Feb/100
STUDENT’S CORNER: KWA Partners Scholarship winner Sagar Gill is humble and honest
A picture of Sagar Gill and the President of KWA Partners Ron Dahms.
http://hr-edge.apps01.yorku.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/SagarGill.jpg
PART I: PERSONAL
What’s one thing people are always shocked to learn about you?
That I was a Captain in the Indian Army and that I led a commando platoon in a war zone.
Do you have any funny nicknames?
Yes, when I first came to Canada some people called me 'Sugar' instead of 'Sagar'. Well it was a 'sweet' error and I still have ‘Sugar’ as a nickname.
What is your favorite pastime/hobby?
Reading. I know it sounds clichéd but I’m thrilled at the sight of hundreds of books in Chapters and it’s tough for me to come out when I dive into one of them. I also love ‘bhangra’ and performing the dance on stage.
Do you have any pets?
No, but it’s a very warm ‘No’ as I always wish I could come home to a dog.
What is your dream job?
To be an author.
PART II: KWA PARTNERS SCHOLARSHIP
What is the KWA Partners Scholarship and why is it awarded?
The KWA Partners Scholarship is a scholarship given by KWA Partners to the best student in BHRM. The scholarship extends beyond just monetary help. KWA Partners take interest in the recipient’s growth as an HR professional and provide avenues to network with leaders in HR. This scholarship is awarded to a fourth year student with the highest GPA.
How will this scholarship help with your future goals?
It is a privilege to be a member of an exclusive group of only six students who have been awarded this scholarship to date. Knowing this motivates me to continue working hard now and later in professional life. KWA Partners is also facilitating interaction with industry professionals and I can feel myself getting closer to achieving my goals.
PART III: YORK UNIVERSITY
Why did you choose to study at York University?
York, with its lovely campus, attracted me because of the diverse courses it provides.
Are you an international student? If so, where are you from?
I’m not an international student, but I was born in India and spent most of my life in the Indian state of Punjab.
Why are you interested in getting a degree in HR?
An education in HR interests me because I want to be an HR Consultant down the line. My own experience tells me that any organization is defined by its people processes and access to the best brains in the business confirms that human capital is a firm’s most valuable asset. In hopes of making a contribution toward greater human good, I think that my talents are best utilized in HR.
What HR hot topics are you concerned with? (Ex. Gender in the workplaces, Eco-friendly workplaces, etc.)
I’m mostly concerned with the changing demographics in the workplace. We are anticipating a world where the percentage of young workers is shrinking. I see this is an exciting time for HR professionals as they brace to meet this challenge and find answers that lead to even better HR practices.
Who is your favorite professor or faculty member? Why?
Prof. Helmar Drost, with his engaging style of teaching and an endearing smile, is my favorite professor. Professor Drost teaches Labour Economics in a remarkably clear way with lots of wisdom and subtle passion.
What is the best class you’ve taken in HR? Why?
Recruitment, Selection and Performance Appraisal of Personnel (that’s a long title I know). Being a Recruitment professional, the course interested me a lot and Prof Mark Podolsky did a great job at refining the concepts. Also, I made some good friends during the group project.
How do you keep on top of your schoolwork?
I’m never on top of my schoolwork, it is quite the opposite I’m afraid. I just stick to the basics and relate a lot of what I read with the experiences that I’ve had in the work place. I guess that helps me stay passionate about what I study. In the end, you win when you are excited about what you are reading and what is written on the next page.
Feb/100
HR Experts Weigh In
While surfing the world of HR on Financial Post's website, I stumbled across some thought-provoking videos with expert insight. Among the HR heavy-hitters included were Peter Jensen on coaching strategies for managers, Jamie Gruman on the importance of positivity in the workplace, and York University’s Monica Belcourt who has a couple well-informed pieces on Succession Planning and The Value of HR.
In the first video, Belcourt speaks with Angela Scappatura, a journalist for Canadian HR Reporter, about the sticky politics related to the grooming of high-potential employees. In the second, she brings up the issue of quantifying the value of HR and why companies often overlook the importance of HR.
Memorable Quotes:
"If employees' attitudes start to go down, that’s like a canary in a mineshaft"
"[An employee may] figure I'm going to be crowned Prince, like Prince Charles. But what happens if the queen never dies?"
