Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Guest Article: Your Delivery, Though by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

You're smart, successful, and have a whole bunch of authority. You've arrived. It's your time, and you are going to make sure you prove to everyone that you deserve to be in your job.

...and right now...this moment...is one of the riskiest of your career...

Slow Down
One of the pitfalls new leaders face is their own enthusiasm. They are so fired up to make an impact (good thing) that they don't invest the time to learn the culture, skills of the team, and organizational norms before they roar down their own path (very bad thing.)

The challenge can quickly move past simple enthusiasm and impatience to losing credibility if not addressed in a timely manner. So, while the new leader's style can transition from a positive to a negative, it is also incumbent on the other members of the leadership team to support the new leader with the appropriate coaching right from the start.

Listening Is Not Optional
If only life was as easy as I described above. An over zealous leader, some timely coaching, and all is right with the world.

However, sometimes very talented and driven professionals need extra support. This does not mean they are a bad fit for your organization; or that they can not recover from a few well-intended stumbles.

It does require direct and sustained feedback (think --> bordering on confrontational) to ensure the message gets through.

Again, most leaders want to do a great job. They want to add value. 

But some struggle to understand that the leadership style that may have served them well in the past no longer applies in their new organization.

Instead of considering their approach as a failure, the real opportunity is to leverage their skills to pivot, embrace the new culture, and channel their expertise and energy in full alignment with their new team.

How About You
Who do you know that is fired up, but could use a helping hand to complete their transition to their new role? It is easy to criticize, but the real professional inside each of us needs to provide the help our cultures would indicate should come automatically, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Your Delivery, Though»

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

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Guest Article: 7 Strategies for Hiring and Managing Creative Employees by Ben

hiring and managing creatives

Today we’re going to explore the intersection of creativity, innovation, and intrapreneurship (entrepreneurial activities occurring within an organization) and how these activities bring value to the business world. I hope you enjoy!

Innovation is a curious thing. In a research report published by the International Board of Innovation Science, Dennis Stauffer explored what separates wildly successful companies from the rest. Here’s a quote from the article that sheds light on the extent to which innovation drives value:

The research with entrepreneurs is especially noteworthy because it revealed the dramatic impact that this measure of innovativeness has on value creation. When those founders who scored highest on the Innovativeness Index were compared to those who scored lowest, the ventures of the high scorers averaged 34 times as much profit, 70 times as much revenue and employed 10 times as many people. They were also dramatically more likely to be one of the exceptionally high performers that investors call a “home run” (defined in this study as having achieved at least a million dollars in annual profits).

Companies everywhere are trying to create more innovative atmospheres for employees. But what if the answer isn’t open office space or an office beer cooler, but a higher engagement score?

Research by Gallup found that 61% of engaged employees feed off the creativity of their colleagues, compared to a mere 9% of disengaged employees. In addition, it found that 59% of engaged employees believe their job brings out their most creative ideas, compared to only 3% of disengaged employees.

Finally, are you familiar with the intrapreneur? This conversation will also touch on this type of person/personality and I want to make sure we’re on the same page.

Intrapreneurs are usually employees within a company who are assigned to work on a special idea or project, and they are instructed to develop the project like an entrepreneur would. Intrapreneurs usually have the resources and capabilities of the firm at their disposal.

You can imagine the value of someone that takes ownership, manages a project like it was their own business, and seeks acceptable risks. But it requires a foundation of trust to make it work, and we can easily measure the value of that aspect: a recent Watson Wyatt study showed that high trust companies outperform low trust companies by nearly 300%!

All of these data points just go to show that creativity and innovation are incredibly valuable. The problem is that many companies are not at all prepared to manage people that fit the creative profile. Even those that say they want a workforce full of ideas and innovation usually back away once they realize the effort it takes. At the same time, you saw some of the research that shows the value of innovation in the workplace. While it might take some work, hiring these kinds of people can also provide amazing benefits for companies that are willing to commit.

Throughout this article we’re going to explore seven opportunities to help with hiring and managing creative people.

