The Purpose Of Your Personnel Office

Many workers are unaware of the purpose and activities of a personnel/human resource department. Yet every person hired goes through at least a large portion of this organized process.

The Personnel/HR Office is designed to function as an employment adversary for both the company it serves and employees it hires. These functions involve all employment services mandated by federal regulations and laws. It is the role of each HR professional to have solid working knowledge in the following areas. The HR department is designed to provide the framework of the organization's mission, goals and strategies that everyone within its culture adheres to and benefits from. It also performs the following:

• Performs job analysis and creates the classifications and descriptions of all positions within the company, to include appropriate compensation (salary/wage administration, incentives (non-monetary and monetary), and benefits to include perks and bonuses.
• Is responsible for staffing services, to include: recruiting, selecting, interviewing, evaluating, background checks, making offers, and orientating new hires.
• Is responsible for establishing and maintaining compensation, to include benefits.
• Is responsible for promoting an environment that optimizes productivity, quality, service, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Promotes and incorporates measures toward the health, safety and security of the organization's staff and property.
• Is responsible for creating and incorporating the strategies toward company policies and procedures that addresses the mission and goals of the organization.
• Is responsible for establishing strategies and goals that focuses on company compliance.
• Is responsible for creating and implementing strategies toward diversity, and the healthy maintenance of every employee regardless of race, religion, sex, or ethnicity.
• Is responsible for establishing and implementing the rights and privacy of all employees.
• Is responsible for providing a safe environment for all employees to discuss any job related issues, such as harassment, conflicts, etc., and providing appropriate counseling, monitoring, and record keeping.
• Is responsible for creating and implementing a form of orientation for all new employees, which includes completion of required paperwork and overview of company guidelines.
• Is responsible for implementing employee development programs that focuses on additional and on the job training, and advancement opportunity training.
• Is responsible for adhering to and implementing legal compliance in every aspect of its functions, to include but not limited to, reasonable accommodations for ADA workers.

Your Rights In The Workplace

You have many rights as an Employee, and being aware of those rights, strengthens your position in the work environment. It is as important for a worker to know the laws, rules and regulations that govern an employer. If an employer knows what governs their treatment of you, so should you have knowledge of these laws.

An employee has the right:

• to work
• to be safe during work hours
• to fair compensation
• to not be discriminated against or harassed.
• to be heard, to file a grievance and to not be terminated as a result.
• to take leave, required to care for a family member's illness, birth, or adoption

  to privacy in personal matters.

• There are other rights that an applicant has during the application and hiring process.

Please contact us for individual concerns and advice.

Hostile Work Environment: Protect Yourself

Hostile Work Environment refers to harassment by supervisors, managers, coworkers, agents of the company/organization and outside vendors.  

• Hostile Work Environment consists of a condition where employee cannot do their job without feeling harassed or threatened.
• There are many cases of workplace bullies in today's workforce. With the rise of diversity, to include more women and more minorities, there is also a rise in cruelty among workers.
• The workplace bully is a person or persons creating an intimidating, offensive, abusive or hostile work environment in the form of severe, recurring and pervasive harassment and other discriminatory acts. These acts are usually based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Employees are protected under the Civil Rights Act - Title VII, against this type of discrimination.

Other names for a hostile work environment include:

• intimidating work environment,
• offensive work environment,
• abusive work environment
• hostile workplace

• Unwarranted or invalid criticism.
• Blame without factual justification.
• Being treated differently than others at work.
• Being sworn at, and demeaning behavior.
• Ignoring or social isolation.
• Being shouted at or being humiliated.
• Being the target of practical jokes.
• Excessive monitoring.

What Employers Should Do During An Interview

• Be on time. If the candidate is expected to be on time, so should the interviewer.

• If delayed, let the candidate know and for how long - they have a schedule too.
• Greet the candidate with interest, and offer undivided attention, offer a handshake, a smile and eye contact.
• Find a private place to have the interview, away from earshot of other staff.
• If an application is required, have the candidate fill it out AFTER the interview. Make sure he/she is interested in the position before requesting an application. This only applies if you have a resume on the candidate prior to the interview.
• Greet the candidate with interest, and offer undivided attention, offer a handshake, a smile and eye contact.
• Avoid sitting behind a desk. It portrays an air of superiority, not a warm inviting environment.
• A company should not allow anyone that is not a supervisor or manager to conduct an interview. (example: a secretary interviewing another secretary).
• Allot up to an hour for a thorough interview. Rushing through the process causes uneasiness, and lack of professionalism.
• Learn the legal and appropriate questions to ask. Check with your HR department before conducting an interview.
• Give all the details about the company, the position requirements, salary, target start date, benefits and incentives, work environment (office space or cubby), who immediate supervisor(s) will be. Always give a job description, and work expectations.
• If the candidate is required to come back for another interview, let them know at the first interview.
• Let the candidate know when you're planning to fill the position.
• Wrap up the interview by a Q&A period, making sure that all questions are addressed.
• Escort the candidate out, shake hands, thank the candidate, and offer to be in touch soon.
• Keep in mind that if you're interested in a candidate, so will someone else. Don't procrastinate making a decision on a good candidate - you may lose them.
• Only discuss the details of the interview with those that are involved in the decision making process. Soliciting commentary from a receptionist or other support staff is not appropriate.
• Send a courtesy e-mail to all candidates not selected, to inform them of such.

• Candidates: How To Get The Best Interview Experience

   

• Visitthe location of your interview prior to the interview (best route to take, length of time to get there, parking availability). Many are listed on google or have a website). Be knowledgeable before you go.
• Choose your interview outfit the night before, making sure its pressed and clean. Nothing revealing, provocative or too tight.
• Eat something before you go. In the morning, something on your stomach relaxes the nerves. In the afternoon, something on your stomach will help prevent sluggishness, and increase alertness.
• Take an extra copy of your resume. If written correctly, it is a good tool for answering questions like "tell me about your work experience." An extra copy can also come in handy for completing that dreaded application.
• Take along applications details like, addresses, phone numbers, contact persons and their titles, and length of time, on companies you worked for. Add personal references in the same way. Make sure you have asked your references for this privilege.
• Have a good contact number and email address. Don't borrow someone else's.
• Be alert, make constant eye contact. Speak in a calm, professional voice and tone. Ask professional and appropriate questions.
• If something has not been answered or addressed, and it's important for you to make an educated decision, ASK it.
• Do not talk about your personal business in the interview. Depending on the subject, it can be inappropriate. Stick to the reason you're there.
• Do, however, engage in polite conversation to break the ice, and increase your comfort level.
• Ask for a job description. Every company except for retail and other service industries should have job descriptions.
• Ask about growth potential, incentives, benefits, and training.
• Expect to spend close to an hour for the interview. Plan your day accordingly.
• Ask if additional interviews will be required before a decision is made. Ask when they expect the position to be filled.
• Get a business card from the interviewer.
• Send a thank you email expressing your appreciation and interest (if you are) in the position.