DEAR REWORKER: WHEN SALARIED EMPLOYEES TAKE TIME OFF FOR MEDICAL REASONS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR PAY?

Dear ReWorker,
I have a new (two-months-employed) salaried exempt employee that has been taking between three and six hours a week to go to doctor’s appointments. He says that this will not continue forever and should soon stabilize to a monthly appointment. He has expressed to me multiple times in writing that he does not expect to be paid for the hours that he is taking off. Can you shed some light on any laws that I should know about for salaried employees and taking time off?
Sincerely,
Stumped About Sick Time
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Stumped About Sick Time,
First of all, your new employee sounds incredibly thoughtful. He recognized that his medical appointments impact the business and volunteered to forgo pay.
Second, you have to turn down his generous offer.
Being paid on a salary basis means he receives a predetermined amount of compensation that must stay the same every pay period, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. This is true regardless of how many days or hours he puts in, as long as he has completed some work, with very few exceptions. You can dock his paid time off (PTO) for the missed time, but you can’t dock his pay.
You can only dock an exempt employee’s pay for absences in strict circumstances—for instance, if these absences were covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guarantees certain employees of companies with 50 or more workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year (with no threat of job loss) to care for a new child or seriously ill family member, or to recover from an illness themselves. In this case, however, because he’s a new employee, he does not qualify for FMLA, which requires individuals to have been employed for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours over that time.
Other exceptions would include if he takes a full day off work for something other than illness or if he’s exhausted all his PTO and needs a full day off for medical reasons. But neither of those applies here.
If you have 15 or more employees, you’re subject to the Americans With Disabilities Act. Unlike FMLA, which requires an employee to have worked for a set period of time to access coverage, there’s no eligibility period for this protection. The ADA requires that you make a reasonable accommodation for any qualified employee. I’d assume that his condition qualifies (though that’s just a guess, since I don’t know the specifics), but you should ask him to fill out paperwork regardless. In most jobs, taking three to six hours off per week for a relatively short period would be seen as a reasonable accommodation.
You could, of course, require him to make up the time, which he may be anxious to do anyway. But here’s what I would do if I were you. I’d have him fill out the ADA paperwork and agree to this accommodation based on the doctor’s timeline (since he’s indicated this a temporary situation). Then I’d help him in any way that you can.
Why? Because not only is this good for the employee, it’s also good for your whole office. Workers now know that if they get sick, you’re going to back them up and give them the support they need. Turnover is insanely expensive—in fact, it costs employers 33% of a worker’s annual salary to hire a replacement if they leave—so giving someone flexibility when they need it saves you a fortune in the long run.
A company that supports people through medical problems is the type of place people like to stay. When you allow exempt employees to truly take care of themselves, that will come back to you through improved performance at work. As long as this guy isn’t an entitled jerk (and since he volunteered to take the time unpaid, I’m guessing he’s not), he’ll appreciate the kindness you showed to him. And that’s worth whatever sacrifices you have to make in the short run.
Sincerely,
Your ReWorker

Is a Management Degree Worth it? Choose Your Adventure!

Are you considering a degree in general management? Turns out a career in this field is not all that “general.”
Bryant & Stratton College offers areas of specialization in the general business management degree program. Each of the four disciplines can lead students down a very different career path. Take a look at these descriptions of each career field and what students who graduate from these programs can expect in their future.
Project Management: The opportunities available to students who study project management are phenomenal, said Leslie Bishop, program coordinator.
Project managers do exactly what the title says, they lead projects. That may mean working in an office, on a construction site, or on virtually any project, anywhere on the planet. The crux of this job is to be the point person who can walk into any department, in any organization, look at how the work is processed and figure out how to fix it and make the process flow better.
Students who earn a degree will graduate and be able to immediately take the exam to earn their project management certification. Once employed, project managers gain valuable on the job experience to work toward earning more certifications. Bishop said the accolades earned by project managers are recognized globally.
Marketing: In case you hadn’t noticed, social media is huge. And the marketing industry is firmly focused on moving advertising dollars from billboards and newspapers to Facebook, Twitter and other online formats. Bishop said companies are hiring graduates who are fluent in the language of technology.
“Organizations are looking for people who can come out and set up Facebook and Twitter and post responds to clients and customers,” Bishop said. “And that can pay very well.”
There still are traditional marketing careers where graduates work as well, to include sales manager, account manager, sales representative and director of marketing. Whatever career path marketing graduates choose, Bishop said they should strive to sit for a voluntary exam with the American Marketing Association. This accolade is a symbol of marketing excellence and boosts an individual’s marketability during a job search.
Ecommerce: Again, as technology has changed the marketplace, Bryant & Stratton’s degree programs have kept pace, allowing students to learn the ins and outs of the online marketplace. Bishop said students will study topics such as supply chain management, internet marketing, online transaction processing, inventory management systems, data collection systems virtual storefronts and online catalogs.
She added that Ecommerce graduates will not set up websites or work as accounts but rather will focus on careers that allow them to be part of the mechanism of a business as it works with other companies.
“If you are looking to break into an internet-based company, this is a good place to start,” she said.
Human Resources: Professionals in the human resources field take care of employees. And within that niche, there are several avenues of concentration.
Bishop said Bryant & Stratton graduates who earn an HR specialty will probably begin their career as an HR assistant in an entry level job. There they will be exposed to payroll, collection and verification of timesheets, human resources, compensation and benefits and recruiting. And it is here where they can find their passion and begin to move their career forward.
“There are so many aspects to HR,” Bishop said. “HR at the strategic level impacts the entire system of an organization. HR is limitless.”
Bishop said HR employees can sit for certifications as they earn more experience in the field. Those certifications are recognized globally as well and can give candidates an advantage in their job search.
No matter what path students choose with the general management bachelor’s degree, there are boundless opportunities to grow, learn and advance.
So, now that you know why you want to study management, contact our Admissions office. They can help you choose the right program for you.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