  1. Prepare for creative tension
  2. Seek wanderers
  3. Test their big picture thinking
  4. Encourage some nonconformity
  5. Let people share and vote on ideas
  6. Don’t hire “idea” people if you don’t plan to use their ideas
  7. Don’t treat creatives just like everyone else

Creative Tension is a Reality

People that are creative have a different way of seeing the world, and companies are often not set up to accept and embrace that kind of thinking. On the flip side, some companies seek out these types of people because they understand the value they can bring. A Boulder, Colorado-based marketing firm, Kapost, does just that. Here’s a snippet about their approach:

Recruiting, engaging, and retaining entrepreneurial employees depends in large part on a manager’s ability to discuss and facilitate career development. However, recruiters, managers, and executives are often poorly-equipped to lead these conversations. Toby Murdock, the founder and CEO of Boulder-based content marketing company Kapost, set out to fix that. His goal: to make his company the best place in Colorado to launch and accelerate a career in high tech.  Thanks to a compelling employee value proposition around career transformation, Toby has successfully recruited entrepreneurial employees into the company who might have otherwise been out of reach.

Consider that. Instead of being afraid of the turnover of losing those entrepreneurial employees a few years down the road, the CEO of Kapost decided to embrace it and reap the benefits of having those people working under his direction.

Research shows that 70% of entrepreneurs left the corporate world because they were too confined. I know that’s the case for me. Creative tension can either be painful and stressful on both parties, or it can be harnessed to develop innovative solutions to problems both small and large. Innovation matters.

An Accenture study of 500 US, UK, and French companies showed that 70% of executives considered innovation to be among the top five strategic priorities, and 67% said they are highly dependent on innovation for long-term success. However, less than one in five said they had realized a competitive advantage from their innovation strategies because they were too risk averse to take advantage of the potential opportunities. Hint: this is a problem, and it doesn’t exist solely in enterprise organizations. 

Seek Wanderers

I’m currently reading IGNITE: Setting Your Organization’s Culture on Fire with Innovation by Moss and Neff. It’s really good and full of stats and stories about how the authors have used and seen innovation in practice. One of the sections talks about how to hire intrapreneurial employees, and the authors encourage seeking “wanderers,” or people that are more likely to be curious, in the hiring process. The example the authors give is asking about a recent conference a candidate attended. Was it an assignment, or did the person request to attend? What session was their favorite? What takeaways or pieces of information did they collect? How have they implemented it at work?

In another book (yes, you know I’m a book nerd) about the history of Chick-Fil-A, the founder Truett Cathy talks about the company’s approach to hiring store Operators. He says that the company would rather restrain mustangs than kick mules, or he’d rather have to pull back on the reins of someone that is going too fast than try to push someone that is going too slow.

Back in 2009 when I helped to start the HRevolution movement, this “wandering” mentality is what drove us to do so. The event appeals to people that want something more than a “sit in the back of the room and play on your phone” type of conference. People come expecting to contribute, share, and explore ideas collaboratively. And for those that take advantage of it, the value is immense.

 

Test Big Picture Thinking

One of the other hallmarks of an entrepreneurial employee is being able to see the big picture. Instead of being aware only of the minute fraction of the business that the person touches day to day, the mindset of one of these individuals can see how the job affects people both up and down the line.

In the interview, the authors of IGNITE recommended offering someone a whiteboard to explain an idea or explore a complex process. They posit that the more creative individuals will be able to accomplish the task.

What I would also encourage focusing on is a bit of QBQ-like interactivity. If you’re unfamiliar, QBQ stands for the Question Behind the Question. QBQ is one of the required books new employees working at my favorite radio host’s company must read. The QBQ process is used to help get beyond the normal questions we see in the workplace:

  • Whose fault is this?
  • Why wasn’t this done correctly?
  • How long until things get better?

We want to get beyond those poisonous questions to some that are more engaging and solution-focused, like these:

  • What can I do to help?
  • How can I make sure this is done correctly?
  • What can I do to make things better?

In the interview, ask the person some questions around the QBQ mindset. Present them with a problem and then ask for some QBQ-like questions that show that they are able to see the big picture and can understand how to impact results positively.

Encourage Nonconforming Behaviors

I’ve been reading a lot about conformity and finding the right ways to encourage some creative rebellion among employees. One recent piece from Harvard Business Review lays out an interesting picture of the state of conformity at work:

Of course, not all conformity is bad. But to be successful and evolve, organizations need to strike a balance between adherence to the formal and informal rules that provide necessary structure and the freedom that helps employees do their best work. The pendulum has swung too far in the direction of conformity.

In another recent survey I conducted, involving more than 1,000 employees in a variety of industries, less than 10% said they worked in companies that regularly encourage nonconformity. That’s not surprising: For decades the principles of scientific management have prevailed. Leaders have been overly focused on designing efficient processes and getting employees to follow them.

