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4 Steps To Make Your Networking Effortless

Sital Ruparelia

6 Nov 2009 | 6:33 am

I Hate... I hate formal 'networking events.' The ones where you have to 'work a room.' I hate 'networking breaks' at seminars and conferences where you have people madly collecting business cards and staring over your shoulder (instead of looking...
Could Technology Be Derailing Careers?

Norine Dagliano

5 Nov 2009 | 6:36 pm

Is anyone else beginning to feel like they are always chasing after the train, only to discover when they finally catch up they were on the wrong track? Yes, I’m of the “Boomer Generation;” I attended a three-room school house...
Using Your Network To Find Job Opportunities In A Tough Market

Sital Ruparelia

5 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am

About 4 months ago I began working with a bright, talented lawyer shortly after he was made redundant. Like every client I work with in this market, from the outset I explained the importance of focussing his job search campaign...
Network Much?

Louise Fletcher

5 Nov 2009 | 8:51 am

Guest posting today is Julie Bauke, author of 'Stop Peeing on your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes That Screw Up Your Job Search.' You can follow Julie at www.twitter.com/juliebauke. No matter who I am speaking to- large groups or an...
K.I.S.S. Your Job Search

billiesucher

4 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pm

Looking for a job? Are you familiar with the K.I.S.S. principle? Curious about its origin, I did what people do -- a Google search. It seems that the acronym K.I.S.S. was first coined by Clarence Leonard (Kelly) Johnson, a lead...

Rehaul by Lance Haun
You Don’t Have To Blog To Rise Up

Lance Haun

3 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am

I know this is a crazy post. I know my blog has certainly helped me rise up. Other’s blogs have helped them rise up. I am going to an unconference that is going to focus on HR people who are interested in blogging. Someone may ask me if they should start a blog. In the past, my answer was an unhesitant yes. Of course you should. Why shouldn’t you? The real question is how do we get you going and exposed as quickly as possible. Now? My answer depends on a number of factors. In some cases though, my answer is going to be no. What gives? I haven’t soured on blogging nor do I…
38 Free Ways To Self-Destruct

Lance Haun

2 Nov 2009 | 10:13 am

Almost a year ago, I reviewed what I considered to be the most entertaining career book on the market: How To Self-Destruct. I don’t know if anything will beat it in that department. Not only is it entertaining but it is also useful. Jason is also releasing a new book this month as well. Jason is a generous but busy person and I know this first hand. So when I saw that he is giving away How To Self-Destruct, I knew I wanted to spread the word about it. Here’s the message from Jason: General managers, HR VPs, training directors, event planners, team leaders, association…
Where I’ll Be Next Week

Lance Haun

30 Oct 2009 | 7:49 am

If you are in the Midwest, consider yourself lucky: I may be coming to a city near you! There will be content next week per normal but I will be driving a small rental car all over the Midwest while it automatically posts. Here’s the agenda: What am I thinking? I fly into Indianapolis Tuesday afternoon. I am planning on hitting some dinner with my buddy who lives there but I do have some flexibility. I drive up to Chicago Wednesday morning to go to Fail Spectacularly (yes, you can still RSVP and it is absolutely free). If you are in Chicago and you don’t have other plans, you…
HR Southwest Part 2: Most Of What You Fear Never Happens

Lance Haun

29 Oct 2009 | 11:11 am

Editor’s Note – Today’s post is brought to you courtesy of Dustin Henderson, co-founder of MeritBuilder. Dustin went to HR Southwest conference last week to cover the show for us. You can follow him on Twitter. Thanks! HR Southwest (the 2nd biggest HR show in the US) is over. I thought I would take a few moments and summarize my thoughts on the show. Luckily I tweeted most of the stuff that was on my mind because to be honest my memory is beginning to fail me. For the full twitter experience search twitter for #HRSW. In hopes of making his recap a little more interesting I…
The Power To Act

Lance Haun

27 Oct 2009 | 9:37 am

Yesterday afternoon, I got on the phone with Dustin and we were talking about a partnership call we had coming up. The conversation transitioned into what tremendous untapped potential the HR and talent functions in organizations have and how exciting it is to just meet with people who understand that. How getting people together and pushing great HR ideas across industries is a powerful force. In the past, I used to frequently have these conversations and then go back to regressive HR systems that took all the will in the world to just fight through on a daily basis. I imagine many of the…

Bizjournals: Human Resource News
TWC chair: Congress should focus on jobs

6 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm

Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, called on Congress to refocus its attention on stemming job losses in light of escalating national unemployment rates, which have reached 10.2 percent.
Trade agency presses ahead with paper imports probe

6 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pm

The U.S. International Trade Commission said Friday there is enough evidence to support charges that unfair trade practices in regards to coated paper imported from China and Indonesia are injuring the domestic paper industry.
Hispanic Chamber earns national designation as well-run chamber

6 Nov 2009 | 11:46 am

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has designated the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as one of the best-run organizations in the nation, naming it a 4-Star Accredited Chamber.
Human Capital: People on the move, Nov. 6

6 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am

A daily roundup of senior-level executive hires and board appointments: Friday, Nov. 6
Washington Nationals lay off employees

6 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am

The Washington Nationals, which finished its 2009 season with the worst record in baseball, recently laid off several people in the team's executive offices, according to sources close to the team.

Punk Rock Human Resources
HR and Romance: UR DOIN IT SORTA

Laurie

7 Nov 2009 | 3:45 am

Sarah and I are still developing the Clueless@Love strategery. There’s no shortage of controversy around the site, including the fact that someone referenced Abner Louima and called me faux-punk. I just weep for people. Until we get Clueless@Love up & running, here’s a question from a reader. I hope you can help, I am seeking advice a few levels – one HR lady to another…. I am an HR professional. I have always been really careful about personal relationships with co-workers (friendships, romantic relationships etc…), however recently there is someone at work…
F@%k It Friday: Weather & Small Talk

Laurie

6 Nov 2009 | 2:45 am

This guy likes weather. We have an important topic, today, that emerged from my latest conference in Chicago. I met a guy who told me that there is one thing that unites humanity. It’s weather. No matter where you are or what you do, you experience some aspect of the meteorological cycle. When we reach for something to talk about, no matter where we are in the world or who we’re talking to, we reach for the weather. Weather is the universal ice breaker. And this guy? He hates it. He wants to find something else, other than weather, to break the mothereffin ice. So I’m…
Feedback: UR DOIN IT WRONG

Laurie

5 Nov 2009 | 3:45 am

I know that mature, thoughtful, and strategic leaders are comfortable with feedback. They can listen to your opinions, discern truth from bullshit, and move forward. I am not a mature, thoughtful, or strategic leader. I write a blog on HR and workforce issues. Sorta. So I’ve been thinking about two pieces of feedback I received during the past week. Laurie, you need to give us a reason to care about you. Who are you? What do you believe? Give us more Laurie and fewer posts with open-ended questions. Right now I could care less about your blog. Show your heart. (I promptly wrote this.)…
Hiring Someone With A Strong Personal Brand

Laurie

4 Nov 2009 | 2:45 am

Would you hire someone with a strong personal brand? Someone who is known, independently, as an expert or a guru? Some companies are afraid of the Facebook friends, the Twitter followers, and the LinkedIn connections. Some are afraid of the whole employee — and they worry that a personal brand impacts a public persona. Still others worry that your lifestyle and your choices impact the stock price and company’s brand after quittin’ time. I guess what I am asking is simple: Does a social media footprint figure into the hiring process? If yes, should it?
Why I Write About Work

Laurie

3 Nov 2009 | 2:45 am

Just a few years ago, I checked into the W Hotel on Lexington & 54th Street at the very beginning of a hectic week in Manhattan. I was managing through a major reorganization at my company. Positions were being eliminated and I was asked to consult on projects that I couldn’t talk about. My own HR organization was mess, and I knew two things about my life: my husband was about to lose his job and other people who worked hard and loved their jobs would lose their roles, too. I was stressed, and I took my role very seriously — almost too seriously. I sought the advice of a…

Latest news from People Management
Bullying in the NHS 'will probably increase'

6 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am

Cases of bullying in the NHS are likely to increase as the health service faces workforce changes and a squeeze on government spending, delegates at the annual NHS Employers conference heard.
Motherhood stalls military careers, says former Navy chief

6 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am

A former Royal Navy chief has claimed that the careers of women in the military are being derailed by motherhood.
New HR-Inform service launched by CIPD

6 Nov 2009 | 2:10 am

The CIPD have launched an online information service that promises to be a one-stop-shop of workplace resources for HR professionals.
BA cabin crew strike ballot to go ahead

6 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

The Unite union will press ahead with a strike ballot of British Airways cabin crew after the High Court failed to award an injunction against the airline's cost cutting measures.
Tories would create employee partnerships in the NHS

6 Nov 2009 | 1:17 am

A Conservative government would create employee partnership models within the NHS to improve staff engagement and patient care, delegates heard.

HUMAN RESOURCES NEWS - Google News
Lebanon school district revisits human resources director positions - Albany Democrat Herald

7 Nov 2009 | 12:54 am

Lebanon school district revisits human resources director positionsAlbany Democrat HeraldLEBANON - The Lebanon Community School District is wading back into a human resources hiring decision that caused a tangle of disagreements this summer. and more »
Jobless rate rises to 10.2 percent in October - Philadelphia Inquirer

7 Nov 2009 | 12:02 am

Aljazeera.netJobless rate rises to 10.2 percent in OctoberPhiladelphia Inquirer"We're starting to recruit again, and it's a little while since we did that," said Allyson Adamusik, a director of global human resources at Thermo Fisher Jobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since '83The Associated PressJobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since '83News & ObserverJobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since '83CharlotteObserver.comall 1,424 news articles »
More San Jose workers face layoffs - San Jose Mercury News

6 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pm

More San Jose workers face layoffsSan Jose Mercury News six others have been reduced to a part-time internal temporary work pool without guaranteed hours or work, said Human Resources Director Mark Danaj. and more »
New Mexico tweaks personnel policies - ESPN

6 Nov 2009 | 3:45 pm

KOB.comNew Mexico tweaks personnel policiesESPNAP ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- The University of New Mexico has changed its human resources policies in the wake of an altercation involving football coach Mike UNM Takes Corrective Action To Tighten ProceduresUNM TodayBungles upon bungles in the administrative jungleUNM Daily LoboSchmidly, Krebs discuss Locksley sagaKRQEKOAT.comall 33 news articles »
HR exec lists University City 3BD - Blockshopper

6 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm

BlockshopperHR exec lists University City 3BDBlockshopperStarcher is the director of human resources for the Latin America operations of Emerson Network Power, a St. Louis-based technology company.

HRMorning.com
Wellness works — but watch for these 3 common pitfalls

Christian Schappel

6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

While the benefits of wellness programs have been well documented, little has been said about the drawbacks and hidden costs. Here are three pitfalls to watch out for: 1. You get what you pay for By and large, the cost savings from a wellness program will be driven by how much you’re willing to spend. Generally, you get what you put into them — both in time and money. In addition, the program has to be tailored to your specific needs. What works at another company may be a giant flop with your workforce. 2. Tough to administer alone Most employers find that it’s more…
5 mistakes that can give unions a foothold in your company

Jim Giuliano

6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

Yes, the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act is floundering in Congress. That’s given some businesses the idea that they’ll never see a unionizing effort. Those are exactly the businesses that are most vulnerable. Consider that (a) the EFCA isn’t dead yet, (b) the White House is busy reorganizing the National Labor Relations Board to reflect the administration’s pro-labor stance and (c) labor leaders have set a goal of increasing union membership by 1.5 million a year for the next 15 years. Those factors should lead to more vigilance about labor organizing. Labor…
3 big reasons why arbitration agreements fail in court

Jim Giuliano

6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

An arbitration agreement is supposed to be designed to keep everyone out of court. Then why is it that so many end up being settled in a messy and expensive lawsuit? The answer comes in examining a series of court cases that explain: Why a supposedly buttoned-up agreement ended up in court in the first place, and Why the employer lost. Looking at those cases reveals the main flaws in some arbitration agreements, according to the law firm of Baker Donelson: The agreement was part of a general handbook. When companies try to blend an agreement with other policies, some courts see that as an…
Boost flu shot participation: Incentives that work

Christian Schappel

5 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

How do you convince the needlephobes and “I’m too busy” types to come out and get a flu shot? One option: Consider a flu prevention rewards program. Incentives can take the form of: Contests. One company doubled participation by putting everyone who signed up for a flu shot into a drawing for an iPod. Merchandise. A school district in Minnesota got more teachers to get vaccinated by giving away winter hats with sports teams’ logos on them. Healthy rewards. Many companies tie flu shots into promoting overall wellness by giving away pedometers, yoga kits, workout videos…
Holiday shopping on the job: Should you try to stop it?

Jim Giuliano

5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

Can you limit online shopping at work, without being seen as the second coming of Scrooge? Take a look at the figures and decide. Managing workers’ online activity is always a headache, but it gets worse this time of year — and when everyone’s being asked to do more with less. How big a problem is it? A new study by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) found that: 63% of workers will do at least some of their gift buying on the job using their workplace computers and systems. 46% of IT bosses said company loses an average of at least $3,000 in…

Human Resource Executive Online -- ALL
NAHR Installs New Fellows

Six HR leaders were installed as Fellows of the National Academy of Human Resources on Thursday evening, November 5, during an induction ceremony at the Yale Club in New York. NAHR Fellows are widely known as leaders in the profession, have national reputations for shaping HR thinking and policy, and demonstrate an unfailing commitment to success.
Week in Review

These are the news analyses and feature stories our readers were most interested in this week: * Nearly one-third of workers say a co-worker took credit for one of their ideas. In Grand Theft Idea, we explore what HR's role should be; * In Race Matters, we talk to experts about a study that finds widespread -- but unintentional -- racial and ethnic bias in hiring; * Greg Hammond of TriNet writes about Leveraging Social Media for communicating with internal and external audiences, especially in times of crisis; * State legislatures are working overtime to consider ways to help workers, in…
Repercussions of Regulations

It's clear the TARP-related regulations are stirring up the talent pools at the bailout institutions, but will the executive-comp restrictions have an impact on other employers and industries? Such organizations may not cut pay for their own executives, but the regulations may have an impact on the future structure of compensation programs.
Reader Feedback
Nominate the Best HR Ideas

Human Resource Executive® will be featuring the Best HR Ideas of the previous year; ideas that may help senior HR leaders address their own challenges. Please nominate your best HR ideas -- divided into these categories: Talent Management, Employee Benefits, Training and Development, Relocation, HR Technology and Other. See the nomination form for more information. The deadline is Dec. 18.

HRM Today Featured Posts
Most Companies Don’t Measure the Bottom-Line Impact of Diversity Programs

Erik Samdahl

6 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pm

While most companies agree that diversity issues in the workplace deserve attention, not many have a clear and consistent definition of just what “it” is, according to i4cp’s latest study. The results are now available to i4cp members. The study found overall, only about 1 in 5 (21%) study respondents have a broad and inclusive definition of diversity, while 17% admit they have no definition at all. Higher market-performing organizations are more likely to define diversity broadly, with 28% reporting they include all diversity groups in their definition, compared to only 15%…
How to Lead Change by Example – 5 Tips for HR Professionals

HR Transformer Blog

5 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pm

This is a summary of an original article published by Strategic HR Review. In an economic downturn and subsequent recovery, change is inevitable for every organization. Effective Change Management is often a mix of the strategic and the practical. It can encompass everything from ensuring strategies are aligned, to making sure your weekly bulletin goes out on time, on message and to the right people. From a HR perspective, it is important to provide leadership and guidance by example and the following actions can help HR executives to lead the way during the change process. 1. Define and…
Future Trends in HR Operating Models (Part 2)

HR Transformer Blog

5 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm

This is the second of a two-part discussion on Future Trends in HR Operating Models, click here for Part 1 Future Trends in HR Operating Models (Part 1 with Slides) (3) HR Outsourcing market will restructure to deliver standardised services The HR Vendor landscape is evolving all the time (slide 8), we have HR Technology vendors, HR Outsourcing (HRO) providers, single process vendors and HR consultants. HR vendors are also impacted by current economic changes, with cost pressures and streamlining. The market will look very different in two years time with more mergers & acquisitions, see…
HR Survey Highlights Skills Gap in HR

HR Transformer Blog

5 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pm

The biggest barrier to transforming Human Resources is the lack of appropriate skills in HR, according to the 2008 Global HR Transformation Report (conducted by HROA in association with ADP). This is the 5th annual survey with 129 executives around the globe in varying stages of HR Transformation. DOWNLOAD 2008 GLOBAL HR TRANSFORMATION REPORT HERE The survey defines HR Transformation as – “any concerted effort to change and improve HR operations, whether through outsourcing, shared services, internal reengineering, or a combination of these strategies”. We use a broader…
Top 5 Reasons HR Projects Fail

HR Transformer Blog

5 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm

HR Project failure usually means increased cost to implement, reduced quality of final outcome, time delays and often leaves a huge dent in morale. The list below are reasons why HR projects fail based on the number of sleepless nights they have caused HR Execs, and the more scientific approach of research and surveys. The good news is that they are all preventable – by following tried and tested methodologies such as Prince 2, brushing up on your Change Management skills and mixing all of this with a huge dose of common sense. Typical HR projects can include change programmes,…

Complinet HR
The Week in HR: The strange death of common sense

6 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am

If there is a unifying theme to my pick of the week it is a mystifying collective suspension of common sense.
Employers urged to tackle workplace stress

6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

Companies across the UK must do more to tackle workplace stress and promote mental wellbeing, according to a new report from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Pay freezes to end in 2010 but recession creates 'new normal' in staff rewards, says Mercer

5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

New data issued by Mercer suggests that the trend for companies to freeze pay is unlikely to continue in 2010 as optimism about the economic recovery gathers pace.
Unemployment could rise to around three million, peaking in the second half of 2010, says PwC

5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

Despite a projected return to modest growth of just under one per cent next year, UK unemployment could still rise to around three million by the end of 2010, according to new analysis by economists at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
New NICE public health guidance aims to improve mental wellbeing within the workplace

5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has today issued guidance for employers on promoting mental wellbeing at work through productive and healthy working conditions.

