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You won’t know what your customers want if you don’t ask

by Dan Oswald Knowing what your customers want and need and delivering it are key concepts for any business. But how do you really know what your customers want? The first person I worked for after graduating from college knew exactly what his customers wanted and needed. He had that knowledge because he once held […]

How to Sell HR Ideas to CFOs

In yesterday’s Advisor, consultant Karl Ahlrichs filled us in on CFOs; today, he says, “Get in their mindset,” plus we introduce HR Audit Checklists Read what your CFO reads, Ahlrichs says, and send article clippings to the CFO to make your case over time. For example, says Ahlrichs, check out: CFO Magazine CFO.com The Economist […]

Electronic Recordkeeping Requirements for Employers during Litigation

Electronic recordkeeping is becoming the norm, and it presents special challenges for employers when records must be produced on demand. One such circumstance is when litigation is pending. Read more for details on employer requirements in these circumstances. Electronic Recordkeeping: What Records Count as Official Files? “It’s important that HR professionals and supervisors understand that […]

Can You Use Incentive Pay for Nonexempt Employees?

How Can You Use Incentive Pay for Nonexempt Employees? “Pay for performance can apply to all levels of jobs within an organization. Recent studies have shown that organizations are beginning to use more variable compensation (or incentives) as it relates to the proportion of base pay, and they’re marketing that to employees—not only when they’re […]

Are Your Supervisors Trained to Handle Tough Decisions?

Even organizations with the most rules and regulations get into trouble, Schickman says. It doesn’t matter how big you are, or how much money you have, or how many rules you have—if the supervisor doesn’t do the job, you’re in trouble. Schickman, who is a partner with Freeland Cooper & Foreman, LLP in San Francisco, […]

Talking to Your CFO—Critical Skill

HR tends to avoid CFOs and knows little about them, says consultant Karl J. Ahlrichs, SPHR. CFOs are often reclusive and cautious, but you are not going to be successful if you can’t sell ideas to the CFO. Why is the relationship with the CFO so important? CFOs often have the final approval of HR/compensation […]

Offshoring and the IT worker—where are we?

By Gilda Villaran As we reported in May, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been under fire in recent months. The use of the TFWP to facilitate offshoring arrangements has received much attention from the prime minister, the minister of citizenship and immigration, and the media. The immediate reaction of the government was to […]

Why CFOs Do Not Trust HR and What to Do

Special from Chicago—SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition CFOs are often reclusive and cautious, and HR avoids them in general and knows little about them, says consultant Karl J. Ahlrichs, SPHR. But HR isn’t going to be successful without being able to sell ideas to the CFO. Why is the relationship with the CFO so important? […]

FMLA Absences Up, Some Industries Hit Harder Than Others

While leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act can be troublesome for any employer, it is particularly disruptive for manufacturers, call centers and health care organizations whose operations depend on fixed schedules, according to a recent ComPsych Corporation white paper. FMLA absences are on the rise, says FMLA Source, a ComPsych company, and some […]