Talent and HR News Weekly Roundup: Being a Thoughtful Employer

It takes a lot of energy to be thoughtful, and I'm not being flippant here. It's really quite hard. In life AND in work. On the work side, there are SO many things to think about - your employees' salaries, health, career opportunities, legalities, happiness, well-beings, etc. These aren't things you just check off a list. You can be intentional and thoughtful about them, while aligning with your employer brand. In this week's Talent and HR News Weekly Update, we're showcasing some articles that highlight the thoughtful side of employers. 

1) The Big Disconnect That Could Cost You Your Best Employees from Forbes

"The U.S. economy has continued to add jobs in 2016, driving unemploymentdown to 5%. Although this is good news for job seekers and working professionals, a low unemployment rate also creates challenges for businesses with respect to hiring and retaining employees. In contrast to the recession, when open positions were scarce and employers had their pick of job candidates, today the demand from businesses for talented employees is at an all-time high. This has created a candidate-driven job market where job seekers and working professionals have the upper hand on employers. Businesses are increasingly competing with each other for talent, and job seekers know it."

2) San Francisco passes nation's most generous family leave law from USA Today

"San Francisco on Tuesday became the first city in the country to require employers to offer six weeks of fully paid leave for new parents. The unanimous vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors comes a day after New York passed a law requiring up to 12 weeks of partially paid time off for new parents that it funded through a weekly payroll tax. California already has one of the more expansive laws in the country, requiring that employees receive 55% of their wages for up to six weeks of paid family leave. The San Francisco ordinance would require businesses with more than 20 employees to plug that gap by paying the remaining 45% of their employees’ wages. It applies to parents of either genders and to both full- and part-time employees who work in the city. The law takes effect January 2017 with a gradual phase in for smaller businesses. Businesses with 35 employees or more must comply by July 1, 2017.  Businesses with 20 or more employees have until January 2018."

3) Internal Hires Need Just as Much Support as External Ones from Harvard Business Review

"Adrian had been working steadily toward this promotion for years. But just four months into his new job, as a business unit leader at a large specialty chemicals and plastics manufacturer, he was struggling with the challenges of handling a global business with more than 3000 employees. He had spent his entire 14-year career at the company, had worked hard, and had rapidly climbed the ranks in sales and marketing. The culmination was his promotion to business unit leader for Plastic Resins, one of the company’s best-performing units. He inherited a strong team with a proven track record."

4) Do you foster a culture of encouragement? from Smartblog on Leadership

"I recently had the opportunity to watch one of my favorite college basketball teams win their quarterfinal contest in the NIT. What was so memorable about this game was that one of the team’s stars played even though he was sick. He contracted the flu before the game and was not expected to play. He went to the coach and told him that he would give his all, with the stipulation that when it became apparent that he could no longer compete, the coach would pull him from the game. This player managed to play 20 minutes and score 10 points despite his illness. What was most inspiring about his performance was the encouragement this player received from his teammates, his coaches and the crowd. The energy in the arena was electric. Being there and experiencing the situation, it was obvious that this player and the team were elevated to a higher level of performance."

5) Should employers be flexible in letting employees bring children to work? from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Employers and workers have become more conscious of the need to maintain work-life balance, whether by turning off work mobile devices at home, more vacation time or working from home. Yet one possibility of helping that balance, at least for parents, has remained relatively taboo: bringing kids into the workplace. The idea of regularly accommodating kids — even infants — for a certain number of hours each day has until recently been avoided by employers, as the prospect of a co-worker’s kid occupying a cubicle may seem like crossing a line. This has been true both in offices and in more unusual work environments, like Major League Baseball. Last month, Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche quit the sport, leaving a $13 million salary on the table after the baseball club told him to dial back the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent with him on the field and in the locker room."

Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps organizations build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about our employer brand innovation, workforce research, and recruiting strategy offerings.

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