I had put it off for as long as I could, and it was time to finally bite the bullet and get it done. sent a message to my manager and told him that I was going to work from home the following day in order to knock a few things off my list. knew others on the team did it occasionally, but it felt weird staying home instead of making the daily commute. And you know what? really liked it. —– I can still remember sitting in front of my computer that day all those years ago. remember how I felt, what I was working on, and what the results were. Is that actually a surprise to anyone?

When I speak about HR strategy, one of the things that inevitably comes up is that it’s hard to plan ahead. Things change. The business changes. The objectives shift. It makes it difficult to pin down the right HR strategy to support the organizational goals. And that’s okay. Death, taxes, and change are the things we can count on in this life. In the video below I tell a personal story that helps to illustrate the need to not only be prepared for change, but to actually expect it in some regard so that the molehills don’t become mountains. How did you cope?

Going way personal today. Take it or leave it, but I always write what moves me. Thanks! Dear Peanut, We are so very excited to meet you. I’ve been going back and forth between nervousness and excitement over the past few weeks, because I know that you’re going to make your appearance within the next few weeks. Your sisters and brother are looking forward to meeting you, noticing every single baby that we have passed in the last few weeks with increasing interest. If history is any indicator, they are going to watch over you, support you, and help you as you grow. My treat.

If you check out a company’s profile on Glassdoor , one of the first things you see is the CEO approval rating. As an HR leader, this is a number that I was always concerned with as a signal for overall employee satisfaction. It’s common to hear stories about CEO approval in the news, and all of us have an opinion about our current and past leaders at the top of the organizational hierarchy. But what goes into that measurement and how do company decisions affect the ratings? Until now, most of the information in this area has been ad hoc or anecdotal.

I had been on the job search for a little while, and I was very thrilled when I received a request to come in and interview for a manufacturing operation that produced rubber molds and other rubber pieces. This was going to be my first big HR role, and I was really nervous. Fast forward to the interview session, and I was feeling a little more confident. Everything was going well, but then the president of the company threw me a curve ball. He asked, “Why do you think our capital costs have risen so much in the last few years?” ” So I thought about it for a minute.

Recently I was interviewed by a good friend from SHRM’s Public Affairs team, Mary Kaylor. She asked me a few questions about the HR Technology Conference, and you can read it all here. What I want to expound upon here is the final question in the interview. I had to be succinct in my response to her but I think it’s worth a discussion. The question that spurred today’s discussion: As technology evolves, what do you think the future of HR will look like? Ask a marketer how a campaign went, and she can tell you stats about landing page visits, conversion rates, and more.

This week I’m in Atlanta for the Microsoft Ignite event. Yes, I see the puzzled expressions. Microsoft? What am I thinking? No, I’m not making a career change. I’m perfectly happy where I am. Here’s the deal. have been to tons of events over the years, and what always surprises me is the fact that I get something out of the most unlikely places. stray comment from a 7:00am 401k administration session at SHRM 2013 still rings in my ears when I talk about workplace retirement plans. HR needs allies in the workplace. It might seem a bit cynical, but it’s true. Hiring?

I will be presenting more on this topic at the HR Innovators Virtual Conference – 2 Days, 6 Education-packed sessions from top-rated speakers covering topics critical to success today, including, millennials and culture, creating meaningful workplaces, using social media to attract talent, and how talent loss affects innovation. Register Today ! Space is limited. Years ago, I worked for an organization with a turnover problem. Everyone knows that employee turnover is a problem, but just how much of an issue is it, really? But the data supports this as well. Consider this example.

One of the scariest parts of having a great culture is the fear that it will shift and change in negative ways as the company grows. I can remember talking with Atlassian earlier this year, an organization that has an enviable culture and has leveraged it for incredible success. Every team at Atlassian has a person dedicated to defending the culture from poor fit hires, and these culture stewards can veto any hiring decision at any level. That’s an excellent way to help protect the culture as the organization scales up, but it’s not the only method for making it work. Today

It seems that we can’t turn around today without having a conversation that touches on employee engagement. Yet despite all the attention, it hasn’t really moved the needle. In one graphic (click through the link below to explore), pulled from Google Trends, you can see the level of interest in employee engagement for over ten years. The interest level peaked in 2016, and if the trend continues, it will expand beyond its current levels by the end of the year. But to what end? Engagement is not a program. It’s a long-term, intentional set of practices. Engagement is not an outcome.

