There is no doubt that the success of a company is determined by those it employs; thereby making acquisition of the appropriate and necessary talent a key priority for any business. However, with the job market tightening, employers are experiencing more difficulty in recruiting and hiring qualified employees; requiring companies to become creative with their hiring practices.
My suggestion – hire former offenders!
Ask any HR professional about the workplace issues that create some of the biggest job-related headaches, and managing leaves of absence will most likely be at the top of the list.
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” - John F. Kennedy
“In God we trust; all others must bring data.” – William Edwards Deming
Note: This blog post is a contribution to the #SHRM19Blogger website. If interested in discovering other amazing HR bloggers, please click the link to read other posts!
Applying for jobs can be strenuous and nerve-wracking. The applications are tedious, and the waiting period in-between interviews and feedback can be trying. The question about criminal history is one that many applicants don’t think twice about. They can check no and move on. However, there’s a large pool of applicants who won’t even apply for the job knowing they have to answer that one question.
For many people, receiving a Second Chance and being given a job after being released from prison is life-changing. But their success depends on more than just being hired. It’s about the environment that they are hired into.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney
This month, SHRM celebrated Second Chance Month by featuring a series of blogs from business owners—many of whom were formerly incarcerated themselves—and workplace influencers writing about hiring those who have criminal records.
The #StateLineCrew is an informal group of human resources professionals primarily from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that meet regularly near the Wisconsin-Illinois “state line” to network, share stories and ideas, support one another, and bond over food and beverages. The group formed shortly after the 2018 SHRM Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago and continues to evolve.
The #StateLineCrew is an informal group of human resources professionals primarily from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that meet regularly near the Wisconsin-Illinois “state line” to network, share stories and ideas, support one another, and bond over food and beverages. The group formed shortly after the 2018 SHRM Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago and continues to evolve.
Ever since the amendments to the Americans with Disability Act took effect in 2009, management-side employment lawyers have preached to clients that they should focus more on accommodating a disability rather than whether an employee has a disability in the first place.
The #StateLineCrew is an informal group of human resources professionals primarily from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that meet regularly near the Wisconsin-Illinois “state line” to network, share stories and ideas, support one another, and bond over food and beverages. The group formed shortly after the 2018 SHRM Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago and continues to evolve.
Every year, I write a blog for SHRM on Holocaust Remembrance.
This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) is next week on May 2, 2019.
This year, we are posting the blog early. Reason: so HR has time to consider some sort of Holocaust commemoration.
Do you feel like some of the time you spend at work is being wasted? You’re not alone! As it turns out, many employees could probably get their jobs done in shorter workdays, but inefficient processes, interruptions, meetings and other daily distractions hamper the ability to focus and to complete the work that needs to get done.
The #StateLineCrew is an informal group of human resources professionals primarily from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that meet regularly near the Wisconsin-Illinois “state line” to network, share stories and ideas, support one another, and bond over food and beverages. The group formed shortly after the 2018 SHRM Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago and continues to evolve.
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One of our employees, who has been a steady, solid performer the last two years, suddenly erupted in anger at one of our clients during a company event. Granted, the client is difficult and the event had all of us stressed out, but that’s no excuse to lose one’s temper and get into a shouting match. We immediately suspended him without pay. |
Paul LaLonde, Mary Williams, Jeff Palkowski, and Kyra Matkovich
You may love or hate traveling for work and conferences like SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition (2019) or SXSW, but the fact remains that you can pretty easily travel hack your way to better rooms, better flights, and better perks. Who doesn’t love a deal or free upgrades?
How to Get More Rewards Points, Upgrades, and Frequent Flier Miles
Who is Office Vibe!? Tell us everything, just as you would someone approaching your booth and asking you this question at the 2019 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition (#SHRM19) in Las Vegas.
You may not know this about me, but I’m a huge music enthusiast who has been the lead singer of a cover band! So, I was “geeked” to talk to mega session speaker Steve Browne – a fellow music freak. Little did I know that our conversation would lead to life lessons and the power of positivity!
On April 17 @shrmnextchat chatted with @DrDianeHamilton, #SHRM19 speaker, nationally syndicated radio host, leadership speaker and author of "Cracking the Curiosity Code," and Creator of Curiosity Code Index to talk about How to Create Cultures of Curiosity. If you
I’m a researcher. Process oriented. Peacemaker. Always followed the rules growing up. My mother never allowed me to ride my bike past a group of trees to the side of our driveway, and I never did until the summer before my freshman year of high school. To say I grew up somewhat sheltered, is a bit of an understatement.
Registration for the 4th Annual Step Challenge, powered by Fitbit Health Solutions, at #SHRM19 is officially open! Visit shrmfoundation.org/stepchallenge to register for this year’s Step Challenge.
This is a 2019 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition interview with Stevyn Guinnip, Corporate Kinesiologist at FFL Brands. Learn more about office furniture, workplace movement, and creating spaces that stimulate productivity and health.
It is with sadness and appall that we all watch the marvelous cathedral of Notre Dame in flames. Thank goodness that reports are no lives are lost and that some of the structure will be saved.
Notre Dame is over 800 years old – construction began in 1163 under King Louis VII and finished almost 200 years later.
Dr. Natalie Baumgartner is an engagement and culture thought leader and evangelist. She has spent her career translating engagement and culture research into SaaS based software, helping organizations to achieve high performance.
My name is Harley Blakeman. I am one of the roughly twenty million Americans living with a felony criminal record. As an entrepreneur, my company has taken a pain point that millions face daily and turned it into a viable business – www.HonestJobs.co – a free-to-use, national fair-chance employment platform.
