You are probably more capable than any one particular task that you have been assigned at work – may your career always bless you with the promise of growth.  Imagine the alternative.

Pay Your Dues

For the record, I am a product of Gen Y… perhaps an earlier product of it, but Gen Y nonetheless.

It’s come to my attention, through the thousands of publications that have dissected this issue, that we have a certain sense of entitlement.

We like to move up quickly and gain rewards based on our performance.  However, we also tend to get frustrated easily when presented with too much red tape or individuals who would seek to slow our progression.

As with most anything, this can be viewed as a strength or a weakness.

As a group, I think we need to STOP and consider some essential pieces of career development.

Take a step back for a moment and realize that while a career should be interesting and engaging, the individual tasks that come together to make up our “job” are not always going to inspire us.  Sometimes, you are going to have to run through some mud in order to get to higher ground – there is good reason for this.

Earn Your Role

When I started in the Staffing Industry, I was an Office Assistant.  The funny part about it was that my to-be boss wasn’t entirely sure if I could be a recruiter because I was too quiet.

I took the role with enthusiasm.  I learned about the business from the ground up.  From data-entry, holiday party planning, job fair coordination… setting out snacks for candidates as they came in – I went through the proverbial mud.  I learned a ton about the business from that perspective and I’m grateful for having been placed in the role.

Four promotions and 2.5 years later, I was running a branch office that did over $4M a year in annual revenue.  I had five recruiters and an Office Assistant to boot!  I worked my tail off to earn that role and, I can assure you, at no point in that process did I ever turn my nose up at special projects.  To the contrary, I got involved with everything I possibly could.  I learned about financials, recruiting models, interviewing strategies, management methodology, retention planning for major accounts, sales… the list goes on.

Each skill and knowledge set was learned only by going through a bit of discomfort and, on many occasions, performing tasks that didn’t immediately seem to be applicable.

The End Result of Mud-Running

If I hadn’t planned the party, pounded out the data-entry, organized the cookies and put up with menial tasks, it would have been much harder for me to understand what I was asking from my subordinates when they were tasked with those items.  While I may have been capable of managing the team, it would have been much more challenging to lead them.

There is value in engaging with alternative tasks at work.

Have you ever worked for someone that didn’t understand your role or what you had to do in order to perform your essential job functions?  Wasn’t it frustrating?

Have you ever engaged in a project (menial or not) that didn’t immediately seem applicable… only to have it change your career?

I don’t proclaim to have all the answers (or even a small portion of them) to the meaning of “career success.”  This is something that will ultimately be unique to each person.

My only advice is to search for value in your daily routine and consider how these lessons may translate into a better understanding going forward.

Photo Credit, Photos8.com

During the final session of #HRevolution, Mark Stelzner presented the point that the HR social media crowd tends to mainly reinforce our own enthusiasm…

AMEN!!!

The goal, the future… the (hold on tight) CHANGE that we are going to see in this space will only be driven forward by everyone embracing a sense of inclusion.  Our efforts to explore the latest and greatest social media tools should be balanced with our desires to bring in the soon-to-be adopters – perhaps the hesitant-to-be adopters.

So, why should we?

In my humble opinion, social media, as it applies to HR has two apparent benefits.

1. Talent Acquisition
2. Learning

Let’s look at this closer…

Talent Acquisition

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that companies can experience great benefit from engaging with their target talent markets within social media communities.  This approach reinforces like-mindedness and shared values… not to mention openness to accountability.  All values that will be increasingly important with potential candidates to your company.

The tools and manner in which companies are approaching candidates within social media is limitless.  Personally, I would advocate some balance and limits in this type of implementation – but, truth be told, every company will have to find their own style and approach.  Effort and energy aligned, it can be very successful!

Learning

The other great benefit for HR professionals in social media is the ability to learn and share with others within your professional space.  Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration!

Knowledge has never before been so easy to gain!  With thousands of HR peers currently socializing and sharing professional thoughts, you have a real opportunity to learn.  Jump in!

How Can We Move It Forward?

Getting started is simpler than you might think.  I’ve chronicled approaches in the past, but if I had to do so again (in a simple way), I would recommend at least starting up with Twitter to connect with HR pros.

