My friend Cori at Baudville sent me this cool tool for peer to peer recognition the other day. I’m itching to try it out. When I head to our off site location later this week I’ll be delivering it and offering some encouragement/guidance to our on site HR person to get it rolling.

Peer recognition in a nutshell

The basic idea is that much of the stuff that gets done isn’t obvious to managers, so having peers recognize each other covers those “unseen yet praise-worthy” actions.

There’s also the fun element which shouldn’t be underestimated. I love telling others how awesome they are for doing something extra special. The only way to make that even more fun is to do it when others can see and hear about their accomplishment. That not only earns them some extra kudos, but it also increases the likelihood that they will make that type of action a habit.

Do you have some sort of peer recognition program at your company? It can be as informal as a bulletin board for notes or as formal as a reward program where you get recognized in some sort of ceremony. Love to hear how others do this!

Informal peer recognition is a post from: UpstartHR

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SHRM 2010… It’s coming up in just a few short months in San Diego, California. Are you going? Back when SHRM 2009 was going on, I was salivating to attend, and I was really looking forward to SHRM 2010. When I found out it was going to be across the US, my excitement waned. I can’t make that trip.

People often ask if I will be attending this event or that function. Remember, people, I’m an entry level HR pro (in terms of years worked, anyway). I do not have the means to support multiple conferences each year. And my employer being a nonprofit doesn’t really help, either. I’d love to be able to meet some friends (like my pals at HRCP), be a social media evangelist, and generally raise some havoc. But as of this moment, it’s not going to happen.

What I will be doing

Instead of attending SHRM 2010, I’ll be planning the next HRevolution. Right after I returned from the best HR unconference ever, a friend passed me a link to an article about conference design. It’s really an interesting read (I’ve been over it four times already!), and I encourage you to at least skim it. You may get sucked in, too.

I’ve had people tell me that HRev was better than any other HR event than they had ever attended.

Why? What makes it so special? There are a few specifics:

• Small groups=big discussion
• Much of it was topical, valuable info (little fluff)
• Participants helped to shape the event
• Low cost, high value

While HRev wasn’t a full-blown unconference, the post-event surveys show that those unconference-y aspects were some of the most appreciated. Yes, the lack of a solid takeaway was an annoyance to some, but to others it was an inspiration to seek out answers.

What’s the point?

It would be difficult for me to go to a normal event after such a spectacular showing at HRevolution. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t go or that it wouldn’t be beneficial for me, but I am saying that it would be tough to get as much benefit from that sort of conference. Like I said before, I have friends and contacts to make that would really be beneficial to me at an event like this. However, it’s a steep price (and a long travel distance) just to expand my network of amazing people.

For those of you who plan to attend SHRM 2010 in San Diego, I hope you have a good time. As for me? I’m planning the next HRevolution and looking at ways to make these sorts of things more accessible to the general public. Are you planning to attend? What do you expect to get out of the $1500 ($1100 for members) price tag?

SHRM 2010 in San Diego, California is a post from: UpstartHR

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Note: this post is not encouraging anyone to spam a group of people. It’s only a recount of my own experience. If you spam your local HR pros, you could get booted from the SHRM chapter. Fair warning!

Back in the spring of 2009, I started looking for my first HR job. While I graduated college a year earlier than that, I had to work for my employer for a year since they paid for my final semester of college. I knew that it was time to step out of the small pond and jump into the world of HR with both feet. At that time, I was working with Andrew at Jobacle as a staff writer. In a fortunate coincidence, I had interviewed JT O’Donnell for a story on the Jobacle blog, and after a brief mention that I was job searching, we began to work together. JT is a great career coach, and her company, CAREEREALISM, is the place to go if you’re a job seeker looking for help.

Within a week, an entry level HR position with a local nonprofit opened up. I went for it. I wrote a cover letter, attached my resume, and sent it to their in-house recruiter. The only problem is that I knew that everyone else who applied for the job would do that exact same thing. I had to make it better.

How I used my local SHRM chapter membership to get a job

I had only been a NASHRM member for a little while, but I had seen the member directory before. On a hunch, I searched the database for the employer’s name. I got a hit! Two HR professionals at the company were NASHRM members. I did some background research and saw that one of them was a friend of a friend, so I made sure to ask for a personal recommendation, too. Using the information in the database, I sent a custom cover letter to both of them. I think it helped because:

• I was able to address it to them personally
• I mentioned my membership in NASHRM and showed that I was dedicated to making a career of HR
• With the information I found in Google about both of them, I was able to target their interests

Shortly thereafter, I received a call. Two interviews later and I was on the payroll. And the rest, my friends, is history. If I hadn’t been able to use the NASHRM database to connect with the hiring manager, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have got the job, but it certainly didn’t hurt! Has your local chapter helped  you with anything similar? Have you met someone who could help you find a job locally? I’d love to hear about it.

Want more info on SHRM chapters? Check out the SHRM Chapter Leadership Guide.

