March
2014

HR InTouch

The Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM

In This Edition

President's Message

By Jake Siudzinski

Compensation & Benefits

Recording Time for Exempt Employees

Paid FMLA Bill Introduced

Compensation Survey Provider

Employee Relations

NLRB Will Not Require Posters

Professional Development

GMA SHRM Professional Scholarship

PHR/SPHR Study Group Available

Community Events

The Literacy Network

GMA SHRM Social Media

Our Member Directory is Now Mobile Friendly!

FacebookTwitter & LinkedIn

Forward HR

GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

March 18, 2014
HR Metrics That Matter Most
Location: Alliant Energy Center

April 2, 2014
GMA SHRM HR Roundtable – Experiential Learning: Beyond the Boring PowerPoint
Location: M3 Insurance 

GMA SHRM Announcements

Volunteers Needed – Student SHRM events!

2013-2015 Philanthropic Partner

Mentorship Program – UW Whitewater

2014 SHRM North Central Regional Student Conference & Case Competition 

Charity Golf Outing

PHR / SPHR Certification

WI ACE

January Strategic Summit Recap

GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

GMA SHRM Volunteer Spotlight

Welcome New Members!

Movin' Up

In Transition

 


 

 

President's Message

GMA SHRM
2014 Corporate Partners

Gold Level
Boardman & Clark Law Firm
Bunbury & Associates Realtors

Career Momentum

Dean Health Plan
The Payroll Company
Payroll Data Services

QPS Employment Group
Remedy Intelligent Staffing

Silver Level
Adecco
Cottingham & Butler Employee Benefits 

Delta Dental
Express Employment Professionals

Bronze Level
Ameritas
The Alliance
Edgewood College
Hausmann-Johnson Insurance Group
Madison College
MHK Retirement Partners

The QTI Group
Scott Savage Consulting LLC
Smart Solutions

Unity Health Insurance

Thank you!

Greetings,

Greetings GMA SHRM members,

Money….free money….one thousand dollars…

Did I get your attention?  Every year GMA SHRM awards $1,000 to support a member’s professional development.  Every year the amount of applications submitted for this scholarship is surprisingly minimal.  Have you ever attended a SHRM conference?  This year, that national conference is being held in Orlando, FL.  Do you have your PHR, SPHR, or GPHR?  Are you taking classes towards a degree?  These are all examples of professional development options that the scholarship would likely cover.  Please take a few moments to review the information on our website regarding this award.  It doesn’t take long to apply, and there are many great things you could do.  Applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 18th to be considered.

I would also encourage you to register for the 9th annual Human Capital Conference: HR Unleashed.  We are thrilled to have Rebecca Ryan and Jeff Havens as our keynote speakers, in addition to many wonderful breakout sessions. This is our largest event of the year, typically drawing over 200 members.  If you’re looking for professional development, networking, or just to win that free iPad, please join us on May 13th! 

We also have many great events prior to the Human Capital Conference.  As we slowly start to unthaw from this challenging winter, I look forward to seeing many of you at these upcoming events. 

 

Jake Siudzinski
GMA SHRM President
 
Click here to view the full GMA SHRM Board of Directors
 

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Compensation and Benefits

Recording Time for Exempt Employees
Contributed by Tammy Wacek at WPSIC
 
Legislation regarding keeping time records for exempt employees has been moving along quickly in February. Currently, Wisconsin employers are expected to record the work hours of salaried employees, i.e. those that are not paid on an hourly basis and are exempt from overtime pay. Assembly Bill 712/Senate Bill 557 propose to exempt employers from keeping records of hours worked by their salaried employees. There were public hearings on this issue in February and it passed in the Assembly. To follow this bill, go to http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2013/proposals/ab218.
 
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Paid FMLA Bill Introduced
Contributed by Bob Gregg, Boardman & Clark Law Firm
 
Bills have been introduced into Congress to provide paid FMLA.  The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act would establish a payroll deduction for employees and an employer contribution of 0.2% of wages to fund the pay.  The fund would be administered by the Social Security Administration and pay up to 66% of an individual's regular pay if they were on an otherwise unpaid FMLA leave.  The bill would also expand FMLA coverage to those who work for companies with fewer than 50 employees.  
 
