Text Box: In February, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) put into effect a new rule requiring virtually any employer who performs contract work for the government to collect race and gender data on their job applicant pool, including applicants from the Internet. Internet applicants are the focus of the new rule. While the major Internet job boards (including Yahoo, Monster and CareerBuilder) complained the task was too much of a burden, some smaller online application providers installed EEOC data collection sections on their Internet applications and went on with their business. Advice to employers: Unless you are certain you are exempt from collecting EEOC data based on your size and type of work and where you do business, it’s safer to collect the data than to assume you’ll never be asked for it.MetLife’s annual Text Box: A Patchwork Quilt of HR News and Stories Text Box: “Employee Benefits Trend Study” found that 22 percent of all employees changed jobs in the last year and-a-half, compared to 17 percent in a similar period in their 2004 study. In one demographic subgroup of young families with children under age 6, it was nearly one-third higher! Text Box: Employee participants in the study reported their top priorities when deciding to stay or go (and where to go) were the “quality of co-worker and/or customer relationships,” “opportunity for work-life balance” and “an organization whose purpose/mission I agree with.” Employers facing worker shortages, take note! Text Box: In this issue: Rules, risks, systems Recertification for SPHR Credentials Effects of hiring sales under-producers “If you’ve always done it that way…”

Volume 3, Issue  10

Edited by John W. Howard, Ph.D.                                                              Annual Subscription Rate  $ 36.00

 ©2006, Performance Resources, LLC,  and Profiles International
Text Box: HR Professionals Try to Keep Up With Field As the articles to the right and on page 2 attest, the term “HR Generalist” has never had broader implications. Federal law changes, employee loyalty challenges, risk of expensive lawsuits arising from HR policies, keeping up with technology, science and metrics, and more demanding (but rewarding) professional certification standards — it’s hard to find time to just do the daily workload! Text Box: New DOL Rule Text Box: Risk of Employee Defection Up Text Box: As HR managers and recruiting staff increase their load in high-turnover environments, the science of applicant tracking has become an increasingly important tool for success. A recent study of the effects of good applicant tracking systems showed one such high-turnover business was able to increase its labor productivity by a measured 44 percent with the use of improved applicant tracking! Effects of reduced time to hire and proper placement combined to essentially have the same impact as an increase in head count but without the Text Box: According to the Chubb Insurance Group, one in four privately held companies has been sued in the past few years by an employee or a former employee. In the same report, executives at half the companies surveyed consider it likely they will be sued by employees, and nearly one-third believe they would be likely to lose and their companies seriously damaged by such a lawsuit. Nearly half expected an employee to file an EEOC complaint during the year. The additional responsibility and pressure such an environment puts on HR staff is obvious, even if the actual numbers turn out to be wrong. The expectation itself provides the pressure! Text Box: Will You Be Sued Next? Text Box: Applicant Tracking Text Box: In the past few weeks, we’ve heard a lot about the DOL rule leading off the series of stories on the front page. Many of our clients are wondering how on earth they can comply. One of these companies routinely receives over 10,000 applications and resumes per week—with an HR staff of three people! With your searches and search criteria used, just tracking whom you will “consider” could easily be a full-time job.

Volume 3, Issue 10

New Recertification Opportunities for HR Professionals

Bill foster, SPHR