The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Human Resources

In this video, I share brief definitions and explanations of 4 Functional Areas in HRM:

• staffing: sourcing and selecting the best person for each role

• motivation: pay, benefits, culture -- motivating talented people to join the org and to stay with the org

• training and development: short term and long term education that creates a more skilled and confident workforce

• maintenance: keeping a workplace safe and healthy

These four areas inform the remaining lessons in this course and are a great way to view HR in terms of the work completed and the skills needed.

What do you think of when you hear the words modern and strategic?

In this lesson, we'll talk about HR as a modern and strategic business partner that supports the mission and vision of the larger organization.

Listen to this video for a slow and clear pronunciation of keywords in this lesson.

In this video, we will address staffing.

Sources: 

• Social Media: Candidates can be sourced from LinkedIn and even Twitter based on their profiles.

• Employee Referrals: Employees know the organizational culture and expectations, so their recommendations should be taken seriously. They will typically refer only people who will fit that culture and accept the expectations.

• Professional Associations: People attend professional associations tend to be committed to the field and to growing their careers.

Use candidate personas

Implement a structured employee referral program

Create and maintain an employer brand that attracts top talent

Leverage social media

Candidate Types: 

Passive: These candidates are not looking for a new role, but approximately 30% of them would accept the right offer.

Active: Applicants who are applying online, reaching out to their network, and attending recruiting fairs. They may be extremely unhappy in their current position or unemployed and in dire need of a new job ASAP.

Approximately 30% of passive candidates can be persuaded by an offer. In this video, I discuss a couple of signs that a passive candidate is in that 30%.

Biases are preconceived ideas or preferences that are not founded in logic or facts. As an HR professional, you have the power to impact a person's career which inevitably impacts a person's life. This is a huge responsibility, so take it seriously, please. Be aware of your biases and do not make applicants or current employees suffer because of them.

In this video, we will address common biases that interfere with logical thinking and decision-making:

• Anchoring Bias

• Intuition

• Affective Heuristic

In this video, I state the keywords slowly and carefully in isolation and in context.

Benchmarking requires knowledge of industry standards, norms, and averages. These facts are used to measure whether work done in one's organization is in line with industry expectations.

In this video, I discuss benchmarking as a way to measure success which is then used to conduct performance evaluations. This supports the motivation function of HR.

KPI or Key Performance Indicators are measures used to assess success at supporting the organization's goals. All KPIs must address something measurable and this means they must include a number or percentage.

120 consecutive accident free days

12% increase in sales in Q3 across the north east district

In this video, I will discuss how to construct an effective KPI and how KPIs support the motivation function in HR as part of the performance management system. 

I review the key terms from this section more carefully and with a focus on pronunciation and use.

SWOT is a common evaluation/analysis tool used to focus on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that a business should either leverage or mitigate. In this video, I will explain the internal vs external elements of a SWOT analysis.

A PESTEL Analysis is a comprehensive look at six areas that impact an organization's ability to do business:

Political: If you are hiring Host Country Nationals (HCN) for a global organization, you need to know if the political/government of the country is stable or in flux.

Economic: What is the average income of your target audience? What pay do people in your target talent pool expect?

Social: What issues impact training and development in your organization? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? Multi-generational communication?

Technological: How are you using tech to source talent, to communicate with employees, to train and develop at all levels? Is there an infrastructure issue locally or abroad?

Environmental: Is your organization reducing its carbon footprint? How does this impact pay and benefits, training and development, sourcing candidates? 

Legal: Being legally compliant is the only way to avoid fines and prevent lawsuits. Are changes to legislation looming? How should your org prepare? Do you know the labor laws of the country your org is expanding to?

This video focuses on the pronunciation and use of the key terms in section 5.

Training is short term and focused on right now. Development is more abstract and allows a person to grow in ways that are not specific to one role or level.

Training: Using a software to process payments or document communication

Development: Communicating in times of crisis, Leading remote teams

ADDIE: 

Analysis: Gather data and analyze the need for training, the organization, the audience, and the context.

Design: Outline the training strategy including content, learning activities and assessments, materials and media.

