Ahhh. The Olympics. The beauty. The drama. The similarities to our work world. The 2018 Winter Olympics are just beginning, but the anticipation of great competition and hyper-sports analogies are in full blast. And all the Tonya and Nancy memories. Seems like just yesterday. Therefore, it’s only fitting to highlight the talent trends between our HR lives and the Olympic …
Why Resumes Need to Retire
I spoke at a conference 5 years ago in which I declared, “resumes suck”. The context was about over-inflated resumes filled with key words, and on the other side, employers who dismiss great talent based on a piece (or 10) of paper. In short, resumes needed to be retired and replaced with a more dynamic way of matching talent with …
Kiss My Grit: Why Grit Should Be a Consideration When Hiring
Growing up in the 1970s, I watched the t.v. show Alice. Each time over-the-top waitress Flo would tell diner owner Mel to “Kiss my grits,” I’d laugh. I loved grits, so as a kid couldn’t understand why she used the phrase as a put down or shove off as opposed to a wonderful invitation. I get it now. GRIT, like …
Fear and Loathing for Talent Pros from the Fed’s Beige Book
Because I often have nothing more interesting to do in my spare time, I like to peruse the Federal Reserve Board’s Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions, known more informally as The Beige Book. The Beige Book is issued eight times per year, and consists of a collection of “anecdotal information on current economic conditions” by each Federal Reserve …
Call Me! The Lost Art of Picking Up The Phone.
Gen X version: “Call me (call me) on the line Call me, call me any, anytime“ Millennial version: “Hey, I just met you, And this is crazy, But here’s my number, So call me, maybe!” Aside from the observation that Millennials are much coyer in their request for a call (“So call me, maybe!”) and those of us who identify …
Baby Boomers Leaving Doesn’t Equal Lack of Workers!
You’re finally feeling it, aren’t you? Those older workers, the ones we call the Baby Boomers, are finally retiring. The great famed “White Wave” is upon us, about ten years after we were told it was going to hit. Regardless of the timing, we are all certainly feeling it. The one thing we’ve been told from the demographic statisticians and …
The Gig Economy – Where Uber Drivers All Drive Teslas
In 2013, a Tesla burst into flames when it ran over a metal object. Then it happened again a few weeks later. A federal investigation was launched and within four months, it was closed. Why? How? Tesla quickly determined should debris hit the car’s battery pack when the chassis was lowered at highway speeds—well, it would catch fire. The company …
If Playboy Can Give Up Nudity, You Can Toss An Outdated Vacation Policy
“I only read it for the articles” may soon be true for Playboy fans! Playboy has officially announced it will be PG-13 as of 2016 and no longer print nude pictures of women. As CNN reports: “This isn’t a story about nudity; it’s a story about disruption and innovation. Times, tastes and technology have changed everything. Even at 89, Hugh …
You Don’t Know A-Players From Your A-Hole
Lots of buzzwords out there in the new, fast, bold, dynamic, disruptive world of human resources. The one buzzword that’s been around for many years? A-players. As in, “I need to get me some A-players for my B-company so we can turn this horrible organization around and pay our C-Suite more money.” Hooray for A-players! They have the potential to solve all …
5 Ways to Botch a Hiring Decision
The tide has turned. It’s officially a candidate’s market, which means you need to be even more on your game when it comes to hiring decisions. Think you’re going to woo that mechanical engineer with a 9/80? That’s sooo 2010. A sign-on with a year pay-back clause? Whatever. Harvard Business Review ran this post spelling out the habits of bad …