Today the second episode of We’re Only Human aired on the HR Happy Hour Podcast Network. The show is focused on recruiting analytics, owners, and accountability. My guest for this show is Kristina Minyard , the Senior Talent Manager at Ignite. During the show we covered some of the interesting aspects that separate staffing and corporate recruiting as well as some of the common challenges and opportunities for recruiting leaders. Despite changes in technology and strategy, many organizations are struggling to find the right talent. General Recruiting We're Only Human

Over the last week I’ve received more than half a dozen emails from people looking for their first foray back into the HR realm after making a move to a new city, taking time off for childcare/maternity leave, and other similar stories. It’s a challenge, but this is easier than breaking into HR in the first place if you have some sort of track record to point to. Often, those early experiences (whether in HR or outside) can help us by illuminating the activities we don’t want to do just as much as highlighting those thing we do want to do. The Local HR Group/Chapter Let’s talk about networking.

When I am teaching a class to prepare students for the PHR/SPHR exams, one of the things I repeatedly highlight is the need to tie HR practices back to business objectives. If we only see ourselves and our actions within the “bubble” of HR, then we severely limit the impact and value we can deliver to the business. One method for bringing the value to the business is by evaluating the financial cost and determining the return or value of a specific program. know, I know, this involves  people , which makes it notoriously difficult to measure. There are ways to pull it off.

[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!

We’ve probably all heard the axiom that 10,000 hours of practice is what it takes to be world-class at something (speaking, skiing, dancing, etc.) But what if that has been misquoted all these years? A new book called Peak is out , and it’s a look at what it takes to get to a world-class performance level. The author was the originator of the study years ago that confirmed the 10,000 hour mark, but he is very careful to point out that it doesn’t simply mean doing the thing for that long. Maybe you have aspirations to be truly great at something. Think of it like weightlifting.

The winter testing window is coming up with HRCI (the Human Resources Certification Institute, for you newbies), and you might be wondering what the difference is between the PHR and SPHR exams. With both of the exam pass rates hovering around 50% (54% PHR, 53%  SPHR), it’s critical to make sure you understand the requirements of each and develop a proper plan for preparing. Today I want to explore some of the variations I have seen as well as from some of the feedback from previous students I helped with the certification exams. The exam content for each has a slightly different focus.

If you’re interested in additional insights on measuring talent acquisition success, be sure to sign up here to get a free copy of the upcoming report I’m working on.  What if you had a way to not only see what sources your candidates were coming from, but which ones delivered you the best people that you ended up hiring? This isn’t just possible–it should be a regular activity you perform as an HR/recruiting leader so that you can validate your hiring efforts and expenditures. Recently I was talking with a client about their recruiting practices. Win, win, win, right?

Once you get into HR you’ll see. It sucks the life out of you and before long you’ll be like everyone else in HR–just hating your life and making it miserable for everyone else. That conversation with a friend prior to me taking my first HR job has been forever burned into my brain. On that day I promised myself that I would never follow that path, instead charting a direction that brought a positive approach and results to the people I worked with (both inside and outside HR). think we know this, but it needs to be said. HR has a PR problem. The “no” people.

Want to be a true HR leader within your business? Learn to influence others. When you think about it, there are few decisions that HR makes with ultimate authority. This can include anything from coaching an employee on how to communicate with his boss to helping the CEO understand the need to support a culture initiative. One of the books I’ve long appreciated is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. they also have the power to change your approach and your results. The book was published in 1936. Do you think these tenets still hold true today?  Smile.

I’ve had this question pop up from a few people I have met in recent weeks, so excuse the commercial if you’re not looking for a speaker for your event or to train your HR team… :-) I know from interacting with many of the readers of this blog that you guys are tied in to various regional, state, and local organizations that require speakers. Just recently I attended the 2016 Annual SHRM Conference in DC where I spoke at the SHRM Smart Stage about choosing the right HR technology for your company, but I also speak about a wide variety of HR, recruiting, and leadership topics.

I just wanted to say “thank you” for the last few years. have enjoyed my work and appreciate the opportunity to contribute. As of today I am turning in my two week notice… Like you probably have, I have had multiple versions of that conversation with managers over the years. Sometimes it’s painful, and other times it’s a relief to put in your notice to depart. But the question we’re examining today is this: should employees give notice when they quit their job ? If you also believe in this approach, then you have a long, successful career ahead of you.

In case you missed it, there was a SHRM Conference Daily post this week with a very interesting headline. In short, the EEOC said that training doesn’t reduce discrimination. The logic behind the commentary had a few holes that I want to point out really quick, but I want to spend the majority of the time today helping you to understand what actually works for eliminating harassment. Here’s the synopsis: The biggest finding of the U.S. That was a jaw-dropping moment for us,” said EEOC Commissioner Victoria A. What kind of training was used? 90% of harassment is never reported.

