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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s the HR way.

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

So what did we talk about?

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

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

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

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

It. Was. Awesome.

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

And we did.

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

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

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Guest Article: Why @Victorio_M is Awesome! #timsackettday by Robin Schooling

When I think about my friend Victorio Millian I have strong visual recollections. I see the beautiful photos he takes of his beloved NYC and the smiling faces of his two kids and their mother. I remember the times we’ve been able to sit down and have a chat and a bit of fun at various events over the years. I remember that the first time we met face to face (as people are wont to say) was in an elevator. In 2010.

Victorio is a human resources professional. And a damn good one. As with most exceptional people who work in HR he is an unsung hero; working tirelessly behind the scenes to not only make organizations better but to also keep the “human” front and center. I’ve seen him hit the high notes in both the art and the science of HR; formulating strategy (science) and implementing strategy (art).

So today, on #timsackettday, I am thrilled to salute a great HR professional who works his tail off, fights the good fight (for ALL people), and is just an all around superb guy.

Find him and talk to him and you’ll know exactly why I feel the way I do:

Victorio on Twitter

Victorio on LinkedIn

Victorio’s Creative Chaos blog

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about #timsackettday: several years ago Laurie Ruettimann started a meme to honor HR professionals who get it done without seeking fame and fortune. Previous honorees have been Tim Sackett, Paul Hebert, and Kelly Dingee. And It’s always a surprise to the honoree…even more fun!

Happy #timsackettday Victorio!

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Guest Article: I’m from HR. And I’m Here to Help. by Robin Schooling

I really am.

But I understand why you may not believe me.

Over the years, perhaps, you’ve had frustrating interactions with poker-faced human resources ladies desperately clinging to antiquated policies and procedures.

It’s entirely possible that an HR Business Partner, who, according to your company collateral is supposed to ‘build coalitions and effect change,’ only brought about frustration by tossing up roadblocks and obstacles.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the last time you had a positive interaction with HR was when you ate donuts and played games in New Employee Orientation and it’s been all downhill since then.

But I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

Many HR practitioners are not, deep down, the black-hearted trolls they appear to be. Many of them absolutely DO want to help employees, applicants, managers, and leaders.

Oh sure, there will always be prissy, useless, nasty or power-hungry HR practitioners. There will also always be jackholes who work in sales, nerds without social skills who work in IT, and narcissistic (and impossibly attractive) people who work as pharmaceutical account executives.

And you thought of someone you’ve worked with, met at a social function, or heard about who fit every one of those stereotypes. Didn’t you?

Look…a vast number of the gals and guys who work in human resources begin their career filled with dewy optimism; they want to make a difference in an organization by working with and through people. Many want to move from prescribing activities and enforcing rules and begin working as full partners in the influencing of business outcomes.

They’re from HR.

And they’re here to help.

Please let them.

********

image via Roger Wilkerson

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Guest Article: Salute to Volunteers – #SHRMLead by Robin Schooling

This week, close to 900 volunteer leaders will gather in Washington D.C. for the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Volunteer Leaders’ Summit. With a theme this year of “Prepare. Change. Lead.” the event is designed to prepare chapter and state council leaders to guide their organizations in alignment with SHRM’s goals and initiatives. No easy feat; 2015 promises to be a year of continued complexity for the largest HR professional organization as we get the full roll out of the new SHRM certifications.

I myself was a SHRM volunteer leader for well over a decade, serving as chapter president back in the day and holding various roles on chapter boards and with the Louisiana SHRM State Council. I feel like I’ve been a member forever and yet, for all the drama and hits-or-misses that may occur, I always promote membership – especially for new professionals and/or those who wish to network, learn and build relationships with their professional peers.

In 2002 I moved cross-country, relocating from Milwaukee, WI to Baton Rouge, LA. Within a few weeks of arriving in town I attended my first local SHRM chapter meeting and one of the very first people I met was Rebecca Briley who, at the time, was serving on the GBR SHRM board of directors. She quickly became a close and dear friend and we’ve spent countless fun times together whether strolling on Bourbon Street, laughing over dinner and cocktails, or just hanging out and working hard. She’s been a tireless champion for the human resources profession and SHRM and I was so incredibly happy for her when she was elected to serve as a member of SHRM’s Membership Advisory Council a few years ago.

The MAC Representatives are elected by their respective Regional Councils and serve either a 1 or 2 year term. As we wrap up 2014, four of the five MACs are ending their terms and I would like to give them a shout out this week for all they do to connect volunteer leaders with the SHRM Board of Directors. Closing out their terms of service are:

• Kris Avery, SPHR – Northeast Region

• Paula Harvey, GPHR – Southeast Region

• Rebecca Briley – Southwest Central Region

• Debbie Horne, SPHR – Pacific West Region

Steve Browne, SPHR – North Central Region – will continue on as MAC Rep for 2015, joined by 4 new volunteer leaders from the other regions.