Belcourt definitely has a way with words! Check her out on Financial Post's website at: http://www.financialpost.com/executive/hr/video/index.html?category=Sponsor/HR&video=5gDQoXfU6VtCdgGlFV0KfY6kGprTgR07
Feb/100
ONE OPINION: “An internet ban would be an insult to my work ethic”
Currently employed in graphic design, one York graduate claims that an internet ban would be an “insult” to his work ethic. He argues that many of his duties are deadline-oriented and as long as he is making the deadlines, he doesn’t think personal web usage should be a major issue. He says that employees have always taken some liberties at work, such as answering phone calls at unexpected times of the day.
“We’re in the electronic age now. A phone call today might come in the form of a Facebook post. Is it a crime to take a few minutes to respond?” “At the end of the day,” he says “I’m doing a good job and that’s why I’m still employed.”
A recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive concludes that the average adult spends 13 hours a week on the Web. With a large percentage of this adult population working full-time, it’s no secret that employees are spending a lot of time surfing the internet during work hours. Most online research pointed to the need to integrate, rather than ban personal web usage at work.
In Kathy Gurchiek’s article “Workplace Ban Worries Gen Y” she quotes a recent survey of 1,000 workers in the United Kingdom, in which 39 percent of Generation Y workers – 18 to 24 year olds – indicated that they would leave their job if an all-out ban on personal use of workplace technology were imposed. However, allowing increased web usage eats up valuable bandwidth and slows down productivity, especially when employees are downloading large files such as videos. Gurchiek concludes that the key is balance.
This aligns nicely with Mind Lab International’s findings that private internet use could actually increase productivity among female employees. According to their research, women only need ten minutes of private Internet use to rest and restore mental performance. Employers that are overly concerned with micro-management through the enforcement of strictly regimented breaks are perhaps turning off a workforce that is immersed in the virtual noosphere.
Jan/100
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? SUMAN SETH
2007 Case Competition winner Suman Seth speaks about her experiences at York University!
PART I: PERSONAL
Tell us something very few people know about you.
I am passionate about playing the piano and won first prize in a competition for playing the theme song to Titanic in 1999.
Are you currently employed in HR? If so, what are you doing?
Yes, I am currently working in HR. I am an HR Manager/Canadian Recruiting Manager for GK Services Canada Inc. I take on a generalist role supporting over 200 employees in Barrie, Oshawa, and Scarborough. I am involved in health and safety compliance for 3 plants, training, recruitment & selection, and performance management. I lead a team of 3 HR Generalists and ensure 100% staffing for 5 Canadian locations.
PART II: CASE COMPETITION
Why did you get involved with the Case Competition?
We heard about the OB case competition through the Human Resources Student Association at York University. We thought it would be a fun experience!
What was the hardest thing you had to deal with during the Case Competition?
It was difficult to go into the competition without any materials or study notes. We had spent weeks preparing by reading OB text books and memorizing theories. It’s a totally different experience when you’re left alone in a room leaning on your teammates and trying to pull out everything you have memorized in one hour!
What advice can you give to future competitors in the HR Case Competition?
The best thing to remember is to go into the presentation with confidence. Keep in mind that you have done everything you can possibly do minutes before the presentation, so relax and let your words flow smoothly. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, just continue going forward and try your best! Take comfort in the fact that you’re not presenting alone and lean on your group for support.
What was the funniest thing that happened during the Case Competition?
When you’re in the room preparing with your group, everyone is highly stressed! There are memories of us panicking and frantically grabbing pens, ripping chart papers, and accidently marking each other’s arms with ink after the student coordinator tells us we only have 3 minutes left to prepare! It was all worth it in the end!
PART III YORK UNIVERSITY
Why were you interested in getting a degree in HR?
I always knew that I was passionate about HR and I chose York University because of its dynamic HR program. I enjoy the versatility that an HR Professional has in their role and can honestly say that you don’t repeat the same work day twice! It’s a fast-paced field where you are constantly multi-tasking and planning for your next task!
What HR hot topics are you concerned with?
I’m particularly interested in Corporate Social Responsibility. I work for a company that is environmentally conscious and we consistently try to give back to our community. HR plays a vital role in ensuring organizations are CSR both internally and externally.
Who was your favorite professor or faculty member? Why?
Ron Alexandrovich (Atkinson) was a wonderful professor! He is a great support and takes a personal interest in your career development.
What was the best class you took in HR? Why?
