Category: News

Comprehensive, up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by EduindexNews.

Online vs. Campus Classes – What is the Right Choice?

Deciding whether or not to pursue your degree online or on campus can be a tough choice. Both online and campus-based classes offer a number of significant benefits to students. Some students are served best by the flexibility and convenience of online courses while others need to be in the classroom to truly succeed.
As you make your decision between attending classes online or on campus with Bryant & Stratton College, consider this questions before making your final choice.
  1. What is my ultimate academic goal? If your major area of interest lies in business administration, IT, or the administrative and managerial-oriented aspects of health services, an online program can be an efficient way to go at your own pace. You can take classes around your work/life schedule and get the theoretical and book-based learning you need for those fields. However, there are careers in which face-to-face, guided instruction and/or hands-on practice with supervision are required. In these cases a campus program, or a program that integrates both campus-based and online classes, is your best option.
  2. What kind of person/learner am I? Are you self-motivated? Do you find you are adept at creating step-by-step plans to achieve your goals? Or are you an extroverted learner who needs to be physically present with others in order to feed off their energy and enthusiasm to fuel your learning process? Make a list of your learning characteristics and your choice will become more clear. The best online students are those who are disciplined enough to make the time to do their work, rather than needing a specifically scheduled time or place where they must be physically present on a regular basis. An online school is also advantageous for those who struggle to sit in one place for extended periods of time because you have the freedom of timing, space, and movement as you learn.
  3. What is my financial situation? If you will have to work part- or full-time in order to maintain your life while you attend school, online classes are the answer to your conundrum. You can create a personalized academic schedule that works around your professional time clock. Saving money on gas, wear-and-tear on your car, and/or transportation fees is a big advantage in online learning. Also, government financial aid and loans can usually be applied to accredited online schools.
  4. Do I live near a reputable college campus? Moving away from home to attend a college campus that offers the program you want is not always possible. An online school can be attended from literally anywhere on the planet with computer and internet access. Geographic limitations are nonexistent with online classes. Online schools have made continued education available to millions of people who live in rural environments, economically depressed areas, or far from the academic program of their choice.
If you are still not sure as to which type of college would be best for you, contact the admissions counselors at Bryant & Stratton to discuss your concerns. We are an accredited online school, offering a wide range of certification and degree programs. Our admissions counselors want students to be successful and will provide professional input as to the best learning environment for you.

HOW TO SLOW DOWN THE REVOLVING DOOR OF SALES CLERKS

Retail has long been notorious for a dizzying rate of employee turnover stemming from a relatively young workforce and historically low wages. But when even high-fliers like Google and Amazon are having trouble retaining employees, it\’s time to do something. Here are three steps retailers can take now to boost worker retention: 

1. Establish Goal Setting on Day 1 — and Make it Fun 

Retailers have a hard time investing in workers because they tend to move on before there\’s a chance to define a career path for them. It doesn\’t have to be this way, especially when there\’s technology that can help employers and employees alike to track job performance and development from the first day on the job. 
Companies like Louis Vuitton and TGI Friday\’s have formal mentorship programs that, along with technology platforms, enable workers and managers to set goals together. For example, a new employee can connect with a veteran manager to learn how he was able to move up the company ladder. Employees can \”gamify\” their performance by, for instance, setting sales goals and then digitally graphing their progress against those benchmarks. Allowing employees to map their own futures, gives them reasons to stay.

2. Project Flexibility — Even Within Necessary Limits

A lot of employers are moving away from the 9-to-5 workday in response to worker demands for more flexible hours, especially among Millennials. Unfortunately, retailers don\’t have that luxury when consistent open-and-close times are key to customer service. But that doesn\’t mean retailers can\’t be flexible about other things. They can, for instance, let employees select the shifts they want to work and work together to fill any scheduling holes. A survey by the Families and Work Institute found that employees who are given more control over the hours they work — even if it\’s within an established time frame — are more likely to stay on the job.

3. Satisfy the Urge to Move — Physically and Within Teams

Recent studies also reveal that Millennials expect to live and work in multiple locations. Here retailers — especially multinational ones — have an advantage over a lot of other businesses. Encourage employees to move from one store to another in another state and, depending on the language needs, another country. If that\’s not feasible, companies can embrace job rotation at a specific location. Giving employees a variety of tasks along with new forms of responsibilities reinvigorates employees who otherwise might feel their careers have stagnated.  
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, first phase of Census 2021 and updation of NPR postponed until further orders

The Census 2021 was scheduled to be conducted in two phases, viz., (a) Phase I i.e. House listing & Housing Census during April-September, 2020 and (b) Phase II  i.e. Population Enumeration during 9th to 28th February, 2021.The updation of NPR was also proposed to be done along with the Phase I of Census 2021 in all the States/UTs, except Assam.

