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One of the most dangerous jobs in corporate life today is leading a progressive human resources team. You know, the kind you're leading, right? This is not up for debate. The pressure to deliver new talent is at an all time high. The need to retain good employees is critical to achieving business goals. The costs associated with both of these priorities is so immense that most HR leaders can not quantify what is being spent today. Literally. They have no idea what their own costs are... Most Dangerous The reason HR leadership must be the most dangerous job is quite simple actually. With so many pressures on HR to deliver real results...and the clear absence of any meaningful action in most industries (#HealthcareHR leading the way here)...it is obvious that these leaders are simply too scared to take the steps necessary. Too Harsh Now before you all get worked up that I'm being too critical of HR please keep these points in mind: - HR is rarely given the latitude to be creative (read here --> never) - HR often attracts risk-averse leadership styles - Adoption of contemporary talent strategies is not welcomed in the healthcare industry (which is counterintuitive to the how the industry interacts with patients) - HR is always the corporate punching-bag when things go wrong (as in, ALWAYS) The leaders I speak with (almost) to a person would like to move their talent acquisition and employee engagement strategies into the digital world; but, since they do not use contemporary tools and strategies themselves, they do not know where to begin.
How About You Are you ready to buck the trend of HR always trailing behind the other business functions in your company? Let's find some time for a virtual cup of coffee, and discuss how you're only a few decisions away from dominating your world. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses. pic
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The World's Most Dangerous Job»
Have you heard this phrase? ....finding your voice...
It's often associated with writing. It's intended to make the connection between what you think and believe as a person, and your ability to express those thoughts and beliefs in a blog post, article, or book. It can also apply to speaking as well.
Have you found your voice?
Step One: Who Are You
I think the most overlooked part of the "voice" strategy is stopping to define who we really are as people. It doesn't matter if we are in formal leadership roles or not; but for those of us who lead others it is a requirement.
Yes, requirement.
What is important to us?
What do we stand for?
What is so reprehensible that we will immediately address it regardless of the situation?
What do we want to achieve in our lives?
Who is most important to us?
How do we think about work?
What role do employees play in our prioritization process?
How comfortable are we taking risks?
There are many more questions, but without answers to these questions at the outset, it will be impossible to define "who you are" and thus express your voice.
Step Two: Start
Fear is a terrible demon in the world of leadership. Fear stops us from doing the right thing. It stops us from holding people accountable. It forces us to give people one more chance (for the 10th time) simply because we do not have what it takes to lead effectively.
Fear destroys.
However, once you begin on your path of expressing your voice something very powerful happens. Fear disappears. It's as if you have taken control of your entire world. You now make the decisions, and take risks, and hold people accountable.
The anxiety about political repercussions no longer matter. Why? Because the other weak leaders around you are watching real leadership in action, and they simply can not challenge it.
Your voice does all of these things.
How About You
Today is a good day to answer the questions outlined above. Tomorrow is shaping up to be the perfect day to start expressing your voice. Don't you think?
Over the last week I’ve received more than half a dozen emails from people looking for their first foray back into the HR realm after making a move to a new city, taking time off for childcare/maternity leave, and other similar stories. It’s a challenge, but this is easier than breaking into HR in the first place if you have some sort of track record to point to. Often, those early experiences (whether in HR or outside) can help us by illuminating the activities we don’t want to do just as much as highlighting those thing we do want to do. Today I’m going to offer some practical tips and strategies to help those of you that are on the outside trying to get back into HR.
The Local HR Group/Chapter
Let’s talk about networking. What? You’ve heard of it? Well, good. It’s a primary component of my advice for those people trying to break into HR. But I realized this week that I have a more radical view of networking than others. And no, not in the “annoy everyone around you all day every day” kind of radical view. I’m talking about the kinds of ideas and opportunities I create around me to find and connect with other smart people. Note: I hate talking about myself, but this is a good story that illustrates the point. If you have a good story, please leave a comment on this post so others can learn from your example as well!
When I was getting into HR back in 2009, I was much more shy than I am today. I didn’t have anything of value to offer the HR community. I was just one of many recent grads with a degree and a job that didn’t fit my long-term goals. So I went to my local SHRM chapter (CIPD for those of you across the pond).
Yes, this is a common step for many people. But what happened next is not.
Instead of going to events and trying to meet people, I decided to make people want to try to talk to me (remember, super shy here). I emailed the webmaster for the local chapter and asked if there was a way to help with the website and other duties. He readily agreed, and I started attending board meetings with a small group of smart, connected individuals in the local community.
Because I was a board member, the others quickly got to know me and my credibility grew. And I started connecting with others in the chapter over time.
About a year after I started volunteering one of the board members had a job opening. It was a stretch opportunity for me, but because she got to know me through my volunteer work, she knew I would be a good fit.
And then I stopped, gave up the whole networking thing, and forgot about it forever.
Heh, not really.
The next year, I decided to do something that nobody had done before in the local chapter. I started an HR book club as a way to connect to like minded individuals, learn some lessons, share some expertise, and read plenty of books.
Through the book club, I forged stronger relationships with some of the people I already knew, and I also extended my reach to others in the chapter that were interested in developing themselves through books. That year-long experience was a lot of fun, and I still talk regularly with one of my friends that I made in the group.
There have been other initiatives within the chapter I have participated in, but those are some of the ones that stick out as particularly innovative.
