Category Archives: General

Playing the “Boss” Card (Leadership 101)

How the “boss” card damages your leadership potential and how to avoid it

Why? Because I said so, and I’m the boss, that’s why.

the boss cardIf you’ve ever heard those words, you’ve probably transported yourself back mentally to a time when you were a young child being chastised by an adult. If you spend any amount of time around kids, there eventually comes a time when you’ll have to say, “Because I said so” in response to a protest.

We’ve all seen that scene play out in its various flavors and settings in the parenting world, but the real question is still unanswered.

Why is it so common in the workplace?

Let me clarify-I’m not talking about doing day to day tasks that are routine. Most normal people wouldn’t challenge their manager with regard to the little things and how they are done.

I’m talking about situations and scenarios outside the norm where the question is clearly laid out there: is this going to be your way or mine? Continue reading →

HRevolution 2012-What Just Happened?

Wow. As I’ve said before, it takes a little time to decompress and consider just what is going to come out of the event, and this is no different. There were amazing sessions, fun times, and all kinds of new experiences for the attendees.

A few highlights:

  • the HR Improv session was a hit-hoping to post some of that video soon
  • the deep, honest discussions in the Diversity and The Oreo session were sworn to secrecy
  • nearly 50% of the attendees joined us for their first time; great to expand our circle to include some new voices

I clarified a handful of things with regard to my own HR role, but they were good ones. This event is always tough for me, because the discussions are often theoretical (though certainly not always).

I was discussing the event with Jason Lauritsen, and he framed it as a chance to recharge and renew his spirit to face challenges on day-to-day basis. I thought it was appropriate and a fitting tribute to the reason we started the event in the first place.

Some people walk away with action items. Some people walk away with new ideas and concepts. Some people, apparently, walk away with the spirit and energy they need to continue their own “revolution” in their workplace. That’s just incredible for all of us who created this event to see how much of an impact it’s having on people everywhere.

Quotable Quotes

You don’t create a great place to work. You defend it. –Bret Starr Continue reading →

I9 Verification Documents-How to Get Employee Cooperation

I9 verification documents-challenges and solutions

i9 verification documentsI was wondering what suggestions you or others in the HR community have related to ensuring that new hires show up for orientation with the required forms(s) of ID for completion of the I-9. Currently, I include a copy of the back of the I-9 form when I send their employment offer letter and include instructions to the new hire that they will need to bring the appropriate form of ID with them to their orientation.

I am amazed at how many folks show up for orientation without the necessary ID. Then they want to fax a copy of their Social Security card, passport, etc. to me the next day – which in reality ends up being a week or so later, if at all. I don’t think faxed documents are acceptable but sometimes that is all I can get. Am I the only HR person who has this problem? Thank you for any advice! -L-

When I got this email from a reader, I was secretly relieved. Not because she was having problems with her I9’s, but because I realized I wasn’t the only one who had those same issues. It’s such a critical piece of the hiring process that our companies expect us to get right, but we are dependent on employees (many times at remote sites) to get us the I9 verification documents we need.

And as a side note, no, faxed copies are not supposed to be accepted, because you haven’t seen them in person to verify their authenticity. You need those originals or someone from your company to see those originals who can verify the documents in person.

So how can we combat this issue?  Continue reading →

HRevolution 2012-Sponsors, Dress Codes, and More

We’re just a few short days away from HRevolution 2012 in beautiful Chicago, and we have a few announcements to make as we gear up for yet another fabulous event.

Best. Sponsors. Ever.

First off, thank you to our awesome sponsors. We truly appreciate each of you helping to make this event a success. Please check out our sponsors page and see if one of the sponsors offers something that is right for your business. They are the reason we are able to put this event on at such a low cost, and without them HRevolution just wouldn’t be the same.

To our supporters and friends at Aquire, Ceridian, Pinstripe, and SilkRoad, we are all grateful for your support!

The pre-show show Continue reading →

Why I Run (Race Report + Wellness Insights)

Okay, so I am dying to talk about the race I did last week, but I don’t have a good place for sharing running/race reports. So I’ll talk a little about the “why” and try to connect that back to wellness initiatives (or something). :-)

bourbon chase 2012

Me, Duke, and Tina looking very fresh before our first set of legs

What is the Bourbon Chase? 200 miles. 12 runners. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

When the gun went off last Friday afternoon for our team to start Leg 1 of the Bourbon Chase relay event, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. What I got: sleep deprivation, sore muscles, new friends, and loads of fun and memories as a member of team Modern Bourbon Warfare IV.

I was runner #5 in our van of 6 runners. The way the relay worked was one van is active on the course at a time, so runners 1-6 would run a leg, then that van would go “inactive” for 5-6 hours while van #2 and runners 7-12 ran their portions (approximately 33 miles were covered each time a van was active). Each runner ended up with three legs to run, averaging anywhere from 13 to 19 miles total per person. My own total was 18.3 miles, and even though I’ve run that far on plenty of previous occasions, it still hurts a good bit when you run each leg as hard as you can. Continue reading →

Entry Level HR Jobs-The Ultimate Guide

Welcome to the Entry Level HR Jobs Ultimate Guide! Feel free to share this post on Facebook, Twitter, via email, or by renting a plane to carry a banner proclaiming how much you love this guide. If you’re not already on the email list to receive free updates, here’s how you can do that. Now, let’s get on to the content!

Entry Level HR Jobs

  1. Places to find jobs
  2. Job descriptions
  3. Salary Ranges
  4. Tips from the Pros
  5. Career Resources Continue reading →

Flexible Schedule Policy vs. Core Business Hours

flexible work schedule policy

Wishing I was this flexible

I have a lot of things I’m proud of accomplishing at work, but it’s the sum of them and the trust that my leaders and staff place in me that have the most impact on me. Below you’ll learn about one recent example of how I was able to stand up for our staff and keep a misguided manager from implementing a decision that would have had a negative impact on the culture and employees. It’s the little things like this every day that make me glad that I’m in HR.

Recently we had a discussion about moving from our current flexible schedule policy to a core business hours work arrangement. Some of our management team looked at the decision as a way to force everyone to be in the office at least part of the day in order to make sure everyone is staying on task and accomplishing their work. (Click here for the tools I use for work/life flexibility.)

However, I was more than a little bit perturbed by the idea.

See, I have this funny, old-fashioned notion that managers are there to… well, manage. Continue reading →