Due to the outbreak ofCOVID-19 pandemic, high alert has been declared by the Government of India as well as the States/Union Territories. The Ministry of Home Affairs vide order dated 24th March, 2020 has issued Guidelines with the directions for their strict implementation, on the measures to be taken by the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and State/Union Territory Governments for containment of COVID-19 Epidemic in the country. Lockdown has also been declared by many State/UT governments. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has issued advisories for various precautionary measures, including social distancing.

Keeping in view the above, the first phase of Census 2021 and updation of NPR, which was to begin on various dates decided by the State/UT governments beginning 1st April 2020 and various related field activities, are postponeduntil further orders

Trekking in Nepal and Exploring Culture

Studying abroad was always an integral part of Madison Symes’ (’15) plan. Her grandfather had traveled to Nepal and spoke highly of his experience, so when the opportunity arose to earn UVM credit and spend a month trekking in the Himalayas, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I wanted to experience something new,” says Symes, a Global and Regional Studies major. After attending the UVM info session, she was eager to jump on board. “Seeing photos of the region and learning about what we would be doing was really exciting. I just wanted to be there to learn more about the culture.”
To prepare for the course, students spent two weeks on campus learning about regional history, culture, and geography prior to the trip. Symes says the sessions leading up to her travels covered all the bases – from basic language skills to the religious, dietary, and environmental aspects of the region.

Trekking in Nepal: A Cultural Experience

In early June, the group, including 14 UVM students, faculty members, and guides, trekked through the remote Mustang region, exploring rural communities and development while hiking the mountains. They navigated small communities, cultural sites, and the vast and rugged beauty of the Himalayan landscapes.
Nepal is home to nearly 29 million people. The population is primarily rural (Kathmandu, the largest city, has less than 1 million inhabitants) and primarily Hindu, with more than 80 percent of the population adhering to that faith.
Wedged between the high wall of the Himalaya and the steamy jungles of the Indian plains, Nepal is a land of snow peaks and Sherpas, yaks and yetis, monasteries and mantras. It is also a collision zone with the towering Himalaya Mountains forcefully plowing into mainland Asia.
trekking-in-nepalNepal also marks the collision point between Hinduism and Buddhism, between the Tibeto-Burmese language group and the Indo-European, and between Central Asian culture and Indian culture. It’s little wonder that this beautiful and diverse country has fascinated travelers and explorers for centuries.
“Kathmandu is a busy city. It’s a buzzing, really intense place,” she says. “Then we went to the Mustang region and you could hike all day without seeing people.”
It was an eye-opening experience. “The Mustang region has such a small proportion of travelers,” she adds. “It was really interesting to be in this isolated region and see how different it is from the cities or the Everest trekking routes.”
Venturing into more remote territories was fascinating. “I thought it was really interesting how the people did not want to disappoint us. One of our guides was an energetic, old Nepali man named Sri. He would constantly tell us that we only had ‘a little up, a little down, and then you’re there!’ It was clear that he just didn’t want to dishearten us when there was much more walking to do! His little up and little down could mean 6 to 7 more hours of trekking,” she says.
Throughout the journey, the group adapted to communication differences: instead of saying “no” directly, the Nepali locals would say “Okay, thank you.” Symes says, “I realized that differences in language can speak about a culture. Instead of making someone feel uncomfortable, they spoke in a way that affirmed what the person said and then moved on. I realized we are culturally abrupt, so I’ve tried to bring this back home and practice saying ‘Okay, thank you’ to my roommates.”
Talking with the guides was very helpful. “Everyone was very friendly. We got to visit with youth groups in some of the most remote areas and learned about changes they are trying to make with work, school, and health care,” she says. “We visited a community center where the young people hung out. They had a library, but most of the books were in English so it wasn’t totally accessible to the locals.”
Hiking provided visits to communities otherwise inaccessible. “I’m not a super active, outdoorsy person, but I did it! I think my legs had more of a shock from trekking than my brain did adjusting to the culture,” she says. “We got to see and experience so much.”
As expected, things don’t always go as planned, but lasting relationships develop. “I made such incredible friends on the trip. You really get to know each other,” she says. “We learned to be really flexible and get creative, and the guides were really incredible. I’ve stayed in contact with some of them on Facebook.”
The professional guides, or Sherpas, led the students through the mountains, helped them carry supplies, and set up camp, all while educating the students about Nepali landscape, culture, and traditions. “They even played Nepali music to encourage us along the trail,” Symes says.
One of Symes’ surprising realizations was how people can live quite simply. “It was eye-opening to see that we have so much more than others around the world,” she says. “My experience in Nepal really changed my perspective. I think it’s easy to lose that appreciation once you get back into your normal life, so I’m trying to remember what I learned there every day.”
It is apparent from Symes’ fond recollection of studying abroad in Nepal that she relishes having been immersed in Nepali traditions and philosophies. Symes enjoyed her travels so much that she decided to stay on and keep traveling in Nepal, where she spent another month trekking to the Everest basecamp. “I love to travel, so spending a longer amount of time in a country is always a better way to experience a culture and understand how people live,” she says.
Symes says she would recommend the program to other students in a heart beat. “Right now is the only time in your life when you can travel without dropping any of your other obligations. Taking a course like this is an incredible way to see the world, while learning, which is an opportunity that most people just don’t get,” she says. “It can be scary to step outside of your comfort zone, but it’s always worth it in the end.

