Guest Article: Vale Marc Garside by Ross Clennett

I was greatly saddened to hear of Marc Garside’s passing this week.   Although originally from the UK, the majority of Marc’s recruitment career was spent in Australia. Marc had leadership roles at Robert Walters, Recruitment Solutions and Chandler Macleod. He also established his own recruitment agency in the early 2000s and, more recently, established an online visa
Article source:Ross Clennett - Vale Marc Garside»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: #HealthcareHR is Alive and Well by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Guest Article: Are Unspoken Issues Creating Mischief on Your Team? by Jennifer Miller

When the results of Google’s research on team effectiveness (called “Project Aristotle”) were revealed earlier this year, the conclusion was surprising: the best teams have just one thing in common. Factors such as clear goal-setting and team member dependability are certainly important, but they’re not what definitively sets great teams apart from their average counterparts. Google, a company for whom data analysis is a high art, was able to parse out the single most important determinant in their teams’ effectiveness: the ability to speak up without fear of retribution. This element is known as “psychological safety,” an idea put forth by Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmonson in a study published in 1999.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that leaders who create an atmosphere of interpersonal “safety” have team members who are more likely to speak up. Yet there’s an additional piece to the puzzle necessary to create the optimal safe place for productive conversation. Joseph Grenny, a four-time New York Times best-selling author, points to an important nuance in how to create this sense of security: the gap between when a team member sees something and actually decides to say something about a problem or concern. Grenny, a co-founder of the consulting firm Vital Smarts, notes, “Our research over the past 30 years has shown that you can largely measure the health of a team by measuring the average lag time between identifying and discussing problems.”

It’s this gap—the lag time between when someone on your teams sees, feels, or hears something and when he or she decides to speak up that determines how well a team functions. And, the longer the time between the event and the discussion, the more chance for what Grenny calls “mischief” to occur.  “That’s where all of the politics fester. If you can shrink that lag time so things get brought up quickly, then you can employ the brains of the organization, the collective genius of the people that you have assembled to going after the problems. But the longer [the unresolved issues] sit there dormant or unaddressed, the more people starting attributing bad motive, becoming divisive, competitive, political, and so on” he warns.

Are unspoken issues creating mischief in your team dynamics? Here are five questions to help you decide.

• When someone brings a concern to your attention, are you surprised by how long it took them to speak up?
• Do team members leap to conclusions that seem (to you) illogical?
• When helping your team unravel a contentious or complex interpersonal issue, how willing are people to contribute their comments immediately?
• Think back to the past two or three issues that plagued your team communications. What was the average lag time between people who “saw something” and finally “said something” about it?
• When team members describe the issue, how many broad, generalized statements (such as, “they always” or “they never”) are used?

Silence on your team creates disruption, miscommunication and hard feelings. Don’t let problems fester. Encourage your team members to speak up in a timely way. You’ll create an environment of psychological safety that allows your team to quickly air differences and then get down to the business of solving your company’s most pressing challenges.

 

This post originally appeared on Smartbrief and is reprinted with permission.

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Are Unspoken Issues Creating Mischief on Your Team?»

Guest Article: Velocity by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I love this word. I love what it represents. It should be synonymous with "effective leadership" in today's world.

Heck, I even love the way it sounds.

V e l o c i t y.

Go Fast or Die
I'm a speed guy. I love fast sports (hockey and racing), working out hard, and moving fast at Kinetix. So many leaders all around us live a double-life that attempt to balance speed and results. They use the jargon about what their organizations "should" do... 

...but...

When it's crunch time, they fall prey to the same old paralyzing fears that have kept them stuck in their current roles for years.

Most leaders simply cannot move fast enough to do their jobs effectively. Moving fast means taking risks. Moving fast means making decisions. Moving fast means being alone.

Guess what? You're getting paid to get the work done. Stop with the excuses, and start leading.

It's Not That Easy
I know that it is not easy to take action. I know that is scary to take risks. I know it can be unsettling to make decisions alone. I've been there too.

...but...

It is what is necessary to be the leader you were meant to be.

Start today.
Become the leader you wanted to be when you started.
Take the risk.
It is worth it.