Find an HR Technology Vendor
This is another option that is completely different from pretty much anything you’ve ever been told, but it’s worth a shot (especially if you’re in or near a large city). HR vendors sell technology to companies, but their primary audience is HR leaders. I think approaching a vendor with an HR degree, certification, or background would make you more valuable than someone just coming off the street with no knowledge of HR, recruiting, and those aspects of the business.
The caveat here is that you’re probably going to have some level of technology savvy to pull it off. I’m not saying you need to be a code jockey, just that you can use technology and find your way around without a lot of fumbling and help.
There are providers across the world that offer these solutions, but if you’re in areas like Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc. there are probably quite a few companies to pick from. If you want a list of company names to give you a head start, check out my How to Learn HR for Free post.
The Bottom Line
The one thing I want you to take away from this conversation is this: applying online, submitting resumes, etc. should only be 10-20% of your job search efforts, not 80-90% as is the norm. It will require you to get quite uncomfortable in many cases, but it’s also the key to creating the career path that serves you best.
What other questions do you have around the topic? Anyone else have a great story of how you’ve made it happen?
For those HR leaders that have jumped into 2016, one of the common problems they face is the non stop need for original content to support their corporate recruitment marketing strategy. Content, Content, Content As I survey the #HealthcareHR landscape, it is quite obvious that formal recruitment marketing approaches are still...well...nonexistent. The handful of organizations that embrace this concept are typically the ones that outmaneuver their competition in a big way. One of the most effective ways to generate original content is through the use of internal blogging teams. Consider this example:
"I asked a brand new nurse to blog about her experiences for a year. The exciting stuff, the boring stuff, the scary stuff, all of it. I helped her with each post, but it was her voice and message. She was an instant success, and her posts had thousands of views on our HR blog."
It can be done. The blogging site was free. Repurposing the posts across multiple social media channels was free. The results were phenomenal.
Building Your Team
As you think about who should be part of your team, focus on your high priority hiring areas, as well as any other part of the organization that is part of your core business. Even if you are not blogging about a particular department or function, you will still differentiate yourself from the competition in a positive way.
Let's face it...most organizations do not trust their employees to tell their story. They rely on ultra-polished messages from traditional sources. Instead, use your employees to paint your employer brand picture and leverage the skills of the team to ensure confidentiality and professionalism.
How About You
Are you ready to jump out of the 1980s and launch a robust recruitment marketing strategy that both recruits and retains the talent you need? If the idea scares you I can help. I can tell you one thing is certain...your competition is hoping you don't change a thing.
What if Progressive Insurance’s Flo was your HR lady? Or your boss? This was fun to contemplate as I wrote a series of blog posts for Progressive’s newly revamped commercial insurance site. In addition to offering a variety of insurance programs for small businesses (who knew there was a specific type of dump truck insurance?) the site offers a series of informational articles for small business owners.
I was tapped to write articles about human resources, company culture and employee engagement.
Even if you’re not a small business owner, you’ll find some useful tips in these articles, so go on over and show them some love.
Employee loyalty isn’t a given; leaders must intentionally focus on building loyalty with their team members every day. Here are four proven ways to inspire employee loyalty. Bonus: the only cost is a bit of your time.
Does your organization have a great company culture? Here are 10 signs to help you figure it out, with an assist from Chris Edmonds and Jessica Rohn of Great Place to Work®.
Over the years, I’ve worked with many small business owners. The HR element isn’t always front and center in an entrepreneur’s mind. I polled my community to find the most common HR mistakes that small business owners make. In this article you’ll get tips from HR pros Victorio Milian and Robin Schooling, plus advice from small business owner Lawrence Duthler, whose company Sun Title Agency has twice been named one of “West Michigan’s Best and Brightest to Work For.”
It’s an honor to write for well-known brands such as Progressive Insurance, and an even bigger honor to bring the information directly to you, the readers of The People Equation. Please let me know what you think about this new series of articles; I value your feedback!
The epic battle to find clinical employees in the healthcare industry has never been more intense. The combination of limited talent, retiring talent, old school recruitment approaches and a complete lack of understanding as to how recruitment marketing works has proven lethal to my #HealthcareHR colleagues. Let's take a look at some of the key components of an effective recruitment marketing strategy in the healthcare industry. Courage You may be wondering why this comes first. Well, without the courage to throw away what has always been done in your organizaiton, you will not be successful. Ever. Understanding that the number one component of any effective strategy is the #HealthcareHR leader is paramount. Without this piece, the strategy will fail. Not maybe. Not probably. It is guaranteed to fail. Planning An effective recruitment marketing plan is built on three important pieces: - a robust career site - nonstop new original content - a comprehensive social media distribution strategy Let's take a quick look at each part. Career Sites Most healthcare career sites list jobs, have a predictable couple of paragraphs of text about their "values" and "wonderful community" and occasionally have a few photos of beautiful people in scrubs that are not employees. This is an epic fail.
Career sites need to engage, draw people in, re-recruit current employees, and tell the story of the employer brand. (Yes, employer brand. This is a critical part of any healthcare organization's recruitment strategy. You knew that, right?) Original Content This piece of the recruitment marketing puzzle often scares HR leaders to death. In fact, it is one of the easiest parts to address! Interviews with your employees, short videos, and a thorough editorial calendar cost little or no money, yet can yield huge results both internally and external. Social Media Distribution How are you going to share all of this content and point prospective candidates to your career site if you don't share the goodness? Incorporating multiple social channels (facebook, Linkedin, twitter, snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) will position your organization as a contemporary leader in your industry. Think about it...everyone you will ever hire again is on a social channel. So why in the world wouldn't you make sure your company is there too?
