Thursday, January 28, 2010
Chapter 5 Reflections
Today we discussed what things contribute to motivating or demotivating employees. Things like autonomy and task identification allow an employee to decide how they will complete their tasks and help them understand how what they do fits into the grand scheme of things. Just by allowing an employee the option and freedom to make their own decisions will greatly increase their productivity. An employee that doesn't know how his job fits into the final product or service is demotivating. People want to know that what they are doing has meaning. If it is meaningless, they won't be as motivated to perform.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Reflection Chapter 4
Today we had a very interesting discussion about affirmative action and discrimination. The class seemed to agree that there have been instances where affirmative action has swung too far to discriminate against the majority class. In one instance, firefighters in New Haven Connecticut were sued for not hiring top performing firefighter applicants because they were all white. In another instances, a college sued USC for not accepting him over a less qualified minority group. I’m all for increasing the diversity in the work place, but what is the best way to do it? Affirmative actions plans, not quotas, seem to be the most effective. Things like marketing to minority classes is a good example of an affirmative action plan item.
Chapter 4 Discussion Posts
1. Concept and Brief Description
2. Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
3. Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
4. Facilitative Questions
1. This chapter covered the actual “job” aspect of HR. How do you define a person’s job? Is it a good thing to define their job? HR professionals are expected to be able to quantify the company’s output in terms of employee input. The quantity of workers and the quality of each individuals work determine the mix that the HR professional must assess. Work flow analysis is the official process by which HR pros figure this out.
2. Do you wish your job description was more detailed or less? If your job didn’t come with a description, do you wish it did? Why or why not?
3. Job descriptions are a list of TDR’s (tasks, to do’s, and responsibilities.) They help employees, especially new ones understand what is expected of them and what they are required to do. Beyond job descriptions are job specification, which outline the KSAO’s of the job (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics.) I feel both are essential for employees to be able to hit the ground running and have a positive experience fulfilling their duties.
4. Have you ever been in a position where you had to write a job description or job specifications? How did you go about determining what were the most important task, to do’s, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and abilities? If you had to rewrite your own job description with the understanding you now have of your job, what would you write?
2. Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
3. Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
4. Facilitative Questions
1. This chapter covered the actual “job” aspect of HR. How do you define a person’s job? Is it a good thing to define their job? HR professionals are expected to be able to quantify the company’s output in terms of employee input. The quantity of workers and the quality of each individuals work determine the mix that the HR professional must assess. Work flow analysis is the official process by which HR pros figure this out.
2. Do you wish your job description was more detailed or less? If your job didn’t come with a description, do you wish it did? Why or why not?
3. Job descriptions are a list of TDR’s (tasks, to do’s, and responsibilities.) They help employees, especially new ones understand what is expected of them and what they are required to do. Beyond job descriptions are job specification, which outline the KSAO’s of the job (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics.) I feel both are essential for employees to be able to hit the ground running and have a positive experience fulfilling their duties.
4. Have you ever been in a position where you had to write a job description or job specifications? How did you go about determining what were the most important task, to do’s, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and abilities? If you had to rewrite your own job description with the understanding you now have of your job, what would you write?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Chapter 5 Discussion Post
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
1. This chapter focused on the roles and responsibilities of recruiting. Every organization needs to develop a plan for recruiting and retaining employees. Unfortunately, our economy is constantly changing, and with it, the supply and demand for labor. Companies need to be able to foresee potential labor surpluses and shortages and know how to handle them effectively.
2. The book showed how HR professionals use trend analysis and transitional matrices to try and understand where people go and where they come from. Have you ever conducted a personal “labor forecast” to determine the jobs that you think are going to be in demand when you enter the labor force?
3. I think we can all apply these principles in human resources to our professional lives to improve our chances of securing high paying, quality jobs when we graduate. Jobs that may have been in high demand in the past may now be in low demand. Jobs that may even be in high demand right now may be in surplus by the time we graduate. If we know that a surplus of a certain type of worker means lower pay and less competitiveness by companies to recruit, we can safely assume that a different job may be more desirable. I think as we look around and read the news we can get an idea of where our economy is headed and conduct our own mental labor forecast to position ourselves into a demanded, high quality, high paying jobs.
