Two Employees Terminated for Leaking Private Information

Two state of Utah employees are in hot water after they used a state government database to compile a list of 1300 names, addresses, birthdates and phone numbers of suspected illegal immigrants. The list was then distributed to multiple law enforcement agencies and new media organizations.

Leaders on both sides of the immigration issue have condemned the actions of the two state employees, as distributing protected information is against both federal and Utah state laws (and even harsher penalties can be assesed for stealing of state records).

One of the two employees has already been fired and termination of the second employee (a 15-year state employee) is currently in process. The state of Utah is also looking into whether criminal charges should be pursued.

More information on this story can be found here, here and here.

The Purpose of HR

I am working right now to put together a training on the subject of effective HR practices, and one of the first questions I plan on asking the training group is this:

"In one sentence, how would you describe the purpose of HR?"

In my research (a.k.a. Google search), here are some of the answers that I came across:

• HR's duty is to bring the best people into the best position.
• HR exists to protect a company from its employees.
• The purpose of HR is to fulfill organizational goals by implying tools which focuses on enhancing performance with concern for its employees.
• The purpose of human resources is to live.
• The HR department is to is there to guarantee that the right candidates get appointed to the right task at the right time and the job offered to them utilizes their capabilities to the maximum, adding to self-motivation and leading to better performance.
• HR is there to hire and fire.
• The HR function is to hire, train, motivate and support productive employees.
• An effective Human Resource department facilitates the execution of your company’s mission within the boundaries of employment law.
• HR's sole purpose is to take the fun out of work for everyone.

I have my own thoughts on the issue, which I will save those for another post. But I want to hear your perspective. Do any of the answers listed above ring true to you? Or is there a better way that you would describe HR's purpose?

Ego Surfing

Have you ever "Googled" yourself because you were bored, or because you just wanted to see what you would find? If so, you are familiar with Ego Surfing, even if you may not be familiar with the specific term. Ego surfing, as describing in a recent SHRM article, is "performing an internet search on one's own name to see what pops up." And the same SHRM article suggests that it is a good move to do from time to time in order to know what current and prospective employers might find out about you (see this previous Bizarre HR post).

So, I've decided to give it a go. When searching "Chris Hartwell," here are the top hits on Google:

1. The Music of Chris Hartwell - My (somewhat stagnant) music website.
2. Hartwell Ministries - Pastor Chris Hartwell - A Christian Pastor in Texas . . . not me, but very interesting. 
3. Chris Hartwell - LinkedIn - While I do have a profile on LinkedIn, this happens to be a different Chris Hartwell - a search engine marketing consultant.
4. Chris Hartwell on Facebook - Again, I do have a Facebook page, but this happens to be a different Chris Hartwell (and different from the other two above).

So there you have it. I guess I am glad that my music website comes up first on the search and, after browsing the first few pages of results, I found that there is nothing incriminating about myself online that I would mind an employer finding out about me (it's mainly just more music sites and links).

But I was more interested on how many Chris Hartwells there are out there in the world. In addition to the three mentioned above, further down the Google search results are a CrossFit trainer, a patent seeker and an Englishman studying plumbing. Who knew?

If you haven't tried ego surfing recently give it a whirl and let me know what interesting things you find.

Leave It to California

The SHRM annual conference took place this year in San Deigo, California. The tag line in the advertisements leading up to the event was something to the effect of "In the evolution of HR, California leads the way," highlighting the signifcance of the site chosen for the conference.

Well, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest efforts to reign in government spending and balance the state's budget is certainly having an impact on HR. Unfortunately, state employees are being caught in the crossfire. Scharzenegger wants to reduce the pay of over 200,000 state government employees to $7.25/hour (federal minimum wage) until California's legislature reaches an agreement on the state's budget. The state controller has refused to honor the governor's request and it's all ended up in court.

It's a very bizarre scenario, made even more bizarre by the fact that Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing a cut to the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hr.), which is lower than California's minimum wage ($8/hr.), and some 30,000 governement employees that are exempt from minimum wage laws (i.e. doctors, lawyers, etc.) would not be paid at all.

Sounds like political games on both sides of the fence. The Republican governor is forcing the hand of the Democrat-controlled State Legislature, and the state controller (also a Democrat) is pushing back. And state employees are caught in the middle, wondering how it will all end up.

Technology in the World of HR

A recent article regarding the DOs and DON'Ts of using Facebook while maintaining your professionalism got me thinking about how technology (specifically the internet) has changed the business landscape for both employees (those currently employed and/or those seeking employment) and those who manage and hire employees. Here is a list of pros and cons that I quickly came up with.

JOB SEEKERS

PROS:

• Access to numerous open positions through job search websites (i.e. Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com), company websites, and non-traditional job search outlets (i.e. Craigslist.com) make job seeking more effective.
• The ability to develop your online profile can make you and make your resume available to those searching online in need of employees.
• Search engines, company websites, newsfeeds, etc., offer the ability to quickly and thoroughly research potential job opportunities and hiring organizations.
• You have access to countless online resources for effective job searching, writing your resume, and having a positive job interview.
• The ability to utilize online social media networks can help you find otherwise unknown job opportunities.

CONS:

• A lot of personal information may be avaialable online that you do not what prospective employers finding.
• Getting into a habit of only searching for and applying for jobs through online channels can be a monotonous and ineffective job search.
• Even with online professional profiles and resumes, it is hard to convey your true personality and professional motivations without face-to-face personal contact.

CURRENT EMPLOYEES

PROS:

• Internet research can assist you in finding the lowest cost, most effective, and/or fastest solutions to the problems you face at work.
• Utilizing online training, remote network meetings, etc., can cost travel costs and increase the effectiveness of long-distance work groups and organizations.
• Computer and internet resources have aided employees in accomplishing more and being a more valuable asset to the company.

CONS:

• From watching YouTube videos, to online shopping, to playing games, to reading online news, the internet can be a huge distraction at work.
• Since most information is just a mouse click or online chat with a co-worker away, there is potential for reduced time being physically active at work.
• Relationships with coworkers, customers and/or supervisors may suffer with reduced personal interaction.
• Technology at times may make some employees obsolete, leading to job losses.

MANAGERS

PROS:

• The ability to quickly disseminate information to your employees is increased through email, company intranet, etc.
• Time and effort spent managing "paperwork" (i.e. payroll, contracts, employee records, etc.) can be greatly reduced through technology.
• Recruiting is greatly facilitated through online job boards, websites and professional networks.
• A quick Google search on a job applicant and/or current employee can uncover important information that otherwise would not be brought to light.

CONS:

• Reduced personal interaction with your employees can decrease employee job satisfaction and can take a toll on your relationship with your employees.
• Focusing too much on internet recruiting may increase the quantity of applicants without increasing (and potentially decreasing) the quality of applicants.
• A quick Google search on a job applicant and/or current employee can uncover unimportant information that should probably not have been brought to light.

What are your thoughts? What are some of the positives and/or negatives that you have seen in your own experience with increased computer and internet technology?