I wish I remembered more from my college classes. The truth is the finer points of most of them are long gone. These are the top five concepts I do remember, the ones I carry with me and use in my daily  life at home and work.

5. Less is more (from my Art class)

Popularized by architect Mies van der Rohe via Robert Browning. I’ve tried to keep my life relatively simple in line with the less-is-more philosophy.

4. Homeostatis (Philosophy class)

Explains why some people and organizations are so resistant to change.

3. Systems theory (Sociology)

I studied biology and sociology at the same time and was struck by the similarities–the mirrored  patterns and truths–whether we were discussing cell life, individuals, families, tribes, cultures or nations.

4. The law of diminishing returns (Economics)

I still remember the example the professor gave. If you are getting an “E” in a course, it takes minuscule effort to move your grade to a “D”   but it requires proportionately more effort  to move from a “D” to a “C.”  It takes a whole lot more work to get an “B” and a Herculean amount of effort to achieve an “A.”  As you move your grades up, an  application of additional resources yields less than a proportional return; you have to keep working harder and harder for smaller improvements.

I have taken this principle, flipped it, and used it to help me stay disciplined with my weight and eating habits. I noticed the first bite of [fill in the blank] is absolutely divine; OMG, this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten; I’m in heaven. Second bite:  this is yummy. Third bite: this is pretty good. Fourth bite: I’m just shoving it in my mouth. Lesson: three bites is often enough. And if I know I’m not going to truly relish three bites, I’ll forego it altogether.

5. Vote with your dollar (Economics)

The idea  is that consumers show support/nonsupport for goods, services, ideas, trends, etc., through their expenditures. You put your money where you mouth (wallet) is, in other words. If you want to see more of it, you spend more. If you want less of x, you spend less on x. You live out your values through your wallet and checkbook.

My greater takeaway is that we also vote in other ways. We also vote with our time. We vote with our attention. We vote with our laughter; we vote with our energy.  We can vote for snarkiness (or not) depending on how we use our time and attention. Ditto trashy TV, gossip, hate, fluff, unhappiness, addictions, whatever.

What do you remember from college? What were lessons you still use to this day?

photo by Michael Oh

If you work in HR, you know it can be hard to form close friendships at work, especially in a small HR department, because you know too many secrets.  It’s hard to form sincere, meaningful friendships when you have access to everyone’s pay and performance information, when you know who’s struggling, who’s sleeping with whom, who has accused whom of what; and you have to be fair and impartial and all that.

And at the same time, we are all familiar with Gallup research indicating that one of twelve indicators of  strong ‘engagement’ is having a good or best friend at work. So, my HR colleagues, tell me:  are you able to do it? Can you develop and sustain true friendships at work? As for me, I feel a strong connection with several co-workers, but with rare exceptions, we don’t socialize outside of the office. I’m friendly with lots of people, but I don’t have many true friends at work.

Fact: Working in HR can be lonely.

About five years ago at a job fair, I started talking with two other nonprofit social services HR pros, Liberty and Amy, and we quickly became fast Read the rest of this entry »

I just returned from two days at a human services association conference in western Maryland. The annual conference is geared toward executive staff; I spent most of my time with CEO’s and CFO’s.

It was awesome. I attended sessions on the state of our specific sector, financial sustainability, social media, employment law–all from a greater-than-HR perspective, so to speak. When we heard about health care reform, it wasn’t just about how it will affect our benefits budget or  that of our employees, but how it will affect the lives of our clientele and what it means to our service delivery system in Maryland. When our presenter spoke of social media, he highlighted advantages from marketing, communications, customer service and practical standpoints, rather than focusing on denying and suppressing the reality of what is or mitigating risks with restrictive approaches. When we talked about labor law, the execs asked pointed and savvy questions about the makeup of the NLRB and how much leeway Board members have in selecting the cases so that they can  advance their political agenda.

There was no navel-gazing by HR folks. No “what does it mean to be a CEO?” talk.  No professional angst. No plotting how to be taken more seriously or how to score more strategic, transformative work.

I don’t mind saying it was very refreshing.

It made me think: if we are frustrated by ‘traditional’ conferences maybe we are going to the wrong ones.  Last week while featured on Women of HR, I was asked for my advice to other HR professionals. It boiled down to: get out. Get out of your office, get out of your department, get out of the HR mindset, get out of your sector, get out of your comfort zone.  At this conference, I was able to do just that.