4 WAYS TO PREVENT A POOR CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE

Despite all the talk about HR technology and artificial intelligence improving candidate experience, the numbers say otherwise. In fact, candidate resentment has increased by 40% since 2016. But what, exactly, is the cause? A few of the top reasons cited in the just-released 2019 North American Candidate Experience Research Report include: poor communication, discrepancies between the job description and interview experience and disrespect for candidates’ time. 
It’s clear that the impact a bad candidate experience can have on one’s business is more than a little troubling. Imagine receiving 100 applications for a single job posting, for which only 1 person is going to be hired. Quick math: Ninety-nine candidates are at risk for disappointment!
And what will these not-hired candidates do if they had a less than positive experience? Seventy-one percent will share it with their inner circle of friends, relatives and co-workers. Fortunately, only 35 percent share it publicly online—probably because they don’t want to announce they didn’t get the job. But that’s still an incredibly large number of people speaking ill of your company. (And trash talk is the last thing you want going around when trying to entice top talent to cut ties with current employers and join your ranks.) 
But it’s not just hard feelings companies need to worry about. The impact can extend well into the future. Sixty-eight percent of candidates who’ve had a negative experience won’t reapply to that company. Worse, 54 percent said it would impact their decision to buy from said company. 
The Talent Board created an online candidate resentment calculator to help translate these results into real dollars. It’s based on the assumption that 100% of job applicants are potential customers or influencers. (Some might argue with this idea, but even a fraction of the whole results in pretty significant damage.) Here’s just one example: With 1,000 annual hires, the lost revenue due to candidate resentment exceeds $2.7 million, and the number of lost customers is more than 27,700. Numbers like these are nightmarish—and more common than you might think.
So what can you do to prevent a bad candidate experience? 

1) Be Proactive 

Applying for jobs at your own company to understand an applicant’s journey is likely the simplest low-cost solution you’ll ever find. Do it on several different devices—desktops, tablets and smartphones—and assess the experience using different operating systems: Apple, Google, Samsung, Windows. Remember that the candidate experience starts long before someone clicks to apply. “Google” your company career site on each device. How does it look? Is it easy to find? How long does it take the page to load? Is it easy to read, navigate and complete an application? If not, invest in fixing it!
Remember to also be proactive when it comes to communicating why someone may not be the right fit for a position or company. Resentment rates decrease by 29% when employers give rejected candidates general and specific feedback on qualifications and job fit. A bit of honesty and clarity goes a long way.

2) Be Predictive

No business function collects more data and takes less advantage of it than human resources. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to customers these days, and candidates are no different. It’s time to become comfortable with data. Google Analytics and most applicant tracking software, for that matter, provide deep insights into candidate behavior and the corresponding behavior of your systems and processes—data you can use to make much-needed adjustments and inform hiring decisions. 
In addition, ask for feedback from every candidate (whether they’re ultimately hired or not) and use that data to improve your process. Talentegy reports that 68.5% of candidates are very likely or likely to provide it, but 75% of companies never or rarely ask for it. 

3) Be Pragmatic

It’s just not practical for any recruiter, HR professional or hiring manager to keep up with today’s job demands without technology. Automate every task that requires manual entry and/or is routine. But remember that tech solutions can’t solve all of your problems. Chatbots won’t negate bad reviews on Glassdoor or Kununu. Automated emails won’t make up for delays in scheduling interviews and making decisions. A new video on your career website can’t hide a toxic culture. Identify each candidate touchpoint, assess its efficiency, then prioritize the risk of it creating a negative experience—regardless of whether it’s an automated or human-driven interaction.

4) Be a Problem-Solver 

Be vigilant. Be curious. Creating an awesome candidate experience is a journey. It has no finish line. The rules keep changing. The ecosystems keep evolving. The only true inevitability is that as soon as you improve the experience in one area, another issue is likely to pop up. It might be a new glitch in the software or the need to hire a new recruiter or hiring manager. In every case, delivering the most optimal candidate experience today requires a team of troubleshooters to fix the unexpected and problem-solvers to prevent recurrences.

AFTER SAFE HARBOR RULING, YOUR DATA REMAINS PROTECTED AT CORNERSTONE

In early October, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) struck down the 15-year-old Safe Harbor agreement — the most common way to legally transfer data between Europe and the U.S. — after determining the agreement was not sufficient to ensure the protection of Europeans’ personal data. The U.S. and EU have since been working on a new Safe Harbor agreement, but there’s no telling how long a conclusion may take.
The Safe Harbor news comes as data security concerns are on the rise, and in this time of uncertainty, we want to assuage any doubts about the safety of Cornerstone clients’ data. Despite the Safe Harbor ruling, our European clients have no reason to be concerned. Our team was well prepared for the potential decision against Safe Harbor, and had previously taken every necessary step to ensure your information is safe with us — as always.
The Safe Harbor agreement was known as the most common way to safely transfer personal data to the US, but it was not the only legal transfer mechanism available. As such, the CJEU ruling does not impact Cornerstone’s ability to operate in Europe or continue serving our international clients.
In fact, we can continue operating as before: EU data is stored in the U.K., and only accessed from the U.S. on an as-needed basis. In lieu of Safe Harbor, all data transfers will be fully protected under EU Model Clauses — a simple, easy-to-deploy solution. (You can find the Model Clauses on our website here.)
In addition to the Model Clauses, Cornerstone implements a multi-layer approach to security and constantly monitors our system to guarantee our clients’ sensitive workforce data is safe.

A Higher Level of Security

As the leading unified talent management software company to operate in the cloud and offer its products solely via SaaS, data security has always been part of our DNA — not just an afterthought. We have a state-of-the-art multi-tenant, multi-database architecture that meets the highest compliance and uptime standards. With clients across industries, our infrastructure has also been audited and certified to meet the most rigorous compliance requirements.
Our processes are aligned with EU regulations, including the ISO 27001 certification, and even when Safe Harbor was in place, Cornerstone was providing a higher level of protection than that assured by the now-defunct agreement.

