Who exactly comprises the “new” workforce? Most likely, your mind went generational, and applied this term in that vein. Perhaps you briefly thought of new employees within your organization. You may have applied the term universally to anyone entering a new career. While this may largely be comprised of the millennials and generation Z, this also applies to those who are entering the workforce at a later stage in life. But what about those of us who adapt and evolve? Those of us who are open to new experiences, challenges, ideas and opportunities? Those of us who are resistant to change, content or happy where we stand? How about just thinking of the “new” workforce as all of us…the “modern workforce”?
When we read studies, observe behaviors, read social media articles, or are just in tune with society, we know that the workforce, and people, have evolved. Unfortunately, no matter how much we read or know, so many of our organizations have just not caught up. If we are approaching this from an HR/business process perspective, let’s use an example that states the following: long gone are the days where employees seek meaningless, exhaustive performance appraisals. That said, feedback…i.e. meaningful, timely feedback is something all generations crave. We seek out feedback both in our personal and professional lives. We desire to know where we stand in our relationships, and we seek specific, relevant feedback than can help us progress, advance our knowledge and position, and solidify and grow our relationships.
In addition to such feedback, autonomy and flexibility are often items we think of with the new workforce, but more importantly, how about versatility? Stability? Financial reward? How about development and opportunity for growth and advancement of skills/our career paths? A recent Forbes article discussed the volume of Generation Z entering the workforce. The article states they are looking for good money, job security, opportunities to advance rapidly, excellent mentoring, the chance to showcase their competitive nature and more. Where I struggle is, are these really qualities of just one or two generations? Although I read more and more that these are characteristics of millennials and generation Z, honestly as a former HR executive, I know these qualities to be important across all employees. This includes generations, different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. We all have evolved, and while there are differences among us, let’s not be so quick to pin characteristics only on certain groups of people.
As stated, development is also strongly valued. Knowing that, why aren’t most of our organizations meeting this basic employee need? Various studies show anywhere from 60%-80% of companies do not have a formal learning management system that fuels development. A Gallup poll recently showed that only 21% of employees strongly agree that their company’s performance management process motivates them. A recent Business Insider survey shows 71% of millennials are dissatisfied with their development plans and are planning to leave their employer in the near future. Maybe not all of these aforementioned characteristics are important to each of us, but one or more apply to all of us.
Let’s get back to our example about performance appraisals. We know that all generations value specificity and meaningful feedback, yet so many organizations are still mired in long, exhaustive appraisal cycles. We are riddled with a lack of trust, including long approval paths for anything that needs to be moved forward. We are so concerned with measurements (which are very important), but seem satisfied measuring many of the wrong items…items which hold no real business value or are not actionable. Reporting to the CEO that our average accountability score is 4.3 out of 5 is not actionable. Scoring an employee in March on items that happened 14 months ago is not useful. A long workflow that goes through 9 steps and multiple approval stages is not practical in an agile world.
Think of a calendar year, and nod along (or off to sleep) to this scenario. We are supposed to be delivering final appraisal feedback/scoring in December; however, because we have outdated processes that are not relevant, timely, specific or interesting/meaningful, appraisals rarely get completed. Next thing you know, it’s March, and 45% of our appraisals are still not completed. We are almost a full quarter into the new fiscal year, and we still can’t tie a bow on the prior year. Are you really interested in spending time in March on objectives from last year? Of course not. So why aren’t we changing, and why aren’t we giving the new/modern workforce what they want?
Every executive roundtable has discussed its organization’s appetite for change. Do we welcome it? How does our staff handle it? Are we good at developing change management principles and do we communicate and execute well? While these are important discussions, Harvard Business Review tells us that there are some significant reasons we (people) don’t move forward with change. When we know change is coming, we fear we will lose control in areas we may currently have control over. We become uncertain about what’s next for us, and as creatures of habit, we are frightened. We dread more work will come with change, and we are fearful that new processes will shed a negative light on the old ones we developed. As a result, we feel we will lose face and begin to feel incompetent.
I get it, change can be scary and intimidating. Changing a business process, switching software, moving to a new town, leaving an abusive partner, etc. The unknown can intimidate us, and the “what ifs” will paralyze us. But as we deal with HR and business processes, or life in general, I choose to look at it a little differently. We aren’t necessarily “changing”. Many times, we are simply “catching up” or moving through phases that we might have had to endure to get to where we need/want to be. And sometimes, we have to go through long periods without good process, innovation, support, care, positive relationships, etc. to get to a better place in life.
