I have a startling confession to make: I like Star Trek: The Next Generation.
I know. You’re shocked.
While I was a big fan of the Star Trek movies, I wasn’t a big fan of the original series. But The Next Generation? Yeah, that got me going.
So they have the entire series up on Netflix and I’ve been going through it a few episodes at a time. All of the campy goodness is just great. I watched an episode last night that made it clear that HR obviously exists well into the 24th century. Read more…
I recently spent a week in an office for the first time since July 2009. I have spent days in coffee shops, co-working spaces, and other people’s offices but never a full week of that in one place and at one desk.
I thought it was going to be mostly annoying, but to my delight, it was mostly not that at all. I don’t know if that’s because of my great new co-workers or nearly four years of office sensory deprivation talking. Let’s just call it both.
Somebody asked me if I liked working from home and I responded enthusiastically that I do. When asked why, I said something along the lines of, “I’m kinda a loner.” It felt like a loser, cop-out answer. Read more…
For a little context, a few years ago, I wrote a post here at TLNT about how you shouldn’t have a social media policy for your organization. In it, I said:
My point is that however you’d treat the employee in a similar real life situation is how you should treat them when it comes to social media. There are very few truly unique situations when it comes to social media and then it goes back to my point about not making policies for a handful of employees or possibilities.”
And about a year ago, I wrote a post about how these social media disclaimers (i.e. “My views do not represent that of my employer”). Read more…
“Our goal is to reduce turnover by 25 percent.”
No, it isn’t. I hope not, at least.
Having reduced turnover as a goal leads to all kinds of strange, short-term thinking that lead to deranged organizations. A counter-offer when your 325th best salesperson decides to take another job? Lengthening the corrective action review process? Pushing beyond the budget on labor costs because your team is too expensive? Ploys and programs designed to cater to middle and low performers who may be a flight risk?
Yep, yep, yep and yep. Read more…
Editor’s Note: Sometimes, readers ask about past TLNT articles they may have missed. That’s why on Fridays we republish a Classic TLNT post some of you have asked about.
How do I know it’s March? People are talking about productivity lost because of the NCAA basketball tournament and gambling in the workplace. I can set my calendar by it.
Suddenly, everyone is a workplace productivity expert. The latest I saw from outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas put the number at $192 million for lost workplace productivity due to it. Others estimated somewhere in the $1-$4 billion range. Read more…
You may have missed the announcement about the reimagined Recruiting Innovation Summit on ERE.net (ERE Media is TLNT’s parent company).
This May 14-15 in San Francisco, we plan on unveiling a summit that is on the cutting edge of recruiting. We’re not just focusing on corporate recruiting, either. We’re going to be covering all aspects of the talent acquisition process. We need your help, though.
First, if you are doing something innovative in talent acquisition, we want to hear from you. We don’t care if you’re a recruiter, HR pro, sourcer, independent headhunter, consultant or vendor. If you’re a HR vendor startup, I encourage you to apply to be a part of our program via the startup competition application. For any other innovative parties, send me a quick note (lance@ere.net).
Second, we want you to be there. New companies and products will be making their first major appearance there. You will see things you haven’t seen before. And ultimately, our audience will decide which startup, product and process will be crowned champion.
Things are looking modestly up for most college graduates this coming year (and perhaps a bit more competitive for recruiters).
That’s the broad conclusion of a recently released report by Dr. Phil Gardner of the College Employment Research Institute. Tipped off to me by Matthew Stollak, the report is long and intensive. Unlike whitepapers, infographics and simplistic research we often get to see in employment, the conclusions in the report don’t fit nicely wrapped with a bow on top.
Mostly though, the news is good for recent grads and the employment market in general. Read more…
It shouldn’t be news now that smartphone use is big (and is getting bigger). In late 2012, estimates pegged the number at over a billion smartphones with that number doubling by 2015.
If you’re a smartphone user, you’ve probably increased your reliance on the device steadily. I now expect my device to do everything but poach my morning eggs.
When you send a candidate or someone in your talent community or on your mailing list a notice of a new job, what are they going to see when they click through on their mobile device? Will they be able to do anything with it? And if you’re not there, how do you start and what does an optimal solution look like? Read more…
Editor’s note: This is adapted from something Lance wrote last summer on his personal blog. He thought it was appropriate based on a conversation at a networking meeting about how sourcing is easy.
“I could do your job.”
Have you ever had someone say that to you before? I don’t get that a ton anymore (though many people do think they could write every day). When I was a recruiter, I got it all of the time.
“Oh, I’ve hired people before.”
Yeah? Read more…
For a guy like me, the six most terrifying words in the English language are, “Could I get your bio, please?”
I hate describing myself and what I do. My LinkedIn profile has been reworked several times trying to do just that before I got it to its current, less fluffy stage.
For professionals in the talent business, your social media profiles – and especially your LinkedIn profile – are probably one of the first encounters potential employees have when they are looking at or researching your company. Read more…
“Brett --- thanks for your insight. I can't think of anything to add!”
— jacque vilet on The Recruiting Dilemma: Do You Look for Cultural Fit, or for Innovation?, 5 hours ago
“In my experience, it's most effective to have a neutral person asking the questions. That could be an online survey, . . . ”
— Seth McColley on Exit Interviews: The 2nd Most Worthless Activity HR Has to Handle, 6 hours ago
“Great post Reese. I think the employer plays a huge part in creating the type of environment that facilitates . . . ”
— Lisa Shelley on The Employee Engagement Choice: Is It a Job, a Career, or a Calling?, 8 hours ago
“Yes, Megan! So true. They see "job hoppers" as unstable. The reality is we don't live in . . . ”
— Brett W. Gould on The Recruiting Dilemma: Do You Look for Cultural Fit, or for Innovation?, 9 hours ago
“Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jacque. You touched on something I think is very important. "Pace". Speed of . . . ”
— Brett W. Gould on The Recruiting Dilemma: Do You Look for Cultural Fit, or for Innovation?, 9 hours ago