Blogging4Jobs

Just the other evening, On Episode 55 Steve Boese had a guest that reminded me of the first HR Blog I ever read.  I would also be remiss in not mentioning that Suzanne Lucas also started the Carnival of HR.  I am not exactly sure when that was probably about 4 years ago or so. It got me to thinking about how far this whole medium has come in a very short time.  The Evil HR Lady did and still uses a Google blog. Today Google blogs are viewed as somewhat less than feature rich, and when she started blogging, at that time adding pictures to a blog site then was really pushing the envelope.

Now when I compare that to what is going on today, with things like HR Happy Hour and Drive Thru HR (Both on Blog talk Radio), plus video feeds that are used daily in blogs,on you tube, Facebook as well as the other video outlets, it is really amazing how fast all of this technology has come to fruition.  Further, today there is a seemingly endless supply of HR blogs, now, adding me to that list.

This really isn’t news to those of you who follow this, but it did get me thinking about the naysayers. Those of us who are dues paying members to the Church of Social Media know and get that this.  All of this is stuff is fascinating, intriguing and really fun. Mike VanDervort speaking at HRevolution said something about blogging that I took to heart.  Mike said, “It keeps me learning.”  That is about as succinct as it can be.  But…how do we push this to those who are disinterested in Social Media, or to use an HR term disengaged.

All of these tools and things that we (the converted) play with in blogging, social media and the like all have legitimate business purpose, if you know how to use them.  Herein lies the disconnect; they (those who have not been proselytized) don’t understand this. They do not see ROI here..

Today, literally any person can shoot a video and put it up on Youtube. Young children are posting on Youtube. Should not a college educated professional be able to figure this out?  These are employee communication TOOLS, available to everyone. Even a CEO or CFO (maybe with a little help) could record a podcast/audio message and distribute it to the entire Company, that way all employees could hear the same thing from the Company’s top executive. It’s green (no paper) too!  There are many options available that are free for the taking, google blogs, youtube, linkedin groups, Facebook pages/groups.  They are all there for free via the internet AND if you are not using them you are going to be left in the weeds, or said another way. You will be scratching your unemployed a–, trying to figure out what you should have done.

So if you have any friends in HR that are dead set against this Social Media stuff; send them a link to this post, while they still are still employed and have email at work.

Our honest & controversial guest blogger on Blogging4Jobs is Dave Ryan.  Dave has been in HR since it was called Personnel. Dave is active with SHRM in many different aspects.  Dave is also a certified U.S.A. Hockey Official and a frequent speaker at local colleges who speaks about H.R. topics and social media in the workplace. Dave enjoys reading blogs, staying current on H.R. topics, officiating ice hockey, golf, computers and all gadgets electronic. You can find Dave on LinkedInDavetheHRCzar. and on twitter, @davethehrczar.

Photo Credit Godvertiser.

Last year, I put together a list of HR Bloggers by state and country.  It was a great opportunity to network and build relationships with other HR professionals and bloggers, and it’s time that I updated my list.  Since I first announced the HR Blogger Project and Directory in 2009, the HR social media community has grown by leaps and bounds.

To give you some perspective, Since Oct. 2009–

• We’ve had 2 (yes, 2) HR Evolution Conferences.

• The 2010 SHRM Conference had over 1400 tweets with the #shrm10 hashtag in under 7 days and almost 100 blog posts can be attributed to the conference.

• SHRM, the leading HR Professional Organization has seen 2 different C-Suite resignations since the HR Blogger Project was first realized.

• I’ve traveled to three different countries and began consulting full time (including TRU London & Recruitfest).

• Blogging4Jobs has posted over 100 blog posts since October 2009. (We will approach 400 in 2010.)

Anticipate some changes to the next HR Blogger Directory.  It will become a resource for both HR bloggers and those that want access to the social media HR community.  We will segment the list by industry and topic of blogging as well as other new and exciting things.  The directory is open to companies, practioners, pundits, and consultants.  There are no limitations.  Recruiters, Resume Writers, and Career Coaches are also encouraged to be part of the list.

Are you on the list?  Check out the 2009 HR Blogger Directory and let me know if you would like to be added to the list or any changes made.  Look for the new directory to be made available later this fall.

What you need to do–

**Email me directly at blogging4jobs@gmail.com and include HR Blogger Project in the email title.  Include your name, email, blog address, industry, state, twitter, and phone number (if you are comfortable) within the body of the email.  I will do my best to add you to the list.  Be patient because I will get a lot of requests, but I will respond to you that I have received your email and will announce when the HR Blogger Directory 2010 goes live.