How About You There is so much more to say about recruitment marketing in the healthcare industry. For now, think about these core pieces and how you might get started. If you get stuck, don't hesitate to reach out. I would love to help you blow away your competition. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses. pic
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Recruitment Marketing in Healthcare»
When I am teaching a class to prepare students for the PHR/SPHR exams, one of the things I repeatedly highlight is the need to tie HR practices back to business objectives. If we only see ourselves and our actions within the “bubble” of HR, then we severely limit the impact and value we can deliver to the business.
One method for bringing the value to the business is by evaluating the financial cost and determining the return or value of a specific program. I know, I know, this involves people, which makes it notoriously difficult to measure. But you don’t have to get crazy about it. There are ways to pull it off.
Measuring Value
I have a friend that works for a company that does satellite mapping. One of the company’s ongoing projects involves supporting large retailers. The satellites take periodic photos of the retailers’ parking lots, and the extent to which the lots are filled with vehicles is used to predict sales for the quarter.
I don’t expect any of us to go to that level to measure the impact of HR programs. :-)
However, the ability to determine a full ROI requires thinking outside the box a bit. We need to be able to take a big picture view so that we can truly evaluate the impacts on the business. In talking with HR leaders at organizations both large and small, the best way to explain this is through a good use case. I read about the example below from Patagonia and knew I needed to share it here.
Patagonia Case Study: On-Site Child Care
Check out the data below, emphasis mine on the key data point.
Because child care benefits are an important recruitment and retention driver for working parents, one-quarter of organizations (26%) allowed employees to bring their children to work in a child care emergency. Although this benefit has remained consistent since 2013, it decreased significantly from 32% in 2012. On the other hand, there has been an increase over the past year in the percentage of organizations offering a child care referral service, from 9% to 16%, and 2% allowed parents to bring their babies under the age of 1 to work on a regular basis.
The above-mentioned benefits, which help the employee at a minimal cost to the organization, were more commonly offered than costlier benefits such as access to backup child care services (3%), subsidized child care program (4%) and nonsubsidized child care center (3%). The least common child care benefits are becoming even scarcer. The prevalence of subsidized child care centers (2%) decreased from 4% in 2012 and 9% in 1996, and consortium child care centers went from 1% in 2012 to just a fraction of a percent.
The use of company child care centers is dropping. I believe this is due in part to the difficulty of showing an ROI on these programs. In many cases, HR leaders are not trained or equipped to prove the value of certain benefits, like these, and they go on the chopping block any time there are budgetary constraints that affect the offerings companies can deliver.
Bucking the trend, Patagonia is not only providing on-site child care, but it plans to expand the coverage to even more employees in the coming year.
To support our families, Patagonia provides company-paid health care and sick time for all employees; paid maternity and paternity leave; access to on-site child care for employees at our headquarters in Ventura, California, and at our Reno, Nevada, distribution center; and financial support to those who need it, among other benefits. In particular, offering on-site child care, we believe, is the right thing to do for employees, working parents, and the life of the workplace.
However, a reasonable businessperson might ask, “What does it cost?” It’s expensive if you offer high-quality care and subsidize your employees’ tuition—but not as expensive as you’d think.
This is where the conversation gets interesting. In the article, the CEO of Patagonia explains the wide variety of ways the program’s costs are recouped for providing child care support:
Tax benefits: 50%
Employee retention: 30%
Employee engagement: 11%
Total recouped cost: 91%
But that just takes hard costs into consideration, not even bothering with any other elements that might be possible to tie in. And it might be undershooting the mark in terms of overall returns.
We’re not alone. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., has estimated returns of 115% for its child-care program; global business consultant KPMG found that its clients earned a return on investment (ROI) of 125%.
There were two statistics from the conversation that I particularly liked, because they help to illustrate the true value of this kind of program.
1. For the past five years, Patagonia has seen 100% of moms return to work after maternity leave.
This is incredibly rare. I don’t have any stats to back it up, but I’d say a sizable portion of the “new mom” segment is still choosing to stay home with the baby instead of going back to work. Companies lose a lot of great talent by not having policies and philosophies that support this critical segment of the population.
2. For the past five years, turnover among Patagonia employees who use its child care program is 25 lower than in its overall workforce.
This was wrapped into the “retention” calculations above, but it’s still a great reminder. When HR pros look at turnover data, it’s often cut by tenure, job, manager, and other similar factors. What about looking at it by benefits, as Patagonia has done? By seeing the impact of this kind of program on the bottom line in terms of employee retention, it becomes an even more valuable asset to the company for recruiting and ongoing engagement.
Statistically only two of you reading this out of every hundred people are actually going to be working at a company with on-site childcare, so that’s a narrow conversation. But I want you to think about how Patagonia is able to tie the value of its program back to various pieces of the business–you can do this with your own leave programs, benefits, perks, etc.
Break out the spreadsheet. Dig into the data. Prove the value.
Does your company have a benefit that is special to the employees? Do you know what impact, if any, it has on the employee population or the bottom line?
