Can the US employment market be any tighter? As of January 2023, the US unemployment rate was 3.4% – a level not seen since 1969, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With this dynamic, a recurring challenge for companies and organizations is working to retain their talented employees while still trying to recruit new talent for open positions. It’s all about sustaining that business growth path in the midst of a difficult job-recruitment period.
To address these challenges head-on, one strategy employers can consider adopting is talent management – a strategic move that can help companies achieve key recruitment and employee retention objectives for the year ahead.
Overall, talent management is a set of integrated HR processes designed to attract, develop, motivate and retain productive, engaged employees.
The goals of talent management are to: create a high-performing, sustainable organization that meets its strategic and operational business objectives.
In a nutshell, talent management helps organizations:
- Compete effectively in a complex, dynamic business environment to achieve sustainable growth
- Develop leaders for tomorrow from within the organization
- Maximize employee performance as a source of competitive advantage
- Reduce regrettable turnover (by capturing meaningful real-time feedback from employees)
Successful keys in implementing a talent management program include:
- Elevating your company culture by ensuring HR programs are aligned with the vision and values of the company
- Ensuring your job descriptions are accurate and up to date and interviews are aligned with each job’s requirements
- Beginning your retention and brand strategy before new employees start by providing engagement strategies immediately
- Providing ongoing two-way communication and incentive opportunities with employee coaching and career development
- As part of this, consider developing employee management programs that focus on making sure these employees are adequately challenged in their roles and able to meet their goals and objectives.
In addition, provide training and learning activities that lead to advancement opportunities (e.g., career planning programs and use of Individual Development Plans). Indeed, once an organization recruits and hires its preferred candidates, it’s all about retaining the most talented among them.
impactAction: If you have questions about talent management strategies, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
Register for the Women’s Leadership Conference, March 3
The Howard County (MD) Chamber’s ninth annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) 2023 is set to take place Tuesday, March 3 (8:00am-4:00pm) at Live! Casino & Hotel, Hanover, MD!
We’re proud to be a Sponsor of this year’s dynamic leadership-focused event. 
Plus, impactHR’s Kelly Mitchell is Co-Chair of this year’s WLC Planning Committee.
The 2023 Women’s Leadership Conference theme is “Being Unstoppable: Confident, Courageous, Committed” and includes as keynote presenters:
- Lakey Boyd, Community Development Advocate and Change Agent
- Mary Ann Scully, Founder of Howard Bank and current Dean of Loyola University Maryland Sellinger School of Business and Management
- Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, current President & CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
The program will also feature four different breakout sessions, a morning mindfulness session, an afternoon mini session, plus many opportunities for networking and personal growth.
Note: The last day to register is Mon., Feb. 27. Register today!
Two New Federal Laws Extend Employee Protections Related to Maternity
A new federal law that goes into effect this June 27, 2023 requires employers with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an “undue hardship.”
This new law, called the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), applies only to accommodations. Current federal laws, enforced by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), make it illegal to fire or discriminate against employees on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
In addition, the PWFA does not supersede federal, state or local laws that are more protective of workers affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
In a related policy move, a new law, going into effect April 23, 2023, extends to more nursing employees the right to receive break time to pump and a private place to pump at work.
This new measure, known as the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”), extends current protections (under the US Fair Labor Standards Act) to all employees – not just non-exempt workers.
impactAction: If you need assistance complying with these new laws, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
HR: Optimizing Effective Communications with Your Employees
Even with today’s hyperspeed communications methods, it remains a challenge to prepare and send to employees work-related communications that are engaging and effective.
Whether it’s time-sensitive information about benefits and payroll or workplace news and updates, organizations know it’s critical to communicate clearly with their employees on company programs, processes and news.
With an innovative employer-to-employee communications program in place, companies can enhance the employee experience and, in turn, help bolster retention and recruitment strategies.
From a communications perspective, the key today is communicating with and reaching employees where they are, such as via their cell phones more likely than their laptops. With overflowing email in-boxes, email can’t really serve as a sole or primary form of communication anymore.
Companies can consider a variety of communications methods, including blast text messages; connecting with employees through social media such as closed-group Facebook pages; as well as mailing out traditional print materials.
With this in mind, here is a quick set of tips to sharpen your organization’s employee communications program:
With mobile phones ubiquitous, consider sending blast text messages to your employees via an HRIS system (in addition to using email).
Deploy video as part of your communications toolkit. Videos for employees (especially those who work remote) that contain benefits information, for example, generate an average 78% employee engagement rate and 94% response rate per video viewed, according to one recent study.
Think about going “old school.” In addition to the digital realm, send print postcards to employees’ homes to convey important company news or benefits information, such as employee awards news or upcoming open enrollment deadlines.
The bottom line is people just can’t get through all their email. This is about modernizing the ways HR communicates. By deploying a variety of communications vehicles, your overall communications can be made be more effective.
impactAction: If you need assistance optimizing your employee communications, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or 443-741-3900.
OSHA Form 300A Must Be Posted Through April 30, 2023
Employers must post OSHA Log 300A – a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2021 – in their workplaces through April 30, 2023. 
This form (300A) is required for all organizations that employed 11+ people in 2022 (unless they qualify as part of an exempt low-risk industry).
In addition, employers with 250+ employees (or that have 20–249 employees and are in certain high-risk industries) must submit their Form 300A data to OSHA by March 2. Employers must use OSHA’s online Injury Tracking Application (ITA). Read more.
impactAction: If you need assistance complying with OSHA regulations, contact us at info@impacthrllc.com or call 443-741-3900.
In case you missed these impactNews articles . . .
Letter from impactHR’s Kelly Mitchell
Three Experts Discuss Fostering Good Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace
Mid-Year Check-In: Conduct an Audit of Your HR Function