Physical and Virtual Protection

The Cornerstone infrastructure is protected on the ground and in the cloud. We have four secure data centers — two in North American and two in Europe, each with 24-hour manned security, biometric hand scanners, video surveillance, motion detectors and alarms. Access is restricted to select personnel, and non-Cornerstone visitors must be escorted at all times.
In addition, all data in our application is encrypted in transit. On the user end, unique usernames and passwords are required to access the application, with single sign-on support — requiring all clients to be authenticated. Last but not least, the information available to users is entirely rights- and role-driven; users only see what they have permission to see.

A Dedicated Team

We have a world-class IT Security and Compliance team (that averages 10+ years of direct security experience) dedicated to maintaining and developing our infrastructure. Our culture of continuous improvement includes both product and employee development — we consistently update our infrastructure with the latest technology, and our team members strive to achieve the highest level of industry expertise. All team members hold one or more professional security or compliance certifications.
We are committed to providing a reliable and secure system to our clients, and will continue to diligently follow the development of international data transfer laws. The security and privacy of our clients’ data remains our top priority.

Respect for Sovereignty

Finally, we want to make it clear that, as a global business, we have utmost respect for data sovereignty. While data may be accessed if needed from anywhere (this is, of course, how we are able to support our many global clients) data is never copied outside of the jurisdiction of the data center.  This is an important point and it is precisely why we support disaster recovery at our data centers in both England and the US.  Even backup tapes are fully encrypted before leaving the data center and are secured at Iron Mountain facilities in the respective countries.
If you want to learn more about Cornerstone’s data protection policy and practices, please visit our website, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your account manager with any questions.

COMING UP AT DREAMFORCE ’13: THE FUTURE OF SALES ENABLEMENT

Next week the mega-event that is Dreamforce kicks off in San Francisco.  Our services and consulting partner Appirio has been gearing up for the event for many weeks over on their Dreamforce Central site.
You’ll find a lot of interesting content there, including seasoned advice on navigating the event, information on must-attend sessions, and insights into key trends that will be making waves.

Embedded, Continuous Learning: The Future of Sales Enablement

Speaking of key trends, Cornerstone will have a presence at Dreamforce ’13 with our Cornerstone for Salesforce offering, which has been really taking off over the past year.
Cornerstone for Salesforce delivers relevant training and education directly from Salesforce. Built 100 percent natively on Force.com, Cornerstone for Salesforce also integrates with Chatter to provide opportunities for real-time collaboration, recognition and feedback for colleagues and partners.
On Appirio Dreamforce Central, Jason Corsello has written about the shifting role of learning in enterprises, especially about how smart businesses are approaching sales training and enablement.  A few of his thoughts:
  • A “Knowledge Value Revolution” is Afoot. The key here is that the ability of a company, organization or employee to succeed depends on their ability to acquire new knowledge on a continuous basis and apply that knowledge in an effective way.
  • The Future is Real-Time and Embedded Learning.  Over the past decade, learning and development has moved from a throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach to a more strategic focus on real-time learning and training embedded directly within valued business applications such as Salesforce.com.
  • “Just-In-Time Training” Alone Is No Longer Good Enough. We need to start learning at the point of greatest possible impact – in the very applications and process that define our jobs.
  • Embedded Learning Drives Sales Effectiveness. Cornerstone for Salesforce responds directly to this push toward point-of-greatest-impact learning by seamlessly embedding learning management directly into the Salesforce Platform, so that clients can tailor training programs for their sales and service organizations and provide contextually relevant access to sales enablement and just-in-time training from within Salesforce.
In my view, the Cornerstone for Salesforce objective of putting actionable, meaningful training directly at the point of need is a story that we will hear repeated in the training and development space more broadly.  With the influx of mobile and social technologies and the evolving learning and work styles of employees everywhere, it’s only a matter of time before our learning strategies morph into something new and exciting.

Instructor Blog: The Importance of Reflection

Some students may wonder why there is such a focus on reflection.  Reflection is not only about helping you remember what you learned, it is learning. The results from a Harvard Business School study confirm that reflection is essential to learning.  A study was done with two groups of people. Both groups were given a test. One group was asked to write down strategies that would be helpful in a future test. The other group was not. The group that reflected performed significantly better (Christensen, n.d., para. 5).  You can follow the link below to read more and also follow a link to the study itself.
Reflection serves two main purposes. By reflecting on content again, you are helping it move from short term to long term memory. Connecting learning to how you will use it in your field helps it become more relevant. Also, by reflecting on strategies, you are becoming a stronger learner. This process is also known as metacognition, which is thinking about thinking.  This sounds really academic, but it means asking questions like “Did I study enough? Did I study effectively? What can I do differently next time?”
While courses are structured to encourage reflection, students will get the most benefit by putting reflection into action. At the end of session, many students say they will log in to the course on Sunday to look at the week’s assignments, or begin assignments sooner. Obviously, this knowledge is only valuable for students who actually implement these strategies.
Even beyond courses, the habit of reflection is part of being a successful professional.  In the workplace, there will be approaches to procedures. Taking the time occasionally to examine whether or not a process could be improved is valuable.  Also, after a problem arises, reflecting afterwards can help prevent the same issue from occurring. This would be asking questions like “Is email the most effective way to handle this issue? Should a manager have been alerted sooner? “ An article titled “Understanding Yourself and Increasing Your Professional Value through Self-Reflection” offers some additional insight on what it looks like to reflect in the workplace and why the skill is valuable. Read about it here: http://intercom.stc.org/2014/01/understanding-yourself-and-increasing-your-professional-value-through-self-reflection/
By taking full advantage of the opportunity to reflect and make changes based on those reflections, you will be able to present that critical thinking skill to future employers in an interview. Reflection is one more skill to set you apart from other candidates!
Christensen, T. (n.d.) Reflection Is the Most Important Part of the Learning Process. Retrieved from http://99u.com/workbook/25481/reflection-is-the-most-important-part-of-the-learning-process

