Concept and Brief Overview:
Analyzing Programs
Analyzing the effectiveness of a program is essential in the business world because if there is no profitability in the program then the company will not use it. The programs should be able to have more value than what the dollar costs are. If they aren’t, then the program is not going very far. Efficiency is the main ingredient and HR should always be trying to become more efficient in the programs that they run. HR affects the whole company and when something is not going right with HR then something needs to be done to fix the problem. HR is in place to help the organization achieve their goals and also help individuals achieve their own goals also.
Emotional Hook:
Wouldn’t you want to work for a company that had a HR management established that was concerned about your goals in life and helping achieve those objectives? They are concerned about the well-being of the employees and hope to keep employees for the long run.
Key points to elicit in discussion:
HR Management is in place to help make the company more profitable and increase productivity while also decreasing turnover and costs. Analyzing the effect of HR is important to show that their programs are working and are in place for the benefit of the company as whole.
Facilitative Questions:
Wouldn’t the company benefit to analyze the profitability not just in the programs of HR but also the programs in place in the whole company? If all sectors of a company are efficient then the company will be even more productive on increasing revenue?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Discussion Topic
Concept and Brief Discussion:
International Employee Benefits
The benefits that employees receive depend a lot on the person and where they are from. With paid vacation, the US actually isn’t the best country to work in if you are expecting paid vacation because the work hours in the US compared to other countries is relatively high. In Germany, a worker on average works 500 hours less than a US employee. So if you value paid vacation then you might want to go to Germany and work. Also in the US employers don’t give much time off to their employees. HR really has to do their research when they employ workers in other countries. They can offer different benefits for different workers. It depends on the culture of the country and how they do things their.
Emotional Hook:
What if you came from a country that valued paid time off and worked in the US that doesn’t offer many days of paid vacation? Wouldn’t you think twice about moving jobs? If your family liked going on vacations because they were used to the paid time off then they would still want to go on those vacations. How would you be able to keep that same family tradition in a place that does not value time with family but they value hard work and getting the job done?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Since in the US benefits are worth 30% of the total compensation of workers salary then HR can expect that benefits are worth quite a bit to US employees. In other countries they might not value certain benefits but just want to be paid money for their compensation. Foreign cultures also might expect more from the employer than the employer really wants to give out.
Facilitative Questions:
Would workers be more motivated to work for a company that values employee benefit or a company that pays out more money for the lack of benefits offered? Are workers more attracted to the larger salary or the larger amount of total compensation?
International Employee Benefits
The benefits that employees receive depend a lot on the person and where they are from. With paid vacation, the US actually isn’t the best country to work in if you are expecting paid vacation because the work hours in the US compared to other countries is relatively high. In Germany, a worker on average works 500 hours less than a US employee. So if you value paid vacation then you might want to go to Germany and work. Also in the US employers don’t give much time off to their employees. HR really has to do their research when they employ workers in other countries. They can offer different benefits for different workers. It depends on the culture of the country and how they do things their.
Emotional Hook:
What if you came from a country that valued paid time off and worked in the US that doesn’t offer many days of paid vacation? Wouldn’t you think twice about moving jobs? If your family liked going on vacations because they were used to the paid time off then they would still want to go on those vacations. How would you be able to keep that same family tradition in a place that does not value time with family but they value hard work and getting the job done?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Since in the US benefits are worth 30% of the total compensation of workers salary then HR can expect that benefits are worth quite a bit to US employees. In other countries they might not value certain benefits but just want to be paid money for their compensation. Foreign cultures also might expect more from the employer than the employer really wants to give out.
Facilitative Questions:
Would workers be more motivated to work for a company that values employee benefit or a company that pays out more money for the lack of benefits offered? Are workers more attracted to the larger salary or the larger amount of total compensation?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Learning Reflections
There are so many different decisions that people can choose if their employer has the options. For the larger companies it is very important to have many options for their employees because it is a good selling feature to recruit the best talent. If benefits are 30% of total compensation then I would want to get the best benefits that benefited me and my family. It is really neat that some companies offer on-site health care and they have an on-site fitness center that offers instructor classes and personal trainers. Health is very important to the employees and also to the employers. Companies want their employees in the best health so they are efficient in their production and healthy employees don't cost as much with medical expenses. Companies need to have well-being programs that use physical fitness and healthy eating practices that influence their employees to change bad habits to healthy habits.
Unions are an interesting topic. When we did the mock trial in class it was interesting to see what everyone did. I think that unions are pretty much useless now but they might have a couple of uses. I feel like they are just their to take money from the workers. Cooperation on both sides of the line would benefit everyone but it seems like the employees have more power than they need. Companies should have a lot of the say on what goes on, but there should be compromise on both sides. That is why a good HR management would be able to replace a union.
