Guest Article: The Wonders At Your Feet by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

There are times when we believe we have built the perfect team. We convince ourselves that once those final few pieces fall into place all will be right in our world of work. We so desperately want things to be smooth and steady.

But that's not how work happens.

So Much To Do
For any of you that have glanced at my blog over the years you know I am a big fan of lists. When I say lists, I mean digital lists. (Post it notes and stacks of paper are so 1985.) The upside of using lists for everything in your life means you're super organized. The downside is that you can feel pretty overwhelmed at times.

Don't let the lists become your world. They are a tool...they are not the boss of you! They are a system to help you keep your priorities moving in the right direction. They are an asset, so stop thinking about them as a daily liability.

Teams Are Stronger Than You Think
When we realize some of our team members are struggling, and combine that with our never ending task list we can feel like throwing in the towel.

However, all is not lost. Nor is the road ahead as bumpy as we may think. Challenge yourself to do the following:

- identify and recognize the strong players on your team and what they've done to overcome adversity, rise up and meet challenges, and push themselves to a new level

- summarize the huge amount of work that you and your team have completed in the last six months

- push those who are lagging behind very, very hard

You Are Stronger Than You Think Too
Some days the cumulative weight of pressure at work can bring us to our knees. But today is not one of those days. 

Your focus, commitment to world-class work, and unwavering intolerance for anything less than exceptional has helped you get this far, and it will power you ahead into the future.

Do not lose sight of the impact you have on the workplace, or on the lives of those around you.

How About You
Are you looking at the days ahead with a sense of loathing; or, have you decided to take a look around and appreciate the wonders that have been lurking just beneath the surface? Now is the time to keep pushing, and to keep making the difference you make every day.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The Wonders At Your Feet»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Name-blind recruitment: A step we need to take? by Ross Clennett

In my first year as a recruiter, back in 1989 London, I was working on an enthusiastic young candidate. She was confident, capable and interviewed well. Whenever I followed up with the client after forwarding her resume, I was greeted with a range of rather odd-sounding reasons not to interview her. When I asked my manager for some help, she took one look at her file and said ‘her name's a
Article source:Ross Clennett - Name-blind recruitment: A step we need to take?»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

How to Excel as a First Time Manager

Receiving a promotion or stepping up in your role is a great achievement. However, becoming a respected and effective manager is a challenge unto its own. New managers often feel a sense of unease surrounding increased expectation to perform, along with adjusting to the responsibility of managing those who may have previously been their peers. Managers are generally the subject of scrutiny by frustrated employees in a workplace. Building good rapport is an important first step for any good manager. These are 5 steps a new manager can take to excel in their position.

1)    Training: 

Whilst some people are intrinsically good managers whether it be through their openness, communication (especially listening) skills, confidence or their general manner, it is always worthwhile to build on your current skill set. Taking up the opportunity to undertake a course in management either within your company if it is offered or externally can have lasting profitability in the long run. You may like to consider finding a good training program and getting all of the managers in your company on board!

2)    Effective mentoring: 

A manager who is able to mentor their team effectively is able to highlight an employee’s strengths and coach them in improving their weaknesses, in an engaging and respectful manner. Besides increasing employee productivity, this will also enable employees to reach their full potential.

3)    Character Judgement: 

One size doesn’t fit all and a good manager knows it. A manager should be able to tailor their managing strategy to each individual under their instruction in a way that promotes their best performance. This is achieved by acknowledging and respecting individual differences and is reflected in an employee’s work performance as a result of increased job satisfaction.

4)    Effective delegation:

A good manager knows they can’t do everything and is aware that another employee may have more knowledge and expertise in a particular area than themselves. To delegate effectively means to lose total control. This takes trust, respect and confidence in an employee’s abilities. By using effective delegation skills, a good manager can assign the right tasks to the right employee based on what they know about each individual’s strengths, knowledge and skills.

5)    Outstanding communication:

This doesn’t just mean telling. It means listening with intent and genuine consideration, and keeping an open forum with all employees. Creating a respectful and committed communicative environment increases employee self-worth, and confidence within their manager. Again leading to increased workplace satisfaction and productivity.

The way in which a manger conducts themselves can have a significant impact on the overall morale of a team and the productivity of a company. By using our five tips to tackling a management role, you are on your way to excelling in your new position. 