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Compensation Survey Provider
Contributed by Compensation Committee
 
Last fall GMA SHRM began the process of soliciting proposals for a new compensation survey provider. After taking into account the feedback we received from you, our members, we are happy to announce that GMA SHRM will be partnering with QTI Consulting for our compensation survey. The compensation committee is really excited about this new partnership and what QTI’s survey capabilities are able to offer our members. Our committee is currently working with QTI to update the survey. Stay tuned as you’ll begin to see announcements regarding the survey in the weeks to come.

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Employee Relations

NLRB Will Not Require Posters
Contributed by Bob Gregg, Boardman & Clark Law Firm
 
The NLRB has dropped its rule requiring all private sector employees to post a notice advising employees of their right to form unions and collectively bargain. The NLRB lost two cases challenging the validity of the rulemaking process and has decided not to appeal. The NLRB may still pursue the issue by going back to the starting point and having a more careful rulemaking process.
 
 

Professional Development

GMA SHRM Professional Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the GMA Professional Scholarship!  This is a $1,000 scholarship which will be awarded to a GMA SHRM member to support his or her professional development.
 
Examples of covered eligible programs include:
  • Attendance at a National/State SHRM conference
  • Post-secondary degree in business or human resources related discipline
  • Support of certification or re-certification (PHR, SPHR, GPHR, CCP, CEBS, etc.)
  • Certificate programs in business or human resources related discipline
Applications must be post-marked or emailed as a PDF by April 18, 2014 to be considered.  Please review the qualifications and download the application by visiting www.gmashrm.org, and selecting the “Professional Award” link under “Membership”. 
 

PHR / SPHR Study Group Available!

Each year, GMA SHRM offers a study group for those preparing for the PHR or SPHR certifications.  The meetings are focused on open discussion/dialogues for participants on topics in any of the modules as well as test taking skills.  
 
If you are interested in participating in a study group, please contact the chaper office at chapteradmin@gmashrm.org.
 
The study group participants will work out a mutually beneficial meeting location and time.

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Community Events

The Literacy Network offers a variety of courses, tutoring and other services to Dane County community adults to further reading, writing and speaking skills. Specifically the Literacy Network offers customized language instruction to improve employees' English communication skills both on and off the job. Literacy Network excels at developing programs tailor-designed to meet your company's specific workplace needs. If you are interested in learning more please visit us at: http://litnetwork.org/programs/index.php?category_id=4493

GMA SHRM Social Media

Our Member Directory is Now Mobile Friendly! 

Wish you could stay connected with GMA SHRM members? Now you can search for a member, call, e-mail or find directions to their listed location and be confident that it’s up to date.  Check it out today, you can now stay better connected to GMA SHRM members and it’s just a click away at http://www.gmashrm.org/mobile


Forward HR

Want to know what’s going on in HR for the other areas of Wisconsin?  WI SHRM has a new blog, Forward HR. Click here to take a look.

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GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

 
March 18, 2014
HR Metrics That Matter Most
Location: Alliant Energy Center                
 
The management truism, “You can’t control what you don’t measure,” certainly applies to HR initiatives and operations within any organization.
 
The challenge for HR professionals seeking to assist their organizations’ strategic, tactical and logistical planning and operations by using HR metrics to determine what “things” should be measured and for whom.

During this information packed, fast-faced session, participants will learn how to identity stakeholders and their requirements; key performance indicators; and, how to construct formulae to measure things like workforce productivity, employee engagement, various turnover rates, recruiting effectiveness, focused retention rates in key jobs, and more.  

Click here for more information.

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April 2, 2014

GMA SHRM HR Roundtable – Experiential Learning: Beyond the Boring PowerPoint
Location: M3 Insurance
 
Lectures are boring. After 10 minutes we get fidgety, start zoning out, and learning goes down the tubes. Research shows that experiential education results in greater learning and engagement by participants. In this roundtable, we’ll explore the types of approaches that can be used, from case studies to ropes courses, hear how others have successfully implemented experiential training, discuss challenges and pitfalls, and ask questions to help you decide, if, when and how your organization might incorporate experiential training in your staff development approaches.  
 
