International Human Resources

Science Slam on 3 October 2012 video : Science Slam Video 3 October 2012

International Human Resources Management Strategies

Multinational’s staffing policies are ethno-centric, poly-centric, regio-centric, geo-centric. Ethno-centric staffing policy: means, all major decisions are mat at HQ’s, HQ’s philosophy, strategies and policies are imposed on the subsidiaries, expatriate managers are assigned to head all subsidiaries, local managers are not assigned internationally. Poly-centric staffing policy: means, decisions are made in the subsidiaries, subsidiaries enjoy high level of autonomy, local managers are assigned to head the subsidiaries, HQ’s managers and specialists are sent for coordination for short periods of time, local managers are trained at HQs. Regio-centric staffing policy: means, the world is divided into major business regions, decisions are made at regional HQ’s, managers or the same region are assigned within the regional boundaries, promotion is possible within regions but not across regions and not to International HQs. Geo-centric policy: means, global thinking and decision making, the right person is assigned to the right job at the right time regardless of nationality, expatriate managers, local managers and third country nationals are assinged globally including to HQ’s.

Strategic Human Resource Management, Organizational structure, Human Resource structure and Human Resource Management, Human Resource Planning, International Human Resource policies, Global Recruitment, Selection of International Managers, Global Talent Training, Global Performance Management, Compensation, Repatriation, Global Ethics are the center of the research. Core competencies in Human Resources are: Innovation, Outstanding Service, Quality, Special Skills, Productivity. Strategic Human Resources Management is about the organizational use of employees to gain and/or keep a competitive advantage against competitors. Core competencies are a unique capability in the organization that creates high value and that differentiates the organization from its competition. Factors that determine Human Resource Plans are: Strategy of the Organization and the Culture of the Organization who determine the Need for Human Resources in quantity and skills levels. The Competitive Financial Environment and the Current Organizational Situation determine the available Financial Resources. These again determine Human Resources Plans and Policies for Recruiting, Selection, Human Resource development, Compensation, Performance Management, Staffing Adjustment.

Click on the following link for the publication on my ‘congé de formation’:

Aims Luxembourg: Le congé individuel de formation – un capital-temps

Motivating High Potentials

Article_Motivation_High_Performers (click on this link to download the pdf version)
High Performers and High Potentials are essential for your company. They need to be motivated. The objective of this article is to show you how.

The characteristics of High Performers are, that they are good at their job, they are committed, they possess all the technical skills, they have a strong personality and they have the right attitude towards your company. The characteristics of High Potentials are, that they are Future Leaders, they are worthy of investments, they are highly motivated, they are looking for advancement, they are impatient and they are looking for improvement quickly.

How can I motivate these High Performers and High Potentials? Are there any answers to this question from the sides of Maslow, Herzberg, Mc Clelland, Adams, Vrooms? What would they have said?

Maslows Pyramid of Needs, shows 5 levels of needs: Physiological, Safety/Security, Social Belonging, Ego Esteem, Self Actualisation. Maslow would suggest to increase the Social Belonging of High Performers and High Potentials to your company. How? Make them buy into your company with their hearts. Put them all together in one room and have them discuss the issues. Or make them meet in outings, in communities. Their Ego is so high, they will naturally tend to Self Actualisation.

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory shows Hygiene Factors like Salary, Security and Fringe Benefits. Motivational Factors are: Challenging Work, Recognition, and Responsibility. Herzberg says that the lack of Hygiene Factors will DE-motivate strongly. His solution is, to have Hygiene Factors on the safe side, salary, security and fringe benefits are sure and safe for these High Performers and High Potentials. That’s the undiscussable base. They need Challenging Work, Recognition and Responsibility. Give them these 3 and they will be motivated.

Mc Clelland’s theory is about needs as well. Needs for him are: Affiliation, Power, Need to achieve. High Performers and High Potentials put their expectations very high themselves.