Guest Article: How Your Brain Works During Training by Ben

I’ve been reading a slew of books lately focused on neuroscience. One line in the latest hit me, and I thought it would be interesting to pull together some of the thoughts from a few to share. Here’s the tidbit (emphasis mine):

What do [scientific] studies show, viewed as a whole? Mostly this: if you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a cubicle. Source: Brain Rules

Wow. We have known for a while that classroom training was losing its luster compared to social, video, mobile, and other informal delivery methods. However, this is a stern indictment of the most commonly used method of training, with 40% of companies using classroom-based instructor led training (ILT) more than half the time.

Attention, Focus, and Work

Another book that quickly hooked me was Two Awesome Hours. The basic premise is that we were not meant to sit at a computer for eight plus hours a day working at a single repetitive task without breaks. That’s what robots are for. Josh Davis, PhD, says some people can get as much done in two good, productive hours as others can in an entire day. The concept has to do with a few different elements of work, but the part that has been most interesting for me is working on focused activities when I’m most “on.”

Making decisions isn’t a limitless activity. We have a finite amount of willpower and every small decision we make chips away at that reserve. In the book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath, the authors examine the metaphor of the elephant and rider. The elephant (our subconscious) makes many small underlying decisions in our daily work and life. The rider (our conscious brain) makes larger, more complex decisions, but it has a limited amount of power to guide the elephant when tired, overtaxed, etc. That applies in the context of our work, where we make hundreds of decisions every day.

In other words, when you have that golden hour of focus and intensity in your workday, use it for critical thinking and other thought-heavy tasks, not for responding to emails, making phone calls, or chatting with coworkers. Then fit in those more routine/mundane tasks when needed. All too often we waste that precious time doing things that require little brainpower but ultimately leave us unprepared to handle strenuous mental work.

I recently read that more workers are opting to work from home as a way to avoid distractions and focus more intently on projects. Always seen as a nuisance, we now realize that interruptions of any kind have a more profound impact on work than previously believed. This experiment shows that it’s not just time that is affected by distractions, but overall work quality as well.

 The Learning Impact

What does this have to do with learning? Pretty much everything.

Brandon Hall Group’s principal learning analyst, David Wentworth, recently shared some amazing insights into how companies are transforming the classroom environment to be less traditional and more interactive. The way we structure our classes, for the most part, hasn’t changed over the years. But there are now phenomenal examples of companies pursuing more interactive methods of training, whether blended with the classroom approach or entirely separate. Like it or not, the most effective method for training, according to those organizations we surveyed, is still classroom-based ILT. But that doesn’t mean it has to stay the same as it was 10 years ago.

These principles that apply to work in general apply to the world of learning and development. Here are a few examples of how neuroscience can help us make better training decisions:

• Don’t put people in a lecture for three hours and expect them to be attentive, alert, and engaged. Break up the session with discussions, opportunities for application, peer interactions, etc. This helps to ensure the content not only sticks, but has some real-world examples to make it more concrete.
• What we see is more powerful than any other sense. Expecting people to multitask and read your slides while you talk is going to limit the effectiveness by forcing learners to split attention among your words and your text. In fact, John Medina, author of Brain Rules, suggests tossing your text-laden PowerPoint slides in favor of image-based ones that support your topics without overshadowing them. Studies show that we have an amazing capability to remember imagery, but only a mediocre recall rate for text.

I’m not sure that I will be ready to throw away my beloved slides anytime soon, but these ideas have given me something to consider next time I’m putting together a deck for a presentation. What are your thoughts on how our brains are wired for learning? Is the classroom giving us the results we need, or is something more needed to improve the retention and value of existing training.

This originally appeared on the Brandon Hall Group blog

Article source:Ben - How Your Brain Works During Training»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Future Shock by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I don't consider myself much of  futurist...in fact...the world of work is changing so fast it's almost impossible to stay current on  a daily basis. 

But...

One thing is very clear about the future of work. It starts with leaders...formal and informal...making a difference in their organizations.

Risk
As a long time healthcare leader I've discovered a few truths:

- healthcare is a risk aversive industry (understatement of the century right there)
- healthcare has unlimited potential to improve how it recruits talent
- most healthcare leaders are too scared to make the moves necessary to differentiate themselves from their competition

This is where you come in! You have the opportunity to leverage all of the knowledge you've accumulated over your career, and pour it into a new way to work. Starting today.

The complicated dynamics of our industry, and in particular hospitals, often force the progressive leaders among us to a life of playing it safe and doing the same old things. Today I'm calling out anyone who espouses that old school strategy!

Risk is important for a reason...because there is a big reward!

Shock Your Competition
Shifting mindsets can be powerful, long before you pull a team together to develop your digital talent acquisition strategy. (Remember, digital strategies should be your primary strategy!)