Seasonal Human Resources Blog
"One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1)

Kathi

2 Nov 2009 | 6:06 am

Bruce Buschel, writing for the New York Times, puts together a must-have list of dos and don'ts for servers. A few were unfortunately cringe inducing as I recognized my personal faux pas from my years of serving. Here's a link to his first 50. I'll keep an eye out for part 2.
Starr Tincup - Try Not To F**k This Up

Kari Quaas

31 Oct 2009 | 1:09 pm

...but if you do call us. I had to laugh. Bill emails me and says that a package arrived from Starr Tincup and should he open it. FYI, the reason that he had to ask was because I work out of my house in Seattle and he works at Cool Works worldwide headquarters in Gardiner, Montana. I say sure. He opens it up and a small book written by the dudes at Starr Tincup called Try Not To F**k This Up (
CoolWorks.com Podcasts

Kari Quaas

13 Oct 2009 | 1:56 pm

We're always up to something new. The latestst and greatest is that we are now dabbling in podcasts using BlogTalkRadio. Our first podcast featured Tina Brudzinski, Human Resources Manager, at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. She was as gracious as ever and a perfect guest. She answered generic questions about working for a ski resort and also told us a bit about how she got her job at Crested
Twitter, oh how I love thee

Kari Quaas

12 Oct 2009 | 10:57 am

I have said before, and I'll say it again, Twitter is my favorite social network. I love how I can just pop in, see what's happening, comment here and there and then get out. I recently was gone for a trip to San Francisco and missed a lot of the goings on - as tends to happen when you don't have a really cool mobile device - but as soon as I came back, my twitter friends greeted me with open
Mobile Recruiting

Kari Quaas

25 Sep 2009 | 11:15 am

If you're not familiar with Chris Hoyt, check out his blog The Recruiter Guy. And, if you doubt the power of mobile recruiting, check out this less than a minute reality check about what is important to us these days. Do you use mobile in your recruiting campaign?

HRmarketer.com Blog
Brilliant? Brazen? Unbelievable? How far is too far when trying to sell?

6 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am

Kevin Grossman and I just attended a very intimate Onrec Expo this week in Chicago from November 2-4, and though the numbers were small, the conversations seemed to be valuable.(Isn’t that we have been saying about the last number of industry conferences that we have attended lately – SHRM and HR Tech?) I always find it very interesting to watch how the booth staff get the attention of the delegates – or essentially get their attention to sell.Gimmicks, giveaways, entertainment in the booth, well dressed or seriously bizarrely dressed staff – so many ways, but then it is the sale.
7th Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit Announced

5 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm

HRmarketer.com and it's sister product for the Boomer/senior caregiving marketplace SeniorCareMarketer.com will be attending, sponsoring, exhibiting and speaking at the 7th Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit.Learn more about this event and register here.Why am I posting this on a human resources blog?Because you cannot discuss the aging population without discussing it's impact on the workplace. And because some HR vendors (and HR professionals) who read this blog will want to attend this event.I discussed this relationship in a previous blog post titled Baby Boomers, The Aging…
Social media fuels the face-to-face fire. Feel the burn.

5 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am

If you could have 5 leads or 500, which would you choose?Duh, right?Now, what if you could have 5 qualified prospects versus 500 cold unqualified leads, which would you choose?Or for that matter, 5 qualified influencers in your court versus 500 cold leads?Rita Jackson and I spent that last two days at the Onrec/Kennedy Expo, and if I've gotten anything through my thick skull this year, relationship building is the sum total of all marketing and sales growth. Not sourcing applicants from a job board or sending an email campaign to thousands of people. Part of the equation but not the sum…
Is seniority dead to us? All I know is that I'm an average Joe. (Onrec/Kennedy 2009 and Fail Spectacularly)

3 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am

So I'm sitting in a chair in the sky on Wi-Fi (can't get enough of that line) thinking about the conversation I overheard just two hours earlier on the long-term parking shuttle bus.The bus driver was conversing with another airport transportation employee about being employed. She said something that struck me."My daughter works at Safeway and my son-in-law works for the fire department, and I keep telling them they need to stick to one job, work there a long time and build up that seniority. That's where the pay-off comes."Seniority. Such an old-school term of entitlement and the old rules…
When does the rebirth of the HR/Marketing collective occur? It's right there in our family tree.

29 Oct 2009 | 12:04 pm

I keep seeing much discussion about how human resources needs to be more business savvy and strategic and how they should work more closely with recruiting, internal and external branding, marketing and public relations. Outsource the backend administrative work and and work on identifying, hiring and developing long-term employees and growing the business.I'm reading The Trouble with HR - same theme. Last night Amybeth Hale (The Research Goddess) initiated an important conversation about how recruiters should care about marketing and PR - similar theme. Brand for Talent recently posted a New…

8 hours & a lunch
random acts of kindness don't take long

Debra Owen

6 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm

I can’t write today. Since I’ve committed to a post a day for this month, I’ve been trying. And I just can’t. I’ve been trying, but it ends up just all coming out wrong. I want to tell you about the thing that made this week difficult. But I can’t. Not that I can’t find the words. But because sometimes it’s just not smart to write about things, like the person who is supposed to stay away and you’ve pretty much ignored ‘finds you’ on social media sites -- and lets you know. Like a lot. Rise Up The thing about owning…
you can't improve what you don't measure

Debra Owen

5 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am

Josh started his business 15 years ago in his mother’s basement. His business is now a multi-million dollar business, with several offices throughout the US. Pretty cool, huh? Except Josh is constantly stressed, constantly putting out fires, constantly on edge. He’s pretty much running his business the way he did when he was in mom’s basement. He feels he has to be a part of every detail. He can’t relax with his family, because he’s thinking about the business 24/7 and so on. Working with Josh, we worked on some team development and…
your board of directors

Debra Owen

4 Nov 2009 | 4:56 am

As surprising as it might seem initially, concepts and strategies that apply to having a successful business or career also apply to leading a successful life. Here's one. You are the leader of your life. And just as it is with business, great leaders don't take yes for an answer. What do I mean by this? We've all heard of the concept of the 'yes men', those who agree with the boss simply to win favor and seek promotion. Trust me, those people do exist. But those are the people who are first and foremost concerned with themselves and their own…
a little trick the geese know (to build a stronger network)

Debra Owen

3 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose” - Tennessee Williams At ‘In Over Your Head’, Julien challenges us to be the leader of our networks towards better achievement. He doesn’t just challenge us, he says it’s our duty. And I couldn’t agree more. I’ve mentioned before that like attracts like and how we can use this as information to determine where we are in our lives and in our businesses. Like Attracts Like Creative people like creative people. Intelligent people like talking to other intelligent…
anything is possible, everything is not

Debra Owen

2 Nov 2009 | 12:05 pm

Anything is possible. I believe it. Do you? Anything is possible. Look around at the accomplishments and achievements of others. We can all think of examples of people who came from humble circumstances to achieve greatness. It might take work. It might take time. Things don't happen magically and they don't happen overnight. But anything is possible. Everything, though, is not. As I work with clients in keeping their edge in their lives and businesses, one of the biggest problems I see is fear of making a choice. …

Ask a Manager
did boss misrepresent vacation policy?

Ask a Manager

5 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pm

A reader writes:I work at a small start-up company, and when I accepted the position my boss represented one of the perks as "we can be informal about vacation days." I'm not a slacker and didn't plan on taking advantage of it, but understandably I was happy about the attitude. However, in the seven months since having worked here, I've taken a total of 2 vacation days for long weekends (I started accruing after 3 months), and 1 sick day. Every time, my boss has had a very "You're slacking" type of attitude and seemed unhappy that I was taking time off. Another employee here (who granted is…
which job should I take?

Ask a Manager

5 Nov 2009 | 6:35 am

A reader writes:I have a temporary job working for a federal government agency as a clerk. I have been offered a promotion. The new position would raise my salary from $30,000 to $38,000. Accepting the position would require moving from the large city I currently live in to a much smaller place about 300 miles away. I have never been there and know no one who lives there. The person I would report to is a jerk. I am not sure I could do the job. It would be a challenge. Both jobs, the one I have now and the one I would move to, are temporary and would last about a year. Reasons to take the new…
boss constantly misses our meetings

Ask a Manager

3 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pm

A reader writes:I work as analyst at a nonprofit organization in the IT department. One of the things my project manager has asked me from the beginning when we started working was to have a bi-weekly status meeting. For the first couple of months, these meetings were happening on time and scheduled. Lately for the last 6 months, my manager keeps rescheduling and saying he'll get to another time but never does. It makes me feel like my time isn't important enough to him. Should I mention something to him or just let this slide? Definitely mention it! But give him the benefit of the doubt…
you don't really want an informational interview

Ask a Manager

2 Nov 2009 | 8:32 pm

I've said this before, but apparently it's time to say it again.When I'm asked for an informational interview, I'll generally explain that my workload usually prohibits that but that I'd be happy to answer the person's questions by email.The person is then never heard from again.This tells me: (a) The person didn't actually want an informational interview and was hoping to turn it into a job interview without my consent, and/or (b) the person wouldn't have had any plan had I agreed to meet, and it would have wasted my time. Oh, and perhaps also (c): The person is randomly asking for people's…
should I give advance notice that I plan to resign?

Ask a Manager

2 Nov 2009 | 4:35 pm

A reader writes:I've worked at a large non-profit for 4 years. I've recently interviewed at another non-profit and expect that they will make a job offer soon. I'm concerned about how I'll resign if offered the new job, and I'd appreciate your advice based on the following: * My manager and vice president constantly say they don't want to be blind-sided by resignations; they want to be involved in employees' decisions to leave... * Former colleagues who resigned without advance conversations with management were told they've burned their bridges, they're disloyal, etc. (These individuals…

Compensation Force
How to Kill Innovation: By Rewarding It?

Ann Bares

4 Nov 2009 | 6:09 am

No, no, I'm not going all Dan Pink on you, I promise. Just hear me out. In his column Innovative Insights at Harvard Business, Scott Anthony talks about why making enormous financial commitments to innovation can actually, paradoxically, stifle the very thing we are trying to drive. It seems like every day features a slew of stories where leaders commit billions to new geographies, technologies, or acquisitions to demonstrate how serious they are about innovation and growth. Here's the thing — these kinds of commitments paradoxically can make it harder for organizations to…
New BlogTalkRadio Show: Influence Insiders

Ann Bares

2 Nov 2009 | 7:12 am

One of the biggest benefits I've reaped from my involvement in the blogosphere is the chance to connect with and learn from some really smart people. In particular, people whose background and focus areas are different than mine, but who work in professions that are complimentary to mine in that they are trying to drive business success through their own specialties and via their own target audiences. One of these people is Paul Hebert, the mastermind behind Incentive Intelligence. Now, Paul has brought together an eclectic group of experts, bloggers and thought leaders - Influence…
Compensation Bloggers Wanted!

Ann Bares

30 Oct 2009 | 10:34 am

The Compensation Cafe, an award-winning multi-contributor blog (founded and edited by yours truly), is looking to add a writer to our blogging team. Could that be you? Here are a few details. Rewards of Cafe Blogging An avenue into blogging without having to start and run your own site. Or, if you are a current compensation blogger, increased exposure for you and your site through blogging at the Cafe. Active participation in thought leadership for the field of compensation ... and a place in the awesome larger community of talent management bloggers. An opportunity to put your ideas…
Salary Freezes & Reductions: Rollbacks on the Horizon

Ann Bares

29 Oct 2009 | 2:11 am

The economic picture, at least from the standpoint of salaries, is beginning to get a little brighter. In the latest installment of their research on the impact of the recession (this round conducted earlier in October and reflects the plans/practices of 201 U.S. based companies), Watson Wyatt finds that more than half of those companies who have frozen or reduced salaries are planning reversal/reinstatement in the next 6 months. The detailed findings salary-wise: Salary Freezes Of those companies that have implemented salary freezes... 54% plan to eliminate the freeze in the next 6 months…
Employers & Employees Disconnected on Business Impact of Recession

Ann Bares

26 Oct 2009 | 11:08 am

There are some fascinating differences in the perceptions of employers versus employees regarding the impact of the recession and the consequent changes (restructuring, etc.) made to the "employee value proposition", as reported in the 2009/2010 Strategic Rewards Report conducted jointly by WorldatWork and Watson Wyatt (and covering the practices of 235 U.S. organizations). While employers appear to recognize the impact that these changes have had on employee workload, stress, work-life balance, etc., they appear to be vastly underestimating the business impact when you compare…

Evil HR Lady
So, How's That Working For You?

Evil HR Lady

30 Oct 2009 | 1:23 am

After reading everyone's horror stories about crazy punishments for getting sick, I'm really interested in hearing from the people who create and/or enforce these rules. I know you must be out there.Does it really decrease absenteeism? Does your turnover increase? What is the reasoning behind it? Was it HR's idea, or the CEOs or Finance? Have you calculated the costs associated with this policy?I'm really interested. Honest. I'm pretty sure the people who comment aren't all just making up stories, so there must be HR out there who enforces these things. Tell me how it's going.
Exempt Day Swapping

Evil HR Lady

27 Oct 2009 | 10:29 pm

What impact does pay periods have on exempt employees who wish to make up time? If an employee takes a couple of hours off but desires to make up the time, why does it have to done in the same pay period? To put us in context, the majority of the staff are exempt, we currently get paid on the 5th and 20th of each month, have vacation and sick buckets and work 9/80 with every other Friday off. I ask this because a couple of employees worked on what would have been 'Off Friday on 10/9'. One of the employees had a scheduled sick day [medical apt] for the following Friday which would have been…
A Job You Can't Take

Evil HR Lady

27 Oct 2009 | 6:15 am

Should I accept an interview for a position in a location to which I would never (could never) move? Or should I state it in the cover letter or phone interview and risk being passed over by someone willing to relocate? The position is primarily project management with few, if any, direct reports (other than coordinating tasks with other groups). My intention is to request to telecommute from several states away (as the company website cites flex-time and telecommuting as benefits). I realize that the career benefits sections of corporate websites typically are lip service, but should I try…
MD activity at work

Evil HR Lady

20 Oct 2009 | 8:05 am

Is an employer allowed to hand you a thermometer and tell you to take your temperature at work? Can they send you home if you have a temperature?And now it's time for the big disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. I do not pretend to be a lawyer. I am not an expert on law. I don't pretend to be one. This is not legal advice.I see this as one of those you can't win situation. If you allow people who are sick to work then their co-workers will be writing me saying, "Can't the company require sick people to stay at home? I don't want to get infected?"There are some things to think about. 1. If they send…
The Hazards of Being Dependable

Evil HR Lady

15 Oct 2009 | 4:20 am

I am a production manager at a trade org/not for profit.I love my boss, who is a great guy, but not the best manager. As long as things get done, he’s satisfied, but procedures and work flows have suffered.About 80% of all projects cross my desk. I can get anything done and I pride myself on being very capable. The problem is no one sees me as a manager or leader, just another worker bee.My boss has often praised me and told me he’d fight for me. But it’s been 2 years since my last raise and I’m getting very unhappy about my role and my compensation. The raise (or the lack thereof) is…

Fistful of Talent
Your Most Valuable Employee - The H1N1 Formula...

Tim Sackett

6 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am

I witnessed an interesting thing happen in the last two weeks, organizations all over the country are quickly falling victim to H1N1. In mass, you have employees missing work, schools are closing, parents need to be at home to take care of kids, and then they come back sick. What I find most interesting is the small back office conversations that happen, usually with an HR Pro in attendance with some rag-tag group of executives. The conversation goes a little like this: Executive: "Hey, did you see the sales department is down about 50% of the staff?" HR Pro:…
Who Should CEO's, Managers and HR Pros Be Friends with on Facebook?

Jessica Lee

5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

Raise your hand if you're on Facebook! Meeee! And you, and you too, and 200 million others as well, except for those in China who at the moment cannot access Facebook whatsoever including even accessing my company's lovely and harmless careers page on Facebook. (Shameless plug!) But I digress...Lately, I've noticed a bit of coverage online about whether to be friends on Facebook with coworkers, or should you be friends with your boss on Facebook, or implications of friending/defriending... and while I understand these dilemmas, one particular issue struck me... why are managers…
Ellen Degeneres & Your HR Career Path....

Jessica Lee

4 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am

You've probably heard by now, Ellen Degeneres is going to American Idol as the fourth judge (replacing the ever sober Paula Abdul). This would have been big news in 2004 when the show was still uber popular, but has anyone watched it lately? With the selection of Ellen brings controversy - the pick doesn't make sense on the surface and doesn't correlate with what she has done in the past. (Tssk, tssk. Maybe they didn't use behavioral questions when they interviewed her.) That's not to mention the fact that Degeneres has a questionable music…
ESPN HR Position - Dream Job or Career Nightmare?

Kris Dunn

3 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am

I'm married to Kris Dunn, the HR Capitalist. And every year, around this time, I hear the same thing: "I'd give it all up tomorrow for a flunky job learning the ropes in an NBA front office. You'd still love me if I made 20K, right? We could all live in a trailer 2 hours outside of LA while I climbed the NBA career ladder with the Clippers". Blah, blah, blah... Of course, the chances of that are slim, so I tolerate the annual ritual. However, KD is gaining connections, and there's one combo of sports and HR that might hit for…
Another Headhunter Secret: Why We Just Love Orgs that Front-Load Their Training

Josh Letourneau

2 Nov 2009 | 5:02 am

Here's a little Headhunter Secret that you might not be privy to: We just love organizations that front-load their training investments. Why? Because we can predict, with a very high degree of accuracy, approximately how many of your employees we can recruit away at any given point in their 'professional development'. That's right - I said with a high degree of accuracy . . . and that's no overstatement. Here's an example: Widgetmaker Consulting, Inc. has a 36-month 'leadership development' program that enlists 250 college…

Flip Chart Fairy Tales
Banking on nostaligia

Rick

4 Nov 2009 | 2:46 pm

With a little nudge from Brussels, the government has decided to break up the state backed mega-banks into smaller retail banks, a bit like the ones we used to have in the olden days. These are going to be Boring Banks, says Alistair Darling. The ones older people will remember and younger people might have read about or seen in old TV programmes. The sort we used to have when everyone knew and respected the bank manager; banks that made sound investments using the savings of thrifty depositors. No casino banking and trading in exotic financial instruments for these chaps. No, this is going…
Don’t screw around at work

Rick

30 Oct 2009 | 7:51 am

I have long believed that sexual relationships between work colleagues are best avoided. The unholy mess at Aviva, gleefully reported at HR With Balls, only reinforces my view.
Lulu and the Lampshades

Rick

24 Oct 2009 | 4:23 am

This is one of the best things I have ever seen on YouTube. They’re called Lulu and the Lampshades and, as far as I can tell, they are from London. They are playing at the ICA in London on 6 November, when I shall be in France. Oh well, maybe next time….. Hat Tip: John Band
A word of advice for Nick Griffin

Rick

23 Oct 2009 | 6:33 am

There are a number of golden rules to follow when preparing for difficult meetings. If you are going to say something which will make you really unpopular, make sure you are prepared, know all your facts and can reel them off with confidence. If your case is not watertight, anticipate where you are vulnerable and rehearse your evasion tactics so that you cover up the fact that you are being evasive. If your ground is really shaky, your only chance is to make doubly sure that you can deliver your line in bullshit with confidence and aplomb. In the last case, rehearsing your responses…
Councils lead the way in back-office savings

Rick

19 Oct 2009 | 5:17 am

It’s almost six months since the Treasury’s Operational Efficiency Programme published its recommendations. At the time, I was doubtful about the extent to which public sector organisations would be willing to cut costs by sharing back office functions but there have been some interesting developments since then. In theory, the sharing of back office functions should be easier to set up in central government than in local government, which is made up of hundreds of stand-alone sovereign organisations but, if anything, recent evidence shows just the opposite. Not a lot has…

HR Minion
Halloween picture contest winner!

