We recently started a series of weekly questions on our LinkedIn page called Wondering Wednesday. These questions take the form of anonymous polls to encourage honest participation and allow us to gain varied insights into the employee/employer experience.
For the month of September, we focused on the hiring process for both prospective candidates and hiring managers. No matter which side of the table you’re on, both interviewer and interviewee should factor these insights into your interviewing and hiring process.
When we asked companies about red flags for them in the interviewing process, the overwhelming response was when a candidate has no questions. This was ranked higher even than a candidate being late to their own interview; it seems that tardiness is more forgivable than a lack of demonstrated interest. Job candidates should be sure to put a lot of thought and effort into coming up with good questions. Not sure where to start? Research the company you’re interviewing with and use that information as a starting point. You can tailor your questions accordingly to find out more about what their day-to-day work looks like, how the hiring manager sees your role fitting into that picture, what growth opportunities there might be, and so on. Make sure you have questions for each person you interview with, and customize your questions based on their role. Remember that you’re interviewing them while they’re interviewing you!
On the flip side, for job candidates, the biggest red flag is an interview process that takes 3+ hours. Such lengthy interviews can lead to a poor candidate experience in which they’re answering repetitive questions, growing fatigued, and investing a good chunk of time into a position they may not even land. Employers should therefore find ways to streamline the interview process and be thoughtful about how much time they’re taking up for the candidate. A good rule of thumb is that the length of an interview should be commensurate with the role being interviewed for – for example, an entry-level job should have a much shorter interview process than a VP-level job. To shorten the interview process, you could consider doing panel-style interviews, which allow you to include more people in the process while taking less time.
When we asked candidates what they prioritized when considering job opportunities, they overwhelmingly chose flexibility over an excellent benefits package. This feels particularly relevant in today’s post-Covid landscape in which companies are pushing employees to return to working in the office. Employers should put careful thought into where and how they can add flexibility for their employees, not only to attract but also to retain talent. Even if your employees return to the office, think about what could be a reasonable amount of flexibility within that framework to help set you apart from other employers. For example, if you require 2-3 days per week in the office, you can still provide flexibility by allowing employees to shift their hours earlier or later or to choose which days of the week they go into the office.
Finally, we found that the majority of companies that are actively hiring are notifying applicants within 1 week of application if they’re not a fit and will not be considered for an interview, but some companies are lagging behind or not notifying applicants at all. Hiring managers should ensure timely responses to applicants in order to allow candidates to focus their job-hunting efforts elsewhere. This means setting aside time to review applications right away, even if you haven’t had a chance yet to set up interviews with your top candidates. This can feel overwhelming – particularly for a job ad that receives hundreds of applications – but luckily, there are many hiring websites and software options that allow you to set up automated responses so that when you mark a candidate as not qualified, it will automatically notify them. Make sure you leverage existing tools that make your life as a hiring manager easier; it’s a time-saver for you, and it’s a relief for job applicants.
Want to participate in the conversation or see the results for yourself? Head on over to the HR Solutions At Work LinkedIn page, where we post a new poll every Wednesday!
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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As of July 31, 2024, Massachusetts has joined nearly a dozen other states in the country in enacting pay transparency laws. The new law will take effect on July 31, 2025. The goal of this law is for increased wage transparency in the hiring process to promote fairer compensation practices, eliminate biases based on any protected class, close wage gaps, ensure equal pay for equal work, and help job applicants negotiate salaries more effectively.
The law will require employers to disclose good-faith minimum and maximum salary ranges for job openings, not only in ads for new employees but also for existing employees for their current position or when offered promotions or transfers to a new position.
Note that it is unlawful for employers to retaliate or discriminate against employees or job applicants who request the pay range for a job position. In addition, companies with more than 100 full-time employees must also submit Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) wage data reports annually to the state of Massachusetts; these data reports must include workforce demographic and pay data categorized by race, ethnicity, sex, and job category.
