Because I’m reaching the “vintage” where the most junior employees I work with are now the ages of my own kids, I’m now recognizing this management phenomenon in the workplace more than ever before. Do you treat your employees like your own kids? On the surface it sounds preposterous. But then again, I treat my own kids pretty well. I …
Have You Engaged Your Millennials Today?
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 …
Get KD’s New Book: THE 9 FACES OF HR
It’s true. I just launched a book and it is doing well. It’s called THE 9 FACES OF HR. If you like reading The HR Capitalist or Fistful of Talent, you’re going to like the book and you should check it out. Here’s the summary from Amazon for your consideration: “Popular blogger and CHRO Kris Dunn presents a hard, but compelling reality: every HR professional on …
Rethinking Retirement
How much have you thought about retirement? If you’re a generation Y or Z-er then your answer is probably “not much”. But if you’re an X-er, an old X-er like me, then it’s probably been on the regular playlist in your mind for a while. After all, some of the most fortunate in our generation are retiring. So playing …
Hold the Mayo–How to Help the Sandwich Generation Work
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 …
Get Ready for Gen Z – the Next Wave of Talent
Move over, millennials. There’s a new kid in town. Heralded as the most diverse, best-educated generation yet — it’s clear that the Generation Z population (those born after the mid-90s) is much more than simply the “little brother” as they start trickling into the workplace. By next year, Gen Z-ers are expected to make up one-fifth of the workforce. So, …
Going Full Circle: Revisiting the Job Fair in 2019
Do you ever have a moment in your day where you’re thinking, I can’t believe I’m doing this again? I mean I’ve been a sourcer for eons, I’m pretty adept at finding anyone online. A job fair? Seriously? Why, why, why…. When I was fairly new in recruiting, job fairs were my life. For sure if I was the newest …
Micro-Internships: A Gig Economy Way to Find Great Young Talent.
Count me as a big fan of college internships. I’ve told this story before, but I trace my long career as a journalist and media executive back to my college internship on the Metro Desk of the Los Angeles Times. I got class credit instead of pay, but that wasn’t the point. I wanted a chance to write something that …
Millennials Are Obsessed with Branding. Use It to Your Advantage.
It’s no secret that millennial candidates care about much more than just collecting a bigger paycheck when looking for a new gig. These young professionals (who now make up the largest segment of the U.S. workforce) crave a sense of purpose in their work, both in their day-to-day job and the causes their employers support, even more than past generations. …
Student Loans Suck
The Evidence I recently fell upon an article from 2017 that discussed the weight of student loans on young workers. My conclusion? Student loans suck and businesses can use this to their advantage. While the sample size was small (approximately 500 participants), I believe the data from the article to be pretty close to accurate. Here are my faves: 56% …