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Hiring Employees Who May Have Noncompete Agreements Busting 5 Common Productivity Myths Promoting Innovation in a Corporate Environment Stress in the Workplace The Correlation Between Benefits and Employee Retention In This Issue 2020 VISION: THE IMPORTANCE of LONG-RANGE PLANNING MARCH/APRIL 2016 HR INSIGHTS from the eyes of industry leaders Magazine

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Hiring Employees Who May Have Noncompete Agreements

Busting 5 Common Productivity Myths

Promoting Innovation in a Corporate Environment

Stress in the Workplace

The Correlation Between Benefits and Employee Retention

In This Issue

2020 VISION: THE IMPORTANCE of LONG-RANGE PLANNING

MARCH/APRIL 2016

HR INSIGHTSf rom the eyes of industry leadersMagazine

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As always, the articles in Imprimis Group HR Insights cover a wide range of workplace and HR issues. The content in this edition ranges through many topics but also shares a common theme: thinking outside the box. People use that phrase all the time, and sometimes it comes across as meaningless fluff. But thinking outside the box—exploring options and ideas that aren’t obvious (and at first glance might even seem far-fetched—can often be just what a company needs to jump ahead of its competition. In the feature article, “20/20 Vision: The Importance of Long-Range Planning,” for example, Brian Formato urges companies to expand their outlook so they’re not just focusing on the short-term gains that everyone’s prioritizing these days but also investing in the future by creating long-term plans. Valerie Grubb, too, recommends that companies look ahead, particularly by fostering innovation. In “Promoting Innovation in a Corporate Environment” she presents an eight-step plan with ideas to help “senior leaders learn how to accept—and manage—risk.” Two other articles encourage companies to go against the grain by examining—and rejecting—some long-held beliefs about the workforce. If you have any Millennials working for you (or think you might in the future), take a close look at Ira S. Wolfe’s “Millennials: Myths and Facts” and learn why this generation doesn’t deserve the bad rap it often gets. And in “Busting 5 Common Productivity Myths,” Stephanie Reyes examines why taking frequent breaks is good and why using personal social media accounts while at work isn’t necessarily bad. Just as sticking with the old because “we’ve always done it that way” isn’t ideal, doing something new just for the sake of doing

something new won’t lead your company to success, either. The key is to take a good look at the status quo and your goals, and then open your mind to new ways of closing the gap between them. At Imprimis Group we can help you identify those possibilities, so give us a call when you’re ready to explore them!

Best regards,

Valerie FreemanCEOImprimis Group, Inc.

FROM THECEOAs soon as

you open your mind

to doing things

differently, the doors of opportunity

practically fly off their

hinges.

—JAY

ABRAHAM

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EF PL O N G

R A N G E

P L A N N I N G

F E L O P Z D

D E F P O T E C

L E F O D P C T

F D P L T C E O

P E Z O L C F T D

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

4 Cover Story 2020 Vision: The Importance of Long-Range Planning

By Brian Formato

8 Promoting Innovation in a Corporate Environment By Valerie Grubb

10 The Unexpected HR Lesson in Moneyball By Charles Coy

Workforce Management12 Busting 5 Common Productivity Myths

By Stephanie Reyes

14 Millennials: Myths and Facts By Ira S. Wolfe

16 The Correlation between Benefits and Employee Retention By Glen Braunsdorf

18 Stress in the Workplace By Sarah Payne

Legal Issues20 Best Practices for Hiring Employees with

Noncompete Agreements By Jonathan Krause

Ask the Expert21 How Does the DOL’s New Guidance on Joint Employment

Impact the FMLA? By Julia A. Moore

Water Cooler Chronicles22 Student Loan Repayment for Recruiting and Retention

By Mike McKerns, SPHR

Recipe of the Month22 Try Your Hand at Homemade Hummus

HR INSIGHTS 3

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Publisher & EDITORIAL DIRECTORS

Mamu Media, LLC

Editor in Chief Mike McKerns

Managing Editor Addy Fillman

Contributing Editor Marsha Brofka-Berends

Associate Editor Lindsay Brockway

director of Sales Robert S. Herbein III

Contributing Writers

Glen Braunsdorf

Charles Coy

Brian Formato

Valerie Grubb

Jonathan Krause

Julia A. Moore

Sarah Payne

Stephanie Reyes

Ira S. Wolfe

Design

The Office of Kristian Bjørnard

HR INSIGHTSf rom the eyes of industry leaders

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 64

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EF PL O N GR A N G EP L A N N I N G

F E L O P Z DD E F P O T E C

L E F O D P C TF D P L T C E O

P E Z O L C F T D

20/20 Vision: The Importance of

Does your organization have a long-range plan? Has your leadership team met to discuss external forces and market trends, the shifting talent needs of your business, and the competitive forces that will either create opportunities or eliminate your current advantages over the next four years? Long-range planning used to be commonplace in organizations when the markets and the economy were more stable and predictable. Since the 2008 recession, though, many companies have shifted their focus from the long-term view to a much shorter outlook. This change has enabled them to adjust quickly to today’s market conditions, but such flexibility comes at a price.

BY BRIAN FORMATO

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EA RN I N G S

R E P O R T

Q U A R T E R L Y

2 0 2 0 V I S I O N

B E A W A R E

E M P L O Y E E

P L A N S A N D

T H O U G H T S

A quick look at the earnings reports for many Fortune 500 com-panies over the past several quarters reveals a clear trend: companies are recording record profits on either flat or declining revenues. Since 2008 the formula for success has been to focus on operational excellence, cost-cutting initiatives, supply-chain improvements, and other metrics that reduce business costs. So far the results have been impressive for the bottom line, but in the long term they will prove detrimental to the top line. Companies can shrink themselves to suc-cess for only so long before they must learn to grow again.

A four-year plan is a good first step toward renewing the focus on top-line revenue growth—and this year is the perfect time to create one. Call it “The 20/20 Plan,” a term whose double meaning (with references both to the plan’s end year and to the sharp visual acuity needed to see ahead to that point) will resonate with your employees, your shareholders, and your other constituents. Developing this plan with your leadership team will require some practice, though, as well as a new approach to the business. After all, planning four years out is likely to exercise some muscles that your organization hasn’t fully flexed for a long time.