4. What else do you use to determine job demand? Do you know anyone who got into the right field at the right time and it acted as a springboard for his or her career? Do you know anyone who got into the wrong field at the wrong time? Or even the right field at the wrong time? What were the consequences of that?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
HR Article Discussion Post
Discussion Post
2. If you were in charge of a team of 12 people, what strategies would you use to get your employees more 'engaged.'
3. I think the most important thing to recognize is the important role a manager plays in engaging employees. In this economy especially, employees often ponder their job safety. It is impossible to be engaged when you are worrying about losing your job. Managers need to recognize how their actions either exacerbate or mitigate employee's fears. For example, when a manager starts spending extra time behind closed doors or more time in private conferences, employees worry. On the flip side, a simple comment of reassurance to employees can quelch worries, opening the doors for engagement. The responsibility of creating a environment that fosters employee engagement lies of the shoulders of management.
4. When have you felt most 'engaged' in work?
What caused you to feel this way?
Was your behavior at work different when you felt engaged?
Did your management play a role in your 'engagement?'
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
2. If you were in charge of a team of 12 people, what strategies would you use to get your employees more 'engaged.'
3. I think the most important thing to recognize is the important role a manager plays in engaging employees. In this economy especially, employees often ponder their job safety. It is impossible to be engaged when you are worrying about losing your job. Managers need to recognize how their actions either exacerbate or mitigate employee's fears. For example, when a manager starts spending extra time behind closed doors or more time in private conferences, employees worry. On the flip side, a simple comment of reassurance to employees can quelch worries, opening the doors for engagement. The responsibility of creating a environment that fosters employee engagement lies of the shoulders of management.
4. When have you felt most 'engaged' in work?
What caused you to feel this way?
Was your behavior at work different when you felt engaged?
Did your management play a role in your 'engagement?'
Monday, January 18, 2010
Chapter 3 Discussion Post
1. This chapter focused on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO.) This is a term I've always heard thrown around a lot, but never really understand all the facets behind it. It was interesting to see how EEO has evolved and what an in depth role the government plays in creating and enforcing EEO policies. One thing that I've always pondered is the disparity in the quantity of men in executive level positions versus women. There is undoubtedly far less women executives than men. We often hear of the 'glass ceiling' that prevents female professionals from rising above a certain level within an organization. I certainly agree that women have historically and traditionally been discriminated against in the work place. I wonder now, however, how much the glass ceiling actually attributes to this fact. As I look around in my classes, I notice that the disparity between men and women seeking business degrees is vast.
2. Do you feel the lower number of women in executive positions is due to discrimination, due to the fact that less women seek executive positions, or due to some other reason?
3. This is a hard one to pin discrimination on, because it is difficult to apply the four fifths rule of thumb to executive positions, since there is typically only one position available for application. However, it is possible to compare earnings for men and women in similar positions, doing similar work. It is interesting to note that women receive on average less compensation for doing the same work. I've also heard this statistic frequently quoted. I'd be interested to know though, what types of work this includes. If it includs jobs where salaries were negotiated, I would be curious to know if there is a difference in how men and women negotiate (generally speaking.) I'd like to know if women are more or less likely to sternly negotiate a salary then men.
4. Do you feel there are gender personalities traits that better equip a male or female for certain work situations or requirements? (excluding the bonified requirements?)
Would you rather work for a male or female boss?
Would you feel uncomfortable seeing a woman CEO running a company that you worked for or owned a lot of shares in?
Do you feel that men and women have different inherent emotional and logical perspective on situations in general?
If so, are either of these inherent differences more appropriate for executive level management?
Learning Reflections
The interesting topic for me in this class was the discussion on the psychological contract. I've recognized this shift in my personal work experiences and observations of today's work market. It used to be that when you went to work for a company you typically went to work with them for life. In exchange for you loyalty, you could expect that the company would take care you via pensions and 401K's. When you went to retire, your employer would have matched all your savings and provided other programs for you to be able to retire comfortably. These days, as was discussed in class, "employers watch their backs, employees watch theirs." There is not as much implied trust and loyalty between companies and employees. Employees will leave a company if they can find a better deal elsewhere. Employers will chop employees if they can get the same production and results for less expense. Is this a good thing? I think there are definite advantages. No consumer would remain loyal to a product or service that was providing less value for the cost than a competitor. Every employee shops for and buys a product called their employer. By turning employers into products and employees into consumers, the labor market is subject to the beneficial affects of a free market economy. Companies now compete more aggressively to recruit and retain. We see companies today providing so many amenities and perks, including work flexibility, that just didn't exist during the time of the old psychological contract. I recognize there are disadvantages as well, however, for me, the advantages seem to starkly outweigh them.
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
1. This chapter focused on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO.) This is a term I've always heard thrown around a lot, but never really understand all the facets behind it. It was interesting to see how EEO has evolved and what an in depth role the government plays in creating and enforcing EEO policies. One thing that I've always pondered is the disparity in the quantity of men in executive level positions versus women. There is undoubtedly far less women executives than men. We often hear of the 'glass ceiling' that prevents female professionals from rising above a certain level within an organization. I certainly agree that women have historically and traditionally been discriminated against in the work place. I wonder now, however, how much the glass ceiling actually attributes to this fact. As I look around in my classes, I notice that the disparity between men and women seeking business degrees is vast.