Photo Credit Visionary Marketing.

Human Resources practioners who are working in the trenches need access to information, advice, and data immediately outside of HR associations like SHRM and ASTD.  Thankfully, there are HR bloggers, communities, and websites that are providing HR pros with real time information and resources.  Here are a handful of resources, in fact Six resources that I recommend HR professionals add to their RSS readers or bookmark.

• The Human Race Horses.  An HR blog managed by Mike Vandervort.  Mike discusses Human Resource topics, Labor Relations and a mix of social media.

• TNLT.  An HR extension of the popular Electronic Recruiting Exchange or ERE, TNLT is a new network of HR related blog posts and articles.

• LinkedIn HR.  Almost 300,000 members strong.  This is a valuable resource and LinkedIn Group to build connections, ask questions, and learn about news and information concerns the HR Practioner.

• SmartBrief Workforce.  An amazing email newsletter and resource with a collection of leading HR bloggers and practioners.  Last week’s announcement of their new editor and former COO of SHRM, China Gorman is a smart move for this publication.

• HR Fishbowl.  Charlie Judy is a senior level HR practioner and one of my favorite new and upcoming HR bloggers.  He is focused on HR issues and provides an experienced point of view with a focus on strategic and feet on the street human resources.

• The HR Net.  Steve Browne, an HR Practioner from Ohio who has created an amazing HR Forum that is free and available for anyone to join called The HR Net.  He sends weekly updates to members of the forum who are able to post HR questions and comments anonymously.  Connect with Steve directly to learn more at sbrowne@larosas.com.
  

Do you have a great Trench HR Resources you care to share?  Leave a comment let the Blogging4Jobs readers know.

Photo Credit Dry Icons.

I graduated college on May 15, 2010 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business. I knew before I graduated that it would be hard getting a job. My dad was laid off from his job and it took him six months to find another. He then had that job for six months and got laid off again in which he was unemployed for another six months before finding his current job. Our economy sucks.  That’s a ‘duh’ statement, but I think there has been a breakdown in communication between the HR world and those applying for jobs. I don’t necessarily blame this on Human Resource professionals because their industry has been affected just as much, if not more than other industries.

I have applied for job after job after job after job to no avail. You send your resume to employers through job sites such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Yahoo Hotjobs, Craigslist (which is a joke), Simply Hired, Snagajob.com, and directly to employers. My experience through these job sites is awful. You spend over an hour filling out ridiculous surveys that employers say really do help, only to find you aren’t qualified for a certain job. That isn’t including perfecting your cover letter for each job and fine-tuning your resume to make it stand out for a certain job. I have learned that it’s not directly HR’s fault most of the time because these are required systems and it costs a lot of money to deviate.

I’m not sure HR professionals really understand the effort and time it takes to fill out these applications. If a job applicant was only applying for their job, I’d understand the time that it takes, but we are filling out 5-10 applications a day. That’s a full time job! I have been told in the past that if an application takes more than an hour to fill out, that I shouldn’t waste my time in completing it. I wish I could afford that luxury, but in reality most people can’t. I spend hours a day filling out these surveys to test if I like to build ships or solve math problems. I think these assessments are jokes nonetheless, but essential if you want to get a job. I’ve read different job boards and blogs that have broken down the logic of these questions.

I know for a fact that Human Resource specialists and directors have tons of applicants per job, and in doing their job they don’t have time to read and carefully consider every applicant. They brush over your resume in five seconds, when it took you an hour or more to fill out the entire application. There are even more professionals out there that give you opinions on how to make your resume stand out, but there is no logic to it, because everyone differs, there is no one way.

Everyone is frustrated. College graduates who don’t have a job by the time they graduate are told to return to school and get their masters, but what about after their masters? With no experience and a lot of education, you won’t get anywhere. Internships that are paid are few and far between and you usually have to be enrolled in school to obtain one. Once you graduate, you are thrown to the wolves without experience, which means you are less likely to get a job that you want.

If the position makes under 25K, then I’m over qualified. Do HR professionals understand that we all have to start somewhere? There are two sides to the coin, but I think HR professionals usually look at the wrong side. It’s been two months since I graduated college. Those who are looking for jobs explain the process as depressing. I think it could be a lot better if HR professionals were more transparent in the process. I know it’s hard with 100,000 applicants per job, but it’s hard on our end as well applying everyday for months at a time until we hear news. We can show patience if you help us out and if we didn’t get the job, send us an email, anything.

What do you think?  Are HR professionals looking at potential applicants in the wrong manner? Are the job assessments really useful? I would love to hear from previous HR professionals about these assessments and what they tell you about applicants.