Because looking at the current landscape can help the senior team begin to plan for the future, start by conducting a SWOT analysis with the aid of a facilitator to identify the strengths, weaknesses, op-portunities, and threats facing the business today. Given what the se-nior team knows about the industry, its trends, the political landscape, and other forces, it should be able to identify which of those strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will still be present in four years. The team can then predict those factors’ potential impacts on the business and use this information to build an aggressive plan to grow the organization. A mitigation plan will be necessary to offset the risks, but the 20/20 Plan should focus on growth and answer the question “If we accomplish everything we set out to do over the next four years, will we be satisfied with the results in 2020?” Be sure to make the 20/20 Plan aspirational and include a few BHAGs (“Big Hairy Audacious Goals,” a great term coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies).

Human capital is another very important component of the 20/20 Plan. The leadership team must ask whether the organization has the people it needs, particularly with an increasing number of baby boomers retiring and the ongoing war for Generation Y workers. If the organization lacks the right people in the right jobs to execute the plan, it must make talent acquisition, talent development, and talent retention key components of the 20/20 Plan.

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EA RN I N G S

R E P O R T

Q U A R T E R L Y

2 0 2 0 V I S I O N

B E A W A R E

E M P L O Y E E

P L A N S A N D

T H O U G H T S

The most important step in crafting the 20/20 Plan is to com-municate it effectively so it inspires employees. Launch an internal campaign to get buy-in by making sure all employees are aware of the plan and know the answers to these three questions:

1. What is the plan?

2. How did the organization arrive at this plan?

3. How can each employee affect the plan?

Set milestones for the plan and build organizational momentum by communicating (and celebrating) when those milestones are reached.

Like any good goal-setting exercise, the 20/20 Plan should be writ-ten in pencil, not carved into stone. This flexibility ensures that when unforeseen events arise over the next four years (and they almost certainly will), the organization won’t have to abandon its plan but can shift its focus or alter its course. Being prepared to accommodate such changes requires that the leadership team meet at least twice a year to review the 20/20 Plan and to audit it for relevance.

Growing an organization in these turbulent times is challeng-ing, and a long-range plan is an important tool for achieving growth over the long term. The short-term focus that has captivated so many companies creates opportunities for those that are patient and willing to invest in the future. And the best way to invest in the future is to get your organization talking today about using 20/20 vision to reach its goals in 2020.

Brian Formato is the CEO and principal at Groove Management, an organization-al development and human capital consulting firm focused on helping individuals and organizations maximize their strengths in order to achieve superior perfor-mance. He can be reached at [email protected].

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In boardrooms across the USA, there’s more and more talk about how “America is losing its entrepreneurial edge”1 in the wake of increased consolidation and competition from foreign competitors. But savvy senior leaders and HR executives know that an organization’s continued success depends on innovation and risk-taking to keep the company relevant for the future. Indeed, a joint study by IESE Business School of the University of Navarra and Capgemini Consulting found that companies with greater amounts of innovation enjoyed greater financial performance.2

That sounds great—in theory. But how can HR and senior leaders encourage risk taking, foster an environment of innovation, and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit in a corporate setting?

First, consider these definitions:

· risk-taking: “the act or fact of doing something that involves danger or risk in order to achieve a goal”3

· innovation: “a new idea, device, or method”4

· entrepreneurship: “the capacity and willingness to develop, organize, and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit”5

These characteristics are so key to an organization’s success because they embody an attitude—an approach to doing the job that compels an employee (regardless of whether he or she is in a leadership position) to engage in creative problem solving and to actively pursue a better way of operating rather than merely follow along with business as usual. Employees who exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit seek out positive change that improves the company’s culture or function and don’t just wait for change to come to them.

As anyone in a large organization can attest, though, every day in a corporate environment involves some risk. It’s risky to propose new ideas. It’s risky to oppose popular views when you think there’s a better way. Even saying “Yes, my team and I can do this on time and within budget” is risky because there is still a chance that you could fail (and in some organizations, the consequences for failure can be severe). Unless senior leaders learn how to accept—and manage—risk, innovation and entrepreneurship will remain out of their reach.

In order to foster innovation, support for an innovative attitude must start at the top. Even the senior-most HR executive would have a hard time promoting innovation, risk-taking, and an entrepreneurial spirit without the support of the rest of his or her C-suite team. To promote these behaviors in your company, look to your executive team to lead the way with their direct reports. These eight suggestions can help create an environment in which innovation-supporting practices spread throughout and permeate your organization.

INNOVATION

in aCorporateEnvironment

Promoting

BY VALERIE GRUBB

1. Eric Garland. 2014. “Why America Is Losing Its Entrepreneurial Edge.” Harvard Business Review. hbr.org/2014/05/why-america-is-losing-its-entrepreneurial-edge/.

2. Paddy Miller et al. 2012. “Innovation Leadership Study: Managing Innovation: An In-sider Perspective” Capgemini.com. www.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/Innovation_Leadership_Study _____Managing_innovation__An_insider_perspective.pdf.

3. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary.

4. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary.

5. BusinessDictionary.com.

6. Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford. 1910. Edison: His Life and Inventions, volume 2. New York: Harper & Bros., p. 616.

7. Accenture. 2014 3. “Corporate Innovation Is Within Reach: Nurturing and Enabling an Entrepreneurial Culture” Accenture.com. www.accenture.com/t20150523T052044__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/Accenture/Conversion-Assets/DotCom/Documents/Global/PDF/Strategy _2/Accenture-Survey-Enabling-Culture-Innova-tion-Entrepreneurialism.pdf.

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INNOVATION

STIMULATE IDEA GENERATIONWhen I was the vice president of operations at Oxygen Media, my team and I held quarterly brainstorming sessions that were unrelated to our day-to-day-business. In these meetings, we focused on identifying critical tasks and new approaches that weren’t already on our to-do list. This no-holds-barred, no-idea-is-a bad-idea kind of meeting resulted in our operations team constantly being on the cutting edge of change and reinvention. It was also incredibly exciting for the team members!

PROTECT IDEA GENERATORSIf you’ve ever been in a meeting and proposed a new idea that was instantly attacked, you probably learned pretty quickly to keep your mouth shut so you don’t get shot down. Whether you’re leading the team or are merely a team member, support the “crazy” idea generators who push everyone beyond their normal mode of thinking! Even just saying “Great idea! Who’s next?” encourages brainstorming—and can lead to some amazing answers!

