HRS Fast News, Winter 2008
Happy Holidays & Quarterly Fast NewsWith our compliments, please enjoy the following news summary in 4 minutes or less. We compile this for you, because you're busy! HRS Explores Truth & Myths About Business in ChinaHRS having been offered opportunity to develop offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, Jess & Matt have returned from China, after touring locales of several HRS clients and pushing 24/7 out of the "comfort zone" on an exploratory mission. After much research and highly impactful and life-changing experience, we've discerned between facts and myths about US biz in China, conditions of commerce, the labor market, economic development, Chinese government involvement, human rights philosophies and wealth distribution (or lack thereof). We are quite willing to discuss findings... and controversy. With extensive interdependence between US and Chinese commerce with global impact, it's imprudent for us to ignore the significance. Chang, Poole & Schmidt? Employer Responsibility in Identifying & Creating Employee MotivationThe HRS Assessment Center and Leadership Coaching Series find "Motivation" a widely popular employer concern as Gen Y is infusing a new mix of workplace habits and expectations, while global competition and diverse work ethics pressure US product costing and pricing. Motivation is, in its simplest terms, a reason. Intrinsic motivation needs to be assessed pre-employment. Extrinsic motivation is the responsibility of employers to create and sustain. CEOs, middle managers, entry supervisors and HR/OD professionals get involved. In volatile economic times, we need motivated people in our workplaces! Our recent article receives global acclaim! Legal Compliance Alert for Employers: New Laws in Effect January 2009!
Economic Outlook - Had Enough Yet?Growing more and more tired of the media sensationalizing economic downturns and knowing that claiming a "recession" is in fact a self-fulfilling prophecy, we call for a more responsible journalism, political propaganda and optimism. Truth is, you can find statistics to support just about any thesis. HRS has seen very little downsizing by our employer clients. We're seeing uncertainty, anticipation and caution, awaiting January's administrative changes. Executive Pay Dropped 4% in 2008The average total compensation of the highest paid executives at U.S. publicly traded companies fell by 4 percent in the year preceding November. SHRM Article More Wage Hikes, and More Jobs Offshore to Other CountriesIn the face of job loss, we continue to see minimum wage increases across the nation. The number of available jobs goes down as wages go up. It's simple business basics in costing and pricing. Global competition continues to abound! Workers are required to "step up" to earn the extra increment if they want to keep US employment opportunities healthy! Arizona Increase January 1 Employees Speak True Feelings on Personal Internet UseOur latest survey returned only a fraction of the responses we normally receive, but this creates a finding of itself! With approximately 75% of respondents indicating they do not use the workplace Internet for personal use, we know that the majority of employees do not value personal Internet use as a workplace benefit... or at least believe it's "wrong" to abuse. In addition, just over 60% of respondents feel that allowing personal Internet use would be detrimental to company productivity and network assets, and close to 70% of respondents believe specific policies should be enforced. Not even Gen Y'ers are willing to fight for it, as over 70% indicated they do not use the workplace Internet for even personal networking. Contact us for recommended policies! New Survey: What Motivates You?Only 9 questions including demographic info. Take quick survey! AskHRS.com Surpasses 12,000 Daily Visitors!Boasting new #1 Google rankings and a widely popular blog with syndicated articles, we are proud to announce our newly re-launched site found a new high in traffic, surpassing 12,000 visitors daily. AskHRS.com re-launched to celebrate our 25th anniversary. New additions include the Blog and the Break Room, along with streamlined navigation, more content and an improved online brochure. HRSteam.com stays intact as our "sister" domain, retaining prior search engine rankings, while "Ask" emerges as our more user-friendly site, where all updates will occur. Most Popular HRS Blog Articles this Quarter:# 1: Employee Motivation is Volatile: Employers Must Both Create and Sustain It! Top Selling HRS Programs this Quarter:Leadership Workshops, Policies/Practices, and the HRSAC (Assessment Center) for training needs, job change and new hire. |