Valley HR Bulletin Shenandoah Valley Society for Human Resource Management

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Valley HR BulletinShenandoah Valley Society for
Human Resource Management

• Volume 2, Issue 2
• Fall 2006

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Inside this Issue

• Continued Success pgs. 3-6
• Your Foundation at Work
• Research Based Knowledge pg. 7
• Workforce ReadinessWhat is it? pg. 8
• Many Employers to Provide Extra
• Holiday Days Off in 2007 pg. 9-11
• SHRM at Bridgewater College pg. 12
• 2006 Scholarship Award
• Recipients pg. 13
• U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose
• to 321,000 Last Week pgs. 14-17

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Continued SuccessBy Lisa Seekford, SPHRSVSHRM
President

• What a busy year 2006 has been for our Chapter!
  I want to use this article to highlight some of
  our achievements in 2006
• The 2006 SVSHRM Board of Directors held a
  planning meeting in late November 2005 at BRCC to
  transition, brainstorm, and set goals for the
  chapter for 2006. We were off and running!!
• A key goal for this year was to increase the
  online capabilities of our Web site to offer
  more online tools to our members. Accordingly,
  in January we conducted an online member survey.
  We had 79 members participate and we have
  continued to use the feedback throughout the
  year. A major accomplishment was the addition of
  an online member directory to our Web site, which
  enabled us to streamline the management of the
  membership directory and improve efficiency. In
  September we also added a web-based new member
  application with an online payment option.
• In fall 2005, our membership was 160 our
  membership is now 185! We just keep growing! In
  order to familiarize new members with the
  chapter, a New Member Orientation was implemented
  last year and met great success. A primary goal
  of the Membership Committee in 2006 was to
  increase senior member involvement in the
  orientations. They have achieved this by
  extending personal invitations to different
  senior members for each orientation. This
  provides the new members another opportunity to
  meet and connect with long-term members and gain
  their perspective on the organization.

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Continued SuccessBy Lisa Seekford, SPHRSVSHRM
President

• We have had some wonderful meeting programs this
  year thanks to the efforts of our Program Chair,
  Terri Stevens. We continue to struggle with the
  balancing act of location, facility, and cost.
  As the size of our group has grown, it is more
  difficult to find locations that can accommodate
  us and fit our budget. Our average meeting
  attendance thus far this year is 54. Per
  membership feedback, we attempt to rotate the
  meeting locations geographically, which can be
  quite a challenge. We are always open to
  suggestions for meeting programs, presenters, and
  locations ----- please let us know!
• We strive to provide as many opportunities for
  certification as possible, with six of our
  meeting programs being approved by HRCI for
  recertification credit this year. In May we
  offered a Strategic HR Leadership course at EMU
  in an effort to assist members needing strategic
  recertification hours for SPHR. We extended an
  invitation to nearby chapters and had a total of
  31 participants for the all-day course. We are
  also holding a 10-week certification prep course
  which is meeting at Friendship Industries. We
  want to serve our members by supporting their
  professional goals with certification being a
  key. Good luck to everyone on your test!

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Continued SuccessBy Lisa Seekford, SPHRSVSHRM
President

• Another 2006 goal was two-fold ---- to increase
  awareness of our organization in the community
  and to increase community involvement of our
  chapter. Accordingly, we decided one step would
  be to create brand awareness for the chapter.
  We started by conducting a logo contest in
  January with a prize of a 100 gift card to the
  member with the winning entry. Jamie Calcagnos
  entry was voted the winner! We have purchased a
  table skirt with the logo on it for our
  registration table. We also have post-it-notes
  with the logo that we will distribute at various
  events. Other initiatives have been
  participation in the Business Resource Fair in
  May at BRCC. Finally, we adopted the
  Rockingham-Harrisonburg and Augusta Regional
  SPCAs. Our members have been volunteering for
  events over the last few months. The wonderful
  news is you can volunteer for just one event a
  long-term commitment is not required! We are
  happy to have an avenue to give back to the
  community.
• The Compensation Survey was conducted again this
  year with an added benefits section. We had
  approximately 43 participants. We will be
  looking for sponsors for the 2007 survey. We
  also held our Annual Supervisor Seminar on
  September 20th at BRCC. We had Richard Flint
  return and present the program Effective
  Communication. Thanks to the seminar committee
  for all their work on a successful 2006 seminar!