Now they need to think about when conformity hurts their business and allow — even promote — what I call constructive nonconformity: behavior that deviates from organizational norms, others’ actions, or common expectations, to the benefit of the organization.

To illustrate a behavior or choice that falls outside common expectations, let’s examine a story from Southwest Airlines. A few years ago a very junior employee was working as a gate agent when a flight was rerouted due to weather, stranding the passengers who were almost to their final destination. The common response was to apologize and hold out until the next day, hoping for better weather. Instead, she chartered three buses to take the people home, getting them to their destination in just a few hours.

Herb Kelleher, then-CEO of Southwest, brought her to the headquarters to meet with him. Instead of chastising her for not following protocol, Kelleher praised her quick thinking and dedication to doing the right thing by the customers. That kind of praise not only rewards the employee, but demonstrates to others what kinds of behaviors are expected as well.

Offer Idea Sharing/Voting

One of the simple ways to take advantage of what these employees have to offer is to let them contribute, share, and vote on ideas. I’ve talked in the past about the “Big Ideas Database” that we used at a former employer to allow employee-generated contributions to challenge the status quo and offer opportunities for innovation. We used a simple Sharepoint site to facilitate the process, approvals, and workflow, but there are also tools in the HR technology marketplace that can help to make this sort of process a reality. If you want to check one out, why not start with Tembostatus or Waggl. Anyone can contribute ideas, share, vote, comment, etc.

Whatever the method, the value is in leveraging employee ideas for innovation. Check out this video for an example of how this kind of employee-driven innovation can benefit an organization’s revenue, customer satisfaction, and more.

Plan to Use the Ideas You Get

While not every idea that comes in will be valuable, you need to truly make an effort to accept some of them. I’ve been faced with this at several of my previous employers. I was born with an eye for problem solving–I can’t turn that off. And I can think specifically of instances at two previous employers where I had heard a “no” one too many times and that facilitated my change of employment. The crazy part is that during the recruiting process, those companies recognized and appreciated those kinds of thoughts. They told me that they wanted suggestions, ideas, and contributions.

However, once I was “inside the fence” and employed with them, it was a different story. When I speak I often tell about the employer that failed just a few months after I left. One of the last conversations with my manager was a list of ideas about how we could fix the 40+% turnover problem that was draining our budget faster than we could survive, and the response was “get back to work processing those new hires and terminations.” Ouch.

As far as how many ideas you need to implement, that’s where it can be a bit fuzzy. I saw an article recently about a large telecommunications company that received more than 10,000 employee ideas and had implemented less than 100. I don’t have a benchmark to know if that’s good or bad, but for those other 9,900 ideas, you need to be sure that those people feel like their contribution mattered.

Treat Creatives Differently

We use a few terms to describe different types of employees under our charge:

  • High performers
  • High potentials
  • What about high innovators or high creatives? 

Whatever label we stick on them, we need to treat them differently from the rest of the employees. Yes, this scares the pants off most HR pros, because we’ve been taught to treat everyone the same. But it’s madness when you think about it. Equal treatment for unequal performance/productivity/contributions is a surefire path to mediocrity.

Consider this analogy of tire pressure equalization. A tire works because it captures air and builds pressure, allowing it to hold its shape and move a vehicle around (a high value activity).

Those creative people in your organization are the high pressure air inside that make the value possible. Treating all employees the same is like putting a hole in the tire. Eventually all the high pressure air leaks out (employee turnover), and low pressure leaks in (hiring for conformity, not creativity), until you have something that doesn’t offer value.

That’s how companies achieve mediocrity every day. If you’re interested in being a mediocre HR leader at a mediocre company with a mediocre track record, make sure you treat all employees the same, regardless of their contributions. Back to those companies that I worked for previously, that was why both of them will never be truly exceptional. All employees were treated the same by the company’s owners, which led the creative, valuable people to leave. Those that didn’t do extra work, look for ways to contribute beyond their job titles, and seek opportunities to grow the business? They stuck around. Ouch.

Take Baby Steps

As you begin this journey, take small steps and always stay just a bit uncomfortable. Knowing how to hire creative people is one thing. Knowing how to manage creative people is something else entirely. Look for ways to encourage creative, nonconforming ideas from your people at regular intervals. And don’t forget the seven strategies that can make it work for you:

  1. Prepare for creative tension
  2. Seek wanderers
  3. Test their big picture thinking
  4. Encourage some nonconformity
  5. Let people share and vote on ideas
  6. Don’t hire “idea” people if you don’t plan to use their ideas
  7. Don’t treat creatives just like everyone else

How does your organization encourage and support creative employees? What value do you see this population bringing to your business? 


