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News and insight about working in and with today's contingent workforce.
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Workforce news and insight from Sean Rehder, a former Recruiter, 1099 Independent Contractor Compliance Manager, and Supplier Qualification Program Manager turned web developer.
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Monday, December 22, 2003
 How Do We Boost E-Learning Rates?
Question: Our e-learning curriculum includes 100 courses across a broad spectrum of fields, all developed by content specialists. Why aren't more of our employees enrolling to take these courses? Despite monthly reminders, participation remains low. If it doesn't increase soon, we'll have to scrap funding for it.
Answer: Many organizations have a Field of Dreams approach to e-learning. They believe that if they build it, employees will come. The truth is that organizations face many obstacles that keep learners from accessing online learning. Some employees may have such a heavy workload that little time is available for training. Others may feel intimidated by the technology. Still others may resist changing to self-paced or synchronous online instruction, preferring traditional classroom-based training.
Below are some ways that organizations have increased the rate of user engagement in e-learning.
Give employees enough time and space for e-learning classes
Minimize distractions for learners as much as possible so they can concentrate on the training they need. There are several ways to do that, including:
- Setting up a separate area for e-learning (e.g., computer lab).
- Posting visual reminders that someone is "in class."
- Forwarding e-mails and calls.
Tie e-learning to consequences
Let learners know how important e-learning is by tying course usage or completion to performance reviews. You should:
- Talk about training expectations during performance appraisals.
- Make e-learning a prerequisite to classroom learning.
- Require certifications.
Keep communicating
Don't stop communicating with employees once you launch the curriculum. Keep people engaged long after the kickoff party by regularly informing them of new courses, certifications and services. Also, communicate in a variety of ways: e-mails, pamphlets, posters, and lunch-and-learn sessions, for example. In order to make the launch more than a one-day event, try these tactics:
- Send regular e-mails.
- Post notices on company bulletin boards.
- Have regularly scheduled lunch-and-learn events.
- Hold an annual learning fair.
- Mention e-learning as a benefit of employment.
Reward completion
Some organizations provide reward points to employees who complete assigned training. These points can be redeemed at the company store or restaurant.
Make a module compulsory
Some people hesitate to accept change. That means they may resist e-learning without ever trying it. Develop or purchase a small, extremely engaging e-learning module and make it compulsory. Make the content fun, for example, by including instructional games, simulations, interesting assessments, etc. One of the benefits of good e-learning is that it can be addictive. Given a taste of good instructional design and presentation, your learners may be asking for more.
SOURCE: Brandon Hall, Ph.D., Lead Researcher, CEO, www.brandon-hall.com, Sunnyvale, California, Oct. 2, 2003.
posted by Sean Rehder at 8:30 AM, (Permalink)
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 Security Clearances 101: What Every Organization Needs to Know
Chris Jahn (HR.com) : Innovative Employee Solutions
-Tips and strategies for minimizing the time, costs and risks of conducting security clearances for contract and contingent-based employees.
posted by Sean Rehder at 8:25 AM, (Permalink)
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Too much email to read through?
Here is an article about spead reading. See how many emails hit your inbox as you read it. For the article, click here.
posted by Sean Rehder at 8:21 AM, (Permalink)
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 News Articles
from Workforce Reporters
BONUS Checks Won't Show Rising Economy
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA
By ADAM GELLER. By the time executive John Stropki stepped to the podium, more than 200 employees of Lincoln Electric Holdings had ...
ECONOMISTS see a rebound, but workers and businesses aren't ready ...
Boston.com, MA
By Adam Geller, AP Business Writer, 12/18/2003. In the 10 months since Kathe Cronin was laid off from Sprint Corp., she's come up ...
FIVE Ways to Promote Diversity
Fortune (subscription)
... to build ‘inclusivity’ into everyday life at the office. By Anne Fisher. Dear Annie: I recently joined a company that is making ...
LOCAL hiring outlook brightens
Raleigh News, NC
By KARIN RIVES, Staff Writer. Manpower, which surveyed 60 companies in Wake, Durham and Orange counties, found that 67 percent plan ...
