31 Scary & Fun Facts about HR that will Shock You!
Halloween is coming up. In recognition of the 31 days of October, we have gathered a list of 31 Human Resources facts, both fun and – at times — a bit scary.
- More than 77 million people in the United States, ¼ of the country’s population, work for small businesses.
- Over half of the small businesses in America were started by people who were between 40 and 60 years old.
- The state economies of Montana and Wyoming primarily depend on small businesses to meet the state’s financial needs.
- In the United States in 2019, a female executive earns 79% of what her male counterpart earns.
- The word “boss” comes from the Dutch word “baas”, the standard title for the captain of a ship.
- The United States is the only advanced economy in the world without government-mandated paid vacation time for employees.
- Conducting “stay interviews” is an excellent method of improving employee retention.
- One-third of managers say they generally decide within 90 seconds if they will hire a candidate.
- About 20% of US households receive paper checks versus direct deposit because they don’t have bank accounts.
- Biweekly payroll is the most common frequency in the USA (37%), followed by weekly payrolls (32%).
- The majority of job seekers read six online reviews of a company before accepting a position.
- 76% of job applications are discarded due to having an “unprofessional-looking” email address.
- Over half a million resumes are posted each week on Monster.com.
- Over 8,000,000 people have found jobs using social media since 2017.
- Twenty years ago, just over 20% of jobs were found using online sources. Today, over 90% of job seekers rely on the Internet to find work.
- Over 90% of recruiters regularly check social media platforms to learn more about applicants.
- Wearing blue is the color most likely to land you a new job.
- The first known pay records come from the Middle East, where — some 4,000 years ago — workers were paid in beer.
- The first Personnel Management department was formed by National Cash Register Co. in 1900 to deal with employee concerns, safety, and training supervisors.
- 1890 saw the first patented time clock, made by the Bundy Manufacturing Company of New York.
- In 1911, Bundy Manufacturing merged with four other companies and the conglomerate became IBM.
- Uruguay was the first nation to formally adopt the 40-hour workweek, in 1915.
- Spain was the first nation to standardize the eight-hour workday, in 1919.
- The first “Equal Pay for Equal Work” statement was issued by France in their 1946 Constitution.
- National Boss Day was created in 1958 by a secretary at State Farm Insurance to pay tribute to bosses. It traditionally falls on October 16 because that was her father’s birthday.
- 46% of new hires last less than 18 months in a new position.
- In the next five years, Millennials will comprise 75% of the workforce.
- Businesses with higher racial, ethnic, and gender diversity are more likely to outperform companies with lower representations.
- Forbes Magazine reported in 2019 that companies that had pro-active employee recognition programs had 31% lower voluntary turnover.
- October 2020 will have two full moons, on October 1 (“Harvest Moon”) and October 31 (“Blue Moon”).
- Lists like this one provide readers with bits of knowledge that are beneficial to their self-esteem and release positive feelings in the brain.
If you need assistance or guidance to help with the scary side of human resources or benefits administration concerns, please contact HR Service Inc. at (801) 685-8400. We’d be happy to help!
Prepared by David Norton, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Human Resources Business Consultant