The Best of Burlington Vermont

Burlington, Vermont is consistently ranked as one of the most desirable – and greenest – places to live and visit. The city’s vibrant arts and culture scene, endless outdoor recreation opportunities, and scenic beauty draw millions of visitors each year.
Live music, art openings, and comedy shows can be enjoyed year-round. Outdoor activities range from kayaking, fishing, and sailing to hiking, cycling, and skiing – and everything in between. You can also enjoy the area’s excellent dining, shopping, concerts, and special events.
The city hosts the annual Discover Jazz Festival, a week-long celebration featuring local talent and jazz legends who perform throughout the city at indoor and outdoor venues. Other annual events include the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in May, Festival of Fools, a street performance festival held in August, and Ri Ra’s Santa Run in December.
Burlington is located less than 90 minutes from major ski resorts, including Sugarbush, Jay Peak and Stowe. The city overlooks Lake Champlain, which is 120 miles long and covers 435 square miles bordering Vermont, New York and Quebec. Lake Champlain is home to “Champ,” the mysterious water creature believed to live beneath the surface

Career Outlook: What is a Virtual Assistant?

Graduates of the Office Management degree program at Bryant & Stratton College are prepared for a number of career options, including working as a Virtual Assistant in a number of business settings.
If you’re starting or in the middle of administrative assistant training, you may be thinking about what you’ll do after graduation (if you’re not, then you should!). Becoming a virtual assistant might be a good option for you.Virtual Assistant working at computer

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant is a contract worker that businesses can hire to perform a variety of administrative duties. Virtual assistants operate as their own business, building a client base and working remotely from a home office or an independent workspace. Working as a virtual assistant allows for greater schedule flexibility, and gives individuals the opportunity to specialize in the areas of administrative work that they enjoy the most.
Interested in this unique career path? Here’s what you need to know about becoming a virtual assistant.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants handle a variety of administrative and business tasks, depending on their client base. These tasks may include:
  • Writing business newsletters, and other communications tasks
  • Making phone calls, scheduling appointments and sending emails
  • Updating social media accounts for a brand or business
  • Managing website content and web design
Many virtual assistants choose to specialize in a particular area, such as web design or social media management.
What is the benefit of hiring a virtual assistant?
Many business owners choose to contract with a virtual assistant because they do not need the support of a full-time employee, but rather, someone to manage a few certain tasks. Hiring a virtual assistant is more affordable because the business is not responsible for providing office space, equipment or benefits. These eliminated costs also benefit the virtual assistant, as they generally make more money per hour than a traditional administrative assistant would.
What is the virtual Assistant salary?
Because virtual assistants are self-employed, salaries vary. According to payscale.com, virtual assistants can make between $21,372 – $64,066 depending on where they are located and their level of experience.
How does working as a virtual assistant differ from traditional employment?
As a virtual assistant, you have more control over your schedule and workload. You decide how big of a client base you would like to maintain, which hours you will work, and what types of services you would like to provide. Location and commute are not an issue, making it an ideal profession for highly mobile individuals (for example, military spouses). But the freedom of self-employment also brings the burden of self-motivation. This role requires someone who is a self-starter, so work gets done and clients remain happy.
What training and skills are required?
There is no formal training required to become a virtual assistant. However, virtual assistants do need the skills and a certain level of knowledge to be successful.
  • Administrative & Communication Skills: In order to provide a quality service, and build a client base, a virtual assistant must have strong communication skills, and be able to perform administrative tasks.
  • Office Technology Skills: Technology knowledge is also a must, as you will use a variety of online tools in order to communicate with and perform work tasks for your clients.
  • Business and Accounting Skills: It is also important to have a certain level of business savvy, as you are essentially running your own business. Understanding how to network, handle clients, and manage your finances are all necessary skills in order to be successfully self-employed.
Having formal administrative assistant training through a certification or degree program can help you hone these skills, and give potential clients proof of your experience and professional know-how.
If you are considering pursuing self-employment as a virtual assistant, online schooling can be a good choice especially if you are on the move or have time commitments restricting your access to on-campus courses. For more information on administrative assistant courses at Bryant and Stratton, click here. Ask about our online course options.

