Hauling Out the Holly: Happy or Headache for HR?

There are experts aplenty who will opine that the holidays are a stressful time for everyone. While these days can create anxious moments for each one of us, it should be a time of joy, gathering with family and friends, and hope for the future. I, for one, embrace these days and endeavor to find the good associated with the holidays.

Unfortunately, some people experience extremely difficult issues during the holidays. This creates unique challenges to the HR professional in many forms. I’m not talking about the simple part of whether an employee is paid for the holidays.

The holidays are about our organizational culture. Whether organizations like it or not, employees look to the company leadership during this time with anticipation, concern and sometimes plain fear. I believe there is an important role for HR to play in making this time meaningful and yes, enjoyable. Allow me to explain:

First, bring your HR staff together and allow the team to discuss some potential problem areas that could arise for your employees and their family members. Share these thoughts with your management staff. Perhaps there are some employees and their families that may need assistance. If the firm has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), encourage your employees to use it. Remember, being a good corporate citizen is not about bragging about your actions, rather, it is how we handle our actions.

Next, using your corporate policy handbook, determine if there are certain nonprofit service organizations your firm can assist during this time. There are many wonderful groups out there providing great support for our citizens so it would be a great opportunity to work with your employees to find the right groups to assist. Obviously, ensure that you have buy-in from executive-level leadership and legal counsel for an outreach campaign within the community.

The question also arises as to the religious nature of the holidays and whether the company even celebrates the holidays, including the holidays of others. These are questions best answered by your executive leadership and general counsel. Our business leaders should always appropriately understand and appreciate the viewpoints of all of our employees.

Should we or should we not pay a holiday bonus? This column is not of sufficient space to adequately address this much-debated topic. The evidence may not be empirical but little doubt exists that if you started a traditional of giving some cash for the holidays but decide this year to stop the practice – be prepared for the employee backlash.

Ah… what about decorating the office? Doesn’t it make your employees feel great when they see the office is outfitted with a holiday tree, or ornaments or cards? I know it makes me feel good to see it. You can bet that the vast majority of staff love the decorations and even take part in the activities. But, let’s again remember the need to be sensitive to others who may not celebrate this holiday season. Above all, create an atmosphere of inclusion in the festivities, not isolation for those who may differ in their beliefs.

It is said that this is a time for giving. Employees may want to swap gifts with each through name exchanges or random drawings. They ask, “Do I buy a gift for my employees? Should I gift my boss or her boss? How much do we pay for a gift for a co-worker? What if the employee doesn’t want to give or, worse yet, cannot afford to give others a gift? How do we handle the pressure of gift giving to each other?”

Remind employees there is no requirement from the company that an employee participate in a gift exchange during the holidays. This is a personal choice and not sanctioned by the company. As an HR practitioner, one has plenty of work pressures anyway so it should not be placed as the arbiter of gift exchanges at work. The policy should be that gift exchanges are neither encouraged nor mandated.

The Holiday Party – should we or shouldn’t we? On the heels of the tragic act in California, many will question whether these events are necessary anymore. This is a decision left to executives and your general counsel. In my opinion, these events are good for morale, especially if it take places at work where employees get an opportunity to see their fellow employees differently than what they see them doing at work every day. If the company has sponsored them in the past, then I encourage it to consider a party going forward. The best holiday events are the ones at the workplace.

Lastly, drinking at any of these events must be disallowed. There are simply far more chances of injury that can occur at the parties where alcohol is served. The events should be enjoyable to everyone but there is absolutely no reason to allow alcohol to enter the event. This protects the employee and employer. Too many cases and laws exist, which place employers at peril should they endorse the use of alcohol at any company function. Seek counsel to craft the appropriate message for employees, and this message should be generated at the chief executive levels and provided to all of your employees.

Hope these tips help, and to everyone, have a safe and happy holiday season.

P.S. Holiday pay is usually awarded when the employee works their last scheduled workday before the holiday, and their next scheduled workday after the holiday. TIP: Remember, some employees take vacation days before and after holidays, so this must be factored into the pay scenario.

Article by Larry Baldwin, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, MBA – Director of the Human Resource Institute at Culverhouse College of Commerce in The University of Alabama. A former HR Management executive and professional with over 30 years extensive experience management experience.

Back to Your Future!

