Of all the topics that are taboo in the inner sanctum of the Talent/HR world, weight may be the toughest to be honest about. Especially here in the US and especially with female HR executives, although today’s quip is coming from the cliché Overweight, Caucasian, Over 50 former C-suite dude. Today I will weave a true and humbling story of …
Taking Talent Old School: How to Create a Positive Candidate Experience
We constantly hear stories about bad experiences candidates have in our recruiting processes – and not just about the lack of personalization in the pipelining process. I have my own war chest of stories and a few as a candidate, not as the recruiter. A couple of year back I personally sent out over 600 resumes in a 10-month period …
Time as the Newest and Oldest Currency
I have always been fascinated by the concept of time as currency. I calculate that without any surprises (hitting the lottery or by a bolt of lightning, etc.), I have between 1,600 to 2,000 days left of meaningful time to work. That sounds like a lot until I figured out that I have spent nearly 9,000 days already. So, my …
HR, Take Some Risks and Just Say “What the ****”
My favorite movie line of all time and something every HR practitioner needs to do, “Sometimes you need to just say ‘what the ****’ and take some risks.” The quote comes from the movie Risky Business. Joel, the character played by Tom Cruise, is much like a teenage version of an HR pansy. Coasting through life on smarts, good looks …
A Memorial Day Weekend Thank You!
You may have seen me post this picture before. It is my nephew Paul, a Naval Officer, with his son Mason standing on his feet. Paul has served our country for the past two decades, been wounded and recovered during the second Gulf War conflict, and has had many dangerous tours of duty during that time. He does this to …
Did HR Blogging “Jump the Shark”?
For those not in the know, the term “Jump the Shark” originated when the character Fonzie, on the TV show Happy Days, water-skied over a shark. I know, pretty far-fetched, even for this over-the-top hit series that ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. Others refer to Bobby Ewing and the famous shower scene from the TV soap “Dallas” as the …
Why Businesses Should Do An Opening Day Every Year
Yes, I am a diehard baseball fan. And the best day of the year, hands down is Opening Day. Last Thursday was Opening Day for most teams in Major League Baseball and I bet many of you tuned in to watch or listen if you weren’t at the ballpark. Talent and HR executives can learn some valuable lessons from Opening Day and …
Duck Season, Wabbit Season, Conference Season and March Madness
Unlike most of my posts, this one is a mixed bag with multiple topics. First, it’s conference season for the talent community as there is a smorgasbord of offerings and some cool places to travel to. Austin, Vegas, San Diego, and later this year Chicago. Let’s not forget some overseas offerings as well. Big, small, and everything in between. For …
Don’t Believe Everything You Read or Watch, Even on HR Websites
We have heard the saying a million times: “Don’t believe everything you read”. Or maybe it is “don’t believe everything you hear or see on TV”. In any event, written, verbal or visual, with the advent of social media and 24-hour cable news, we are bombarded with a smorgasbord of “news” on demand. And how do we know if we …
The Word of the Year for 2018 Is…?
I have given this some thought. No, it is not “Dilly-Dilly”. Although that may be the most used word I have heard since football season started in September. There are already a lot of words of the year out there. Tim Egan at the New York Times recently penned an article titled “Comeback Words for 2018” in which he noted …