Article source:Ben - 7 Strategies for Hiring and Managing Creative Employees»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: A Leader's Interview Guide (because you're horrible at it) by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I hate to break this to you, but candidates no longer need you. They don’t need to feel lucky to land a job at your organizaiton. You’re not doing them any favors, and they certainly don’t need to grovel all over your office being thankful.

You need them.
They have all the power.

…and you could not be more ill-prepared to compete for them than you are right now.

Vacancies are the Worst
Consider the pressure you face every day:
- overtime
- staff morale
- turnover
- budget performance
- vacancies
- employee behavior
- regulatory constraints

The candidates do not need you…you need them.

Three Focus Areas
You can prepare yourself to interview effectively in many ways; however the three areas below should be considered mandatory if you are hoping to compete in the market today.

a) Your Digital Presentation
- they will search you online…100% of the time
- Linkedin (if your profile is lame, assume they think you are too)
- google yourself to learn how invisible you really are

Have you invested a few minutes to ensure you appear to be paying attention to our digital world? If not, you already look old and stale (regardless of how many candles will be on your cake the next time your birthday rolls around.)

b) Your Real Life presentation
- energy
- passion
- direct, well prepared questions
- humor
- listen to them

Have you invested the time to focus, removed the onslaught of noise from your mind, and committed to focusing exclusively on the person you’ll be interviewing? If not, you will come across just like every other hiring leader in the universe...distracted and arrogant.

c) Your Attitude
- don’t judge in the first five minutes
- be clear about your expectations
- be direct

Have you allowed yourself to have an open mind, and to consider that someone who doesn’t instantly fit into your clone-like vision of your team might actually add a diverse and fresh perspective? If not, it’s time to end the interview before it starts and head to your next recurring management meeting and vent about your circumstances.




How About You
Are you ready for 'your" next interview? Your candidates will be. In fact, they have done more research about you, than you have about them. 

What will they find? Anything at all?

Bueller?

How will you present yourself? How will you follow up after? Do you send thank you notes to candidates for coming in; or, should they leave feeling thankful for the opportunity to be in your presence?

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - A Leader's Interview Guide (because you're horrible at it)»

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

Thursday, 24 November 2016

Guest Article: Clarius becomes Ignite but turnaround yet to be seen by Ross Clennett

In June last year I wrote about the public pronouncements of recently-appointed Clarius CEO, Peter Wilson. Wilson had chosen to make public his views on the 'old' Clarius leadership and culture he had inherited when he joined the company in October 2014.   As Wilson's two year anniversary in the top job at Clarius has just passed, I thought it might be useful to
Article source:Ross Clennett - Clarius becomes Ignite but turnaround yet to be seen»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Guest Article: Berklee Rose is here! by Ben

A few weeks ago you probably caught my letter to my unborn child. This last week has been a wild ride as we added Berklee to the family, surprising about 95% of the people we know because she was NOT a boy. Melanie and the baby are doing great, and the other kids are overjoyed at having the baby at home.

Enjoy the picture below, and expect more HR content next week. For now I need to go get a little (or a lot of) sleep…

berklee-rose


Article source:Ben - Berklee Rose is here!»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Monday, 21 November 2016

Guest Article: Bleeding Orange by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Why do some people stay with their organizations for years, and others seem to bounce from place to place? Do some companies have a secret that magically plays out inside their walls? Or, do they simply market their culture so effectively that despite their normal challenges they continue to attract top talent?

Bleed
I've worked in organizations that were good places, and I've worked in organizations that I left because they were obsessed with earnings and didn't care about patient, physician or employee engagement.

I felt like I was bleeding all over the place...yet my passion and enthusiasm for my work didn't mean a thing. It was a sad place to be, and ultimately it required a resignation and fresh start.

In those companies...bleeding was bad.

Orange
I now find myself at a point in my career where I am again bleeding all over the place. My energy, passion and commitment are very different this time though. So, what has changed?

Are the people better? 
- No, but something feels different when we work together.

Is the work dramatically different? 
- No, but something feels different when we do our work.

Is the culture really that different from other companies?

HELL, YES!

We aren't obsessed with organizational charts. We don't wonder who is talking to who about who after every meeting. We search for ways to recognize each other. 

