Glossary

What is a DE&I dashboard?

A DE&I dashboard is an interface that provides a visual representation of company diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and outcomes. The dashboard reflects the DE&I status by representing the data through graphs, charts, and other visuals that can be read at a glance. A DE&I dashboard reflects the status of the workforce in areas such as: GenderReligious beliefsNeurodiversityAgeNational originSoft skills Why should HR leaders care about a DE&I dashboard? Rather than sifting through spreadsheets, metrics, and surveys, HR leaders can use a dashboard to provide a simple visual representation. Clear…

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a civil rights law that protects disabled individuals from discrimination throughout different areas of everyday life. The ADA protects those who have “a mental or physical disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities,” as well as those who "are perceived by others as having such an impairment." In addition to keeping discrimination at bay in employment, the ADA aims to ensure that disabled individuals have equal access to: Government servicesBuying merchandiseCommercial facilities Public transportation Why should HR leaders care…

What is a learning management system?

A learning management system (LMS) is software companies use to train and educate employees, clients, and business partners. Traditionally, work training programs would take place in person over a few hours or days. LMS technology, however, streamlines this learning process. It provides a one-stop-shop for educational content, offering learning options including videos, programs, courses, quizzes, and guides. Furthermore, the content can be live or recorded so individuals in different locations, time zones, and companies can easily access it. Companies use LMSs to: Create informational contentOrganize it in a centralized digital…

What are KPIs?

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are metrics that reflect how successful a company is in reaching its business goals. KPIs can be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative KPIs are typically expressed through a percentage. Examples include: Employee growth rateAbsenteeism rate Career path ratio  Qualitative KPIs can express the final result through a numerical value, yet they draw data from subjective feedback, such as employee surveys. Some examples are: Employee net promoter scoreQuality of hireApplicant satisfaction Why should HR leaders care about KPIs? KPIs assist HR leaders in monitoring progress, identifying flaws, enhancing performance,…

What is a non-compete agreement?

A non-compete agreement is a contract that demands that an employee abstains from working at a competing organization for a specified amount of time. Non-competes, or noncompetition agreements, are meant to keep employees from working in the same field at another company and sharing sensitive business information with their new employer.  Organizations often use non-competes: During a merger and acquisition (M&A)For employees and independent contractorsTo maintain a positive employer reputation Why should HR leaders care about non-compete agreements? A comprehensive understanding of the non-compete contract and its overall impact on…

What is employee work-life balance?

Work-life balance refers to maintaining a harmonious relationship between personal life and work life. Often, people invest so much time and energy into their work that they neglect essential elements of their lives that aren’t work-related. Work-life balance involves a daily dedication of time and energy to one’s job while also carving out time for meaningful and enjoyable activities that support one’s health and happiness.  Why should HR leaders care about work-life balance? Work-life balance allows employees to lead a wholesome, stable, and meaningful life. When employees balance their long…

Soft HRM and hard HRM are two opposing methods of Human Resource Management. HRM is the strategic approach toward acquiring, hiring, training, engaging, and retaining personnel.  Soft HRM emphasizes the human side of HR, recognizing that the workforce is composed of individuals with inherent ambitions and emotions. Soft HRM encourages employees to actualize their potential through practices such as: Two-way communication Business transparencyTraining and career development programsA democratic management style Hard HRM, in contrast, does not prioritize employees' need for self-actualization. Instead, it treats personnel as a resource that exists solely…

Overtime refers to the extra hours that employees work beyond their regular schedule.  In the U.S., employers must pay non-exempt employees a minimum of time and a half for each extra hour they work past forty hours a week. U.K. law takes a different approach, ruling that employers do not have to pay employees for overtime. However, U.K. employers must follow the employment contract and provide an average compensation that meets the National Minimum Wage standards.    Why should HR leaders care about overtime? Overtime laws and company overtime policy can…

Employee time tracking is the practice of monitoring and documenting the hours that each employee works. Companies can track work hours by requiring employees to clock in and out at designated times, such as starting and ending the workday and unplanned breaks.   Employees receiving hourly wages must monitor their work hours. Yet, for salaried workers, time tracking is also essential. And with a technologically advanced HRIS time and attendance tracking software that facilitates the process, people can track time effortlessly.  Why should HR leaders care about employee time tracking? Employee…

ONA is a structured charting method used to analyze how employees collaborate and contribute to their company. Individual influence levels are often hard to pinpoint within the traditional hierarchical business structure. Thus, ONA technology aims to identify and leverage the different types of influential employees and discover problem areas, so leaders can enhance the way people work together and share information.  Why should HR leaders care about ONA? ONA helps HR leaders analyze employee networking-- the work relationships that organically form between personnel. ONA adds another dimension to traditional workforce…

HR OKRs (Human Resources Objectives and Key Results) provide a framework that businesses can implement to establish objectives, monitor progress, and achieve desired results within HR processes.  Objectives are ambitious goals that motivate employees to stretch above and beyond their performance plateau. Objectives should be time-bound, executable, and improve the quality of a process or product. Key results are performance indicators that exhibit quantifiable success as a team progresses from point a to point b, measured through a numerical value or percentage.  HR OKRs enable HR leaders to track progress…

Gamification is the integration of games or game-like elements into business processes to boost employee participation and engagement. Gamification applies the same principles which attract people to recreational games such as football,  chess, or Minecraft to the workplace. Gamification in HR is often used to: Boost collaboration Streamline the onboarding processPromote innovation Elevate employee performance Increase the effectiveness of training and development programsImprove recruitment practices Gamification methods can be conspicuous, such as a reward or point system, leaderboards, badges, or pay raises. Or, it can be subtle, such as incorporating a captivating narrative…

Headcount is the number of people working in a company or in a department at any given time. Headcount, unless otherwise specified, includes everyone: full-time, part-time, temporary, and contract workers. The headcount metric enables HR professionals to: Monitor and improve workforce planningSupport efficiency and productivity among personnelForecast workforce developments Why should HR leaders care about headcount? Headcount is usually unnecessary for small companies with just a handful of employees. Yet firms with hundreds or thousands of staff should take headcount seriously. Measuring headcount throughout different periods enables HR leaders to…

A performance map is a chart that visually portrays employees’ performance to help leaders analyze their potential and capabilities. The performance map, like the 9-box grid, illustrates strengths and weaknesses. However, while the 9-box model is based solely on performance and potential, performance mapping allows leaders to choose any two factors and customize the grid.   Effective performance maps should: Spur dialogue concerning employee performanceProvide a clear visual depiction of job performanceStreamline the organization process and presentation of performance scores  Why should HR leaders care about performance maps? The performance map…

Disability leave is planned or unplanned time off from work for employees to cope with an illness, injury, or impairment that inhibits at least one of their essential life activities. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) mandates that employers accommodate employees eligible for disability by affording them the necessary benefits and work adjustments. The FMLA also enables eligible employees to take medical leave for a disability. Depending on the case, employees could benefit from both the ADA and the FMLA. Personnel can receive disability insurance, or if injured at work,…