Join Us For "Marketing Human Resources For Impact And Success" On Wednesday, November 16 (Dinner Meeting)
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
Dulles SHRM Contributes To Members Impacted By Gulf Coast Hurricane
Holiday Party Sponsorships
DC Area SHRM Needs You!!
Looking Back On San Diego National Convention
Chapter HR Executive Event "Why We Hate HR: Confronting The Myth"
Chapter Discussion Group
Mark Your Calendar
Board Meeting Minutes
Chapter Membership Promotion
National Membership Promotion
Dulles SHRM Sponsorship Opportunities
A Day Inside The Beltway
Recordkeeping Rule Clarifies OFCCPS Definition Of Job Applicant For Internet And Related Technologies
Governor Warner Announces Virginia Business Assistance Internet Portal
Herman Trend Alert: Is Offshoring Waning?
Join Us For "Marketing Human Resources For Impact And Success" On Wednesday, November 16 (Dinner Meeting)
For Details on the Program: Click Here
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
Members who attended the September dinner meeting donated $34 for the Embry Rucker Shelter. Donations were used to purchase two Target gift certificates for $20 each for the homeless. Thank you for your continued support. Reston Interfaith's programs address the most critical issues facing our neighbors, from financial challenges to language and cultural barriers-issues that prevent them from fully participating in our community and all it has to offer. Their programs focus on affordable housing needs and homelessness, nurturing and healthy environments for families, and social issues, such as domestic violence and substance abuse. For more on how to help, check out www.restoninterfaith.org.
Dulles SHRM Contributes To Members Impacted By Gulf Coast Hurricane
The Dulles SHRM Chapter has contributed $1,050 to the Hurricane Relief Fund of the Mississippi State Council of SHRM. This amount represents a $1,000 donation approved by the Board of Directors in addition to the amount collected at our September Chapter meeting. The Dulles SHRM Board of Directors wanted to do what we could to assist fellow SHRM members and Chapters in the region impacted by Hurricane Katrina. In speaking with MS State Council President Danny Avery, SPHR, he advised they have at least 50 SHRM members that have lost pretty much everything they owned. The MS State Council has established a relief fund and a special committee to review member’s needs and award these funds. Before our donation, they had raised about $5,000. We know that these donations will be put to good use to assist our fellow SHRM members in need. If you would like to contribute, visit their web site at msshrm.org or send your donation to:
MS SHRM State Council
c/o Hurricane Relief
P O Box 547
Greenwood, MS 38930
Holiday Party Sponsorships
Dulles SHRM offers you and your company a variety of options to market your products and services to our members. We offer dinner meeting sponsorships, website advertising, and holiday party sponsorship.
Our annual Holiday Party is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7th at the Worldgate Marriott. As you may know, this event is full of great food, games and giveaways. The holiday party is a great way to show your support of Dulles SHRM and our members.
We invite you to provide us with a gift or two to give our members during this festive event. As we do the drawing, we’ll mention your company name as the donor of the prize. Of course, you’re welcome to attach a business card to the prize itself. We appreciate cash, certificates, and products that will be raffled off during this celebration.
If you’d like to donate prizes, please let me know what you’ll be donating. You can bring the items to the party (which I know you are planning to attend!), or we can pick them up from your office.
We hope you will consider sponsorship of our organization. Thank you for your continued support of the Dulles Chapter!
If you need additional information or have any questions, please contact Mary Walter Midkiff, Assistant VP of Programs, at 703-787-7932 or mwmidkiff@aol.com.
DC Area SHRM Needs You!!
The world's largest HR conference and exposition is coming to Washington, D.C. June 25-28, 2006. It’ll be held at the new Washington D.C. Convention Center and it’s going to be great. But before anyone can attend and benefit from this great conference, we need hundreds of volunteers to help make it happen!
All members of SHRM Chapters in the DC metropolitan area are being asked to help support this event. Volunteer needs and opportunities include:
- Ambassadors - greeters and hospitality
- Session Hosts - assistance at educational sessions
- Registration - badge holder distribution and greeters
- SHRM Store - set up and operation of the bookstore
- Packet Stuffing - putting together conference bags
- Special Projects - exciting jobs to make the conference a success
See something that interests you? Then step right up… you can register to volunteer at www.shrm2006dcvolunteers.org.
