Did you Know?

That in just 20 months, Comcast rolled out an all-encompassing HCM strategy impacting 95,000 employees? Read all about it in our strategy showcase!

You only have until July 10 to register for CTHRA's 2009 Human Capital Metrics Survey? Check it out!

Jack Jackson exemplifies leadership excellence? Find out why he's a 2009 award winner.

That CTHRA conducted a flash survey on member companies' responses to the swine flu pandemic? Check it out

 

 

Resource Center
We've compiled a list of resources to facilitate your efforts to manage the swine flu pandemic.
Check them out!

 

 

Did you miss a recent issue? Catch up now!

Mar-April 2009
Case Study: Discovery's winning approach to a reorg

Jan-Feb 2009
CTHRA's 2009 lineup strives to help you lead HR in unprecedented times

Nov-Dec 2008
Industry Benchmarks for Compensation, Benefits, and Metrics

Fostering the Development of Young Talent

Sept-Oct
Featuring insight into an award-winning sales leadership development program

July-Aug 2008
Featuring ways to help employees cope with rising fuel costs

May – June 2008
Featuring insight on Gen Y: Q&A with FORTUNE's Nadira Hira

Jan. – Feb. 2008
Featuring a conversation with Cox Arizona on developing future leaders

All past issues are available for online viewing. Click here.

 

 

Got News?
CTHRA is interested in hearing your success stories! Please submit article ideas for consideration.

 

 

Contact HR Colleagues with a Click!
Click here for members' only  access CTHRA's online membership directory.

 

 

Need to update your member record?
Click here.

 

 

Spotlight On: CTHRA's 2009 Award Winners

CTHRA's Excellence in Human Resources (HR) awards annually recognize a company and an individual for successfully leveraging human resources to drive business results. We're proud to announce that Comcast's Human Capital Management Team is the recipient of our 2009 HR Best Practice Award. In an unprecedented 20 months, Comcast implemented a new human capital management (HCM) strategy to centralize and integrate compensation, payroll, performance and talent management for 95,000 employees. The effort was spearheaded by a 40 person multi-disciplinary team encompassing representatives from HR, IT, finance, audit and operations. To learn more about Comcast's award-winning strategy, check out the Strategy Showcase article below. 

CTHRA Board Member Karen Bennett SPHR, CCP (far left) and Louis Hillelson, Associate Publisher for Multichannel News (far right), congratulate Jack Jackson and Melanie Penna, who represented Comcast's Human Capital Management Team.

Jack Jackson, Vice President, Administration and Human Resources for
C-SPAN, is the 2009 recipient for CTHRA's Leadership and Excellence Award. During the last 14 years, Jack Jackson has led C-SPAN's human resources strategy with intelligence, insight and integrity. His impact within the organization is far reaching, as evidenced by the organization's inclusion among CableWORLD's 2007 Top 10 places to work in cable, as well as the company's involvement in numerous initiatives.

C-SPAN's community involvement reflects Jackson's passion for nurturing the nation's youth. C-SPAN is a longtime supporter of the Emma Bowen Foundation for Media Careers for Minorities, the T. Howard Foundation's internship program. C-SPAN is a charter member with the Everybody WINS! D.C., literacy mentoring program, and Jackson has personally mentored children in the local school systems. C-SPAN also supports the Don Bosco Cristo Rey HS Corporate Work Study Program. In addition, C-SPAN is involved in diversity organizations including NAMIC and the Walter Kaitz Foundation.

Jackson's contributions and achievements extend beyond the walls of C-SPAN. He became involved in CTHRA in 1995 and played a pivotal role in nurturing CTHRA when it was a fledgling organization. Jackson served on CTHRA's board of directors for 12 years, and held the posts of president and treasurer. Jack has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management for 18 years. He is also actively involved in the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., and formerly served on its board of directors.  

"Jack was instrumental in the successful evolution of CTHRA into the excellent organization that it is today.  He was able to achieve this accomplishment thanks to his leadership ability, strategic vision, financial acumen, patience and commitment.  He is also recognized for taking the initiative to foster partnerships with other associations for the betterment of our industry goals," shared Brian Koenig, 2007 winner of CTHRA's Leadership and Excellence Award, who served on CTHRA's board of directors for 10 years.

