Archive for February, 2010

Are you still looking for that perfect job?  Maybe we can help.  Tomorrow on Compassionate HR, Shennee Rutt and I will host Rich Mateo, also know as CornOnTheJob from twitter.  Joining us will be Jessica Miller Merrill, blogtv  host @Blogging4Jobs, and author of “Tweet This,” will share her insights about the search process, and will answer your questions.  Both Rich and Jessica have extensive backgrounds in recruiting and social media.  They can show you how to leverage social media to help you land that perfect job.  Job hunting is hard, but making friends in social media is easy.  Why don’t you tune in, join the conversation, and network with your new friends in the social media sphere.  We want to see you succeed, and help you land that perfect job.

Your twitter pal,

@HRMargo  http://blogtalkradio.com/comphr

Steve Browne, SPHR is the Director of Human Resources at LaRosa’s my favorite pizzeria in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Besides residing over the human resources department of the world’s greatest pizza place, he leads the HR Net.  That’s how I met Steve Browne several years back.  HR Net is not just a great way to network, it is a place where profound knowledge sharing takes place.  Steve’s jovial personality, dazzling facilitation style, and tremendous intelligence makes him a true thought leader in my home town.  Perhaps, it is for this reason that Steve Boese, and Shauna Moerke of the blogtalkradio show HRHappyHour deemed him the HR Mayor of Cincinnati (which is even better than being deemed the silly mayor of some loser restaurant on foursquare).  There’s a culture that exists on HRHappyHour that includes a lot of buzz about area code #513 both positive, and jokingly negative.  We did win the title Best HR City, in part because of Steve Browne’s contribution to the conversation. Steve Browne is one of the reasons area code#513 Rocks.   Browne, is now getting a lot of much deserved accolades and buzz on twitter, facebook, and on other people’s blogs.  He’s a genius, and I like and admire him so much.  He helped me when I was in transition, and he’s helped countless others.  It is in the spirit of gratitude, dignity, integrity and honor, I present to you: Steve Browne:

HR is not a Sentence of Solitary Confinement !!

It’s funny, but when you come across a person who is in HR at a Conference or gathering you usually hear something like this . . .

"Hi, I’m Steve."

"Hi Steve!!"

". . . and I’m in HR." (insert collective groan of sympathy!!)

It’s like our profession is in a 12-step program and not a dynamic and challenging field !! How sad is that?

One of the reasons for this is that too many HR people are alone. Literally. The majority of American companies have HR staffs of 1 to 2 people that are taking on a mountain of issues ranging from Employee Relations to Compensation to Paralegal Compliance! They are typically asked to focus on "critical" items like planning the Company Picnic while also handling supervisors who choose to treat people like property instead of valuing them as talent.

And what do these HR folks do to combat this isolation? Nothing.

I continue to be amazed at the number of HR professionals who refuse to network with others in HR and in business in general. The only time many people really try to "network" is when they are either in transition or trying to get something for their own agenda. Once their needs are met, they jump back into solitary.

Or, they dip their toes in social media and join Linked In and gather their 10 closest friends, join Twitter and then complain about how they don’t "get it", or join Facebook and then bicker about employees who waste time using the forum.

Yuck !! This has to change . . . NOW !!

HR can never be expected to lead if they aren’t willing to model the behavior they expect. I was challenged with this years ago and didn’t see the value. I thought networking met exchanging business cards and then listening to vendors I was never going to use !! I was wrong and naive.

Because of having a network, HR has come alive for me and for those who are connected to me. There are many HR professionals I’ve only "met" electronically. I hope to meet them someday in person, but even so, it’s great to know that they are trying to push the boundaries of our profession. I WANT to be connected to those folks !!

Now, I literally have thousands of HR people I know and connect with on a regular basis. This isn’t a collection either. It’s a vibrant, colorful collection of people who are doing amazing things !! They have allowed me to be a better professional and I hope they feel the same having me join their network.

So, you can continue to read posts like this and lurk in your cell – clanging your cup across the bars and yelling for the guard to come let you out. Or, you can break free, get out into the world and surround yourself with great people . . . who are just like you !!!

Why is being a mentor important? More importantly, why is being mentored important.

There’s been a lot of discussion this week about lists. I scratched my head and thought, "HRMargo, what matters most about this? Why is this topic important to you?"

It’s important because I am who I am because of the people who’ve influenced my life. The people who have influenced my career the most are my mentors. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity of outstanding mentorship. Great leaders in my industry have invested their time in nurturing my endless curiosity about our industry, how it works, what makes it tick, and who, and what I should be studying.

From the time I graduated college, I sought out mentors in my field who could teach me the ropes in the companies where I worked. I sought out mentors in my professional association. I’ve sought out thought leaders who are generous enough to spend time with a little fledgling trying to learn the best demonstrated practices in her field. What amazes me is that every time I’ve switched careers, or carefully selected a new industry to explore, I’ve been able to find brilliant people. Generous people. I’m not talking about monetary generosity. I’m talking about people who are generous with their time.

