Continue reading »]]> “Did I do the right thing?”

“Is the company going to get sued?”

“Did we violate one of the many new regulations that seem to keep coming?”

“Is my job now on the line?”

Human Resources professionals face more challenges today than ever before. Any reasonable person would believe the laws that have been passed to protect all employees would certainly suffice. Yet, external parties, government agencies, and old school thinking from many organizational leaders continue to give the impression that the life of an HR practitioner is doomed to processing forms and trying to hide from anything confrontational or impactful.

Enemy – Self Talk

One of the most significant challenges for today’s HR pro is the ability to power through the ever present self talk that guides us in our work. The questions we ask ourselves, the decision-making process we use, and the resources we use to get to a productive end point are incredibly important. If my self talk is based on the premise that I need to ensure I never make a bad decision, therefore preserving my job, then its quite likely that I will be the stereotypical ineffective HR guy who never gets any respect.

Sad, but true.

If however, we re-program our self talk mantras to include messages that challenge us to live the mission of our organizations; or take calculated risks; or try new approaches that are not familiar, then we are changing our HR practice.

Now you can almost see that seat at the table, can’t you?

Enemy – Corporate Culture

Another major challenge HR faces is the environment where they work. If the culture of your organization is one based on old school command and control leadership, it is highly unlikely that you will make any meaningful difference in your work.

The inability of executives to see the many opportunities available to human resources teams to source, connect with, and recruit talent will not happen in a culture that still believes fax machines are modern tools for business.

Sad, but true.

Enemy – You

The last battle we all have to face is not a clueless executive who thinks social media is a fad; or the phrases you have been programmed to chant over and over in your head. The final step to moving into the modern world is about reaching out.

That’s right. You need to get connected. You need to learn the tools that HR leaders should be using today. Whether this means using apps like this and this; or going social on Linkedin, twitter, and Facebook, it’s up to you to get started. I continue to be surprised at how few HR leaders actually take advantage of the amazing tools available today.

Do you actually still take notes on a piece of paper in meetings? What do you do with all of that paper anyway? What does your desk look like? I thought so…

We’re not going to be able to move our profession forward if we’re still acting like we’re overworked and jumping like an alley cat every time a rule changes. Maybe it’s time we actually shifted gears and moved into the modern world.

Who’s with me?

photo credit | photo credit

Jay Kuhns, SPHR has served as the Vice President of Human Resources for All Children’s Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine in St. Petersburg, FL since 2008, and has nearly two decades of human resources experience in the healthcare industry.  He gets fired up about lots of things including social media, his leadership blog NoExcusesHR, doing HR differently, and watching more hockey than anyone should.

Continue reading »]]> One of the smartest men I have ever known did not fill silence.  Police interrogators use this tactic.  When they ask a question of a person of interest, they wait.  Even if they get an immediate answer, they wait.  Usually the interviewee will share more.  They will expound on their answer and perhaps share information not previously known by the police.  We all have a tendency to do this.  It’s because we don’t like silence.  When it exists, we feel the need to fill it.

In meetings, this smart man that I know rarely spoke.  He listened.  While others were actively debating an issue, he was listening to both sides.  Then, when the same points began to be repeated, as they always do in animated debates, he’d speak up.  With a brief statement, he’d bring everyone back to focus with a summarized solution that all could accept.  I enjoyed attending meetings with him just so I could watch him in action.  I often wondered if others in the room realized his strategy.  His gift for resolution was amazing.

Recently, I was involved in a discussion with five other individuals.  There were two possible actions and the team was equally divided in the opinion of which course of action was best.  Three people, including me, wanted Plan A.  The others argued for Plan B.  As the debate continued, I remembered my colleague’s strategy and I removed myself from the conversation and began to listen to the points being made by both sides.  As I really listened rather than either expressing my opinion or planning the next point I would make in support of my position, I learned that the two plans weren’t that distinct.  The starting point and the ending point were exactly the same.  It was the method of action that differed.  Further, the people responsible for actually taking the action weren’t even present to express an opinion.

I employed the tactic of the smart man I know and summed up the points and suggested we let the folks responsible for the action make the determination of the best approach.  Everyone agreed and the discussion was over.  It actually worked.

