Archive for February, 2010

Ok, we all have bad hair days, and bad money days, and bad client days, and bad candidate days, but is that really accurate? Is it not our perception of the situation? What would happen if we shifted our perspective to include a healthy dose of positive thinking? When was the last time a defeatist attitude worked in your favor, and how’d that turn out for you? When was the last time somebody patted you on the back and said, "Great Job," or "I’m so glad you are my recruiter, I will definitely use you again." I spend a lot of time on http://recruitingblogs.com. It’s where I started before I launched this blog. This is my tip of the hat to @Slouch and @MarenHogan.

You matter, you are worthwhile. You are an amazing recruiter, and if you aren’t you have the potential to be. I believe in you, and so do a lot of other people on recruitingblogs.com.

If no one has been validating you lately, it might just be time to validate yourself, or maybe it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Our attitude shapes the way we act, and the way we feel. Our thoughts are very powerful. I can’t promise you that every time you think positively about the job order you are trying to fill, that you will get the outcome you want. But, I will promise you that if you think negatively about the job you are trying to fill, it will have a detrimental impact on both your client, and your candidate.

Our thoughts can shape the way we perform. Our behavior can shape the way people respond to us. Think about it for a moment.

Ok, ok, I know what you’re thinking. Cut out the syrupy positive thinking crap, you’re making me nauseous, and giving me a headache. Trust me, I know the feeling. But, before I toss you the vomit bag, let me plant this seed of a thought in your mind. If you are reading recruiting blogs, and you are staying connected with the thought leaders here, you are headed in the right direction. All is not lost. The thing I love most about that site, is it brings me together with folks like you. Yes, you, and even you–the guy over in the corner who’s frowning at me right now.

I’ve been told all my life, "HRMargo, you’re such a Pollyannah." So be it. I steer clear of negative people, they are like vacuums that suck the life force out of me. When I wax negative, I usually call a friend, and ask them to talk me out of the funk. A few weeks ago, I called a leading US recruiter in tears because I couldn’t get access online course for which I spent $1,350.00. He told me I didn’t need the course afterall. He told me how to get the same information by reading @Booleanblackbelt and @JimStroud’s blogs. He talked to me about how google has all the information I need to learn the sourcing techniques I wanted to learn. In the past, he’s spent time with me to teach me how to use linkedin and other sources. He’s patient and kind. I call him my mentor. I won’t mention his name because I don’t want to embarrass him, but I can tell you this: he means the world to me, and I’d walk through hell with ice cubes for that man. Sometimes he’s compassionate, and sometimes he gives me a metaphoric kick in the seat of the pants to get me out of my erroneous thinking, and headed back on track.

Mentors, colleagues, communities are important. It’s why I love recruiting blogs. Recruitingblogs supports people new to the occupation. Recruitingblogs supports people who’ve been in the industry since the stone age. Recruiting blogs has put me in touch with some of the most amazing people in the world. People who are generous with their time. People who’ve been willing to spend time with me on the phone. People who’ve taken time to meet with me in person.

Community is only as good as what you contribute to it, and what you add to the lives of others in it. When we give of ourselves, the gift returns to us ten-fold. Creating a sense of place and belonging is important. It’s human nature. Abraham Maslow addressed this critical point in his heirarchy of needs. He stated the following:

Once our basic needs have been met, we seek self-actualization and peak experiences. Twitter, facebook, linkedin, google, continued education, conferences, and unconferences have all contributed to the woman I’ve become.

I attended HRevolution in Louisville back in November. I met Maren Hogan who spent time with me, offered me suggestions, and spoke with me on the phone. She offered me support and friendship. She brought recruiting blogs into my life. She’s special. She’s also extremely helpful.

I look forward to attending my first ERE.Expo, and SourceCon. I look forward to meeting my friends from twitter and facebook in person.

The reason I have a positive attitude is because I do my best to stay plugged in and connected to people in my industry. It’s why I felt inspired to start my own blogtalkradio show, Compassionate HR. It’s why I started a blog. How did I get these ideas? Because people like you got behind… efforts to launch a blog, and a show. You’ve supported me in writing down my thoughts here.

I know people debate issues here intensely, but believe it or not, I like that too. I learn a lot when I read how people debate the issues. You see I used to teach Public Speaking at Wright State University and Sinclair Community College. I even reviewed, edited, and wrote features for the high school textbook "Advanced Debate Strategies," which is due out next year. I find the way you interact with each other on this site fascinating.