How will you benefit from volunteering? Well, besides knowing that you’ve given something back to the profession and have helped make this conference a winning event, you will receive one free conference day for this conference for every six hours of volunteering work. So you can help out and get the benefit of the conference programs!
Want more information? Visit our web site, www.shrm2006dcvolunteers.org or see your Chapter representative. At Dulles SHRM, your representative is Kurt Cowles, President, 2005.
It’s clear that to make this huge event successful, we need volunteers from all the DC Area SHRM Chapters. That means we need you!
Looking Back On San Diego National Convention
Submitted by Kurt Cowles, Chapter President, 2005
For those of you familiar with the SHRM Annual Conference, you know how beneficial these events can be: comprehensive programs, world class speakers and authors, business leaders, networking, and great food and entertainment. San Diego was my third national conference, and I’d have to say the best yet.
The opening day keynote speaker was Bill Cosby. Funny guy. Humorous, and with a message. Using the Genesis story to illustrate his message - “God decided to create human beings, and this is where God is having trouble-still.” He praised HR professionals for our courage and commitment to make things better for people and encouraged all to talk to each other and share our experience and knowledge. A great message to start our three days.
From there it was three days packed with seminars and information: author Malcom Gladwell encouraging us to help managers make better decisions by changing the environment and structure in which decisions are made. HR Guru Dave Ulrich returning from a three year mission in Montreal, and outlining his latest work, “The HR Value Proposition.” And Masters Series lecturer Dr. Roch Parayre offered his insights on preparing for the future in Strategy Under Uncertainty. In addition to these major events, there were numerous opportunities to participate in sessions aimed at what you feel best met your unique needs. Perhaps my favorite was Laura Stack’s presentation on Peak Productivity Skills for HR Professionals - very entertaining delivery of practical information to stay on top of all those activities, both major and minor, tailored to an HR audience. If you’d like to get more information on this subject, her website is www.theproductivitypro.com. There you can subscribe to her newsletter (and yes, I bought her book!).
Now, lest you think this was all learning and no playing, it wasn’t. There was ample time to catch up with colleagues. The major entertainment was a Hall and Oates concert - one which truly left the audience craving more. I was disappointed their session seemed to end early with only a short encore appearance. Only later after returning to Virginia did I learn that Darryl Oates was suffering from Lyme Disease and their next concert had to be cancelled. But they brought the house down in San Diego!
And then there was the food - Little Italy (did you know San Diego had one - I didn’t!); Old Town for great Mexican, and Anthony’s Seafood Grotto. And of course Harbor Tours, walking and jogging along the harbor, and Point Loma. So much to do and see in such a short time. Fortunately, my wife and I planned to spend a couple extra days and we toured the Mission at San Juan Capistrano and also took a bus tour to Ensenada, Mexico. Both were absolutely beautiful. But perhaps my personal favorite was being able to play golf at Torrey Pines, site of the 2008 US Open. The scenery and golf were just incredible, and my score was pretty good too!
Sound like fun? It was. But if you think that was great, wait until next year when SHRM National comes to Washington DC. If you’d like to participate with a “Beltway Insider’s” view (and earn credit for free registration), see the article on page 3. And see you next year in DC!
Chapter HR Executive Event "Why We Hate HR: Confronting The Myth"
October 27, Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons Corner, Vienna
Click Here for details.
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming SHRM Conferences and Seminars
2005 Conferences
- October 27 - “Why We Hate HR: Confronting the Myth” a Dulles SHRM HR Executive Event. Details
2005 Chapter Dinner Meetings
- November 16 (Dinner Meeting) - “Marketing HR for Impact and Success” by Cynthia Schoeppel
- December 7 (Dinner Meeting) - Holiday Party
- December 14 (Dinner Meeting) - Transition Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the Board meetings are available on our web site - please take a few minutes to review them in full. Click Here to View.
Chapter Membership Promotion
Contributed by Bonnie Little, Vice President, Membership
We the members of the Dulles SHRM Chapter would like to invite you to join our local chapter FREE for the remaining 2005 fiscal year. If you pay your 2006 dues between October 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005, you do not have to pay for 2005. Annual dues are only $30.00.
If you would like to join the chapter now, please Click Here. Or, email Bonnie Little at blittle@mrketr.com for more information or with any questions.