LEARNING CORNER WITH JEFF PFEFFER: IT\’S TIME WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK

Mental health is finally getting more attention in the working world. In fact in January, the World Economic Forum held meetings in Davos that featured a dedicated mental health track. The goal? Raise awareness of mental health as a global challenge—outside and inside of the workplace.
According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 18% of adults in the U.S. (some 42 million people) have a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder. And a report from Mental Health America found that almost 20 million Americans have a substance abuse problem, while nearly 9 million people (3.8 percent of the population) reported having serious thoughts of suicide.
The workplace isn\’t immune to the challenges of mental health. And as the working world strives to master new, unfamiliar technologies, mental health issues could even be exacerbated by work. What\’s more, a systematic review of studies of work-related stress estimates costs to be as high as $187 billion, with 70% of the sum coming from lost productivity. I believe that learning and talking about mental health issues at work is a necessary first step to improving mental health in the workplace, and by extension, curbing the enormous costs they create.

How Employers Can Do More to Mitigate the Costs of Mental Illness

According to The Center for Workplace Mental Health, nearly 7% of full-time workers experienced major depression during the year, with the total economic burden estimated to be about $210 billion per year. Major depression increases absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity) and has direct medical costs.
Employers bear a lot of these costs and, therefore, have a role to play in addressing mental health issues—both through the medical benefits they provide and by building cultures of physical and mental health in their workplaces through management practices that promote well-being.
In order to get to a place where managers and employees understand the implications of mental health at work, companies should stop treating it as something distinct (and less important) than other forms of illness. They should provide comprehensive mental health coverage as part of their medical benefits, all while working to reduce the stigma.

Understanding (and Treating) the Pervasion of Mental Illness at Work

In 2008, the U.S. passed a mental health parity law mandating equal medical coverage for mental and physical illness, but big differences in coverage and access remain. One study found that in 2015, behavioral care was between “four to six times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care,\” and insurers paid primary care providers 20% more for the same types of care than they paid addiction or mental health specialists.
Some of this difference is the result of the stigma associated with mental health problems. A Financial Times reporter recently told me that when doing interviews for a story about mental illness in the C-suite, a board member told her that if the CEO admitted to mental illness, the board would fire that individual. An article about depression in the technology industry noted that admitting to depression could harm company perception and would put obtaining funding at risk.
Another contributing factor in the difference in cost and access is the sense that mental illness is not a “real\” illness like cancer or heart disease. But that is completely incorrect: As my Stanford colleague Leanne Williams has demonstrated, neuroimaging studies show real changes in the physiology of the brain diagnosed with depression.
Making access to care more costly and difficult for insured employees and stigmatizing mental health issues just drives people to try and hide issues and not get care—perpetuating the problems and their associated costs.

A Path Forward for Employers and Employees

Ultimately, the best way companies can eliminate the stigma around mental health at work is to just start talking about it. EY (formerly Ernst and Young), for example, launched a program called We Care with the goal of educating employees about mental health issues and encouraging them to seek help. The program is also centered around support for colleagues who may be struggling with illness or addiction.
More employers should take a similarly proactive approach to get mental health out of the shadows. And once the lines of communication are open, HR departments can (and should) consider offering benefits that provide more accessible mental health care.
Mental illness is enormously costly, both to society and employers, yet research advances make the effective treatment of disorders such as anxiety and depression much more possible. For reasons both economic and humane, employers should work to destigmatize mental disorders, increase insurance coverage of treatments and ensure that care uses the best, most recent available evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

LEARNING CORNER WITH JEFF PFEFFER: IT\’S TIME WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK

Mental health is finally getting more attention in the working world. In fact in January, the World Economic Forum held meetings in Davos that featured a dedicated mental health track. The goal? Raise awareness of mental health as a global challenge—outside and inside of the workplace.
According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 18% of adults in the U.S. (some 42 million people) have a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder. And a report from Mental Health America found that almost 20 million Americans have a substance abuse problem, while nearly 9 million people (3.8 percent of the population) reported having serious thoughts of suicide.
The workplace isn\’t immune to the challenges of mental health. And as the working world strives to master new, unfamiliar technologies, mental health issues could even be exacerbated by work. What\’s more, a systematic review of studies of work-related stress estimates costs to be as high as $187 billion, with 70% of the sum coming from lost productivity. I believe that learning and talking about mental health issues at work is a necessary first step to improving mental health in the workplace, and by extension, curbing the enormous costs they create.

How Employers Can Do More to Mitigate the Costs of Mental Illness

According to The Center for Workplace Mental Health, nearly 7% of full-time workers experienced major depression during the year, with the total economic burden estimated to be about $210 billion per year. Major depression increases absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity) and has direct medical costs.
Employers bear a lot of these costs and, therefore, have a role to play in addressing mental health issues—both through the medical benefits they provide and by building cultures of physical and mental health in their workplaces through management practices that promote well-being.
In order to get to a place where managers and employees understand the implications of mental health at work, companies should stop treating it as something distinct (and less important) than other forms of illness. They should provide comprehensive mental health coverage as part of their medical benefits, all while working to reduce the stigma.

Understanding (and Treating) the Pervasion of Mental Illness at Work

In 2008, the U.S. passed a mental health parity law mandating equal medical coverage for mental and physical illness, but big differences in coverage and access remain. One study found that in 2015, behavioral care was between “four to six times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care,\” and insurers paid primary care providers 20% more for the same types of care than they paid addiction or mental health specialists.
Some of this difference is the result of the stigma associated with mental health problems. A Financial Times reporter recently told me that when doing interviews for a story about mental illness in the C-suite, a board member told her that if the CEO admitted to mental illness, the board would fire that individual. An article about depression in the technology industry noted that admitting to depression could harm company perception and would put obtaining funding at risk.
Another contributing factor in the difference in cost and access is the sense that mental illness is not a “real\” illness like cancer or heart disease. But that is completely incorrect: As my Stanford colleague Leanne Williams has demonstrated, neuroimaging studies show real changes in the physiology of the brain diagnosed with depression.
Making access to care more costly and difficult for insured employees and stigmatizing mental health issues just drives people to try and hide issues and not get care—perpetuating the problems and their associated costs.

