Fistful of Talent

SHRM09 Wrap Up... The SHRM's Recovery + Rebuild - Yes We Can?

So imagine this - day two of the SHRM09 conference and I'm having lunch with my FOT pals. You know, we're sitting around and shooting the breeze, making fun of the HR people who would walk by us... and then Kris mentions how he remembered seeing the images of very place we were sitting post Hurricane Katrina lined with rows and rows of cots. Thousands of displaced New Orleans residents. The chaos and disruption. Nice lunch time topic, right? But to be real for a minute... it kind of made me pause, giving me a bit of a reality check about where we were sitting because in all honesty, I had forgotten just what the New Orleans Convention Center served as four years ago.

Remember the Hurricane Katrina aftermath? Up to 20,000 displaced residents called the convention center home while rescue efforts were underway. 20,000 people. And there we were, thousands of HR pros gathered together to do some learning and networking at SHRM09 in the very same place where people were huddled in masses because they'd been displaced by Katrina. Is it just me, or is there something about the whole situation that makes you pause?

SHRM doing the conference in New Orleans isn't just a coincidence. It's a concerted decision made to help revitalize a city which still hasn't fully recovered. As much as I have criticized SHRM in the past (here, here and here), I do give the organization its props for this move because when you have 10,000 or so people descend upon the city for anywhere between three and seven days? That's a lot of money going into the pockets of New Orleans and its residents. Then you also have volunteer activities SHRM has lined up for conference attendees to help revitalize housing in New Orleans. 60+ attendees participated each day in the volunteer activities because cynical as we may be, HR people at the end of the day are actually nice and want to make a difference.

The work to revitalize New Orleans is ongoing, four years later. On my flight into town for the conference, this was amplified for me as I had the fortune of sitting next to Obama's appointee for Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts and in the rows around us were staffers for Senator Landrieu from Louisiana who were also doing recovery related work. I got to talking with my airplane passengers and of course they asked why I was heading to New Orleans... and for them, the idea of 10,000 or so professionals congregating in New Orleans for a conference - in June/July? It was amazing because let's face it - it's muggy, it's uncomfortable, it isn't glamorous by any means. But the contribution it makes to a city like New Orleans? It's big. And for that... I have to applaud SHRM.

When I reflect about the state of SHRM, in some ways, I kind of feel like it's almost as if SHRM is experiencing a rebirth and recovery of its own as well. A new CEO at the helm, a more visible and influential COO driving a lot of new initiatives to bring SHRM into modernity (or some semblance of it)... but as we are seeing with New Orleans, recovery doesn't happen over night. You need some dedicated people in place - idealists who are in it because they really believe in the cause. And that's what I'm seeing with SHRM and this conference in particular - dedicated (and very gracious) hosts, volunteers and staff members, and equally if not even more dedicated members/attendees. No doubt that there's still work to do... but when you see the state of affairs up close and personal, your perspective changes just slightly. And shocking as it may sound, I'm a little more optimistic about the rebuild and recovery than I have been in the past.

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is a Sr. Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...

Learning to Develop Executive Presence Means Don't Chew Gum on Camera - Live from SHRM 2009

Welcome to the big HR show! Yep, along with Jennifer McClure and Kris Dunn, I'm at the annual SHRM Conference and Exposition in good 'ole New Orleans on behalf of Fistful of Talent.

Now, we know that there are many of y'all at home and work wishing you were here with us crazy kids... so for your enjoyment, we thought we'd do a little something different and bring our video cameras back out to deliver some of the speakers (and little of ourselves) directly to you who couldn't be here in New Orleans. First up? Kris Dunn and I touch base with each other and Dianna Booher who taught a Monday afternoon "mega session" on creating executive presence and communicating with confidence in the C-suite. Dianna is the president of Booher Consultants which is based out of Grapevine, Texas and has written many business books over her 25 year career.