Note to self:  Talk less.  Listen more.  

With many years of senior-level human resources experience in the private sector environment, Joyce Chastain, SPHR brings practical know-how to each engagement. Her human resources consulting practice specializes in talent development, employee relations, internal investigations, employment law compliance, and affirmative action plans. She is the owner of Chastain Consulting and currently serves as the 2013-2014 President of the HR Florida State Council.

Continue reading »]]> Note:  This blog was originally published on the “Tremendous Upside” – a digital talent digest from Kinetix.  Thank you to the team at Kinetix for allowing us to share this with you.

It occurred to me this past week that our experiences with new leaders, succession planning and all that transpires in-between really can define who we are and how we see the world – at least our world at work.

I’ve participated in several leadership changes over the course of this past year – good, bad and indifferent – and the experiences with each of them have been exhausting, rewarding, challenging and needed.  The process however, really differs based on the outgoing leader, the incoming leader, the organization in which it happens as well as those that are impacted by this change.

Question is should it be different? Should there be set way in which succession planning is done that makes it successful? Does succession mean successful? Why is it harder for some companies than others? How are these new leaders selected and just because they are “in-line” for succession, are they the best fit now – people change right?  Six years ago, it might have seemed like a great plan for Joe to take over the company, but since then, he’s remarried 4 times, has 9 kids, and only shaves on Mondays.

The Grooming of Joe

If an organization has really thought about a strategic plan that goes beyond planning for this year’s holiday party, and has put people in place to be the next CEO, President, or Board Chair, that is one step in the succession process.  But it doesn’t stop there.  You don’t just check that off the list and say, “We’re good on succession planning.”

How do you keep that person continually engaged in the company regarding decisions, planning, ensuring the customers, partners and employees understand what their role is? Is there an evaluation process that helps you gauge success and integration? Or, do we just hope and pray all goes well for however long it takes before the current leader or leadership moves on?

I support the idea that each company, association or otherwise should have culturally unique ways of succession planning that makes sense to their company culture and structure. But I also support the idea that there are definitive skills, expectations and timelines (soft and hard) that must be in place in order for succession planning to actually work:

Commitment to the Plan

Those who are part of the plan, affected by the plan and executing the plan are committed to ensuring the process is adhered to and the results/outcomes are supported.  This commitment needs to be confirmed on a regular basis with the senior leadership.

Trust

The innate ability to know that you as part of the outgoing leadership or incoming leader are held accountable for all that falls under your watch. The trust of the process, people and employees will be the gauge of success.

Buy-In

The senior leaders that will be most impacted by this succession plan must have bought into the how/when/why of the plan. These people will be the champions of the change, philosophy and progress – ensure they support the plan and can communicate that.

Leadership change is inevitable if you are around a company long enough and it’s needed in order to continue to grow and be competitive in the market.  Most times, it comes with little surprise because the succession planning is quite extensive and requires commitment and buy-in while leaders are still in the early stages of their careers.  Sometimes the changes happens because of the failure of the current leader and with succession, the “next in line” is prepared to takeover – interim or not – and sees the company through to better times.

Abrupt leadership change, without buy-in, trust or commitment can be disastrous to the organization’s reputation, employees and overall culture.   While there is always an exception as to why abrupt changes occur, typically there is irreversible damage done and the fallout can last a long time.

So, are you participating in the company succession plan? Is there such an animal?  Do you know the long term strategy for your company or are you hoping and praying that Linda the receptionist, Joe’s third wife, is not in line for the COO job?

Carol McDaniel is the Senior Vice President at Kinetix – a Recruitment Process Outsourcing firm.  Carol’s background combines extensive Human Resource consulting, recruiting, marketing and advertising expertise.  With her strong understanding of the many challenges in today’s competitive labor market environment she is considered a subject matter expert in the employer marketing and branding process.  This expertise has proved to play a crucial role in the development of talent management and acquisition strategies for her clients.  Carol is a frequent speaker at HR and SHRM events, national programs and training seminars to focus on the areas of talent acquisition and talent communications. Carol also volunteers her time with the HR Florida State Council and serves on the Executive committee as the the President-Elect.  Read more from Carol here.

