IHRM Kenya to vote in new Governing council

The Institute of Human Resources kenya (IHRM) prepares for it's annual AGM where it's top leadership will be voted in. As tradition is, nomination of members is ongoing as preparations for the voting in is gear and slated for 30 December to 2nd January 2014 where the chosen leaders will be expected to hold office for a consecutive three years. According to a circular sent to IHRM members by the Executive Director Mr.  Samson Osero, the outcome of the election process will be announced on the 3rd January 2014 at Hilton Hotel in Nairobi after an online voting is done. The institution which is mandated to streamline Human Resource Management industry has been on the forefront to ensure professionalism is adhered to and in that course, here are the rules and guidelines for the election process as circulated by IHRM;

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBERS

INTRODUCTION

a)      The Governing Council (GC) shall have the following officials:

• Chairman elected by HR professionals
• Principal Secretary for Ministry responsible for public service or a representative
• Principal Secretary for Ministry responsible for labour and human resource development or a representative
• Six other members elected by HR professionals
• Executive Director appointed by GC

b)      The Chairman and other six members of the GC shall be elected during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that shall be called by twenty one (21) day’s notice.

c)       The GC shall appoint an independent body to conduct the elections of the Institute. The independent body shall appoint a Returning Officer who shall declare the election results at the AGM.

d)      Only paid-up IHRM members of at least the category of Full Member shall be eligible for nomination as Chairman or other six members of the GC. A candidate may contest for only one position, either of Chairman or of Council member.

e)      Only paid-up IHRM members shall be entitled to vote at the elections.

f)       A register of duly paid-up members shall be prepared 30 days prior to the election date.

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN

§  Nomination for the position of Chairman will be made on official Nomination Form (Form 01) obtainable for IHRM Offices or its website.

§  The Nomination Form (Form 01) must be signed by the nominee, a proposer, a seconder and thirteen other members of IHRM, all of whom must be fully paid-up members.

§  A duly completed Nomination Form (Form 01) together with one passport-size photo of the contestant for the post of Chairman, in a sealed envelope marked “NOMINATION”, must reach IHRM Offices not later than 7 days after the date of Notice of AGM.

§  IHRM Secretariat will compile the list of nominations for the position of Chairman and dispatch the same to members with an electronic link with ballot papers to be used for voting on the voting days.

§  Voting for the position of the Chairman shall be done online three days before the AGM.

§  The candidate with the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner of the position of Chairman by the Returning Officer at the AGM.

§  In the event that only one candidate is validly nominated for the position of Chairman, the Returning Officer shall declare the person as the winner of the position of Chairman at the AGM. 

§  The elected Chairman shall hold office for three years and shall be eligible for re-election only once.

§  When the Chairman leaves office through resignation or otherwise, the Vice Chairman who was elected by the Council from amongst the members of the Council shall take over until next AGM.

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF GC MEMBERS

§  Nomination for the six other members of the GC will be made on official Nomination Forms (Form 02) obtainable for IHRM Offices or its website.

§  The Nomination Forms (Form 02) must be signed by the nominee, a proposer, a seconder and eight other members of IHRM, all of whom must be fully paid-up members.

§  A duly completed Nomination Form (Form 02) together with one passport-size photo of the contestant for the post of GC Member, in a sealed envelope marked “NOMINATION”, must reach IHRM Offices not later than 7 days after the date of Notice of AGM.

§  IHRM Secretariat will compile the list of nominations for the six positions of GC member and dispatch the same to members with an electronic link to ballot papers to be used for voting on the voting days.

§  Voting for the six GC members shall be done online three days before the AGM.

§  Taking into account the issue of gender parity, the six candidates with highest number of votes respectively shall be cleared the winners of the six positions of the GC membership by the Returning Officer at the AGM.

§  The elected six GC members shall hold office for three years each and shall be eligible for re-election only once.