Here are three steps that will not only help you lead the way internally, but will also help you blow away the prehistoric thinkers leading your competition:

1. Go social, now. If you aren't active on social media you have not been paying attention. Open you accounts, start posting, sharing and engaging. It matters more than you think.

2. Focus on building your leader brand. If you're not actively involved in your "space" you are invisible. It doesn't matter what your resume says...the world has changed. Get active using contemporary tools and make a difference.

3. Stop being afraid. It's okay to step out and try new things. You will be the only one in your organization doing it. So what? Leaders go first...so let's go!

How About You
It has never been easier to promote your leader brand, your organization, and the difference you can make in the world of work. Get started today! You can do it!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Future Shock»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Social Recruiting – It’s Time to Get on Board by Jennifer Miller

I’m a sponsored blog partner with Spherion (a staffing and recruiting organization) and am participating in the release of findings from Spherion’s Emerging Workforce® Study (“EWS.”)  All opinions are mine.

What does the rise of social recruiting mean for the future of HR? The way that companies attract qualified job applicants continues to evolve at lightning speed. Just a decade ago, all a company had to do was keep the “careers” section of their corporate web site up to date with job postings. A few years ago, along came sophisticated career sites and job boards. Now, “social recruiting”—with job openings listed on social sites like Pinterest, Facebook and LinkedIn—have been added to the mix. Research indicates that most companies (especially the big ones) aren’t keeping up with this trend.

The Emerging Workforce Study highlights a few insights into how technology affects the job search. 41% of employers say they use social media initiatives to help recruit new talent, an increase of 11% over last year’s survey. It also appears that using social media “just because” is waning. This year, the number of companies indicating that they have implemented social media initiatives to “simply have a presence on the web” has declined from last year. These two statistics signal that employers are getting more strategic about when and how to use social media for recruitment purposes.

For most companies though, there is still room to grow these strategies. According to career site Glassdoor’s 2015 Statistical Reference Guide for Talent Acquisition Professionals, a whopping 90% of Fortune 500 companies’ career sites don’t have mobile-friendly designs. These companies are missing a huge opportunity to recruit the most tech-savvy employees because nearly half of job seekers use a mobile device to conduct their search. According to Spherion’s Emerging Workforce Study, 27% use their smart phones and 23% use their tablets. That’s nearly 50% of the population receiving a less-than-optimal job search experience when they look at job prospects within large organizations.

Where do employees look for jobs? According to the EWS, 30% use career sites like Glassdoor and CareerBuilder. The survey reports that 14% of employees use social sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. This number seems low to me. I’ve seen stats that say that over 70% of job-seekers use at least one social media platform.

Regardless of the stats, one thing is clear: employers need to embrace social networking technology as part of their recruitment plan. I’ve been involved in social media for a decade, so I sometimes forget that not all companies are on board yet. I still see the occasional reference to “printing out paper copies of emails” from my HR colleagues. Until human resources managers can convince their company leadership that social recruiting is an important tool in attracting the best employees, their companies will lag behind in attracting the best talent.

 

About the Emerging Workforce Study: For more than 18 years, Spherion has examined the issues and trends impacting employment and the workforce. This year, Spherion’s “Emerging Workforce Study” was conducted between March and April of 2015 by Harris Poll, a Nielsen company. The study polled over 2,000 workers and 225 human resource managers on their opinions and attitudes regarding important workplace topics such as employee engagement, job satisfaction, generational differences and work/life balance. One of the study’s goals was to look for indicators for what the workplace will become. As the perspectives and attitudes of the workforce evolve, employers must better understand employees for greater business success.

You can also follow Spherion on Twitter (hashtag #EWS2014) or join them on Facebook.

 

Disclosure: Spherion partnered with bloggers (like yours truly) for their Emerging Workforce Study program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. I was free to form my own opinions about the data supplied by Spherion and all opinions are my own. Spherion’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

 

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Social Recruiting – It’s Time to Get on Board»

Guest Article: Change Management...for the Love of God by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I may be about to alienate my HR friends…but here goes. 

I’m tired of hearing about change management tools, approaches, messages, and models. Are employees incapable of adjusting to changes in the workplace with out an inservice, lunch-and-learn session, or a team of life counselors to help them through it all?

Oh, please.

How about this:

“You’re a grown up…things have been changing since forever…let’s all act like adults, support each other and press on."

Easy Now…People Are More Sensitive Today

Alas, before I forget that the planet has done a nosedive into the comfortable world of politically correct mediocrity, let me take a step back.

Big changes require good messaging. Let’s say your organization is faced with a layoff (twitter). Clear, concise and honest messaging goes a long way. And for the record, in Jack's message to the employees, he didn’t discuss a series of change management educational sessions (think work-speak as therapy) to help everyone get through it all.

