Robert Braathe's HR & Career Guide Blog

Unpaid Time Off

2010-03-16T19:52:46Z

A question that comes up often in conversations with people is whether or not companies should grant unpaid time off for workers who don't have enough vacation time earned. My answer to this most of the time is yes.

Many companies don't grant time off to employees until they have worked six months with a company. Often, employees have events like weddings, family trips, and college commitments that require additional time off outside the norm. By granting employees unpaid time off during these times, you can save your company a few dollars, allow your employee to feel like their time is valued, and create a commitment to your company that may currently be lacking.

In a world where spare time is sparse, granting an employee a half day off unpaid or even a couple hours off in the middle of the day can really show the difference between a loss of productivity and a loss of a long-term asset to the company. The short-term loss of having that employee available for a single day is completely offset by the value you have given in balancing that employee's personal commitments from time to time.

Meeting Protocol

2010-03-12T12:44:16Z

Q: I work in an office with 4 other people. My boss rarely has us meet, and usually when we do meet it is about every 6 months and it usually has something to do with what we are doing wrong. How often should we meet as a team and as individuals?

A: Sounds like a tough spot you are in; good teams have regular dialogue every day, so the need for a sit-down meeting may not be very necessary. However, since it sounds like when you do have a meeting it is to point out flaws, perhaps you may want to suggest to your boss that your team should meet more regularly so it doesn't feel that way.

Very often, meetings are ineffective because they have no agenda or because they focus on the negative. Look at the reasons why you want to meet more often with everyone, and see if there is something you can do to get together without the boss, and then share the meeting results with him.

Torn Between Two Employers - Feeling Like a Fool

2010-03-10T15:52:20Z

Q: I have received two excellent job offers from two competing companies in the same industry. One is a company that has been in business for many years, and has offered a generous compensation package including a high base salary, and the other is a fairly new company that is offering a more incentive laden package that may give me an opportunity to earn about 30% more, but there are no guarantees and the base is much lower. My friends and family tell me to go with the new company because of the risk/reward, but my heart is set on working for the company that has been around longer? I don't want to be a fool and take the wrong job; what do you suggest?

A: The heart and the mind can certainly cause a conflict of interest in your mind. While you certainly want to take advice of those who support you, you really have to look beyond the compensation and decide on the job that will give you the most joy in going to work every day.

The stability a long-established company brings can certainly bring comfort. Depending on how much faith you have in the opinions of others, that certainly is something to consider in your choice.

Do a pluses and minuses inventory of both companies, and determine which of the factors you look at (stability, pay, incentives, long-term potential, etc) seem most important to you, and you will make the decision that is best for you.

Setting Ground Rules for Contacting Management

2010-03-08T14:44:12Z

Every company needs a protocol to ensure communication across all levels of management is consistent. Once in a while, someone may go too far up or down the ladder of management to communicate information, or may not communicate properly at all.

An open door policy is most effective when proper protocols are put in place so it is used efficiently. Having a company email address and phone number that people can reach you at to set up an appointment is best. Some people aren't comfortable spilling details over email, but at least using email and the phone to book the time can prevent a lot of inefficiency.

Over the past two years, I've seen the level of dialogue I've had with people become more effective because people use email and the phone to address issues before making an in-person visit.

As managers, the open door should be open for the open door policy to be effective, but that doesn't mean the open door has to be walked through; just as effectively, a well-crafted email and phone policy can make you seem more open to feedback than you are now.

Welcoming Parties vs. Going Away Parties

2010-03-06T14:00:04Z

A couple companies I do work with recently had going away parties for retiring employees. In one case, a new employee had already been hired to fill this person's position. It made me think that perhaps the going away party is only effective if we also celebrate the arrival of someone new to that role.

So much effort is put into recognizing someone who is leaving a company; if the same effort could be put in to welcome a new member of the organization, imagine how much more welcome they would feel to be on board.

Certainly, the extravagance that may go into recognizing someone who has given years of their life to the organizations will dwarf what is done for their replacement, but a welcoming party where the entire staff is invited can certainly provide an appropriate way for the replacement to come in and feel welcome as well.