How About You
Today is your day. It's the day velocity becomes one of your favorite words too. It represents everything you were expecting.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Velocity»

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

Guest Article: Why I’m Attending an IT Conference (Advice for HR Leaders) by Ben

This week I’m in Atlanta for the Microsoft Ignite event. Yes, I see the puzzled expressions. Microsoft? IT? What am I thinking?

No, I’m not making a career change. I’m perfectly happy where I am.

Here’s the deal. I have been to tons of events over the years, and what always surprises me is the fact that I get something out of the most unlikely places. A stray comment from a 7:00am 401k administration session at SHRM 2013 still rings in my ears when I talk about workplace retirement plans. Yes, there is something of value in pretty much every interaction, and getting outside of the normal routine is a valuable practice in general.

This week I’m going to be talking with some of the team at Microsoft, but I’m also going to be seeing sessions and exploring concepts that relate to the HR world. I’m looking for the perspective from IT leaders and one of the world’s biggest technology firms around concepts such as collaboration, productivity, and delivering business results. Hopefully all three of those ring a bell for you, since they are key pieces of creating a valuable HR function.

Now, I’m not saying you need to pack up and join me, but this ties in with a valuable concept that I’ve been advocating for quite some time. HR needs allies in the workplace. Here’s a tip for you if you’re new:

If it’s only an HR initiative, it will die.

It might seem a bit cynical, but it’s true. People have had enough of the HR programs and fads. The needs of the business rule. And HR is often seen as a blockade. A problem without a solution. A challenge or hurdle to progress.

What to Do

So you need to find some allies. Create some influence. Network a little within your organization’s walls.

One great way to get started is to find some time together with other key people in the company, and that includes people leading your technology team, your accounting/finance team, etc. Those individuals can be your most vocal detractors or your most staunch allies, depending on the time and effort you have taken to understand their needs, support their goals, and deliver high value service.

Take these people to lunch. Find out what their challenges are. Learn about their best plans and their worst fears.

This is an investment in your own influence within the organization as well. Just to clarify, this isn’t sleazy-car-salesman influence. It’s the ability to speak in a language that matters to the audience you’re with. It’s the knowledge of key issues going on that currently or will eventually have an impact on the people side of the business. It’s in your best interests to be on top of these relationships and to make them a priority.

Now, as I said, I don’t expect you to head to an IT conference or jump on a plane for the next whatever-the-heck-it-is that accounting folks go to. But you can walk down the hall and start a conversation today. Here are a few quick and easy ones:

• I’m facing some challenges with xyz. What sort of things are keeping you up at night?
• How are you handling xyz? It seems like it would be challenging and I want to understand your strategy.
• What is the biggest people-related challenge you see in the next 12 months? Hiring? Development? Retention?

Everyone’s situation, company, and relationships are different, but these are just as blunt as I would put them in a forthright conversation with a peer. In fact, I’ve used several of these to create those conversational opportunities to understand the other functions within the business, what their priorities were, and how I could align the HR practices to support them.

Funny enough, that’s what we call strategic HR. I wrote a while back about one of the best leaders I ever worked for and how that relationship helped to truly clarify what the HR strategy had to look like in that organization. Remember, if it’s an HR initiative, it will die.

What relationships are valuable to you in the workplace? What do you do to offer value in return? 

Article source:Ben - Why I’m Attending an IT Conference (Advice for HR Leaders)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: At last, reference checking gets serious by Ross Clennett

Earlier this week the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) released its Reference Checking & Information Sharing Protocol stating “To help banks employ only competent and ethical financial advisers, the banking industry has today announced a new, improved way of hiring financial advisers”.   ABA Executive Director – Retail Policy; Diane Tate was quoted in the
Article source:Ross Clennett - At last, reference checking gets serious»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Share Your Hacks! by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

We all have little tips and tricks that improve our productivity (or at least we think they do!) I'd love to learn some of your great ideas so I can get the most out of my day.

Here are a few of my simple hacks...please share yours!

New Contact
- immediately grab their photo from their Linkedin profile and add it to their contact information on your phone

To Do Items
- keep Wunderlist open at all times and add a new item in real time (no post-it notes, it's 2016!)