HR Minion

4 Nov 2009 | 7:23 pm

You thought I forgot about it, didn't you? Well never fear, Halloween may be over but the fun doesn't have to stop. Just as a reminder, I asked for pictures of all the Halloween-costume-at-work-goodness because I simply can't help myself. So without further ado, the contest winner is Mike Kohn for this awesome group shot! What put Mike over the top was the nurse who was giving "vaccination shots" to prevent H1N1. Classic. And socially aware. How can I not give the win for that? Mike is now the recipient of an as yet to be determined fabulous prize! Runner up is the always wonderful April…
Now you can self-destruct for free!

HR Minion

2 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pm

So my favorite punk monkey of all time, Jason Seiden, is on the verge of releasing his second book, Super Staying Power. I'm really looking forward to it considering how much I liked his first book, How to Self-Destruct. And now, just for this week only, Jason is giving away his first book for FREE! By the BOX full! Yes, you heard me right, if you, and 37 of your co-workers, haven't yet had the chance to check it out, now is the best time! But like I said, it is only for this week so go here so that you can start yourself on the wonderful path of self-destruction. Because, you know, you were…
HR Happy Hour #16

HR Minion

31 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pm

Our 16th HR Happy Hour is in the can and I have to say it was one of the most engrossing conversations we've ever had! The topic of the night was "Is HR dead?" and boy did that stir up interest. Yes? No? Should we even ask the question? If we ask the question does that mean yes? If we don't ask the question are we ignoring the issue? Why does HR always ask this question when no other disciplines, like Marketing, does? You can see already that the conversation got deep and controversial fast. You need to check it out below!What did I tell you, that hour just flew by! As always, check out the…
Spooky Fish

HR Minion

31 Oct 2009 | 2:13 pm

Happy Halloween everyone! Have fun, be careful, and don't buy an pets from the Indian burial ground pet store.
Contest Time! I want pictures!

HR Minion

28 Oct 2009 | 7:40 pm

So George, one of Laurie's fabulous readers, sent her a suggestion that I am totally stealing (with their permission of course!) because I think it's cute. That, and I haven't had a contest on this blog in a while. Also, I like seeing crazy pictures. I think you see where I'm going with this.Halloween is Saturday and that means your co-workers are going to be dressing up on Friday. Some people are just not going to be able to help themselves. And some people just have no sense of taste or boundaries. I am counting on it and I want pictures! Send me in a picture of the best, the craziest, or…

Lisa Rosendahl
Leaders, Who Are You?

Lisa Rosendahl

3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

Leaders, who are you? Who are you, not as a leader but as a person? Where are you in your life, what do you value and how does this impact or inform your leadership? It's not a question of "if" this impacts or informs your leadership, it is a question of "how." Really, it is. In her post, Be Who You Are, writer Becky Robinson shares her life today and her three beautiful daughters and writes, "As I write about leadership, I bring all of who I am." She writes, "discovering and defining who we are includes understanding and accepting our unique…
Leadership Development Carnival

Lisa Rosendahl

2 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

Ghost and ghouls tucked safely away until next year, we can begin looking to November happenings. Right around the corner is Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the countdown to Christmas - do you believe it? Well, believe this - the November Leadership Development Carnival is up and you won't have to look far - I will take you there. Who is the host? Well, none other than Dan McCarthy. Dan is hosting this month's Leadership Carnival at Great Leadership. And what a host he is! Dan says, "There's no bottom of the treat bag dum-dums in this edition - nothing but full-size snicker…
On NOT Making a Decision

Lisa Rosendahl

31 Oct 2009 | 7:00 am

Leaders make decisions. Knowing how to make a decision is a key leadership trait. More important than making a decision however, is knowing when NOT to make a decision. Tired, overwhelmed, underwhelmed, reactive, or on the defense? Feeling let down, put down, or simply down and out? Want to make a point, create some noise or grab the control you feel like you have lost? Feeling the pressure to make it quickly, yet your inner voice is telling you to wait? Listen to your inner voice. Take 5 (or 24), tend to yourself and don't make that decision until morning. Photo Credit iStockPhoto
Talent, Power Rankings and a Frightful Read

Lisa Rosendahl

29 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

What a week! I started the week at the Talent Management Summit in Chicago learning from others who have their spot light on talent retention. From focusing on performance management systems and talent reviews to high potential discussions (you do have them don't you?!), the presenters shared their positive experiences and lessons learned. I met twitter and blog friends Charee Klimek, Sharlyn Lauby, Jason Seiden and Michelle Cardinal in real life - and I met two new Twitter friends, Ann Farrell and Keri Fagel. I met a bunch of others and have their business cards to prove it.
My Heart for Yours - One Year Later

Lisa Rosendahl

28 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

My husband had heart surgery one year ago today. He has had an amazing recovery with his capstone achievement last month - completing his first in-line skating marathon, the Northshore Inline Skate Marathon from Two Harbors to Duluth. It follows the Grandma's Marathon route. He finished it in 1:48 with an average speed of 15 MPH. His goal was to beat 2 hours - goal met! Below is what I posted last year: My husband had open heart surgery this week. He had a valve and part of his aorta replaced. A congenital defect discovered in an otherwise healthy man. A big deal, a very big deal.

Gautam Ghosh on Human Resources
Find and know your experts using social tools

Gautam Ghosh

4 Nov 2009 | 2:38 am

Interesting article in the WSJ how social technologies can help tap into and be aware of an organization's expertise systems. To date, most such systems are centrally managed efforts, and that's a problem. The typical setup identifies and catalogs experts in a searchable directory or database that includes descriptions of the experts' knowledge and experience, and sometimes links to samples of their work, such as research reports.But there are gaping holes in this approach. For starters, big companies tend to be dynamic organizations, in a constant state of flux, and few commit the resources…
RiseSmart CEO Sanjay Sathe on the new direction

Gautam Ghosh

3 Nov 2009 | 4:28 am

I've already interviewed Sanjay Sathe once last year, and that was at a time when RiseSmart was trying to establish its own JobConcierge service for senior management. RiseSmart is now trying to establish an outplacement service too. When it recently got $ 4.6 million in VC funding it seemed like a good time to catch up with Sanjay again and to understand what is in the future for RiseSmart. Here are Sanjay's answers to some questions I sent to him via email: 1. What is RiseSmart planning to do with the latest VC funding? At this point we’ve proven the business model of our…
Changing the name of the Blog

Gautam Ghosh

29 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pm

This is just an administrative post :-) I realised that the focus of this blog has moved from purely HR to aspects in the new way of working within Organizations - that impact organizational design, structure, systems, tools, processes and development. Hence thought that a name change was in order :-) Hence my moniker for this New Way of Working is Organizations 2.0 - focussing on how people, communities and companies are integrating this new approach to working :-)from Gautam Ghosh's Blog |Follow on Twitter | Connect on Linkedin | Become a fan on Facebook | Join the HR Professionals'…
Knowledge Work and Collaboration

Gautam Ghosh

29 Oct 2009 | 9:41 pm

A very insightful article in McKinsey's What matters column on the challenges of measuring productivity of collaboration in Knowledge workers, and also insightful comments. Primarily the article argues that while technology is deployed - productivity of collaboration is different than the way productivity is measured in the traditional deployment of technology. The article states: Our research suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that interactive work is done. Just…
Tweeting Better than Facebook within Organizations

Gautam Ghosh

26 Oct 2009 | 5:31 pm

Interesting post in the Blogspotting blog :) SocialText CEO Eugene Lee argues that Twitter might be a better model than Facebook for next-gen communications within companies, so-called Enterprise 2.0. Facebook's trouble? Reciprocal friending. The problem, he says, is that employees on corporate social networks start collecting friendships of execs. "Because the Rolodex is public, it becomes a matter of VP trading cards." A preferable model for corporate relationships, he says, is Twitter, where people lend their attention, not necessarily their friendship. In…

The Simplest Thing That Works
Sibling Revelry II

Erika Andersen

3 Nov 2009 | 9:05 am

A few weeks ago, I posted a dialogue my brother Kurt and I had about this "reset" time in our nation's history. A number of people said they enjoyed it, but thought it was too long for a single post. So I've split it in half: here's the second part.Continued from October 12...KA: You say, “In my experience, it’s even better if you have a whole senior team who come to that vision together (often with the visionary leader as catalyst)” Well, sure -- but my hands-on experience (in magazines, TV, the web and radio) is all startups, so it starts with the…
My Money Is Going Where?

Erika Andersen

29 Oct 2009 | 12:07 am

Recovery.org – Tracking Economic Recovery Spending.Lately I've found myself wondering what exactly the "recovery money" is being spent on. Here, by the grace of the internet, is a way to find out.This site seem to have pretty accurate, un-spun data about where all the money's going, and interesting reactions to that data, including which projects are "most discussed," considered "most worthwhile," and "most unnecesary" (and why).There's lots of pork, as you might suspect (my favorite being $8,000,000 worth of "fence" in Arizona), but there are also some pretty great things, including…
Making Work Better

Erika Andersen

19 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm

Give More Media | committed to making work better. The subtitle of my blog is "making work better." So today I Googled that phrase, just to see what came up. I found this great company called "Give More Media," whose whole purpose, in their words, is this: "Give More Media, Inc. is a group of people passionately committed to making work better. We do it by creating and publishing tools, information and material that help people get more meaning from their work." I love that something like this exists. (I'm going to buy their Margaret Mead note cards -…
Sibling Revelry

Erika Andersen

11 Oct 2009 | 9:47 pm

I've heard from a number of folks that they enjoyed this dialogue between my borther Kurt and me, but that they felt it was too long, and the font was too small. So I'm dividing it in half: the second half will be on November 3.My brother Kurt and I have both had books published in the past few months. His book, Reset, focuses on this unique time in our evolution as a nation, and how we need to think and act differently going forward. As you know, my book, Being Strategic, offers a mindset and a process for thinking constructively about your future, professionally or…
Ah-ha!

Erika Andersen

5 Oct 2009 | 10:28 pm

I've never been able to do Sudoku. Which has always irritated the hell out of me, and been puzzling as well, because I'm good - generally speaking - with numbers. I just couldn't find a way in: I'd look at a Sudoku puzzle in a newspaper, and I'd try random guesses for a few minutes, make no headway, and quit in frustration.Then this weekend Patrick and I were visiting his daughter Kate at school in Cleveland, and she told me two simple things about how to get a Sudoku started: what to look for, how to proceed. I felt as though someone had turned on a light in…

HR Maven
And the world turns

18 Oct 2009 | 2:47 pm

I took a brief break from blogging. The other part of my life is exceptionally busy and I just haven't made the time to update the HR world. While I was on break, other HR peeps were busy making it happen - here are a few of the groovy HR happens going on.CUPA HR is revving up in Vegas baby. Sorry I can't be there but CUPA always does it right for the higher ed peeps. You can follow them on Twitter, too.The super-coolest people are coming together for the HRevolution. Looking so hip, so fun and so un-conference. How much fun. Will miss them. :(While late to the party, Jon Ingham hosted a…
Reflections

2 Oct 2009 | 1:51 pm

Having recently hosted the HR Carnival, I jotted down some notes during the process with the intent of sharing them once I finished the post. Yeah, that was two weeks ago. Life interrupted with some normal chaos, but at least I am getting around to it.You should READ the HR Carnival posts. People in the HR blog-o-sphere WRITE GREAT STUFF. Seriously.The people who host these carnivals do a boatload of work. I read each submission - which is how I knew how GOOD each one was- and then wrote a brief description. I started the Sunday before my Carnival was posted and put a good 3 hours into…
A New Carnival in Town

2 Oct 2009 | 9:30 am

Another amazing collection of terrific articles, thoughts and observations on Talent Management over at Blogging4jobs. Check it out.
The Carnival

13 Sep 2009 | 12:50 pm

Back to school.These words can generate a wide range of responses. For some, like students, it's a deep sigh and a sag in the shoulders. For others, like parents, it's joyful, dancing glee. For me, I work in education; it's a wonderful time when faculty and students return and the campus hums with activity. For the HR Carnival, I thought about returning to school and all the energy that comes with it. So for this Carnival, I thought a nice theme with posts on ways to liven things up, straighten things out and/or make it fun. There are many posts - read them all! And welcome.Learning a few…
It's HR Carnival coming soon!

11 Sep 2009 | 6:04 am

Let's make this a 'back to school' extravaganza! What new and exciting things are you doing with your colleagues? Looking for ways to energize staff who are already thinking Christmas Vacation? Would LOVE your posts on ways to liven it up, straighten things out and/or make it fun. I have some wonderful submissions already (thanks Steve and Ben) and looking for great things from Trish, Jennifer and Mary Jo. Join a good group! Send me your submissions to deirdre@thehrmaven.com and I will get it posted on 9/16/09.

Thoughts from Training Time
Sorry for the hiatus! Changing roles equaled some things slipping

20 Oct 2009 | 7:18 am

Hi all, yes, we are still here, alive and well at Training Time! Sorry for the silence for the past week or so...we've had some priorities that shifted and our beloved blog fell through the cracks for a bit.But fear not! We are here, and ready to continue bringing you the best in training information, advice, tools, and yes, the much needed giggles now and then.One thing I would like to add to our blog is more of a dialog. What would you like to know about training? Send me the burning issues impacting your company's training program, or the hot button topics you see in the HR and training…
Training for the HR Department

14 Oct 2009 | 7:16 am

Most of the time when we think about training and HR, it's the HR department providing the training. But a lot of HR bloggers are talking about the need for HR itself to undergo some retraining.Trisha, at the HR Ringleader blog put out a call for re-branding the HR department and its functions, while Laurie at PunkRock HR thinks it may actually be too late.I think it's somewhere in the middle. Rebranding, while certainly something we need to do to clear up the real role of HR in the modern corporate world, is critical. But unlike Laurie, I'm not quite ready to stand poised with pen in hand,…
Improve your productivity at work with a few simple changes

1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am

For most of us, improving our productivity at work seems like an eternal work in progress. We sign up for seminars, attend workshops and read thousands of articles on productivity in hopes to create some extra time in our busy, busy days.Everyone’s process will be different, but there always seems to be a better way, a more efficient way to get things done. Implement a few of these simple changes and you may be surprised with the extra time you find in your workday.Write everything down. Don’t keep your to-do list bottled up in your mind, write it down and post it in a highly visible…
The grass is always greener... in the other cube?

25 Sep 2009 | 6:15 am

Ah, the great outdoors – green grass, blue skies, sunshine. Wouldn’t it be nice to bring a little bit of that into the office?Look no further than the Breathing Partition from Yanko Design (via Geek Sugar). These super-cool cube dividers come equipped with an automatic watering system and room for all your favorite plants.(Image via Yanko Design)So, maybe the grass is always greener … in a Yanko cube.
In a state of swine-flu "freakout" at work?

23 Sep 2009 | 9:35 am

(image via PassiveAggressiveNotes.com)Fall has arrived and flu season is just a few steps behind it, although this season is already proving to be anything but typical. Fear of catching the swine flu has played well above the usual fanfare that comes with any “normal” flu season.People are worried, but not without just cause. Some public health officials are describing the first wave of the swine flu pandemic, which hit the U.S. in May and June, as just a “foretaste” of the upcoming fall flu season.According to the official tally kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and…

Seiden Leadership
Email FAIL… & yes, it’s EPIC

Jason Seiden

6 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm

Email FAIL… & yes, it’s EPIC is an original piece from Seiden Leadership. We heard a fantastic email FAIL story the other night at our Chicago event, but that one had nothing on what just went down at Cornell. Ho. Ly. Crap. Do NOT let this happen to you. You can start by not screwing around. And since I know a good number of you will ignore that point, I should add: use discretion. By which I mean, avoid using email, text messages, voice mail, or other digital media that can be stored, copied, and forwarded (intentionally or unintentionally) to profess your illicit lust.
Thanks–Fail Spectacularly! was a huge success

Jason Seiden

5 Nov 2009 | 6:14 am

Thanks–Fail Spectacularly! was a huge success is an original piece from Seiden Leadership. Last night’s Fail Spectacularly! party was awesome, thanks to all the terrific people who turned out and shared their stories on stage for all to hear. Special thanks to Steve Boese for coming in to broadcast his HRHappyHour on site, and a personal thank you to Brian, Vince, Carol, Tammy, Jennifer, Angela, Andrew, Andrew’s fiance, Alexandra, and mom and dad for your support. Missed it? It’s not too late to join the party. Moving forward, We’ll be using Twitter’s…
How to Self-Destruct Giveaway Status

Jason Seiden

4 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm

How to Self-Destruct Giveaway Status is an original piece from Seiden Leadership. Wow… it’s Wed night and it’s now officially waitlist time! Thank you everyone who has taken me up on my offer for free books… here’s where things stand: No more emails, please… if you are still interested in getting your hands on a block of H2SD, please use this form. I don’t have enough time to manually process all the emails I’m getting, so… I need to cut that off. But that’s a good thing, I hope. As I’m processing orders from Monday and…
Fail Spectacularly! Party in Effect!

Jason Seiden

4 Nov 2009 | 2:59 pm

Fail Spectacularly! Party in Effect! is an original piece from Seiden Leadership. Steve Boese, Laurie Ruettimann, and I are in the house… and the house is looking good! Looking forward to seeing y’all tonight at Fail Spectacularly! If you can’t make it live, follow the goodness live via Steve’s HRHappyHour podcast or Twitter’s #failchicago tag! Here’s Steve and I goofing for a minute before go-time: Related Posts:Thanks--Fail Spectacularly! was a huge successJason & Elle: Live Your Whole LifeFail Spectacularly!Take a "Risk" & Be YourselfSteve Boese, HR…
Study Failure. Perspective Changes Everything.