Continue reading »]]> I’m fairly new to the social media scene. I’ve only been active for a few years, but it is abundantly clear to me, and should be to any other breathing human resources professional in the state of Florida, that social media IS our new reality.

There is no going back. There are no good ol’ days. There is no longing for how things used to be. Yesterday is dead and gone.

Where the Hell is Everybody?

There are more than 300 hospitals in the state of Florida. That means 300 human resources leaders are directing 300 teams of HR professionals. That also means an incredible opportunity for the healthcare sector, in particular the HR pros in this State to take the lead nationally in terms of adoption and implementation of social media tools and strategies.

So where the hell is everybody?

Fear and Loathing in the Sunshine State (I mean everywhere!)

Before you all get upset with me, I’ll readily admit that I understand how timid and fearful most HR pros are these days.

With all of the regulatory interference from the government; the trial attorneys feeding off the frivolous claims of former employees; and the ill-informed and old school legal and compliance departments attempting to lead…er…live in the stone age, I understand why hundreds of you have stayed on the sideline.

Is this you HR conference room?

Seriously. It’s time to stop worrying about going social and start getting professional. Yes, I said professional. Your skills are incredibly valuable, but how those skills get utilized in today’s workplace are drastically different than just five years ago.

Have you kept up? Do you know the difference between a twitter chat and a water cooler chat? If not, call me. I’m begging you. You have a chance to make a dramatic difference in your professional life, and in the life of your organization.

The approaches you used yesterday truly are dead and gone. The good news is that the world of work, particularly for those of us in #HealthcareHR have no limits to what we can achieve if we are simply willing to try. Trust me…I took that first step, and you can too.

So…where the hell are you?

pic

Jay Kuhns, SPHR has served as the Vice President of Human Resources for All Children’s Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine in St. Petersburg, FL since 2008, and has nearly two decades of human resources experience in the healthcare industry.  He gets fired up about lots of things including social media, his leadership blog NoExcusesHR, doing HR differently, and watching more hockey than anyone should.

Continue reading »]]> As an HR professional who’s been around the track a bazillion times when it comes to training, I often see managers and trainers themselves who think that training adults is as easy as giving them a book and telling them to read it – or worse – giving them a PowerPoint and then READING THAT to them.  No wonder training gets a bad rap.

The fact of the matter is all individuals, no matter the person’s age, have differing needs that must be met so learning can take place.  The “father” of andragogy, Malcolm Knowles, recognized that these needs are highly different for adults than they are for their younger counterparts and meeting these needs is paramount to developing knowledge and skill competencies in the workplace.  Knowles presented six principles of adult learning theory that must be in play for actual learning to take place.

Principle #1– Adults move from a dependent personality to self-direction as they mature.

Just what is the definition of an “adult” actually?  According to Knowles, an adult is someone “who has arrived at a self-concept of being responsible for one’s own life, of being self-directing.”  As part of the maturation process, adults develop a deep-seated need to be seen by others as capable of taking responsibility.  Too often adults are placed in training situations where they are told what, where, when and how to learn.  Self-directed learning is not the same as self-paced; self-paced means the adult can only affect when to experience the training, whereas self-directed puts the learner in charge of when, where and how.

To meet this need for self-direction, incorporate some “search and discovery” into the training.  Deliver the training with as many different options for learning as possible. Since adults manage most aspects of their lives, they are capable of directing or assisting in the planning and implementation of their own learning.

Principle #2– Adults have a growing set of experiences that provide a fertile ground for learning.

Adults bring into the learning laboratory a broad background that is full of rich resources.  They have a broader base of experience upon which to frame new ideas and skills.  The more explicit the training can make the relationships between old and new, the deeper and more permanent the learning will be.

One way to do this is through discussion and reflection.  To adults, their self-identity is defined by their set of experiences.  If training doesn’t take into account, or take advantage of a learner’s set of experiences, the adult may not see the worth of the content or the validity of the training experience.  Ensure learning by designing training activities based the actual work the learners will be performing and give them time to debrief and reflect back on the activity so they can link the old with the new.

Principle #3– Adults are more interested in learning things that have an immediate relevance to their jobs or personal lives.