Unions are an interesting topic. When we did the mock trial in class it was interesting to see what everyone did. I think that unions are pretty much useless now but they might have a couple of uses. I feel like they are just their to take money from the workers. Cooperation on both sides of the line would benefit everyone but it seems like the employees have more power than they need. Companies should have a lot of the say on what goes on, but there should be compromise on both sides. That is why a good HR management would be able to replace a union.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Discussion Topic
Concept and Brief Description:
Labor Unions
The trend in recent years has been that unions are not being organized among workers any more. It is based on cost and efficiency. Workers don’t want to be forking over all the money for their labor union to sit on their fanny and do nothing. They are built up to keep management in line to make sure that their needs are met and that they feel like they are getting paid what they think they should. Also the pay scale is interesting. Groups who are unionized I would think would be less productive. They are being paid a certain amount each hour so why should they work harder if they know what they are making won’t change. Also getting fired is even more difficult in a unionize workplace. There are so many rules that are created and set up. Workers are given so much leeway on what they can do. I just feel that a company would suffer more with a union than without.
Emotional Hook:
The book claims that people who belong to a union are on average paid more than none unionized workers. What if you were unionized and someone you knew who was not unionized was getting paid more for the same job? What would you do? Would you go to your union and say that I need to be paid more?
Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:
Ways to eliminate unions in a company is to have an HR Management that will increase the commitment of the employees and communicate well with them. Employees just want to know that they are heard and valued. If a company does this then their workers will be happy with the system and not rebel by organizing themselves into a union. This will cost a lot less for the company compared to paying wages for the union.
Facilitative Questions:
What are the benefits of being part of a union? Is it cost effective for the employee and employer to have a union in place?
Labor Unions
The trend in recent years has been that unions are not being organized among workers any more. It is based on cost and efficiency. Workers don’t want to be forking over all the money for their labor union to sit on their fanny and do nothing. They are built up to keep management in line to make sure that their needs are met and that they feel like they are getting paid what they think they should. Also the pay scale is interesting. Groups who are unionized I would think would be less productive. They are being paid a certain amount each hour so why should they work harder if they know what they are making won’t change. Also getting fired is even more difficult in a unionize workplace. There are so many rules that are created and set up. Workers are given so much leeway on what they can do. I just feel that a company would suffer more with a union than without.
Emotional Hook:
The book claims that people who belong to a union are on average paid more than none unionized workers. What if you were unionized and someone you knew who was not unionized was getting paid more for the same job? What would you do? Would you go to your union and say that I need to be paid more?
Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:
Ways to eliminate unions in a company is to have an HR Management that will increase the commitment of the employees and communicate well with them. Employees just want to know that they are heard and valued. If a company does this then their workers will be happy with the system and not rebel by organizing themselves into a union. This will cost a lot less for the company compared to paying wages for the union.
Facilitative Questions:
What are the benefits of being part of a union? Is it cost effective for the employee and employer to have a union in place?
Learning Reflections
We learned in class that it is important to get the opinions of the employees about incentives and other aspects of incentive pay. I would think that more companies would include the opinion and say of their employees because if they are paying out an incentive that no one really wants or uses than it would be pointless to have. Employees need to be part of the business therefore they need to have a say in things. Through the whole book they talk about communication and making everything transparent so everyone knows what is going on. This must be a big issue in the real world because you would think that would just be a natural thing, but I guess it isn’t.
There have been many examples of bad executives throughout the last couple of years. Are they paid too much? Normally I would say yes. How is it that some are paid $40 million or more a year? I just don’t understand how that works. That is a ridiculous amount of money to pay someone for just one year. They should pay their regular employees more if that is the case and make things more equal for everyone.
There have been many examples of bad executives throughout the last couple of years. Are they paid too much? Normally I would say yes. How is it that some are paid $40 million or more a year? I just don’t understand how that works. That is a ridiculous amount of money to pay someone for just one year. They should pay their regular employees more if that is the case and make things more equal for everyone.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Discussion Topic
Concept and Brief Summary:
Wellness Programs and other benefits
Obesity is a growing concern for the working people of America. Over a third of the population is obese or overweight. I feel that it is necessary for a company to get involved and have an active role in preventing and helping cure these problems. If a company takes the initiative and helps their employees get in shape and create good behavioral habits, the company will be able to save money and also get more productivity out of their employees. This is a benefit that should be essential and it will be more cost effective than other benefits provided by the company. Exercise can also help with the way employees feel. It is a stress reliever and helps them stay energized and more productive with their daily activities.
Emotional Hook:
What if you were overweight and unable to do certain activities? How would you feel? What if your company provided you with a recreational facility where you could have an instructor teach you how to exercise and eat right, helping you get physically fit and healthy. Wouldn’t you be more loyal to that company for changing your life and providing a way to live better and healthier?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Everyone can benefit from a wellness program and access to recreational facilities.
This is a growing part of our culture. It is important to be healthy and learn how to eat right. Many people don’t have these pleasures and are unable to do so. I know that companies are responsible for their employee’s wellbeing and should help with improving it.
Facilitative Questions:
Wouldn’t you enjoy an onsite gym or recreational facility at your company? Would having healthy foods available to you be more appetizing than having junk food and soda?
