Guest Article: The F Word: To use or not to use? by Ross Clennett

This week I was alerted (thanks George) to this job ad for an Auckland-based VP of Global Marketing for a technology company called Vend. The second paragraph opens as follows: It's also a f***ing great place to work, with a global team of 200+ smart, driven, creative people working in cities like Auckland, Melbourne, San Francisco, Toronto, London and Berlin. Except the ad had the

Article source:Ross Clennett - The F Word: To use or not to use?»



Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Truths in HR, Employment and Training – HR Carnival by Jennifer Miller

“Truth” is a funny word, because, c’mon – one person’s “truth” is another person’s delusion. That’s why I was intrigued when Dwane Lay of the Dovetail Software blog asked us to submit what we’ve learned to be true about the HR profession for this week’s Carnival of HR. I chose to focus on the training and development angle. Others looked at recruitment and employer branding. In all, there are 12 essays related to HR, employment, talent management and a few surprises that will make this worth your time.

Go on over and check out HR Carnival – Truths Around the World .

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Truths in HR, Employment and Training – HR Carnival»

Guest Article: Don't Spare Anyone by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

5 Ways to Deal with Difficult Colleagues

It’s a situation that we’re all faced with at some point in the challenging, strenuous and consistently inconsistent journey commonly referred to as a career. It can be tricky to get used to the complexities of a 9-5 working day that is constantly evolving, however the addition of working with difficult colleagues who contribute to the slowing down of time may be a driving force to utilise those sick leave hours! We therefore present 5 tips on dealing with these colleagues to reduce/alleviate any work related stresses you’re experiencing!

Identify what the issue is

In a world that operates on an on-the-go and fast paced basis, it’s easy to blow an issue out of proportion- especially when that particular issue has consumed your thoughts. Try to identify what the issue actually is. Most of the time, it’s purely the thought of that problem that is daunting as opposed to the issue actually bothering you.

With that in mind, is the reason you feel uncomfortable around a particular colleague simply the result of a personality clash? This is quite common in the workforce; some people prefer to keep to themselves whereas others work best in a group. Therefore for example; the reason for their silence or isolation isn’t directed at you, it’s simply their way of functioning at work and most likely can’t be changed.

‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’

This subtitle is self-explanatory. Machiavelli said it, Sun Tzu uttered similar words, Al Pacino even reiterated this saying and we’ll say it again.  In terms of enemy, we don’t only refer to these people whom you don’t get along with; it actually refers to anyone who you’re in competition with or who may try to take credit for your work. Keeping them ‘close’ (don’t get too close) may become advantageous to you in terms of understanding why they’re behaving the way that they do, or why they feel as though they’re above you.  Just make sure not to obsess with the issue, clashes will always occur but you can manage them strategically to achieve higher satisfaction at work.

Never say anything bad about anyone… At work

We live in a world where anything and everything said can be used against you. Don’t speak ill of a colleague to another colleague, never create any written material regarding the company or its employees (this is a legal issue, we’re not making this one up!), and please please please if you feel the need to vent to anyone, discuss your issues with a family member, friend or health professional (there’s a highly unlikely chance your colleagues will hear of your struggles from them).

In saying that, if any bullying is occurring in person, try to communicate more through email. It’s always better to have documentation or physical proof if the matter reaches the HR department (this is an extreme precaution!)

If all else fails - talk to your boss!

There are just some things you will not be able to change with the resources and decisions you are in control of. If the proximity or setup is what is making the issue with your difficult colleague worse, ask if you can be moved or partnered with someone else. Be sure to mention how you feel this will encourage better performance and results as well as a better team harmony overall. As long as you touch on your employer’s concerns for performance and making sure the team ‘gets along’, they have a responsibility to listen to you.

Move on

If these colleagues are beginning to bother you to the point where it’s affecting your work, then it might be time for change. Separate yourself completely or as much as possible from them and simply focus on your work. Work independently if need may be, limit conversation to greetings and purely work related topics and migrate over to another group of colleagues with whom you’re more comfortable/compatible with. Be the bigger person and end up happier for it.