DON’T SLAUGHTER SOMEONE FOR MISTAKESWhen one of his business associates commented on how thousands of efforts to produce a new type of battery hadn’t yielded results, Thomas Edison replied,

“Results? Why, I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand [ways] that won’t work!”6 The world is made richer by failure (Post-it notes and penicillin are two classic examples of this phenomenon), and both innovation and entrepreneurial spirit die when mistakes are punished.

In fact, an Accenture study on innovation and creativity in the workplace found that “although 42% [of employees surveyed] consider tolerance of failure from management [as] very important, only one in every eight employees thinks their company is good at that.”7 If you’re the leader of someone who makes a mistake (or even in the hot seat yourself), learn from that experience and move on.

PROMOTE GOOD IDEASIn addition to supporting idea generators, you also need to promote good ideas, regardless of who presents them. This can be challenging in corporate America, where both leaders and employees can be sensitive about their turf. If you think like an owner (another entrepreneurial mindset), you don’t care where great ideas originate—but you’re smart enough to recognize and implement them.

BROADEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASEThe old adage “Knowledge is power” definitely applies to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit. Whether they occupy senior roles or are influencers in junior positions, leaders must constantly expand their knowledge bases in order to know more about their organizations. The more you understand how what you do affects other operations in the company, the more you’ll be able to make informed decisions that help the entire organization.

PUSH YOURSELF BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONEWe all know that it can be hard to speak up when you’re in a junior role. Interestingly, though, it can be just as challenging to speak up when you’re in a senior position—after all, no one wants to make a fool of himself or herself. That’s why it’s important to keep learning so you can make contributions throughout the company, not just in your own spheres of influence. So push yourself to break out of your day-to-day routines and responsibilities. Think beyond yourself, beyond your department, and especially beyond your comfort zone to lead change and innovation at your company.

EMPLOY DIVERSE EMPLOYEES AND TEAMSWorkplace diversity is certainly an often-discussed subject—and for good reason: if you want the widest array of ideas, you need people with different viewpoints and ways of thinking. If everyone on your team has had the same life experiences, you may get mired in homogeneous groupthink. So to promote innovative, creative thinking in line with an entrepreneurial spirit, make sure that your team members reflect diversity in gender, ethnicity, age, experience, and other factors that can influence how they see the world.

RECOGNIZE AND REWARD RISK-TAKING Even if you’re not the boss in your department, chiming in with encouragement—particularly in front of others—helps to promote and support an innovative spirit. Something simple can have a big impact. So say “Great idea!” or “Thank you” in a meeting, or send that e-mail telling another employee that his or her risk inspired you. Regardless of your position in the company, acknowledging and appreciating risk-taking can have positive, far-reaching effects throughout your organization.

Promoting innovation in your company can have a profound impact on your company. In fact, it may be just what you need to stay ahead of your competitors—and not trying to keep up with them. So engage your senior leaders now to encourage employees and support practices and attitudes that cultivate the environment of risk-taking, innovation, and entrepreneurship that can drive your company’s success!

Valerie Grubb of Val Grubb & Associates Ltd. (www.valgrubbandassociates.com) is an innovative and visionary operations leader with an exceptional ability to zero in on the systems, processes, and human capital issues that can hamper a company’s growth. Grubb regularly consults for mid-range companies wishing to expand and larger companies seeking efficiencies in back-office operations. Her expertise and vibrant style are also in constant demand for corporate training classes and seminars. Her first book was published in October 2015: Planes, Canes, and Automobiles: Connecting with Your Aging Parents through Travel (Greenleaf Book Group). She can be reached at [email protected].

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THE

UNEXPECTED HR LESSON IN Moneyball

BY CHARLES COY

The book Moneyball has come up in HR circles many times since its publication in 2003 (and adaptation into a film in 2011). One of the first proofs of big data’s power to predict talent, this book about baseball analytics quickly became a popular reference for analytics proponents across industries. But this celebrated title yields other lessons about talent management, too. It also offers insight on employee engagement, for example, particularly when it comes to building more trusting, committed relationships with employees. Moneyball also promotes the idea that employees aren’t just cogs of a wheel—they’re partners with management.

This idea of a symbiotic employer-employee relationship was also highlighted in The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age, a 2014 book by Ben Casno-cha, Reid Hoffman, and Chris Yeh. The two works share some common ground, and one scene in the film version of Moneyball perfectly captures the management strategy described in The Alliance and now followed by startups and Fortune 500 companies around the world. In the scene, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics is talking with a 37-year-old outfielder who is well past his prime in the baseball world. The player isn’t ready to retire, and the manager needs an older player to show the young guys how to play at the pro level. They both find a solu-tion in each other and clearly lay out their expectations about how their partner-ship will work.

All too often, this kind of conversation between employer and employee goes in only one direction: the employer tells the employee, “This is what we need from you.” As demonstrated in this scene from Moneyball and explored further in The Alliance, though, both parties gain much more from arrangements that offer benefits to everyone. So how can organizations implement this strategy?

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EMPLOYEES AREN’T FAMILY—OR FREE AGENTSMany employers proudly state, “Our company is like a family.” But this philosophy can actually be detrimental to an organization’s workforce: after all, it’s hard to fire a low-performing family member. On the other end of the spectrum, some employers regard their employees as free agents—a perspective that distances them from the company’s mission. The best approach lies in the middle: when companies think of their employees as partners, they set the stage for mutual success (regardless of whether those employees are short-term hires or become critical members of the team). In both baseball and the corporate world, the team roster can change at any time.

FOCUS ON QUALITY, NOT QUANTITYSince the economy has recovered, job hopping is the new norm. Instead of trying to prevent employees from leaving, organizations can maximize the value of their contribution to the company by creating dialogue around professional development. An engaged employee with developed skills will achieve greater business impact, even if he or she is around for only a few years. For example, the manager and the player in Moneyball know that the player won’t be in professional baseball much longer, but they both agree to make the most of the limited time he has left in the sport.

IMPLEMENT A “TOUR OF DUTY”All employees want to build their careers, and companies can harness this universal ambition by viewing employee tenures not as lifetime careers but as short-term tours of duty. In this approach, a new kind of employee contract or game plan clearly lays out objectives and expectations and defines success. The plan works for both sides: the employee develops his or her skills, and that growth contributes to the company’s bottom line.

