What the heck is an HRYP?

HRYP stands for “human resources young professional.” Yeah, sounds like a mouthful, so HRYP is the easiest way to say it, ‘kay? HRYP is an initiative kicked off by SHRM’s go-to guy for everything on the “young professional” end of the spectrum–Chuck Salvetti.

I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck at SHRM10, and since then I’ve learned more about what they are doing for young professionals in the HR space. I have to say… I love it. My goal from the very beginning was to serve as a resource for those just getting started in human resources, and this initiative is something that closely aligns with my goals for this blog.

With that in mind, I have built a series that links together the strengths and knowledge of some of my trusted resources in the HR arena and the questions/needs of the HRYP community. I am an active participant in the HRYP group on LinkedIn, and I encourage other young HR pros to join (I’m also a fan of the HRYP Facebook group, but I don’t participate there as much). I have had some interesting discussions with the people there, and I am excited to share some helpful information with non-HRYPs related to those conversations.

Top 3 HRYP Concerns

• Lack of credibility
• Lack of challenging work
• Lack of a definite career path

Below are just a few of the responses I’ve had to the following probing questions directed at the HRYP LinkedIn group:

1. If you could talk with a handful of HR professionals on the Director/VP level, what would you ask/tell them?
2. What is one frustration you have as an HRYP?
3. If there was an ideal outcome to that frustrating issue, what would it be?

Below you’ll find a few responses to those questions by the HRYPs out there. If you’re working near one, you might want to take notes for later (heck, you could even ask them yourself!).

Samantha

1. I would want to ask each of them how they chose HR as a career and what path did he or she take do to become a Director/VP (career and personal)
2. I can only say one?!?!? I think the main frustration that I have now is how HRYP are viewed. Despite how hard we work or show our credibility, I feel that some HR professionals don’t take HRYPs seriously and/or want to keep them at a certain level regardless of performance because “that’s how it’s always been done”. Some times I believer there is some reverse age discrimination going on.
3. An ideal outcome would be for everyone (all HR professionals young and seasoned) to have open minds and work together and share ideas as collegues. Not worrying about how old someone is or what someone should or shouldn’t know.

Pamela

1. I would love to know what they were thinking at my age. More specifically, did they have a ‘plan’ for the direction of their career or were they simply stumbling along and eventually realized where they’d like to go.
2. As a fellow HRYP, my ultimate frustration is exactly what Samantha mentioned. Sometimes it is very difficult to be taken seriously by department co-workers as well as other co-workers. Unfortunately, even though my resume demonstrates my proven abilities over the last 4 years, I am still looked at as a ‘newbie’ in HR. My city is in a smaller market and I am confident that I am the youngest HR Professional in this area. When I attend local SHRM meetings, I feel obligated to stay quiet through the meeting.
3. My ideal outcome would be to allow all members of HR to speak and voice their opinion. There are a few different generations working together in my department. The department should take advantage of each of the strong characteristics of each generation. No one should be made to feel less superior because of something they clearly cannot change.

Jenilee

1. I would love to know what they wish they knew when they were starting out in HR, and what pitfalls they would avoid.
2. As an HRYP, employee relations can be challenging when some employees with long tenures don’t think an HRYP is equipped to deal with the situation.
3. Ideally, in this situation a more senior HR person would partner with the HRYP, while at the same time trying to give as much primary responsibility as possible. If this is not possible, then you just have to do your best and make sure you’re prepared. HOWEVER, at the same time I realize that HR is seen as a very experience-driven field (I think because there are always “firsts” and unpredictable situations). So, I also have to remind myself that it’s ok if I have to wait for some time before ALL employees, junior and senior, are comfortable.

Colleen

1. I would love to ask them how they got started in HR, was it just by chance that they were placed there or did they choose to be in HR.
2. I think one frustration of mine is proving myself to more tenured HR professionals that I can actually do the job. Its hard being so young in this profession because you wind up being an HR assistant for a years before you are promoted into a more junior role.
3. My ideal outcome would be to have a career path laid out for me when I start a job, so I know that I am not going to be stuck in a lower level HR position forever.