It’s October 21, 2015, and the future has arrived. Today is the day that Marty McFly, valiantly traveled to our present day in the 1989 sci-film “Back to the Future.” People across the world have excitedly been sharing their comparisons of our world today to the 80’s film’s predicted future. While our current world may not live up to the hoverboards and self tying shoe laces in McFly’s 2015, it does offer the opportunities to help you make your future exactly what you want.

Through innovative technology and interactive teaching, professionals around the world are enhancing their skills and techniques every day. Certificate programs and continued education are on the rise as individuals are learning the importance of staying on the front end of trends and technology. While this may not seem important to some, more and more managers and CEO’s are seeing the value in having employees who are continuously learning to help keep their company on top in this ever-changing world.

Not only are these professionals increasing their value to their current employer but they have also learned and realized that these certifications can be used to market themselves for future jobs and promotions. Obtaining certifications prove that you’re capable of learning and retaining knowledge, while also showing that you’re committed to a career path, well versed in it and knowledgeable.

Although certifications certainly help professionals advance in their career, they also help individuals interested in starting a new career. As individuals progress in their field, they sometimes feel they should have pursued other options and begin to feel unhappy with their job. By obtaining certifications in the proper fields, individuals can become prepared to explore other options while also adding substance to their resume. By choosing to become certified in their field of interest, they are showing that they can learn and understand the concepts and tasks that may come with this new career change.

While it may be too late to order your brand new souped-up DeLorean outfitted with a flux capacitor, keep in mind it is never too late to redefine what your future will be. Invest in your future and continue your education and your future self will thank you.

Article by Kevin Lake, Communications Specialist for The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies. Kevin also  currently serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Public Relations Council of Alabama West Alabama division.

 

Is Your Business at Risk for Cyber Threats?

In 2015, small, medium and large corporations can face daily cyber threats from insider threats in the form of disillusioned employees, malicious and non-malicious hackers, and even nation states. What steps can executives take to reduce their risk and decrease liability? What are the expenses associated with protecting data? Even more compelling, what are the costs of a data breach?

Recent data breaches have targeted large companies such as Target, J.P. Morgan Chase and Google, as well as federal organizations like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). These breaches have triggered questions about the cybersecurity of entities with access to highly sensitive information. Even without highly sensitive data, all companies face threats of corporate espionage such as the stealing of data files, customer records, processes and product lists. Ineffective security leaves financial information, medical records, addresses, and more exposed to hackers, and represents the greatest vulnerability of American businesses today. Cyberforce Security: Risk and Mitigation, a one-day course hosted by The University of Alabama Cyber Institute (UACI) and the College of Continuing Studies (CCS), will educate C-level employees on steps they can take to protect their companies from cyberattacks and how to avoid unnecessary litigation.

No network compromise is insignificant and each one aims to harm retailers, banks, insurance companies, international firms and more. Target lost the credit card information of 40 million people and later came to a $10 million settlement deal with victims. The accounts of 76 million households and seven million small businesses were affected by the J.P. Morgan Chase hack targeting the country’s largest bank. Five million Gmail usernames and passwords were compromised in the Google breach.

Perhaps the most severe breaches were announced during late Spring and Summer 2015. These breaches, likely perpetrated by foreign hackers, were collectively referred to as the “OPM hack.” OPM has recruited and supported federal employees from all agencies since 1978. In April, OPM discovered hackers had stolen the personnel data of 4.2 million current and former federal workers. Further investigation revealed even more information had been lost than initially thought. In June, OPM admitted that 21.5 million background investigation files on current, former and prospective employees were also hit in the cyberattack. This suggests that in addition to garage hackers, sophisticated cyber criminals and disgruntled employees, corporations must now also guard against nation states. The costs associated with combatting these threats are staggering to most businesses.

The pace of innovation and creativity of malicious cyber actors has drastically outpaced the evolution of cyber security measures. Most companies scramble to react when blindsided by a security breach because they lack any anticipatory strategies to predict and prevent breaches before they happen.

Bama At work , professional developemt and conference services division of The University of Alabama is proud to offer on January 21, 2016 the Cyberforce Security: Risk and Mitigation course to help C-level executive understand the importance of the cybersecurity process for their organization.  More information is available on our website.

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Article by David W. Aucsmith, President of Aucsmith Consulting and Mark M. Lowenthal, Ph.D., CEO of the Intelligence and Security Academy.

        

A New Generation of Leaders.