I’d have to say that Cross-Cultural Management was very exciting! We were able to study organizational practices across international borders. We studied different training methods that different cultures adopt and had an opportunity to create our own unique training game!
Were you involved in any clubs at York?
Yes- Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA), now known as Human Resources Student Association (HRSA)
What was the most valuable thing you learned at York?
Networking has really molded my personality and helped me ask those “scary” questions. It’s important to be outgoing and meet new people to build your pipeline. It has helped me to break down walls and be more outgoing to speak with just about anyone!
Are you still at York? If not, what do you miss most?
I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2007. I can definitely say that I miss the security blanket that York offered. In my experience, I usually got a rubric of assignments and had a rough idea when things were due whereas in the workplace, assignments usually arise daily and in many cases, sporadically. In the “real world” I’ve realized you are no longer at liberty to procrastinate writing an essay by distracting yourself on facebook or hearing about your best friend gush over a latest crush! When you have a deadline at work, it means that it should have been completed yesterday, which also means that you better get it done today or else you’ll have to justify to your boss why it isn’t done!
Oct/090
How many PhD programs in HR are there in Canada?
One.
Not to toot our own horn, but York's PhD program in Human Resource Management is the only one of its kind. Last year (the inaugural year of the program) 75 candidates competed for entry, 3 of whom gained admission. The program encompasses qualitative, quantitative and pedagogical approaches to the study of HR; linking with fields such as anthropology, political science, sociology, economy and philosphy. If you're in the MA program and are considering continuing to the next level, do have a look at our program website.
The deadline to apply isn't until February, but you should start thinking now about your application. What do you need?
1. Submit an online application with York University's graduate studies online application.
2. Write and submit a statement of research interests.
3. Attend an interview.
For more information on prerequisites and application procedures, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Oct/090
How does HR remain accountable?
I have sat on many boards, and have never seen any board member ask important questions about the management of the organisation’s most important asset. Why does HR not report on these critical measures? The head of the HR function is not supplying this information for many reasons.
The first is that measurement of the practices of HR will add another five per cent to the cost of the program, and there is the high risk that the evaluation will not be able to demonstrate a link between the practice and the anticipated effect. This could be professional suicide. Others argue that it is difficult to measure human behaviour, or that they cannot control either the labour market or the way individual managers treat their employees. But marketing cannot control product quality nor can finance control the interest rate, and these functions are held accountable.
Boards should require a presentation by the HR function, ensuring at a minimum:
• A written statement acknowledging compliance with employment laws and regulations.
• Evidence of an audit of the organisation’s own policies, such as adherence to the code of ethics, harassment prevention, etc.
• An employee engagement survey (professionally administered) to determine the culture of an organisation, with comparative data across time, units and ‘best in class’.
• An assessment of the effectiveness of the HR function in meeting their client’s needs and expectations (developed and administered by an external consultant).
• Statistics on employee turnover, absenteeism, and lost time injuries with comparative data over time, by unit and by national standards.
• For any HR initiative, a presentation on the anticipated cost benefits, and the methods used to assess these.
In this way, HR will demonstrate its value to the organisation, and board members will be assured that money spent on the ‘organisations’ most important assets’ is well spent.
Oct/090
“Inhuman Resources”
Want a supplement for some of your course readings? Why not try “Inhuman Resources: A guide to the psychos, misfits and criminally incompetent in every office” by Michael Stanford.
This is more or less the best (and funniest) way to identify (and laugh at) those toxic individuals that can inhabit even the most harmonious of workplaces. The book description reads: “Inhuman Resources arms you with a foolproof guide to the office weirdos you will encounter every day, from the pathetic to the dangerous and all the sociopaths in between.”
It’s not intended to be a serious resource, of course, but it does speak to an experience almost all office cultures have. Examples Stanford has included are:
1. The “I’m not confused, I’m just drunk” person
2. The “I’m disappointed in you” person
3. The “Let’s have a meeting before the meeting” person
4. The “I’m so sick but I’m too important to go home” person
5. The “I need to get into the lift before you can get out” person
6. The “It wasn’t me, it was the GFC”
Stanford is an Australian who’s worked in a variety of environments, from retail to glue salesman to journalism, advertising and marketing. According to Stanford, bad office behaviour is usually a symptom of stress - which human resources can put an end to and prevent. In a Financial Post feature on his latest book, Stanford also remarks on the importance of face-to-face communication to solve interpersonal problems, as opposed to email.
