Interesting New Law

Colorado recently passed a law, which supports the already in place, National Labor Relations Act, which says that employees have the right to discuss wages and benefits. The law will prohibit employers for taking action against an employee who discloses her or his pay.

You can read more here on the BLR website.

I suppose that in the seasonal industry wages are generally set and do not change much season to season, but do you have employees who try to stir the pot by sharing their wages with other employees? Have you ever disciplined an employee for talking about her or his earnings with other employees?

Are You Courteous?

"There is nothing that costs so little and goes so far as courtesy."

I keep a quote book and this quote above is a keeper. My reason for sharing it now is simple. Now is the time when people really start to look for summer jobs. These people have high hopes of getting their dream jobs, meeting new friends, seeing new places, you name it, they're dreaming it. Nothing can dash job seekers' hope so much as "crickets." I'm talking about putting out the effort to learn about an employer, completing the application, submitting references, jumping through endless hoops and then hear NOTHING! Even an automated response is better than nothing, but what happened to common courtesy in this exchange. Has the web made us so ambivalent that we don't care anymore? I hope not.

I hearken back to one of my first posts after I joined Cool Works last spring - "Applicants are people too." Behind every completed form and electronic signature is a person; a living, breathing person. Are they not as worthy of time as you?

It is simple.

• Acknowledge the effort.
• Thank them for applying.
• Try to make it work. If it does, GREAT! If it doesn't, be nice about it.
• Be courteous.

Because really, isn't that what you would expect if you were the applicant?

FMLA not expanding (for now)

Just an update on the previous post about the FMLA potentially expanding to cover employees whose spouse, child or parent are called for active military duty. On December 28, 2007, President Bush vetoed the bill, not so much for the FMLA provisions, but for other provisions which, according to the White House fact sheet, "risk imposing financially devastating hardship on Iraq...." You can read more about this decision here.

FMLA may be expanding

Not sure how many of our employers will be affected by this change, if it goes into effect pending Bush's approval, but worth noting that the Senate voted to expand the FMLA. The change would affect those whose spouse, child or parent is called for active duty in the military. You can read more here on the SHRM website.

The Colorado Catchup

Just a few newsy items from the great state of Colorado.

1. Snow is not falling and neither is the thermometer. Read article here.
2. Aspen is feeding their employees who have not worked yet. Read article here.
3. The minimum wage is going up to $7.02/hour on January 1, 2008. Read article here.

Are any of you out there doing anything for your ski resort employees who cannot work because of the weather or are you or they in good shape? We'll be thinking SNOW for you all!

Get Your Revised I-9 Here

USCIS has done it again. A recently revised - June 5, 2007 - and officially issued - November 7, 2007 - Form I-9 is available for use immediately. Read the whole press release from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services here.

The biggest news with this release is that 5 items that were previously accepted as employment eligibility documents on List A of the Form I-9 have been removed.

What should this announcement mean to you?

• Stop using previously issued I-9 forms immediately.
• All individuals hired on or after November 7, 2007, should have their employment eligibility completed on this newly revised form, Form I-9 (Rev. 06/05/07)N.
• Cease using documents that are no longer acceptable.
• Continue to complete the I-9 for all new hires as you have done since 1987.

Click here to download the revised I-9 Form.

Annual SHRA Conference Held in Big Sur, California

Back in October, which really seems so far away, myself and 34 other HR professionals attended the 19th annual fall Seasonal Human Resources Association (aka SHRA, à la SHRM) conference in Big Sur, California. Thanks to Patty Ceglio Bishoff from Cool Works (aka SHRA Queen) for getting us all there and organizing the event, and Richard Grena of Mt. Rainier Guest Services for suggesting the Big Sur Lodge and playing tour guide on one of the play days. The annual conference is a chance for HR folks from seasonal properties across the U.S. to get out of the office, play with their peers and share tidbits of wisdom from their seasonal worlds. The bottom line is that when you leave this conference, you feel like you are not alone.

Attendees this year were representatives from lots of wonderful spots around the country including:

• Cool Works

• Princess Tours

• Aramark (Denali, Lake Powell, Lake Tahoe)

• A Christian Ministry in the National Parks

• Xanterra (Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone)

• Delaware North Companies (Sequoia, Yellowstone, Yosemite)

• FUNdamental Training Solutions

• Custer Resorts

• Glacier Park Inc. (Glacier National Park)

• Guest Services (Mt. Rainier)

• Signal Mountain Lodge (Grand Tetons National Park)

• YMCA of the Rockies (Estes Park Center and Snow Mountain Ranch)

We also had International Agency Sponsors in our midst including:

• CCUSA

• CIEE

• Intrax

• GeoVisions

• Spirit Exchange

As always the topics for learning were varied and catered to the seasonal world.

