hrguru

Is Another Degree Your Ticket to Management?

By Linda Wiener | Monster Contributing Writer — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:09:00 -0800

I received my BS (1980) and MS (1982) in education and health sciences and worked in medical research until the mid-1980s. Since moving from the East Coast to California, I have changed careers and worked in computer support (three years) and mortgage banking (10 years). While these jobs paid the bills, I haven't been able to progress to a management position. I enjoy working in finance and business entrepreneurship. Would getting an MBA or JD at 46 be worthwhile?

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS: Perhaps you have more vocational options to consider than whether an advanced degree will give you the greatest market advantage. You already have a wonderfully diverse educational and work history, and generalists are highly prized in some arenas.

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Instead of jumping right to the either/or question about graduate school, consider doing more in-depth self-assessment as well as some preliminary market research. One key question to ask yourself is whether your desire to return to school is motivated solely by career application, or in part by a desire for more personal satisfaction.

California's community colleges and universities are known for their excellent career centers. A good next step would be to make an appointment at a school near you. An experienced vocational counselor can be an invaluable partner in helping you develop a strong foundation on which to base your ultimate decisions.

After figuring out who you are and what you really want to do at this stage in your life, you're ready to begin your research. This will help you decide if you are still on target for advanced studies. In addition to job requirements, study company Web sites for other pertinent information about industries you've targeted.

You will probably also want to go on some informational interviews with folks currently doing the type of work in which you're most interested. These are not job-seeking interviews, but rather informal opportunities for you to gather additional data to help clarify your goals. You'd surely get solid insider information about new-to-you fields. Informational interviewing will help you develop your network of professional contacts and may yield leads or referrals.

Finally, have you considered revisiting your degree in education? Teaching is one of the 21st century's growth fields. Shortages in some states are so severe that school boards are trying a variety of creative techniques to recruit and certify new teachers; some are even offering signing bonuses. Not surprisingly, in many areas, more than a few mid-career (and midlife) refugees from other industries have made this career change.

Take your time, and do your homework before making a decision.

Grow Your Business and Your Confidence with Professional Communication Courses

HRGuru.com — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:01:00 -0800

Human resources is becoming an increasingly popular career field. Competition for HR positions is growing, and superb oral and written communication are a requirement.

HRGuru, in partnership with Monster and Cornerstone OnDemand, is now offering an online Business Communication Training Bundle to help you differentiate yourself from other HR Professionals.

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For a low cost of $139, you will have three months of access to material from two specialized courses: Interpersonal Communication Skills for Business, and Business Writing Skills

Access over 50 hours of skills training and simulations at your own pace.

The Business Communication Bundle will cover essential skills to help you:

• Understand the causes of poor communication.

• Improve your mechanics of communicating

• Critique voice, listening skills, and body language.

• Better your negotiation skills.

• Artfully manage conflicts in the workplace

• Communicate effectively with those you lead or manage

• Craft your business writing to be crisp, persuasive, and effective.

• And many other invaluable communication skills for business!

Monster’s online training programs are designed to help you…

∙Add skills and professional certifications to your resume

∙Get ready for a promotion

∙Re-enter the workforce with updated computer skills

∙Do it all in your spare time!

How can I benefit from the Business Communication Bundle?

These courses will teach you how to communicate effectively with colleagues, contacts, and customers. Learn how to resolve conflicts, craft messages, and reach your audience. Furthermore, taking online courses in communication will give you the skills to propel your career in HR to the next level.

Why should I choose Monster’s online training programs?

Monster’s online training programs allow you to define your career, on your terms. If you want to stay up-to-speed in today’s fast-paced business environment, Monster’s Professional Development can help. It’s flexible, it’s easy, and it’s geared toward your busy schedule—and your tight budget.

HRGuru, in partnership with Monster and Cornerstone OnDemand offers affordable online training program to help you advance your career.

You will have on demand access to specialized courses over three months for only $139.

How do I sign up for the Business Communication Bundle?

1. Click the orange "Purchase this bundle" button

2. Create a Monster Professional Development Account

3. Confirm your choices and invest in your future

Why wait? Get started now

Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:55:00 -0700

A public administration degree can prepare you for many different upper-level careers in public service, including HR careers such as human resource management. The curriculum includes leadership and management skills, strategic planning for single departments but also for major disaster response, communication skills, media relations to name a few. One can expect to come away from a program in public administration with a clear understanding of how to react, manage and direct in emergency situations, making it a perfect companion to the fire and rescue field. Any human resources professional with a public administrative degree can expect to be in high demand.

