network of candidates. So I think an example of that is just kind of from a networking perspective. But I think in terms of being having that candidate engagement, you want to be tasteful with.
00:05:08:17 - 00:05:27:19UnknownYou don't want to just be like, Hey, what's up? How how's it going? How are you? It's moreso, Hey, I see you're an engineer in this skill set. We've seen this skill set regularly, kind of giving them that whiff. I'm like, What's in it for them? Sharing some market data and things like that. So absolutely having those meaningful conversations.
00:05:27:19 - 00:05:52:19UnknownYeah, that's a good point. We also talked a lot about Canada experience overall on the podcast, so I'm curious to know what organizations are doing to enhance the candidate experience as part of their recruitment strategy for 2024. Yeah, that's a really good question. I think the candidate experience has been a hot topic for recruiters for quite some time now.
00:05:52:19 - 00:06:17:24UnknownYou know, you want to make sure that the candidates are well taken care of, and I think companies are doing a lot of different things to help implement that. You hear a lot of like high tech, high touch. So incorporating technology into the forefront of the applicant tracking system process, whatever it may be. Another thing that candidates excuse me that recruiters are doing as they're doing more of like a fast reply when the application comes in.
00:06:17:24 - 00:06:43:16UnknownSo as soon as the application comes in, they're connecting with them, saying, Hey, thanks for applying. I would love to schedule a phone screen with you or schedule the interview with you. It really shows that you have that interest there. Yeah, the last thing that I've seen organizations doing is focusing more on pre-boarding. So before the candidates are coming in for their first day, they're assigning them a buddy, if you will, or they call it like a warm welcome approach.
00:06:43:16 - 00:07:01:15UnknownSo they either, you know, assign them to a coworker, the recruiter, or the hiring manager or whatever it may be, and it kind of stays with them, you know, every step of the way before their first day. So they kind of have that more sense of belonging when they, you know, feel you know, when you start a new job, it's it's wild.
00:07:01:17 - 00:07:26:11UnknownYou don't know where you're going, what you're doing. So it's more welcome to. Yeah, no, I could see how that would better the whole candidate experience. And you also mentioned technology in there. So another item on her was is recruiting automation. So are we really talking about technology here or even the use of artificial intelligence? Yes, we are.
00:07:26:13 - 00:07:55:07UnknownWe are. We are. AI is everywhere. It's it's a part of the recruiting process. And it's not necessarily to replace recruiters. It's to make us better, to make us faster, to make us more efficient. So we have to deliver to our members to our customers, to our candidates. So when you think of recruiting from start to finish, from, you know, putting the job out there, sourcing the candidates, contacting the candidates, sorting the candidates, AI plays a part into every piece of those.
00:07:55:07 - 00:08:19:04UnknownAnd it's really just to make us more efficient and effective. So there's things like auto generated, personalized outreach messages, auto generated search strings based on requirements. So you have technologies and tools where you can enter in a job or enter in a job description and it will auto populate candidates to you that you can reach out to. And then lastly, it helps.
00:08:19:04 - 00:08:38:21UnknownThere's different like add ins with different applicant tracking systems where it can help prioritize the candidates that have come into the rack and maybe which ones are a fit or are not a fit. So and some of the ones that we've explored here internally too, it's like German German hire viewer, the two that really stand out and say to stay, yeah, that's half of my mind.
00:08:38:21 - 00:09:00:16UnknownBut yeah, I love how you said that AI is not meant to like take over. Your job is going to help you because I feel like I've heard a lot, like AI is going to take over my job. Yeah, they're taking over everything, so. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree that it's just there as a tool and you can use it to make your job more efficient, right?
00:09:00:18 - 00:09:25:08UnknownSo diversity and inclusion was also named as a top trend for 2024. How can employers really incorporate the AI into their recruiting? Yeah, that's a really great question and I feel like this has been a big buzz for recruiting and just organizations as a whole. And obviously a lot of it stems into the beginning stages of recruiting, so I can touch every step in the recruiting process.
00:09:25:08 - 00:09:54:16UnknownSo whether it's creating gender neutral job ads, placing the said job on diverse boards because there's a lot that are specific to different diverse organizations, you can target diverse talent pools and when you're sourcing candidates as well, partnering with local diversity partners and doing different like blind hiring methods, things like that. So you're not you know, you're focusing on it, but you're not focusing on it.
00:09:54:16 - 00:10:18:09UnknownYeah. So and I've seen some other organizations, too, to draw more attention to their diverse recruiting efforts, do more of like a Happy blank day on LinkedIn. Yeah, I'd say social media, but things like Happy like Day of the Dead or things like that, just to show that they're having that drawn towards more desire for diversity in their workforce.
00:10:18:09 - 00:10:43:07UnknownYeah, absolutely. And you just listed a bunch of great and steps that people can take even now right after the podcast. So we'll all link some resources to to help with that. Absolutely. The next one is branding for recruitment. And I love this one, obviously because I'm on the marketing team. So tell us more about why an organization's brand is so important in the recruitment process.
00:10:43:07 - 00:11:03:16UnknownYeah, absolutely. Well, marketing and recruiting go hand in hand. Like sometimes I like to play like I'm a marketing person, but I'm really not. I'm just I like to marry the person and the candidate and everyone to where they need to go. But the main goal for branding for an organization and recruiting is just how can you differentiate, differentiate yourself?
00:11:03:18 - 00:11:21:03UnknownHow can you have that strong and input employer brand? It's very critical and it's to highlight that within the recruitment process. So again, a lot of what recruiters do is that active candidate outreach to get, you know, maybe you have a job posted, you don't have any applicants. So how am I going to attract people to this job?
00:11:21:03 - 00:11:41:08UnknownSo when I'm reaching out to candidates personally, I always like to make sure my emails are fun, They're light and getting the point to what they want to know. Okay, yes, schedule and compensation. But if I can leverage other social media platforms and that's what a lot of companies are doing where they can highlight their culture, their values, what makes them unique.
00:11:41:10 - 00:12:03:21UnknownI was actually working with one organization where they have create they created a slew of day in the life videos. So when I was recruiting for those particular skill sets and maybe the candidates didn't know exactly what a day in the life looked like, I would enter that link into my email message. So the candidate could get a better feel and physically see what a day in the life looked like.
00:12:03:23 - 00:12:26:19UnknownSo great idea. Yeah. So that's a lot of what branding and how it kind of falls into recruitment. Yeah, I feel like recruiters have to be more creative than ever now because I don't know, there's just so many different aspects that you could write be original on and everyone wants to say, Come to us because we have hybrid work, but everyone's going to say that.
00:12:26:21 - 00:12:47:12UnknownSo like, like you said, what makes you stand stand out and stand apart? Yeah. So as the job market becomes more competitive, what strategies are employers adopting to attract and retain top talent? I think, you know, the biggest thing that employers are doing to adopt and attract and retain the top talent is they're looking at the market too.
00:12:47:14 - 00:13:06:21UnknownSo they're looking at the market, seeing what the competition is doing, what the competition is paying, what they're putting out there, and they're making those adjustments and they're being very mindful of that. I think a lot of what we've talked about before here is they're also meeting their employees where they're at and kind of seeing what the benefits are.
00:13:06:21 - 00:13:34:11UnknownThat would be a benefit to them, because a benefit for me is ever been a benefit to you. So I know a lot of organizations are doing a paid or unpaid elder care daycare or child care reimbursement and also embracing a long term work from home policy and offering those flexibility. So how about some of the skills and qualities that recruiters are really prioritizing in 2024 as the job market continues to evolve?
00:13:34:11 - 00:13:56:07UnknownYeah, the market's pretty saturated right now in terms of candidates and people looking for work. So I think one of the main skills and qualities that they're prioritizing is culture fit. I think, you know, everyone was so hot to trot and hot to hire a few years back. And I think they've they've learned their lesson that at the end of the day, we got to make sure we have the right culture fed.
00:13:56:07 - 00:14:33:12UnknownSo we're having, you know, these individuals longer term. Another thing they're looking to do is increase the skills of their recruiting team. So having them, you know, adopt different technology use are different skills trainings, factoring in AI as well. And then I think last but not least, kind of what we mentioned earlier is that too much meaning the employees, where they're at the meeting, the candidates where they're at in terms of communication, I was recently recruiting for a slew of interns and I was like, Hey, this is my first time recruiting Gen Z, and I know they want short, sweet to the point.
00:14:33:12 - 00:14:59:13UnknownSo how what is my message going to be to them? So what I ended up doing was I put together a sourcing and mail that said, Hey, I have an internship, here's the company, here's the location, here's the pay. Are you interested? Ed If so, book a time on my calendar. And I sent them a link because it was all easy to do on their phones and things like that, I got zero responses, but nine candidates scheduled phone screens for me and they all showed up to their phone screen.
00:14:59:13 - 00:15:25:03UnknownReally? Yeah. So a big thing is of really just meeting people where they're at and where they need to be in terms of communication skills and things like that. So those would be, in my opinion, the key skills now. Yeah, those are great examples and great things always keep in mind. Yeah, well kind of wrapping up here and looking ahead at the same time, what challenges do you really anticipate recruiters will face in the coming year?
00:15:25:05 - 00:15:46:09UnknownAnd do you have any advice that you can kind of leave us with today to help navigate some of these challenges? Yeah, I think the biggest challenge for the upcoming year for recruiting is just going to be the job market itself. I think it's it's ever changing right now. Like I started last week with two active positions and now my plate is nearly full.
00:15:46:09 - 00:16:06:18UnknownSo it's just it's ever changing again, for better or for worse. And I don't think anyone really knows the predictability for next year. So I think that's going to be the biggest challenge. My advice on that is as a recruiter, as an employee, as a supervisor, anyone in the workforce internally or externally, communication and having those clear expectations.
00:16:06:20 - 00:16:30:00UnknownAnd I think too, from a recruiter standpoint, the advice would be gaining the trust from candidates and building the relationship. You know, you there like I said, the market is very saturated right now. So, you know, you if you ghost candidates, you know, just follow up with candidates because if someone has a bad experience, yeah, they're going to LinkedIn and they're going to post about it.
00:16:30:00 - 00:16:50:11UnknownSo you want to make sure that you're you're ensuring that you're genuinely there to help because as a recruiter, you're there to help the candidate, you're there to help the organization, and you really just want to make sure you're gaining that trust from the candidates. That would be my, my, my biggest one advice. That is great advice. And so thank you.
00:16:50:13 - 00:17:12:10UnknownWell, it sounds like recruiters definitely have their hands full this year and next year, but I want to thank you for coming on the podcast and sharing your experience and expertise with us today. We're curious to know what you're doing to get ready for recruiting in 2024, so feel free to leave a comment below for a chance to win one of MRA's new swag items on the podcast.
00:17:12:12 - 00:17:31:18UnknownAnd if you liked our chat and topic today, don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on this topic. Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and thanks for joining us. Katie. Thank you. And we'll see you next week.
00:17:31:20 - 00:17:52:22UnknownAnd that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Future Trends: What’s Next for HR Technology
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Description: Explore the intersection of HR and cutting-edge technology in this week’s episode of 30 minute THRIVE. Join us as our expert guest, Tricia Shields, VP of HR at MRA member company Naviant, Inc., delves into how AI and technology are transforming HR practices, addressing challenges, and shaping the future of work. Tricia shares valuable insights, examples, and tips for HR professionals navigating this exciting landscape.
Resources:
Naviant - Human Resource Process Solutions
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Tricia Shields
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:46:12UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. So episode 65, actually. So it's kind of a special one today. But today we're really going to be exploring the intersection of HR and cutting edge technology. So I'm joined with our expert guests on the topic. Tricia Shields. She's a vice president of HR at MRA member company NAVIENT.
00:00:46:14 - 00:00:57:14UnknownAnd Navient actually provides business process and digital transformation consultations. So it's a perfect topic to talk with you today. Tricia I'm excited you're here.
00:00:57:14 - 00:01:11:09UnknownYeah. Thank you. Sophia. I'm glad to be here, actually. And i know you actually talked on this topic at our HR Conference this past year, too, and this topic has just been a really highly requested one from our listeners to on the podcast.
00:01:11:09 - 00:01:34:11UnknownSo i'm excited to just hear your insights and tips and any advice you really have for professionals that are starting to or in the middle of kind of navigating this landscape. So could you provide just a quick overview on how technology has really evolved over the years and kind of where we are today with technology and in the field of HR
00:01:34:11 - 00:01:38:21UnknownSpecifically? Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks again for having me.
00:01:38:21 - 00:01:59:17UnknownYes, i kind of think about the history in a lot of ways. I feel like I've kind of grown up with technology now that technology's always been available to me. But if I think about the beginning of my career, which is just kind of over 20 years ago now, when I was first interacting with technology as it relates to HR, I really wasn't interacting with it at all.
00:01:59:17 - 00:02:25:06UnknownSo, you know, I think about my first job out of college when I needed to do something from an HR perspective, from an employee perspective, I was walking down to the HR department and I was filling out a piece of paper. And that HR professional was taking that information and maybe just storing it in their filing cabinet. Maybe they were untreated it into the system.
00:02:25:07 - 00:02:53:17UnknownSo certainly HR systems were around in that kind of late nineties time. Some organizations had adopted those and kind of the availability of the types of technologies that were available in them was vastly different across different organizations. So certainly we've seen a lot with the evolution of HR systems over the last 20 years and how we're utilizing those within our organizations.
00:02:53:19 - 00:03:26:12UnknownWe've also seen a lot evolve as it relates to process specific technologies. So, you know, thinking about things like our applicant tracking systems or performance management systems, maybe our learning management systems, but we've seen a lot more technologies coming on to the market to help support some of those key focus areas within HR. And then I think about today and just the rapid expansion that's happened maybe over the last five, seven years.
