Category: Blog

The idea of going green can be daunting to some. Many companies think that being green is a costly investment, or they just aren’t sure how or why to do it.

First, your company does not have to go green all at once. Be practical about it. Second, going green doesn’t have to be costly; in fact, you can save money while also saving the environment.

Here are some benefits to think about:

• Saving money: What company doesn’t like to save money? By turning off lights and computers, using a fan and a higher setting on the air conditioning, and printing less paper, you can cut down on energy, and paper and ink costs.
• Improved workplace (and world): By going green, you create a workplace that is a healthy environment for employees. Not only would your company be reducing unnecessary waste, it would also be leading the way for other companies to make the change.
• Happier employees: Give your employees a green place to think. It doesn’t have to be a big space—green grass, potted plants and a few benches is perfect. By having a green area on or near your property, your employees can take their lunch break or phone calls outside. Plus, it’s the perfect way to give back to the community.

Sound like a good idea? Here are a few tips on how to go green:

Telecommute: As we talked about a couple weeks ago, telecommuting has multiple benefits for your company. One benefit we didn’t touch on is that it helps your company go green. Your employees won’t be using as much gas driving to and from work, and fewer employees in the office offers a reduction in energy and water usage.

Cut back on paper: Watch your use of paper—when possible, before a meeting email the documents and ask employees to bring in their laptops instead of printing out copies for everyone. When printing is necessary, try to print on both sides. Also, make sure to reuse paper as scrap paper before recycling.

Don’t forget the bathroom: Install light sensors in the bathrooms so that energy isn’t wasted when the bathroom is empty. Eliminate paper towels. Buy in bulk, and buy green cleaning products.

Traveling: Million Mile Secrets has a great post with travel tips on how to offset your carbon footprint while flying, Staying Green While Traveling: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint!

Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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One of the best places for you to look for a new job could be right where you are – in your current company. Your boss wants to keep good employees, and hiring from within is the obvious way to do it.

So, are you interested in a different job within your current company but aren’t sure how to go about it? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Tell your boss: This step can be tricky, for you don’t want to give your boss the impression that you are unhappy in your current position. The best way to approach the topic with your boss is to present the job opportunity as a positive move for your career. Make it known to your boss that you want to advance your career and that the new job opportunity is too good to pass up.
• Build your internal network: Your internal network should be built long before you try to move up in your company. If you are a hard worker, it shouldn’t be a problem. Your co-workers and teammates will be aware of your contributions and performance within the company.
• Use your internal network: Is the new job you are interested in worth applying and interviewing for? Ask around the office. It’s a good way for you to get an idea of what the job really is, and it’s also a good way to find out why the last person left the job.
• Update your resume and cover letter: As always, make sure your resume reflects your skill set. Be specific when writing about the responsibilities your current job entails. It’s possible that you will know your interviewer and he/she may already be familiar with you and your position, but be careful not to sell yourself short! Be detailed, and list your achievements.

Applying for an internal position can benefit you greatly—your manager and/or boss know how you interact with your co-workers, what your strengths are, and your work ethic. A new position in your current company can be a great way to expand your career.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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Omaha, Nebraska – August 13, 2014 – SAPinsider and ICG announced the launching of Optimizing Payroll in SAP, the preeminent seminar for HR, payroll, and time specialists seeking to derive maximum value and efficiency from existing SAP® ERP HCM payroll systems.

We are bringing this brand new event to these three cities this fall:

Philadelphia, October 6-8, 2014
Chicago, November 17-19, 2014
Las Vegas, December 8-10, 2014

Optimizing Payroll in SAP provides proven techniques guaranteed to drive significant results. The expert speakers will draw from a combined 50+ years of experience working with leading SAP customers, and detail the strategies and best practices to help you:

• Achieve greater control over payroll-related costs and resources
• Ensure compliance with tax regulations and audit requirements
• Reduce the complexity of FI/CO integration
• Avoid the challenges of global payroll
• Master time management and its integration with payroll
• Manage claims, garnishments, and month-end accruals with ease
• Process year-end payroll accurately and on time
• Streamline annual maintenance with tips for managing HRSPs and CLCs

Join SAPinsider and ICG in one of the cities for process-improving methodologies and time-saving tips that can be put to immediate use back at the office. You can get full details on the agenda by visiting www.payrollseminar.com or by calling +1-781-751-8700.