• Benefically Speaking

• Recruiting the Generations

• Employees 24/7 – Housing, Recreation

• Employment Law Update from Mark Berry of Davis Wright Tremaine

• Employees who ROCK!

• International hiring update

• ACMNP Update

And of course, we had a bit of free time to socialize and network with the other attendees.

A few of my personal highlights.

1. Google Your Employees! The collective jaw for all of us dropped at hearing the employment attorney say that HR folks might as well check social network profiles on MySpace, Facebook, and others, as well as Googling your potential employees. He stated that it is out there for public consumption so you might as well use it. The caveat, and if you have been in HR for any amount of time you knew this was coming, is that some of the information you see cannot be used in determining the fit for a new hire like religion, race, sexual orientation, etc. So use it, but tread carefully and have a consistent practice.
   
2. Hiring International Students should be about Cultural Exchange. A few years ago, I was dumbfounded that one of the International representatives would dare to say, "What is so great about working in Alaska?" His point was why on earth an International student should pay more to fly all the way to Alaska when they can get a cheaper flight to New York. What selling points did we have to offer that the east coast employers did not already have? This financial challenge is still around today and will continue with the Euro doing amazingly well against the US dollar. Remember that these students have big choices to make, they are spending a lot of money to come, and the reason that the visa program exists is for cultural exchange. Of course, they come to make money, but they also come to America to learn about our culture. Give them lots of great experiences and send them back with new knowledge and personal growth, not just the ability to make up 80 rooms in a day.
   
3. The Ocean Is Powerful. Okay, this may seem silly, but stay with me. We went to the beach at Pfeiffer State Park two days in a row. The first day was beautiful, sunny, clear, only a slight breeze and small waves. The next day we went back to find it still sunny, but so windy that one could not stand there without getting pummeled by sand and walking into the surf, was well, a damp experience for those that dared. How does this apply to our workplaces? Just like Mother Nature, sometimes the days in HR are really good and sometimes they are really bad. But the experience is still powerful, dynamic and well worth the time. That second day at the beach made us all very grateful for the day before. So, may you have a good mix of hopefully a lot less bad days than good days so you can feel a sense of accomplishment for the tough ones and joy on the good ones.

To see pictures of our days at Big Sur, click here. To learn more about the Seasonal HR Association, or SHRA, click here.

Hope to see you all at the 20th annual conference in 2008!

73 Percent

More and more folks are using the Internet to find jobs according to a survey by The Conference Board. Of course this is something that we like to hear at Cool Works (tm) and we know it to be true because our clients find some great folks by using our website.

To read more about the The Conference Board's research, click here.

Currently on Cool Works (tm), the ski resort jobs are leading the charge paired with seasonal jobs in sunny climes like Florida. But, sooner that we all expect, summer jobs will be back again. Heck, we're half way to Halloween already. Where does the time go?

Charles DeGaulle vs Your Employment Page

Just last week I returned from an 11-day trip to Europe which included 2 mind-numbing visits to the Charles DeGaulle Airport, where my husband and I felt like spinning tops. Now to be fair to CDG they are in the midst of some big renovation projects, but WOW was it ever confusing. We did successfully make it to Munich for Oktoberfest and got a few "prosts" in before we ventured back through CDG on the way home, but, boy did we ever feel exhausted and worn out by the travel experience.

Now think about your recruiting process and particularly your website. Do you do this to your prospective job applicants? Do they feel worn out and drained by simply attempting to find the employment section on your website? What about the application itself? How many unnecessary hoops must they jump through to apply?

In the web recruiting world there are two main things to remember. 1) Clicks are sacred. 2) Applicants should be even more sacred.

You want the best candidates? Who doesn't? To help get them, ponder this list when you design or renovate your recruiting process.

• Make it only one-click to your employment section.
• Get an on-line application.
• Acknowledge new applications quickly - say thanks for applying!
• Communicate constantly.
• Anticipate questions.
• Use the Golden Rule - treat your applicants as you would like to be treated.

Don't wear out your applicants' patience when they are simply trying to learn more about your organization. Frankly, if they have made it to your website, you should treat them like a honored guest. Because honestly, if it was you, and you didn't feel welcome, wouldn't you go find another place to be?

Can you imagine a world where you don't track your vacation - and neither does your boss?

Today I read an article in The New York Times regarding IBM's new policy of not tracking vacation. They believe that if you stop nagging your employees, they'll actually step up and act like adults! What a novel concept. Everyone is still responsible for getting their job done, but they can be creative in when they get it done.

Granted this situation is best suited for exempt employees who are responsible for what they accomplish instead of how many hours they work, but it sure is a nice thought for all employees.

The concept also hearkens back to Best Buy's system called ROWE - Results Oriented Work Environment. And it also reminds me of one of my favorite books about work, Let My People Go Surfing by Patagonia's founder, Yvon Chouinard, given to me by Bill Berg at Cool Works (tm) just before I started this position back in March.