Two weeks ago, Sydney advertising agency, Banjo, found itself in the middle of a social media storm when one of its hiring managers, at the end of an interview, said to the candidate (of Sri Lankan origin): "the client might be alarmed by having three brown skin people attend a meeting." SmartCompany reported as follows: Banjo chief executive Andrew Varasdi declined to comment when
Article source:Ross Clennett - Banjo PR Disaster: The well-meaning but incompetent interviewer»
"I felt like I was the ultimate brand champion for my company. Then suddenly...the economics didn't make sense anymore and I was gone." "Everything was on track for so long. But then I realized things were just wrong. How did it all get so messed up?" "I was a rising star. Everything I touched turned around and was a big success. But one day I was called into the office...my position could no longer be supported." "I had worked so hard for all of it...my career, my personal life...all of those crazy lists of goals over the years. Now, this happened." Unlimited Potential Some people just seem to have it all together. They have great jobs, full personal lives, and seem to be involved in the coolest projects. I'll admit I've been jealous of those folks over the years. It all looked so exciting. But real life doesn't always match the action we see, right? When you believe there is no stopping you one day...and the next day you feel like you've hit a brick wall...even the strongest among us can fall into a bit of a tailspin. Back in the Game The old adage that one door closing usually means another door opens is not only over used...it's true. The key issue here is not about opportunities though. In fact, the "doors" have absolutely nothing to do with it. The reason this phrase has lived on for so long is because people...at their core...are resilient as hell. We are driven to succeed. We not only deal with setbacks, we use them as an energy source to take things to an even higher level of success both personally and professionally. We attack our future. We make all of that "action" that we dreamed about for so long become our reality. We. Make. It. Happen.
How About You Think about the times life has dealt you an unexpected twist or turn. Did you fold up and drop out of sight forever?
Of course you didn't. You dusted yourself off...got a little pissed...and kicked that 'new door' down. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses. pic
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Then Everything Changed»
I’m just a little bit excited today. I am part of a set of new hosts joining the HR Happy Hour Podcast Network with a new show, We’re Only Human. It’s a play on words and gives multiple meanings, because for starters, despite the pressure on us as HR leaders, we’re still only human. It also gives me a chance to talk about how, despite automation and other factors, we need to be looking at our people as human beings with needs and desires, not simply data points or engagement scores.
I start off the show by telling a story of how I inadvertently insulted my wonderful wife while she was in labor with our son a few years ago. Yes, and I’m still alive today to tell about it. Definitely check out the show and have a laugh at my expense!
Show Notes
*Note, since this was the introductory episode I included pretty much the entire transcript below. For future episodes the show notes will be a condensed version with highlights, links, etc. Thanks!
Gallup data from summer 2016 says that just under a third of employees are engaged. I’m seeing an increasing focus on this concept of the employee experience. Candidate experience. Customer experience. The natural extension of those elements is the employee experience. This isn’t just about employee engagement or the employer value proposition. It’s a broader look at the collective experiences people have in the workplace. From how their manager coaches them (or not) to how people interact with technology in the workplace, the employee experience is something that is becoming more of an issue for many employers.
Experiences are what separate good employers from great ones. For instance:
When new hires start at the company they sit down and listen to an hour of policy edicts and rules telling them everything they can’t do. OR when new hires start they join with the other newbies to act out policy requirements to help cement the ideas while building social connections with their peers.
Learning time! The employee clicks into the LMS only to click again, and again, and again. 47 clicks later she is able to access the training she was looking for. OR the employee opens up the LMS and it knows what she is looking for based on previous training, search activity, and other factors, bringing the content directly to her so she can skip searching and start learning.
Whee! Open enrollment is here. The employee waits to receive a boatload of documentation from HR about what options are available and how much they are going to cost before hiring a translator to help them understand what everything means. OR the employee receives a video before open enrollment begins offering insights into new choices and options for coverage including high level overviews of costs. When it’s time for open enrollment, the employee already knows what he wants to elect and can take care of it within his own self service dashboard.
Performance management month drives managers and employees crazy. Managers save up their “ammunition” for the one true performance conversation they have each year and employees save emails and prepare contingencies and excuses to avoid any nasty surprises. OR managers meet with employees on a regular basis, offering feedback around good and bad performance. At the end of the year, a summary of the recurring conversations is prepared and each party signs off on the summarized version of the entire year’s performance discussions. No surprises.
These are simple, experience-driven changes that can help to retain employees and demonstrate to them that they are valued. And, just in case you didn’t notice, two of these options are tied to technology and two are not. I know that there are plenty of companies that just don’t have the technology on hand or the budget to acquire it. At the same time, there are many technology options across the spectrum, from companies looking for low-cost support that can give them increased capabilities without the major budget line item to those with money to spend who are ready to find the right tool or technology to give them the edge over the competition.
With that in mind, I want to talk a bit about the new show and what you can expect.
The broad focus of the show will be on the changing nature of work and how technology impacts that. Over my working life I have seen an incredible number of changes in how we work, and I think that is an incredible trend that HR leaders need to be plugged into. Not only are we more flexible than ever, we also have a bigger focus on mobile, social, and collaborative work. We have technology that knows us almost as well as we know ourselves. We have this dynamic pull between a technology-enabled workplace and a desire to be more targeted toward a personalized, individual approach. I think that’s fascinating and want to focus on it more. In the coming months there will be interviews with practitioners, discussions with vendors, and other episodes to bring you the information you need to be at the top of your HR game.