We ask each other to offer suggestions. We take risks and try new things. We bake our employment assessment tool into every day life. Yes we do. Every. Day. Life.

Are we perfect? Thankfully, no.

We think differently. We act differently. We "get it" here...when most other companies just don't.



How About You
This is a week to be thankful for many things. I've never felt this much support in my life. I've never felt this much energy with a team as I do now. It's flat out awesome.

What color do you bleed?

We bleed orange.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Kinetix
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Bleeding Orange»

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

Thursday, 17 November 2016

Guest Article: Does Donald Trump have the necessary character to be a successful President? by Ross Clennett

In the past week a number of people asked me when I was going to blog about the President-elect of America. I wasn’t sure what I would say; whether it would be relevant for readers of this weekly missive or whether I even wanted to say anything.   I was shocked as (almost) everybody else when the results rolled in last Wednesday (Australian time). I had arranged to meet
Article source:Ross Clennett - Does Donald Trump have the necessary character to be a successful President?»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Wednesday, 16 November 2016

Guest Article: Your "Vision" Is Blinding You by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

One of the leadership traits I find most impressive is the ability to adapt and change. In politics you are vilified if you ever change your mind. It’s as if you’ve committed blasphemy!

In the real world however, a leader’s ability to see beyond the blinders of their passion, plans, and vision to see what they didn’t see previously is something special...

…and rare.

Keep Pushing
A quick example to illustrate my point. I’ve worked with many talented leaders over the years, and one of the most difficult barriers they’ve had to face is their own beliefs. One executive in particular was a huge boost of energy to the Nursing team. Her energy, commitment, and drive were exactly what the hospital needed.

Unfortunately, when it was time for her to adjust her approach based on a variety of political pressures (not the bad kind) she was unable to change. Her “vision” for what should be done blocked her ability to see what “needed” to be done.

Push and Pivot
The opposite, of course, is when humility, self-awareness, and classic big-picture thinking manifest themselves in real time. Another example...one of my original HR mentors, who was my boss at the time, was involved in a rollout of a new organizational policy.

The first round of meetings did not go well; but instead of shaking his head and lamenting that “employees just don’t understand that hard decisions have to be made” - he immediately called his team into his office to discuss the unintended (and missed) consequences of the policy.

We changed it.
On the spot.


How About You
Do you talk about your vision for your team, department, or organization? If so, that is fabulous, so many leaders can’t even articulate one! Just make sure that your strength does not become your weakness too.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 


Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Your "Vision" Is Blinding You»

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

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Guest Article: Trump Won. We Can All Move Along Now. Right? by Melissa Fairman

Nope. As evidenced by the #notmypresident hashtag and protests, our President-Elect will be stirring up strong emotions for at least four more years. As  HR Pro’s we are going to continue to see this bleed into the workplace. That’s why […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - Trump Won. We Can All Move Along Now. Right?»

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

Guest Article: Going Social Transformed My #HealthcareHR Career by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I didn't get into social media tools because I thought they were cool. Quite honestly, it was out of desperation. My hospital at the time had far too many vacant positions, and the traditional #HealthcareHR tactics simply failed.

Just as they still do today.

Bold Leaders Are the Only Leaders
I literally had to make a bold move or risk compromising the quality of care provided to the patients at my hospital. That was the way I looked at it. I may not have been a direct care giver, but HR plays a vital role in the patient care process. If someone tries to tell you something different, fire them.

That's right. For those HR leaders that still believe they can use approaches from ten years ago and actually make a dent in the challenges they face, they are kidding themselves...

...and are losing the respect of their "team" (if they still actually have a team.)

The Truth Hurts
Am I being critical today? Actually, no. I'm begging you to lift your head up from the comfort of your policy manual and the noise from your over-priced ad agency and make a change.

Change yourself. Change your HR culture. Change your organization for the better.


How About You
You have the power...today...to radically transform your company. Yes, you. Start by allowing yourself the freedom to explore and learn new tools. Release yourself of the burden of anything traditional, and embrace growth, performance and success.

You can do it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.
pic
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Going Social Transformed My #HealthcareHR Career»

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

Monday, 14 November 2016

Guest Article: Using the Gig Economy to Enhance Business Outcomes by Ben

I have done dozens of presentations in my professional life. But boy was I nervous about a recent one. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to deliver my first ever Ignite-style presentation.

I was sweating it, big time.

