Category Archives: General

Attend RecruitFest free!

RecruitFestOkay, really short post today. I just saw that the RecruitFest videos are now live on their website and I highly encourage you to go check them out. RecruitFest is a HR/recruiting event that happened recently in Massachusetts. Each session was captured and archived in video, and you can see each of those sessions for free. I watched live as the event played out, and I really think you could get a lot of value from spending some time watching the videos and considering your own HR/recruiting strategies.

Here’s the main video link. The individual video pages are linked below if you want to see if something appeals to you.

Like I said, it’s not every day that you get to see this high quality stuff for free, so check it out!

Human Resources Management Conference-I’m going!

ua human resources management conference banner

I was looking through some old emails the other day, and I saw someone mention the Human Resources Management Conference. I thought it sounded interesting, so I clicked through expecting to see a small, local event that might be semi-interesting to attend. Then my jaw dropped. This event is loaded with amazing speakers, great content, and it’s in its 56th year! Wow. So I reached out to the conference organizers to see if I could cover the event for them, and they quickly got back to me with a press pass. This is going to be pretty sweet!

What I’m looking forward to

There are several sessions I am planning to attend (although this could change with the flow of the day). Check out the descriptions from the event brochure to see what kind of cool stuff I have to look forward to!

  • Leadership GPS – Growth, Performance, Sustainment®What is your organizational direction? Are you ready to emphasize growth over survival?Are you ready to demonstrate to your organizational leaders that they are vitaland valuable? Are you ready to re-calibrate your organizational GPS? This lively andinteractive session addresses the basic foundations for leadership training that canactually improve the business bottom-line.
  • Managing For High Performance and Retention: Key Drivers of Employee Engagement - Based on extensive analysis of data from 90,000 employees around the world, this presentation discusses the top 10 ways in which managers can drive higher levels of performance and commitment from the workforce. It specifically examines how managers directly and indirectly drive employee performance through engagement. Further, the presentation considers how the manager influences employee engagement with the broader organization in addition to the team and to the employee\’s immediate work.
  • Social Media as an HR Tool: How It Can Help and How It Can Hurt - Does your organization twitter, blog, wiki, link in and have “face” time on the web? This timely session focuses on not only using social media as an HR tool for recruiting, screening, training and development, building a community image and more, but also covers social media liabilities – what is being used against companies that you should avoid. Our presenters teach how to use social media in HR while watching out for pitfalls and liabilities.
  • On the Recruiting Trail – It\’s now widely recognized that HR is a key function in driving business forward and influencing business strategy. Companies are more aware of the value and importance of HR functions and the need to recruit and retain the best workforce. Companies also demand that diversity of thought and experience be brought to the table to address their needs in a more comprehensive way. From the Strategy Model to the Intake Model this session takes a look at how to automate and accelerate each step in the recruitment process.

Why this event is unique

Although I’m not a big football fan, since it’s held on the University of Alabama campus, everything has a football theme to it. Scoring, half time, and tailgating are just a few of the terms that run through the agenda, and I love to see people having fun and breaking the mold of conference customs. :-)

If you’re in the Alabama area and think you might like to attend, here’s the link to sign up online.

On a side note, hopefully I’ll be able to wrangle Kris Dunn into a conversation. Only had the opportunity to meet him once before but definitely looking forward to it again!

I’ve had some major conference envy recently with everyone attending other events, so now it’s my turn to attend a killer show and bring the content to you live!

A Leader’s Heart: 365 Day Devotional (Book Review)

John Maxwell-A Leader's Heart DevotionalWhen I ordered A Leader’s Heart by John Maxwell to review from BookSneeze, I was really excited. I’ve heard for some time that John Maxwell is an amazing writer in the leadership space, but I kept putting off reading one of his books (until now). My loss.

He writes well, and A Leader’s Heart is full of amazing leadership tenets delivered in bite sized pieces.

I’ll go ahead and admit that I haven’t finished reading the book. It wouldn’t make sense to read it all before reviewing, because it’s a devotional. That means you read a short passage every day for a year. The purpose of the devotional format is to continually immerse yourself in a subject to keep yourself focused and on track.

I gave it two weeks, and I’ve already seen opportunities arise for me to utilize an idea or action I read about in the book. I recommend it for people looking for growth in their leadership skills.

My favorite part so far Continue reading →

Nothing “Human” in Human Resources

human errorOnce a Vice President level colleague shared with me their perception of Human Resources. And I quote, “There is nothing Human in Human Resources.” Now I am not sure what prompted this statement, but I can only imagine. Pause a moment. Think of a decision(s) that has been communicated to your organization that might lend itself to this question.