Status of Work
- add very brief notes to your task list app, dated each time, to keep track of how things are coming along

Meetings / Projects
- keep Evernote open at all times, and as issues/tasks come up, drop those items into the corresponding folder so you have your meeting notes ready to go and don't have to try and remember all of the issues at the last minute

Pictures
- take a screen shot of your boarding pass when you check in on your phone (in case you can't pull up your phone signal at the airport)
- always take a pic of where you parked at the airport (next to the sign that shows your level and location)

How About You
What do you do to make your work life easier? Do you still use the same approach that worked during Ronald Reagan's first term; or, have you come up with a fantastic new approach?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Share Your Hacks!»

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

Guest Article: Find the Good by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Life is hard. Work is hard. Competing is hard. Winning is really hard.

So why in the world do we spend so much time focusing on the negatives when being successful requires so much energy?

You're Surrounded
One of the wonderful things about how we choose to see the world is that we don't have to be stuck in a cesspool of defeat and fatalism if we don't want to. We have a choice. We can make the conscious decision to view the world with unlimited possibilities.

Just think about your team for a moment. Does your mind quickly go to which one is "struggling" or having a "hard time?" Why do we do that? 

Consider instead all of the incredible strengths your team members have that you might be overlooking. Instead of "building a case" against them, perhaps we should build a plan that aligns their strengths with our business needs? Maybe, just maybe, if we allow them to do what they do best...and focus that effort on what needs to be done...we might achieve our goals.

We are literally surrounded with people who are good at some things, but not all things. Yet, we still try to have everyone fit into a specific job description that has an unspoken expectation that each person will be interchangeable with the next.

Does this really make sense in 2016?

What happens when we try to force the square peg into the round hole?
- lost time
- lost productivity
- massive amounts of frustration for everyone on the team, including you

You Too
This philosophy also applies to you and me. We shouldn't try to be everything in every situation...why? 

Because,
- we can't know everything
- we need to play to our strengths too
- and we shouldn't be afraid to bring people onto our teams who are stronger in areas we are not

Our job is to get results...not to embarrass ourselves trying to be Superwoman or Superman.

How About You
When you hit a roadblock in a project, or as part of the execution of your corporate strategy don't throw your hands up in frustration. Look for the strengths on your team to work through, around, or over your problem. If you find the good in your team and in yourself you will be amazed at the results.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Find the Good»

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

Guest Article: How Much Is Employee Turnover Costing You? by Ben

 

I will be presenting more on this topic at the HR Innovators Virtual Conference – 2 Days, 6 Education-packed sessions from top-rated speakers covering topics critical to success today, including, millennials and culture, creating meaningful workplaces, using social media to attract talent, and how talent loss affects innovation. Register Today! Space is limited.

Years ago, I worked for an organization with a turnover problem. And this wasn’t just an isolated issue—it affected a significant amount of the 700-strong workforce and created an incredible burden on the HR staff to manage the issue. Despite small efforts here and there, little was done to change the direction of the firm and it ultimately went under, unable to keep afloat amidst the constant turmoil.

Everyone knows that employee turnover is a problem, but just how much of an issue is it, really? Today we’re going to explore the far-reaching nature of turnover and what it means for your organization. Anecdotally, I know that undesirable turnover can harm team morale, reduce revenue, and hamper innovation. But the data supports this as well. According to an article on ERE, the impact of turnover depends on the career level of the employee.

• For entry-level employees, it costs between 30-50 percent of their annual salary to replace them.
• For mid-level employees, it costs upwards of 150 percent of their annual salary to replace them.
• For high-level or highly specialized employees, you’re looking at 400 percent of their annual salary.

We know that this is a challenge, but I believe there’s an even more costly aspect of turnover that most organizations don’t examine: the impact on innovation.

Innovation Impacts

In 2014 Carnegie Mellon had some of the world’s brightest robotics minds working on its campus. These people were focused on the bleeding edge of robotics technology and their research could have created new breakthroughs and advancements in the use of robotic technology for the betterment of mankind.

But then they left. 

In a surprise move, Uber lured the scientists away and brought them into the fold. This not only caused a blow to the university—it also affected each of us. The research that was performed at Carnegie Mellon would have certainly been published in academic journals and shared with the world, forming the basis for new breakthroughs in robotics and other fields. The research they complete at Uber? It’s going to be tucked away in a proprietary database for the benefit of the company’s pursuit of a robotic car fleet.

