Recently in Training Category

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.

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.

 

Q:  I work in retail, and I can't seem to get a raise out of my employer, no matter what I try.  They tell me I am a hard worker and they make me feel valued, but it isn't showing in my paycheck.  What can I do to earn more money at work when they won't adjust my hours?

Several news outlets reported this week that Wal-Mart was letting go of 12,000 workers in its Sam's Club division.

Reading deeper into this story, it became clear that most (if not all) of these workers were part-time and/or were in-store product demonstrators.  These in-store demonstrations will now be outsourced to a firm specializing in this service.

Many companies fear bringing in outside workers for basic tasks, feeling it will take away from the level of service or consistency of that service. 

While anyone losing their job faces an uncertain future, situations like this can happen and people holding the positions often are given the opportunity to pursue a position with the new company.

In my family alone, two of my relatives worked for companies whose services were then outsourced, and both received new jobs with the new company similar to the tasks they were performing.

If you are good at what you do and passionate about the products and services you offer, no layoff can stop you from trying to keep your job when it is sold off to another person or company to do.

One of my best employees ever was named Grace.  She had a strong work ethic and a great customer service focus.  After I left for a new opportunity in a different department, I let Grace know if she ever wanted to work for me again, I'd be delighted to bring her along.

A few months later, a transfer opportunity came up to come to our front desk.  Grace struggled during training and a few of the managers wanted to send her back to her old position, saying she didn't have what it takes to work in this new role.  Instead, we set her up with a different trainer who worked with her and provided her better guidance.  She turned out to be a great success at our property.

It delighted me to see Grace at the resort a few summers ago long after I left, still doing well and still being a great employee.

I always hope to have "Grace wherever I go" - sometimes an employee has that kind of impact on you and is worth bringing along the way.

I'll be presenting a workshop at Tech II in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday March 23rd.  At this workshop, I'll be presenting some of the latest and greatest apps and programs for the Mac and iPhone to work with your business.

This past week's announcement that The Jay Leno Show has been cancelled and that NBC is trying to keep all three of its late night hosts happy has the potential to be an HR lesson we all can learn from.

A few years back, Conan O'Brien negotiated a deal to stay at NBC and earned the right to host The Tonight Show.  NBC feared losing O'Brien in a similar way that they lost David Letterman years ago when a move to 11:30 wasn't in the cards.

After deciding to create a new show for Jay Leno at 10pm, many questioned the move and its impact on all of NBC's lineup.

Now that the move has failed, NBC faces losing O'Brien again, possibly even losing Jimmy Fallon, and creating an HR situation that could cost them money, viewership, and people.

To bring this into a business environment, think about a valuable employee who is seeking new opportunities that has transitioned into a new role; what steps do you take to ensure this person is going to be a success in that new job?  What are the fail-safes you put in place in the event the transition does not work?

In the NBC late night dilemma, O'Brien had earned his right to host The Tonight Show by committing to stay with NBC for a few more years waiting to take the new role.  When Leno left the role, that created the opportunity for O'Brien to step up and perform in his new "promotion". 

I think the best way to handle this situation from an HR perspective is to find a new role for Jay Leno elsewhere on the network (perhaps a comedy talk show at a different hour, not late night).  O'Brien has held his own against Letterman, and although the ratings aren't quite where they were, he didn't have the kind of support Leno did in the same role (a strong lead in program).  

From the way it looks, NBC may take the wrong approach and totally shift the lineup yet again in late night.   More to come as this story develops...

In baseball, the Rule 5 draft allows teams to pick up players from other teams who have high potential but aren't getting the opportunity.  Wikipedia states that "The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to have them play in the majors."

In talking with several members of the local community, a common theme emerged around certifications and credentials; they are becoming even more valuable than ever before.

I interviewed in mock interviews several soon to be graduates of Skidmore College.  All of them possessed a trait I look for in any viable candidate - inner conceit.