Take something like music for example. Most people have their favorite genre or decade. And when we find that era that we love most, we often look at the prior era and think less of it. Here is your example. The 80’s. For many people who loved 90’s or 2000’s rock, they look at the 80’s and think it was a dumpster fire. But for those of us who didn’t like the 80’s (I am not one…I loved them, because who doesn’t look good in a “Frankie Say Relax” t-shirt?), we need to change our perception to understand how it was a necessary part of the evolutionary journey.
So what does this have to do with HR/business processes? Well, we unfortunately had to go through a long period of ineffective performance management, lack of development, and poor understanding of people in order to get to a much easier, relevant, meaningful way of managing people. We had to evolve our understanding of relevance, and develop trust to craft better process. We needed technology to advance in order to have better collaboration or allow remote work/flexibility. We had to suffer through the 80’s to get to the 2000’s, music fans. My question to you now is, how much longer do we need to keep suffering through the 80’s to get to where you want to be? Are you prolonging the 80’s unnecessarily? I know you love that t-shirt, but it may be time to break it out only on throwback day at the office.
Here we are, 2018. My iPhone recognizes my face, I’m playing Jeopardy on my Echo Show (I promise, I do have actual friends too), and an AI chat bot can fix my internet connection. Many of us though, are still mired in outdated processes and approaches to people (personally and professionally). Fraught with fear of change, we are paralyzed daily by our inability to act. So here is the call to action. Stand up. Embrace modernization of HR/business processes. Ditch the old irrelevant processes… long appraisal cycles, lack of investment in learning and development, lack of trust in approval processes, lack of flexibility and inability to manage by deliverables. Stare fear down, and no longer allow it to own you. I keep mentioning the personal side too. Invest in those around you. Seek feedback on how you can improve. Be vulnerable and open to change so you maintain the relationships you value.
You won’t be seen as incompetent, and you won’t lose face. You will be seen as someone who truly values improvement, and is ready to progress through the 80’s to get to the 2000’s…because you care about those around you. You want to be at your best for your loved ones, your employer, and you want to contribute to continuous improvement by staying relevant and versatile.
Spend some time thinking about what the modern workforce wants. Investigate your processes. Are they truly meeting the needs of this workforce? If not, you will suffer massive retention issues, face incredibly difficult uphill battles with talent acquisition, and be irrelevant as an employer in your industry/market. Do not prolong the 80’s. Do not be afraid to admit it’s time for something new, and please be the one to act on it.
Have you heard? Gen Z (1996-2012) is already making their way into the workforce. While some of this generation are still too young to enter the workforce, the eldest of them are around 22, and may even be one of your colleagues. How are Digital Natives different than the Millennial generation? That’s just it – they are truly Digital Natives. They don’t know a world without digital devices or social media. Their attention span can be shorter than Millennials; technology comes very naturally to them and they are used to switching between apps and multi-tasking at all times. Which is why in today’s post I want to discuss your job descriptions, with a focus on the length of them. Did you know in a recent study by CareerBuilder that 60% of job seekers said they have quit an application due to its length or complexity? Looking ahead as more candidates begin to come from Gen Z – this is going to become even more relevant. Where are these Gen Z candidates now? They’re on social media, and especially on visual platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Expect your recruitment efforts for these new candidates to change. Lengthy job descriptions are not going to be a huge hit, as well as long email conversations. Short video and voice messages will be much more effective at keeping in touch. To get applicants excited about working for your organization, try making short videos of a job description, and keep the visual elements enticing. Post these on your company YouTube channel to encourage engagement. Remember that keeping candidates informed with constant communication about their status and potential next steps is critical. The iGeneration doesn’t like being kept in the dark and appreciates real time feedback, especially in-person or video versus a text or email. Here are some more tips about how to make your video job descriptions stand out:
Have someone that is currently in the position or very similar one talk about the role, that way the potential applicant gets a realistic idea of a day in the life.
Create a corporate overview brand video as well, with an overarching theme that stays consistent with each video.
Keep your video job descriptions around 2 minutes to 2 and 1/2 minutes long.
Make sure there is a call to action in your video, such as “email us to apply” or “click the link in the description box to apply” or better yet, embed your video on the job description of your website so it is easy to apply after watching.
Create a style guide/notebook that can be updated over time with phrases and tips on how you set up the last video to make it easier for the next video.
French companies caught discriminating against women over pay will be given three years to close the gap or face fines under new labour proposals.
The government revealed the planned crackdown to unions and employers on Wednesday, giving them a month to iron out details.
If passed by parliament, the measure will be rolled out by 2020.
