As we supply and support an integrated HR/Payroll application, it was no surprise to read that HR users are being recognized as early adopters of technology. HR and payroll users are under constant pressure to provide strategic information about an organization's labor pool in increasing levels of detail. HR also needs to be able to attract the best people and keep them engaged with the organization. Add to that the pressure from employees to provide a valuable user experience for them when inquiring about or accessing their related HR and payroll information. At StarGarden, we have taken this view to the next level. We believe that HR should have full control of all the systems that an employee can access, including those traditionally controlled by IT such as network access. Who knows better than HR and payroll who is currently employed and in what capacity? When employees exit the organization, HR and payroll are the first to know whereas IT sometimes can lag by days leaving a serious breach in security. Check out our Federation Server (SGFS) information if you are interested in learning more. http://www.stargarden.com/Federation%20Server/Identity%20Management%20and%20Provisioning.aspx   http://www.poly.edu/press-release/2012/05/08/make-way-it-departments-hr-moving-tech-ladder

With all the technical tools at our fingertips, it turns out that doodling is still a great way to get your thoughts out and organized. Many organizations are training their employees in the art of visual note taking. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal states: "Doodling proponents say it can help generate ideas, fuel collaboration and simplify communication. It can be especially helpful among global colleagues who don't share a common first language. Putting pen to paper also is seen as an antidote to the pervasiveness of digital culture, getting workers to look up from their devices. And studies show it can help workers retain more information. A 2009 study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology found that doodlers retained more than nondoodlers when remembering information that had been presented in a boring context, such as a meeting or conference call. The logic, according to Jackie Andrade, a psychology professor at the University of Plymouth in England, is that doodling takes up just enough cognitive energy to prevent the mind from daydreaming." Sounds like we should all put our smartphones down and get back to basics. Check out the full article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303978104577362402264009714.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

Couldn't resist posting this one. I am a bit biased but I can't argue with their findings. "Specifically, at all levels, women are rated higher in fully 12 of the 16 competencies that go into outstanding leadership. And two of the traits where women outscored men to the highest degree — taking initiative and driving for results — have long been thought of as particularly male strengths. As it happened, men outscored women significantly on only one management competence in this survey — the ability to develop a strategic perspective." Check out the full article in the Harvard Business Review: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/a_study_in_leadership_women_do.html?utm_sour

                            Our director forwarded this great article to me. http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/8-core-beliefs-of-extraordinary-bosses.html Eight beliefs of extraordinary managers. 1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield 2. A company is a community, not a machine 3. Management is service, not control 4. My employees are my peers, not my children 5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear 6. Change equals growth, not pain 7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation 8. Work should be fun, not mere toil Do you agree?

There has been lots of debate since the Canadian Federal Budget came out about retirement getting further out of reach for many Canadians and how it will cost more out of individual's pockets to cover retirement costs. Added to that cost is the fact that we are all living longer. It was assumed in the past that the lengthening of our lifespans in the developed world would slow over time. But that is not happening. In North America and advanced Europe, lifespans increased by eight years between 1970 and 2010, and are projected to increase by an additional four years through 2050 — that's about five weeks more per year. At the same time old-age dependency, or the ratio of population over 65 to those in the prime working ages of 15 to 64, is expected to increase from 24 per cent to 48 per cent of the total population in advanced economies by 2050— in other words, roughly one worker for every retired person. http://www.hrreporter.com/articleview/12812-cost-of-aging-rising-faster-than-expected-worldwide-imf Given that we are going to live longer and therefore need more money for retirement (money that won't be supplied by the government in the form of increased pensions), we can assume that many of us will have to work longer. Add to that the fact that we will be facing a labour shortage as the boomers exit the work force, we need to make sure there are strategies in place to retain older workers. Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College released a study titled 'Flex Strategies to Attract, Engage & Retain Older Workers' that looks at how employers can use flexible strategies to retain older workers. The report found that the employers in its case studies used a variety of flexibility initiatives. Offering part-time positions, hiring retirees as consultants and temporary workers and offering flexible work arrangements are among the most commonly used strategies with older or retired workers. The report goes on explain how Marriott Hotels, Central Bapist Hospital, and MITRE Corp have successfully used retention strategies to keep their older workers engaged and working. http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/Articles/Pages/Flex_OlderWorkers.aspx