Before you hit that play button though - be forewarned about the video that followers because little 'ole me? Well, I'm not yet C-suite. So, executive presence tip number one, which I obviously haven't mastered yet... do not chew gum while on camera! Doh! Hey. I'm still learning folks. Executive presence tip number two? Don't record video clips after a full day of being around thousands of HR pros. It makes you (or maybe just me?) a little goofy. And the outtakes are plenty proof. But hey, that's what the conference is about. Soak up the knowledge, develop and grow. (Email subscribers, click through to watch.)

SHRM09 - Dianna Booher from Fistful of Talent on Vimeo.

More to come, friends, after other sessions... plus, in case you didn't hear, we'll be streaming our session on Wednesday LIVE! China Gorman, COO of SHRM will be moderating a panel session with fellow bloggers Lance Haun of Your HR Guy, Laurie Ruettimann of Punk Rock HR, KD and moi on HR bloggers - who we are, and why on earth anyone should care. The big message? Why HR leaders should be paying attention to social media and the blogosphere in order to be more effective pros. Stay tuned...

PS: You can also check out Jennifer McClure's wrap up on the session on her blog Cincy Recruiter's World.

On Declined Job Offers & Why Sometimes, I Really Believe Recruiting is Like Dating...

I am not sure when it last happened to me... but the other week, I had a candidate turn down a job offer. In this economy? I know. And it was a great, fair offer. The feeling of rejection? Slightly piercing. Okay, deeply piercing. I mean... it's been a while since I've had anyone reject me for anything... a date, a job. It just isn't something I'm used to! Ha! I kid! Being rejected though... it reminded me of an ongoing disagreement I've had with my best friend on his dating strategy and the parallel lessons for recruiting.

My BFF? He's a good looking guy. He's handsome, charming and sweet. He has a good job, no particular oddities or freakish tendencies and he's a ton of fun. I love him to death and think he's a great package - I even dated him myself at one point. If I had to liken him to an employer, because after all there's a point in all of this, he'd be one of those great places to work and have a kicking employment brand. People are drawn to him and he doesn't have to do much recruiting. But in some ways, he has a bit of a retention problem as at 34, he's still single. His turnover rate? Well, let's not go there because that would make ME just another statistic. There's voluntary and involuntary turnover though. He's ready to meet "the one" though. So what gives?

My theory is that it's his approach to dating. He casts the net wide, pulls 'em in, and because he's a great catch, he always has lots of options. The kicker though? He juggles multiple gals at once because his theory is that he should have backup options. If one gal doesn't work out, he wants to have alternatives who are lined up and ready for him. So on any given night when we are out on the town, I can watch my BFF working his phone and flirting with any or all of the dames. And it's entertaining, trust me. (Except for those fateful nights where they all show up at the same place in which case I have to run some major interference. Oi vey...)

My issue with his approach? He's too unfocused. I have long nagged him that each and every one of the gals he "talks to" can sense that he's not entirely present. There's just no way he can really give a gal the attention she deserves and probably wants out of him because he's spread too thin. He's not fully engaged - with any of them. If he really wanted to court someone? I have always argued that he should focus a bit more and give his attention to one girl a time. A gal can tell after all when her suitor is distracted so give her complete, undivided attention and then if she's not the one, move on. Yet my BFF thinks that it's opportunity lost. He doesn't want to be left standing in the cold alone if the object of his attention doesn't pan out. He wants a pipeline of gals.

But back to my declined job offer... We were all in love with the candidate and thought she was the one. We pulled out all the stops - the equivalent of red roses, love poems, wining and dining and all. I was singularly focused on her and getting her in the door... but then she said no thanks and I felt like I had been dumped and left out in the cold. And I can't help but to sit here and wonder if maybe my BFF is on to something.

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is a Sr. Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...

So You Want a Social Media Policy? Maybe Yes, Maybe No...

Your employees are out on the interwebs and using social media. Think quick - what should you do? I mean... what if they say something inappropriate? What if they bash the company? What if they "accidentally" share something confidential? Call your legal team now!  Because it's time for another policy. Or is it?