00:03:26:14 - 00:03:46:20UnknownYou know, we're talking about these more robust human capital management systems that are really taking care of a broad scope of a lot of the work we're doing within HR. You know, I commonly am in conversations about integrations and how do we integrate all these technologies so that they're talking to each other.
00:03:46:20 - 00:03:53:22UnknownAutomation technologies is is huge. That's a lot of where we're seeing a lot of the time savings
00:03:53:22 - 00:03:58:17Unknownand and maybe more of the A.I. components of HR technology.
00:03:58:17 - 00:04:34:02UnknownAnd we're hearing a lot more around the automation technology space. So definitely, you know, seemingly more complex technologies. But their technology is nowadays that if we're able to adapt to them and lean in, they should be making our lives easier as HR Professionals know. Absolutely. And i, i would just add on to that just communication like in general, like, I'm just thinking of our HR team here, and, I mean, if our internal HR team needs anything from me or any employee in the organization, I'll get a little chat from them.
00:04:34:02 - 00:04:42:16UnknownIt's not like they need to come walking down and grab me, right? It's just so quick and easy, like you mentioned. And even the two.
00:04:42:16 - 00:04:48:04UnknownJust like that. Quick, easy automated messaging, like you mentioned tools. Yeah, changed.
00:04:48:04 - 00:04:58:15UnknownWe're kind of just going off of that conversation. Can you provide or do you have any examples of how these technologies today are being utilized in HR?
00:04:58:17 - 00:05:18:15UnknownYeah, I mean, even maybe before speaking specifically to any sold technology, you know, I think digitization is a really big foundational piece in the HR space as it relates to technology and how we're going to use technology within our organization. So just that whole,
00:05:18:15 - 00:05:34:00Unknownyou know, we made a commitment certainly at Navient and a lot of organizations have to digitizing their documents so that we're no longer kind of tied to paper processes and the manual process that really comes along with that.
00:05:34:00 - 00:06:01:15UnknownSo just finding opportunities and this was always my question as I built out our automation and technology usage at Navient was, all right, I have paper documents. Do they need to be in paper form? I mean, I'm excited to share that we're 100% paperless at Navient. And, you know, organizations absolutely have the ability to do that. And once your documents are digitized, there's so much more that you can do with those from a technology perspective.
00:06:01:16 - 00:06:28:16UnknownSo I would like to share that kind of kind of as a kind of based or within HR Some of the technologies and I'll just name a few. I mean, we're using technologies for all aspects of HR, so I could really rattle on like, the entire candidate and employee experience and how we're using technology. But one example that I'll give is performance management system at Navient, we call them our quarterly check ins.
00:06:28:16 - 00:06:52:13UnknownI know some organizations will do those annually, some different timeframes as we do those from a quarterly perspective. And I think about how did that look historically. When I started in my role at Navient 15 years ago, it was a piece of paper and I printed it and I walked it to the manager's office with their kind of stack for their employees, and they gave it to their employee to fill out their portion.
00:06:52:13 - 00:07:14:08UnknownThe employee gave it back to the manager. Hopefully the manager gave it back to the HR Professional performance management was always such a big lift. And HR, like all HR Professionals that had to go through that had it in those historic days will speak to that. You had to be kind of a nagra department nagging people like i got to get these back.
00:07:14:14 - 00:07:40:15UnknownBut now if i look at how we're utilizing technology, so we're utilizing and process automation technology that essentially is taking that digitized document and it's it's, it's re re rerouted that flow or not reroute it, but it's kind of it's designed that flow around how we used to do that manually. So I actually don't even see that performance management process in action.
00:07:40:17 - 00:07:44:18UnknownThe forms are provided to the managers and the employees real time
00:07:44:18 - 00:08:12:10Unknownspecific to some predefined dates and how we want that process structured. Now as an HR Professional, i'm no longer having a follow up on those manual processes, but i also have the information available to me if i do need it. So if i want to look in and maybe have access to the final results when those are completed each quarter or an annual result, i can create my access into that system to see that as well.
00:08:12:10 - 00:08:24:16UnknownSo that's a great example of how we can use technology within that performance management space. I'll even just say on the employee data management side, and you made a great reference to that, Sofi, with
00:08:24:16 - 00:08:41:10Unknownhow you're interacting with HR And I look at just these self-serve options that are available within a lot of the platforms that we're utilizing, whether that's your system or some other type of employee technology system that you've adopted organizationally,
00:08:41:10 - 00:08:49:07Unknownyou know, back in the day, i used to, you know, fill out a piece of paper of my address, change and hand that into HR
00:08:49:09 - 00:09:15:00UnknownWell, I don't need that anymore. I don't want to spend time collecting that paperwork, needing to store it, doing the data entry into the different systems. Instead, I can utilize technology to give the employee a self-serve option that they can go in whenever it's convenient for them, make those changes, and then really train the technology to make the appropriate updates.
00:09:15:02 - 00:09:42:05UnknownLike I may never need to know if you just moved from one neighborhood within the same city to the next that navient We're 100% remote and hub remote company across the nation, so i do need to know or one of our HR Professionals does need to know if they're moving multistate and so we can set up that notification within the technology to really give us the information that we need real time for each one of those users.
00:09:42:07 - 00:09:49:13UnknownYeah, I love that you brought up the notification aspect, too, because I know personally that's just something that's helped me a lot
00:09:49:13 - 00:10:06:17Unknownwith any anything HR Related time sheets or goal setting or goal setting system. You know, you get your notification every week or so. Hey, make sure. Yeah. So it's not so much a job of nagging people anymore.
00:10:06:17 - 00:10:32:16UnknownIt's like an automated. Hey, make sure you fill this out like an email each week, which is so nice and right. We don't have to, like, manually remember these things either. Yeah, absolutely. And like with our goal setting system, like my manager is able to tell when I go in there and edit something or change something. So I don't always have to be like, Hey, can you go in there and work and write my goals or anything?
00:10:32:16 - 00:10:36:07UnknownSo yeah, examples. But
00:10:36:07 - 00:11:07:00Unknownkind of going off of that, do you see any specific challenges or really pain points in HR That technology is really helping to improve or address? Yeah. I mean, i would definitely say, you know, one of the key drivers is time. You know, just the scope of what HR Professionals has is working on has really evolved over all the time that all this technology has been available to us.
00:11:07:01 - 00:11:41:14UnknownYou know, i would think back to kind of my early years of HR I was doing kind of the things that HR professionals typically do as far as managing, you know, specific processes. But our world has changed and we're being asked to find ways to be more strategic and how are we being strategic and bringing in really solid candidates to the organization and how are we being strategic to have a really whole employee experience so that we're retain in our top talent And so we need time to do that.
00:11:41:14 - 00:12:02:15UnknownSo if we're still manually processing tasks and and entering things in multiple systems and trying to manage that data, we don't really have that time to be strategic. I just think about, you know, my interaction with other HR professionals during the pandemic and all the things that came up that were kind of additional duties for us to do during that time.
00:12:02:17 - 00:12:17:14UnknownYou know, how do we have time to be strategic? And my answer is lean in and technology, because these pieces are available to help save you time so that you can, you know, spend more time being strategic. My kind of tagline or one
00:12:17:14 - 00:12:25:06Unknownpiece that I always like to say is utilizing technology is allowing us to put the human back in human resources.
00:12:25:06 - 00:12:46:21UnknownSo I don't want to spend my time updating an employee's address or moving, you know, a piece of data from one place in the organization to the other. I want to have meaningful conversations with our employees and with our candidates. And I really feel like, you know, leading edge technology allows us to do that.
00:12:46:21 - 00:12:51:07UnknownJust that. And the other piece I would bring up is just kind of the management of the amount of data.
00:12:51:07 - 00:12:57:12UnknownI mean, we are holding so much data within HR And it's hard to keep that all straight
00:12:57:12 - 00:13:07:22Unknownas far as where the data should be stored. How long should we be storing it for? Who should have access to the data, who needs it at these different periods of time
00:13:07:22 - 00:13:12:23Unknownto try to do that from a manual perspective or not utilizing technology?
00:13:13:00 - 00:13:21:02UnknownMaybe it's even in an Excel spreadsheet that you're kind of keeping track of this. There's just so many more opportunities for there to be error with that
00:13:21:02 - 00:13:33:19Unknownthat I feel like, you know, that the managed utilizing technology to manage the data is a huge benefit of these HR Technologies. And I even think about that from a compliance perspective, right?
00:13:33:21 - 00:13:54:13UnknownIt used to be that we would hand out employee handbooks in a paper form and then we'd ask them to sign a piece of paper to say that you received the new employee handbook for the year and turn that back into HR Well, did i get everybody's form back? Did I miss an employee that maybe started while i was doing that process?
00:13:54:13 - 00:14:20:08UnknownSo being able to leverage technology for pieces like that from a compliance perspective is is priceless. Yeah, those are all great, great points. And I'm, I guess I'm curious to know what you're doing at Navient too. Can you share any examples of successful HR Technology implementations that have really positively impacted your organization? Yeah,
00:14:20:08 - 00:14:22:05Unknownyou know, our applicant tracking system.
00:14:22:05 - 00:14:30:24UnknownSo we're utilizing an applicant tracking system to manage our candidate experience. You know, historically, prior to utilizing that technology,
00:14:30:24 - 00:14:46:08Unknownwe were manually managing that. So just, you know, thinking about the number of candidates that we see at any given time for our organization, we're getting flooded with candidates when we open a new requisition. I know that's not the case for everybody.
00:14:46:08 - 00:14:56:13UnknownAnd every industry, but certainly being a remote company in the technology space that's opening our candidate pool to the entire nation, that makes a significant difference.
00:14:56:13 - 00:15:10:17UnknownSo that's a challenge. We need to figure out how we're going to manage all the data points that come with that. So, you know, this technology is handling the posting and its handling the communication with candidates.
00:15:10:19 - 00:15:33:08UnknownIt's handling the communication with our internal staff. And that would always be kind of a exchange of emails. And did I send this person this email to communicate that or not about this specific candidate or that's all happening right within the it's platform. You know, this technology can handle scheduling, which can be complex, especially when you get multi interviewers and things like that.
00:15:33:08 - 00:15:40:21UnknownWe're also using that technology for our offer management, so we want it to be paperless and seamless with that process as well.
00:15:40:21 - 00:15:48:17UnknownAnd then we have other built in integrations with that for like our assessment tool that we have all new or all candidates complete
00:15:48:17 - 00:16:15:18Unknownas well as our recorded interview. So that's another one that I'll share. So in this came off of a partnership with Amira is we were introduced to the idea and the concept of utilizing video technology in lieu of recorded or in lieu of phone screenings, which is kind of how all of our organizations, I think historically did that was have an HR professional call and ask questions, not really sharing
00:16:15:18 - 00:16:26:03Unknowna lot at that time, but just asking questions and receiving the information, Well, why wouldn't we utilize a video technology to do that instead? There are so many wins that come along with that.
00:16:26:03 - 00:16:28:19UnknownSo that's another one that I'll mention.
00:16:28:19 - 00:16:37:18UnknownAnd then I guess the last piece just kind of on talking specifically about the Navy and technologies that we utilized is really our employee process automation.
00:16:37:18 - 00:16:41:10UnknownSo in it's candidate and employee, but
00:16:41:10 - 00:16:42:15Unknownit's a little,
00:16:42:15 - 00:17:06:04Unknownyou know, I guess I'll explain it like these are the technologies like Navient specifically is using a technology called OnBase and OnBase is what is flowing our data through our organization. And you can have different applications, but what's really creating the process flow that in a professional or somebody else in the organization would historically be doing.
00:17:06:06 - 00:17:18:18UnknownSo this automation technology, we've kind of trained it to do the manual repeatable things that HR Professionals or others in the organization have historically been doing.
00:17:18:18 - 00:17:33:09UnknownSo it's everything from the higher process through retire. So it's our performance management system. It's where our new hire surveys are tracked. It's where HR Is communicating with our internal i.t. Team to say we have a new employee.
00:17:33:09 - 00:17:55:11UnknownLet's make sure that all their i.t. Things are set up prior to their first days. So that's been probably the biggest component of our technology offering and really what's made a big significant difference on an hourly perspective. Absolutely. That's those are awesome ideas and that's great to hear that they're there working out for your organization. They're successful.
00:17:55:11 - 00:17:58:22UnknownAnd I know working with technology isn't always easy.
00:17:58:22 - 00:18:25:18UnknownAnd some people may say they are like tech savvy or some people are just uncomfortable, or some organizations even are uncomfortable with kind of moving forward with technology. So do you have any or I guess have you seen any like common misconceptions or concerns that HR Professionals have about adopting technology into into their work? Yeah.
00:18:25:18 - 00:18:29:24UnknownI'll address this one in a really short way and hopefully this is reflective.
00:18:29:24 - 00:19:04:04UnknownAnd it's not just any it's not just HR Professionals. I think it's anyone that might be a bit hesitant. Technology. One of my favorite quotes that i heard kind of just working in this space is we're not going to be replaced by technology. So if that's a concern that maybe the technology is going to do my job going forward and the organization will need me, we're going to be replaced by people that have adopted technology and leaned into it and really explored how they can use it, because technology is here and just more of this is coming.
00:19:04:04 - 00:19:24:02UnknownSo your ability to adapt and be open minded to how you can utilize technology and how you can use it to your benefit to potentially be more strategic is a huge benefit to each of us. That's that's a great point too. I feel like I hear that all the time. Like we're all going to get replaced by tech, right?