Stay tuned for responses to these issues from some of the people I highly respect for their views and opinions. If you are a HRYP and would like to comment on these issues, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re not, but you have an opinion on one of the three overarching issues, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

HRYP Series: What You Need To Know is a post from: UpstartHR

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Despite the intense annoyance he must have felt after meeting me , Curtis Midkiff, SHRM’s new Social Media Guy took the time to do a short email interview to talk about the event and what he sees for the days and weeks ahead. Whatever your thoughts on SHRM may be, this guy is doing some great things, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

So, Curtis, we’ve seen you here before on the blog in the days ramping up to SHRM10 (meet Curtis Midkiff). Out of all of your predictions for the event, do you think it went as well as you hoped it would? What was the best/worst part?

I think that the overall engagement effort went as I hoped. I entered into Annual with the hope that we would make a good initial impression to a point where we can have a point of reference for future efforts.   The best part was the engagement of the social media community in the press room/social media room.  The worst part was that I think that we ran out of time at the convention.   The nature of social media is organic and I think that the influence and potential for the social media lounge and general engagement was growing towards the end of the conference.

You had the opportunity to meet some great people I like to call friends (Mike VanDervort, Jessica Miller-Merrill, Matt Stollak, etc.). What was your impression of them in real life as opposed to their social personas? Anything particularly surprising?

Ben, I think the best analogy to answer your question would be that in many ways the Annual Conference was like a first day of school for me.  I wanted to do every thing that I could to make a good impression on the “cool kids” of HR whose voices are influential in the perception of our organization.    Prior to the event, I had read blogs from many of these folks, which in some cases were very critical of SHRM so I am not sure what I was expecting when they arrived and quite frankly I was a bit nervous.   What surprised me upon meeting them was that they were as happy to meet me as I was to meet them and they are open to lending a hand to me as needed and I appreciate that.

I was able to sit in on the social media panel you were a part of. I thought you did well and spoke admirably, but it was a tiny event in a back hallway. Do you have plans to get “social” more face time at SHRM11?

I definitely have plans to have social media front and center next year.   I am not as concerned about whether I personally get noticed as long as my goals are achieved.   In terms of engagement with members I am not going to wait until SHRM11.  I am embarking on a year long “BLOGAPALOOZA” tour which will allow me to directly engage and meet with our members to learn more about them and how we can better serve them via social media.

Between the hashtag, the tweetup, blog coverage, and other online content marketing the SHRM10 event, did you think the event was shared adequately to those who couldn’t attend? Is there anything that could have been better?

I think that through the hashtags and event we did a good job.  However, I am indebted to my Blog Squad as well as the other bloggers like Charlie Judy of HR Fishbowl and Bryan from DriveThru HR for engaging people on a daily basis.   Monster.com’s social media activation at the Annual Conference also was pivotal in letting people know what’s going on.   In terms of what could be better, I wish that our conference blog was more prominently featured on the SHRM.org homepage and the Annual Conference page.

This is not really a question, but I had the opportunity to spend some time in the social media lounge. The flat screens with the Twitter feed were great, and the atmosphere in there was always comfortable. I think you guys did a fantastic job on that!

Thanks for the kudos.  Make sure to let me know how we can make it better.

And, just to fit into this week’s requirements for the HR carnival, I must know: what do you wish you had learned at SHRM10?

Hmmmm…I wished I had learned the magic way to engage 11,000 members to get involved in social media.  I wish I would have learned that when you unleash a talented blog squad on an Annual Conference they are going to send more than enough content to engage the audience so you (as in ME) need to be ready to quickly post these entries.  And I wish I would have learned how to make those bacon cupcakes we had at the tweetup.   Oh yeah, I wish I would have learned if in a past life Eric Winegardner was really the Wizard of Oz because this guy makes amazing things happen.

And there you have it, people! I really appreciate Curtis for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer a few pesty questions and let the rest of you know what he’s up to. Thanks for dropping by, and make sure you check out the other SHRM10 coverage if you haven’t already!

Photo credit: MonsterWW

SHRM’s Social Media Guy Dishes on #SHRM10 is a post from: UpstartHR

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AKA Eric Winegardner Interviews Himself

I had the opportunity to sit down with Eric Winegardner from Monster during the Monster/Smartbrief on Workforce video series. If you’ve never met me in real life, let me just say this: I’m shy. I’m quiet. I don’t really talk a heck of a lot.

That might surprise you, but it’s true. It takes some people a while to realize it, but I really do know and understand that you learn more by listening than by talking. So I was more than a little nervous to sit down with this brilliant guy and talk on camera. Maybe I’ll get better with practice (I certainly hope so!), but here’s all you have to go with for now…

(Subscribers may have to click through to view)

By the way, I counted. I talked for one minute and twenty seconds out of a four minute video. I’m so glad Eric is chatty and saved me from mass goofiness.

Eric mentioned redefining the value of a SHRM membership. I’m definitely on that. We talked about my passion being something that attracts others. I have more than enough to share. Eric touched on music selections at SHRM conferences (which should be a universally acceptable topic!), and my brilliant response was what? “I don’t listen to music.” It’s true, but I should have winged it with something ultra-cool. I usually just ride in silence and record notes and ideas that roll through my head. I wrote a few more thoughts about what I thought of the annual SHRM conference over on the RocketHR blog for my local SHRM chapter. Check it out!

Find the rest of my SHRM10 coverage here

The quietest guy you’ll ever meet… is a post from: UpstartHR

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All I can say about my experience at #SHRM10 is “wow.” I’m still trying to digest all of the lessons from the event, but I can already say that it was completely worth my time and sweat investment. There were 30% more attendees at SHRM10 than at SHRM09, and I think that was a part of the enthusiasm that buzzed around the event.

What did I learn?

I learned more about strategic planning, creating a better experience for job candidates, and serving others. I learned that being involved in the social world before the event helps you to make connections and build upon them once you arrive. I learned that the Monster and Smartbrief teams (and by default, me!) work their butts off to make the experience amazing for everyone.

Here are a few other lessons I’ve learned and a few that I’m still digesting.

Connections

If you’ve ever heard me or another socially-active person mention events, we probably mention connections as a benefit. While it seems somewhat vague, I’ll put it this way: I have a list of 30 people to follow up with who most people would salivate to connect with. Why do I, a little old HR guy from Huntsville, Alabama, get to reach out to them? I’m not completely sure, but I think it has something to do with my passion for the profession and my desire to see things improve. I can’t think of any other reason they’d be interested.

Even if I had done nothing else during this event other than talk and meet people, it would have been completely worth the effort. How’s that for value?

The day job

It seemed almost like an afterthought, but I did get some great ideas to carry back with me to my day job. While I didn’t get to see all of the sessions I wanted (some of those suckers fill up fast!), I did experience a handful of solid, value-packed speakers who challenged my thinking. This list is going to be the frustrating one, probably. While I’d like to work on the 50 things we’re doing wrong, in reality I just can’t find the time to do all of them. But if I can make a few small changes (just a few, mind you), and it has a positive impact on my workplace and the overall organization, I think I might be okay with that for now.

Questioning my path

One thing I didn’t expect was questioning my career choices. I had multiple conversations with Eric Winegardner from Monster, Jennifer McClure from Unbridled Talent, and Gerry Crispin from CareerXroads. All three of them are superstars in their own right, and all of them encouraged me to continue growing and developing in my career.

One of the most profound statements I’ve ever heard from Eric (and it wasn’t this one) was this: move up, not out. So many amazing HR pros eventually take off and leave the profession instead of continually climbing to be Directors, VPs, and Chief HR Officers. We need more great people to ascend to those positions instead of leaving them to the people with seniority by default (even if they don’t have the skills or passion to be great at it).

Jennifer asked me what I wanted to do with my career. I didn’t have a quick answer to that, and she reminded me that as a recruiter, I needed to know what I wanted before it was offered. For example, if she called me to recruit for a position I seriously wanted, but I sounded unsure, then I’d probably be passed over completely for the job even though it was a good fit for me. I need to figure out what I want to do next so I can seize the opportunity when it comes along.

Projects and partners

While I’m active quite often, it’s never as fulfilling when I’m working alone. I love love love getting the opportunity to help someone else to finish a difficult task or build something new. It’s so much more exciting and fun to share things with other people.

• Mike VanDervort shared a great idea that I can’t wait to assist him with.
• I’m on the lookout for ideas I can share with Matt Charney, because he was so helpful throughout my conference experience.
• Bryan Wempen and John Jorgenson (among others) are great local/state SHRM leaders, and I am seriously thinking about partnering with them to develop more resources to better serve their members.
• Chuck Salvetti, the guy in charge of student and young professional stuff at SHRM, has asked if I would volunteer to help get the young professional group up and running smoothly. I’ just sent in my application, Chuck!

There are others, but I don’t want to let all of the cats out of the bag just yet.

Keep the flame burning

While I’m completely and totally on fire right now, it won’t last. I’m going to try to stave it off for as long as I possibly can, but the experience will fade from my mind and other stuff will clutter up my brain. How in the world can I keep it going? What if I don’t have an Uncle Andre hanging around to help keep me on the right track? If I could have learned one thing at SHRM, it would have been how to keep the spirit and enthusiasm all year long. Exploring that one could be a complete post in itself, but if you have your own suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

SHRM membership in my future?

I was prompted by some amazing people, including Gerry Crispin, Nancy Newell, Sue Meisinger, Tara Mauk Arthur, China Gorman, Nancy Slotnick (and more), to join SHRM. I still haven’t made the leap just yet, but I think it’s going to be sometime in the near future. To top it off, both Gerry and Sue offered me this deal: if I don’t get my money’s worth in value from SHRM membership, then they will pay me back out of their own pockets. It doesn’t get much simpler than that, huh?

What you missed if you weren’t there

If you haven’t seen it yet, there was some amazing content generated from the event. Below are some of the best resources I’ve seen so far (and a few of mine thrown in because I’m me ).

• Jennifer McClure
• Monster Thinking
• Monster’s Video Vault on Youtube
• Smartblog on Workforce
• My posts on MonsterThinking.com about the universal language of customer service, expect the best and get the most from your people, and the strategic role engagement plays for HR pros
• My other miscellaneous posts from the SHRM10 event here on the blog
• TLNT’s coverage
• Charlie Judy
• Mark Stelzner
• Jessica Miller-Merrill
• Mike VanDervort

Lessons for a lifetime-My #SHRM10 Recap is a post from: UpstartHR

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I’m working with the Monster Street Team to cover the SHRM annual conference. Click here for the whole story.

I had a chance to sit in on the SHRM10 social media panel featuring Curtis Midkiff, Mike Vandervort, Bryan Wempen, and Laurie Ruettimann. It was interesting that they stuck it in an early morning time slot in a private area instead of keeping it more public for people to participate and learn from the panel.

(Subscribers may have to click through to view.)

#SHRM10 Social Media Panel Thoughts (Video) is a post from: UpstartHR

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I’m working with the Monster Street Team to cover the SHRM annual conference. Click here for the whole story.

Here’s a short video talking about one of the most valuable parts of my conference experience so far!

(Subscribers may have to click through to view.)

#MonsterSocial #SHRM10 Recap (Video) is a post from: UpstartHR

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Whew! If I look tired, it’s because I am. Little sleep, getting up early, and blocking out a time for a session at every opportunity is getting to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not learning and doing a lot of interesting things. Check out the video below for my short recap of the day through noon.

(Subscribers may have to click through to view.)

#SHRM10 Monday Midday Recap (Video) is a post from: UpstartHR

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