Lately, it seems everyone is talking about social media policies. For good reason too. Friend of FOT, Sharlyn Lauby of the blog the HR Bartender, has written over on Mashable some good pieces on whether to consider developing a social media policy and ten must haves for your social media policy... good stuff. But in thinking this issue through a bit more for my company and also clients of my company, I think we have to take things a step further when talking about developing or revamping your social media policy. Here's some food for thought.

--Emphasize your organization's values. Many of the concerns people have about their employees using social media, whether for personal or professional use, can be tied back to basic, fundamental values. You want them to be respectful, act with integrity, be honest - and these are likely addressed in your organization's values which apply to the online and offline worlds both. Emphasize values if you are establishing a separate social media policy.

--Remind staff to follow existing rules and policies. Tied back to the first bullet point, there are likely other policies or processes in place that govern how you want or expect employees to act when engaging in social media - remind staff of them. A starter pack on policies to fold into your social media policy could include an anti-harassment policy, confidentiality policy, professional standards and conduct policy... you get the drift. All those policies still come into play and should be applied.

--Highlight the importance of authenticity and transparency. Do you remember hearing about the CEO of Whole Foods a few years back attacking a rival company online under an anonymous name? Oops. That was not a pretty situation. Hopefully your employees have a strong sense of loyalty when it comes to your organization and maybe they have a harmless "competitive spirit" when it comes to others in your industry. Could they be inclined to defend your organization? Might they want to engage in a little friendly verbal exchange with competitors? Make sure they know you expect them to be transparent with their affiliation.

--Disclaimers. Sometimes you may want to have your staff use disclaimers - make the expectations around disclaimers explicitly clear. If you want staff to go the extra step of using a disclaimer that says their opinions are their own and not of the company? Provide sample language. If your staff are generally pretty proud of where they work - let them make their affiliation clear - it's great, easy, free employment branding for you. But if you are nervous about their opinions and how they might reflect on the company, give them standard disclaimer language so they can state their opinions are their own and not those of the company.

--Confidential information. Certainly there are things you don't want them to talk about on the web. Make sure staff have a crystal clear understanding of what they can talk about and what they can't talk about.You probably already have a confidentiality policy in place - emphasize content of that policy and recommend staff re-review it.

--Productivity. Of course, you could be concerned that employees may become unproductive if engaged in social media... that whole "time suck" issue. Understandable. But pre-social media, there were likely available distractions available to your staff which could have been a time suck. Hopefully you have something in place, in a general policy on standards of conduct or somewhere in that employee handbook of yours, that addresses generally the expectation that staff use good judgment and are productive on the job. Performance expectations shouldn't change because of your employees engagement in social media activities. If they aren't meeting deadlines, if the work product isn't up to par, or if the employee becomes disengaged, these issues need to be addressed, as they would be whether it's because of social media or any other kind of distraction.

--Use of company logos and such. This is a biggie... work with your marketing team on the issue but make sure your employees understand the concept of brand protection. If you don't want your logos all over the place, or if your organization has very stringent standards for where, how and when the company's logo or other trademarked materials can be used? Address the issue within your social media policy - but I'd say that you should probably have something else in place that outlines standards for using company logos.

There are other issues to consider with your policy, of course... but these are just a launching pad for you. Sense a theme with everything outlined above though? Many of the major concerns I seem to be hearing from employers about their employees being active in social media really tie back to bigger picture issues which you should probably already have addressed in other channels.  In some ways, it's back to basics when it comes to social media. Make sure you've covered your bases on all other fronts and once you've done that? Maybe you do need a social media policy, maybe you don't. Just don't forget to incorporate all those other areas into what you develop, should you go that route.

Editor's Note - Jessica Lee is a senior employment manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C, and the Editor of FOT. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how many HR Managers nationally could pull off appearing in a Justin Timberlake video...Just like other upscale HR Pros I know and respect...

New HR Systems & Tools! Nice, But Don't Get Distracted By Shiny Objects...