If negativity is affecting your personal life or keeping you up at night, then you should definitely consider making a change within your current business or explore other avenues.

Good luck!

Quirky Ways to Engage Your Employees

When it comes to motivating and engaging with your employees, sometimes it takes more than asking them about their weekend. Many managers and company directors dodge the unconventional ways of motivating employees as it seems a little silly and can appear counter-productive. However, little do they know that these cheap, unorthodox and strange activities can have lasting benefits to the employees, the company, and the bottom-line!

1. Hold fun monthly contests between departments. 

This can range from the most creatively decorated area, an ultimate cook-off, through to who can stack the highest tower of Oreos. Don’t forget to reward the winning team!

2. Keep a running game! 

Place a game of Chess, Checkers or a quiz in the tea room, and keep everybody interacting instead of sitting in silence during their breaks.

3. Celebrate birthdays, holidays, and occasions.

Personally create little company gifts, or better yet, match departments to get them to organise a collective surprise for another team. Set some grounds rules, as well as a nominal budget per department, and let them be as creative as they want!

4. Get suggestions. 

Instead of trying to guess what your team wants, place little check-box slips with events and ideas and get all individuals to number what they want most.

5. Celebrate success!

Make a habit of celebrating the smallest of achievements. Secured a big client or important contract? Get a cake! Increased the base of email subscribers by 5%? Have some chocolate!

6. Survival simulation games.

If you are on a boat that breaks down and only have limited resources, how will your team cope? Situational simulations are great ways to get all members interacting with each other and thinking like a team.

7. Daggy-dress day. 

Get all members to wear one completely outrageous and hideous accessory to the office. Capture it with a camera and stick it up on a cork board. This is a sure way to get people to lighten up and crack a smile.

8. Fact of the day. 

Assign each member a day; ask them to find a fact and to write it up on the white-board in the morning.

9. Start the weekend sooner.

According to a survey conducted by British Airways, productivity levels rapidly decline at 2:39pm on a Friday. Make it clear to your employees that you don’t expect them to be as productive on a Friday afternoon, and they are free to leave if they wish (provided of course that they’ve completed the required tasks for the week!). This may lead to employees working harder and faster throughout the week in order to leave early on Friday afternoons.

10. Be weird and crazy. 

Blast ‘Eye of the Tiger’ from your office when you’re feeling unmotivated or ‘I Will Survive’ when teams are feeling tense. Foster a supportive work environment, and show that you trust that everyone can ‘bounce back’ from a rough day.

11. Scheduled breaks. 

These may seem counter-productive, but being tired causes people to be less productive and creative. Giving employees a break for a quick power-nap or to meditate allows people to rejuvenate, regain their energy, and be able to think more creatively.

There’s a whole list of things that haven’t been mentioned – but these are sure to get you started! Little fun changes in the workplace can help lift unwanted pressure off your workers, and create a more fun, productive, stress-free and creative environment. It builds the team up, allows them to be more supportive, to feel supported, and to stay motivated and committed to the company. If you can get your employees truly committed to the company, you can be sure to trust that they’ll do the best by you. 



Alignment between a company's culture and its employees is also essential to ensure that your staff are operating in an environment they feel comfortable in and can engage with. To work out whether the employees you hire have the potential to fit your company's culture, use a Psychometric Assessment! To find out more about how Psychometric tests can help your organisation see how Psychometric Assessments can help your hiring decisions. If you are interested in learning more about Psychometric Assessments, please speak with Dr. Gavin Didsbury or a consultant from our assessment partner PsychPress who provide a variety of psychometric assessment solutions. Please call on (03) 9670 0590 or email info@psychpress.com.au.