Questions To Asks After an Interview

2010-03-04T17:18:22Z

Q: Should I ask about compensation and benefits at an interview? What other questions should I ask? - Scotia, NY

A: Benefits yes, compensation, maybe not. A good way to get an idea of how a company will take care of you is to ask "If I am brought on board, what kind of health and fringe benefits do you offer?" This can help you find out what your company offers you without being too pushy.

A good question to ask someone interviewing you is "How long have you been with the company, and what has influenced you to work here?" This helps the company see if you are interested in the long haul, and can develop an instant rapport amongst your potential peers.

Keeping Connected To Peers and Colleagues

2010-03-03T15:54:13Z

I visited Florida this past weekend, and reconnected with several former colleagues and business associates. It was such an invigorating experience to sit down for a cup of coffee with Cristina, a former cast member of mine at Disney now working in sales at a downtown Orlando property. I also took my friend Joe (who recruited me 13 years ago) to a basketball game. As well I had dinner with James, a former coworker from 15 years ago, and spoke to his class at UCF.

Rekindling relationships with those who worked with you can help you reconnect with some of your past successes, explore new opportunities to work together, or just to reminisce and catch up on what has been going on over the past few years.

Being able to combine a business trip with some time with family helped me yet again realize just how much our personal and business lives intersect. Its important not only to connect to people online, but to regularly "break bread" with those who helped you along the way and have been part of your life at so many key moments.

I'm planning another trip in late April/early May to again reconnect with some former colleagues and business associates. This trip meant so much to me; to see the difference that we have made in each other's lives (and how the relationships I have built with them over such a long period) makes the effort to get there so worth it.

Internships - Where to Find Them

2010-02-24T20:30:00Z

Q: How do I find the most up-to-date internship listings? I'm looking for an internship this summer.

A: Sometimes the best way to find an internship is to ask for one. Many companies have opportunities to bring people in for low-wage or no wage projects, and often turn to interns or students to take these projects on.

I recently did a search on Google for Albany Area Internship Opportunities, and came up with a result showing tons of companies offering internships. Likewise, Golub corp is offering a variety of internships this summer in a variety of fields.

Last, but not least, check with your school's career counselor or career office for opportunities. They always seem to have the pulse on a number of great opportunities as they come up.

Do You Suffer from Small Town Disease?

2010-02-22T14:39:22Z

When I returned to Connecticut after my time with Disney, I encountered quite a bit of culture shock upon my return. Although I had grown up, worked in management, and spent several years away from where I grew up, those I returned to seemed to be suffering from "small town disease".

What is small town disease? It's a state of mind that people have when they lack perspective that can come with stepping outside one's comfort zone to see another way of looking at things. It can also be a closed-minded approach to any outside idea or thought.

Very often, the worst way to deal with those afflicted by this "ailment" is thinking that any outside perspective you bring to the table is the right one. Many times, people who you have left behind may have some resentment towards others who have left or come back, and don't want to hear what you have to say. Balance your perspective with what people back home are doing well, and you may find that they are doing things a lot better than you considered or observed before.

How do you prevent small town disease? If you don't get out of town once in a while, the best way to avoid it is always to keep on top of global issues in your industry, whether or not you leave the area. As well, stay open minded to the perspective of those who have gone outside of their area to experience something elsewhere.

Retail Options

2010-02-19T19:09:14Z

I had the pleasure of having Ted Potrikus from the Retail Council speak to my Retailing class yesterday. He enlightened my students on just how many opportunities there are in retail beyond the store manager/salesperson type roles. Sharing many stories from the Loss Prevention and Legal aspects of retail, Ted gave many of my students inspiration to pursue new opportunities in retail that they may not have considered before.

It always alarms me when people will thumb their nose up at careers in retail, hospitality or foods (or for any field for that matter) without considering options beyond the day-to-day operations or entry level roles. No matter the career field, there are so many varieties of opportunities to consider if you are willing to keep an open mind

HR and Baseball - Johnny Damon

2010-02-17T16:15:00Z

Johnny Damon, former left fielder for the New York Yankees, asked for 2 years for $20 million to return to the Yankees when he became a free agent (or, according to some reports, he asked for 3 years and $30 million). The Yankees countered with 2 years and $14 million, and once rebuffed, lowered that offer even more significantly.