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to upset Human Resource professionals because I know your job is just as hard, your budget is being slashed, and you have tons of applicants to few HR Specialists. What I said isn’t anything that I haven’t been told by people who are searching for jobs. It’s a rough process and I believe if there was more communication we would all peacefully co-exist and finding a job wouldn’t be such a long and depressing process.

Blake McCammon, is an intern at Xceptional HR and is also our Gen Y twice monthly blog contributor.  Connect with Blake on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.  Blake is a recent grad of Northeastern State University with a degree in Business Administration.  During school he created and managed his university’s social media strategy while also spearheading a university “Go Green” campaign.

Photo Credit: eWashtenaw

The SHRM 2010 annual conference is in the books. I think that by any measure it would be rated as highly successful. Prior to the conference I had a guest post, Practioner’s Criticism into SHRM’s Blog Squad.  My thanks to Jessica for giving me the space to share my opinion; I was honored to do so.  In the post, I questioned the wisdom of the make-up of the SHRM blog squad, chosen by the powers that be at SHRM.  My comments centered around this, there were not enough Human Resource Generalist in the group. While I still think that is the case, I must commend the SHRM blog squad – they did a GREAT JOB! All of the bloggers provided a real flavor of the event, pretty much in real-time. I haven’t read all of the posts yet but hope to do so.

In an attempt to support my position, I contacted SHRM to get some demographic data on the organization.  It took several days for them to get back to me but now I finally have the information I needed to support my case. Direct from SHRM HQ, generalist make up a large majority of members at a whopping 52%.

After looking at this data, it would almost appear that they should have had more women blogging as well as women make up 77% of membership. Us HR pros have to hit our demographic numbers all the time, right? If so inclined I guess you could dissect this data in many different ways to get it to support many different arguments.

So one more time, a big thanks to the SHRM Blog Squad, and all of the conference bloggers for a job well done!

Guest blogger on Blogging4Jobs is Dave Ryan has been in HR since it was called Personnel. Dave is active with SHRM in many different aspects.  Dave is also a certified U.S.A. Hockey Official and a frequent speaker at local colleges who speaks about H.R. topics and social media in the workplace. Dave enjoys reading blogs, staying current on H.R. topics, officiating ice hockey, golf, computers and all gadgets electronic. You can find Dave on LinkedInDavetheHRCzar. and on twitter, @davethehrczar.

As a first time attendee to the SHRM Global Conference, I wanted to get the most out of every single minute in sessions, keynotes, and evening activities. A conference is more than just sessions, tracks, talks, and the bookstore.  It’s about a state of mind and experiencing your conference experience outside the box and outside of SHRM.

• Self Reflection. The conference is action packed but between sessions and events, we must self-reflect and decompress otherwise we can quickly approach information overload.  I found sanctuary during my state at SHRM in the HRCI Hideaway.  Certified professionals can relax, eat, and engage quietly from the crowds.  One of the highlights of my conference experience was my 15 minute back, neck and foot massage in the Hideaway.

• Mingle. Mingle outside your comfort zone and outside your circle of friends at large and small conferences and events such as this.  SHRM encourages networking among like-minded professionals in a comfortable and controlled atmosphere with a program called, Meet and Eat. I attended dinner at la Fiesta with 19 other strangers over dinner and met some amazing HR professionals from all over the United States. Meet and Eat has groups from large to small at a variety of different restaurants throughout the conference.  I encourage all professionals to attend an event such as this.

• Be Friends with Vendors. To make the most of my time when visiting the vendor hall, I targeted specific vendors in which to meet with.  Just like when making my grocery list, I created a list in order of booth number to make my visits organized, smooth, and controlled.  Because I am a consultant and business owner who is always in sales and engagement mode, I wanted to make the most of my time.  I employ this strategy at the grocery store by writing my list in order of the store and depending on how busy the store is, I leave with a cart full of groceries in 30 minutes.

• Social Stream. Hands down the social stream in my opinion was the best way to engage the conference outside of the box whether you are here in San Diego or listening in from your office, smart phone, or living room.  At the time of this blog post being published, there were over 5,700 tweets that included the #shrm10 hash tag over 7 days.  The Monster Street team with @beneubanks and @cincyrecruiter, Smart Brief’s video coverage of the conference and  along with the other three members of the SHRM 10 Blog Squad, David Bowles, @akabruno, and @adowling.

I think that Eric Winegardner, the VP of Client Adoption at Monster Worldwide said it best, “This conference (SHRM) is about optimisim and with tools like social media we no longer have to say, see you next year.  We can say see you tomorrow.”