Easy Now…You’re Not Supporting the Profession

I love human resources. I’ve spent my entire career trying to lead effectively as a human resources professional, and candidly I don’t see any other executive roles that integrate the people side of the business more than HR.

But sometimes we get caught up in our own “stuff” and we end up looking…well…silly in front of our colleagues at the table. (Yes, we’re at the table…for those of you that don’t think we are you haven’t been paying attention.)

How About You

When big issues hit your organization you better have a well thought out communication plan for the team. But please, let’s not get so caught up in our HR work that we forget that we are not the business. We support the business.

Once we have that level of awareness, we can make all the difference in the world.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Change Management...for the Love of God»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: RIB Report 2014/15 Review: Temp/contract market surges to record high by Ross Clennett

Last week I wrote about the Recruitment Industry Benchmarking Report 2014/15 review, in which I analysed the vast drop off in drop that commonly occurs when an agency moves from less than 10 staff to 11 to 20 employees. This week I am returning to the same document to have a closer look at the temp and contract results. Here's what the data reported: Productivity area
Article source:Ross Clennett - RIB Report 2014/15 Review: Temp/contract market surges to record high»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

4 Strategies to Prevent Workplace Bullying

While workplace bullying tends to be an issue that is not often discussed unless a formal complaint is made, it is the employer’s legal responsibility to provide an environment that is free of any unreasonable treatment of employees. A culture of bullying behaviours can be detrimental to productivity levels, staff retention and overall success of the business. This article explores four ways in which you can prevent bullying in your workplace.

1.  Set a good example.  

First and foremost, treat your employees as you would like to be treated. Embodying respect and courtesy will influence the work environment, assisting in the replication of those behaviours amongst the staff.

2.  Regular check-ins. 

Provide weekly opportunities for you employees to touch base with you. This is a great chance to develop a trusting rapport between you and your staff. As a result, they should feel comfortable enough to speak with you about any issues that may be affecting their time at work.

3.  Develop anti-bullying policies. 

Work with your team to develop expectations of how staff should conduct themselves. Set a clear definition of bullying, and also make evident the company’s stance on bullying behaviour. These policies can be communicated through posters placed around the workplace, as well as discussed during staff induction procedures. By doing this, your employees have set behavioural expectations to follow, and can be held accountable if they deviate from them.

4.  Implement reporting procedures. 

A worker is more likely to report workplace bullying if there are report writing processes in place. Develop reports that can be used to lodge a bullying complaint, and also make sure that such reports are followed as soon as they are sent in. Ensure that confidentiality and impartiality are values that are continually re-enforced.

It’s never too late to implement strategies that can prevent bullying in your workplace.

For more information on how you can address workplace bullying, visit www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Guest Article: Keep Fighting – Thoughts from a Nonprofit Conference by Ben

Last week I spent several days with leaders at nonprofits from around the world at the LINGOS Global Learning Forum. It was a humbling experience, and I had some of my preconceived notions turned upside down.

In the past I would have imagined (based on my own experiences working in and with nonprofit organizations) that many nonprofits and NGOs are backward at worst and behind the times at best due to limited resources. That may be the case for some, but certainly not for the ones I talked with in Little Rock, Arkansas. There were groups focused on feeding the hungry, teaching people out of poverty, educating women and children in third world countries, providing clean water in Africa, and dozens of other amazing examples of world-changing ideals. What truly surprised me was the level of sophistication of the attendee population.

There were discussions on leading-edge technology, best practices for training and development, and global strategy implementations to reach millions of people. That doesn’t sound like the slate of topics for a group that is whining about how to get a “seat at the table.”

But how? Aren’t they dealing with tough budgets and limited resources? Yes, but because they know they have limits, they use it as fuel for innovation and creative thinking instead of a convenient excuse.

Honestly, I’m not here to beat you up. I’m guilty of using those same excuses. I don’t have time. I don’t have the budget. I don’t have… whatever. But when it comes down to it, there’s usually a way to get it done.

If they can face those same challenges and still feed a family in Peru, then those of us in the private sector need to toughen up just a bit. And remember when you’re supporting charitable organizations that they employ people like us to help them run smoothly and effectively.

Just a few thoughts to start your week of on the right tone.

What charitable organizations do you support? Why?

Article source:Ben - Keep Fighting – Thoughts from a Nonprofit Conference»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Over and Out by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"No problem, I can handle it."

"I like the chaotic pace, it keeps me motivated."

"I'm not sure what's happening, but suddenly I don't feel the way I used to."