Jason Seiden

3 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am

Study Failure. Perspective Changes Everything. is an original piece from Seiden Leadership. Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to look at it from a new perspective—literally. Turning a concept on its head—by breaking a single underlying assumption—is often enough to unlock the creative process and achieve a break through. You can go your whole life thinking all you want to do is succeed… wondering why it’s not happening for you faster… and then BAM, one day, you think about what it takes to FAIL, and realize that you’re doing as much to hold yourself…

Polly Pearson's Blog
The 2.0'ing of Business Behavior

polly pearson

2 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pm

When I share with people what I'm up to lately, my answers are often phrases like this: "Working on 2.0'ing EMC." "Building community and connections, aimed to better connect the people with the strategy." "Furthering the employment brand, and the EMC culture." Why? "Because people who feel engaged, respected, and connected build better relationships with customers and prospects, ... which furthers profit, revenue and shareholder value." "How can people salute the flag, if they don't even know the colors of the flag? (aka: How…
A Tipping Point for "People" at Work?

polly pearson

30 Oct 2009 | 1:28 pm

Something is going on. I feel it. Business people, journalists and professors are suddenly eager to discuss -- for real -- "Employees" as "People." And I'm not talking about HR-focused execs. It is happening with, and among the BUSINESS LEADERS. You know, those folks who care about the sale, the customers, the EPS, the share price, and about public image. Why do I think this? Well, I couldn't help but notice the media, consultant, talent search, and author interest which continues to grow like snow on a windshield on a winter New England day. (Sorry about…
Career Tips, apparently by Me.

polly pearson

21 Oct 2009 | 4:33 pm

Today I was a guest at a Lunch & Learn, where people from around the company gather in a conference room over lunch to ask questions in a casual manner, and learn about someone's career. Have you ever answered a few career-oriented questions, told a few career-oriented stories, and wondered what the audience got out of it, if anything at all?Following is an excerpt from an email of thanks I received from one of the attendees of today's event. It recaps her take aways. Move around to grow your network The great way to grow your career is to do the job, volunteer to help others,…
It isn't the Smart Idea. It is the addition of "Passion," + "Connections," that Bring Success.

polly pearson

15 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm

I spent the day yesterday with a room filled with 200-300 really smart people. Not just a little smart, but truly fabulously smart. There were finalists from our global innovation idea contest, distinguished engineers (our elite force), a fellow (turbo-elite), a few authors, a couple of CEOs, and in total, hand-selected, innovation-minded representatives from every major functional area at the company. [PHOTO: Three of EMC's tech elite Distinguished Engineers. Helen Raizen, Peter Madany, Dan Cobb. Taken during the Innovation Conference by talented EMCer, David Elmes.]If that…
Culture and Innovation

polly pearson

13 Oct 2009 | 4:44 pm

Tomorrow I am presenting on Culture & Innovation to the Massachusetts arm of EMC's annual Innovation Conference and Idea Showcase. My message will be on the inversion of the command & control pyramid. The upside down version, if you will, invites ideas and interaction from every member of the company community to join with those at generated at the classic "top" of the company. In a word, we all get "More."More insightsMore ideasMore contextMore bullet-proofingMore engagementMore people "working for the cause"More passionMore funMore results!! I recall the wisdom of EMC's founding…

Inflexion Point
Immigration and HRevolution

mark.stelzner

6 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

News flash - sourcing talent can be tough. Sourcing talent across international borders can be even tougher. And as many of you are painfully aware, coping with immigration and visa processing for talent is just not something that gets HR professionals excited. It can be complicated, time consuming, and the application process can be very competitive. And given today’s environment, it’s unclear whether demand is increasing or decreasing. Just last week the Wall Street Journal ran a story about the economic downturn causing a slump in H-1B applications, while this week BusinessWeek…
What Costume Are You Wearing?

mark.stelzner

28 Oct 2009 | 10:48 am

It’s that time of year again. Yes, Halloween, when the office environment starts to convert into something that may be scariest of all to HR. Fortunately, my fellow bloggers have done a tremendous job covering parties at the office, your favorite spirits, dressing up at work and even memories from childhood. If you work in an office, you’ve probably already heard about the “awesome” and “crazy” ideas that your colleagues have planned for Friday. Some will love it, some will hate it, and some could really care less. All this talk about Halloween made me…
The Future of HR - Why “Do Nothing” Is An Option

mark.stelzner

22 Oct 2009 | 7:02 am

Let’s face it people. When it comes to fundamental change, many of us are not self-starters. Unless we know that there is some impending event that will result in overt embarrassment, financial duress or physical peril, we find it difficult to get off our duffs and dig into many of those perpetual issues that plague us. This is on my mind as I prepare to lead a session at the upcoming HRevolution. My enviable topic? Just a little something called, “The Future of HR”. No biggie. You know me…. I’ll just dust off the ‘ole crystal ball and help facilitate a…
7 Flu Tips for Stubborn Employees

mark.stelzner

15 Oct 2009 | 9:59 am

I have the flu. Despite combing through CDC materials and surfing way too many other sites, I’m still uncertain whether it’s the garden variety seasonal flu or the more “exotic” H1N1/swine strain. No matter. It’s winning and I don’t consider myself an easy target. You see, I’m a stubborn employee. I’m one of those fools who is under the mistaken belief that my active little cog in the wheel of commerce cannot stop moving. I don’t take sick days. I don’t miss business trips. I push and push and push because “I’m…
HR Tech Conference - Observations & Conclusions

mark.stelzner

6 Oct 2009 | 7:05 am

In my mind, the difference between a good conference and a bad conference is staying power. Ask yourself this - How long do the issues discussed, the ideas generated and opportunities for growth stick with you post-event? By that measurement, the 2009 HR Technology Conference was a rousing success. Before I jump into my final thoughts, I’d like to point you to the musings of some of my fellow blogging attendees: Steve Boese offers three good conference related posts worth reading. You can find them here, here and here. Lance Haun reminds us that “Being Effective in HR Isn’t…

The Talent Buzz
Tweetajob.com CEO Interview

Jason

3 Nov 2009 | 4:15 pm

I had the chance to connect with Carmen Hudson, CEO of tweetajob at the OnRec / Kennedy Information conference. I asked Carmen a few questions about the benefits for Recruiters and Companies to utilize their services vs. other twitter job posting services on the market. Tweetajob is an exciting, innovative recruiting platform that leverages Twitter for [...]
Social Media Recruiting & Web 2.0

Jason

2 Nov 2009 | 10:08 pm

Thank you to everyone who was able to join me for last weeks #HCI and #Recruit webinar on Web 2.0 Recruiting and the Recruiting Budget. If you were not able to attend, I have included the slides here. Recruiting With Social Media View more documents from Jason Buss. November 2, 2008 — Recruiting Webinar: Escaping the Budget [...]
Yet Another Attempt for .jobs

Jason

1 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm

No, it’s not a late April fools joke. The millions of pages online from other job boards and career sites apparently aren’t enough, as Direct Employers is moving into a joint venture with Employ Media and and will be adding tens of thousands of dot-jobs boards and pages. In a post written 3 months ago, “Rest [...]
Top 10 Job Search & Job Seeker iPhone Apps

Jason

1 Nov 2009 | 6:41 am

Over 1 billion apps downloaded on the App Store and counting… And as you can probably guess, yeah, there’s and app for that (anything you can imagine related to a job search including, researching companies, developing or beaming your Resume, prepping for an interview, searching for jobs, and career counseling). Don’t waste your time or money more [...]
Job Board Coupons! What Next?

Jason

29 Oct 2009 | 8:21 pm

Updated: 10/30/09 If you haven’t used your job board coupons, time is running out! In an e-mail earlier this week, SHRM sent an e-mail blast notifying Recruiters that the job board coupons from their job posting center, powered by JobTarget, expire at the end of the year. Seriously. Original Post: 1/8/09 I never thought I’d live to see [...]

Simplicity at the other side of complexity
Paradox of 'business orientation of HR'

16 Oct 2009 | 10:57 pm

This post allows me to come back to one of the key themes for this blog – exploring the paradoxes in the Human Resources (HR) domain. Based on more than a decade of experience in HR, I can confidently say that HR is a field that is rich in paradoxes (Please see 'Paradox of HR systems' , 'Paradox of potential assessment', 'Career planning and the myth of Sisyphus', 'Paradox of hiring good people and letting them decide' and 'Crazy HR for crazy times' - for some examples).A paradox occurs when there are multiple perspectives/opinions (doxa) that exist alongside (para)- each of which is true -…
The power of ‘carrot and stick’

16 Aug 2009 | 10:51 pm

It seems rather ‘regressive’ for someone who calls himself an ‘Organization Development Professional’ to write a post on ‘the power of carrot and stick’. Haven’t we transcended the ‘carrot and stick’ method of motivating employees a long time ago (at least after Frederick Herzberg came up with the ‘two-factor'/'motivation - hygiene’ theory almost 50 years ago)?The objective of this post is not to recommend or to praise the ‘carrot and stick method’. It is just to examine the actual situation in this domain (in terms of both theory and practice) and to explore the…
The leadership sandwich

19 Apr 2009 | 7:26 am

This is a 'thinking aloud' kind of post. Usually, I find it difficult to do 'thinking aloud' kind of activities. My reasons (rationalizations!) for this revolve around my personality type (INTJ or 'Dominant Introverted Intuition' - in MBTI/'type dynamics' terms). Of late, I have been reading some books written by Alan Watts and I came across the the following "It is surely a kind of spiritual pride to refrain from 'thinking out loud', and to be unwilling to let a thesis appear in print until you are prepared to champion it to the death. Philosophy, like science, is a social function, for a…
Career development and 'sublimation'

28 Mar 2009 | 1:16 pm

Since the words ‘career’ and ‘sublimation’ have many meanings/interpretations, let us begin by defining these terms - for the (limited) purpose of our discussion.Career – pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement where one takes up positions of increasing responsibility, complexity & contributionSublimation - change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid (so we are using the 'Chemistry' meaning of 'sublimation' - as opposed that in 'Psychology')Now that we have got the definitions out of the way, let us come back to the issue at hand. These…
In the wonderland of HR Business Partners – Part 1

14 Nov 2008 | 7:31 am

The posts in this series constitute some sort of 'random' walks in the wonderland of HR Business Partners (HRBPs). Since our objective here is to explore the terrain (and not to reach anywhere in particular), we have the liberty of adopting the amazingly liberating philosophy of "if we take any path and walk long enough on it we are bound to get somewhere".There are a wide range of HR roles that go by the HR Business Partner (HRBP) title. For the purpose of our discussion, let us focus on ‘pure’ HRBPs – HRBPs whose role is that of being a strategic business partner - to the business…

LeapComp - Sales Performance Management Blog
Influence Insiders on BlogTalkRadio

Julien Dionne

2 Nov 2009 | 4:35 pm

I’ve been too busy to write regularly on this blog and now I’m getting in ‘another thing’. I can’t believe I’m taking on anymore ‘work’, but I think this one could actually be really fun. Paul Hebert of I2I brought together a group of thought leaders in different areas of business and influence and started the Influence Insiders. The Influence Insiders BlogTalkRadio show will be the first Wednesday of every month, 12:00-1:00 pm eastern time. Our first show will be this coming Wednesday, so don’t miss it! We’ve set up our station at:…
Ghosts, Zombies and Sales Performance Horror Story

Julien Dionne

2 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm

Halloween is all about spooky stuff; monsters of all kinds, vampires and other undead creatures, evil pirates, killer bunnies… But the world of Sales Performance can also be a very scary place. Today seems to be a good time to share another horror story. The story goes like this: Eircom, the principal provider of fixed-line telecommunications services in Ireland, is not having the greatest year. When they realized that things were not going as well as they should, they decided to take some drastic measures. First, they decided not to pay bonus commissions to sales staff for the first three…
Sales Comp Ownership

Mike

21 Oct 2009 | 5:46 am

I recently read a blog post on the topic of who owns sales compensation. I get asked this question a lot and it got me to thinking about recent trends in “ownership” and the potential implications. Earlier this year OpenSymmetry conducted a survey on compensation management practices. The survey builds on the research my old colleagues and I conducted the previous seven years and several of the questions deal with ownership of the sales compensation program. Of the 100+ companies that participated, 31% indicated that sales owns the program, 21% said finance and 17% said HR (the remaining…
Team Performance Poll

admin

8 Oct 2009 | 5:43 pm

I am in the process of studying for the ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt exam. For those not familiar with Six Sigma, it is a framework and tool set to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and variability in business processes - which is also relevant to incentive compensation related processes. One of the study book I am using had the question from yesterday’s poll. When I read it, I was thinking exactly what Paul pointed out in his comment; it doesn’t seem like there’s a best answer here. On one hand I want to reward…
6 Oct 2009 | 6:41 pm

admin

6 Oct 2009 | 6:41 pm

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

HC3 - THE NEXT GENERATION OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Being Loyal

18 Oct 2009 | 8:39 am

One of my favorite bloggers is the Venting HRguy over at http://ventinghrguy.blogspot.com/He is amusing, but more importantly on target with a lot of the "people" issues HR folks deal with every day. One of his latest posts prop'd the question if you knew you were not staying in a job for ever or even that long, would you act the same or make the friends we so often do?Great question. Just because you might not have career aspirations at your company is not a reason to withdraw socially. First I believe its important to like your work environment and making a few acquaintances and friends…
Never say Never

14 Oct 2009 | 6:38 pm

Well maybe I was a little fast on the trigger shutting down the site. Lets just say I am on a "vacation" for a little while longer. Lots of my followers have reached out and asked what gives. Well lets just say that HC3 is my night time persona (sorry my day time identity is strictly off limits). I have walked the tightrope in the past and in the future there will certainly be a separation of church and state. I know I have written on this (oh well everything in the past has been removed )....sometimes we all need to clean the slate...check back soon!
You can reach me at:

23 Sep 2009 | 8:38 am

humancapital3@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at "HC3"
My Last Post - I am Closing Shop

27 Aug 2009 | 4:57 pm

Every book has a final chapter. This is mine.Blogging has been a good experience. I have met some great people both in and outside my business and personal space. For now I am shutting down. Many of you have my contact info. and can continue to chat with me. I wish Health and Happiness to you all.May you all live your dreams!

EffortlessHR Blog
Managing Change

Lola Kakes

6 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm

The elections are finally behind us and the political ads are over – at least for now.President Obama has reiterated that he is an agent for change – change in how government works, change in who we are in the global experience, change in many other ways.So, what is change? All organizations go through change.There might be a change in management, or a change in policy, change in staff, change in location, change in customers, and even change in size of the organization as in mergers and acquisitions.We even face change in our personal lives – change in marital status,…
Health Care Reform – Some thoughts

Lola Kakes

9 Sep 2009 | 9:51 am

What’s a small company to do if required to offer health insurance? This is a question many small business owners are facing. The federal government is gearing up to tell the American business owner: When or how to form a union When to provide paid sick leave When to provide paid family medical leave and When to provide health care benefits All of these issues are important – not only to the business owner but to the employees that they hire. There are really three perspectives that we need to look at: The HR Perspective The Business Perspective The Government Perspective The HR…
Understanding Diversity in the Workplace

Lola Kakes

8 Sep 2009 | 2:52 pm

As a business owner, consultant, and entrepreneur I have been told by many small business owners that “diversity” is really only applicable to larger businesses.When asked what diversity means to them (the small business owner), many respond it is about differences in race or gender.It is not about making the workplace a better place in which to work, but more about following the law. I believe that diversity is really about being open to the global community and being prepared to respond to inquiries and ideas from a diverse community.If one truly understands the diverse culture…
Carnival of HR for July 08

Aaron Queen

8 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

EffortlessHR is honored to be hosting this week’s Carnival of HR. Thanks to HR Minion for keeping track and organizing the carnivals! As this is our first time hosting the carnival, please forgive any mistakes. Plenty of posts came in this week, so without further delay, let’s get going: Jason Seiden was the first to submit his article and writes about how social media is blending our personal and professional lives, making it harder to hide behind corporate facades in his post entitled “Ethics, social media, and… “profersonalism” Susannah from Advorto…
EffortlessHR.com Introduces New Pricing Model

Aaron Queen

2 Jul 2009 | 1:34 pm

We have been hard at work with our new pricing plans and are proud to announce that effective today, you can find our new pricing at http://www.effortlesshr.com/ Our lowest cost plan is just $29.95/month and includes a full featured online HR Software solution. Let us know what you think and if we are crazy or not for offering the most affordable Online HRIS in the world. Related Articles Archos Vision PMPs get UK pricing, August release Windows 7 pricing: Some users fume as the rose-colored discounts … Windows 7E pricing for limited time Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog |…

Maximize Possibility Blog
This Week's Featured Possibility Maximizer: The Marshall Goldsmith Library

Rainman

6 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am

Every week I like to feature a resource that I feel will help you Maximize Possibility in your organization and your life at work. This week I would like to feature an excellent collection of online resources from one of my favorite business minds: Marshall Goldsmith. The Resource: The Marshall Goldsmith Library What it Covers: The Marshall Goldsmith Library is a powerful online collection of articles and other resources from one of the most influential business thinkers of our time. On this site you will find a wide variety of resources including research articles, white papers, podcasts,…
Carnival of Leadership Development is Live at Great Leadership by Dan

Rainman

2 Nov 2009 | 9:53 pm

The latest Carnival of Leadership Development is up and live at Dan McCarthy's Great Leadership blog. Head on over for a great collection of almost 50 leadership and talent management posts from a wide range of the industry's top bloggers! While you're there be sure to browse around Dan's blog... I promise you won't be disappointed!
The Rainmaker 'Fab Five' Blog Picks of the Week

Rainman

1 Nov 2009 | 11:20 pm

I like to start every week by pointing you to my choices for the top five talent management, leadership development, and human resource management blog posts from the past week. Here's what I've enjoyed reading this past week: Don't Let Your Strength Become Your Weakness - Researchers interviewed 18,000 U.K. leaders over a decade (1999 to 2009) to discover what derailed them under pressure. They identified 11 derailers — strengths which turned into flaws under pressure. Watch for a future blog post I am writing titled - "Is Your Organization Too Politically Correct?". A Better Way…
Are You a Victim of "Satisfactory" Performance?

Rainman

31 Oct 2009 | 3:57 pm

A reader comment on my recent blog highlighting the importance of employee performance measurement got me thinking about how we frame the idea of employee performance management. One reader writes: I think if the work is getting done satisfactorily that an employee is performing well. I can't get over one word in the sentence above: satisfactory - what an un-inspiring word! As I see it, when it comes to employee performance, this is a word that equates to good enough and encourages the minimum effort required to get by. I don't mean to imply that workers don't want to do...
This Week's Featured Possibility Maximizer: Log Me In Free

Rainman

30 Oct 2009 | 6:23 am

Every week I like to feature an online resource that I feel will help you in your quest to Maximize Possibility in your organization and your life at work. I have a great resource for you this week that allows you to remotely access any computer you work on for free. The Resource: Log Me In Free What It Is: Log Me In is a totally free software download that allows you to remotely access any computer you install the software on from anywhere you have internet access. When you access your computer via Log Me In Free you will...