I’m blessed again this year to be attending the SHRM Annual Conference. Yesterday I spoke with a friend that I haven’t seen at a SHRM event in a while. asked him about what he was most looking forward to, and he had a quick response for me: the people. Yes, the content is good. Yes, the general sessions are motivating. Even the expo hall has a great set of vendors and providers to fill every possible need in the HR world. But the people—that personal connection—is what drew him in more than anything else. But therein lies a problem. When I have questions, I reach out to Mike for help.

Today marks my first day at a new company, and I have to say that I’m very excited about the weeks and months ahead. Two years ago I joined Brandon Hall Group as an analyst to see if that was the direction I wanted to go with my career. I’ve been doing an informal analyst “thing” here at upstartHR since 2009, and what I learned was the “formal” analyst role isn’t all that different from what I’ve done here. It all revolves around knowing the technology and trends and being able to discuss them in a way that makes sense for your audience.

I’d love to say that I am perfect and haven’t ever made a mistake in my career, but we all know that just isn’t the case. While this isn’t like the time I set an ATM on fire , it is one of those moments that I relive over and over again with more than a little remorse. See if you can learn any lessons from my own experience… Years ago I was recruiting for technical writers to join a growing team that I was putting together to support a government contract. Instead of the usual ones and twos, I was hiring a dozen people for this position at one time. Yes, I snapped.

This week I have a treat for you. I had the opportunity as part of my role on the #SHRM16 social media coverage team to interview Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer. She will be speaking at the SHRM Conference on June 20th from 2:00-3:15 in case you are interested in seeing her after reviewing this interview. It is also important to have an effective communication strategy that highlights : NEED FOR CHANGE–Capture the nature of and rationale for the change early, and revisit it often. enjoyed it and hope you did as well. 

One of the most popular posts I’ve written all year was dedicated to the HR certification decision facing today’s HR pros. decided to take it a step further and reach out to some people to discuss the behind-the-scenes pieces of the HR certification world. Today’s interview is with Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resources Certification Institute. hope you enjoy! Ben : First of all, I want to thank you for “walking the talk,” because I see that you have your SPHR certification. That’s a great example for the HR professionals out there to see and follow.

Leading volunteers is not always an easy job. Unlike employees, they are hard to fire and they may or may not be motivated enough to give their best efforts. But sometimes the magic happens, and you get the best people with the best skills supporting you in a volunteer capacity. That’s what happened last week, and I want to share some of the lessons for the rest of you. Nikki (left) has been my co-director since the original event in 2013 Last weekend I participated in an event that has been going for four years now. This year was no different. and motivate people at the same time.

In every company, there comes a time when someone makes an offer to a candidate to come and work for them. What is interesting is the wide variety of advice in the marketplace that advises candidates on how to handle that critical negotiation. Years ago I got my start in blogging by sharing career advice with job seekers looking for an edge in the hiring process. My peers constantly told people that for the strongest negotiating position, they should hold out as long as possible. In other words, it followed the old adage “the first one to speak in the negotiation loses.”

I was talking with some HR professionals last week, and the conversation of transparency came up. What happens if managers care so much about their employees that they help or prepare them to leave the company to pursue the next step in their careers? Is that a good thing, because you’ve successfully grown someone to the level that they are prepared for that? Or is it a problem, since you’re turning over otherwise solid workers that could be contributing to your bottom line? However, recruiters, managers, and executives are often poorly-equipped to lead these conversations. Genera

Wellness as an employee benefit has expanded in the last year or two to include more than just the physical aspect–it now wraps in financial, emotional, and other types of wellness as well. That’s a good thing, because 68% of workers rely on their workplace coverage for their families’ financial security, according to the Guardian Workplace Benefits Study.  One topic that we don’t often think about, yet impacts our employees heavily, is personal finance. According to this article from the Washington Post, approximately one-third of your employees are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Among all of the opportunities that HR leaders have, I believe that one of the most valuable is puncturing the CEO bubble by acting in a strategic advisor capacity. As I wrote some time ago, 76% of CEOs value their relationship with HR. This is because we exist outside the normal flow of business to some extent. This role as a trusted advisor is one that can, and should, be highly strategic. HR’s History Does this list sound familiar? For a wide variety of reasons, the HR population has become the “no” police, preventing virtually any opportunity for creativity and innovation.