So thanks to the MAC Reps, the state council volunteers, the chapter volunteers and all the members who work so hard to connect HR professionals to business and community.

I salute you. You DO make a difference.

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Guest Article: Information Exchange – #KronosWorks by Robin Schooling

I recently got back from KronosWorks 2014, the annual conference for Kronos users which Kronos defines as ‘the world’s largest management information exchange.’ And yes – I can attest having attended for two years now – there is a vast exchange of information.

This past weekend before I headed off to Vegas for the conference, I mentioned to some other HR/Recruiting friends that I was attending the event. The general consensus was “user conferences are just a way for the vendors to get more money from their existing customers.” I disagreed. Big time. And here’s why…every single attendee I speak to at user conferences says the same thing –“the biggest value in attending is learning from other users.”

And to reinforce the point I heard this sentiment expressed multiple times earlier this week. I sat at breakfast with a customer who was at the event with her colleagues from around the world; her team is responsible for running 70 weekly payrolls and they’ve been using Kronos for years. Obviously she’s surrounded, daily, by experienced Kronos users with whom she can confer. Yet she expressed her delight in attending the event each year to learn from other users. “We may do things a certain way and they work for us,” she pointed out, “but I always find that people from other industries and companies have different – and sometimes better – ways of accomplishing the same objectives we do. Every year I learn something new that leads me to make adjustments when I get back to the office.”

Touche.

One of the sessions I attended was “Modern Problems Require Mobile Solutions” in which we discussed the Kronos Workforce Mobile solutions. While a handful of attendees in the session indicated they are already using Workforce Mobile Solutions when the speaker asked who in the room was considering going mobile, the vast majority of hands in the room raised high. We discussed smartphones and tablets; we explored the interplay between BYOD or Mobile Device Management programs. And these weren’t just large enterprise customers; attendees using Kronos Workforce Ready (for small and midsize business) mobile solutions shared their stories and asked questions of their peers. Learning from each other means scaling up or scaling down….right?

Is this sexy HR? Maybe not. It is, however, necessary HR – controlling labor costs, minimizing compliance risk, and improving workforce productivity. All the stuff that we, as HR professionals need to get right the first time. Every time.

So thanks to the team at Kronos for bringing me to this event for a second year. While they provided compensation, the thoughts and opinions I’ve expressed either here on the blog or via other social channels are mine alone and they had no expectations other than I tell it like I see it.

And one thing I’ve seen the last two years is a willingness to listen to customers. Aron Ain (Kronos CEO) and the rest of his team are visible and accessible at every turn as they wander throughout the conference having conversations. I attended two separate events where Aron and his team were open, forthright and willing to answer any and all questions: this occurred both at Monday’s Executive Roundtable for Analysts, Bloggers & Press and at Tuesday’s Customer Spotlight Breakfast.

So if you, like my friends, consider user conferences to be merely a money grab I want to let you know that nothing is further from the truth.

These conferences are, indeed, a needed and valuable information exchange.

**********

Check out the Workforce Management blogging team at Kronos and follow them for great content all throughout the year. And no – you don’t have to be a Kronos customer/user to get great relevant information from these fantastic writers.

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Guest Article: Culture: You Can’t Fake It by Robin Schooling

I think by now we all have a pretty clear sense of what company culture is: the collective behavior of the people who are part of the organization as formed by organizational values, norms, systems, beliefs, symbols and traditions. Culture affects the way individual employees and groups interact with each other as well as how they interact with customers, clients and other stakeholders.

It’s the foundation that impacts ‘how stuff gets done.’

In any given organization, there is not one person (or group) who defines culture. There is not one person (or group) who owns it. There is not one person (or group) who controls it.

Yet many who work in HR and Recruiting (or, sometimes, those who advise them) dash around in misguided efforts to categorize their culture as something it’s not.

Perhaps there’s a need to pump up college recruiting efforts to meet projected growth and hiring needs. It’s entirely possible that turnover is picking up and there’s a mass exodus of employees so the HR Department feels an urgent need to re-brand because a member of the HR team sat in a session about branding at a local SHRM conference. Employees (per the latest annual engagement survey!) are demoralized, un-challenged and just not feeling it.

“Hey,” says Debbie the HR Leader, “until we can change the culture, let’s promote what we want it to be.”

See what’s wrong there? First of all, neither Debbie nor her team should believe they can change culture through some sort of voodoo HR. And they most assuredly should not communicate a misleading version of today’s reality. Their culture, whether they consider it great, mediocre or downright evil, is-what-it-is.

But Debbie and her team may still persist in promoting the organization’s ASPIRATIONAL culture as opposed to the ACTUAL culture.

