EAPM

SLOVENIA - GREETINGS

From Slovenian HR Association we send to all member countries our best wishes for a happy and successful New Year 2012

Vanda Pečjak

President

SLOVENIA NEWS - September to November 2011

In the last couple of months Slovenian HR association has organised  several events. In September we approved  our  annual plan  for 2011/2012, with clear goals and timing. In October we had a workshop on "How to handle workplace stress and stress in private life", a project supported by EU funds. In November our association celebrated our 30 year anniversary. We had a big celebration on November 24, hosted by  the Slovenian company Talum. The guest of honour was the president of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Turk. There were  speeches by SHRA president Vanda Pečjak, past EAPM president Dr. Rudolf Thurner, the president of Talum, Marko Drobnič and an additional entertaining programme. There were 200 members of our association present. Everybody received a special  leaflet about the history and activities of SHRA.

 The Slovenian HR Congress will take place on April 19 and 20, 2012 in Portorož

Vanda Pečjak, president

 

News From EAPM

 Next Executive Committee in Sofia the 21th and 22th of January.

New global HR Survey 2010 "Creating People Advantage" WFPMA/BCG

What are the next challenges and priorities you see for HR?
The World Federation of People Management Associations ( WFPMA) and The Boston Consulting Group ( BCG) are jointly conducting the fourth global HR survey on “Creating People Advantage”. Clic here

The report will feature the latest trends in:

• Talent management: How companies pave the path for employees to become future leaders of the organization
• HR in and beyond the crisis: What companies are doing to survive the crisis and prepare for the future
• Engaging employees: What companies are doing to maintain employee engagement
• HR metrics: How companies are using metrics to link HR with corporate strategy
• HR transformation: How companies are transforming their HR function to link business objectives with people management

 

News from Norway

By Even Bolstad, Managing Director, HR Norge www.hrnorge.no

Norway has a very low unemployment rate. The participation rate in working life is high, where women are mobilized almost at the same level as men.
The flip side of the coin for Norway’s sake, is a very high number of disabled as well as a high absence rate due sickness. For several years, there has been a strong tri-partial effort under the label “inclusive working life” with focus on sickness absence, senior workers and disabled. The results of this “soft” and company-oriented approach have so far been disappointing. High absence/disability rate combined with a generous welfare system, has become a financial challenge even for a relatively wealthy country like Norway. The prognoses for the years to come are alarming – financial as well as how we should meet the demographic challenges ahead of us. The main problems are long-time sickness and a high rate of people being defined as disabled.

 This has become both a dilemma and a possibility for the government. Based on a labor/socialist /centre political platform, they are dependent on a close and cooperative political relation to the trade unions. The last weeks, following the discussions about the national budget for the next year, there has been a growing opinion to look into this challenge with a more open-minded approach. Discussions on the “harder” side of the problem complex, such as higher barriers to sick notice, stricter regulations for staying sick over a long period and the doctor’s role in such a regime, has created political tense between the prime minister and leading unions.   

News from Sweden

  Defend the company brand in turbulent times

One could never afford to drop ones company brand – not even in times of recession.

It’s groundbreaking for future recruitments, and also contributes to the productivity and efficiency.  The employees are the strongest ambassadors’ the company’s got.

It’s never as important to hold the flag up high as when a company has to give notice or dismiss personnel.

Defend the company values, the company philosophy, and the fuel for the motivation and for the engagement the most when it’s turbulent!

We, the human beings don’t really need much to create the feeling of togetherness. Focus internally, it will give the company great winnings. In these times all companies have to increase their efficiency even more. Talk about belief in the future, possibilities and positive terms instead of risks and problems. It will distinguish attractive employers from the ones who aren’t. Communicate possibilities regardless of the darkness! Whether or not it’s possible to dismiss someone in a positive way is a crucial problem these days.

To a large extent it’s a question of keeping what’s been promised and to fulfill the employee’s expectations. If things don’t turn out as the boss promised, one often tends to loose confidence in the whole company.

• Inform about the current situation. What has caused the notice must be crystal clear to all parties.

• Direct the information to the ones who’s concerned but also to the ones who’s staying. The ones who’re staying have a faculty for speculating and wondering.

• Find practical ways to direct the communication. Use several channels: Individual talks, group talks, printed information etc. As employer you could definitely not become quiet, it’s going to lead to a separation with very disappointed employees, which could be devastating for the company brand. The first day and the last day at work are the most important days – I’ve also said this before.

Then it’s a question for the companies to make up great plans and to find different solutions to be able to compensate for the loss of manpower. Here’s the part where the company really can build something for the future, by being brave to invest in competence support and career development. The success factor is to always work with these two important processes. It’s now when it’s a recession these two processes are being tested and it’s not until now the HR department gets to try their wings. It’s a chance that the wings will not bear, especially if these processes have not been tested “in reality” during times of prosperity.