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Continued SuccessBy Lisa Seekford, SPHRSVSHRM
President

• The JMU Student Chapter hosted our April meeting
  which was a great opportunity for chapter members
  to share information with students about the
  Human Resources profession. The Bridgewater
  Student Chapter reached a milestone ---- the
  required 8 national SHRM members to be recognized
  as an official chapter! Congratulations!
• The Shenandoah Valley Chapter of SHRM is a
  Superior Merit Chapter because of the commitment
  of its Board of Directors and continued support
  of its members. THANK YOU to all the Board
  members for your efforts, support, and time ---
  all is greatly appreciated!
• I also want to thank you, the members, for the
  opportunity to serve as your President and work
  with such a wonderful group of HR professionals.
  I will always be grateful for the confidence that
  you placed in me to serve in a Chapter leadership
  role over the past two years. I hope that each
  of you will consider volunteering to serve on the
  Board in the future and seize the opportunity to
  play a role in the future success of our Chapter!
• I look forward to seeing you at upcoming SVSHRM
  events!

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Your Foundation at Work Research-Based
Knowledge By Marcy EngleEastern Mennonite
University

• The SHRM Foundation promotes the use of
  "research-based knowledge". What does that mean
  for you? It means enhanced credibility. Imagine
  proposing a new program to senior management and
  being able to cite solid research to demonstrate
  the benefits of your proposed change. The
  Foundation is funding practical research every
  year to help you do just that.
• Current research projects focus on critical
  areas such as Technology HR, HR Measurement,
  Global HR, and The Changing Role of the HR
  Professional. Research results will help provide
  research-based answers to questions such as
• How should an organizational mentoring program be
  structured for maximum effectiveness?
• How do HR leaders make a strategic impact on
  their organizations?
• To review SHRM Foundation research findings,
  visit www.shrm.org/foundation.
• The SHRM Foundation Investing in Your Future as
  an HR Leader

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Workforce ReadinessWhat is it?By Mary
SullivanBlue Ridge Community College (BRCC)

• One of the responsibilities of the Workforce
  Readiness Committee is to develop and support
  workshops and seminars that address workforce
  readiness issues. Human resources professionals
  often find that not every employee they hire has
  all of the necessary skills to perform his/her
  present or future position. Thus, workforce
  readiness is not only an issue for the emerging
  workforce, but for your incumbent workforce.
• As announced during BRCCs sponsorship of the
  July SHRM meeting, we have developed and are
  currently delivering a program entitled,
  Essential Workplace Skills Training to 20
  working individuals who have low to moderate
  incomes. The goal of the program is to help
  these individuals gain skills so that they may
  advance and add value to both their companies and
  their careers. Due to a grant from the Bank of
  America, this program is entirely free to
  participants. The content of the program, which
  meets once a week for 15 weeks includes computer
  software skills, soft skills such as effective
  workplace communication, tips for being a valued
  employee, enhancing customer service, as well as
  preparation to achieve the Commonwealth of
  Virginias Career Readiness Certificate a
  workplace skills credential.
• 13 of the 20 participants were referred to the
  program by businesses, many of whom heard about
  the program through SVSHRM. The other seven
  participants were referred by various public
  agencies serving low to moderate income
  individuals.

