In this time of intense protest of extreme social injustice, there is another pandemic that is impacting your organization. It’s called “Woke Consciousness.” Your organization may be emerging from a deep slumber suddenly to realize that there is very little diversity in your executive and manager-level positions or anywhere else for that matter (if you’re Facebook) or that the only …
Just months ago, I was sitting around the conference room table with my recruiting team. With coffee in hand, we went about our daily huddles, check-ins, shifting of the work when necessary, celebrating our victories and constantly strategizing about how to draw top talent. Before the virus that conference room was the gathering spot for some of the world’s best …
Essential employee: An employee that has been designated as critical because their responsibilities include non-deferrable services that must be performed despite a catastrophic event, a weather emergency, or a public health crisis. An essential employee is one who is vital to meeting operational requirements of the business. Could this be? Human Resources “vital to meeting operational requirements of the business” ? And …
In the wake of an uncertain future for so many employees as a result of COVID-19 devastation, I encourage HR Leaders everywhere to be sensitive to its impact on our most vulnerable employee groups. Witnessing the impact of the recent temporary business shutdowns and business closures, I am reminded of a previous employee during the great recession of 2007-2008. He …
Every week in one meeting or another, I witnessed the systemic denigration of recruiting. If the issue was sales were not meeting their goals, it was recruiting’s fault. Customer satisfaction at an all-time low? Blame a recruiter. I believe a recruiter was once blamed for an intertropical convergence zone causing rain; and quite possibly global warming. Enough already! Despite being …
Work-life balance “The lack of opposition between work and other life roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal.” I had been traversing the United States from coast to coast, California on Monday, Virginia on Tuesday, California again on Wednesday, Arizona on Thursday, Atlanta on Friday, topping off …
I was delivering EEOC training when the next slide was Protected Classes. I noticed some quizzical looks and furrowed brows in the audience so I gave a broad definition of Protected Class, and went on to define Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; only the most important federal statute banning discrimination in the workplace. I went on to explain that …
Many years ago I met a co-worker, Terry. Terry was quiet, but friendly enough, a bit of a loner, but social enough. Terry was introverted, but just outgoing enough to be someone to look forward to chatting with. We crossed paths frequently in the kitchen, the men’s room, the elevator, Starbucks, etc. We would chat about everything from food, life, …
I encountered an employee of the Millennial persuasion in the copy room in a state of panic. He was working feverishly to reduce and scan a near mural-size floor plan that had been requested by an executive who sat two floors above ASAP. He was having trouble figuring out how to reduce and email the document expeditiously. With each passing …
A few years ago, I received a crash course in the importance of balancing head with heart when serving employees. As I went about my HR routine, I would engage with a particular employee in polite banter. We commiserated on how we dreamed of retirement, shared a love for southern cooking and travel; and who was serving the best food …