SCHWAB ends 1-year suspension of matching 401(k) contributions
San Jose Mercury News, CA
By Michael Liedtke. Charles Schwab will revive its matching contribution to employee 401(k) accounts next year, marking the latest ...
PG&E reconsiders executive bonuses
San Diego Union Tribune, CA
By Michael Liedtke. SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric's corporate parent said yesterday it is reconsidering a plan to give ...
WALL Street Workers Get Bonus Boost
Newsday
By Tami Luhby. For the first time since the high-tech bubble burst, Wall Street workers this year will see a nice boost in their annual bonuses. ...
EX-ALGER Exec Sentenced
Newsday
By Tami Luhby. Two years after being lauded as a hero for rebuilding his Wall Street firm from the rubble of the World Trade Center ...
GROUP Urges Mutual Fund Crackdown
Newsday
By Tami Luhby. Hoping to allay investors' concerns of conflicts of interest in mutual fund firms, an industry lobbying group yesterday ...
EXPERTS debate IT's future as viable career
Indianapolis Star, IN
By Victor Godinez. Experts insist that technology is so pervasive and fast-growing that a shortage of workers is inevitable. Hold ...
THOUSANDS apply to work at resort
WFAA (subscription), TX
By VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News. HURST – Almost 4,000 job seekers descended on Tarrant County College on Friday to ...
posted by Sean Rehder at 8:13 AM, (Permalink)
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Friday, December 12, 2003
Thursday, December 11, 2003
 Curt Rosengren, the Passion Catalyst, writes about Overcoming your fears
There's an interesting article on Entrepreneur.com (titled Fear Factor, by Romanus Wolter) about overcoming your fear of starting a business. Most of what it has to say could be applied to the idea of pursuing your passion in general, not just starting a business.
The first idea (admittedly easier said than done) is harnessing the energy of fear.
Energy gives us the courage and willpower to bring our dreams to life...What happens if we simply use "fear energy" for its opposite purpose? Instead of letting fear paralyze us, why not scream "Fear is the energy we need to achieve the impossible!" Embrace that energy--it is powerful.
The article then goes on to outline six ideas for overcoming your fears:
- Discover your unique strength.
- Reaffirm your abilities to reinforce your belief in yourself.
- Speak positively with enthusiasm, and ask for help.
- Stop attaching yourself to specific outcomes, and learn to discover opportunities.
- Do what it takes.
- Fear, and fear again.
posted by Sean Rehder at 7:11 PM, (Permalink)
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Quality: The Bottom Line
By Charles Handler
Lets here it for quality in staffing. I learned a long time ago that, as an employee, you should look to work for a company rather than trying to fill a specific job. Here is an article on quality...
"Screening and assessment tools have value because they provide a way for organizations to ensure they are making quality staffing decisions that will provide them with high-quality personnel. Organizations that go out of their way to create a staffing process that focuses on quality will clearly see the rewards that come from hiring people who represent a good fit for both the job and the organization." >> Full Article...
posted by Sean Rehder at 6:15 PM, (Permalink)
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 | Project Management Tip
from Tom Mochal at www.Tenstep.com |
The Document Life Cycle
When a team member says they can complete a document in two weeks, are they saying that document will be ready to circulate in two weeks or that the document will be completed and totally approved in two weeks? It is important for the project manager to recognize the stages that a document must go through from creation to completion. These steps should be built into the workplan. Not all documents need to go through all the stages of document creation and approval. However, depending on the document, one of more of the steps will be required. Some of the review steps defined here would also be considered part of a quality control process for the documents.
- Initial Document Creation. The document is created initially. If there are no subsequent reviews and approvals, this step results in the creation of the final deliverable. Most of the effort associated with the document is used in this step. Subsequent steps may take a long duration, but they do not take nearly as much effort.
- Feedback and Modification (iterative). These two steps involve circulating the document for initial review and feedback. The document is updated based on the review comments. Depending on the particular document, this may be an iterative step. A document may have an internal review, followed by a stakeholder review, followed by a management review. After each of these reviews, the document is subsequently modified based in the feedback and sent to the next step.