Men are still paid on average 9% more than women in France despite equal pay laws going back 45 years.
The measure is part of a social reform bill due to be presented to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s cabinet at the end of next month.
Six ways to tackle the gender pay gap
What is the gender pay gap?
“The crazy thing is that it all exists in law but equality is missing in practice,” said Mr Philippe.
“Our aim is to pass from fine words to true, genuine equality.”
How would the new measure work?
Special software would be installed on company payroll systems to monitor unjustified pay gaps.
Larger firms – those employing at least 250 staff – would get the new software next year while firms employing between 50 and 249 staff would be affected from 2020.
The new system would be launched in 2022 and there would be four times the current number of spot checks.
Those firms which failed to address unfair pay gaps within three years of a warning could be fined up to 1% of their wage bill.
How do other countries compare?
Across the 28 EU member states, the average “unexplained” gender pay gap is a little higher than France’s at 11.5%, according to Eurostat figures.
Neighbouring Belgium has a gap of just 2.5% whereas for women in Lithuania, it is a staggering 24.2%.
Here at Brilliant HR, we are frequently asked complicated questions surrounding employee compensation. Questions like, “what are the best practices for asking a candidate’s current salary?” or “is it appropriate to bring up compensation during an interview?Compensation can be a tumultuous terrain, and there are few definitive answers available for candidates and Hiring Managers. Through our research on the topic, we discovered varying inconclusive results.. While one article concluded that an applicant should not give up any salary information, and stick solely to “ranges” and “current market salaries” when interviewing for a new position; the next article stated that candidates should be upfront, direct and honest with what their current salary is and what they hope to earn in their next position..For the recruiter or Hiring Manager, there’s even less information out there;however, with new laws taking effect in many cities and states, — it’s critical for your organization to have a defined set of rules regarding compensation discussion. New York City, Albany County, New Orleans, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts and Philadelphia have all passed ordinances prohibiting employers and employment agencies from doing any of the following:
Screening job applicants based on their current wages and benefits or other compensation or salary history.
Requiring that an applicant’s prior wages satisfy minimum or maximum criteria.
Requesting an applicant’s prior wages or salary history or requiring an applicant to provide that information as a condition of being interviewed or considered for employment.
Seeking the applicant’s salary history from a current or former employer.
Many of these new laws will help bridge the wage gap in the workplace; however, organizations may face greater difficulty in compensation planning and hiring without the knowledge of prior salary information. Learn about our Compensation Tool
So as a recruiter or hiring manager, where does that leave you? This article has some helpful suggestions on ways to handle these new laws.
Remove salary history questions from job applications, including online applications.
If you work with recruiting agencies and background check companies, ask them to exclude salary history inquiries in their process.
Train HR, internal recruiters and other employees who interface with job applicants not to ask about salary/benefits/compensation history, but to explore other permissible areas.
If these individuals are interacting with job applicants and the applicant offers their current/past salary without prompt, be sure your staff makes a note of it, and the circumstances surrounding the disclosure.
Post salaries for jobs on your open requisitions – or salary ranges, which can vary upon experience. This might help attract more qualified candidates!
In conclusion, we are in unchartered territory with the new laws coming in to effect. There is no precedent for how to engage and react – so tread lightly, train your employees to use caution, take notes and document in writing to protect yourself and your company. As a candidate, these rules apply as well. Read up on the latest laws and ensure you are being polite but also firm if someone asks you a question you think might be off limits. If you have any questions on this topic or any other HR compliance topics, contact us!
(If you only pick one focus in 2018, let it be this…)
Out of curiosity, I did a Google search to find out what the almighty internet had to say about the top HR trends for 2018. The results were pretty interesting and relatively consistent. The one trend alluded to in every article was that companies need to focus on creating a holistic employee experience.
If, like me, you have never worked in HR, you may ask why this is so important. Or you may feel more concerned about what impact this trend could have on profitability. Maybe you hate the sounds of this and would rather put everyone back in their cubicles (eek!).
We can all agree that employee disengagement statistics vary, but it’s reasonable to say that around half of the workforce is disengaged. This costs millions in lost productivity annually! It’s clearly time to make a paradigm shift that will only make our companies more prosperous.
Here’s why:
#1 Authenticity breeds creativity and innovation
The old adage about leaving your work life at work and your home life at home is finally becoming obsolete. The idea that you are one person professionally and a different one personally never resonated with me. What about the strength we all bring to the table as whole individuals? What about the power of authenticity in leadership, creativity, and innovation?