So, here is a two-part step-by-step:

1. Go to Twitter – http://twitter.com
2. Set up your account – Choose a fun name!
3. Make sure you use a picture – a name with a face is important!
4. Make sure you put some thought behind your bio.

Now for connecting with others:

1. Perform searches for “HR”, “SHRM”, “HRevolution” and anything else that you think applies to your field.  If people include it in a Tweet (message sent out on Twitter), you can find it by searching from your Twitter home page.
2. Start following people who are interesting to you!
3. Ask questions and send out helpful Tweets.
4. Respond to people who Tweet interesting things!

These eight steps will not change everything… but, I can promise you that it will get your ball rolling forward.  If a more comprehensive explanation is desired, check out the video I put together for SHRM last year – a few things have changed with Twitter, but, for the most part, things are the same.

So, let’s get HR Tweeting!  Let’s, at the very least, expand the bubble!

How else would you recommend that we include the masses?

Photo Credit, Pink Sherbet Photography

Wandering around on Facebook yesterday, I encountered a comment from Chris Brogan that stated the following:

Chris Brogan It’s weird having too many ideas. You end up having to throw them somewhere like storage, and they grow dusty. Give them all away. You’ll make more.

So, this got me thinking about the previous post on Virtual Talent Reality.  One of the challenges that I brought up was that with a decreased level of recruiters and an increased demand for talent… the prospect of recruiting through third party agencies is going to get expense – very expensive!

While Chris’ comment had nothing to do with recruiting, it has everything to do with collaboration.  As the wheels on my mental bus went round and round, I started thinking about the competitive climate that we have created in recruiting.  Why is that?  I know that agencies like to make money and I know that companies like to attract and hire the best people… but why aren’t we helping each other more?

There are a ton of holes in the plan I’m about to present, but I think that it’s possible on some level.  Yes, the kinks will need to be worked out… but, just go with it for a minute.

Let’s start with the challenge again:

Fewer Recruiters + Higher Recruiting Demand = Higher Fees = Expensive Strategy

Instead of living in our little secret recruiting worlds, what if corporate recruiting departments were to partner up.  What if they were to join forces with other companies in order to filter through the talent.  There are some candidate confidentiality concerns with this, but I’m sure it can be dealt with if the companies approach this with a high level of transparency.

Think about this:

• ATS Systems allow companies to connect their talent databases.
• Companies want to hire skilled candidates that want to work for them… if the recruiting partners both want a candidate, it can still be left to a candidate to make the right decision for them.  Did I mention “transparency”?
• Companies, working collectively, could negotiate better rates for everything from job boards to job fairs to ATS Systems.

Some challenges that could come up:

• Ensuring that candidates realize they are applying to a central database.
• Creating a channel where the candidate can confidentially apply to one company (needs to exist).
• Figuring out the distribution of financial obligations based on volume of recruiting.

Collaborative Vs. Competitive Recruiting

I can understand how some companies would look at this and say… that’s crazy!  I get it – it’s a bit out there.  But, consider the amount of money that could be saved, the increased access to desirable candidates and the ability to collectively create better recruiting processes.

We don’t need to fight over talent… we need to figure out how we can best serve talent.  Ensuring that candidates are choosing the right position will have an immediate impact on your employment branding and retention.

Just an idea…

What do you think we can do with this?  How can we collaborate instead of compete in the recruiting space?

Photo Credit, Rennett Stowe

This is more of a question than an opinion…

How many organizations are currently living in a false reality when it comes to talent?

Sure… they may currently have access to stellar talent due to the economic climate… but have they prepared for recovery.  Have they prepared for a potential talent exodus?  What happens when the talent pool realizes that they have spent the past 2-3 years underpaid and under appreciated?  What happens then?

I would normally recommend the use of agencies to help fill the gaps… but, there are two problems with this…

First, a whole lot of third-party and corporate recruiters left the industry during the downturn.  They’ve moved on.  Perhaps they can be attracted back… but, it will take time.  The second question is expense.  Reactive recruiting (often the type of recruiting agencies get called to help with) gets very expensive.  With higher demand and fewer third party providers, that will drive prices up.  This isn’t going to be cheap.