I am sharing this because it set off a series of questions I began to have about my chosen profession. What this colleague shared with me really hit a nerve. This is the core and root of what we do. We touch lives in all our actions in Human Resources. Somehow, I believe this has been lost in translation.

When I thought about one single word that defines Human Resources it is compassion. Compassion means displaying, showing or demonstrating human kindness. It means Being Human!! Let\’s face it, there is a reason the profession is titled Human Resources. Right?!

Everyday a Human Resources Professional goes to work and we deal with issues involving human beings. Yes, there is much more – operational issues, budgetary issues, strategy issues, product or project issues – but they all have a single common dominator or influence – the human factor.

I have come to learn many things about what we do in Human Resources and I believe it can be summarized as emotional and social intelligence.

I have learned that as you advance in your career your compassion grows with it. You must treat your business colleagues, partners, employees, management or vendors with respect and honesty knowing that at times you are forced to make difficult, tough decisions. When treating others with fairness and integrity, your leadership and professionalism will prevail. Maintain and treat with absolute honesty without attacking the person.

During my career I have had to make extremely difficult decisions knowing that I\’m not only affecting a single person but quite possibly a family or community. But what has set me apart professionally and personally is my keen ability to handle people with compassion while executing these decisions. This is why I love and am passionate about what I do. And this is why it is imperative and crucial that HR plays a strategic role in an organization.

As you advance in your career, whether it be in Human Resources or any other profession, your ‘soft skills\’ become that much more critical, visible and what is cascaded down and throughout the organization. Your emotional or social intelligence is what sets you apart as a true leader, a visionary, inspiring and guiding people rather than a manager managing functions or operations.

Today’s guest post is by Michelle Chesnutt, PHR. With over 18 year\’s progressive human resources experience, Michelle brings a comprehensive talent to her profession.  Having served in various roles with increasing responsibilities, Michelle works best serving in a Business Partner capacity.  Currently she is seeking a HR Business Partner role in, preferably, a global entity with 3000+ employees collaborating with a segment or unit of the business and is open to relocation for the right opportunity.  She is described as a versatile, enthusiastic and dynamic Business Partner with an expertise in employee and management leadership and relations, employee engagement, communication and compliance initiatives.  Professionally she served as the HR Director and Business Partner for a global IT company in Austin, Texas.  Recently, she was appointed as AHRMA\’s 2011 Chair, Credentialing Committee of the Career Development Committee and also lends her time and efforts to the Workforce Readiness and Programs Committees.  Through her activities she has developed a fundamental interest in speaking, blogging/writing and teaming with others on various HR projects.
Feel free to contact her if you have something to share:
512-560-3029
michelle.chesnutt@yahoo.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellechesnutt

How to Write Job Postings That Don’t Suck

how to write job postingsLet’s face it, most job postings suck. Learning how to write job postings isn’t difficult. Typically, job postings are MBA-speak nightmares that give little insight into the day-to-day goings on of a given role. Here are a few tips for creating engaging job posts that actually do their job of attracting great talent and weeding out those that are a poor fit.

How to write job postings (Create Obstacles)

Is it strange to begin a discussion on bringing people in with advice creating obstacles? Influence expert Robert Cialdini confirms a truth that savvy daters have leveraged since time immemorial, “playing hard to get works.” The simple truth is, people want what they can\’t (easily) have and as Groucho Marx put it, the teams we most want to be a part of would scarcely have us as members. So what does all of this mean for job postings? Creating reasonable barriers to entry has two important benefits, it weeds out the unmotivated and ill-fitting, and it increases the perceived cache of the role.

There are a number of ways to create barriers to entry that inform the hiring process. Request a cover letter addressing specific competencies, require a questionnaire comprised of questions that measure cultural fit, and vet potential hires using an organizational psychologist (ahem!!!), to name but a few ideas. Only candidates that pass these initial screenings will move on to in-person interviews, and you can bet that they will arrive with a sense of accomplishment and honor at being considered for employment. What’s more, this process allows you to measure motivation, communication skills, and cultural fit, all while increasing the perceived value of your organization.

How to write job postings (Advertise Culture)

The preponderance of job postings follow the same boring formula: ambiguous job title, bland description of duties, and a vague recounting of qualifications. Ideally, a candidate should be able to look at a job posting and work backwards to make inferences about organizational culture. Further, this culture should appeal greatly to some applicants and cause others to run for the hills, thereby saving you the time of interviewing those who are not well-positioned to succeed. You need to define corporate culture for candidates.