A Path Forward for Employers and Employees

Ultimately, the best way companies can eliminate the stigma around mental health at work is to just start talking about it. EY (formerly Ernst and Young), for example, launched a program called We Care with the goal of educating employees about mental health issues and encouraging them to seek help. The program is also centered around support for colleagues who may be struggling with illness or addiction.
More employers should take a similarly proactive approach to get mental health out of the shadows. And once the lines of communication are open, HR departments can (and should) consider offering benefits that provide more accessible mental health care.
Mental illness is enormously costly, both to society and employers, yet research advances make the effective treatment of disorders such as anxiety and depression much more possible. For reasons both economic and humane, employers should work to destigmatize mental disorders, increase insurance coverage of treatments and ensure that care uses the best, most recent available evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

LEARNING CORNER WITH JEFF PFEFFER: IT\’S TIME WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK

Mental health is finally getting more attention in the working world. In fact in January, the World Economic Forum held meetings in Davos that featured a dedicated mental health track. The goal? Raise awareness of mental health as a global challenge—outside and inside of the workplace.
According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 18% of adults in the U.S. (some 42 million people) have a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder. And a report from Mental Health America found that almost 20 million Americans have a substance abuse problem, while nearly 9 million people (3.8 percent of the population) reported having serious thoughts of suicide.
The workplace isn\’t immune to the challenges of mental health. And as the working world strives to master new, unfamiliar technologies, mental health issues could even be exacerbated by work. What\’s more, a systematic review of studies of work-related stress estimates costs to be as high as $187 billion, with 70% of the sum coming from lost productivity. I believe that learning and talking about mental health issues at work is a necessary first step to improving mental health in the workplace, and by extension, curbing the enormous costs they create.

How Employers Can Do More to Mitigate the Costs of Mental Illness

According to The Center for Workplace Mental Health, nearly 7% of full-time workers experienced major depression during the year, with the total economic burden estimated to be about $210 billion per year. Major depression increases absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity) and has direct medical costs.
Employers bear a lot of these costs and, therefore, have a role to play in addressing mental health issues—both through the medical benefits they provide and by building cultures of physical and mental health in their workplaces through management practices that promote well-being.
In order to get to a place where managers and employees understand the implications of mental health at work, companies should stop treating it as something distinct (and less important) than other forms of illness. They should provide comprehensive mental health coverage as part of their medical benefits, all while working to reduce the stigma.

Understanding (and Treating) the Pervasion of Mental Illness at Work

In 2008, the U.S. passed a mental health parity law mandating equal medical coverage for mental and physical illness, but big differences in coverage and access remain. One study found that in 2015, behavioral care was between “four to six times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care,\” and insurers paid primary care providers 20% more for the same types of care than they paid addiction or mental health specialists.
Some of this difference is the result of the stigma associated with mental health problems. A Financial Times reporter recently told me that when doing interviews for a story about mental illness in the C-suite, a board member told her that if the CEO admitted to mental illness, the board would fire that individual. An article about depression in the technology industry noted that admitting to depression could harm company perception and would put obtaining funding at risk.
Another contributing factor in the difference in cost and access is the sense that mental illness is not a “real\” illness like cancer or heart disease. But that is completely incorrect: As my Stanford colleague Leanne Williams has demonstrated, neuroimaging studies show real changes in the physiology of the brain diagnosed with depression.
Making access to care more costly and difficult for insured employees and stigmatizing mental health issues just drives people to try and hide issues and not get care—perpetuating the problems and their associated costs.

A Path Forward for Employers and Employees

Ultimately, the best way companies can eliminate the stigma around mental health at work is to just start talking about it. EY (formerly Ernst and Young), for example, launched a program called We Care with the goal of educating employees about mental health issues and encouraging them to seek help. The program is also centered around support for colleagues who may be struggling with illness or addiction.
More employers should take a similarly proactive approach to get mental health out of the shadows. And once the lines of communication are open, HR departments can (and should) consider offering benefits that provide more accessible mental health care.
Mental illness is enormously costly, both to society and employers, yet research advances make the effective treatment of disorders such as anxiety and depression much more possible. For reasons both economic and humane, employers should work to destigmatize mental disorders, increase insurance coverage of treatments and ensure that care uses the best, most recent available evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

IN HEALTHCARE, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT COMES DOWN TO COMMUNICATION

To hear the full conversation between Christine Corning, RN and healthcare director at Cornerstone, and Vicki Hess, check out the Creating Connections webinar!
Across industries, employers struggle to keep employees engaged. According to Gallup\’s State of the American Workplace report, 51% of U.S. workers are not engaged. Disengaged employees skip work, lack productivity and increase talent turnover, costing corporations about $550 billion annually. In the healthcare field, however, disengaged employees risk more than productivity and revenue: indifferent nurses and healthcare workers can mean the difference between life and death for patients.
A Gallup study of more than 200 hospitals identified the top indicators of mortality risk in healthcare settings, and the findings were frightening—disengagement among nurses was one of the top three indicators of mortality risk for patients.
But there are concrete steps that healthcare employers can take to avoid these potentially tragic realities. Vicki Hess is a nurse, keynote speaker, consultant and author fighting the disengagement epidemic among healthcare professionals. In her day-to-day work, Hess helps healthcare professionals create work environments where employees are engaged, customers are satisfied and organizations achieve their goals through specific techniques that build communication and connection. In her recent webinar for Cornerstone OnDemand, \”Creating Connections,\” Hess offers strategies for engaging employees in the medical field and other work environments.