Join us in congratulating both of our 2009 award winners! 

 

Strategy Showcase

Melanie A. Penna Vice President of Human Resources Comcast Cable

Case Study: Comcast's Human Capital Management Solution
CTHRA's HR Best Practice Award Winner 2009
Q&A with  Melanie A. Penna, VP of HR, Comcast Cable

What prompted Comcast to develop and implement an HCM strategy?
Melanie: Because of Comcast's rapid growth over a short period of time, we had outgrown our existing human resource information systems, and we needed to transform the way we manage our growing workforce. Providing self-service options to employees and managers enables us to manage our people-related and administrative processes more efficiently.

What goals did you set for the initiative?
Melanie: The main goal of this project was to create an integrated, 21st century approach to managing information for and about our workforce.  We pulled together a multi-disciplinary team, including IT and Payroll, who implemented the SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) system in just 20 months.

Were these goals realized?
Melanie: It's still early, but we're happy with the results so far and believe that we're on the right track.  They say information is power. This new system has put information in the hands of managers and employees to dramatically to speed up people-related processes and decision-making. 

How did employees respond when you rolled out the program?
Melanie: Communication was key in educating employees at all levels about the changes to come and helping them prepare for the new system. Commitment from all levels of management was a key factor in why we were able to complete the project so quickly. 

Is there anything else that you'd like to add about your award-winning initiative?
Melanie: Having a fully-integrated Human Capital Management solution enables Comcast to put information at employees' and managers' fingertips to make faster people-related decisions. The system allows for easier communication and fosters synchronization between the different business units, functional areas, and divisions.  Additionally, business units have one uniform tool for performance management and goal setting, allowing for greater (and immediate) alignment of talent with business objectives.

The new process streamlines numerous people-related and administrative processes, and it is anticipated that additional resources will be freed up to invest more time in strategic planning to support core business activities.

Was working on this project personally rewarding for you? If so, in what way?
Melanie: Yes, this project took a lot of hard work and focus, and I'm proud of my team and of the company for making this a priority. Human resources is at the heart of the business and by improving its processes, the results over time can positively impact the entire organization.


Industry Response to Swine Flu Pandemic
On June 11 the World Health Organization declared the A/H1N1 virus a pandemic, the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. After the illness first started to make headlines in April, CTHRA conducted a flash survey to gain insight into how member companies were reacting to the situation. Sixteen member companies responded by answering eight questions including:

Are you deploying a pandemic readiness plan?

Are you providing relief to employees to take more liberal time off if they claim symptoms of Swine Flu?

Are you screening technicians for health before allowing them to enter customer premises?

Interested in what your peers are doing? View the answers to all of the pandemic survey questions on CTHRA's Website at
http://www.cthra.com/members/documents/PandemicSurveyResults5.11.09.pdf.

  

This Just In...

Symposium Sheds Light on Leading HR in Unprecedented Times
Discovery Communications' CFO, Brad Singer, kicked off CTHRA's Symposium in Silver Spring, Maryland by sharing some startling diagrams of the state of the U.S. and global economy and the impact on our industry. Click here to view Brad's presentation. Then, CableFAX's Seth Arenstein moderated a panel comprised of industry analyst Tom Wolzien, Discovery Communication's Adria Alpert Romm and Time Warner Cable's Tom Mathews and discussed how the economy is impacting HR initiatives within the industry. For a recap of the highlights, check out the CableFAX lead article.