So, what’s the solution?

I don’t know how to fix this issue overnight, but if I were a betting man, I would put my money on paying close attention to your current employees’ needs, wants and desires.  There may still be a chance to make things right.

Oh, and if you are the type that sits back and says “Well… I gave them a job!” – you’ve lost your mind.  You are probably the same person that thinks it’s okay to treat employees as numbers instead of as human beings.  Good luck to you when the economy recovers… your people will be more than willing to speak with recruiters about how green the grass really is on the other side.

So… who knows?  What’s the solution?  What steps should employers be taking now to improve their internal employement branding?  What would you like to see more of?  Less of?

Your thoughts are valuable!  Thanks for sharing

Photo Credit, Scumfrog

There is little doubt that most organizations have a sincere desire to connect with their target talent markets.  They spend millions (perhaps billions) of dollars a year analyzing their potential candidates.

• How can we attract the right talent?
• How do we connect with our ideal candidates?

Social Media, for all its wonders, is not the “have all, end all” of candidate interaction.  In fact, if we were discussing this over coffee, you would find out quickly that I much prefer the balanced approach.  Embark on the path of learning the tools, but control the amount of time invested.  Build into it, don’t just decide one morning that it’s the only approach.

Before you jump at me with a sharp “Twitter changed my life!” lashing – let me clarify a bit more.

Social Media is an amazing place to be.  You can meet all kinds of great people, very quickly target and connect with like-minded individuals… and perhaps even discover new avenues for your journey that you had yet to uncover.  Unfortunately, and fortunately, it’s not the only way that a person can go about doing this.  My opinion, and this is only my opinion, is that a balance must be established.

Candidates are people who have wants, needs and desires.  They are attracted to and they interact in the communities of interest to them.  Social Media creates an opportunity for us to connect with them on a different level… in a place that they choose.

According to a recent study performed by CareerBuilder and Inavero, “The average job candidate spends more than five hours on social media sites each week; however, only one in five organizations indicated utilizing social networking as part of their recruiting strategy.”

Baby Steps Into Social Media

There are thousands of posts on what to do and what not to do if you want to get involved in recruiting within social media.  It’s actually quite overwhelming if you consider the huge amount of information.

With that said, the study clearly indicates that many organizations are holding back.  Perhaps it’s due to overall understanding, a perceived lack of ROI… there are many arguments for and against getting involved.

The bottom line, however, is that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the many other community driven sites are here.  They are growing and they are catching on faster and faster by the day.  You don’t have to change your recruiting approach over night… but, I sure wouldn’t want to be the guy/gal who wakes up in five years to realize that one vital piece of the established recruiting approach had been entirely ignored.

So, get started… even if that means baby steps.  My advice, for what it’s worth, is the following:

1. LinkedIn – Set up your account with a complete profile.  Join some groups and occasionally jump in the conversation.  Perhaps create a survey based on what your candidates want, need and desire.  Be a presence.
2. Twitter – Find a picture you like, create a 160 character bio and set up your Twitter account.  Don’t worry about it being confusing at first… it will be that way for a while.  Check out my free video tutorial I created for SHRM on getting started and perhaps pick up a copy of Twitterville.
3. Facebook – Picture, bio, likes/dislikes in bio format.  Join some groups… interact.  If you are feeling really adventurous, go post a job using their social ad system.  On the bottom of your profile, you will see a little link that says “advertising”.  I personally recommend doing an “impressions” campaign… it’s cheap and you will get your feet wet with very little expense.

I love blogging and I think it’s a great tool… but, the time commitment is a bit much for some people.  For the time being, just work at understanding how the above tools can impact your recruiting efforts.  If you want to start playing around with blogging, check out RecruitingBlogs.com – try your hand at sharing your knowledge.  Be creative, think like your target candidates… see where you get.  Later, you can add other tools to the mix and really start building out a comprehensive targeting strategy.

Step 1 is to begin the process.  Whatever your organization decides to do, it’s a great opportunity for you to improve your skill set (yes, these tools are appearing on resumes now) and to discover what all the buzz is about.  Besides, we’d love to see you out there!