- Approval. When the document has been circulated for feedback and subsequently updated, it will be ready for final approval. Some documents should be formally approved in writing. Others are simply considered complete after the final round of feedback is received.
Like all completed (production) deliverables there may be subsequent updates that may require their own feedback / modification / approval cycles as well.
Manage Documents
The larger the project, the more rigor and structure is needed to manage documents. You can end up with a big mess trying to save and find documents if you do not plan for a good document management process ahead of time. The following areas should be considered as part of an overall document management plan.
Document Repository: The project team should have a common area for storing documents. This could be a file directory, document management software, paper file cabinet, etc. The project manager should be sure that documents are not stored in many different places based on the preference of each team member. If that happens, the team will have difficulty finding important documents when they are needed especially if there is turnover among members of the team.
The team also needs to determine the types of documents will be added to the Repository. It is possible that the Repository can hold every document in every status, including drafts and documents in each team members work area. However, it is also common for each team member to have a work area for their own documents and for the Document Repository to only hold final, approved deliverables.
Logical / Physical Organizational Structure: Once you know where you will store documents, you should also determine the directory or folder structure. This is so the team members know where documents should be stored and so the team can find documents when they are needed. The first step is to define a logical view of how the documents should be organized. Once you have agreement on this view, you need to implement it in the specific directory structure or tool. The structure should be one that is easy to understand and easy to use to find relevant information.
Document Tools: The team needs to have a standard set of document processing tools. Normally this is not a problem if the team is all from the same organization. However, the lack of common tools can be a problem if your project team includes people from different organizations, different countries or different companies. For instance, something as simple as a standard word processing tool is normally not a problem. However, if you have suppliers and vendors on your team, you may have some team members using Word as their word processing tool and some using WordPerfect. Similarly, all team members need to have the same spreadsheet software. Once the standard software is identified, you also need to ensure the entire team is on the same release. In other words, if you want to use Word 2000 on your project, make sure all team members have Word 2000. Sometimes your documents will not be able to be shared if the creator and the reader are not on the same software release.
Access Rules: The access rules describe things like who can review documents and who can update them. Most documents should be accessible for the entire team to read. However, you should be clear on the documents that team members can update. For instance, the Project Definition can be read by all team members but only updated by the Project Manager. In general, the rule is that the person (or people) who created the document should be the only one that can update it.
If you use a document management tool, these access rules can be established and enforced. Even if you are using ordinary folder structures, you can still establish clear rules. For instance, you could set up a folder for final, approved documents that no one should touch. You can also establish work folders for each team member to place their personal documents, as well as project deliverables that are in-progress.
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posted by Sean Rehder at 5:43 PM, (Permalink)
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Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Close Encounters with the Brainteaser Job Interview
By John Kador
Hopefully the signs that the econonmy is coming back are true and people are going through the interview process like myself. Here is an interesting article one type of interview.
"The brainteaser job interview is back -- and not just at Microsoft. Increasingly, employers large and small are hitting applicants with brainteasers, puzzles, and riddles. The goal? To tease out from all those smart candidates with smart credentials the one candidate who demonstrates enthusiasm for taking on new challenges, an appetite for solving difficult problems, and a certain amount of audacity in presenting their brainpower."
posted by Sean Rehder at 7:08 AM, (Permalink)
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Tuesday, December 09, 2003
News Articles
from Workforce Reporters
TWO People, One Job
Fortune (subscription)
... with most resumes. By Anne Fisher. Many thanks to all who wrote me in response to the column two weeks ago on job-sharing. Turns out ...
JOBLESS benefits to expire
Kathleen Pender, San Francisco Chronicle, CA
...jobless benefits to expire.
MORE firms to offload IT
Computing, UK
By Madeline Bennett [08-12-2003]. Companies will increase the number of IT functions they outsource next year, according to a report ...
SCHWAB Eyes Bonuses for SoundView Execs
Los Angeles Times (subscription), CA
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writer. SAN FRANCISCO — Coming off several years of penny pinching, Charles Schwab Corp. has promised ...