I read with interest Jason Lauritsen’s post about the death of the traditional HR conference. Despite my great experience with unconferences (HRevolution I&II, RecruitDC), I’ve also had very recent positive experiences with ‘regular’ conferences. I don’t think traditional conferences are dying, though they may need to evolve to keep pace with the way we learn and connect in 2010 and beyond.

Lisa Brown Morton

Last week,  I attended the third Nonprofit HR Solutions Conference (“the only human resources conference dedicated exclusively to meeting the professional development needs of [US] nonprofit human resources leaders,”) in Washington, DC.  As I arrived, I promptly ran into a number of people I know, including Tracy Tran, a recruiter I met at RecruitDC.

We had four tracks to choose from: HR 101, Legal & Compliance, HR Strategy/Workplace Culture, and Talent Management. For the most part, I eschewed the two former groups, happily basing myself in the two rooms where the more transformational sessions were held.

Other than Tracy and conference staff, I was one of very few people tweeting conference updates, quite different than RecruitDC and HRevolution I & II. I’m sure I raised eyebrows and  elicited puzzled expressions as I scrolled through my TweetDeck columns. Being a lone tweeter felt odd after the unconference format I’ve experienced at social media-influenced events in the last year.

But here’s what wasn’t so different. No ‘death by power point,’ or at least judicious, very restrained use of power point. Minimal handouts. Dynamic leaders, such as Nonprofit HR Solutions President and CEO Lisa Brown Morton. Engaging facilitators. (Pratichi Shah. Love her!) Great discussion. Valuable connections made in hallways and over beverage breaks.

The conference exceeded my expectations in every way (except one; keep reading) and I was so impressed that I volunteered to serve on the planning committee for next year’s event.

HR Take-Aways

As far as human resources goes, I love Pratichi Shah’s mantra: Ask bigger questions. Provide bigger answers. Think consultatively.

So simple, so beautiful, and so easy to remember.

Nonprofit HR Take-Aways

Nonprofits have much in common with any other business:  The downturn in the economy and all it brings. Consumer and employee fear. Impending layoffs. Employees feeling like disposable commodities per Gallup research. Increasing percentages of disengaged staff. The manager vs. HR tension. Generational differences. The struggle to find and employ performance management systems that actually work. The increasing call for more flexibility and work/life balance.

Nonprofits also have some advantages, such as work that is often inherently meaningful. The fact that employees come through the door already aligned with your mission. For-profit entities “would kill for that kind of alignment,” claimed one of the presenters. (I think it was Michael Watson, Senior VP of HR and Diversity  at Girl Scouts of America. But if I am wrong, please forgive and correct me.)  “So what are you doing with this advantage?” he challenged. “How are you putting it to use?”

Nonprofits have some distinct disadvantages:  Lean margins even in good times. A frequent lack of basic systems such as well-thought-out and well-articulated compensation structures (Slope Resources Principal Joe Brown and others mentioned this) and comprehensive leadership development programs. A frequent lack of data, much less sophisticated data analysis. Cultures so lackadaisical they may verge on the unprofessional. A general reluctance to hold employees accountable for results, whether positive or negative.  A tendency toward an entitlement mentality and equity-based compensation versus pay for performance.

To help us weather current storms and emerge in a strong position to thrive long-term, many nonprofits may need to take a very hard look at the realities of their workplaces and consider needed enhancements of workplace culture (including organizational strengths, competencies and performance, all facets of talent management)  strategic goals. In addition, there is a need for nonprofits to work toward closing the knowledge, practice and personal production/accountability gap that exist between us and the corporate world.

Social Media

I loved the Nonprofit Solutions HR Conference, but I didn’t agree with everything I heard. In particular, one session drew me like a moth to a flame, despite a sense of impending doom: The In and Outs of Social Media. Sure enough, the attorney outlined all the case law, all the reasons why organizations should be scared of social media, create a policy and (presumably) run the other way.  Although social media is increasingly the way that many of us connect, communicate, learn, and stay in touch in both or professional and our personal lives–not to mention one of the best and most cost-effective ways for nonprofits to connect with potential funders, clients, donors, volunteers, applicants, patrons, partners, information and resources–all we heard is what is wrong and scary, and what organizations can do to keep themselves safe.

This was disappointing. I’d love to challenge HR conference planners to present a more well-rounded view of social media. When talking about social networking, how about including a PR/communications person and a recruiter who successfully use social media to advance their organization’s goals, in addition to the attorney, if you feel you have to keep him/her?  HR is so much more than compliance, after all.

But the social media session was a smart blip in an otherwise exciting and energizing two days. Kudos to Lisa Brown Morton and her staff for putting on such a fabulous conference!

