Ask Janice

On February 12, 2010, the The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) honored Janice with the prestigious Beacon Award.

The Beacon Award recognizes an entrepreneur or small business leader of an information technology firm who has demonstrated innovation and/or significant growth in the industry while demonstrating active personal role-modeling and support of diversity initiatives that opened doors for others to follow.

The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to cultivating executive talent among African-American IT professionals.

After departing from Newark, N.J., on a 14-hour flight on January 30, the National Urban League’s 40-plus member delegation arrived to the bustling, vibrant and modern city of Beijing, China. We are here on a historic cultural and trade mission to begin a dialogue of mutual interests and potential opportunities to bring Chinese investment to African-American communities. Despite a little jet-lag, we immediately began an action-packed schedule of activities. More

“As President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address, Black Enterprise, in partnership with Walmart, hosted a forum to evaluate the economic and financial state of black America. Under the banner, ‘20/20 Vision: A Look Ahead at Black America in the Next Economic Boom,’ the event brought together business leaders, policy makers, economists and entrepreneurs to discuss issues vital to the future of African Americans and the nation as a whole: jobs and workforce readiness; small business and innovation; and financial reform and wealth building.. The dialogue resulted in a series of policy recommendations directed to the Obama Administration as well as strategies for black-owned businesses, trade associations and other organizations shaping future plans. The analysis and recommendations came from a group of the best and brightest including BE Board of Economists members Bernard Anderson and Thomas Boston; BE 100s CEOs Janice Bryant Howroyd of temporary services giant Act-1 Group and Bill Mays of Mays Chemical, financial powerhouses Christopher Williams of Williams Capital Group LP and Eugene Profit of Profit Investment Management. Input was also provided from a cadre of Obama Administration officials: Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, Commerce Department Senior Advisor Rick Wade, Presidential Economic Advisor Jared Bernstein and National Director, Minority Business Development Agency David Hinson. In reviewing policies in wide-ranging areas such as the green economy, education, global trade, financial reform and capital formation, many of these officials encouraged forum participants to play a role in the policy-making process by offering suggestions and feedback.”

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by Janice Bryant Howroyd
Founder and CEO, Act-1 Group
Note: this blog post originally appeared on The Huffington Post

As I completed my thoughts to paper on the consistency of the American spirit for assisting those in need, I had a sense of joy that we Americans have the ‘Good Samaritan’ built into our DNA, even as I continued to be sad for the plight of our Haitian neighbors. That was then…. Today after detraining during this leg of my current business travel, I was driven to my hotel by an elegant and friendly driver. I noticed his accent and asked his nationality. He told me that he is Haitian, and neither of us could avoid discussing the big tragedy. We agreed that Americans have very big hearts. I settled back in my seat, confident that we were joined together with equal passion to assist those living through the aftermath of destruction.

Then, he told me something that shook my soul. Late last night, he received confirmation that his young wife is dead, and that his three children, all under four years of age, are alive. A neighbor confirmed this, and he has been assured that every little limb is intact. (The family home is not.) He believes the fact that they are so little might have helped to save their lives, as they were nimble and small enough to crawl toward sounds of instruction and encouragement.

The American spirit for giving and rebuilding is as strong as ever… Can we care enough to keep this spirit contagious? Did we have a magic formula that helped our country, not just New York, fight forward? Yes, we did … and we do. We have an infrastructure set up in government and, as precarious as it is, an economy that helps us to sustain and rebuild. We always knew we would make it through. How we choose to do so has been the question. It is our American spirit that has rallied us together, even as we’ve argued over how we manage disaster.

When my driver told me of his own personal tragedy, with one sentence, my whole perspective and emotion was changed. Here in front of me, driving me through Newark’s streets, was a man who had just learned the night before that his family is now torn apart. He is here in America for the fourth year of a five year plan he is building on – a new life and a home for his family. He’s been following the rules of immigration, and keeps pictures of his children and wife in a cell phone that he has with him at all times. His previous visits home have been easy because he has been working toward the American dream for him and his family. He told me these things in answer to my questions with no attempt to solicit sympathy. If anything, he was proud and sad … very, very sad.

He answered my question as to how he found the strength to work today, after learning last night of his tragedy. He slowly, very slowly, told me that after phone calls and a lot of prayer, he determined that the harder he worked, the sooner he could get the airfare to bring his three children here with him. My heart was breaking, but I knew he could see me on the back seat of his car, so I tried with tremendous effort to keep my face together, following his example. He needed just three hundred dollars to make this happen…Three hundred American dollars stood between his small children coming to their father.

