Today's WSJ's Boss Talk section featured Ram Charan, a veteran management adviser to major US Companies. In this article, Ram talks about the need to identify and groom key personnel and keep your company's talent engaged and recognized.
Message to CEOs: Do More to Keep Your Key Employees - WSJ.com
Here are the biggest corporate talent-management Ram Charan sees:
-Leaders not held accountable for developing talent
-Performance assessments without candor or focus on developmental needs
-Failure to drill deep enough to know best staffers well and put them in stretch jobs
-Top Management's serious lack of time commitment and energy
-Placement of loners in leadership jobs.
With the economy showing many signs of recovering, the necessity to identify and keep top talent will be more important than ever. Especially WineTalent!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Season's Greetings
Best wishes to you and yours this holiday. It has been a pleasure to work with many wineries this year, and I look forward to your continued success in 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Post by Turrentine Brokerage
Spotted this today and thought it was very interesting. This outlines the steps Turrentine Brokerage takes with wine samples that sellers submit.
Turrentine Brokerage.com » The Life of Your Sample in the care of Turrentine Brokerage
Turrentine Brokerage.com » The Life of Your Sample in the care of Turrentine Brokerage
Friday, September 17, 2010
Winemaker Report: Strategies for Dealing With an Unpredictable 2010 - Wine Business News
Alison Crowe of Plata Wine Partners' recent interview about harvest decision Winemaker Report: Strategies for Dealing With an Unpredictable 2010 - Wine Business News
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Americans with Disabilities Act
This week marked the 20th anniversary of the US Government passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 gives protections to individuals with disabilities. These protections are similar to those provided on the basis of a person's race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. ADA guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.
As an employer, you must provide reasonable accommodations to your employees who are protected under ADA. You must engage in a good faith effort to find out what accommodations are required. While you are never allowed to ask if someone is disabled and requires accommodations, if an employee informs you that he or she is disabled, you are able to ask the employee for documentation about the disability, its functional limitations and the need for accommodation.
If you encounter this, a good first course of action is to contact your Human Resources department to find out if your company has any guidelines for handling ADA requirements. Also, discussing the situation with your legal counsel may be helpful in making sure you are complying with the law, and are getting the correct information.
When an employee requests accommodation, the employer can generally ask the employee to confirm the need for accommodation with a note from the employee's health care provider. The employee is obligated to cooperate in good faith with this request. Alternatively, upon the employee's consent, the employer may directly communicate with the health care provider to find out the nature of the disability and the accommodations that would allow the employee to continue working. Forms are available that you can provide to the employee and to their health care provider. The information on these forms can allow you to make modifications and accommodations to allow them to continue their employment with your company and ensure that you are complying with ADA.
If you have questions, or need assistance with ADA accommodations, please contact me. An excellent resource for ADA is Barbara Cotter, Attorney, Cook Brown LLP, www.cookbrown.com. Barbara specializes in employment law and understands the employer's responsibilities of ADA.
As an employer, you must provide reasonable accommodations to your employees who are protected under ADA. You must engage in a good faith effort to find out what accommodations are required. While you are never allowed to ask if someone is disabled and requires accommodations, if an employee informs you that he or she is disabled, you are able to ask the employee for documentation about the disability, its functional limitations and the need for accommodation.
If you encounter this, a good first course of action is to contact your Human Resources department to find out if your company has any guidelines for handling ADA requirements. Also, discussing the situation with your legal counsel may be helpful in making sure you are complying with the law, and are getting the correct information.
When an employee requests accommodation, the employer can generally ask the employee to confirm the need for accommodation with a note from the employee's health care provider. The employee is obligated to cooperate in good faith with this request. Alternatively, upon the employee's consent, the employer may directly communicate with the health care provider to find out the nature of the disability and the accommodations that would allow the employee to continue working. Forms are available that you can provide to the employee and to their health care provider. The information on these forms can allow you to make modifications and accommodations to allow them to continue their employment with your company and ensure that you are complying with ADA.
If you have questions, or need assistance with ADA accommodations, please contact me. An excellent resource for ADA is Barbara Cotter, Attorney, Cook Brown LLP, www.cookbrown.com. Barbara specializes in employment law and understands the employer's responsibilities of ADA.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Are you Classifying Your Consultants Correctly?
Make sure you are classifying your employees and independent contractors correctly. The law firm of Cook Brown LLP will be putting on a seminar about this important issue this Thursday in Sacramento. Here is information from their website, and a link to register.
Worker Misclassification:
If you use independent contractors or have employees exempt from overtime, now is the time to perform an internal review of your practices. The IRS and Department of Labor are stepping up efforts to target employers who treat workers as independent contractors or as exempt from overtime under 2010’s “Misclassification Initiative.” An IRS audit, or claim by a single employee, can lead to a class-action lawsuit or a company-wide examination by the Department of Labor. Many companies inadvertently misclassify workers in these categories because of a misunderstanding of the appropriate factors to use in setting up the relationship. The California Labor Code, Wage Orders, federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the California Employment Development Department’s criteria, as well as, the IRS’s “20 factor” test must be analyzed to determine the appropriate classification.