If you would like to connect with me out on one of the above mentioned sites, here are links for you to connect:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

The bottom line is just get started.  Try it… Twitter doesn’t bite

For those of you already involved in the realm, what baby steps would you recommend?  Any must-dos for those who have yet to take the leap into the world of social media?

For those who have yet to get started… I’m curious to know what has held you back?  Perceived complexity, time, clear ROI?  I’m interested.

Photo Credit, stargazr441

The right place at the right time…

Can you imagine how your life would change if you could solve that riddle?  Where is this “place” and what “time” has everyone been referring to?

After a day of way too much brainstorming and a few too many philosophical wanderings, my conclusion is that the time is always and the place is everywhere.

Consider this:

1. Opportunity never stops, it just evolves. Our job is to see it and pursue it.
2. No matter where you live, what you do or who you want to be… your chances are greater when you focus on and pursue your desires.  The alternative is to sit idle… become stagnant.
3. Opportunities present themselves in many forms. When we are open to those many forms, it is easier to recognize them when they come our way.  Leave the preconceived notions of a “perfect opportunity” behind.
4. Disappointment is your friend… it forces you to move on. These moments of truth can become your best chances to recognize and embrace a new opportunity… so stay open!  The more time you dedicate to focusing on the bad – the less time you focus on point #2.

Strengths and Clarity

I’ve been exploring some concepts lately around career development and potential as they correspond to a person embracing their strengths.  For reasons that I will eventually discuss, the topic is at the center of a pretty exciting project that I’ve been engaged with.

As someone who has dedicated their professional career to talent acquisition, the concept of strength alignment definitely perks my interest.  It makes me consider a few things:

• How many people who are outwardly miserable dedicate to professions that fall outside of their passions/strengths?
• How could a person’s life improve if they were given a path to capitalize on their main strengths?
• How many high achievers have you met who did not fully embrace their inner talents?

Whether you are hiring someone or advancing your own career… exploring how long-term success and personal strengths operate together seems like an important topic to consider – really important!

It might seem all fluffy and idealistic to think that we can all achieve more and accomplish our dreams… but is it?  Perhaps our reluctance has everything to do with our inner fear of rejection – the risk of striving for something and falling short… the potential embarrassment we will face by failing to accomplish our dreams.  Perhaps it has to do with the perceived complexity of identifying what we are good at and figuring out how we can funnel those talents in a constructive direction.

Just remember, dreams are like Play-Doh – they can morph and change as much as you want them to.  Natural talents, on the other hand, are a part of who we are… starting with these key elements, we are able to build a huge array of potential dreams and desires.

Build a dream, pursue that dream, fail, build another dream, add water, repeat.  The likelihood of you living in a van down by the river is pretty low… so, take some risks.

Talent Meets Opportunity

I had a point… so, let me get back to it.

Timing is one part, but talent/strength alignment is the other.  The likelihood of a person recognizing an opportunity goes way up when they are dedicating to something that they are skilled at or passionate about.  I’ve seen this in my own life and I see it in the careers of the many people I encounter.

I don’t know what the true answers or conclusions are to all of these mental wanderings… I suppose that it’s just some food for thought.  Perhaps it will spur something that leads you to something greater – perhaps it won’t.

I’d love to know what you think about the topic.

How do you see talent manifest itself… cause major change… impact a person’s life?  Do you think that people tend to do what they are good at or what they find a job in?  How can we change all this and open doors?

Photo Credit, Michel Filion

Company culture is a tricky topic.  Let’s face it; we don’t all have Cinderella, Belle and Mickey running around to help us establish that childlike emotional commitment to our brands like Disney does.  The ability to excite, innovate and entertain our future employees in the same powerful way would be amazing… but, that will never be the reality for most.

So, what can we do to create the same sort of passion and enthusiasm for our employment brands that I have found in one particular Intern at Disney Institute?

Katy Ray Sears lives and breathes Disney.  Shortly after arriving to Orlando we met Katy for the first time – polite, enthusiastic and absolutely crazy for Disney.  Katy is currently serving as an Intern for the Disney Institute.  Her technical role is the Group & Convention Public Relations Intern… but, in all reality… she is much more than that!  This “Intern” bleeds pixie dust!

