Christmas is on the horizon, and I hope you have already started your shopping! If not, don’t lose hope. I have just the thing for you to get for that semi-geeky human resources person in your life. If you’re anything like me, you probably do at least part of your shopping online. It’s quick and easy, and if you hit that magical $25 mark at Amazon, you will get free shipping! Below in all their glory and splendor (hallelujah!) you will find five Christmas gift ideas for HR professionals.

Note: As of this post date, all prices are correct. Continue Reading »

You have employees out there who seem to continually mess up. It doesn’t really matter what the project is, because they will find a way to flub it.  It is incredibly frustrating for you, so what’s your natural reaction? Criticize.

I’ve done it myself, so don’t make me think I’m the only one out here. Someone can’t fill out form A correctly? Well, they are just careless. Procedure X is out of whack? That employee is too lazy to do it right. Sure, you can criticize them (we all do), but what does that really change? Nothing. But there is something you can do that might actually make a difference. Continue Reading »

I try not to let things catch me by surprise. But it happens anyway. Oh, well! I am on the move much of the time, and I try to save my best writing times for this site. However, I occasionally slip in an article somewhere else, and I try not to let them go by without at least a passing mention. With that in mind, feel free to explore these little seeds that I’ve scattered to the four corners of the online world. Continue Reading »

This post was written last week, and I have since written about HRevolution (the HR unconference) and announced the new look for the blog. But you still want to see me in action, right? Continue Reading »

It has been a wild journey, and HRevolution 2009 is in the books. What can I say? It was, quite simply, an amazing experience. I’ve read plenty of accounts about HR tweetups and HR unconferences, but nothing quite prepares you for what occurs once you arrive. Wait a minute, you don’t know what an HR unconference is? It’s basically a conference with much less formality and structure. Instead of being governed by rules and overbearing planners, an HR unconference is more free-flowing and open to the whims of the attendees. While HRevolution wasn’t as lax as a normal unconference, it still had a lot of flexibility and fun thrown into the mix. Here’s a quick breakdown of my own timeline surrounding the event. It’s a weird, rambling version of the events, but I have to untangle it all before I can make sense of anything!

Continue Reading »

Brand New Official HR Carnival Logo

I’m thrilled to be hosting my first HR carnival, and that’s for several reasons. First, I get to converse with a few great writers behind the scenes. Second, I get the opportunity to promote those writers all in one place. And third, I get to unveil the new HR Carnival logo, created by the illustrious Allen Robinson (or “LogoMan” according to Eric Winegardner). No longer will carnival hosts have to search for an image to use with their rendition of an HR carnival.

If you haven’t read my last post about how to make the HR carnival really matter , please hop over there and read it before continuing. I promise you’ll get more out if it if you do. Enough about me. Let’s showcase those great writers I was talking about! Continue Reading »

If you’re looking for the newest HR Blog Carnival post, you might like to check the home page for the event. But make sure you read this post so you know how to make the most of this fun and informative event!

I can still fondly remember reading my first HR blog carnival and ravenously devouring each of the great posts linked there. I often speak with HR professionals and advocate for them to seek out and read the HR blogs that they enjoy. Usually the conversation goes like this:

Me: Hey, what sort of news do you read on a daily/weekly basis that keeps you up-to-date on the HR world?

Random HR Guy/Gal: I’m usually too busy.

Me: What if you could get one or two short and sweet (and free) articles a week via email? I could recommend a few.

RHRG/G: Hmmm. Sounds interesting.

Me: Do you have a favorite topic? Training? Development? Leadership?

RHRG/G: (Delivering a beautiful pitch across the plate) Well, I like reading about leadership. I’m the HR director at my organization and it’s hard to find new and interesting ideas on how to lead and inspire my department.

Me: (Swinging for the fence) Excellent! Well, in that case, I recommend that you sign up for the free news feed for both Wally Bock and Dan McCarthy. Your leadership style will never be the same!

What’s the point? Continue Reading »