If you have listened to the HR Happy Hour show for a while you probably caught me with my nerdiness in full swing. I do a lot of reading and book reviews and Steve occasionally would have a review on the show. I’ve known Steve and Trish for a long time and still remember the first ever episode of HR Happy Hour way back when. With the new shows on the network from Madeline, Mollie, and George, this is an exciting time for all of us at HR Happy Hour HQ.
Other episodes will feature interviews with practitioners, discussions with vendors and other content, but I know that this first episode is the obligatory “about me” conversation to introduce me to the world. Hopefully this helps to show you where I’m coming from and what you can expect from the show.
I live and work in Huntsville, Alabama. My career so far: lighthouse, BHG, practitioner. upstartHR, Part time consulting locally to stay plugged into the HR practitioner point of view. HRevolution.. Volunteer on my local SHRM board, which I think is important for helping to connect with and drive grassroots change within the profession. I’m certified and have my SPHR and SHRM-SCP. I love reading, writing, running, and spending time with my kids. Baby on the way.
As you can see, when I’m not making dumb comments to my wife, I’m doing a wide variety of things that I think make me a better HR pro and analyst. I wrote a piece recently called “why we need to break HR.” You can find it at upstartHR.com In it I explored one of my earliest interactions in the HR space with someone that told me that I would soon be another dead-eyed zombie shuffling HR paperwork. I vowed never to follow that path, and to this day I have never given in to the dark side. Chances are if you’re listening to this, you are one of those people that still holds out hope that this HR thing can bring value to our organizations and help people.
To get an idea of what I believe in, you need to check out the last few things I’ve published. They have titles like How to Analyze Source of Hire Data to Validate Recruiting Efforts, It’s Time to Break HR, How to Win Friends and Influence People: HR Edition
I think we have more of a chance than ever to bring some true value with the work we do within the HR field, especially with the increasingly fluid nature of work and how things get done. So, with that out of the way, I hope you join me for further discussion in future episodes and also check out the other shows on the network to get a better overall picture of this industry and how it is evolving. Thanks for listening and I’ll catch you next time.
We’ve probably all heard the axiom that 10,000 hours of practice is what it takes to be world-class at something (speaking, skiing, dancing, etc.) But what if that has been misquoted all these years?
A new book called Peak is out, and it’s a look at what it takes to get to a world-class performance level. The author was the originator of the study years ago that confirmed the 10,000 hour mark, but he is very careful to point out that it doesn’t simply mean doing the thing for that long. It requires uncomfortable, deliberate practice to get to the level of performance that leaves others in awe.
Maybe you have aspirations to be truly great at something. It doesn’t come without some level of discomfort. You have to practice instead of watching TV or doing other mindless activity. You need to push yourself beyond your comfort zone in order to grow and develop.
Think of it like weightlifting. If you keep doing the same weight at every session, you never improve your strength or endurance. You have to vary the weight, reps, and intensity to continuously push your threshold.
Some of the world’s best speakers use speaking coaches to help them hone their craft.
The world’s best athletes often have coaches supporting their continued development.
Within organizations, HR leaders are acting as performance coaches for leaders to help them see blind spots, grow their capabilities, and have a greater impact on the organization.
On a professional level, how are you working to improve what you know and what you can do?
Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect
The premise of the title comes from the book Peak. The authors found that practice doesn’t make you better. In fact, practice could make you worse or at least keep you at the same level of performance indefinitely. Think about that for a second. It’s counterintuitive to everything that we’ve been told all our lives. You’ve been told to just keep practicing and you can be great. But that’s not necessarily the case. If you’ve been following a set path or pattern over the years, it might be time to shake some things up.
I see this in an employment context when I talk with someone during the interview process. The person claims, “I have ten years of experience in HR/finance/operations/whatever.” Then I ask them what they have done, and often it doesn’t sound like ten years of experience–it sounds like the candidate is repeating their first year over and over again.
Crazy thought: what if we were forced to be honest about how much experience we have with specific skills? Instead of being able to say you have five years of recruiting experience, we knock that down to just one year because you never did anything different or grew in any way during years two through five. I think that would be an incentive for people to not just take their roles for granted, but to truly attempt to innovate and grow in what they do every day.
So what would five or ten years of experience look like? I see it in a few ways.
Growth of position responsibilities. You’re not doing the same stuff you started out doing.
Growth of knowledge. You are now advising others and supporting additional areas because you have increased your knowledge base.
Growth by promotion. You’ve proven your worth and have been given additional duties and recognition.
Remember, practice doesn’t make you better. It’s this concept of deliberate, uncomfortable practice that truly makes you better. Is it always fun to view webinars, read books, and seek out articles that support what you’re working on? Not really. But it is necessary.
In HR it seems like we forget about the idea that we’re competing with other businesses. If their HR practices are better than yours, they will have the advantage. While HR is often in charge of heading up training and development efforts, how often do we model the right behaviors by taking training (free or paid) ourselves?
What if I just want to be competent in a new skill?
Okay, so maybe I’ve sold you on the idea of pursuing your own development. But who has 10,000 hours to spend? And what if you don’t need to be world-class, just competent, in a specific skill (like writing a report, calculating metrics, or delivering a speech)?