When it comes to Disney, Katy is a true brand champion.  Not in a forced down your throat, you must eat and breathe Walt Disney kind of way – it’s more of a childlike wonderment that is very difficult to not get excited over.  It’s not in the words as much as the way that her eyes grow wide and sparkly anytime she speaks about the organization.  She is, in my opinion, the type of cast member (internal employee to Disney) that truly captures the spirit of the organization.

So, for fun, I asked this passionate Disney ambassador to give me her top ten list of things about Disney that stick out in her mind and why she chose them.

Katy Ray Sears’ Top Ten Favorite Things About Disney

1. Walt Disney – Because he shows that one person can change the world!
2. Main Street USA – It embodies the spirit of America, comfort and memories.
3. Peter Pan’s Flight – Where else can you fly over London in a Pirate Ship?
4. Princesses – They symbolize dreams that everyone has.
5. Carousel of Progress – Walt’s own idea from beginning to end…
6. Great Movie Ride – Ride through Hollywood’s greatest movie scenes and get right in the middle of the action!
7. Parades & Fireworks – Especially “Wishes”
8. Fantasmic – Greatest show ever!
9. The Kids – Walt Disney World gives them something to believe in, no matter their circumstances.
10. Cinderella’s Castle – It’s a real representation of dreams coming true!

Here is the actual note…

Katy Ray is a fantastic addition to the Disney team.  She will represent them well now and into the future with her amazing level of intensity for the organization and her commitment to delivering on Disney’s key standards for guest satisfaction.

Company culture and the way in which it flows through your employees’ veins is highly dependent on their abilities to emotional connect and verbally communicate what makes their company great!

Give your employees something to get excited about!  Develop stories and examples of your culture that they will eagerly want to share with their families, friends and everyone else they come into contact with.

Can you imagine what a group of Katy Rays would do for your organization?

Regardless of whether or not you are a fan, most people would agree that Disney has done an excellent job at establishing a brand that commands respect.  Let’s face it; any company that makes it all the way to the multi-billion dollar mark has done something right.

Disney Institute clearly establishes to the participant that the organization is jam packed with policies, procedures and internal traditions that center around providing an amazing experience to their guests.  The goal is that this experience will be so well executed upon that guests/buyers feel compelled to make Disney a regular part of their vacation, movie and entertainment schedules… and many of their buyers do!

During the “Brand Loyalty” overview, the instructors specifically hit on six categories of brand development.  These steps are presented as a graduated set of categories for your business.

Disney’s Six Stages of Brand Evolution

1. Unbranded Goods
2. Brand as Reference
3. Brand as Personality
4. Brand as Icon
5. Brand as Company
6. Brand as Policy

In essence, a brand would develop from the category of “Unbranded Goods” all the way through to the “Brand as Policy” stage.  At that final point, brand becomes much more than a thought or hypothetical future direction… it becomes an institutionalized set of policies that guide the organization to a level of consistency – all of this, of course, leading to a consistent experience for the consumers of the brand.

The trainers in our “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence” course have reviewed internal business approaches and methodologies in great detail.  From how lines at the amusement parks are laid out to how the organization conducts their On-Boarding classes… “Traditions”.  Branding and the overall commitment to the “magic” are obvious!

So, what can we learn from Disney about branding?  How can we apply the series of steps above to our own ventures… be them personal or professional?  Are you providing a consistent, Disney-like experience to your buyers, end users and/or internal clients?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!  Where would you consider yourself or your company to be in the branding process?

Your business and Disney have something in common?  Any guesses?

You both provide a lasting “User Experience” every single time you interact with a client.

During our classes yesterday at Disney Institute, we spent a good amount of time pondering the impressions and overall experience that we provide to our clients.  While we waited in line to see the “Turtle Talk” demonstration, we were prompted to pay special attention to the environment around us.

How would it be for a child to be waiting in line?  How about a parent who has just spent a long day walking around the park in the hot sun?  What do they see, feel, think and react to while they are in the midst of a seemingly idle process?  Do they wait uncomfortably or have you thoroughly thought through your User Experience?