This is a great opportunity to get 3 months of FREE membership and get affiliated with a growing, diverse chapter, dedicated to the Human Resource profession. You can also attend our Orientation program on November 16 from 4:30pm - 5:15pm. Longtime chapter supporter Cornelia Gamlen will give a short presentation on the benefits of joining the Dulles chapter of SHRM. There is no charge to attend the orientation program, though we do ask that you register with Bonnie prior to the program. You would be required to pre-register online and pay the meeting cost should you decide to stay for the chapter meeting directly following orientation.
National Membership Promotion
SHRM is proud to announce its October membership special for all new professional members joining SHRM through the online membership application. This special offer gives new members joining during the month of October a special first year price of $145 - $15 off regular dues.
As an added bonus, when new members join SHRM in October, they will also receive a FREE SHRM Tote Bag!
Promotion Details
Who: New professional SHRM members joining online during October
What: Discounted dues and FREE SHRM tote bag
When: October 1, 2005 - October 31, 2005
Where: SHRM Online Membership Application
This SHRM October online promotion is a win-win for both SHRM and your local chapter. For every chapter member who joins SHRM during the online promotion, the chapter receives credit toward their affiliation goals and chapter financial support!
Please note the online application form has a dedicated area where you must include your chapter’s name to receive credit.
Dulles SHRM Sponsorship Opportunities
We invite you to join us as a sponsor in 2005 and 2006.
Dulles SHRM offers you and your company three ways to market your products and services to our members. We have over 200 Human Resource professionals who are interested in hearing about what you have to offer. Please consider one of the following sponsorship opportunities:
Dinner Meeting Sponsorship
For a cost of only $500 ($250 for Dulles SHRM members) you’ll receive:
- Direct contact with 50 or more chapter members
- A display table set up next to our registration area during the reception/networking time prior to the meeting
- An introduction following dinner with an opportunity to briefly overview your products and services
- Exposure on the Dulles SHRM website for one month with mention of your sponsorship, a brief description of your organization, and a link to your website
Website Advertising
For a cost of only $250 you’ll receive:
- Your logo on the front page of our website for one year
- A link from your logo to a paragraph describing your company’s products or services and contact information
- A link from your ad to your website
Holiday Party Sponsorship
The holiday party is another great way to show your support of Dulles SHRM and our members. We appreciate cash, certificates, and products to be raffled off during our end-of-the-year celebration. We’ll mention your company’s generosity to everyone in attendance.
We hope you will consider sponsorship of our organization. If you need additional information or have any questions, please contact: Mary Walter Midkiff, Assistant Vice President of Programs, at (703) 787-7932 or mwmidkiff@aol.com.
Thank you for your support of Dulles SHRM!
A Day Inside The Beltway - An Insider's Opinion
Submitted by Denise Henderson, Communications Director
Dulles SHRM Chapter sent a 10 person delegation, led by Denise Hartman, Legislative Liaison, to the Hill. The group met early October 12 and was driven to SHRM National Headquarters in Alexandria by a comfortable Reston Limousine bus. While at SHRM National, we met with the Government Affairs staff: Kathleen Coulombe, Specialist, State Affairs, to discuss State Affairs Trends Update; Robert Lagow, Manager, Volunteer Programs, to discuss the Volunteer Opportunity Center; Lisa Horn, Manager, Health Care, to discuss Health Care Public Policy, and How to Lobby Your Member of Congress; and Mike Aitken, Director, Government Affairs, where the delegation participated during a working lunch to discuss the Katrina Update and Retirement Security Reform.
Following our meeting at SHRM, we went to Congress to meet with staffers from Congressman Tom Davis’ and Congressman James Moran’s offices. Members of our delegation spoke with the legislative assistants regarding upcoming Healthcare IT Reform and Pension Reform bills that affect business and HR. We gave a brief summary about SHRM and the Dulles SHRM Chapter, and who we represent. We stated SHRM’s positions on the upcoming legislation as well as adding in our own personal experiences involving each issue.
Next, we proceeded to the Russell Senate Office Building to meet with staffers from Senator John Warner’s and Senator George Allen’s offices. I enjoyed meeting with the Senate staff. In the past, I had lobbied Congress, but never the Senate. It was definitely empowering going in with my fellow Human Resources professionals, citing industry-related statistics, sharing personal experiences, and receiving interesting feedback on the issues we brought forth. Most of the staffers stated that their offices were in favor of Pension Reform and the Healthcare IT Reform. They agreed to take our information, our “voice” if you will, back to their Senator or Congressman and let them know how we feel about these issues and how they affect our industry.