Winegardner’s sentiments have been echoed throughout this amazing event.   The openness is surprising refreshing and with the rapid adoption of social media at this conference, SHRM can truly say it’s officially moving to Next and outside of the conference, outside of the box.

Photo Credit Go Smell the Coffee.

Change.  It’s coming.

The concept of change is an underlying theme and focus for the 2010 Global SHRM Conference where I am serving as a member of the SHRM Blog Squad.  Certainly, the simple fact that I am a member of this group of bloggers is reflective of the concept, necessity, and importance of change even for a large and respected organization such as SHRM.  And when I think about the process of change, its meaning, the internal and external struggle, all while considering the necessity of change, I am excited.  I am energized, and I am hopeful.

The Human Resource profession is at a cross-roads.  Issues like  healthcare reform, work/life issues, economic change, and social tools are driving organizations and companies like SHRM as well as your own into a new and different direction.

It is conferences such as these that I feel as though I’m a Change Lepper, embraced and understood by a small percentage of a new movement within the Human Resource professional I call HR 2.0.  As a blogger and social media Human Resources professional I represent HR 2.0 and change, a very big shift in the profession in which I’ve been a member of for over 10 years.

It’s beneficial for the traditional Human Resource population to embrace your leppers of change like me for a variety of reasons.  A change lepper lives on the edge working hard to push the envelope.  You may have a CL at your office.  They are the person that are constantly providing you with creative and innovative suggestions by many that is seen as far fetched.

The question for CL’s is also how to engage and reach the traditional HR audience to help promote our message and educate others on the importance and benefits of  HR 2.0.

Get outside your comfortable zone and try something new.  Push yourself and your organization or someone else will.  Start getting real with change and begin embracing new ideas, new people, and the new and different world in which we live in.  Set aside your excuses, your preconceived notions, and opinions and listen.  Listen to your interns, Generational Y, or even your mother and be open to a new and different perspective.

Be open to possibility, new tools, and information.

Photo Credit Boston Herald.

As a member of the SHRM Blog Squad and an author who writes about the business case for social media and who is also an experienced HR practioner and consultant, I don’t mind talking about why social media matters.  And I’m proud of SHRM for jumping in with two feet into the world of social media.

Picture social media like a giant 18 hole golf course.  You and your some business associates are golfing to benefit a local non-profit.  Aside from your friends on your scramble team, there are millions golfing on this social media golf course at the same time although maybe for different reasons.  And while you tee off, you laugh, joke, and maybe enjoy some adult beverages with your conversation weaving in and out of topics from personal to family, and business with your friends and those around you.

Just like in real life sometimes those conversations and connections with your golfing buddies move and flow with no real purpose or agenda.  What matters from a business standpoint isn’t the business conversations but the personal relationships that are developed that benefit you and your new friends in the long term.

This is social media.

And because this golf course has millions of professionals across industries and across the world, you can get golf tips, business recommendations, and suggestions with just the click of a mouse.  Bloggers, writers, practioners, and professionals are writing and offering their opinion, suggestions, and recommendations trusting you as a member of the social media country club.  And this country club has open access to anyone at anytime with little or no cost or barrier to entry.

Just like golf, social media is not for everyone.  It is however, a recognized game of business where individuals seek to become skilled and comfortable with the different clubs and learn to navigate water hazards and sand traps hoping to improve their game to benefit themselves and their business in the long term.   And just as in golf, what often matters more is not being the best on the course but understanding the strategy, the economics, and the global and local context in which your company or business works while providing your company an advantage at the same time.

Because as an HR professional we seek to help grow and benefit our business with a new and different human capital perspective and if golf course can help you help your organization, isn’t it worth giving the swing of the clubs a chance?

This is social media.

*Get the inside scoop on the SHRM Global Conference happpening June 27-30th by visiting the SHRM 10 Blog Squad’s site. Me and three other blog squad members will be blogging and posting multiple updates throughout the conference.

Photo Credit Hartwigquentinyunn.

I like to feature guest blogger’s who provide different and interesting points of view, and when Dave Ryan commented on my own blog post about the SHRM Blog Squad,  Me + SHRM x (Blog Squad) = Dangerous, I encouraged him to serve as a guest blogger on Blogging4Jobs.

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I am really thrilled that SHRM is going to have bloggers at the 2010 annual conference.  But when I saw the list, I could not help but think what audience are they trying to reach with the selection of this Blog Squad? Given, we do not know who applied and SHRM could only select from the group of bloggers who did apply. But I feel like my interests got trashed.   I am an HR guy in a relatively small, privately held manufacturing company.  I am the HR person who does it all. Mike VanDervort described me in this recent post. I am that person.