A mentor ought to have clear boundaries, and structure how they give their time. When I mentor someone, I prefer an approach that includes the creation of learning goals, and our sessions are focused around those goals. Next, I offer access to my contact network, but not before clearly helping my mentee develop a strategy by which they utilize my (and other peoples) contact networks. Boundaries prevent mentorship burn-out.

Contact networks are a precious thing. Some professionals guard theirs more tightly than others, and they should be treated with the utmost of respect. That is why I guide my mentees to be strategic, to be appropriate, and to leave something behind that lets that mentor know you appreciate their efforts.

Just the other week, I gave one of my mentors the names of two contacts that might be able to use their services. I’m not talking about a cold "hey contact that guy" lead, I’m talking about the kind of lead that was been warmed up in advance. Reciprocity is important, but not mandatory. I like to give back to my mentors as a way of showing respect and appreciation.

If you want to have a friend, you have to be a friend. It’s a two way street. Always. Nobody likes a taker, so try to be a giver. The relationship you build with your mentor will be that much more rewarding.

I’m a proponent of compassion and generosity. I’ve never had the resources to be a huge philanthropist, but I have been in a position to give of my time. Being a mentor doesn’t cost a dime, but the rewards are rich beyond compare. What can be greater than seeing the people you mentor go on to do incredible things? I can tell you it’s an amazing feeling, and I’d wager other mentors would concur.

During my recent career transition, I volunteered. I learned about human nature, social media, blogging, and recruitment. As a result, I started a blog back in October of 2009. I attended HRevolution in November, and helped to secure television coverage for the event. I launched a blogtalkradio show in January 2010, Compassionate HR. My goal with this show is to give voice to the people in our industry who are going above and beyond the call of duty to be stewards in their communities. It is also a great pleasure to spotlight corporate philanthropy. It’s a passion piece for me. I expect nothing in return.

I’ve had a twitter account since 2008, but I didn’t get serious about it until last September. Then something happened, I started researching helpful articles, and giving back to my community. With the help of a friend on twitter, I changed my name to HRMargo. With the help of my twitter/facebook friends, I revised my linkedin profile, and my resume. Back in late December, I decided to engage business contacts on facebook. While still focusing on my personal life, I started to behave more professionally (not entirely) but enough that I could launch a facebook fan page for my blog (Which I did this past Sunday). I already have 126 fans, in just a day and a half. Low and behold, I got a job a month ago. As a result, I’m able to attend SourceCon and ERE Expo. I will meet my recruiting, and sourcing heroes and I am beyond excited. These great experts are also great mentors.

In fact, I’m going to do two radio shows about the ERE poker game and foundation on March 8, and March 15th. I want my friends and followers to know about the compassionate philanthropic ways my colleagues are giving back. ERE found a way to make giving fun. Throw a poker game at a major conference, invite all your friends, raise money for causes that help children: (this year the poker game will benefit the children who were victims of the Earthquake in Haiti-a cause that is near, and dear to my deep, and soulful heart). ERE, as an organization mentors people new to the occupation, as well as seasoned pros through their abundant educational programs, groups, conference and networking opportunities.

I believe the advice I received from my mentors had a great deal to do with that. A good mentor points you in the right direction. They don’t drag you there…you have to do the foot work. If you are a good mentee, and listen, there is so much you can learn.

One more point about the value I’ve received from mentoring. A great mentor has a mentor. An amazing coach, has a coach. The people who’ve influenced me the most, either currently have, or have had brilliant people guiding their path. The mistake some professionals make is they go it alone, like a wolf without a pack. But, why do that when there are so many people with their hands extended who are willing to help you?

As I said in an earlier post this week, I believe in the power of community. I believe in the power of sharing information. The number 1 is not a statistically valid sample. We learn more from gathering data from many than just one. It’s places like recruitingblogs that allow us to do just that. Network. My favorite saying is you are either networking or not working.

A healthy mentor, is a good networker, and they will teach you how to be an even better mentor.

What do I wish for my mentees? I wish that they exceed any success I’ve ever had, and become super stars. Even if they don’t, I applaud their every success, because a good mentor is a cheerleader, not a brow beater.

I am so deeply grateful for the people who have been my personal top 25 influencers. They will always have my steadfast and undying loyalty and appreciation.

Wouldn’t it be nice if each of us could create our own list of the great people who shaped our lives, and published that? In some ways, a twitter list can accomplish that feat.

Personally, I’d rather do my best to pass on what they’ve given me, because I know that’s what they’d want me to do.

There’s a facebook group called “Good Grammar is Sexy.”  When I met Karen Siwak, @ResumeStrategy on Twitter, I knew in my heart, I’d met a grammatical sexy wizard.  She’s passionate about writing the very best resumes that represent her clients in their brightest light.  In this guest post, she discusses the importance of storytelling.  No, not “The Three Bears,” storytelling, but “The Little Engine That Could,” storytelling.  Except you are the story.  The story is about how you can tell your story to a prospective hiring manager, and land that interview.  Storytelling is a performance art, and so is effective resume writing.  Read Karen’s post as if you were listening to a book on tape. Absorb the words, and let the message seep into the crevices of your mind.  Allow these lessons to guide you as your template, as you continue to polish your resume.  This is not an advertisement for Karen, but rather a post to empower you with strategies for engaging the hardest part of any search: selling You & Company.  It’s why resume writers are so successful, because this can be an arduous process.  Admittedly, it was the hardest part for me.   The best part of being a blogger is featuring the writers you respect the most.  It is in that spirit, I present to you, Karen Siwak.

