Guest Article: Technology, Innovation, and Growth: Florida’s Business Climate by Ben

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Enterprise Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.

Within the United States, there is an incredible amount of innovation and value driving local and national economic trends. One of those areas where this is happening in a notable fashion is Florida. Today we’re going to take a look at some of the interesting trends in the state as well as some of the companies that are doing interesting work.

Diverse People and Talent

The pipeline of Florida Talent is incredibly diverse. For instance, the number of technology firms in the state virtually ensures that the working population is going to have relevant, high quality skills.

Another high quality source of talent? The military. A few years ago I hired a team of individuals for an international project and picked a former Air Force pilot from Florida to lead the crew, because there was nobody else as qualified for that leadership role. In addition, universities across the state are pumping out highly educated workers ready to make their mark on the world.

We know that diversity drives business results, according to McKinsey’s research, and Florida clearly has the capability to field a truly diverse workforce.

Powerful University Partnerships

Speaking of universities, the higher education system in Florida is keenly focused on partnering with in-state businesses to ensure that graduates have the necessary skills for success, not just a bunch of outdated knowledge. This is key to driving Florida Innovation across the entire state. For instance, two of those partnerships that are connecting the next generation of students to the groundbreaking innovation happening at two enterprise firms:

• GE Wind Energy in Pensacola + UWF College of Engineering
• SAFT in Jacksonville + UNF College of Engineering

The partnerships are incredibly valuable for all parties involved, and it’s clear that this is a core element of success for these firms.

Thriving Hi-Tech Businesses

Finally, the Florida Business sector is full of innovative firms that are leading high profile projects. Some of the names you might recognize:

• Blue Origin-rocket manufacturing and launch facilities
• SpaceX-rocket facilities
• EA Tiburon-video game software development
• United Launch Alliance-joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin

Additionally, startups are opening in Florida due to the business-friendly tax climate and the availability of talent. For instance, randrr, a recruiting technology firm focused on matching individuals looking for their dream career with companies seeking high-quality talent, moved from another state to open its headquarters in Jacksonville.

Keeping the talent at these firms is a priority, and that’s why the state encourages a high touch focus for employers. From the recruiting and onboarding to the training and development aspects, each step along the way is an opportunity to engage and create a valuable employee experience.

Growth Potential

Not only does the state already have a wide variety of resources and successful enterprises–it’s also poised to grow. For instance, Florida is ranked fourth in the nation for high tech employment opportunities, according to CompTIA. Employers that are looking to expand and grow should consider Florida’s track record and credentials when considering new locations. The video below offers additional insights into the state’s value proposition.

Article source:Ben - Technology, Innovation, and Growth: Florida’s Business Climate»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The Corporate World's Hot Mess by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I'm not one of the young guns anymore. I'm not that 'rising star' (in my mind) that takes bold action, launches new strategies, or sets the world on fire. Wait a second, who am I kidding, of course I still do all of those things! 

However, I view the responsibilities of executives differently now.

Pushing the envelope will always be how I roll...but being so caught up in covering my ass, or feeding my fragile ego at the expense of the amazing people around me, is just about the biggest sin in the executive bible that I can think of. Yet I've seen it happen all too often.

I Wish I Had One of "Those Jobs"
It's actually pretty easy to be an executive...under one basic premise:

Every single thing,

about every part of the entire organization, 

in every circumstance, is perfect in every way, 

at every moment.

The rest of the time, it's hard as hell.

Do Your Job
When you consider the "priorities" that many executives focus on, they are often quite far from the reality of successfully operating their companies. Political infighting, building alliances, scolding direct reports for issues that have no real impact on the business but do impact the warped view the executive's have of leadership, all add up to failure. 

These massive insecurities result in catastrophic damage:
- loss of credibility for the executive 
- loss of focus on the drivers of success (or failure) for the organization
- hours of wasted time addressing the behaviors of executives who have potential, but move down a path that is counterproductive

Is all of this harsh and offensive? Out of touch with reality? Um, no it's not. If I were to spend a few minutes with the leaders who report directly to executives, I would have more than enough "proof."

