Welcome ,

Streamline help desk processes with on-demand solutions

Help desk demands continue to grow, often without growth in IT staffing. Web-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) or on-demand solutions can fix this dilemma. A SaaS service desk solution offers IT managers the feature-rich, real-time functionality they need without the burdens of deploying, managing and supporting costly hardware and software in house.

Download this free report, "The Fast Track to Service Management Success: Software-as-a-Service" by AMI Partners and further explore:

• Overcoming service management roadblocks
• Selecting the right service management solution
• Creating a customized roadmap to manage your path
• Evaluating service management success

Download Now...

UAW Shuts Down Chrysler
More than 31,000 members of the United Auto Workers union struck Chrysler LLC last week, after marathon labor talks between the union and the money-losing automaker failed to avert the industry's second strike in two weeks. The strike affects 19 manufacturing plants and 22 other facilities, spread across 14 states. The only facilities not subject to the strike are five assembly plants that Chrysler had already scheduled to be shut down due to excess inventory of the vehicles that they make. Those plants employ another 13,500 hourly workers.
[Source: Money/CNN]

Maryland School District Licenses Lawson S3 Human Capital Management Suite
Lawson Software has announced that Anne Arundel County Public Schools licensed the Lawson S3 Human Capital Management Suite to assist in tracking and reporting on data mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act as well as to help improve operational efficiencies and data access. The contract was signed in Lawson’s first quarter of fiscal 2008. The Lawson application will replace the district’s legacy human resources system, for which vendor maintenance is no longer available. Once implemented, the Lawson Employee & Manager Self-Service application will empower district employees by granting them online access to their human resources information.

Law Firm Agrees to Pay $27.5M to Settle Age-Bias Suit
The international law firm of Sidley Austin LLP has agreed to pay $27.5 million to 32 former partners who the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged were forced out of the partnership because of their age, under settlement approved by a federal judge. The EEOC brought the suit in 2005 under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). A major issue in the case was whether partners in the law firm were protected as employees under the ADEA. The settlement provides that "Sidley agrees that each person for whom EEOC has sought relief in this matter was an employee with the meaning of the ADEA." The settlement also includes an injunction that bars the law firm from "terminating, expelling, retiring, reducing the compensation of or otherwise adversely changing the partnership status of a partner because of age" or "maintaining any formal or informal policy or practice requiring retirement as a partner or requiring permission to continue as a partner once the partner has reached a certain age."

45% of Professionals Believe Their Work Environment Resembles “The Office”
Beyond.com, Inc., a niche career network for business professionals, polled business professionals throughout its network of more than 15,000 online communities to determine which popular TV show they thought most closely resembled their workplace environment.

More than 2,400 Beyond.com Network visitors responded to the poll, “What is your work environment most like?” Nearly 45 percent of professionals believe that their workplace is most like The Office, a widely popular satirical show based on the nine-to-five work world, where inappropriate remarks and practical jokes are common, and employees are not always as productive as they can be in the office.

Of the remaining respondents, more than 20 percent thought their workplace was most like MTV’s The Real World, nearly 19 percent selected NBC’s The Apprentice and more than 16 percent chose CBS’ Big Brother as most like their place of work.

The Beyond.com poll illustrated that many professionals relate to The Office because they see comparable scenes played out in their own workplace. However, in reality, The Office tends to dramatize what takes place in the work environment, which can serve as a reminder of what not to do.

The extreme behaviors seen on The Office, such as flirtation, gossip, flattery and practical jokes could prove to be offensive and distracting in a real workplace. Here are a few simple guidelines that professionals should follow to help maintain a healthy work environment in their office:

• Respect Fellow Employees – Professionals should treat fellow colleagues with dignity and respect. It is important to avoid office gossip and ensure everyone’s best interest is taken into consideration before engaging in a conversation about other employees.

• Show Dedication – Rather than showering the boss with compliments, professionals should impress their leader by showing their dedication to the company, working hard and being a team player.

• Joke With Care – Avoid jokes that can be hurtful or offensive to colleagues. Jokes regarding age, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity are never appropriate and should be avoided in a professional setting.

• Learn Office Guidelines - What may be flirting to you could be sexual harassment to someone else. To avoid uncertainty, employees should refer to their office’s sexual harassment policy for further information on what is appropriate.