So, what does this have to do with you and your organization?

While you might not have a team of PhD-level robotics experts on staff, you do have a set of smart, intuitive professionals within your organization that are constantly creating, innovating, and experimenting. They don’t have to be on a formal team or even in the same hierarchy, but they are still pursuing new ideas and opportunities just the same. If an opportunity arises to serve customers in a new way or develop a new product/service, the people with that mindset are often the originators.  

In fact, I’ve met quite a few HR leaders that fit this description. This comes from the fact that we as HR staff have the opportunity to see across functional and organizational lines, often discovering new methods and options for performance improvement.

Wherever this talent resides, the question remains: what do we do if one of these people leaves?

We know that it’s painful to have people depart. The statistics linked above point to some of the challenges this creates, and yet the research looks mainly at the impact today, not for the future.

I’m arguing that we should see employees as appreciating assets, with a higher future value.

While it’s challenging to quantify the value of innovation and to be able to predict what people are going to create, it’s fairly easy to see that the future value of one of these individuals is clearly higher than the cost of their wages and benefits today. And that’s my position on this topic: the long-term impacts to innovation will harm the organization much more than the loss of the person performing the job function today.

Consider this example. In the past I served as the HR Director for a global government services firm. One of our employees, a software engineer, earned approximately $70,000 per year. If that person left, we would have lost that “position,” which would have required time, effort, and resources to backfill for the unique skill set. Let’s estimate that total cost to be $100,000. What’s interesting is the $100,000 figure is actually a relatively minor amount when compared to the overall value of the employee and her innovative ideas.  

One day on a whim that employee developed a new method for licensing hardware and software to the government. That bloomed into a multimillion dollar product line and became a steady source of organizational revenue. However, if we only looked at the “normal” cost of turnover, we would have seen only an impact of $100,000, not several million dollars.

Want to Know the Secrets to Employee Retention?

We have defined the problem, but what about the solution? In the upcoming session I’ll explore more than 20 ways to impact retention ranging from the simple steps to take today to the radical changes that separate good organizations from great ones. The ideas include:

•         Gamifying retention
•         Changing the ownership mentality
•         Using an executive “save” strategy
•         And more!

I hope you’ll join me for this session so we can make employee retention a positive differentiator for your business. Click this link to register and join me at the upcoming session: How Losing Your Best Employees is Killing Innovation.

 

Article source:Ben - How Much Is Employee Turnover Costing You?»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The best leaders do less, not more by Ross Clennett

Successful recruiters that consistently deliver high numbers do so because they are constantly in action. Every minute of every day of every week of every month is an opportunity to make more placements as quickly as possible. To work in the same office as Graham Whelan or Andrew Marty was to witness an incredible level of personal productivity on a daily basis. Once a recruiter reaches a
Article source:Ross Clennett - The best leaders do less, not more»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Be Positive Everyday? What? by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Leaders...um, I mean people... are negative, and cynical, and snarky...and apparently that seems to be an appropriate excuse for behavior that never seems to change.

Our leadership colleagues lament the never ending struggle to build the right corporate culture that has high levels of engagement, strong retention, and breakthrough performance from the team.

...and they will continue to lament...because that's what most ineffective leaders do.

Your Team Is Not the Problem
It's fascinating to watch and listen as leaders spend massive amounts of time and energy trying to "figure out" their employees. 

Their excuses reign supreme:
- millennials
- old-timers
- ungrateful staff
- too new
- don't understand how things are done here
- not a good fit for "our culture"

As the leadership mob-mentality picks up steam, I typically either have to excuse myself to laugh in the hallway, or my eyes roll so far into the back of my head I black out for a moment.

The issues facing organizations today have little to do with figuring out employees. They have everything to do with leadership changing. Quick show of hands, how many leaders like changing their style to help their organizations compete and win?

None is the answer. Absolutely none.

Excuses for Everyone
The tricky part here is that many leaders talk about change, bang their fist on the table to show how committed they are (in the conference room, not in front of the staff), and generally make sure they have the current lingo down so they can appear as if they are in full control of what needs to be accomplished.

Well, I have to tell you...I don't believe a word of it.