Click here for more information.
 

GMA SHRM Announcements

Volunteers Needed – Student SHRM events!
 
UW Milwaukee will be hosting the 2014 North Central Regional Student Conference April 25-26, 2014.  Again, many opportunities are available and time commitments vary based upon the position.  This is an exciting opportunity for UW Milwaukee and many volunteers will be needed to make the event a success.  More information can be found at www.shrm.org under “conferences” and “student conferences”.
 
 


2013-2015 Philanthropic Partner

GMA SHRM has recently partnered with Reach-a-Child (www.reachachild.org) for our 2013-2015 philanthropic partner. Beginning at our January Summit, we will have a bin available for donations of new or gently used children's books for ages 2-12.  They ask that these books have no writing (To Jimmy, Love Grandma, etc.) in them.
 
Even more than donations of books, Reach-a-Child can use monetary donations.  Many of their expenses are shipping related to get books out to all of the organizations (police departments, EMTs, etc.) that are part of their network.
 
Reach-a-Child is looking for companies that are interested in setting up corporate giving programs.  Do you have a Friday $5 jeans day? Corporate match program? Please consider RAC! They will feature you in their social media posts, newsletter, come out and take pictures with you of your donations and books that you can use in your PR campaigns, and do whatever they can to help you make your program successful!
 
If your organization is interested, please contact melissav@payrollcompany.biz to be put in touch with Reach-a-Child.

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Mentorship Program – UW Whitewater
 
UW Whitewater would like to offer a mentorship program to its members.  They are looking for professionals to volunteer in a mentoring role by meeting with their mentee 1-2 times a month through an email or phone call and answer any questions they may have, share experiences and advance or perhaps arrange for a site visit.  The mentors and mentees will be matched on field of interest or specific industry, to the extent possible.  If interested in volunteering, please contact the UW Whitewater President, Stephanie Wilson, at wilsonsa08@uww.edu
 

 2014 SHRM North Central Regional Student Conference & Case Competition
 
North Central Region (IA, IN, IL, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, and WI)
April 25 – 26, 2014
Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee, WI
 
The 2014 North Central Regional Student Conference & Case Competition is just around the corner, and SHRM is pleased to present a conference packed with keynote speakers, educational sessions, career development opportunities, networking and a Regional Case Competition, where teams of graduate and undergraduate teams compete separately to win two grand prizes: $2,500 cash and complimentary team registration to the 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando.
 
As always, SHRM could not be successful without the hard work and dedication of its volunteers and volunteer leaders.  The student conference provides a unique opportunity for HR professionals to engage and give back to the future of the profession by volunteering to serve in a variety of roles at the conference and case competition.  A minimum of 30 volunteers are needed to serve for 2-6 hours on each day.  Please help by sharing this information with your professional chapters and state councils and encouraging them to come out and volunteer.
 
Visit this website for online registration, future keynote speaker announcements and special programming notes as the date gets closer.
 

Charity Golf Outing
 
SAVE THE DATE! Our 2014 GMA SHRM Charity Golf Outing, benefiting Reach-A-Child, will be on Friday, June 6th, 2014 at The Oaks.  More details to come soon.  If you are interested in more information immediately or to join the golf committee, please contact Melissa Versnik at melissav@payrollcompany.biz
PHR / SPHR Certification
 
Have you been thinking about obtaining your PHR or SPHR Certification?  The 2014 spring testing window opens January 22, 2014 and the testing window is May 1 – June 30.  There are many options available for exam preparation: UW Madison offers a Wednesday night course starting February 5.  Find out more information at bus.wisc.edu/sbdc, programs, special programs or learn more at hrci.org.  If you’re interested in participating in a self-study group, contact Melissa Chadwick at melissa.chadwick@bakertilly.com to be connected with others who are also interested!
 
WI ACE
 
The mission of the Wisconsin-Association of Colleges and Employers (WI-ACE) is to provide an opportunity for employers and career services professionals to share knowledge and ideas that inspire, guide, and promote best practices that effectively connect students and employers.
 