00:19:24:04 - 00:19:53:03UnknownBut that's like the opposite. Like you want to know everything you can about technology to use that and better yourself and in your organization. Yeah, absolutely. So we've talked about how technology has evolved throughout the years, but how about the role of HR Professionals? How has how is that evolved with the integration of technology and what new skills are really becoming essential now nowadays?
00:19:53:05 - 00:20:25:04UnknownYeah. Good question. I think about that even with the question prior, you know, our our role has how that's evolved is we're no longer managing data at a micro level. So hopefully. Right. That's the case and that's certainly how our HR kind of experience is evolving. You know, I may never touch someone's benefit election form where that was likely a multi-touch historically before I was utilizing technology
00:20:25:04 - 00:20:35:09Unknownand then really kind of what skills can we adapt to be more essential in our roles is becoming more technical and strategic.
00:20:35:09 - 00:21:01:16UnknownAnd I know that's kind of a very generic answer, but, you know, HR is not doing what HR used to do. Yes, those core functionalities fall within our space, but our day to day work is really changing. And so finding ways to kind of think outside the box and I think we'll talk in a little bit as well about some of those key skills about how to embrace and engage technology.
00:21:01:18 - 00:21:30:08UnknownAbsolutely. And how about now looking at kind of at a different angle, are there any ethical or privacy considerations that HR Professionals need to be aware of one kind of going through this technological landscape and process. Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, i think about that ethical and privacy consideration. It's huge in HR Right. We are holding some of the most confidential data within the organization.
00:21:30:08 - 00:21:54:14UnknownYou know, people's personal information is kind of within the realm of what we have in our systems. And really it's the same rules apply as have always applied. You know, we've always had that sensitivity piece and actually it's many more rules because there's a lot more state and federal compliance pieces that are coming out around employment law that we need to track and sure, we're being sensitive to.
00:21:54:14 - 00:21:58:20UnknownSo, you know, I think that piece absolutely still applies.
00:21:58:20 - 00:22:13:03UnknownI think our own s as HR Professionals as really to ensure that we understand those and ensure that they're supported within the technology cases that we're using and ask those questions of the vendors and partners that we're working with.
00:22:13:03 - 00:22:16:12UnknownYou know, I think about even just digitizing filing cabinets.
00:22:16:12 - 00:22:40:03UnknownAnd i think i spoke a little bit to that earlier. And what technology are you going to store that data and who's going to have access to the different types of file? Certainly not always the same people to all the different types of data. How are you doing document retention in a digitized system versus how we used to do that and more of a paper system.
00:22:40:05 - 00:22:45:21UnknownSo certainly employer employee filing cabinets is a significant piece of that as well.
00:22:45:21 - 00:23:08:06UnknownI'm going to give just a little warning here. So I would say don't avoid technology and the benefits that you can get from utilizing technology because of these fears almost heighten your experience and your curiosity, the technology that you're going to use or thinking about using based on that fear.
00:23:08:06 - 00:23:31:01UnknownRight. Ask questions, do research, you know, talk to your peers, talk to other partners, like Emory is a great partner. You know, what are they doing from a technology perspective? Certainly when I'm looking to evaluate a new technology, I'm ensuring that I'm feeling pretty confident that those things are answered prior to investing in that technology.
00:23:31:01 - 00:23:34:24UnknownAbsolutely. And I guess that's a perfect way into the next question.
00:23:35:01 - 00:24:00:08UnknownSome organizations or HR Teams may have not tapped into any technology yet. So do you have any best practices or advice for teams looking to start incorporating technology into their organizations? Yeah. And actually, when we did the MRA conference last year, we did a poll to kind of see where people at from that technology adoption or adoption perspective.
00:24:00:08 - 00:24:26:09UnknownSo, you know, kind of core is digitizing and like finding opportunities to digitize. Are there documents that are in paper form that can be digitized and identifying what those are and kind of moving forward with that? I would say utilizing your vendors so vendors, partners, you know, who is really speaking in that HR Technology space trusted partners that you can lean on to help
00:24:26:09 - 00:24:28:05Unknownhelp you with that incorporation.
00:24:28:05 - 00:24:49:10UnknownYou don't have to be a technology expert, but you need to have kind of the right partners and the right vendors that kind of talked about, you know, be curious, you know, look at look at your current processes. I think about that almost every day. Is there a process that I'm doing that I don't need to do because it's very manual and it's not using my human element in order to achieve that?
00:24:49:12 - 00:24:53:02UnknownIs that something I can put within one of the technologies that are available?
00:24:53:02 - 00:25:06:22UnknownYeah. And so kind of that B curious piece. The other thing I'll add to that real quick is, you know, like I remember last year everyone was talking about or me was earlier this year, everyone was talking about techy beauty and what does that technology mean and how are we going to utilize that?
00:25:06:22 - 00:25:27:05UnknownAnd I mean, that was true for me too. I was asked by a fellow up here, what did I think about chat and how that was going to change the landscape of human resources and how we adopt technology. And I don't know. So then I look into that. I talk to people who's using chatbot for HR What are they using it for?
00:25:27:07 - 00:25:50:05UnknownAre there opportunities? You know, and i kind of ask myself these questions rather than why shouldn't i use that you and how should I use that? Or how could I use that? And who else is using it in a really successful way? And would that make sense within our organization? Yeah, absolutely. I always be curious and always be reevaluating your current processes.
00:25:50:07 - 00:26:07:10UnknownAbsolutely. So we've talked a lot about HR Technology implementation with the organization and the employer specifically. But how about from an employee perspective, what are really the benefits of an employee using technology?
00:26:07:10 - 00:26:22:17UnknownYes, i think two things i would point out here. One, we've kind of already cover, which is the self-service piece. I mean, there's such a huge value in employees being able to have the data that they want real time, whether that's going in to have access to a system to update their address or is it?
00:26:22:17 - 00:26:34:05UnknownI want to see what my manager and I collaborated on around performance management last quarter, just to refresh myself, if I'm, you know, kind of keeping up with what we had talked about,
00:26:34:05 - 00:26:46:09Unknownthere's just a huge value in them having real time information and self-serve options. The other piece that I would say is a potential benefit is really how HR
00:26:46:09 - 00:27:07:04UnknownCan be utilized within your organization. You know, i don't really want to talk to employees about like, here's a copy of last year's w-4. I want them to have access to that so that I can be having really meaningful conversations with our employees. You know, my day is primarily spent talking to employees about, you know, how are they driving their careers forward?
00:27:07:06 - 00:27:35:19UnknownAre there communication challenges that they're having within the organization that we can walk through and help to strengthen that development for them? How are they learning and growing or things like that that are more of the human element side of HR For sure. Well, you kind of mentioned this chat to bettina. Last question, but everyone always wants to know, like, what's the next biggest technology thing?
00:27:35:19 - 00:28:08:00UnknownWhat's the latest and greatest thing? So I guess what trends do you really foresee in the future of our technology and do you have any advice on how HR Professionals can really prepare for these changes? Yeah, you know, i don't know that i would speak to any one specific technology. I think we're going to continue to see more growth in some of our more robust like the risks or hcm technologies we're going to be hearing more about.
00:28:08:02 - 00:28:37:01UnknownI mean, I think we've just cracked the surface and I don't even know that we're fully utilized in that to its full capabilities within HR So i think more around that artificial intelligence, certainly the automation space as we see our organizations adopting to more automation type technologies for their core line of business. I think our professionals are going to have opportunity to really tap into that, to provide automations for the work that they do.
00:28:37:03 - 00:28:40:12UnknownDefinitely more around integrations. We're seeing a lot with
00:28:40:12 - 00:28:58:07Unknowntechnologies that have the ability to integrate with other technologies, but we're also still using some technologies that won't integrate, or they have very limited integration capabilities. So I think we're going to see more around that. And then certainly some of these emerging technologies, you know, and catch up would certainly be an example of that.
00:28:58:07 - 00:29:01:01UnknownAnd then I guess maybe I'll answer on the preparing for,
00:29:01:01 - 00:29:03:13Unknownyou know, and I think this kind of just goes back to,
00:29:03:13 - 00:29:23:15Unknownyou know, lean in now so that it almost eases that lift later on. So what aren't you familiar with in the technology space right now, or what gives you hesitation in the technology space? Have, you know, have dialog and learn more about that now because it's not going to get scaled back and it's not going to stay the same.
00:29:23:17 - 00:29:43:19UnknownWe're going to continue to grow this technology experience as we're seen in kind of all areas of our lives. And so kind of jumping on that and starting to take just some initial steps will absolutely benefit folks as they can to as we continue to go. Yeah, absolutely. And there's great resources out there and we'll provide some resources on
00:29:43:19 - 00:29:47:10Unknownjust specific tools or different HR
00:29:47:11 - 00:30:08:10UnknownTechnologies that you can learn more about. But as we wrap wrap up here, are there any other specific platforms, tools or resources that you want to recommend to our listeners and our HR Professionals who are interested in kind of exploring technology in their work. Yeah, absolutely. So, i mean, i would say some of the standard ones, you know, HR
00:30:08:12 - 00:30:35:23UnknownI asked tools, whatever that might be. Explore what you have, explore what the offering is within that certainly app our applicant tracking systems. I will kind of do a shout out for the recorded interviews where using a technology called badge and we got that through. We got that partnership through our partnership with MRA. But it's been a game changer on the candidate side, both in the candidate experience as well as our internal experience.
00:30:36:00 - 00:30:52:04UnknownAnd then I think just this whole piece around document management technologies and automation technologies. So I mentioned we're utilizing OnBase as the technology that we're utilizing. But I think just leaning into those automation processes, it's it's a significant
00:30:52:04 - 00:30:59:00Unknownvalue on the side. Yeah, No, that's helpful to hear kind of where you're at and what's been successful for you.
00:30:59:00 - 00:31:19:17UnknownSo that's that's great. But Tricia, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and really sharing your expertise and tips on the latest in HR Technology. So to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, i would urge you to comment something new that you learn or anything that you really want to add on to this conversation.
00:31:19:18 - 00:31:43:00UnknownWe want to hear what you're doing. What are your trends? What are your ideas? And don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA. If you aren't a member or member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on our topic today and Tricia's contact information. If you want to get in touch with her or ask any follow up questions otherwise.
00:31:43:00 - 00:32:03:03UnknownThank you so much for tuning in today. And Tricia, thank you again. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out.
00:32:03:04 - 00:32:07:21UnknownThanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
November Talent Report with Jim Morgan
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Description: 🎙️ Tune in to our latest podcast episode on MRA's November Talent Report for the latest insights and trends in the world of talent. From innovative recruitment strategies to emerging skills in high demand, join us as we explore what's new in the month of November and gain valuable insights to stay ahead in the competitive job market!
Resources:
Talent Report+ Webinar Series
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Jim Morgan
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:10UnknownNow it's time to thrive. All right. Welcome, everybody, to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. It is time to go over this month's talent report with Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So we'll dive into what he's been seeing this month in the world of business. So thanks for joining us again, Jim. Well, this month we focused on tomorrow's talent strategies.
00:00:44:10 - 00:01:08:08UnknownToday, meaning what worked five years ago is no longer applicable. And in fact, what worked five weeks ago might not even work today. So starting out with the recruiting and retention innovations, where is the focus here? What's going on here? Well, I think a lot of time is being spent right now on pay transparency. And we talked about this a little bit after our comp trends event a month or so ago.
00:01:08:10 - 00:01:29:23UnknownBut it's now, you know, really getting the attention, I think, of a lot of the people we're seeing states and communities start to put trade pay transparency policies in place. And so now I think these are folks, though, that are, you know, ready to go, that have good job descriptions, a good pay structure, a good pay philosophy. I don't think it's going to be all that big of a deal for them.
00:01:30:00 - 00:01:46:17UnknownBut for those who, you know, have been winging it and just said, well, we don't really have a structure, we just kind of make it up as we go or we don't really have a pay for lots of fee or job descriptions. You know, we're kind of there, but not quite, I think are now seeing that this is a good time to get all of that in alignment to.
00:01:46:17 - 00:02:11:20UnknownThen we do. If you come in to ask me about where am I and what's going on and what's the schedule for my job, I should be able to at least, you know, give you that information. And I think because employees now are coming in so much better equipped, because they're looking at all kinds of data, too, and saying, hey, I read, yeah, I should be making this, I should be doing this, I should be getting this, which may be accurate, may not.
00:02:11:22 - 00:02:31:22UnknownBut they're trying to build their best case for saying, I deserve this. And as a professional, I think you have to be ready to come back with we use these salary surveys, we collect this type of data and this is really where your salary is at. And that's great that you found this one job in downtown Los Angeles where they're paying seven times what we're paying.
00:02:31:24 - 00:02:55:16UnknownBut if you really look at that job, it's not really your job. It's in a different type of economic climate, in a whole different situation, in a different industry. So that doesn't apply. So I think we're really just seeing the people arm themselves and get themselves organized to really be able to handle those employee questions. Yeah, absolutely. And we have a podcast actually coming up with a recruiter for memory, so that'll be interesting to see what she kind of says.
00:02:55:18 - 00:03:15:04UnknownOn pay Transparency within like the recruiting recruiting world. Yeah, and I'm sure that she'll have some stories about, yeah, you know, I'll see an inside job where they say this job news $500,000 and you're sort of like, that's not what people are really offering, right? Or well, kind of going off of that recruiting and retention and moving into talent thinking.
00:03:15:06 - 00:03:45:11UnknownYou highlighted the fact that the role of the manager continues to evolve and where those are responsible for hiring, supervising and leading are now being asked to do more and do their job. Even better. So can you kind of expand on that, that idea and that thought and any examples that you're seeing? Yeah, they are becoming sort of the shock absorber in this whole organizational structure and a lot of it is falling back to them, which is probably the place that it should be because they are the closest to their to their folks.
