SHRM Blog

Every 12.6 seconds, a blog about generational differences is written. Ok, I made that up, but you get my point. Much is written about what is wrong with the expectations of generations, but there needs to be more action around what we can do to make it better. As HR and business professionals, we need to take a more active role in preparing future generations for expectations in the workplace.

I recently had the good fortune to speak to about 900 students at Muncie Central High School in Muncie, Indiana. I was initially referred to Lisa Letsinger, chairperson of the...

Just a quick post today. I’m reading a book and I ran across a section where the author is discussing the differences between two phrases that seem pretty similar but have very different meanings.

• What’s keeping you up at night?
• What gets you up in the morning?

The idea is that focusing on what keeps you awake at night might seem innocuous, but it focuses on fears. What are you afraid of? What’s scaring you? The question assumes that the recipient has worries and fears that they want to share.

On the other hand, focusing on what gets...

Leadership is an important skill in today’s world. I once heard a supply chain executive from Elizabeth Arden tell me he used to always be encouraged when he would receive position applications from young candidates who could clearly articulate their experience and goals. He knew he could hire one and she would go far in her career because she already demonstrated leadership potential.

For all of us who are out there looking for positions or any opportunity to show we can be leaders, we can never stop learning about the skills we...

I embolden job seekers on a daily basis to make sure they have a tailored job search strategy. Rather than just go about their job search randomly, I preach the importance of a strategy that is targeted, reviewed and adjusted on a daily basis. Ironically, those on the other side of the hiring line do not always seem to have the same focus.

Employment strategies help a company plan for ongoing or incremental hiring. These strategies establish budgets, time frames and areas of focus which help to keep the company proactive in their hiring decisions rather than...