Guest Article: Funeral Hymn by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Guest Article: Red Flashing Lights: How you know when profitability is about to sink by Ross Clennett

After last week's blog on the Australian publicly listed recruitment companies that have departed the boards of the ASX, I received a few emails from readers asking me follow up questions about the decline in fortunes of such formerly successful companies. Such questions as: How do such, formerly successful, companies become so unprofitable in a relatively short space of time? Are

Article source:Ross Clennett - Red Flashing Lights: How you know when profitability is about to sink»



Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: The Enemy Inside by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

10 Things Employers Never Read in a Resume

The average employer spends around six seconds reading over your resume before they make the decision whether to read on, or to throw it out. Even after they decide to read further through your resume, there are some sections that are unnecessary and won’t be read over. Here are the ten things an employer won’t read in your resume, and why keeping your resume short is better.   

1. A lengthy promotional paragraph

This will not attract an employer to read further as this will take much longer than six seconds. Instead, aim this section at the specific job you are hiring for.  For example, include the name of the company that was listed on the job description, how you would fit into that company, and what benefits you would bring them.

2. An ‘objective’ section

Employers generally aren't interest in reading what you want to do or where you want to go, but they want to know how you will fit into the job role and what relevant skills you can bring. If you do include this section, ensure that it is tailored correctly to the job you are applying for. 

3. Irrelevant experience/skills

An extremely detailed and extensive work experience or skills list might look amazing, but an employer will not commit the time to carefully examine this. Aim to only include those skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for to attract the employer’s attention. As an example, four years of labouring work experience will not help if you’re applying to become a podiatrist.

4. Unrelated and detailed responsibilities

Try to keep your responsibilities at previous jobs to a minimum (four dot points max per role) so you don’t discourage the employer from reading on. In addition, don’t include any responsibilities that are not related to the current job you are applying for.

5. Paragraphs

Although you may find it easier to express yourself in paragraph form and demonstrate your vocabulary skills, avoid using them. Dot points will attract interest to your resume as it is easier to read and the relevant information they are looking for is clearer. 

6. Extensive past work experience

An extensive work history looks fantastic if you’ve worked in a number of industries over a long period of time. However, unconnected past experience (especially those over ten years ago) do not need to be on a resume. This just adds more bulk and creates a less appealing read for an employer.

7. Chronological work experience

As a potential employer will only glance briefly at your resume, don’t put your previous work experience in chronological order. They have no interest in what you did over ten years ago and will not read this. Instead, present your work history in reverse chronological order showing your most recent role on the front page. 

8. An over share of personal information

It is always nice to include a small section at the end of a resume detailing your interests so that potential employers have a brief personal touch, but too much information is not wanted. As a rule, keep this information to no more than four hobbies. Sharing on a resume your favourite TV show or your passion for yoga will not help you get the job. 

9. Long cover letters

Some employers don’t even read cover letters, but it can be a worthwhile addition alongside your resume. Like your resume, short and simple is better. As a guide, aim for a cover letter no longer than one A4 page. A long cover letter is unlikely to get a second glance from an employer, so keep it concise and make sure it contains information that is specific to the job you are applying for. 

10. High school information

For anyone who has graduated from high school, this is unnecessary information. An employer doesn’t care what high school you attended, or how talented you were there. Avoiding this section will save space and make your resume smaller.

Writing a resume can be daunting, but following these ten tips will help to make it clear and concise. Keeping your resume short means an employer is more likely to read through it, and increases your chance of earning the role you are applying for. If you would like further information and advice on resume writing, please see our Resume Tips.

Guest Article: 5 Things a Leader Needs to Successfully Launch a New Job by Jennifer Miller

When you start a new job, what’s your plan for getting acclimated to your new role? Do you even have a plan? Throughout the years, I’ve observed leaders – either coming in from the outside, or transferring departments – launch their leadership journey. The most successful ones start their new job before they walk in to their new office on their first day. Why? Because they understand that to hit the ground running on Day One, they must take prior action.

