I spoke with your employee today.  

He has been chosen for the role he has waited for -for decades. He is thrilled but puzzled. He interviewed early in the process; then you proceeded to interview others. This went on for months. Do the other candidates who were interviewed feel cheated? Were you always going to choose the internal candidate? Did you deem it a role for diversity or not? Did those candidates have a chance or was it window dressing? Now, clearly, he has the most applicable experience, so what stopped you from offering him the role—months ago? If you wanted him, why did he go through the delay, and suffer the internalized questions of whether he was right for the role? Were you teasing him, so he felt grateful to get the job? If you had doubts, why? Did you prepare him as the successor? If not, why not? You had time. How can your employee, the “winner”, the internal candidate feel good about this process?

Yes, I took liberties with this story of this long public interview process for Jeopardy host replacement for Alex Trebek. Jeopardy Executive Producer Mike Richards has reportedly been selected. Perhaps the delay is to provide more time and space after the death of the beloved host. Perhaps we will learn and perhaps we won’t. 

This story is not unique to this interview process. What pain do you inflict on your internal candidates? Are they good enough, unless you find someone else? If they aren’t prepared, why haven’t you helped develop them? Every recruitment process is a chance to be better.  

Do better; value your employees—always in all ways.  

#HR #talentacquisition#workplaceculture #employeeexperience #leadership #interviewing

So we are moving to new language. 

We said "search for," now we say "Google it." We are using "hybrid workforce" regularly. 

We went from flexible hours to flexitime to a shortened word of flextime. Many organizations established core hours of 9am to 3pm. A trend was a move to core hours of 10am to 2pm.  

Will we soon see recruitment ads with flexplace- meaning the job can be done wherever you wish? Will there be core places? Maybe core places with core time? Should you establish a cool co-working environment or several around the geographic area --places for your employees to gather and work- multiple "watercoolers" to encourage chatter and meetups? Imagine the conversations and innovations depending on who is in the space that day. You can do more than plain old offices or cube farms to "reserve and report to." 

This is such a great time to show your culture and encourage interaction in a new way. Don't just shuffle the deck chairs - Seize this Opportunity! What do you think? #WFH #postcovidworkplace #HR #trust #leadership#liveyourvalues #futureofwork #employeeengagement #culture

The right person at the right place

• Published on June 13, 2017
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It is about the right person in the right job at the right time for the right place. You've heard me or read about my belief in hiring for values. Values are those like-minded items we share. They bind us together in an organization. They are our gut, and can't be taught.

It is all about the culture

• Published on April 11, 2017

• It is about the culture. Operational efficiency must be the value at United. 

Uber failed at understanding culture and workplace environment. Wells Fargo got what was rewarded. 

Values are not a slogan. They aren't created for marketing. Values are about understanding how a diverse group of people with like minded values can progress a service or product. This doesn't mean everyone thinks the same way. It means that they believe in a set of core values. It means there is a North Star that guides decisions. 

Solid values mean fewer policies. It means knowing what is important. United chose to handle this situation this way. They felt that getting the four employees to Louisville for the operations of the business was more important than the paying customers. 

They didn't feel that options for transport from other airlines or other crews for the Louisville plane were a better option. or maybe there weren't other options. They didn't offer the maximum for cash out to customers. That was still a choice. 

The removal of four people was probably cheaper than the grounding of a flight in Louisville. That means operational efficiency trumps the customer relations. Nothing wrong with that if those are your values. If you don't define them; your practices define them for you. 

This doesn't mean to be all "touchy feeling" kind of values. Guiding principles-simply communicated- mean something. There were ten on tablets that communicated pretty well. #valuebasedleadership #culture #workplace #hr

It is about fit. Hiring the right person at the right time for the right job in the right place. 

• Published on March 17, 2017
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It is all about fit- for everyone!

This news report is a perfect example of an organization's culture lead by its values. I tell job seekers to wait until an offer is being made and the recruiter raises the issue. Here's why.  First of all, you may impress the recruiter to the point that the job eventually offered is higher than the firm even had open when they first contacted you. The fit is key, especially in startups and if they are looking for people interested in equity and building a firm-that is different than a person interested in paid holidays and more vacation. The mindset is different. Neither is wrong it is the fit of the person, their qualifications and the wants of this value-based culture, and the wants and needs of the person. Again, neither is wrong. 

Recruitment is about finding the right person for the right job at the right time at the right place. If any of those are wrong, the fit is not good for the firm or the person.  Now the recruiter could have handled the response in a better way, and I am sure has been trained to do this better. 

To ask the question of the recruiter prematurely is to lessen your chances to impress and show a "what are you doing for me" attitude. The recruiting process is a courtship and needs to evolve.  You don't get the ring after one good dinner. Sell your education and experience, show what you will contribute to helping the business succeed and you will succeed in getting that position or even one above it. I've seen it happen time and again. 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/skip-the-wages?utm_term=.ltx4BG6kj0#.salz54BZQy

He gets it.

• Published on April 27, 2016
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He didn't give them a raise...he didn't pay more or other benefits.....he gave them value...a partnership...a long term gift that could change generations....he gets it.......#HR #leadership#smallbiz #goodnews #greatman

Get a great feeling watching this!

Voting time off still in your handbook?

Today in Florida is primary election day.  I have seen several handbooks and policies where employers are providing up to 2 hours and some up to 4 hours- off to vote.  There is no longer the need to do this.  Polls open early now.  People can vote by mail-in ballot.  So, look in your policies and your handbook (bargaining unit contracts are different!) and update this policy.