We’re closing in on HRevolution 2015 in beautiful Saint Louis, and we are happy to announce the location for this year’s event. We will be at the Morgan Street Brewery Lodge, a stylish setup and an all-around fun place to visit. Why this place? Well, I’ll have to take you back 2010 to explain. That year we held HRev in Chicago, and we had an amazingly creative location picked out. The entire building seemed geared toward creative thinking, and it has remained a perpetual favorite of HRevolution attendees for years. But why Saint Louis, of all places? Thinking about it?

I’ve been reading like crazy lately and have had trouble keeping up with my reviews. Usually it’s even worse: I have no time to read all the books and they just pile up around me. This time around I picked up Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks and Blockheads on the Path to Creativity  by Neal Thornberry, PhD ( Amazon ). I’m a sucker for innovation-focused stuff, and this was definitely a great read on that front. A few good pieces I pulled from the book: Incentives : Want to encourage innovation? Make sure your incentive pay aligns with what you’re trying to promote.

Last year I met a subject matter expert on international HR issues through my local SHRM chapter. A few months later, when I was looking at some HR challenges affecting our expatriate employees, I ran across her again. When I spoke at ALSHRM in May, she was presenting across the hallway on international human resources best practices. In other words, she knows what she’s doing! So I wanted to take a moment to chat with her and learn more about the special niche she fills. Ben: So, let’s establish your credibility. Tell me about your background.  Debbie: No one knows everything.

Transformational learning, or transformative learning , is focused in part on learning that drives us to do things. Today I’m going to talk about what listening to over 500 hours of podcast programs has done for my learning, but first I’d like to tell a quick story. Anyway, after the Friday night games I would drive to my girlfriend’s house and we’d watch movies and have dinner together until I had to get home for curfew. From that point on, I would leave her house every Friday night in time to listen to the first of the episode in the car. Spooky, but fun. What kinds?

Breaking News: Micromanagement has the last word, now recognized as valuable business practice “This is the best news since man landed on the moon” said one supervisor for a nationwide clothing retailer. Just last week news broke that will change the face of the workplace forever. Micromanagement isn’t just a fad anymore, it really works. Our subject matter expert, Ima Dum’he said, “I know, I know. This seems like one of those things that is too good to be true. This is a banner day for micromanagers everywhere.” What your employees have to say is irrelevant.

A few weeks ago I received a strange text from my cousin. He wanted to know if I would be interested in trying out for a game show called Family Feud. Of course my instant reply was “YES!” ” We had to put in some effort up front and submit our interest. We got together and created little jingles for each person to sing to introduce themselves and did some humorous stuff to try to stand out, then we submitted our video and waited. As luck would have it, we were one of the first few families to turn in our paperwork, so we quickly had our shot at the practice audition.

Running is a passion of mine. So is HR. So why not marry my love for the two in written form? Well, that problem is solved. :-) I recently put together this collection of stories about running, business, and life. More than half of the content is brand new and not published anywhere else, and the book runs about 35 pages in length (which means virtually nothing in the world of Kindle/eBooks, as I’ve learned!) It’s on sale for $3.99 right now. If you’re in HR and you don’t care about running, you can still get some great lessons here. The post My New Kindle Book is Live!

Recently I asked for some help in preparing for a local session on HR compensation challenges. I had some good responses and wanted to share some of the insights and advice with everyone. I’ll be sharing two blogs on the topic: determining what to offer employees and how to get managers on board.  The second most cited HR compensation challenge faced is how to keep managers in line and/or get managers on board with decisions. In the video below I discuss some of the ways to accomplish that. A few ideas: Do you have a written compensation policy or process?

Recently I asked for some help in preparing for a local session on employee compensation challenges. I had some good responses and wanted to share some of the insights and advice with everyone. I’ll be sharing two blogs on the topic: determining what to offer employees and how to get managers on board. . The number one response that HR professionals said was most difficult was figuring out what to offer. In the video I talk about some of the key ways to determine that information, including using local salary surveys for the cheapest and most accurate information. Check it out!