KEEP AN OPEN DOORThe central thesis of The Alliance hinges on organizations having honest, open dialogue with their employees, a relationship possible only in a culture of trust. Managers should have an open-door policy that makes employees feel comfortable coming to them with problems (rather than simply giving their notice). Known as the “right of first conversation,” such a policy ensures that employees who are unhappy or thinking about leaving for any reason can trust their managers enough to tell them first. In the short term, an open door ensures engagement; in the long term, it saves the company from being blindsided by an unexpected resignation.

Overall, transforming the employer-employee relationship puts both stakeholders in a better position. High turnover is almost a given in today’s world of work. But by following the strategies depicted in Moneyball and detailed in The Alliance, companies can ensure that companies and employees both thrive, even when their goals differ.

Charles Coy is the senior director of analyst and community relations at Cornerstone OnDe-mand (CSOD), a leader in cloud-based applications for talent management that helps organiza-tions recruit, train, manage, and connect their employees. He thinks a lot about how technology can influence how businesses evaluate, motivate, and value their employees—especially in light of the rapid changes happening in today’s workplace. Coy can be contacted at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on www.cornerstoneondemand.com/blog

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Busting 5 Common Productivity MythsBY STEPHANIE REYES

Every organization in the world seems to be concerned with productivity these days—and for good reason: improving productivity is often the only way for a company to remain competitive in today’s global market. Productivity gains can even drive entire economies! (In the USA, for example, they account for as much as 80% of GDP growth in recent years.1) In spite of such wide-ranging interest in the topic, there are many misconceptions about workplace productivity that prevent individuals and organizations from being as productive as possible. Let’s take a closer look at five common productivity myths and the reality behind them.

MYTH 1: WORKING MORE INCREASES PRODUCTIVITYREALITY: All humans function on a pretty arbitrary energy cycle

dictated by circadian rhythm, our 24-hour inner body clock. The specific

cycles individuals experience depend on a variety of inputs, including

their genes, their sleeping habits, and the number of daylight hours. In

addition to circadian rhythm, humans are also subject to the influence

of a recurring shorter energy cycle called the ultradian rhythm, which

moves us from alertness to drowsiness every 90 to 120 minutes.2 To

maximize productivity, be aware of and work with these natural rhythms

by allocating work appropriately to high-energy periods and building in

recharging breaks when energy slumps. Working for long, uninterrupted

shifts is one of the least productive strategies.

MYTH 2: STAYING FOCUSED AT ALL COSTS INCREASES PRODUCTIVITYREALITY: The human brain works better when it can wander from

time to time, especially when it comes to creativity.3 Because focusing

on a problem for too long can cause the brain to fixate and get stuck in a

mental rut that prevents finding a way forward, inspiration often strikes

when people aren’t thinking about work (which is why people get so many

great ideas in the shower!). Relaxing your focus and taking a mental

hiatus can be exactly the distraction needed to shake off an unproductive

line of thought and achieve breakthroughs.

MYTH 1

MYTH 2

1. Vikram Malhotra and James Manyika. 2011. “Five Misconceptions about Productivity.” McKinsey & Company. www.mckinsey.com/insights/economic_studies/five_misconceptions_about_productivity.

2. Tony Schwartz. 2011. “The 90-Minute Solution: How Building in Periods of Renewal Can Change Your Work and Your Life.” The Huffington Post. www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-schwartz/work-life-balance-the-90_b_578671.html.

3. Time magazine staff. 2006. “The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind.” Time.com. content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1147152-1,00.html.

4. Ipsos Public Affairs. 2013. “Nearly Half of Information Workers Say that Using Social Tools Has Increased their Productivity.” Ipsos-na.com. www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=6143.

5. Sarah Winkler. 2009. “Are Social Networks Good for Job Productivity?” HowStuffWorks.com. computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-net-working/information/social-networks-and-job-productivity.htm.

6. Ravi Mehta, Rui (Juliet) Zhu, and Amar Cheema. 2012. “Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition.” Journal of Consumer Research, 39 (4), 784–799.

7. Gianna Cassidy and Raymond A.R. MacDonald. 2007. “The Effect of Back-ground Music and Background Noise on the Task Performance of Introverts and Extroverts.” Psychology of Music, 35 (4), 517–537.

8. Ari Putkonen. 2009. “Predicting the Effects of Time Pressure on Design Work.” International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 6 (5), 477–492.

WORKFORCEMANAGEMENT

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MYTH 3: SOCIAL MEDIA KILLS PRODUCTIVITYREALITY: It’s clear that for some people social media is a productivity

killer. But for every employee who spends too much time on Facebook and

Instagram, there are plenty of other employees who are working smarter

and more productively with today’s social tools. In fact, in one recent

survey 46% of workers say that “using social tools has increased their

productivity” and 37% “believe that they could do their job better if their

management were more supportive of social tools.”4 Keep in mind, too,

that a quick check of social media accounts can often provide the brief

mental break and relaxation needed to recharge the brain, thus improving

overall performance.5

MYTH 4: NOISE IS ALWAYS BAD (OR GOOD) FOR PRODUCTIVITYREALITY: Not all noise is created equal, and the effect of noise on

productivity varies from person to person. Although research indicates

that quiet environments are usually best for activities that require

concentration, there are some interesting exceptions. For example, people

who have difficulty concentrating experience better results in the presence

of continuing ambient noise, and many people perform better (more

creatively) in the presence of moderate ambient noise (70db) than when

surrounded by low ambient noise (50db).6 Researchers have also found

that extroverts perform better in noisy environments than introverts do.7

If it’s not possible to provide a quiet workplace, it pays to understand how

much and what kind of noise is likely to erode (or boost) productivity and

for whom.

MYTH 5: PEOPLE WORK BEST UNDER PRESSUREREALITY: Some people thrive on the adrenaline rush that comes

with racing to meet an important deadline. Others don’t like it but out

of necessity have developed the ability to work well under pressure.

Managers often use the power of urgency and an impending deadline

to increase productivity, but working under constant time pressure can

actually have the opposite result:

First, mental workload may have a positive effect on

productivity in the short term, but a negative effect in

the long term. Second, mental workload leads to delayed

mental fatigue, which has a negative effect on quality

and productivity in the long term. Finally, mental fatigue

decreases work engagement, thus having a negative effect on

the innovativeness of a design group.8

Whether you approach productivity from the perspective of an individual

building a career, an executive building a company, or a policy maker

building a country, you’re much more likely to attain success if your

strategies rest on a foundation of reality rather than on popular myths and

misconceptions.

