How to Develop Managers-Get Them Involved

Get them involvedIn my first post on how to develop managers, I talked about uncovering manager development opportunities. Today we’ll talk about how to structure your organization so the managers want to get involved with their own development.

Hire right

It starts with the hire. If you hire someone who is comfortable with what they can already do and isn’t interested in doing anything more, then you’re probably going to have difficulty working with them. One of my favorite songs uses this lyric, and I repeat it to myself often when things start to get a little out of my comfort zone:

Somewhere in the grand design, it’s good to be unsatisfied. It keeps the faith and hope a little more alive.

There’s nothing wrong with finding someone who is not satisfied with where they are currently Continue reading →

Employee Referral Recruitment-Pros and Cons

recruiting employee referralsInterested in growing your employee referral recruitment but not sure how to get started? Today we’ll look at a few ways to encourage the process as well as a few ideas to keep it from getting out of hand (the “good old boy” system, people trying to circumvent the process, etc.).

What and Why

Employee referrals are a great way to save time and effort in your recruiting. According to the annual CareerXroads surveys on sources of hire, referrals are the #1 source for recruiting new employees. When it comes down to it, using referrals can shorten the recruiting process, fill positions with better-qualified candidates, and save money on advertising and other related costs. Continue reading →

4 Posts You Might Have Missed

It’s been a few weeks since I posted here, but I have definitely still been busy with writing and other activities. I’d like to share a few articles I’ve written lately that might be of interest. The funny thing is that I didn’t even realize it until I started grabbing the links that two of them are focused on corporate culture and two of them are focused on wellness initiatives. Good stuff on both topics, so dig in and let me know your thoughts!

Anything you’ve read lately that is interesting? I’d love to know about it!

Corporate Culture-Values, Beliefs, and… Job Applications?

stack of job applicationsWhen you’re trying to learn about an organization’s corporate culture, values, and  beliefs, you need to pay attention to the available information to get a good feel for it. One of my friends is looking at applying to a local private Christian school, and I went to their website to print the application for him to complete.

While the application starts off like any other (job history, availability, work preferences, etc.), it gets into some very meaty questions near the end. If I was looking for a job with this organization, I would be reading those questions very closely Continue reading →

Corporate Culture Examples

If you’ve been looking for some corporate culture examples, look no further. I’ve pulled together a handful of ideas that you can put into action to help your employees become raving fans of the organization. Some of them are easy to implement in the short term, others might take a little more work to get started, but all of them can make a difference! (If you’re looking for more ideas, check out this list of 50 HR challenges.)

Remember, great companies don’t just happen. They are intentional creations that require hard work and dedication, but they’re worth it. Continue reading →

Our accidental wellness program

Pinnacle PoundersA quick decision at work last fall has led to untold hours of friendship and fun, and it was entirely unplanned. This is the story of our accidental wellness program.

August 2011

One of our engineers decided to start training for a local marathon. She was already running some, and a few of us at work decided to start going out once a week for a run just to support each other and have some company. What started as one person’s athletic goal has blossomed in so many ways.

Fast forward to March 2012

For three of us, today will be our final training run before this Saturday’s Andrew Jackson Marathon in Jackson, TN. I always said that I wasn’t interested in running a marathon, but after working and running with these amazing people, I just couldn’t resist joining them for the 4 month long training period. It’s been a lot of fun, I’ve learned a lot about healthy eating choices, and we’ve definitely become better friends in that time as well.

The numbers

We’ve estimated that the group as a whole has covered over 2,000 miles just in the past 8 months! A sizable portion of that falls on us training for the upcoming marathon, but the rest is spread among half a dozen others who join us for a few miles whenever schedules allow. The average runner burns 100 calories per mile, so that pushes the group total calories burned to 200,000! In order for a person to drop a pound, they’d need to cut approximately 3,500 calories from their diet over time. Using those numbers, the group has burned enough calories to shed just over 57 pounds. Continue reading →

#HRevolution 2012 is in Chicago, are you in?

Wow! We just got the finishing touches on the website and the registration page for HRevolution 2012 in Chicago. While we had planned to launch on Tuesday, we have already had a handful of people happen across the site to register early. It still amazes me at the fanatical level of devotion embodied by the fans of the HRevolution event (movement?!?).

For the new readers, you can see everything I’ve ever written on HRevolution here.

It is a different kind of HR event, and I highly encourage you to check it out. While it costs less than most other events, the content is anything but cut-rate. You’ll be rubbing elbows with some of nicest, smartest people I’ve ever met. And if you participate like we hope you will, there’s a good chance the other people will walk away thinking that you are one of those intelligent people they are glad to know. All we ask is that you bring the enthusiasm and passion that led you to this profession in the first place!

I’ll be posting more on the event in the coming months, but if you want an early bird ticket (25% off), you probably need to get a move on! Click here to register Continue reading →