Recently I read The Front Line Leader by Chris Van Gorder while I was on a flight. Usually when I’m flying I take something fun/entertaining to keep my attention, but I needed to knock down my review pile so I grabbed this one. I’m so glad I did. read it from cover to cover and made dozens of notes as I did. In short: this book is one of the best and most interesting that I have read in several years. Get your own copy. The Front Line Leader Video Review. email subscribers click through to view the video) . 20 other notes from the book. Many of these will become future blog posts!

Recently someone asked this question on Quora, a site that I sometimes drop by to help shed some light on the world of HR: If I lie about a past felony on job applications, will the California FCRA keep background checks from finding out? The first two responses to the question were focused on what the law covers and how the person might hide their information–interestingly enough I don’t see their answers on the site anymore, so I’m not sure what to think on that. If you lie to me once there’s a good chance you’ll do it again. They tie in nicely here.

Employee Appreciation Day is upon us (March 6th, for those who are dying to know). While you all know that I am a firm believer in the power of employee recognition (whether it’s  formal , peer to peer , or  anything else in between ), I am also a fan of making it part of your culture, not an annual event. The simple analogy is this: would you wait until a specific day of the year to tell your family, significant other, or children that you love and appreciate them? Probably not! Enjoy! Don’t make it complicated. The process for thanking someone is simple. Don’t be lame.

As you know, my daily work is filled with data crunching, report publishing, and other nerdy stuff. But occasionally I get the opportunity to leave my virtual cubicle and interact with the world. Here’s your chance to listen in. Assessments Webinar. On Wednesday, February 5th at 1:00 EST, I’ll be co-hosting a Brandon Hall Group research spotlight where we talk about some of our recent assessments research and what you need to know. Here’s the marketing blurb: What’s the big deal about assessments anyway? It’s not enough to get an assessment score or profile. Wrong!

AKA how to pass the SPHR exam and keep your sanity. If the title doesn’t give it away, I don’t know what will. Recently I took, and passed, the SPHR exam. Today I’m going to talk about the actual testing process and offer some guidance for those taking the exam in the next few weeks. Soon, I plan to write about the actual study process and offer some resources to support those of you who might be interested in pursuing the SPHR at some point. Update: Here’s the link: how to study for the SPHR exam. How hard is the SPHR exam? Pretty darn hard. :-) More on that below.

I like giving advice based on experience, not opinion. When people previously asked me how to study for the SPHR exam, I’ve had to give them my opinion based on what I understood. To be honest, my response was pretty accurate, but it’s now nice to actually confirm that with my own completion of the SPHR certification. In case you missed it, I talked last week about my success in passing the SPHR exam , so I can now speak from experience in how to properly study. Studying for the SPHR. have collected some of the comments from people say about preparing for the exam. Melissa. link].

If the title doesn’t give it away, I don’t know what will. Last week I took, and passed, the SPHR exam. Today I’m going to talk about the actual testing process and offer some guidance for those taking the exam in the next few weeks. Soon, I plan to write about the actual study process and offer some resources to support those of you who might be interested in pursuing the SPHR at some point. How hard is the SPHR exam? Pretty darn hard. :-) More on that below. How hard is it to pass the SPHR? It has a 56% pass rate (based on mid-2014 figures). How to answer SPHR questions.

You’ve heard the talk about HR strategy and how it can make your organization better–now it’s time to live it. want to help you make 2015 the best year yet in that respect, but I need a little help from you to make it happen. I’m doing a little research on strategic HR, developing an HR strategy, and strategic HR planning, and I’d really appreciate if you would take this two-question survey to help me understand what you want to know more about so I can prepare to teach those topics. Click here to take the survey. General Strategic HR Strategy

I absolutely love the new year and the feeling of excitement and opportunity that exists. have been putting together some great plans for 2015 for this blog, for my work, and for my family. I am rearin’ to go! want to hear from you about what you’re working on, but just as an example, here are a few things I’m looking at in the coming year (more to come in the next few weeks, I promise!): Longer, more in-depth content. More fun/humorous content. Make use of more opportunities to try out things I really enjoy. Family. More individual one-on-one time with each family member.