Yesterday, my teenager and I went out to buy him Freakonomics by Stephen D. Levitt for high school English class. (Can I digress and say that  is a much  cooler, more interesting book than I was assigned back in the day?)  On the way to the bookstore, we passed a retail establishment that reminded me of Victorio Milian. I told Justin about meeting Victorio at HRevolution. “He’s so smart,” I said. “And so nice!”

“Isn’t everyone in HR nice?” my son asked, obviously a little confused. “Isn’t it a part of the job?”

Oh, my sweet, innocent child.  How do I answer?

My innocent child, how I wish you were right. And I wish I could shield you from the harsh realities of the world.

But NO, not all HR people are nice. I wish they were. Telling the truth and HR and the business world is almost as awkward and painful as a holding a frank conversation about the birds and the bees!

Not that I think any other professional skill or competency should be compromised in favor of the elusive nice gene. But who says it needs to be an either/or proposition?

A couple weeks ago, I was received a surprise package from Verizon and tore it open to find a black t-shirt, men’s size XL, emblazoned with the Droid logo.

(What is that thing anyway, a red, alien eyeball?)

The shirt was Verizon’s way of thanking me for my recent phone purchase.

If you’ve met me, you know that I am 5’3″ and a women’s small would fit much better. Thanks for the gesture, Verizon, but what do I do with this? My son would have loved it several years ago when he was into dark, tent-sized t-shirts that covered baggy jeans worn low, low down on his hips.  But now he wears clothes that actually fit, so the Droid shirt will probably find a home at the thrift store.

This got me thinking, wondering how often we as managers or HR pros spend precious time and resources giving people what they don’t want or need. Whether benefits, policies, events (Annual Family Fun Day!), Employee of the Month-type programs or anything else, we could all think more about whether what we’re well-intentionally dishing out is what people actually prefer to eat.

How do you ensure that dollars are well spent rewarding and supporting your employees? How do you ask for input and feedback, and how do you make changes and corrections to the course you’ve taken? Let me know with your comments.

Photo by Stefaan

The other day, I came across this article in the Sunday Washington Post: Obama’s critics are questioning whether he “deserves a vacation.”  Apparently, if the State of the Union is less than perfect, he should be denied rest until he turns things around.

From what I’ve read and seen, presidents including Obama work ten or twelve hours a day, sometimes much, much more.  And even when they are on vacation, they are never *really* on vacation. They’re always on call.

You can argue politics or question Obama’s decisions–and I’ve been done both–but I can’t see questioning his right to, and his fundamental need for, a break, periodic time off to rest and rejuvenate, have time to himself, reconnect with his family so that he can come back refreshed, better equipped to lead our country.

After all, how would you like it if your vacation leave was contingent on turning your organization or your country around? Are you up for that challenge? Would the challenge make any sense?

From my HR perspective, it would be really interesting if management only extended vacation leave to people who exceeded all stakeholders’ idealized standards of perfect performance. But I hardly think it would be motivating. Or fair. Or worth it. Or anything else.

Last week traveling to a family event, I had extra time on my hands so I took the scenic route. On a back road, I stopped for a cold lemonade, then on a whim, pulled into the old country church across the road. I parked and wandered through the cemetery, snapping pictures of interesting headstones, like one that said “date of birth unknown.” Since his mourners didn’t try to estimate, I was left wondering if he’d died at age five, 3o, 50 or 90. Of course, my heart panged when I saw the many infant memorials from earlier times. And I was drawn into the drama and history, such as when one spouse’s birth and death information neatly occupied the left side of the stone but 45 years later, the right side remained blank except for a name; probably, she  remarried and was buried elsewhere, leaving her first husband to rest in peace, alone.

But the biggest surprise to me was coming across the gravestone of a former employee, Wendy, who died last year. Wendy was a great part-time counselor who left us amicably about five years ago. I didn’t even know she passed away. It was such an odd coincidence that I would stumble upon her grave during  my random visit.  It especially hit home since she was a year younger than me (which is to say, very young!!). And it had already been an odd day since earlier I’d run into a former HR candidate at PetsMart, followed by someone we’d terminated.

Some people say there are no coincidences; everything has meaning and things happen for a reason. If that is true, why did I find Wendy’s grave? And on the same day I ran into two other past applicants/employees. What was the message?