By: HRM Guide Kenya

Job interview presentation tips you must embrace

In my years in corporate world, I have been through many interviews and presentations, some coming out successful and others rated a failure. All this time, I have learnt a lot on how to effectively communicate and convince the other party; a customer, a new client, this girl or guy you want to date, and in case of job seekers, the interview panel awaits you.

Prepare

Going for an interview without thorough preparation can be equated to career suicide. It is important that you take your time to familiarize with the organization that has invited you. Websites are basic tools where you can find company information such as their products or services, branches or locations, their vision, mission and values.  Read and understand the job description including duties and responsibilities that you will be performing if you get the job. Note that many of the questions will gauge your competences in terms of skills related to the job or technical skills, analytical skills, your ability to communicate and pass across ideas, and people skills among many other behavioral competences.

No much movement, just simple moves and signs with facial expression

For lovers of politics, watch Obama speak; for movie lovers, watch Big Jim Rennie in the Hollywood movie ‘Under the Dome’, see how they talk and pause their statements, uses their hands to explain points, eye contact to name a few. Media personalities and news anchors are also people you can learn from by just watching TV.

Maintain eye contact, be yourself, sit upright and be composed

Eye contact as an integral part of communication has greatly been ignored for years. Little do people know that maintaining eye contact is key to sinking an idea into someone else. Try as much as possible to talk directly to each of the panel members, mentioning their names while replying to their questions as this gives personal touch. Stay upright and composed, you can do it.

Use signs & examples while explaining points

Giving a convincing explanation to a panel of mean looking people can be a little complicated, but bear in mind that the panel wants you to pass the interview, they already know you are competent since you already got shortlisted but require just a little bit of your explanation why you think you are the best candidate. Relax, be composed and speak yourself out in a slow and clear way. Do not try to rush yourself, you have all the time. Break down your points and explain them clearly while giving examples that relate to the job you are being interviewed for. For example, if the question wants you to state your experience in the area being interviewed for, give a response with a project you were involved in, what your role was and how you contributed to the process.

A little of sign language to cement your points is also a plus. If explaining say points, explain one by one while using your fingers. If explaining a rise in percentage sales, raise your hands a little to show the rise. It works, trust me.

For Aptitude tests

Please carry your calculator and pen along, there is going to be a few calculations to do. For interviews with aptitude tests, the employer will always notify you early that there is going to be the test and so you should be prepared.

Try to attempt as much questions as you can

You don’t have to complete all questions, even the most brilliant people never complete. Rushing through and answering all will mean two things; either you are a genius which is good for you or you are trying your luck by guessing answers.

For psychological tests, keep in mind that the first guess that comes to your mind is always the right answer to the question, going otherwise will mean you are trying to lie or coining a different image of yourself, a good word for all that is ‘dishonesty’.

For more on interview skills, also read

http://hrmguidekenya.blogspot.com/2013/04/jobs-and-careers-getting-interview.html

http://hrmguidekenya.blogspot.com/2013/11/six-6-best-job-application-tips.html

 

By: HRM Guide Kenya

Six (6) best job application tips in year 2014

Back in the day just after independence when corporates and government were forming up, it was pretty easy to land a good job with just high school certificate. Employers used to visit schools and select students to join their team with less consideration for post secondary education. Well, things were pretty smooth but now that things have changed, years gone and organizations evolved, employers are now looking a little further when it comes to recruiting and talent sourcing. Minimum requirements may include graduate or postgraduate qualifications and substantial experience with a good blend of behavioral competences. In this era where almost everyone meets the qualifications and with very many applicants going for a position, you as an applicant need to stand out among the rest and show your uniqueness, something that will pull the recruiters’ attention.

To be smart, here are a few tips that will guarantee you an interview.

Read and understand the job description

Job descriptions are mean to give you a clear understanding of what is expected of you. The job title, opening and closing dates, duty station, reporting lines, duties and responsibilities, how to apply etcetera will be entailed in the Job description. If you do not meet the requirements, then you know your chances are slim; for example, applying for a job in a foreign country when you do not have a work permit or resident permit may also be tricky or worse, applying for a senior level position when you know you do not meet the minimum requirements. It is best to first understand yourself and know where you fit best before applying.