After the general sessions and the awards luncheon, attendees participated in break out sessions. A summary of each session follows:

Reshaping the Cable Workforce in Unprecedented Times
Panel featured:
Lyn Cason, Warren & Morris
Jennell Evans, Strategic Interactions
Maria Goldsholl, Mom Corps
Debi Phelps, Bright Horizons
Hector Velez, HireStrategy

As organizations have “trimmed the fat” leaving fewer employees with greater responsibilities, what innovative workforce strategies are being implemented to position companies for future opportunities?  Our group of expert professionals addressed questions related to resourcing decisions, flexible work environments, talent management, diversity and inclusion. The overarching theme of the session was that tough situations spark us to be more innovative. Some of the many interesting points shared by the panelists:

1. Companies are implementing creative strategies to avoid or minimize layoffs, such as offering every other Friday off in exchange for a 10% reduction in pay.
2. More companies are employing just-in-time labor by leveraging flextime, job rotations or contract labor.
3. Forecasting workforce needs is a critical HR function. It's best to be proactive than reactive.
4. Show integrity by honestly communicating workforce reduction issues to your employees so they aren't taken by surprised.
5. When HR professionals speak with any other department or top-level executives, they must be crystal clear in defining how HR is contributing to the business strategy. Assigning a dollar value (money saved, revenue generated, etc.) to your proposition is very effective in gaining buy in.

 

Aligning Human Capital Metrics to Business Strategy
Featuring John Dooney, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
In this session, John outlined how to relate human capital data to business outcomes in order to gain support for HR initiatives. Review his presentation at http://www.cthra.com/documents/AligningHumanCapitalMetrics.pdf.

 

No Bailout for Employers: Managing Legal Risks in an Economic Downturn and with an Activist Administration
Panel Featured:
Kevin Smith, Time Warner Cable
Misti Mukherjee, Jackson Lewis
Carrier Storer, Discovery Communications
Andrew Topping, Comcast

This panel discussed the impact of a federal administration that favors greater employee rights and the legal challenges associated with the recent economic downturn including layoff notice requirements and adverse impact discrimination concerns.

Digital Communities and Communications for HR
CTHRA's Symposium closed with a riveting session about how HR can effectively utilize social media. Frank Roche of iFractal shared his insight, complemented by real life applications shared by Bill Strahan of Comcast Cable. To view the PowerPoint presentation and recommended resources, visit
http://www.cthra.com/documents/DigitalCommunityandCommunicationforHR.pdf.

 
CTHRA's Think Tank Makes Headlines
Check out the article titled “Thinking: It's a Human Resource” by Tenia Davis, VP of HR for Harpo, and Tom Mathews, EVP of HR for Time Warner Cable. It was published in CableFAX Daily on June 9.

Time is Running Out to Register to Participate in CTHRA's Human Capital Metrics Survey!
Is your company optimizing its people power? Find out by registering to participate in CTHRA's 2009 Human Capital Metrics Survey to be conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The survey will
will establish industry-specific benchmarks for more than 25 metrics that quantify how industry companies leverage human capital including productivity, human capital ROI, median HR expenditure per employee, employee turnover, training cost expenditures and more. The deadline to register to participate is July 10.  For more information or to register to participate, employers can contact Pamela V. Williams, CAE, 640.416.1166 ext. 23 or pwilliams@wmrhq.com.

CableFAX Seeks Most Influential Minorities
June 30 is the nomination deadline for nominating someone for CableFAX's annual list of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable. Nominate at www.cablefax.com/cablefaxmag/2009topminorities.html.

 

Mark Your Calendar! CTHRA Roundtable in Atlanta October 22

 

Member Connection

Please send promotions/new hire information to CTHRA's editor.

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome these individuals who joined CTHRA in April-May 2009

Bridgette Aaron, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
James Beam, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Carol Binen, Cablevision Systems Corporations
Alicia Campbell, Viacom
Michelle Castleman, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Katrena Davis, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Kelly Finn, Discovery Communications, Inc.
Marina Haroutunian, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Marcy Ilicich, Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.
Julie Marasia, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Candice McLemore, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Smita Menon, Turner Broadcasting/CNN
Mercedes Ontiveros, Comcast Cable
Toni Outlaw, Time Warner
Connie Price, Fox Networks Group
William Riddick, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Synovia Sharpe, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
David Sloane, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Shimena Terry, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
LaTia Tukes, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Heather Walters Hess, Time Warner Cable

 

The Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association (CTHRA) is
committed to helping industry professionals leverage effective human resources strategies
to improve organizational and industry-wide success. Contact CTHRA at www.cthra.com.
CTHRA – 1755 Park Street, Suite 260 – Naperville, IL 60563 – 630/416-1166 – 630/416-9798 FAX