"I've had enough...this is not worth it."

Popular Issue...For A Reason
The burden of pride that often convinces the overachievers among us that we are invincible has a significant downside. The self-talk that normally keeps us on track and fuels our ability to power through difficult moments can sometimes get us into trouble.

Yes, I'm talking about the impact of stress in our work lives. 

Why am I bringing up a tired and often written about topic? Because it's the topic that keeps on giving! Pretending to be above it all; or, to state that we don't have time for stress to affect us simply exacerbates the problem.

Stress is real...for you and me...and needs to be managed effectively particularly if we're going to live up to all of the self-hype that is going on between our ears every day.

Effects and Management
The Mayo Clinic has a quick reference web page that discusses the fundamental impact of stress on us...as well as some action we can take to counteract it.

Whether it is your body, mood or behavior stress can creep in and change us. I personally find that somewhat disconcerting! But recognition of the impact, as well as some quick fixes such as various forms of exercise, mediation or if problems persist a consultation with a health professional, can provide some relief and get us back on track.

How About You
Are you invincible like me? (insert epic eye roll here) Guess what, neither one of us are immune to the effect of too many issues hitting us all at once. Take a few minutes to learn about the signs of stress and stay one step ahead.

I'd love to hear from you

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Over and Out»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Leaders as the Curators of Their Messages by Jennifer Miller

Leaders who curate their message show that they care

What if, as leaders, we were effective curators of our message? What if we coached our employees to be effective curators as well?

The origins of the word “curator” are from the Latin word curare meaning “to care.” In this world where there is simply too much information to digest, leaders must find a way to help employees make sense of the barrage of information that inundates them every day. If leaders don’t curate their messages, others will assign meaning for them. And sometimes this leads to mistakes and misunderstandings. In today’s workplace, no leader can afford that type of fallout.

Curating isn’t the same thing as gatekeeping. Gatekeepers decide what information does or doesn’t “get out”. Gatekeepers hoard or pass along information; curators take the time to consider how the audience will receive the message. Curators analyze, sift, sort and arrange the content– with the recipient in mind.

Here are five benefits for leaders-as-curators:

1. When you curate something, you automatically have to prioritize, which helps you stay focused on your department and team’s goals.
2. Curation helps your team make sense of the huge amounts of information in the data stream.
3. Curation helps employees cope with the feeling of “too much”– too much information, too many emails, and too many meetings to attend.
4. When someone curates something, it shows that they care about the intended audience, which in turn, builds employee loyalty.
5. Leaders who curate their message help employees connect the dots and create clarity about their company and departmental mission.

Have you been curating your leadership messages to their best advantage? The next time you have an important message to communicate to your team, think about how you can organize the information in a way that is most helpful to your team members. Find a way to curate (and “care for”) the messages you send and the payback will surprise you.

 

photo credit: istock photo Copyright : gajus

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Leaders as the Curators of Their Messages»

Guest Article: Tips for Small Business Owners Who Want a Positive Company Culture by Jennifer Miller

Many small business owners probably think they can’t compete with big-business perks like nap rooms and fancy corporate cafeterias. Although it’s true that “Mom-and-Pop” shops can’t offer big financial benefits, they can still build a reputation for their company as a great place to work. Head on over to my latest Smartblog on Leadership post to learn four ways that small businesses can create a great company culture with Low-cost ways small business leaders can create a health company culture.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Tips for Small Business Owners Who Want a Positive Company Culture»

Guest Article: The predictable agency profit killer: ill-considered growth beyond 10 staff by Ross Clennett

The Recruitment Industry Benchmarking Report that Nigel Harse and Deb Charman compile each month is an invaluable resource for all its 126 subscribers across Australia and New Zealand. Of special interest to industry observers and pundits, like me, is the aggregated data released annually, and what this reveals about the effectiveness and productivity of our industry. Contrary to the
Article source:Ross Clennett - The predictable agency profit killer: ill-considered growth beyond 10 staff»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

5 Tips On Dealing With Burnout

This article is the final edition of our series on Workplace Burnout.

This week we share our strategies on dealing with burnout.

If you feel that your work has got you in a state of chronic stress, it is time to act. Our tips can be implemented into your every day routine to regain control of the stresses of your job to help you function at your best.

1. Recognise and manage the stress contributing to burnout:

Reflect and identify on what it is that is making you feel stressed and overwhelmed at work.You might like to write a list of all of the things that make you feel stressed on a given day. From there you might be able to see there are things that can be adjusted to make your word day less chaotic. It might be as simple as allotting certain times to check emails,  to minimise feelings of being overwhelmed and distracted by having them constantly pop up on your screen. Alternatively, it may be that you can delegate certain tasks if you feel it is the sheer amount of work that is making you feel burnt out.