Stephanie Reyes writes for TribeHR, a NetSuite company, the first

truly social human resources management software. Its easy-to-use

tools are used by businesses worldwide, allowing companies to focus

more on what they do best and less on things that get in the way. For

more information, visit www.tribehr.com.

MYTH 2

MYTH 4

MYTH 3

MYTH 5

HR INSIGHTS 13

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Truth be told, most millennials get a bad

rap. I recently asked a group of managers to

describe the young people they interview and

work alongside. They immediately shouted out

what seemed to be a memorized list of words:

“privileged,” “narcissistic,” “entitled,” “spoiled,”

“job-hopping ‘trophy kids,’” “irresponsible,”

“unreliable,” “unrealistic,” “rude,” “selfish”—

all terms that appear frequently in negative

Millennials: Myths and FactsBY IRA S. WOLFE

assessments of Millennials. Then I opened up an

issue of a popular magazine and read an article

describing the current generation of young adults.

I heard a few snickers and observed satisfied

smiles as the descriptors in the article echoed the

managers’ own words. The group felt vindicated.

I then held up the magazine to reveal that

it was a copy of Life magazine—from May 17,

1968!

ENTITLED

NARCISSISTIC

PRIVILEGED

WORKFORCEMANAGEMENT

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 614

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THE GENERATION GAP RETURNSNearly 50 years ago, when one of the most popular magazines of its day introduced the concept of the “generation gap” to the world, it wasn’t talking about Millennials (most of whose parents hadn’t even been born yet). Those “privileged,” “narcissistic,” “entitled,” “spoiled,” and “lazy” young workers were actually the Baby Boomers—the same group currently doing most of the griping about their younger counterparts.

Just over two decades later, Time magazine published an issue about the generation that was coming of age in the summer of 1990. The cover story presented this description:

They have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They have few heroes, no anthems, no style to call their own. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is as short as one zap of a TV dial.1

This magazine was describing not Millennials but Generation Xers—the group of working adults who are now roughly 36 to 50 years old. One would think that Generation X, the latchkey genera-tion that introduced free agency into the mainstream, might feel some camaraderie with the generation after it. But that’s not the case: history is repeating itself in 2016 as the Gen Xers frequently share the Baby Boomers’ disdain of the Millennials.

1. David M. Gross and Sophronia Scott. 1990. “Living: Proceeding with Caution.” Time, July 16.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MILLENNIALSIt turns out that the group of managers mentioned above—the one that questioned the ethics, values, and behavior of Millennials—was once the object of the very same ridicule. Is frustration with Millen-nials just the latest chapter in society’s ongoing dissatisfaction with young adults? Maybe so.

For centuries, the older generations have been reprimanding young workers about their lack of loyalty and work ethic. A quotation variously attributed to Plato, Socrates, Hesiod, nameless Sumerian and Egyptian scribes, and numerous other sources from antiquity complains that the young “disrespect their elders” and show “con-tempt for authority.” It seems that Baby Boomers and Generation Xers are continuing a long tradition: they’re abusing the privilege of age just as much as their predecessors did.

Millennials may be the “selfie” generation, but they also care about the world around them and want jobs that have a positive impact on it. It’s time for older workers to discard the myths about Millennials and recognize that society (and workplaces) will always be changing. Technology, automation, and globalization are just a few of the forces shaping the world today, and everyone—from the oldest generation or to the youngest—must adapt. Rather than let the generation gap push everyone apart, managers and employees would be better off focusing on how the generations can collaborate, contribute, and communicate together.

Ira S. Wolfe is a nationally recognized thought leader in talent management and an expert in pre-employment assessment testing, workforce trends, and social media. Wolfe is president of Success Performance Solutions (www.succcess-performancesolutions.com), a pre-employment and leadership testing firm he founded in 1996. He is the author of several books, including Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization; The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0; and Understanding Business Values and Motivators. He can be reached at [email protected].

SPOILED

ENTITLED

JOB HOPPING

HR INSIGHTS 15

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The Correlation between Benefits and Employee RetentionBY GLEN BRAUNSDORF

In today’s world of talent acquisition, one of the most pressing challenges

companies face is that of employee retention. In light of the fact that 66% of

people who are “currently employed would consider changing jobs for better

salary and benefits,” it is imperative that companies reevaluate the policies they

currently have in place to retain top talent.1 Even when attractive employment

offers from other companies are on the table, a clear need exists for competitive

compensation packages that promote company loyalty and retention. Due to

improving economic conditions, the advantage has shifted from the employer

to the job seeker, and organizations need to recognize the correlation between

benefits and employee retention and do everything they can to hold on to their top

performers.

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According to the HR benefits platform provider Namely, employee retention and engagement remain the two most pressing issues in HR today, with approximate-ly 58% of Millennials expecting to leave their current jobs in three or fewer years.2 Given these figures and the high cost and business disruption involved in replacing an employee, many companies are starting to recognize that retaining employees these days entails more than just offering a great salary—and the numbers that are out there prove it. In a recent survey by TechnologyAdvice, for example, “56.4% of respondents said employee perks were very or moderately important when evaluating a job opportunity,” and “56% of employees said they would trade a standard salary increase for certain perks.”3 Work-ers want well-developed compensation packages that go beyond paychecks and help them balance their hectic work-life schedules effectively while feeling rewarded and respected by their employers for their contributions to the business. Offerings such as flexible schedules, catered lunches, work-from-home days, employee well-ness programs, and a greater number of paid company holidays are becoming increasingly common as compa-nies strive to ensure that employees remain happy and productive, find a good work-life balance, and stay with their organizations longer.

Furthermore, total healthcare compensation as well as retirement savings plans are also quickly becom-ing viewed as standard, and without those benefits many workers will not consider applying to a company or staying with it for the long term. One study by the professional services company Towers Watson found that about half of those surveyed listed healthcare and retirement benefits as an “important reason to stay with an employer”; the study also found that “retirement programs . . . lose attraction and retention value at organi-zations that reduce their 401(k) matching contributions.”4 If your company is not doing everything it can to offer a competitive healthcare benefits and retirement savings plan, it could very well be sabotaging its own success by forcing its top employees to look elsewhere for better op-portunities. (In addition, because employers receive tax benefits for their employee 401[k] contributions, having robust retirement programs in place can yield tangible positives for the business, too.)