• Be Productive and Have Fun – It is important for employees to have fun and enjoy going to work each day. However, professionals should remain productive and focus on achieving their professional and personal goals.

More...

Games Job-Seekers Play
Every hiring manager knows some people fudge their résumés to get a job. In fact, say almost a third of the small businesses in a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, up to half the résumés they receive are inaccurate.

Checking the résumé is only the first step in what should be a rigorous look at each candidate's background, says NAPEO. No matter how much you want or need to hire someone, you must carefully check their credentials and background.

Screening candidates is a booming business these days. Traditionally only large companies with security needs, such as defense contractors or banks, used rigorous background checks. Now smaller businesses are doing it, too, as much to make sure the candidate is suitable for the job as for security reasons.

Replacing a worker who didn't fit and who left or had to be fired can cost more than the employee's yearly salary, say experts. Especially for small businesses, with fewer resources and thinner benches, hiring an unsuitable employee is a costly mistake.

Recruiters at professional employer organizations, where small businesses outsource many of their human-resources chores, suggest requiring applicants complete a detailed job application that asks about legal and disciplinary actions. Also: Always ask for references and make sure to check them. Recruiters with PEOs said they have even seen fairly elaborate ruses, such as reference letters faked by the job applicant.

NAPEO surveyed 352 small and medium-sized businesses across the nation earlier this month on how they recruit and retain workers. Almost a quarter said more than half of the resumes they receive contain misspellings or grammatical errors.

Turnover is also a big problem for these companies. Forty percent said their turnover exceeded 10 percent in the last year.
More...

Disconnect Between Employee Motivators and Company Performance Management Strategies
Taleo Corp., a provider of on demand talent management solutions, has announced the results of the Taleo Research Performance Management Survey, a study sponsored by Taleo and conducted by Harris Interactive, that examines the factors impacting employee motivation and satisfaction. According to the survey, respondents indicated that growth opportunities are a very high priority, yet the current performance review process is outdated and unproductive.

The survey shows that extremely/very motivated respondents who have voluntarily left a job cited a lack of growth potential as the most important factor in their decision to leave, while only 12% of full and part-time workers feel their employer offers them a career path plan. The study also shows that extremely/very motivated respondents are more likely to want to be challenged and receive more professional development (training, internal mobility, mentoring, career planning, and/or performance reviews) from their employer, than unmotivated respondents.

Other key findings include:

• 41% of motivated respondents who have voluntarily left a job cited lack of growth potential as a deciding factor.

• 43% of full and part-time employees said opportunities for advancement are a key motivator.

• Only 12% of full and part-time workers say that their employers give them a career path plan.

• 57% of full and part-time employees have either never had a performance review or said it was neutral to not useful.

• 79% of employees don't currently receive career mentoring from their employer.

• 84% of motivated respondents receive professional development (training, internal mobility, mentoring, career planning, and/or performance reviews) from their employer, compared to only 65% of unmotivated people (full and part-time employees).

More...

How Employers and Employees View Current Benefits Environment
In 2005 and again this year, Delta Dental of Missouri published the results of its study of Midwest employees and Missouri employers (human Resources decision-makers), entitled “Inside Health and Dental Benefits.” The study was conducted at Delta Dental’s request by an independent research firm to better understand how employees and employers view the current benefits environment. The goal of the study was to provide insights for employers that would enhance their decision-making on healthcare benefits strategy and design.

It is no secret that the state of the U.S.’s $2 trillion healthcare economy and the escalating costs of healthcare and health benefits are topics of considerable interest for employers and employees alike. Most experts agree that some changes in the healthcare system must occur, but when, how and by whom remains unclear. However, it seems certain that employers and employees will play an important role in the process. Thus, Delta Dental believed the time was right to gain more insights on how well employers and employees are collaborating on benefits and on improving health status. The company believes that employers and employees have the potential to become powerful collaborators capable of positively impacting the benefits industry and the health status of companies and communities. A partnership of this type could help slow the rate of increase in healthcare costs, improve health, and engineer benefits that help satisfy and retain employees.

Insights developed from Delta Dental’s survey found distinct discrepancies and some surprising similarities among employers and employees with regards to their views on benefits.

Differing Opinions:

• A greater percentage of employees (compared to employers) feel that dental and vision benefits, as well as life insurance and long-term disability, are “absolutely essential.”

• Employers’ (as indicated by HR managers) satisfaction with the financial and health-related benefits offered by their companies were significantly higher than employees’ satisfaction with benefits received.

