Ben Eubanks
Define corporate culture for candidates to make better hires
One of the quotable quotes from HRevolution this year was in response to someone asking what HR does to create culture. I think the role for HR is not to create it, but to communicate and reinforce it at every possible opportunity. At least that’s what I do on a daily basis. I see every opportunity to interact, whether internally or externally, as a way to share what makes us different. Some people like what makes us different and some people don’t, but that’s another post for another day.
A few areas to communicate your unique culture (just in the areas of recruiting and selection):
- Job ads-talk about your company and what makes you different. But don’t do it in a corporate-sounding way. Be as different as you are able to be. Some companies are strict and others are not so much when it comes to this stuff. I include snippets in our job openings about our high performance culture and the fact that we actually expect greatness from our people. If appropriate, I also mention that we hold people accountable for the work they do. That scares some people, but for others, it’s a relief to know what we really want from them. (See also how to write job postings that don’t suck.)
The cost of disengaged employees
Disengaged employees cost companies money in numerous ways. They are much more expensive to maintain than their engaged counterparts, and many organizations are working hard to find ways to help get their people engaged and more productive.I’ve been a disengaged employee. It stinks.
I didn’t start out planning to be one. I don’t know that anyone sets their life goal as becoming a disengaged employee, but there are more of them in the workforce than we would like to admit. Here’s my story as a cautionary tale. You can turn an enthusiastic, engaged person into a disengaged, discouraged one with time.
The bright, beautiful beginning
I was excited. I was beyond pumped. I was going to knock this job out of the park. I had been researching ideas weeks before I started the job. I had a list of things I wanted to streamline and improve. I was going to make a difference and impact the organization in a big way.
Two ways to make your HR metrics rock
I’ve recently come across two great ways to make your HR metrics more powerful. It doesn’t require that you really do more of anything if you already collect and report on the numbers, so that’s what makes it so easy. Read the rest of this entry »
Men in HR-A National Geographic Exclusive
If you peel back the foliage, you can get a glimpse of the elusive “male HR professional.” This is a rare find indeed, and we don’t want to spook him, so we’ll just stand back and watch him awkwardly navigate the waters of his career as the only male in a hundred mile radius…Has it always been this way?
I can still remember the first time I walked into a NASHRM event and looked around. There were about a hundred people in the room. Of that number the six guys (including me) stuck out like sore thumbs. It kind of made me laugh, because I’ve never worked in a job where the men outnumbered the women. It doesn’t really bother me, but I’ve always been a little curious about why the imbalance occurs.
I don’t want to lay any blanket statements on the ladies out there, but my little experience seems to point to most of them focusing on compliance and how to keep things “safe.” More of the males, however, seem to be focused on how to keep the goals moving forward and holding onto the strategic focus.
Like I said, I don’t like blanket statements and generalities, because I’ve certainly met dozens of female HR pros with a high strategic focus. However, due to the high percentage of women overall, there certainly are a lot of them who are doing that compliance work…
Steve Browne brings it
3 Ways Entry Level HR Professionals Can Be More Relevant
Stand out from the crowd! via differentperspectiveAfter a long and arduous job search, I finally landed my first human resources position a while back. And even after earning a degree in HRM and successfully completing the PHR exam, I was still unprepared for what lay ahead. However, I have since realized that my high level of preparation beforehand was extremely helpful in getting me up to speed in my new position. With that in mind, I have determined that there are at least three good ways entry level HR professionals can be more relevant in their new jobs. Success in HR doesn’t have to be limited to the long-time veterans. It is possible to overcome some barriers to entry by developing a reputation for being technologically savvy, networking with other HR professionals online, and having enthusiasm for the HR experience.
Technology-The Great Equalizer
When I entered the workforce years ago, I realized that I had an edge on many of my coworkers, because I have always been interested in technology. Tinkering with computers and testing software/hardware led me to have a greater understanding and appreciation for technology, and it also helped me to stand out in the workplace. In my new position, I have already learned how to use the main HRIS software (Sage Abra, for those interested) better than all of my coworkers, and I regularly get questions on how to do certain tasks and functions, even though others have used the software for longer than I have.
