Author Archives: Ben

How Stale Are You?

I’m edging into my three year mark with Pinnacle Solutions, and I’m thinking a good bit on growing professionally and avoiding a stagnant mindset, among other things. Recently my friend Krista published a piece on staying fresh. She made some great comments, and I want to spin off those today as a great tie in to the overall discussion.

  • How long is too long?  
  • How do you keep growing?

how long before you burn outJust to get us started, let’s check out some of Krista’s commentary:

I'm a little torn on this whole 10 years [at the same job] = stale idea. I'm not stale. You know what, I've known people who were stale in their roles after two months, because the truth is, they were never fresh. I've known people who moved from position to position within the same organization and are still stale with each incarnation. And… I've known people who honestly do stay too long and go stale in their roles.

So, if there’s a formula or idea on how to do it right, what is it? How do we answer the big questions mentioned above? Let’s dig in.

How long is too long?

We’ve all met those people. They are continuing to “work” and exist in the workplace, but they aren’t contributing anything of value. They are going through the motions and just biding their time until they can leave. They’ve been there too long.

In my own career, I have kept up one steady focus: grow or leave. If I ever get to a point in my job where I’ve stopped growing and learning and I no longer have passion for my daily efforts, then I start looking elsewhere. In the past, that could have been 1 year, 2 years, or more. It really depends on the manager, workplace, and other factors.

That has been my longstanding decision, though. And I stand by it. If you’re not growing and developing, you might as well find a place where you can.

How do you keep growing?

It might be a surprise to some of you, but growing requires effort. You can’t just sit back and have growth opportunities pour into your lap forever. Sure, when you pick up a new role or responsibility, you might have the option of picking and choosing from a multitude of growth opportunities, but eventually you’ll have to take the responsibility on yourself and seek them out.

As I discuss in the post on owning your own growth, you need to have a mindset change. Want to be more valuable? Make yourself more valuable. Want to develop new skills? Start researching ways to make that happen. We all have growth areas we can pursue, but the hardest part is often making the first move. Commit. Go for it. Make it so.

Nobody else is going to do it for you.

Wrapping it up

To turn it back to my own career progression, I’m approaching the three year mark at Pinnacle and still learning new things each week. I’m staying on top of trends, learning new software tools, and developing my daily skill set to prepare for future career opportunities (whether at my current employer or elsewhere).

Want the world to know that you are not stale?

Prove you’re not. Today and every day.

In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

Interview Tip: Be Able to Do the Job

This year I’ve had to don my recruiting hat more and more often, and I am astounded by the number of people who apply with absolutely no experience in the specific job, despite a specific set of required skills. However, I think it’s even worse when I receive a resume that lists those skills and abilities, yet when I’m interviewing I quickly determine that they have stretched the truth considerably or outright lied just to get an interview.

For the candidates

helicopter photoIt might seem like common sense, but be able to do the job if you apply for it. Don’t tell me “I just need a little training to get up to speed” or “I have a friend who says it’s not that difficult” or “I’m a fast learner.”

We aren’t a charity and we need to find the best person we can afford with our hiring budget. If you’re lying and I waste the time to bring you in to interview only to determine your resume is overblown and false, I will remember that for a long, long time.

Be truthful. Apply for jobs that you’re qualified for, and don’t assume that the employer owes you training or another benefit unless you have something very unique to offer.

For the recruiters

This was spurred by a combination of current interviews and a friend sending me an article about using a quick (and simple) coding test for software engineering jobs.

I love that, and that’s why I always have a technical expert in interviews with me. I don’t know enough about this stuff to always dig deep and determine a candidate’s claims of proficiency.

As simple as it seems, we should be trying harder to disqualify people for a lack of substantial job-related skills. We need to be doing sharing realistic job preview scenarios to ensure a proper candidate fit. Don’t feel bad for rejecting someone who isn’t qualified to do the job. Just because they are likable doesn’t mean they are the right person!

One interview I participated in several years ago fits into this discussion very well. We had an opening for an electrical engineer. We brought in a candidate who was very personable and had what seemed like a good bit of experience to fit our needs. However, when one of our guys gave him a simple electrical schematic to explain, he was unable to fulfill the request.

And I don’t mean he stumbled around, guessed, or made an incorrect assertion. He just sat there and said he had no idea. This was one of the key skills we needed out of the person taking the position. Whoever had the job would be creating, reviewing, and proofing these types of documents from day one. And this guy failed miserably.