In light of the newly passed law, employers should be proactive in ensuring their job postings – both internal and external – are in compliance with the law’s requirements. This may involve establishing pay ranges for all positions and reviewing the current distribution of salaries across employee positions (for example, longer-term employees’ pay ranges should be examined to make sure they make sense compared to those offered to new employees). Employers may additionally want to develop a communications strategy for notifying employees of the new law and of their right to ask for pay range information.
Keep in mind that pay transparency laws can have significant benefits for employers. Studies have shown that pay transparency boosts employee engagement and retention, improves employees’ confidence that they are paid fairly for the work they do, and boosts overall job satisfaction and motivation. Pay transparency also attracts more qualified applicants for open positions, helps to resolve pay gaps, and can attract more diverse candidates.
Our guidance, based on reviewing other states’ postings and advising employers, is for employers to keep their pay range relatively narrow. We call this the “Goldilocks Rule”: employers don’t want to describe their pay range too narrowly (e.g., a salary range of $64k-$66k) or too broadly (e.g., a salary range of $50k-$200k). Instead, employers should aim for “just right” – a salary range that attracts top candidates, allows some wiggle room for experience (especially between candidates), and is a realistic (good faith) estimate of how much the employer plans to pay the employee in the position.
If you have any questions about the new pay transparency law, our team of experienced HR professionals and lawyers can help you understand the requirements of the law, communicate pay ranges to employees, and ensure your organization is compliant with the new law. We can also conduct pay equity audits and workplace trainings to guide your staff members through the requirements for both the pay transparency and EEO wage data laws. Get in touch with us to discuss your organization’s needs!
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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HR Solutions At Work recently participated in the May 8, 2024, Business Expo run by the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce. With nearly 100 exhibitors and an attendance of roughly 1,000 business professionals, the event was a flurry of activity and networking.
Representing HR Solutions At Work were (pictured above, left to right) Director of HR Services Natalie Costello and Program and Communications Manager Jennifer London. The big draw at our exhibitor booth was our “FREE CHOCOLATE” sign, which proved impossible to resist. Participants answered HR trivia questions for a shot at winning the prize, which was a full-size chocolate bar. (That’s right, full size: we don’t mess around over here when it comes to chocolate!) Some attendees even came over just to test their HR knowledge, not for the chocolate. It was a lot of fun! We also answered questions about our services, met some amazing people, and learned a lot about our fellow organizations in MetroWest Boston.
A huge thank you to Director of Programs and Events Carlene Covino, as well as the whole Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce, for putting on such a wonderful event and including us!
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and with the promise of summer in the air, many of us are thinking about popsicles, beach vacations, and the smell of sunscreen. But while some are dreaming of a fun holiday, others are too burned out to even think that far ahead. Although we can’t eliminate all of the stressors that can lead to employee burnout (if only we could lower the cost of family care!), we’ve got you covered when it comes to workplace burnout.
Workplace burnout is recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupation-related syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress, characterized by feelings of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy. A 2023 study by the American Psychological Association found that 57% of workers exhibited burnout symptoms, and a 2024 SHRM study found that 51% of workers are feeling “used up” or completely burned out at work.
Burnout can have other negative consequences for the workplace. For example, overworked employees are three times more likely to look for another job and are less motivated at work, more likely to make mistakes, and more prone to anger and lashing out at teammates. What’s more, workers suffering from burnout have an increased risk of developing serious ailments from clinical depression to heart disease.
Sunny summer skies might help take the edge off, but they won’t fix employee burnout. Here are some strategies to avoid and mitigate burnout and maximize employee productivity.
Workers are engaged at work when they feel a strong sense of belonging at their organization and have employers who listen to their feedback. Most notably, engaged employees are more than twice as likely to be happy and not burned out at work. One of the best tools for assessing engagement is periodic measurement through anonymous surveys, as well as follow-up meetings and focus groups.
Using a third party helps reassure employees that their input is both confidential and unfiltered, which we highly recommend. (This is actually one of our specialties, and we’d love to help you with your particular organization’s needs!) Note that if you do ask employees for their input, you should be prepared to take action based on the feedback you receive – it can actually have a negative impact if you request feedback but then don’t follow through on what you learn.