One of the challenges for HR pros is not necessarily gathering data. We’re pretty good at that, since we have access to recruiting, benefits, and a host of other business practices. The hardest thing many people have trouble with is actually in the delivery. How can I share this data so others understand? What can I do to get people to pay attention to this critical business area? Why doesn’t this data get the same treatment as that coming from finance or marketing? Today I’m going to share a short video with you that is going to change how you share data internally.

Last week I had the chance to speak with a local HR leader. She was lamenting her company’s hideously awful HR module that was an add-on to the company accounting software. The firm paid plenty of money for the module, but it is ineffective, inefficient, and virtually useless. It looks like it was coded/developed in 1993, if that tells you anything. There are no reporting, searching, or other core capabilities that would make the system a valuable tool to help improve the HR team’s service delivery. And now those expectations extend to workplace technology as well. Bought a purse?

Technology is everywhere in the workplace today, but one of the biggest problems for many companies is integrating the various systems they have. If you have a favorite performance management system and want that to feed into your company’s learning management system so you aren’t duplicating entries and potentially messing up data, good luck. human example of technology incompatibility There are ten people sitting in a room working furiously. Nobody speaks to each other. Oh, and each person has a different method/preference for interacting. How were you able to solve the problem?

I’m going to preface today’s discussion a bit. have been a SHRM volunteer leader since 2009. I’ve been a long-time supporter of SHRM. also have been a supporter of HRCI since 2009 when I became certified. I’ve watched the battle rage between these two organizations over the past two years and have refrained from commenting publicly. This is my opinion (as usual) and doesn’t mean I have stopped supporting either of these valuable organizations. My goal is to make HR better, and I think that each of these groups is trying to do the same in their own respective ways. 

I recently finished up a new book and have been looking forward to writing this review. There are three key things I picked up from the book that I want to share. No wasting time–I’m diving right in. :-) By the way, if the name sound familiar, this is the third book I’ve reviewed for John. He knows what he’s talking about. Key Lessons from Cultural Transformations: Lessons of Leadership and Corporate Reinvention by John Mattone and Nick Vaidya First up, stories are powerful. The bulk of this book is made up of interviews with CEOs from companies across the globe.

Recruiting has been changing for some time. It’s no longer about simply tracking candidates–not if you’re trying to beat the competition, anyway. Sourcing, or seeking out candidates, is a powerful part of a recruiting strategy, but there are also elements of recruiting that have changed in recent years as the recruitment marketing field has grown into its own discipline. Side note: I haven’t done a video in quite a while, so I wanted to plug one in here that I did recently that ties in nicely with the topic. Looking forward to having my camera back in action!

Investigations are one of the toughest parts of working in HR, because you have to work between very fine boundaries and there is always going to be someone upset with the result, no matter how gently you tread. In the various investigations I’ve been a part of, I have picked up some tips and tricks that help to make the process more smooth. No matter the result, if you know you’ve done your best and have given the most definitive answer possible, then that’s pretty much the only way you’ll have a satisfied feeling after you close the books. So, how do you proceed?

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!

You know I’m a big fan of Freakonomics. talk about them fairly often. This is due in part to the nature of the content–it’s not explicitly about HR, recruiting, or business. It just ties in nicely with what we do, as you’ll see in this post. During a recent episode , the host talked with a professional economic forecaster about what it takes to be great at forecasting. The The gentleman talked through several points, but the one that was most pertinent to today’s discussion was the ability to make judgment calls with some measure of certainty attached.

I have been on a parallel track to HR for the last year and a half or so, and there are a few things that I miss about my beloved profession. There are other things, as mentioned below, that I certainly appreciate about my current role. For those of you contemplating a step into a consulting or other position outside the “mainstream human resources” function, here are some things you might run across. What I Miss Having insight into the business operations, funds, etc. The bird’s eye view of things. You never realize how much you appreciate it until it’s gone.

Last week I was sitting in a board meeting for my local SHRM Chapter (NASHRM). I’ve been on the board for about five years now in various roles, and it’s a great way to get connected and serve others within the profession. But volunteering in that capacity is not what we’re discussing today. There was a point in the conversation where we were talking about our upcoming Mentor University program, and someone asked what the minimum threshold should be for mentors in the program. “What? Just ten years? ” I had to laugh. Secondly, everyone has something to offer.

One of the benefits that has received growing attention in the last year is unlimited vacation time. It is positioned as the “ultimate” in paid time away from work, and many of the people who have read the news articles about the plans have wondered what it would be like to implement such a plan. I’m here to tell you: avoid the hype. It’s not all it has been touted to be, and like with all decisions, there are unintended consequences to consider. Who knows if they really work to help employees manage their lives better? Want to know what topped the list? So what gives?