In short, you get five minutes to explore a topic. The kicker? Your 20 slides auto-advance every 15 seconds, leaving you without any control. Honestly, I’d rather have just one slide and an hour to talk about it than have no control over the 20 slides for a five-minute talk. In the end the session went very well–one in the string of nine other people delivering these types of presentations at the HR Technology Conference Ideas and Innovators session. I had fun, and the next time I have a chance to do an Ignite talk I’ll be less worried about it!

eubanks-gig-economy-presentation

Photo: Talking about the Gig Economy, On-Demand Talent, and More

My topic blended in some ways with others that talked about more fluid decisions in the workplace, but it was a look at something I think is going to shape future talent decisions for organizations everywhere. This is a sort of highlights reel of the presentation and a few of the key stats are listed below. I’d love to hear your thoughts after you read through! (Also, let me know what you think of the tool below that shows the story. It’s something new I’m using and if people like it I will create more of them to help explore complex topics.)

Email subscribers must click through to view the presentation below.

Presentation Highlights

  • Gigs are nothing new, but the idea of using them to get business tasks completed is.
  • Some of the interesting companies (not an exhaustive list) that are playing in the space of providing gig-economy-writeupon-demand workers include Toptal, Shiftgig, Wonolo, Upwork, and others.
  • There are more than 800,000 workers in the platform-based gig economy. That means they are working through an intermediary, not as a solo independent contractor. If that was a company, it would be the second largest in the US, twice the size of McDonald’s.
  • While the relative size of the labor sharing economy is not that large, it has grown rapidly and will continue to over time.
  • The interesting piece is that many people automatically assume these workers are doing gig work (W9) full time. In reality, many of these people are doing this work in addition to their full time (W2) job. But why?
  • One of my theories is that this disengagement epidemic could even be caused in some respects by employees that are using gig work to get the satisfaction, flexibility, variety, etc. that their day job just can’t offer.
  • One thing I see on the horizon is pressure on outdated government rules. Companies (and people) want the flexibility to make granular talent decisions about who, what, and where they work. The existing rules limit that freedom and flexibility, as evidenced by some of the Uber (and other services) lawsuits around independent contractor vs employee.
  • One of the neat ideas I want to see come to fruition is embedding on-demand workers into the employment processes. For instance, onboarding a consultant to teach them about your culture or offering training to a temp worker to improve their performance.

This is a topic I’m incredibly interested in, and I look forward to exploring it more in the coming months. What questions do you have about the gig economy and how it affects the workplace?

Originally posted on the Lighthouse Research blog.


Article source:Ben - Using the Gig Economy to Enhance Business Outcomes»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Friday, 11 November 2016

Guest Article: Tomb With A View by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I spent many years as a traditional guy in conservative corporate environments. I thought that was supposed to be my path. It did allow me to provide for my family, discover a career path and industry that I fell in love with; and, helped me ultimately learn that I could be much more.

So Many Trapped
As I've gone through such a profound (and candidly, exciting as all hell) transition to my new life professionally, I can't help but reflect back on so many friends and colleagues who are still trapped.

So many talented people begin their careers with enthusiasm, get promoted, and then...somehow...found themselves at a minimum dissatisfied, and at worst completely miserable.

In effect, they are in a career tomb with a view.

A view of their success.
A view of their corporate cage.
A view of the possibilities on the outside through floor to ceiling windows.


Resurrection Day
For the last (nearly) two years I have experienced something very different from the first half of my professional life. As the world has changed and companies needs have changed, our ability as experienced professionals creates new opportunities. 

Although taking a big step out of the corporate suite is scary; for me, it quickly became clear that the world of "critical meetings" and "huge issues" were more often than not simply internal noise.

Don't let the culture inside your organization define your entire world view. There is so much more...the opportunities are endless...and for those that have committed to being a contemporary leader, nothing can stop you.

How About You
Maybe it's time that you seriously considered whether or not that "view" is worth it. Do your research, make sure you are current in the world of work and in your industry...

...and go for it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Tomb With A View»

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

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Guest Article: Another moronic 'the recruitment industry is dead' article by Ross Clennett

I try very hard to ignore the frequent blogs and articles that either (a) pronounce the impending demise of the recruitment industry or (b) hysterically highlight what the author sees as some fatal flaw or failure of the industry. You're almost certainly guaranteed that such a piece is written by, or contains quotes from, the owner or employee of a recruitment industry vendor hoping to position
Article source:Ross Clennett - Another moronic 'the recruitment industry is dead' article»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Guest Article: A Thank You Letter to Mom and Dad by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today marks the end of one of the most embarrassing times in the history of our country. As I've reflected on the last year, I realized that I needed to thank you both for a whole bunch of things. 