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A public administration degree provides an academic background for individuals pursuing a career in both government and non-governmental/non-profit organizations. There are several areas of overlap between these pursuits, so an education which combines both will give you competitive strength and allow you to move into either area, according to your own career interests. For example, you may start your career in fundraising, and later become a member of a governmental grant-awarding body. A public administration degree or public policy degree gives you great flexibility in changing career titles.

Like a regular degree in management, a public administration or public policy degree can focus on organizational governance, finance, and administration. With this specialization you can look into jobs in local, state, or federal government; in public service sectors such as fire and rescue or healthcare; or non-profit organizations such as arts or international relief agencies.

Median Salary by Employer Type - Degree: Public Administration (United States)

Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report

Master of Human Resource Management

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:59:00 -0700

The most common option for advanced education in Human Resources is the Master of Human Resource Management (HRM) or Human Resource Development (HRD). Masters degrees in Human Resources generally take two years and include a mix of required courses such as general HR, compensation basics, statistics and employment law and electives such as international HR, HR strategy and organizational psychology. Students will also take classes covering leadership and strategic management concepts and organizational design. Many HR Masters programs offer joint courses with related departments such as business, law, and psychology. You can also receive a Masters degree in Labor Relations, or a specialization in Labor Relations, which involves deeper learning in union law, negotiation and collective bargaining.

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Whether you choose an MBA in HR or a master's in human resources management, you will receive practical exposure to human resources strategies and hands-on experience that will serve as strong credentials when you step up to the next level in your career.

Another popular option with HR professionals is a Master’s degree in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. Industrial-Organizational psychologists (called I-O psychologists) are behavioral scientists specializing in human behavior in the work place. I-O psychologists apply research to the practice areas of human resources and may work as external or in-house consultants on a number of projects. Most masters programs in I-O psychology last two years, and include a combination of academic theory and practical work through internships.

Median Salary by Job - Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Human Resources Management (HRM) (United States)

Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report

Doctoral Degrees in HR

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:43:00 -0700

Doctoral degrees in HR should be pursued by those who have identified a subject area that they would like to work on for multiple years, or those who enjoy statistics, psychometrics and research methodologies. Ph.D.'s in HRM take about five years, and include course work, internships or teaching assistantships, and a dissertation.

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Doctoral degrees in Organizational Development or Organizational Behavior involve deep dives into organizational theory and scholarly research. Most OD/OB programs are split into two focus areas: micro-organizational topics such as decision-making, emotions, power and influence, and macro-organizational topics including culture, change, networks, etc. Many OD/OB Ph.D. programs offer the opportunity for interdisciplinary research with related programs such as business, psychology, and sociology.

_Practical tip on doctoral degrees in HR_: IO or OB Ph.Ds are an extremely specialized function in corporations, which means that your employment options are not as flexible. In some cases you may be disregarded as being “over qualified” for HR generalist or program management positions. Therefore, it is wise to go the doctoral route if you are sure you have a subject area that you would like to become an expert in, or if you are interested in going the academic route.

Associate's Degree in Human Resources

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:40:00 -0700

An associate's degree in human resources prepares graduates to begin or advance their careers in human resource management or to eventually complete their HR bachelor's degree.

Programs typically provide students with working knowledge of human resources policies and procedures and relevant computer applications, along with the skills needed to manage people in a workplace environment.

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In general, course work for an HR associate's degree covers personnel recruitment and evaluation, employee relations, staff training and development, employment law, business ethics and compensation and benefits. Students should also expect to take some general education courses, such as math and writing.

Graduates with an associate's degree in human resources management qualify for entry-level positions, such as basic human resources generalists. HR associate's degree holders often also enter into specialized HR roles in private, public and nonprofit organizations; human resource clerks, HR assistants and assistant recruiters are some of the most popular jobs. Others work as training and development coordinators, payroll assistants and compensation or benefits specialists.

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:34:00 -0700

Human resource management covers a wide variety of tasks and functions within an organization, including: recruiting and hiring, employee compensation and benefits, corporate policy, employee assistance, and training. Within the field of human resource management there is an endless list of possible jobs. Some of these include: recruiters, EEO officers, employer relations specialist, benefits managers, training and development managers, and labor relations, just to name a few.