Adults will not learn just for learning’s sake.  Because they have a significant amount of experience to help frame their points of reference, they tend to spend a considerable amount of energy seeking to understand what the benefits would be to learning something and what the costs would be if they chose not to learn it.  Adults become ready to learn when they experience in their work situations a need to know or be able to do to perform more effectively and satisfyingly.  Training will fail 100% of the time if people are forced into learning programs before they perceive a need for the training.

To combat this, provide training as close to the time it is needed as possible.  Don’t just toss some information to them and tell them they’ll need it at some point in the future.  A great example:  in my workplace we just finished rolling out a new competency-based, behavioral interviewing training program for our store managers.  We told the managers in the training that right after the session, they would be interviewing actual candidates for sales associate positions in their stores.  Did those managers want to get it right so they could get great sales professionals for their store?  You bet they did.  The program was a smashing success.

Principle #4– Adults are more problem-centered than subject-centered when it comes to gathering knowledge.

As people mature, their perspective on learning changes from gathering knowledge for future use to getting it for immediate application.  This means that adults engage in learning so they can complete a task or solve a problem; they don’t learn just for learning’s sake.  Students in the school system are accustomed to a topic-oriented approach to learning where they focus on obtaining knowledge to pass a test.  I call this the “teach me, damn it” approach when it is used with adults.  It just doesn’t work.

To combat this, design training so that learners are solving problems or doing things just as they would back on the job.  If there happens to be a large amount of information they need to have to solve a particular problem, present that information in a “job aid” or reference format and teach them how to access and use the information.  Focus on doing something with the information, rather than just knowing the information.

Principle #5– Adults are more motivated to learn by internal, rather than external incentives.

Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model?  Well, that theory comes into play here, too.  In the workplace, adults will respond to things such as promotions and bonuses up to the point they are reasonably satisfied.  If you want to get them engaged in learning however, you must appeal to their higher level, intrinsic needs in terms of self-esteem, desire to achieve, and emotional satisfaction from accomplishment.  Adults will not motivated to learn unless they perceive a need to learn.

Design learning activities that clearly demonstrate to adult learners where and how learning the content will benefit them in the performance of their jobs. Good, high quality training and education is based on the idea of nurturing those intrinsic motivators.

Principle #6 – Adults have a need to know why they should learn something.

Know how kids are parodied for asking the “why?” question all the time and parents get frustrated as a kid takes a deep dive down into why the sky is blue?  (In case you were wondering, it’s because molecules in the air scatter the sun’s blue light waves more than red light waves.)  Well, adults do the same thing.  Not scatter – ask the proverbial question.

Telling an adult that learning a particular item “is a good thing for them” is not going to cut it.  To combat this, content development should be based on the needs of the intended audience.  All information provided, including module objectives and plans, should include the primary reasons for and benefits of learning the content.  Show them where and why they have to have some skin in the game.

There is a theme here, isn’t there.  For adult learning to take place, make it relevant, make it interesting, and make it connect back to what they have to know or do back on the job.

Feed the need.

Heather Vogel, SPHR is head of organizational development and leadership with Ashley Furniture HomeStores where she drives corporate culture, employee engagement and leadership development strategies.  Prior to joining Ashley, she booked 15 years of HR/OD leadership experience in private consulting with global companies such as AT&T.  Heather’s alter ego is the HR Whisperer, who is known for blogging on all things behavior.  She is also a past president of the HR Florida State Council.

Continue reading »]]> Whenever we face a workplace crisis of any proportion, we get to witness the character of the leaders.  Do they work toward resolution or do they focus on the drama?

In my line of work, I frequently assist clients through various crises:  claims of sexual harassment, allegations of employee theft, etc.  One thing always stands out to me:  It’s the way in which the organizational leaders react.  It’s caused me to examine and alter my own response to crisis.

I am a list maker.  I come from a long line of list makers.  It’s in my DNA.  So, since that comes natural to me, when faced with a crisis, that’s where I start.  As soon as I’m made aware of an issue, I start a list.  On my list might be:

• Who needs to be informed of the situation and why
• What immediate steps need to be taken to control damage
• What assignments need to be made to accomplish the damage control steps
• What new policies/procedures/controls need to be put in place to prevent future issues

My list keeps me on target toward crisis resolution.  Because I’m focused on solutions, I’m too busy to be distracted by those who would want to steer me towards the drama of it all.