I get a kick out of the people on recrutingblogs. I’ve tried other communities, and I found them boring.

I’m never bored on recruitingblogs. Far from it. This is a space where each of us can feel beautiful. This is a space where each of us can be articulate, and share our thoughts on the issues in our industry that matter most to us. This is a space where can debate issues, have conversations, and give each other cute gifts.

My very first baby job out of college was in recruiting. Job 1: I was a services coordinator at Manpower Temporary Services. Job 2: I was a recruiter for Pizza Hut. Job 3: I was a recruiter for The Gloria Sustar Agency (which is went out of business a few decades ago) but she was incredibly successful in her hey day.

I can’t say I loved those jobs. In fact, after the last one, I scratched my head, and thought, "Geez, I need to go to graduate school." So I did, and I’m glad. Here’s the irony. You don’t need a Master’s Degree to be a good recruiter. What a person needs is chutzpah (guts, courage, determination). It also helps if you like sales, and promotion, because we spend plenty of time doing that as well. Long after graduate school, like 10 years later, I decided I wanted to go back into recruiting.

I had a rude awakening. Someone on a blogtalkradio show told me I’d have to be an apprentice, and that I’d have to take an agency job for low pay.

No way, not a chance, and you know why? Because I’m a positive thinker. I landed an excellent job, where I am well compensated for my work. I have unlimited opportunity to make more. I will because I work really hard, and I’m passionate about what I do.

My message is simply this: stay positive. You are beautiful. Just believe, and stick with the winners.

This is my homage to recruitingblogs, a place where I feel I truly belong!

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Today, I started a new trend: it’s called #HireFriday.  It’s a simple concept.  It started like this.  I created the #hastag #HireFriday.  Then, I’d tweet their name, the type of work they were looking for, citing the industry they were in, and the location they wanted to live.  It all started like this:

 @HRMargo: I’ve started a New trend #HireFriday on twitter. If you have a friend who’s looking for a job, tweet on their behalf to your network!

Karen Siwak and I were brainstorming a future blogpost. She helped me craft the sample post. Have a heart and do something like this for your friend in transition:

#HireFriday @Arleen14 She’s dedicated to making teams, businesses, and executives shine! She’s looking for a position in Ovido, Florida

I dedicated the entire tweet day tweeting for my friends, and friends of friends who were in actively seeking a new position. 

I’m sick of #followfriday with it’s meaningless stacks of names with no recommendations.  What has meaning? Recommending a friend who does something particularly well, and in this case recommending a friend in transition to your followers.  Cite something they do better than anyone else you know, or at the very least, ask your followers to help them find a connection that just might lead to an interview. 

It was perhaps the most rewarding day I spent on twitter to date.  Just think, if each of us thought of one, or more friends in transition, and took the time to connect them to someone in our network who could offer advice, referrals, and support, we could make a difference in their lives. We might even make a dent in the unemployment rate.  Imagine!

I’m a compassionate dreamer, and if it were up to me, I would have waved my magic wand, and given a job to every unemployed American a job in 2009.  But alas, I am not the job fairy.  But, this I can do, I can introduce an unemployed friend to my contact network, and believe me that is no small thing.

Many of us with recruiting backgrounds know how challenging it is to find the best candidate for a client’s position.  The same holds true if you are an employer who relies on an unwieldy applicant tracking system to feed you your resumes.  The best hire is a warm hire, someone who’s been referred from someone you trust in your own network.  Employers spend a lot of money with recruiters to help them find that perfect candidate.

But just for one moment, imagine if you could help a friend get hired with just one tweet? IMAGINE!

Networks are an interesting animal.  Most professionals spend years growing, nurturing and giving back to their networks.  The happiest networkers are those who give.  Networkers who are on the take lose their credibility quickly.  That’s rule number 1 when you are job seeking, be helpful, be courteous, and stay in touch with your network as you go about your search.  Leave your networking contact with something of value.  I made it a point to give a contact an article, a helpful suggestion, or a referral.  Even if you are unemployed, you have something to give. Never lose sight of that fact.

Sometimes recruiters get hard-bitten and cynical over the years. That can happen when they get burned out.  Then, there are recruiters who care about their client’s best interest, and the best interest of the candidate,  The best recruiters I’ve ever worked with offer helpful suggestions to the candidate, even if that person is not a fit for the position they are trying to fill.  Those recruiters are my heroes.  Most of the recruiters in my contact network are compassionate, kind, and respectful.