Follow application instructions

Instructions may include how to apply and when. If the recruiter wants you to forward a Pdf attachment, better do so or if the application is via an online site, simply follow the links, create an online account and apply as instructed. Trust me; you do not want to see how your hardcopy is shredded where the recruiter has strictly called for online applications.

Revamp and Customize your CV

Curriculum vita provide detailed information of a job applicant. It is therefore significant to personalize and customize your resume so it reflects your skills and abilities and connects them with the jobs you are applying for. Ensure you exhaust your qualifications and list them clearly as different organizations prefer different CV formats to make it easy for them to review them and owing to the fact that applications may be overwhelming. CV writing may vary for entry level, mid level and senior positions. Types may include chronological formats, job-oriented formats, UN formats and many more.

Ensure a cover letter is attached

A cover later should be your icing on the cake, make it brief and clear underscoring your achievements, experience and what you can offer.

Also ensure the cover letter is well written, dated, with a clear destination address, reference heading and be spell-checked.

Ensure you meet the deadline

Applications received after deadlines are normally disregarded, so, be in time. This shows your focus and determination to get the job besides giving the recruiter enough time to review the CVs and get back to the applicants.

Avoid colorful applications unless asked for

Colorful applications may not be favorable unless you are applying for designer jobs. Maintain neatness and straight forward points. Use of understandable language is neigh and make sure you avoid those hard vocabularies that you read in a novel like ‘My life in crime’.

Some systems may also not receive blacklisted attachment formats or very large file formats.

By: HRM Guide Kenya Correspondent 

Organisational team building; A sure highway to profit making

HR expert Larry Bassi points out that investing in people (training) leads to lower employee turnover, thus higher customer satisfaction which in turn is a driver of profitability by upto 22%.
A team is a coordinated group of individuals organized to work together to achieve a common goal. Further, becoming a team is a process that takes time and is constantly evolving and changing, explains HR writers Beebe and Masterson. Team building has proved a major challenge in many organizations with a study by American Management Association indicating that, Getting people who have different agendas to work together is amongst the biggest obstacles facing leaders today. A similar survey by Watson Wyatt work study argues that companies whose employees understand the mission and goals enjoy greater return than other firms.

Team building activities has in ages been applied in employee development and cohesion. It is a prerequisite that every manager builds on a team that shares a common goal. According to Nestrom and Scannel in their book, “The Big Book of Team Building Games”, high performing teams usually exhibit an overall team purpose, mutual accountability, collective work products, shared leadership roles, high cohesiveness, collaboration in deciding task assignments and procedures, and collective assessment of their own success. It further explains that a team’s performance can always be improved by development of leadership skills and tools for running more effective team meetings.
In any team building activity, it is important to encourage team members to examine closely how they work together, have members come up with ideal ways of working together, explore gaps and weaknesses and eventually establish action plans for implementing more effective ways of cooperating and achieving a common goal.

Team builders are experts who understand best what a group needs after assessing and evaluating a group’s traits. They together with team leaders help the group learn about itself and come up with effective steps to aide their situation thus come up with solutions to their problems. The ability to transform skills acquired during an outdoor team building exercise to real work processes and success is key, Managers and supervisors are on top of the chain and oversea teams, provide direction, correction as well as manage performance towards accomplishing set targets.

Team-building exercises can be a powerful way to unite a group, develop strengths, and address weaknesses, but only if the exercises are planned and carried out strategically. In other words, there has to be a real purpose behind your decision to do the exercise; for example, improving the team's problem-solving or creativity skills and should never be because you felt like giving your people a nice day out of the office.