I've also been hearing it from these same folks (as well as other frustrated executives around them) for years and years...

Solutions
Oh, where to begin! While it is easy to blame our colleagues across the many organizations we encounter in our careers, that doesn't actually help. 

The real opportunity here is for HR to play a far more bold and active role in the operational life of the company.

Some questions to consider as you step up your game:

- When executives get caught up in protecting their position and power instead of focusing on the most important challenges ahead, do you speak up or remain silent?

- When you see high potential leaders being promoted too rapidly, do you speak up or allow it to happen?

- When political agendas start to impact organizational decision making, do you expose it or try to join the club?

How About You
We must be proactive.

We must be internal executive coaches.

We must take control of dysfunctional situations, not just slide into secondary roles.

We must be the executive role models for our junior executive colleagues (regardless of their 'senior' titles) to help them develop into truly effective leaders.

...and we must start today.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The Corporate World's Hot Mess»

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

Guest Article: 3 Examples for Measuring HR’s Business Impact [Podcast] by Ben

ROI. Measurement. Data. Analytics.

Each of these words has the power to strike fear in the hearts of many HR pros, because let’s face it–most of us didn’t get into this profession because we’re awesome at math, right? :-) Seriously though, we can’t deny the power of data and evidence to prove the value HR can provide.

I’ve often said that HR provides plenty of value to the organization in most cases, but HR pros are just really terrible about calculating and proving that value. If that concept resonates with you, then this episode is going to help change all of that.

In this new episode of We’re Only Human with Mary Ila Ward, owner of Horizon Point Consulting, Ben discusses some of the underlying fears that HR has about being measured (hint: measurement isn’t always an indicator of your own personal performance). In addition, we explore three case study examples of how to figure out the ROI of human resources in an easy, step-by-step manner so anyone can grasp the concept.

By the way, if you’re interested in grabbing the slides we mention in the show, feel free to reach out to Mary Ila at miw@horizonpointconsulting.com and she’d be happy to share them with you.

As always, if you’re new or want to revisit some of our previous episodes, be sure to check out the We’re Only Human show archives.

Article source:Ben - 3 Examples for Measuring HR’s Business Impact [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: 6 Reasons You Might Be Setting a Poor Example for Your Team by Jennifer Miller

Young kids speak the truth, as anyone who’s ever been called out by a preschooler can tell you. I’ll never forget the time my three-year-old son looked at me with his innocent, big brown eyes and said, “Mama, you told me that’s a bad word. How come you just said it?” Nothing shines the light on a failed role model opportunity faster than being called on the carpet by a person who barely reaches your waist.

But it’s not just kids who can see when our example-setting falls short. Although there are many ways to set an example, “Do as I say, not as I do,” isn’t one of them. People with influence—parents, managers, teachers, coaches—in short, anyone tasked with leading others knows that being a positive role model is vital. Eric Barker of the popular Barking Up the Wrong Tree blog writes, “Setting an example is more powerful than telling people what to do” and he backs it up with social science.

We know it’s important to set a positive example. So why is it easy to “talk the talk” but sometimes forget to walk it as well?

As a leader, have you given thought recently to the example you set with your actions?  Are you living up to your own personal code of ethics? Even the best role models get waylaid from time to time with the saboteurs listed below. Do any of these sound familiar to you?

