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Manufacturing Is Undergoing Fundamental Change

July 27th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Artificial Intelligence | Business Intelligence - (Comments Off on Manufacturing Is Undergoing Fundamental Change)

The manufacturing industry has gone through challenging times in the last decade: due in part, to the recession of 2008 and the evolution of artificial intelligence, robotics, and cloud computing to name, but just a few. The manufacturing sector is however, not monolithic, some segments are service based, while others are process including; food production-based, heavy printing, discrete and the list goes on.

Manufacturing Is Undergoing Fundamental Change

In her article for one of the sectors leading publication, Industry Week, titled, The Future of Manufacturing, Becky Morgan writes;

“So what does the future hold for manufacturing? That is a particularly poignant question today, with headlines dominated by protectionism, EU and Brexit, cyber criminals, and immigration and environmental debates. Moreover, the economics of the manufacturing industry are changing right now. The economic life of intellectual property is falling while the dynamism of materials science explodes. Digitization is everywhere, which enables the 3-D printer to increasingly meet the “I want it, and I want it now” aspect of demand. New distribution channels are evolving, influenced by the need for cost reduction and the expectation of immediate supply.

Remember RIM/Blackberry, which made the mistake of saying their phones were for serious business while smartphones were toys? Sony has a similar story with its once-ubiquitous Walkman. Kodak was busy hiring chemical engineers as they wasted the patent on digital photography. Now we can print small parts, production volumes of large parts, and homes with 3D printers. That evolution took over 30 years. Internet of Things is descriptive of the growing reliance on capture, movement and analysis of data to better understand customers, product performance, and equipment status. That evolution is well underway. The next evolution will soon begin.”

It’s worth noting that manufacturing has had to endure a lot of change and yet, it remains, a driving force in many advanced and developing countries.  And, in the world of continuous cloud-based applications, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning and all things digital, the future looks bright for the manufacturing business leaders who willing embrace these changes.

To learn more about ATS and its Time and Attendance for Manufacturing, go to our website, where you can download a demonstration, or register for a bi-monthly webinar. To reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

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Does Your Company Offer Fridays Off?

July 26th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Absence Management | Benefit Accruals | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software - (Comments Off on Does Your Company Offer Fridays Off?)

The concept of a four day work week, employees being allowed to leave early on Friday or get have it off isn’t new. If fact, it has been the norm in the health and medical field and other industries for years. According to the Society for Human Resource Management this perk is offered as an option to some employees 43% of companies, yet only 10% of those companies make it available to all or most of their employees. Lately, companies have been using it to attract and retain top talent. And why is that? Many of today’s workforce especially millennial are not interested in jobs that require one to work 60 hours a week, and instead, value time-off from work to spend with friends and family.

Does Your Company Offer Fridays Off?

A recent study by CEB, now Gartner says that Organizations Are Offering Flexible Schedules, Reduced Hours to Retain Employees Who Are Feeling More Confident About the Labor Market.

In its press release on the study, it revealed the following:

“Summer Fridays” are days that organizations offer employees the flexibility to leave early or take the entire day off. Organizations that offer this type of perk may have a competitive advantage when trying to retain their top talent.

According to data from the CEB Global Talent Monitor, employee confidence in the business environment and their personal economic prospects increased again in Q1 2017 – the fourth consecutive quarter. In addition to feeling better about the global labor market, employees are increasingly seeking out new jobs in several major economies, including the U.S., China and Germany.

“As the number of employees feeling more confident about their personal job prospects increases, companies must find creative ways to reward and retain their top talent,” said Brian Kropp, HR practice leader at CEB, now Gartner. “Giving employees the gift of time via Summer Fridays is one low-cost way to improve employee engagement, which in turn can increase employee productivity and drive business results.”

For many employees, work-life balance is one of the top factors they consider when choosing to take or leave a job. Even organizations that are unable to offer an official Summer Fridays program can capitalize on the importance of work-life balance and reinforce the value they place on employees by:

  • Allowing staff to work from home more frequently during the summer
  • Enabling employees to shift their hours to either come in early or later
  • Encouraging employees to take PTO without guilt

Before trotting up to your boss with all this data to make your case for either working half day or having Fridays off, make sure you understand the make up of your organization. If your company does not offer either, your manager might have a compelling case. Ask employees who have been at your organization, longer than you about its history. There is likely a reason why your company does not have it.

Whether it’s working half day on Fridays, telecommuting on that day or having it off altogether, it isn’t limited to the private sector. The Canadian and US Governments in various departments offer some version of the proverbial “Summer Fridays” and in some instances, it’s year round.

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Google Is On The Verge Of Shaking Up The Recruitment Industry

July 20th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Google | Machine Learning | Recruitment Software - (Comments Off on Google Is On The Verge Of Shaking Up The Recruitment Industry)

When Google announced it was entering the recruitment space, some wondered why? A behemoth like Google would have done its due diligence before deciding to use its power to offer job seekers and employers alike a difference choice.