Today we’re not talking about HR. Helping with the dental work I’ve been quite of late, because it’s difficult to write from a remote village without electricity. From the end of December to early January, I returned to Guatemala for a mission trip designed to encourage and uplift some of the poorest people on earth (materially speaking). Below you’ll find a report based on my experience. write this recollection not to “show off,” but to help keep myself focused on the most important things in life, such as faith and family. Guatemala City, here we come!

Back in college I wrote a ton of papers for various classes. Without fail, my writing process would look like this. Read some of the research available and form an opinion. Write an essay based on that opinion. Go back and find data to back up my essay’s key points. Get about 95% finished and realize that the paper didn’t turn out like I wanted it to originally. Rewrite the entire thing from scratch (usually with just a day or two left until the deadline) This was a painful process, but it usually yielded fairly good results. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that.

One of the things that I have grown to appreciate over the past few years is marketing. One of the first things I wrote on the topic was actually around what Chief Marketing Officers can teach Chief HR Officers. There is quite a bit of activity that goes on in the marketing department that we should all appreciate. From tailoring your approach to your audience to relentlessly testing your campaigns, there are some great insights in how they operate. Today we’re going to specifically talk about split testing. cheerfully. That’s a split test, or A/B test. Think about your own role.

A few weeks ago, one of my good friends was tapping away at his phone, and I asked him what he was up to. He told me that he was playing this “Clash of Clans” game online. During my college days, I played games regularly. enjoyed it, and it was a great way to pass the time. Now that I have kids I don’t have much time for games anymore, so I started to dismiss it. Then he said something that struck me. He was playing on a team with some of his peers from work. After digging deeper into the story, I knew I wanted to share about it. It’s the same as having a unique culture.

One of the most common terms around recruiting these days is candidate experience. If you’re late to the game, it’s basically a look at how candidates are treated as they enter your recruiting funnel all the way to getting an offer, if they move that far. It’s comparable to the customer experience: how they are treated, how they feel about the organization, etc. I’ve long held that candidate experience is seen as unimportant not because it doesn’t matter, but because companies just don’t know how to make it stick. Think about it. And to actively court them.

As I look back on the past five years and all of the people I’ve met, I have made some interesting conclusions about career choices. My background as an HR pro has helped to expose me to a wide variety of experiences, people, and career options. I was talking with a friend a few days ago about some of the HR positions I have had over the years. Some of them were at dysfunctional companies with dysfunctional teams. Others were made up of great people vigorously pursuing excellence at all levels. Think about it. If it’s hot out, that cold drink seems especially soothing.

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity as HRevolution swept through Saint Louis. It was one of the best yet (I’ve heard from some that this one was the most impressive), and as I head back to work I want to keep a few of the great conversations and topics in mind. Here’s what you missed: Nearly 50 practitioners and leaders in the space got together to crowdsource problems, build stronger networks, and get a new outlook on the future of this great profession. We had a new game during lunch based on the Jimmy Fallon Box of Lies bit. Or maybe HR people are great liars.

Please. For goodness sake, please stop measuring HR data. See, I know why you’re doing it. You heard this “ big data ” thing it was a good idea, and you started gathering information. Then you realized how easy it was, so you started pulling together even more from a variety of sources. You’re hitting up your applicant tracking system, payroll system, and other data feeds to get what you want. know, it’s hard to stop. But then you did what many others do–nothing. You took all that information and you sat on it. Employee relations: how about this?

I’ve been reading a slew of books lately focused on neuroscience. One line in the latest hit me, and I thought it would be interesting to pull together some of the thoughts from a few to share. Here’s the tidbit (emphasis mine): What do [scientific] studies show, viewed as a whole? Mostly this: if you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom. Source: Brain Rules Wow. Attention, Focus, and Work Another book that quickly hooked me was Two Awesome Hours. That’s what robots are for.

Last week I spent several days with leaders at nonprofits from around the world at the LINGOS Global Learning Forum. It was a humbling experience, and I had some of my preconceived notions turned upside down. In the past I would have imagined (based on my own experiences working in and with nonprofit organizations) that many nonprofits and NGOs are backward at worst and behind the times at best due to limited resources. That may be the case for some, but certainly not for the ones I talked with in Little Rock, Arkansas. There ” But how? What charitable organizations do you support?