When leaders bring a consistently positive approach to their work, employees notice.
When leaders bring a nonstop flow of energy to their work, employees notice.
When leaders power through difficulty and include the team, employees notice.
When leaders acknowledge that they are the root of the problem, employees notice.

How About You
What do your employees notice about you? Do they feel like some sort of science experiment that you are trying to figure out? Or, are you the rare blast of positive energy that they are longing to follow?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Be Positive Everyday? What?»

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

Guest Article: How to Scale Culture: Notes from #GDSummit by Ben

One of the scariest parts of having a great culture is the fear that it will shift and change in negative ways as the company grows. I can remember talking with Atlassian earlier this year, an organization that has an enviable culture and has leveraged it for incredible success. Every team at Atlassian has a person dedicated to defending the culture from poor fit hires, and these culture stewards can veto any hiring decision at any level. That’s an excellent way to help protect the culture as the organization scales up, but it’s not the only method for making it work. Today at the 2016 Glassdoor Summit, one presenter offered some amazing advice that is worth exploring.

Note: you can catch the livestream of the entire conference for free online. 

So far at the event we’ve heard from several speakers, including CEO of Glassdoor, Robert Hohman, about the value of transparency into culture. One quote this morning was particularly hard-hitting for me, and it came from Katie Burke, VP of Culture and Experience at Hubspot.

Acting on employee-generated ideas is one of the greatest ways to scale culture. Via @katieburkie #gdsummit / @GDforEmployers

— Ben Eubanks (@beneubanks) September 13, 2016

After talking about culture and the role of transparency, Katie threw out the quote above. I also believe the idea that acting on employee-generated ideas is one of the greatest ways to scale culture.

When we look at how culture is misrepresented in the media on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that HR leaders are craving a more concrete option for creating and scaling a culture that truly embodies the values and beliefs of the organization. Pick up any magazine or read any news article and you’ll quickly see that culture is purely about ping pong tables, free beer in the office fridge, and dog-friendly work spaces.

But as HR and talent leaders chase that elusive goal, they quickly become disillusioned and believe that this “culture” thing is just for the Googles and Ubers of the world.

As I pointed out in a recent Lighthouse blog around killing the traditional performance management approach, it’s critical for companies to point out culture in behavioral terms so that people have a concrete idea of what culture really means. But what about this concept of innovation, especially the type that is employee-driven?

Innovation, Engagement, and Culture

Innovation is not a new topic, but it’s one that is not often discussed in relation to the way we engage employees. The people throughout the organization are closest to the work, and they often have the best ideas for how to innovate and create new value. Therefore, innovation can be used as a valuable metric of engagement.

How many employee-generated ideas do you implement in a given year? One? One hundred? One thousand? Because it matters to your employees, and it’s an opportunity to improve business performance.

Last year I read The Idea-Driven Organization and thoroughly enjoyed the book. The main concept was the power of listening to employee suggestions, giving them serious consideration, and implementing them when feasible.

It’s fundamental, really. We all know that we should be listening to our employees. That goes without saying. However, the next step is actively soliciting input and then acting upon it. Instead of ignoring or fearing employee input, go the extra mile to encourage them to provide suggestions. The authors share a story that I think is a powerful reminder of this.

Employees at a bar had the opportunity to provide input on their jobs by submitting ideas. There were few, if any restrictions on the type of ideas, so one might expect them to pick some that made their work easier. But it turns out that was often associated with an improvement in the customer experience as well.

For instance, instead of having to carry a massive carton of empty bottles down to the cellar when it filled up, they installed a chute at the back of the bar for empty bottles to slide down to the cellar unassisted. This decreased the risk of workplace injuries from walking down stairs with heavy objects, improved customer service by not pulling away a service employee during a busy shift, and allowed bartenders to monitor and discard the empty bottles unassisted.

Even if nothing else came from these ideas other than the improved customer service results, it would be worthwhile. Yet it also improved the engagement levels of the employees by eliminating a non-value- added task from their daily work.

Another great example is from a former employer of mine. We used a “The Big Ideas Database,” which is a grandiose title for a spreadsheet. Any employee could share an idea through the web form and it would be considered by leadership for implementation.

Many of the ideas were actually acted upon. Some were quite minor (larger garbage bags in the break room), but others were considerably more important (repurposing/licensing a piece of software led to an additional $2 million in sales annually). Employees were actually excited about sharing ideas via the platform as a way to drive innovation and continuously serve customers better.