1. It’s what you were taught. Bad habits are learned. So if you’ve had a string of bad managers, you’re more likely to default to poor leadership choices unless you actively decide not to be “that boss.”
2. “Just this one time.” Don’t go there. Thinking you can “sneak this one in” is a slippery slope. Before you know it, your unpleasant behavior has become a habit—and a bad one at that.
3. It’s easier. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s just plain easier to take the low road—initially. But sooner or later, a snarky comment or lazy choice comes back to get you.
4. It’s faster. Doing the right thing might take more time, and that’s something few leaders have in abundance. But, as my mentor Mary used to say, “Pay now or pay later.” Meaning: do it right the first time, or pay for poor choices later on.
5. You’re frustrated. Turf wars, budget shortfalls, and outrageous goals from senior management. It’s gets on your last nerve, doesn’t it? Don’t take it out on the very people who can help you get through this—your team.
6. It feels good to let off a bit of steam. Yes, yes it does. But there are better ways to relieve the pressure and it’s important to know when you’re about to blow a gasket.

Social conventions (and a desire to stay employed) most likely will keep your team members from pointing out your incongruent behaviors as a leader. Their silence isn’t necessarily agreement. Don’t let frustration, time crunches and impatience steal your ability to set a positive example for your team.

A modified version of this post originally appeared on Smartbrief on Leadership

Copyright: nenovbrothers / 123RF Stock Photo

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 6 Reasons You Might Be Setting a Poor Example for Your Team»

Guest Article: The long game: is it Seek v Google (with agencies collateral damage)? by Ross Clennett

A couple of Seek-backed offerings, Onploy and Sidekicker, have created plenty of concern in the local recruitment industry over the past several weeks. Many meetings and phone calls have occurred between senior Seek executives and unhappy recruitment agency owners and the RCSA. At the time of writing no definitive action has taken place but we are moving quickly in that direction. One of
Article source:Ross Clennett - The long game: is it Seek v Google (with agencies collateral damage)? »

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Remember Why You Started by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
- Albert Einstein

Grey, not Black and White
Think back to when you finally broke through and landed that first big job. Whether it was in leadership or not, you soon realized two important things:
- the greater the responsibility you have, the greater the impact you can make
- the greater the responsibility you have, the greater the pressure coming at you from all directions

Finding the balance between the these two things, and not losing your energy and enthusiasm can be a challenge!

The pressure, unclear road ahead, changing dynamics in the workplace, and self-talk inspired depression can often get in the way of why you started down this path in the first place.

Acceptance and Action
There is a fairly straightforward way to deal with these pressures however; one that is often overlooked.

Accept them.

Whether or not something "should be this way" or "should be that way" we must accept the reality that the world is not going to operate exactly the way we think it should.

Accept them.

Feeling frustrated with our colleagues once in a while, wishing we could have avoided a communication failure, or believing we should have removed a poor performer sooner are all normal. Getting ourselves all worked up however, or worse, spending extra time lamenting it all is incredibly counterproductive.

"When we accept the fact that the world of work is never going to be perfect, we free ourselves to remember why we were so excited about work in the first place." 

There are still many opportunities to make a difference. 
There are endless chances to impact another person's life. 
There are no limits to what we can do.

How About You
What is getting in your way as you think about work? Have you allowed yourself to become so frustrated that you spend your days feeling down and depressed? Or, will you decide to accept that we all have our failings, but they should never stand in the way of why we love what we do?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Remember Why You Started»

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

Guest Article: Top 5 Things Hiring Managers want from Entry Level HR Candidates by Ben

Several years ago I did some really interesting research into what HR hiring managers wanted from candidates applying for entry level HR jobs. I wrote about some of the findings in two ultimate guides:

• How to Get into Human Resources
• Entry Level HR Jobs

However, today I’d like to dig deeper into the concepts from the research to help illuminate what we as HR leaders see as valuable in candidates with little to no actual experience working in the field.

Top 5 Characteristics Ranked Most Important by HR Leaders

This graphic shows the data rankings of the top things that HR leaders are looking for from entry level applicants.