 2. Schedule “You-Time":

Pencil in you diary time for yourself and stick with it. Managing burnout needs to be as important as any other meeting or appointment. Make this a time in your week spent on an interest that helps you ‘wind-down’ – something that you find rewarding and really enjoy. You might like to see this as reward for all of your hard work.

3. Be your own best friend:

Think about the advice you would give a loved one who was experiencing the same situation of burnout. What would you say to them? It would probably be along the lines of, “Make sure you are taking care of yourself.” More specifically, this advice may pertain to getting enough sleep, eating well and making time for exercise and relaxation. You want this for those dear to you, so make it happen for yourself.

 4. Make work-life balance more than just a myth

Many people see work-life balance as a distant, unattainable concept. This doesn’t have to be the case. When considering working overtime for the 4^th time this week, taking work home with you or skipping that lunch hour, saying “no” does not make you a bad employee. Overcoming burnout and having a healthy work-life balance will see you become a more productive worker and extend the longevity of your career. Taking regular breaks and not working too many hours are crucial in recovering from chronic work stress.

 5. Socialise & Seek support

Rekindle friendships and relationships that have fallen detriment to the stages of your burnout. Be open and honest about how you are feeling with co-workers, management and your social supports outside of work. You can also  talk to a professional to help you manage your burnout. Your company’s EAP service or your GP are good places to start. Or call Beyond Blue’s Support Service on 1300 224636. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Click here to read part one of our burnout series, 4 Signs You Might Be Burnt Out 

Guest Article: Sold Out: A Lesson on Event Content (and the Future of HR) by Ben

This summer at SHRM I was looking through the sessions in the app in an attempt to figure out which I wanted to attend, and I saw this one right up front.

SOLD OUT – #707: HR Metrics that Matter: The Process of Developing a Business Scorecard

It made me stop and think, especially in light of some of the conversations I had with others at the event about what sort of content was being offered. For instance, one session at the event was focused on the usual “top ten ways to avoid legal trouble this year,” and it had packed out the entire room and the overflow area as well. I’ve always had trouble with those types of training on the supervisory side of things. Why? Because it makes us focus on the negative aspects of our work, how to avoid getting “in trouble,” and makes us seem more like a nanny in the workplace than a trusted resource for managers/employees and a key business leader.

Policies vs. Actual Contributions

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) with policies. I think we should take more time to coach and support than regulate and demand. Yes, there are times that come when we must make a rule, be the bad guy, etc. but it shouldn’t come on a daily basis. I recently shared Alison Green’s comments on how managers can have a good relationship with HR. The comments on that blog post when she linked from her site are pretty standard, and yet they still hurt those of us who see ourselves as good and helpful business leaders (instead of merely being the “no, you can’t do that” department).

Going back to the original intent of this post, I was glad to see the metrics session being sold out. Why? Because it’s something that we can do that is not just about being sued, covering our company’s butt, or some other litigation-related idea. Even small companies have the ability to gather and use data in a meaningful way.

In my opinion HR pros who make decisions solely on laws and what the handbook/policies allow aren’t making much of a contribution to the organization. It’s those that take the initiative to find ways that they can contribute in a more meaningful way, offer advice and flexibility that pushes the boundaries, and don’t say, “No” to every request that comes in (even if they are a little bit scary).

A Shift to PositiveHR?

It gives me hope that our philosophy as a profession is changing. SHRM and other organizations will continue to offer these “how not to get sued by your employees” sessions, because there is significant demand for them. But over time, I hope to see us focusing more on the other end of the spectrum. There’s even a group of my friends that started this #PositiveHR movement on Twitter, because they believe that we have the opportunity to do great things if we are truly positive and not self-defeating at every turn.

I do understand that there is a natural maturity curve as well. Smaller organizations or those with inexperienced HR pros will drift toward the legalistic side of things, while organizations with more radical HR pros will seize opportunities to focus on engagement and other positive things we bring to the table. It just seems that many organizations (and HR pros) are reluctant to move beyond the legal side of things. Is it because it offers them more power inside the organization? Is it because they need to feel more intelligent/informed than their peers? I’m not sure…

What are your thoughts? Are we still mired in this world of legal issues or is there a chance we can more into more strategic areas of impact? 

Article source:Ben - Sold Out: A Lesson on Event Content (and the Future of HR)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The Bias Battle by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"It's not at all hard to listen to understand a person; it's only hard to listen without bias."
- Criss Jami

Questions
How do you listen?