And, as with the previous story, it drove their engagement as well.

Want to create a culture of innovation and high performance? Focus on seeking out employee feedback and acting upon it. It’s powerful fuel for organizational performance and can be a significant competitive advantage if implemented properly.

Does your organization encourage employees to share ideas? Have you ever considered the effect on engagement or culture when an employee’s idea is implemented? 

Article source:Ben - How to Scale Culture: Notes from #GDSummit»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Serpents On Parade (3 Steps to Regaining Your Credibility) by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

At this point in my career I find them laughable. You can see them coming a mile away. They strut around the organization with such arrogance...um, I mean, confidence...that most employees don't take them seriously anymore.

The sad part is they have no idea they have become a caricature of their former self. They are a running joke, not a leader to be taken seriously.

Stop It...Please
Most leaders landed in their jobs the old fashioned way. They studied hard, worked even harder, and earned their opportunity. Some may have been promoted too soon, and others a bit too late. Regardless of the timing, they have a tremendous responsibility ahead of them.

Yet...somehow their sense of self over powers that early hunger that forged their career path. They act as if the employees should be so excited and grateful just to see them! 

Are you kidding me? Sure, some executives cling to their humble roots and create environments where all employees recognize they are just people. But, alas, so many others lose their way and believe they are the reason for the company's success.

Epic. Public. Fail.

Give Me Three Steps
I firmly believe there are three steps that can help executives move from zero to hero, but they require discipline. Massive amounts of discipline.

Step 1
Admit you don't know NEARLY as much as you think you do. Guess who does? Your team on the front line. Close your mouth and start listening to them. Your sheltered executive world is not in synch with reality.

Step 2
Recognize the responsibility you have to lead through turbulent times. Every organization experiences the ups and downs of the business world. When times are stressful, full of change, and rife with anxiety, it is your job to be calm, and honest and direct. Do not hide behind a spreadsheet in a fancy conference room. Communicate far more than you think is necessary. 

Step 3
Get the hell out of your office and visit with the team. Do not bring a slide deck, do not spread a message, and please do not attempt to spin every little phrase into an over scrubbed empty promise.

Just be with them.

Your credibility will increase far faster than the next big memo you're so excited about sending to everyone.

How About You
The next time you feel a little (or a lot!) full of yourself, cancel your next meeting, and go spend time listening to the team. 

It might turn out that you learn something and actually make a real difference for the people who are relying on you to lead the way.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Serpents On Parade (3 Steps to Regaining Your Credibility)»

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

Guest Article: Two Employee Engagement Secrets Nobody Ever Mentions by Ben

It seems that we can’t turn around today without having a conversation that touches on employee engagement. Yet despite all the attention, it hasn’t really moved the needle. In one graphic (click through the link below to explore), pulled from Google Trends, you can see the level of interest in employee engagement for over ten years.

The interest level peaked in 2016, and if the trend continues, it will expand beyond its current levels by the end of the year. But to what end? Gallup’s regular research into engagement points out a fairly dismal picture, and companies are trying to improve this measure to no avail.

I’m going to offer two answers to this problem that not only illuminate the issue, but give you some options to consider as you try to combat the pervasive issue of disengaged employees.

1. Engagement is not a program. It’s a long-term, intentional set of practices.
2. Engagement is not an outcome. It may lead to outcomes, but it shouldn’t be the end goal in itself.

Click here to read the rest of the article on the PeopleStrategy blog

Article source:Ben - Two Employee Engagement Secrets Nobody Ever Mentions»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The Most Important Thing by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

There are probably a long list of items that you and I could argue about that are very important Things like...

- a good education

- a strong career

- a stellar reputation

- a great family

- a big paycheck

- a fancy title

- a handsome face

- a great sense of humor

- a strong skill set

- a lot of connections, or followers, or friends

- a lot of attention everywhere we go

- a sense of peace

But as leaders, there is really one thing that is most important. Leaders talk about this topic all the time, but sadly so few back it up with behavior that matches their words.

I wonder if you've ever focused...as your number one priority in your job...on the most important thing? It comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. It is as varied as one can possibly imagine, yet it is absolutely essential in every facet of our work.