Employers are adapting with the times and beginning to address the "work-life balance." Isn't it great?

How Many Clicks Does It Take?

Have you ever paid any attention to how many clicks it takes for your prospective employees to not only find your Careers section, but also how many it takes to apply?

This question makes me think of the Tootsie Roll commercial from the 70s where Mr. Owl is asked how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Roll. In his case, the answer was three.

How about your website? Is three the magic number? Is it more? Is it less? My hope is that it is less.

The web users today are savvier than ever and I would bet if they have made it to your website, they are looking for something in particular and you should help them find it.

Remember these "Do Nots:"

• Do not waste their time with a nonsensical layout or confusing terminology. Try not to use your internal lingo for job titles and departments. Think always from the perspective of someone on the outside looking in for the first time.
• Do not hide your jobs! All companies need employees. Make it easy to work for you by showing the employment goods at the get go.

Here is an example of a company that I think is doing it right and I will admit that I am biased because I once worked for them. However, note that on the Princess Tours jobs home page, the prospective employee can find not only 'How to Apply' but at least 3 direct ways to do so. And because I know the site pretty well, I also know that each page on their site contains a link or multiple links to applying online. They make it easy for their job seekers. Be like Princess.

Make it easy for your candidates and your job as a recruiter will become easier. And at the end of the day, your new employees will thank you for saving their precious time.

All of us at Cool Works spend a lot of time on the web and any of us would be happy to go over tricks of making your hiring and recruiting easier. Our goals are to connect the job seeker with the employer and see this done in an environmentally friendly way. If you have ever thought about going on-line with your recruiting, and by this I mean, beyond simple job postings, take a look at our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) called Staffing Center. It may just make your day. I know that it made mine when I was actively recruiting.

TGIF and Happy Weekend All!

6 Ways to Reduce Turnover

Kevin Wheeler, the President and Founder of Global Learning Resources, Inc., said it very well in his article recently posted on ERE.net, regarding the retention of employees. "Money won't hold them." Turnover is a reality for employers these days and loyalty has become a thing of the past.

So, how do you keep employees around?

Kevin listed 6 ways to reduce turnover in his article that I thought were just great.

1. Make it easy for people to move around in your organization. Do not limit transfers. Let people try out areas where they have little experience. Encourage cross-fertilization and give people the support and development they need to succeed in the new position. Never tell an employee they are not ready, too junior, not educated enough, or haven't worked at the firm long enough to do whatever it is they want to do. To tell them any of those things is a guarantee that they will leave you soon.
2. Provide lots of free development and training. Encourage employees to get more education by offering to pay for 100% of college tuition or for 100% of a certification program. Pick key employees and offer them the chance to participate in longer-term development programs. Make a big deal out of development and then pay the employee more money when they complete the program. Gen Y, in particular, is attracted to any company that helps them gain more skills.
3. Allow employees to volunteer time outside the organization. For example, Google allows employees to donate time to charities while still being paid. Letting employees participate in community, social and charitable activities not only improve your organization's reputation, but acts as a retention tool.
4. Pay at market rates or more. Don't think that your benefits or loyalty will keep employees happy. Err on the side of generosity when you offer pay increases and never let pay be an excuse for an employee leaving. Pay is never the real reason people leave a firm, but it sure makes a great excuse for employees. Most organizations can't defend themselves on this issue because they don't pay that well.
5. Manage the performance of your managers. Track the turnover of employees for every manager. Managers who have any significant turnover need to be educated and mentored and, if things don't improve, removed from managing people. Every survey shows that one of the major reasons people leave a firm is because of mistrust, dislike, or incompatibility with the immediate manager. While these suggestions are in no particular order, if asked I would put this one first. Poor managers are the worst enemy of retention that an organization can have. Reputations spread and can infect many people and can start a negative buzz about working for the company in the marketplace.
6. Remember that we have entered a time when the employees are in charge. They can cripple your success and they know exactly how. They own the tools of production, and management needs to understand that the best companies, those that are most financially successful, have employees who enjoy "just enough" management and a lot of freedom. Today's employees are better educated, more independent, less afraid, more secure, and far more entrepreneurial than those of even 10 years ago. This means that HR policies and management styles have to radically change.

Thanks to Kevin for letting us re-publish his tips. You can reach Kevin at kevin (at) glresources.com to learn more.

Retention = Re-Recruiting

You thought it was tough to find your employees in the first place, but lately it is getting tougher to keep them around. Recently on HR.BLR.Com, they posted an article citing Michael Jalbert, president of Management Recruiters International (www.mrinetwork.com), and he believes that bosses should think of retention as re-recruiting. See the full article here.

Some highlights:

• Spend some time reaching out to your employees and continue to challenge them.