Top 5 Jobs You Can Get with a Business Management Degree

If you are trying to find your place in the job market, business management jobs are a good place to look for opportunities. The umbrella of “Business Management” covers a broad spectrum of career opportunities which means there is bound to be one which suits your interests and needs. In order to help kindle your inspiration, here is a list of jobs and careers in business management which require an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in business administration. There is a little something for everyone.
Top Five Business Management Degree Jobs
The statistics for the following job titles are based on those provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics via their Occupational Outlook Handbook.
  1. Sales Manager. If you love sales, but are ready to take your job in a slightly different direction, a degree in business management will provide an exciting fork in the road. Business managers know how to set goals. They inspire their team to create a successful plan and then implement it. Sales management jobs are expected to increase by 12% and have top median salaries of as much as $98,000.
  2. Industrial Production manager. Have you been working in the same plant since high school? Do you watch your manager and think, “I have great management ideas that would work even better?” It’s time to get your online business administration degree and start dreaming. Industrial Production Managers will experience an increase in demand by about 9% over the next few years. Their median salary is almost three times the national average.
  3. Accounting Manager or Auditor. The accounting title can be misleading because many accounting managers and/or auditors have degrees in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. As a leader, both skills are imperative for financial departments to run efficiently, legally, and smoothly. By setting your sights on a management position with an accounting firm, payroll service, or other potential career settings, you can work full-time while completing your degree in business management. It’s that simple. Then you get to be the boss.
  4. Executive Assistant. A top level administrative assistant can make significantly more than his/her administrative assistant counterparts. Most of the time, an executive assistant will have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in business or business administration. S/he often has to be one step ahead of the boss and make critical decisions when the boss isn’t available. Job outlooks are predicted to increase by 12% and the median income for an executive assistant is $43,500.
  5. Administrative Services Manager. Once upon a time, office managers were able to rise through the ranks with little to no additional education. Nowadays, a degree is necessary, especially if you want to work in a larger company or corporation. You will need to be a jack-of-all-office-trades, as well as an effective manager. A business administration degree will provide a foundation of skill sets, business, accounting, software, and more, to make sure you can do your job effectively.
If you feel like you are at a stalemate in your professional life, business management degree jobs are the perfect way to rekindle your inner fire and allow you to move forward and upward. Apply today for an online business management degree program at Bryant & Stratton and watch your career dreams come true.
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WORKPLACE DRESS CODES: DO YOU REALLY NEED ONE?

I was a brand new manager when I hired a temporary employee to do a specific project at a very conservative company. While we didn\’t have to wear suits, we definitely dressed on the formal side of business casual. One Friday a year, however, you could make a $5 donation to a company sponsored charity and wear jeans. Unfortunately, the temp started the same week as this once-a-year jeans day. Being new, and unaware that this was a once a year thing, she noted everyone wearing jeans on Friday and assumed our office had casual Fridays.
As her manager, and having never encountered this before, I had to confront her—which I did, but handled it very poorly. She offered to go home and change, I said it wasn\’t necessary, and we felt both awkward and ridiculous.
But it could have been prevented. If I\’d explained the company dress code when she was hired, then none of the awkwardness would have occurred.

Company Dress Codes Make People More Comfortable

Lots of people, especially in small businesses or startups, don\’t want to have a dress code because it seems stuffy, old fashioned, and uncomfortable. Plus, we\’re all wearing jeans everyday anyway, right? Not quite. In reality, a dress code is quite the opposite: it can make everyone feel a lot more comfortable.
A dress code isn\’t synonymous with suit coats and nylons. It can be pretty much anything at all. It can state that jeans are okay, but shorts are not, or that this is a business casual office and while button down shirts are okay, a full-on suit would be considered inappropriate.
What you want your dress code to do is make everyone clear and comfortable about what they should and should not be wearing. Then there\’s no awkward misunderstanding or uncomfortable conversations when someone shows up in something that would be better suited for a night on the town or a black-tie wedding.

