Should Salaries Be Made Public?

The radio show Here and Now on NPR station WBUR in Boston had an interesting segment today. It discussed the pros and cons of "salary transparency". Here's a summary of the discussion:

"Some researchers say most of us think we are underpaid and that colleagues are making more money than they actually are. Is salary transparency the solution? We speak to Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu, which compiles a list of what it calls the most democratic workplaces..."

The best part comes at the end. The host asks the proponent what her salary is, and she chooses not to share that information. Telling perhaps, but there may be certain work situations where this could help. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more widely adopted.

You can listen to the full audio clip online here.

Photo credit: su.bo

Best Corporate Practices 2008

businessweek.com: "Sometimes the difference between the best and worst company policies comes down to one thing: trust. Learn how to use it..."

This is an interesting article. The best stuff is in the 'slideshow' that covers "The 10 Best Corporate Practices, 2008 - A lot of these good ideas have been around for a while. It's time for employers to put them into practice before they lose their best workers..." Here's a summary of the 10 trends:

1. A Real Vacation Policy
2. Spot Bonuses
3. Instant Seniority
4. Community at Work
5. Pooled Sick-Time Banks
6. Customized Benefit Plans
7. Peer Mentoring
8. A Room of Her Own
9. Flex Time and Flex Place
10. Word of Mouth Recruiting

Read the full article...

Working together: Teambuilding seminars gain popularity

Birmingham Business Journal: "Unique seminars are popping up around the area to unite employees. Most managers would equate the thought of their staff banging on drums in a circle with other inappropriate office behaviors, such as excessive e-mail usage or gabbing with unproductive co-workers who just won’t leave your desk.

But one local “teambuilder” sees things a little differently. He’s even taking drumming to another level by using its rhythm to bring coworkers together..."

An interesting angle on team building activities. What do you think? Are these promising alternatives, or just 'same seminar, different day'?

Background Checks: What You Need to Know

businessweek.com: "With background screening now the norm, employers and employees should be aware of how checks are done and how to protect themselves..."

This article offers practical advice on some things applicants AND employers need to know:

JOB APPLICANTS

• Check prior background reports
• Know who's checking your past
• Act fast if something is wrong

EMPLOYERS

• Know what you're getting from a background check
• There's no national database of all criminal records
• Know how reference checks are done

Read the full article...

Take Those Numeric Ratings and - Make Them Motivational

about.com: "Do numeric ratings make a contribution in the workplace? Done well, I believe numeric ratings can motivate excellent work performance; done poorly, numeric ratings undermine your positive work environment... these six recommendations set the stage for what makes an appraisal rating system, for employees or non-employees, sound, and potentially - motivational...

1. should be objective rather than subjective;
2. should be job-related or based on job analysis;
3. should be based on behaviors rather than traits;
4. should be within the control of the ratee;
5. should relate to specific functions, not global assessments,
6. should be communicated to the employee."

As the article states "Numeric ratings can have a positive impact on your company". Read the entire article to see other guidelines, as well as common things to avoid.

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Why Your Google Reputation Can Hurt Your Career

"More and more recruiters are turning to Google as part of their due diligence efforts for hiring decisions. The article quotes a couple of incidents where potential employers backed away from offering a job, once they Googled the candidate.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. Hiring managers might find something positive about you..."

Read the rest at marketingpilgrim.com

"Employers who are not listening to the X & Y -ers are mad!!"

Generation X & Y-ers use technology in different ways, and job searching is no different. Here are the differences between 9 different job seeking methods between the two generations. This blog entry has some interesting data points to back up it's assertion...

Change management is role for human resources professionals

Here's an article with some interesting data about the changing face of HR within the enterprise.

"Change management skills are a key part of the job for most Human Resources practitioners, according to a study (by "Employment Review")...

More than four-fifths (83%) of the HR practitioners taking part said their organisation had undertaken initiatives requiring change management skills in the previous two years, with most reporting multiple change initiatives..."


Read the full article