Category: Development and Training

Training, education and ongoing professional development is very important to your ongoing success at MSU. This category highlights professional development news, views and opportunities.

Spotlight on HR Toolkits for All Employees

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This month we are spotlighting the toolkits for form and time deadlines related to monthly and bi-weekly payroll.

Payroll runs on a bi-weekly or monthly basis for all employees.  To ensure employees are paid accurately, HR and Payroll have established deadlines for submission of changes that might impact payroll.  Personnel forms (e.g., hire, rehire, change of status) must be submitted by the HR Cutoff Date deadline for the applicable payroll.   Time must be submitted by the Time Due Date deadline for the applicable payroll. The deadlines for each payroll cycle can be found on the Payroll website.

The toolkits explain where you can find this information and what the date columns really mean in the display.  The toolkit links are here and on the Human Resources website home page.

New Toolkits for Administrators, Supervisors & Staff 
– Monthly Payroll Form & Time Deadlines
– Bi-Weekly Payroll Form & Time Deadlines

State of Mind Awareness

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Calming your mind allows you the opportunity to learn new information and develop new insights. EAP Counselor and HRD Facilitator Lisa Laughman (formerly Davidson) offers tips on learning how to manage your thoughts and become aware of your state of mind. Check out the video here.

Build your skills and grow professionally by enrolling in one of several upcoming HRD course offerings in the spring of 2014, or check out Lisa’s upcoming Health4U courses.

Tips for using Tech Gifts Safely

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Some of the most popular gifts this holiday season are tech toys. Make sure you take steps to protect your personal information and that great new toy in the best way possible.

At any given time you may have your financial information, family photos and contact information on one or several devices you carry daily. It’s important to protect yourself against digital pickpockets, hackers and identity thieves by following some basic safely rules:Computer, tablet and phone

  • Protect your device first and its contents second.
  • Never leave your computer, phone or tablet anywhere out of your reach or sight. Keep them hidden in your car, and don’t attach your phone to an outside visible pocket on your purse or backpack.Continue Reading… Tips for using Tech Gifts Safely

Being a Positive Role Model

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Negativity breeds negativity, but positivity breeds more positivity. HRD facilitator Lois Wolf-Morgan offers tips on turning negative traits into positive ones and making a lasting impression as a positive role model. Check out the video here.

Grow your knowledgebase and develop new skills by enrolling in one of several upcoming HRD course offerings (http://oed.hr.msu.edu) in the spring of 2014.

Get Connected with LinkedIn

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Building a professional network, staying up-to-date on the latest industry news and creating an engaging social media profile can help propel your career forward. HRD Facilitator Chuck Folino offers tips for utilizing the social media network “LinkedIn” to your advantage. Check out the video here.

Dealing with Violence in the Workplace

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Violence can happen at any moment. It’s important to be prepared for any danger that may present itself. Watch this video by MSU Police Officer and HRD facilitator Ken Zimmerman, and learn tips for dealing with violence in the workplace.

To view the course description and upcoming dates for the Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace course, visit the OED website.

Windows 7 Quick Tips: Snap, Peek & Shake

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Snap, peek and shake!  No that’s not a new breakfast cereal jingle, they are quick tips for using Windows 7.  Snap lines up boundaries of two windows on your monitor.  Peek shows you open applications in a minimized view.  Shake clears the clutter of multiple open windows by minimizing everything but the active window.

Computer with Windows 7
Photo courtesy of Aravind Sivaraj.

Ready to learn more about snap, peek and shake?

Your MSU NetID and Password

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If you use university systems like EBS or SIS frequently, your MSU NetID login is pretty familiar to you. What if the only time you use it is to update your Benefits during open enrollment? Will you remember the password? If not, you’ll need the PIN that was issued with your NetID or you’ll need to request a new one. You can do that at netid.msu.edu. Benefits Open Enrollment starts October 1, so be sure you are prepared.netid.msu.edu screen

The NetID home page is also where you can reset your password and learn more about what you can access using your MSU NetID. For example; did you know that as an employee you have access to library resources, wireless internet pretty much anywhere on campus, and the AFS file system where you can have a personal web page or shared file space where you control the access? For more information about using your AFS space, see our blog posts A Guide to Your AFS Space- Part One and A Guide to Your AFS Space – Part Two. Your MSU NetID also gives you access to Google Apps for Education Edition. Using the Google tools you can create a calendar to share schedules and events with others, use Google Drive and Docs for sharing documents and presentations, and Google Sites for web content.

Punctuation Pointers: Comma Use

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The following article is provided courtesy of HRD facilitator Jackie McCarroll of McCarroll Associates.

Punctuation provides road signs to guide readers through your content. Unfortunately, writers frequently misuse commas. By applying the Five Comma Pointers, you will improve your readers’ understanding and demonstrate professionalism.Comma

Five Comma Pointers

Insert commas to indicate a brief pause. Use them to separate:

1. Introductory Words

Example: Before they registered students, administrators tested the new processContinue Reading… Punctuation Pointers: Comma Use

How Secure is Your Smartphone?

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Most of us have no idea how vulnerable we are on our smartphones. We keep our firewalls and virus protection up-to-date on our computers but many may not even think about it on a phone. Our phones are very compact computers now and require the same safeguards as a computer.Smartphone

The simplest step is to add a passcode that only you know. Most phones will allow you to set a password or ‘swipe’ pattern that you use to unlock your phone.  Make the passcode or swipe pattern hard to guess, meaning no simple shapes, birthdays, addresses or anniversaries that can be connected to you. You’ll find these options under Settings on most phones.Continue Reading… How Secure is Your Smartphone?