How to Make a Dress Code

If your company doesn\’t have a dress code, it may be time to sit down and write one. Samples are easily available on the internet. And remember, you need to make it equal between genders. You can\’t require women to wear nylons and let men wear jeans, or vice versa, but you can have different general requirements. Men may be required to wear a necktie, while a woman can wear any dressy blouse.
If you work for a company without a dress code and you\’re concerned about what is (or isn\’t) appropriate for work, simply look at the leadership of your company and follow their lead. If they\’re wearing jeans, you can wear jeans. If they wear shorts and flip flops most days, but don suits when they meet with clients, that\’s what you should do too. And if you ever have any concerns, ask! You could even offer to help write up a dress code, because knowing what the rules are makes everything less awkward.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Career Overview: Medical Administrative Assistant

What is a medical administrative assistant?
A medical administrative assistant is a person who handles the clerical duties in a doctor\’s office. The list of tasks they perform each day are widespread and may change according to the type of doctor they work for. Medical administrative assistants do patient intake, schedule appointments, basic office paperwork, organize files and may even expand into billing and coding with the right training and certification
Students at Bryant & Stratton attend a type of billing bootcamp at the end of their degree program to prepare for the medical and billing specialist exam. The best part is, the entire expense is covered by the university. If students pass, they will be certified as medical and billing specialists and will be able to earn more money on their first job with that certification and their associate’s degree.
Medical administrative assistant pay per hour
The wage per hour that administrative medical assistants can expect is very good. Here are the basic facts for medical administrative assistants, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (for 2015, the last available data)
Median Pay: $ 30,590 per year, $ 14.71 an hour
Number of jobs, nationwide: 591,300
Rate of job growth: 23 percent a year
Studies and Career Path
What you will study: As a medical administrative assistant, you will focus on learning HIPPA laws and practices, communication skills and medical terminology.
Growth Opportunities: Once employees demonstrate they have the skill set to take care of an office, many assistants are moved into office manager positions. Having the additional credentials in billing means assistants could be moved into a management position in the billing office as well.
Professional Resources: To learn more about careers as a medical administrative assistant, check out these professional associations related to the field. Each of these organizations can help you find information, connect with mentors and research job opportunities.
To learn more about getting a medical administrative assistant degree, contact the Admissions office at Bryant & Stratton College.
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Cast Your Vote Today! Help Select the Pay it Forward Scholarship Recipients!

Pay It Forward Scholarship Program The Pay It Forward Scholarship program is designed to recognize and reward individuals who are not only interested in improving their own lives with education, but who also want to share the gift of education with someone else.  Unlike most traditional scholarships, the five chosen recipients will not only be awarded a full-tuition scholarship for an online associate’s degree program at Bryant & Stratton College Online, but they will also be empowered to \”Pay It Forward\” by giving away a matching scholarship to someone they choose, such as a friend, family member, someone they work with, or even anonymously to someone they think is deserving.
All Essays Are In!!! Bryant & Stratton College would like to thank everyone who entered the Pay It Forward Scholarship over the last few months. Completed applications had to be received by midnight on December 31, 2010 for consideration. We received hundreds of applications with compelling essays of inspirational stories, detailing the kindness and generosity of giving back to the community and how each person would \”Pay Forward\” a full time scholarship to someone deserving in their life. Bryant & Stratton College Online has selected ten finalists whose stories, we found to be in the best \”Pay It Forward\” spirit and have met Bryant & Stratton College\’s basic enrollment standards. Of the ten, the top six were chosen and have agreed to be a in the running to receive and \”pay forward\” a full scholarship for an online Associate’s degree at Bryant & Stratton Online.
Voting Has Started!!! Each of the six finalists had a video crew visit them in their homes and have shared their stories of inspiration and kindness and why they should be chosen as a recipient of the Pay It Forward Scholarship. At the end of the two-week voting period, the top five finalists who have the most internet  votes will each be awarded a full-tuition scholarship for an associate\’s degree program at Bryant & Stratton College Online, and will receive a second scholarship to \”pay forward\” to an individual or organization of their choice.
Cast your vote now!!! The remaining finalists who do not receive full-tuition scholarships will be awarded a $5,000 partial scholarship for an associate’s degree program at Bryant & Stratton College Online.  Additionally, Bryant & Stratton College Online will select a deserving individual from all the applications submitted to receive one $10,000 partial scholarship for an online associate’s degree program. Voting will close on May 13th, and we will announce the winners on May 16th.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

