Strategic Job Families: A New Way to Address Workforce Management

We've all heard the rhetoric that good people make good companies, and most organizations follow this philosophy, spending a lot of time and energy to make sure they recruit and retain top talent. But it's not enough to just populate the workplace with outstanding employees--companies must also utilize them effectively through good organizational design. One increasingly popular way to do so is by creating strategic job families.

Strategic job families are a new way to address workforce management. With this approach, leaders focus on the strategy and direction of the organization, and then they define which positions have the most direct (and therefore the greatest) impact on executing the strategy. These strategic positions are key to differentiating the organization and help create a sustainable competitive advantage.

Read the rest of the article to find out more about the use of strategic job families. To learn about how FlashPoint can help you develop strategic job families, contact us .

Laws and Rulings Affecting HR

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has approved a proposed final rule to implement the employment title of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The proposed regulation will require covered entities to post notices in conspicuous places describing GINA's applicable provisions.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) anticipates that the EEOC will publish the final rule and appropriate language for use in the notice prior to the law's effective date, November 21, 2009. Shortly thereafter, the mandatory posting will be available for downloading at the U.S. Department of Labor's and EEOC's websites.

Employment provisions in Title II of GINA will apply to the same covered entities as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, whether or not the employer conducts genetic testing. The provisions will prohibit employers from discriminating against individual employees or job candidates on the basis of genetic conditions or predisposition to certain diseases even if an employer does not conduct genetic testing.

Upcoming Events

Indiana Chamber HR Workshops
FlashPoint sponsors the Indiana Chamber's 2009 HR Training Series. Sessions take place in Indianapolis. More information is available at 800.824.6885 or the Chamber's website.

• Model Employee Policies, October 28

Other FlashPoint Speaking Engagements
FlashPoint regularly presents at conferences and association meetings. We hope to see you at the following events!

• South Central Indiana Human Resource Association--Jeremy York will present a session titled "Hiring for Strengths" at SCIHRA's monthly meeting, Bloomington, November 11 (more information at SCIHRA's website).
• Southeast Indiana Human Resource Association--Jeremy King will discuss "Next Generation Recruiting" at SIHRA's monthly meeting, Columbus, November 18 (more information at SIHRA's website).
• Indiana Lawyer Diversity in Practice Conference--Andrea Moore will participate in a panel presentation, "Making Diversity Work in Hard Economic Times: What the Law Allows," Indianapolis, November 2 (more information at the conference's online registration form).

Tips from the FlashPoint Team: Plan Ahead for Your 2010 HR Initiatives

It's hard to believe, but another year has almost passed. As we enter the last couple of months of 2009, now is a good time to look forward and plan your HR initiatives for the year ahead. We asked FlashPoint's HR experts for suggestions on where to focus your attention, and here are some of their ideas:

• Align employee performance with new business strategies--link employee goals to 2010 business goals.
• Update your compensation program to ensure that it's still aligned with the market; plan and budget for merit increases.
• Update policies and procedures so they comply with 2009's legal changes (FMLA, I-9, etc.).
• As the labor market starts to rebound, consider your employee retention and engagement strategy and revise it as needed; also consider streamlining your hiring practices.
• Increase your efforts to build your leaders' skills; provide leadership development/coaching.
• Have employees list lessons learned in 2009 and goals for 2010; this will help them move forward into the new year with intentional focus and energy.
• Solicit feedback from employees on the type of training and development they would like next year, then plan opportunities for each of them for at least the first and second quarters.

If you'd like to explore these ideas further, send us an e-mail, visit our website, or call us at 317.229.3035.

Apply Now to Join FlashPoint's Strategic HR Peer Group

Congratulations and Celebrations

• FlashPoint congratulates BSA LifeStructures, one of our clients, on opening a new office in St. Louis. BSA specializes in designing healthcare, higher education, research, and technology facilities; it is headquartered in Indianapolis and the St. Louis office is its third.
• We're pleased to announce that the Indianapolis Colts recently named Jeremy King, our business development manager, as one of its community quarterbacks. The Colts recognized Jeremy for his community service, including volunteer work with Special Olympics, the Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, and more.