Profitability Through Human Capital
Why Do Good Programs Fail?

2 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pm

We have so many programs at work. The list is long and varied... 1) Change Management Programs 2) Employee Engagement Programs 3) Team Building Programs 4) Customer Service Programs 5) Six Sigma Programs 6) Pay for Performance Programs 7) Putting Customers First Programs 8) Going Green Programs 9) Casual Day Friday Programs (attempt at humor, not serious about this one) 10) Wellness Programs 12) Process Improvement Programs And so on.....and so on. I have to ask myself, why do well intentioned programs like the ones above fail to deliver on their original promises? In case there…
Is it Change Management or Strategy Implementation?

27 Oct 2009 | 8:50 am

So many times we are asked to address a change issue with a client. Every time when we as consultants do our homework we find that yes a change is occurring but a program is not the answer. As an HR professional now for more years that I would like to admit, I have had a fundamental issue with change management. It’s not an event that we can express on a coffee mug or a t-shirt, it is about a new desired business result. Either we are looking to increase revenue, increase profit, or to be more efficient. To be able to SUSTAIN any of these results, doesn’t change have to be continuous? And…
What Are You Doing to Engage Your Employees, Today?

20 Oct 2009 | 6:29 pm

We had the pleasure of attending the SHRM-Atlanta Fall Conference this week. At the conference, we had the opportunity to ask HR practitioners what they were doing inside their companies to engage their employees. Check out the YouTube videos below:The HR professionals we interviewed discussed a common theme of "making connections" regarding employee engagement. The examples are summarized below:1) Make sure employees know they are valued. (Connect with employees on an emotional level)2) Take care of your employees, so they take care of your customers. (Happy employee-happy customer…
Employee Engagement in One Minute

12 Oct 2009 | 9:51 am

Sometimes, simpler is just better. I am a management consultant and I find myself making easy things more complex from time to time. I guess we feel the more complex something is, the more we know about a subject.My business partner ran across this YouTube Video on engagement. It is the best one I have seen. Simple, yet so true!According to Drewberry LTD, the 3 tiers of employee engagement are:1) to understand2) to reward3) to communicateAll very easy, yet we as managers and business owners can't get this right. We are terrible at asking our employees what they think, or how they would solve…
SUSTAIN the CHANGE

5 Oct 2009 | 10:45 am

I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the topic of change. It seems that most of our clients are currently going through some kind of change, like:1) I want to take our business to the next level in terms of revenue/growth2) I want my company to be performance driven where decisions are more data driven3) I need to change our company's culture from _______ culture to NEW cultureAs a management consultant this is fun and exciting work. But inevitably, we get to a certain point in the project and leaders/stakeholders begin asking questions such as:1) Do we really want to do this?2)…

hr bartender
The Red Purse Story

hr bartender

5 Nov 2009 | 4:52 am

You know I’ve written about the connection between transparency and social media in the past. Invariably, when I mention transparency, someone asks about handling those situations that go wrong. And, my reply is always the same – even the best companies hit speed bumps. It’s how you deal with them that defines you to your customers. To give an example, let me share my all-time favorite customer service story. One day I’m waiting for an appointment, thumbing through the latest issue of Oprah Magazine. As I scan Oprah’s must-have fashion items for Spring, I see a really cute…
Because You Can’t Do It Alone

hr bartender

4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

Besides one of my favorite holidays – Halloween – last week was just full of activity for me. It’s one of those weeks where you realize how cool your life is, how many wonderful people are in your network, and how grateful you are for the opportunities presented. I wanted to share with you just a little bit of my week so you can see what I mean. I started out the week moderating a panel discussion on retaining top performers at IQPC’s Talent Management Summit in Chicago. It’s always terrific when you get to put faces with avatars so I was excited to meet Michelle…
Asking (and Answering) Questions

hr bartender

3 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

Someone recently sent me the following question: We don’t have an HR department in my company. What are the legalities of a person suspected being drunk on the job? We have very strong suspicions. We’ve pointed it out to the employee’s boss with no results. It interferes greatly with our work day and attitude. First of all, I’m not a lawyer and this shouldn’t be considered legal advice. This also isn’t the Dr. Drew show so I can’t just shoot out a snappy reply. And that’s really the point. I’ve done many workplace investigations over the…
H1N1 in the Workplace – A FREE Course for Business

hr bartender

29 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am

Let’s face it – staffing levels are at their lowest in years. Having a person out sick for a day, much less several days, could cause a significant hardship to your business. Recent media reports suggest that approximately 35% of all companies are likely to have their operations severely affected if a major H1N1 outbreak occurs. For the past few months, the Bartender has been spreading the word about the significance of this virus and over the weekend, President Obama declared a national emergency. I know we’ve all been reading and watching news reports about the H1N1 but how much do we…
The October 28 Carnival of HR – Halloween Spirits Version

hr bartender

28 Oct 2009 | 1:00 am

When I lived in Cincinnati, our neighborhood had an interesting tradition for Halloween. As the kids went from house to house collecting candy treats, the parents would tag along for an “adult” treat. No fooling. You can just imagine what this looked like after a few blocks. Since Halloween is in a couple of days, I thought I would attempt to recreate this Cincinnati memory. But in a much safer environment – your own office. Here you can “trick or treat” by visiting the best blogs around the globe and indulging in our bloggers’ favorite beverages. To start us off,…

Powerdyme
40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

5 Nov 2009 | 8:05 pm

If you are running short on time but also running short on inspiration, take 2 minutes and watch this:
On a Personal Note: Apple Tells My iPhone Story

22 Oct 2009 | 2:59 am

A couple of months ago I received a call from the folks at Apple because they wanted to do a profile vignette about how I use the iPhone in my practice. I had a great day with their team. They met me at my house at 6:30 AM and followed me at my practice all day long. My patients and staff were gracious and willing to pitch in. We finished the day at about 10:30 PM. I'm impressed with Apple's commitment to excellence and willingness to go the extra mile. If you would like to meet some ofRead More...
Reigniting Corporate Culture: The Power of Employee Engagement

31 Aug 2009 | 4:48 am

Just wait 'till you've watched the video embedded in this blog entry. I've watched it a couple of times now and the more I ponder it, the more significant I think it is. At first, it made me laugh. I had to. I couldn't help it. But, carry it around in your noggin for a couple of days and you might start to think differently about the impact you could have at work if you were fully engaged. No doubt, negativity is contagious and can spread like cancer. But, I believe, an engaged and entRead More...
Lessons on Employee Productivity and Employee Resiliency: Farming and Focus

8 Jul 2009 | 11:49 am

(Thanks to Futurilla for the photo.)Peter Bregman, on his blog at Harvard Publishing, wrote an interesting article entitled "Why You Need to Fail". I encourage you to read it. He quotes Dr. Carol Dweck, professor at Stanford University, on her research into why people give up VS why some folks press on and overcome. Read More...
What is Your Purpose, Who's in Control and Why Take the Risk of Putting Others First?

4 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

In 1933, during his inaugural address, Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."He went on to say, "Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be minRead More...

i2i - Incentive Intelligence
Sales Motivation Research Has Charitable Impact - Thank You

Paul Hebert

5 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm

I'm bouncing off to the HRevolution Conference in Louisville, KY tomorrow and will be doing some windshield time - thinking about my "unconference" session and what the heck I'm going to say. Being an unconference I'm gambling on the fact I don't really have to prepare too much. Of course you know I will :-) But while I'm dodging cherry-tops and looking for Starbucks off the interstate I want to thank those of you who read my post on the Sales Motivation Research conducted by Paul Beaumont out of the UK and responded. Paul hit all his targets and has some great information that will be…
Premier Episode - Influence Insiders on Blogtalkradio - May I Have Your Attention?

Paul Hebert

5 Nov 2009 | 4:36 am

Yesterday at Noon EST you may have felt a slight disturbance in the Force. That was the exact moment when the first episode of a monthly discussion on how to influence your audience hit the airwaves (more accurately the internet waves.)(Note: as of 7:30am Nov. 5 - the blogtalkradio site was having some issues - player may not work - check back please...one of the pitfalls of free services I guess.) Influence Insiders has one episode in the "can" so to speak and you can jump in and listen via the embedded player to the right, or out at blogtalkradio. The show lasted an hour so grab a…
Deming and Systems in Today's Business World - No Answers Just Questions

Paul Hebert

3 Nov 2009 | 6:07 am

In the last few weeks I've seen a couple of people quote Deming saying "95% of the problems in business are system driven and only 5% are people driven." (Or similar to that.)Based on that simple statement it would seem that you should spend 95% of your time on improving the process in order to get your biggest bang for your buck no? Seems logical. If that's the case - don't run incentives or reward programs - pour all your money into system design and try to create a system that is fool proof.But not really...One of the people that used that Deming quote was @bobcorlett - who runs…
A Face Made For Radio - Conversations About Influence - New Blogtalkradio Show

Paul Hebert

30 Oct 2009 | 6:10 am

Move Over Howard Stern My father always said he had a face made for radio - and due to the vagaries of genetics - I've inherited that trait. Always looking to turn a weakness into a strength I'm playing host to a new radio show - brought to you by the magic of the internet. Through Blogtalkradio you can, using only your phone, listen and contribute to a discussion on how to influence and drive business performance through employees, channel partners and consumers. And as a bonus it will be a bit of fun. The Format This isn't really my show - it's a collaborative effort. Over the…

About.com Human Resources
It's the Economy: Little Job Creation

5 Nov 2009 | 5:42 am

My accountant told me recently that, to her knowledge, not a single one of her clients offered employee raises in 2009. The economic outlook is too foggy and employers are uncertain about where and how political decisions at both the state level and the federal level will impact their companies. At the same time, the engine of job creation is sputtering. In the IT industry, near and dear to my heart, and provided as an example, some older companies are expanding their employment ranks, while others such as Microsoft are shedding jobs. But the real story is that startup companies that can…
Pursue Happiness at Work

4 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

Next week is Pursuit of Happiness Week, so I'm featuring some articles about how to manage those aspects of your work life that contribute to your happiness at work. Getting along with your boss and holding on to your job are excellent places to start if you value success and happiness at work. The best place to start first is to love your work. If you love your work, just about everything work related can be managed. Consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, Your Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life. In a hurry? Try Ten Days to a Happier, More Successful Career and Life. Image…
Write Company Stories

3 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am

November is National Life Writing Month and Family Stories Month so I've been thinking about how writing and stories affect work culture. It's not such a big leap to move from your personal life stories to the workplace. I have long encouraged you to write your personal vision statement, your goals, and your company strategic plan so that you and your coworkers are grounded and feel connected to a whole greater than yourselves. It strikes me that writing out your company history and stories is equally important. Whether available in your company handbook, a company history book, or shared in…
Deadbeat Employees: Made or Born?

1 Nov 2009 | 8:42 pm

A reader requested an article about managing deadbeat employees quite a while ago. It took me some time to write it - not because I don't think it's an important topic - I do - but here's the deal. Deadbeat employees, for the most part, are made, not born. For most of them, it's not nature but nurture in our workplaces. The majority of your employees do not start work at your company thinking, I'd like to become a difficult, deadbeat employee. Nor, do they get up in the morning planning how to screw up their day - and yours, even if it may not always seem this way. They come onboard excited,…
Become a Better Business Presenter - Almost Instantly

1 Nov 2009 | 2:57 am

Today's new article, while hardly a comprehensive guide to making effective business presentations, does offer you my most important tips for speaking to groups. I had to learn all of these the hard way and my stories are legion from the process. Perhaps these tips will shorten your learning curve and calm the fear of speaking queasiness you may experience at the thought of speaking to groups. Starting today, this is World Communication Week. Beginning with today's lead article, I'll focus on some successful communication skills and considerations. Let's start with how to give feedback with…

Michael Specht - HR, Recruitment, Enterprise 2.0, Social Media, and technology
Twitter Lists for All

Michael Specht

30 Oct 2009 | 9:36 pm

For the last couple of months Twitter has been testing out a new feature, Lists, and as of yesterday Lists were available to all users. So what is a list? Anyone can curate and publish lists, so if you have an idea for one, just click “New list” in the sidebar of your Twitter account and you’re on your way. Add accounts to a list using the “Lists” drop drown on a profile page. We believe Lists will be a new discovery mechanism for great tweets and accounts. The ability to group Twitter accounts into personalised but meaningful groups that provide you a real time…
Talent Management Power Blog?

Michael Specht

28 Oct 2009 | 1:24 pm

Yes it seems I have risen to the ranks of a power blog for the first time. Yep I appeared today on the Fistful of Talent/HR Capitalist’s 5th listing of the top 30 blogs on talent management. Previous listing have been judged by humans to determine if a blog was to be included. This time the selection process was a little different. They used HubSpot’s Website Grader tool. To quote FOT: They evaluate “marketing effectiveness” which is based on a proprietary algorithm that blends over 50 different variables including search engine data, traffic, backlinks, etc. Now we…
Crowdsourcing promotions?

Michael Specht

26 Oct 2009 | 10:04 pm

I am a firm believer in the whole “Wisdom of Crowds” process so this article in The Age today made me think a bit. Austereo, Australia radio network, had teamed up with Jelli a US network to provide Australians with the first 24 hour a day crowdsourced radio show. Basically listeners go online to vote on what they will hear next, with the next song being determined only 2 seconds before the end of the current one. This got me thinking. Could an organisation crowdsource promotions, or placements? Yes I know this might upset some of my readers but think about it most employees…
Some unrelated thoughts

Michael Specht

26 Oct 2009 | 12:26 am

The famous Web 2.0 Summit wrapped up late last week with lots and lots of product announcements and more news stories than I could ever hope to digest. (Not helped by the fact that I have been sick for about 4 days now.) Anyway here are a few summary items: If teens are confused by Twitter but love Facebook what does that tell us? Could it be the nature of the communication, to quote the NY Times: “Many people use it for professional purposes — keeping connected with industry contacts and following news,” said Evan Williams, Twitter’s co-founder and chief executive. “Because it’s…
It’s all about the message

Michael Specht

24 Oct 2009 | 7:26 pm

A lack of clear communication is cited as a common cause of many relationships failures, be they personal or professional. Many a study has shown that clearly communicating the employment deal up front is a critical first step in having an engaged employee. This should be obvious, no one likes to buy a product only to find out that the advertising misled us. If you have not been watching The Apprentice Australia, spend a moment and watch the video below, skip to 3:30 and see what one of Australia’s top businessmen thinks of misleading advertising. Even if it is slightly grey. Which…

TalentedApps
What is a reasonable time to competence?

Meg Bear

6 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am

Without a doubt acquiring a new skill is hard. It takes time, practice and a willingness to fail. I do not want to suggest that you should only attempt those things that you already know or do well. That is just silly. You should challenge yourself every day to try new things and learn new skills, just remember that some skills might not be within reach for you. You might gain a basic level of competence after a lot of hard work but for some things you will never be outstanding. This is a universal truth [always remember you are unique, just like everyone else]. So what happens…
Asking for help

Meg Bear

4 Nov 2009 | 6:14 pm

These last two weeks I’ve been asking for a lot of help. I thought it might be a good idea to give some tips on the subject, for those of you who might find the process troubling or intimidating. Here are a few tips I’ve learned that can increase the probability of getting the help you need to succeed. Getting help is a bit of a numbers game. Be willing to ask for help early and often. Recognize that people do not often say “no” they just fail to come through. This is part of the process and is nothing to be discouraged about. It is also nothing to hold…
What a Treat! The Leadership Carnival is here!

Amy Wilson

2 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pm

Consider all the goodies you get from Dan’s Great Leadership blog regularly and then multiply that by 30. That’s a full bag of candy! Consider taking the day off just to eat read these treats … including our own post referring back to Dan’s Talent Management Challenge … oh my, I think I’ve gone into a sugar coma!
One of my Favorite Books. Free. This week.

Amy Wilson

2 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am

I am huge fan of Jason Seiden’s How to Self Destruct. I read it in July and found it to be funny, insightful, and speaking directly to me as an aspiring leader at Oracle. Jason is weeks away from unveiling his next book, Super Staying Power (which I have pre-ordered). In the meantime, he’s giving away as many How to Self Destruct books as he can until this Friday, November 6. Check it out and get these books for your deserving leaders!
HR: Why Improve Your Analytical Intelligence?

Mark Bennett

30 Oct 2009 | 1:57 pm

Hey! Come back! Before you roll your eyes on this one, start having flashbacks to terrible experiences with calculating standard deviations, or trying to wrap your head around multiple regression analysis, and then run screaming from this post, this is not about you trying to become an expert at statistics! Trust me! It’s about you understanding how analytical tools and methods can help HR have an impact on applying talent to strategic success. Besides, no less than Josh Bersin said at the recent HR Technology Conference® 2009 Talent Management Analyst Panel, “Get used to it.” And…

Steve Boese's HR Technology
See you at the HRevolution

Steve

6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

Today I, along with about 50 smart, talented, and fantastic HR folks will descend on Louisville, KY for the first ever HRevolution. The HRevolution is the original and only 'Unconference' for HR professionals focused on blogging, social media, technology, and a little topic called 'The Future of HR'. The event is a classic and wonderful example of a community coming together to share, learn, and try and make ourselves and the HR profession better. But communities have to have something to rally around, and they often need leaders that can motivate and inspire people. And in the case of…
Personalizing the Enterprise System

Steve

4 Nov 2009 | 3:23 am

In the last couple of weeks I have written about the how the lines between traditional enterprise software and external consumer social networking sites are blurring, and theorized that companies and systems that embrace this new reality would be in the best position for future success. Not everyone agreed with me of course. Yesterday I caught a news release from enterprise software company Sage Software, announcing a strategic partnership between Sage, primarily an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution provider for mid-market organizations, and Netvibes, a classic Web 2.0 provider of…
Failure and Fun

Steve

3 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am

Tomorrow night, Wednesday November 4th, I will be attending the Fail Spectacularly event at Joe's Bar in Chicago, Illinois. The 'Fail' event is hosted by Jason Seiden of Seiden Leadership and Laurie Ruettimann of PunkRock HR and is meant to give folks impacted by the crappy economy a chance to get up on stage, in front of over 200 assorted strangers and friends, and share their stories. And if hosting a rocking, free party for the good people of Chicago is not enough, Jason has offered to give away boxes of his fantastic first book, 'How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of…
BYOT - Bring Your own Technology

Steve

2 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

Spent some time Sunday morning (the extra hour of 'sleep' we got in the US), reading some excerpts from a book titled 'The Tower and the Cloud', Chapter One : 'The Gathering Cloud: Is this the End of the Middle' by Richard Katz. The book is an examination of the technological changes and forces at work that will dramatically impact and inevitably alter the structure and delivery of higher education in the US and worldwide. One of the Flickr - prestamost interesting observations from the first chapter concerns the how the academic institution will be effected by the increasingly…
Can Compliance be Strategic?