Thank you for...

- teaching me that every single person has value

- showing me how to care for those that are less fortunate than us

- demonstrating what it means to respectfully disagree with someone 

- caring enough to let me make mistakes without shaming me

- incorporating a loving way into how you treated me and my sister

- welcoming people into our home who had struggled in wars, were damaged, and had strong opinions that did not match ours, so I could l appreciate all people

- discussing important issues, including the "other side's point of view" so I could learn 

- making sure I didn't treat people unfairly, regardless of my position

- coaching me when I got too full of myself

- teaching me to be an effective parent so my children could grow up to make their own choices

- helping me learn the power of listening

- teaching me to be an advocate for those who don't have a voice

- to have the confidence necessary to stand up to hatred when it is a lonely place to be

You both have give me so much...I can only hope that I do half as well passing on these values to my amazing kids.

Love you,

-Jay


Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - A Thank You Letter to Mom and Dad»

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

Guest Article: A Decade in HR : Don’t Close Doors by Melissa Fairman

I was updating my LI profile the other night and realized that I have been in HR for over TEN years.  A decade in a profession that can be incredibly rewarding, frustrating and sometimes soul-crushing all in the same day. […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - A Decade in HR : Don’t Close Doors»

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

Guest Article: Learn Directly from Employee Engagement Expert @Kruse by Jennifer Miller

A few years ago, I interviewed Kevin Kruse for his book Employee Engagement is for Everyone. Kevin is the author of several books, one of which hit the New York Times best seller list.  Kevin writes a weekly leadership column for Forbes, and was an Inc. 500 entrepreneur.

When we talked, I immediately liked Kevin’s humorous, pragmatic outlook on leadership and have followed his work ever since. (Check out the People Equation blog series on employee engagement that I wrote for the release of Kevin’s book. )

I’m writing this post because Kevin is holding a rare public workshop and certification opportunity on employee engagement. He has opened up registration for a live workshop in Philadelphia on December 6th and 7th, 2016. This is the first time he’s ever opened up his training to the public—it’s the same workshop and materials being used at places like SAP, HP, Burger King, IBM, CubeSmart, Aria Healthcare, Farm Bureau Insurance, General Dynamics, Schindler Elevator, True Value and many others.

You can learn more about this program here.

The first day (Dec 6) will be a public workshop open to any manager who wants to increase the engagement of their team members. The second day (Dec 7) will be a certification session for anyone that wants to master the workshop curriculum so they can facilitate this workshop in their own organization.

This leadership workshop is based on survey research of 10 million workers in 150 countries and on Kevin’s own experience as an Inc. 500 executive. In this survey, Kevin discovered the top four drivers of employee engagement and at the workshop, he’s going to teach you how to use them to unlock massive emotional commitment on your team.

I encourage you to check out the program if you want to learn from a person who’s actually done the hard work of building an engaged workforce. He has a lot of hilarious stories about what works (and what doesn’t!)

Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I will receive a commission. I only recommend resources that I believe you will find valuable. Having said that, please do your own research and make a decision that makes sense for you and your company. Just because I think something is great, doesn’t mean that you will agree!


Article source:Jennifer Miller - Learn Directly from Employee Engagement Expert @Kruse»

Monday, 7 November 2016

Guest Article: Talent Mobility Webinar: How to Recruit and Retain Internal Talent by Ben

I realized this weekend that I didn’t let you guys know about a free webinar I’ll be doing tomorrow with RecruitingBlogs. If you’re interested in joining me for the session you can sign up here

Talent mobility. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s the practice of using internal talent to fill roles as well as creating new paths and opportunities for your staff. It has a whole host of impacts and benefits.

  • Recruiting: instead of immediately looking externally for talent, you consider your internal talent inventory to determine if you have someone you can move into the role.
  • Retention: by using internal staff for filling positions, you increase retention and drive satisfaction for career-minded employees (this used to be Millennials, but I’ve heard stories of all types of workers fitting this bill).
  • Learning and development: instead of putting someone in a class, you give them an experiential/social learning opportunity by plugging them into a new environment.

In the webinar I will be talking about some companies that have made talent mobility a priority, from Chipotle to Hootsuite and World Bank Group to Tata Consultancy Services. Each case study tells a slightly different story, and I’m excited to share those examples.

