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.

How to Meet People in College

Meeting new people can seem daunting! On UVM campus, there are so many ways to get meet people while you expand your skills and knowledge. See what these organizations can do to get you connected make your experience at UVM more memorable:
Sign up for a class in Pottery or Photography at the Living/Learning Center and put your skills to the test!  You’ll meet students and artists, get to practice your craft, and walk away with a few works of art.
Join an organization. The Women’s Center, LGBQTA Center, religious organizations, and ALANA Student Center (ASC) are all identity-based organizations that support students by providing diverse events, support staff, study space, and advocacy to support students’ academic experience on campus. Get involved with students who care and make a difference on campus!
Participate group study session through in the Learning Co-op. Drop-in tutoring allows you to take advantage of a great study environment and to ask a tutor for help if you need it.  Stop in with specific questions or to get feedback from your classmates – no appointment necessary.
Take a drop-in Group Fitness Class through UVM Campus Rec. They have fun classes at various times every day where you can easily meet people and get into a healthy routine.
Be part of a club that makes a difference. End world hunger one grilled cheese (or vegan) sandwich at a time!  FeelGood offers gourmet sandwiches and donates 100% of the proceeds raised to the Hunger Project.
These are just a few of the ways you can meet people and learn outside of the classroom.  With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get involved on campus. With all of the clubs and organizations available to support you, you’re bound to find your groove in no time.

Q&A With Todd Lempicke of ThinkOptimal

As part of Bryant & Stratton College Online’s efforts to bring resources and information to improve students’ and graduates’ employability, our blog staff sat down with resume expert Todd Lempicke of ThinkOptimal to talk about trends and best practices.
Q: What’s one component that is commonly found on strong resumes?
A: Having quantified accomplishments is the single most important key to a strong resume. It’s not about what you do so much as how well you do things, and employers want to know how well you perform. Many people simply list what they did at their previous job or internship, showing what they were responsible for and what their duties were. That’s usually pretty obvious when you see the title, and pretty boring stuff. Telling the story of how well you did the job is what they want to know and makes for a much better read.
Q: How important are resume objectives today? Has there been a change in recent years?
A: Having an objective on your resume can work against you because it tends to limit your scope. For example, an employer may overlook you if your objective is “accounting” and the position being offered involves “bookkeeping”. A summary of skills or profile section has been the trend because it leaves more room for the recruiter to consider the candidate as a fit. One caveat to this is when someone has a clear career path and a targeted objective they may be viewed more positively since they are so completely in line with the job being offered.
Q: How early in their college career should a student create their resume?
A: We have requests from high schools to use our services and some provide job search training as part of the h.s. senior curriculum. Crafting a resume is an acquired skill and often helps people to visualize their worth and work towards building a skill set that is marketable. The sooner someone can put their career picture down, the better they can envision and gather the skills and experiences necessary for gainful employment. All students should be in touch with their career services department for assistance and guidance.
Q: How should students highlight class work or school projects on their resume?
A: We recommend a dedicated section of the resume such as “Relevant Coursework” or “Special Projects”. In lieu of employment experience, take every opportunity to display the training and skills. There are many examples of this in the resume builder to view. Also, consider having an eFolio or online portfolio in your job search arsenal.
Q: For students who are switching career fields, what’s the best way to position their previous work experience on their resume?
A: We recommend a combination resume where in addition to prior work experience, special emphasis is given to transferrable skills. A pure functional resume or resume where the work experience is downplayed or not listed at all creates a red flag because recruiters view it as deceptive. Recruiters will be more receptive when the candidate is up front and communicates the reasons for the change and relevant qualifications in a clear and reasonable way. Sometimes a cover letter does this best.
Q: How have online job search sites and the use of social media changed how students should prepare a resume?
A: Everyone knows that networking is the best way to find a job but it takes time to learn the methods and etiquette, and then to actually build it and use it. Social media has made networking easier but at the peril of decreased privacy and control. Today, an employer will be looking at the whole you – at your personal brand – and making an early decision based on more than just what is on the resume. They may be scanning for highly specific keywords and checking you out on Facebook. The social media profile is a precursor to the resume and it all has to create a consistent picture that is credible. You can call it your personal brand but I think of it as simply defining who you are and what you have to offer, and then managing it.