I have been involved with SHRM National and my local chapter (CIC-SHRM #223) for a long time and now at the State level (IL State Council).  In a completely unscientific measurement, I would say that many, if not most, of the people I come across who are SHRM members, find themselves in a similar capacity.   We are doing HR in the trenches everyday.

Now I look at the Blog Squad and think I don’t really relate to these folks and what they do(with all due respect, to Jessica, as she is gracious enough to give me her platform to question this, and I have also met, and like  all-around good guy Matthew Stollak akaBruno). On the Blog Squad, I see two Ph.Ds (author & professor), a recruiter and a consultant.  And then coming in at # 5 we have April Dowling, the only person who is a generalist (who does what I do). My mind works visually and the graph to the left represents my correlation to the blog squad.

Perhaps this is just my own Napoleonic complex coming into play here, it seems like the little guys and the smaller organizations are having a hard time “getting a seat at the table.” On the SHRM website, they say 50% of its members work at organizations with more than 500 employees.  I look at that and see 50% of its members work at organizations with less than 500 employees. I know the big Companies and big interests throw the big dollar$ at SHRM National.  But, can anyone give me an example of a 100-member or less local chapter that is headed by a Fortune 100 executive or Ph.D.?  It is, after all, the local chapters that hold the local meetings, put programs together with CEUs and do much of the bidding of SHRM National.   So, you would think they could give us a couple more bloggers who are generalists, or at least some folks who deal with the organization’s human resources day in and day out.

Guest blogger on Blogging4Jobs is Dave Ryan has been in HR since it was called Personnel. Dave is active with SHRM in many different aspects.  Dave is also a certified U.S.A. Hockey Official and a frequent speaker at local colleges who speaks about H.R. topics and social media in the workplace. Dave enjoys reading blogs, staying current on H.R. topics, officiating ice hockey, golf, computers and all gadgets electronic. You can find Dave on LinkedInDavetheHRCzar. and on twitter, @davethehrczar.

Photo Credit Chezgrae.

The world as we know it is changing and for a variety of reasons. The Wall Street Journal announced this week that for the first time since 2008 there were more voluntarily resignations than layoffs in February of this year.  The American perception is that the economy is improving.   In a poll conducted by human-resources consultant Right Management at the close of 2009, found that 60% of workers said they intended to leave their jobs when the market got better.  Social Recruiting has been the topic of conversation during the past month, and yet the concept and control surrounding social media is staring the majority of HR professionals, executives, and leaders in the face especially in this improving economy.

No one’s talking about it, and it’s time I helped change that.

And along with social media and control, the idea and understanding of how employee engagement plays a role also lingers.  While I whole heartedly support the social recruiting movement, I ask you, “Isn’t it easier to fix a leaky bucket first?”

I don’t have all the answers.  No one does.  In this new HR world, I call HR 2.0 things are turned upside down.  Companies are put to the test.  HR professionals must be apprised of things in real time and as they happen.  Managers, teams, and entry level employees must be trained in HR and PR crisis management situations.  In this new real-time world, decisions, responses, and engagement can’t wait.  Because the wrong decision could be detrimental to your brand.

Take for example, my friend Dave Mendoza who recently wrote of a frustrating and embarrassing customer experience with Frontier Airlines.  A flight attendant made a hasty decision to remove Dave and his family from a flight.  Dave who recounts his experience here, has taken to the social media and blogosphere to seek redemption.  For his ordeal, Dave was placed back on the same flight and later after his flight  he and his family were offered a $150 flight voucher.

All things–hiring, terminations, corrective action decisions, benefits campaigns, corporate communication, customer interactions must be scrutinized at even higher magnification in preparation for the possibility of some unknown or unforeseen situation.  How you react in times of crisis can escalate or deflate the situation and Dave’s situation although unfortunate is a prime example.

The new HR 2.0 must be prepared to fill the leaky bucket by reacting strategically, quickly, and appropriately to additional situations like:

• Union Organizations leveraging social media. If you’re not using social media and engaging your employees, chances are someone is or will be.

• Confidentiality Breeches. Employee investigations must be conducted swiftly and thoroughly.  Social tools like Facebook, Twitter, and other networks allow information to spread virally without muttering a single word.  Might be time to update your Communications and Confidentiality policy.

• Faux Brands. Are employees, customers, or competitors misrepresenting or managing your brand?  Probably so.  Sites like LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Groups, and Discussion Boards historically have no verification system in place.