How I got immediate value from joining a SHRM chapter is a post from: UpstartHR

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Hello, everyone! I have some exciting news to share. Rock the PHR study guide will be relaunching on January 4th, and this time it will be bigger, better, and the bonuses will most definitely rock. I’ve been working feverishly on this thing, and I can’t wait to see how it goes. The original guide has been around since August 2009, and it has helped dozens of people in their PHR and SPHR studies. Despite a really crappy sales page and a relatively soft launch the first go ’round, it has performed admirably. Now that I’ve worked out some of the kinks, it’s time to really cut loose. Some of the cool stuff this time around…

Email Newsletter

I’ve set up an email newsletter. Anyone is free to sign up. It has tips and advice for preparing for, studying for, and taking the exam. The best part about getting on the list is being able to get the early bird discount. The link to the discount won’t be public, so if you’re even remotely interested, get the newsletter. And pass it along to a friend if you think they may want to take the exam next year.

Bonuses

[Deep and booming biblical voice] In the beginning, there were bonuses. And they were good. There are three sweet bonus items included in the Rock the PHR package. I’ll elaborate on them later, but they include a practice exam, special study tips, and a private forum. The value is just dripping off of these things.

Affiliates

In an effort to bring more joy to the world [seasonal humor!], I’ve created an affiliate program for the guide. If you are interested, you just sign up, send the link to anyone (or post it on your website if you have one), and if they make a purchase, then you get a sweet bonus. If that sounds cool, just check this page for more information. Please email me if you have questions or want more info.

List (again)

Again… The link to join the email list is here. If you think you might take the exam in 2010 or 2011, why not sign up ahead of time? You can save all of the emails and have your own stockpile of great study tips before your exam even gets close. Plus you might learn something to help you with your daily job. Huh, imagine that.

More info as the launch gets closer, and be sure to get on the email list if you want to get the special early bird pricing. Let’s kick off 2010′s professional development with a bang, shall we?

Rock the PHR Relaunch is a post from: UpstartHR

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How to Sell Social Media

In a previous post, I talked about using social media as a competitive advantage. Today, I’d like to take a look at why people like me attempt to push  or sell social media on those who are not yet participating.

• Is it because I feel a bit awkward and want others to join me?
• Is it because I have benefited from its use and want others to do the same?
• Is it because I’ve been suckered into a fad and don’t know any better?
  

Yes, whenever someone says “Twitter,” there’s still a little snicker from people. It’s weird. It’s geeky. It’s a bit awkward. But I’m still doing it and building relationships, making money, and increasing my knowledge. Do I want others to join me? Yes. Is it because I feel awkward? Not really. I just want people to take advantage of the tools they have to make their organizations and people as excellent as possible.

People like me often wonder why others aren’t already using social media tools. To us, it’s a no-brainer.  I’ll tell you why: they don’t see the value (yet). If you are serious about wanting to help others to learn and grow, you’ll have to stop looking outside yourself.

How to Sell Social Media

Take your little sales spiel about social media and turn it inward. Apply all of the selling points about greater customer engagement and wider/deeper channels of communication to your own organization. Make yourself and your surroundings better (be a champion!) and others will flock to copy your strategy. It’s much easier to sell social media when someone can plainly see how it’s benefited you.

Want others to join you in the use of social media? Give them a reason.

Photo by Intersection Consulting.

How to Sell Social Media is a post from: UpstartHR

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Fads. We’ve all fallen for one at some time or another. That’s why many businesses and people are wary of tools like social media.

What if we put a lot of time and money into this idea and it turns out to be a fad?

I have a question for you: what if you looked at social media not as a fad, but as a competitive advantage?

Many people (I freely admit my own participation) have made it their mission to evangelize and convert people and organizations to social media use. I have an interesting suggestion.

Stop. Quit. Let them be.

Someone at HRevolution said it well. Stop trying to force it on people.

Use social media as a competitive advantage to blow your competitors out of the water.

Who cares if they’re using it or not? Just focus on making it work for you. You can make serious money if you can leverage a social media strategy that is engaging, trustworthy, and genuine. Want to implement a strategic plan that can help to make social media a competitive advantage for your organization? Then I highly recommend that you check out this series on employer branding through social media.

Do yourself a favor and bookmark that page. The articles linked from the bottom are indispensable for those looking to make social media a part of their business.

Can social media be valued as a serious competitive advantage, or will it continue to be mentioned with a smirk by those who do not understand the technology and philosophy behind the Web 2.0 movement? I know my answer to that question. What’s yours?

Photo by ell brown.

Social Media as a Competitive Advantage is a post from: UpstartHR

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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. Why not coach them?

If you criticize someone, how does that really help them to be better?

When you see a problem, it’s easy to step in and criticize, but it’s hard to step in with an encouraging and positive coaching attitude. Find out what they don’t know and do your very best to educate them on those topics. Nearly every employee has some area they could be coached in, but it’s usually up to you to pull that out of them.

Reach out with a genuine desire to help the employee learn and grow.

At times I feel strange writing about topics that aren’t strategic or ground-breaking. But then I remember what someone said at HRevolution. We can’t all be strategic planners. Yes, we can plan and be forward-thinking, but not every decision we make will have instant, measurable results. What’s the ROI of coaching someone instead of criticizing them? I’m not sure, but it’s definitely a better option.

Do you want your people to speak well of you? Do you want your employees to manage your brand well? Give it a shot. Coach before you criticize.

Photo by megwills.

Coach before you criticize is a post from: UpstartHR

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