Contact:
Jonathan Kent
Vice President of Marketing
Wellesley Information Services, publisher of SAPinsider
Jon.Kent@wispubs.com

About SAPinsider
SAPinsider, published by Wellesley Information Services, is the premier source of information on products, services, and strategic initiatives coming from SAP and its partners. More than 250,000 customers in 70 countries rely annually on education and training materials from Wellesley Information Services to optimize their investments in SAP solutions. Wellesley Information Services is the publisher of SAPinsider, insiderPROFILES, and the SAPexperts knowledgebases, and is the producer of SAPinsider conferences and seminars. For more information, visit www.SAPinsiderOnline.com.

SAP is a registered trademark of SAP SE in Germany and several other countries. Wellesley Information Services is not affiliated with SAP SE or any of the SAP SE group of companies.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

About ICG
ICG’s solutions are designed to help companies of all sizes and in a broad range of industries address a diverse scope of business needs. Our team has led implementation projects in a variety of industries including professional services, manufacturing, media, high-tech, natural resources, and construction service sector.

Our team of professionals is experienced in all aspects of executing SAP HCM operational support. In addition to project planning and management, our services include project application design and execution. ICG’s expertise also includes process engineering and management, change management, support personnel coaching, and end-user training to minimize downtime and maximize productivity for SAP users.

For more information, please visit www.IntegratedCG.com or call +1-866-417-0071.

Many potential employees are drawn to jobs with flexible hours and work arrangements. With the advancement of technology, one of the flexible work arrangements available is the ability to telecommute to work.

Some employers have criticized telecommuting, finding it difficult to measure the number of hours the telecommuter works because he/she isn’t physically in the office. On the other hand, time spent in the office is not always productive. For example, once a worker is interrupted at the office, it can take over 23 minutes to regain focus on the original task.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons companies are embracing the telecommuter:

• Saving money: It’s much more cost-effective to have telecommuters on your payroll. You save on office space costs, parking, and traveling, just to name a few.
• Retention: Telecommuting offers employees flexibility. It’s easier to retain talented employees who are trying to juggle work, family, and other obligations, or for those who don’t want to relocate their families for a new job.

Hiring is tough enough as it is–why limit yourself to people only in your city?

• It’s easier than ever: If your employee has a computer and access to the Internet, they can telecommute. You can have your employees from around the world skype each other at any hour of the day, and they can work together on projects from the convenience of their own home office.

Drawbacks:

• Department morale issues: If you have both telecommuters and traditional office employees on your payroll, the traditionals might be upset that they aren’t allowed to telecommute. It’s also possible that the traditionals don’t feel that the telecommuters are pulling their own weight.
• Security: Keep in mind that not all jobs allow sensitive information to be sent to home computers.
• Brainstorming sessions: Impromptu meetings and brainstorming sessions are important to generate ideas on projects. It’s easier for your boss and co-workers to bounce ideas off each other when everyone is together in the office than it is to make a phone call or send an instant message to a telecommuting employee. It isn’t to say that a telecommuter can’t be called or skyped into a meeting, but it is much easier to gather an impromptu meeting of employees already in the office.

It’s important to decide whether or not telecommuting is right for your business. Perhaps only having a small percentage of your employees telecommute is what’s best. Or, maybe your telecommuters only work two days a week at home and on the other three days, they come in.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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With the impact of Facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn on the world of business, we have forgotten about a major component that more and more businesses are using to build their clientele: YouTube.

More than 1 billion users visit YouTube each month, and YouTube reaches more United States adults ages 18-34 than any cable network. Watching videos is growing in popularity, and many people would rather watch a video instead of reading a large chunk of information. In order to adapt to the changes in how clients receive their information, learning how YouTube can help your business is pertinent to your success.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when thinking of using YouTube for your business:

Get your message to a wider audience: It’s so easy to share a video. If you watch something that’s interesting, you’ll send the video onto a friend or share it on your Facebook wall. If your friends find it as interesting as you did, they will probably share it, too. Pretty soon, your video is being seen by a wide audience. Videos are much easier to syndicate via social media, industry websites, and brand partnerships.

Show your personality: It’s nice to see the person or people behind a business, and it helps your clientele form a deeper connection with your business. You will be more than just words on a paper; you’ll be a three dimensional person that they can relate to.