Instructor Blog: Juggling School and the Holidays

For many students, December is a busy time of juggling holidays and the end of school. While some of the time crunch can’t be avoided, a little perspective can help keep you from getting caught up in unnecessary stress.
The most important question to ask is: What is important to you? There are almost endless opportunities for holiday celebrations, and an endless to-do list.  Without prioritizing, it can be easy to run out of time for schoolwork.
For me, sending out Christmas cards was challenging with my work obligations. After a few years of stressing out, I realized two important things. The first was that most people on my Christmas card list already knew what was going on in our family and had seen recent pictures of us. The other was that I had ample opportunity to send cards around New Year’s.  Then, you can even include family pictures from the holiday itself! I was able to preserve something I enjoyed without unnecessary stress.  I haven’t received a single complaint from family or friends.
Another important consideration is to look at what is important in the long term. While so much about the holidays may either seem obligatory or something you just don’t want to miss, it’s important to think about what might be sacrificed by each holiday party attended. Not devoting time to schoolwork will have long-lasting impact. Time management is essential for ensuring you spend the time you want to devote to schoolwork. Look closely at the requirements for your courses. Which courses have final exams? How are you progressing on your portfolio projects, and how much time do you need to complete a quality project?
As you carve time for your schoolwork, think about how the knowledge you are learning will help you in your career. Think about why you want to finish school.  This will also help you avoid giving in to obligations you don’t feel that you have time for
If it feels like it is already too late to avoid stress this year, it is certainly not too late for next year! Think about what you could change for next year that will help you accomplish more.  Would you be less stressed if you started portfolio projects sooner? Are there friends or family members you can agree to see slightly after the holidays? They might be as relieved as you! Thinking ahead about how to balance school and work is an essential tool for enjoying balance in career and life. What a great gift to give yourself!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

WHY YOU SHOULD RARELY FIGHT AN UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM

Business owners, especially small business owners, are constantly concerned about keeping costs down—and rightfully so. But there are some scenarios in which culture and costs clash—and employee departures is one such area.
If you have too many unemployment claims, your cost as a business goes up. As a result, many businesses go to great lengths to ensure that employees do not win their unemployment claims. For instance, instead of firing employees, companies place heavy pressure on employees to resign, making them ineligible for unemployment.
Is this an effective strategy as a small business? Should you try to save money by forcing resignations, instead of terminating an employee? Should you challenge every unemployment claim in order to keep your costs down?
No, no and no. After years of experience in the HR industry, I feel confident saying you should rarely oppose an unemployment claim.
This advice seems to run contrary to popular wisdom. Your goal is to keep costs down, right? So not getting dinged for unemployment seems like the right thing to do, but let\’s break it down. Here are a few things to think about.

Lawsuits Are Expensive

When you terminate someone, what\’s your real goal? To get that person to go away and not bother you again. And by bother, I mean sue you.
When you fire an employee, for whatever reason, they are likely to be angry. Most likely they think you were unfair. While you followed procedures and made decisions by the book, all it takes is this employee convincing an attorney that he was treated differently than other employees who were a different race, gender, religion, or other protected class, and you\’re on the hook for thousands of dollars—not because you\’re guilty of illegal discrimination. But, even responding to the attorney will cost you money, and it could cost you your reputation if the employee can garner public support. Cutting someone off from employment and unemployment makes people angry—and angry people will be far more likely to retaliate in court.

It\’s Your Fault If Someone Is Fired

Anytime you have to fire someone, you should look back on what you did wrong. Rarely is the answer \”nothing.\” Did you ignore red flags in the interview? Did you let bad behavior slide for a long time until you couldn\’t stand it any more? Are your managers not compassionate? Do you focus on rules, rather than employees? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you\’re partly to blame for the termination. Don\’t punish the person because your managers can\’t manage.