Adam’s Equity Theory is about Input and Output. The input is, what I put into my job: time, effort, ability, loyalty, tolerance, flexibility, integrity, commitment, reliability, heart and soul, personal sacrifice. High Performers and High Potentials will “input” automatically, if the Output is ensured: Output is, what I get from my job: pay, bonus, perks, benefits, security, recognition, interest, development, reputation, praise, responsibility, enjoyment.

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is about Valence, Expectancy, Instrumentality. High Performers and High Potentials tend to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain!

To summarize the Motivation of High Performers and High Potentials in your company, you have to find ways to engage your Top Employees! If not yet done, you should find symbolic rewards for your Top Employees. And one more advice: Communicate in a positive way and preserve positive community at all cost. Give voice to your High Potentials and High Performers!

Can individuals still make a difference

Article_Can Individuals still make a difference (click on this link to download the pdf version)
This is the title of a Conference held in Chambre de Commerce and Sacred Heart University Luxembourg, staring Prof. Dr. Tarrach, Prof. Anthony J. Cernera, Neil Bearden and Stephen Brown.

The 4 keynote speakers discussed Science, Ethics, Education, Empowering People, Enlightened Leadership and Social Responsibility.

What opposes Science and Religion? Is there something behind scientific knowledge? How do Ethics and Believe match? How do Ethics and Responsibility match? About Education: Can a catholic University go into research of creation of life? Does an education based on believe can teach new science? Can we empower our people? If yes, how? What is enlightened leadership? What is Social Responsibility? Can Individuals make a difference?

Science and Religion are opposed by the fact, that Scientists don’t believe that there is something behind scientific knowledge. Believers say that deepest mysteries in life bring us to uncertainty and trust. Scientists look at nature and try to find the truth. Science has invented medicine, agriculture, technology. Religion is about believe and about finding a meaning and purpose in our lives. Religion gives responsibility to our lives. Empowering our people is to reduce ethical failures. Our character decides about the things we do. We are ethically arrogant. Instead, we should be ethically humble. Enlightened leadership means not only Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, but also individuals. Leaders do something together with their group. They are making a meaning for their followers. The follower follows because he is member of something bigger than himself, because of recognition, because of adherence to a group.

Finally, the initial question was: Can individuals still make a difference. All 4 keynote speakers agreed. Yes, individuals make a difference. Who could make a difference? – All of us!

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That individuals make a difference is the subject of this discussion. That’s see why.
First of all, science and religion are opposed by the fact that scientists don’t believe that there is something behind scientific knowledge.

Believers say that deepest mysteries in life bring us to uncertainty and trust.

Scientists look at nature and try to find the truth. Science has invented medicine, agriculture, technology.

Religion is about believe and about finding a meaning and purpose in our lives. Religion gives responsibility to our lives. Empowering our people is to reduce ethical failures. Our character decides about the things we do. We are ethically arrogant. Instead, we should be ethically humble. Enlightened leadership means not only Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, but also individuals.

Leaders do something together with their followers. The follower follows because he is member of something bigger than himself, because of recognition and adherence o a group.

In conclusion, for all of these reasons, individuals really make a difference.

Human Resources issues in Luxembourg

HR issues and challenges in Luxembourg are varied. Many reasons make, that HR in Luxembourg is difficult. The following will show us why.

First, Luxembourg is having problems of attracting people to its country. The question is, how can Luxembourg find the qualified people?

Second, Luxembourg not only needs to attract people, but real talent. The next question is, how can Luxembourg attract talent?

Third, Luxembourg has to train its own people, the people who are already in Luxembourg.

The issues are the talent, the training, the different languages everybody has to be able to speak together with the talents.  Concerning education and training, the new University has todevelop different programs, for example Master Programs, Distance Learning Programs, Part/time Programs for working people and lifelong leraning programs.