Captain Awesome in his new Rudolph threads. From the Eubanks house to yours, we wish you a very merry Christmas! Whatever reason you have to celebrate this time of the year, enjoy it. pray that you’re blessed beyond measure and that you take a little time to bless others as well. Any opportunity to bring joy to others in the form of a smile, a gift, or a heartfelt comment is truly worthwhile. We’ll be back next week with more HR fun. :-). The post We Wish You… appeared first on upstartHR. General Random

I sent you an eCard. No, really. care so much  that I took the two minutes to fill out an online form and email (spam) dozens of people all at the same time with a message that is so vague and so general that I could have sent it to people that I don’t even know with virtually the same results. Now wait for the music and art to load. Want a hint? There will be an inoffensive instrumental track, saying, and picture with my name stuck on the bottom. Yes, I know I’m the most thoughtful person ever. Enjoy. The same rules apply. Enjoy your day! General Communication Humor

Breaking news. Anywhere, USA – This morning we got word that someone in HR created a policy. We’re not sure what the policy was as of the time of this report; however, we were assured by our sources that it was “highly necessary” for the business to continue functioning. Our resident HR expert, Stu Pidhead, had this to say, “I have been a long-time believer in policies. Without them our employees would run rampant, exercise their own judgment, and be able to do pretty much whatever they want. No, no, and no. General hr humor Humor Policy

I am testing out something new this week and have been publishing short, 1-2 minute videos on YouTube daily as a way to get some quick thoughts out there on a variety of topics. I’m rounding up this week’s content here. Let me know what you think about the topics, format, etc. Subscribers will need to click through to view the videos below). HR: it’s not about finding a seat at the table, it’s about finding the food truck. ” It’s often a moving target and to be strategically relevant we need to put some effort into the process to make it work. Let me know!

HR is always a day late and a dollar short. Chris Powell, CEO BlackbookHR. That comment from Chris Powell has stuck with me since our initial conversation, and I think it’s a reality we all need to be aware of and try to mitigate. Think of it this way — when someone asks finance, sales, or operations about specific facts, figures, and projections, they can typically throw out a ballpark answer within moments. But for some reason, HR has always taken the “let me get back to you on that” approach. And that, my friends, is not a winning strategy. We can’t let that be a crutch any more.

Training needs to mirror real life. Think about it. If I’m training you on how to change a bicycle tire and then I set you in front of a bus, that training wasn’t very useful. It didn’t mirror real life. It wasn’t realistic. If I train you on how to change a bus tire indoors on a smooth surface with all of the proper tools at hand, you’ll be more likely to be successful if you have to put that skill into practice. As you might imagine, this applies in the workplace as well. Subscribers click through to view. You might be interested in checking those out.

Last week I was talking with some folks about using compensation to drive employee behavior, and it occurred to me that I have never shared anything about that topic here. While I might not be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, I do have a few basic principles that I have relied on over time. The thing that I would like to note is that these apply to organizations of virtually any size. Even small companies ( I’m looking at you, Mr/Ms HR Manager of a company with less than 250 employees ) can incorporate these elements into their compensation planning without too much stress.

Not a lot of time to write today. Just wanted to share this. blessed. The post Briggs is Here appeared first on upstartHR. General Random

[link] I’m just a little bit excited today. I am part of a set of new hosts joining the HR Happy Hour Podcast Network with a new show, We’re Only Human. It’s a play on words and gives multiple meanings, because for starters, despite the pressure on us as HR leaders, we’re still only human. It also gives me a chance to talk about how, despite automation and other factors, we need to be looking at our people as human beings with needs and desires, not simply data points or engagement scores. Yes, and I’m still alive today to tell about it. Thanks! Learning time!

This week I was approached to complete some HR informational interview questions by a young lady heading back to college for a master’s degree in HR. I’ve answered similar questions before , and I have always had a heart for students looking to break into HR , so I obliged. As I responded, I wondered how others would answer and what advice they would share with someone preparing to enter this amazing profession of ours. Would you pick a question and give your own answer in the comments section below? HR Informational Interview What are the main duties of someone in HR ? Good luck!