Wellness Programs and other benefits
Obesity is a growing concern for the working people of America. Over a third of the population is obese or overweight. I feel that it is necessary for a company to get involved and have an active role in preventing and helping cure these problems. If a company takes the initiative and helps their employees get in shape and create good behavioral habits, the company will be able to save money and also get more productivity out of their employees. This is a benefit that should be essential and it will be more cost effective than other benefits provided by the company. Exercise can also help with the way employees feel. It is a stress reliever and helps them stay energized and more productive with their daily activities.
Emotional Hook:
What if you were overweight and unable to do certain activities? How would you feel? What if your company provided you with a recreational facility where you could have an instructor teach you how to exercise and eat right, helping you get physically fit and healthy. Wouldn’t you be more loyal to that company for changing your life and providing a way to live better and healthier?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Everyone can benefit from a wellness program and access to recreational facilities.
This is a growing part of our culture. It is important to be healthy and learn how to eat right. Many people don’t have these pleasures and are unable to do so. I know that companies are responsible for their employee’s wellbeing and should help with improving it.
Facilitative Questions:
Wouldn’t you enjoy an onsite gym or recreational facility at your company? Would having healthy foods available to you be more appetizing than having junk food and soda?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Learning Reflections
It was interesting to learn all about the different types of incentive pay that companies use in their businesses. I really wonder if it is really profitable for the company or is it an asset to attract new and experienced talent to the company. It may also help the employees that are already established in the company. Pay incentives are a way to motivate employees to work harder and faster, but will it benefit the quality of the work? Workers always want to get more money, who doesn't? I feel that the quality of the work will be sacrificed for more pay in less time. How does a company compromise but still keep its employees satisfied with the compensation they are receiving for their labor?
If an employees expect incentives every time they will become part of the pay check and then employees will start wanting more money for their labor. Incentives should be paid every once in a while to keep employees motivated but not relying on the incentive pay. It should be a privilege to get an incentive rather than an obligation. People should always work hard for the business that they are working for. That is why the company is paying them to work. The company should be compensated for the money they are paying out.
If an employees expect incentives every time they will become part of the pay check and then employees will start wanting more money for their labor. Incentives should be paid every once in a while to keep employees motivated but not relying on the incentive pay. It should be a privilege to get an incentive rather than an obligation. People should always work hard for the business that they are working for. That is why the company is paying them to work. The company should be compensated for the money they are paying out.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Discussion Topic
Concept and Brief Summary:
Incentive Pay for Executives
The executives of companies have a great force on the other employees. They are the ones that make sure everything is running right and smoothly. Everything is in their responsibility so when a company does badly it is all on the shoulders of the executive. The executive position is very sought out by business personnel. The risk is high but the rewards are great. They are usually only concerned with the company’s profits and stock price. When both of these are high, that means that the executive gets big money also. The sad part is that lots of companies don’t link pay to performance. Companies provide high paychecks for the best talent.
Emotional Hook:
What if your company wasn’t making the profits it normally did but the executive was still receiving millions of dollars in pay and bonuses? Would you feel like the company was compensating its employees fairly and equally?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Incentive pay for executives is linked to how well the stock price is. Many executives have become victim to “cooking the books” by making it look like the company is worth more than it really is. There have been many examples of this ethical dilemma in the recent past. Many large companies have gone under due to the dishonest acts of the executives and financial personnel. Executives are able to buy and share stock when they know that the stock will skyrocket due to future financial deals that only they know about. There are many perks to being an executive of a company.
Facilitative Questions:
Why did company executives get the bonuses of many millions of dollars when there company had to get bailed out by the government? Why is it that there are contracted bonuses when there should be only bonuses based on performance? Are these people stealing tax payer money? Do they deserve or have they earned these so called bonuses? These companies were going bankrupt yet their executives are still reaping the rewards.
Incentive Pay for Executives
The executives of companies have a great force on the other employees. They are the ones that make sure everything is running right and smoothly. Everything is in their responsibility so when a company does badly it is all on the shoulders of the executive. The executive position is very sought out by business personnel. The risk is high but the rewards are great. They are usually only concerned with the company’s profits and stock price. When both of these are high, that means that the executive gets big money also. The sad part is that lots of companies don’t link pay to performance. Companies provide high paychecks for the best talent.
Emotional Hook:
What if your company wasn’t making the profits it normally did but the executive was still receiving millions of dollars in pay and bonuses? Would you feel like the company was compensating its employees fairly and equally?
Key points to elicit in discussion:
Incentive pay for executives is linked to how well the stock price is. Many executives have become victim to “cooking the books” by making it look like the company is worth more than it really is. There have been many examples of this ethical dilemma in the recent past. Many large companies have gone under due to the dishonest acts of the executives and financial personnel. Executives are able to buy and share stock when they know that the stock will skyrocket due to future financial deals that only they know about. There are many perks to being an executive of a company.
Facilitative Questions:
Why did company executives get the bonuses of many millions of dollars when there company had to get bailed out by the government? Why is it that there are contracted bonuses when there should be only bonuses based on performance? Are these people stealing tax payer money? Do they deserve or have they earned these so called bonuses? These companies were going bankrupt yet their executives are still reaping the rewards.
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