Why Helios? As new consultants join the growing Helios HR team, they often ask me what I like most about working at Helios. I always take a moment to reflect on that question and to date, my response has always been, “our team”. When I say our team, I mean just that. It's the people we are surrounded by who at the drop of a dime are willing to help out, people I can count on, their expertise, the fun we have together, and our collaboration that inspires us to be innovative and continuously improve.

As HR consultants, we are all too familiar with the Form I-9 and the requirement of all US employers to complete and maintain a form for each employee hired into their organization. Yet, in many organizations when we conduct an HR compliance audit, we find there to be some level of non-compliance with the Form I-9. Why is that? I believe it’s because of a general lack of understanding of the many nuances involved in completing the form.

The Incentive Plan Problem A growing consulting firm with employees across the United States and internationally engaged with Helios HR to enhance their current incentive plan to align with the current and future business strategy. This business had previously designed and implemented a successful incentive program to drive the behaviors of their consultants; and as the business grew, they outgrew the incentive program. They applied the original plan goals and structure to new functional areas of the business and they just simply didn’t marry up anymore.

“Strategic HR”. It’s a buzzword in the HR industry that has been around for some time and I anticipate it will be around for a while longer. This concept of strategic HR is floated frequently and it’s quite possible that like many other business owners, you find yourself asking “what is strategic HR and how do I know if my business is ready for it?”

As a consultant in the field of Human Resources, I am often approached for guidance on how to conduct a difficult conversation in the workplace. I’ve had COO’s come to talk through how to share with their CEO (and boss!) that their contributions in staff meetings are negatively impacting employee morale and undermining their position as COO. I’ve had employees come to me and ask how to talk to their manager about why they feel overwhelmed and underpaid in their role. I’ve had friends call me up and ask about best practices for approaching their manager to let them know they will be resigning from their position. These topics, along with a number of other topics in the workplace, are never an easy conversation to approach and I have found myself consistently providing the following advice in each scenario. Added bonus, these tips apply to those not-so-easy conversations at home as well!

I had the opportunity to attend NOVA SHRM’s 2016 Legal Academy and gained a wealth of information about current and potential future legislation and how it impacts businesses in the DC metro area. One of the speakers was Martin S. Ebel,the Director of Field Management Programs at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Mr. Ebel provided us with metrics, dived into the claims process at the EEOC, and discussed the areas of focus in the 2016 Strategic Enforcement Plan for the EEOC.