In addition, we’ll look at some different sources of research on the topic that allow us to dig deeply into why this talent process matters. The research I’m doing these days around gig workers and the talent economy (I’ll be sharing some info on this in my next post) points to the fact that people want more control over their own careers and development. With that in mind, giving them flexible opportunities to contribute, grow, and develop just makes sense if we want to not only engage them, but keep them long term.

If that sounds interesting, I’d love to have you join. I try to make my webinars fun and entertaining (lots of stories) while still giving you some actionable takeaways.

Body Movin’: Why Talent Mobility is King of Retention


Article source:Ben - Talent Mobility Webinar: How to Recruit and Retain Internal Talent»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Thursday, 3 November 2016

Guest Article: Retention Is A Leadership Problem by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I've heard the excuses for years...literally. Leaders complaining about everything under the sun that is negatively impacting their departments. It is rarely their inaction or overinflated ego that is to blame; but instead, is an unfair productivity standard, a poor candidate pool, budget pressure, unreasonable physicians, and on and on...

Listen
I've also had the pleasure to work with some gifted leaders who chose to not let the excuses get in the way of their connection to their teams. They accepted the fact that leadership is hard, and took a path focused on relationships and trust, instead of blame and excuses.

Some leaders are uncomfortable in groups. (excuse)
Some leaders don't have an outgoing personality. (excuse)
Some leaders have great ideas but struggle delivering the message. (excuse)

The most effective leaders don't hide behind these issues, instead they make themselves vulnerable.

That's right. Vulnerable leaders. I know, it's a counterintuitive approach as compared to the massive ego trip many leaders embrace in an almost drunken stupor. 

Be
Instead of the stupor, I recommend focusing on these five behaviors:
- be present
- be visible
- be compassionate
- be humble
- be real

These aren't nearly as hard as you think. 

You are your biggest barrier at this point.

How About You
Who are the leaders in your organization that can name every problem across the company yet refuse to see their role in those problems? Maybe today is the day you pull them aside and have a good old fashioned blunt force trauma type conversation with them.

Let me know how it goes.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Retention Is A Leadership Problem»

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

Guest Article: Farewell and thank you, Claudia Gray by Ross Clennett

Last week the RCSA announced that long time staff member, Claudia Gray, currently the Learning Centre and Major Events Manager, would be retiring from her job with the RCSA, her last day at work being 18 November 2016.   Claudia started her employment with the RCSA in 2002 when there was only a handful of RCSA staff in the Melbourne head office and none in
Article source:Ross Clennett - Farewell and thank you, Claudia Gray»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Guest Article: Half Measures by Melissa Fairman

I’ve been watching Breaking Bad again and noticing new details. For example,  the beautiful photography. Every time I watch an episode I want to move to New Mexico. Thanks to the prequel series Better Call Saul, I’m also paying attention to the character backstories. Mike Ehrmantraut, ex-cop and now right hand man of drug boss … Continue reading Half Measures
Article source:Melissa Fairman - Half Measures»

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

Guest Article: That Time I Didn't Speak Up by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Ah, if it were only one time. Maybe then I wouldn't feel bad...or, at least not as bad. But over the years I've had multiple examples of staying quiet.

Sometimes
Sometimes it was an executive far senior to me. I couldn't challenge them, right?

Sometimes it was my colleagues, and I guess I wanted to somehow fit in. Did my silence achieve that goal?

Sometimes it was a family friend. Although they never stayed friends once I finally got in their face.

Sometimes it was a classmate, and I'm sure I didn't want to be targeted since I was part of the "in crowd."

Every Time
Things are different now. I don't worry about losing friends any longer. When the crude jokes, sexist comments, bigotry or hate rises up, it's open season on them. The reality is that those people are showing their true colors and don't deserve my friendship...or even a connection.

So I'm at a point in my life (and have been for some time) for those that choose to be mean, should expect to be called out publicly. I don't care if it hurts their feelings. I don't care it if makes a situation very awkward. I don't care if it is not politically safe to do so. I don't care what they think of me.

The people I work with are watching me. The organizations I serve are watching me. My children are watching me. I don't plan on disappointing any of them.

How About You
When the sinister elements in our world show themselves, what do you do? Is it a personal affront to you and your legacy; or, is it "just their personality" and you've learned to live with it?

Remember who's watching.


I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - That Time I Didn't Speak Up»

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