The message I was left with had to do with connectedness and karma. Walking through so much history, I had a sense of connection to the past as well as our ancestors’ legacies to us here and now. The sense only magnified when I saw Wendy’s stone and realized how interconnected we all are, constantly, and how our decisions and actions follow us and pop up unexpectedly at any time.  I was relieved and happy we’d parted on good terms. I said a brief prayer for her parents, who must be still grieving her loss.

All the more reason to treat people right and try to follow the golden rule, I reflected, so that when ghosts of employees past come to visit, we feel at ease and at peace.

Rather than haunted.

Rest in peace, Wendy.

HR Pro Victorio Milian has reminded us several times to “Put Up or Shut Up,” to publicly declare our intentions and publicly report on our progress (or lack thereof). As such, I wanted to publicly state that I am committed to:

Improving the Candidate Experience

It’s not that I’ve done a horrible job with this. Over the years, I’ve employed these kinds of approaches in the hopes that candidates would walk away with a good taste in their mouths.

• Welcome. Our front desk staff are friendly and cordial to interviewees, greeting them and offering something cold or hot to drink. And other employees often stop to say hello and introduce themselves and chat, which sets a very nice tone.
• Respect their time.  I start my interviews promptly–after all, we expect the other party to show up on time! On the rare occasions I run late, I apologize and explain.
• Setting. We meet in my office, not a cold conference room.
• Tone. I keep my interview tone friendly, not adversarial, as I wrote in one of my earlier posts.
• Parting gifts. If my company doesn’t appear to be a good fit for whatever reason,  I often refer people to our sister agencies. I keep a list of other organizations for this purpose and can explain which companies might have day schedules, pay a higher rate without the degree requirement, or be a better match for their transportation situation.

So I’ve done all right in a lot of ways and feel gratified by positive and grateful feedback from candidates about their experiences. But I know from both  job-seeker and HR blog posts and from  Gerry Crispin’s session at the May, 2010 RecruitDC that most of us still have room for  improvement. A whole lot of room, actually. So my Put Up or Shut Up commitment is to do just that.

One area I have particularly struggled with is communication with applicants. It’s  a lot easier–of course– with top talent.   But often, I have fallen short with applicants that are not my quick picks. Knowing that, during the last year I’ve also added these strategies:

• ATS.  We implemented  an Applicant Tracking System. Oh, I know, they get a bad rap sometimes for lots of valid reason. But I’ve been doing nonprofit HR for a minute, and  with all the hats we wear, I know there is no way to  humanly communicate with all these thousands of people  each year without one. I’ve never managed to come anywhere close, in fifteen years, until now.  My ATS is a godsend.
• Own it. I changed the  ATS default so that my what I call  ‘Thanks but no thanks’ letters  [known  to some people as  rejection letters] originate from my real email address, not an @no-reply.
• Own it, part 2. I include my real name and title on my response. It keeps me honest.
• Be real: I attempt to write in natural language and personalize each email just a little.
• Give feedback: Whenever possible, I tell people why they haven’t been selected, whether it was lack of a driver’s license for a job with involving driving or the fact that their minimum salary requirement is three times our stated range.
• If appropriate, I refer them to alternate positions or encourage them to apply for future openings. As before, I refer them elsewhere if I have a genuine lead.

I haven’t been able to provide a “wow” response to every candidate all of the time. Recently I was looking for people with specific training and X amount of experience in my field.  Applicants who had neither qualification received  boilerplate emails–though they did originate from my e-mail address with my signature. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, but given the amount of time I had for the task, I’d have to say that any response is way  better than no response.  I think it was a decent compromise and the right use of my time.

So I’m focusing on this, improving, and will continue to find additional ways to do better, though I know it will never be perfect. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

And what about you? What’s your Put Up or Shut Up? Or if recruiting or hiring are  a part of your job, how do you enhance candidates’ experiences?

I came across this BBC news story about people who have experts ghostwrite their online dating profiles. The article explores pros and cons, but there is a strong theme that having someone write your profile is dishonest and unethical.

Why?

How is it different than contracting to have anything else ghost-written, most pointedly (since this is an HR blog) one’s resume? Many people need assistance packaging, presenting, marketing themselves. It is only unethical, in my opinion, if the resulting resume or dating profile doesn’t match up with reality. Yes, I graduated cum laude from Harvard. Yes, I am a 23 year old 5’8″ natural blonde. Yes, I garnered twenty three billion dollars in sales.

And it’s dishonest if you claim credit for what you didn’t produce, if you tell  your date that yes, you conceived the concept for that amazing ad and you wrote the copy,  because you have a lot of talents, three of which are creativity, writing, and design.

But that’s just my opinion. What do you think?

photo by inju