By HRM Guide Kenya Correspondent

Ways to Leave a Lasting Impression

1. Pay someone a compliment 
If there is a genuine reason to pay someone a compliment, make their day and tell them. The person wearing a great shirt or a nice perfume will always appreciate a positive compliment, and that compliment will stay with them all day. I wear the best shoes I can afford and they get noticed, very often making the topic of conversation.

2. Say thanks often 
Show your appreciation by saying thanks when someone holds the door open for you, or goes out of their way to do something. When did you last thank your partner for being awesome or your staff for doing a great job? Appreciation is one of the main drivers for someone staying committed in a relationship or job, don't forget to tell them.

3. Give generously 
If you are not the type to get stuck in when manual labor is needed, how else can you give generously? A fellow Rotarian who didn’t have the time for the physical work, gave his expertise generously instead, allowing the club and other charities to benefit from his experience and knowledge.

4. Do what you say you will 
Don’t let others think badly of you by not doing what you said you will, even the smallest of things, someone may well be relying on you.

5. Smile 
I am a big believer in this. The chap that held the door open for me with a beaming smile made me feel like a princess. How can you pass on such great feelings to others to make their day?

6. Use their name 
What was the name of the barista that made your coffee this morning? Next time you order, thank them as usual and follow up with their name, it will be noticed. Using their name really is Dale 101, “the single sweetest sound in any language is a person’s name”.

7. Follow up 
The drain layer that came to give me a quote didn’t follow up until 2 months after he visited. Needless to say, someone else did the job and he lost out. Do you follow up 100% of the time in a timely manner before your competitor gets in? You will stand out just by following up every time because so few people do it.

AFP

More Americans are quitting their jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans are quitting their jobs, suggesting many are growing more confident in the job market.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of people who quit their jobs in April jumped 7.2 percent to 2.25 million. That's just below February's level, which was the highest in 4 ½ years.
Overall hiring also picked up in April, though not as dramatically. Employers filled 4.4 million jobs in April, a 5 percent increase from March. Hiring fell in March and April's level was below February's.
The report offered a reminder that the job market is far from healthy. The number of available jobs slipped fell 3 percent to a seasonally adjusted 3.75 million. Openings had reached a five-year high in February and remain nearly 7 percent higher than a year ago.
Still, the growth in hiring and quits provides more evidence of a dynamic job market that is making slow but steady strides. It follows Friday's May employment report, which showed the economy added a net 175,000 net jobs last month. That's roughly in line with the average monthly gain over the past two years.
Most workers quit their jobs when they have a new position or feel confident that they can find one quickly. And when they do, it opens up more opportunities for other Americans, including the unemployed.
Janet Yellen, vice chair of the Federal Reserve, has said the Fed is monitoring data on quits and overall hiring for signs that the job market is improving in a sustainable way.
The Fed says it will continue its ambitious program of bond purchases until employment improves substantially.
The report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, provides the total number of people hired and laid off each month. It's different from the department's monthly jobs report, which provides each month's net job gain or loss and the unemployment rate. By quantifying total hiring and layoffs, the JOLTS report paints a fuller picture of what employers are doing.
For example, for the past two years net job gains have averaged about 180,000 per month. But much that gain reflects a decline in layoffs, rather than more overall hiring.
Layoffs fell to the lowest level on records dating back to 2001 in January. They have since increased slightly but are still below pre-recession levels.
Fed officials and economists want to see overall hiring pick up because it would indicate businesses are confident enough to add more workers.
Despite April's increases, overall hiring and quits are still below pre-recession figures. Total hiring topped 5 million in most months before the recession began in December 2007. That's 14 percent higher than April's level.
Monthly quits were typically around 2.8 million before the recession. That's 24 percent higher than April.
The job market remains very competitive for those looking for work. There were 3.1 unemployed workers, on average, for each open job in April. In a healthy economy, the ratio is 2 to 1.
The drop in openings suggests that job gains may not pick up from their current modest pace in the coming months.
Openings have risen much faster than total hiring since June 2009, when the recession ended. The number of available jobs has increased 58 percent since then, but total hiring has increased only 22 percent.
That's a sign companies are slow to fill the jobs they have posted. Many employers have become more selective and cautious about hiring since the recession. Some may not be offering enough pay to attract the candidates they need. Other companies, particularly in information technology and manufacturing, say they can't find enough qualified workers.

