eBulletin - Week of March 6, 2006

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Dear Valued Members, It's back for the 5th year: HR.com's Employers of Excellence National Conference 2006! We have an impressive lineup of speakers confirmed to date including Dave Ulrich, Ram Charan, Tony Schwartz, Steven Levitt and Margaret Wheatley. Learn more about each of these remarkable people and then plan to join us in Las Vegas in October! Take advantage of our Winter Special before March 31st to maximize the value of this networking event. Register as a Guest Members to get an idea of how valuable a tool we can be. Our site changes daily, so check back often. Do you have expertise in an area? Please don't be shy! Contact us at writers@hr.com to submit an article. For article guidelines, check out the site under About Us/How to Contribute. Enjoy! Debbie McGrath CEO, HR.com    NEW ARTICLES  Available to view in the next 7 days for Guest members.  Available to view anytime for Premier members. Benefits Japanese Government Considering New Law to Make Holidays Mandatory The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) plans to implement this law to help Japanese workers balance both work and family; from Pacific Bridge. Read Jeff Chad's Latest Blog. Compensation Take This Executive Compensation Quiz Fred Whittlesey comments on some recent news in the Executive Compensation space. Human Resources Management Shifting the Role of the HR Staff from Transactional to Strategic To be successful in this turbulent environment, HR leaders need to break down the barriers and silos between them and management, writes Kathleen Dodaro. Labor Relations Back to Work: Reserve Forces Returning From Active Duty This article is going to address some of the issues related to co-workers who are either in the military or co-workers in a relationship with a military person on active duty. From Marcia Eager, Solutions EAP. Legal D-O-C-U-M-E-N-T Whenever you go to a program on employment law, the presenters probably emphasize the importance of documentation. Mary Anne Q. Wood has summarized what you need to know about when and how to document. Organizational Development Spokes in a Wheel Organizations - whether businesses, non-profits, associations, educational, family-related or otherwise - run more efficiently and have greater chances of being successful (serving their purposes) if their people are spokes in the wheels that are the organizations, writes Sylvia Henderson. Read Sylvia Henderson's Latest Blog. Performance Management What They Don't Tell You About Being A First-Time Manager Congratulations! You were appointed to your first management position. You're getting new business cards, a raise and a bigger workstation. Your boss spelled out your new duties, too. It's a cause for celebration! But it's also a cause for caution, warns Tim Rutledge. Read Aileen MacMillan's Latest Blog. Executive Coaching Breakdowns Carol Ross attended a coaching workshop where one of the themes was declaring our breakdowns-the place where we know we are incompetent. Read Merry Marcus' Latest Blog. Leadership Thought Leaders: Jeswald Salacuse on How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich and Powerful People Jeswald Salacuse is Professor of Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Tufts University. He recently spoke with HR.com's Leadership analyst, Karen Elmhirst about his most recent book is 'Leading Leaders - How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich and Powerful People.' Read Karen Elmhirst's Latest Blog. HR Measurements and Metrics National Survey Results on Success of Project Teams Less than half of their organization's projects always/often meet their goals, said respondents to a nationwide survey, and only one-third are always/often completed on time and on budget; Howard Guttman and Andrew Longman find. Read Claude Balthazard's Latest Blog. Staffing and Recruitment Conquering Cross-Cultural Challenges If you are called upon to provide your expertise in foreign lands ... lucky you! However, it is not easy to find the right references or resources for making your trip 100% effective, and "getting it right" the first time. Sharyn Mosca has some hints. Read Michael Moretti's Latest Blog. Workforce Acquisition Reality HR: Russ Campanello, from Keane, on Hiring for a Consulting Firm - Do's and Don'ts Russ Campanello recently spoke with HR.com's Workforce Acquisition analyst, Mark McAuliffe, about his charter at Keane: to develop and initiate strategies to advance Keane's business objectives and manage the complexities that are inherent in their global delivery model. Read Mark McAuliffe's Latest Blog. HR Outsourcing Competing with Outsourced Labor through Increased Expertise The truth is some kinds of outsourcing are more effective than others, and by becoming more familiar with the weaknesses of the outsourcing model, you can better position yourself to compete with it, writes Scott Brown. Read Keith Strodtman's Latest Blog. HRIS/ERP EU Demands Service Providers Retain Internet and Phone Records The European Union (EU) Parliament, as part of an anti-terrorism and anti-crime initiative, has approved a Directive that requires service providers to retain records of all Internet messages and telephone calls they handle. Similar action is likely in the U.S. From InfoTech Research. Training and Development Want to Ace Your Next Job Interview? Robin Ryan's super effective interview tactics. Sponsor message brought to you by HR.com Premier Memberships Extra ... Extra ... Special Offer for HR.com Premier Members HR.com and PeopleFilter offer free 1-year subscription* to EEO-Comply. This is a $3,000 value. EEO-Comply Subscription includes: Automated online survey for EEO data collection Standard or customized EEO questions and messaging Quarterly EEO reports Annual data export distributed by CD To register for the EEO-Comply special offer click here. To become an HR.com Premier Member click here. *offer expires March 31, 2006. Some restrictions may apply. HR.com's Upcoming Events HR.com Employers of Excellence Government Conference 2006 Join thousands of your colleagues at HR.com's Employers of Excellence Government Conference and Expo, March 7-9, 2006 in Washington, DC. Discover the latest in HR technology products, services and solutions and attend educational sessions that focus on highlighting the hottest trends and best practices in HR. Register Now! HR.com Employers of Excellence National Conference 2006 Join us October 25-27, 2006 at the magnificent Red Rock Resort Spa & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The program includes a world class lineup of 6 keynote speakers, individualized custom tracks with workshops and roundtable presentations from leading HR Executives. Register