Finally, in conclusion, the HR issues in Luxemborug are mainly to finding the qualified people for the open positions, to finding talent and educate the talent. The next issue to offer an attractive live in Luxemborug to make these talents come and stay.

Working in Luxembourg : Important HR Issues and Challenges

Article_Working in Luxembourg (click on this link to download the pdf version)
This After work talk about Human Resources had invited the following speakers: Nicolas Schmit, Minster for Employment, Vinciane Istace, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Paul Heuschling, Université du Luxembourg, Jean-Jacques Rommes, ABBL, Guy Castegnaro, Guy Castegnaro Associates.

They discussed the 3 challenges that Luxembourg is facing in the future and the situation of the Luxembourg employment market. The 3 challenges are the attractiveness for people to come to Luxembourg, the immigration laws and the lifelong learning. The situation of the employment market is that Luxembourg needs qualified people, Luxembourg needs to change and the financial sector has to change.

How can Luxembourg attract the people it needs? How can Luxembourg find the qualified people? How can it find Talent? What can it do for Education and Training? How can Luxembourg change its immigration laws? What can it offer in terms of Lifelong Learning Programs? How could the financial sector change to still stay attractive?

Attracting people to Luxembourg has always been an issue. Luxembourg needs to find people who speak the languages, who have the culture of its clients and who have the training and the qualification. Luxembourg has been a country of immigration, it has to make immigration easier. To find the right talents it has to be open. Concerning Education and Training, the new University has to develop different programs, for example master Programs, Distance Learning Programs, Part-time Programs for Working People. Lifelong Learning Programs should be attractive. Luxembourg has to attract the qualified people, who like to come and like to live here. It has to be open minded, tolerant. Minister Jeannot Krecké released a catalogue of 56 measures to increase competitivity in Luxembourg.

Finally, important Human Resources Issues and Challenges in Working in Luxembourg are mainly to finding the qualified people for the open positions, to find talent and educate and train the found talent. The point is to offer an attractive live in Luxembourg to make these talents come and stay. Being attractive to attract talented people.

A smarter planet

The planet is changing for many reasons, examples are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, mobile phones, internet, the speed of communication.

It continues getting “smaller” and “flatter”.

The answers from the companies are that they are getting smarter. How is this transformation done? With so much technology and networking available at such low cost, what could you not enhance? What wouldn’t you not connect? What information would you not publish to the world, the entire world?

The answer is, you will do all and everything possible, not only just for one reason: because you can, but because you must!

Congested roads, insufficient supply chains, lack of drinking water. Smart traffic systems reduce traffic jams. Smart food systems provide enough food for everyone. Smart systems for energy, water management will provide a smarter planet.

In conclusion, there is a tremendous mandate for positive change in the world.

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Conversations for a Smarter Planet

Article_Conversations_for_a_smarter_planet (click on this link to download the pdf version)
This meeting was during the conference PaperJam Business Club on Thursday 25. March 2010 on Smarter Organisations.

In the frame of the international project “Conversations for a smarter planet” by IBM – in collaboration with PaperJam, we were invited to a Round Table on Thursday, 25. March 2010, in the Buildings of BGL BNP Paribas, Boulevard Royal, Luxembourg.

The Round Table was lead by Jean-Michel Gaudron, Chief Editor PaperJam, with the participation of

Jean-Claude Bintz (Lakehouse)

Marie-Jeanne Chèvremeont-Lorenzini (Arendt & Medernach)

Marc Gerges (LuxairGroup)

Michel Vlasselaer (IBM Global Business Services, IBM Benelux)

On the subjects of:

Smarter Organisations – international case studies, by IBM

Smarter Organisations – case studies from Luxembourg, by Jean-Michel Gaudron

“IBM: Conversations for a smarter planet.

A mandate for change is a mandate for smart.

Political leaders around the world are not the only ones who have been handed a mandate for change. Leaders of businesses and institutions everywhere have a unique opportunity to transform the way the world works.