Another compelling idea I’ve discovered in the past few years is the concept that just 20 hours of practice is enough to get you to a viable level of performance. In a book called The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman explores how we learn new skills and puts it to the test. This includes a live demonstration of a new skill he acquired during his TEDx video (I won’t spoil it for you. Email subscribers, click through to view the video below).
Some of us have ambitions to be great at one thing or another, whether it’s related to work (sourcing candidates, coaching managers, delivering presentations) or not (crocheting, playing a musical instrument, running). I think it’s bigger than that. I would argue that purposeful growth, even if on a personal level, makes you more valuable as an employee. Think about the people you know. Those that are always trying something new and exploring new concepts are more exciting than those who quit trying to learn anything new years ago and are stuck in their rut of sameness day after day. In addition, though it’s anecdotal, I have seen amazing connections come from participating in outside activities that actually improve my work.
In a non-work example, I have a friend I coached years ago in a couch to 5k training plan for a local race. Many of her peers in the group have quit running and walking and are back to their old ways. However, she is always telling me about these crazy mud runs and other obstacle course races she is doing. The fun part? She’s over fifty years old and still going strong.
That is incredibly motivating for me, and I think about that within a work context. The more I can grow and help others, the more the other employees will be inspired. And their development not only increases their engagement–it helps the business to grow and improve as well.
So take a few minutes today and think about what you might like to get better at. Maybe you want to study for your SPHR or just brush up on your presenting skills. Maybe you want to grow and become a specialist in compensation or a top-tier recruiter. Whatever the case, start identifying some resources to move you in that direction.
What skill, work-related or not, have you always wanted to improve?
"The criticism came from some of the most senior members of the organization. It was alarming at first. It was as if they had lost confidence in me. I quickly realized however, that the teasing was actually an attempt to cover how woefully behind and out of touch those accomplished leaders were. In the end, it was pathetic and sad...for them." Opportunities and Threats Why is it that "new" often equates with "threatening?" Why do some leaders leap at the opportunity to be part of something dramatic, while others are so averse to anything that hints at progress? I believe that for some leaders who have achieved a measure of success, they simply can not fathom the thought of pushing themselves even harder in their new roles. It's as if the energy they expended to get to their current role has all but tapped them out. Except...a new level of effort is required at every stage of our careers. Every. Single. One. So when new concepts, technologies, tools or business conditions descend upon these leaders they often stumble. They become indecisive and cling to power, as if their sphere of influence is the core business. That is a flawed way of thinking.
Step Up When you step up...take risks...and push your organization (and it's results) forward, the criticism often flows in one direction. The naysayers are usually so focused on themselves, and perhaps feel threatened that you are separating yourself from the legions of other bobblehead leaders, that you become a target.
Think about the leaders in your life who stand out above the rest. The ones you would follow in a heartbeat to a new company. Were they obsessed with themselves; or, did it feel like they had a higher calling in their leadership style? Don't let your job title lead you into believing that you are more important than the team. You're not. Don't let your authority mislead you into thinking you are entitled to something. You're not. And for God's sake, remember that every person matters. You're not the special one. You're really not... ...and neither am I. How About You As you begin another one of the thousands of days you will be someones leader, consider the incredible privilege you have before you. Take advantage of the opportunity, lift up your team, keep your mind wide open, and commit to being different than all the rest. It will be worth it. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses.
It's a month now since the Michael Page ski trip to Mt Buller became very bad news for the company, very quickly. The resulting publicity was a nightmare of epic proportions (just search 'Michael Page ski weekend' to see how widely it was covered). As you can read from an anonymous comment on my original blog about this incident (22/07/2016), it appears that the 'impact' made by some (or
Article source:Ross Clennett - Michael Page in deep snow: A monumental failure of leadership»
If you asked your team members what saps their productivity, what would they say? They’d probably mention unnecessary meetings, interruptions or poor communications, right?
What if — shockingly — you were listed as one of the reasons that your team couldn’t get their work done? Wait a minute, you say, I’m not a micromanager; I give them space. And I’m here to help them prioritize if needed. Even though you might not directly interfere with your team members’ daily actions, you may still contribute to their lack of productivity. How? Because you have ignored the one element that helps everyone focus on things that matter most: You haven’t helped them create the space to attend to those important tasks.
The modern office is notoriously bad when it comes to supporting work that requires deep concentration or creativity. Add to that the difficult-to-avoid distractions of technology and interruptions and your team risks operating on a sugar-based work rush, which offers a direct hit to productivity. As a leader, it’s up to you to create an environment that makes it OK to devote more than 15-minute increments to a project. If you don’t proactively set up systems that help your team do that, in essence, you are just one more roadblock that stands in the way of your team getting things done.
Most of us tend to think that we’ll do the high-value thinking or planning work “when we are less busy” or “when we get the time.” The reality is that an uninterrupted block of time will never magically appear on our calendars; we have to create that space. Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith says that we all operate under this “dream” that “tomorrow will be different than today,” we’ll have more time, things will slow down.
In this video, Goldsmith has some bad news for us: “It is always going to be crazy out there, and we are always going to be under pressure.” As the saying goes, “Someday is not a day of the week.” One of the biggest gifts you can give to your team is to assist in creating that space so they can concentrate on the most important work to be done.
