The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
Archive
September 2016

The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
In business, the term care is generally applied to the business-client relationship. It has given rise to unwieldy terms like customer care associate for the people formerly known as sales agents.
High-character employees, however, care not only about their clients but about every relationship they have in and beyond the workplace. Their secret weapon is that they also care about, and for, themselves.
A conversation with Richard Fagerlin at the SHRM Leadership Development Forum
by Kim Cottage
Kim Cottage, Foundation chair at SHRM-Long Island
The SHRM Foundation advances global human capital knowledge and practice by providing thought leadership and educational support; and sponsoring funding and driving the adoption of cutting edge, actionable, evidence –based research.
I sure hope the tone of the following doesn’t upset you, but all this talk about Millennials is making me sick.
You‘re excited about a new employee you hired who came highly recommended. They start, you introduce them to co-workers, clients, upper management, board members.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
On September 28, @shrmnextchat chatted with HR Happy Hour host and HR TEchnology Conference Co-Chairman Steve Boese @steveboese about 5 Big Themes in HR Tech.
In case you missed this informative chat, you can read all the tweets here:
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next week, the SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
I’ve recently been conducting research related to bias in interviewing and hiring and in doing so uncovered some excellent and surprising information on how to build a greater awareness of ones bias in the hiring process. This research has also unintentionally helped me develop a more acute awareness of the role of bias and its influence not only in hiring but also beyond.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next week, The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
Greetings Fellow HR Professionals and organizational leaders. I am the Director, SHRM Foundation for Elizabethtown SHRM (known as ESHRM). ESHRM has supported the SHRM Foundation in many ways. The ESHRM Chapter supports the SHRM Foundation annually with donations obtained from our chapter's "Change-for-Change" fundraising initiative.
By: Mayra Ivonne Ramirez
SHRM / CHCI 2016 Summer Intern
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
Leadership is not just about ideas and vision. It's about getting things done. That's the message of The Agenda Mover: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough (Cornell University Press, 2016) by Samuel B. Bacharach.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
As I enter my tenth year in the Human Capital Management space, I figured it would be beneficial to my readers to reflect on how our industry has (and has not) evolved over the last decade's time.
* The following scenarios are built on real life business engagements. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
In 2015, the HRACC (Human Resources Association of Central Connecticut) received the SHRM Foundation Innovation Award. Why? Because we have some pretty innovative board members at HRACC!
The vision of retirement is undergoing a major change. Many people envision that retirement is sitting at the local Starbucks chatting with friends or sitting on the front porch rocking away enjoying “the good life.” However, for many people that is not the good life and as a result the vision of what retirement will look like is undergoing a major change.
Mortality
Accountable employees keep their promises, consider the consequences of their actions, take responsibility for their mistakes, and make amends for those mistakes.
The following questions may help you discern a job candidate’s level of accountability.
Describe a situation in which you took responsibility for a mistake you made. What were the consequences to you for doing so?
(But Perhaps You Can Reduce the Pain a Little)
Mergers and acquisitions are in style again. Last year was, according to The Wall Street Journal, “the Biggest M&A Year Ever.”
On September 21, @shrmnextchat chatted with Namely Chief People Officer Nick Sanchez @NamelyNick about New HR Tech - Transforming Employee Development.
In case you missed this excellent and informative chat, you can read all the tweets here:
Like any other profession, there are plenty of HR horror stories out there – from the “Why We Hate HR” to “It’s Time to ‘Blow Up’ HR”. That being said, human resources plays an important role in the organization. It’s often the “go-to” place for employees and, as such, they need to feel comfortable coming to HR. Here’s an example:
Below is an actual conversation held with a business leader. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Me (answering phone): Hi Dave,
Dave: Hey I was wondering if you knew what Jerry (another leader) had decided to do about Tom (matrix employee who is having disciplinary issues).
If you’re losing employees faster than you can hire them, take a close look at your people managers and your employee development programs. Surveys show that the top two reasons people leave jobs are their boss and the absence of employee development opportunities. And these two often go hand-in-hand.
Many of us Americans don’t know how to take true summer breaks.
When you work at a global company, you likely know this anecdotally. You notice that colleagues based in cities ranging from Toronto to Berlin take at least two weeks, and sometimes a month. They also holiday at other times of they year, such as significant holidays.
How good is the quality of your work culture? Do senior leaders understand culture? Even more important, do they understand the condition of your current culture and senior leaders’ responsibility in refining that culture?
I know that many start-ups don’t consider human resources related laws when they are getting started. They focus on getting their product or service up and running, whether they have the suppliers they need and of course the potential market. If they consider HR at all it is in the realm of payroll. Most federal HR laws don’t kick in until a company has reached 15 employees. The FLSA kicks in at fewer employees if you are bringing revenue of at least a half million dollars. There are however other laws related to HR that you need to pay attention to, as Uber has discovered.
Social Security wants to help you prepare your employees for a secure, comfortable retirement. Security is the Social Security Administration’s middle name and we want everyone to enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of labor.
Two recent reports make a strong case for the need to create more training opportunities for the unemployed and perhaps even for lower-skilled workers who are already in the labor force.
Usually, job descriptions are boring. Anyone who has ever written several job descriptions likely has experienced the feeling of their eyes glazing over while typing the words “responsibilities” and “qualifications” over and over (and over) again.
However, a job description does not have to adhere to this format. A job description can actually be fun to write for a hiring or HR manager.
