“Mr. Spicoli, What’s Your Reason for Your Truancy?”

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Change Management, Coaching, Communication, Corporate America, Culture, Driving Productivity, Employee Engagement, employee experience, Engagement and Satisfaction, Good HR, HR, Uncategorized

“Fast Times at Ridgemont High“. One of the all-time greatest flicks with almost as many life-affirming lines as “The Big Lebowski“. Sean Penn played the iconic Jeff Spicoli, who more than once was late for class, causing Mr. Hand great frustration. Mr. Hand: Mr. Spicoli, what’s your reason for your truancy? Jeff Spicoli: I just couldn’t make it on time. …

A New Recruiting Wrinkle: Paying Everybody as if They Worked in San Francisco

John Hollon Audacious Ideas, Candidate Pool, Compensation/Cash Money, Executive Search, Uncategorized

Here’s the latest recruiting wrinkle in job listings: Posting an ad where the company is completely up front about what the position pays — even if it is $181,000 a year. Jeff Hyman, a long-time executive recruiter and author of the bestselling book Recruit Rockstars, recently flagged me to the fact that project management software company Basecamp was looking for …

Diversity of Thought, Not Look

Ed Baldwin Audacious Ideas, Change Management, Diversity, Driving Productivity, Ed Baldwin, Good HR, HR

Let me start by saying that I’m a big advocate for diversity.  And this post isn’t suggesting otherwise. In fact, quite the opposite. I’ve seen the power of diversity first-hand many times – assembling a diverse group of folks attacking a problem or issue from every possible angle and dimension, one goal in mind, collectively architecting a solution that broaches …

Hold the Mayo–How to Help the Sandwich Generation Work

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Benefits, Change, Change Management, Communication, Corporate Social Responsibility, Culture, Current Affairs, Driving Productivity, Employee Engagement, Engagement and Satisfaction, Generations, Good HR, HR

I have a young daughter who, like most, is a non-stop source of energy and fatigue for me and my husband. Between school, camps, athletics, UIL, Girl Scouts, CAD class, and the guitar gathering dust in the corner, there is a significant shortage of downtime. Add to the mix aging parents, geographic distance, two demanding jobs, and a 90lb rescue …

Have You Hired Chris Stapleton or Florida Georgia Line?

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Candidate Pool, Change, Change Management, Communication, Culture, Current Affairs, Employment Branding and Culture, Executive Search, Good HR, Hiring Bias, Hiring Managers, HR

I live in Austin, home to many awesome live entertainment venues. In the past month I’ve been able to see many musicians and some wanna-be musicians for the first time. Going to see an artist for the first time is like the first few weeks with a new hire. You’re excited and probably nervous at the same time. What if …

Does Money Buy Happy Employees?

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Change Management, Communication, Compensation/Cash Money, Culture, Driving Productivity, Employee Engagement, Engagement and Satisfaction, HR, Performance, Talent Strategy

Recently, I was lucky enough to go to a private screening of a new documentary, “Pursuing Happiness.” The director, Adam Shell, shared wonderful stories of the people he interviewed in his attempt to find the happiest people in America. “Who is the happiest person you know?” was the question he and his production partner posed. My friend who hosted the …

Seize the Day

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Business Development, Change Management, Coaching, Driving Productivity, Employee Coaching, Employee Development, Good HR, HR, Uncategorized

Over the holidays we went back to my husband’s childhood home, where we tackled the project of cleaning out a few remaining items in his closet. Amid scrapbooks, photo albums, and well-loved toys was a box of trophies. He pulled out two that were special and moved the rest to the trash pile. Our 8-year-old daughter was visibly dismayed. How …

hiring managers

How to Beat Weak Hiring Managers When You Interview

Kris Dunn Audacious Ideas, candidate experience, Career Advice, Hiring Managers, HR, Kris Dunn, Recruiting

If you’re like me, you’ve routinely got friends, family, and colleagues asking you for career advice.  When it comes to the topic of interviewing, I’m on record as saying that you should let the person interviewing you for a job talk as much as they want. The more you let the interviewer talk – even encourage her to talk (that’s the …

You Worked Really Hard in 2018.

Ben Martinez Audacious Ideas, Ben Martinez, Books, Business Development, Career Paths, Coaching, Culture, Driving Productivity, Employee Coaching, Employee Development, Engagement and Satisfaction, HR, Uncategorized

It’s 2019 and it’s already time for everyone to start implementing New Year’s goals. But before you jump in and make good on your 2019 resolutions, let’s acknowledge that you worked really hard in 2018. Like really hard. You may not have met all of your 2018 personal goals, and maybe missed the mark on one or two objectives, but …