Source: upstartHR.com research study

1. As you can see in the research, HR-relevant skills in a non-HR job are the preferred currency for candidates seeking HR positions. I’ve always called this “doing HR where you are,” because there are aspects of many jobs that are “HR lite” in function, such as training, budgeting, or coaching. Being able to show those skills is the closest many candidates come to being able to prove their HR credibility without actually having demonstrated experience in the field.
2. The next most valuable piece is HR internship experience. Working as an HR intern can fall on a wide spectrum, from grabbing coffee (waste of time) to shadowing and supporting various facets of the HR team (valuable). It’s possible to differentiate in an interview which experience someone had, but candidates are also struggling to get internships and other opportunities. Some of the internship job postings I’ve seen ask for one to two years of HR experience as qualifications, which is completely backwards for a position that’s supposed to be an entry point into the profession!
3. Continuing the conversation from the previous point, paid HR experience is the next most requested characteristic from entry level HR candidates. At the same time, this is incredibly challenging to get for many individuals. I even profiled a letter recently from someone that was torn about getting into HR because of the bad reputation our profession has, so there are a lot of moving parts here.
4. The next item on the list? A degree in HR or a related field. This has some measure of value, because it teaches some of the basics, but it’s also well known that higher education is behind the rest of the corporate world by a fairly significant margin. I talk about that in my post about how to learn HR for free–my degree taught me about 20% of what I need to know to be successful in this profession, and the other 80% came from boots-on-the-ground work and experiential learning.
5. The last of the top five preferences when hiring entry level HR candidates is a history of networking with HR professionals. From my experience, this helps to diminish some of the unknowns and surprises involved in jumping into a new career track. Additionally, it gives us a chance to do some informal background checking to see what others think of these candidates based on their experiences and interactions. Because HR is so integral to business operations, that kind of informal background checking is a very common activity in this field.

Soon I’ll take another look at the final five items in the top ten list, but in the meantime I’d love to hear from you if you’re trying to get into the profession or if you’re hiring these kinds of individuals. Are these on point? What has been your experience? 

Article source:Ben - Top 5 Things Hiring Managers want from Entry Level HR Candidates»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: When Leaders Hold on Too Tightly Employee Engagement Suffers by Jennifer Miller

Are we looking at employee retention the wrong way?

HR professionals and leaders invest significant time and effort on employee retention. There’s an interesting paradox to this organizational form of “holding on” to employees: the more we try to retain talent, the more we squeeze the engagement right out of the very individuals we want to keep within our company walls. Given that the average employee is only with a company for three years, how does that shift the conversation around retaining talent? That’s the topic I explore in my latest article for Smartbrief Originals, Leaders, it’s time to relax your grip on employee retention.  Go on over and check it out.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - When Leaders Hold on Too Tightly Employee Engagement Suffers»

Guest Article: I've Arrived! by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

The desire to 'play' at the highest level is a powerful aphrodisiac. Whether in sports, academia, research, entertainment, or climbing the corporate ladder, the laser focus to get to the top is sometimes a hindrance to our success.

Chasing Glory
For many professionals, that first taste of a high level role feels like winning a career championship game. The new found power can often be confused with having "arrived." 

Is that big promotion an end point to a long quest? 

Is that breakthrough job offer an affirmation of what you've always believed you could be?

If the answer was yes, the risks to future success just became exponentially more complicated. You see, chasing the glory of career success is actually a never ending series of milestones and new beginnings.

Years of hard work and professionalism can lead to exciting opportunities. Those opportunities, in effect, are a reset of everything you once knew. The previous behavior, routine, and internal peer network all change. 

You have to be open to change too.

Learning the Role, Not the Tasks
The most important step many successful new leaders miss is the ramp up phase into learning "how" to do their new job. Not focusing exclusively on the tasks listed on their new job description.

Think about that for a second...learning the role, not the work.

How does a junior executive behave? What interpersonal skills are now mandatory, regardless of what feels comfortable? 

Is a fragile ego going to be put to the side in order to do the work, make decisions, and earn respect? 

Or...will the previous goal of "most popular rising leader" be the label that supersedes all else?

