Category Archives: Brilliant Mind

Are You A Big Deal?

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I have a pin in my office I picked up a couple of years ago at the SHRM National Conference from the Baudville booth (no this isn’t a paid post! But I love their company!), it says:

“I’m Kind Of A Big Deal”

I thought it was funny – it’s been stuck to the board behind my desk for over 2 years now.   I like it because it reminds me daily – I’m not a big deal – far from it.  In fact it makes me laugh when someone thinks I’m a big deal because I’m the President of a company, or because I write a blog (you know anyone can do this, right!?) or that at one point in my kid’s life they believed that I use to be Batman, but stopped to be a Dad.   I’m not a big deal.

Here’s the thing about being a Big Deal.  If you truly are a ‘Big Deal’ you don’t act like a ‘Big Deal’ – if you’re a wannabe ‘Big Deal’ then you certainly try and come across like a ‘Big Deal’.  Do you follow me?  Apparently getting an executive HR job in corporate America makes you a wannabe ‘Big Deal’ – or that might just be how certain HR executives like to treat almost anyone they come into contact with.  You might think I would have to worry about writing something like this – but I don’t – wannabe ‘Big Deals’ don’t read HR blogs.  Wannabe Big Deals read their own press clippings – which are usually those articles in the monthly employee newsletter, or local shoppers guide – because they’re a big deal.

I’ve never really understood the ‘Big Deal’ phenomenon.  When I was on the corporate side of the desk I would get bugged by numerous calls from vendors and hiring managers and community groups – all wanting a piece of your time.  I get it, it gets frustrating. Being a Big Deal has those draw backs – people wanting your time.  Being a Big Deal, though, doesn’t give you a license to be an asshole.  Asshole Big Deal is not the kind of Big Deal you want to be.  Treating people like they are a small deal, does not make a Big Deal any bigger, it makes the Big Deal smaller.

I have people reach out to me frequently because of all the writing I do – I respond to each one as if I was responding to a coworker or friend.  If I can’t help, then I will try and find someone who can.  If I can help, I will.  If they want me to sell their product – I will tell them how that works – I’m a really good salesperson if you pay me – I tend to be a really bad sales person if you’re asking me to do your job for free.  At no point do I become a Big Deal – because I’m not.

But I have a blog which allows me to write about ‘Big Deals’ – I guess that’s something.  I might have to reach out and ask Baudville if they’ll send me some of those pins so that when I run into ‘Big Deals’ I can make sure to send them one – just so everyone is clear on what who they are…

 

HR Announces – ‘We’re Out of Ideas’

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Recently the crew at FOT has been having some conversations about what’s new in HR.  It use to be all you had to do was show up at a HR conference and listen to someone from Zappos, Google, Sodexo, etc. to find out what were the latest and greatest happenings going on in HR!  But no more – it seems like HR is in a dead period of new ideas!  I blame the recession – why wouldn’t I – the ‘Great Recession’ gets blamed for everything – might as well take some HR heat!   Nobody at FOT could really come up with any ideas that were new.  But thankfully the good HR folks at Google came through one more idea, but I don’t how new it is…

From Quartz – Google admits those infamous brainteasers were completely useless for hiring:

“Google has admitted that the headscratching questions it once used to quiz job applicants (How many piano tuners are there in the entire world? Why are manhole covers round?) were utterly useless as a predictor of who will be a good employee.

“We found that brainteasers are a complete waste of time,” Laszlo Bock, senior vice president of people operations at Google, told the New York Times. “They don’t predict anything. They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart…

Bock says Google now relies on more quotidian means of interviewing prospective employees, such as standardizing interviews so that candidates can be assessed consistently, and “behavioral interviewing,” such as asking people to describe a time they solved a difficult problem. It’s also giving much less weight to college grade point averages and SAT scores.”

Yes, you are reading that correctly – Google’s ‘new’ HR idea is to go retro!  Back to behavioral interviewing and standardized interview decks – hello 90’s!  Isn’t that wonderful – I can’t believe Google didn’t have someone at SHRM 13 leading a session like “Google’s Strategic HR Innovations – Just Interview Them Stupid!”  HR ladies would have packed the house to find out how they to could jump into the 90’s.  Also, let’s just come right out corporately and validate to all those kids in college – you’re just wasting your time and spending your parents retirement.  I’ve really never been so excited for our industry!

So, I would like to take it upon myself and the entire HR community to let the world know – HR is out of ideas!

Here’s were we/HR stand:

– Still need to hire people

– Still need to train our employees

– Still need to provide benefits and pay administration

– Still planning the company picnic, and/or ‘holiday party

Long live HR.

Brains Before Bros

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True or False: My existing talent pool is always my first line of defense in filling key roles that become available in my organization.