Those drama junkies get nothing productive accomplished.  They consume inordinate amounts of time going from one person to another sharing what they know in hopes of gleaning a few new facts from their conversation buddy.  They don’t usually want to spend too much time with me because as soon as I’m approached by one of the Drama Bees (so named for their propensity to flit from one “honey” source to another), I check my list and give them an assignment.  The conversation usually goes something like this:

Drama Bee – Have you heard the latest?

Me – Oh! I’m so glad you stopped by (meanwhile I’m checking my list.)  I need your help in creating a new policy.  Could you take the lead and draft something for executive review by the end of the day tomorrow?

It works every time.  From that point on, the Drama Bee avoids me.  Not only am I not a source of “honey,” I am a source of real work and no Drama Bee wants to hang around productive people.

How do you respond in time of crisis?  Do you talk about it or do you roll up your sleeves and get busy?  I challenge you to consider your reaction and alter it, if necessary.

Be part of the solution. 

You will emerge a much stronger and more effective leader.  There are enough Drama Bees already.

Image by  Andy Hay

With many years of senior-level human resources experience in the private sector environment, Joyce Chastain, SPHR brings practical know-how to each engagement. Her human resources consulting practice specializes in talent development, employee relations, internal investigations, employment law compliance, and affirmative action plans. She is the owner of Chastain Consulting and currently serves as the 2013-2014 President of the HR Florida State Council.

Continue reading »]]> No longer should you consider growing in your career as mission impossible.

Listen up!  We have a way to make this mission possible!

Each year we strive to kick things up a notch and bring you dynamic and thought provoking speakers, content and experiences which will in turn help you further develop in your career.  The 2013 HR Florida State Conference & Expo is no different.

This year we bring you three keynote speakers that will provide exciting and memorable opportunities for you to learn and grow.

Aron Ralston

Aron Ralston is the incredible man whose life-changing story inspired the film 127 Hours.  After being pinned by a half-ton boulder for nearly a week in a remote three-foot-wide slot canyon in southern Utah, Ralston narrowly escaped death by severing his right forearm with a dull pocketknife. After applying a tourniquet, he hiked and rappelled for five hours through Blue John Canyon before searchers in a helicopter miraculously rescued him.  A powerful inspirational speaker, Ralston touches the hearts of audiences nationwide through his tale of survival, tapping into the fundamental human experiences of facing and surmounting obstacles.  [Learn more]

Sheila C. Johnson

Sheila Johnson is a groundbreaking business woman and entrepreneur.  Among many successful roles in her career, she is the CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts and a founding member of Black Entertainment Television (BET).  Johnson knows how to take calculated risks and how to surround herself with smart people.  And, in today’s challenging business environment, hard work and collaboration cannot be overlooked.  In her engaging presentation she imparts lessons learned—including how to create the right corporate culture and the importance of embracing technology.  She also stresses the importance of being a “work in progress” to ensure future success.  [Learn more]

Peter Sheahan

Peter Sheahan is a well respected expert on the issues of generational change, workplace trends, and rapidly changing employee and consumer expectations.  As founder and CEO of ChangeLabs, a global consultancy delivering large-scale behavior change projects, he has worked with clients such as Apple, Google and IBM in the areas of innovation and change.  The author of six books, including the international bestsellers Fl!p and Generation Y, Sheahan focuses on teaching leaders and companies how to flip their thinking, make money in the cracks and find opportunity where others cannot.  His presentations shift leaders out of the world as it used to exist and into the world as it exists today.   @petergsheahan [Learn more]

Are you as excited as we are for this year’s conference and exposition?  Three powerful keynotes, a jam-packed schedule of master series and concurrent sessions, all at our new venue – Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity! Visit us today www.hrfloridaconference.org to register and learn more about this year’s event.

Heather Deyrieux, SPHR is the Director of Client Services at OrlandoJobs.com, Central Florida’s #1 career website serving clients of all sizes with their hiring needs.  Heather currently serves as the 2013-2014 State Conference Director for the HR Florida State Council.  Outside of HR, Heather is an avid baker and cook always trying new recipes and a shoe lover who aims to always look fabulous.