Once the Yankees' offers were rebuffed, the Yankees made trades to replace Damon with talent that was younger, but not necessarily less expensive. Whether the Yankees would have made the moves regardless of Damon's negotiations is unknown; what is known is that Damon may have misjudged the market for his services.

For those of us outside of baseball, the same approach may cause disastrous results. If you want to stay with your company, despite a pay cut, refusing to settle for a fair amount may result in the offer being pulled completely. Certainly, there are other ways to approach the situation.

Andy Pettitte took a more effective approach that rewarded him handsomely. He waited until before Spring Training 2009 before signing an incentive-laden deal for the 2009 season. This deal ended up paying almost exactly what he made the year before. After 2009, he was rewarded with a guaranteed contract for 2010 for nearly the same amount he made with the incentive-based contract.

A good approach for situations where you may be facing a pay cut like Damon is to take the approach Pettitte did - look at ways you can earn incentives if your base pay has been cut (through sales goals, additional contributions to the company, etc). Looking outside of your organization may result in seeing a market that is not there, or alienate your employer alltogether.

The Floating Holiday

2010-02-15T18:15:47Z

One of the best practices I've seen in many companies is the concept of the floating holiday. On a day like President's Day, many people choose to work rather than take the day off, and have the option of using that day off some other time during the year.

For those of us in the Northeast, this makes great sense; I'd much rather save that day off for the summer months, where someone else may want to use today to go skiing. Allowing for the "floating" holiday gives people the option to use it when it would be the most valuable.

Are there days in your business where using a "floating" holiday makes sense? Certainly.

It Pays to Get "Their" Early

2010-02-12T14:15:00Z

On a recent client visit, I arrived a few minutes early and met a new client in the process. He was doing some work on my client's home and mentioned he had been looking for someone to take a look at his website for a while.

It sometimes annoys people when I get to places early, but I find it to be much more effective then running late.

And yes, I spelled "there" incorrectly above, but there is a reason. If you want your business to turn into "their" business, it sometimes pays to arrive at your destination early. Use the time to work on meeting with new clients, prepare for the rest of your day, or in my case, meet someone I wouldn't have met if I was simply on time or running late.

Whether its getting early for a job interview, arriving to class early, or arriving to work early, the time you have before your appointment begins can lead to meeting someone new, getting a job offer you weren't expecting, or simply having an experience you never have had before.

Birthday Rememberance

2010-02-10T15:16:16Z

One of the easiest ways to recognize your staff is to remember their birthday. A simple note or email acknowledging their birthday can make a lasting impression. One employer in Florida that I know of actually sends a handwritten note to each of his employees on their birthday.

In my world, its as simple as using the birthday list in Facebook, keeping track of birthdays of people who aren't online, and other online or offline resources to make a simple 10 seconds of time into a genuine birthday wish.

In the world where sometimes recognition comes few and far between, wishing someone a happy birthday can make all the difference.

The Human Element in Computer Training

2010-02-09T15:29:59Z

Computer based training is becoming more of the norm in human resources as more organizations move to an asychronous training strategy vs. face to face synchronous learning.

There are many factors to consider when it comes to computer based training, and probably one of the most important is ensuring that the technical requirements of the programs or services you are using are met by the end user.

Recently, I was working with a client who I am training remotely on using Mac OS X. We had three very excellent sessions remotely, but our most recent one hit a stumbling block. It turned out that he had an older operating system than I, as well as a different version of iTunes and iPhone software. I'll be visiting him onsite to remedy these issues and continue our remote learning arrangement in two weeks.

Prior to initating any remote learning or training task, its important to make sure that the technical requirements and needs are up-to-date. In this case, because the training was going so well, we didn't discover that the software wasn't the same until late in the game. What could have prevented this from happening in the first place was conducting an on-site visit first to assess what the learner had for technical tools and software.

While costly, sometimes training well does require an initial on-site visit to assess what the learners need. In lieu of that, sending along a list of requirements ahead of time can prevent a situation like this from occuring in the first place.