HRCI Work | Life Podcast

This is your HR news flash, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

Distributed workforces and economic uncertainty make it challenging for your employees to feel connected and engaged. Successful performance management in this kind of environment requires agile processes and tools.

Here is how to standardize your performance management processes to meet today's challenges at your organization.

Designing a system for managing performance at your organization requires evaluating your needs and resources. Now more than ever, revisit these evaluations frequently to maintain agility in your performance management processes.

Creating a performance management system requires consistent check-ins. Following a continuous feedback model leads to increased productivity, improved performance and higher engagement.

Use technology to help managers document goals and record feedback. HR can use this information to collect and analyze workforce data. Choosing user-friendly performance management systems can increase compliance and frequent communication between managers and their teams, whether they are on-site or remote.

This is your HR news flash, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

A code of ethics is an essential aspect of every organization. Not only is this good business practice, it fosters employee retention and customer loyalty. When your mission supports ethical behaviors, your HR leaders can build an ethical workplace at all levels.

First, start with ethical leadership.

Leaders must model ethical motivations and behaviors. Employees should be encouraged to use ethical practices in their decision-making process. Having a well-written code of ethics is a good starting point.

Second, integrate ethical training across the organization.

Aligning ethical principles with employee behavior requires regular training. Continuous learning, or microlearning, is essential to create a sense of ongoing responsibility.

Third, address ethics concerns.

HR leaders must address ethics concerns regardless of the source. Work with department heads and direct managers to look for warning signs. When violations occur, address them, educate the workforce on why they were a problem, and move forward with integrity.

This is your HR news flash, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

Microaggressions can occur through our unconscious actions and behaviors. These behaviors in the workplace can leave employees feeling demoralized, isolated and humiliated.

Without active steps to prevent microaggressions, they can have a toxic effect on your organization's culture. Recently, Melissa Dobbins, founder and CEO of career.place, joined HRCI's Alchemizing HR webinar series, to address how to break the culture of microaggressions at your workplace. Here are a few suggestions.

First, promote actionable awareness.

Most microaggressions are unintentional and are the result of lack of awareness or exposure to diverse experiences. Combatting microaggressions requires increased awareness accompanied by meaningful action.

Melissa provided a three-question model for addressing a microaggression after it occurs:

• First, ask what did you find exclusionary and/or hurtful?
• Second, ask why this practice was exclusionary and/or hurtful?
• Finally, ask what behavior must change, and how?

Second, facilitate respectful dialogue.

As you begin addressing microaggressions, lay out ground rules. Hold everyone to the same standards, and require that everyone speak to each other with respect. Do not allow name-calling or "us versus them" language. Letting people blame others will only exacerbate division and conflict.

Finally, reinforce consistent consequences.

Make sure that you acknowledge professional behavior and address any deviations from standards or rules.

The key to preventing microaggressions is consistency, thereby creating a workplace that is fair, equitable and safe for all.

This is your HR news flash for the week of January fourth, 2021, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

Ethics is part of the core HR practices when managing daily employee interactions and organizational goals. Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. What is the HRCI Code of Ethics?

HRCI's code of ethics emphasizes the professional embodiment of HR responsibility, professional development, ethical leadership & advocacy, fairness & justice, and conflicts of interest. Ethics and Recertification Requirements - Effective January 1, 2021.

This is your HR news flash for the week of December 28, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

As 2020 draws to a close, our HRCI family would like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year. We have observed the amazing work our HRCI-certified community has produced for their employees and the profession. This has inspired and strengthened our resolve to continue to develop learning and online events to continue to support you in 2021.

To you and yours, Feliz Ano Nuevo!

This is your HR news flash for the week of December 21, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

2020 has been a year of rapid changes and adaptation for human resource professionals.

For more than nine months, organizations and HR professionals reimagined their workplace and redefined their workforce. Here are some of the HR learning trends observed this year.

First, Continuous learning and development.

With the practical data attained in 2020, you can start planning and designing your learning and development needs. Whether virtual or on location, flexibility and technology will be key elements in your decision-making.

Your workforce needs to feel comfortable and see the value of the topics and the methodology offered.

Second, increase microlearning.

Virtual events and digital learning have moved to the forefront of continuous education and networking. There are several ways to maintain a learning routine, such as HR podcasts, webinars and training. Maintain your momentum in 2021 by continuing and expanding these types of learning activities.

Finally, lessons learned.

The pandemic offered unique opportunities to guide our workforce through change. It provided lessons learned in areas of developing long-term remote work policies, employee engagement and virtual collaboration.

This is your HR news flash for the week of December 14, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

In 2019, individuals born outside the United States constituted 17.4% of the total civilian workforce, up from 13.3% in 2000. This increasingly diverse workforce could offer some challenges regarding communication.

As our workforce is increasingly becoming multilingual, we have to learn how to support non-English speakers. Recently, Micah Bellieu, CEO and Founder of Fluency Corp, joined our Alchemizing HR webinar series to discuss how businesses can support non-English speakers in a multilingual environment. Here are a few suggested practices.

First, speak purposefully.

When spoken quickly, it is more difficult for non-English speakers to process and participate in the conversation. It is recommended to speak slowly and purposefully. Also, check for comprehension and engage in a two-way conversation. This will ensure your presentation does not lose any value.

Second, encourage engagement.

Make sure to pause and solicit clarifying questions. Ask specific follow-up questions or use statements such as, "I would like to hear your concerns." Additionally, if your meetings are virtual, try to use video so listeners can also see you. Visual cues are enormously helpful for non-English speakers.

Finally, offer continuous support.

Your work environment and culture will have an impact on non-English speakers and might cause isolation. Consider implementing a voluntary "buddy system" to help non-English speakers acclimate. One-on-one interactions will help non-English speakers adjust to the work culture and enhance exchanges to strengthen their English language capabilities.

This is your HR news flash for the week of November 30, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

No matter the economy's condition, HR professionals play a critical role in their organizations. However, during economic downturns, position security can be a concern.

In this moment, it is important to proactively position yourself as a valuable business partner. Recently, Felicia Harris joined our Alchemizing HR webinar series to discuss practices for protecting your career during these uncertain times. Here are a few tips she shared during the webinar:

First, facilitate cross-functional meetings.

HR professionals play a pivotal role in bringing together cross-functional stakeholders. Demonstrate how you can bring teams together and encourage a healthy exchange of ideas from across the organization. This will establish you as an effective leader and bring departments together to solve business problems.

Second, invest in yourself and your future.

Studying and earning your HRCI certification is an excellent first step for your professional development. It shows your commitment to the HR profession, and it also demonstrates to your colleagues that you are a reliable source on HR topics.

You can also create a personal mission, vision and values statement that aligns with your organization. Share your personal mission statement with your colleagues. This will demonstrate that you have carefully thought about your organization's mission and the role you play.

Finally, recognize your organization's place in the economic cycle.

Every economy goes through cycles. Recognizing this helps prepare your organization for the future. Focus on preserving resources in peak times, so that future economic downturns have less impact on employment and your overall business.

This is your HR news flash for the week of November 23, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

As 2020 draws to a close, take time to evaluate and appreciate how your team managed the rapid changes and challenges.

Make sure your team knows that their hard work and dedication to support the business was evident throughout the year. Here are a few ideas on how to thank your team.

This is your HR news flash for the week of November 16, 2020, your briefing on talent management and the world of work from HRCI.

Over the past year, organizations have experienced many issues largely outside of their own control. These experiences have highlighted the need for scenario planning.

Scenario planning allows us to proactively envision and develop potential future outcomes. Here are a few ways HR professionals can contribute their unique perspective during scenario planning.