• A majority of employers believe that they are adequately engaging employees in benefits design and planning, and yet, only a small minority (about one in five employees) perceives they are adequately engaged in the process. Furthermore, nine out of 10 employees indicate they would be happy to devote time and energy to this task in collaboration with their employers.

• Employees are more concerned with having funds for unplanned emergencies and for retirement than employers anticipate.

Similar Opinions:

• Both employees and employers consider health benefits to be an important factor in attracting and retaining employees. Both are also receptive to the concept of rewarding employees for maintaining good health with lower premiums or benefits incentives and agree that the federal government should stay out of employee health benefits administration.

• Employers and employees share receptivity (with employers somewhat more receptive than employees) to a number of cost control initiatives, including: accessibility to the latest health information, the reduction of co-payments for generic drugs, choice between multiple plans with a variety of pricing options and incentives for those who actively maintain health.

• Employers and employees are both open to wellness initiatives, though priorities somewhat differ. Employees indicate they are most likely to take advantage of free gym memberships, followed by an on-site gym, flu shots, blood pressure testing and cholesterol screenings. Employers, on the other hand, indicate that they are most likely to offer on-site flu shots, followed by blood pressure testing, cholesterol screenings, smoking cessation and diet and weight-loss support.

• Both tend to agree that it would be fair to reduce premiums for those who actively maintain good health; and that, as more costs are shifted to employees, employees should have greater voice in benefits design and selection.

• Both parties are somewhat skeptical that a good long-term solution to the rising costs of healthcare will be identified.

More...

Six Nation Survey Finds Employee Satisfaction With Current Job
A new International Herald Tribune/France 24/Harris Interactive survey finds that, overall, in the United States and the five largest European countries, people are mostly satisfied with their jobs. At least two-thirds of each country’s workers say they are satisfied, with Italy having the lowest satisfaction numbers (67%) and Spain having the highest (83%).

In their current jobs, the top two most important aspects are the interesting nature and the salary. In Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany, the interesting nature of the job comes ahead of salary for importance. For Spanish and American workers, however, salary is more important than the interesting nature of their jobs. The working hours are third for each of the countries in importance.

Looking specifically at pay, over three in five US workers (63%) say they are well-paid, and this is the highest of the six countries. Just half of British workers (52%), German workers (51%) and Spanish employees (50%) say they are well-paid. Over half of workers in France (54%) and half of Italian workers (50%) say they are badly paid. In fact, one in five (20%) Italian workers believe they are very badly paid.

In fact, at least a plurality of workers in five of the six countries say they would prefer to work and earn the same amount as they currently do showing how they do feel about their pay. Italy is the one exception as just over a third (36%) of Italian workers feel the same while half of them (50%) would prefer to work more and earn more than they currently do. Working less and earning less is not something workers want. While one in ten Spanish workers (11%) would want this, they are the highest of the six countries.

While it may be the theme of many a television show and movie, on average, workers do not dislike their bosses. Just under one-quarter (23%) of Italian workers say they dislike their current boss and they are the highest of the six countries. On the flip side, two-thirds of U.S. workers (65%) like their current boss with almost half (46%) saying they like their boss very much. Majorities in Great Britain (56%) and France (52%) also like their boss and just under half of Italian workers (48%) and German workers (47%) feel the same. Spanish workers are a bit more mixed. One-third like their boss (34%) and 16 percent dislike their current boss, while 38 percent of Spanish workers neither like nor dislike their boss.

As with pay, on the most part, people believe the number of holidays workers have in their respective countries is sufficient. Almost three-quarters of French adults (74%) believe the number of days is sufficient as do seven in ten (71%) of Germans and two-thirds (66%) of Italians. Just over half (55%) of Spaniards also feel this way about vacation days. Feelings are more mixed in the U.S. as 42 percent of Americans believe vacation days are sufficient and the same number believes they are insufficient. Great Britain is the only country where more think the number of vacation days is insufficient – 45 percent say insufficient and 37 percent believe the number of days is sufficient.
More...

Trends in Customer Relationship Management

CRMindustry.com is conducting a benchmark study on the current state of and future direction of customer relationship management (CRM) in organizations today. The questions were designed to capture important information related to budgets, vendors, in-house vs. hosted solutions, the impact of CRM on the organization and more.

