Workforce Week®

	www.workforce.com
	August 12 -18, 2007 Vol. 8 Issue 33

In This Issue ...

Workforce News of the Week
Feature: 'Unlearning' Makes Headlines at Reuters

Feature: Avoiding Age Discrimination Claims in Hiring

Podcasts: The Workforce Management Podcast

Forum Post: Meritocracy

Blog: Defending Boorish Behavior

The HR Capitalist: Why Do Companies Keep Jerks Around?

Commentary: Why 'Commitment Coach' Must Be in Every HR Manager's Job Description


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Workforce News of the Week:

DHS Adds Teeth to Enforcement of 'No-Match' Rule: If work authorization or identity can't be confirmed, companies would have to fire employees. Currently, employers are not compelled to do anything.
Click to read more. >>>
Ford CEO Describes a New Deal for Automakers: Alan Mulally tells a conference that Detroit is increasingly looking to executive outsiders to get the car business back onto a profitable footing while it cuts thousands of jobs and plans on tough contract talks with the UAW next month.
Click to read more. >>>
Accelerating Detroit's Talent Shift: By appointing former Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli, Chrysler is signaling an ongoing shift in an industry that once would only elevate an 'old auto guy' into such a job, one expert says.
Click to read more. >>>
Kronos Enjoys Its Private Life, Expands Abroad: In June, investors led by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman completed their $1.8 billion takeover of Kronos, removing it from the Nasdaq stock exchange. Two days later, Kronos announced it had acquired European HR software firm Captor.
Click to read more. >>>

Appeals Court Says 401(k) Participants Can Sue Even After Cashing Out of Plan
Click to read more. >>>

Average 401(k) Posts Fourth Straight Increase; Total Still Too Low to Offer Safe Retirement
Click to read more. >>>

Quick Takes:
Big Surprise: Mingling at Work Harms Output
Click to read more. >>>

Out of Sight: Micromanaging Execs Still Wary of Telecommuters
Click to read more. >>>

Heads Hunting: CEOs Expected to Devote More Resources to Recruiting
Click to read more. >>>

Stiffed by Stateside: Overseas Execs Edged Out of Equity
Click to read more. >>>

Training performance
Feature: 'Unlearning' Makes Headlines at Reuters

Rather than store every conceivable piece of information in their heads, employees at the London-based financial software, technology and news company participate in learning through methods including creating user content, taking on stretch assignments and rotating to work on different project teams.

Recruiting
Feature: Avoiding Age Discrimination Claims in Hiring

Employers must prepare for more age discrimination claims arising from the hiring process as the labor pool ages and courts reject traditional legal defenses. Shifts in demographic trends and judicial reasoning have combined to set the stage for a rapid rise in the risks posed by unsuccessful job candidates who fall within the protected class of workers age 40 and older under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Read more about avoiding age discrimination claims. >>>

Also:
A Few Practical Tips on Responding to a Discrimination Charge >>>
Reference to Age in Termination Process>>>
Recruiting on the Right Side of the Law>>>

Podcasts
The Workforce Management Podcast

The staff of Workforce Management brings you news reports and interviews with leading figures and experts in human resources and workforce management.

PODCAST: Retiring GE People Chief Bill Conaty Discusses Forced Ranking Click here to listen to the podcast (opens an mp3 file).

PODCAST: The Myth of Employee Satisfaction: Understanding the 'Halo Effect'
Click here to listen to the podcast (opens an mp3 file).

PODCAST: SHRM 2007 Conference Report: Rebranding HR
Click here to listen to the podcast (opens an mp3 file).

Discussion
Meritocracy

Posted in the General Forum:

A reader writes: "We are looking for an objective way to assess employee achievements as an input for corporate growth, and we are considering meritocracy as an option. We have been researching, but we haven't found any substantial information. I hope you can help us answering the following questions:

1. What is meritocracy?

2. How do you manage meritocracy?

3. What is your experience working with meritocracy?"

Join the discussion. >>>

Blog: The Business of Management
In Defense of Nose Picking and Boorish Behavior

This is something you won't see taught to MBA students anytime soon: An impassioned management defense of an employee's boorish behavior, and his right to embarrass the company by picking his nose in public, on television.

The HR Capitalist
Why Do Companies Keep Jerks Around?

A popular book advocates not putting up with these jokers, and we all agreed it was a great idea. Then we all went back to work and kept on tolerating them. What the hell happened? Some managers think they need them.

Read more about jerks at work. >>>

Also:
Zero Tolerance for Jerks>>>
The Top 10 Steps for Enforcing the 'No Jerk' Rule >>>
Stamping Out Workplace Bullies >>>
The HR Capitalist: Evolution for Generalists >>>
The HR Capitalist: Copping Out on Performance Management >>>

Commentary
Why 'Commitment Coach' Must Be in Every HR Manager's Job Description

The best recruiting in the world will quickly go for naught if employee commitment wanes or drops off quickly. Commitment is at least as important as talent—if not more so—because it drives talent to new levels.

Also:
Are Your Executives Sabotaging Your Strategy?>>>
How Great Leadership Traits Can Squelch Employee Commitment >>>
Dear Workforce: How Do We Gauge a Person's Passion and Commitment for the Job During Interviews? >>>
Huddling With the Coach >>>