April 2011 |
HR InTouchThe Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM |
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In This EditionPresident's Message
By Dave Furlan, PHR Compensation and Benefits Non-discrimination Testing Still a Requirement for Self-insured Plans Diversity There are Ways Other Than Hiring to Promote a Diverse Workplace Employee Relations Learning & Development Professional Award Deadline Fast Approaching Solo Practitioner Group Running Strong! Community News News & Announcements Thursday, April 14, 2011, Member Welcome Orientation and Networking
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011, GMA SHRM Toolbox
Local Student Chapters Take Top Honors at HR Games GMASHRM Events Click here to see the full GMA SHRM Event Calendar.
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As I have mentioned in previous columns, GMA SHRM has been working on four strategic initiatives over the past couple of years. They are: (1) Community Outreach, (2) Member Engagement, (3) Operational Excellence, and (4) Effective Use of Technology. We’ve seen some exciting and inspiring chapter accomplishments as a result, such as the new website, the Pay It Forward program, the Peer Advice Network, and re-branding of our programming events. One of the initiatives, Operational Excellence, has a three-year goal that states, “GMA SHRM will create a framework of processes and procedures to ensure the continuity, longevity, and long-term success of the chapter, especially during periods of leadership changes.” The concept behind the initiative is that we ensure GMA SHRM is a well-oiled machine for many years to come. We believe this is what our members should expect from any leading professional association or membership group. Yet the projects and tasks behind Operational Excellence may not always be as visible or exciting as a new website or enhanced programming. Let me assure you, though, that much has been accomplished in this area as well over the past year. One goal of the Operational Excellence initiative is knowledge transfer and orientation of new volunteer leaders. Led by our Government Affairs Committee, GMA SHRM now has an on-boarding guide for new volunteers signing up for a committee. The guide features a great overview of SHRM – our local chapter, the Wisconsin SHRM State Council, and the global reach of SHRM. It also describes chapter demographics, our strategic planning process, our organization chart, and committee profiles. The guide will be online and flexible enough for each committee to supplement and adapt it to its needs. We will also leverage the on-boarding guide to better train incoming board members and will use it for our new member orientations. I am very proud of the effort put into the on-boarding guide and am certain it will be useful for years to come. Another goal of our Operational Excellence initiative is succession planning. We’ve made great strides here as well. Our Board of Directors has incorporated a formal succession plan document that allows us to plan a path for future chapter leaders. We’ve brought this succession plan down to the committee level so that we are also ensuring strong leadership transition for committee chairs and project leaders. In addition, the succession plan allows us to identify up-and-coming leaders who are doing great work as part of our committees. We believe the talents and dedication of these individuals will continue to build the strength of one of the most successful SHRM chapters in the country. As I look toward my last quarter as your Chapter President, I am so confident about our future primarily because of the commitment to leadership change among our Board and committees.
Speaking of strengths, one of GMA SHRM’s best events is just around the corner. Registration is live for our 6th Annual Human Capital Conference, HR 2.011. Morning Keynote Speaker, Art Jackson, will be talking to us about how leaders can get the best out of their followers. Seth Mattison, our Afternoon Keynote Speaker, will engage us on how the millennial generation will rock the workplace. Among all that, conference participants will find breakout sessions on wellness, recruitment, coaching, human capital, legal updates, and much more. Another reason to attend? The conference has been pre-approved by the HR Certification Institute for 5.75 hours of re-certification credit, including 1.25 hours of strategic credit. I hope to see many of you there and to hear any thoughts or ideas you have for our chapter.
To your continued success,
GMA SHRM Board of Directors
Non-discrimination Testing Still a Requirement for Self-insured Plans Although fully-insured plan sponsors have been given at least a temporary reprieve from the health care reform requirement to conduct Section 105(h) testing, self-insured plans are still subject to non-discrimination testing.
What is Prohibited? Click here for the full article.
There Are Ways Other Than Hiring to Promote a Diverse Workplace We live in an age of accelerating diversity. Look around: America’s, Wisconsin’s and greater Madison’s populations are growing more diverse; the world is growing so small that even the smallest business can have global exposure; niche marketing rules; every generation accepts diversity more than the previous generation; and nimble reaction to new information can be crucial to business success. In this context, embracing diversity in the workplace is not about altruism or regulatory compliance but about a simple question: If we fail to embrace diversity, what business upsides do we cede to our competitors?
Click here for the full article.
Employee Engagement
Contributed by John F. Macek LCSW
Every HR professional knows that employee engagement is critical to organizational functioning. We have developed metrics for it as a way of proving its value, but I see little written about simple ways in which we can increase it. The value of engagement has been known for centuries, but the methods for enhancing engagement still rely heavily on intuition, imagination, and common sense.
Money alone will not get the job done. Employee engagement has much more to do with how people feel when they leave for work each day. It’s a matter of workplace relationships, sense of belonging, feeling valued and respected, and being seen as playing an important role in the organization’s success. Engaged employees feel wanted and needed. They want to contribute to their coworkers’ success and experience rewarding human relationships.
Click here for the full article.
Learning & Development The Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management (GMA SHRM) has established a professional award program to encourage the continual pursuit of education and professional development in the human resources field. The annual $1,000 award will be given to one GMA SHRM member to support his or her professional development. Application deadline is April 15, 2011. Click here for more information on the award and how to apply.