SAFEWAY CFO quits to join Starwood Hotels
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE. SAN FRANCISCO -- Safeway Inc. said Monday that its chief financial officer is leaving to take a similar position ...
CIVIL Fraud Charges Filed Against Invesco
Newsday
By Tami Luhby. State and federal regulators yesterday filed civil fraud charges against Invesco Funds Group and its chief executive ...
COURT to Look at Pensioners With Jobs
Newsday
By Tami Luhby. The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to rule on a case that may impact the pensions of workers who start second careers after retirement....
IT workers feel effects of the long downturn
Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX
By VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News. Information technology workers are overworked, nervous about potential layoffs and increasingly ...
SELF-EMPLOYED, freelance workers on the rise in new job market
Seattle Times, WA
By Victor Godinez.
Recruitment executive Jon Davis is seeing the first signs of a recovery in the job market, but most of the employers ...
posted by Sean Rehder at 7:29 AM, (Permalink)
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Thursday, December 04, 2003
Skills-Based Talent Management
Great article on Talent Management in today's workforce. Here's the intro...
"David is the HR Director for a large county hospital in California. While thousands of people in the county have been laid off, David’s hospital and many others are starving for skilled healthcare workers, particularly nurses and pharmacists. Currently, job seekers can apply online, but resumes are sorted and reviewed manually. In addition, there is no automated process for employees to announce career goals, request mentoring, or communicate completion of certifications and training that might make them eligible for internal opportunities. David knows the current recruiting and retention methods are ineffective, and will become an even greater liability as the job market improves. He knows he must find a way to capture, inventory and communicate workforce skills in order to attract and retain the talent that will keep his hospital competitive. "
posted by Sean Rehder at 7:56 AM, (Permalink)
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Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Web Services and Small to Medium Businesses: So Happy Together?
I have only implemented web service programs at Fortune 500 companies, but here is an article about how I might have a larger customer base than I thought...
"It's a commonly held belief that Web services are suited more for large companies who have the need and capacity for complex server-to-server applications. Think again! Find out just how your small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) is actually better situated to capitalize on Web services than the big guns."
posted by Sean Rehder at 1:05 PM, (Permalink)
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 Allan Schweyer writes about AIRS Oxygen
AIRS is a Vermont-based private company that offers resources for recruiters and talent managers. AIRS solutions and services encompass internet search techniques training and products like AIRS Oxygen that search the internet for active and passive candidates. Oxygen searches the Web, resume boards and discussion groups, and it facilitates broad job posting distribution. Since January 2000, when AIRS launched its original Search Station product, it has become a near indispensable tool for recruiters across North America.
Read Allan's full article at HR.com.
posted by Sean Rehder at 12:49 PM, (Permalink)
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News Articles
from Workforce Reporters
WHEN to apply for Social Security
Charleston Post Courier (subscription), SC
BY ADAM GELLER. Q. I'm nearing retirement and it won't be long before I qualify for Social Security. I understand that people can ...
STUDENTS: Want a Job Next Summer?
Fortune (subscription)
Here are seven things to start doing now to make sure you start collecting a paycheck when school lets out. By Anne Fisher. Friends ...
GETTING to Know You Is as Easy as A, B, C or D
The Ledger, FL By EILENE ZIMMERMAN.
AFTER a long interview process during the summer, Dionne Glenn was told she had to do one more thing before ...
LETTERS TO BUSINESS
San Francisco Chronicle, CA Editor --
Kathleen Pender jumped to the wrong conclusion when she assumed CalPERS is willing to "tolerate questionable conduct" at AllianceBernstein, one of ...
IT consultants may see an increase in demand
Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX
By VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News. While the trend toward outsourcing continues in the tech industry, much of the work ...
posted by Sean Rehder at 6:44 AM, (Permalink)
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Monday, December 01, 2003
How do we apply knowledge management to make our organization more effective?
Answer: Knowledge Management, also known as KM, is broadly defined as providing a workforce with information and knowledge to successfully accomplish its job tasks.
It can include strategy and governance, content architectures and processes, roles and responsibilities, technical tools and infrastructure, metrics and incentives, and change management and learning. KM is not a technology and isn't technology-driven, but it's reliant on technology.
