Catching the Brass Ring: An HRIP Credential

“IHRIM and the HRIP certification have been very valuable over the many years of my membership. I look forward to many more years.” – Rich Martonik, HRIP, HRIS Manager, Andersen Corporation

 

A sign of summer here in New England is the arrival of the traveling carnivals. Setting up in empty fields or parking lots, for three to four days they bring their scaled down version of amusement parks to small towns. Familiar rides include a carousel, Ferris wheel, tilt a whirl and fun house.  A midway challenge is to try to grab the brass ring as you pass it on the carousel and receive a prize.

It has been three and a half years since the Human Resource Information Professional (HRIP) Certification Program was first offered and it has proven to be a prize treasured by those who have become certified.  The over 300 professionals holding an HRIP credential are recognized as dedicated, competent professionals in the HR information management and systems field. 

 

To insure that the certification continues to be valuable, we began a project to review and refresh the exam items (questions) for both the published and practice exams.   Working with an outside company (The Donath Group, who were instrumental in helping us develop the initial exam), the first phase of the project was to assess the overall performance of the exam as well as each exam item. The evaluation report provided test and item statistics and a proposed disposition for each item based on the psychometric review of the exam performance results.   We were very pleased with the results – both of our published exams had scores that showed “very good reliability” (reliability is a necessary condition for valid test score interpretation).   IHRIM thanks the many volunteers who helped develop the exam. 

In September we will begin the next phase of this important project – item writing.  SMEs will once again be asked to volunteer their time and expertise in creating a new set of exam items.   After rigorous technical review, our revised exams will be ready for publishing in January, 2014. 

If you are interested in pursuing the Human Resource Information Professional (HRIP) credential, IHRIM offers three delivery methods to accommodate individuals (as well as groups) to take the exam, including conveniently located testing centers around the world, live proctoring via webcam that allows candidates to take the exam wherever and whenever is most convenient, and at a host location, such as in conjunction with an industry event or the annual IHRIM Conference. 

IHRIM also offers a variety of products to help you prepare for the examination including:

• Certification Exam Review Course – registration is now open for our multi-day offering 6-part live, online series, beginning October 22. 
• Exam Study Guide
• Online Practice Exam

You can find more information on the HRIP Certification Program at http://bit.ly/IHRIM_HRIPCertification

 -- Lynne E. Mealy, HRIP, President & CEO, IHRIM

Is Workforce Planning and Analytics replacing Talent Management as the “new hot thing"?

#HRISChat Session 6

Tuesday, July 16, 12:00 pm EDT/ 9:00 am PDT

With guest moderator Nov Omana, HRIP, CEO/Founder, Collective HR Solutions

Over the past year, a number of articles have criticized the traditional performance process and appraisal system.  In June 2012, the Vice President - Performance Management Development at Statoil posted an article: The end of performance management (as we know it).  Edward Lawler began a lively discussion with his July 2012 article in Forbes - Performance Appraisals Are Dead, Long Live Performance Management.  An article in a December 2012 issue of Forbes Magazine posed the question: Is there any organizational practice more broken than performance management? (Three Reasons Performance Management will Change in 2013)

At the same time, there has been a growing use and appreciation of workforce analytics and how they can be used to report on the ROI of performance improvement programs.  5 Ways High-Performance Organizations Use HR Analytics states that high performing organizations are ahead in the race to connect HR initiatives to business outcomes through data.  In February, Gartner declared "Analytics Moves To The Core".
 

Which leads us to ask the question - Is Workforce Planning and Analytics replacing Talent Management as the “new hot thing"? - on our July 16, 12:00 pm EDT #HRISChat.  Join our guest moderator, Nov Omana, CEO/Founder, Collective HR Solutions and IHRIM Past Chair, for this lively discussion. 

Here are the questions for this edition of #HRISChat:

Q1:  Do you think Workforce planning/analytics ties HR to the business as a strategic partner?

Q2:  How do you see Workforce analytics impacting the business?

Q3.  What types of solutions are the vendors of HR Technology offering for Workforce planning/analytics?

Q4.  Do efforts on Workforce Analytics/planning supersede Talent Management as HR’s newest initiative?

Q5.  Given the recent chatter about performance appraisals and processes, do you feel Performance Management is losing its luster?

Q6.  Do you feel Talent Management is fading because it has not had the impact on the business we had hoped?  

New to TweetChat? Don't worry, it's easy! Go to http://www.tchat.io, enter HRISChat in the box and start chatting. Then just watch for the questions and provide your answers.   (You may have to login to Twitter first.)

We look forward to your participation on Tuesday, July 16 (12:00 pm EDT/ 9:00 am PDT).