A bachelor's degree in human resources equips graduates with the necessary background and tools to enter a human resources career in a variety of business settings.

Programs typically include a comprehensive overview of human resources principles and practices, business and technology training and communication courses.

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In general, course work for a bachelor's degree in human resources covers contemporary HR issues, organizational theory and design, behavioral science, legal issues in HR management, performance management and assessment, employee training and development, and compensation and benefits.

Students can also expect a human resources bachelor's program to include core business training in areas such as accounting, finance, information technology and marketing. Additionally, most programs require an array of general education courses to meet various general studies distributions and also allow room for electives.

With a bachelor's degree in human resources, graduates qualify for human resources leadership roles in private, public and nonprofit organizations. Specific HR competencies covered in these bachelor degree programs include training and development, strategic staffing, labor and employment law, managing organizational change, compensation and benefits, leadership and team building. Undergraduates with a bachelor's degree in human resources often work as human resources generalists, corporate recruiters and employee benefits managers, while others take positions as training specialists, employee relations managers and HR information systems managers.

Jobs in the human resource industry are plentiful. Because human resource management is needed in every industry, and just about any company with 50 or more employees has human resource workers, human resource professionals have a great deal of options available to them. Specific job availability and salary depend on the specific area one pursues. However, the Bureau of Labor statistics reported that human resource jobs are expected to grow 36 percent or more through 2012, and in 2002 the average annual salary for human resource managers was just under $65,000.

Median Salary by Job - Degree: Bachelor of Science (BS/BSc/SB), Human Resources (United States)

Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:55:00 -0700

The master of business administration, or MBA, is often considered the top degree in the business world, although PhDs in certain specialties are certainly available. No matter what industry you're in, an MBA degree will be an enormous asset. Some companies will provide tuition assistance or reimbursement in exchange for your commitment to continue working for them after you earn your degree.

MBA's are a popular graduate degree for the following reasons:

• Earn approx X% more than before

• Prepare you for a promotion to management or executive positions

• Prepare you to launch your own business

• Build an invaluable network through your classmates

In traditional 2 year business schools students typically take a core group of classes during year one, and then may pursue their own interests during the second year through elective courses.

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h4. Topics you may learn in business school:

h4. The Core Curriculum may include:

• Marketing

• Business Strategy

• Organizational Behavior

• Finance

• Economics

• Accounting

• Manufacturing & Production

• Operations

h4. Some of the more common areas of specialization are:

• Entrepreneurship

• Brand Management

• International Business

• Human Resources

• Corporate Finance

• Information Technology

• Product Management

• Business Ethics

2 Year MBA: Full-time, weekday programs for 4 semesters.

Accelerated MBA: Full-time, 1 year, with an increased course load.

Distance Learning MBA: The most flexible option for prospective MBA students. Accredited Online Programs vary in terms of schedule

Evening & Weekend MBA: Part-time; Usually over a 3 year period. Students are usually working and going to school.

Executive MBA: Part-time; designed for managers and executives who are working.

Median Salary by Job - Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA) (United States)

Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration

HRGuru & BusinessSchools.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:47:00 -0700

Do you wind up the leader of almost every group project you get involved in? Do other people frequently ask you for financial advice? Do you watch _"The Apprentice"_ and similar TV shows and say to yourself, "I could do better than all these people"? You might never get to be the president of a multi-billion-dollar company, but businesses all over the world need people with managerial and financial skills. They can promote non-managerial employees into management or positions of financial responsibility. If you get training in business administration, you'll have skills that firms everywhere are looking for.

Whether you're finishing high school and want an important, rewarding career, or you've been working for a few years and want to improve your prospects, a business degree can be the avenue to fulfilling your dreams.

h4. Here are some of the subjects you might learn if you choose to study business:

• You will be called on to write memos and reports, give presentations, and much more, so *business communication & correspondence* polishes your verbal and written skills to a professional level.

• *Economics* is the science of money and the distribution of resources; microeconomics examines it on the personal and small-business scale, while macroeconomics examines it on a big-business and government-policy scale.

• *Finance* teaches you how the banking, capital, and debt markets work; how to use them to raise money for your firm; and how to wisely use that money through budgeting and cash-flow and risk analysis.