In many ways, Disney Institute provides students an opportunity to translate the successes and failures of a major organization into your own business.  While you may never be challenged with figuring out how to entertain hundreds of people while they wait in line to see Nemo… you are challenged to discover the various pieces of your business process that leave a lasting impact on your clients.  Have you thought about it?

User Experience in HR & Recruiting

Naturally, I translate these questions into the challenges that we face within HR and Recruiting.  I, by no means, have all the questions that we should be asking… nor do I know all the answers.  However, I do think that there are a few important pieces in the recruiting process that we should be keeping in mind.  Add to the list in the comment section if you have more ideas… I’d love to hear them!

Candidate Side

• What experience do candidates have when they don’t get hired by your company?  A cold decline letter?  Do they still like your company after you say no?
• What’s the experience like going through your hiring process?  Are your potential hires kept informed?  Do they sit in mental limbo?
• What happens between the time that a candidate finishes the interview process and a final decision is made?  Do you help calm their nerves or do you leave them sitting in a puddle of nervousness?

Client Side

• When you are having challenges identifying the “right” candidate for your hiring manager… how is the experience for them?
• How is the experience for your client when they first present a hiring request?  Do they feel that you understand their needs?
• What happens after a candidate is hired?  Do you follow up months later to find out how things are progressing?  Are you learning from that feedback?  Does it help you improve the next time around?

What else should we be thinking about?

You don’t have to be a multinational theme park and entertainment organization in order to concern yourself with how you make your clients feel.  It may not always be brought to your attention, but you can bet that your clients make judgements about how you do business every single time you come into contact with them.  What will our clients and candidates think once we have completed our engagement?

Surely we can all improve the “User Experience” that we execute on in our businesses.  One step at a time, we have the opportunity to create a little bit of magic for all of those we come into contact with.

How can recruiting be revolutionized?  How can we leave a lasting and positive impression on those we come into contact with?  What’s your take?

It’s going to be a very busy and exciting next few weeks!

During the week of August 16th – 22th, I will be attending Disney Institute in Orlando, FL to take an up close and personal look at their “Business Excellence” program.  This five-day program is packed with topics ranging from “Training and Career Management” to “Creating Engagement and Commitment.”  If that weren’t enough, a number of friends will be coming along for the journey.  Alicia Arenas, Mark Stelzner, Mike VanDervort and a few others who are in the confirmation process.

On the 17th of August, I will be sitting on a panel at HR Florida with an amazing crew of bloggers for “Blogging and HR: Can the Two Peacefully Coexist?” Kris Dunn, Jessica Lee, Laurie Ruettimann, Sharlyn Lauby and Mike VanDervort will all be a part of this exciting panel!

Back to Disney for class and then out the door again on August 19th for a session that I’ll be giving at HR Florida called “Twitter for HR & Recruiting”.  I’ve put together a packed session for the group about how to do everything from starting up with Twitter to how one goes about attracting a targeted candidate pool.  It ought to be fun!

Back to Disney for the remainder of the class and then home to San Antonio, TX the following Sunday.

On Monday the 24th, I leave for Chicago, IL to speak at the Skilled Recruiters Network event about Red Shoe Project.  RSP is a huge passion of mine and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to share more about the project.  Special thanks to Veronica Ludwig for making it happen!

So, why am I telling you all this?  There is a method to my madness, I promise.

At Disney, HR Florida and during the Skilled Recruiters Network event, I’m going to be blogging and live-tweeting (the act of sending out messages on Twitter while events are occurring… for the record).  That’s right… you may even see pictures of Mickey in real time!  So, if you have questions that you’d like me to be on the lookout for, let me know.  If you just want to see what kind of shenanigans I’m getting into, that’s okay as well!

My Twitter account can be found at http://twitter.com/theredrecruiter – Feel free to send me a message by starting your “Tweet” with @theredrecruiter.  I will get your message and do my best to respond to your questions.

So, what would you like to get out of my next few weeks?  I’m attaching the brochure for the Disney Institute program that we’ll be attending.  Lots of topics to ponder… that’s for sure!

Disney Institute – “Business Excellence”

Photo Credit, lrargerich