The New York City region’s $1.5 trillion economy continues to generate new jobs across several industries, due to its size and diversity. New programs have also been created recently to get more people back to work and to attract high-tech employment.
On September 14, @shrmnextchat chatted with the Executive Director of Talent Tech Labs, Jonathan Kestenbaum (@jkestenbaum) about the Talent Acquisition Ecosystem.
In case you missed this informative chat, you can read all the tweets here:
In a recent blog, I looked at some of the research and narrative around skill shortages.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
My father once bought a life insurance policy from an agent who was warm, friendly, and had impeccable credentials.
He also embezzled thousands of dollars from my dad.
It can be difficult to evaluate a job candidate’s honesty, but it’s crucial to try, and the following questions may help.
Tell me about a time when you had to tell a direct report an unpleasant truth.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
Protected concerted activity is powerful stuff
Like it or not, to a person, we can agree that the rulings flowing from the National Labor Relations Board over the past several years have been largely employee-friendly.
Applying simple wisdom to guide one’s personal and professional integrity
As an HR professional, finding qualified talent that is a good fit with your organization’s culture can sometimes be a challenge. And sometimes it can be darn right impossible. The term “skills shortage” gets tossed around a lot lately, and the truth is, many employers know all too well how difficult it can be to match organizational needs with individuals that possess those skill sets.
Recruiters are always chasing the new shiny objects, and with good reason. Talent management—and specifically the talent acquisition ecosystem—is a constantly evolving model and, much like Charles Darwin’s survival of the fittest theory, those who adapt to its changing landscape (and its new shiny objects) will have the best chance for survival.
In Making Work Work: The Positivity Solution for Any Work Environment (Sterling Ethos, 2016), Shola Richards offers solutions for creating a more positive professional environment using kindness and mutual respect.
The number of remote workers is on the rise in the United States with about 3.7 million employees currently working remotely at least half of the time, according to Global Workplace Analytics. In many industries, technology like mobile and video conferencing, instant messaging, and wireless internet enables employees to stay productive and connected from anywhere.
Unless your target candidate is from Europa, they are likely on Facebook. With over a billion daily active users, this platform should not be ignored by any brand. When using this platform, there are many factors that you should weigh including company size, brand recognition and budget.
BEGINNER: BECOME AN ADMIN OF YOUR CORPORATE FACEBOOK PAGE
I had a conversation with Alex Hagan, a futurist out of Australia, and we were discussing learning. I asked Alex which futurists he pays attention to and he said that he doesn’t really read many futurists. Rather he prefers to read and learn from parallel or even non-related industries. We agreed that learning from marketing and technology is important to HR.
Going on an international assignment is a life changing opportunity. It teaches you how to be independent, how to interact with new people, how to cope up with an entirely new culture and so much more. When you come back, you’re an entirely different person than you were before; more knowledgeable, more experienced and stronger than ever.
The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
In less than two months, the Presidential election will take place. You are thinking about that when you see your receptionist wearing a button for her political candidate.
You ask her to remove it because you have customers of diverse political views. She says “NO,” promising to file a case with the Supreme Court because you are violating her First Amendment rights. Note to SCOTUS: we hope you enjoy her as much as we do.
On September 7, @shrmnextchat chatted with Worday's Director of Learning Product Strategy, James Cross @jamesrcross about HR Technology -- Transforming the Way We Learn at Work.
In case you missed this informative chat, you can read all the tweets here:
Making sense of trends affecting the world of work
The 2016 HR Technology Conference & Exposition will be held in Chicago from October 4-7 and I’m excited to return as a member of the 2016 HR Tech Insiders blogger team.
There was a time when only HR professionals were concerned about the nuts and bolts of employee benefits such as paid leave, telework and health care. Perhaps a top recruit asked a question or a female worker expecting her first child sought clarification on the Family and Medical Leave Act. Or maybe it was HR’s perennial favorite time of year: open enrollment season.
Not any longer. Employee benefits have gone mainstream.

“Johnson, don’t think! Just do what I tell you!”
I tell my friend this as I train him for his second half marathon. He was so bad in the first one, that I begged him to let me train him for the second one. He agreed! Now I hear myself saying things that my high school track coach used to say to me.
“Dooley, other people clear the hurdles because they do what I say. Don’t think. Just do what I say!”
Learning management systems—the wet blanket of our working lives. They often stifle the real-world buzz and excitement that should be associated with learning. The majority of today’s learning management systems (LMSs) are transactional, back-end, compliance-driven platforms that people visit only when required by HR.
If you've been in the same job for four or five years, chances are that your role has changed. That's also the average amount of time people stick with one position these days. With that in mind, Jenny Blake, a former career development manager at Google, says it's time to think about job transitions in a new way.
A major cultural shift that has changed the way we work has also changed the way we learn at work. Workplace learning is now social, mobile, micro and on-demand.
New, more collaborative trends are driving innovation in learning technology as organizations place a higher priority on the integration of talent management and on learning to increase engagement and retention.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, hiring is at a 10-year high, with Americans getting jobs at rates unheard of since the start of the great recession. Job seekers are now back in the driver’s seat, having to juggle two, three or even four job offers.
“An employer’s brand should be built from the inside out. Just as part of an organization’s marketing message should come from its customers, the employer brand should be championed by its employees. For better or worse, they are the vehicles by which the message will be conveyed on blogs and social networks.”