The answer, obviously, is people.

The people on your team matter the most. Your direct reports matter the most. Your new hires matter the most. Your most tenured employees matter the most.

Our egos do not matter...at all.

How About You

As you review your task list today, does it show "people" anywhere? Or, have they all been taken for granted so you can focus on the real work?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The Most Important Thing»

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

Guest Article: CareerOne's jump to our side of the recruitment industry: bad news or not? by Ross Clennett

     "We’re not a job board anymore”: CareerOne CareerOne has abandoned its job board in favour of a "skills marketplace" …….. the company is now actively working to change perceptions about its business. ShortList, 11 March 2014   CareerOne strategy “Flipping 180 degrees” CareerOne is refocusing on its core job board platform as part of a
Article source:Ross Clennett - CareerOne's jump to our side of the recruitment industry: bad news or not?»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Recruiting Analytics, Ownership, and Accountability (New Podcast) by Ben

Today the second episode of We’re Only Human aired on the HR Happy Hour Podcast Network. The show is focused on recruiting analytics, owners, and accountability. My guest for this show is Kristina Minyard, the Senior Talent Manager at Ignite. During the show we covered some of the interesting aspects that separate staffing and corporate recruiting as well as some of the common challenges and opportunities for recruiting leaders.

Show Notes

Episode 2: Recruiting as a Service

The We’re Only Human show was created in part to help showcase the personal aspects of the employment relationship, and recruiting pulls in a variety of opportunities to explore those interpersonal relations. Despite changes in technology and strategy, many organizations are struggling to find the right talent. Is it about picking the right tools, or is there a more fundamental issue at play with the hiring manager, recruiter, and candidate interplay?

In this episode of we’re only human, host Ben Eubanks interviews Kristina Minyard, Senior Talent manager at Ignite. The focus of the conversation encompasses the candidate experience, how to develop a partnership with hiring managers, and some radical thinking around ownership of recruiting metrics. Ben references the recent Lighthouse study around the Modern Measures of Success in Talent Acquisition which can be found at the link below.

Modern Measures Research:
http://ift.tt/2cD2hzQ

Kristina’s information:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HRecruit
HR Pockets Blog: http://hrpockets.com

Article source:Ben - Recruiting Analytics, Ownership, and Accountability (New Podcast)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Why Leaders Need to Understand the Difference between Influence and Manipulation by Jennifer Miller

If you enact a leadership role, you have some measure of influence. And you also likely don’t see yourself as a manipulator. Do you know where influence stops and manipulation begins?  Read on to learn what two prominent authors who’ve conducted extensive research on leadership and change management have to say about this important distinction. It could vastly change how you operate at work. Or at home. Or really, anywhere you want to make a positive difference in the world.

Longtime readers of The People Equation know that I’m a huge fan of the book Influencer: The New Science of Leading. I recently interviewed two of the book’s co-authors, Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield. They are members of the global consulting film Vital Smarts. Grenny and Maxfield are also the faces of the fantastic video series called The B.S. Guys. That stands for “behavioral science”, by the way, not that other thing.

In the coming months, you’ll see articles that I’ve written based on the interview. For now, here’s a snippet that came out of our conversation that’s related to the topic of influence.

JVM: Many people have a negative connotation of the word “influence.” They see it as self-serving, underhanded, or at its extreme—corrupt. As co-authors of the book Influencer I suspect you have a different viewpoint.

Grenny: I can certainly understand why people would feel that way because oftentimes, the best influencers in the world are the ones with hidden agendas. So we [at Vital Smarts] differentiate between “influence” and “manipulation.” Influence is value neutral. It is neither positive nor negative. We define manipulation as “any attempt to influence behavior that is covert.” It’s any attempt to influence behavior that in fact loses its effectiveness if people become aware of the intentions behind it.

JVM: How about an example?

Grenny: So, if I tell you, for example, that I am going to give you a larger cup so that you will consume more of my soda pop because I want to make more money off of you; you will immediately become resistant to that. You will mobilize against it. When there is a covert agenda that is when we start calling it manipulation.

JVM: So why does “influence” get its bad rap?