How About You
Who do you know that is very talented, yet has not invested the time to learn their role? How are they doing? Could they use your trusted consultative support?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - I've Arrived!»

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

Guest Article: Sidekicker: Seek like more than one kind of cake by Ross Clennett

Onploy, which I wrote about last week, is a product promoting permanent recruitment services. Seek’s product targeting temporary services, Sidekicker has also been creating waves of its own. Just over 12 months ago the AFR reported that “SEEK paid in the low single-digit million-dollar range for the stake, which is understood to be substantial but well under 50 per cent.” The Sidekicker
Article source:Ross Clennett - Sidekicker: Seek like more than one kind of cake»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Does HR Certification Even Matter? [Podcast] by Ben

If you’ve read this blog for more than a few days, you know I’m no stranger to the discussion around HR certification. But today I’m going to share some thoughts from a recent conversation with a friend and colleague on why HR certification matters and how to leverage it for career success. It was a fun discussion with Kristina Minyard, who recently completed her own SHRM-SCP exam, about the value of both the HRCI and SHRM certification options. Click here to check out the episode and listen in.

Notes from the podcast

• Link to the episode
• Ben celebrates his 10th wedding anniversary and his one year anniversary running Lighthouse Research.
• Kristina also participated in episode two, Recruiting as a Service.
• Ben and Kristina talk about why certification matters to them as volunteer leaders, speakers, professionals, and more.
• Kristina points out why certification is different from education and why it is arguably more important.
• Ben and Kristina discuss the HRCI vs SHRM options for certification exams.
• Kristina talks about group vs solo prep and which works best
• Ben reminds everyone about some of the certification tools available on upstartHR
• Kristina talks about her recent experience taking and passing the SHRM-SCP exam and her lessons learned

If you enjoyed this show, be sure to check out all the show archives!

Article source:Ben - Does HR Certification Even Matter? [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Onploy: Do Seek want to have their cake and eat it too (again)? by Ross Clennett

For the whole of Seek’s life there has been an uneasy alliance between Australia’s largest jobs board, Seek, and its recruitment agency clientele. In the early days, the large recruitment agencies were a very important foundation source of revenue for the fledging Seek at the end of the last millennium. Subsequent to Seek’s listing on the ASX in April 2005, recruitment agencies continued to
Article source:Ross Clennett - Onploy: Do Seek want to have their cake and eat it too (again)?»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Expectations and Engaged Employees by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

The concept of employee engagement is used so frequently in the world of work, I often see my leadership colleagues in a variety of industries roll their eyes when it comes up in conversation.

Yet, they publicly espouse the value and priority of having an engaged workforce...that it will make a huge difference in the performance of their companies...and that without it they will fall behind their competition.

Wait, what? 

I think I've stumbled onto one of the disconnects between leaders and engaged employees.

Expectations.

The Leader Lens
In my experience, I see many leaders wishing they could somehow "see" or "feel" the engagement of the employees. I'm not entirely sure what this means though.

- Should there be big smiles all day every day?
- Should there be verbal expressions of gratitude?
- Should there be public displays of a$$ kissing?

Regardless the expectation, the notion that a tangible behavior validates a degree of workforce engagement seems to be more important than whether or not they actually are engaged in the first place.

The Employee Lens
Here's my candid take on the employee side of the engagement issue. 

Create a positive energy in the workplace, prioritize their needs, be supportive and inclusive, share as much as you can as quickly as possible, pay competitively, recognize good performers and remove poor ones, be accessible to the team, be clear on expectations and performance, don't trick yourself into believing your job title makes you smarter than the team, laugh at yourself, be honest, be fair, be human.

Oh, and I don't think they necessarily want to jump up and down in joyful praise...they just want to do a good job.

How About You
Try strapping the employee lens on when you walk out of your office this afternoon. How does your world look now? Any different?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.
Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Expectations and Engaged Employees»

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