Solo HR Practitioner Group Running Strong! The Solo HR Practitioner Group was created in November, 2010 and has grown to 24 GMA SHRM members. The goal of the group is to build a network of colleagues from a variety of organizations and industries to share knowledge, seek advice, and to provide support and tangible resources for one another. At times it may not be the most time-efficient for a solo HR practitioner to re-invent the wheel when working on projects/strategies. This is where members can glean from their peers on best practices that work for their companies. The group meets the last Wednesday of every month from 8:30-10:00am at two locations (one west side and one east side) in which rotate each month. Each month a topic is picked to discuss and bring ideas to share; on occasion outside speakers/experts are brought in depending on the topic. If you are administering HR functions in a small to medium sized organization either as a sole practitioner or someone who is leading a small team, this group is for you! “I joined the SHRM Solo Practitioner Group with the hope of networking and got so much more than I ever anticipated. Our monthly meeting is a “must” attend – I will reschedule meetings/projects and vacation to make sure I can attend these meetings. The sharing of HR practices, policies, guidelines and programs is invaluable. You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” or feel like you are going through an issue alone – someone in the group has done it or experienced it and everyone is more than willing to share. The time spent monthly with this group is a top priority for me.” Michelle Wallace, SPHR
If you are interested in joining the group and/or would like more information, please contact either: Tara Conger at (608)848-0828 or tconger@firstchoicedental.com or Jenni Peters at (608)316-6638 or jpeters@cascade-assets.com. Community Events Volunteer Opportunity! We have numerous volunteer opportunities coming up. Please contact the appropriate individuals directly if you are interested.
Success Program Mock Interviews YWCA - 8-11 a.m.
Omega School - Mock Interviews Volunteer Opportunity! Looking for speakers
The Middleton High School (MHS) Parent Connection Program is putting together a program for both MHS parents and students on the "ins and outs/do's and don'ts of the job market for teens" for our upcoming Parent Connection Meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 2011. The meeting would take place at Middleton High School from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. We would like parents and students to come away with an understanding of the following: Volunteer Opportunity!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011, GMA SHRM Roundtable
What are the unique challenges of managing employees at multiple locations? What are some effective strategies used by local HR professionals to manage employees who are located at international sites? April’s HR Roundtable provides an opportunity to hear about some of the ways that area HR professionals have used to help manage personnel at multiple locations, telecommuting employees, and employees working at international sites/offices.
To learn more about the event or to register, click here. Thursday, April 14, 2011, Member Welcome Orientation and Networking What a great opportunity to get to know other HR professionals in our organization and learn more about our chapter! During this event you will hear about GMA SHRM, benefits of being a member and opportunities about how you can get involved. We would like to invite all new members as well as current members who are interested in learning more about GMA SHRM. Although this is a free event we would like you to register ahead of time so we can be better prepared for the event size.
To learn more about the event or to register, click here.
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011, GMA SHRM Toolbox A good social media policy starts with a sound understanding of the risks to be addressed, but it doesn't end there. George Blomgren, Director of Business Systems with The Management Association (MRA) will start with a quick overview of sound corporate policy, and address the most common mistake businesses often make. He will then share "next generation" social media policy ideas, and the training and cultural issues that best create a foundation for effective corporate use of social media. No matter where you are on the social media learning curve, you will walk away with some new ideas. Attendees of the program will learn:
• Learn the basics of sound corporate policy governing employee use of social media To learn more about the event or to register, click here
For more information, please visit the Chapter Study section of SHRM’s Volunteer Leaders’ Resource Center (VLRC). The Peer Advice Network WINNER! Thank you to all those who have updated their demographic information and volunteered themselves to be a contact in our Peer Advice Network. GMA SHRM was holding a contest for those who updated their information by February 28th. The prize was a $50 gas card. The winner of this prize is ….. Todd Holman from Goodwill. Congratulations! Thank you again! And please continue to update your information as needed. Local Student Chapters Take Top Honors at HR Games
Congratulations to the UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater student chapters for placing 1st and 2nd respectively at this year’s HR Games competition at Marian University. The UW-Platteville also participated this year. There were 12 competition teams that participated and awards were given to the top four teams. Kudos to the local student chapters for participating in such a great event! Keep up the good work! Next year’s games will be March 2nd and 3rd, 2012. GMA SHRM Member SpotlightMelissa Simon
What is the focus of your position?
How long have you been in the Human Resource field?
Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM? If you’d like to be featured in the Member Spotlight in an upcoming issue of HR InTouch, please e-mail Dawn Koopman at dkoopman@musicnotes.com . GMA SHRM Member PollVisit the GMA SHRM home page to participate in the poll! Do you have a burning HR question that you’d like to see featured on our GMA SHRM Member Poll? If so, please submit your questions to Jake Siudzinski at jakes@qstaff.com.
GMA SHRM is LinkedInCome join our GMA SHRM Chapter group on LinkedIn! What is LinkedIn? It’s a business-oriented social networking site that can be used to connect with friends (old and new), find or post jobs and get information. In order to join, sign in at www.linkedin.com and keyword search GMA SHRM Chapter. Welcome New Members!GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in February of 2011!
Movin' UpHave 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! In TransitionIf 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. What’s Cool in HR in the Greater Madison Area?What’s going on in HR in your workplace? Have you…
Is there something…
We want to hear about it! Share it with your HR colleagues in HR InTouch. Send us an e-mail HR InTouch GuidelinesArticle 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 .
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Greetings,
Where do you currently work? 