Kurt-Ove Åhs

News from Slovenia

  NEWS FROM SLOVENIA - NOVEMBER 2009

HR Association of Slovenia successfully organized the second big HR event STUDY DAYS with the title ASSOCIATES ACTIVELLY MANAGE CHANGE. The event was organized at the place Otočec from 12 to 13 November. We had more than 100 participants, HR experts, managers, academics and students. We hosted also two round tables, one with HR directors of 4 big companies and one with general managers of 3 big companies from Slovenia.

Conclusions of Study days 2009 are:

- The crisis is an opportunity which should not be missed

- The key success factor are people

- In the process of systematic changes in the society we have to consider the traditional Slovene values

- For big changes we need more optimistic climate

- To change key structural problems in Slovenia /structure of industry, demographic trends, relation between labor and capital/ we have to change some policies and systems /labor legislation, pension system, education and training more connected to the needs on labor side, motivation for faster development and implementation of  high tech products etc/

- HR function is strategic, but has to have vision for the future

- Competences for HR managers are constantly upgraded to be the first called advisor for top management and for associates

- The role of HR manager is a complex one and not everyone is able to make it.  At the occasion of this event HR Association of Slovenia made a special recognition to 3 members, who dedicated their careers to HR function in the companies and were successful also in the HR Association of Slovenia. The awards were granted to:

- JOŽE GLAZER, past president of ZDKDS, golden plaque

- TONI KOREN, president of HR club Posavje, silver plaque

- ZVONE MIKIČ, member of HR club Ljubljana, written recognition

 

Vanda Pečjak, President

News from Bulgaria

Bulgarian HR Forum 2009

The good news from the Bulgarian HR Association is that in times of uncertainty and turbulence the local HR community is still proactive and seeks the tools not just to survive the crisis but mostly to use it as an opportunity to learn and change. That is why we chose Change Management as the topic of BHRMDA’s HR Forum in October 2009.

The shift from Challenging People Management in Challenging Times (the topic of the conference in May 2009) to Change Management clearly shows that the financial crisis itself is not the focus anymore. What is more important for HR specialists in Bulgarian companies is how to use the time when change is inevitable to become stronger. In the spotlight of the HR Forum was Leadership in the process of change, i.e. the importance of management engagement and how to identify and build those people in the organization who will support the change and motivate others. As important steps were outlined the detailed preparation and planning, and good communication with people which are also necessary preconditions for a successful change.

And yet the benefit for the HR professionals from different organizations was the possibility to network and share ideas, expertise and future plans.

Genoveva Bakardjieva,

Executive Director

BHRMDA

News from Slovenia

 

In the middle of October HR Association had the meeting of extended Executive board. There are members from all 14 HR clubs from Slovenia. On the agenda was:
1. Lecture on the new approach to management development, based on the theory of brains function. The approach was developed in USA .The training is organized through LIFE events and coaching. The first LIFE event in Slovenia will happen in November 2009.

2. Nomination of project group:" HR Association of Slovenia in the future". Members of the group come from all HR clubs and some professionals. The leader of the group is Robert Kaše, president of the biggest HR club-DKD Ljubljana. The purpose of the group is to analyze the present organization, activities and make a proposal for changes, which will make the HR organization more attractive for young HR professionals and make the HR Association of Slovenia stronger and recognized in the business world.  Good luck! 

Vanda Pečjak, president

News from the President

What are your leading themes and top priorities in 2009 and in 2010?

As a president of the EAPM I have been invited to speak at several very interesting conferences and seminars in Europe during the last half year (and even before I was elected as a president).

It is very intriguing to see what themes our national member associations have chosen as a leading theme for their conferences. It goes without saying that most of our members have selected the top priorities for their respective countries as indicated and described in the EAPM/BCG report Creating People Advantage (June 2009).

I invite all our member associations to devote the next blog to tell and inform the other member associations what the main themes are for 2009 and, even more interesting, what will be the leading themes in your association in the year to come. It would be great if you could give some background information of the reasons why these themes have been chosen.

This absolutely will be a source of inspiration for your colleague associations.

Pieter Haen

President EAPM

News from Norway

 
HR Norge has launched ”The HR Survey 2009”, the most comprehensive HR study in Norway.  The survey is conducted in cooperation with Ernst & Young.
We found that the focus on Recruitment is slightly lower than before, probably as a consequence of the economic downturn. But still this is the challenge Norwegian HR leaders rank as their highest priority for the years to come, followed by Competence Development and Training.  The two themes with the strongest growth in focus, is however Resource Planning and Performance Evaluation. Facing the long term demographic challenges, a tight labor market and increased focus on the ROI on the substantial resources put into development/training, this is a focus we highly welcome. Organizations within the public sector have increased their resources substantially the last years, and have therefore been able to increase their competitiveness in the labor market. And their ambitions for the future are even higher than for the private sector in almost all aspects within the field of HR. An expected economic upturn will  however decrease the resources to the public sector, and might turn ambitions into frustration.

Even Bolstad