IN THIS ISSUE...
HERMAN TREND ALERT: LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH,
January 24, 2006
Based on a study recently released by the Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in Indiana, we believe more employers will put more pressure on their employees to live healthier lifestyles. This study, released last month found that lifestyles play a greater role in health insurance claims than was previously believed.
To determine the results, graduate students in the university’s business-school studied insurance claims and the accompanying health data. The students looked at claims data as well as the blood-test results to determine the cost of lifestyle choices. Of course, all data were anonymous.
Biomarkers chosen for the study included blood pressure, body mass, tobacco use, and cholesterol levels. The study found that there is a direct correlation between these biomarkers, the indicators of a person’s general health and well-being, and their heath care claims. Not so surprising.
But here’s the news that shocked us: an amazing 87.5 percent of the claims' costs were attributable to the individual’s lifestyle. The more closely those bio-markers fell into acceptable guidelines, the lower the individual’s healthcare claims.
The results will have national implications, especially as the developed nations of the world continue to battle rising health-care costs and companies ask employees to shoulder more of the burden.
Lately, we have witnessed an increasing number of employers becoming “smoke-free”. Some of the employees of these organizations shared with us their fears that “maintaining a healthy weight” might be next. . . that they are concerned about the trend towards employers dictating all of an employee’s lifestyle choices.
As we have watched and wondered about the many unhealthy lifestyle choices people make, we can’t help but expect that employers facing huge increases in healthcare costs will begin to be more forceful with their employees. This trend will cause more overall churning in the labor marketplace, as employees rebel against this Big Brother movement on the part of employers.
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ASSESSMENT TOOLS MUST BE FAIR TO ALL GROUPS
This month we examine the third Department of Labor guideline for occupational assessments. This rule says that assessment instruments should be unbiased and treat all groups with fairness.
Fairness in hiring, training and promoting employees is not only required by law, but it also benefits the company to hire the person with the most relevant abilities, skills and job knowledge.
However, selecting the right employee often presents managers with a challenge. Job interviews must be wide-ranging, designed to elicit the best information and conducted within the law. Asking the wrong question can cause big legal issues for a manager and the company if a job candidate believes there has been bias. At the same time, the necessary questions must be asked to ensure the hiring manager has the information to make a good decision.
The client adds, "We have also found it is a much better judge of honesty or integrity than when our managers relied on gut instinct."
Honesty and integrity are important to every company, but the threat of lawsuits has made it difficult to have confidence in asking the questions that help determine an applicant's integrity. If you call the candidate's previous employer for a reference, you might get no information - or a carefully worded statement that confirms dates of employment.
If you are suspicious about a candidate and decline to hire him or her because you cannot get the information you seek, will you be able to show that you used fair and unbiased information?
Profiles' SOSII™ enables employers to objectively obtain accurate information, identify the best candidates and conduct better interviews. All of Profiles' assessments meet or exceed Department of Labor guidelines, and we work diligently with our clients to help them understand our tools and use them correctly.
DOL Guidelines Checklist
- Assessment tools must be used in a purposeful manner.
- Use the "whole-person" approach to assessment.
- Use only assessment instruments that are unbiased and fair to all groups.
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WHAT DOES GOOD LEADERSHIP LOOK LIKE?
People who reflect on the subject of leadership do not always agree on what makes a good leader. Most of them focus on leadership instead. Here are 10 different traits used to describe effective leaders:
- They have a clear vision of where to go and how to get there.
- They favor action over inertia.
- They take responsibility for their actions.
- Their values are reflected in their actions.
- They recognize that they need other people and build relationships.
- They are confident enough to consider opinions different from their own.
- They provide the training and tools employees need to complete required tasks.
- They often work alongside their people.
- They are honest about their own weaknesses and hire people who will shore them up. They are both teachers and pupils of their employees.
- They work hard but take time for themselves.
On Leadership and Success: Some Thoughts
I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation.
- Warren Bennis, author and professor
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
- Proverbs 29:18
The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.
- Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonald's
We know not where our dreams will take us, but we can probably see quite clearly where we'll go without them.
- Marilyn Grey, educator and speaker
All serious daring starts from within.
- Eudora Welty, writer
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STEP ONE SURVEY II™ SAVES CONSULTING COMPANY FROM COSTLY HIRING MISTAKES
Jean, human resources director for a large consulting company, stared at the resume on her desk. A few years ago, she would have wasted precious time trying to read between the lines.
The applicant, Robert, was applying to work in the accounting department. His credentials appeared impeccable. He had received excellent training, and his experience matched the company's requirements for the job. But what did she really know about him?
Thanks to the Step One Survey II™, Jean knew everything she needed to and used the few minutes remaining before her interview to mentally review her questions. Her company had been using the SOSII™ for several years, after a huge hiring mistake resulted in large financial losses. Jean and her colleagues began searching for assessments that would work for them. They found the SOSII™, which had saved them countless times from making more hiring mistakes.
The scientifically designed assessment told Jean exactly what she needed to know about applicants before she ever conducted an interview. She no longer pored over resumes, trying to read between the lines.
Her first step was to identify, through scientific methods instead of "gut reaction," the best candidates to interview.
Jean and her employees in HR routinely use the Step One Survey II™ to evaluate applicants for integrity, substance abuse, reliability and work ethic, with the reports provided in an objective manner.
The SOSII™ also allows them to conduct uniform interviews that elicit high-quality information.
The reports supplied by SOSII™ gave them Quick Check, which included a candidate's employment status, availability to start, most recent salary, and supervisory experience; Employment Profile, an employment history plus supporting interview questions; an integrity report, which summarized admissions regarding theft of money, property, data and time; a substance abuse report, which showed admissions regarding the personal use and/or distribution of illegal and/or regulated substances; a criminal convictions report, which revealed admissions regarding criminal convictions; and an attitude report, which showed feelings regarding integrity, substance abuse, reliability and work ethic.
With a final review of the structured questions that she would ask Robert related to key issues identified in his responses, Jean felt well-prepared and confident. She was ready to welcome him into her office.
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