Steve

30 Oct 2009 | 4:45 am

Last night on the HR Happy Hour Show I tossed out the idea that perhaps to further the HR organization's ability to pursue more strategic objectives and more value-added activities, that the traditional 'compliance' related functions be spun-off to another part of the organization, (perhaps finance and accounting). My (shallow) reasoning was simple: if HR departments are truly getting bogged down in compliance and and administrivia, why not spin off those functions to another department (or outsource them)? Shedding those non-strategic processes, I proposed, would really empower the HR…

Recruitment Directory
96% of Recruiters source Candidates through mainstream Job Boards

4 Nov 2009 | 4:30 am

The RCSA has just released the latest Quarterly Business Manager Survey results for the 3rd Quarter 2009. Contained within the past 2 surveys, is a question regarding the "media used to source candidates". Although the survey is only a small sample of Recruitment Agencies across Australia & New Zealand, I have grouped together the past 2 survey results, to better represent any trends over the past 6 months.
Job Board Statistics - Oct 09

1 Nov 2009 | 10:55 pm

Australian Job Board Statistics measuring the total unique browsers between October 2008 and October 2009. Data source - Nielsen NetRatings. SEEK 3.829m, CareerOne 1.578m, MyCareer 1.249m
Rejecting Candidates based on IP Address

29 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pm

We now rely on using technology in the recruitment process more than ever. But should we place 100% of our trust in rejecting candidates based solely on their IP address?
Recruitment Directory closes MySpace job search applications

28 Oct 2009 | 10:29 pm

Over the past few months, in consultation with all of our affected clients. We have decided to remove all of our MySpace job search applications from use. This decision was based on the fact that the social networking site is no longer a valuable source of candidate traffic and becoming a detriment to the employer brand.
Cut the fat. I have no idea what you are talking about

26 Oct 2009 | 6:34 pm

At first, I thought users were giving a score to each job advert. But then I realised the "score" is the relevance of your keyword to each job search result. Would the common job seeker have realised this? It's time to cut the fat.

Renegade HR
Seven things marketing can teach you about HR

Chris Ferdinandi

4 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

I have a guest post up on Know HR this morning - Seven things marketing can teach you about HR. Here’s a quick teaser: 1. It’s a lot easier to market a great product. Rather than pushing a crappy HR program on people, make the program so awesome, so helpful to people, that they not only want to use it - they even tell a friend! Check out the other six (and subscribe, if you’re not already) at KnowHR. Special thanks to Frank Roche for letting me post on his site! Facebook This | Tweet This | Email This Seven things marketing can teach you about HR was written by Chris…
Spread this idea: Renegade HR

Chris Ferdinandi

3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

Renegade HR is a simple, no BS approach to human resources: Hire great people and helping them do amazing things that drive your business. I’m hoping you can help me spread this idea. Join the Conversation Right now, I’m not getting many comments on my posts, and many of the comments I do get are from other bloggers. I know you’re reading, but I don’t know who you are. I’d love it if you joined the conversation, and started commenting on some of the posts. Maybe you’ve seen examples of great ideas in action that you want to share. Maybe you disagree with…
How to develop an employer branding strategy

Chris Ferdinandi

2 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

This is part of a multi-article series on employer branding through social media. Photo by Lali Masriera Why should a candidate work for you instead of your competitor? Today, I’m going to talk about how to develop an employer branding strategy. The answer to that question is going to be the core of your strategy. After all, isn’t the goal to hire better candidates more easily and effectively? Developing an Employer Branding Strategy What makes your organization a great place to work? An employer brand can’t be about what you think makes your organization a great place to…
Made to Stick

Chris Ferdinandi

28 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

This is part of a multi-article series on the book Made to Stick. It was 1961, and the United States was in the middle of the cold war. For years, the US had prided itself on being the most technically advanced nation in the world. But at that moment, Russia was beating them in the race to space. In May of that year, President John F. Kennedy gave an address to congress, outlining how he felt America could maintain its leadership during the cold war. He requested funds for various strategic goals - everything from international aid to civil defense. But he ended his address with a very…
How do you train and develop remote employees?

Chris Ferdinandi

27 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

I just moved into a new role at EMC. I’m now the Community Manager for our internal Career Community for our services group. In plain English, that means that I’m responsible for creating a community kind of like this one, but with a focus on career development for our service folks. It’s a place to find career and development resources, connect with other people, and share ideas. Kind of cool, right? EMC has a fantastic internal social network, EMC|One, that we can use for everything from collaborative team projects to entire social communities built around work groups,…

Federal Employment Law Articles
LAYOFFS: HOW TO AVOID DISASTER.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

If you're like other employers, you feel pressure to cut costs while you wait out the economic recovery. But, if you see layoffs as an option in responding to that pressure, you must be careful. A single misstep can subject you to potentially ruinous claims from departing employees.
New EEO Poster Required by November 21.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

A new federal posting requirement becomes effective November 21. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has revised its "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law" poster. This new version reflects current federal employment discrimination law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. The poster also was revised to add information about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, which also is effective November 21, 2009. The revised poster also includes updates from the Department of Labor.
USCIS Commences H-1B Audit Program.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) has initiated an H-1B audit program to assess employer compliance with H-1B requirements. FDNS will make unannounced Administrative Site Visits to H-1B employers and their clients, whereby the investigator will collect information regarding the legitimacy of an employer's business and the accuracy of the representations made in filed H-1B petitions. The purpose of this audit program and the associated site visits is to detect, deter, and combat immigration benefit fraud. USCIS has…
Obama Expands Recently Enacted Exigency and Caregiver Leave Provisions for Military Families under the FMLA.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647). Among other things, the new law includes an expansion of the recently-enacted exigency and caregiver leave provisions for military families under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). The legislation does not include an effective date, suggesting that it took effect immediately upon the President's signature.
Auto Dealership Update: Round Up The Usual Suspects.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

Over the last year, dealers have devoted most if not all of their attention to keeping their dealerships afloat. They've spent time cutting staff, combining job duties and slashing costs as they watched extraordinary events unfold in the automobile industry. That has not left much time to study what else is going on around them.

Federal Employment Law Articles
LAYOFFS: HOW TO AVOID DISASTER.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

If you're like other employers, you feel pressure to cut costs while you wait out the economic recovery. But, if you see layoffs as an option in responding to that pressure, you must be careful. A single misstep can subject you to potentially ruinous claims from departing employees.
New EEO Poster Required by November 21.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

A new federal posting requirement becomes effective November 21. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has revised its "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law" poster. This new version reflects current federal employment discrimination law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. The poster also was revised to add information about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, which also is effective November 21, 2009. The revised poster also includes updates from the Department of Labor.
USCIS Commences H-1B Audit Program.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) has initiated an H-1B audit program to assess employer compliance with H-1B requirements. FDNS will make unannounced Administrative Site Visits to H-1B employers and their clients, whereby the investigator will collect information regarding the legitimacy of an employer's business and the accuracy of the representations made in filed H-1B petitions. The purpose of this audit program and the associated site visits is to detect, deter, and combat immigration benefit fraud. USCIS has…
Obama Expands Recently Enacted Exigency and Caregiver Leave Provisions for Military Families under the FMLA.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647). Among other things, the new law includes an expansion of the recently-enacted exigency and caregiver leave provisions for military families under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). The legislation does not include an effective date, suggesting that it took effect immediately upon the President's signature.
Auto Dealership Update: Round Up The Usual Suspects.

5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

Over the last year, dealers have devoted most if not all of their attention to keeping their dealerships afloat. They've spent time cutting staff, combining job duties and slashing costs as they watched extraordinary events unfold in the automobile industry. That has not left much time to study what else is going on around them.

The Job's On! Blog
How are Canberra’s contract recruitment firms faring?

admin

4 Nov 2009 | 6:24 am

This table below shows the comparative performance of Canberra’s contract recruitment companies, based on the number of contracts awarded in the period May-November 2009. The table was provided to us today by one of our advertisers with the data sourced from Austender website (www.tenders.gov.au). Company # of contracts awarded May 2009 – Nov 2009 Collective Resources 84 PeopleBank 306 Candle 42 Paxus 424 Icon 131 Finite 130 Face2Face 21 Greythorn 178 Compas 75 Frontier Recruitment 47 Canberra Consulting Resources 23 Talent International 111 Clicks 125 M&T Resources 9 GMT 63…
Inaugural recruitment and technology conference in Canberra a success

admin

19 Oct 2009 | 5:34 pm

RecruitTECH 2009, the inaugural Australian recruitment and technology conference, held in Canberra on 18 September 2009 was a great success, according to its organiser, Clayton Wehner. ‘Our hope was to put on a day-long program of engaging speakers and to have a ‘full house’ of delegates and we achieved both of those aims’, said Clayton, who is also the Managing Director of ACT jobs board CapitalJobs.com.au (http://www.capitaljobs.com.au). ‘We were very lucky to have the support of some great sponsors: the ACT Government, which provided us with a grant to run the event as part of…
Job ad video from DWS – IT specialists wanted in Canberra

admin

14 Oct 2009 | 6:43 pm

Here’s an idea for bringing your job ads to life. DWS, a regular advertiser on CapitalJobs.com.au, are using the xtranormal.com text-to-movie tool to bring their job ads to life. DWS are looking for IT types in Canberra at the moment.
Job ad increase suggests that GFC is all but over

admin

14 Oct 2009 | 6:27 pm

All indications are that the the GFC is all but over in Australia. Consumer confidence is up, retail spending is up, interest rates are up – and jobs and employment figures are up! The Olivier Job Index enjoyed its second successive monthly increase with a 3.58% increase in online job advertisements in September. Even more thrilling was the news from the ABS that there was a drop in unemployment in September (not an increase, as expected) The ANZ Job Ad Series has added further weight to the stabilisation trend, also posting a steady increase (4.4%) in September. The ANZ Series…
Local firm Recruitment Systems wins export award

admin

2 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

Canberra-based recruitment information systems development company Recruitment Systems was awarded the small business prize at the ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards last week. As a former user of CRIS/TRIS myself, I am really happy to hear that a Recruitment Systems has been recognised in this way. Their products are fantastic, they have some great people on board, and the company is performing really well – CEO Neil Bolton said the company’s TRIS and CRIS platforms are now sold in 20 countries. Recruitment Systems will now go on to compete in the National Export Awards,…

Kaye Monty
Flu Pandemic

kaye.monty@hillandknowlton.com (Kaye Monty)

5 Nov 2009 | 9:24 am

I realized how much discussion there has been about the flu pandemic when my daughter asked me if I had the swine flu when I was at home battling a cold. The swine flu fear erupted into violence in New York City’s D train when a woman coughed without covering her mouth. Although I do not condone violence, it is certainly understandable for people to be concerned especially as the number of swine flu related deaths appear to increase. I was not sure whether or not to stock on up hand sanitizer in preparation for the hand sanitizer shortage as I recall hunting for them in three…
Helicopter Parents

kaye.monty@hillandknowlton.com (Kaye Monty)

10 Jul 2009 | 10:08 am

There have been a lot of articles written about helicopter parents. While it is great to have a parent who is involved with their children’s life, there is a fine line between being involved and being too involved. Regardless if you are a recent graduate or an experienced professional, you should utilize your network for job leads or business opportunities. In my personal opinion, this should be limited to an introduction. Parents are generally biased and will sing praises about their children. You need to start developing your personal brand as a professional. What does it say…
Scams Targeting Job Seekers

kaye.monty@hillandknowlton.com (Kaye Monty)

7 Jul 2009 | 8:40 am

I was reading an article by Eileen AJ Connelly in The Examiner on my way to work. It was talking about scams targeting job seekers. Scam artists post fake job postings and ask job applicants to enter their credit card info for details about the job. The article suggested that job seekers visit the following sites to learn more about job scams: http://www.ftc.gov http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com http://www.ic3.gov http://www.ic3.gov http://www.bbb.org Although job scams have been around it seems that there are more of them out there trying to take advantage of the high unemployment…
H&K Hosts a TweetUp

kaye.monty@hillandknowlton.com (Kaye Monty)

4 Jun 2009 | 8:28 am

HKARcarde and @Gartenberg are hosting a tweetup. For those who do not hang out in twitterverse, this is an event where twitterers meet. The invitation is usually sent via Twitter; however, invitations do cross over other mediums. For example, I attended a tweetUp where I met a former colleague who did not even use Twitter. He was a self-proclaimed fan of LinkedIn but heard about the tweetup through LinkedIn Groups. Mashable had a great post on what to do and not to do when hosting a tweetup in case you are interested in hosting one. Here are some answers to questions that I have…
Rescheduling an Interview

kaye.monty@hillandknowlton.com (Kaye Monty)

2 Jun 2009 | 6:49 am

You have spent hours tapping your network for job leads and scouring the internet for job openings. All that hard work pays off and you land an interview on the phone or in person. An unexpected event comes up that you must attend happens to fall on the same time as the interview. What do you do? You have to ask yourself the following questions: Is the event something that can be rescheduled? Will I risk losing my current job or getting written up if I miss this event? Will they suspect that I am job hunting if I skip the event? How much do I want the job and is it worth skipping the…

JD Supra Labor & Employment Law
It's Plan Amendment Time Again

Ford & Harrison LLP

6 Nov 2009 | 9:39 am

Contributor: Ford & Harrison LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Congress Amends the FMLA To Provide Additional Family Military Leave

Foley Hoag LLP

6 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am

Contributor: Foley Hoag LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Health Law / Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Alert: HHS Issues Interim Final Rule Implementing Civil Penalty Provisions of HITECH Act

Mintz Levin - Health Sciences Practice

5 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am

Contributor: Mintz Levin - Health Sciences Practice [View: Profile | Documents]
USCIS Commences H-1B Audit Program

Ford & Harrison LLP

5 Nov 2009 | 8:37 am

Contributor: Ford & Harrison LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
FMLA's Military Leave Provisions Expanded

Ford & Harrison LLP

4 Nov 2009 | 8:55 am

Contributor: Ford & Harrison LLP [View: Profile | Documents]

RoundPegg
Hiring is Hard. Here’s Proof.

brentdaily

1 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pm

photo by dbking Hiring is a headache. Dr. John Sullivan’s latest post at ERE pulls together a ton of shocking numbers that should convince you we need to find a better way. 50% new executive turnover — nearly half of new executive hires quit or are fired within the first 18 months at a new employer (Source: Corporate Leadership Council). 50% of the processes users (both managers and new hires) later regret their “buying” decision (Source: The Recruiting Roundtable). In addition, 25% of new hires later regret taking their new job within one year (Source: Challenger, Gray) 66%…
Employee Retention - Good or Bad?

brentdaily

31 Oct 2009 | 11:03 am

photo by antkriz Dueling philosophies on hiring and employee retention at the latest Web2.0 conference (via WSJ Blog). Mark Zuckerberg touted the Facebook culture of hiring entrepreneurially inclined people who burn brilliantly and then fade away (presumably of their own volition). Tony Hsieh of Zappos provided the counter philosophy of finding the folks who fit the culture and aspire to stick with the company for 10 years or more. Who is right? Both. The key that makes both of them right is that everyone is aware of the culture. Each CEO knows exactly what they’re looking for…
The Worst of Times

brentdaily

25 Oct 2009 | 3:18 pm

photo by photomish dan A sobering article from the Economist illustrates how unhappy people currently are with their jobs. When the economy turns expect to see a massive surge in voluntary turnover. The article included some alarming numbers from the US-based Center for Work-Life Policy: Between June 2007 and December 2008 the proportion of employees who professed loyalty to their employers slumped from 95% to 39%; the number voicing trust in them fell from 79% to 22%. Employers have the upper hand these days, but what good is that if nobody is willing to bring their best? Quality work…
Re-Interviewing

brentdaily

6 Oct 2009 | 3:26 pm

photo by phineas h Interviewing is hard enough. But, last week I had a great meeting with a forward-thinking, culturally aware Corporate Development officer. He was touting the benefits of re-interviewing. Put simply, it’s the company taking an active interest in the employee’s career development. It’s something he does every 4-6 months. And its purpose is to probe into whether people are getting what they need out of their job. Whether they are heading in the right direction. Whether there is anything that is preventing them from fully engaging in their job. The…
Sales People Are People Too

brentdaily

23 Sep 2009 | 1:41 pm

photo by AMagill Neil Davidson at Red Gate Software had a great post the other day on their new approach to compensating salespeople. In sum, they’ve stopped assuming salespeople are only motivated by money and have begun compensating them like everyone else. Not only has this cut down on the time it takes to manage the process, but it has eliminated unintended, but perverse, incentives and helped to align their sales team with the rest of organization. As Neil’s post mentions, fear is not a good motivator. And as I noted a few weeks ago, neither are extrinsic rewards. Sales…

Bayt.com HR blog
CV is a Marketing Communication Tool: Ashraf Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Number 1 Sales Trainer and Author of “The Craft of Selling Yourself”

Ashraf Chaudhry

29 Oct 2009 | 11:42 pm

The words Curriculum Vitae (CV) take its origin from Latin and literally mean “the course of one’s life.”A CV or résumé is a marketing communication tool. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time, talent and skills! When writing a CV, look at it from your employers’ point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates)? In what way, can you meet your employers’ needs? What value addition can you bring to the organization? You’ve to ask these questions when writing…
Career UnCovered of Dr. Dale Murphy, Director of Entrepreneurship at Dubai School of Government, UAE

Dr. Dale Murphy

26 Oct 2009 | 11:22 pm

Bio Prof. Dale D. Murphy is Director of Entrepreneurship at the Dubai School of Government, a position he formerly held at Georgetown University where he taught for 10 years. Dr. Murphy received his Ph.D. in International Relations from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research and teaching spans the study of entrepreneurship, leadership, creativity, CSR, ethics, international political economy and international relations. He is the author of The Structure of Regulatory Competition: Corporations and Public Policies in a Global Economy (Oxford University Press 2007) and…
Interview with Samir Mirza, HR& Organization Director, at M1 Group, Lebanon

Samir Mirza

22 Oct 2009 | 3:43 am

Bio Samir graduated with a Masters Degree from INSA School of Engineering in France. Following his graduation, Samir worked as a project manager for several internationally renowned companies such as Air France, France Telecom and Bouygues. He later on returned back to Lebanon and worked for FTML as OD Director - where he developed and implemented the company’s TQM Model- before moving to INVESTOM (currently known as M1 Group) as director of HR & Organization. His prime responsibilities today include setting the organizational strategy of the group and developing the human talent…
Is Now The Time for a Career Change?