00:03:45:13 - 00:04:14:19UnknownBut a lot of them didn't sign up for that, you know, 25 or 30 years ago. And so now we're seeing the emphasis on performance reviews and having conversation with your employees, staying in touch with them. The annual review is not a surprise when you it's the one time you talk to them, but you're really communicating with them every single day, knowing not only how their work is going, but how their life is going and understanding who the people are that are working for you.
00:04:14:21 - 00:04:37:12UnknownWe're seeing a lot of it in communications where there might be some disruption on the on the floor within your team or there's disagreement. It's not our I'm going to run day and have them fix this. And is our expectation as you will deal with it, you know, as it happens. And so we're seeing a lot more pressure on them to, you know, just kind of keep things within your team and you've got the skills to do it.
00:04:37:12 - 00:04:57:18UnknownSo you figure out what's the best way to deal with some of those things. Facilitating conversations across with other teams and within the people within their team, like making sure they're talking to each other. And if there's a difficulty, you're in there trying to help them, you know, figure out what that is. We're now seeing it in artificial intelligence.
00:04:57:20 - 00:05:26:02UnknownDo you know what your people are up to? Does your company have a goal? Is an objective statement out there making sure your people are using it for good and not evil and just understanding what some of the ramifications of it might be. So they're really being called on to be the thought leaders right on the spot with their people, helping their people, helping them with performance, helping them really with everything that's affecting their ability to do their job.
00:05:26:04 - 00:05:44:17UnknownAnd that includes, you know, work life balance and all the remote work and the flexibility. There's a lot on their plate right now. Yeah. They're also a full time therapist for their team. And that's very true of the mental health aspect. Yes. And really, you know, it's like your family. You got to get in there and deal with the goods and the bads.
00:05:44:23 - 00:06:15:19Unknownyeah, absolutely. There's a lot on their plates. There is. And more coming. Well, let's talk about our creativity now. So you mentioned how employers are continuing to try different ways to engage employees in the DIY space specifically. So do you have any plans or initiatives that you're seeing here around DIY initiatives? You know, I think people are always just looking for a way to take what they're doing and make it a little bit better and what are the opportunities for us to do that.
00:06:15:21 - 00:06:34:13UnknownAnd we're seeing a lot of it. Food's a big deal, you know, I mean, it's used for rewards. It's used for bringing people together, you know, all the breaking bread at the table sort of, you know, allows people to have conversations. And so we're seeing, you know, companies now that they may use those as diversity equity and inclusion opportunities.
00:06:34:15 - 00:07:07:08UnknownMaybe they're bringing in food from a certain culture and maybe they have people who work for them that are in that culture. So rather than just, here's food from this, right, This this culture giving people the opportunity to say, here's the history behind this, here's what it means, here's what food means in my culture and some of the different things that go with that and using it as almost an educational opportunity and to say, this is great, we're all getting to eat, but let's learn a little bit more about what this means and how important it is to to different groups.
00:07:07:10 - 00:07:26:14UnknownWe're seeing the HR people now get more involved in the hiring process and even down to what are the questions we're asking in interviews and what are we looking for just to see? Is there any unconscious bias in there? Do we have people who maybe have been asking the same question for a long time and the meaning of that question maybe has changed.
00:07:26:14 - 00:08:01:09UnknownAnd so really taking kind of a top to bottom look at what's happening as we're bringing people in and as we're beginning to to onboard them. And we've seen them move with our companies that, you know, the holiday schedule or the days off schedule isn't quite as strict as it was where it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, traditional things that maybe did apply to a wide variety of the workplace at one point, but now giving the people the flexibility to say that may not be the holiday that meets their their ethnic or cultural needs.
00:08:01:09 - 00:08:22:18UnknownAnd so you have floating holidays to use for the things that are part of you and your culture and your family history. So just understanding that that might be, you know, obviously not the same for everybody. And the last one we're seeing again is people are just taking a look at their handbooks, which maybe have been around for decades.
00:08:22:20 - 00:08:52:19UnknownBut things that were written 25, 30, 35 years ago have a different meaning than they did then than they do in 2023 and 2024. So scanning it with an eye towards unconscious bias, I do these things still apply. Are they appropriate? And again, no. You know, male intent can, you know, intended, but nobody's looked at it. And so before that becomes an issue, getting out in front of some of those things.
00:08:52:21 - 00:09:20:02UnknownSo just being ever vigilant to make sure that everything we're doing in the DEI spaces is up to par and an up to date. Yeah, I love all those ideas and I think those are great action steps too that people can take away with right after this podcast. Even I think a big question is what C-suite leaders are thinking right now and where their thoughts and concerns really lie heading into this next year, 2024.
00:09:20:04 - 00:09:45:21UnknownYou know, we've talked about this several times, too, with the C-suite. If there's one thing that they hate, the uncertainty and if there's one thing that's out there right now, it's uncertainty. So there's a variety of things that they're, you know, kind of got their eye on as we head into 2024. Employee engagement is one, you know, all of the surveys will say, well, you know, employee satisfaction is one thing that means, okay, you know, I'm showing up, I'm doing my job.
00:09:45:23 - 00:10:09:12UnknownBut engagement means I'm I'm into it. I am a part of this and I own it. And, you know, for most companies, that number might be in the 20, 25, 30%, which sounds extremely low. But if you start thinking about the people who really, you know, are coming to work every day, fired up, ready to go, ready to take on the new challenge, you do, you know, maybe not have a vast majority.
00:10:09:12 - 00:10:29:24UnknownIt might be they're doing a good job. There's no doubt about that. But are they really looking for that next opportunity for the organization? So I think that that's a big one. Finding and attracting talent continues to be one. And then, you know, hanging on to them, developing, developing their hiring managers to be great leaders. And this goes back to what we just talked about a couple of minutes ago.
00:10:30:01 - 00:10:49:15UnknownWho are those people that are willing to take on all of those tasks, do it willingly and on their own and are willing to take the next step because those are the people that we're going to build our organization around. So what's our obligation as the employer to make sure that those people are getting all of the the benefits and the training that they need?
00:10:49:17 - 00:11:13:06UnknownAnd so benefits are a big deal. We talked about this I think, last month. We're at that generational tipping point where the millennials and the Zs are going to outnumber the boomers and the Xers, and there are certain benefits that mean something to everybody. But, you know, if I look at the 25 year olds, if I look at your generation coming into the workplace, you've got a lot more student loan debt in your generation than we did in mine.
00:11:13:08 - 00:11:34:23UnknownSo that's a bigger deal for you. The life work balance is a bigger deal. The flexibility is a bigger deal than when I started. So are there benefits along that that matter? We joke about pet insurance, but there's a lot more of you that have animals than kids. So, you know, is that a bigger deal? And and some of them are kind of silly, but they mean things to people.
00:11:34:23 - 00:12:09:23UnknownAnd so I think as we try to figure out how do we make our benefits have value to people, companies are taking a hard look at, you know, what matters to our incoming people that we make sure that we're keeping them satisfied, you know, with the things that they're what they're getting. And then I think, you know, trying to build that culture of family within their organization, within their team, within their company, what are the things that we can do that our current employees are welcoming to the new people that are coming in or providing opportunities, whether again, that's around food or whatever it might be for people to get to know each other, not
00:12:09:23 - 00:12:32:08Unknownonly within the workplace, but what some of their interests might be outside. It also, you and I might be in different departments, but if we both love dogs, love volleyball, went to the same college, it gives us additional things to talk about and we get to know each other a little bit better. And that becomes, you know, part of the workplace and part of making me want to be there.
00:12:32:10 - 00:12:52:11UnknownAnd so I'm not. We build some of that family and that trust within our organization. Yeah, I'm just going off of that culture piece. It's funny because I just had a friend the other day. She's four, she's fully remote and now her company wants to build on their culture. So now they're requiring all those employees to be in the office four days a week.
00:12:52:11 - 00:13:10:00UnknownAnd you know, she's not too happy about it. But it's to build their culture. And they weren't happy with how their culture was at that current point. So, yeah, and that's a, you know, a 100% legitimate issue for a company that's, you know, whether it was the pandemic, whether it was going to a mall, whatever it might be.
00:13:10:02 - 00:13:33:11UnknownBut some companies, that's a big part of, you know, who they are. And then I think the challenge for the employer becomes how do we make this a place where she actually wants to come to work? Exactly. And whether we're doing fun things, we're getting to know each other. We've got a coffee bar and milkshakes on Friday. I don't know what it is, but, you know, how do you create that as the place that it's like I want to be because it's better for me.
00:13:33:11 - 00:13:59:18UnknownYeah. And that's, you know, that's just another challenge for employers. Well, from the field, it looks like you've pulled some stats from an air survey on workforce retention. So can you kind of summarize what's seen here in the survey? Yeah, a couple of more. We just talked about that balancing act for employers to find the benefits that have the greatest value, the satisfaction and understanding of those benefits and what does each generation want.
00:13:59:20 - 00:14:22:17UnknownSo I think you're going to see a lot of play in that. It might not be dramatic. We're still going to have retirement savings. We're still going to have days off in vacation, we're still going to have health care. But where do we work? Around the edges on some of those and even within those around health care, especially the digital space, how much of it is on my phone, how much of as an app, how much of it is telemedicine?
00:14:22:18 - 00:14:42:23UnknownYeah, those are things that, you know, that matter to people. So I think you're going to see some of that. The burn burnout, it was interesting. The headline was All the younger generations. I have this incredible, you know, burnout rate. And if you actually read through the data, it was high for for millennials and Gen ZERS but it was high for everybody.
00:14:43:00 - 00:15:07:03UnknownAnd I think, you know, one I think that's human HR? to say, boy, I got more going on than I know what to do with. I'm burnt out. I do think we're going through a world of adjustment right now, post-pandemic or changing the role of the manager. We've got this whole remote thing, we've got this culture thing. There's just a lot going on right now and I think people just feel like I got a ton on my plate and I have to figure it out.
00:15:07:03 - 00:15:30:21UnknownSo, you know, that maybe is to be somewhat expected. And then the digital space, not only, as I just mentioned, for health care, but how do we make that a good place, whether that's what's our, you know, our video conferencing experience, what's our team's experience, what's the culture of our own group? How do we not let the distance and the digital separating us from things?
00:15:30:21 - 00:15:54:17UnknownBut to your friends point how do we, you know, make her understand that that collaboration, the face to face to human matters without alienating her from the job that she's like, I don't want to be here again today. Right. Managing that I think remains and will be for quite a while. A big one for supervisors, hiring managers and employers in general.
00:15:54:21 - 00:16:18:11UnknownYeah, that's a good point. You also had Alicia Kaiser, vice president of HRA and three insurance, join you for this talent Report webinar, and she gave some insight into talent strategy, best practices, and she specifically gave a lot of great advice on career paths. So do you have any key points from her presentation that you want to share?
00:16:18:13 - 00:16:46:04UnknownYeah, this is a very talented individual. She's a lot of fun to have on and just very smart, you know? And she was just talking about how they in trying to develop a learning culture in their organization. Part of it was career mapping that for every employee we're sitting down and trying to figure out where do you want to be, where do you want to go, and then what's the learning and development You have to do to get there and not dictated by AM3 and the employer?
00:16:46:04 - 00:17:12:19UnknownBut really saying to the employee, You own this, yeah, we will help you, we will get you there, we will provide the resources, but you need to own where you're trying to get to and know the skill that it's going to take to help you. So they've engaged their own employees. I think she said like 99, some percent of the training they do is by their own employees that they're people are interested in teaching and training the other people that come work for them.
00:17:12:20 - 00:17:33:04UnknownSo if you're in the customer space, they've got the customer skills and how to deal with their folks and how to get there. If you're a representative to some of their clients, what do you need to know and how do you need to get there? And we can, you know, take you through that. And putting in place now a learning management system so they can see these are all the offerings we have.
00:17:33:06 - 00:17:51:01UnknownIt's pretty clear that if you want to get from Spot A to spot B, this is the training that you're going to have to go through. And that doesn't guarantee you a spot, but it puts you in a position that if that spot is available, you've done what you can to position yourself to be the next choice. And so it's really it's always in front of people.
00:17:51:01 - 00:18:12:24UnknownIt's a day to day thing, but that continuous learning, continuous to get better is a big part of who they are and how they function. And so that's something that they just keep in front of their people at all times. Yeah, I something I took away was sometimes the younger generations. Jen's ears are looking to the employer to say, Hey, what opportunities do you have next for me?
00:18:12:24 - 00:18:37:17UnknownOr How are you going to help me grow now? But she kind of, I don't know, gave good insight into, like you said, it's it is about the employee owning that career growth and career path in career mapping. So they have to be completely serious on it too. It's not all on the employer to say, hey, you're going to do this next year and get this the following year and this this year.
00:18:37:17 - 00:19:00:21UnknownBut it's on the employee to kind of take that first step or initiative on those projects. Yeah, And those are the kinds of conversations I think people have to have because I could do a project with you and maybe you are a with is an Excel spreadsheets. I was really impressed with your analytical whatever and say, Hey, we're going to have a finance position, open it up and you're looking at me like that's the last thing in the world that I want to do.
00:19:00:21 - 00:19:19:14UnknownAnd so I think the more that the employee takes ownership of it and as an employer and as a manager, that speaks to me this day. All right. At least she's taken the time to invest in herself. Or Marissa's looking at me to say, Why don't you tell me what you want me to do? Yeah. That initiative, I think, is a big first step, too.