What do you hear?

Have you convinced yourself that your view is the only view? Maybe if you push hard enough everyone will understand, right?

Answers
The answers...for me...are not simple. I know the politically correct things to say, but no one really believes politically correct speech anymore, do they?  It's often perceived as public relations spin to make sure no one is "offended." 

Words matter a lot, but actions scream so loudly there can be no doubt.

How About You
What actions will you take today so the people around will know you can really listen?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The Bias Battle»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: The Bad Manager Hangover by Melissa Fairman

Haven’t we all felt this way after a wild night? Or the latest company re-organization…

 

Moving into any new leadership role can be difficult.  It is even more difficult if you are inheriting a team that has been badly managed or neglected. In these teams you’ve inherited a situation that is a challenge for the most-experienced leaders. The people on these teams could probably illustrate the “how NOT to manage” coloring book.    

 

Challenges include:  

 

1. Post Traumatic Manager Syndrome – This happens when your team was previously led by a strong dictator. Your team isn’t used to you soliciting feedback and worse, they are used to having their hand slapped when they do provide feedback.

 

In this scenario you must move quickly to build credibility and trust. Demonstrate that you mean what you say.  Avoid the appearance of punishing those who criticize. When you receive feedback or suggestions, go back and explain why you will or will not be using the feedback.  

 

2. The Manager Change Hangover – know that fuzzy, reluctant, lazy feeling you have the morning after a night of overindulgence? That’s what some of your new teammates are feeling. You may be their third boss in a year. Or perhaps they have never had a manager that works with them on a day-to-day basis.

 

In many cases your team may feel they are just fine without your oversight or they may not take you seriously because they’ve been through so many managers. There may even be a de-facto leader that your team really sees as a leader.

 

In this situation you need to garner some credibility very quickly. Listen to your people, based on what they tell you find some quick and easy problems you can resolve on their behalf.  Missing access in the system? Get it.  Need a product to get their work done?  Get it. Demonstrate you are there to help them and you will put in place the building blocks to a good relationship.

 

3. The D players – unfortunately, it isn’t just Mike Pettine that gets stuck with the previous regime’s “superstars.” You too may have your own version of Johnny Football on your team: someone that was recruited into a role based on their success in a MUCH different company than yours.  They aren’t delivering and now you have to get them to deliver or move them out.  

 

As the new leader you are stuck trying to figure out what to do with a guy that keeps fumbling and can’t show up to work on time.

 

The only solution here is to set expectations and consistently follow them.

 

“Here are my expectations – You must meet them if you want to be considered for the starting job.”

“Going forward I will hold you to these expectations. You can’t swoop in and work on the high profile projects if you can’t handle the day-to-day.”

 

Listening to people, demonstrating you care, being consistent and making your team’s life easier is a slow, sometimes-tough and usually-uncomfortable route (if you aren’t uncomfortable at some point with your new team,  you aren’t doing something right).  You will be challenged.  You will be frustrated.  You will ask your HR person “why can’t I just fire everyone?”   

Resist that temptation. One of the best parts of leadership is delightful surprise – seeing someone step up, seeing someone’s progress and watching them move on in a positive direction.  Your team didn’t get to its current state overnight and changing the dynamic won’t occur overnight either.  

Article source:Melissa Fairman - The Bad Manager Hangover»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: ASX-listed recruiters are now endangered: 2014/15 in review by Ross Clennett

When I wrote my first review of the ASX-listed recruitment agencies five years ago, there were nine companies I reviewed. One of those companies was generating a minority of its sales and profit via recruitment agency activities (Programmed). I overlooked H-Tech Group in that first review and I also did not include SMS, who have a minority recruitment agency business (M&T Resources). As I
Article source:Ross Clennett - ASX-listed recruiters are now endangered: 2014/15 in review»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: An Interview with DriveThruHR: The Analyst Life and My Favorite Work by Ben

Last week I had a chance to jump on the DriveThruHR podcast and speak with Mike Vandervort, a good friend and host of the show. I was a last minute stand in, so the title of the show has someone else’s name on it. Don’t be confused, because in the 30-minute interview I talk about what life is like as an analyst, what my favorite thing to do is in my daily work at Brandon Hall Group, and how the transition has been over the past 12-18 months.

I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think. The show is posted here or you can listen in the embedded player below.

Article source:Ben - An Interview with DriveThruHR: The Analyst Life and My Favorite Work»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Soft Skills Are the New Black by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I’ve had some unique opportunities in my career to work with incredibly bright people. They had decades of experience, knew the industry inside and out, and could piece together all of the complex parts of a health system to move things forward.