Continue reading »]]> Now, what was your first thought when you read the title of this blog?  Be honest.  I’m sure more than one of you uttered “WTF” under your breath.  Truth of the matter is, Philip is fat.  He’s a fat, fictional baby that is depicted on NBC’s The Office, which happens to be one of my favorite television shows.

Flipping through my desk calendar of quotes from The Office, I read the comical interchange to the left.  Yes, I may have snorted.  Yes, a coworker may have heard me and chuckled.  Oh well, I’m new here.  Who cares?  Right?  Wrong.

This interchange reminded me of a few blunders I’ve made in the past when communicating with coworkers and/or friends.  I bet we’ve all had more than one “Damn You Auto-Correct” moments thanks to our trusty smart phones.

Why have I chosen to write about this topic?  Honestly, I thought it was funny and too good of an opportunity to pass up in reminding people how important first impressions are.  See, I just started a new job recently and I have an impression to make.  While I am not worried, I do think about assimilating into my new role and employer strategically.  I need to be able to quickly gain the trust of my new team and demonstrate why I was hired above all other candidates.  I need to do all this while being authentic to myself.  The last thing I need to do is set off some red flags and get the wagons circling.

Now, share with us some thoughts.  What are some other things someone starting in a new job should not overlook?  I’m sure all of us have had some interesting on-boarding experiences.  Share the wealth!  What happened?  What did you learn?  Did it change how you handle yourself in any way?

Stephen Harrison is currently the Social Media Director for the HR Florida State Council. He tweets under the handles @hrflorida and @stevemgharrison. Aside from his volunteer role with SHRM, Stephen is a tech-savvy, results-driven people manager with an over eight year track record of delivering a strong human resources agenda in the civil service, education, information technology, benefits administration and energy services sectors, encompassing small private sector companies with 30 employees to large public sector companies with 7,000+ employees.

Continue reading »]]>
Note:  This blog was originally published on the “Tremendous Upside” – a digital talent digest from Kinetix.  Thank you to the team at Kinetix for allowing us to share this with you.

///DISCLAIMER ALERT/// This is by no means is a way to create havoc in the HR space – okay, maybe a little – or to dissuade others of how they feel about the “Engagement” buzzword. This is merely an observation made after ruffling a few feathers and sharing a perspective on what I think Employee Engagement is and isn’t.

I was recently speaking to an HR group about “Engagement” and spent a lot of time talking about what it’s not; who doesn’t own it, and what bad engagement looks like – that was best part – and, what I perceive engagement to look and feel like and who really does “own it.”

During the presentation I asked for a show of hands of those who had “Engagement Programs” in their organizations – not one hand went up.  I really wasn’t sure if that was because no one knew what that was, or they were too embarrassed to be the only ones in the room with such.  So, I relieved their angst and told that I thought they were smarter than most.  Truth be told, I was secretly hoping that few people would have raised their hands so I could hear them describe their program – but no takers.

Anyway, I’m not going to bore you with my 2-hour preso, but there were a couple of “Ah Ha” moments that I that I think are worth more discussion.

Employee engagement is not a program you “put in place” or an “initiative” you write in your strategic goals.

Much like the culture of your company, engagement is not something you start, budget for or plan for. Engagement is, as described in Kris Dunns’ whitepaper, “It’s not you, it’s me, really. The Bootstrappers Guide to Employee Engagement”, the discretionary effort you don’t have to threaten someone to get.  Yes, it exists in organizations that have figured out what makes employees tick. Whether is compensation, ownership, letting their voice be heard and matter, or providing them what they need to be successful.  It’s the discretionary effort that provides the basis for solid engagement.

Employee Engagement is “owned” by the First-Level Manager

Yep, I said it. There is an owner to this crazy we call engagement. Why the first-level manager? Think about it, this is the first person an employee sees when they get to work, and the last person, in some cases it’s the janitor but this isn’t my story,  they see before they head home. This person has more ability to control your mood, happiness at work and often times any progression you hope to have in your company.