• Inaccurate Information. In this new HR 2.0 world, everyone is a citizen journalist with a public platform, website, or blog in which to voice their opinions, start conversations, and report news from their point of view accurately or inaccurately.  Companies and HR teams must work to over communicate all business decisions, changes, policies, and situations before and as they happen also providing the proper training to employees within their organization.

With HR 2.0 a change is coming where employees and consumers make the rules as a sort of new check and balance system culture.  A culture where complaints, conversations, and customer service can no longer be swept under the rug with a closed door conversation in an executive office and a shredder.  In this new world, companies choose to embrace and understand the change planning, anticipating, and welcoming customer and employee feedback.  Doing more than listening and creating an environment based on value and understanding.

Do you remember Leaky Lou from the Garbage Pail Kids?  I do.  Chances are your organization may be feeling exactly like he’s looking if you don’t start executing a leaky bucket strategy and fast.  Otherwise, it might just be your company’s cash flow that’s screeching to  a halt, and that’s not exactly a good thing.

Photo Credit Online Auction.

On Sunday, I arrived home from the HR Evolution Unconference held in Chicago, IL.  I spent the last 3 days reading and commenting on no less than 30 video posts, blog posts, and photo blogs detailing the event.  It was a whirlwind of conversations, bacon, social media, and HR all rolled into a two day event, and I loved every minute of it.

Unconferences themselves are a new frontier for many especially an event such as this.  HR Evolution 2 boasted an additional 80 new attendees compared to the first HR Evolution held in Louisville last November.  Unconferences are a gamble, a very loose set of rules and structure with only suggested topics and tracks that are audience and attendee driven.  Conversations are not scripted, powerpoints are not encouraged.  The direction is dictated by participants who drive the session with facilitators along for the ride.

An unconference can be scary.  It’s a new territory and adventure sometimes filled with pain, confusion, and buyer’s remorse.  Like any new idea, it can be painful when our security and structure that we have come to know and rely on is ripped away.

I served as co-moderator for a session alongside my friends and colleagues, Craig Fisher and Charee Klimek discussing the topic of being Outside of HR.  Like any good unconference session, it took on a life of its own.  The conversation was fantastic and in my opinion, flowed outside the topic.  That, however, is the beauty of an unconference.  No surveys or session reviews are needed.  Participants speak up and transform the discussion or move on to the next. It’s the Darwinian theory of a unconference.  Eat or be eaten.  Evolve and survive.  Not unlike the discussion that stemmed from our closing session urging us to move beyond the echo chamber.  Evolve or be eaten.

The new takes getting used to.  We digest, deconstruct, and evaluate the change reinventing ourselves and our thoughts, and over time we adapt enjoying the process.  So much so that we come back for more.  We come to anticipate the uncomfortableness, the pain, and change pushing ourselves to a new place.  And we like what we see.

This new place is where we measure all others, a standard or bar that has been raised.  Since attending my first unconference (Recruitfest!) almost a year ago, it is what I have used to measure and evaluate all others both traditional and nontraditional conference events including my own.

If evolving was easy, it wouldn’t be an HR Evolution.

Thanks to the attendees, facilitators, lurkers, and HR Evolution unconference planning committee.  You rocked it!

Photo Credit Mais Beauty Salon.

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Herding is a fine art.  Sheep dogs do it.  Cowboys too.  Security at concerts and high profile events use herding as a part of creating order in confusing, stressful, and complicated situations.

“HR Professionals?  Nope, I’m not buying it.”

Those were the exact words out of my mouth when I picked up this pin at a vendor booth at the Oklahoma Human Resource Conference.  Bacon pins I understand but cat herding, no.

And then I had a thought . . .

As an HR professional, our job is not unlike a cowboy driving employees from one direction to another.  As someone who is a mother to multiple cats, I can attest to the extremely fine art of cat herding.  And the methodology behind the process is something that can absolutely provide insight, learning, thoughts, and humor into engagement and Human Resources.

• Scatter. Groups whether feline or of the human variety have a tendency to scatter when times get tough or a challenging opportunity presents itself.  Any type of corporate or HR process involves running, ducking, determination, and redirection.

• Change. George, my cat who is 13 years young detests change.  Move his water bowl and there’s moaning and groaning.  Did I mention moaning and belly aching and for days?  Sound like anyone you know in your office or organization?

• Incentives. Finding the fabric that motivates your workforce or employee based is often found through the stomach.  Cats and employees are no different.  A good incentive can motivate and transform a culture or program sometimes on nothing more than a shoestring budget.  Tuna cat treats are my feline incentive of choice but only the crunchy variety will do.