If the first statement is true, shouldn’t the second one be too? In a perfect world, yes. But we know that isn’t always the case, and unfortunately employee development is often overlooked when organizations are forming their talent strategies.

Join hiring smart (people) experts Kris Dunn and Kelly Dingee for Brains Before Bros: Why Hiring Smart People over Experienced People is a Winning Talent Strategy, sponsored by our friends at SumTotal, on Tuesday June 12 at 1pm EST and they’ll hit you with the following:

1.    A rundown of the factors driving talent scarcity in today’s workforce and why it’s better to hire smart people and train for success.

2.    FOT’s definition of “smart” and common false positives you need to consider when defining what smart looks like for your organization.

3.    Three signs that your top talent may be looking to jump ship and how to reel them back in by providing the incentives they really want. (Hint: It’s not always monetary).

4.    Five ways to keep training and development programs aligned with evolving expectations from top applicants and your existing talent – without breaking your budget.

5.    We’ll close this webinar by bringing in Steve Parker from SumTotal to help you ensure your leadership team is creating the right environment to get the most out of your existing talent.

 Your traditional approach to talent isn’t working—start putting brains before bros and maximize your talent strategy today.

REGISTER HERE

Save Tincup!

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It’s been one day, well one business day where I actually pay attention to social media, and I can’t take it any more.  I’m going to start a Protest, or a march, or one of those things you do when you really don’t have any say or power but it feels like someone should do or say something.  I can’t take a social media world without William Tincup. For those who don’t know – William has decided to turn off all social media and take a summer vacation – no Blogging, no Twitters, no Facebook, no lunch-time internet radio show (Drive Thru HR), no Instagram (which might hurt him the worst), etc.

Like most of what William does, I envy him.

William will still take email, phone calls and texts – so basically he’s now Amish!

Here’s my plan:

1. Starting today – Text “Save Tincup” to 469-371-7050 (That’s William’s cell phone number) – if I know anything – he is a very curious fellow – he’ll want to know what all this means.

2. Email or Text William this Photo:

Save Tincup

 

3. Call and leave him this voicemail: “I want my Tincup!”

Let’s face it – a social world without William is a world I’d rather not be a part of.

 

 

 

 

The 4 People You Need In Your HR Network

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Fast Company published an article titled called “The 4 People You Need For An Awesome Network” and like most stuff they put out, it was great!  Here’s a taste:

“Start with the Socialite. “If you’re not actively filling the role of Happy Hour Coordinator Extraordinaire,” Augustine writes, “you should befriend whoever is–and quick.” This is the friendly neighborhood super-connector, the person who will intro you to all the people you need to know.

And within that crew, you’ll find an Older Sibling that’s yearning to be a mentor. She can help you find the supply closet, navigate office politics, and vouch for your side hustles.

Another expert you need is the IT Guru: You don’t want to be stuck hapless while waiting for the IT ticket to be resolved, Augustine observes, so you better have a tech-knowledgable colleague that you can lean on in times of buggy need.

But office friendships aren’t just take-take-take; that would be ungracious. Be on the lookout for the Helpless Newbie: If someone is more doe-eyed than you, they could probably use a kind word–which could launch a career.”

It’s a strong list and everyone should have these 4 types of folks in their ‘inner-circle’ for sure.  The article did make me think about who it is I have and would recommend to other HR pros to have in their network to make themselves a better HR Pro.  Here’s my list:

1. A Money Girl.  The one thing you’ll need to be effective in HR is a budget that allows you to do basic blocking and tackling of the job.  So often I see HR pros struggle because they can’t even fund the ‘basics’.  It’s usually because they’ve gone through years of budget reduction and throwing their department on the proverbial sword.  A great relationship with a peer in finance will help stop this trend and actually reverse it!

2. Nerd.  Like the Fast Company article – it’s really a non-negotiable in my network – I have to have a great IT Pro on my side.  Great HR takes Great IT solutions to be the most efficient and effective you can be.

3.  Used Car Salesman.  Most HR Pros don’t know how to make money.  You need someone in your network that will help you think like a business person. Someone who will show you how to communicate like a profit center, not a cost center.  It’s not that you have to actually make money, but you need to run your HR shop like you could if you had to.

4. Trusted Adviser.  My last network must have is a strong relationship with a senior level executive who is not in your functional area.  I love to have these people be from operations, but really any area will do.  Why not your own function?  You need to sometimes run ideas and things by someone at an executive who isn’t your boss – to get real feedback.  Set this relationship up as a mentor and tell them it’s for your development, have regular time set on their calendar and come prepared to seek out their advice.  You have no idea how this will help you down the road within your organization!

Who would you add to you must have network relationships?