Archive for December, 2009

I just got off the phone with Steve Levy, and he said something that really stood out, “The Best Way to Predict The Future Is To Invent It.”  When he said this to me, it swept the cobwebs out of my head like a vacuum  and made me realize:  If you don’t like the current economic temperature-quit kvetching an do something about it.

Yes 2009 sucked the wind out of millions of American’s sails (mine included) and yes our economy took a huge it.  It taught me how to be frugal, pragmatic, resourceful, and uniquely helpful to those around me.

There’s an old saying, you’re only as marketable as you are current so:

1. If you don’t have experience doing something you’d love to try-volunteer to get it, put it on your resume and get someone to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
2. Read voraciously, attend free webinars, go to unconferences *They are more affordable .
3. Be cracker jack sharp in how you network. Whether you are using linkedin, facebook, twitter, or MySpace make sure you are building meaningful relationships with your followers and friends. It’s not enough to collect a massive following.  It’s more important to build those relationships so that you can leverage them to get you into the doors where you are currently knocking
4. Get off your ass: go to industry related meeting, networking events, mixers, parties, and anywhere you can pass out a business card, and make a useful and helpful contact.
5. Close facebook and twitter and pick up the damned phone: There I said it.  Why? Because I’m a recovering twitter and facebook addict…and I say this as much for me as for you.  It’s so easy to twitter away hours of time when what I really should be doing is banking my phone time and getting into the offices of people I want to me.
6. Open the window, and take a deep breath.  Yeah, I know it’s scary out there in transition land, but we have to breathe deeply, and get into action.
7. Listen to blogtalkradio shows that relate to your industry and call in regularly. Get to know the players, and request phone time with them.  I’ve been amazed at how generous people are with their time.  Here’s a fact: most people really do want do want to help you.
8. You have to be clear, focused, and tell people exactly what you are looking for so that they CAN help you. Get specific about the industry you want to penetrate, make a list of the companies where you might want to work, and develop your own personal mission and vision statement. This has helped me tremendously in charting my direction, and in developing my 30 second to 3 minute “elevator pitch.
9. Be yourself on Twitter, and Facebook. Tone it down on linkedin.   I’m not a fan of linking your twitter updates to linkedin unless you are a professional automaton.  Keep the fun on facebook, the cool professional articles and blog post tips on twitter, and the business on linkedin.  I know that @blogher and others might disagree, but that’s my opinion.

Most importantly, don’t give up.  My Father used to say a quitter never wins and a winner never quits.  Whether or not you are in job search mode or trying to recover from a grueling economic blitz-Get off your tush and make a difference.  I know you can do it.

Your Twitterpal,

@HRMargo

Recently, I attended a webinar with @JennyDeVaughn.  In this session we learned how to identify and recruit talent using Facebook.  At first, I bit my lip, worried that recruiters and employers might scouring my facebook page seeking information about me and my life-long friends.  I mean really, do they care about what I ate for dinner, or seeing my dogs dressed in the latest couture?  Well the answer is maybe. Employers and recruiters are looking for you, and will use facebook, twitter, myspace, and linkedin to learn more about you both personally and professionally.  That is why managing your image is so very important if you are a jobseeker.

Ever since this webinar, I cleaned up my facebook page, tightened up my security and privacy settings in such a way that only certain people were able to see certain posts, and photographs. Now, I select which groups can see certain status updates.  I’ve carefully segmented each of my friends into  groups. Everyone should keep in mind that what you say on facebook does not stay on facebook.

Employers and recruiters are using facebook more and more to source and recruit talented people.  This is the good news. So, now you have the opportunity to make facebook work for you. Make sure that your facebook settings are adjusted so that recruiters can find you without finding superfluous personal information.  My Mother used to say, don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want to read the next day on the front page of the newspaper.  Facebook is the new “front page.”  From a recruiting standpoint, facebook is a great resource.  I was interested in this webinar because I want to learn more about how recruiters are using social media to source and recruit talent.

The first thing Jenny discussed was the importance of establishing a goal.  Facebook can be a time waster unless you’re really focused.

According to Jenny, “74% of internet users have a positive impression of companies who use new media to communicate with them.”  Facebook Advanced Search 2.0 App is a useful tool for recruiters to use to hone their target market.  DeVaughn also said that facebook advertising works, so don’t be afraid to use it.  In addition to advertising your website or event, you can track the impact of your advertising, learn more about who’s clicking on your ad, and make modifications to maximize your results.

Facebook groups and fan pages savvy tools to attract candidates.  In groups you can have relevant and timely discussions, and they are more social, and non-commercial.  Fan pages are great because you can use a customized URL, add extra applications, widgets, and track visitor statistics.  Another great tool is http://linkup.com. This site is a must for jobseekers and recruiters alike.  Another site I love is http://indeed.com.

Jenny DeVaughn’s webinar was a real eye opener.  While I can’t share all the details she shared. I can put you in touch with her http://socialprecision.com.

Jenny DeVaughn is a kick-ass social media consultant, and if you ever get a chance to study with her, consider yourself lucky.  She is a very nice, and is generous with her time. I highly recommend her to any recruiter or client.

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Boese about HRHappyHour and 2.0 trends. I also attended a webinar with Jenny DeVaughn about using Facebook for social recruiting.  I promised to write pieces about both events this week. 