One issue that was of common interest among all four offices was the recent Katrina tragedy. The staffers mentioned that changes to legislation would be limited during this session in light of all the confirmation hearings regarding Supreme Court Nominations and Katrina relief funding.
I would definitely recommend attending “A Day Inside the Beltway” event. This event was free to attendees, as it was sponsored by the Dulles SHRM Chapter. The education and experience is priceless, especially if you are like me and believe that you have a voice, and can tell your elected officials how you feel about certain issues and legislation as they evolve. Not everyone is fortunate enough to live as close to their nation’s Capital as I, and have the ability and privilege to go to the office of your representatives and hear your views on pertinent legislative topics.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities and other ongoing legislation, visit SHRM’s website at www.shrm.org and click on the “Volunteer Resources” and “Governmental Affairs” links on the left side of the web page. The HR Voice is an avenue for you to have your opinions heard by your elected officials.
Recordkeeping Rule Clarifies OFCCPS Definition Of Job Applicant For Internet And Related Technologies
Submitted by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) clarifies recordkeeping provisions concerning who is an applicant in the context of the Internet and related technologies. The final rule published in today's Federal Register applies to federal contractors who are subject to the recordkeeping provisions of the laws enforced by OFCCP.
This rule serves as an important tool to enhance OFCCP's enforcement of non-discrimination laws. In the mid-to-late 1990's, the advent of the Internet and other electronic technologies created a new on-line job market served by commercial and internal resume databanks and employer Web sites. This fundamental shift in the way individuals can apply for jobs and the consequences for employers of receiving potentially thousands of resumes made the existing applicant recordkeeping rules unworkable. The lack of guidance for federal contractors as to the department's interpretation of the recordkeeping rules for Internet applicants meant contractors could potentially have to ask everyone who has a resume on a commercial resume databank service for his or her race, ethnicity and gender whenever the contractor searched the databank to find candidates for a job. As a result, OFCCP's enforcement was hindered because it was often difficult to get the necessary data to effectively determine whether discrimination exists within a contractor's selection process.
This new rule provides clear guidance to allow us to better enforce the law, said Charles E. James, Jr., deputy assistant secretary for OFCCP. This final rule will enable OFCCP to effectively evaluate whether federal contractors are recruiting a diverse pool of qualified applicants and hiring new employees on a non-discriminatory basis. It also helps contractors by clarifying an ambiguity that, until now, left contractors guessing at what information they needed to collect from internet applicants.
An Internet Applicant, under the definition in the final rule, is an individual as to whom the following four criteria are satisfied:
- The individual submits an expression of interest in employment through the Internet or related electronic data technologies;
- The contractor considers the individual for employment in a particular position;
- The individual's expression of interest indicates the individual possesses the basic objective qualifications for the position; and
- The individual at no point in the contractor's selection process prior to receiving an offer of employment from the contractor, removes himself or herself from further consideration or otherwise indicates that he or she is no longer interested in the position.
Federal contractors will have to provide race, ethnicity and gender information for those individuals who the contractor considers for a particular position and who possess basic qualifications. The rule also requires contractors to retain all expressions of interest by individuals considered and specifies records to be maintained about searches of internal and external databases. OFCCP retains the ability to assess whether selection criteria used by federal contractors are discriminatory.
The new applicant rule applies to jobs for which the contractor accepts expressions of interest via the Internet and related technologies, such as e-mail, commercial and internal resume databanks, and employer Web sites. For those positions for which the contractor does not use the Internet or related technologies, and does not accept any electronic submissions, the existing recordkeeping standards apply. When a contractor accepts expressions of interest for a particular position via the Internet or related technologies and paper applications, the Internet applicant rule applies.
OFCCP, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration, enforces Executive Order 11246 and other laws that prohibit employment discrimination by federal contractors. The agency monitors federal contractors to ensure that they provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, gender, color, religion, national origin, disability or veterans' status.
ESA News Release: [10/07/2005] Contact Name: Pamela Groover or Dolline Hatchett (202) 693-4676. Release Number: 05-1958-NAT
Governor Warner Announces Virginia Business Assistance Internet Portal
Submitted by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
RICHMOND - Governor Warner R. Warner today announced the launch of an Internet portal that serves as a central point for business assistance information and inquiries, . Designed by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance (DBA) and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), the portal consolidates information about Virginia's various business assistance and support services such as grants, loans, workforce training, and licensing together in one site to allow consumers to find useful and relevant information quickly. The site went "live" today.