They were really something…except for one minor little detail.

Being Human

One of the great downfalls of executive leadership (ahem, read here — excuse) is the focus on results exclusively. Yes, results are very important. Without them organizations would cease to exist. However, when results are the only thing considered something equally as important is lost.

The hard skills that are often associated with talented leaders fail to provide most of the leadership necessary in today’s world of work. At the executive level competency is a requirement, just as the specialized management path those leaders have been on is important before they move into a generalized management role. Otherwise the opportunity to move into the executive ranks would never have materialized in the first place.

But the obsession with results comes at a high cost.

Leading Human

One of my new mantras is the following...

“Relationships first…results second.” 

Without those other skills…soft skills…leaders quickly earn a reputation as a hard-ass-know-it-all. 

Other leaders scramble to manage the messages these people send…or pull them aside for special ‘coaching’ sessions to try and avoid plummeting morale, or outright migrations of talented people who don’t want to work with such hard-nosed and arrogant leaders.

Laughing off soft skills as unimportant is like walking down the hallways of your organization and insulting your employees to their face. 

Employees want to work in a good place. Relationships make organizations good. Arrogance destroys them.

How About You

Have you brushed up on your soft skills lately; or, are you too busy promulgating your vision for how to save the organization? Maybe you need to slow down the next time you pass a mirror and take a good long look. If you have problems in every area of the organization, well, maybe the problem is you.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Soft Skills Are the New Black»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Avoiding HR Nightmares – a Career Exchange Emergency Kit

The outcomes from HR practices and implementations can be mountainous, and with frequent changes to work laws, the way we recruit and technology changes, the chance for shortcuts to fall through the cracks into peril are high.

Because of this, HR needs to be more careful than ever. Mistakes can potentially land you and your company in a sticky and very costly legal situation.

Even small companies can suffer greatly from being lax with their HR processes. 

Imagine the following scenario, you hire someone based on face value, and you later find out that they don’t have the capabilities to treat your customers correctly and land your company a malpractice suit. This  example is a situation that can drain your company’s finance and time resources, or worst, damage your company’s reputation. Simply put, this is a situation you want to avoid at all costs.

The following are some tips that can help you avoid getting trapped in a sticky HR situation.

Transparent work expectations, policies, and procedures

From the very first day, be very clear to your employees about their performance expectations, and all the company’s policies and procedures they are expected to follow. Transparency helps employees to understand their expectations better, and therefore maximizing their chance of achieving success. It also minimizes any discrepancies between the employers and employees, lessening the chance of experiencing any negative feelings for both parties. Additionally, a clear guideline of the company’s policies helps employees from committing any misconduct. Should a violation occur, transparent policies will also help you to justify your decision for a disciplinary action or termination. One way to ensure transparency in this area is to create clear policy templates.  You could provide policies to employees as part of their on-boarding to facilitate uniformity of communication across the board.  

Keep up-to-date with the current employment laws and workplace regulations

Employment laws and workplace regulations evolve over time. You need to make sure to stay up to date to ensure compliance. This is really important, because a violation of these laws and regulations can potentially result in dreadful legal consequences for your company. Online resources such as www.workplaceexpress.com.au provide this information to help employers keep up-to-date with current laws and regulations.

Document, document, and document!

Consistent and accurate documentation is extremely important in human resources, especially for work events that may pose legal issues in later down the track. Things that you unquestionably need to document include employees’ absenteeism and tardiness, deficient performance, misconduct and violations of company’s policies, disciplinary actions, employment termination, and any discussions with the offending employee surrounding any of these issues. On a brighter note, you can also document any recognition and positive contribution employees made, leading to provable movements in pay rises and promotions. These written records can serve as your legal justifications should someone question the decisions you made, and since HR have quite a high rate of movement; makes task hand down easier when you’re moving on to bigger things! They can also protect you from any lawsuit associated with workplace disputes, saving you from headaches! Having a filing system with a folder for each employee, up to date with all relevant documentation will help to make documentation easy and effective. There are also apps and programs that you can download to streamline your communications. They serve as a time saver and ensure accurate records.

Without good workers, businesses would fail. Therefore HR has a key role in the success of a company. By being transparent with what you want in a worker, keeping thorough and accurate documentation and ensuring that rules and regulations are adhered to, you can avoid HR nightmares. 

For help managing employee communications, Psych Press can be used to supplement your business' HR requirements. They provide an all in one tool that is useful for documenting and tracking communications with employees. For more information, contact our partner company Psych Press about what a tailored total HR solution can do for you. Email info@psychpress.com.au or call 03 9670 0590.