One of the best ways to tackle the problem of em-ployee retention is to open up the lines of communica-tion at your organization and ask your employees what they value most and what it will take to make them stay at your company. Dubbed “stay interviews,” these meet-ings should be conducted annually and give employees opportunities to offer input on what is important to them, what is (and what isn’t) working, and specific ways the company can improve its offerings to employees. When held regularly, these informative meetings not only help employees feel that their input is appreciated, but also enable organizations to gain critical insight into the ever-changing needs of their most valuable business assets, their employees.

By recognizing the need to develop creative benefits offerings for your employees (in addition to competitive salaries) and valuing their input, you can put your orga-nization well on its way to increasing retention, creating a more positive company culture, and fostering greater employee engagement and productivity. Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, famously declared, “If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind it, you almost don’t have to manage them.” If you take this advice to heart at your own company, it will ultimately lead to better business results.

Glen Braunsdorf is a content strategy associate at iCIMS (www.icims.com).

1. iCIMS Hire Expectations Institute. 2014. “Insight into the Mind of To-day’s Job Seekers: What HR Professionals Need to Know to Stay Ahead of the Competition in the War for Top Talent.” iCIMS.com. www.icims.com/sites/www.icims.com/files/public/Insight%20into%20the%20Mind%20of%20Todays%20Jobs%20Seeker%20eBook_0_0.pdf.

2. iCIMS/Namely. 2015. “HR in the New Speed of Business.” Webinar delivered on 22 October and published at www.icims.com/hire-expectations-institute/for-employers/recorded-webinar-hr-in-the-new-speed-of-business.

3. 2015. “How Much Do Perks Matter? Do Elaborate Workplace Incentives Help Retain Top Talent?” Technologyadvice.com. search.technologyad-vice.com/employee-perks-study/.

4. Steve Nyce. 2012. “Attraction and Retention: What Employ-ees Value Most.” Towerswatson.com. www.towerswatson.com/en-US/Insights/Newsletters/Americas/insider/2012/Attraction-and-Retention-What-Employees-Value-Most-March-2012.

HR INSIGHTS 17

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Stress in the WorkplaceBY SARAH PAYNE

Stress has been called “the silent killer.” Too much stress can lead to a myriad of problems, both physiological (such as high blood pressure and heart disease) and psychological (such as depression and anxiety). It can ruin bodies, damage relationships, and destroy lives. No wonder, then, that people are always looking for quick, easy ways to reduce stress in their lives.

Not surprisingly, studies show that people experience the majority of their stress in the workplace. A report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health highlights numerous surveys indicating that between 26% and 40% of workers find their jobs to be very or extremely stressful.1 Although these figures might seem bleak, new research shows that organizations can actually use stress to increase feelings of social connection, bond teams together, and add more meaning to work.

OXYTOCIN AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONIn 2013 health psychologist Kelly McGonigal gave a fascinating TED talk titled “How to Make Stress Your Friend” in which she discusses the effects of oxytocin, the hormone released when a person is under stress. In addition to increasing feelings of empathy and making people more willing to help others, oxytocin is also good for the body, particularly the cardiovascular system. McGonigal points out:

[A]ll of these physical benefits of oxytocin are enhanced by social contact and social support. So when you reach out to others under stress, either to seek support or to help someone else, you release more of this hormone, your stress response becomes healthier, and you actually recover faster from stress.2

What does that mean for business? It’s possible that by creating more social workplaces and encouraging employees to strengthen their connections with each other through social recognition pro-grams, companies can actually help their people become healthier and cope with stress more effectively.

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STRESS AND TEAM BONDING According to author Shawn Achor (who has written extensively about happiness), stress might be the key to getting “employees to fall in love with their companies.” Using his experience in boot camp as an example, he writes that the military knows how to “create meaningful narratives and social bonds that people will talk about for the rest of their lives” and explains how this practice could be effective in any organization.3 The key is to focus on the meaning behind the stress. Achor adds:

[I]t’s important for companies to highlight the meaning involved in the stress they feel on a continual basis. We need to help our teams realize that stress is a group challenge, not an individual burden. And we need to connect the dots between meaning and stress in order to help individuals and teams excel.4

Although no workplace is stress-free, companies with social recognition programs that tie back to corporate values are in a better position to remind employees of the meaning embedded in their work experiences. A daily social recognition feed in which employees are recognized for their work (and to which their colleagues can add their congratulations) is a proven solution for connecting the dots and emphasizing team efforts. By magnifying the positive narratives that are generated through recognition moments, companies can change the way stress works in an organization and create the social bonds mentioned above.

Do you want more resilient employees who will be able to tackle stressful and challenging initiatives? New research on stress indicates that engaging and strengthening the social bonds within an organiza-tion and continuously communicating the greater meaning behind day-to-day work are two effective techniques for addressing work-place stress. By tackling stress head on, organizations can not only mitigate its negative effects but maximize its positive ones, too.

Sarah Payne writes for Globoforce, where she supports the marketing programs team in creating intriguing content for lead generation, presentations, and events. She can be reached at [email protected].

1. Steven Sauter et al. Undated. “Stress . . . at Work.” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 99–101. www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/pdfs/99-101.pdf.

2. Kelly McGonigal. 2013. “How to Make Stress Your Friend.” TED.com. www.ted.com/talks/kelly _mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript?language=en#t-603591.

3. Shawn Achor. 2015. “The Right Kind of Stress Can Bond Your Team To-gether.” Harvard Business Review. December 14. hbr.org/2015/12/the-right-kind-of-stress-can-bond-your-team-together.

4. Ibid. HR INSIGHTS 19

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When it’s time to hire, your company may find that some of its ideal candidates come from competitors or other companies with valuable confidential information and customer relationships they want to protect. If these candidates have agreements with their current employers that appear to impose noncompetition or nonsolicitation restrictions, are you unable to make those hires? Not necessarily. Just keep in mind some of the best practices for hiring people who have restrictive covenants with their current employers.

1. DETERMINE WHETHER AN AGREEMENT EXISTS. Early in the recruiting process, you should definitively ask candidates whether they are subject to any employment agreements or restrictions with their current employers. The answer might not be as obvious as it sounds: longtime employees may not recall the documents they signed when they started work, for example, and unbeknownst to them noncompete terms might be tucked away in incentive compensation plans. Your company representative who is interacting with the candidate needs to ask probing questions to determine whether any agreement exists. If candidates claim there is no such agreement, have them acknowledge as such in writing and make it clear to them that employment is contingent on the accuracy of that representation (if the candidate would otherwise receive an offer). You don’t want to invite potential six-figure litigation because a candidate is lying to you or not doing a thorough search. You also don’t want to become invested in a candidate without knowing the risk that hiring him or her can bring to your company.