• Study *accounting* to understand how to track and report your company's financial activity, and how to use those reports as a basis for business decisions.

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• *Leadership and organizational behavior* show you how individuals and groups function in an organization, how to set goals for an organization, and how to lead and motivate the organization's people and groups toward those goals.

• Especially in today's business climate, *ethics & corporate responsibility* are tremendously important. You and your firm need to make decisions that are morally right, not just for yourselves but for your shareholders, employees, community, environment, and society.

• *Marketing* is the study of making customers aware of your product, making the product optimally available to them, and motivating them to buy it.

• *Negotiation* will prepare you to get what you want when bargaining with employees, vendors, customers, and others.

• Developing and manufacturing products is the province of *operations management*; learn *technology management* to integrate new devices and processes, especially relating to information technology, into your business.

• In *entrepreneurship*, you'll learn how to identify potential business opportunities, get the backing you'll need to start them up, and develop them into viable organizations.

• *Strategy* shows you how to evaluate the information you have about your firm and its resources, the marketplace, the industry, and society in order to make better decisions about what your firm should be doing in the future.

Median Salary by Job - Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) (United States)

Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report

The Top 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill

John Rossheim / Monster — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:48:00 -0700

The economy is sputtering, and companies say they will make nothing but perfect-10 hires. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers are retiring by the millions -- and everyone wants to be a millionaire, not a wage earner. Where does all this leave employers and workers in their never-ending struggle to tip the balance in the American labor market?

From the perspective of an annual survey commissioned by staffing firm Manpower, these dynamics yield a number of occupations for which openings are hard to fill. Among white-collar jobs, the following positions make Manpower’s 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill list: engineers, technicians, sales reps, accountants and IT staff. And on the blue-collar side, the list includes machinists and machine operators, skilled tradespeople, mechanics, laborers and production operators.

But labor-market power is shifting toward employers as the economy continues to soften. While in Manpower’s 2007 survey of 2,000 US firms 41 percent of employers reported difficulties filling positions, the 2008 tally found only about half that percentage of companies reported recruitment was a struggle. This should come as no surprise, given that American employers shed about a quarter of a million jobs in the first four months of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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And many experts, especially labor advocates, take issue with the Manpower study’s conclusion that all these occupations are in shortage. “Our starting point at EPI is where most economists would start: If you don’t have low unemployment and rising wages, you don’t have a shortage,” says Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

So if you work in one of these occupations, or want to, what’s the real story? Let’s take a look at the survey results and get some perspective on what the shortages really mean.

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White-Collar Occupations Blow in the Winds of Economic Change

Even as thousands of IT jobs continue to be offshored each year, demand for software developers, systems engineers and network administrators is strong, according to the Manpower survey.

“One of the challenges that IT departments face is finding people who are well-rounded, can communicate with the lines of business and can manage,” says Melanie Holmes, a vice president at Manpower North America.

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With fuel prices spiking and oil and natural gas exploration heating up, demand for petroleum engineers is rising. Offshoring notwithstanding, “engineering is going to be around for awhile,” says Holmes. “Oil companies have employees averaging in their late 40s.”

Eisenbrey says EPI data shows labor shortages in a number of white-collar niches, from healthcare workers to librarians, farm managers, engineering managers and environmental scientists.

Some Blue-Collar Jobs Go Unfilled Even as Their Numbers Drop

Even after decades of manufacturing decline, employment of machinists is expected to drop by 3 percent between 2006 and 2016, according to the BLS.

“We’re at the very beginning of that decline; we haven’t necessarily gotten there yet,” says Holmes. “Even if machinists are declining, applicants are in short supply. Kids are not getting excited about going to tech and vocational schools.”

Labor advocates paint a different picture. “Employers are still not willing to pay what’s required,” says Eisenbrey. “It’s a shortage only at the rate that employers want to pay.”

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The skilled trades, especially in construction, rank high among blue-collar jobs that are hard to fill, according to the Manpower survey. Carpenters, welders, plumbers, electricians and masons are in demand, the survey says.

But Eisenbrey questions the validity of these conclusions. “It doesn’t make sense that jobs for construction workers and laborers are hard to fill,” he says. “Wages are declining in most of these occupations; 365,000 of those workers have been laid off in the last 12 months.” In April 2008, as the housing crisis played out, construction employment declined by 61,000 jobs, according to preliminary data from the BLS.