Sometimes we like to pitch softball questions. We like to talk more about ourselves and the company than the candidate. We like to prompt responses instead of allowing the person to respond without help.

Let’s step back from that and try to incorporate job-related assessments (as in the electrical engineering example above) into the hiring process. It will make for better hires, fewer headaches, and a stronger workforce overall.

Send This to Your Managers Today

[Your staff] need to be better because you are there, not the other way around.

Last week I was reading something and ran across this amazing comment for managers. It’s short. It’s to the point. And it is a sorely needed reminder for many managers about their responsibilities to their people.

management reminderDuh.

Yes, you get something out of having people work for you. However, they need to be getting something out of the relationship as well.

We’re all guilty of this one, so feel free to pass this around today. Step on some toes. Push some buttons.

I’m for pretty much whatever it takes to help remind each of us of our responsibilities as leaders. Ask the questions below to a manager today!

Think it over. Are your people better off because you are there, or is it a one-way street where you benefit from their efforts? How do you know? Is there anything you can do to improve the current arrangement? 

Managing Your First Employee

I started with Google. I was searching about managing my first employee, because I was about to have the chance. Finding info about managing your first employee shouldn’t be that hard, right? But most of the results had to do with entrepreneurs hiring their first staff member, and there was very little to do with becoming a first time manager of employees. Here’s a little of what I learned over the past few months.

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to bring on an intern to help with some overdue tasks, ongoing support, and basically anything else I could dig up. I’d been falling behind on some actions for a while after a hiring/recruiting surge, and I needed some additional part time help to fill that gap.

We interviewed several people, but one college student, V, had the attitude and skill set that I desperately needed.

Looking back now, it’s kind of funny. I write about talent management here fairly often. I know the theories, ideas, concepts, and methods for managing people.

And it’s still hard.

I fell into the traps.

I got a little lazy at times.

But I still learned a significant amount, the stakes were fairly low, and V (world’s greatest intern!) was forgiving.

She has learned a significant amount this summer, but so have I.

Key Takeaways

I learned a few things about myself, my work style, and a few quirks as well. Here are a few of the more pertinent ones:

  • Managing your first employee is going to be a different experience. It’s not like “doing” the work.
  • Be sure to delegate things that the person is good at. I hired an organization ninja because I’m not one. And she has been a godsend.
  • Ask how you’re doing in a frank, honest way. Don’t discourage feedback of any kind.
  • Buy them lunch. Or breakfast. Or a cookie. Especially if they’re an intern or admin staff, you can afford to do that once in a while.

For those of you with plenty of management experience under your belt, what tips would you give a first time manager? What has been your best tool over the years?

Getting into HR? This Carnival’s For You

This HR Carnival is focused on those getting into HR. The HR Carnival is a great opportunity to harness the brains of multiple people for a common purpose. This one is no different. For this edition, I asked each person to contribute an article that touches on some of the key skills, insights, and abilities for the new HR pro.

I realize that many of us are beyond those initial shaky steps in the profession, but I also think we need to do what we can to reach back and help the next generation of HR professionals however we can. With that in mind, let’s jump into the day’s content.

Six of HR’s best blogs sound off

  1. The team from changeboard blog  threw out the top 10 career tips from HRDs around the world. Let’s tap into the brilliance offered here, shall we?
  2. Melissa at HR reMix brings us the best advice for a new HR pro. (Hint: it’s never really about HR!)
  3. Shauna the incorrigible HR Minion tells us you can never be too much of anything. Absolutely love this and couldn’t agree more.
  4. Mark at Inflexion Advisors offers up the power of 7 simple questions.
  5. Naomi Bloom shares with us the model of a modern HR leader. Do you fit the mold?
  6. Amit from Young HR Manager asks the eternal question: can HR have friends at work? Wow. This one really hit me hard. I have plenty of friends at work of varying degrees, but I always have the vague thought in the back of my mind that I might have to be the one to end that on the company’s behalf one day.

As for myself, I’d love to kick in the Ultimate Guide to Entry Level HR Jobs. Lots of good info there and hopefully it continues to help the next generation entering the HR/recruiting workforce by answering questions, providing helpful guidance, and eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the profession.

What about you? Any additional words of wisdom to share?

The Buddy System (#HRevolution 2013)

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you probably know that HRevolution 2013 is coming. The agenda is out. We have some great things planned. But some of you still don’t understand what the whole thing is about.