2. IF SUCH AN AGREEMENT EXISTS, ASSESS WHETHER IT IS ENFORCEABLE. If the candidate has an agreement with post-employment restrictions, your company must ask for a copy of it to review. Ignorance of the actual language will not protect your company and is more likely to get it in trouble, because judges do not look kindly upon failures to ask for an agreement that a company knows exists. The questions you should be asking (in consultation with legal counsel) include the following:

▷ Does the agreement have noncompetition, nonsolicitation, or other restrictions? ▷ Can your company live with the restrictions as drafted? ▷ Are those restrictions enforceable under the applicable law, based on their

scope, their duration, or the consideration the candidate received for entering the agreement?

▷ How do the restrictions line up with the actual responsibilities the candidate performed for the prior employer? (Remember, unlike most contracts, these agreements will generally not be enforced solely on the contractual terms but on whether the restrictions are needed to uphold legitimate protectable interests. This means, for example, that an agreement may not be enforced if it seeks to prevent a candidate from working for noncompetitors or from calling upon potential customers that the candidate never dealt with at the prior employer.)

3. ADJUST THE JOB DUTIES OR IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS AS APPROPRIATE. If a candidate is attractive to your company, the fact that he has post-employment restrictions does not have to be a dealbreaker. These restrictions are enforceable only to the extent necessary to protect the old employer’s legitimate interests. In other words, if the candidate’s employment with you would be in a position in which he would perform different job duties from those he performed for the old employer, and if the new job’s duties are not competitive with those of the old job, the agreement may not be enforceable.

Consider scoping out the position so that the candidate would not be performing job duties that alarm the prior employer. (The scoping process is a partnership among the business, legal, and HR teams to determine what restrictions are reasonable that appropriately limit litigation risk but still let the company get value from the hire.) For example, you may want to restrict a sales representative to a different territory or only to prospects she did not service for the prior employer. Another option is to impose these restrictions on the job duties for a shorter period than the one stipulated in the agreement if you conclude that the duration of the agreement’s restrictions is too long.

4. INSTRUCT THE CANDIDATE NOT TO TAKE THE PRIOR EMPLOYER’S BUSINESS INFORMATION. Under no circumstances should a new hire take or keep the prior employer’s confidential information. Specifically instruct all new hires that they are not to take such information, that in their final days with the old employer they should avoid looking at confidential files unrelated to the performance of job duties, and that they must return all documents to the old employer. Whether because of bad intent or temporary panic, employees are often inclined to take documents out the door for their benefit or as a crutch, using a thumb drive to download data from the work computer or taking a client list “just in case.” Such actions often lead courts to enforce agreements they otherwise would not be inclined to enforce because they conclude that the employee is a bad actor who cannot be trusted. Consequently, the new company ends up paying legal fees in litigation, loses a desired hire when the restrictions are enforced, and sees its public reputation damaged.

5. AFTER HIRE/RESIGNATION, CONSIDER PROACTIVELY CONTACTING THE PRIOR EMPLOYER. When a key employee leaves for a competitor, her former employer may be inclined to fear the worst and rush into litigation. Under appropriate circumstances in which the hire’s duties have been scoped out so that you believe you have reasonably addressed the old employer’s legitimate concerns, consider proactively contacting that company to lay out the restrictions and instructions you have provided the new employee regarding the nondisclosure of the former employer’s confidential information. This action may be sufficient to reassure the prior employer and prevent litigation or position your company as the benevolent actor in the event of litigation because you can demonstrate that you have attempted to address whatever legitimate needs the old employer might have. This approach might not work in every hiring decision, though, and whether to use it depends on your company’s relationship with the prior employer and the nature of the hire.

A candidate’s noncompetition agreement does not need to be the end of the recruitment process. With careful planning and proactive consideration of the potential issues, your company can reap the benefit of hiring desirable talent without incurring litigation.

Jonathan Krause is a partner at Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP, where he represents

employers in all aspects of employment and labor law, with a particular emphasis on discrimi-

nation/harassment, trade secret/noncompete, wage and hour, and whistleblower issues. He can

be reached at [email protected].

Best Practices for Hiring Employees with Noncompete Agreements

BY JONATH A N K R AUSE

LEGAL ISSUES

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 620

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HOW DOES THE DOL’S

NEW GUIDANCE ON JOINT

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT THE FMLA?

BY JULIE A. MOORE

According to the Department of Labor (DOL), joint employment exists “when a person is employed by two (or more) employers such that the employ-

ers are responsible for compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).” Where a joint employer relationship exists under the FMLA, one employer is considered the primary employer while the other is the secondary employer, and each employer’s responsibilities under the FMLA depend on whether it is the primary or secondary employer of the employee taking the leave. Therefore, employers who think they possibly could be a joint employer need to analyze and determine their role to ensure compliance—preferably, well in advance of any request for leave.

The main factors to consider in determining whether an employer is a primary or secondary employer include:

· who has authority to hire and fire, and to place or assign work to the employee

· who decides how, when, and the amount that the employee is paid · who provides the employee’s leave or other employment benefits

In “Fact Sheet #28N: Joint Employment and Primary and Secondary Em-ployer Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),” published in January 2016, the DOL provides the following breakdown of the responsibilities of primary employers as compared to the responsibilities of secondary employers:

Responsibilities of Primary Employers: · Giving required FMLA notices to employees and providing FMLA leave · Maintaining group health insurance benefits during the leave · Restoring the employee to the same job or an equivalent job upon return

from leave · Keeping all records required by the FMLA with respect to primary

employees · Not interfering with a jointly-employed employee’s exercise of or attempt

to exercise his or her FMLA rights, or firing or discriminating against an employee for opposing a practice that is unlawful under the FMLA

Responsibilities of Secondary Employers:

· Not interfering with a jointly-employed employee’s exercise of or attempt to exercise his or her FMLA rights, or firing or discriminating against an employee for opposing a practice that is unlawful under the FMLA

· Restoring the employee to the same or equivalent job upon return from FMLA leave in circumstances under which the secondary employer is a client of a placement agency, the secondary employer continues to use the services of the agency, and the agency places the employee with that client employer

· Keeping basic payroll and identifying employee data with respect to any jointly-employed employees

· Complying with all provisions of the FMLA for its regular, permanent workforce

Importantly, the DOL noted in the Fact Sheet #28N that a primary employer must meet all of its obligations under the FMLA even when a secondary employer is not in compliance with the law or does not provide support to the primary employer in meeting its responsibilities.