As the baby boomers begin to retire and leave the workforce, the millennial generation is steadily beginning to be promoted in to supervisory and management positions. Although many workers with more seniority seem to think otherwise, this is a good thing!

In 2015 Millennials surpassed Generation X as the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. According to Pew Research Center, more than one-in-three American workers today are Millennials (adults ages 18 to 34). This milestone occurred in the first quarter of 2015, as the 53.5 million-strong millennial workforce has risen rapidly.

Millennials bring forth a new set of skills, values and expectations to the ever-growing workforce.  They are generally thought to be well educated and technologically savvy. Never before has there been a generation of workers that has grown in to their positions with as much access to knowledge and information as the millennial generation.

Even with the knowledge and skills, many members of the millennial generation still have major obstacles to overcome. The biggest issues facing Millennials being considered for a workplace promotion revolve around their possible lack of readiness for the position. Although many Millennials are believed to have the knowledge and expertise needed to do a good job, many senior workers still believe this new and upcoming generation lacks the skill sets needed to supervise and manage.

To better prepare Millennials for this upcoming challenge, we here at Bama At Work have decided to provide a few tips for our rising generation.

1. Attend Conferences

 Conferences allow you to network with influential people in your industry. They also provide an opportunity to learn more about the field you work in. Attend presentations that allow you to engage in topics that you may not be personally familiar with and allow you to learn from some of the brightest minds in your industry. Try to think of attending a conference as a small part of advancing the ultimate goal of your organization.

2. Continue Your Education

 Continuing your education not only benefits you, but also benefits your employer. People who upgrade their work skills and knowledge not only keep up with the latest technologies and business techniques, additional training helps you climb the corporate ladder and to realize additional career goals.

3. Get Certified

Once you learn your industry and become familiar with the “ins and outs” of your field, it is time for you to prove it. Certifications demonstrate expertise in specialized areas and provide assurance to employers that an employee has the skill set needed to perform the required duties. Certificate programs such as the Management Certificate Program for Supervisors at The University of Alabama help prepare individuals to take on a management role while developing an efficient leadership style. These types of certificate programs not only give you the leg up on your competition, but they also show employers that you are ready to advance in your career.

As Millennials take over the workforce, it is important that they be properly equipped to lead and grow. Through continuous learning and training, the millennial generation is bound to be one of the most successful generations the workforce has seen.

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Article by Kevin Lake, Communications Specialist for The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies. Kevin also  currently serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Public Relations Council of Alabama West Alabama division.

Management: Find Your True Calling

School has started for our kids. Soon enough, they’ll understand that learning never stops. Speaking of continually learning, I came across an article about frontline leaders needing leadership skills. The main points were these:

• Managers are important to organizations, but lack leadership skills.
• More seriously, only 12% of respondents to a survey felt their organizations invested enough in developing them.

The article mentions the changing demographics of frontline managers. Older managers are making way for Millennials. However, the point that struck me was their statement regarding the importance of taking a broader view of their own work, as well as the work of the team. This means skills that go beyond doing the job in front of you.

Also mentioned are several critical managerial skills. But, one missing from that list may be the most important: translating one’s work into a sense of calling. The skills in the article are functional. I encourage you to do the author the courtesy of visiting the original page, so I won’t list them here. Translating one’s work into a sense of calling requires a higher order skill. Why is that important?

First, let’s define calling. Michael Novak said in Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life, “A career in business is not only a morally serious vocation but a morally noble one.” I heard an insurance executive say his company wasn’t selling insurance. It was providing protection for families against the kind of loss that disrupts lives and breaks dreams. The actress, Shannen Doherty, recently said her management team let her insurance lapse, putting her at serious risk in the face of catastrophic illness. More than just selling commodities, business people, like that insurance executive, have the potential to do good through their work.

Calling is a way to focus on the greater good you can do through your work. Relate what you do at work to what Michael Novak says:

• “…fulfilling something you were meant to do.”
• “…a sense of having uncovered our personal destiny.”
• “…a sense of having been able to contribute something worthwhile to the common public life.”
• “…something we were good at and something we enjoyed.”

What must you learn to get to that point? What skill is needed to translate what you do at work into a better understanding of your calling? Think about cultivating the ability to have a vision. Vision is what you believe the world will look like as a result of you pursuing your calling. Continually refining that vision will help you understand your calling more clearly.