This summer at SHRM I was looking through the sessions in the app in an attempt to figure out which I wanted to attend, and I saw this one right up front. SOLD OUT – #707: HR Metrics that Matter: The Process of Developing a Business Scorecard It made me stop and think, especially in light of some of the conversations I had with others at the event about what sort of content was being offered. Policies vs. Actual Contributions I’ve always had a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) with policies. think we should take more time to coach and support than regulate and demand.

Last week I had a chance to jump on the DriveThruHR podcast and speak with Mike Vandervort, a good friend and host of the show. I was a last minute stand in, so the title of the show has someone else’s name on it. Don’t be confused, because in the 30-minute interview I talk about what life is like as an analyst , what my favorite thing to do is in my daily work at Brandon Hall Group, and how the transition has been over the past 12-18 months. hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think. The show is posted here or you can listen in the embedded player below.

I was talking with a friend last week about technology–specifically the kind we use in the HR, payroll, and recruiting space. His organization is using an awful tool that costs quite a bit of money. It’s not user friendly. It doesn’t make data easily accessible. And it’s become a running joke that any basic business need will require yet another $20k+ module just to meet that single need. It sounds like they are in the perfect place to be considering other technology, right? And yet he and I both know that they are not going to make a change any time soon.

One of the sites I follow regularly is Ask a Manager , where Alison Green shares her thoughts and wisdom on management, job hunting, and the workplace. With a wildly popular site like hers, she gets all kinds of questions from readers about different situations. wanted to take the opportunity to get her thoughts on our (HR) side of the fence, so I pitched her a few questions. She was gracious enough to answer in detail, so check out the great Q&A below! Working in HR, there are times I would like to see some of the requests that these people raise. the answer is no.

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?

Today’s post is a personal one about my recent experience quitting caffeine and all of the associated side effects. Not so much about HR, but definitely an interesting look at the experience! One month ago I quit caffeine. My main delivery method was diet cokes (that’s soda for those of you outside the Southeastern United States). quit for multiple reasons, and the experience was what I expected in some ways and very much different in others. The Background Those people that know me know that my poison of choice is Diet Mountain Dew. Well, it was, anyway. Thus began my journey. Back pain.

When it comes to leadership, we hear the word on a fairly consistent basis. But what does it really mean, and how do people “get” it? Awhile back I reviewed the book Talent Leadership by John Mattone and really liked it. I was able to get a copy of the author’s latest book , Intelligent Leadership: What You Need to Know to Unlock Your Full Potential, and enjoyed it as well. Here are a few of the key points that stuck out to me. There is a definite need for more mentoring within our organizations, and we need to be growing leaders to take those roles. This one was no exception.

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.

One of the things that we don’t do so well in the HR wold is measuring performance. And by that I mean our OWN performance. Having metrics in place to see how effective our various efforts are is a must, especially when you’re trying to demonstrate an ROI. One of the easiest ways to start is in recruiting. When it comes to recruiting, organizations have a wide variety of methods to measure effectiveness. Does it come down to time to fill? Is quality of hire the most critical? There are two important things to remember when it comes to measuring talent acquisition.

As HR is increasing its presence as a strategic part of the business, key performance indicators, or KPIs, are becoming a key part of the language for discussing how it is actually performing. Recruiting, in some ways, is actually easier to measure because it is very similar to sales: you either have results or you don’t. Today I want to talk about first year retention, a measure that I believe is going to continue to grow as a recruiting metric, even though many companies wouldn’t consider it even remotely linked to recruiting as of today. So I decided to try something.

Last week I wrote a post about innovation and employee engagement over at the Brandon Hall Group blog. The basic idea is that listening to, and implementing, employee ideas is a great way to get them engaged within the business. In the post I talked about a recent Indiegogo campaign I contributed to. I’m really excited about the campaign, so I wanted to share more details here. have three kids. One is still in a car carrier, but the other two are in booster seats. Those boosters are massive, and they are tough to get in and out of the car. General Innovation

Recently someone asked me about allowing employees to volunteer for free instead of being paid. wanted to answer that more fully here because it might be something you have run into or might be considering in your own business. For starters, here’s the DOL ruling on that. Let’s break it down and look at two broad categories: for-profit and non-profit organizations. Employing volunteers at non-profits The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) defines employment very broadly, i.e., “to suffer or permit to work.” As you might expect, non-profits have some leeway here.