We recognize your time is valuable so we have kept the survey questions quick and concise. In addition, as a participant, you will receive a complimentary copy of the executive summary.

You can start the Trends in CRM survey at the following link: Click Here...

Your response is requested by October 19, 2007.

Dos and Don'ts for Workplace Reviews
As the end of the year looms, so does the annual management task of delivering performance reviews. More than 70 million Americans go through this annual ritual, yet most of us dread both giving and receiving them. "Dilbert" cartoonist Scott Adams claims that the annual performance review is "one of the most frightening and degrading experiences in every employee's life." The good news: It doesn't have to be that way.
Full Article...

The Seeing/Believing Gap
The human eye has a blind spot in its field of vision. The human mind has something similar. Sometimes you can't "see" new information because you are bound by filters and lack the mental framework to make sense of what your eyes take in. People often see what they want to see and ignore information that doesn't fit their preconceptions. We default to the shortcut of seeing things the same way. People seek stability and security so seeing things in a way that confirms their beliefs gives them both. This article will help yourself see more by looking past your beliefs, and will improve the way you approach life and work.
Full Article...

Companies Increasing Healthy-Living Assistance for Employees to Curb Costs
FPL's Mike Bryce lost 100 pounds with coaching from a nutritionist and doctor at work. AutoNation's Betty Polaski is eating healthy snacks and going to Curves to exercise now that her employer pays for it. Patty Navarro received speedy treatment when JM Family Enterprises' on-site doctor suspected breast cancer. Employers are offering incentives to employees who shape up and get screened for potential health problems. Wellness-related benefits include discounts on medical premiums, company contributions to health savings accounts, free gym memberships, free cholesterol- and blood-sugar screening and guidance from a "health coach," usually a registered nurse. The result is healthier workers and smaller increases in health insurance costs for employers.
Full Article...

Discrimination: How to Deal
Discrimination comes in many guises, but whatever form it takes it can seriously damage your career prospects, and have a negative effect on your self-confidence and how you feel about work. Inevitably, anything that hinders career advancement will also have an effect on your pay and conditions. Thankfully, in this more enlightened age, incidences of certain types of discrimination are far less common than they were. Nonetheless, it does still exist, and if you, as an HR person, find yourself on the receiving end of discriminatory behavior, there is no excuse for not confronting it head-on.
Full Article...

Relationships: CIOs Are People Who Need People
Opportunities for relationship-building occur every moment of a CIO’s workday. Whether it’s attending meetings, dropping by a peer’s office or spending a few days at an offsite, a CIO is constantly in the process of forging ties. Solid relationships are the foundation for nearly every professional ambition a CIO could have and they shape the enterprise’s perception of its CIO. This article offers tips for developing, maintaining and leveraging strong relationships.
Full Article...

Losing top talent can cost businesses big money. This guide provides management strategies for talent-rich companies, identifying ways to create an “employer brand” to attract and retain the best employees out there. Case studies show how market-leading brands identify and nurture talent, positioning themselves to be employers of choice. Written in an accessible style, this guide is a comprehensive introduction to managing talent.

Visit the SupportIndustry.com Blog
The SupportIndustry.com Blog is another way stay on top of the service and support industry. Our blog, updated at least once a week, is dedicated to covering the latest topics related to service and support, call center management, customer experience management, web-based support, help desks, workforce optimization and more.
Check it out today!

White Paper: Using Web-based Support Tools to Improve Customer Service
This informative white paper examines the latest trends and technologies in using Web-based support tools to improve customer service.
Get your copy today!

Multichannel Service & Support Survey of Executives: Report of Findings
Supportindustry.com and eGain Communications Corp. recently conducted a survey of contact center, helpdesk and customer service managers and executives, focusing on multichannel customer service and support -- its importance, the current state of their multichannel capabilities and challenges in implementing and managing it.

To get a complimentary copy of the report, click here: http://www.supportindustry.com/research.htm

Manage Your e.Newsletter Subscription
Log-on to the member's only page and you can to change newsletter formats, remove yourself from the list, or update your member profile.

Editorial suggestions, feedback & comments:
Carolyn Healey, Editor - chealey@recognizeserviceexcellence.com

Advertising Information:
adinfo@recognizeserviceexcellence.com

Thank you for reading RecognizeServiceExcellence.com's weekly newsletter!

Copyright © 2007, RecognizeServiceExcellence.com