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Even in our digital age, stuff still needs to get from here to there, whether the trip is across the warehouse floor or around the world. That’s why jobs for laborers such as freight, stock and materials handlers are projected to increase by almost a quarter of a million positions from 2004 to 2014, according to the BLS. Many of these jobs require few skills but pay $12 to $15 an hour, about double the federal minimum wage, which is set to rise to $6.55 from $5.85 on July 24, 2008.

Global Human Resources

Nina Segal / Monster — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:42:00 -0700

With business and the economy becoming globally focused, many companies are sending their employees overseas. This global workforce has created new career opportunities for job seekers interested in the human resources field.

What does a global human resources professional do? A little bit of everything. Individuals being sent abroad by their companies have many questions and need a variety of services coordinated, from getting the correct visas and figuring out salary and tax status to obtaining settling-in services, housing assistance and cross-cultural training. HR professionals are responsible for pulling all of this information together and making sure that all of the necessary hurdles (like visas, for example) are taken care of so that ex pats have a smooth transition into their new work and living environments.

Some organizations use their internal human resources staff to provide such services, but many contract these services out to global relocation firms, which are usually based in the US. But whether you are working for a specific company that provides information and support to its own employees or an organization that specializes in global relocation, you need a certain core skill set that is slightly different from that of a human resources generalist.

Here's a brief overview of the most important qualities a global human resources professional must have.

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Strong Attention to Detail

You will be dealing with paperwork and legal documents like visas and leases that are often in different languages and subject to different conditions and laws. Thousands of dollars are at stake, so you'll need to be organized and detail-oriented in order to deal with the challenges unfamiliar bureaucracies and languages may present.

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Patience, Perseverance and Interpersonal Skills

There is often a great deal of anxiety associated with going abroad, and you must handle the concerns of expatriates and their families with care and concern. In most human resources jobs that don't involve issues like relocation, you’ll tend to work mostly with the employee. In this case, relocation is a family affair, so patience is critical when dealing with cultural issues in countries different than your own. It's not always easy to navigate an unfamiliar system when assisting employees with finding housing, schools and other services, so perseverance and strong interpersonal skills can make all the difference in making sure that everyone is comfortable with what lies ahead.

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Good Time-Management Skills

Sometimes individuals are sent abroad quickly, so time-management skills and the ability to work well under pressure are crucial. You never know when you might have to drop everything to assist a senior-level executive who must be sent abroad -- tomorrow. The challenge here is dealing with different time zones and cultures where urgency has a much different connotation than it does in the US.

Global relocation specialists traditionally have a background in human resources, and many have some international experience. While the job can offer many rewards, it can be very stressful and frustrating, especially when you're dealing with red tape or a demanding employee. But as many global HR professionals will tell you, the chance to work in an international setting far outweighs the challenges and frustrations.

Three Easy Steps to Finding an HR Scholarship

HRGuru — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:28:00 -0700

Step 1. Find Schools You Want to Attend

Most colleges and universities offer fantastic scholarships. So the BEST way to search for scholarships is to narrow the list to include only those schools you’d most like to attend, then research their awards and financial aid options. Many scholarships from corporations and nonprofits also require detailed information about your academic plans, so it pays to decide where to apply before you ramp up your scholarship search.

Begin researching programs of study on HRGuru now.

Step 2. Search for Scholarships

Many organizations and businesses offer scholarships for Bachelor’s and advanced degrees. Look into the following organizations, both in your area and nationally.

* • Professional associations

• Your employer (Employee Based Awards)

• Scholarship-focused nonprofits

• Large corporations (Pepsi, Xerox, etc.)

• Foundations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, etc.)

• Unions

• Advocacy and political organizations

• Religious organizations

• Social/community clubs and organizations

• Service organizations (Rotary, Elks, etc.)

Scholarship criteria vary widely. Some scholarships are earmarked for students pursuing specific careers; others may be regional, designated for applicants from a particular state or county. Typically, organizations and schools may offer scholarships to students who meet a set of criteria, which could include:

* • Demonstrated commitment to community service or volunteer work

• Commitment to pursue a valued career, academic, or research interest

• Learning or physical disabilities

• Demonstrated commitment to fine arts or performing arts

• Demonstrated athletic achievement and talent

• Economic need

• Underrepresented minority group

• Student is a gender minority in their field of interest (Ex: male nurses)

• Birthplace (for students from a particular city, state, or country)

• Student is the first to go to college in their family

• Contest / essay contest winner

• Going back to school; single parent

• High academic achievement

• High standardized test scores

A good strategy is to determine the types of scholarships you may be eligible for and search specifically for those.