 

Google Is On The Verge Of Shaking Up The Recruitment Industry

In her article,  for HR Dive, titled Google for Jobs now open to site owners and job seekers Valerie Bolden-Barrett writes in part;

“Google for Jobs is a potential game-changer for employers and job seekers that stands to revolutionize recruiting. Right now, the new search largely pulls from major recruiting websites to formulate search results — but this new behavior could change how the big job boards work. They were already keeping an eye on changing behaviors from applicants that opted for mobile capabilities. Google could further disrupt the marketplace.

Much like LinkedIn and Glassdoor, which forced employers to reconsider external channels of input, Google for Jobs could herald changes in recruitment strategy. Google’s use of AI and machine-learning in the process is nothing less than what’s expected of an innovative high-tech company, and is largely in-line with what experts predicted for online recruiting going forward.”

It has also been reported that the new job search engine will have filters to narrow down jobs. For example, a candidate can sort by full-time or part-time, the job titles, category and posting date. And, that Google will also add a filter for commute times, so candidates do not have to apply for dream positions that require sitting in traffic for two hours.

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The Power Of The Cloud Makes The Choice Easy

July 18th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in ATS TimeWork OnDemand | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada | Time and Attendance Solution | Time and Attendance System | Time and Attendance Toronto | TimeWork OnDemand | Web-Based Time and Attendance | Workforce Analytics - (Comments Off on The Power Of The Cloud Makes The Choice Easy)

The growth prospects of cloud-based applications has surpassed all previous projections, and is finally is being realized by businesses the world over.  Traditional IT spending on heavy computing servers and software licenses has been usurped by businesses shifting to cloud computing solutions. According to a recent report by Gartner, the amount of money spent on cloud services in 2016 grew 25% over 2015 to $148 billion, and this is number is expected to grow to $216 billion in the year 2020.

The availability and user acceptance rate with cloud-based applications like ATS TimeWork OnDemand have exploded in recent years.

The Power Of The Cloud Makes The Choice Easy

Here is what you can expect from the power of ATS TimeWork OnDemand:

Flexible Deployment Options
ATS implementation team’s approach to our cloud-based time and attendance solution is unique. We offer a best-of-breed cloud deployment for ATS TimeWork OnDemand that encompasses multi-tenancy, single tenancy, and an industry-changing dedicated tenancy model that offers cost savings to our customers and is second to none in the cloud space. This provides our customers with unrivalled levels of choice and scalability on a platform that is specific to their industry.

Scalability
ATS TimeWork OnDemand opens up new capabilities for new and growing organizations. The solution can be scaled in accordance with an organization’s business demands, and financial agility. ATS TimeWork OnDemand provides companies with an opportunity to focus on the core aspects of their business, while knowing, that their time and attendance is always on, accessible 24/7, and always up to date.

Built-In Analytics
ATS TimeWork OnDemand is designed for modern businesses, enabling customers to streamline their mission-critical business processes. And, with real-time insights into key business performance indicators for a unified view of the organization, you will never go back to manual punch clocks or paper timesheets. That’s the power of the cloud.

To learn more about ATS TimeWork OnDemand, go to our website, where you can download a demonstration, or register for a bi-monthly webinar. To reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467

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Mindfulness Is Doable When It Becomes A Habit

July 11th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Mindfulness | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Work-Life Balance - (Comments Off on Mindfulness Is Doable When It Becomes A Habit)

You don’t have to go to a quiet room each day to reach a mindful and meditative state to achieve the work-life-balance that so many yearn for, yet, find unattainable.

Mindfulness Is Doable When It Becomes A Habit

Here are 3 tips by Anna Verasai from her an article titled A Not-to-do List to Cultivate Work-Life Balance

DO NOT CHECK EMAIL AT BED
“We avoid reading emails before going to bed for two reasons: 1.) It gets your mind working and makes it difficult to be able to fall asleep, and 2.) the ‘blue-light’ from back-lit devices like mobiles, tablet, or even laptops, throws the body’s biological clock out of balance. The nighttime light exposure deters the production of melatonin in the brain, making it even more difficult for you to sleep.

DO NOT ENGAGE IN NEGATIVITY-FILLED CONVERSATIONS
This kind of conversations are taxing on energy and morale. If it’s a conversation that can be avoided, for example, it’s coming from a co-worker who needs to vent, try changing the tone of the conversation: ask the person what they’d do to improve the situation?

Negativity perpetuates, breeds in itself, and clutters the mind with dissatisfaction. And when your mind is filled negativity, happiness is much harder to come by.”

DO NOT CONSUME MEDIA AIMLESSLY
Cut yourself off from media consumption before you’re about to do something important. The daily repetition of news gives us a pessimistic, fatalistic, and desensitized worldview. It also kills creativity and is one reason why novelists, entrepreneurs, composers and mathematicians don’t consume media ravenously. The more we consume arbitrary storylines, the craving gets increasingly hypnotic and hard to ignore.

You can read the rest of the article on The HR Digest site.  Additionally, numerous scientific studies have revealed that practicing mindfulness can lead to a happier and healthier you, especially when you focus, holistic part of it as oppose to material goals.

Happy Mindfulness!