Join attorney Stephen McCutcheon for a hands-on discussion about determining correct contractor and exemption status, and how to conduct an appropriate evaluation of pay practices to avoid government scrutiny.
WHERE:Holiday Inn – Capitol Plaza
300 J Street, Sacramento, CA
(Hosted parking in city lot adjacent to hotel)
WHEN:June 10, 2010
Registration and continental breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.
Program from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Click here for the event invitation and registration!
Worker Misclassification:
If you use independent contractors or have employees exempt from overtime, now is the time to perform an internal review of your practices. The IRS and Department of Labor are stepping up efforts to target employers who treat workers as independent contractors or as exempt from overtime under 2010’s “Misclassification Initiative.” An IRS audit, or claim by a single employee, can lead to a class-action lawsuit or a company-wide examination by the Department of Labor. Many companies inadvertently misclassify workers in these categories because of a misunderstanding of the appropriate factors to use in setting up the relationship. The California Labor Code, Wage Orders, federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the California Employment Development Department’s criteria, as well as, the IRS’s “20 factor” test must be analyzed to determine the appropriate classification.
Join attorney Stephen McCutcheon for a hands-on discussion about determining correct contractor and exemption status, and how to conduct an appropriate evaluation of pay practices to avoid government scrutiny.
WHERE:Holiday Inn – Capitol Plaza
300 J Street, Sacramento, CA
(Hosted parking in city lot adjacent to hotel)
WHEN:June 10, 2010
Registration and continental breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.
Program from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Click here for the event invitation and registration!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Are You Ready for the Economic Recovery?
I recently put together this information for a marketing project, and thought I'd share it here. I welcome any inputs from my readers
Are you ready for the economic recovery? The last two years have been tough for the wine business. Many companies have scaled back personnel and streamlined operations to reduce cost and increase revenues. Signs are indicating that the economy is starting to recover, and there is promising news in the retail and restaurant sector, which is a harbinger of better times ahead for wineries.
Is your staff already doing more with fewer people? With your lean staff, who has time to hire new employees when the time comes? Recently wineries have been getting deluged with resumés. It is common for 100 or more resumés to be submitted for one position. Does your staff have time to screen all those resumés, let alone take the time to interview, reference check and handle offer negotiations? While they are trying to hire someone, are their core responsibilities such as sales, marketing or hospitality, going to suffer? If you are hoping to stay on top of this economic recovery, you need your staff to focus on their key strengths and not on recruiting.
Our key strength is recruiting. WineTalent is an executive recruitment company focused on the wine industry.
What we do:
- Constantly recruit winery professionals
- Interview qualified candidates
- Perform reference checks
- Coordinate interviews to fit your schedule and that of the potential employee
- Understand competitive salaries and work with you to craft one for your future employee
- Allow complete confidentiality and staffing flexibility
WineTalent handles the hiring process, allowing you to see the best candidates, not hundreds of candidates. The process of acquiring and managing talent is one of the most important components of a successful company. Do you have the right people to do the job?
Let WineTalent help you attract and retain exceptional employees. For more information, please visit www.winetalent.net or call Amy Gardner at 916-802-1280
Be ready for the recovery.
Are you ready for the economic recovery? The last two years have been tough for the wine business. Many companies have scaled back personnel and streamlined operations to reduce cost and increase revenues. Signs are indicating that the economy is starting to recover, and there is promising news in the retail and restaurant sector, which is a harbinger of better times ahead for wineries.
Is your staff already doing more with fewer people? With your lean staff, who has time to hire new employees when the time comes? Recently wineries have been getting deluged with resumés. It is common for 100 or more resumés to be submitted for one position. Does your staff have time to screen all those resumés, let alone take the time to interview, reference check and handle offer negotiations? While they are trying to hire someone, are their core responsibilities such as sales, marketing or hospitality, going to suffer? If you are hoping to stay on top of this economic recovery, you need your staff to focus on their key strengths and not on recruiting.
Our key strength is recruiting. WineTalent is an executive recruitment company focused on the wine industry.
What we do:
- Constantly recruit winery professionals
- Interview qualified candidates
- Perform reference checks
- Coordinate interviews to fit your schedule and that of the potential employee
- Understand competitive salaries and work with you to craft one for your future employee
- Allow complete confidentiality and staffing flexibility
WineTalent handles the hiring process, allowing you to see the best candidates, not hundreds of candidates. The process of acquiring and managing talent is one of the most important components of a successful company. Do you have the right people to do the job?