Which area(s) might you qualify under?

Here are some hand-picked scholarships that will get you started on your search:

1. Society for Human Resource Management Scholarship Programs

Amount: Varied

Funds several undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in human resources.

http://www.shrm.org/awards/scholarshipsbydate.asp

2. Business & Professional Women Career Advancement Scholarships Program

Amount: varies

The BPW Foundation established the Career Advancement Scholarship Program to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged women seeking to further their education. Scholarships are provided to women who wish to advance in their careers, or are soon to enter or re-enter the workforce. The Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships, grants, and loans to over 8,000 women seeking to improve their lives.

http://www.bpwusa.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageid=3381

3. AAUW Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award

Amount: $5,000

Scholarships Available: 1

Established in 1989, the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award honors an individual, project, organization, or institution for outstanding contributions to equity and education for women and girls.

http://www.aauw.org/education/fga/awards/erfund.cfm

4. National Business Association Scholarship Program

Amount: $1,500

Scholarships Availbale: 10

Those eligible to apply for the NBA scholarships are high school seniors, college freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are dependent sons and daughters of NBA dues-paying Members. These are one-year awards and are not based on financial need. The scholarship will be applied to educational expenses at accredited, non-profit colleges, universities or vocational/technical schools in the United States.

* NOTE: The parents of the applicants must still be NBA Members at the time the winners are selected in April.

http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/scholarship.htm

5. FastWeb and Dell "Why I Deserve A Scholarship" Contest

Amount: $4,000

The FastWeb and Dell "Why I Deserve A Scholarship" Contest is open to students 15 years of age or older who are either currently enrolled in an accredited college/university or will graduate from high school in Spring2008. To be eligible for this contest, you must submit a video explaining why you deserve a scholarship. Additionally, you must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or District of Columbia

Click here to download a list of even more scholarships

Step 3. Apply for Lots of Scholarships – Don’t be Shy

Finding scholarship programs can be a time-consuming process. Unfortunately, many students spend hours looking for a scholarship but fail to put an equal amount of effort into completing their application. The application is by far the most important part of your scholarship search; give it the time it deserves.

One last bit of advice: Double-check the scholarship requirements before you apply. After all, you want to be sure you are eligible before you apply. Write, call or e-mail the scholarship sponsor to ensure you have full details of application procedures and know what will be expected of the successful applicant. You can never have too much Information!

HRGuru's Glossary of Jargon

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:31:00 -0700

Frequently Used Jargon

• Calculating Mins Mids and Maxes

• Compa-ratio

• Corporate Social Responsibility Programs

• Distance Learning

• Employee Driven Transfer Policies

• Employee Referral Bonuses

• Ethics Hotline

• Intranets

• Matching Contributions

• Pay Grade

• Percentile

• Range Penetration

• Total Compensation

Calculating Mins, Mids, and Maxes

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:07:00 -0700

Calculation of Minimums, Midpoints, and Maximums

Given either a minimum, midpoint or maximum, and a range spread (RS), the two remaining figures may be calculated by producing a factor from the formulas in the following table and multiplying by the known quantity.

To find:	Minimum	Midpoint	Maximum
If known figure is:
Minimum		((2+RS)/2)	(1+RS)
Midpoint	(2/(2+RS))		((2+(2*RS))/(2+RS))
Maximum	(1/(1+RS))	((2+RS)/((2+(2*RS))))

For example: If a given maximum salary is $1,500 and the desired range spread is 40%, then the midpoint salary may be found by selecting the appropriate factor formula from the table, then inserting the range spread (RS) of 40%, and multiplying by the salary of $1,500:

((2+.40)/((2+(2x.40))))x$1,500, or

(2.4/2.8)x$1,500 = $1,286

FLSA Exemption Criteria

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:52:00 -0700

On July 24, 2004, the United State Department of Labor issued new rules regarding eligibility for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new rules will go into effect on August 23, 2004 unless some unexpected action by the Congress occurs to block implementation. As of this date, there have been attempts to block implementation but nothing, as yet as passed. Even if Congress does act to block implementation, the President has indicated that he will veto any such attempt thereby requiring Congress to muster a 2/3 majority which, to date, has not been possible.