We find ourselves at this moment because the crisis in our financial markets has jolted us awake. We are seriously focused now on the nature and dangers of highly complex global systems. And this isn’t our first such jolt. Indeed, the first decade of the twenty-first century has been a series of wake-up calls with a single theme: re reality of global integration.

The problems of global climate change and energy, global supply chains for food and medicine, new security concerns ranging from identity theft to terrorism – all issues of a hyper-connected world – have surfaced since the start of this decade.

The world continues to get “smaller” and “flatter”. But we see now that being connected isn’t enough. Fortunately, something else is happening that holds new potential: the planes are becoming smarter.

That is, intelligence is being infused into the way the world literally works – into the systems, processes and infrastructure that enable physical goods to be developed, manufactured, bought and sold. That allows services to be delivered. That facilitates the movement of everything from money and oil to water and electrons. And that helps billions of people work and live.

How is this possible?

First, the world is becoming instrumented. Imagine if you can, a billion transistors for every human being. We’re almost there. Sensors are being embedded everywhere: in cars, appliances, cameras, roads, pipelines… even in medicine and livestock. Second, our world is becoming interconnected. Soon, there will be 2 billion people on the Internet – but systems and objects can now “speak” to each other as well. Think of a trillion connected and intelligent things, and the oceans of data they will produce. Third, all of those instrumented and interconnected things are becoming intelligent. They are being linked to powerful new back-end systems that can process all that data, and to advanced analytics capable of turning it into real insight, in real time.

With computational power now being put into things we wouldn’t recognise as computers, any person, any object, any process or service and any organisation – large or small – can become digitally aware, connected and smart.

With so much technology and networking available at such low cost, what could you not enhance? What wouldn’t you connect? What information would you not mine for insight? What service would you not provide a customer, a citizen, a student or a patient?

The answer is that you will do all these things – because you can. But there is another reason. We all will because we must. Consider:

Congested roadways in France cost six billion euros in lost work hours.

Inefficient supply chains cost billions annually in lost productivity.

One in five people living today lacks safe drinking water. And, of course, we have seen what has developed in our financial markets, a system in which institutions could spread risk, but not track it.

Yet all of these things are solvable on a smarter planet.

Stockholm has used smart traffic systems to cut gridlock by 20%, reduce emissions by 12% and increase public transportation use dramatically.

Smart food systems are using RFID technology to trace meat and poultry from the farm through the supply chain to store shelves.

Smart systems are transforming energy grids, supply chains and water management, as well as helping confirm the authenticity of pharmaceuticals and the security of currency exchanges.

There is a tremendous mandate for positive change in the world. We have the resources to do this. You will continue to hear more from IBM on the specific ways we can make our planet work better. Let’s build a smarter planet.

Think IBM. “(IBM: Conversations for a smarter planet, pages 4-5)

IBM’s Conversations for a smarter planet are on the following subjects:

  • Energy
  • Traffic
  • Food
  • Infrastructure
  • Retail
  • Intelligence
  • Banking
  • Telco
  • Oil
  • Healthcare
  • Cities
  • Water
  • Public Safety
  • Buildings
  • Work
  • Rail
  • Products
  • Education
  • Government
  • Cloud Computing

Let’s have a closer look at the Conversations for a smarter planet: Telco and cite IBM:

“Look what’s talking on a smarter planet.

What is the sound of a planet talking? A century ago, the answer was simple: people conversing in person or over wired networks. Today, it’s not just everyone, but also everything talking to every other thing, in constant motion.

An estimated 2 billion people will be on the Web by 2011 – and they’ll be doing more than talking. Video on demand, IP television and Internet TV will account for nearly 90% of consumer IP traffic by 2012. When people talk, it will be to many more people – via social networking sites, whose memberships will top 500 million in the next three years.