Grenny: The problem is that most of the active and effective influencing going on in the world right now is being done by those that don’t necessarily have the most positive and prosocial agenda. Our hope is to equip people with the same level of competence who don’t have those kind of agendas so that they can start creating the world that they want rather than the world that they are being handed.

JVM: How can people determine if it’s positive influence or manipulation they’re experiencing?

Maxfield. Here’s the “test”: If I can be perfectly transparent, explaining what I am doing and why I am doing it, and it does not lose its power, it in fact increases its power. If that’s the case in your situation, then [you are using influence] influence rather than manipulation. Influence is about being perfectly frank and transparent in explaining both what you are doing and your intent as to why you are doing it.

JVM: How does this relate to leadership?

Maxfield: We would never recommend a leader use manipulation because as soon as it comes to light, and it almost invariably does come to light, you lose your credibility. And without your credibility, you lose whatever behavior change or leadership potential you have.

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. It doesn’t increase the price of your purchase. Please know that I only feature items that I believe will benefit my readership. But you are the ultimate judge of what’s valuable to you, so it’s up to you to decide.

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Why Leaders Need to Understand the Difference between Influence and Manipulation»

Guest Article: Welcome To The Freak Show by Melissa Fairman

Yes, I’m referring to the American Presidential election.  It is a freak show.  There are so many hot topics to keep track of:  plagiarized speeches, pay for play allegations and walls.  It’s not as if serious issues like terrorism, the national debt and police brutality are more pressing but never mind all that, lets focus […]

Continue reading...

Article source:Melissa Fairman - Welcome To The Freak Show»

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

Guest Article: Selves We Cannot Forgive by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I don't know about you, but I put a lot of pressure on myself. I'm not sharing that as some sort of martyr-type-play. I'm just stating a fact. Maybe you feel a similar level of pressure?

Perfection
Do you like your work to be 'just right?' I do. I like the thinking, planning and execution to be on point. As in, perfectly on point. The world is so quick to judge even the most minor error that, for me, striving to make everything perfect has become the norm.

It's a good strategy actually, except for one minor point.

Perfection is impossible.

Forgiveness
The challenge of striving for something (perfection) and never achieving it (reality) sounds bizarre. 

Yet why do so many of us espouse this approach as reasonable? I've seen the nonstop barrage of blogs and articles that proclaim how wonderful failing is for us. 

Well, let me telly something, I hate failing. I don't care if I've made an inconsequential typo in a meaningless tweet.

I hate failing.

However, I have also forced myself to learn to do something new. It took a long time to balance this new skill without lowering my expectations of perfection. It's called forgiveness.

"I am unwilling to strive for anything less than perfection; but I am also now forgiving myself if I know I've done my absolute best and fell short."

How About You

Does the pressure of being the perfect spouse, or student, or leader become too much sometimes? Are you in the 'Perfection Club' with me where the rules dictate that we must torture ourselves with every little failure? Perhaps it's time to try developing a new skill that allows you to aim high and forgive yourself at the same time?

It made a big difference for me.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Selves We Cannot Forgive»

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

Guest Article: Body Count by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

The talk about corporate culture is at an all time high. Just about every CEO lies...ahem...claims their people are their most important asset.

Really? I'm calling B.S. on that...and these questions explain why.

The Questions
- How many "good" people have left your organization?

- How many times do you need to hear complaints about misbehaving leaders before you are going to take action?

- How many departures will it take before the egos and 'survive-at-all-costs leadership styles' are cast aside to make a real difference in your culture?

- If you're not going to take action...what exactly is your job?

The Only Answer
If you have a list of answers to the questions above and did not take action...well..you have failed. You'll have to get in line behind me though, because I was there too!

Not anymore.

Do what's right. Today.

How About You
Are you tired of looking at yourself in the mirror at the end of a long and complicated day knowing you should have taken action but didn't? How many bodies need to pile up before you do something?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Body Count»

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

Guest Article: Talent Agent: much talked about but still a very long way off by Ross Clennett

I was recently sorting out some old files and came across a presentation I made for an RCSA event in 2006. In this presentation I covered the changing market for candidates and made a prediction (far from new, even ten years ago) that agency recruiters would need to become Talent Managers as the balance of power in the employment marketplace had shifted away from employers and towards employees.
Article source:Ross Clennett - Talent Agent: much talked about but still a very long way off»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog