Author Archives: Ben

And we’re live!

Check out the best PHR study guide (I may be a bit biased) :-). I even got up the nerve to shoot a video for you guys. :-) A big shout out to Allen Robinson for the design work. I really appreciate his hard work. Have a design project in mind? Contact him.

Hey guys, it’s Ben. I just wanted to throw up a quick video to answer some questions and let everyone know a little about the Rock the PHR guide.

This thing isn’t like the other study sources out there. In an effort to meet the needs of a lot of test takers, I have created a batch of resources that fall under the RTPHR umbrella. Let me say that this is not a full-blown study guide. This is a supplemental resource to fill in the gaps that even the really high priced options have.

Back to what I was saying-RTPHR is the guide, but it comes with some special resources that can help you study smarter and more efficiently. One new and exciting piece of the relaunch is a private forum/chatroom where customers can meet and support each other. Many of you, like me, probably didn’t have a study group nearby. The private community slows you to interact with others from the comfort of home. Pretty cool, right?

On a lighter note: someone asked me the other day why I was selling this so hard. I laughed and said, “If you developed a resource that could drastically improve someone’s chance of success, would you hide it or share it with the world?”

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thanks!

Are you ready?

The new version of the Rock the PHR guide is going live today at 6:00 p.m. Central. I’ve been pushing it hard in the past few weeks, but that’s only because I think it’s really going to help people with their own exams. I’ve bumped the price since the initial release, but some people have told me that it’s still cheap (especially now that it comes with a private forum/chat room, a 50-question practice exam, and more).

For the first 10 buyers, I’m going to throw in a special bonus report that will not be available to the public. You won’t want to miss it.

If you’re already certified, or if you think that it’s not for you, it wouldn’t hurt to pass it along to someone who could benefit. Thanks for playing along. Look for another “regular” post on Wednesday.

Here’s the link to the Rock the PHR page (I’ll turn off the redirect around 6:00 p.m. Central or a maybe a bit before then).

The guide received two reviews in its first revision. Feel free to check them out here and here.

3 Free HR Podcasts

free hr podcast Whether you’re looking for some learning or something more entertaining than another dry, boring white paper, you can find what you’re looking for on the web. One of my favorite things to do is listen to podcasts while I’m working on a repetitive task. It passes the time, and I’m learning, too. Here are a few of my favorite free HR podcast sources.

HR Happy Hour Continue reading →

The future of HR: Is it you?

(This is a guest post by Kristi Daeda. Enjoy!)

It could be, but only if you keep an eye on where the field is moving rather than where it’s been.

When I made the move to HR, I did it because I wanted to make the organization more effective from its foundation — the people and practices that made up the company. I did it because I believed that stronger management, clearer communication, and better employee support would make for a better place to work and stronger business results.

I didn’t do it so that I could organize the holiday party, or photocopy employee benefit enrollment packets, or do the management work–discipline, coaching, recognition–that the managers didn’t want to do. Continue reading →

Looking back at 2009 and forward to 2010

After all of the “end of 2009” and “here comes 2010” posts I’ve been reading, I realized I haven’t done my own! I checked my phone, and I have lots of jumbled ideas. Maybe I can straighten them out and have some smooth sailing into the new year. Let’s unpack, shall we? I’m just typing as fast as I can and will probably miss quite a few things.

Looking back at 2009

Created UpstartHR

I created UpstartHR and really got into writing online. It’s been an eye-opening experience for me, and I am thrilled to be a part of an amazing community.

Made LOTS of friends

I don’t have the space or time to mention all of the friends and acquaintances I’ve made this year. Andrew, April, Jim, Victorio, Trish, Steve B., Steve H., Rich, Lance, Chris F., Crystal, Joan, Margo, Mark, Paul, Michael, Kelly, Alicia, and Allen are just the tip of the iceberg. If I didn’t mention your name, please leave a comment below and hassle me for it. I promise it’s not on purpose.

HRevolution Continue reading →

How I got immediate value from joining a SHRM chapter

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. Continue reading →

2009-Still Time for Success

success I’m always a bit teary-eyed as the year comes to a close. I simultaneously look back at the previous months and forward to those ahead and mentally measure my accomplishments against my expectations. One of the projects that I’ve been happy to watch come to fruition is the development of this blog.

Although RocketHR has only been cranking along for a few months now, I can tell that it is going to continue to become more popular in the coming year. How do I measure that success? Well, it’s getting steady traffic and subscribers, and it’s helping people to better themselves and their organizations. I’d call that a success.

upstartHR

making HR better, one HR pro at a time