When we arrived at the hotel, I handed him three hundred and twenty dollars. He quickly pushed the three hundred dollar bills back into my hand, telling me that he could not accept money he had not earned. He was firm that he only told me of his situation in appreciation of my words of comfort and with respect for my questions, but that he was confident that he would have his children with him soon on his own effort. He had already shared with me that every cent he had prior the earthquake had been sent to family members and neighbors to assist immediate needs … When, I wondered, will he be able to get those three beautiful faces he had shown me into his care? What pain, fear and confusion must those children be experiencing? For that matter, what pain, fear and confusion must my driver be experiencing as he drives passenger after passenger to destinations, while his children hang in damaged and huge limbo?

I assured him that he would be helping me to take the money and get his children to him as quickly as possible. As we were having this discussion, the bellman at the hotel came out and shoved some dollar bills into my driver’s hands. He said, “Man, my friends and I want to help ease your burden a little. Please take this and keep your chin up, huh?”

As we walked into the front lobby, the bellman told me that he knows this driver and that whenever he speaks with him, he talks of how close he is to moving his family here to America. Every dream my driver has hinged on bringing his wife and children to this land of promise.

As I sit here now on my hotel bed, attempting to write my own pain and confusion away a little, I wonder so many things. Will my driver (whose name I won’t mention because, somehow, I know that he would want me to respect his privacy) find the strength of the Americans he works with every day once again contagious? Will the three beautiful little faces I saw on his cell phone smile soon into their father’s eyes? Will the neighbors who are caring for them now have homes tomorrow? When will tomorrow come for so many, many Haitians?

Last night, I thought my ode to Haiti was complete in my celebration of our American Spirit. I was proud that as I wrote of the many Americans who give little by little every day to assist so many, I could include myself. Suddenly, I am left re-shocked and re-thinking. How do you help a situation so big and terrible as Haiti is now experiencing? My mother’s answer is to “Do what you can!” One thing is sure: My driver did help me today … far more than I helped him. He personalized Haiti’s tragedy for me beyond anything I had imagined or learned about, in a very simple and quick manner. He then graciously allowed me to do something about it in a very deliberate and meaningful way. He also left me with a burning question that taunts: “How many thousands more Haitians are working here every day, through their pain, valiantly attempting to earn every dollar of wage and coins for tips, to save another life???”

by Janice Bryant Howroyd
Founder and CEO, Act-1 Group
Note: this blog post originally appeared on The Huffington Post

The deluge of pink slips that washed over the country in 2009 left much despair in its wake. Will the tide turn in 2010? Will business and the U.S. worker be able to forge together to revitalize the job market?

I say yes. A comeback is on the horizon. And productivity is the key.

In a recent survey of our clients, we found that 90 percent of these businesses don’t plan any more layoffs. Even more encouraging, one-third of these say that they plan to hire new staff in 2010. But, most important, they all say that maximizing productivity is their top priority. Highly productive workers are at the core of any successful business, and American workers have been among the world’s most productive. Today, businesses are asking workers to be even more productive. It is only with greater productivity that companies can return to a growth pattern.

The big challenge is how to keep employees motivated and willing to increase productivity in an environment where more than one-half of companies have frozen salaries. Undoubtedly there is a chill in the air from salary freezes but companies can take genuine steps to keep up morale in order to maintain productivity with reduced staffing levels.

My 30+ years of experience in staffing has taught me that career growth and development are as valued by many people as money. Now is the time to give more responsibility to those you have kept on to help you rebuild. Meet with key staff to discuss their strengths and where they see themselves in five years. Then help them start on a path to reach their goals. Bestowing more power engenders trust and loyalty from both sides of the relationship, and enables people to gain self-esteem and confidence. This will end up benefiting business growth.

It is likely that morale has suffered since staff members have seen their colleagues lose their jobs. Many of these colleagues were perceived as victims of poor management, not necessarily low producers who were easiest to let go. Your employees have lost friends to layoffs and have experienced tremendous uncertainty about their own fates. Communication is your best tool for overcoming anxiety. Let your staff know that no more planned layoffs are imminent. As much as possible, retain benefits. And, if you must cut back on benefits, poll your employees to find out their priorities and make them your own. Look for low cost but highly valued perks. These include showing recognition for a job well done and upgrading job titles. Other perks with a strong payback are surprise pizza parties, gift certificates or an extra paid day off for birthdays. If you can create flexible work hours and virtual work sites, do so!

Smart companies planning for growth will start with temporary staffing as the first step. Just-in-time staffing is an important stepping stone to the U.S. employment recovery. Temporary workers are the safest way to handle growth, maintain flexibility and control costs. As the economy stabilizes and companies become more certain about their long-term prospects, they will add full-time staff, and will look first to those who have performed well in temporary capacities. Temporary staffing is growing at all levels of hire, and across industries and skill sets. In the current market, we are recommending that job seekers take temporary jobs. They allow a person to keep income flowing while job searching and building relationships within that company. As companies begin to convert temporary jobs to staff positions, a temporary worker who has displayed good work habits and become an asset will be hired as a full-time employee.