The Best of Burlington Vermont

Burlington, Vermont is consistently ranked as one of the most desirable – and greenest – places to live and visit. The city’s vibrant arts and culture scene, endless outdoor recreation opportunities, and scenic beauty draw millions of visitors each year.
Live music, art openings, and comedy shows can be enjoyed year-round. Outdoor activities range from kayaking, fishing, and sailing to hiking, cycling, and skiing – and everything in between. You can also enjoy the area’s excellent dining, shopping, concerts, and special events.
The city hosts the annual Discover Jazz Festival, a week-long celebration featuring local talent and jazz legends who perform throughout the city at indoor and outdoor venues. Other annual events include the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in May, Festival of Fools, a street performance festival held in August, and Ri Ra’s Santa Run in December.
Burlington is located less than 90 minutes from major ski resorts, including Sugarbush, Jay Peak and Stowe. The city overlooks Lake Champlain, which is 120 miles long and covers 435 square miles bordering Vermont, New York and Quebec. Lake Champlain is home to “Champ,” the mysterious water creature believed to live beneath the surface
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Key Points for Students Considering Tuition Assistance

Going back to school as an adult brings up many questions, but perhaps the biggest one is “how am I going to pay for my degree?” Luckily student financial aid comes in many forms. Scholarships, grants, loans are all options but there is another way. Many employers offer tuition assistance programs that help employees pay for college.
Tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement programs vary from company to company but they typically focus on giving their employees the opportunity to develop or improve skills that will help them excel in their careers. The programs are beneficial to employees and employers alike. Employers are able to invest in employees so they have the types of skills that will help keep the company profitable. But, employees are the real winners. Tuition assistance programs help employees earn an education while having the cost partially or completely covered. Since going back to school also helps them learn new skills employees are able to become better at their jobs or prepare for career advancement.
But, tuition assistance isn\’t free money. Companies design their programs to have some stipulations. Sometimes there are limits to how much a company will pay for the type of degree that’s being earned, designating different amounts for associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, graduate-level education and professional certificates. There may also be rules around what types of courses or degrees a program will cover. Many employers will only cover classes that are related to an employee’s current responsibilities while others may extend the offer to cover responsibilities of that are designed to position an employee for a promotion.
Another consideration is whether or not the tuition remission benefits will be taxable. If you are wondering if tuition reimbursement is taxable, check with a tax professional or the human resources person at your company.  
If you are thinking about going back to school, check in with your employer about tuition remission benefits. If you aren’t sure where to start, below are a few questions that will help you figure out what is available and how it may benefit you.
  1. Does my employer offer tuition assistance? This might seem like an obvious question, but not all employers do. Check with your manager or HR department to be sure.
  2. Are there tenure restrictions? For some companies you have to be an employee for a certain length of time before you are eligible for tuition benefits.
  3. How much will my employer pay? Employers often have a hierarchy for how they fund different levels of education. Find out if there are tiered amounts and whether there is full or partial reimbursement.
  4. Are there grade average minimums? Tuition assistance could be dependent on academic achievement, for example it may only be awarded if the employee earns a B average or higher.
  5. What classes are covered? As mentioned above, it would be unwise for companies to pay to train employees on skills unrelated to their jobs. Most programs only cover classes that are related to current or future job responsibilities.
  6. What are the employment retention requirements? Again, companies don’t want to pay for someone’s education only to have them leave for a better offer. So, many organizations put retention stipulations on financial aid for college, requiring employees to stay for a certain amount of time once they earn a degree.
Bryant & Stratton College aims to help all students understand the financial implications of attending college. This article and others are intended to address affordability issues and inform students of the variety of student financial aid available.
Interested in learning more about the online degree programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College? Call 1.888.447.3528 to speak with an admissions representative.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

THE VALUE OF TRACKING TURNOVER—AND HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

Turnover reports. Let’s be honest—they’re kind of boring. But, if you want to be a business that’s responsive to employees and boasts a great company culture, you need to track your turnover.
People in small business often say, “I don’t need to track anything! I know the names of everyone who works here and I can give you a list of everyone who has left, along with their reasons for leaving! Jane left because her husband got a job in Milwaukee. Steve left because a headhunter called him up out of the blue and offered him a raise we couldn’t match. Carol left because she wanted to stay home with her kids.”
It’s easy to think you’ve got it under control, but let me tell you a secret: People lie about why they’re leaving. Jane told her husband to go ahead and take that job in Milwaukee because she hated her manager. Steve was actively looking for a job for two years before he finally landed that one. He would have taken it without the raise. And Carol? Carol actually does want to stay home with her kids, but she intends to do consulting on the side. She would have stayed if you had granted her request for part time.