00:19:19:14 - 00:19:50:23UnknownAnd that that resonates with Matt. Absolutely. Well, this month in charts, you've included some data on population and some projections there. So what does the data exactly show? I think the big the biggest one in the first one was look, it was a look at the US population around race and ethnicity between 2010 and 2050. And you see you know, the white non-Hispanic go from 65% in 2010 to 46% in 2050.
00:19:51:00 - 00:20:12:04UnknownThat's a pretty dramatic drop. Takes it below the 50% line. But the bigger point that I was trying to make, and that is the difference in the generations, is going to become very dramatic. And if you look at what's the makeup of the people that are in our schools versus what's the makeup of the people that are in our nursing homes, those are two very different populations.
00:20:12:06 - 00:20:32:11UnknownAnd for schools, for employers, it's going to be a different distribution that's coming through. And, you know, are they prepared for that and are they getting prepared for the large growth that we're going to see in the Hispanic population? And that might be language issues, it might be culture issues. And are you prepared to welcome those people in and to be able to retain them?
00:20:32:13 - 00:20:51:22UnknownSo, you know, just kind of keeping an eye on the future that says we're going have a pretty dramatic turn over the course of the next couple of decades and how are we preparing ourselves for that? So that was the first one. And the second one we've been talking about is, you know, especially the upper Midwest. We are aging and we're aging, you know, relatively quickly.
00:20:51:24 - 00:21:14:22UnknownAnd we're not an attraction area for a lot of young folks. And looking at the United States, I think it was about 20, 20, 34 where the number of people we have over the age of 65 passes, the number of people we have under the age of 18. And it might be, yeah, okay, you know, whatever. Well, not only do they cross, but then they continue to spread and get further apart.
00:21:14:22 - 00:21:39:19UnknownAnd so that means we're going to have a larger older population and a smaller, younger population. So what does that mean? What does that mean for Social Security? What does that mean for health care? What does that mean for a holding on to people? Maybe that they don't retire at 60 or 65, They may be old and home to 70 or 75 and figure out what to do because there's going to be a a numbers gap there again.
00:21:39:24 - 00:21:57:12UnknownPlus, there's going to be a needs gap because that just changes who's going to take care of all of these people. You really want to, you know, get down to it. And so I don't know. We may go back to grandma and grandpa moving in with Sophie. You know, for the last 15 years of their lives. So, you know, are we ready for that?
00:21:57:14 - 00:22:16:05UnknownSo it's just, you know, so the things that are on the horizon are not that far out. The population is going to change by ethnicity, by age. And are all of us ready to to deal with that? And are employers preparing for it so that it's not all of a sudden one day they're like, what just happened? I hope they're preparing.
00:22:16:07 - 00:22:34:08UnknownWell, as we wrap up here, Jim, can you tell us what the last report of 2023 is going to cover? We're going to take a look at what's coming for 2024, and that's what we're going to focus on. We're going to do it both from a economic outlook point of view as well as an outlook point of view.
00:22:34:08 - 00:22:57:11UnknownSo I think we'll have some really interesting discussions on that. And then next on the docket, we'll be talking about artificial intelligence in HR and then kind of revisiting the whole internship, how to find them, how to attract them, how to keep them, how to manage them, and how to make sure that you're setting them up to keep them on their staff going into into the future.
00:22:57:11 - 00:23:20:07UnknownSo I think we should have some interesting conversations. Yeah, we've got a great lineup coming. Yeah. Well, Jim, thank you so much for all that great content today. And kind of recapping what you've been seeing in the world of business with an emphasis on talent this month in to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would encourage you to comment something you learned today or anything that you want to add on to our conversation.
00:23:20:07 - 00:23:40:17UnknownWe definitely want to hear from you too. Don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes below, including resources on this talent report. Otherwise, thank you for tuning in today and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode.
00:23:40:18 - 00:23:59:00UnknownBe sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Generation Alpha: Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Description: Never before have there been five generations in the workforce. Each generation has its own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, and ways to work, communicate, and even learn! In this podcast episode, we are going to focus on the newest generation joining us in the workplace—Generation Alpha!
Resources:
Learning & Development
A Multi-Generational Workforce Is a Force for Good
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:20UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, welcome, everybody. We are so glad you're here and I hope you're ready to talk generations today, specifically on one that you may have never heard before. So never before. There have been five generations in the workforce and each generation, as you know, has their own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, ways to work, communicate, and even learn.
00:00:44:22 - 00:01:11:06UnknownSo in this podcast episode, specifically, we're going to be focusing on the newest generation joining us in the workplace, and that is Generation Alpha. So it looks like Gen Alpha is the group of generation following generation Z. So Gen X’ers are born in the early 2010’s going through the early 2020s. So we know and are finding that each generation brings something really unique to the table.
00:01:11:08 - 00:01:47:13UnknownSo. Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent Development, is joining me today to talk about Gen Alpha how you should really update your L&D strategy to include these Gen Alpha learners. Make sure to stay tuned throughout the episode and we'll tell you how you can win a podcast swag item at the end. Just exciting little note there. But Amanda, we know we now know who Gen Alphas are, but really my first question to you is why is it essential for organizations to now adapt their training and development strategies for this generation?
00:01:47:15 - 00:02:21:09UnknownWhen I think about Gen Alpha, I have this case study across the hall and it's my kids. They were born in 2010. We all went through this interesting thing, maybe you've heard of it called a global pandemic. And that pandemic expedited lots of things for all generations. One of the things that expedited for Gen Alpha that is different than other generations is integrated learning in school.
00:02:21:09 - 00:02:21:24UnknownSo
00:02:21:24 - 00:02:40:10UnknownI'm not talking about adult learning theory principles versus child learning theory principles. We're not going into Andrew versus pedagogy here, but what we are going to talk about is being used to what the source of knowledge plays a part in for for these kids. So
00:02:40:10 - 00:02:46:21Unknownin most of Gen Alpha was fourth grade or younger when the pandemic hit.
00:02:46:23 - 00:03:11:04UnknownPrior to that, teachers in the classroom did a lot of teaching to the whole group from the front, doing activities, walking around and helping. They weren't putting elementary school kids into these Google class type structures at such a young age. They were doing that more in high school and certainly in college.
00:03:11:04 - 00:03:21:13UnknownBut the pandemic launched an expedited ETD, putting kids at younger ages into these platforms to learn things.
00:03:21:15 - 00:03:49:18UnknownWhat that has done is changed their expectation of what the knowledge expert in the room's function is and how they learn. So Gen Z would have started doing that in college, mostly older. Gen Z. It wasn't until college younger, Gen Z, maybe in high school, some certainly not in elementary school, but now it's embedded in elementary school from like third and fourth grade on.
00:03:49:20 - 00:04:18:21UnknownBecause the schools put money into these platforms. They have licenses, they might as well use them. Right. And so the reason it's important for us to think about is because a lot of organizations are still hanging on to e-learning or instructor led training, possibly blended where we do some e-learning, pre class and post class. But that's as as diverse as we're getting in our strategy.
00:04:18:23 - 00:04:43:01UnknownBut Gen Z doesn't is looking for something different and Gen Alpha won't even understand it. Let's say. Why on earth are you doing it this way? That's not what the source of truth does. That's not their role in my learning. So it's time now because we have four years before they'll be the oldest part of that generation. To your point of the early 20 tens.
00:04:43:03 - 00:04:51:01UnknownMy kids are born in 2010 and depending on which sociologist time range, you look at 2010, somewhere between there and 2012
00:04:51:01 - 00:04:55:23Unknownis Gen Alpha. So so they're halfway through eighth grade, everybody.
00:04:55:23 - 00:05:14:21UnknownBut it's, you know, four years until they are eligible for full time work. And so we have four years to really look at how we deliver training now, recognize how it might not even be meeting Gen Z and really not diversified in our strategy to meet Gen Alpha.
00:05:14:21 - 00:05:32:10UnknownSo that's why now's the time to be thinking about this. Well, absolutely. And I know you you kind of touched on some of these points, but I'm interested in knowing some of the key characteristics and really preferences of Gen Gen Alpha when it comes to learning and development. Yeah,
00:05:32:10 - 00:05:34:15Unknownthey're wanting
00:05:34:15 - 00:05:36:07Unknownmore and more
00:05:36:07 - 00:06:02:14Unknownfor the knowledge expert to be their guide to where to find the information and to bounce ideas and discussion off of, to make sure that they're understanding it, but they're not looking for the instructor or the facilitator, or for the learning strategy to be a source of truth, teaching it to them in an in-classroom or B in E learning lengthy E
00:06:02:14 - 00:06:13:11Unknownlearnings, overproduced E learnings, and they check out they're not looking for that. What they're looking for is and I'm going to age myself here,
00:06:13:11 - 00:06:26:24Unknownmy generation might remember and maybe remember Sophie, the Choose Your Path books. So you would read a book and you would get to a page and they would say, okay, you can choose to walk into the scary woods or turn around and go back.
00:06:26:24 - 00:06:45:16UnknownIf you choose to walk into the woods, turn to page 37. If you choose to go back, turn to page 46, and then you would go read if you essentially like, made it to the next stage or something horrible was usually it was a creepy book. It was You should it's something that ends the story for you and you have to go back and choose the other way.
00:06:45:18 - 00:07:05:16UnknownBut younger Gen Zs and Gen Alpha, they're looking for that kind of choose my path in learning. And I don't mean my career path. I mean how I want to learn, how I want information delivered to me, what helps for me and let me make those choices. Let me control that.
00:07:05:16 - 00:07:11:06UnknownAnd the knowledge experts are there. Guide in how to find that information.
00:07:11:06 - 00:07:29:01UnknownWhat might be helpful. They might come back and say, you know, as I was watching this short, short video or I was reading that blog, you you had the internal blog you have and I want to talk to you about this because I'm trying to understand this concept and how it works in my role. That's what they're looking for.
00:07:29:01 - 00:07:53:21UnknownThey want guidance. They don't want to have to rely on the person to come on Tuesday from 8 to 4 and tell them because they're that they're in class now in school. My kids, for example, are being shown where all the resources are to find the information within like the first 10 minutes of a new subject. And then they might have three days where they're meeting all different kinds of things all on their own.
00:07:53:21 - 00:07:55:01UnknownSo all through
00:07:55:01 - 00:07:58:23Unknown90 million different platforms that I have to try and follow to make sure they're doing their homework. But
00:07:58:23 - 00:08:20:10Unknownthat's what they're used to. Their their teachers are learning partners now. They're not the single source of truth. So that's what they're expecting when they come in to a learning strategy of you go to these classes during the first week and then after your first 30 days, you go to these classes every Monday and then you have these E learnings to finish between it between 30 and 60 days.
00:08:20:10 - 00:08:24:08UnknownAnd look how diverse we are because we do some in class and some online
00:08:24:08 - 00:08:25:05Unknownand they would be like
00:08:25:05 - 00:08:33:09Unknowncertain article about that. There are some thing I can go find that without having to do either of those prior.
00:08:33:09 - 00:08:50:11UnknownWell I know we talked about that Gen Z is similar to Gen Alpha in a lot of ways, but what would make this new Generation Alpha different from Gen Z and how they choose or their content and how that content is really delivered?
00:08:50:12 - 00:08:53:22UnknownYeah, a couple of key differences.
00:08:53:22 - 00:09:00:10UnknownOne is I mentioned it kind of in the beginning of our chat for a Gen Z.
00:09:00:10 - 00:09:17:21UnknownThis the source of truth being the guide and lots of resources and we don't come to a room five days a week for this. We do it in lots of ways. That really kicked off for older Gen Zs.
00:09:17:21 - 00:09:25:10UnknownWe're talking college like that just didn't happen until college for younger Gen Z sort of in high school.
00:09:25:10 - 00:09:39:01UnknownAnd the difference, like I was mentioning in Gen Alpha, we're talking elementary school now you're doing this as they learn how to learn, which I think is really important for us to recognize. These are the shaping years where they learn how to learn.
00:09:39:05 - 00:09:43:20UnknownI'm teaching my kids how to study. I am teaching them what deadlines mean.
00:09:43:20 - 00:10:08:15UnknownYou get homework done in a certain time. A lot of a lot of our kids, depending on your districts and stuff, but they don't possibly do homework or not until they're kind of older. So deadlines and turning things in on a certain time for my kids over the past couple of years has been like that is in and of itself something I'm teaching them the importance of
00:10:08:15 - 00:10:09:21Unknowneven that
00:10:09:21 - 00:10:10:18Unknownis negotiable.
00:10:10:18 - 00:10:24:18UnknownAt my son's school, there's a time that it's due and then the teachers will say, Hey, it's missing, and then he'll have like two weeks to go and go get that finished and turned in and he gets full, quote, grades for it throwing me off. But
00:10:24:18 - 00:10:31:12Unknownthat's one one key difference is this is happening much younger than the other generations.
00:10:31:14 - 00:10:42:18UnknownAnd for the other generations, it was just kind of nice and part of being an adult. Now. And for our for Gen Alpha, it's shaping how they learn because this is what's happening at this still early stages of their life.
00:10:42:18 - 00:10:52:14UnknownThe second key difference is everyone talks about, you know, tick tock or YouTube shorts or these types of things less
00:10:52:14 - 00:10:53:14Unknownproduced
00:10:53:14 - 00:10:56:05Unknownshorter snippets, much more
00:10:56:05 - 00:10:59:06Unknownauthentic, much easier to connect to the person
00:10:59:06 - 00:11:07:07Unknownfor Gen Alpha that is part of everyday everything, including now they're not going to tick tock in school.
00:11:07:09 - 00:11:31:13UnknownI don't think. I don't think not right. I don't think teachers are saying that, but they have, you know, as his wife, my son will they'll be introducing a new history thing and his teachers will have copied and embedded in their discussion boards these really short little like YouTube shorts kind of videos of somebody with their phone introducing a topic.