Show your skills: Demonstrate what you know in your videos, and let your clients and future clients see that you are an expert in your field. Do you sell products? Create a video that shows how to use them. Do you have some frequently asked questions from your clients? Show them the answer in a video by using screen shots and offering tutorials.

YouTube videos pair well with a blog: We’ve discussed before the importance of a blog. By adding video to your posts, you can present your business visually instead of with just written text.

Gigaom has an excellent list of ways to use YouTube for your business, and it’s worth checking out for more ideas on how to start and keep your YouTube channel going.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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We’ve talked about blogging before in previous posts, specifically how a blog can further a business or HR department. But how can blogging be used as a hiring resource?

Running a blog that is career-oriented can help you stand out against your peers. Whether you’re in-between jobs or have been working in the same career field for years, starting a professional blog has its benefits.

Here are a few benefits to starting a career-oriented blog:

Networking: When you are in charge of a blog that specializes in a specific field, you will meet like-minded individuals who will seek you out for questions, for potential blog subject ideas, and quite possibly, job opportunities.

Show off your skills: The beauty of a blog is that you can run it however you choose to. If you are a good writer, make sure your blogs show that. If you gave a presentation at a conference last week, post it. Take part in the discussions that your blog generates, and make sure you back up your statements.

A difficult part of blogging is building your readership, but an established blog shows that you know how to reach people and stay connected to them, a crucial skill for any employee to have.

Know your field: Having a blog that is career-oriented is a great way to stay up-to-date with the happenings in your field. When you are writing a blog post at least one time a week (maybe more, depending on your field), you have no choice but to stay current.

Stand out to future employers: Employers read multiple resumes, and it can be hard to find a way to stand out against the rest of your competitors. If you have a blog that shows your strengths and your personality, you’ll stand out against the typical paper resume.

As with anything, there are mixed feelings on using a blog as a hiring resource. It comes down to you, your career, and whether or not you think you could keep your professional blog going.

Are you interested in starting a blog, but aren’t sure where to start? Victoria Michelson shares her story and gives some good insights in an article on Idealist Careers.

Do you think blogging could help you in your career? Have you tried blogging before to network? Let us know what you think via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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Ageism isn’t a new topic, especially when it comes to age difference in the workplace. We put large groups of people into categories: millennials, generation Xers, baby boomers, the traditionalists. There are even online quizzes that claim to give insight into age groups.

So is it important to have a nice mix of the categories working at your business? Is there a ratio to strive for (e.g. 50% millennials, 35% generation Xers, 10% baby boomers, 5% traditionalists)? Is age important in the work place?

It has always seemed pretty stereotypical to group people solely based on their age. People don’t always identify with the category they have been thrown into.

Some bosses are concerned with a worker’s age and the issues that are sometimes associated with an age group. Take for instance, the list that forbes.com came up with for older workers: stuck in their ways, slower to learn new technologies, poor health. As the article goes on to state, these issues can be associated with almost anyone of any age group. The same kind of stereotyping happens to millennials where looks are often taken into consideration: tattoos and piercings, a more relaxed dress code, or maybe a weaker work ethic.

The age of your employees shouldn’t affect your business, and labeling your employees as baby boomers or millennials won’t help you learn how they work.

Instead of focusing on age, focus on the quality of work. Make sure your employees are staying relevant, no matter what their age. Focus on the different skill sets that each person brings to their job, and don’t be afraid to assign mentors to newer members of the job. That might mean a twenty-five year old is mentoring your forty-five year old new hire. Employees of all ages should have the opportunity to teach, learn, and better their skills.

A cohesive workplace happens when your employees are willing to work together and share ideas. It’s important that each employee feels comfortable with their skill set and wants to teach what they know, and learn more about what they don’t.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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Some people love technology. They crave the newest software, iPhone, tablet, or gaming system. Others don’t know that their laptop is capable of playing a DVD or that their phone has the power to hold all of their music downloads.

Technology uses are changing daily; social media isn’t just used to connect to your old high school friends or to follow your favorite actors anymore. The medium on how to get information to your clients or future clients has changed drastically; blogging, tweeting, and websites are key to a business’ success anymore.