• Love Them. Engagement equals loyalty, communication, and conversation.  Love your cats and they love you back.  People are no different.  The human relationship is the ultimate differentiation strategy.  Nicey, who is 4 years old and pictured to the above right sat underneath our bassinet for several weeks before Ryleigh was born.  Even after we brought her home from the hospital she served as a watch cat alerting me to any restlessness by Ryleigh.

• Boundaries. When herding cats, it helps to have boundaries and a direct plan for success.  Anticipate obstacles, plans for exit, and potential pitfalls.  A good cat herder prepares for the scatter, teaches and trains their team and workforce to do the same.  And sometimes we call for backup.

So what kind of cat herder or HR Professional are you? Be sure to check out the Cat Herding video below for a more detailed look into the world of Cat Herding and HR’s clear similarities. (Thanks, Patrick Allmond for sharing the cat herding video!)

Photo Credit Blogging4Jobs and shout out to The Presimmon Group for the inspirational button.

It’s hard to explain but bacon is revered by Human Resource professionals all across the world.  It’s a common theme that binds and brings us together.  Many of you know that I purchased the domain HRBacon.com.  Not sure where and when inspiration will strike for the site but I’m betting it will.

What you don’t know is that bacon transcends HR.  There are more than 70 Million Google results for bacon and all within the last year.  Bacon provides inspiration, business opportunity, and community.  If you don’t believe me, take a look at this video about bacon from Ignite Dallas by my friend, Mike D. Merrill.  It’s hilarious, informative, and worth a view.

Enjoy! (I’m hungry….)

Photo Credit The Schlicken Empire

As someone who has worked as a Recruiter I understand how important social media is in finding quality job search candidates. I’ve used tools like chat rooms, online communities, blogs, Twitter, FaceBook, and even internet dating sites to source and place candidates.  As a blogger, I have used Blogging4Jobs, my blog to develop an online personal and business brand that has provided me with a solid reputation in my industry as well as landing a handful of clients who found me and reached out after reading my posts and content. The Human Resource industry has been slow to adapt and understand the new media world. Since not all HR professionals are Recruiters and vice-versa, job seekers are at an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time.

Think of recruiters are salespeople who are in the business of finding people for companies they either work for as employees or as third party agencies who search and find candidates most often on behalf of companies they represent. Human Resource professionals are more analytical personalities who are focused on policy, procedure, technologies like payroll and application systems, as well as legal concerns with protecting the company in mind. Most HR professionals do not like recruiting, work in recruiting or if they do, are not passionate about the process. To them it’s a means to an end. I like to think that I am the exception to the rule and have worked in and understand both.

The good news is that according to EMarketer, the tides when it comes to HR and social media are changing. A recent survey regarding HR Executives found that HR Professionals spend an average of 3.77 hours per week for work purposes. About one half of respondents reported that a social media helped their brand and made them more valuable as a job candidate.

This change in thought from HR Executives and business leaders makes personal branding even more important than it ever was before. As you continue to grow and build relationships and your personal brand, companies are becoming more aware of its value and seeking out influencers and thought leaders either internally within their own organizations or externally and often using social media networks and communities. This also makes managing your online and personal brands strategically and targeting your audience, content, and touches more critical in your future job and career success.

Photo Credit Looking Glass & EMarketer.

Welcome to the Carnival of HR hosted by Blogging4Jobs.  It’s only appropriate that the Carnival is hosted by me on on of my favorite holidays, St. Patrick’s Day.  I am happy to celebrate any holiday that celebrates green beer, food, and green beer.  This Carnival’s theme is “Kiss Me I’m Irish” which in my opinion is appropriate considering that Human Resource professionals deal with their share uncomfortable subjects and investigations involving sexting, B.O., and sexual harassment in the workplace.  As HR leaders whether we are consultants (like me) or represent a single company as a member of the HR department, our profession strives to keep our companies and leaders out of trouble.

So grab your green beer, corn beef and cabbage, breath mints, and four leaf clover. 

Let  the festivities begin–

Tools

• Susan Heathfield answers a reader’s question on performance appraisals and ranking system with  Rate Me-Rank Me-Lose Me.

• Kevin Grossman is a regular contributor at Talent Culture.  His post, The Heart is Hiring is a Human One.  Let’s Keep it Healthy talks about human based hiring and tools that can lead us to the right decision.

• Is time management a myth?  Do constant interruptions to your perfectly planned day drive you mad?  Denise O’Berry provide us insight with Dealing With Interruptions That Throw Your Planned Day Off Track.