#HireFriday is my personal vision.  It is my quest to help as many people get hired as possible, whether or not a I get a commission.  Recruiting is not always about the end game.  Yes, I know what you are thinking, “begin with the end in mind," as Stephen Covey says.  Every now and then, we have to begin with the beginning in mind, and value the journey.  You never know where the path will lead.

The Character, Don Quixote said, “To dream the impossible dream.”  I dream of #HireFriday as a tool for help unemployed people to make contact with recruiters and hiring managers who can help them.  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if each of us offered a random act of kindness to someone in need?  #HireFriday is just that.  It’s a way for people who aren’t in the recruiting industry to give a shout out to on behalf of their friends, or loved ones.  It’s also a way for recruiters to give a shout out about a job they are trying to fill.

Every day could be Friday. Why limit it to just one day?  Why not create a culture on facebook and twitter that helps people in the midst of a career transition?  Many people are doing it now.  I want to take it a step further.  I want to make #HireFriday a trending topic each and every Friday.

John Lennon put it like this. 

“You might say, I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.  I hope one day you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”

You might say, HRMargo, you’re a dreamer.  Everyone needs a mission, this is mine.  Compassionate HR is not just a blogtalkradio program.  It’s not just a post in my blog.  It’s my passion piece.  So, if you are like me, and you want to make a difference, give #HireFriday a shot.

I’m not not knocking #FollowFriday entirely.  It has it’s place.  It helps like minded people find one another. That has value.  At it’s best, it’s a form of recognition. At it’s worst, it’s a meaningless, vapid payback system, and a form of self-promotion. 

I grew weary of #FollowFriday, so I launched the coveted @HRMargo awards program where I gave one person props for something they do extraordinarily well.  It’s my way of expressing love to the people, the companies and recruiters I admire.

With #HireFriday, I’m taking it one step further.  I’m inviting you to give a buddy a hand.  Introduce them to your contacts, and maybe your contacts will put that person with their contacts. 

Pay it forward. Give back to your network.  Show some love for the people who need your help.  It will not just make a difference in their lives.  It might just make a difference in yours.

Compassionate HR, and Love,

Your Twitter Pal…@HRMargo

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I’ve been reviewing my posts the past few weeks, and I realized they’ve revolved around my blogtalkradio show, Compassionate HR.  It made me think what matters most?  The seething debate continues in the human resources and recruiting industry.  There are the hard bitten cynics who cry “I am not in the field of human resources to help people.”  In fact, they get angry, and dismissive when an interviewee suggests that’s why they are interested in the job.  Ok, I understand that argument.  But then the question begs to be asked, why did you choose to go into human resources?  If there wasn’t some altruistic motive somewhere in the back of your mind, what was it?   If you don’t want to help people, does that mean you want to hurt people?  I think not.   I can tell you this, people don’t go into to HR to get rich quick.  There are far easier ways to make a living.  There are easier ways to make the big bucks.

Unless you are a top level recruiter, or at the Vice President level, it is rare to exceed a high six figure income.  So, why…why do we go into HR? Is it because we are passionate what we do? Let’s break it down, shall we?

• Recruiting
• HR Management
• HRIS
• Benefits
• Compensation
• Training and Development
• Organization Development
• Employee Relations
• Legal Compliance
• Health, Safety, and Security
• HR Communication Strategy
• Human Resource Consultant and Vendor Relations

Not to mention the incredible services, the job boards, the human resource statisticians, the human resource reporters and publications, the professional associations, I could go on, and on the list is longer than I can account for here.  I understand that caring too much about the candidate can get in the way of the job a recruiter does for a client. The recruiters job is to find a specific skill set that will meet the needs of the client’s position. That is what they are paid to do.  I understand that employee relations experts spend the better part of their day resolving conflicts, and dealing with people”s head aches.  I understand that the role of people in benefits and compensation can be cut and dried, and yet it is a very difficult position, particularly if they are developing competency models that match the positions to the appropriate payscale.  Benefits, that is an animal all its own, and to be really good at that job, you have to be well informed, and educated about healthcare industry.  Not to mention the health and safety experts-they should get medal of honor for keeping employees safe, and their employers out of court.  Legal compliance, lawyers make a lot more money than their HR counter parts inside the organizations they represent. Yet, the HR Pro who has that job has to be so well schooled that they must be able to articulate the legal compliance issues to both employees, and the brass at the helm of the organization. HR is not one job.  It is many.  In large corporations there are large staffs where each role I mentioned above is handled by a different person.  In mid to small companies, there’s often just a few people handling all the roles, we call them “generalists.” Each role has its perks, its satisfaction, its joy, and its sadness, because we deal with employees, candidates, colleagues, senior level executives and plant floor employees.  We deal with human beings.   I assert that if you have no desire to be useful to others, to be of service to your fellows, get a computer certification, and hide behind your desk.  But even then, you will invariably be put in a position where you will be pushed into service.