Think about the last candidate you interviewed for an open position in your organization. You were most likely focused on finding someone with the skills and experience needed to meet the qualifications for the job. But did you consider curiosity?
There are many quotes used to describe the long hours, effort, dedication and work of volunteers in giving to their HR community. To me, this one best describes the work of SHRM volunteers: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Some say this quote came from Pablo Picasso others say it was William Shakespeare. Regardless of source, it describes SHRM volunteers perfectly.
I must admit coming into a national conference for the first time was somewhat daunting for me. There was not a feeling of nervousness, but more of a fear of being overwhelmed. Knowing that there’s going to be tons of information given in just a few days, I wanted to come in with a clear objective. What area can I focus on that I can bring back home and start a conversation about implementing some of the things I learned.
On April 10 @shrmnextchat chatted with Cornbread Hustle founder Cheri Garcia @luminous_cheri and two Cornbread Hustle recruiters Juan Garcia @JuanGarciaHD and Jesus Monge @JesusMonge75 about
This is a 2019 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition interview with Josh Tolan, Founder & CEO at Spark Hire. Learn more about one-way video interviews, steps in the hiring process, and scaling a business.
Roughly 650 years after he sent it, Leonardo da Vinci’s letter to the Duke of Milan asking for a job is still very well known. In celebration of his upcoming April 15th birthday, it is worth looking at his approach to finding a new gig.
In this #SHRMTalent Conference and Exposition Smart Stage Session, Genevieve Martin, executive director of the Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, shares that second-chance employment is a powerful tool in building thriving, inclusive workforces. See how her organization and SHRM have joined forces to help educate and empower HR professionals and organizations in providing opportunities for those with criminal backgrounds.
We caught up with SHRM Chief of Staff, Emily M. Dickens, to reflect on her experience with talent over the past year, the 2019 #SHRMTalent conference, and her thoughts on attracting, engaging and retaining talent.
Ginger Hardage, award-winning former Senior VP of Culture and Communications with Southwest Airlines, discusses the importance of organizational culture and it’s impact on talent with Emily M. Dickens, SHRM Chief of Staff, backstage after speaking to nearly 1,700 HR and business professionals at SHRM’s 2019 Talent Conference and Exposition, as the opening keynote speaker.
Every year, nearly 700,000 people are released from prison. Unfortunately, these individuals can find themselves locked out of the job market due to outdated employment practices that continue to present barriers to their hiring. With the unemployment rate below 4 percent, however, this is no longer a practical strategy for organizations.
Let’s take a journey back to the Flintstones in Bedrock. Think of the Grand Poobah (without putting on your hat).
Now, no reasonable leader would ever refer to themselves as an employee’s Grand Poobah. Actually, some do much worse.
I've been a member of the SHRM Blog Squad for the last seven SHRM Annual Conferences. My intent at any SHRM Annual Conference is fairly straight-forward... find new ideas and figure out how they can be implemented into workforce culture.
I have a confession to make: I’m a SHRM Talent newbie! That’s right! In my almost 11 (or is it 12?) years of recruiting, I have yet to attend this recruiting-focused event where I can grow my talent knowledge and network with some of the best of the best! Thankfully, it’s just right down the road from me this year in good ole Nashville, TN and I’m headed south!
Recommending to senior leadership that your organization increase pay transparency can be a difficult sell for HR professionals. However, pay transparency is a strategic move that delivers measurable business benefits – and it’s an issue on which HR should lead.
Many companies plan to boost employee engagement in 2019. With benefits for both employees and employers, the strategy is easy to understand. What’s more, a strong employee recognition program can set your company apart in a tight job market.
On April 3, @shrmnextchat gathered the #SHRM19Bloggers for a #Nextchat about all the ways to prepare for -- and get the most out of - attendance at the 2019 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition.
Over my last twenty years in HR, I have seen every variation of a typical onboarding program. Many companies don’t have a formal strategy, others have made substantial steps towards onboarding a new leader. But there’s one element that all the onboarding programs I’ve seen have in common – and it’s that traditional onboarding programs alone are putting your company at risk.
This is an interview with Brent Shetler, Owner & Executive Creative Director at Mindspace. Mindspace will be exhibiting at the 2019 Annual SHRM Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas. Read on to learn more about employee onboarding, training, and the magic of Mindspace.
I caught up with Dan Schawbel who is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and a great guy this past week. Dan will be presenting at the 2019 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition (#SHRM19) and he is a can’t miss presenter!
How to Transform Your HR Department Through Technology, even if Your HR Department is Just You
April 2nd marks Equal Pay Day in the United States. With the nation sharply focused on pay equity issues, this is a great time to assess whether your organization’s pay structure is in need of some spring cleaning.
Here are five steps you can take to ensure that your organization is prepared for an equal pay close-up:
Today, as advocates celebrate Equal Pay Day, we’ll be reminded that there is a pay gap between men and women. But calculating the differences is far more complex than applying a simple formula, and the causes remain hard to explain.
A Great Pleasure in Life Is Doing What People Say You Cannot Do.
Warning: Long post ahead. #sorrynotsorry
“Bright light city gonna set my soul, Gonna set my soul on fire…”
– Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley
In June 2018, I attended my first SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition (#SHRM18) without knowing what to expect. SHRM stands for The Society of Human Resource Management and is the largest HR professional society in the world. With over 300,000 members worldwide and serving as the leading provider of resources that help professionals do their best at work, there is something to be said about its conferences.