Benefits
  • Conferences are hosted by WI-ACE twice per year - once during the spring and once during the fall.
  • Receive HRCI credits toward PHR and SPHR through the HR Certification Institute.
  • Membership is a state-wide organization from a defined focus of employers and college career services as well as co-op/internship professionals.
  • Many opportunities to develop a system of support, network and collaborate among colleagues with similar goals.
  • Sharing of information and best practices in the field, enabling professionals to grow and advance in their profession
  • Professional development opportunities for learning new methods of connecting employers and colleges.
For more information please visit http://www.wiace.org/
 
January Strategic Summit Recap by Alise Wozniak
 
Jack Smalley was our speaker for the January Strategic Summit.  Jack engaged us in a conversation regarding the five threats facing our businesses and HR’s role in leading though these challenges. Jack provided us with fantastic information as to identifying these threats. The changes in today’s “new economy” have altered the way business will run now and into the future.
 
Threat 1- Inability to Innovate. All business must be prepared to adjust to change in a minute in order to survive. If your organization does not anticipate threats nor is positioned to adapt to these threats- you are burdened with the possibility of extinction!  All companies must leave behind the paper to pen world and move to the data knowledge revolution. Social Media is not going away! Embrace it and use it to your advantage.  The key to success is to make fast decisions, sustain speed and have your product fast to market!  In order to survive your employees must embrace finance, knowledge and research.
 
Threat 2- Losing your Competitive Advantage. Employee engagement is key. What do to with those that quit and stay? Most companies admit the inability to run at full capacity is due to employee lack of engagement. Customer retention is directly linked to employee retention. Your management team has a stake in employee engagement! In order to hold managers accountable for retention we must give them ownership of their team and provide the tools to track turnover and success.
 
Threat 3-  High cost of Reckless Hiring. In today’s world, most traditional interview methods fail. 80% of turnover is from mistakes made during hiring. Remember- Hire for attitude and train for skill. Turnover is detrimental to your “A” players. The effect of turnover will immediately impact your bottom line. Turnover also can cause your leadership to withdrawal due to high burnout and work overload.
 
Threat 4 - Poor Leadership and Communication. Many companies see this as the most critical threat. As the recession fades, The #1 priority becomes retention. Remember great talent does not always equate to great leadership. People do not quit companies, they quit people. Continuous learning is crucial to maintaining and managing talent. Invest in training and development.
 
Threat 5 - Regulatory Nightmares. Simply put, uncertainty around regulations is keeping many businesses from hiring. Failing to keep up with changing rules and regulations can cause serious consequences. Make sure you’re up to date in all things related to Workers Comp, EEOC, and benefit and compliance.  The liability in not being compliant can paralyze growth and the integrity of you business reputation.
 
This is light at the end of the tunnel. If you survived the economic downturn; there is hope! Great Leaders (like us) take threats and make them into opportunities. 
 

GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

 
Where do you currently work?  
Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
 
What is the focus of your position? 
Provide career management services and build external employer relations for our evening and executive MBA students and alumni.
 
How long have you been in the Human Resource field?
6 years.
 
Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest? 
After launching my career in finance at GE Healthcare, I was recruited into a role managing the intern and co-op program. The program doubled in size to over 140 interns and co-ops and became a vital source of full-time hires during an incredibly competitive time in talent acquisition. 
 
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 
When you need help, ask for advice.
 
Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
Having relocated to the Madison area last year, I wanted to connect with professionals in the talent management and acquisition space.  Joining GMA SHRM will allow me to network within this field, add value to the greater community, and grow personally and professionally.
 
If you’d like to be published in an issue of HR InTouch, please complete this profile and submit (along with a photo) to Tia Gibson @ tia.gibson@covance.com.

GMA SHRM Volunteer Spotlight

Name: Mike Johnson
 
How long have you been volunteering with GMA SHRM?          
3 years
 
What committee are you volunteering with? Have you volunteered on other committees? If yes, which one? Co-Chair for the Membership Committee and member of the Workforce Readiness Committee.
 