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Many Employers to Provide Extra Holiday Days Off
in 2007By Kathy GurchiekRetrieved 11/24/06 from
www.shrm.org

• The season of short workweeks begins this week,
  as employers close offices on Thanksgiving Day,
  but next year looms even brighter with extra days
  off during the holiday season, according to a
  Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
  survey.
• Nearly three-fourths of employers plan to
  observe the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday
  in 2007, and nearly half will mark the day before
  Christmas as a day off next year, SHRM found.
  Thats in addition to the nearly 100 percent of
  employers that close offices on Thanksgiving Day
  and Christmas Day, according to the survey,
  conducted with 502 HR professionals the week of
  Oct. 31, 2006. Among the findings
• 72 percent of employers plan to close their
  offices the day after Thanksgiving in 2007. In
  February 2006, 63 percent of 469 HR professionals
  said they would be closed.
• 93 percent plan to close Thanksgiving Day in
  2007 90 percent planned to do so this year
• 48 percent plan to close their offices the day
  before Christmas in 2007 29 percent
• planned to do so this year.
• 97 percent plan to close Christmas Day in 2007
  91 percent planned to do so this year.
• 16 percent plan to close the day after
  Christmas in 2007 8 percent planned to do so
  this year.
• 27 percent plan to close New Years Eve in
  2007 5 percent planned to do so this year.
• 96 percent plan to close New Years Day in
  2007 88 percent did so this year.
• 3 percent plant to close between Christmas and
  New Years Day at the end of 2007.
• There was no figure for 2006.

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Many Employers to Provide Extra Holiday Days Off
in 2007 (cont)By Kathy GurchiekRetrieved
11/24/06 from www.shrm.org

• Unchanged was the percentage of HR
  professionals4 percentwho said their
  organizations would not close for any holiday in
  2006 and 2007. However, 5 percent polled in
  February said their organizations follow the
  federal governments holiday schedule, while 7
  percent indicated in October that their
  organizations followed the federal governments
  schedule.
• While most employers close completely on
  Thanksgiving or Christmas, a small percentage
  plan to close early this year and next on those
  days, SHRM found
• Three percent will close early on Thanksgiving
  this year. The same percentage plan to do so in
  2007.
• One percent plan to close early this year on
  Christmas, which Christmas falls on a Monday. One
  percent in 2007 also plans to close early on
  Christmas, which falls on a Tuesday.
• A similar surveyconducted with 100 HR
  executives the week of Nov. 13 for global
  outplacement firm Challenger, Gray
  Christmasfound that 70 percent of companies will
  be closed the day after Thanksgiving this year.
  Fifteen percent plan to open that day, and those
  employees working most likely will be bank
  tellers, restaurant workers, hospital employees,
  retail employees and emergency personnel,
  Challenger found.

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Many Employers to Provide Extra Holiday Days Off
in 2007 (cont)By Kathy GurchiekRetrieved
11/24/06 from www.shrm.org

• Among that 15 percent working Nov. 24, 3
  percent will have a short day.
• Providing an extra day off is a great way to
  build positive employee morale, Challenger CEO
  John A. Challenger said in a press release.
• Additionally, it makes sense for most offices
  to close since the day after Thanksgiving is
  historically a very slow day for traditional
  business. Of course, the same cannot be said for
  retail, which sees one of its busiest days of the
  year, he added.
• Some employers close the day after Thanksgiving
  as a cost-savings measure, said Challenger, who
  pointed to Yahoo! Inc.s decision to close during
  the week between Christmas and New Years and to
  require workers to take vacation or take unpaid
  leave during that time.
• However, a separate Challenger poll found that
  only 8 percent of companies plan to close that
  week. Thirty-eight percent will maintain normal
  business hours the four days following Christmas,
  which falls on a Monday this year, and 18 percent
  will be closed at least one additional day.
• Kathy Gurchiek is associate editor for HR News.
• She can be reached at kgurchiek_at_shrm.org.