Technology is changing daily. What are your employees doing to keep up?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to help the not-so-tech-savvy employees improve their technology skills:

• Try and keep it as stress-free as possible: Make sure either you, your IT department, or another employee familiar with technology can take your team through instructions on how to use it.
• Ask your employees how they learn: Monster’s article on how to help reluctant employees gives some great insights into our topic, and this is also one of the key points that they mention. Ask your employees how they learn best, whether it be extra practice, one-on-one time with an instructor, or extra feedback.
• Give your employees time: Don’t give your employees a new program and expect them to be comfortable with it by the end of the day. Depending on the program, it might take days or even weeks for your employees to feel comfortable with it (part of what we’re here to help with).
• Make sure the change is warranted: You don’t want disgruntled employees on your hands if you can help it. Make sure the change is something that will further both your employees and business. Some employees might not be on board right away with the change, but when they see how it will eventually make their jobs much easier or go smoother, they will come around.

Human beings are creatures of habit. Your employees will eventually learn the new program or get used to the update in technology. Once they have time to work with and familiarize themselves with it, they will move on from the old way. And remember, not only are you helping out your business, but you are helping your employees by familiarizing them with the ever-changing technology of the twenty-first century.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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In a few of our past blog posts, we have talked about the importance of the hiring process and what to look for in a candidate. It’s also important to remember that your candidates are evaluating you and your company as well.

Here are a few things that you might be doing that turns candidates away (you might not even know you’re doing them):

• Online presence: First, have an online presence, whether it be a Facebook page, Twitter account, website, and/or blog (the more of these, the better). Second, keep them updated. An outdated website with minimal content makes your company seem like it can’t keep up with the ever-changing technology. Candidates want to work for a company that knows what’s going on and can adapt to change.
• Job descriptions: Where are you posting your job openings? Is it on a reputable site? Where you post your job openings is directly related to the kind of resumes and applications you will get. Also, make sure the description is engaging, free of grammar and spelling mistakes, and give potential candidates a nice overview of the job description.
• Response time: How long does it take you to fill a job opening? A week, month, or longer? An exact response time can’t be given as there is no set time, but you don’t want to be too slow and have your best candidates get hired on at a different company because that company responded quicker. Yet, you don’t want to be too fast and miss key information from an employee that would have shown you that they wouldn’t be a good fit after all.
• You: As Forbes.com states, it’s time to realize that one of the biggest reasons why people quit has to do with you, their boss. Let your candidates and employees know how they can work their way up in the company. Be around to answer questions. Don’t overload your employees. Offer competitive salaries and benefits. And never underestimate the power of letting your employees know they’ve done a job well.

Keep in mind that your candidates are also your customers. Treat potential candidates with respect and remember that they are evaluating you and your company as well. If they are treated badly or your hiring process doesn’t run smoothly, they will remember, and they will take their business elsewhere.

Any questions or comments about today’s post? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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For most people, it’s difficult to admit to failure, mostly because we tend to view failure as a bad thing. It’s because somewhere along the way, the word failure became personal; people think that when they fail, it reflects back on them as a person and that they are somehow insufficient or lacking because of their mistakes.

That doesn’t have to be the case.

As innovator Ben Shaffer says in his presentation on failure, you can’t get to the ground-breaking ideas without building off of the bad ones. Failure isn’t dangerous. The real danger of failure is not learning from it.

Here are a few things to keep in mind on failure and the workplace:

• Create a space where it is safe to try and fail: If your employees don’t feel like they can pitch new ideas or try new approaches, they won’t. Their ideas will be kept to themselves—ideas that could possibly promote your business or help out a client in trouble. Let your employees know that it is safe to think aloud.
• Learn from mistakes: It isn’t just about reflecting on the mistake or reviewing what happened. Dig into the mistake. Break it down into parts. What can still be used? What needs to be thrown away? Failure can be good. Failure can lead to positive results.
• Don’t be afraid to take a risk: Risk is key to innovation. Innovation won’t flourish with only a team or department in your business. It must be something every individual in your business is a part of in order for it to be successful. Risk taking should be encouraged (within reason, of course).
• Trust your employees: This goes back to why hiring is crucial for the development of your business. You know your employees and what they are capable of. Trust them to come up with new ideas and to learn from the ones that didn’t work out.

Great things can come out of failure. It just depends on how you analyze and respond to the failure.

Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.

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