In the post-COVID workplace, employer flexibility regarding when, where, and how work is done has become an expectation rather than a perk. One idea appropriate to the season is offering employees “summer hours” options in June, July, and August. For example, organizations can allow employees to work an extra hour Monday through Thursday and end four hours early on Friday. Alternatively, organizations can allow employees to work an extra hour Monday through Friday as well as the following Monday through Thursday, then take the second Friday off entirely. Note that although Friday is the most common day offered, many workplaces allow their employees to choose which day of the week they prefer to take off.
Another option is to allow employees to work some longer days and some shorter days, or to increase their work-from-home days per week. This is a great option to consider year-round that will contribute to work/life balance.
Another way to give employees a break is to offer a “shutdown” once or twice a year. The most common week employers shut down is the week between Christmas and New Years, and many also select the week prior to Labor Day or the week of July Fourth. If your organization finds that most of your offices and cubicles are empty during a certain time of year, it might be more cost effective to have all employees take the time off, from the most senior member of the company to the most recent new hire. It can be a huge de-stresser and benefit to employees to have time off without having to worry about returning to a full inbox.
We hope these ideas are helpful for employers looking for ways to prevent employee burnout! There are myriad small ways an organization can show its appreciation for workers – and a surprise ice cream party on a hot summer day is always a hit – but it’s the big gestures that really make an impact and help with more serious issues like burnout. If you’re interested in implementing one of these policies at your workplace but aren’t sure where to start, we can help!
What does your organization do to help with burnout? We’re always on the lookout for new ideas!
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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That’s a wrap! The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) Trainings for EEO Professionals, both Train-the-Trainer and Investigation Skills training, have wrapped up for 2024. HR Solutions At Work founder Judy Kalisker has served on the faculty for the annual program as a volunteer since its inception in 2000.
This series of training programs helps EEO professionals identify and develop the skills needed to conduct effective internal discrimination complaint investigations and provide critical discrimination and harassment prevention training. There is one more session for 2024: “Responding to Accommodation Requests.” More information on this course, and the link to sign up when new courses are added to the schedule, can be found here on the MCAD website.
HR Solutions At Work can also offer customized training for internal HR and management teams. If you’d like to learn more about this or any of our outsourced HR services, please contact us here.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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Did you know that HR Solutions At Work does custom webinars for small business owners? We can tailor HR and legal content to fit any industry, from tech and health care to construction and farms. Best of all, we do this for free for networking groups and associations!
We recently hosted a webinar, highlighting our custom HR services, for a group of community farm executives. These attendees represented a variety of independent farms united by the shared goal of equitable access to healthy, sustainably grown produce for all, and we were thrilled to be able to support this mission. Judy Kalisker and Natalie Costello led the lively and interactive webinar, which covered a range of topics including compensation packages, equitable benefits, feedback, and performance reviews.
The webinar focused not only on the macro level of these topics, which are applicable to any industry, but also on the micro level of what is unique to farms and to nonprofit organizations. The participants appreciated the guidance tailored to unique challenges in their industry.
Webinar participants commented that they had never heard of this kind of program before at other HR companies. One participant said that having all of the farm’s HR needs serviced by one organization was a “game-changer.” Another nonprofit operations leader wrote to us afterward (they agreed to be quoted here), saying:
Finally! This is the HR resource that I've been looking for for so long. You have no idea how much weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
For our part, we left the webinar feeling energized and excited to plan more webinars for a variety of industries in 2024. We’d love to hear from you: Do you think your industry’s small business owners would benefit from a tailored webinar? Is there anything in particular you’d like some guidance on?
Please contact us if you’re interested in having HR Solutions At Work create a free custom webinar, lunch & learn, or coffee chat for a networking group in your industry. If you would prefer to set up a one-on-one meeting with our Director of HR Services to learn more about our outsourced HR solutions for small employers, please contact us here.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
...Because every situation presents unique facts, the information on this website and its blog is provided for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states.
Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites.
Please contact us if you have any questions about this site or our services.