Sometimes, I feel like an un-fancy HR gal. It sounds weird, maybe... but my HR experiences have always been kind of "bootstrap," to use the term my pal, Kris Dunn, likes. Whether it's the recruiting budgets, HRIS or applicant tracking systems I've used... we've figured out how to execute and be an effective HR team and provide outstanding HR service, even if we're having to scrap together systems and processes. Largely, this has been because I've always been surrounded by HR pros and had HR leaders who were about getting things done. Bells and whistles and the biggest, baddest latest system or HR trend... those have always taken a back seat to simply doing good work, giving sound advice and just being a good HR partner.

But the more I become networked and entrenched in the HR and recruiting community... the more I start thinking that perhaps I'm not as "with it" as some HR pros out there. First, there's this big, deep vendor and HR-related service provider community out there with all sorts of new fangled shiny objects to show off, which are all promised to solve my organization's people-related challenges, whether it's recruitment, performance management, onboarding, etc.  Add in the "thought leaders" and academics with new fangled concepts and ideas and theories about people in the workplace and what will attract, motivate and retain them. And of course, they all have their jargon to describe a theory or concept or idea or practice. And honestly? Sometimes I don't know what any of it really means. For example:

• Talent acquisition versus recruiting. I'm not sure what the difference is, if anything.
• Talent management... I don't really know what that term means... and I'm not sure when we started using the term "talent" so frequently!
• Onboarding versus orientation... is there truly a difference?
• Total rewards and total compensation... am I referring to the same thing here when I use either term? And are incentives different from rewards, which are different from recognition? Am I messing up all the terms here?
• Applicant versus candidate... some days I forget the difference and use them interchangeably. Can someone from the OFCCP please let me know?

Seemingly everyone has something to teach and show me, and I am initially inclined to soak it all in. I like learning, I love technology... but I can't help but to stop and question sometimes... are you just packaging something I already do as a new fangled theory or idea, but just in a different way? Or are you over-analyzing a people related challenge and making it more complex than it really is? And is what you're trying to sell me on really all that necessary to be a great HR pro, or to provide great HR service? I mean, to have a smooth running HR function, do you need to be using all those fancy, glittering objects?

In some places, I've had an HRIS. I've worked off of spreadsheets, used DOS-based systems and some slicker web-based HRIS. I've worked with paper performance evaluation forms and online performance management systems. I've worked with a very scrappy ATS, no ATS, a robust ATS... but regardless of what tools my organization had, how we labeled a function, or service, or theory, or process, we executed, and our work at the end of the day was fundamentally about people.  We found ways to still get the job done in such a way where we have proven our value to the organization and have been seen as true business partners.

And that in and of itself just serves to remind me that there will always be shiny new toys that come out, especially when you consider and fold in social media into the mix. Someone is always going to be coming out with a new solution or theory to improve how we do things - and I don't mean to minimize any of that... because I love new services, products and ideas and seeing how they might work in my own sphere... but not partaking in them? Or not knowing about the latest new fangled tool or term? It doesn't make you any less of a HR pro, nor does it make your HR team any less of a rockstar function.

And for every new fangled tool or theory that does come out? It's easy to get distracted by shiny new objects, but let's keep our eyes on the prize. What's your goal? What are you trying to achieve? What's the strategy you're going to employ?  Answer those questions and then figure out the tools and tactics that will support it.  Maybe you'll need the latest and greatest thing being offered, maybe you won't.

Editor's Note - Jessica Lee is a senior employment manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C, and the Editor of FOT. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how many HR Managers nationally could pull off appearing in a Justin Timberlake video...Just like other upscale HR Pros I know and respect...

So You Want My Number, Candidates? Have At It... Call me..

I saw something in the Twitterverse last week that took me aback. My friend, Chris Hoyt, also known as the Recruiter Guy in the blogosphere, did something very simple, but seemingly very ballsy. He put his phone number out there. A job seeker had said to him if a recruiter were serious about using social media to recruit, they would put their phone number out there. So he did. My response to Chris? If a recruiter were really serious about using social media to recruit, they'd put their phone number in their Twitter profile. And then he did it. Now here's someone who walks the talk.