To be effective, align your knowledge-management program with your critical business processes. Don't simply put in new technology tools and hope that they get used. Instead, make sure those tools are used to target specific business goals. Your goal might be to decrease repeat calls and increase cross-sales in call centers. Or it might be to reduce the cost of new-product development. Don't rely on general cost-savings predictions, such as saving everyone 20 minutes a day searching for material.
If you're just starting out, pick a pilot program that will clearly demonstrate the value of KM, and select realistic goals that can show this value quickly. You can then define and design the components of the KM services to meet these business goals. Pilot all the KM services, not just the technology. Involve the employees in all aspects of the pilot--testing the interface, the functionality, the incentives and so on. After the KM services are defined, you can determine which services are best handled at a global, functional or local level, also allowing you to decide which services to outsource, buy or build internally.
Use the pilot to refine the total array of KM capabilities and move to additional business functions where value can be provided. Tie KM to workforce-management functions like learning and performance management. Integrating these different functions minimizes turf wars and optimizes performance.
SOURCE: Bill Ives, associate partner, Human Performance Service Line and the lead for the global Knowledge Management practice of Accenture, Boston, Oct. 16, 2003.
posted by Sean Rehder at 2:27 PM, (Permalink)
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| Project Management Tip
from Tom Mochal at www.Tenstep.com: Manage Scope |
Is Saying 'Yes' to Scope Change Requests Showing Good Client Focus?
The project manager and project team sometimes think that they are being client focused by accepting scope change while still trying to deliver the project within the original commitments. However, if the project is delivered late or over budget, it is usually not good enough to point out all the additional work that was included because of this 'client focus'. The Project Sponsor and your management don't want to hear about it. In most cases, the project will not be seen as successful since it did not deliver as promised within the original budget and delivery date expectations.
The Sponsor Will Usually Say 'No'
One of the neat things about enforcing the discipline of having the Sponsor approve scope change requests is that, unless the change is very important, the Sponsor will usually say 'no'. Again, the Sponsor is usually someone high in the organization. They don't want to hear about requests for small changes. They want the original project fulfilled within the original commitments for cost, effort and duration. Even though it may be hard for the project manager to say 'no', the Project Sponsor usually doesn't have any problem saying it.
The Backlog
It is possible that the sponsor may not approve scope change requests during the project, but there may be viable requests that can be done at a later time. These types of change requests should be captured on a backlog list (also called an evolution list). After the project is completed and the solution is moved to production, there may be opportunities for enhancements, or a Phase II project. Again, even at a later date, these changes will be implemented only if they are approved and if funding is made available.
Scope Management Procedure for Large Projects
- Solicit potential scope change requests from any project stakeholders, including the project team, clients, sponsors, etc. The issue can be surfaced through verbal or written means, but it will be formally documented using an Scope Change Request Form.
- Enter the request into the Scope Change Log.
- Assign the scope change to a project team member for investigation. The team member will investigate the impact on budget and schedule for various viable options. The team member will first determine how much time it will take to investigate the scope change request. If the time required to perform the analysis will cause deliverable dates to slip, the request must first be taken to the Project Sponsor to determine whether the request should be investigated or not. If the sponsor gives the initial approval to proceed, the workplan and budget may need to be updated to reflect this new work. The options are documented on the Scope Change Request Form. If the Sponsor does not agree to investigate the change request, then the request should be placed closed as 'not approved' on the Scope Change Log.
- (Optional). If the impact on project cost, effort and duration falls below a threshold (say less than 20 hours) and the project will still be completed within the agreed upon cost, effort and duration, the project manager and client manager may approve the scope change request. This threshold needs to be identified and approved in advance. The purpose is to keep from surfacing many small changes to the Sponsor for approval.
- Take the scope change request, alternatives and project impact on the Scope Change Request Form to the Project Sponsor for a resolution.
- Document the resolution or course of action on the Scope Change Request Form.
- Document the resolution briefly on the Scope Change Log. If the Sponsor does not agree to the change request, then the request should be closed as 'not approved' on the Scope Change Log.