2. Do you feel the lower number of women in executive positions is due to discrimination, due to the fact that less women seek executive positions, or due to some other reason?
3. This is a hard one to pin discrimination on, because it is difficult to apply the four fifths rule of thumb to executive positions, since there is typically only one position available for application. However, it is possible to compare earnings for men and women in similar positions, doing similar work. It is interesting to note that women receive on average less compensation for doing the same work. I've also heard this statistic frequently quoted. I'd be interested to know though, what types of work this includes. If it includs jobs where salaries were negotiated, I would be curious to know if there is a difference in how men and women negotiate (generally speaking.) I'd like to know if women are more or less likely to sternly negotiate a salary then men.
4. Do you feel there are gender personalities traits that better equip a male or female for certain work situations or requirements? (excluding the bonified requirements?)
Would you rather work for a male or female boss?
Would you feel uncomfortable seeing a woman CEO running a company that you worked for or owned a lot of shares in?
Do you feel that men and women have different inherent emotional and logical perspective on situations in general?
If so, are either of these inherent differences more appropriate for executive level management?
Learning Reflections
The interesting topic for me in this class was the discussion on the psychological contract. I've recognized this shift in my personal work experiences and observations of today's work market. It used to be that when you went to work for a company you typically went to work with them for life. In exchange for you loyalty, you could expect that the company would take care you via pensions and 401K's. When you went to retire, your employer would have matched all your savings and provided other programs for you to be able to retire comfortably. These days, as was discussed in class, "employers watch their backs, employees watch theirs." There is not as much implied trust and loyalty between companies and employees. Employees will leave a company if they can find a better deal elsewhere. Employers will chop employees if they can get the same production and results for less expense. Is this a good thing? I think there are definite advantages. No consumer would remain loyal to a product or service that was providing less value for the cost than a competitor. Every employee shops for and buys a product called their employer. By turning employers into products and employees into consumers, the labor market is subject to the beneficial affects of a free market economy. Companies now compete more aggressively to recruit and retain. We see companies today providing so many amenities and perks, including work flexibility, that just didn't exist during the time of the old psychological contract. I recognize there are disadvantages as well, however, for me, the advantages seem to starkly outweigh them.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Chapter 2
Discussion Post
2. Have you worked in a situation where you found yourself the odd one out among "older" coworkers? How did you or how should one handle these types of situations?
3. It seems there will arise a natural disparity between the methods of work between the older and younger generations. In many situations it seems that neither way is right or wrong, just different. However, I would imagine that frustrating situations could arise if two coworkers attempted to work together to complete a project with completely different perspectives on how it should be accomplished. I think the best thing for the younger generation to understand is how important it is to respect and try to learn from the experiences of more seasoned professionals. I think the key for employees closer to retirement to understand is that those just entering the work force have completely new systems and technologies for accomplishing things.
4. What are some valuable insights or lessons you've learned from an older coworker?
Learning Reflections
For me the main value in this class lecture was the focus on the aspects of HR that apply to all leaders and managers. (the slide with the little cartoon of an orange person) I don't intend on pursuing a career in HR but I do plan on working in positions of leadership and management. It was interesting to see how many facets of human resources applied to any standard management position. Many aspects I already knew existed, but never categorized them in the HR umbrella. I realized today that even simple principles such as communication and motivation fall under this umbrella. Understanding this has piqued my interest in HR, (which prior was practically non-existent,) because now I recognize that a good chunk if not all of the principles I learn from it will actually apply to my field of work.
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
2. Have you worked in a situation where you found yourself the odd one out among "older" coworkers? How did you or how should one handle these types of situations?
3. It seems there will arise a natural disparity between the methods of work between the older and younger generations. In many situations it seems that neither way is right or wrong, just different. However, I would imagine that frustrating situations could arise if two coworkers attempted to work together to complete a project with completely different perspectives on how it should be accomplished. I think the best thing for the younger generation to understand is how important it is to respect and try to learn from the experiences of more seasoned professionals. I think the key for employees closer to retirement to understand is that those just entering the work force have completely new systems and technologies for accomplishing things.