My friend Lance Haun wrote last week about why he thinks we should fight for legislating parental leave in the US. I don’t know that I’ve ironed out my point of view 100%, but I don’t know that I agree with him at this point. Remember, Remember, this is a dialogue, not a requirement to conform.  :-) So, as a father to three small children, you might expect me to be for this type of thing. mean, heck, getting paid to stay home with a baby would be pretty darn awesome. love my three kids and spending time with them is pure joy. But paying them to not work? Having a baby?

Awhile back I received an email from a reader about how to let an employee go who is not performing adequately. It surprised me because I don’t know that I’ve ever actually written on the topic specifically before. want to talk about some of the dos and don’ts, but first, a story. The Time Thief A few years ago a manager called me to see if I could look into an employee’s time card. The employee was consistently putting forty hours of work on his timesheet, but he was arriving late, leaving early, and taking long lunches on a regular basis. General Employee Relations

Last week I took a vacation with my family to enjoy the lovely beaches of south Alabama. I was able to squeeze in a little reading, and here are the fruits of that labor. Today we have book review on Leadership in the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader by Sandy Shugart, PhD ( Amazon ). The book was interesting, and I read it like I mentioned in my previous post on reading for leaders. Here are a few insights from the book: Sometimes followers are as important as the leaders. Do you truly believe in the talent of those you lead? General Book Review Leadershi

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.

This is another installment in our “Day in the Life” series, this time focusing on the HR directors out there. In case you missed one of the previous pieces, here is the full list: The average HR manager’s day What it’s like to be a recruiter The life of an HR analyst Read on below to learn about what those HRD’s do all day, including some funny comments, in-depth descriptions, and other helpful details. Tici Company/industry: Non-Profit Residential Treatment Center for at-risk children and youth Years with current company: 6 months Years in HR: 6.5

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing my friend Steve Browne speak this morning at SHRM. His session was intended to fire up the audience, and I’d say it was a smashing success. One of his comments was powerful, and I thought it deserved to be repeated here because I talk about certification quite a bit. If your certification is only about getting hours and credits, get the heck out of this profession. Go ahead and leave. Or let it lapse. There’s no real value in that sort of attitude. The test is not the goal. Studying is not the objective. How has your certification helped you?

Last week I had the chance to see Dr. Ben Carson speak at an event. For clarity, this was a faith-based event, not a political one. have seen the movie Gifted Hands  twice (highly recommended!), and I was excited to hear some of his story in his own words. picked up four pieces of wisdom on leading people and wanted to share those insights here. Defining Diversity Diversity is not a unanimity of speech or thought. It’s a respect for the differences around us. We don’t all have to believe and say the same things to be diverse. What we must do, though, is respect others. The kicker?

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

The most engaged… are first in line. Recently I read a blog post about email marketing and delivery, and that line struck me. Stick with me, because I think there’s an intriguing question it brings up. People that run companies and blogs often use delivery services to communicate with customers and readers. I use a tool called MailChimp and have for several years. have a little bit (okay, a lot!) of a geeky side, so I follow their blog to stay up to date on best practices for email marketing, product updates, etc. What if…? What are your thoughts?

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

Taking an informal mentoring role in support of someone else is easy, and you can start in minutes. Plus you get the chance to help shape the direction of someone else’s path, and that is an exciting prospect. Today I’m going to talk about how you can do this in your own life to bring inspiration and guidance to someone else. The Scale The first reason I always hear from others as to why they don’t think they can mentor anyone is that they aren’t “good enough” to be credible. When I started out, I thought the same thing. have been running for years.

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?

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?

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at the Alabama SHRM Conference. It was a great experience, and I love taking notes from other speakers throughout the day as well. My friend Dawn Burke from Daxko was speaking about stress on our employees and most notably on the HR staff. There are several reasons we face stress, including the work we do (terminations and investigations, anyone?), the sensitive nature of our jobs, and this pervasive idea that we shouldn’t be friends with anyone in the workplace because we “might” have to face them in a difficult conversation one day.

This is the second in a series of posts on a day in the life of an HR pro. Today we’re turning our sights to the recruiters out there. Below I have profiled several readers who recruit for a variety of industries and companies. If you missed it, the first edition focused on the work of a human resources manager. Read on below to learn about what recruiters do all day, including some funny comments, in-depth descriptions, and other helpful details. love working for a company that places the customer front-and-center of everything we do! Its competitive, fast paced and a ton of fun.

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.

I’ve been working as an HR analyst for about a year now. Several of my friends, both in HR and out, have asked me lately what my days look like. wanted to take a moment to highlight what it is and what it is not. I’ll also say that this is my experience. It’s certainly different for different people at different organizations. Did I mention it’s different? :-) Even my coworkers that do very similar work as talent management analysts, learning analysts, and workforce management analysts have different schedules, projects, etc. This is the time to plan my day. Family!

