How to Recession Proof Your Workforce

If you’re interested in keeping employee motivation, morale, and engagement high despite the impending downturn in our economy, it’s important for you to “Recession Proof” your workforce. By Recession Proof, I mean do the things that help employees remain motivated, determined, and inspired during difficult times.

Actions That Lead to High Levels of Employee Engagement and Motivation During Challenging Times
>Give Employees As Much Control As Possible Over Their Work
>Help your employees build self-efficacy and feel the “thrill of victory.”
>Keep the dream alive and celebrate your wins
>Communicate, communicate, communicate.
>Strengthen relationships
>Remove Unnecessary Sources of Stress

If You Recession Proof Your Workforce…
You’ll have a group of employees who are able to:
• Respond to challenges with a “can do” attitude.
• Remain upbeat and determined, despite the difficulties you face.
• Focus their attention on making a difference, rather than on complaining
about things they can do nothing about.
• Handle greater challenge, pressure, and demands without becoming stressed.


David Lee is the founder and principal of HumanNature@Work and an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance, morale, and engagement. He has presented at conferences throughout North America and overseas, and is the author of Managing Employee Stress and Safety, as well as several dozen articles on organizational and individual performance that have been published in a number of trade journals and books in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. He is also the creator of the CDs Stress Less to Be Your Best and Whatever Life Brings: Finding Serenity and Vitality Through Resilience have discussed more about Recession Proof your workforce in detail in our HRthehumanresource magazine.

Improve Your Hiring Process to Cut Cost and increase productivity

Did you know that an estimated two-thirds of employee hiring decisions may be lead to mistakes? You improve your hiring process so that you can cut costs and maximize productivity in your organization. Whether you're an owner, an executive or a manager, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Pre-hire employment assessments will also help your organization develop a strategic hiring process that will minimize the costs associated with hiring and recruiting employees.

Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide is discussing more about this topic. Look at HRthehumanresource magazine's next issue for full article.

How to create your own crystal ball for effective hiring

Many human resource professionals wish for a crystal ball to foretell the fate of a prospective employee. Without the ability to gaze into the future, they ask themselves “does this candidate have the essential proficiencies - the right combination of education, skills and experience?” If the answer is yes, the candidate must be a perfect fit.

Our author for this topic, LeAnn Hamm (lhamm@neogen.com) is a HR generalist for Neogen Corporation, Lexington, KY have discussed more about effective suggestions for interviewing for character traits. Look at our next issue to read more about this article.

Three Concerns When Inquiring About Applicants' Past Criminal Convictions

Employment applications in hiring is the ability of the employer to directly ask an applicant if he or she has a criminal history that would show up if a thorough background check was conducted. Yet, to their detriment, many employers use language that is either too narrow, too broad, or too ambiguous to successfully accomplish this - each of these mistakes can lead to legal quagmires or bad hires continuing to slip through the cracks and potentially endanger businesses.

Auto enrollment in 401(k) plans is proving to have the biggest impact on young and low-compensated employees.


Data released by Fidelity Investment, a large provider of U.S. workplace retirement savings plans, reveals that the number of Fidelity plans offering auto enrollment in 401(k)-type defined contribution plans increased nearly 70 percent from the end of 2007 through March 2009. While automatic enrollment plans still represent just 16.3 percent of 401(k) plans that Fidelity manages, nearly half of all participants are in a plan with auto enrollment

Data also showed that:
• The majority (56 percent) of participants who were enrolled automatically made less than $40,000 a year.
• Among the participants that were auto enrolled, only 10 percent had higher salaries ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 a year.

"There is no doubt that auto enrollment has helped many new hires, especially younger workers, get started on their way to saving,".

EEOC's Tips for Waivers in Severance Agreements

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ha published guidance explaining terminated employees’ rights and obligations when an employer offers severance pay in exchange for a waiver of discrimination claims.

The EEOC says it issued the guidance following a spike in age discrimination complaints and the increased use of severance agreements because of the current wave of layoffs.

The EEOC notes that when examining whether a severance agreement is valid, most courts consider the following circumstances and conditions under which the waiver was signed:

1.Whether it was written in a manner that was clear and specific enough for the employee to understand based on his education and business experience;
2.Whether it was induced by fraud, duress, undue influence, or other improper conduct by the employer;
3.Whether the employee had enough time to read and think about the advantages and disadvantages of the agreement before signing it;
4.Whether the employee consulted with an attorney or was encouraged or discouraged by the employer from doing so;
5.Whether the employee had any input in negotiating the terms of the agreement; and
6.Whether the employer offered the employee consideration (e.g., severance pay, additional benefits) that exceeded what the employee already was entitled to by law or contract and the employee accepted the offered consideration.

Talent Management in Uncertain Times


NOW, more than ever, is the time to focus on your people - the key to your future success.

Especially during times of economic uncertainty, strategic Talent Management should remain a top business priority. In this valuable resource, Winning Through Talent in Uncertain Times, you'll learn how to maximize employee performance immediately by:
Reassuring and cultivating top talent to keep them motivate and engaged
Rapidly aligning all your employees to the revised strategy of your company
Keeping communication open and transparent for increased productivity

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It serves as a guideline for many HR professionals. It covers major issues handled by HR in their workplace.

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