4. What are some valuable insights or lessons you've learned from an older coworker?
Learning Reflections
For me the main value in this class lecture was the focus on the aspects of HR that apply to all leaders and managers. (the slide with the little cartoon of an orange person) I don't intend on pursuing a career in HR but I do plan on working in positions of leadership and management. It was interesting to see how many facets of human resources applied to any standard management position. Many aspects I already knew existed, but never categorized them in the HR umbrella. I realized today that even simple principles such as communication and motivation fall under this umbrella. Understanding this has piqued my interest in HR, (which prior was practically non-existent,) because now I recognize that a good chunk if not all of the principles I learn from it will actually apply to my field of work.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Discussion Topics (Before Class, After Reading)
The discussion topics related to the assigned readings for each required class will include the following four elements (see example pasted below):
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
Learning Reflections (After Class)
In addition to discuss topic posts in relation to each assigned class reading, following each class session you will also be expected to post brief reflections on some of your learning (at least 200 words). Some of the questions you may want to consider when typing up your reflections may include:- How did material/discussion from today's class change my thinking about ____ (any topic, maybe one that you posted a discussion topic or some other point in the reading or class session).
- How did material/discussion from today's class/reading improve your understanding of previously learned material?
- How did material/discussion from today's class alter how you view yourself or the world?
- How did material/discussion from today's class apply specifically to you and your current situation?
Chapter 1
DISCUSSION TOPIC
All the factors brought up in the first chapter relating to HR were factors that I always just kind of assumed "took care of themselves" in a business. Things like pay compensation, performance management, employee relations, and complying with labor laws. Also recruiting. It makes sense that someone would be employed full time to recruit quality employees to a company. I like how the chapter broke down the broad field of "HR" into specific chronological chunks. It's frequently stated that a company's most valuable resource is it's people. So it completely makes sense that an entire department would be devoted to building and maintaining an effective work force.
2. Imagine that you own a company. How would you structure your HR strategy to address each of the major hr management areas? What would be your strategy for recruiting?
3. The work force today is highly competitive. New companies are constantly scraping for new recruits with higher and higher compensations. It seems that innovation and a solid value proposition are the most important tools for a human resource recruiting strategy. Think of efforts local companies have made to recruit us. We've seen billboards on the freeway and throughout town, we've gotten fliers on our cars, we've been approached by recruiters in the halls in school, we've walk past tables and booths during on campus career events, and we've heard and seen numerous commercials on the radio and television. Behind every one of these contacts is a human resources department planning and striving to recruit a quality work force.
4. What are some other innovative recruiting techniques?
LEARNING REFLECTIONS
This class period was just a lot of new information about course content and requirements. The end had some human resource principles. The most value for me was in the two analogies at the end. In my mind, the story of the frog in the well was comparable to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I think it's important to not only recognize when other people are "in the well" but to recognize when I am as well. I don't think of "being in the well" as a personality trait or ongoing attribute (although with some people it seems to be,) I think of it more as applying to specific situations or perspectives. In some situations we may see things through a narrow, constrained hole. We need to recognize this so that we can pull ourselves out and see the world how it really is.
- Concept and Brief Description
- Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
- Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
- Facilitative Questions
All the factors brought up in the first chapter relating to HR were factors that I always just kind of assumed "took care of themselves" in a business. Things like pay compensation, performance management, employee relations, and complying with labor laws. Also recruiting. It makes sense that someone would be employed full time to recruit quality employees to a company. I like how the chapter broke down the broad field of "HR" into specific chronological chunks. It's frequently stated that a company's most valuable resource is it's people. So it completely makes sense that an entire department would be devoted to building and maintaining an effective work force.
2. Imagine that you own a company. How would you structure your HR strategy to address each of the major hr management areas? What would be your strategy for recruiting?
3. The work force today is highly competitive. New companies are constantly scraping for new recruits with higher and higher compensations. It seems that innovation and a solid value proposition are the most important tools for a human resource recruiting strategy. Think of efforts local companies have made to recruit us. We've seen billboards on the freeway and throughout town, we've gotten fliers on our cars, we've been approached by recruiters in the halls in school, we've walk past tables and booths during on campus career events, and we've heard and seen numerous commercials on the radio and television. Behind every one of these contacts is a human resources department planning and striving to recruit a quality work force.
4. What are some other innovative recruiting techniques?
LEARNING REFLECTIONS
This class period was just a lot of new information about course content and requirements. The end had some human resource principles. The most value for me was in the two analogies at the end. In my mind, the story of the frog in the well was comparable to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I think it's important to not only recognize when other people are "in the well" but to recognize when I am as well. I don't think of "being in the well" as a personality trait or ongoing attribute (although with some people it seems to be,) I think of it more as applying to specific situations or perspectives. In some situations we may see things through a narrow, constrained hole. We need to recognize this so that we can pull ourselves out and see the world how it really is.
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