Consider that 10,000 security cameras in London are connected to the Web, feeding it video 24 hours a day. Or take the 300 connected sensors on a bridge in Minnesota; add the 800 monitoring another in Hong Kong – and multiply by the millions of roads, bridges and buildings in cities around the world. Now add billions of intelligent phones, cameras, cars and appliances, and millions of miles of smart power lines and roadways.

Is it any wonder that in just three years, IP traffic is expected to total more than half a zettabyte? (A zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes – or 1 followed by 21 zeros.)

A smarter planet will require a smarter communications infrastructure.

High-speed broadband, as important as it may be, doesn’t make a network smart. We need the network to be multidirectional instead of point-to point. Smart networks must be infused with advanced analytics and intelligence so they can identify connected, instrumented things and collect relevant data from them. They’ll have to be built on a foundation of standards and software that allow trillions of devices and objects to “talk”. And we’ll need next-generation digital platforms on which telecom providers can create and deliver all kinds of services.

Fortunately, smarter communications are at hand. India’s leading private telco is using IBM’s digital platform to deliver new services dynamically to hundreds of millions of people.

A US hospital is applying a pervasive wireless infrastructure, bar coding and RFID to manage its assets and administer medications – helping to increase both patient safety and operational efficiency. A network operator in Taiwan is offering customised advertising based on subscriber purchasing patterns – while individual subscribers of one Chinese telecom provider are collaboration directly with the company to crate new services.

And a university in California worked with IBM on North America’s first wireless parking solution to be integrated with payment stations.

A thinking, communicating planet will spur advances in everything from science and medicine, to business and technology…to possibilities not yet imagined…and will help billions of people join the global economy. When tings communicate, systems connect. And when systems connect, the world gets smarter. Let’s build a smarter planet.” (IBM: Conversations for a smarter planet, page 21)

“It’s happening.

Smart trains are rescheduling their own timetables.

Students are helping lecturers decide what to teach.

Smart roads are eliminating their own congestion.

Data is helping prevent crime and smart power grids detect their own faults.

The world is getting smarter. Infused with a new intelligence, everything from companies and communities to buildings, roads, railways, health systems, local governments and even entire nations are slowly changing for the better..

IBM wants to help you achieve even more. So let’s keep talking. And together we’ll build a smarter planet.”(source: IBM: Conversations for a smarter planet, page 1)

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Seminar Recruitment Matters: Social Media, with WK, Wednesday, 17 March 2010, 8h30-13h00, in London, Holiday Inn London Regent’s Parc, Carburton Street

Article_Recruitment_Matters (click on this link to download the pdf version)
This seminar by Recruitment Matters’ Warren Kemp has the following content:

Utilising Social Media & Online Networking

Practical Techniques for Recruiters

How to use Digital Social Media today:

  • Use Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others to best effect
  • Create marketing campaigns that cost little or nothing
  • Build strong, profitable networks
  • Find out how social media can help win you more clients
  • Create an online buzz about you and your organisation
  • Find candidates and build a virtual database
  • Build relationships, networks & online communities
  • Make the best use of blogs
  • Use social media to get your site ranked highly by Google, Bing etc.
  • Drive more quality traffic to your website and outrank your competitors.

With the objective:

  • Increase your skills and knowledge
  • Increase your client, candidate & contact base
  • Increase your profits

Getting your strategy/process started:

  1. Who – Clients, candidates, contacts
  2. Observe – Where and what is hot & not
  3. Evaluate – where your competitors are
  4. Act – start slowly
  5. Recruit – get some “fans”
  6. Engage – start getting feedback
  7. Promote – free marketing
  8. Advertise – paid for exposure
  9. Measure – what’s working & what’s not
  10. Improve – constantly enhance your offering

Where and what is hot & not

  • LinkedIn (launched in May 2003) (gives access to my own network)
  • Xing (strong German presence) (gives access to everyone)
  • Ecademy (strong UK presence, great for online webinar/events)
  • Facebook (launched in February 2004 by Harvard University) (for private matters)
  • Twitter (founded in October 2009
  • YouTube (launched in 2005, now owned by Google, they share Videos)
  • Google Videos
  • Yahoo Videos
  • Daily Motion
  • StumbleUpon
  • Digg
  • iTunes – Podcasts & MP3
  • Your own website
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Yahoo

Twitter

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, SMS or external applications.