A joint employment scenario most commonly arise when an employee is placed by a temporary or staffing company. The DOL notes that in this situation, the agency is most commonly the primary employer. The fact sheet includes a helpful example of how FMLA responsibilities are shared and divided between a large medical staffing company and its client hospitals. It also contains a chart that nicely summarizes the respective responsibilities of a primary employer and a secondary employer.

While most of the attention surrounding joint employment has focused on wage and hour liability or traditional labor law implications, the DOL has reminded employers everywhere that the concept is not so limited and that government agencies are expanding enforcement of their laws through the lens of joint employment. If you are a temporary employer or are an employer that uses those services or somehow acts in close coordination with another entity when it comes to your workforce, it’s probably a good idea to closely examine (perhaps with competent counsel) whether any of your present employment practices may expose you to joint employment liability.

Julie A. Moore is a member of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. She focuses her practice in the area of labor and employment law. Moore can be reached at [email protected].

hand & m

arker: ©iS

tock.com/kyoshino

ASK THE EXPERT

HR INSIGHTS 21

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STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT FOR RECRUITING AND RETENTION

BY MIKE MCKERNS

WATER COOLER CHRONICLES: TRY YOUR HAND AT HOMEMADE HUMMUS Once considered an “exotic” dish, hummus is now decidedly mainstream. You’ll find it on restaurant menus and in supermarket refrigerator cases across the country—and for good reason: this versatile dish packs well in lunchboxes, pleases crowds at parties and potlucks, and makes a terrific first course. Fortunately, it’s incredibly easy to make at home!

Yield: 12 servingsTime: about 5 minutes

NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING: Calories: 145 cal

Fat: 10 g

Dietary fiber: 3 g

Sugars: 0 g

Protein: 4 g

What you’ll need:1 15 oz. can of chickpeas½ cup tahini1Tb ground cumin¼ cup extra virgin olive oil1 Tb lemon juice2 cloves garlicsalt and pepper to taste

Directions: 1. Drain the chickpeas, reserving

the liquid.2. Put all of the ingredients in a

food processor and process until smooth, adding chickpea liquid as needed to get the consistency you like.

3. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.

Notes: ▷ Serve hummus with raw

vegetables (such as carrot sticks, sliced bell peppers, cucumber spears, and celery sticks) and pita bread cut into wedges.

▷ To intensify the olive flavor, make a small depression in the top of the hummus and fill it with a few more tablespoons of olive oil.

▷ To dress up your hummus, sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley on top.

▷ Hummus also makes a great sandwich filling, where it pairs nicely with lettuce, avocado, and tomato.

Glen Braunsdorf ’s article on benefits and employee retention (“The Correla-tion between Benefits and Employee Retention”) reminded me of a growing trend in corporate America to use student loan repayment programs as tools for both recruiting and retention. There’s definitely a market for these sorts of incentives. Educational debt levels keep rising, and last spring’s graduates have the most debt yet (with an average of $35,000 in loans).1

That market remains largely untapped, though, with a recent survey by the Society of Human Resources Management revealing that only 3% of com-panies offer loan assistance to their employees.2 As students are graduating with enormous financial burdens, most companies are missing out on a great opportunity to boost declining employee loyalty. A 2012 survey by Future Workplace, for example, found that “91% of Millennials . . . expect to stay in a job for less than three years.”3 So if you can increase employee loyalty and improve the caliber of candidates coming into your organization by spending money that would have been used somewhere else in the process (e.g., fees, advertising, signing bonuses), that seems like a huge win to me. If you decide to give this strategy a try, though, you’ll need a well-designed plan that ad-dresses several key issues.

How m uch shou ld I cov er?I think $35k is a good starting point for a program that increases pay-ments as the employee’s tenure at the company increases.

W h en is th e e m ploy e e eligibl e?One option is to make the employee eligible for loan payments after his or her probationary period on the job ends, and then adjust the pay-ments over time. One possible model pays 1% of the loan after 90 days, 4% after one year, 10% after two years, 10% after three years, 15% after four years, 15% after five years, 15% after six years, and the remaining 30% after seven years.

I f a n e m pl oy e e l e av e s b e for e a c e rta i n n u m b e r of y ears, should he or she be r equir ed to r epay the fu nds?Answering “yes” to this question could open up a very complicated can of worms. (Personally, this isn’t a road I’d go down myself.) Keep in mind, though, that structuring the plan to be heavy on the back end can mitigate the risk to your company.

Because great employees are often lifelong learners, consider expanding your loan repayment program to include tuition reimbursement for qualifying continuing education courses. Remember, your workers are your most im-portant resource, so don’t overlook opportunities to increase their value!

1 Jeffrey Sparshott.2015. “Congratulations, Class of 2015. You’re the Most In-debted Ever (For Now).” WSJ.com. blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/05/08/congratulations-class-of-2015-youre-the-most-indebted-ever-for-now/

2 SHRM.2015. “Employee Benefits: An Overview of Employee Benefits Offerings in the U.S.” SHRM research report.

3 Jeanne Meister. 2012. “Job Hopping Is the ‘New Normal’ for Millennials: Three Ways to Prevent a Human Resource Nightmare.” Forbes.com. www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/#733d10c95508.

Water: ©iStock.com/GrafissimoM A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 622

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profitability

customer service:Staffed for a large

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HumAn resources:

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call today to discuss partnering with imprimis group

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• Accounting/Finance• Administrative• Bilingual• Call Centers• Customer Service

• Energy• Human Resources• Information Technology• Legal• Marketing/Advertising

• Medical Administrative• Mortgage/Banking• Oil & Gas• Payrolling• Professional

The Imprimis Group has been a STAFFING LEADER for more than 30 years. We provide a wide range of solutions and services to business leaders that include temporary staffi ng, temporary to hire staffi ng, direct hire, payrolling and consulting projects in the following disciplines:

Call today to discuss partnering with Imprimis Group for innovative, effective staffi ng solutions. 972.730.JOB1 (5621) | 817.730.JOB1 (5621) | www.imprimis.com