How can you refine your vision? One way is to engage in reflective practice. Reflective practice involves thinking deeply about your experiences to gain a clearer understanding of your work and how it relates to your life. Here are some ideas from my own experience:

• Keep a journal. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be collections of articles on topics that help you think and reflect. Modern software like Evernote and OneNote and bookmarking sites like Diigo and Delicious make it easy to collect and annotate those articles.
• Consult with others. Friends, family, and mentors know you well. Using them as sounding boards can shed light on things you may not have noticed or considered before.
• Read books. Besides absorbing writing skills by reading well-written books, following a story or argument through the length of a book will spark your imagination.
• Turn off the radio during your commute. The quiet of your car can help you reflect.
• Keep a voice recording with you. I discovered that Dragon Naturally Speaking has a speech-to-text capability and can turn what you record into text you can use for notes. In that quiet car, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you record.
• Invest in leadership training. It doesn’t have to be only degree programs. Solid leadership training through classroom and online certificate programs will serve you well.

Your calling is a powerful force. Discovering that calling by refining a personal vision through reflective practice will help you lift your eyes above the horizon to see the greater good you’re doing through your job.

Visit our website to learn more about the professional training The University of Alabama is offering.

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Article by Leroy Hurt, Ph.D, Associate Dean, Professional Development and Community Engagement, The University of Alabama.

Happy 4th of July!!

 

It’s one of America’s favorite holidays, Independence Day or more commonly known as the 4th of July. All over the country, smoke will fill the air from millions of grills. The delicious aroma of meats cooked to perfection can be detected for miles.

• Along with grillin’, some favorite traditions include:
• Hanging out American Flag
• Attending parades
• Making homemade ice cream (cranking the old wooden ice cream maker manually was the best)
• Going to see fireworks or setting them off yourself
• Going to the movies to see the summer blockbuster (Independence Day with Will Smith was my all-time favorite)
• Having a big block party
• Having a pool party
• Going to Afternoon Baseball Games

However your family celebrates the nation’s independence, have fun and do it safely.

From your friends at Bama At Work – HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

Happy Father’s Day

Did you ever wonder why it took such a long time in our country’s history for fathers to be celebrated with an official holiday? After Mother’s Day gained popularity in the early 20^th century, many people thought Father’s Day would be a good idea, too. Out west, Washington observed the first Father’s Day in 1910, but only on a state level. But, when President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day an official federal holiday in 1914, Father’s Day didn’t follow suit. It would take 58 years for dads to get the ole “atta boy” on the national stage.

History would teach that fathers have been around for quite a while. Why did it take so long for that national pat on the back? Is it because people aren’t as sentimental about their fathers? Well, OK. I’m a proud mama’s boy, so I get it. I’m also a proud father, but, I still get it. Taking second place to moms isn’t too bad. But, in honor of Father’s Day, I want to pay homage to the dad.

• This is the guy who is the stone wall of his family.
• This is the go-to guy when times are tough.
• These are the guys whose children believe in more than Santa Claus.
• This is the guy who you watched heading off to work each day.
• This is the guy who taught you to do it all yourself, to take care of your own family.

He is the figure standing tall when there is a violent storm and reassuring you that everything will be all right. When the thunder rolls, his smile grows wider with confidence and his strong arms seem to be able to stop a tornado. Fathers raise their sons to be men, and are an example to their daughters of what a man is supposed to be. Yes, that’s daddy, pop, father, old man, step-dad or whatever term of endearment you might use. So, this Father’s Day, let him know that you appreciate him.

From your friends at Bama At Work, have a very Happy Father’s Day!

How to Close the Millennials Skill Gap?

It is an accepted fact that Millennials are now taking over the workplace and are becoming the generation of majority in the workforce. This new generation of workers is more educated than all others before them. According to the October 2014 White House Council for Economic Advisors Report, 47 percent of Millennials graduated with Associate’s, Bachelor’s or graduate degrees.  But has the education they’ve received granted them the skills to be efficient on the job? According to a study published by Deloitte, only 28 percent of Millennials feel that their organizations are taking full advantage of their skill set. When asked to estimate the contribution that the skills they acquired during their education made in achieving their company’s objectives, the average answer is 37 percent. This means that two-thirds of the skills used to accomplish tasks in their current organizations were acquired on the job or through training.