• Bosses should assume that their best people are getting job offers from their competitors.

• Loyalty is a word that exists less and less in the business world.

• Periodically ask your employees some questions like the following to get a feel for whether or not they will stay with your company. Here are a few question examples from Michael Jalbert.

If you could make any changes to your job, what would they be?

In the morning, does your job make you jump out of bed or hit the snooze button?

What makes for a great day?

What can we do to support your career goals?

What can we do to keep you with us?

The key thing to remember is that your employees joined your team for a reason at the beginning of their employment. Keep finding ways to extend that relationship and never stop re-recruiting them.

Ski Industry Benefits Survey

The NSAA Journal published highlights of their Benefits Survey in August/September 2007 issue. A few numbers from the survey of 106 resorts:

For Year Round Employees

* most resorts offer a medical plan and most plans are PPO

* Many resorts in the midwest still offer an HMO

* Many resorts also offer dental coverage

* Just over half of employers offer vision coverage

Benefits for Seasonal Employees

* The vast majority are not offered medical, dental, or vision benefits

* 34% of resorts in the Pacific Northwest DO offer a medical plan and 56% do in the Rockies

* Where a medical plan is offered to seasonal workers the majority of the cost is borne by the workers

* Up to two thirds of the resorts stated they aren't satisfied with their seasonal health insurance plan

* 64% do not offer an end-of-the-season bonus for either full-time year-round or seasonal employees. The majority of surveyed resorts in the Southeast and Pacific West DO offer and end-of-season bonus to to full-time year-round employees. 36% in the Rockies, 14% in the Midwest and 11 percent in the Northeast offer a bonus to seasonal workers

* 30% of respondents offer transportation or housing to full-time or seasonal employees.

A complete copy of this survey is available to non-participating resorts for $45. For a copy, order online at nsaa.org or contact Kate Powers at katep (at) nsaa.org.

Want a Green Workplace? Then Pitch In

A Sun Microsystems survey found that more folks want to work in an eco-friendly workplace than are actually taking some simple steps to make it so.

Some tidbits:

* 58 percent said they turn off computers at home when they are done using them, compared with 34 percent that do so at work

* 57 percent are using "sleep" mode for their home computers but only 44 percent use sleep mode for their computers in the office

* Sun estimates that if people transferred their home-habits for turning lights and computers off to work they would achieve the equivalent of taking 6.1 million cars off the road in terms of CO2 emissions.

"Businesses don't cut power consumption--people do,"

Read on and soak up some tips for making a difference at home and work at HR.BLR.com.

Tattoos - How Much Do They Hurt Applicants?

Some results from a survey of 468 employees conducted by Vault:

• 85% say tattoos and piercings hurt their job prospects
• 64% report they cause a negative effect on the opinions of co-workers and employers
• 49% said their company had no policy on piercings and tattoos
• most employees conceal their tattoos at work

"Regardless of who the real person may be, stereotypes associated with piercings and tattoos can and do affect others," one respondent said. "In general, individuals with tattoos and body piercings are often viewed as 'rougher' or 'less educated.'"

Read the article at HR.BLR.com.

Tattoos - How Much Do They Hurt Applicants?

Some results from a survey of 468 employees conducted by Vault: * 85% say tattoos and piercings hurt their job prospects * 64% report they cause a negative effect on the opinions of co-workers and employers * 49% said their company had no policy on piercings and tattoos * most employees conceal their tattoos at work "Regardless of who the real person may be, stereotypes associated with piercings and tattoos can and do affect others," one respondent said. "In general, individuals with tattoos and body piercings are often viewed as 'rougher' or 'less educated.'" Read the article at HR.BLR.com.

Tips, Resources for Dealing with Addiction in Workplace

About a week ago Bill posted an article stating that food service workers were a part of the group that had the highest rate of drug abuse across industries. We know that many of the employers who advertise job opportunities on CoolWorks.com have many food service positions and we hope that this is not a large problem for you. However, if you have experienced addiction within your workforce, please check out this article from SHRM by Kathy Gurchiek about The Hazelton Foundation tips on dealing with addiction in the workplace. http://www.shrm.org/hrnews_published/articles/CMS_022376.asp#P-8_0

Food Service Work Among Jobs with Highest Rate of Drug Abuse

"Food service workers and construction workers have the highest prevalence of illicit drug use, according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)." In fact food preparation and serving came out on top. Read the article at HR.BLR.com.

Why Summer Jobs are Tougher to Fill

In a June 6 Wall Street Journal Article, June Kronholz weighs in on why summer jobs are getting tougher to fill and the trends with foreign workers. "...the story of how the U.S. came to rely so heavily on foreigners ... says a lot about the changing nature of the U.S. labor force." The seasonal employment world is changing. What's it going to take to stay on our game? Read the article here.