00:11:31:13 - 00:11:35:08UnknownAnd they might have do cutaways to different scenes from a movie or something
00:11:35:08 - 00:11:58:18Unknownvery much like that. Gen Z While they are totally on the Tik-tok train and Facebook is for old people and all of that jazz stuff where the YouTube generation actually they're more younger, millennials and Gen Zs are more into the YouTube source, which while still my own video system, I'm
00:11:58:18 - 00:12:07:11Unknownstill accepting of green screens, still accepting of that kind of sort of produce, not overly produced, but that's kind of okay,
00:12:07:11 - 00:12:09:01Unknownyounger Gen Z.
00:12:09:01 - 00:12:22:05UnknownAnd certainly as you get into Gen Alpha, as is, I try to show my son really neat produce created videos. He completely checks out and walks away. If I pull up something that someone did with their phone, he's like, sucked in. Yes.
00:12:22:05 - 00:12:32:15UnknownIt's going to change how we create that video content, I think. And where organizations invest their learning strategy dollars to create some on demand content, what does that need to look like?
00:12:32:17 - 00:12:42:07UnknownDoes it need to be as as fanciful as we make it? I don't know that it does. Yeah. No, absolutely. I feel like they they want the content that looks like a
00:12:42:07 - 00:12:47:16Unknownnot an over over sort of or overproduced, like you said, Tik tok like
00:12:47:16 - 00:13:06:22Unknownsomething that they can relate to and they can relate to a Tik Tok of someone who just pulled out their phone and started talking and showing them how to do something, but they might not necessarily be able to relate to someone who is put together a whole production with, like you said, along a longer video showing you how to do something.
00:13:06:22 - 00:13:31:07UnknownSo I totally understand that and get that. Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned that organizations do need to start thinking about this now and they have a few years now to start kind of rethinking their strategy. So going after that, what is really a primary difference in how an organization's development strategy currently would want to consider adjusting to integrate this next generation?
00:13:31:07 - 00:13:41:01UnknownLearner What I love that you use the phrase integrate because what I would never encourage an organization to do is pivot
00:13:41:01 - 00:14:01:17Unknownthat generation and completely exclude the fact that, as you said in our opener, there are four other generations work for us still here. Just added one, right? We're bringing in some new folks that don't learn at all the way I mean, the way they're looking to learn in the way Gen X is looking to learn and how we're used to it.
00:14:01:19 - 00:14:05:19UnknownI should say it's not even looking to learn. It's what we're used to and therefore comfortable with
00:14:05:19 - 00:14:14:18Unknownpolar opposites. Right? But Gen X is still there. Elder millennials like myself, we're still here, Baby boomers are still there, and
00:14:14:18 - 00:14:19:06Unknownon boards at least, you know, the traditionalist generation, my father
00:14:19:06 - 00:14:22:15Unknownthat may even be on a board. It would be terrifying, but he would be on board.
00:14:22:17 - 00:14:26:09UnknownThey're still around, right? So how are we
00:14:26:09 - 00:14:47:10Unknowna What I have seen success in and what I am encouraging organizations to do is integrate strategies that will include that next generation while not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and getting rid of your existing strategies that include the generations that are still within our workforce,
00:14:47:10 - 00:15:11:13Unknownthat what we need to do and I was having a conversation a couple of weeks ago with a young lady newer into the industry, newer into the work career field, and she and I were talking about this topic actually, and she said, I just wish that organizations would give options, so I don't want to go to this
00:15:11:13 - 00:15:13:08Unknownleaders program.
00:15:13:10 - 00:15:27:15UnknownShe's branding the organization. So we're talking new hire, kind of get to know the organization program where you've created this schedule. And I go do all of these things at these times. What I would love to do for me is have my resource person
00:15:27:15 - 00:15:44:17Unknownthat is like my guide and how I learn. And then I could we offer this information in this class on these days, if that's of interest, we do have some short video options to go over the same information and you can talk with your manager in between.
00:15:44:19 - 00:16:18:12UnknownWe have some great talking point guides at the end of each video and you could do it that way. We also have these articles over here if you want to read them and kind of learn about our culture that way and talk to your manager. So why I referenced that Choose Your Path book when we first started chatting is because that's what started blinking in my head while she was talking is, my gosh, we could deliver the same information in a multitude of ways and to be inclusive of all generations, let your learners choose their learning path.
00:16:18:14 - 00:16:41:21UnknownLet them decide what makes sense for how they like to get information and who are their sources of truth to help them connect it all together. We do need that, you know, administrative control and understanding that you are learning this stuff, that we are making sure you're walking away with what we want you to walk away with. But that the concept that it has to be
00:16:41:21 - 00:16:52:04Unknownbuilt by a learning strategist or built and led by an instructor to accomplish that would be outdated thinking.
00:16:52:04 - 00:17:09:06UnknownI think there are other ways that we could provide it, because what we are talking about makes sense for ABC Learner. What others might be talking about makes sense for deaf learner, and we need to help learners through Zeke So
00:17:09:06 - 00:17:11:08Unknowndon't get rid of the content you have.
00:17:11:08 - 00:17:20:02UnknownTake the time now to look at all the content that you've identified as an organization is important for us to develop our employees on or in.
00:17:20:04 - 00:17:24:06UnknownHow can I take this instructor LED class or this 30 minute e-learning
00:17:24:06 - 00:17:39:16Unknownand distill it into something different? Can we create blogs? Do we have podcast recording approaches? They're all internal. They're in a bank, a resource bank, and they can go in and click on, you know, episode one episode to episode three, and they have a week to listen to them all.
00:17:39:16 - 00:17:46:10UnknownAnd that's how they that would be great for them. And then at the end of each podcast episode, you say, okay, so
00:17:46:10 - 00:18:05:11Unknownwe encourage you between now, when you listen to your next episode to talk to your manager about and then you put in those three talking points and then they would go chat with their manager and the manager knows what they are and just same information delivered in a multitude of ways and let the learner own what makes the most sense for them.
00:18:05:17 - 00:18:11:17UnknownThat's what adapting to include these other generations
00:18:11:17 - 00:18:12:14Unknownshould look like.
00:18:12:14 - 00:18:30:06UnknownThose are all great points and great ideas. You think of God choose your path or choose your pathway, and I just immediately think of the tic tac sound. Choose your fighter. Like that just comes up in my head. I know where that comes from, right? Where is that wrong with your line?
00:18:30:07 - 00:18:35:13UnknownAnd I can picture the sound in everything. Mortal Mortal Kombat
00:18:35:13 - 00:18:40:02Unknownis a very, very, very. There's a Gen Z statement for
00:18:40:02 - 00:18:43:00Unknownthose. Fantastic. I loved it. But yes, that's what we're talking about.
00:18:43:00 - 00:18:57:02UnknownWell, moving on here, the phrase authentic city often comes up with when we hear about the next generation or what does this really mean in terms of content development and curation and.
00:18:58:13 - 00:19:01:17UnknownSo I was mentioning, you know,
00:19:01:17 - 00:19:12:09Unknownthey get disengaged with overly produced stuff talking about what in the industry we often call the happy path,
00:19:12:09 - 00:19:22:15Unknownwhere in training class we talk about the perfect this is the perfect scenario and here's how you would do this and then you would do this and then they will respond this way and then you would do this and everybody's happy.
00:19:22:17 - 00:19:25:15UnknownConflict resolved. And
00:19:25:15 - 00:19:31:00Unknownwhat folks are looking for in terms of authenticity is tell me what it really looks like. How does it really go?
00:19:31:00 - 00:19:51:11UnknownCan you not look perfect while you explain this to me? And can you not be in front of some green screen? I don't mean our beautiful logo backgrounds. I mean in these in these trainings are like these green screened, amazing modern corporate offices that, you know, they're not actually standing in because, you know, very few offices actually look like that in the world.
00:19:51:13 - 00:20:11:21UnknownAnd any all of those layers together make the whole learning disingenuous. And they tune out because this person has no concept of what it's really like or this person doesn't. Yeah, doesn't speak my language and I can't connect with them. What they're looking for is
00:20:11:21 - 00:20:21:09Unknownand I call them selfie selfie videos, like I could hold my phone up, just do a chat, a five minute chat or less on
00:20:21:09 - 00:20:35:09Unknownthe six behaviors, adaptive leadership behaviors, and then say, try this one next time you want to be direct, try this when you want to flex into coaching and they that feels more real.
00:20:35:11 - 00:20:57:23UnknownYou standing there. I'm a I'm a person. I'm not in the most perfect setting and I'm having a quick conversation with you about what it looks like and and how it works. And that feels more real. I am a leadership coach, so it makes more sense that I would talk about that. It would make no sense if I made a video about marketing strategy.
00:20:57:23 - 00:20:59:05UnknownI don't do that.
00:20:59:05 - 00:21:13:14UnknownBut having a marketing person pop on and say, Marketing hot tip of the week and they know who they are because they're in their organization, it just is a quick hit and it's one of them. It's one of my team members. It's a person I know
00:21:13:14 - 00:21:18:00Unknownin a space that I feel like if I walked up to their desk, they would say it to me in that exact same way.
00:21:18:00 - 00:21:31:12UnknownAnd that's authenticity. Yes. And I can relate to that. Even being a younger, a younger employee, like that's the type of learning that I want to or that I want to see so be prejudged. So we get in there
00:21:31:12 - 00:21:38:17Unknownjust I mean, I'll just interview you. You tell what you want. Exactly. So tell me if I'm wrong. Okay.
00:21:38:20 - 00:21:42:09UnknownYou know what? You are 100% on. Right on.
00:21:42:09 - 00:22:02:24UnknownWell, we're we've been bringing up phones a lot and Tic TAC and all this, so we've got to bring up technology at some point. So how has really technology shaped the way that Gen Alpha learns and what role should other digital tools play in these modern training programs? Yeah, I mean, Google Classroom
00:22:02:24 - 00:22:05:21Unknownis part of elementary school.
00:22:05:23 - 00:22:26:13UnknownGoogle Classroom becomes they all those all of them have like an online platform. All of the kids have Chromebooks instead of books. But all of the kids most of the kids schools have that by junior high. My son had that by seventh grade, but up through sixth grade, a lot of stuff was done on these interactive whiteboards in the room or something like that.
00:22:26:13 - 00:22:53:06UnknownNow, I know every district is different. I know every private school versus public school and all of it can look different. My son goes to public school. I can all look different. But all of the districts are using these platforms for where the content is held. So he'll go to a platform and then there's I kid you not 12 different apps
00:22:53:06 - 00:22:58:12Unknownthat he would be clicking in and out of to get his classwork done.
00:22:58:14 - 00:23:13:22UnknownHis math class alone has three apps that he uses. The only class that feels even remotely like how I used to learn is his social studies class. And that's because they only have one app they use. I didn't have any apps, but like
00:23:13:22 - 00:23:20:16Unknownthat's how he expects to go find content and he finds it on his own with the teacher being the guide.
00:23:20:16 - 00:23:28:13UnknownIf Here's the things I want you to accomplish today, here's some resources to do it. His English teacher is teaching them how to use chat gpg
00:23:28:13 - 00:23:43:04Unknowncoming into an organization when he gets into full time work that doesn't even use any type of technology like that in any way would feel very weird to him because he's been really will at that point have been using it for five years in school, you know,
00:23:43:04 - 00:23:46:02Unknownso they're looking for a source.
00:23:46:08 - 00:23:54:23UnknownThey're looking for. I always say you just have a pond and the teacher tells you what to fish for and you go fish for it, which makes no sense to him. And he tells me he doesn't fish, but
00:23:54:23 - 00:23:56:12Unknownthe point being,
00:23:56:12 - 00:24:04:18Unknownthat's how it's being done. Right? And we have these technologies in our or in our organizations right now.
00:24:04:20 - 00:24:16:18UnknownSo many organizations have some sort of collaborative tool they use, whether it's teams, whether it is WebEx teams, there's Microsoft teams, there's WebEx teams,
00:24:16:18 - 00:24:24:04Unknownwhether it is even Google Slack or Google Hangouts. Right. Some free version of a tool to collaborate.
00:24:24:04 - 00:24:34:16UnknownOrganizations are doing that. It used to be colleges used Blackboard. Right. And that was again pre me I didn't use I did the Dewey Decimal system and I went to library but
00:24:34:16 - 00:24:38:11Unknownthere was blackboard and that was kind of it and it was in college.
00:24:38:13 - 00:24:46:06UnknownNow we're talking just how I get my assignments work done in sixth grade. So
00:24:46:06 - 00:25:03:01Unknownwe have these capabilities in our organizations right now. We don't think of using them. Not every organization, I should say. I have some of our members that do, but not every organization thinks about how do we use this as part of our learning strategy and not just as part of our collaboration tool.
00:25:03:03 - 00:25:06:18UnknownThat's where I think we can. You can do this
00:25:06:18 - 00:25:18:00Unknownutilizing a lot of tools that you have at your disposal, and you should utilize all of them. Because remember, I'm talking about creating a learning path, not pivoting, integrating.
00:25:18:00 - 00:25:22:20UnknownAnd I would say going off of that. Then follow up question to that is,
00:25:22:20 - 00:25:38:00Unknowndo you have or have you seen any organizations that have already started to kind of to where they're more integrate their training and development programs for general hire already?
00:25:38:02 - 00:26:00:09UnknownYeah, Yeah, we do. We have a couple of members. It's interesting they're in the one is in the of Rackspace so they started doing this not for Gen Alpha but because a lot of their team members are in their vans and on the road. So they're not you can't do a atria system e-learning because we don't give them computers and yes we all have mobile learning.