Communicate With Your Employees

When Hess asked her webinar audience if it was important for leaders to connect with their direct reports, they answered with a resounding \’yes.\’ And yet, despite understanding the importance of these regular check-ins, many leaders don\’t prioritize one-on-one communication with their direct reports like they should.
According to Hess, leaders tend to replace this valuable time with relatively unimportant meetings, micromanaging other employees and performing miscellaneous tasks that belong to other workers. When this happens, leaders need to consciously reevaluate their schedules.
\”It\’s about removing the \’nice-to-dos\’ from your calendar and replacing them with the \’need-to-dos,\’\” explains Hess. \”And leaders need to be meeting and connecting with their employees.\”
If healthcare leaders put in the time to build trusting, collaborative and healthy relationships with their employees, workers are more likely to succeed. One 2019 study by the PRC found that “nurses are more likely to be fully engaged if leadership is accessible, responsive to their needs, and viewed as trustworthy.\”
Employees alone do not benefit from one-on-one meetings—companies do, too. Although one-on-one meetings can be exhausting and repetitive, leaders should consider what value they derive from these interactions. Hess encourages leaders adopt the \”WIIFM, or \’What\’s in it for me?\’\” outlook: \”Leaders get something out of these meetings, too,\” says Hess. \”Lower company turnover and higher retention rates.\”

Choose \”Conscious\” Connections

Hess offers employers two styles for creating connections with their direct reports: chance or conscious connections.
A chance connection forces one party to be proactive and the other reactive. For example, if an employee wants to discuss an ailment or achievement with their employer, the employee must seek out a meeting with their employer to discuss it. In chance connections, the employer is the reactive party and the employee is the proactive one.
But chance connections are not always conducive to effective communication and employee engagement. According to Hess, what employees tend to bring to these chance meetings are “impediments to performance or engagement.\” These impediments are temporary roadblocks to their success that are more temporary and urgent than they are important. For example, an employee is more likely to engage in a chance connection meeting with their employer about temporary problems, like the new, bad janitor or poor lighting in their office than talk about major issues, like their lack of interest in their work.
In order to avoid these ineffective conversations, Hess recommends making chance connections through \”roundabout meetings.\” These meetings still happen by chance, but they occur as a leader walks around an office from employee to employee. These interactions tend to be more effective for building connections because the leader is proactive and can drive conversations to discuss their employees\’ internal motivations and long-term goals.
Alternatively, conscious connections occur when both parties are proactively choosing to meet. The connections include scheduled, preplanned meetings between the employer and employee. In the webinar, Hess argues in favor of conscious connections rather than chance ones. Conscious connections allow both parties to arrive prepared with discussion points and thoughtful observations about their work life and career trajectory. Additionally, time doesn\’t have to be made for conscious connections. If these meetings are recurring events on a calendar, both individuals can plan for them in advance with some regularity.

Tackle Conversations With Purpose

However employees and employers choose to meet, managers should come prepared. Hess recommends that leaders try to tap into what makes their employees satisfied, energized and productive. This answer gives employers insights into an employee\’s internal motivators.
For example, if your employee describes their motivators as \’learning new things,\’ you know they thrive in environments where they are constantly challenging themselves. Or, an employee may derive motivation from \’making a difference for the people they serve\’ or \’problem-solving.\’ A leader can then use this information to move that employee into a position or department where they are managing workers and workplace culture more regularly. Regardless of the answer, it\’s important to use an employee\’s internal motivators to find more engaging opportunities that support more of what they want to do.
Leaders should also be sure to search for both external and internal motivators during conversations with direct reports. It\’s easy for an employee to offer only external motivators, like \’I feel energized and productive when other people are doing their job\’ or \’I feel energized and productive when we are properly staffed.\’ If this is the case, leaders will need to dig deeper to find out their employee\’s internal motivators. Without recognizing what internally drives an employee, leaders cannot effectively avoid disengagement.
Want to discover more best practices and solutions to attract and retain your healthcare staff? Learn more about the Cornerstone for Healthcare solution.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Struggling in a Class? We’re Here to Help!!

Life can get in the way of success for a student. One day away from the books might turn into a week. And suddenly, you can find yourself not just falling behind, but failing.
The key to recovery after any roadblock you face in class is to keep in contact with your academic advisor and, or, your academic success coach, as well as your instructor. Working double shifts this week? Let them know. Death in the family? Let them know. Kids come home from preschool with lice? Let them know. They can adjust your due dates for assignments accordingly. And if you are not contacting them, they will reach out to you.
“Our advisors and academic success coaches work closely with our students, especially those who are in their first term,” said Brandy McDonough, associate dean of instruction. “If something seems amiss they will contact the student and support them to get back on track.”
Each instructor will have their policies late assignments listed on the class syllabus. However, McDonough said students who are facing a hardship need to be proactive. Instructors are willing to work with students who communicate when they have an issue.
“The biggest point is that students need to know the importance of being as proactive as possible and reaching out to their instructor right away if know they have a conflict,” McDonough said. “If all of a sudden life got in the way and they need additional time they should immediately reach out to their instructor.”
Students also need to check their Bryant & Stratton issued email address on a daily basis. Instructors will not respond to emails from outside providers. All staff members communicate with students through Bryant & Stratton email and through the online blackboard system. If you are struggling in a class because you need more instruction, Bryant & Stratton College has opportunities for you.
Faculty members are able to work with students one on one during virtual office hours, or, you can schedule a meeting. Tutoring is available as well. Once you’ve realized that you need more help in a course, your best action is to get that help. Students can only add or drop a course in the first seven days of the session without penalty.
On day eight, if you decide you are not ready for the course, you need to make it work. That’s because on day eight, you are responsible for the cost of the class. If you drop the course anyways, you may also lose some financial aid benefits.  