Seeing the Trees, But Not the Forest

When you know everyone in your company, you can’t always see the big picture. Which means that you don’t notice a very obvious thing that a turnover report might tell you—Jane, Steve and Carol all reported directly to Bob. It’s time to take a good look at Bob’s management skills.
No matter the size of your company, you need to look at turnover in a tactical and analytical way. The first step is to figure out your overall turnover rate.
Turnover is calculated by dividing the number of people who left by your employee population. But it’s often more difficult than just doing a bit of division—and it also depends on what type of business you’re running.
1) For a stable business: If you’re a stable business that is neither growing nor shrinking, you can use the following formula: Number of people who left / current employees. Because you’re hiring to replace, it will give you a pretty accurate look at what percentage of your employees are leaving each year.
2) For growing businesses: If you’re in a business that is growing by leaps and bounds, you’ll underestimate your turnover by using the “stable business” method. For a growing business, it’s best to use this formula: Number of employees who left / number of employees at the beginning of the time period.
Why the difference? Well, let’s say in January you had 100 employees. By June, 5 of those have quit. But you’ve been growing by leaps and bounds, and so now you have 200 employees: 5/200=2.5 percent. The reality is, though, that 5 of your original 100 left, so 5/100=5 percent. It’s a hugely different number with very different meanings.
3) For a shrinking business: If you use the stable method, you’ll overstate your turnover. So, for a company that is losing employees, you’ll want to use the same method as a growing business: number of employees who left / number of employees at the beginning of the time period.

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

You’ll want to cut the data across race and gender and departments and look for anything that stands out. You’re looking for patterns—but don’t panic. I used to do turnover for large grocery store chain and the reports were standardized across all stores. I got a panicked phone call from an HR manager in upstate New York who had 50 percent minority turnover. “What am I doing wrong? This was horrible!” I pointed out that the store only had 2 minority employees, and one had quit.
In other words, the numbers looked frightening, but the reality was that it wasn’t a big deal. A little research showed that her county also had less than 4 percent minorities, so it wasn’t surprising that her store had a small number of minority employees.
Likewise, if you discover that one department has significantly higher turnover than the others, don’t immediately fire the director. She may well need to be fired, but there may be something else going on. Was the department’s budget cut? Was there a reorganization demanded by senior management? Was the workload substantially altered? Investigate before reacting.

Separate Involuntary and Voluntary Turnover

Not everyone that leaves a company does so because they want to—you may have fired some people as well. But don’t pat yourself on the back if you have low voluntary turnover and high involuntary turnover. High involuntary turnover means that you’re either making some serious hiring mistakes—you shouldn’t have to fire good people—or your management is reacting to small problems by firing. Neither is good and requires investigation.

Make Changes with Your Knowledge

Looking at your turnover can alert you to problems before they grow too large. You can implement changes in your hiring procedures. You can train you managers. You can look at your salaries and your benefits.
Bottom line—don’t disregard the numbers just because you know every person that works and leaves your business. The numbers can show you a new story.

CAN COMPLICATED BE SIMPLE?

I have had an iPhone since the 3G.  I love the device.   Apple has made it easy to stay with them and they create great continuity in their upgrade stream.  They have excellent functionality and peace of mind with iCloud backups.  A recent experience made me realize just how dependent I am on the way that Apple rolls things out.
As usual,  with no warning,  I got a notice that the new release, iOS 9.0.01, was ready on my phone.  I had just done a backup so it seemed like an opportune moment, why not?  I had the time.  Remember though, there is no real notice about what is IN the latest iOS release ahead of time, nor is there any real background on what it is when you get it unless you troll the net to learn what good and bad things others have shared.  My first clue should have been to look deeper since it was iOS 9.0.1 NOT 9.0 which means Apple rolled out a ton of bug fixes right away.
But hey, we let it fly.
The first thing I noticed was it took an inordinately long time to load and install, atypical.  So long that I began to congratulate myself on the current backup I had made.  Finally it installed, but it looked like it was going through a lot of standard setup options that most updates don’t do.  The load process did several annoying things like attempt to use my iTunes credit card to drop into Apple Wallet (I had to read it twice and decline because it made it seem like it was just for iTunes, no thank you Apple). The update automatically tried to turn on location services (which I had carefully configured to my liking prior), turned on time zone settings for my calendar and added some new icons automatically rearranging my home screen.  Nothing dramatic, just a little intrusive and again with no real explanation as to what it was doing (anybody remember the “free” U2 songs you couldn’t delete from the last release?).  But the update took off and finally my phone was back. 
I didn’t think about it until the next day.  I was in Newark, NJ  with a colleague and we went to call an Uber Taxi for our meeting.  I opened the App,  and set my location and requested a car.  As usual I got a response within a few moments and the driver called me.  “I am at the Airport Marriott across from the terminal” I tell him,  “Where?” he asks?  “Are you at LAX, I thought you were in Santa Monica”? – it then dawned on me,  the update had turned off ALL OF MY PREFERENCES for location services.  The Uber app thought I was still in Southern California.  How funny.  I apologized to the driver and canceled the request, going back into my phone and redoing a number of configured settings that had been undone by this major upgrade.
Once I got a car on the East Coast, I ran through some of my favorite apps on the ride and found they were broken or behaved badly.  Again, nothing that rendered the phone useless,  but it did not behave as it did before.