I sat through an event the other week in which the speaker (who had no specific recruiting experience by the way) promised to share the secrets to winning various recruiting and retention wars, battles and skirmishes.

At one stage she advised the audience members to review their company’s career sites. ‘If you don’t have any smiling faces on your career site make sure you show people being happy at work!’ she advised. ‘That’s how you’ll get people to apply!’

Oh bullshit. For so many reasons.

Stock photos on a company career site are as inauthentic as Kim Kardashian. A contrived employer brand is false advertising. A counterfeit value proposition is worthless. And the goal (no matter what this speaker told audience members) is not to get more people to apply; it’s to get the right people to apply. If a company culture is controlling, formal and efficient then THAT is the story to tell; there are candidates who desire a work environment like that – and they can be found.

So Debbie feels good (and HR smart!) when she heads to the quarterly Executive Team Meeting and unveils new tag lines for the company career site: “We have a collaborative culture” “We’re creative and innovative!” “Our culture promotes teamwork and consensus building!”

But she’s just gotten into TAO Nightclub with a Fake ID. She bought a rip-off Gucci bag. She pulled a Nancy Drew.

Is she really satisfied? Or is she just glad it’s over?

*********

image courtesy of Nancy Drew Sleuth

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Guest Article: I’m on a Boat! by Robin Schooling

I attended a Lunch N’ Learn meeting yesterday sponsored by a local business group. There were about 15 people in attendance from both small businesses and large multi-state organizations. The topic, of interest to all as based on the discussion that ensued, was ‘Employee Engagement.’

Being immersed as I am in the world of HR I was curious to see how this topic was presented by a non-HR person and what conversations would ensue from this group of business owners, mid-level managers and organizational leaders.

Some, but not all, of those in attendance were familiar with the term if not the general concept of engagement. The speaker shared some of the Gallup results we’ve all become used to seeing and then explained it something like this:

“Imagine 10 people are on a rowboat adrift on the ocean. 5 of them are just doing their job and getting by (neither engaged nor disengaged), 3 people are actively working to manage the situation (engaged) and 2 are sitting back and doing nothing (actively disengaged).”

It was an easily understandable metaphor for the crowd to get.

But…

…. it led the group down a dangerous path of what they would do were they in charge of that boat. The general consensus seemed to be that the 2 people doing nothing merely needed to be tossed overboard. Get rid of the dead weight. Feed them to the sharks. Consign them to Davy Jones’ Locker.

The problem, amid laughter, appeared to be solved.

But isn’t this, unfortunately, how leaders and mangers sometimes think? “The problem is with the employees; not me!” “Slackers!” “We do so much for them; why won’t they work harder and care?”

And so managers and leaders and yes, HR professionals the world over, find it easier to wash their hands of the situation rather than dive deep and ask the questions like “What if it IS us?” “What sort of conditions exist that prevent people from working harder and caring?”

Why are we adrift on the ocean in this f*#king boat in the first place?”

*****

Last week we had the first-ever community-wide “Best Places to Work” luncheon; as with many of these ‘awards’ the emphasis when sharing the winners’ stories seemed to be on ping pong tournaments and foosball tables; jeans day and on-site flu shots. Company fishing tournaments with matching polo shirts. Hey… that’s the stuff that makes for fun reading. That also, sadly, leads some organizational leaders or HR practitioners to attempt to repair that leaking boat with a patch of silicone.

Of course, in the recap of the BPTW luncheon, it was pointed out that “when it comes right down to it, the real perks of any profession in the Capital Region are these: feeling valued in an organization, having confidence in the company’s leadership, feeling a sense of progress and knowing that your employer truly cares about their employees’ well-being.”

Hire right. Treat people right. Let them have a voice. Show them they are valued and that their contributions are important.

Although, I guess, those fishing skills from the company fishing tournament might come in handy when one is adrift on the ocean.

********

image from “Jaws” via Universal Pictures

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Guest Article: Making the Unconscious Conscious – Live from #SHRMDiv by Robin Schooling

I’m excited to be attending the SHRM Diversity & Inclusion Conference and Exposition in New Orleans today; it’s the first time I’ve been able to attend this event and want to thank SHRM for inviting me to participate as a blogger. Rumor has it I might be doing some video interviews later today as well (stay tuned) so I best get my camera-face ready. Or something.

SHRM’s CHRO, Jeff Pons, kicked off the conference with a lively and interactive session where we had the opportunity (challenge?) of discussing unconscious bias at our tables. We also watched “Making the Unconscious Conscious” – a super video from Google (Life at Google). Go watch it. It’s worth it

And then, dear reader, I implore you to share it with your organizational leaders, HR colleagues and others who can benefit.

It’s an important conversation to have.

p.s. follow the conference hashtag #SHRMDiv through Wednesday!

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Guest Article: Happy Mardi Gras! by Robin Schooling

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