I learned this week that one of my former bosses nominated me for a Young Professional Award for the work I have done over the past few years, both with this site and within the community where I live. I was (and still am) humbled by that support. As far as I can tell, I’m the only HR guy in the running, and I have until July 1st to gather a few votes in the competition. Would you be willing to take 20 seconds to vote for me? Whether you’ve been reading this site for one day or six years, I would sincerely appreciate the support. Thanks! Click here to vote. General Random

It’s been a whirlwind this past week and I’m just catching my breath for a bit. The site was hacked for the first time in over six years. Lesson learned: choose a strong password and don’t ignore strange activity with your web host. I was able to scramble and get it working again, but if you happen to run across something that doesn’t look right, please let me know and I’ll address it ASAP. In the meantime, I’m pumped for a wide variety of reasons. Let’s cover a few seemingly random ones. enjoy seeing similarities like those. That laughter is priceless. My

A few weeks from now I’ll be joining thousands of my closest HR friends in Las Vegas for the 2015 SHRM Conference. This year is a bit different than the years I visited only as an attendee, because I will be speaking on behalf of Brandon Hall Group about strategic HR at the SHRM SmartStage, which should be a blast. Here are the details: Strategic HR (It’s Easier Than You Think) Monday, June 29, 2015 – 3:20pm Session description: One of the most common suggestions a lot of HR practitioners hear is “You need to be more strategic.” Are you going?

In case you weren’t aware, March 31 st 2015 was cast as Vacation Commitment Day, brought to you by the Take Back Your Time nonprofit. The organization is devoted to helping workers across America focus on taking more of the vacation that they have available, because we are notorious for accruing, but not using, our leave. This sounds like a great idea, but the timing is interesting. This is an intriguing coincidence because just last week I was reading a new study from Accountemps about the top benefits employees are asking for in 2015. Want to know what topped the list? More vacation time.

Credit: melinthemilkyway.com I had a fun idea while running the other day to put together some thoughts about running and HR. have posted here several times in the past about how it has helped me to draw parallels between training for a race and practicing HR on a daily basis, and I’d like to put something together that would be of interest to the HR crowd in general and the running/HR crowd in particular. So, that being said, would you be interested in helping? If you work in HR/recruiting and you run, you are exactly the person I’m looking for ( click here for more info ).

I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m a nerd of many facets. Recently I listened to an episode of Freakonomics on behavioral science and really enjoyed it, so I listened to it all over again, took notes, and created lessons for you guys from them since it was just  that good. Enjoy! We need to make it safe to have conversations others won’t naturally have. That’s how you make innovation an integral part of what you do, not an after the fact, bolt-on, clunky process. The more comfortable people are in making innovative comments, the more innovation you’ll have.

I had a question come in that I thought would be good to get some feedback from you guys on. She asked: Do you know of any current companies that have an HR business partner model (healthcare would be ideal… but I will take any)? have to do research on 3 different businesses for a project. What are the pros and cons of that structure? told her I would reach out to the community (you!) for input. If you have suggestions, tips, or ideas, just leave a comment below and I’ll make sure she sees them. Thanks! General Ask the Readers

I spent last week at the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Conference, and it was an incredible event. Yes, I’d say that even if I wasn’t working for Brandon Hall Group. :-) I wanted to take time today to share a brief summary so you can get a sense of what was discussed, since most of you couldn’t be there. Talent is a Business Area, Not an HR Area. Start talking about competency management in terms of business impacts, not just "HR" terms. excellence15. — Ben Eubanks (@beneubanks) January 28, 2015. Developing high potential leaders and succession management (27%).

I’m doing a short, two question survey to help me prepare for a presentation I’m doing in February. If you take 2 minutes to respond I’ll send you a copy of the slides and a video discussing the topic. Click here to complete the 2-question survey. The post Employee Compensation–What is Your Biggest Frustration? appeared first on upstartHR. General Research

Years ago I worked for a small machine shop owned by my parents. One thing that you might not know about steel is that it can vary wildly from piece to piece. The quality, flexibility, hardness, etc. are all subject to the creation and subsequent treatment processes on that individual piece. Occasionally we would have to send off a piece of steel to be heat-treated at a specialized facility, but there were times when we had a small piece that could actually be treated in our oven by “baking” it for several hours at a specific temperature. picked it up. moment I held the steel.

just realized that it has been two years since I published my first PHR/SPHR prep course. Time flies! Over that time I have had dozens of students use the course to help them prepare for, and pass, the certification exam. If you are considering the PHR/SPHR and are having trouble staying motivated, keeping on track, and juggling all the terms and theories, then this could be the answer you’re looking for. provide lessons via email and help you to stay on top of your studies with regular updates and helpful content to tie your learning back into your day job. Enjoy your holiday!