After tonight’s show  with Bill Boorman, I realized something important.  Giving is its own reward.  Bill is a man who sleeps 3 hours a night, and spends the other 21 hours networking, communicating, teaching, coaching, and giving back.  As I was listening to him wax eloquently about TruLondon, it made me realize how  important it is to believe deeply in something.  To believe in it so much, that it’s not just what you do, it’s what you are.  What you do represents your values, and what you hold dear.

Sure we all get caught up in the day to day drudgery of what we do for a living.  But, before you answer the question “Why am I in HR?” think carefully about what motivates you, what drives your passion, what makes it worth your while to get out of the bed in the morning, and hit the showers. What do you think about on the drive to work in the morning? And ask yourself this one question, “What does it matter?”

Your twitter pal,

@HRMargo

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When you think of TruLondon you think of unconferences with cool international track leaders right? Well, did you know that a percentage of every ticket sold, goes to 2 charities? That’s right, TruLondon benefits B1G1: Buy1 Give1  and Orchid Cancer Research .  Bill and the Sponsors of TruLondon care passionately about giving back to their communities. Tomorrow, Bill Boorman founder of the TruLondon Conference will be our guest on Compassionate HR.  Shennee Rutt and I interview Bill. We will learn more about how dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to produce this international sensation. Rather than extol the virtues of the track leaders and unconference content, I’d rather tell you about the charity that will benefit:

What is Buy1 Give1? According to their website:

Buy1GIVE1™ is an international organization founded in Australia and now headquartered in Singapore. This simple phrase is at the core of what we do:  sharing the joy of giving.

Buy1GIVE1 is the home of the most powerful, impactful and change-making giving process in the world. It is now a global ‘movement’ bringing together businesses, charities and consumers in a way that has simply not been done before.

Buy1GIVE1 is the central hub of that movement. It’s the source of inspiration, knowledge, systems, processes and insights that together make the biggest sustainable impact ever on the health and wealth of our world.

It’s giving on a scale that’s never been done before. It’s giving that is not motivated by guilt, by natural disasters or by social conscience. It’s giving that’s given because we can; every second, every day and in every way.

It means every time someone buys something from a business who is part of Buy1GIVE1, there is a specific contribution made to a Worthy Cause (selected by the business) automatically. We are the home of transaction-based giving.   

The TruLondon Unconference begins February 17, 18, and 19.  For more information please visit http://thetruconferences.com

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Here is an outline for what I’ll be writing about this month:

1. Report from #TruLondon: Sponsors that support #TruCharity.

I will discuss what I’m learning from this side of the pond from the Track Leaders.

2. The talented people from Monster.Com-roll up their sleeves, and get involved in their communities. Steward leadership at work.

I will report the latest services, and trends from Job Boards, what they offer, and how to get the most out of the services they provide.

3. ERE Foundation, what it does, who it helps and more…

I will research, and discuss that will be offered, and how to plan in advance how to get the most out of the conferences you attend.

In addition, I’ve been invited to write a guest post for The HR Ringleader about the benefits of HREvolution, and a review of what I learned from the last unconference, and how I’ve applied those lessons to help my career.

You know me, in between I’ll be commenting and reporting on the latest trends in human resources, and my analysis of the latest research.  I have some exciting interviews planned with your favorite experts in the human resource, and recruiting community. So stay tuned, and I’ll keep you informed about the breaking news from twitter, facebook and linkedin.  I’ll be your roving reporter, and I’ll be doing my homework so you won’t have to-be sure to join me for a fun, informative take on the latest trends, tips and news you can use.

Your twitter pal,

HRMargo   HRMargoRocks@gmail.com

 

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