In an ever-changing business environment, it is difficult for traditional educational institutions to provide skills that will be applicable on the job. Techniques and technology are changing every day, and what is the norm one day will be obsolete the next. The result of this phenomenon is a growing focus on soft skills from higher education organizations. Flexibility and adaptability to the environment are now the keystones of many degrees. While this focus prepares Millennials for a changing environment, a gap is created between what they learned in class and the real-world tasks asked of them in the field.

It is up to the employer to bring the new recruits up to speed on the skills needed by their particular organization. With the predicted job gap left by retiring Baby Boomers, training will become a generalized practice for employers.  The demand for custom training contracts for the workforce and individualized courses will increase as Boomers retire and Millennials fill their positions. Here is an opportunity for higher education institutions to provide a solution to close the skill gap created by traditional higher education. Furthermore, it will allow these organizations to reach a population that doesn’t possess a degree, but requires specialized skills. Here at The University of Alabama, we offer tailored training for organizations trying to close this skill gap and improve the productivity of their workforce. Visit our Bama At Work for more information about how Bama At Work can provide your workforce with the skills it needs.

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Article by Guillaume Slama, Internet Communication Specialist for Bama At Work, Professional Development & Conference Services, The University of Alabama.

Seven Ways Military Spouses Can Avoid Resume Mistakes .

As a military spouse you likely take on many duties every day, especially as you try to improve your career skills.  One taxing chore that can be tough to keep up with is creating/updating your resume.  There are some common mistakes that most military spouses  make on their resumes.  Given how busy you are, we want to help you with this task so you can keep your resume out of the “pile” that most will end up in.   So take heed of these simple rules to create a solid resume that will get you the interview.

1. Exaggerating your credentials: What?! Everyone does it right? You see the gaps or descriptions of job duties and feel you have to exaggerate your experience, talents or titles.  What this really means is simple:  you don’t like your current resume, so it is time to revise it.  Revising does not mean exaggerating, it just means providing clarity.  Think back to your time at these jobs; did you receive any awards?  Work on any special projects?  What work was critical to making the customer happy?  Answer these questions and you won’t be exaggerating; you’ll be providing the important information employers want to know.
2. Thinking the title of your job will tell it all: Don’t expect HR or hiring managers to be mind readers. You need to spell out everything that you did with your past jobs. Don’t just copy and paste a job description.  Try to write out a one or two sentence summary of what you did, specifically focusing on how what you did provided value to your company.  From there you’ll start to get a better idea of how to clearly explain what you did in your position.
3. Sending out old resumes: Face it we all despise updating our resumes. It’s a daunting task, but keeping it up to date shows employers you care about yourself and the position you are applying for.  Updating your resume has to be done and sometimes you will have two or three resumes going depending on the jobs for which you are applying.
4. Not explaining employment gaps: You will likely have gaps, stemming either from having your precious kiddos to PCS-ing or even the many “hurry up and wait” situations the military will put your through. You can minimize them by using a functional style resume instead of a chronological resume. This way you can showcase your skills upfront and focus on what you can bring to the table, rather than worrying about meeting some artificial timeline.
5. For your enjoyment only: Your resume is not for you! Sorry tough love here. Although this is a picture of your work history and is indeed only about you, this resume is for the hiring manager or HR specialist to help them see that you meet their needs to fill an open position. They want to see that what you have done will allow them to not just fill the position but be successful as well.
6. Not tooting your own horn: Toot, Toot! This can be a tough step, many of us don’t do well when having to write down all of our accomplishments. I said this in point #2 above and I will say it again: Don’t copy and paste a job description. If you do that, you will not prove that you made the job your own. It will also show that you have zero initiative and imagination.  So take some time to get into a mindset where you have extra pride in what you have done and then write out your accomplishments; it really does help.
7. Sit and wait for a phone call back: There are likely hundreds of people out there applying for that job too. Don’t just sit there and wait. Networking is key — find a friend, neighbor or anyone who will help you put your resume at the top of the stack. Also, follow up a few days after you send the resume with a call or email.

The most important thing is don’t give up! As a military spouse you have so much to offer a company even if you only have a few years’ experience.  Network as much as possible and brush off your LinkedIn account. And remember – Bama At work and World Education.net provide each of our students a dedicated career coach who helps them with resume writing, interviewing skills, and networking.   We also offer the MyCAA scholarship to qualified military spouses. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Professional Development, Online Training and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Kelly Fuhlman, Director of Social Media  for World Education , and is personally involved in helping others make a better life for themselves through education. World Education is one of the main partner of the University of Alabama for Online Certificate Programs.