Adapted from Yahoo

Staff Training and Development; a sure way to Retain Staff

 

You better read this if you are an employer or a manager who wants to retain your staff, by now all of you should know that 22% of employees part ways with their employer in the first 45 days of employment, according to a study by Wynhurst group. Yes that is absolutely true, it only takes 45 days for a new employer to make a conclusion if she/he is going to work out well and achieve their dream in your organization. First impressions my learned friend, first impressions always matter.

Shocking statistics

According to Right Management, a HR consulting firm, it costs nearly three times an employee’s salary to replace someone making employee turnover extremely costly. Here are a few other statistics by Life Work Solutions, a provider of staff retention and consulting services.

• Over 50 % of people recruited in to an organization will leave within 2 years.
• One in four of new hires will leave within 6 months.
• Nearly 70% of organizations report that staff turnover has a negative financial impact due to the cost of recruiting, hiring, and training a replacement employee and the overtime work of current employees that’s required until the organization can fill the vacant position.
• Nearly 70 % of organizations report having difficulties in replacing staff.
• Approximately 50% of organizations experience regular problems with employee retention.

What really happens?

When a new employee joins an organization, they find themselves in unfamiliar territories, a new culture and system with different people. How the organization receives them, orients them and empowers them with new skills to fit in and blend with the whole crew is a matter of high importance. 

Blending training

It is also important to blend employee development with their line of study. For example, having studied Human Resources back in campus, I joined an insurance firm for my first employment; and  had to sell insurance and do many things I had no knowledge about. Although I learned many new things, I didn’t really have passion in insurance, and that’s why I was always busy browsing the web  for new job opportunities in my line of study; a matter that really affected my performance hence my resignation. I don’t regret that move whatsoever.

In-house Training programmes

In-house training is key in every organization. Updating the skills of your employees ensures that you improve organizational performance. These programmes may include Customer service, Change management, performance management, Leadership, Coaching and mentoring among many others. Organizations have credited their HR departments with the task of identifying training needs and recommending much needed programmes to address deficiencies within the organization. For example, a major training programme that has received attention in the Kenyan industry is the Devolution and Governance programme to equip state officers with skills on managing County governments. Labour law training has also been key following the repeal of the old labour laws to pave way for the Kenya Labour laws 2007.  These include indepth training on

• Employment Act 2007, 
• Labour Institutions Act 2007, 
•  Labour Relations Act 2007, 
• Work Injury and Benefits Act 2007, (WIBA) 
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2007. (OSHA)

Such training keep staffs abreast with new skills and happenings that affect their sector and profession. Most of these trainings are short term and may take a few days while some like coaching and mentoring programmes may take upto a year or even longer to achieve desired results.

Employee satisfaction

Another aspect in training employee satisfaction. When I started second job just after campus, my employer was not keen on training me. I checked with my colleagues with who we started working at the same time. Their employers were really good. One of them working for a blue chip consulting firm had his post graduate degree paid for by the firm, the other had her diploma in French paid for by her firm which was in the airline sector. I felt left behind; my friends were having their dreams come true while I had not even gone through a single in house development programme that year. I quit.

Some of avenues used by firms nowadays to retain staff include education support, cross-training where employees learn several job functions, family support programmes among other monetary and financial benefits.

Training as a team building strategy

Team building is a sure way to keep your staff together and focused on achieving targets. Training has always incorporated aspects like developing groups across departments.  Every employee wants to work in an environment where they are wanted and feel appreciated. Abraham Maslow was never wrong in his hierarchy of needs theory. You sure need friends to move to the next level. Training involving staff from different departments creates a bond and a kind of belonging that no employee wants to leave. 

By: HRM Guide Correspondent