Now! Educational Webcasts: ( Free for everyone ) Building Leadership Competencies | March 8, 2006 Sponsored by: DDI and HR.com What are the trends in leadership competencies? What do the various leadership experts have to say about how to develop your competency models. How many is too many? What are the best ways to evaluate leaders against these competency measures and what role do competencies need to play in the development of leaders? Potholes on the Road to Internet Applicant Compliance: Basic Qualifications and Search | March 9, 2006 Sponsored by: Peopleclick The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' (OFCCP) new definition of an Internet applicant has changed the ways employers recruit and consider candidates. By now, you know the four criteria for establishing who is an Internet applicant, but do you understand what constitutes "consideration" or "basic qualifications?" This webinar will explore these topics in more detail: consideration, basic qualifications, searching - including conceptual search, and pre-screening questionnaires. Our experts from the Peopleclick Research Institute will also share some recent survey results on overall preparedness for these new regulations. And our technology experts will give you some insight as to whether your applicant tracking system can provide the support you need to be in full compliance. Best Practice Interview and Reference Check Techniques - Tips from the Experts | March 16, 2006 Some recruiters and line managers just seem to have a knack for picking a winner. Their hires are always the top performers, and seemingly always get the most recognition. If you want to get the "right" candidates on your recruitment bus you have to know how and where to drive it. And experts can help ... Fiduciary Responsibilities under ERISA | March 21, 2006 The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) sets minimum standards for retirement and benefit plans. We will walk through all the current fiduciary responsibilities and discuss any proposed changes and/or issues. Investing in Workforce Management: Developing a Data Driven Business Case | March 23, 2006 Sponsored by: AXSIUM Developing a disciplined business case is critical to the success of any Workforce Management project. Properly executed, the business case presents a supportable accounting of both the costs and benefits associated with the initiative, allowing the organization to make informed decisions on the commitment of money and people. Join Tim Lett, Managing Partner at Axsium Group, as he presents an innovative and objective approach to developing a data-driven business case to support investing in an Enterprise Workforce Management solution. ........................................................................................   Next week's Thought Leaders Live Webcast: ( Free for Premier members or pay $150 US each webcast ) Renewing Yourself and Connecting With Others Through Mindfulness, Hope, and Compassion | March 13, 2006 Just as stress and sacrifice are an inevitable part of a leader's role, so too, should be conscious renewal and rejuvenation. Join Richard Boyatzis, coauthor with Annie McKee of a new book, Resonant Leadership, as he outlines concrete ways in which to increase your effectiveness as a leader and improve your organization's bottom-line performance. Building on the Promise of Diversity | March 20, 2006 Roosevelt Thomas is the founder of The American Institute for Managing Diversity and hailed by the WSJ as one of America's top consultants. Join us to better understand diversity issues at your company. ........................................................................................   Next week's Reality HR Live Webcast : ( Free for Premier members or pay $150 US each webcast ) Improving Performance Management Processes to Increase Top Line Revenue: A Reality HR Interview with Laurel Ditson, VP-Organizational & Associate Development, Baxa Corporation | March 21, 2006 Quality and performance has always been a focus at Baxa Corporation. Baxa is a customer-focused medical device company that provides innovative, solution-based technologies for fluid handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of fluid medications. ........................................................................................ Sponsor message brought to you by IHRIM Attend the world's only HR technology conference that has unparalleled education and leading edge technology for HR executives and professionals. HRMStrategies 2006 brings it all together - networking, education and leading edge HR technology - for three days from the most respected experts, peers and companies in the industry.   Polls and Surveys Feature Poll:   Work and Life: Work life balance is a health, social and business issue: Ideally, I would prefer to be... Feature Survey:   X, Y, B (for Boomer)   Forums Contribute to the discussion of various HR topics in our Discussion Forum or comment specifically to this topic: Leadership Qualities What, in your opinion, makes a great leader? Sponsor message brought to you by SelfManagedBenefits.com Have you considered the influence your broker or consultant has on employee benefit costs? Self Managed Benefits provides tools and information to help with broker and consultant selection, compensation and evaluation. Visit www.selfmanagedbenefits.com to register for FREE web-based seminars! Become a Premier or Corporate member of HR.com by April 15 and receive 50% off Self Managed Benefits membership. The content in this eBulletin is available to you FREE, however only Premier Members of HR.com are entitled to all HR.com's content and archived material. If you are not a member and would like to become one, please click here to join today. Guest Membership is FREE. If, at any time, you have any questions or troubles, please contact us at 1-877-472-6648 or via email at memberships@hr.com.   Copyright  2006, HR.com Limited | All Rights Reserved. 124 Wellington Street East, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, L4G 1J1 | 905-727-1340     HR SOLUTIONS HR.com Premier Memberships   IHRIM   Self Managed Benefits   "You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements." ~ Norman Douglas Take a break, have a laugh, check out this week's HR.comic If you know someone who'd like to read this eBulletin, please forward it to them. Sponsor this eBULLETIN. If you're a vendor who'd like to reach HR decision makers, email us at sales@hr.com Testimonial: "I do find the info valuable. In fact, I sent the recent article on Compensation in China to someone with whom I recently interviewed - which may be the reason I received a job offer!  :-)" - Guest member of HR.com who accessed this article for FREE within seven days of publishing.