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The Herculean Tasks Of Removing Biases From Hiring Decisions

July 6th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Careers | HR | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software - (Comments Off on The Herculean Tasks Of Removing Biases From Hiring Decisions)

A great deal has been written about removing biases when interviewing candidates for jobs, but to some degree it’s easier said than done. All human beings have their own set of biases on a range of things that include; gender, race, religion, class and it’s influenced when hiring employees or simply offering a promotion. The fact that this is being discussed in many online forums is good first step, but, this type of paradigm shift will take perhaps a generation or two for significant change to take effect. Change, after all, is always a difficult proposition for humans.

The Herculean Tasks Of Removing Biases From Hiring Decisions

Will Yakowicz, Staff writer for Inc, article titled How to Remove Gender Bias From the Hiring Process offers three tips. These tips are derived from a posting in Harvard Business Review by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox.

The gender bias tips are as follows:

“Make gender bias a business issue.
If the results of the test don’t bother you initially, think about the fact that under- qualified men were hired over more talented women. Wittenberg-Cox says you should reframe gender bias as a business issue, not a women’s issue. “If managers are choosing less qualified men over more qualified women, the company is clearly losing valuable talent,” she writes. “Even if hiring managers are choosing equally qualified men, if they’re doing it in dramatically greater numbers (as the study above shows they do), the company is still missing an opportunity to build the kind of balanced workforce that we know produces more creative results.”

Change people’s minds
Wittenberg-Cox says leaders need to start educating themselves and managers about the issue of gender bias instead of putting the burden on women to change themselves. “You can expect all your women to suddenly change their behavior and start overselling their skills, as the men in the study above did–but frankly, do you really want them to?” she writes. Research shows when women boast about their skills they are perceived negatively, instead of as confident and ambitious. You need to teach your staff, male and female, about the different behaviors men and women exhibit and how to effectively and accurately perceive them.”

Change your hiring systems
If gender bias runs deep in the corporate world that means HR policies are often rife with bias too. Wittenberg-Cox writes that many large companies consider “ambition” to be an important character trait for their leadership candidates. When candidates are seen as “ambitious,” they’re usually boasting, or overselling their talents–a trait studies have shown to be predominately male, she writes. Hiring managers typically believe erroneously that the most self-promotional candidates are objectively the best. “This does not make room to develop the majority of today’s talent for tomorrow’s world. Nor allow a variety of leadership styles to co-exist,” she adds.”

Social media and online career job boards, while all great tools can also hurt prospective candidates. Many of today’s hiring managers will scan sites like LinkedIn to view a candidates profile and formed an opinion about the person before they walk through the door for an interview. And in some cases, based on what they see online, these hiring managers might cut candidates from consideration. Thus, asking people to eliminate or at least, separate their biases from the hiring decision is not as easy as it sounds.

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Unlimited Vacation: Are Many Companies Eager To Adopt This Policy?

July 4th, 2017 | Posted by ATS in Absence Management | Benefit Accruals | Leave Management | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada - (Comments Off on Unlimited Vacation: Are Many Companies Eager To Adopt This Policy?)

Unlimited vacation policy has been adopted by a few companies but it still remains a rarity in much of the corporate world. The business community, at large, is currently dealing with, among other things, the recent push by some government and labour leaders to hike the minimum wage. Asking some of these companies embrace unlimited vacation policies might not be something they are eager to deal with presently.

Unlimited Vacation: Are Many Companies Eager To Adopt This Policy?

In her recent article titled Unlimited Vacation: Is It About Morale or the Bottom Line for Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Dana Wilkie writes:

“Unlimited vacation first became popular at startups in Silicon Valley and then began to seep into other industries—typically those where employees work independently and can set their own hours. Companies that have embraced unlimited vacation include Netflix, Virgin America, The Motley Fool, Achievers, Jellyvision and General Electric, which offers the benefit to senior employees.

Still, unlimited vacation policies remain rare in corporate America; just 1 percent to 2 percent of companies offer the benefit, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) 2016 Employee Benefits report. Evren Esen, SHRM-SCP, SHRM’s director of survey programs, said that statistic hasn’t changed appreciably during the past five years.

Leaders at companies that have adopted unlimited vacation laud the perk. They say there’s no more pressure on workers to plan and save days. Meanwhile, they say, employers are freed from the administrative hassle of tracking time off and the financial burden of paying out unused vacation time.”

The benefits of taking time-off is undisputed and studies including one by Oxford Economics  revealed that employees are more dedicated, productive and healthy when they take time-off. However, for several companies, unlimited vacation sounds more like a fantasy rather than reality, and so, it would be better to check with your HR department and ask about your corporate culture (if you are not sure) as it pertains to a policy like this, before getting excited about the companies that offer it.

ATS Time and Attendance Leave Management automates the administration and tracking of paid and unpaid federal, provincial, state and employer-specific leave policies and can be configured to match the needs of your company, to maintain and highlight vacation balances, reduce manual process errors, and control associated absenteeism costs. By eradicating manual tasks from the traditional leave management/time-off request process, ATS Time and Attendance Leave Management module ensures accurate data and full visibility when tracking and managing employee leave.

To learn about ATS Time and Attendance Leave Management module, go to our website.

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