In my latest article on Smartblog on Leadership, I chronicle the actions of fictional leader “Tracey”, a recently hired director-level manager. Tracey’s story is a compilation of the many leaders I’ve observed over the past two decades, and how they’ve successfully integrated into their new role. You can read more about the five things new leaders must do before their new job starts in What leaders must do before Day One of a job.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 5 Things a Leader Needs to Successfully Launch a New Job»

Guest Article: The Only Corporate Strategy That Matters by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Guest Article: The Power of Unexamined Thoughts by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

5 Modern Ways to Spark Creativity in the Workplace

Many people believe that creativity is an inborn trait rather than something that can be learned and developed. However, studies have shown that a conducive environment is one of the critical factors that allows new ideas to be generated. As an employer, it is your responsibility to create an environment that helps your employees liberate their innovative and value adding ideas. As Albert Einstein correctly said, “Problems cannot be solved with the same mindset that created them.” 

Here are 5 ways you can boost creativity in your workplace:

Allow time for employees to “daydream”

Although daydreaming is deemed as counterproductive, studies have shown that daydreaming is the core of creative problem-solving. The starting idea that comes before the successful product is usually birthed in a daydream-like state. We do our most creative problem-solving when our mind is allowed to wander. During daydreaming, we allow ourselves to envision models and uncensor thoughts that are necessary for originality. We make connections, generate novel solutions and tap into the most complex regions of our brains.

This explains why some major companies in the world have adopted feature programs allowing their employees the time and space to think creatively. This generally involves allocated time scheduled into the work calendar and it is purely dedicated to creative thinking or problem solving. For example, Google has a 20% program, 3M offers a 15% program, and Gore & Associates (Gore-Tex, etc.) has “dabble time”. All these three companies claim that these programs are the source of their most successful products. This can work for you as well, if your business is serious about using new ideas to its advantage, then you need to be serious about alternative means of stimulating new idea creation.

Reward creativity and refrain from negative reinforcement.

In order to motivate your employees to think outside of the box, you need to reward them. To start off, you can task each employee to provide one suggestion by the end of each week to a problem or a new innovation. Assess which idea is the best, reward the employee and equally as important, implement the ideas. The reward could be tangible, such as monetary incentives or intangible, such recognition from the organisation.

Also remember, not all innovations will pay off. When an innovation is not as successful as it should have been or is a complete failure, it is vital that there be no punishment. This provides negative reinforcement which teaches employees that trying new ideas is not a good idea. This will have a negative effect of the innovation and creativity of your workforce.

Include criticisms in brainstorming sessions

Contrary to popular belief, being non-critical of group members’ ideas does not allow ideas to flow more freely. Author Jonah Lehrer suggests that brainstorming without being critical would not facilitate creativity because criticisms and debate are necessary to generate new ideas. Psychologist Charlan Nemeth further explains that proper criticism encourages more creativity as individuals feel the desire to want to improve upon their ideas. Conversely, in the absence of criticism, no one would feel challenged to push their creativity to consider unexplored possibilities. Just be sure to keep the mood positive and motivate all members to contribute and discuss each other’s input in a constructive manner.

Surround the office with colour and imagery

Charts and grids can lead to restricted thinking as they create a sense of structure and rules. Encourage your employees to think freely by putting up visually stimulating images that inspire mental clarity and allow for happy thoughts. Colour is also proven to stimulate creativity and alter moods. For instance, InformeDesign found that light blue is linked to mental clarity and stimulates the mind, whereas red was more commonly associated with aggression but also acuity and attention. Studies show that a balance of both colours is conducive to creativity. If you can balance colour with a sense of identity and even humour, it will not only increase the flow of creativity, but do wonders for a strong corporate culture.

Diversity among employees

How can different and unique ideas emerge if everyone thinks in a similar manner? When an organisation puts similar individuals with the same knowledge and background together, these people tend to generate the same ideas because they think the same. Diverse environments filled with varying cultures, gender, level of education and experiences increases creativity. The more diverse a group’s knowledge and beliefs are, the more unique ideas will arise.

Hire staff from different knowledge pools and backgrounds then get them to dabble around in projects and even attend company events. Create a more informal setting when brainstorming to allow employees with dissimilar profiles exchange thoughts.