You Want to Build Goodwill

You may have fired John for insubordination, but chances are he has friends at the office. These friends already think you were unfair, and when you fight back against unemployment, their shaky trust in you shatters. You don\’t want that. You want your employees to know they\’ll be treated well should something happen.
Another important thing to remember is that unemployment payments aren\’t exactly a reward. You\’re not giving former employees unemployment payments; you\’re just not opposing that they receive them. Employment attorney Robin Shea advises:

If an employee (let\’s call him “Jimmy\”) is being terminated for “misconduct,\” I\’d fill out the unemployment paperwork giving the true reason for the termination. If you want Jimmy to be able to collect, you may want to be gentle with the details. But by all means be honest. And then add, “Employer does not intend to contest Claimant\’s claim for unemployment.\” Depending on the (truthful) reason you gave for the termination, Jimmy may be initially disqualified from receiving benefits.

If Jimmy is denied and appeals, you can just not show up to the hearing. You aren\’t rewarding bad behavior. You\’re not lying. You\’re just being kind. And we all know the world needs a bit more kindness.
Photo: Creative Commons
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Real-World Experience: Why it Matters

College students hear it over and over again – to get a job when you graduate, you need to have some real-world experience under your belt. While it may feel repetitive, the sentiment rings true, Experience matters to employers.. One study found that approximately 79 percent of employers expect real-world experience and education from college graduates when they evaluate potential hires.
But why do employers want applicants with real-world experience? Here are three reasons: 
1. Some things can’t be learned in a traditional classroom setting.
Not to knock lectures or textbooks, but for some , experience is the best teacher. That’s why it’s important to practice your skills, both through hands-on classroom activities that simulate the workplace as well as off-campus opportunities, like internships and job shadowing.
2. Your soft skills need to be on-point.
Employers are looking for young individuals who will fit into their company right away. That’s why soft skills – teamwork, managerial skills, work discipline, etc. – need to be developed before you take the plunge into your job search. Participating in work experience programs like interning at a business, delving into class projects that emulate workplace scenarios, and even working at your part-time job all present opportunities to gain this experience.
3. Employers want proof that you’re career-ready.
Having experience in your field of interest shows potential employers that you’re ready to meet – and hopefully exceed – their expectations. The connections you make along the way (e.g. your supervisor from a past internship) can also serve as great references so that employers know you’re not all talk.
So you want more real-world experience. Now what?
While Bryant & Stratton College’s Career LifePrep program integrates workplace skills and practice into each program’s curriculum, you should also seek opportunities outside of the classroom. The Career Services Center offers a ton of helpful resources for students. You can also turn to the Web – there are many websites that list internship opportunities based on career field, location and more. The most important thing is to get out there – the real world is waiting.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

What does it Mean to Pay it Forward?

The “pay it forward” movement is not a new concept. According to Wikipedia, it dates all the way back to 317 BC where it was used as a key plot concept for a play in ancient Athens. There are small documented events of the “pay it forward” notion throughout history; however, it became a widely popular concept after the 2000 movie of the same name, which was based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
The simplest way to define “pay it forward” is that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass it on to another person instead. One of the easiest examples of this is buying a coffee for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop and then they buy a coffee for the person behind them and so on.
What is the point of all this? Why do so many people live their lives according to the “pay it forward” principle? It has been proven that acts of kindness build exponentially in a community and because people believe that one good deed deserves another. “Paying it forward” can make the world a better place. That was what Leah Doperalski thought when she used her nursing skills to help make life better for Jamaicans living in the Blue Mountains. But even if you don\’t go to the Blue Mountains, nursing is just one wayto live your life paying it forward.
Paying it forward can be part of anyone\’s daily life. Whether you decide to take up a life of service to the community or join the business world, you can incorporate the philosophies of the Pay it Forward Movement into your career. Paying it forward can be rewarding in other ways too. By volunteering to help a manager or a supervisor from another department with a project, you might stay in the back of their mind when an opportunity for a promotion comes up. Even as you build your professional network, people who you’ve paid it forward to will certainly hold you in a higher light than individuals they’ve never met or even have had bad experiences with. So paying it forward can enhance your personal life and your professional life as well.
Have you ever done anything to “pay it forward?” Has anyone ever done a good deed for you? Tell us about it and how it made you feel in the comments below.
References
Pay it Forward. [Online image] Available http://yourcaringangels.com/blog/?p=1010, February 26, 2009.
For more information on Pay it Forward from Wikipedia, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_it_forward.
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