"This portal employs user-friendly technology to provide a single gateway to all the many services Virginia offers businesses throughout state government," Governor Warner said. "This new site provides immediate access to information and assistance, and further enhances Virginia's business-friendly environment."
The portal was designed from customer input and includes four main categories of information requested by businesses:
- Starting a Business - serves as a link to information relevant to businesses and entrepreneurs who are getting started, including registering and licensing procedures and permits.
- Running a Business - includes information such as regulations, employment and tax laws for existing businesses.
- Business Resources - connects businesses to services including counseling and industry organizations.
- Out of State Businesses - provides information applicable to out-of-state businesses seeking expansion or relocation in Virginia.
The site also has a ”live chat" feature, providing businesses with real time access to the Virginia Business Information Center (VBIC), administered through DBA. VBIC's online support and assistance representatives give business users instant answers to questions about the resources, services and forms found on the portal. A survey is also available within the portal to collect feedback in order to make further refinements and improve service.
"Our VBIC representatives were real ambassadors for this portal," DBA Director Mike Eisenman explained. "They hear from thousands of Virginia businesses and entrepreneurs every year and were able to provide a great deal of insight on the content of this new tier of information access."
The need for increased access to information via a centralized entry point was sparked by the efforts of a steering committee, comprised of business, educational and state agency leaders throughout the Commonwealth.
"The biggest challenge in creating the business portal was organizing the vast amount of information and resources to ensure that the questions and needs of business users and other customers are answered in the most efficient manner possible," said Scott Somerhalder, General Manager of VITA's Virginia.gov. "We commend the Department of Business Assistance for their dedication and expertise in defining the critical content for each of the major portal areas."
The Virginia Department of Business Assistance supports economic development in the Commonwealth by working with new and existing businesses to provide workforce incentives, loans, business information, incubator counseling, and educational opportunities for the business and economic development communities.
Virginia.gov is a managed service of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), the Commonwealth's recently consolidated technology and solutions provider. Virginia.gov manages the official Virginia state web portal, www.virginia.gov and assists government entities with providing information and services via the Internet.
Contact: Kevin Hall (804) 225-4260 Cell: (804) 393-9406 Internet: www.governor.virginia.gov
Nina Sims, DBA (804) 371-0371 Lynn DuBard, Virginia.gov (804) 692-0599
Herman Trend Alert: Is Offshoring Waning?
Submitted by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
For years, the United States and some other developed countries have been sending jobs to less-developed countries. In most cases, the motivation has been cost-savings…almost always in labor costs. It was assumed that workers in the receiving countries would be able to perform the work at least as effectively as the workers who had held the jobs for years---sometimes for decades. Manufacturing jobs shifted overseas, along with administrative, back-office, coding and design, and information technology positions.
Recently, because of the difficulty of finding qualified workers in the home country, jobs have moved to other countries. Employers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, for a few examples, have found the task of hiring skilled workers increasingly difficult. When competent workers are not available in the home country, employers will seek workers with those abilities in other countries.
Thousands of jobs are moving overseas while there are still people in their home countries eager to take those positions. Unfortunately, it has become too expensive to train workers in the higher-wage home countries---especially when employers can easily hire people with the capacities they need. When people can not be found in the host country, employers will find a way to recruit workers from other countries. Host countries, obviously, have to educate and train their own workforces.
Many employers who have offshored jobs are having second thoughts. Cultural issues, quality problems, employee turnover, communications (language) difficulties, and competence problems are clouding the sunny skies of offshoring. Customer complaints are now joined by employee complaints in the host countries. Increasing challenges are pushing employers to slow the flow of jobs overseas and to begin bringing jobs back for efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction. Even stockholders are questioning whether the alleged cost savings justified.
As the jobs return, more employment opportunities will be created. Many will be filled by people who held them before; others not. What’s important is that we will create more jobs at home, competing for more qualified talent to perform the work. This growth will happen in the midst of a shortage of skilled labor.
That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? This is your chapter - let us know what’s on your mind!
Kurt Cowles
President
Dulles SHRM
kcowles@mitre.org
