Last week, I sent an email to my FOT colleagues asking for a post swap. I wanted the opportunity to post the day after my Seahawks played in the Superbowl! I should confess, however, if they had lost, I have no clue what I would have written about. But, they didn’t lose! In fact, they so didn’t lose that I …
The Ballad of Phil Robertson
DISCLAIMER: Jason is not a poet. And he knows it! ______________ Now, sit back kids, grab a chair and relax. Have a beer and a banana. Cuz, I’m gonna tell you bout a man named Phil From the country of Louisiana. (said Loo-Siana for cadence purposes.) You see, Phil was born to a poor family, All their food came from …
Don’t Be The South African Sign Language Guy
I’ve been getting a kick out of this news story of the sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. In case you missed it, on stage at the memorial, standing next to world leaders such as our own President Obama, was a sign language interpreter relaying the messages of love and inspiration being given about one of the world’s most …
Condi Rice…Breaking Another Glass Ceiling That Shouldn’t Exist
Before I begin my rant this morning, I should print a disclaimer. My alma mater does not have a football team. We have an awesome basketball team that seems to love being eliminated in the 2nd round of the tournament (I’m not bitter), but we don’t have football. My stance on college football is that I will root for the team …
Every Company Needs A Giving Campaign
When I write for FOT, I intentionally try to keep a lot of my day to day at Microsoft out of it. You all know where I work. If you want to hear me talk specifically about my job or my company, as recruiters, I assume it’s not too hard for you to track me down (whether I respond is …
Stop Asking for Candidate Facebook Passwords… (Just In Case You Actually Were)
Attention all employers! If you live in the states of California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey or, most recently, my home state of Washington… you are no longer allowed to ask employees or candidates for their Facebook passwords. However, if you are in one of the other 43 states, you are safe! While the US House of Representatives considered outlawing …
Hiring Idiots Can Be A Good Thing
Hire the best! That”s what we”re always preaching. If you want to be competitive, if you want to deliver top of the line product, you absolutely need to hire top of the line talent! Well, apparently that”s not necessarily the case. Last weekend, a local business journal pointed me in the direction of a paper recently published by a couple …
Hey Google…Welcome to 15 Years Ago
Congratulations, Google! You’ve done it! You have reached a very important milestone in the evolution of technology companies! You have realized that your coolness and popularity have blinded you to the stupidity of your interview questions. From the Business Insider: “We found that brainteasers are a complete waste of time,” Laszlo Bock, Google’s Senior VP of People Operations, tells the …
HR Lessons from the Red Wedding
You know…I’ve been trying really hard all week to find a way to incorporate the Red Wedding into a blog post. I mean surely there’s something. For those of you that read and/or watch Game of Thrones, you know what I am talking about. For those of you that don’t, I have nothing to say to you. For anyone who …
Rude Candidates are Annoying. But, Maybe I Should Be Nicer to Them
Something has been bugging me and I feel I need to confess. It happened many years ago and I frequently think about it. But, not until recently have I started looking at myself and thinking I should have done something differently. Let me explain. Long, long ago…I was recruiting for a very premiere brand in the industry (for the record, …