I’ve been wanting to write for some time about the customization of, well, everything. think it’s fascinating that so much can be customized to your very specific, individual tastes. Personalization is in virtually everything we do. Movies/television? Give Netflix a go. Music? Check out Pandora. Hungry? Get a NatureBox with your own favorite snacks. Sports? Yes, even sports. ESPN’s 22 million (and growing) website visitors are going to see a customized display based on their own location, interests, etc. Let me introduce you to the School of One from iZone. So what is the School of one ?

Today I have the pleasure of introducing my brother, Brandon, to the HR community. Brandon is an auditor for the federal government and has worked in the world of accounting for more than ten years. We’ve been talking about some of the needs that we have in the HR profession for being more number savvy, and that led to this interview. hope you enjoy! If you have questions or want to know more about how HR can use accounting/finance principles to establish credibility and lead within the organization, just shoot me a note. Thanks! Ben: It sounds like you’re in neck deep!

As I looked at my wonderful wife this week and think about our upcoming anniversary (8 years in June), I wondered about the spouses of other HR professionals around the world. Me and the love of my life–Diet Dew. Oh, and Melanie is there, too. Do all of them realize how lucky they are to have married someone working in human resources? :-) With that in mind, here are seven reasons to marry an HR pro. I’d love for you to add your own to the list! Reasons to Marry Someone Working in HR You’ll never have to worry about your work benefits again. Policy workarounds are our thing.

I have been thinking a lot lately as I cross the six year threshold of blogging about human resources management. started this as a tool for the entry level HR pros , but now I also teach about some fairly advanced concepts. One of the things I don’t do enough of is sharing about the community. There are more than 20,000 monthly readers on this site and about 5,000 email subscribers (the numbers still boggle my mind!). Who are these people? What do they do? Let’s find out. hope you like the series, and as always, I’d appreciate your feedback. Want to be profiled yourself?

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 had the pleasure of joining Trish McFarlane for an HCMx Radio podcast episode where we talked about how to use simulations in your recruiting and training initiatives. We start with a bit of my background–if you’re new here that might be interesting for you. Then we leap into some of the work we’re doing at Brandon Hall Group. Finally we get into the meat of the conversation–using simulations to really drive home better recruiting/selection practices and better training/development practices. It was fun and I think you’ll enjoy listening!

A while back I was reading a story about a CEO being asked to return to his company after stepping down from the role years before. As usual, I started tying the thoughts back to HR and how that sort of “boomerang” employee, at any level of the company, might approach the decision to return. For instance, what would change? What would stay the same? If you had a fresh start, how would you do things differently? Or maybe it wouldn’t be a fresh start at all–people would expect you to do the same things the same way, even if it wasn’t good for you or the business long-term.

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 ).

The other day I happened across a blog that posed a very interesting question: Feedback would happen all the time if.? So, what would you say? I can’t reign it in to just one idea, so here are seven things I think would lead to more feedback in the workplace. Feedback would happen all the time if… managers were rated partly based on the quality/quantity of feedback they provide their employees. You know they overestimate how much they give , right? Here’s when to use the different types. ” People like coaching. Feedback can make them feel inadequate.

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, more than half of workers over age 60 plan to continue working in some capacity after retiring from their current career. I’ve read about the “graying of the workforce” and the impending “brain drain” for years, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the topic’s sheer magnitude. And while it might be your first instinct to think that the shift is toward part-time work, the population of individuals over 65 who are pursuing full-time work has been on the rise for years. With him gone it would be virtually impossible to train someone without his expertise.

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!

This week I connected with a wonderful person who shared something that I just had to plug here. You know I’m a fan of certification and the benefits it can bring to your career. But once that certification is done you have that teensy, minor detail of getting 60 credit hours in order to recertify every three years. Truth be told, many of us scramble at the last minute to get them in (or just to collect the information if we already attended enough events–goodness we can be so disorganized with our own professional development!) For free. Over the Web. What is it? Please do so.

The other day I received an email from UPitch. It’s basically like Tinder for PR pitches. Still not sure? Here’s the gist: You open the app and see a pitch. Then you have two options: You don’t like it, don’t care, or generally are disinterested, then you swipe it left off the screen and see the next one (anonymously). You like it and want to know more, you swipe it right and connect with the PR professional behind the pitch to begin the conversation. What’s the point? Speed. Taking the Leap. Now, what if we apply this to recruiting and HR? So, where were we?

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!