Oct/090
From “partner” to “leader”
HR professional Jerry McGrath wrote an interesting editorial in this month’s People & Strategy (available to York students through e-resources) on issues of terminology in the field of HR. He suggested that HR position titles along the lines of “strategic business partner” be changed to that of “business leader”.
According to McGrath, the word “partner” implies a submissive, subservient position – in assistance to other more powerful factors within an organization, while “leader” recognizes the true importance of what HR professionals do. The change in position title will change the HR professionals (and others I’d assume) feel about themselves and their profession.
But how much does one’s sense of professional self-image depend on terminology? How much affect does a transition from “partner” to “leader” create?
(Jerry McGrath is a senior client partner of HR at Korn Ferry International)
Oct/090
Belcourt on outsourcing
Why does outsourcing happen, when does it occur, and what are the benefits? Professor Monica Belcourt answers all of these questions in an article that will be making an appearance soon on the Financial Post's blog:
Financial Savings
One of the biggest reasons organizations outsource non-core business functions is cost savings. Take payroll, for example. Economies of scale are achieved when a specialized vendor concentrates on one area and provides this service to many corporations. Studies show 2+ years of outsourcing payroll can result in savings ranging from 10 to 20 per cent.
Then there’s cost control. Company users of a service may be more cautious when the contractor charges them for each service, as opposed to “free” in-house service. Sometimes, when an organization is just starting to offer a service, such as fitness training for employees, it is cheaper to contract this out than to make the capital investments in a gym and specialized staff. This capital can then be redirected to other initiatives that have a higher rate of return. Outsourcing also makes sense when usage of a service is unpredictable. An organization may recruit on an irregular basis for IT staff; in this case, retaining an in-house IT recruiter is not economically viable.
Strategic Focus
Since employers cannot pursue excellence in all areas, many will focus on core competencies, such as customer service or innovation, and outsource secondary functions, such as benefits administration.
Non-core work is transactional work that is routine and easily replicated; core work is transformational and adds value.
Studies show that companies that outsource report reducing administrative tasks by more than half and increasing their strategic focus by 40 per cent.
Advanced Technology
Another outsourcing driver is technology. Many functions are outsourced because organizations want to improve technical service, they cannot find technical talent, or they need quick and reliable access to new technologies. Much of traditional HR service involves answering employee inquiries about benefits or making changes to employee files. These tasks can be handled easily by interactive voice responses and managed by companies that specialize in this service. Technology also enables a company to reduce transaction time.
Specialized Expertise
Another reason for outsourcing is hiring specific expertise. For example, some firms rarely conduct executive searches. They hire executive search consultants rather than employ a recruiter specialist.
The use of experts also reduces risks and liabilities. Outside specialists know employment legislation and workplace law better than anyone and can assure clients that all their practices comply with legislation.
Access to leading practices is another motivator to outsource.
This material is adapted from Strategic Human Resources Planning, 4th edition, by Monica Belcourt and Ken McBey. Monica Belcourt, PhD, CHRP is Director of the School of Human Resource Management at York University.
Oct/090
HR & the green movement!
York’s library website is a fantastic resource for research and leisure – for anyone interested, the library’s e-resources have a few HR titles in their entirety online. The one that caught my eye was “HR’s Role in Contributing to the Green Movement” by Mark Gasta, Ellie Hollander and C. Sue Ernspiger.
Gasta, Hollander and Ernspiger are HR executives who share their experience and knowledge in mobilizing organizations to participate in green initiatives. The argument is that since HR is a department that has access to all personnel and is responsible for creating a company’s “culture”, it is particularly well-placed to get people excited about environmentally friendly programs. They can help establish green goals, create cross-departmental “green teams” and connect environmental concerns to the company’s overall mandate.
Examples can be found in the undertakings of the authors - Mark Gasta, for example, works in HR at Vail Resorts in the US. Thanks to Gasta’s efforts, Vail Resorts is an industry leader in green initiatives, which include volunteer hours for forest-related projects, creating partnerships with organic and sustainable-source food providers, reducing energy usage and building “green buildings”.
In Gasta’s words, “HR’s role is to literally ingrain the organization’s culture with this environmental consciousness through all the programs and processes that it develops.”
To find out about how co-authors Ellie Hollander and C. Sue Ernspiger have introduced similar comprehensive environmental initiatives in their companies, check out the entire book online. Search for the title on York’s library homepage.