Let WineTalent help you attract and retain exceptional employees. For more information, please visit www.winetalent.net or call Amy Gardner at 916-802-1280
Be ready for the recovery.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
New I-9 Forms and Employment Authorization
I recently attended a Best Practices in Owning and Operating a Winery seminar and one of the sessions was about employment law. Within the immigration law section, they addressed current trends. One notable change was that on April 3, 2009 a new I-9 form was issued and is required for all U.S. employers. You can download the form from http://www.uscis.gov/i-9 The form was revised to reflect changes in the List of Acceptable Documents.
As an employer you are required to verify the documents presented with the I-9. Some guidelines on verifying the documents are that they must be viewed in the original form, that they correspond to the employee presenting them and that they appear genuine on their face. There are legal considerations if obvious forgeries are not caught. So, familiarize yourself with the acceptable documents and the information they contain. But as an employer you are not required to be a document expert. Examples of acceptable documents can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/m-274.pdf
The employer is required to retain the I-9 form for three years after the employee's date of hire or for one year after the employee's date of termination, whichever is later. It is advisable to not retain documents longer than the time required and to not retain copies of the supporting documents.
Employment Eligibility Verification applies to all employees actually hired and must be completed within three business days of the hire date. I-9s are not required for applicants, independent contractors, subcontractors or any individual that was hired before 11/7/86 who is continuing their employment and have reasonable expectations of continued employment.
I would like to thank Stoel Rives, LLP for hosting the seminar, and for the employment law information they provided. For more information on Stoel Rives, visit www.stoel.com.
As an employer you are required to verify the documents presented with the I-9. Some guidelines on verifying the documents are that they must be viewed in the original form, that they correspond to the employee presenting them and that they appear genuine on their face. There are legal considerations if obvious forgeries are not caught. So, familiarize yourself with the acceptable documents and the information they contain. But as an employer you are not required to be a document expert. Examples of acceptable documents can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/m-274.pdf
The employer is required to retain the I-9 form for three years after the employee's date of hire or for one year after the employee's date of termination, whichever is later. It is advisable to not retain documents longer than the time required and to not retain copies of the supporting documents.
Employment Eligibility Verification applies to all employees actually hired and must be completed within three business days of the hire date. I-9s are not required for applicants, independent contractors, subcontractors or any individual that was hired before 11/7/86 who is continuing their employment and have reasonable expectations of continued employment.
I would like to thank Stoel Rives, LLP for hosting the seminar, and for the employment law information they provided. For more information on Stoel Rives, visit www.stoel.com.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Remembering a Friend: Nancy Tibbitts
Last month I attended the UC Davis Internship and Career Fair, an event I have participated in for many years. I missed a familiar face, and was very sad to hear that one of the career center staff, Nancy Tibbitts, a friend and mentor of mine, had passed away late last year. This revelation rocked me to the core. This woman had been so helpful in my career; helping me get my first on-campus research job, guiding me in my first few job decisions, suggesting career moves when I was relocating, and then as a colleague during my years in recruiting. I often called her to let her know about new positions I was recruiting for, and asked her to spread the word during a search.
Not only did Nancy assist me in my professional life, but we both shared stories about being working mothers of young children--from finding time to balance the needs of work with the real life needs of a crying, hungry baby or the juggling required of an active family. It was refreshing to check in with her, first to find out how she and the family was doing, and then to get to work on something I was needing her assistance with.
It is very sad for me that she passed away. I know I was only one of many people she helped, and in my mind she was and is indispensable. She was always happy and fun to deal with. I remember her telling me, "oh you have to take that job" and "of course you need to sign-up for an internship". Luckily I followed her advice which I often echo back to young, soon-to-graduate and recent-graduates who are figuring out their career path.
I have had a lot of great mentors in my life, and I truly count Nancy Tibbitts as one of them. I will always think of her fondly, and hope to help others in their careers like she helped me.
For others who worked with Nancy, visit her guest book on the UCD site. I send my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.
Not only did Nancy assist me in my professional life, but we both shared stories about being working mothers of young children--from finding time to balance the needs of work with the real life needs of a crying, hungry baby or the juggling required of an active family. It was refreshing to check in with her, first to find out how she and the family was doing, and then to get to work on something I was needing her assistance with.
It is very sad for me that she passed away. I know I was only one of many people she helped, and in my mind she was and is indispensable. She was always happy and fun to deal with. I remember her telling me, "oh you have to take that job" and "of course you need to sign-up for an internship". Luckily I followed her advice which I often echo back to young, soon-to-graduate and recent-graduates who are figuring out their career path.
I have had a lot of great mentors in my life, and I truly count Nancy Tibbitts as one of them. I will always think of her fondly, and hope to help others in their careers like she helped me.
For others who worked with Nancy, visit her guest book on the UCD site. I send my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.
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