More About HR Certification Exams
In an old article I wrote about my process of taking the PHR exam, I included a graph that showed the pass rates for the PHR, SPHR, and GPHR exams. The green line stands for PHR, the red for SPHR, and the blue for the relatively new GPHR exam. It isn’t the best picture, but it should illustrate my point that as time has gone on, the pass rates have fallen much for the PHR exam. The SPHR has fallen less, but it’s still hovering around the 50% mark. Maybe because it’s so “easy?”
In response to the post yesterday, Kerry of the (fantastic) Clue Wagon blog said:
Honestly, I don’t get why we’re still having this debate over certification. I’ve been listening to this since the Clinton administration, and it doesn’t seem to progress.
If you think certification is useless, don’t get certified, and don’t factor it into your HR hires. If you think it’s useful, pass the test and hire people who have passed as well. There’s room for everyone. We don’t all have to agree on this.
As I’ve said elsewhere, my number one beef about HR is the navel gazing. I don’t want to talk about tests. I want to talk about how to help companies succeed (especially now). We do a real disservice to people who are new to HR by encouraging them to focus on “the profession” instead of “the work.”
UAH Shooting: Workplace Violence in My Backyard
There are a few things I enjoy talking about, but workplace violence isn’t one of them. However, after the horrendous shooting at UAH (the University of Alabama in Huntsville) earlier this year, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I covered the issue.What I’ll remember
I was sitting in my supervisor’s office with a coworker for a short meeting. It was a Friday afternoon, so the meeting was considerably less serious than usual. We were cracking jokes and talking when we suddenly started hearing sirens outside. Within minutes stories began trickling in: there had been a shooting across the street at UAH. I went back to my office, finished up, and headed home. My brothers were attending UAH at the time, and I received word that they were okay. As I passed the school, I saw dozens of police cars and medical vehicles parked outside. I still get chills when I remember the scene outside as I passed by.
What happened that day
Managers-four questions to manage better (Video)
Managers and employees have an interesting relationship. Despite the time they spend together and the need for solid communication, it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. It takes work to make communication happen, and I like to use four questions to jump start the process.
(Subscribers may need to click through to view the video)
I’ve been on the giving and receiving end of these questions, and from the employee side, it’s nice to be asked for feedback. From the manager/supervisor side, it’s great to get those insights that otherwise might never have been shared with you.
What are the questions?
- What’s one think you want to improve?
- What’s one thing you want to do that you’ve never done before?
- What’s one thing for the department to improve?
- What’s something I (the manager) am not doing/providing for you (the employee)?
HRYP Series: What You Need To Know
What the heck is an HRYP?
HRYP stands for “human resources young professional.” Yeah, sounds like a mouthful, so HRYP is the easiest way to say it, ‘kay? 
HRYP is an initiative kicked off by SHRM’s go-to guy for everything on the “young professional” end of the spectrum–Chuck Salvetti.
I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck at SHRM10, and since then I’ve learned more about what they are doing for young professionals in the HR space. I have to say… I love it. My goal from the very beginning was to serve as a resource for those just getting started in human resources, and this initiative is something that closely aligns with my goals for this blog.
With that in mind, I have built a series that links together the strengths and knowledge of some of my trusted resources in the HR arena and the questions/needs of the HRYP community. I am an active participant in the HRYP group on LinkedIn, and I encourage other young HR pros to join (I’m also a fan of the HRYP Facebook group, but I don’t participate there as much). I have had some interesting discussions with the people there, and I am excited to share some helpful information with non-HRYPs related to those conversations.
Top 3 HRYP Concerns
- Lack of credibility
- Lack of challenging work
- Lack of a definite career path
The Toughest Interview Question…
Today’s guest post comes from Benjamin McCall. He runs ReThinkHR.org (subscribe to the RSS) and specializes in OD, T&D and business strategy. You can follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenjaminMcCall. He’s a fantastic guy with a lot of great ideas. He also contributed a piece to the HR Ninja series a while back, and I’m glad he decided to let me share this post!
‘The’ toughest interview question… Is the one you have not prepared for or have never answered!
I could also say that the toughest interview question would be all of them.