Perhaps I’m an odd duck, but I actually enjoy critiquing resumes. And it’s not just because I like picking holes in people’s hard work, or that I take delight in being a grammar sergeant.  In fact my critiques will rarely make mention of a bad format choice (unless its atrocious), or a misplaced comma (unless it is glaringly obvious and bastardizes what you are trying to say).

So why do I like critiquing? It’s because I am a fanatic about resumes that tell an interesting story, and frankly, most don’t. In fact so many resumes fail spectacularly when it comes to story telling, that having to screen through a stack of resumes has been likened to water torture. I like critiquing because I know that I can offer a dozen client-specific suggestions that, if followed, will immediately elevate a resume above the crowd.

Here is my storytelling check list, and I can tell you that less than 10% of the resumes I’ve critiqued over the years have met even half of these criteria:

1. Is there a target job title and a profile or summary that speaks to a specific target audience?
2. Is the summary laden with warm and fuzzy “plays well with others” self-aggrandizements, or does it contain factual statements that show why this candidate is the perfect solution to a specific kind of challenge?
3. Is there an easy-to-read “table of contents” outlining the candidate’s top 10 to 12 core skills and expertise?
4. Does the skills summary use industry-specific language and keywords, and is it stripped of all extraneous words so that the keywords jump out?
5. Does the resume set the context for each job? Is there a brief description of the company, its products, its competitive position?
6. For each position, does the resume briefly list the candidate’s job mandate and the key challenges that they faced when they came on board?
7. Does the resume tell how the candidate stepped up to those challenges, and outline the results they achieved?
8. Does the resume describe how the candidate’s mandate changed over time, how their role evolved, how their company grew or changed as a result of their contributions?
9. If there was a promotion or series of promotions, does the resume describe how this came to be?
10. If applicable, does the resume indicate who the candidate’s clients and stakeholders were? Does it name names, or provide enough information to demonstrate the scope and scale of the client base?
11. If the candidate held similar positions with several different companies, does the resume just duplicate the description, or does it have something fresh and unique to say for each position?
12. When looked at in chronological order, does the candidate’s career progression demonstrate that they have grown professionally over the years?

Personal branding has become de rigeur in today’s internet-driven job market, and smart jobseekers know that they need to use cutting-edge marketing principles to build and sell their personal brand. What you say (and don’t say) in your resume contributes to your personal brand.

As any good marketing professional will tell you, storytelling is the new differentiator.  http://ko-kr.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=309910932696). Sure facts matter, details matter. But stories connect with people on an emotional level. In a job market where the choice of candidates can be endless, having a resume that tells a great story can be the very differentiator that you need to propel you to the top of the candidate pool, and ensure that you get the attention your skills and experience deserve.

If you’d like to reach Karen Directly:

Website: www.resumeconfidential.ca

Twitter: twitter.com/ResumeStrategy

Blog: www.resumeconfidential.ca/blog

Lists. Do we really need them? Do we need somebody else to tell us who’s the best in the business? Why would we need something like that. Aren’t we intelligent people; can’t we think for our selves?  There are lists for lists, it seems.  Yet, somehow, I am disturbed not that a Top Influencer list exists, but who these lists exclude.

Certainly, big mover and shaker publications can’t have “Everybody” lists.  Then, the list would not be special.  Recently, a list was created to applaud the top 25 recruiters.  While I admire and respect the creator of that list, I was miffed who it excluded.   It happened to exclude some of my favorite people; people who shaped the way I view the recruiting industry; people who’ve shown me the way.  No, my feelings weren’t hurt.  I feel very positive about the people who were included on the list.  They are great folks.  Their reach, relevance, and resonance can not be denied.

The power of positive recognition is compelling.  What these lists don’t have is a heart for those worthy people they leave behind.

Every time one of these important lists are published, I just want to raise my hand, and say, hey what about that guy?  I care about my friends, my mentors, my colleagues who I really believe should be on these lists.  Then when I see they were short shifted, I feel so bad for them. I hope I never make it on one of those lists.  I don’t know what I’d do if I did.  I’d probably call my boyfriend and say, honey let’s get on the next train out of dodge, because I’m not up for a rubber chicken dinner.

Here’s me bleeding on the page for my colleagues.  The irony is they could care less whether or not they make it on a list, or not.  They are mature.  Accolades are great when you get them.  Lists might even be great when you make them.  In the final analysis, we have to list ourselves.

We are the top influencer in our hearts, and when our hearts are pure and good, we influence those around us with love, kindness, and generosity.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best:

"The definition of success–To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition.; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–this is to have succeeded."