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SHRM at Bridgewater CollegeBy, Andrew Deitz,
PHRAdecco Employment Services

• Bridgewater College has completed all the
  requirements and will be getting their National
  SHRM Affiliation very soon! Marissa Baker and
  Professor Betty Hoge have been working very hard
  to get the Student Chapter off the ground and
  running over the past year. They have gained a
  lot of interest this year from the student
  population at Bridgewater and were able to meet
  the requirement of eight National SHRM Student
  members!
• Marissa Baker has been elected the Student
  Chapter President and Keith Endicott was elected
  the Student Chapter Vice President. Together,
  they will be working with the Bridgewater College
  Community and our Shenandoah Valley SHRM Chapter
  to provide a beneficial experience for their
  student members.
• They met over the summer to organize and have
  had three regular Chapter meetings (Sept., Oct.,
  Nov.), two company tours (Dynamic Aviation and
  the new Wal-Mart Distribution Center), and a
  two-part resume clinic. The Resume Clinic
  featured a speaker, Teresa Norie from
  Riddleberger Brothers, and involved HR
  professionals meeting with students one-on-one to
  critique their resumes. They also held a
  fundraiser, the Hot Dog and Baked Goods sale on
  Nov. 18. They have one more regular meeting
  scheduled for this calendar year, Dec. 7, which
  will be followed by a holiday social open to all
  students.
• Please join me in congratulating them on their
  National SHRM affiliation accomplishments and
  supporting them as their Chapter grows!

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2006 Scholarship Award RecipientsBy Chuck
FlickShenandoah Shared Hospital Services

• The Shenandoah Valley Society for Human
  Resource Management Scholarship Fund continues to
  have outstanding investment performance and has a
  market value of over 25,000 as of June 30, 2006!
  These funds are invested with the Community
  Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.
• For 2006, SVSHRM awarded a 1,000 scholarship
  to a student who is pursuing a career in human
  resources. Students residing in or attending a
  school in the SVSHRM membership area (Shenandoah,
  Rockingham and Augusta Counties, Virginia) were
  eligible to apply. The recipient is selected
  based on academic achievement, community
  involvement and future goals related to advancing
  the human resource profession.
• Our 2006 Scholarship recipient is Lauren
  Michele Cole. Lauren is a candidate for a
  Masters Degree in Adult Education/Human Resource
  Development from James Madison University. Lauren
  has earned a JMU undergraduate degree in
  Psychology with a minor in Human Resource
  Development. In addition, Lauren received the
  2006 Adult Education/Human Resource Development
  Outstanding Leadership Award. She works as a
  Graduate Assistant and at Horizons Youth Services
  in Harrisonburg.
• Congratulations to Lauren!

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U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose to 321,000 Last
Week By Joe RichterRetrieved 11/24/06 from
www.shrm.org

• Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- The number of U.S.
  workers filing first-time applications for state
  jobless benefits increased more than expected
  last week, while remaining low enough to suggest
  little sign of weakening in the labor market.
• Initial jobless claims increased by 12,000 to
  321,000 in the week that ended Nov. 18 from the
  prior week's 309,000, the Labor Department said
  today in Washington. The four-week moving
  average, a less volatile measure, rose to 317,000
  from 314,000.
• Claims have averaged 311,000 this year, down
  from 332,000 for all of 2005, suggesting
  companies are holding on to workers even as the
  slumping housing market drives down economic
  growth, economists said. Economists are watching
  claims figures for signs of a slowdown in hiring
  that might ease pressure on wages, which the
  Federal Reserve has cited as a potential driver
  of inflation.
• If increases in claims persist, it could
  suggest modest slowdown in the labor market, but
  up to this point employment has remained solid,''
  said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO
  Capital Markets in Toronto. There may be some
  gradual softening, but that's exactly what the
  Fed would hope for. They may be a little more
  comfortable with a higher unemployment rate.''
• Economists had forecast initial jobless claims
  would rise to 310,000 from the 308,000 initially
  reported for the prior week, according to the
  median of 40 estimates in a Bloomberg News
  survey. Estimates ranged from 298,000 to 325,000.