To ensure that when you do work towards diversifying your workforce you are still recruiting individuals who will fit your company’s culture, use a Psychometric Assessment. To find out more about how Psychometric tests can help your organisation see how Psychometric Assessments can help your hiring decisions. If you are interested in learning more about Psychometric Assessments, please speak with Dr. Gavin Didsbury or a consultant from our assessment partner PsychPress who provide a variety of psychometric assessment solutions. Please call on (03) 9670 0590 or email info@psychpress.com.au.

Guest Article: Moving Day! The End of the HR Schoolhouse by Robin Schooling

You and I have had a great run here at the HR Schoolhouse.

This blog was started in 2010 as a place where I could share my thoughts about HR and work, poke a stick at stuff I found absurd or ridiculous, and find solace in the blank page.

I still intend to do those things…I’m just going to be doing it under my own name.

From a practical standpoint this allows me to bring multiple sites (my blog, my business) together. The whole “who I am and what I do” has merged quite nicely since I stepped away from corporate HR leadership and went the entrepreneur route but it’s not like I have all day to be updating multiple websites.

So thanks for being a loyal reader and/or subscriber to the HR Schoolhouse. This site will stay up and running, but I hope you’ll come and join me starting next week at RobinSchooling.com.

Peace out.

The post Moving Day! The End of the HR Schoolhouse appeared first on HR Schoolhouse.

Article source:Robin Schooling - Moving Day! The End of the HR Schoolhouse»



Check out more of Robin's work at HR Schoolhouse and Silver Zebras

Guest Article: The Community Has Spoken – #truBatonRouge by Robin Schooling

“HR people and recruiters sure think differently, don’t they?” (quote from #truBatonRouge attendee)

They sure do; and I’ve talked about it quite a bit. I feel somewhat able to pontificate on the subject as I’ve not only worked for an agency, been an internal recruiter, and managed corporate recruiting teams, but have also held numerous HR leadership positions over the years.

If we imagine we’re just one ginormous agrarian society, the recruiters are like the hunters and gatherers who track down the talent; they’re out there fishing in the pond where no-one-else is fishing. The HR practitioners are back home tiling the soil; waiting, as it were, for the food to come to them.

It’s endlessly fascinating to me why these two groups – all invested in finding the right people for the right jobs at the right time – have such differing views on what talent attraction and acquisition looks like. So often, I continue to find, the HR leaders/practitioners in an organization operate via the ‘staffing’ model; let’s open the req, confirm the job description, blast an advert of some sort, and assume the people will come to us. Make the offer, close the req, and wait until the next person quits and we have to fill the same job all over again.

Is it a matter of time and resources for many HR practitioners? It can be. One of the #truBatonrouge attendees was from a rapidly growing organization with 600 employees where it’s no doubt a challenge to create a strategic sourcing and recruiting strategy when there are 3 people in the entire HR Department and they also handle payroll, benefits, comp, FMLA/ADA/WC, employee relations, etc. etc. etc. Out of necessity, perhaps more than anything else, they’ve migrated to a model where the hiring managers are fully empowered to handle all their own hiring; HR manages the process, workflow, and tools, but is hands off unless specifically asked to participate.

Without a dedicated recruiter the 25+ open positions they have (I checked) are, more than likely, being blasted to job boards in an attempt to get as many warm bodies loaded into the recruitment funnel as possible.

It’s the HR way.

And I anticipated this sort of tension – if that’s the right word – to rise to the top when I planned the event. Knowing the market here in south Louisiana the attendees were a varied bunch: we had a handful of recruiters, a gaggle of HR professionals (generalists who have recruiting as one of their responsibilities), some entrepreneurs, a health care executive, a bunch of organizational development folks, and a few communication/marketing professionals.

So what did we talk about?

I led a track on the “The Problem with Job Interviews” which focused on exploring things like uselessness due to lack of planning and our focus on hiring for “fit” when we don’t even know what that really means. We dove into the impact of bias – with confirmation bias being one of the biggies as we seek to confirm our initial gut feeling from the first 90 seconds with an applicant. We chatted about the use of data. We conversed about how many interviews is too many; one attendee reported he had multiple visits and met with 15 interviewers for a job. Sweet fancy Moses.