During my presentation, I used a made up analogy of being a new grad and having the ultimate goal of working at Kraft. This newbie really wants to be in marketing on a global perspective – big aspirations. Being smart about how to land a job at Kraft – their friend has a friend that works at the plant that packages the famous Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and they land a job there. Seems easy enough. Turns out their manager has other ideas, and due to his retirement being cut and needing to work past 65 to pay for his kids college education, of whom  is STILL living at home, the manager eyes this newbie as someone who needs to earn their keep packaging elbow macaroni – for a long time.  You know how this goes.

Fact is, based on how that manager sees the company as a whole, how the company has treated them and the tools/training they are given to manage, is how that newbie’s engagement level, or anyone else’s for that matter, will be determined.

While we can get it weeds with the data, impact on revenue, surveys – whateva, that my friends is where engagement lives and thrives. It could be on that line tossing bags of elbow macaroni around or the conference room where weekly meetings happen.

So, stop trying to figure out how much an Employee Engagement program costs and for the love of Pete, figure out how to get that old cod of the mac n’ cheese line before he can do anymore damage!

Carol McDaniel is the Senior Vice President at Kinetix – a Recruitment Process Outsourcing firm.  Carol’s background combines extensive Human Resource consulting, recruiting, marketing and advertising expertise.  With her strong understanding of the many challenges in today’s competitive labor market environment she is considered a subject matter expert in the employer marketing and branding process.  This expertise has proved to play a crucial role in the development of talent management and acquisition strategies for her clients.  Carol is a frequent speaker at HR and SHRM events, national programs and training seminars to focus on the areas of talent acquisition and talent communications. Carol also volunteers her time with the HR Florida State Council and serves on the Executive committee as the the President-Elect.  Read more from Carol here.

Continue reading »]]> If you’re a cynic like me, the last thing you want to read or hear about is all the sappy Valentine’s Day stories.  Blah.  My Valentine’s Day was spent dealing with a difficult break-up of sorts.  I quit my job.

You see, I moved to my current  home in sunny Florida from what I refer to as the Great White North (upstate New York) just under eight and a half years ago post college.  My goal was to escape the snow and find a job.  I packed all that I could into my little Honda Civic and zigzagged my way down the east coast on a site-seeing adventure with a college buddy until I arrived in Tallahassee, land of the Seminoles.

Over the past eight plus years I’ve worked for several different companies in various industries but always in a human resources capacity.  Also, shortly after landing my first gig I joined the local SHRM chapter, started volunteering and quickly worked my way to the board of directors and eventually as chapter president.  This volunteer role paved my way to join the HR Florida State Council as a volunteer, which is where most people know me from.  Throughout my time here in Tallahassee I have networked like no other.  I have volunteered for civic organizations and professional associations.  I have put in the time and grown in my career, far exceeding even my own expectations.  Eventually, however, I began to feel like I hit a limit on my career growth, a “ceiling” if you will.

As a visible leader of the local SHRM chapter I quickly networked my way into knowing the majority of human resources professionals and business owners in the community.  I reached a point where I honestly felt like there was no where else I was interested in going to further my career here in Tallahassee.  I wanted something new.  A new challenge.  A new chapter.  That being said I put some feelers out with colleagues across the state and within no time I found an awesome opportunity in a new city.

The dilemma?  I love the HR team I work with at my employer.  How could I even think of leaving this rockstar team at the start of our busiest time of year.  I asked myself a lot of questions and weighed all the options.  All of this led me to my final decision.  Change it is!

In the next week I will be leaving a team I’ve grown to respect and care about and moving across the state to Jacksonville, FL to start a new gig.  I am thoroughly excited and ready for whatever life has to throw at me as I embark on this crazy adventure.  In the back of my head I am scared but I truly believe it is worth the risk.

Here’s to taking something new and exciting and running with it!  

Stephen Harrison is currently the Social Media Director for the HR Florida State Council. He tweets under the handles @hrflorida and @stevemgharrison. Aside from his volunteer role with SHRM, Stephen is a tech-savvy, results-driven people manager with an over eight year track record of delivering a strong human resources agenda in the civil service, education, information technology, benefits administration and energy services sectors, encompassing small private sector companies with 30 employees to large public sector companies with 7,000+ employees.