Appleton Learning, a client of mine, has recently taken to including a “Meet an Employee” section on all of their employment ads. These short vignettes provide a window into the personal and professional life of an Appleton team member, and all team members are given the opportunity to enjoy their 15 minutes of fame on a job posting. This change gives the posting an added dimension of personality and warmth that reflects Appleton\’s corporate values of personal development and almost familial support. It also sends the message that applicants will be appreciated holistically and allowed to shine once coming aboard. This specific approach is not indicated for all businesses and is likely too saccharine for some grizzled pragmatists. But inasmuch as grizzled pragmatists are a poor fit for this education startup, mission accomplished. And if all else fails, you need to know how to read a resume for culture fit.

How to write job postings (Get Behavioral)

Raise your hand if you have poor attention to detail, don\’t “play well with others”, and lack initiative. Stupid questions, right? Your applicants think so too. That being the case, why are we including vague aspirational qualities with “Sunday School answers” that do not improve the predictive power of our selection process? Everything you hope to determine lives behaviorally in your applicants in a way that is measurable.  It is your job to determine what it looks like in the professional lives of those you recruit.

Take initiative for example;  no job applicant in their right mind is going to admit to lacking drive. So, what does drive look like for your purposes? Is drive a history of organizational ascension? Is drive a track record of measurable innovation? Determine the specific, measurable evidences of the attributes you seek and exclude those who do not stack up. Do not ask about things that are better experienced! Talking about drive does not measure drive, it measures ability to talk. As you look for ways to construct job postings that are measurable behaviorally, you will improve your ability to avoid slick con-(wo)men who talk a good game but have little actual substance. Learn more about SmartRecruiters, the tool I use for recruiting and applicant tracking.

Today’s guest post is by my new buddy and all-around great guy Dr. Daniel Crosby (@incblot on Twitter). Feel free to check out his business where he does performance consulting.

Termination for Bad Manners?

bad mannersI was flipping through an HR newsletter that our VP shares with the department, and one interesting piece caught my eye. The article talked about swearing at work, other “bad manners” offenses, and it cited a study by TheLadders.com.

The top five reasons for termination due to office etiquette offenses:

  • Bad language (38%)
  • Excessive workplace gossip (36%)
  • Drinking on the job (35%)
  • Leaving office without saying so (33%)
  • Too many personal calls (28%)

    Hold up a second… Am I the only one that sees #3 sticking out like a sore thumb? I think drinking on the job goes beyond bad manners and into “Hey, I’m an idiot. Please terminate me!” territory. The other items are (unfortunately) all too common for most of us. I’ve written before about office gossip, and I completely agree that it’s a toxic problem for most companies, but it really surprised me to see swearing at the top of this list.

    Sometimes we can laugh, though

    I wrote a funny top ten list of office etiquette violations a while back. Check it out and feel free to share it with your friends and coworkers. :-)

    10 Commandments of Office Etiquette

    So, you’ve seen my thoughts (both serious and not). What’s your biggest problem with office etiquette?

    Social Media Mentoring

    social media networksI’m sure by now you’ve heard about that “social media” thing. Maybe you’ve wondered how to go from people saying, “Hey, you should use Twitter!” to actually being able to jump in and build connections, start learning, and get a lot of value from the experience. Or maybe you’ve thought about starting a blog and sharing your ideas, but you just don’t know the little technical aspects that you need to make it work.

    If that sounds like you, then I have some good news.

    A few days ago, Victorio Milian of the ever-interesting Creative Chaos Consultant blog reached out to me about helping to start a project where we help mentor people on social media and blogging. I was instantly in. Interested?

    How it’s going to work

    We’re going to help facilitate connections between those of you who are looking for some help and those who have reached out to offer to mentor someone.

    If you have anything you’d like to suggest or share, please leave a comment below and we’ll take it into consideration. Above all else, please share this with people you know. Just think, if everyone who is involved in the online HR social community agreed to mentor just one person, then that would double the size of our community. We talk about getting out of our little “echo chamber” and reaching others; this is an excellent way to make that happen.

    Basically, we’re going to be providing a way for those “in the know” with social tools to connect with those who would like some one-on-one help with getting involved. Neither Victorio nor I have the time to do stuff with each and every person who would like to learn more, so we’re recruiting those with the knowledge and desire to help us with our mission. If you’re interested in mentoring someone, feel free to leave a comment below with your intentions.

    The bottom line

    This is a work in progress. We’re working on a few ways to help us get organized and help you connect with the right people. We’re open to feedback and would

    If you missed it, Victorio has his own post up today explaining the concept behind this whole project. Check it out to fill in anything I might have left out.