Yet I can't bring myself to do it... yes, my little tail is cowering between my legs. Admittedly, I'm actually scared. You probably are too, because the reality is that for recruiters, we're all overwhelmed right now. I'm receiving resumes upon resumes from every which direction. I'm receiving calls from candidates by the hour. And I'm even receiving calls and emails from the boyfriends of candidates. Then there are the third party recruiters and agencies calling daily. Everyone has a candidate or is a candidate and is trying to sell themselves to me. It's a lot to deal with and my patience is tried almost daily... so to put my phone number out there to be even more accessible? I don't know...

Yet, I also don't know how I feel about building walls up around me completely. (Are we talking about recruiting or relationships? LOL!) I've been thinking about this idea of how much to put ourselves out there quite a bit of late, particularly as a job seeker asked a question of me recently... when coming across a job posting that says, "no calls please," does the employer really mean it? And if so, what's the penalty for a candidate calling? Of course, as I often do, I farmed the question out to my friends on Twitter to see what they thought and Susan Burns of the Future of Talent raised an excellent point. The bigger question is what does a statement like that say about the culture of the organization? It's kind of negative language, isn't it? And I couldn't agree more. The notion of job posting language such as "no calls please" reinforces the whole notion of companies being "big black holes" when it comes to applicants sending their resumes in... yet given the volume of candidates out there, I get why someone would do say no phone calls. I don't agree, but I get it.

So, what's a recruiter to do? If you're serious about using social media to recruit, if you're serious about recruiting in general, you have to be accessible. On my LinkedIn profile, my email address is spelled out for you. On my company's website, my actual name is listed. You can find my phone number pretty easily or call our receptionist. You can find my email address, if you click around a bit on the interwebs. The number of candidates who find and contact me, it's greater as a result. And there are days, I'd like to yank my contact information. There are days, I'd like to not pick up the phone, or just ignore candidates. But what then is going to happen when the market turns and I'm the one calling passive candidates? You know what I mean?

The tables will turn back around at some point. So let's just see what happens if we put ourselves out there. This is about accessibility. Don't be another black hole to your talent community. So if I'm going to walk the talk? Here you have it. Candidates can email me at jlee@apcoworldwide.com, or ring me. My direct dial is 202.478.3723. My apologies in advance if I can't get back to you immediately. You'll understand because the market is so plentiful and there are lots of candidates calling me - but I'll get back to you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Editor's Note - Jessica Lee is an Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how many HR Managers nationally could pull off appearing in a Justin Timberlake video...Just like other upscale HR Pros I know and respect...

What's Your Pay? Money Should be the Last Thing On Your Mind When I Make You An Offer....

Ann Bares' post a while back over at Compensation Force on pay communication got me thinking… what’s my approach when communicating pay during the job offer?

I’m not sure anyone actually ever coached or taught me “how” to make a job offer. I’ve taken my own experiences of being offered jobs, coupled with what just makes sheer sense to me, and have come up with this approach: talk about the role, discuss why everyone is excited and how this is going to be a great career move… and then comes the discussion on money. I always save that for last. If I know I can close the deal easily, I’ll dive right in and give the figure, launch into a schpiel on our bonus program, and then hit them with benefits. I drive hard, put the pedal to the metal and quickly close the deal. That usually works well for me.

For candidates where salary might be a tougher negotiation, I usually start out with a little bitty on our ranges and how we generally determine compensation. For others, I’ll include a discussion of what the industry standard is and how our offer compares. I think a few times, I have even come flat out and said that we’re not going to be able to meet what they were expecting and then launch into where I can take them, what the earning potential might be long term and why their expectations might not be in alignment with our compensation structure. Essentially, I talk ranges, goals, rationale, and our intent.