- If the resolution is agreed upon, the appropriate activities are added to the workplan to ensure the change is implemented. The project budget should also be updated, if necessary. If the resolution is not approved, note it as closed on the Scope Change Log.
- If an approved scope change results in a substantial change to the project, the original Project Definition should be updated.
- Communicate scope change status and resolution to project team members and other appropriate stakeholders through the Manage Communication process, including the Project Status Report.
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posted by Sean Rehder at 2:20 PM, (Permalink)
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Weblogs that list current hiring needs and contact information. |
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Sean Rehder is a Contingent Workforce Developer who administers this site and specializes in building online solutions for workforce issues. Also, a former Independent Contractor Compliance Manager and Program Developer for such companies as Oracle, Cisco, Seagate, Inktomi, Ariba, CommerceOne, etc.
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Sue Becker is the owner of From Piles to Smiles™ professional organizing service. She is a C.P.A., and spent 20 years in various auditing, accounting, finance, and marketing positions at a variety of companies, including The Quaker Oats Company and Ameritech. The organization and time management skills that she used in these positions led to numerous accolades, including a prestigious leadership award. She started From Piles to Smiles early in 2000.
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Alice Snell is Vice President of
iLogos Research, a division of Recruitsoft. As a leading industry analyst, Ms. Snell has authored numerous
articles and reports on recruiting technology issues including best
practice staffing management methodologies and jobseeker behavior online.
Ms. Snell has been frequently called upon to provide expert commentary and
analysis regarding staffing management technology issues and is quoted in
leading media including The Boston Globe, Chief Executive, The New York Times
, PC Week, IT Recruiter, Chicago Tribune, and CNBC.com.
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Simon Meth builds rock-solid staffing systems. Incorporated are all facets
of the recruitment process including recruiting, identifying, behavioral or
competency based interviewing, selecting, and hiring the best-and-brightest
candidates for his clients. These people make a difference each-and-every
day.
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James R. Ziegler, Ph.D. is author of the "Contract Employee's Handbook", a free,
online resource for technical and professional contractors. Dr. Ziegler is also the Founder and Executive Director of
the Professional Association of Contract Employees (P.A.C.E.),
a unique employer of record service for Contract Professionals.
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As a Passion Catalyst (sm), Curt Rosengren helps people discover their passions and create careers that ignite them. His work is based on the Occupational Adventure Guide (sm), a passion pursuit / career development model he created to offer people an easily understood and effective approach to finding the career of their dreams.
Curt shares his thoughts daily at the Occupational Adventure Blog, "an ever-unfolding mixed bag of nuts, loosely clustered around the the central theme of Occupational Adventure - that is, a career that really gets you juiced." He also writes a monthly passion pursuit e-newsletter called Passionkey (sm).
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Jason Butler is the editor of numerous workforce related sites including "The Job Blog" and "The HR Blog" on the BostonWorks.com website. He has also written for the past three years on his personal blog, at jpbutler.com. Jason has worked in the Internet space since 1997, as a project manager for PlanetAll, as a program manager for Amazon.com, and as Director of Product Development for Abuzz, a division of New York Times Digital.
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Allan Schweyer has been involved in Internet recruiting since 1994 when he pioneered e-recruitment solutions for Human Resources Development Canada. He also currently consults with large organizations on HR strategies and specializes in e-recruitment projects. Alan is a senior researcher and analyst with HR.com and the guest editor of the HR.com staffing vertical.
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Tom Mochal is President of TenStep, Inc., a methodology development, consulting and training company. He has published a book on project management called Lessons in Project Management (Apress 2003). He has also developed a complete portfolio management process for companies called PortfolioStep (www.PortfolioStep.com), a project management methodology called TenStep (www.TenStep.com) and a framework for implementing and supporting project management within companies called PMOStep (www.PMOStep.com). Tom has over 23 years of IT experience, at Geac Computers, The Coca-Cola Company, Cap Gemini E&Y and Eastman Kodak. Tom has published hundreds of columns, and has presented and trained on project management and life-cycle topics around the world.
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