• Value beyond metrics.  Sharlyn Lauby, the HR Bartender brings us back to earth in her post reminding us that it’s more than just staffing numbers and other HR metrics in Performance Metrics:  Beyond the Numbers.

• Succession planning is a valuable tool within any organization.  Lois Melbourne dares us to be different in Don’t Be a Chicken.  Get a Succession Plan.  I Dare You.

• Bryan Wempen debuts in his first carnival providing us tools to use in the job search.  Bryan, who is a newbie on the HR Social Media scene is a good friend and something worth following, @drivethruhr.  Check out his post, The RollerCoaster and the Reality of Sudden Job Loss.

• Mark Bennett writes about television, Tivo, business, and HR’s role in Lofty Goals with TalentedApps.  They have a wealth of knowledge from their expert contributors.

• The HR Technologist’s post begs the question about credit checks and its relevancy as part of a company’s hiring process with The Vicious Circle of Poor Credit.

Social

• Marsh Keeffer reminds us that as a visible brand whether company or corporate–We Are in the Show Biz. Get Our LinkedIn Profile Updated.

• Drew Tarvin takes us back and reminds us about life, challenges, and happiness before the digital age of Blackberries and iPhones in Fire and Stars.  Frankly, I don’t think much about anything B.I. meaning life before iPhone.

• Did you know the average person spends 55 min. a day on FaceBook?  Gautam considers how social communities can be integrated into your talent and employment strategies with Use Case for Talent and Employee Communities.

• Employment branding is a social strategy where companies educate and build relationships with prospective and current employees.  Laurie Ruettimann goes Punk Rock with Employer Branding.

• Lisa Rosendahl’s blog, Simply Lisa uses the Olympics and short track racing to discuss reactions in Ready to React?  Hit Pause.

• The art of storytelling is a very social and useful tool not only in the HR profession but also in life.  Mark Stelzner provides us insight using his storytelling skills while providing us a nice dose of reality with Change Hurts.  Resistance Hurts More.

• Bill Boorman, the Jedi of social recruiting and co-founder of TRU. talks social learning with his post, Social Learning–The Future of Training.

Leadership Lessons

• Mervyn Dinnen has stolen the hearts of HR Women all across the US.  As someone who met Mervyn at TruLondon, I can tell you that he lived up to my expectations.  His submission, Good Leadership Starts Before Your People Do.

• Shauna Moerke, know as the HR Minion provides some HR Pub Talk conversation about age, your job search, and leadership.  Sometimes the best lessons are the ones we learn from leadership and their own failures within our organization.  Check out You Should Be Greatful.

• i4cp discusses the parallel between leadership and professional athletes with Achieving High Performance with Leader Athletes.

• Lexi Ruben provides us Olympic metaphor in What HR Can Learn from the Olympics.  This solid piece provides great insight into how engaging leadership and HR can make a difference in our companies and workplace.

• Paul Smith lets us walk in the shoes of the candidate as “Buddy” celebrates his new position at Company X with Was It Something I’ve Said.

• Leadership goes beyond metrics and Dan McCarthy discusses 5 Little Things That Make a BIG Difference as a Leader–Part 2.  Want more?  Visit his Part 1 as well.

More. . .

• Happiness. Does happiness exist?  Companies like Zappos make us believe that employees can love and be passionate about  their work.  Mike Haberman talks about happiness and exempt vs. non-exempt with Happiness at Work:  Hourly vs. Salaried.

• Work. The Evil HR Lady fields reader questions and answers about How to Ask for More Work–Without Sounding Expendable. She reminds us that it’s more than being bored at work.  It’s more about presenting the value your contribution brings to your organization.

• Equality. Wally Bock of  Three Star Leadership does provides a wide variety of resources on the topic of women, leadership, and work with What Women Want at Work.

• Words. Jennifer V. Miller reminds our all that part of being an effective mentor is through mentoring with words, active listening skills, and engagement in her post, Mentors:  Your Words Matter.

• Profitability. Intellectual Capital Consulting and Cathy Missildine-Martin nudges us in the right direction in Profitability Through Human Capital.

• Vision. Learn about 4 Corporate Vision Barriers Your Company Can Overcome. Chris Young inspires readers to leverage vision in their company and how critical it is success within your company and HR team.

• Learning. Benjamin McCall inspires us to make learning a lifelong process with Future of Learning:  Learning HOW to LEARN. Be sure to check out the post’s video as well.

I want to personally thank our contributors and readers for taking time out to join in the carnival today.  The carnival’s next stop is HR University where Joan Ginsberg is sure to serve up a heaping helping of hospitality on March 24th. Happy St. Patty’s Day!