Following this introduction, you will find a checklist that outlines the various tests for exemption that have been outlined in the new rules. The new rules are easier to follow and determining the exemption status should be much easier than it has been in the past for many jobs. In applying the applicable tests to the job, it is important that you have a thorough knowledge of the job in question including its essential duties and the required knowledge and skill needed to perform the work. This will involve a thorough analysis of the individual position or, potentially, all positions within the job classification. You will need the information to appropriately determine whether the duties meet the criteria specified by the Department of Labor. Failure to correctly determine the exemption status can result in substantial additional cost to the employer; either through paying overtime to positions that could be exempt or incorrectly exempting a position or job classification thereby subjecting the employer to substantial back pay and penalties should the affected employee ever dispute their exemption status.

Fox Lawson & Associates LLC can assist you in analyzing the work performed by individual positions or groups of positions and then recommend the appropriate FLSA exemption status, should you need assistance in performing these tasks.

Exemption Worksheet (All Tests)

Employee:

Job Title:

Department:

Date:

The employee must meet all of the requirements of one of the exemption tests as outlined below to be eligible for exemption under the FLSA. (Employees earning more than $100,000 in total annual compensation are only required to customarily and regularly perform one of the exempt duties of the Administrative, Executive, or Professional tests.)

Please indicate the exemption test that applies to this employee and complete the corresponding exemption test matrix below:

Administrative	Executive
Learned Professional	Creative Professional
Computer Professional	Outside Sales

Administrative Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	$455/week
Duties	Primary duty of performing office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer's customers Exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance

Executive Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	$455/week
Duties	Primary duty of managing the enterprise or a recognized department of subdivision Customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees (or their equivalent) Has the authority to hire or fire other employees (or whose recommendations as to the hiring, firing, advancement, promotion, or any other change of status of other employees are given particular weight)

Learned Professional Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	$455/week
Duties	Primary duty of the performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, defined as work, which is predominantly intellectual in character and includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment Advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning Advance knowledge must be customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction

Creative Professional Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	$455/week
Duties	Primary duty of the performance of work requiring invention, imagination, originality or talent in a recognized field of artistic endeavor

Computer Professional Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	$455/week or $27.63/hour
Duties	Employed as a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled worker in the computer field performing the following duties: a. Application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users to determine hardware, software, or system functional applications, OR b. Design, development, documentation, analysis creation, testing, or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes, based on and related to user or system design specifications, OR c. Design, documentation, testing, creation, or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems, OR d. A combination of duties described in (a), (b), (c), the performance of which requires the same level of skills

Outside Sales Exemption:
	Requirement for Exemption	Does employee meet the requirement?	Describe how employee meets the requirement
Salary	None Required
Duties	Primary duty of making sales (any sale, exchange, contract to sell, consignment for sales, shipment for sale or other disposition including the transfer of title to tangible property, and in certain cases of tangible and valuable evidences of intangible property), or obtaining orders or contracts for services or for the use of facilities for which a consideration will be paid by the client of customer The employee must be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place or places of business

Intranets

Want to know how the company's stock is faring or how the company softball team is doing? Check the company intranet. These sites promote benefits, share job openings, and generally keep employees informed, even when they're working from home or on the road.

Matching Contributions

Some employers match their employees' personal donations to the arts and to charitable organizations. Others match their employees' 401(k) contributions. Matching donations aren't giveaways. They say to employees: "If you're in, we're in."

Corporate Social Responsibility Programs

Big companies have done a lot of damage over the years, but some of them are doing great things for the world today through CSR programs. Whether banding their employees together to build houses or providing education for their vendors' employees in developing nations, socially aware employers are making a tremendous difference around the world.

Company-Sponsored Alumni Groups

Back in the day, a bunch of former Data General employees started an alumni group called the Grey Eagles, and the idea has caught on. Now, smart companies like McKinsey sponsor their own alumni groups, sending the message: "If you worked for us in the past, we would love to keep in touch in the future." More than a source of job leads and connections, alumni groups help their sponsor organizations hire and retain talented folks.

Distance Learning

We've got the Internet, let's use it! Distance-learning programs let employees gain new skills, right at their desktops.