I’ve been watching the results come in from a survey that Alison Green is working on, and I’m kind of ashamed to see the final result. What are job seekers frustrated about?
The biggie (49%!) is lack of communication. The second most common (11%) is having standards that are unreasonably exact, which keeps candidates and hiring managers frustrated.
Oops! I just realized that the video and audio tracks were separated slightly in the recording/uploading process. Now the video looks like a bad Japanese movie. If you can ignore that part, the rest of the video is worth the listen, though. :-)
(Subscribers may need to click through to see the video)
I’m learning a lot in our local SHRM chapter mentoring program, and not to discount our speakers or leaders (both fantastic), but one of the greatest pieces for me is meeting other people with a thirst for knowledge and the willingness to reach for it. The other participants are top notch and I’m extremely blessed to be a part of the group.
One of the most interesting ideas I’ve pulled from the experience?
For me, I\’ve enjoyed getting to talk more in depth about HR topics, challenges, etc.  I\’ve also appreciated the “safe†environment provided to ask questions. I also judge NMU has fostered lifelong professional relationships. Christine Beldner
Being in HR some how entitles you to have an interesting work life. There are some situations that arise and you seriously feel that you are the only one who has ever had to deal with some crazy situation. Being in the NMU has helped me realize I am not alone. (As cliché as it may sound.) Through our meetings I have been able to note who has dealt with similar situations and have been able to rely on more experienced peers for advice.
HR may be a career where ‘interesting\’ stories are your day-to-day life and your friends or family might not be able to relate; but your HR friends and family can relate and probably top your most ‘interesting\’ story with one of their own! Karen Still
If you’re interested in getting into the NASHRM Mentor University group next year (if you’re local!), just stay tuned for more updates as the year progresses. If you’re not local, but you’d like to start a group for your own chapter, feel free to email me and we can chat! It’s an amazing tool for a young HR professional, and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Managers and employees have an interesting relationship. Despite the time they spend together and the need for solid communication, it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. It takes work to make communication happen, and I like to use four questions to jump start the process.
(Subscribers may need to click through to view the video) Continue reading
Today my post is incredibly short. It’s a request for you to visit one of the best blogs I read (and have for over a year!) and take a 3 minute survey. In return for your (much appreciated) help, you’ll get a freebie that Alison is working on. Fair warning, I’m partnering with her on this project, so I know what I’m talking about when I say GO NOW! :-)
Click here to do the three minute survey and get free stuff.
Simple. Easy. Why wait?
Credibility. Some of us have it, and some of us don’t. Do you know how to establish credibility? What about how to maintain it for the long term? If you’ve lost it as a result of a dishonest action or some other similar factor, then that’s one thing, but it’s a whole other issue when you are starting from scratch. Today we’ll look at how to establish credibility when you have none to begin with.
(Note: this is a post in the HRYP (HR Young Professional) series. If you know a young HR pro, please pass this along to them. I’d appreciate it, and so will they! :-))
I get it. You have to build credibility over time by completing the work (and doing it well!) that is assigned to you. Well, what if you’ve mastered your work but your manager won’t let you do anything that requires more responsibility? I suggest carving out time each week (even as little as 30 minutes can make a difference) to work on things that stretch you and help you develop within your career. While it may not affect (or be appreciated in) your current job, it should be something valuable that can be used at some point in your career.
The other day I got my wife to watch an old movie with me called “City Slickers.” It’s about a group of businessmen who do a short stint as cowboys driving a herd of cattle in the Midwest. The trail boss (aka the guy running the show when they’re not on the ranch) describes the meaning of life as “just one thing.” That’s what inspired this post today.
I’ve been writing a series about young HR professionals, SHRM, and how to get more credibility. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short career, it’s that you need to be good at a lot of things, but you need to be really great at doing at least one thing.
Check out the short (2:21) video below for some of my thoughts on how to become indispensable by specializing in something that nobody else wants to do or knows how to do. Sure, you can (and should!) be good at multiple things, and as your career progresses, that number should increase. But when you’re starting out or trying to move up the career ladder, here’s my advice: be really great at one thing. I mention a friend in the video, Steve Boese, who is a pillar of the HR technology community. He’s really great at tech, and people follow him for that specific reason. Just one example of thousands of professionals out there.
(Subscribers may need to click here to view the video.)
Critical thinking for the day: What’s your “one thing?” Let me know by clicking here.
I’ve been reading a copy of Be Bodacious: Put Life in Your Leadership recently, and it’s been one of the better business books I’ve read this year. I’ve realized that a good mix of “story” and “lesson” is what I enjoy in a book. While there are a lot of good picks out there, a good book needs something to tie it all together and make it stick.
-Thorough, blatant, umistakable
-Remarkable, outstanding
-Audacious; bold or brazen Continue reading