Lean Staffing III
We got a note from a reader reminding us to
distinguish between staffing levels and staffing methods. It's a smart point.
Lean thinking can be equally applied to both arenas. "Staffing level" refers to
the way that requisitions for people are identified. It's the number of people
who are applied to a specific set of tasks or mission. If there are ten people
and two reqs in a department, the staffing level is 12. Whether or not the
staffing level is smart and effective is a question that is generally asked and
answered before the staffing function begins its work. Staffing methods refer to
the processes and procedures used to acquire the people who fill those roles.
(Read the complete article.)
Reveille and Hyperbole: CareerTours, the fast-growing internet recruiting resource, is offering employers a forum to share their videos with career seekers. By adding video to a traditional job description, employers create "Video CareerTours," which provide potential candidates with a three-dimensional experience of both the organization and position.
Monster Worldwide announced that BBDO Worldwide has been named the Company's global agency of record for advertising and branding.
SmartPost, the innovative online job posting product from Bernard Hodes Group, announced the continuation of its long-term relationship with Beyond.com, Inc., a full service provider of career software and services powering a network of more than 15,000 highly niche-specific communities.
Talent Technology reported record results at the company's Annual General Meeting of shareholders – growth in the number of clients served to over 500, and over 50% growth in both revenue and annual recurring revenue backlog. These results, coupled with success against the year's capital funding plan, places Talent Technology on track to meet their ambitious growth plan for the current year.
UpComing Events: PreVisor, a leading provider of employment assessments and selection solutions that connect hiring decisions to business results, will sponsor a breakfast seminar focusing on current best practices in employment testing and assessments. The event, to be held at New Broad Street House, London, on 5 October, 2007, will offer an analysis of current and future trends in assessment technologies, direct access to industry thought leaders, and a networking opportunity for like-minded professionals.
Comings and Goings: Henry Bros. Electronics, Inc. a turnkey provider of technology-based integrated electronic security solutions, today announced the appointment of T. Robert 'Bob' Hodgson as the Company's new corporate Vice President of Human Resources. Most recently, Hodgson served as Director of Human Resources Operations, at Degussa Corp., and was also the Vice President of Human Resources at Aegis Insurance Services, Inc.
You Should Know:
Delhi, India:
India's $2.2 billion National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme got mixed reviews after the release of an evaluation on its first year of implementation.
Critics accused the government of throwing away money and constructing white elephants. Supporters insisted it bridged the gap between the rich and poor in Asia's second most populous nation.
Under the scheme, introduced by the ruling Congress party, unemployed Indians living in rural areas who seek work must be given jobs within 15 days. It covers the 300 poorest districts in India. On its first year of implementation from April 2006 to April 2007, the scheme was able to generate 900 million employment days, although the initial target was two million days. (All Headline News)
Survey Says: Maybe There's a Good Reason Your Boss Is So Lousy
Many companies lack training for new supervisors, but there are plans for change.
Almost everyone has a "bad boss" story, but a new survey conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) suggests that these "bad bosses" may not be to blame; chances are, they never got the training they needed. The study found that, of the 338 companies polled, nearly half (47%) do not have a New Supervisor Training Program in place. And even where the programs are in place, most companies don't measure their effectiveness.
However, for many organizations, help is on the way. Among the companies that don't have a training program in place for new supervisors, 45% plan to implement one within the next 12 months.
"Companies know they should do better in this area," says Jay Jamrog, Senior Vice President of Research at i4cp, "and many have big plans for improvement. But the bottom line is that companies are moving faster than ever, and in the U.S. we are experiencing talent shortages. Many workers are given supervisory jobs they didn't expect and then are just thrown out there to sink or swim. It's no wonder so many wind up floundering."
For the organizations that already have such a program, most (77%) consider it important enough to make it mandatory, and most pour considerable resources into it. Fully 83% of those conducting training for new supervisors do so for nine or more hours. The most common subjects include introducing managers to management and leadership principles and providing them with practical knowledge of the company's policies and procedures.
But even among those that have such programs, 57% say they don't measure their effectiveness. "A lot of companies just go on faith," adds Jamrog. "Admittedly, measuring the effectiveness of these programs is difficult, but still it's amazing that more companies don't even try. Can you imagine if we applied the same principle to quality control in our manufacturing processes? We'd make some of the worst products on earth."
The training approaches used by companies fall into two main areas. Forty-three percent use "phased learning experiences" offered over the course of the first year of the new supervisor's job, while 32% provide a brief overview of basic information on responsibilities such as safety, payroll and computer systems. A full 65% of companies keep the training in-house, using managers or company trainers to conduct courses.