The concept is simple: Create a system that allows people to focus for an uninterrupted amount of time. You might try “Theme Days,” in which people give focus to a whole day (or a four-hour block of time) related to a theme such as “Business Development Day” or “Customer Outreach.” Forbes contributor Kevin Kruse interviewed highly successful people in all domains of work and found that theme days are powerful because they establish a rhythm of focus and attention. Or, you can suggest a time-management method called “batching,” in which people do similar tasks, such as setting aside a morning to tackle all of the week’s paperwork. For the highly analytical among us, ask your team to plan and analyze their common tasks using a timer and 25-minute bursts of work, using the Pomodoro technique.
Regardless of which system you implement, keep these ideas in mind to improve your chances of success.
Get input. Research a few time-management structures and ask your team which ones will work best for the department. You’ll likely find that different people prefer different structures. Set up a few different types so that the majority of people will adopt the system that works for them. Research indicates that most people do well with a 90-minute chunk of time, so start with that if you think that setting aside a whole morning or afternoon isn’t feasible. When people know they can count on one or two times throughout the week when they have time set aside, it frees up their mind from the stress of figuring out, “When will I find the time?”
Try it yourself. Take one of the systems your team identified and test-drive it. When you do this, you set an excellent example. You’ll also uncover flaws in the system. Share these discoveries with your team. Ask them to brainstorm ways to work through the roadblocks. You’ll likely learn something that will help you — and them — improve the use of the system.
Stick to it. If you don’t honor the process you set up, your team will see it as just one more “flavor of the month” idea that you cooked up. If someone comes to you with a request for improving their productivity, back them up. Remember that everybody has differing ideas of how to organize their work, so what works for Tom may not work for Rory. As long as the work gets done and adheres to your company’s values, who cares if it’s unorthodox? You might also have to sell the idea with other departments (“we can’t meet on Tuesdays from 10 to noon, that’s our team Think Time”) so you can gain acceptance throughout the organization.
Pair it up. Chery Gegelman is a leadership-development consultant and owner of Giana Consulting. Years ago, as a team leader, she used a “pair and share” idea as a way to cope with an overwhelming influx of work her customer service team experienced. She created teams of two and batched tasks into two main categories: phone-related work and work requiring direct contact with customers. The pairs worked together on their assigned category (phone or people-related) for a three week cycle. Then the team members switched roles. This method, she said, prevented burnout and kept team members’ skills sharp. There was a positive business aspect as well: of the 10 similarly-structured teams throughout the nation, Gegelman’s team was the only one to meet all of its goals that year.
As a leader, it’s important to consider the role you play in how well your team members manage their time. When it comes to time management, good managers avoid micromanaging and help team members prioritize. Great leaders take things a step farther to create and support systems that help team members devote quality time to solving organizational business problems.
This post originally appeared on Smartbrief’s leadership blog.
We've all been to many conferences over the years. Candidly, some are better than others. Last week I had the privilege to speak at the Missouri SHRM Annual Conference, and was impressed with the entire event. Now before you think I'm simply praising the conference leadership team please keep this in mind...
The conference is over. If there was going to be a suck-up post it would have come two weeks ago. Something For Everyone One of the hallmarks of a good HR conference is the opportunity for leaders at all levels to find something that they can learn. As I've moved further along in my career that has become more challenging. Kudos to the team at #MOSHRM16 for finding ways to include not only the first line managers out there...but the executives as well. Something Beyond the Presentations The other part of my experience at Missouri SHRM that was so impactful was, quite honestly, selfishly motivated. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with amazing friends whose leadership and skillful delivery of their presentations make this conference go. People like Lori McCombs, Kristi Jones and Angie Schaefer. New friends Kevin Call and Jamie Notter, as well as old friends Rachelle Roberts, Chris Fields and Charlie Judy. As it turns out...just like in the workplace, it's the people that make all the difference.
How About You As you review the various conference options for next year, make sure next August 1st - 4th at #MOSHRM17 is on the top of your list! I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses.
The winter testing window is coming up with HRCI (the Human Resources Certification Institute, for you newbies), and you might be wondering what the difference is between the PHR and SPHR exams. With both of the exam pass rates hovering around 50% (54% PHR, 53% SPHR), it’s critical to make sure you understand the requirements of each and develop a proper plan for preparing. Today I want to explore some of the variations I have seen as well as from some of the feedback from previous students I helped with the certification exams.
Exam Content
The most obvious difference is the one that HRCI tells you about. The exam content for each has a slightly different focus. This is because for lower level HR roles, it’s more important to have a grasp of the laws and other legal requirements. For SPHR test takers, they are typically in higher level roles that require more planning and strategy, hence the big bump in the Business Management and Strategy content area. Here’s the breakdown:
PHR Exam Content Outline
Business Management and Strategy (11%)
Workforce Planning and Employment (24%)
Human Resource Development (18%)
Compensation and Benefits (19%)
Employee and Labor Relations (20%)
Risk Management (8%)
SPHR Exam Content Outline
Business Management and Strategy (30%)
Workforce Planning and Employment (17%)
Human Resource Development (19%)
Compensation and Benefits (13%)
Employee and Labor Relations (14%)
Risk Management (7%)
Specialized Knowledge Requirements
The content for the exams can run across a variety of topic areas. The guide supplied by HRCI is just a starting point, but it helps us to see some of the key differences in PHR and SPHR exam topics. Below is a sampling of the SPHR-only topics that PHR test taker should not have to worry about. That’s not to say they aren’t important, but when you’re prioritizing PHR study time and might not have enough to focus on every topic, skip these. If you’re going for the SPHR, prioritize these.
