The Everything HR Kit

John Pitzier is president of FirStep, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in workplace performance. A prolific and popular speaker, he is the author of Get Weird! (9780814471142) and Weirdos in the Workplace.

Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi INTRODUCTION: MAKING THE CASE 1 Human Resource Self-Assessment 1 Calculating the Cost of Employee Turnover 4 The Cycles of Satisfaction 8 The Cycle of Employment 9 The Recruitment Funnel 11 PART 1. PREEMPLOYMENT/RECRUITMENT 13 Chapter 1: Preliminary Tools 15 Why Work Here? 15 The Recruitment Brochure 17 Job Descriptions (aka "Success Profiles") 19 Chapter 2: Recruitment 27 Creative Sourcing Strategies 27 Employee Referral Programs (aka Bird Dogs) 41 Sample Hiring Process and Flowchart 43 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) EEO-1 Survey 46 EEOC Applicant Data Record 48 Chapter 3: The Interview Process 50 Preparing for the Interview 50 Candidate Interview Worksheet 51 Behavioral Interviewing Guide 55 Chapter 4: Conducting the Interview 67 Best Practices in Conducting the Interview 67 Legalities of Interviewing 71 Gut Wrenchers: The 50 Toughest Questions You'll Ever Get or Give in a Job Interview 75 Interview Questions by Category 77 The Five Most Common Interviewer Errors 82 Red Flags and Warning Signs 84 Interviewing the Interviewer 87 Chapter 5: Assessment 89 Matching People to Jobs-Behavioral Assessment 89 Using the Candidate Assessment Form 94 Chapter 6: Reference Checking 97 Negligent Hiring-What Is It? 98 Reference Check Process 99 Reference Check Questions 100 Chapter 7: Drug Testing 102 Information on Drug Testing in the Workplace 102 Kinds of Drug Testing 103 Chapter 8: Immigration 107 I-9 Form-Employment Eligibility Verification 107 Types of U.S. Visas 108 Chapter 9: Benefits 117 Standard Benefits Packages 117 Offering Health Insurance Plans Is a Competitive Advantage 118 Kinds of Health Insurance 119 How to Choose a Managed-Care Plan for Your Company 121 Obtaining Health Insurance for Your Employees 123 Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans 124 Paid Time Off (PTO) or Vacation-Which Is Right for You? 127 Vacation Policies 130 Other Time Off and Leaves 135 Sample Policy 135 PART 2. POSTEMPLOYMENT Chapter 10: New-Employee Orientation (aka On-Boarding) 142 Conditions Necessary for Success 144 Suggested Items to Cover During Orientation 145 Touring Your Organization 147 Make a New Employee's First Day Go Smoothly 149 New Employee Paperwork 150 Chapter 11: Employee Handbooks 153 Two Versions for Two Different Purposes 153 Chapter 12: Federal Labor Laws 162 Employment Classifications 162 Federal Labor Laws by Number of Employees 164 Most Pertinent Laws Defined 166 Chapter 13: Performance Management 172 Performance Review and Development 172 Employee Perception Surveys 181 Employee Retention Toolkit 191 Chapter 14: Discipline, Termination, Reductions in Force, and Exit Procedures 196 Progressive Discipline 197 Reductions in Force, the WARN Act, and COBRA 203 Exit Procedures 214 PART 3.LEADERSHIP AND ACTION PLANNING: TURNING INTENTIONS INTO ACTIONS Chapter 15: Transforming Your Management Team Into a Leadership Team 230 Top 10 Guidelines for Conducting Effective Leadership Team Meetings 231 HR Action Plan 233 HR Strategic Action Plan (Detailed) 235 Conclusion 239 Index 241 About the Authors 251