4 STEPS TO BUILDING AN IRRESISTIBLE \’EMPLOYER BRAND\’

We always hear about the importance of building a brand to attract customers. But what we don\’t hear a lot about is the value of brand-building when it comes to recruiting. At a time when competition for top talent is fierce even in a sputtering economy, employers need to do a lot more than just dangle higher salaries, more flexible hours and referral bonuses to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Kim Cassady, director of global talent at Cornerstone OnDemand, says companies should put as much emphasis on their \”employer brand\” as they do on the public face they present to customers and the world. But building that brand means more than just throwing money and perks at potential recruits, she says. Cassady suggests four core strategies for developing a reputation as a great company to work for.

Create a Culture by Design

Recruiting today needs to be proactive, and that includes creating a mission statement and culture that\’s vibrant and attractive to job seekers. After all, in today\’s uber-connected society, corporate cultures get defined by default unless companies take an active role upfront, says Cornerstone OnDemand CEO Adam Miller. Key to this take-charge process is employee input: put workers — not managers — at the center and allow them to identify and describe a company\’s personality, purpose and rewards.

Tap the Company\’s Best Asset

A company\’s most effective brand advocates are its current employees. Just as they help define a company\’s culture, they should be intricately involved in the recruiting process, says Cassady. Employees can blog on the company\’s site or for other industry sites. They can talk up the company at networking events. They can even apply on the company\’s behalf for recognition as a \”great place to work.\” And when there are openings to fill, remember that current staff members are the best resource: companies are 10 times more likely to hire a referred candidate than other applicants.

Keep up Appearances

A company\’s \”employer brand\” matters a lot, but not to the exclusion of its overall brand, Cassady notes. To that end, leadership throughout the company is critical. From marketing to human resources to finance to sales, department heads throughout a company should live up to the company\’s culture and values — and communicate them effectively to key stakeholders, prospective recruits, customers, and current employees. A good way, explains Cassady, to maintain a strong brand is to set up a LinkedIn company profile, keep the company website up-to-date and make the most of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a way to engage and inform the outside world. Statistics show that 98 percent of recruiters and hiring managers use social media so when it comes to building a public-facing brand, social media is a big avenue for success.

Differentiate Yourself, and Keep Doing It

Companies that look too much like their competitors have a harder time recruiting top talent based on factors other than compensation, says Cassady. It\’s critical, she says, that companies strive to set themselves apart from their rivals — and to think constantly about new ways to do that. Zappos — which has nap rooms for employees — Google — which offers employees free rental cars to run errands, free gyms and, in some cases, free on-site daycare — and Airbnb — where workers get $2,000 a year to spend as they wish on travel — are all good examples of companies who have set themselves apart from the competition.
The perks don\’t have to be as costly as Google\’s or as wacky as Zappos\’, but companies would do well to remember that even small gestures can add up in the eyes of current — and future — employees.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

4 STEPS TO BUILDING AN IRRESISTIBLE \’EMPLOYER BRAND\’

We always hear about the importance of building a brand to attract customers. But what we don\’t hear a lot about is the value of brand-building when it comes to recruiting. At a time when competition for top talent is fierce even in a sputtering economy, employers need to do a lot more than just dangle higher salaries, more flexible hours and referral bonuses to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Kim Cassady, director of global talent at Cornerstone OnDemand, says companies should put as much emphasis on their \”employer brand\” as they do on the public face they present to customers and the world. But building that brand means more than just throwing money and perks at potential recruits, she says. Cassady suggests four core strategies for developing a reputation as a great company to work for.

Create a Culture by Design

Recruiting today needs to be proactive, and that includes creating a mission statement and culture that\’s vibrant and attractive to job seekers. After all, in today\’s uber-connected society, corporate cultures get defined by default unless companies take an active role upfront, says Cornerstone OnDemand CEO Adam Miller. Key to this take-charge process is employee input: put workers — not managers — at the center and allow them to identify and describe a company\’s personality, purpose and rewards.

Tap the Company\’s Best Asset

A company\’s most effective brand advocates are its current employees. Just as they help define a company\’s culture, they should be intricately involved in the recruiting process, says Cassady. Employees can blog on the company\’s site or for other industry sites. They can talk up the company at networking events. They can even apply on the company\’s behalf for recognition as a \”great place to work.\” And when there are openings to fill, remember that current staff members are the best resource: companies are 10 times more likely to hire a referred candidate than other applicants.

Keep up Appearances

A company\’s \”employer brand\” matters a lot, but not to the exclusion of its overall brand, Cassady notes. To that end, leadership throughout the company is critical. From marketing to human resources to finance to sales, department heads throughout a company should live up to the company\’s culture and values — and communicate them effectively to key stakeholders, prospective recruits, customers, and current employees. A good way, explains Cassady, to maintain a strong brand is to set up a LinkedIn company profile, keep the company website up-to-date and make the most of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a way to engage and inform the outside world. Statistics show that 98 percent of recruiters and hiring managers use social media so when it comes to building a public-facing brand, social media is a big avenue for success.

Differentiate Yourself, and Keep Doing It

Companies that look too much like their competitors have a harder time recruiting top talent based on factors other than compensation, says Cassady. It\’s critical, she says, that companies strive to set themselves apart from their rivals — and to think constantly about new ways to do that. Zappos — which has nap rooms for employees — Google — which offers employees free rental cars to run errands, free gyms and, in some cases, free on-site daycare — and Airbnb — where workers get $2,000 a year to spend as they wish on travel — are all good examples of companies who have set themselves apart from the competition.
The perks don\’t have to be as costly as Google\’s or as wacky as Zappos\’, but companies would do well to remember that even small gestures can add up in the eyes of current — and future — employees.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

4 STEPS TO BUILDING AN IRRESISTIBLE \’EMPLOYER BRAND\’

We always hear about the importance of building a brand to attract customers. But what we don\’t hear a lot about is the value of brand-building when it comes to recruiting. At a time when competition for top talent is fierce even in a sputtering economy, employers need to do a lot more than just dangle higher salaries, more flexible hours and referral bonuses to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Kim Cassady, director of global talent at Cornerstone OnDemand, says companies should put as much emphasis on their \”employer brand\” as they do on the public face they present to customers and the world. But building that brand means more than just throwing money and perks at potential recruits, she says. Cassady suggests four core strategies for developing a reputation as a great company to work for.

