Facebook could be useful as a job-performance predictor

Don Kluemper says yes. “There is now evidence that [social media] could be useful” as a job-performance predictor for recruiters and hiring managers, says Kluemper, a professor of management who specializes in human resources at Northern Illinois University’s (go Huskies!) College of Business, who co-authored Social Networking Websites, Personality Ratings and the Organizational Context: More Than Meets the Eye? with Peter A. Rosen, a professor at the University of Evansville’s (go Purple Aces!) Schroeder Family School of Business Administration, and Kevin W. Mossholder, with the Department of Management at Auburn University (go Tigers/War Eagles!). “Based upon other studies, we were able to conclude that after a five-minute perusal of a Facebook page, raters were able to answer questions regarding the subject about as reliably as would be expected of a significant other or close friend,” Kluemper says. Rosen and Mossholder were mum on the subject. Regardless of the study findings, Nancy Flynn, executive director of The e-Policy Institute in Columbus, Ohio (go e-Buckeyes!), says social media remains a legal minefield for HR and hiring managers.”From the HR and management perspective, you need to be real mindful that, while those Facebook posts may be giving you a look at the true person behind the resume … you could be violating a discrimination clause by looking,” says Flynn, author of The Social Media Handbook. “Whatever it is you saw that made you pause might be [indicative of] a protected class. April Fools? Click here to find out.

Health care: we should have an answer by . . . June?

Hot off the press . . . um, no, . . . just off the wire . . . still no, ah . . . Extra! Extra! Read all about it! . . . dang.

This just in . . . from the Wall Street Journal:

Justices in the Supreme Court’s conservative majority said Wednesday it would be difficult to figure out which parts of the Obama health-care law should survive if one part of it is judged unconstitutional.

In an afternoon session Wednesday, the justices also were unexpectedly receptive to the challengers’ argument that the law’s expansion of the federal-state Medicaid program for the poor unconstitutionally coerces states to spend more on the program.

With six hours of argument complete, it was clear that the justices gave the government a hard time on multiple fronts, leaving the fate of President Barack Obama’s legislation unclear. The court’s decision is expected by the end of June.

Read the entire article here.

A little embarrassing

An unfortunate chair squelch in a quiet room of concentrating coworkers. A phone rings during the weekly meeting and everyone finds out how much you really like “Who Let the Dogs Out?” You put a conference call on hold and subject all the participants to your Kenny G hold music. Embarrassing workplace moments. We’ve all got ’em, probably not as bad as these.

Making your jobs sticky

Can you tell which half of your employees are dissatisfied with their jobs? Or which make up the 66% who have no intention of leaving? And what does that leave you with?

It leaves you with a lot of employees who are just present. Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the employees you want to retain and create reasons for them to stay.

Four of the top reasons employees stick around include:

• stimulating, challenging work
• influence on organizational direction
• responsibility for others
• work/life balance.

Check out the article by Lin Grensing-Pophal for Human Resource Executive Online, which pretty much wraps HR up into a nice little bow: “Employers, of course, don’t want employees to be simply present. They want them to be productive.”

Bingo.

Liar, liar, the Colts’ pants are on fire!

What does the recent “firing” of Peyton Manning from the Indianapolis Colts have to do with Human Resources?

It is a prime example of what Tim Sackett calls “The First Lie That You Hear In HR” which is “It’s not about money!” Employees leave every day for a variety of reasons but it usually boils down to the money.

Now spend 10 minutes figuring out how you could spend $28 million, which is what the Colts saved by waving good-bye to Peyton.