Bayt HR Guru

19 Oct 2009 | 1:23 pm

Question From Job Seeker: I am a 30 year old graduate with a BS in accounting and have been working as an accountant for the same company for 7 years now. The perks are fair, the people are nice, but I always have this voice in the back of my mind, urging me to get out of here. You see, I always had a thing for advertising- am more of an ad addict really, always have been- and if I were to go back in time now, I would undoubtedly choose my college education differently. Would it be totally insane to make a move now? Is it too late? Answer from Bayt HR Guru: Allow us to first praise your…
Majority of region’s recruiters believe references important for identifying best talent

Lama Ataya

19 Oct 2009 | 1:14 pm

The majority of the region’s employers, 78%, believe that references are important for ensuring they recruit the right talent for their company, according to the latest online poll series conducted by Bayt.com with the region’s employers. Of these, 22% said references were extremely important and that they were the sole criteria for choosing an employee, while 56% of employers said that references were quite important and that they take into account a range of other factors like past work experience and education in addition. Interestingly, another 22% of the employers polled said that…

Cincy Recruiter's World
Using Social Media In HR & Recruiting

Jennifer McClure

23 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

As mentioned in a previous post, I was fortunate to be able to attend the SummitUp Social Media Confab in Dayton, OH this week and also to lead a Breakout session on Using Social Media In HR & Recruiting. The Confab (conference) was awesome, and I'll share some more information with my takeaways from the event in a separate post. I also thought I'd share a copy of my presentation here, as it's been well received on Slideshare.net since posted during the conference. (Email subscribers - click through to the blog to view the presentation.) Using Social Media In HR & Recruiting 10 20…
5 Reasons to Attend SummitUp on October 20th

Jennifer McClure

15 Oct 2009 | 12:46 pm

Next week, I'll be leading a Breakout Session at a Social Media Conference called SummitUp in Dayton, OH on Tuesday, October 20th. My topic will be "Using Social Media in HR and Recruiting" and I'm super excited about this opportunity! To learn more about what we'll be discussing in my session, you can listen to a brief podcast I did recently with one of the organizers - David Bowman - here. Why am I so excited about this event? Because the agenda is packed with speakers who are some of the true Thought Leaders, Gurus, Experts, etc. (pick the term most palatable to you) in using social media…
SHRM's 2009 Ohio State Conference: It Rocked and Shocked

Jennifer McClure

9 Oct 2009 | 6:11 am

News flash! 2009 has officially been renamed “The Year Jennifer McClure Was Able to Raise Her Game by Attending Some Awesome Conferences”. So it has been written, so shall it be done…This year, I’ve been fortunate to attend several great Conferences and I've really enjoyed learning about what's happening in the world of HR/Recruiting/Talent Management, as well as networking with some really smart people. The most recent Conference I attended - the Ohio SHRM State Conference – was no exception!The Best of Ohio SHRMTory Johnson - Founder and CEO of Women for Hire and author of Fired…
Who Should Recruiters Follow On Twitter? 100+ Suggestions

Jennifer McClure

7 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

One of the most popular posts on this blog continues to be 10 People All Recruiters Should Follow on Twitter - and two of the top ten search phrases that land people here are "Twitter for Recruiters" and "Recruiters to follow on Twitter". Hopefully, when they arrive here, they're finding helpful content on using Twitter for Sourcing/Recruiting and thanks to a heads up from HR Technology Blogger Steve Boese recently about a new Twitter app (TweepML), I'd like to share a suggested "Recruiter Twitter Starter Pack" of 100 Recruiters/HR/Talent Management professionals that I recommend following on…
Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Jennifer McClure

5 Oct 2009 | 4:39 pm

I’ll admit it. I’ve totally drunk the kool-aid when it comes to the Strengths-based Leadership movement. I’ve bought Now, Discover Your Strengths, GO Put Your Strengths to Work, StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Strengths-Based Leadership. As a self-described Assessment Junkie, I love the instant gratification of taking the online assessments with each book and not only do I scratch my head at how accurate they can be, I’ve found new and helpful ways to apply the information from each book and assessment to my work and personal life. So it was a given that I’d be interested in checking out…

UpstartHR
HRevolution cometh

Ben

5 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm

Hey, everyone! Prepare to be less-than-astounded by the quick video below. Circles under your eyes are the newest in fashion, by the way. Be sure to check out the sponsor links below, too. They “get” what social media is about and have believed in this event from the very beginning. Be sure to check out this post for some HRevolution background info. HRevolution Sponsors Nobscot Corporation-specializes in exit interviews and mentor management solutions Blogging 4 Jobs-specializes in recruiting and HR consulting services Sanera People Development Company-specializes in small…
What the heck is KickTailTues?

Ben

3 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

Sometimes you just have to force yourself to be in a good mood. I don’t know how it all works, but I spend a lot of time being very peppy. As in people-wonder-if-it-is-chemically-related happy. I see it as my job to help others be positive and excited about the day ahead. But sometimes it doesn’t always work. After starting out so well on Tuesday, I spent much of my day in a funk. Why? It’s a lot of things, but none of them were very important. When you’re generally feeling blue, lots of tiny things seem huge at the time. But with a little help, I was able to pull out…
PHR-SPHR Deadline and Free Practice Exam

Ben

1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

Just a quick reminder to everyone out there contemplating the PHR or SPHR exam—the test window is closing on November 13th. If you miss the deadline, you will have to wait until mid-2010 to take the exam. I can tell the final registration date is closing in, because I’ve received more than a dozen emails from people looking for support, encouragement, direction, or resources. Everyone knows that the best PHR study guide was developed right here, but everyone might not know about the free bonus exam that goes along with it (thanks to April for helping!). I’ve decided to give away a free…
Featuring HRevolution Sponsors Doe Anderson and Fusion Frames

Ben

29 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

This is the second post in the HRevolution sponsor series, and I am excited to talk about two more amazing organizations who really understand the significance of this HR and social media event. Doe-Anderson You’ve heard me talk before about how important it is to turn employees into brand champions. One of the first things I learned about Doe-Anderson was so similar to that thought that it looks like I snagged it from their own site (and hey, it’s a great idea, so why not share?). Creating brand enthusiasts is at the heart of all we do. We know that creating deep and lasting…
Employee horror stories

Ben

29 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm

I’ve mentioned it before, but I grew up working in a small business that my parents owned. When I heard about the HR Happy Hour last week, I figured I could get some juicy stories to share. Well, I was partially correct in that regard. See, the hiring manager takes everyone who passes the interview and makes them do a dry run of the job duties. That’s also known as a realistic job preview. With a machine shop where they make precision parts around dangerous equipment, it’s very important that the person be familiar with the basics of the job. If the candidate does well enough, they can…

TradePub: Human Resources
How the ABC's of Leadership Behavior Impact Safety Management Systems

3 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am

The basic ABC's of traditional employee based behavioral safety programs are well imbedded within the safety community. The use of Activators stimulating Behaviors and the use of Consequences to reinforce safer behaviors or provide coaching to correct undesired behaviors has been implemented in organizations worldwide with varying degrees of success. A major factor in the overall success of an organizations' safety efforts is how well an organization balances the communications aspects of their behavioral safety efforts and the safety management systems that provide the technical knowledge,…
Talent Management

1 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am

The success of the enterprise depends upon many factors. Chief among them is the ability of the workforce to achieve corporate goals. Fully evolved employee performance management goes well beyond an annual appraisal process, combining tools and methodologies that focus employee behavior on specific, mission-critical business needs. Performance management involves employees in their own development and the development of the enterprise, creating a well-prepared workforce invested in advancing the organization.Request Free!
Chief Learning Officer

1 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am

Chief Learning Officer provides valuable guidance and insight to global enterprise education executives. The very people who oversee, authorize, fund and support learning and development programs turn to CLO as a trusted source when implementing initiatives for employees, customers, partners and suppliers. CLO gives them access to the knowledge and strategies they need to align workforce development with their overall business objectives.Request Free!
Enterprise Time and Attendance - Build vs. Buy

1 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am

Many businesses face the issue of deciding whether to buy or build the time and attendance solutions that they need to run their businesses. Therefore, when considering which course of action to take, organizations should carefully consider the costs, risks and benefits of both options and choose the one that provides the most value and least risk over the long term.Request Free!
Workforce Scheduling: Managerial Strategies for Driving Down Costs While Escalating Customer Satisfaction

1 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am

An efficient workforce scheduling process enables a company to allocate the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. As a result, it has direct impact on a company's ability to decrease costs, increase workforce capacity utilization and productivity, as well as escalate overall customer satisfaction.This latest Aberdeen Research Report provides an in-depth and comprehensive look into process, procedure, methodologies, and technologies with best practice identification and actionable recommendations.Written by: Aberdeen GroupRequest Free!

Interesting Bits
Interesting Perspective on Technology and HR

Brad Herbert

28 Oct 2009 | 1:38 pm

Here's an interesting article from Josh Bersin regarding the strategic importance of learning management (LMS) and talent management systems (performance and succession management, for example) and how the various vendors are evolving to offer end-to-end capabilities. My take-away is that if you have the money to build, staff, and maintain these enormous systems then you can do some fantastic work with e-classrooms, asynchronous self-study modules, informal learning (ie, Facebook-like social networking), tracking, and analyzing the impact of knowledge investments on performance and succession…
Employment Brand Example: Apple

Brad Herbert

26 Oct 2009 | 11:54 am

I think Apple does many things right, with design and marketing clearly leading the pack. As an example, here are some "unboxing" shots (tech blog lingo usually used in the literal dis-assembly of technology products so people can see the guts of a product) of a job offer packet from Apple.Note the physical presence of the offer does a great job integrating the look and feel of both Apple's main brand as well as its employer voice (or some would say "employment brand"). By the time a candidate receives this binder, it's usually a foregone conclusion that they're interested in working for the…
Intro To The Semantic Web

Brad Herbert

16 Oct 2009 | 2:37 pm

This is an interesting video and post from Michael Marlatt regarding the semantic web and how it is poised to change the way we create, share, and apply knowledge on the intranet. It has obvious implications for recruiting and I'll be watching to see how candidates and organizations present themselves and recruit others through the new tools.
How Do Innovators Think?

Brad Herbert

1 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am

Here's a very interesting, provocative article from the Harvard Business Review on innate skills related to creativity and how those skills get expressed (or don't) by people as they age and the implications for organizations navigating a world of accelerating change.Here's an extract describing their primary findings: "The first skill is what we call "associating." It's a cognitive skill that allows creative people to make connections across seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas. The second skill is questioning — an ability to ask "what if", "why", and "why not" questions that…
Navigating Tiny Merit Increase Budgets

Brad Herbert

30 Sep 2009 | 9:04 pm

Amusing and helpful articles from Margaret O'Hanlon on how to work through very small merit increase budgets and the associated, sometimes awkward, conversations managers should be prepared to have with employees. I'll add one thing to this mix: consider taking your fiscal year merit pool and instead adding it to people's target incentive targets (or to the larger bonus pool) as a way of having more skin in the game. It may not be as satisfying to people who prefer base salary increases (and who wouldn't considering the ripple effect it has on total compensation and long term earnings) but…

The Staffing Advisor
What You Need to Know About Hiring

Bob Corlett

3 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am

Hiring people in any economy is a roll of the dice. Hiring people right now is even less certain of success. But there are strategies you can use to improve your odds. We’ve researched hundreds of articles and compiled the best research and thinking into our November 2009 newsletter. Check it out.
Here’s Why I Don’t Call You …

Bob Corlett

1 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm

If you are not yet a client of Staffing Advisors, do you ever wonder why I don’t call you? You obviously read this blog, maybe you read our newsletters, maybe you heard me speak somewhere or we met at a networking event, or maybe you just know someone who knows me. I could find your contact information (DUH, I’m a headhunter) and it’s likely that you would take my call if I called you, and yet I don’t. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you … far from it. So why don’t I call you when it appears that everyone else in the…
Interviews Are the 3rd (Really 9th) Best Way to Select People

Bob Corlett

27 Oct 2009 | 10:22 pm

Skilled researchers pored through 85 years of scientific literature to identify which employee selection methods were the best predictors of job performance. 85 years of research, distilled down into one set of findings. So of the 19 methods studied, which ones were the best? Structured interviews came in 3rd. The far more common unstructured interviews came in a dismal 9th – see: “So You Think You Can Interview?” Reference checks came in 13th. Years of job experience came in 14th. Years of education came in 16th. So … correct me if…
Job Descriptions No Longer Describe Jobs

Bob Corlett

26 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

The most accurate part of many job descriptions is “other duties as assigned.” The rest of it is just a dull list of responsibilities and qualifications lacking all context. I read them all the time and can rarely understand what the job is really all about. Any perceived relevance of the job description rarely survives contact with actual work – they are outdated the moment they are written. Rarely do they define the work to be accomplished, and they almost never define the goals to be achieved. They are, quite simply, a relic of the industrial age. In…
How to Give a Really Bad First Impression of Your Company

Bob Corlett

26 Oct 2009 | 1:43 pm

You know the drill. You post a job ad and 300 people apply. You know, at best, there are five qualified people in that stack of resumes, so what’s the fastest way to find them? Some employers ask job seekers to jump through a hoop before committing any time to them. The hoop might involve a pre-employment test, performing a work-related task like writing something, or even asking something really time consuming like developing a business plan in order to apply for a job. Except here is the problem. It’s rude. And it drives away many of the…

The HR Store
Start-up: Hiring challenges

6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 am

From a recruiter:Dear HR Store,I’m a recruiter at a start-up that has started hiring. Seems like the market conditions are improving and big players in the market have started hiring too. Candidates are accepting our offer, but that hasn’t stopped them from talking to the big players. My question to you is: how many times can we call candidates after they have accepted our offer? What can we do to convince the candidates to join us?Thanks.First, welcome to the world of start-ups. I just love the thought of a start-up. Hmmm……Sorry, I digress. This question’s about you. Not me. I’ll…
Things that make a resume work...

4 Nov 2009 | 4:08 am

I got some questions on resume writing and how to make a resume stand out. While there’s enough information that you can get by Googling, here’s a list that I would suggest. Yes, many things mentioned below are obvious. I might sound like a broken record, but when it comes to searching for jobs, candidates end up hurrying on the document which talks on their behalf.Here are things that might help make your resume work:ZERO virus! You may wonder how that happens. But it does. Scan you resume.doc before you send it out.Your career objective. Even better if you can mention short-term and…
Do we need a policy for this? Really!

30 Oct 2009 | 11:53 am

Got an interesting question from a reader:I’ve noticed on a number of occasions that people stand in office corridors for long periods of time to discuss things. Quite often these corridor-talks are a spill over from a meeting/conference that they would have concluded a few minutes back. At times these discussions turn out to be loud enough to disturb other employees in that work area. There are enough conference rooms at the workplace that people could use for their discussions. I was wondering if I should write to the HR asking them to come up with a policy that prohibits people from…
Recruiter mails offer to the wrong candidate!

27 Oct 2009 | 4:38 am

From a recruiter:Dear HR Store,We had interviewed a lot of candidates for a role in the sales team and the hiring manager had selected a candidate. We had also worked out the compensation plan/structure that we would offer the candidate. It was decided that the hiring manager would discuss the offer with the candidate and then I had to mail the offer to the candidate. While mailing the offer letter, I made a terrible mistake by mailing it to a different candidate (with almost the same name as the first candidate) whom we had interviewed for the role but was rejected. I had previously sent him…
HR asked to snoop around!

23 Oct 2009 | 12:51 pm

Got a question from a reader. It’s a lengthy one and so I’m posting a gist of it here.Manager at a midsized Company is worried that he might lose talented team members to competitors, citing various reasons including better opportunities, performance reviews, higher salary, promotions, etc., He approaches the HR rep and asks her to snoop around and give him some information on who is going to/is contemplating whether to quit and by when. He claims this will help him plan his projects better and start looking for potential replacements.The HR rep hasn’t been asked to do such a thing…

XpertHR
Record of reasonable adjustments

Bar Huberman

6 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

Most employers know that they have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to prevent a disabled employee from being disadvantaged by any physical feature of the premises or any working practices. But what happens when an employee is moved to a new role and what should the employer do if the employee is off for a reason related to his or her disability? The Employers' Forum on Disability has put together a tailored reasonable adjustment agreement for an employee with a disability [subscription only] for XpertHR, which is a record that both employer and employee can refer to when these issues…
Addressing the problem of stress

Bar Huberman

6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am

More than 13 million working days a year are lost due to stress, according to the BBC. Employers who continue to ignore work-related stress do so at their peril, as the link between absence and stress has yet again been confirmed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. However, some employers are finding increasingly effective ways to tackle work-related ill-health. This brings improvements to business, as absence rates are cut and productivity is increased. Many of the steps employers can take are simple, whereas other steps require more investment, but reap greater…
Public sector job cuts in 2010 could hit the UK's "zombie economy" hard

Michael Carty

5 Nov 2009 | 11:30 pm

No matter who wins the 2010 general election, swingeing cuts in public spending are on the cards, with widespread public sector job cuts seemingly inevitable. The resulting rise in unemployment could deal a decisive blow to what Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott describes as the UK's current "zombie economy" (external website). Defining the "zombie economy" Elliott defines the "zombie economy" as follows: Neither alive nor dead, the UK economy is in limbo land, staggering along courtesy of taxpayer billions, low interest rates and a short-term VAT cut. [...] The cocktail of cheap…
Interest rates stuck at 0.5% ...and likely to remain so

Michael Carty

5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

UK interest rates remain frozen at their record low of 0.5% (external website), following the latest announcement from the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at midday today. Some economic commentators now believe that the MPC will be forced to maintain interest rates at this 315-year low for an extended period, in order to help boost the UK's weak return to economic growth. This follows the recent publication of the latest official estimates on gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2009, which showed a surprise fall of 0.4 percentage…
UK labour market: healthiest outlook in two years

Sarah Welfare

4 Nov 2009 | 4:05 am

"The UK jobs market looks healthier today than at any time in the last two years," according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's latest monthly Report on Jobs, out today. The key stats can be found on XpertHR [subscription required]. "Based on the latest findings, we anticipate that unemployment will not reach three million in 2010 as some predicted," says REC's chief executive Kevin Green. The report says that: Permanent placements have increased at their fastest rate in two years; The growth of temporary staff appointments is at a 16-month high; and There were weaker falls in…

The Official Blog of Benifys HR Solutions
Yammer as an Internal Communication Tool

Team Benifys

28 Oct 2009 | 2:09 am

Anyone who follows Web 2.0 with any level of interest in all probability already knows what Yammer is, if you are not one of them, here is a guide to what you need to know, why you need to know it and how to implement it for your organization. What is Yammer? Yammer is a micro-blogging [...] Related posts:Is your organization losing steam?Social Networking And Recruitment
Is your organization losing steam?