You could argue that there is one or two that could specifically be mentioned a article such as this. If you want to break my arm I would say
- Salary? Any salary question is difficult. Whether you are asked in the beginning of your interview process or at the end. Unless you are seasoned and comfortable, this question can be very hard to gauge. Past salary studies are not especially accurate in this market.
Being aware of your culture and values (Video)
So. How’s your culture? Are you paying attention to it? What’s it like? Do people love it? Hate it? Want to burn it to the ground, bulldoze the ashes, and nuke the whole mess?
I jest, but it’s a serious question. Have you ever taken the time to just sit and think about the culture and values your organization embodies? I’d hope that it would be a pleasant experience, but there’s really no way for me to answer that for you. What do you think? Are you proud to talk about what your organization does and values, or does it make you a little queasy? Check the video below for a few ideas I have regarding culture and values and let me know what your thoughts are.
Steve Browne-Only the Lonely
Today we have a guest post from Steve Browne, an HR pro who I’ve recently come into contact with and have already developed a respect for. I recently joined his HR Net group, and after you hear what he has to say, you might want to do the same. Hit him up in the comments if you’d like to know more about the group. In this post, he’s sharing his thoughts on HR’s isolation and how we need to be getting out there. Enjoy!
Human Resources is one of the most fulfilling, challenging, uplifting and… lonely professions. You see, almost any position within a company has a place they can go to and vent (HR) or complain about employees (HR) or grouse about Senior Management (HR). Where can HR go?
Often it’s to a bar. I mean really! Since we are the bartenders (with no copyright infringement to Sharlyn Lauby) in our own organizations listening to every story of woe and sense of frustration from our employees about other employees, we’re just missing the long wooden bar and the stools. (That would be a cool office for HR though!)
People are tough. However, that’s why most great HR professionals are in HR! They truly are “people” people. So, where can they go?
The great voices in HR that are flooding the waves of Social Media forums such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter are sending out great messages… But, more often than not, it’s to each other and their great thoughts never reach practitioners.
Hire for attitude, train for everything else
I’ve always been of the opinion that companies should hire for will and train for skill. While you can train someone on how to perform task X, you can’t train them to be excited and energetic. And I’m not the only one who thinks that way. I heard this great segment on the Dave Ramsey show recently and it made so much sense from a talent management perspective that I just had to share.
We have five books that we give you when you are hired, and they’re short, easy-to-read books. All teach a core value—a principle—that we espouse inside of our organization. You’re required to read all of them within the first 90 days of employment.
How to pass the GPHR exam
Today we’re rocking a guest post by Nancy Slotnick. I saw recently that she was successful in passing the GPHR exam, and I knew that she’d be a great resource to pull in for a guest post. Plus, she doesn’t have her own blog, so any chance I can get her to do some writing is a win for everyone.
Why did you decide to get your GPHR certification?
I have thought about sitting for the GPHR since taking the SPHR approximately a year before retiring from the Army. At that time, I was already considering several different options for employment in Human Resources following retirement from the Army, including the possibility of joining the consulting business that my husband had started several years before. I had spent my 25 year military career in Human Resources and had already decided that I wanted to stay in the profession.
My decisions to pursue my MBA with a focus in Strategic Human Resources as well as to prepare and sit for the SPHR were intended to fill perceived gaps between military HR and civilian HR practice. At the time, I decided not to sit for the GPHR for two primary reasons. I did not anticipate doing international work and I did not believe that I had the necessary experience. At the time, I completely (and incorrectly) discounted the international nature of much of my military service as being applicable to the GPHR.
Hooters-Too Fat for the Job?
There’s been a recent popular news story about a Hooters employee who was basically put on a performance improvement plan for… being fat.
Although I’m not really a fan of the restaurant (their food doesn’t impress me and having women in tight clothing around doesn’t make it taste any better), I found this story interesting for several reasons.
Things to Ponder
- How is this impacting the people who want to work for or eat at Hooters? Probably not very much. Customers want it or the company wouldn’t enforce the rule, and other candidates would have the same type of restrictions, too.
- What impact on her job will all of this publicity have? It seems like it would be similar to a current employee suing the company. Even if they win, there’s no way the employer wants them to stay after the adversarial relationship has been fully plumbed.
- Were these weight control expectations communicated ahead of time? Seems like an uncomfortable topic to discuss before a person even starts the job.