I’ll admit–it’s slightly unnerving. We promote this thing as a participatory event. It’s not just another opportunity to sit at the back of a room, hear a speaker blab for an hour, and collect your HRCI recertification credits.

We want people to talk, share, converse, and interact with the rest of the participants. If you’ve attended previously, I want to challenge you to bring someone with you. We’ll call it the HRev Buddy System. It’s your job to help them understand the format, content, and event at a high level.

For those of you who haven’t been, this is your chance to jump in. If this recent post spoke to you at all, then HRevolution is an event that you would enjoy. It isn’t the everyday HR seminar. It’s so much more. We’d love to welcome you to the family, even if we don’t always agree on everything (hint: if we both agree on everything, then one of us is redundant!).

Plus you get fun sessions like HR Improv, point/counterpoint with people who aren’t afraid to share their ideas, and more.

Vegas housing is crazy. Many of us share rooms (though certainly not necessary), so if that’s a sticking point, let me know and we can discuss options. We don’t want little things like room or travel costs to get in the way of “in the trenches” HR pros attending this unique event.

Rural Recruiting-The World You Don’t See

Me: So I have this great position that you are perfect for. The pay is solid, benefits are outstanding, and we think you’re the right guy for the job.

Anonymous candidate: Sounds great! Where is the job located? I’d definitely be interested.

rural corporate recruitingMe: It’s actually in [remote location near a small Army base].

Candidate: Oh, well, I don’t know that I want to move out that far. There’s really nothing to do out there, and it doesn’t appeal to me.

Me: Oh, okay. Well, you know how to reach me if you change your mind. [hangs up wondering when this train of rejections is going to end]

In case you can’t tell from the above exchange, I thought today would be an opportune time to look at rural recruiting. It’s something I’ve had a bit of experience with (and will have more of in the near future), and it’s an area of recruiting that can be incredibly frustrating.

I spoke with a SHRM chapter earlier this year in a rural area, and the local companies basically share the same talent pool. Bob the employee might work for Company A for a few years, move to Company B for the variety, and end up at Company A again after that. With a small pool of candidates, filling each job is a monumental task.

Here’s a short list of common problems with rural recruiting, just to get you thinking:

  • Limited size of talent pool
  • Stronger than normal “that’s how we’ve always done it” syndrome
  • Difficult to sell for relocating new staff
  • More often blue collar-type work
  • More employee relations issues due to the fact that employees know it’s hard to replace them

What’s the answer to the rural recruiting challenge?

Here are a handful of actions to consider. Not all will work, but as difficult as it is there is no reason not to try some or all of them! And please, by all means, add some of your own suggestions and comments below.

Short term

  1. Work with your staff to recruit/refer good candidates. If you don’t have an employee referral program, start one.
  2. Seek out candidates who are more interested in small town life vs. that of a big city. Plenty of us prefer that, but you need to ensure you’re targeting that by asking good interview questions.
  3. Develop retention tools that encourage your workforce to remain with your company, whether it’s professional development opportunities, family outreach, etc.

Long term

  1. If your organization is large enough with multiple locations, develop a good job rotation program where key players get to experience all areas and locations of the business, thus providing a built in pipeline of future talent.
  2. Take number 3 above even further by connecting with a local daycare to subsidize employee childcare costs, offering sabbaticals or other unusual benefits, or helping employees to reach lifelong goals. I once worked with a company with a lady who wanted to ride a hot air balloon before she died. After a particularly good year, the company rented a hot air balloon and operator and let the woman have a paid day off to enjoy the experience. The more care you put into these custom benefits/perks, the more successful they will be!
  3. This one is long term. Seriously. But if future growth and success is the plan, then it makes sense to explore this option fully. Work to team with the local chamber of commerce or business-centric organization. Find out what your small town lacks (according to the candidates who reject the job due to the location) and see if you can fix those. Here’s a great local example. Huntsville is not a huge city by any means, but we have people wanting to relocate here from other places. Companies kept hearing that we didn’t have a good enough downtown area for family, recreation, etc., so now the local Chamber has started helping to develop the area to suit those needs. It’s already impacted the area, and there’s no telling how many people will now consider the city based on its new facets.

In many instances, I hear a variation of this from my recruiting brethren facing these challenges:

Forget social recruiting or talent communities. I just want someone to come to work sober.

Your turn

I’d love to hear from someone with rural recruiting experience. What has worked for you when recruiting in rural areas? What are your tips?