I’ll also go for an emotional connection a la Paul Herbert in hard-to-close deals where I’ll emphasize motivation, the impact they can have (yes, you can help to change the world!) and that coming to work for my firm can’t be about the money – they have to want this role and I heavily emphasize the intangible benefits. And thankfully, I’ve actually never had a job turned down because of money, including when I’ve asked people to take pay cuts… but that’s not to say that I’m 100% confident when making offers. I actually hate talking about money and dread that part of the discussion.

I suspect some of the issues in the study Ann sites where most/many/all employees don’t know or understand the salary ranges for their positions and how base pay increases were determined could have linkages to how and what is communicated when first bringing an individual into an organization. My firm also does a compensation orientation session for new staff so they understand our pay philosophy and compensation structure. Another best practice, if I’m to toot the horn for my wonderful HR team and leadership. What are other folks doing though? Are there other best practices to share out there? I’m eager to hear what you’ve got up your sleeves.

Editor's Note - Jessica Lee is an Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how many HR Managers nationally could pull off appearing in a Justin Timberlake video...Just like other upscale HR Pros I know and respect...

My Word Isn't Good Enough? Verbal Job Offers...

I was chatting with a recruiter friend the other day about job offers. It's probably one of my favorite parts of my job. But we've started noticing a somewhat disturbing trend...

Let me set the stage. My pal picks up the phone to make an offer to a candidate. They talk through the details, the candidate was excited as can be so they talked about a possible start date... and then she says she'd give her notice after she received the offer in writing. My recruiter pal says sure, and that she'd send her an email outlining what they had discussed and once they had a start date finalized, she'd put the offer letter together and have the powers that be sign the official letter.

The candidate said great, but she wanted to know when she would receive a signed offer letter. It seemed she wasn't willing to give her notice until she had something in her hands with an actual signature. She wanted real ink.

Am I the only one who thinks this is sad? She was given the offer verbally, she received a follow up via email outlining the terms discussed... but that wasn't enough. And mind you, this was a corporate recruiter extending the offer directly. There was no middle man there.

I've seen this a handful of times, too. And I'm not sure I "get it" completely. To check my gut, I sent a tweet out about it and the responses floored me - both via tweet and separately by email. Recruiters and HR pros saying they understood candidates responding in this way... it seemed there were a handful of folks who have had to rescind offers in the past, or that once offers had been made, they have had positions fall through, budgets disappear, or the requirements of a position changed... and job seekers who came back also saying they felt the same way about needing something in writing, with an actual signature, because they didn't trust verbal offers, probably were the recipients of offers made by the very same recruiters who responded to me... sigh.

Is anyone else confused by this?

First, I understand that given the state of the economy and the uncertainty all around us, sure. It isn't unreasonable for a candidate to want an offer in writing. Leaving a job for another job... it could be understandably a little risky. But I struggle because I just don't understand why the relationships that I've built with candidates, my word, and a confirmation via email isn't enough? Isn't that a lot to give? I mean, come on! When you put all three together, why would you ever think that I'd go back on my word?

But, maybe, more importantly... why have so many job seekers been jerked around when it comes to employment offers that they have to be so overly cautious? I mean for those of you making offers out there, what the heck are you guys doing?

If you're a recruiter, sure, make the excuse that something happened behind the scenes that you weren't aware of and surfaced at the last moment, after you made the offer to a candidate. Maybe it was a budget issue, a contract issue, an issue with your hiring manager. Make all the excuses you'd like. For me? The reality is simply that you weren't communicating enough, weren't in touch enough with the business, or your internal communication or approval channels suck. You should never make an offer that you can't keep and that you don't think will be accepted. Be in touch with the business. Do your homework. Make sure everyone is fully aware, in the know, in the loop, and ready for the offer to be accepted... otherwise?

You're doin' it wrong. And you're embarrassing me because candidates now have doubt about my word and whether I'll come through... and that just ain't right.

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is a Senior Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...

Bad, Bad Manager: "You Can't Leave Me!"

This one comes out of the bad manager's play book.