Casey Kugler led a track on “Recruiting Tips from a Corporate Recruiter” and discussed sourcing and searching strategies. He shared the results of an experiment he recently conducted to see if taking the time to personally construct LinkedIn communication (“Hi Joe…I see you like Pearl Jam!”) garnered more results than generic messages (note: he saw a 3% improvement). Darren Sherrard, Associate Director for Recruitment with the VA, discussed recruitment marketing and specifically chatted about paid vs. earned media as well as the evolution/merging/blurring of PR and recruitment marketing.

We had a track called “Fear and Loathing in Succession Planning” and dove into the topic “Are YOU the only one who cares about your Performance Management Program” with Sandy Michelet. The latter discussion was interesting; enough HR/OD people expressed a desire to hang on to numbers, rankings, ratings, and forms that it appears the shitty performance appraisals we’re often saddled with aren’t going anywhere soon.

We wrapped up the day with a free-wheeling discussion merging all sorts of topics together with a focus on how HR/Talent professionals can, perhaps, innovate; wellness (ugh!), use of technology, the digital divide, and spirituality in the workplace/business environment all landed on the table.

It. Was. Awesome.

We held #truNOLA in 2012, but I wanted to hold an event in Baton Rouge to gather more people together who have an interest in talent, recruiting and the evolution of work. I wanted varied experiences and differing opinions. I wanted people to meet and connect and build community.

And we did.

Thanks to Devin Lemoine and the team at Success Labs for providing the space and hosting us for the day, and thanks to my friend Bill Boorman, founder of #tru, who believes in building this global community.

“Those HR people and recruiters can get on the same page after all.” (me)

The post The Community Has Spoken – #truBatonRouge appeared first on HR Schoolhouse.

Article source:Robin Schooling - The Community Has Spoken – #truBatonRouge»



Check out more of Robin's work at HR Schoolhouse and Silver Zebras

5 Essentials Qualities All Great Leaders Have

You have likely all been in this position... You have a leader who is great at doing some things and less than great at others. This raises the question, what does a great leader look like? Here are 5 essential attributes all “great” workplace leaders possess. Better understanding what these qualities look like will likely not only help you appreciate your leadership but hopefully incorporating them into your work may mean  that next time a leadership position becomes available within your organisation, a tap on the shoulder may not be a long-shot.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence consists of the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as those of the people around you. This is essential to gain insight into how the people around you feel, think, and interpret their responses to actions or decisions. This allows leaders to effectively pre-empt and intervene in any conflict between people and help them maintain a happy and task-oriented workplace.

Wealth of Knowledge

It is important for a leader to be aware of the people around them as well as the market, competitors and any relevant information that may become available in the future. Understanding why mistakes have happened in the past within the company and competitors is essential to prevent them being repeated in future, when a leader is aware of this they can quickly act when a situation is becoming similar to a prior error. Knowledge of competitors allows a leader to be more effective in identifying holes that have been left out and creatively add to the business for a more distinguished product or service.

Confidence

Having confidence is essential for any leader, without confidence a person may seem flawed and that makes them hard to follow. Those who are being led are inspired to work much harder and efficiently if their leader is confident that their task will be effective.

Integrity

Integrity is one the highest valued traits that staff desire from their leaders. Being consistently honest and forthright shows staff that they know exactly where you stand as a leader, will respect any boundaries you set in place and will be more likely to reciprocate the same way. As a leader becomes more powerful, having integrity shows that you’re not working out of self-interest and the world revolves around more than just yourself.

Optimism

Optimists help to keep everyone future orientated, in a leadership position they manage with hard work and dedication towards a common goal. Followers become much more inspired to work to a common goal if their leader sees a bright light at the end of the tunnel. They have an unconditional positive regard for any obstacle that may arise, being able to take the best from the worst situations. For most businesses something will inevitably go wrong, an optimistic leader will bounce back faster and with a better attitude to deal with future complications.

With these traits a leader can be effective in targeting the market and rallying their followers to achieve the best possible outcomes in any business.

Guest Article: Reign In Content by Jay Kuhns, SPHR