Development: Create and fully develop all components in the design.

Implementation: Review all materials, test all activities and media. Facilitate the training with learners.

Evaluation: Assess the program using the objectives and desired outcomes as measurement criteria. Assess participants using summative and formative tools.

7 Step Model

1.Conduct a needs assessment

2.Consider and reconsider relevant learning theories

3.Write learning objectives with the end result in mind

4.Design and create the training materials

5.Deliver the training

6.Evaluate using Kirkpatrick’s Model

7.Repeat based on behavior and results as needed

1. State the ideal outcome

•Wrong: we aren’t doing well in the southeast

•Correct: A 12% increase in sales in the southeast in Q2

•Wrong: people in the manufacturing plant in Malaysia are getting injured too often

•Correct: A 22% decrease in injuries in the…

•Correct: 120 consecutive days without injury in manufacturing plants across Asia

2. Identify cause and effect relationships with observations and surveys

•Why are sales down in the southeast? What can be done about this?

•Why are people in one location experiencing more injuries than in other locals? How much control do we have of this?

Identify ideal knowledge, behaviors, and skills

•Refer to the outcomes

•Refer to the ideal behaviors, knowledge, and skills

4. Create a timeline for individuals, teams, and the entire organization

•Consider urgency

•Consider importance

5. Determine how the training will be assessed and by whom

Andragogy: We can make assumptions about adult learners that inform how we teach them.

•Self directed

•Experiences become a resource

•Ready to learn because of goals

•Focus is on problem-solving

•Motivated to learn

Mindset: Whether a person believes they can learn anything with the right resources or that talent is something a person is either born with or without, they will prove themselves right.

•Growth Mindset: I can learn a to speak a new language or to program or to manage or to use the new software if I have time and materials.

•Fixed Mindset: Some people have a gift for languages, some people are born for technology, the rest of us can't learn a foreign language or to use a new software so it is better not to waste time trying.

Cognitive Load Theory

•Short Term AKA Working Memory versus Long Term Memory

•Refers to the demands placed on working memory as a learner reads or hears new information

•Some demands are necessary (Intrinsic Load)

•Some demands are the point (Germaine Load)

•Some demands are distracting and take away from the learning (Extraneous Load)

Learning/Training Outcomes: These should express what learners will be able to do after attending a learning event

•Verb + in order to…

•Verbs should connect to Bloom’s Taxonomy

•Knowledge: define, list, recognize

•Comprehension: characterize, describe, explain, identify, locate, recognize, sort

•Application: choose, demonstrate, implement, perform

•Analysis: analyze, categorize, compare, differentiate

•Evaluation: assess, critique, evaluate, rank, rate

•Synthesis: construct, design, formulate, organize, synthesize

Examples: 

Participants will

•list three appealing features of SurgiBot 3000 in order to educate potential customers

•evaluate the features of the closest competitor of the SurgiBot 3000 in order to create an accurate contrast of the two products

Kirkpatrick's Levels is a framework for measuring the success of a training.

Level One: Reaction: This is measured by asking participants their reaction to the training. Did attendees like the training? See value in the material? Connect with the trainer? 

Level Two: Learning: Did the attendees learn a skill or do they have knowledge now that they didn't before the training? A pretest and post test will prove this.

Level Three: Behavior Changes: Attendees should be observed in their real work environments with a focus on behaviors addressed in the training. Are the trainees acting on the info, applying the skills, using the knowledge?

Level Four: Results: Has the learning and behavior impacted the organization? If not, the training wasn't successful.

A careful review of the pronunciation and use of keywords in this section.

Onboarding or Socialization is a formal process that welcomes new hires and helps them acquire the skills and knowledge they need to be successful right away and long term.

Three Stages of Onboarding

1.Anticipatory: Before the person is hired

2.Encounter: The first day of employment to the end of year one

3.Settling In: After the employee is comfortable and no longer considered new

The concept of total rewards encompasses both monetary and non-monetary compensation. It emphasizes the overall value an employee receives from their employment, including base pay, benefits, incentives, development opportunities, work-life balance, and a positive work environment.