Motivating top Talent

A recent Gallup study - The State of the American Workplace: EmployeeEngagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders – reported that 30% of the American workers who hold full-time jobs are engaged and satisfied at work.  That leaves 70% of the workers either actively disengaged or non-committal – they show up to work, but are not inspired or engaged.  In addition to the lost productivity of a disengaged employee, what happens when he or she is also one of your top talents?  ManPower Group’s Talent Shortage Survey found that nearly half (49%) of U.S. employers recognize that talent shortages impact their ability to serve clients and customers.  Worldwide, 35% of over 38,000 employers surveyed report they are experiencing difficulty filling jobs due to lack of available talent. 

Motivation of your top talent is key and some ways to do so are shared by Brad Remillard, an executive recruiter with more than 30 years of experience, in the following article.

Six Ways to Motivate Top Talent in Demotivating Times

By Brad Remillard

To retain your top talent, it is absolutely critical to ensure they are motivated. In difficult times, this is often not high on the priority list of managers or CEOs. Most people are working long hours and doing the job of two people, stress is at an all-time high, fear of layoffs is a reality, salaries are frozen, pay cuts have been implemented — and forget about a bonus. For many companies, this is the current culture.

So how do you motivate your top talent to achieve the company’s goals?

How do you keep them from contacting recruiters?

How do you keep them passionate about coming to work?

How do you keep them engaged day after day?

The answer to all of these is “culture.” Even in difficult times, top talent, by definition, will always rise to the occasion. They will always strive to be the best. If they don’t, they aren’t top talent. However, even top talent can burn out, get frustrated, not see the light at the end of the tunnel or wonder if they are really contributing.

It is the role of all CEOs and managers to ensure these things don’t happen. There seems to be a consistent theme as to what great managers do in difficult times to hold on to and even attract top talent.

The following are six areas managers must focus on to ensure they keep their top talent motivated:

1. Emphasize a performance-based culture. Even in difficult times, there must be clearly defined goals for the company. These goals must cascade down to your top talent. They must have quantifiable objectives that motivate them, so, when reached, they feel a sense of accomplishment. Providing specific time-based goals with achievable results clarifies exactly what is expected of your people. Your best talent will embrace the goals and not stop until they reach the goal. Employee engagement is critical to retaining your best people.

2. Steer clear of a dysfunctional culture. This is probably the biggest reason top talent gets nervous and begins to think outside your company. Do you know your company’s culture? Can you define it? Will your executive staff define it the same way? Will the in-the-trench worker bees define it the same way? If not, this is the time to begin working on it.

Once the culture is well defined, do the behaviors match the culture? Do managers from the CEO on down demonstrate this culture day-to-day in how they deal with the employees, customers and vendors? You can’t claim to have a culture of teamwork if the manager’s idea of teamwork is, “As long as we do things my way, without any questions, you can be on my team.”

3. Promote respect and appreciation. This is probably the least expensive and least used method to motivate and retain top talent. Small things can make a big difference with top talent. Respecting their contributions, listening to them, including them in the decision-making process, and asking for their thoughts and ideas all make them feel respected and appreciated. Consider building a culture that respects your top talent so they feel appreciated. Top talent does not want to be taken for granted.

4. Provide consistent feedback. This could be considered a subset of number three, but it’s more formal. This includes regular and structured one-on-one feedback sessions. Not standing in the hallway conversations, but actually sitting down and focusing on them. Giving them feedback, encouraging them, listening to what their needs are (even if you can’t meet them, just listening), taking an interest in their career and building a shared bond. This makes them feel their manager cares about them as a person, not just an employee.

5. Offer praise. You may have experienced a manager with this philosophy: “That is what they get paid for. Why should I thank them? They should thank me for having a job.” How did you like it? Compare that to a manager with this philosophy: “Thanks! I know it is just part of your job, but I appreciate the pride you take in your work. It helps everyone in the department.” How did you like that? A little praise goes a long way to motivate people.

6. Provide opportunities for education and growth. Top talent insists on getting better. They know once their learning curve flattens out, future opportunities can become limited. Top talent does not like to have their growth potential limited. Giving your best people the opportunity to take some additional classes, lead a project outside their normal job, challenge them with new opportunities, give them a chance to serve on a cross-functional team or take an online class will ensure they are becoming better. Offering these opportunities not only ensures your top talent is growing, but also makes them a more valuable employee.

Consider these six areas as a way to motivate your top talent. Your best people will appreciate this more than most managers realize. The increase in productivity by having motivated employees is the best ROI any company can receive.

Brad Remillard is a speaker, author and trainer with more than 30 years of experience in hiring and recruiting. Through his corporate workshops and industry association speaking engagements, he demonstrates how organizations can effectively attract, interview, hire and retain top talent. Remillard is also the co-founder of IMPACT HIRING SOLUTIONS and co-author of “You’re NOT the Person I Hired: A CEO’s Guide to Hiring Top Talent.” For more information on Remillard’s hiring training programs or speaking, please visit www.bradremillard.com.