If you are in a management position and have to replace an employee, do it quickly. With everyone working at 110 percent, there is simply no slack in an organization. And, every position, whether support or revenue-generating, has a role to play. If you allow a position to remain unfilled, it undermines overall productivity. Tracked by many organizations as their Cost of Vacancy, this results in mounting costs that will continue to escalate for each day a slot remains empty. As you experience turnover or increased demand, it’s vital that you replace or expand your workforce as quickly as possible.

The best advice right now is do everything you can to retain your best people. They are the lifeblood of your company. Make sure they are invested in their future with your company, and see that you are invested in theirs. Retaining good people will be a company’s biggest challenge once the economy shows signs of improvement and others begin to try and lure them away.

During a recent interview with CNBC ‘Street Signs’ anchor Erin Burnett, Janice shared astute and often uplifting insights. Among the topics covered was the thawing of the hiring freeze as indicated by the growth in Temporary staffing, which the first way companies add human capital when the economy improves. Janice also weighed in on how companies now hire differently, why small businesses are key to improving employment, and how the American pioneering spirit is very much alive.

The PhD Project announces the election of Janice Bryant Howroyd, Chairman and CEO of The Act•1 Group, to its Board of Directors.

Janice Bryant Howroyd joins The PhD Project as the organization opens its 16th year of working to diversify the talent pool for American businesses by diversifying the faculty of the business schools where that talent is developed. Ms. Howroyd is founder of The Act•1 Group, the nation’s leader in staffing and workforce solutions. The Act•1Group is the largest woman and minority owned human capital and talent management organization in the world, with technology and service delivery throughout North America, Western Europe and India.

“Janice Bryant Howroyd has long brought her energy, enthusiasm and insights to the goal of increased diversity in American business. We are delighted that she will now bring the same qualities to our effort toward diversifying business school faculties,” said Dennis Reigle, Chairman of The PhD Project board and Director of Academic & Career Development for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The PhD Project recently announced the appointment of the 1000th minority professor in a US business school, more than tripling the number of minority business faculty since the Project’s start in 1994.

PhD Project President Bernard Milano said, “Janice is one of America’s leading CEOs, and she is a widely recognized and highly respected figure on college campuses and at corporate headquarters across the country. She is a welcome and valuable addition to our board, and we look forward to working with her.”

Ms. Howroyd serves on the boards of numerous prominent organizations in the business, academic and civic sectors including the Minority Business RoundTable; Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE); Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Board of Trustees, North Carolina A&T State University; the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and many others. She is the author of The Art of Work: How To Make Work, Work For You.”

The PhD Project was created to address the severe under-representation of African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans in top management positions. By increasing the diversity of faculty, The PhD Project: 1) attracts and encourages minorities to pursue business degrees, 2) provides more diverse applicants for positions in management, and 3) better prepares all business students for today’s multicultural work environment.

Some of America’s top companies and academic organizations support The PhD Project. They are: KPMG Foundation, Graduate Management Admission Council, Citi Foundation, AACSB International, AICPA, State Street Foundation/State Street Corporation, Goldman Sachs & Co., JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Diversity Inc., The Merck Company Foundation, Dow Chemical Company, Dixon Hughes PLLC, John Deere Foundation, Rockwell Collins, ACT-1 Group, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Microsoft Corporation, California State University System, CIGNA, American Marketing Association, Western Union Foundation, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Also, over 200 universities provide financial support to The Project.

Click here to view a video regarding the 1,000th professor.

Click here for more information visit.
Media contact Lisa King at Mediaimpact: 646-234-5080 or e-mail lisak@mediaimpact.biz.

Joseph Business School’s will be holding the 16th Annual Economic Empowerment Summit on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7th. In addition to Janice, speakers during this year’s summit, a paid event, include spiritual and business visionary Bishop T.D. Jakes, Hollywood actor Derek Luke1, Dr. Steve Perry, educator and CNN Education Contributor, and multi-millionaire businessman Ephren Taylor. For more information visit www.EES09.com or call 1-888-9SUMMIT (978-6648).

The Joseph Business School was founded in 1998 by Dr. Bill Winston, founder and senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center, to help entrepreneurs start and grow businesses based on biblical principles for success. The Joseph Business School includes an entrepreneurial school with satellite locations in other U.S. and international cities; an entrepreneurial center which includes a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a continuing education program and business offices for lease; a leadership institute; and a vocational training center.

JBH joins Berkhemer Clayton Inc. President Betsy Berkhemer and Fraser Communications founder Renée White Fraser  on their top-rated, Los Angeles-based radio show, 2 Minutes & More with Betsy and Renee. During the show, Janice speaks of how she started her company, Act•1 Personnel, and how it grew to become one of the business community’s major global partner in providing forward-thinking talent and resource management solutions.

Listen to this inspiring and empowering podcast where Janice shares how you can take control to improve your career, your business and your life, and speaks about her book, ‘The Art of Work’.

Click here to listen to the podcast.