Pay Structure: The organization establishes a pay structure that outlines the salary ranges or salary bands for different job roles. This structure helps ensure internal equity by setting appropriate pay levels for each position based on factors like job responsibilities, experience, and market rates.

Market Analysis: To determine competitive compensation levels, organizations often conduct market analysis or salary surveys. This involves comparing their compensation packages to those of similar companies in the same industry or geographic area to ensure they remain competitive.

Job Evaluation: Job evaluation is a systematic process used to determine the relative value of different jobs within an organization. It helps establish a fair and consistent basis for compensation decisions by assessing factors like job complexity, skills required, and responsibilities.

Compa-ratio, short for comparison ratio, is a human resources and compensation management metric to assess how an employee's current salary compares to the midpoint or market rate for their position. It is expressed as a ratio or percentage.

Compa-ration = (current salary / market midpoint salary) x 100

HR professionals use compa-ratio to evaluate an employee's compensation package's competitiveness and to make decisions regarding salary adjustments, promotions, and bonuses. It helps ensure that salaries are aligned with market norms.

Intrinsic

•Comes from within

•Sense of accomplishment

•Pride after success

•Excitement with new project

•Joy from organizing or creating efficiency

•Satisfaction from helping others

•Thrill of competition

Extrinsic

•Anything given by someone else

•Pay

•Bonuses

•Commission

•Gift certificate

Analytical Methods for Ranking a Position

•Factor Comparison: Assigns parts of a position a financial value rather than assigning value based on the overall title or position.

•Point Method: Assigns points to the factors and then each range of points correlates to a salary or compensation system.

Non Analytical

•Classification: Categorizes jobs using a standardize scale using preset criteria.

•Ranking: Orders positions from highest to lowest based on worth to the organization.

Base

•The wage or salary received for showing up

•Hourly

•Annual

Bonus

•Additional pay based on organizational performance

Commission

•Pay calculated as a percentage of total sales

Additional Readings

•The World at Work Handbook of Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards

•Strategic Compensation: A HRM Approach

•Compensation Management in a Knowledge-Based World

Required

•Social Security

•Unemployment Insurance

•Workers’ Compensation

•Minimum Wage

•Overtime Pay

Optional

•Health Insurance

•Tuition Reimbursement

•PTO

Additional Reading

•The World at Work Handbook of Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards

•Strategic Compensation: A HRM Approach

•Compensation Management in a Knowledge-Based World

Organizational Culture is the personality of the company. What beliefs and assumptions inform behavior, interaction, and policies in an organization? 

In this lecture, I discuss four types of org cultures.

Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy, and Market

The change curve explains the process most people go through when faced with a change.

Satisfaction

Denial

Resistance

Exploration

Hope

Commitment

Fear

•Of losing position or power

•Of the unknown

•Of failure due to previous failed change initiatives

Habit

Social Relationships

•Coworkers

•Teams

•Pressure

Organizational Climate

No voice in the process

No understanding of the purpose

Three Change Models

ADKAR

•Awareness

•Desire

•Knowledge

•Ability

•Reinforcement

Lewin’s Three Step Model

Unfreeze --> Change --> Refreeze

Kotter's Eight Step Model

1.Create a sense of urgency

2.Create the guiding coalition

3.Develop the vision and strategy

4.Communicate your vision

5. Empower action

6. Create short-term wins

7. Consolidate gains and create more change

8. Anchor the new approaches created in steps 5 - 7

Four C’s for HR During Change

•Communicate

•Commit

•Collaborate

•Conflict

Communicate:

•The What

•The Why

Commit

•To the long view

•The needed resources such as:

1. Money

2. Time

3. People

Collaborate

•Listen to trusted experts

•Seek opposition

Conflict

People respond to conflict with:

•Collaboration: Concern for relationships and with the issue – high level concern

•Competition: Concerned only about wining—compete and defeat

•Withdrawal: Minor concern for the relationship or about the issue

•Accommodation: Very concerned about the relationship and not at all about the issue

•Compromise: Equally concerned about both, but this equal concern is mid level