The New Supervisor Training Program Practitioner Consensus Survey was conducted by i4cp, in conjunction with HR.com, in August 2007.
For more information about this study, please contact Greg Pernula at Greg.Pernula @ i4cp.com or via phone at (727) 345-2226.
About i4cp, inc.
Building on the 35-year history of its predecessor (the Human Resource Institute), the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) improves corporate productivity through a combination of research, community, tools and technology focused on the management of human capital. With more than 100 leading organizations as members, including many of the best-known companies in the world, i4cp draws upon one of the industry's largest and most experienced research teams and executives-in-residence to produce more than 10,000 pages annually of rapid, reliable and respected research and analysis surrounding all facets of the management of people in organizations. Additionally, i4cp identifies and analyzes the upcoming major issues and future trends that are expected to influence workforce productivity and provides member clients with tools and technology to execute leading-edge strategies and "next practices" on these issues and trends. i4cp is a for-profit company with its headquarters in Seattle, WA, and research offices in St. Petersburg, FL.
TopUSAJobs.com: Guide to Top Specialty Boards
TopUSAJobs.com: Guide to Top Specialty
Boards
Where Top Candidates Seek Career Opportunites
Deep Release:
Many Medicare Beneficiaries with Limited Means
Still Not Taking Advantage of Generous Benefit
BenefitsCheckUp can help people apply for Medicare Rx Extra Help
Two years after Medicare prescription drug coverage was introduced, up to 4.2 million people with Medicare who have limited income and resources have not signed up for the Extra Help available through the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (also known as Medicare Part D). The National Council on Aging (NCOA) offers an easy way for people to find out if they qualify and to apply for that valuable benefit.
The Extra Help (also known as the Low-Income Subsidy or LIS) covers 85 to 100 percent of prescription drug costs for those in a Medicare Part D plan who have limited income and resources. For those who qualify, there is a low or no deductible, low or no premiums, no coverage gap or "donut hole," and lower payments for prescriptions.
"We are pleased that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just announced that beneficiaries who newly qualify for the LIS will be able to join Part D plans through next year without incurring any premium penalties," said James Firman, NCOA's president and CEO.
Legislation to make this permanent is pending in Congress, as are other important LIS improvements such as additional funding for outreach, simplifying the application form, and allowing people to keep more of their assets and still qualify for extra help. While the House of Representatives has already passed many of these improvements, NCOA hopes that the Senate will pass similar LIS legislation next month.
"The average annual value of the Extra Help is more than $3,300. We need to do more to reach out to the million of Medicare beneficiaries who have not signed up for this very valuable program," added Firman.
Anyone with Medicare who has limited income and resources can use NCOA's online service, BenefitsCheckUp at any time to see if they qualify and then apply for Extra Help, not just during the annual open enrollment period.
"We know there will be stepped up marketing of prescription drug plans and a lot of media attention to Medicare prescription drug coverage during the annual open enrollment period (Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, 2007)," added Stuart Spector, senior vice president of Benefits Access for NCOA. "We urge people with Medicare of limited means and those who care for or work with seniors and younger adults with disabilities to use BenefitsCheckUp to help them apply for the Extra Help."
NCOA and the Access to Benefits Coalition continue to do grassroots outreach to find and enroll people with limited means who may qualify for the Extra Help. Also, through the My Medicare Matters program, NCOA is doing targeted projects in many communities, with the same objective.
NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp is a free and confidential online service that not only enables people with Medicare to find out if they qualify for the Extra Help, but also allows them to apply online. In addition, it also identifies other local, state and federal benefits programs they may be eligible for.
About BenefitsCheckUp
Developed and maintained by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), BenefitsCheckUp is the nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources. It includes more than 1,550 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since 2001, two million people have used the service. The value of those benefits to the seniors, if they enrolled in the programs, is over $5 billion.(Available at www.BenefitsCheckUp.org.)
About NCOA
The National Council on Aging's mission is to improve the lives of older Americans. NCOA programs help older people remain healthy and independent, find jobs, access benefits programs, and discover meaningful ways to continue contributing to society. A non-profit organization with a national network of more than 14,000 organizations and leaders, NCOA was founded in 1950 and is based in Washington, DC. For more information about NCOA, please visit http://www.NCOA.org.
Presentation:
Material from John and Bridget Sumser, Rethinking The Workforce is available for download.
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