I have drafts. I have drafts for drafts, and that’s what writing is.  Writing is a recursive process, as my freshman English Professor would say.  If you aren’t writing, re-writing, and editing, you are typing—not writing.

Which leads me to tonight’s topic: what do you do when you have two unfinished drafts that you aren’t happy with, and how do you bring them to print?

1. Quit writing, save the document and let it cool over night
2. Quietly ask a few colleagues to read it to see if it makes sense. What looks good to you at midnight might look differently in the light of day, to you and countless others.
3. Take your colleagues advice. If they say it’s not ready for print-it’s not ready for print: EDIT.
4. Let it simmer for another day, look at it again, and re-write.
5. Once you have the blog post looking and feeling just the way you want it-publish

I learned this lesson painfully my first few blog posts.  I was so anxious to post something daily, I’d crank out the material with barely a glance.  Then I failed to spell the names of my colleagues correctly. I misquoted a colleague, and gave the wrong company name of a corporate sponsor #FAIL.

What I love about making errors, is learning from them.  Since that time, I ask friends and colleague to proof my post–unless I’m absolutely certain– I love the post exactly as it is.  This goes against common wisdom which suggests we bloggers should post everyday. 

I say, only post everyday if you have something important to say.  Otherwise, you are at risk of losing your credibility.  My motto as a writer, and as an HR Professional is just do it, carefully look before you leap. 

Take a deep breath and keep writing, write daily. Writing daily helps prevent writers block.   Even if you don’t publish a post daily, practice writing, because that is what writing is. Sometimes writing when I have writers block is a good exercise in discipline.  It also forces me to think. Even if I’m writing gibberish—writing soothes my soul.

My posts are never perfect, neither are human beings.  Humble, and flawed people who admit their errors ,and learn from them are lovable, approachable, and helpful.  The point of this post is to share that as much as I wanted to go to press with my post about what goes on on the back channel of #HRHappyHour, I decided it’s best to wait until the appropriate time.  I also wrote about post of my interview with Steve Boese.  I may not release that piece until after the first of the year. 

Jenny Vaughn is my social media role model.  I admire and respect her so much.  That is why I’m holding off on publishing my post from her webinar, because I want to add my own thumb print to it—and not have it be a cheesy rehash of what she said, so I’m doing additional research.

It is you, my loyal readers who I love.  Thanks for liking me even though I am flawed, and imperfect.  I do my best to educated and entertain.  I value our relationship.

Sincerely-your twitter pal,

@HRMargo Margo Rose

P.S. I published this without the extra pair of eyes on it, because I wanted to connect with you.

Scary as that may sound facebook friends, be advised.  This just might work in your favor.  The news is good.  In fact, it’s exciting.  Today, I attended a webinar, entitled, “Using Facebook To Recruit and Identify Talent,” facilitated by Jenny DeVaughn, @JennyDeVaughn if you’re on twitter.  Check out her website, http://socialprecision.com   Before I say too much, I just want to wet your appetite for what’s to come. 

Not only was Jenny talking facebook recruiting, my colleague Paul Paris @paris22 discussed job boards with a host of recruiters on his blogtalk radio show.  So, tomorrow—I’m going to give you a tasty treat and debrief the outcomes of both programs.  Stay tuned.  The best is yet to come.

Your twitterpal,

@HRMargo

How many times have you heard that one? Well, that’s short hand for “welcome to your next training program,” the beatings will begin.  For years, learning in the workplace was seen as punishment that had to be endured.  But, then came the magic bullet that would cure all our ills: Learning Management Systems.  Oh that was going to fix us alright, I used to hear supervisors whine, until they realized that this timely invention would save the organization time, money, traveling expenses, facility expenses and consulting fees. EUREKA!  Like a virtual flick on the forehead, companies woke up to technology, and suddenly online learning didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

According to Lance Haun @TheLance, “Generations don’t have to be managed differently, people have to be managed differently.”  The same goes for learning.  Generations don’t learn differently people do, and learning management technology suits people with different learning styles.  However, with that said, millennial workers tend to enjoy 2.0 learning environments that include wikis, widgets, virtual worlds, games, and simulations.  One of my  Gen Y followers whom I respect, @JRMoreau said in a tweet, “Oddly enough, I learn better without structure. I’m more about having good resources rather being forcefully guided.”  Here’s what the experts say: love them, hate them, learning management systems are not going away.

According to Janet Clary and Brandon Hall, Ph.D.  there are 5 key trends for 2009 we should keep in mind. Before you get snarky, these hold true for 2010 too.

1. Mobile Learning

2. Do it Yourself Learning

3. Flexible Learning

4. Games and Simulations

Hall and Cleary studied top US performing organizations. They found that flexible learning environments, 2.0 tools and social networks met the expectations of millennial workers and boomers alike.  There’s something for everyone, depending on the person’s learning style.

We will see the LMS transitioning from 1.0 to 2.0 platforms (and 3.0 in the near future).  Some experts say that the flipside of a workforce that arrives already tech savvy is an expectation that the corporate world will demand.  If we want to play the game, we have to play on the learning turf that includes wikis, and widget driven interfaces.  We will see a trend toward the use virtual worlds for workplace learning, and virtual landscapes upon which they will take place.  I don’t have a crystal ball, and I don’t believe in making predictions, but I do believe this: We will see feasibility studies that will further assess and measure the veracity of these systems.