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U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose to 321,000 Last
Week (cont)By Joe RichterRetrieved 11/24/06
from www.shrm.org

• Treasury securities were little changed after
  the report, with the yield on the benchmark
  10-year note at 4.56 percent as of 848 a.m. in
  New York.
• Continuing Claims
• The number of people continuing to collect
  state jobless benefits rose to 2.454 million in
  the week that ended Nov. 11 from 2.440 million in
  the prior week. The unemployment rate among
  people eligible for benefits, which tends to
  track the U.S. jobless rate, remained at 1.9
  percent.
• Eight states and territories reported an
  increase in new claims, while 45 reported a
  decrease, the Labor Department said. Those
  numbers are reported with a one-week lag.
• U.S. employers have added about a half-million
  new jobs the past four months, and the
  unemployment rate stands at a five- year low of
  4.4 percent, the Labor Department said Nov. 3.
  Workers' average hourly earnings last month rose
  3.9 percent from October 2005, close to
  September's five-year high of 4.1 percent.
• The truth is we have a shortage of labor,''
  said Paul Reilly, chief executive officer of
  Korn/Ferry International, the world's largest
  executive-recruiting firm, in an interview this
  week. You can find people, but it is much, much
  tougher.''

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U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose to 321,000 Last
Week (cont) By Joe RichterRetrieved 11/24/06
from www.shrm.org

• Employment Figures
• Last week's claims figures cover the same week
  the Labor Department surveys businesses to
  calculate the monthly job gain. Employers have
  added about 147,000 jobs a month this year,
  government figures show. Rising wages have kept
  Federal Reserve policy makers on watch for signs
  that inflation is heating up. Economists surveyed
  by Bloomberg News this month expect the Fed's
  target rate for overnight loans among banks to
  remain unchanged at 5.25 percent through the
  first quarter of 2007, based on the median
  forecast.
• A slowdown in growth from earlier in the year
  is leading companies to add fewer jobs. With
  the economy set to grow below trend for the third
  consecutive quarter, we do not believe the
  current levels of employment can be maintained,''
  Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche
  Bank Securities in New York, said before the
  report. Data on homebuilding and manufacturing
  point to further weakness in those sectors. It is
  just a matter of time before the service sector
  also reins in hiring and claims figures begin to
  rise.''
• Third-Quarter Growth
• The economy expanded at a 1.6 percent annual
  pace in the third quarter, the slowest pace in
  more than three years and down from an average of
  4.1 percent in the first half. Residential
  housing construction fell at an annual rate of
  17.4 percent, the biggest decline since 1991.
  That hasn't stopped some companies from
  expanding.

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U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose to 321,000 Last
Week (cont)By Joe RichterRetrieved 11/24/06
from www.shrm.org

• United Technologies Corp.'s Sikorsky unit,
  maker of the Black Hawk helicopter, plans to open
  an engineering center in Fort Worth, Texas, next
  year to support rising military and civilian
  production. The center will hire about 100
  employees. The helicopter maker hired about 600
  engineers in its Florida and Connecticut
  headquarters and opened a Huntsville, Alabama,
  engineering center in the past year.
• Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. said this
  month it would recall 1,000 more flight
  attendants in 2007 as it adds international
  routes. Some businesses are trimming work forces
  to rein in costs.
• Intermec Inc., a maker of hand-held scanners,
  said it will eliminate about 9 percent of its
  workforce by the end of the first quarter as part
  the Everett, Washington-based company's plan to
  save as much as 25 million a year.
• Brad Garlinghouse, a senior vice president at
  Yahoo! Inc., recommended cutting staff by as much
  as 20 percent to reduce overlapping
  responsibilities. Sunnyvale, California-based
  Yahoo owns the most-visited U.S. Web site.
• To contact the reporter on this story Joe
  Richter in Washington Jrichter1_at_bloomberg.net

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SVSHRM would like to wish all its members and
their families

• A Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

See you in 2007!!