00:26:00:09 - 00:26:27:24UnknownBut if you look at mobile learning and an L.M. learning management system, platforms that are mobile enabled, it's the same video on a smaller screen. That's the only difference. It is a completely redone for your phone. It's still a video and you still might have quiz questions that pop up in between and you just are doing it on a smaller screen so it's not actually redone for mobile.
00:26:27:24 - 00:26:40:15UnknownSo it wasn't really working for them. So they started creating these things because they did have certain pieces of content that were hands on. And so you have to come to the warehouse to do it,
00:26:40:15 - 00:26:49:14Unknownbut we offer it a multitude of times because of schedules. So I might have an installation scheduled that day. And we can't stop all installations as a business.
00:26:49:14 - 00:27:12:08UnknownWe aren't going to do that. That's silly. So well offered and multiple times to fit your schedule. So people were starting to choose their own path already based on that. That works for me. And then they all had teams and so they started creating teams channels for content. There are two new create a channel. Here's a lot of ways this can benefit a learning strategy.
00:27:12:10 - 00:27:16:05UnknownOne, it's a it's a mobile. You can install teams on your phone, right
00:27:16:05 - 00:27:31:07UnknownWhen you have a channel that you belong to, let's say new employee channel or emerging leaders channel or customer service channel. And it's not us talking with the members, it's learning how to be great at our customer services. We're at their homes and we're doing these installations.
00:27:31:07 - 00:27:55:10UnknownWhat happens is they get added to the channel because either say they want to or everybody does. For the first year, whichever their strategy is, the channel has a chat. So they would have ongoing discussions all the time in the moment, coaching with the the guide there, but they also have their cohort of learners of other people. So they've just dealt with this situation, you know, not knowing if I did it right.
00:27:55:10 - 00:28:34:23UnknownWhat's your opinion and the groups chatting about it then another tab for the channels, those files and they would have procedures. F.A. Qs, all kinds of sources of information there for them. They also could have videos in that file and they, there's a lot of different apps you can add on to any team's channel. So they would have all these different things, including a scheduler, so that if they did have in-person classes coming up on this topic and it was something that you feel like you needed more help in, you could go to the scheduler, click it, it linked to the LMS to register so you can track.
00:28:35:00 - 00:28:39:04UnknownLike I said, you still going to have some sort of tracking system to the stuff
00:28:39:04 - 00:28:53:01Unknownand people that wanted to go to the in-person class and they, they would have the multiple sessions and they would click it and they would come, but you didn't have to. And some people the way the the soapies, some videos and the chat function worked for them
00:28:53:01 - 00:28:54:22Unknownand they didn't do it for that generation.
00:28:54:22 - 00:28:58:19UnknownBut I told them, I said, Well, you're in luck. You're already set up thumbs up. My
00:28:58:19 - 00:29:03:24Unknownearly start. Yeah, yeah. I mean, and, and they did a lot of their
00:29:03:24 - 00:29:05:18Unknownthey would reach into the chat
00:29:05:18 - 00:29:14:07Unknownchannel and say, hey, we're looking to update our videos. Anybody want to come? So to that authenticity point, they were just shooting them with their own.
00:29:14:09 - 00:29:18:09UnknownI don't know if it was their phones probably a little bit fancier, but their own like handheld
00:29:18:09 - 00:29:42:19Unknownvideos with volunteers of team members. So so people are showing up. We're not producing. We knocked around an hour and then within like a half hour it was up and in the in the team's channel on that subject. So using teams not just for a collaborative tool, but as a development piece of the strategy and they just did it beautifully.
00:29:42:21 - 00:29:45:06UnknownI was like, You're good. High five here.
00:29:45:06 - 00:29:50:05Unknownthat's a great it's a great example of a good success story. So yeah,
00:29:50:05 - 00:30:13:20UnknownI do also want to reiterate the point I know we talked about, but that there are are also other generations in the workplace simultaneously. So can you just kind of reiterate the point or talk about how this strategic adjustment or integration, what that really means for for those learners of different generations?
00:30:13:22 - 00:30:50:11UnknownYes. And you used the pivotal word again, integration, right? Don't throw out what you already have. Just use it. You already have a strategy that is identified important information that you as an organization, agree. You should invest your time and energy into developing your people on. Because whatever learning strategy you have that involves a person coordinating it, people spending time outside of their daily work to learn it means you as an organization have determined it's worth the time investment and possibly depending on what it is, the financial investment.
00:30:50:14 - 00:31:11:11UnknownSo don't get rid of any of that. It's saying how can we also deliver that in potentially more of a choose your own path kind of way? Can we take that information? And what are the exercises that for someone that doesn't need to or want to go to a learning for workshop approach we can take out and still give them that information.
00:31:11:12 - 00:31:13:11UnknownIt's more of like a
00:31:13:11 - 00:31:36:15Unknownlike an article kind of thing to read. And then instead of exercises, we finish it with those talking points that you go chat with your manager about. Don't expect people to read it and retain it. You have to kind of let them in and they need to let the manager know. They read this, they want to talk about these points, but how I integrate it into my job role, the threat that other people might go to the class on the same content, but
00:31:36:15 - 00:31:48:19Unknownit's taking what already exists because it's been determined as important and then spending some energy in providing it in some different ways so that as other generations
00:31:48:19 - 00:32:10:11Unknownand other learner preferences, you also might find you. I don't want to assume that there aren't, you know, my mom as she's a boomer, she's a boomer like the first year, the baby boomer. But she and I talk about it and she's like, man, there was a lot of stuff. I would sit through glass and think, this could have been like a quick walk by my cube and tell me and I would have been fine.
00:32:10:11 - 00:32:18:09UnknownShe's a math mathematician and engineer woman, so most things she felt could have been handled through a quick conversation. But
00:32:18:09 - 00:32:27:11Unknownso you might be surprised as to who you see take advantage of more of that self-guided, not even just self-paced, self-guided
00:32:27:11 - 00:32:36:07Unknownlearning strategy. No, that's a good point To just mention that some gen zers or gen alphas may not all take the same approach or.
00:32:36:07 - 00:33:00:22UnknownThey're all the same way. So that's a good point to bring up. But kind of wrapping up here, do I know we talked about a lot today, but do you have three main takeaways that our listeners can kind of walk away with in terms of how they can really start integrating learning and development strategies for Gen Alpha learners?
00:33:00:24 - 00:33:08:14UnknownAbsolutely. Stop throwing so much money into production for any of your video stuff. You don't have to
00:33:08:14 - 00:33:21:17Unknownsow more authentic content that feels more real. So embrace the fact that you might be talking about the happy path and spend time talking about reality.
00:33:21:17 - 00:33:28:13UnknownDiverse. Don't get rid of what you have. Diversify how someone can access the information shared and what you have.
00:33:28:13 - 00:33:39:22UnknownAnd the third one, and this is going to be the hardest for any organization potentially it was the hardest for me, and I like to think I'm pretty progressive learning views
00:33:39:22 - 00:33:43:15UnknownEmbrace empowering the learner.
00:33:43:15 - 00:33:48:16UnknownI'll say that online again. Embrace empowering the learner
00:33:48:16 - 00:33:52:01Unknownso who knows how it. So if you would like information shared best, I don't
00:33:52:01 - 00:33:53:15Unknownknow if you knows that so
00:33:53:15 - 00:33:57:04Unknowntoo that diversifying then let go features.
00:33:57:06 - 00:34:13:07UnknownHere's the things I need you to know. I need you 30, 60, 90 to know it. Here's the different ways you can learn it. Let's sit down and myself as the learning leader, person or whatever. Right? The trainer assigned to you. You're your Sherpa through your learning guide.
00:34:13:07 - 00:34:18:04UnknownAs we sit down, let's map it out. What makes the most sense for you?
00:34:18:06 - 00:34:32:05UnknownAnd you might be like parents. It's kind of hard. I think that one, I would like to go to a class on. I'm pretty good at that. And this is embracing adult learning theory. This is my whole career and we hire experts and then we train them how to do it. Steve Jobs is like that is so ridiculous.
00:34:32:07 - 00:34:52:23UnknownAnd I agree with the man. If you're a marketing expert, I'm not going to train you on like how to market and social. Come take our social media marketing. Sophie Who's done social media marketing for forever? I'm not going to do that. So you might be like, I just want to read your policies on that. I'm good. You know, let me sit you down with the options.
00:34:53:02 - 00:34:54:02UnknownLet you choose. A
00:34:54:02 - 00:35:17:13Unknownit's a great, great ending point here and some great action steps that our listeners can start implementing today then, or at least thinking about it, you know? Yeah, well, you just heard from every subject matter expert on educating general flow. But to our listeners we also want to hear from you. So we're curious to know what you're doing to kind of revamp or
00:35:17:13 - 00:35:21:19UnknownI guess, revamp your training programs for the next generation.
00:35:21:21 - 00:35:38:13UnknownAnd so we are giving out one of our new podcast merch swag items. So we're encouraging you to send in your comments on this question for a chance to win that podcast Souvenir you'll want. I have one and I want it. I want one. So can I comment? I'll give you a one.
00:35:38:13 - 00:35:41:07UnknownBut otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today.
00:35:41:07 - 00:36:09:10UnknownThank you, Amanda, for all that great information. As always. Don't forget to check out the resources in the show notes below on MRA membership and Resources on this specific episode. So I hope you have a great day and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform.
00:36:09:11 - 00:36:19:03UnknownAnd as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
How HR Helps Managers Manage
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Description: In this episode, we delve into the crucial role of HR in empowering managers to excel in their leadership roles. We explore the various facets of HR support, from department alignment to performance management and employee development, providing listeners with actionable insights and practical steps to enhance their management skills and foster a thriving, engaged workforce. Join us as we unlock the secrets of "How HR Can Help Managers Manage"!
Resources:
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - DQ Spencer
Guest LinkedIn Profile - DQ Spencer
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:49:14UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. Thanks for joining us today. I'm excited for our conversation today because you get to hear from DQ spencer. DQ is an mra. HR Business partner located in our golden valley, minnesota location. But i know you come with a lot of experience and enthusiasm, especially for our topic today, how our can help managers manage.
00:00:49:16 - 00:01:06:08UnknownSounds like a big topic, but I'm excited to kind of break it down. I know we're going to run through a lot of aspects of HR and kind of give our listeners some good action items and stuff so that they can walk away with. So I know this is your first time on the podcast, so I appreciate you come on and excited.
00:01:06:10 - 00:01:26:20UnknownAwesome. Me too, hi podcasters. I know that you recently spoke at an event on this topic actually. So before we kind of kick things off, I'm just curious to know why is this really an important topic for our listeners? Yeah, I know you're right. I did speak on the event. It was an awesome event.
00:01:26:20 - 00:01:49:13UnknownA lot of energy and enthusiasm. This is a very important topic because a lot of organizations are still struggling with aspect of the function of HR organizations talking about people and people assets being the most important aspect of the company. But they have a hard time showing that people are, because they're the only nonrenewable asset that organizations have.
00:01:49:15 - 00:02:15:23UnknownYou can't copy the processes, equipment, technology, terminology, but you can't really copy people. So that's why this one is very important. Yeah, that's a great point as we kind of dive in. Now, can you explain how HR really collaborates with managers to emphasize their functional strengths? And kind of part two of that question is how can they use those strengths with their teams to achieve those organizational goals?
00:02:16:00 - 00:02:37:16UnknownYeah, So as you know, I don't know. I don't know. I have a football background. I like to use sport terminologies. That's great. Yeah, Yeah. So, I mean, HR is part of a team, right? HR is one of the few functions that truly supports the whole organization. So they have knowledge throughout each function, but they're not be the subject matter expert on that function.
00:02:37:16 - 00:02:50:12UnknownRight? So to probably collaborate with them, you have to just include that clue to include them in our communication conversation and work to collaborate and build that functional component.
00:02:50:14 - 00:03:19:12UnknownSpeaking of teamwork, we're in a world where teamwork is crucial. So how can HR departments kind of facilitate collaboration among their employees and help managers foster that culture of cooperation and teamwork and collaboration? Yeah. So that collaboration comes from that communication, right? And so a big part of HR is communication, and it's talking to the employees, talking to the supervisors, the managers, the leads.
00:03:19:14 - 00:03:43:09UnknownIt's really getting to know your people, your biggest assets. HR is a science and that you'll understand that. I mean, as HR, you have that strength, you have that background of understanding people behaviors, thought processes, patterns and processes. But as a as a functional leader, let's say, in accounting or finance, your your, your function, your strengths are going to be with that.
00:03:43:11 - 00:04:03:17UnknownSo you can you can collaborate with them and to partner with them, engage them. You have to communicate, you have to get in there, you have to go to them. You have to understand what the culture is and how you can THRIVE that. Those behaviors in and and processes to to and build and engage their culture properly. Absolutely.
00:04:03:17 - 00:04:26:22UnknownAnd I know as an HR business partner, you work with a lot of different companies, a lot of different HR department. So do you have any examples or success stories, I would say, of kind of where the HR departments work with teamwork and kind of fostering that collaboration? Yeah, I don't know. Somewhere along the line, HR has gotten such a bad rep as as the good Lord.
00:04:27:01 - 00:04:48:07UnknownYep. And I've been in HR for about 16 years. I have my my Bachelors of Science in HR McMaster Science and during my doctorate business in HR. And through that, I've learned a lot. But I've also learned just as much through my experience. For example, I worked with an organization known, as you mentioned previous to me joining in.