A friend instant messages me the other day. She's on the market for a new gig and I've been helping out as her pseudo career adviser. She's an A-player who has lots of options to entertain. She's paid her dues at her current gig, gained a ton of great experience... but she's not able to innovate and keep growing in the way she wants to. So on this particular day that she messages me, her manager sat her down to talk. "I hope you aren't looking at other job options. Don't you see we've laid other people off and kept you?" How nice. The message could have probably been delivered a bit differently, we all can agree on that. But then it got worse. The kicker: "You can't leave me," her manager said. Wow. Are you cringing as you read this?

Times are tough everywhere, I get this. And especially in organizations like my friend's where they have done layoffs and made salary cuts both, those who are left are likely doing more for less. But that's not an excuse for bad behavior. If this were a manager in my organization, there would be a few different things I'd ask him/her to consider:

• People look at other job opportunities even when they aren't looking. Everyone likes the passive candidate better, right? Never assume all doctors appointments are doctors appointments.
• But if you really think someone "can't" leave you? Well, then let people stretch their wings. If you really can't bear to see them go, what is it going to take to keep them satisfied and fulfilled?
• Sometimes you've just got to let go. People may leave, and the reality is that everyone is pretty much replaceable. Guilting someone into staying won't resolve whatever underlying issues they have which are causing them to even be open to leaving. 
• Of course you're human, we're all human... but are you really that needy? And do you want to really show that card to your team? You're a manager for goodness' sake. Infuse some confidence in your staff. Even if you feel like it would be difficult to do without one of your staff members, even if you've worked hard to make them feel valued by recognizing them and doing all those warm fuzzy things... get a grip.

This story ends nicely for my friend - she was offered a new gig last week and it's a great career move for her... but when she gave notice to her manager? The tears flowed and again it was more, "You can't leave me," chatter. No wonder my pal is getting out of there. Sigh... can we get this manager some coaching please?

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is an Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...

Should HR Be So Easy to Fall Into?

If we were to take a quick poll among SHRM's 250,000 members and ask... did you choose HR, or did you fall into HR as a career? I wonder what the breakdown in responses would be. What's your guess?

Like a lot of other HR pros I know, I fell into HR. Here's the quick version of my story. In college, I wanted an "office" job to get exposure to the business world. It just so happened that I found a part-time job for a healthcare company doing admin work for their HR team. The position evolved and grew over time and then four years later, I was in a generalist role. I would say that classifies as falling into HR. I've chosen to stick with it though.

In thinking about "falling" into HR though - I started to wonder... why do so many HR people fall into this career? And maybe more importantly, why HR is so easy for people to fall into? Taking a quick Twitter poll on the topic, some interesting comments came through including these included here...  

Good stuff (And see! The lovely things you can learn through Twitter! I love using Twitter for a call and response...). You might ask yourself why we should even care about this issue in the first place; that's fair. Here's my argument - it absolutely matters that people constantly fall into HR, or rather, they don't choose HR, for two reasons -

• HR's not seen as interesting enough, it's not seen as attractive enough, and it's not viewed as a rewarding enough path for people to pursue en mass. (And rewarding from a monetary perspective, too...)
• HR related responsibilities are carelessly handed over to a seemingly responsible and organized person who has demonstrated an ability to manage process and pays attention to details... or who is silly enough to be willing to take on some new "high level" admin responsibilities. 

Ugh. HR can be easy to manage and do at times - even I'll admit that. This isn't science so much as I think it's art... but that doesn't mean anyone can and should do it, right?. I wrote about a similar theme a while ago when we were interviewing HR intern candidates and the disappointment I felt with HR not being the career of choice for these candidates. I know the HR profession has some image issues... but could part of the solution be that we stop letting people fall into HR?

It might be a little hypocritical of me to say it, I realize this... but what if we continued working towards improving the profession and the caliber of our own talent... and really worked toward making it a career of choice, and we ourselves were a bit more choosy about who we let in? Or maybe I'm just dreaming again... but it's something I've been thinking about of late. Hit us in the comments and share your thoughts. Did you fall into HR? And why is HR so easy to fall into? Are things changing for the better though? 

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is an Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD.  When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...