Since my beautiful girls were born, I have been sleep deprived beyond my wildest imaginings. :-) Paradoxically, I’ve had my brain crushed with different ideas to write on. The only issue is that some of them are probably pretty crappy, and my filter isn’t up to snuff at this point. So I crowdsourced my thinking and let you guys tell me what you wanted to hear. Each of the commenters listed below will receive a $10 gift card for their help. Those cards will be used to donate to a project to help others around the world courtesy of GlobalGiving. Thanks again for your help, ladies and gentlemen!

Naomi
I would like to see ideas about how a person would use their GPHR designation. It sounds fun and interesting to have that specialty, but if someone is not already working in an international assignment (or if they want to try a new twist) what are some of the options for work? It would be great to learn about some of the world changing positions to which we can aspire!

Laurel Picard
I think that Succession Planning is probably one of the toughest things to approach as a young HR professional. So many companies are facing critical skilled labour shortages, but young HR professionals don\’t always have the experience to address this issue.
It ties in nicely with all sorts of other good HR topics too, like leadership development and flexible work arrangements.

Steve Browne
I\’d like you to talk about passion for the field. I\’m excited that young HR professionals are much broader in their scope, desire and balance. How are they going to maintain that in a workforce that tends to want to limit passion and creativity?

From personal experience, it takes a determination and an environment that fosters true passion, but I\’d love to hear your take on it!

Michael Haberman
I would like you to address the issue of being a young MAN in a profession now dominated by women. How have you been accepted by your employer, by your peers, and by your local HR leadership? Anything special you have had to do to gain credibility?

Lois Melbourne
Since you are a new Daddy I would like to hear from a man\’s perspective the balancing act of family and work. How can companies help Dads with this balance too.

Bruce Dodge
I think that perspectives on what really builds engagement on a company Facebook site and what prospective recruits are looking for when they check it our would be great.

Latina Culture
What about dealing with “overqualified” people who would do a great job and really need the job? How do you deal with the “fear” or concern they may be in the job for only a year and then look to internally promote?

Raina
How about the relationship between HR and the managers of the company? By bringing value and tools to them, you grow as a trusted partner and resource.

This leads them to go to you first before issues grow out of control. You can touch on ongoing training programs HR can implement to help managers recruit, coach, identify, and prevent potential problems and issues.

Look for posts coming to answer these questions in the coming weeks! If you have something that you would like to add (but you missed the cutoff), just let me know in the comments below. I’m sure the sleep deprivation will last for a while. :-)

Update as of 8/30/10: I have received enough comments/emails to give away all of the gift cards. Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts! If you have an idea that you didn’t get to share, email me anyway! :-)

Hey, everyone! It’s good to have you here. No, really. If you weren’t taking your valuable time to read, then I wouldn’t use up my time to write. Hey, where do you think you’re going? Sit back down. I have something to offer you. :-)

I recently received some gift cards to give away from Global Giving. These gift cards aren’t like the normal ones you see for Starbucks or your favorite food place. These are used to help other people. And because I know you ladies and gentlemen are an amazing bunch, I think we can do this. I have fifteen $10 cards to give away. You can use them to help a number of people, depending on the project you choose from the Global Giving website. While $10 might not seem huge to us, remember that it can be life-changing for people in another part of the world.

Some projects you might consider that can be done for only $10:

• Support the development of Mexican children left behind by migratory parents through a life skills and health education, school-based project link
• International Medical Corps is saving lives of mothers and children around the world by giving midwives the tools and skills they need to deliver babies safely link
• One hundred additional families struggling to survive in rural Zimbabwe will be able to grow enough food to feed their extended families and have surplus remaining to sell link

Here’s how you can get a free gift card

I need your help. I’m looking for ideas to write on that aren’t just interesting to me, but to you as well. Simply leave a comment on this post with a writing topic you’d like to see me cover, and I’ll send you a gift card. (The more specific/detailed your comment, the more likely I’ll be to actually fulfill the request.) The first fifteen comments that fulfill that simple requirement will be winners. It really is that easy. I’ll email you privately when the contest closes and we’ll take care of the details.

Let’s make a dent in the universe, people (thanks to Chris Ferdinandi for the terminology :-)).

Well, SHE came, she saw, and she took the prize! Congratulations to Samantha for winning the free HR certification flashcards from HRCP. She’ll be hearing from me via email shortly.

I really appreciate everyone who entered, and I’ve created a 75% discount on the Rock the PHR guide as a consolation prize. The discount will only be good until Friday at midnight (one and a half days), so get the PHR study guide now if you’re planning to take the exam. The discount code is “random” (minus quotes).

Upcoming Contest/Giveaway/Whatever

Keep your eyes peeled for a new contest with a HRevolution flavor in the coming week! Subscribe now so you don’t miss out.

Oh, and I’m going to try to do more giveaways, contests, etc. If you have a good idea for one, drop it in the comments or email me. I’m always open to ideas.