  • No tweet is ever deleted.
  • Google search: “First Name Last Name” Twitter
  • Visit followers to see who they follow.
  • Visit those that you follow to see who they follow.
  • Twitter and Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are each teamed up.
  • Twtjobs.com
  • Twitterjobsearch.com
  • Search.twitter.com
  • Twitterfeed.com

Facebook

Facebook is a free-access social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc. The emphasis is on “social” although many of the world’s largest corporations have a facebook page with “Fans” and many of the groups relate to products and organisations. Originally seen as for the “younger set” many grandparents, for example, now keep in touch with their family through facebook, posting photographs and updates and having “real-time” conversation.

Many issues have arisen from postings related to personal details affecting one’s professional environment.

You can only see people’s details in your own network (s) or if you have made direct contact with them.

You can join or form as many groups as you like (searching is easy)

Applications include newsfeeds & friend updates

  • Businesses can have a page to communicate with “fans”
  • Events, announcement & discussions can be created
  • Notes = Blogs and you can complete independently or import from an outside blog
  • Pictures and videos can easily be uploaded.
  • People are searchable by names, schools, companies, etc.
  • Social advertising can be viral and cost effective.

Linkedin

Linkedin is a social networking site geared towards companies and industry professionals to make new business contacts or keep in touch with previous co-workers, affiliates and clients. With Linkedin, members can create customisable profiles that detail employment history, business accomplishments, and other professional accolades. Linkedin also works as a two-way platform in that members can search for jobs and companies can search through profiles if they are interested in hiring new employees.

  • It is likely that if you are on Linkedin you will be rated highly by Google if it ties up your information with your website.
  • Linkedin and Twitter are teamed up.
  • Blog.linkedin.com
  • Learn.linkedin.com
  • Events.linkedin.com
  • Press.linkedin.com

Blogger

A blog (weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.  Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject, or personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic.

Newsletter

E-newsletters are short informational periodicals that are usually distributed to the members of an interest group. They can be a welcomed form of communication, whichdelivers facts, figures, articles and links to industry information. When tracked properly, they can be the best feedback tool www.interspire.com Often newsletters are passed around the office.

Some advice for improvement:

  • Listen to feedback
  • Ask for feedback
  • Read well
  • Adapt ideas to your values, style and brand
  • Effort leads to result
  • Don’t be afraid to try
  • Innovate – Validate – Orchestrate
  • Advertise over Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Newsletter
  • Measure what is working and what is not working
  • www.alexa.com
  • Promote via free marketing

“So, how easy is this networking then?”

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How to optimise the performance in Human Resources?

Article_Optimizing_Resources (click on this link to download the pdf version)
Wednesday, 10 March 2010, 8h30-11h30 HROne Breakfast

Speakers: Petra Brockers, HR Director, KPMG

Eva Wüllner, HR Director, Lindab Buildings

Valérie Lacoste, Partners Solutions Manager, HR Access

Pressure in Human Resources comes from

  • the economic situation
  • the demographic movements
  • the evolutions of mentalities
  • the technical innovations – use of the internet and new technologies

How to reduce costs?

  • Improve productivity
  • Internal mobility
  • Eliminate discrimination
  • Employee motivation
  • Better communication
  • Provide perspective
  • Better company changes
  • Management of talents

How to pilot strategy:

  • forecast competences
  • demographical moves
  • aging population
  • budget

How to manage talents:

  • Internal mobility
  • Identification of key competences
  • Fluidity of processes

Improvement has to be made in:

  • Remuneration Plan
  • Training Plan
  • Evolution Plan
  • Succession Plan

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