Succession Planning: It’s Not Just Needed at the Top!

Some managers think of succession planning like they do writing their wills or purchasing their cemetery plots. They know they should be thinking about it at some point. But they would really rather not do it now. It is just too depressing.  And it is easy to rationalize putting it off amid dealing with daily crises and firefighting.  Additionally, in these days of everybody-for-themselves career planning, some managers actually worry that they might plan themselves out of their jobs if they do too well in identifying and grooming their successors.  Still other managers’ reason that they shouldn’t worry about succession issues, since that is something only the CEO and other senior-level leaders should be concerned about.

But succession planning is no longer a topic that should be put off until a rainy day. It needs to be done now. It needs to be done for all levels in the organization, from CEO down to shop floor worker.  And it needs to be done in small and medium-sized businesses just as much as it needs to be done in big business.

Why has succession planning emerged as such a hot topic? There are at least five major reasons.

• First, the 1996 crash in Bosnia of the plane carrying U.S. Secretary Ron Brown and over 30 senior executives from major U.S. corporations made succession planning a front-burner topic. That plane crash was a wake up call to corporate boards, CEOs, and Vice Presidents of Human Resources around the globe.  It galvanized attention and led many corporations, government agencies, and even nonprofit enterprises to resuscitate otherwise dormant succession planning programs.
• Second, it is common knowledge in small business that inadequate succession plans are a common cause of small business failure when founding entrepreneurs retire or pass away. In fact, an entire industry has sprung up to offer financial, legal or management advice to small business owners about how to hand down their legacies to their heirs who may have ample cause for concern about inheritance taxes that can eat up their life work. Even worse, some entrepreneurs cannot find replacements to manage the business when family members are not interested.  They may be forced to sell—or go out of business.
• Third, the downsizing craze of the late 1980s and 1990s has taken its toll. Middle managers, more than any other group, saw their ranks dramatically thinned during a continuing parade of cost-saving measures that were variously called by such euphemistic terms as reductions in force, downsizings, layoffs, smartsizings, early outs, early retirements, and buyout programs. While those programs looked good to investors on quarterly balance sheets, raised stock prices, and often enhanced earnings for the short-term, they also reduced the ranks of middle managers being prepared for promotion to the senior executive level.  While that would have worked effectively for a few organizations, widespread downsizing depleted the middle management ranks almost everywhere–making traditional modes of recruitment such as headhunting less effective than ever before.  Was it no longer always possible to rely on luring talent away from others when needed desperately–and usually on short notice? And, as immigration rules were tightened in the U.S., the old trick of finding talent from abroad became a proverbial rabbit that was tougher to pull out of the proverbial hat.
• Fourth, demographic trends point toward leaner times for recruiters and increased importance of making investments to grow talent from within. Between 1996 and 2006, those aged 55 to 64 in the U. S. will increase by 54%, while traditional entry-level employees aged 25 to 34 will experience a net decrease of 8.8% below traditional levels before that.  This demographic trend has prompted doomsayers to predict that over 20% of all senior executives in large corporations will be at risk of retirement in just a few years.
• Fifth and finally, record employment levels make worker retention a key cause for concern. With national unemployment rates below 4% at this writing, employers who don’t invest in the development of their employees as a retention tool will find themselves in deep trouble fast.  In some locales (where unemployment rates have dipped below 2%), it is not uncommon to place a job vacancy advertisement in the newspaper and get no responses for a year.  In this market, employers who can give their employees development for the future will find, based on research, that investments in training or succession planning efforts are actually retention strategies that can preserve existing talent.  What is more, employers are becoming more willing to tell people when they are successors for key positions–something that only one-fourth of U.S. employers did just a few years ago–because the hope of future advancement can keep workers from jumping from employer to employer for wage increases ranging from small to very large.

Taken together, these trends point toward the growing importance of succession planning as a daily activity to be undertaken at all levels. It is not just a cause for concern for the CEO. It is, and should be, the concern of any manager who wants to retain, attract, and develop a first-rate staff now and in the future. This trend will not just go away. To learn more about succession planning, register for our course on January 12-13, 2016 at the AIDT Center in Birmingham. More information on our website.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Professional Development, Human Resources and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Robert K. Prescott, Ph.D. SPHR and William J. Rothwell, Ph.D. SPHR. Robert Prescott and William Rothwell are the instructors for the succession planning course offered by Bama At Work.