Last night was the 88th broadcast of Academy Awards.  And, even if you didn’t watch it, then you know that not one person of color was nominated for an Oscar in the categories of best actor or actress in either a primary or supporting role. 

The host was Chris Rock. And, with humor and perspective, he nailed it…effectively by reframing it.

That is probably the most annoying idiom! Just say what you mean!

Say something like,

“Let’s try to come up with some creative ideas;” or

“Let’s think unconventionally on this particular one;” or

“A fresh, new perspective is welcome here!” or

…almost anything else but talking about a box. Creepy.

Recruiting, especially if you are growing at a fast pace, is a huge focus of your HR organization. We have the traditional tools of inbound, outbound and university recruiting, but let’s not forget about the fundamental basis of all recruiting - relationship building.

Recruiting tends to be very task-oriented- you have a job and you need to fill it with the best person you can find. But remember those people that you have met in the past, and you think, wow, that person I met last year would be perfect for this role. I wonder where they are or what they are up to?

The recruitment landscape has evolved rapidly in recent years. The process of attracting and hiring the talent that business needs has become ever more complex and multi-layered. Digital tools have enabled quicker and simpler applications – no longer dependant on time or location – and greatly increased the number of connections every job seeker has, putting them closer to recruiters and target companies. This raises applicant expectations for the recruitment process with new tools and technology speeding up the matching and selection.

I distinctly remember sitting at my desk in the cool downtown Chicago digs of the Richard Michael Group many years ago. As a recruiter, it was my daily home for several years as I worked to find the best candidates for my clients.

I loved learning about people, their experiences and career desires as well as discovering the business goals of clients and how any one of my candidates could potentially assist in achieving them.

The ancient Roman dramatist, philosopher and politician Seneca said, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” His point was that although luck is terrific, it typically has very little to do with success, especially that which is sustained over time. Instead, success is more often associated with great preparation and the ability to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Leadership development is all about living at the intersection of preparation and opportunity.

I had a conversation with one of my friends from India and we were sharing stories about how throughout our careers we have both been known as people who can do more than what our specific job title would indicate.  We weren’t talking about being able to take on more responsibility in order to receive a promotion, we were talking about learning and using skills from another industry to help further our careers.

"The great mystery isn't that people do things badly but that they occasionally do a few things well. The only thing that is universal is incompetence. Strength is always specific! Nobody ever commented, for example, that the great violinist Jascha Heifetz probably couldn't play the trumpet very well."— Peter Drucker
 

Focus for Success

Focus.

The effect of engaged employees on long-term profits

After recognizing that the Phoenix area’s fiscal health was too dependent on real estate growth – a nod to the boom and bust that occurred in the local housing market during the 2000s – business leaders started a series of efforts to diversify the region’s economic portfolio.

We’re less than 2 months into 2016, but the pace at which President Obama is advancing his workplace public policy priorities through the regulatory process can easily be referred to as an onslaught.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime rules.  And, as  SHRM’s Director of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, I’ve heard so many of your voices load and clear.  

The changing world of work is challenging traditional ways of doing things. In the past most companies had wage and salary ranges for positions, at least large companies did, and when they were ready to make an offer it was one that fit within that range. Even companies that didn’t have official salary grades still had a range in mind when they made an offer. Bolder candidates might negotiate but many did not, especially for hourly positions. What if this was reversed?

I was reminded again how important follow-up is to our success as professionals.  Taking a moment to finish the job and let folks know the outcome.  A former colleague’s favored the line was “DONE – NEXT” and this simplicity always made me smile.   It is a small practice, but one that will get you noticed.  It has been said that the fortune in in the follow-up.

Dallas…a tough place for any Philadelphia native to visit.  Yet given the mission - and company- I had nothing but excitement as I landed at Dallas Fort Worth last Thursday afternoon.  I love any opportunity to meet, listen to, and share solutions with SHRM’s volunteer army- even if it’s in the heart of Cowboys’ country.  

Life is full of opportunities and when you have a wide variety of interests almost every opportunity looks like something fun and engaging.  Many of the efforts I involve myself in are volunteer opportunities where I have the chance to help others.  In some of these cases my yes should have been a no.

This month’s Pulse probe revolves around what do you do to re-charge and re-fresh beyond your day-job?  I enjoy reading how others find a life outside work to gain a sense of balance.

As members and leaders within the HR Community, we need you to be rested and ready to go each day.  You are role models in balance.  As the flight attendants remind us in travel, we must first take care of ourselves before we can care for others.

Great highlights shared on Twitter from day one of SHRM’s Regional Council Business Meeting (RCBM) in Dallas, TX.   Senior SHRM volunteer leaders gather together to discuss best practices and network for 2016.

Which are you?

• Leader
• Follower
• Nuisance

Leaders don’t manage! Leaders Inspire, influence, and innovate. Let that sink in.

Sometimes clients ask me relative to gender:

1.  Would it be gender discrimination if we do X?

2.  Does the law require that we do Y?

Of course, we need to start with the legal imperative.  But, as HR professionals, we know we must transcend the legal imperative and focus on the business necessity (and moral obligation) to ensure gender equality.

Did you know there are more hourly workers than salary workers in the United States?

For those of us that are desktop workers, we identify with salaried employees and often think we are the majority. If you work in an industry with hourly workers, you may not be surprised to learn that a majority of workers in the US are employed at an hourly wage. 

On February 3, @shrmnextchat chatted with talent strategist Mary Faulkner @mfaulkner43 to chat about "Teaming Up to Take Out a Toxic Culture."

In case you missed this informative chat, you can find all the tweets here:

When was the last time that you trained your managers and supervisors on how to address disability accommodation requests? Or, how about the last time that you reminded your supervisors and managers that an employee with a disability needs to be treated respectfully?

If it’s been a while (or, maybe, I dunno, forever), have I got a case for you!

*Sharing a blast from the past…