As we near the mid-point of 2019, it’s a good time to consider recent trends in HR and how these trends may evolve heading into 2020. With this in mind, we’re delighted to present this Q&A impactInterview with Jeanne Minor, who recently joined us at impactHR as Senior Consultant.
impactnews: What dynamic led to your interest in being a human resources professional?
JM: I like to help people get along. It sounds corny, but I have always been the mediator among friends and family and it came naturally once I got in to HR. It is important to help people HEAR each other. Since we all come from different backgrounds, communication can be challenging. I have also wanted to be in a position of influence with employers, rather than just a bystander. 
Human resources gives me the opportunity to shape the culture of a company, to really have my finger on the pulse of an organization.
impactnews: What areas of HR do you consider most critical for companies to be on top of?
JM: I believe the areas of recruitment and onboarding have the most influence on the success of a company. This is so because thriving companies make the most of their human capital from the moment they engage with candidates.
Having the right fit affects an organization in so many areas – performance, employee satisfaction, and turnover, among others.
A robust onboarding program increases employee engagement and helps get them up to speed with seasoned hires much more quickly, which also affects the bottom line.
impactnews: In looking ahead, what trends related to HR do you see coming? What’s around the corner?
JM: I think we will see tremendous growth in the remote workforce. Millennials are driving this by demanding work/life balance – they aren’t shy about asking for what they want, whether they are a new or seasoned employee.
Technology is a huge contributor to the ability to work remotely and with advancements in artificial intelligence, it will only be easier for employees to be more connected to their office while working remotely.
EEOC: Employers Must Now Report Employee Pay Data by Sep. 30
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced all employers that file the EEO-1 form must also now submit employee pay data by September 30, 2019.
Key information: employers must prepare pay data (known as Component 2 data) comprising total W-2 wages and total hours worked for each employee for the 2017 and 2018 calendar years.
The EEOC will use this data to identify pay disparities based on gender. The EEOC plans to begin collecting EEO-1 Component 2 data in mid-July 2019. (The EEOC this July will notify all EEO-1 filers of the precise date the survey will open.)
In addition, employers must still complete and file by May 31, 2019 the standard EEO-1 form – the EEOC’s demographic survey, which compiles Component 1 data that categorizes employees by race or ethnicity, gender and job category.
Read more about the EEOC’s new pay data collection policy.
impactAction: If you have questions or need assistance with any aspect of EEOC compliance, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
Kelly Mitchell on Performance Management: Moving Beyond the Annual Review
Are employee annual performance reviews more likely to motivate or demotivate employees going forward?
Studies show annual employee reviews often lead to employee demotivation and dissatisfaction in their companies, said impactHR’s Kelly Mitchell, who led an impactBreakfast roundtable discussion last week on “Trends in Performance Management: More Than Just the Annual Review.” 
Mitchell cited studies showing only 29% of employees strongly agree the performance reviews they receive are fair, and only 26% strongly agree they are accurate.
In contrast, Mitchell said companies across industries are moving away from formal annual reviews to a new process of performance management in which employees receive what they’ve been asking for: more regular feedback.
“Today’s employees are informed by their experiences in social media,” said Mitchell. “Employees want to get and give feedback regularly. In fact, the definition of performance management is about the ongoing process of communication. For employee performance management, it is now about clarifying expectations, goals, providing feedback and reviewing results regularly throughout the year.”
Mitchell noted that companies adopting this new performance management process have dramatically improved employee communications and feedback, enabling managers to touch base with employees on a continuous basis using new time-saving data-based tools and check-ins.
“Employees today expect continuous learning,” said Mitchell. “New performance management practices and tools facilitate regular discussions about capabilities and skills, helping employees learn where to focus and what learning to adopt.”
Mitchell said more than 70% of companies responding to Deloitte’s 2017 Global Human Capital Trends study reported they were changing their performance management processes.
“The bottom line is employees want more of a coaching relationship with their managers – someone to help them see what’s next.”
impactAction: If you have questions or want to learn more about performance management, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
Summertime: Reminder About Rules for Classifying Interns Properly
With summer almost here, you and your team may be planning on hosting summer interns in your workplace over the next ten weeks or so.
For private sector employers, here is a refresher on federal rules issued last year in regard to classifying interns properly as unpaid labor or as employees entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay.
The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division requires private-sector employers to use a seven-factor “primary beneficiary test” to help determine whether an intern is an employee or not under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
This test is based on the “economic reality” of the intern-employer relationship, which is intended to help determine who is the “primary beneficiary” of the relationship.
This test aims to give employers more flexibility in making this internship determination to stay within FLSA compliance. The DOL says this test should serve as a guide (rather than a strict mandate) for employers. Learn more
More Good Rankings News for MD and VA
Maryland and Virginia are the fifth and sixth best states in the union, according to U.S. News & World Report. The U.S. News rankings are based on a comprehensive set of data points that “measure how well states are performing for their citizens.”
The rankings center on measurements of health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections and natural environment. Washington, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah comprise the top four slots respectively in the rankings.
ings. Learn more