Team Benifys

28 Oct 2009 | 2:02 am

In the toil of everyday working and just staying abreast with the needs of a business, it is easy to lose track of the constantly evolving organism that an organization is. If you don’t stop to check what state your organization is in and where it is headed, the shape it takes on it’s own [...] Related posts:Yammer as an Internal Communication ToolFrom the CEO’s Desk – June 2009360° Performance Appraisals
Personal Energy Management

Team Benifys

28 Oct 2009 | 1:58 am

Why do we think of energy in conventional terms? With right approach and motivation, humans can be as charged. At the ripe old age of 81, Lal Krishna Advani of the Bharatiya Janata Party had to travel to several places by air in the summer heat in the previous two months, as he was projected [...] Related posts:High Level Performance Path
Entrepreneurship: taught, learned or instinct?

Team Benifys

23 Oct 2009 | 1:18 am

If you look around our blog, you will find quite a few articles that deal with the ‘ambiguity’ of things, being comfortable with the uncomfortable is an underrated activity. There are many times when there are no clear answers, Entrepreneurship is no different, and it actually would be a tad misleading to associate the ‘entrepreneurship’ [...] Related posts:What’s Up at Benifys? [30/9/2009]What’s Up at Benifys? [30/7/2009]
Ambiguity at Work

Team Benifys

6 Oct 2009 | 10:07 pm

It is said that you start your work life with black and white – mutually exclusive, clear cut choices or instructions that are passed on to you by your manager. There is little that you impact, and little that impacts you, relative to what lies ahead. The stakes are low, the people touched by your [...] Related posts:Dealing with Micromanagement

Human Resources Pufnstuf
Organizations That Rock

humanresourcespufnstuf

6 Nov 2009 | 6:12 am

There’s been a great deal of discussion on the blog this week about a certain organization. I wanted to continue to talk about organizations and how we can benefit from being united. So today I’m asking you what organization, club, civic organization, etc. are you a member of that you feel you personally get the most out of? Myself, I’m a Freemason, which I find very rewarding. We as a fraternity do a great deal of work within the community. In Minnesota we raised and donated the money for the Masonic Cancer Institute at the University of Minnesota, we also provide scholarships…
What If No One Knows You Do a Great Job?

humanresourcespufnstuf

5 Nov 2009 | 8:43 am

Thanks to everyone for their active discussion over the past couple of days in regards to my opinion that SHRM is not living up the expectations of its members, or potential members. I really appreciate the participation of China Gorman, whose knowledge, class, and passion brought so much to the discussion. Thank you as well to twitterverse for spreading and adding to the discussion. If you would still like to participate in the discussion, please feel free, I think there is still much to say and discuss over both the near and long term. Also, if you completely disagree with me and would like…
Failure is Spelled S-H-R-M

humanresourcespufnstuf

3 Nov 2009 | 5:54 am

I checked my office mail box yesterday, and once again there was an opportunity presented to me to re-join SHRM. I picked it up, opened it, and actually thought about doing it. For those that know me, you know that was a major leap, even taking a moment to consider it, was the closest I’ve come to endorsing SHRM in years. Well, I looked at it and I thought about it, and in the end, it went right into the recycle bin (you can be angry and still be green). Why? Well in my mind, this was a year where the stars were aligned for SHRM to rise from the ashes of mediocrity and become a…
Friday Fun – Monsters

humanresourcespufnstuf

30 Oct 2009 | 6:10 am

It’s Halloween weekend, so I’ll stick with that for the Friday fun today. Think quick, what monster are you most afraid of? Which monster are you least afraid of? Here’s mine: Most afraid of: Zombies. I remember watching Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things and Night of the Living Dead as a double feature as a kid. I really remember not being able to sleep for days after that. I have dedicated my life to preparing for the impending zombie war and educating those around me into proper zombie safety. Least afraid of: Vampires. Really, if all you need to keep them…
Diversity Recruiting Do’s and Don’ts

humanresourcespufnstuf

28 Oct 2009 | 6:54 am

The word “Diversity” is in and of itself a wonderful word. It’s a simple word to understand, but (oh, you knew there was going to be a “but”) it is a word that for many companies is easier spoken than acted upon. I have worked with and for many companies over the years and each and everyone drove home the point of how important that diversity is to them. I feel pretty confident in assuming there are not any companies in the U.S. that are willing to claim they are too diverse. Having spent my career in Recruiting, I have noticed a trend throughout my career. When a company…

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Building Accountability for Employee Engagement

Abhishek

2 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm

Many a times, I find that HR folks rush too fast to make employee engagement metrics a part of KPIs or balanced scorecards. The idea is that there should be a “carrot” to ensure that managers take accountability for their people, otherwise they won’t spend time on open dialogue with their teams and co-create action plans for improvement in engagement levels. I was recently asked if the carrot and stick approach could be abandoned in favour of inculcation of engagement as a part of life in the organisation. Well, I think it is a difficult proposition for companies which are…
Read Up! (29th Oct)

Abhishek

28 Oct 2009 | 10:22 pm

So, October is almost done. And it looks like the quality of contents on the blogs I follow just keeps getting more interesting with time! So, here are a few posts that I recommend as Essential Reading: A good, though-provoking discussion is happening at the Inflexion Point blog. The post mulls about the future of HR and whether “doing nothing” is an option for HR. We have all heard about HR needing to develop strong business orientation. Prasad Kurian from Bangalore (my favorite city) writes an interesting piece titled “Paradox of Business Orientation of HR.” Cathy…
Employee Well-Being

Abhishek

26 Oct 2009 | 6:38 am

Towers Perrin (disclaimer: my employer) has released a new paper discussing Employee Engagement in conjunction with Employee Well-Being. Employee Well-Being has been defined as a combination of 3 important aspects of an employee’s working life: Physical Health: health, energy etc. Psychological Health: stress / anxiety, accomplishment, optimism, confidence, empowerment, safety etc. Social Health: work relationships, work-life balance, equity, fairness, respect etc. Through extensive research, Towers Perrin has established a framework for measuring and managing Employee Well-Being. I…
Improved Accessibility of This Blog on Mobile Phones

Abhishek

20 Oct 2009 | 9:02 pm

WordPress.com just announced that they have launched mobile themes which will be displayed automatically if you reach this blog on your mobile phones. This is an important move, given that more and more people are getting on to the mobile web. And we all know how important the mobile web is. (Check out a presentation by a Morgan Stanley exec) So, if you use your mobile device to browse the internet and keep up with your favorite blogs, just point your mobile phone’s browser to http://abhishekmittal.com for a neat way to read this blog. Posted in Blogging, Mobiles, Social Media Tagged:…
Communications: Getting it Right

Abhishek

20 Oct 2009 | 12:42 am

KnowHR, an organization communication consulting firm, has an absolutely great post on their blog. The post talks about “The Naked Truth About Great HR Communication”. It is relevant not only for the HR folks, but professionals from different fields can all learn something important about communication from this. Out of the 35 points highlighted, my favorites are: You’ll never get the exact right word. The exact right word doesn’t matter. If you write like people talk, they’ll get it. Stock photography of impossibly happy and diverse employees is a joke. Employees need…

PseudoHR
Viva la Revolucion – HR style

adowling

6 Nov 2009 | 6:05 am

“Is it a rebellion?” asked Louis XVI of the count who informed him of the fall of the Bastille. “No, sire,” came the reply. “It is a revolution.” HR isn’t rebelling like some pissed off six year old who didn’t get his toy at Target, we’re revolting. Revolting against the bad rap HR has gotten. This weekend is HRevolution in Louisville KY; it’s the first HR unconference. It’s. Going. To. Rock. ‘nuf said. So, while you are reading this, I’m on the road from Birmingham to Louisville. ETA 3pm, EST. I’m looking forward to bunking with my…
Why HR?

adowling

5 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

I’m fascinated by why. Yes, was one of those kids that drove her mom crazy by asking why the sky is blue, why the grass is green, why I have to go to bed at 8pm. One of my new favorite why questions is ‘Why HR?’ or rather ‘How did you get to where you are in HR?’ I asked my boss over dinner the other night and wasn’t surprised by her answer. She attended an EEO hearing via her former line of work and thought “I can do that”. She went back college, got her masters, and with an HR gig here and an HR gig there, welcome to present day. I know others that knew from the start, HR…
Express yourself

adowling

3 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

Greetings from St Louis! I know, HRevolution is this week, I’ll be there for that too. I’m in town for training for the day job; gotta pay the bills somehow. We’re in the process of rolling out a new HRIS as well as an acquisition and the usual year end reporting. Being labled as the techy has allowed me the opportunity to join the implementation team for the new HRIS. Having expressed a desire to learn more about our processes as allowed me the opportunity to take on more responsibilities. As much as we’d like to think our managers remember our resumes, they usually don’t and…
Her dad needed a job – Birmingham Job Skills Camp

adowling

29 Oct 2009 | 4:30 am

Yesterday was the Birmingham Job Skills Camp at UAB. The event was a huge success. We had approximately two hundred people between 10am and 12pm. I volunteered for the welcoming committee which means I stood outside and told people what was going on, where they needed to go for mock interviews, where the vendor hall was, etc. It was interesting the types of people attending the camp. I can’t pinpoint any one demographic for the people I saw. There were older people, younger people, well dressed people, people in jeans, people with resumes, people that forgot their resumes. One woman…
Administrative or Professional: that is the question

adowling

24 Oct 2009 | 12:42 pm

It’s Saturday, that means SPHR study group for me. Today we covered Total Rewards. This class starts off with FLSA (snooze, I know). During the discussion of exemptions the instructor asks “Which exemption rule does HR typically fall under?” Executive exemption qualifies if you are supervisor. Computer exemption doesn’t qualify, typically. Highly comp is redundant, let’s not even talk about it. This leaves Administrative and Professional. For those of you that need your FLSA rules brushed up, here’s a quick break down: According to the SHRM Learning System 2009, an employee…

KnowHR Blog
HR Advice from the SEPTA Strike: Don’t Lose Your Customers at “Hello”

Bethany Marzewski

4 Nov 2009 | 12:08 pm

As if the daily commute isn’t typically bad enough, hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia workers were displaced yesterday when the city’s biggest transit union went on strike just hours before the morning rush. As the only remaining transit source in town, SEPTA’s regional rail stations became zones of chaos by the end of the day. Riders waited in amusement-park style lines circling the station, herded by SEPTA workers in bright yellow vests who attempted to corral the crowds. But like the Best Buy line on Black Friday morning, the line-dwellers became quite a bit unruly. Cutting…
Seven Things Marketing Can Teach You about HR

Guest Writer

4 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am

It’s a lot easier to market a great product. Rather than pushing a crappy HR program on people, make the program so awesome, so helpful to people, that they not only want to use it – they even tell a friend! Design matters. Good design doesn’t mean adding a few random graphics at the end. It means thinking about how a user would interact with what you’re creating. Its about how something works – not what it looks like. Brands matter. Your organizational culture has a brand. Your department has a brand. Even you have a brand. Make sure you own it (or someone else will). Just…
You Have a Fat Man Living Inside You: Using One Memorable Phrase in Employee Communication

Frank Roche

3 Nov 2009 | 5:50 am

{Photo credit: Roboppy] Last night at dinner, my 16-year-old son, Stephen, refused an extra serving of the main course and, instead, ate more salad. When my wife, Sheryl, asked him why, he said: I have a fat man living inside me. I cracked up. “You have a fat man living inside you” is what I’d say to my guys when they were younger teens and would tease me about not being able to eat mountains of food without becoming Man Mountain Frank. They could eat us out of house and home and not put on an ounce of body fat. So, I used to say, “Watch out, dudes. Someday…
Get a Free Case of “How to Self-Destruct”; Thank Yourself Later

Frank Roche

2 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am

Jason Seiden has a deal for you. He’ll send you free case of one of the best career books out there: How to Self-Destruct. This is a limited time deal. Get yours. Your employees will thank you. Here’s the details: General managers, HR VPs, training directors, event planners, team leaders, association coordinators, ambitious team members, and social chairpersons: I will send you a box of 38 real-life, hold-’em-in-your-hands copies of How to Self-Destruct—rounded corners, illustrations, red text, and all—at no charge. Give copies to your team members and watch them laugh their…
Understanding Your Audience: The Audience Conference

Frank Roche

2 Nov 2009 | 5:36 am

When my friend Loren Feldman asked me to be a presenter at The Audience Conference, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. Loren knows more about engaging an audience that anyone I know. He’s an artist, a comedian, an actor, and an internet firebrand. He can get famous people to talk to his puppets. And he knows people who really know their audiences. In HR communication, understanding your audience is the only thing that matters. It’s why I’m going to The Audience Conference. I must admit that I’m not much of a conference goer. Most conferences end up…

Fireside HR
Finally someone’s showing me some money

researchvoice

26 Oct 2009 | 3:31 pm

In last week’s post, I issued the following challenge: What I would like is to hear from folks who are using Twitter for work and using it well. And most importantly, show me the money! I want to hear whether or not you can prove it’s working for your business. It’s about time someone responded to this challenge because it’s been a quiet, quiet world out there on measuring the value of social networking. The response comes from Jessica Lee at Fistful of Talent. OK, so she didn’t exactly say that her blog post was a direct response to my call for reaction…
Most importantly, LinkedIn doesn’t have any Balloon Boy stories

researchvoice

20 Oct 2009 | 4:39 pm

Aaaand I’m back from my holidays. An e-round of applause to our guest bloggers Suzanne Boyd, Jonathan Lowe, Ian Cook and Kellie Auld who did an excellent job in the last 4 weeks offering their opinion on the world of HR. Now back to my point of view. (Hey, I’m not being harsh here, they can go get their own blogs!) So, Mylie Cyrus is no longer twittering! She said “the reasons are simple… I want my private life private – I’m done tryin’ to please.” Wow, me and Mylie aren’t so different after all. I don’t want the world to know about…
Top Companies to Work For

researchvoice

8 Oct 2009 | 8:00 am

Have you ever worked for one of the “Best Places to Work”? I have. And you know what, it really wasn’t… you can’t imagine my excitement when I was hired to work for the company. Wow! I’d been waiting a long time to have this opportunity. I followed the business for some time and when my chance finally came, I jumped at it. I didn’t think twice! So, why was it rated as one of the best employers? What were the criteria used to measure the designation? I learned through researching a number of companies that compile the lists of what constitutes the best places to…
If HR had just been invented…

researchvoice

2 Oct 2009 | 9:08 am

One of the biggest challenges with change is that you are so often stuck with the old view of things. How many of you out there had to change organizations because you were still seen as the office junior, who photocopied and made tea, even though you had been there 10 years and were completely in charge of the recruiting function? First impressions stick and then solidify, making it twice as hard to have people treat you differently. The whole HR profession has this problem and has been working on it for over 15 years. Hardly rapid progress. We have tried a bunch of soul searching…
CEO, Human Resources???

researchvoice

24 Sep 2009 | 8:00 am

Richard Beatty, a professor of HR at Rutgers University probably raised the hackles of many an HR professional when he criticized the HR community for their failure to provide useful analytics in making workforce planning decisions. His comments parallel what we’ve all heard – that HR needs to speak the language of business and be able to provide hard data and metrics to support their strategies and initiatives. This is all about HR needing to learn to think and act like CFOs. Effective HR professionals that are obtaining those bona fide seats at the executive table are the ones…

Easy Small Business HR.com
Animals and Kids: Do They Belong In The Workplace?

VA_Access_1

3 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am

Kids and pets. You've gotta love ‘em! I’ve consulted with supervisors and their employees on a variety of workplace issues for more years than I care to admit. Several companies later, I’ve learned that each business has its own unique set of workplace challenges and issues, although there are many issues which are commonplace regardless of the organization. Despite this commonality, there is one topic that always fosters an interesting debate: employees who bring their kids or pets to work, and the company’s position on this subject. Managers usually take one of two positions when it…
HR 101: Hiring, Firing and Everything In Between – Terms You Need To Know

VA_Access_1

29 Oct 2009 | 6:36 pm

Does firing and laying an employee off mean the same thing? What is the difference between onboarding and orienting a new employee? Refer to the definitions that follow to learn more. Fire – ending the employment of a worker due to poor performance or inappropriate behavior. Also referred to as “termination”. Hire – the process of offering employment to an individual. Job Description – a document that highlights the job tasks and responsibilities required to perform the work effectively. Layoff – when a worker’s position ends due to financial hardship within a company or due to…
The Five Traits of Successful Supervisors

VA_Access_1

29 Oct 2009 | 5:23 pm

I’ve worked with dozens of supervisors over the last several years and have found the five traits that follow to be consistent behaviors with those supervisors whom I considered to be the cream of the crop. These are the leaders who consistently receive high praise and respect from their employees, even when they make decisions that their staff do not necessarily agree with. Why are they so successful when it comes to managing employees? Check the following five traits of successful supervisors to see if you are already incorporating these best management practice tips:
HR 101 Resumes, Job Applications and Offer Letters –Terms You Need To Know

VA_Access_1

21 Oct 2009 | 1:15 am

What’s the difference between an acceptance letter and a job offer letter? A functional resume versus a chronological resume? Acceptance Letter – written confirmation from a candidate who has been offered a job that they accept the terms of an employment offer Chronological Resume - resume that highlights an applicant’s work history starting from the most recent work experience listed in reverse chronological order. Confirmation Letter – written confirmation from an employer to a candidate that confirms the terms of a job offer including salary and start date. Cover Letter – also…
Don’t Ever Ask These 5 Interview Questions

VA_Access_1

14 Oct 2009 | 1:00 am

Business owners who have the responsibility of hiring staff want to know as much as possible about their potential new hire. We all have a natural need to know not just about the applicant’s work experience, but also their personal interests as a way of determining whether the candidate is a good fit for the company. There is a thin line between learning more about your candidate and asking questions that are considered inappropriate or illegal to ask during an interview. It is critical to be aware of not only the best questions to ask in an interview, but also the wrong questions to ask.