Participate as a contributing partner in the organization’s strategic planning process (for example: provide and lead workforce planning discussion with management, develop and present long-term forecast of human capital needs at the organizational level).
Develop and utilize business metrics to measure achievement of the organization’s strategic goals and objectives (for example: key performance indicators, balanced scorecard).
Perform cost/benefit analyses on proposed projects.
Develop policies and procedures to support corporate governance initiatives (for example: whistle-blower protection, code of ethics).
Identify and evaluate alternatives and recommend strategies for vendor selection and/or outsourcing.
Oversee or lead the transition and/or implementation of new systems, service centers, and outsourcing.
Determine the strategic application of integrated technical tools and systems (for example: new enterprise software, performance management tools, self-service technologies).
Develop, implement and evaluate the succession planning process.
Evaluate effectiveness of employee training programs through the use of metrics (for example: participant surveys, pre- and post-testing).
Again, this is just a selection of the SPHR-specific content that shows up on the exam, but it is critical to make sure you understand these not only in theory, but in application as well. Just looking at this list, it’s easy to see how “Knowledge of FMLA requirements” is a little different than “evaluate effectiveness of training programs with metrics.” One of them requires a broader knowledge base, skill set, and point of view. That’s not to say the PHR is easy or simple, but there’s a reason there are two separate exams.
Application vs Synthesis Thinking
I alluded to this, but it’s one of the most critical pieces that I always try to explain when people come to me for advice. The way you approach the exam preparation, and the way you develop your mindset/framework for evaluating test questions and answers, is going to depend on the exam. I’ve tried to lay it out below in terms that reflect my own experience as well as the dozens of students I have supported over the years.
The PHR is more about learning terms, concepts, and ideas and then remembering them for the exam. Simple memorization might not work, because you still need to know the “best answer” in some cases, and that requires some critical thinking. However, getting a good set of testing materials and studying well will go a long way towards success on the PHR.
The SPHR is more about blending knowledge from a variety of areas into a cohesive strategy. In fact, “strategy” is the number one way I explain to students that the SPHR is different when they are preparing for the exam. Not only is the first module around strategy and business the largest piece of the exam content–it is also woven throughout the entire question set, forcing test takers to evaluate multiple courses and select the best one. As I wrote in my previous piece on how to pass the SPHR exam:
Seriously, though, there is a strategy to answering questions on the exam. This is critical if you are trying to figure out how to pass the SPHR exam. Here are five keys I used:
This is strategic in nature, meaning that it’s about how HR ties in, and drives, business activities and measures. Write that on your scratch paper when you sit down and every time you read a question glance at that little phrase.
Know how HR activities tie into the business objectives, and look for opportunities to highlight that in an answer everywhere possible
“Strategy,” “company objectives,” and “business needs” are usually the answers when they are options.
It is important to measure, assess, analyze, etc. before actually taking action.
Imagine that you’re not in HR, but that you’re the CEO, especially when the question is focusing on marketing, operations, or another aspect of the business. Answering from that mindset will help to ensure that you’re giving the broad, strategic perspective the test warrants.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, the exams vary in multiple ways. The most important thing to do is pick the one that is a right fit for you and then develop a study plan that prepares you adequately for the test. Your preparation isn’t meant to come simply from a book–your experiences and interactions with other HR professionals both help to drive your certification preparation.
For those of you that have taken both, what differences have you noticed with the PHR and SPHR exams? If you’ve taken just one, did what I shared above line up with your experience?
I've been thinking about real work vs. the noise of work. The real work is easy to identify...it's what you were hired to do. The noise of work however often supplants the real work. How does that happen? Why does it happen? What can be done about it? Three Questions - One Answer When I was in high school I was never surprised when some kids lived for gossip, acted immature, or thought they were really slick stirring the pot. I always thought they were embarrassing themselves. As I entered the workforce I was surprised to see that those behaviors don't stop. Ever. 1. How does it happen? The noise happens because: - the immaturity that dominated many of our high school classmates simply does not go away - leadership allows it to happen 2. Why does it happen? The noise happens because: - those same immature and frequently miserable colleagues of ours are so self-absorbed that they are unable to think at the big-picture level. They will never understand how organizations actually function because they are still wallowing in their own mess. - leadership allows it to happen 3. What can be done about it? This one is easy, but most leaders will not do it. - leadership needs to be direct, even confrontational if necessary, to not only stop the behavior, but to ensure it never happens again (yes, that means sometimes those team members need to move on and mess up the competition instead of your company) Attention Leaders: Do Your Job I've worked with so many leaders that are constantly lamenting the fact that certain members of their team are disruptive (not the good way); unable to lead, etc...yet they are unwilling to take firm, decisive action. Why? This answer here is easy too. They are scared to death. Leadership is not a popularity contest. Think about all of the other hardworking, loyal employees who are watching you sit idly by as this scorcher of an employee wreaks havoc on the team. Guess who looks foolish now?
How About You Isn't it about time you held the negative influencers accountable for real? Just imagine how impressed the rest of your team will be...with you. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses. pic
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Noise is a Failure of Leadership»