Lessons for Release Management

Now, the iPhone and the iOS software are very complicated bits of technology which are designed to make my experience useful and simple.  But it dawned on me that this was a lesson in how to handle release management.  Complicated made simple…
  1. Publish what is in the release well ahead of time,  actually, publish it two and 3 versions out. So you aren’t adding functionality at the last minute.
  2. Let your partner community know it’s coming so they can plan for it ahead of time.
  3. Deliver any new functionality in the “off” position and allow the user to turn things on when they see use in doing so.
  4. Honor the configuration that the user has established and do not override their previous settings.
A simple, straightforward and planful approach to insure that the release is useful right away,  and that it does not have adverse impact on the user. As a consumer of software,  you should be able to expect nothing less.
BTW – I still love my Apple devices, but my iPad is not upgraded yet,  I think I will wait for iOS 9.0.2.

WHY RECRUITING MISFITS CAN LEAD TO OUT-OF-THE-BOX INNOVATIONS: Q&A WITH CRIS WILDERMUTH

Last week we spoke with Cris Wildermuth, assistant professor of leadership development at Drake University and community chair of LinkedIn’s Linked:HR group, about why companies shouldn’t — and can’t — teach company culture. Since employees play a big part in shaping the corporate environment, should companies hire people that fit into their current culture, or should they recruit outside of the box? Here, Wildermuth shares why companies should hire candidates that might not fit-in, since people with dissenting opinions often bring about the greatest innovations. 

What advice would you give companies that usually don’t hire people with dissenting views?

I would say, “You’re not going to be alive if you continue this route.” Ronald Heifetz, a professor at Harvard, talks about adaptive leadership, which is mobilizing people to thrive in a situation of change. When you’re confronted with a situation that requires changes in values, culture or history in order to survive, you’re not going to confront that challenge by having people who are strong supporters of the status quo. You have to have some seeds of dissent in there for that wall of the old culture to be shaken a little.
Apple, for instance, used to be the cream of the crop in its industry, and now you have all those competitors trying to attack the iPad and iPhone by coming up with alternatives. Is Apple going to survive by continuing what they’re doing or by making changes? These are the kinds of conversations that need to be held inside, and if you never accept any words of dissent, you’re in trouble.
If I could conjure up a culture with a magic wand, the one characteristic it would have is openness and no fear — the kind of culture that would let people express their disapproval without negative repercussions. From the standpoint of a well-oiled machine, there’s a lot of productivity in an environment without dissent. That will work wonderfully, of course, until there’s a disruption.

What are the dangers of having an open culture?

The danger of an open culture and allowing dissent is that you may temporarily lose efficiency. Let’s say, for instance, that we work as firefighters. There’s a big fire in the building and you’re an expert firefighter. At that point, you don’t want dissent because, while we’re discussing our disagreement, we’re going to die. There’s a danger in too much dissent in moments of acute crisis, and, often times, a crisis is an adaptive challenge.

What stands in the way of companies hiring people with contrarian ideas and views?

Often times those who object to things — who bring new ideas, who bring the elephant in the room onto the table — those people are not rewarded for their new ideas. If we’re not willing to protect the voice of dissent, then, from an ethical standpoint, we shouldn’t be hiring them. It’s not just about hiring people who don’t “fit our culture.” It’s about having hard conversations about what are we are going to do with the people who disagree with us. If we’re not going to support them, then we shouldn’t bring them in because we’re setting them up for failure. The problem is, if we don’t hire the people who disagree with us, we’re probably setting ourselves up for failure.