Create a Culture by Design

Recruiting today needs to be proactive, and that includes creating a mission statement and culture that\’s vibrant and attractive to job seekers. After all, in today\’s uber-connected society, corporate cultures get defined by default unless companies take an active role upfront, says Cornerstone OnDemand CEO Adam Miller. Key to this take-charge process is employee input: put workers — not managers — at the center and allow them to identify and describe a company\’s personality, purpose and rewards.

Tap the Company\’s Best Asset

A company\’s most effective brand advocates are its current employees. Just as they help define a company\’s culture, they should be intricately involved in the recruiting process, says Cassady. Employees can blog on the company\’s site or for other industry sites. They can talk up the company at networking events. They can even apply on the company\’s behalf for recognition as a \”great place to work.\” And when there are openings to fill, remember that current staff members are the best resource: companies are 10 times more likely to hire a referred candidate than other applicants.

Keep up Appearances

A company\’s \”employer brand\” matters a lot, but not to the exclusion of its overall brand, Cassady notes. To that end, leadership throughout the company is critical. From marketing to human resources to finance to sales, department heads throughout a company should live up to the company\’s culture and values — and communicate them effectively to key stakeholders, prospective recruits, customers, and current employees. A good way, explains Cassady, to maintain a strong brand is to set up a LinkedIn company profile, keep the company website up-to-date and make the most of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a way to engage and inform the outside world. Statistics show that 98 percent of recruiters and hiring managers use social media so when it comes to building a public-facing brand, social media is a big avenue for success.

Differentiate Yourself, and Keep Doing It

Companies that look too much like their competitors have a harder time recruiting top talent based on factors other than compensation, says Cassady. It\’s critical, she says, that companies strive to set themselves apart from their rivals — and to think constantly about new ways to do that. Zappos — which has nap rooms for employees — Google — which offers employees free rental cars to run errands, free gyms and, in some cases, free on-site daycare — and Airbnb — where workers get $2,000 a year to spend as they wish on travel — are all good examples of companies who have set themselves apart from the competition.
The perks don\’t have to be as costly as Google\’s or as wacky as Zappos\’, but companies would do well to remember that even small gestures can add up in the eyes of current — and future — employees.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

4 WAYS COLLEGE RECRUITERS CAN ATTRACT DIVERSE TALENT

This piece is the second in our “Campus Recruiting 101” series, about how recruiters can make the most of their campus recruiting efforts this year.
“Be open to the idea that great candidates can come from different backgrounds and bring something valuable to your company,” says Adrianna De Battista, Tech Recruiting Lead at Lyft—I couldn’t agree more and there’s plenty of research to back her up.
A Deloitte study found that 83 percent of millennials are more engaged at work when their company fosters inclusivity, and a McKinsey study found that ethnically diverse companies are 35 percent more likely to outperform industry medians.
The business value of having people with different backgrounds and perspectives on a team points to the fact that promoting diversity isn’t just about “being fair”—it’s strategic. In order for recruiters to create a diverse and durable talent pipeline, it’s important to be diverse in your approach to find talent. With campus recruiting you start at the beginning: on campus, where students first consider and pursue their careers.
Below are four tactics to promote inclusivity when executing your on-campus recruiting strategy.

1) Make Diversity Part of Your Brand

Today’s college students expect their future employers to create a space for all potential employees. From the job description to your homepage, your recruiting materials should be transparent; illustrating your culture and reflecting your diverse and inclusive environment. In addition to these basic elements, these materials should include what offerings you have to embrace your diversity, from teams and groups, to training and benefits. Add video testimonials from a blend of employees inclusive of underrepresented employees, a message from your Employee Resource Group and a statement from your CEO authentically supporting this message.
Internally, build and maintain a culturally conscious workforce by investing in training and educational resources. These conscientious employees will not only promote workplace inclusivity, but also attract diverse talent during those campus visits, whether at info sessions or during interviews.

2) Look for Talent in the Right Places

Recruit for diversity more efficiently by visiting the right colleges. Consider joining the many employers who recruit potential candidates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), both of which have large talent pools.
Next, whether at an HBCU, HSI or other university, partner with student groups that represent their campuses’ diverse communities, such as women’s groups or LGBTQIA organizations, to host on-campus events and market open positions. Finally, back in the office, don’t restrict your referral program but embrace the variety that you receive. You can even boost your program to reward employees who bring in diverse talent from their networks. Make diversity the norm, not the anomaly. 
And remember that these three channels, although effective individually, will yield the most talent when leveraged in concert.

3) Participate in a Virtual Career Fair

For your messaging to reach the majority of a student body, you need to master alternative communication platforms. Virtual career fairs—whether they target veterans, people with disabilities, or another community—connect you with otherwise hard-to-reach groups and give you an opportunity to promote your company’s diversity and inclusivity programs.
If you can’t host a virtual fair, attend one through a platform like CareerEco, Gettinghired or Veteran Recruiting, each of which gives you access to underrepresented students.

4) Create Formal Programs for Underrepresented Students

Formal internships and fellowship programs for underrepresented student groups attract high-caliber students at the start of their careers.
PwC, for example, identifies top talent through its one-day Explore program, and develops that talent through Start, an internship program for high-performing underrepresented students. By investing in your diversity efforts early, you identify talent before competitors do, develop a reputation as an inclusive employer and build a sustainable talent pipeline. If you do offer such internships or programs, ask former participants to act as “campus ambassadors” for the program to recruit students for the next year.
Think of the formal internship program as the culmination of your entire campus diversity recruiting strategy. With the right branding, a targeted approach to campus visits, an embrace of all available communication platforms and career-boosting opportunities that supports all team members, you’ll find the perfect students to thrive in your inaugural program, and have a tested process to improve upon for next year.