What do you enjoy about volunteering?
I really enjoy giving back to the community with the workforce readiness committee. Helping job seekers build their resume or develop interviewing skills that will have an immediate impact on their lives. The membership committee is a great way to reach out and welcome new members into the outstanding culture and community that GMA SHRM has created.
 
What would you say to others who are considering volunteering with GMA SHRM? 
Explore what options you have!!! They are 8 committees that offer a wide range of services. Talk to the group and see if it is something you are interested in. No matter what your motivation was to join SHRM, involvement is the only way to get 100% out of your membership.
 
What have you gotten back from volunteering with GMA SHRM?
Insight, Education and Friends
 

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Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in January 2014!

Bethany L. Anklam
Benefits Specialist
The Murphy Insurance Group
Nicole Bernhardt
 
Wisconsin Job Service
Patti Christensen, SPHR
Employee Relations Manager
Edgewood College
Ellen Courlas
Account Executive
Remedy Intelligent Staffing
Kimila Daniels
AVP, Human Resources
Unity Health Insurance
Lisa Heindl
 
Boardman & Clark LLP
Travis Inda
 
KU Consulting
Heather Kennedy, SPHR
 
American Family Insurance
Bonny Kuphall
 
Integrated Time Systems
Ron Lehmann
VP of Administration
Wisconsin Realtors Association
Melissa Marousek, MBA
HR Services Team Leader
QBE the Americas
Sandra Miller
 
Stark Company Realtors
Chris Moe
VP Business Development
Kelly Financial
Julia Nieman
 
Adecco
Julia Pearson
HR Metrics & Reporting Mgr.
American Family Insurance
Cindy Reilly
Director of Operations
Fidelitec, LLC
Tracy Scott
 
 
Amanda Sturm
Human Resources Administrator
CSM Companies, Inc.

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Movin' Up

Career Momentum, Inc., the Madison-based talent management consulting office of Career Partners International, is pleased to announce that co-owner Cory Erickson has purchased the remaining stock of the company from Clara Hurd Nydam, the company’s founder.  Click here to read more about the new ownership and Clara’s continuing role.

Have you started with a new company? Has your organization recently promoted you to a new position? Or do you want to recognize a new person or promotion within your department? If so, we want to hear about it. Send us an e-mail, and we’ll publish your good news in the next HR InTouch!

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In Transition

If you are a member who is in between jobs, or who is currently employed but seeking new positions or career paths, write us a brief description of your skill set, areas of expertise, what you’re looking for, etc. Send us an e-mail. We’ll publish your information in the next HR InTouch.

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HR InTouch Guidelines

Article Writing:

Do you have an interest in writing for the HR InTouch? We have an interest in learning more about your area of expertise!

Why should you volunteer? Top three reasons: 1) to share your knowledge and experiences to educate others; 2) to become more connected in the HR and Dane County communities; and 3) to contribute towards the advancement of GMA SHRM and the HR profession.

The first step is for you to choose a submission option: you can pre-submit an article to GMA SHRM at any time for us to use in any of the upcoming newsletters, you can sign up to write for a particular month, or we can put you on a list of people to contact in future months whenever we need articles.

Article length:

Because the HR InTouch is now in an online format, the size is flexible. The article should be engaging and hold readers’ attention. Include the core information in your article, and we will advise if it is too lengthy.

Solicitation:

GMA SHRM is conscious not to allow solicitation through the articles, in an effort to protect the interests of our partners and members. The nature of the article should be educational (i.e., what are the business advantages of having a product like yours) or informational. Otherwise, if you truly are interested in advertising through the HR InTouch, you can work with our Marketing Committee. As a rule of thumb for article writing, if the submission relates to a for-profit event, or specifically markets your company (vs. your industry), it is an advertisement, and should be purchased. If it is a not-for-profit event that your company is hosting, or an announcement (i.e., a SHRM member recently joined your company), it is an acceptable addition to the HR InTouch content. If you have any questions related to the appropriateness of your submission, please contact us.

If you have questions, or to submit an article, contact GMA SHRM at chapteradmin@gmashrm.org .

 

 Amended