We hire people. They don’t become something else when we change their status to employee. We need those same people engaged and contributing at work. Every step we take toward total inclusion of the human experience in the workplace is a step toward authenticity. Who can be innovative or creative with their authentic selves buried behind an outdated belief that what we do and who we are exist as separate identities?
Make authenticity part of your culture by:
Incorporating flexibility in formal/informal policies
Opening up the possibility of remote working arrangements, when possible
Supporting your people when they need it most (bereavement, illness, divorce, etc.)
Empowering your mangers to develop trusting relationships with their teams
How many of us have worked for a company that had a great vision statement on their website, but once you were hired you couldn’t find a trace of it with a microscope? Why do we spend so much time and money defining mission, vision, and values, if we aren’t going to live and breathe those sentiments? Think about it, these core beliefs can shape culture if allowed to permeate the company. What does that mean? Well, let’s dive a little deeper.
If your organization truly wears its values on its sleeve, you will attract your team. You will attract the team that fits your vision. That isn’t to say that there won’t be differences of opinion or individual contribution. I’m speaking to a partnership between the core values of your company and the core values of your people. Don’t underestimate this, really. People, well millennials at least, want to work where they feel connected and aligned. If you ever wondered how to retain high potential millennial talent, this is a big piece of the generational puzzle. By the way, have you noticed that millennials now make up the largest segment in the workforce?
Broadcast your vision and values to attract top talent:
Live and breathe your values by making them a key part of your performance feedback cycle
Create powerful employer branding that puts your values front and center for all those perspective employees out there
Treat prospective employees the way you would treat prospective customers or clients
Utilize available technology to communicate your employer branding and to give prospective employees an incredible application experience
#3 Acquire, retain, develop…rinse and repeat
For years we have heard that job-hopping millennials have one proverbial foot out the door and aren’t worth investing in. Whoa! Hold on, have we really been treating the largest cohort in the workforce with such little regard and compassion? The oldest millennials are now in their mid-30s. They aren’t kids fresh out of school anymore. This might sound crazy, but recent statistics show that as millennials age they would prefer to stay with a company longer term. Insane, I know! What they really want in order to stick around is an opportunity to grow, develop, and advance within the company. Seems reasonable and familiar…
With this negative mindset about millennials permeating organizations, it’s no wonder they don’t stick around. Loyalty and investment go both ways. Let’s be honest, most companies will say they have at least a partial succession plan for some roles, but if someone else left suddenly, gaps would be obvious. I’ve seen this happen. So, we have a workforce that isn’t prepared for turnover and we are practically escorting millennials in one door and exiting them out the back!
Stop the revolving door
Throw out the mindset that all young employees want to leave
Create collaborative development plans for your employees that are beneficial for both the individual and the company
Shift from annual feedback cycles to continuous feedback discussions
Allow employees some visibility into succession planning and involve them when appropriate
#4 Humanize HR with Technology? Really?
Most of us have had the unfortunate experience of applying for a job and then hearing crickets. Or getting all the way to a third interview…and then crickets. It’s a common tale and it isn’t a great experience for the top talent that we are trying to recruit. As the workforce moves toward higher numbers of alternative arrangements, like contracts and contingent workers, candidates will require more touch points and communication. The trouble is that our HR departments aren’t necessarily able to scale up and meet the demand for, what can only be described as, customer service. Enter technology.
It may seem counter intuitive to enlist the help of a greatApplicant Tracking System (ATS) to humanize the applicant experience, but let’s talk through it. Some companies at least send a notification that an application has been received. Take that a step further and send additional notifications when an application is viewed or allow for status changes that are communicated to the applicant. Schedule interviews and extend offers with the touch of a button. Who has time to manage all that? Your handy ATS can do it. What happens most of the time now is akin to what the kids are calling ghosting on social media platforms. One minute you’re chatting and hitting it off and the next? Crickets.
Using a great Applicant Tracking System is just one example of how technology can help your HR department meet the demand for their time and help your applicants and employees feel more connected. Do you have a Talent Management Strategy? Many companies say they do, but struggle to execute it effectively and consistently. Again, enter technology.
Employ transparent and collaborative goal setting that can be monitored and adjusted
Use continuous feedback cycles to encourage your managers and employees to build strong trusting relationships by meeting regularly
Create Employee Recognition incentives that will allow anyone in the company to recognize a job well done
Align learning plans with development and goals for all employees. If you’re further down the path, you’ll even be able to create and manage learning content or connect to external learning portals.
Technology is meant to enable HR to do more than drown in emails and paperwork. A comprehensive Human Capital Management solution will empower your HR team to optimize the greatest asset you have, your people.