00:04:48:09 - 00:05:21:12UnknownIt was a very strong union environment and that created a kind of trifecta. Three headed obstacle course because it was the union, it was the business, the factory manufacturing, and it was HR and that's how they viewed it as three different portions, three different aspects of business. And that was a very tall task. So I really had to go in there and work on our collaboration first, partnering with the organization, the plant manager, building that relationship, and then partnering with building that relationship.
00:05:21:14 - 00:05:41:10UnknownAnd I was kind of that liaison that brought it all together, you know, that that organization lacked trust amongst the three. So that was that was very challenging. But just working with them, showing my commitment, my dedication, my, my, my, my processes and my procedures, showing them that, hey, you know this, we're a team. We want the same goal.
00:05:41:14 - 00:06:11:01UnknownWe set different paths to get there. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of our listeners can kind of resonate with that and relate to that story too, and how their organization like that. So that's good advice. But we also know that compliance is also a critical aspect of HR, too. So do you have any insights on how HR can support managers and ensuring their teams adhere to the regulations and policies that always seem to be changing and updating?
00:06:11:03 - 00:06:36:13UnknownYeah. Yeah. So I'm going to kind of get off topic, but get back to topic is going to be. So when I first started in the HR, I tried to assimilate to that that stereotype, that prototype of a human resource manager saying no and yes, and you can't do this and you can't do that. And I wasn't truly myself and I truly started being successful when I started, you know, venturing on and being original.
00:06:36:15 - 00:06:54:04UnknownSo I took the mindset of that. I wasn't going to tell leaders and managers, No, you can't do this Right off the bat. I was going to tell them, Hey, I want to get that goal that you want, but here's how we can do this. Here's how we can get it done versus knowing. Yes. So it's compliance. It's the same kind of issues in that aspect versus telling them no or yes.
00:06:54:06 - 00:07:13:06UnknownI'll give them parameters and say, Hey, I see what you're trying to do. This is the most compliant and best way to get there. So let's get it done together. Yeah. So, so running through kind of the task of all the tasks of HR, another one is to motivate employees, which can be kind of difficult. So how can HR
00:07:13:06 - 00:07:41:05UnknownProfessionals and managers work together to keep their teams engaged and motivated? That's that's a tough one, right? Because, you know, I say this all the time is that we're called individuals for a reason. So we're usually created in the we have individual values and views and perspectives. So to have that motivation, it's going to take really knowing and building a relationship with your organization, your culture and your employees.
00:07:41:07 - 00:08:00:07UnknownSo know your employees. One thing I told a member that I talked to, you know, he asked me, how can I motivate my employees? What's going on? They're not gauging. And I you know, I sat there and I said, Hey, you mind if I watch it for a little bit? Watch for a little bit? No problem. No problem.
00:08:00:09 - 00:08:21:09UnknownSo I sat down and took half the morning and just kind of watch his interactions with the employees. And I literally told him, I said, I saw four separate times where people were trying to talk to you and you didn't talk to people trying to walk. My actually, I didn't even look at and on two separate times we were trying to talk to you and you said, you know, you're busy with tomorrow.
00:08:21:11 - 00:08:42:10UnknownI said, Engagement goes both ways, motivation goes both ways. You have to go and engage with them. Right. As a position of authority. Naturally. I think the way people are going to be timid to engage with you so that you have to said that you're setting a standard. Like I said, the engagement and motivation goes both ways. Show them that you're willing to do what you're asking them to do.
00:08:42:12 - 00:09:02:17UnknownYeah, absolutely. I feel like that's a good point. I know a lot of companies right now just have to kind of reevaluate what they're doing. Like you kind of sat in as a fly on the wall and you were able to see it. The HR department may not be able to see it because they're in it. So sometimes you kind of need an outsider almost to come in and see that.
00:09:02:17 - 00:09:32:14UnknownALL Yeah. So when it comes to achieving results, alignment with an organization is key, obviously. So how can HR create that alignment between different teams and departments? Yeah, so alignment comes out. You know, I talked about inclusion, communication, conversation alignment comes with understanding the goal, right? And creating processes and procedures that align with that, that THRIVE toward that goal.
00:09:32:16 - 00:09:55:11UnknownA lot of companies have processes just because they happen. They said, we always have this or this is what we were always. But your goal changed, the business changed. You know, the world of business is very dynamic. It's always changing for you to keep the same processes. It might not make sense to achieve that goal. So I always tell the people, you know, look at what you're trying to achieve, work backwards and this is what we want it.
00:09:55:14 - 00:10:15:18UnknownThis is what we want to achieve. So let's do this. This, this is to get there versus, well, let's do this and go kind of around it, you know, align toward that goal, direct your process, your behavior and your diet and your actions toward achieving that ultimate goal. And just what you said right there, the world of business is very dynamic.
00:10:15:18 - 00:10:47:18UnknownSo I guess that kind of brings us to our next point of how can our assist managers in adapting their strategies and tactics to meet new challenges when business is always changing? Yeah, it's just constant reassessment, right? So like I said, I've been organizations all different functions and industries, and the thing I hear the most is this is how we've always done it or this is what they told us to do versus, you know, having that critical thinking skills, thinking about, hey, this is what they told us to do.
00:10:47:18 - 00:11:03:20UnknownAnd so I was done it. But it doesn't kind of make sense. We're trying to do so we're going back to think about this is what we're trying to we're trying to achieve organic business. We're trying to grow. We're trying to we're trying to set customers and employee satisfaction. So what can we do to get better? Understanding your culture.
00:11:04:01 - 00:11:26:13UnknownCulture is big, so I don't know if you know that I'm a teacher as well. Professor There's that. There's perio, pedagogy and anthropology. The type of learning that adults when when they learn, they want to learn by seeing what you do and looking what you do versus when you're a kid, you do this because you're told to do because you have to go through this.
00:11:26:13 - 00:11:43:23UnknownYou have to work through school, you have to go to high school as adults. They're there because they only want to be there. So let's make it a department that they want to be there right there. It's going to be changing. Not everyone's going to be the same, just like business is going to be evolving. It's going to be dynamic.
00:11:43:23 - 00:12:12:02UnknownIt's going to be contemporary. Some things may stay traditional, but it's going to move. You have to move with flexibility. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I should have mentioned that you were a teacher in the beginning too. I got so many different perspectives now from, well, we've kind of mentioned this throughout the whole podcast, but it seems like employee engagement is often one of the biggest concerns for managers.
00:12:12:04 - 00:12:44:19UnknownSo and you've touched on this briefly, but how can it really assist in measuring and improving employee engagement then to enhance team performance in an organization? Yeah, and that's that's a tough question, right? Because everyone is going to be different. But the thing it can say is, you know, just like business and sales engagement is building relationships, then understanding where you're talking to, what you're talking about, understanding the optimal goal and just building everybody should go toward it.
00:12:44:19 - 00:13:09:14UnknownAnd earlier, making that effort to engage with their employees, making that effort to be as transparent. That's transparent as possible. And so you can't be completely transparent all the time, but be as open as possible because more people understand them more than want to THRIVE that goal and helping them get those fingerprints and open and get that engagement and touchpoints within that plan.
00:13:09:16 - 00:13:28:24UnknownAnd that also helps, you know, they have a little skin in the game that will help them engage and help them. So, you know, I'm a part of this, right? But it starts and starts with the culture. And how is your culture is an engaging culture. Is it an open door culture? Is it, hey, I know we're business here, but how is your day and how are you doing?
00:13:29:01 - 00:13:45:18UnknownLook at the example I gave previously. When a manager, you know, shoot people off or was too busy to talk to people or, you know, he walked from his office right to where he needs to go at to engage. You have to show them this is what engagement looks like. You have to show that, hey, I'm motivated to do my job.
00:13:45:18 - 00:14:13:12UnknownYou have to think, what do you think about this? Talk to them and increase that communication, increase that inclusion and then kind of full support. HR Is a big portion of that because a lot of people really don't have that perspective or understanding or mindset. And as a human resource manager, we understand that people are our business and people should be everyone's business because that's what business is created on.
00:14:13:14 - 00:14:40:05UnknownEven even technical businesses, even process oriented businesses. They're all about people, right? We understand our people. The more we can utilize to take advantage of how great that asset can be and how much we can get to them, how much they can get does Yeah, absolutely. I love that you emphasized the importance of culture and having a good culture because that honestly THRIVEs your organization.
00:14:40:05 - 00:15:07:23UnknownAnd you can tell on day one and even probably both before you work at the organization what their culture is because she's a very prominent thing in an organization. So it's like, you know, example that I give, which I've seen many times, is when you're interviewing people, show their best in the best of times and say, Hey, we're going over their culture where, you know, we want to hear everything you're saying.
00:15:08:00 - 00:15:40:02UnknownBut when you start, it's absolutely And I walk down the hall, every door was closed, closed door meetings, Everything feels like it's secretive. It feels like you're very being excluded. And that's absolute culture. So part of my research for my my doctorate was how to decrease turnover. The intention was really, truly millennials because I do my research on generation, but in how to decrease turnover intentionally with the number one decrease, there was the culture right?
00:15:40:04 - 00:15:56:16UnknownAre you saying you do or are you being transparent? Are you including is are you hiring and retaining people? You need to cultivate that culture and that's a big thing is if you don't have a culture where you if you don't have what you want now, that's not a big deal. A lot of lot religion are in there.
00:15:56:20 - 00:16:18:03UnknownThey don't have what they want to go. They want to achieve. So but how are you going to get that right? What's your plan and how are you communicate and really in that plan, to your people, to your to your managers, and how are they acting on that? Well, you know, it's one thing to say it, but it's another thing to actually let them go.
00:16:18:03 - 00:16:43:00UnknownI know you've given a ton of best practices and advice and tips throughout this whole podcast, but do you have any best practices for HR Professionals to really identify and leverage the functional strengths with within their organization to THRIVE that success that everybody wants? Yeah. Yeah. So a lot of times i will say this is a very known saying, but get comfortable with being accountable.
00:16:43:04 - 00:17:15:01UnknownRight? So a lot of times when you talk the functions this is my first experience with my career when I taught the different functions and I wasn't prepared to talk to them about their business or their function. And so that decreased their trust and decrease their trust in me. So the more time to understand it and functions, I can have a direct conversation with about what their strengths were and and they can see that I'm taking that action to really understand what their strengths are and what their function is and what their goal is.
00:17:15:01 - 00:17:43:14UnknownAnd the more I understood how they act, how they behave, what their processes were, the more I could create strategy to more insert myself into their function and help them grow. And it helped me grow so much. Understand business financially, understand business through the processes of manufacturing, understand business details and marketing. But I just, you know, like I said, part of the reason why I got my BBA was because I had a master's in science, which is great.
00:17:43:17 - 00:18:11:11UnknownBut I want to understand business as a whole more holistically. And that helped me grow so much, helped me grow immensely understanding different functioning business. And that's what I would give to each age and professional in any, anyone, any function. I try to learn business. Don't try to, you know, obviously, you know, you do. You're your expert at what you do, but be an expert at understanding the business and that will help you grow with your organization.
00:18:11:11 - 00:18:30:01UnknownThere's so much that is great advice. That's something that I'm trying to do too, is just even shadowing an apartment for a day to see what their day in the life is. And that, like you said, will help you understand the business as a whole and will help you do your job better, too, on the long run. Yeah.
00:18:30:01 - 00:18:48:20UnknownYeah. And with that is I know it sounds boring, but you know, what do you what's, what's going on in that meeting. I said in that meeting where. Hey, you mind if I, you know, tag along with you? Like I said, Do you mind if I show you? Do you mind if I hang out and kind of the following a little bit and understand what you're going through so I can better help you, better assist you and better support you.
00:18:49:01 - 00:19:09:00UnknownAnd that's what it's about. You know, selfishly, I was trying to grow the business, not trying to grow myself, so I was trying to be a better project, better employee and a better person and more advanced to business. Absolutely. Well, as we wrap up your last question, can you share any key takeaways for our listeners on how HR
00:19:09:00 - 00:19:38:00UnknownCan really be that strategic partner in helping managers manage effectively and achieve the optimal results in their organizations. Bring it full circle here. We'll circle sort of our circle like i would say, kind of like I said, understand the business more. You understand that business and that function and that environment, the more alignment you can create, right? So again, help them understand processes that they don't know the process of, hey, this is what we're doing.
00:19:38:02 - 00:20:08:20UnknownIs that process, that HR Role. When i don't understand it, then they probably won't rule it out to the best of their ability. They probably won't engage in it to the best of your abilities. So help them understand it, right? Understand their business. They can understand your business. Say that that alignment, that inclusion, you know, still in their meetings, our conversation with them, engage with them, go out of your way, you know, go beyond a little bit to make them feel, you know, that they trust you, that the understanding that they believe in you.
00:20:08:22 - 00:20:30:23UnknownBecause the more trust, more understanding, the more inclusion you have, more transparency, you'll get more engaging, you'll get, the better you be able to help them and support them. And the more the business will be able to grow and that's what it's about, is creating that organic growth and that internal growth as well as that external world. So you can be successful in the business, can be successful decades.
00:20:31:00 - 00:20:54:01UnknownThis was great. I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and sharing all that great content and all the advice on how HR Can really help managers manage. So to our listeners, i would just encourage you if you liked our chat and topic today, comment something new that you learned today or something that you're going to start implementing or anything else that you'd like to add on to the conversation.
00:20:54:01 - 00:21:18:04UnknownWe want to know your thoughts, what you're thinking. If you have any new ideas on this topic. And don't forget to share out this episode, of course, and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes below. We've also included resources on this topic and DQ's contact info and LinkedIn profile if you want to connect with him.
00:21:18:06 - 00:21:39:18UnknownOtherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out.
00:21:39:18 - 00:21:44:11UnknownThanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.